The Main Course Filling a Frugal Plate – Cooking 101 Strategies Nutrition Etiquette and Frugal Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Outclass the Competition
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

A (Roti) roasted item meat fowl or vegetable course is to be served as a third or main course. The service plate is to be exchanged with any show or charger plate. When the main course is served, take small portions.

1. A serving fork is to be used in conjunction with a serving spoon to pick up a main course item. The fork is to be held in the left hand tines facing up. The tines are placed under the portion.

2. The serving spoon is to be held in the right hand bowl facing down rested on top of the item and kept there until it is placed onto the plate. When a serving dish is passed with toast beneath some food in a sauce, the toast is to be taken also. The serving spoon and fork are placed in the dish from which the food item was taken: fork tines up handle to the left, spoon placed bowl down over the tines, handles placed side by side.

3. A lone serving fork can be used to pick up a main course item. It is to be held in the right hand tines facing up resting between the thumb and the index finger and held by the thumb being rested approximately midway on the face of the handle. The fork is placed under the item, lifted, and steadied as the item is placed onto the plate. It is then placed tines up handle to the left on the dish or platter from which the item was taken.

In a commercial dining room, when you are given a meal, and you are (super sized) given too much, you can avoid the troth. You may ask for another plate and serve a portion to it. You could, where appropriate, eat half the dish, and take the other “To go.” Ask for a bag to go with that “To go” container: paper if given the option. Thank the server and, if allowed, leave a better tip.

A serving spoon may be used to pick up a side food item. It is to be held in the right hand bowl facing up, stem resting between the thumb and the index finger, and thumb resting midway the face of the handle.

1. A serving spoon is to be tipped away toward the center of the table, filled and leveled. It can be tipped again to allow any excess substance to return to the dish prior to the item being served to the plate.

2. The spoon is placed, bowl up, and handle to the left, in the bowl or dish from which the food item was taken. To do this, you may switch the spoon to your left hand.

3. A serving spoon could be used in conjunction with a serving fork to pick up a side course item. The spoon is to be held in the right hand bowl up and the serving fork in the left hand tines down. The fork is used to push pull a side course item onto the serving spoon and then is left in the dish tines down handle to the left.

The Frugal Third Course – The Main Course A Roti


Formally, the main course is to be a Roti (a roasted item) be it me fowl or vegetable. It can be Vegetable Tofu. Each may be served at table along with two vegetable items. Informally each could be served with a vegetable and maybe a starch item.

Lean cuts of cold roasted meats can be served: Each can be warmed prior to serving

Brisket obtained as part of a meal deal may be served. You could serve
Beef Franks
Beef Hamburger (Frugal only with a coupon,)
Beef Ribs
Roast Beef

Kolbe style roast beef in slices can be served with a mustard sauce and cheeses and crackers or crusted breads.

Beef Tri Tip or
Beef Veal
English-grill or Casserole of lamb can be served.

Casually, non-roasted meat such as Bacon Bit topped Bar B-Que ribs, Pork Chops, may be provided as a main course. Lean cuts of pork could be provided

Lobster or for Vegetarians Tofu: (soft firm or dried.)

Should you decide to cook; most meats do better with a marinade.

Meat can be baked, broiled, grilled, microwaved, rotisseried, and seared, and served. Frugal is about must more than fried.

• Portion saturated fat 3 oz
• Servings Serving size
• Calories

Meat suggestions for the Frugal are Herbed Rotisserie chicken prepared and cut in half or quarters at the Deli. Chicken can be served without skin.

It accommodates meal restrictions for most guests. It is not by accident that at so many dinners the Roti is a rubber - I mean roasted - chicken.

Poultry Dark Meats (Chicken, Goose, or Turkey, are the best or juiciest.) I gladly give the white meat parts to my guests. Although I must confess, occasionally I do miss the wings, but just the flat parts.

At home, with gloves, the white meat might be (pulled off the bone and) served whole or sliced and served with a gravy, or saved, chopped or diced and used in soups, to garnish salads, or informally to make sandwiches. Eight pieces of cooked, cut, and sliced chicken cost less than two burgers. And you can still grill the slices if you would like.

A bed of spinach with a Roti of chicken placed upon it and drizzled with Oliver Oil, Italian, or a dressing of choice can make an impressive course.

Other suggestions for a Roti are Turkey Thigh served whole, or leg served whole or sliced. Get it pre cooked. Ok for your guest you can get Turkey Breast. You can have it deli-sliced. It can be re-heated and served with a micro-wave made gravy. It may be crusted with crushed flavored croutons.

My Palate® Almon Hitt - Main Meat a Roti: Roasted Meat
Animal Protein

Beef Grass Fed Lean Cuts*D
Beef 5-Step ™
Brisket Lean Hamburger
Burger w/ Coupon Beef Ribs
Roast Beef
Lamb Tri Tip
Poultry-White Meat Skinless-MP
Chicken Air Chilled
Free Range, Kosher, Organic
Baked Dark Meat with Skin
Chicken Fried
Rotisserie Chicken + Dark Meat
Chicken Sandwich w/ Coupon
Chicken w/o Skin*D
Pork w/o Fat*D
Bacon Bits
Ribs
Roast
Sausages

My Palate® Almon Hitt - Main Meat a Roti: Roasted Meat Animal Protein

Turkey
Certified Organic
Free Range
No Antibiotics
No by Products Feed
No Growth Hormones
Turkey Dark Meat
Baked
Roasted

Buffalo
Kangaroo
Rabbit
Sirloin
Venison
Not so frugal I tease you.

