So, I should explain myself

I thought it would be fun to have a little manners and etiquette blog. I know a lot about manners and etiquette, and although I don't always practice these noble arts, I do enjoy the knowledege.

Anyway, I thought that it would be fun to write about little pieces of arcane knowledge and help the world become a more bizarre place, but more fun, because when you meet someone else that knows these etiquette rules, it can be tremendous fun.

So, what does this have to do with spoons and pasta? Good question. One of the most hotly contested questions in the U.S. is the use of a spoon with pasta. Its purpose, for those of you non-spoon types, is to spin your fork in the bowl of the spoon to get the noodles onto the fork. Then you use the fork to eat the pasta (or some people bring the fork and spoon together to the mouth).

This question would become quite simplified if people stopped serving noodles on plates. Pasta should be served in a shallow bowl, and you can use the side of the bowl to twirl your pasta.

However, in the U.S., everything comes on plates, and pasta suffers, and the spoon for pasta is born.

Waitaminute, you say to yourself. The Italian table is set with a fork AND spoon! Quite right. The spoon is for serving sauce, and not for twirling noodles. However, the use of the spoon for pasta is so commonplace that it is often seen as acceptable, and even in some high class restaurants you may be given a spoon for pasta.

However, far beyond the spoon for pasta, if you want to show yourself an Italian food novice, ask for parmesan on your seafood.