The English service is the most simple form and is the most prac-
tical where only one servant is employed. All of the food belonging to
one course is placed on the table before the host, or hostess, and served
by him or her.
The Russian service is extremely formal, and is used entirely for
formal dinners and luncheons. A number of competent servants are nec-
essary to conduct it well. The individual plates may be filled with food
in the kitchen and brought in and placed before each person. Or the
plates may be placed empty for each course, and all of the food, attrac-
tively arranged on suitable dishes, passed by servants, allowing each per-
son to help himself. In this service there should be a servant to every
two or three persons.
The Compromise, as its name suggests, is a mixture of the two above
mentioned. In it some courses may be served English, some Russian, and
some combine the two. For example, the soup and dessert may be served
on individual dishes, filled before reaching the table (Russian) ; the meat
may be carved at the table by the host, and the vegetables passed by the
waitress (combining the Russian and English), and the salad may be
placed before the hostess and served by her (English).
28 L DINNER GIVING
A careful observance of each person's needs should be attended to
by the waitress. The water glasses, bread and butter plates should be
kept supplied without special attention being drawn to them. All serving
dishes necessary to the meal should be placed on the serving table or in
the pantry, and also an array of all of the silverware used, so that in
case a piece should be accidentally dropped at the table it can be quickly
replaced without attracting attention.
A clean soft napkin should be at hand, to be used by the waitress
to absorb any upset liquid. The spot should then be covered with a clean
doily or napkin.
All hot dishes should be hot, and cold dishes chilled before coming
to the table. Salads, cold meats, and cold desserts should be kept in the
ice box until just before serving them. Hot foods should be served on
hot dishes, and kept in a warming oven or on the back of a warm stove
until served.
It is the duty of the hostess to taste every food before it comes to
the table, in order to know that it is seasoned properly, and is neither
over nor under done.
Make every dish attractive in appearance. The garnishing should
be simple and, whenever possible, something that may be eaten. For
example, lettuce, parsley, sliced eggs on spinach or other greens, sliced
lemon, radishes cut in rose shape, curled celery, watercress, red and green
peppers, and any number of vegetables served uncooked, such as tomatoes.
All plates should be placed before each person from the right, by the
right hand of the maid, and removed from the left. When presenting a
dish of food, the waitress should have a squarely folded napkin on the
palm of the left hand under the dish. Serve it to the left of the person,
low and close enough so that he can conveniently help himself with his
right hand.
Page 24
Presented as published in 1917. 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 English service is the most simple form and is the most practical where only one servant is employed. All of the food belonging to one course is placed on the table before the host, or hostess, and served by him or her.
The Russian service is extremely formal, and is used entirely for formal dinners and luncheons. A number of competent servants are necessary to conduct it well. The individual plates may be filled with food in the kitchen and brought in and placed before each person. Or the plates may be placed empty for each course, and all of the food, attractively arranged on suitable dishes, passed by servants, allowing each person to help himself. In this service there should be a servant to every two or three persons.
The Compromise, as its name suggests, is a mixture of the two above mentioned. In it some courses may be served English, some Russian, and some combine the two. For example, the soup and dessert may be served on individual dishes, filled before reaching the table (Russian) ; the meat may be carved at the table by the host, and the vegetables passed by the waitress (combining the Russian and English), and the salad may be placed before the hostess and served by her (English).
[illustration: 28] DINNER GIVING
A careful observance of each person's needs should be attended to by the waitress. The water glasses, bread and butter plates should be kept supplied without special attention being drawn to them. All serving dishes necessary to the meal should be placed on the serving table or in the pantry, and also an array of all of the silverware used, so that in case a piece should be accidentally dropped at the table it can be quickly replaced without attracting attention.
A clean soft napkin should be at hand, to be used by the waitress to absorb any upset liquid. The spot should then be covered with a clean doily or napkin.
All hot dishes should be hot, and cold dishes chilled before coming to the table. Salads, cold meats, and cold desserts should be kept in the ice box until just before serving them. Hot foods should be served on hot dishes, and kept in a warming oven or on the back of a warm stove until served.
It is the duty of the hostess to taste every food before it comes to the table, in order to know that it is seasoned properly, and is neither over nor under done.
Make every dish attractive in appearance. The garnishing should be simple and, whenever possible, something that may be eaten. For example, lettuce, parsley, sliced eggs on spinach or other greens, sliced lemon, radishes cut in rose shape, curled celery, watercress, red and green peppers, and any number of vegetables served uncooked, such as tomatoes.
All plates should be placed before each person from the right, by the right hand of the maid, and removed from the left. When presenting a dish of food, the waitress should have a squarely folded napkin on the palm of the left hand under the dish. Serve it to the left of the person, low and close enough so that he can conveniently help himself with his right hand.