Prepare and Serve a Meal and Interior Decoration | Page 8

at an especially large official dinner, a banquet or a
large hotel spread.
After dinner plates have been taken away the salad (already arranged
on the plate, the fork on the right hand side) is served from the right,
and sandwiches are passed. The variety of possible salads has already
been alluded to in the consideration of the formal luncheon, hence
nothing need be added here on that head.
With the emptied salad plate are removed peppers and salts (on tray)
and the table crumbed, the ice cream plate (as at the formal luncheon)
is placed. The ice cream mold is passed with _the mold already cut, but
retaining its shape_, to facilitate the guest's helping himself. Together
with the ice cream, the accompanying small cakes are passed.
The appearance of the finger bowl service follows the removal of the
dessert plates. The finger bowl should be approximately one-fourth full
of luke-warm water (never cold) and garnished. The dessert plate is
removed with the left hand, the plate, finger bowl, and doily served
with the left. The passing of the bonbons concludes the actual service at
the table.

Coffee, as already mentioned, is poured by the hostess in the drawing
room and, after the waitress has collected and removed the coffee
service (and cups and saucers) she may, in the event that cordials are
served, return with the cordial service, which the hostess pours and the
waitress serves as in the case of the coffee.
If the ladies only retire to the drawing room, one waitress serves them
there with coffee, while another remains in the dining room. Here she
passes cigars and cigarettes on a tray, together with a lighted candle or
matches, and then serves coffee and cordials or brandy and soda.
It is good form for the waitress to serve carbonated water in apollinaris
glasses in the drawing room about an hour after the conclusion of the
dinner.
THREE FORMAL DINNER MENUS
0. Grapefruit. Chicken Consomme with Oysters. Bread Sticks (served
like roll in napkin). Deviled Crabs. Chicken Mousse with
Sauterne Jelly. Saddle of Mutton. White Potato Croquettes.
Carrots and Turnips a la Poulette. Currant Mint Sorbet.
Mushrooms au Casserole. Roast Grouse, Bread Sauce.
Watercress Salad. Willard Souffle. Strawberry Ice Cream. Salted
Almonds. Bonbons. Crackers and Cheese. Black Coffee.
0. Oyster Cocktail. Saltines. Mushroom and Sage Soup. Dinner Braids.
Lobster Chops. Cucumber Boats. Sauce Tartare. Swedish
Timbales with Calf's Brains. Larded Fillet of Beef with Truffles.
Brown Mushroom Sauce, Potato Rings. Flageolets. Buttered
Carrots. Asparagus Jelly with Pistachio Bisque. Ice Cream.
Cream Sponge Balls. Salted Almonds. Bonbons. Water Thins.
Neufchatel Cheese. Black Coffee. (From "A Book of Good
Dinners for My Friend": Fannie Merrit Farmer.)
0. Cocktails. Caviar Sandwiches. Selected Strawberries. Mock Bouillon.
Olives. Sherry. Rolled Cassava Cakes. Turbans of Flounder.
Dressed Cucumbers. Rolls. Delmonico Tomatoes. Roasted
Incubator Chickens. Chantilly Asparagus Potatoes. Buttered
Asparagus Tips. Champagne. Grapefruit and Alligator Pear Salad,
Paprika Crackers. Montrose Pudding. Small Cakes. Coffee.

Cordials. (From "Table Service," Lucy G. Allen).
CHAPTER VII
AFTERNOON TEAS
Afternoon teas are of two kinds, formal and informal, and the informal
outdoor tea in the open, on the lawn or in the garden, is a variant of the
latter variety. Here the tea wagon comes into play, and tea is often tea
in name only, since at summer outdoor teas not only iced tea, but iced
coffee, iced chocolate or punch are often served.
THE INFORMAL TEA
Do not set a table for the informal tea. The tea service is merely
brought to the sun parlor, drawing room or living room in which the tea
is to be served, and placed on the table. There the hostess makes and
pours the tea, unless she prefers to have it brought in on a tea tray
already made for pouring.
The tea service comprises: a teakettle for boiling water with filled
alcohol lamp and matches; a tea caddy with teaspoon and (if only a few
cups are to be made) a tea ball. A tea creamer, cut sugar, a saucer of
sliced lemon, and cups and saucers with spoon on cup saucer, as well as
tea napkins complete the service. The water brought in in the teakettle
should be hot. If this precaution is observed, the tea will boil very soon
after the lamp is lighted. The sandwiches served at an informal
afternoon tea should be very simple: lettuce, olive or nut butter, or plain
bread and butter, nor should the small cakes also passed be elaborate or
rich.
THE FORMAL TEA
The formal tea--a tea becomes formal as soon as cards are sent out for
it--is a very different affair. As many as four ladies may pour, two
during the first, and two during the second hour. Friends of the
hostess--they serve all refreshments, though waitresses assist, removing
soiled cups