Mrs. Beeton's Book of Household Management/Chapter LXIV
General Observations on Family and Wedding Breakfasts, Luncheons, Dinners, Teas, and Suppers
One of the chief considerations of life is, or ought to be, the food we eat, for our physical well-being depends mainly on diet. The perfect adjustment of diet can only be maintained by a combination of certain factors, of which suitable food and good cooking may be considered the most important.
One important consideration with regard to meals is their regularity, and speaking from the health point of view, it is most essential. A meal that we have waited for an hour too long is often one that we fail to appreciate; and while to the healthy irregularity is dangerous, to the delicate it is injurious. It is not difficult to determine what are the best and most convenient times to take our meals, and when once these hours are fixed, the next thing is to insist on punctuality, not only for those who serve them, but for those for whom they are prepared. Food cooked to a nicety cannot afford to wait good things are spoilt, and waste and discontent are the result, if people are not ready to partake of what is prepared at a given time.
The composition, properties and preparation of food have already been fully treated in preceding chapters, and the following pages will simply convey to the reader a few items of useful information regarding the meals themselves. These necessary particulars should soon become matters of common knowledge, as instruction in every branch of domestic science now forms part of the curriculum of almost every school in the kingdom.
When the laws which govern the application of heat are once grasped, the fundamental difficulties of roasting, boiling, grilling and frying are overcome, but this by no means comprises the whole art of cookery. Such culinary artists as Ude, Carême and Francatelli owe their fame as Chefs-de-Cuisine to their ingenuity in originating new methods and new dishes, their skill in manipulation, and their care in combining seasonings and flavourings in such perfect proportions that no particular ingredient was allowed to predominate. Moreover, they not only raised cookery to a fine art, but their influence in the direction of refinement and elegance eliminated much that was gross in the English mode of living. Francatelli, who has been termed the "Father of Modern Chefs," strongly advocated simplicity in both cooking and service. The introduction of the dinner á la Russe was in a great measure due to his efforts, and this arrangement is now so popular that it is adopted in almost every household where a sufficient number of servants are kept to allow the food to be handed round. There are still a few old-fashioned people who prefer the older custom of having all the dishes placed upon the table, and of course this custom must always prevail in lower middle-class households; but it is almost generally agreed that it is much more artistic and agreeable to have nothing displayed but fruit and flowers, however simple and inexpensive these may be. Pleasant and appropriate surroundings contribute largely to the enjoyment of a meal, and as our meals, whether elaborate or simple, are an important item in the sum total of domestic happiness, the greatest possible care should be bestowed on their preparation and service.
In giving a dinner it is far better to have a simple meal, which one knows will be properly cooked and served, than to risk anything elaborate, for it is difficult to appear utterly unconcerned when one is harassed by petty cares, and a thoroughly good hostess is one who is able herself to enjoy, without anxiety, the dinner she is giving to her friends.
The temperature of the room is a very important subject that is often overlooked.
It is not possible to thoroughly enjoy a good dinner in a room either too hot or too cold, and hostesses should well consider this matter.
Table Arrangements.—There are a few general rules which apply equally to mansion and cottage. However simple may be the meal, and however coarse in texture the cloth, it should be clean, free from creases, and arranged smoothly with the centre fold forming a true line the whole length of the table. The knives should be clean, bright and sharp, and the silver clean and well polished. When properly trained servants are kept, contrary conditions seldom exist; neither would they in small households, where the work devolves upon an inexperienced housemaid, if a few simple rules were strictly enforced, such as removing the crumbs and folding the cloth on the table, instead of allowing it to be shaken and folded outside the room; that after each meal all knives should be cleaned and made ready for use; and, what is still more important, that such articles as silver-plated dishes, spoons, etc., after having gone through the ordinary process of washing-up, should be re-washed with soap and hot water, and well polished with a leather. Apart from the fact that silver thus treated always presents a bright and well-preserved appearance, there is the further consideration of the silver being kept in good condition without a frequent application of plate powder, which, however fine it may be, ultimately destroys the plated surface.
A baize covering for dining-tables cannot be too strongly recommended, for it enables the tablecloth to lie better, and it is more pleasant to the touch with some soft thick substance beneath it. Sometimes the baize is drawn under the edges of the table by means of a string run through the hem, but it may be stretched more tightly when fastened underneath with small tacks, and this without the least injury to the table. Grey felt is preferred by many, because it is less likely to stain the cloth than a coloured substance, and is also less expensive.
Tablecloths and table-napkins should be of as good a quality as means will afford, alike in design when possible, and in Chapter LXVI. will be found full instructions for folding serviettes.
Table-linen should be very slightly starched, for, if made too stiff, the corners of the tablecloths, instead of falling in natural folds, stand out in an awkward fashion, and the table-napkins are unpleasant to use.
A good rule is to allow 24 inches for each person's accommodation. Where the table is necessarily a little too large, a little more room does not matter, but on no account give less, for there is no greater misery than to be crowded.
