eating etiquette (how to eat...)
Traditionally, a dessertspoon and dessert fork are used when eating such pastries as cream puffs and eclairs; the pastry is held in place with the spoon and cut and eaten with the fork. Bite-sized pastries such as rugalach are eaten with the fingers. The general table manners rule? If you can't eat a pastry without getting it all over your fingers, switch to your utensils.
Table manners for eating breakfast pastries. Croissants are eaten with the fingers. When adding jelly, preserves, or the like, carefully tear off small pieces and spoon on the topping.
Table manners for eating Danish pastries. Danish pastries are cut in half or in quarters and eaten either with fingers or fork.
Table manners for eating popovers. Popovers are opened and buttered before being eaten (in small pieces) with the fingers.
Table manners for eating sticky buns. Sticky buns should be cut in half or in quarters with a knife and eaten with the fingers. If a bun is too sticky, use a knife and fork.
Table manners for eating eclairs. These cream-filled puff pastries are always eaten with a knife and fork. Just cut into them gently so that the filling doesn't squirt out.
Our resting utensils etiquette section covers the rules (american and continental) for resting your utensils when taking a break from eating, when you are finished eating, and when you are passing food [...]
