I did take some etiquette classes, but I don’t think that I should be counted among the “etiquette educated” because I spent a lot of time in that class throwing packets of jam across the table at my friends…and spinning the lazy susan. Lunchtime roulette.

However, I love me a good spork. I want to open a restaraunt named Spork that only serves food that can be eaten with sporks. Chicken and dumplings and beef stew anyone?

An excerpt from cuisinenet dot com might not answer KJ’s question to his/her satisfaction, but may well fill a gap in YOUR education:

“The Zig Zag Method
By American custom, which was brought about partly by the late introduction of the fork into the culture, all three utensils are intended for use primarily with the right hand, which is the more capable hand for most people. This leads to some complicated maneuvering when foods, such as meat, require the use of knife and fork to obtain a bite of manageable size. When this is the case, the fork is held in the left hand, turned so that the tines point downward, the better to hold the meat in place while the right hand operates the knife. After a bite-sized piece has been cut, the diner sets the knife down on the plate and transfers the fork to the right hand, so that it can be used to carry the newly cut morsel to the mouth. Emily Post calls this the “zig-zag” style.

European Style
The European, or “Continental,” style of using knife and fork is somewhat more efficient, and its practice is also common in the United States, where left-handed children are no longer forced to learn to wield a fork with their right hands. According to this method, the fork is held continuously in the left hand and used for eating. When food must be cut, the fork is used exactly as in the American style, except that once the bite has been separated from the whole, it is conveyed directly to the mouth on the downward-facing fork. Regardless of which style is used to operate fork and knife, it is important never to cut more than one or two bites at one time.”

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I’m just glad I have food to eat.

On the rare occasion that I’m in a fancy eatin’ situation I observe how the other people are using the utensils. At home I’m a pig.

…and I learned to not drink from the finger bowl. (j/k)

A scalloped spoon, when small in size is called a sugar shell and not a runcible spoon as it resembles a sea shell.

Sporks are useless, in my opinion. The food does not stay on the pointy end long enough to get it to you mouth, and the bowl is too shallow. Takes forever to eat anything using one.

I caught on to the whole fork and knife thing late because my Mum’s Filipino and they tend to use a fork and spoon instead. Or hands. That’s always fun.

I have never heard of a splade and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen one either but they sounds like fun. Does it make me unAustralian to have NEVER heard of a splade until five minutes ago? I’m thinking it’s kitschy and nobody ever brings them up.

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what a great post, though!

I would like to make a fork with multiple prongs on it, like a miniature garden rake, to use when eating green peas or similar items. One simply rakes the peas into a spoon to eat. We could call it a Flake…