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diff --git a/old/51197-0.txt b/old/51197-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 28659c3..0000000 --- a/old/51197-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7078 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of What to Eat, How to Serve it, by -Christine Terhune Herrick - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: What to Eat, How to Serve it - -Author: Christine Terhune Herrick - -Release Date: February 13, 2016 [EBook #51197] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHAT TO EAT, HOW TO SERVE IT *** - - - - -Produced by David Edwards, Christian Boissonnas and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - - - - _What to Eat_ - - _How to Serve it_ - - BY - - CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK - - AUTHOR OF "HOUSEKEEPING MADE EASY" - "CRADLE AND NURSERY" ETC. - - [Illustration] - - - NEW YORK - HARPER & BROTHERS, FRANKLIN SQUARE - 1891 - - - - -Copyright, 1891, by HARPER & BROTHERS. - -_All rights reserved._ - - - - -CONTENTS - - PAGE - - THE DINING-ROOM 1 - - AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE 16 - - MORE ABOUT BREAKFAST 24 - - THE INVALID'S BREAKFAST 32 - - A BREAKFAST-PARTY 40 - - FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR SPRING 48 - - FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR SUMMER 58 - - FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR AUTUMN 68 - - FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR WINTER 77 - - AT LUNCHEON 88 - - A SMALL LUNCHEON 96 - - A LARGE LUNCHEON 104 - - A STANDING LUNCH 112 - - THE LUNCH BASKET 120 - - FAMILY LUNCHES FOR SPRING 128 - - FAMILY LUNCHES FOR SUMMER 137 - - FAMILY LUNCHES FOR AUTUMN 147 - - FAMILY LUNCHES FOR WINTER 157 - - DINNER AT NIGHT 165 - - DINNER AT NOON 173 - - THE SUNDAY DINNER 181 - - THE SMALL DINNER-PARTY 188 - - A LARGE DINNER 196 - - FAMILY DINNERS FOR SPRING 204 - - FAMILY DINNERS FOR SUMMER 213 - - FAMILY DINNERS FOR AUTUMN 221 - - FAMILY DINNERS FOR WINTER 230 - - WHAT SHALL WE EAT? 239 - - THE CHILDREN'S TABLE 247 - - THE FAMILY TEA 255 - - AFTERNOON TEA 263 - - HIGH TEA 271 - - SOME HINTS ABOUT SUPPER 279 - - CHINA AND GLASS 288 - - LINEN AND SILVER 296 - - - INDEX 305 - - - - - _WHAT TO EAT_ - - _HOW TO SERVE IT_ - - - - -THE DINING-ROOM - - -The apartment in which the members of a family assemble three times a -day for meals must be pleasant. There is a chance to escape from any -other part of the house. The business man rarely sees his drawing-room -until after the shades are drawn and the lamps lighted. The wife and -mother divides her time between nursery, sewing-room, and kitchen, -while school-children are out of the house nearly as much as they are -in it—at least during their waking hours. But no matter how widely the -little flock may be scattered by their different employments, always -twice and often three times a day they are all together in this common -rallying-place of the home. - -Only in the houses of the wealthy, or of those possessed of -exceptionally large dwellings, is there found a breakfast-room other -than that in which are eaten all the meals of the family. English -mansions frequently possess both a family and a state dining-room, and -the same custom prevails in some of the private palaces of our own -millionaires; but in the average American home one room must do duty -for every repast, whether simple or superb; and in our large cities -this apartment is too likely, alas! to be situated in the basement. - -The immeasurable superiority of a dining-room built above-ground over -one even partially beneath it hardly needs demonstration—it is more -cheerful, more airy, and as a consequence more healthful, better -lighted, of finer proportions, and more susceptible of effective -decoration and furnishing—the advantages might be continued _ad -infinitum_. No one who has ever had the pleasure of using an up-stairs -dining-room can contentedly descend to one below the level of the -street. Apart from every other consideration, such rooms are very -liable to be damp. It is not uncommon to have carpets grow musty and -mouldy on their floors, or to find a perceptible dampness on their -walls. These faults may be to some extent remedied by a layer of -thick felt paper under the carpet, and by good fires and constant and -thorough ventilation. - -A few housekeepers express their preference for basement dining-rooms -because of the nearness of these to the kitchen, and the work saved -thereby. This is an important consideration in houses where but one -maid is kept. Her work as cook and waitress is almost doubled when she -has to run up-stairs to remove the dishes from the dumb-waiter, and -then fly back to her kitchen between the intervals of waiting on the -table. In the country and in country towns it is the rule rather than -the exception to find the kitchen in the L, or as an extension, and on -the same floor with the dining-room and parlor, but in the majority of -city houses the apartment in which the family gathers at meal-times -is a little below ground. When this is the case, and when there is no -possibility of converting the back parlor up-stairs into a dining-room -by introducing a dumb-waiter and pantry, or when expediency or want -of space precludes such a change, the best must be made of existing -circumstances, and the efforts redoubled to render the despised -basement as pleasant as possible. - -The wall-paper must never be dark in a room like this, which at the -best of times is never too light. Choose instead a creamy ground well -covered with some small figure, or, better still, an ingrain paper -of a solid color—a soft gray, a pale green, a cream, or one of those -indescribable neutral tints that make good backgrounds, and furnish -well but not obtrusively. - -Unless the room is wainscoted with wood, a very pretty and inexpensive -substitute can be made of India matting, secured at the top by a narrow -band of wood moulding. The matting can be washed off with salt and -water whenever it needs cleansing. An excellent plan is that of having -the walls done in hard finish, and then painting this. The surface can -then be scoured as often as it becomes stained or specked, and will -always look neat and fresh. An additional coat of paint can be put on -when the first becomes worn or faded. - -In a rented house the tenants must, of course, take what they can get, -and in many cases the landlord is unwilling to make changes. Still, -pretty pictures, draperies, neat furniture, and a well-set table will -do wonders, even for a room that appears unpromising at the outset. - -It never pays to purchase an expensive carpet for the ordinary -dining-room. Something durable should be selected, like an ingrain of -a mixed color, or with a minute, closely-set figure. Better still is a -rug, an art square, or a Smyrna rug, neither of which is high-priced, -while either is satisfactory both in appearance and in wearing -qualities. - -The floor should be stained or painted, for a distance of from two to -three feet from the wall all around the room, in a neat dark color. -Borders of wood-carpeting are handsome and last a long time, but are -costly, and one does not often find hard-wood floors in a rented house. -The rug may be either laid loosely or tacked down around the edges. - -The draperies in a dining-room should not be heavy. Not only do such -darken the room, but they catch and retain the odors of food, and hold -constantly in their folds depressing reminders of former feasts. Scrim, -lace, or light Madras or China silk, decorates the room and softens -outlines without impeding the entrance of light or air. Shades are -essential, and so should be also window-screens from the appearance of -the first fly in the spring until the last one has vanished in the fall. - -An open fireplace in a dining-room is unsurpassed for cheer and comfort -there, as it is everywhere. A screen should always be in readiness to -temper the glow and glare while the family are at meals. The chimney is -a potent aid to ventilation, and helps to disperse those odors that -will collect in the best-ventilated _salles à manger_, and which are so -appetizing before meals and so unpleasant afterwards. - -Basement dining-rooms are seldom too cold. If they are heated by a -register or a stove, or even by a coal fire in the grate, the constant -struggle of the housekeeper is to prevent their becoming uncomfortably -warm. Vicinity to the kitchen has much to do with this, and is in -summer-time a serious draw-back to comfort. An equable temperature must -be striven for by frequent airing at all seasons, and during the heated -term by shading the windows, and by keeping, as much as possible, the -doors shut that communicate with the kitchen. One advantage at least -is possessed by the basement dining-room in summer. In common with the -cellar, or with any other partially subterranean chamber, it is cooler -than one that is above ground and thus unprotected from the hot air -without. - -The best method of artificially lighting a dining-room is hard to -decide. Nothing is prettier or pleasanter than candle-light, and it is -preferable to gas or lamps in that it does not heat a room perceptibly. -But candles are expensive, if enough are used to produce a respectable -illumination, and nothing is more dismal than eating by a dim light. -Good candles are costly, and cheap ones not only give a poor light, but -drip and smoke and smell, and are otherwise intolerable. A new style of -candle has recently been introduced which is pierced through its length -with three holes. These tiny pipes are supposed to carry off the melted -wax, and their advocates claim that these candles will not drip on the -outside. - -Except on state occasions, candles are barred out for people of -moderate means, and they must have recourse to lamps or gas. The light -should always be suspended above the table, except, of course, where -candles and candelabra or a tall-stemmed lamp are used. A side-light -does not serve the purpose of a central one, for some one must always -sit with his back towards it, and his plate is thus in a perpetual -eclipse. Pretty hanging lamps come at all prices, but it never pays to -get a cheap one. It may do very well for a time, but before long the -burner will be out of order; the machinery by which the wick is turned -up or down will prove refractory, and repairs will do little good. The -only efficient way of mending a poor lamp is by buying a new one. - -Among the best-known makes of lamps there is one with a powerful burner -which gives a clear, steady flame, equal to two or three ordinary -gas-jets. The only draw-back connected with it is the intense heat it -radiates, which makes it objectionable in summer. Such a lamp costs -about seven dollars, is furnished with a large ground-glass shade, and -supplied with fixtures and a chain, by means of which it may be raised -and lowered at pleasure. - -Whichever is used, gas or kerosene, the glare should always be softened -by a shade of some kind. Globes of ground or colored glass may be -used on gas-burners, or, if they are of clear glass, the light may -be subdued by the Japanese half-shades, which can be slipped over -the lower half of the globe. A pretty fashion is that of fastening a -Japanese umbrella, stick upwards, under the chandelier, although this -darkens the table too much, unless there is a strong light above it. -If any member of the family suffers from weak eyes, and is distressed -by the light that is none too brilliant for the others, quaint -paper-screen shades, also of Japanese make, may be hung on the side -of the globe towards the sufferer. The long pliable wires attached to -these shades permit them to be twisted at almost any angle. Or the -fancy paper screens which imitate roses, pond-lilies, sunflowers, and -the like may be hung on the globes. - -There has been a good deal of discussion among furnishers as to what -style of picture should be hung in a dining-room. One declares that -the stereotyped paintings and engravings of fruit, fish, and fowl are -the only appropriate works of art for this room; while another argues -that it is enough to see the food in its prepared condition upon the -table, without being forced to contemplate it in its natural state -upon the walls. The wise course to follow seems to lie between the two. -Really pretty pictures of game birds or fish, or of fruit or flowers, -are undoubtedly in their place in a dining-room, but there is no reason -why every other kind of picture should be excluded. Pastoral or marine -scenes, _genre_ pictures, almost anything except family portraits, -may fitly be placed there. _Their_ place is in the library, the -sitting-room, or in the large hall, if there be one. - -Nothing should hang in the dining-room that is not good of its kind. -A cheap chromo, a poorly executed drawing or water-color, or an -indifferent photograph annoys beyond words the unfortunate wight who -has to sit opposite it for an hour or two each day. - -The furniture of a dining-room should be durable, even if its owners -cannot afford to have it very handsome. Cheap chairs and table are -out of place here. Even those who cannot afford leather-upholstered -chairs and a heavy mahogany or black-walnut or oak dining-table may -get solid, durable substitutes. Cane seats for the chairs, and an -unpolished top for the table, are better than showy—and cheap—elegance. -A square table generally allows more space to those seated about it -than does a round one. Almost any amount of money may be expended upon -a sideboard, but a good one may be purchased at no great outlay. In -addition to this, if space permits, there should be a table, with a -shelf or two above it, to serve as a dinner-wagon. This is almost a -necessity when the vegetables are passed instead of being placed on the -table, and it is also useful for holding relays of clean plates, etc. - -The amount of furniture that is useful and appropriate in a dining-room -is of necessity limited. Besides the articles already named, there may -be a china press or cabinet, an easy-chair or two, or even a sofa. The -last is a boon to an invalid or convalescent, who grows weary of a long -_séance_ in a high, straight-backed chair. The couch may be forced to -serve a double purpose by being made in the form of a long box, broad -and low, covered with cretonne, denim, or any other durable material, -and provided with a hair mattress on the top. When two or three square -pillows are added to this, behold a comfortable divan, that will at -the same time be a receptacle for the table-linen. Some such coffer as -this is almost a must-have in a dining-room, unless the china closet is -provided with drawers. - -A wall cabinet for choice pieces of china is a pretty ornament for a -dining-room, and so is an over-mantel. The latter may consist of two, -three, or more shelves, and should be solid at the back, as small hooks -may then be screwed in, upon which to hang tea or coffee cups. These -shelves may extend the full length of the mantel, or occupy only part -of the space. In any case they are excellent for displaying such pieces -of china as one may not wish to keep concealed in the depths of a china -closet. Nothing very delicate that will be injured by dust should stand -here. - -A corner cupboard adds to the beauty of a room, and may either be -bought ready-made, or built to fit some especial corner. The lower -part of the cupboard may have a solid wooden door, while glass doors -for the upper part permit a view of the glass or silver stored there. - -Blessed is that woman whose house contains a butler's pantry. Too often -the fine china and glass must either be washed in the kitchen, or else -in a dish-pan brought into the dining-room. When a pantry is lacking, -there should be a butler's tray to hold the solid dishes. Such a tray -may be closed, and put out of the way when not in use. A folding screen -covered with Japanese pictures, with wall-paper, or with some textile -fabric, may conceal the door to the pantry, or the slide by which -dishes enter the dining-room, or may cut off the corner in which stands -the butler's tray. - -To the woman of quick wit and ready fingers countless are the -opportunities provided for beautifying her dining-room. She may drape -her mantel and conceal the ugly marble, using for this stamped Madras, -or silkolene, both of which are pretty and cheap; she may make covers -for her sideboard, rich with drawn-work and embroidery; she may set -a box of growing plants in the window, and tend them, so that she may -always have a vase of fresh blossoms or of green sprays for the centre -of the table; and she may expend boundless energy in the manufacture of -doilies, tray-cloths, and the thousand and one dainty pieces of linen -dear to the housewife's soul. - - - - -AT THE BREAKFAST-TABLE - - -Everything in reason should be done to make the breakfast a tolerably -pleasant meal. Very cheerful or jovial it seldom is. The father is in -a hurry to get to his office or business, and usually buries himself -in the morning paper; the children are burdened with the thought of -approaching school duties; the mother is silently mapping out the line -of her day's operations, and is disinclined to conversation. Add to -this that all are apt to be more or less dominated by the physical -depression of tone and passive discomfort so well known that one -judge is fabled to have refused to ordain capital punishment for a -man convicted of having committed a murder before breakfast. Until -after that meal, even the best-tempered are prone to petulance, while -those of a taciturn nature are quiet to the verge of what _looks_ like -sullenness. - -Here, as everywhere, upon the mother devolves the burden of the family -well-being. If her face is cast down and gloomy, its reflection is seen -in the countenances of all those about her; while if she is bright and -sunny, there is a perceptible rise in the spiritual thermometer. Only -by making a positive duty of cheerfulness is it practicable sometimes -for the mother to conquer the weariness and languor, the aching head, -and the loathing for food, that are so frequently a woman's morning -portion. The discomfort the other members of the family know is -increased tenfold in her case if a restless child, an ailing baby, or -worry over financial or domestic matters has robbed her of part of her -night's sleep. - -A good deal may be done to create an atmosphere of pleasantness by due -attention to the condition of the room. Unless it has been left in -spotless order the preceding evening, either the maid or one of the -family must bestow some attention upon it beyond putting the breakfast -on the table. No crumbs from the last repast should disfigure the -carpet; no dust of yesterday's raising should be thick upon the -furniture. The windows should have been open long enough to change the -air of the room; then, in cold weather, been closed a sufficient length -of time before the entrance of the family to allow the atmosphere to -become comfortably warmed. The vase of flowers or the growing plant -that ought to grace the centre of every table should have a drink of -fresh water, and be ready to do its part in brightening the board. -The table should be carefully set, the food well cooked, and promptly -served. And, above all, there should be a sincere and conscientious -endeavor on the part of each member of the household to sink his own -disagreeable feelings, and to do all in his power to contribute his -share towards the sum total of the family cheerfulness. Conversation -on pleasant topics should be encouraged, and the items of morning news -distributed to all, not monopolized by the one in possession of the -paper. - -No amount of accustomedness should ever induce the mistress of the -house to condone carelessness on the plea that there is no one present -but the family. Just because it _is_ "only home folks," everything -should be at its brightest. There is no necessity for urging the parade -of pretty china, the preparation of tempting dishes, when an honored -guest is to be served. Should not even more pains be taken to have -everything attractive and appetizing when those are to be fed who have -not the charm of novelty to act as sauce, and to whom the ordinary -methods of cookery may seem stale and hackneyed? - -The table should always appear at its best at breakfast-time. A colored -cloth is economical as well as pretty, for it does not show every spot -or splash with the readiness of a white cloth. There is a large variety -of these table coverings from which the housekeeper may make her -selections, ranging in beauty and price from the plain, comparatively -cheap red cloth with light figures to the exquisite pieces of fine -damask, gorgeous with embroidery, and with a lace-like border of -drawn-work. For common daily use, the judicious choice will probably -lie somewhere between these, either in a buff, a buff and scarlet, a -buff and blue, or one of the beautiful Holbein cloths that come, with -the dozen napkins, at about eight dollars the set. The ground in these -is well covered, and they have the advantage of being nearly as pretty -on the wrong side as they are on the right. Another recommendation is -that they wear admirably, one at least within the writer's knowledge -having been in constant use for between four and five years without -showing a sign of old age, except in the thinning of the fringe, while -the body of the cloth remained without a break. The delicate tints of -the worked pattern will fade with frequent washing, so that blue and -pink would better be avoided, and the preference given to the scarlets -and buffs, which hold their own well. - -The cloth is saved by the use of mats under dishes. Those of straw -or wicker-work are apt to become soiled and stained, and are not -readily cleansed. On the contrary, those which are knitted, netted, -or crocheted may be washed every week, if necessary. It is almost -impossible to find a waitress so careful that once in a while a dish -will not be brought to the table with a black rim on the bottom, or -wet or greasy with something spilled where it has been standing on the -kitchen-table. Wherever this touches, the cloth beneath is disfigured, -and it is better to protect it against such misadventures by the use -of mats in the first place than to be forced to conceal the blemishes -afterwards by "setting the table to humor the spots." - -Worked and fringed doilies are pretty substitutes for mats, and when -there is a cover of felt on the table under the damask cloth—as there -should always be—they are thick enough to guard the varnished table-top -from injury from the hot dishes. A carving-cloth should be spread under -the meat-platter, and will generally by the close of the meal bear upon -its surface eloquent testimony to the service it has done in saving the -table-cloth. - -While it is no sign of stinginess not to have one's best and most -fragile china for constant use, poor judgment is shown when only plain -heavy white ware is employed for the family when they are alone. -Decorated porcelain is cheap nowadays, and makes a table look extremely -pretty. Each one of the household should have his own especial oatmeal -set, either the bowl, plate, and pitcher, or one of the deep saucers -that come for this purpose in dark blue and white ware, with a plate -to match, while the cream or milk may be held for common use in one -good-sized pitcher, to be served by the mother, or passed to each, as -may seem best. Every tea or coffee drinker should have his own cup and -saucer, and in his imagination his favorite beverage will taste better -from that cup than from any other. - -There is little chance to make mistakes in setting the breakfast-table. -The hostess has the tray before her, and serves the tea, coffee, -or chocolate. At the other end of the table is the principal dish, -presided over generally by the master of the house, while biscuit, -bread, muffins, or griddle-cakes and potatoes have their posts at the -sides. An oatmeal set stands at each place, accompanied by the knife, -fork, and spoon, tumbler, napkin, butter-plate—unless the oatmeal -course is preceded by one of fruit, when fruit plates, with fruit -napkins and finger-bowls, should hold the first place. - -With the fresh room, the bright cloth, the shining glass and silver, -the vase of flowers, the appetizing food, one must be either very -dyspeptic or a confirmed pessimist who does not feel a slight rise of -spirits as he takes his place at the breakfast-table. - - - - -MORE ABOUT BREAKFAST - - -In the majority of the homes where fruit is served for breakfast -it appears as a first course. Countless are the headaches to which -this custom has given rise among those whose stomachs resent the -introduction of the acid as the earliest nourishment of the day. The -choice should always be given each eater between beginning with fruit -or reserving it as a final course. When it is served last it acts as a -pleasant neutralizer of the solid or possibly greasy food that has been -already consumed, and sends one from the table with what children call -"a good taste" in the mouth. - -The habit of eating some cereal for breakfast is happily becoming -almost universal. There are comparatively few households in which -porridge of one sort or another does not appear on the breakfast-table, -and it is usually relished by both children and elders. It need -not be always of oatmeal. There are numerous varieties of cereals -in the market at present, and an occasional change will prevent any -one's wearying of the wholesome dish. With cracked wheat, cerealine, -wheat-germ meal, wheatena, wheat, oat, and Graham flakes, corn-meal -mush, hominy boiled plain, hominy boiled in milk, and a number of -others to choose from, there is no reason why any one should have -occasion to complain of monotony. Cream adds greatly to the toothsome -qualities of any one of these preparations, and may usually, even in -the city, be procured in sufficient quantities to allow a modicum for -each of the elders. The healthy appetites of the children rarely need -this encouragement. - -The tea should always be made on the table when it is possible, as by -this means there need be no doubt that the water used in its concoction -is actually boiling. The "loud-hissing urn" is a decided addition to -the beauty and brightness of the table, especially when the "urn" is -in the form of a pretty brass or copper kettle, swinging from one -of the tall cranes known as a "five-o'clock tea." Some people prefer -making the coffee on the table too, and this is possible when a Vienna -coffee-pot or a French drip coffee-pot is used. The only trouble is -that the coffee in the latter pot is apt to cool before it has stood -long enough to extract the full strength of the berry. - -The tea-cozy should never be lacking, and it is not a bad plan to have -a similar wadded cap with which to cover the coffee-pot. One of the -prettiest and best kinds of tea-cozy is the covered Japanese basket -with a thick stuffed lining, in which the china teapot is set. These -are not costly, and will outwear the ordinary cozy made of silk, -woollen, or chamois-skin. When the lining of the basket is worn out, it -may easily be renewed. - -The substantial part of our American breakfast is not marked by -much variety. At nearly all of them will be found the steak, chops, -or cutlets, varied once in a while by fish, a hash, or a stew, -semi-occasionally by a dish of eggs. Potatoes in some form—stewed, -baked, boiled, or fried—are in order, and these are flanked by a plate -of hot biscuit or muffins, or oftenest by successive instalments of -griddle-cakes. - -There is no use in adding further to the diatribes that have been -written and spoken against the American breakfast. Such as it is, it -appears to be here to stay, and it is a waste of time, breath, and -energy to attempt a radical reform. All one can hope to do is possibly -to modify it, and lighten its sameness by suggesting dishes that may -please the palate and not impair the digestion. The adoption of the -Continental breakfast has been vainly urged, and it is an open question -whether or not the habit ever survives transportation. The American -climate and mode of life differ so much from those of the Continent -that other fashions must be followed here than those which prevail -there. Many families, who during a long foreign residence have found -quite sufficient for their matutinal meal the coffee or chocolate, -the rolls and butter, possibly supplemented by fresh eggs or a little -marmalade, have conscientiously endeavored to pursue the same custom -upon their return to this country. In not a single case within the -writer's cognizance has the attempt proved other than a failure, -recognized as such at the end of a few months. _Autre pays, autres -mœurs._ - -While the children are still young, the entire family usually -breakfasts together. The obligation upon the younger members of -reaching their schools at a given hour forces them to be on time, -although there are homes in which the wretched practice is observed -of permitting the school boys and girls to rush in at the last moment -and gulp down a few mouthfuls, hurrying off to their recitations after -having thus successfully sown the seeds of future dyspepsia. As the -sons and daughters grow into manhood and womanhood, they drift more -and more into unpunctual habits. The breakfast-table is left standing -well on into the middle of the morning, and sundry _plats_ are kept -hot in the oven for Mr. Jack or Miss Mamie, who has been out late the -night before. Often the demands of business require the young man to be -down in season, but there are no such claims obliging his sister to -quit her couch at a—to her—unseasonable hour. As a consequence, what -should be one of the family gathering-places becomes little better -than a hotel breakfast-room, where the guests come and go as suits -themselves. Besides all other considerations, the work of the servants -is increased, and their own duties are crowded out by the necessity of -being in readiness to serve these tardy ones. - -At the first glance it may seem harsh to exact the prompt appearance at -the breakfast-table of the girl who has danced until after one o'clock -in the morning, and whose head has not touched her pillow until an -hour or two later. But the habit of self-indulgence fostered by such -concessions, does the girl no good. Is it any harder for her to rise -betimes than it is for the weary mother, whose domestic cares forbid -her lying in bed? Does not this indolence to a certain degree unfit the -daughter for the duties that will devolve upon her when she in turn -becomes a wife and mother? - -One sensible matron, who still held the reins of family government -as firmly when her children were grown as when they were first -short-coated, always insisted on promptness at the breakfast-table. -"Human beings are gregarious," she would say, "and they should eat -together. If you are tired and sleepy, take a nap later in the day, but -be on hand at breakfast-time." - -Of course there may be exceptions to this rule, and here the maternal -judgment must appear. More privileges can be allowed to the delicate, -nervous girl, than to the strong, robust one; but then the former -should avoid late hours and dissipation. An occasional morning nap does -no harm; but there is little rhyme or reason in permitting the young, -healthy members of the family to be the lie-abeds. - -Without encouraging any disposition to "finicalness" concerning food, -special attention should be paid to individual preferences in catering -for the family breakfast. Children are apt to take whims, and these -should not be fostered; but when either a child or an older person -has a decided distaste for some article of food, he cannot be forced -into a fondness for it. Better is it to humor his idiosyncrasies by -preparing something that he will eat. In a private family it may be -out of the question to cook a separate breakfast for each one, but a -little forethought will enable the housekeeper to so arrange her _menu_ -that every one will have at least one dish to his or her taste. This is -not a difficult matter, unless there is the unusual combination of a -large family and very distinct preferences. Generally there is so much -in common that trifling varieties in the bill of fare will accommodate -each person. - - - - -THE INVALID'S BREAKFAST - - -For the invalid there is often no possibility of the slight stimulus -to appetite produced by the change of air from one room to another. -Breakfast, the hardest meal of the day to many well people, is doubly -difficult to one who must eat it in the same room where she has spent -the night—perhaps many nights—of feverish restlessness, that has given -her a detestation of the bed, the bedroom, and everything connected -therewith, chiefest of all being the disgust with herself, the weary, -distraught being with aching limbs, heavy head, and ill-tasting mouth. - -When feasible, the invalid should be taken from bed to eat her regular -breakfast, previously strengthening her by a cup of beef-tea, of -chicken or oyster broth, or a glass of hot milk, or of hot milk and -seltzer. First of all, however, the face and hands should be sponged -off in tepid water and dried quickly, and the mouth well rinsed out. -Then, refreshed and stimulated by this and the warm draught, a little -more elaborate toilet may be made, always allowing a few moments for -the settling of the stomach after the food before the dressing begins. -A more thorough bathing, a combing of the hair, a change of linen, the -slipping on of a warm dressing-gown, and the moving to another couch or -an easy-chair will not be a prolonged piece of work if the attendant is -quick and deft, and has everything in readiness for bath and toilet. - -A great advantage is gained when the invalid can be wheeled or -supported into another room, and have a completely changed air and -scene in which to take her meal. But when this is impracticable the -room should be well aired before the patient is taken out of bed, and -as soon as she is established on her couch or in her chair, and this -placed as far as possible from the bed, the covers of this should be -stripped off and carried from the room. Every piece of cast-off linen, -every receptacle containing soiled water, everything that recalls -the fact that this is a sleeping-room and that can be removed, should -be banished. A screen should be set between the patient and the bed, -and if the chamber still seems close, she should be bundled up while -another draught of fresh, pure air is allowed to rush into the room. -After all this, when a table bearing an attractive breakfast is moved -to the invalid's elbow, she is usually quite ready to partake of it. - -In many cases it is out of the question for the patient to leave -her bed, and then the coaxing of the appetite is a more difficult -task. The very fact of being in bed seems to render eating almost an -impossibility to some people. The woman who complained petulantly that -everything she ate in bed tasted of the blanket and pillows, only -voiced the sentiments of a multitude of her sisters. Among some women, -breakfast in bed is esteemed a luxury; but it is one thing to take it -there from choice, and quite another to be forced to do so by weakness -or ill-health. Still, with due care, it may be made less distasteful -than would seem practicable at the first glance. - -The preliminary sponging, mouth-washing, and hot drink should take -place in this as in the other case. Then, after a brief rest, during -which the windows should have been opened for a few minutes, and closed -long enough to allow the room to regain a comfortable temperature, -the task of rearranging the bed and its occupant should be begun. -Clean linen and pillows should be at hand, and the patient be sponged -off, have her hair combed, be arrayed in another night-dress, moved -to the other side of the bed, and provided with a fresh pillow, as -expeditiously yet gently as may be. Then, when the soiled clothing has -been removed, the room been once more aired and warmed, the patient -may be raised on pillows and her breakfast brought to her. There is an -admirable little table which may be arranged above the patient's knees, -and is a great comfort to any one compelled to take her meals in bed -for any length of time. - -Nothing should be left untried to render the invalid's breakfast -tempting. The tray should be covered with a spotless cloth, the china, -silver, and glass should be of the best the house affords, and the same -napkin should never be offered a second time. - -The tea or coffee cup and the egg-glass should be filled with boiling -water, that they may not cool what is put into them. A pretty little -pot should hold the tea or coffee, and there should be a tiny cream-jug -and sugar-bowl. A vase containing a few flowers, preferably those -without a heavy perfume, should grace the tray, and in the preparation -of the food every evidence should be given of the loving thoughtfulness -that has left unsought no means of lightening the discomfort of the -sufferer. Where there is no bed-table, there should be another tray, -smaller than that in which the breakfast is brought. This may then be -placed on a stand or chair beside the bed, while the other holds the -cup or plate upon the patient's lap. A large napkin or clean towel -should always protect the bedclothes from food that may possibly be -spilled upon them, for few things are more unpleasant to a sick -person, especially to one afflicted with a squeamish stomach, than the -sight of a spot of egg, coffee, or grease on sheet or spread. When -such an accident occurs, the stained article should always be promptly -exchanged for a fresh one. - -The meal over, every vestige