Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion-On Food and Eating
Dear Friends,
I enjoy going out to eat, who doesn’t? Fancy formal dinners, shirt and tie, casual, and laid back (bar b q, picnic, block parties) eating is good. Getting together with family and/or friends is always special as you sit around sharing stories of vacations, weekend trips, kids, stories of days gone by and mutual friends punctuated with laughter and mock shock. Mix in comments about the food; “We love eating here the meals are great.” “How are the French fries?” “I love that they have homemade soups.” “Oh doesn’t that look good.” “I wish I had ordered that.” So far, just another night out with friends/family over food, “Pass the salt and pepper please” “May we have a few extra napkins?”
This request is usually made by a woman whose husband is enjoying soup or spaghetti. Yes social events very often revolve around food, the meal (breakfast-lunch-dinner) is not that significant, it is of little matter other than what level of relaxed everyone is. Something about formal or sometimes a shirt and tie may be responsible for a more subdued atmosphere, jokes are toned a bit, laughter is kept to a moderate jovial response, and conversation in general remains at a certain level. Let us go back to the friends hanging out eating bar b q in the backyard in casual attire, enjoying the food and open conversation, what fun, hot dogs, burgers, fried chicken, and French fries, now to the question that got us here, are these foods considered “finger foods?” Is it ever improper to eat these foods with our fingers?
Somehow holding my hot dog down with my fork and using my knife to create bite size morsels just seems wrong. Certainly hors d’oeu-vres are finger food, chips and dips, or that shared bowl of nuts would not be eaten with a knife and fork. So let us agree that the afore mentioned treats are indeed finger food and as we take bites in between pitching horse shoes, returning a volley ball , or sailing a Frisbee we are not breaking any etiquette rules. Now as Paul Harvey would say “The rest of the story!” Is it acceptable for someone; friend, family, or spouse to casually comment “That looks really good” as they pick a tasty morsel off your plate with their fingers and pop it in their mouth. I mean where does acceptable and unacceptable meet (or part)? My deviled egg is good that is why I took two; if you want one ask please. Frankly I never thought it was funny when they say “I eat my fingers separately.”