Chapter III: Part 3

If the boxes are used for the cream it must not be coloured, and a plain mousse may be better than anything else; if the boxes are not used, the mousse may be flavoured with pistache, coloured green and served on a bed of whipped cream, with chopped angelia or pistache nuts scattered over it. For a

HARVARD LUNCHEON

lay broad crimson satin ribbons across the table at right angles, and then lay the table with doilies over the ribbon as if there were none there. Have a bowl of American Beauty roses in the centre, or put the flowers in a fancy basket. Or, if it should happen that the men present are especially happy over some rowing victory, put the roses in a long narrow boat in the centre, and have oars stacked at intervals on the table. Use the same menu as for the Yale luncheon. For a

PRINCETON LUNCHEON

use quantities of the yellow, black-eyed daisies which are common in our fields. A large football might stand in the centre of the table, open at the top, with the daisies filling it, and shallow bowls of them may stand on the table. The bonbon dishes may be filled with yellow and chocolate bonbons, and the same sort of cards used as were suggested for the Yale luncheon, unless sketches of Princeton buildings are preferred.

If the guests are from several colleges, the best plan is to have no distinctively college colours on the table, but to confine one's self to the use of athletic symbols for decoration which are common to all. Golden-rod might be in a row-boat, for instance, and oars, base balls, bats, and footballs used as favours. For a hot-weather luncheon, nothing makes a prettier table than a quantity of pond lilies, used in some simple way. As they are common in August, you might give

A POND-LILY LUNCHEON

Fill a shallow dish with water, and put several lilies with their leaves on top, but not so closely but that the water will show between them. Hide the outside of the dish with an arrangement of the lilies and their leaves, being careful not to have it look stiff. Cut your guest-cards in the shape of open lilies, and paint them, writing the name of the guest across their face. Have your bonbons all green and white, and use plain white, or green and white china for serving the meal as far as you can, for the sake of preserving the cool look of the table. The ice cream may be in the pond-lily flowers, prepared as were the peonies in the June luncheon. If the lilies are plenty, use them in bowls about the parlours and halls, to carry out the idea of the day.

MENU

CLAMS ON THE HALF-SHELL.
CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP. CROUTONS.
DEVILLED CRABS.
MUSHROOM PATTIES.
BRAISED TONGUE. POTATOES AU GRATIN.
FROZEN TOMATO SALAD. MAYONNAISE.
ICE CREAM IN WATER LILIES. CAKES.
CAFE FRAPPE OR ICED TEA.

The braised tongue is prepared as before, stewed with herbs and seasoning in a baking-pan in the oven, but in this case it is served hot, with a spoonful of its gravy, strained, on each slice.

There is no sherbet in this menu, as the frozen salad takes its place. This is made by cutting fresh tomatoes into bits, mashing them, seasoning and freezing them, stirring occasionally to make them smooth; after they are stiff they must be scraped from the dasher, pressed down, and allowed to stand for an hour. They are to be cut in round spoonfuls, laid on a few lettuce leaves, and mayonnaise passed with them.

The ice cream may be either a white or a pistache cream, and the water lilies should be treated as were the peonies, the heart of the flower removed and a piece of waxed paper laid in the centre with the cream on it.

This same idea of coolness may be also well carried out in a luncheon in which ferns are made to play their part.

A FERN LUNCHEON

The house should be filled with ferns, in the fireplaces, in the window seats, in the parlours, and in the halls. In the dining-room the table may be laid either or without a cloth, and a large shallow pan or tray put in the centre; if a tray is used, it should have a layer of absorbent cotton on it. The edge of this dish must be concealed by tiny growing ferns; in the dish should be large pieces of ice, piled in an irregular mound, and very small ferns put in the crevices. The ice will give out enough coolness to perceptibly affect the atmosphere of the room, and the combination of the ice and ferns is a pretty one. A few days before the luncheon some ferns may be pressed, and these may be laid on the table if it is so large as to admit of more decoration; the cards may also have a little fern pasted on each.

An appetising menu might be:--

MENU

ICED PEACHES.
CREAM OF CORN SOUP.
FILETS OF FLOUNDER. SAUCE TARTARE.
CLAMS A LA NEWBURGH.
CHOPS. STUFFED TOMATOES. ICED TEA.
RED RASPBERRY SHERBET.
ALMOND ASPIC SALAD. BROWN BREAD AND BUTTER.
ICE CREAM IN MELONS.

The peaches are not to be frozen, but kept on the ice after they are halved, peeled, and sprinkled with sugar, until they are thoroughly chilled. They may have a small spoonful of whipped cream served with them, if that combination is liked. The clams are prepared exactly as is lobster, except that they must be kept for a little longer in the sauce in order to just cook them through. They are to be served in ramekins. The tomatoes are to have the inside removed without breaking the skin, and this is mixed with bread crumbs and seasoning, returned to the tomatoes, and baked.

The salad is made by filling small individual moulds with almonds and bouillon jelly made of melted extract of beef, seasoning, and dissolved gelatine; the nuts should be cut into strips and arranged in a pattern with a little of the aspic before the moulds are filled. A stiff mayonnaise is to be served with this.

The ice cream is particularly delicious, though it seems very odd to one who is not familiar with it. A very rich cream is made with the yolks of five eggs added to a quart of cream, and when done it is put in large spoonfuls in halved, small, and spicy muskmelons. The two eaten together are a decided improvement on either alone.

There is really no reason for having sherbet with such a menu as this, for two cold dishes are already on the bill of fare, but if the day is extremely warm, it may be thought best to have it, even if it is acknowledged to be quite unnecessary.

