2. BUFFET SUPPERS AND LUNCHEONS

The buffet meal is most commonly served at dinner time, when we usually call it a supper. There is no reason why the same menu cannot be served at the lunch hour. In the fall, a pre-game luncheon rather than an after-the-game supper may be chosen. Occasionally, the bridge club may be offered a buffet luncheon with a lighter menu than the one usually planned for a mixed group.

For the service of a buffet meal, the dining room table or a large table in the living room may be arranged. It should be spread with an attractive cloth. In general, it is better to omit large vases of flowers, although a few autumn leaves or greens may be laid on the table in such a way that they will not interfere with service. For a large group, if space permits, each side of the table should carry a supply of food in order that two lines may help themselves at once. The order of arrangement should be: first, dinner plates, then main dishes, the vegetable (if served), salad, breads, relishes, silver and napkins. If coffee is to be offered with the main course as well as with the dessert, it is usually more convenient to have a small separate table for its service.

There should always be plenty of small tables around the room in order that guests may eat comfortably without having to balance plates and coffee cups. If these arrangements are made, there will seldom be a criticism of buffet service, even from a conservative man. After the guests have helped themselves, the hostess should see that the serving dishes on the table are refilled or replaced by fresh hot dishes ready for second helpings. It is a convenience to have electric or alcohol warmers, or candle "stoves" where foods can be kept warm at the serving table.

When it is certain that there will be no more demands for the main course dishes, plates should be removed. It is a good idea to ask one of your friends to supervise removal so that plates will not be piled on the buffet table, nor taken to the kitchen indi­vidually by too helpful guests. The dessert with the plates and silver for its service are then placed on the buffet table. A friend may be asked to serve this as guests come to the table for it, while another friend may be asked to preside over the coffee table or service. If coffee is offered only at dessert time, there will be plenty of room on the buffet table. If paper napkins have been used, there should be a fresh supply. Guests will not criticize the use of paper, if napkins of the large soft type are supplied, although you may prefer to use linen napkins of lunch or dinner size.

In planning menus for a buffet meal, the first rule is to have plenty of what you offer, but there is no necessity for serving many different items. A baked glazed ham has come to be associated with this type of meal and for a number of reasons. Glazed and decorated, it makes an attractive center for the other dishes. It can be either hot or cold, and when well carved it makes many servings. Most important of all, practically everybody likes ham. If the group is large, you may like to offer a roast turkey also; or a boiled tongue with a piquant sauce is a good choice. Other good accompaniments are a pot of baked beans or a large dish of scalloped oysters. Hot dishes that are practical for service are casseroles of creamed or scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, or noodles. There should be a large bowl of tossed green salad with hot rolls or French bread. Some of the bread may be garlic flavored, but not all, as there are those who have a prejudice against this seasoning. There may be dishes of tart jelly or cran­berry sauce, pickles and other relishes, if you like. A hot green vegetable may be offered but it is not necessary.

For a small or medium-sized group, other types of meat may be chosen instead of those mentioned above. Suggestions will be found in the accompanying menus. If you have developed some sort of a special meal that features a fine curry or a smorgasbord, or perhaps a regional menu, you need not hesitate to serve it more than once to the same group of guests. It will probably be a long time between your invitations.

Desserts should be chosen in reference to easy service. When there are men present, an apple, mince or pumpkin pie will always be received with acclaim. The nesselrode or chiffon fillings are also popular. Individual tarts, by the way, while they take longer to prepare than do pies, are easier to serve. Very good tarts may, of course, be purchased ready-made. Among other types of desserts are wine jelly, lemon cream or Bavarian cream, which can easily be made in the modern kitchen. At the height of their season, nothing will be more enjoyed nor look more attractive than a large glass bowl filled with strawberries accompanied by cream.

For a "ladies' lunch," a small buffet with lighter foods may be offered. If you have a chafing dish, you may choose a creamed meat or fish accompanied by potato chips and a salad and hot rolls. For warm weather, you may select a meat, fish or fruit salad accom­panied by cream cheese and dainty sandwiches. For dessert, a fruit compote topped with orange, lemon or pineapple ice (unless, of course, fruit has been used in a salad) is suggested. If your guests are fond of sweets, you may offer angel food with a butterscotch or chocolate sauce.

Suggestions for preparation and service of pre-meal drinks will be found with "Cocktail Parties" and "Stag Parties." White wine should be chilled and red wine should be served at room temperature. The wine glasses may be filled and passed to the guests or bottles and glasses may be arranged on the bar. Red wine with ham or beef, and white wine with veal, lamb, chicken, turkey or fish, or both types of wine may be offered. Accompani­ments for before-dinner drinks should be simple. See "Cocktail Parties."

