New-York tribune., 1881-09-12
NEw.YoRK DAILY TRIBUNE, MONDAY SEPTEMBER H. 1881

their ample satisfaction to merry little dinner of
potage osieue rermice gaantine, one r6te, saladc,
Camembet (cheese), fruits. at the cost of about a
dollar and half. BE not afraid of the table looking
bare, crowd it not with dishes not wanted before
they are wanted, whereby the contents become cold
sodden. :" Ell ough is good as feast" is sound
maxim, Mr.. Walker goes on to insist, well in pro-
vidng as in eating The advantages of having
only enough lie in saving expense, trouble and
attendance. To have only enough removes
temptation and induces contentment, and it affords
the best chance of having a well dressed dinner by
concentrating the attention OF the cook. The having
too much, and setting the table merely for appear
ance are practices arising out of preudices which,
if once broken through would be looked upon and
deservedly, as the height of vulganty. The excess
slye system Is great preventive of hospitality, by
adding 10 the expense and trouble of entertaining,
while 1t has no one advantage. It is only pursued
ny the major ty of the people for fear of being un
like the rest of the world.
In proportion TO the smallness of dinner ought to
he its excellence, both to quality of materials and
the cooking. In order to insure the best quality
OF materials visit YOUR tradesmen; the butcher
everywhere deg ghtS III pleasant chatty coniidences
and at the grocery store he men VII presently
point out whatever happens to be most fresh and
most desirable. Of course, indoors, udcious criti-
csms on the cooking, whether in blaming COM
gree of zeal" The cook in France is a parsonage n
connosseur, treated with confidence. LOUIS XVIIl
had the Due PEScars for his matre uhotel, of
whom Quarterly Reviewer says that when he
mediate IA dish, the Ministers of State kept
waiting in the ante-chamber, and the official an an
dhscdrs a trardijle dams it cabine" But Louis
ANlll. was as keen cook as his Minister.
Oi course all the advice here set down is offered to
him who Will exercise his wits in arranging his dim
ner table. What should he the menu--the dinner
card-the bill of lare- how il should be served-and
with what wines or abstnence-drnks it should he
accompanied, cannot be treated of Ill this space. 1t
is wide, wide field But be that, above ALL
novelty, simplicity and taste should rule The
cardinal virtues of cookery according to DIR. Kch-
ener aud every one OF honest mind, ae cleanliness,
frugaty, nourshmeut aud paateableness Briilat
Savarin tells ecstatcally of dinner, at IA Connecti-
cut farm house, Oh IA superb JOINT Of cOmed beef
slowed goose and a magnificent haunch of mutton
with vegetables of all kinds (t WAS in the fall of
the year, and at each end of the table two huge jugs
OF excellent cider, of which he never tired drinking.
persons, beside himself which consisted of crimped
cod, woodcocks and plum pudding, accompanied by
champagne, and followed by mulled claret. Mr..
kettne's " Book of the Table rightly points out
Roman cool ltery rs Il warning. Mines of wealth was
the utiermost parts OF the earth were ransacked;
900 peacocks were killed to make with their brains
q single dish-and to what result Any Plcardy
kitchen-maid will turn ont better dinner for few
francs. All may he summed up i'll the cOnvivIa song
OF Captain Morris George the Fourth's boon COM
panlonl:
o,d Lucullus, they say,
Forty cooks had each day.
Ana NltelIlus's meals cost u million;
When aud where be my food
IN chOp-housc or royal paNiiion,
At all feasts df enough
l most heartily stuff,
Ana song at my heart alike rushcs,
Though I've not fed my lungs
Upon nightingalcs' tongues,
Nor the brains OF goldhnchcs and thiushes.
ChaucerS Franklin wisely held opinion that
plain dclit was veraity felicte pardtG.'
LITERArUR OF THE iABLE.
Cookery books with innumcrahlc recipes abound
and are thick as leaves in Naiambrosa.' So has il
ALWAYS been The earlier chapters of Genesis touch
ON dleieuc hncsSe From the mlsty period of Cock
agnes Anglo-SaXon lccchdom, through the times of
the Benedictlne mouaStcrics (Sce the rule or the
House of Abingdon and the records of the Court of
Augmentation, through the Middle Ages and the
Renaissance days of the wardrobe and household
accounts. There are prescriptions, or something
like prescriptions, without stint. for the maintenance
of man and his family. See what Anarchalus Rob-
inson, in his Travels" says as to the cultivation
ia pdrfbuS, of the pleasures of the table Pythagoras
commanded his disciples TO abstain from beans
The mdgnHs coquus the master kitchener has ever
been dnitary in the palaces of princes The
cook is called in Pauus Honaun serrat )remp the
prcservcr of mankind. The Norman Conqucror
William the First of England. remembered both his
coQHOram presposts and coquus regips in the dstr-
button Of the soil If conquered England.
Nowadays, naturally. choice list Of cook books
enumerates eighteen standard authorities of ycscr-
days growth. Cooking Nauuals,"" Economic and
Wholesome Recipes for Breakfast Luncheon and sup
ECOnUlnluUF,'
from Paris with 400 figures utics." PITY il il
that these compilations are but copies with sight
difference, of what has gone before. Yet Thomas
Walkers "ArlStology, edited 10y Felix Summerly -
which has throughout been my guide gives clear
principles, sound advice, tcrsc rcccl ns not to bc
found III any of the many culinary rcpcrorics which
have come under my examinations Felix sum
mcrlY," Mr. Sala says, " is the nom dc plume of a
gentleman who has long enjoyed world-w ile cel lob
rItN rs tf int. 4
was the originator. with Prince Albert of the South
Kensington Museum and ITS schoos). land bene-
factor TO the cause of technical education Sir Henry
Cole. X. c. h. Why should he shrink from
putting his name editor TO a work which is almost
d culinary classic I" Meanwhile, having ACCENTED
nun as an authority ON small hospitablr occasions,
II Is but ialr to Introduce him as Dinner Re-
former" who managed "A banquet the 3Oth of
june last, of some seven or eight ladies and
gentlemen, at the Crystal Palace, Sydenham
Every member of the banquet paid his dinner fee of
a guinea before it took place There were twenty
one separate tables, and several members of the
Mutual Llie Assurance Society, III whose name the
least was held, made up parties IN ten eight seven
ana SIX friends The banquet commenced at 7:lOp
Hl, ana termnatcd III time for the fec OF fire orks
at $50. Excellent instrumental music was playeI
during the banquet, and gave life to it There were
toasts and speeches during the courses. The bread
provided was of wheaton meal French and Austrian
The wines were sherry, champagne and caret g. and
for abS amerS, iced waters. And the bill fare WIS
as follows; AhGhoVeS Sardines; Olives. Clear
spring SOUP; Melons. Turbot with Dutch sauce
Snmpn Snt h with lobster sance Cgcnm6crs. Whebat.
quarter OF Lambs. Spinach purec. New potatoes
Cold asparagus. Yorkshire ham, braiaed and
salad Spring Garkhnss Gooseberry m TTS saco R4sam
peas Ice Souiile French ieiles. Checsc-EngIish
French and Swiss. Mo, ha coffee. C0gnac The
banquet gave great satisfaction and was pronounced
quite successful. general wish wns cxprrsseI
that 1t should be carried ON yearly by the members
themselves.
THE LONG BR1NCH SEASON pROLO\cEn