Читать книгу The Delmonico Cook Book - Alessandro Filippini - Страница 22
ОглавлениеA—Plates.
B—Flowers.
C—Sherry.
D—Sauterne.
E—Fruits.
F—Cakes.
G—Celery.
H—Radishes.
I—Black and Red Pepper.
K—Salt Cellars.
1—Green Glass for Sauterne.
2—Glass for Sherry.
3—Red Glass for Rhine Wine.
4—Glass for Champagne.
5—Glass for Latour.
6—Glass for Chambertin.
7—Glass for Water.
A table for six persons should be six feet long. Take a woolen cloth and put it over the table, and then place a linen cloth on top of it; this will deaden the noise of plates and glasses.
Flowers should never be absent from the table when you have guests; they can be procured at all seasons. A large basket or bouquet should be placed in the centre of the table; a large bouquet on the right side for each lady, and a small boutonniére for each gentleman, also on the right side of the cover.
On each side of the centre-piece place a fruit-stand, nicely arranged with the choicest fruits of the season. Next to this place a compotier with assorted cakes. Place celery, olives, or radishes symmetrically in the space that is left between the centre and the covers. Fish-knives, soup-spoons, and oyster-forks must be placed on the right side of the plate, and the fork on the left side. If desired, place fancy pieces on the table, (pièces montées); but as the foregoing items pertain only to a dinner for six persons it would crowd out much available space. The diagram on the preceding page will illustrate the arrangement of the glasses on the table.
Napkins can be arranged in various styles and figures; into flowers or any other desired form. The latest and most fashionable way is to arrange them folded plainly, so as to show the monogram of the family. A small salt-cellar should be placed at each cover, to avoid asking the servant for it.
Menus, either printed or written, should be placed at each cover. It is not a breach of etiquette to refuse a course you do not desire; by knowing what is coming, you can with propriety refuse a course, and take the next one.
About ten minutes before commencing dinner, fill the decanters with Sauterne and with sherry, and place the same on the table, as in diagram, marked C and D.
HOW TO SERVE MEALS.
Nearly every family of means is in the habit of giving a few dinners to its friends during the year. As a matter of course, the members of the family are, in return, invited to “dine out.”
If you invite your friends to a dinner, you should not wish them to go away dissatisfied. After a varied experience of many years, both in this country and in Europe, the author feels that no apologies are necessary if he endeavors to enlighten our epicures and dinner-givers as to how to arrange and serve a fine dinner, from commencement to close, after the manner of the French.
It should not be forgotten that much depends upon the appearance of the table, and the manner of serving the courses. In fact, more success can be attained by studied attention to the room, the table, and the serving of the courses, than in the preparation of costly viands.
On entering a dining-room, the first object which strikes the eye is the table. If the table is void of flowers, and other side decorations, including olives, radishes, and celery, tastefully arranged napkins and wine-glasses, an impression is given of a boarding-house table. On the contrary, when you see a beautifully decorated and artistically arranged table, the heart is immediately gladdened.
A proper regard should be given to the comfort of the guests as regards temperature. Have the room neither too cold nor too warm; the temperature should never exceed sixty degrees. The dining-room should be well aired before dinner commences. Great care should be taken that the dinner be served very hot. Noises with plates and glasses should be avoided.
There is as much system in serving a fine dinner as there is in running a railroad, or in any other business. French dinners are generally served in three main courses, viz., Relevés, Entrées, and Rotis; all the rest are considered side courses. It depends entirely on the taste of the host as to how many main courses he desires served. The author would suggest two relevés, three entrées, and one or two rotis; this could be made an elaborate dinner.
Naturally, what you shall serve will depend entirely on what there is in market at the season. For instance, you cannot serve brook-trout in January, or canvas-back duck during the months of June, July, August, or September. However, the very best in the market should invariably be selected.
Care should be taken to have the wines at the right temperature. Sherry, Sauterne, Chablis, and Rhine wines should always be served cold. Champagne should be served very cold, almost at the freezing-point. Bordeaux and Burgundy should be kept twelve hours before dinner in a room at a temperature of seventy degrees. Servants should be instructed not to fill the glasses more than three-fourths full; for guests are in danger of soiling their dresses, and, again, it is not considered good form.
The following is a fair menu for a New Year’s dinner, with the necessary instructions how to serve it:
Blue Point Oysters, 298. Haut Sauterne.
SOUPS.
Cream of Asparagus, 70.
Consommé Royale, 107. Amontillado.
HORS D’ŒUVRE.
Radishes, 292. Olives.
Timbales à l’Ecossaise, 261.
RELEVES.
Bass à la Régence, 305.
Potatoes à la Windsor, 1008. Rauenthaler-Berg.
Fillet of Beef, larded à la Parisienne, 514.
Saddle of Mutton, currant jelly, 666. Pommery Sec.
ENTREES.
