This routine, once understood, can easily
be carried out, and prevents all confusion : it suits both plain
and fine dinners, and enables one well-trained servant to wait
upon a dozen guests with ease.
The table is laid as for the dinner a la Russe, with the
cotton-flannel and the dinner-cloth, which may be of plain
white damask, or as elaborate as the fancy dictates. All the
covers, relishes, confectionery, and small sweets are arranged
in harmony with the decoration of flowers. The carafes of
iced water, the wines which allow of decanting, and the
shellfish are placed before the dinner is announced. Di-
rectly the guests ar^ seated, the first course of soup and fish,
if there is but one service of each, is placed before the host
and hostess ; when the service includes two soups, or two
dishes of any course, one is placed before the host, and the
other before the hostess, the latter being given that which is
126 PR'ACTICAL AMERICAN COOKERY.
the least difficult to serve. When there is a double service,
there must be two servants at least. As each plate is sup-
plied by the host, the servant takes it from the left hand, and
carries it to the left of the guest, together with the appropri-
ate vegetable or relish. When wine is used, it is poured
from the right hand of the guest,- in the intervals of service
of the different courses. Directly all the guests are served,
and the host has taken a portion from any dish, it is at once
removed from the table, and replaced by the succeeding
course. As each guest signifies his readiness to have his
plate removed, — and he does this by laying the knife and
fork side by side across the middle of the plate, with the
handles to the right, — the waiter takes it away, and replaces
it with a hot plate, and another knife and fork appropriate to
the coming service, unless these are already upon the table.
The knife and fork are upon the plate, and the guest at once
lays them upon the table. As the waiter brings a plate con-
taining a fresh service, he takes the guest's plate back to
the host. After a vegetable or hot sauce has been passed, the
dish containing it is set upon the sideboard, ready to be
taken away. In a dinner of several courses, it is unusual for
a guest to ask for any dish a second time ; but at a small
family dinner the sauces and vegetables may be placed upon
the table until the course to which they belong is removed.
The plates of the host and hostess are taken away at the
conclusion of each course.
When the dessert is reached, all the glasses are taken
away except the water-tumbler and the glass of the wine
which the guest chooses to use during dessert; and the
crumbs are removed from the cloth, with a broad-bladed
silver knife, to a plate or small salver held in the left hand
of the waiter. The knife is better for this purpose than a
crumb-brush. The dessert-platp, containing a finger-bowl
and dessert knife and fork, is then set before each guest,
FLOWERS, BILLS OF FARE, AND WINES. \2J
who at once removes the finger-bowl and its doily, and the
knife and fork, to the table ; leaving the plate ready for the
waiter either to take to the hostess, or for use for the small
sweets. Coffee can be served at table or in the drawing-
room ; and tea an hour after dinner, to the guests who re-
main, or to others who arrive when an evening at home
follows the dinner.
Page 73
Presented as published in 1885. 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
This routine, once understood, can easily be carried out, and prevents all confusion : it suits both plain and fine dinners, and enables one well-trained servant to wait upon a dozen guests with ease.
The table is laid as for the dinner a la Russe, with the cotton-flannel and the dinner-cloth, which may be of plain white damask, or as elaborate as the fancy dictates. All the covers, relishes, confectionery, and small sweets are arranged in harmony with the decoration of flowers. The carafes of iced water, the wines which allow of decanting, and the shellfish are placed before the dinner is announced. Directly the guests are seated, the first course of soup and fish, if there is but one service of each, is placed before the host and hostess ; when the service includes two soups, or two dishes of any course, one is placed before the host, and the other before the hostess, the latter being given that which is
the least difficult to serve. When there is a double service, there must be two servants at least. As each plate is supplied by the host, the servant takes it from the left hand, and carries it to the left of the guest, together with the appropriate vegetable or relish. When wine is used, it is poured from the right hand of the guest, in the intervals of service of the different courses. Directly all the guests are served, and the host has taken a portion from any dish, it is at once removed from the table, and replaced by the succeeding course. As each guest signifies his readiness to have his plate removed, — and he does this by laying the knife and fork side by side across the middle of the plate, with the handles to the right, — the waiter takes it away, and replaces it with a hot plate, and another knife and fork appropriate to the coming service, unless these are already upon the table. The knife and fork are upon the plate, and the guest at once lays them upon the table. As the waiter brings a plate containing a fresh service, he takes the guest's plate back to the host. After a vegetable or hot sauce has been passed, the dish containing it is set upon the sideboard, ready to be taken away. In a dinner of several courses, it is unusual for a guest to ask for any dish a second time ; but at a small family dinner the sauces and vegetables may be placed upon the table until the course to which they belong is removed. The plates of the host and hostess are taken away at the conclusion of each course.
When the dessert is reached, all the glasses are taken away except the water-tumbler and the glass of the wine which the guest chooses to use during dessert; and the crumbs are removed from the cloth, with a broad-bladed silver knife, to a plate or small salver held in the left hand of the waiter. The knife is better for this purpose than a crumb-brush. The dessert-plate, containing a finger-bowl and dessert knife and fork, is then set before each guest,
who at once removes the finger-bowl and its doily, and the knife and fork, to the table ; leaving the plate ready for the waiter either to take to the hostess, or for use for the small sweets. Coffee can be served at table or in the drawingroom ; and tea an hour after dinner, to the guests who remain, or to others who arrive when an evening at home follows the dinner.