of food and every reminder of the repast -should be at once removed, the patient's face and hands again sponged -off, the pillows shaken and turned, and the invalid's position changed. -Should any odor of food remain, the room may once more be aired. - -Peace and quiet must reign while the invalid eats. If visitors are -to be admitted it must not be at that time. Only one or possibly two -members of the family, and those the quietest ones, may be present, and -the conversation must be pleasant and cheery. No distressing topics -must be broached, no references except encouraging ones made to the -invalid's state of health. In the delicately balanced condition of -nerves which generally afflicts a sick person, very little will serve -to upset the equilibrium and to effectually banish appetite. - -All that love's ingenuity can suggest should be done to provide a -variety of food for the invalid. After a little while she usually -tires of what impatient men, under similar circumstances, stigmatize -as "slops," and wearies for something more substantial and appetizing -than gruels, broths, and soft toast. In those cases where solid food -is forbidden by the physician, catering is more difficult, but often -a convalescent is permitted to eat a greater variety of food than -is offered her. Cream soups, clear soups, broiled birds, a bit of -tenderloin steak, a lamb chop, a tiny baked omelet, raw, stewed, and -roast oysters, broiled and fricasseed chicken, poached and soft-boiled -eggs, a bit of venison, dishes of rice, sago, and tapioca, jellies, -custards, blanc-manges, fruits, plain ice-cream—there is almost no end -to the dainty _menus_ that can be arranged. Every meal should be a -surprise; there should be no discussion in the invalid's presence of -what she can eat, although every reasonable wish she expresses for any -article of food should be gratified, if feasible. The sick one's lot -is hard enough at the best, and no expedient should be left untried to -ameliorate it. - - - - -A BREAKFAST-PARTY - - -Large breakfasts, or _déjeûners à la fourchette_, are not a very -common form of entertainment in this country, and yet they may be made -charming. Unlike luncheons, where there are usually only women present, -both men and women may be invited to a breakfast. The hour is usually -twelve, although it may be a little earlier or later. One o'clock is -the latest hour which it is advisable to set for a breakfast. - -The number of guests invited is optional, but a small party, consisting -of from six to twelve, is pleasanter than a crush. Indeed, unless one -has an exceptionally spacious _salle à manger_, it is difficult to -accommodate comfortably more than a dozen guests, and an over-crowded -table is always unpleasant. The writer preserves a vivid memory of a -dinner she once attended where fourteen people were packed about a -table of the proper size for ten guests. There was hardly room for the -waiters to pass the dishes between the _convives_. Each one elbowed -his neighbor, and what might have been a delightful repast became a -struggle at close quarters with the difficulties of getting through the -courses without nudging his next companion, knocking over his glass, or -materially interfering with his eating. - -At a ceremonious breakfast the table should be spread with a handsome -breakfast or lunch cloth, either of pure white, hem-stitched or adorned -with drawn-work, or one containing more or less color. If the table is -very handsome, the cloth may be left off. The floral ornamentation is -less formal than at a dinner. There may be a bowl of flowers in the -centre of the table, but quite as pretty as this are three or four -graceful vases scattered here and there, each holding a few choice -blossoms, and supplemented, if the table is large, by a few tiny globes -or little dishes filled with short-stemmed flowers that look well, -massed, like pansies, violets, primroses, etc., mixed with plenty -of delicate feathery green. If a central ornament for the table is -desired, there is nothing prettier than a wicker or metal basket filled -with growing ferns, grasses, or lycopodium, with possibly one or two -plants in bloom among them. - -In setting the table for a large breakfast, a plate, napkin, -water-glass, and a butter-plate holding a tiny pat or ball of butter, -are laid at each place, and a salt-cellar also, if individual salts -are used. At the right of each plate is the silver butter-knife, and -one other knife; to the left is the fork. The taste of the hostess -must decide the point of placing more small silver than is needed at -each course by the plates when the table is first spread. Laying it -all at once saves waiting, but some good authorities ordain that a -waiter should bring in a fresh knife and fork with each course for -each guest, while others, equally reliable, advocate placing the knife -and fork upon a cold plate in front of each person at the beginning -of every course. The guest instantly removes them, and a hot plate is -substituted by the waiter for the cold one before the next dish is -passed. This system involves much additional waiting, and should not be -attempted unless an exceptionally well-trained butler is in charge. - -The little dishes of bonbons, _marrons_, and _glacé_ fruits that -are always _en règle_ at a luncheon should not appear on the -breakfast-table. There may, however, be olives, radishes, and salted -almonds placed here and there. - -The first course should consist of fruit. The plates, holding each its -doily, finger-bowl, fruit-knife, fork, and spoon, may be on the table -when the guests enter the room, or be put there as soon as they are -seated. The variety of fruit offered must be decided by the time of -year. When they are in season, nothing could be more delicious than big -strawberries, served uncapped. These may be passed in a dish, and each -guest allowed to help himself. Sugar into which to dip the berries may -then be served to each. Prettier still is it to place in front of each -guest a plate bearing a tiny decorated basket filled with the berries. -The sugar may be in tiny individual sugar-cellars or be passed in a -bowl. Unless the berries are fine large ones, it is better to serve -them hulled, and to eat them with sugar and cream. In that case they -are eaten from saucers. - -Peaches, pears, apricots, nectarines, etc., in summer, and oranges, -apples, mandarins, bananas, and the like in winter, all add greatly to -the beauty of a breakfast-table when they are garnished with leaves -and heaped upon a large flat salver, or in a cut-glass bowl, or an -open-work one of china or silver. - -After the fruit may come a course of oysters cooked _à la poulette_, -broiled, steamed, panned, or in croquettes. For these may be -substituted lobster or crab in some form, if preferred, or both the -oysters and the other may be served in successive courses. Next may -come some such _entrée_ as sweetbreads roasted, broiled, fricasseed, or -in _vol-au-vent_ with mushrooms, or chickens may be served in some such -dainty form as _pâtés_, _timbales_, _à la marengo_, or _au suprême_. -Next are chops, cutlets, or small beef tenderloins, with potatoes in -some fanciful style. There should be no other vegetable. French bread -or rolls must be passed frequently. - -The next course may consist of a game pie, either cold or hot, or -of boned fowl, and may be followed by a salad. The name of these is -legion, but the plain lettuce salad is better reserved for dinner, and -in its stead at breakfast there may be served something like tomatoes -and lettuce with mayonnaise dressing, celery mayonnaise garnished with -radishes, and accompanied by crackers and cheese, or a fruit-salad of -oranges, grape fruit, or pineapple. - -The dessert may be of any cold sweets, and if ices are used they -should be of the punch order—one of the many varieties known as Roman, -Siberian, creole, cardinal, etc. If crackers and cheese are not served -with the salad, they may be passed at the close of the breakfast. Brie, -Gorgonzola, or Roquefort may be used. - -At a breakfast of ceremony the tea or coffee tray is never placed on -the table, but breakfast coffee or cocoa is served in large cups after -the fruit, and is passed by the butler, instead of being poured by the -hostess. Tea may also be offered. Wines are not strictly _selon les -règles_ at a breakfast, although occasionally claret is served about -the middle of the meal. - -The waiting at such a breakfast as this is about as ceremonious as -it would be at a luncheon. No large dishes are placed on the table, -but everything is passed by the butler or waitress. Each dish may go -the rounds, and the guests be allowed to help themselves, or a plate -containing a portion may be placed by the butler in front of each -person. The guest always helps himself to cheese and _hors-d'œuvres_, -but the ices are served separately on plates. _Bouquets de corsage_, -_boutonnières_, cards and _menus_ are not necessary at a breakfast. - -A wedding breakfast is conducted on much the same line as that -described above, except that there are usually fewer hot and more cold -dishes served, such as salmon, lobster, or chicken _à la mayonnaise_, -boned turkey and chicken, _pâté-de-foie-gras_, jellied tongue and -fowl, and a greater variety of such sweets as creams and jellies. -Wines, too, are quite _comme il faut_. - -The giving of a breakfast need not be a matter of dread to the hostess -who has confidence in her cook and waitress. The _menu_ suggested -may be so modified or increased as to make it as simple or as -elaborate as preference may dictate. A breakfast is a pleasant style -of entertainment, for, while both sexes are admitted, as at dinner, -there is not the formality of dress essential at that meal, the men -appearing in morning coats, and the women in handsome high-necked and -long-sleeved house or calling costumes. - - - - -FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR SPRING - - -While the principal features of the home breakfast remain essentially -the same throughout the year, variety is gained by adapting the -different articles of food to the season of the year in which they -are served. A lighter, less carbon-producing diet is not only more -agreeable, but more healthful, in warm weather than one containing much -animal food, while the latter is preferable and almost necessary in -winter. To this consideration is added the eminent propriety of making -one's bills of fare seasonable, and thus achieving fitness and economy. - -With the desire to aid the housewife in her labors, a few selected -_menus_ for each meal and each season will be given, none of them too -costly to be beyond the reach of people of moderate means, and appended -to each bill of fare will be recipes for the preparation of certain -dishes therein mentioned which may possibly be unfamiliar to the -readers of these chapters. - - - 1. - - Oranges. - Cracked Wheat. - Parsley Omelet. Corn Muffins. - Buttered Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Parsley Omelet._—Five eggs, two tablespoonfuls milk, one tablespoonful -butter, one tablespoonful finely minced parsley; pepper and salt to -taste. Beat the whites and yolks of the eggs separately and very light; -add the milk to the yolks and stir in the whites, not mixing them in -thoroughly, however; season to taste. Pour into the omelet pan in which -the butter has been heated, and set over the fire in a moderately hot -spot. Keep the omelet from adhering to the pan by slipping a knife -between them from time to time. Just before the omelet is "set," -sprinkle it thickly with the chopped parsley. When done, fold one half -over the other, slip to a hot dish, and serve at once, as it falls -quickly. - -_Corn Muffins._—One and a half cups flour, one and a half cups yellow -corn-meal, three tablespoonfuls sugar, two tablespoonfuls butter, two -eggs, one and a half cupfuls milk, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, half -teaspoonful salt. Sift the salt and baking-powder with the flour; beat -the eggs light; add the milk, the butter (melted), and the sugar. Stir -in the flour and meal; beat hard, and bake in muffin-tins. - -_Buttered Potatoes._—Slice cold boiled potatoes, heat them in a -steamer, thence transfer them to a hot dish. Put on them a large -tablespoonful of butter into which have been worked a teaspoonful -of chopped parsley and a saltspoonful of lemon juice. Set the dish, -covered, over hot water for two minutes, and serve. - - - 2. - - Mandarins. - Cerealine Porridge. - Creamed Cod, with Potatoes. Griddle Muffins. - Coffee. Chocolate. - -_Creamed Cod, with Potatoes._—To two cupfuls of boiled cod, salt or -fresh, well picked to pieces, allow one cupful of mashed potato. Season -to taste. Put into the frying-pan over the fire with a half-cupful of -milk and a large tablespoonful of butter. Stir and beat constantly -while it heats, and soften it by adding to it boiling water at -discretion. When a creamy, smoking mass, transfer it to a hot dish. If -you have drawn butter in the house, or _sauce tartare_, or egg sauce -left over from the first appearance of the fish, this may be used in -place of the milk and butter. - -_Griddle Muffins._—One egg, one tablespoonful butter, one cupful milk, -one teaspoonful baking-powder, pinch of salt, flour enough to make a -soft dough. Mix the milk, beaten egg, and melted butter together; sift -the baking-powder and salt into one cupful of the flour; then add the -rest; roll out the dough as thick as for biscuit, cut into rounds with -a biscuit-cutter, and bake slowly on a griddle, turning when done on -one side. Tear open, and butter while hot. - - - 3. - - Graham Brewis. - Baked Mince. Feather Muffins. - Water Cress. - Stewed Prunes. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Graham Brewis._—Two cups milk, one tablespoonful butter, one -saltspoonful salt; Graham bread crumbs at discretion. Heat the milk in -a double boiler, stir in the butter and salt, and add the Graham crumbs -until the brewis is as thick as ordinary oatmeal porridge; cook ten -minutes, and eat with butter, or butter and sugar. - -_Baked Mince._—Two cups chopped beef, one cup mashed potato, half -an onion minced, one cup gravy or one cup boiling water, and a -tablespoonful of butter, two teaspoonfuls Worcestershire sauce; pepper -and salt to taste. Mix the ingredients well together, and put into a -greased pudding-dish; sprinkle a few fine crumbs over the top; set in -the oven and brown. - -_Feather Muffins._—One cup flour, one cup milk, lump of butter the size -of an egg, one teaspoonful baking-powder, pinch of salt, two eggs. -Beat the eggs light, the whites and yolks separately. Into the latter -stir the milk, the flour, with which has been sifted the salt and -baking-powder, and the butter, melted. Last, add the whipped whites, -and bake in a quick oven. - - - 4. - - Fruit. - Oatmeal Porridge. - Scallop Patties. Graham Gems. - Baked Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Scallop Patties._—Cook a pint of scallops in their own liquor for ten -minutes. Take out the scallops and add to the liquor a tablespoonful of -butter rubbed smooth with one of flour, and pepper and salt to taste. -Return the scallops to this sauce, and let it just come to a boil. Fill -scallop-shells with the mixture, sprinkle fine crumbs over them, dot -with bits of butter, and brown in the oven. Pass lemon with this. - -_Graham Gems._—Two cups Graham flour, two cups milk, two eggs, two -teaspoonfuls butter, two teaspoonfuls sugar, pinch of salt. Melt the -butter, warm the milk, and stir these into the unbeaten eggs. Add the -flour and salt, and beat well before baking in heated gem-pans in a hot -oven. - - - 5. - - Fruit. - Corn-meal Hasty Pudding. - Broiled Fresh Mackerel. Saratoga Potatoes. - Buttered Toast. - Tea. Coffee. - - - 6. - - Wheat-Germ Meal. - Curried Eggs. Rice Muffins. - Strawberries and Cream. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Curried Eggs._—One cup good gravy, six hard-boiled eggs, one -teaspoonful curry-powder. Heat the gravy; stir into it the curry-powder -wet up in a little cold gravy or water, and lay the eggs, each sliced -in three, in the scalding gravy. Set the saucepan at the side of the -stove where it will not boil, and let it stand ten minutes before -sending to table. - -_Rice Muffins._—One cup boiled rice, two eggs, two cups flour, one -tablespoonful melted butter, pinch salt, three cups milk. Stir -together the milk, eggs, butter, and salt; beat in the rice and flour; -bake quickly. - - - 7. - - Fruit. - Graham Porridge. - Broiled Steak. Stewed Potatoes. - Omelet Bread. - Coffee. Cocoa. - -_Omelet Bread._—Half-cup flour, three eggs, one tablespoonful melted -butter, one teaspoonful sugar, pinch of salt, milk enough to make thick -batter. Beat the whites and yolks of eggs separately, and very light; -stir the butter, flour, milk, salt, sugar, and yolks together, and -add the frothed whites; pour into a well-greased tin pan, and bake, -covered, on the top of the stove; uncover and brown in the oven; eat -immediately. - - - 8. - - Fruit. - Wheatena. - Crisped Smoked Beef. Brown Biscuit. - Chopped Potatoes. - Coffee. Chocolate. - -_Crisped Smoked Beef._—Boil slices of smoked beef for five minutes; -take them out, dry, and put into the frying-pan with a tablespoonful -of butter; stir about until crisp, but not too dry. - -_Brown Biscuit._—One cup white flour, two cups Graham flour, two -tablespoonfuls lard, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, a little salt, -milk enough to make a soft dough. Handle the dough as little as -possible, and bake quickly. - - - 9. - - Hominy boiled in Milk. - Poached Eggs. Fried Bacon. - Raspberry Short-cake. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Raspberry Short-cake._—Four cups flour, two cups milk, two -tablespoonfuls lard, or lard and butter, three teaspoonfuls -baking-powder, salt, one quart raspberries. Roll out a little more than -half the dough into a sheet to cover the bottom of a deep biscuit-pan. -Spread the berries thickly on this, sprinkle with sugar, and of the -remaining dough make a top crust. Bake in a steady oven, cut into -squares, and eat hot with butter and sugar, or with sugar and cream. - - - 10. - - Oranges. - Cracked Wheat. - Broiled Chicken. Saratoga Potatoes. - Boston Brown Bread. - Coffee. Chocolate. - -_Boston Brown Bread._—One cup Indian-meal, one cup rye-meal, half-cup -white flour, one cup milk, half-cup molasses, pinch salt, one small -teaspoonful soda. Sift the meal, flour, soda, and salt together, work -in the milk and molasses, pour into a well-greased brown-bread mould, -and boil two hours, taking care that the water in the outer vessel does -not come to the top of the mould. Unless you have a late breakfast, it -is well to cook the bread the day before, and warm it the next morning. - - - - -FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR SUMMER - - -As the season advances and the warm weather becomes settled, the -preference should be given to fish and egg dishes rather than to those -containing meat. For a sultry morning a breakfast of which fruit makes -an important part is welcome generally to both palate and digestion. - -The many kinds of delicious fresh fish that may easily be procured -should hold a prominent place in summer bills of fare; while eggs, -usually plentiful and cheap at this season, may be prepared in various -tempting fashions. - - - 1. - - Strawberries. - Moulded Cerealine. - Broiled Shad. New Potatoes. - Rye Gems. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Strawberries._—When served as a first course at breakfast, it is -better to have them unhulled, and to eat them with the fingers, dipping -each berry into powdered sugar. - -_Moulded Cerealine._—Prepare the cerealine as usual the day before, and -fill small cups with it. Turn it out the next morning, and eat cold, -with cream. - -_Rye Gems._—Three cups rye-flour, three cups milk, three eggs, one -tablespoonful sugar, one tablespoonful butter. Beat hard and bake -quickly. - - - 2. - - Red Raspberries. - Oatmeal. - Shad Roes in Ambush. - Potato Croquettes. Dry Toast. - Radishes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Shad Roes in Ambush._—Two shad roes, four hard-boiled eggs, one cup -milk, one tablespoonful flour, two teaspoonfuls butter; pepper and salt -to taste. Lay the roes in boiling water, and let them simmer for ten -minutes. Drain this off, pour cold water upon them, and let them stand -in this for ten minutes; then take them out, and set them aside until -wanted. Separate the whites and yolks of the boiled eggs, chop the -whites coarsely, and rub the yolks through a sieve. Make a white sauce -by heating the milk and thickening it with the butter and flour rubbed -together. Rub the shad roes to pieces with the back of a spoon, taking -care not to crush the eggs too much. Stir them into half of the white -sauce, season, let them stand on the fire long enough to be heated -through, and pour into a pudding-dish. Mix the whites of the eggs with -the rest of the sauce, and cover the shad roes with this; last, strew -the powdered yolks over the top. Cover closely, and set in a hot oven -for three minutes. - - - 3. - - Boiled Hominy. - Chicken Mince. Raw Tomatoes. - Green Corn Fritters. - Blackberries and Cream. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Chicken Mince._—From the bones of a cold roast, boiled, or fricasseed -chicken cut all the meat, and mince it fine with a sharp knife, -chopping with it two hard-boiled eggs. Stir this into a cup of gravy, -or, if you have none, use instead a cup of white sauce made as directed -in "Shad Roes in Ambush." Season to taste, fill a pudding-dish or -scallop-shells with the mixture, and serve very hot. - -_Green-Corn Fritters._—Two cupfuls green corn cut from the cob, two -eggs, two tablespoonfuls milk, one tablespoonful melted butter, flour -enough for thin batter. Whip the eggs light, beat into these the corn -and the other ingredients, adding the flour last of all. Bake on a -griddle. - - - 4. - - Black Raspberries. - Wheaten Grits. - Broiled Salt Mackerel, Cream Sauce. - Stewed Potatoes. Graham Pop-Overs. - -_Broiled Salt Mackerel._—Soak your fish overnight in cold water, and -wipe it dry before putting it on the gridiron. Broil over a clear fire, -lay on a hot platter, and pour the sauce over it. - -_Cream Sauce._—Make like white sauce given above, doubling the quantity -of butter, seasoning to taste, and using half milk, half cream, if you -have the latter. - -_Graham Pop-Overs._—Three eggs, one and a half cups Graham flour, half -cup white flour, two cups milk, pinch salt. Beat the eggs very light, -whites and yolks together. Add the milk and salt, and sift in the flour -rather slowly, to prevent lumping. Strain the batter through a sieve, -and fill heated gem-pans. Bake in a quick oven, and eat immediately. - - - 5. - - Melons. - Moulded Oatmeal. - Sardines _au gratin_. Fresh Eggs, boiled. - Sally-Lunn. - Cocoa. Coffee. - -_Sardines au gratin._—Open a box of sardines; take them out carefully -and lay them in a small pie-plate; squeeze a few drops of a lemon on -each fish, sprinkle lightly with fine crumbs, and brown in the oven. - -_Sally-Lunn._—Two eggs, two tablespoonfuls melted butter, one cup -milk, pinch salt, half yeast-cake, two cups flour. Beat the eggs light; -stir in the butter, salt, and milk, then the flour, and last the yeast -cake, dissolved. Let it rise at least six hours in a very well-greased -tin; bake, turn out, and eat hot. - - - 6. - - Graham Flakes. - Baked Omelet. Parisian Potatoes. - Quick Biscuit. - Blackberries and Cream. - Coffee. Cocoa. - -_Baked Omelet._—Five eggs, half cup milk, quarter cup fine -bread-crumbs, tablespoonful melted butter; pepper and salt to taste. -Soak the crumbs in the milk ten minutes; beat the eggs very light, the -whites and yolks separately; stir the soaked crumbs, the milk, the -butter, and seasoning into the yolks, and mix the whites in lightly. -Pour into a well-greased pudding-dish, and bake in a quick oven. - -_Parisian Potatoes._—From peeled and washed white potatoes scoop -out little balls with the cutter that comes for this purpose. Boil -them for five minutes, then put them in the frying-pan with two -tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Stir them about until every ball is -well coated with the butter, pour into a colander, and set them in the -oven until brown. Sprinkle with salt and a little minced parsley before -serving. - -_Quick Biscuit._—Two cups flour, one tablespoonful mixed lard and -butter, one cup milk, one heaping teaspoonful baking-powder, pinch -salt. Handle little, roll out and cut quickly, and bake in a steady -oven. - - - 7. - - Boiled Rice. - Fried Pickerel. Stewed Potatoes. - Cocoa. Coffee. - Peach Short-Cake. - -_Peach Short-Cake._—Make a dough as for quick biscuit, doubling the -materials. Roll two thirds of the dough into a sheet to fit the bottom -of a baking-pan, spread thickly with sliced peaches, sprinkle with -sugar, and lay over these a crust made of the remaining dough. Bake in -a steady oven. Split, butter, and eat hot. - - - 8. - - Farina Porridge. - Barbecued Ham. Water-cress. - Butter Cakes. - Huckleberries. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Barbecued Ham._—Slice cold boiled corned or smoked ham. Fry in its own -fat, remove the slices to another dish, and keep hot while you add to -the fat in the pan a teaspoonful of white sugar, three dashes of black -pepper, a teaspoonful (scant) of made mustard, and three tablespoonfuls -of vinegar. Boil up once, and pour over the ham. - -_Butter Cakes._—Prepare a dough as for quick biscuit, roll it out -quarter of an inch thick, and cut into small rounds. Roll each of these -out until as thin as cookies, prick with a fork, and bake in a quick -oven. When done, butter well. Leave in the oven half a minute longer, -and send hot to table. - - - 9. - - Oatmeal. - Omelet with Corn. Deviled Tomatoes. - Cold Bread. - Peaches and Cream. - Iced Tea. Coffee. - -_Omelet with Corn._—Prepare as you do baked omelet; but at the last, -before putting into the pan, add a cupful of green corn cut from the -cob. Pour the omelet into a frying-pan containing two tablespoonfuls of -butter, and cook, loosening it constantly from the bottom with a knife -to prevent its scorching. When done, double over and serve. - -_Deviled Tomatoes._—Cut fresh tomatoes into thick slices, broil on a -fine wire gridiron over a clear fire, and when done lay in a dish, and -pour over them a sauce like that made for barbecued ham, substituting -two tablespoonfuls of olive oil or of melted butter for the ham fat. - - - 10. - - Peaches and Pears. - Moulded Hominy. - Broiled Bluefish. Stuffed Potatoes. - Corn-meal Gems. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Stuffed Potatoes._—Bake eight large, fine potatoes until soft; cut -off the tops, and scoop out the contents; add to them one egg whipped -light, two tablespoonfuls melted butter, half cup milk, pepper and -salt. Beat all together, and return to the skins. Set in an oven, top -upwards, long enough to become well heated, and serve. - -_Corn-meal Gems._—Three eggs, two cups milk, two tablespoonfuls butter, -two cups corn-meal, one cup flour, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder. Work -the butter and milk into the meal, then add the other materials, the -flour last. Have your gem-pans very hot, and bake half an hour in a hot -oven. - - - - -FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR AUTUMN - - -During the early part of the autumn, and indeed until late in the -winter, the supply of fruit is only less abundant than in the summer. -Melons and peaches go first, but their place is taken by grapes, pears, -apples, bananas, and, later, mandarins, tangerines, and oranges. Meat -now begins to be a more necessary article in the bill of fare. By the -exercise of a little ingenuity, left-overs from the dinner of the -previous day may be rendered even more appetizing than they were in -their first estate. - - - 1. - - Peaches and Pears. - Oatmeal. - Veal Cutlets _à la Maître d'Hôtel_. - Potatoes hashed with Cream. - Quick Sally-Lunn. - Cocoa. Coffee. - -_Veal Cutlets à la Maître d'Hôtel._—Cut veal cutlets into neat pieces, -and pound each with a mallet. Broil over a clear fire, transfer to a -hot dish, and lay on each cutlet a small piece of _maître d'hôtel_ -butter. Set in a hot corner, covered, for five minutes before sending -to table. - -_Maître d'Hôtel Butter._—Into one cupful of good butter work a -tablespoonful of lemon juice and two tablespoonfuls of finely chopped -parsley, with a little salt and white pepper. Pack into a small jar, -cover, and keep in a cool place. It is useful to put on chops, steaks, -or cutlets, or to mix with potatoes. - -_Potatoes hashed with Cream._—Chop cold boiled potatoes fine, and stir -them into a cup of hot milk in which has been melted two tablespoonfuls -of butter. Pepper and salt to taste. Let the potatoes become heated -through before you serve them. If you have cream, use this and half as -much butter. - -_Quick Sally-Lunn._—Three eggs, half cup butter, one cup milk, three -cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, half teaspoonful salt. -Stir the butter, melted, into the beaten yolks; add the milk, the flour -(into which the baking-powder has been sifted), and the whites last. -Bake in one loaf, in a steady oven. - - - 2. - - Cracked Wheat. - Bananas. - Minced Mutton with Poached Eggs. - Buttered Toast. Baked Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Minced Mutton with Poached Eggs._—Chop cold boiled or roast mutton -quite fine. Put two cupfuls of this into the frying-pan with half -an onion minced, and a half-cupful of good gravy. If you have none, -use instead a gill of hot water and a lump of butter the size of -an egg. Just before taking the mince from the fire, stir into it a -tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce or two tablespoonfuls of tomato -catsup. Heap the mince on small squares of buttered toast laid on a hot -platter, and place a poached egg on top of each mound. Serve _very_ -hot. - - - 3. - - Apples. - Wheat Granules. - Soused Mackerel. Potato Balls. - Quick Waffles. - Cocoa. Coffee. - -_Soused Mackerel._—These may be purchased canned at nearly any good -grocery, and make an excellent breakfast dish. - -_Potato Balls._—To two cupfuls cold mashed potato add an egg, a -teaspoonful of butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Form with floured -hands into small round or long balls, and fry in deep fat. - -_Quick Waffles._—Three cups flour, one tablespoonful butter, two eggs, -two cups milk, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, a little salt. Beat the -eggs light, add the milk, butter, and salt. Stir in the flour with the -baking-powder last. Grease your waffle-irons well with a piece of fat -pork. - - - 4. - - Grapes. - Wheaten Grits. - Broiled Steak with Mushrooms. - Fried Egg-plant. Unleavened Bread. - Coffee. Chocolate. - - -_Broiled Steak with Mushrooms._—Broil your steak over a clear fire. -Before you put it on, open a can of mushrooms, take out half of them, -and cut each mushroom in two. _Sauté_ them in a frying-pan with a -little butter, unless you have a cup of bouillon or clear beef soup or -gravy at hand. If you have, let them simmer in this for ten minutes, -and when you dish your steak, pour gravy and mushrooms over it. Leave -it covered in the oven five minutes before sending to table. - -_Unleavened Bread._—Two cups flour, one tablespoonful butter, a pinch -salt, enough water to make a dough. Knead this well, roll out _very_ -thin, cut in rounds with a biscuit cutter, prick with a fork, and bake -in a hot oven. - - - 5. - - Pears. - Corn-meal Mush. - Dropped Fish-cakes. Saratoga Potatoes. - Simple Griddle Cakes. - -_Dropped Fish-cakes._—One cup of salt cod picked very fine, half cup -milk, one tablespoonful butter, two teaspoonfuls flour, one egg, -pepper to taste. Make a white sauce of the flour, butter, and milk, -stir the fish into this, add the egg, beaten light, season, and drop by -the spoonful into boiling lard, as is done with fritters. - -_Simple Griddle Cakes._—Four cups sour milk, one small teaspoonful -baking-soda, salt, flour for batter. Stir well and bake quickly. - - - 6. - - Grapes. - Rye-meal Porridge. - Broiled Sausages. Stewed Potatoes. - Wheat-flour Gems. - -_Broiled Sausages._—Make sausage-meat into quite thin cakes with the -hands, lay them on a gridiron, and broil them over a hot fire. - -_Wheat-flour Gems._—Two cups flour, one cup milk, one tablespoonful -melted butter, two eggs, saltspoonful salt. Beat the eggs light, stir -in the milk, the butter, the salt. Sift in the flour, stir briskly, and -bake in gem-pans in a hot oven. - - - 7. - - Bananas. - Oatmeal. - Clam Fritters. Boiled Potatoes. - English Muffins. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Clam Fritters._—Two dozen clams, one egg, one cup milk, two small cups -flour, or enough for thin batter, salt and pepper. Chop the clams fine, -and stir them into the batter made of the milk, clam liquor, beaten -eggs, and the flour. Season to taste, and fry by the spoonful in very -hot lard. - -_English Muffins._—Two cups milk, one tablespoonful butter, one -teaspoonful sugar, saltspoonful salt, half of a yeast-cake. Four cups -flour, or enough to make a very stiff batter. Set to rise for about -three hours, or until the batter is like a honeycomb, then bake on a -soapstone griddle in very large muffin-rings. Make them the day before -they are wanted, and, when ready to use them, split, toast lightly, -butter, and eat hot. - - - 8. - - Oranges. - Large Hominy. - Fried Smelts. Moulded Potato. - Hasty Muffins. