The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-03-14
Worth of Good Chief
New York American.)

Some people are still astonished
when they hear that a good chef
draws a salary of $4,000 a year. 1t
CA easily be shown that a chef who
serves a large hotel may easily be
worth this sum or nor
Many New York hotels are paying
from $4,000 to $4,000 a year for
their chefs.
The good chef must be a naturalist.
an economist. a disciplinarian, a
butcher, a hygienist. a chemist. an
artist, a sculptor. and an aoicure.
He is a naturalist because of his
intimate knowledge of all kinds of
meat animals; birds, both wild and
domestic; fish. crustaceous and shell;
of fr"'ts. vegetables, spices, and con-
diments.
He must know in what season each
kind of food is at it's best: in what
country OF section it is produced.
He must be an anatomist, because
it is necessary to know the location
of every bone and joint in animals,
birds and fish which he handles. In
some dishes small birds, such as quail.
have all their bones removed, and this
requires y special knowledge of ana
tony.
He must be an economist, because
on his ability in this way depends
the p~roftableness Of the hotel. He
knows that potatoes. be they ever so
cheap. should be peeled with as little
waste as possible. A large hotel uses
about SO bushels a day, and the net
profits will be increased $4,000 to s4,-
600 a ear by a chef who uses .pota-
toes economically as compared with
one who doesn't.
Then there are cases where five
doze" eros will answer the purpose
! 0f ton Hn1nN rrnH,i1Ad <1,ox, - ~,o,
erly handled by the chef. and the dish
be in no way impaired. The same
principle applies --ilk, cream, but
ter. and hundreds Of supplies tina,
pass THROUGH the cooks hands daily
He must he a disciplinarian. he.
cause the success of the hotel depends
upon each man doing his work
promptly. If a banquet is scheduled
for a certain hour. it is impossible fol-
the chef to be overseeing every de.
partment at the same time. He mus,
have trained his men TO do their
work promptly without overseeing.
This kitchen disci-1ine Is vital. fol-
if anything is made ready too soon
its attractive appearance and flavor
are injured. If 1t is late. the trouble
is equally serious. Each course is
prepared by n different department
and must be finished on the moment
81 lIldl IL IldN Dc sent 10 Ine merry
~banuueters without interruption Of the
scheduled time Of service.
The chef in a great hotel has up.
ward of n hundred skilled assistants
with as many more unskilled ones
The skilled include sauce cooks, roast
cooks, fry cooks, pastry cooks, vege
table cooks. ice cream makers, con-
ftcioners, butchers, carvers, salad
makers, etc.
The chef must be a butcher. be-
cause he must know how to cut up
chops. roasts, stews, etc.
He must he a hygienist in order to
understand the dishes that will agree
with his patrons. In compiling a
menu he avoids bringing dishes to-
gether that combine badly. He mus,
understand. to take a simple instance,
that lobster and ice cream together
have a destroying influence on the di-
gestive ferments.
In storing foods the good chef
knows that raw fish must not come in
contact with iron or tin; that butter
or milk must be kept In separate
compartments. chees In another, and
meat in another, and extracts, olive
OIL. and strip must be kept in a dark,
cool place or their delicate flavor will
be impaired.
He must be n chemist. in order to
understand the nature Of food and the
process of digestion. He knows that
there is no healthy digestion without
fermentation and that the disordered
fermentation will cause ill-health.
Buttermilk, when taken into the
stomach, will create an entirely new
fermentation. The Tactic acid bac-
terra present in buttermilk will check
the disease.producing bacteria and
restore the stomach to it's normal con.
/ dition.
In the preparation of certain sauc-
es. including Bordlaise and piquante,
evaporation PLAYS an important part
in producing the necessary flavor.
Others. including Bernaise, Holland
aise and Mayonnaise. are made by
emulsifving the ingredients. II they
are not sealed at the proper tempera-
ture the cooks work has gone for
nothing.
A respectable soup is best made by
evaporation. The fresh cut vegeta
bles are placed in a saucepan to which
il added some clarified butter. The
pan Is covered Theoretically and plac.
ed over a slow fire. which extracts
the juices and the stimulating saltz
from the vegetables.
Ignorance Of the laws of chemistry
is Responsible for the tastelcss. beef
Soup so frequently. served.