A POVERTY LUNCHEON

Poverty luncheons are usually arranged in a series, every one of eight or ten hostesses giving in turn a meal to the rest which must cost exactly a specified price, the smaller the better. Usually two dollars and a half is selected as the proper amount for ten persons, and the rivalry between the luncheon-givers as to which one shall have the most elaborate meal for the price makes these luncheons very entertaining. Of course, by keeping everything down to the lowest possible sum, one can have any number of courses, but it is better to have less and have it fairly substantial. The prices of all the food, even to the butter, must be written on a card at each plate, and the flowers or other decorations are extras.

MENU

BOUILLON $0.10
BROILED SARDINES .20
CHICKEN PATTIES .70
CHOPS .40
POTATOES, PEAS .15
ROLLS AND BUTTER .20
TOMATO AND LETTUCE SALAD .15
VANILLA MOUSSE WITH CANDIED FRUIT .35
COFFEE, ALMONDS, PEPPERMINT WAFERS .25
-----
$2.50

September

As the days begin to grow cooler, and a suspicion of frost in the air in the early morning brings back one's vigour, golf seems the finest game in the world, and long days are spent on the links. A luncheon for golfers will transform any day in the week into a gala day, if only it is not taken too seriously. The guests are to come in their golf suits to be in keeping; the luncheon should be bright and informal rather than stately.

If the company is a large one, seat them in fours at small tables, each of which should have a centrepiece of salvia, or Scotch heather, or--just for fun--thistles. The little souvenirs for this luncheon are of great variety, and most ingenious. There are plaid golf bags with sticks, to be filled with bonbons, or small plaid woollen caps to be presented to men afterwards for tobacco pouches, unless the men are present to receive them at the luncheon. There are plaid-covered golf score-books, which are really useful as well as pretty, and a host of other things, such as individual sticks, which are less elaborate.

Your cards may have sketches of girls in golf costume, or little cuts of such figures may be found in colours in golf catalogues, and cut out and pasted on the cards. The tables may have plaid ribbon drawn down each side, or have bows at the corners. You might have a Scotch menu for the sake of variety, although Scotch dishes do not compare with American.

SCOTCH MENU

SCOTCH BROTH.
BOILED SALMON. BOILED POTATOES.
HAGGIS.
PHEASANT. CURRANT JELLY.
SCOTCH RAREBIT ON TOAST.
PLUM TART WITH CREAM. COFFEE.

The broth is made by stewing mutton with vegetables until it is sufficiently strong; when the whole is strained and cooked, barley is added till the broth is quite thick; just before serving, a little chopped parsley is put in. Haggis is usually rather a formidable dish to undertake, as most recipes are very elaborate; this one, however, is simple and the results are good. Boil the head, heart, and liver of a sheep with one pound of bacon for an hour; then chop them, season highly, and add sufficient oatmeal to make a thick mush. Boil this in a bag for two hours, and serve it in the same bag, rolling it back to look as well as possible; this receptacle is less objectionable than that in which haggis is served in Scotland,--the stomach of the sheep.

Should you fear to venture on this dish, you might substitute for it Scotch snipe. For this make a paste of a box of sardines mixed with lemon and a little onion juice; spread on slices of bread and cut in strips half an inch thick. Put these in the oven and heat thoroughly, and then pour over them a sauce made of the beaten yolks of two eggs and six tablespoonfuls of cream, to which has been gradually added a tablespoonful of melted butter, and after taking from the fire, a half-teaspoonful of salt, a dash of red pepper, and a little chopped parsley. The strips of toast must be served very hot, and will be found delicious. Even if the haggis is used, this dish might be added to the bill of fare. If pheasant is not obtainable, prairie chicken is a perfect substitute for it, or woodcock will do in the place of either.

The Scotch rarebit is quite different from the Welsh, being made by adding to half a pint of white sauce a tablespoonful of anchovy paste and a pinch of red pepper; cook this for a moment and add six hard-boiled eggs cut in rather large bits. Simmer the whole for three minutes, and serve on buttered toast.

The plum tart is made by cooking large purple or green-gage plums in a deep baking dish with a sprinkling of flour and plenty of sugar, and a cover of pie-crust over the top. Tart is always served in what foreigners call dessert plates, but they are exactly like our soup plates, with a dessert spoon and a fork, and thick cream is passed with the dish. Coffee is never served on a Scotch table as a final course, but is offered with tea in the drawing-room after the meal. However, in this case it may be passed after the tart, or poured on the porch afterwards.

Should you wish a more conventional luncheon, this menu is a delicious one.

MENU

GRAPES.
CHICKEN BOUILLON.
CODFISH STEAKS. LOBSTER SAUCE.
BAKED SPAGHETTI WITH OYSTERS.
PRAIRIE CHICKEN WITH CURRANT JELLY.
BROWNED POTATOES.
TOMATO AND WALNUT SALAD. Cheese Crackers.
FROZEN WATERMELON.
COFFEE.

Although this is rather an elaborate menu, there is no sherbet in it on account of the watermelon, which is better if no other frozen dish is used with it.

The spaghetti is prepared exactly as when cooked with cheese; that is, it is stewed till tender, washed in cold water to remove the starch, and laid in a dish in layers with seasoning, oysters, and white sauce, and baked till brown. This is more easily managed if bread crumbs are put on top with butter, and small dishes or ramekins are used.

The watermelon is to be scooped in large spoonfuls from the rind, the seeds removed, and the melon laid in a freezer with powdered sugar and a little sherry, and the freezer put in a cool place packed with ice and salt for at least five hours.

When country houses are rather far apart, it is often convenient to go from one to another on one's wheel, in spite of the fact that bicycling is no longer in high favour. Still, so long as wheels are so useful they will continue to be used, and just so long

A BICYCLE LUNCHEON

will be found appropriate for some occasion.

