I’ve planned
to have family come to my house for a brunch on Easter Sunday, and I’ve been
looking through my old family cookbooks to find some interesting ideas and
festive dishes to prepare. Luckily, I didn’t have to search far; Great-Grandma Nan’s book of household hints and recipes from the
1890’s, “Queen of the Household,” did not disappoint me.
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| Title Page, "Queen of the Household" |
The chapter
entitled, “Receptions and Entertainments” begins with a section on breakfast
parties. In our day, we tend to call this “brunch,” a combination of breakfast
and lunch, both linguistically and gastronomically. It is interesting to note
the changes in style and custom between the Victorian Age to our own Electronic
Age, and in spite of our hurried lifestyle, good taste never goes out of
fashion. Below are some excerpts from the section on Breakfast Parties, with my
21st century commentary interspersed in Italics.
“Breakfast
parties are a very convenient mode of social entertainment for those whose
limited means will not admit of a more extensive display of hospitality. (In the 21st century, we may
entertain more simply due to a lack of time as much as a lack of means.)
“Costly
repasts are not necessarily the best; the dining-room may be so pleasant, the
table so dainty and tasteful, the welcome so sincere, that a very unassuming
meal may be rendered indescribably charming, and a breakfast given in very
simple style, while much less expensive than a dinner, and even less formal
than a luncheon, may be made quite as enjoyable as either, as guests usually
partake of it before spoiling the appetite by an earlier home meal. (Sincerity, tastefulness, and charm have not
gone out of style. I just hope my brunch will be “dainty” enough and that no
one spoils their appetite before coming!)
“The breakfast
hour in America is always earlier than in France or England, where a first
breakfast is taken in a very light form, and is from 9 to 12 o’clock, the
former being preferred by most people unless upon the occasion of very fashionable
affairs. (Yes, “first breakfast,” or
“petit déjeuner” in France
is still a very light meal. The noon meal, “le déjeuner” is heavier fare. In
the United States,
these days many people take their morning coffee “on the run,” or have their
breakfast at work.)
“Invitations
to breakfast are written and sent several days beforehand; they may be an
informal note or simply written on the lady’s visiting cards (I don’t have visiting cards!) under the
name in this form: ‘Breakfast, Tuesday 10 o’clock, April 20.’
“Like all
other invitations these require a prompt and courteous reply. Very formal
breakfasts call for more ceremonious invitations, which like those to dinners
or large parties should be engraved on handsome paper. (Such ceremony may have been necessary in the days before cell phones,
or even landline telephones, but for any invitation other than a wedding, today
we would not use an engraved invite “on handsome paper.” Most likely a quick
phone call or email would suffice.)
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| Frontispiece, "Queen of the Household" |
“The
unceremoniousness of this early repast requires the appearance of extreme
simplicity, but flowers are in good taste (Flowers
are always in good taste, but there are none blooming in my garden just yet), and
prettily arranged with fruits give the table a fresh and attractive look. The
table-cloth and napkins should be of fine white damask or they may be bordered
in colors to match the color of the dining-room. (I don’t have a damask table-cloth, but I promise to use my best lace
one!)
“In serving
breakfast, the bill of fare, unless for special occasions, should never be
elaborate, but rather dainty and attractive, fewer courses of a more delicate
variety should be served than at other meals. (Fewer courses sounds like a good idea to me. “Dainty” and “attractive”
are two of the author’s favorite adjectives for the serving of meals!)
“The hostess
dispenses the coffee, tea and chocolate from the head of the table; the
substantials are set in front of the host, who may help the plates and hand
them to the waiter to serve (There’s no waiter
at my house!) ; the vegetables and other dishes may be handed from the side
table. (No side table either, but we’ll
make do somehow. Most likely I will serve my Easter brunch “buffet style.”)
“It is well
bred to serve the breakfast with as little formality as possible, and with as
few attendants; one servant, a maid or manservant is sufficient unless the
party is unusually large. (There are no
servants in my household, and I seriously doubt that there were any in my
Great-Grandmother’s house either; however, she had help from her sister when my
grandmother was a small child.)
“The following
will be found an acceptable bill of fare for an ordinary breakfast party. It
can of course be varied to suit the convenience and taste of housekeepers:
Melons, Grapes,
Oranges
Fried Perch
with Sauce Tartare
Young Chicken
with Cream Gravy
Dutchess
Potatoes
Poached Egg on
Toast
Broiled Quails
Baked
Mushrooms
Tomatoes or
Celery
Bread and
Butter
Crackers
Hot Cakes
Coffee, Tea,
Chocolate
“The simplest
costume is in good taste for breakfast parties. Gentlemen wear walking suits,
and ladies handsome but plain street costumes. Gloves are recommended before
going to the table. (Oh, those little
white gloves from years ago! I remember them from my Sunday School days.)
“Each
gentleman is given the escort of a lady. The host conducts the lady who is the
most distinguished guest to the table, and the hostess follows with the
gentleman whom it is desired to honor particularly.
“Upon entering
the dining-room the ladies are assisted to their seats, and the gentlemen then
follow, and the meal is served.
“The signal
for rising from the table is given by the hostess, with a smile and simple bow,
and all proceed to the parlor, exchange a few pleasant remarks, and take their
leave. (Such ceremony for a supposedly
simple meal! This protocol was most probably followed by those hosts and
hostesses who saw themselves as rather well-to-do. I doubt that the farming
families in the Mohawk
Valley, where my
grandparents and great-grandparents lived, stood on such ceremony.)
“For informal
breakfasts no after-call is expected, but for ceremonious entertainments of
this kind the same observance of the rules of etiquette are required as for
dinners and large parties.”
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| Getting the table ready for brunch |
Update after
my brunch: Yes, I certainly varied the above menu to suit my convenience and
taste! I served store-bought quiches --
spinach and broccoli; a vintage recipe for salmon loaf from Grandma Minnie’s
Larkin Housewives Cook Book; an “Apple Betty” recipe from another vintage family
cookbook (more about that next week); a loaf of fancy braided challah bread; and
other family members brought a green salad and a fruit salad. We rounded out
the meal with coffee, and a pleasant and dainty time was had by all.
* *
*
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| Larkin Housewives Cook Book |
Baked
Salmon Loaf Recipe,
from 1915 Larkin Housewives Cook Book, contributed by a Mrs. E.A. Ross, Springfield, Massachusetts:
One can of
Larkin Red Alaska Salmon, four tablespoons of bread-crumbs, four tablespoons
butter, pepper and salt to taste. Add one egg slightly beaten. Mix thoroughly
and bake in loaf with three slices of Larkin Bacon across the top. Serve with
creamed onions.
Since the
recipe did not tell at what temperature to bake the loaf, nor for how long, nor
what size can of salmon to use, I did a quick search on the Internet to see if
I could find similar modern recipes. The first recipe I found on www.allrecipes.com was virtually
identical to the Larkin recipe, but calling for half the butter, and using a
half-cup of milk instead; it also omitted the bacon.The recipe indicated that you should bake the loaf for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 Centigrade).
A second
recipe suggested adding minced green pepper and onion, and adding a
half-teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Both called for a 14.75 ounce can of
salmon, which is the size I had bought at my local supermarket. I did add a bit
of finely chopped red pepper and onion, which added a bit more color and flavor
to the loaf, and if I make it again, I might try halving the butter or
margarine and substituting milk, to cut down on the fat calories.
But it is
interesting to note that, although social customs have evolved greatly over the
last century, there are still some perennial recipes that are guaranteed to
please the daintiest appetites.
