"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm sitting here watching an old episode of Law & Order. Both Waterston
> and
> Hennessy are eating Chinese out of take-out boxes with disposable
> chopsticks. Regulars know what I think about all the networks standard
> representation of NY'ers always eating Chinese in this manner. If you
> don't, I say it's all total crap.
>
> We've flogged this subject ad nauseum, but have we been honest about it.
> Yeah, we all use chopsticks in a restaurant cuz we wanna SHOW RESPECT for
> the CULTURE (eye-roll). BUT!!... what about take-out? I've been eating
> Chinese take-out all my life and have NEVER found those disposable
> chopsticks in the bag. Does that mean I should have them at home all the
> time?
>
> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO
> 0NE
> else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do YOU
> really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
> when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)
>
> nb

Several points;

The local Chinese joint where I used to live kept Chinese condiments in bins
near the take out counter including some Tapered Bamboo disposable
chopsticks.

As far as the Pine disposable kind I usually buy a packet of 50 or 100 to
keep on hand in the kitchen for cups of noodles etc.

IMHO it's the only way to properly eat sticky rice.

Dimitri

On 2009-01-25, Dan Abel > wrote:

> Weird is right. If you dislike chopsticks so much, why do you use them?

Damn Dan, you seem bent on misinterpreting everything I say. I never said I
dislike chopsticks. In fact, in past posts I've praised them. I'm just
fascinated by some folk's belief they have to use them for whatever PC
reason. It's like some sort of guilt thing if they don't use chopsticks to
eat Asian food. What nonsense.

Yes, I use them. It's a great excercise in eye-hand coordination. Sometimes
they are even more handy than western tableware. But, I'll be damned if I
feel OBLIGATED to use them just cuz I'm eating pork lon dow, in or out of a
Chinese restaurant. :\

nb

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:13:01 -0600, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>sf > wrote:
>
>> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:15:07 -0800 (PST), James
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>The whole idea of eating out of the box is you don't have to wash
>>>dishes.
>>
>> which doesn't make it any less uncivilized and disgusting.
>
>Gee. How do you feel about paper plates?
>
>What's uncivilized and disgusting about eating out of a to-go
>container?
>
You've already guessed.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:16:48 -0600, Chemiker
> wrote:

>On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:13:01 -0600, Sqwertz >
>wrote:
>
>>Gee. How do you feel about paper plates?
>>
>>What's uncivilized and disgusting about eating out of a to-go
>>container? Talk about hangups...
>
>Well, I guess that rules out Fish/Chips w/Malt Vinegar,
>wrapped in the Telegraph or Daily Mail!
>
>
>Tradition................Tradition!
>
>Alex, trying to sing like Tevye.

You're being just plain silly. Fish & chips wrapped in newspaper
is more analogous to fast food hamburgers than chinese food in a
carton.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On 2009-01-26, sf > wrote:

> You're being just plain silly. Fish & chips wrapped in newspaper
> is more analogous to fast food hamburgers than chinese food in a
> carton.

Nothing could be faster than stir-fry.

nb

Chemiker wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:40:44 -0600:

>> Chemiker wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:19:37 -0600:
>>
>>>> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob >
>>>> wrote:
>> I'm a chop stick enthusiast but I have to admit that you
>> could eat sushi or sashimi with a fork and spoon perfectly
>> well but chopsticks add to the ambience.

> Love ya, James, but I disagree.

> You could eat sashimi with your hands, also, "perfectly' well.
> How would you do it with a fork? Spear it? With a spoon."
> scoop it up"? This is a case where "tweezers" work.. <G>

Aren't you being a bit obtuse and mystical? You could lift sashimi with
a fork or spear it and get all the essential texture and flavor even if
I would prefer chopsticks as I mentioned. In general, sushi is best
handled with chopsticks since manipulating it, like dipping in soyu, is
easier but I bet I could manage quite well with spoon and fork.

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 2009-01-26, James Silverton > wrote:
> Chemiker wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:40:44 -0600:

>> scoop it up"? This is a case where "tweezers" work.. <G>

> easier but I bet I could manage quite well with spoon and fork.

hee hee...

