Evening star., 1927-04-03
International Cookery Show
Has Picturesque Competitions

if necessary. No shortcut, ready
made advantages for them. They
have had 900 years to find out what
is good, and they know that they
simply must have patience.
None Of all this means-nor does
the big show itself-that Frenchmen
are bigger eaters than other people.
They eat too much, of course, just as
English and Americans do. but it is
an excellence of their cookery that it
does them less harm. Also the French
take more time to eat. which makes
them only seem to eat more, and
causes a dish to become innocent and
easy which might play the dickens
with a gobbler in a hurry.
SO look At least onehaf of the
big cookery show each year is taken
up with food manipulations right be
fore your eyes, demanding care, pa.
tience and time.
1t begins with boy apprentices who
have great honor done their care and
patience by making them perform,
now perfectly, in priZewinning COM
petitions the first operations which
they learned minutely in the kitchen.
Such are picking over" parsley and
"scraping heads: that is to say,
cleaning and preparing calves heads
for the cooks.
Heads of calves, They make two
famous old dishes Of themselves. diges-
tive and easy. and their gelatinous
scrapings are at the base of luscious
things, like the suave carrot gravy OF
boeuf la mode.
The thin blades fash in the boys
hands as the slices Of meat fall into
little heaps. The calves skulls are
two-thirds bare. Now the scra aper' IN
new piles the gelatinous portions fall.
Some bows finish quicker than others.
But it is the product, just so. done
with neat completeness, which the
judges examine.
Henry F'inck, music critic ofs the
New York Evening Post for Al years,
got his rest from the art Of sounds by
studying the art OF taste-cooking.
After all those years he came TO the
conclusion that the success or French
cooks Is mainly due to their atten'
ton to two things-savors ana SIM
merings"
The SAVIOR comes in part from the
sauces which the English used to de-
spise, but which they are now sending
their own best cooks to study at the
great show. But SAVIOR, Mr.. Flnck IN
sisted, comes still more from giving
plenty Of time to the cooking. The
French peasant housewife knows that
she has not done her part unless the
pot has been kept simmering gently
and lusciously for good part OF the
day.
Also, the English have begun to see
that they must get back to good COOK
cry If they are to keep their place in
the sun, and they have just been re-
calling the memory Of the great old
London gourmet. DIR. Kitchiner. He
warned them, in 1927, that cookery
| needs minute care:
"A sucking pig, like young child,
| must not be left for one instant"
| Perhaps the greatest reason why
| good cookery thrives in France Is the
! fact already mentioned-the average
| Frenchmen take time to eat. and can
| therefore appreciate cookery which
| has also taken time.
! BreakfaSt-or, rather little break
| fast" as they call this first eating
after rising-is scarcely a meal at all.
Americans and English who run up
against 1t have no words sufficient to
, condemn its futility. A cup Of coffee
not completely fresh made. and a bit OF
bread, often without butter-.this is all.
Many men take only a hasty glass OF
white wine and q crust.
But luncheon-what the French call