Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-04-01
PREPARING A BANQUET.
HOW A BIG FEAST is MADE READY
AND SERVED.


ton Necessary Everything Must he
Done Neatly, quickly and systcmati-
cnIIy- Work of the CHEF aud Assistants.
Few of the many who attend ban
quets, says the Detroit Free Press,
have any adequate idea of how such
feasts are prepared, and their appre-
citation of the countless details that fit
together like piece of mechanism Is
limited to what they see before them.
Usually the menu tickles their pal
ates, the decorations are deemed
handsome, and the nimble walters
perhaps come in for u share of the
comments. How the whole thing is
prepared is of little concern to the
well-fed guest, and his curiosity sell
dom prompts him to peep behind the
swinging doors, where II small army
of cooks, carvers, dishwashers and
others are at work.
To serve q banquet for $50 persons
requires no more help, with the OK.
cortion of extra walters, than is
employed in getting up the regular
meals, though this fact is hard to he.
lieye until it is demonstrated. Tho
prime minister of the kitchen and its
environments is the steward, and his
judgment is supreme. Though never
in evidence, he is very busy man,
aud his responsibility is great. He
must not only DO good chef, but n
fnancier, and have no little eyecu-
tive ability. To him is left the mr.
rangement Of all tho details, First of
all, the price per plateis decided upon,
and the steward must then get up an
attractive menu, figuring tho entire
cost to such a nicely that there will
he profit left for the hotel. Steward
Lukes of the Russell House was re.
Gently asked how it was all done, and
he modestly answered: lyon had bet
ter come and see for yourself,
The banquet is set for 7 o'clock, and
il is within half an hour of that time.
Walters are hurrying about filing or
ders for the regular suppers, but the
expected hustle does not materali2c.
In the big dining-room the decorations
are receiving the last touch, electric
Tights IRE being tested and the head
waiter is drilling his corps of assist
ants. issuing suoh orders rs, make
IA little noise "a possible" "Serye
guests from the left" and other in.
structions. Then the walters file in
and out with their trays so that they
will know their exact places. The
long tables have already been set, and
a few minutes later the dining-room
is cleared of everyone except the head
waiter, who takes position at the
entrance. In the kitchen the steward
is in command and hurries from one
department to another to satisfy him.
self that everything is in readiness, the
result of several days planning,
Everything needed for the banquet
is ordered the day before, and tho
things to be cooked are turned over
to the chef, which means that he and
his assistants will have their hands
full for the day. Some Of the dishes
can be prepared earlier in the day, brt
the fish and the birds have To be served
hot, and they are put in tho oven so
"a to be done just when that particu.
lar course will be called for. Dishes
and glasses are important items and
for banque! OF $50 persons fully $500
will he used, and it is safe to assert
that very few of them will be broken.
TO prevent any delay, the dishes and
glasses for each course are taken from
the storeroom and placed in separate
Ia hax hnAn
rs soon "a used are again washed, and
put away. Small plates for the appe-
tizer are first brought to the kitchen,
and as soon as the guests are seated
the walters carry them ont on their
trays In the meantime half dozen
young women have been distributing
rows Of plates along table. Upon
the top Of each is placed an oyster
plate, and then one of the servers
quickly fills them with cracked ice.
Another server runs to the ice box and
returns with big trays containing blue
points on the half shell. These arc
quickly placed on the ice on the plates,
a piece of lemonis dropped in the CEN
ter of each plate, and the course is
ready Just az the walters come march.
ing in. As they disappear again the
soup plates are taken from heater,
and the chef is notified that it is time
to serve it. Next the sweltering as
sistant in charge of the broiler deity
losses the portions of fish on to large
pan, and in few moments later the
guests are enjoying that palatable dish.
The birds, which were put in the oven
Just before the banquet began, are
then taken out done to turn. One
course follows another until the menu
Is exhausted. and at the end there is
hardly sign that anything unusual
has been going on. The wines and
cigars are kept in the stewards Office
Il ntil needed the former In hio tuhs