My point exactly. What? A round-eye would starve to death if only fed
sushi and given a fork. Hilarious!

nb

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:23:44 GMT, notbob > wrote:

>On 2009-01-26, sf > wrote:
>
>> You're being just plain silly. Fish & chips wrapped in newspaper
>> is more analogous to fast food hamburgers than chinese food in a
>> carton.
>
>Nothing could be faster than stir-fry.
>
AFTER you've done all the prep work.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:53:56 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
>Damn Dan, you seem bent on misinterpreting everything I say. I never said I
>dislike chopsticks. In fact, in past posts I've praised them. I'm just
>fascinated by some folk's belief they have to use them for whatever PC
>reason. It's like some sort of guilt thing if they don't use chopsticks to
>eat Asian food. What nonsense.

While I'll use them in a restaurant, I prefer to use a fork at home.
>
>Yes, I use them. It's a great excercise in eye-hand coordination. Sometimes
>they are even more handy than western tableware. But, I'll be damned if I
>feel OBLIGATED to use them just cuz I'm eating pork lon dow, in or out of a
>Chinese restaurant. :\

I'm okay using chopsticks and don't embarrass myself in public, but I
never feel comfortable using them.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

Ophelia wrote:

>>> Shame on you, Range. What did a bowl of Fruitloops ever do to you?
>>
>> Simply sat there, staring up from their bowl of milk, expecting me to
>> use my chopsticks.
>
> Would the milk not be a wee bit tricky?

Not if you froze it.

Bob

notbob wrote:

> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO
> 0NE else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do
> YOU really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and
> family when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a
> poll!)

I have a bunch of bamboo chopsticks, a bunch of melamine chopsticks, a few
packets of disposable (pine) chopsticks, a set of either six or eight pairs
of metal chopsticks (for Korean food, as Victor mentioned), and a few pairs
of tapered lacquered chopsticks. I don't eat with the lacquered ones because
I don't trust the lacquer not to come off, but all the other ones see
appropriate use.

Bob

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob > shouted
from the highest rooftop:

>We've flogged this subject ad nauseum, but have we been honest about it.
>Yeah, we all use chopsticks in a restaurant cuz we wanna SHOW RESPECT for
>the CULTURE (eye-roll). BUT!!... what about take-out? I've been eating
>Chinese take-out all my life and have NEVER found those disposable
>chopsticks in the bag. Does that mean I should have them at home all the
>time?
>
>I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO 0NE
>else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do YOU
>really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
>when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)

In New Zealand most Chinese takeaways usually come with one or more
pairs of the disposable wood chopsticks without you having to ask for
them.

BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart (sometimes a
skill in itself) - remove any splinters by drawing the edges of each
stick across each other like using steel to sharpen a knife. I learned
that from a friend in Hawaii many years ago.

Most NZ Chinese takeaways come in plastic containers you can reheat in
a microwave (and recycle as storage containers), but there are a
couple of outlets that use the kind cardboard containers used in the
USA, etc and I'm always surprised at how much food one of those
containers actually holds.

There's a small boutique hotel we stay in when we have to be in
Auckland for medical reasons because it's close to the hospital. And
since neither of us feels like going out to a restaurant on those
occasions we often get Japanese takeaways from a place that's only a
ten minute walk away in Newmarket. If my wife feels up to it we both
walk down and choose what we want and put it into the little fridge to
keep it cool until we're ready to eat.

Although we take the food from their plastic containers and put it on
plates, I eat mine with chopsticks and my wife uses a fork and knife.

Same thing when we bring Chinese or Japanese takeaways home from town.
We serve them on plates and my wife uses silverware while I eat mine
with chopsticks.

But if there are no plates or bowls available, then we have no problem
eating them from the containers.

We probably have over a dozen sets of chopsticks in the house made
from bamboo, coconut wood, some sort of hardwood from Bali, lacquered
Japanese sticks and some great plastic chopsticks with mother of pearl
tops from the Trade Aide Shop.

