New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-09
CORN BREAD.

nual business pilgrimage to New orleans. Seatlng
oursef at one of the round tables and proceeding to
business, we were interrupted by stout, elderly,
wholesomelooking man, in plain country dress, who
drew up chair and made himself our ris.a-cis. After
getting out his spectacles and making Intellectual
attempt to read the bill Of fare he called the waiter
and gave his order. ~ -.-s ggrg4.
g Corn beef and cabbage-oysters- roast turkey
sweet potatoes and corn bread" ..sy,,
Got no corn bread, sab, said the waiter-he of
the yellow face and the bushy hair. sr
"Just like these id place. !" said the old fellow
turning Familiarity to us; either they amt got no
corn bread or if they have faint fit to eat Colonel"
he continued, addressing us, pass US the wheat
bread, if YOU please.'' .li1, aEss 7t'#
We passed it to him, and he tore off a chunks (E
:" This is splendid wheat bread" he said, but I
wouldn't give good homemade pone for all the
wheat bread in the world &
We concluded to fall in with the " old cock" and
draw him out if possible; replied, good corn
bread is hard to be had in town."
g That's fact Colonel ? lie replied z" may ask
are you from Texas?n
We replied that we had not that good fortune; but
named State which the old fellow was glad to hear
Of Taking for stranger in town, as well as
They're the d-dest people in this town. he said,
peeling potato for French cooks and dishes ever
come aeross-they seem to think they starve, to
death if they couldn't get French cook, and these
id French cooks won't cook American fashion,
even if they know how. Why, took breakfast at
the = Hotel this morning, and the niger put some
corn bread before me. Good thinks /; I'm into
that sure. broke it open smelt the saleratus, and
A. ~, !
We agreed with the old fellow, (and honestly that
country corn bread is not to be found in town.
(: ''And,h he continued, q it was made out of this
id Kindred meal, which killed it dry enough,
tell you. Now, when I'm at home, me and my wife
and children all have our pone baked and kept warm
in the oven till we get ready to sit down at table, and
then its brought in smoking hot. It's none of your
id saeratus kiln-dried stuff either-its plain corn
bread, made out of fresh meal with an egg or
two and little butter-mlk in it, baked quick, with
the niggers ingertracks in the crust-and, speaking
of my niger cook, l wouldn't give her for all the
id parleyvoos that ever crossed the water Well,
sir, just to take that pone and split it open smoking
and spread itover with fresh sweet butterths here's
pretty fair butter, but wouldn't give pound of my
home butter for barrel Of t-or dip it in sop made
out of milk and ham fat and then eat i'll tell you
sir, that's something like That's what call corn
bread I"
We remember having eaten cornbread of that kind
in that way, and further remembered that we enjoyed
it very much.
Il could pass all this trash continued the old
man. again essayng to read the bill of fare through
his specs, without grumblng, if l could find corn
bread in the list-that is, bread fit for white
man to eat It may be here, too, for all l know"
he continued, grimacng over the fine print of the
bill of fare. 1T would help little if they'd give
American names to their French tficasees and ally
modes, and fancy hashes and all them things.
stick to the plain things that know they're bound
to have, and let all their fancy truck go then I'm
sure amt eating stewed dog cat hash. Yester
day eat opposite fellow who called for some dish
i can't think of the name of it, and don't believe
can pick it out on this bill, but it was miXed.up
of saadleaves and billed egg, and red meat and
yaler gravy, all chopped and chawed up every which
way. The very sight Of it made sick, and ii a
Niger was to fetch me any of it, dknock him DOWN.
We presumed he spoke of lobstersalad, and added
that that was dish of which we, in common with a
large class of society, were rather fond.
Well, you may all keep it to yourselves for me-
he replied. Everybody to his taste. I've been
brought up on sold clean, pure country grub, and
never want to eat anything else.'
Every true we replied, Everybody to his taste
Here in New Orleans there are all sorts of people and
all sorts of tastes to su-so the French cooks may be
the best after ALL for there no end of the dishes they
can get up"
Confound me, if they're the best = exclaimed the
old man. They know ten thousand ways of cooking
the life out Of anything, and Disgusting it, with their
md hut H.
way of cooking plain thing decently. I've been in
New Orleans off and on for the last twenty years and
bless if I've come across piece of corn bread
fit for white man to eat, yet If wanted to fool
friend with dog veal Or cat mutton, I'd get one of
these French cooks to do it up for me- That's all
they're fit for.n
Seeing we could effect no compromise with the old
fellow on the subject of French cookery, changed
the subject. We found that he had nothing particular
against New Orleans, except its barrenness of corn
bread-eorn bread fit for white man to eat. The
business gaiey, and other excitements of the city
were touched upon in rotation, and we had the happ
ness Of agreeing with the old man on nearly every
thing The meal and the conversation drew to a
close.
q" es, New Orleans is great place. the old man
said. For variety of people and general excitement
it beats any place ever saw"
We agreed with him.
It's one of the Places he continued, as we rose
from the table.
We again assented.
And it'll be HE'LL OF A PLACE when it's fenced
in. Good day. Colonel!'
OF course, we were duly amused by the old fellows
oddity It struck u.s. however, that whilst his denun
Citations of French cooks and cookery most toe
sweeping, his views the bread question were
sensible and sound. And we asked ourself, as VIC
do all cookdom: Why is it that the Injury Of
country corn bread never be had in New Orleans
Does anybody know? Can anybody tell? viii any
body answer?
We gave account, time since, of the rather
peculiar objects OF taxation to which the Government
of North Carolina resorts as a means of raising a
State The present Legislature has added tC
the list stage and theatrical companies, seight-of
hand performers and umblers, forty dollars for each
county in which they may exhibit b" exhibitors Of
natural curiosities' twenty dollars for each county
"singers dancers and lecturers for reward ten dol
lars for each county. Pianos, bowieknives, harps
drks, pistols, marriage licenses, watches and great
variety of other luXures are already taxed. If the
revenue is still deficient, suppose the Legislature
should impose tax on cow-hdes. That is an article
good deal used in North Carolina, and likely, We
dare say, to be quite productive any other or
the list, New York Tribune, 18th ult.