lobster
Corbis RFWe all mastered the mechanics of eating pretty early on, but some edibles seem like they ought to come with an instruction manual. Whether it's politely dealing with an olive pit or facing down an intimidating shellfish, we've got solutions for all your dining dilemmas.

Lobster

Issue: Should I eat the green stuff in the lobster? How about the red?
Solution: That depends on how squeamish you are. The green mass, called the "tomalley" serves as a liver and pancreas, and thus absorbs toxins. It is, however, considered a delicacy by many lobster lovers. Use your own judgment, pay attention to local advisories, and limit your consumption to no more than one lobster's worth per day. As for the red stuff -- if you've encountered any, you've hit the crustacean jackpot. It's unfertilized eggs called "roe" or "coral" and is a taste treat on par with caviar.


Spaghetti

Issue: Should I use a spoon or cut it up?
Solution: At home, go with what makes you comfortable. In public, minimize mess by placing the tines of your fork into the pasta pile, lifting it up a few inches to separate the strands, and using the side of your bowl or the edge of your plate as a barrier while you rotate the fork to wind the spaghetti into a bundle. If strands come loose, just lower the whole thing and try again.

Cheese

Issue: Should I eat the rind?
Solution: If it's a soft cheese like brie or Camembert, go right ahead. However, if you're not a rind fan and you're sharing a communal cheese at a party, take a full slice -- including the rind -- and discard the unwanted bits on your own plate. No one likes a scooped-out wheel. For harder varieties, slice off any wax or paper, and save the rind to add fabulous flavor to hearty soups.

Avocados

Issue: How do I get the pit out?
Solution: To pop an avocado open, just cut it in half, following the center of the pit, and twist the halves apart. Hit the still-embedded pit with a heavy knife until the blade lodges. Use this as a pivot to twist out the pit.
Cut into quarters and peel away the skin. Use the sweet, creamy flesh to make guacamole, slice into salads, spread on snadwiches, or just eat salted with a spoon.

Mango

Issue: How do I get to the fruit?
Solution: The skin is inedible and the pit is hard, but the succulent fruit makes this worth the effort. Cut the mango in half lengthwise along the pit. Score vertical slits through the pulp on one half making sure not to cut through the skin, and then follow with horizontal slashes. Grasp the skin on the back of the half and push it forward. This pushes the chunks out into an attractive, flower-like arrangement, as well as making the pieces easier to nip from the skin.

Coconut

Issue: How do I crack the shell without losing the milk?
Solution: Use a drill, nail or corkscrew to tap the coconut's milk before opening, to prevent loss. The eyes are the easiest entry points, so pop a hole in all three of the and invert the coconut over a glass or jar to let all the milk drain out. Then, find the seam that runs along the coconut's equator and thwack it with the blunt edge of a heavy knife, or against a hard step or street corner. The coconut should pop right open. If you're worried about flying shell fragments, wrap the coconut in a towel and give it a few sharp blows with a hammer, turning after each.

Soft Shell Crab

Issue: Is the shell really edible?
Solution: It is, indeed, and it's pretty delicious. Crabs' shells don't expand, so they've got to molt as they grow larger. Before the new shell starts to form, the crab is, for several days, left with a thin, soft covering. Just clean, bread, fry and eat -- no mallets or special tools required.

Jerusalem Artichoke / Sunchoke

Issue: What parts are edible, and how do I serve it?
Solution: The sweet, nutty flavor of this sunflower tuber can be enjoyed either raw or cooked. While the peel is edible, slice off harder parts with a knife or vegetable peeler. Slice them raw into salads or sandwiches, simmer and puree, bake or oven roast, sub for water chestnuts in stir fries, or cook in cream soups.

Extra Sauce

Issue: Is it impolite to sop up extra sauce with a piece of bread?
Solution: Mop away -- just keep it tidy. Dabbing with a bit of bread is a fine way to savor every last bit of a tasty dish. Etiquette experts, however, look a bit askance at stabbing a piece of bread with a fork and shoving it around a plate as if one is swabbing a ship's bow.


Silver Dragées

Issue: Are they edible?
Solution: The FDA requires dragées -- those little decorative silver balls with the sugar center -- to be sold with a notice that they're "for decoration only," due to the presence of real silver in their coating. Silver never leaves the body and could build up to toxic levels -- if one were to spend several days eating nothing but dragées. Downing a few in the course of eating Christmas cookies very likely won't harm you, but they are notoriously hard enough to chip a tooth. Pick them off to stay on the safe side.

Taco

Issue: How do I prevent a mess?
Solution: Over-stuffing is your enemy. Add toppings, and then bring two opposite sides of the tortilla toward the middle and roll them slightly to pack in the filling. Grasp the taco by the pressed-together edges, and angle the far end down toward your plate to catch any drips. Start eating from the higher end. Once you've munched halfway through, change your grip to squeeze the back end shut. Anything that falls out can be eaten with a tortilla or chip. For a hard shelled taco, skip the rolling step, but avoid the over-stuff, which will cause the shell to break, and follow the tilting method.

