Detroit evening times., 1945-04-02
BRIGHTER
SIDE
BY Damon
Runyon
"NIR. Indy" I said to one

"MR. Indy" I said to one
AVA of my favorite restau-
fateurs the other day,-"I would
like 10 discuss with you the
subject of tripe."
"Mr. Runyon," Mr.. Indy re-
piled unguardedly, ~ have not
read your column the past few
days because I have been very
busy"
"Mr. Indy" / said, 81 do not
wish TO discuss my column.
wish 20 discuss with you the
subject of tripe."
"Oh, you mean some one
eIse's columns" said Mr.. Lindy.
"Weil. MIR. Runyon, you know
all those fellows are customers
Of mine and I can think of
nothing better to say about
them than that they are all
geniuses. So are you, Mr.. Run
yOn. So are YOU"
"Mr. Indy" I said very
coldly, 81 do not have in mind
newspaper efforts of any kind.
wish to discuss tripe. Just
plain everyday tripe. Look,
Mr.. Indy. DO you see here on
your menu where it says
'stewed tripe a la creole with
rice and green peas and fresh
mushrooms though how any
one can muster the gall TO put
mushrooms with tripe is be-
yond me-
"Oh," said Mr.. Lindy,-ob-
viously greatly relieved. THAT
kind OF tripe! You had me
sweating for q minute. The
green peas and the mushrooms
are the chefs idea. He is very
generous. Personally, I would
not give the customers all that
for a dollar fifteen. DO you
want me to order YOU some
stewed tripe with the mush-
rooms taken out:"
GIVES" said, land the green
L peas, too"
"I don't think can do 1t
with green peas" demurred Mr..
Indy. II believe there is a city
ordinance that provides that
green peas must be tossed
loosely over all food stuffs
served I'm restaurants. At least
have never seen any food
served without them. But now
j will answer any questions you
wish to ask me about tripe al
though I never before knew you
as a tripe man"
Well. | am. | am an old time
tripe man. / do not remember
any previous probes on my part
into the family history and
background of tripe but that
was because l never gave it any
special attention.
| ordered tripe when 7 hap
pened TO think of it, which was
not too often, and enjoyed eat
ing it but in between my tripe
turns | gave it no thought.
Here lately, however. l have
had great awareness Of tripe
quite frequently because Mayor
LaGuardia permits the New
York restaurants to serve it on
meatless days. / think il was
the contemplation of this para
doXical permit that caused me
to investigate the tripe business
farther. Tripe is the lining of
the stomach of the COW. A COW
is meat. Hence tripe must be
meat. But in New York il is
not meat enough to b." barred
on meatless days.
IT IS little confuSlons like this
i that keep me on my toes and
interested An OK is meat il
YOU are playing under strict
rules but an oX's tail is not
meat on meatless days if it is in
soup. BY jimmy a man could
go crazy thinking of these
things. I think / will get back
on trlpe before start butting
my head against the wall and
damaging the plastering.
The big thing in the cooking
OF tripe is TO parboil it into
tenderness. AS a general propo-
sition. eating unboiled tripe
would be like chewing rubber
and it would not be as taNty
as the synthetic type either.
Many of the French peasants
used TO keep a pot Of tripe
boiling on the stove constantly
and may still do so. for all I
know TO the contrary. You
could dip into the pot all day
long.
Yes, and there is picked
tripe that the old time saloon
Keepers used TO set out on their
free lunch counters and / know
Of no taStier tidbit or greater
encouragement TO beer in large
quantities.
"Tripe, eh: said Mr.. Lindy.
at IL too bad the title is not
more delicate. You see, the
name tripe sounds just like
A..