Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-16

Raw, raw, raw.
The mighty bivalvc. known as the
oyster, is now being served regularly
at the hotels, restaurants and chop
houses.
While each season brings us some
thing new in the culinary line, or rel
egates to the past the obsolete, some
class of foods which have long held
high place in popular favor. that most
gentle beast and quiet. the oyster.
never loses his place in the esteem
of those who have once learned 10 en-
joy it. Yet there is no food that suf-
fers more, perhaps, from bad cooking
than this dainty and delicate mOllusk
When one departs from eating them
au naturel. which is the most desir
able and approved method, they must
of necessity lose much of the enjoy
ment, as the piquant flavor is lost in
heating them.
Cooking Advisable.
Cooking may be advisable when per
sons are unaccustomed to eating the
oyster and feel a decided objection to
partaking of any animal food in its
raw state. Or when one obtains them
in inland places to which they are, as
a rule, transported in bulk and open.
In this instance, and especially when
they are chilled by keeping a large
piece OF ice in with them they may
prOZe fiat. stale and unpalatable unless
they are served in some of the many
dishes devised and employed to give
ioty- in thnT,,
to the palate. But whatever method is
employed. unless the very greatest
care is employed. cooking will render
the heterogeneous matter they contain
tough and insOlubIe, making them very
difficult of solution in the stomach.
Next to eating them raw, the best
method is TO steam or roast them in
their shells. eating them as soon as
the heat forces the shells to open.
Dressing SPOIIs Oysters.
The custom of dressing up" the
uncOOked oyster with a deluge of con
diments. acids. scasOnings. etc, eff
fectually destroys all vestige of their
delicacy. and is purely American,
though most objectionable to those
who. living near the briny home of
the native" has been bred on this
class of sea foods and eat the salts"
direct from their watcry beds with no
other dressing than their own natural
juice. which contains considerable
amount of phoSphOric acid. To COM
plete this simple but delectable feast,
crisp celery and brown bread. in thin
slices. is served The nutritive value
of the oyster is extremely small and
in order to get the daily allowance
of nitrogen from this class of food
alone one would have 10 eat an enOr-
nous quantity. This fact does not
lessen the value of the oyster as a
most agreeable addition to our meals.
but rather increases its worth. as
they may he served as accessories to
more substantial meats without max
ing too great an excess of all foods;
or they may constitute the principle
dish. without other meats. when a
light repast is required. The soft part
of the oyster. which forms the great
er bulk. is the liver. In eating raw
oysters. the liver ferment is allowed
to act upon the glycogen stored within
that organ. so that the oyster is, in q
sense. self digestcd.
seldom Eaten Alone.
The oyster is seldom eaten alone.
except by invalids and in case of
chronic Illness. when loss of appetite
is a marked feature as we'll as inability
to digest the heavier and more cOncen-
trated forms of nitrogen foods.
When cooking the oyster for the sick
It should be merely warmed sufficient
ly 10 make it more acceptable if the
raw state is Objectionable; tCt re-
member that the heat may destroy the
digestive fermcnt and long cooking
will render the oyster almost or quite
ndigestible. according TO the condition
of the digestive functions. For the
weak or invalid always remove the
hard muscular part.
When oysters are 10 he cooked il is
not necessary to use those of finest
quality. as the flavor is. in great
measure changed. and larger. coarser
oyster will answer equally as well.
The luxurious little aristocrat of the
tribe mOlusCa should be selected only
TO grace the banquet table where mas
tiers of eloQuence may pay it inspired
IL ri