The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-10-28
IDEAL COOKS FROM CHINA.
THEIR COOP TRAITS p FORTH By
san FRANCISCO WOMAN.

~ EENNNN - E-ENAN Y n
Ien-Thsir AEsiie- 60 Lesru-Chia.s,
wo-e. Rare &c Do,est,e Servants,
II was a San Francisco woman. who. when
calling on a friend recently, told Of the trouble
she had undergone ihtryinR TO Hnd a good cook,
and lsmented the fact that che could not bring
her Chinese cook with her when she came 10
| New York TO live.
But" said her friend, you surely cannot
prefer having an uncleau, unprincipled heather
in your Kitchen rather than q white cook 2"
Indeed | do prefer them. and I only wish 1t
we're possible to find one here" was the reply.
AS for being unclean and unprincipled, they
are models OF cleanliness and n~eatness. and with
their white linen jackets and aprons. and queues
wound round their heads. they are more attrac.
tive than the average slatternly white oDok.
They are scrupulously honest and devoted to
their employers, and. besides all this, they are
very quick 10 learn"
This surprised the New York woman. whose
only idea Of the ordinary Chinaman was the
st6lid laundtyman with his pigeon English. and
she wanted 10 know more about the superior m
dividual, who. the San Franciscan afirrned.
could prepare and serve as good and we'll
evoked q dinner as q French chef. and took A.
much pride in It's success as his mistress.
where do they learn to cook ~ she asked.
THAT is hard 70 tell. In some cases they are
hired as boys to wait on the table, and, being
w NFshhAN VIZ Da~h ~ 90 hA' N''h
aud watch his methods, and the preparation Of
a dish once learned is never forgotten. SO far
as I know, there are no established schools, and
a question asked of one of them brings forth the
inyariable answer. My cousin, he teach me-
hut, a. every Chinaman is every other China
mans cousin. this reply at the best IL vague.
However. they learn somewhere, and no gond
cook will ever admit that there Is any dish he
cannot prepare.
t.nn ona ,,,a.tnn wtahtnn n 0ivO a small
dinner party. I called Sing into consultation to
decide on the menu. After suggesting several
dishes. I asked him II he could cook lobster la
Newburgh. How you call hlmT he asked. |
wrote the name for him on a slip OF paper. Hs
looked at the name a long while, and. Rravsly
folding the paper, said, IN see.' After finish
ing his work that morning he went to China.
town, and was gone about an hour. At dinner
in the evening the dish was served, cooked to
perfection. I asked him where he learned
the recipe. He did not seem 10 care about
telling. but my insistence brought forth thu
usual answer: 4 see my cousin-f pay MIN SO
cents. He teach me- This cousin I found was
an expert Chinese cook. who for . small fee
would teach his countrymen 10 cook any dish.
however unusual: In fact, he made his living
that way.
"They are excellent caterers, ard can buy tn
better advantage than most women. They pre-
W uo thtiE WI W. 1" oO tViith
upon to select the best cuts Of meat and freshest
vegetables. Their Judgment is invariably good,
and the mistress Of the house Ii relieved Of the
worry Of puzzling from day to day what shall
be ordered for dinner.
1.-THE average Chinaman employed AS cook
can neither read nor write. Many Cinnamon
attend the Mission Schools. OF which there
are several in San Francisco: not. I I'M afraid.
for the religious good it docs them, for few
Chl..-n a., ...n. l...~4 sHalr Io.. hnx,.,.r tonl
they may sing the Church hymns. but for the
benefit Of the reading aud writing lessons re-
coived there. After the alphabet 10 mastered.
and the student Is able to worry through q read
ing exercise, he becomes immensely
proud of his requirements, and loses no
opportunity to parade them. I was visit
ing my sisters house last Christmas Day.
and in the afternoon, her cook. who
was a faithful attendant at the Mission night
school. entered the room where the family were
assembled, carrying q tray on which was a large
cake. He placed the tray on . table. and then.
with q bow that took in every one in the room,
presented the cake to his mistress. wishing her
a'Melly Clismas,' aud stood back with the air
of a copqueror. It was a large fruit cake. clab-
had seroiied In pink. In God We Trust The
msrIiment evoke by this rather odd Christmas
F%Fsf I'm chinese Sfs rsse eUos d Sy sim Is in G o fs%piime Roil.
days, and although he has only one for himself
tah ,rsrIs boi tas year sTd be ea lGSxs forward to the
does his own. by presenting gifts OF Chinese
sweetmeats, or hideous spasms OF color, in the
feels called upon TO use his greatest skill In pre-
pairing dinner on these occasions.
One OF the greatest attractions of the Chi
nese cook, and the one that next to his skill, APP
peals to the housewife, Is his faithfnlness. At
pleases. Every night after dinner he is of OCH:
1atowl, and although he may play fan-tan anil
school. morning finds him bright and cheerful
at his work, and he may be depended ON for 1864
To SSs sslsbr ras yds during h th Is CHIME SSines 70 S nsys Y tw9 dfYs
devoted TO their interests. A family living about
ployed a Chinese cook, who had been in their
service several wears; One evening. when all the
the IRE alarm D rang. and ssasnms reso Sniasa'T TN
lived. lie immediately ,sst left mnf hIs Fri frie s%.
and his game and rushed home. When the fam
the stable roof, wet and shiyering. He was play
Ing the hose on the roof and putting out the nv
burning building opposite. He had been fhers
two hours fighting the, fire. His act was re-
fire, and would rather lose all they possess than
come within smelling distance OF IT.,
snos for one nss%b eco Of Il the Family FAMILY, a Pdfe tSi,
preference Is shown by covert attentions while
smpioyed in a family, a member OF WhieSM'Nss
yonhg lady, went 70 work every morning and
ate her breakfast alone and much sarlier than
would invariably make an excuse 10 re-
main In the dining room, and although he would
citation II she seemed to enjoy her breat last.
One day the housewife, In looking over tho
butcher bill, discovered that she had Seen
charged with several delicacies which shs cDnld
not rem emberha served at table. She calIrl
The cook, and when he entered the room in T.-
70 her bell she asked: How is il. sam.
hat we are charged with quail and oysters and
reed birds several times In this bill? I'm sur
haven't hau any, The working mamh Ar nj t1a
family had entered the room In time 10 hear tic
luery, and interrupted To say that she had been
'erYed with some delicious broiled oysters that
for breakfast, and a quail the day be-
orr, sam looked reproachfuny at the speaker
md left the room without explaining. He had
been ordering dainties for the object OF his
,holce while the rest Of the family lived on
palmer fare. That Is the nearest approach to
dishonesty, II you would call II by 81 harsha
ERIN. that ] ever heard OF In aChinese cook.
Although Chinese cooks outnumber white
,ooks by about three 10 one, they are all men.
The only case OF a Chinese woman being em-