Decorate your table with golden-rod or autumn leaves or a mixture of golden-rod and purple asters, the two flowers which are so beautiful together; do not on any account use garden or hot-house flowers for a luncheon, which on its face suggests out-of-door sport. Search the magazines for bicycle advertisements, and cut out bicyclers in all sorts of attitudes and dress, and paste these on cards with a brief line commending some one make of wheel for each guest; the more extravagant the praise of each, the better. There are all sorts of pretty little favours to be had of bicycles, tricycles, and tandems, which will serve as souvenirs. This may be transformed into an automobile luncheon by the change of the two conveyances. Oysters are again in season, and will be welcomed by the hostess as a first course.

MENU

OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL.
TOMATO SOUP.
CREAMED LOBSTER IN SHELLS.
QUAIL ON TOAST. POTATO CROQUETTES. JELLY.
HOT ROLLS.
GRAPE SHERBET.
APPLE SALAD. WATER-CRESS SANDWICHES.
FROZEN PEACHES. CAKE.
COFFEE. BONBONS.

The salad is made by scooping out the whole inside of a large red apple, after a slice has been carefully cut from the stem end with a sharp knife; this pulp is chopped, mixed with small bits of celery and English walnuts, with stiff mayonnaise, and the whole returned to the apple, the top being put on again so that the cut does not show; this is a very pretty salad, especially if care is taken to choose perfect apples.

As college opens again there are always those whose school-days are over, who are "left lamenting" somewhat because the happy days are no more. For such, a luncheon may be arranged which will have special reference to the common past of a group of classmates.

ALUMNI LUNCHEON

Lay the table prettily with the usual doilies, bonbon dishes of almonds, radishes, candies, and crystallised fruits. Garden asters are now in full bloom and come in great variety of colour, and these will make a beautiful centrepiece, massed in a large bowl. The combination of crimson and pink, of pink and white, or of white and purple is better than the use of one shade alone. The table should be lighted with Roman lamps or else with Jerusalem candlesticks, as suggestive of classical studies; to be sure, September is one of the sunny months, but this luncheon may be used quite as well at some other time of the year as the fall, if that is desired, so the suggestion of the lamps may stand.

The most attractive feature of the luncheon may be the cards, which may well be preserved for years as souvenirs of college as well as of this meal; they are to be photographs of the particular place in the college grounds or dormitories or village with which each guest was most associated. If one has a friend still in college with a kodak (and what college girl does not own one?), she can take and send them to you. The girl who was oftenest in the Dean's office for reprimand may have a picture of that interior; the one who was champion at basket ball, a view of the gymnasium with the team at play; the girl who was the best at chemistry, a glimpse of the laboratory; the one who frequented the soda fountain down town, a picture of that. Or, if these photographs are too frivolous, pictures of beautiful views about the college grounds may be substituted.

The luncheon may suggest in its menu the favourite dishes of some of the class, or one course might be a reminder of something served constantly on the college table; this meal really gives unlimited opportunity for ingenuity.

If the weather does not admit of using artificial lights, and yet the table is felt to be incomplete without the small Roman lamps, they might be filled with flowers instead of oil and used as decorations, the central group of asters being kept low in a very shallow bowl.

MENU

PEACHES AND GRAPES.
CREAM OF CORN SOUP.
CREAMED OYSTERS.
JELLIED CHICKEN. PIM-OLAS.
CHOPS WITH PEAS. SWEET POTATO CROQUETTES.
LEMON SHERBET.
TOMATO AND LETTUCE SALAD. FRENCH DRESSING.
SANDWICHES.
MAPLE PARFAIT. CAKES.
COFFEE. BONBONS.

The maple parfait is one of the most delicious of desserts, and one easily prepared as well. The yolks of eight eggs are beaten stiff, a cupful of maple syrup is added, and the whole is heated until it makes a thick coating on the spoon, when it is taken from the fire and beaten until it is cold; a pint of thick cream is then beaten stiff and mixed lightly with the eggs and syrup, and the whole is put in a melon mould and packed in ice and salt for five hours. The bonbons served with the coffee should be those especially fancied by the girls of the college; if there is a fudge named for the institution, that is the sweet to choose.

A LABOUR DAY LUNCHEON

As Labour Day is a national holiday, it must be regarded as a gala day. A luncheon which is in keeping with the occasion must not be elaborate, but, on the contrary, as simple as may be without actually serving the labourer's bill of fare. A good deal may be done to divert the guests without giving a suspicion of making fun of the occasion, which is not in the least contemplated. The table should be laid with a cloth, plain white china used, and the decorations should be wild flowers. The cards should bear a sketch of a labourer, and the favours should be small picks, shovels, spades, and hoes, such as children play with. Have a course of cold meat, and one of baked beans, as well as one in which crackers, cheese, and coffee are served at the same time.

MENU

BOUILLON (IN TIN CUPS).
BAKED BEANS IN BEAN-POTS.
COLD LAMB. PICKLES. BREAD AND BUTTER.
POTATO SALAD.
VANILLA ICE CREAM (IN SMALL TIN DINNER-PAILS).
CRACKERS, CHEESE, AND COFFEE.

This is a rather plain meal, but nothing else will be appropriate, and the idea of the day will prove its best sauce.

October

One of the oddest of luncheons may be given in October on the tin-wedding anniversary, for as this is a favourite month for weddings, anniversaries are sure to be frequent among one's friends; the bride of a decade ago may gather her former bridesmaids for a luncheon served with reminiscences, or a bridesmaid may entertain the group, or possibly a number of October brides of ten years' standing may gather to celebrate on one day the anniversaries scattered through the month.

