Fish.—There are many kinds of fish mentioned, which you
rarely see named in the fishmongers’ bills of fare, but they can
be procured at any good fishmonger's if asked for, such as
Garfish, Weaver, or Whiting Pollock. Crayfsh in excellent
condition can always be procured at Schells, in Wigmore
Street.
Beef.—Whenever boiled beef is mentioned, it means fresh,
not salt meat.
Vegetables.—Celery roots and cardoons, both most delicious
vegetables, are seldom seen at English dinner-tables, but they
“ave been for sale at Martins, in Covent Garden, for several
years past.
Cooking wine—Chablis is the white wine generally used for.
cooking in France ; so in the recipes, IL hope it will always be
used, unless Madeira or Sherry is specially mentioned.
Bills of fare for fast days.—There are so many good dishes
for our fast days given in this book, that I hope all Catholic
families will try them, and perhaps pass happier Fridays than
hitherto. |
Eprrx MATTHEW CLARK.
ORDER UF DINNER.
LPS S SPLITS
THe art of giving dinners consists in the knowledge of certain
rules, consecrated by custom and determined by fashion, as
to the choice of dishes and the reason of their selection,
according to time and circumstances.
Every country has its different customs which very much
depend on the climate and character of its people.
But I will now only speak about the manner of serving
dinners in our beautiful country of France, as I feel I need go
no further for fashions ; all the world acknowledges that it is
from us that the most varied culinary resources come, andit is
also in France that the cleverest artists have devoted their
talents to the preparation of dishes, with which to enrich
our bills of fare. In fact, it is to us that all fashions of
different nations are brought to be accepted according to their
merits, and this exchange of new thoughts and ideas has
created what is called “ fashicnable life.”
DECORATIONS OF THE DINNER-TABLE.
How to lay the Covers.—The Order of Dinner.
Formerly dinner-tables were heavily decorated with massive
bronze, silver, and cut-glass ornaments, which prevented the
guests from seeing each other across the table, and rendered
conversation with your opposite neighbour impossible. At the
present time, these ornaments have been superseded by low
tiower-baskets of either glass or silver. Formerly candelabra only
held four or five candles, now they hold as many as fourteen
or fifteen, so we require fewer and have more light.
Each guest must have a tumbler and three wine-glasses
vi ORDER OF DINNEXR.
placed on his right-hand side, arranged according to the order
in which the vwines are served. First, Madeira; second,
Bordeaux; third, Champagne. During dinner extra wines
have special glasses handed with them. Fingerglasses with
warm water must be handed after crayfish or prawns.
The dessert plates must always have a doiley and a finger-
glass placed on them.
There are two different ways of serving dinner,—the French
and the Russian. .
The French dinneris divided into three courses, the first com-
prises soup, small side dishes, fish, and entrées ; the second,
roasts, vegetables, and sweets ; the third, dessert, each course
being all placed on the table at the same time.
The Russian fashion is to place all cold dishes on the table.
The hot dishes are carved in the kitchen and handed one by
one to the guests. Each of these arrangements bas its advan-
tages and disadvantages. In the French fashion your dishes
often get cold before you can eat them, and in the Russian
the guests are deprived of seeing elegant dishes prettily placed
on the table.
However, it lies entirely in the hands of the host to choose
between these two fashions, according to the capabilities of
his household.
ORDER IN WHICH TO SERVE DINNER.
Page 1
Presented as published in 1884. 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
Fish.—There are many kinds of fish mentioned, which you rarely see named in the fishmongers’ bills of fare, but they can be procured at any good fishmonger's if asked for, such as Garfish, Weaver, or Whiting Pollock. Crayfish in excellent condition can always be procured at Schells, in Wigmore Street.
Beef.—Whenever boiled beef is mentioned, it means fresh, not salt meat.
Vegetables.—Celery roots and cardoons, both most delicious vegetables, are seldom seen at English dinner-tables, but they have been for sale at Martins, in Covent Garden, for several years past.
Cooking wine—Chablis is the white wine generally used for cooking in France ; so in the recipes, IL hope it will always be used, unless Madeira or Sherry is specially mentioned.
Bills of fare for fast days.—There are so many good dishes for our fast days given in this book, that I hope all Catholic families will try them, and perhaps pass happier Fridays than hitherto. |
Edited by Matthew Clark.
ORDER UF DINNER.
The art of giving dinners consists in the knowledge of certain rules, consecrated by custom and determined by fashion, as to the choice of dishes and the reason of their selection, according to time and circumstances.
Every country has its different customs which very much depend on the climate and character of its people.
But I will now only speak about the manner of serving dinners in our beautiful country of France, as I feel I need go no further for fashions ; all the world acknowledges that it is from us that the most varied culinary resources come, and it is also in France that the cleverest artists have devoted their talents to the preparation of dishes, with which to enrich our bills of fare. In fact, it is to us that all fashions of different nations are brought to be accepted according to their merits, and this exchange of new thoughts and ideas has created what is called “ fashicnable life.”
DECORATIONS OF THE DINNER-TABLE. How to lay the Covers.—The Order of Dinner.
Formerly dinner-tables were heavily decorated with massive bronze, silver, and cut-glass ornaments, which prevented the guests from seeing each other across the table, and rendered conversation with your opposite neighbour impossible. At the present time, these ornaments have been superseded by low flower-baskets of either glass or silver. Formerly candelabra only held four or five candles, now they hold as many as fourteen or fifteen, so we require fewer and have more light.
Each guest must have a tumbler and three wine-glasses
vi ORDER OF DINNER.
placed on his right-hand side, arranged according to the order in which the wines are served. First, Madeira; second, Bordeaux; third, Champagne. During dinner extra wines have special glasses handed with them. Fingerglasses with warm water must be handed after crayfish or prawns.
The dessert plates must always have a doiley and a fingerglass placed on them.
There are two different ways of serving dinner,—the French and the Russian. .
The French dinneris divided into three courses, the first comprises soup, small side dishes, fish, and entrées ; the second, roasts, vegetables, and sweets ; the third, dessert, each course being all placed on the table at the same time.
The Russian fashion is to place all cold dishes on the table. The hot dishes are carved in the kitchen and handed one by one to the guests. Each of these arrangements has its advantages and disadvantages. In the French fashion your dishes often get cold before you can eat them, and in the Russian the guests are deprived of seeing elegant dishes prettily placed on the table.
However, it lies entirely in the hands of the host to choose between these two fashions, according to the capabilities of his household.
ORDER IN WHICH TO SERVE DINNER.