Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-27
THE ART OF BREAKFASTING.
Citrus Fruit as an Appetizer-No
/ Place for Frying Pan.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
No two dietetsts are agreed upon what
to eat and, by the same token, no two OF
them are agreed upon when to eat.
BY common custom dinner has become
the principal meal of the day, but the GUS
tom itself is founded upon the habits of
savages and semi-savages and the detesta-
BILE practice of gluttony. Man is no longer
compelled TO follow the chase and kill~ his
food with his own hands before he eats it.
The vocations of civilized man do not re-
quire the violent physical exertion Put forth
by the skin-clad huntsman in pursuit of
game, and hence the former has neither eX-
cuse nor reason TO indulge in the gluttonous
feasts that marked the end of a SUCCESSFUL
day in the chase He does not tear his
meat like wild beast and gorge himself to
a repletion, uncertain where and when he
will obtain another meal. But he continues
in modified form the custom of partaking
heartily of food at the close of the day,
with extra indulgence at holiday seasons,
after the fashion of the Roman saturnalia
Without disputing the general opinion that
this custom has a physiological as we'll as
a historical basis, the arguments of those
speaking from experience who contend that
breakfast should be a substantial meal. and
that by cultivation it can be made the most
enjoyable repaSt of the day are at least
worthy of consideration
In the first place. they lay great stress
upon the etymology of the word breakfast
to breakfast, indicating a reasonable pre-
sumption that one who has been fasting
has some appetite for food. Secondly, they
compare the human body to machine, re-
quring power to be successfully operated,
and they contend that the time to supply
this power is when the machine is to be put
into action, and not when it has temporarily
ended its activity and needs rest. So much
for the physiological proposition involved.
The chief argument by which the break
IA hal converted n AR
epicurean. These arguments, of course, can
not apply in full to thousands who by rea-
son of their occupations are compelled to
tumble out of bed, dash some water into
their faces gulp down a cup of coffee and
hastily swallow few morsels of half-mas-
ticated food They are only for those who
arise leisurely, invgorate the physical sys-
tenn with cool bath and then bring the
rested muscles into activity by walk IN
the open air, filing the lungs with ozone
by deep inhalations.
That the art of breakfasting may be
practiced most advantageously and acquired
rapidly the breakfast room should be thor
oughly aired and the temperature as low as
comfort will permit. However bright and
brilliant the dinner service, the breakfast
service must be in quite subdued ttnts, the
only live colors permitted being the flow
ers, which are a valuable accessory.
He would be a rash advocate of the art
of breakfasting who would announce a set
menu, but upon two questions all disciples
of this art are agreed. First, that the most
paIatable and efficaclous appetizer is citrtc
acid, which is to be obtained from any cit
rous fruit; and. secondly, that the other
articles of fare should be products of the
chafng dish and grill. In the cultivation of
the art of breakfasting there is no place
nor function for the frying pan.
These in general are the rules laid down
by those who would convert the habit OF
eating breakfast into an art, subject to
qualiflca tons and notifications in individ-
ual cases. The farmer, for instance, who
lives mostly out of doors. engaged in phys1-
cal work, needs neither appetizing citric
acid nor dainty dishes in order to do JUS
tice to his morning meal, nor Is his relish
and enjoyment thereof greatly lessened by
the employment of the frying pan. On the
other hand, no amount of citric acid nor
any number of dainty dishes will ever dis
qualify the chronic dyspeptic for member
shin in the mo breakfast" club.
The advocates of the art of breakfasting
assert with confidence that the people be-
tween these two extremes may add much
to the JOY of living by cultivating the art,
and they are equally confident that the
time will come when the average person
can truthfully say in paraphrase of Sidney
Smith:
'Fate cannot harm me; have breakfasted
today.