The first consideration in making up a menu must be paid to the occasion, season, and the magnitude of the repast to be given. There are menus for quiet-living families, who require but simple and plain meals ; the principal object in this case is to escape monotony, to vary the composition of dinners from day to day, while avoiding too much diversity in the same meal. Dinners to be given to a party of friends are not as a rule quite so simple as those served in the ordinary way, but even here there should be moderation in the selection of dishes, for most people will enjoy a meal with few courses, plain but good, far better than an elaborate spread with a lot of unnecessary over-decorated and richly prepared dishes. This, however, is a rule which must be regulated as it were on the sliding scale, for a great deal depends upon the diners and the host’s position and means. The best plan in every case is to hit the happy medium which will satisfy the guests and harmonise with the host’s position. An elaborate ball supper, a state banquet, or a society dinner requires a very different menu from that provided for a little dinner to entertain a few friends. The chief considerations for all menus, whether of a frugal or more important character, may be summarised as follows-: — 1. The kind and style of a meal, and the number of guests expected. 2. To fix the number of courses of which the meal is to consist. 3. The selection of dishes, special attention being paid to the choice thereof, observing that they must bear suitable relation to each other. 4. Observe the season of the year, and be guided accordingly. Menus vary according to the seasons. Certain products are at their best at different periods, therefore it is more or less essential that these must be considered. In January and February oxtail or giblet soup, and all kinds of game, such as wild duck, woodcocks, and snipe, are served. These latter are not procurable in April or May. In April and May, spring soup, crimped salmon, lamb, &c., would be considered most seasonable dishes. 5. In introducing so-called seasonable viands into a menu, see that the remainder of dishes or courses harmonise with them. In the spring, for instance, young poultry and the meat of young animals THE CONSTRUCTION OF MENUS 627 and young vegetables are in perfection. If a special feature of these be made in a menu, it would be considered bad taste to introduce a mock turtle or ox-tail soup, for it would need a lighter and more delicate soup with which to commence a dinner with a plat printaniere. 6. See that the combination of every dish selected is well assorted, the colour well blended, and finally see that the flavours of the materials are judiciously applied. 7. See that everything needed for carrying out the programme is procured in good time, so that it may be handy when required. 8. In carrying out a menu, from the beginning to the time of serving the dishes thereon, observe punctuality in the strictest sense. Never serve anything half finished, and see that hot dishes are served hot, and cold dishes cold. 9. Make sure that every dish on the menu is correctly and concisely described. It matters little in what language the menu is set up, so long as the correct rules above specified are properly observed.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

The first consideration in making up a menu must be paid to the occasion, season, and the magnitude of the repast to be given. There are menus for quiet-living families, who require but simple and plain meals ; the principal object in this case is to escape monotony, to vary the composition of dinners from day to day, while avoiding too much diversity in the same meal. Dinners to be given to a party of friends are not as a rule quite so simple as those served in the ordinary way, but even here there should be moderation in the selection of dishes, for most people will enjoy a meal with few courses, plain but good, far better than an elaborate spread with a lot of unnecessary over-decorated and richly prepared dishes. This, however, is a rule which must be regulated as it were on the sliding scale, for a great deal depends upon the diners and the host’s position and means. The best plan in every case is to hit the happy medium which will satisfy the guests and harmonise with the host’s position. An elaborate ball supper, a state banquet, or a society dinner requires a very different menu from that provided for a little dinner to entertain a few friends. The chief considerations for all menus, whether of a frugal or more important character, may be summarised as follows-: — 1. The kind and style of a meal, and the number of guests expected. 2. To fix the number of courses of which the meal is to consist. 3. The selection of dishes, special attention being paid to the choice thereof, observing that they must bear suitable relation to each other. 4. Observe the season of the year, and be guided accordingly. Menus vary according to the seasons. Certain products are at their best at different periods, therefore it is more or less essential that these must be considered. In January and February oxtail or giblet soup, and all kinds of game, such as wild duck, woodcocks, and snipe, are served. These latter are not procurable in April or May. In April and May, spring soup, crimped salmon, lamb, &c., would be considered most seasonable dishes. 5. In introducing so-called seasonable viands into a menu, see that the remainder of dishes or courses harmonise with them. In the spring, for instance, young poultry and the meat of young animals and young vegetables are in perfection. If a special feature of these be made in a menu, it would be considered bad taste to introduce a mock turtle or ox-tail soup, for it would need a lighter and more delicate soup with which to commence a dinner with a plat printaniere. 6. See that the combination of every dish selected is well assorted, the colour well blended, and finally see that the flavours of the materials are judiciously applied. 7. See that everything needed for carrying out the programme is procured in good time, so that it may be handy when required. 8. In carrying out a menu, from the beginning to the time of serving the dishes thereon, observe punctuality in the strictest sense. Never serve anything half finished, and see that hot dishes are served hot, and cold dishes cold. 9. Make sure that every dish on the menu is correctly and concisely described. It matters little in what language the menu is set up, so long as the correct rules above specified are properly observed.

The new century cookery book