The New York herald., 1879-10-16
THE DOCTOR IN THE KITCHEN.


Mr. Ernest Hart writos In the British Medical Jour
nal. in continuation of his previous article:-
'sThc public mind is not yet sufficiently awakened
to the importance Of thorough and active campaign
against the waste of food which characterizes the
habitual dietary of rich and poor in Great Britain
but. from the extended welcome given to the few
words which we wrote on tho subject last week it
Is apparent that the prospect Of a winter OF
much scarcity has predisposed many to tho ear
nest consideration OF this question ono of much
public moment. good doctor. it has often been
said. must be good cook and it is reported of a
cynical physician of great repute that. being to
issue from the kitchen OF large institution which
he visiting. he said, on being interrogated. 4
always 60 to salute the cook the cooks the doc
tors best friends; if they not so bad should
have but few patients. owe half my income to
bad cooks. This light witticism-'spoken iron
ical.' as Artemus Ward would have it-conveys a
serious meaning which we all recognize. A bad
cook is wastefu Of material of money Of fuel and of
health; and with few exceptions. English cooks
are all bad cooks in one sense other unskful in
execution extravaRant in selection and destitute
of sound and economical traditions. Neglecting
for the moment the cooking OF the rich
who usually content with a diet as mo-
notonous it is heavy and excessive in nitrogonous
elcments-we may turn to those who most interest
us as the types upon whose model the poorer classes
follow ut an humble distance. II we look to the
cuisine of the lower middle classes and of the modest
household OF tho curate, the clerk and the skilled
artisan We see that. rs rule the art Of cooking be-
gins and ends with roasting. boiling. or grling q
limited number of joints of meat and limited re-
spertory of vegetables The smaller the household
smaller the ingenuity in rendering common things
digestible and palatabe. The stable dinner Of the
hearty and well paid artisan is rump steak or cut
of tho best part of mutton beef; and when there
remains cold moat cold vegetables cold fish,
the art OF dealing with them however simply is lit
tie studied either by housewife or cook In French
household the little piece of stcwed meat is
preceded by pleasantly favored soup, made with
the bones and parings OF the meat and some of the
remnants OF yesterdays dinner with perhaps crusts
of bread and some vegetables added the meat itself
is served with stewed beans, carrots and onions.
beef next day tho cold meat appears perhaps in
slices. with oil and vinegar. or with u mustard
caulihower OF the previous day make an excel
lent salad pext day, with perhaps y tomato added,
cut in slices The macsroni aud cheese left over
from previous meal reappears at the next reheated
with other sliced cold vegetable. colcry satisfy,
whatever else. and covered with little Drowned
'.The commopest FISH, such as ray-which diet
poor and rich alike neglect-is served habitually
with little brown butter and neither workman
nor epicure need daspise the nourishng and tooth
dish. Cold boiled fish reappears either IL
phue or with sauce Of oil and mustard beaten to-
gcther into cream, and Is at least welcome
the Hrst day when eaten hot; with bread crumbs
and pepper and salt, parade is made in which
much bread ana uttle nSh mako o most
nourtshing and appetizing Plat: Even conger soup
and doghsh soup are not below the appreciation
OF maritime populations and those who have
for their being both palatable and nourishinp
'Bouilion baisse.' the fish soup OF Marseilles.
ia speciality which it might not be easy to imports
but any one who has tasted It, either In Mxrselles
In the Rue Boeldieu in Paris. will not think 1t
dish to be despised. What plebeian and usually
and tasteess dish is ripe usually prepared
In England; how digestibe. nourishing and che ,p
dinner may be made off ttpe Ia Cden at u hundred
bean ornament and charm OF many petit souper jim.
and the whole tribe Of vegetable puvees in soup
potato soup. carrot soup. turnip soup-so simple.
so nourshing SO inexpensive and easily made. They
are not unknown in England; but how rare! Again.