The Sunday Brunch, often served buffet style, calls for a break­fast type menu. A variety of fruits may be offered with a pitcher of orange or tomato juice and prepared grapefruit, melon, peaches or berries, according to the season. Sausage, bacon or grilled ham will probably be chosen as a main dish. This may be supplemented by a chafing dish of kidney stew or creamy chicken hash. Scrambled eggs are always popular but are practical only if there is help in the kitchen.

Hot muffins, cornbread, or biscuits, soft rolls and perhaps sweet rolls or a coffee cake are good accompaniments. The electric toaster may be on a side table, with guests allowed to make their own hot toast and spread it with butter then and there. Dishes of marmalade and jam may be placed either on the toast table or on the buffet. #

As a pre-brunch introduction, sherry is usually preferred to cocktails. Ingredients for other short or long drinks should be at hand, so that guests may do their own mixing, either before brunch or afterwards by those who linger on for cards or con­versation.

Suppers or Weekend Luncheons

Baked glazed ham

Cold boiled tongue

Casserole of sweet potatoes

Creamy horseradish sauce

Tossed green salad

Macaroni and cheese

Buttered rye and white bread

Grapefruit salad

Rich pumpkin pie

Hot rolls

Coffee

Party devil's food

Roast turkey

Cranberry sauce

Scalloped potatoes

Old-fashioned cole slaw

Hot buttered bread

Macaroon-Bavarian cream

Wreath cookies

Veal paprika

Noodles with nuts and poppy seeds

String beans with mushrooms

Hot French bread (with or without garlic butter)

Tomato and cucumber salad

Cherry tarts

Swedish meat balls

Potatoes with parsley

Braised carrots

Endive salad

Hot muffins

Date torte

Spaghetti for a Crowd

Baked beans

Mixed vegetable salad

Brown bread

Rye bread

Apple pie or Mince turnovers

Fried chicken

Rice with avocado sauce

Salad bowl

Hot French bread

Golden Nesselrode pie

Ladies' Luncheons

Rock lobster salad

Potato chips

Ripe olives

Pickles

Hot rolls

Fruit compote

Coffee or tea

Crabmeat Newburg (Chafing dish)

Toast points

California salad

Hot muffins

Pineapple ice

Sand tarts

Iced coffee or tea

Creamed oysters with celery(Chafing dish)

Wild rice with herbs

Salad bowl

Angel food

Chocolate sauce Coffee or tea

Creamed frizzled beef(Chafing dish)

Hot biscuits

Lettuce with tomato dressing

French pastry

Iced coffee or tea

Grapefruit and avocado salad

Watercress sandwiches

Cottage cheese

Coffee jelly

Coffee or tea

Cold cuts

Potatoes au gratin

Peas Parisienne

(with lettuce and onion)

Melon ball salad

Peaches Jubilee

Coffee or tea

SALAD BOWL WITH VARIATIONS

1. Add fine strips of cooked chicken, tongue or ham for chef's salad.
   


2. Place small balls of cream cheese flavored with chives or rolled in ground nuts on top of salad bowl.
   
   
3. Add shreds of cheddar or Swiss cheese before tossing salad.
   
   
4. Garnish salad with filets of anchovy and toss before serving.

AUTHENTIC FRENCH DRESSING

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

3 teaspoons mixed fresh herbs

METHOD I: Mix vinegar with seasonings and herbs. Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Mix well and beat in olive oil.

METHOD II: Add seasonings and herbs to oil. Allow to stand 10 to 15 minutes. Mix well. Pour over mixed salad greens. Toss and then stir in the vinegar.

Les Fines Herbes which combine well are:

rosemary with tarragon

thyme with marjoram

chervil with basil

minced parsley and minced chives or sweet onion with

any combination of delicate herbs.

Garlic in salads: A peeled clove of garlic may be added with the herbs to either the oil or vinegar and removed at the end of 10 or 15 minutes.

GRAPEFRUIT SALAD

Pare 1 or 2 grapefruit and remove sections carefully over bowl so that juice may be used. Add sliced sweet onion and minced celery. Add French dressing and let marinate in refrigerator 1 hour. Add salad greens, and slices of avocado if desired. Drench with remaining dressing.

