Dinner-Time.—On account of the various occupations of members of the same family, this is often the first and only time of the day that sees them all assembled. It is the dinner that mostly supplies the waste that the system has undergone for twenty-four hours. Being taken after the day's work is over, it gives to the stomach time to digest (mind and stomach never working at the same time). (See Food, Economy, Coffee, and Tea.)

The dinner, being the most substantial meal of the day, requires more preparation than any other meal; the bill of fare of it should, therefore, be made the day before, or at least early in the morning. It should always be made between the mistress or master of the house and the cook; written and hung in the kitchen, near the clock. The first thing to put down is what may be left from the preceding day, and also what may be in the larder; then what is wanted in butcher's meat or poultry, or both; the fish or game, or both, and which, with vegetables, are according to the market. It is then one of the duties of the cook to make a list of what is wanted as accessories; such as flour, eggs, sugar, spices, etc.

Besides the above, it is also the duty of the cook to send the dishes to the table in their regular order; for, if the whole dinner is sent at once, all the dishes have to be eaten at once also, else the last get cold and are unpalatable, or, by mixing them, they are rendered tasteless, as the flavor of one neutralizes (if it does not destroy) the taste of another.

To make models of bills of fare is not difficult, but to follow them is nearly impossible; hardly one in a hundred would suit any one.

Bills of fare vary according to the season of the year, and therefore to the produce in the market.

We will try to give another, and we think a better way of making them to suit everybody, every purse, and at any time.

A dinner, no matter how grand, is composed of three courses, and seven kinds of dishes.

The first course comprises dishes of four kinds, viz.: potages, hors-d'oeuvres, relevÉs, and entrÉes.

The second course comprises dishes of two kinds, viz.: rÔts and entremets.

The third course comprises dishes of one kind, the dessert.

The number of dishes of each kind is generally according to the number of guests.

It may also be according to the importance of the occasion for which the dinner is given; to the honor the giver or givers wish to show the personage or personages invited; to the amount of money they are willing to spend, etc.

The following table shows how many dishes of each kind are to be served at dinner to a certain number of persons:

The above table shows the number of dishes, but more than one dish of the same kind can be served; for instance, four kinds of potages, relevÉs, etc., are served for forty; but two or four dishes of each kind can be served.

The size of the relevÉs and rÔts should be according to the number of guests.

It is just as easy to select dishes for a small family-dinner as for a grand one; two, three, four, or more dishes can be selected; for instance, you select a potage, an entrÉe or rÔt, or both, one vegetable or a sweet dish, or both; and one or as many plates of dessert as you please.

Have a bouquet on the middle of the table, if possible, or at least a basket of fruit. Flowers during dinner have the same effect as music after it; they soften the manners, and gently and sweetly gratify the senses.

To simplify and render the making of bills of fare easy, we have divided the different dishes into seven parts, each part being in the order the dishes of which must be served, and representing the seven kinds of dishes composing a dinner. By this means you select the dish or dishes which suit you, and which you can procure in any or all of the seven parts, and your bill of fare is made, and more to your liking than any steward on earth can do.

Order of dishes.—1. Potages. 2. hors-d'oeuvres. 3. RelevÉs: of fish, and then of meat. 4. EntrÉes: beef, mutton, lamb, veal, fish, poultry, and game last. 5. RÔts: of meat, and then of fish. 6. Entremets: salads of greens, vegetables, eggs, macaroni, sweet dishes, and cakes. 7. Dessert: cheese the first.

First part, or Potages.—Any kind coming under the head of potages or soups.

Second part, or hors-d'oeuvres.—These are small dishes placed on the table as soon as the soup-dish is removed or even before, and which are removed just before serving the sweet dishes of the entremets. They are passed round after every dish, on account of being considered more as appetizers, as repairers of the natural waste of animal life. Very little of them is partaken of at a time; they are anchovies; artichockes, raw; pickled beets; butter; caviare; cervelas; raw cucumbers; figs; every kind of fish, salted, smoked, pickled, or preserved in oil; every kind of pickled fruit; horse-radish; horse-radish butter; melons; broiled mushrooms; olives; raw and pickled oysters; steamed potatoes served with butter; radishes and butter; sardines; saucissons; sausages, salt and smoked, but not fresh; salted and smoked tongue; tunny, walnuts in salad.

