New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-06

| truffes which are worthy In every way OF
! country which has produced the greatest Church
men and the greatest diplomatists In history hi
| deed, some. OF the most famous gourmands n
| Europe have not hesitated 10 express the oonvis
| ton that there is far more sublime beauty N a
| plat of oeufs brouilles aux trufes, or In A
| risotto truffe la Milanaise, AT the Coya han
in the magnificent Cathedral. which Is one Of tle
| glories of Italian architecture.
| No one should leave Rome without visiting .ls
| popular and famous restaurant " Faccia FreSas
| for the purpose Of tasting the plat for which ns
! celebrated throughout the length and breadth Of
| Europe-namely. snails. These are prepared "a
! the most delicious manner that II Is possible Ia
conceive. and are consumed in absolutely appalling
quantities with glasses OF the well known frasca,
| wine Snais-they may he called a land OYSTER
| are indeed so popular dish among the casses
as well as the masses at Rome, that the fayOrts
| Of all Roman songs which one hears at every
street corner Of the Eternal City, begins viii
| the words:
| Viva Ia chiocciola,
| Viva la bestia
Che unisce II merlto
ALA modestia
Long live the snail
Long live the beast
| Which combines merit
With modesty.
With reference TO oysters, which have Inst
mentioned in connection with snalls. let me wan
| American travellers 10 avoid eating oysters at
| Venice. where the accumulated NTH and sewage
of centuries pollutes the water and gives poison.
Gus character 10 the bivalve Al Naples, however
| the oysters are perfect, and fully maintain tie
| fame which has been theirs since the days Of
| Luculus They are usually served IN fhe most
dainty manner, each oyster on its half Shell heinz
mbedded in little nest of beautiful sea-weed and
| crushed ice Possibly my enthusiasm about Naples
| oysters and the excellent impression which they
have left on my mind are due 10 the fact taa, II was
| here that invariably enjoyed my hrst meal on my
return from Egypt, India Japan and
| China. Any one who has experimental On
| the horrors of Chinese cookery, the indiges,h.
features of the japanese cuisine, and the revolt
| ing method of serving food in Egypt viii he
| able TO appreciate the relish Of finding oneself
seated once more at the table OF hrstfaS
restaurant in Europe.
1t would take too much space and tine 10
| expatiate here upon the characteristic featdFs
Of the Oriental cuisine. This, however, IS %
| loss for ! cannot recommend them 10 my Amer
can friends. For, although ] like game 10 he
served high-very high-yet ] object 10 high eggs,
high fish, and, above all high oysters. which are
| regarded as great delicacies in China-a taste
| which the Celestials seem to share with the
| Zulus, who literally dote upon meat teeming with
| large colonies of grubs. Food in this condition
means great happiness Nor have l ever found
| anything more difficult, either to masticate or
| digest, than the sliced tentacles OF the octopus
which form the tidbit of every native japanese
banquet. Ii is like eating piece of particularly
| tough India-rubber and attendance at japanese
dinner invariably involved several days of ter-
| rible dyspepsia, and not alone one, but an entIe
stable full of the most horrible species OF night
| mares In Turkey, Persia and Egypt the cuisine
is excellent, and it is difficult TO conceive any
! thing more succulent than the traditional Arao
| !" chayermah"-a lamb roasted whole in ITS Ilde,
| by means Of heated pebbles The interior Of the
| animal is stuffed full Of rice, currans and All
| kinds of highly favored, aromatic, and, az Ine
| same time, delicate herbs. The chaFms oil ulis
plate are, however, considerably diminished when
| your Oriental host with the object OF paying
you special honor, tears oil the cholcest mvisei
with his dirty fingers and after tx enea ga sot Of
large butter-ball, insists on showing IL ninseL
into your mouth. The only advantage OF using
fingers in lieu of knives and forks IN ca1lng
meat that / can see is the fact that metal OF
every kind Injuries the taste OF the meat. Anat
untouched by metal knife is incomparaby
superior and were II possible should adE i,sS.s
that all carving and slcing, both IN tne kltcDeh
and on the sldeboard, should be done ny means
of wooden knives and forks
The dinners which have left the most grateful
impression upon my heart-the heart IS - very
near to the stomach-are those OF Donon, the
Demonico of ST. Petersburg. Indeed, il seems
to me that even Vousin's cookery must pail upon
the taste of Muscovites who have had the PRIV,
icge-I can call it nothing elsc-of partaking Of
Demons fare. The dishes there, especially ths
national ones are so strange and 80 mover Una.
