New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-07-13

. L zen IGleQ VIII eggs " " wv RlNebL'
time have always entertained prejudice against
tie shark on account of his Interfering with
my bathing Rmusements while at certain place by
| the sea side. Having eaten of his fins, torgave
| him ell his evil intentions towards me- and will
hencetorth declare that love him as true Fee
can loves an English missionary. The delicacy
of the Chinese manipulation was evnced in the
fifth dish Chicken and ham sandWeh.) On one
side was n slice of lean ham and on the other a
slice of fat, while between the two was neat
stratum of chicken, The sandwich altogether was
not larger than slice from good sized cucum.
Der, and must have required great in its prep
aratiOn, As there was no bread accompanying it,
did not enjoy it as would had it been an Ameri.
eau sandwich. The roast ducks aud roast pigeons
W re cooked much like the chicken with which the
dnner was commenced, The fish u la Burlingame
had been chopped fine and mixed with meat and
vegetables, SO it was difficult to say what partcu,
lar article formed the basis of the composition.
speaking for myself can say there was to- mach
oily substance in this, as in many of the dishes, to
allow me to enjoy it. fancy that a native Of the
" hog and hOminyN portions Of America might
find Chinese cooking to his taste, and know that
some of the guests last evening were well pleased
with the very feature that failed to satisfy myself
You know the Latin adage, de gastib@S," etc,
and know Of no better place to prove its truth
than at Chinese dinner.
DINNER CUSTOMS.
After roast pig, which was simply roast pig cut
up like the chicken, and washed down with caret
aud champagne which were furnished in abun-
dance throughout the dinner, We were supplied
with cigars and requested to leave the tables that
they might be prepared for the second course. A
half hour was passed in the smoking room, and
we were then summoned below. This custom of
intermisson in the course of a meal for the pur
pose OF smoking and aiding digestion is purely
oriental, and far from being Objectionable, though
a fancy the Americans will not be likely to adopt
it, it savors too much of elaboration to suit our
fast age and people.
BIRD NEST sour.
The second course opened with the famous bird
nest soup, which found qpite palatable though
guests. The glutinous matter which comes from
the bird nests is like a hard jelly, and with the
otter ingredients Of the dish made very good
soap. found it lacking in favor, and am Of the
i'm yesson that French or American cook would
be able to improve 1t. Like everything fashion
alb e it is very expensive, being sold for its weight
in liver, and consequently only INDUCED in by the
4althy. The quantity in market is quite limited,
the article is very difficult to procure, ana is
only found in places difficult Of access. In this
country 1t is only brought out on State occasions,
BOILED SHARKS FIN
was good but tasteless, and evidently boiled for
long time, until its better qualities were gone.
Abalona was open to the same objection. 1t may
be proper to state that the abalona is species Of
shefsh brought from China in a dried state
Mutton q Ia Van Valkenburgh was-roast mutton ;
and the China oyster ticasee was lacking iu taste
Like the abalona it is dried for transportation, and
CUnSeq ueHtty }USes some QUALITIES luaJ might ne
excellent in the early days Of its capture. am
told that this oyster is of kind unknown here it
having but single shell on one side, while it ad,
heres to the rock with the other side. One would
| judge that the life of such an oyster would be
very monotonous. Reindeer sinews were good
something like boiled pigs feet, though more deli
eately prepared than pork trotters usually are.
Ice fungus was stew Of Iceland moss and the
mushrooms did not differ materially from mush-
rooms everywhere. Then, with some boiled rice,
champagne, claret, and tea of very superior
quality, which is drank from little cups very hot,
and without milk or sugar, we ended the second
course and returned to the retiring room, where
cigars were called into requisition.
THE SPEECHES.
By this time very fair quantity of champagne
had been swallowed, and it was the most natural
thing in the world that the company should engage
in making and hearing speeches. The rules Of
the State Department forbid a foreign minister
making speeches while en- ronte to his post, and
so the parties in whose honor the dinner was given
could not be heard after the ordinary manner, but
they consented to an informal talk, in which diplo
matte matters were to be ignored. Several gen
temeu, residents of San Francisco, made speeches
Of greater or less breyity, and, as no one ever
heard of a dinner speech that was not appiauded,
it was thought best not to vary from the estab
lished custom, and therefore everybody was
cheered to his hearts content. China and America
Joined hands, and the guests all agreed that the
Chinese residents of California deserved q more
kindly treatment than they have hitherto re-
ceived.
An informal resolution was made for the Ameri-
can merchants of San Francisco to give q dinner
to the Chinese merchants on the occasion of the
departure Of the first steamer on the Chinese line.
Cheers were given for the ministers to China and
Japan for the Russian minister in China, and for
Sir Frederick Bruce, the former British ambassa-
dor at Pekin. Cheers were given for the Chinese
merchants Of San Francisco, and for the Pacific
Mail Company and the new line to China.
CHINESE PASTRY.
The second intermission lasted about an hour,
when we again proceeded to the dning-room.
This time we found plates of white porcelain
instead of the figured ware from which the first
and second courses were eaten. AS will be seen
by the bill of fare, this consisted of cake,
all of which was excellent, and nearly all of it
new to most of our eyes and palates. The Chi
nese pastry cooks have several little arts that
might be learned to advantage by our own. After
the course was Finished dessert was brought, and
the feast came to an end.