FAMILY AND WEDDING BREAKFASTS
Breakfast.—The word breakfast is an abbreviation of "breaking the fast." The German word for this is "Frühstück " (early bit), and the French give to their first meal the name of Déjeuner á la Tasse, because this early repast is a simple one, consisting merely of a roll, or bread and butter, and a cup of coffee or chocolate. The French Déjeuner á la Fourchette is almost identical with the English luncheon. It generally comprises a variety of more or less substantial dishes, served with wine or other beverages, but not tea or coffee, unless taken after the meal, and is termed "Fourchette," because it consists of food eaten with a fork. The French Dejeuner a la Tasse really corresponds with the English "early tea," or "early coffee," and, like it, is generally taken in the bedroom before dressing. Soup and bread constitute the morning meal of many of the working classes of France.
Breakfast Dishes.—The English breakfast, even when taken at an early hour, is usually a substantial one. This custom no doubt dates from a semi-barbarous age. when royal and noble ladies breakfasted off barons of beef and tankards of ale. Tea was not known in England until the seventeenth century, when Catherine Braganza, the wife of Charles II, is said to have introduced it, and history records that tea found great favour with the fair dames who graced the Court of that period. It is almost needless to add that its high price precluded its general use. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the cheaper kinds cost from 6s. to 7s. per pound, and about 1850 the price was reduced to 5s. per pound, but after the reduction of the duty in 1865 the consumption rapidly increased.
The moral and physical welfare of mankind depends largely on its breakfast, yet many of those upon whom the responsibility of providing it rests do not realise how far-reaching may be the effects of a good or bad meal. A being well fed and warmed is naturally on better terms with himself and his surroundings than one whose mind and body are being taxed by the discomfort and annoyance of badly cooked or insufficient food. With a well-stocked larder and a sideboard supplied with such good things as game-pies, cold game, galantines of chicken or veal, brawn, potted meat, cold ham and pressed beef, it is an easy matter to gratify the tastes and wishes of all, but no meal taxes the ingenuity of middle-class housewives more than breakfast. In small households there is a constant complaint of lack of variety, and the too frequent appearance of bacon and eggs, which, it must be confessed, is the sheet-anchor of the English cook.
But, notwithstanding this plea for "something new," there are over two hundred ways of dressing eggs, to say nothing of grilled chops, steaks, cutlets, kidneys, fish and mushrooms, anchovy and sardine toast, sausage-rolls, sausages broiled, boiled or fried, meat patties, rissoles, croquettes and croûtes, fish omelette, fish-cakes, fish soused and kedgeree, pressed beef, galantine of beef, potato-chips, potatoes fried in a variety of ways, and a host of other inexpensive and easily prepared dishes. Many of the lower working-classes cannot, of course, afford to provide some of the dishes enumerated above, but the present work includes an almost endless variety of preparations of a simple, inexpensive character, which might be advantageously used to relieve the monotony of breakfast.
The Service of Breakfast varies very little, no matter how simple or elaborate the meal. On the cottage table, the breakfast-ware, teapot, bread, butter, and dish of bacon, or whatever constitutes the homely fare, all have their allotted places, although the arrangement of the respective articles may not agree with everybody's sense of fitness. Ascending a degree in the scale of life, it is usually found that a touch of refinement is added by plants and flowers. When the table is a small one, the centre of it may be occupied by a single plant, or two plants or bowls of flowers placed equidistant from each other may form the decoration of a larger table. Other appointments depend on the number of persons to be seated and the dishes to be served. When the meal consists of one dish, a knife and fork, either large or small, according to choice, and a small knife for bread and butter, should be laid for each person. When fish is included in the breakfast menu, the knife and fork provided for the service must be placed to the right and left outside the ordinary knife and fork. When the breakfast comprises several dishes, usually three knives and two forks are laid instead of one, but there is a steadily growing tendency in this direction, to avoid an unnecessary display of silver and cutlery. A small plate for bread and butter is placed outside the forks, and the serviette is laid in the space between the knives and forks. No hard-and-fast rules can be laid down for the disposal of the cruets, butter, toast, eggs, marmalade, etc., but they all appear on a properly appointed table, arranged according to the space available, and, of course, some symmetrical order must be maintained. As a rule, one end of the table is occupied by the breakfast ware, sugar, hot and cold milk, tea and coffee pots, and when only one hot dish is provided, it is nearly always placed at the opposite end of the table. When cold dishes are served, such as ham, tongue, potted meats, sardines, etc., they may be placed down the sides of the table.
Wedding Breakfasts.—The orthodox wedding breakfast seems likely to become a thing of the past, so much has it been superseded by the tea and reception which usually follow afternoon weddings. Generally speaking, wedding breakfasts are cold collations, more or less elaborate according to circumstances, and served à la Russe, or otherwise, as may be preferred.
The wines served depend greatly upon both the menu and the means of the donor of the feast. Champagne is the wine most generally drank, but all light wines are admissible.
The bride always cuts the first slice of cake, which is partaken of after the actual meal is finished. The cake is generally cut with a saw provided for that purpose, and this being rather a hard task, the icing being somewhat difficult to cut through, it is generally considered sufficient if she make the first incision.
LUNCHEONS.
