professional dinning manners

Your grandma probably told you, eating with your hands will bring out the best flavours, but at your friend’s fancy sit-down dinner it will only fetch you raised eyebrows.

While we all love to let our hair down, there are few set of rules that must be followed while at the dining table. Chef Kedar Bobde from Grand Hyatt Mumbai, along with Food and Beverage Manager Sherman Almeida from Courtyard by Marriott, Mumbai teach us how be perfect diners.

Being the host

If you love playing host, stock up on a basics cutlery set that can fit any lunch or dinner setting. According to our experts here is what every home should have:

» Plates: There are two kinds of plates that one must have. First are the classic dinner plates that can be used to serve main course dishes. Dessert plates should belonging to the same set, but are of a smaller size. Apart from these you can also have platters to serve dishes such as canapés, sushi, cream crackers and other finger foods.

» Spoons and forks: Avoid intimidating your guests with an assortment. Stick to the usual dinner (long-tined) variety, salad fork (same shape but slightly shorter tines). Spoons to have are table, dessert and soup. If you’re feeling pretentious, bring out the caviar spoon and watch your diners squirm. A steak knife for fiberous proteins, butter knife (with a slightly rounded tip), dinner and cheese knife should safely see you through.

» Bowls: Three kinds of bowls will complete your setting- serving bowls for main course items, a tossing bowl for salads and smaller bowls for gravies and Indian desserts.

» Extras: To turn your party from armature to well-planned buy a gateaux slicer (for desserts and pies) and serving tongs (for leafy salads and bread).

 Major dining faux pas

♦ Elbows on the table are just bad manners

♦ Chewing with your mouth open, big no no

♦ Never put used cutlery back in main bowls

♦ Torn bread is not returned to the basket

♦ The fork always goes in your left hand

Laying the table For a formal meal

A formal table set-up is a tough nut to crack. Start off by spreading a clean mat on the table and smoothen it with your palms. While it is best if you opt for a stiff, white cloth mat, one can also experiment with coil, jute, cotton and bamboo mats.

Now starting from your right hand side, going inwards, follow this order - Soup spoon, salad knife, main course spoon, main plate, main course fork and salad fork. Place your glass on the top right-hand side of the plate and a wine glass right next to it in the same corner.

Give it the edge

» Lights play an important role in setting the mood for your meal. For lunch, make sure your table has ample day light. For dinners, soft, dim lights work best.

» White flowers at the centre of the table fit any theme, mood and time frame.

» Starters of chips and dips and finger food are always a good idea to initiate a party. It helps guests lighten up and mingle.

» Always respect the culture of your guests. If you have invited someone belonging to a new culture, guide them through your entire dinner menu and rules beforehand.

» Folded napkins in various fancy shapes are passé. Give them a break and opt for simple book folding. Too many folds will give rise to hygiene issues.

For an informal/buffet meal

Buffet meals are a common trend in the city. The aim here is to set an easy-to-navitage table, giving the host a better chance to mingle around. Clear out a huge dining table or a platform where you want to lay your spread.

Starting from the left-hand side of the table arrange your dishes in the following order - Salads, soup, main course dishes, gravies, breads and rice. The roast, if any should be placed in the middle of the table. Keep a corner reserved for the plates, spoons, knifes and napkin. Ideally, water and beverages should be a separate table.

Be the good guest

Know your cutlery

The biggest challenge for any guest is to know how to identify and use their cutlery. Here is a cheat sheet

» The biggest spoon, fork and knife are meant for the main course. The smallest ones are for desserts and stirring tea. In case of many, knives and forks are placed in sequence of the courses, going outside in, so the first course will have its corresponding fork/spoon on the extreme corners.

» Dishes that should be eaten with hand — pizza, Indian food, cheese, crab, food served on toasted bread, for instance bruschetta or corstini.

» Dishes to be eaten with a knife and fork — meats, fish, salad, vegetables, gravies, anti -pasti, dessert, cut fruits, pies, grills.

Napkin placement

This one is another quizzer. For a guest, it is important to know where the napkin should be placed while dining.

The general rule is that while having foods that are gravy-based the napkin should be tucked in your shirt or dress. This will include all Indian subjis, pasta, pizza and sizzler.

