Show TICKLE THE TASTE c i How to Tempt a Poor or Fickle Appetite WHAT PREPARATIONS TO TAKE How to Set the TableThe Order of Serving Sparkling Winei are not Decanted A Choice Henu For TEE SUNDAY HERALD Copyrighted HYLLIS I have a I case full of Albanian wine upwards of nine years old I have I parsley in the garden for the weaving of chaplets The house shines cheerfully with fitj plate all hands are busyBoracc XI Ode Some old French wit spoke of an idea which could be canonized Perhaps yet we may have a St Tablecloth There have been worse saints than St Tablecloth I = and clean linen since the days of Louis XHI1 XIIIWe We notice in the old pictures of feasting that the tablecloth was itself a picture lace in svuares blocks and stripes sometimes some-times lace only over a color but generally mixed with linen It was the highest ambition of the Dutch housewife to have double damask of snowy whiteness and very much of it in her table linen chest That is still the grand reliable table linen No one can go astray who uses it But tabe linen Is now embroidered in colored cottons or it is eliminated of half of its threads and then sewed over into lacework lace-work It is then thrown over a color generally gen-erally bright red There Is no end now to the luxury of table linen Ladies order twentyfour dozen KAPKINS FROM DRESDEN where the drawn work is done to perfection perfec-tion Not a particle of coarse food must go on that table cloth Everything must be brought to each guest from the broad magnificent mag-nificent buffet all must be served a la Russe from behind a grand impenetrable screen which should fence off every dining room from the butlers pantry and the kitchen And now the tablecloth being laid let us watch the butler and tho myrmidons set the table He is a portly man presumably the butler but-ler with a clean shaven face of English parentage He has the key of the wine cellar cel-lar and of the silver chest two heavy responsibilities re-sponsibilities for nowadays not to go into the Question oi the wines the silver chest is getting weighty silver and silvergilt dishes having been banished for five years are now reasserting their preeminent fitness fit-ness for the dinner table The plates maybe may-be of solid silver so are the high candlesticks candle-sticks and the salt cellars of various and beautiful designs after Benvenuto Cellini The old silver is reappearingbeing burnished burn-ished up and happy the hostess who has a real Queen Anne teapot The soup tureen of silver has reappeared and SO HAVE THE OLD BEER MUGS The butler contracts his brows into a magisterial frown sees that each footman has a napkin over his arm and proceeds to unlock the plate chest and the glass closet Measuring with bis hana from the edge of the taole to the end of his middle finger he places the first glass This measurement is continued along the table and secures a uniform line for the water goblet and the claret wine hock and champagne classes which are grouped about it He then causes a plate to be put at each place large enough to contain the majolica plate for oysters which will come later on One footman is detailed to fold the napkins which should be large thick fine and serviceable for this stage of the dinner The napkins are not folded in any hotel device but simply in a pyramid that will stand holding a roll or piece of bread The knives forks and spoons each of which is wiped by the footman with a clean towel that no dampness of his own hand may mar their sparkling cleanness are then distributed dis-tributed Two knives three forks and a soup spoon all of silver should be laid at each plate Before each plate is placed a little unit cellar of pretty device A carafe holding water should be put on very late fresh from the ice chest Very thin glasses are used for the CEOICi SHERRY AXD MADEIRA and are not put on until the latter part of the dinner as they may be broken Menu Holders or card holders of china or silver are often placd before each plate to I hold the card on which the name of the I guest is printed and the bill of fare from which he is to choose These may be dispensed dis-pensed with however and the menu and name laid by each plate The butler now turns his attention to his sideboards and tables He lays out large forks and small forks large knives and small tablespoons tea and coffee spoons dessert spoons and forks fish knife and fork rows of claret sherry and Madeira glasses and an immense reserve of plates On another sideboard or table should be placed the finger bowls and glasses dessert plates the coffee cups and saucers On the table nearest the door should be the carving carv-ing knives and the dinner plates to be used Here the butler or the head footman does the carving after showing the dish to his mistress He divides the fish and carves the fillet the haunch of venison or the turkey tur-key or the saddle of mutton later on the delicious canvas back It is from this table D that all should be served and if the butlers pantry is large enough it should stand in thereWith there-With the fish the footman offers chiblis or some kind of white wine with the soup sherry with the fillet champagne each guest being asked if he PREFERS DRY OR SWEET CHAMPAGNE As the plates are removed they should not be kept in the dining room but sent to the kitchen immediately a maid standing outside to receive them so that no disorder of the dinner may reach the senses of the guests not even an unpleasant odor As each plate is removed a fresh plate must be put in its place Sparkling wines hocks and champagnes are not decanted but are kept in ice pails and opened as required On the sideboard is kept the vine decanted for use which is poured out as needed After the game with which Chambertin is offered the port madeira and sherry