Luncheon, derived from O. Eng. lunche, prov. F. lochon, a lump of bread taken from the loaf. Another form of Lump. Cf. Gael, lonach, hungry; Welsh, llwnc, a gulp; or fr. O. Eng. nooning, a repast at noon, corrupted into noonshun, nunchion, nuncheon, then to luncheon.
Luncheon Dishes.—Ordinary luncheons, as a rule, have fewer courses than dinner, but in other respects they are almost identical, and may comprise hors d'oeuvre, soup, fish, meat, poultry or game, sweets and savouries. Hors d'oeuvre are not always served, although they are becoming more popular year by year; either soup or fish is frequently omitted, and the sweets provided are of a comparatively simple character, such as soufflés, milk puddings, fruit tarts, compôte of fruit, etc. DINNER TABLE—OLD FASHIONED STYLE.
.jpg)
The Service of Luncheon varies considerably, for while luncheon à la Russe may be said to predominate in fashionable circles, yet a very large number of people still follow the older custom of having all the hot dishes placed upon the table.
The table arrangements for luncheons served à la Russe are the same as for dinner, the centre of the table being occupied by nothing but fruit, flowers, cruets, and other articles used in the service. Under any circumstances, each cover should comprise two large knives, with forks of corresponding size, but the old custom of placing a small fork and dessertspoon at right angles to them is no longer followed, except at informal meals. When fish is included in the menu, the knife and fork provided for its service must be laid to the right and left, on the outside of those already on the table, and if soup is to be served, a table-spoon must be placed to the right, outside the fish knife. According to present fashion, the maximum allowed to each cover is two large knives and forks, one fish knife and fork, and one tablespoon for soup, all of which should be placed a quarter of an inch from each other, and one inch from the edge of the table. When the dishes are placed upon the table, instead of being served à la Russe, each dish to be carved must be accompanied by appropriate carving-knives and forks, and each entrée, or sweet, by a tablespoon and fork. The wine to be served will determine the number and kind of glasses to be used. If, say, claret, hock and minerals are selected, then tumblers, hock and claret glasses should be provided; but glasses should never appear on the table in a private dining-room unless the wine to which they are appropriate is to be served.
The table-napkins should be placed in the space between the knives and forks, either folded in some neat design that will form a receptacle for the bread, or left unfolded with the bread laid on the top, the latter being the newer, although less effective, method of the two.
A custom that is coming more and more into favour is that of placing a very small cruet to each cover, or sometimes one small cruet is made to do duty for two persons. When fewer and larger cruets are used, each cover should include a small salt-cellar, or, what is still better, a small silver salt-dredger.
It is almost needless to add that the disposal of the dishes, salads, pickles, butter, sifted sugar, water carafes, sauces, etc., is determined by the number of dishes and the space available.
PICNICS
Provided care has been taken in choosing congenial guests, and that in a mixed party one sex does not preponderate, a well arranged picnic is one of the pleasantest forms of entertainment.
Watch carefully not to provide too much of one thing and too little of another; avoid serving plenty of salad and no dressing; two or three legs of lamb and no mint sauce; an abundance of wine and no corkscrew; and such like little mistakes. Given a happy party of young people, bent on enjoyment, these are trifles light as air, which serve rather to increase the fun than diminish it. But, on the other hand, the party may not all be young and merry; it may be very distasteful to some to have to suffer these inconveniences.
The easiest way to arrange that there should be nothing wanting, is to make out a menu, adding all the little etceteras. It is advisable to estimate quantities extravagantly, for nothing is more annoying than to find everything exhausted and guests hungry. Following is a list of articles that should be provided in addition to the repast:
Wines, bottled beer, soda-water, lemonade. Plates, knives, forks, spoons, glasses, tumblers, tablecloth, serviettes, glass cloths, pepper, cayenne, salt, mustard, oil, vinegar, castor sugar, corkscrews and champagne-opener. A chafing dish and accessories are very useful accompaniments to a picnic.
DINNER
Dinner, from Dine; O. Fr. disner, Fr. dîner; Low Lat. disnare, probfrom decoenare; L. de, intensive, and coeno, to dine; or, Fr. dîner, contr. of dėjeuner; from Lat. dis, and Low Lat. jejuno, to fast; Lat. jejunus, a fast.
Dinners in Ancient Times.—It is well known that the dinner-party, or symposium, was a not unimportant, and not unpoetical, feature in the life of the sociable, talkative, tasteful Greeks; their social and religious polity gave them many chances of being merry and making others merry by good eating and drinking. Any public or even domestic sacrifice to one of the gods was sure to be followed by a feast, the remains of the slaughtered "offering" being served up on the occasion as a pious pièce de resistance; and as the different gods, goddesses and demigods worshipped by the community in general, or by individuals, were very numerous indeed, and some very religious people never let a day pass without offering up something or other, the dinner-parties were countless. A birthday, too, furnished an excuse for a dinner—a birthday, that is, of any person long dead and buried, as well as of a living person, being a member of the family or otherwise esteemed. Dinners were of course eaten on all occasions of public rejoicing. Then, among the young people, subscription dinners, very much after the manner of modern times, were always being got up, only they would be eaten not at an hotel, but probably at the house of some leader of fashion. A Greek dinner-party was a handsome, well-regulated affair. The guests arrived elegantly dressed and crowned with flowers. A slave, approaching each person as he entered, took off his sandals and washed his feet. During the repast, the guests reclined on couches with pillows, among and along which were set small tables. After the solid meal came the "symposium" proper, a scene of music, merriment and dancing, the two latter being supplied chiefly by young girls. There was a chairman, or "symposiarch," appointed by the company to regulate the drinking, and it was his duty to mix the wine in the "mighty bowl." From this bowl the attendants ladled the liquor into goblets, and with the goblets went round and round the tables, filling the cups of the guests.
