The left hand holds the fork; the right holds the knife. Place the fork with the tines facing down so that they touch the plate and the fork makes a nice arch. Push the food onto the back of the fork using the knife, scraping around the edges to ensure that you have attained a neat little pile. All the while make sure that the pointer finger of your right hand stays along the length of the fork to ensure balance. Pop the morsel into your mouth. Taste the mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, greens beans, and delicious hamburger, or is it lamb? That is the amazing combination that creates Shepherd’s pie.
According to our delightful coach driver Gary, an Englishman from Yorkshire, this is the proper way to eat a meal. He laughed when he saw me eating with only a fork and told me his sons do the same when they get a chance. But the proper way is to eat with both hands holding utensils.
I tried twice at first; I felt extremely awkward trying to shove that bit of food into my mouth. But then Gary told me about the two keys to eating with both hands, being, that one must turn the fork over backward and one must place the pointer finger along the fork. Two key steps, both of which no one ever shared before. I had given up, but with Gary watching my fork eating and laughing, I decided I would try the proper way. To my own astonishment I became quite “nimble” (to use Gary’s word) at it by the end of the meal. Now, what about desert? How does one use cutlery properly for this last course of the meal? Why of course you use a spoon to eat your dessert! Even if the dessert is cake. You give your fork away with the dinner plate, and of course there is always dessert.
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