Evening star., 1899-04-15


cry experts of the gay French capital NJ.
Ernest Docquet, chef des cuisines of the
late Baroness Hirsch, is president, while
the vice president is the celebrated Roths-
child adviser, Henri Vasseur- In their pri-
vate capacities neither Of these gentlemen
would speak for publiestioa AS officers
of an international salon. however, they
saw no reason why theyshould not give ex-
preston to some matters that are resting
heavily upon their conseiences.
Yes, monsieur declared NJ. Docquet,
1.-The culinary art is undergoing a crisis at
the present moment in Paris, caused by the
irregulai.ity OF the dinner hour. People no
longer know how to eat, and they do not
eat. Formerly dinner was one of the prin-
cipal events of Well-ordered life. In we'll
kept houses the guests made it a point OF
honor to arrive punctua1ly, and the chef
made it point of honor to serve them
nothing that was not perfect. One of my
old employers, M. de MorteThart, kept this
tradition to the last At O'clock sharp he
sat down to his dinner. If his guests had
not arrived he sat down alone. But they
rarely arrived late, because they knew his
habits and feared his stern reproaches.
These traditions are dead with him, and
they are replaced by the most appalling
disorders. In the greatest houses of Paris
1t is as helter-skelter as a clerks pension.
Dinner is announced for {: 80. In reality il
commences at 8, at $50 and even at S:45.
And meanwhile the meats are drying and
the sauces are thickening."
In Too Big IA Hurry.
'If they would only eat TRANQUILITY when
they do get to the tablet 1t was now the
Rothschild chef that spoke. "If they would
only eat TRANQUILITY and decently when they
get their forks in their handsr' said the
great Vasseur. But no! They are in too
much of a hurry. They swallow it down.
They are late for the theater or for some
other social function. They hurry the
cooks, they frighten the walters, they are
hustllng on their hats and cloaks and coats
while they are still chewing the last bite
1t is something almost unbelievable but at
the Baron Alphonses, where l serve they
nave been known to get through fifteen
courses In forty minutes. 1t is disastrous
for the health and very uncomfortable for
the servants"
state of affairs?" l asked. "All this will be
news to Americans. We have always been
accused accused. of hurrying: and are only now
learning to take our time"
The Rothschild chef answered categori-
caliy. 1T Is the American and English
2,o'clock tea fashion that ls running the
Parlsian dinner 1t is the fault of the
ladies! As late as few years ago Gun
Of tea and little dry cake We're sufficient
for them. They had their 5-o'clock at 4
O'Clock; nowadays their 5-o'clock begins at
chocolate, sweet wines and punches: they
eat sandwiches, pates de foie gras and cold
meats. Their stomachs filed with indisest
lble foods, they come to the table without
appetite, and this is why they make the
dinner hour continually later"
Prizes for Cookery.
At this point M. Docque was called away.
and did not again see him. We had been
sitting in the presidents office, a large
room on the second floor, wherein three
clerks were working at the distribution of
prizes, filling up diplomas, answering COM
plants and inquiries and allowing them
selves to be interrupted every moment by
new visitors. M. Vasseur excused himself
frequently. 1t was evident that he had
great deal of work to do. A clerk would
come up to him. No. "a desires to know
If he has obtained a prize he asked re-
spectfully, referring to an open letter in
his hand.
The vice president consulted his list "He
has no prize!" he answered, severely "His
ballotines de yoiailies are execrable He
appears to have put sausage meat into
them toz
And No 75?"
Tell him that the jury has given him
gold medal. Now this No. 10" remarked
for his conscientiousness and his taste
His poularde Renaissance-which YOU
might have seen exposed in the Hall No. 3
downstairs yesterday before we ate IT
was remarkable for it's seasoning and the
pretty way in which it was dressed. That
young man will go far. He has gifts'
l asked his name, out0Df politeness The
vice president did not know it. I'VE only
know the exposants by their numbers" he
said. When once all the prizes are given
out. the envelopes are opened and the
names are declared During the last days
of the exposition their cards may be at
tached to their eXhibitsAif the exhibits
have not already been eaten by the jury
In which case?" l asked.
''In which case they are permitted to
make a second exhibit, replied the Roth
schild chef with benignant smile.
A Brilliant Gathering. 8
1t was, of course, my object to get this
important parsonage to talk about the au-
gust table that he served He evidently
misunderstood me, urging my attention
rather to the things exhibited In the halls
which he now took me through On this
triumphal arch l was presented to cooks
of great merit and high place, the chef of
the Duchesse d'Uzes, the chef of the late
Felix Faure and the chefs of the restau-
rants VOisin and Paillard, all officers or
1urymen of the International Culinary Sa-
lon. Ever since tic A:ac iccn new spapers
made so much of Joseph, when he came to
be the Vanderbilt maitre d'hotel at $4,000