The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-18
HINTS FOR EPlCURES.
Spanish Dishes That Are Most PaIa-
tabIe-Hot Courses Served,

Sidney Smith, when he said my idea
Of heaven is eating foie gras to the
sound of trumpets," probably never had
the experience of a Spanish breakfast.
In fact, no one without this experience
could have his natural prejudice to
Spanish cooking overcome. To know
what the Spanish-s speaking people eat
and how they eat is possible only to
those who have lived among them in
their own country. 1t is at the well to
do, middle class homes of the people
that all the old customs and dishes are
to be found.
The memory of a breakfast in Lima,
Peru, or in Valparaiso, Chilli, In a real
Spanish home, will sharpen the appe-
tfte of any one who has ever enjoyed
1T, and a senorita of real Castillian
type Is especially charming at the table,
especially so when with her dainty
fingers she picks up a sweet morsel Of
food and puts 1T to a guests mouth
And guest would hardly invite criti-
c1Sm II he made so bold as to kiss the
tips of the fingers for so great a COM
pliment, although a strictly fastidious
person might not approve 1T as the
highest form Of table etiquette. Break
fast Is not served until II o'clock, and
as one takes his seat at the table the
senoras and senoritas are present in
their white gowns with their long
black hair hanging in two loose plaits
down their backs. Greetings are ex-
changed and then breakfast begins.
First. a soup, called chupe, which is
made Of kind of crab, is served Then
comes fruit. The next course is broiIed
corbina, which resembles fresh mack
ereL Then follow the more substantial
foods-friend bananas with poached
eggs, lamb chops Dreaded or beefsteak,
with fried potatoes and lettuce salad,
or ham and eggs. Antique, a native
dish, is served at the same time, and
this is compound Of red peppers and
potatoes, made so hot that the tears
will start from the eyes of the novice
as he swallows 1T. Then come rice and
picantie. another fiery dish, its chief
component being mustard or curry
Coffee is next served in tiny cups. The
breakfast ends with claret and cigars,
the women not only lighting the cigars
for the men, but cigarettes for them
selves.
One Of the common Spanish dishes
known as bacalao a la Visclaina, is
dry Goldfish, prepared with a rich red
sauce. the foundation Of which is red
pepper and tomatoes. Pescado is a
common dish, but INDUCED in most in
the Lenten season 1t is simply fish.
generally served with some elaborate
sauce, usually mayonnaise. Sometimes
it is prepared with oil and baked. An
other dish is frito, which means a fried
food, usually brains, sweetbreads or
croquettes fried in olive oil.
Cacido puchero is a dish that may
mean any one of several different
foods, since cacido puchero really
means boiled in an earthen pot" ALA
cacido puchero is a dish composed of
some kind Of meat Spanish peas and
other vegetables boiled in an earthen
pot. Garbanazos, which are univers-
ally on the dinner table, are the COM
mon chick peas. And, as at break
fast, soup is the first course, one kind
being la sopa de ajo, or garlic soup.
1T is made of water, oil, red pepper
well ground, and a little garlic Slices
of bread are also put into it, and often
poached eggs. 1t is a favorite dish
with all classes, and is considered the
thing to give anyone who feels a tit
tie seedy from the night before" Ell
arroz la Velenciana is a dish made of
rice, ham, chicken, sausage, cookies.
tomatoes and red peppers In some
instances saffron is used in place of
tomatoes. Gazpacho is a refreshing
stimulant, 1t being composed of raw
cucumber, onion, tomatoes and lettuce
hnely chopped up and passed through
a sieve, there being added to it oil,
vinegar, water and bits of bread.
There are many other Spanish dishes
Which might be spoken Of as kitchen
secrets" all of which are palatable at
first or by acquiring the taste in a
short time