On the other hand, while eating non-messy foods such as grill, pie, anti-pasti and finger food, the napkin can be placed on the lap.

Minding manners

» After you have served yourself, always pass on the main plate to your right.

» If food falls off your plate while eating, put it back in your plate and get the plate changed. Don’t leave it on the table. 

» Stay off your mobile phone and pods while the food is being served around. Avoid it entirely if possible.

» After you have finished the meal, place your cutlery in the middle of your plate. It signifies a closed plate.

Table Bloopers

“Once a guest came in and enjoyed a lovely meal. The moment they finished eating, they simply lifted a glass of water and washed their hands in the plate.

As a hotel staffer we can’t say anything to them because at the end of the day they are paying for the service. But that is the biggest no-no.

“A guest walked into our restaurant and asked for a buffet meal. He started off with the soup, went on to the salad, picked up the main course and the dessert all at once! It was very funny to see someone do that. Ideally one should take once course at a time, if you are feeling lazy to get up repeatedly — you can take help from the waiter.”

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Know your olive oil

Olive oil is actually the juice of the olive, and it is the only oil in the market that is extracted from a fresh fruit. Of course, we've all read about the benefits of olive oil, and what it can do to our skin and hair, and of course, we all believe that all Spanish beauties bathe in this oil. But do we really know how to use this oil for everyday cooking, more importantly, which grade of oil to use? 

Perhaps not, which is why even though many in the world have switched to olive oil, we're still unsure about its usage. Time to get educated, then... To begin with, here's bursting the most famous olive oil myth in India: We should use Extra Virgin (EV) olive oil because it is 

Extra virgin olive oil:

 
It is the highest grade olive oil with perfect aroma and flavour. EV oil is got from the first cold pressing of the olive fruit within 24 hours of harvesting. It is heavy, and its viscosity is higher than other grades of olive oil and therefore, it is mainly use is for preparing cold dishes: dressing salads, pasta, rice and vegetables, meat and fish. 

Olive oil:
 

This variety is a combination of refined olive oil and EV olive oil. Refined olive oil is obtained by refining oil that does not possess optimum characteristics. After refining, the oil is blended with EV oilive ol. Olive oil is an intermediate grade oil the best. Well, not really. At least, not for preparing Indian dishes. EV olive oil may be best in flavour, but its flavour is so strong that it can change the taste of the dish! Also, deep-frying in EV olive oil is not advisable as it is heavy and viscous as compared to other grades of olive oil. Therefore, EV olive oil is suitable for only flavouring, dressings and condiments or for integrating foods - like making cold sauces, crushing ingredients and preparing Carpaccio or marinated dishes. 

So then, what is the best option? Olive pomace oil. It is the cooking grade oil, and is used all over Italy, Spain and the Mediterranean for every type of cooking. Pomace oil is not costly, is light and has neutral with medium aroma and flavour, suitable for pan and deep frying, stir-fries, sautes and stews. It is also suitable for all types of body massage. 

Olive pomace oil:

 
This is the main cooking grade oil variety. It is a light oil with neutral taste and flavour and is the most suitable oil for Indian cuisine as it does not change the flavour or taste of any preparation. This oil is obtained by treating the olive residue paste (after the fruit has been pressed) with solvents to extract oil, refining and then blending this product with EV oil in order to enhance the product and its health benefits, taste and flavour. And, this oil is ideal for cooking all types and varieties of Indian dishes. It neither changes the taste nor presents any difficulties while cooking. Indian cuisine, whether fried, roasted, 'bhunoed' or cooked by any other method, tastes as good with Olive Pomace oil as it does when prepared in sunflower, safflower, corn or any other oil. Also, when frying at between 130 and 190 o C, olive oil forms a crisp, golden crust making the fried food much more appetising but without affecting its nutritional value, as the oil hardly penetrates the food, leaving it light and digestible. Each portion of this oil used for deep frying may be reused 3-4 times as long as it is filtered carefully after each use through a gauze, muslin or a suitable paper filter. 

And this one's for those who think the oil is really costly: Yes, any grade of olive oil costs more than other edible oils. But look at it this way: It takes only 1/3rd the quantity of other edible oils to cook in olive oil, and since it has a high smoking point, it can be reused 3-4 times. Therefore, the effective cost of olive oil is 1/9th of its actual price!

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