Dinners and Luncheons - Paul Pierce (best novels for beginners .txt) 📗

Respectfully dedicated to the overworked, perturbed American hostess in the sincere hope that the suggestions herein may lighten her perplexities and transform her work of entertaining from a task of dread to one of delight.

This little book is the first of a series containing suggestions for entertaining, which will give the hostess novel and practical ideas on the manner of preparing and conducting various social affairs. There is also another volume on Parties and Entertainments, one on Suppers, and another on Breakfasts and Teas and a fifth on Weddings and Wedding Celebrations. These volumes, it should be remembered, have been compiled by the publisher of What To Eat, The National Food Magazine, America's leading publication upon entertainments, dinners, menus, recipes and the other subjects of importance to the hostess.

With the exercise of a little ingenuity and originality, the directions may be varied—added to or altered—to suit all needs. This first book is designed especially to describe those dinners and luncheons which, while complete in themselves, also afford the best suggestions for others.

The Publishers.

Chapter I. Dinner Giving for the Convenience of Busy Housewives—Upon the Serving of Wines.

Chapter II. How to Send the Invitation—How to Serve in Proper Form Dinners and Luncheons With Menus and Recipes—The Invitation—Dinner Menus—Simple Menu—More Elaborate Menu—A Full Course Dinner—The Ease of a Course Dinner—A Fine Menu—A Mid-Summer Dinner—Luncheon Menus—Simple Luncheon—More Elaborate Luncheon—A Berry Luncheon—Mid-Summer Luncheon—A Rural Luncheon—Buffet Luncheon for Sixty.

Chapter III. Dinners and Entertainments for Patriotic, Holiday and Special Occasions—Valentine Luncheon—A Lincoln Dinner—For St. Patrick's Day—Attractive Easter Luncheon—Cap and Bells Luncheon for April First—Decoration Day Luncheon—For a Hallowe'en Dinner—A Fourth of July Dinner—A Luncheon for Thanksgiving—Thanksgiving Dinner—A Christmas Dinner—An unusually Original Dinner—A Spring Dinner—College Dinners.

Chapter IV. "Ice Breakers," Suggestions for Dinner, Menu and Place Cards, Table Stories, Toasts, Table Decorations.

Chapter V. Helps Over Hard Places—Hints to the Hostess—Don'ts for the Table—The Emergency Mistress—Passing the Loving Cup.

Three things are required to give an enjoyable dinner party; good taste, good judgment and an intuitive sense of harmony. Good taste suggests the proper thing in table dressing, in menu cards, in viands and beverages. Good judgment dictates the fortunate time, the appropriate guests, the seasonable dishes and topics; and last, a sense of harmony is the quality that throws a glamour over all, combining pleasant parts in one symmetrical whole, making a picture "distinct like the billows, but one like the sea." This sense of harmony never yokes uncongenial persons at table, except through unavoidable necessity. It is on the alert to suggest congenial topics and deftly turn the conversation away from disputed or disagreeable ones. It will often succeed in putting a garrulous and self-assertive man who likes to talk all the time, beside a mild and inoffensive woman who is content if she has naught to do but listen and—eat. It will swell the heart of a silent man with gratitude by reversing this action and placing beside him a woman who chatters like a magpie. It will often turn the stupid guest, who for various reasons will, in spite of all, occasionally appear at the best of tables, over to an intimate friend to whom a sacrifice for the sake of the host or hostess is a pleasure thus saving the formal guest and maintaining the reputation of the household for excellent management. In fact this sense of harmony is the essence that permeates and vitalizes the entire proceedings and assures success to the hostess, because it guarantees pleasure to the guests.

Nervousness, annoyance, anxiety on the part of the host or hostess during the serving of dinner are the deadly foes of enjoyment. If you feel these, therefore avoid showing them as you would avoid doing any other act sure to bring discomfort to those you are entertaining. Nothing conduces more to the enjoyment of guests than the fact that the host is sharing the enjoyment. What if some servant blunders or some dish is spoiled! It is aggravating, of course, but in most cases it will afford amusement if the host regards the blunder good naturedly. Of course no lady or gentleman will lose temper under such circumstances. Such an exhibition would be unspeakably vulgar; but there ought not to be even a display of irritation or a pursuing of the subject beyond a passing and good natured remark.

There is, however, a tendency on the part of too many hosts to fix their thoughts intently on the dinner and the way it is served. They try to show an interest in the conversation, while throwing furtive glances at the servants and taking occasion to communicate orders or complaints in asides. It is far better to say, "John, give Mr. Black some wine," than to communicate the order by nods and winks as if you were secretly ashamed to have Black know that you were observing his consumption of fluids, or were trying to get him intoxicated surreptitiously. Really, of the two evils, it is better to be too inattentive—to let a course wait even—than to be on the alert, watching the dilatory eater and summoning the servant the moment he lays down his knife.