CALIFORNIA SALAD

2 cloves garlic, peeled

¼ cup olive oil 2 cups toasted bread cubes

2 heads romaine or other greens

⅓ cup olive oil

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

¼ cup crumbled blue cheese

1 egg

juice of 1 lemon

Add garlic to ¼ cup olive oil and let stand several hours. Remove garlic from oil and mix with the toasted bread cubes. Tear greens into pieces and place in salad bowl. Add ⅓ cup olive oil, Worcester­shire sauce, salt and pepper and cheese, and toss. Break an egg over this, add lemon juice and mix well. Add bread cubes, toss again. Note: Six cut anchovies may also be added.

CREAMED OYSTERS WITH CELERY

¾ cup butter or margarine

¾ cup flour

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

4 cups hot milk

3 pints oysters

2 cups diced raw celery

¼ cup minced green pepper paprika or parsley

Melt butter or margarine. Blend in flour, salt and pepper, and stir in hot milk gradually while cooking over low heat. When sauce thickens, add oysters, celery and green pepper. Continue cooking over low heat until edges of oysters curl. Serve on hot toast, between split biscuits or in patty shells. Sprinkle with paprika or minced parsley.

Yield: 12 servings.

SWEDISH MEAT BALLS

2 cups soft bread crumbs

¼ cup milk

2 tablespoons minced onion

1 pound chopped beef

½ pound pork sausage meat

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

1 egg

butter or margarine

mushroom soup

Soak bread crumbs in milk 5 minutes. Add onion, meat, seasonings and egg, and blend well with hands. Form small balls with floured hands and saute in small amount of butter or mar­garine, just enough to keep meat from sticking to pan. Dilute condensed mushroom soup with same amount of milk, in sauce­pan. Stir over low heat until blended and hot, but not boiling. When meat is well browned on all sides cover with hot mushroom soup. Cover and let simmer over low heat for 5 minutes. Yield: 20-25 small balls.

CREAMED FRIZZLED BEEF

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

½ pound sliced dried beef

4 tablespoons flour

⅛ teaspoon pepper

2½ cups milk

Melt butter or margarine in chafing dish or skillet. Tear beef in pieces, add to butter or margarine and saute over direct heat until lightly browned and frizzled. Sprinkle with the flour and pepper, and stir until the fat is absorbed. Add milk gradually while stirring constantly. Cook until sauce thickens and boils. Serve on toast, waffles or split hot biscuits. Yield: 6 servings.

SPAGHETTI FOR A CROWD

2 No. 2½ cans tomatoes

½ cup olive oil

2 onions, peeled, sliced

1 clove garlic, peeled and sliced

2 cans tomato paste

water to equal quantity of tomatoes

oregano

parsley

celery salt

basil

poultry seasoning

1 pound cottage cheese

1 pound spaghetti, boiled and drained

grated Parmesan cheese

Bring tomatoes to a boil and simmer until very soft. Heat olive oil, add onions and garlic and cook over low heat until lightly brown. Press tomatoes through sieve and add strained olive oil. Add tomato paste, water and seasonings. Bring to a rapid boil. Let simmer an hour or more. Place portion of cottage cheese on each serving plate. Add hot spaghetti and pour sauce over all. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Meat balls may be added after sauce is boiling and allowed to simmer with it. Yield: 10-12 servings.

NOODLES WITH NUTS AND POPPY SEEDS

1 6 oz. package noodles

¼ cup butter

½ cup sliced pecans or blanched almonds

1 tablespoon paprika

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Cook noodles in boiling salted water until just tender, rinse with hot water and drain. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, add nutmeats and stir over heat until lightly browned. Add remaining butter, paprika and poppy seeds, and blend with the noodles. Yield: 6 servings.

WILD RICE WITH HERBS

1 cup wild rice

3 cups boiling water

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup butter

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

thyme

Add rice slowly to rapidly boiling salted water. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove cover, cover with towel, and set in warm place to dry. Melt butter. Add clove of garlic, cook slowly 5 minutes and remove. Add chopped parsley and a little thyme. Use fork to blend with rice. Yield: 6 servings.

Note: 1/4 cup coarsely cut nuts may be lightly browned in the butter.

If white rice replaces wild rice, add 1 tablespoon poppy seeds with the thyme.

VEAL PAPRIKA

4 pounds solid veal

flour

salt

pepper

½ cup butter or margarine

2 cloves garlic, peeled

3 cups water

⅓ cup flour

1½ cups sour cream

2 teaspoons paprika

2 small cans pimiento

Cut meat into 2-inch pieces and roll in seasoned flour. Melt ¼ cup butter or margarine. Add garlic and meat and brown very lightly. Add water, cover and simmer over very low heat about 1 hour until tender. Remove garlic. Cream remainder butter or margarine with the ⅓ cup flour. Stir into mixture and when sauce thickens remove from heat and add sour cream and paprika. Test for seasoning. Serve with Noodles with Poppy Seeds and garnish with strips of pimiento. Yield: 12 servings.

