The Expert Waitress: A Manual for the Pantry, Kitchen, and Dining-Room

Part 2

Chapter 23,413 wordsPublic domain

_Consommé._ _Sherry._ _Olives._ _Salted Almonds._ _Broiled Bass_, _Maître d’hôtel Sauce._ _Claret._ _Roast Lamb_, _Mint Sauce._ _Green Pease._ _Baked Tomatoes._ _Potato Croquettes._ _Lettuce Salad._ _Crackers._ _Cheese._ _Neapolitan Pudding._ _Coffee._

Make sure that the air of the dining-room is fresh, and the temperature agreeable.

If dust has gathered on polished surfaces since luncheon, wipe them lightly with a soft cloth.

See that your table is exactly in its right place, and not in the 24 least askew. Lay the Canton-flannel cloth perfectly smooth. Lay the linen cloth flat and without a wrinkle. See that the coverings of the sideboard and side-table are fresh and straight.

Place the flowers in the centre of the table.

If candelabra are used, put one on each side of the flowers, on a line with them. If four candlesticks, place them in a square a little distance from the flowers.

Spread a carving-cloth at the head and one at the foot of the table. Be sure that they lie quite straight across it.

Place a carafe for the use of every two persons, and a salt cup and pepper box for every two persons.

Lay a dinner plate for each person. On the right of each plate lay a soup spoon, with the bowl turned up, a dinner knife with the sharp edge turned towards the plate, a fish knife (if fish knives are used), a tumbler for water, a glass for sherry, and a glass for claret.

At the left of each plate lay a fork for fish, and a larger one for 25 the roast. Lay them in the order in which they are to be used, the fish fork being outside. At the left place also a napkin folded simply and holding a piece of dinner bread.

On the sideboard place the dessert plates, on each one of which is a doily under a finger bowl one-third full of water, and a dessert fork. Put on the sideboard astray with after-dinner cups, saucers, and spoons, a small bowl of lump sugar, and a small cream jug. Have on the sideboard, also, extra glasses, knives, forks, and spoons.

On the side-table place extra plates, the carvers with their forks, tablespoons, and sauce ladles. Leave room on the side-table for vegetable dishes and sauce boats.

Be sure that the salad bowl, olive dishes, and pudding dish are cool, the tureen, dishes, and plates being properly heated. When it is nearly time for dinner, place two olive dishes and two almond dishes, alternately, just outside of the candelabra; place a decanter of 26 sherry near the carver’s right, and a decanter of claret at the opposite corner of the table; fill the carafes, fill the tumblers, light the candles.

Place the soup tureen and some warm soup plates at the head of the table, lay the soup ladle at the right of the tureen, see that every chair is in its place, and announce that dinner is served.

When all are seated, uncover the soup tureen, put the cover on the side-table, and stand at the left of the hostess.

When a ladleful of soup is served, lift the soup plate with your right hand and place it on your tray. Take it to the person at the right of the hostess. Go to the right side. Place the soup plate on the cold dinner plate. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left of the hostess and serve all on the other side.

To remove the soup course, take first the tureen, then a soup plate in each hand, until all are removed. To remove soiled plates, go to the 27 _right_. Properly done, this way is more agreeable to those who sit at table than when plates are taken from the left.

Pour sherry. Be careful to pour each glass three-fourths full.

Place the platter of fish and warmed fish plates before the host. Lay the fish slice at the right of the platter and the fish fork at the left of the platter.

When a portion of fish has been served, lift the plate in your right hand and place on your tray. Go to the hostess first and exchange the cold plate for the fish plate. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left and serve all on the other side. Place the sauce boat on your tray and offer at the left, going all around the table.

To remove the fish course, take first the fish platter, then the plates, one in each hand, until all are removed.

Pour claret, and leave the decanter near the host. Pour each glass only three-quarters full.

If olives and almonds have not been served by the persons at table to 28 each other, serve olives first, then almonds.