Pomegranate

Issue: How do I get the seeds out?
Solution: Cut off the top blossom end, and slice the skin into several even segments, leaving them connected at the bottom end like petals on a flower. Place this in a bowl filled with water for ten minutes, and then begin to break up the fruit. The rind should rise to the top while the seeds sink, and you can agitate the water to aid the separation. Skim the rind from the water and discard it. Rinse and drain the seeds, and eat 'em plain, in salads, smoothies, desserts, preserves, drinks or main dishes.

Kumquat

Issue: Do I need to peel these?
Solution: Kumquats are usually eaten whole and raw. The skin is sweet and the inside quite sour, so the combination provides a wonderful contrast. Some people skip the insides entirely and just enjoy the rind.

Oysters on the Half Shell

Issue: Do I use a fork? Do I swallow it in one gulp?
Solution: If you'd like, add a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of horseradish or a splash of cocktail sauce or mignonette atop the oyster. Use a seafood fork to make sure the oyster itself is completely detached from its shell. Grasp the shell horizontally, locate the widest, shallowest segment of the shell, and slide the oyster over it into your mouth. Some people swallow it quickly, but many like to savor the moment, letting it rest on their tongue, or lightly chewing the oyster to release more flavor. Discard the shell on your side plate, or back on the original platter, and reach for your next round.

Shrimp

Issue: Should I eat the tail?
Solution: It's a matter of personal preference. Many folks like to pick up peel-and-eat shrimp by the tail, pull out the flesh with a tug of the teeth or a fork, and toss the shell aside. Others enjoy the crunch and flavor of the boiled or fried tail.

Bay Leaf

Issue: Is it edible?
Solution: It's not poisonous, but it won't wilt during cooking, leaving edges sharp enough to tear internal organs. By all means, include the flavorful leaves in soups and stews, but fish 'em out before dishing it up, or use the powdered variety.

Asparagus

Issue: Is it okay to use my fingers?
Solution: Legendary etiquette expert Emily Post said it is indeed, but noted that this approach may bring about the risk of an ungraceful appearance. When in doubt, use a fork to cut the tips and stalks as far down as seems edible.

Artichoke

Issue: What parts are edible, and how do I serve it?
Solution: Serve whole artichokes with a dish of melted butter or lemon juice, and pluck leaves, dip them, scrape off the soft flesh with your front teeth, and discard the remains in a bowl. Once you've gotten down to the center, use a spoon to scrape out the inedible fuzzy part called the "choke" and expose the heart. Cut this into pieces and dip them, or eat plain.

Whole Fish

Issue: How do I deal with the bones?
Solution: In a restaurant, ask for the kitchen or your server to debone the fish. If you'd rather dive right in, use a sharp knife to slice between the head and the body, slicing from the underside until your knife hits the back. Repeat the same process at the tail end, and the insert the knife in at the tail end, and slice it from the backbone down through the cavity. Then, using the point of your knife to follow the backbone, slice it all the way up to the head. Lift off this top layer with your knife or a spatula, and then lift out the tail to remove the backbone.

Crawfish

Issue: Do I need to use any special utensils?
Solution: Nope -- just use your fingers. To begin, grasp the head in one hand, and the tail end in the other, close to where it joins the head, and gently twist to separate. If you'd like, slurp out the juices and toss it aside. The meaty insides should have stayed on the tail side, so peel off the top couple of shell layers, and expose the flesh. Chomp down into it and pull off the tail shell and discard. Repeat until full.

Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Issue: How do I keep from getting scalded?
Solution: Don't just bite right in, These little pouches are filled with lava-hot liquid that takes a few moments to cool to an edible temperature. Pluck one from the basket and place it in a deep soup spoon. Take a small nibble from the top to release the heat and allow some broth to flow down into the bowl of the spoon. Sip the overflow, and by the time you've finished, the dumpling should have cooled. Savor it one bite -- or more if you're inclined.

Olives

Issue: What should I do with the pit?
Solution: There's no shame in removing the pit from your mouth; just exercise discretion. Small olives can be placed into the mouth whole, and then removed with a cupped hand to keep the operation out of sight. Larger olives can be dispatched with multiple bites while they're held between the thumb and forefinger. Place the pit on the smallest of your dining plates, or into the bowl with which a thoughtful olive-serving host will have provided you.

Sushi

Issue: Should I use chopsticks or my fingers?
Solution: Use chopsticks if it makes you more comfortable, but it's perfectly fine to pick up nigiri (fish over rice), or seaweed-wrapped maki rolls with your fingers. Use chopsticks for sashimi and inside-out rolls.