Food and Drink Serving Etiquette for Restaurants, Caterers and Dinner Parties

The etiquette of serving food is a set of rules which are adopted by restaurants, caterers and even at private dinner parties. Use these rules as a guide, they are not official rules and can differ between cultures and countries.

While some of these techniques may sound petty and a bit over the top, most have a sound explanation. Making service appear smooth and faultless allows the customer to relax and not be interrupted by service staff. It dates back to when servants were required to serve their masters without being noticed.

The order of who to serve first starts with the guest of honour and anyone else of importance. Followed by the eldest woman all the way to the youngest male. The host is to be served last. This is for all service to the table including taking food and drink orders and serving them (if serving all at once isn't possible).

Food and drinks are usually served from the left and cleared from the right but this varies in different regions of the world.

Plates are only cleared when everyone on the table has finished. To make sure everyone has finished, ask the table if they have finished followed by 'Was everything OK?' Although, this is fine, try ask a open question so you receive feedback rather than a yes or no.

Basic Rug Cleaning Tips for Food and Drink Spills

Food and drink spill are among the toughest cleaning problems to deal with for rug owners. It is a common occurrence yet some still do not know the right way to approach cleaning up this kind of mess. Not knowing the basics of cleaning up food and drink spills can really put rug owners at a disadvantage and their carpets at serious risk of long-term damage.

Whether you are having a party at your home or are just eating in the living room, spills can happen without a moment's notice. This is why learning how to properly clean them up is essential. Here are some basic rug cleaning tips for food and drink spills, which you can use the next time, you are in this kind of situation.

    Immediately Pick Up or Scoop Up the Spilled Item - Whether it is liquid or solid, it is important that you pick up or scoop up the excess spillage as much as possible to avoid making the problem worse. If you are dealing with liquid food or drink spills, get a clean sponge and absorb as much of the excess liquid as you can. For solid food spills, carefully pick up the loose particles using your hands.

    Blot the Spilled Area - After removing the excess food or drink spilled on the rug, the next basic step that you need to do is to blot the area with a clean white cloth or paper towels. This will help remove the excess moisture and to lessen the chances of it staining the rug. Pouring some warm water onto the stain before blotting will help get you better results in removing the spill or stain.

Do Not Eat These Foods If You Are an Asthma Sufferer

A healthy diet is recommended for asthma sufferers since some kinds of food might trigger any symptoms of this disease. If you are a sufferer of this disease, being really careful in eating will be very helpful to prevent sudden attacks. Surely, you do not want to take a big risk of suffering in pain just because you want to have certain delicious foods. Even though food allergies could trigger this respiratory problem in a small number of people only, avoiding some kinds of food will be highly recommended.

Some foods might trigger asthma attacks since it might cause allergic reactions. Therefore, check your meal well before you have it. If your meal contains additive benzoates, sulphites, gallates, and some colorings such as E102, E104 and E110, it will be better to avoid it. Then, you should also avoid cider, wine, and beer.

Other foods and drinks that you should avoid are food that contains yeast or mould such as bread and blue cheeses. Nuts, especially peanuts, is also should be avoided. Meanwhile, some kind of food such as milk, wheat, and eggs are also should be reduced.

Fruits and vegetables are commonly safe to be consumed. However, it will be better to avoid ripe bananas, oranges, lemons, sour fruit juice, sour fruits and pickles. Some vegetables that have constipative effects potatoes, arbi (colocasia) and legumes are also quite harmful. You can have white meat, red meat and fish but only in small quantities. However, sea fish should be avoided.

Top Foods and Drinks Detrimental to Your Oral Health

Does it matter which snack, breakfast cereal or beverage you reach for on the grocery shelf? When it comes to your oral health, it can make a big difference. The foods and drinks you select each contain different ingredients, including minerals, vitamins, sugars and acids, each with varying nutritional values and effects on your teeth and mouth. In some, the nutritional value is very low and their ability to cause problems to your oral health is high. The next time you reach for a soda, think twice. It could mean avoiding a cavity, even if you routinely use other good oral hygiene habits.

What Is So Bad?
The problem with some foods or drinks is what they are made of. Carbohydrates break down in the mouth into sugars. Sugar is detrimental for teeth. It works as an acid to slowly harm the enamel on teeth. It can damage the tooth structure. Overtime, this leads to cavities and tooth decay that may be hard to halt. Any type of acid that comes in contact with your mouth has the risk of harming your oral health.

Shoddy Food and Drink

What is the worst of the worst? What should you avoid at all costs? The following foods and drinks are considered the ones to vanquish from your diet:

    Carbonated beverages, including soft drinks, are hazardous thirst quenching choices that endanger your oral health. They have the least nutritional value, and have so much sugar and phosphoric acid that they can begin attacking the teeth within 30 minutes.

Beat the Heat, Eat and Drink - The Top Six Water-Rich Foods

Six of Nature's Highest-Hydration Foods

It is well-known that our bodies can get by without food for extended periods, but without water, we can face the most drastic of consequences within a few days. Our bodies are made up of 65-70 percent water and continuing to hydrate can be challenging for many people.

