Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-05-14

are familiar with the details Of three
room suite. which II cost 5000 10 deco
rate, $1,000 TO furnish and for which
the astonished occupant pays $50 day.
But there Is one phase of these hotels
which has not been touched upon To any
extent and that Is the kitchen. In the
inns OF olden time the chief glory was
the product OF the kitchen, and while
much has been done i'm the hostelries Of
to-day to fascinate the eye and tickle the
artistic in the guest. the kitchen has not
been forgotten. and countless improve
ments have been made In its manage
ment and furnishings 10 bring 1t up TO
the high standard of the other depart
ments.
The hotel kitchen is a deep mystery to
most people, who glance over the long
menu three times a day and wolder
where all the foods come from. and how
they are prepared so that they can be
had at a moments notice. They don't
know of the army of people below stairs,
the minute-system In vogue. and the
studied generalship of the managers. who
daily turn out enough food to sbundantly
feed the population of a fair-sized town.
THE LEADING SPIRITS.
There are two great men in the lower
section Of the big. modern hotel one OF
them is the steward and the other is
the chef The first supplies the raw pro-
vender and the other gives II the artiT-
tic treatment which later on soothes the
appetite OF the guest into dreamy salts
faction.
The steward is a keen Businessman
VINO watches the markets as closely as
professional stock Spectator. At night
he makes a list of what he is TO buy the
next morning This list would read like
a bit of fiction to the average housewife.
Ii is the regular thing for the steward
of one Of the new Fifth-avenue hotels to
buy each morning twenty-five different
kinds of fresh FISH: fifteen sorts OF sneh-
fish, ten of smoked and salt fish, TWEEN
ty-hve varieties of meats. and the same
number of butchers mscellanies, such
as sweetbreads. calf's head, etc; fifteen
varieties of game. thirty-fiVe of veSeta>
bles, and dozen Of fruit, ard a like
number of cheeses.
number of smaller items are also
bought each day. such as olives. jellies
and syrups. milk, and eggs. or course
there are regular days for the purchase
of vast quantities Of groceries, but these
give the steward comparatively little
trouble. as they require no skirmishng
about to secure. An order is sent by tele,
phone or messenger to the wholesaler.
and the goods are delivered.
BUTTER AN EXPENSIVE ITEM.
Great care Is taken in the purchase of
milk, butter, and eggs. Four OF the
large, fashionable hotels pay contract
price of 81 a pound the year round 70,
their butter. and this item alone costs
each of them In the neighborhood of
$4,000 a year. including the cooking but
ter.
None Of the milk supplied TO these
hotels Is of the skinned variety. 1t is
bought by contract from large dealers,
and from each can Is taken enough
to fill a small glass jar. which is at
once placed in a refrigerator at ~ de-
grees. and kept locked up for twenty
four hours. At the expiration OF that
time it is tested by an expert to dis
cover the exact proportion Of cream and
milk. Nhe season OF the year has
much TO do with these proportions. which.
for the cream, vary from Il to p per
cent. If the cream falls below the
minimum the dealer stands the i'm
mediate danger of losing fat contract.
EGGS A TENDER SUBJECT.
Eggs are a tender subject with the
large hotel men, and the steward in
variably buys the costliest in the market.
An egg of bad character may lose for
the hotel one of its best patrons, and may
indirectly cause others to change their
quarters. as the man who leaves on
account of a disreputable egg is sure TO
tell about IL. Not only that. but II
has the power TO ruin scores OF dollars
worth of dainty pastry, gallons Of pud-
dings and custards, and generally do I'M
told damage.
All the eggs not boiled to order are
broken separately by skilled assistants,
making the cost OF handling them a
considerable item. Two hundred and
fifty dozen is an average number used
each day in one OF the large hotels, and
at busy times as much as 800 dozen have
been handled. Breaking and judging
600 eggs in a day is no small task,
as can easily be imagined.
ENGLISH MUTTON A FAD.
Since the wide prevalence Of anglo
mania the fashionable hostelries have
had to use English mutton to the al
most complete exclusion of the American
product. although immense quantities OF
the latter are daily exported 10 Eng
land. 1t is the proper thing to call for
English mutton chops. although II takes
a skilled epicure TO distinguish the deli
cate flavor of the English article. The
sheen there are kept more carefully.
and the fattening process Is slower and
more painstaking. IL would be an easy
matter for the hotel man TO furnish
y
dered as not one guest out OF nifty would
recognize the fraud, but the great hotels
are not conducted on those lines.
HOW MEAT is RIPENED.
All the meat is treated with ar
tistic care, and the ''ripening" process
requires the Judgment OF an expert.
when purchased It is ticketed with
the date of killing and the dressing. and
Is then packed In a cold room Of d de-
grees for two weeks. When removed u
a usually covered with thick mould.
and the appearance OF this mould to the
expert is the keynote of its condition.
II must be ripe, juicy, and tender. and
the long storage usually brings about
these results.
THE CHEFS EXECUTIVE STAFF.
The real work OF the kitchen falls TO
the lot of the chef. In all four OF the
greatest New York hotels the chef Is an
Aisatian. and his salary ranges from
$500 10 10000 year. Financially he Is
q greater man than a congressman. and
Is almost on par With 4 prosperous
bank president. He has a number Of de-
partment chefs under him, ard each OF
them has a small regiment OF helpers.
The next In rank TO the chef Is the
raucier, who bois the meats and mixes
thu souDs and sauces. After him comes