Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1906-09-06
WILES OF THE CHEFS
BANQUET TIOBlTS ARE NOT ALWAYS
WHAT THEY SEEM.

WHAT THEY SEEM.
"a Cod and French Cook Can Work
Miracles" - The Breast of One
"Chicken" Has Been known 10 Sat
isfy Twelve Hungry Diners.
1t has almost passed into a proverb
that many of the dishes served up In
cheap restaurants, where nothing is
wasted, are, to put 1t mildly, mysteries.
But, on the other hand, most people
who patrOniZc fashionable and more
ambitious restaurants are generally
content to accept the menu for what 1t
IS said to be. This blind trust is some
what abused, and the amount of FAX
ing which goes on today in sOme Of
the well to do establishments would
probably surprise those who are un-
initiated in the higher branches of the
culinary art.
For instance, by the addition of veg
etable juice just before being dished
up cod outlets are, at seasons when
salmon is very dear, set before Gus
toners as salmon outlets and are,
needless to say, charged accordingly.
This deception, according to an ex-
chef is wisely practiced not only in
better class restaurants, but also on
some of the great liners.
Another popular trick as practiced
by the restaurateur is to serve veal
beef done up overnight in salted band
ages, while a skillful chef has very
little difficulty in palming off flatfish
for sole on epicures who pride them
selves on the soundness of their judg.
ment of cooking.
On one occasion some time ago
dinner for scventy-five people was or
dercd at we'll known fashionable res
taurant in the upper part of New York.
\ large consignment Of salmon had
been previously ordered. but, to the
CONSERVATION of the chef, the dinner
hour slowly approached and still no
salmon arrived.
In despair the chef, Frenchman,
decided to take the bull by the horns"
and procure another fish to do duty for
the coveted salmon. Accordingly he
sat to work to turn cod outlets into salm-
on outlets, and this rapid transforma-
ton was soon effected by an addition
of vegetable juice. The walters, who
naturally were aware of this whole
sale deception, were given express Or
ders to report any complaints to the
chef at once. However, to the intense
delight of the chef, all passed off well,
and ON hearing that his subterfuge had
not been detected he gleefully ex-
claimed, "Ah. n cod and French cook
can work miracles"
Green peas at certain seasons of the
year are naturally a luxury quite be-
yond the reach of the man of average
means, while even caterers for fashion
able hotels themselves frequently have
the greatest difficulty in getting suf
| ficiently large quantity to meet the de-
mand However, to fake peas does not
offer any great difficulty in times Of
stress, and by adding vegetable color
ing matter yellow peas are quite com
monty served up as green peas along
with the duck and havorless new POI
| tatoes, which more often than not
come from abroad.
Roast veal served with n thick white
| sauce makes says a well known chef.
a most satisfactory substitute for the
breast OF chicken, and therefore it does
not come altogether as a surprise to
learn that the breast of one chicken
has been known to satisfy twelve
hungry diners.
The staff take good care of the
breast Of n chicken" was the comment
OF a waiter who was being for the first
time initiated into the mystery of how
to feed n dozen people off one chicken.
Perhaps the clcyerest deception prac-
ticed by eminent chefs is the art Of
manufacturing the lobster patty, so
dear to the heart Of the epicure. This
appetizlng dainty would at first sight
seem to defy even the most ingenious
cookery fakir However, here again
the artful chef has overcome apparently
lnsupcrable difficulties, and many tooth
some looking lobster patties are thus
not always quite what they are said
| to be.
The deception is worked In this way:
A common crustacean is boiled and the
meat carefully chopped off and put into
a mortar, while afterward part Of the
shell is added. The mixture is then
vigorously pounded as fine as possible,
and on the addition of flavoring 1t
would tax the powers of the most
critical cona,isseT to detect any DIFF
| ference between the gasronomic mix
| ture and the genuine lobster patty.
1.-THE various deceptlons | have told
you Of" remarked a famous chef TO
the writer, are naturally not prac-
ticed every day, but are only utilized
In times of emergency, and these emer-
gency moments arrive more frequently
than the trustful customer would like
did he but know"-New York Tele-
| pTaDh