A platter of whole fish can strike fear into even the savviest dinner guest. A good host, therefore, will take matters into their own hands, and serve individual, already prepared portions. While planning the menu, you must keep in mind some critical facts: squid ink will darken smiles, shellfish requires guests to use their hands or else concentrate too closely on the utensils. But whenever fish is served, it’s always a nice touch to place finger bowls (at the left of each place setting) with a bit of lemon or rose petals, if it’s a garden party. As an alternative, there are also small sponges that expand when wet, and become little hand wipes to distribute to guests.
Rather than just being faux-meat, Mamu is different. It's a mushroom-based meat alternative that's getting its launch in restaurants so that chefs can test its versatility. Flora Tsapovsky investigates.