For each item you consume know the recommended
• Portion
Serving Serving size
• Calories


My Palate® Almon Hitt – Mock Meat Analogues Non Animal Protein

Egg Plant Cutlets
Falafel Mix
Portobello Mushrooms
Quorn
Seitan
Smart Dogs
Soy Protein
Tempeh
Tofu, Firm, Dried
Silken, Soft
Vegetables
Veggie Burgers
Soy Vegetable Burgers

Each may be served reheated or not. Add reheated gravy. You only need two more slices than you are going to plate. Packaged gravy white or brown can be made in a microwave.

It has been said, so on a dare I say it, “eat lean meat” could mean you get to be a vegetarian or vegan, if you are diabetic.

Piccata can be made from any thickly sliced chicken, turkey, veal, or Seitan (wheat based) or Tempeh (soy based) meat substitutes if you are vegetarian or vegan. Each can be sliced, pounded, sautéed, and served with a sauce. This is added because you already have that white meat chicken. And other than the sautéing part the dish sounds nice. You can serve it on a bed or angel hair pasta or Ramen.

When you have money or your store has a special Guinea hen or a boned Rock Cornish hen could be selected as a Roti. Love it when these too are cooked in-store. A pre-baked vegetable item can be obtained and allow one to meet a meal restriction and provide a main course.

A Main course platter is to be brought in warm from the kitchen. Formally, each plate is filled as served at table.

A single-serving dinner Roti is to meet all the criteria for sensible diet: 300 calories or less, no more than 30 percent of calories from fat, 1,000 milligrams or fewer of sodium, 15 grams or more of protein, less than 100 milligrams of cholesterol. The sides are to be fewer than ____ calories.

Go to local deli, see what it is trying to sell you that you like and looks good, ask to taste it, ask what is in it, then go home and make it, unless there is a sale or you can buy it with a coupon. Red wine can be served with a red meat main course. It may be omitted.

Suggested condiments can be listed as a

Dressing: Italian Dressing can be used on meat or cooked with it: call it vinaigrette if you must.

Gravy: Brown gravy in a packaged mix can be mixed with water boiled in a microwave. Look at the instructions on a package of Pioneer brand gravy mix. Gravy can be thickened by adding a little instant potato to it. White gravy may be made and thickened the same way. It and a can of cream corn or the basics for corn chowder, but that would lead us back to soups (Thank you Patsy.)

Sauce: Mustard, Classic or Organic, a large dollop can be placed on a tray of deli meats along with crusted breads, as can Worcestershire or Jellies. Know what is in your sauce. It can make you fat. You can get and serve all sauces on the side. An herbal Hollandaise sauce," "with an apple and sausage dressing," or "with mushrooms and giblet gravy," may be within your budget and diet to make for celebrations.

Salt Rules

Pepper and Salt Holders can be provided informally, one per table, one per 5 people, or formally in individual sets. Yes there are items called salt cellars with spoons and pepper pots. Both of the items use to cost a lot.

Frugal Casseroles and Side Dishes Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Casual and Fine Dining Strategies Professional & University Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette

by Harold Almon baesoe.com

Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Casseroles can be served as a main dish. They are ideal for the young, the forced frugal: “inventive in the face of necessity,” for people without teeth, and for those who do not cook. They are hard to overcook, easy to reheat, and taste better as leftovers. Always make two; one is to be a vegetarian version.

Casseroles are essentially a stew. Each can be picked up from most good delicatessens, or can be made by very good friends, again, I think food is to be frugal and served stylishly, and I do not cook.

Suggested casseroles

Ground beef may include almonds, chives, garlic, onions, mushrooms, sherry, sour cream, and tomatoes all simmered down.

Beef Bourguignon – you can save doing until a lot later on, when you get more money and a real stove.

You can start with you casserole repertoire with:

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas:

2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella and/or Monterey Jack cheese

6 cups shredded rotisserie chicken

½ cup chicken broth (low sodium if you like it)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro

1 to 2 Serrano Chile peppers, stemmed and seeded

8 corn tortillas

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for coating the casserole dish

1 small red onion (halved) and

A pinch of salt (Kosher is you have it.)

A pinch of sugar

1 ½ pounds tomatillo, husked and rinsed

Chicken Enchiladas what to do:

Preheat broiler

Brush 9 by 13 inch casserole pan with 2 tablespoons of EVOO.

Slice half of the onion in thin rings and set aside.

Make a tomatillos sauce: Place the other onion half, tomatillos and Serrano’s on a foil line baking sheet and broil until soft and slightly brown, turning as needed. Blend with ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of sugar.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and microwave until each is warm and soft.

Toss the shredded chicken with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Spoon a portion down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up. Place side by side in casserole dish and broil until crisp, about 3 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining ½ cup of cheese. Broil again to bubbly and golden. Garnish with onion rings, and any remaining cilantro.

King Ranch Chicken: rotisserie chicken breast and corn tortillas layered in a flavorful sauce with fresh mushrooms, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses.

Tamal Azteca: rotisserie chicken breast layered with corn tortillas, tomatillo salsa Verde and Cheddar cheese.

Corn Chip Pie

Processed Cheese Product Chile Corn Bread Pie. The recipe is on the box.

Casseroles could include coq au vin, osso buco, or seafood gumbo.

Some stews are better when accompanied by a grain: wheat or rice noodles or rice, or a salad. Each can be topped with potato and browned and served. Potatoes can be reserved for fish. Meat may be cooked with dried (or can) beans. Recipes for these abound on the internet.

Frugal Side Dishes

A Roti (roasted dish) as good as it gets needs a side dish. When the Roti consists of animal protein, the side can be a starch and vegetable item. When it is a non animal protein the sides can consist of a grain and a legume for a complete protein.

A Starch Side can be a Frugal Stem Tubers Baked

An organic sweet potato can be pierced with a fork, and micro waved until it is cooked.