A TIN-WEDDING LUNCHEON

Lay the table in pink; have a lace centrepiece over silk, a tin quart measure in the middle filled with pink bridesmaid's roses, and pink candles with pink rose shades, if the day is dark. Use small tin plates for the bread and butter, and put the bonbons, almonds, radishes, and candied ginger in little scalloped tins. A souvenir spoon may be given each guest,--of tin, of course,--tied with a white ribbon, with the name of some city the bride did not visit on her wedding trip painted in white letters in the bowl; one is supposed to believe that these spoons were purchased at Copenhagen, Constantinople, and Moscow with a view to this occasion. Or, if souvenir spoons seem altogether out of date, though really they would have been quite the thing ten years ago, and are therefore no anachronism, give the guests some small tin utensil such as an apple-corer, or a nutmeg-grater. Serve everything in tin; the bouillon in small cups with handles, the sherbet in scalloped tins, the fish, salad, and ice cream on tin plates of medium size, and the chicken on larger ones. The coffee may be in tin timbale moulds. If you use candles, put them in ordinary tin candlesticks.

MENU

PEACHES.
BOUILLON.
BROILED OYSTERS ON TOAST.
CURRIED EGGS IN RICE BORDER.
CHICKEN BREASTS WITH ITALIAN CHESTNUTS.
POTATO CROQUETTES. ROLLS.
ORANGE SHERBET.
PLUM SALAD. LETTUCE SANDWICHES.
SUNSHINE ICE CREAM AND CAKE.
COFFEE. BONBONS.

To prepare curried eggs, boil as many as are needed until hard, peel, and put them in a ring of boiled rice which has been turned out of a border mould; this rice should be well seasoned with a little chopped parsley mixed with it. Over all should be poured a white sauce flavoured with curry powder, and on the top should be sprinkled grated Parmesan cheese, and the whole lightly browned in the oven.

The Italian chestnuts served with the chicken are to be boiled until the shells can be removed, and then stewed gently in cream until they are tender; the inner skin is not to be removed, as this gives the chestnuts a purple colour and serves to keep them in shape.

The salad is made of the largest plums to be found; they are to be peeled, halved, and laid on lettuce with either French dressing or mayonnaise.

The ice cream is a rich vanilla cream made with the yolks of the eggs; it is served in a very large sunshine cake,--that is, an angels' food with the yolks of the eggs added,--which has been turned upside down and had the entire centre cut out, leaving only a ring of the cake. The cream is put in this in large rounded spoonfuls, and a slice of the cake is cut and served with each. If any of the wedding cake has been kept, some other cream may be used for the luncheon, and the cake, cut in small pieces, passed with it.

HALLOWE'EN LUNCHEON

This luncheon should be carried out in yellow and brown, and if one can have autumn leaves for decoration she will feel that she has the really appropriate thing; still, if these are not to be had, or if the colours have vanished from them, there are other things which will do almost as well. A pumpkin might serve as a centrepiece, with the top off and the centre cut out, filled either with fruit or chestnuts or chrysanthemums, or the latter may be used alone in a tall vase. The little dishes on the table should hold chocolates and plenty of marrons, or candied chestnuts. Few persons know, until they have tried the experiment, how easily these latter dainties are prepared at home; after boiling, peeling, and simmering them in a thick syrup, they are rolled in sugar and laid on oiled paper; a simple way of making what is usually considered an expensive luxury.

Your guest cards should be decorated with sketches of witches or brownies, or lighted candles; or you may purchase some small souvenirs, such as stick-pins with witches, or silver crescents with figures with brooms seated at one end. Cards of burnt leather are also in keeping with the colours of the table and with the idea of the day.

Darken the room and light the gas, but turn it low; get some of the little bonbon boxes in the shape of oranges, or empty orange skins; through an opening at one end, cut eyes, nose, and mouth, as is done in making Jack o' lanterns, drop a little hot wax in the bottom of each, and put in a small lighted candle; the effect is decidedly quaint and pretty when the table is all lighted. If a supper is desired rather than a luncheon, these same suggestions will do for that, and if the menu is too long, the croquettes and sherbet may be omitted.

MENU

WHITE GRAPES.
TOMATO BISQUE.
FRIED OYSTERS. SAUCE TARTARE.
CHICKEN CROQUETTES WITH PEAS.
QUAIL. CURRANT JELLY.
FRENCH FRIED POTATOES.
GRAPE FRUIT SHERBET IN SKINS.
SWEETBREADS IN ASPIC. MAYONNAISE.
WINE JELLY WITH CREAM. CAKES.
CHOCOLATE.

The sherbet is delicious, but rather troublesome to prepare. Small fruit is selected, the pulp removed in spoonfuls without the breaking the sections, and after sweetening well, it is packed in the freezer to stand four hours; meanwhile the skins of the fruit are cut in basket shapes, and when the luncheon is ready, the frozen fruit is heaped in these.

The salad is made by putting cooked sweetbreads in melted beef extract which has been seasoned and had sufficient gelatine added to set it; it is to be put in small moulds and turned out on lettuce with a spoonful of mayonnaise by each. If a simpler salad is wished, one that is surprisingly good is made by putting cold cooked string beans on lettuce, sprinkling with French dressing and serving with mayonnaise.

The wine jelly, while still warm, is to be poured over bits of candied fruit laid in a ring mould. When served, the centre is filled with whipped cream and candied fruit scattered over all.

AN AUTHORS' LUNCHEON

This luncheon is not intended to be eaten by authors, though they are not necessarily barred from participating in it, but it is arranged for some group of clever women who are sufficiently well read to enter into a guessing contest with interest in the books and authors named; or a girls' club may enjoy a trial of their literary knowledge. The luncheon is capable of infinite variation, and any one with a catalogue of books can alter it to suit the requirements of any especial occasion.

