EXPLANATION OF COUESES.
1st course. Meant as an appetizer. If grape fruit is served, of
course finger bowls will have to be brought in at the end of the course;
orange spoons should be put on when the table is set and should come
to the extreme right of the knives, being placed one inch from the
1able\s edge. If fruit cocktails are served a spoon is best; but for
clam or oyster cocktails a fork is used. Should canapes be used for
the first course, it might be well to explain what they are. A canape
is really a form of sandwich and is to be eaten from the fingers. It
230 TEE WORCESTER DOMESTIC SCIENCE SCHOOL.
consists of a tiny piece of rather dry bread or toasted or sauted bread
or a cracker; this is spread with soft cheese or a paste of some kind
(as anchovy) or salmon or yolk of hard-cooked egg or anything of like
nature. Sometimes another slice of bread is placed on top of this;
if not, the canape is generally decorated or garnished in some design.
Sometimes a cherry is placed on top; sometimes chopped olives are
used for a garnish; almost anything can be used for this purpose.
Usually the canapes are cut in rather fancy shapes about 2 inches in
diameter; the slices should be nice and thin. Use a simple tea plate
or a bread and butter plate for serving the canapes. Of course the
service plate is always under the first course plate.
2nd course. It is not good form to serve heavy soups like purees
at formal dinners; serve clear soups as consomme or bouillon. They
can be served either in soup plates or bouillon cups. It is better,
however, to serve the soup in soup plates for a dinner, and in bouillon
cups for a luncheon. Have the plate or cup only about two-thirds
full, and always have thje service plate underneath. The bread-stick
or whatever of that nature is to be eaten with the soup, should be
placed in the fold of the napkin before the guests enter the dining
room. Croutons are not served with a clear soup; they are all
right for purees. If a soup-jdate is used, place a soup spoon at
each cover; if a bouillon cup, use bouillon spoons.
3rd course. The service plate must be removed, this being the
first hot course after the soup. A small silver knife and fork will be
needed for this, the fish course. If the fish is to be served in the shell,
ordinary clam or oyster shells are pretty to use; but they must be
thoroughly sterilized by boiling 2 or 3 minutes in water. The very
hard clam shells, which are almost circular in shape and which have
a dark blue border on the inside of the shell, are well adapted to this
use. (It is a good plan to save up the most perfect shells one comes
across and keep them in a tightly covered tin pail.) When serving
place the shell in the centre of the plate. One can hold the shell
with the fingers to steady it while eating the fish ; or one can steady
the shell with the knife.
Page 122
Presented as published in 1914. 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
EXPLANATION OF COUESES. 1st course. Meant as an appetizer. If grape fruit is served, of course finger bowls will have to be brought in at the end of the course; orange spoons should be put on when the table is set and should come to the extreme right of the knives, being placed one inch from the table's edge. If fruit cocktails are served a spoon is best; but for clam or oyster cocktails a fork is used. Should canapes be used for the first course, it might be well to explain what they are. A canape is really a form of sandwich and is to be eaten from the fingers. It
consists of a tiny piece of rather dry bread or toasted or sauted bread or a cracker; this is spread with soft cheese or a paste of some kind (as anchovy) or salmon or yolk of hard-cooked egg or anything of like nature. Sometimes another slice of bread is placed on top of this; if not, the canape is generally decorated or garnished in some design. Sometimes a cherry is placed on top; sometimes chopped olives are used for a garnish; almost anything can be used for this purpose. Usually the canapes are cut in rather fancy shapes about 2 inches in diameter; the slices should be nice and thin. Use a simple tea plate or a bread and butter plate for serving the canapes. Of course the service plate is always under the first course plate.
2nd course. It is not good form to serve heavy soups like purees at formal dinners; serve clear soups as consomme or bouillon. They can be served either in soup plates or bouillon cups. It is better, however, to serve the soup in soup plates for a dinner, and in bouillon cups for a luncheon. Have the plate or cup only about two-thirds full, and always have the service plate underneath. The bread-stick or whatever of that nature is to be eaten with the soup, should be placed in the fold of the napkin before the guests enter the dining room. Croutons are not served with a clear soup; they are all right for purees. If a soup-jdate is used, place a soup spoon at each cover; if a bouillon cup, use bouillon spoons.
3rd course. The service plate must be removed, this being the first hot course after the soup. A small silver knife and fork will be needed for this, the fish course. If the fish is to be served in the shell, ordinary clam or oyster shells are pretty to use; but they must be thoroughly sterilized by boiling 2 or 3 minutes in water. The very hard clam shells, which are almost circular in shape and which have a dark blue border on the inside of the shell, are well adapted to this use. (It is a good plan to save up the most perfect shells one comes across and keep them in a tightly covered tin pail.) When serving place the shell in the centre of the plate. One can hold the shell with the fingers to steady it while eating the fish ; or one can steady the shell with the knife.