The sun., 1908-06-21
PLAN COOKS DAY is HERE
NEW WORKERS NOW CALLING
,FOR SIMPLE FARE.

French Chofs Out OF Favor with Tnose Vine
Can AFFORD Tnem-Fancy Dishes Eaten
Chiesly by the Hurriod--womsh Cooks
Preferred TO Men--Good, says q Doctor.
The manager OF the employment agency
which makes a speciality OF supplying
cooks TO persons able to pay high prices
| for them put the letter down on his desk
and began to enter its, requirements on
blank.
sJd like TO know what the French chefs
arc doing for work nowadays.' ho said.
sHere "a the fourth application for cook
that we have received to-day. They all
came from big houses and this one was
from Newport.
SBut nobody wants man and nobody IL
any more anxious for the kind Of cooking
that the Frenchmen have always been
famous for. A good plain cook is what they
all are after.
aIn one way or another that has been the
special feature Of all the orders We are
getting this year. II will be cook who
can make dishes good but plain. or a 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
Il don't know what all this enthusiasm
for plain cooking means the manager
went on, sunless II IL that New Workers have
rot 80 much into the habit OF going TO
hotels that they want at homo the simplest
| things that can be prepared. This sort OF
cooking does not interest a chef, and there
Is therefore very little demand for the men
cooks.
People know that chef will give them
everything perfectly plain for a short time
and then in sudden burst Of remorse
at negleoting 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
Rout. For that reason French chefs arc
not in demand.
my patrons have more confidence in
women. 1t is not question OF salaries.
I don't think that consideration enters
into their plans at all. 1t is merely the
desire to get good plain cook"
1t was to find out how widespread this
desire for plain food was that a, Sun re-
porter went into the little Office Of hotel
steward who with the chef makes up the
daily menus for the customers that 90 10
the resta urant for luncheon and dinner
"There is no use denying the greater
demand for plain cooking even here
the steward said, although we naturally
feel it less. There is always talk Of this
kind In the summer. and some Of 1t comes
from the fear of poisoning.
1T is hard to. convince New Yorkers
that any lobster. for instance. is as good
as a plain broiled lobster, or that any kind
Of fish Ia as good as when il is plainly boiled
and served with maftre dhotel sauce
Of parsley and melted butter. 1t may
taste. but New Workers. will believe that
broiled porterhouse steak Is better and
more tasty than any other way OF cooking
1t. no matter how many trufhes, cepes. red
peppers or champignons you may mix
Sow dont s adme that liking for our
beef, our fish and above ali our lobster
plain, indicates any lack OF cuisinary de-
velopment. We are one Of the few nations
in the world that can afford to take our
food 80 plainly, for the simple reason that
IN no other country iB the natural food 90
aThe Frenchman never does anything
with his 1angouste, which corresponds to
our lobster, but to eat 1t with some nnayon-
naise sauce. He does not allow a cook
to cover 1t over with herbs, shrinps and
other exotic condiments, because the flavor
Of the langouste In it's original condition
Ia too fine to be tampered With.
that Is in reality a rather III simple i'm Iss sauce. a
They simply fry 1t. That Is because sole
is one Of the few fish that are really good
In France, and its taste should not be do
stroyed by adding ingredients that take
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 n.esniSre
Is in reality not rich or highly favored
addition to fish and consists chiefly Of
butter. The way Of cooking trout most
popular in France consists In putting the
trout into water and boiling it.
"As to the preference for plain dishss
over more fancy mixtures the steward
went on, Il can give you one rule which
works with us and with most Of the restau-
rants know OF. The entrees that are ready
for guests and are wanted in hurry, the
fancy dishes among them, are taken by our
for them unless they are ready.
II he has the time to order a dish and
wait until 1t Ia well cooked he will take a
flet. roast duck. a broiled SQUAD, spring
chicken or some such plain meat"
Other hotel stewards told The Sum re-
porter Of the same state Of affairs. New
Workers are just now eating simple dishea,
that is to say the best Of food. but well pre-
pared and simple, when they take the trouble
to order dinner. When they take what In
on the menu before them It Is likely to be
the fixed up dish prepared by the hotels
for their hurried customers.
AThe hygienio side Of the new rago for
simple food must not be overlooked said
q doctor who was asked what tho effect
OF this change ON the health Of New Yoskers
might be. Lots Of persons are learning
that In simple food lies relief from many q
the ills that people have suffered from.
"Gout doesn't come only from red wine
or champagne, nor does obesity come only
from sweets and liquor. Both these COM
plants are from eating rich food as much
as from anything else, and 1t In owing to
their knowledge OF that fact that New
Workers. have developed their fondnees
for eating food that 10 good in itself and
does not depend for its taste on the additions
of the cook"