Cards should lie at each place with the menu written out as in the first one printed below, with the names of the authors omitted, and before each course, or while one is eaten the next dish is to be guessed, and the author named. A prize might be offered for the most numerous guesses which are correct. The hostess would do well to have the key to the menu by her plate.

The table decorations may be of an ordinary character, such as a bunch of roses in the middle, or a vase of asters or chrysanthemums, and the usual pretty doilies and odd dishes about, or, if laurel is to be had, either the flowers or the leaves may be used to suggest the crowning of genius.

MENU

1. Toilers of the Sea. (VICTOR HUGO.)
2. A Study in Scarlet. (DOYLE.)
3. The Water Babies. (Kingsley.)
4. Between Whiles. (HELEN HUNT JACKSON.)
5. The Lay of the Last Minstrel. (SCOTT.)
6. A Dead Secret (WILKIE COLLINS); and Plain Tales from the Hills.
(KIPLING.)
7. The Desert of Ice. (JULES VERNE.)
8. Leaves of Grass (WALT WHITMAN); and Unleavened Bread. (GRANT.)
9. The Snow Image. (HAWTHORNE.)
10. Over the Teacups. (HOLMES.)
11. Opening of a Chestnut Burr. (ROE.)
12. All's Well that Ends Well. (SHAKESPEARE.)

The culinary key to the luncheon is this:--

1. OYSTERS.
2. TOMATO SOUP.
3. SMELTS WITH SAUCE TARTARE.
4. ALMONDS. RADISHES. CELERY.
5. EGGS IN RAMEKINS.
6. CHICKEN CHARTREUSE AND POTATOES.
7. PEACH SHERBET.
8. SHREDDED LETTUCE AND CRACKERS.
9. ICE CREAM IN FORMS.
10. TEA.
11. and 12. MARRONS AND BONBONS.

The eggs are prepared by cutting up those that have been hard boiled, seasoning them well, covering with white sauce, putting in individual baking dishes, covering with grated cheese, and browning. The chicken is minced, seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little sherry or stewed tomato, and put in a melon mould which has been buttered and lined with an inch thickness of boiled rice; then the mould is steamed for three quarters of an hour, and when done the whole is turned out on a round platter, and a tomato sauce is poured around it.

The salad is made by cutting a head of lettuce across with the scissors until leaves of grass result; mayonnaise is to be passed with this.

The ice cream is to be in forms of any sort, but the figure of a man is the most appropriate.

This luncheon may be changed from a gastronomic to a literary guessing game, either by furnishing the guests with a copy of the titles of the books without the authors, making them guess both the writer and the dish which is represented, or by furnishing the actual menu and asking the guests to give a title of a book which will suitably represent the course. In order to give opportunity for some choice in this luncheon, a slightly altered menu is also given:--

MENU

Toilers of the Sea.
A Study in Scarlet.
The Water Babies.
Between Whiles.
A Dead Secret, and Plain Tales from the Hills.
The Desert of Ice.
Wing and Wing.
Leaves of Grass, and Unleavened Bread.
The Snow Image.
Over the Teacups.
All's well that Ends Well.

"Wing and Wing" is by Cooper, as doubtless your guests will know, and may be represented by a course of game, either pigeons or duckling.

November

The principal gala day of this month is toward the last, the historic gala day of our forefathers, Thanksgiving; still, it is quite proper to have a luncheon at any time during the month which shall have the characteristics of the time.

A THANKSGIVING LUNCHEON

should remind us of the dress and food of our ancestors, but all of their austerity and asceticism may go without mention; we do not take kindly to these things in our days of luxury and ease. Have your guest-cards bear a sketch of a Puritan girl, or a man in a tall pointed hat and long cloak with a gun over his shoulder, or some other suggestion of Colonial times. Have your menu made up largely of dishes said to have been used at the first Thanksgiving Day meal, judiciously combined with every-day delicacies which are more warmly approved by this generation. Let your bonbons be in the shape of candy vegetables; they are odd, and wonderfully accurate, and are to be had in the form of radishes, carrots, potatoes, turnips, beets, and almost everything else; and buy favours in the shape of miniature roasted turkeys. Chrysanthemums are the flower of November, and they are beautiful in any shade, but yellow is the most brilliant, and a mass of this splendid color in the centre of the table will make it attractive. If you use candles, have them of yellow, with paper shades of chrysanthemums.

The Puritans are said to have dined on oysters, clams, turkey, succotash, and game, and all these things must be in the menu:--

MENU

OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL.
CREAM OF CELERY SOUP.
CLAMS NEWBURGH.
ROAST TURKEY BREAST IN SLICES.
CURRANT JELLY. SUCCOTASH IN CASES. POTATO.
CRANBERRY SHERBET.
SCALLOP SALAD. OLIVES.
BROWN BREAD AND BUTTER.
INDIVIDUAL MINCE PIES. CHEESE.
VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE.
COFFEE.

The salad is made by scalding a pint of scallops, draining them and serving on lettuce with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and a French dressing. The mince-pies may be omitted if they seem too heavy for luncheon, but if you fancy this reminder of a real Thanksgiving meal, have them made in small round tins about four inches across, and have the pie-crust as delicate as possible. The hot sauce to serve with the ice cream is made by boiling a pint of water with half a pint of sugar until it hardens in water, and then adding two tablespoonfuls of grated chocolate dissolved in three tablespoonfuls of boiling water, and boiling again until it crisps in water; add vanilla and serve at once. In the place of both the pie and this cream, you may have a sort of combination of both, which might be called mince-pie ice cream, made by adding chopped raisins, spice, and a dash of wine to a rich chocolate ice cream; the slices look and taste like fruit cake, and served with whipped cream are delicious.

