Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-11-21
Serving a Simple
Thanksgiving Dinner

Bven II 1t Is your custom to have
dinner according to the Russian style.
WIN no viands on the table save
those set before each diner as a part
OF the course Immediately under
way. you will surely want to go back
TO. the old-fashioned custom on
Thspksgiving day of having the ta-
PIE laden with the feast as part OF
inc noiiGay decoration; and even
though you may have butler much
more expert at carving than the man
or the house, he WILL on Thanksgiving
DAY at least. take his place at the
ana fork in hand to do honor to the
turkey.
In other words. the best idea is
TO nave the table set for English
service on Thanksgiving day.
AT the left side of each place you
should have one or two forks: de-
pending on the nature of the feast.
and at the right the knives. The
turned up and the knives should be
laid with the sharp side toward the
plate. or inside. If you are going
10 serve soup. the soup spoon should
be just at the right Of the knives.
You are going to begin the meal with
fru1t appetizer, such as grapefruit
which is good idea when a heavy
meal Is to follow, you should nave
spoon placed beside the knives for
that. Just at the tip of the knife or
knives the tumbler is placed and at
the left of the tumbler is placed the
bread and butter plate, If you really
feel that you cannot dispense win
bread and butter.
On the bread and butter plate is
laid the small bread and butter knife.
If you are having meal with only
- few courses, then the fork that you
will need for the pie or other dessert
should be at the place to begin with,
but if there are many courses, then
it is not customary to place the des-
aert fork or spoon to begin with, be-
cause too great an array or taole
spoons, if after-dinner coffee Is
served, are passed with the coffee.
II you are serving sailed nuts, then
they should be placed at the indi-
ual dishes above the fork. You
will need salt and pepper dishes and
these are usually placed within easy
reach of diners, allowing one set for
every two or three places. II the
soup is served from a tureen by the
mistress of the house, then at each
place is a service plate and on this
q fresh napkin.
service plate and the soup plate laid
on it after the guests assemble. II
soup is served from the kitchen as
first course, it should be on the table
when the guests arrive, napkin
being laid to the right of the knives.
If a fruit appetizer is the first course,
then this is served in suitable dishes
on the service plate, with the napkin
beside and it is already in position
when the meal begins.
Usually such accessories as celery,
cranberrieS, pickles and jelly are on
the table when the meal begins. Just
before the main course is served,
pile of plates with the freshly sharp
ened carving knife and the carving
fork are brought to the host. If there
is no maid, then these can have been
placed beside the hosts place before
the first course.
The platter is then brought, bear
ing the turkey or other roast. and II
there is no servant usually the vege-
tables are placed on the table with
suitable serving spoons and are either
passed around by the guests after
they receive their plate or one of the
members of the family serves these
dishes as the plates are handed to
her for that purpose. Where there
is no maid, gravy is placed on the
table in a gravy boat and Is passed
around by the diners. Even where
there are no servants it is incest to
clear away all accessories. such as
salts and peppers and celery and
cranberry dish, before dessert is
Then the pie and pie plates and
dessert forks are placed before the
hostess, with possibly a plate con-
taining small pieces OF American
cheese. The hostess cuts the pie, 1t
is handed to the guests and the cheese
is either passed by a servant or
passed by the guests to each other.