FoodNetArchive

The century cook book

1894

Page 111

Presented as published in 1894. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Egg Soup. Broiled Codfish or Salmon Steak, with Old Zealand Sauce. Baked Potatoes. Macaroni with Tomatoes, Rice Cro- quettes. Plum Cake. Preserved Pears. Raw Oysters. Broiled Prairie Chicken, currant jelly Escalloped Potatoes dressing. Fried Parsnips, Cabbage with May onnaise dressing. English Plum Pudding. Note : — For a family of six, from three pints to two quarts of soup are required ; and from three to five pounds of meat, poultry or fish are required for the same number of persons if only one kind of meat is served. RULES FOR DINNER GIVING Rule I. — Let your family dinner hour be at a given hour, and let that hour be the dinner hour. Allow no shirking here from any one, unless accident or circumstances render such compulsory. Then you stand some chance of being able to turn your cookery talents, if you have any, to account. Rule 2. — Always arrange your dinner, having a kind of mind's-eye menu, satisfactorily beforehand, before you attempt either to give directions concerning it or to help, it may be, in its preparation. Without this, you may give your family or your guests an eatable dinner now and then, but as a general rule, it will be a failure. Rule 3. — For a "hot dinner" let the plates be hot, not warm merely, but hot. The best dinner you can give guests will be spoiled if you serve it to them on plates in which almost before they begin to eat the gravy floats about in small, island-like patches. Rule 4. — Give due attention to the customary order of courses. You do not want your fish, for instance, ready before the soup, causing the former to look flabby, and most likely break and lose its trim appearance. Rule 5. — Be careful in dishing vegetables, that they are perfectly drained from water. Turnips or other edibles of the kind swimming about in a sea of dingy water are enough to cause the excellence of the cookery or the other viands to be put in the shade. TABLE ETIQUETTE. These very simple and practical rules are especially intended for the training of children, and as such, will be kindly received by busy parents. They will also be found useful as reminders foi^those grown up people who may have forgotten some of the necessary requisites of "Good Table Manners" — the infallible touch stone of a lady or a gentle- man's breeding. Make a point to be on time at family meals. Exactitude is the politeness of kings — and of well bred people. Never come to the table in a neglected attire, or in your shirt sleeves, or with hair unkempt, or with hands and face of doubtful cleanliness. Your home is a temple, not a pig-stye. If there are ladies in the party do not sit down before they are themselves seated. Sit down square to the table, not sideways, or leaning- back in your chair as if to take a nap instead of a meal. Never allow your elbows to rest on the table. Let your hands — when not busy — rest on the edge of the table. Do not tuck your napkin under your chin, or between the buttons of your waistcoat; put it across your lap. 196 Table Etiquette 197 If you sport a beard or mustache, use your napkin frequently to wipe away any unnoticed drop or crumb. Never use your napkin to mop your face with. Never cut your bread with a knife; bread is made to be broken, not cut, when once off the loaf. Make no noise with your mouth when eating or drinking, especially when eating soup.