Original May 10, 2011 Issue 16

By: Shelli Block

Staff Writer

Etiquette club hosts a night of proper dining techniques.

On Wednesday April 27, the etiquette club’s last event “A Night in Paris.” It concentrated mainly on meeting, dining, toasting and table manners. There were short videos on proper eating focusing on the soup, salad and dessert courses which the club served.

Most interesting was how to eat soup. Instead of grabbing the spoon and shoveling the soup in the mouth as many are guilty of, the proper way to eat soup is to place the spoon in the bottom of the bowl. Placing a little soup on the spoon, pick up the spoon place it directly in front of you, raise it, and touch the rim of the bowl, and slowly bring it to your mouth. Then slowly put the spoon down and start the process again.

The proper American style to eat salad is to pick up the fork and the knife and put the fork in the left hand. In a downward motion, cut a small piece of the salad, pick it up and take a bite. Then place the knife at the back of the plate. Repeat until finished. When done, place the fork and knife at a 20 degree angle.

The presentation also featured toasting and proper etiquette when dining in a French home.

Joel Costillo and Elizabeth Whiting were the main instructors, and participants remarked that they learned new skills.