The Reids

Following up to Padraig Breathnach

    >>its part of the fun isn't it?
    >If I depended on my skill with chopsticks, I'd starve.

Go to the worst restaurants where the rice is all congealed, then
its easy.
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

The Reids

Following up to [email protected]

    >Right I said I was going to bed,
    >>so I will.
    >You finished the souvenir bottle of grappa, so soon?

Brought back lemoncello. Bit of a poncy after dinner drink, but
Italians hardly seem to drink anyway.
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

nitram

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 11:16:19 +0000, The Reids
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >Following up to [email protected]
    >>Right I said I was going to bed,
    >>>so I will.
    >>You finished the souvenir bottle of grappa, so soon?
    >Brought back lemoncello. Bit of a poncy after dinner drink, but
    >Italians hardly seem to drink anyway.

When I and several others worked most weeks in Italy and flew home at
weekends, we all used to suffer from a mysterious bug, this was
eventually diagnosed as being caused by excess amounts of home made
limoncello, handed out free at the end of the place where we ate most
nights. By this time 4 or 5 of us were getting through a bottle of
limoncello a night. Not quite so poncy and a lot stronger than we
thought. We had a similar problem with home made obstler in South
Germany, except that caused nasty attacks of migraine :-)
--
Martin

Tim Challenger

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:08:41 +0100, [email protected] wrote:

    > We had a similar problem with home made obstler in South
    > Germany, except that caused nasty attacks of migraine :-)

Migraine? Is that what you call it? :-)
--
Tim C.

nitram

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:32:21 +0100, Tim Challenger
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 14:08:41 +0100, [email protected] wrote:
    >> We had a similar problem with home made obstler in South
    >> Germany, except that caused nasty attacks of migraine :-)
    >Migraine? Is that what you call it? :-)

Accompanied by the whirling pits AFAIR.
    :-)
--
Martin

Deep Frayed Morgues

On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 23:52:37 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
<[email protected]> wrote:

    >The Reids <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>Following up to Donna Evleth
    >>>Our favorite Chinese restaurant provides chopsticks and forks. They do make
    >>>allowances for the Chinese Food Challenged. But chopsticks are the
    >>>preferred choice among their regulars.
    >>its part of the fun isn't it?
    >If I depended on my skill with chopsticks, I'd starve.

The best advice I was ever given was this: become at one with the
chopsticks.

OK, admittedly this sounds like the sort of irritating advice you get
from someone who has already mastered a difficult art, but it is the
best way. Don't focus on manouvering the individual sticks, but just
assume them to be a natural extension of your hand. Just an extra
couple of fingers really.

Assuming you have them in the correct position in your hand (I can't
be bothered trying to describle this, and I don't have a picture),
make certain the tips are perfectly aligned, so that one does not
stick out further than the other. Then, practice picking up individual
grains of rice. After this has been done, picking up larger chunks of
food is easy.

To pick up a mouthful of food, don't try scooping - it doesn't work.
Picture the mouthful of food that you want to move to your mouth, and
simply guide it to your mouth with those sticks. DON'T FOCUS ON THE
STICKS!!! They are part of your hand, remember!

Finally, because you are eating Asian food, Asian manners apply. You
are allowed to lift a bowl of rice or soup up toward your mouth for
example. I have never been certain of the eitquette from country to
country, but smiling and nodding lets you get away with anything in
Asia.
---
DFM

nitram

On Fri, 26 Nov 2004 15:29:27 GMT, Deep Frayed Morgues
<deepfreudmoors@eITmISaACTUALLYiREAL!l.nu> wrote:

    >On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 23:52:37 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
    ><[email protected]> wrote:
    >>The Reids <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>Following up to Donna Evleth
    >>>>Our favorite Chinese restaurant provides chopsticks and forks. They do make
    >>>>allowances for the Chinese Food Challenged. But chopsticks are the
    >>>>preferred choice among their regulars.
    >>>its part of the fun isn't it?
    >>If I depended on my skill with chopsticks, I'd starve.
    >The best advice I was ever given was this: become at one with the
    >chopsticks.
    >OK, admittedly this sounds like the sort of irritating advice you get
    >from someone who has already mastered a difficult art, but it is the
    >best way. Don't focus on manouvering the individual sticks, but just
    >assume them to be a natural extension of your hand. Just an extra
    >couple of fingers really.
    >Assuming you have them in the correct position in your hand (I can't
    >be bothered trying to describle this, and I don't have a picture),

picture here ...

