Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-13
FOUND AMERICAN
FOODS CROTESQUE
German Man Of Letters Says We
Eat Too Much Sugar-De-
scribes Weird Dishes.

20 study social conditions, is man of
letters and in his own country ranks
higher in n literary sense than many of his
b untrymen who visit the United States.
It was to be expected therefore that he
would carry home valuable impressions OF
life here, but he seems to have been
Impressed chiefly by the crudities of the
cuisine.
To him American cooking is so gro
tesque and naive a gastronomic system
that his ridirule of 1t lies in the least
serious fields Of buresque. As a conclu-
sion to all he observed here he thinks
Americans want everything so sweet that
a frequent visit to the dentist is inevitable
From the coffee in the morning until the
late supper he finus that Americans must
have their sweet tooth satisfied or they
are unhappy. To this lack of develop
uent Of taste he attributes the excellence
Of the dentists and the appearance Of the
gold teeth which he was surprised to see
Just as often in the mouths of negroes n
In those of white eople.
1t is not easy to say in what kinds of
homes Herr Won Wolgozen studied life
here. since he finds that the domestic
service In the best houses is so poor that
It is difficult to get the dishes washed and
the result of this is the necessity Of
getting along with one knife. This condi-
ton he says makes it difficult to eat roast
beef, as the silver knives will not cut 1t
and there are no houses in which both
kinds of knives are found
He remarks that of all the roasts served
on New YORK tables, beef is alone possible
to eat. since lamb chops and veal outlets
are tasteless. Perhaps the most aston
ishing statement he makes in reference
~
received for dinner honey as a compete
Surely this is unique not only in his ex-
periences but in that of most New York
ers. Compete or stewed fruits are seldom
served in American families, but are to he
found on the tables Of Germans. so Herr
Won Wolgozen must have had this exper-
ience In the house OF some of his COM
patriots.
CHICKENS TALL AS STORKS
Game" he says in one place, lis much
more eaten in the United States than II IS
with us Poultry grows to the most i'm
probable dimensions there | have seen
chickens as tall as storks and as fat as a
poodle dog
The flesh of these abnormally large
beasts Is, however, not tender. and the
limbs in particular acquire an entirely
different character from the flesh on the
breasts. 1t turns brown and succulent in
the roasting, while the white flesh re-
mains dry and flavorless"
II Is evident that what Herr Won VOL
sozen describes as n chicken must have
peeh turkey. Some Of his other eX-
peIIehceS at table We're more remarkable.
"ut theE probably happened in a board
ing house, If they happened anywhere
tlot
served with sweet -four sauce. which be
finds very disaGreeable. since even ~, +b,
inner houses the servants will not wash
the dishes and it is necessary 70 cot
every thlnR on the plate with the chicLen
and the sweet sauce
He says that in his boarding boueo or.o,
soup piece OF fish was served N hin,
about this plate from which he was SIM
posed to eat the fish were laid many
9naIl dishes containing vegetables. chick
en- and various combinations Of veceta hles
and meat. He was compelled to eat thosa
~ the ilsh plate and liked only potatoes
which baked In their skins he found do
HciouS He observes with the air of q
futhorlty that all the fish from the At
Iahuc ocean are so poor that only the
river ana fresh water fish are regarded as
worth eating
RlDlClLES OUR SALADS
90 not thinK,' he said, that there
" III the three kingdoms of nature any, |
'n'hs mat is not TO be found in an Amer
ca" SaIad' The groundwork of this is |
-"hhPosed OF two or three large green
caves oh THESE Is poured oil mixed with |
N"esar' ana mere arises more or less !
ttrlkihs structure of all impossible sours
al,
tenders, liquid, edible and .hediblc OH |
lects.
I'm tlrst-class residence. in which tho
woman OF the house understands good
'oohlhg' Such composition, judging by
'"e TASTE ana appearance, | was able to
aralyze as follows: Two leaves of lettuce
with five drops of vinegar and oil on
them; on that a slice of fresh tomato. a
quarter of slice OF banana some white |
meat of chicken, some slices of rad,sh |
some timed peas ana carrots. n teaspoon |
ful of chocolate cream, and with n rum |
cake as the tower these seemed to be the
clements Of this salad. Such a culinary
feature was even served to me in a house
In which the lady could read her Keno |
phon in the original
In less cultivated families one is less
captious and uses in the preparation If a
salad those objects which are the more or
less sad remains of earlier meals: that |
Is, so far as they resemble any edible
product of nature. If there are no as |
paTHgus tips for Instance, one can use |
Il small walking stick, cut into thin pieces. |
since walking sticks in the United States
nave gone out of fashion. instead of tho |
ingredients Of meat one can use rubhcr
Rooshes, which are an admirable substi- |
tute for truffles. especial y when laid in |
rows and covered with brown sugar"
me NaHaries Of the fruit salad have
made that dish rather ridiculous in Amer |
lea, ana perhaps some readers OF Horn
Won Wolgozens criticisms may be movad
TO return to the sensible culinary rule of
the days in which 1t was thought n crime |
to mix mayonnaise dressing, Malaga
grapes and anchovies. It Is probably
quite true that the German author on
joyed such things in a house whose
mistress could read Greek. Mastery NJ
ancient literature probably made her
Indifferent to the trvalites of food Ct
to-day
But where did Herr Won Wolgozen dino
that he saw the fruit tarts, which he re-
marks are served here In place Of pud-
dngs and the apple pie put on the table
with small pieces of hard American cheese
tucked under their rims? Does that hap
pen In any homes? oysters and Holsters
he found very cheap In this country in