Table manner is a big deal at my family. My parents taught us to use cutlery at an early age. I recall lessons on setting dinner table with multiple forks and knives and spoons for each guest so we would not be clueless at restaurants. Chopsticks are the everyday utensils and heaven forbid if we could not use them properly. Dexterity and accuracy are basic minimums. We must be able to hold them correctly so the two sticks never cross and can move independently of each other. No reaching over at the table. Only pick up the nearest piece of meat or vegetable even if there’s a meatier or better-looking morsel further out. There is a saying that goes a child’s table manner is a reflection on parenting. My Mom definitely took it to heart.
Needless to say, double dipping is frown upon. Cutlery or not, contaminating a dish with saliva is simply unthinkable.
I relax a bit after many years of living on my own and come to appreciate the necessity of double dipping under the right circumstances. That means when I am dining solo and not sharing my food. Last night Little Brother and I got into the spirit of Super Bowl and had nachos for dinner. First, we must get around the issue of double dipping.
My solution? Single-serving nachos on a tray, completed with individual portion for all the sides. Each of us had our own small dishes of guacamole, peach salsa, sour cream, and turkey chilli. We were free to double dip all we wanted without worry of making each other uncomfortable. Thank goodness I have a million little dishes at home! Better still, I did not have to do the dishes!
The nachos is a nest piled high with yellow and blue corn tortilla, every chip draped with a mix of melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Black olives and green onion dotted evenly throughout. Peach salsa was a gift from Boneats made with tree-ripen Niagara peaches. It was a lovely balance of sweet and tangy. My guacamole was simply accented with chopped red onion, cilantro, and lime juice. The slow cooker turkey chilli was hearty with pinto and black beans (recipe from Slow Cooker Revolution).
Neither of us are football fans so the outcome of the game meant little to us. To be honest, I think this was an opportunity for snacking rehearsal. Starting this Friday, I will be glued to the TV until the Winter Olympics is over. I’m sure many snack will be shared and I will be prepared to handle any double dipping situation.
