Before breakfast the waitress should air and
dust the dining-room and if necessary make an
open fire, brushing and dusting the hearth. She
should place the plates and serving-dishes to warm;
set the table; prepare butter, cut bread, draw cold
water; place breakfast on the table. If she is not
required after the coffee and substantial part of the
meal are served, she may leave the room to attend
to other duties. If but two maids are kept, the
waitress then goes upstairs to air beds and chambers.
After this, her own breakfast is served.
Clearing the Table. Have a tray upon which to
gather all silver and knives. Keep silver and steel
knives separate. In the pantry place knives up to
handles in a pitcher of water. Tin pitchers are
made for this purpose. The silver is put into a similar
pitcher of water. Place all small articles on a tray
and carry them into the pantry. Sort the dishes,
rinsing them off under the cold water faucet. Pile
them in kinds on one part of table. Fill empty milk
and cream pitchers with cold water and set aside
to soak. Return to dining-room and brush the
crumbs from the table-cloth. Remove the cloth and
fold carefully in creases. Put it away with napkins,
THE DINING-ROOM AND SERVING 175
and dust and air the room. Then wash the dishes.
After the milk and cream pitchers are washed, fill
them with boiling water and let them stand untU all
the work in the pantry is finished. Wipe the pantry
shelves and examine receptacles for bread, cake,
sugar, etc. See that they are clean and that the food
is in good condition. Make a list of needed articles.
Wash the tables, sink, dishpans; wash the towels
and dishcloths, and hang them out to dry. Sweep
the pantry floor and wash it if necessary.
The noon-day meal, whether dinner or luncheon,
will require warm dishes, which should be put in
the heater at least one half hour before serving the
meal. The waitress should see that the dining-room
is properly heated in winter and that the shades are
arranged to make a pleasant light. The table should
be set; bread, butter, and water prepared, and
the meal served on time. If there are to be salads,
cheese, fruits, etc., for the meal, the waitress usually
prepares them. She also has charge of the pickles,
olives, sardines, potted meats, fruits, and similar
dainties.
Dinner as a rule comes in the evening and requires
special care on the part of the cook and waitress.
Warm dishes for hot food and cold dishes for cold
food are invariably needed for this meal. It is of
great importance that the waitress should under-
stand the necessity of serving hot food on well-
warmed dishes and cold food on absolutely cold
plates. A cold plate will quickly absorb the heat
from soup, sauce or fish, while a warm plate will
ruin food that should be served cold. At the same
time, the plates must not be so hot that they are
176 DOMESTIC SCIENCE
difficult to handle, or they will mar the surface of
the table. Bread is usually cut thick for dinner.
If the loaf is square, divide the slice into two or four
parts, according to the size of the loaf. Slices from
the round French loaf are not sub-divided. Bread
for other meals should be cut thin.
Since the duties of the waitress vary with the
habits and circumstances of the family, mention
has been made of only such duties and methods
of performing them as belong to the service of a
trained butler or waitress, and which often form
part of the work of any housemaid.
Page 71
Presented as published in 1911. 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
Before breakfast the waitress should air and dust the dining-room and if necessary make an open fire, brushing and dusting the hearth. She should place the plates and serving-dishes to warm; set the table; prepare butter, cut bread, draw cold water; place breakfast on the table. If she is not required after the coffee and substantial part of the meal are served, she may leave the room to attend to other duties. If but two maids are kept, the waitress then goes upstairs to air beds and chambers. After this, her own breakfast is served.
Clearing the Table. Have a tray upon which to gather all silver and knives. Keep silver and steel knives separate. In the pantry place knives up to handles in a pitcher of water. Tin pitchers are made for this purpose. The silver is put into a similar pitcher of water. Place all small articles on a tray and carry them into the pantry. Sort the dishes, rinsing them off under the cold water faucet. Pile them in kinds on one part of table. Fill empty milk and cream pitchers with cold water and set aside to soak. Return to dining-room and brush the crumbs from the table-cloth. Remove the cloth and fold carefully in creases. Put it away with napkins,
and dust and air the room. Then wash the dishes. After the milk and cream pitchers are washed, fill them with boiling water and let them stand until all the work in the pantry is finished. Wipe the pantry shelves and examine receptacles for bread, cake, sugar, etc. See that they are clean and that the food is in good condition. Make a list of needed articles. Wash the tables, sink, dishpans; wash the towels and dishcloths, and hang them out to dry. Sweep the pantry floor and wash it if necessary.
The noon-day meal, whether dinner or luncheon, will require warm dishes, which should be put in the heater at least one half hour before serving the meal. The waitress should see that the dining-room is properly heated in winter and that the shades are arranged to make a pleasant light. The table should be set; bread, butter, and water prepared, and the meal served on time. If there are to be salads, cheese, fruits, etc., for the meal, the waitress usually prepares them. She also has charge of the pickles, olives, sardines, potted meats, fruits, and similar dainties.
Dinner as a rule comes in the evening and requires special care on the part of the cook and waitress. Warm dishes for hot food and cold dishes for cold food are invariably needed for this meal. It is of great importance that the waitress should understand the necessity of serving hot food on wellwarmed dishes and cold food on absolutely cold plates. A cold plate will quickly absorb the heat from soup, sauce or fish, while a warm plate will ruin food that should be served cold. At the same time, the plates must not be so hot that they are
difficult to handle, or they will mar the surface of the table. Bread is usually cut thick for dinner. If the loaf is square, divide the slice into two or four parts, according to the size of the loaf. Slices from the round French loaf are not sub-divided. Bread for other meals should be cut thin.
Since the duties of the waitress vary with the habits and circumstances of the family, mention has been made of only such duties and methods of performing them as belong to the service of a trained butler or waitress, and which often form part of the work of any housemaid.