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Moulded Potato._—Press cold mashed potato into small teacups; turn -out, brush over with yolk of egg, put a bit of butter on top of each, -and brown in the oven. - -_Hasty Muffins._—Two cups flour, two eggs, one tablespoonful mixed -butter and lard, two teaspoonfuls white sugar, one teaspoonful -baking-powder, saltspoonful salt, one cup milk. Into the eggs, beaten -very light, stir the melted shortening, the sugar, the milk, and the -flour, well mixed with the salt and baking-powder. Stir well, and bake -in thoroughly greased tins. - - - 9. - - Grapes. - Cerealine cooked in Milk. - Egg Timbales with Cheese. Lyonnaise Potatoes. - Wheat Puffs. - -_Egg Timbales with Cheese._—Six eggs, one gill milk, salt and pepper -to taste, two tablespoonfuls grated cheese. Beat the eggs well without -separating the yolks and whites, add the milk and seasoning, stir in -the cheese, and pour into well-greased little tin pans with straight -sides; set these in a pan of hot water, and bake in the oven; when the -egg is firm, turn out on a flat dish, and pour a white sauce over them. - -_Lyonnaise Potatoes._—Slice cold boiled potatoes into neat rounds; -cut a medium-sized onion into thin slices, and put it with a good -tablespoonful of butter or bacon dripping into the frying-pan; when the -onion is colored, add the potatoes, about two cupfuls, and stir them -about until they are a light brown. Strew with chopped parsley, and -serve. - -_Wheat Puffs._—Two cups milk, two eggs, two cups flour. Beat hard and -very smooth, and bake in greased and heated gem-pans or earthenware -cups. Eat at once. - - - - -FAMILY BREAKFASTS FOR WINTER - - -A word may be said here anent the cooking of porridges. There are -as many theories about this apparently simple affair as there are -denominational differences in theological circles. One housekeeper -soaks the oatmeal overnight; another puts it on when the fire is made; -another fifteen minutes before breakfast. Mrs. A. soaks hers in cold -water, Mrs. B. uses boiling, while Mrs. C. inclines to having the water -just hot. One stirs the porridge frequently; another says it is ruined -if touched with a spoon. - -On general principles, one may say that oatmeal is never the worse -for a soaking, although some varieties need it less than others; that -unless carefully and evenly cooked it is apt to become lumpy without -stirring or beating; and that the degree of stiffness to which it -should be brought must depend upon the taste of those who are to eat -it. - - - 1. - - Oranges. - Graham Mush. - Sausage Rolls. Rye Muffins. - Baked Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Sausage Rolls._—Make a good pastry by chopping into two cups of flour -four tablespoonfuls of butter, making this to a paste with half a cup -of ice-water, and rolling out three times. Have the ingredients and -utensils very cold, and handle the paste as little and as lightly as -possible. Cut the pastry with a sharp knife into strips about three -inches square. On one of these lay cooked and minced sausage-meat, -and cover it with another square of the same size. Pinch the edges -together, and bake in a moderate oven. Proceed thus until all the -materials are used. - -_Rye Muffins._—One cup white flour, two cups rye flour, two eggs, two -teaspoonfuls baking-powder, one tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful -sugar, saltspoonful salt, milk enough for stiff batter. Beat well, and -bake in muffin-tins. - - - 2. - - Mandarins. - Boiled Hominy. - Pork Tenderloins. Apple Sauce. - Crumpets. - Coffee. Cocoa. - -_Crumpets._—Two cups milk, three cups flour, three tablespoonfuls -butter, saltspoonful salt, half yeast-cake dissolved in warm water. -Warm the milk; beat in the salted flour, the melted butter, and the -yeast. Let this sponge stand in a warm place until light. Bake in -greased muffin-rings on a hot griddle, or in muffin-pans in the oven. -In either case fill the pans or rings only half full, as the crumpets -will rise in baking. - - - 3. - - Oatmeal. - Veal Croquettes. Stewed Potatoes. - Sour-milk Muffins. - Stewed Prunes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Veal Croquettes._—One cup cold veal, minced fine; tiny bit of onion, -scalded and chopped; half teaspoonful parsley; one cup milk, or half -milk, half soup stock; one tablespoonful flour; one tablespoonful -butter; pepper and salt to taste; one egg. Cook the butter and flour -together until they bubble; pour the milk or milk and stock on them, -and stir until they thicken. Remove from the fire, and pour upon the -beaten egg; then stir in the meat, seasoned with the onion, parsley, -pepper, and salt. Set this aside until cold enough to handle, then -form into croquettes between the floured hands. Roll in egg, and then -in fine cracker crumbs, and drop into boiling lard. They are better -prepared an hour before frying. - -In making veal croquettes, oyster liquor may be used in place of the -stock, and a few oysters chopped with the veal will improve the flavor. - -_Sour-milk Muffins._—One egg, two cups sour milk, half teaspoonful -salt, half teaspoonful soda dissolved in hot water; flour to make a -stiff batter. Beat hard, and bake quickly. - - - 4. - - Bananas. - Wheat Flakes. - Apples and Bacon. Loaf Corn Bread. - Saratoga Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Apples and Bacon._—Fry thin slices of bacon crisp in its own fat. Take -up the bacon and keep hot while you fry in the fat left in the pan -apples sliced across and cored, but not peeled. Arrange the apples in -the centre of the dish, the bacon around the sides. - -_Loaf Corn Bread._—Two eggs, two cups milk, two cups corn meal, one -cup flour, one tablespoonful lard, one tablespoonful sugar, two -teaspoonfuls baking-powder, saltspoonful salt. Beat the eggs light, -add the melted lard, the milk, the flour, and meal, sifted with the -baking-powder and salt, and beat very hard. Bake in a round tin, one -with a tube in the middle, if you have it. - - - 5. - - Grapes. - Cerealine. - Broiled Salt Mackerel _à la Maître d'Hôtel_. - Stewed Potatoes. Risen Muffins. - Tea. Cocoa. - -_Broiled Salt Mackerel à la Maître d'Hôtel._—Soak the mackerel -overnight. In the morning wipe it dry, broil, lay on a hot dish, and -anoint plentifully with _maître d'hôtel_ butter, made by directions -given in the preceding chapter. - -_Risen Muffins._—Two cups milk, two eggs, one tablespoonful lard, one -tablespoonful sugar, saltspoonful salt, half yeast cake dissolved in -a little warm water, flour enough for batter. Set a sponge of all the -ingredients except the eggs to rise overnight. In the morning beat -these light, add them to the batter, and bake the muffins in tins in a -quick oven. - - - 6. - - Wheat Germ-Meal Porridge. - Broiled Ham. Canned Pea Pancakes. - Buttered Toast. - Baked Apples. - Cocoa. Coffee. - -_Canned Pea Pancakes._—One can of green pease, one egg, one cup milk, -two teaspoonfuls melted butter, half cupful flour, half teaspoonful -baking-powder, salt to taste. Open the can several hours before it is -to be used, and drain off the liquor. Rinse the pease in cold water. -Mash them with the back of a spoon, and mix with them the butter and -salt. Make a batter of the egg, the milk, and the flour, with the -baking-powder. Add the pease, beat well, and bake on a griddle. - - - 7. - - Tangerines. - Rice Porridge. - Moulded Eggs. Ham Toast. - Baked Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Moulded Eggs._—On the bottom of well-buttered patty-pans with straight -sides sprinkle finely minced parsley and a little pepper and salt. -Break an egg into each pan, set them in a large pan filled with boiling -water, and bake until set. Turn out on a flat dish, and pour a white -sauce over them. - -_Ham Toast._—To every cupful of chopped cold boiled ham put a -half-teaspoonful of made mustard, as much butter, and a little -Worcestershire sauce. Trim the crust from slices of bread, toast and -butter them, and spread them with the chopped ham. - - - 8. - - Bananas. - Oatmeal. - Broiled Smoked Salmon. Breakfast Biscuit. - Savory Potatoes. - Cocoa. Coffee. - -_Breakfast Biscuit._—Two cups milk, half cake yeast dissolved in warm -water, two teaspoonfuls white sugar, two tablespoonfuls lard, one -tablespoonful butter, saltspoonful salt, flour for soft dough. Warm -the milk, melt the shortening, and set the sponge overnight. The next -morning roll into a sheet, cut out with a biscuit cutter, let them -rise twenty minutes in the pan, and bake. - -_Savory Potatoes._—Two cupfuls cold potatoes sliced, half cup gravy, -quarter of an onion sliced. Heat the gravy in a frying-pan with the -onion, add the potatoes, and leave them until they are brown, stirring -often. Serve potatoes and gravy together. - - - 9. - - Oranges. - Cracked Wheat. - Lyonnaise Tripe. Boiled Potatoes. - Bread-and-milk Cakes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Lyonnaise Tripe._—One pound boiled tripe, one onion, one tablespoonful -butter, one cupful stewed tomatoes, pepper and salt. Brown the onion -in the butter, add the tripe, cut into neat pieces, add the seasoning. -Brown lightly, add the tomatoes, and, when these are hot, serve. - -_Bread-and-milk Cakes._—One cup fine bread crumbs, two cups milk, -one egg, two teaspoonfuls melted butter, saltspoonful salt, two -tablespoonfuls flour. Soak the crumbs in the milk ten minutes; beat -in the whipped egg, the butter, the salt, and the flour. Bake on a -well-greased griddle. - - - 10. - - Apples. - Graham Flakes. - Fried Scallops. Light Loaf. - Hashed Potatoes. - Tea. Coffee. - -_Fried Scallops._—Stew the scallops five minutes in their own liquor. -Take out, drain, and roll first in egg, then in fine cracker crumbs. -Fry to a light brown in deep fat, lay on a sheet of brown paper in a -hot colander, and serve on a small napkin laid on a heated dish. - -_Light Loaf._—One cup milk, one tablespoonful sugar, one tablespoonful -butter, two eggs, two cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, -saltspoonful salt. Beat the eggs light; add the butter, melted, the -sugar, salt, milk, and, last, the flour sifted with the baking-powder. -Bake in one loaf, and serve hot. - -_Hashed Potatoes._—Chop cold potatoes fine, have ready in a pan a -tablespoonful of bacon dripping made very hot, stir into this two -cupfuls of the potatoes, and toss about until well browned. - - - - -AT LUNCHEON - - -Properly treated, luncheon may be the pleasantest meal of the day. -Simple or elaborate, as the housekeeper's taste may dictate, always -informal, it is more comfortable than the breakfast because less -hurried, more agreeable than the dinner because less ceremonious. - -The table at luncheon may either be set as for breakfast, with a pretty -colored cloth to cover it; or a prettier way, if one has a table with -a handsome top, is to spread on this a large luncheon napkin that only -partially conceals the polished surface. One or more of these napkins -may be used, according to their size and the amount of space you wish -covered. A fringed doily or a crocheted or netted mat may be laid at -each place to protect the table-top from the heated plate. Other mats -should be laid under the hot dishes of meat, etc., while a tile or a -trivet will hold the chocolate or teapot. - -A writer on household decoration in a recent article in a popular -magazine enlarged upon the charming effect produced by painting a -table-top white, and thus producing a good background upon which to -display old blue-and-white china. This would doubtless be extremely -pretty, but in the practical mind the suspicion arises that, by the -time the bare white table had held hot dishes during half a dozen -meals, its surface would be marked with yellow rings that would -leave no choice to the housewife but to conceal the whole of the -defaced expanse with a table-cloth. A good furniture polish, or a -simple mixture of sweet-oil and turpentine, applied with a piece of -flannel, will restore the beauty of a hard-wood table-top, but it is -questionable if the white paint could be so readily renovated. - -The flowers that should have freshened the breakfast board must not -be lacking at luncheon-time. The table may be spread with a luncheon -set of china, or, if one does not own this, with the same plates, -etc., that are used at breakfast and at tea. The tea-tray, with its -burden of sugar-bowl, cream-pitcher, tea-caddy, and dainty cups and -saucers, may stand in front of the mistress of the house, while at her -elbow may be the five-o'clock-tea crane bearing its kettle of boiling -water; or a smaller hot-water urn in brass, copper, or silver, with a -spirit-lamp under it, may be on the table near her right hand, with the -teapot beside it. If the small hot-water pot is used, and the table is -bare, a tray should hold the kettle and stand, lest a drop of blazing -alcohol should blister the polished surface of the wood. When cocoa -or chocolate is drunk at luncheon, the paraphernalia of kettle and -spirit-lamp is, of course, unnecessary. - -There are some brands of cocoa for which it is claimed by the -manufacturers that they are excellent when prepared for use by simply -pouring the boiling water on the powder. So far as the writer's -experience has gone, however, there is not one of them that is not -benefited by being boiled for a few minutes before serving. - -Nearly everything that is to compose the ordinary luncheon for the -family may be put upon the table at one time. Of course there must be -an exception to this rule when the first course consists of soup or -bouillon; but even then all the cold dishes may be in place when the -guests are seated. The waiting need be only of the simplest, unless -formality is desired. Those about the table may help themselves and one -another, while the duties of the waitress may be confined to passing -the dishes that are on the sideboard, changing the plates, bringing in -hot dishes, etc. - -The truth, often reiterated, that women cook only for men, and that -a woman would never take the trouble to prepare anything for herself -beyond a cup of tea and a slice of toast, is strongly emphasized by -the carelessness many of them manifest in the matter of luncheon. Of -course, when there are several in the family the needs and tastes of -others have to be consulted; but when the mistress of the house has -to sit down to a solitary meal, or at best to one that is the nursery -dinner for two or three children whose diet is of the simplest, she is -apt to let her luncheon consist of little more than a "cold bite," and -the—almost—invariable cup of tea. Such a course must affect the health -sooner or later, and is a species of carelessness of self against -which a woman must guard if she does not wish to reap its fruits in -headaches, dyspepsia, and general depression of the system. Without -getting up a troublesome _menu_, she may yet devise divers tempting -little dishes which will coax her appetite. She will feel happier and -work better for a substantial although not heavy meal in the middle of -the day. - -Luncheon is pre-eminently the meal at which to make use of potted -meats, sardines, _pâtés_, and the like. There are many of these from -which to make a choice. A luncheon is not to be despised that begins -with a cup of bouillon, or with a plate of soup left over from last -night's dinner, continues with fresh rolls or biscuit or muffins, or -toasted crackers, or good cold bread—white or brown—cut in delicate -slices, and one of the _pâtés_ put up by certain French and American -companies, or a Gotha liver sausage, or a few sardines, accompanied by -a cup of tea or cocoa, and concludes with some simple sweet, such as -marmalade, jam, or fruit. - -But luncheon need not be confined to cold delicacies that must be -bought outright. It is the time for using up left-overs, for trying new -recipes for side-dishes and _entrées_, for the housekeeper to learn for -herself and to teach her cook the daintiest methods of utilizing those -remnants which the uninitiated might stigmatize as "scraps." Great is -the variety of styles in which these may be employed. That bit of cold -fish from last evening's dinner may be picked to shreds, stirred into a -white sauce, and baked in a scallop-shell. Or it may be mixed with half -as much mashed potato, moistened with boiling water and a little melted -butter, and tossed up into a dish of creamed fish. - -The scraps of pastry left from pie-making and the sausage or two that -were spared at breakfast may compose a sausage-roll, the cold potato -and the fragment of steak may be turned into a hash, and odd slices -of cold lamb, mutton, or veal are just the thing for croquettes and -fritters. And of the odds and ends of poultry what delicious compounds -may be made! Croquettes, scallops, minces, fritters, filling for -_pâtés_, salad enough for one or two if eked out with lettuce, and a -dozen other dainty _plats_. Or a tiny omelet, either baked or _sauté_, -may be prepared; and when one begins to count up the appetizing dishes -which may be made of eggs, the list seems without an end. Even when -several people are to partake of the meal a variety of little dishes -may take the place of a single large one for which new material would -have to be purchased. In the cultivation or creation of a talent as a -_réchauffeuse_ true economy consists. - -In some homes luncheon is a quite elaborate affair, and comprises -several courses, including, perhaps, a soup or bouillon, a meat course, -a salad, and fruit or sweets. In the majority of establishments owned -by people of moderate means, however, the meal is simpler, but need -be no less delightful. Many people can eat muffins, griddle-cakes, -and other hot breads at noon with less after-discomfort than at -any other season, and dishes of this sort are usually acceptable on -the luncheon-table. With their help the meal can hardly fail to be -appetizing. - - - - -A SMALL LUNCHEON - - -Luncheons are among the most popular forms of entertainment that can -be selected, when only a limited number are to be honored. To these -affairs men are seldom invited, and there are not wanting those among -the sterner sex who do not hesitate to attribute their banishment to -desire on the women's part for the opportunity to chat uninterruptedly -and unreservedly on those subjects presumed dear to their hearts—dress, -babies, and servants. Other men go so far as to hint that gossip, and -even scandal, engage the tongues of these much-maligned women, while -even the most charitable husbands and brothers cannot refrain from -openly expressing their pity for the unfortunate ladies debarred, for -even a limited period, from the delights of the society of the lords of -creation. - -Casting aside the intimations respecting gossip or scandal as unworthy -of notice, and tracing the animus of the other slurs to their source, -in the overpowering jealousy on the part of their perpetrators that -they are excluded from the select assemblages they affect to condemn, -it may be said in refutation of the last charge that there are few -women who do not agree in considering a luncheon among the most -delightful of their social experiences. An invitation to one is usually -hailed with joy, and a woman will undergo a good deal of inconvenience -sooner than consent to decline it. - -A luncheon is elastic in its nature, and may be of any size the -hostess's fancy or judgment dictates. One woman may invite another to -share the meal with her, and to help form that _solitude à deux_ so -delightful to two congenial souls. In such a case a long and elaborate -_menu_ is out of place, and not in the best form. What dishes there are -should be wisely selected, perfectly prepared, and carefully served; -but a multiplication of courses or viands is unnecessary, and savors of -vulgar display. The same principle applies at any _small_ luncheon. -The definition of size is a rather difficult matter, but a company of -this sort of not more than five or six persons may fitly be called -small. With every addition to the number the need increases for more -items in the _menu_. - -For a small and unpretentious luncheon the invitations should not be -issued long in advance, unless the hostess finds it necessary to do so -in order to secure the presence of some especial guests. In that case, -if the entertainment is to be very simple, it is as well to inform the -guests of the fact when writing to them. Either a written or a verbal -invitation is admissible. It should always be clearly understood, -however, that the engagement, when once made, is no less binding than -if it were a promise to attend the largest and most ceremonious dinner. -Indeed, fidelity to one's acceptance and prompt attendance are even -more obligatory at a small than at a large affair, because at the -latter the defection of one person is less noticeable than it would be -were very few expected to be present. In either case failure to keep -the engagement is a grave breach of etiquette. It may be said, in this -connection, that more of a compliment is implied by the request to be -one of a small and—by inference—select band than is shown when the -invitations embrace a larger party. - -An even number is usually better than an odd number at a luncheon, -unless the table is a large round one, about which the guests can -gather without leaving an awkward gap on one side. - -The covering for the table may either be a very pretty luncheon cloth -with a little color about it, or else of plain white. Of course, should -the hostess desire to have any one tint predominate in her table -appointments, it is better to have the cloth of that shade or of white. -If artificial light is required, candles give a pleasanter light than -anything else, and one candelabrum of several branches is generally -enough for a small table. Should this not sufficiently illuminate the -room, the gas may be lighted and partially turned down, or a lamp or -two may be placed on a mantel-shelf or on a bracket. There should -always be flowers in the centre of the table, preferably a flat or -low dish or vase, for where there are few guests they should be able -to see each others' faces, instead of being obliged to dodge around a -tall ornament that effectually conceals those seated on one side of -the board from those placed on the other. _Bouquets de corsage_, while -always pretty, are not essential at a simple luncheon, nor are cards -necessary. - -The table should be spread with the daintiest china and silver. At each -plate must be the usual articles—knife, fork, tumbler, butter-plate, -and napkin. A knife and fork for each course may be laid by every -plate, the knives on the right side, the forks on the left. A roll or -two or three sticks of bread must lie on each napkin. The usual little -dishes of olives, salted almonds, pea-nuts or pistachio-nuts, radishes, -bonbons, etc., should stand here and there, and by their color or -sparkle add to the beauty of the repast. - -The first course may be either beef or chicken bouillon. This is served -in bouillon-cups, with covers and saucers, if one has them, or, if -not, in tea or after-dinner coffee-cups. The latter are a trifle small, -but one need not go to the other extreme, as was done at a lunch given -not long ago, where the bouillon was served in _mugs_ nearly as large -as those commonly used for shaving, and quite as thick and heavy. It -was impossible to help recalling the saying of the woman who declared -that when she took coffee from one of the breakfast cups in use at most -hotels she felt as though she were drinking it over the side of a stone -wall. Bouillon is usually sipped with a spoon, however, although it is -not out of the way to raise the cup to the lips. - -The bouillon may either be on the table when the guests enter the room, -or be brought in as soon as they are seated. It is followed by fish -in some dainty form, as creamed fish, creamed or buttered lobster, -croquettes of lobster, oysters, or fish; or oyster or lobster _pâtés_. -These are not passed in the dish, but are brought in already served, -and a plate holding a portion placed in front of each guest. Rolls, -French bread, or bread and butter are then passed. - -The next course in a luncheon of this size need not be an _entrée_, -although one may be introduced here. Sweetbreads, chicken cutlets, -_timbales_ of some sort, a _vol-au-vent_—any one of these will answer, -but there is no violation of rules if it is omitted altogether at -a _small_ luncheon. In that case the next course—the _pièce de -résistance_—may follow the fish directly, and may consist of French -chops with pease, and potatoes daintily prepared, or chicken broiled, -fried, or cooked in some attractive fashion, or broiled tenderloins of -beef with mushrooms, or birds. - -After this the salad appears, and may be of chicken, lobster, shrimps, -oysters, or tomatoes, avoiding, of course, any meat or fish that has -appeared earlier in the meal, even although in another form. The olives -should be passed with this, and, indeed, may have gone the rounds -during and between the other course, as have the salted nuts and the -radishes. - -The salad eaten, the table is cleared and crumbed, and the dessert -brought in—ices in some pretty form, accompanied by fancy cakes. Fruit -may succeed this, or it may be omitted, and the final cup of chocolate -or coffee served at once. The bonbons now receive attention, and are -usually carried into the drawing-room by the guests, who, being women, -seem to find almost as much enjoyment in nibbling these as men do in -discussing their post-prandial cigars. - - - - -A LARGE LUNCHEON. - - -A much more ceremonious affair than that described in the preceding -chapter is the large luncheon, where there are present anywhere from -eight to twenty guests. The invitations for this are issued at least -ten days, and often three weeks or more, previous to the date for which -the guests are asked, and should be written, not verbal, except when -given to an intimate friend. The recipient should reply at once. The -hour set is usually one or half-past one, and the most punctilious -promptness should always be observed. Nothing short of a serious -accident or illness or a death in the family can justify any one in -breaking such an engagement. - -"People don't always keep that precept," says a woman, decidedly. "I -can give more than one example to the contrary from my own experience. -Here is an instance. I had a letter not long ago from a friend living -out of town, begging me to fix a time when she could come and see me. -She dreaded making the trip into town when it was doubtful if she would -find me at home. I knew she had few outings, so I wrote and asked -her to lunch with me upon a certain day, adding that there would be -a couple of other old friends present whom she would be glad to meet -again. The appointed day came, and was misty and drizzly. It never -occurred to me that the weather would keep any one housed, and at the -lunch hour 'the guests were met, the feast was set'—or, at least, two -of the guests were there—but the one in whose honor they had been -invited failed to appear. A whole mortal hour did we wait for that -woman. Then in despair we sat down to a luncheon that had been in no -ways improved by the delay. It was to have been a _partie carrée_, and -one side of the table looked wofully blank and bare." - -"But did you not get a satisfactory explanation of your friend's -absence?" queries an interested listener. - -"Only a note the next day, stating that as it had stormed, she had -supposed I would not expect her. It never seemed to occur to her that -she ought at least to have telegraphed." - -"I had an experience that equals that," chimes in another. "I had -promised a young girl friend a lunch party whenever she should come to -the city. Just before the holidays she wrote to me that she would be -in town for a week. I was run to death with Christmas preparations and -social engagements, but I sent her a note at once, asking her to fix a -day for her luncheon, and enclosing the list of guests—most of them old -school friends—whom I would invite to meet her. She replied, setting -a day. I went to no end of trouble and expense to get up the most -_recherché_ luncheon I could devise. Just before the appointed hour one -of the guests, who had promised to call for my young friend and bring -her to my house, brought instead a verbal message that Jennie 'was not -very well, and would be unable to come. She was extremely sorry,' etc. -As I learned from another source that she went to the theatre that -night, I concluded her indisposition, whatever it was, had not been -very serious." - -One marvels at the bad habits of good society in hearing such tales -as these, but they are unfortunately common. Some persons appear to -be deficient in a sense of good-breeding, as others are in an eye -for color or an ear for music, and all the maxims in the world seem -inadequate to instil what is missing. - -One general principle may be laid down for the following of any woman -who thinks of giving a large luncheon—_don't undertake too much_. -If you cannot afford to engage the most difficult dishes from a -caterer, be very sure that your cook is equal to preparing them in a -satisfactory manner. Better have a few things, and have them well done, -than a long _menu_ of indifferently cooked viands. A large luncheon is -no light undertaking at the best, except to those who have a practised -_chef_ and an expert butler, and a great deal of personal supervision -is required to make it a success. - -If the number of guests is larger than can be conveniently accommodated -at one table, two or three smaller ones may be used. One table is -rather prettier, however, as it admits of concentrating, instead of -scattering, the decoration. The cloth should be white, or something -very handsome in colors. A centre-piece of velvet or plush or satin, -or of linen, embroidered, painted, done in cut-work or drawn-work, or -something else equally elegant in material or ornament, should be laid -down the middle of the table. An exquisite centre-piece may be made of -bolting-cloth, hand-painted and trimmed with lace. On this a mirror is -often placed, bearing the bowl, basket, or jar of flowers. - -Tall candelabra should hold enough candles to light the room well, and -each candle should have its tiny paper or silk shade and its glass -_bobèche_. If the gas must be used, it should be shaded. The dishes -containing _hors d'œuvres_—bonbons, _glacé_ fruits, etc.—must be many, -and their contents of the choicest. - -The arrangement of silver, glass, and china may be the same as at a -small luncheon, except that the amount of silver at each place must -be increased. The bread sticks on every napkin must be tied with a -narrow ribbon matching the broad one that ties the _bouquet de corsage_ -provided for the guest. Cards bearing the names of the guests indicate -their seats, and may be either hand-painted or plain. Favors are -often given, and should be placed on the table before the luncheon is -announced. - -Oyster or Little Neck clams compose the first course, and are followed -by bouillon. Fish succeeds this; then comes one _entrée_, and sometimes -two. Next is a dish of meat, with one or more vegetables, and then the -Roman punch appears. - -After this, game comes, and then salad. The table then being cleared, -pastry in some form, or Charlottes or jellies are brought in, and this -course in turn is succeeded by ices in pretty or fanciful shapes. An -attractive caprice is that of ices or cream in the form of fruits -heaped up in and rolling out of a basket of clear ice or spun sugar -placed on a salver. Ices in small goblets or tumblers of clear ice -are often served. The fruit comes next, and is accompanied by bonbons, -_glacé_ fruits, _marrons_, and the like. Last are coffee and chocolate. - -Of the following _menus_, either one is suitable for a large luncheon: - - - 1. - - Raw Oysters. - Chicken Bouillon. - Creamed Lobster. Crackers or Bread and Butter. - Scalloped Chicken. - Sweetbread Pâtés. Green Pease. - Maraschino Punch. - Fillet of Beef, Mushroom Sauce. - French Fried Potatoes. - Broiled Squabs on Toast. Water-cress. - Chicken Salad. - Strawberries in Wine Jelly, with Whipped Cream. - Nesselrode Pudding. Biscuit. Fancy Cakes. - Fruit. Bonbons. - Coffee. Chocolate. - - - 2. - - Clams on Ice. - Bouillon. - Halibut Steaks, Cream Sauce. Parisian Potatoes. - Ham Pâtés. Green Pease. - Stuffed Crabs. - Chicken Cutlets. - Broiled Fillet of Beef, au Maître d'Hôtel. Asparagus. - Roman Punch. - Quail on Toast. Celery Salad. - Fried Mushrooms on Toast, with Sauce à l'Espagnol. - Frozen Pudding. Whipped Cream. - Ices. - Fruit. - Coffee. Chocolate. - -With either of these _menus_ wine may be served, although there is not -the variety of these at a ladies' luncheon that there is at a dinner. -Claret may be served with the fish or first _entrée_, and drunk during -the luncheon, or brought in with the game, or with the heaviest meat -course. In some cases no claret is served, and the only wine is the -small glass of sherry offered late in the meal. - - - - -A STANDING LUNCH. - - -For a long time there was a felt need for some form of entertainment -that would be more general in its character than a dinner or a lunch, -less of a full-dress affair than an evening party, and more elaborate -than the ordinary kettle-drum or afternoon tea. This want was finally -supplied by the introduction of the standing lunch, which is in reality -little more than a regular reception, such as usually takes place in -the evening, held in the afternoon. To this both ladies and gentlemen -are invited. - -The hours for which the guests are asked—usually from four to six -or seven—preclude the necessity of full dress. The men usually wear -morning coats, while the women are arrayed in handsome calling -costumes, and do not remove their bonnets. It may be remarked, _en -passant_, that the wearing of the hat or bonnet is, or should be, a -rule without exception at a ladies' lunch. Only the hostess or those -of the company who are guests in the house appear with their heads -uncovered. The others wear handsome dressy bonnets, such as they would -assume for the theatre in the evening or for an afternoon reception. - -The hostess who desires to entertain her friends or to discharge her -social obligations by a standing lunch must issue her invitations some -days in advance of the date fixed. They should be formal, and are -usually engraved, although they may be written. The former method is -preferable. - -At a lunch of this kind, as the name implies, the guests are not to -be seated at one large table, nor even at a number of small ones. -The large dining-room table and sideboard are set out with a repast -consisting of some hot and some cold dishes. The guests move about -the drawing-room, seating themselves if they have the chance, as they -would at an evening reception, and are served with plates containing -the successive courses, either by waiters or by their escorts. Not -only is there less formality in the conduct of the guests than would be -observed at an ordinary luncheon, but there is also less precision in -the serving of the refreshments. - -For such a lunch the hostess does well when she provides a number of -camp-chairs in addition to the seats she already has in her rooms. It -is always more agreeable to eat when one is seated than when standing -and endeavoring to handle a full plate and a brimming coffee-cup at -the same time. Such an effort is severe even for a man, who has been -obliged to practise it all his life, but it is doubly distressing to a -woman, who is in constant terror lest an unguarded movement on her own -or her neighbor's part should cause an upset and a spill that might -fatally damage at least one gown, and possibly more. - -In preparing for a standing lunch, or for any other large reception, it -is prudent for the hostess to clear her parlors of such breakables as -statues, tall vases, piano lamps, etc., that rest upon pedestals or -easily overturned stands. These, if not taken from the room, should be -moved into corners where they will be comparatively safe from injury; -while the largest pieces of furniture, such as sofas or lounges and -big easy-chairs, should be wheeled back near the wall, so as not to -interfere with the movements of people through the rooms. Light chairs -should stand about here and there, and the camp-chairs should be -stacked in some convenient closet or in the corner of the hall, whence -they can be produced at a moment's notice when the refreshments are -served. - -The floral decorations may be either simple or ornate, according to -the wishes of the hostess. Mantels banked with flowers, chandeliers -and brackets draped with smilax, a profusion of roses, and baskets of -choice cut flowers are very beautiful, but the rooms can be rendered -attractive by less costly means. If there is to be a large number of -guests, the flowers will be unnoticed by many of them unless judgment -be shown in the disposition of vases. These should be placed on the -mantels, on brackets, on the top of the piano, or in some other place -where they will be seen readily, rather than on low tables, where they -are not only hidden, but are in imminent danger of being knocked over. -Palms or ferns in pots and other growing plants decorate pleasingly, -and can be engaged for the evening from a florist, if the mistress of -the house neither owns them nor feels inclined to buy them. - -In preparing the dining-room table it should be drawn out to a size -that will permit of its holding without undue crowding the dishes and -plates that will be required for the lunch. If the refreshments are -too numerous to be accommodated here, the sideboard should be cleared -for their reception, and even one or two side-tables brought in. The -table should be spread with a long white cloth. A bowl or jar or pot -of flowers may be in the centre of the board. Very elaborate floral -arrangements are unnecessary in the dining-room, unless a good many of -the guests are expected to come out here. - -At each end of the table and at intervals along the sides spaces should -be left for the dishes that are to hold the refreshments. Between -these may be the piles of plates and the napkins. These may either be -separate or arranged together, a napkin being laid on each plate and -all placed in piles, so that they may be easily distributed. Forks and -spoons should also be close at hand, with the necessary utensils for -serving the different dishes, that there may not be a hurried search -for a carving knife or fork or a large spoon just at the last moment, -when its presence might have saved delay and confusion. - -The side-table should hold the coffee and chocolate cups, the -wineglasses, goblets, or tumblers for water, etc. Let it be seen, -by the way, that there is plenty of iced water in readiness. Many a -guest at a large reception has longed for a drink of it and found it -apparently the hardest thing to get which he could have selected. - -Unless the hostess has a remarkably well-trained butler, and one or -two other servants who understand waiting, she will be wise if she -engages hired waiters to take charge of the serving of the dishes, and -has her butler and maids confine their services to passing plates in -the drawing-room. This is pleasanter than having the outside helpers -waiting on the guests, while their skill and practice in serving render -them most efficient in the work of filling plates. - -The first course of a standing lunch is usually bouillon, served in -cups. When these have been removed, a plate is brought to each guest -containing oysters in some shape, usually fricasseed or creamed, and -accompanied possibly by a lobster croquette or a sweetbread or mushroom -_pâté_. The third course may comprise chicken croquettes or rissoles, -accompanied by lettuce or celery salad. Both with this and the -preceding course tiny square or three-cornered sandwiches of thin bread -and butter, spread with some potted meat or fish, with sardines, or -with lobster mayonnaise, may have been passed. After this course come -the sweets—ice-creams or ices in small shapes, biscuit in paper cases, -and fancy cakes—followed by coffee or chocolate. Nothing must be served -that cannot be easily eaten with a fork or spoon. Light wines or a bowl -of punch are always in order. - - - - -THE LUNCH BASKET. - - -To many people the lunch basket and its contents are quite as important -as any regularly set-out meal of the day—more important than such -occasional luxuries as ceremonious _déjeûners à la fourchette_ and -standing lunches. - -Among this number are not only the school-children who, five days out -of the week, must carry what the Southern boys and girls would term a -"snack" with them to school, but also the army of men and women whose -employment takes them to such a distance from their homes that it is -impracticable for them to return there for the midday meal. With these -must not be forgotten the band of night workers who, in one capacity -or another, have part in making the morning papers, and who, turning -day into night, find it as essential to take a midnight as others do a -midday repast. - -In a less degree interest is felt in the lunch basket by those young -people who regard the coming of the summer chiefly as the return of -the picnic season. All these desire to know of something appetizing to -supply their needs, and nearly all agree in condemning certain articles -as stale and hackneyed, asserting that they are tired to death of them. -Among these are generally ham and tongue sandwiches. - -In making suggestions on this subject, the first thing to be considered -is the basket, and to begin with, it _should_ be a basket, and not -a close tin box or pail that cannot be sweetened except by scouring -and scalding between the times of using. A basket, by permitting the -passage of air through its interstices, prevents the food acquiring a -close, musty taste; and even the basket should have frequent airings -and sunnings, and an occasional plunge into hot salt and water, -followed by a rinsing in fresh hot water, and a wiping and drying in -the sun or near the fire. - -Only fresh napkins must be used for wrapping about the lunch, and if -their use proves too severe a strain upon the linen drawer, Japanese -paper napkins may be substituted, or even fresh white tissue-paper, -or druggist's paper. The daintiness of ribbons to tie the different -parcels is all very pretty, but it is hardly possible for the hurried -house-mother who has to put up even one lunch a day, much less when -she has two or three to prepare. In order to succeed in making them -even ordinarily attractive, she must take thought for these lunches -as carefully as she does for the other meals of the day, and make -provision accordingly, not waiting until the last moment, and then -hastily gathering up whatever odds and ends she can find, and hurriedly -cramming them all together into the basket in a manner that savors -unpleasantly of the bestowal of "broken victuals" and cold bits upon -the beggar at the kitchen door. - -Not until she gives the matter serious thought does the housewife -appreciate what a variety she can select for the lunch basket of her -boy or girl, or of her husband. Hot foods are out of the question, -of course, and even hot drinks, unless a tiny alcohol "pocket -stove," filled and ready for lighting, and a tin or agate-iron cup, -accompany the outfit. In that case, many a hot cup of _café au lait_ or -chocolate, of soup or bouillon, may be enjoyed by the luncher. - -But even when this cannot be managed, cold coffee and tea are not to be -despised, while cold bouillon is preferred by many to the hot beef tea. -Or, for a change from this, a small flask of milk or of lemonade may -be carried. In any case the bottle should be a stout one, and provided -with a good stopper, that no break or leakage may cause the ruin of the -rest of the refection. - -China makes the lunch basket too heavy, and takes up too much room. If -a plate is required, let it be one of the little wooden butter plates -that can be thrown away after using. It is often possible to procure -a glass from which to drink, but even when it is not, a flat glass or -a collapsing cup may easily be carried in the pocket; or an ordinary -flask, having a cup fitted to the bottom, may be purchased and kept for -service in the lunch basket. A tiny cruet for salt and another for -pepper should also be part of the outfit. - -Often it does not seem to occur to the housekeeper that it is quite -practicable to carry a cup custard, a baked apple or pear, a tiny mould -of jelly or blanc-mange, as well as uncooked fruit. While the latter -is always wholesome and generally popular, there are times when one -wants something else. To paraphrase Miss Woolson's words in "For the -Major," "A large cold apple on a winter day is not calculated to arouse -enthusiasm." - -Other dainties are easily prepared. Every one who has read "Little -Women"—and who has not read it?