The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-10-26
THE GAsTRONOMIC CODE.
Reforms to he Accomplished ana Abuses
to be Done Away with.

Reforms to be Accomplished and Abuses
to be Done Away with.
Our leading editor undertook to handle a
theme which properly belongs to these columns
In his reference to Col. Bob Ingersols venture az
a gsstronomo reformer. or course our leading
| editor discovered his inadequaoy to do justice to
the subject, and abandoned IL to tho more soien-
tifc and profound department OF thie paper,
wherein gastronomic subjects can alone be prop.
erly treated.
Col. Bob Ingerson proposes that the criminal
code of all enlightened communities shall be re-
vised, so to add to the misdemeanors for which
offenders against certain established natural and
scientific laws, applicable to the preparation and
cooking of the customary articles for the food of
civil zed people, shall be subject to penalties like
the violators of other laws enacted In the in
terest OF good morals and OF the well being of
humanity.
AS illustrations OF the character OF these Of
tenders, Col. Ingersoll mentions the frying Of .
beefsteak. To which our leading editor adds the
like offenses Of baking turkey or rib or round
Of beef; theexcessive use Of grease, and the ig-
noring OF the true nature and aims OF gravy.
These are recognized, fatal and prevalent
crimes and vices In the average American cook
cry. There are many others, however, not emu
merated by these superficial writer's, whereof ali
through the United States, outside OF Louisiana,
there prevails q l,mentable insenibility and
crimipality.
Prominent among these are:'
l. The boiling Of coffee, instead OF the drip.
ping bv the slow process employed in all Oriental
and Latin countries.
Q. The omission to exclude grease and oil from
N
stock which constitute the essential and founda-
ton Of lawful soup.
8. The shameful abuse aud ignorance of the
proper mode Of preparing rics, the most valuable
OF all eeculents to accompany soup and all legiti
mate GRAVES.
4. The INCAPABLE offense of using stale or sec.
ond.hand gravy, OF which wicked, careless and
interruptions cocks always keep pot on hand.
This is an offense prevalent with all our res
taurants and hotels. 1t may DO detected in near
ly every fry, and Is one of the most deleterious
abuses of good food.
5. The construction and use OF cooking stoves
which have no arrangement for roasting by ex-
posing the article to be roasted to the direct
ton If the fire, instead Of sweltering II In in
closed vessels, thereby destroying the flavor and
proper juices.
6. The failure to change and cleanse the ves-
sells in which articles are cooked, so az to pre-
vent the inharmonous mixture and confusion OF
havors. This confusion and intermxture Of
havors frequently arises from the cooking Of ar
ticles in q range and stove in juxtaposition.
These must suffice for the present. but there are
great many other provisions which should be
add. d to the proposed gastronomic code, which
would require too large space in our column to
enumerase or discuss in the same article. We
will speak further on this subject In the mean
while, as this is matter OF paramount
importance and not to be trifed
with or passed lightly upon, We re-
spectfully beg the matrons Of New Orleans,
so universally renowned for their thorough aud
scientific knowledge Of the workings Of the
kitchen, and so far famed as regards their ad-
ministrative faculties concerning every depart
ment of the household. to offer US suggestions,
SO that the code which we will ultimately propose
to an enfranchised and civilized world will be
perfect in all it's parts and bearings. and be the
very Pdndecto Justinian5 OF modern gsstronomy.