cessarily be confined to those dishes
which are the hosts' or hostess' specialty--Welsh rarebit, panned or
creamed oysters, shellfish, eggs or meats. The very informality of a
chafing dish supper is its charm, the guests sitting at the table while
the dishes are prepared. Decide upon the chief dish and have everything
possible prepared in the kitchen and ready to use at the table, the
cheese or meat cut into dice, the bread or crackers toasted, the
ingredients measured and in glasses or cups and all utensils ready to
use. Decorate the table with centerpiece and plate mats or large white
cloth with bowl of flowers or fruits in the center. Do not have many
candles or decorations on the table as these will interfere with the
preparation of dishes. Have the chafing dish or dishes at one end of the
table and some hostesses have a higher chair in which to sit while they
preside over the chafing dish. Have the salad, trays or platters with
sandwiches and coffee machine if you make coffee at the table, placed
conveniently by those who prepare these articles of food. Suppose you
are to serve panned oysters, on squares of toast, lettuce salad, bread
and butter sandwiches and coffee, or Welsh rarebit, potato salad and
coffee and sandwiches. Any of these is a good menu as you will not want
sweets or ice cream at such a supper.

For safety place your chafing dishes on metal trays and do not fill the
lamp too full. Many hostesses prefer to have their ingredients on the
table in bowls which will not break and on Japanese trays and use wooden
spoons for stirring as they do not become hot, and do not scratch the
dishes. As food is served directly from the chafing dish to the plates
and the object is to have everything very hot, garnishings are not
necessary. The water pan placed under the cooking pan will keep things
hot after the flame is extinguished. Two chafing dishes come in very
handy in keeping the toast and hot water hot while the main dish is
being prepared.

Have a pile of hot plates at hand and have someone place the toast on
the plate and hand it to the hostess who serves from the chafing dish.
While she is doing this, have someone at the other end of the table mix
a plain French dressing and toss the lettuce leaves in it in a large
bowl and serve the lettuce salad, or serve the potato salad which should
be already prepared on small fancy plates. If coffee is made at the
table assign this task to one guest and appoint two o