New-York tribune., 1908-08-20
KITCHENS OF AUsrRIA's EMPEROR
Private One for Cooking His Simple Repasts
Others for Big Occasions.

Reforms may come from very small causes
The Emperor o. Austria walking one day
through the apartments leading from the state
banquet.ng hall 70 the kitchens and he noticed
peculiar snneI-an exceedingly disagreeable smell
Search was made. and there, in the folds OF a
beautiful silk damask curtain lay-vhat2 far
capon far gone IN decay The lackey sent 10 carry
II to tho royal table had decided that he wanted
that capon himself and had thrown Il behind the
curtain waiting an opportunity fetch IT, Chance
kept him going there again-a very IN
fortunate chance for the people who had been en-
richfug themselves on the royal cuisine. for tnis
Incident led to investigation which discovered
a regular system Of tapping the palace Kitchens
In former times says Julius Pohl in The Lsdy's
Realm everything done very big scale
in Austria's imperial kitchen. When Maria Theresa
took the Palace of SchOnbrunn from Prince
Eugene Of Savoy there at least twenty tons
of copper cooking utensils in the kitchen And the
amounts Of food cooked IN those ves-
selsi A very small proportion could be consumed IN
the royal dining rooms; the rest the perquisite
Of the servants who ate what they could and sol1
the remainder. Great were the scandals Of those
times. A court chamberlain who would permit
such doings now would be ousted in short order
The palace cooking was famous. and the Wen
thronged to the basement of the Hofburg eacn
day the leavings Of the royal table. just a.
to a market
stopped: only court officials were permitted 70
buy the banquet remains Still the public got
some through the medium Of a ''schunaus- -wabt
which is viennese for a vender Of jelicacies- This
enterprising schmaus-wabi old woman. visited
the Hofburg every day. and came away with a
miscellaneous lot Of expensive decacies. piled n
a huge wooden bucket she carried on her back
She did thriving business with frugal citizens
who wanted 20 dash and give fine suppers on
a small
Fifteen years ago she died. and one was al
lowed to succeed her. This and the correction OF
other abuses in the way Of waste in the royal
kitchens was due in great part to Emperor Francis
Joseph's discovery Of the spoiled capon
Nowadays cooking is done much less lavish
scale in the Hofburg Entirely kitchens have
been built there. and the work is done now In
scientific and systematic manner and with a
much smaller expenditure Of human labor. No
longer S a detachment OF infantry brought IN
gala occasions to carry the dishes from the
kitchens to the state apartments Instead. electric
elevators convey the food right from the kitchens
which are now directly under the anterooms OF
the banqueting hall. instead of long way OF, as
formerly-almost the Emperor's table
OF course. under these circumstances thievery Is
pretty difficult Now and then there are leftovers
TO be disposed It may happen that court ball
or dinner is put OF ar the minute. and the
mountains of delicious food must be disposed OF
or wasted. Then do the court officials and a few
privileged persons dine luxurtOusly on magnificent
venison rare fish and desserts that melt in the
mouth. which they have been able 70 Duy az d
nominal
Although his kitchens perhaps the finest In
Europe II little the old Emperor cares for the
delcacies of the palate Even in this jubilee year
the sixtieth year Of his reign when all manner or
petentates visiting Vienna and feaS1ins - the
order of day there. the Emperor keeps 20 MS
simple tastes, 'fBurgerliche the Viennese call his
| tastes meaning that they those OF the middle
classes From the ''MunGkuche-Hterally, mouth
krchen''-the monarch's private kitchen. no elaoo-
rate dishes come. What the Emperor likes Ior
dinner is something like this: a good nutritious
soup Juicy slice of boiled beef. with vegetables
and one glass OF beer If sweets are sent up BACK
they go; the sturdy old ruler will have none or
them
When the Crown Princess Stephanie and her
daughter the Archduchess Elizabeth, we're living
in the Hofburg sweets were in great demand and
the cooks in the pastry and confectionery kitchens
invented many a special delicacy for the afternoon
coffee Now those dainties not so popular al
court.
The immense festival kitchen is a marvel OF
culinary device Here. the six great stoves the
immense roasting spits and other convenlences
gala dinners for two hundred guests are prepared
and also for the two hundred equerries ana gen
tIemen-ln-waittng who dine at the narsnaI
table" Greater menus than these are prepared N
the festival kitchen. for at the court balls ths
STests number from thousand 10 three thOu-
sand and the refreshments all made ready
there.