serving such a repast as some of these man-
uals describe. But there are many women
who wish to entertain gracefully, and yet
who have neither the means nor the inclina-
tion to attempt doing so on a large or costly
scale. Possessing plenty of pretty napery,
silver, and china, having tolerably good cooks
and well - trained waitresses, they feel them-
selves fairly equipped for giving small din-
ners, especially when they may order some
of the most difficult dainties from outside.
They need not be appalled by the list of
what are to the majority of them unattain-
able adjuncts, that are declared by writers
on the complete art of dining to be indis-
pensable to a correct dinner. Those who are
fitted by circumstances to follow these are
few indeed compared with the army of the
moderately well-to-do who find such elegance
quite beyond their modest means. So let
these pluck up heart of grace, and, instead
of obeying the quite natural impulse which
ensues upon the perusal of the aforesaid dis-
couraging guide-books to entertaining and
renouncing their plans of hospitality, resolve
189
WHAT TO EAT — HOW TO SERVE IT
rather to use their own common-sense and
good judgment, and give dinners in conso-
nance with these.
Of course there are certain rules for setting
the table, directing the proper sequence of
courses, and for the waiting, whose observ-
ance marks familiarity with the etiquette of
dining, and whose absence denotes ignorance;
but these are so simple, so universal, and so
readily learned that once known it is easier
to follow them than to devise new ways.
Among the many advantages of practising
every day the proper methods of serving and
waiting is especially this, that when an emer-
gency of this sort arises, there need be only
an extension of daily customs, not a total de-
parture from ordinary habits.
The etiquette of a small dinner is essentially
the same as that of a large one. Any wom-
an who is sure of her cuisine, and who has
a waitress accustomed to her work, can give
a pretty little dinner, and there is no pleas-
anter way of entertaining a few friends whom
one especially wishes to honor. For a party
of this sort, six is a good number. When
190
THE SMALL. DINNEE-PARTY
oae goes beyond that, the necessity for a
more ceremonious etiquette, a more imposing
bill of fare, arises, and this the woman who
gives only little dinners wishes to shun.
In setting the table, care must be taken to
avoid the one extreme of over-crowding, and
the other of placing the guests so far apart
that tete-d-tete conversations are diflBcult. In
as small a company as this the talk is apt to
be general, but occasionally there is an op-
portunity for a duet if the seats are near
enough together to allow two of their occu-
pants to carry on a low- voiced chat without
distracting the attention of the other guests
from their own topics of discussion.
In the arrangement of dishes, knives, forks,
etc., about the same rules are followed that
apply for luncheon - parties. A fork and a
knife for each course— the forks laid at the
left of the plate, the knives at the right, the
soup spoon across the top of the plate — the
usual array of salt-cellar, butter -plate .(the
latter is often omitted at dinner), the glasses
for wine and for water, the folded napkin
holding a dinner roll, the card, the menu, the
191
WHAT TO BAT — HOW TO SERVE IT
Page 49
Presented as published in 1891. 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
serving such a repast as some of these manuals describe. But there are many women who wish to entertain gracefully, and yet who have neither the means nor the inclination to attempt doing so on a large or costly scale. Possessing plenty of pretty napery, silver, and china, having tolerably good cooks and well - trained waitresses, they feel themselves fairly equipped for giving small dinners, especially when they may order some of the most difficult dainties from outside. They need not be appalled by the list of what are to the majority of them unattainable adjuncts, that are declared by writers on the complete art of dining to be indispensable to a correct dinner. Those who are fitted by circumstances to follow these are few indeed compared with the army of the moderately well-to-do who find such elegance quite beyond their modest means. So let these pluck up heart of grace, and, instead of obeying the quite natural impulse which ensues upon the perusal of the aforesaid discouraging guide-books to entertaining and
renouncing their plans of hospitality, resolve
rather to use their own common-sense and good judgment, and give dinners in consonance with these.
Of course there are certain rules for setting the table, directing the proper sequence of courses, and for the waiting, whose observance marks familiarity with the etiquette of dining, and whose absence denotes ignorance; but these are so simple, so universal, and so readily learned that once known it is easier to follow them than to devise new ways. Among the many advantages of practising every day the proper methods of serving and waiting is especially this, that when an emergency of this sort arises, there need be only an extension of daily customs, not a total departure from ordinary habits.
The etiquette of a small dinner is essentially the same as that of a large one. Any woman who is sure of her cuisine, and who has a waitress accustomed to her work, can give a pretty little dinner, and there is no pleasanter way of entertaining a few friends whom one especially wishes to honor. For a party of this sort, six is a good number. When
THE SMALL DINNER-PARTY
oae goes beyond that, the necessity for a more ceremonious etiquette, a more imposing bill of fare, arises, and this the woman who gives only little dinners wishes to shun.
In setting the table, care must be taken to avoid the one extreme of over-crowding, and the other of placing the guests so far apart that tete-d-tete conversations are diflBcult. In as small a company as this the talk is apt to be general, but occasionally there is an opportunity for a duet if the seats are near enough together to allow two of their occupants to carry on a low- voiced chat without distracting the attention of the other guests from their own topics of discussion.
In the arrangement of dishes, knives, forks, etc., about the same rules are followed that apply for luncheon - parties. A fork and a knife for each course— the forks laid at the left of the plate, the knives at the right, the soup spoon across the top of the plate — the usual array of salt-cellar, butter -plate .(the latter is often omitted at dinner), the glasses for wine and for water, the folded napkin holding a dinner roll, the card, the menu, the