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| During the course of the meal, the servants should be attentive that nothing is missing from the table; they should always be ready to offer bread, water or wine or any other complement that the guests might desire. They should change the plates for each course; as for the knife and fork, they too, should be changed for each course, if possible. In any event, they must be replaced after the fish course. It is absolutely necessary. ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ In French gastronomy, cuisine bourgeoise is the home cooking of affluent city dwellers, as distinguished from elaborate restaurant cooking, haute cuisine, and from the cooking of the regions, the peasantry, and the urban poor. The cuisine bourgeoise has been documented since the 17th century: Nicolas de Bonnefons, Le Jardinier françois and Les delices de la campagne; François Menon, Cuisinière bourgeoise; and Louis Eustache Audot, Cuisinière de la campagne et de la ville. |
The dining room, the table. –
The day of the dinner, the dining room should be appropriately readied early in the day. In winter, it should be heated well before the meal begins but the temperature should not exceed 15° C (or 59° F). In the evening, the windows should be closed and the lamps or chandeliers lit. The floor should be covered with a carpet, at least where the guests are seated.
In summer these precautions are unnecessary as it is preferable to dine in an airy location.
The day of the dinner, the table must be covered in advance. The tablecloth must be very large and spotlessly white; the central part of it, covered by one or several table linens.
In summer these precautions are unnecessary as it is preferable to dine in an airy location.
The day of the dinner, the table must be covered in advance. The tablecloth must be very large and spotlessly white; the central part of it, covered by one or several table linens.
The place settings of each guest should be arranged symmetrically, a small bread roll placed beneath the folds of each white napkin which is folded simply.
Each place setting should have a and spoon to the right, a fork to the left.
Glasses, arranged by height, are placed to the right and slightly above the table setting in a diagonal line.
For formal, black-tie dinners, where guest are numerous, pitchers of water and table wine are placed between each guest so that water and wine is readily accessible; but at informal dinners of 6 to 8 people, for example, 2 jugs of water and 2 carafes of table wine should be sufficient.
How the guests should be seated. –
For formal, black-tie dinners, where guest are numerous, pitchers of water and table wine are placed between each guest so that water and wine is readily accessible; but at informal dinners of 6 to 8 people, for example, 2 jugs of water and 2 carafes of table wine should be sufficient.
How the guests should be seated. –
At a prestigious dinner, the mistress of the house is seated at the centre of one end of the table, the master of the house at the other, so that they face each other across the length of the table.
At formal dinners, the name of each guest appears on a placecard at each set ting. At informal dinners, it is the mistress of the house who decides where each guest should sit.
For men, the place of honor is at the right side of the mistress of the house; for ladies, it is at the right side of the master of the house. The left side of each is also valued but is of less importantance. Following these indications, the mistress of the house should be seated between two men and the master of the house between two women.
At formal dinners, the name of each guest appears on a placecard at each set ting. At informal dinners, it is the mistress of the house who decides where each guest should sit.
For men, the place of honor is at the right side of the mistress of the house; for ladies, it is at the right side of the master of the house. The left side of each is also valued but is of less importantance. Following these indications, the mistress of the house should be seated between two men and the master of the house between two women.
After these four places of privilege have been designated, the other guests may take their place, assuring as much as possible that each lady is seated in between two men.
The meal.–
The meal.–
During the meal, the host and the mistress of the house should assure above all the punctuality of the service; but without affectation or noise. Neither one nor the other should leave their seat under any pretext. All must be organized so that their intervention is not necessary. This rule applies as well to the host or hostess during the meal.
At informal dinners where the head of the family is carving, a carving knife and fork at the side of his place setting.
As soon as the guests are seated, the soup is served in soup plates; but neither the soup nor the soup plates should be on the table; they are in-waiting on the sideboard. They should only be presented to the guests when they are filled or refilled.
As soon as the guests are seated, the soup is served in soup plates; but neither the soup nor the soup plates should be on the table; they are in-waiting on the sideboard. They should only be presented to the guests when they are filled or refilled.
Each dinner course is either presented to the guests or placed in front of the head of the family so that he may distribute them.
If the courses are individual or easy to serve, they are presented; if not, they are placed on the table to be distributed or carved.
At informal dinners, where fine wines are not in abundance, full glasses are not served. It is the responsability of the host to serve his guests and then circulate the bottles; but the servants should be careful that each glass is filled with the appropriate wine.
During the course of the meal, the servants should be attentive that nothing is missing from the table; they should always be ready to offer bread, water or wine or any other complement that the guests might desire.
They should change the plates for each course; as for the knife and fork, they too, should be changed for each course, if possible. In any event, they must be replaced after the fish course. It is absolutely necessary.
The service should be accomplished in silence, without hurrying, without raised voices.
During the course of the meal, the servants should be attentive that nothing is missing from the table; they should always be ready to offer bread, water or wine or any other complement that the guests might desire.
They should change the plates for each course; as for the knife and fork, they too, should be changed for each course, if possible. In any event, they must be replaced after the fish course. It is absolutely necessary.
The service should be accomplished in silence, without hurrying, without raised voices.
When a servant offers something to a guest, whether it be a knife, glass or any other object, it should de presented on a tray and not by hand. The bread should be offered from the bread basket. If the servant offers wine to the guests, he should name each wine he offers or pours.
For dinners served ‘plat à plat’, the service should not abide any interruption, the courses follow one after the other until the entremets; at which point, the servants take away the plates, the place settings, the salt cellars, the bread and all available bottles; the table is then brushed of crumbs.
