The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-11-21
American


postal card, did this request. 1t was from
a man, and he said Dear Bah, | wish
you would talk little about things to
eat" 1t was a fortunate request, since
il he had asked me to discuss parlia
mentary law or the advantages of Greek
In everyday life, or demanded my opIn
ion regarding some very abstruse book,
/ should have been unable to answer him.
But / have opinions on things TO eat,
very decided opinions, and, tlatter my
self, very sensible opinions. Once in a
while one is privileged TO bow to ones
self and appreciate ones own ability,
and / do this when it comes to choosing
q dinner.
Talking about ca ting, did you ever hap
pen to think that we were the most for
tunate people in the world-we people
who live III the United Statesf There
are not more than two months III the
year when fruit is not plentiful ana
cheap. and during these two months We
have superb apples and tine nuts. we
have the best beef and mutton, guam
titles of game, great deal of good nsn,
the greatest variety of vegetables ana no
years when fruit is not plentiful and
embarrassment of riches as far as fruit
goes. But there are women who wonder
what they can order for dinner! Inc
English or French woman looks at us
with horror. She cannot understand our
great waste She does not realize that
we are young nation, and that every
thing to eat is SO plentiful that we do
not find the necessity for economy that
exists in the older countries and those
where the earth is less bountiful.
Sometimes l think that all over this
big land of ours the earth absolutely
laughs, because it gives forth such good
things. Our cousin across the sea pays
s. for pineapple and $3.50 for taste
less melon. The pineapple is put on the
table when a great dinner is given. On
its first appearance it is not cut, but
Is simply a decoration. On its second
appearance it will be cut in tiny
squares, one given to each person, and
that pineapple is made to serve for at
least three dinners. A melon has the
same treatment accorded to it. And,
while it is gloated over, it no more COM
pares with our magnificent water-melons
and our spicy cantaloupes than filtere
water does with the richest burgundy.
Having everything that can be desired
In the eating line, we do not appreciate
1t. The average American woman does
not study out how each dish can be
made most dainty and most attractive.
Her market basket comes home filed to
the brim, and for dessert she can choose
many fruits and many sweets, where her
English or French cousin has but two or
three fruits from which to make her
choice, and is forced to fall back on
made dishes. We have too much, and
the consequence is that in the average
household proper service and economy
are unknown.
Until within the last ten years the
American dinner consisted OF a heavy
meat, served with as many vegetables as
the market afforded, all put upon the ta-
BILE at once, and topped off with a rich
dessert, oftenest pastry or pudding-no
fruit-and tea or coffee served with the
main dinner. OF course all this was
wrong. You who are delicate in your
taste lose all appetite when the steam
from a vegetable of which you do not
care flies in your face. You who are tir-
er, and have hoped to find rest during the
dinner hour, become Disguised at seeing
so much, and, consequently, can eat but
little, and there is waste and waste and
waste.
Even among the people that we eau
poor there are no such hungry faces ms
are noted among the poor in the old
countries. In the proper seasons our
poor get fruit Of the best, and only oc-
casiOnally is absolute starvation found,
while, absolute starvation, my friend, ex-
lists every day In the magnificent city Of
London.
The first mistake made BY the Ameri-
can housekeeper is that she buys In too