Organic potatoes can be pierced and “faked” in a microwave in four to eight minutes, and taste great.

Potatoes may be baked in an oven, but for little or no money you get one for each person already baked and stuff to put on it from at least one fast food restaurant.

No one needs to eat a whole big potato. Each can be cut on a bias, and shared, or the other half can be saved for later.

Potato au gratin can be made with potatoes frozen and or canned with shell pasta cheese sauce. Share it; please, no one dish needs all that cheese. Still you can try

Delmonico Potatoes

A grain side could be

Corn fresh, frozen or out of a can. It might be served mixed with a legume such as black beans. It has been seen to include diced tomatoes in this mix. It can be served hot or makes a wonderful cold salad.

Frugally speaking, instant grits can be served as a grain side and a portion of baked beans or peanut butter can make a complete protein. Grits may be served topped with a portion from a container of chili, with or without beans, or bacon bits. You can look up and learn how to make Polenta. It is essentially grits.

When entertaining look up and learn how to make a grain side or base of Couscous. In a large part of the world it is a staple dish. You can afford to make this.

Rice can be served informally, as a grain bed or side. It can be made in a microwave, and served. What to do:

Place 1 cup of rice in a microwavable cereal bowl. Add 2 cups water. Add salt and butter. Cook uncovered for twenty minutes. Check it at fifteen minutes. You can cover it for the last four minutes. Adjust for the speed of your microwave. You are done. Then let it rest for five minutes and fluff. You can wait to add the salt. Note: rice can be rinsed and then allowed to soak for 20 minutes prior to cooking it.  I got this tip from a recipe on a bag of Basmati.

For presentation, get a cup and wet it, and press a serving of rice into it. Turn it over, and plop the rice out. That’s how to serve rice.

Not expensive enough? You can use Basmati or Hinode rice.

You can elect to serve and eat Brown rice, or Whole Grain or Wild rice. For color you can add slices of tomato.

Rice may be served with beans. The combination of legumes and grains is highly touted as the way to provide a whole protein. In each culture there are combinations of this dish. I like one as the topping for the other.

Wheat can be served as a grain bed or side. Informally Spaghetti can be served as a grain bed or side. Each can be made in a microwave, and served. What to do:

Place water in a microwavable cereal bowl. Boil for 9 minutes. You can break the spaghetti in half. Add pasta; ensure all of it is under water. Cook uncovered for 9-12 minutes. Adjust for the speed of your microwave. You are done. Scoop it out. Add salt if you want. Do not rinse.

Glo's Angel hair Spaghetti Pasta:

Angel Hair Spaghetti

1 yellow onion

1 zucchini

1 squash

2 tomatoes each cut into bite size pieces

garlic and

meat sauce

Cook the pasta, brown the veggies if you want, and treat the rest like a stew. Mix in all in. Let it simmer until you want some.

Thanks Glo.

You can elect to serve and eat whole grain pasta.

Informally, Mac and Cheese can make a grain side dish. There are microwave pasta makers.

Mac and Cheese may be may be made in a large soup bowl.

Fill bowl almost to the top with water and boil it in the microwave for nine minutes. Stir pasta in the water. Boil rapidly, stirring occasionally, 8-9 minutes or to desired tenderness.

Scoop out the pasta into another bowl. Dress the pasta with ¼ cup butter or margarine, ¼ cup of milk and the contents of the pouch. Mix thoroughly and serve.

To each pack, you want to add a processed cheese product. You can add more than one cheese. You can put in a little of the good stuff Blue cheese, Chevre or Gouda.

You could omit the cheese, add cold cooked green peas, make Mac and Peas, and have a complete protein. You can serve it hot or cold.

Pizza can be a side dish. It can be cut and served in squares. It can be drizzled with EVVO of Safflower Oil.

Amaranth is a highly nutritious grain that can be served in lieu of a traditional grain as a side dish, “and the plant itself is extremely attractive and useful.”

“Millets are a group of highly variable small-seeded grasses, widely grown around the world as cereal crops or grains for both human food and fodder,” that can be served in lieu of a grain as a side dish.

Quinoa is edible green leaf product that has grain-like, gluten free, edible seeds, a source of a complete protein that can be served in lieu of a grain as a side dish. Nutritious yes, not as frugal now as it use to be.

Frugal tip: Store gains in air tight: old peanut butter, jars with a bay leaf

My Palate® Almon Hitt –  Whole Grain Viscous Fiber

Barley -S VF Bulk

Bran
Buckwheat Bulk

Corn Chip Pie

  Succotash

Corn Polenta

Corn Salsa

Cous Cous Bulk

Millet Bulk

Oat Bran Cereal - VF

Egg Noodles

Noodles R Like Organic

Noodles Maruchan

Noodles Ramen-R

Rolled Oats VF Bulk

Rice No GM

Rice Low Arsenic Bulk
Basmati Rice Bulk

Brown Rice*D Bulk

Hodi Rice Bulk

Rice Noodles

Popped Rice

White Rice

Wild Rice

Rye Berries

Spelt

Spaghetti

Angel Hair Spaghetti

Wheat Pasta*WG-*D G

My Palate® Almon Hitt – Mock Grain Analogues

Amaranth Bulk

Arrowroot Bulk

Flax Bulk

Quinoa

Sorghum

Soy

Tapioca

Teff

Triticale

Gluten Free Flours

Bean, Corn, Potato,Soy,Rice,  

Casseroles

Mac and Cheese Truffle Oil

For each item you consume know the recommended

• Portion

Serving Serving size

• Calories

Legume sides such as beans can be freshly made, frozen or come from a can. Each can be enhanced with your signatures spices. Legumes can be

Black beans: (these mix well with corn and diced tomatoes and lime vinaigrette dressing, especially when allowed to chill overnight.)

