The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-04-29
Midnight Suppers
BY ELIZABETH BIpDLE.

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For those who prefer the home sup
per to a repast served in a fashion
able cafe, there arises the oft-repeated
question, what shall we have?"
The hostess who can serve a dainty
quickly prepared, and piping hot re-
i lection Is always in demand
!, To accomplish this successfully the
chatting dish is an absolute necessity
The great secret of successful
chatting dish cookery lies in the pre-
liminary planning, and then seeing
that everything needed for the cook
: ing is just where the cook can place
= her hand on it without having to run
to the buffers pantry for one ingre-
| dent, and to the kitchen for another
: The novice will feel that she has a
, thousand things to remember and as
many duties to follow In quick sue
cession.
A chatting dish course should always
be preceded by a little appetizer. This
|, will give time for the lamp to be
. lighted under the chatting dish, and, If
a hot water pan is used beneath the
chatting dish, there will be time for
the water to begin to boil; also for
the cook to see that she has all of
the ingredients ready for the piece
de resistance"
The appetizer must be something
appropriate to the supper which is to
be served.
For instance, before a Welsh rare
bit anchovy sandwiches, garnished
with water' cress, or sardines chilled
in lemon juice, on thin slices of Bos-
ton brown bread may be served.
Caviar canapes are delicious. These
are made as follows: Season the
caviar with very little onion and
( lemon juice, spread over a small piece
of toasted or fried bread, garnisn
the top with chopped hard boiled egg,
and, if you wish you can put chopped
onion around the edge.
Or you may serve grape fruit, fla
vored with Maraschino, if your piece
de resistance is to be creamed sweet
breads, mushrooms, chicken in some
form, an omelet or scrambled eggs,
etc. Oyster cocktails, or appetizers
made of slices of tomato with ancho-
vies, chopped celery, and mayon-
naise dressing, placed on slices Of
toast are always acceptable.
| In using the chafing dish, place IT
on a metal tray sufficiently large to
protect the table from boiling water,
alcohol or fire.
! Have the lamp filled with alcohol
before the guests arrive. The matches
should be in a separate little trap
close at hand.
/ Beside the chatting dish have Ions
handled spoon for stirring, another
spoon for measuring, a fork, butter,
salt, pepper, spices, and all the other
necessary ingredients for the dish
which is to be cooked.
If a rarebit is to be made, have the
cheese grated, weighed and placed in
a dainty bowl If eggs are to be used,
have them beaten, placed in a bowl
and covered with a damp cloth. Cream
may be measured and poured into
pitcher. Mushrooms should be peeled
and on a plate. Oysters drained and
pounded, and so on.
Let me give one little word Of adj
vice as to how Welsh rarebit should
be made. Whether you use ale, beer
or cream, always add two half beaten
eggs for each pound Of cheese, and
serve the minute 1t reaches a creamy
consistency.
If the dining table has a polished
top, a table cover should not be used.
A centerpiece and doylies Of Russian
crash, embroidered in dull colors, or
made with designs in drawn work, is
very appropriate, but if one is not the
happy possessor OF a set of this kind,
any style will be correct. There
should be a bowl of flowers in the cen
ter of the table and lighted candles
in silver or glass candlesticks placed
around the flowers or at the corners
of the table.
The very informality Of a chahng
dish supper is it's charm, the guests
sitting at the table while the dishes
are prepared. The appetizers, IT
course, are on the table when the
guests enter the room.
The chatting dish should be placed
at one end OF the table, AS food IS
served directly from the dish to the
plates, and the object IS to have
everything hot It is best to have a
pile Of hot plates at hand and let
some one place the toast on the plate
/.