Elements of the Table or Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant

Elements of the Table: A Simple Guide for Hosts and Guests

Author: Lynn Rosen

Elegance is the art of not astonishing, said Jean Cocteau, but often the idea of a formal dinner party is intimidating to both hosts and guests for one reason: the table setting. Why is there a spoon above my plate? Do I really need five different glasses? Where do I put my napkin when I leave the table? Lynn Rosen comes to the rescue with this practical, charming, and informative guide to all things tabletop. Organized by category, Lynn’s advice is sensible, her explanations are clear, and her historical asides will provide plenty of lively dinner conversation. You’ll learn about:

Napery. What to do about that crease in your tablecloth, how to use a table runner, and the history of napkin rings (hint: they came into use not for decoration, but for an exceedingly practical purpose!)

China. The difference between a rim soup bowl and a rimless coupe soup bowl, when to bring out the coffee cups, and why we call it “china”

Silver. Basic rules for arranging the setting (evenly spaced, about a half-inch apart, with the handle bottoms lined up), using flatware to signal you’ve finished eating, and why the fork was slow to catch on as a dining implement

Crystal. How to tell a red wine glass from a white wine glass, when to use a dof glass, and what famous European queen is said to have been the model for a champagne coupe glass

Table Décor. Why place cards are always a good idea (and where to put them), the evolution of centerpieces, and how to turn a napkin into a cardinal’s hat, a bishop’s mitre, or even an artichoke

Elements of the Table covers everythingfrom linens to basic etiquette, so your next dinner party (whether you’re hosting or attending) will be a relaxed celebration–and the only astonishment will come at the end of the night, when you realize how much fun you’ve had.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: Why Your Table Matters     8
Napery
Tablecloths     16
Napkins     17
China
The Basic China Place Setting     24
Types of Place China     27
China Serving Pieces     36
Silver
The Basic Flatware Place Setting     50
Silver Place Setting Rules     51
Types of Place Silver     52
Silver Serving Pieces     69
Crystal
The Basic Crystal Place Setting     82
Types of Place Crystal Stemware     84
Barware     88
Finger Bowl     89
Crystal Serving Pieces     90
Table Decor
Decorative Table Items     98
Napkin Folding     101
Afterword: Bon Appetit!     122
Bibliography     123
Acknowledgments     125
Index     127

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Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant: Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone

Author: Jenni Ferrari Adler

In this delightful and much buzzed-about collection of essays, 26 writers and foodies invite readers into their kitchens to reflect on the secret meals they relish when no one else is looking. Part solace, part celebration, part handbook, Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant offers a wealth of company, inspiration, and humor—and finally, recipes that require no division or subtraction.

Featuring essays by:

Steve Almond, Jonathan Ames, Jami Attenberg, Laura Calder, Mary Cantwell, Dan Chaon, Laurie Colwin, Laura Dave, Courtney Eldridge, Nora Ephron, Erin Ergenbright, M. F. K. Fisher, Colin Harrison, Marcella Hazan, Amanda Hesser, Holly Hughes, Jeremy Jackson, Rosa Jurjevics, Ben Karlin, Rattawut Lapcharoensap, Beverly Lowry, Haruki Murakami, Phoebe Nobles, Ann Patchett, Anneli Rufus and Paula Wolfert.

Wall Street Journal

A balanced literary buffet...seasoned with whimsy.

Toast

I've read the introduction and the first two essays, and have decided I want to make it last, and savor it . . . I've got it by the bed, and am allowing myself one chapter per night.

Glorious Food and Wine

The stories are funny, sometimes moving, guilty pleasures . . . If you have any inclination to look into the secret solitary kitchen life of some great writers, then read this book. It is entertaining, it is beautifully written, and you'll also find the occasional recipe. Do not expect pictures. Do not expect gourmet sophistication. But do expect reality.

Walker New York Eats

I admit I devoured it once I got my hands on it; it's almost voyeuristic to read about these private dining moments.

The Wednesday Chef

Charming . . . Each essay is a pleasantly voyeuristic snapshot, like looking into someone's grocery basket.

Cooking With Amy

If you are looking for a book to take on vacation, to the beach, or on a plane, you couldn't ask for a better one than Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant.

Publishers Weekly

A mishmash of foodie writers dispute, humorously or more self-seriously, the pros and cons of cooking and dining alone. While eating by oneself can be the busy worker's greatest pleasure, as Colin Harrison notes of his solitary Manhattan lunches during a work day ("Out to Lunch"), and mother Holly Hughes ("Luxury") agrees is a secret but too rare pleasure, other writers see it as depressing or shameful. In "The Lonely Palate," Laura Calder quotes Epicurus as saying, "we should look for someone to eat and drink withbefore looking for something to eat and drink"—then offers a recipe for Kippers Mash. Eating is an act of love, thus prompting Jonathan Ames ("Poisonous Eggs") to dine out and flirt with the waitress. "Table for One" by Erin Ergenbright records how the single diner is perceived uneasily by the wait staff. And M.F.K. Fisher relishes solitary dining ("A Is for Dining Alone") as a way to escape "the curious disbelieving impertinence of the people in restaurants." The collection is named after an essay by Laurie Colwin, who found a dozen different ways to cook eggplant on her two-burner hot plate while living alone in a tiny Greenwich Village flat. (July)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Rosemarie Lewis - Library Journal

Editor Ferrari-Adler's motley assortment of 26 essays is a quick and often insightful read. Some, including Colbert Reportcocreator Ben Karlin's "The Legend of Salsa Rosa" and Holly Hughes's "Luxury," are laugh-out-loud funny. Reading "Thanks, but No Thanks," Courtney Eldridge's account of her ex-husband's elitist eating habits, is like sitting down to commiserate with a particularly articulate friend. Others are strange and haunting, notably Haruki Murakami's "The Year of Spaghetti" and Rattawut Lapcharoensap's "Instant Noodles." More than half include recipes-goodies such as Amanda Hesser's (food editor, New York Times Magazine) Single Girl Salmon and Steve Almond's enticing Grill-Curried Shrimp Quesarito with Avocado Raita-while others incorporate favorite ways of preparing comfort foods, e.g., Laura Dave's "How To Cook in a New York Apartment" and Nora Ephron's "Potatoes and Love: Some Reflections." There is no obvious order to the arrangement of stories; thumbnail biographies of all of the contributors are available at the end. Many recognizable names make this a great book for literary foodies, but it is not an essential purchase for most public and academic libraries.

Library Journal

Ferrari-Adler takes time off from writing the short stories she's been publishing to compile reflections on what's fun about eating alone. With authors as varied as M.F.K. Fisher, Laurie Colwin, and Haruki Murakami. Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information.