Using nature's fruits to flavor water is one great way to make drinking water more appealing, as well as thirst quenching. All of those wonderful electrolytes that are touted in sugary, artificial "sports drinks" can be obtained through lemons, limes, and oranges! Imagine that!! So start slicing those beautiful citrus jewels - they are also full of vitamin C and aid in digestion - great side benefits we could all use! The body's need for water is often taken for granted. If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are already in a state of dehydration. This means we have to replenish our bodily water constantly - so keep that pitcher in the fridge nice and full, with your water bottle close by and refill, refill, refill!

While essential to staying hydrated, drinking the recommended minimum 8 glasses of water a day isn't the only way to get all our water requirements. It's also important to consume foods that are high in water content to regulate metabolism, circulation, and vital biological systems. Smoothies are a quick and delicious way to get the best of both worlds. All of the foods listed below can be used in tasty and nourishing smoothies.

Food and Drink in the British Isles

UK restaurants offer a wide diversity of cuisine from all over the world but why not try some local dishes during your villa holiday. Traditional British food usually involves good plain cooking with fresh local ingredients and is often found in pubs or in restaurants which offer lighter versions of old favourites. Roast beef served with Yorkshire pudding or local specialties such as Lincolnshire or Cumberland pork sausages can be found on most menus. In the North Black Pudding made with offal is popular and lamb and chicken dishes feature on many menus along with hearty meat pies and homemade soups. Meals are usually served with chips, mash, boiled or roast potatoes and a good selection of vegetables. Whitbyon the east coast is famous for its crabs and the southeast coast is renowned for its mussels, whelks, cockles and jellied eels. In Britain you are never far from a fish and chip shop selling battered cod or haddock with chips sprinkled with salt and vinegar. Traditional puddings include fruit crumbles, apple pie or sponge pudding usually served with custard. Afternoon tea is still popular and you will find a good selection of cakes, scones, jam and cream and sandwiches on a teashop menu. Cheese is a great regional specialty; look out for different varieties at delicatessens and farmers markets.

There are some excellent award winning white English wines such as those produced by Three Choirs in Gloucestershire and Wickham in Hampshire.While enjoying your British Self Catering holiday you'll find a good selection of real ales is served in many pubs; look out for local micro-breweries. Mild such as Banks', Holdens and Highgate is most often found in the Midlands. Pale ales are more popular and Timothy Taylor, Adnams, Shepherd Neame and Marston's have good examples. Cider is still a favourite particularly in the southwest of England like Thatcher's in Somerset.

In Scotland look out for traditional foods such as haggis (spiced sheep's innards and seasoning) usually served with tatties (potatoes) and neeps (mashed turnip). Venison and grouse dishes are popular as are stovies, a mix of potatoes, onion and beef cooked in dripping. Scotch broth is made from mutton or beef stock, pearl barley, carrots and leeks while Cock-a-leekie soup is made from chicken, rice, leeks and prunes cooked in chicken stock. Smoked fish dishes such as kippers, salmon and Arbroath smokies (smoked haddock) can often be found. Finally, look out for a delicious chowder like dish called Cullen skink made from smoked haddock, mashed potato and milk. Scotland is also famous for its numerous whisky distilleries and a few beers too, like Deuchars and Caledonian.

Hotels in Taunton and Food and Drink

Hotels in Taunton: Food and Drink

Somerset has been synonymous with food for many years and staying in hotels in Taunton will certainly set you up for a hearty and delicious break! Apples, cider and cheddar cheese are three of the county's most prestigious foods but there is so much more of its local produce awaiting you. Its love of food is celebrated throughout the towns, villages and visitor attractions, that are all accessible from hotels in Taunton. No matter where you visit in Somerset, you'll never be far from some good grub! Whether it's dining in one of its many restaurants, visiting a farmers market or taking a trip to a local cider farm, you'll be full to the brim by the time you arrive home!

Cider Attractions

Sheppy's Cider Farm and Museum is within close proximity of hotels in Taunton and makes for an interesting afternoon out. The Sheppy family are proud to share with visitors, local and afar, their beautiful farm and orchards and show everyone how they make their tasty ciders. Book a guided tour, visit the museum or taste some of the farms cheese and ciders in the shop. Other cider attractions in Somerset include the Avalon Vineyard which is a working organic vineyard and fruit farm offering self-guided walks and wine and cider tastings throughout the year and The Somerset Distillery which is the county's only apple distillery and traditional cider house. These attractions will give you a detailed insight into the countys passion for cider and food.