may be placed on the table tableo tablespoons should be laid on the table except the soup spoons although there may be handsome gold and silver spoons of old Dutch Russian or Norwegian laid about for ornament To wait on a large dinner party the attendants average one to every three people and when only a butler and one or two footmen are kept it is necessary to HIKE ADDITIONAL SERVANTS Previous to the announcement of the dinner the footman places on the serving table the soup tureen and the soup plates As soon as the oysters are eaten and the plates removed the butler begins with the soup and sends it around by two footmen one on each side each carrying two plates Each footman should approach the gdests on the left so that tbe right hand may be used for taking the plate A ladlefu of I soup is enough to serve An experienced servant must serve the WIDe The overfilling of a glass should be avoIded The servants who pass the entrees should I 5510W dscretJon A large tablespoon and fork should be placed on the dish which is held low so that tha guest may help himself him-self easily the servant serving at his left hand A servant should have a napkin over 1l1a left hand as he passes a dish i = Th If the champagne bottles arenot put in a silver holder a napkin should be held M > imd them AH tha moisture driDDuur = 1 t J i from the icechest makes them dangerous to ladies dresses There are many conflicting opinions about the proper place for the cheese in the order of serving The old fashion was to serve it last It is BOW served after the salad uA dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman with one eye says an old gourmet Eat cheese after fruit to prepare the palate for fresh wine sara another AFTER MELON WINE is A FELON If it is true that Uan American devours an Englishman eats and a Frenchman dines then we must take the French fashion fash-ion and gives the cheese after the salad Toasted cheese savouries are very nice The Roman punch should be served just before the game It is a very refreshing interlude The ices follow the dessert or form it asa as-a lady pleases At Christmas time a plum pudding all on fire is in order When the ices are removed a desert plate of glass with a finger bowl is placed I before each person with two glasses one I for sherry one for claret or burgundy and j the grapes peaches pears and other fruits j i are then passed i After the fruits go round the bon bons and a little dried ginger a very pleasant conserve finish the dinner I The hostess makes the sign for retiring to a salon perhaps rich with magnificent hangings of old gold with pictures with vases of Dresden of Sevres of Kioto with I statuary and specimens of Capo di Monti I There coffee may be brought and served in II cups which Catherine Russia might have I given to Potemkin I THE GENTLEMEN REMAIN BEHIND TO SMOKE In the selection of the cowers for the table get flowers of one color and of not too heavy a oerf ume Avoid the tuberose the orange flower the jassaminc the hj a cloth and the lilac as their odor is poison to some people VVe have used the term footman to designate desig-nate the servant called a waiter A waiter in England is a hired hotel hand not a private servant And it would prevent disagreeable mistakes mis-takes ifwe would make this correction in our ordinary conversation This is the arrangement of a splendid dinner Now want should be the bill of fare 1 fareThis This is hard to answer as the delicacies vary with the season But we will venture on one Oysters on the half shell Sherry sours Cremo dAsperges Julienne I FISH Fried Smelts Salmon Fresh Cucumbers Champagne Filet de Boeuf with Truffles and Mushrooms Fried Potatoes Claret ENTREES Poulet a la Marechale Petlts Pots Timbale de MaccaronL Sweet Breads Vegetables Artichokes Sorbet a Roman Punch Steinberger GAME Wild Duck with Currant Jelly Quail and Watercresses Salad of Lettuce Salad of Tomato Ruderaheimer Pate de foe gras Hot dessert Cabinet pudding Cold dessert Creme glace aux Tutti FruttL Lrt Maderia Cakes Port Matron glaces Preserved Ginger Cheese Cafe Cordials I apologize to my readers for mixing thus French and English It is a vulgar habit and should be avoided But it is almost impossible to avoid it when speaking of a dinner as the cooks being French the menus are written in French and the names of certain dishes are usually written in French Now all people understand French or should do so If they dODot it is very easy to learn that the Vol au vent de volaille is simply chicken pie that potatoes po-tatoes are still potatoes under whatever alias they are served and so on No such dinner as this can be well served in a private house unless the cook is a chief a cordon blue f here we must use French again and unless the service is perfect this dinner will be a failure It is better to order such a dinner from Del monicos or Sherrys or from the best man you can command Do not attempt it and failBut But the little dinners given by housekeepers house-keepers whose service is perfect are apt to be more eatable and palatable than the best dinner from a restaurant where all the food is cooked by gas and tastes alike Now as to the number of guests that is determined by the size of the room THE ETIQUETTE OF ENTERING the dining room is this The host goes first with the most distinguished lady The hostess follows last with the most distinguished gentleman Great care and attention must bo observed ob-served in seating the guests This is the province of the hostess who 0must consider the subject carefully All this must be written out and a diagram made of the table the names of the ladies to be taken in a written card with the name of the lady on it is inclosed in an envelope en-velope to the gentleman who is to have that honor Ho must find it