Kitchen Essential

A buffet meal is ideal for occasions where there is to be a large number of guests such as christenings, weddings and similar gatherings. It may also suit a smaller gathering such as an informal supper with friends after the theatre or an evening at home where a dinner around the table might be more formal than you want to make it.

When planning the table arrangements and flowers or other decorations, think carefully about a colour scheme or theme to suit the occasion. For example, if the meal you are planning is to celebrate a silver wedding, choose white flowers with silvery foliage, silver candles or white candles in silver candlesticks and trimmings of furled silver ribbons. Silver serving dishes and silver cutlery will help to set the scene and if you don’t have these yourself, you can hire, or possibly borrow them. If the occasion is a christening, you will probably choose pink or blue as the predominant colour, and flowers should be delicate and unfussy.

The next most important decision is where to place the table. Continue Reading »

Barbecues Parties

These are the ideal occasions for using some of the extremely attractive disposable tableware now available — plates, napkins, throw-away glasses or cups and even brightly-coloured plastic cutlery. A barbecue is by nature an informal, family affair, where children can help cook and serve the food, so don’t use precious dishes or plates that might get broken. Stick to very practical, hard-wearing dishes and kitchen utensils. For a large number of guests arrange chairs and small tables around the garden and cover with very brightly coloured paper table-cloths, and use plates, napkins, cutlery, cups or plastic glasses in the same bright colours. For evening barbecues, place garden flares around the garden to give plenty of light. Set up a sturdy table near the barbecue where sauces, mustards, dips, bread and suitable drinks for both adults and children can be placed. Have a pile of plates ready so that food can be served as soon as it is ready. Continue Reading »

If a buffet celebration is preferred and you plan to invite ^.a large number of guests, you may need to hire large trestle tables and cover them with white cloths. Serving dishes and plates can be decorated with silver or gold paper doilies. As well as placing flower arrangements on the table decorate the edge of the table with garlands and ribbons. Use flowers of the appropriate colour and include silver or gold wedding bells, horseshoes or other decorations to suit the particular anniversary. Continue Reading »

Children’s parties should be fun and lively and very much geared to the particular likes of the child whose birthday it is. One of the best ways of creating an entertaining, lively atmosphere is to choose a theme which follows through from the invitations to the table decorations, food, drinks and even all the party games.

Decide first on a theme by discussing with the birthday boy or girl what they would like. They may have an interest or hobby that is the obvious topic; otherwise try and choose something that will give plenty of scope for games, fancy dress, a novelty cake, table decorations etc. Here are a few ideas: outer space; ghosts and monsters; castles and dungeons; a favourite television character; the circus; a Disney character; a visit to the Zoo. Continue Reading »

Canework and rush

Canework should be vacuum-dusted using a rubber upholstery nozzle. Old and grubby cane can be cleaned using a soft brush and a minimum of warm, slightly soapy water. Do small sections at a time; wipe away any soap traces with a clean damp cloth and pat dry with a colourfast towel. Rush seating should be similarly vacuumed. Avoid using water unless advised otherwise when purchasing.

Most modern bamboo, cane and rushwork is `sealed’ during manufacturing stages with chemical agents. Be extra careful to make a permanent note of the furniture maker’s cleaning instructions. Continue Reading »

Care of table linens will depend on the materials from which they are made. By and large, synthetics require less attention than most pure cottons and linens, or mixtures of natural and man-made fibres. But the beauty of starched cloths and napkins is often well worth the effort involved in laundering and ironing them.

Synthetic fabrics should be washed in accordance with maker’s directions but as a general rule they may be either machine-washed on the appropriate programme or hand-washed in warm water. Hand-washed articles may be pre-soaked but should not be wrung out, simply drip-dried. Usually ironing is not necessary, although some fibres can be lightly pressed with a warm iron if liked. Synthetic fabrics should not be starched. Continue Reading »

Basic Needs

Now for the stores required:

Flour—plain is essential; self-raising highly desirable; wholemeal a slight “extra,” but it makes wonderful scones. Baking powder and cornflour, which is used in many cake and biscuit recipes and also for fillings.