CRABMEAT NEWBURG

2 pounds(4 cups) crabmeat cooked

½ cup sherry

½ cup butter or margarine

6 tablespoons flour

1½ teaspoons salt

3 cups thin cream, heated

4 egg yolks, beaten

Pick over crabmeat carefully and add sherry. Melt butter or margarine, and add flour and salt. Blend well and add hot cream gradually while stirring over low heat. When sauce thickens and boils, add crabmeat and sherry and heat. Stir a little of the sauce into the beaten egg yolks and stir this into the hot mixture. Blend thoroughly and serve with toast points or over toasted split English muffins. Yield: 12 servings.

Note: Canned crabmeat may be used if drained and flaked. Flaked, cooked or canned lobster meat may replace the crabmeat. Or frozen South African rock lobster tails may be boiled, chilled and cut into dice.

CREAMY HORSERADISH SAUCE

1 cup sour cream

6 tablespoons grated horseradish

2 teaspoons grated onion

4 tablespoons minced ripe olives

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

Combine ingredients and blend well. Add more salt if needed. Serve with cold tongue or other cold meats. Yield: 12 servings.

RICH PUMPKIN PIE

½ recipe standard pastry

1 cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon ginger

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs, slightly beaten

2 cups evaporated milk

1½ cups cooked or canned pumpkin

Line 9-inch pie pan with pastry. Mix sugar, spices and salt. Add slightly beaten eggs, milk and pumpkin. Mix well, pour into unbaked pastry shell and bake in moderately hot oven (425° F.) 40 to 45 minutes until inserted knife comes out clean.

ANGEL PIE

2 cups sugar

6 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1½ teaspoons lemon juice

8 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

½ cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon rind

2 cups heavy cream, whipped

Beat 1 cup sugar gradually into stiffly beaten egg whites. Beat in 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice and gradually beat in another cup of sugar. Beat until stiff. Bake in 2 paper-lined 9-inch layer pans, or bake in large heart-shaped pan, in slow oven (275° F.) about 1 hour for the layers, and about 1¼ hours for the heart-shaped. Beat the egg yolks until very thick and beat in gradually 1 cup sugar. Fold in the ½ cup lemon juice and lemon rind. Stir over hot water about 8 minutes, until filling thickens, then cool. Spread cooled meringue shell, or each layer, with ½ the whipped cream and then with the lemon custard. Top with remaining whipped cream (if layers are used, put them together before topping) and chill in refrigerator about 12 hours before serving. Yield: 12 servings.

DATE AND NUT TORTE

½ cup sifted flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups cut dates

1 ½ cups cut walnuts or pecans

3egg yolks, slightly beaten

1 cup brown sugar

3 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Sift flour, baking powder and salt over the cut dates and nuts, and mix well. Stir in the slightly beaten egg yolks. Fold sugar into the stiffly beaten egg whites and fold into the date mixture. Bake in 2 8x8 greased and floured pans in moderate oven (350° F.) about 25 minutes until firm. Cool slightly before cutting into squares. Serve hot or cold with whipped cream.

Note: 1 large pan may be used for the baking; in this case, time is increased 10 to 15 minutes.

WREATH COOKIES

1 cup softened butter or margarine

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

¾ cup confectioners’ sugar

2 egg yolks

2 egg whites

2 cups sifted flour

Cream together the butter or margarine, flavoring, sugar, egg yolks and 1 egg white. Work in the flour with the fingers. Force through cookie press onto ungreased baking sheet in shape of wreaths. Beat remaining egg white until slightly frothy, and brush cookies. Sprinkle with colored sugar or cinnamon sugar. Bake in moderate oven (350° F.) 8 to 10 minutes. Yield: About 5 dozen.

PARTY DEVIL’S FOOD

1 package chocolate cake mix

4 tablespoons butter or margarine

¼ teaspoon salt

2½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract

1 egg yolk, unbeaten

3 tablespoons milk

Choose your favorite chocolate cake mix and bake, according to directions, in square or oblong pan. Cool. Soften butter or margarine and stir in the salt and half the sugar gradually. Stir in flavorings and unbeaten egg yolk. Add milk alternately with remaining sugar. Spread on cake and sprinkle with rainbow cake decorations. Yield: 12 servings.

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