The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-26
NorEx.

been exceptional. has. since his return to this
country Inst autumn. awaited himself Of many
occasions to study from the point OF view OF
European standards the epicurean develop
ment OF New York during the last two decades.
His Rstonishment Ia u~nbounded over the pro-
diGious luxury Of certain private houses Of tho
town. There is little or nothinE that approaches
It 10 Europe. Whatever the character OF the
decorations, whether It be Louis XIV. or
Louis XIV. Chinese or japanese. 1t sur
passes In completeness Of detail. II possible.
the originals. Nowhere abroad has he en-
countered such perfection OF table equipment.
not excepting that found in the great houses OF
London and Paris. While in the latter the dis
play OF gold and silver plate. the accumulation
OF generations. is magnificent in quality and
profusion on special occasions. the American
standard is equally high. In the lavish use OF
costly flowers In table decoration there Is
nothing To. approach New York dinner tables
abroad. or american gastronomic superiority
Enthusiastically. In Europe among .epicurea,n
secure supreme results from commonplace
Sll%spIts' HIRE Ry pSSs re- sb5s t and oe eTtipSs slio shIm
4 ,lsyisSnsss and lacS Of discrimination
a anihoqmh IL SoT tRs' prop @2SfiSEef Gt ' tSeso Z that
suggests rather the output Of o. caterer. the
ERis Ss srsat Ga a f Sg sEs Ind kiitiSahsHf, ee safn f A. sSss
anism, rather a certain quality q Greedy cage.
through oys5indpleence. This extrayasantu use
&c RoS SS 3 dG sEsss his Il on Sn sasi no r fS,S1spss.
S is:isR:; se.' H Ill., S P's saiss Sss sssspd S III. t s ssss g" s'
greater restaurants.' TRere very ordinary
Of distinction appear to search the menu for
the ,%costliest connections. In fact. the sole
ciai value Of the article. The Impression con-
veyed Is that gastronomic taste hore will not
become general until. through increase OF pop
ulation and greater demand, the delicacles now
abundant become practically unattainable and
people are forced to insist upon hiEherculinary
The English medical fraternity is keeping
the British public almosto on the edge of panic
through Its denunciation OF indulgence in one
sort Of food or another. So far their brethren
on this side OF the water have abstained from
disturbing statements of this character. either
because they are too sensible or because the
American public takes a humorous view Of
anything that has n tendency to shorten human
life. A single exception is found in the letter
OF a physician. recently printed In THE SUN. in
regard to the alleged unwholesomeness OF cold
storage or frozen game. This practitioner
speaks OF the danger OF eating such flesh
as productive OF gastro-intestina irrita-
ton. He warns. therefore,. the proprietors
OF all first-class restaurants to abstain
from serving frozen or cold storage game.
This Is one side Of the story; but there is
another. No flesh suffers less deterioration Of
flavor or develops less toxic qualities through
the process OF freezing than that OF the feather
ed species. either wild or domesticated. Very
little game reaches the New York market after
Dec. J. that does not undergo the process OF
natural freezing. either before it is sent Or
fowls transported in bulk in ordinary
freight oo Ears. uo5 Almost 81 game e. kill k"IoL in
the gunner reaches his home from tho
hunting Rrounds;. moreover. he is careful
s2 KEEP IL It i viii II r th9t 'S O. Sdry keen qnf tmtel be
gence to detect the difference in game that IN
dergoes a natural process Of freezing and the
large quantity is sent from this country to
Europe. some, Of it. on the assertion o. a Geld
a year before It Is shipped. Yet no one ever
hears a complai9t from foreign consumers that
i Is deficient nc Ish in favor or possesses toxic quail,
discover '~noxlous eiemente in food. would 6o
delighted If they could utter Il cry of
from this country into England. An American
recently gave a dinner abroad, Mt which a
manned frozen in cold storage for ten years. 1t
was pronounced excellent. II there be any
detberioration in refrigerated game IT. arises
~thawing. It out before it is subjected to tie
action OF the fire. or from the fact that after Il
Is thawed out 1t Is allowed to remain IN a high
temperature before being cooked. When proper
safeguards are observed tho person who can
frozen game when cooked. possesses illusions
that unfit him for life on this planet.
The topic OF intoxicating drinks is one that
arouses interest among all men. among those
who indulge in them through convivia impulse
or live up to the axiom of DR.. Johnson that
" the only present happiness consists in being
drunk" as well az among those who object to
them. An article in the EpictTe on the subject
OF Early English Fare tells a good deal
about what the medieval Englishman drank.
In the twelfth century great tracts OF land In
England were devoted to the cultivation OF
grapes. The wine made from them was con-
sumed exclusively by the lower orders. Well
to-do people and people of rank drank the
wines OF Bordeaux and the sweet white
sorts OF Anjou. Before the fourteenth
century many other varieties wore imported
into England. although the quality was poor,
ably reserved for home consump tiOp. A Span
ish wine called romeyre. white. hot and strong.
which probably came from Gambia. as there
was AZ that time no trade with the GanGricS.
10 cover the harshness and acidityy Of the vines
IN use. honey and spices were mixed with
then, 1t was eonsider"d 9 masteipiece OF
with the sweetness Of honey and the per
fume OF costly aromatics. This may suggest
the origin OF our bcneflcent cocktails, in which
poor liquor is adroitly disguised. Hippocras
was also a mixed drink. In the sixteenth CEN
fury the taste was for strong. sweet. fuli-bodied
wines. Malmsey thcn sold for four pence n
quart. Only beer was drunk before the Reforma-
ton, The difference between beer and ale was
that the last was brewed from, malt alone, while
the first was mad" from malt and hops. Az
beer came in with the Reformation good Cath
olics considered 1t heretical to drink 1t.
The London TELEGRAPH d~eplo7es the short
comings OF s~o-calIed civilized peoples in the
matter OF cookery. 1t holds American culinary
accomplishments In very low estimation. for it
says that Americans have yet to discover that
good cookery is "a better physIc against indi-
gestion than my pills or draughts." 1t then
proceeds to tell how. In many points, the saw
age excels in culinary skill civilized professod
cooks and hotel chefs. 1t asks. what does the
feet 'kabab p" This sounds ominous. until it
is seen that n "kabab" consists Of alternating
squares Of fat and lean sizzling on a skewer.
Maine guides and woodcutters excel in this
very preparation. 1t derides Americans. be-
cause they cannot make an Oriental ,pillau.
fragrant with cinnamon and jewelled with
raiaina II Amaripnna aYnal in ANYTHING n 10