As there are hundreds of delicious breakfast dishes, which only require a little attention and interest to understand, how unfortunate it must be for a man to have a wife who has nothing for breakfast but an alternation of juiceless beefsteak, greasy and ragged mutton-chops, and swimming hash, with unwholesome hot breads to make up deficiencies!
Breakfast parties are very fashionable, being less expensive than dinners, and just as satisfactory to guests. They are served generally about ten o’clock, although any time from ten to twelve o’clock may be chosen for the purpose. It seems to me that ten o’clock, or even nine o’clock (it depends upon the persons invited), is the preferable hour. Guests might prefer to retain their strength by a repast at home if the breakfast-hour were at twelve o’clock, and then the fine breakfast would be less appreciated. At breakfast parties, with the exception of the silver service being on the table all the time for tea and coffee, the dishes are served in courses precisely as for dinner.
In England, breakfast parties are perhaps more in favor than lunch parties, especially among the _literati_. Macaulay said, when extolling the merits of breakfast parties as compared with all other entertainments, “Dinner parties are mere formalities; but you invite a man to breakfast because you want to see _him_.”
Three bills of fare are given for breakfast parties, which will show the order of different courses:
1st Course.--Broiled sardines on toast, garnished with slices of lemon. Tea, coffee, or chocolate.
2d Course.--Larded sweet-breads, garnished with French pease. Cold French rolls or petits pains. Sauterne.
3d Course.--Small fillets or the tender cuts from porter-house-steaks, served on little square slices of toast, with mushrooms.
4th Course.--Fried oysters; breakfast puffs.
5th Course.--Fillets of grouse (each fillet cut in two), on little thin slices of fried mush, garnished with potatoes à la Parisienne.
1st Course.--An Havana orange for each person, dressed on a fork (page 338).
2d Course.--Boiled shad, maître d’hôtel sauce; Saratoga potatoes. Tea or coffee.
3d Course.--Lamb-chops, tomato sauce. Château Yquem.
4th Course.--Omelet, with green pease, or garnished with parsley and thin diamonds of ham, or with shrimps, etc., etc.