New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-09-21
SOUTHERN COOK PREFERRED.
Negro Nanny Exported to English Estate
to Prepare Famous Dishes of Virginia

tr1 estate OF an American who has taken I'D resi-
dence in England shows the appreciation accorded
to the excellence Of dishes prepared by tie native
nanny" Of Virginia. While Of late the French
chef has almost ousted the Southern cook in the
kitchens of wealthy Northerners. the fact remains
that the South is still preeminent in the preparation
of certain dishes such as birds, from the wild
turkey and the canvasback duck to the quail hot
breads and beaten biscuits. terrapin and turtle,
oysters and other fish native to Southern waters
The French chef. master Of sauces and OF pas
tries as well as OF delicious soups and the various
decorative dishes that play such spectacular part
in the modern banquet. is always at a loss when
it comes to the method Of cooking typicaly South
dishes
on the other hand the negro nanny is quite as
much in the dark as to the exquisite niceties OF
favorng, the production Of velvety consistency and
color effects in bisQues and icings. and the mys-
teries of casserole dishes peculiar TO the French
chef These facts go to prove that cooking is after
all an art that cannot be mastered by the study Of
text books alone.
The French chef in England is equally handi-
capped in the making Of English dishes. England
remains faithful to joint, the pudding and the
uncovered pie that it calls tart It's menus are
solid and far too plentiful for either the American
the French ideas. More than that, England is
very short OF fresh vegetables and fruits, and is
only beginning to take to the timed variety.
Sooner or later the American traveller thinks
with longing of the humble New-York chophouse
where certain degree Of crispness is obtainable
in steaks and chops quality missing in the Lon
don meat dish, which comes TO the table under a
huge metal cover that keeps il steamy and moist
AID hot, but never crisp and bubbling-
The London fruit and vegetables seem to be
without SAVIOR. Even the mammoth strawberries
that astonish Americans are lacking in taste, and
from potatoes to parsley there IS peculiar watery
vapidity that is not found II the products OF any
other country. The French chef who goes to Lon
don with laurels thick upon his brow finds his
first difficulty with the bread and pastry. He can
not produce the same crlsts and brooches as he
did in Paris He is hampered, TOO, 9y the Ineasre-
ness OF market products, with the single exception
Of fish. Naturally, therefore. he sets out an array
Of hors doauvres which almost compensate for the
other courses.
The Southern cook is more independent Of ell
mate and market supplies than most chefs The
French cook especially cannot work without IN
Vulnerable pastes and wines, pans and pots ana
bits Of this and that to add 10 the various pIats'
while the negro cook needs little besides butter
pepper, salt. lemon juice and onion But her chle1
aid the of the fire. the open grill OF RED not
Goals being her favorite altar. Even with the ny
ing pan she can conjure wonderful results with
chicken and oysters, she uses instead Oh ldFuS
and fats, the finest butter
The idea that butter need not be IN the pest con-
dftion for cooking is similar to that aTfu! economy
that declares an egg 1eo negro g NANNY ignores
this idea when she is handling dozen plump quai
or a celery fed canvas back For tlese eNe 0o-'
siders the best is none too GOOD o- broad cannot
true that Southern not corn DIeetO
be produced by even the pesJ OF co .I Tar+bern
ordinary cornIneal purchasable IN the MOI ILle I
are in the habit of having their cornmeal sent IN
quantity from the South in bags, careIuy -
England is foreshadowed by the success OF EOS, POS
TOM ton man an T b sa He Hg aT9 its windows with
soapstone slabs set over gas, on which men WIN WIN
served coffee made in the American style. and in
the short time his estab1shnent mas Deeh IuAli4is
ne has managed TO acquire a fortune. 49,, aisb
Visitors staying at the big hotels IN the neign-
borhood frequently VISIT ms pace for ~ IN
spite Of the fact that his lunch room has gained
gather to view the window spectacle, and that in
terfere with traffic. Frequently bobby is
order TO dispense the crowds.
ton OF breakfasts, her methods do not lend
themselves so effectively to what is known as
way Of making coffee is better than the French fl
terng plan. At one of the most famous New-York
hotels old fashioned coffee Is made the coffee being
boiled in linen bag and allowed to settle after 1t
L-ar9 "a ( sarJa5 and cream fs sert to fhe table
with ii in preference TO boiled milk good South
It IS by attention 10 such small details that the
Southern cook produces her effects. The addition
Of onion to the dressing of a canvaSback duck
is apt to shock the tastes OF those who esteem the
element. But the duck cooked in the South and
served with the Southern honliny is always voted
better than that TO be had in any other part Of the
Baltimore has the credit Of producing some Of the
recipes for the preparation Of oysters extremely
Of ten cooks will overdo oyster, just they
overlook small birds. but the Southern method
allows the oyster to boil up just moment IN
the milk Then the pan is removed from the fire
and the butter and seasoning added The dish
may be allowed TO stand on a hot range for 4 few
minutes. but the actual cooking ceases after the
first boiling up of the milk
Baltimore is also responsible for the oyster ONE
let, not often seen on Northern bills Of fare. Six
oysters are stewed in their own liquor for Ave min
utes and then removed. The liquid is thickened
with walnut Of butter rolled in -four, seasoned
with salt and cayenne and beaten to a cream.
The oysters are then chopped added to the sauce
and sin2nered until it thickens. Four eggs are
beaten lightly, q tablespoonful Of cream is added
then turned into hot pan and fried to a golden
brown. The oysters are folded within the onelet
before It is removed from the pan, and the re-
naming sauce poured around It.
English oysters will never produce the
dishes that Southern oysters turn out easily no
matter what cook prepares them. The peculiar
English climate does not add TO The OF the
oyster. which also seems suffer from the lack
Of refriEeraring facilities.
The other fish so plentiful on the Other side-the
sole the whitehall salmon and rurbot-haYe a bet
ter favor than American fish, and the English
cooks nave mastered the secret of frying them to
a dry. crfsn. golden brown that makes them far
more appetizing than the meats