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Expertissim sets the table
With summer approaching, Expertissim offers a protocol tour of the table so that your commensal qualities do not fail especially on expected, tough, humid nights.
The code of flatware: Learn to eat with silverware according to the French standards
Currently with "finger food" being quite trendy, good manners should not be forgotten during a more traditional dinner, due to convenience. But with the sight of a row of flatware everyone questions their usefulness and usage. Do not panic, Expertissim will guide you.
Not complicated, the first rule to follow is to start with the silverware from the outside then gradually move towards the plate.
A traditional meal respects the order of the following dishes: broth, entrée (often fish), main dish, salad, cheese, dessert and coffee. To the right of the plate, place the soup spoon, fish knife(small blade that does not cut rather detaches the bones from the flesh), the steak knife and oyster forks and snail forks, recognizable because they have only two teeth. The more traditional forks are arranged on the left. The silverware will strictly follow the order of meal.
The knife blade should be positioned toward the plate and spoons should reveal the convex side. According to French tableware fork’s tines should be turned onto the tablecloth unless yours are not stamped with a coats of arms. The same applies to spoons. The Anglo-Saxons hold exception for their coat of arms are generally stamped on the interior, so do not hesitate to show them off. The hallmark and the title are also inscribed elsewhere.
But beware, the dessert fork and cheese knife are arranged between the glass and the plate (if the table is large enough). If you do not notice them, the purpose is not to deprive yourself of dessert but not to overload the table. These flatware pieces are brought out at the same time as that accompanied plate, as deemed necessary such as the cutting of fruits. Generally, the handle of the dessert fork is oriented towards the left and the spoon (or knife) to the right in order to facilitate their grasping in a simple quarter twist.
Do not forget the drink, which should be harmonious with the dishes. Expertissim presents these refined and diverse spirits, we advise you to glance by clicking here! Glasses should be in crystal, lightweight and discreet with the same height of the wine. They should be arranged by order of size from left to right like this: water glass, red wine glass (glasses), and white wine glass. The champagne coupe is to the right of the suite, the flute slightly recessed behind the white wine glass. Attention wines from Bordeaux and Burgundy differ and do not taste in same shaped glasses! Remember to wipe your mouth before and after each sip so as not to mar the crystal.
The finest ...
If your host is refined, he/she will arrange under the main dish, a large flat plate not only for decoration but also to gather your potential blunders. Do not partake of that plate, it would be frowned upon! Between each meal do not cross the cutlery on the plate for fear of attracting bad luck.
Do not re-serve yourself the wine, you may take the initiative if it is water and in this case offer it to the neighboring guests. Along this note, do not demand a desired dish but wait until your host offers a second serving. With the exception of soup, salad, cheese and fruit, all foods must be offered twice.
Do not unfold completely the napkin on your lap at the beginning of the meal and lay it on the fork unfolded at the end.
Lastly, do not stir circularly coffee or tea but vertically. Choose the right spoon for each drink because they differ in shapes. Do not confuse the teaspoon with the ice cream scoop which is recognizable by its long handle and curvier tip. When coffee is finished, place the spoon on the saucer and not into the cup . For tea, put the spoon inside the cup thus returning to the previously mentioned English style.
You are the artist of the table
Think about it ... Do not use the silver spoon for tasting an egg as
it may spoil the taste. Similarly, the knife rest is for simple meals in which silverware is not changed for each dish.
Place a tray in the center of the table and put some lovely yet discrete flowers there to liven up your tablecloth. Avoid the Amazon effect and Warhol-tables: the tablecloth must be white or ivory, unsullied and ironed along the pleats in order to adapt to the table’s shape.
If you are serving shellfish or lobster, give your guests an extra large napkin that you will take at the end of the meal. The finger bowl, almost essential with fish, is placed on the left: instead of the towelette, choose a small porcelain coupe filled with water and a few drops of orange blossom and flower petals.
Once placed beside the plate, the bread is cut by hand, but this technique spreads many crumbs. Liven up your table with small plates to hold them. They also prevent your guests from placing their bread on the plate .
Serve water in pitchers (follow on Expertissim) and not in bottles. Think of dispersing salt shakers around the table so that guests do not fight over them.
Avoid that your service has a hangover
Expertissim can hardly ignore the headaches and the difficult aftermath of its customers who allegedly misuse silverware, crystal decanters, or Gallé shot glasses. However, we can give you some tips so that the party equipment remains in good health.
It all starts with prevention. If you set the table, do it with cotton gloves because fingerprints on the silverware leave a bad effect.
To clean silver, avoid the the dishwasher which darkens them. If you really do not have time to make the plunge, remember at least to separate it from the stainless steel pieces. The simplest techniques involve curd or Marseille soap. Also try dipping the cutlery in boiling water for a few minutes with balls of aluminum foil. The black spots are easily gone with the aluminum. You can also rub with a cloth soaked in hot vinegar. The salad dressing (not liked by silver) fades with ammonia. For traces of eggs, use an "automatic" cleaning by soaking in water that is cooking with peeled potatoes. Finally, to make your silverware shine cover with a mixture of Meudon white and alcohol at 90 ° and polish with chamois leather.
Remember, even if your silverware is decorative, they resent oxygen. Store them carefully in a case provided for that purpose, lined with felt. Make sure to re-silver regularly your flatware by a silversmith.
The crystal glasses should also be maintained manually. Remember to remove your rings, bracelets, and other accessories that might chip or scratch a fine crystal. Anyway, you will do the dishes the next day so jewelry is no longer required! Suffice to say, wash thoroughly with soapy water and rinse them in water mixed with a little vinegar. If the glasses were greatly affected by limestone and time, soak in coarse salt, baking powder or diluted soda crystals for effective means. Shine your crystal with a potato half.
It only remains to hope that the products presented by Expertissim and the above tips will help you to spend almost perfect evenings that are not too overdone!
Pauline Balayer (étudiante à l'Ecole du Louvre)
Valuation
LA ROCHELLE. Two earthenware plates. 18th Century.
Reference: 2680310
Period: Second half of the 18th Century.
Dimensions: Diameter: 23 cm (9 in.) and 23,5 cm (9-1/4 in.).
Valuation:
$192-$256
LA ROCHELLE.
Two earthenware, matching plates with polychrome decor of a flowered gate with perched bird on a
branch. Flowered branching and stylized comb-work on the outer rim. Blue fillets on the borders.
Second half of the 18th Century.
Minor chip on one, breakage on the other.
Diameter: 23 cm (9 in.) and 23,5 cm (9-1/4 in.).
