Finger lickin' good!

Photo by Taylor Kiser on Unsplash

One of the advantages of being an airbnb host is that we have the privilege of experiencing authentic ethnic cuisine right in our own home. Gaurav was staying with us for about a week and one day, offered to make us a curry dinner. Growing up, I thought curry powder was an actual spice, but oh no! As Gaurav first fried the aromatics (onions, garlic, ginger) then began layering in spices such as cumin, coriander, and tumeric, the fragrance filling our home made our mouths water with anticipation. If butter chicken is served in heaven, I’m sure God will use Gaurav’s recipe. I set the table with the usual knife, fork and spoon but again- no! Gaurav said the way to eat butter chicken was to tear off a piece of naan (flatbread), and use it to scoop up a piece of chicken and sauce, using the fingers of your right hand. He explained that this way, all your senses are involved with the meal. And it was true. As I held the nugget of chicken encased in the naan up to my mouth, the olfactory receptors in my nose engaged with my taste buds. Pure bliss!

But alas, I come from British stock and we were trained to eat with cutlery, beginning at 2 years old with a silver baby spoon, then later to eat “properly”, using a knife and fork. To this day, if I see someone gripping their fork or spoon with their fist, shoveling food into their mouth, I can’t help but think they were raised by wolves. It’s sad but true. In the same way, I’m sure I’ve offended many an Asian watching me struggle with chopsticks.

The story is told of a dinner guest of Queen Elizabeth who inadvertently picked up his finger bowl (used for rinsing your fingers between courses) and began to drink from it.  The royal butler watched on, horrified but then his horror was quickly replaced with deep admiration when Her Majesty then picked up her bowl and drank from it as well, saving her guest from feeling mortified at this gaff.   It was a real class act.

Have you ever sat down at a formal dinner (maybe a wedding, perhaps) and stared at all the different forks, spoons in front of you and with dismay, wondered, “What utensil do I pick up first?” The easiest way to remember is to simply work your way from outside to inside, toward your plate.

By the way…

For special occasions, I love setting the table using Aunt Lorna’s sterling silverware. I know, I know- it needs to be polished and who has time for that? But while it may seem like an onerous task, I timed it and it took just under 10 minutes to clean 32 pieces of silver- enough for 8 place settings. I use Hagerty’s instant silver dip. Why keep grandma’s silverware? Silver reflexes the light (especially candlelight), creating a warm, white glow, way more luxurious than steel. But of course, we all use stainless steel. At one point, I had all kinds of mismatched pieces and one day, I dumped it all into a bag and dropped it off at our local thrift store then headed over to Canadian Tire and treated myself to a new set. If you’re in the market for new stainless steel cutlery, spend a little more and make sure it says “18/10” on the box. It’s the strongest mix of chromium and nickel.

You’ll never bend a spoon scooping out hard ice cream again!