THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday December 15, 1999 YOU WOULDN'T TRUST JUST ANYONE TO DRIVE YOUR CAR, SO W H Y TRUST JUST ANY COMPANY TO INSURE i n Wayne McGill . 2343 Rd. #21 , Oakville *-- 847-5671 Business To reach this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5567 Woman's love of cooking becomes tasty business Ranjit Lai teaches Indian cuisine to students T Photo by Peter C. McCusker Ranjit Lai serves the chick peas, Pork Vindaloo, Mulligatawny soup and rice after cooking class. Everyone gets a taste. Jim Stanbridge, Karen Smith and Linda Rawlison are joined by R anjit's daughter Preeti Lai. ired of buying the same old neckties, cologne and fuzzy slippers for Christmas? Why not break out of the rut and try some thing completely different-- like cooking classes? Ranjit Lai, an Oakville resident who conducts Indian cooking classes in her home says she is offering gift certificates at the request of some of her clients who feel it would be an ideal Christmas gift. Since starting her classes in late September, Ranjit says she has been amazed at the response and the popularity of Indian food. "The way I teach, I keep things very simple," she adds. "I teach the shortcuts, but my neigh bours tell me my food is much better than the restaurants." In fact, it was at the urging of her friends and neighbours that Ranjit decided to start offering the classes in the first place. Her six-week course offers professional tech Manners at the dining room table speak volumes Recently, I had the good fortune to enjoy a one week Caribbean cruise. Out of 10 people sitting at my table for dinner, only two had acceptable table manners. Staggering what! I'd like to share some o f the faux pas I noticed during "dining at sea" and give you some tips on how to be well mannered at any dinner table. Manners: Definition -- deport ment, social conduct; the style and custom of social intercourse; civility with polish; etiquette. 1. The gentleman never seats him self first but always assists the lady to her chair at the dinner table, making sure she is comfortable then takes his place beside her. 2. The napkin is not left on the plate until the appetizer appears but is placed on the lap as soon as one is comfortably seated at the dinner table. If it is a large sized cloth napkin, it is unfolded and placed with the creased (folded) side toward your lap. 3. If you are served a drink with a straw, don't throw it on the table (especially if the table has a table cloth) but place it on your bread and butter plate. 4. If you leave the table during the meal, don't throw your napkin in your plate of unfinished food, but place it on the seat of your chair indicating to the waiter that you will return. 5. Don't speak with your mouth full -- keep your mouth closed when chewing your food. 6. Don't wave a knife or a fork around in the air while talking. 7. Never, ever place utensils back on the table once you have picked them up. When not in use during the meal, place them in the rest position SHANNON SMITH Lasting Impressions on your plate. 8. Don't use your neighbour's bread and butter plate. This will put the entire table out of sync and cause confusion. Your bread and butter place is to your left not the right. 9. Do not push, play or re-arrange your table setting. 10. The utensils are used from the outside in toward the plate -- not the other way around. 11. The small fork and small spoon at the top of your dinner plate is used to eat the dessert and not the main course. 12. Feet belong on the floor -- ALWAYS -- not on the table, or someone else's chair. 13. When the meal is finished, do not leave your napkin crunched up on your dinner, dessert plate or on the chair. Fold it as neatly as possible and place it to the left side of your plate. 14. When leaving the table, get up graciously and push the chair back into position under the table. Shannon Smith is president of Premiere Image Inti., Canada's leading image institute offering corporate/personal training -- Presentation Skills, Image Mastery, Business/Social Etiquette and Dining Skills. Give your self or someone special a gift to last a lifetime... please call 416-324-8955, fax 905-469-1245 or www.premiereimageintl. com. niques for creating a variety of starters, vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, lentils, raitas and desserts. Popular dishes such as butter chicken, rhogan josh, curries, chicken biryani, kormas, vegetarian pilaf, chutneys and mulligatawny soup are all included in the menus. Currently, students can choose either Monday, Wednesday or Friday evening from 7 to 9 p.m. Everyone gets to taste all of the dishes at the end of the evening. Ranjit stresses that her scheduling is flexible and clients can sign on for the entire six weeks or just opt for specific classes. She'll also adapt her classes or recipes if the group is interested in a particular element of Indian cuisine. Recently, for instance, she taught a class devoted strictly to making Indian breads. Classes are restricted to a maximum o f six or seven students and Ranjit says the feedback she has received indicates a lot o f success with the recipes. Men as well as women have been regular par ticipants in the classes thus far. In fact, Ranjit says she currendy has two male doctors and pilots in her classes. Anyone interested in further information, can contact Ranjit after 6 p.m. at 338-5264. W om en W ho Excel W OM EN W HO EX CEL resum es its m eet ing schedule on Tues. Jan. 25th, 2000 with the topic `Business Women & M illennium G oals'. 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