A friend is downsizing to move into a retirement community. One thing to go is her Mother's 1930's formal china. In helping her identify what the various pieces are, I was reminded of another friend, Debbie, who in the early 1970's in San Francisco loved to give dinner parties of many courses ... so many that she would relent and let the guests go home and return the next evening to finish the meal. After much searching on the web, I finally found a menu to match her 20-or-so course dinners. I am so tempted to do a retro-multi-course dinner party but I fear I am short on friends who would truly enjoy (and appreciate) it.
This led me to this Titannic multi-course meal which made it to 15 courses: "COLD APPETIZER- On the Titanic, first-class passengers got canapés & oysters with white wine for their hors d’ouevres. This course was retained by Emily Post (suggesting oysters, melons, or clams in 1950), and is still pretty standard for a coursed meal today, either hot or cold.
SOUP- Titanic diners got consommé or cream of barley soup with Madeira or sherry. The soup course was maintained by Emily Post in 1922, but by 1950 she suggested that you do either an appetizer or a soup course, but not both.
HOT APPETIZER- Multiple appetizer courses had been dropped by the time of the Titanic.
EGGS, PASTA, OR RICE- This course was also dropped by the time of the Titanic. Coursed Italian dinners include both an appetizer (antipasto) and a pasta course to this day.
FISH- Titanic diners got poached salmon with dry white wine for their fish course. The fish course was maintained by Emily Post and is still served prior to the red meat course in very formal coursed dinners today.
HOT PROTEIN- The first non-fish hot protein course became known as an entrée (French for entry) over time. On the Titanic, diners got a combo plate of filets mignon, chicken lyonnaise, & vegetable marrow, with red Bordeaux. Emily Post retained the entrée in 1922, but by 1950 she suggested either a fish course or an entrée, but not both.
MAIN COURSE- Confusingly, this point in the meal became known as a relevé (French for to raise) over time. This additional meat dish was served to distract you while the staff removed all the plates & side dishes that went with the lead-up courses, & replaced them with the plates & side dishes to accompany the formal presentation of THE ROAST, which was really the main course. On the Titanic, diners were well-distracted with lamb, duckling, AND sirloin accompanied by a whole bevy of vegetables & red Burgundy or Beaujolais. This sort-of distraction/sort-of main course/let’s-show-off-with-even-more-meat course was gone by the time Emily Post wrote in 1922.
COLD PROTEIN- First-class diners on the Titanic had paté de foie gras with celery & Sauternes or sweet Rhine wine, but by their time the cold protein came after the roast. Multiple meat courses were considered over-the-top by the time of Emily Post and the specifically cold protein was dropped.
SORBET- This is a palate cleanser to get you ready for THE ROAST and can be either frozen sorbet or liquid punch. Diners on the Titanic got Punch Romaine. Emily Post considered this level of build-up to the roast to be gauche by 1922 and left it out.
ROAST- This was the pièce de résistance of the meal, a big haunch of meat that had been turned over a spit all day long. By the Edwardian era, the roast was ceremonially presented to the hostess for her approval before it was cut. American diners may compare the presentation of a Thanksgiving turkey & its semi-ceremonial slicing as the big event of the meal. Diners on the Titanic got roast squab on wilted cress with red Burgundy. Emily Post continued to expect the main course to be roasted meat through 1950. A slab of meat (roasted or not) is still the expected main course for many Americans today, although its grip is starting to wane.
VEGETABLE/SALAD- First-class diners on the Titanic had asparagus in champagne-saffron sauce. Emily Post retained this course through 1950. (During the 1950s, Californians started having salad at the beginning of the meal, next to or in place of soup. This oddity has stuck with many Americans but isn’t the norm elsewhere.)
HOT DESSERT- By the time of the Titanic, there was only one sugar course, and it could be either hot or cold, often depending on the season. First-class diners had eclairs, ice cream, peaches in Chartreuse jelly, & Waldorf pudding served all at once with Muscatel, Sauternes, or Tokai. Dessert was maintained by Emily Post, and is very much still part of a coursed dinner in both European and American tradition.
COLD DESSERT- Multiple dessert courses were gone by the time of the Titanic.
CHEESE- Titanic diners had assorted fruits & cheeses accompanied by dessert or sparkling wines as the last seated course at the dining table. A cheese course never gained mainstream acceptance in the US, and was not included by Emily Post, but European traditions often still include a cheese course either right before or after dessert.
FRUIT/COFFEE/LIQUEURS- Coffee, often accompanied or followed by after-dinner drinks, cigars, and/or petits fours was maintained as a separate course by Emily Post in 1922. By 1950, she only included coffee as a footnote, probably expecting it to be served with dessert as most Americans have it today."