The Institute cook book

peace of mind. All the arrangements for the entertainment must be carefully plamied, so that the dinner will proceed with the smoothness of clock-work and that the hostess may be as a guest at her own table. Servants should be thoroughly instructed beforehand, and everything should be in readiness when the guests arrive. Menu and Table In arranging the menu too much should not be attempted and each course should be in pleasing contrast to the last. Except for a very elaborate dinner, raw oysters, a clear soup, fish, one entree, a roast with potatoes and one other vegetable, salad with cheese straws or crackers and cheese, an ice, fruit and black coffee should be sufficient. Butter is never served except at the informal family dinner. The table should have its centerpiece of growing ferns or flowers, and two or four candlesticks with wax candles and pretty shades. (No edibles, mth the exception of bonbons, salted nuts or crystal- lized fruits in compotiers, appear upon the table.) All the china used in the same course should match wherever possible; but a different set of plates are permissible for each course. A supply of extra silver should be laid out in convenient fashion on the sideboard, and finger-bowls, dessert plates, after-dinner coffee cups and spoons should be in readmess on the side-table. Water in the finger-bowls should be warm, with perhaps a dainty flower or a leaf of rose geranium floating on the sxu'face. SKELETON MENU FOR FULL COURSE DINNER Shellfish — on ice with lemon — liglit oyster crackers. Clear Soup — in soup plates, half full — thick slices of bread or roU folded in the napkin. Hobs d'oeuvhes — olives, celery, radishes, etc. — passed after soup is served. FiSH~-with appropriate sauce, potato balls and cucumbers if possible. Entree— patties, timbale of chicken, or creamed dishes in paper cases (bread passed). Meat — with appropriate sauce, jelly, potatoes, one vegetable and fruit punch. Game— small birds, whole; others, in halves or slices— varying accompaniments. Salad — served with the game — Brie, Roquefort or cream cheese and crackers. Hot Pudding — with lemon sauce. Glac£ — ^ice, ice cream or frozen dessert — with sweet wafers. Dessert— nuts, fruits, bonbons, crackers, cheese. Coffee — black, served with sugar alone. X5 ENTERTAINING COMPLETE MENU Blue Points Wafees Hohsehadish Con80mm:6 Oliveb Ceieet Salted Almonds Baked Fillets of Halibtjt, Hollandaise Sauce Potato Balls Cucdmbees Swedish Timbales with Chicken Spring L.vmb Mint Sauce New Potatoes in Ckeam Aspaeagus Tips Orange Pekoe Punch Roasted Grouse Lettuce, French Dressing Plum Pudding, Lemon Sat'ce Maple Mousse Sweet Wafees Fruit Roquefort Nuts Bonbons Caf^ Noib HINTS ON SERVING 1. Food should always be set down before guests from the right. 2. When a dish is presented from which a guest is to help him- self, it should be passed to the left. 3. When a course is finished, the plate should be removed from the left. 4. Plates should be before the guests when they take seats at the table and when one plate is removed it should be immediately replaced by another.