The form of refreshment for all the lawn-parties is about
the same. Either a room opening upon the lawn, or a tent,
is set apart for the repast, and servants attend to it all the
time while the guests are upon the grounds. The dishes are
generally small cold entrees, sandwiches, relishes, salads, and
a few small sweets ; ices, sorbets, and ice-creams are accept-
able, together with the small fruits in season ; tea, coffee,
chocolate, claret and champagne cups, lemonade, and the
various temperance beverages, are supplied plentifully, con-
tained in glass pitchers, and poured into tumblers. The
picnic refreshments should be chiefly cold luncheon dishes,
which can be transported easily and neatly, with very few
sweets ; coffee and lemonade are generally made upon the
picnic ground, and if any wines are used they should be
warming ; cordial of some kind, or spirits, should be carried
in case of sudden illness.
The spot chosen for picnics should be remote enough
J 62 PRAC'IICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
Ko be secure from intrusion, but near some shelter, because
summer storms so often come up without any previous in-
dication : there should be no glare of sun or water without
the possible relief of a grove or a tent, because that alone
often causes serious discomfort and even sickness. The dress
should be a stout walking-costume of woollen material, with
a hat large enough to shelter the eyes, and a cane or staff if
there is any rough climbing. In arranging a picnic party, if
gentlemen are available they should equal the ladies in num-
ber; and unless the picnic is an invitation affair, each party
should understand what part of the luncheon they are
expected to contribute. When invitations are issued, they
should go out about a week in advance of the date fixed
upon, and should include the house-party of the person to
whom they are sent unless some young lady is invited to
complete a desired number ; then the invitation should in-
clude her chaperone. Invitationsshould be answered at
once definitely. When the party arrives at the picnic ground,
the hours for luncheon and departure should be fixed upon,
and then the pursuits of the day may be followed according
to individual inclination ; but unless there are plenty of
attendants, the labor of preparing and removing the luncheon
should not be allowed to fall upon a few persons unless they
desire it to be so. The day's enjoyment should not be
marred by too late a stay or too lingering a return, and
stragglers by inclination should remember that their delay
may mar the pleasure of others. When the picnic is not
one of invitation, but the meeting of friends commonly bent
on enjoyment, each guest may defray a share of the general
expense.
Arrangements for camping-out parties are so complicated
as to extend beyond the limits of a paragraph, and therefore
readers interested in the author's plans for such gatherings
are referred to her work specially devoted to that subject.
Part II.
CHAPTER I.
SMALL SHELL-FISH.
SBELL-FISH ON THE HALF-SHELL (HUITRES).
Page 94
Presented as published in 1885. 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
The form of refreshment for all the lawn-parties is about the same. Either a room opening upon the lawn, or a tent, is set apart for the repast, and servants attend to it all the time while the guests are upon the grounds. The dishes are generally small cold entrees, sandwiches, relishes, salads, and a few small sweets ; ices, sorbets, and ice-creams are acceptable, together with the small fruits in season ; tea, coffee, chocolate, claret and champagne cups, lemonade, and the various temperance beverages, are supplied plentifully, contained in glass pitchers, and poured into tumblers. The picnic refreshments should be chiefly cold luncheon dishes, which can be transported easily and neatly, with very few sweets ; coffee and lemonade are generally made upon the picnic ground, and if any wines are used they should be warming ; cordial of some kind, or spirits, should be carried in case of sudden illness.
The spot chosen for picnics should be remote enough
to be secure from intrusion, but near some shelter, because summer storms so often come up without any previous indication : there should be no glare of sun or water without the possible relief of a grove or a tent, because that alone often causes serious discomfort and even sickness. The dress should be a stout walking-costume of woollen material, with a hat large enough to shelter the eyes, and a cane or staff if there is any rough climbing. In arranging a picnic party, if gentlemen are available they should equal the ladies in number; and unless the picnic is an invitation affair, each party should understand what part of the luncheon they are expected to contribute. When invitations are issued, they should go out about a week in advance of the date fixed upon, and should include the house-party of the person to whom they are sent unless some young lady is invited to complete a desired number ; then the invitation should include her chaperone. Invitations should be answered at once definitely. When the party arrives at the picnic ground, the hours for luncheon and departure should be fixed upon, and then the pursuits of the day may be followed according to individual inclination ; but unless there are plenty of attendants, the labor of preparing and removing the luncheon should not be allowed to fall upon a few persons unless they desire it to be so. The day's enjoyment should not be marred by too late a stay or too lingering a return, and stragglers by inclination should remember that their delay may mar the pleasure of others. When the picnic is not one of invitation, but the meeting of friends commonly bent on enjoyment, each guest may defray a share of the general expense.
Arrangements for camping-out parties are so complicated as to extend beyond the limits of a paragraph, and therefore readers interested in the author's plans for such gatherings are referred to her work specially devoted to that subject.
Part II.
SMALL SHELL-FISH. SBELL-FISH ON THE HALF-SHELL (HUITRES).