BILLS OF FARE

When I was first married and commencing business, and our means were limited, the following was our system of living:

_Sunday's Dinner._--Roast-Beef, Potatoes, Greens, and Yorkshire Pudding.

_Monday._--Hashed Beef and Potatoes.

_Tuesday._--Broiled Beef and Bones, Vegetables, and Spotted Dick Pudding.

_Wednesday._--Fish if cheap, Chops and Vegetables.

_Thursday._--Boiled Pork, Peas Pudding, and Greens.

_Friday._--Peas Soup, Remains of Pork.

_Saturday._--Stewed Steak with Suet Dumpling.

The Sunday's dinner I used to vary, one time Beef, another Mutton, another Pork or Veal, and sometimes a Baked Sucking Pig; our living then, including a good Breakfast and Tea, cost us about 32_s._ per week.

In case we had a few friends, we used to make an addition by having one Fish, Leg of Mutton, Roast Fowls, Pickled Pork, and Peas Pudding, with a Mould Pudding and Fruit Tart, and a little dessert.

This was for the first two years; our means and business then increasing, and having the three young men to dine with us, we were of course obliged to increase our expenditure and to alter our mode of living, besides which I had accompanied Mr. B. to France, where my culinary ideas received a great improvement.

The following is the plan we then adopted:

_Sunday._--Pot-au-Feu, Fish--Haunch of Mutton or a Quarter of Lamb, or other good joint--Two Vegetables--Pastry and a Fruit Pudding--A little Dessert.

_Monday._--Vermicelli Soup made from the Pot-au-Feu of the day previous--The Bouilli of the Pot-au-Feu--Remains of the Mutton--Two Vegetables--Fruit Tart.

_Tuesday._--Fish--Shoulder of Veal stuffed--Roast Pigeons, or Leveret, or Curry--Two Vegetables--Apples with Rice, and light Pastry.

_Wednesday._--Spring Soup--Roast Fowls, Remains of Veal minced, and Poached Eggs--Two Vegetables--Rowley Powley Pudding.

_Thursday._--Roast-Beef--Remains of Fowl--Two Vegetables--Sweet Omelette.

_Friday._--Fish--Shoulder of Lamb--Miroton of Beef--Two Vegetables--Baked Pudding.

_Saturday._--Mutton Broth--Boiled Neck Mutton--Liver and Bacon--Two Vegetables--Currant Pudding.

Our parties then, when we had them, never consisted of more than ten.

We had: Julienne Soup--Fish--a quarter of Lamb--Vegetables, Cutlets--Vegetables, Bacon and Beans--Boiled Turkey--Pheasant--Jelly or Cream--Pastry--Lobster Salad--Omelette or Soufflé--Dessert, &c.

At present, though the number of our establishment is not greater, yet the style and manner of our living have changed. We dine alone, except when Mr. B. invites somebody to dine with him, which is most generally the case; our daily bill of fare consists of something like the following:--

One Soup or Fish, generally alternate--One Remove, either Joint or Poultry--One Entrée--Two Vegetables--Pudding or Tart--A little Dessert.

This may seem a great deal for two persons; but when you remember that we almost invariably have one or two to dine with us, and the remains are required for the breakfast, lunch, nursery and servants' dinners, you will perceive that the dinner is the principal expense of the establishment, by which means you are enabled to display more liberality to your guests, and live in greater comfort without waste. Our parties at present, to many of which you have constantly been, and therefore know, vary according to the season; here are a few bills of fare of them; the following is one for two persons:--

One Soup, say Purée of Artichokes--One Fish, Cod Slices in Oyster Sauce--Remove with Smelts or White Bait.

_Removes._--Saddle of Mutton--Turkey in Celery Sauce.

_Two Entrées._--Cutlets a la Provençale--Sweetbreads larded in any White Sauce.

_Two Vegetables._--Greens--Kale--Potatoes on the Sideboard.