Black eye peas, as part of a whole protein, but I think it does and I like them over rice.

Endamame

Garbanzo beans

Green beans Green beans, and diced tomatoes mix with an Italian dressing make a great side cold. It may be heated, and then you can add onions to the mix.

Red Kidney beans

Lentil peas

Lima: these bean and corn make a complete protein, and can be obtained frozen as a bag of Succotash. You can serve

Pinto or Pinquito beans, baked or barbequed.

Other legume choices include Soy beans: the only stand alone complete protein, Split Pea, Swordjack or White beans. All beans provide fiber. Beans and peas can be found in a bag or can as a side or a soup.

My Palate® Almon Hitt – Legumes Protein Carb Fat

Legumes high in soluble fiber: roughage can be beans and peas.

Legume Fiber

Cooked Beans

Adzuki Bulk

Pinto-D Bulk

Anasazi P Refried

Baked Beans

Scarlet Runner Beans

Black Beans-D Bulk

Soybeans

Bush Beans Bulk

Split Pea

Cranberry Beans

String Beans Bulk

Endamame

Falafel

Fava Catinelli

Garbanzo Beans-D Dried

Green Beans

Kidney

Lentils Bulk

Red Lentils

Green Lentils Bulk

Lima Beans

Navy

Black Eye Peas

Peas

Green Pea Bulk

 Sword jack

White Beans Bulk

When the Roti is an animal protein pick one starch item as a side.

A Starch Side can be a Frugal Stem Tubers Baked

An organic sweet potato can be pierced with a fork, and micro waved until it is cooked. Organic potatoes can be pierced and “faked” in a microwave in four to eight minutes, and taste great.

Potatoes may be baked in an oven, but for little or no money you get one for each person already baked and stuff to put on it from at least one fast food restaurant.

No one needs to eat a whole big potato. Each can be cut on a bias, and shared, or the other half can be saved for later.

Potato au gratin can be made with potatoes frozen and or canned with shell pasta cheese sauce. Share it; please, no one dish needs all that cheese. Still you can try

Delmonico Potatoes

When the Roti is an animal protein pick one vegetable item as a side. You can omit the grain and or the legume side and pick two vegetable sides to be more formal and still be frugal.

Asparagus can be had frozen and in cans. Looks good, but know this, this can make some people odiferous within thirty minutes. Engine search this.

Collard greens, Kale, Mustards greens, all come frozen and can be heated in a microwave and make suitable sides.

Raw Cole slaw can be served as a salad. What to do: search engine it and get the Kit. You can get the soup kit, and shred the cabbage, about the size of rice. Then omit the mayonnaise, or substitute it with Rice vinegar or white vinegar. Let it marinate. Add raisins if you want. You can thicken it with a little corn starch, thanks Pam. You can buy the Deli container of slaw.

Informally crudités can serve as your vegetable side.

Onions are to be sautéed and served on top of rice (or burgers, chicken, liver, or steak.)

Spinach leaves can be served as a side dish or as the bed for the main dish.

You can grill your vegetables, such as asparagus. Vegetables may be steamed. You could oven roast vegetables such as carrots. Vegetables might be creamed, but that can be saved for when making soup.

Artichokes good as they are, can be served right out of a jar. You could only guess how rich in fiber and magnesium they are.

There will always be a place on the side of a plate for mushrooms: Enoki, King Oyster, Maitake, Matsuktake, Oyster Reishie, Shitake, to name a few.

Remember Julia’s tip: give them room; when sautéing mushrooms give them space to brown. Some have been seen served stuffed. For the recipe see each marketer.

Some might serve Seaweed Arame Dulse, Hijiki, Kombu, Mozuku, Nori, and Wakame as a side dish. Just because I think I can spell it, does not mean I have a recipe.

Dessert the Frugal Fifth Course Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Dessert is to be the fifth course with or without coffee. Coffee can be served after.
When the dessert course is served formally, it may begin with a salad plate passed with a doily, a finger bowl, and flatware placed atop it.

Informally, dessert service is to be brought in and set in place on top of a side table. Dessert can be served in a saucer champagne glass set atop an underlying (B&B) plate.

Each plate for it can be passed or served and set in place when it is served.

Get serving trays and bowls pitchers, lots of them. Set each dessert atop a tray or in a bowl. Indoors avoid serving desserts out of containers.

Learn to make one dessert that is great. You can opt to learn where get one that people will, and have a craving for more of it for a long, long time. Share your dessert with anyone you invite to eat with you, eat it, only sparingly. In some circles, a signature drink is suitable dessert substitute. Serve each visitor in your environment something that resembles dessert.

Dessert can be dark chocolate anything. Suggestions are individual desserts from the deli. Get

Chocolate Brownies (Rich & Chewy,) especially when you can buy one and get one free. You can get

Chocolate candy: Dove Dark Chocolate, (hearts when you can get it belongs on a plate. You can serve chocolate coins. Chocolate pieces may be obtained discounted the day after most Holidays.

You may serve:

Chocolate mousse in Chocolate Cups

– just so you can say you have had it. You can later replace it with low fat chocolate pudding or

Anthony’s Chocolate Mousse cake

Cookies: Cookies with chocolate in them or on them could be served with or without ice cream

Chocolate Petits Fours
Chocolate Profiteroles
Chocolate Gateau
Chocolate Pistachio Terrine
Chocolate Pot De Crème
German Chocolate Cake
Grandmother’s Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, or a
Mini Éclair

You might serve Chocolate New York Cheese Cake. Get
Have a little extra left get

Biscotti and coffee, or holy red wine a la Italy.


