why use a lot?

 Ever wonder why hotels, high end restaurants use a lot of dinner wares just to fininsh a specific day's meal? I grew up in a simple home where we use just dinnewares as "everyday" set of dinnerware. Others would actually refer to them as chinawares but for us, chinawares are usually used on special occasions and holidays.

Now adays, we may see different kinds of dinnerwares but for today, I can give you three of the most popular type of dinnerwares. Let see how they really differ:

 * Fine China - This may be considered as the most expensive and teh highest quality dinnerware and is more popularly known as "porcelain ware".  It is very durable and is made of non absorbent ceramin that has been fired at the highest kiln temperatures. Fine china somes with patterns of design like gold running around the perimeter of the place which acutally gives them a bit of elegance. As what every house would normally do, chinawares are often displayed in dining area when not is use (like my mother does..hehe).


* Everyday Dinnerware - This type is what most of us use almost everyday. For one it is easier to clean and to care for and of course much less expensive - making you less apprehensive to use. We, however use different types of everyday dinnerware and some of it can come as earthenware, stoneware, pottery, bone china, glass or plastic. The decision of what type is best for you should be based on whom and how you will be using these plates.

- Pottery - should be soaked in warm water before using to make the pieces more chip-resistant,  can be used in the microwave and dishwasher as well.



- Bone China - most durable of casual dinnerware. Bone ash is added to the mixing process to lend strength to the dinnerware, perform well in a microwave or dishwasher as long as there is no metallic detailing to it.




- Glass -  easy to clean  but is more fragile than the others and definitely does not have the quality of other everyday options.



-  Plastic - best use if you have children at home because it will not break, however, plastic can warp if it gets too hot in a microwave or dishwasher.




Now let's try to know the real uses  of the different types of dinnerwares used. Later, I would share with you a special snack that can be termed as finger food which originated in Hong Kong.

Bread and Butter Plate - a 6-inch plate used for bread, desserts and molded salads

Cereal Bowl - a 6-inch multi purpose deep dish used in serving cereals, salads, rice and desserts

 Dinner Plate - a 10-inch plate used in serving the main course in each cover in formal dining

Luncheon Plate or Breakfast Plate - a 9-inch all purpose plate for daily dining

Platters - oval shaped serving ware that come in varying sizes 

Salad Plates - a 7-inch plate used to serve salads, desserts, fish or underlines for steamware and even cereal bowls. 

Soup Plate - a 9-inch deep plate used in formal sit-down dinners 

Soy Dish or Condiment Dish - used mainly for condiments to make eating more tasteful

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SESAME SHRIMP FINGERS

Ingerdients:

10 slices of white sandwich bread, with crust removed; chilled

2 cups white variety shirmps, shelled, deveined and pounded 

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. grater ginger'1 tbsp cornstarch

4 egg whites

4 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

cooking oil 

sweet chili sauce

Procedure:

Arrange bread on a tray. Chill. Combine shrimp, salt, pepper and ginger. Add cornstarch. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks. Fold into the shrimp mixture. Top each bread with the shrimp-egg whites mixture. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Deep fry with the remaining shrimp mixture side down. Place on a paper towel lined tray. Slice into half inch strips. Serve with ready made sweet chili sauce.

happy eating! :)