Part 10

No less than three, or more than five, oysters on the plate of each guest (with celery on table if in season). The oyster plates and forks are removed. Next serve the soups, with a grated rusk, plain roll, or French bread. _Hors-d’œuvres_, or whets, are now in order. Next serve the boiled releve; then the heavy entrée; after which serve the light entrée. Your guests will now expect the punch Roumaine, after which serve a good Russian cigarette (if gentlemen only). Then the roast joint; after which serve the game. Then the light salad, with a plain French dressing. Next the sweet entremet. The table should now be cleared; cheese and hard cracker offered; then the ices, with cake, etc., confectionery, dessert, coffee, liquors and cigars. The appropriate vegetables to be passed round with each joint or dish where they _naturally_ belong.

The proper wines for above banquet are: with oysters, white Burgundies, Sauternes, and, if no other wine is at hand, a bottle of still Moselle may be served; with the soup, Sherry and Madeira; with the releves of fish, Hock wines; with the boiled joints, light Bordeaux (claret) and Burgundy wines; with the entrées, champagnes (though champagne may be served from the beginning to the end of dinner if asked for), after the last entrée serve the punch Roumaine, cardinal, etc., with cigarette if desired. A Rhenish wine may be on table to prepare the palate for the roast, and to counteract the sweetness of the punch. With the roasts and game heavy Burgundy and Bordeaux. At many English banquets port wine is sprinkled over the lettuce, and cheese and crackers are served at the same time, but it is not a modern custom. With the sweets, sherry and Madeira. A spoonful of brandy added to the coffee will aid digestion.

A _pony_ of half green Chartreuse and S. O. P. brandy is excellent at the end of a dinner.

Serve the punch Roumaine after the last entrée, and not after the _roast_, as I have occasionally seen it on bills of fare.

Remember that venison cools rapidly. Iced or cold wines should not be served with it. Hot plates should not be forgotten.

Rhine wine takes kindly to boiled or roast ham.

Have you tried blanched almonds sautéed with a little butter, and seasoned with salt and pepper, and served after the cheese?

But one might suggest in this way indefinitely. The subject is inexhaustible.

=Remarks on Wines.=—A guest should not be censured “by looks” from the host if he refuses to drink any other wine than that served with the first course, provided it is of a good vintage and pleases his palate. Good, honest wines should be served at all large entertainments, but “private stock” and “rare vintages” should be reserved for the more private affairs, where the guests are personal friends of the host, and, though not recognized as wine-drinkers, they are good judges of and appreciate thoroughly a good glass of wine. The promiscuous gathering (with few exceptions) seldom appreciates a rare bottle of still wine. Their ideal wine is the champagne. I have often seen a bottle of splendid Chateau Yquem and Johannesberger pushed aside as “stuff” the moment the champagne appeared, and by gentlemen whom I had previously considered _bon vivants_. They will tell you that a wine with a deposit or crust cannot be pure, and it is only a waste of time to attempt to explain that old wines without a deposit are more or less _doctored_.

The host should be censured for sending his cellar curiosities to table when the majority of the guests are strangers to him.

On decanting wines, Denman has observed: “To fully develop the flavor and bouquet of any wine a little gentle warmth is necessary, and it is therefore advisable that the wines intended for immediate use should be placed in a warmer temperature than that of the cellar”; and Fin-Bee adds “that the dining-room is the proper place,” which is the custom among first-class caterers. The heavy wines should remain in the dining-room uncorked a few hours under the supervision of a trusty person, for the average waiter is partial to good wine, and can remove a bottle as dexterously as a king of legerdemain.

Francatelli insists that the different kinds of sherries, ports, Madeira, and all Spanish and Portuguese wines are improved by being decanted several hours before dinner.

His advice and suggestions are proper; but does it not please the eye—is there not an unwritten history in all the dark cobwebs, etc., that cling with a brotherly affection to the original bottle?

The favorite Hocks with Americans are P. A. Mumm’s Johannesberg, Barton & Guestier’s, Henkell & Co.’s wines, and a few other well-known reliable firms. Prince Metternich, Schloss Johannesberg wines are very good, but “Blue Seal” is held at too high a figure ($150 per case) to ever become popular.

