Semi-weekly herald., 1913-09-22
WHAT FRENCHwOMEN THIK OF
THE HIGH COST OF LIVING"


Prices are not high. Why, in
Europe my mother pays so cents
pound for veal. 1t is the poor cook
that is wasteful"
This declaration came from
French woman, who is making money
here by serving delicious meals at
very moderate cost.
"High prices? Why, everything is
very cheap" she argued vivaciously,
but you Americans are wasteful.
Always you must have the big, big
piece of meat, but the juice--you do
nothing at all with it. You actual
ly think it bad form to roll your meat
in that wonderful juice. And your
soups-what an extravaganza"
1t is not what you pay for your
food, but the way you use it that
counts, she says. People who know
nothing of French domestic economy
come back from Europe praising the
cooking and the reasonableness of
the bills, but they think that both are
due to the cheapness of the food,
whereas nearly everything is higher
there than here. The difference is
due to the fact that the French cook
| never wastes so much as bread
crumb, and that the simplest dish re-
ceives as careful attention as kings
| dinner. Moreover, French cooks use
| a greater variety of foods than Amer
| leans.
The American housekeeper who
wants boiled dinner buys one of the
| good cuts of meat, the price of
which ranges from II to "a cents a
pound. Potatoes, onions and turnips
are usually boiled with the meat In
many households the liquid, instead
of being used as soup, is allowed
to boil away.
The French pot au feu is ma
tional dish and pillar of economy
to boot. To begin the cook selects a
much larger piece of meat than will
be used at the one meal, and the
cheaper cuts-the shank, the plate
and the shin--are used. These pieces
cost from to IL cents pound only
The meat is placed in a very large
! pot with quantity of water and al
\ lowed to simmer until half done; then
carrots and onions are put in together
with little bunch of herbs, tied to-
gether so that it may conveniently be
taken out. When all is done the cleal
liquid is served as soup, with crou-
tons, and the vegetables are used as
garnish for the meat.
A salad of watercress would be @
fitting complement to this meal
which might well finish with lit
tie guava jelly and cream cheese
There you have finely balanced
tasteful and inexpensive dinner. Bu
that is only the beginning of what
a French cook wouli do with that
pot au feu. Out of the remains would
come at least two more dinners, tc
say nothing of few iuncheons ant
suppers.
First of all, generous quantity o.
the liquid would be set aside for gen
eral use in cooking, for teaspoon
full of it added to almost any disf
gives just that touch of piquancy
which may transform tasteless bit
of food into tempting morsel.
Then for the next meal thick slices
of the meat are heated in cupfu
of the liquid, while some sliced onions
are fried in olive oil. When the on.
ions are nicely Drowned the meat i.
arranged on hot platter, the onion,
spread over it, the juice over tn,
whole, and a dressing of parsely i.
applied to the two ends.
1t would reappear as stuffing fol-
baked tomatoes, it would come on foi
late supper, sliced very thin, will
vlniagrette sauce and dressing oi
chopped pickles; it would come for
ward at breakfast, chopped very fin,
in an omelet, or as croquettes mas
querading as chops.
Last of all it would appear as al
entree, made by chopping the meat
mixing it with bread which has beer
soaked in milk, adding one minced
onion and handful of raisins, anc
folding it into square of pie paste
Bake this until it is delicate brown
and you will declare that the end OF
that pot au feu is better, is possible
than its beginning.
Take the beef, or veal, or chicken
or lamb Zones from the roasts ant
steaks and outlets. Crack them, lei
them simmer at least five hours, ado
a fresh vegetables and cupful OF
that fine beef bouillon which you
have saved from your pot au feu anc
you have fine soup that costs al.
most nothing. The feet of chickens
which American cooks throw away
are of fine flavor and French wo.
man saves them for soups. Clean
them thoroughly, add them to the
bones Of the roast chicken, simmer
gently, drop in handful of barley
i and there you are.