Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-05-01
MASTERSOF THE MENUS
HOW HOTEL STEWARDS PREPARE
THEIR MANY DISHES.
Bill of Fare at First-Class Hotels Seldom
Crossed-How the Cooks Prepare
for the Probable Demand
Men Cooks.
Detroit News.l

the order given by belated traveller at
one Of the hotels on Sunday
IL say Jack, subsequently remarked
a companion, what a conundrum it must
be for some one to guess what you and
and several other hungry transients are
going to eat every day. "
Yes, suppose so, " was Jacks laconic
reply; , ., 40,
the other musingy. Now yesterday |
bad mutton; the day before i ordered
roast, and to-day have eaten turkey and
cranberry sauce If the tastes of others
have been equally as whimsical, the pa
thence as well as the abilities OF the cook,
or steward, or some one else must have
been severely tested.
"Hut you don't always get what you
want, growlcd Jack, impatient for the
walters return.
True, when you are late, responded
his companion unmindful of Jacks fail
ing, or his feelings. "But | notice that
the bill of fare at first class hotels is very
seldom crossed 1t is the smaller hotels
where you and meet with our most fire.
quent disappointments One would
naturally suppose that it would be Just
the reverse; the large hotels, favored with
liberal but necessarily uneven transient
trade and furnishing their patrons with a
great variety of dishes. would fall short
more frequently than smaller hotels with
limited and more regular patronage, as
well as less number of dishes to serve,
There was no response from Jack, and
his companion having finished his meal,
saunterel into the Office and proceeded to
question the clerk as to who was respon-
sib lie for the meals served in hotels
at is different in the different cities. "
IL l..
cago, and some other large cities the bills
of fare OF the leading hotels are arranged
by the head cooks. The best hotels in
Detroit, with but one exception, assign
that work to their stewards. The table
of the hotel excepted is looked after by
the propretors. who have made quite
reputation in that line. The stewards,
whose chief duties are usually to purchase
the supplies and attend to the carving, are
seconded in their work by head cook
who in turn depends on number of
second cooks and their helpers and
vegetable and pastry cooks. This staff.
which in size is regulated by the business
of the houses is, with the exception of
the vegetable and pastry cooks, made up
of male help In few hotels women
are employed as pastry cooks.
But few women are engaged as cooks
except in very small hotels. They are not
competent. A woman cook will scarcely
make one thing twice alike. They take
too many chances; trust too much to luck,
and in consequence fail repeatedly. They
hardly ever prepare their dishes according
to any fixed rule as to the weight or meas
urement Of the ingredients. On the con
trary, they are disposed to lump things;
about teaspoonful of this about a cup
full of that, and when nearly done stir in
a little seasoning. They pay no atten-
ton to the size of the teaspoon
or the cup, and insert the seasoning
when and where it may please their
fancy to DO So Now. man cook works
quite to the contrary, continued the hotel
man. livery ingredient he uses is as ac,
curately measured and weighed as a drug
gists prescription, and the mixing and
cooking of the same are calculated and
timed as carefully as tie hours allotted by
the doctor for the patients medicine.
Even the purity and chararter of the goods
are in uired into. Nothing is left to
chance. and hence there are no failures to
be followed by that feminine excuse, I
don't see why it is | should have such
luck; | can't understand it,.
"Eut how do the cooks know what
quantity to prepare?"
Easy 'nough About 10 o'clock every
morning the office furnishes the head cook
with list of dinner In case of an
unexpected rush subsequent to that hour,
supplementary lists are sent to the head
cook and if he finds there is likelihood
of any of the dishes running short he will
order one or more of the second cooks to
discontinue dishing and prepare second
dinner. A first hotel pridcs itself in
always having enough of ever thing but
occasionally houses that make a special
effort to secure novelties as soon as they
appear in the market are unable to satisfy
late corners, owing to the limited quantity
obtainable. Meats that are left over can
be served cold at subsequent meals; the
pastry that remains generally goes to the
help; otherwise fear they would not get
many fancy dishes in theirs
"Wages? They take wide range. In
Detroit there is one cook, Frenchman,
who receives 81 900 a year and his board.
That is the highest price paid in the city.
Other first cooks in the leading hotels re
ceive from 5000 to $500 and board. The
best of them are foreigners. Second cooks
or broilers as they are sometimes called
are paid from $50 to $50 month; head
vegetable cooks receive S25 to $50, anG
their assistants from $40 to Sl5 month.
Head pastry cooks demand from $50 tc
800 month. according to the house
and the ability of the individual
In most hotels the rastry depart
ment is entirely distinct from thu
others. 1t provides the bread cakes, pies
and buildings, and, when the facilities o.
the house allow, furnishes the ice cream
jellies and canned goods. The wages of
ma orty of the pastry cooks will average
about S25 to $35 month. OF course, il
cities like New York. Boston and Chicag,
wages for cooks are quite different Her,
wages for second cooks and helpers ar,
somewhat lower in winter than in sum
mer, owing to the close of lake navigation
which during the warm months furnshe
employment to large number of cook
Of medium ability"
How Barnum Began.