in the art OF cooking potatoes and fish. when shall
we learn to fry fish. AS the poor Jews in White
chapel dot or potatoes as is done rat tho corner OF
every poor street i'll Paris? This mode of cooking Is
physiological; Il is scientific; and. properly done.
shallow ying pansin which It Is impossible to try
properly-chiehy because they too careless to
strain or clarity the fat or olive oil which thoy have
used once. and to make IL again aud again. as
AL economical and reasonable cooks do or
should DO. Olive oil is the best material for
frying other potatoes or nsh, and, IL used
carefully snd strained and from time to time
clesnsed, may be used over and again. Any
one who chooses to take lesson in frying potatoes
ut the of tho street may the wire bowl
potatoes plunged into deop saucepan full OF boil
auid without ever touching the bottom Of the ves-
sell and. IL he choose to carry of . pennyworth In
paper bag. he will observe that they are of deli
cate amber color. The water having been driven Off
by the great heat. they dry houry, digestible
aud nutritious as thoy savory; and tho proof of
the perfection OF the operation that they do not
grease the paper bag
1--WE are reminded that we spoke last week of pork
and beans as an economical and physioloeically
cellcnt TODD. unusually popular in some parts OF
America, aud that bacon aud beans much used in
rural districts of England 1t true. and bacon and
boans make an excellent food; but they are gen.
orally boiled and as the beans often Tough tho
dish IL open to Improvement. Cooked IN War
riner' pot in which tho liquor OF the meat is not
loet M the beans well stecpet and raf
and cooked with tho bacon and imprcgnated with
its juices bacon and broad beans are an excellent
dish; and boiled as IL is usually. IL the liquor be
not wasted, but used for next days pea soup.
and IL tho beans DO soft, aud IL what
left bo used with the sliced cold boiled potatoes for
next days salad-we have nothing TO say except In
praise OF tho DISH II becomes, however, monoto-
nous and the beans. unless young. are apt TO have
hard Shells which arc not easily anquished. Tho
American pork and beans are prepared by placing
piece OF tat pork little iron tripod In pie dish
OF which the bottom is filled with haricot beans
well softcned or partially stewcd, with little salt
and pepper strewed over the beans; this Is put in
the ovon. and the fat of tho pork falls upon tho
beans, softening thoi, adds It's carbon To their nj
tronen. and makes u dish OF the smallest possible
cost. on the level OF the lowest culinary intelligence
and yet which may tempt any honest appetite.
In tho simplest things tho grossest ignorance
prevails. Fried steak and onions is sort of bsurgcos
can prepare n met to equal tho Chateaubrand OF
French cook and how lew cooks know how 10 make
good pure Of onions. The onions should be fried
"At the dinner which the German Emperor gave
TINS week to the great officers State and of tho
army OF Strasbourg-cookcd. no doubt, by French
cook-thc piece de residence was gsoof irsion What
IL gigot Bretony Nothing else than leu of utton
roasted, served In dish with harcot beans stewcd
closely In stock gravy. and pure of onions fried
and rubbed through sieve. IL is dish for n king
for emperor but 1t is the simplest Of courageous
luxurcs within tho means OF every wcllto-do arti-
san or small tradesman.
Tho grave side of this question Is that with i'm
proved cooking power, and with wider range of
selection of rood comes greater economy. All
vegetables beet root. radshcs (which hardly ever
appear ut dinner tabes: celery, which we mostly
cat In chips; chestnuts. which our cooks hardly
know except roasted boiled Mt desserts rcd beans
white beans, maize. rce ish. cold Ash, scraps
OF meat; the previous day remnants OF vegetables
these among the elements out OF which rcason-
ablc and economical cook constructs a savory and
nourishing diet list. with due proportion OF meat
chosen not always from the choice parts. The
servant OF the tradosman learns in time practise
the like ingenious and pleasant economics In her
own homo; and tho French artisan lives twico as