Although poets in all ages have lauded wine more than solid food, possibly because of its more directly stimulating effect on the intellect, yet there have not been wanting those who considered the subject of food not unworthy their consideration, as is shown by the following lines, in which Lord Byron refers to the curious complexity of the results produced by human cleverness and application catering for the modifications which occur in civilised life:—
"The mind is lost in mighty contemplation
Of intellect expanded on two courses;
And indigestion's grand multiplication
Requires arithmetic beyond my forces.
Who would suppose, from Adam's simple ration,
That cookery would have called forth such resources,
As form a science and a nomenclature
From out the commonest demands of nature?"
Adam's ration, however, is a matter on which poets have given contrary judgments. When the angel Raphael paid that memorable visit to Paradise—which we are expressly told by Milton he did exactly at dinner-time—Eve seems to have prepared "a little dinner" wholly destitute of complexity, and to have added ice-creams and perfumes. Nothing can be clearer than the testimony of the poets on these points:—
"And Eve within, due at her home prepared
For dinner savoury fruits, of taste to please
True appetite, and not disrelish thirst
Of nectarous draughts between. . . .
. . . With dispatchful looks in haste
She turns, on hospitable thoughts intent.
What choice to choose for delicacy best,
What order so contrived as not to mix
Tastes not well joined, inelegant, but bring
Taste after taste, upheld with kindliest change
***
She tempers dulcet creams . . ,
then strut's the ground
With rose and odours."
There is infinite zest in the above passage from Milton, and even more in the famous description of a dainty supper, given by Keats, in his "Eve of Saint Agnes." Could Queen Mab herself desire to sit down to anything nicer, both as to its appointment and serving, and as to its quality, than the collation served by Porphyro in the lady's bedroom while she slept:—
"There by the bedside, where the faded moon
Made a dim silver twilight, soft he set
A table, and, half anguish'd, threw thereon
A cloth of woven crimson, gold and jet.
***
While he from forth the closet, brought a heap
Of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd;
With jellies smoother than the creamy curd,
And lucent syrups tinct with cinnamon;
Manna and dates, in argosy transferr'd
From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one,
From silken Samarcand to cedar'd Lebanon."
But Tennyson has ventured beyond dates, and quinces, and syrups, for in his idyll of "Audley Court," he gives a most appetising description of a pasty at a picnic:
"There, on a slope of orchard, Francis laid
A damask napkin wrought with horse and hound;
Brought out a dusky loaf that smelt of home,
And, half cut down, a pasty costly made,
Where quail and pigeon, lark and leveret, lay
Like fossils of the rock, with golden yolks
Imbedded and in jellied."
Dinner.—The art of cooking was little known in England before the sixteenth century. The table appointments in the days of Queen Elizabeth were rich and costly, but the food was more substantial than refined. The Queen's Closet Opened, published in 1662, in the reign of Charles II, contains recipes for chicken-pie, pigeon-pie, potted venison, stewed eels, crab dressed, pancakes and strawberry cake, all of which are of a much more refined character than the dishes that graced the board of the wealthy classes in the sixteenth century. Evidently considerable progress was made during the Stuart dynasty, and more especially in the reign of Queen Anne, this no doubt being, in some measure, due to the royal lady's appreciation of good things. Then followed a period of retrogression, not only in cookery, but in almost every other art and science; for the early Hanoverians, although excellent kings in some respects, did little to promote the general welfare of the people. Matters were not much improved in the reign of George III, for the tastes of that monarch and his homely spouse were too simple for them to enjoy or provide anything but comparatively plain fare. But at the end of the eighteenth century a new order of things came into existence due to the "Exquisites," or "Macaronis," whose one aim in life was to obtain a reputation for originality and refinement. Some sought to win distinction by donning gay apparel, others by endeavouring to gratify, in some original manner, the epicurean taste which one and all tried to cultivate. The notorious extravagances of this period had at least one good result, for they gave a strong impetus to the neglected art of cookery, as is evidenced by the eminence attained by the Chefs-de-Cuisine of that day. Had those culinary artists, to whom we owe so much, lived in the early Hanoverian days instead of during the Regency and reign of George IV, in all probability they would have died unknown.
Service of Dinner.—Dinner à la Russe was introduced into England in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and after a few years' rivalry with the dinner à la Française almost succeeded in banishing the latter. The following menus illustrate the dinner à la Française in its various stages of development. The first menu, dated 1349, in the reign of Edward III, is divided into two courses, all the dishes of each course being, no doubt, arranged on the table at the same time, as was customary in the dinner à la Française of a later date.
