Dinners and Luncheons, Paul Pierce [the reading list book .TXT] 📗

Instead of an oyster course, have strawberries served European fashion, with their hulls on, sprinkled with powdered sugar. At the end of the meal serve strawberry shortcake, the real Southern article.

Fill the rolled French omlette with strawberry jam.

The bonbons are strawberries dipped in white fondant.

For a small luncheon have on the table four cut glass bowls filled with waterlilies, resting on the lily pads set on chop plates filled with water. In the center of the table three tall cathedral candles rising from a mass of asparagus fern. Have the bonbons in green and white and the pistachio nuts in bohemian glass bowls of pink, gold, violet and green. Make the place cards of waterlilies cut out of water-color paper and painted. The menu is red and white raspberries, iced clam bouillon, lamb chops, peas, potato roses, cucumber and nut salad served in green peppers cut to imitate lily buds, ice cream of pistachio and lemon ice molded in pond lily forms, cakes iced in green and white and coffee.

For the main course prepare young chickens cut in halves and fried Southern style. Serve with hot cream gravy and corn fritters. On the side of the plate put potato croquettes and two slices of thin, crisp bacon. A crisp salad of sliced tomatoes or stuffed tomatoes and strawberries and cream would make this a simple appetizing meal which you need not hesitate to serve your city friends. A delicious dish is macaroni Milanaise. Cook spaghetti well, fry it in butter and serve with mushrooms. Also serve small bits of tongue, grated Swiss cheese and a tomato sauce. Morning glories make a pretty table decoration. Place them on the vines in a cut glass bowl in the center of the table and let them run riot over the cloth. Paint morning glories in the corner of the name card. Serve the strawberries from a china platter wreathed in the morning glories.

For the first course have luscious fresh strawberries served on strawberry leaves dotted with tiny wild flowers and on flowered plates. With the strawberries the sugar is served in tiny paper cups. The second course is puree of corn served in odd Egyptian cups with whipped cream on top. The chicken croquettes are molded in form of tiny chickens with cloves for the eyes, and bits of celery tops for wings. The chicken rests on a nest of fried shoestring potatoes. With this is served a round of toast with first a slice of fried tomato and on top of that creamed asparagus tips. On the same plate are hot rolls and tiny pickles. Salted pecans and almonds should be passed during the entire luncheon. The salad course is a head of lettuce for each one. The heart of the lettuce is removed and filled with cucumber salad. Cheese straws are served with this. The ice cream is served in the form of strawberries and rests on a paper doily resembling Mexican drawnwork. The cake is a tiny white column, iced, with two candy strawberries on the side. The candies are peppermints in form of strawberries. Coffee served as a last course.

Here is a Valentine luncheon for young girls suggesting the "Sweet Sixteen" idea in a novel and beautiful manner. Spun sugar should be used exclusively in most of the table decorations. Have a round table set in pure white and crystal, the latest fad. At each girl's plate have a flower done in candy in a realistic manner.

On each side of the table have small, red heart-shaped candy baskets filled with red candy hearts. Imitation baskets of rock candy tied with bows of candy ribbons holding preserved citron, ginger and nuts glacé. The fruit salad should be served in paper cases imitating pink roses. Over the salad have a white mayonnaise dotted with pink rose petals. The crackers heart shaped. The ice cream should be served in white candy baskets with tall handles. For place cards use pink hearts.

As most of the evening is spent in the dining-room, particular attention is given to the decoration of it, and the appointments of the table, to make them original and attractive. The national colors prevail in the use of bunting and flowers, and none save those peculiar to February should be utilized; tropical foliage is dispensed with, and, inasmuch as Kentucky was Mr. Lincoln's native state, only such evergreens as are native to that commonwealth—as holly, cedar, laurel, etc.,—should be used to supply the necessary greenery disposed about the room, the particular arrangement of which must be decided by the furnishings therein and by individual taste.

The table is laid in the regulation white, dotted over with American Beauty petals and violets, the edge being draped in laurel tied with tri-colored ribbon. In the middle is laid a round mat of woodland moss to simulate bluegrass, and on it rests a miniature log cabin, around which is built a fancy rail fence made of chocolate sticks; a number of little pickaninnies are seen playing about the house, and grin out at the guests, which renders the effect very realistic and interesting. Little jugs tied with blue ribbon are also prominent features. In front of each cover stands a diminutive barrel labeled "Old Bourbon," but in reality holding nothing more harmful than delicious bon bons, unless it happens to be a stag affair, when the genuine article would be preferable. Ices are presented in fancy moulds decorated with small darkies, and in the form of the dome of the Capitol, or any other suggestive figure that one prefers.

In issuing the invitations the guests are informed that one and all will be expected to contribute to the general enjoyment by relating some story or anecdote of Lincoln.

Menu for Irish Luncheon: