New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-04-25
ticket that leads them to put on the cookie
shell and sandals.
pHJLANTHROPlC COOKS.

Last Saturday evening there was o dinner
served and eaten In this city which should
have been the perfection and ripe consumma-
ton of all possible banquets, the flower of
feasts. and q very glory OF gourmandise. IL
was the annual conviviality OF the Culinary
Philanthropic Society, which is composed as
we understand, entirely of French COOKS.
There is something In the title which strikes
one agreeably. Because there are cooks, OF
the kind sent by his Satanic Majesty, anything
but philanthrOpic, who must have been gov
erned in the exercise of their calling by
deep seated hatred of the human race-cooks
who, if not guilty of actual murder, did their
worst to be guilty of mansaughter; cooks re-
sponsible for the most obstinate indigestions,
for running, under some diabOlical inspiration,
the good meats sent by Providence, and for
cOnspiring, after mutitudnOus fashion, to
spoil the broth. We are willing to believe
that the Culinary Philanthropic Society admits
to membership no such nefariOus wretches
but afliliates only with those who bring con-
science to cookery, though this obliges us also
to believe that the society must be a particu-
larry small one.
Allowing that all these fine French cooks
came to their annual jOllity with no remOrse
at ignominiOus failures upon their souls, and
with perfectly clear consciences, we do not see
any reason why they should not have enjoyed
themselves, especially as it is reasonable to
believe that the bill of fare must have been
judciously conceived, and that the host played
no tricks upon this synod of the palate. Or Is
it possible that good cook may care for none
of these things, and may be indifferent per-
sonally to even the finest triumphs OF his
genius7 Indeed, it has often been stated that
cooks as a rule have but Indifferent appetites.
II would be a sad sight-a tableful of cooks,
and not one of them in the least inclined to
play lively knife and fork. OF course, they
cannot share with us that reverence which Is
due to a perfectly successful dish, for they are
i'm the secret and know how it is made. The
cook is the creatOr-it is not for him to make
an idol of his own production. Poets. of
course, have the privilege of prOcaiming their
verses to be the finest things ever written; at
any rate they frequently assume so much; but
the scientific cook leaves his triumphs to be
glorified Gin mouths of wisest censure."
We wish, since there is Philanthropic
Culinary Society, that the members thereof
would try little missionary work, and con-
tribute something to the spread OF gastrOnOm-
ical knowledge. There may be in this city
restaurant or so which is at once good and cheap
and in which the dishes are what they profess
to be-a restaurant clearly, carefully managed
and, we repeat, cheap. But we want great
many of thess, gentlemen of the Societe Gull
naire Philanthropique You are In city in which
the average man does not dine, but merely fills
himself up! Is there not field for your
philanthropy Cannot you give us crusade !
of cooks against the infideity of the kitchenf