Kitchen Essential

Decanters and carafes

Decanters are usually stoppered to prevent loss of bouquet from fine old red wines. Spirit decanters which often come in pairs may be simple yet elegant in shape, but are more often made of deeply etched glass. These too need stoppers. Silver tags hung round the necks identify the contents.

Robust young red wines benefit from exposure to the oxidizing process of air and are frequently served in a carafe, which has no stopper.

Cutlery

The price of cutlery varies enormously according to he material it is made from and the quality of the finish. At the lowest end of the scale is stainless steel cutlery, although this rises in price depending on the quality of the steel and the degree of workmanship. Stainless steel is extremely practical and suits informal meals, but it is not always appropriate for more formal occasions. Continue Reading »

Leave yourself plenty of time as there are always little jobs to do to ensure that everything looks perfect. First decide which accessories you are going to use. Sometimes a cloth or napkins need ironing, using a little spray starch to give a fresh, crisp look. Silver and glasses may need polishing, mats may need a wipe over, flowers may have to be picked and so on.

Lay the table with the cloth or mats first. Count out the cutlery you need and set this next. Then come the glasses, well polished and sparkling. Count out the pieces of china you need for all the courses and stack ready in the kitchen, other than those you need for the first course and any side plates, which will go directly on the table. Continue Reading »

BREAKFAST

If entertaining guests to breakfast, position the table in the sunniest spot so as to get the day off to a good start. If the weather is bad or you do not have a sunny spot, lay the table with a bright sunny cloth and colourful china.

For a full breakfast you will need cereal bowls, side plates, tea or coffee cups and saucers, cereal spoons, knives and forks or small spoons for boiled eggs, small knives for buttering toast, toast racks, teaspoons and napkins. Grapefruit halves are usually served in small dishes, ready segmented with a knife, with special pointed spoons. Put out milk in jugs (hot to accompany coffee), sugar in a pretty bowl, jars of jam and marmalade, salt and pepper shakers, and pots of tea or coffee. Continue Reading »