FoodNetArchive

The Worcester domestic science school's one year course laboratory cook book

1914

Page 126

Presented as published in 1914. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
TO CRUMB TABLE. This should be done just before the des- sert course. Always have a service plate before the guest while crumbing the table. Contrary to the custom at a formal luncheon, we use a silver crumb tray with a silver scraper or a silver knife in crumbing the table at a formal dinner. The sharp edge of the knife is to be used. Crumb from both or either side of the guest and brush ONLY whei you see crumbs. If a guest happens to be leaning over, by no means inconvenience her to crumb the cloth. GENERAL DIRECTIONS. For a formal meal, everything should be served from the butler's pantry in individual servings. It is permissible to have the meat carved at table for a dinner or breakfast, but never for a luncheon. It is, however, not as good form to serve en masse on the table, and the other method is much to be preferred. The waitress should be taught to carry a plate without having her thumb bent over its edge. There is a way to hold the plate firmly, steadying it with the rest of the hand, palm upwards underneath the plate. The movements of the waitress should be noiseless and she should go about her work as if she were thinking of nothing but her work. She must show no signs whatever that she sees or hears what is going on among the guests. The waitress must take great care in moving about the table that she does not touch a guest or her chair, or rattle any dishes. After each course is served the waitress is to remain in the din- ing-room, standing at a respectful distance. She should stand erect, never propping herself against the wall. If in removing a course the waitress discovers that a guest has carelessly or thoughtlessly left a soiled fork or anything else on the table, it is her duty to pick it up, lay it unostentatiously on the plate she is about to remove, and remove it. This must only be done when removing a course. There must be no rattling of dishes, no banging of doors, and no loud laughing or talking in the kitchen or butler's pantry. DRESS OF WAITRESS. The dress of the waitress should be the same as for the formal LABORATORY COOK BOOK. 235 luncheon. A black dress having long sleeves and a white collar and cuffs worn with a white bib apron and a small white cap. TO THE GUESTS. A few important points to remember are as follows: Always seat yourself at the dining table from the right side of the chair; just slide in sideways, never backwards. Also get up from the right hand side of the chair. Sit erect with only the lower part of the back touching the back of the chair. Never pull the chair up after you are seated; for it is supposed to have been placed at the right distance for you to get in comfortably and it is supposed to be left there. Fold your napkin in your lap, having the central point down- ward. When through leave the napkin unfolded at the left of the plate. Eemember that the hostess should be first to rise from the table. One should take just about as long to eat each course as does the guest of honor, so as to save her the embarrassment of keeping anyone waiting. DO NOT thank the waitress EVEK. Tf there is a bread stick or the like (folded in the napkin) to be used for the soup course, it should be left on the table or on the service plate when one has unfolded the napkin, and left there until the first course has been eaten.