Practical no: 8

Setting up covers for menu with wines

How to lay a cover? : Please refer Semester 2 practical compilations. FORMAL DINNER A formal dinner usually features a set menu (table dhote) with pre-arranged items at a xed price for the whole meal and as such, it should be known to the server, what would be served to the guests. Since all the food course information is already xed and known, the cutlery, crockery as well as the glassware can be laid in advance. The most important thing to remember: You are not "just" setting the table ... You are also setting the mood! The sequence of the formal dinner lay out is as follows: Align the chairs so they are spaced evenly down the side of table. Now sight the chairs that are across the table from each other. Place a cover plate in front of a chair. The edge of the plate should be 1 inch from the edge of the table. The basic rules for laying the cutlery and glassware are: 1. The handles will be one inch from the edge of the table. 2. The butter knife on the bread plate has the blade face into the center of the plate. 3. Only the soup course has one piece of atware all others have two. 4. If you have individual salt and pepper shakers they go above the main course fork or above the dessert atware. If people have to share the shakers they go between the covers. 5. The bread plate can either go to the left of the forks or above the forks. 6. The wine glass for the respective course is above the knife for that course. If there is no place to put other glasses on the table due to additional cutlery, use example 1 and 2 as a guide for setting up a formal table cover. 7. The atware for dessert goes directly above the plate. The fork goes closest to the plate with the tines pointing to the right. The spoon goes above the fork with the bowl pointing to the left. 8. The ower arrangements should not be above eye level.

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Sample Menu - 1 The following is a dinner menu that was composed on account of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visiting the White house on a state visit.

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Sample Menu - 2 The following is a dinner menu that was composed by the White House for the then visiting President of China.

White House State Dinner for The President of China Mr. Hu Jintao

D'Anjou Pear with Farmstead Goat Cheese Fennel, Black Walnuts, and White Balsamic Poached Maine Lobster Orange Glaze Carrots and Black Trumpet Mushrooms DuMol Chardonnay "Russian River" 2008 (California) * Lemon Sorbet * Dry Aged Rib Eye with Buttermilk Crisp Onions Double Stuffed Potatoes and Creamed Spinach Quilceda Creek Cabernet "Columbia Valley" 2005 (Washington State) Old Fashioned Apple Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream

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Sample Menu - 3 The following is a dinner menu that was composed by the White House for the Prime Minister of India.

White House State Dinner for The Prime Minister of India Mr. Manmohan Singh

Potato and Eggplant Salad White House Arugula with Onion Seed Vinaigrette 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, Modus Operandi, Napa Valley, California * Red Lentil Soup with Fresh Cheese 2006 Riesling, Brooks "Ara", Wilamette Valley, Oregon * Roasted Potato Dumplings with Tomato Chutney Chick Peas and Okra or Green Curry Prawns with caramelized salsify with smoked Collard Greens and coconut aged basmati 2007 Granache Beckman Vineyards, Santa Ynez, California * Pumpkin pie tart Pear Tatin Whipped Cream and Caramel sauce Sparkling Chardonnay, Thibaut Janisson Brut, Monticello, Virginia Petits fours and Coffee Cashew Brittle Pecan Pralines Passion fruit and vanilla Gelees Chocolate dipped fruit
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Table set up for a table dhote menu with wines: Example 1:

Red Wine White Wine
Aperitif

Water

Side Plate Napkin Fold

Water

Example 2:
White Wine

Red Wine

Aperitif

Side Plate Napkin Fold

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Things to note: 1. The table must look immaculate. 2. There should be minimum clutter on the table. 3. Glassware for a maximum of four courses can be placed on the table along with the respective cutlery. For a menu that features more than four or ve courses, cover should be relayed with fresh cutlery and glassware upon the clearance of the earlier courses. 4. Glassware can be arranged keeping in mind the convenience and aesthetics of the table itself. 5. Also make sure that candelabras as well as ower arrangements are set up in such a way that everybody can make eye contact.

Above and below are some examples of formal banquet table arrangements.

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