at the table....question

[ProudGrandma]

this is a weird question....but I was sort of curious....when you cook food on the stove top in a pot...do you serve that food in the pot or do dirty another bowl just so you don't serve your food in a pot?  (I am talking about when company comes over...just when it's your family)....

[AK_Mom4]

some of both.  Some things like spaghetti sauce get served in the cooking pot.  Other things, like macaroni and cheese get put into a bowl because the handle of that pot is long and gets in the way on the table..

 

It all depends on whether the pot in question is easy to serve from.  Some are - some not so much.

[Murphy101]

We used to serve at the table, but it's been years now. Usually we don't serve either at the tale unless it is a holiday feast. Everyone serves themselves from the pots and pans on the cooktop.

[PeacefulChaos]

In the pot.

That said, I don't put things on the table.  It isn't big enough.  So we get our plates out in the kitchen, right out of the pots/off the stove, and then go sit down at the table to eat.

[Lawana]

We typically serve from the pots at the stove. Growing up, all food was transferred to serving bowls. It seemed like extra work to me.

[higginszoo]

I put the pot on the table and serve out of that unless it's a special meal or company is coming.  I'm getting tired of cleaning up mess from cooking and mess from serving, so now that the kids are older, I might start having everyone serve from the kitchen (4-5 nights a week, this happens anyway, just because with teens and a tween, activities swallow many evenings and people eat in shifts).

 

[bolt.]

We generally fill plates at the stove, from pots (or other cooking vessels).

[Arcadia]

When it is just family, kids just help themselves from the pot on the stovetop.  If we have guests, I would need to use serving plates/bowls as I would be using my wok for a few dishes.

[TrixieB]

In the pot.

That said, I don't put things on the table.  It isn't big enough.  So we get our plates out in the kitchen, right out of the pots/off the stove, and then go sit down at the table to eat.

 

Same here, when it's just our family.

[Ellie]

In serving bowls, at the table. With cloth napkins. We are not a cafeteria. :D

 

...until my dc were all grown up. I wanted them to know that it is normal to sit down at the table with cloth napkins and bowls of food passed around (although sometimes--rarely--I would put food on their plates and put the plates on the table). Now that they're all grown up, eating from the stove is a treat, lol.

 

It's along the same lines as not wanting them to think we're having company because I'm cleaning or getting dressed. I think there should be some formality in our lives.

[HRAAB]

In serving bowls on the table for company.  I we have quite a few people over, it's still in serving bowls but on the counter where you walk through and serve yourself.  It's easier to manage company that way (dh has very large family).  For my own family, it's the pot on the stove usually although sometimes I feel like being the hostess and then it's serving bowls on the table.

 

When all my children were home, homeschooling all day, running kids around, those little niceties became less and less because there was not enough time.  Now I have more time, and I admit I do like a nice table.

[Lisa in SC]

We do both. If I make chili or potato soup or something like that in a big pot or Dutch oven, I just put it on the table as is. The same goes for a casserole dish or something baked in or on stoneware. However, if I do a roast or whole chicken or something, we will transfer that to a platter, and put the accompanying vegetables in separate bowls.

[OrganicAnn]

Growing up my mom would put the food in serving bowls.    We fill the plates at the stove, but we only have 3 in our family.   I think if you have a bigger family, it makes more sense to put food on the table in serving bowls. 

 

We do have serving bowls that have lids and can go into the frig as storage bowls.   

[texasmama]

I serve the kids' plates from the stove and put the plates on the table.  Dh and I serve ourselves from the stove.  The exception is fajitas.  In this case, I put everything on the table and let everyone serve themselves.  We are not fancy.  I just put the jar of salsa with a spoon, the container of sour cream with a spoon, etc.  I help my littlest serve her plate.  I'm all about doing fewer dishes at the end.

[LaCEmom]

We do some of both. It just depends on what's for dinner, my energy level, and how many dishes are already in the sink.

[Cosmos]

We either "plate" the food in the kitchen directly from the pots or serve it at the table in serving dishes. I do not like cooking pots at the table (except baking dishes of course).

[AmandaVT]

It depends. Most nights, i will plate up the food in the kitchen and bring the plates to the table. Salad is in a bowl on the table. We eat together, but I find DH and I are less likely to over eat if I plate up in the kitchen first. You have to consciously go back for seconds that way, rather than mindlessly adding more food to the plate right at the table. 

