A French aristocrat living in England in the 1930’s would be just the person to give advice to a young wife, on what to do when YOUR HUSBAND BRINGS HOME AN INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS FRIEND, now wouldn’t he?

Take heed, my young friend-who-is-to-be married on Saturday. And be prepared. Have your freezer, pantry, and wine-cellar well stocked, just in case, for HUSBAND’s often spring these INFLUENTIAL guests upon their wives, just as said wives are heating up the leftover meatloaf from yesterday.

The Vicomte de Maduit has a number of suggested menus for such events as ‘Before Wimbledon’, ‘After Eighteen Holes of Golf (in Cold Weather), and Before the Races.’ Here is his suggestion for when YOUR HUSBAND BRINGS HOME AN INFLUENTIAL BUSINESS FRIEND.

Grape-fruit maraschino.
Scotch Broth.
Fillets of Sole Anne-Marie.
Pheasant à la Belle Alliance.
Pommes Anna - Peas Sautés.
Soufflé à la Vanille.
Canapés Ivanhoe.
Wines: Montrachet and Chambertin.

The good Vicomte of course gives recipes for his suggested dishes. The old British tradition of ending a meal with a savoury dish seems to have gone by the board in these modern times, and we would be more likely to serve the canapés as an appetiser.

Canapés Ivanhoe.
Remove the skin and bones of a dried haddock, chop it up, and pound it with butter and a little cream. Cook this slowly. Then spread thickly on rounds of fried bread and garnish with pickled walnuts.

Quotation for the Day …

My wife and I tried to breakfast together, but we had to stop or our marriage would have been wrecked. Winston Churchill.