The Art and Etiquette of Sharing Food

If I had it my way, I would have a bite of everything off of a menu.  Usually when I order this wish, the waiter stares at me like I have five heads.  Rather than being a food critic, where I know that I would be much too full to even think about writing after a meal, I am a food sharer.

As much as I love sharing plates and opening taste buds to a variety of foods, I understand that there are certain rules of etiquette that must be applied to the art of sharing.

Rule #1. Must be with close friends or a close family.  (Dad reaching a fork onto your plate without asking does not count).  When it comes to close friends and family, you should be able to determine what each person is going to order before they have decided.  Therefore, you should know with whom it is wise to share food.  Do not yell across the table, but if you happen to be ordering the exact same thing as someone, suggest to share that dish and order something else of shared and complimented interest.  This should be effortless.

You:  Oh, I was also thinking of ordering the fettuccini alfredo.

Choice share-mate:  Okay, you order that and I will give you half of… how does chicken parmesan sound?

Rule #2. Must be the right type of food.  Certain restaurants are more share-friendly than others.

Key share-delicacies:

-Fondue

-Sushi

-Sandwich

-Pizza

-Dessert

-Chinese Food at any scale  (most ethnic foods seem to be good share foods actually)

If the occasion calls for food to be shared, than by all means stretch your palette.  Places that serve foods like fondue and pizza are great to share because they are large sizes that suit the majority of diets.  Simply agree on toppings and mixes that multiple people will like and since company is more important than food, please be flexible and do not go crazy.

Sushi happens to be the best way to share food.  Because each roll of sushi is so creatively different from another, it is interesting to select a variety of rolls to share.

Chinese food is an obvious share food because eating an entire carton of chicken and broccoli would not only be boring, but it would be unsatisfying.  (momentary and 2 hour later disappointment). Perhaps because so much of Chinese food is cooked in similar sauce, it is smart to order different meats and vegetables to create a delicious square meal.

Rarely is dessert ordered when going out to eat.  However it is nice to order something special for a birthday or some sort of celebration.  The restaurant pushes sharing since they provide the table with more than one spoon.  Do it.

Rule #3. Must be the right atmosphere.  Please only share food in appropriate environments.  Stray away from mixing plates around at upscale restaurants and learn to distribute food correctly.

While lunch cafés are a very safe place to trade food like sandwich halves, a dim lit restaurant parlor is not the place to bargain a menu.  (On the practical side, high-end restaurants usually only give a pretty little portion of food, so sharing would be impossible anyway).

When sharing food, nicely ask the waiter for an extra plate before evenly separating the meal.  Then place the other half on the new plate and pass.  Allow compensation for any extra sauces and always be fair.  The extra plate is a must and smoothens the sharing equation.

Last but not least:  Enjoy the delights of food together and having fun in common.  Eat within reason and savor what you have.

Not only does sharing food create a bond, but does it help not overeat while out.  It is enjoyable to try a few things on the menu and fight over what you liked best.

Personally, I do not want as much food as long as I am able to try a bite or two of a few interesting dishes.  Perhaps versatile eating is a carefree and adventurous diet of its’ own.  This would explain the phenomenon of tapas bars, which offer several unique appetizers in place of one meal.  Since this is more of an urban cuisine, I must be loyal to the art of sharing.  Bon appetite!

When College Lifestyle intern, Carly Bassen, returns home from school to New York, food becomes more of a hobby than a need. She chooses to enjoy each meal while still remembering to stay active and keep her clothing fitting.

If you are still interested in the technique of making food a fun activity, then check out my fellow intern, Abby Bryant’s article about her dessert recipe party. What a great party theme to trade ideas and taste yummy treats!

http://collegelifestyles.org/2010/07/back-to-school-bash-party-2/

Learn from not quite perfect dating experiences

“Learn from not quite perfect dating experiences”

By Carly Bassen

carlybassen@yahoo.com

July 12, 2010

Hormones, hormones, hormones.  I blame them.  They are the reason we end up in the most awkward situations with the opposite sex, i.e. the date.  The buildup of hormones explains why we feel butterflies in our stomach as well as other feelings that may be too sexually inappropriate for a College Lifestyles blog.  Regardless to the chemical stimulation, we are in college and it is fun and natural for guys to want to be around girls and vise versa.