Place the roast before the carver, and the hot plates. Lay the carving-knife and gravy spoon at the right of the platter, and the carving-fork at the left of the platter. Serve the roast in the same manner as the fish.

Put a spoon in the potato dish and place it on your serving tray. Offer at the left of each person. Return the potato dish to the side-table; serve the pease in the same manner, then tomatoes, and then mint sauce.

To remove this course, first lift the carver, the carving-fork, and gravy spoon to your tray and carry them to the pantry. Lay the carver and fork carefully by themselves. Remove the platter with the roast. Remove plates, one in each hand.

Remove the crumbs.

Place the salad fork and spoon in the salad bowl; put the bowl on your tray. Place it before the host, with the salad plates. Lay a fork and a knife quietly and quickly at each place.

When some salad is served, take to the hostess. Set the plate down 29 from the right. Serve all on one side, then all on the other side.

Pass the crackers, then the cheese.

Remove the salad bowl, salad plates, olives, almonds, salt cups, pepper boxes, and wine-glasses.

Remove the crumbs.

Remove the carving-cloths.

Place a dessert plate, with its finger bowl and dessert fork, before each person. Place the pudding before the hostess. Lay the pudding slicer at the right of the pudding dish. Serve first the person at the right of the hostess. Serve all on one side, then begin at the left of the hostess and serve all on the other side.

Remove the pudding dish, plates, and finger bowls.

Place the coffee tray before the hostess, and bring the coffee-pot. When the coffee is poured, place a cup at the right of each person. Offer sugar and cream at the left.

If carafes are empty, fill them with fresh water. 30

Do not leave the dining-room until you are sure that you have finished all that there is to do.

A dinner served in this way gives us the following rules:

I--A dining-room must be free from dust and at a pleasant temperature.

II--Table-cloths must be laid without wrinkles and perfectly straight.

III--The sharp edge of knives must be turned towards the plate; bowls of spoons and tines of forks must be turned up.

IV--Carvers must be treated with as much respect as if they were razors.

V--A waitress is responsible for the proper heating of dishes and plates before they are brought to the table.

VI--A meal must never be announced until everything is in readiness which is needed or may be needed.

VII--Bread must be freshly cut.

VIII--Everything which admits of choice must be _passed_ at the left. 31 Everything which does not admit of choice must be _placed_ at the right.

IX--Soiled plates and dishes should be removed from the right.

X--In clearing the table, food must be first removed, then soiled china, glass, silver, and cutlery, then clean china, glass, silver, and cutlery, then crumbs, then carving-cloths.

XI--Everything relating only to one course must be removed before serving another course.

Supper 32

_Bouillon in Cups._ _Chicken in Aspic Jelly._ _Roast Ham._ _Saratoga Potatoes._ _Olives._ _Rolls._ _Mustard Pickles._ _Butter._ _Salad Romaine._ _Crackers._ _Cheese._ _Almond Pudding._ _Coffee._

To serve this supper you will need: Heavy table-cloth, linen table-cloth, carving-cloths, napkins, doilies, flower bowl, candlesticks, carafes, tumblers, salt cups, pepper boxes, salt spoons, plate for rolls, butter plate and knife, bread-and-butter plates, olive dishes, pickle dishes, and forks.

Supper is served, instead of dinner, when it is necessary to gain time for an evening entertainment, or when for other reasons a shorter 33 instead of longer meal is desirable.

As many dishes as are possible, without crowding, are placed upon the table before the meal is announced.

Have the air of the dining-room fresh, and the temperature not too high.

See that the furniture is free from dust. 34

Be sure that the table is quite straight. Lay Canton-flannel cloth perfectly smooth. Lay linen cloth without a wrinkle. See that the coverings of the sideboard and side-table are fresh and straight.

Place flowers in the centre of the table, and four candlesticks in a square outside of them.

Lay carving-cloths at the foot and the head, and see that they are straight across the end of the table.

Place a carafe for the use of every two persons, and a salt cup and pepper box for every two.

