The Coolidge examiner., 1935-12-27
Though Well to Know,
Good Hostess May Ignore
Some of Them.

Dinner parties, except in most elab-
crate households, must be limited in
the number of guests. Six used to
be considered the ideal number for
the small dinner. Nowadays, with
bridge addicts, we are likely to
stretch the number to eight. Of
course the menu must be planned
carefully so that there will not be
long interims between courses. And
be sure that you do not overcrowd
your table-if you can help it. If
your dining room table won't seat
eight, plan buffet supper instead of
a dinner party.
A large array of silver is no longer
used on the table. The necessary
knives, forks and spoons to be used
for the first three courses may be
arranged on the table, always in the
order in which they are to be used,
beginning from the outside. Knives
and spoons are on the right; forks
are on the left. If oysters are served
instead of, or in addition to the
soup, the oyster fork is placed with
the food. If salad is served at a
formal dinner the fork arrives with
1t as do always the dessert forks
and spoons.
A formal dinner may begin with
soup or oysters Then comes a fish
course, meat and vegetables, some
times a salad, and then a dessert.
Coffee is generally served in the liv-
ing room after dinner. Up to the
dessert course there must always be
plate in front of each person. After
the courses the plates containing food
are removed from the left by the
waitress with her left hand.
During the meal all dishes are
passed to the left. Water glasses
and wine glasses are filled from the
right. The wine glasses are in place
when the guests sit down at the
table. At formal meal bread and
butter plates are not used. Melba
toast, hot rolls and crackers are
passed with the various courses.
While custom used to omit butter
entirely with dinner, the hot rolls
may now be split and buttered if you
like.
Just one more thing about the for
NAL dinner which can be applied TO
any meal entertainment. Have your
flower decorations very low so that
they do not interfere with the guests
seeing each other across the table
Tall candles may be used. Do not
attempt to serve a formal dinner
without enough help for food prepara-
tion and service. Any dinner to be
successful must run so smoothly that
neither the guests nor the hostess
are over conscious of the table.
Rules Are Sometimes Ignored.
While all of us like to know the
accepted rules for formal dinner
service, we all find that the good
hostess dares ignore some of them
If she asks her guests to "come to
dinner" instead of to a dinner party,
she can be as original as she likes
With the present custom Of serving
large variety of appetizers before
dinner in the living room, appetites
are already whetted. The guests will
be delighted to find when they GO
into the dining room. that the roast
is already on the table, partially
carved, ready for serving quickly
A variety of vegetables, cranberry
sauce, hot rolls, celery, relishes, then
a green salad and dessert will cause
all the guests to compliment the
hostess on her menu.
The success of a dinner party de-
pends on a number of things. Good
choice of a menu. arrangements fOI
efficient service, the use of attractive
silver and linen and, it goes without
saying, the selection of cOngenia
guests.
Formal Dinners.
MENU l
Clam and Chicken Bouillon
TOa ST ed Crackers ReliSheS