Valuable cooking receipts

My object in introducing the following menus is to serve a double purpose: first, to show progress made in the art of constructing menus in the past thirty years—for it is an art, and a very important one, too—among leading caterers; and second, to furnish hints to all who may wish to give dinners or suppers more or less elaborate. It has often happened in my experience that customers would submit to me bills of fare constructed by another caterer in the event of a prospective “spread,” and say there was something about it they did not like, some dish they would like to substitute, etc. In this small space I have only attempted to give a few of the many thousand varieties in my collection, but I now have in preparation a volume embodying bills of fare, estimates for cost of different bills based on number of guests to be seated, together with a glossary or dictionary of French idioms and words used in menus and the reason of their adoption. The use of any but our own language on bills of fare ought to be avoided, but there are cases where it is impossible, and it is with the view of enlightening those who cannot understand the meaning of French terms used, and yet shrink from displaying their lack of knowledge, that I have devoted my time to the construction of a glossary.

Second only to the entertainment given to Grand Duke Alexis, in 1869, was the reception and banquet tendered to Hon. Matthew S. Quay, late chairman of the Republican State Committee, by the Union Republican Club, yesterday afternoon and evening, at the club-rooms and banqueting-room of the Continental Hotel. The reception ceremonies commenced promptly at the hour of five o’clock, at the club-rooms, President Addicks officiating, and continued until seven o’clock, when the members of the club to the number of 112, accompanied by twenty-five invited guests, and the grandest display of fireworks ever witnessed in this city, repaired to the banqueting-room of the Continental Hotel.

At precisely eight o’clock the party assembled sat down to the most sumptuous banquet ever prepared in this city, and it was not until 10 o’clock that the lengthy bill of fare was disposed of. At the latter hour Mr. Rufus E. Shapley, the toastmaster of the evening, announced the first toast, to which the honored guest of the occasion, Hon. M. S. Quay, fittingly responded. He was followed by Hon. Morton McMichael, and ex-Governor Thomas L. Young, of Ohio, responded to the toast of “the President of the United States.” Governor Hartranft followed, and succeeding him came Governor-elect Hoyt, who, after an excellent speech, introduced General Adam E. King, of Baltimore, who made one of the best speeches of the evening. Hon. Galusha A. Grow followed in a lengthy speech, and he was followed by General Palmer, of Wilkesbarre. Speeches were also made by Colonel Norris and others, until the hour of twelve o’clock arrived, when the party dispersed.

Carl Sentz’s band furnished the music for the occasion, while Mr. Murrey superintended the banquet. One of the chief features of the banquet was the bill of fare, which was certainly the handsomest and most costly of any ever gotten up in this city, and, as a souvenir, will long be treasured by all who participated on the occasion.

Prominent among those present were Governor Hartranft, Governor-elect Hoyt, ex-Governor Young, of Ohio, Hon. Galusha A. Grow, Mayor Stokley, ex-Mayor McMichael, Judges Yerkes, Thayer, Briggs, and Ashman, Gen. McCartney, Gen. Palmer, Gen. Owen, Hon. B. H. Brewster, Attorney-General Lear, Hon. Butterworth, First Congressional district of Ohio, Gen. Bingham, James McManes, Esq., United States District-Attorney Valentine, Lieutenant-Governor-elect C. W. Stone, Messrs. Leeds, Hill, Thomas J. Smith, Henry Bumm, and Colonel Norris.

A patriotic son of Maryland has suggested as a perfect dinner, the choice of the amphitryon being restricted to the productions of the State, the following:

A royal feast, I assure you; but as I have not been invited, and as the affair may not come off, I feel at liberty to criticise. I consider a salad of crab and lettuce “too heavy” for such a menu as our “patriotic son of Maryland” has suggested; and as for the fried hominy cakes, why, it is like feeding swine on truffles—out of place, I assure you! It is too suggestive of the hog and hominy of the Sunny South. My gastronomic friend, where is your elegant Burgundy, or a bottle of the Leland Brothers’ private stock Madeira?

Now I will give you my idea of a loyal dinner:

The coffee is to be made at table by an expert; and the wines—well, say a bottle of sparkling Hock made from the Riesling grape served after the soup-plates have been removed, and a choice bottle of good old Burgundy or rare Madeira.

“What’s to-day, my fine fellow?” “To-day? why, Christmas day.”

The flickering of the blaze showed preparations for a cozy dinner, with hot plates baking through and through before the fire.

She laid the cloth, assisted by Belinda. And everything was good to eat, and in its Christmas dress.

At last the dishes were set on and grace was said.

“Self-contained and solitary as an oyster.”

“A glass of wine ready to our hand.”

“The compound was considered perfect.”

“It had a remarkable quality, and Scrooge observed it.”

Sherry (private stock, 1836).

“From a cask in the merchants’ wine-cellars below.”

“Here he produced a decanter of wine.”

“The very fish in a bowl, though members of a dull and stagnant-blooded race, appeared to know that there was something going on. Scrooge’s ‘two fish-baskets’ never held anything like them.”

“He blew the fire until the slow potatoes, bubbling up, knocked loudly at the saucepan-lid to be let out and peeled.”

“Satisfactory, too. Oh! perfectly satisfactory.”

“An animal that grunted sometimes.”

“Seasonable at Christmas time.”

“Shining in the fatness of their growth like Spanish friars.”

“Never out of season.”

“He iced his.”

“We will discuss your affairs over the punch.”

“It is not a fictitious one, glued on a wooden platter.”

“Not unlike the big prize turkey that Scrooge sent to the Cratchit family.”

“Modest tartness.”

“Bob said he didn’t believe there ever was such a goose cooked; its tenderness and flavor were the themes of universal satisfaction.”

“Eked out by apple-sauce and mashed potato, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family.”

“Came after the roast.”

“A noble adjustment of things.”

“Like lettuce.”

“It was made plain enough by the dressing. The ‘aromatic vinegar’ improved it.”

“With the dessert upon the table.”

“Hallo! a great steam! the pudding was out of the copper.”

“Mrs. Cratchit entered with a pudding blazing in half a quartern of ignited brandy.”

“And a wonderful pudding it was.”

“They had mince-pies.”

“The candied fruits, so caked and spotted with molten sugar as to make the coldest lookers-on feel faint—and subsequently bilious.”

“Cherry-cheeked apples and oranges, beseeching to be carried home in paper bags and eaten after dinner.”

“There were bunches of grapes, and figs, and raisins, and almonds.”

“A crumb of cheese.”

“The blended scents of tea and coffee were so grateful to the nose.”

“At last dinner was all done, the cloth was cleared, the ‘hot stuff’ in the jug was tasted, and Bob proposed—‘A Merry Christmas to us all.’”

On Easter day (1880) there was a private banquet at the Rossmore Hotel in this city, prepared, devised, and superintended by Mr. T. J. Murrey. The service was for twenty, and the menu was as follows:

Who can help loving the land that has taught us six hundred and eighty-five ways to dress eggs.—Moore.

Wm. Travers once observed that the oyster was a most intelligent creature, since it “shuts up sometimes.”

“On holydays, with an egg or two at most.”—Chaucer.

“He was as thin as a lath, and lank as a June shad.”—W. H. Smith, in the novel of “The Minister’s Wife.”

“For this, be sure to-night thou shalt have cramps.”—Shakspere.

“The vulgar boil, the learned poach an egg.”—Pope.

“Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan.”—Cowper.

“Of the sort that cost some four or five guineas a quart.”—Hood.

“The principal kind of ‘taters’ raised by Ireland last year was agitators.”—New York World, Jan. 18, 1880.