A CARMEN LUNCHEON

In cities the opera season begins earlier than it did formerly, and this suggests an operatic luncheon, either one served just before a matinee, or given by way of something new, without regard to times and seasons. Almost any opera gives scope for decorations and cards in keeping with the idea of its story, but perhaps Carmen is the most distinctive. For this, your cards should bear a bar of music,--the famous and easily recognized "Toreador" song is the best,--or else a sketch of some scene from the stage. If you can find paper fans with the pictures of bull-fights, such as are to be had at times in our shops, these are certainly appropriate as souvenirs.

The decorations must be in the Spanish colours, scarlet and yellow, and carnations will give the best results; if you fancy having a corsage bouquet for each guest these may be of alternate colours, yellow tied with red and red tied with yellow, with the flowers in the centre of the table of the two. The bonbons may be of scarlet and yellow also. Here is a Spanish menu:--

MENU

ORANGES.
RED BEAN SOUP.
BROILED FISH WITH TOMATO SAUCE.
SPAGHETTI WITH CHEESE.
SPANISH CHICKEN. LYONNAISE POTATOES.
OLIVE SALAD.
STUFFED CAKE.
COFFEE.

The soup is made of strong stock with red beans, and seasoning in this way: a little onion and garlic are browned in a deep kettle with a spoonful of lard and a pinch of thyme; a stock is poured over this, and two cupfuls of red beans which have been cooked until they are soft are added; the whole is put through a sieve and poured over croutons just before serving.

Any fish will do for the third course, but bluefish is the best; after it is cooked it is cut in pieces ready to serve, and then a rich tomato sauce is poured over each piece. The chicken is really delicious. A tender fowl is chosen, jointed, and put on to stew. A dozen dry red peppers are cut up and boiled, after the seeds have been removed; they are then moistened with a little chicken broth and put through a sieve; one green pepper and two sliced onions are fried in a little lard, the peppers and chicken added, and the whole covered with the thickened gravy and simmered for fifteen minutes before serving.

The salad is one of the commonest Spanish dishes. To make it, take a cup of dice made of stale bread, sprinkle with bits of red peppers, add a cup of stoned olives, cut up, and half a cup of chopped cucumber pickles; mix the whole with mayonnaise and serve on lettuce cut in strips; pass a strong cheese with it. The stuffed cake is also a dish frequently seen in Spain. A large sponge cake is soaked in mild sherry, stuck full of blanched almonds and stoned raisins, and eaten with a rich boiled custard poured over it.

A HORSE-SHOW LUNCHEON

In New York the horse show is the great November event; perhaps in other cities there is something corresponding to it, and certainly in small places there is a great interest taken in the County Fair, which comes somewhat earlier in the fall. For any day when a number of friends are to visit a place where the horse is the hero, a luncheon may precede the hour. A large floral horse-shoe may be the decoration of the table, or one may be suspended over the table and the flowers may be of the same variety in the centrepiece, but arranged with more grace. The guest cards may bear a sketch of a horse, or of a horse-shoe, or a whip or some similar device, and the favours may be of the same character, in the shape of little silver pins; or, if the luncheon is sufficiently informal to warrant it, these favours may be chocolate horses, standing at each plate.

MENU

CLAMS ON THE HALF-SHELL.
CREAM OF LIMA BEAN SOUP.
CREAMED SCALLOPS IN RAMEKINS.
CHICKEN IN GREEN PEPPERS.
BREADED CHOPS WITH TOMATO SAUCE.
POTATOES AU GRATIN. HOT ROLLS.
LOBSTER SALAD. Cheese Straws.
ICE CREAM WITH MAPLE SAUCE.
COFFEE.

The chicken in the peppers is to be ordinary minced white meat, with sufficient white sauce to make it palatable; if it is too wet it will not be good. It is put in raw peppers from which the ends have been cut, and the seeds removed, and the whole thoroughly heated in the oven. The potatoes are baked and served in their own shells after they have been scooped out and seasoned, and cut in half, with grated cheese over them. The ice cream is a rich French cream made with eggs, and the sauce is hot maple syrup with English walnuts broken in pieces in it; it is one of the most delicious of desserts, well worth being used in place of any of the suggested creams at any luncheon during the year.

AN INDIAN LUNCHEON

Boys are supposed to scorn luncheon as a purely feminine meal and one which is necessarily frivolous; nevertheless there are occasions when a boy is interested in entertaining his friends at luncheon, perhaps before going to see a football game, or some such athletic contest, and then a meal with Indian accessories will delight him.

The table should be laid with a cloth rather than with doilies, and the centrepiece may be a birch-bark canoe, planted with ferns. The cards may be of birch bark with quotations from Hiawatha, or of cardboard with an Indian's head in colours, or a sketch of a wigwam, or a tomahawk, or a pair of snowshoes.

The bonbons may be in pretty little bead pouches laid at each plate, or else in pairs of small moccasins around on the table, or in tiny birch-bark canoes. The luncheon should be a hearty one without those "frills" which the budding masculine intelligence refuses to admire.

The menu, like the one suggested for the Thanksgiving luncheon, may have a suggestion of Indian dishes in it.

MENU

OYSTER BISQUE.
CREAMED FISH IN SHELLS.
SLICES OF TURKEY BREAST. PEAS.
CREAMED POTATOES. CRANBERRIES.
LOBSTER SALAD. Sandwiches.
INDIVIDUAL MINCE-PIES.
VANILLA ICE CREAM. CAKES.

