For those who love love love etiquette
Those who could afford it at the turn of the century loved having a dish for every purpose. They also loved having a variety of nibbles at the table, (apparently ten courses weren’t enough). They loved love them so much they developed multiple similar dishes to contain the array of wonderful nosh-ables and sometimes decorative…
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When we talk about modern informal service, we’re generally talking about dinner served at home with guests where servants are not used. Within informal service, there is the American Style and the English Style. American style also has a unique sub-category; Ranch or Country Style. We’ll be talking here about service only, not all the…
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Balls and Dances are very different things. In the past, when sending out invitations to a ball, you sent them to friends and family, no matter what their age. Balls are social events with dancing, but not everyone is expected to dance and the hosts are expected to provide a meal. Dances as we know them are…
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When it comes to formal dinner parties, there are three types of service that you will hear about: Service a la Francaise or French Service (sometimes called English Service in America) What preceded the type of service you see on shows like Downton Abbey? Before the Victorian era, tables were laden with food that was…
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Here we have one of those weird evolutions of terms where one phrase begins to mean nearly the opposite thing. High Tea is one of the great examples of this. Company dinner is another. For an American in the early and mid 19th century, a company dinner would have been one of the most extravagant…
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People today often use the terms appetizer, canape and hors d’oeuvres interchangeably, but in reality, they are completely different. Unless you’re in a restaurant, appetizers are usually served with cocktails before the meal. It’s in the name – they are meant to whet the appetite for the meal ahead. They should be small enough to be tray passed…
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I’m not generally inclined to the snobs point of view, but where I do become a little snobby is in the correct naming of things. I find this to be especially problematic on Etsy and Ebay. If you don’t know what something is…. Just say so. Incorrectly naming something can be funny, unless you’re charging an arm and…
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