The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-05-26
can
Iced-EIot Dish
N%7
BY r. HOWARD cAwTEoRNE

/ lnu fnnNl
a board Of several thousand. cash. ana
TOOK passage on devll-boat for van
couver. whence he was mysteriously
tranported to San Francisco ana
PRESENTLY became my cook.
During an idle visit to the kitchen
the slant-eyed worthy mentioned the
bpfiIng quest which had caused so
many heartburnings and cue-1retch-
inas in China. At first laughed
heartily at the ludlcrous tale. hut my
/ laughter ended In n gasp of astonish-
nent rs suddenly realized that Hung
Ho had put fortune within my grasp
For numberless centuries. so he told
me in his fowery language. the Gu
llnary artists Of far Cathay had
striycn manfully, though In vain, to-
ward the acme Of eplcurean attain
ment. the lced-hot dish.
Since the unenllghtened ages ira
dltlon had existed In the East that the
Celestial who shall concoct such
loothsome dellcacy, having an lce-cold
middle part while hot, odorous, and
steaming without. shall be assured an
exalted place In heaven, as well as
honors, palaces. and retlnues OF kow-
towing servants during the remainder
Of his stay on earth.
From the lord high purveyor OF
gustatory delights to her serene high
ness the dowager empress. down to
the hupiblest cookee In a chop suey
Joint, II had been the sublime goal Of
all dreams and efforts among cooks.
When a Chinese cook is found dan
Cling ut the end OF his cue from
bamboo beam in his workroom, II is
commonly remarked that Zl-An, big
Joss OF the cook cult and jealous
guardian Of the secret OF the lced-hot
dish. had claimed another victim.
HungHo, crafty descendant Of 40
generations Of chop suey house cooks,
had essayed at various times TO elabo-
rate n pie or pastry that should Mt
least approach perfection as nearly as
bad the productions OF his honorable
ancestors.
had recently become interested In
an African development company own
Ing vast tracts OF land where grew
valuable woods, notably the tree from
which the well-known material called
vegetable ivory Is obtained. From the
inner bark OF this tree had pre-
pared a unique substance which l
had named vegetable asbestos. a prod
uct that resembled real asbestos as
closely as vegetable ivory does the
tony mass OF an elephants tusk.
That Is TO say, exactly. And. in ad.
dillon, vegetable asbestos is edlblel
was casting about for use to
which the new food product could be
put, and Hung-Ho had given me the
clue 10 II. Thus, I hastily concluded,
was fairly on the road to millionaire
dom.
Securing from the refrigerator a
piece Of Ice the size OF a walnut (as
the cook books say), quickly rolled
II In dough made with a vegetable as
bestos and water, and passed II on to
my prince OF pots and pans. who placed
IL In the center OF n preposterous as
semblage OF unlike condiments. form
Ing some famous Chinese dish.
Hung-Ho. who was now hopping
about and jabbering In clownIsh and
unnatural display Of emotion. popped
the cake into the oven. l feared the
usually stolld AsIatlc would go into an
epoplectic fit, so excited did he wax.
And really the occasion justified ex-
element. Should success crown n. >
endeavors, could snap my fingers at
commonplace western mllllonalres and
Join the esoterlc circle OF oriental
wealth and luxury.
ManIfestly no trace OF ice could re-
main unmelted within that steamlng
loaf, and my expectations went up with
the fragrant, appetizlng odor Of vege-
table asbestos that filled our nostrIls.
With trembling hands Hung-Ho
seized the cake and deftly broke II in
halves. Nesting withln-mlrablle
cictu-llke mandarin's diamond In
It's velvet case, lay the bit OF glIttering
Ice still the size OF walnut Success
vas ours Or, rather, mine, for | did
aot regard the Celestial as other than
means to an end.
During the following day made
arrangements TO take a long vacation.
engaged staterooms on the steamer
Manchuria, soon sailed for the Orient,
and obtained from my laboratory am
ole supplies OF vegetable asbestos to
take with us.
Arrived nj Picking, we found II ad-
visahle not 10 attempt 10 exhibit our
discovery there and win the long-prom.
ised reward from the emperor himself.
for western notions had latterly In
fected the imperial court TO such an
extent that we were laughed al and
sconed numerically when we present.
ed our plea for an audience before
the Son OF Heaven. Undaunted nv
this early setback. we departed south.
ward for the province OF Shan.Tung
A glorlousIy bright and serene mid.
summers morning found us M the
gate OF the thrlce-blessed city OF Chin.
u-HS'en, blessed In being the natal
spot Of the sage Confucius, the IN.