The ornate hardwood ones from Bali were a gift from our eldest
daughter and son-in-law and came in an even more ornately carved box
with a sliding lid that features the body of a lizard along the top
and the lizard's head rising from the body so you can use the head to
slide open the box revealing the eight chopsticks.

I also keep a set of plastic chopsticks in the car just in case an
opportunity to use them comes up.



--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:51:06 +1300, bob >
wrote:

>BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart (sometimes a
>skill in itself) - remove any splinters by drawing the edges of each
>stick across each other like using steel to sharpen a knife. I learned
>that from a friend in Hawaii many years ago.

After you do that, let them soak in your tea.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:45:29 -0800, sf > shouted from
the highest rooftop:

>On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:51:06 +1300, bob >
>wrote:
>
>>BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart (sometimes a
>>skill in itself) - remove any splinters by drawing the edges of each
>>stick across each other like using steel to sharpen a knife. I learned
>>that from a friend in Hawaii many years ago.
>
>After you do that, let them soak in your tea.

How uncivilised ... ;-)b


--

una cerveza mas por favor ...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~
Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: <http://www.surfwriter.net>
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~

In article >,
sf > wrote:

> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 08:15:07 -0800 (PST), James
> > wrote:
>
> >The whole idea of eating out of the box is you don't have to wash
> >dishes.
>
> which doesn't make it any less uncivilized and disgusting.

I agree it's uncivilized, but why is it disgusting? :-)
They do it all the time on TV...

This question, of course, is rhetorical. <g>
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

In article >,
Chemiker > wrote:

> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 11:27:04 -0500, Boron Elgar
> > wrote:
>
> >On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
> >We use chopsticks a lot here at home and they also get included with
> >carry-out Chinese or Japanese from many places in the area . I live 25
> >miles from NYC. Sometimes the Chinese places do not include
> >chopsticks, but the Japanese always do. In fact, if one gets sushi at
> >a market or grocery store, chopsticks are put into the bag.
>
> I think you went straight for the jugular, Man. How do you eat
> sushi/sashimi with a fork/spoon? Stix work wonderfully. After
> all, Form follows Function.
>
> Alex

What's wrong with fingers?
At home anyway. <g>

At a Japanese restaurant, I will use chopsticks to eat sushi or sashimi.
A fork or spoon just do not work!
--
Peace! Om

"Any ship can be a minesweeper. Once." -- Anonymous

bob > wrote in
:


>
> In New Zealand most Chinese takeaways usually come with one or more
> pairs of the disposable wood chopsticks without you having to ask for
> them.

I've never had chopsticks arrive with Chinese home delivery here (I'm in
the outer Western suburbs of Sydney) but I don't get it very often and
usually just from the same place - others may be different.

The only place where I've been given chopsticks (without asking) when
buying takeaway is at Stir Crazy. This is a stirfry noodle chain where you
pick the type of noodles you want (or rice), the sauce you want and the
meat/seafood you want and they put them together with vegies.

I'm not very good with chopsticks so I don't use them too often. I do have
some here though.

>
> Most NZ Chinese takeaways come in plastic containers you can reheat in
> a microwave (and recycle as storage containers), but there are a
> couple of outlets that use the kind cardboard containers used in the
> USA, etc and I'm always surprised at how much food one of those
> containers actually holds.
>

The only place I've bought from here that uses the cardboard containers is
the abovementioned Stir Crazy. All the other Chinese I've had has come in
the plastic containers.

--
Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> I'm sitting here watching an old episode of Law & Order. Both Waterston
> and
> Hennessy are eating Chinese out of take-out boxes with disposable
> chopsticks. Regulars know what I think about all the networks standard
> representation of NY'ers always eating Chinese in this manner. If you
> don't, I say it's all total crap.
>
> We've flogged this subject ad nauseum, but have we been honest about it.
> Yeah, we all use chopsticks in a restaurant cuz we wanna SHOW RESPECT for
> the CULTURE (eye-roll). BUT!!... what about take-out? I've been eating
> Chinese take-out all my life and have NEVER found those disposable
> chopsticks in the bag. Does that mean I should have them at home all the
> time?
>
> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO
> 0NE
> else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do YOU
> really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
> when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)


I own many sets of chopsticks. Most are standard, 2 are really nice. I
keep one nice set in the glovebox of my truck for use at Chinese
restaurants. I really don't like the disposable ones.

