Lunch, held in a festive atmosphere or in a friendly company, should be special, improving mood and invigorating. Good mood, success in business and private life, impeccable culinary delights can be overshadowed by poor table setting.
She obeys strict rules, which are desirable to follow even with a very ordinary meal. Then the right actions will become familiar, you do not have to endure a fiasco or think hard every time everything is done as it should.
What to put on the table?
Preparing for dinner has its own list of items that cannot be dispensed with. The table must be covered with a tablecloth; napkins are placed on it in certain places. Also use:
- tureens;
- plates for soup;
- plates for snacks;
- container for butter;
- cutlery;
- bread plate;
- glasses or glasses for drinks that do not even contain alcohol.
The table layout of the dining table implies that tablecloths and napkins visually match, no different from the rest of the room’s interior. If you are not preparing for a thematic holiday or are unfamiliar with the tastes of the guests, it is better to do with the simplest monotonous fabric. Bright colors will distract the attention of those gathered in the kitchen, they do not contribute to a positive mood. On a typical day, pastel-colored tablecloths are preferred; on the most important days for you, there should be a white canvas on the table.
Make sure that it is completely clean and well ironed, evenly distributed over the surface, does not leave empty areas, does not hang down to the floor.
Etiquette does not set strict requirements for decor. Everything is left to the discretion of the owners of the house.With an acute shortage of time, you can abandon it. Remember: candles, freshly cut flowers and delicately laid out napkins will make the atmosphere more pleasant. At the same time, decorative elements should not interfere with those who are sitting at the table.
Basic norms
Etiquette rules apply not only to tablecloths and napkins: they determine the correct approach to the use of dishes, dishes. There are several positions that must be observed in each case, even when you have to refuse some other rules.
Never put a pot of soup on the table; there must be a tureen for this. Place it in such a way that everyone can pour in a portion without creating any inconvenience to the rest. Prepare cloth napkins. They are placed on their knees or a shirt covering their knees. A plate of bread or homemade bread box is placed on the edge of the table: in the middle it does not belong.
You cannot put paper napkins on the tablecloth; it will be correct to prepare coasters for them. These stands cannot be replaced with plates. To the left of each plate, designed for those present, place the fork with its teeth up, to the right - a spoon and a blunt knife.
When serving snacks at the same time as soup and bread, the devices intended for them are placed closer to the middle of the table.
The center of the table is usually occupied by bottles, jugs, decanters, salt shakers, gravy boats. A knife should be reserved for butter or bread. Wine glasses, glasses and glasses are put on the right side of the table. They are placed diagonally.
Sooner or later, any lunch and even the most pleasant conversation ends. It is time to serve dessert. Serving a table under it is possible only after removing all dirty dishes, used napkins and unnecessary appliances. Everyday eating with your family is easier: dessert is served with tea cups, jam jars or plates with sweets. To serve pies, cakes, everyone needs to pass dessert plates. Kremenki put in the most solemn moments.
Standard design rules are not absolute dogma. Sometimes the menu differs from the usual one, and the tastes of those gathered, their priorities are very different. In this case, all principles, including the most important norms, can be violated. If an unfamiliar or not fully accustomed person comes into the house, the general provisions are strictly observed.
Preparation Tips
It is impossible to set the table properly, if you do not know a number of subtleties. For example, knives are wiped separately from spoons, the latter are not mixed with forks. One part of the towel takes several homogeneous objects, and the other wipes them dry. Glasses, cups with a thin handle and deep wine glasses are especially carefully wiped, twisting one end of the towel onto the base, removing moisture with the other edge.
After laying on the table, the tablecloth is neatly unfold and, taking up the corners, shake, immediately lowering to the surface. Then an air layer will appear, making it easier to verify the result.
Make sure that there is a perpendicular fold, and that it goes exactly in the center of the countertop. This will allow you to make the picture, if any, symmetrical, preserve its grace.
Ordinary lunch does not impose special requirements on the type of napkins. On a holiday, it is advisable to take a set of linen napkins that match the color of the tablecloth or contrast with it. The correct layout - on a special plate, in the form of a cone. Flowers should be taken only those that do not violate the harmony of the tablecloth and cutlery.
Given the inevitable differences in tastes and food cravings even among close people, always put a salt shaker (filled 1/3), pepper shaker (1⁄2) and a mustard container. If vinegar and sunflower oil are put on the table, you need to take branded bottles with genuine labels.
Getting started with food, they start scrupulously from the first course. The containers in which it is served are determined by the owners themselves.It can be not only deep plates, but also bowls with lids, clay pots, cups for broth. Focus solely on ease of use. When the time comes for dessert, the pies are stacked on separate plates or in low flat vases.
Whatever the set of dishes, 0.7 to 0.9 m of table length should be reserved for each person sitting. The smaller the distance is too close, the greater creates an alienation between people, they move away, this is also inconvenient. The preliminary preparation for Sunday lunch takes an intermediate place: it is simpler than the festive, but stricter than the daily serving. If you have to serve fish, it is advisable to use herring.
Remember that when serving glasses for each guest there should be two - wine and champagne by default. Others are selected for a specific menu.
Ordinary sketchy arrangement of cutlery (even using napkins) can be boring and fresh in a solemn moment. To diversify the design of the table, decorative objects help to bring a feeling of freshness. They are very different: these are satin or silk ribbons, porcelain figurines, balloons. The composition of jewelry and their arrangement are thought out in advance, ideally they are agreed with all the participants of the celebration (except for those who are preparing a surprise).
Making desserts for children may include stylized toys, characters in books, and cartoons. Desserts according to unique recipes, rare fruits and non-traditional dishes, bright and catchy dishes will help to create a raised atmosphere for adults. In a purely male company, the serving can be concise and maximally functional, without any frills. The design should be aesthetically pleasing.
These and other serving tricks see below.
