The following dishes cover the essentials of a “buffet” luncheon. Beverages: punch, coffee, chocolate (poured from urn, or filled cups brought from pantry on tray); hot entrées of various sorts (served from chafing dish or platter) preceded by hot bouillon; cold entrées, salads, lobster, potatoes, chicken, shrimp, with heavy dressings; hot rolls, wafer-cut sandwiches (lettuce, tomato, deviled ham, etc.); small cakes, frozen creams and ices.
The informal luncheon at small tables calls for service by a number of maids, hence the “buffet” plan is preferable.
THE FORMAL LUNCHEON
A “luncheon set” (a luncheon cloth or center-piece with doilies of the same color and design) or a bare table may be used for the formal luncheon, with special luncheon napkins, in a three-cornered fold. Butter is not usually served, the individual dishes (filled) are placed at the top of the plate without doily, and if a “cup” of some sort is to be served, an apollinaris glass is placed a little below the water glass. Bread and rolls had best be passed, though they may be placed in or on a napkin, instead of a bread dish. Favors, if used, should appear at the top of the plate, or grouped about the center-piece, with connecting ribbons to the plates. This is an attractive form of arrangement. Dishes of candies and bonbons (with bonbon spoon beside them) are placed on the table at will, wherever they make the best appearance, but large dishes with spoon must be taken from the serving table and passed.
THE FORMAL LUNCHEON MENU
The cocktail is the preliminary entering wedge of the formal luncheon. Some hostesses serve a light cocktail with very thin sandwiches or wafers in their drawing room before luncheon proper is served. At the latter the fruit cocktail (served on small plate, with doily, glass and spoon) or a Lobster or Scallop Cocktail (oyster fork) is followed by the first course.
Here there is a wide choice—Cream of Pea soup with or without croutons, Lobster Bisque, Mock Turtle, Consommé (Parmesan or Chicken), White Soup with Wine—whatever best fits in with the general scheme of the luncheon may be served. The handles of the bouillon cup, when it is placed before the guest, should parallel the edge of the table.
The passing of Bread Sticks, Olives and Radishes should precede the removal of the bouillon cup, and the placing before the guest of the warmed plates for the fish. Here we have the same embarrassment of riches. Deviled Crabs, Fried Sardines, Fish Cutlets with Dutch Sauce, Fried Shad Roe, Oyster and Mushroom Patties, Halibut in any style, together with rolls (passed in napkins) and Dressed Cucumbers will answer for the fish course.
Before the meat course the claret cup should be poured, the waitress ready with napkin in her left hand to catch any drops which may spill from the pitcher. We will merely indicate five choices for the pièce de résistance of the formal luncheon, 1. Fillets of Beef, with Raisin Sauce, Parisian Potatoes (ball-shaped) and French Peas. 2. Broiled Wild Duck, Curried Vegetables, and Currant Jelly Sauce. 3. Fried Chicken with Tomato Mayonnaise, Steamed New Potatoes and Boiled Green Corn. 4. Squab Breasts larded around hot ripe Olives, with Brown Sauce, and Potato Croquettes with Peas. 5. Roast Saddle of Venison, with Sauté Potato Balls and Broiled Tomatoes with Horseradish Hollandaise Sauce. None of these combinations should disappoint a formal luncheon guest. When this course is over, the salad should be substituted for the dinner plate which has been removed.
The salad is by no means the least attractive among the courses. You may have Pepper and Fruit Salad, with Nut-Bread Sandwiches or an Asparagus Salad with Lemon Rings. You may incline to Spring Salad with Horseradish Sandwiches or to Dressed Lettuce with Cheese-Bread Wafers. Or, again, you may prefer Chicory Salad with Cheese Croquettes. You have but to choose. With the passing of the salad and its sandwiches, salt and pepper sets are removed, the table is crumbed and the ice-cream plates are laid out, together with ice-cream forks and spoons.