I had 3 nice sets, but I forgot I had my favorite pair in my back pocket
when I left the restaurant and got into the truck once. Snap.

TFM®

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 18:55:44 +1300, bob >
wrote:

>On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:45:29 -0800, sf > shouted from
>the highest rooftop:
>
>>On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 17:51:06 +1300, bob >
>>wrote:
>>
>>>BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart (sometimes a
>>>skill in itself) - remove any splinters by drawing the edges of each
>>>stick across each other like using steel to sharpen a knife. I learned
>>>that from a friend in Hawaii many years ago.
>>
>>After you do that, let them soak in your tea.
>
>How uncivilised ... ;-)b

LOL! I learned that one by looking around and seeing what the real
Asians (people who didn't speak English at their table) were doing.
Can't say I notice a difference, but I don't notice a difference after
doing that sanding thing either. Cheap chopsticks aren't splintery if
you break them correctly.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

James Silverton wrote:
> Chemiker wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:19:37 -0600:
>
>>> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob > wrote:
>
>>> We use chopsticks a lot here at home and they also get
>>> included with carry-out Chinese or Japanese from many places
>>> in the area . I live 25 miles from NYC. Sometimes the Chinese
>>> places do not include chopsticks, but the Japanese always do.
>>> In fact, if one gets sushi at a market or grocery store,
>>> chopsticks are put into the bag.
>
>> I think you went straight for the jugular, Man. How do you eat
>> sushi/sashimi with a fork/spoon? Stix work wonderfully. After
>> all, Form follows Function.
>
> I'm a chop stick enthusiast but I have to admit that you could eat sushi
> or sashimi with a fork and spoon perfectly well but chopsticks add to
> the ambience.
>

In Japan there is nothing wrong or unusual with using your fingers to
eat sushi and it is a common way people do it.

The other thing you don't see in Japan is people filling up the little
dish with shoyu and dunking the sushi. If they do anything they wet the
fish, egg, vegetable etc a little but never the rice.

sf wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:45:29 -0800:

>> BTW: The trick with those is - after you break them apart
>> (sometimes a skill in itself) - remove any splinters by
>> drawing the edges of each stick across each other like using
>> steel to sharpen a knife. I learned that from a friend in
>> Hawaii many years ago.

> After you do that, let them soak in your tea.

Two sequential pieces of ill mannered behavior!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

George wrote on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:56:43 -0500:

> James Silverton wrote:
>> Chemiker wrote on Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:19:37 -0600:
>>
>>>> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob >
>>>> wrote:
>>
>>>> We use chopsticks a lot here at home and they also get
>>>> included with carry-out Chinese or Japanese from many
>>>> places in the area . I live 25 miles from NYC. Sometimes
>>>> the Chinese places do not include chopsticks, but the
>>>> Japanese always do. In fact, if one gets sushi at a market or
>>>> grocery store, chopsticks are put into the bag.
>>
>>> I think you went straight for the jugular, Man. How do you
>>> eat sushi/sashimi with a fork/spoon? Stix work wonderfully. After
>>> all, Form follows Function.
>>
>> I'm a chop stick enthusiast but I have to admit that you
>> could eat sushi or sashimi with a fork and spoon perfectly
>> well but chopsticks add to the ambience.
>>
> In Japan there is nothing wrong or unusual with using your
> fingers to eat sushi and it is a common way people do it.

