Breakfast
Oranges.
Pearled Oats with Cream.
Lamb Chops. Creamed Potatoes.
Bread. Hot Muffins.
Butter.
Coffee. Milk.
Cream or Hot Milk.
The breakfast given is a usual one in many households. Learn to serve this properly, and it will be easy to make changes where ideas vary as to comfort and convenience.
To serve the breakfast given there will be needed: Napkins, tumblers, salt cups, pepper boxes, salt spoons, butter plate and knife, bread-and-butter plates, bread plate, bread knife, bread board, muffin dish, water pitcher, milk pitcher, trays.
| Fruit. | Fruit dish. Finger bowl. Doilies. | Fruit plates. | Fruit knives. Fruit spoons. |
| Pearled Oats. | Covered dish. Cream jugs. Sugar bowl. | Cereal dishes on plates. | Tablespoons. Dessertspoons. |
| Chops and Potatoes. | Platter. Tray for platter. Covered dish. | Breakfast plates. | Small carver and fork. Two tablespoons. Breakfast knives. Breakfast forks. |
| Coffee. | Hot-water kettle. Coffee pot and stand and small strainer. Hot-milk pitcher (covered) and stand. Cream jug. Sugar bowl. Slop bowl. | Coffee cups and saucers. | Sugar tongs Teaspoons. Sugarspoons. |
The dish of fruit is to stand in the centre of the table. Place a salt cup, with its spoon, and a pepper box for the use of every two people. Put for each person a fruit plate, on which is a fruit doily, and a finger bowl one third full of water. On the plate at the right of the bowl lay a silver fruit knife, on the left of the plate a fruit spoon. At the right of each plate place a tumbler for water and another for milk. At the left put a little plate for bread, butter, and hot muffins. On the
table, at the right of the plates, lay a breakfast knife, with the sharp edge of the blade turned towards the plate, a silver knife for butter, and a dessertspoon, with bowl turned up. At the left lay a breakfast fork, with the tines turned up, and a napkin.
If the polished table, without a cloth, is preferred for breakfast, it will be necessary to take thought about hot dishes, none of which must come in direct contact with the table. Either they must be served from a side-table, or the polished table must be in some way protected. Table mats have been discarded by many ladies because they are so often merely useful without being ornamental.
Among the handsomest things with which to replace table mats are hand-painted trays, set in rims of split bamboo. The rim protects the table, and prevents the platter from sliding. These should be handled with great care, on account of their value. With one of these trays at the foot of the table, the fruit in the centre, and the coffee service at the
head, all has a finished appearance when breakfast is served.
With the placing of the coffee service at the head of the table the difficulty of heat again presents itself, and this time cannot be obviated by the side-table. The hot-water kettle is taken care of by its own lamp-stand; but the coffee-pot and hot-milk jug still remain. These must be provided for according to their character. If of silver, they should rest on silver stands; if of china, then on china stands; the purpose being to make the stand appear like a part of that which rests upon it, and so be as unnoticeable as possible.
The expert waitress will arrange her sideboard and side-table with as much care as she does the table itself. These two accessories should hold everything that may, can, or shall be needed. The sideboard may be left uncovered if the table is uncovered. If the table is draped, a suitable cloth must be laid on the sideboard. A side-table should always be draped. Use this for hot dishes without
stands. The sideboard should hold in readiness extra plates, knives, forks, spoons, tumblers and napkins, fine sugar for the pearled oats, a pitcher of water, and a pitcher of milk.
On the side-table should be plenty of space for whatever hot dishes are to be placed upon it, including the muffin dish, a silver tray for placing and removing everything that is not soiled; another tray, either of silver or carved wood, for removing that which is soiled, a small napkin for taking up quickly anything that may be spilled, and a large napkin or neat towel to be used in an emergency, such as the accidental overturning of a glass of milk or a cup of coffee.
When she thinks that all is ready, the waitress should ask and answer every one of these questions:
Does the table need anything more?
Is the sideboard perfectly arranged?
Is there plenty of room on the side-table?
Are the chairs properly placed?
Are the morning papers where they should be?
Are any doors unnecessarily open?
Is there a drawer that is not tightly closed?
Has any dust been overlooked in the dining-room?
Two minutes before the breakfast hour begin to fill the glasses with water. This will be finished in time, and the water will be cool and fresh.
As to the time of placing butter upon the table, a waitress must be guided by her judgment. In winter, when butter is very hard, it may be put on sooner than in summer, when it should be kept cool until needed.
Bread must be always freshly cut.
When the family are seated at the table, place the fruit dish on a tray and hand it to the lady of the house, standing at her left side. Offer to each person, always at the left.
When the fruit has been served, see if any one has emptied his glass of water. Never, under any circumstances, let any one ask for
a glass of water. Fill it before he can ask. If carafes are used, and each one fills his own glass, after it has been once emptied, then keep watch of ice, and offer when it is needed.
