The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-09
TO MAKE BREAKFAST TEMPTING.
THE FIRST MEAL OF THE DAY.
"And come to breakfast with what appetite

Il manage in America, particularly !
loj a country house. as people have dil
ferent ideas about eating a hearty meal q
nine o'clock or earlier. All who have live
much in Europe are apt to prefer the cont
mental fashion Of a cup Of tea or coffee l
ones room, with perhaps an egg and a rol
Then to do ones work or pleasure, as til
case might be, and to take the ''deieuner
la fourohette" at II or IL. To most brai
workers this is a blessed boon, for til
heavy American breakfast of chops, steaks
eggs. foroement balls, sausages, broile'
chicken, stewed potatoes, baked beans ant
hot cakes, good AS it is, is apt to render
person stupid.
Ii would be better if this meal could b
rendered less heavy. and always that tn
visitor should be given the alternative o
taking q CUP of tea in her room and not ap
pearing until luncheon.
The breakfast dishes most to be com
msnded maj begin with the omelette. Thi
the French make to perfection. Indeed
Gustav Droz wrote a story once for the pur
pose of giving this recipe. The scene is Of
you couple lost in a forest and they taks
refuge in a wood-cutter's hut.
They ask for food and are told that they
can have an omelette. The old woman had
gone to fetch q frying pan and was then
throwing q handful of shavings on the fire.
I'm the midst OF this strange and rude
interior Louise seemed to be SO fine and
delicate, so elegant with her long giants de
suede, her little boots and her skirts tucked
up; with her two hands stretched out she
sheltered her face from the flames and
from the corner Of her eye, while | was
talking with the s~plitters she watched the
butter that began to sing in the frying pan.
Suddenly she rose. and taking the handle
of the frying pan from the old wonlan's
hand: Let me help you to make the ONE
lette.' she said. The good woman let go
the pan, with q smile, and Louise found
herself alone in the position Of a fisherman
at the moment when his t1oat begins to bob.
The fire hardly threw any light. her eyes
were fixed on the liquid butter, her arms
outstretched and she was biting her lips a
1T is a bit heavy for madame's little
hands," said tho old man. II bet that it is
the first time You ever made an omelette in
a wood-cutter's hut, is it not. my ladyy'
. Louise made q sign of assent without re-
moving her eyes from the frying pan.
The eggs! the eggs she cried all at
once, with such an expression Of alarm that
We all burst out laughing. The eggs! The
butter is %bubbling! Quick, quick"
The old woman was beating the eggs with
animation. And the herbs" cried the old
man. "And the bacon and the SALT" said
%ehopping the herbs and cutting the bacon.
while Louise cried. "Quiok, quick"
At last there was a big splash in the fry
ing pan, and the feat had begun. We all
stood around the fire watching anxiously,
for, each having had a finger in the pie, the
woman, kneeling down by the dish, lifted
up with her knife the corners of the ONE
lette, which was beginning to brown.
Nov madame has only to turn it, said
the old woman: "A little sharp jerk" said
the old man. Not too strong" said the
young man. Zone jerk! houp, my DEAR
said !. IF you all speak at oncen' said
Louise. "Be quick, madame! If you all
speak at once I shall never dare, besides it
is very heavy, you know
Zone little sharp jerk" but I cannot
1t will go into the fire; oh!'
In the heat of the action her hood had
fallen, she was red as a peach. her eyes glis-
tened and, in spite of her anxiety, she
burst out laughing. AT last, after a su-
pre1ne effort, the frying pan executed a
rapid movement and the omelette rolled, a
little heavily, / must confess, on the large
plate which the old woman held.
Never was there a finer looking ONE.
lette;" this is an excellent description of
the dish, which is made for you at every
little cabout in France, as we'll as at tho
best hotels.
hat extrous turn of the wrist by which
the omelette is turned over is, however,
hard to reach. Let any lady try it.
l have been taken into the kitchen in a
hotel-in the Riviera-to see a cook who
was 80 dexterous es to turn the frying pan
over entirely without spllling the omelette.
However, they are innumerable, the ONE
lette f~amily-plain and with parsley, the
fancy onaelette and the creamy omelette.
Learn to make every sort from any cooking
book and your family will never starve.
Conquer the art of toasting bacon with a
fork. It is a fine relish for your egg. no
matter how cooked. To fry good English
bacon in a pan until it is hard is to disigure
one OF fortunes beat gifts.
Study above all things to learn how to
produce good toast. Not all the cooks in
the great kingdom, or empire, or republic
of France (whateyer it may be at this min
ute) can produce a good slice of toast,
They call it pain roti." and well they may,
for after the poor bread has been burned
they put 1t in the oven and roast it. No
human being can eat it. 1t is taken away
and grated up for sawdust.
They make delicious toast in England
and in a few houses III America.
The bread should be little stale, the slice
cut thin, the fire perfect. a ~toasting fork
should hola 1t before the Goals, which are
as bright es Juno's eyes; it should be a
delicate brown, dropped on a hot plate,
AItSA DutLET pun Oh HI once ana tHeD-ali
"'Iwould tempt the dying anchorite to
eat" Then conquer cream toast, and there
Is an exalted substance called Boston
brown bread,' which is delicious toasted
and boiled in milk.
Mullins are generally failures in these
United States. Why, after couauerlng the
English, We cannot conquer their muffins.
do not know. They are we'll worth repeated
efforts.
we make up on our hot biscuits and rolls,
and as for our wafiies, gsiddle cakes and
Sally Lunns, we distance competition.
Do not believe that they are unlealthful.
Nothing which is we'll cooked is unhealthy
to everybody and all things which are GOOD
are unhealthy TO somebody. Everyone
mast determine for himself what is healthy
and unhealthy,
A foreign breakfast in France consists of
eggs IN some form or another, frequently
Ru beaue noir, which is butter melted in a
little vinegar and allowed to brown, d stew
OF vegetables and meat, a little cold meat.
tongue, ham or cold roast beef, a very good
SALAD, q small dish of stewed fruit. or n
Little pastry, cheese, fruit and coffee. ana
always red wine.
Or perhaps an orneiette or egg Eau plat,
(simply dropped on a hot plate) mutton
outlets and fried potatoes, perhaps stewed
pigeons. with spinach or green peas. or
trout from the lake, %tollowed by a beef
steak. with highly favored Alpine straw
berries or fresh apricots or figs; then all
eating Is done for the day until seven
O'Clock dinner.
This Is of Course the mid day "de jeuner
la tourchette:" at the earlier breakfast n
ewlss hotel offers only coffee, rolls, butter