For dessert you may want to served something cold

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream Bar w/o the stick on a plate

Dark Chocolate Gelato by the quantity unit pack. Place it in a bowl with an underlying plate. Try it; try to eat it slowly. You may serve

Chocolate Hazelnut gelato, or

Chocolate gelato squares: gelato nestled between chocolate ‘smore or Key lime graham. You could serve

Chocolate-Orange Sorbet, or

Vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce can be served as a dessert. Drizzle the plate with chocolate. Place ice cream on it or place it in a bowl with an underlying plate.

Let Chocolate Shell pour over your ice cream.

Optionally add one or two strawberries with or without chocolate on or in them.
You might serve Cranberry sherbet with vodka sauce, or chocolate sauce. (Buy ice cream only on sale.)

Get an Ice Cream Scoop or Wedge.

You might serve Chocolate Covered or Chocolate filled Strawberries. (Make Them Yourself.) Get

Hershey Crack in Shell; (it is or can be your friend.) Get

Strawberries, a

Peeler and

Wax paper.

Hold each strawberry by the stem and dip each into a small bowl of Chocolate Crack and Shell. Place on wax paper and refrigerate. Avoid getting chocolate on the stem.

You can use a peeler as an insert to open strawberry just behind the stem. Pour in Hershey Chocolate Crack in Shell. Close opening. Place on wax paper and refrigerate.

Non Chocolate Dessert can include

Artisan Tiramisu Bar Cake,
Angel Food Cake,
Hot apple brown Betty,

You can serve Lemon sweet squares,

Mini Cheesecake plain or fruit topped, or

Crème Brule from the Deli. Getting this Deli prepared is OK. Transfer each to another cup if you must. Frugally you could buy and serve just

Oatmeal Almond Raisin Cookies.

Informally you could serve fresh fruit sliced or unsliced with or without a dip. Fruit can be baked or micro waved. Organic apples (may be cooked or baked once pierced like a potato.) Each can be topped with ice cream or cinnamon.

Cherries and Raspberries (and bananas) can go with ice cream. Back to the fruit stand.

Baked Figs and sugar; get the recipe from the marketer.

It has been seen where you just serve Oranges. Each can be served whole or sliced Chinese restaurant style. Nectarines may make a great and more frugal substitute. Each can be segmented with or without something poured over it. A frugal dessert may just be a half slice or two or Watermelon. It could be served cut in chunks or shaped in balls.

Pears, cut on a bias can be placed on a plate.

Most any Fruit can be served on a drizzled bed of Chocolate.

My Palate® Almon Hitt – Dessert

Hot Apple Betty
Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate Dark Candy
Chocolate Dark Ice Cream Bar
(remove stick add sauce)
Chocolate Mousse
Chocolate Sauce
Chocolate Syrup
Cookies Chocolate Biscotti
Figs Baked
Flan
Fruit Drizzled in Chocolate
Gelato
Lemon Sweet Squares
New York Style Cheese Cake
Ramen Mable and Brown Sugar Bowl
Ramen Butterscotch Cookies
Crème Brulee
Rice Pudding
Sherbet
Cranberry Sherbet
Sparkling Dessert Wine
Champagne
Holy Vino
Sparkling Grape Juice
Coffee

Know bake fruit pies and tarts can make a great dessert. You can take a class and learn to bake a fruit pie.

You might wish to serve berry quesadillas as dessert.
What to do

1) Place berries, mint, and maple syrup in a small bowl and toss it in a microwavable bowl.

2) Place cream cheese, sugar, vanilla powder, and lemon and orange zest in a bowl and combine.

3) Heat two tortillas in a griddle or large pan or until crisp.

4) Plan a thin layer of the cream cheese mixture on both and spoon on berry mixture, fold, and serve.

Sauce for a dessert is to be served in a sauce boat and ladled onto it. Sauce can be pre-ladled onto a dessert.

You can save the squeeze bottle. You still have not spent twenty dollars.

Informally you might serve yoghurt topped with walnuts or blackberries or blueberries.

But just in case, if you just have Ramen for dessert you can make…

Ramen Mable and Brown Sugar Bowl
What to do:

Boil noodles. Toss/save spice packet. Crush ramen into a microwave bowl. Pour milk to cover Add syrup and brown sugar. Heat on high. Stir occasionally.

You can add diced apples, and cinnamon, or
Banana or Blue berries. You could make and serve

Ramen Butterscotch Cookies
Heat butterscotch chips, milk and butter until chips are completely melted.

Crumble in uncooked ramen and mix. Place spoon sized balls on wax paper, refrigerate until cool.

Dessert Wine at Table
Dessert wine can be sparkling water, apple cider, or Italian soda.
Each of these can be decanted or poured in a pitcher prior to be brought to the table.

Champagne can be served with dessert. It can be opened at the table.

For after dinner you could serve a Digestif

My Palate® Almon Hitt – Digestifs could be

Amaretto
Amari
Bitters
Brandy
Grappa
Limon cello
Herbal Liqueur
Liqueur
Madeira
Ouzo
Port
Sherry Tequila
Whisky

When a guest stays to long, you can make a tray of good bye drinks: grapefruit juice, prune juice, and cold water.

Glass/Pitcher/Tray

And of these the only one calorie free is water. Learn what you can eat. What you do eat. And learn what you can burn.

Dessert is to be the fifth course with or without coffee.

The Serving Assignment Checklist Cooking 101 Strategies Nutrition Etiquette and Frugal Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Outclass the Competition
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of  Etiquette Austin

The serving assignment checklist is used to establish the order of serving to eliminate double handling and wasted motions. The exact order of tasks to be accomplished, and the person to do each task, is to be posted for everyone involved in serving to see.

