DINNERWARE

Dinnerware encompasses china, stoneware, pottery and plastic. The basic chinaware includes the luncheon plates, salad or dessert plates, bread and butter plates, soup bowls, cups, saucers and platters.

Types of Dinnerware:
1. Sugar Bowl Small pot used to serve sugar at the table.

2. Creamer Small jug used to serve cream at the table.

3. Coffee Mug Large cup used to serve caf au lait.

4. Cup Cup, larger than the demitasse, used to serve tea.

5. Demitasse Small cup for serving coffee.

6. Bread and Butter Plate Small flat plate used to serve desserts.

7. Salad Plate Flat plate commonly used to serve salads or appetizers.

8. Dinner Plate Large piece of flat or shallow dinnerware, containing individual portions of solid food.

9. Rim Soup Bowl Shallower round container used to serve individual portions of soup.

10. Soup Bowl Deep round container used to serve individual portions of soup.

SILVERWARE Silverware is the collective term for the utensils used for eating and serving food. Silverware is so-called because it was formerly made from silver. You might find silverware referred to as flatware or tableware. Knowing about the types of silverware and their uses can help you present a professional image when planning business functions and formal dinners. Types of Silverware: 1. Dinner Fork
This is the long-tined fork you're used to. Why is it shaped the way it is? Well, see... originally forks only had two tines. This worked beautifully for things like meat. However, it doesn't work so well with peas or corn or such. More tines were added to make it easier to capture a variety of things from meat to legumes to vegetables.

2. Salad Fork
Same general idea of a dinner fork but it's a bit smaller and the tines are shorter. Notice that the tines are not an equivalent length apart. You've got one tine that's a bit wider (and sometimes notched) Why? This designed allows you to get more leverage will dining. See, there is some method to the madness. Here's the rule on salad forks: if your main course is a salad or if your salad is served as a side dish to your entre, use your dinner fork. Otherwise, use your salad fork.

3. Fish fork and Knife

These will usually be silver. Why? It's not just to be snooty. Fish is often served with lemon, which will react with steel and will create an unpleasant taste. So, if you're going to bother to go all out and buy the fish fork and knife set, make sure it's silver. As you may be able to tell, the tines on a fish fork are shorter than a traditional meat fork.

4. Seafood Fork
These look like something Poseidon might yield. It can either have two or three short tines and is usually built to a) follow the shape of a shell and/or b) get into small spaces and spear the meat.

5. Beef Fork
A fork used specifically for picking up thin slices of meat. It's shaped like a regular fork but it's bigger and the tines are curved outward.

6. Relish Fork
This is sometimes called a condiment fork. If you see it, it looks like a mini fork with a long handle but... look carefully. There are two or three tines and they're set very close together. Often, but not always, the ends of the tines will be slightly splayed in order to hold more.

7. Teaspoon
A small spoon that is used for stirring coffee.

8. Tablespoon A large spoon that is nowadays, usually used for serving rather than eating. So, naturally, the cutlery tablespoon holds less equivalent of the measuring spoon tablespoon.

9. Soup Spoon
A soup spoon has a rounded bowl rather than ovoid. It is also supposed to be slightly less than a tablespoon. These, of course, are the definitions for a Western soup spoon. Chinese soup spoons are usually made of ceramic and flat-bottomed.

10. Caviar Spoon

Sort of flattened, very round and with a long handle (in proportion to the size of the bowl). These spoons will often be made of glass, bone, mother of pearl and other non-metalic materials.

GLASSWARE
Drinking receptacles; some are used to measure volume for cooking. Types of Glassware: 1. Alsace Glass Glass with a long stem, usually green, used to serve Alsatian white wines.

2. Burgundy Glass Stemmed glass whose wide mouth ensures maximum oxygenation of the wine; it is used mainly for Burgundies.

3. Bordeaux Glass Tulip-shaped stemmed glass, mainly used for Bordeaux; tapering slightly at the top, it concentrates the aroma.

4. White Wine Glass Somewhat narrow stemmed glass usually used for white wines.

5. Liqueur Glass Very small stemmed glass used for drinking liqueurs with a high alcohol content.

6. Brandy Snifter Short-stemmed glass whose pear shape allows the cognac to warm up, and whose narrow lip concentrates the aroma.

7. Port Glass Small rounded stemmed glass used to serve port and dessert wines.

8. Champagne Flute Tall and very thin stemmed glass used for champagne and sparkling wines; because the air bubbles break more slowly, the wine retains its effervescence longer.

9. Sparkling Wine Glass Stemmed glass, wider than it is tall, used to serve champagne and sparkling wines.

10. Cocktail Glass Conical stemmed glass used to serve certain cocktails; before serving, the rim of the glass can be frosted or decorated with fruit.

TABLE LINENS Usually used in any types of table setting, it serves as table decoration and other uses for enhancing the table. Types of Table Linens: 1. Tablecloth Use a tablecloth as an artist would use a canvas. Clean and crisp (and often white or cream), it sets the stage for the remainder of the items on the table.

2. Topper A table topper is placed over the tablecloth. It may also be white or a coordinating colour or pattern. Not nearly as large as the tablecloth, it is likely to be placed on a diagonal.

3. Runner A table runner defines the centre of the table and creates a palette for the serving pieces or centrepieces. It is typically laid in the centre of the table lengthwise.

4. Placemats Place mats designate the spot where each person's place setting will go. They help create a sense of uniformity to the entire table setup.

5. Napkins Linen napkins are the polish on the table. Aside from the actual place settings, they allow some display of artistry in the many creative ways they may be folded.

DINNERWARE

GLASSWARE