Pleased to meet you, I am a stuttering estrogen maxed out goof who has a dating experience to make your head spin.  My father is only sane because I inform him that I am joining the convent or going to play bingo every time I walk out the door with a different guy.  From the amateur moments where I learned how to kiss, to the serious and great relationships I have had, there are a few hysterical dates that stand out enough to either make me blush or to simply laugh to tears- but who are we kidding, that could be the progesterone.

 

Let’s start with the, “The Creepy Cuddler.”

The summer before going into college, my family and I lived on Fire Island.  Picture a small beach town with sidewalk roads made only for bicycles and a quaint row of restaurants and bars ready to fulfill ultimate partying and grooving.  It was in the beauty of Fire Island that I met an outgoing and fun blue-eyed guy who we will call, “Elvis,” due to his side burns.

Elvis and I played volleyball at the beach, boogie boarded in the ocean waves, and drank Snapple Apple from the endless supply in his mini fridge since his father worked for Snapple.  Perhaps because we were so active and usually hanging out with groups of friends, I was blind to his ultra- sensitive side.  Don’t get me wrong, emotions are perfectly normal.  But there is a fine line between honest feelings and nauseating behavior.  Nothing prepared me for Elvis’s little cherished hobby.

As he nestled his head on my shoulder to confess his bedtime secret, he shared that he most enjoys snuggling with his mother.  Take into account that Elvis was 19 years old when he confided this information.  This is when I made my speedy escape, and found something more entertaining to do than cuddling.  Even bingo won that time.

 

Next is, “The date heard around the world.”

Also a summer fling, I met this lumber jack-esque guy through friends.  For kicks, we shall refer to him as Paul Bunyan.  He had a very dry sense of humor and crunched his posture to fit in his too-small car.  The two of us were complete opposites.  When we went bowling he attentively kept score on the computer screen while I moon walked to the lane to inevitably toss the bowling ball into the gutter.  However my friends liked that he could balance my silly behavior.  It turned out that Mr. Bunyan could be even sillier than me.

Just as I had mentioned that hormones exist, so does flatulence.  Everyone has a different opinion of what one has the liberty to call, “farting.”  When Dr. Oz said on Oprah that it was “unhealthy” to hold in a fart, men around the world suddenly felt in style.  Since Oprah has not yet farted publicly on the show or among her many media outlets, I can assume that it is still not safe for women to openly fart.  Personally, I let it go with my brothers who will only laugh and then outdo me.  (Seriously, like on command powers.)  Besides not eating corn before a date, it is also unacceptable to fart on a date.  Poor Paul Bunyan was not informed.

As I was making us drinks in my kitchen, he farted.  Loudly.

The aftermath moment was silent and stunning.  But then I just burst into laughter.

He was stone cold and completely ignored his gas blowing stunt.

Rather than join me, he waited for me to contain myself and then proceeded on with, “How about them Yankee’s” conversation.  If he had laughed it off, everything would have been fine.  Instead, all I could hear was that fart when I looked at him and the fling could no longer go on.  Poof! (No pun intended.)

In college and out of college we will deal with weird secrets, farting, and hormones.  The bottom line is that nobody is perfect.  Within this realm of our youth, we are trying to figure out so much, let alone about the opposite sex.  Many of us are enrolled in summer courses to better advance our education to do the best we can upon completion of college.  Yet we still make minute decisions like whether or not we would like to continue dating someone.  Go with your gut instinct.  (But not necessarily his gut).  Realize that we are in the same shoes as classy college co-eds and are hoping to enjoy ourselves today.  Date or not, it is important to acknowledge people for what you like about them.  Standards are fine, but there is no point in focusing on them until truly knowing a person.  Have fun, smile big, and be yourself.

Upon entering her junior year at Indiana University, Carly Bassen is most looking forward to taking a Samba dancing class with much missed friends.  Currently she is an intern at College Lifestyles and would love to see the website become an actual magazine for great college co-eds everywhere to read and participate.