A young housekeeper in medium circumstances should never attempt too much, too large a number of guests or too many courses. It is always best to practice the dishes before, in fact, if exquisite cooking and cooking even on the smallest scale, is the daily habit, no company, however large, can upset the hostess or her domestics.

And a woman who cultivates the art of little dinners soon becomes famous; men admire her and envy her husband, women dote on her, for an invitation means brightness and merriment as well as a congenial companion. The young married woman who is expert in blending sauces, is just as clever in mixing the human elements of attraction and amalgamation.

Refreshments, daintily served, stimulate conversation; ice cream breaks the ice, so to speak, and warms the company. Serving food is a visible demonstration of hospitality which all the philosophy in the world cannot cover.

Gorgeous ornamentation of dinner table is conceded to be bad form. The embellishment—the ornate, if you will—has been overdone, and now there is a reaction which tends to simplicity extreme expressed by a handsome centerpiece and a moderate exposition of not common flowers.

A different kind and color of china with every course is affected by those whose cabinet is crowded and who are proud of it, but this pride has its limitations among people of refinement and culture. This class does not give dinners simply to exhibit earthly treasure and create envy, and, perhaps, covetousness, too.

The larger the table napkin the better. A yard square is none too big, and pleasantly recalls the Parisians, whose liberality in damask is proverbial but not a characteristic in anything else. The material should be the best obtainable, and the design the most beautiful. Any lace edging or embroidery, plain or colored, is just as bad taste as quinine.

Knives, forks and spoons now-a-days, for almost everything, are somewhat confusing to those who do not dine out with sufficient frequency to keep up with the continually advancing procession. Some of these knives, forks and spoons are quite unnecessary, not to say silly, but the business of the silversmith must be considered.

Place cards at dinners should be retained because the host or hostess has had them prepared in expectation of their being retained and preserved as souvenirs. Ignoring them would be disrespect, and such disrespect, under the social circumstances, would be unpardonable.

In planning a regular dinner the fact should always be remembered, that a heavy soup will so far cloy the appetite as to render one indifferent to the rest of the dinner, while a clear soup refreshes, and prepares one for the enjoyment of the succeeding solids. The fish and entrees should not be substantial enough to satisfy hunger entirely; the relishes will then stimulate the appetite for the heavier dishes. The service of Roman Punch before the roast refreshes the palate, and prepares it for the more perfect enjoyment of the succeeding dishes; it is as necessary to the service of a good dinner as cheese is with plain salad. When olives are on the table, they go well with entrees of game; French chestnuts boiled, are excellent with poultry; and almonds, blanched and roasted with salt, are enjoyable with Madeira or Sherry before the sweet entrements. Only a plain vegetable salad should accompany the roast or game; and a bit of any old cheese may be passed with the salad. Cheese straws or cheese crusts may be served with the salad. Although the cheese belongs with the salad, it enters into some delicate dishes, such as fondus and souffles, which may come to the table either after the oysters or soup, as relishes, or before the large sweets at dessert, previous to the service of the nuts and fruit. Then comes the dessert. If the dinner is a small one it is perfectly permissible for the hostess to make the coffee at the table, or it may be served in the drawing-room later. Even with the best chosen menu, the success of a dinner depends on the skill of the cook. A good cook appreciates the value of sauces, and will give much care to their preparation, and, above all, will endeavor to preserve the natural flavors of the different dishes. All mingling of flavors is objectionable, except in sauces and salads.

First Course Dishes.—Following are the names of the different courses which make up the detail of the regular dinner, both the English and French names being given. The complete detail of service is indicated, so that the most inexperienced can succeed. The Shellfish (Huitres), includes small raw oysters, and little neck or hard-shell clams on the half-shell at the same time, brown bread, cut very thin and buttered, and cut lemons, salt, cayenne, and some sharp table-sauces are placed upon the table in the original bottles. The Soup (Potage) is varied according to the character of the dinner, either a perfectly clear soup, or consomme, and the other a rich thick one, such as a bisque or cream. A thick cut of bread, or a roll with crisp crust, is placed upon the napkin when the cover, or place, is laid; this is not eaten with the soup usually, but is generally used after it with the shell-fish, hot entree, or at any time during dinner. The Fish (Poisson) may be of any large kind, boiled or baked, and served with a good sauce and plain boiled potatoes. If shell-fish is used at this point of the dinner, this dish should be large and hot, like broiled lobster. The Relishes (Hors d'oeuvre), which