MENU
Strawberries.
Bouillon.
Soft-Shell Crabs.
Broiled Mushrooms on Toast.
Chops. Peas. French Fried Potatoes.
Chocolate. Lemon and Peppermint Ice.
Tomato and Lettuce Salad. French Dressing.
Cheese Straws.
Coffee Mousse. Cakes. Bonbons.
The strawberries should be served with their hulls on, with a spoonful of powdered sugar on each plate; this may be moulded in a pyramid by pressing it into a little paper horn Of course finger bowls should be placed on the table at each plate.
The mousse may be either in a melon form or in slices, as is more convenient, but a little whipped cream served with it is an improvement in either case. Having this dessert, coffee is not offered at the close of the meal, as is usually done, but a cup of chocolate is passed with the chop course. The mousse is made by whipping sweetened cream, strongly flavoured with black coffee, until it is perfectly stiff, and packing it in a mould and burying it in ice and salt for at least four hours before it is needed.
If a breakfast is desired for this Shakespeare celebration, as possibly may be if given for a club or class, this luncheon may be easily transformed into one. Breakfasts and luncheons differ principally in the hour at which the meal is served, a breakfast being at twelve and a luncheon at one or half after one. It is also customary to begin a breakfast with fruit, and often, though not always, the meal concludes with cheese and coffee rather than with a sweet. This menu might be altered to cover these requirements, for as it begins with strawberries there need be no change until the final course, except that the chocolate should be omitted. Instead of the mousse serve crême Gervaise; that is, a slice of cream cheese about one inch by three, with a spoonful of whipped cream on it and a spoonful of gooseberry jam by its side. There is a variety of French preserved gooseberries called Bar-le-Duc which is particularly delicious. Sometimes before serving this dish the cheese is beaten with a little olive oil or cream to make it soft and light, and then it is pressed into shape again before it is cut into pieces for serving. If this is the final course at breakfast, serve coffee with it.
There are an unlimited number of Shakespearian quotations for the cards, but for a woman's meal they might be taken either from the words of Juliet, Katharine, Portia, Rosalind, Hermione, Ophelia, Hero, Celia, Imogen, and Helena, or else the familiar ones which are given below; in case this luncheon or breakfast is given for those interested in study, a guessing contest might be introduced, with or without prizes, as to the context of these quotations:—
"Daffodils, that come before the swallow does."
"Thou shalt not lack the flower that's like the face,
Pale primrose."
"I could wish my best friend at such a feast."
"Things won, are done. Joy's soul lies in the doing."
"I have been so well brought up that I can write my name."
"You have no cause to hold my friendship doubtful;
I never was nor never will be false."
"Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind,
And therefore is winged Cupid painted blind."
"My heart unto yours is knit
So that but one heart we can make of it."
"Loving goes by haps;
Some Cupid kills with arrows, some with traps."
"Of good discourse, an excellent musician."
"My affection hath an unknown bottom."
Still another menu may be given for those who cannot obtain some of the articles suggested, such as strawberries, crabs, or fresh mushrooms.