Third part, or RelevÉs.—RelevÉs are composed of fish and large pieces of meat. A fish served whole is always a relevÉ; in pieces, it is an entrÉe. Pieces of beef, mutton, and pork, roasted, are always served as relevÉs. At a family dinner the relevÉ is almost always a fish. The other pieces of meat that are served as relevÉs are: bear, buffalo, boiled and corned beef, leg and saddle of mutton, quarters of lamb, large pieces of veal; also all vol-au-vent of meat and of fish, boucheÉs and fish-pies.

Fourth part, or EntrÉes.—These comprise every dish of meat, except poultry and game, when roasted; every dish of fish not served whole; also pÂtÉs de foies gras, sour-krout, snails, meat-pies, terrines, pains of game and of poultry. The dishes of meat mentioned in the relevÉs may be served as entrÉes at a family dinner. The order of the dishes is described above.

Fifth part, or RÔts.—Poultry, game, and fish. At a family dinner, lamb and veal are often served as roasted pieces, especially at seasons when there is no game, and poultry is scarce.

Sixth part, or Entremets.—The following are served as entremets: all salads of greens; all dishes of vegetables, of omelets, except four, viz., with bacon, salt pork, ham, and kidneys. Also dishes of macaroni, of rice, eggs À la neige, all sweet dishes (sweet dishes are also served as dessert), and cakes; such as baba, brioche, gÉnoises, madeleines, savarin, and sponge-cake.

Seventh part, or Dessert.—The dessert comprises ripe fruit, sweet dishes (these are also served as entremets, according to taste), pastry (except meat-pies, terrines, and pains), salads of fruits, and cheese. The latter is always served the first (see Cheese). After cheese, there is no rule for serving the other plates of dessert; it is according to each one's taste.

Punch is served after the entrÉes or after the relevÉs of fish, according to taste.

Early Breakfast.—We are of opinion that everybody ought to eat as little meat as possible, and drink no wine, beer, or any other liquor at an early breakfast, no matter what the sex or age may be, except when prescribed by the physician in case of sickness, debility, etc. The food may be selected from the following: bread and butter, eggs, omelets, fried fish, fried vegetables, sardines, and fruit, according to the season.

As for meat, in case it should be eaten, it ought to be cold, such as fowl or veal, cooked the day before.

Muffins, and other cakes or pastes, served warm, are very bad for the stomach and teeth.

The beverage ought to be either coffee, with milk, chocolate, cocoa, choca, or cold water, but do not by any means drink tea at breakfast; it is too astringent.

Although cold meat is not by far so injurious as warm meat for breakfast, it ought, nevertheless, to be as little partaken of as possible, and especially by the young.

Late Breakfast, Lunch, Tea, and early Supper.—At these meals the following dishes may be served:

Every dish served as a hors-d'oeuvre, calf's head and feet, bear hams, head-cheese, eggs cooked in any way, omelets, mutton chops, veal cutlets, fried fish, ripe fruit, boned birds, ham, cold meat of any kind, oysters, pÂtÉ de foies gras, salads of chicken, or any other birds, and of lobster, sandwiches, sardines, fried vegetables, sweet dishes, and pastry.

Late Supper.—This being the last meal taken before retiring, persons should be careful about what they eat then, especially those who take no bodily exercise, or retire soon after it. Some are not aware that their rest depends nearly, if not entirely, on what they have eaten at supper. The lighter the food the better; such as fried fish, sardines, lait de poule, bavaroise, well-ripened fruit, a cream, a little iced fruit, fruit-jelly, prunes, etc.

The gastronomical or hygienic rule to be observed in eating, it will be seen, is therefore, after the soup and hors-d'oeuvres, to commence with the heaviest or most substantial dishes, and to finish with the lightest. The rule is just the opposite for wines. Here we must commence with the lightest, and end with those which contain the most alcohol, and are consequently the heaviest.