—will remember Meg and Jo March trudging -off to their work on frosty mornings, each carrying the turnover that -was to compose her lunch, and gaining comfort for the cold fingers from -its warmth. - -A tiny pie baked in a saucer, a small tart, a diminutive rice or -tapioca pudding in a patty-pan, are not hard to make, and are a welcome -variety at the midday "snack." - -While it might possibly be an expensive item to provide potted meat -for sandwiches for every day in the week, there are often odds and -ends that, with a little "doctoring," may be made into excellent -substitutes. The meat on the drumstick left from the roast or stewed -chicken of last night may be chopped fine, moistened with a little -gravy or melted butter, seasoned, and spread on thin slices of buttered -bread. The bit of steak that clung to the bone may be minced, and -have stirred into it a little Worcestershire sauce and a suspicion of -made mustard; while the slice of cold lamb or veal, also minced, may -be flavored with curry-powder and softened with melted butter to make -filling for sandwiches. - -The one or two cold sausages left in the pantry will make an appetizing -sandwich when crushed fine with the back of a spoon, and laid between -the two sides of a buttered roll or biscuit; while the last spoonful -of lobster or chicken salad scraped from the bottom of the dish may be -spread on buttered bread for yet another kind of sandwich. - -White, Graham, brown, or whole-wheat bread may be used in turn, -with an occasional roll or biscuit to still further vary monotony. -Egg sandwiches, cheese sandwiches, sweetbread sandwiches, sardine -sandwiches, minced ham, tongue, ham and chicken, chicken and bacon -sandwiches—their name is legion. - -But some one may object, one does not want _all_ sandwiches. True -enough, but they are the _pièce de résistance_ of the lunch. They -may be supplemented, however, by a piece of cold fowl, by, once in a -while, a broiled bird, by a few pickled oysters, by deviled and plain -hard-boiled eggs, by salads without number, by olives, cheese, and -pickles. And for desserts are there not the little dishes already -suggested, to say nothing of cake, cookies, ginger-snaps, apples, -oranges, mandarins, bananas, pears, grapes, and other fruits? For -school children there are such simple dainties as bread or rolls spread -with jam, jelly, marmalade, or apple-sauce. And are not crackers and -cheese always at hand, and almost always popular? - -While all this may at first seem to impose additional labor upon the -housekeeper, she will soon find, when the habit is once established -of providing regularly for the lunch, that she feels it no more of -a burden than she does to cater for the other meals of the day. Let -her keep on the alert for new fancies, and they will come to her more -rapidly than she can utilize them. - - - - -FAMILY LUNCHES FOR SPRING - - -These _menus_ for simple home lunches, given as were those for -breakfasts—ten for each season—are not designed to serve as exact -guides, but merely as suggestions to the housekeeper. They may easily -be improved upon or altered. To some they will doubtless appear much -too simple, while others may condemn them as being too elaborate. -Certain selected recipes will accompany them. - - - 1. - - Baked Cheese Omelet. Toasted Crackers. - Strawberry Jam. - Cocoa. - -_Baked Cheese Omelet._—Two eggs, two cups milk, one small cup grated -cheese, one small cup fine bread-crumbs, salt and Cayenne pepper to -taste, one tablespoonful melted butter. Soak the crumbs in the milk, in -which you have dissolved a _tiny_ pinch of soda; beat the eggs light, -and add to the bread and milk; stir in the butter, the seasoning, and, -last of all, the cheese. Bake in a well-greased pudding-dish, and eat -at once, before it falls. - -_Toasted Crackers._—Split and toast Boston crackers. Butter them well -on the inside, lay the two halves together, and serve them in a hot -covered dish. They are not nearly so good when they are cold. - - - 2. - - Ham Fritters. Baked Bananas. - Bread-and-Butter. - Ginger Snaps. - Tea. - -_Ham Fritters._—Two cups minced cold ham, one egg, half-pint good -stock, saltspoonful dry mustard, teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce, tiny -bit of scalded onion (chopped), half-teaspoonful minced parsley, one -tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful flour. Heat the stock to boiling, -and thicken it with the butter and flour rubbed together; stir into it -the ham, seasoned with the mustard, onion, Worcestershire sauce, and -parsley; add the beaten egg. Pour the mixture on a flat plate to cool. -When cold and firm, make into flattened balls about the size of a small -plum; drop each into a batter made of a cup of flour, two teaspoonfuls -of melted butter, a small cup of warm water, the beaten white of an -egg, and a little salt. Lay each fritter out of the batter into boiling -fat. They will puff up at once, and should be of a delicate brown. - -_Baked Bananas._—Select large ripe bananas, and bake them in the oven -as you would potatoes. When the skin begins to split at the seams they -are done. Take them out, and serve one to each person, as a vegetable. -They should be peeled, and eaten with butter and a little salt. - -_Bread-and-Butter._—Butter bread a day old on the loaf, and cut into -thin slices. Double, the buttered side inward. - -_Ginger Snaps._—Two eggs, two cups sugar, one cup butter, two -teaspoonfuls ginger, one teaspoonful cinnamon, flour to make a stiff -dough. Roll into a thin sheet, cut into rounds, and sprinkle with -granulated sugar before baking. Watch closely or they will burn. - - - 3. - - A Scrap Hash. Rice Bread. - Oranges. - -_A Scrap Hash._—Two cups cold beef (roast, boiled, corned, or fresh), -one or two cold sausages, two or three slices cold bacon, one cup cold -potato, four olives, tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce, a little cold -stewed tomato (if you have it), half an onion minced fine, one cup -gravy or soup stock, _or_ one cup boiling water and a tablespoonful of -butter. Heat the gravy or stock to boiling in a frying-pan; stir into -it the other ingredients chopped _fine_; simmer for fifteen minutes, -stirring constantly. You can either serve the hash soft or let it brown -on the bottom. Olla-podrida though it seems, it will be savory, and -will be relished by nearly every one. - -_Rice Bread._—Two cups milk, two cups boiled rice, one cup white -corn-meal, three eggs well beaten, two tablespoonfuls butter, -teaspoonful salt. Bake in a hot oven, in rather shallow pans. - - - 4. - - Liver Toast. Rusk. Radishes. - Stewed Pie-plant. - Light Cakes. - -_Liver Toast._—One cupful cold boiled or stewed liver, half -cupful brown gravy of any sort, enough mustard, salt, pepper, and -Worcestershire sauce to season the liver highly, several squares of -buttered toast. Rub the liver smooth with the back of a spoon, add the -seasoning, heat to boiling with the gravy, and heap or spread upon the -toast. Set in the oven two minutes before sending to table. - -_Rusk._—Two cups milk, two eggs, two and a half cups flour, half cup -butter, one cup sugar, half a yeast-cake dissolved in warm water. Set -a sponge made of the milk, the yeast, and part of the flour—enough to -make a good batter. Let this rise all night. In the morning work in the -beaten eggs, the sugar, butter, and the rest of the flour. Knead well, -and make into balls with the hands. Set these together in the pan, let -them rise until light, and bake in a steady oven. Just before taking -them out brush the tops with molasses and water. - - - 5. - - Panned Oysters. Lunch Biscuit. - Stewed Prunes. - Ginger Snaps. - -_Panned Oysters._—Cut small rounds of toast to fit the bottom of -deep, straight-sided patty-pans. Prettier than these are the little -"nappies," or china fire-proof dishes, that come for this purpose. -Moisten each piece of toast with a spoonful of oyster liquor, lay on it -as many oysters as the pan will easily hold, sprinkle with pepper and -salt, lay a small piece of butter on top, and set in the oven for a few -minutes until the oysters begin to crimp. Serve in the pans. - -_Lunch Biscuit._—Two cups flour, half cup milk, one egg, one -tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful baking-powder, saltspoonful -salt. Chop the shortening into the salted flour, pour in the beaten egg -and milk, making a soft dough, roll out, cut into rounds, and bake. - - - 6. - - Deviled Mutton. Hashed Potatoes. - Hot Loaf Bread. - Orange Marmalade. - -_Deviled Mutton._—Rub slices of rare mutton with a mixture made as -follows: One teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce, one teaspoonful vinegar, -one teaspoonful made mustard, tablespoonful melted butter. Let the meat -lie in this for an hour. Then dip each slice in a frying batter made -as directed in recipe for "ham fritters," and fry in deep fat. Or the -deviled meat may simply be boiled over a clear fire. In either case -serve very hot. - -_Hot Loaf Bread._—Set a loaf of French bread in the steamer for fifteen -minutes, then in a hot oven for five minutes. Serve wrapped in a -napkin, and cut on the table. - - - 7. - - Caviare Toast. Cold Meat. - Baked Potatoes. - Strawberries, unhulled. - -_Caviare Toast._—Buy the Russian caviare, which comes in small tin -cans. Cut your bread into neat squares or rounds, removing the crusts; -toast and butter it, spread it with the caviare, and set it in the oven -five minutes before serving. - - - 8. - - Scalloped Cod. Oatmeal Gems. - Boiled Potatoes. - Guava Jelly and Crackers. - -_Scalloped Cod._—Two cupfuls picked codfish, one cupful drawn butter -(with an egg beaten in it), one teaspoonful minced sour pickle, one -tablespoonful Worcestershire sauce, fine bread-crumbs. Have the drawn -butter hot, stir the fish into it, add the pickle and sauce, pour into -a buttered baking-dish, sprinkle with crumbs, dot with bits of butter, -and bake. - -_Oatmeal Gems._—Two cups of the finest oatmeal, two cups milk, -two eggs, one tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful sugar, one -saltspoonful salt. - - - 9. - - Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus. Bread and Butter. - Cheese Biscuit. - Lettuce Salad. - - -_Scrambled Eggs with Asparagus._—Six eggs, one tablespoonful butter, -two tablespoonfuls milk, salt and pepper to taste, green tips of a -bunch of asparagus boiled tender. Put the butter and the milk into a -frying-pan, break the eggs into this, and stir until they begin to -thicken; put in the asparagus tops, season, and remove to a hot dish. - -_Cheese Biscuit._—One cup grated cheese, one cup flour, one egg, pinch -of salt, dash of Cayenne. Mix all together, roll into a sheet, cut into -rounds, and bake to a light brown. - - - 10. - - Lobster Croquettes. Graham Bread. - Saratoga Potatoes. - Strawberries and Cream. - -_Lobster Croquettes._—Meat of one large boiled lobster, half pint white -sauce, two eggs, juice of a lemon, salt and Cayenne to taste. Mince -the meat fine, stir it into the white sauce, add the eggs well beaten, -and, last, the lemon juice. Turn out on a plate to cool. When perfectly -cold, form into small croquettes with the hands, roll in beaten egg, -then in fine cracker crumbs, and fry in deep fat. - - - - -FAMILY LUNCHES FOR SUMMER - - -In hot weather a comfortable room is essential to the enjoyment of a -meal. The _salle à manger_ must be cleared of food, the soiled dishes -removed, all crumbs brushed up, and the flies beaten out the moment -breakfast is over, if the apartment is to be pleasant at noon. If -blinds and doors are kept closed, the room may be deliciously cool and -fresh by lunch-time. - -With such surroundings, good digestion is much more prone to wait on -appetite than in a stuffy, fly-infested room, where neither heat nor -light is excluded. Among the pleasantest recollections of at least one -woman are those connected with the lunches she has eaten in midsummer -in a certain city dining-room, where the subdued light, the daintily -arranged table, the carefully prepared and seasonable food, and the -noiseless serving inclined one to feel that there were many worse -fates than being obliged to spend the summer in town. - - - 1. - - Anchovy Toast. Chicken Salad. - Bread-and-Butter. - Berries and Cream. - Iced Tea. - -_Anchovy Toast._—Spread crustless slices of toast first with butter, -then with anchovy paste. Set in the oven five minutes, and send to -table. - -_Chicken Salad._—Cut into small neat pieces half the contents of a can -of boned chicken or part of a cold boiled or roast chicken. Mix this -with half as much celery, if you can get it; if not, arrange it in the -midst of crisp lettuce leaves. Stir into it a French dressing of two -tablespoonfuls of oil, as much vinegar, and a little pepper and salt, -and pour over it a mayonnaise dressing. - -_Mayonnaise Dressing._—Into a bowl set in an outer vessel of cold or -iced water place the yolk of an egg. Be careful that no vestige of the -white gets in. Begin whipping in salad oil drop by drop with a Dover -egg-beater, beating for nearly a minute after each addition. After -ten minutes, add two or three drops at a time, and when the dressing -once begins to thicken, the quantity can be increased even more. If -too thick, add a little vinegar to thin it. A pint of oil can be used -to every egg. When done, season with salt and white pepper. Just -before serving, stir into it the whipped white of an egg. The bowl, -egg-beater, and materials must all be very cold, and the dressing when -made must be kept on ice until used. - - - 2. - - Eggs _à la Crème_. - Raw Tomatoes. Rice Crumpets. - Sliced Peaches. - -_Eggs à la Crème._—Eight eggs boiled hard, one cup white sauce, -two tablespoonfuls fine crumbs, tablespoonful butter. Slice six of -the eggs, and put them in a pudding-dish with the white sauce. Rub -the yolks of the other two eggs through a sieve, mix them with the -bread-crumbs, and sprinkle them over the top of the dish. Put bits of -butter here and there, garnish the dish around the sides with points -of buttered toast and the extra whites of the eggs cut in rings, and -set the dish in the oven until browned on top. - -_Rice Crumpets._—One cup rice, two cups flour, one cup milk, one -tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful sugar; quarter of a yeast-cake, -dissolved in warm water; pinch of salt. Set to rise early in the -morning. When light, fill muffin-pans; let them stand fifteen minutes, -and bake. - - - 3. - - Deviled Chicken. - French Rolls. Broiled Tomatoes. - Berries. - -_Deviled Chicken._—Select a young and tender chicken, score it with a -knife, rub it well with the sauce described in the last chapter (see -"Deviled Mutton"), and broil over a clear fire. - -_Broiled Tomatoes._—Slice, but do not peel, fresh tomatoes. Broil them -on a toaster over the fire; remove to a hot dish; put a little butter, -pepper, and salt on each one, and let them stand a minute before -serving. - - - 4. - - Poached Eggs, with Anchovy Toast. - Sardines. - Boston Brown-Bread. Water-cress. - Nutmeg Melons. - -_Poached Eggs, with Anchovy Toast._—Prepare slices of anchovy toast as -already described, and lay on each slice a poached egg. Pour over all a -cup of drawn butter in which has been stirred a teaspoonful of chopped -parsley. - -_Boston Brown-Bread._—Put a loaf of Boston brown-bread into the inner -vessel of a double boiler, and boiling water in the outer vessel, and -steam the bread until it is hot through. - - - 5. - - Game _Pâté_. Cold Tongue, sliced. - Bread-and-Butter. Radishes. - Hot Crackers. - Cream Cheese. - -_Game Pâté._—Several varieties of game _pâtés_ are put up by French and -American companies, and all are admirable for summer lunches or teas. - - - 6. - - Fried Pickerel. New Potatoes. - Brown-Bread. - Celery and Radish Salad. - -_Fried Pickerel._—These fish are very delicious when perfectly fresh. -Each fish should be rolled in flour and fried quickly in hot dripping. -Take them out of the pan as soon as done. - -_Celery and Radish Salad._—Cut the celery into inch lengths, and -toss it up with a French dressing. Heap it in a bowl, and arrange -half-peeled radishes around the mound. Pour over all a mayonnaise -dressing prepared according to the directions already given. The -combination of the cool celery and the pungent radishes will be found -very pleasing. - - - 7. - - Jellied Tongue. Fried Bananas. - Asparagus Biscuit. - Peaches and Cream. - -_Jellied Tongue._—One cup of the liquor in which the tongue was -cooked, two cups good stock or gravy of any meat except mutton, -half-box of gelatine, one gill cold water, one cup boiling water, two -tablespoonfuls vinegar, one glass sherry, a cold boiled tongue, sliced. -Soak the gelatine in the cold water for two hours. Pour over it the -boiling water, the stock or gravy, and the tongue liquor, heated. -Unless the gravy is highly seasoned, it is a good plan to boil a bay -leaf, a sprig of parsley, a slice of onion, and a few sweet herbs in a -cup of water, and then to strain this, and pour it over the gelatine -instead of using the plain boiling water. Flavor the jelly with the -vinegar, the sherry, pepper, and salt, if the last is needed. Strain -all through a cloth. When the jelly begins to harden, pour a little -into a brick-shaped mould or tin pan with straight sides, first wetting -the mould with cold water. Arrange slices of tongue on this. Pour in -more jelly, then place another layer of tongue, and continue thus until -the supply of both is exhausted, making jelly the last layer. Set the -mould on ice until the jelly is hard; turn it out and slice on the -table. This sounds like a fussy dish, but it is less trouble than -appears at first. - -_Asparagus Biscuit._—Scoop out the inside of stale biscuit, leaving -side walls and the foundation of crust. Set these hollow shells in -the oven until dried. Boil asparagus tender in salted water, cut off -the tops, mince and season them, and stir them into a cupful of drawn -butter. Fill the hot shells with the mixture, and send to table. - - - 8. - - Baked Chicken Omelet. Corn Croquettes. - Brown Bread. - Strawberry Short-Cake. - Iced Coffee. - -_Baked Chicken Omelet._—Into one cupful of white sauce, made as -previously directed, stir a cupful of chicken, minced fine and seasoned -to taste. Beat two eggs light, yolks and white separately. Add the -yolks to the chicken mixture; last, stir in the whites lightly, pour -into a buttered pudding dish, and bake in a quick oven. - -_Corn Croquettes._—To two cupfuls of green corn, chopped, add one -well-beaten egg, a teaspoonful of butter, one of sugar, salt to taste, -and just enough flour to hold the ingredients together. Form into -croquettes with floured hands, and fry in deep fat. - - - 9. - - Pickled Lambs' Tongues. Egg Salad. - Boiled Corn-Bread. - Loppered Milk. - -_Egg Salad._—Slice hard-boiled eggs, arrange them upon crisp lettuce -leaves, and pour over all a mayonnaise dressing. - -_Boiled Corn-Bread._—Two cups sour milk, one cup warm water, one -tablespoonful lard, one tablespoonful molasses, one teaspoonful soda, -one cup flour, two cups corn-meal. Mix the ingredients, beating well; -pour into a Boston brown-bread mould with a tight top; set in a pot of -water; boil two hours, and turn out. - - - 10. - - Welsh Rabbit. Cold Corned Ham. - Sliced Cucumbers. - Rolls. - Hot Oatmeal Crackers. Cream Cheese. - -_Welsh Rabbit._—One egg, half-cup milk, one cup grated cheese; salt, -Cayenne, and made mustard to taste; squares of stale bread toasted and -buttered. Heat the milk in a double boiler, melt the grated cheese in -this, season, add the egg, and pour the mixture over the toast. If the -rabbit seems too thin, add more cheese or a few fine bread-crumbs. - - - - -FAMILY LUNCHES FOR AUTUMN - - - 1. - - Sweetbread Pâtés. Raised Corn-meal Muffins. - Fried Potatoes. - Jelly Toast. - -_Sweetbread Pâtés._—Scald and blanch a pair of sweetbreads; remove bits -of skin and gristle; chop rather coarsely, and stir into a cupful of -white sauce; season to taste. Have ready pastry shells made hot in the -oven, and fill them with the sweetbreads. Send very hot to table. A few -mushrooms chopped with the sweetbreads are a pleasant addition. - -_Raised Corn-meal Muffins._—Two cups milk, two cups corn-meal, one -tablespoonful white sugar, one tablespoonful lard, quarter yeast-cake. -Heat the milk to boiling, and pour it upon the meal. While this is -warm, beat in all the other ingredients except the lard. Let it rise -six hours. Add the lard. Fill muffin tins, and let the batter rise -twenty minutes before baking. - -_Jelly Toast._—Cut stale bread into neat rounds or squares; fry each -slice in boiling deep fat; spread it thickly with some fruit jelly, and -serve very hot. - - - 2. - - Deviled Ham. Sliced Potatoes. - Rye Biscuit. - Crackers and Cheese. - -_Deviled Ham._—Cut cold boiled corned or smoked ham into rather thick -slices, rub well with a sauce made as described on page 134 for -"Deviled Mutton," and broil the ham over a clear fire. - -_Sliced Potatoes._—Cut six boiled potatoes into neat slices, warm them -in a steamer, transfer to a dish, and put on them a tablespoonful -of butter and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. Let them stand five -minutes before serving. - -_Rye Biscuit._—Two cups rye flour, one cup white flour, one and a -half cups milk, one tablespoonful sugar, one tablespoonful lard, one -tablespoonful butter, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder, saltspoonful -salt. Rub the shortening into the flour after sifting the salt and -baking-powder with it; add the sugar and the milk; roll the dough out -quickly, and bake the biscuit in a brisk oven. - - - 3. - - Bouillon. - Cold Chicken Pie. Potato Salad. - Cold Bread. - Gingerbread. Cocoa. - -_Cold Chicken Pie._—Stew a grown chicken until tender, putting it on -in cold water, and cooking very slowly; arrange the pieces in a deep -pudding dish, laying in with them two hard-boiled eggs cut into slices; -pour over all a cupful of the gravy, which should be well seasoned; -cover the pie with a pastry crust, and bake in a moderate oven. Add to -two cups of the remaining gravy a quarter-box of gelatine soaked in -a little cold water, a small glassful of sherry, and a tablespoonful -of vinegar; when the pie is done, pour this gravy into it through an -opening which should have been left in the top. Make this pie the day -before it is to be eaten. It is an excellent dish for Sunday lunch or -tea. - -_Potato Salad._—Slice cold boiled potatoes; with three cups of these -mix one sliced beet, one onion braised, and three or four stalks of -celery; pour over them four tablespoonfuls of salad oil and three of -vinegar, with pepper and salt to taste. Let all stand in a cold place -at least an hour before serving. - -_Gingerbread._—Two cups milk, half-cup sugar, half-cup molasses, one -teaspoonful ground ginger, one teaspoonful cinnamon, one tablespoonful -butter, two teaspoonfuls baking-powder; flour enough to make a good -batter. Beat hard, and bake in a steady oven. - - - 4. - - Apples and Bacon. Brown-Bread Toast. - Canned Peach Short-Cake. - -_Brown-Bread Toast._—Cut stale Boston brown-bread into slices, and -toast, taking care not to scorch it. Butter rather liberally, and send -hot to table. - -_Canned Peach Short-Cake._—Make a short-cake according to previous -directions; cover canned peaches with sugar, and stew them gently for -half an hour in the syrup thus made; lay the sliced peaches between the -layers of short-cake, and pour the syrup over each piece after it is -split and buttered. - - - 5. - - Broiled Blue-Fish. Baked Potatoes. - Cold Bread. - Corn-meal Griddle-Cakes. - Maple Syrup. - -_Corn-meal Griddle-Cakes._—Two cups corn-meal, one cup flour, one cup -boiling water, one tablespoonful lard, one tablespoonful molasses, two -cups sour milk, one teaspoonful soda, saltspoonful salt. Scald the -corn-meal; add the shortening, the milk and soda, the molasses, and the -salted flour. Beat hard. - - - 6. - - Meat Loaf. Baked Tomatoes. - Fried Bread. - Hot Cake. - -_Meat Loaf._—Two pounds raw or under-done beef or veal, minced fine; -quarter-pound ham, also minced; two eggs; half-cup fine bread-crumbs; -one tablespoonful melted butter; pepper, salt, chopped onion, and herbs -for seasoning to taste. Work all the ingredients well together, and -press closely into a brick-shaped tin. Cover this, set it in a pan -of boiling water, and bake an hour and a half, taking care that the -boiling water does not cook away. Turn out and slice when cold. - -_Fried Bread._—Beat one egg into a cup of milk; soak in this slices of -stale bread from which the crust has been trimmed. Cook on a griddle, -as you would cakes. - -_Hot Cake._—One cup buttermilk, two eggs, three tablespoonfuls butter, -one and a half cups sugar, half teaspoonful soda, flour for a good -batter (about two heaping cupfuls). Bake in a loaf, and eat warm. - - - 7. - - Broiled Smelts. Hashed Potatoes. - Raised Muffins. - Cerealine Fritters. - -_Raised Muffins._—Two eggs, two cups milk, one tablespoonful butter, -one tablespoonful sugar, half yeast-cake, saltspoonful salt. Make -a sponge in the early morning, omitting the eggs; at lunch-time add -these, well beaten, and bake the muffins in a quick oven. - -_Cerealine Fritters._—One and a half cups cerealine, two cups milk, -saltspoonful salt. Cook the cerealine in the milk, beat it up light, -and set it aside to cool in a shallow pan; cut it into squares or -rounds when cold, and fry in deep fat; sprinkle with powdered sugar, -and put a spoonful of jelly on top of each just before sending to table. - - - 8. - - Stewed Kidneys. Potatoes _au Gratin_. - Plain Muffins. - Sliced Oranges. - -_Stewed Kidneys._—Soak two kidneys in salt and water half an hour; -take out the core, and cut the remainder into small pieces. Brown a -tablespoonful of butter and one of flour together with a quarter of an -onion sliced; lay the pieces of kidney in this, and let them cook five -minutes. Add a cup of good gravy; or, if this is lacking, half a cup of -boiling water. Let the kidneys simmer in this ten minutes; take out, -and serve on slices of toast, pouring the gravy over and around them. - -_Potatoes au Gratin._—Two cupfuls of raw potatoes cut into dice, -half-cup fine bread-crumbs, two tablespoonfuls butter. Let the potato -dice lie in cold water several hours, drain them, season with salt and -pepper, and put them in a well-greased pan; dot them thickly with bits -of butter, sprinkle them with the crumbs, and add more butter. Bake, -covered, for half an hour; uncover, and brown. - -_Plain Muffins._—One egg, two cups milk, one tablespoonful lard, -saltspoonful salt, half yeast-cake, flour for batter. Set them early in -the morning, and let them rise until noon. - - - 9. - - Toasted Bacon. Poached Eggs. - Buttered Toast. - Quick Crullers. Cream Cheese. - -_Quick Crullers._—One and a half cups sugar, one cup butter, four eggs, -cinnamon and nutmeg to taste, flour for a stiff dough; roll out, and -cut into fancy shapes, and fry in deep fat. - - - 10. - - Creamed Lobster. Thin Bread-and-Butter. - Salad of Cold Lamb. - Crackers and Cheese. - -_Creamed Lobster._—One cup milk, half-cup cream, meat of a large -lobster, two tablespoonfuls butter, one tablespoonful flour, salt and -Cayenne pepper to taste, juice of a lemon. Heat the milk to boiling, -and thicken with the flour and butter. Mince the lobster with a sharp -knife; never chop it. Stir it into the milk, and let it become well -heated; add to it the raw cream, stir up once, and take from the fire; -season, add the lemon juice, and serve in small silver or china shells. - - - 11. - - A Fish "Left-Over." Stewed Potatoes. - Rice Cakes. - Roast Spanish Chestnuts. - -_A Fish "Left-Over."_—The remains of any cold boiled, broiled, fried, -or baked fish; three hard-boiled eggs, if you have only a half-cupful -of fish (two eggs if there is more fish); one cup white sauce. Flake -the fish, chop the eggs, heat both in the white sauce, season to taste, -and serve either on toast or without it. - -_Rice Cakes._—One egg, one cup flour, one and a half cups cold boiled -rice, saltspoonful salt, three cups milk. If this amount of milk thins -the batter too much, add more flour. - -_Roast Spanish Chestnuts._—Cut a bit off of each, and roast them in the -oven. Peel, and eat with butter and salt. - - - - -FAMILY LUNCHES FOR WINTER - - - 1. - - Curried Oysters. Rice Croquettes. - Cold Slaw. - Crackers and Cheese. - -_Curried Oysters._—Heat to boiling the liquor from one quart of -oysters; lay the oysters in it, and let them simmer just long enough to -plump them. Take them out with a skimmer, put them where they will keep -hot, and thicken the liquor by adding to it a tablespoonful of butter -rubbed smooth with two of browned flour. Into this stir a teaspoonful -of curry-powder wet up in a little cold water. Salt and pepper to -taste, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, return the oysters to the -sauce, and serve. - -_Rice Croquettes._—Two cups cold boiled rice, one well-beaten egg, one -teaspoonful butter, one teaspoonful sugar, salt to taste. Work the -butter, egg, salt, and sugar into the rice, make into croquettes with -the floured hands, and fry in deep fat. - -_Cold Slaw._—Shred half a fine white cabbage, and pour over it a -dressing made as follows: Four tablespoonfuls vinegar, half-cup milk, -one tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful sugar, one egg, pepper and -salt. Beat the egg; stir the melted butter, the milk, salt, pepper, -and sugar into this. Put the vinegar boiling hot into it, a little at -a time. Pour the sauce over the cabbage, and let it become ice-cold -before serving. - - - 2. - - Turkey Hash. Fried Potatoes. - Milk Toast. - Macaroons. Cocoa. - -_Turkey Hash._—Remove the meat from the bones of a turkey, and cut it -into neat bits; stir two cups of this into two cups of white sauce; -season to taste. Make the stuffing of the turkey into neat cakes, fry -them, and arrange them on the dish around the hash. - -_Macaroons._—One and a half cups powdered sugar, whites of two eggs, -six ounces almond paste. Beat the whites very stiff; add the sugar and -the almond paste, the latter chopped fine. Make into balls with the -fingers, and bake in very well greased pans in a moderate oven. Take -out when they are a delicate brown, but do not remove them from the -pans until they are perfectly cold. These little cakes are so delicious -and so easily made that it is strange they are not more generally -manufactured at home. - - - 3. - - Jellied Chicken. Hominy Croquettes. - Toasted Muffins. - Orange Cake. - -_Jellied Chicken._—Cut up a chicken as for fricassee, and stew until -the meat slips from the bones. Take out the chicken, and cut it into -neat pieces when it has become cold. Let the gravy simmer half an hour -with an onion sliced, a small bunch of parsley, a couple of stalks of -celery, and a bay-leaf. Strain it, and return it to the fire with the -white and freshly broken shell of an egg. Let it boil up, and strain -it again, this time through a cloth. While still hot pour three cups -of this liquor upon a half-box of gelatine which has soaked an hour -in one cupful of cold water. Stir until the gelatine is dissolved, and -add a glass of pale sherry and a couple of tablespoonfuls of vinegar. -Pour part of this jelly into a wet mould, and when it begins to form -lay in slices of hard-boiled egg and pieces of the chicken. More jelly -follows, and more chicken, until all are used up. Turn out when the -jelly is perfectly firm. - -_Hominy Croquettes._—Make as directed for rice croquettes, using hominy -instead of rice. - -_Toasted Muffins._—Split and toast English muffins, and butter them on -the inside. - -_Orange Cake._—Two cups sugar, half cup butter, four eggs, three -cups flour, one cup cold water, one large or two small oranges, two -teaspoonfuls baking-powder. Work the butter and sugar together; add the -yolks of the eggs, the juice and grated peel of the orange, the water, -the whites, and the flour with the baking-powder. Bake in small cakes. -If you like, reserve one of the whites of the eggs, and make an orange -icing by beating with this a cup of powdered sugar and a little orange -juice. - - - 4. - - Cold Ham. Celery Salad. - Batter Muffins. - Baked Apples with Cream. - -_Batter Muffins._—Two cups flour, two cups milk, two tablespoonfuls -butter, three eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately; one heaping -teaspoonful baking-powder, saltspoonful salt. Put in the whites last of -all, and bake the muffins in a quick oven. - - - 5. - - Baked Sausages. Stuffed Potatoes. - Toasted Crackers. Cheese. Olives. - -_Baked Sausages._—Make small cakes of sausage-meat, or prick the -sausages, if you use those in skins, before putting them into the -baking-pan. Bake until they are of a good brown. Take them out and -thicken the fat left in the pan with a tablespoonful of flour, add a -small cup of milk, boil up, and pour over the sausages in the dish. - - - 6. - - Broiled Oysters. Thin Bread-and-Butter. - Cold Chicken. - Raised Waffles. - - -_Raised Waffles._—One egg, two cups flour, two cups milk, one -tablespoonful butter, saltspoonful salt, half yeast cake. Set a sponge -early in the morning, and just before baking at noon beat in the butter -and egg. - - - 7. - - Beefsteak. Baked Sweet Potatoes. - Lunch Cakes. Chocolate. - -_Lunch Cakes._—One cup milk, four cups flour, two tablespoonfuls -butter, half-cup sugar, two eggs, two tablespoonfuls currants, one -teaspoonful baking-powder. Cream the butter and sugar, and stir them -into the beaten eggs and milk. Add the flour and baking-powder, and -last of all the currants, washed, dried, and dredged with flour. Roll -out the dough, cut into rounds, and bake in a moderate oven. Split, -butter, and eat while hot. - - - 8. - - Broiled Sardines on Toast. Omelet. - Nursery Muffins. - Sugar Cakes. Chocolate. - -_Broiled Sardines on Toast._—Broil the sardines on a fine wire broiler, -lay two on each slice of toast, and squeeze over them a few drops of -lemon juice. - -_Nursery Muffins._—Two cups milk, two cups fine bread-crumbs, one cup -flour, saltspoonful salt, one egg, one tablespoonful butter, three -teaspoonfuls baking-powder. Beat the egg light, stir in the butter, the -bread soaked in the milk, and the flour and baking-powder. Bake in a -steady oven, greasing the muffin tins well, so that the batter may not -stick to them. - -_Sugar Cakes._—One cup butter, one cup sugar, four cups flour, two -eggs, one teaspoonful vanilla. Cream butter and sugar, mix with the -beaten eggs, add the flour and the flavoring, roll out _very_ thin, and -bake in a moderate oven, sprinkling the cakes with granulated sugar -just before baking. - - - 9. - - Veal Hamburg Steaks. Light Rolls. - Apple-Sauce. Jumbles. - -_Veal Hamburg Steaks._—One pound lean veal, chopped fine; two -teaspoonfuls onion