Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-09-13
Confessions of an English Epieure.

The Americans themselves are con-
seious of a want in their national culin-
ary resources. Years ago, when / was
| slipping my vermoth one day in a cafe on
/ the Boulevards, a lean Yankee sat by my
side at little table discussing a mutton
chop. After he had carefully picked the
whole of the available material of the
bone, he held up the remnant with his
| fork, and observed to me with the charm
ing familiarity of his fatherland, Il take
it that this is the only thing that your
country raises which my country eaRt
! lick" Without wholly indorsing the
negative portion of this striking apoph-
thegm, l am fully prepared to acquiesce
in its positive statement. An American
cannot produce a mutton-chop. But if
the great continent is weak in meat, it
makes up for its deficiency by its rich
ness in vegetables. Nowhere in the
W0rld-and my astronomical expert
ences have been many and Yaried-have
l found such excellent fruits, pulses,
tubers, or sallad-greens as in the North
western States and Canada. Our ordinary
English garden stuh-peas, beans, cab
bage, caulihower, asparagus, sea-kale,
lettuce, and celery-grOWs far more
abundantly and lusciOusly there than in
Europe. The peas and asparagus espee-
tally, are beyond all praise-tender,
melting, succulent, and gigantic withal.
Tomatoes load the table at every meal
either sliced, cold and dressed like a
salad, or stewed as only New England
and Canadian cooks can stew them.
Then, in addition to these familiar old
friends, better here thanin their Eastern
homes, a number of new Injuries await
the inquiring palate. Indian corn forms
in itself a memorable epoch in the epi-
cures life 1t is picked green" that is
to say, young and tender-for the color
is pale yellow-and after being boiled
or roasted, is eaten with copiOus sup
ply of that delicious butter that goes
without tie saying in America. Delicate
minded people cut off the grains from
the "cob" with q knife, which wastes
half the contents and spoIls all the fla
vor; but ordinary bodies hold the "cob"
boldly in one hand farmer folks going
even to the length of 'two), gnaw off the
succulent grain as a dog gnaWs bone.
Not a graceful performance, certainly,
but very effectual; and as to the gusta-
tory result, think green corn may fair
ly be elevated on to the same lofty ped
estal of vegetable excellence with aspar-
agus and top artichokes. The egg
fruit, too, yields another new sensation
q deep. purple-skinned, melOn-shaped
object sliced thick, and nicely fried in
bread<crum.bs. Sweet potatoes, yams
and similar Southern products, brought
M by rail from the Corolinas, swell the
list. In short, while the Americans
have all our vegetables in greater perfec-
tion than ever can be attained at home,
they have q great many other delicious
species to which we are total strangers.
Moreover, by cunningly combining and
ringing the changes on al their vegeta-
bles, the cooks produce several excellent
mixtures such as sueeotash, a melange
of Indian corn and beans, admirably
adapted for the finale Of a breakfast.
Furthermore, being prone to follow the
customs of France in all good things,
they always observe the laudable prac-
tice of serving vegetables on q separate
plate, so that each convive may be seen
surrounded with a semi-circle Of little
dishes, containing great melting peas,
stringless harieot beans, suaye tomatoes,
or snowy broccoli. In this way neither
does the gravy spoil the delicacy OF the
vegetables, nor do such stronger havors
as that Of tomato drown and oVerpoWer
the specific sapidity of the meat. Our
EnRlish custom of loading slices from the
Joint. sauces. vegetables, and condiments
on single plate is decidedly grosSeE
survival from carrier ages Whlch the
spread of Darwinism and the course OF
Contemporary evolution" ought speedl-
ly to sweep away