It is customary in family dinners to bring the food to the table
and have the host or hostess serve. When a roast is used, it is
well to place it in the center of the platter with the potatoes
and vegetables arranged around it. Every cook is at heart an
artist, and the ingenious cook can paint a beautiful picture with
food. For example, in Menu 1 , with the lamb roast as a center
and the browned potatoes around it, with peas mounded at one
end of the platter garnished with slices of carrot, and the whole
garnished with parsley, we get a beautiful picture. Mint jelly
is associated with lamb, and not only does it blend in well with
the rest of the menu, but it helps to add to the attractiveness of
the table. The mint jelly may be served from compote or jelly
38 THE INTERNATIONAL COOK BOOK
dishes. These are either silver or glass. Salad for the family
dinner may be served as a separate course or may be on the
table when the guests are called. The salad should be crisp and
beautiful. Contrasting colors in food enhances its beauty. The
tomato aspic salad served on a crisp bed of lettuce leaves and
garnished with parsley is good to look at. The salad which is
moulded individually may be heart shape, or any other form may
be used. Mint jelly and the aspic salad have contrasting colors
and are desirable for that reason.
When pie, such as the apple pie spoken of, is used for a dessert,
it may be served in the kitchen or may be brought to the table
for the hostess to serve to the family. Cheese or ice cream may
be served with the pie. The top crust of an apple pie is particu-
larly good if the cheese has been worked into the crust, using
the regular cheese straw recipe.
Coffee for the family dinner is served by the hostess at the
table. The coffee service, which is preferably of silver, is placed
before the hostess and the cups and saucers are placed at the
right. A coffee spoon is placed on each saucer as the coffee is
served. The spoon or fork used for dessert is served with the
dessert.
There is a sociability about food which we all recognize today,
and the formal dinner party is rapidly gaining favor. A formal
dinner should not be attempted without maid service. The
service for a formal dinner differs from the family service in that
a service plate is essential. It is placed on the table after the
cloth has been laid. The cloth for a formal dinner should be of
finest linen and may have a monogram with monogrammed
napkins to match. Flowers placed in a silver or crystal basket
or bowl form the centerpiece. Roses are perhaps the best table
decoration for a formal dinner. Candles are used. The color
of the candles is left to the discretion of the hostess. They may
be either white, ivory, or cream, or they may harmonize in color
with the flowers used. The salt and pepper shakers, if indi-
vidual, are placed at the right of the service plate. If they are
not individual, they are arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the
table. Silver dishes with nuts and candies are placed on the
table when the table is laid. Bread and butter plates are
eliminated for the formal dinner. If rolls are served, they may
MENUS AND TABLE SERVICE 39
Page 13
Presented as published in 1929. 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
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
It is customary in family dinners to bring the food to the table
and have the host or hostess serve. When a roast is used, it is
well to place it in the center of the platter with the potatoes
and vegetables arranged around it. Every cook is at heart an
artist, and the ingenious cook can paint a beautiful picture with
food. For example, in Menu 1 , with the lamb roast as a center
and the browned potatoes around it, with peas mounded at one
end of the platter garnished with slices of carrot, and the whole
garnished with parsley, we get a beautiful picture. Mint jelly
is associated with lamb, and not only does it blend in well with
the rest of the menu, but it helps to add to the attractiveness of
the table. The mint jelly may be served from compote or jelly
38 THE INTERNATIONAL COOK BOOK
dishes. These are either silver or glass. Salad for the family
dinner may be served as a separate course or may be on the
table when the guests are called. The salad should be crisp and
beautiful. Contrasting colors in food enhances its beauty. The
tomato aspic salad served on a crisp bed of lettuce leaves and
garnished with parsley is good to look at. The salad which is
moulded individually may be heart shape, or any other form may
be used. Mint jelly and the aspic salad have contrasting colors
and are desirable for that reason.
When pie, such as the apple pie spoken of, is used for a dessert,
it may be served in the kitchen or may be brought to the table
for the hostess to serve to the family. Cheese or ice cream may
be served with the pie. The top crust of an apple pie is particu-
larly good if the cheese has been worked into the crust, using
the regular cheese straw recipe.
Coffee for the family dinner is served by the hostess at the
table. The coffee service, which is preferably of silver, is placed
before the hostess and the cups and saucers are placed at the
right. A coffee spoon is placed on each saucer as the coffee is
served. The spoon or fork used for dessert is served with the
dessert.
There is a sociability about food which we all recognize today,
and the formal dinner party is rapidly gaining favor. A formal
dinner should not be attempted without maid service. The
service for a formal dinner differs from the family service in that
a service plate is essential. It is placed on the table after the
cloth has been laid. The cloth for a formal dinner should be of
finest linen and may have a monogram with monogrammed
napkins to match. Flowers placed in a silver or crystal basket
or bowl form the centerpiece. Roses are perhaps the best table
decoration for a formal dinner. Candles are used. The color
of the candles is left to the discretion of the hostess. They may
be either white, ivory, or cream, or they may harmonize in color
with the flowers used. The salt and pepper shakers, if indi-
vidual, are placed at the right of the service plate. If they are
not individual, they are arranged in pairs at opposite ends of the
table. Silver dishes with nuts and candies are placed on the
table when the table is laid. Bread and butter plates are
eliminated for the formal dinner. If rolls are served, they may
MENUS AND TABLE SERVICE 39