juice; salt and pepper to taste. Mix all well, form -with the hands into flattened cakes, and broil over a clear fire. Lay -on each a half-teaspoonful of _maître d'hôtel_ butter, or a bit of -butter the size of a hickory nut, first squeezing a few drops of lemon -juice on the meat. Let them stand covered a minute before serving. - -_Jumbles._—Half-cup butter, three quarters of a cup of sugar, one -heaping cup flour, two eggs (the yolks only), two tablespoonfuls -sherry, extract of rose to taste. Beat the yolks, cream the butter -and sugar; mix these, and add the flour and the flavoring. Make into -round balls with the fingers, and place them on a well-buttered tin -so far apart that when they flatten they may not run into each other. -Stick a raisin, a slip of citron, or a blanched almond on top of each. -Bake in a steady oven to a pale yellow. Do _not_ brown. While still -warm, loosen them from the pan with a sharp knife, as they become very -brittle when cold. - - - 10. - - Ham and Eggs. Baked Potatoes. - Graham Biscuit. - Stewed Prunes. Fancy Cakes. - - - - -DINNER AT NIGHT - - -Twenty or thirty years ago the late dinner was not nearly so popular -as it is now. The majority of the people dined in the middle of the -day, and not a few of them considered a six-o'clock dinner as an effort -after fashion that was unworthy the imitation of sensible men and -women. Even in large cities servants rebelled against an alteration of -the time-honored custom of serving the principal meal of the day at or -near noon, while in small towns the late dinner was so unusual that it -was almost impossible to persuade domestics to consent to it. - -A marked change has taken place in the fashion. The evening dinner has -for years been steadily gaining in popularity, and promises to become -even more common than it is now. Thoughtful men and women recognize the -wisdom of eating lightly at midday, when they are in the full tide of -business, and reserving the heartiest repast for an hour when it can be -discussed leisurely and digested peacefully. Mistresses have learned -that there is a gain in keeping the morning free for house-work, -instead of devoting most of it to the preparation of the dinner. The -light lunch eaten in most homes demands much less time in cooking and -eating than does a dinner, and leaves those who have partaken of it -more fit for work than they would be were their stomachs burdened with -the task of digesting soup, meat, vegetables, and dessert. - -The late dinner is a more dignified meal than can possibly be made of -a similar repast eaten at noon. The festal appearance imparted by the -gleam of candles, lamps, or gas upon silver, china, and glass cannot -be acquired by daylight. The pleasant reunion around the board of -the members of the family, whose positions and interests have been -divergent since morning, the happy consciousness that the work of the -day is done, the knowledge that there is no toil waiting at the door of -the dining-room, all bear their share in rendering the meal cheerful -and care-free. More ceremony can and should be preserved at the evening -dinner than is feasible at noon. The orderly sequence of courses and -careful serving have a part in adding to the dignity of the meal. - -These suggestions should not frighten the housekeeper who contemplates -introducing the late dinner in her household. Very little extra work is -involved in bestowing the touch of state referred to, and, after all, -it consists chiefly in a slight additional care in waiting and serving, -and to these the mistress can readily accustom the maid. - -The dinner-table should be spread with a plain white cloth, under -which the sub-cover of felt or canton flannel must never be lacking. -Any one who has observed the thin and sleazy appearance even handsome -damask presents without this felt under it, and has noticed the noise -the dishes and silver make when moved about where there is but the one -thickness between them and the board, will not voluntarily be long -without so simple and inexpensive an addition to the elegance of her -table. - -It is sometimes a rather costly luxury to keep a vase of fresh flowers -always ready for the table. In summer it is comparatively easy, even in -the city, to get a few blossoms every day or two; but in winter, with -flowers at exorbitant prices, a single spray, renewed twice a week, is -an extravagance which the housewife does not always feel she can afford -herself. Cheaper and quite as pretty in effect is it to have a pot of -primroses, or of cyclamen, or of some other hardy house plant that will -bloom for two or three weeks, and of which the first cost is but small. - -In setting the table, the knife and the napkin, with a piece of bread -folded in the latter, should lie at the right of the plate, the fork at -the left, the spoon at right angles to both of these; between the plate -and the middle of the table, the glass, butter-plate, and salt-cellar -near the point of the knife, within easy reach of the right hand. An -extra knife or fork may be added for each course, where either may -be needed. A plate must stand at each place, although it is usually -removed to make room for a hot one after the family are seated and the -dinner brought on. - -The space in front of the hostess is left free for the soup-tureen, -and before the host is spread the carving-cloth. The carving knife -and fork are laid upon this. At the corner of the table stand the -large salts, if these are used instead of the individual cellars, and -the pepper-cruets. Near them are the tablespoons. The water-pitcher, -or carafe, the ice bowl, and any relishes in the shape of jellies, -pickles, etc., are all else that is put on the table at the beginning -of the meal, except the soup tureen and plates. - -When the latter have been removed, the principal meat dish is set in -front of the carver, and a hot plate is laid for each guest. At family -dinners the carver generally does the helping, although sometimes after -the meat is cut it is passed, and each person allowed to help himself. - -The vegetables are next passed by the waitress, and offered at the -left of each person, and after them the jelly or pickles are served. -If, before the meat course, a fish dish or an _entrée_ is offered, it -is passed usually in the same fashion. Next comes the salad, which is -always passed, after each guest has been supplied with a clean plate. -This course removed, all the soiled dishes and the small silver are -removed, the table is crumbed, and the dessert is brought in. If fruit -succeeds this, a fresh plate and a finger-bowl are given to each one. -With the fruit comes the coffee. - -Of course there are many families in which the daily _menu_ is simpler -than that outlined above. In large families each added course means -a perceptible increase of cost, and although the judicious manager -who has a fixed allowance for household expenses may so dovetail the -retrenchment of one day that it will balance the undue outlay of -another, yet in most instances she will feel that if she can feed her -household well and satisfy them, without providing them with five -or six courses at an ordinary dinner, more than this would savor of -extravagance. In some homes soup each day is considered an expensive -luxury. So it is when fresh meat must be purchased to make it, or even -when fresh or canned vegetables have to be bought for it; but when -there are bones or trimmings from raw or cooked meats, or vegetables -left over—a half-can of tomatoes, a cupful or two of mashed potato, a -saucer of pease, or other similar remnants—or when fish and eggs are -plentiful, the soup need be but a small item in the expense, and is -really economical, as, by blunting the edge of the appetite, it renders -the attack upon the next course less vigorous. There is a large variety -of bean, pea, lentil, and cream soups that are cheap, palatable, and -nourishing. - -Salad is not a frequent dish in many homes, but in warm weather it may -well be substituted sometimes for soup and cost little more. Still that -may be a good dinner at which neither soup nor salad is seen. The final -cup of tea or coffee adds a graceful finish to a simple dessert, and is -generally enjoyed by the adult members of the family. - -A word concerning the dinner toilette may not be amiss. In England, -donning full dress for a late dinner is a matter of course. Not so in -America. Our independent citizen usually thinks he honors the home meal -quite enough if he washes the dust of the day from his hands and face, -and brushes his hair and his coat. Yet there are few homes in which the -mistress does not change her gown for dinner, or at least brighten or -freshen her attire so as to make it differ decidedly from that in which -she appeared at breakfast. The question involuntarily suggests itself -why it is easier for a tired woman to dress than it is for a tired man, -and one wonders if the husband would not find in a change of toilette -the refreshment his wife experiences from a similar operation. Even -without putting on full dress, a man should, at least by exchanging his -office for a house coat, and assuming fresh collar, cuffs, and cravat, -do his share in giving to the dinner-table the look of a pleasant -social gathering, instead of a mere stopping-place for food. - - - - -DINNER AT NOON - - -In some homes it seems out of the question to have a late dinner. -There may be several reasons for this. Possibly the mistress of the -house does all her own work, and finds it easier to dispose of the -bulk of her cooking in the morning than later, since she thus leaves -free the afternoon hours for leisure or social duties. Or she may, if -she keeps servants, live in a neighborhood where late dinners are so -far the exception that she finds it impossible to induce her cook to -accede to her desire to change the hour of dinner. Or, still again, it -may seem expedient to dine at noon, because that hour better suits her -husband and children. In any one of these cases, instead of repining -over the inevitable, she should set herself to work to make the best of -circumstances, and do all in her power to impart every possible charm -to the midday meal. - -In some parts of the South a one-o'clock dinner is almost unheard of, -while the—to Northerners—singular hour of two, or half after two, or -three, is chosen. This has the advantage of giving the children plenty -of leisure for eating, as their schools have closed by this hour; -but the same necessity for haste is laid upon the head of the house -that must always prevail when a busy man is obliged to take the time -for dinner out of the most active part of the day. Whenever, for any -reason, the meal must be only an interlude in work, instead of coming -at the close of the day's labors, it should be made a comparatively -simple repast. - -There is no doubt that the average American eats too rapidly. No one -who has witnessed the feats of deglutition performed by commercial -travellers at a railway station will cavil at this assertion. It is -safe to attribute the national disease of dyspepsia to this cause fully -as much as to the indigestible viands of which the ordinary citizen -makes his chief diet. And this haste is not confined to the hotel -dining-room or the railway eating-house. In private households as -astonishing and disgusting exhibitions of rapid gorging may be seen as -are ever witnessed in public restaurants. - -No one who had once beheld the spectacle could ever forget the fashion -in which meals were conducted in a certain home where wealth and every -evidence of outward refinement gave promise of better things. The -father, a man of business from his sixteenth year, plainly considered -eating the duty to be accomplished at the table, and quite ignored such -minor considerations as the interchange of thought or observation, or -any of the social features usually connected with the operation of -dining. If he could not quite equal Napoleon the First, who was said to -have often devoured his entire dinner in six minutes, he did not fall -far behind the great warrior. Soup, meat, vegetables, dessert, were -swallowed in rapid succession and in almost utter silence. The slight -delay inseparable from a change of courses was endured impatiently. -Almost before the last mouthful was down, the eager man would push -back his chair, spring to his feet, and, with a muttered word of -farewell, make a rush for the street. In an instant the slam of the -front door would announce that he was on his way back to his office. - -His children were not backward in imitating him, and all the pleadings -of their refined, care-worn mother were powerless to check the -influence of the father's example. With such a rush at meal-times, -elegant or even tolerably decent table manners were impossible, and the -visitor in the home found eating a difficult business when accompanied -by the sight of the haste and habits that often could only be described -as revolting. - -If the midday meal must be hurried, let it also be simple. There is -no rhyme or reason in attempting to dispose of a three or four course -dinner in thirty or forty minutes. If only half an hour can be allowed -for the repast, let this consist of two courses only, either a soup -and a meat course, a meat course and a salad, or a meat course and a -dessert. These should be served promptly, but in an orderly fashion, -and both the conduct of the dinner and the gastric powers will be -benefited by such simplicity. - -Upon this point the house mother must insist. Even if her husband will -not conform to her wishes in this regard, she should require from -servants and children a certain amount of propriety in serving the -meal and decorum in its discussion. After seeing that the dinner is -punctually served, and that the courses follow one another promptly, -she should herself set the example of deliberate eating, and should -strive, by the introduction of interesting subjects, to encourage the -pleasant chat that is a potent aid to digestion. It will cost an effort -to do this when she is weary and harassed by household worries, but she -will enjoy her own meal more if her mind is, by any agreeable means, -distracted for a little while from her cares. - -For the midday dinner the table should be laid as it is at night, and -the waiting should be performed in the same fashion. The vegetables -should, if possible, be served from the side, although in a family -where no waitress is employed they may be set upon the table. The -custom of having four or five vegetables at dinner appears rather -absurd. Where there are only two courses, several kinds may be desired, -but as a rule two vegetables, or at the most three, are quite enough. -Only a few of these should ever be served in saucers. Even at the -tables of people who ought to know better it is nothing unusual to see -two or three or more small sauce-plates given to each person. One will -contain pease, another tomatoes, another stewed corn, another pickles -or jelly. While there may be some sense in having separate little -dishes for holding such semi-fluid compounds as stewed tomatoes, stewed -corn, or cranberry sauce, there is no cause for using them for pease, -string-beans, spinach, cauliflower, and the like. The appearance of -such an array suggests a hotel table, and detracts from the home-look -which should always be studied by the housekeeper. - -Of course there is no possibility of dressy toilettes at midday, but -cleanliness and neatness at least may be attained, and it should be -one of the unwritten laws of the home that no one may come to the table -looking untidy, or in _négligé_ of curl-papers and collarless wrappers -for the women and shirt sleeves for the men. - -Possibly it may seem strange to many people to learn that there are -classes among whom it is considered no breach of etiquette for a man -to come to the table not only coatless, but even without his collar, -cravat, or vest; this, too, not among farmers alone, but in cities and -in ranks of life much above those of the ordinary mechanic or common -day laborer. Often in the same families the wives and daughters will -appear well-bred, and will dress neatly and tastefully themselves, even -while they seem to perceive nothing shocking in the dishabille of the -men of the house. Perhaps, since those most interested do not complain, -no one else has a right to criticise; and yet it does seem as though -the regard for appearances and for the small sweet courtesies of life -had some claims. - -In most cases where one notes such carelessness, it will be found that -the trouble began very far back, when the boys who are now men were -allowed a similar license in their parents' homes. For the sake of the -families of the future, if for no other reason, the mothers of the -rising generation should exact appropriate apparel at meals as well as -correct behavior and careful table manners from their growing boys and -girls, even if the children's fathers refuse to conform to what they -deem over-niceness in dress and demeanor. - - - - -THE SUNDAY DINNER - - -The "big dinner" of the week is, in most homes, eaten on Sunday. Then -the men of the family are at home for the day, the children have no -claims of school or play to hurry them through their meals, and there -is a general impression of delightful leisure which seems favorable to -the eating and digestion of an excellent and hearty dinner. This repast -is usually served at midday, in order that the servants may have the -afternoon and evening to themselves; and it is not uncommon for the -mistress of the house to prepare the Sunday-evening tea herself. - -The old-fashioned idea of always having a cold dinner on the Sabbath -is almost obsolete. Some people who have been brought up in the habit -clung for a long while to the compromise of serving a piece of cold -meat at the Sunday dinner, although the vegetables were hot; but even -that is changed now, and there are few homes where as large an array of -smoking viands is not spread upon - - "The day that comes between - The Saturday and Monday" - -as is ever offered on any non-religious holiday. - -The reasons given at the beginning of this chapter are quite sufficient -to account for this almost universal practice. The good housekeeper -enjoys seeing her culinary handiwork appreciated, and she generally -reserves any especially tempting _bonnes bouches_ for Sunday, when she -knows that those for whom she delights to cater will have the time -and inclination to give her cookery its meed of attention. Without -cavilling at this, one must at the same time deprecate the amount -of additional work that the Sunday dinner often involves upon what -should be, both physically and spiritually, a day of rest as well as -of refreshment. A little thought will often enable the housekeeper to -so minify the amount of work to be done on Sunday that the domestic -labors will be perceptibly lightened, and the dinner in no wise -injured. So much of the preparation for the meal can be made the day -before that the business of finally getting it ready for the table will -seem comparatively light. - -In one family of strong Sabbatarian principles the omission of soup -from the Sunday bill of fare was evidently considered a means of -grace. The tureen and ladle always enjoyed a rest upon the first day -of the week, but by some curious process of ratiocination no harm was -thought of having at dinner a course of salad which cost as much time -to prepare, and demanded the use and washing of as many dishes as would -have sufficed to serve the tabooed soup. Yet the hostess would always -say, with an air of conscious virtue, "Oh, we never have _soup_ on -Sundays," as though the non-appearance of that dish upon the first day -of the week was proof positive of a high order of piety. - -In spite of this, the soup course may be made a very trifling affair. -To say nothing of two or three excellent brands of canned soups, -which, with a little "doctoring" in the way of seasoning, may be -rendered quite equal to those freshly made, there are many soups which -can be brought on Saturday into a state of such complete readiness -that all that is necessary on Sunday is to heat them for the table. -Of these are chicken, mutton, and veal broths, _consommé_, Julienne, -ox-tail, mock-turtle, black or white bean and pea soup—indeed, nearly -every soup with a meat stock. Cream soups, like tomato, celery, potato, -cauliflower, green pea, and corn soups, are better prepared just before -using, and these may be served on week-days and yet leave a large -variety of _potages_ from which to make a choice for the Sunday dinner. - -Leaving the soup, something should be said concerning the introduction -of _entrées_, etc. They are not necessary at a repast so essentially -domestic as the first-day feast. Even if they are prepared the day -before, their insertion in the bill of fare compels the use and washing -of another set of plates. The man-servant and maid-servant within our -gates merit a little consideration upon a day which should bring to -them too a modicum of rest. Still, if an _entrée_ is occasionally -desired, there are those which may be made on Saturday, and will need -only warming to be fit for the table, such as _pâtés_ of various -kinds. For these both pastry shells and filling may be prepared the -day before, so that simply heating them and putting them together will -comprise the work involved in getting them ready for the table. - -When the meat course is reached it becomes less easy to shirk Sunday -labor. The roast may be bound and skewered, the turkey or chickens -trussed for roasting, the bread crumbed for the stuffing, on Saturday, -but the stuffing must not go in until the last moment, nor must the -meats, to be at their best, be put into the oven until just in time to -permit their being done in season for dinner. With vegetables, too, -much of the excellence depends upon brisk cooking. Few of them are, -like spinach, benefited by each time of warming over. Since this heavy -work cannot be avoided, all the housekeeper can do is to make the rest -of the meal as easy as possible for herself and her servants. At the -best, there will be enough to do. - -If a salad is served, the mayonnaise dressing, if this is used, is no -whit injured by keeping on the ice even for two or three days. The -fish, flesh, or fowl, when such enter into the composition of the -salad, may be minced the day before, and kept in a cold place until -needed. Or if, as is better at dinner, a simple salad of lettuce, -celery, or something of the kind is used, upon which the hostess -bestows an ordinary French dressing after it is brought to the table, -the washing and picking over of the salad are a trifling matter. - -As to desserts, it is a peculiar taste which refuses to be satisfied -with some one of the many that can be made in part or entirely the day -before. - -The number of cold desserts is legion, and ranges all the way from -ices and frozen creams through charlottes, jellies, and the like, to -the simple blanc-manges and custards, to say nothing of preserved or -brandied fruit. Pies of countless kinds there are which can readily be -heated, if a hot dessert is wished, and there are delicious cakes which -are almost a dessert in themselves. Besides all these, in this favored -period, there is scarcely a day in the year when an attractive dish of -fresh fruit is beyond the reach of people of moderate means. - -While anything approaching a desecration of the Sabbath is to be -avoided, there should yet be a cheerfulness, a pleasant freedom of -speech at the Sunday dinner-table that ought to render it the happiest -meal of the week. It is not the season for ceremonious entertaining—a -large Sunday dinner-party is not in America in the best form, even in -so-called worldly society—but it is the time for making a place within -the circle of the home for solitary men or women far from their own -people, who have only boarding-places or restaurants at which to eat -their Sunday dinner. To them even a simple meal, eaten in a private -house and among friends, is a choice treat, and inviting them is a deed -which may fitly be classed among the works of mercy which even the -Westminster Catechism permits. - - - - -THE SMALL DINNER-PARTY - - -There has been so much written about the giving of dinner-parties that -the manager of a small household may well shrink in dismay from the -labor that obedience to such rules would lay upon her. When she reads -descriptions of tables spread with the most costly glass, silver, and -china, of courses consisting of delicacies prepared from intricate -directions, and served by three or four trained servants—her heart -sinks with dismay, and she gives up then and there the attempt to -entertain her friends at dinner. - -Such instructions may be of value to those _nouveaux riches_ who are -at a loss how to conduct a feast where expense is no object. Even for -them it seems as though it would be easier to consign a big dinner to -the charge of a professional caterer than to drill their own servants -into fitness for preparing and serving such a repast as some of these -manuals describe. But there are many women who wish to entertain -gracefully, and yet who have neither the means nor the inclination -to attempt doing so on a large or costly scale. Possessing plenty of -pretty napery, silver, and china, having tolerably good cooks and -well-trained waitresses, they feel themselves fairly equipped for -giving small dinners, especially when they may order some of the most -difficult dainties from outside. They need not be appalled by the list -of what are to the majority of them unattainable adjuncts, that are -declared by writers on the complete art of dining to be indispensable -to a correct dinner. Those who are fitted by circumstances to follow -these are few indeed compared with the army of the moderately -well-to-do who find such elegance quite beyond their modest means. -So let these pluck up heart of grace, and, instead of obeying the -quite natural impulse which ensues upon the perusal of the aforesaid -discouraging guide-books to entertaining and renouncing their plans of -hospitality, resolve rather to use their own common-sense and good -judgment, and give dinners in consonance with these. - -Of course there are certain rules for setting the table, directing -the proper sequence of courses, and for the waiting, whose observance -marks familiarity with the etiquette of dining, and whose absence -denotes ignorance; but these are so simple, so universal, and so -readily learned that once known it is easier to follow them than to -devise new ways. Among the many advantages of practising every day the -proper methods of serving and waiting is especially this, that when an -emergency of this sort arises, there need be only an extension of daily -customs, not a total departure from ordinary habits. - -The etiquette of a small dinner is essentially the same as that of -a large one. Any woman who is sure of her _cuisine_, and who has a -waitress accustomed to her work, can give a pretty little dinner, -and there is no pleasanter way of entertaining a few friends whom -one especially wishes to honor. For a party of this sort, six is a -good number. When one goes beyond that, the necessity for a more -ceremonious etiquette, a more imposing bill of fare, arises, and this -the woman who gives only little dinners wishes to shun. - -In setting the table, care must be taken to avoid the one extreme -of over-crowding, and the other of placing the guests so far apart -that _tête-à-tête_ conversations are difficult. In as small a company -as this the talk is apt to be general, but occasionally there is -an opportunity for a duet if the seats are near enough together to -allow two of their occupants to carry on a low-voiced chat without -distracting the attention of the other guests from their own topics of -discussion. - -In the arrangement of dishes, knives, forks, etc., about the same rules -are followed that apply for luncheon-parties. A fork and a knife for -each course—the forks laid at the left of the plate, the knives at -the right, the soup spoon across the top of the plate—the usual array -of salt-cellar, butter-plate (the latter is often omitted at dinner), -the glasses for wine and for water, the folded napkin holding a dinner -roll, the card, the _menu_, the individual flowers—all are much the -same as at a luncheon. The table-cloth should be of the heaviest and -handsomest damask, the centre-piece, the floral decorations, the -candelabra, with their candles and silk shades, the dishes, containing -_hors-d'œuvres_, bonbons, _glacé_ fruits, etc., differ little from the -similar array on the table at a formal luncheon. The same general plan -is to be followed in serving the courses. The dinner usually begins -with oysters or clams. Next comes a soup—_consommé_, or a cream soup of -some really choice variety. A clear soup is to be preferred as being -light and easily digested, and since one does not wish to begin the -meal by overloading the stomach, it is better on that account than a -cream soup or a _purée_. - -Fish comes next, and this should be, as is everything else served -at a dinner, either choice on account of its rarity, or because of -the excellent fashion in which it is cooked. A piece of salmon or of -baked halibut with a _sauce hollandaise_ is good, or, in their season, -salmon trout or any other game fish. Potatoes in some form are served -with this course. This is succeeded by an _entrée_, and that in turn -by the principal meat course of the dinner, usually _filet de bœuf_, -accompanied by one or two fine vegetables. Next comes Roman punch, then -game or poultry, followed or accompanied by salad, and after that is -the dessert—pastry, ices, creams, fruits, coffee, etc. As may be seen -by comparing this outline with the directions given for a luncheon, the -two are very much alike. The chief difference is in the kinds of food. -Those served at a dinner are generally of a more solid character than -those prepared for a luncheon. The latter consists chiefly of _petits -plats_. - -A small dinner should not last much more than an hour and a half. It -is readily disposed of in that length of time if the cook has the -courses ready promptly, and if the waitress understands her business. -All the carving should be done off the table. The plates should be put -in front of the guests from the right side, and removed from the left. -Of course, whatever dish is passed must be offered from the left side. -To prevent mistakes the hostess should write out a full list of all -the courses, what dishes each comprises, and from what china they are -to be served, noting, too, when there is a change of silver. A copy of -this schedule should be in the hands of the cook, while the butler or -waitress should have a duplicate pinned up in a convenient place in the -butler's pantry, to serve as a reference in case the memory of one of -them should play false. - -While caterers can be found who will supply almost any dish which -may be suggested, a graceful touch of individuality is imparted to a -dinner if certain _plats_ are prepared at home. Only, they must be well -done, or they were better omitted altogether. The ices, biscuit, and -Charlottes usually come from outside, but the _entrées_ and salads, -as well as soup, and the fish, meat, and game, may be prepared in the -house, and be none the worse on that account. - -Coffee is sometimes served in the dining-room, but quite as often -passed in the parlor. It is never in good taste to have a large -assortment of wines at a small dinner. Claret and champagne are quite -enough, or even claret alone is sufficient. - -When the hostess is ordering her dinner, she should bear in mind who -her guests are to be, and arrange her bill of fare in accordance with -her bill of company. The advisability of this is illustrated in the -anecdote told of an English restaurateur who, on being ordered to -prepare a dinner for twelve clergymen, begged respectfully to know if -they were High-Church or Broad-Church, "for hif 'Igh-Church, they wants -more wine; hif Broad-Church, more wittles." - -It is not worth while to prepare highly spiced _entremets_ and dishes -of mushrooms and terrapin for guests who would be better suited with -plainer viands; while, on the other hand, a very simple dinner is not -the thing to set before a company of epicures. - - - - -A LARGE DINNER - - -Thus far the descriptions of breakfasts, luncheons, and dinners have -been given from the standpoint of the housekeeper. The outline of this, -a more ceremonious meal than any before described, will be from the -point of view of the guest, who regards everything as a mere spectator, -and not with the eyes of the hostess, who has studied every step of the -repast from its inception to its completion. - -Two weeks before the dinner the guest receives his invitation, which -may have been sent either by private hand or by post. The latter method -in these days of "magnificent distances" is rapidly growing in favor. -The invitation card, which is about three and a half inches wide by -four and a half long, is engraved in a dashing script as follows: - - - _Mr. and Mrs. Pelham Blank - request the pleasure of - Mr. —— ——'s company - at dinner on - —— —— —— - at half-past seven o'clock, - —— Gramercy Square._ - -The name of the guest and the date of the dinner are written in the -blank spaces on the card. To this invitation he sends an immediate -reply. - -The guest reaches the house of his entertainers on the appointed -evening at a few minutes before the dinner hour. In the coat-room he -finds a man-servant in attendance, ready to assist in any trifling -matters of the toilet, who hands each gentleman, on a silver tray, a -tiny envelope, enclosing a card bearing the name of the lady he is -to take in to dinner. Descending to the drawing-room, the name of -the guest is announced at the door by a servant, who draws aside the -portière to allow him to enter. His first address is, of course, to -Mr. and Mrs. Blank, who stand near the door receiving. The young man, -Fidus by name, congratulates himself inwardly that he at least is on -time, and, seeing at a glance how few of his fellow _convives_ have -arrived, marvels anew, as he has done often before, that well-bred -people will be so careless of the laws that regulate good society as to -arrive at a house ten, fifteen, and even twenty minutes after the hour -fixed for dinner. - -As Fidus has never met the young lady whose name is written on the -card presented to him in the dressing-room, he promptly requests an -introduction of his hostess, and chats with his fate for this evening -until—all of the fourteen invited guests having arrived—a servant draws -back the portières and announces by a bow that dinner is served. Mr. -Blank offers his arm to the guest for whom the dinner is especially -given—a charming Englishwoman—and the rest of the party follow them to -the dining-room. There is no suggestion of precedence, except as the -younger guests naturally give way to the elders of the company. Mrs. -Blank and her attendant cavalier come last. - -The dining-room, a fine large apartment, is lighted only by candles; -but there are plenty of these in sconces, in candelabra, in -candle-sticks of odd and pretty designs. Flowers are all about wherever -their use, either singly or massed, can produce a good effect. - -The places at table are marked by plain white cards, each with the name -of a guest painted on it in gold. The table decorations are quiet in -effect, but in excellent taste. The cloth, of pure white plain damask, -is covered through the centre with a scarf of elaborate drawn-work. -In place of the towering épergnes once so fashionable, the floral -ornaments, candelabra, etc., are all low. Pink roses, white lilacs, and -maidenhair ferns are the flowers used; and these are not arranged in -set form, but are simply massed in cut-glass bowls, three in number, -placed here and there through the centre of the table. The candelabra -are also of cut glass, which is used wherever it is possible, in -preference to silver. A corsage bouquet of the flowers mentioned above, -tied with a wide pink ribbon, awaits each lady at her place, while a -_boutonnière_ lies beside the name card of each man. The candles are -shaded with alternate pink and white shades, and the silver and china -are of the daintiest and prettiest. - -At each place are two large knives and a smaller one—one of these being -supposed to be for fish, although it is decidedly _contre les règles_ -to use a knife for fish—a small fork for fish, three large forks, a -spoon for soup, and a small oyster fork. The knives are at the right, -the forks at the left of the plate, and on the left is also the folded -napkin containing the bread. The glasses for water and wine are on the -right. There are generally four of the latter, for claret, sauterne, -champagne, and sherry. - -A plate holding raw oysters and a piece of lemon is at each place -when the guests enter. When these have been eaten, soup is served, a -_consommé_; and this is not brought to the table in the tureen, but -is served from the side. Next comes the fish—a piece of salmon, with -lobster sauce, it happens to be on this particular occasion—and it is -followed by the _entrées_. To save time, three of these are served at -once; but Fidus declines one, deeming it unwise to overload his plate -and his stomach at so early a stage in the proceedings. - -After the _entrées_ comes the roast, with one vegetable; and the sorbet -or Roman punch succeeds this, and precedes the game. Salad, cheese, and -bread-and-butter compose the next course, and, the table being cleared -for dessert, ices make their appearance. After these are disposed of -come the fruit, bonbons, etc. - -Wine has, of course, flowed freely during the repast, but the drinking -has been very moderate, after all, and each guest has felt at liberty -to refuse any of the wines offered. Sherry has been served with the -soup, sauterne with the fish, and claret with the roast, while after -the first course or two champagne has had all seasons for its own. At -some dinners a larger number of wines are served, but this, so far -from being essential, is not considered strictly good form. Nor have -there been favors given, as one would suppose, from perusing books of -etiquette, that this is a common custom at ceremonious dinners. Such a -proceeding, while it might in one way be agreeable to the guests, would -entail a heavy burden of expense upon the hosts, and might, moreover, -place the recipients of these mementos under an obligation which they -would not thoroughly enjoy. If favors are given, they should be pretty -but inexpensive trifles. - -The dessert discussed, the ladies leave the gentlemen to their own -devices for a while, and retire to the drawing-room. Coffee might have -been served before they quitted the table, but in this case it is sent -to the ladies in the drawing-room, where they sip it leisurely, while -the men enjoy theirs with their cigars in the _salle à manger_, and -partake of the tiny glasses of cordial that is supposed to serve as -an aid to digestion. When they finally leave the table two hours and -a half have passed since they seated themselves, and they are quite -ready to stand about the drawing-room chatting for a while after their -prolonged _séance_. - -As no music or other entertainment beyond the dinner has been arranged -for the guests, they remain only about an hour after the meal is ended, -and then make their acknowledgments and adieux to the host and hostess, -and wend their respective ways homeward. - - - - -FAMILY DINNERS FOR SPRING - - - 1. - - Lentil Soup. - Fricasseed Chicken. - Rice Croquettes. Buttered Sweet Potatoes. - Peach Brown Betty. - -_Lentil Soup._—One pint lentils, two quarts cold water, one onion, one -tablespoonful flour, two teaspoonfuls butter, pepper and celery-salt -to taste. Soak the lentils overnight in cold water; drain them the -next morning, and put them over the fire with the two quarts of water -and the onion; simmer for several hours until the lentils are very -soft. If the water boils away too fast, replenish the amount from the -tea-kettle. When the lentils are done, rub them through the colander -and return them to the fire; cook the butter and flour together in -a small saucepan until the mixture bubbles, and stir into the soup. -Season to taste, and pour on tiny squares of fried bread laid in your -tureen, and serve. - -_Buttered Sweet Potatoes._—Boil good-sized sweet potatoes, scrape them, -and slice them lengthwise; butter each piece, lay all in a pan, and set -them in the oven until the butter is well melted into the potatoes. - -_Peach Brown Betty._—Stew a pound of evaporated peaches until tender -and plump; place a layer of these in the bottom of a pudding dish, -sprinkle them plentifully with sugar, and strew them quite thickly -with fine bread-crumbs, scattering a little cinnamon over this; then -arrange another layer of peaches, more sugar, crumbs, and spice, and -so continue until the dish is full. Just before adding the last layer, -which should be of crumbs, pour in as much of the liquor in which -the peaches were stewed as the dish will hold without "floating" the -contents. After the top stratum of crumbs is in place, dot it with bits -of butter; bake it covered for half an hour in a moderate oven, uncover -and brown. Eat with hard sauce. - -_Hard Sauce._—One tablespoonful butter, one cup powdered sugar, -half-teaspoonful flavoring. Cream the butter and sugar together until -very light, flavor, press into a cup or small mould, turn out, and pass -with the pudding. - - - 2. - - Boiled Mutton, Sauce Soubise. - Mashed Turnips. Baked Hominy. - Apple Charlotte. - -_Boiled Mutton, Sauce Soubise._—In purchasing your mutton, select a -fine large leg, and have it cut in two, in such a way that the knuckle -and the lower part of the leg will make a good piece for boiling, -leaving the upper part for roasting. - -_Sauce Soubise._—Four onions chopped, one tablespoonful flour, one -tablespoonful butter, one cup of the liquor in which the mutton was -boiled; pepper and salt to taste. Stew the onions until very tender; -drain them, and rub them through a colander; put the butter and -flour together in a little saucepan, cook them until they bubble; -add the mutton liquor, which must have been cooled and skimmed; stir -all together until thick and smooth; add the pepper, salt, and the -strained onions; pass with the boiled mutton. If properly made, this is -a very appetizing sauce. - -_Baked Hominy._—To two cupfuls of cold boiled hominy add a -tablespoonful of melted butter, a tablespoonful of white sugar, one egg -beaten, a cupful of milk, and a little salt; beat all together until -light, and bake in a buttered pudding dish. Serve as a vegetable. - -_Apple Charlotte._—Two eggs, two cups milk, half-cup sugar, two cups -rather stiff apple-sauce. Make a boiled custard of the yolks of the -eggs, the milk, and the sugar; whip the whites of the eggs very light, -and beat them into the apple sauce, which should have been well -sweetened while hot. Heap the sauce and whites in a dish, and pour the -custard over it. Set in the ice-box, or some other cold place for half -an hour before sending to the table. - - - 3. - - Mutton and Rice Broth. - Roast Mutton. - Creamed Parsnips. Mashed Potatoes. - Sponge-Cake Trifle. - -_Mutton and Rice Broth._—Strain and skim the liquor in which the -mutton was boiled; put it over the fire with two tablespoonfuls of raw -rice, and let it cook about three quarters of an hour, until the rice -is soft; stir into it a cup of boiling milk which has been thickened -with a tablespoonful of flour. After this is added to the broth, let it -boil up once, and then serve. - -_Creamed Parsnips._—Boil and peel parsnips; cut them in slices, and, -after spreading each slice with butter, lay in a vegetable dish, and -pour over them a white sauce made of a cup of boiling milk cooked until -thick with two teaspoonfuls of flour and one of butter; pepper and salt -to taste. - -_Sponge-Cake Trifle._—Cut a stale sponge-cake into slices, and pour -over each piece enough sherry to moisten it thoroughly. Spread the cake -with raspberry or strawberry jam, and cover all with a pint of whipped -cream, slightly sweetened. - - - 4. - - Veal Cutlets. Baked Tomatoes. - Creamed Spaghetti. - Asparagus Salad. - Crackers and Cheese. - Coffee. - Light Cakes. - -_Baked Tomatoes._—Select fine large tomatoes, and cut a small piece out -of the stem end of each. In this hole place a small lump of butter, -about half the size of a hickory-nut. Bake the tomatoes slowly for half -an hour; take up, and keep hot while you thicken the juice left in the -pan with a teaspoonful of flour wet up in a very little cold water. Set -the pan on top of the stove, and let its contents boil up once. Season -to taste with pepper and salt, and pour this sauce over the tomatoes. - -_Creamed Spaghetti._—One half pound spaghetti boiled tender in two -quarts boiling water, slightly salted; one tablespoonful butter; two -teaspoonfuls flour; one cup milk; four tablespoonfuls grated cheese; -pepper and salt to taste. Cook the butter and flour together; add the -seasoning and the cheese. Drain the spaghetti, put it in a deep dish, -and pour the sauce over it. - -_Asparagus Salad._—Boil a bunch of asparagus until tender; drain it, -and put it on the ice. When perfectly cold, pour over it a half-cupful -mayonnaise dressing into which has been stirred a teaspoonful of French -mustard. Canned asparagus may be used when the fresh is out of season. - - - 5. - - Cream Corn Soup. - Stewed Pigeons. - Baked Potatoes. Fried Bananas. - Apricot Fritters. - -_Cream Corn Soup._—One can corn, three cups boiling water, two cups -milk, one tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls flour, one egg, -pepper and salt to taste. Drain the liquor from the corn, and chop the -latter fine; cook it in the boiling water for an hour; rub it through -the colander, and return it to the fire. Have the milk hot in a farina -kettle. Thicken it with the flour and butter; season, and pour a little -at a time upon the beaten egg. Stir this in with the hot corn _purée_, -and serve at once. - -_Stewed Pigeons._—Cut pigeons in half, place a layer of salt pork -cut in thin strips in the bottom of a saucepan, and lay the pigeons -on this; sprinkle with a little chopped onion; pour over them enough -hot water to cover them, put a closely fitting top on the pot, and -cook them slowly for two hours. Take out the birds and the pork, and -keep them hot while you thicken the gravy left in the pot with a -little browned flour wet up in cold water; boil up once, pour over the -pigeons, and serve. - -_Fried Bananas._—Select firm bananas, peel them, and slice them -lengthwise; dip them in egg, roll them in very fine cracker-crumbs, and -fry them in deep fat to a light brown. Serve on a napkin laid in a deep -dish. - -_Apricot Fritters._—Stew evaporated apricots until tender, adding, -when half done, sugar in the proportion of two tablespoonfuls to every -cupful of juice. When the apricots are tender, take them out, leaving -the syrup to reduce by boiling until it is quite thick. Dip each piece -of apricot into a frying batter made of a cup of flour, a tablespoonful -of melted butter, a small cup of warm water, and the white of an egg -beaten light; drop these fritters into boiling deep fat. When done, lay -on a piece of brown paper in a colander for a few minutes, transfer to -a hot dish, and pour the hot syrup over and around them. - - - 6. - - Broiled Shad. - Canned French Pease. New Potatoes. - Lettuce. - Preserved Ginger. - Fancy Cakes. - -_Canned French Pease._—Drain the pease, and put them in a frying-pan -with a tablespoonful of melted butter smoking hot; toss the pease about -in this until they are heated through and well coated with the butter; -season with pepper and salt, and serve at once. - -_Lettuce._—Dress on the table with a plain French dressing. - - - - -FAMILY DINNERS FOR SUMMER - - - 1. - - Green-Pea Soup. - Roast Shoulder of Veal. - Boiled Potatoes. Asparagus with Eggs. - Cherry Dumplings. - -_Green-Pea Soup._—One quart shelled pease cooked until tender, one -quart milk, two tablespoonfuls butter, one teaspoonful sugar, one -tablespoonful flour, salt to taste. Press the pease, after they have -been boiled and drained, through a colander; put them back on the fire, -and stir into them the milk, boiling hot, thickened with the butter and -flour and seasoned with the sugar and salt. Boil up once, and serve. - -_Asparagus with Eggs._—One bunch asparagus, two hard-boiled eggs, one -cup white sauce. Boil the asparagus until tender; cut the stalks into -inch lengths, rejecting the hard woody portions; chop the hard-boiled -eggs coarsely, and stir with the asparagus into the white sauce, which -must be boiling hot. Serve at once. - -_Cherry Dumplings._—Make a biscuit crust of two cups of flour, a -tablespoonful of butter rubbed into it, a little salt, a teaspoonful -of baking-powder, and milk enough to make a soft dough. Roll out into -a sheet a quarter of an inch thick, and cut into squares about three -inches across. Stone the cherries; put a spoonful into the centre of -each square of paste; sprinkle with sugar, fold the edges across, and -pinch them together. Lay them with the pinched edges downward in a pan, -and bake to a light brown. Eat with a hard sauce made as directed in -the preceding chapter. - - - 2. - - Fish Chowder. - Broiled Lamb Chops. Raw Tomatoes. - Young Onions Stewed. - Strawberry Méringue. - -_Fish Chowder._—Two pounds fresh fish, two good-sized potatoes, one -cup milk, a quarter of a pound of salt pork, one onion minced, one -tablespoonful chopped parsley, enough boiling water to cover all the -ingredients after they are in the pot. Cut up the fish, the pork, and -the potatoes (which should have been peeled and parboiled) into pieces -less than an inch square. Place in a pot or saucepan first a layer of -pork, then one of fish strewn with onions and parsley, then one of -potatoes; repeat the layers in this order until all the materials are -used. Pour in the water, cover closely, and let it cook slowly a full -hour. Split and butter half a dozen Boston crackers; let them soak in -the cupful of milk over the fire for five minutes; take them out, and -lay them in the tureen, and pour the chowder over them. Pass lemon with -it. - -This chowder is even better the second day than the first, although -there is rarely much left over. - -_Strawberry Méringue._—Line a pie-dish with puff paste, bake this -carefully, and then place in it a thick layer of hulled strawberries; -rather small ones are best for this purpose. Sprinkle them with -powdered sugar, and heap over them a méringue made of the whites of -four eggs whipped stiff with half a cup of powdered sugar. Just before -putting it in stir lightly into it a cupful of the berries. Set the -pie-plate containing the méringue in the oven long enough to brown -delicately, and eat when perfectly cold. - - - 3. - - Asparagus Soup. - Boiled Chicken. Green Pease. - Summer Squash. - Raspberry Pudding. - -_Asparagus Soup._—Boil a bunch of asparagus until it is very tender. -When done, cut off the green tips, and put them aside, and rub the -stalks in a colander, getting all of them through that you can. Heat -four cups of milk in a double boiler, add the strained asparagus to -this, and thicken with a tablespoonful of butter rubbed in one of -flour. Season to taste with salt and pepper, add the asparagus tops -(which should have been kept hot), and serve. - -_Raspberry Pudding._—Two cups raspberries (red or black), three cups -flour, three eggs, two cups milk, one tablespoonful butter, two -teaspoonfuls baking-powder, saltspoonful salt. Beat the eggs very -light, and mix with the butter, melted, and the milk. Stir into this -the flour sifted with the salt and baking-powder, taking care that -the batter does not lump. Dredge the berries with flour, add them to -the pudding, and boil this in a plain pudding mould, set in a pot of -boiling water, for three hours. Take care that the water does not come -over the top of the mould. Serve with hard sauce. - - - 4. - - Egg Soup. - Roast Lamb. Mint Sauce. - Beets. Succotash. Green Pease. - Melons. - -_Egg Soup._—One quart milk, four eggs, one onion sliced, one -tablespoonful flour, one tablespoonful butter, salt and pepper to -taste. Heat the milk to scalding in a double boiler with the onion. -Thicken the milk with the flour and butter, and season to taste. Poach -the eggs in boiling water, lay them in the bottom of the tureen, and -strain the soup upon them. Simple and nutritious. - -_Mint Sauce._—Four tablespoonfuls vinegar, one tablespoonful mint -chopped very fine, one tablespoonful white sugar, a very little salt -and pepper. Pour the vinegar upon the sugar and mint, and let them -stand in a cool place a full hour before using. Add the salt and pepper -just before sending to table. - -For the benefit of those who are sometimes unable to procure the fresh -herb, it may be stated that the dried mint sold in bottles is an -excellent substitute. - - - 5. - - Cheese Soup. - Beef _à la Mode_. - Fried Cucumbers. Cauliflower. Green Corn. - Fresh Fruit. - -_Cheese Soup._—One egg; a half-cupful grated cheese; one onion; -two cups milk; two cups veal, chicken, or other white stock; one -tablespoonful flour; one tablespoonful butter; pepper and salt to -taste. Heat the milk and stock with the onion. Remove the latter, and -thicken the liquid with the butter and flour rubbed smooth together. -Stir in the cheese, pour a little of the soup on the egg beaten light, -add this to the soup in the pot, season, and serve immediately. It is a -good plan to put a tiny pinch of soda into the milk before adding the -cheese. - -_Beef à la Mode._—Select a good piece of beef from the round, and -"plug" it thickly with beef suet or with strips of fat salt pork. Make -other incisions into which to crowd a force-meat made of finely chopped -salt pork mixed with twice the bulk of bread-crumbs, and seasoned with -herbs, allspice, onion, and vinegar. Fasten the meat securely in shape -with a stout band of cotton cloth, lay it in a pot, pour over it three -cups of boiling water, cover closely, and cook slowly for three hours, -or until tender. Turn the meat once. Thicken the gravy left in the pot -with browned flour, and pass with the meat. - -This piece of meat will be as good cold as it is hot, and makes a -welcome _pièce de résistance_ upon which to rely for lunch or tea. - -_Fried Cucumbers._—Peel the cucumbers; slice them lengthwise, making -about four slices of a cucumber of ordinary size. Lay them in salt and -water for an hour, take out, drain, and dry. Dip first in beaten egg, -then in cracker-crumbs, and fry as you would egg-plant. - - - 6. - - Boiled Cod. Egg Sauce. - Lima Beans. Mashed Potatoes. - Tomatoes. Mayonnaise Dressing. - Baked Peach Pudding. - -_Baked Peach Pudding._—Two cups flour, one cup milk, one egg, one -teaspoonful baking-powder, one tablespoonful butter, saltspoonful salt, -eight medium-sized peaches, peeled and stoned. Beat the egg with the -milk, stir in the butter, melted, and the flour sifted with the salt -and baking-powder. Place the peaches in the bottom of a pudding dish, -sprinkle them well with sugar, pour the batter over them, bake the -pudding in a quick oven, and eat it before it has time to fall. Serve -either hard or liquid sauce with it. - - - - -FAMILY DINNERS FOR AUTUMN - - - 1. - - Cauliflower Soup. - Roast Beef. - Baked Tomatoes and Corn. Boiled Sweet Potatoes. - Fried Egg-Plant. - Cocoanut Custards. - -_Cauliflower Soup._—Cut a medium-sized cauliflower into small clusters, -chop all except two bunches, and put all on the fire in four cups of -boiling water with a minced onion and a couple of sprigs of parsley; -cook until tender. Remove the unchopped bunches, and lay them aside, -while you rub the chopped and boiled portion through a colander; return -what comes through the sieve to the stove. Have ready in a double -boiler a pint of scalding milk; thicken this with a tablespoonful of -butter rubbed smooth with an equal quantity of flour, and then mix -with the strained cauliflower. Season to taste, drop in the reserved -clusters cut into small bits, and serve the soup immediately. - -_Baked Tomatoes and Corn._—Cut a slice from the top of each of several -large firm tomatoes; scoop out about two thirds of the pulp, taking -care not to break the sides; fill the cavities thus left with green -corn, boiled, cut from the cob, and chopped fine with a little butter, -pepper, and salt; arrange the tomatoes thus stuffed in a baking-dish, -put a few bits of butter here and there between them, and bake half -an hour. If you have a half-cupful of good gravy, pour this over them -instead of putting the butter between them. - -_Fried Egg-Plant._—Peel and cut the egg-plant into slices less than -half an inch thick an hour before it is to be cooked; lay the slices in -salted iced water, with a plate over them to keep them from floating. -Just before dinner wipe each slice dry, lay it in beaten egg, and then -roll it in salted and peppered cracker-crumbs. Have ready lard or -really good dripping in a frying-pan, and fry the slices brown. - -_Cocoanut Custards._—Three eggs, three cups milk, half-cup sugar, half -a cocoanut grated, one teaspoonful vanilla. Heat the milk to boiling; -pour it upon the beaten eggs and sugar; return to the fire, and cook -the custard until it thickens. When it reaches the right consistency -take it from the stove, and when it has partially cooled stir in the -vanilla and cocoanut. Fill small cups with this, set them in a pan of -boiling water in the oven, and bake until set. - - - 2. - - Veal Soup. - Stewed Lamb _à la Jardinière_. - Creamed Potatoes. - Sliced Peach Pie. - -_Veal Soup._—Two pounds lean veal from the leg (cut into small pieces), -a few veal bones well broken, two quarts cold water, one onion, two -stalks celery, a little parsley, two tablespoonfuls rice, salt and -pepper to taste. Slice the onions, and fry them in the soup-pot to a -good brown in a little dripping; put the meat in on them, and when this -has browned add the veal bones, the celery, the parsley, and water. -Let all simmer gently for several hours. Set the soup aside with the -meat in it until cool; skim, strain, and return to the pot, with the -raw rice and the seasoning. Let the soup cook slowly until the rice is -tender, and then serve. Pass grated cheese with this soup. - -_Stewed Lamb à la Jardinière._—Select a good-sized breast of lamb, and -lay it in a saucepan; pour over it enough cold water to nearly cover -it, and put a closely fitting lid on the pot. While it is simmering -gently, parboil half a cupful of string or Lima beans, half a cupful of -green pease (fresh or canned), two small carrots cut into neat, thin -slices, and a few clusters of cauliflower. When the lamb is nearly -done, lay these vegetables on it; put with them two tomatoes sliced, -and cook about fifteen minutes. In serving this dish arrange the -vegetables around the meat, and pour over them the gravy, which should -be thickened with browned flour after the meat and vegetables have been -taken from it. - -_Sliced Peach Pie._—Line a pie-plate with a good paste, and cover it -with peaches, sliced, but not peeled; sprinkle thickly with sugar, and -bake in a steady oven. There must be no top crust, but a méringue may -be added when the pie is nearly done, and lightly browned. This pie is -very good. - - - 3. - - Tomato Soup _Maigre_. - Baked White-Fish. - Mashed Potatoes. Fried Oyster-Plant. - Rice-and-Pear Pudding. - -_Tomato Soup Maigre._—Fry a sliced onion brown in butter or good -dripping in the bottom of the soup-pot; pour in the chopped contents -of a can of tomatoes and two cups of boiling water; stew until tender, -rub through a colander, return to the fire; add a half-cupful of boiled -rice; thicken with a tablespoonful of butter rubbed smooth with one of -flour; boil up, and serve. - -_Baked White-Fish._—Select a good-sized fish, and stuff it with a -dressing of bread-crumbs well seasoned and moistened with a little -melted butter. Sew the fish up carefully; pour a cupful of boiling -water over it after it is laid in the dripping-pan, and bake (covered) -for an hour, basting several times with butter. Remove the threads -before sending to table. - -_Rice-and-Pear Pudding._—Three cups boiled rice, two eggs, one cup -sugar, one cup milk, stewed or canned pears. Stir the beaten eggs, the -sugar, and the milk into the rice; put a layer of this in the bottom -of a pudding mould, and cover this with a stratum of pears; follow -this with more rice, then more pears, and continue thus until all the -materials are used; set the mould in boiling water, and boil for an -hour. Eat the pudding with a hot custard sauce. - - - 4. - - Potato Purée. - Beef's Heart, Stuffed. Stewed Sweet-Potatoes. - Scalloped Squash. - Méringued Apples. - -_Potato Purée._—Two cups mashed potato, one onion, four cups boiling -water, one stalk celery, one cup milk, one teaspoonful butter, one -tablespoonful flour, pepper and salt to taste. Cook the potato, onion, -and celery in the water for half an hour; rub through a colander, -return to the fire; add the milk, thicken, and season. - -_Méringued Apples._—Eight fine large apples, peeled, cored, and -quartered; two tablespoonfuls butter, juice of a large lemon, one cup -white sugar, nutmeg to taste, whites of three eggs, half-cup powdered -sugar. Heat the butter, sugar, lemon juice, and nutmeg in a double -boiler; drop the quartered apples into this, and let them cook until -tender; take them out and lay in a glass dish, cover with a méringue -made of the whites of the eggs and the powdered sugar, and pass the -syrup from the apples in a little pitcher, with the méringued fruit. - - - 5. - - Julienne Soup. - Irish Stew. - Creamed Carrots. Stewed Corn. - Peach-and-Tapioca Pudding. - -_Peach-and-Tapioca Pudding._—One small cupful tapioca, one can peaches, -half-cup sugar. Soak the tapioca overnight in three cupfuls of water; -the next day arrange the canned peaches in a dish, pouring over them -about a cupful of the liquor from the can; sprinkle them well with -sugar, pour the tapioca on them, and bake until this is clear. Eat hot -with hard sauce. - - - 6. - - Salmon Soup. - Mutton Chops. - Baked Onions. Stuffed Egg-Plant. - Cream Rice Pudding. - -_Salmon Soup._—One can salmon, one cup bread-crumbs, one quart water, -two cups milk, one teaspoonful butter, pepper and salt to taste. Pick -to pieces the contents of a can of salmon, removing the bones, bits of -skin, etc.; put over the fire with the water and seasoning, and cook -half an hour; stir in the butter, the milk, and the crumbs, and serve. -Pass sliced lemon with this. - -_Stuffed Egg-Plant._—Boil an egg-plant thirty minutes, cut it in half, -and scrape out the inside; mash this up with two tablespoonfuls of -butter, and pepper and salt to taste; fill the two halves of the shell, -sprinkle with crumbs, and brown in the oven. - -_Cream Rice Pudding._—Three cups milk, three tablespoonfuls rice, one -cupful sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla. Wash the rice, put it with the -milk, sugar, and flavoring into a pan, and bake in a slow oven for -three or four hours. Every time a crust forms on top, stir it in, until -just before taking it from the oven. Eat cold. - - - - -FAMILY DINNERS FOR WINTER - - - 1. - - Turnip Purée. - Roast Turkey. - Fried Parsnips. Browned Onions. - Mashed Potatoes. - Orange Roly-Poly. - -_Turnip Purée._—Eight turnips, one onion, one stalk celery, four cups -water, two cups milk, one tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful -flour, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and cut up the turnips, and put -them over the fire with the onion in the four cups of water; let them -cook until tender, and then rub them through the colander, and put them -back on the fire. Cook the butter and flour together in a saucepan; add -the milk, stir into the turnip, season to taste, and serve. - -_Browned Onions._—Peel rather small onions, and boil them until tender; -drain off the water, and pour over the onions a cupful of soup or -gravy; let the onions simmer in this for ten minutes; then take them -out, and keep them hot while you thicken the gravy with browned flour. -Pour over the onions just before sending to the table. - -_Orange Roly-Poly._—Two cups flour, one and a half cups milk, one -tablespoonful butter, one tablespoonful lard, two teaspoonfuls -baking-powder, one saltspoonful salt, four fair-sized sweet oranges, -half-cup sugar. Sift the baking-powder and the salt with the flour; rub -the butter and lard into it; add the milk, and roll out the dough into -a sheet about half as wide as it is long; spread this with the oranges -peeled, sliced, and seeded; sprinkle these with sugar; roll up the -dough with the fruit inside, pinching the ends together, that the juice -may not run out; tie the pudding up in a cloth, allowing it room to -swell; drop it into a pot of boiling water, and boil it steadily for an -hour and a half; remove from the cloth, and lay on a hot dish. Eat with -hard sauce flavored with lemon. - - - 2. - - Turkey Soup. - Roast Pork. Apple-Sauce. - Boiled Potatoes. Stewed Tomatoes. - Chocolate Custards. - -_Turkey Soup._—Break up the carcass of the cold turkey after all the -meat has been cut from it, and put it, with bits of skin and gristle -and the stuffing, over the fire in enough water to cover it; cook -gently for several hours, and then let the soup get cold on the bones; -strain it off, skim it, and put it back on the fire. Have ready in a -saucepan two cupfuls of milk, thickened with a tablespoonful of butter -and two of flour; stir this into the turkey liquor, boil up, and serve. - -_Chocolate Custards._—Four cups milk, four eggs, one cup sugar, four -tablespoonfuls grated chocolate, two teaspoonfuls vanilla. Put the -chocolate over the fire in a double boiler with part of the milk, and -let it cook until smooth; add the rest of the milk, and, when this is -hot, pour it upon the sugar mixed with the beaten yolks of the eggs. -Return to the stove, and cook until the custard begins to thicken; -when cool, pour into glasses or small cups, and heap on the top of each -a méringue made of the whites of the eggs whipped stiff with a little -powdered sugar. - - 3. - - Oyster Soup. - Broiled Steak. - Baked Cabbage. Fried Potatoes. - Cup Puddings. - -_Oyster Soup._—One quart oysters, two cups milk, one egg, one -tablespoonful butter, pepper and salt to taste. Strain the liquor from -the oysters, and bring it to the boiling-point in one vessel while the -milk is heating in another; drop the oysters into the scalding liquor, -and leave them there until they begin to crimp. Stir the butter into -the milk, and pour this upon the beaten egg; turn this in with the -oysters; cook together one minute, and serve immediately. Some persons -like a pinch of ground mace added to oyster soup. - -_Baked Cabbage._—Wash and quarter a small cabbage; put it on in plenty -of boiling water, and let it boil furiously (_uncovered_) for twenty -minutes. By doing this, and having a cup of vinegar on the stove at -the same time, you do away with the disagreeable odor which usually -accompanies the cooking of cabbage. Drain it when done, and chop it -fine; add to it a tablespoonful of butter, one egg beaten light, a -scant half cupful of milk, and pepper and salt to taste. Bake in a -pudding dish to a good brown. - -_Cup Puddings._—One cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls butter, one cup milk, -two eggs, two cups flour, two small teaspoonfuls baking-powder, one -saltspoonful salt. Beat the yolks of the eggs light, and mix with the -creamed butter and sugar; add the milk and the flour, mixed well with -the salt and baking-powder; bake in small cups or deep patty-pans, and -serve one to each person. Eat with either hard or liquid sauce. - - - 4. - - Corned-Beef Soup. - Stewed Rabbits. - Baked Corn. Fried Sweet Potatoes. - Plain Fruit Pudding. - -_Corned-Beef Soup._—Heat to boiling with a sliced onion three cups of -the liquor in which a piece of corned-beef was boiled; just before it -begins to bubble drop into it the freshly broken shell of an egg, boil -up once, and strain. Put the cleared soup back on the fire, and when -it boils again add to it two cups of milk in which have been dissolved -two tablespoonfuls of flour; pour a little of this on a beaten egg, and -return all to the fire for a minute before serving. - -_Baked Corn._—Two cups canned corn chopped fine, one egg, half-cupful -milk, one tablespoonful butter, pepper and salt to taste. Beat the egg -light, stir this and the milk into the corn, season, and bake in a -buttered pudding dish until firm. - -_Plain Fruit Pudding._—One cup molasses, one cup milk, one and a half -cups flour, quarter-cup seeded raisins, quarter-cup currants washed -and dried, quarter-cup shredded citron, one cup suet, one saltspoonful -salt, one small teaspoonful soda. Chop the suet into the flour, first -mixing the latter with the salt and soda; add the milk and molasses, -and beat thoroughly; dredge the fruit and stir it into the pudding; -boil in a brown-bread mould two hours and a half. Serve hard sauce with -it. - - - 5. - - Roast Duck. - Canned Green Pease. Boiled Potatoes. - Lettuce. - Crackers and Cheese. - Lemon Tarts. - -_Canned Green Pease._—Turn the pease from the can into a colander; -pour over them several quarts of cold water, so as to rinse the pease -thoroughly from the liquor in which they were canned; after this, pour -as much boiling water over them, and set the colander over a pot of -boiling water, covering the pease; let them steam there until heated -through, dish, and put on them a couple of teaspoonfuls of butter, and -pepper and salt to taste. - -_Lemon Tarts._—Line small patty-pans with a good puff paste, and -fill them with the following mixture: Half-cup butter, one cup -granulated sugar, three eggs, juice and grated rind of a lemon, two -tablespoonfuls brandy, nutmeg to taste. Beat the yolks into the -creamed butter and sugar; add the lemon, spice, brandy, and whites; -bake in a steady oven, and eat when cold. - - - 6. - - Black Bean Soup. - Halibut Steak. - Browned Potato. Scalloped Cauliflower. - Coffee Jelly. - -_Black Bean Soup._—Two cups black beans, six cups cold water, one -onion, two sprays parsley, four or five cloves, one teaspoonful mixed -thyme and sweet-marjoram, one quart corned-beef liquor. Pick the beans -over carefully, wash them, and put them in soak in the cold water; let -them stand all night, and in the morning transfer them to the soup -kettle. Put with them the onion, herbs, and cloves, and simmer all -together gently until the beans are soft; rub them through a colander, -return to the fire, add the corned-beef liquor, and boil for an hour; -pour the soup on two hard-boiled eggs, quartered, and a few thin slices -of lemon, laid in the tureen. - -_Scalloped Cauliflower._—Boil the cauliflower tender; tie it in a -piece of net before putting it in the boiling water; cut the clusters -apart, and arrange them, stems downward, in a pudding dish; pour a cup -of drawn butter over them, season with pepper and salt, sprinkle with -fine bread or cracker crumbs, and bake until of a good brown. - -_Coffee Jelly._—Two cups clear strong coffee, one cup sugar, one cup -boiling water, half-cup cold water, half-box gelatine. Let the gelatine -soak in the cold water an hour; stir the sugar into it, and pour over -both the boiling water and the hot coffee; strain into a mould. When -cold, turn out in a glass dish, and serve with whipped cream. - - - - -WHAT SHALL WE EAT? - - -The cook-book of the olden time gave its recipes with a generous -disregard of cost. Such items as a ham boiled in wine were not unusual, -and the quantities of costly materials demanded were on a Gargantuan -scale. Even in the average French culinary manuals economy can hardly -be said to be conspicuous, except by its absence, although Gallic cooks -have a world-wide reputation for the wonderful results they can produce -by a small expenditure. Even in this day, when economy is honored and -studied, in the recipes that appear in print as written by women living -in some parts of the South, there is a call for what to Northern ideas -seems a reckless profusion of eggs, butter, and cream. The lavishness -of these demands is often quite out of keeping with the common opinion -of the straitened circumstances supposed to have prevailed of late -years in that section of the country. The general impression these -recipes give was voiced by a New England woman, who, after reading a -collection of recipes from the pen of a well-known Southern writer, -exclaimed, "Well, _I_ can't afford to cook like that; but I presume she -has always had plenty to do with." - -In spite, however, of some instances of this kind which indicate -extravagance, the general trend in culinary guide-books of the day is -towards economy. Tracts, pamphlets, octavos, and quartos are published, -giving directions for preparing a dinner for five persons at a cost of -twenty-five cents, of fifty cents, of seventy-five cents, of a dollar. -The Sunday and weekly newspapers have columns devoted to the same -theme, and the countless household magazines with which the reading -public is almost snowed under all spare a corner for the discussion -of the same momentous topic. It may be noted, _en passant_, that this -sudden interest in dietetics is responsible for many of the literary -aspirations now current. Women who had never thought of meddling with -pen and ink except in their private correspondence rush into print for -the purpose of describing a dinner which will cost only twenty-seven -and two-thirds cents, and, encouraged by success in one or two efforts -of this kind, fondly imagine themselves possessed of talents which -ought to bring them in a competency. - -Far be it from the woman who has herself known housekeeping cares and -struggles, who has mourned over small leaks and sought diligently the -best methods of "making sixpence do the work of sevenpence half-penny," -as an English writer puts it, to deride any endeavors to teach -housekeepers how to best use slender means with happy results. But a -word of warning may not be amiss concerning certain features of most -of the directions thus given. Here it is: If an appetizing dish is to -be made at small cost, care in preparation _must_ supplement cheap -materials. - -There has been a great deal said and written about the folly of always -purchasing the best cuts of meat. Hundreds of pages have been printed -demonstrating satisfactorily—to their authors—that a piece of beef -from the round can be so cooked as to make it equal to _filet de bœuf_; -that lamb's or pig's liver is of as good a flavor as calf's liver, -which costs twice as much; that old fowls properly treated cannot be -distinguished by the taste from young broilers; and that a variety of -other delightful things can be accomplished by the woman who chooses -to attempt them. All this is, no doubt, true in part. The point that -is seldom sufficiently emphasized is that it requires to achieve -these wonders either a certain knack, which is as much a talent in -its way as is a gift for music or drawing, or else a special training -in this particular kind of cookery. It is easy enough for any one to -be a good cook who knows how to follow a recipe, possesses a little -deftness of hand, and is provided with the best materials for her work. -Nowadays the cook-books seldom deal in the glittering generalities -that once made their pages full of