Oh gosh ... you should look at the dinner menus of the upper class 18th century family. They're amazing. A "meal" properly consisted of 2 courses + dessert.
Each "course" = anywhere from 5 - 20 separate dishes all brought out at the same time.
Even if you were poor, on holidays you did your best to provide a formal meal for your family with as many "removes" (i.e. separate plates) as you could.
(Social historian by education, here - see, I knew my degree in history would come in useful at some point!
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Thanksgiving 1895
