The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-21
A Virginian Page for Each Member of the Family
CREOLE COOKING
by FREDERIC ). HAsKIN.

New Orleans is probably the only
American city where cookery is still
a fine art. The Cuisine Creole may
not now be as splendid as 1t was in
daye "befo. de wah,' but 1t still re-
tains enough of its former grandeur
10 deserve the rrspectruf constusra-
ton of any discriminating gourmet.
New Orleans is curiously divided into
two parts--the upper, or American
section. which presents no special Diff
fercnces from any other American
city. except in the extent and beauty
OF its gardens; and the lower, or
French city, which lis bit of Europe
set down on United State soil, and
doesn't resemble anything else in the
whole country. In the former section
the Cuisine Creole fiourishes
sporadically If at all: in the latter,
1t Is still to be seen. IL not in its
original perfection, at least in a very
interesting state of preservation.
There is nothing particularly dis
tinctive about the equipment of the
Creole kitchen. The Creole cook.
however-the real Creole cook, who
grows rarer day by day--is a fat old
negro woman. with sleeves rolled up
to her dimpled. ebony elbows and a
bandana twisted picturesquely around
her head. She has no science. Her
recipes are ''jes' pinch o. dat" and
.erbout a spoonful er dis" and Yer
ttets It bfle FER er WHILE" but with
such crude methods her genius for
cooking finds expression in some of
the most palatable dishes that ever
smoked before q gourmand.
The one relic of the old regime OF
the continental breakfast that OBJ
tains In New Orleans is the breakfast
served at Begue's and Tujague's.
These are names 10 conjure with in
New Orleans. Regues is a restaurant
ever saloon near the French mar
ket Originally the proprietor served
an early morning meal for the
butchers of the market, Gascons all,
| and connofseurs of meat: then
artists and newspaper men began to
| frequent the place; and so by degrees
came others, until now the IL A. NJ.
table d'hote of NJ. Begue is crowded
daily, and one must bespeak a seat
at the board long In advance. Tuja-
CUES is a similar establishment. where
| the old continental dejeuner may still
| be procured.
| or typical Creole dishes the frs.
/ is, of course. the gumbo. The name
| is known outside of New Orleans, but
not the thing itself Its origin IL moi
| known. In one sense ii is soup,
| but il is not prepared as soups are
| 1t Is essentially a thick brown gravy,
made with onions. parsley, okra and
trfour. the hour Drowned on the stove
! till almost burnt. This gravy should
have the consistency of a stiff paste
There are scores Of different kinds
! of gunlbo, but the foregoing is the
| one feature common to them all. BY
I adding file or the powdered leaves
| of sassafras. the celebrated "Gumb6
| File" Is produced. There Is also the
"Gumbo-aux Herbes,p which Is pro.
! duced by emitting the file and sub
stituting bay leaves, thyme. sweet
marjorarn, sorrei. mustard leaves
cabbage and spinach. These herbs are
boiled in the aforementioned thick
brown gravy. mbo-aux-Herbes II
not considered q fat dish. and con
sequently- Is feature of the Lenter
menu in Catholic New Orleans.
Gumbo can also be made of oysters
era bs, shrimp, ham, sausage, or OF