The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-08-21
Confessions Of an English Epicure.

The Americans themselves are con-
scious of want in their national culin-
airy resources. Years ago, when I was
slipping my vermoth one day in cafe
on the Boulevards, lean Yankee sat by
my side at a little table discussing a
mutton-chop. After he had carefully
picked the whole Of the available mate
rial off the bone, he held up the remnant
with his fork, and observed to me with the
charming familiarity of his 1atherland,
II take it that this is 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 to ac-
quiesce in its positive statement.
An American cannot produce a NUT
ton chop. But if the great continent is
weak In meat it makes up for its defcien-
cy by its richness in vegetables. No
where in the world my gastronomi-
cal experiences have been many and vari-
ed-have I found such excellent fruits,
pulses, tubers, or salad-greens as in the
Northwestern States and Canada. Our
ordinary English garden stuff-peas,
beans, cabbage, caulif1ower, asparagus,
sea-kale, lettuce, and celery-grows far
more abundantly and lusciously there
than in Europe. The peas and asparagus
especially, 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 than in their Eastern
homes, a number OF new luxuries await
the inquiring palate. Indian corn forms
in itself memorable epoch in the cpl
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 supply
of that delicious butter that goes without
the saying in America. Delicate minded
people cut off the grains from the 'cob'
with knife, which wastes half the con-
tents and spoils all the flavor: but ordi-
nary bodies hold the ''cob" boldly in one
hand GARNER folks going even to the
length OF two, gnaw off the succulent
grain as dog gnaws bone.
Not graceful performance, certainly,
but very effectual and as to the gustatory
result, l think green corn may fairly be
elevated on to the same lofty pedestal OF
vegetable excellence with asparagus and
top artichokes. The egg fruit, too, yields
another new sensations deep, purple
skinned, melon shaped object sliced thick
and nicely fried in bread crumbs. Sweet
potatoes, yams and similar Southern pro-
ducts, brought up by rail from the Caro-
liDas, swell the list. In short, while the
Americans have all our vegetables in
greater perfection than ever can be at
tanned at home, they have a great many
other delicious species to which we are
total strangers. Moreover, by cunningly
combining and ringing the changes on
all their vegetables, the cooks produce
several excellent mixtures such as Sc
cotash; a melange of Indian corr 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 practice of
serving vegetables on a separate plate, so
that each convive may be seen surrounded
with a semi-circle of little dishes, con-
tanning great melting peas, stringless
haricot beans, suave tomatoes, or snowy
broccoli. In this way neither does the
gravy spoil the de.icacy of the vegetables,
nor do such stronger flavors as that OF TO-
mato drown and overpower the specific
sapidity of the meat. Our English Gus
tom OF leading slices from the joint,
sauces, vegetables, and condiments on
single plate is decidedly grosser survl-
val from earlier ages which the spread Of
Darwinisn and the couse of ''contempora-
ry evolution ought speedily to sweep
away.