The DeLamar nugget. [volume] (DeLamar, Idaho) 1891-1900, 1891-06-16
ESTHETIC SANDWICHES.
A Toothsome Dainty Favored
with the Odors of Flowers.
They Were Invented and Prepared by the
Ladies of Quiet English Homestead
as a Novelty for the Even

dOXical as to speak OF an cSpHeulc S5uS-
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 diaphanops
that they are almost ethereal, I tasted
for the first time at Elmswood house,
in Devon, says S. T. Sherman in Table
Talk.
Elmswood house enjoys the distinc-
ton of having the best-appointed five
O'Clock tea table in all England, which
is no modest distinction in a country
where afternoon tea is such an indis-
pensable adjunct to everyday life
The esthetic sandwich was invented
by the ladies of Elmswood house, as
novelty to accompany the tea, one re-
cent summer; but it proved SO popular
that it remained a feature of their table
all the ensuing winter, and finally be-
came staple, appearing with the urn
summer and winter, year in, year out.
Such 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 bios
SONS with her daily bread. The petals
of these blossoms are not pluclced and
laid between the buttered slices; no
such crude method could obtain at
Elnswood 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
was kept a secret by their patrician in
yentors, so that the sandwiches added
to their material deliciousness the fur
Their zest of mystery. But the secret
finally waited abroad, as such secrets
subtly will, and at the time Of my llnls-
wood visit it had become such an open
one that was freely taken into the cold
stone dairy. where Miss Winnifred and
little Gladys unvailed the mystery to
me. On one of the marble shelves q
little pat of butter, wrapped in thinnest
dairy cloth, rested on bed CT clover
blossoms in the bottom of q china turccn,
and Betty, the maid, was lining the
sides of the dish with the same fragrant
blossoms and heaping them on tep Of
the pat. When the tureen would not
hold another blossom, the lid was
crushed down upon them and the yes
sci was carrie l to the huge, cool, gothic
cellar to await The ornamental meal,
as III. Oliphant terms the five o'clock
cup.
Here The butter busted itself absorb
ing FRAGRANCE, like q bee in the clover,
while beside it III a stone jaR was the
.solden-crusted loaf of bread, also
wrapped in a film CT dairy cloth and |
packed snugly in nest OF clover bios |
SONS. Here it kept cool and moist |
while it bode its time. When that
time came it was cut with keen blade
in slices so thin that they were lacy |
and diaphanous and had to be buttered |
on the loaf. They came to the senses
like the breath of calves and the scent |
of new-mown hay at dewfall. With |
such an adjunct the wonder ceases
that hot afternoon tea in summer can
seem so delightful to the English, for
all through green June it is 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 exquisite idealizcd
honey. Earlier in the season there
have been cherry blossom and apple
blossom buffers, and cowslip and nag
turtium, the two latter being the most
pungent and piquant of all, and, as
they are very appetizing, they are
great favorites with the gentlemen. No
flowers are used with these buffers ex-
cept the edible flowers; clover, locust
and orange blossoms that the bees
have taught us to relish in honey;
roses and violets that confectioners
have taught us to relish in glaces; the
cowslip, which Goldsmith and the
Howitts have taught us to relish
in the homemade wine of old
time fiction; and the nasturtium,
which, pungent and peppery in
pickles, becomes most unctious in the
sandwich. This last favor was
5he favorite, par excellence, with all
jhe hearty and ruddy young athletes who
would drop in hungry and thirsty after
cricket, or Rugby, or tennis, for sip
If Elmswood house souchong and a
generous dozen of the diaphanous
lasturtium dominoes; for the shape of
his delicate sandwich is small oblong.
And under these ''dominoes" such dis
met fowery havors Turk in such com
,lete disguise that the little feast might
,e called the ''Masque of Flowers" l
ave seen the uninitiated pick the sim
lie things to pieces to find the source OF
he aroma, and then stare in batfled per-
lexity, like the king did at the apple
when he was moved to cry
is historic query: But how, how got ;
he apple IMP"
1t was one of the pretty conceits of
he Elmswood house tea table to have ;
be various channels leather tea coseys
with the different flowers i
sed as havorings, and on clover day to /
Sc the one with clover spray upon it, /