Task No. Person assigned to task*

2. Take guests to bar

3. Take guests to table

8. Pour Water

9. Provide Bread

10. Deliver Food

12. Pour Wine

13. Refill Water Glass

14. Exchange Plates 2nd Course

(Correct the table prior to serving dessert)

15. Exchange Plates 3rd Course

* Yes there are other things to do later that are not listed here.

** Additionally a reception station may be equipped with

- ATMOSPHERE &– DECORATIONS THINGS TO SEE AND THINGS TO TASTE: CANDY NUTS PASTRY & FRUIT.

On a Frugal Meal Plan Cooking 101 Strategies Nutrition Etiquette and Frugal Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Outclass the Competition
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

On a frugal meal plan: understand no one is going to eat all that candy in that dish near the door. Take what you need for each place setting. You are just helping – that’s it.

Make a My Palate ® list. From it make a shopping list? Now arm yourself with coupons from online, the store, the street, and your home. Scout for new coupons and discounts at each store. Where practical, avoid purchasing drink, atmosphere or food when you are hungry or with money alone.

Visit places that make the kind of food you like to eat. Ask for a menu “To go. Know the items that can be requested a la carte, and the ingredients of the items in each.

Now, set your menu. The selected menu is used to identify items needed in setting a table, going from the last item to be served - inside out - in kind.

Note the cost of each should it be asked.

 Collect Recipes. Listen to and make what people like:

 Specialty dishes

 Stuffing and green bean casseroles

 Sauces and Gravy and

 Drinks...

People do only talk about what you served. They speak of things gone missing.

Frugal Casseroles Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Casseroles are ideal for the young, the forced frugal: “inventive in the face of necessity,” for people without teeth, and for those who do not cook. They are hard to overcook, easy to reheat, and taste better as leftovers. Always make two; one is to be a vegetarian version.


Suggested casseroles

Beef Bourguignon – you can save doing this until a lot later on, when you get more money and a real stove. You can start with

Chicken and Cheese Enchiladas:

2 ½ cups shredded mozzarella and/or Monterey Jack cheese,

6 cups shredded rotisserie chicken,

½ cup chicken broth (low sodium if you like it,)

1/3 cup fresh cilantro,

1 to 2 Serrano Chile peppers, stemmed and seeded,

8 corn tortillas,

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus some for coating the casserole dish,

1 small red onion (halved,) and

A pinch of salt (Kosher is you have it.)

A pinch of sugar

1 ½ pounds tomatillo, husked and rinsed


Chicken Enchiladas what to do:

Preheat broiler

Brush 9 by 13 inch casserole pan with 2 tablespoons of EVVO.

Slice half of the onion in thin rings and set aside.

Make a tomatillos sauce: Place the other onion half, tomatillos and Serrano’s on a foil line baking sheet and broil until soft and slightly brown, turning as needed. Blend with ½ teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of sugar.

Wrap the tortillas in a damp towel and microwave until each is warm and soft.

Toss the shredded chicken with 2 cups of shredded cheese. Spoon a portion down the middle of each tortilla. Add a few cilantro leaves and roll up. Place side by side in casserole dish and broil until crisp, about 3 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the enchiladas and top with remaining ½ cup of cheese. Broil again to bubbly and golden. Garnish with onion rings, and any remaining cilantro.

King Ranch Chicken: rotisserie chicken breast and corn tortillas layered in a flavorful sauce with fresh mushrooms, Monterey Jack and Cheddar cheeses.

Tamal Azteca: rotisserie chicken breast layered with corn tortillas, tomatillo salsa Verde and Cheddar cheese.

Corn Chip Pie

Velveeta Chile Corn Bread Pie. The recipe is on the box.

Casseroles are essentially a stew. Each can be picked up from most good delicatessens, or can be made by very good friends, again, I think food is to be good and served stylishly, and I do not cook. Casseroles can include coq au vin, osso buco, or seafood gumbo.

Ground beef may include almonds, chives, garlic, onions, mushrooms, sherry, sour cream, and tomatoes all simmered down.

Some stews are better when accompanied by a grain: wheat or rice noodles or rice, or a salad. Each can be topped with potato and browned and served. Potatoes can be reserved for fish. Meat may be cooked with dried (or can) beans. Recipes for these abound on the internet.

** The Frugal Third Course – The Main Course A Roti Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Formally, the main course is to be a Roti (a roasted item) be it meat (de beouf,) fowl, or vegetable. It can be Vegetable Tofu. Each may be served at table along with two vegetable items. Informally each could be served with a vegetable and maybe a starch item.


Lean cuts of cold roasted meats can be served: Each can be warmed prior to serving

Brisket obtained as part of a meal deal may be served. You could serve

Beef Franks
Beef Hamburger (Frugal only with a coupon,)
Beef Ribs
Roast Beef

Kolbe style roast beef in slices can be served with a mustard sauce and cheeses and crackers or crusted breads.

Beef Tri Tip or
Beef Veal

English-grill or Casserole of lamb can be served.

Casually, non-roasted meat such as Bacon Bit topped Bar B-Que ribs, Pork Chops, may be provided as a main course. Lean cuts of pork could be provided

Lobster or for Vegetarians Tofu: (soft firm or dried.)

Should you decide to cook; most meats do better with a marinade.

Meat can be rotisseried, microwaved, or seared and grilled, baked, broiled,  and served. Frugal is about must more than fried.

• Portion saturated fat 3 oz
• Servings Serving size
• Calories

Meat suggestions for the Frugal are Herbed Rotisserie chicken prepared and cut in half or quarters at the Deli. Chicken can be served without skin.

It accommodates meal restrictions for most guests. It is not by accident that at so many dinners the Roti is a rubber - I mean roasted - chicken.

