Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-07
MASTERSOF THE MENUS
HOW HOTEL STEWARDS PREPARE
THEIR MANY DISHES.
Bill of Fare at First-CIass Hotels seldom
Crossed-How the Cooks Prepare
for the Probable Demand
Men Cooks.

Detroit News
Here waiter bring me some roast beef
rare. piece of partridge and the usual
vegetables and be lively about II, was
the ordrI gwen by helatcd traveller al
one of the hotels on Sunday
Il SAY, lack. subsequently, remarked
a {, mi auion. what Il Conuudrum II must
be for some one 10 GUESS what YOU and |
and scvrra other hungry translcnts arr
going 10 cat every day.
e. suppose 50. was Jack laConiC
reply
~ onGcr how they do it, continued
the other mu>iuCly Now Yesterday !
bad mutton the dav before ordered
roast, and to-day have eaten turkey and
CRANBERRY sauce If the tastes of Others
have been equally as whimsical. the pa
thence aN Wei. a. the abilities OF the cook.
or steward. or some one else must have
been sev,re.y tested
i ut You don't always get what you
want, cruwlcd Jack. impatient for the
waiter T,turu
True. when you are late. responded
his COM a, on unmindful OF Jack fail
ing, or las feelings But | notice that
the bill f fare al first class hotels is very
seldom crossed 1t is the smaller hotels
QuenI dl>a VoiutmentS one would
naturally suppose that it would hc Just
the revcrsr the large hotels. favored with
a liberal hut necessarily uneven transient
trade. and furnishing their patrons with a
great var ely of dishes. would fall short
more frequently than smaller hotels with
limited a more regular patronage. as
well as a .eS> number of dishes TO serve
There Was no response from Jack, and
his companion. having finished his meal,
ssuulcrc into the Office and proceeded to
question the clerk as to who was respon-
lie for he meals served in hotels
1t is different in the different cities
replied tn. clerk In New York. hi
cago. and some other large cities the bills
of fare o. the leading hotels are arranged
by the head cooks The hest hotels in
Detroit with but one exception. assign
that wOT TO their stewards The table
of the hotel excepted is looked after by
the proprICtOrs who have made quite a
reputation in that line The stewards,
whose chiet 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 a number Of
second Cooks and their helpers and
vegetable and pastry cooks This staff,
of the houses. is. with the exception of
the vegetable and pastry cooks, made up
of mae help. In few hotels women
are emp owed as pastry cooks.
But few women are engaged as cooks
except in very small hotels. They are not
competelt \ 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
10 any nNei rule Is to the weight or meas
urement o. the ingredients. On the con
trary. they are disposed 10 lump things.
about teaspoonful of this. about cup
ful of that. and when nearly done stir in
little seasoning They pav no arten-
ticn TO the size of the teaspoon
OF the cup and insert the seasoning
when and where it may please their
fancy TO do so. Now. a man cook works
quite 10 the contrary, continued the hotel
man. very ingredient he uses i as &C
curstely measured and weighed as y drug
gists I.e>Criution. I. and the mixing and
cooking u, the same are calculated and
timed as carefully as the 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
be followed by that feminine excuse. 1
don't SEE why it is | should have such
luck | can't understand it
-tut how do the cooks know what
quaint " 10 urepare?"
Pas nough About 10 o'clock every
morniuE e office furnishes the head cook
with list of dinner. In case of an
unexpected rush subsequent 10 that hour,
Supplementary lists are sent to the head
cook and If he finds there is q likelihood !
of any of the dishes running short he will
order one ur more of the second cooks to
discontinue di-hing and prepare a second
dinner A fir>tCl hotel pridcs itself in
ALWAYS having enough Of ever thing but
oCca>i, na'.v houses that make a special
effort To secure novelties as soon as they
appear in the market are unable TO satisfy
late con erN owing to the limited quantity |
oblainahe. 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 raacy dishes in theirs.
~ ages They take a wide range In |
Detroit there is one cook. a FrenChman, |
who receives 81 900 year and his board |
That is the highest price raid in the city |
Other rrst cooks in the leading hotels re !
CtsNt lTOll ~tVt 70 ANOb anu DbdTu Inc /
best ( them are foreigners second cooks. |
or broilers as they are sometimes called |
are paid from <. 0 TO so a month head !
vegeta le cooks receive So to SIS. and |
th ir assistants from SO to $lj a month |
II ad pastry cooks demand from $50 TO |
800 a month. according 10 the house |
and the ability of the individual |
In must hotels the Usstry depart |
ment is entirely distinct from the |
Others. 1t provides The bread, cakes, pies
and puddir IS. and when the facilities of |
the house allow. furnishes the ice cream. |
jellies and AIMED goods Tbe wages of |
ma ority of the pastry cooks will average |
about % to 50 a month of course. in |
cities like New York. Boston and ChiCago |
wages for cooks are quite different Here |
wages for second cooks and helpers are !
somewha' lower in winter than in sum
mer, owing 10 the close of lake navigation |
which during the warm months furnishes |
employment TO a large number of cooks
of medium ability
How Rarnun