Water and Bread at Table Cooking 101 Strategies Nutrition Etiquette and Frugal Stylish Recipes University Dining Etiquette

Outclass the Competition

by Harold Almon 
Be at Ease School of Etiquette Austin
512-821-2699

When a guest is to be at table a water glass is to be set at each setting. In a private home, each water goblet is to be filled ¾ full prior to the time people come to the table.

In a commercial dining room, water is to be served after people are seated.

At a banquet, each water goblet is to be filled ¾ full prior to the time people come to the table.

In a private home, the water glass can be refilled at the table, by a server, or guests from a pitcher on the table, or the hostess can offer it from a pitcher on a sideboard.

In a commercial dining room, the water glass can be refilled by a server without being lifted from the table.

Serve drink order.

The water can be chilled in old wine bottles with labels removed and served in the same. Water chilled in wine bottles with a screw cap may be decanted into a water pitcher. In a home water is pre-poured. In a commercial concern, pour the water.

Frugally Serving Bread

Bread is not a first course. Bread is to be 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. 

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.

My Palate ® Almon Hitt ® - Lard and Oil Hidden Fat M P O S

Butter Grass Fed Cows

Butter Clarified GHEE

Butter Organic

Lard

Pasteurized Beef Lard-S

Pasteurized Duck Lard-S
Pasteurized Pork Lard-S

Margarine Hard-T Margarine Soft-S

Marinades

Oils

Olive Oil-M  

Grape Seed Oil
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) -M
Italian Dressing
Truffle Oil Black
Flaxseed Oil-OM
Safflower-MP

Sunflower Oil-OP

Soy Bean-P

Peanut Oil-M
Sesame Oil-M
Sesame Oil Toasted
Pumpkin-M

Walnut Oil –OM

 Palm Oil -S

Coconut Oil-S
Canola Oil-GE-OM
Not Calorie Free
 Not Fat Free

My Palate ® Almon Hitt ® - Sauces Hidden Fat

Sauce on the Side

Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce

Mole Sauce

Red Sauce RS

RS Bloody Mary Mix

Siracha Hot Sauce
Tomato Sauce

Béchamel Sauce

Carbonara Sauce

Clam Sauce

Hollandaise Sauce
Mushroom Cream Sauce

Veloute Sauce

Epagnole Sauce

Soy Sauce

Teriyaki Sauce

Worcestershire Sauce

For each item you consume know the recommended

• Portion

Serving Serving size

• Calories:

Frugal Spices to Get to Know and Like

For frugal spices you can start with three of four that make a cooking holy trinity: makes all things taste better. Learn the health benefit of each spice, by engine search.

I am told that in the South, it is

1. Bell peppers – each can be cut when you are ready to use, or precut and stored where each can get some air.

2. Celery: can be pre cut at home or at the store.

3. Carrots: can be precut and made ready and stored in air tight containers.

or in the North

1. Onions, 2.Celery and 3. Carrots can be pre-chopped up, stored and covered in air tight containers, and used as a mirepoix in a ratio of 2:1:1 when needed.

A personal holy trinity of spices is

Cayenne hot sauce

Cayenne pepper, and

Crushed red pepper. It may be a guy thing.

You may store sauces and other spices in reusable hot sauce bottles with snap-able close tops. Become familiar with the uses for

My Palate® Almon Hitt - Herbs and Spices Fresh & Dried

Arrowroot

Basil Julienned

Bay Leaf 

Blue Cheese Dressing-S

Capers

Cardamom

Chili Powder

Chives

Cilantro - Coriander

Cinnamon 

Cloves

Cocoa Powder Dark

Chocolate Dutch Process

Cumin

Curry Paste

Green Curry Paste Red Curry Paste White Curry Paste
Curry Powder

Dill

Fennel

File

Flaxseed

Garam Masala

Garlic

Garlic Powder

Garlic Salt

Sautéed Garlic

Ginger

Ginseng

Holy Trinity North

Bell Pepper Celery Carrots

Holy Trinity South

Mirequoix:
Onion Celery Carrots
Italian Dressing-S

Lavender

Licorice Root

Liquid Smoke Mint

Nacho Cheese-S

NattoNutmegMustard

Yellow Onions, Scallion, ShallotsOregano

Paprika

Hot Paprika

Sweet Paprika

Parsley

Pepper

Black Pepper

Cayenne Pepper

Cayenne Pepper Hot Sauce

Chipotle Pepper

Crushed Red Pepper

Hatch Chili Pepper

Siracha Hot Sauce

White Pepper

 Rosemary

Sage

Salt/ Sodium

Celery Salt

Savory

Seasoned Salt

Soy Sauce

Spearmint

Beef Stock

Chicken Stock

Vegetable Stock

Tarragon

Thyme

Tahini

Turmeric

Vanilla

You can add Garlic, with/or without adding Onion (dehydrated or freshly minced/chopped.) Learn about the uses for Yellow Onions, (Scallions, and shallots. White onions are for burgers. Look up uses for Soy Sauce. I do not use this, if you want, you can add to your list. You will know when to stop. Know when you can use spices. There are other courses to serve in which to use spices besides soup.