Take a portion of food with my fork?

Dear Polite One,

Is it proper to use one's own fork to take a portion of food from a center platter when dining at home? For example, when eating family-style and there are chicken nuggets or fries on a serving plate, may one use his own utensils?

Dining at Home

Dear Dining at Home,

Since there are no etiquette police in your own home, you can do whatever you'd like. But, if you want to use proper table manners, it is best to use serving utensils to dish portions on to your plate.

Sincerely,

The Polite One

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