Dear Reader,
I went out to dinner by myself the other night at one of my favorite outdoor cafes. It was the perfect evening. The food was excellent, the weather was picturesque and there was a woman singing and playing a guitar. I always bring my notebook with me wherever I go, just in case I'm inspired to write and I did find inspiration.
It may sound funny, but when I started eating the spaghetti and meatballs that I'd ordered I paused, looked at the tablespoon in my left hand, and I thought of my mother. One of the best things Mom ever taught me was how to eat spaghetti with grace and style. Most people don't even like to eat spaghetti in public because of the inevitable mishaps. And certainly it must be the number one entrée "not" to order on a first date. From my observations, a majority of people either pucker up and suck in the long spaghetti strands, or they cut the pasta "kid-style" with a knife and fork.
But my mother taught me to eat the delicate pasta using a tablespoon in my left hand and a fork in my right. The "how-to" is very simple: Gently lift the long strands of pasta with your fork, then center it in the middle of your tablespoon and perform short, clockwise, turns with your fork.
With your fork gently pressing and rolling against the tablespoon, you're an artist who's in complete control. If there's a pause in the table conversation, you can also pause in the middle of your pasta rolling (for effect) and not a single strand will fall off your fork. Your dinner companions will definitely be impressed.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
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