For each person lay a small plate. On the right of each plate lay a small silver knife, a medium steel knife, with the sharp edge turned towards the plate, a small soup spoon for bouillon, and a tumbler. At the left lay a salad fork, a medium silver fork, a napkin, and a bread-and-butter plate with a supper roll and a tiny butter ball.

Lay your sideboard and side-table with care. Make sure that everything 35 is in readiness which is or may be needed.

On the side-table have a coffee tray with cups, saucers, spoons, sugar bowl, and cream jug. A salad tray with oil, vinegar, mixed mustard, and red and white pepper; also the carving knives and forks.

On the sideboard place the dessert plates, each with a doily, on which stands a finger bowl one-third full of water. At the right of the finger bowl, on the plate, lay a dessert fork. On the sideboard lay, also, extra knives, forks, spoons, and glasses.

Place the aspic of chicken at the head of the table, and lay the slicer between it and the plates before the hostess. The plates should be half the number of the persons at table. Place the roast ham at the opposite end of the table, with the same number of plates as for the chicken. Lay the carving knife and fork between the platter and the pile of plates.

Place the olives and pickles alternately between and just outside the line of the candlesticks. Fill the carafes and the tumblers. Put a 36 bowl of bouillon (covered) on each plate. See that every chair is in its place and announce that supper is served.

To remove the bouillon bowls, take in each hand a plate, with its bowl, cover, and spoon, until all are removed.

When a slice of ham has been placed on a plate, take the plate in your right hand, place it on your tray, and go to the left of the hostess. Hold your tray so that she can comfortably put a helping of chicken on the plate with the ham. Serve this plate to the person on the right of the hostess. She will now have a helping on a second plate. Take this plate from her right, carry it to the left of the host for a helping of ham. Serve this to the person at the right of the host. Take from his right the next plate which is ready and carry it to the left of the hostess, as before. Serve the next person on her right, and so on until all are served.

Place a spoon in the potato dish, put on your tray, and pass it at 37 the left, going all around the table.

Pass the pickles, olives, butter, and rolls, if rolls have been furnished with bouillon.

Keep the carafes filled and offer ice for the glasses.

When this course is finished, remove first the carvers and carving-forks and spoon, then the meat platters and vegetable dish. Next take the plates, one in each hand, until all are removed. Then take the bread-and-butter plates, and the olive and pickle dishes.

Remove the crumbs.

Remove the carving-cloths.

Place the salad fork and spoon in the salad bowl, put it on your tray, and place it before the host. Put the salad plates before the host.

When some salad has been served, take the plate in your right hand and put it on your tray. Serve the hostess first by going to the right and putting the plate down. Serve all on one side of the table first, then begin at the left of the hostess and serve all on the other side.

Offer crackers, then cheese, going all around the table. 38

Remove the salad bowl, lifting it from the right of the host to your tray. Remove the plates, one in each hand, until all are removed.

Remove the crumbs.

Place a dessert plate, with its bowl and fork, before each person.

Place the pudding before the hostess. Lay the pudding slicer at the right of the pudding dish.

To serve the pudding begin at the right of the hostess, each time exchanging the dessert plate before the person served for the plate on your tray.

Remove the pudding dish and plates and finger bowls.

Place the coffee tray before the hostess. Bring the coffee-pot and place at the right of the tray.

When the coffee is poured place a cup at the right of each person.

Offer sugar and cream.

Afternoon Tea 39

For afternoon tea you need: Two small tables, fringed or embroidered tea cloths, doilies, an urn for bouillon, bouillon cups, spoons, a teakettle, teapots, tea caddy, sugar bowls, cream jugs, sugar tongs, teacups and saucers, teaspoons, a pitcher for iced water, tumblers, plates for finger rolls, plates for small cakes, bonbon dishes.

The afternoon tea which may properly be placed under the head of receptions is not here considered. To serve it requires more than one person.

