MENU
Oysters on the Half-Shell.
Cream of Celery Soup.
Clams Newburgh.
Roast Turkey Breast in Slices.
Currant Jelly. Succotash in Cases. Potato.
Cranberry Sherbet.
Scallop Salad. Olives.
Brown Bread and Butter.
Individual Mince Pies. Cheese.
Vanilla Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate Sauce.
Coffee.
The salad is made by scalding a pint of scallops, draining them and serving on lettuce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a French dressing. The mince-pies may be omitted if they seem too heavy for luncheon, but if you fancy this reminder of a real Thanksgiving meal, have them made in small round tins about four inches across, and have the pie-crust as delicate as possible. The hot sauce to serve with the ice cream is made by boiling a pint of water with half a pint of sugar until it hardens in water, and then adding two tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate dissolved in three tablespoonfuls of boiling water, and boiling again until it crisps in water; add vanilla and serve at once. In the place of both the pie and this cream, you may have a sort of combination of both, which might be called mince-pie ice cream, made by adding chopped raisins, spice, and a dash of wine to a rich chocolate ice cream; the slices look and taste like fruit cake, and served with whipped cream are delicious.
A CARMEN LUNCHEON
In cities the opera season begins earlier than it did formerly, and this suggests an operatic luncheon, either one served just before a matinée, or given by way of something new, without regard to times and seasons. Almost any opera gives scope for decorations and cards in keeping with the idea of its story, but perhaps Carmen is the most distinctive. For this, your cards should bear a bar of music,—the famous and easily recognized "Toreador" song is the best,—or else a sketch of some scene from the stage. If you can find paper fans with the pictures of bull-fights, such as are to be had at times in our shops, these are certainly appropriate as souvenirs.
The decorations must be in the Spanish colours, scarlet and yellow, and carnations will give the best results; if you fancy having a corsage bouquet for each guest these may be of alternate colours, yellow tied with red and red tied with yellow, with the flowers in the centre of the table of the two. The bonbons may be of scarlet and yellow also. Here is a Spanish menu:—