New-York tribune., 1903-02-07

Present Times With History of It's Lltera. h.
Together with Some Special Recipes and Views
SonceTnns siRn me GeoTre H Or ElIWanser NJ A
octave, PIP Az. Doubleday, Page Co.
The kitchen is country in which there are
always discoveries to be made" says the Al
manach des Commands" Of La Reyniere, and
most readers will make discoveries in this book
From the days of Lucullus, who found fault
with his servant for sighting his solitary din
ner. 10 the English clergyman who uttered by
way of grace the sentiment that God hath
given us all things richly to enjoy; let us enjoy
them" there is much of the appetizing feast
about this record and discussion. The i'm
portance the high sense of dignity with which
the masters of epicurea nism have regarded the
table are typical of the deep sense Of propriety
requisite TO their painstaking taste The story
of Vatel who killed himself because his fish did
not arrive in time, arriving, was not so fresh
as it ought to have been, is familiar. Old Lu-
cullus had expressed the same frame of mind,
without its excitement. in his reprimand:
Il am alone" said Lucullus: whereupon his
servant thinking that $500 dinner would suf-
fee acted accordingly. At the conclusion or MS
repast his face flushed with the juices or Faler-
nian. Lucullus sent for his minister OF the IN
terror and took him severely to task. 1nere
were no fig peckers. and the priced spawn or
the sea lamprey was missing. The cook was
profuse in his apologies.
1T is precisely when happen to be alone that
you require to pay especial attention to the din
ner; at such times you must remember that
Lucullus dimes with Lucuilus.
Louis XIV, whom meet at table with
Porthos and D'Arta gnan, was in reality raw
enous rather than distinguished eater 1t was
to him that deputation at Rheims, on the
occasion of his visit in 1866. came with the
flourish: Sire. offer you our wine. our
pears our gingerbread, biscuits and our
hearts, Napoleon rushed his food as he would
a battalion on the battlefield 1t was under
Louis XVIII, by way Of contrast, that the
solemn Jury degustateur' was power to be
reckoned with. Charles II is credited with
knighting the loin of beef. DR.. Johnson was
prompted by Mrs. Classes Art Of Cookery
Made Plain and Easy to make the remark that
women spin very we'll but they cannot
make good book on cookery dictum which
would be disputed to-day, probably on both
heads Mrs. Glasse by the way, if she were the
author of the book as seems probable, is
wrongly credited with the axiom about first
catching the hare. That. Mr.. Ellwanger
points out is due to Beauvilers.
The dinner hour has moved so far across the
sun dial as to suggest that later days may find
US following the habit of the shark, who fire.
quently breakfasts at : o'clock tea and dimes
the following day. -Of the rabd animal says
De Quincy who is caught dining at MONDAY,
the homo ferus who affronts the meridian sun
by his inhuman meals are entitled to say
that he has q NAV, nothing resembling q
stomach A nation must be barbarous which
dned in the morning" Yet four hundred
five hundred years ago the English had dinner
at 10. Since then the dinner hour has passed
around the clock from 10 in the morning to 10
at night Pope found fault with Lady Suffolk
for dining so early 4. The author thinks
present tendency is TO put the hour too late.
Half-past he calls the most sensible time, and
a midday dinner on Sunday he soundly con-
demns.
There are many stories of Dumas III the book.
some of which have become more or less famil-
lar in recent biographies. Savarin appears. of
course. and is described rather heavy in per-
son. with way of inspiring certain contempt
as TO delicacy Of taste among his possibly teal-
Gus contemporaries. Bignon's restaurant in
Paris is here celebrated for the proprietor's
frank attitude high prices:
But these prices are marked in your inter
est" rejoned the restaurateur. 1t is the barrier
1 have established between my clients and the
vulgar.
Another patron who complained or a sauce
asked:
Did. you dine here last evening""
No he replied.
That is the trouble. then: you spoiled your
taste in the other restaurant
1t is interesting to learn that perhaps owe
the general knowledge of planked shad to Vice
President Breckenridge. and to come upon an
''Ode to the Mfnce-Pye," in the Year Book of
William Hone which met the appreciation of
Scott. Lamb and Southey- Upon reading such
a book as this one is persuaded to the position OF
Henrion de Pensey:
! consider he said the discovery Of a dish
which sustains orr appetite and prolongs our
pleasures as far more interesting event than
the discovery of star. for we have always
stars enough and / shall not regard the sciences
as sufficiently honored adequately repre-
sented amongst US until see a cook in the first
class Of the Institute
The book is pleasantly illustrated with re-
productions Of old title pages and frontispieces,