The simple afternoon tea of a lady who is at home informally to her friends should be arranged by the waitress. She should have command of this situation, as well as of all others in her department. Bouillon should be _hot_, a cup of tea should be hot and _fresh_. Finger rolls 40 should be spread in such a manner that bits of butter will not come in contact with gloves. A tumbler must be only three-fourths full of water.

Place a small table--round if possible--where it will be most convenient for the hostess. Lay on it a daintily embroidered tea cloth, two or three choice cups and saucers, with spoons, a small sugar bowl with sugar tongs, a small cream jug, a dish of bonbons, and, at the last moment, a small teapot of freshly made tea.

In a corner of the room, or at one side in the background, lay another table with a tea cloth and place upon it an urn of bouillon, bouillon cups, doilies, teacups and saucers, spoons, a kettle of boiling water, a pitcher of iced water, tumblers, plates of finger rolls and small cakes, a dish of bonbons, a sugar bowl, a cream jug, and a tea caddy. On this table have, also, a teapot heating for the next brewing of tea. Twenty minutes, or even more, may elapse between the serving of 41 the first cups of tea and those which follow. Tea to be enjoyable must be freshly brewed.

When the hostess has received a guest or guests, offer bouillon from a tray which holds also a small plate of finger rolls and one or two doilies. If tea, which the hostess offers, is preferred, offer cakes with it.

Observe quietly when a guest has finished a cup of bouillon or a cup of tea, and, without the least appearance of haste, remove it on your tray. Be sure that the hostess has always some fresh cups ready to serve, and replenish the sugar bowl and cream jug when necessary.

If tea and cake only are served, you will still need a table for the hot-water kettle, pitcher of iced water, tumblers, and whatever is necessary to replenish the tea-table of the hostess.

If Russian tea be served, select a fair, fresh lemon and slice it evenly. Place a small dish which holds three or four slices of lemon on the tea-table, and have another in reserve from which to replenish.

Picnic and Travelling Luncheons 42

Choose a drawer or shelf on which to keep all the neat boxes which otherwise would be thrown away. With them put cords, small, wide-mouthed bottles, with suitable corks, a package of paraffine paper, and some light wrapping paper.

With these accessories at hand it is an easy matter to put up a few sandwiches, some olives or tiny pickles, and some wafers or cake.

If picnic luncheons are frequent in summer and the waitress assists the cook in putting them up, she can save much time and many mistakes of omission by writing out a list of all the things ordinarily needed for such occasions. This list she will keep in a safe place, and refer to it as soon as a picnic is mentioned to see what will have to be done the day before or early in the morning.

A list may be something like this: 43

Plates. Glasses. Cups. Knives. Forks. Doilies. Teaspoons. Can-opener. Corkscrew. Hatchet. Coffee, sugar, and cream. Canned tongue. Canned chicken. Cold fried oysters. Cold roast lamb. Graham and white wafers. A loaf of bread. Coffee-pot. Glass jar for cream. Glass jar for salad. Jelly glass or a bowl with tight cover for butter. Box and paper for prunes, etc. Agate pail for water. Matches. Butter, packed in jelly glass or bowl, and left in the ice-box overnight. Vegetable salad. Pickles, olives, salt. Prunes, crystallized ginger. Sweet chocolate.

Care of Dining-Room 44

Suppose a dining-room in which the movable furniture consists of a table, a sideboard, a side-table, a dinner wagon, a screen, and twelve chairs. In the middle of the floor is a large rug which covers all except a polished border of three feet from the walls all around the room. The two windows are draped with curtains, there are pictures on the walls and candelabra and ornaments on the mantel. In one corner of the room is a closet, with glass doors, for glass, and in another corner one similar for fine china. Under the one for glass is a safe for silver, and under the one for china, shelves for some linen. Both safe and shelves are enclosed by doors without glass.

The dining-table is the right size for the family, its extra leaves being in their frame in the pantry. It stands in the middle of the 45 rug.

The end of the table next to the door is the head; that next the window, the foot.