COPY OF A BILL OF FARE OF A TWO-COURSE DINNER SERVED IN THE YEAR 1349.
FIRST COURSE.
Browel-farsed and charlet, for pottage.
Baked Mallard. Small Birds, Almond milk served with them.
Capon roasted with the syrup.
Roasted Veal. Pig roasted "endored."
Herons.
A "leche." A tart of flesh.
SECOND COURSE.
Brevet of Almayne and Viand vial for pottage.
Mallard. Roast Rabbit. Pheasant. Venison.
Jelly. A "leche." Hedgehogs.
Pomes de Orynge.
The introduction of soup into the second course is the most remarkable feature of the above menu. "A tart of flesh" was possibly a venison pasty, and the "Hedgehogs," in all probability, were sweet dishes similar to those which bear the name in the present day.
The following menu, dated 1561, of a City Banquet in the early days of Queen Elizabeth, is very remarkable, although it cannot be accepted as typical of that era. We learn that soup graced the upper end of the table, and the roast rabbit the lower, while on the right-hand side of the table were placed the stewed cockles and fried hasty pudding, on the left the poached eggs and broiled mushrooms, and in the centre a dish of black-caps. In the second course, the upper end of the table was occupied by a dish of fried sprats, and the bottom by tripe "ragoo'd" in its own liquor, while rice fritters and oysters were arranged on the right, and eggs a la mode and radishes on the left, the centre of the table being reserved, as in the first course, for the blackcaps.
COPY OF BILL OF FARE OF A TWO-COURSE DINNER SERVED IN THE YEAR 1561.
FIRST COURSE.
Calves' Feet Soup.
Stewed Cockles. Poached Eggs, with Hop tops.
Roast Rabbit. Fried Hasty Pudding.
Broiled Mushrooms. Black-caps.
SECOND COURSE.
Fried Sprats. Stewed Tripe.
Rice Fritters. Eggs à la Mode.
Oysters on Shells. Radishes.
Black-caps.
In the following menu, dated 1720. in the reign of George I, the position of the soup in the first course, and the dish of soles at the end of the second course, will appear strange to those who have not grasped the fact that as all the dishes were placed on the table at the same time, the menu must be regarded simply as a means of conveying the knowledge of the dishes comprising the meal, rather than as an indication of the order of service. This dinner is characteristic of a retrogressive age, during which cookery in England was more substantial than refined.
COPY OF A BILL OF FARE OF A TWO-COURSE DINNER SERVED IN THE YEAR 1720.
FIRST COURSE.
A Westphalian Ham with Chicken.
Carps and Scalloped Oysters.
Soup with Teal. A dish of Sucking Rabbits.
Salads and Pickles.
A Venison Pasty. Roasted Geese.
A Dish of Gurnets. Muble Pie.
Roasted Hen Turkey, with Oysters.
SECOND COURSE.
A Chine of Salmon and Smelts.
Wild Fowls of Sorts.
A Tansy. Collared Pig.
A Pear Tart, creamed.
Sweetmeats and Fruits. Jellies of sorts.
A dish of Fried Soles.
The banquet served at the Mansion House in 1761, when George III introduced his youthful bride to the citizens of London, altogether lacks the artistic arrangement, refinement and variety which characterise royal banquets of a later day. It differs from those of an earlier age, in having four distinct courses, based on Brillat-Savarin's plan of progression from the more substantial to the lighter dishes, but otherwise it has no remarkable features, and is simply interesting as an illustration of a new order of service.
MENU OF A ROYAL CITY BANQUET SERVED TO HIS MAJESTY KING GEORGE III.
London: November 9, 1761.
BILL OF FARE.
King and Queen.
Each four services and removes.
First Service.
Consisting of turreens, fish, venison, etc.
Nine dishes.
Second Service.
A fine roast; ortolans, quails, knotts, ruffs, pea chicks, etc.
Nine dishes.
Third Service.
Consisting of vegetable and made dishes, green pease, green morrells, green truffles, cardoons, etc.
Eleven dishes.
Fourth Service.
Curious ornaments in pastry, jellies, blomonges, cakes, etc.
Nine dishes.
EIGHT OF THE ROYAL FAMILY.
Four on the right hand of the King and four on the left.
Each four services before them as follows:—
First Service.
Consisting of venison, turtle, soups, fish of every sort, viz.: Dorys, mullets, turbots, bets, tench, soals, etc.
Seven dishes.
Second Service.
Ortolans, teals, quails, ruffs, snipes, partridges, pheasants, etc.
Seven dishes.
Third Service.
Vegetables and made dishes, green pease, artichokes, ducks, tongues, fat livers, etc.
Nine dishes.
Fourth Service.
Curious ornaments in cakes, both savoury and sweet, jellies and blomonges in variety of shapes, figures and colours.
Nine dishes.