P. A. Mumm’s Hock wines are favorites, and justly so, for they are entirely free from adulteration.

At an American banquet recently given in London, the favorite wine was Heidsieck, on the ground that it was one of the first wines to find popular favor in America. This information will, no doubt, surprise wine-drinking Americans, for if our custom-house reports of importation are reliable, we have discovered several Rheims wines that are decidedly superior to Heidsieck. The importation in 1879 of G. H. Mumm’s champagne alone was twenty-two thousand five hundred and twenty-six cases more than of any other brand.

Pommery and Cliquot (the two widows), Roederer dry, Moët & Chandon, Imperial, and a few others are all good dinner wines.

Sparkling Hock, if properly handled, is a wine that should find favor in this country, but the demand is so limited that it is very apt to spoil before the case is used up. That made from the Riesling grape is the best.

American champagnes (and it grieves me to say it) are not the proper wines to serve at a banquet or dinner. Their peculiar acrid taste does not suit a palate that has been educated on foreign wines. They may be served at a banquet given in a foreign country where every dish and every wine is purely American, or sent to the cook for his champagne(?) sauce, etc. A bottle of “Cook’s Imperial” may be served at lunch, and it is proper enough at the end of the bar where the crackers and cheese hold court. It finds favor with the youth “seeing the sights” of a great city, but not elsewhere.

Pierre Blot, in the _Galaxy_, observed “that American wines are just as good as foreign wines for the table and for cooking purposes. Bogus wines,” he said, “are sold to native Americans almost entirely.” Friend Blot evidently got in with the _wrong crowd_ when he visited us.

=The First Champagne.=—It happened that about the year 1668 the office of cellarer was conferred upon a worthy monk named Perignon. Poets and roasters, we know, are born, and not made; and this precursor of the Moëts and Cliquots, the Heidsiecks and the Mumms of our days, seems to have been a heaven-born cellarman, with a strong head and a discriminating palate. The wine exacted from the neighboring cultivators was of all qualities, good, bad, and indifferent; and with the spirit of a true Benedictine, Dom Perignon hit upon the idea of “marrying” the produce of one vineyard with that of another. He had noted that one kind of soil imparted fragrance and another generosity, and discovered that a white wine could be made from the blackest grapes, which would keep good, instead of turning yellow and degenerating like the wine obtained from white ones. Moreover, the happy thought occurred to him that a piece of cork was a much more suitable stopper for a bottle than the flax dipped in oil which had heretofore served that purpose. The white, or, as it was sometimes styled, the gray wine of Champagne grew famous, and the manufacture spread throughout the province, but that of Hautvillers held the predominance. The cellarer, ever busy among his vats and presses, barrels and bottles, alighted upon a discovery destined to be far more important in its results. He found out the way of making an effervescent wine, a wine that burst out of the bottle and overflowed the glass, that was twice as dainty to the taste, and twice as exhilarating in its effects. It was at the close of the seventeenth century that this discovery was made, when the glory of the Roi Soleil was on the wane, and with it the splendor of the court of Versailles. The king for whose especial benefit liquors had been invented found a gleam of his youthful energy as he sipped the creamy, foaming vintage that enlivened his dreary tête-à-tête with the widow of Scarron. It found its chief patrons, however, among the bands of gay young roysterers, the future _roués_ of the Regency, whom the Duc d’Orléans and the Duc de Vendôme had gathered round them at the Palais Royal and at Anet. It was at one of the famous _soupers_ d’Anet that the Marquis de Sillery, who had turned his sword into a pruning-knife and applied himself to the cultivation of his paternal vineyards on the principles inculcated by the cellarer of St. Peter’s, first introduced the wine bearing his name. The flower-wreathed bottles which, at a given signal, a dozen of blooming young damsels scantily draped in the guise of Bacchanals placed upon the table were hailed with rapture, and thenceforth sparkling wine was an indispensable adjunct at all the _petits soupers_ of the period. In the highest circles the popping of champagne-corks seemed to ring the knell of sadness, and the victories of Marlborough were in a measure compensated for by this grand discovery.—_London Society._

_MIXED DRINKS._

My receipts under this head are inserted for the benefit of _the gentlemen_, many of whom in the course of my experience have bewailed their lack of knowledge on this point when wishing to entertain their male friends at home.

