The selection of guests for a formal dinner is extremely
important, and the seating at the table so that all are con-
genial takes some time to plan. Name cards should be
placed at each cover. Eacli gentleman should be given a
card, on entering the dressing room, with the name of the
lady whom he is to escort to the dining room, and the
letters R or L, also on the card, indicating to the right
or left of the hostess.
When dinner is announced, the host with the guest
of honor leads the way to the dining room, followed
by the other men with their ladies, and the hostess with
the gentleman of honor brings up the rear. The guests
all stand behind their chairs until the hostess makes a
move to be seated; then the men push up the chairs for
the ladies, each lady seating herself from the left of her
chair.
The decoration of the table should be simple and low in
design and in the center of the table. A small flower
may also be placed at the right of each cover. Of course
22 lownet's cook book
the colors of the flowers must harmonize with the china,
but otherwise individual taste should be exercised.
The illumination of the table is most important. If
candles are used, they must be so arranged as not to
interfere with the guests, and the shades so placed that
they will slip down as the candle burns. If candle light
is insufficient, try if possible to have the lights come from
the side rather than from above.
The Cover. — The place for each guest and the necessary
plate, silver, glasses, knives, and napkin is called the cover.
Arrangement of Cover. — Allow twenty inches for every
person. Place a ten-inch service plate, having decora-
tions, right side up, in the center of this space, and one
and one half inches from the edge of the table.
Arrange knives, edges toward plate, in the order in which
they will be needed, beginning at the right. At the right
of knives, place soup spoon, bowl up ; at the right of soup
spoon, the oyster fork, with tines up ; the other forks, with
tines up, at the left of the plate, in the order in which
they will be needed, beginning with the extreme left.
If there are too many courses to admit of all the silver
being put on at once, extra silver may be placed at each
cover just before serving the course requiring it.
The glass for water should be placed just above the
center of the plate, to the right, the wineglasses to the
right of the water glass, in the order in which they are to
be used. Place the napkins either to the left of the forks,
or over service plate. They should be so folded as to hold
a bread stick or dinner roll.
The name card is generally placed on top of the napkin
or over the plate.
Serving the Formal Dinner. — The dinner may be served
from the butler's pantry, having each course arranged on
individual plates, and placed by the waitress, on the right
DINNERS AND LUNCHEONS 23
side of the guest, with the right hand, and anything which
is to be served with the course, passed on a tray to the
left of the guest and low enough and suificiently near to
the guest, to be easily taken with the right hand. Served
in this way, there is less interruption to conversation.
Page 9
Presented as published in 1907. 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
The selection of guests for a formal dinner is extremely important, and the seating at the table so that all are congenial takes some time to plan. Name cards should be placed at each cover. Each gentleman should be given a card, on entering the dressing room, with the name of the lady whom he is to escort to the dining room, and the letters R or L, also on the card, indicating to the right or left of the hostess.
When dinner is announced, the host with the guest of honor leads the way to the dining room, followed by the other men with their ladies, and the hostess with the gentleman of honor brings up the rear. The guests all stand behind their chairs until the hostess makes a move to be seated; then the men push up the chairs for the ladies, each lady seating herself from the left of her chair.
The decoration of the table should be simple and low in design and in the center of the table. A small flower may also be placed at the right of each cover. Of course
22 lowney's cook book
the colors of the flowers must harmonize with the china, but otherwise individual taste should be exercised.
The illumination of the table is most important. If candles are used, they must be so arranged as not to interfere with the guests, and the shades so placed that they will slip down as the candle burns. If candle light is insufficient, try if possible to have the lights come from the side rather than from above.
The Cover. — The place for each guest and the necessary plate, silver, glasses, knives, and napkin is called the cover.
Arrangement of Cover. — Allow twenty inches for every person. Place a ten-inch service plate, having decorations, right side up, in the center of this space, and one and one half inches from the edge of the table.
Arrange knives, edges toward plate, in the order in which they will be needed, beginning at the right. At the right of knives, place soup spoon, bowl up ; at the right of soup spoon, the oyster fork, with tines up ; the other forks, with tines up, at the left of the plate, in the order in which they will be needed, beginning with the extreme left.
If there are too many courses to admit of all the silver being put on at once, extra silver may be placed at each cover just before serving the course requiring it.
The glass for water should be placed just above the center of the plate, to the right, the wineglasses to the right of the water glass, in the order in which they are to be used. Place the napkins either to the left of the forks, or over service plate. They should be so folded as to hold a bread stick or dinner roll.
The name card is generally placed on top of the napkin or over the plate.
Serving the Formal Dinner. — The dinner may be served from the butler's pantry, having each course arranged on individual plates, and placed by the waitress, on the right
side of the guest, with the right hand, and anything which is to be served with the course, passed on a tray to the left of the guest and low enough and sufficiently near to the guest, to be easily taken with the right hand. Served in this way, there is less interruption to conversation.