The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1903-06-12
'.EPICUREAN MARVEL.
Four Birds Legs Served at a Cost
of Fifty Dollars.
Dish Sufficiently ID e1iciOus to GLADDEN.
the Heart of the Most faded
Epicure-Other Expensive
Dishes.

Epicure-Ofher Expensive
Dishes.
The most expensive dish in the world
consists of the fat legs of four small
birds, rare and expensive, no bigger
than juvenile pigeons, inclosed in a
quail, which is placed in teal, itself
wrapped inside capon. goose, the
latest and tenderest parts obtainable,
and a fine turkey also play important
parts in the preparation of this dish,
but the four small legs from the in
side of the quail alone are served up,
the other birds being employed to add
their flavor to that of the four legs, in
which duty they are assisted by liberal
basting with rare wines.
This dish is said to be sufficiently de-
hcious to soften the heart of the most
callous epicure, but, of course, the
greatest thing in it's favor is its pro-
hibitive cost. 1t is occasionally served
in a certain London restaurant, and a
single order costs about $50, says the
New York World.
Peacocks' tongues form the basis
of another fashionable DISH and,
though they are sufficiently expensive
for most people, it is really the things
added to them and their treatment
which make the dish so costly. 1t takes
a dozen peacocks' tongues to make a
dish large enough to be clearly visible
to the naked eye, and such dish would
add anything from SIS to $50 to din
ner bill, according to what other deli
cacies were employed in creating"
the dish.
Turtlefn soup is yet another choice
course calculated to allure man into
the banruptcy courts, though its cost
is comparatively trifling, enough to
cover the bottom of soup-plate being
obtainable in many hotels for mere
bagatelle of $40, unless it has been
elaborated, as it often is, when it oc-
casionally runs to $40 per head on the
bill. Brd's-nest soup is not yet really
appreciated by westerners, despite the
fact that it is even dearer than turtle.
Probably the most expensive soup
to be had is that for which the tai
ented-we were almost writing in
SDllcQ -ClGl VI d L d1lS lCs ia III q ii Y
is noted. Much mystery Gas is usual
with French dishes) exists as to what
it is made of, but one of the chief
cons tituents is woodcocks' legs
stewed very gently until the flesh
falls off the bone. The resultant
liquor is then allowed to cool, equal
portions of two wines are added, and
then it is ready to be prepared in all
earnestness. 1t costs so francs every
time.
The tasteful art of being a genius
of a chef seems to consist to great
extent in getting the smallest por'
ton of food out of the most costly
bird or beast in such way as tC
effect the greatest possible waste.
A dish invented by Paris chef In
honor of dinner given to an actress
by some of her admirers consisted OF
the most delicate portions of 81
geese, ten turkeys and some wood
cocks, prepared in a sauce obtained
by stewing the tender meat of foul
sirloins of beef, and leaving only the
turkey element to be served up with
truffles. The cost of the course was
$500, not because of what it consisted
but because of all that was wasted
in its preparation.
1t is on the cards that truffles will
soon be as questionable as onions
since they can almost always be OBJ
tanned for SIS a pound, and no che
has yet discovered any part of then
so much better than the rest to ex
cuse wasting half and doubling the
price, though chefs nearly always
have waste" of any kind to do will
as they will.
Epicures of 20 years ago used tt
relish a nice woodcock, snipe, OF
capon, but the modern epicure would
not deign to eat more than the mos
delicate portions of any of thos,
birds, and thus while they are rarel
than ever more are required to make
dish, and so the cost leaps up
There is small and infinitely deli
cate species of the sturgeon callet
the sterlet, which was very mucl
favored few years ago. Now, how
: ever, the higher epicures will onl,
touch its roe as caviare at $40 time