=Lemonade.=—Take half a pound of loaf-sugar and reduce it to a syrup with one pint of water; add the rind of five lemons and let stand an hour; remove the rinds and add the strained juice of the lemons; add one bottle of “Apollinaris” water, and a block of ice in centre of bowl. Peel one lemon and cut it up into thin slices, divide each slice in two, and put in lemonade. Claret or fine cordials may be added if desired. Serve with a piece of lemon in each glass.

=Milk Punch.=—For a small party: Dissolve half a pound of sugar in a little hot water which has been flavored slightly with a little lemon-peel; add the syrup to two quarts of rich milk (cream is preferable); pour in one pint of brandy and one gill of Jamaica rum; mix thoroughly, dust a little grated nutmeg over it, and set it in a cool place. Beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth with a little sugar and float on top of punch same as with egg-nogg. Sprinkle a little confectionery sugar over froth. Place a small piece of ice in each tumbler when serving.

=Egg-nogg.=—For a small party: Separate the yolks and whites of twelve eggs; beat the yolks thoroughly, add two heaping cupfuls of sugar and half a grated nutmeg; beat the whole together thoroughly; add half a pint of brandy, half that quantity of Jamaica or Santa Cruz rum, and two quarts of rich milk. Beat up the whites of six of the eggs to a stiff froth, float it on top of mixture, and dust with a little confectioner’s sugar. Place a piece of ice in each tumbler when serving.

=Hot Tom and Jerry.=—Separate the yolks and whites of ten eggs. Beat the yolks up thoroughly and add gradually four pounds of sugar. Beat up whites of eggs to a stiff froth and add gradually to above mixture. Flavor this batter with one wineglassful of Maraschino and a little nutmeg. Put one tablespoonful of this mixture into a china mug with a wineglassful of brandy and one tablespoonful of rum, and fill up the mug with hot water, stir well and dust a little more grated nutmeg over it if desired. Sherry may be used instead of brandy if preferred.

=Hot Apple Toddy.=—Heat a tumbler with hot water; throw out the water; put in one teaspoonful of sugar and one wineglassful of apple brandy; fill glass two-thirds full with hot water, add one-quarter of a warm baked apple, a trifle of grated nutmeg, and send to table with spoon in the glass and some hard water crackers.

=Hot Spiced Rum.=—Heat a glass with a little hot water; throw out the water; put in one teaspoonful of sugar, one wineglassful of rum, a walnut of butter, three whole allspice, one clove, and fill up with hot water. Dust a little grated nutmeg over top if desired. Substitute Scotch whiskey for rum if preferred.

=Santa Cruz Punch.=—Place the juice of two lemons, one heaping tablespoonful of sugar, and a little water in a tumbler; stir a few minutes to dissolve the sugar; add a wineglassful of Santa Cruz rum; fill up the goblet with fine ice; add a slice each of orange, lemon, and pineapple. Stir well and serve with straws.

The favorite brands of whiskies are the famous “Old Crow” Bourbon, “Hermitage” and “Monongahela Monogram” rye.

Orange Co., N. Y., apple-jack is superior to that made in New Jersey.

Have you tried the sherries from the oldest house in Spain—Juan Gmo. Burdon? They are excellent. Served with our favorite dish, terrapin, the epicure exclaims: “The eternal fitness of things!”

_PRESERVING, ETC._

It is not many years since every good housewife felt called upon at least once a year to take a great deal of trouble in preserving a supply of fruit for use during the winter months. The purchase of fruit-jars, the picking, or purchase, and sorting of fruit, the purchase of sugar, the boiling and preparation of the syrup, oftentimes in the hottest weather, was a task which many a good housewife looked forward to with some trepidation, while the uncertainties attending the keeping qualities of the preserves, after they were manufactured, made this a rather undesirable feature in housekeeping.

