New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-04
84C0F INTEREST to W]OMEA 4|EE&@Es@e
Hifb Prices in France
They Are Met Not by the Utilization of Left
Overs But by Economical Buying.

Most made dishes are prepared from meat
cooked especially for them.
How then. does the French housewife
solve the problem of high prices? First OF
all she buys very economically and in small
quantities. SO that there are no leftovers-
Each morning the cook and mistress TO-
gether prepare the menu for the day inns
doesn't include looking over the ice box
for. first Of ell. there is no ice box-to keep
ice is considered as almost unheard-ot e1-
traVaeance-and secondly, il there were, IN
q we'll regulated household the Ice oo&
would be empty. The cook goes TO market
knowing exactly what she must buy for the
noon and evenin. meal, and almost to
sou what she is to spend In most cases SO
much a day is allowed fer the table
The French markets sell by the piece
mere often than 10y the pound Eggs and
chops are sold by the piece. and the COOK
purchases three. seven nine. according
TO the family needs for the day. If her
salad needs two tomatoes she buys two.
not pound or a basketful, as is so often
the custom here The French housewife
sees no economy in buying perishabie fruit
or vegetables in large quantities. for the
slight difference in the price Is more than
balanced by waste. Moreover. variety Is a
conspicuous quality n even the mooesi
cuisine and 10 repeat vegetable or frult
tuo DAVIS running proclaims a bad or
f,axperienced housekeeper This is prob
anl.- the real reason why the French refuse
to huv excant for The days consumption.
Another custom in France which leads
to economy is the fashion OF serving meals
in courses This is done in the servantless
household as well in The big establish
I.lcut Most Vegetables are so favored and
mako 2
and this * always true of salad Naturally
great deal of bread is eaten. Among the
working class a pound OF bread day
apiece is d., average estimate.
The servant cue tiCT exists in every
country and French housewives, ike house
.i1es al over ne world. are prone 10 think
he demands OF the kitchen in regard 10
food exorbit Mt Bot am inclined TO think
;he French custom Of providing separate
/ food for the kitchen works better than the
usage here which seems TO he 10 let the
servants help themselves to anything that
comes off the masters table. American
women say that servants in The average
! household would not he content unless they
shared the family food. but. on the otner
hand, one of the complaints of American
servants is that they haven't enough 10 eat
that what comes from the table is not suf-
'NtANi
| discarded pieces.
| In large French households the COOK Is
| generally allowed SO much money day Tor
| the kitchen table. and she is likely TO have
| a hard time with the other servants II sle
docs not give them what they are entftled
! 20 have When there are several maids the
mistress generally makes out the Kitchen
rnenu when she makes out her own, with
+ the cooks help.
/ French servants never expect 10 nave
] fowl fruit desserts or any expensive cuts
! of meat Custom allows them pound OF
| bread apiece, meat once day, a hot soup
| and vegetable at the meal where there is no
| meat. salad cheese and two litres OF wine
! a week Some mistresses replace the vine
| with g added to each monthly wage with
/ food of this sort served them fresh and hot
/ from the range after the FAMILY meal Is
/ ever the servants are content
I Considering the traditions OF a pientli vi
/ 1arder that most Americans have beeH
/ reared in il is not strange that economies
! in regard to food seem difficult TO them.
/ The French have been frugal for centuries
and feel pride rather than shame IN thelf
thrift.