The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-08
SILK HATS ARE IN STRONG
 DEMAND IN NEW ORLEANS
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(CONIIN UED FROM FACE 1.) --,-~z4s-- --~->--~~- of famous cooks" who will prepare the banquet, has issued an order unique in the culinary career of New Orleans The cooks insist that special arrangements be made for the fish supply which consti- tutes the chief food to be made. Crabs and shrimp, which will come from Lakes Pontchartrain and Borgne, the out skirts of the city, must not be taken from the water until the morning of the banquet. Pampano, sheephead, Span ish mackerel and red fish must be alive within one hour of their delivery to the chefs. The oysters must be of the tooth some Bayou Cook variety and specially fattened for the occasion.
 Confronted by these insistent demands of the cooks, MT. Grunewald employed fully a dozen fishing smacks and oyster luggers, gave them special orders as to the character of fish they are to bring him. the, time of their arrival and the manner in which the fish are to be handled.
 Oysters Are Fed.
 He went further, and the day upon which the Creole banquet was decided upon ordered a sufficient quantity of Bayou Cook oysters removed from their natural beds and placed on large easily handled screens sunk at the mouth of Bayou Cook, where the infowing and out flowing tides are supplying them with many times the quantity of fattening foods they would get in their natural state. The effect of this is similar to the effect of "stuffing' a goose with fat tening food. Two weeks of this treat ment is expected to improve the oysters MT. Taft will eat and give them the ex- act flavor the chefs desire.
 A crab glace made of shredded crab meat highly seasoned and frozen in gel attn will be served as an appetizer in1- mediately preceding the dinner
 A gombo, made of crabs, shrimp oysters, creole, olxra, etc. seasoned in the highest art known to Louisiana cooks and cooked in the way that has added laurels to Louisiana; oyster patties the size of a desert plate; bouillabaisse, the kind that Thackery immortalzed after enjoying a New Orleans dinner; roast teal duck stuffed with shredded Louisiana oranges; salad of native lettuce with sauce made nowhere else in the world; wines the richer Creoles drink a brandy brulot burnt in great bowls in the dark ened banquet room over native fruits fruit sugar and rare spices and served with black drip coffee; cigars and a dash of old brandy drunk from, bowl glasses to secure the aroma. These are the lead ing items of the menu
 Decorations Are Unique.
 The banquet room is being elaborately decorated in native moss fish nets char acteristic of one of Louisiana's chief in- dustries, sugarcane, cotton, nuts. flowers, oranges etc. Thousands of dollars are being spent on this phase of the banquet alone.
 Arrangements are being made to serve 1000 guests, and because of the number customary form will not be adhered to. and all will be seated just before MT. Taft enters the rooms. -pon his arrival the 1000 hosts will rise and welcome him standing.
 &The after-dinner speeches will be very few in number, Governor Sanders and Mayor Behrman will speak and Mir Taft will respond. Cardinal Gibbons will prob ably ask the blessing