Poultry Dark Meats (Chicken, Goose, or Turkey, are the best or juiciest.) I gladly give the white meat parts to my guests. Although I must confess, occasionally I do miss the wings, but just the flat parts.

At home, with gloves, the white meat might be (pulled off the bone and) served whole or sliced and served with a gravy, or saved, chopped or diced and used in soups, to garnish salads, or informally to make sandwiches. Eight pieces of cooked, cut, and sliced chicken cost less than two burgers. And you can still grill the slices if you would like.

A bed of spinach with a Roti of chicken placed upon it and drizzled with Oliver Oil, Italian, or a dressing of choice can make an impressive course.

Other suggestions for a Roti are Turkey Thigh served whole, or leg served whole or sliced. Get it pre cooked. Ok for your guest you can get Turkey Breast. You can have it deli-sliced. It can be re-heated and served with a micro-wave made gravy. It may be crusted with crushed flavored croutons.

My Palate® Almon Hitt - Main Meat a Roti: Roasted Meat

Animal Protein
Beef Grass Fed Lean Cuts*D
Beef 5-Step ™
Brisket Lean
Hamburger
Burger w/ Coupon
Beef Ribs
Roast Beef
Lamb
Tri Tip

Poultry-White Meat Skinless-MP
Chicken Air Chilled Free Range,
Kosher, Organic
Baked Dark Meat with Skin
Chicken Fried
Rotisserie Chicken + Dark Meat
Chicken Sandwich w/ Coupon
Chicken w/o Skin*D
Pork w/o Fat*D
Bacon Bits
Ribs
Roast
Sausages

My Palate® Almon Hitt - Main Meat a Roti: Roasted Meat Animal Protein

Turkey
Certified Organic
Free Range
No Antibiotics
No by Products Feed
No Growth Hormones

Turkey Dark Meat
Baked
Roasted
Buffalo
Kangaroo
Rabbit
Sirloin
Venison

Not so frugal I tease you.

For each item you consume know the recommended
• Portion
Serving Serving size
• Calories

My Palate® Almon Hitt – Mock Meat Analogues Non Animal Protein

Egg Plant Cutlets
Falafel Mix
Portobello Mushrooms
Quorn
Seitan
Smart Dogs
Soy Protein
Tempeh
Tofu, Firm, Dried
Silken, Soft
Vegetables
Veggie Burgers
Soy Vegetable Burgers

Each may be served reheated or not. Add reheated gravy. You only need two more slices than you are going to plate. Packaged gravy white or brown can be made in a microwave.

It has been said, so on a dare I say it, “eat lean meat” could mean you get to be a vegetarian or vegan, if you are diabetic.

Piccata can be made from any thickly sliced chicken, turkey, veal, or Seitan (wheat based) or Tempeh (soy based) meat substitutes if you are vegetarian or vegan. Each can be sliced, pounded, sautéed, and served with a sauce. This is added because you already have that white meat chicken. And other than the sautéing part the dish sounds nice. You can serve it on a bed or angel hair pasta or Ramen.

When you have money or your store has a special Guinea hen or a boned Rock Cornish hen could be selected as a Roti. Love it when these too are cooked in-store. A pre-baked vegetable item can be obtained and allow one to meet a meal restriction and provide a main course.

A Main course platter is to be brought in warm from the kitchen. Formally, each plate is filled as served at table.

A single-serving dinner Roti is to meet all the criteria for sensible diet: 300 calories or less, no more than 30 percent of calories from fat, 1,000 milligrams or fewer of sodium, 15 grams or more of protein, less than 100 milligrams of cholesterol. The sides are to be fewer than ____ calories.

Go to local deli, see what it is trying to sell you that you like and looks good, ask to taste it, ask what is in it, then go home and make it, unless there is a sale or you can buy it with a coupon. Red wine can be served with a red meat main course. It may be omitted.

Suggested condiments can be listed as a

Dressing: Italian Dressing can be used on meat or cooked with it: call it vinaigrette if you must.

Gravy: Brown gravy in a packaged mix can be mixed with water boiled in a microwave. Look at the instructions on a package of Pioneer brand gravy mix. Gravy can be thickened by adding a little instant potato to it. White gravy may be made and thickened the same way. It and a can of cream corn or the basics for corn chowder, but that would lead us back to soups (Thank you Patsy.)

Sauce: Mustard, Classic or Organic, a large dollop can be placed on a tray of deli meats along with crusted breads, as can Worcestershire or Jellies. Know what is in your sauce. It can make you fat. You can get and serve all sauces on the side. An herbal Hollandaise sauce," "with an apple and sausage dressing," or "with mushrooms and giblet gravy," may be within your budget and diet to make for celebrations.

Pepper and Salt Holders can be provided informally, one per table, one per 5 people, or formally in individual sets. Yes there are items called salt cellars with spoons and pepper pots. Both of the items use to cost a lot. Pepper can sit to the left a shaker of salt.


Salt is sodium chloride. Sea salt is unrefined salt; table salt is refined salt, iodized salt is table salt that has been fortified with the mineral iodine. Kosher salt is salt processed to have flat crystals. Other salts to know monosodium glutamate (MSG), sodium bicarbonate: baking soda, and sodium propionate: a baking powder substitute. You can avoid using the latter salts at table. A spice shaker can be filled and used in lieu of salt. You can make one of your own. Use 3 times the amount of fresh herbs as dried herbs in recipes. Pick four to six items to mix.

