FRUITS:
Apricots, cherries, kumquats and plums (raw) are usually eaten with the fingers in one or two bites. The stones are dropped into a cupped hand and placed on the side of the plate or in a paper napkin.

Avocados, when left in their shells, are eaten with a spoon. Otherwise, pieces are eaten with a fork.

Bananas, if eaten while seated at the table, are peeled and eaten with a knife and fork. If eaten away from the table, simply peel the banana down as you eat it.

Berries are eaten with a spoon. Large strawberries served with the stem are held by the stem, dipped in sugar and eaten with one or two bites. Discard the stem on the side of the plate.

Fruit cocktail. If the fruit is on a toothpick,  you may eat it and discard the toothpick on a plate or other receptacle.  When in a tall glass, it is best to ask for a fork or spoon, as available.

Grapefruit halves are served with the sections loosened. Eat the grapefruit with a spoon, but do not attempt to squeeze out the juice, except in the privacy of your own home.

Grapes are eaten by cutting a small portion away from the large bunch with a knife or scissors, and then eaten one at a time. Seeds and inedible skins are removed from the mouth into your cupped hand and placed on the side of the plate.

Lemons are often cut into wedges and served as a garnish.  As such, pick it up and press it with your fingers with the other hand covering the one doing the squeezing.  You may also pick it up with a fork and press out the juice with the other hand. If a slice of lemon is served, hold the slice with the fork and press out the juice with a knife.

Mangoes are cut in half, pit removed, then quartered. Place each quarter upside down and pull skin away while holding the fruit with a fork. Cut into manageable pieces and eat with a fork.

Oranges are peeled with a sharp knife, and then eaten section by section. If pre-sliced and served on a plate, the orange is then eaten with a fork.

Peaches are cut in half, and then quartered. Pull the skin away from each quarter and eat with a fork.

Pineapples are eaten with a fork when served in quarters or slices. It is eaten with a spoon when served cut into chunks.

Stewed fruit is eaten with a spoon. Pits are dropped into the spoon and placed on the side of the plate.

Watermelon is eaten with a fork, unless cubed.  Then it is eaten with a spoon. Seeds are dropped into your cupped hand and placed on the side of the plate.  When eating slices by hand, make sure they are cut into small, manageable wedges to avoid a sticky mess all over your face and hands.

SANDWICHES:
• Tea sandwiches and canapés are eaten with the fingers. 
• Club sandwiches may be eaten with a knife and fork or cut into fourths, then eaten with the fingers.
Whole sandwiches of any kind are best cut into halves or quarters before eating.
• Open-faced sandwiches are eaten with a knife and fork.

SHELLFISH:

Shrimp with tails left on may be held by the tail with fingers, dipped in sauce, bitten off and the tail discarded. If the meat is completely free of the shell, then it’s usually eaten with a small fork.

Oysters, Mussels and Clams (fresh):  Use an oyster fork for oysters, mussels and clams served on the half-shell. Hold the shell with one hand and remove the oyster, mussel or clam whole with the fork. Dip it in the sauce and eat it in one mouthful. Mussels served on toothpicks may be eaten directly from the toothpick. When served in a sauce, use an oyster fork to remove them from their shells. You may pick up a mussel in your fingers and suck mussel and sauce from the shell.

Clams (steamed) are held by the shell in one hand and lifted out by the neck with the other hand. Slip off the inedible neck sheath with the fingers. Then the whole clam may be dipped in butter or broth and eaten in one bite.

Clams (fried) are eaten with a fork.

Lobsters are difficult to eat. The claws are cracked with a nutcracker. The meat is extracted with a seafood fork, dipped in butter or sauce and eaten. Large pieces are first cut with a fork. The small claws are pulled off and cleaned, drawing as through a straw. Stuffed lobster is eaten with a knife and fork. Hard-shelled crabs are eaten the same way.

OTHER SUMMER DELECTABLES:

Artichokes (whole) are eaten with the fingers. Each leaf is removed separately; the soft end dipped in sauce and pulled through the teeth to remove the edible portion. Discard the remainder of the leaf on the side of the plate. The thistle is scraped away with a knife and fork. The heart is then cut into pieces and eaten with a fork.

Celery, Olives, Pickles and Radishes are taken from the serving tray with the fingers and placed on the side of your plate. Celery and radishes may be dipped in salt and eaten with the fingers. Large olives with a stone are eaten in several bites, discarding the pit on the side of the plate. Small stuffed olives are eaten whole.

Corn on the Cob is served only at casual meals. Butter and season several rows at a time not the whole ear at once. Hold the ear firmly with the fingers of both hands.

Ice Cream served in bowls is to be eaten with a spoon. When served as Baked Alaska it is eaten with a fork and spoon. And, if scooped onto a cone, it’s eaten with the hands.  Be sure to lick the sides of the cone often to prevent it from dripping.

BONUS:  When enjoying fried chicken and ribs at a picnic, it is appropriate to eat these foods with your fingers.  Just keep in mind when you are dining with a client, at a restaurant, that is not the time to use your fingers.  You are to use a knife and fork.

I hope the above has been helpful to enjoying your favorite summer foods---eaten with ease and without embarrassment---year round.

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