Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1896-05-09
CUISINE SECRETS.
TRICKS OF THE COOKS AND THE
MARKETMEN OF PARIS.

Counterfeit Bubbles on Bouillon, Artificial
Ham Bones. Stamped Cocks Combs and
Vanished Turkey Legs Are Some OF the
Partisan DeceptionS.
We often hear people who have paid
% minute visits to Paris talk of the
beauties of Partisan cuisine. Here are
n few of them. Just as the Parisians,
like the cockney coffeehouse keepers,
have found out how to make coffee
without coffee, so have also the Partisan
restaurateurs found out how to make
bouillon, or beef tea, without beef. At
the gargotes, the lowest class Of Paris
restaurants, species Of very ingenious
fraud has now been common for over
half century and maybe more. 1t con-
sists in passing off warm water, colored
and favored with burned onions and
caramel and into which some little
grease bubbles have been injected, as
SOUP It is true that bones which have
been twice stewed, first by the larger
restaurants and secondly by the inferior
class of traiteurs and cast away as done
with, are stewed in this water for the
third time, in order that it may be I'M
pregnated, if possible, with some parti-
Gle of animal substance; but, as this op-
Grafton fails to impart to it those little
greasy bubbles which the French term
"eyes," and for which the shrewd fire.
Quenters of these establishments invaria-
bly, look in order to satisfy themselves
that the broth they drink has been act
ually made from meat, a clever cook
got over the difficulty by blowing a
spoonful of fish oil, which. falling into
the caldron or soup tureen. formed the
eyes so dear to epicures.
Parisians of certain class are inordi-
nate eaters of ham-in fact, almost as
many hams are eaten in Paris as could
be furnished by all the pigs killed
throughout the whole of France, even
allowing for both shoulder and leg be-
ing cured in accordance with French
practice The demand used-and may
be now-to be supplied in this wise.
The dealers in cooked hams bought up
the old ham bones at couple of sous
piece and ingeniously inserted them into
pieces of picked pork, which they trim
med into shape and coated with grated
crusts. In this way many bones did duty
hundreds of times over, lasting, in fact,
for years. They would leave the dealers
in the morning and frequently return
to them the same night, TO quit them
again the following day. Nevertheless
the supply could hardly keep pace with
the demand Only fancy the inconven-
fence of having to wait for your ham
until your neighbours servant took back
the ham bone which the charcutier re-
lied upon receiving yesterday! 1t was to
obviate such state of things that an
ingenious individual conceived the idea
of manufacturing ham bones wholesale,
and ere long he drove thriving trade
at 10 sous a dozen, since which time
the stock of hams has augmented and
the delicacy has become less difficult of
attainment. Much in the same way an
other ingenious individual, knowing the
immense consumption of cocks combs in
Paris for ragouts, coquilles Of cocks
combs and vol-au-vents and seeing the
high prices the said cocks combs COM
manded owing to the limited supply,
set to work to minister to the demand
and duly established himself as man.
ufacturer of cocks combs. So extensive
was the trade done by him that he
found it necessary to set up o small
steam engine. Hewas great enthusiast
and was accustomed to pride himself
upon the artificial cocks combs which
enanated from his atelier being great
~ superior to the natural article.
This is the way our artist went to
work. AS the same method is largely
worked at this day in London as well
as in Paris-ay, and in New York and
New Orleans-we purposely use the
present tense for time He takes the
palate Of bullock, COW, calf, sheep or
goat-either will do, though he prefers
the first After having blanched it in
boiling water he macerates it and de-
taches the flesh of the palatic vault
without in the slightest degree derang-
ing it and then places it under stamp
ing machine, which punches out cocks
combs moro perfect in shape than those
produced by nature, yet sufficiently re-
sembling them to deceive the connols-
seura Still, there is a way of detecting
the artificial production-the cocks
combs Of clumsy nature have papill@ on
both sides, whereas those of art have
them only on one. Counterfeit cocks
combs are sold as low as 4 sous the
dozen in Paris to poulterers, keepers Of
restaurants, pastry cooks, ETC., and at 6
sous to cooks in private families
Apropos of our subject, this man, in
his intercourse with poulterers, got to
learn that when they did not sell their
turkeys off at once they were obliged
to lower the price about one-ffth every
subsequent day or submit to loss, al
though the turkey might present the
same appearance of freshness that it did
when first killed. And yet no cook could
be deceived, and this solely because the
birds legs, which were black and shiny
on the day of its death, assumed more
and more grayish tone as time went on
This was quite sufficient for our man of
genius The shrewd manufacturer Of
cocks combs fastened home and set to
work to compound varpish which
should defy the attacks of time and
render turkeys legs ever fresh and
youthful In couple of days he return
ed triumphant to the market and fur
nished the best proof of his success by
deceiving the dealers themselves. Trials
were next made upon the public, and
turkeys with Vanished legs were offered
10 the cunningest cooks, who, deceived
by appearances, made their purchases
without demanding the customary
abatement, and the conservation of the