Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-13
COOKING A FINE ART.
Views Of Adrien Tenu, a Noted French
Chef, on the Subject.
PROGRAMME OF A GOOD DINNER
Why French Dishes Are Relished ALI the
World Over.
INFLUENCE OF DIGESTION oN MORALS
WRITTEN FOR THE p1spArcH.,

WRITTEN FOR THE DIsPATCH.1
The French have reason to be proud Of
their cooking because it is known and ap-
proved in all parts of the world. A French
man believes that cookery is a science; nc
man is born good cook, he must acquire
the art by study and practice. Some people
have an idea that French cooking is toe
rich for health, that it is too highly spiced
to be wholesome. This is grave mistake.
French cooks do not use as much oil as the
Italians, and the taste of garlic or onion is
not prominent in any Of their dishes
when they are properly cooked. 1t is true
that they make use of these articles and the
various spices, but only for the purpose OF
giving proper taste to the dish, which,
though it may contain many ingredients,
must not have any one flavor too pro-
nounced. We do not give any dish such a
strong taste or flavor that no one can eat it,
and French dish, properly prepared, will
suit almost anyone in the world. 1t is our
aim to so put food on the table that it will
be attractive and appetizing to the eater,
and also cook it with a view to its being
easily digested.
A French dinner, though it may consist
of many courses, rarely gives to person
sense of discomfort. Digestion, more than
any other fuDction of the body, has an infiu.
ence on the temper, the character, almost
the morals of man. "We do not live,
says an old adage, "upon what we eat, but
upon what we digest" Give man poor
dinner and you can make him cross and
disagreeable for the day. Without our be-
ing aware of it, and, what is more, witho ut
nu1r hat n Ia To
as we digest are we gay, sad, tacirurn,
lively, morose or melancholy.
AN EXACT SCIENCE.
In France, where cooking is studied as a
science, there are four departments of cook
ing in which one who has taken the voca-
ton must make himself proficient He
must learn how to make sauces, to roast, to
cook vegetables and deserts, and to butcher,
or cut the meat after it is received from the
market into the proper sized pieces for the
various uses to which they are to be put. 1t
may be, in after life, that he will devote his
entire attention to only one of these depart
ments, but he never can hope to occupy the
position of chef until he has acquired
full knowledge of these different branches
of work. In Paris boys of IA or 10,
on leaving school, apprentice them
selves to the keepers of restaurants, paying
about 500 for the privilege. There. an ap-
prentice will not obtain position where he
will receive pay until he is 1S or 10 years of
age. There are a good many French cooks
in the United States who are only such in
name, and not in fact. Many of the
French cooks here are young fellows who
have held humble positions in some of the
large restaurants where, while they were
performing some menial service, they have
Il IaI1 @ha
subject of cooking, enough to enable them
to secure situations in private families.
The French call such persons cooks by
imitation;" they have no real, solid basis
Tor their knowledge, and are destitute of
talent and originality.
In each of the four departments of cooking
I have named, man will have plenty of
opportunity to display his knowledge. The
ability to make good sauces is generally
looked upon as one of the most difficult
branches of French cooking. There is what
may be called regular French sauce, but
sauces are made by mixing one
with the other, according to the invention of
the cook who, in that way, invents new COM
binations to which he gives name. By the
judicious use of aromatic herbs and condi-
ments the original sauce may have its flavor
changed several times, each time seeming to
of sauces is considered the most difficult
branch of French cooking because they are
used so often, not only on fish, but in the
entrees. 1 should add that very often the
Partisan cook begins his apprenticeship by
working on pastry, then goes to the kitchen
and keeps on learning his occupation until
he is able to direct one of the departments
that have been mentioned.
A GOOD DINNER.
It would, of course, be difficult to give
of good dinner for a single
person. Making allowances for individual
tastes let us suppose that gentleman of
means visits frst-class restaurant in New
York for the purpose of enjoying good
dinner. According to my idea his order
would be something like this, and give the
prices of the dishes to CRAFTY the curiosity
of those who are not informed as to the cost
of the edlbles. First he would have clans,
or oysters, 25 cents; some kind of soup, 80 |
cents; relish, like olives or radishes, 20 |
cents; a side dish-a small pate or fry ac-
cording to taste, 60 cents or 70 cents; fish, go |
cents; entree, IS cents; meat, 81 %; sorbet,
40 cents; roast bird, 60 cents to 81 30; |
salad, 80 cents; vegetables, 80 cents; entire |
met, 40 cents; dessert or fruit, 80 cents;
cheese, 25 cents; cafe and cognac, Accents.
He might omit the side dish and take the
entree which should always be accom-
panied by a vegetable. 1t is difficult
to prescribe what the wine should be for a
single person. According to custom he
would have to drink four kinds of wine-a
glass of sherry with the soup. then Chablais
Or Sauterne, Bordeaux with the entree,
with the roast, and either glass
If French champagne with the dessert or
'ome sweet Spanish wine; the latter drink
is very seldom used in America, but in
France it is quite a common beverage.
Some years ago Savarin, the famous au-
horlty on gastronomy, gave the following
oiIl of fare for family dinner, the head of
he establishment supposed to be in receipt
# an income of 81, 900 year.
A roast fillet OF veal. larded, farmyard
turkey, stuffed with chestnuts, with gravy,
With stewed pigeons.
A dish of stewed cabbage (sauer kraut),
with sausages and crowned by
inc piece of bacon.
Here is modern dinner, the bill of fare
# the Underwriters Alliance" served at
he Cafe Savarin short time ago, % per-
ons sitting down to the meal:
MENU.
Little neck CLANS.
Potages.
Consomme d'Orleans. Tortue verte
IL