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Child Item

Making people plates of food VS letting them help themselves.

KungPao

Here's something that was a bit of a issue at the family homestead over Christmas this year and last. My mother insists on preparing each plate like in a restaurant for each guest. Now the problem is that this method is that it is far from ideal. If one is preparing 8 plates for example, the food will most likely be cooled by the time it's time to eat. Also, looking at her licking her finger after shovelling a piece of meat onto a plate is gross, but no matter what I say, she just can't change her ways.

I never liked this 'make a plate' system, particularly since horrible stuff like sprouts and turnip would always sneak in. But what really made me think was when my wife (a fodinner) came to dinner for the first time. She was actually quite surprised, and felt it was a little rude to dictate what and how much another person will be having.

In her country, the system is make loads of food, put it on the table, then everybody helps themselves. I must say, I prefer this system.

Now, for something like a mini pizza and chips, making a plate is alright I guess, but for a large meal with with multiple ingredients?

Where did this come from? In programs and movies from Britain and the US they seem to just put the food on the table and tuck in yourself, and not have a plate full of food plonked in from of them.

Or is this just my mammy?

What do you or your mammy do?

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recyclebin

Please don't start threads about food in the afternoon. I don't finish work until 5 and have an hours drive home. My mouth is salivating here thinking of dinner.

kfallon

recyclebin wrote: »

Please don't start threads about food in the afternoon. I don't finish work until 5 and have an hours drive home. My mouth is salivating here thinking of dinner.

You know what you need to do......move closer to work :pac:

laugh

I'd say the everything on the table system is more common in a family where there is a history of things being more plentiful.

GalwayGuy2

I'd say the everything on the table system is more common in a family where there is a history of things being more plentiful.

Well, lad di da.

Liamario

Put all the food on the plate. It's too much messing around waiting for people to take more than their fair share of the veg.

Bannasidhe

phasers wrote: »

Does that not mean twice as much washing up though? you'd have to put all the stuff from pots to serving dishes and from dishes to plates. Why go to all the effort?

The dishwasher doesn't seem to mind.

sink

Fromthetrees wrote: »

Put the meat on the plates and hand them out, everything else is on the open field and it's a fight to the death for who'll get what.

^this

We usually have so much food in the house there is no possible way for it to run out. We had 16 people for Christmas dinner and I think we only finished the last of the spiced beef and Christmas pudding yesterday.

GLaDOS

Prefer to have it on a plate myself, pain in the hole leaning over the table, or getting up every time I want to get something.

gozunda

Well this is how it should be done...

Always sit down to dinner together. At that point the butler, the two footmen and the parlour maid arrange themselves at the table. The waiting commences at the head of the table and the other staff outside the dinning room door bring the dishes and also remove the empty dishes. When the dinner is served on the table the waiter must stand at the left hand side of the carver and remove the covers. As the soup comes first , a plateful is carried to each person, unless they signify they do not wish for any, and commences from one on the right of the host. The sherry or claret is then handed around. At a large gathering the moment a persons plate is empty, or finished with, it must be quietly taken away, spoon and all, but when the party is a small one, the plates are usually left until all have finished the course. In any case, the plates of the host and hostess are always left till last. At informal parties guests should be asked if they wish for a second helping, but not at formal parties. Never remove a dish which is being served until all have finished that course. All plates are placed by the waiter at the left hand side of the person being served, and when used removed from the left or right.
At large gatherings dishes are handed round from one person to another, irrespective of rank or sex, commencing with the lady on the right of the host....

No not in my house - I wish

From Mrs Beatons Book of Household Management.

Zab

KungPao wrote: »

Here's something that was a bit of a issue at the family homestead over Christmas this year and last. My mother insists on preparing each plate like in a restaurant for each guest. Now the problem is that this method is that it is far from ideal. If one is preparing 8 plates for example, the food will most likely be cooled by the time it's time to eat. Also, looking at her licking her finger after shovelling a piece of meat onto a plate is gross, but no matter what I say, she just can't change her ways.

I know you had a point in there, but all I could think while reading your post was "punk, get the f**k off your ass and help your mother serve dinner".

JuliusCaesar

JC's book of household management states that all serving dishes and all plates should be warmed. If your table isn't big enough, then import another table for the time being. It's not that often that there are so many people together (for Christmas dinner), so just get on with it. Let people serve themselves. Once meat is carved, let them help themselves to slices. Too many faddy eaters to plate food for anyone in my large and extended family.

Washing up? Who cares? Dishwasher or youngest person present is responsible.

[Deleted User]

phasers wrote: »

Does that not mean twice as much washing up though? you'd have to put all the stuff from pots to serving dishes and from dishes to plates. Why go to all the effort?

That depends on your perspective I guess. It does indeed result in overall _more_ washing up but the _when_ of the washing up is altered.

For example if I make carrots, potatoes and broccoli I use three pots. When I serve them I put them all into one big hot dish and put a lid on it. That sits in the oven until I am ready to put everything on the table.