Tags: Dating, Etiquette, Learn, Laugh, College, Guys and Girls, Snapple, Flings

Something else that is more fun than bingo is going to concerts!  My fellow intern, Becky A, wrote, “CL’s Guide to Making the Most of Your Summer Concert.”  Not only did this article provide great tips about how to “HAVE FUN!!!” at a concert, but could this be applied to the world of dating.  Going to a concert with friends like Becky A. did is quite the adventure and can possibly be made more so if going with a date to a concert.  Throughout the summer, live music on a small or big scale is something to be a part of.  Use Becky A.’s advice of bringing accommodating gear for the weather and tunes to jam to and have a good time on a date.

http://collegelifestyles.org/2010/06/cl’s-guide-to-making-the-most-of-your-summer-concert-experience/

Le Chaim! American College vs. Israeli Army Service

A classy co-ed in college vs. a classy co-ed in the army
“American College vs. Israeli Army Service”
The distinguishing question youth must figure out for themselves.

By Carly Bassen
carlybassen@yahoo.com

Many believe that the youth shapes the future of a country’s well being.

As I recollect my experience up to this point as an American, I must ask myself one question-

How have I been an attribute to my country?

This is not an easy answer for anyone. At first I felt proud. Like many, I have been the best student I could be. Using the please’s and thank you’s have made life smooth. Learning a foreign language and reaching for A’s in school have been goals I continue to uphold. Thanks to the simplicity of smiling, it has been great making friends and getting along with others. Then secondary schooling is finished and the duty is to succeed. Fortunately, I was able to graduate from high school and proceed on to studying at a University. Whether or not the opportunity of college is available, every 17-18 year old American asks themself the same question at this stage-

What can I do now to succeed and better my interest?

Just recently, I traveled to Israel on an organized and spectacular Birthright trip. The group I traveled with was made up of about 40 Americans aged 18-24. It was exciting when eight Israeli’s our age joined us. Although we are at the same faze of life, we are from different countries and therefore have very different priorities. While we as American youth seek individual opportunity, Israeli youth seek to best please their country. Their question is-

What can I do to best help my country?

The Israeli youth become soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces. Both young women and men join the army where they choose a unit that best suits their skills.

The IDF said, “Going through the demands and rigors of army life on a totally egalitarian basis forges a common identity that totally transcends social and economic groupings.”

Girls are obligated to serve for just less than two years while boys must serve three years. They choose a military program that sometimes helps build a profession later on.

Throughout my journeys in Israel I talked to many soldiers that had positions such as, public relations, social work, engineering, combat, teaching, and cooking.

Each soldier must follow these four guidelines:

• Set a good example. By wearing a uniform, one is a representative of their country and must have good values that are followed through with good behavior.
• Comradeship. A soldier is expected to risk their life for a fellow soldier by not deserting one wounded on the battlefield.
• Avoid politicization. A soldier must be modest and not accept gifts or favors from anyone.
• Be professional. Each soldier must grow in their particular course so that they acquire the skills needed for a meaningful task.

My good friend Hemda Ben Zvi, who was a soldier on my Birthright trip told me, “There is a treasured peace among us that we developed being each other’s wingmen and mates during challenges.”
While they bond over life threatening and serious moments, we Americans bond over parties and social groups like a sorority.

As I contemplated the difference between our duties as American youth and the duties of Israeli youth, I had to wonder about fundamentals.
I must also add that despite Israel’s more intense and unified responsibility, they are just like us. The first question they asked upon joining our group was, “When can we take our uniforms off?”
They still want to enjoy life, make friends, and be goofy. After the first initial meeting of the soldiers who joined our group, we forgot that they were any different as we became one big family.

A savvy co-ed must realize that although cultures around the world may be drastically different, the bottom line is that people are people. We all have needs, wants, and passions. In Israel, I was lucky to hike mountains, ride a camel, float in the Dead Sea, shop in busy flea markets, and raft down the Jordan River. An American college student and an Israeli solider participating in these activities still laughs and sweats the same. Lifestyles aside, we all want to make the best of a situation and enjoy each experience together.

I could most relate to Kate Dopazo’s article, “The Savvy Co-ed’s Guide to Texas- New York Edition.” Both of us were enlightened by new cultures while traveling. Like Kate, I had to put my best foot forward and charm my way through a foreign territory. I admire Kate’s approach and agree with her charismatic attitude when traveling. Any classy co-ed can learn from her advice after experiencing a new lifestyle.
http://collegelifestyles.org/2010/06/texas-new-york-edition/

Carly is a College Lifestyles intern who attends Indiana University. Each month she becomes involved with a different and fun sport or activity. While last month she was addicted to taking Zumba classes, this month she is roller blading.