Kitchen Essential

This invention is older even than the ancient Romans, who prized the product of melting sand, limestone and soda, and the attractive shapes and practical containers which could be made from this refined material.

Glass is found today in almost all walks of life, and it is hard to imagine life without it. The range of drinking vessels extends nowadays from cheap moulded glass to hand-blown, engraved designer glasses.

The differences in quality depend on the composition of the glass as well as on the way in which it is produced. The use of different raw materials and the melting process are decisive in determining the quality of the glass. Good-quality glasses are usually hand-blown, the sides are engravedand they don’t have a seam. On the other hand, moulded glasses are rarely as clear as hand-made ones, they have a small bulge at the rim and usually have a seam on the stem or foot. However, they are much cheaper than blown glass, and therefore much more practical for many uses.

Machine-blown glasses, which are currently widely available, offer good quality with the advantages of blown glass but at a price which means you can buy different glasses to suit different occasions.

The number of different shapes can be puzzling, and the already confusing range is constantly being expanded by new creations. However, some shapes have become “classics” for certain drinks.

Here are a few examples to help you serve your guests their drink in the right type of glass.

Fruit juices, lemonade and mineral water can all be served in highball glasses, although you can also get water glasses, which are usuallybetween a white wine and a red wine glass in size, in most wine-glass designs. For red wine, a bellied glass with a fairly large capacity is typical, so that the wine’s bouquet has room to develop, because your sense of smellis just as important as your tastebuds when drinking wine. White wine is served chilled in smaller glasses. The smaller size means that the glasses must be topped up more often so the wine is always fresh and cool. Narrow, elegant “flutes” are better for sparkling wines and champagne than shallow champagne saucers, because if they are served in the latter type of glass the carbon dioxide quickly escapes and the pleasurable sparklingsensation is lost. There are too many different glasses for aperitifs and digestifs to be explained here, but the illustration below shows a brandy balloon, a port glass and a sherry copita. Together with the others they provide a basic range of glasses.

Cutlery — classic tools

Should it be stainless steel or chrome, plastic or wood, silver or gold? Lavishly decorated or simple, classic or avant-garde in design? Should oyster forks or a cake slice be included? Should there be six place settings or twelve? For many people the choice of their cutlery is one of the most difficult (but most pleasurable) household decisions. However, your choice should be guided by one thing: cutlery is a tool and not an exhibition piece. An old silver service which clearly shows the signs of many years’ use is much nicer than a well-preserved collection of cutlery which is only used on very special occasions. There is a further principle which you should apply when choosing your cutlery: thecutlery must be suited to the job for which it is intended, it should not be impractical. Good designers work according to the tried and tested principle of “form follows function”; i.e., it is only a good design when it works perfectly. This shouldn’t prevent you, however, from considering interesting, unusual cutlery works of art as collectors’ items; but for eating, they must be practical. When it comes to choosing the material, in addition to the price (depending on the size of the collection, sterling silver cutlery is a real investor’s item), a furtherargument must be taken into consideration. From time to time silver has to be cleaned. On the other hand stainless steel cutlery is much easier to care for, and at the same time, if it is good quality, the surface is much harder and less likely to suffer from scratches and the signs of wear and tear. However, manufacturers of solid silver cutlery generally offer a longer after-.sales guarantee than manufacturers of stainless steel cutlery. If you don’t want to buy everything at once, then the guarantee on offer can also help you to reach your decision. All these considerations, which youshould bear in mind, don’t make the choice any easier. Therefore you should take the time to select the cutlery which best suits you. Obviously you can start with the basic equipment andgradually add the more unusual items — as gifts from relatives, for example. However, the extensive range available can be confusing.

There are many cutlery manufacturers, and there is a tool to suit everyoccasion at the table. You can choose a good selection of useful cutlery from the multiplicity of shapes, to suit your requirements.

The examples shown here can be considered as a basic cutlery service and may be used as the inspiration for your own personal service. Of course, you can always expand the range to suit yourself.

In addition the combination of different types of cutlery, especially serving utensils, can introduce a welcome change to the table. In this way cutlery which has been passed down through the family, but which has suffered with the years, can be given new life when combined with more modern cutlery. You can emphasise the combination of old and new if old cutlery is decorated with a monogram or crest. In specialist cutlery shops you may well be able to find an expert who would be able to engrave the traditional symbol on new cutlery. In this way, both old and new will bear your mark.

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