Within a few years, however, all this has become unnecessary; the manufacture of preserves on a large scale, with skilled labor and improved appliances, has proven, as in many other branches of manufacture, a great success; and while there are some thrifty housewives who still think their “home-made” preserves are better than the “store” article, it is undoubtedly true that the high-class preserves, such as are sold by Thurber, Park & Tilford, Acker, Merrall & Condit, and other first-class grocers, are decidedly fine, and in a number of cases far more appetizing and delicate than the home-made article. I say this with all due respect for the skill shown by many careful, conscientious housewives throughout the land, but in this case the doctrine “survival of the fittest,” I think, is quite applicable. Too many people are apt to sit down, fold their hands, and disclaim against anything not made at home, at least as far as preserves and candied fruits are concerned. The sword, I must admit, cuts both ways. While I have wrestled carefully and conscientiously at many houses with _alleged_ preserves made at home, I have suffered the “pangs of Tantalus” from atrocious compounds put on the market by conscienceless manufacturers. For the benefit of those who desire to “do up” their own fruits I append a few trustworthy receipts. For preserving, the “Almy jar” is particularly to be recommended.

In using this jar, fill it with the desired fruit while cold. Make a syrup of sugar (quantity as given below) by boiling well to prevent fermentation, or it can be put on fruit dry. Fill jar with fruit, pour sugar over it until jar is full half-way up the neck; screw on covers of jars without rubber rings; put a board indented with holes in bottom of wash-boiler and stand jars on it; fill boiler with cold water up to neck of jars; boil (time necessary for different fruits is given below), then remove jars one by one, take off covers, fill with boiling water, put on rubber rings and screw covers on tightly as possible. The same process is used in preserving all kinds of fruits.

PREPARING FRUITS FOR PRESERVING. Boil Cherries moderately 5 minutes. „ Raspberries „ 6 „ „ Blackberries „ 6 „ „ Plums „ 10 „ „ Strawberries „ 8 „ „ Whortleberries 5 „ „ Pie-Plant sliced 10 „ „ Small Sour Pears, whole 30 „ „ Bartlett Pears, in halves 20 „ „ Peaches „ 8 „ „ Peaches, whole 15 „ „ Pineapple, sliced ½ inch thick 15 „ „ Siberian or Crab Apple, whole 25 „ „ Sour Apples, quartered 10 „ „ Ripe Currants 6 „ „ Wild Grapes 10 „ „ Tomatoes 90 „ Pour into warm jars.

The amount of sugar to a quart jar should be:

For Cherries 6 ounces. „ Raspberries 4 „ „ Lawton Blackberries 6 „ „ Field „ 6 „ „ Strawberries 8 „ „ Whortleberries 4 „ „ Quince 10 „ „ Small Sour Pears, whole 8 „ „ Wild Grapes 8 „ „ Peaches 4 „ „ Bartlett Pears 6 „ „ Pineapples 6 „ „ Siberian or Crab Apples 8 „ „ Plums 8 „ „ Pie-Plant 10 „ „ Sour Apples, quartered 6 „ „ Ripe Currants 8 „

=Cider= may be kept fresh and sweet by simply heating it until it throws off steam, then putting into hot jars and sealing immediately.

=Apple-Sauce= ready for table use or pies may be preserved by putting in hot jars and sealing at once. Remember cold fruit requires cold jars, hot fruit requires hot jars.

=To open the Jar.=—Take the blade of a penknife, or any other thin instrument, and push the rubber in towards the neck at the O on the shoulder of the jar. The air will enter and the lid will easily unscrew.

=Currant-Jelly.=—One pound of granulated sugar to each pint of juice. Squeeze the currants and boil juice twenty minutes, then add sugar, which should be heating while the juice boils; stir well together until sugar is well dissolved.

M. G. H.

=Wine Jelly.=—One box of Cox’s gelatine, dissolved in one pint of cold water, one pint of wine, one quart of boiling water, one quart of granulated sugar, and three lemons.