But finger bowls may be provided for cleaning fingers. The original
method for sushi stalls in the market place was to rinse your fingers in
the last of your tea and wipe them on the stall curtain. Hence the stall
with the best sushi had the dirtiest curtains!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Jan 25, 11:15*am, James > wrote:
> On Jan 25, 10:55*am, blake murphy > wrote:
>
> > On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob wrote:
> > > I'm sitting here watching an old episode of Law & Order. *Both Waterston and
> > > Hennessy are eating Chinese out of take-out boxes with disposable
> > > chopsticks. *Regulars know what I think about all the networks standard
> > > representation of NY'ers always eating Chinese in this manner. *If you
> > > don't, I say it's all total crap.
>
> > they eat chinese take-out with chopsticks because they are liberal pussies. *
> > don't you know anything?
>
> > blake
>
> Probably easier to use the chopsticks than to use the cheap plastic
> forks. *Many cheap forks I've seen are TOO SHORT and bends like wet
> noodle.

Once you're familiar with chopsticks it's much easier to eat noodle
dishes with chopsticks than a fork. I'm surprised Italians have not
adopted them.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

On Jan 25, 2:00*pm, Mark Thorson > wrote:
> notbob wrote:
>
> > I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. *I know of NO 0NE
> > else who does so. *Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. *Do YOU
> > really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
> > when Asian food is on the menu? *C'mon, be honest. *(CC! ... a poll!)
>
> I have used chopsticks at home sometimes. *This reminds
> me I should pick up a box of plastic chopsticks next time
> I'm at the Chinese food store.
My experience suggests that the wooden (bamboo?) ones work better.

John Kane Kingston ON Canada

On Jan 25, 11:51*pm, bob > wrote:

>
> I also keep a set of plastic chopsticks in the car just in case an
> opportunity to use them comes up.

I am torn between the idea of Chinese food road-kill or you stalking
people sitting in a park and eating Chinese food. Ah, the hunter
in action!

Come to think of it, I'll have to check at work and see if the sushi
comes with chopsticks.


John Kane Kingston ON Canada

notbob wrote:
> I'm sitting here watching an old episode of Law & Order. Both Waterston and
> Hennessy are eating Chinese out of take-out boxes with disposable
> chopsticks. Regulars know what I think about all the networks standard
> representation of NY'ers always eating Chinese in this manner. If you
> don't, I say it's all total crap.
>
> We've flogged this subject ad nauseum, but have we been honest about it.
> Yeah, we all use chopsticks in a restaurant cuz we wanna SHOW RESPECT for
> the CULTURE (eye-roll). BUT!!... what about take-out? I've been eating
> Chinese take-out all my life and have NEVER found those disposable
> chopsticks in the bag. Does that mean I should have them at home all the
> time?
>
> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO 0NE
> else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do YOU
> really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
> when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)
>
> nb

Yes, we have chopsticks, and we use them. My daughter uses them
more than I do, and she claims she can't eat long noodles of any
sort without them!!!!

--
Jean B.

Giusi wrote:
> "notbob" ha scritto nel messaggio
>> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO
>> 0NE
>> else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do
>> YOU> really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and
>> family
>> when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)
>>
>> nb
>
> Well, duh, yeah. I have a tall vase full of them since I see only fancy
> ones for sale here in Italy. My kid could use them at 3. What's wrong with
> you? Why do you watch a TV show and care how they eat?
>
>
Heh! Using them at three reminds me. When my daughter was very
young, I got her a pair of the attached "training" chopsticks.
She promptly broke them apart! She has been totally adept at
using chopsticks for a very long time--and can manipulate them
with either hand.

--
Jean B.

Victor Sack wrote:
> notbob > wrote:
>
>> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO 0NE
>> else who does so.
>
> Now you do. I use Korean metal chopsticks fairly frequently, often for
> eating kimchi and kkaktugi. Sometimes a slice of kimchi has to be
> folded, to fit into the mouth, and this is much easier to do with
> chopsticks than with a fork. I also use wooden chopsticks, sometimes
> just to fish out a noodle out of a pot, to check for donenness, or to
> take out a Würstchen out of a pan.
>
> Victor

But... one thing I like about chopsticks is that they are usually
NOT metal (although those are the norm for Korean food).

