The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-10-22

how to go to work. From the hours
of 8 TO ~ and from IL TO 2 the i'm
perial kitchen is a scene Of inspiring
activity, and there are frequently 800
men at work under NJ Kratz.
Breakfast is served to the imperial
family at S-a simple repast of eggs,
tea, coffee and fruits. The little
Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Anas-
tasia and Marie drink chocolate at
breakfast. Always on the table Of
the car may be seen dishes of As
trakhan caviar and also the pate de
foie gras of which he is so fond. Lun-
cheon is served as early as IL O'Clock
with salads, soups, cold meats, ices
and dessert. But these are, as II
were, mere hors d'oeuvres before the
most elaborate dinner served as early
as ) o'clock. II is this great meal
which calls for the army of cooks and
employees them practically the entire
day. Between 1890 and 5 8 vast
rray of plats is set out on the kitchen
counters, and the inspecting major of
the imperial guards comes on duty
and samples With religious care and
vast gravity every dish on the menu.
But before his set of morsels is
served NJ. Kratz himself begins to
taste, and after the strange poison
ing" interval has elapsed the dishes
are placed in an electric elevator with
a closed shaft. into which the military
officials are locked. and up goes the
lift to the ante-chamber of the i'm
perial dining-room. Here again the
major on duty samples the dishes
under the eyes of the car, after
which the imperial family sit down to
dinner. No dish ever served on the
cars table is permitted access to the
save through the ele-
vator shaft. Thus the food can in no
way be tempered with save by the
cooks themselves and the military
officials on duty. 1t was said at one
time that the imperial family of Rus
STA sat down to their meals in din
ing-room of cast iron and steel, Sc
cure as a great bank vault. This is
probably exaggerated, but undoubted-
ly elaborate precautions are taken
against the casting of bombs even in
the palace itself.
As to the dishes served at dinner,
they are many and strange, for his
imperial majesty is a gourmet of fine
and discriminating taste. This does
not prevent him, however, from eat
ing queer national dishes of Russia
After hors d'ouevres of caviar and
pickles there are large quantities Of
"bortch,' or cold soup brought on,
several hot and cold roasts, four or
five entrees of divers nationalities
hot and cold poultry. game and vege-
tables, hot and cold puddings, ices
cakes, champagne, hot tea and vodka
The car rarely misses a dish through
the whole menu, and displays remark
able fondness for the cold soups. At
the end of these family dinners an
elaborate confectionery piece montee
is seryed-a most elaborate piece Of
AdhSg oSuipeuAV W Wv oAeaoea~ 49,
perial confisseur. Sometimes it. may
an ice castle built on the
Neva, glistening with frosted sugar
and lit with electric lights.
Or one evening it may be a colossal
double-headed eagle of imperial Rus
STA, a huge sweet-stuff doll, or even
a portrait of some celebrity. This is
always admired by the little grand
but IL is broken up after
a minute or two and fragments of II
to the children. The num-
Der of courses on the menu Is always
the same, except, of course, at state
banquet. when there may be fifteen
or eighteen and a vast variety OF
wines and liquors.
On such occasions, however, the
enormous state banqueting chamber
Is used, and none of the imperial
family appear save the car himself.
N. Victor Hirtzler, one OF the sous
chefs at Peterhof, estimates that 500
men and women are employed in the
kitchen of that palace, exclusive OF
the wine cellar staffs.-W. G. Fitz-
gerald in Town and Country.