M. G. H.

=In making Jam=, the first thing to be looked after is the fruit. As a general rule, this should be fully ripe, fresh, sound, and scrupulously clean and dry. It should be gathered in the morning of a sunny day, as it will then possess its finest flavor. The best sugar is the cheapest; indeed, there is no economy in stinting the sugar, either as to quality or necessary quantity, for inferior sugar is wasted in scum, and the jam will not keep unless a sufficient proportion of sugar is boiled with the fruit. At the same time too large a proportion of sugar will destroy the natural flavor of the fruit, and in all probability make the jam candy. The sugar should be dried and broken up into small pieces before it is mixed with the fruit. If it is left in large lumps it will be a long time in dissolving, and if it is crushed to powder it will make the jam look thick instead of clear and bright. The quantity to be used must depend in every instance on the nature of the fruit. Fruit is generally boiled in a brass or copper pan uncovered, and this should be kept perfectly bright and clean. Great care should be taken not to place the pan flat upon the fire, as this will be likely to make the jam burn to the bottom of the pan. If it cannot be placed upon a stove plate, set it upon a slab of soap-stone or marble over the fire. Glass jars are much the best for jam, as through them the condition of the fruit can be observed. Whatever jars are used, however, the jam should be examined every three weeks for the first two months, and if there are any signs of either mould or fermentation it should be boiled over again. If you do not want to use the patent glass jar, the best way to cover jam is to lay a piece of paper the size of the jar upon the jam, to stretch over the top a piece of writing-paper or tissue-paper which has been dipped in white of egg, and to press the sides closely down. When dry, this paper will be stiff and tight like a drum. The strict economist may use gum dissolved in water instead of white of egg. The object aimed at is to exclude the air entirely. Jam should be stored in a cool, dry place, but not in one into which fresh air never enters. Damp has a tendency to make the fruit go mouldy and heat to make it ferment. Some cooks cover the jam as soon as possible after it is poured out, but the generally-approved plan is to let the fruit grow cold before covering it. In making jam, continual watchfulness is required, as the result of five minutes’ inattention may be loss and disappointment.

=Canning Tomatoes.=—Scald your tomatoes; remove the skins, cut in small pieces, put in a porcelain kettle, salt to taste, and boil fifteen minutes; have tin cans filled with hot water; pour the water out and fill with tomatoes; solder tops on immediately with shellac and rosin melted together.

M. G. H.

In canning, it is customary at hotels to follow the same process as in preserving, with the exception that not nearly so much sugar is used.

=To Can Quinces.=—Cut the quinces into thin slices like apples for pies. To one quart jarful of quince take a coffee-saucer and a half of sugar and a coffee-cup of water; put the sugar and water on the fire, and when boiling put in the quinces; have ready the jars with their fastenings, stand the jars in a pan of boiling water on the stove, and when the quince is clear and tender put rapidly into the jars, fruit and syrup together. The jars must be filled so that the syrup overflows, and fastened up tight as quickly as possible.

=Green Tomato Pickle.=—One peck green tomatoes sliced, six large onions sliced, one tea-cup of salt over both; mix thoroughly and let remain over-night; pour off liquor in the morning and throw it away; mix two quarts of water and one of vinegar, and boil twenty minutes; drain and throw liquor away; take three quarts of vinegar, two pounds of sugar, two tablespoonfuls each of allspice, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and mustard, and twelve green peppers chopped fine; boil from one to two hours. Put away in a stone crock.

M. G. H.

=Chili Sauce.=—Eight quarts tomatoes, three cups of peppers, two cups of onions, three cups of sugar, one cup of salt, one and one-half quarts of vinegar, three teaspoonfuls of cloves, same quantity of cinnamon, two teaspoonfuls each of ginger and nutmeg; boil three hours; chop tomatoes, peppers, and onions very fine; bottle up and seal.

M. G. H.

=Hot Sauce.=—Six tablespoonfuls of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one egg; beat butter, sugar, and yolks together, the white, beaten to a stiff froth; add a teacupful of boiling water and one teaspoonful of vanilla.

M. G. H.