What to eat, how to serve it

When one gives only an occasional reception or evening party it is taken for granted that the refreshments will be rather elaborate in their nature. But when the meetings of a club of any sort are of weekly, fortnightly, or even monthly recurrence, the expense becomes an object. There may be some members of the body to whom the disbursement of a few dollars more or less is a matter of trivial moment, but there is very rarely any club of this sort where there are not some who would feel seriously the cost SOME HINTS ABOUT SUPPER of entertaining in a showy fashion. For the sake of these weak brothers or sisters, a certain amount of consideration should be shown, and no display made by the wealthy ones which would throw into the shade the simpler entertainment which is all many can afford to offer. A supper need not be poor because it is not costly, but it must make up in daintiness and unusualness for what it lacks in price. A chief object to be sought in planning these suppers is to select something which can be made ready beforehand, so that the hostess can enjoy her evening without being handicapped in her pleasure-seeking by the thought of possible complications arising in the preparation of the supper which may require her absence from the room. Unless she has a practised cook, she should not attempt dishes of oysters, or of anything of the kind which demands careful supervision at the last moment. Instead of this, she should content 'herself with chocolate or coffee and bouillon for the hot items of her menu^ and for the rest take her choice from among the many salads and other cold dishes which are generally popular. Cold chicken or duck, jellied tongue or fowl, or a really fine galantine, or a dish of salad, and rolls or sandwiches at discretion, may be chosen. For sweets, ices are always excellent if they can be procured ; or if not, there are jellies, which, with whipped cream and light cakes, coflfee, or chocolate, are quite enough — indeed, more than enough in many cases. Often sandwiches, cake, and coflfee are sufl&- cient; but let the sandwiches be of something besides ham and tongue, the cake be light and delicious, and the coflfee strong and clear, and served Avith whipped cream. If hot dishes are indispensable, something should be selected like chicken or sweetbread pates, or lobster in some form, which will not be injured by warming over. Croquettes too, if properly prepared, are delicious, but they must be soft and creamy inside, not hard like sausage balls. For the home supper the preparations are much simpler. This late repast may consist merely of a plate of crackers, or of light bis- SOME HINTS ABOUT SUPPER cuit, or of bread-and-butter, with perhaps a tin of potted meat, or a few sardines, or a piece of cheese, or a box of guava jelly, or a little fruit. Iced water, or milk and Apollinaris, or Seltzer are the best beverages to serve, or, for those who like it, a bottle of ale or beer. In the hope of aiding housekeepers who desire to prepare something a little different from the stereotyped suppers so common at evening entertainments, and which usually consist of oysters, chicken or lobster salad, sandwiches, ice-cream, and coffee, there are appended a few recipes for dishes perhaps less commonly known than those just mentioned. Lobster Salmi. — Two cups boiled lobster (cut not chopped, into small pieces), three eggs (the yolks only), two tablespoonfuls butter, half a pint of cream, one wineglassful sherry, one tablespoonful brandy, Cayenne pepper and salt to taste, one teaspoonful lemon juice. Put the lobster over the fire in a double boiler with the butter, wine, brandy, pepper, and salt ; let it become smoking hot.