Bicarbonate of soda has its place in many scone and other recipes, and cream of tartar is often wanted for scones, too, and also for some toffees and sweets. Continue Reading »

Herbs, spices, flavourings, colourings and decorations are just as important
to good cookery as the basic ingredients

THERE are a number of things, apart I from basics- like tea and flour, which everyone ought to keep in their kitchen. They crop up, as apparently minor ingredients, in countless recipes, but they are important. They are as vital, in their way, as the contents of a sewing basket, and a cook will need them to work on the basic materials. If you have not got them at hand, you must either forgo the dish you intended to make, or make it imperfectly. Continue Reading »

Refrigerator conversion

An old, disused upright-type refrigerator makes a useful smoker within certain limitations. It is well insulated and so will conserve heat, but, by the nature of its original function, is not designed to stand heat, so it is only suitable as a cold smoker. A hole about 10 in. square or round should be cut in the bottom of the fridge, which should be raised off the ground and supported on a square built of concrete blocks, open at the front to allow the fire to be placed within the square of blocks. Alternatively, the device can be used in conjunction with the remote fire pit and underground smoke tunnel, and as a means of draught control two or three 2-in. holes can be cut in the top of the fridge; better still, it can be fitted with a length of stovepipe, protruding from the top and preferably fitted with a damper. Continue Reading »

The traditional Scottish recipe for this, the largest of the British and Scandinavian game birds, states that as soon as possible after the bird has been killed, the crop should be removed, the feet cut off and the bird then buried for a fortnight, by which time one should have forgotten where the bird has been buried. This implies that the caper is pretty ghastly fare, but this is an exaggeration, and similar defamatory statements are often made about the black grouse and its female counterpart, the grey hen, which I and many others consider excellent eating. Continue Reading »

Your choice of colour will determine the style and ambience of a table, so don’t rely on a quick decision. Colours can be used quite consciously to achieve precisely the effect you are hoping for.

It may help you to run through the colour palette, starting with the colour which appears on almost every table — green.

Green for freshness

For nature lovers, the fresh green of flowers and leaves brings life into the house, especially during the winter months. Therefore green is a welcome addition to the table, because besides its fresh appearance, it has another quality. Green lifts and emphasises other colours, especially its complementary colour, red. You can exploit this characteristic if you place big green leaves on the table and then lay a single, or just a few, brightly coloured blossoms on top (for example, rhododendrons orhydrangeas). Continue Reading »

It has become normal to expect that menu cards and seating plans are purely a matter of etiquette and reserved for official occasions, as they are thought more than a little excessive for a private dinner party. It would be a pity if this idea were to persist, because menu cards for a small dinner party or place cards for a tea party in your home can be a gesture which brings people closer together and, if you do it properly, a sign that you are in command of your role as a hostess. They also make an eye-catching part of the overall table decorations.

Imaginatively designed menu cards lead to anticipation of a delicious meal and afterwards your guests can take them home as an attractive memento. Continue Reading »

The table illustrated here is not just a still life; it is a compilation of a small selection of things which are used as decorations for various tables in this book. This should give you a fewideas about the many accessories whichsurround you in your house.

Every container, every sculpture, pretty stones or shells, decorative ribbons or marbles can provide you with ideas for table decorations. Don’t be afraid to use simple, everyday items from house and garden, or even foodstuffs. What about wire, pieces of cloth, sand, old pots or flasks, balls, candles, mirrors or even toy cars? What is wrong with a large cabbage or asparagus as a replacement for, or addition to, flowers? Why not use fifty sharpened pencils for an accountant’s fiftieth birthday party table? Or why not put brown leaves on the table, when we enjoy them so much outdoors in autumn? Continue Reading »

The history of crockery is a chequered one. There were times when nobles and merchants tried to outdo each other with beautiful china. In fact the splendour on the table was more important than the food on the plates. The finest porcelain (known as white gold) was painted with in several layers and decorated with gold leaf. Simplicity was the last thing anyone had in mind.

