Evening star., 1940-02-26
Shortened
Dinners
Smart
Only Four Courses
Served by Many
Chic HOstesses
BY BETSY CASWELL,
Woman's Editor.

It has been interesting to note
that at number of small formal
dinners. recently smart hostesses
have served only four courses in
stead of the customary five to six.
Heretofore the short dinner was re-
stricted to before the theater or
concert occasions; as few as 8 or
10 guests grouped around the festive
board, with only bridge or "con-
versation" to follow, called for the
greater number of courses.
This very often became monot-
onous. The inevitable round of
soup, fish, meat, salad and dessert,
or oysters or melon, soup, meat,
salad, dessert and fruit or savory
passed in ponderous review night
after night. And so it has been a
real delight to see the increasing
popularity of the shorter dinner.
However, there's a catch to it!
Which is that the short dinner
must, by virtue of its very length,
be absolutely perfect in every detail.
Quality, in truth, takes the place of
quantity, and the guests appetite
Is too fresh and unjaded to take
chances with. The hostess and her
cook must be in entire accord over
the situation; the cook must real
lie that the short dinner, rather
than lessening her labor, will prob
ably increase it-but at the same
time her prowess will be better
displayed and her prestige grow ac-
cordingly.
Each course must be carefully con-
sidered, its relation to the other
courses decided, and each dish
served throughout the meal must
be perfection in itself. Balance of
flavor, texture and color is i'm
portant. And the little accom-
paniments" assume an Importance
never found at the longer dinner.
For instance, one hostess at q
recent dinner served a menu con-
sisting of the following:
The first course was a Julienne
soup served in exquisite Chinese
bowls. But what soup! Homemade
stock, amber clear and deliciously
strong and full favored, with thin
strips of perfectly cooked fresh
vegetables floating in its savory
depths. With the soup crisp hearts
OF celery, green olives and Melba
toast were passed.
Next came a hot mousse of lobster
In ring surrounded by perfectly
steamed, fluffy rice. In the center
OF the ring creamed mixed sea food
-scallops, oysters, crab meat,
shrimps, etc, all especially favored
with a dash of sherry. Peas and
crisp slices of cucumber lightly
tossed in French dressing accom-
panied the fish.
The meat course consisted of
thinly sliced smoked turkey, alter
mating with slices of Virginia ham,
pink and rosy, on a huge platter.
Fresh cooked artichoke hearts
chilled, on lettuce leaves, with a bit
of homemade mayonnaise in the
center, and hot rolls went with the
meat.
Dessert was homemade raspberry
Ice, in which frosted raspberries
were used, and an angel food cake,
uniced, that was a JOY of feathery
lightness. Coffee, Of course, after
dinner.
At another dinner a few nights
later our hostess gave us madrilene
soup with crisp croutons and crum-
bly,, crusty French rolls for the first
course. A deliciously cooked fillet
of beef with tiny champignons in
delicate sauce was accompanied
by new potato balls and midget
French peas cooked with herbs and
onions. A marvellous homemade
pate de foie gras in aspic came with
the salad course of mixed green's
all crisp and lightly coated with an
especially good French dressing. A
strawberry mousse and thin home
made cookies made a delicious des-
sert. Fruit was served afterward,
but the dinner could have stopped
short with the four courses and
still have been perfection.
The fact that smart hostesses are
adopting the shorter dinner should
be encouraging to those of us who
like to entertain correctly, but find
it difficult because of lack of space
or assistance. Shorten your dinner
party, therefore, with perfect conf
dence-but remember that it must
be little gem of meal, with no
detail overlooked!