pitfalls for the unwary. Usually -the directions are explicit, the quantities and proportions almost -scientific in their accuracy, and the successive steps in compounding -and cooking so clearly defined that the wayfaring woman, although a -fool, can hardly go very far wrong; that is, _if_—and it is a very big -if, too—she does not have to use imperfect ingredients to compass a -perfect achievement. Bricks may doubtless be made with stubble instead -of straw, but the children of Israel found it a rather difficult -process. - -If, then, to change the figure, the iron be dull, one must put to it -the more strength. The housekeeper who is compelled by circumstances -to practise rigid economy must resolutely set herself to the study of -cheap cookery. She may know already how to roast a "rib cut" of beef, -how to broil a porterhouse steak, how to broil and fry tender chickens, -but all this knowledge is of comparatively little value to her just -now. She must learn instead how to braise, how to treat a "pot roast"; -she must study stews, perfect herself in the manufacture of minces, -hashes, fricassees, croquettes, fritters; she must know what vegetables -and meats may be put together in utilizing "left-overs"; she must -acquire a thorough knowledge of soups of all sorts, and of soups -_maigre_ in particular; and she must work in this line until she is -able to set as appetizing if not as elegant a table on her small means -as her richer neighbor across the way can on a housekeeping allowance -of a double amount. - -Of course this involves a great deal of hard work and of competent -vigilance. Even if a servant is kept, only in rare instances can she -be trusted to undertake this kind of cookery. Simple cookery, like -roasting and boiling, is seldom successful unless one has the best -materials to work with. But usually the woman who must economize is -wealthier in time than in anything else, and she must make it take the -place of money. Above all, she must struggle against the temptation -to yield to weariness or discouragement, and to satisfy herself with -the custom into which so many of her sisters drift, of cooking tough, -inferior pieces of meat in the easiest way, as though they were "prime -cuts," and thus endangering the teeth, tempers, and digestions of her -family. - -A potent aid in making cheap cookery savory is the judicious use of -seasoning. In some homes knowledge of these seems to be confined to an -acquaintance with pepper, mustard, onion, and parsley. Little is known -of the variety of even simple herbs, like thyme, sweet-marjoram, and -summer-savory; and still less of Worcestershire, Harvey's, anchovy, and -chilli sauces, of chutney, of curry powder, of tarragon vinegar, of bay -leaves, of _maître d'hôtel_ butter, of olives, of tomato and walnut -catsups, or of the careful employment of spices in small quantities. -The magical improvement wrought by the addition of a little lemon -juice and a wine-glassful of California sherry (at fifty cents a quart -bottle) is totally unknown. - -Of course the first outlay for some of these commodities may savor of -extravagance. But many of the articles are very cheap, and even the -more costly ones are used in such small quantities that a supply of any -one of them will last a long time. Moreover, if a woman's aim is to -prepare dishes which her family will eat and enjoy, she will find that -the purchase of condiments pays, and the variety their occasional use -gives will make a change back to simple diet more agreeable. - - - - -THE CHILDREN'S TABLE - - -In comparatively few American homes does the custom prevail of -giving the children their meals apart from their parents. Domestic -arrangements would be sadly complicated were it common in the ordinary -household, as it is in England, to have a separate breakfast served for -the little ones in their nursery while the seniors discuss their more -elaborate morning repast in their own _salle à manger_. - -Usually, and wisely, American children eat at least two of their meals -with their parents, and thus have what benefit may be derived from -association with older people. It is only when the father and mother -fail to guard against letting the little ones gradually assume the -reins of government that affairs reach a point which makes one long to -banish the babies to the nursery, or even further, if by such means -peace might be secured at meal-times. - -Nowhere does the spoiled child appear to worse advantage, or make more -of a nuisance of himself, than at the table. His incessant chatter, -the constant interruption his appeals for attention make in the -conversation of the older people present, his clamorous demands for any -article of food which happens to strike his fancy, his loud protests -when his wishes are denied him, his slovenly (often disgusting) habits -of eating, make the family meal-times a pandemonium and penance to the -hapless guest upon whom the youngster has no claims of affection to -render his vagaries amusing or interesting. - -So long as custom and necessity render it advisable to have a child -at the same table with his parents, these should fix upon a plan of -action, and adhere to it. Desiring to have their children looked -upon as comforts and not as spoil-sports, they should enforce -strict obedience, exact quiet at table, and inculcate stringently -the once-honored maxim—of late years fallen sadly into disuse and -disrepute—that little boys and girls should be seen and not heard. -Remembering how much easier it is to check a habit at the outset -than to break it off after it is fully formed, the father and mother -should watch their children's table manners, and repress at once the -carelessness and unpleasant tricks that seem, possibly through original -sin, to come naturally to most little folk. The correct handling of -spoon, fork, and knife should be taught as soon as they are permitted -to use these implements, and slovenliness should be rebuked and held up -as a disgrace. Not least in importance is it that the father and mother -should, after due consideration, establish an outline of diet for the -youngsters, and allow no divergence therefrom. - -By "an outline of diet" is not meant an unvarying rotation of viands as -wearying and de-appetizing to the child as it would be to his elders, -but a scheme of nourishment by which hurtful articles of food will be -eliminated from the bill of fare, and only wholesome ones admitted. A -great deal of careful thought is often necessary in the formulation -of such _menus_, for children have as many gastric idiosyncrasies as -grown people, and frequently these are only disclosed little by little. -In illustration of this may be cited the case of a handsome, healthy -boy baby who, although a victim to colic during the first months of -his life, gave no other evidences of eccentricity of digestion until -he was nearly three years old. At that time the mother began to notice -that his breath was often sour, and that he complained occasionally -of pain in the stomach and bowels. His dietary had always been so -simple that she was at first puzzled to understand what could be the -disturbing cause. After sundry experiments and careful observation, -she finally ascertained that the discomfort and bad breath followed -any unusual eating of sweets, although it might be only such simple -desserts as bread and syrup, bread and jelly, plain cookies, or -home-made sponge-cake, or even an infrequent lump of sugar. She put an -embargo upon sweets, and found an almost immediate improvement. Further -investigation demonstrated that an occasional indulgence—say once a -day—produced no evil consequences, but that more frequent treats of -this sort had painful _sequelæ_. Her course thereafter was plain and -easily followed. - -A child's breakfast should always begin with some cereal, but this need -not invariably be oatmeal. Other preparations often agree better with -the children, and a variety is preferable to the monotonous use of -the one kind of porridge. Gruels or porridges of farina, corn-starch, -rice-flour, corn-meal, hominy, arrowroot, wheat-germ meal, or cerealine -are nearly all relished by the babies, and should be accompanied -by milk in any amount, but _no sugar_. If the child has never been -accustomed to the latter, he will eat quite as heartily without it. - -If the porridge is properly prepared, the little ones will usually -make their chief breakfast from it, with milk or milk-and-water as a -beverage. Tea, coffee, or chocolate should be tabooed. The children are -better off without any of the three, although some mild preparation of -cocoa is probably the least harmful drink they can have other than -milk or cold—not iced—water. - -As the little people grow older they may have a second course of baked -or stewed potato, buttered, dry, or milk toast, a soft-boiled or -poached egg, bread and butter, bread and jam, or a little fruit, either -fresh or stewed. When they have once become accustomed to seeing older -people eating food which is refused them, they will take the denial of -certain articles as a matter of course, and rarely think of entering -a protest. They will learn that hot bread and griddle-cakes are not -meant for little boys and girls, and will take abstinence from meat at -breakfast or in the evening, and fried foods or rich desserts at all -times, as a matter of course. - -At noon, which should be their dinner-time, a more varied diet is -permissible. Then there may be soup and some kind of meat for the older -children—chicken, rare roast beef, boiled or roast mutton, a piece of -steak or a chop—stews entirely freed from grease, potatoes, sweet or -white, or some other vegetable, and a plain dessert. It is very little -additional trouble to so regulate the bill of fare that what makes the -lunch of the "grown-up" may embrace certain articles that will suit -the childish stomachs; or there may be a little soup reserved from the -dinner of the evening before, a dish of some carefully warmed-over -vegetable, possibly a little of last night's meat prepared in a mince -or stew, which will obviate the necessity of cooking fresh food for -the easily pleased little ones. Often bread and apple-sauce, stewed -fruit, or a small portion of fruit jelly or marmalade is as acceptable -a dessert as can be provided. - -Having eaten these two meals with the family, it is as well to let -the younglings have their simple tea by themselves before the family -dinner. A dish of soft toast, or a bowl of bread and milk, or of -crackers and milk, or of rice and milk, and bread and butter, are -usually all they ought to have so soon before their bedtime. They may -have a side table set in the dining-room, or a tray may be carried to -them in the nursery, and the repast superintended by the mother or -nurse. Sometimes papa will come home in time to look in upon his little -folks at their final meal, and to help them to settle it afterwards by -a romp. Knowing no other mode of life, the children will rarely think -of questioning the judgment that sends them to bed early after their -light supper, instead of permitting them to sit up to a late, heavy, -and indigestible course dinner. - - - - -THE FAMILY TEA - - -A pleasant feature of domestic life which is done away with by the late -dinner is the family tea. This meal, always an informal one, used to -give play to the housekeeper's fancy in the concoction of dainty dishes -with which to render the repast more appetizing to the tired and hungry -master of the home. Now, to be sure, she has lunches upon which to -expend her culinary ingenuity; but then the person for whom she best -loves to cater, her husband, is rarely at home. - -In some families it is the custom to have tea one night in the week. It -may be on Saturday, when there is no school and the children can all -be at home to an early dinner, or on Sunday, when many people dine in -the middle of the day. Still other households prefer a noon dinner and -a simple tea in summer, pleading the advantage of getting the heavy -cookery out of the way in the morning, instead of being obliged to -stand over a cook-stove through the long blazing afternoon. - -In one way or another, then, there are few families where the tea-table -is not spread at least once a week, while in many homes it is a daily -institution. It only ceases to be delightful when it is, through -carelessness, allowed to slip into a groove, and when the suggestion of -making it attractive is put aside with the excuse, "Oh, anything will -do for tea!" - -Some years ago a party of city people spent a charming summer in a -farm-house high up among the Berkshire hills. The accommodations of -the roomy old-fashioned dwelling were good, the breakfasts and dinners -excellent, well cooked, and liberal in provision. But the teas! -Night after night the guests gathered about a tea-table adorned with -plates of cold bread, of butter, and of cake, pitchers of milk, and -occasionally a dish of berries or of stewed fruit. Tea there was, as a -matter of course, but never a bit of meat or fish, or an egg in any -form, boiled, poached, or in an omelet; not even a pat of pot-cheese or -a few slices of dairy cheese. Warm biscuit, muffins, and waffles were -likewise conspicuous by their absence. - -It was all very well for those who ate bread and milk and were fond -of cake, but for a party of ravenous young people, who had spent a -long afternoon playing tennis, fishing or driving, or tramping over -the hills in the hunger-provoking air, the sight of the table was not -inspiriting; nor did it become more popular as the season advanced and -the early frosty evenings improved appetites that had never been poor. -Yet, in spite of loudly expressed hints, it never seemed to occur to -the farmer's good wife that her tea-table was not supplied with every -viand the most exacting eater could desire. - -Naturally, when a hearty meal has been served in the middle of the -day, there should be no thought of having to prepare a second dinner -for the evening. But there should be, at least, some relish to vary -the monotony of plain bread and butter, something to give the meal an -aspect other than that of a perfunctory "feed," where every one eats on -the principle upon which Nicholas Nickleby "distended his stomach with -a bowl of porridge" the morning after his arrival at Dotheboys Hall—not -that he wanted it then, but lest he should be inconveniently hungry -when there was nothing to eat. - -There are many delicious supper dishes which are made with little -difficulty. In winter, oysters, clams, scallops, broiled ham, fried, -broiled, or stewed chicken, chicken scallop or mince, sausages, bacon -and eggs, with any of the large varieties of griddle-cakes or warm -breads, will make a meal to satisfy any one; while in summer, salads -of eggs, fish, lobsters, chicken, cold lamb or veal, shrimp, cheese, -beet leaves, lettuce, cabbage, potato, string-beans, and of many other -kinds, may be relied upon. Omelets and other preparations of eggs are -inexpensive, easily cooked, and generally popular, while cold meat goes -well on a summer evening, especially when accompanied by bannocks, -scones, butter-cakes, toasted crackers, wafers, or some light bread -that is easily made and not hard to digest. Then there are galantines, -potted meats, jellied fish, pickled salmon, cottage-cheese, and -numerous other little delicacies that are not costly and yet are good. - -The table for tea should be set much as it is for breakfast, with the -exception of the oatmeal sets. All the dishes may be placed upon the -table at once, as they would be at lunch, and the family may do much -of the passing of plates. The tea is served with the first course, -and the cups and tray may be removed to make room for the dish of -fruit or simple sweets that generally concludes the meal. The saucers -in which these are served should stand on plates, on which each -guest may lay the cake which is usually passed at the same time. Hot -puddings are out of place at tea, but instead there may be, in winter, -apple-sauce, stewed prunes, preserved ginger, brandied and preserved -peaches, pears or plums, jams or marmalades, custards, blanc-manges, -jellies, or anything of that sort; while in summer it is rarely -impossible to procure berries of some kind, or other fruit. A dish of -"bonny-clabber"—better known, perhaps, as "loppered milk"—of junket, or -of syllabub is always delicious, and is usually easily obtained where -milk and cream are plentiful. - -No domestic sight is pleasanter in its way than a tea-table on a cold -winter night, spread with a bright cloth and set out with dainty china -and shining silver, and with all the cheer-inspiring appurtenances of -the tea-tray; with the plate of hot bread, the savory dish of hot meat, -and the little relishes that housekeepers know well how to supply. -And in summer its counterpart is seen in the table laid in the room -brightened by the level sun's rays, where a crisp salad, piles of white -and brown bread, and a plate of rusk or tea-biscuit, pitchers of milk, -and a dish of berries with cream in abundance revive the fainting -appetites and spirits of those who have borne the heat and burden of -the day. - -In summer a tea on the lawn is an agreeable variety to introduce -occasionally. A medium-sized table may be carried out under the -trees, and spread with a white cloth. On this are placed the principal -dishes—the bread-and-butter, which may sometimes have its place taken -by sandwiches; the salad or cold meat, or both; the cake and fruit. -The tea-tray and kettle may be here too, or the tea may be made in the -house. Iced tea and coffee make a pleasant change once in a while. - -A rug or two may be laid on the grass if any of the party have a -nervous dread of colds, and a few little tables will provide a space -upon which to rest a cup of tea or a glass of milk when the lap is -occupied by the plate containing the more solid viands. Low chairs -should stand here and there, and the whole scene will present a -charmingly festal appearance at a trifling outlay of time and trouble. - -A certain family who possess a delightful country place make their -Sunday evening _al fresco_ tea one of the pleasantest spots in the -week. No one is present but the family and any guests who may be -staying in the house. The pretty, simple meal is served out on the -grassy lawn, which slopes down to the water. When the eating is over, -the maid comes out, gathers the dishes into a tray, and carries them -back to the house, happy in the thought that there is no supper-table -to be cleared and no dining-room to be brushed up. - -Long after the vestiges of the feast have been removed the family sit -there, chatting pleasantly, watching the sunset and the stars coming -out or the moon rising. By and by some voice begins a hymn, the others -take it up, and the singing goes on until the early bedtime comes, and -the party turns towards the house with a restful happiness that is none -the less deep and true because it is hard to describe or to analyze. - - - - -AFTERNOON TEA - - -Among the many English customs which have been introduced into American -society there is none that sooner attained a widespread popularity than -afternoon tea—a simple and easy form of entertainment, that entailed -little expense and less trouble upon the hostess, and supplied a -long-felt want. Soon all over the land teas were the rage, and in large -cities and small villages alike cards were flying about, bearing upon -them the name of the hostess, and in one corner, "Tea at five o'clock" -or "Tea from four to six," as the case might be. - -With the usual tendency of the citizens of this great and glorious -country to impress upon the fashions borrowed from other nations -the stamp of their own individuality, it was not long before the -stereotyped tea, bread-and-butter, and cake, which had at first made -up the _menu_ of these entertainments, began to undergo modifications. -First, chocolate was added, on the plea that many people do not care -for tea. Bouillon came next, and the use of this served as the basis -of that absurd report, instantly accepted by foreigners, that the -American young women were so fragile in constitution as to be obliged -to brace themselves up with strong beef tea at their receptions, in -order to enable them to perform their social duties. With bouillon came -sandwiches; next appeared salad, and after that oysters, croquettes, -creams, ices, and charlottes followed one another in rapid succession, -until the metamorphosis of the modest tea into the reception, with its -heavy party supper, was complete. - -Part of this change may be attributed to the display and love of -competition which are numbered among our national characteristics. But -at least a portion of the blame must fall upon the participants in -these entertainments, who, not understanding that a tea to be a tea -must be simple, did not hesitate to grumble at the trifling nature of -the refreshments there offered for their delectation. - -"I am sick of your afternoon teas!" grumbled one lord of creation, -when informed that the family had just received cards to one of these -affairs. "_I_ like to go to a place where you get something to eat -besides a cup of beef tea and a cracker, or tea and bread-and-butter. -It isn't the kind of supper a hungry man wants when he comes from his -business. He needs something hearty." - -Ignorant and boorish though he was, he voiced the sentiment of many of -his sex, who, owing to the training American society has furnished in -this respect, consider no party a success unless the social enjoyments -are supplemented by a big "spread." In England, where the dinner hour -falls later than it usually does in this country, the light sustenance -offered by afternoon tea serves as a welcome break in the long stretch -which intervenes between luncheon and dinner. Here a man who has his -appetite whetted for a six-o'clock repast cares little for a trifling -refection at five or half after five. It only serves to blunt his -hunger without satisfying it. - -Of course, as soon as the tea was merged into the virtual equivalent of -an evening party given in the daytime, its recommendation as a cheap -and convenient method of entertaining one's friends vanished. While -one merely dropped in for a cup of tea on the way home from calls -or shopping, a plain walking gown or visiting costume was perfectly -appropriate. But with the increased formality of the tea arose the -necessity for richer dress, and the afternoon kettle-drum became a -kind of heterogeneous-looking assembly, where, at five o'clock in the -afternoon, some of the women would appear in evening gowns, with low -necks and short sleeves, and some in street suits, while the men, of -course, wore morning coats; although in small towns the sight of men in -dress suits before six o'clock is an anomaly too often witnessed. - -Even apart from the matter of dress, other difficulties and -complications arose. Persons in moderate circumstances who had -rejoiced at the advent of the tea, because it rendered feasible the -gratification of their hospitable instincts at an outlay within their -means, shrank back in dismay from this hybrid form of assembly, -declaring that it was as easy to give a regular evening party, and get -the credit for that, as it was to receive guests in a fashion which -assumed simplicity, but cost no less than an affair that made more show. - -A few women have had the courage to adhere to what was the original -design of the afternoon tea, and to offer their guests only the light -refreshments suitable for this form of entertaining. To such people -the labor connected with thus gathering their friends about them is -a trifling task. The hostess sees that her rooms are in their best -looks; fills a few vases with fresh flowers, to give a festal air; sets -a round-table in her drawing-room or library, or in the dining-room, -if these apartments are _en suite_; draws up her prettiest cups and -saucers and plates in battle array, and invites a few young girls or -intimate friends to assist her. They wear either pretty house costumes -or dainty tea gowns. For refreshments are provided tea and chocolate, -possibly bouillon, bread-and-butter or tiny sandwiches, and plenty of -light cakes. The eating is a secondary matter, the _raison d'être_ of -the company being the desire for pleasant social intercourse in an -informal fashion. - -The woman who has a regular "at home" or a weekly "afternoon tea" -during the season provides even less. She has tea or cocoa—rarely -both—bread-and-butter or fancy biscuit, and cake. The toasted muffins -or crumpets and the many tea-cakes dear to the British palate are -little in vogue here, where the dinner hour is almost invariably six or -half after six. Very few are the houses where daily afternoon tea is -the rule. - -Numberless pretty adjuncts can be procured to contribute to the -attractiveness of the kettle-drum. The tall crane, with its brass, -copper, or silver kettle, the daintily embroidered tea and tray cloths, -the fine fringed or hem-stitched doilies, the exquisite china, the -quaint teapot, the cozy, the odd dishes for cake and biscuit—all afford -opportunity for the display of a cultured taste or of a quick fancy. -Nothing need be very costly, but everything must be pretty, and in this -day the combination of beauty and cheapness is by no means difficult or -unusual. - -The cards for an afternoon tea bear simply the name of the hostess, -and that of her daughter if the latter is "out," and in the corner is -written or engraved "Tea" or "At Home," and the day and the hour of -the entertainment. The card of any friend who is visiting the hostess, -or who entertains with her, is enclosed in the same envelope. If the -invited guest cannot be present, she sends her card, by post or by -private hand, so that it may reach the hostess upon the day when she -receives. - -Those people who live in the country, or who are so fortunate as to -possess summer places out of town, can give charming outdoor teas, -which far surpass in pleasantness anything that can be devised in the -city. We Americans live too much in the house, and that, too, in a -climate which offers great facilities for a freer mode of life. A tea -on a lawn or veranda when the air is full of the perfume of flowers -and the country is in its holiday trim is a delight to all those -lucky enough to be invited to it. For such a kettle-drum, iced tea -and lemonade or claret-cup, sandwiches, and cake may be offered, with -berries or other fruits when these are in season. - - - - -HIGH TEA - - -For a small company the high tea is an excellent form of entertainment. -It is not suitable for a large assembly, but when a limited number of -guests have been invited to spend the evening in some such recreation -as card-playing, it is very pleasant to ask them first to high tea. -Or if the latter part of the evening is to be devoted to dancing, a -chosen few of the guests may be invited to tea first, and the remainder -requested to come later. In that case no supper should be offered to -the dancers except cake, ices, and coffee. - -Should the dining-table be large enough to accommodate all the guests -bidden to the high tea, it may be drawn to the requisite length, and -all the company seated about it. But if, from the limited dimensions of -the dining-room, or because it better suits the fancy of the hostess, -small tables are preferred, these may be laid so as to accommodate at -each six, or four, or even two, always taking care in the last case -that the right two are placed together. - -If one large table is used, it may be spread with either a dinner or a -tea cloth. Flowers should be in the middle upon a pretty centre-piece, -and there may be small vases set about here and there. Individual -bouquets are not at all necessary. The places should be arranged as -usual, with small silver for each course, and the usual accompaniments -of butter-plates—or of bread-and-butter plates—salt-cellars, glasses, -napkins, etc. If it is warm weather, the table may be further -beautified by the bowls or baskets of fresh fruits that are to make -part of the dessert, and, in winter, dishes of cake, of preserved or -brandied fruits, etc., may be on the table. Should the hostess prefer, -however, these may be placed on the sideboard, thus allowing space for -the more substantial viands, which at a tea are seldom relegated to the -position on the side-table that they would take at dinner. - -At the head of the table sits the hostess, with the tea-tray in front -of her. It by no means follows, however, because this repast is called -a tea that the Chinese herb should be _en évidence_. If the party is -composed chiefly of young people, the chances are strongly in favor of -their preference being for coffee or chocolate. They may be offered -their choice of these beverages, which the hostess pours out, the -servant passing them with cream and sugar, that each may add of these -to suit himself. Russian tea may possibly be offered, but even this is -apt to be less popular than either chocolate or coffee. - -Should small tables be used, the hostess may preside over a tray -placed upon one of them, or, when it seems more convenient, the cups -may be filled outside, and passed to each with the cream-pitcher and -sugar-bowl. It saves some delay in serving if there are a cream-pitcher -and sugar-bowl on each table. These little tables may be covered with -small cloths or large napkins, and need have nothing else upon them -beyond the necessary furniture for each place, except, perhaps, a vase -of flowers. While small tables are often admirable as accommodating -more people with comfort than could be seated at a large table, yet the -latter gives opportunity for a prettier display of floral decoration, -china, silver, etc., than is afforded by the former. - -The bill of fare is easily arranged. There are no raw oysters or clams, -as at a lunch or dinner; and while bouillon may be provided, it is -not at all necessary. The meal may begin with oysters in some form, -as fricasseed, fried, broiled, steamed, or panned, or in croquettes. -With them are passed bread-and-butter (brown or graham bread cut thin -is good with oysters) or rolls. The plates are then removed, and the -next course brought in. This may consist of chicken—broiled or fried—or -broiled birds, or French chops, and of potatoes in some form, as _à -la parisienne_, French fried, or hashed with cream and browned. Cold -tongue or ham is sometimes also passed at this time, and warm bread -in some shape, as French rolls, sally-lunn, tea-biscuit, rusk, or -waffles. The coffee or chocolate is also served at this stage in the -proceedings. - -After this course comes a salad—lettuce and tomato mayonnaise, or -chicken, lobster, or salmon—fresh plates being served for this, as -a matter of course. Olives and some fancy cheese—Brie, Roquefort, -or Gorgonzola—usually come with the salad. Cheese at this stage is -strongly recommended by the epicure; but it is not essential, except to -those who hold, in the words of the old doggerel, that - - "A dinner (or supper) without cheese - Is like a kiss without a squeeze." - -The table is now cleared, and the dessert brought in. This may be quite -simple, as, say, preserved or brandied fruit with fancy cakes; or it -may be more elaborate, and comprise jelly, charlotte-russe, or fresh -fruit of some kind, and light cakes. Ices are not strictly _en règle_, -although no canon of taste is seriously offended if they are offered. -It is better, however, to serve them later in the evening. Still, they -are not essential even then. Finger-bowls set on doilies laid on -pretty plates must be passed the last thing before the guests quit the -table. - -Of course the _menu_ suggested above may be altered to suit the season -and the taste of the entertainer. Lobster or crabs, clams or shrimps, -may be substituted for the oysters. Green pease may accompany chops, -or sweetbreads may be the principal meat dish of the second course. -Roast duck, turkey, or chicken may be provided if broilers are out of -season, or birds may be served with a lettuce or celery salad for the -third course. And when one reflects upon the fancy dishes which may be -prepared for dessert—the blanc-manges, the jellied fruits, the Spanish -or Bavarian or Hamburg creams, the charlottes of divers kinds, the -whips, custards, and syllabubs—the only difficulty that arises is where -to choose. - -A pretty notion is to introduce some unexpected feature into the -high tea which will appeal to the imaginations of the guests as well -as to their palates. A little ingenuity will suggest some novelty -of this sort. The literary salad, which has become well known in -certain localities, may yet be unfamiliar in others. This is made by -cutting a number of slips of paper, writing on each one a prose or -poetic quotation, and attaching each strip to a leaf of pale green -tissue-paper, cut and crimped into the fashion of a lettuce leaf. -Different shades of the paper should be selected, so that the tints may -blend as they do in a veritable head of lettuce. These leaves are then -arranged in a bowl, and at some point in the meal, usually just before -the dessert, the bowl is passed, and each guest draws out at random two -or three of the leaves. The endeavor then is to guess the authorship -of the different quotations, and a prize is usually offered to the -one who guesses the greatest number correctly. The prize may be the -bowl or dish in which the salad is served. Or, instead of quotations, -conundrums may be written on the slips, and puzzling out their answers -usually affords a great deal of amusement. - -A bright young hostess, who was always bubbling over with new and -charming ideas, hit upon the clever one of having her guests' -characters told by chirosophy. She obtained a specimen of the -handwriting of each of those whom she had invited, and sent the -samples to a specialist, who deduced from each an estimate of the -characteristics of its writer. The verdicts thus obtained were enclosed -each in an envelope bearing the name of the person whose peculiar bias -was therein described. The envelopes were then bound with ribbons, -tied, and sealed. One was laid at the place of each guest at the table, -and after providing a fruitful source of wonder and comment during -the early part of the meal, the seals were broken when the fruit was -passed. Each read aloud the statement contained in her envelope, -and it was curious and amusing to observe with what accuracy many -idiosyncrasies and singular traits of disposition had been indicated. - - - - -SOME HINTS ABOUT SUPPER - - -In these days of theatre and opera parties the matter of late suppers -assumes more importance than it possessed in the time when these -amusements were less universally popular. Upon the occasions when a -young man escorted his "best girl" to the play or the concert, he took -her afterwards, as a natural sequence, to a restaurant, where they -partook of some such light refreshment as ice-cream, cake, and coffee, -this style of supper being varied sometimes by the introduction of -oysters in one form or another. But when a company of young people go -to the theatre nowadays, and return afterwards to the house of their -chaperon or of some other member of the party, they are usually hungry -with the healthy appetite that it is no longer the foolish fashion to -conceal. - -The members of whist clubs, of literary or dramatic circles, of -small dancing classes, of amateur orchestras, and of a variety of -other similar social organizations, feel a like desire for food after -an evening's busy occupation, while even in the family the sensible -custom is gaining ground of eating something not long before retiring—a -something which, if not equal in extent and weight to the late supper -of our English cousins, is yet more substantial than the caramels and -chocolate creams with which school-girls, and often their seniors, -solace the hunger that is apt to attack them about bedtime. - -When one gives only an occasional reception or evening party it is -taken for granted that the refreshments will be rather elaborate in -their nature. But when the meetings of a club of any sort are of -weekly, fortnightly, or even monthly recurrence, the expense becomes an -object. There may be some members of the body to whom the disbursement -of a few dollars more or less is a matter of trivial moment, but there -is very rarely any club of this sort where there are not some who -would feel seriously the cost of entertaining in a showy fashion. -For the sake of these weak brothers or sisters, a certain amount of -consideration should be shown, and no display made by the wealthy ones -which would throw into the shade the simpler entertainment which is all -many can afford to offer. A supper need not be poor because it is not -costly, but it must make up in daintiness and unusualness for what it -lacks in price. - -A chief object to be sought in planning these suppers is to select -something which can be made ready beforehand, so that the hostess can -enjoy her evening without being handicapped in her pleasure-seeking -by the thought of possible complications arising in the preparation -of the supper which may require her absence from the room. Unless she -has a practised cook, she should not attempt dishes of oysters, or of -anything of the kind which demands careful supervision at the last -moment. Instead of this, she should content herself with chocolate or -coffee and bouillon for the hot items of her _menu_, and for the rest -take her choice from among the many salads and other cold dishes which -are generally popular. Cold chicken or duck, jellied tongue or fowl, or -a really fine galantine, or a dish of salad, and rolls or sandwiches -at discretion, may be chosen. For sweets, ices are always excellent if -they can be