Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-12-29
QUEER GERMAN DELEGATES
AMERICANS ARE BECOMING FOND OF
THE TEUTONIC FOODS.
Visit to Little Shop That Can Dupli-
~ tg
cate Any Dish or Dainty From
the Fatherland.

| From the Milwaukee Sentinel.
| 1t takes Teutonic nose to properly ap-
preciate the mingled odors of the delicates-
| sen shop and a Teutonic eye to really glis-
ten with pleasure at a glimpse OF its
| strange wares The American palate only
arrives at a real love of 6elicatessen by a
| triumph of experience over instinct, but
once arrived the Yankee is likely to Guido
| the very German himself in fondness for
| queer fish and queerer cheese.
| So 1t comes about that of the many who
| patronize the little shop on West Water
| street or the odoriferous stalls at the Ger
| man market, there almost as many
| Americans as Germans, and Milwaukeeans
| long ago ceased to apologize to chance call
ers for the fragrance permeating their
establishments on those occasions when
some new kind of picked herring has been
| tested and found good. At the shop in
| question are to be found not only all sorts
| of imported goods in the line of fish. cheese
and pates, but in an upper story white
| capped cook, with an accent as broad as
| her knowledge of German culinary secrets.
| WORKS all day filling the orders that come
| for special dishes In making ready the
fresh herring and potato salad that is al
ways kept on hand In the shop. She can,
| at moments notice, give suggestions for
| a German supper that the mind of the
| American bred hostess would never have
IHouSnt OF, ana Tor consideration she Will
undertake to put upon your Sunday evening
| table meal that outside of Milwaukee CT
| possibly New York could not be duplicated
| this side of the fatherland. Your guests
! may or may not like 1t. Their attitude will
| depend upon the education of their sensory
| nerves, but at any rate you VIII have es-
| tabhshed your reputation as the gfver of
| unique affairs and the make-beleve kar-
| tofel salad that your neighbor serves will
| be gagged at its true worth. The salad you
! will serve will be Of compound no Yankee
| cook would venture to initiate.
| A Quaint Place.
| The little shop is one Of the quaintest
| places in town. A pink-cheeked. fiaxen-
| haired girl comes forward to attend your
| wants and to chuckle audibly at the dis
may that seizes you as she lifts the covers
of certain tall glass jars.
you don't like it, no?' she says with a
I quaint German drawl. "If you will but
| taste it once you will not be disturbed by
| the SMELL
| So with an inward prayer to the special
| little god that watches over your hea tn
| and well-being you sample, timdly and
| hcpelessly, the dainty she holds out to you
! on the tip of the fork. The fear vanishes
| and something akin to joy fills your soul,
| for yen have experienced a distinctly new
| gustatory sensation. 1t may may not be
| pleasing. The joy in the sensation lies in
| its novelty
"A menu for a real German supper re-
| to a question: that is difficult. There are
| so many things to choose from. but if
| were ordering a real nice meal all savory
| and good tasting. I would have. for in
| stance, herring salad. a dish of head
| cheese, some hand cheese, a loaf of pum
pernickle strong coffee and beer. That
| would be a nice combination" and she
| smiled cheerfully.
| The herring salad, which Is one of the
dishes that the shop makes every day and
| keeps on hand for its regular customers,
! was really attractive in appearance. with It's
| furnishings of pink shrimps, green capers
| and curly lettuce leaves, and so. too, was
| the head cheese. done In a graceful mold
| and clear anG transparent.
| Herring IN All Styles.
| cit isn't necessary. however" the girl
| went on. "to have herring salad always.
| There must be herring in some sort-oh yes.
or it wouldn't be a real German supper. but
! there are many different kinds of herring.
! There is herring done in sour cream and
| mayonnaise dressing. 1t doesn't sound
| good but Just taste it. Isn't the comblna-
| ton nice? Then there are the picked her
| rings" and she waved a plump hand In the
| direction OF a row Of open jars There Is
| the herring that Is fried In butter and put
| up in spiced vinegar. the Rollmops herring
| that is stuffed with pickles, the Meri her
ring that is done in spiced vinegar and there
| are smoked and dried herring OF all sizes.
| A German supper without herring would be
| like-like-a--'
| But comparisons failed the flaxen-haired
| maid. A herringless supper masquerading
| as a typical German was something her
| imagination refused to compass. So she
| changed the subject and went on to talk of
| other things that may properly accompany
| tie useful fish. There were, for instance,
| dried cells with smooth. sl..ny skins. picked
pork tongues in bulk AM picked lambs
| tongues In little glass jars. There were
| spiced anchovies and dried goose legs and
| all the known variety Of 'wurst' from the
| pale gray "leber wurst" to the dark-coored
| blood sausage and thick slices Of dried
sturgeon and cod
"And there isn't one but is very good"
| said the faxen-haired girl triumphantly
Keep Cheese Near the Door.
| The cheeses were in cases nearest the
| door for obvious reasons. You were aware
| of their presence the instant your foot
| crossed the threshold and not for a second
| could you lose sight of the fact that they
were somewhere near, SO insistent was their
| fragrance despite due precautions that had
been taken in the way OF alright jars.
| There We're cheese from France and cheese
| from Germany and even cheese from Swift
zerland and side by side with tnese products
| Of foreign lands were the no less mighty
| output Of Wisconsin factories. There were
| cheeses that were small and green and
| Shiny and cheeses that were plump and firm
and white. cheese that was soft and cheese
| that was hard, cheese In tin foil wrappers
| and cheese in cloth covers. but never a
cheese that was not doing its best to add its
contribution to the atmosphere
Some of them do have strong SMELL
| said the faxen-haired girl serenely but
| it Is those that do taste the best"
Bes,.-es the cheese and the fish the shelves
| of the delica lessen shop groan beneath their
| burden of canned delicacies There are few
sweets. though all sorts German chocolates
are sold, chocolates such as you find
nowhere else in town, and which hold the
secret of the smooth. brown drink of Wen
ma There. were mushrooms dried and
canned, pates Of goose livers. chicken.
| turkey, partridge and anchovy, all ready to
be served on a bit Of cracker or a slice Of
toast. There were mustards Of French and
German mixtures and sauces of every de-
scription, and there were too great pals of
potato chips crisp and yellow, but these
were things that one can find elsewhere,
while you will search the town over to see
herring in as many guises or cheese of so
varied and penetrating a scent as is to be
found In the lit tie Idelicatessen shop that
caters to the cultivated German taste
And every day. said the girl as she
| opens the dooraand. politely bows you out,
come more and raore American people who
| nave grown fond Of the real German dishes
and know M hfrE tn