A la Carte; Prosit; Potato Salad; Black Peter (1843)

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THE RURAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE OF GERMANY
by William Howitt
Philadelphia: Carey and Hart
1843

   More from that pretzel/bretzel book.

Pg. 22:  The dinner seemed principally contained in two large pans or dishes; one of soup, and one of small puddings called noodles, floating in sauce, or something of a pudding kind in a fluid state.  Some of these puddings were little balls of flour and potatoes, dotted with little lumps of fried black bread, and which to a too fanciful eye looked like raisins.
(For the "noodle" file--ed.)

Pg. 74:  In every house, at that moment, all over the country, is shouted "Prosst Neu Jahr!" prosst being no German word, but a contraction of the Latin _prosit_.
(OED has 1846 for "prosit"--ed.)

Pg. 74:  In almost all cases, the German gingerbread, which is in them peculiar, being mixed with honey, and often flavoured with aniseeds, and is in no respect to be compared with the delicious gingerbread of England...

Pg. 75:  It was made evident before his arrival that Jack Frost was here a very formidable fellow...

Pg. 81:  The Germans are the original inventors and introducers of the waltz; the waltz is the national dance.

Pg. 85:  He said he had learned to _yodle_ in Switzerland, and if we would allow him, he would yodle us some Swiss song... (...)  He made his sonorous _yodlings_ sound in these black pinewoods.

Pg. 93:  The German cookery abounds in soups, vegetables, and sausages, of various kinds, sourkrout, of course, salads of as many kinds, amongst which a particular salad, made of cold potatoes with vinegar and anchovies, is a great favourite.
(OED has 1861 for "potato salad"--ed.)

Pg. 93:  This consists very much of cold sliced meat, sausages, potato-salad and such like.

Pg. 95:  They have various card-plays of the same nature, chief amongst which stands Black Peter, which consists in a pack of cards being equally divided amongst the company, and those which are of equal numbers being thrown out.  He who is first out becomes the holder of a burnt cork, with which he mades a streak on the face of him or her who is found at last with Black Peter or the Knave of Clubs.

Pg. 137:  Here, instead of finding a cold table d'hote, where everything is served to you in course, and you have nothing to do but to take what comes, and eat in faith, we began to dine in Austrian fashion, _a la carte_.  A large bill of fare is handed to you, one of which to select what course of dishes you please.
("Here" is Vienna.  The OED has a first citation of 1826; I read that book today, and it also involves Vienna.  OED's next citation is about ninety years later.  Why a French term in Vienna?--ed.)