1966 WDEC - Attelet

The next Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery entry is for a useless kitchen tool that was new to me. The attelet (pronounced AT-lay) is a decorative skewer used "only for decorating hot or cold dishes in the elaborate grand manner which is becoming rarer and rarer." They recommend using it to skewer such items as "truffles, shrimps, cocks' combs, or olives," separated if desired by paper ruffles "for greater effect." The skewers then are arranged in a circle, to give the effect of a crown. I simply must start looking for a set while I'm out antiquing. Then will come the search for cocks' combs.