A CARD LUNCHEON

After a morning at whist, one should have an appetite for the noon meal; let it be so delicious that the anxieties and disappointments of the game may be speedily forgotten! The table may be prettily laid with the usual doilies, and the flowers chosen chrysanthemums again, unless you fancy carrying out the red and black colours of the cards, when the plan suggested for the Musical Luncheon in January may be adopted, and red carnations tied with narrow black ribbons may be laid by each plate, and dark chocolate bonbons may be in the little dishes around a centrepiece of red carnations. At each of the places may be a small box of cardboard in the shape of a heart, a club, a diamond, or a spade alternately, filled with bonbons. There are tin cutters which are in these same shapes, and the cakes and sandwiches may still further carry out the idea. The ices, too, are to be found at the caterer's in slices of white with the figures on them in colours, but you may make a white cream at home and serve it in paper boxes painted with the various figures around the edge, if you choose.

Any one of the preceding menus may be used, or one may have something different which yet reproduces the best dishes which have been suggested, especially the delightful ice cream which was mentioned for one luncheon, with the maple sauce, one of the delicious things among new dishes.

MENU

OYSTER BISQUE.
LOBSTER CROQUETTES WITH TOMATO SAUCE.
MUSHROOM OMELETTE. HOT ROLLS.
FRIED CHICKEN IN CREAM SAUCE. POTATO SOUFFLE. ASPARAGUS TIPS.
WALDORF SALAD. CHEESE SANDWICHES.
FRENCH VANILLA ICE CREAM WITH MAPLE SAUCE.
COFFEE. BONBONS.

The mushroom omelette is easily prepared by putting a mixture of chopped mushrooms and olives in a delicately browned omelette as it is folded over just before it is served; there is nothing better in an egg dish than this. The salad is made by cutting rather sweet apples in bits and adding as much chopped celery and a stiff mayonnaise and laying on lettuce leaves; if English walnuts are added, the salad is entirely changed from the original, but it is thought quite as good by most persons; the fact that these nuts are to be served in the dessert, however, gives reason for omitting them from the mixture of apple and celery. If it is desired to have a sherbet for this luncheon, add it after the chicken, one of canned pineapple, or grape fruit, and have the final course a cream cheese with Bar-le-Duc currants and crackers, with the coffee; the mixture of sweet and cheese seems odd to one who has not tried it, but it is warranted to give satisfaction.

December

One of the charming things about Christmas Day is the now customary late luncheon for the members of the family and the intimate friends who are afterwards expected to prolong their stay until the lighting of the tree at early candle-light. Men as well as women are invited to this holiday celebration, and the occasion is one of the happiest of the happy season. Of course the guests are chosen with an especially careful thought as to their congeniality, for Christmas is never the time for the payment of social obligations, but rather for the fulfilment of the idea of peace and good-will, and comradeship must mark the keeping of the festival.

This Christmas luncheon in no way conflicts with the family dinner which comes later in the day, but is a thing apart. The children join in this, even if they are too young to remain out of bed for the later meal, and will hugely enjoy the fun which marks it.

A CHRISTMAS LUNCHEON

The table should be arranged in scarlet, with holly to offset the more brilliant colour; in the centre should stand one of the diminutive Christmas trees, such as are to be had in the German toy shops; they are artificial, and do not take fire from the candles, and have the additional advantage of lasting for years, as they fold up like an umbrella and may be tucked out of the way from one season to another. The pot in which this little tree stands is to be surrounded with a broad wreath of holly, lying on the table. The candles on the tree are to be scarlet, and they will sufficiently light the room except for the side lights on the wall. A narrow scarlet ribbon should extend from each plate to a little parcel lying at the foot of the tree, tied up with white tissue paper and scarlet ribbons, with a spray of holly attached, and at the close of the meal these ribbons are to be pulled by each guest and the gift opened; here the fun of the Christmas luncheon begins, for these presents should in every case be some small joke on the recipient, and ingenuity and cleverness should be the price paid for them by the giver. If one has the knack of writing jingles,--and it is easily acquired,--the card bearing the verse is to accompany the gift, and the words must be read aloud for the entertainment of all.

A young man who is addicted to the bad habit of Sunday golf might have a small plaid paper golf-bag, and a card with a picture of a golfer with his sticks,--this can be cut from an advertisement or catalogue,--and a rhyme something like this:--

"Behold this young golfer so fit,
Who his ball (or his caddie) doth hit,
When six days in the week
And the seventh day eke,
To the links he doth eagerly flit."

An enthusiastic young housekeeper might be given a set of small tin baking dishes with this jingle:--

"This matron can cook wondrous well;
Every recipe known she can tell;
She can roast, stew, and bake,
Make marvellous cake,
And her jelly will frequently 'jell.'"

A pretty girl might have a pasteboard heart with the words written on it, "A heart for the heartless," and this verse below:--

"This maiden's an arrant young flirt;
Her ways are both subtle and pert.
Every man that she spies
She looks on as a prize,
And she cares not a fig for his hurt."

A little practice will make perfect in writing similar ridiculous nonsense.

The menu for this Christmas luncheon should be a very simple one in order not to impair the appetites for the Christmas goose, which will appear before many hours.

MENU

BOUILLON.
SCALLOPED SALMON.
DUCK CROQUETTES WITH PEAS. POTATO PUFF.
CELERY SALAD. WAFERS.
INDIVIDUAL PLUM PUDDINGS.
COFFEE.

Of course if plum pudding is necessary to the Christmas dinner it must be dispensed with here, but if this is the one meal of the holiday when the children of the family are present, these small lighted puddings will give the greatest delight; each one is to have a little spray of holly in the top and be sent to the table on fire; as the alcohol is destroyed in the blaze, there can be no objection to its use on this occasion.

After the final course a sleigh filled with candies may be brought in, with Santa Claus driving his team of reindeer, and this may be placed in state on one end of the table, or, if the little tree is not to be had for the central decoration, this toy may take its place, and stand in the centre all through the meal.