--
Jean B.

notbob wrote:
> On 2009-01-25, Dan Abel > wrote:
>
>> Weird is right. If you dislike chopsticks so much, why do you use them?
>
> Damn Dan, you seem bent on misinterpreting everything I say. I never said I
> dislike chopsticks. In fact, in past posts I've praised them. I'm just
> fascinated by some folk's belief they have to use them for whatever PC
> reason. It's like some sort of guilt thing if they don't use chopsticks to
> eat Asian food. What nonsense.
>
> Yes, I use them. It's a great excercise in eye-hand coordination. Sometimes
> they are even more handy than western tableware. But, I'll be damned if I
> feel OBLIGATED to use them just cuz I'm eating pork lon dow, in or out of a
> Chinese restaurant. :\
>
> nb

Well, why would anyone feel obligated? Interestingly, even in
Chinatown, one sees Asians eating with forks while the westerners
are eating with chopsticks. Do what you want.

--
Jean B.

James Silverton wrote:
> Aren't you being a bit obtuse and mystical? You could lift sashimi with
> a fork or spear it and get all the essential texture and flavor even if
> I would prefer chopsticks as I mentioned. In general, sushi is best
> handled with chopsticks since manipulating it, like dipping in soyu, is
> easier but I bet I could manage quite well with spoon and fork.
>
I now think that it was traditional to eat sushi with one's
fingers--that after I was horrified the first time I saw it. I
gather this tradition is long past though (if it even existed),
since I don't recall that from ca 25 years ago.

--
Jean B.

Cornholio wrote:
> I own many sets of chopsticks. Most are standard, 2 are really nice. I
> keep one nice set in the glovebox of my truck for use at Chinese
> restaurants. I really don't like the disposable ones.
>
> I had 3 nice sets, but I forgot I had my favorite pair in my back pocket
> when I left the restaurant and got into the truck once. Snap.
>
> TFM®

Too bad! I dropped one of my favorites, and the whole end snapped
off!

--
Jean B.

John Kane wrote:
> On Jan 25, 11:15 am, James > wrote:
>> On Jan 25, 10:55 am, blake murphy > wrote:
>>
>>> On Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:29 GMT, notbob wrote:
>>>> I'm sitting here watching an old episode of Law & Order. Both Waterston and
>>>> Hennessy are eating Chinese out of take-out boxes with disposable
>>>> chopsticks. Regulars know what I think about all the networks standard
>>>> representation of NY'ers always eating Chinese in this manner. If you
>>>> don't, I say it's all total crap.
>>> they eat chinese take-out with chopsticks because they are liberal pussies.
>>> don't you know anything?
>>> blake
>> Probably easier to use the chopsticks than to use the cheap plastic
>> forks. Many cheap forks I've seen are TOO SHORT and bends like wet
>> noodle.
>
> Once you're familiar with chopsticks it's much easier to eat noodle
> dishes with chopsticks than a fork. I'm surprised Italians have not
> adopted them.
>
> John Kane Kingston ON Canada

Right. My daughter only eats noodles with chopstick!

--
Jean B.

Jean wrote on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:58:23 -0500:

> notbob wrote:
>> On 2009-01-25, Dan Abel > wrote:
>>
>>> Weird is right. If you dislike chopsticks so much, why do
>>> you use them?
>>
>> Damn Dan, you seem bent on misinterpreting everything I say. I never
>> said I dislike chopsticks. In fact, in past posts
>> I've praised them. I'm just fascinated by some folk's belief
>> they have to use them for whatever PC reason. It's like some
>> sort of guilt thing if they don't use chopsticks to eat Asian
>> food. What nonsense. Yes, I use them. It's a great excercise in
>> eye-hand
>> coordination. Sometimes they are even more handy than western
>> tableware. But, I'll be damned if I feel OBLIGATED to use
>> them just cuz I'm eating pork lon dow, in or out of a Chinese
>> restaurant. :\
>>
>> nb

> Well, why would anyone feel obligated? Interestingly, even in
> Chinatown, one sees Asians eating with forks while the
> westerners are eating with chopsticks. Do what you want.

I once saw an elderly Chinese-appearing lady using fork *and* chopsticks
simultaneously in a Chinese restaurant. I think it was an attempt to cut
a piece of meat to a suitable size for picking up with chopsticks. The
cook is supposed to do that and she *did* look disapproving!