 

[bolt.]

I've always thought of "plating and delivering" as more formal than "family style passing" -- and I do like inaccessible leftovers.

[VaKim]

Tiny table. Tiny kitchen. We serve ourselves from the stove and/or counters, and sit at the table to eat. Plus, I am all about not making any more work than necessary by dirtying up extra dishes.

[Melissa in Australia]

 When we have guests we have serving dishes in the middle of the table. When we are just by ourselves. I place all the plates on the bench (countertop in American?) and dish up the food. I then place each person's plate at their place on the table and ring the dinner bell.

 People in the family who chose to come late can have their meal cold. ( it is just about always served at the same time each night)

[GailV]

Serving dishes, with the exception of soup -- I don't have a tureen, plus I tend to splash it all over myself and the room when I try to transfer it. 

 

My grandmother would be appalled that we take the cream carton out of the refrigerator and set it on the table for use, since it obviously (to her) belongs in a creamer.  My mom gets a little twitchy about that when she visits, too.

 

Edited to add:  Aren't there cultures in which the serving bowl is the community dish?  And they might consider us silly for using plates and silverware?

[Chris in VA]

A little of both. For fajitas or a roast, or that sort of thing, I usually put out bowls/platters on the table. Most other stuff gets plated in the kitchen (by me) and I bring it to the table (or dd does the back and forth). It keeps serving sizes appropriate to plate in the kitchen. I always mention if there's more in the kitchen, in case someone wants seconds, 

 

Company is different, tho--I know my immediate family well, so I know how much to serve them and can plate appropriately. I don't know how much my mom or dad or other company usually eat, so I put bowls on the table. 

 

We do put salad on the table, and sometimes veggies, but main dish is usually served from the kitchen. 

[KungFuPanda]

I do either one; sometimes a combination. It really depends upon the meal and the night. We tend to be at the table for at least an hour though, so putting everything on the table saves be from getting up and down. I rarely pot a handled pot on the table, but I will serve things from corningware or my big enameled cast-iron Dutch oven.

[BYE]

We serve from the pots and pans on the stove. As another poster mentioned we have a small table so the serving bowls would just get in the way.

[elfgivas]

we serve from serving dishes at the table, for each meal.  its a special time together for us, and this feels more "special" to me for some reason....

 

we don't have a table in the kitchen so we eat at the dining room table all the time.  so i think that has led us to adopt "dining room/company" standards all the time.

 

i like it a lot.

 

i'm enjoying reading the variations.

ann

[Ellie]

If I'd had a smaller table, I would have plated food at the stove and served it to my family. There's just something...not right about the children lining up at the stove and serving themselves (or being served). :-)

[Scarlett]

In serving bowls, at the table. With cloth napkins. We are not a cafeteria. :D

 

...until my dc were all grown up. I wanted them to know that it is normal to sit down at the table with cloth napkins and bowls of food passed around (although sometimes--rarely--I would put food on their plates and put the plates on the table). Now that they're all grown up, eating from the stove is a treat, lol.

 

It's along the same lines as not wanting them to think we're having company because I'm cleaning or getting dressed. I think there should be some formality in our lives.

I do this most of the time. My everyday cloth napkins wore out and I can't find suitable replacements. But we set the table and put food on the table almost all of the time. Sometimes food stays in the pot I cooked it in.....but I always hear my mom talking to me when I do that. ;)

[Seasider]

We used to serve at the table, but it's been years now. Usually we don't serve either at the tale unless it is a holiday feast. Everyone serves themselves from the pots and pans on the cooktop.

 

 

Yes, we do buffet style for the warm stuff. I do usually make some cold platters that look nice to put on a serving bar. That helps me feel more like a good hostess! But I leave the hot stuff on the stove or in a warming tray for bigger crowds.

[MomOfOneFunOne]

AMDG

 

I don't serve food from the table. I n.e.v.e.r put pots, pans, et c on the table. I don't put serving bowls on tje table, either.

 

For non-holiday family only meals, I fill the plates and bring them to the table. Some condements stay at the counter and I expect them to be gotten before I serve the plates. A few condiments go to the table. For example, one of or favorite meals is a pot of minestrone or ck pea stew and I'll put a board of olives, hard cheese, and bread on the table for us to share. I think this is the only exception I can think of right now.

