PLANNING A MENU
Food value and contrast--the avoidance of duplicating flavors--are main
points in menu planning. An elaborate menu must alternate its light and
heavy courses.
SOUP
Thin soups for formal dinners, cream or thick soups for informal ones
is the rule. With Consomme, Bread or Cheese Sticks; with thick soups
Crackers or Croutons; with Oyster Stew, Oyster Crackers are the proper
thing. Soup garnishings (clear soup) include: Shredded Sprouts, Boiled
Macaroni cut in rings, Noodles, Lemon Slices, Italian Pastes and Grated
Parmesan Cheese, and Sliced Cooked Chestnuts and Royal Custard.
Radishes, Celery and Olives are served _after_ the soup.
HORS D'OEVRES
Cocktails or Canapes beginning a dinner call for plain sandwiches or
wafers. When Oysters or Clams (or any seafood cocktails) are served,
Graham or Brown Bread Sandwiches are grateful. With oysters served raw
on shell, a Horseradish Sandwich is proper. Tabasco, Grated
Horseradish, Catsup, Cayenne, or Cocktail Sauce are in order for
oysters or clams, and a half lemon should _always_ be laid on the
oyster plate.
FISH
Fish flavoring's include Lemon Juice (lemon sliced with or without the
rind, or served in quarters or halves) or Tarragon Vinegar. Sauce
Tartare is always appropriate for fried fish. Broiled Halibut or
Pompano gain by a Sauce Hollandaise. With Baked or Broiled Shad
Cucumber Cream Sauce is in order. Broiled fish in general should be
mated with rich, heavy sauces, and may be accompanied by Boiled Potato
Balls, and Maitre d'Hotel butter. When Halibut or Flounder are steamed
or baked in fillets, they call for a piquantly flavored sauce: Caper,
Brown Tomato, Shrimp or Lobster. Drawn Butter Sauce, Caper or
Hollandaise Sauce, are best with Boiled Hot Salmon; Green Mayonnaise,
Vinaigrette or Sauce Tartare with Cold Boiled Salmon. Vegetables do not
properly accompany fish in a dinner of many courses. Yet broiled fish
may be served with Corn and Shell Beans; white fish of various sorts
with Tomatoes, stuffed or fried; and Salmon with Peas.
ENTREES
Every entree should have the sauce which properly befits it. Patties,
however, are not served with the rolls which accompany other entrees,
their pastry taking its place. A Puree of Peas may be offered with meat
croquettes.
SALADS
For simply dressed salads Cheese Balls or croquettes are appropriate.
Fruit salads require thin, unsugared crackers--they may be served hot,
sprinkled with mild paprika over butter. Anything of the sort served
with a salad is merely served to _bring out_ its flavor, not to
destroy it!
DESSERTS
When the dinner is a heavy or elaborate one the heavy pudding with a
rich sauce is distinctly out of keeping. Frappeed or cold desserts are
the proper thing, served together with small wafers or cakes. At less
formal dinners the sweet dessert may be omitted, and cheese and hard
crackers, a fruit salad, or toasted wafers and coffee may be
substituted.
THE ROASTS
Under this head we will list for the reader's convenience a grouping of
roasts, together with the sauces and vegetables with which they may be
combined for menu purposes in a natural and satisfactory manner.
_Beefsteak and Roast Beef:_ As sauces, Mushroom Sauce is
appropriate for both; then for Beefsteak we have Sauce Bearnaise, and
Maitre d'Hotel Butter; for the Roast Beef, Horseradish Sauce, Banana
Sauce and as an accompanying dish, Yorkshire Pudding. Accompanying
vegetables for both include: Potatoes, white and sweet, Lima and String
Beans, Macaroni, Corn, Peas, Spinach and Onions, Eggplant and Squash,
Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower and Tomatoes.
_Boiled Beef_: Horseradish Sauce is the preferred one, and
Dumplings may accompany it. Potatoes (white), Parsnips, Turnips,
Carrots are the first concomitants.
_Corned Beef_: Plain Boiled Potatoes and Cabbage are the first
concomitants. Spinach or Dandelion Greens, Parsnips, Beets, Turnips and
Carrots are also indicated.
