Soiled plates should be removed at once when
finished with, and never allowed to remain in front
of those who have used them. It is customary,
however, except in the case of the formal dinner, to
ask if a little more meat, or pudding, &c., is desired.
Plates should be taken straight to the sideboard ;
the knives and silver put into a box or basket put
there to receive them ; and the plates themselves
piled up and taken from the room as soon as
possible. The soup tureen, or any dish served
from, should not be removed until everyone at
table has finished that particular course. All
dishes must be removed as quietly as possible, and
care taken that no gravy nor grease is spilt.
Before sweets and dessert are served, a small
tray should be carried round the table, and all
cruets, salt-cellars, and any knives and silver that
will not be required, placed upon it. If a carving
cloth has been used, that also should be taken away.
All crumbs and pieces of bread should then be
removed from the left-hand side of each person,
a crumb brush or scoop and a small tray being
used.
A waitress should never reach across anyone
seated to put down or remove an article from the
table, but she ought to walk quietly to the right
or left hand side as required.
When extra knives or silver are required, they
should be put down on the table in their proper
lace, and never handed on a tray ; if bread,
owever, is asked for, it should be cut in small
pieces, and handed in a small bread basket, or on
a plate. Condiments too, when asked for, Bhould
be handed on a small tray.
When dinner is served in the old-fashioned way,
it is quite possible for one quick and intelligent
maid to wait on six persons properly ; although.
656
COOKERY FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD
of course, tko service can bo more quickly per-
formed if two are in attendance, or if some help is
given by dishes being brought from the kitchen,
and soiled dishes carried away.
When two maids are in attendance, the principal
one carries round the soup, fish, or meat, as the
case may be, and the assistant follows with the
accompaniments. The head waitress should never
leave the room, her second doing all the carrying
to and fro.
Inexperienced waitresses have sometimes a
little difficulty in knowing at what side a dish
should be laid down or removed. The following
rules should be attended to.
(1) When there is no choice of dishes, the plate
with its contents should be put down at the right-
hand side of the person seated.
(2) When there is a choice, as in the case of two
different sweets, or two different kinds of fish,
these should bo handed at the left-hand side.
(3) When a dish has to be offered, as, for instance,
an entree or a vegetable, it should be carried to
the left-hand side.
(4) Soiled plates should be removed from the
right-hand side.
(5) Clean and empty plates should be put down
at the right-hand side.
(6) Wine should be offered from the right-hand
side, as the glasses are naturally standing in that
position.
It is a good rule to remember that anything that
is offered, except wine, should be carried to the
left-hand side.
PRECEDENCE IN SERVING
At a family dinner the lady of the house should be
served first, unless she is carving ; then the daughters
of the house, and the governess if there is one, and
lastly the master of the house, and the sons accord-
ing to age.
Page 1035
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
Soiled plates should be removed at once when finished with, and never allowed to remain in front of those who have used them. It is customary, however, except in the case of the formal dinner, to ask if a little more meat, or pudding, &c., is desired. Plates should be taken straight to the sideboard ; the knives and silver put into a box or basket put there to receive them ; and the plates themselves piled up and taken from the room as soon as possible. The soup tureen, or any dish served from, should not be removed until everyone at table has finished that particular course. All dishes must be removed as quietly as possible, and care taken that no gravy nor grease is spilt.
Before sweets and dessert are served, a small tray should be carried round the table, and all cruets, salt-cellars, and any knives and silver that will not be required, placed upon it. If a carving cloth has been used, that also should be taken away. All crumbs and pieces of bread should then be removed from the left-hand side of each person, a crumb brush or scoop and a small tray being used.
A waitress should never reach across anyone seated to put down or remove an article from the table, but she ought to walk quietly to the right or left hand side as required.
When extra knives or silver are required, they should be put down on the table in their proper place, and never handed on a tray ; if bread, however, is asked for, it should be cut in small pieces, and handed in a small bread basket, or on a plate. Condiments too, when asked for, Bhould be handed on a small tray.
When dinner is served in the old-fashioned way, it is quite possible for one quick and intelligent maid to wait on six persons properly; although, of course, the service can be more quickly performed if two are in attendance, or if some help is given by dishes being brought from the kitchen, and soiled dishes carried away.
When two maids are in attendance, the principal one carries round the soup, fish, or meat, as the case may be, and the assistant follows with the accompaniments. The head waitress should never leave the room, her second doing all the carrying to and fro.
Inexperienced waitresses have sometimes a little difficulty in knowing at what side a dish should be laid down or removed. The following rules should be attended to.
(1) When there is no choice of dishes, the plate with its contents should be put down at the righthand side of the person seated.
(2) When there is a choice, as in the case of two different sweets, or two different kinds of fish, these should bo handed at the left-hand side.
(3) When a dish has to be offered, as, for instance, an entree or a vegetable, it should be carried to the left-hand side.
(4) Soiled plates should be removed from the right-hand side.
(5) Clean and empty plates should be put down at the right-hand side.
(6) Wine should be offered from the right-hand side, as the glasses are naturally standing in that position.
It is a good rule to remember that anything that is offered, except wine, should be carried to the left-hand side.
PRECEDENCE IN SERVING
At a family dinner the lady of the house should be served first, unless she is carving ; then the daughters of the house, and the governess if there is one, and lastly the master of the house, and the sons according to age.