The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1894-12-06

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neighbor:
GAS these courses come and 90 so
smoothly we do not appreciate the
amount of labor this dinner repre-
sents.
There was reason for the admiration
so expressed by the banker. Not.
withstanding the number at table the
courses were served as promptly as if
1t were private dinner party instead
of great public banquet, and the
dishes themselves gave no suspicion
that there had been hurry or confu.
sion in the kitchen while they were
being prepared. Everything went to
show that the dinner was the produc.
tion OF perfectly running machine,
OF which the cooks as we'll as the
walters were part. II was to learn
about the organization and manage
ment OF this wonderful machine that
a reporter called upon Charles Ran.
hofer, the chef of Delmonico's, in his
Office in the centre of Delmonico's
kitchen.
Mr.. Ranhofer is a big, good.
natured Frencbman, who is very re-
ticent over his successes as master
OF gastronUmy. He has written a
thick volume about his art, which has
become n text book in public as we'll
MS private kitchens. His Office is so
situated that he can reach any part of
his domain at "A moments notice. To
the left is the ice cream and pastry
section. To the right the experts in
meat, poultry and fish have their de-
partments. In the centre the SUPP lies
Tor immediate use are stored, and
along the opposite end is a row of
ovens and ranges. The forty odd
cooks under Mr.. Ranhofer are as per-
fectly trained and drilled as a regi-
ment of soldiers. They are formed
into companies under the supervision
OF assistant chefs, who are responsible
to Mr.. Ranhofer for everything that
comes within their departments.
Four cooks rule over the roasting
ovens, and eight men in the meat de-
partment devote their time to pre-
pairing the meats for the four roasters.
Four men are responsible for vegetables
and fried dishes. Pastry in its various
forms is in the hands of four experts.
Three men make the ice cream. Two
men make confections and cakes
alone. Bread making is an art in it.
self, in charge of three bakers. Eight
men are kept in reserve to clean
things and assist generally, and ten
women and two men are occupied in
washing Te Tei y and kettles and cleaning
dishes. Over all the force Mr.. Ran
hofer keeps his eyes. He is familiar
nv. asPecihitJ Of snchUf Ihis e.oAs.
He can give scullery man points on
scrubbing a soiled pot as we'll as tell
the man in the meat or the roasting
department how to prepare a canvas.
back duck; he can Judge an under.
crust with the same certainty that he
can bonbons, notices, or odd con.
fections.
When the dinner nour arrives the
machinery of the service is set in mo-
tion by Mr.. Ranhofer in the kitchen
and by Eugene GARNER, the maitre
d'hotol, in the banquet room. The
head waiter looks for II glance from
the maitre d'hotel. Thirty walters,
one for every ten persons, stand ST.
lently by expecting look from the
head waiter. The manager says "all
right" to the head waiter, the head
waiter waves his hand at the walters,
and the thirty men go to their assigned
places at the tables. The head waiter
has divided the men under him into
squads of six or ten, and has given the
best waiter in each squad instructions
to keep watchful eye over the more
inexperienced men. The maitre d hotel
communicates through a speaking tube
with the chef.
In the kitchen the forty cooks stand
silently in their various departments.
They are not permitted to talk more
than is absolutely necessary. When
the manager has told the chef 20 go
ahead, the cooks in charge of the cop
pers of soup send up on the dumb
waiter to the pantry on the banqueting
room floor two tureens of soup. The
carver, who acts as the intermediary
between the cooks aud tho winters, sta
tions himself in the pantry. His Office
Is one of the most responsible of all in
connection with the banquet. In sery.
ing the soup and the other dishes he
must use keen Judgment, SO that all
diners shall be equally served, and
that without waste. The soups are
cooked in advance, and kept hot in
closed pots immersed in hot water.
In making the soup the cooks work on
a basis of one quart to four to six per-
sons, although in most restaurants the
portions are not so generous.
When the soup has been sent up
from tho kitchen, down the speaking
tube comes one word, "Next /" and
the timbales a la Marty are hurried up
stairs. The fish has been prepared in
advance of the dinner, and the four
frying cooks stand in readiness TO take
from the warming closets the sole,
which is nearly 100 pounds in guam
tity. When the call Of "Next!" comes
down the tube again the fish is hur-