Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-11-07
A ckiness RrsIInf-snvariu.

llnner-EIVmg Is sclence which Is
carefully cultivated in China. and the
table has there, as elsewhere. PLAYED an
important part in politics. literature.
and art. A distinguished apostle Of
this cult was a certain Yuan Tsutsai.
no lived in the last century. and who
seems TO have been the Samuel Rogers
Of his cav, for he cultivated the muses.
IN dilettante fashion. and also COL
lected around his hospitable board al
the celebrities Of the time. His char
acter was not wholly irreproachable
! but he lived until be was eighty years
Of age, and left behind him a cookery
book in which he discussed the subject
Of food and drink from scientific and
artistic point Of view.
The food being cooked, the service Is
the next subject that comes 70 be con-
sideTed, and on this head some excel
lent counsel Is given. Elegant food.
says the writer, is not so important as
elegant service. Everything on the
table should be scrupulously clean, and
the various dishes should he sent up III
their proper order. For instance, salted
meats should precede those Of a milder
flavor; thick foods should precede thin
ones, and foods without gravy should
precede those with gravy. Five con-
secutiye dishes should not he all salt
this would tax the stomach too severely.
Three Of the FIVE should contain either
mustard or pepper to recover the palate,
Just as acid and sweet things should
be used to prevent the palate from being
dulled by too much vine. This resem-
bles somewhat BrillGt-Ssvarin's die
tum '' In eating, the order should be
from the heavy 10 the light, IN drinking
from the light TO the heavy" When
the dinner is cooked and served the
rest remains with the diners, and to
these Nr. Yuan devotes several chap
teTs. His first maxim is, Don't est
with your ears -; IN other words. do
not have whatever you have heard
is q dainty. Remember" be saws,
=. that well-cooked bean-curd is
much nicer than badly-cooked birds
nest; and that ses-slugs, If not
eood. are not equal 10 common bamboo
shoots. The fowl, the pig, the fish.
and The duck; these are the heroes Of
the dinner-tsble. Zach has its charac-
ttristic flavor, and each forms q
school by itself Sea-slugs and birds
nests are but their retainers. having no .
thing Of their own, but living. as it .
were, in other mems houses. That Is. 1
tsh, pork. and poultry form the back .
bone Of the banquet; the other dellca-
cies merely to set Of or improve these"
To illustrate this maxim. be relates
that he Was once invited 10
banquet by certain official Of
his acquaintance. where the rioe-bowls
were very large, and each held about
four ounces OF birds nest, but quite
tas;eless. Somebody began 10 say
something in praise Of the display, but
Yuan laughed and said 80 ! came here
10 eat birds nest, not 70 deal IN 1t
Wholesale. Now, you might deal in
this. but you couldn't eat it. SO what
is the use Of II ali : II only TO make .
show. II would be better 10 fl your
bowls with pearls, which would cost
more money. but this is not eating"
TIE philosopher was sverse to display.
lie loved little dinners.
Another maxim Is, - Don't eat with
your eyes" This Is a warning TO hosts
against providing too many courses.
lie frequently points out how the diff
ferent parts Of any given food are
8 dapted. and even essential, in order to
produce the best result from the whole.
- We know he saws, that the yolk
Of an egg is richer than the white, but
he is fool who eats only yolks and
throws away the whites" With re-
gard TO wine be is very emphatic
- Don't take wine too freely. Only &
sober man knows right from wrong.
and it is the same with food. 1t
has been wisely observed than Ian
,uage fails TO describe the delicate
luances Of hRvors. How. then, should
! hAlftipsy sot know anything about
hem: ! have myself often seen two
men playing at guess fingers and
in their food the while, as
hough it we're so much sswduSt,
sacrificing everything TO the enjoyment
# wine. No, say food first and wine
'fterward. Thus we can enjoy both"
lie warns cooks against using hot
gAter dishes (which have long been
,nown in China, for they destroy the !
layor Of any very delicate dish.