1 Tbsp basil 2 Tbsp ginger (optional)
3 Tbsp garlic powder 6 Tbsp chili powder (optional)
1 Tbsp mace (optional)
1 Tbsp onion powder
1 Tbsp sage
1 Tbsp Thyme (optional)

Mrs. Dash ™ Seasoning may be used as a salt substitute. Lemon or vinegar can give food flavor without salt. Serving 1 teaspoon salt 2300 recommended 1500 or less.

** Serving Bread Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

Bread is not a first course. Bread is to be present at a meal as a sign of hospitality. Bread served at or to a dinner table is to be crusted: a biscuit, a bun, muffin, or a roll. You can buy microwaveable frozen dinner breads. (You can buy as few as four.) You can serve whole wheat bread. That being said, you can learn to make or where to buy or get good corn bread. karats


Bread can be placed center a place setting on or underneath a folded napkin. It may be placed on the bread and butter plate. It could be placed unbuttered on a tablecloth.

Formally, bread is to be eaten when the main course is served. Frugally speaking, you might wait to put bread on the table until the main course is in place, when your guests are young. You could find yourself serving a bread as a first course and a course later called “Some more.”

Bread served as a loaf is to be the only bread cut at table. The host can grasp with a clean napkin and cut it in. One cut half is to be turned, and from the large side a few thin slices are to be cut. Bread is to remain at table until the correction of it: just before serving dessert.

A bread holder, basket, or tray is to be used to hold bread that is to be passed. It is placed on the table where space allows.

Butter is to be served in a butter crock with a butter knife (with a point) set on a table without an underlying plate. A butter knife is to be used to serve butter to a plate.

At a banquet, butter can be cut and shaped. It may be whipped with or without ice and a dollop placed on a bread and butter plate. Butter may be whipped with a spice such as garlic added to it.

Bread and butter plates are omitted at a truly formal meal.

Butter is to be omitted from this service. Appropriate Breads can be served.

Butter for cooking can be unsalted.

The Frugal Wine List Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Dining Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette
by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin

In a commercial service, the line to the food can be preceded by the line to frugal wine. In commercial service, a host most certainly will be asked.” Would you like to see our wine list?” After reading a reusable wine list guess what a host may ask, “Where can I wash may hand,” And take a visit to station Six.

Sometimes a bottle of personal wine can be given to a server and served for a corkage fee. Part of a tip may be a taste of it left for the server by the host.

The bottle for each may or may not be wrapped in a napkin.

Dinner for wine you can served

D1 Sherry,
D2 Wine White,
D3 Wine Red,
D3 Cabernet Sauvignon,
D3 Red Merlot,
D4 Champagne,

Suggestion for non alcoholic drinks,

Cranberry juice, or

Italian Pomegranate soda or Tomato juice.

The Frugal First Course - A Soup Frugal Foods and Stylish Recipes Professional & University Etiquette

Over the Counter Etiquette

by Harold Almon baesoe.com
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Almon

The Frugal First Course - A Soup


As a rule, the first course is to be a soup. Grigory made and taught me to get a “Soup pot” and to enjoy a good soup.

Soup is to be served from

A tureen with a ladle. Informally it can be served from a

Crock Pot

Acquire at least one of each.

In formal service, soup is the only course allowed to be set center a place setting, before the time people come to the table. Formally coup can be a consommé. Informally it can be Gazpacho, Miso, or Vichyssoise, each of which can be served cold.

A rimmed soup plate is to be used for soup served at a truly formal dinner. Soup can be served in a soup plate with or without being placed on an underlying plate. This plate can be set atop a show plate.

In a large group,

a cold first course can be served at each place setting before people come in to the table. This can be an exotic look for a table for two. Formally, this is correctly done only with soup.

A two handled a cream soup bowl and stand, may be used for an informal dinner. This item is omitted at a truly formal dinner.

Soup in a bowl is to be served on an underlying (bread and butter) plate.

A soup cup and saucer could be used for a casual meal. A table or place spoon is to be used for soup served in a rimmed soup plate, or in a soup bowl.

A round spoon is to be used for cream soup, (served in a cream soup bowl or plate.)

A tablespoon can be used for soup served in a soup cup.

A teaspoon may be used when only stirring is required.

Soup can be garnished with bits of almost anything, including with a bit of another soup.

It may be served with oyster cocktail crackers. Informally oyster cocktail crackers can be served in a bowl with a small ice scoop. Soup can be served in a mug, or a bowl with an underline plate. Folks can add as many oyster cocktail crackers as they wish.

It could be served with saltine crackers. Crackers can be placed on a small plate. Crackers may be placed on each underlying plate. Avoid serving soup with a club cracker.

Soup can be served with croutons.

Soup might be served with a relish tray. It can include pickled or marinated carrots, cauliflower, celery, gherkins, mushrooms, olives, or and with radishes.

Informally, it can be preceded or replaced by a plate or tray of crudités: raw vegetables. You can get most items from the salad bar. Each may be placed on each underlying plate. Here I use French dressing as a drizzle or a mini dip.

Sherry has been seen served with a soup course.

Pour the wine. Sherry could be omitted.

Frugal Soup course suggestions are

Amy’s Soup (from HEB $2.00 or less,) a favorite of Janet’s, Hearty Spanish Rice with Red Beans, “So good you can eat it right out of the can.” You may have

Chili,

Chile with Beans,
Clam chowder

or New England clam chowder, (red color)

You could have

Cheese and Broccoli,

Consommé,

Cream of Chicken,

Cream of Cream,

Cream of Mushroom, or

Cream of Tomato. Get Tabatchnick Creamy Tomato Soup when you are entertaining.

Lentil soup can be your best frugal bang for the buck.

Become familiar with pre-made box soups. Keep soups in a box. If you feel hungry, have a bowl as a first course cold or hot. It you are still hungry, add some more food to the fire, why not.

Remove the First Course and serve the Next Course.