The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-06-27
Confession. Of an English EpIeure.

The Americans themselves are con
scious Of a want in their national cuiin-
AIRY resources. Years ago, when ! was
slipping my vermoth one day In a cafe
on the Boulevards, lean Yankee sat by
NV side at a little table discussing u
muttou-chop. After he had carefully
picked the whole Of the available mate
rial of the bone, he held up the rem
nant with his fork. and observed 10 me
with the charming familiarity OF his
fatherland, II take IL that this IN the
only thing that your country raises
which my country can't lick. Without
wholly indorsing the negative portion
Of this striking apOphthegm, / am fully
prepared % acquiesce IN its positive
abatement. An American cannot pro
dure mutton chop. But II the great
continent is weak in meat II makes mp
for It's deficiency by it's richness IN yege-
tables. Nowhere in the world-and my
gastronomical experiences have been
MANY and yaried-hAve / found such
I excellent fruits, pulses, tubers. or salad
/ greens as IN the Northwestern States
and Canada. Our ordinary English
garden-stufl-pe beans, cabbage, eau
lifioweE, asparagus, seA-EaIe, Iettuoe'
and celery-grows far more aonnnahly
and lusciously there than in Europe.
/ The peas and asparagus especially, are
beyond all praise-tender, melting, sue
cuient and gigantic withal. Tomatoes
I load the table at every meal; either
sliced. cold and dressed like n salad, or
stewed as only New : land and Cana
1 dian cooks can stew them.
/ Then. In addition % these familiar
E old friends, better here than IN theH
( Eastern homes, a number OF new luxur-
les await the inquiring palate. Indian
corn forms in itself q memorable epoch
in the epicure's life. II Is picked
f" green" that is 30 say, young and ten
der-for the color is 4 pale yellow-and
after being boiled or roasted, u eaten
with a copious supply OF that delicious
butter that goes without the saying u
America. Delicate minded people cnt
of the grains from the "cob Win
knife. which wastes half the contents
and spoils all the flavor; but ordinary
bodies hold the "cob" boldly IN one
hand farmer folks going even to the
4 length of twol, gnAw of the succulent
grain as n dog gnaws bone. Not
graceful performance, certainly, but
I very efFectual: and as TO the gustAtory
result. / think green corn may family be
elevated ON 20 the same lofty pedestal
of vegetable excellence with asparagus
and top artichokes. The egg-fruit,
too. Yields another new sensation "A
deep. purple-skinned, melon-shAped OBJ
ie-, sliced thick, and nicely fried IN
bread-crumbs. Sweet potatoes, yams
and similar Southern products, brought
mp by rail from the Carolinas, swell the
list In short, while the Americans
have all our vegetables in greater per
fection than ever can be attained at
home. they have great many other de.
4 licious species TO which we are total
strangers. Moreover, by cunningly
combining and ringing the changes on
T all their vegetables, the cooks prodnce
I several excellent mixtures such as sue
cotash, melange Of Indian corn and
( beans. admirably adapted for the finale
of a breakfast. Furthermore, being
prone 10 follow the customs Of France
f in all good things. they always observe
/ the laudable practice Of serving yegeta-
{ hles on a separate fplate, so that each
conyive NAV be seen surrounded with
I a semi-circle Of little dishes. containing
great melting peas, strinRless hnrioot
beans suAve tomatoes, or snowy broc-
coli. In this way neither does the gravy
spoil the delicacy Of the vegetables, nor
do such stronger havors as that OF To-
maio drown and overpower the specific
sapidity Of the meat Onr English Gus
tom of leading slices from the joint,
sauces. vegetables. and condiments on a
single plate is decidedly a grosser sur
vival from earlier ages which the spread
of Darwinism and the course OF con-
temporary evolution" ought speedily 10
sweep away.