Hotels in Taunton and Visiting Cheddar

If you're a cheese lover, you absolutely must visit the village of Cheddar whilst staying in hotels in Taunton. Situated about a 45 minute drive away from Taunton, Cheddar is completely unique and a fantastic place to visit for a day out. Its distinct feature is that it boasts Britain's largest Gorge, which can be seen and explored in many ways. From the dramatic cliffs to the ancient stalactite caverns, this famous Nature Reserve appeals to all members of the family. There are some superb opportunities for caving and rock climbing too.Cheddar has a rich history of farming and cheese making and authentic cave aged Cheddar is available today from the Cheddar Gorge Cheese Company shop. Be sure to save some money to take some home with you! The village and the Gorge is a wonderful experience so make sure you don't miss it when staying in hotels in Taunton.

What Sort Of Food And Drink Should I Take Regularly To Help Me Lose Weight?

If you are wondering what sort of food and drink should I take regularly help me lose weight, then you have come to the right place. There are many fat loss foods that people can eat so that they can lose weight. However, it is important for every person to remember that the best weight loss programs take time to produce long lasting results.

When you want to shed off a few pounds, there are some meals that you must avoid. For instance, sugary and fatty foods must be eliminated from your diet, especially if your metabolism is too slow. This is because all the sugar and fats that are not used up in the body are stored as fat in different parts of the body. That being said, processed foods that have a lot of industrial sugar and fat must be avoided at all costs.

Drinking a lot of water everyday is the best advice anyone can ever give you. Water flushes out all the toxins out of the body. It also keeps skin cells and other types of cells in the body replenished. This means that water makes you look younger and livelier. The recommended daily water intake for adults and young adults alike is eight glasses.

There are some foods that are known to help with digestion and consequently slimming. For instance, fiber-rich foods are known to help with digestion. When making fruit juices from mangoes, bananas, pineapples or any other type of fruit, the juice should be consumed wholly. This is because most fruits are rich in fiber.

Getting to Know the Food and Drink of Tuscany

When you plan your trip to Tuscany, villas can make the perfect place to base yourself while you spend a bit of time getting to know the region, which sits on the western coast of Italy. Once you have explored the larger cities of Florence, Pisa and Siena and have gotten your fill of walking around and discovering the amazing amount of artwork and culture that permeates the area, you will need to sit down to a lovely Tuscan meal to refuel. While there, you can eat the ubiquitous pasta and breads and drink the famous wines, but why not go that extra mile and seek out the local specialties such as Chianti wine, Pecorino Toscano and the pasta from Orvieto.

Chianti

If you are a regular traveller to Tuscany, villas, you may notice, often are decorated with squat bottles half-encased in a straw jacket that were the traditional indicators for one of the regions most well known wines: Chianti. The first defined area of Chianti was mentioned around 1716 as around the Tuscan cities of Radda, Castellina, and Gaiole. In 1932, the region was expanded to include the towns of Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colline Pisane, Colli Senesi, Montalbano and Rùfina. The vast region is covered by the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG), or the DOC, which is a guarantee of product quality and control and has strict regulations regarding the amount of grapes used in production, and more stringently, the aging process involved in the Chianti Superiore. The wines themselves tend to be medium bodied with a range of acidity and pair nicely with most Italian foods and meats.

Pecorino Toscano

When spending a bit of time in the region of Tuscany, villas make a great base for exploring the area in detail. Once you have gone to do a wine tasting at a local Chianti winery and have brought back a few bottles to your villa, head back into town or to an artisianal cheese maker's farm to get a block of the local Pecorino Toscano. Pecorino Toscano is a firm textured cheese made from full cream and pasteurised ewe's milk. Though it has a short maturation period of only 20 days, the Pecorino Toscano is usually served as a hard cheese, which requires it to have up to four months of maturation, during which it is often washed with crushed tomatoes, ash and olive oil. The cheese has a strong flavour and is often used with wines, as a starter, or grated over dishes as you would use a parmesan. In 1986 it was granted a Denominazione di Origine status, which was upgraded to DOCG status in 1996.

The Perfect Food and Drink for Courier Work

For those embarked on courier work, the job can lead to some pretty full on days. Often there are long journeys involved with only a short space of time in which to drop-off or pick up deliveries. It can often seem difficult to grab food in the course of the day, but this is incredibly important, especially when your eyelids start to droop in between service stations on the M1. Because of this, drivers involved in the delivery industry often opt for less healthy options, such as a full English breakfast first thing in the morning, or a burger and chips at lunch.

However, those involved in courier work should know that a healthier diet can work wonders for their alertness and enjoyment for the job; here are some foodstuffs to chew over:

Water

Cold water consumption is one of the best ways to keep yourself awake in the course of your courier work. Dehydration has a much greater effect on our brain functioning than most of us are aware of. When you're driving you should make sure that you always have a bottle of water or two at your side. You might notice that you have mild headaches throughout the day. If you haven't been drinking much you'll be amazed at how quickly some gulps of water can chase the headache away.

Caffeine

If you're really lagging then it certainly doesn't hurt to pull over and have a coffee (unless you happen to be sensitive to caffeine of course!), but you should always remember that tea, coffee and cola drinks can give a temporary boost before causing a later drop in energy. This effect can be especially pronounced if you over do it.