on the hall table as he goes into the drawing room Then with the dinner card at each place the guests find their own places The lady of the house should be dressed and in the drawing room at least five minutes before the guests are to arrive which should be punctually How long should a hostess wait for a tardy guest Only fifteen minutes But it is well to say to the butler Dinner must be served at 730 and the guests may be asked at 7 That generally insures the arrival of all before the fish is spoiled Let the company then go to dinner din-ner allowing the late comer to follow He must come in alone blushing for his sins No great dinner in Europe waits for any body ROYALTY IS ALWAYS PUNCTUAL Erin seating ones guests do not put husband hus-band and wife sisters or relations together An old courtesy book of 1290 says Consider about placing each person in the post that befits him Between relations it behooves to place others midway sometimes And we should respect the superstitions of the dinner table Few are freo from the feeling that thirteen thir-teen is an unlucky number so avoid that as no one wishes to make a guest uncomfortable uncom-fortable There is a strong prejudice against spil i ling the salt but the evil consequences can i be avoided by throwing a pinch of salt over I the left shoulder I A dinner is not however a matter of 1 butler or chef alone i I have just seen from a person who ought know the following remarks Mr Elbridge T Gerry says There are in society some newlyad mitted members who with the best intentions inten-tions imacinable are unable to do things in just the proper style They are persons of wealth fairly good breeding and possessed of a desire to entertain With all the good humored witticisms that the newspapers I I indulge in on this subject it is neverthe j less a fact that the art of entertaining requires re-quires deep and careful study as well as natural aptitude Some of the greatest authors have stated this in poetry and prose > proseA typical member of this now class recently I re-cently gave a dinner to anumber of I I PERSONS IN SOCIETY It was a very dull affair There was prodigality pro-digality in everything but no taste ana no refinement The fellow amused one by telling one he had no trouble in getting up a fine dinner he had only to tell his butler and chef to get up a meal for so many persOns per-sOns and the whole thine was done There are few persons fortunate to possess chefs and butlers of that kind He certainly was not Of the persons who attended his dinner din-ner nine out of ten were displeased and will never attend another It does not take long for the experienced member society to know whether a host or hostess is qualified qual-ified to entertain and the climbers soon find it a hard piece of business to secure guests It is the personal trouble which a host and hostess are willing take it is the intimate association of a cultivated nature with the practical business of entertaining t kWi jacket the perfect dinnwv I J l r Conviviality concerns everythinghence I it produces fruits of all flavors All the ingenuity of man has been for centuries concentrated upon increasing and intensifying the pleasures of the table I TOE GREEKS CRCD FLOWERS to adorn vases and to crown the guests They ate under the vault of heaven in gardens in groves In the presence of all the marvels of nature To the pleasures of the table were joined the charm of music and the souqd of instruments Whilst the court of the king of the Phoenicians Phoeni-cians were feasting Phenius f minstrel celebrated the deeds of the warriors of bygone by-gone times I Often too dancers and jugglers and comic actors of both sexes and in every ccstume came to engage the eye without lessening the pleasures of the table Quotations Quo-tations from the Greek and Latin authors I would fill a library did we attempt to I quote them But it is not now thought I I necessary to bring up these accessories to the dinner table Let the disties be exceedingly choice and but few in number and the wines of the best quality Let the order of serving be from the more substantial to the lighter Lot the eating proceed without hurxy or bustle since the dinner is the last business I of the day and let the guests look upon themselves as travelers about to reach the same destination together Let the coffee be hot and the liquors chosen with peculiar care Let the guests be detained by the social enjoyment and animated with the hope that before the evening is over there is still some pleasure in store OUR MODERN HOSTESSES who understand the art of entertaining are very apt to have some music or some recitations reci-tations in the drawing room after the dinner din-ner and in England it is often made the occasion of an evening party Thus gourmandize is that social love of good dinners which combines in ono Athenian elegance Roman luxury and Parisian refinement It implies discretion to arrange skill to prepare and taste to direct di-rect It cannot be done superficially and I well To be well done a dinner must be thougLt outBy right divine man is the king of nature na-ture and all that the earth produces is for him It is for him that the quail is fattened the grape ripened For him alone tho i Mocha possesses so agreeable an aroma for i him the sugar has such wholesome properties 0 proper-ties He and he alone banquets in company and so far from good living being hurtful to man Brillat Savarin declares that the gourmands have a larger dose of vitality than other men But they have their sorrows and the worst of them is a bad dinner an illcon sidered wretchedly composed overburdened overburden-ed repast in which there is little enjoyment i enjoy-ment for the brain and a constant disappointment dis-appointment to the palate M E W SntiiwooD |