It is a world of crusty baguettes, paper doilies and demi-glace, where the wonders that can be worked with cream and butter are not lightly dismissed.

(For those who know how to cut paper doilies, something similar can be attempted with pieces of kraft paper.)

Two young matrons at the next table spoke in confidential tones, their half-empty wine glasses resting on paper doilies and nickel-plated trays.

All that was left on the shelves that bleak, snowy afternoon were paper doilies and a few boxes of prepackaged chocolates.

Serve the gratins on dessert plates lined with paper doilies or folded linen napkins.

In more recent times disposable paper doilies are used to decorate plates, placed under the food for ornamentation.

On the serving tables, the canapé trays held only stained paper doilies, crumbs, and empty plastic champagne glasses.

And there are others made with popcorn, feathers, tin cans, macaroni shells, pine cones and paper doilies.

When washed, the nylon melts away and leaves behind patterns that look like paper doilies.