When the fruit course is finished, remove everything pertaining to it. Take first the fruit dish, then, in each hand, a plate with its finger-bowl, knife, and spoon, and place quietly and quickly in the pantry until all are removed. If a knife, only, has been used, do not leave the fruit spoon because it is clean, but take it away with the other things. If any fruit juice has, by chance, found its way to the polished table, take it up so deftly with a small napkin that no one is aware of it.
When the fruit is removed, bring the dish of pearled oats and place on the tray at the foot of the table. Lay a tablespoon at the right of the dish. Place before each person a cereal dish on a plate. Remove the cover of the pearled oats to the side-table. Place the dish on the tray, put the spoon in the dish, and offer first to the lady of the house, standing
at her left. Offer to each person from the left. Then pass the sugar and cream.
When the cereal course is finished, take the cereal dish, with its tray, and place it on the side-table. Cover the dish. Take in each hand a cereal dish and plate, until all are removed to the pantry.
For the meat course see that the plates are warm, but not hot enough to mar the polish of the table. Where a cloth is used they may be hotter. Place a tray for the hot platter at the foot of the table, and stand the platter of chops on it. Lay a small carving-knife and tablespoon at the right of the platter, and a small carving-fork at its left. Place a pile of warmed plates in front of the platter.
When a chop has been served, take the plate in the right hand, place it on the tray, and take it to the lady of the house. Serve, first, all on one side of the table, then all on the other side. There is no choice in this service, for the carver asks each one if he may serve them. Go to the right of the person
served and place the plate, instead of having it taken from the tray at the left.
Take the potato dish from the side-table, uncover and place on the tray; put a tablespoon in the dish and pass. Serve each person from the left.
Place a platter of plain bread on the table, and then pass the hot muffins. If any one does not care for hot bread he may decline, because he knows that the cold bread is at hand.
Pass the butter and the bread.
Watch the water tumblers and fill when empty. Offer milk.
When the lady of the house begins to pour the coffee, take a cup as it is filled and move quickly to the right of the person for whom it is intended. Set the cup down. There is no choice about this. Each cup is made to suit the individual taste of the one to whom it is sent.
When the coffee is served, look about to see what may be needed at any part of the table.
Do not offer milk to one whose glass is still filled, or muffins to one who has an untouched muffin on his plate. Do not leave the breakfast-room until quite sure that everything that there is to do has been finished.
The breakfast described is served to a family of regular people, all of whom sit down at the same time, and it does not take any great amount of “mother wit” to serve it properly.
What really tests the skill of a waitress is to serve a breakfast in the manner necessary in many families.
There is a regular breakfast hour at which three or four of the family are prompt; but one of the gentlemen, perhaps, has to breakfast an hour earlier in order to get to business in time, while others, whose studies or pleasures keep them late at night, come afterwards.
To make every one comfortable is not easy, but it is quite possible. There must be no hurry; that is, no appearance of haste; but a waitress must move quickly to accomplish what is needed. If the butler’s pantry has a
gas stove, her task will be much simplified. The mistress of a household who breakfast in this manner will be glad to furnish her pantry with every convenience necessary for the comfort of her family. There will be coffee-pots of the sizes needed, a jar of freshly ground coffee, and a kettle the right size for the gas stove, so as to have freshly boiled water whenever it is needed. A waitress who is disposed to make the most of these conveniences can save both herself and others great annoyance.
If coffee is made only in the kitchen, then the side-table will have the proper appliances for keeping coffee and milk at the required temperature. A lamp under a coffee urn soon destroys the flavor of fine coffee, but a lamp under a hot-water tray will do no harm. If this tray is a simple flat one, it will be of little use. It must be one with rings of metal, one or more of which may be removed at a time, according to the size of the coffee-pot or milk jug which is to be surrounded by the
heat. These simple trays are made of planished tin. In the hands of an ignorant maid they are utterly useless. In careful hands they are a great aid and comfort in the breakfast-room.
A breakfast served in this way gives the following rules:
I—A dining-room must be in perfect order before breakfast is served.
II—A waitress is responsible for the heat of the dishes after they come from the kitchen. If too hot, she must cool them; if not hot enough, she must send them back.
III—Coffee and hot milk must be kept at the right temperature to preserve their best flavor.
IV—Water must be fresh and cool.
V—Butter must not be served so soon as to become soft and oily.
VI—Bread must be freshly cut.
VII—Glasses must be kept filled.
VIII—Nothing but an unexpected extra should ever be asked for.
IX—Everything must be passed at the left, placed at the right.
X—In clearing the table, food must be first removed; then soiled china, glass, silver, and cutlery; then clean china, glass, silver, and cutlery; then crumbs.
XI—Everything relating to one course must be removed before serving another course.