The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-23

Oup VI y hlb baNh ~ thht "
body wants to be served about the same time,
Most people dino about z o'clock and all want
to finish nowadays about 3, so that they can
spend the evening ut the theatre or elsewhere.
1T requires n great deal OF tact and n vast
amount OF patience on the part OF walters and
cooks not to get embarrassed or out of temper
when orders arc crowding In on them until they
are up TO their ears and eyes in them, Oscar
sets them n good example upstairs and Adrien
down here. Observe Adr1en for yourself as
he sits there at tho desk giving his orders, He
is as calm and .complaccnt as n sclf,satisfcd
parson. who feels that he Is ono Of tho elect.
He hears every order that Is being given in this
kitchen. The minute that an order is given
not on tho market, he sSys, We haven't that In
tho house. IL isn't on the market The chef
Is giving his orders and ensworing al questions
you see him now he is always, day in and day
out; That's why he is such u successful chef"
Docs Oscar have to exercise such self:con-
troll and what does he have to dor" asked tho
Are you thinking about going into tho hotci
moro OF our secrets; But then nobody could
business is to know every prominent person
who comes In here or Is q guest OF the house.
them by name if no hasn't seen them for months
or even years. Oscar hears all complaints of
tho guests served with meals, and takes all
even simple ones. He has to be and is able to
read people as yon, would road an \ g primer.
guests, but to make them feel pleased with
themselves. Whom u very rich woman comes
~ to order a luncheon, say for a dozen ladies,
to make out n menu consisting of rich and
costly, dishes, u menu that will show Oft her
crat comes in he must serve her with things to
please her refined taste. Hc must give tho less
wealthy woman who wants to entertain here
the worth Of her money and help her to make the
best showing possible, and ho must let every
body who applies to him go away feeling that
Oscar knows, and he's got that down ino."
What ~ the average plumber OF persons served
nm early breakfast to more than 1900 employ
They arc breakfast, luncheon, dinner, and sup
per, and now we serve afternoon tea in the tea
room. m 1t is ,h mot a. 6o al su nmsSmm mon for q. vs. ,so to
tire, and l should say when the season is in full
swing thai we serve from 5000 to, 1000 din,
people in the tea room between the hours Of
How docs the cookery OF the day differ from
woman. And how do dinners differ from the
Mon Dieu!" calculated Adrien, and then he
added; How doesn't it differ would be easier
continued the bHyer. .fh,s is a French
style. Twenty Years. ago when a man ordered
a dinner for a party he wanted a huge joint or
a large roast with plenty Of vegetables and
went in tor quantity rather than quality, and
the cookery was rather tasteless. or late years
the American public has become SO accus-
toned to the French cuisine that there is not
one important cook in this big kitchen who has
not learned his trade in Paris, The chef, Adrien
in Paris. From there he went to Baden Baden,
to Vienna, Berlin, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and
he could about every branch of cookery. From
London he. returned to Paris for an extra
course and then came to this country. He
Avenue Hotel, and for the Cafe Savarln. for a
time and then he returned to Paris, coming
The chiefs of each department under him have
been educated in a similar way and all are
French cooks.
THE principal characteristics of the cookery
of to-day are its delicate seasoning and fine
sauces. 1t is fashionable now to serve every
fancy forms, so that each dish not only pleases
tho taste but also the eye. 1t is very seldom
that one sees u roast or a joint at a fashionable
French cookery, has had a chance to develop
remarkably in this country, inasmuch as a
not used at ali in France. We seldom find
corn used there, okra Is unknown, and tomatoes
h hbsn fbay vd] 5sSiSn;, e. p M;Id s sncTs + 70 m anS of 1ssgs,
here, and wild turkeys and geese, and too many
1ther Things to mention are practically un-
Fewer courses are served at a dinner than
formerly. There seems to be a strong endcavor
to limit the length of a dinner to from an hour
to an hour and a half, whereas people used to
sit at table for from two to five hours. This Is
considered not only very tiresome in this rush
age. but also very bad form. Prompt service,
without unseemly haste, is ono of the keynotcs
to Il successful dinner. Now. all told, what do
you think of the biggest kitchen in the worldl'
The reporter took in the hundreds of
shining cooking utensils hanging from the
ceiling within easy reach Of the cooks. She
swept her eyes over tho ~spotless tiled floor and
tables and dressers, and then she turned her
attention to the savory dishe; on the ranges.
I'll tell you what l think" she answered
slowly. I've read of n lot of kitchens in New
England being us neat rs WAX and run like
clock-work, and Two heard of u lot Of kitchen
floors clean enough TO eat OIL in cooking schools,
but l think this is the only ono in this country
or any other where ] would literally be willing
to take a meal from of the hoor. But may / ask
one moro question: How do you manage about
your. soups' suppose YOU have twenty soups
on the bill Of fare for dinner. Would they
all be in big pots ready to servci"
'HeavenS, no." he answered. That's the
way NO managed things twenty years ago, and
that's the way hotel soup fell into such disrcpute
and became the butt of professional iokcrs,
which Is the worst fate that can come to any
thing or anybody. We make 400 gallons of
soup stock in this kitchen every day.
All French soups are made of stock, you know,
md II you have good stock on hand the finest
kind Of soup can be made in a tiffy, and Is
much hotter for being quickly made"