procured; or if not, there are jellies, which, with whipped -cream and light cakes, coffee, or chocolate, are quite enough—indeed, -more than enough in many cases. Often sandwiches, cake, and coffee are -sufficient; but let the sandwiches be of something besides ham and -tongue, the cake be light and delicious, and the coffee strong and -clear, and served with whipped cream. - -If hot dishes are indispensable, something should be selected like -chicken or sweetbread pâtés, or lobster in some form, which will not -be injured by warming over. Croquettes too, if properly prepared, are -delicious, but they must be soft and creamy inside, not hard like -sausage balls. - -For the home supper the preparations are much simpler. This late repast -may consist merely of a plate of crackers, or of light biscuit, or of -bread-and-butter, with perhaps a tin of potted meat, or a few sardines, -or a piece of cheese, or a box of guava jelly, or a little fruit. Iced -water, or milk and Apollinaris, or Seltzer are the best beverages to -serve, or, for those who like it, a bottle of ale or beer. - -In the hope of aiding housekeepers who desire to prepare something a -little different from the stereotyped suppers so common at evening -entertainments, and which usually consist of oysters, chicken or -lobster salad, sandwiches, ice-cream, and coffee, there are appended -a few recipes for dishes perhaps less commonly known than those just -mentioned. - -_Lobster Salmi._—Two cups boiled lobster (_cut_, not chopped, into -small pieces), three eggs (the yolks only), two tablespoonfuls butter, -half a pint of cream, one wine-glassful sherry, one tablespoonful -brandy, Cayenne pepper and salt to taste, one teaspoonful lemon juice. -Put the lobster over the fire in a double boiler with the butter, wine, -brandy, pepper, and salt; let it become smoking hot. It will not -injure it to stand covered at the back of the stove for some time. Just -before it is to be served bring the water in the outer vessel to the -boiling-point, and stir into the scalding hot lobster the beaten yolks -of the eggs and the cream. Let this stand one minute longer on the -fire, remove, add the lemon juice, and serve at once in small silver or -china shells or in nappies. - -_French Fish Salad._—Select some firm white-fish (halibut is excellent -for this purpose), and boil. When perfectly cold cut it into neat -slices; on each slice lay a sardine, and arrange the fish upon and -among crisp lettuce leaves. Prepare a mayonnaise dressing, and into a -half-pint of it stir three sardines rubbed smooth with the back of a -fork. Pass the sauce in a pitcher containing a spoon or small ladle, -that each guest may help himself. - -_Lobster Mayonnaise Sandwiches._—Into half a cupful of finely minced -lobster stir two tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise dressing. Season to taste -with Cayenne pepper and salt, with a little lemon juice if it seems to -be needed. Select bread a day old for this purpose, butter it light -on the loaf, and cut very thin. Spread a slice with the mixture, and -lay another buttered slice upon it, face downward. Cut into small neat -squares or triangles. The crust is sometimes trimmed off. - -Chicken mayonnaise sandwiches may be made in the same way, rejecting -all bits of skin or gristle, and omitting the lemon juice. Ham, tongue, -and shrimp mayonnaise sandwiches are also good prepared in similar -fashion. - -_Veal Galantine._—Select a breast of veal about eighteen inches long -by twelve wide, and remove from it all bits of bone or gristle. Spread -the inside of it with a layer of sausage meat, or of salt or corned -pork finely chopped, and highly seasoned with minced onion, parsley, -and sweet-herbs. Upon this lay a few thin slices of cold boiled ham -and tongue and several strips of raw veal. Spread these with more of -the force-meat, taking care not to bring it too near the edges, as it -would then squeeze out when the galantine is rolled. Sprinkle chopped -herbs and onion over the inside, and roll up the piece of veal, the -force-meat inside. Bind and skewer into shape, sew it up in a stout -cloth, and place it in a pot containing a hock of pork or a knuckle of -veal well cracked, a bouquet of herbs, a sliced onion, a sliced carrot, -and two or three stalks of celery. Cover all with cold water, and let -the pot, after coming gradually to a boil, simmer at the back of the -stove for at least four hours. Remove the pot from the fire, and let -the galantine become cold in the liquor; then take it out, tighten the -bandage about it, and place under a heavy weight for several hours; -uncover, and surround with aspic jelly. To make this, clear the liquor -in which the galantine was cooked by bringing it to a boil with the -white and crushed shell of a freshly broken egg, straining it, as -soon as the scum rises to the top, through a piece of thick cotton -cloth. Season a quart of the clear liquid thus left with a wineglass -of sherry, two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, pepper and salt to taste. -While boiling hot dissolve in it an ounce of gelatine which has been -previously soaked in cold water for an hour. Pour a little of the -jelly into a brick-shaped mould large enough to hold the galantine, -first wetting the mould with cold water, and when the jelly forms lay -the galantine on this. Pour the remaining jelly over it, and let it -stand in a cold place until firm. Turn all out of the mould, and serve -garnished with lettuce leaves. - - - - -CHINA AND GLASS - - -That housekeeper must be a noteworthy exception to the majority of the -members of that honorable body whose heart does not yearn to possess a -goodly store of china and glass. She may begin her married life with -the resolve to content herself with very little, but she will find, in -this form of acquisition as in nearly every other, that appetite comes -with eating, and the more she has the more she wants. Curiously enough, -she learns also that although she may get along very comfortably for -a long while without certain articles, she has not owned them a month -without reaching a state of mind where she cannot understand how she -ever managed to keep house lacking the new possessions. - -In these days a bride is usually pretty well supplied with handsome -china and glass by the friends who send them to her as wedding -presents. She receives from them at least the luxuries of table -furniture, if not the necessities. Among her gifts she has almost -always one or more fine cut-glass bowls or dishes, and possibly -several small bonbon, pickle, or olive saucers. An ice-cream set is -also a favorite gift, and the bride usually receives also a set of -after-dinner coffee cups and saucers and at least a dozen fruit-plates. -A few young couples are so fortunate as to number a complete dinner set -among their presents; and they may deem themselves lucky indeed, for -the cost of this necessary purchase makes a big hole in the sum that -the bride received, or that she has laid aside for household plenishing. - -Of course there are some young married people to whom money is, so -to speak, no object, who have but to go to a shop and order whatever -pleases their fancy. But they are few and far between. To most newly -made housekeepers the filling of their china closets must be slow work, -and each new addition is generally the evidence of a bit of economy -or good management, or else a memento of some Christmas or holiday, -and all the more valued on that account. Even when the proud young -manager is beginning to view with pride the accumulation of months, -she is sadly liable to find their ranks lessened some woful day by -one of those accidents which will happen so long as china and glass -are breakable commodities. The cheese-dish, the berry-bowl, or the -cake-plate has come to grief in Bridget's or Gretchen's or Dinah's -hands. - -"Shure, ma'am, it jist slipped out of me hands as I was a-wipin' it," -or, "It came in two pieces when I put it into the wather. Feth an' it -must have been cracked before." - -Of course a dish will get broken occasionally. Once in a while one -will go to pieces even under the careful touch of the mistress, and -no hireling can be taught to handle fragile things as carefully as -will their owner. A potent aid in inculcating caution is the habit of -deducting from a servant's wages the price of the pieces broken. This -rule should not be enforced in the case of a really careful maid, but -only with one who shows a decided tendency to heedlessness. Even with -this penalty there will be chips and cracks that will prove almost as -great a trial to the mistress as a total fracture. To the importance -of these minor accidents the average serving-maid seems serenely -unconscious. - -"Norah, if I treated you as you deserve, I would take the value of this -out of your wages," said a mistress, ruefully contemplating a Limoges -chocolate pot, from the lip of which a triangular fragment had been -neatly chipped. - -"Indade, ma'am, an' can't ye use it as well as iver ye did?" was the -surprised reply. - -Without going as far as one woman, who used to declare she would rather -have a piece of china completely smashed than to see it cracked, -one may safely say that the good housekeeper never perceives even a -trifling breakage in any piece of her table-ware without a real pang at -heart. To avert these accidents she is wise if she intrusts to no hands -but her own or those of an exceptionally careful maid the cleansing -of her most precious belongings of porcelain and crystal. Sometimes, -however, a woman's other duties are so pressing that she cannot spare -the time to wash the delicate dishes which she prides herself upon -having in constant use, and then she must simply make up her mind to be -resigned to the losses she must sustain if she permits her servants to -take entire charge of these breakables. - -Without using unsightly stone-ware, it is yet possible to procure for -every-day service pretty crockery that is less easily broken than the -delicate French china. In purchasing a dinner set which is to do steady -duty, the housewife must be guided by prudential as well as artistic -considerations. She can find what is known as the English Dresden and -one or two other kinds of china which combine pretty designs with -durability of material, and are not very expensive. - -Often there are included in a dinner set a full dozen each of tea, -breakfast coffee, and after-dinner coffee cups; and sometimes the set -can be purchased to greater advantage by taking them all. Frequently, -too, the dealer will not break the set. Unless either or both of these -conditions should prevail, there is little gain for the housekeeper -in taking the whole set. Usually she already has a fair number of -cups and saucers, and in any case she would not need as many as the -set comprises. By a little search it is often practicable to pick up -a broken set, consisting of a certain number of plates, vegetable and -meat dishes, and in this day there is no obligation upon one to have -everything to match. The principal pieces should be alike, if possible; -but the fish, salad, dessert, and fruit plates may all be of different -designs, and be none the worse on that account. - -Her dinner dishes purchased, the young mistress may congratulate -herself. There is no other equally heavy pull ahead of her in the line -of china. Now she may at her leisure pick up her pretty harlequin set -of cups and saucers, her dessert dishes, her large cake and bread -plates, and her small bread and butter plates, her fish set, her -chocolate-pot, her bouillon-cups, her nappies, her individual dishes -for shirred eggs, for scalloped fish, oysters, or chicken, and the -dozen of other dainty fancies with which the china shops are crowded. -Her accumulations will be all the dearer to her because many of them -have been procured at the cost of a little personal sacrifice. - -When one begins to price cut glass she is generally wofully -discouraged. The cost of the plainest cut is very high if the glass is -heavy, and a little experience soon teaches the housekeeper that it -is very poor economy to buy the thin glass for every-day use. It will -often break in washing in spite of the most careful handling, and a -slight blow to it means fracture. Now that pressed glass comes in such -pretty patterns, it may be made to do duty for common use, and is so -attractive that no one need be ashamed to put it on her table. - -"You should see my new glass dish," said a young housekeeper, -gleefully. "It cost me just seventy-nine cents, and when you set it on -handsome damask it looks like the real cut. Of course you can't put two -cheap things together, but my table-cloths are all so good that I can -afford to set a few imitations on them." - -The advantages of this heavy glass are seen less in the dishes, large -and small, than in the goblets or tumblers that are in daily use. Here -the havoc is dreadful when the glass is of the egg-shell species. Cheap -though it often is, it does not pay to purchase it when its destruction -is merely a question of a few days or weeks. - - - - -LINEN AND SILVER - - -Even at the best, securing a provision of table linen is bound to be -a heavy expense. Whatever economies the housekeeper may practise by -purchasing Japanese or stout English porcelain, and pressed glass, she -will never find that it pays to buy cheap damask. It does not look -well even at the first, and it is worse after each washing. No matter -how handsome may be the china, silver, and glass put upon it, a sleazy -damask will give a cheap appearance to the whole table. - -On the other hand, really good linen pays by its wearing qualities for -the original outlay. If it is not allowed to become so dirty before -it is washed that hard rubbing is required to make it clean, it will -last for years. The first tiny breaks must be carefully watched for and -repaired at once. By such precautions even a cloth which is in daily -service may be made to last several years. Above all, no washing-soda, -no bleaching preparation of any kind, must ever be used upon it. It may -whiten the linen at first, but the small holes with which the damask -will soon be riddled will tell more plainly than words the harm the -fabric has sustained from the alkali. Should the linen become yellow, -it may be whitened by being laid on the grass in the dew or rain first, -and afterwards in the sunshine. - -Linen should never be put away damp, as it is almost certain to mildew. -These spots may sometimes be removed or lessened by boiling the stained -linen in buttermilk, or by the use of Javelle water, but it is a -difficult and doubtful task. - -A young housekeeper does not need a large supply of table linen at the -beginning of her career. Of course it is very delightful to her to feel -that her sideboard drawers are so thoroughly stocked that they will not -need to be replenished for years to come; and if she has had a long -engagement in which to make her preparations, or if she has followed -the wise old-fashioned custom of beginning a linen chest while yet a -young girl, she may be able to rejoice in a generous assortment of -table-cloths, napkins, and doilies. Or possibly some kindly relative or -friend has given her a check to be expended in this fashion; or she may -have a wealthy father whose liberality relieves her from the necessity -of economizing in this direction. - -Taking it for granted, however, that every dollar counts, the young -wife must consider seriously just what she will need. If she expects -to entertain a good deal of company, she will have to lay in a large -supply of linen. But if she intends to live in comparative quiet, not -giving many luncheons or dinner parties, even although always ready -to receive her own or her husband's friends, she will find that she -can manage comfortably without a large quantity of napery. In a family -where there are few children, and where ordinary care is observed, it -is quite practicable, barring accidents, to get along easily with but -one white table-cloth a week. In this case, of course, a colored cloth -must be used for breakfast and lunch or for breakfast and tea. If the -bare table is used at lunch, the housekeeper may manage to make shift -with one breakfast cloth, with the accompanying dozen napkins. If she -can possibly afford it, however, she should buy two colored cloths and -two dozen colored napkins. For dinner use she must provide two white -cloths with the napkins to match. These cloths may be about two and a -quarter or two and a half yards long. Besides these, she should have -one handsomer white cloth a little longer, to use when she wishes to -entertain several guests. There is no reason in her purchasing the long -table-cloths that range from twelve to sixteen feet in length, unless -she has a very large dining-room and anticipates an occasional family -party, which will oblige her to use the table in its most extended form. - -To buy table-cloth damask by the yard is cheaper than to purchase the -cloth in one piece. The designs are often very pretty, but the separate -cloth is usually more satisfactory. Large flaring patterns are out of -place on a small table. Such designs as the old and always pleasing -snow-drop pattern, or a little block or diamond, or ivy or fern leaves, -or small stars or shells, one does not weary of so soon as of something -more showy. It is not worth while to purchase a cloth chiefly on -account of its attractive border, for this is seldom seen. The centre -figures are those which receive the most attention. - -In doing up table-cloths there should always be a suspicion of starch -used, but there should be none in the napkins. - -With the provision of table-linen described above and a set of fruit -napkins, the housekeeper will be able to manage very easily. Of course -she will desire tray cloths, sideboard covers, centre-pieces, doilies, -and the like, but these may be made by her own fingers. The costliness -of these consists in the work bestowed upon them, and they can be made -at home for half or less than half the price asked for them in the -shops. By working them herself play is given to the ingenuity of her -fancy, and she may have the pleasure of knowing that she has something -different from what every one else can buy. - -The housewife can hardly have too many doilies. Not only are they -useful to put under finger-bowls, and to lay on cake and bread plates, -but they are admirable to place under hot dishes, to lay between a -scallop-shell and the plate, under pâtés, etc. And when the home -mistress has enough of these, she may set to work to provide herself -with carving-cloths, corn and biscuit napkins, and the many other -pretty pieces of table linen that are always in demand. - -There is very seldom a bride who does not receive enough small silver, -such as forks and spoons, to supply her own table. If she is not so -fortunate, however, she should, if possible, try to buy solid silver, -even if she can afford to get but half a dozen pieces of each kind. -Should this be beyond her means, she will find plated silver in neat -designs, although it will in time wear out, while the solid silver will -last a lifetime or longer. It never pays to buy thin silver, for this -bends and dents easily. - -Some people who own solid small silver lock it up except upon rare -occasions, and use only plated ware when _en famille_, affirming that -the peace of mind thus gained is worth more than the luxury of using -real silver. In this matter every one must judge for herself; but if -a vote were taken the chances are that those who use the solid silver -would testify that its care costs them very little time or thought. The -simple expedient of counting it two or three times a week is generally -sufficient to insure its safety, and the duty of carrying it up-stairs -at night is too trifling to deserve mention. - -Those who have ever been so fortunate as to possess plated silver -vegetable dishes or a soup tureen would never willingly use those of -china. Not only do the silver vessels keep their contents hot, but they -are not breakable, and a dent may be remedied at a small cost. They are -not hard to keep clean. A plunge into clean scalding water, and a quick -wiping afterwards, whenever they have been used, with an occasional -rubbing with a piece of flannel or chamois-skin, will generally keep -them bright. - -Whenever silver, solid or plated, needs a thorough cleaning, -electro-silicon may be used; and after the scouring has been done -with a brush dipped in the powder, the pieces should be rinsed off -in scalding water containing a little ammonia, and well rubbed with -flannel. Even the most tarnished silver may be brightened by this -means. - - - - -INDEX - - - Anchovy toast, 138. - - Apples and bacon, 81. - - Apples, méringued, 227. - - Apricot fritters, 211. - - Asparagus biscuit, 144. - - Asparagus with eggs, 213. - - - Baked mince, 52. - - Bananas, baked, 130. - - Bananas, fried, 211. - - Beef _à la mode_, 219. - - Beef, crisped smoked, 55. - - Biscuit, breakfast, 84. - - Biscuit, brown, 56. - - Biscuit, cheese, 136. - - Biscuit, lunch, 133. - - Biscuit, quick, 64. - - Biscuit, rye, 148. - - Bread, Boston brown, 54, 141. - - Bread, fried, 152. - - Bread, hot loaf, 134. - - Bread omelet, 55. - - Bread, rice, 131. - - Bread-and-butter, 130. - - Breakfast cloth, 19. - - Breakfast mats, 20. - - Breakfast menu, 44. - - Breakfast, wedding, 46. - - Brewis, 52. - - Broth, mutton and rice, 207. - - Brown Betty, peach, 205. - - Brown-bread toast, 150. - - Butter cakes, 65. - - - Cabbage, baked, 233. - - Cake, hot, 152. - - Cake, orange, 160. - - Cakes, bread-and-milk, 85. - - Cakes, butter, 65. - - Cakes, lunch, 162. - - Cakes, rice, 156. - - Candles, 8. - - Cauliflower, scalloped, 237. - - Caviare toast, 134. - - Cerealine fritters, 153. - - Cerealine, moulded, 59. - - Cheese biscuit, 136. - - Cherry dumplings, 214. - - Chicken, deviled, 140. - - Chicken, jellied, 159. - - Chicken mince, 60. - - Chicken pie, cold, 149. - - China, buying, 292, 293. - - Chowder, fish, 214. - - Cocoa, 90. - - Cod, creamed with potatoes, 50. - - Cod, scalloped, 135. - - Cold slaw, 158. - - Company dinner, menu, 192, 193. - - Corn, baked, 235. - - Corn, boiled, 145. - - Corn-bread, boiled, 145. - - Corn-bread, loaf, 81. - - Corn croquettes, 144. - - Corn-meal gems, 67. - - Crullers, quick, 154. - - Crumpets, 79. - - Crumpets, rice, 140. - - Cucumbers, fried, 219. - - Custards, chocolate, 232. - - Custards, cocoanut, 223. - - Cut glass, 294. - - - Desserts, Sunday, 186. - - Diet for children, 249. - - Dining-room draperies, 6. - - Dining-room floor, 5. - - Dining-room furniture, 11, 12, 13. - - Dining-room walls, 4. - - Dinner-cloth, 167. - - Dinner toilette, 171. - - Doilies, 301. - - Dumplings, cherry, 214. - - - Egg-plant, fried, 222. - - Egg-plant, stuffed, 228. - - Eggs _à la crême_, 139. - - Eggs, curried, 54. - - Eggs, moulded, 83. - - Eggs, poached, with anchovy toast, 141. - - Eggs, scrambled, with asparagus, 136. - - Eggs, timbales, with cheese, 75. - - - Fish, left-over, 155. - - Fish-cakes, dropped, 72. - - Fritters, clam, 74. - - Fritters, green-corn, 61. - - Furniture polish, 89. - - - Galantine, veal, 285. - - Gems, corn-meal, 67. - - Gems, Graham, 53. - - Gems, oatmeal, 135. - - Gems, rye, 59. - - Gems, wheat-flour, 73. - - Gingerbread, 150. - - Griddle-cakes, corn-meal, 151. - - Griddle-cakes, simple, 73. - - - Ham, barbecued, 65. - - Ham, deviled, 148. - - Ham fritters, 129. - - Ham toast, 48. - - Hash, a scrap, 131. - - Hash, turkey, 158. - - Hominy croquettes, 160. - - - Invalids' food, 38. - - - Jelly, coffee, 238. - - Jelly toast, 148. - - Jumbles, 164. - - - Kidneys, stewed, 153. - - - Lamb, stewed, _à la Jardinière_, 224. - - Lawn teas, 260, 269. - - Left-overs, 93. - - Lemon tarts, 236. - - Lettuce, 212. - - Light loaf, 83. - - Liver toast, 132. - - Lobster, creamed, 155. - - Lobster croquettes, 136. - - Lobster mayonnaise sandwiches, 284. - - Lobster salmi, 283. - - Luncheon menu, 100, 110, 111. - - - Macaroons, 158. - - Mackerel, salt, broiled, 61. - - Mackerel, salt, broiled, _à la maître d'hôtel_, 82. - - Mackerel, soused, 71. - - Mayonnaise dressing, 138. - - Meat loaf, 151. - - Menu for high tea, 274, 275. - - Muffins, batter, 161. - - Muffins, corn, 50. - - Muffins, English, 74. - - Muffins, feather, 52. - - Muffins, griddle, 51. - - Muffins, hasty, 75. - - Muffins, nursery, 163. - - Muffins, plain, 154. - - Muffins, raised, 152. - - Muffins, raised corn-meal, 147. - - Muffins, rice, 54. - - Muffins, risen, 82. - - Muffins, rye, 78. - - Muffins, sour milk, 80. - - Muffins, toasted, 160. - - Mutton, boiled, 206. - - Mutton, deviled, 134. - - Mutton, minced, with poached eggs, 70. - - - Omelet, baked, 63. - - Omelet, baked chicken, 144. - - Omelet, baked with cheese, 128. - - Omelet, bread, 55. - - Omelet, parsley, 49. - - Omelet with corn, 66. - - Onions, browned, 230. - - Orange cake, 160. - - Orange roly-poly, 231. - - Oysters, curried, 157. - - Oysters, panned, 133. - - - Pancakes, canned pea, 83. - - Parsnips, creamed, 208. - - Pâté, game, 141. - - Peach Brown Betty, 205. - - Pease, canned French, 212. - - Pease, canned green, 236. - - Pickerel, fried, 142. - - Pie, sliced peach, 224. - - Pigeons, stewed, 211. - - Pop-overs, Graham, 62. - - Porridge, 25. - - Potato balls, 71. - - Potato, moulded, 75. - - Potato purée, 226. - - Potatoes _au gratin_, 154. - - Potatoes, buttered, 50. - - Potatoes, hashed, 86. - - Potatoes hashed with cream, 69. - - Potatoes, Lyonnaise, 76. - - Potatoes, Parisian, 62. - - Potatoes, savory, 85. - - Potatoes, sliced, 148. - - Potatoes, stuffed, 67. - - Pudding, baked peach, 220. - - Pudding, cream rice, 229. - - Pudding, peach and tapioca, 227. - - Pudding, plain fruit, 235. - - Pudding, raspberry, 216. - - Pudding, rice and pear, 226. - - Puddings, cup, 204. - - - Rapid eating, 174. - - Rice bread, 131. - - Rice cakes, 156. - - Rice croquettes, 157. - - Rusk, 132. - - Rye gems, 59. - - - Salad, 171. - - Salad, asparagus, 210. - - Salad, celery and radish, 142. - - Salad, chicken, 138. - - Salad, egg, 145. - - Salad, French fish, 284. - - Salad, literary, 276. - - Salad, potato, 150. - - Sally-Lunn, quick, 69. - - Sally-Lunn, raised, 62. - - Sandwiches, 125, 126, 285. - - Sandwiches, lobster mayonnaise, 284. - - Sardines _au gratin_, 62. - - Sardines, broiled, on toast, 162. - - Sauce, cream, 62. - - Sauce, hard, 205. - - Sauce, mint, 218. - - Sauce, soubise, 206. - - Sauce, white, 60. - - Sausage, baked, 161. - - Sausage, broiled, 73. - - Sausage rolls, 78. - - Scallop patties, 53. - - Scallops, fried, 86. - - Seasoning, 245. - - Setting breakfast-table, 42. - - Setting dinner-table, 168. - - Shad roes in ambush, 59. - - Short-cake, canned peach, 150. - - Short-cake, peach, 64. - - Short-cake, raspberry, 56. - - Silver, cleaning, 303. - - Silver, solid, 301. - - Silver-plated dishes, 302. - - Soup, 171. - - Soup, asparagus, 216. - - Soup, black-bean, 237. - - Soup, canned, 183. - - Soup, cauliflower, 221. - - Soup, cheese, 218. - - Soup, corned-beef, 234. - - Soup, egg, 217. - - Soup, green-corn, 210. - - Soup, green-pea, 213. - - Soup, lentil, 204. - - Soup, oyster, 233. - - Soup, salmon, 228. - - Soup, tomato, _maigre_, 225. - - Soup, turkey, 232. - - Soup, veal, 223. - - Spaghetti, creamed, 209. - - Spanish chestnuts, roast, 156. - - Sponge-cake trifle, 208. - - Standing lunch menu, 118. - - Steak, broiled, with mushrooms, 72. - - Strawberries, 58. - - Strawberry méringue, 215. - - Sugar cakes, 163. - - Supper dishes, 258. - - Sweetbread pâtés, 147. - - Sweet potatoes, buttered, 205. - - - Table linen, 297, 298. - - Table manners, 248. - - Tomatoes, baked, 209. - - Tomatoes, broiled, 140. - - Tomatoes, deviled, 66. - - Tomatoes and corn, baked, 222. - - Tongue, jellied, 142. - - Tripe, Lyonnaise, 85. - - Turnip purée, 230. - - - Veal croquettes, 79. - - Veal cutlets _au maître d'hôtel_, 69. - - Veal galantine, 285. - - Veal Hamburg steaks, 163. - - - Waffles, quick, 71. - - Waffles, raised, 162. - - Welsh rabbit, 145. - - Wheat-flour gems, 73. - - Wheat puffs, 76. - - White-fish, baked, 225. - - - - -THE END. - - - - -BOOKS FOR THE HOUSEHOLD. - - - PRACTICAL COOKING AND DINNER GIVING. A Treatise containing - Practical Instructions in Cooking; in the Combination and Serving - of Dishes, and in the Fashionable Modes of Entertaining at - Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. By MARY F. HENDERSON. Illustrated. - 12mo, Water-proof Cover, $1 50. - - DIET FOR THE SICK. A Treatise on the Values of Foods, their - Application to Special Conditions of Health and Disease, and on - the Best Methods of their Preparation. By MARY F. HENDERSON. - Illustrated. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50. - - FAMILY LIVING ON $500 A YEAR. A Daily Reference Book for Young and - Inexperienced Housewives. By JULIET CORSON. 16mo, Cloth, $1 25. - - WHAT TO EAT—HOW TO SERVE IT. By CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK. 16mo, - Cloth, $1 00. - - HOUSEKEEPING MADE EASY. By CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK. 16mo, Cloth, - $1 00. - - CRADLE AND NURSERY. By CHRISTINE TERHUNE HERRICK. 16mo, Cloth, $1 - 00. - - CHOICE COOKERY. By CATHERINE OWEN. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - - MAN AND HIS MALADIES; or, The Way to Health. A Popular Hand-book - of Physiology and Domestic Medicine in Accord with the Advance in - Medical Science. By A. E. BRIDGER, B.A., M.D., &c. 12mo, Cloth, $2 - 00. - - DELICATE FEASTING. By THEODORE CHILD. Post 8vo, Cloth, $1 25. - - VIRGINIA COOKERY-BOOK. By MARY STUART SMITH. 12mo, Cloth, $1 50; - 4to, Paper, 25 cents. - - BAZAR COOKING RECEIPTS. Cooking Receipts from _Harper's Bazar_. - 32mo, Paper, 25 cents; Cloth, 40 cents. - - BEAUTY IN DRESS. By Miss OAKEY. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - - BEAUTY IN THE HOUSEHOLD. By Mrs. T. W. DEWING, Author of "Beauty - in Dress." Illustrated. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - - OUNCES OF PREVENTION. By TITUS MUNSON COAN, M.D. 12mo, Paper, 25 - cents; Cloth, 50 cents. - - THE UNRIVALLED COOK-BOOK and Housekeeper's Guide. By Mrs. - WASHINGTON. 12mo, Water-proof Cover, $2 00. - - THE BAZAR BOOKS: The Bazar Book of Health.—The Bazar Book of - Decorum.—The Bazar Book of the Household. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00 each. - - HINTS TO WOMEN ON THE CARE OF PROPERTY. By ALFRED WALKER. 32mo, - Paper, 20 cents; Cloth, 35 cents. - - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. - -☞ _Any of the above works will be sent, postage prepaid, to any part of -the United States, Canada, or Mexico, on receipt of the price._ - - -MISS CORSON'S FAMILY LIVING ON $500 A YEAR. - - - Family Living on $500 a Year. A Daily Reference Book for Young and - Inexperienced Housewives. By JULIET CORSON. 16mo, Cloth, $1 25. - -If we ever get as much as $500 a year we shall purchase this book and -live like a prince.... It goes carefully through the expenses of daily -living, and indicates the thousand and one ways in which a penny can be -saved and another penny put where it will do most good. A book of this -kind placed in the hands of those who have very limited means will show -that they can live very comfortably and have quite enough to eat on a -very small sum.—_N. Y. Herald._ - -It is a helpful working book, sensible and practical, and tells -how to buy, cook, and serve all sorts of food; how to can, pickle, -and preserve; and how to arrange and serve luncheons, dinners, and -teas, all in the most economical manner consistent with appetizing -results.—_Sunday-School Times_, Philadelphia. - -Food-economist, cook-book, and instructor in table service all in -one.... The book is a capital one, and every housekeeper should feel -grateful to the able and painstaking author.—_N. Y. Post._ - -The production of a lady who understands her subject thoroughly, -and who earnestly wishes to help others towards the same useful -knowledge.... A book of this sort (and Miss Corson is the best able -to produce it of any one we know) is a great aid, and the more it is -circulated the more households will be made happy.—_Churchman_, N. Y. - -Every housekeeper, whether coming within the scope of the author's -effort or not, will find many instructive hints, a due regard for which -will be conducive to the improved physical well-being and increased -mental serenity of the various members of her household.—_St. Louis -Republican._ - - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. - -☞ HARPER & BROTHERS _will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, -to any part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price_. - - -MRS. SHERWOOD'S MANNERS AND SOCIAL USAGES IN AMERICA. - - - Manners and Social Usages in America. A Book of Etiquette. By Mrs. - JOHN SHERWOOD. pp. 448. New and Enlarged Edition, Revised by the - Author. 16mo, Extra Cloth, $1 25. - -Mrs. Sherwood's admirable little volume differs from ordinary works on -the subject of etiquette, chiefly in the two facts that it is founded -on its author's personal familiarity with the usages of really good -society, and that it is inspired by good-sense and a helpful spirit.... -We think Mrs. Sherwood's little book the very best and most sensible -one of its kind that we ever saw.—_N. Y. Commercial Advertiser._ - -We have no hesitation in declaring it to be the best work of the -kind yet published. The author shows a just appreciation of what is -good-breeding and what is snobbishness.... In happy discriminations the -excellence of Mrs. Sherwood's book is conspicuous.—_Brooklyn Union._ - -It is a sensible and pleasantly written volume, which has already won -recognition as one of the best books of its kind, and this new edition -is called for by the heartiness with which the public has endorsed the -work.—_Courier_, Boston. - -A sensible, comprehensive book, which has endured criticism -successfully, and deserves now to be regarded the best book of its -kind published in this country.... A better guide than Mrs. Sherwood's -book through the paths of social usages we do not know. The book is a -handsome one, as it ought to be.—_Christian Intelligencer_, N. Y. - - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. - -☞ HARPER & BROTHERS _will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, -to any part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price_. - - -HIGGINSON'S WOMEN AND MEN. - - - Women and Men. By THOMAS WENTWORTH HIGGINSON, Author of "A Larger - History of the United States," &c. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - -Nothing that Mr. Higginson has done in literature is more fascinating -than these short papers, into which he has put his choice learning, his -bright wit, his exceptional experience, and his unrivalled literary -skill.—_Boston Herald._ - -Every essay is bright, suggestive, practical, and charming, and the -work is sure to be widely popular.—_Chicago Interior._ - -The author writes with candor and wisdom, and his zeal is guided -by good-sense as well as evident ability.—_Sunday-School Times_, -Philadelphia. - -These essays are replete with common-sense ideas expressed in -well-chosen language, and reflect on every page the humor, wit, and -wisdom of the author.—_N. Y. Sun._ - -By that prince of essayists.... Practical, suggestive, and thoroughly -enjoyable.—_Chicago Journal._ - -These papers have not only the merit of brevity, but they are bright, -witty, graceful, and interesting. They are such papers as women -delight to read, and men will enjoy them quite as much.... They are -brief sermons without the dulness of sermonizing; and they teach -important moral, social, and literary lessons, with the aid of frequent -personal allusion, historic reference, and literary anecdote and -quotation.—_Critic_, N. Y. - -Delightfully clever.... Perfect examples of what the short essay on a -social subject should be.—_Boston Transcript._ - - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. - -☞ HARPER & BROTHERS _will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, -to any part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price_. - - -THE BAZAR BOOKS. - - -THE BAZAR BOOK OF DECORUM. - - The Care of the Person, Manners, Etiquette, and Ceremonials, pp. - 282. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - -A very graceful and judicious compendium of the laws of etiquette, -taking its name from the BAZAR weekly, which has become an established -authority with the ladies of America upon all matters of taste and -refinement.—_N. Y. Evening Post._ - -THE BAZAR BOOK OF HEALTH. - - The Dwelling, the Nursery, the Bedroom, the Dining-Room, the - Parlor, the Library, the Kitchen, the Sick-Room. pp. 280. 16mo, - Cloth, $1 00. - -A sensible book, and a most valuable one.... We consider that the wide -distribution of this handy and elegant little volume would be one of -the greatest benefactions, in a social and economical sense, that could -be made to our countrymen and countrywomen.—_Christian Intelligencer_, -N. Y. - -THE BAZAR BOOK OF THE HOUSEHOLD. - - Marriage, Establishment, Servants, Housekeeping, Children, Home - Life, Company. pp. 266. 16mo, Cloth, $1 00. - -Its pages are characterized by common-sense, and the book, with its -practical style and useful suggestions, will do good.—_Independent_, N. -Y. - - -PUBLISHED BY HARPER & BROTHERS, NEW YORK. - -☞ HARPER & BROTHERS _will send the above work by mail, postage prepaid, -to any part of the United States or Canada, on receipt of the price_. - - - - - ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ - │ Transcriber's Note: │ - │ │ - │ Minor typographical errors have been corrected without note. │ - │ │ - │ Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant │ - │ form was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed. │ - │ │ - │ Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained. 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