New Year’s dinner.—Venison soup; stewed fresh cod; boiled ham; roasted turkey with cranberry sauce; roast goose with apple sauce; partridge pie; winter-squash; beets; potatoe snow; cold-slaw—Columbian pudding; lemon tarts; charlotte polonaise; vanilla blanc-mange; trifle.
LARGE DINNER PARTIES.—1. Spring.—Rich brown soup at one end; rich white soup at the other; two dishes of sheep’s-head fish, one baked, one stewed, or else baked salmon-trout and cream trout; roasted ham; smoked tongue; chickens stewed whole; roast ducks with cranberry-jelly; sweetbreads with oysters; terrapin veal; white fricassee; brown fricassee; sweetbread croquettes; lobster rissoles; oyster loaves; lobster patties; asparagus loaves; French spinach; French peas; cauliflower maccaroni; stewed beans; fried cauliflower; fried artichokes; stewed spinach; asparagus omelet; cauliflower omelet—Columbian pudding; orange tarts; lemon tarts; charlotte polonaise; green custard; red custard; pistachio cream; maccaroon blanc-mange; vanilla blanc-mange; gooseberry-water ice; currant-water ice; almond ice-cream; calves’ feet jelly.
2. Summer.—Turtle soup; fresh salmon stewed; salmon steaks; baked turtle; boiled ham; baked tongue; roast ducks with cherry-jelly; chicken curry; chicken patties; sweetbreads and cauliflowers; tomatoe sweetbreads; lobster pie; stewed lobster; birds in a grove; thatched house pie; plovers roasted; rice pie; mushroom omelets; broccoli and eggs; fried artichokes; stewed peas; stewed beans; stewed beets; potatoe snow; lettuce peas; scolloped tomatoes; mashed sweet potatoes; stuffed egg-plants; stewed egg-plant; Sydney Smith’s salad—Pine-apple tarts; lady’s pudding; transparent pudding; marmalade puddings; French charlotte; Italian charlotte; iced jelly; vanilla blanc-mange; almond blanc-mange; orange ice-cream; strawberry ice-cream.
3. Autumn.—Meg Merrilies soup; sea-bass with tomatoes; salmon-trout; roasted ham; smoked tongue; roast fowls; partridge pie; birds with mushrooms; partridges in pears; terrapin; young geese with apple sauce; tongue pie; chicken gumbo; woodcocks roasted; rice croquettes; Columbus eggs; onion custard; mushroom omelet; cauliflower omelet; scolloped tomatoes; baked egg-plant; potatoe snow; lima beans; fried sweet potatoes; mashed sweet potatoes—Cream cocoa-nut pudding; chocolate pudding; sweet omelet; preserved pine-apple; preserved citron-melon; Spanish blanc-mange; calves’ feet jelly; meringued apples; orange-water ice; peach ice-cream; biscuit ice-cream.
4. Winter.—Mock turtle soup; oyster soup; rock-fish stewed; fresh cod-fish fried; boiled ham; baked tongue; roast turkey with cranberry-jelly; boiled turkey with oyster sauce; roasted canvas-back ducks with currant-jelly; stewed canvas-back ducks; partridges in pears; salmi of partridges; French oyster pie; turnips; potatoe snow; winter-squash; fried salsify; fried celery; onion custard—Plum pudding; mince-pie; charlotte polonaise; charlotte russe; calves’ feet jelly; pistachio cream; cocoa-nut cream; chocolate ice-cream; orange ice-cream.
TEA PARTIES.—Have black tea, green tea, and coffee. Immediately after the first cups are sent in, let fresh tea be put into the pots, that the second cups may not be weaker than the first. With the cream and sugar, send round a small pot of boiling water to weaken the tea of those who do not like it strong; or for the convenience of ladies who drink only milk and water, and who otherwise may cause interruption and delay by sending out for it. When tea is handed round, it is not well to have hot cakes with it; or any thing that is buttered, or any sort of greasy relishes. Such things are frequently injurious to the gloves and dresses of the ladies, and can well be dispensed with on these occasions. It is sufficient to send round a waiter with large cakes of the best sort, ready sliced but the slices not taken apart. There should be an almond sponge-cake for those who are unwilling to eat cakes made with butter.
Immediately on tea being over, let the servants go round to all the company with waiters having pitchers of cold water and glasses, to prevent the inconvenience of ladies sending out for glasses of water.
In less than an hour after tea, lemonade should be brought in, accompanied by baskets of small mixed cakes, (maccaroons, kisses, &c.,) which it is no longer customary to send in with the tea. Afterwards, let the blanc-mange, jellies, sweetmeats, ice-creams, wines, liquors, &c., be handed round. Next, (after an hour’s interval,) the terrapin, oysters, and chicken salad, &c. These are sometimes accompanied by ale, porter, or cider; sometimes by champagne. At the close of the evening, it is usual to send round a large plum-cake.