One of my friends and I were setting up tables for a dinner party. Her question to me was, "Is your mother left-handed?"
We tease a lot, so I thought she was making a joke, until I watched her change several of the dinnerware from the place I had just laid it down. That sort of caught me by surprise.
Because my friend knew my mother, I thought it was a silly question.
As I watched my dear friend nicely proceed to rearrange items on the tables, she was giving me an important lesson of whose glass is whose. Whether you are a guest or a host, the following information may be helpful some day.
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Working from left to right, your setting should consist of napkin (napkin can also be placed on the service plate), dinner fork, salad fork, dinner plate, knife and soup spoon, provided all these courses are being served. The cutting edge of the knife blade should be turned in toward the plate. Silverware for dessert may be brought to the table with dessert or placed above the dinner plate, parallel to the edge of the table.
If using a spoon, the bowl goes to the left, if using a fork, tines go to the right. A dessert spoon may also be placed next to the knife. Spoons used to stir coffee or tea are usually brought to the table with the beverage.
At the top of the place setting, water glasses go to the right, directly above the knives. Wine glasses go to the right of water glasses, slightly near to the edge of the table.
Bread and butter plates go directly above the fork. The knife sets to the edge, right of the table above the fork. Butter plates go directly above the fork, with butter knife set across the plate. Salad plates should be positioned to the left of napkin and fork.
Perhaps you readers already know all this information.
Allow me to share a good recipe to use with the meal.
Quick light rolls from the late Mrs. Howard Blattner.
Mix well 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon sugar and a pinch of salt.
Over this mixture, pour 1 cup scalded milk.
Allow to cool.
Then add 1 cake of yeast and 2 1/2 cups flour.
Mix well, and let rise 1 1/2 hours. Knead, roll and cut out rolls.
Let rise about an hour and bake in 350-degree oven.