Sweetbreads, larded à la Colbert, 617.
Terrapin à la Maryland, 397. Chateau Latour.
SORBET.
Kirsch Punch, 1305.
ROTIS.
Canvas-back Ducks, 874.
Celery, Mayonnaise Salad, 1042. Chambertin.
ENTREMETS.
Artichoke Bottoms, 897. French Peas, 977.
String Beans, 948.
SWEET ENTREMETS.
Plum Pudding à l’Anglaise, 1163.
ICES.
Vanilla, 1271. Pistache, 1275.
Fruit. Cakes.
Coffee, 1349.
Cordials.
To begin with the oysters or clams: place some finely chopped ice on each soup-plate, with a small fancy napkin on top. Arrange the oysters or clams nicely on top of each plate, with a piece of lemon, and serve. With this course serve also Haut Sauterne. It is understood that the oysters or clams are to be served after all the guests are seated. It should be made a rule never to remove any plates while some of the guests are still eating. When all have finished, remove the oyster-plates and leave dinner-plates in their stead; then serve the soup. The servant is expected to present a plate of each kind to each guest, and ask which is preferred. Serve sherry with the soup. Always serve the plates on the right side, and remove on the left. Serve timbales. First put a spoonful of sauce on each plate, and then the timbale; at the same time you are serving the timbale, remove the cold plates and serve the fish. Put the fish on the plates, then the sauce, with a few potatoes on the same plate. Serve Rauenthaler-Berg. Remove the plates and serve fillet of beef, which should be cut in small, even slices. Put the sauce on the plate, and then the fillet. Place the artichokes on the same plate. Serve Pommery Sec with this and with the other course. Remove the plates and serve saddle of mutton. Cut the loin of the saddle lengthwise, and then crosswise, and serve with a little gravy and a spoonful of string-beans on the same plate. When this course is finished, serve the sweetbreads. Put the sauce first on the plate, as with the fillet, with a spoonful of peas. With this serve Chateau Latour. The next course, terrapin, should be served in a very hot tureen. Before serving, add a little fine sherry; mix well, and give each guest a small portion. Serve more Chateau Latour with this course.
After this comes sorbet. This can be served in glasses or in shells; for instance, take six lemons or six small oranges, cut off the tops, take the soft parts out of them, and in them place the sorbet. Arrange them on cold dessert-plates, decorated with small fancy napkins or fancy paper. While the guests are enjoying the sorbet, remove sherry, Sauterne, and Hock glasses, no matter if empty or full. (Replace knives and forks before serving the sorbet.)
Now come canvas-back ducks. Before serving, place them for a moment before the host, so that all the guests can see them. Cut off only the breasts, and serve with a little of the gravy and a small piece of fried hominy, on very hot plates; then pass around the currant jelly. You can serve a whole breast or a half one; however, during a hearty dinner, a half one is preferable; this is entirely at the disposition of the host. Serve celery salad with mayonnaise dressing on separate dessert-plates, with forks, and then serve Chambertin.
When this course is finished, remove all side dishes, casters, and salt and pepper cruets, and leave nothing on the table but flowers, fruits, and cakes. Clean the table neatly with a brush or napkin, and then place dessert spoons and forks at each cover. Serve plum pudding the same as omelette au rum. Pour the rum over the pudding, spread powdered sugar on top, and, with a spoon, keep pouring the burning liquid over it until it ceases to burn. Then cut in slices and serve, putting some of the liquid on each plate.
Vanilla and pistache ice-cream should be served on cold dessert-plates with fancy paper underneath, and with dessert spoons and forks. Serve the cakes with the ice-cream.
When this course is finished, serve to each guest a finger-bowl, with a thin slice of lemon in the water. Small cups for coffee should be passed at the same time. Fruits, nuts, and raisins come next. It is customary with some old American families to introduce at this course a bottle of very old Madeira wine; but this is certainly not necessary.
Now comes the last, the coffee, which must be served fresh and very hot, for the preparation of which the author refers you to page 381. At the same time serve cordials, and the dinner will be completed.
EXPLANATORY NOTE.
While these menus are simple and complete, it is not supposed that they can always be carried out in detail. They will, however, furnish suggestions to house-keepers who are daily perplexed with the question, “What shall we have for breakfast, luncheon, and dinner?” The number placed after each dish refers to the recipe showing how the dish is prepared. The menus are arranged so as to be used for any year. New Year’s, 1890, will begin on a Wednesday instead of a Tuesday, as here printed; in that case, use the New Year’s menu and then turn to the first Thursday in January and proceed in regular order. Should you come out uneven at the end of the month, through skipping some days at the first, turn back again to the beginning. For instance should Thursday be the 29th of January, instead of the last, as printed, turn back to the first Friday in January, and proceed until the month is completed. Special menus have been prepared for New Year’s Day, Washington’s Birthday, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas.
