Evening star., 1940-12-29
Gift Food Packages
Put Briton on Spot
And Cost Him Extra
Restaurant Menus Cur
Sharply in Variety
Under Strict Rutioninq
(Elepenth OF a SerieS.J
(Elepenth OF a Series J
BY MILO NJ. THOMPSON,
Associated Press STAFF Writer.

and inspection than he'd have to
4 pay for twice its equivalent in Eng
!ish foods.
Restaurant menus are not what
they used to be, but here is one
which will serve to illustrate the
present situation. 1t comes from
place catering to the newspaper
men of the Fleet street area. Prices
have been converted to the United
States equivalent.
SOUP.
Consomme Brunoise, SC
Pea soup, &c
FISH.
Fillets of Plaice 40c
Fried Whiting, Tartar Sauce, 42c
ENTREES
Vienna Steak with Braised
Celery, 36c
Chop Toad-in-the-Hols 40c
Boiled Cod, Lobster Sauce, 42c
Sausages and Mashed Potatoes, SOC
ROAST.
Roast Mutton, Red CWrant Jelly, 42c
VEGETABLES.
Cabbage, &c
Boiled, Mashed or Saute Potatoes, &c
SWEETS.
Plum Tart, l2c
Suet Roll and Marmalade, 12c
SAVORIES.
Soft Roes on Toast, l8c
Welsh Rarebit, 12c
Toasted Cheese, 12c Club Toast, l8c
Sardines on Toast, 12c
BEVERAGES.
Coffee, &c
This is typical menu and, if one
studied it, eloquent of the food sit
uation. While it indicates no serl-
GUS want. it also shows what ra-
tloning and bombs have done to
the food situation.
Variety Drops Sharply.
In preWar days there were halt
dozen soups on this menu, several
of them ready to serve. Today only
the pea soup is freshly made. The
consomme is canned and you wait
10 minutes for its heating. Uncer-
talnty of gas pressure and limited
number of emergency oil burners
lead to making as few commitments
as possible in this section.
Before wars crimp in offerings,
ct least 10 or II fish courses we're
available, including Dover sole,
Scotch salmon and the inevitable
broiled herring.
And If you chose, you could have
fish followed by entree and then by
roast Today, under Ministry OF
Food orders. you can be served
only one such dish, whether fish or
meat.
The abbreviated entree list OF
these days is notable for its avoid
ence of scarce and rationed foods
and its use of leftovers. The Vienna
steak is pat of ground meat from
yesterdays roast. 1t is cooked like
hamburger steak but is more like
croquette in the eating.
Sausages Not Rationed.
The toad-in-the hole is a braised
lamb chop without bone pressed
into mound of mashed potatoes
and splashed with gravy Some
times this has an underlayer OF
pastry.
Sausages are not rationed. They
are of limited meat content. buE
savory and fat and you get two
broiled ones with your potatoes
Egg dishes have disappeared from
the entree list.
Time was when you had several
roasts to choose. Roast lamb with
mint sauce, roast mutton with jelly
and roast beef with Yorkshire pud-
ding were always present Now you
have no choice, but nearly always
you find one roast offered
The omission of grilled meats
shows how wary the restaurant is of
pledging its kitchen burners. FIRE.
quently, however, a mixed grill or
rump steak is on the list.
- The vegetable assortment has
shrunk from six or eight to two. One
is always potatoes and the other
some kind of greens like cabbage,
Brussels sprouts or spinach
The list of hot desserts has been
cut in half, but one can choose one
of the standard cold dishes, like
wine gelatine or fruit trif1e sponge
cake plus cornstarch custard plus
gelatine, with bits of fruit. But
there will be no cream to pour over
1t now.
Savory List Is Standard
The English often choose a savory
rather than a sweet for the end of
meal and the present list of sa-
worries Is the standard one. 1t will
proba bly, endure while cheese,
canned herring roe and canned sar-
dimes are available
And it is always possible to call
for cheese and biscuits providing
you'll take Cheddar or Cheshire
cheese or to have an apple or pear
The once-available French Dutch,
Swiss and italian cheeses are gone
So are the tropical fruits.
The offering of only one hot bev-
erage is another indication of the
uncertain gas situation. Sometimes
we have to take coffee with milk in
1t whether we want it black or not
~- because that is the way it has been
prepared. Usually glass of milk is
available, however.
With our lunch we take a roll or
wedge of bread from the basket on
the table and, perhaps, ask for
butter, getting thin pat the size
Of quarter. 1t may be butter or it
may be margarine.
No Extra Sugar.
There is no sugar on the table
One tiny cube three-eighths of an