Eighteenth Century Dinners
at
THE MAXWELL HOUSE
November 1, 2008
6:30 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
February 7, 2009
6:30 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
If you are interested in information on dinners please send e-mail.
Twice a year The Massasoit Historical Association recreates an 18th century dinner at The Maxwell House. The dinner is limited to a seating of 16 diners. We attempt to recreate a meal which could have been served in an upper class house during the last quarter of the 18th century, using receipts from period English cookbooks as the source for the dishes. The bake oven is fired to bake the rolls served. As the beef roasts on it's spit in front of the fire, the chicken fricasees in it's dutch oven, and the ham gently simmers in it's iron bulge pot. Diners coming to table are given a short lesson from School of Manners, published in 1701:
Feed thy self with thy two Fingers and the Thumb of the left hand.
Bend thy Body a little downwards to thy plate, when thou movest any thing that is sauced, to thy mouth.
Gnaw not Bones at the Table, but clean them with thy knife (unless they be very small ones) and hold them not with a whole hand, but with two fingers.
Bite not thy bread but break it, but not with slovenly Fingers, nor with the same wherewith thou takest up thy meat.
Dip not thy Meat in the Sauce.
Take not salt with a greazy Knife.
Sup not Broth at the Table, but eat it with a Spoon.
Smell not to thy Meat, nor move it to thy Nose; turn it not the other side upward to view it upon the Plate.
Throw not any thing under the Table.
Hold not thy Knife upright in thy hand, but lay it down at thy right hand with the Blade upon thy plate or trencher.
Before and after thou drinkest, wipe thy lips with thy Napkin.
Pick not thy Teeth at the Table, unless holding up thy Napkin before thy mouth with thine other Hand.
Diners are also instructed in the "art" of knife eating, tea saucering and food service as practiced in the 18th century.
Sample Menu
First Course
White Chicken Fricasee
Pickled Cabbage Potted Meat
Ham
Dried Corn Pickled Mushrooms
Beef a la mode
Second Course
Cheesecakes Jelly
Syllabubs
White Wafers
Potted Cheese Beet Root Pancakes
Dessert
Candied Pineapple Pistachios
Pontefract Cakes
Dried Apricots Chocolate Pastilles
If you are interested in dining at the Maxwell House send us an e-mail, a note, or call our contact numbers. PLEASE NOTE: Eighteenth century recipes made extensive use of alcohol and dairy products, i.e. heavy cream and butter. We regret that we are unable to honor special diets and cook in the spirit of the period.
Photographs of preparations for a dinner
Available again, our cookbook--Fireplace Cooking at The Maxwell House
Receipt "To Pot Old Cheshire Cheese" from Fireplace Cooking at The Maxwell House