The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-22
PARTISAN ECONOMY.
How Scraps From Hotel Tables Are
Utilized.

Nothing is wasted in Paris. and even at
the hotels and restaurants ali of the food
that is left on the table after a patron has
finished his meal is saved carefully. This
is true not only il the third-ciass places.
where the leayings will be utilized in IA
gout5 and other mysteries. but even In
the most famous Of Partisan restaurants.
and dessert salad, fish are preserved, as
wei. as the meat and vegetables, which
hctve greater possibilities in the line OF
reincarnation. A visit to one of the great
Partisan markets will explain the destina-
ton of the collections Of food scraps. and
though occasional weak-stomached tour
lists object to this particular variety of
French thrift, the scheme has much 10
commend it.
Paris markets are not profitable fields
for strangers OF inquiring dispositions and
weak stomachs. The snaiIs squirming
frantically about in big pals the live eels
writhing in water tanks or on the chop
ping boards, the many unattractive bat
delectable delicacies that are usually en-
countered only in a state of apctheosis on
a French table. are disconcerting IN their
primitive state and take away mans
appetite But the stalls where the hotel
and restaurant food scraps are sold are
really rather appetizing. The merchant
who owns the stalls has an arrangement
with certain hotels and restaurants, and
pays little for it, and naturally the man
agement cannot afford to have the food OF
different kinds collected separately All OF
the fragments are put together. but they
are saved in careful and clean way.
The merchant separates the food, putting
all the pieces of fish in enc dish. the meat
in another, the potatoes in another. Then
comes the test OF his genius. 1t isn't easy
to make a plateful of those leavings look
savory and appetizing. but the thing may
be done more often than one would think
possible and the amount OF art lavished
upon the arrangement of those vfands
would make man famous in America.
The proprietor OF the stall and madame,
his wife, work culinary miracles with
these despised leavings, which over here
would probably go to the garbage carts
and he of use to no one.
Perhaps some gamin's taste is for llet
with mushrooms. 1t comes high at the
Cafe Anglais, but at the market ,ne can
have it for a very moderate sum To be
sure il needs warming, and tine mush-
rooms have come together from many
sources and have never before met the
flet. Perhaps the Glet itself is oddly cut,
but 4 slight dose OF melted butter and ar
tistic taste can make the dish exceedingly
Presentable.
There are customers who are not salts
who demand a course dinner. NJ. ls
Proprietairc is ready for them. On 4
large plate be has put small supply of
each thing that goes to make up din
ner CONNIE il faut. IL grieveS him that
he must omit soup. The sCc.abls Charac-
ter of that item Of a menu bars it from a
society where each member must preserve
its individuality while deigning to come
to close quarters with strangers net in its
r7t, With Grk--
q bit of sole, that originally reposed in
vin blanc and still retains the favor OF
good society. Then comes slice Of rOlst.
garnshed with tiny potatoes and Brus-
sells sprouts and carrots. Next is Il spoon
full of beet salad, and following it a sweet
and a morsel of cheese. 4 few Goals. q
stCWpau and no prejudices against the
method by which the menu has ben pre-
pared. and one has a dinner fit for
nabOb.
The sweets or desserts and the green sal
ads are the things that most sturiily re-
fuse to assume their pristine charm under
the skillful manipulation of the vendors
OF second hand food. Pastry will crumble
and lettuce and chicory will wilt. but
even with them much may be accomplish
ed and they are not so much in demand as
meats and vegetables. so the supply of
them need not be so large. Fastidious per-
sons may object to the hit-and-miss char
acter of these food supplies. and mankind
in general has an aversion to 'leavings,''
but evidently the prejudice isn't universal
in Paris. for the stalls have Il thriving
trade
The business has reached great proper
tons. and is a recognized factor in Pari-
sian life. The hotels reduce their losses !
in waste. the merchants make a small
profit. and the customers get better food
than they could afford to buy in any other
way. The only objection to the system is
a matter OF sentiment. and that objection
is weakened by the fact that the food sold
to the merchants is not taken from plates
but only from side dishes in which it has
be too musSy to be of any use. but when
ever a man is served with one order OF
anything at n good restaurant he almost
invariably gets more than he can eat. He
takes a part of the food upon his plate
The rest is left upon the dish in which it
was served. and in Faris that part OF the
order goes to the stall in the market Thu
idea isn't so disagrceable after all when
one gets use to it. Many a diner orders
a $50 steak at restaurant. and leaves
half of it, for which he would gladly pay 4
quarter the next morning ii the thing We're
possible.
The customers OF the second hand food
stalls are not OF the poorest classes. Filet
with mushrooms. even secondhand is too
rich for many. poor wretches of the Paris
faubourrs. but there is Il fairly respecta-
BILE laboring class whose wages are small
whose sous are few who are good patrons
of the secondhand stalls. and many
thrifty housewife who could afford TO mar
ket more ambitiously carries home p!ate
of salad cut of meat whose origin she
ha