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:20:04 -0800 (PST), John Kane
> wrote:

>Once you're familiar with chopsticks it's much easier to eat noodle
>dishes with chopsticks than a fork. I'm surprised Italians have not
>adopted them.

It's easier to eat noodles with a fork. Twirling is the best method.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

sf wrote on Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:10:37 -0800:

>> Once you're familiar with chopsticks it's much easier to eat
>> noodle dishes with chopsticks than a fork. I'm surprised
>> Italians have not adopted them.

> It's easier to eat noodles with a fork. Twirling is the best
> method.

An old argument and I'm on the side of chopsticks for noodles. I wonder
why Marco Polo did not bring back chopsticks as well as noodles? I know
Italian chauvinists claim that Marco did not bring noodles but, tho' the
Italians had pasta and hard wheat cereals, they had not thought of
noodles. Now, I will take cover from the barrage of red meat balls :-)

--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

On 2009-01-26, sf > wrote:

> It's easier to eat noodles with a fork. Twirling is the best method.

It's even easier to break up the noodles prior to cooking and eat them with
a spoon.... an Asian spoon.

nb

"Jean B." wrote
> James Silverton wrote:

>> I would prefer chopsticks as I mentioned. In general, sushi is best
>> handled with chopsticks since manipulating it, like dipping in soyu, is
>> easier but I bet I could manage quite well with spoon and fork.
>>
> I now think that it was traditional to eat sushi with one's fingers--that
> after I was horrified the first time I saw it. I gather this tradition is
> long past though (if it even existed), since I don't recall that from ca
> 25 years ago.

My impression was it depended on the type and to an extent, the setting.

and yes, we have and use chopsticks at home. Not every meal, but commonly
enough just for the fun of it. Had sliced pork loin, green beans, and rice
a few days ago and used chopsticks with it ;-)

notbob wrote:

> I may occasionally use chopsticks at home, but I'm weird. I know of NO 0NE
> else who does so. Maybe me and mine are declasse, but I doubt it. Do YOU
> really have your own chopsticks at home for yourself and guests and family
> when Asian food is on the menu? C'mon, be honest. (CC! ... a poll!)

I really do have chopsticks at home and I really do use them when I make
an Asian meal. DH, prefers a fork.

I also ask for them at Chinese restaurants and buffets as none of them
around here put them on the table.

"James Silverton" schrieb :

> An old argument and I'm on the side of chopsticks for noodles. I wonder
> why Marco Polo did not bring back chopsticks as well as noodles? I know
> Italian chauvinists claim that Marco did not bring noodles but, tho' the
> Italians had pasta and hard wheat cereals, they had not thought of
> noodles. Now, I will take cover from the barrage of red meat balls :-)
>
Well, al-Idrisi is hardly an Italian chauvinist.
He mentions pasta secca (made from durum = hard wheat) in Sicily over
a century before Marco was born.
Plus, Marco Polo never mentions noodles in his book. If that really had been
a new kind of pasta, why not mention it ?
OTOH, al-Idrisi doesn't describe the form of the pasta secca.
So the quarreling about the origin of spaghetti will go on ;-P

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner

"James Silverton" schrieb :

> An old argument and I'm on the side of chopsticks for noodles. I wonder
> why Marco Polo did not bring back chopsticks as well as noodles? I know
> Italian chauvinists claim that Marco did not bring noodles but, tho' the
> Italians had pasta and hard wheat cereals, they had not thought of
> noodles. Now, I will take cover from the barrage of red meat balls :-)
>
Well, al-Idrisi is hardly an Italian chauvinist.
He mentions pasta secca (made from durum = hard wheat) in Sicily over
a century before Marco was born.
Plus, Marco Polo never mentions noodles in his book. If that really had been
a new kind of pasta, why not mention it ?
OTOH, al-Idrisi doesn't describe the form of the pasta secca.
So the quarreling about the origin of spaghetti will go on ;-P

Cheers,

Michael Kuettner