The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-05-13

tie balm maries. those shaky gas ovens
that look to American eyes wholly in
competent for the results demanded OF
them and then the range. apt as not
TO be gorgeouSly decorated with brass
and nickel work.
To such a man as this come rising
and gifted young cooks, who have al
ready got diplomas and caChets from
the academy course and well known
restaurant chefs, but who wish TO per
feet themselves in some particular
branch under a recognized genius OF
the day To enter one OF the great
mans classes. it is essential 10 be al
ready accomplished, and, furthermore
endowed with talent and ambition, Ior
BENJAMIN Constant, GerOme or Rodin
would no more think of accepting a De-
ginnner in their studios than would one
Of these independent chefs. 1eans or
really devoted labor and the conscious
ness of great gifts have placed him De-
yond the dTudgery Of teaching, and MS
income flows from his reputation.
To him the heads Of restaurants ap-
peal with liberal payments for designs
for new dishes. He cOmposes and sells
exclusive receipts, he goes to cafes at
certain hours during the day or night
and in the kitchen over his own paDIe
or stove, prepares just so many por-
tions of his special dish and the patron
Of the restaurant pays him well for
such services. Added to these sources
Of income, he edits cookery books Occa-
sionaIly contributes an essay to a Gull
nary magazine, and if one is clever
cook and cOmposes a salad, he VIII, IOr
a consideration, taste, crltlclse ana give
improving suggestions.
Gustav.
There is one famous specialist in
Paris, Gustav by name, who earns Sl5,-
600 a year by merely going the rounds
of a few restaurants every evening and
preparing a certain number of game
dishes at each. Days in advance
lover Of good food must leave his order
with the patron of the restaurant Tor
one Of Gustav 3 famOusly good ducks.
A date is then fixed when the gourmand
can hope TO enjoy the services Of the
gifted cook, and when the opportunity
to profit by the great chefs art comes
round an elaborate supper is the hitting
environment for the faultleSs duck
Down in the restaurant kitchen Gus
| tav himself touches nothing. He merely
! directs, standing like Napoleon at Aus
! terlitz, impassively regarding the pro-
| gress of the great triumph Of mind over
matter, and controlling the forces that
/ transform crude fowl flesh into dish
/ Of most exquisite SAVIOR. Often enough
| the evening rounds of man of Gus
! tav's importance include a call at
| private house for the purpose of pre-
| pairing one of his great dishes at side
| table in the dining room, right before
the eyes of the interested guests OF
! late years. having a notable COOK IN
TO do what Americans would call stunts
| st a grand dinner party has been one
of the most popular Partisan fashions,
The chef whether Gustav or another,
is apt to charge about los francs or az
! high as 200 francs, the equivalent OF
$40, for his services in preparing sin
gle course for table full of people. He
brings his own utensils and possibly his
own oven, one of those strange round
drum-.shaped French inventions to set
on a range or a gas frame and inside
which everything can be cooked from
the most delicate little cakes TO the
heaviest rOasts.
When a man is able to ask such
price as this it is easy to imagine that
his art is no mere fad, nor the Paris
ian love Of perfectly prepared food a
fleeing fancy. What he is most proud
of is the fact that he began his career
as a vegetable picker in a blouse and
sabOts, counting even at that age
dreams of some magnificent dish, an
original conception Of his own genius,
displayed at the annual exposition cul-
inaire in the Tuilleries gardens This
achievement viii bring him fame, a
blue ribbon and medals galore and with
that before him the French cook, if he
has it in him at all, invariably rises
He rises high enough sometimes to get
a highly priced bit Of red ribbon TO put
in his coat as did the chef of the Ely
see palace. who designated and execUt-
ed the great banquet for the car and q
: congratulatOry interview with his Rus
! sian majesty
But if he is a power for artistic pro-
greSS on one SIDE to these chefS and
their influence must be laid as well the
. accusation of retardinS the progress Of
{ mechanical kitchen devices
Patent appliances don't appeal tC
: these great men and they viii even 81
L so far as not to teach in cOurs where
:, such cOnveniences as meat grinders and
&c improved coffee rOasterS are used. II
= one hotel in Paris, the erection o.
= which was due 10 American capital, al
= the kitchen fittings were brought from
the United States in the hope of eXpe
diting and easing the work for the EN-
plOyees. One chef and his corps Of as
. sistants, after another was duly IN
q stalled and as duly and promptly re
|, signed the big ana paying job. ASSURING
= the management that no good worl
4 could be done with the American ma
, chinery. Eventually the old Fashioned
\ and clumsy French apparatus was re
- stored and the cooking went on to per
- lection. OF course, the reinstallation o
= the old regime required the employ
- ment of double as many domestics, Du
the result was cOnfessedly too good z
be ignored. That happened five year
" ago, and Paris kitchens are groWln
h more up to date at a. pace no taste
= than the kings Of the kitchen viii al
j, low. though the exposition is dom
~ wonders not only to convince the pow
4 ers behind the ranges Of the worth o
- mechanical devices. but to produce
n eventually, what has never been know
~ in Paris, a truly great woman cook.
~ EMILY HOLT.
er - MI.