The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-06-24

WHAT TO EAT WHEN MEAT IS
HIGH.
Americans are laughed at by all observ-
ing Europeans for their habit Of valuing
everything according to it's worth, and
there is certainly some provocation for
the laughter. Abroad the American
must travel first class, although many
rich natives find second class accommo-
dations sufficient, and he drinks, with his
dinner, wines better than some noblemen
uncork, except when guests are at the
table. In America the same frenzy I'M
pels him while travelling to crowd into an
eyesore called a palace car while
seats are to spare in cheaper cars with
equally good springs. Inhis house, how
ever he shows his rage for first class liv-
ing by demanding the highest priced
meat two or three times day. If NUT
ton were dollar a pound every one
would insist upon mutton, even if he had
to economic by cutting down his pew
rent and wearing n second hand overcoat;
but as beef usually costs nearly twice as
much as any other meat ever spirited
AmerIcan--at least in New lork-insists
upon prime roasts and porterhouse steaks.
Beef of itself is not enough; he must
have the choicest cuts, and no butcher in
this city was ever known to have enough
of these rare bits to supply the de-
mand.
Elsewhere in the world-in countries
that are richer and are full of people who
have brought the culinary art to degree
of perfection that our housewives seldom
approach-every part of an OK OF sheep
has its uses. Instead of spending the
income of day for a prime roast and
then praying Heaven to suggest some
way of meeting the rent or replacing an
tiquated carpets, the head of 4 family in
England, France or Germany turn cheap
cuts into savory dishes. While steak or
roast, each containing a great deal oil
bone, commands twenty-five or thirty
cents per pound here, less popular but
equally nutritious cuts, without bones,
bring only half as much, and abroad the
princ pal demand is for these very pieces.
But the well fed foreigner, unlike the
American, never depends entirely on,
beef and mutton. He eats largely of
poultry, eggs fish and game. There is
no game in market at this season of the
year, but even when there is the Ameri-
can does not seem to know what to do
with it, no matter how good and cheap it
may be. Poultry is now at least one
third lower than beef, and live fowls are
ridiculOusly cheap; yet there is no great
increase i'll the demand for them. Eggs
at twenty-five cents per dozen give more
actual food for the money than any meat
in market since the nutritive value OF
dozen eggs equal three pounds of meat.
There are about as many ways of cooking
them as there are days in the year; they
combine in appetizing ways with scraps
of meat and take kindly to innumerabc
seasonings, but how many housekeepers
know what to do with them except to
boil or fry?
No fish markets contain greater variety
than those of New York and none sell so
little in proportion to the population.
While Goldfish, haIdock, Shad, blueish
and various pan fish cost only from eight
to twelve cents per pound, and half
dozen more costly kinds are to be had at
half the price Of porterhouse steak, 1t is
foolish, particularly in hot weather, to-
snub the fish dealer for the sake Of grun-
bling at the butcher. The lobster will
form solid basis for meal, although he
costs only ten cents per pound. Many
people are longing for the excursion
season To open, SO that they can go to-
Roekaway or Coney Island and enjoy
roast clans, although enough OF these
bivalves to make satisfying roast for "a
family of five people can be bought in
the city for fifty cents, and the only pre-
paration necessary is to wash them, put
tiiS III iAtS II pan ihtt inch lhlo NV oNN''s
Next to beef the American adores the
potato. Mealy OF waxy, musby or hard,
cheap or dear, the potato must always.
be bought, and as it commands now from
two to three dollars bushcl it costs
more than it is worth. The present cost
of a bushcl of potatoes might far better
be expended on rice, hominy, oatmeal,
peas, beans or other iarinaceous and le-
gumnous food, for although tho potato
ranks as vegetable it is in this capacity
very unsatisfactory ami deceptive. There
is more nutrmcnt and less trouble in a
two dollar bunch Of bananas, at present
prices, than in two dollars worth of pO-
tatoes, and if the special sanitary virtues
of vegetables are desired they can be
found more abundantly in half u peck OF
onions or IL few penny punches of radish-
es than in whole bushel Of potatoes.