Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-05-05
THE FRENCH DINNER.
HOW ECONOMICAL HABITS INFlU-
eNCE A COUNTRY'S CUISINE.
An Improvement on the Ancient Custom
of Reclining at the Banquet Table The
French Dejeuner Variety of Dishes
At an American Restaurant.


At AN American Restaurant.
As regards position at meals It does not
appear that the ancient iIreekS hnd
Romans showed good judgment III reclln-
ing al their banquets- The horizontal
/ attitude is not favorable to digestion, the
digestive organs being thrown out OF posi-
! ton and the attraction of gravitatlun not
III any manner aiding the food 10 reach It's
destination How much better are our
present ways Of placing ourselves at tahle.
We place ourselves about what is hosPlt
ably called board ~ which may he either
round oval square or OblOng, seating our
selves in comfortable chairs, upholstered
( in cloth or leather. and thruStlng our feet
nOnChalantlY under our own or some one
rlSe'S mahogany 80 arranged, serving Is
convenient. all the dinners are mutually
visible. conversation is easy, and all the
conditions favorable to the good digestion
| which should, If 1t does not, always wait
on appetite.
In considering contemporary ways OF
eating dinner it must be confessed that the
world owes debt of gratitude t" the
French for the great improvements they
have male in the cuisine But no" did II
happen that it fell TO their lot To furnish "A
majority OF the cooks OF the world rs
,veil as tn SET standards of tastes which
tb. majority of the civilized world gener
ally follows, Curiuusly enough it grew
originally ont of the economical habits Of
the neupie France is a country in which
.cnnnu,y has alway been necessary, either
on account Of a population larger than
tho land couId supp0rt generously, or be
csuse of frequent wars that devastated
and IMPOVERISHED the country, or oppres-
siye burdens borne by the people before
the French revolution
RESULTS OF THE ECONOMICAL HABIT.
The economical habit has therefore be
come hereditary. When the best mate
rials of which to prepare a dinner were
wanting il WAS necessary to use the bad.
When the best cuts" of an animal cost too
ruuch the less desirable parts the heart,
Evar kidneys yiblets and hOny portions
had 10 b,s used II used at all they had 20
he rendered appetizinC; hence ingenious
methods of cooking and the invention Of
sauCes So exquisite that served with an old
MAR of boots they would render the dish
not ONLY eatahle, but excellent and digest
i've. II did not take long 10 discover in
this way that many things previously con
>idered uneatable were really superior,
while articles of food hitherto un
dreamed of came gradually To be diSCov
cred But though the origin of the French
Iinner Is mainly due to these causes, the
,nud taste Of the better class of French
.,enple and the luxury Of great mobiles and
rnvaI courts had much to do with its de
yaloprneut and its present elaboration.
Rut the French dinner. with all its eX-
cellencies, has its disadvantages. in which
connection il may not be amiss TO mention
the French breakfast, or dejcuner. II Is
the first substantial meal OF the day, moth
ing having been previously taken except
coffee with a bit of bread. 1t comes from
II tol 1t is meal with most uncoh-
nercial aspect, for it can hardly consume
less than an hour and a half Of the best
business portion of the day. II 1t Is to be
eaten with decenCy and deCurum- In the
provincial towns of France business Is en-
tirely suspended during the time devoted
to it, and banks and many places OF husl-
ness are entirely closed, To the great Incon-
venience Of foreigners and OF all classes
of persons whose stay III the place Is nee
esSarily limited In Paris places ut Ous!-
ness are left open. Principals 90 home or
to restaurants TO take their breakfast Al
leisure while the clerks manage the best
way they can with cold food or with soups
or ragouts prepared on the stove which
warns the office. An unpleasant feature
Of the French breakfast Is that II Is too
much like the dinner. The dishes are
much the same and 1t Is served In the same
manner. though the dishes are not 50 nu-
merOus
THE VARIETY OF FRENCH DISHES.
II must be said in general of the French
dinner that it Is remarkably absolute in
It's rules. II admits of a great variety, but
is usually eaten with very little. Its fam
ily likeness the world over, whether in
America. the small towns OF France, in
Italy or Alyiers, Egypt. India. China, or on
.hiphoard. seems extraordinary TO trav-
eler who is accustomed to think at all
about what he eats There is a soup.
fish An entree. a vegetable, a roast, a salad
and A desert. These different articles taste
the same .yerywhere II they are good
they have the same good Qualities if bad
III. Same had oualities To all intents and
nurnosps they might have come out of the
same oven. pots or saucepans The same
rules of resemblance extend to pastry.
which GOOD or bad. has the same appear
ance and the same at Paris. i'll the prov
inces and in the colonies. and wherever in
foreign countries a French cook presides
in tn. kitchen Allowing for the great