Evening star., 1902-09-15
A NAVY COOK BOOK
GEN. KENNEY'S MANUAL ON
FOOD AND ITS PREPARATION.
Volume is Expected to Help Do Away
With All Complaints of the
Food Aboard Ship.
Written for The Evening Star.

written for The Evening Star.
General Mess Manual and Cook Book,
United States Navy" is the title of an in
teresting volume, prepared by Paymaster
General kenney of the navy, designed for
the improvement of the system of subsist-
ence of the enlisted force of that branch of
the military service, with a view of remov-
ing all cause of complaint as to food and
it's preparation. The regulations were ap-
proved by the Secretary of the Navy, and
have been placed on every war vessel and
ship of the United States navy. The VOL
ume is neatly bound in canvas and is dl-
vided into three parts, general mess, COM
missary store and the preparation of food.
1t also includes recipes for standard ar
ticles of food, soups, meats, fish, bread
canned food and desserts of all kinds. 1t
is explained that these recipes are deduced
from a series of experiments made with
articles of the navy ration. Only such as
can be easily followed with the usual facil-
tiles found on board are given. the aim be-
ing to aid inexperienced cooks in the proper
preparation of the stores supplied bv fine
government.
These recipes include baked beans a Ia
boston and omelets, steaks and other sta
pie articles under a system adopted by a
Well-knoWn New York chef. The book tells
also how to bake pies make ice cream and
to prepare other well-knoWn dishes in the
culinary department.
On the larger vessels of the navy there
are usually three cooks one for meats, one
for vegetables and a third for tea and cof-
fee alone. There are also usually two
bakers, whose sole duties 1t is to look after
the making of bread.
The general messing system is by the
regulations, obligatory on board of all the
vessels of the navy. The mess must in
clude all enlisted men of the navy and
Marlne Corps, excepting chief petty Of
ticers and officers servants, and it's MEM
bers are to be divided into messes of about
twenty men each. and nearly as possible
messed by divisions instead of by ratings.
as mas heretofore been the Gust ON. By
TINS method the petty officers will be scat
tered among the messes and there can be
TO complaint on account of discrimination
all faring alike. ~
A mesSman is to be detailed for ga oh
mess, and he is to receive the food from the
cooks at the galley, serve it at the mess
table, and Is responsible for the care and
the cleanliness of the mess gear and mess
tables.
Ihe chief commissary steward or COM
missary steward, the cooks and the bakers
together with the storekeeper (when a
store is established on a ship form the en-
listed force of the commisSary department.
They are the assistants of the pay officer
and belong to the pay division.
The responsibility of the commissary and
his assistants ceases with the delivery of
the food to the messmen at the galley.
Tips Are Forbidden.
cred sufficient to secure the services of
competent and experienced men, the pay
ment of any gratuity either by the COM
missary or by the men themselves to any
person employed in the service of the gen.
eral mess is forbidden by the regulations
The commanding officer is to see that
proper facilities, including such boats and
men as may be necessary, are afforded the
commissary for getting mess stores on
n & n riNCrt
1t Is declared that the general mess is
not an organization managed by its mem
bers, as was the "berth-deck mess"
In addition to the pay provided for en-
listed men the government undertakes to
Subsist them, and this it does at whatever
expense may be necessary. The fixed value
of communication for ration is by law
30 cents, but the communication of rations
IS stated to be privilege, not a right and
the idea prevalent among enlisted men that
they are entitled to receive just 80 cents
worth of food each day or 80 cents in money
Is declared to be erroneous.
Under the general messing system the
government subsists the men entirely and
they have no more voice in the manage
ment of the commissary department than
in any other department of the ship. The
government, through its authorized officers
provides them with the ration allowed by
law. The food is purchased, cooked and
served entirely at the government expense,
and its value, whether it be more or less
eii''ii ~ NeHt9 PEI uIell per man, Is a mat
ter, says the paymaster general, with
which the men themselves have nothing to
do.
In case any man considers that he is i'm
properly subsisted he has the right, which
all persons in the navy have to state his
grievance at the proper time and place to
his commanding officer who should then
ause the commssary to investigate the
matter, and if the complaint is well found
ed to take steps to place the responsibility
and to prevent recurrence of the fault
complained of