be warmed to the temperature of the room. The
best way to do this is to let them stand in a warm
dining-room some time before they are required,
or if they are wanted in a hurry, the bottles may be
placed in a pail of warm water for a short time.
Champagne and hock, on the other hand, should bo
served very cold. In hot weather it is customary
to place the bottles on ice for an hour or so before
using them. Metal pails are sold for the purpose,
and these are filled with a mixture of broken ice
and salt.
Decanters of wine are not put on the table at
a formal dinner until dessert is served, when claret
and sherry can be placed in front of the host.
To open champagne or other sparkling wines,
first cut the wire with a pair of champagne nippers,
and then cut the strings. Hold the bottle in a
slanting position and remove the cork slowly and
carefully. The bottle must be held on the slant
until the wine has been poured out. When drawing
ordinary bottles, care must be taken not to break
the cork ; the corkscrew should be screwed into
the middle of the cork as straight as possible. A
lever corkscrew is best.
Wine should always be poured out at the right-
hand side of the person seated, and poured out
very carefully. When handing champagne at a
dinner, it is usual to-ask in the first instance if it is
desired, but when handing it later the glass should
be refilled without any comment.
Liqueurs are always served in small liqueur
glasses, on a silver tray or liqueur stand, and handed
at the left-hand side.
When stout or ale is taken, the bottle should be
opened at the sideboard and then poured out
carefully and slowly, holding the bottle at an angle
so that the glass may be filled with ale and not
froth. It should then be handed on a silver waiter.
If it is draught ale, it should be poured out briskly,
and then slowly from a jug in order to give it a
head.
THE ART OF CARVING
Although at the present time the formal dinner is always served a la Russe, when all carving and serving
is done at the side table or in the kitohen, a knowledge of carving is still required at family repasts.
Everyone ought to know how to carve, in fact, it would be a good thing if even the young people in
the house took it in turn to perform this duty. They would not then feel at a loss when they came to
have homes of their own, or when called upon to take the place of their parents.
A knowledge of carving can only be learnt by practice, by actually doing the work oneself, although
previous to this it is a good plan to watch an expert carver at work. The following directions may also
serve as a guide to those who wish to become proficient in the art.
SOME GENERAL DIRECTIONS
To begin with, there should be some general
knowledge of the anatomy of the different joints,
of the relative position of bones, joints, muscles,
and fat ; and also of which are the choicest por-
tions. The most satisfactory way of learning this
is to take the chance, when opportunity occurs, of
studying the various pieces of meat off the table.
In the case of game or poultry, for instance, a bird
might be cut up once in its raw state, and a point
made of examining the different joints.
Page 1038
Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
be warmed to the temperature of the room. The best way to do this is to let them stand in a warm dining-room some time before they are required, or if they are wanted in a hurry, the bottles may be placed in a pail of warm water for a short time. Champagne and hock, on the other hand, should be served very cold. In hot weather it is customary to place the bottles on ice for an hour or so before using them. Metal pails are sold for the purpose, and these are filled with a mixture of broken ice and salt.
Decanters of wine are not put on the table at a formal dinner until dessert is served, when claret and sherry can be placed in front of the host.
To open champagne or other sparkling wines, first cut the wire with a pair of champagne nippers, and then cut the strings. Hold the bottle in a slanting position and remove the cork slowly and carefully. The bottle must be held on the slant until the wine has been poured out. When drawing ordinary bottles, care must be taken not to break the cork ; the corkscrew should be screwed into the middle of the cork as straight as possible. A lever corkscrew is best.
Wine should always be poured out at the right-hand side of the person seated, and poured out very carefully. When handing champagne at a dinner, it is usual to ask in the first instance if it is desired, but when handing it later the glass should be refilled without any comment.
Liqueurs are always served in small liqueur glasses, on a silver tray or liqueur stand, and handed at the left-hand side.
When stout or ale is taken, the bottle should be opened at the sideboard and then poured out carefully and slowly, holding the bottle at an angle so that the glass may be filled with ale and not froth. It should then be handed on a silver waiter. If it is draught ale, it should be poured out briskly, and then slowly from a jug in order to give it a head.
THE ART OF CARVING
Although at the present time the formal dinner is always served a la Russe, when all carving and serving is done at the side table or in the kitchen, a knowledge of carving is still required at family repasts.
Everyone ought to know how to carve, in fact, it would be a good thing if even the young people in the house took it in turn to perform this duty. They would not then feel at a loss when they came to have homes of their own, or when called upon to take the place of their parents.
A knowledge of carving can only be learnt by practice, by actually doing the work oneself, although previous to this it is a good plan to watch an expert carver at work. The following directions may also serve as a guide to those who wish to become proficient in the art.
SOME GENERAL DIRECTIONS
To begin with, there should be some general knowledge of the anatomy of the different joints, of the relative position of bones, joints, muscles, and fat ; and also of which are the choicest portions. The most satisfactory way of learning this is to take the chance, when opportunity occurs, of studying the various pieces of meat off the table. In the case of game or poultry, for instance, a bird might be cut up once in its raw state, and a point made of examining the different joints.