In striking contrast is the appended menu of a dinner given in 1803. From the menu it will be seen that the dinner was an elaborate one, and the order of service is typical of that which prevailed during the first half of the nineteenth century. Like all dinners à la Française, it consisted of first and second service, of which soup and fish formed no part, these being regarded simply as a prelude to the meal. At the commencement of a dinner à la Française the top and bottom of the table were respectively occupied by dishes of fish. Two soups, one white and the other brown, or if of corresponding colour contrasting in other respects, were disposed at the sides of the table with the centrepiece between them, the fish sauces being placed midway between the centrepiece and the dish of fish to which each sauce was appropriate. In the "First Service" the fish was replaced by the relevés and the soup by the flancs, the hors d'oeuvre and entrées being disposed at the corners and down the sides of the table. In the "Second Service" all the cold entremets, whether sweet or savoury, were arranged in the centre of the table, a space on either side of the centrepiece being reserved for the flancs, and the top and bottom for dishes of game. The game being disposed of, the dishes were replaced by hot sweets. This service being concluded, cheese, butter and biscuits, with celery, cucumber and salad were handed round, after which, when the table was cleared and the cloth drawn, the dessert and wine were placed on the bare shining mahogany of polished oak, and thus concluded the meal.
MENU OF A DINNER SERVED IN 1803.
Potages.
à la Imperatrice.
à la purée de pois verts, à 1'Esturgeon à la Chinoise.
Poissons..
Turbot à la Water. Truites à la Beaufort.
Water-souchet de Limandes.
Hors d'Œuvres.
de Niochi au Parmesan de White-bait frits.
Relevés.
Jambon aux épinards.
Poulardes a la chiory.
Flancs.
Petite pièce de Boeuf, à l'Orléans.
Selle d'Agneau à la Royale.
Entrées.
Boudins de homard Cardinal. Ris d'agneau à la Toulouse. Chartreuse de cailles. Le vol-au-vent à la Neslé.
Filets de canetons aux petits pois.
Suprême de volaille, asperges.
Noisette de veau à la Luynes. Côtelettes de mouton à la Dreuse.
SECOND SERVICE.
Rôts.
Lèvrauts. Oisillon.
Flancs.
Spongada Napolitaine. Ramesquin en caisse.
Entremets.
Pointes d'asperges au beurre fondu. Asperges en branches.
Petits poix à l'Anglaise. Petits pois à la Française.
Aspic de Homard sur socle. Aspic en bellevue sur socle.
Oeufs de pluviers sur socle. Buisson de praion sur socle.
Gelée à la Montmorency. Gelée Macédoine.
Charlotte d' Ananas. Bavaroise au chocolat.
Croquembouches à la Reine. Gâteau de millefeuilles.
Melon en nougat. Bisquit à la Florentine.
When the dinner is placed upon the table, if there is only one chief dish, place it at the head of the table. If two, one to the host and one to the hostess. If three, one (the principal) at the head, and the other two together near the bottom. If four, the two principal at top and bottom, the others at the sides. Six dishes can be arranged as for four. Seven will require three dishes down the middle of the table, and two on either side.
The order of the courses of a modern dinner should be as follows: the soup is very often preceded by a Hors d'œuvre, such as caviare, croûtons, sardines, oysters, or other little appetisants.
The First Course is usually soup, the second fish, then come the entrées (made dishes). The next Course joints, then poultry and game, and after these savoury dishes, then sweets, then cheese and celery. When there are two roast meats they should be opposite colours, i.e. not two whites nor two browns. Entrées require care in handling, there is nearly always gravy with them, and this must not be upset upon the cloth. The last arrangement of dishes—which cannot be called a course, seeing that the dinner is virtually over—the dessert, comprises tastefully-arranged fruits that are most in season.
Following is a specimen menu:
SPECIMEN MENU FOR A DINNER.
| FRENCH. | ENGLISH. |
| Potage. | Soup. |
| Consommé à la Colbert. | Clear Soup with Poached Eggs. |
| Poisson. | Fish. |
| Turbot bouilli. | Boiled Turbot. |
| Sauce aux Huîtres. | Oyster Sauce. |
| Entreés. | Entrées. |
| Ragoût de Foie-gras en Caisses. | Goose Liver Ragoût with White |
| Salmi de Sarcelles aux Olives. | Sauce, served in cases. |
| Salmi of Widgeon with Olives. | |
| Relevé. | Remove. |
| Filet de Boeuf à la Brillat. | Braised Fillet of Beef. |
| Tomates farcies à l'Italienne. | Stuffed Tomatoes. |
| Rôti. | Roast. |
| Faisan bardé au Cresson. | Roast Pheasant with Cresses. |
| Salade de Saison. Pommes frites. | Chipped Potatoes. Salad. |
| Entremets. | Sweets. |
| Omelette à la Célestine. | Omelet with Fruit Preserves. |
| Gelée aux Bananes. | Banana Jelly. |
| Bonne Bouche. | Savoury. |
| Buissons d'Érevisses. | Dressed Prawns. |
| Dessert. | Dessert. |
TO LAY THE CLOTH FOR DINNER
The cloth itself must first be put on straight and evenly, and if at all creased should be pressed with a clean iron over a damp cloth; next follow the decorations, and when these are complete, comes the work of putting on spoons, knives, etc.
