At Chinese meal times, Chinese people use a round or square table. Person of the most importance would usually take the seat the farthest away from the door whilst the youngest or the person of the least importance would take the seat closest to the door.

However, if you are the host, usually you would take the seat which is closest to the walkway since it allows the most convenient movement by the host.

Unlike the western style, Chinese people do not use forks and knives. We use a pair of chopsticks and spoons. Unlike Japanese chopsticks, Chinese chopsticks have both ends of the same size whilst Japanese ones have one end sharper than the other.

There are several things to remember when you use chopsticks. Don't dig in the Chinese Dining Etiquette Recipe

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The Basics of Cigar Humidor Care

by Matthew Rosen

Seasoning a Cigar Humidor:

To keep the things we cherish in our lives working properly, there is an element of regular garden tending that needs to be undertaken. Whether it comes in the form of frequently changing the oil in a car, storm-proofing a rosewood deck, or seasoning a cigar humidor, without proper tending and maintenance our investments turn into disappointments. Interestingly, most cigar hobbyists have at best a tenuous understanding of how to keep their humidors functioning properly - especially when they are expensive.

Take a gentlemen who has recently acquired a beautifully constructed humidor worth several thousand dollars. Let's say the humidor was a gift, but like most humidors sold on the market (whether they are costly The Basics of Cigar Humidor Care Recipe

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Making Incredible Sauces at Home

by Reluctant Gourmet

My 5 Step Method for Preparing Professional Quality Brown Sauces

As a home cook, one of the hardest things for me to accomplish when first starting out was making a rich velvety brown sauce to serve on steak, lamb, veal, pork, or even chicken. I could put together a pretty good pan sauce using the dripping after sautéing or roasting a piece of meat but it never quite had that incredible intensity that I experience when dining out at a great restaurant.

It wasn’t until I spent some time reading about sauce making and speaking with a few chef friends that I learned it isn’t so much the “how to” but the “ingredients” that make the difference. Using my 5-step method to making a great brown sauce is easy if you have all the neces Making Incredible Sauces at Home Recipe

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