FoodNet

À la mode cookery

1902

Page 82

Presented as published in 1902. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Glass to Wash When washing glasses which have been used for milk, they should always be rinsed first in cold water and then washed in hot, which will make it much easier to produce the proper point of brightness. Laying and Waiting at Table In laying a table, everything must be placed perfectly straight and not too near the edge of the table. The silver cutlery and glass must be very bright, and a clean selvyt cloth or leather should be kept in a sideboard drawer to rub anything that looks the least dull. The sideboard should be carefully arranged with silver and glass, &c., so as to avoid delays or absence from the room whenever an extra spoon or fork is required. Good waiting consists in extreme quiet, no rattle of plates nor dropping of silver, clashing of glasses, &c. The plates should be removed as they are done with. Everything except wine is handed on the left-hand side ; the dish must be firmly held, slightly tilting towards the person to whom it is offered. The lady on the right of the host should be Q 2 228 COOKERY A LA MODE served first. If there are several at dinner there should be two servants, who should hand the entrees simul- taneously on either side of the table, beginning at opposite ends. The waiters should be seen and not heard, but yet they must have eyes for everything and see what each person requires. Where there is a butler, he has the charge of the wine, but, if not, the principal of the two servants undertakes it. Cham- pagne must be opened quickly and noiselessly, and great care must be taken in pouring out wine not to over-fill or spill any of it. The cover that is laid for each person is — On the right hand, two large dinner-knives and a silver fish- knife, and a table-spoon for soup ; on the left hand, two large forks and a fish-fork ; should there be hors- d'oeuvres, a dessert-spoon and fork is placed in front of the plate. The wineglasses, if for a dinner party — A champagne-glass, sherry-glass, and a hock- or claret- glass, placed to each guest. Salt-cellars and little pepper-castors are generally placed in front of every other guest. Serviettes should be nicely folded, but not elaborately. The mitre or escutcheon shapes are mostly used, though it is much the fashion now to place the serviette on the table quite plainly folded. When the guests have all been served with .xup sherry is handed. Hock is served with the fish, and the champagne is handed round directly after the first entree has been served. In changing the plates, fresh cutlery and silver must be put round to each guest, when required ; for all sweet dishes, a small dessert-fork and spoon is MISCELLANEOUS 229