Everything necessary for laying the cloth, including the serviettes ready folded, should first be brought into the room, and it is a good plan to put the latter round the table first, so that the same amount of space can be allowed to each person.
These occupy the space between the knives and forks, and in each should be put either a dinner roll or a piece of bread cut rather thick.
Next place the menu cards, if these are used, either one to each person, or one between three and four, if only a few are provided.
The water carafes, cruets and salt cellars may next be laid. Of the former there should be at any rate one at each corner of the table, while there should be a salt cellar between every two persons. We now come to the knives and forks, and of these it is usual to lay two large ones, of each, flanked to the right by a fish knife and a soup spoon, and on the left by the fish fork; other knives and forks are supplied with the plates for the different courses.
The question of what wine is to be drunk at dinner will determine what glasses will be wanted, as the glasses used for dessert are put on afterwards.
Supposing, as is so often the case, sherry, champagne, and claret are to be served, put the proper glasses for each to the right side of each person, setting them in a triangle, with the sherry glass (the first used) at the top, just reaching to the point of the knife, but at a convenient distance from it.
The sideboard requires to be laid as carefully as the dinner-table itself, and everything that can be put there ready for placing on the table afterwards, such as finger glasses, glasses for dessert wine, dessert plates, decanters, and knives, forks, and spoons of every kind should be there ready and carefully arranged. The decanters, salvers, glasses, etc., should be put well at the back of the sideboard, and the plates, knives, forks, etc., neatly laid in front.
When the dinner is not carved on the table, one specially intended for the carver should be prepared with carving knives and forks (the former carefully sharpened beforehand) of various kinds, soup ladle, fish carvers, etc., in the order of serving the dinner, that nothing may delay him when he commences his duties.
If the dessert is not upon the table during dinner, room shoud be found for it on a side table, or at least for all that can be put there.
Champagne, hock, or other sparkling wines that are only uncorked when wanted, may find a place under the sideboard or side tables where the ice pails are to be found; decanted wines are put on the sideboard.
WEDDING, AT HOME, HIGH AND FAMILY TEAS
Wedding teas are very much the same thing as "at home" teas, but are, as a rule, more crowded and less satisfactory than the latter. People ask so many more to tea than they would think of inviting to the now old-fashioned wedding breakfast, and the visitors all come together, as the bride has, as a rule, but a very short time to stay. She cuts the cake, or rather makes the first incision, as at a wedding breakfast, but there are no speeches and but little ceremony.
"At Home" teas differ from the weekly "at homes," which have become institutions in so many families both in town and country. Some entertainment is generally provided, usually music, professional singers and pianists being sometimes engaged. When this is the case, the lady of the house does not often ask her amateur friends to give their services; but sometimes these friends contribute the music, and it is well to make a little plan or programme beforehand, arranging who shall be asked to perform and apprising them of the fact so that they may come prepared. The hostess, even if she be herself musical, has her time taken up very fully with receiving and looking after her guests, and unless she sings the first song or plays the first piece should leave herself free to devote herself to her guests. The instrumental pieces chosen on these occasions should not be long ones, and a good break should be made between each song, solo or recitation for conversation, people going more to these entertainments to meet their friends and have a chat than for the sake of the music. Introductions are not the rule at "at homes," but they can be made when there is any necessity. The tea is not served in the drawing-room as at smaller " at homes," but at a buffet in the dining-room, where people go during the afternoon, or sometimes as they leave, to partake of the light refreshments provided.
Women-servants, or sometimes hired attendants, do all the work of pouring out tea or wine or handing sandwiches, etc., unless gentlemen bring refreshments for ladies to where they are seated. At the buffet, people may help themselves or be helped by gentlemen if there be not a sufficient number of attendants.
A weekly "At Home" tea is served upon small tables, the servant before bringing it in seeing that one is placed conveniently near his mistress, who generally dispenses the tea. No plates are given for a tea of this kind, and the servant or servants, after seeing that all is in readiness, leave the room, the gentlemen of the party doing all the waiting that is necessary.
The tea equipage is usually placed upon a silver salver, the hot water is in a small silver or china kettle on a stand, and the cups are small. Thin bread and butter, cake, and sometimes fresh fruit are all the eatables given.
High tea.—In some houses it is a permanent institution, quite taking the place of late dinner, and to many it is a most enjoyable meal, young people preferring it to dinner, it being a movable feast that can be partaken of at hours which will not interfere with tennis, boating or other amusements, and but little formality is needed. At the usual high tea there are probably to be found one or two small hot dishes, cold chickens, or game, tongue or ham, salad, cakes of various kinds, sometimes cold fruit tarts, with cream or custard, and fresh fruit. Any supper dish, however, can be introduced, and much more elaborate meals be served, while sometimes the tea and coffee are relegated to the sideboard, and wine only, in the way of drink, put upon the table. In summer it is not unusual to have everything cold at a high tea.
At Family teas, cake, preserve, sardines, potted meats, buttered toast, tea cakes and fruit are often provided, in addition to the tea, coffee, and bread and butter. Watercress and radishes are nice accompaniments in summer.
