Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1891-06-01
ESTHETIC SANDWICHES.

llOXical Us to speak of an cSthctic SauS-
age; and yet in England the gentle
women serve, at afternoon tea, sand
witches so ambrosial that they fully JUS
tify the paradox.
These dainty delights, so diaphanous
that they are almost ethereal, l tasted
fcr the first time ut Elmswood house,
IN Devon, says S. 7. Sherman in Table
Talk.
Elmswood house enjoys the distinc-
ton of having the Disappointed five
o'clock tea table il all England, which
i; no modest distinction in n country
where afternoon tea is such an lndis-
rcnsablc adjunct to everyday life
The csthctic sandwich was invented
~ the ladies of Elmswood house, as 4
novelty to accompany the tea, one re-
cent summer; but it proved so popular
that it remained Il feature of their table
Ill the ensuing winter, and finally be-
ceElc u staple, appearing Will tii;; arm
summer a;ld winter, year in. year out.
Such perfect beverage must needs
have a perfect accompaniment: so, to
!ncct this demand, the csthctic sandwich
vas invented, and ever since fashion
able England has been eating violets
SONS with her daily bread. The petals
Of these blossoms are not pluckcd and
laid between the buttcrcd slices; no
such crude method could obtain ut
Elmswood house. Yet their favors arc
present as distinctly as if the petals
themselves were there, and for long
time the manner of procuring this effect
,vas kept Il secret by their patrician in
,entors, SO that the sandwiches added
70 their material deliciousncss the fur
thcr zest of mystery. But the secret
finally waited abroad, as such secrets
subtly will, and at the time OF my Elms-
wood visit it had become such an open
enc that was freely taken into the cold
stone dairy, where Miss Winnifrcd and
little Gladys unvailed the mystery to
me. On one of the marble shelves a
little pat Of butter, wrapped in thinncst
dairy cloth, rested on a bed of clover
blossoms in tic bottom of china turccn,
and Betty, the maid, was lining the
sides of the dish with the same fragrant
blossoms and hcaping them on top OF
the pat. When the tureen would not
hold another blossom, the lid was
crushed down upon them and the YES
sci was carried to the huge, cool, gothic
cellar to await 1.-The ornamental meal"
as Mr. Oliphant terms the five o'clock
cup.
Here the butter busted itself absorb
ing fragrance. like Il bee in the clover.
while beside it in q stone jar was tho
goldcn-clustcd loaf of bread, also
wrapped in a film Of dairy cloth anG
packed snugly in al nest of clover bios
while it bode it's time. When that
:inc came it was cut with keen blade
in slices SO thin that they were lacy
and diaphanous and had to be buttercG
on the loaf. They came to the senses
like the breath of calves and the scent
IF ncw-mown lay at dcwfan. Wit!
such an adjunct the wonder cease
that hot afternoon tea in summer can
seem SO delightful to the English, TO"
I'll through green June it is dr2nll with
clover sandwiches one day, or rose the
next, violet the next, and anon honey
locust blended with orange blossom and
lasting like some exquisite localized
honey. Earlier in the season there
have been cherry blossom and apple
blossom buffers, and cowSlip and mas
turtium, the two latter being the most
2urgcnt and piquant Of all, and, as
they are very appctizing, they are
great favoritcs with tie gentlemen. No
flowers are used with these buffers ex-
crpt the edible flowers; clover, locust
and orange blossoms that the bees
have taught us to relish in honey;
roses and violcts that confectioncrs
have taught us to relish in glaces; the
"owslip, which Goldsmith and the
|owitts have taught us to relish
il the homemade wine Of old,
time fiction; and the nasturtium.
which, pungcnt and pcppcry in
pickles, becomes most unctious in the
c5thCtic sandwich. This last flavor was
the favOritc, par excellence, with al
thc hearty and ruddy young athletes who
would drop in hungry and thirsty after
cricket, or Rugby, or tennis, for SIP