The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-09
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
INFORM ALTON
BUREAU
FREDERIC J. RAsKnS. parecEse.
wasAangeaa, d. G
THE KING OF THE COOKS.


any rate he might be styled king If
that term were any longer used to
designate the individual at the top
of the heap. For Delefasse is ticker
in-chtef of the most distinguished pal
ates of the nation. He exercises his
roll about the nation in private cars.
In fact he is the cook who was in
charge of the kitchen which prepared
the food for President Wilson on his
recent tour of the country. He has
cooked for the president on every rail-
road trip he has taken since he came
into the White House. Before this he
had cooked for President Taft when
he travelled for nearly four years. He
had piled his culinary art for Pierpont
Morgan, Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt
Andrew Carnegie, Lars Anderson, E.
B Mclean, and many other men and
women whose names are coupled with
wealth and other distinctions. He was
admitted to be the cook par excellence
of the Pullman Car company, the
master held in reserve for the great
of the land.
For ten years now Delefasse Green
has catered only to presidents and
those who are so close to presidents
as to rank as members of the official
family. There was Secretary McAdoo,
for instance, who was the head of the
railroad administration and secretary
class of sufficient distinction to eat
the food of Delefasse Green. Green
went along whenever Mr.. McAdoo sal
lied forth to put over a liberty loan.
A good, wholesome appetite for one
so thin, has the presidents sen-in-law
with great fondness for game and
fish, homemade ginger bread and
hot cakes, according to this chef of
migratory kitchens. When Mr.. Nc
Adoo left the government service
Green accompanied him to Santa Bar
bara and cooked in his home for two
weeks until Mrs. McAdoo got her
house in order.
The president, according to his Pull
man cook, is a man of considerable
parts as an eater. He is likely to
store away three stable meals every
day and not send many scraps back
to the kitchen. MFR. Wilson is pri-
marily a chicken eater. He is pretty
likely to want fowl every day and
most of the time il is chicken.
There were four people at the pres
ident's table during his recent trip
HIMSELF and Mrs. Wilson, Mr.. Tum-
ulty and Doctor Grayson. Green
and one waiter constituted the kitchen
crew.
Whenever the private train drew up
for a stop IN any city. there would
presently emerge a stoutish, neat,
busting colored man, who would hail
a taxieab and hurry away to the best
available market. Here he would
shop around as might any busy house
wife, and no market man would be
aware of the fact that he wa. selling
food for the table OF the president.
Receipts for the purchases would be
made to Green and payment made in
cash. So fresh food was always avail
able No product out of can was
ever used.
Here is about what went on the
presidents table each day while he
was travelling: For breakfast, grape
fruit, cooked wheat cereal, bacon,
three minute eggs, and coffee 1t is
a simple and quite conventional break
fast with no item, unless it be the
grapefruit, that does not appear on
the table of the majority of middle
| class families.
For luncheon the presidents party
Seas likely to have bouillon or con-
Fsomme. a plain omelet lamb chops
or some other fresh meat, baked po-
tatoes, fresh vegetables, salad, ice or
| ice cream.
For dinner there would be a vege-
table or okra soup, roast chicken or
duck, fresh vegetables, a salad, ice
cream.
So it is obvious that the fare was
plain, substantial. nourishing, but not
elaborate. 1t was served in courses
| by one waiter. All members of the
party partook heartily. Mr.. Tumulty's
appetite was always particularly good,
| says Green. Mrs. Wilson liked about
the same things as the president ex-
cept that she was very fond of salads.
! Food should be cooked and served
plainly" says Green. There should
| be few mixtures and few sauces. The
| manner of cooking followed by the
early hUntsmen was the right method.
| Such food retains its flavor and i:
! good for the stomach. Doctor Gray
! son and I realized that we were asso-
| ciates as guardians of the president s
health. 1 always feel that the health
Of those for whom I cook is in my
hands. 1t is a responsibility, and ]
try to live up to it,
Preparing food for President Taft
was quite a different matter from pre-
pairing it for Mr.. Wilson. President
Taft took his bacon and eggs for
breakfast, but followed them with
steak or chops-sometimes seven Oh
eight chops.
For lunch he had creamed oysters
rice custard, and other rich foods, in
addition to the customary dishes. Fol
dinner he wanted a heavy soup, lob
ster Newberg, roast beef. vegetables
Smithfield ham, salad, fruit, dessert
The pastries and the lee creams fol
! tho Tafts were rich in sugar, while
the Wilson's require little sugar.
Green states that one peculiar thing
about his ten years of service as cook
| for presidents is that he never saw 8
man in that office smoke q cigar OIL
cigaret nor take a drink of intoxicat-
ing liquor. He wonders if there il
Something in the constitution which
forbids these indiscretions.
Quite in contrast with the plair
fare of presidents, according to thf
Pullman company's most exclusive
cook, is the manner of the catering tina
he has done for individuals who trave
about in private cars. When Pierpon'
Morgan goes to his lodge in NORTH
Carolina, he serves meals much more
elaborate. When plum pudding i:
must be playing up from that brandy
at the time of it's coming to the table
and when this is but typical course
in a meal, the whole thing become:
much more elaborate. When. again