Sometimes one wishes to give a formal luncheon for guests who are spending the Christmas holidays in the house; the ideas suggested for the tree, the presents, the nonsense jingles, and the holly may all be used with perfect appropriateness, even if this comes either before or after the twenty-fifth. A Christmas luncheon speaks for itself, whenever it is given. For this you will need a rather elaborate

MENU

WHOLE PINEAPPLE FILLED WITH FRUITS.
CLAM BISQUE. HOT CRACKERS.
WHITEBAIT. BROWN BREAD AND BUTTER.
BOILED CHICKEN. OYSTER SAUCE.
POTATOES CREAMED.
ORANGE SHERBET IN HOLLY BOXES.
TONGUE SALAD. OLIVE SANDWICHES.
INDIVIDUAL PLUM PUDDINGS.
COFFEE. BONBONS.

Pineapple is in market all the year around in our cities, and at a price which varies little from the one in summer; if, however, the fruit is not to be had, serve whole bananas chilled, each one lying on its side on a plate with a strip of skin removed, and lemon juice and powdered sugar over it; it is to be eaten as bananas usually are now, with a spoon.

The whitebait is a peculiarly delicious fish, and not an expensive one, for as it is very light, a pound will go a long way; it is sprinkled with flour and fried in a wire basket in deep fat and served with a bit of lemon and thin strips of brown bread. Smelts or small pan fish may be substituted for it, if it is not in one's market. Only the white meat of the chicken is to be used on the table in the next course, with a white sauce with oysters in it. The tongue salad is made by cutting canned lunch tongue into small pieces, covering with French dressing for an hour and laying on lettuce with mayonnaise over it; the sandwiches passed with this are made of chopped olives and a little mayonnaise on thin bread and butter. An ice cream may be used in the place of the puddings if they are not fancied, and the caterer can furnish small figures of Santa Claus in coloured creams which are very attractive.

In December there should be snow on the ground, whether there is or not; certainly except on the sea-coast there is apt to be. A luncheon all in white is appropriate in winter in any case, but if your guests can look out on a white landscape, so much the better. This meal might precede a sleighing or skating party; as one skates in the city on artificial ice oftener than on that which forms naturally, this luncheon may be served, whatever the weather, for a party of skaters.

A SNOW LUNCHEON

Lay the table all in white, with doilies and lace centrepiece, and white, unshaded candles, whose glow will save the table from looking cold. Have your flowers white carnations with just a touch of green among them, and your bonbons and crystallised fruits white also. The radishes are to be peeled, all but the least bit, and mixed with celery hearts in a long glass dish, or served by themselves, as you fancy. The mousse may be in white sugar cases, if you prefer these rather than the melon mould.

MENU

CREAM OF CHICKEN SOUP.
TIMBALES OF COD. OYSTER SAUCE.
SWEETBREAD PATTIES.
BEEFSTEAK A LA STANLEY. CREAMED POTATOES.
CELERY SALAD. White Mayonnaise.
CHEESE STRAWS.
WHIPPED CREAM MOUSSE. SNOWBALL CAKES.
COFFEE WITH WHIPPED CREAM.

The beefsteak a la Stanley, said to have been invented by the African discoverer, is an odd dish for luncheon, but it is extremely good, although one who has never eaten it would not be inclined to think so; if served in small pieces is not too heavy for a winter's luncheon.

A thick, tender sirloin steak is broiled and laid on a hot platter on a bed of horse-radish sauce made with the grated root, cream, and white bread crumbs; a layer of fried bananas is put on the meat after it has been seasoned, and over all, a thin layer of the sauce; the root is then grated on top to look like long white ribbons, and the dish is served hot. Of course for a luncheon the steak must be cut in strips before the sauce is put on, or it will be a difficult matter to prevent its becoming mussy in cutting, but if the plates are prepared in the kitchen, the matter will be simple enough. To one who has never attempted this dish a suggestion might be given,--do not condemn it untried. The mousse is simply whipped cream which has been sweetened, flavoured with sherry, filled with candied fruit and nuts cut in small bits, and packed in a melon mould with ice and salt for four or five hours; it should be served on a bed of whipped cream. The snow-ball cakes have been suggested before; they are very pretty with this luncheon.

As this menu is heartier than usual, no sherbet is given, for presumably there is enough to eat without it; if, however, just because it is hearty it is thought necessary to introduce a course of ice to refresh after the meat, an apricot ice made from canned fruit may be added.

AN ANNOUNCEMENT LUNCHEON

In announcing the engagement of a friend it is customary to do so with her permission at a luncheon given to her most intimate friends; she should indeed make up the list with the hostess, limiting it to those who are entitled to hear the news directly. Of course if there are only a few, the luncheon should be an informal one, but if larger, the decorations and menu must be more elaborate.

If none of those present have been entertained at a Valentine luncheon on the order of the one already suggested, that may be followed almost exactly, as everything except the dove over the table is quite as appropriate for this meal as for that; if the guests are the same, then the decorations are to be altered more or less.

Lay the table with lace doilies over pink silk; have several vases of pink roses on the table, and have all the sandwiches, cakes, and ices in heart shapes. Use arrows of stiff silver paper in the ices. Give heart-shaped boxes filled with heart-shaped candies to the guests, unless you care to invest in pretty little stick-pins with gold or silver, or coloured enamel hearts on the end.

An appetising menu would be:--

MENU

OYSTERS ON THE HALF-SHELL.
BOUILLON.
FILLET OF FLOUNDER. SAUCE TARTARE.
POTATO BALLS.
CHICKEN LIVERS ON SKEWERS.
FILLET OF BEEF, SLICED, WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE.
POTATO CROQUETTES.
FROZEN FRUIT IN CANDY FLOWERS.
DEVILLED EGGS ON CHICCORY. MAYONNAISE.
HEART SANDWICHES.
ICE-CREAM HEARTS. CAKES.
COFFEE. BONBONS.