BANANA SALAD.—Skin bananas and cut into halves. Roll each in chopped peanuts. Lay on a lettuce leaf and serve with mayonnaise dressing capped with whipped cream.—Contributed.
Serving Dinner
"Truth seeks some broader meeting place
For breed or clan or tribe or race
For saint and sinner;
But after all the noise and fuss
The issue paramount with us
Is—What for dinner?"—J. W. Foley.
SERVING A FORMAL DINNER.—In cities the usual hour for a dinner party is seven o'clock; in country places it is frequently earlier in the day. When the last guest has arrived, dinner is announced. The host leads the way with the lady whom he wishes to honor and the hostess comes last with the gentleman whom she wishes to honor. The giving of a dinner is the most important of all the duties of a hostess. She must not betray ignorance or show nervousness, for she alone is responsible for its entire success. The serving maid should be trained to keep cool and avoid accidents. The number invited and the outlay expended should depend upon circumstances and one's means. The favorite form of serving a formal dinner is called a la Russe. The articles of food are carved by the servants at a side table or in the kitchen and brought to the guests. This has one advantage; it allows the host and hostess more time for social enjoyment with their guests. But it calls for well trained servants to perform this duty satisfactorily. It requires about one servant to every six guests; therefore, when dinner is served in this fashion, where the help is inadequate, it is well to engage outside assistance. For a home like, informal, dinner, where the host does the carving, one servant can wait upon twelve persons and do it well if properly trained. On a table or sideboard should be placed the plates for the various courses, smaller spoons, finger-bowls, coffee cups and saucers. As the plates from each course are removed, they should be taken to the kitchen. The waiter should approach the guests from the left except in serving water, coffee, or anything of a like nature. The color and flavor of the various courses should be as different from each other as possible, offering all the foods in their respective seasons and of the finest quality.