http://east.portland.ne.jp/~k_tok/life01.htm

and here

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2039.html

    >make certain the tips are perfectly aligned, so that one does not
    >stick out further than the other. Then, practice picking up individual
    >grains of rice. After this has been done, picking up larger chunks of
    >food is easy.
    >To pick up a mouthful of food, don't try scooping - it doesn't work.
    >Picture the mouthful of food that you want to move to your mouth, and
    >simply guide it to your mouth with those sticks. DON'T FOCUS ON THE
    >STICKS!!! They are part of your hand, remember!
    >Finally, because you are eating Asian food, Asian manners apply. You
    >are allowed to lift a bowl of rice or soup up toward your mouth for
    >example. I have never been certain of the eitquette from country to
    >country, but smiling and nodding lets you get away with anything in
    >Asia.
    >---
    >DFM

--
Martin

Frank F. Matthews

The Reids wrote:

    > Following up to [email protected]
    >
    >
    >>Right I said I was going to bed,
    >>>so I will.
    >>You finished the souvenir bottle of grappa, so soon?
    >
    >
    > Brought back lemoncello. Bit of a poncy after dinner drink, but
    > Italians hardly seem to drink anyway.


Simpler to just pick up some at the local shop. Why haul it around?

Frank F. Matthews

Deep Frayed Morgues wrote:

    > On Thu, 25 Nov 2004 23:52:37 +0000, Padraig Breathnach
    > <[email protected]> wrote:
    >
    >
    >>The Reids <[email protected]> wrote:
    >>>Following up to Donna Evleth
    >>>>Our favorite Chinese restaurant provides chopsticks and forks. They do make
    >>>>allowances for the Chinese Food Challenged. But chopsticks are the
    >>>>preferred choice among their regulars.
    >>>its part of the fun isn't it?
    >>If I depended on my skill with chopsticks, I'd starve.
    >
    >
    > The best advice I was ever given was this: become at one with the
    > chopsticks.
    >
    > OK, admittedly this sounds like the sort of irritating advice you get
    > from someone who has already mastered a difficult art, but it is the
    > best way. Don't focus on manouvering the individual sticks, but just
    > assume them to be a natural extension of your hand. Just an extra
    > couple of fingers really.
    >
    > Assuming you have them in the correct position in your hand (I can't
    > be bothered trying to describle this, and I don't have a picture),
    > make certain the tips are perfectly aligned, so that one does not
    > stick out further than the other. Then, practice picking up individual
    > grains of rice. After this has been done, picking up larger chunks of
    > food is easy.
    >
    > To pick up a mouthful of food, don't try scooping - it doesn't work.
    > Picture the mouthful of food that you want to move to your mouth, and
    > simply guide it to your mouth with those sticks. DON'T FOCUS ON THE
    > STICKS!!! They are part of your hand, remember!
    >
    > Finally, because you are eating Asian food, Asian manners apply. You
    > are allowed to lift a bowl of rice or soup up toward your mouth for
    > example. I have never been certain of the eitquette from country to
    > country, but smiling and nodding lets you get away with anything in
    > Asia.
    > DFM



True. Most utensils are similar if what you are doing is simply shoving
the food from the bowl to your mouth. It's western manners with eastern
implements that causes a problem.

The Reids

Following up to Frank F. Matthews

    >> Brought back lemoncello. Bit of a poncy after dinner drink, but
    >> Italians hardly seem to drink anyway.
    >Simpler to just pick up some at the local shop. Why haul it around?

its not common here, but you're right, no real need to carry it
home. But what the hell?
--
Mike Reid
Wasdale-Thames path-London-photos "http://www.fellwalk.co.uk" <-- you can email us@ this site
Eat-walk-Spain "http://www.fell-walker.co.uk" <-- dontuse@ all, it's a spamtrap

Icono Clast

Deep Frayed Morgues wrote:
    > Assuming you have them in the correct position in your hand (I can't
    > be bothered trying to describle this, and I don't have a picture),

Although many papers in which chopsticks are wrapped have an
illustration for use, my observation is that there are many ways to
hold, and use, them. I do as m'mother taught me but that's just one
of many ways.

    > make certain the tips are perfectly aligned, so that one does not
    > stick out further than the other. Then, practice picking up individual
    > grains of rice. After this has been done, picking up larger chunks of
    > food is easy.

Easy with bamboo chopsticks, not so easy with ivory or plastic.

Further, there are many designs. I particularly like the Japanese
design with the working end almost a point. The flat metal ones a
Korean restaurant provides are nice, too.

I have two pair of very long bamboo chopsticks that I often use when
cooking. No, not Asian food but just cooking.

    > To pick up a mouthful of food, don't try scooping - it doesn't work.
    > Picture the mouthful of food that you want to move to your mouth, and
    > simply guide it to your mouth with those sticks. DON'T FOCUS ON THE
    > STICKS!!! They are part of your hand, remember!
    >
    > Finally, because you are eating Asian food, Asian manners apply. You
    > are allowed to lift a bowl of rice or soup up toward your mouth for
    > example. I have never been certain of the eitquette from country to
    > country, but smiling and nodding lets you get away with anything in
    > Asia.

And elsewhere.
__________________________________________________ __________
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