Comments on: The confronting choice: Knives or chopsticks?

By: Ed Charles

Ed Charles — Fri, 07 Apr 2006 02:23:34 +0000

MM, roll eyes again I’m thinking of attaching a proper soup spoon to my key ring so I don’t have to suffer soup with a shallow desert spoon. And I must admit to giving a friend a wonderful pocket pepper grinder once (although it was really because he camps a lot). Glad the wattle seed arrived and look forward to what you cook with it.

By: MM

MM — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:50:55 +0000

My grandfather used to carry his own silver and glass canister of mustard with him. *Roll eyes*

Those monogrammed servers are incredibly beautiful! Hey, I wanted to thank you for the wattle seeds! I finally got them … after some drama … let’s just say daft housemate, unhelpful post office, pissed off MM …

Now I am all excited and looking around for recipes! My friend from Australia looked at me as if I was daft when I danced around the package and found out it was wattle seeds inside …

By: Ed Charles

Ed Charles — Tue, 04 Apr 2006 02:54:36 +0000

Robyn, it’s great shovelling isn’t it. I like to slurp too and wish I had the courage to do it in front of polite company. To tell the truth J claims that I do.

By: Robyn

Robyn — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:56:05 +0000

Nothing pretentious about chopsticks, they make more sense for most noodle dishes and there’s something just so *wrong* about spearing a delicate piece of dim sum with a fork.

Much of Asia (Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, etc.) uses fork and spoon for rice and dry (not soup) noodle dishes. Makes sense — spoon to eat, fork to push food onto spoon. Once you get used to it you wonder why westerners insist on the whole fork thing and no utensil for shovelling thing (my mother would’ve had a fit if I’d used my knife to shovel food onto fork).

By: DrReb

DrReb — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 17:30:39 +0000

I have a friend who used to take his own plastic chopsticks to eat in Indian restaurants in Oxford when he was on sabbatical there in the late 1970′s. I always thought it was one of the most eccentric acts I’ve ever heard of, but I kind of admired him for doing it.

By: Ed Charles

Ed Charles — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:29:56 +0000

Have you tried the knives they have at taxi – almost surgical. You’re right about the chopsticks they are practical and there is something aesthetic about them.

By: cin

cin — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 20:35:53 +0000

I like the Laguiole knives too but you’re right about how exxy they are.

wooden chopsitcks for me too – really dislike plastic ones. Chopsticks are great for just about everything, Asian and not (apart from maybe steak?), both cooking and eating wise. Very versatile.

By: Ed Charles

Ed Charles — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 15:49:08 +0000

M. A splade/ye – and I could use one of those plates with the wineglass holder and never have to sit at the table again!

ejm – Laguiole are great – I have a bone handled corkscrew (with a bent screw and buggered sprinf ;-() but over the top. As for wooden chopsticks haven’t you read about the campagn to use plastic ones in china because of massive deforestation.

By: ejm

ejm — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 23:24:29 +0000

Wooden chopsticks (never plastic – ewwwww!) and spoon for Asian food. Hands and spoon for Indian food. Knife and fork and spoon for western food – except when hands are easier.

-Elizabeth

P.S. Those silver knives are stunningly beautiful.
P.P.S. Steak knives are fun. And a lagiole has such a nice weight. (Alas, we only have one with a lovely amourette handle.)

By: M

Thu, 30 Mar 2006 21:46:45 +0000

one word….. Splade (or should that be Splayd)

Gotta love the one-size-fits-all plastic take away ones.