| they remove all danger of monotony the greates'
of all perils to a good appetite and healthy o.,
| gestion. After the tasty "zakuska composed OF
such relshes as smoked salmon, gray caviar
canapes, raw smoked goosebreast, picked cray.
things, one should order dish of okroshka, or
| cold iced soup, composed of kwas, beverage mace
| of fermented rye. with red herring, cucumber ana
meat floating about in it, This should be followed
| by "rastagai," which are pattics of sturgeon 10
an aspic Of isnglass, and then by outlets 10
! pogaiski," roast lamb. stuffed with buckwhest
and salad composed of boiled snipe and plcklea
| gherkins.
| This iced oknoshlla soup is the favorite dish Of
| the Gar, who consumes enormous quantities
| thereof and although the immortal Careme. whore
/ name is still household word throughout EuroP
no longer presides over the imperial hTs la.s
| vet he has worthy successors who bringing frenen
| culinary science and taste TO bear on the national
| dishes Of Russia, have succeeded IN el'li.m.
them without depriving them of their nsu,e
| originality and peculiar characteristics, 81
these royal and imperial kitchens at 81 w.
burg, at Vienna, and in the other capltas s me
| we are indebted for the invention of moet ~ 20
great chief d. Oeuyres of gastron0my and Io tt;I
pay my taxes toward the support OF a mqnarSSns,
| form Of government far more cheertuDy WY ,bus
| raised is devoted 10 the maintenance OF NY
royal kitchens. These are of consldersv os,
greater size rule than those Of even ihe n yV
| famous Paris boulevard restaurants, and empSSs
far larger force of highly paid and skilled COOKS
while there are simply legions of maful,yi"ss
| The latter may be described as apprenSSsy
In Queen Victoras kitchens they reeve ~ oo6 10
but are obliged 10 pay premium OF Si,sjstiug.
the five master-cooks for the privilege OF s,' onIi
metaphorically speaking, at the feet OF ueS ,s Of
nary Gamaliels. Some of the assistant oo In but
| the royal kitchen styled not covNsS a. 400
"yeomen.' Thus there is one yeoman a. 81 The
a year who attends exclusively wDa,,eS
preparation OF pastry for pies tarts, ai anu the
Then there is another yeoman who superinten
puddings. the ices, etc. and on ad inr AM
Moreover there ARE heal and deputy pan atttend
three cofee-men, whose sole duty ~ Is
TO the proper preparation OF the coffee a.. ., arc
The imperial kitchens ut the Vrnna ho In ave-
under the direction Of force OF no less .har, OF
and-twenty irst-class cooks. many OF 'n' ~ the
European reputation The executive ncaHa y KEN.
force is the "Ober Kuchen Inspector, ov for
berger who has been in the EmpeIors SCI ~ rand
forty years while the ttular chief. the III IL
kitchen master AN Office that carries "i priyy
the rank of 9xcelency" and seat III sie pnsE.
Council-is General Count Won WoiAens'e ,ier the
dent Carnot's kitchens at the Eysee are ui a we'll
supenntendence of Chef de Bouche tn'e.n';cal
known Louis Tabcrnat. who won his n'e Of
spurs in London as the chef OF the ate p of the
most nonular of culinary encyclopedias; lIe LIE