The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-03-02
HOW THE ENGLISH LIVE.
NOT SO FOND OF HOT OR VERY
COLD DISHES As AMERICANS.
~Pic" Mans Meat PIE; Tart" Means flc,
aud "iAnuor" as a General Term, Means
Meat nud Two Vegetables without But
fer-rcaciics and sirawberIics Very Fare.


Especial Correspondence
PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 27.-"Whatever
you do. don't get an English cook, said
an American, long resident in LONDON
TO q friend. new conner, who was think
ing of taking "a house. "Ihe English
simply cannot cook. and the worst of 10
is that they are firmly convinced that
they are the only people who can, sothat
IT. is impossible 70 teach them
Toa certain decree she ras right; the
Travelled Enelishman Of thc higher classes
is bon yirant. a connoisscur IN affairs
OF the table, bat his average fellow coun-
trvman. and sill more fellow country
woman. rivals the Chinaman in con-
tempt for an "outside barbarians," and
regards bis insular beef and mutton, his
veal and am pie as the only riciuals for
Christians. Most OF the 'roast beef Of
Old England" comes nowadays from
America and Australia, and, thanks 20
the system of refrigerator shipment, the
imported beef is for the most part supe-
rior 90 the domestic article, although few
of the English win admitit;indeed. some
of them still consider it as only next door
20 poison.
The regular every day dinner of the
middle class family Of moderate means
consists Of beef or mutton boiled TO death
or roasted TO dry iastclessncss Che En-
clish abhor rare meat, with white pota-
toes and cabbage, followed by some sort
of pudding for dessert, not because there
is any lack Of variety from which TO
choose, bat merely because it is their
habit. and John Bull is q sticklcr for
regular habits. The English mutton is
excellent, far more juicy and tender
than our best S0uthdOwn, and they cook
it much better than they do beef The
usual mode Of cooking fowl. which al-
WAYS means chicken, is To boil it with
ham. THE Saxon fmdness for the swine
is general. as "veal and ann lhaml.
"fowl and ann" and the certainty with
which Won are offered " am and hegg3
at every country inn abundantly testify.
At first tine ham. which is nearly always
good. imparls an agreeable flavor to the
fowl. but 10 becomes m0n0i0nOus TO the
stranger after awhile. though thenativea
never seem To tire Of &c.. "Pigs' trottcrs
Il. g.. pigs fcct-aro esteemed "a great
dclicacy among the common people and
may be had in every London cook shop.
The English are great fish caters, and
there are many eating houses in London
and elsewhere where only fish is served.
The sole. the turbot and the iohn-doree
arcam0ng spocialties The latterisclosc-
lyakin TO our drwmhshin appearance and
flavor. and, like it, is only to be caught
undercertain favoring conditions of wind
and tide. Shrimps are another delicacy,
and are sold ON the streets by the hawkers.
Those at Greenwich are esteemed espe-
cially good. and il is common thing for
the passenger ON the penny boats TO buy
pockctful of shriihps TO regalo himself
with ON the return trip, eating them as
c00llv as the American does peanuts.
When the Englishman gives am American
a dinner, be always. by way Of cOmpli-
ment TO the guest, includes raw oysters
ON the bin Of fare, a compliment which,
if it be the guests first experience of the
British oyster, is apt to take away his
appetite. That bivalve is small and
lcathery, and the strong coppery flavor,
which the English like so much, is any
thing but agreeable TO a novice. "Our
oysters are small" said an Englishman
who had travelled much, and was famil-
lar with American cities, "our oysters
are small. but then the flavor. Ny idea
of the ideal oyster IS one of your Blue
Points with the flavor Of our English
oyster"
"H'mm answered Disguised Ameri-
can. who was yainly endeavoring TO
wash the said flavor ont of his mouth;
"the flavor is easy enough 90 get Just
suck a copper ce"t'
The English care far less for hot dishes
chan we do. I'm every hotel dining room
OF large restaurant you will find table
spread with cold meats of an sorts, in-
Guiding several kinds Of fish and game,
most appeiizngly earnishcd and deco
rated. Quite as many orders are taken
for this table as forthe kitchen, and it is
"a usual thing for the customer To- gODyer
TO 10 i'm order 20 make his choice fire.
Quenuy directing the carver what cut TO
serve. So, also. You may buy cold meats,
ham, fowl game, salmon, beef. roast or
% Ia mode, tongue, head cheese, mutton.
veal; anything. in fact, which YOU may
want for luncheon OF high tea, daintily
dressed in the best French style. Much
more astonishing than the fancy for cold
meats is that for cold toast. The toast
rack is "a usual appendage of the Eng
ish breakfast table, and is invariably
Tiled with toast, stone cold.
once heard an indignant American
declare his belief that his landlady made
toast once "a week TO last seven DAYS.
And it don't take much 70 last nae, l
can tell YOU" headed. The Englishmaf-
i'm is rarely served hot. and is at its best
when split open and toasted. Hot and
% little richer, it would be much like the
American ilapjack. There are nocrack-
ers in England; our Crackers are an
biscuits. &c. also, fruit pies are known
only as tarts, the term pie being confined
70 meat pasties. love in disguise" is
the title. not of a dainty dessert, but of
a sleeps heart baked ia a pie. If you
call for "a pie in a London restaurant the
waiter answers, eyes, sir; veal and ann,
or beelstcak5' The English potato is
perfect, mealy, large, and whiteas bolted
wheaton flour. Sweet potatoes are an
imported luxury, as is Indian corn, which
is little cultivated in the United King
dom. The yegeiablemarrow of England
Is Identical with the squash of New Eng
land and the cymling of the southern
states. All green herbs for food grow
luXuriantly in the moist, mild English
climate, and salads Of all sorts are excel
lent.
\ London costermonger's cart is
pretty sight t0 see for the artistic group
H- col Wc various vegetables. Tho red
and white OF the radishes, the crimson Of
D,eis, the yellow of carrots, and the diff
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