How to set a
She never intended for you to
table
As a lady of the Carolina’s,
small shows of simple grace
and etiquette should become as
second nature to you. Now, this
isn’t saying that you have to run
out immediately and have
visiting cards printed, or go buy
a sterling silver tea set, but
having knowledge of little things
like place settings means a lot to
locals and ultimately, shows that
you truly care for and respect
the civility which is the heart of
South Carolina.
Even at an informal dinner, it’s a
good idea to create a
centerpiece. This can be a
week-long labor of love or, in
most cases, a small setting
thrown together about five
minutes before the guests
arrive. A few snippings from the
juniper tree for frilly greenery
and aromatic scent, a handful of
flowers arranged in a low bowl
or small vase, a couple
strategically placed pieces of
fruit and a candle or two and
your centerpiece is complete. A
bouquet of flowers from the local
florist or, better yet, a nearby
farm, would also work, but no
matter what, the point is that you
have one. Another little pointer:
don’t make the centerpiece taller
than eye level. Guests would
like to be able to see each other
when they speak and it could
mess up a lovely arrangement if
you’re having to part the
sunflowers every time you want
to ask a question.
As for your silverware, if you
have sterling silver, use it. Even,
and especially, if it’s your great
grandmother’s set that’s been
passed down for generations.
keep it wrapped up in crumbling
of passing bowls and dishes
around.
bags of velvet. Silverware and
formal china, however pretty and If it is Thanksgiving at
expensive, were meant to be Grandma’s, none of the above
used and this is a great time to applies.
show them off. Even if you don’t
have formal silverware, though,
the point is to have the place
settings properly arranged and
in the end, no one will really care
what the silverware looked like
as long as there’s plenty of food
and wine.
With the dinner plate as the
center, silverware should be
placed in line, an inch from the
edge of the table, and arranged
from the outside – in, in order
of use. On the right, salad fork
(smaller fork), appetizer utensil
(or another small fork or none at
all if you aren’t having an
appetizer between salad, soup
and dinner), then dinner fork
(your biggest fork) closest to the
plate. On the left, soup spoon,
spreading knife for the bread and
the dinner knife closest to the
plate. Be sure to turn the blade
of the knives toward the plate,
as an outwardly turned knife is
a symbol of aggression toward
the other diners (don’t you love
these quaint little old world
idiosyncrasies?). The dessert
fork and spoon for after dinner
tea or coffee should go across
the top of the dinner plate, with
the tines of the fork facing right
and the bowl of the spoon facing
left. Napkins should be folded
either as simply or ornately as
you like, and placed in the center
of the dinner plate. Glasses are
also placed an inch above the
knives and in order of use
starting from the far right: white
wine, red wine, dessert wine and
water tumbler. Dinner should
be served from the kitchen and
ideally, placed on each diner’s
plate by the server/host instead
www.Longs.sc Online Magazine | 2009 47