The hours for family teas may vary in many households, but are generally governed by the time of the dinner that has preceded them, and the kind of supper partaken of afterwards. Where this is of a very light character, such as a glass of wine and a slice of cake, or the more homely glass of beer and bread and cheese, a 6 to 7 o'clock tea would not be late, and a few savouries or eggs would be needed in addition to the bread and butter and cake so generally found; but where a substantial supper is to follow the tea the latter would be of a very light description and should be served as early as 5 to 6 o'clock.
BALL, GUEST AND FAMILY SUPPERS
As a rule, ball—suppers with the exception of the soup, which should be white or clear—are cold ones, consisting of mayonnaises, game, poultry, pies, pasties, galantines, salads, creams, jellies and other sweets, with plenty of fresh fruit according to the season of the year. They may be served at a buffet or at a table, or tables, where every one can sit down, but the viands are the same, and it is an essential thing that a ball supper should be prettily and daintily laid. The dishes, being all put upon the table, require more garnishing than they would if served at dinner, and a great deal of taste may be displayed in the arrangement of a supper. Colours should be prettily contrasted; all savoury dishes should be made to look as tasteful as possible with their various glazings, aspic jelly, fancy skewers, and plenty of green should give relief to the colour.
Guest Suppers are, as a rule, cold ones, only varied by an occasional dish of cutlets, scalloped oysters, or fried fish. Fish being food of a light character, is very suitable for light suppers, but heavy foods are better avoided. In summer, mayonnaises of fish, rissoles of chicken, cold poultry, salads, and a few sweets may form the basis of a guest supper, and in winter, soups, cutlets, small birds and salmis of various kinds will be found acceptable and not difficult of digestion.
Family Suppers. At these, food of a light description should be served, and to make these meals enjoyable, the dishes should be as varied as possible. Fish re-dressed in the form of mayonnaises, croquettes, or pies, can easily be made into a good supper dish; the remains of poultry or game hashed make a tempting and savoury one where hot dishes are liked, and all kinds of odds and ends can, with a little ingenuity, be utilised to form more appetising food at supper time than perpetual cold meat. Salad or cucumber should not be wanting at the family meal in summer, when such things are plentiful and cheap, while in winter a few cold potatoes fried make a nice addition, or a well-made potato salad. As with breakfast dishes, those for supper are more a question of trouble and time than cost; but food that we can enjoy instead of food for which we have no relish has such a material difference of effect upon our system. We may conclude our observations on the last meal of the day by a word of advice to the housewife, to have it, as far as lies in her power, suited to the taste of all.
There is a prejudice against suppers for children, and many little ones go hungry to bed, particularly in summer, when they may have been running in a garden since their early tea. A very light supper of cake or bread and butter with milk or lemonade, according to taste and season, should be given to those children who have a long interval between tea time and bed time, and will not be found in any way injurious.
HOW TO WAIT AT TABLE
The servants who wait at table are usually a butler and several footmen, or one man-servant and a parlour-maid, but in many cases parlour-maid and housemaid only. If hired waiters are employed, they must be very neatly attired in a black dress suit and a white necktie.
The women-servants should wear muslin aprons (white) and collar, cap and cuffs. They should be quick-sighted, deft-handed, and soft of foot. There should be at least one servant or waiter on each side of the table, at a moderately large dinner party. The waiting commences from the head of the table, and there must be assistants, outside the door, to bring the dishes and remove them entirely from the room. When the dinner is served on the table the waiter must stand at the left-hand side of the carver, and remove the covers. As the soup comes first, a plateful is carried to each person, unless they signify they do not wish for any, and commences from the one on the right of the host. The sherry and claret then are handed round. The moment a person's plate is empty, or finished with, it must be quietly taken away, spoon and all. These soiled plates are all carried to their proper receptacle, a zinc-lined basket for the purpose, standing in a convenient corner near the sideboard. The soup-tureen is removed last. All forks, spoons, and cutlery, when dirty, are placed in boxes or baskets similar to the plate bucket or basket, with a cloth at the bottom; the cloth is for two good purposes that there may be no unnecessary noise, and that the articles therein shall not be scratched or otherwise damaged. The fish is carried round in the same manner as the soup, the attendant having in the left hand the sauce-tureen, or being followed by another servant carrying it. All plates are placed and removed by the waiter at the left-hand of the carver, or of the person being served. Sauces are next taken round, and then the wine. Entrées are almost invariably handed, even when the joints are carved upon the table. When the joint comes on, and the meat has been taken to the guests as before, the vegetables (which are usually placed upon the sideboard, and not on the table) are handed about, together with a tureen of gravy for fowls or birds. The same process is gone through with respect to the soiled plates. Dinner over, the crumb-brushes are brought into requisition; the dessert-plates arranged upon the table; and after everything is in proper order, a few dishes are handed round by the attendants, who then leave the room. In handing beer, which is not now much drunk at dinners that come at all under the head of "party dinners," or the aerated waters now always given, the attendants take the small tray or salver in the left hand, and, standing at the left side of the guest who places his or her glass upon it to be filled, pours out the liquid with the right hand.