Pare the fruit, remove the eyes, and pick it into small pieces with a silver fork, beginning at the stump end and tearing the fruit from the core. Sprinkle the shredded pineapple with powdered sugar, and set it in a cold place for at least one hour before it is needed. POMEGRANATES. Remove the outside skin, and carefully take out the seeds, rejecting all the brown skin that divides the sec- tions. Heap the seeds in a pretty dish, mix with them finely chopped ice, and serve. BERRIES. Strawberries, raspberries, etc., should be carefully picked over a few minutes before serving time, and heaped on a glass dish. Pass sugar and cream with the berries at table. Berries should never be washed. If soiled, they should not be purchased. When berries raised in one's own garden become soiled by a heavy rain, they may be used, after the needed washing, in mak- ing pies or shortcakes, but should never be served alone. In France large strawberries are sent to table without being hulled ; sugar is placed in the center of the saucer passed to each person, and the strawberries are taken by the hulls between the thumb and finger, dipped in the sugar and so eaten. 568 THE PA TTERN COOK-BOOK. CURRANTS. Stem the currants, and heap them on a dish in rows of red and white, placing a border of leaves around the out- side. This fruit is also served unstemmed, in which case large clusters should be selected. They should be rinsed by being dipped repeatedly in cold water, and then drained on a sieve. Arrange the clusters on a pretty dish, and serve in saucers around a small pyramid of powdered sugar, the fruit when eaten being dipped in the sugar and eaten from the stem. GRAPES. If the grapes are at all soiled, or if they are Malagas, they should be rinsed in cold water and drained on a sieve, after which they may be arranged on a pretty bas- ket. Fruit scissors should accompany the basket, with which to divide the clusters, if desired. ORANGES. There are many fancy ways of cutting oranges for serv- ing, but these always produce a strained effect that im- presses the beholder with an unpleasant hint of vulgar- ity. It is, therefore, wiser to serve this fruit plain. At table they may be cut crosswise and eaten with a spoon, or they may be separated into sections and eaten thus from the fingers. WATERMELON. This should be thoroughly chilled before being used. There are many ways of cutting. The melon may be simply cut in two, and a slice cut from each convex end so that the portions will stand firmly on the platter. In FRUIT: HOW TO SERVE IT. 569 serving the pulp is scooped out with a table-spoon. Another method of serving that produces a very attract- ive dish consists in peeling the entire melon, leaving only the red ball, which is sliced at table. CANTALOUPES. These are cut in halves and the seeds carefully re- moved, half a melon being passed to each person ; and they should be very cold for serving. They may be eaten with a spoon or fork, and salt should be at hand for those who desire it. The half mel- ons are often sent to table filled with pounded ice. HOW TO ICE FRUITS FOR SERVING.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Pare the fruit, remove the eyes, and pick it into small pieces with a silver fork, beginning at the stump end and tearing the fruit from the core. Sprinkle the shredded pineapple with powdered sugar, and set it in a cold place for at least one hour before it is needed. POMEGRANATES. Remove the outside skin, and carefully take out the seeds, rejecting all the brown skin that divides the sections. Heap the seeds in a pretty dish, mix with them finely chopped ice, and serve. BERRIES. Strawberries, raspberries, etc., should be carefully picked over a few minutes before serving time, and heaped on a glass dish. Pass sugar and cream with the berries at table. Berries should never be washed. If soiled, they should not be purchased. When berries raised in one's own garden become soiled by a heavy rain, they may be used, after the needed washing, in making pies or shortcakes, but should never be served alone. In France large strawberries are sent to table without being hulled ; sugar is placed in the center of the saucer passed to each person, and the strawberries are taken by the hulls between the thumb and finger, dipped in the sugar and so eaten. CURRANTS. Stem the currants, and heap them on a dish in rows of red and white, placing a border of leaves around the outside. This fruit is also served unstemmed, in which case large clusters should be selected. They should be rinsed by being dipped repeatedly in cold water, and then drained on a sieve. Arrange the clusters on a pretty dish, and serve in saucers around a small pyramid of powdered sugar, the fruit when eaten being dipped in the sugar and eaten from the stem. GRAPES. If the grapes are at all soiled, or if they are Malagas, they should be rinsed in cold water and drained on a sieve, after which they may be arranged on a pretty basket. Fruit scissors should accompany the basket, with which to divide the clusters, if desired. ORANGES. There are many fancy ways of cutting oranges for serving, but these always produce a strained effect that impresses the beholder with an unpleasant hint of vulgarity. It is, therefore, wiser to serve this fruit plain. At table they may be cut crosswise and eaten with a spoon, or they may be separated into sections and eaten thus from the fingers. WATERMELON. This should be thoroughly chilled before being used. There are many ways of cutting. The melon may be simply cut in two, and a slice cut from each convex end so that the portions will stand firmly on the platter. In serving the pulp is scooped out with a table-spoon. Another method of serving that produces a very attractive dish consists in peeling the entire melon, leaving only the red ball, which is sliced at table. CANTALOUPES. These are cut in halves and the seeds carefully removed, half a melon being passed to each person ; and they should be very cold for serving. They may be eaten with a spoon or fork, and salt should be at hand for those who desire it. The half melons are often sent to table filled with pounded ice. HOW TO ICE FRUITS FOR SERVING.

The Pattern cook-book