The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-03-15
tor GWolnen

onization in this country.
The first question l was asked by the
household on returning from the Mardi
Gras was:-s'What did you have to eat?'
The question was rather hard to answer.
Rather, what didn't | have to eat?
When one breakfasts and dimes at res
4 taurants where a wager is constantly laid
on the table as to what are the ingre-
dents of the dish just eaten, 1T certainly
is a difficult problem to solve, this one of
ssWhat did you have to eat?"
/ actually saw the wager given again
and again. A dish would come on the
table and the guests would lay claims
as TO what it contained, what it was
called. what. in fact. it was they We're
eating.
1t would be probably near the truth to
say one eats a little of everything in New
Orleans. One is afraid. as Frank R.
Stockton was, after a fortnight in New
Orleans, that his stomach would forever
after keep him reminded of that city.
A man from Virginia said at the end
of the Mardi Gras season:-"Goodness
gracious, I wonder if I'll ever get a break
fast of plain cornbread againt"
One eats very little in New Orleans. but
one eats often. The Germans serve heav-
lily n frequently, but the French serve
often and sparingly with exceeding dam
tiness.
They believe about the art of eating as
the japanese believe in the art of decor
ation-one rose in an exquisite vase is
worth one hundred lowers. So the dish
exeellently served, deliberately and dam
tily ooked with its one liquid is better
far than a grooming board.
So
The day is begun with a cup of coffee
and a roll-an egg. if one wishes it. Then
breakfast at 10 or IL o'clock. 1t is a city
of restaurants and he who has only lodg-
ings lives at the chefs taste, at the cpl
cure,s board.
The flavor and taste of their coffee is
different from that gotten north or west
of Lake Ponchartrain, unless in the hos
telries with French chefs. l watched the
most famed cook in the city make it one
morning, and this was how it was done:-
1t had been partially roasted at the mar
ket; but she put about two eupfuls in a
pan with a lid and roasted it a bit more.
Heat brings out the flavor. Into the coffee
mill it went and the fresh grounds were
put into a tin dripper. This dripper she
laid over a brown stone jar, which was
entirely warm. and then poured the boil
ing water into the dripper.
She placed the stone jar in front of,
not on, the stove. Only a little water at
a time was poured over it. and two or
three times the whole contents of the jar
were poured through the dripper for ex-
ira strength.
The result was a coffee that was rich,
brown and fragrant. The cup was poured
only half full. the rest made up with hot
milk.
1t was nectar.
Snails were served often and delight
fully. A salad of them is sefveu aof
breakfast. The shrimps are pink, tiny
and fresh. They are laid ever crisp, curl
ed lettuce leaves. over them are shaken
oil, vinegar, pepper and salt. The clever
chef never beats up his dressing. He just
throws each ingredient over without any
measuring but the eye. Invariably he
pours it out from the bottle to the salad,
then mixes it all up with wooden spoon
and fork.
Liver is a frequent dish, cut very thick
and served very hot. Very little if any
NOT bread is seen. The bread is delic-
Nus ~ - OhS ~ ~ 49, 49, 49,
is thick, the bread is porous and one can
eat the most inexcusable amount of it.
New Orleans butter is simply delightful,
but never superior to Pennsylvania
brand.
The eoncoction of dishes is entirely DIFF
ferent. Garlic has touched everything
that can be improved by the flavor, and
mushrooms or truffles are constantly
used.
Omelets are rarely served plain. One
let soufflee is the favored way of cook
ing, and sweetbreads. t~ruifles, oysters
and brains are often usel.
Their omelets are made exceedingly
thick and quite brown.
Roast beef and mutton must not be IA
vored with them as chicken, turkey, veni-
son and squirrel. These meats are made
into a composition dish oftener than
served as a plain roast.
And with everything one drinks .claret.
Not in a wine glass. Dear me! Mol But
in a large water tumbler, half filled with
ice and diluted with water. Your good
Frenchman never gets drunk, but he
drinks always.
While the great big picture hats will no
longer be popular this summer, there are
a great many of goolly size which are
very effective. They are rather on the
plan of the old fat hat. The brim is of
medium size, and the crown quite wide
and low; but no matter what the height
of the crown may be, it is SO complete
~ hidden by the mass of flowers put on
it that it might not exist at all foe all that
is seen. One very effective hat of this
style is of white straw, with quantities of
green leaves and bows of black velvet rib
bon. put in and out in livery odd but
pretty way. 1t is worn tilted down over
the face, the back turned up,and the flow
ers falling on the hair, says "Harpe7's
Bazaar"
Another on the same style is made of
sfa5 I'd roses, from light pink to deepest
red, with green leaves put through The
roses SO as to prevent too much color
being massed together. As has been
said, these hats look rather fiat in the
crown but with the full arrangement of
hair now fashionable they seem to gain
most cases. There is nothing extraor-
binary about them. yet they nave a very
good style of their own. The objection
TO them for general use is that they really
ought to be made of expensive flowers,
and so many are required tina the hat is
bound to cost a good deal. 1t Is not a
fashion to be copied in poor materials.
There will be many shapes of black stcaw
worn. These in many instances are To