DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a dear friend who occasionally attends functions with me where food is available — usually breakfasts. She invariably takes an item (a bagel, muffin or cookie, say), breaks off the amount she wants and then puts the remainder back on the serving platter.

I think this is wrong, as she’s touching the food with bare hands and returning it for others to eat. If it’s a casserole or something to be scooped up with utensils, that’s fine, but not a single-serving baked item that she’s touching.

She thinks it’s a good practice to not waste food that she won’t eat and, if she just wants “a taste,” it’s OK for her to break off what she wants.

Interestingly enough, when I bake an item for home, like brownies or a pie or casserole, I tend to allow people to choose their own size/portion. Yet if this same friend is present, she will grab a knife and cut the item into equal portions, despite being asked not to do so!

Is it me or is there a right answer?

GENTLE READER: Your friend is a public menace, isn’t she? The right answer is for her to be a good guest, which means not trying to play hostess and keeping her hands off food meant for other people. At functions you are both attending, this also applies to you. In your own home, Miss Manners recommends walking the platter around, as that will limit her access to the serving knife — or at least to a stable surface on which to employ it.

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at missmanners.com, by email to [email protected], or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.