The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-12-27
THE ROSE AMONG ROOTS.

IN 1.-The Feasts OF Autolycus" we
have this in praise of the onion
THE secret of good cookery lies il
the discreet and sympathetic treatment
OF the onion. For what culinary mas,
terpiece is there that may not be i'm
proved by it? 1t gives vivacity tc
soup. life to sauce: it is the poetic
soul of the salad bowl: the touch OF
romance in the well-cooked vegetable
To it, sturdiest joint and lightest stew
crisp rissole and stimulating stuhine
look for inspiration and charm-and
never are they disappointed. But woe
betide the unwary woman who would
approach it for sacrilegious ends II
life holds nothing better than the onion
in the right hand, 1t offers nothing sad
der and more degrading than the onion
brutalized. Wide is the gulf fixed be-
tween the delicate sauce of a Prince de
SouDise, and the coarse, unsaVory sau-
sage and onion mess OF the strand
In all the vegetable world there are
perhaps none so unjustly maligned, go
unfairly treated, or one that possesses
so many medicinal qualities as this
embodiment OF gastronomic virtues.
True the unadulterated odor is strong,
penetrating. and as in the case of our
common onion. scents the atmosphere
even to rankness, especially when used
with unframed lavishness. which exag-
gerates it's virtues until they become it's
gravest faults.
Do not attempt to cultivate a liking
for the onion by beginning with the
favor of garlic, the strongest of the
numerous onion family. But train the
taste as you would the eye unaccus-
toned to brilliancy in coloring, and
lead up from the milder species-such
as the Spanish onion, which may be
likened to soft-toned gravy, to the
"ividly-flavored favorite of Provence.
The spirit of the onion, which pervades
the atmosphere 50 pronouncedly, is due
to the volatile oil, the sulphide OF allyl.
In cooking, the greater part of this is
driven off; but there are other COM
pounds containing sulphur. which re-
main, so that the quality, which is a
strong medicinal agent, is not lost.
The value of all foods are very great
ly determined by their flavor. The food
may contain sufficient amount of nu-
trients, but il 1t possesses little or no
flavor, its value as a common article
OF food is lost. Organs of taste, when
quite normal, are able TO distinguish
a great number of different fiavors. So
sensitive are these organs that they
almost Invariably become vitiated
through constant Indulgence in highly
seasoned cookery and injudicious uses
of condiments and piauant accessories
1t Is just as possible to cultivate TO a
very fine degree these sensibiitles, as
1T Is to deaden them, ana many fiavors
exceedingly distasteful to an individual
at first, become very pleasant after u
time. When the food containing these
fiavors possesses dietetic value, or the
compound which contains the favor is
known to be medicinal, the cultiyat ton
of the sensory organs concerned in
their appreciation should be attended
10. In cuitivating the sense OF taste
one must not overlook the fact that
The sense of smell is almost INSOFAR
able from that of taste. This is made
very apparent when the functions of
the nose are suspended for time.
Many of our so-called tastes are really
the appreciation of odors alone, and
others are combinations of both taste
and smell The food that is enjoyed
with the keenest relish is that which
appeals to both Deprive meat of it's
tiavoiing properties and ii viii soon be.
come so distasteful that It will produce
nausea. The natural flavor produced
in yeast bread Is complex and very
@ greeable and for this reason does not
cause safety from its constant use.
The shallot for use In havoriDg
and salads, is favored more b;
those OF very refined tastes, as II gives