and red tied with yellow, with the flowers in the centre of the
table of the two. The bonbons may be of scarlet and yellow also. Here is
a Spanish menu:--
MENU
ORANGES.
RED BEAN SOUP.
BROILED FISH WITH TOMATO SAUCE.
SPAGHETTI WITH CHEESE.
SPANISH CHICKEN. LYONNAISE POTATOES.
OLIVE SALAD.
STUFFED CAKE.
COFFEE.
The soup is made of strong stock with red beans, and seasoning in this
way: a little onion and garlic are browned in a deep kettle with a
spoonful of lard and a pinch of thyme; a stock is poured over this, and
two cupfuls of red beans which have been cooked until they are soft are
added; the whole is put through a sieve and poured over croutons just
before serving.
Any fish will do for the third course, but bluefish is the best; after
it is cooked it is cut in pieces ready to serve, and then a rich tomato
sauce is poured over each piece. The chicken is really delicious. A
tender fowl is chosen, jointed, and put on to stew. A dozen dry red
peppers are cut up and boiled, after the seeds have been removed; they
are then moistened with a little chicken broth and put through a sieve;
one green pepper and two sliced onions are fried in a little lard, the
peppers and chicken added, and the whole covered with the thickened
gravy and simmered for fifteen minutes before serving.
The salad is one of the commonest Spanish dishes. To make it, take a cup
of dice made of stale bread, sprinkle with bits of red peppers, add a
cup of stoned olives, cut up, and half a cup of chopped cucumber
pickles; mix the whole with mayonnaise and serve on lettuce cut in
strips; pass a strong cheese with it. The stuffed cake is also a dish
frequently seen in Spain. A large sponge cake is soaked in mild sherry,
stuck full of blanched almonds and stoned raisins, and eaten with a rich
boiled custard poured over it.
A HORSE-SHOW LUNCHEON
In New York the horse show is the great November event; perhaps in other
cities there is something corresponding to it, and certainly in small
places there is a great interest taken in the County Fair, which comes
somewhat earlier in the fall. For any day when a number of friends are
to visit a place where the horse is the hero, a luncheon may precede the
hour. A large floral horse-shoe may be the decoration of the table, or
one may be suspended over the table and the flowers may be of the same
variety in the centrepiece, but arranged with more grace. The guest
cards may bear a
|