Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-25
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The trick of serving a successful dinner
THANKSGIVING day or any other is not SO
much in the richness of the viands. the
splendor of heavy plate, cut glass, embroid-
cred linens silken scarves and expensive
rations from the florists as in the heart
felt welcome, the knack of making people
feel Eat home" and comfortable. It's cheer
that makes the merry feast.
If to this be added a menu simple or elab-
crate, but each article well chosen and per-
fectIy cooked, table service absolutely
clean and bright Zone that would pass mus
ter in Spotless Town, whether the linen be
coarse or fine, the silver plated or real, the
glass pressed or cut. the china priceless or
from the 10-cent store and the arrangement
of the table orderly and with eye to pleas
Ing color effects, there is no danger of the
dinner proving anything but an unqualified
success.
But just here is an essential point to re-
member and this especially for the young
housekeeper who may be giving her first big
dinner with his people" as guests. If, haV-
ing conscientlously attended to every de-
tail possible a day two in advance, so
there need be no grand rush at the last
moment with an overdone hostess, too tired
and preoccupied to enjoy the feast and the
company of her friends, something should
go even radically wrong in the cooking or
serving, pretend you don't notice 1t, and
may think that is the latest wrinkle" in
that particular dish or method of serving.
If 1t is too patent to escape observation,
laugh It off and let the company enjoy the
joke with you
a guest that is not willing to make al
lowances for mistakes that are common to
all is not worth inviting again. How WV
idly l recall one of the first little dinners
l gave to some of my husbands men
friends. 1 had made a plum pudding that
turned out great success. Just before the
dinner was served. when l was getting
the sauce ready, 1t occurred to that
little brandy would improve the flavor. We
did not keep it in stock, but recalled
flask marked French brandy in my broth
ers room and straightway HE'D me up to
get 1t.
l thought It lacked the usual bouquet"
but never dreamed for a moment that there
might be other liquids in a brandy bottle
besides brandy. so into the sauce it went
WineglaSSfui. The first course of the dinner
passed off swimmingly, though the little
maid who helped me serve 1t was anything
but letter perfect in her part. Then came
the pudding, all afiame and daintily deco
rated, eliciting chorus of approval so dear
to the young cooks heart. Then the sauce
went round. Fortunately my brother hap
pened TO be the first who tasted it. He
looked at me bit quizzically. Whats
the fiavor?" he asked Your brandy" 1
laughed back, thinking it a great joke on
him. But have none" he said. ION,
yes. ! got it in your room.' Then how he
developed that the contents of the bottle
were decoction of boneset and similar
YARDS that a dear old aunt in the coun-
try had put up for him to take for touch
of malaria. No harm was done. The medic
inal pudding sauce was quickly replaced
by one of butter and sugar. less highly
Favored and the dinner went on to a
finish midst great hlarity.
In Setting Your Dinner Table.-In setting
your dinner table always think of the
comfort OF Your guests. Sweep and dust
your dining room right after breakfast and
air Ii well, 50 that il may not be 'stuffy.'
Look out for the temperature of the room,
and see that no guest will be placed in a
draft. Don't let the ceuierpiece of the
lamps or candles provided you serve the
dinner at night, be so high as to obstruct
the vision. As usual thing the Thanks
giving dinner is served. accord ng to ira
dition, in the early afternoon, in which
case artificial lighting is not necessary.
Do not overload your table with a null
tiplicity of small dishes. Butter is sell
dom served for dinner; but. if preferred
II Is simply a little individual pat on
the bread and butter plate Bread and
butter spreaders fashionable and
convenient, but not essential. Our Pill
grim mothers got along without them.
Have a pretty and artistic centerpiece
OF fruit or flowers. Fruit for Thanks
giving is specially appropriate. If you
have an old-fashioned silver cake bas-
red and green, polished till they shine
like mirrors; bronze and rudy pears,
white and purple grapes and golden
oranges.
If you have no silver dish or FURNISHED
copper tray such as many housewives are
now picking up In the Russian quarters of
our large cities, put them in a pumpkin
SHELF or one of Hubbard squash. Cut
these IN halves, scrape out the inside, line
with a paper napkin or piece of tinfoil,
train a bit of vine sprays of autumn
leaves over the edges and you have a
jardinere of beauty that could scarcely be
Improved upon. If the dinner is to be
served in courses (and that is easiest if
you have any one to wait on table,. the
clans. oysters, grape fruit or cocktail are
put on the table before dinner Is served
the plate containing them being placed on
service plate that remains until dessert
Next comes the soup or bouillon, served in
cups instead of soup plates. Little dinner
rolls are usually served with this course.
If fish enters into the menu it is brought
IN on the plates, with cucumbers or tartar
sauce and potato balls or ribbons. The en-
cree roast follows, dependent upon the
elaborateness of the menu. On Thanks
giving Monsieur Turkey needs no prelude,
and the entree seems superhuous The veg