DEAR MISS MANNERS: When, if ever, is it permissible to cut one’s food into multiple smaller bites at the same time?
I find it much more efficient to cut an entree into several pieces at once, eat them individually with my fork, then cut some more.
This works well with a stack of pancakes or a waffle. Why not for bacon, fried eggs or a choice cut of meat, even a steak or prime rib?
I find it ineffective to tarry over a single bite, put down my knife, transfer my fork from my less-dominant hand, consume the sole piece, then “wash, rinse and repeat” multiple times during the course of my meal.
Must all food be singly and deliberately savored? I’m not racing to the finish, just trying to consume my food more easily and efficiently. Can you let things slide and cut me some slack, or must I be skewered?
GENTLE READER: Unless you cook your eggs for a very long time, they are likely to slide with or without Miss Manners’ permission. But for everything else, she will say that detaching two mouthfuls at a time is allowed. The rule is not so much that every single bite be detached in a separate operation, but rather that the result not be Lego-like mounds of hot dog, Brussels sprouts and polenta.
Dietitians and nutritionists will, like Miss Manners, remind you that, as a nation, our eating habits are a good deal too efficient already.