In that time I can wash the pots as I wait for the other things to be complete, like the meat etc.

So while overall there is one more dish to wash... when it comes to completeing the washing up _after_ the meal there is actually less to do at that point.

And it is at _that_ point that I want to do less washing up. I would much rather clean one big dish after the meal with nothing stuck or cooked onto it than wash three pots with cooked on / dried on gunk that has cooled and hardened.

Canis Lupus

Always get given a plate.

Shared food where you're saying stuff like, 'pass the carrots please' should be confined to American tv shows.

conorhal

Oh for the love of God Son, eat your veg otherwise I'm going to put you back at the kiddie table....

padd b1975

KungPao wrote: »

Ah you know Christmas, people all over the house, watching The Sound of Music etc, and by the time she has carefully assembled each plate, gotten everyones attention, to sitting down, to the cheers, Merry Christmas...it's gone cold. Well it is for me, I like it sizzling.

I don't think the problem here is making plates of food.

Its the lazy inconsiderate dinner guests who have not lent a hand and then have to be rounded up like sheep to have their food.

But they still whinge.....

Lollipops23

padd b1975 wrote: »

I don't think the problem here is making plates of food.

Its the lazy inconsiderate dinner guests who have not lent a hand and then have to be rounded up like sheep to have their food.

But they still whinge.....

You clearly grew up in a very different house to me- my mother boots everyone out of the kitchen when she's doing the dinner (or "out from under me feet!!" as she puts it).

Loopy

Personally I do prefer being handed a plate of food. I find if its all laid out and I help myself I never know when to stop.

Hannibal Smith

whatever way the system works in a house where you are a guest and someone has made the food, that's the system you follow and you say thank you very much.

if you can't eat it all you say you're full..they can't force it down your throat.

in our house I serve it all but only becauars that's how me mother did it....when the kids are older I'll do the whole take what you like deal

Czarcasm

KungPao wrote: »

Here's something that was a bit of a issue at the family homestead over Christmas this year and last. My mother insists on preparing each plate like in a restaurant for each guest. Now the problem is that this method is that it is far from ideal. If one is preparing 8 plates for example, the food will most likely be cooled by the time it's time to eat. Also, looking at her licking her finger after shovelling a piece of meat onto a plate is gross, but no matter what I say, she just can't change her ways.

I never liked this 'make a plate' system, particularly since horrible stuff like sprouts and turnip would always sneak in. But what really made me think was when my wife (a fodinner) came to dinner for the first time. She was actually quite surprised, and felt it was a little rude to dictate what and how much another person will be having.

In her country, the system is make loads of food, put it on the table, then everybody helps themselves. I must say, I prefer this system.

Now, for something like a mini pizza and chips, making a plate is alright I guess, but for a large meal with with multiple ingredients?

Where did this come from? In programs and movies from Britain and the US they seem to just put the food on the table and tuck in yourself, and not have a plate full of food plonked in from of them.

Or is this just my mammy?

What do you or your mammy do?

It took me a minute to cop you meant "foreigner", as opposed to a guest you have over fo' dinner!

Anyway, growing up in my house it was "food out on the table, and every man for himself". You didn't get enough potatoes? Tough titty son and better luck next time! A pot of potatoes at dinner or two loaves of bread at breakfast didn't last long!

Now in our house my wife cooks and then come dinner time lays out the table and portions out the food.

When we go back to the in-laws, food is cooked and plated in the kitchen by my wife and her mum, then served in the dining room.

Mint Sauce

I actually thought this was the norm OP. For as long as I can remember, my mum and her sisters, sister in laws, and a close family friend, for most years have taken it in turn to prepare the Xmas dinner.

Some years you could have up to 18-20 people around the table, all off which would have the food put in front if them, served up by the above women, with one of the husbands carving the meat, with alot of food being thorn out due to people getting pile high plates that they could not finish.

This Xmas was the first time that I remember in 30 years, that the food was placeed on the counter for each person to plate up them selves, plates were a more sensable size, with people also getting the right amount of seconds they wanted as well.

Shenshen

I grew up with the "help yourselves" version, no matter if it was just dinner for the family of a full-flung party.
Back home, even restaurants catering for a large group will sometimes opt for this, and put the big plates and bowls on the table so people can take whatever they want.

I've only seen the plating up thing on "Come Dine With Me", and I suspected that people doing this in real life were just aping their telly, but apparently there is a sort of tradition of this...
Strange.

hardCopy

ScienceNerd wrote: »

Prefer to have it on a plate myself, pain in the hole leaning over the table, or getting up every time I want to get something.

You need one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Romanoff-Products-Inc-34301-Spintray/dp/B0000X60QK/ref=sr_1_22?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1357644773&sr=1-22&keywords=large

In the States some restaurant serve shared plates to large groups in restaurants and call it "family style". There's no designated starter or main, it's kind of like tapas, the different dishes come out one after another and you just grab a portion or two of whatever takes your fancy.