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CHAPTER XIII: Serving

PREPARATION OF FRESH FRUIT FOR SERVING Fruit exposed for sale in a market is apt to collect dust and should be thoroughly washed before it is eaten. Hull strawberries, raspberries and blackberries, then rinse quickly in cold water and drain at once. Rinse grapes in cold water, to which a small quantity of salt has been added, then rinse again in pure, fresh water. All fruit, except that freshly gathered and thus warm from the heat of the sun, should be chilled before serving. When possible leaves of the trees on which the fruit was grown should be put beneath the fruit, on the plate. Pass sugar or sugar and cream with berries; do not add either to them before serving. It should be needless to say that the tough skins of apples, plums, pears, grapes, etc., are not wholesome. SERVING OF GRAPEFRUIT AND ORANGES A grapefruit is cut in halves crosswise, and serves two persons. With a sharp, pointed, French knife remove the seeds, then cut around the pulp in each section, that it may be removed with a spoon. Set halves of grapefruit on small plates covered with paper doilies or leaves. Oranges may be served in the same way. Or, simply cut in halves, the pulp may be removed with a spoon without the preliminary use of a knife. Or, the sections of fruit pulp, either grapefruit or orange, with all the juice, may be disposed in glasses. A little sugar may be sprinkled over the top if desired.

GRAPEFRUIT WITH BAR-LE-DUC CURRANTS Cut a chilled grapefruit in halves. Remove the seeds, and cut around each section of pulp close to the membranous walls or partitions. With a sharp knife carefully free the membrane from the sides and bottom of the skin, and lift it out, leaving the pulp in place. Put a spoonful of Bar-le-duc currants in the center. Serve as a first course at luncheon or dinner. SERVING PINEAPPLES After the skin and "eyes" have been removed, the flesh may be picked from the core with a silver fork and served with or without sugar. Or the fruit may be cut in slices, crosswise or lengthwise, and eaten from the hand. A tender, well-ripened pineapple needs no sugar; less choice fruit may be sprinkled with sugar and left standing in a cool place two or three hours before serving. SLICED PEACHES Peel the skin from the peaches, cut the flesh through to the stone in even slices and lengthwise of the fruit and sprinkle with sugar at once, to keep the fruit from discoloring.

SLICED ORANGES Slit the peel, lengthwise, on one side of the orange, then remove with the fingers; carefully remove every vestige of the white pith on the outside, then place the orange on a board and with a sharp knife cut in thin slices, lengthwise of the fruit, removing seeds if any are present. Sprinkle lightly with sugar, or serve without sugar.

DATES Take about half a pound of dates. Cover the dates with boiling water; stir and separate them in the water with a silver fork; skim them from the water to an agate pan, and set them into the oven for three or four minutes to dry off. Cut each date in halves, removing the stones. They are now ready to serve with a cereal and cream or without a cereal.

MACEDOINE OF MIDWINTER FRUIT For each service take: 5 or 6 dates 1/2 or 1/4 grapefruit 1/2 small banana Prepare the dates and remove the pulp of the grapefruit as indicated above. Peel and scrape the bananas, then cut in even slices. Retain all the juice of the grapefruit. Dispose the prepared fruit in glass or china saucers, dividing the juice among them. Dispose a few slices of banana and halves of dates on the top of the fruit in a symmetrical manner; sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve when thoroughly chilled either as an appetizer before luncheon or as a dessert dish at dinner or luncheon.

QUICK APPLE SAUCE Pare, quarter and core three or four tart apples. Put over a quick fire with about one-fourth a cup of sugar and half a cup of boiling water; cover and let cook until tender. Serve hot or cold.