 

For holiday and company meals, again, I prefer to serve. I have a sideboard/buffet and will sometimes put food out in our pretty stuff but plates get filled and brought to table. That is pretty rare, though. Sometimes I serve from the serving dishes, too. My daughter likes this but my husband would just prefer the plates brought.

 

This is my issue. I cannot stand a cluttered table. I like it to just be the place settings, s/p, and a pretty something in the middle occasionally. In fact, I love that.

 

I haven't read the love languages book but if making and serving food is a love language, it's my love language.

 

I have all

[Stratford]

In serving bowls, at the table. With cloth napkins. We are not a cafeteria. :D

 

...until my dc were all grown up. I wanted them to know that it is normal to sit down at the table with cloth napkins and bowls of food passed around (although sometimes--rarely--I would put food on their plates and put the plates on the table). Now that they're all grown up, eating from the stove is a treat, lol.

 

It's along the same lines as not wanting them to think we're having company because I'm cleaning or getting dressed. I think there should be some formality in our lives.

 

This is what we try to do, as well.  I do serve their plates (not brave enough to start passing bowls yet) but we have food in serving dishes on the table.  Yes, it's extra work.  No, I don't like doing dishes.  But I think it's helping my slightly feral children with their table manners.  They'd be perfectly content eating food of off the floor and calling it dinner. 

[Pretty in Pink]

We don't even OWN serving dishes. I realize how strange that sounds. Sometimes I put pans on the table, sometimes I transfer food to other dishes for serving. Since we don't have specific serving dishes I just use whatever glass mixing bowls or Pyrex dishes I have handy. They get the job done. :)

[Kathryn]

I serve from the stove whether it's just us or company. We don't have room for serving dishes

on our table.

[JudoMom]

If it's our family, I make plates and dish up from whatever it was cooked in.  With 7 people, I have enough dishes without dirtying others.  And with the boys so close in age, when they were younger it would've been ridiculous to try and pass the dishes.  If anyone wants seconds, they get up and get them.  

With company (or holiday meals), I transfer to bowls/platters/etc.  But we still usually serve buffet style (the set up of our house lends itself to this way of serving) because it's always a larger group, considering our base number of attendees is 7.  This way it's easy for everyone to get more, instead of having to interrupt conversation to have someone pass a dish. I can see passing if there are just a few people.   I do try to make sure it looks pretty and inviting, though, for guests.

[JudoMom]

If I'd had a smaller table, I would have plated food at the stove and served it to my family. There's just something...not right about the children lining up at the stove and serving themselves (or being served). :-)

 

What, exactly, is wrong about it?  They are, after all, learning to stand in line ;).

[LMV]

It depends on the meal:

 

We generally eat breakfast in the eating nook of our kitchen and there is more variance among the plates so usually we serve directly onto plates/bowls.  Once everyone has their meal assembled at their place at the table we sit down and eat.  Lunch is often done this way as well during the week (especially if it is only a subset of the family eating because one or more of the kids are at class/sports/music and one of the parents is likely working).

 

For dinner we eat in the dining room and use serving platters and bowls for everything.  Our dining room table can seat sixteen comfortably and we are usually a family of seven now that our oldest daughter is away at college so space is not an issue.  DH or I do usually still fix a plate for our younger daughters before serving ourselves and our youngest is still under a year so I give some consideration to what I allow her to try (and sometimes will adjust the texture or save out a small portion before adding other ingredients or seasonings).

 

On the Sundays when we are a host family for our church I sometimes have set up a buffet on the sideboard in our dining room and let people serve from there to allow for more table space.  Other times we've just set up additional tables.  We have two different outside patio areas which connect so if the weather cooperates eating outside is a good option for a larger group as well.

[strange_girl]

I pretty much always serve dinner family-style: pots on the table and we pass 'em around. I can definitely see pros and cons for each method. For instance, just as Ellie doesn't feel the need to live in a cafeteria, I don't feel the need to be a waitress.

 

If it's on the table, everyone can just get their own. And I'm not too proud to serve in pans :ohmy:   Although, to be honest, if we have company I will dig out the serving bowls and do extra dishes. You know I love you when I do extra dishes! :laugh:

 

When we bought our new house last year, my favorite new acquisition that went with it is a huge, long dining table with a bench on one side and plenty of extra chairs. After having a tiny table for a long time, I love my big one now!