Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-09
Classic Menus.
From Vogue.

HAoiH NoSuc.
To the French cook cooking is an art.
and in his estimation you need natural bent
as well as knowledge to practice this pro-
fession successfully. He knows not only
how to prepare the most delicious dishes
as pleasing to the eye as they are to the
palate-but how to successfully compose
them into harmonious whole.
The work of art. vulgarly termed dinner.
consists of two distinct parts-services-
that must be in perfect proportion to each
other. They are preceded by the prelude
of the soups and hors d'oeuvres-and fol-
lowed by the finale of the Disseminating
a whole of great variety in detail, and IT.
reproachable unity in design.
OF the soups and hors d'oeuvres 1t Is
only to be remarked that usually two Of
creamy-and that the hors d'oeuvres
(oysters. caviar, pate de foie gras, etc. are
served after the soups according to Frencn
style. before the soup If you follow the
Russian fashion.
The first service consists of the relieves
any large pieces Of fish. beef, mutton.
veal, pork. etc.-and OF the entrees, smaller
dishes. warm or cold, as ragouts, BIRDS on
toast. patties. meat jellies. fancy cutiets'
vegetables in form of chartreuses or mace
doineS, etc.
The second service is composed of hot
rotis-i. e., large pieces of roast venison~or
poultry-and the entremets. vegetables.
salads compots and sweet dishes warm or
cold, as buildings. charlottes, blanc-manges.
etc.
The dessert is made UP of the CROSSES
pieces" ices, mousses, cremes andelaborate
pieces Of patisserie-and the assiettes, fancy
cakes. petits jour, bonbons, candied fruits,
etc.
OF endless variety as the French menus
seem. they are all governed by the same alb
solutely strict rules which the most famous
of chefs even could not afford to disregard.
According to these rules, the first service Is
the one to decide the proportions of the
whole dinner. If, for example, 1t consists
of two relieves and four entrees, the second
service must be composed Of two rotis and
four entremets. while for dessert as many
crosses pieces are served as there were
relieves, and the double number OF assiettes
as there were entrees.
For a luncheon one selects some dishes
from among the hors doeuvres. the entrees
and the entremets.
For a supper hors d'oeuvres. consomme
the lighter white or red wines, Sauternes,
in Guns and entree rotis land salad and
some iced mousse or creme. with small
cakes, are chosen.
According to French style all the dishes
are put on the table at the beginning of
each service, then one by one removed,
carved and served. According to Russian
fashion however, the warm dishes are
never placed on the table, but carved In the
kitchen and Immediately served, this way
reaching the guests In the best condition of
! warmth and general excellence.
The rules for the sequence Of wines are
not so strictly followed; The generally
accented fashion Gn France). however.
| starts with sherry, Madeira, Xeres like
variety to hail the soup-then proceeding to
Chateau Yquems. etc. Accompanying the
releves-to the Bordeaux, Burgundys or
Rhine wines of the entrees-the climax of
champagne introduced with the rots-the
Muscatels. Malvoisies and other sweet
wines of the entremets-down to the ling
ering favors Of the liqueurs anisette.
maraschino, curacao etc, that accom-
nany lie cafe noir If some iced punch Is to
be introduced, it should be served in the
pause between the two services.