_Roast Lamb_: May be accompanied by Banana Croquettes or Bananas
baked, by Currant Jelly, Mint Sauce, Mint Jelly or Mint Sherbet. In
addition to most of the vegetables already listed, Asparagus, and
Jerusalem Artichokes are in order, and Cauliflower may be served with
Cream Sauce or _au gratin_.
_Lamb Chops Broiled_: Potatoes in any form desired, Cauliflower or
Brussels Sprouts, and practically any green vegetables, _but
piquantly served_, are in order.
_Boiled Lamb and Mutton_: Caper Sauce and accompanying Dumplings
are in order for both. Potatoes (white) Carrots, Turnips and Parsnips
are the vegetables.
_Saddle of Mutton_: Takes all vegetables served with Lamb. It
should be served with Currant Jelly or Mint Sauce and, aside from
Asparagus, Spinach, French Peas and String Beans, may be accompanied by
Fried Rice Balls or Rice Croquettes.
_Fowl in General and Chicken_: These take Cranberry Jelly and
Sauce, also Chestnut, Mushroom, Oysters, Celery and Curry Sauce, and
fresh Celery. Glazed Sweet Potatoes, Corn Fritters, Croquettes (Rice,
Chestnut, Hominy), all fresh summer vegetables, including String and
Lima Beans, Mushrooms, Onions and Squash are in order with fowl.
_Roast Turkey_: Here, while we may have Cranberry Sauce or Jelly,
we _must_ have crisp, fresh Celery. There is a choice of
stuffings--Sausage, Chestnut, Oyster, Sage and Nut. Potatoes (white
and sweet), Brussels Sprouts and Cauliflower, Squash, Turnips and
Onions are the vegetables.
_Roast Goose_: The vegetables are the same as for Roast Turkey,
and Brown Giblet Gravy, Apple Sauce and Celery are accompaniments. The
stuffings mentioned for Turkey are also in order here.
_Duck (Domestic)_: The vegetables served for all fowl, plus Fried
Hominy if desired, are indicated. Either Boiled or Souffled Onions are
a tradition with duck.
_Duck (Game)_: Salads are preferred to vegetables as an
accompaniment for Wild Duck. The Salad Greens--any salad green may be
used--should be dressed in a simple manner. If preferred, Olive and
Orange Jellies and Sauces, and Currant and Plum Jellies, Orange and
Cress or Orange and Walnut on Lettuce may be served.
_Roast Grouse or Guinea Hen_: With Bread Sauce may be served
Potatoes (as croquettes or French fried), Celery Croquettes, String
Beans, Asparagus, and French Peas, also Currant Jelly and Currant Jelly
Sauce.
_Quail, Roasted or Broiled_: Green salads in which Orange
dominates should accompany this game bird. Ideal ways of serving are:
1. In a nest of Chestnut Puree. 2. On Buttered Toast. 3. On toast
spread with Puree of Cooked Calf's Liver moistened with Sherry.
_Squab, Roasted or Broiled_: Serve with Currant Jelly and--if
offered as a main course at a luncheon--with light vegetables,
Mushrooms, Peas, Beans, Asparagus on Toast, Spinach in Puff Paste or
Fried Potato Balls.
_Boiled Ham_: For Boiled Ham Champagne or Cider Sauce is best.
Potatoes in practically any form desired, Creamed, Chantilly,
Escalloped, etc., with Spinach, Beet Greens, Cauliflower, Brussels
Sprouts are vegetable choices.
_Pork_: Implies the presence of the apple, as Apple Sauce, Cider
Apple Sauce, Fried Apples or Apple Croquettes, though Sauce Soubise or
Sauce Piquant may also be used with it. Potatoes, if desired, and
practically any vegetable are in order.
_Roast Veal_: A Brown Gravy or Sauce Soubise are proper for veal.
Rice, Spaghetti, Macaroni, are accompanying dishes; and practically all
the usual garden vegetables are in order.
_Roast Venison_: A Wild Plum Sauce is especially appropriate, plus
Currant Jelly. Potatoes should be Saratoga or French Fried. French
String Beans and French Peas, Brussels Sprouts (with Chestnuts) and
Mushrooms (in Brown Madeira Sauce) will add to the occasion.