Evening Star Newspaper, November 29, 1931, Page 91

THE SUNDAY STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C, NOVF,MBF‘RV 2_9_, 1391. 9 i Dieting, Prohibi- tion and the Game IL.aws in America Have Just About Ruined the An- cient Art of Eat- ing, Protests the Famed Waldorf Chef. BY GEORGE BECK. SCAR, America’s dictator of the affairs of the table, reviewing the state of this great culinary in- stitution, names three factors which have almost ended elabc- rate dining in a country approach- ing in many other respects the luxury that was Rome. They are, says the maitre d’hotel of the Waldorf-Astoria, prohibition, the game laws and dieting. At the new Waldorf, in New York City, “Mein Host,” whom world leaders in all fields are pleased and honored to call Oscar, declared the cosmopolitan American table a much plainer spread than it has ever been before. Roast beef and a baked potato will nicely satisfy the avid hunger of you and me, perhaps, but they are deficient in many ways as ma- tertal for such artists as Oscar's cooks. Here is how the field for their art has been ecir- cumscribed : Wines are not served and their use in cook- ing is limited. v Presh wild game is not »'/n hotel menus. Americans do not eat as heartily as their ancestors did. IETING, we all know, is a widespread force governing our table. While a great per- centage of the best medical authorities urge hearty eathg, according to one’s taste and capacity, Americans are probably the first people in all the history “of civilization to restrict their eating to follow one health plan or another. “Nowadays,” says Oscar, “we can count on a definite percentage cf people leaving our food untouched, except for a few polite nibbles, because they wre dieting.” These heaith plans do not displease Oscar. Joyfully stuffing at the festive board until one becomes immovable, as was the custom of the Remans, should not please any intelligent host. So, if dieting did not deaden people’s taste, if it only made it keener, as it easily could, Oscar’'s cooks would only be spurred on to greater heights in their art. But, on the other hand, nothing is so disheartening as a gather- ing of matter-of-fact eaters who are enjoying everything but the food. Ome bit of evidence of such a trend as this is smoking between courses. A cigar after the iast course—and nowadays, of course, the lady's cigarette and coffee— forms an important part of the meal, accord- ing to Oscar. “But this thing of incessant smoking be- tween courses,” he declared, “is very bad. It is not enjoyable dining, it is not cultured dining; it is not heal!thful. But more and more Americans are curiailing this bad habit, principally for health reasons, and now the proper gentlemen will light his cigar for an enjoyable smoke after the last course, and the Iadics will light their cigarettes.” Thus the health maxims of American eaters are leading them to one outstanding reform which is noticed with great joy by such hosts as Oscar, who, with diplomatic smiles, offer well studied suggestions for their guests’ greater enjoyment of life. For Oscar, backed by many physicians, can readily show that smoking between courses only spoils one’s tasie and appetite, brings a nervous stimulus to eat- ing and impairs digestive processes, whih is all very bad. y In cosmopolitan America today the distinct trend is toward plainer foods, and eating has become a matter of proper nourishment rather than a gay feast to “ply a good knife and fork.” A formal dinner includes about every activity except eating In a really luxurious fashion. Tables are spread for speechmakers, heroes, fine clothes or dancing, but not to do honors to a feast, with the principal attention going to the chef and the works of his treasured Men do not want to feast on a rich spread with only water and more water served between courses. Women do not want to eat rich foods because they are dieting (and men, too). Be- cause of the laws of this modern land, Lotels cannot serve feasts of game and wine. “without them,” says Oscar. “the rich old continental feast simply does not exist.” The grand luxury of eating has; like most everything eise, come under the eye of science. Naturalists, trained inm chemistry, grow our vegetables—not farmers. Our meats are quick frozen to insure freshness. Huntsmen are no longer permitted to sell wild game to our hotels and restaurants, simply because game is too scarce. Our cup runneth over onmly with :::Ief brought to us by an engineer's amazing All this is the background of the American table today. Wining and dining, the grand luxury, is governed by State laws and science. Roman OF DINING Menus were an art and dining an elaborate affair in the gay 90s, as shown by the picture above. Here is @ menu served at a banquet for Calvin Coolidge at the Waldorf a few