They give the guests, plates, dessert spoons and knives. The dessert is then placed on the table, in a planned and studied symmetrical order. As soon as the guests have begun the dessert, it is suggested that the servants leave the guests to themselves. If needed, the mistress of the house can summon them.
Coffee is served after the dessert. At formal dinners, coffee is never served on the same table as the meal, but for informal meals, it is often preferred, following the dessert.
In this case, the table should again be readied, that is, plates and knives taken away and the table brushed again of crumbs.
The dessert. –
For dinners served ‘plat à plat’, the service should not abide any interruption, the courses follow one after the other until the entremets; at which point, the servants take away the plates, the place settings, the salt cellars, the bread and all available bottles; the table is then brushed of crumbs.
They give the guests, plates, dessert spoons and knives. The dessert is then placed on the table, in a planned and studied symmetrical order. As soon as the guests have begun the dessert, it is suggested that the servants leave the guests to themselves. If needed, the mistress of the house can summon them.
Coffee is served after the dessert. At formal dinners, coffee is never served on the same table as the meal, but for informal meals, it is often preferred, following the dessert.
In this case, the table should again be readied, that is, plates and knives taken away and the table brushed again of crumbs.
The dessert. –
The dinner's dessert should be of particuler interest to the mistress of the house, as it is likely to be of great importance to a number of her guests.
The dessert consists of cheese, fresh or dry fruits, fruits-in-liqueur, jellies or jams, petits fours, biscuits, macaroons, sweetmeats and finally, ice-cream.
The fruit, cheese, petit fours or biscuits are arranged on plates or compotes; the jams are served in their original jars or in crystal jam pots; the same is true of fruits-in-liqueur. The sweetmeats are arranged on a plate or on porcelain or metal stands.
Very often, a cleverly arranged basket of fruit occupies the centre of the table. When the dessert arrives it is displayed around this centrepiece. The ice-creams are then presented.
The wines. –
The dessert consists of cheese, fresh or dry fruits, fruits-in-liqueur, jellies or jams, petits fours, biscuits, macaroons, sweetmeats and finally, ice-cream.
The fruit, cheese, petit fours or biscuits are arranged on plates or compotes; the jams are served in their original jars or in crystal jam pots; the same is true of fruits-in-liqueur. The sweetmeats are arranged on a plate or on porcelain or metal stands.
Very often, a cleverly arranged basket of fruit occupies the centre of the table. When the dessert arrives it is displayed around this centrepiece. The ice-creams are then presented.
The wines. –
Regardless of the importance of the dinner, carafes of red and white table wine must always be on the table. As for the quantity of the wine, it is in keeping with the importance of the dinner.
In any event, in a bourgeoise home, this aspect of the service is of particular interest to the host. Thanks to his diligence, the wines are served not only with the specific courses for which they are destined, but also at the optimal temperature which will bring out their best qualities.
If the red wines have formed a residue, they should be decanted, that is, poured into another decanter without agitating the residue at the bottom of the bottle. But, white wine is not decanted; only those being clear and limpid are to be served.
If the red wines have formed a residue, they should be decanted, that is, poured into another decanter without agitating the residue at the bottom of the bottle. But, white wine is not decanted; only those being clear and limpid are to be served.
As for the ideal serving temperature of each wine, it varies according to the nature of the wine. In general, all white wine should be served cooled, even in ice.
Bordeaux wines should be served at 15° C (or 59° F), but that does not mean they should be warmed artificially; taking them from the cellar 4 to 5 hours before serving should suffice, and resting them in the dining room or even in the kitchen until the wine has attained the desired temperature.
Burgundy wines should be drunk more or less fresh; according to the season.
In summer, they are kept cooled, in winter, they are served at 7 to 8° C; a little less warm than Bordeaux wines.
Champagne should be well-chilled at all times, that is to say iced; a wine of this sort that is not chilled is never pleasant and cannot be appreciated. Dessert liqueurs should always be served cooled.
The order of serving wines. –
After the soup, guests are given a glass of Madeira or Marsala. After the fish and oysters, white wine is served: Chablis, Sauterne, Moselle, etc.
With meat, one serves what is called ‘les grands ordinaires’: Burgundy or Bordeaux; but Burgundy is preferable. Bordeaux is better for entrées and large roasts¹; but with roasts, nothing prevents one from serving a Burgundy wine de grand cru, and with vegetables, a fine Bordeaux. After the vegetables and until dessert, Champagne is served.
Coffee. –
With meat, one serves what is called ‘les grands ordinaires’: Burgundy or Bordeaux; but Burgundy is preferable. Bordeaux is better for entrées and large roasts¹; but with roasts, nothing prevents one from serving a Burgundy wine de grand cru, and with vegetables, a fine Bordeaux. After the vegetables and until dessert, Champagne is served.
(1) There are many people who think that one cannot drink Bordeaux after Burgundy. As concerns wine tasting, I would agree with them; but as one eats different dishes at the table, the bouquet of the wine one has just drunk does not stay in the mouth to the extent that it would ruin the bouquet of the wine to follow.
Coffee. –
If coffee is served at the same table as the meal, it is usually the mistress of the house who pours and serves it to the guests, at the same time as various liqueurs but that is only possible at informal dinners with a limited numbers of guests.
From Urbain Dubois Nouvelle Cuisine Bourgeoise, Paris, 1888
Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia
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