The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-07-12
From the Baltimore Herald.

An eccentric epicure of former genera tion once taxed the ingenuity of his cook and the complacency of his friends by in vitng the latter to a dinner consisting exclusively of sauces. An excellent con somme was served as agrayy sauce" and was enthusiastically commended by the diners.
 This was followed by tureens of oyster and lobster sauce, and, assuming that there was no stint of the main ingredients, 1t is possible to imagine these compounds doing vicarions service for once in way. But though the gamut of the sauces Is inexhaustble in it's various combinations. the appetites of the guests faded before their rapidly succeeding allurements The dinner was a failure; not, however, as might be supposed, from the actual want of a provision which the sauces would have abundantly supplied No; 1t failed by reason of the breach 1t made in the
 nstinctlve Association of ideas. Beginning to be pleased with the novelty of oyster and lobster thus served, each guest tried his best to regard It as sub 1 stantive dish But the effort could not be 1 sustained; the mind went astray in search of the old predominant partner. No soon- CT were the oysters pronounced unsur- passable than the absence of the codhsh was unconsciously resented; while the gourmet who opined that it's fellow sauce was made with a first-rate hen lobster would have given caldron of it for plain slice of turbot.
 Such Is the eontrariety of men and of meats
 From this contrariety, however, springs the whole doctrine of gastronomic affinity. l Nearly every culinary relationship Is I founded on or has to reckon with It. It may be said, indeed, of most of the al dances of the table that they spring from mutual antiquities. These. of course, did not seek each other out but what agency brought them together? What epicurean synod sanctioned the union?
 This Is the reason when lamb and mint sauce meet in annual renewal of the long plighted friendship. But who was the genius responsible for their first introduce ton to each other? Was he a gourmet, a l philosopher in apron and cap. or simply l level headed man in culinary affairs-a born taster and contriver? Tussett de- scribed and Corbett blessed mint sauce; but the statue of it's great inventor is still in the quarry. Two of It's constituents were creatures of use and tradition in very ancient days, and though sugar Is compar-
 
 accepted union with the others is quite venerable. And yet the great three would seem to be incompatbles
 | Nor do they in fact at once combine upon the palate The sour the sweet and the aromatic retain their several powers to tantalize and delight. But theirs is no | platonic alliance. The absolute blend and true affinity Is discovered only with the concurrence of the succulent mouthful of roast lamb. This saucg so radically and 1 completely our own, is perhaps as near l perfection as such a compound may be- Perfection Is mostly the prerogative of Ht- tie things but mint sauce is not little thing-especially in view of the consump- | tion of It.
 MT. Samuel Weller's sententious de- scription of happy medium of worldly prosperity bears the sign manuel of that most practical of philosophers. We eat our billed mutton without capers, and don't care for horseradish when we can get beef" But the exception only proves | the rule, and we break 1t as seldom as possible. Horseradish would seem to be antagonistic to most eatable things; but from time beyond Knowledge It has played harmonious second fiddle to the sirloin l There is q long and honorable record of the union which time only appears to ce- ment more effectually This again is a i blend of essentially opposite qualities. and | there is a touch of magic in the drop or two of vinegar which adds a greater zest to the alliance.
 But the boiled mutton tradition is of l gentler character. Of course, our an- eestors were only too glad to get unsalted mutton to 'seethe." and were quite de- lighted to make shift with the sole sauce of their appettes And yet there ls-deny IL who cana certain prosaic tameness about plain boiled mutton which makes it an uneventful dish. But who can ques- ton It's immense popularity? To be sure, 1t Is domestic, of quiet habits and of sterl- ing worth; but it harbors no surprises and was sadly in want of piquant ally The active and intelligent caper had long stood by; but 1t belonged to the great botanical family of the "Spurges." an acrd and un- 1 certain stock barren of most kitchen | graces. The little caper, however, proved to be a happy exception; and 1t Is not too much to say that the man who first civilized and picltled him. introduced him to the butterboat and elevated him 10 the l office of the chief attendant upon the white gigot of the saucepan, was genius whom we unconsciousy honor at duly re- curing intervals.
 | Thus, in the kitchen nearly every dish has it's prescrlptive accompaniment: each nominal chieftain its special attendant to do obsequious service. Between them the | closest affinity is established and in al- most every instance the link of sweet | reasonableness is the common bond Mod | ern fastidiousness is. perhaps. inclined 10 | question the validity of few of these old 1 standing relationships, but with no par | tcular success. The salmon has been called upon to justify it's natural leaning | toward the cucumber. and there is a whis- | per of a determined attempt 10 depose | fennel in favor of green gooseberry as the mackerels body servant But we may be pretty sure that the old connection will be | maintained and that for the best of all | reasons Again. what a judIcious adven- turer in the tabeand of plenty notes 1 or may we say. marks down'-a dcli- cately Drowned tcint of roast veal or even