More recent times have provided us with cheap paper and plastic crockery. It didn’t matter whether it looked good or not — the most important thing was that it was practical. Decorated and disposable items are all crockery, but there is a world of difference between them. Continue Reading »

Either you’ve just come back from a holiday in Italy or you’ve got it still to look forward to. Or maybe you simply love the Italian way of life, relaxed and friendly, cheerful and colourful. Of course, you’re just as keen on Italian cuisine as well, which is so much more than just pizza and pasta. What about the typical antipasti, and many delicious Mediterranean specialities, or “formaggio” (cheese) to round off a meal, and wonderful red wine to drink?

Get together with your friends for a “Bella Italia” evening, and give your table an appropriate southern flavour. You simply must have tomatoes, red wine and, of course, spaghetti! Continue Reading »

An invitation to breakfast on a sunny summer morning is simply wonderful. The guest is met by the aroma of freshbread and coffee. That’s the most attractive thing about breakfasting together: you have more time to spend with each other, you have the whole day before you, and breakfast can easily turn into brunch, if liked, or even an afternoon get-together over coffee. The things that you enjoy as the guest of other people can also be enjoyed when you are the hostess, as there is even pleasure to be gained from the preparations involved. A summer breakfast with lots of fresh fruit can be something special and exciting for you and your guests, and the table can be made to look very inviting with very little effort.

What to do:

If you restrict the table linen and crockery to white and shades of green, you already have the basis for a fresh effect. Of course, you can use other colours in combination with white, but the green and white combination sprites to mind first because of the natural green of fruit and leaves. Continue Reading »

In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the shepherds in Scotland would gather together in their huts, known as bothies, to tell stories, sing, drink and simply get warm.

The Scots have retained elements of this along with many other good old traditions. They still get together to talk about the day’s events,to exchange news and spend some time together over a cup of, tea and a snack.

Even if friends have just dropped round for no particular reason and you’re only having a snack, you may still want to decorate the table and make it look different.

What to do:

If you have a wooden table, then don’t bother with a tablecloth. Wood looks good in this simple, rather rustic table decoration. Continue Reading »

The finale of the opera takes your breath away, the orchestra puts everything into it and all the actors are gathered on the stage. The curtain falls, and there is prolonged applause; the evening at the opera was once again a wonderfulexperience — but, as so often happens, it was all over far too quickly.

You can change that by planning a finale using an operatic theme for your table design. Invite your friends to join you for a post-opera dinner tobring the evening to a close. The table is your backcloth, using items from the world of opera for your theme. You’re the director here, this is your stage setting. Curtain up for a table at the opera! Continue Reading »

Serving

As long as there is sufficient work surface beside the hob, the oven or the free-standing cooker on which to put plates and serving dishes, there should be few problems.

Within the serving area there should be convenient storage for oven gloves, serving spoons, plates and serving dishes.

Dishwashing

This is often a part of the preparation area. However, if the kitchen is large enough, it may be worth considering a separate dishwashing zone, close to the eating area. This zone will accommodate the waste disposal unit or a rubbish bin and, ideally, a dishwasher. Twin sinks should be large enough to hold a grill pan.

The hob should be linked by a worktop to the sink. It should also have ample work surfaces on both sides of it. Kettle, tea, coffee, cups and saucers are best kept close to the sink. Toasters should be on a work surface or shelf near to the bread. Deep drawers for bread storage are preferable to bins on the work surface. Continue Reading »

How should you cook in a healthy and conserving way and yet still be able to enjoy the results of your efforts? Consider in the first place whether the food, in fact, needs to be cooked for lengthy periods of time. A healthy diet depends to a large degree on foods that are as near to their natural state as possible, thus retaining their vitamin content and nutritional value.

Vegetables should be absolutely fresh, preferably young, and they should be prepared with the minimum of wastage. Fresh raw vegetables and fruit are highly nutritious and retain most of the minerals, vitamins, trace elements, and fibre often destroyed by cooking. They are also good for the teeth and digestion. You can eat the overwhelming majority of vegetables raw, after thorough preparation, which includes washing them thoroughly to remove any trace of possible pesticide residues. You should peel some vegetables, including commercially grown carrots, for the same reason. Raw root vegetables, potatoes apart, are excellent grated and have better, more distinct flavours than when cooked. Leaf and stem vegetables should always be perfectly fresh whether you intend to eat them raw or cook them, since the vitamin and mineral contents decline rapidly once they are harvested. Continue Reading »