Meat.—Large and substantial roasts are not only hard to prepare and serve but also fill the oven to the exclusion of everything else, so why not have delicious little steaks, fillet of beef, with canned French peas, and pomme de terre au gratin, served in ramekins and prepared early in the day from mashed potato and a sprinkling of grated cheese.
Salad.—Most salads may, without serious injury, be mixed several hours before using and placed in a large bowl in the refrigerator, placing it on the lettuce leaves at serving time. Cheese balls are better made early and iced.
Dessert.—Certainly for dessert nothing could be more delicious, more appetizing or more decorative than individual Charlotte Russe, more popular than ice cream with hot maple or chocolate sauce and stuffed wafers, or more soul satisfying than a tutti frutti French cream, all of which may be either ordered from the caterer or made at home early.
With bonbons, coffee, cigars and liqueurs (if used) this provides for a really elaborate dinner of eight courses, which could be prepared for that matter by the housewife herself in the forenoon, inasmuch as the only thing which must be actually cooked at mealtime is the steak. Almost any maid could be trusted to do the rest.
A Fine Menu.
| Shell Fish, |
| Bread and Butter Sandwiches, |
| White Bouillon, Creme de Marron, |
| Wafers, Maraschino Cherry, |
| Pate Franciere, Tarragon Eggs, |
| Salmon Creams, Green Dressing, |
| Whole Small Yellow Tomatoes, French Dressing, |
| Roast of Sirloin, Pickled Walnuts, |
| Stewed Brussels Sprouts, Creamed Mashed Potatoes, |
| White Sherry Sherbet, |
| Broiled Quail, Green Grape Jelly, |
| Salade Mignon, Salade de Cherry, |
| Cheese Cakes, |
| Roses Glace Daintee, Petite Fours, |
| Salon Refreshment, |
| Glaces de Fruits, Confections, |
| Nuts, |
| Café, Cordials. |
"Creme de Marron"—(Nut Soup.)—One quart of chestnut meats which have been skinned, then stew tender in enough water to a little more than cover. Press through a fine sieve into the cooking pot, then add one quart of white stock. Heat to boiling point, then add ample pinch of salt and dash of white pepper, few drops of nutmeg, onion and celery essence. Lastly one pint of beaten cream. Color a rich green with a few drops of spinach extract.
Salade Mignon.—Two medium sized white potatoes pared and steamed tender, then cooled and cut into neat dice. One cup of solid cooked peas, one cup of small button mushrooms, one cup of finely minced celery, one cup of small pickled white onions cut into halves. Mix the vegetables lightly with a good white mayonnaise, then fashion in pyramid form on salad plate, and garnish with lettuce hearts and a few pink geranium blossoms.
Pate Franciere.—Line eight fluted pate tins with a delicate pastry crust, then fill with rice and bake a dainty brown in moderate oven. Remove the rice and fill them with the following force meat: Two pairs of chicken livers, steamed tender then minced fine, four steamed cocks combs, one cup of fried scallops. Moisten the ingredients with a brown gravy highly seasoned with paprika and truffle, and fill neatly into the crusts. Put on a perforated top previously baked, and serve on a folded napkin.