Part 25 (1/2)

=Table Setting= (_Usual dishes and cutlery_)

Different homes vary in unimportant particulars in the placing of the dishes. The following is a common arrangement for the dinner table:

At each place lay the fork vertically at the left-hand side, the knife vertically at the right, and the soup-spoon to the right of the knife.

This places each utensil so that it is ready for the hand which uses it most. Put the teaspoons to the right of the soup-spoon, and the napkin to the left of the fork. Place the gla.s.s just above the knife, the b.u.t.terdish above the fork, and the individual salt-cellar, if used, between the two.

Father and mother sit at the ends of the table. Put carving-knife and fork at father's place; also the soup ladle, as father serves the soup and carves. Mother pours the coffee and tea and serves the vegetables.

Therefore the soup and dinner dishes must be placed before the carver, and the needed vegetable dishes and cups and saucers at the mother's place. Here, too, must be placed the sugar bowl and cream pitcher.

In the United States it is customary to serve most vegetables upon individual saucers. In England they are usually served upon the plate.

If salad is to be served, oil and vinegar cruets may be put on.

The dessert is usually served by the mother, and the necessary dishes must, therefore, be placed at her end of the table.

If possible, always have flowers or a growing plant in the center of the table, but do not have it so high that it obscures the view of those persons sitting on opposite sides of the table.

Upon special occasions, particularly if the guests are many, it is convenient to indicate the place of each person by a ”place card”

bearing his name and decorated in some appropriate fas.h.i.+on. Suggestions for such place cards will be found on other pages of this volume.

=Table-Serving= (_Tray_)

Train both boys and girls to wait on the table _quietly_ and _quickly_.

Then they can save mother many weary steps. Remove soup-tureen first; then the individual dishes. After the meat-course, remove first the platter and vegetable dishes; then the plates, saucers, etc., from each individual place; then, if there is no salad course, the bread and b.u.t.ter dishes, cruets, etc., from center of table. Next the table must be crumbed. Do this by quietly removing crumbs from each place with crumb-knife and tray or by brus.h.i.+ng with folded napkin. If salad is served, crumbing takes place after that course.

Hold all dishes to left of guest, so that he may easily help himself with his right hand.

=Dish-Was.h.i.+ng= (_Hot water in quant.i.ty_, _dish pan_, _wire tray_, _drainer_, _was.h.i.+ng-soda_, _soap_, _dish-mop_, _washcloth_, _towels in plenty, both coa.r.s.e and fine_)

If two people are to work together, let one collect the dishes and dispose of the left-over food, while the other washes the kettles and saucepans. Get these heavy cooking utensils out of the way the first thing; then the drudgery part is over before the workers are tired out.

Dishes in which potatoes, cereals, or eggs have been cooked should be put to soak, not in hot, but in cold or tepid water; they are then readily cleaned. Fill with water as soon as emptied.

Keep a little was.h.i.+ng-soda on hand, dissolved in water in a canning-jar, for cleansing greasy dishes. Have hot water in abundance, and, putting a little soda in with it, scrub the kettles briskly with the wire-brush that comes for the purpose, or with mop, dish-cloth or chain dish-cloth.

Wipe dry with a heavy towel.

Meanwhile the other worker is collecting, sc.r.a.ping and cla.s.sifying the other dishes. Before beginning to wash, have all the dishes a.s.sorted according to kind and size and placed convenient to hand. When putting away remnants of food it is well to have for the purpose a series of pitchers ranging from three inches to about nine in height. This gives sizes suited to any quant.i.ty which may be left over of soups, milk, liquid vegetables, etc. They take less room than bowls, and the graduated series ornaments the shelf.

A wire strainer should be kept in the sink to prevent the larger particles of waste, indissoluble parings, coffee grains, etc., from going down the drain. This saves plumber's bills.

When ready for the was.h.i.+ng, begin with the gla.s.ses and wash quickly in hot water, either clear or soapy, as preferred. Have at hand a second dish-pan in which is placed a wire rack. Put the gla.s.ses in the rack, rinse with hot water, and dry rapidly while still wet and hot. It may be necessary to keep them in the water a moment or two to get them really heated through. In was.h.i.+ng gla.s.s pitchers put a _silver_ spoon in them before placing in the hot water. This prevents breakage. Treat canning-jars in the same way.

Next wash the silver, having the water soapy and piping hot, in order to get a good polish. Keep spoons, knives and forks in separate groups and all pointing in the same direction.

The smaller, less greasy dishes follow the silver, and then the heavy china. Here, again, let dishes that have held eggs or starchy foods soak awhile in cold or tepid water. Rinse greasy dishes well.