Restaurant Secrets You Can Use In Your Own Kitchen

I just happened to catch a few great tips from my dinner at a seafood restaurant this weekend.

• First of all (and it makes so much sense), always use white cloth napkins.  They are easy to bleach if they have food stains on them and look crisp and clean.

• Need lemon juice for a salad, drink, or other recipe?  Here's a great way to get maximum juice from your lemon or other citrus fruit.  First, roll the lemon hard against the counter top.  This will loosen it up inside.

• Cut the lemon in half, then insert one half into the inside portion of salad tongs.  

• Squeeze the open end, and watch that juice flow!

• Finally, in order to keep your table tidy between courses (even if your "courses," like mine, usually consist of just dinner and dessert), fold a cloth napkin (white, of course) into a tight football shape.  Then use the folded side to wipe crumbs from the table and into a small bowl or plate to avoid having to eat your dessert on a messy table.  

• Don't know the football fold?  Neither did I, much to the shock of my 11-year-old daughter.  You can find videos online for this, or follow my instructions, below.  Lots of pictures here, but it's really super-easy.

Fold each end toward the middle.

Fold over at the middle line. 

It will look like this.

Fold one corner up to form a triangle.

Continue folding triangles.

Like so.

When you get to the end, you'll have a square left.

Fold the square in half at a diagonal like this.

Tuck that little tab into the opening on the triangles.

Tighten it up, and voila! 

Then just brush those crumbs out of sight.

Enjoy!