Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-12-22
THE CHRISTMAS DAY DINNER
How to Make it a Grand and
Enjoyable Feast.
VARIOUS TABLE APPOINTMENTS
From 2 to 3 O'Clock the Best
Dinner Hour.


most important events Of Christmas
Day. In the joyous looking forward to
the fruits of the Christmas tree and the
spoils of the Christmas stocking the
dinner may for time sink into compara-
tive insignifcance. But it will not re-
main there. 1t does not take long to
strip the tree and to empty the stock
ings, and then the eager mind looks
around restlessly for something else to
anticipate. And that something it finds
in the dinner.
Luckily for the less important mem
bers of the household, the housekeeper
has not waited until then to take dinner
into consideration. Upon her has de-
yOlved the responsibility, in the midst
of the whirl of keeping every ones
secrets and recollecting every ones
presents, of preparing bill OF fare that
will do honor to the day.
A calm content fills her soul as she
thinks of the mince pie, the plum pud-
ding, and the Christmas fruit cake upon
which she has expended head and hand
work. The feast she has designed will
be culinary triumph that will add
fresh glories 10 her fame as u house
keeper
DINNER FROM 2 TO 8.
1t is not well to have the Christmas
dinner too early in the day. On that
morning the breakfast is not unusually
an early meal, and the entire family
have done more or less munching of
fruit, nuts, and candies all the forenoon.
II is wise to postpone the dinner hour
to 3 or 3 o'clock, and thus give every
one an opportunity for little exercise
that will bring up the appetite to the
point requisite to the full enjoyment of
the meal. An evening dinner is hardly
to be commended on account of the
little folk, who on this day, at least,
should be permitted to dine with their
elders.
Make of your Christmas dinner Il
rather stately affair. Serve it in courses
and let the best of everything adorn
the board. The finest linen, the choicest
silver, the prettiest china and glass
should be aired on this day, if ever.
Flowers should brighten the table,
boutonieres and bouquets de corsage
should be mixed with holly, and a
spray of mistletoe should hang from the
chandelier.
ARRANGING THE TABLE.
The service of the dinner need not be
elaborate. A low bowl of flowers may
stand i'll the middle of the table, dish
of fruit on one side, one of nuts and
raisins on the other. Here and there
may be set little ornamental dishes of
candles, of olives, of sailed peanuts, of
radishes. The cranberry Jelly and
pickles, &c, may also find their place
here, and this, with the array Of plates,
knives, forks, &C., will probably leave
no room for the vegetables. These may
stand on the side table and be passed.
But the turkey must have his post of
honor at one end of the table.
A word about the small silver and
cutlery. A great deal of trouble is
caused by putting most of it on the
table when it is first set. To the right
of the plate lie large knife for the
meat and small one for the cheese
that accompanies the salad. To the left
are two forks, one for each of these
courses. At right angles to these is the
soup spoon. BY the forks lies the nap
kin, with piece of bread folded in it.
The meat and vegetables are all re.
moved, OF course, before the salad,
cheese and crackers are brought in. Tea
plates are large enough to serve these
| on. After this course tho table may be
cleared of everything but the sweets and
| fruit, the crumbs brushed off and fresh
plates, knives and forks passed before
the pies and puddings are brought in
and placed at opposite ends of the
table. When they have been discussed
| fruit plates, tinger-bowls and fruit.
knives are brought and coffee is served.
AN ELABORATE FEAST.
Here Is n suggestion of menu for O
Christmas dinner:
Raw Oysters.
Clear Soup.
| Fried Smells with Butter Sauce.
| Chicken Pates
Roast Turkey with Oyster Stuffiug.
Rice Croquettes. Sweet Potatoes
Green Corn Pudding.
Cranberry Jelly.
| Celery Salad. Sailed Almonds
Pumpkin Pie. Mince Pic. Plum Pudding
Ice Cream.
| Christmas Cake.
Coffee. Fruit.
AN INEXPENSIVE MENU.
For those who cannot afford the time
| to prepare or the money to purchase SC
elaborate feast us this, it is a simple
matter to modify the bill Of fare to the
following:
Oyster Soup.
Roast Turkey. Chichen Pie.
Scalloped Sweet Potatoes. Boiled Rice
Cranberry Jelly.
Mince Pie Or Plum Pudding.
/ Fruit, Nuts, and Rasins, Coffee.
The chicken pie and the roast turkey
may be served at the same time, one
from each end of the table.
Persons who desire more elaborate
feast may add to the first menu sorbet
and game, and introduce one or two
more entrees.
SEVERAL DAYS AHEAD.
OF course there must be some planning
ahead for this dinner. Mince meal
must have been compounded at least q
week earlier, that it may have properly
ripened. The clear soup, the pastry
the pies, the plum pudding may all have
been prepared the day before, and the
Christmas cake, like the mince meat
will be all the better ii it is made several
days before IL is needed.
MANY PALATABLE DISHES.
Recipes for number of the dishes
mentioned in the menus are subjoined
PASTRY FOR PATEs AND PIES.
Two pounds sifted flour.
One and one half pounds butter.
Ice water enough to make stiff paste
Have bowl, chopping-knife, butter and
-four well chilled before beginning work.
Chop the butter into the flour, ana when
the bits of butter are the size of peas,
pour in the ice water, mix it with the
chopping-knife into a rough paste, and
turn it out on the board together with
| any scraps of butter that have not been