Blue Point, Oysters

Celery en Surprise Olives

Cream of Asparagus - Parisienne

Striped Bass en Court Bouillon Potatoes, Hollandaise

Mignons of Beef, Bordelaise Stuffed Tomatoes

Sweetbreads Braises, Bearnaise Green Peas

Punch, Lalla Rookh Punch, Francaise

Red Head Duck with Jelly Chicory Salad

Peach Pudding

Vanilla Ice Cream

18. Oysters

Oysters should be kept in a cold place and thoroughly washed before they are opened. They should be opened on the deep shell, so as to better preserve the liquor, then placed on finely chopped ice for a short time - too long destroys their flavour. While they should be kept as cold as possible, they should never be allowed to freeze, therefore they must only be opened shortly before they are needed; for once frozen they quickly turn sour. The proper way to open them is to place the deep shell in the palm of the left hand and break them on one side. The Boston stabbing knife is preferable for this, but if there be none handy use a small block that the oysters can fit into and stab it on the edge; or even a chopping block and chopping knife may be employed in case of necessity.

Serve six oysters for each person, if small; if medium five; nicely arranged on oyster plates with quarters of sound lemon.

19. Oysters With Alexandre Dumas Sauce

Place in a saucebowl a heaping teaspoon salt, three-quarters tea-spoonful fresh-crushed very fine white paper, one medium-sized, sound shallot, peeled and very finely chopped, one heaping teaspoon very finely chopped chives, half a teaspoon finely chopped parsley. Gently mix together, then pour in half a teaspoon olive oil, six drops of tobasco sauce, one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, a light saltspoon good fresh mustard, and lastly one light gill good vinegar; mix well, send to the table, and with a teaspoon pour a little of the sauce over each oyster just before eating them.

20. Celery En Surprise

Pare off the green branches of two stalks of fine, fresh, white celery, Separate all the branches; nicely trim the tender parts, as well as the roots, and place them in a basin with plenty of cold water and wash thoroughly. Remove the branches from the basin, lay them on a towel, and then with the forefinger gently spread a very little green butter on the inside of each branch. Dress on a celery dish. Cover with chopped ice and serve. (Always keep the discarded celery for soups or for other useful purposes.)

21. Green Butter

One sound peeled shallot, one-quarter bean peeled garlic, two branches well-cleaned parsley, one branch fresh watercress, three-quarters of an ounce fresh butter, one and a half saltspoons salt, one-half saltspoon cayenne pepper. Place all these in a mortar, except the butter, and pound to a pulp; add now the butter and pound again until the whole is well thickened. Pass through a strainer into a bowl, keep in a cool place and use as required.