The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-09-05
In THE KITCHEN
How Some Restaurants Impose Upon
the Principles of Economy.

Washingtonians who are in tn
habit of drawing their ideas of econ
omy from long theoretical disserta
tions or that subject, or attempting
with wizard like adroitness to attain
astonishing results in cooking from
the manifold intricacies of a F'rencl
chefs "reminiscences, can find som
striking bits of information from /;
birds eve view of the kitchen of ;
hustling Washington restaurant when
the city is filled with visitors. In.
deed, there is u good deal to Learn
when "all is quiet along the Potion
ac," and the capital city is slowly
moving On in the wen tenor of its
way. Take a seat at one of the slip
perry marble top tables, call for and
cast an eye over the inspiring bill OF
fare placed on the cold, business like
slab before you.
Here you see four or five kinds OF
soup done up in the purest and most
stylish French announcement
"Potage a la puree de pomnes de
terre," ''potage au riz,n "potage aux
consomme aux eufs poches," ETC.,
etc. There are also on the list many
kinds of fish, half a dozen assorted
roasts, all kinds of vegetables known
to agricultural science, any number
of made dishes, pies, buildings and
pastries to suit any fastidious palate.
Looking over the bill of fare with
the waiter bending attitudinally with
a patronizing hauteur over your
shoulder, one hand on the table, the
other on the back of the chair, one,
who did not know, would imagine
that to prepare and keep this i'm
mense list of eatables, or the materials
subject to order, would require an ex-
tensive range, numerous cooks of high
and low degree, plenty of room and
space, and as much crockery as may
be found in any one of our leading
queensware establishments.
1t is perfectly natural and exhusa-
BILE, therefore, to be surprised when
this delusion is dispelled and the cold
fact laid bare that the entire culinary
department is usually no larger, if
not much smaller. than many of the
kitchens of small families in Washing
ton, and that generally one cook, with
an alleged dish washer or two, COM
prises the entire catering outfit.
Peep through the opening made by
a broken slat in the swinging door or
the slit punched in the time honored
screen, which are used for ~concealing
the inner workings from the outer
world. Here comes a waiter fighting
and scrambling thorough of his kind,
yelling out:-"One vegetable soup"
See the japanese juggler of edibles
deftly slide the lid from a large boiler
of clear soup made from the bones
and scraps of beef, mutton, chicken,
veal, etc. Whether these bones
have been picked once by the
customer at the tables in front
or not is a question nc n
should insist on being answered. This
is a time when one must, have a large
bank account of blind faith to draw
upon. Out of this boiler the chef Sc
cures the desired amount of clear
soup and into it he pops in quick sue
cession a little dab from each pot of a
row of boiled vegetables. He gives
this a vigorous stir, and prestol pours
into the plate your vegetable soup.
Is it consomme you wish. If so, he
pours into this clear stock some
brown thickening fluid and there you
are. If macaroni, q pot of boiled
macaroni is at hand, and he forks a
few strings into the same clear stock.
A big tin can of condensed OK tail
soup stands on q handy shelf and a
spoonful of this lends it's flavor if that
kind is wanted. A little ~thickening
and a kidney from another pot makes
kidney stew in short order. A good
deal of rice, some thickening and a
handful of curry powder and you
~ Mn ~ n,,xy I'D 90
See him WELD that magic wand,
which looks so much like the carving
knife We all use at home. Roast lamb
and roast mutton come from the same
joint at his touch, or by the aid of a
peculiar sauce and some jelly a slice
of venison will lay before you. Veal
is veal, or it is chicken for salad, or
turkey for fricasse, OF rabbit for stew,
or it is lamb for pie, just as he desires
and the order demands.
AS for the matter of desserts the
plum pudding and fruit cake are the
same, except one is served hot with
sauce and the other is cold. The
boiled rice used for the curry or rice
soup with milk, sugar and a little nut
meg becomes rice pudding instantly.
Tapioca and sage come out of the
same dish for furnishing all the inn
proved connections of those two pala-
table articles.
Thus he goes ahead with cunning
ingenuity, never at a loss to furnish
promptly any dish on the bill of fare,
matter whether there is a particle
of the desired article in store or not.
There is n thing, however, among a
few others, and a few only, which de-
fies his craftiness, and that is the
boiled egg. When "a boiled" is called
for, q boiled egg, pure and simple, is
the only thing that will answer. No
left-over-from Easter, China or paint
ed wooded substitute can fill the bill.
But then the yolk of an egg can i'm
part to his greasy looking white butter
beautiful golden hue and enter into
other magical combinations with him
which go a great way toward extenu-
ating it's refusal to be initiated in q
boiled capacity. Washington Star.
Careless Girls. Read This.
The girl who goes round the house
in a soiled skirt and SLOUGH waist, slip
shod and hair tumbled need not ex-
pect to be the darling of a mans
heart for any length of time. A cor
set is a necessity to a pillow-figured
woman and a blessing to the one who
loses plumb without areed. Cottons
and wash fabrics may be bought for a
few cents a yard; half a dollar will
pay for a dress pattern, and the wo-
mo- tuho nnnvx foClt@w. xtlsx