How to Use a Fork and Knife

In ancient times, the fork preceded the knife as part of the common table setting. People used an instrument that looked like a fork missing the middle prong to pick up and serve entrees. From those days, the knife and fork have evolved to have many uses and types. For example, there is the salad fork, the table fork, the butter knife and the table knife. These are just a few of the many types of knives and forks. Read on to find out how to use them.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Use the fork to hold or cut your food (depending upon its consistency) and then bring a small piece of it up to your mouth to enjoy. NEVER use a scooping motion with a fork; it is not a shovel. Once the fork is anchoring the food, and more importantly, the bite-sized piece of it, you can decide how much you want to cut off by using the knife. With a gentle sawing motion, cut with the grain of the food (you will see it if you look closely) and then use the fork to pick up the piece up to enjoy.

2. 
   Salad fork in action

   Use the smaller salad fork to spear and eat pieces of salad only. You will usually find this fork to the left of the larger dinner fork in a table setting. It should be discarded when you are ready to eat the main course.

3. Use a common kitchen knife for cutting and slicing anything from meat to potatoes. It is best to use a cutting board with this type of knife since it tends to be very sharp. Place whatever you are cutting on the cutting board and slice (bring the knife across to shave off a thin slice), chop (bring the knife down quickly and then across to make small 1/4-inch pieces) or mince (bring the knife down and across the chopped pieces to make even smaller pieces).

4. 
   Spread away.

   Use the butter knife not to spread butter but to take an individual portion of butter from the butter dish. Place this individual portion on your plate. Then use a table knife to spread the butter on a piece of bread.

5. 
   A classic dessert

   Use the sardine fork and dessert fork, both smaller versions of the table fork, to pick up tiny pieces of food (sardines or dessert) for your enjoyment. They are designed to make eating more enjoyable, since the bites are smaller and the flavors are savored longer. Cut off or spear small pieces for eating. You do not need to use a knife with these forks.

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