FoodNet

The "Queen" cookery books: Breakfast and Lunch Dishes

1904

Page 53

Presented as published in 1904. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
remember that at a soigne lunch, coHee, black or otherwise, is indispensable, and the brilliancy and aroma of this same coffee is one of the best tests of the efficiency of the house-mistress. Recipes for the prepai’ation of this have been given, so no more need be said on the subject, save that if the host or hostess is a traveller she will find that cafe Tm-c made in the room with an appropriate cafetiere, and the quaint, tiny Arab or Moorish cuj)s used abroad for this add a cachet and a charm to the service. A well- filled liqueur- stand, often of home-manufactured and uncommon cordials such as Morat (or mulberry liqueur), rowanberry whiskey, creme de menthe, &c., is another addition to the end of the lunch, and, where fruit is plentiful, an easily attained luxury. For outdoor lunches where it is possible to rig up some kind of stove, oil or spirit, or where one of the convenient Norwegian hot cases are available, few things beat a hot potage puree of some kind ; for instance, well-made pea or lentil soujj, sottpe d Vognon au fromage (i.e., good tliick Avhite or brown onion soup, to which you add, as you dish it, two or three spoonfuls of grated G-ruyere cheese stirred in very slowly and thoroughly ; this is a very favourite dish with sportsmen abroad, who all have much faith in the hygienic value of onions), Scotch hare soup, &c. Then a Navarin, or Irish stew, or a Meg Merrilies stew (a casserole or stew of all sorts of game, venison, mutton, or beef, all mixed together, rather highly seasoned, and cooked with soup vegetables and herbs), are all well liked ; but as many recipes for such dishes are given in No. V. of this series (“ Meat and Game ”), LUNCHEON. 109 no more need be said on the subject. Curries, again, are useful for all kinds of lunches, so are sandwiches and fancy salads, but these are gi\en seijarately. Sweets, again, are very favourite dishes for luncheon use, the more solid English puddings being’ especially accept ible, though, naturally, not in quite so plain a form as Avhen served at the nursery- dinner-lunch. Omelets also, sweet or savoury, plain ov four rees, or soujfAes, are all approved, and so also are eggs in various ways, whilst, where the cook is to be trusted, dainty vegetable entremets should always have a place on the lunch table. Macaroni and rice in various forms, either as pilaff, a V Italienne, aux tomates, &c , are also to be commended, and give a note of novelty to the ordinary lunch table ; recipes for these are given in another chajjter. Lastly, a word must be said with regard to the actual table itself, which on festive occasions should be as carefullv decorated as ever it is for late dinner. «/ In this matter all sorts of whims a,nd fads may be given a free rein with advantage, and colours which lose more than half their value under artificial light are most effective by daylight. As example is better than precept, the following menus for dainty little lunches of the dejeuner type may be found useful : WINTER. ConBomm4 a Tlndienne en tasscs. Merluche en Orlie. Faisan en Casserole. Filets de Boeuf a la Maitro d’ Hotel. Eclairs an Caf^, Fromage, &c. 110 BREAKFAST AND LITNOH DISHES. SPRING. Conpomme d’Artcis en taHscs. Moiuo en Salado aux Tonial,e.s. C6telette3 d’Agneau. See. Merithe. Petits Poulets a la Printaniei’. Rhubarb Flummery and Cream, &c. SUMMER. Sanmon en Mayonnaise, fflufs au Karl.