The sun., 1901-11-03
TASTE In. COOKING or TO-DAY.
HEAVY DINNERS AND MANY
WINES No LONGER TIE RULE.
Lament Of Casinlir. Famous Paris Chef.
ON the Tendencies OF the Timcs-New
York Chefs Features Of the Cook
Ing Now in Favor In America.

Paris In lamenting the retirement Of
Casimir, chef Of the Maison dor, a res
taurant long famed for its good cooking.
Casimir has served two generations OF
epicures. He has prepared dinners for
Princes, for famous men and women OF
all nations, for grea, statesmen, great
beauties and travelling Americans.
The old chef declares that the modern
generation are degenerate diners; that
fine effects In cooking are no longer appre-
ciated; that good wines are not drunk as
they used to DO. and that there Is no in
spiration for the artists of the cuisine.
Ii Is fact that in the last ten years or 20
there has been a great increase in the
simplicity of dinners. The series of wines
that used 10 be correct has practically
gone out Of fashion, and one wine is now
usually served through repast or per-
haps half the courses that were formerly
regarded as necessary.
Chefs and epicures generally attack
this new fashion, declaring 1t to be a Gull
nary crime. They insist that the fish re-
quires one wine and the roast another: an
entree calls for third and the salad and
finishing dishes of dinner absolutely
demand a change in the glasses. But with
the decline of heavy dinners. the list of
wines has been shortened.
While chefs lament the new order OF
things, physicians generally declare II TO
be a decided advance toward the health
Of brain and body. The race OF epicures,
they say. has declined and died of with
gouty diseases and liver complaints.
The old-time dinner was more Of a de-
bauch, they say, Nowadays dinner IL
only a prologue to some more intellectual
or artistic pleasure, a visit TO the theatre
OF to a dance.
Heavy drinking has happily.gone out OF
date with heavy eating. and the new race
promises to be all the more interesting
and capable Of achievement. Refinement
has declared impossible the old fashion
by which the ladies al dinner retired with
the coming Of the port wine.
Casimir. however. was an artist and as
such his passing is deplored. In Paris
and in London the chef Of a restaurant
speedily becomes famous and makes the
acquaintance Of his apprcciative patrons.
In America the steward and the head waiter,
even. eclipse the chef as rule in their
personal prominence.
Casimir tells OF an occasion when the
elder Dumas invited him to dinner for the
pleasure of discussing with him the mys-
teries of the cuisine. And he tells Of another
time when the MARQUIS de st. Georges em-
braced him for invcnting soup that after
ward became famous a. potage Germinv.
Joe the East Indian chef who long cooked
curries at the Savoy and afterward at the
Cecil, has many handsome jewels pre-
sented TO him by foreign potentates who
were pleased with his dishes. Proudly lac
displays a set of gold buttons bearing the
coat of arms of the Prince Of Wales and
given to him bv King Edward before the
death of Queen Victoria.
In Now York few chefs ever gained the
prominence and fame of the late Charles
Ranhofer. who long presided over the
kitchen of Delmonico's. Ranhofer Was
practical cook. thoroughly master of his
profession.
He was typicaly Frenchman, and had
the rosy complexion and twinkling eve
that accompanies good living. He always
wore a cap and apron. both spotless, and
had his ofice in the old Twent y-sixth street
kitchen. with innumcrable speaking tubes
cunnected with the dining rooms upstairs.
He personally prepared zach days menus
and overlooked the preparation Of the
different dishes. lie never lost his sc nse
of taste. a. many chefs do. and he could
detect the exact shad" OF nayOring that
was needed to perfeci a sauce
when a banquet was served Rsuhof"r
worked with zeal. concocting dishes each
a rna-teruiecn in Itself and vet a harmonious
nart Of the whole II was hi- care and pride
10 see that all gam" bird served were
cooke,i to- a." exact d"grc" of perfection.
Filipini who pr,--rdcd iiauhIfer had a
recn-d N tWaptY-fye wears with That fam
ous house. heiug associated with II Ia it,
Gr,t fortunes d,WutJWu ns methpds
ver, of older ami more elaborate fashion
ia the way Of fayuriug. and lu The inNcuIlou
Of new methods t0r th" cooking oi fish he
was geiius
oocupy the old Delmpnico place. has gained
fame for hI- dishes. en- CussfrJi' llir
c,oking embrace ihe French and several
Italian and German methods. which h"
mute ia pra'fioe ou special occasions
Iu London the chef ~ th- different
r.-tauFarts are n anstiuug. hctj'r known
than ln pari-. They are '"u-uii"d per
.nnAlIy and 10y lrit"r b"fpr a dluu'f is
giyru, ana receive many gii'- 'r'W '"''f
fatIuus
IA rh. New Nurk clubs the ch.f- F,i
more attention tlan lu th" "-tauiauir
~. rhef ~ ih" piau 'Iuh o. ''-i's1l'd
lIghly t,r he H,hi's 'iu'ui- aud 10 '"u-
.tartIN luN riI lug usN d-II'r
4 NrN Nlfi1 NlI Nt- made u 'lIro
-tuty uf crIkiUF 'ilplt hsrr AMI abI'ad
-siI in rgari to No" tH-i.v "i 'n' l.'-".i
gt'n ration
~ hiir moi ~ tn. r,.'H.l,i ,iiruH.-
4f Today .lll atp- WifH Eastman. Iir tIliI.
D-|u ,uh hardly A.. alt Is.l 'H ,uTfi'a
uIph hoe uHNrf bHtrif Huh 'lhr - go
rups -iuiiaf tu tir ~ ~ isiifi"p aud Pare
g. Amsrisa 90 have tstu'si q iIsiii'fIt
4. Il . n