Page:Modern Manners.djvu/14

14 other customs that he had observed in Europe.

Q. To settle an argument, will you tell me the correct way in which to eat peas. One person says they are always eaten with a spoon, another that a fork should be used, while a third says they may be eaten with either a spoon or fork.

A. It is customary to eat vegetables with a fork. This applies in the case of peas.

Q. What kind of sandwiches should be eaten with the fingers?

A. Most sandwiches are held in the fingers. In the case of a club sandwich or a large chicken sandwich a fork is used and a knife is also employed if necessary.

Q. Should hard cheese and pickles be eaten with the fingers or a fork?

A. Hard cheese is eaten with the fingers. Small whole pickles may be eaten with the fingers. Mixed pickles are usually eaten with a fork.

Q. Is it proper to drink consomme from a cup or to use a spoon?

A. It is proper to use the spoon for the first few spoonfuls of consomme. One may continue to use the spoon or may lift the cup and sip its contents.

Q. Should a fork be held with prongs up or down when eating vegetables?

A. When eating meat one should hold the fork with the prongs down. Vegetables should be conveyed to the mouth on the fork, the prongs of which are up.

Q. Is it proper to thank a maid when she passes food to you at a dinner?

A. It is not necessary to thank a maid for such service.

Q. At what hour of the day is it proper to serve a buffet meal?

A. A buffet breakfast may be served at noon, a luncheon at one or two o’clock, a supper at any time in the evening, or this kind of service may be used for an afternoon or evening reception.

Q. Is it proper to drink a thick soup from a bouillon cup?

A. Heavy cream soup is frequently served in a bouillon cup. Whether or not it is correct to sip this variety of soup direct from the cup appears to be a controversial question. One sees many people who carefully observe the rules for good form sipping cream soup in this way. The first two or three sips should be taken with the bouillon spoon.

Q. Are you supposed to push your chair under the table when leaving the table?

A. Most authorities suggest that it is in better taste to leave one’s chair where it is when one rises from the table.

Q. How should dishes of canned fruit be eaten?

A. Canned fruit served in a side dish should be eaten with a fork. If the fruit is served as a dessert, a spoon is used.

Q. I notice that people abroad use their forks in a different way from ours. Should Americans conform to their custom when traveling?

A. From the standpoint of a foreigner, most Americans appear to a disadvantage while traveling abroad because of the fact that the Americans either observe their custom of changing the fork from the left to the right hand, or they conform to the European custom. Because of lack of training, it is difficult for an American to use his fork with the left hand. The result is that