The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1891-07-17
ESYHETIC SANDWICHES.
"a Toothsome Dainty Favored
with the Odors OF Flowers.
They Were Invented and Prepared by the
Ladies' 81 Quiet English Homestead
- a Novelty for the Even
ing Meal.

- a NoveIty for the Even
ing Meal.
To speak of an esthctic sandwich
sounds almost rs unexpected and para
G9Nical as to speak of an esthetic saus-
age: and yet in England the gentle
women serve, at afternoon tea. sand
yvichcs 50 ambrosial that they fully JUS
1ity the paradox.
These dainty delights. so diaphanous
that they are almost ethereal tasted
. Tor the first time at ElmswOod house,
in Devon. says =. II. sherman in Table
Talk
Elmswood house enjoys the distinc-
ton of having the best-apponted ilVe
o'clock tea table il all England, which
is no modest distinction i'm a country
where afternoon tea i such an lndIs-
pensablc adjunct 10 everyday life.
The esthctic sandwich was invented
by the ladies of Elmsvood house, as a
novelty to accompany the tea one re
cent summer; but it proved SO popular
that it remained feature of their table
all the ensuing winter, and finally be
carac a STAPLE. appearing with the urn
summer and winter, year III, year out.
Such a perfect beverage must needs
have perfect accompaniment; so, To
meet this, demand, the esthetic sandwich
was invented and ever since fashion
able England has been eating violetS
and roses, cowslipS and orange dos
SONS with her daily bread. The petals
Of these blossoms are not plucEed ana
laid between the buttcrcd slices; no
such crude method could obtain AT
F,Ir,syvool house. Yet their flavOrs arc
1,G fol
themselves were there, and for long
time the manner of procuring this erect
was kept secret by their Patrician m
vcrtars, SO that the sandwiches added
To thcfr material dcliciousnesS the FUR
tner zcSt .oj mystery. But the secret
finally wa fled abroad. as such secrets
subtlv win. and at the time of my EIinN-
wood visit il had become such an open
one that was freely taken into the cold
sforc dairy. yhcrs Miss Winuifrcd and
Hule GLADYS unvailcd the mystery 70
mo. On one of the marble shelves q
littc pat Of butter. wrapped in thinnest
dairy cloth. rested on Il bed of clover
blossoms in the bottom of a china turecu.
and BETTY. the maid. was lining the
SIDES of the dish with the same fragrant
blossoms and hcapiug them ON top Of
hold another blossom, the lid was
crushed down upon them and the yes
So. was carried to the huge, cool. gothic
collar TO await the ornamental meal.
as MIR. OIiphant terms the five o'clock
cup.
Iicr, the butter busted itself absorb
fo.r f-aqruucu. like bee in the clover,
while beside II in a stone jar was the
.alGen-crustcd loaf OF bread, also
wrapped in "a film Of dairy cloth and
hacked suurIy in q nest of clover bios
SONS. Here it kept cool and moist
while II bode ITS time. When that
time came it was cut with Il keen blade
in slices 50 thin that they were lacy
and diaphanous and had u be buttercd
outhe loaf They came To the senses
like the breath of calves and the scent
of ncw-moyvn hay ut dcwfaIl. With
such an adjunct the wonder ceases
that hot afternoon tea in summer can
seem 50 delightful 10 the EUglish. for
all through green June it il drank with
clover sandwiches one day. or rose the
next. violet the next, and anon honey
locust blended with orange blossom and
tasting like some cyquisite idcali2cd
honey Earlier in the season There
have been cherry blossom ana apple
blossom buffers, and COW slip and mas
turtium- the two iottcr being the most
pungent and piquaut Of all. and, rs
they err very aPrCtizing. they are
great favorites with the gentlemen. No
flowers are used with these buffers cX-
ccut the edible flowers: clover. locust
and orange blossoms that the bees
have taught Us To relish in honey.
roses and violcts that coufectiouCrs
have taught us 10 relish in gluccs; the
ccwslip, which Goldsmith and the
Howitts have taught us To relish
in the homemade wine of old
time fiction; and the mast urtium.
which, pungent and pcpPcry in
pickles, becomes most uuctious in the
esthctic sandwich This last flavor was
the favorite, par excellence. with all
the hearty and ruddy Young athletes who
would drop iE hungry and thirsty after
cricket or Rugby, or tennis, for sip
Of Elmswood house sOuchong and a
generous dozen of the diaphanOuS
nGsturtium dOuinoes; for the shape of
this delicate sandwich is n small oblong.
And under these ''dOmiuOcs'' such dis
tinct iOwcry tiavors lurlS in such COM
pletc disguise that the little feast might
be called the "Nlasque of Flowers
have seen the uninitiated pick the sim
pie things to pieces 10 find the source Of
the aroma, and then stare in batlicd per-
pleNity, like the king did At the apple
dumping, when he was moved TO cry
his historic query: But how, how got
the apple in?"
1t was one of the pretty conccits %
the Elmswood house tea table to have
the various chamois leather tea co~eys
embroidered with the different flowers
used as flavoringS. and On clover day to
use the one With clover spray upon il.
on cowslip day the cowslip cosey, on
locust day the locust coscy. and so on
through the whole rcPertory of flowers.
The mystiI ad were often archly assured
that the flavor IN the sandwiches pro-
ceedcd, by some fairy witchery, from
the flowers on the cOsey. This flavor
ing OF butter was an open secret among
the French peasants long before il was
discovered by the English patrician,
and has made the butter stalls of the
Paris markets picturesque for centuries.