The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1908-10-16
PLAIN COOKS DAY Is HERE
NEW WORKERS NOW CALLING
FOR SIMPLE FARE.
French Chefs Out of Favor With Those Who Can
Afford Thsm.-- Fancy Dishes Eaten Chiefly
by the Hurled --Women Cooks Preferred to
Men, Good, Says Doctor.


The manager of the employment
agency which makes a specially OF
supplying cooks to persons able "a
pay high prices for them put the
letter down on his desk and began
TO enter its requirements on blank
"Id like TO know what the French
chefs are doing for work nowadays,
he said Here is the fourth appli-
cation for cook that we have re-
ceived to-day. They all came from
big houses and this one was from
Newport.
But nobody wants a man and no.
body is more anxious for the kind of
cooking that the Frenchmen have al
ways been famous for. A good plain
cook is what they are all after.
In one way or another that has
been the special feature of all the or
ders we are getting this year. 1t will
be cook who can make dishes good
but plain, or cook, preferably a
woman. who can cook meats and fish
we'll but plainly. Another patron
writes You know, we are tired of
mixed up sauces and such things and
want the best plain cooking.
II don't know what all this en-
thusiasm for plain cooking means, "
the manager went on, unless it is
that New Workers have got so much
into the habit Of going TO hotels that
they want at home the simplest
things that can be prepared This
sort Of cooking does not interest a
chef, and there is therefore very lit
tie demand for the men cooks
people know that a chef will give
them everything perfectly plain for a
short time and then i'm sudden
burst Of remorse at ncglcctinS all the
principles OF his art will treat them
TO "A succession of timbales, mousses.
purees and pates calculated to throw
them into chronic indigestion or
gout. For that reason French chefs
are not in demand.
"My patrons have more confidence
In women. It is not question Of
salaries / don't think that consd-
Grafton enters into their plans at all
1t is merely the desire to get a good
plain cook"
1t was to find out how widespread
this desire for plain food was that
Sun reporter went into the little office
of hotel steward who with the chef
makes up the daily menus for the
customers that go to the restaurant
for luncheon and dinner.
There is no use denying the great
er demand for plain cooking even
here" the steward said, although
we naturally feel IL less. There Is
always talk Of this kind in the sum-
mer, and some of it comes from the
fear OF poisoning.
'It is hard to convinc, New York
ers that any lobster, for instance, is
as good as a plain broiled lobster. or
that any kind of fish is as good as
when it Is plainly boiled and served
with maitre d'hotel sauce of pars-
ley and melted butter. 1t may indi-
cate very elementary gastronomic
taste, but New Workers will believe
that a broiled porterhouse steak is
better and more tasty than any other
way OF cooking 1t, no matter how
many trutiles, cepes, red peppers or
champignons you may mix together
in the casserole.
Now, l don't admit that liking
for our beef, our fish and above all
our lobster plain, indicates any lack
OF cuisinary development. We are
one OF the few nations in the world
that can afford to take our food so
plainly, for the simple reason that in
no other country is the natural food
so good
THE Frenchman never does any
thing with his langouste. which cor
responds to our lobster. but to eat 1t
with some mayonnaise sauce. He
does not allow cook to cover it over
with herbs, shrimps and other ex-
otic condiments, because the flavor
OF the langouste in its original condi-
tion is too fine TO be tampered with.
"Frenchmen put white wine on
sole, and that Is in reality a rather
simple sauce. They simply fry it.
That is because sole is one OF the
few fish that are really good in
France, and its taste should not be
destroyed by adding ingredients that
take away or change its own natural
flavor"
This authority mentioned trout as
another fish which French cooks left
In its natural state almost, or at all
events served with very simple sauces
The sauce meuniere is in reality not
a rich or highly favored addition TO
fish and consists chiefly OF butter
The way OF cooking trout most popu-
lar in France consists in putting the
trout into water and boiling it.
las TO the preference for plain
dishes over more fancy mixtures. "
the steward went on. Il can give YOU
one rule which works with us and
with most of the restaurants know
of. The entrees that are ready for
guests and are wanted in a hurry. the
fancy dishes among them, are taken
by our patrons. But no man ever
4hfpEg of ,oIIfu, 49,. A..