A formal dinner has a great many courses and a great deal of
silver is used. The usual number of courses is 8. 10 or 12. The din-
ner of 12 courses is the most strictly formal ; it makes a very heavy for-
mal dinner, and is really too heavy for women. In making out the
menu, the hostess should take great care not to repeat flavors or
dishes throughout the courses. Of course, it is highly improper to
use menu cards.
SETTING OF TABLE.
The table is set quite as for the formal luncheon, having at least
20 inches between each guest.
SEKVICE PLATE. At each cover is placed a 10-inch service
plate; it should be one inch from the edge of the table. This service
plate is to be left on until the first hot course after the soup.
SILVER. One should not entertain so extensively at dinner, as
not to have enough silver to put on at once all that will be needed for
all the courses. Some people, however, consider it vulgar to display
so much silver on the table at once ; for a 12-course dinner there would
be at least 12 pieces of silver needed at each cover. Some courses
will need no silver, while others will need two pieces. In case one
has not enough silver, or dislikes the display, one can bring in the
silver by installments; i. e. in setting the table, one lays only enough
silver for 2 or 3, or 3 or 4 courses, and brings in with each succeeding
course just enough silver for that course. In bringing in the silver
this way, it is nicest to use a silver tray, having thereon enough silver
for all covers for that one course. In distributing this silver, never
reach in front of any guest; merely go to the left of the guest, laying
the fork, and then to the right, laying the knife or spoon — i. e. lay
228 THE WORCESTER DOMESTIC SCIENCE SCHOOL.
all the silver necessary at each cover before going on to the next.
The silver for each course, when brought in by installments, should
be laid before the course is served.
There are two ways in which the silver may be laid, as regards
its order. One way, which is perhaps the least confusing to the
guests, is as follows: When both a knife and fork are needed, the
forks are placed at the left of the plate and one inch from the edge of
the table (laid in the order needed, from the extreme left in towards
the plate) ; the knives are placed at the right of the plate, and one
inch from the edge of the table (laid in the order needed, going from
the extreme right in towards the plate. But here's the point wherein
this method differs from the other: — if only a fork or a spoon (as for
an entree or the soup) is needed for a course, it should be placed to
the right of the plate with the knives and arranged in the order
needed. This makes it less awkward and confusing for the guest to
select the silver for each course, but does not make the table look so
attractive.*
The other method of setting the silver is the same as described
in the lecture on the formal luncheon.
GLASSES. Place the glasses at the upper right hand corner of
the plate, just above the top of the knife. The glasses should be rilled
with water just before the guests enter the dining room. Fill them
only about two-thirds full.
Page 120
Presented as published in 1914. 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 formal dinner has a great many courses and a great deal of silver is used. The usual number of courses is 8. 10 or 12. The dinner of 12 courses is the most strictly formal ; it makes a very heavy formal dinner, and is really too heavy for women. In making out the menu, the hostess should take great care not to repeat flavors or dishes throughout the courses. Of course, it is highly improper to use menu cards.
SETTING OF TABLE.
The table is set quite as for the formal luncheon, having at least 20 inches between each guest.
SERVICE PLATE. At each cover is placed a 10-inch service plate; it should be one inch from the edge of the table. This service plate is to be left on until the first hot course after the soup.
SILVER. One should not entertain so extensively at dinner, as not to have enough silver to put on at once all that will be needed for all the courses. Some people, however, consider it vulgar to display so much silver on the table at once ; for a 12-course dinner there would be at least 12 pieces of silver needed at each cover. Some courses will need no silver, while others will need two pieces. In case one has not enough silver, or dislikes the display, one can bring in the silver by installments; i. e. in setting the table, one lays only enough silver for 2 or 3, or 3 or 4 courses, and brings in with each succeeding course just enough silver for that course. In bringing in the silver this way, it is nicest to use a silver tray, having thereon enough silver for all covers for that one course. In distributing this silver, never reach in front of any guest; merely go to the left of the guest, laying the fork, and then to the right, laying the knife or spoon — i. e. lay
all the silver necessary at each cover before going on to the next. The silver for each course, when brought in by installments, should be laid before the course is served.
There are two ways in which the silver may be laid, as regards its order. One way, which is perhaps the least confusing to the guests, is as follows: When both a knife and fork are needed, the forks are placed at the left of the plate and one inch from the edge of the table (laid in the order needed, from the extreme left in towards the plate) ; the knives are placed at the right of the plate, and one inch from the edge of the table (laid in the order needed, going from the extreme right in towards the plate. But here's the point wherein this method differs from the other: — if only a fork or a spoon (as for an entree or the soup) is needed for a course, it should be placed to the right of the plate with the knives and arranged in the order needed. This makes it less awkward and confusing for the guest to select the silver for each course, but does not make the table look so attractive.*
The other method of setting the silver is the same as described in the lecture on the formal luncheon.
GLASSES. Place the glasses at the upper right hand corner of the plate, just above the top of the knife. The glasses should be filled with water just before the guests enter the dining room. Fill them only about two-thirds full.