The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-05-16
MEATLESS
DINNERS
Restaurants Feel the New
Vegetarian Wave.

"It is surprising" said the mana
ger of the restaurant OF an up town
hotel, "to notice how quickly people
take up a new fad. Since the rise in
the price of beef and other meats the
papers have printed great deal about
the desirability of vegetables and
cereals and fruits as food in place of
meat.
''The result is that our orders of
late have taken sudden turn in the
direction of the meatless menu.
Some of the persons ordering vegeta-
rian dishes do so merely as sort OF
Joke or fad, but others look on the sit
uation seriously.
GA doctor who dined here with
party of friends the other evening or
dered an, entirely meatless meal for
them and they expressed entire salts
faction with the dinner. This physi-
clan, who inclines to vegetarianism,
declared that cereals fruits, fish, eggs
and vegetables will constitute the
food of the future Sat the same
time few people take naturally to a
purely vegetable bill of fare as a
steady thing. Of course it is always
novelty to try it and 80 some people
like the experiment.
mo matter how nourishing meat
less dishes may be people like to eat
things that taste we'll and it is diff
cult to make dish without meat,
have any real satisfaction in it. On
the other hand very delightful meal
may be got up with one meat dish
and all the rest of vegetables, fruit
and pastes, cooked cleverly. But 1t
seems as though there must be at
least one dish that has meat in it.
''Some cooks you know beat about
the bush in regard TO vegetarianism
by adding meat essences to dishes
Italians have ways of cooking their
various pastes by adding meat stocks
and broths that give the meat flavor
with out the actual presence of meat.
"Certainly it is quite possible to
dine very heartily on a dish OF
spaghetti alone. But the real Italian
method of preparing spaghetti calls fol
quite quantity of beef or veal
broth.
Z = Americans attach too much i'm
portance to meat in the dinner menu.
In nv country, France, we appreciate
the necessity for meat, but we als(
make a feature of the soup, OF the
salad and of the dessert.
ssBut Americans certainly eat TOT
much meat. Many persons will cal
for two kinds of meat and will omi
, fish, even when the most delicious hsf
, ia in season. Nuts that are Away
r served with the dessert on French
! or Italian table will rarely be calleC
J for by the American diner, although
|, he will order cheese with mis- coffee
, HThe banana is one of the fruit
| that have had great boom In popu
nourishing vegetables, a great deal O
bread. considerable wine and fruit
with plenty of grain.
s "They wax strong and healthy OF
these foods, while their teeth anC
t hair remain good long after the time
that the average American part
: with these two possessions. The ex
8 cessiye use of meat, l should judge
: has a great deal to do with the earl.
3 decay of teeth in this country,
: SIN India meat is not extensively
: used. Fish and fowl take its plac
cooked with the famous curries OF tn
: country. The natives OF India ar
3 unusually good looking as rule the
: are rarely fat. Their eyes and teet
l are always fine. They assert grea
beauty making pOWO1S AOI IAOA
curries and they disdain the excessiv
= use of meat.
' "We shall serve one vegetaria
luncheon next week to party Q
s women. The dishes served will no
9 only be of the vegetarian sort but tn
! decorations will be all OF the spr FIJI
@ vegetables instead of flowers. In
! fiayors and the ices will represen
j vegetables and the menu will be print
ed in gold upon flexible green leathe
g card edged and shaped like grape
t vine leaf.
g tThe candles will be green and tn
. shades will represent inverted iettuc
J heads. The salad will be OF mlnce
0 green vegetables placed in the centr
g Of a cabbage whose centre has bee
scooped out. Soft shell crabs will b
v the only food served that is nc
r strictly of the vegetarian order, a
q thought here vii be wines, furits an
d ices in plenty.
d VThe beauty of dinner or luncheo
d can be made much greater with dishe
That are without meat. Given a
C artistic cook, it is possible to max
: of the various cereals perfect pictur
Uo~Iz CY1n