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Chapter XIV
Foods to Serve With Liquors and
Wines
Probably the best way to illustrate what foods should be
served with liquors and wines is to cite what two of the fore
most authorities in America called "the perfectformal meal."
By giving course by course as each gave them to me,you may
adjust yourself in course serving, from hors d'oeuvres to the
final service of the cordial with desserts, arranging the wines
to go with your own soups, entrees, pieces-de-resistance and
so on.
Let us start with the first expert's idea of the "perfect
dinner."
He is one of those who beheves the cocktail should open
the gastronomic feast, starting with either a dry Martini or a
Manhattan.
With the oysters or clams on the half shell or in cocktail
form, he prefers to serve no wines, holding that the wine as
well as the food would be unenjoyable.
With soup he suggests either Port,Sherry or Madeira,but
never more than one glass to each course throughoutthe meal
and then served with about half aninch ofthe glass unfilled so
that the diner can "roll" the glass a bit to have the contents
glaze the inside of the glass and so permit of more "bouquet"
asthe alcoholic evaporation is expedited.
Next, with the fish course, or terrapin, he suggests either
Claret, Still Burgundy,Sauterne,Rhine Wine or MoseUe,the
last three iced.
With the piece de resistance, or meat course, whatever the
hostess chooses to serve, the accompanying wine should be
either Sparkling Burgundy or Champagne,served from pails
of cracked ice. He likes to hear the popping of the corks at
this course—and so doI—and so will you!
With the desserts he suggests Heavy White Bordeaux,
Chateau Yquem (rarest of all French vintages) or White
Vouvray Anjou wine, and, after the desserts and with the
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