The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-09-13

DO not set II down 10 American prelu-
dice, when tell YOU in one word, that il
is inferior in most Of It's appointments to
our native gastronomy. There are two
sufficient causes for this. One is the in
leriorltv of the materials, and another the
eternal disposition of the people to slim
ulate by adullerated articles, Every kind
of provision is sold here at nearly double
the American price, except bread. No.
thing passes the barrier without paving
the "OcfrOi," which is tax levied upon
every article of food for man or beast
and this tax Is So arranged, as TO cause
the introduction OF large and coarse arli-
Giles rather than fine and tender Ones
These latter are undoubtedly to be had
for the tables of the wealthy; but nine
hundred and ninety nine in thousand,
are supplied from the common markets.
have, very carefully, examined the pro-
ductions here exposed and am most de-
cIdedly of opinion, that they are greatly
below our American standard. The Ca
pom, alone, is superior to our poultry,
but the ducks and geese are poor; and
when the turkies are not stuffed with
trullles, they have the appearance of ha-
wing died upon their nest. The salmon
is very fine, and the turbot fat, but these
are too costly for ordinary food. Other
fish are thin and tasteless. The lobster,
at seven francs, is inferior to the Ameri-
can at fifty cents. 1t is here different
species. The rich Cape Cod oyster, or
the plump New Yorker, is unknown.
There is small one, with a strong cop
per-aste, which is eaten before dinner,
| by those who acquire a taste for it.
At Meurice's and places of established
reputation, you may take, with conf
dence, of what is presented to you. But
elsewhere, Prenec carte, you may get
a puppy soup or cat for rabbit. There
are dinners for two francs, and dejuners
a la lourchete for one. But the ghosts
of murdered reptiles seem lowering round
the tables. You think this is exaggera-
ton. Not so. Every thing is eaten :;
and its quality disguised in the cookery.
Every good thing is initiated by a success
sion of authorizations, successfully depart
Ing from the original. 1t may not be,
perhaps, that there is less honesty in Pa
ris than elsewhere, but stranger is COM
PEELED 10 believe there is less honor. He
will certainly be imposed upon by getting
the inferior article, when he asks for and
pays for the best. There is no where
worse wine than in The shops here. The
police sieze it and pour out hogsheads in
the streets. Still the genuine article is to
be had only by good luck or favor. Pa
rs is as much foreign country to the
wire district, as London or ST, Peters
burg, and as the markets % those cities
are better than Paris, the best wines 90
there. But the enormous demand for the
fine wines in this country, is hundred
fold beyond the production, and the pro-
prietors cannot sell at any price the gen.
uine Juice. have drank at the tables of
most particular amateurs the choicest
wines to be had for money or favor--and
in one instance when they came from the
vineyard Of the proprietor who gave the
invitation, but no champagne better than
has circulated at the reunions" of 1902.
The better sorts of Bordeaux and Burgun-
dy, that will not bear sea voyage, are
unquestlonably more delicate--but the
quality obtained, on ordinary occasions,
is decidedly worse. 1t is more difficult
and more expensive to get good glass
Of French wine in Paris than Boston
STEAM destroys nationality,
The epiculeans here serve their wine
in peculiar way. All the fine wines OF
Bordeaux and Burgundy are in bottles,
which are kept on their sides in the cellar.
OF course there is more or less sediment
which must not be disturbed. Peculiar
baskets are prepared, into which the bot
tie is carefully slipped at the same angle
it had before retained, and the cork being
drawn by screw that produces no dis
turbance of the contents, the wine is care
fully poured out by incining the handle
OF the basket; and when entrusted to an
experienced hand, none of the lees escape.
But first of all these baskets with the
wine, leach basket holding one bottle
are exposed to the sun or gentle fire
until it acquires AZ degrees of Fahrenheit
all such wines requiring that tempera-
a'e to bring out their rich flavor. Cham
| IA me, on the contrary, is by peculiar
process reduced TO 20 degrees, and the
cork removed two hours beioret is drank!
You will not understand that this is in
variable. But at a recherche dinner in.
tended for display or good taste, i, is con.
I..1