The Opelousas courier., 1892-11-05
IN A BIG HOTEL KITCHEN.
EXPLORING THE MYSTERIES OF
re THE COOKS DOMAIN.

~ OA0 " 0u4 SlCat AStCA h1kIAVAS
thirteen meat cooks, all of them be-
longing to the masculine gender,
& are kept busy from morning until
night. Besides these are four girls who
cook the vegetables, and two more who
make coffee and griddlecakes every
morning; two confectioners, two men
Who devote their whole time and talents
to re- manufacture of ice cream, and
three men bakers who have each their
girl assistants. Above them all is the
steward, who is the general manager of
the kitchen, and beside the various cooks
are dishwashers, oyster openers and all
sorts of workers, until the force makes
up a small army. One girl does nothing
but pare vegetables all day, from six in
the morning until six at night. Others
cut bread, while another shapes and
decorates the salads. One mar devotes
his time to cleaning knives and forks,
which he does by means of an emory
wheel. And SO 1T goes, the work being
divided into so many and various heads
and subheads as to utterly confound and
astonish the most experienced house.
keeper.
Near the swinging doors is the cary.
ing stand. This is a long, low heater,
upon which is a line of covered platters.
On the first of these is roast turkey, on
the next roast beef, then follow lamb,
game, young pig, and all the RES. And
at the ~liyeliest hours of the noon rush
the carvers have to work with almost
marvellous dexterity and swiftness.
Beyond the carvers are the dishwash-
ing tanks and the closets for hot dishes,
which are in front of the carvers' stands.
The great tanks for coffee look as if
they would never get empty. Another
tank is for hot water. When an order
is given for tea the waiter goes to the
storeroom. where a girl measures out the
required amount of tea; he then draws
from the tank sufficient boiling water
and starts for the dining room. By the
time he has reached his guest the tea is
drawn.
Another continuance close by is the
egg-boiler, where, by turning a faucet,
the eggs, which have been placed in a
receptacle for the purpose, are sub
merged with boiling water and cooked
stto a turn"
Then there are boiled meats in kettles,
soups and entrees and vegetables, all at
separate stands, all kept warm in kettles
or earthen crooks standing in hot water
over a stheater." There are two great
roasting ovens, one of which is heated
red hot, while in the other and cooler
one, savory roasts await the carver's
hand.
Near them are the broiiers-one for
steaks, which was imported from Eng
land long ago, and which requires a
glowing fire of coke that it may do its
ssperfect work." and the other for fish.
At the back of the kitchen is the great
stock kettle, the soup kettle, the vege-
table boilers and every other imaginable
device for cooking, and above all there
is a delicious sense of order and clean.
illness. Every refrigerator, every closet
and every receptacle for food is thor.
oughly cleansed every morning. Order
and regularity are observed in the stor.
ing OF fresh goods and In dealing them
out to the waiter, SO that nothing be-
comes stale or old.
The great fish chests, where lie the
various kinds of fish packed in ice, the
refrigerators where the fowls are stored
on their clean, cool shelves, as well al
those where the cold meats are kept, art
thoroughly looked after. The re,
fr1gerator where repose the game birds
in tempting rows, from grouse and
canvasbacks down to quail and reed
birds, is a most appetizing sight, and BY
observing order in the n of putting
in and taking out the game, fresh, in
viting birds are the only occupants OF
the chest. The refrigerators are, O.
course, back of the kitchen. Some 0
them are actually large closets stored
with every imaginable sort of meat anS
game.
At the oyster bench a man is kept busJ
from morning until night throughout thi
season opening the luscious bivalves.
Back of these is the great store room
where are kept barrels of -four by tn
score, meal of all kinds, aud great caskl
of crockery, imported directly from Paris
q score of hogsheads at q time. Stack
upon stacks of plates, cups and dishes,
OF a pattern familiar to all good diners
stand on the long shelves awaiting theh
turn for active service. Upon beins
asked what the breakage amounts to il
this hotel, the steward laughed and said!
aWell, I'd like for my salary just thu
breakage for one year."
In this region, too, is the room devo
ted to cutting up pork. Here twent,
hogs a week are made. ready for th
cooks hands. Close by is the room
where sausages are made and meat j
chopped, and not lar awayis the larder
where are stored tubs Of butter, cheese
of all kinds, cupboards of fragrant cigar
and other things of life.
In the first storeroom are kept pre-
served fruits, tea and coffee, spices, re
frigerators filed with ice cream, tutti
frutti, sultans roll, charlotte russo,
whipped cream and more delicacies thai
one can remember.
The ice cream room il an interesting
spot. One could hardly believe so muci
ice cream would ever be called for. Thei
there are the pastry cooks rooms and th,
bread bakers, with their great Dutcl
ovens sending forth the most delicious
smells.
A large proportion of the milk, butter
eggs, cheese, cream, pork, ETC., used il
our best hotels are procured direct from
+ha faruonr Tn eoroa Races the nrnnrietoF
own large farms themselves, finding ]