years ago: Grapefruit With Cherries. Salted Nuts. Cream of Tomato Sauce. Medallion of Bass Mornay. Potatoes Rissolees. Crown of Sweetbreads Virginienne. Green Peas Saute. Supreme of Partridge Tyrolienne. Wild Rice. Hearts of Romaine Salad. Bombe Neapolitan Ice Cream. Assorted Cakes. Macaroons. Coflee. Celery. Olives. HANKSGIVING day, the original Ameri- can day of feasting, has become a standing order of domestic turkey and cranberry sauce. The original Pilgrim celebration im Plymouth, 1621, saw a boundless spread of roasted wild game, brook trout, “stew of ye wilde fowles with barlie dumplins.” But today’s menu has changed with cranging conditions in produc- tion and increasing knowledge of foods. Cook- ing methods have advanced from the open fire, through a series of clumsy stoves, to the up-to- the-minute electric or gas range. The private dinner of the best people in America, said Oscar, usually abides by the basic five-course meal consisting of oysters, soup, fish, a domestic roast and dessert. Compare this with a “simple” company dinner of today in England; in fact, a Londoner’s Summer menu of only eight courses for light eating: Opysters, turbot with lobster sauce, saddle of lamb, vege- tables, roast duck, lettuce hearts salad, straw- Oscar, famous the world over as chef. berries and cream, cigars and coffee, with three or four kinds of wine served throughout. Down through the histories of empires and republics before America, through paganism and Christianity, feasts to the extent of gluttony characterized the heydays of Kings, priesis and people. Recipes were coveted precious docu- ments. The fatted calf was sacred. The Roman royal bon vivant, supping ¢ the And here is a menu served in Phila- delphia at a famous dinner for only 30 persons in 1851: 1. Oysters—Mors River Cove, on Shell. 2. Soup—Green Turtle. Potage a la Reine. 3. Fish—Presh Salmon, Lobster Sauce; Baked Rock, 2 la Chambord. 4. Boiled—Turkey Celery and Opyster Sauce; Chicken and Egz Sauce; Beef ‘Tongues. 5. Gold Dishes—Galantine de Dinde & 1a Gelee; Salade a la Russe en Bordure de Gelee; Boeuf a la Mode; Sakde a la Volaille, a la Mode Anglaise; Jambon Decoree, Aspic aux Huitres, Mayonnaise of Lobster, Aspic de Volaille aux Truffes. 6. Entree No. 1—Filet de Boeuf aux Champignons; Riz de Veau, Sauce To=- mato; Vel au Vent a la Financiere, Co- telletes de Mouton, Croquettes de Vo- laille. 7. Entree No. 2—Pigeons Brais2, Sauce Madere; Arcade de Volaille, Fricassee de Poulets a la Chevalier, Lamb Chops Milanaise, Turtle Steak, Cellepash. 8. Roast—Spring Chicken on Toast, Capons, Barbet, Spring Lamb, Mint Sauce. 9. Pleces, Montees; Swiss Basket, Panier en Nougat, Vase Montes with Pruit Glacee, Cottage Basket, Flora's Of- fering, Moorish Fruntain, Indian Temple, Vegetables—White Potatces, Corn, To- ~matoes, Green Peas, Cauliflower, As=" paragus, Sweet Potatoes, Hominy, Celery, Spinach, Dressed Lettuce. 10. Coupe de Milieu, Sorbets au Vin de Tokai. Note: This course was introduced as & novelty and explained by the caterer as in- tended to ‘‘cocl the palates, whet the ap- petities anew. so that they mizht go at it agzain with all the zest of a fresh start.” 11. Game—Jack Snipe, Teal Duck, Woodcock, Plover, Celery Hearts, Rice Birds, Saratoga Potatoes. 12. Diamond-Back Terrapin. 13. Pastry—(Thirteen varieties—Lem- on Pudding, Peach Pie Meringues, Blancmange, etc.). i 14. Confectionery — Ten varieties— Brandy Drcps, Burnt Almonds, Nougat de Provence, etc.). 15. Ice Creams and Water Ices—(Ten kinds—Biscuit Glace Pouche a la Ro- maine, Champagne Frappe, etc.). 16. Fruits and Nuts (Apples, Figs, Walnuts, Raisins, Pecans, Oranges, Al- 17. Cafe Noir and Liqueurs. brains of peacocks and pheasants, the tongues of nightingales and the roes of the most deli- cate fish, thought nothing of footing a dinner check of anywhere from $100,000 to four or five times that amount. Vitellius (in AD. 69) is said to have spent $35,000,000 on his table for seven months. At one dinner he serted 7,000 curious birds and 2,000 rare fish. Tiberius spent two nights and a day at the festive board. Nero sat at a table from midday to midnight; he ate a dish said to have cost $150,000. Caligula spent $400,000 on a single supper and Domitian spent $25,000 on a single dish, made of the tongues of the costliest sing- ing birds. Still earlier, Maximinus, a Roman Emperor of such proportions that he could wife’s bracelet as a ring, is said to have voured from 40 to 60 pounds of meat in a day, washing it down with about six gallons of wine. A Roman Emperor was forbidden by his physician to feast only when it was determined that overeating might cause a dire ailment to him. If the Emperor did gorge himself and suffered no great ill effects, then the physician was in danger of losing his head. In other Continued on Eleventh Page