Foods and home making

Luncheon or Supper Menus — Calories 341 If there is a vegetable or any food other than bread and butter which is served with the main dish, it is placed at the right of the main dish. The host places a portion of the main dish and accompanying food on a plate and passes it to each person at the table. Figure 101. A Family Luncheon Table Ready for Service The first course, fruit cup, is at each cover. A plate of lettuce is also at each cover. Since a beverage is not to be served with the salad, the latter is most conveniently placed — at the right. A bottle of salad dressing is on the table. A stand for the hot beverage, the creamer, sugar, and a pitcher of water to replenish the goblets are on the table. Notice the low flower arrangement. Also notice the napkins. They are folded in the form of a rectangle, not in a triangle. A napkin folded in a tri- angle is not in harmony with the shape of the table. The last fold of the napkins was not pressed with an iron. It was made when the napkin was placed on the table. It used to be the custom to serve in sauce dishes those vege- tables which were moist or served with a thin sauce. Now it is customary to place all vegetables on the luncheon or dinner plate with the other foods of the main course. Separate dishes are no longer used for hot vegetables. 342 Luncheon or Supper A salad arranged on a bed of lettuce may be placed on in- dividual salad dishes or on a general serving dish. The former is often preferred since some salads are difficult to lift from the general serving dish to the individual plates. If the salad is arranged on individual serving plates in the kitchen, the Russian style of serving is used for the salad. If the salads can be carried to the dining room as suggested on page 154, in one trip, this style of serving will not mean extra steps. The salad dressing may be served in one of two ways : (1) a spoonful may be placed on each salad portion when the salad is arranged on the plate ; or (2) the dressing may be put in a general serving bowl, placed on the dining table, and passed so that each guest may help himself. Formerly it was thought that salads should be cut at the dining table with the fork only. Now a knife may be used, if necessary. How should the dessert and the beverage be served ? Straw- berries, apple sauce, rice pudding, and similar desserts may be conveniently served in the family style at the dining table. Other desserts such as pie and gelatin may be served in the Russian style. It is possible, of course, to serve all desserts in the family style. Even ice cream or other frozen desserts may be placed in a large bowl and served at the dining table. Brick ice cream may be brought to the dining table on a platter and sliced into individual portions. The method of serving the dessert de- pends upon the kind of dessert as well as upon the choice of the hostess. The main thing to consider in planning the method of service is that the serving be done efficiently and neatly .