y allied persons. For
these reasons every bill of fare must be the result of the
concurrence of all kinds of practical considerations, and
should never be a theoretical prescription culled from such
lists as have just been alluded to. A practical cook should
have a reasonable choice of seasonable dishes of all the
services, so to say, at his fingers’ ends, not only as the result
of training and practice, which might be unduly limited,
but also as the result of the study of good works on cookery,
and the exact sciences by which it is supported.
The reader must take great care not to be deceived by
spurious culinary literature, which even appears in volumes
under grand titles. Carcme, in his work ‘ Le Maitre
THE SPIRIT OF COOKERY
65b
d Hotel, p. 31, states that the French work ‘ Les Soupers
de la Cour ’ was a mere exercise of the imagination, and
that the menus were never carried out.
The objects for which memos are published in modern
prints are mainly of an advertising nature. For a memo of
the modern type conveys absolutely no information at all,
as all will see who read our note on the ‘ Mutton Cutlets
a la Mainteuon ’ so called. Such publicatious of menus
partake also of the feebleness ‘ de se donner par ecrit un faux
air de magnificence.’ If anybody were imprudent enough to
try to imitate or carry out such a menu he would fail, and
would soon range his judgment by the side of that of
Careme on the ‘ Soupers de la Cour.’
CHAPTEE LX.
CAMP COOKERY, OR THE COOKERY OF SOLDIERS
IN THE FIELD.
The cookery of soldiers in the field has always been a very
elementary proceeding, and while all branches of military
science had made great progress, the preparation of food
during campaigns had rarely been scientifically treated or
practically discussed ; it was supposed to be under the hau
of immutable hindrances, and by this erroneous proposition
bereft of the advantages of improvement. But quite lately
the subject has been considered both in this country and in
Germany in a highly practical spirit by several authorities,*
from whom we derive welcome aid in the arranging of the
results of our practical personal experience.
In war more men are made useless or killed by disease
than by either sword or projectile. The diseases which
* Colonel Layiilann, in the Nord- Deutsche. Alitjem. (so-called Kreuz-)
ZeituiKj, 1891.
COOKERY OF SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD
651
affect the greatest number of victims are of the infectious
and contagious kinds, and amongst these the most virulent
and frequent are those which have their main seat in the
intestinal canal, namely, enteric fever, or abdominal typhus,
and dysentery. Healthy persons are the more liable to
these diseases, the worse is their state of nutrition, and the
more predisposed, the longer they have to live on coarse,
indigestible, badly prepared food, particularly in case they
have already contracted a state of indigestion or enteric
catarrh by such agencies. It is therefore of the greatest im-
portance for the preservation of the health of the soldier
that his food should be of good quality and well prepared, so
as to be easily digestible, and that can be attained only with
the aid of proper cooking. Food is nutritious only as far as
it is digestible, and what is of doubtful digestibility had
better not be eaten, as it is sure to cause disturbance.
Page 410
Presented as published in 1895. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
y allied persons. For these reasons every bill of fare must be the result of the concurrence of all kinds of practical considerations, and should never be a theoretical prescription culled from such lists as have just been alluded to. A practical cook should have a reasonable choice of seasonable dishes of all the services, so to say, at his fingers’ ends, not only as the result of training and practice, which might be unduly limited, but also as the result of the study of good works on cookery, and the exact sciences by which it is supported.
The reader must take great care not to be deceived by spurious culinary literature, which even appears in volumes under grand titles. Carcme, in his work ‘ Le Maitre
65b
d Hotel, p. 31, states that the French work ‘ Les Soupers de la Cour ’ was a mere exercise of the imagination, and that the menus were never carried out.
The objects for which memos are published in modern prints are mainly of an advertising nature. For a memo of the modern type conveys absolutely no information at all, as all will see who read our note on the ‘ Mutton Cutlets a la Mainteuon ’ so called. Such publicatious of menus partake also of the feebleness ‘ de se donner par ecrit un faux air de magnificence.’ If anybody were imprudent enough to try to imitate or carry out such a menu he would fail, and would soon range his judgment by the side of that of Careme on the ‘ Soupers de la Cour.’
CHAPTEE LX.
CAMP COOKERY, OR THE COOKERY OF SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD.
The cookery of soldiers in the field has always been a very elementary proceeding, and while all branches of military science had made great progress, the preparation of food during campaigns had rarely been scientifically treated or practically discussed ; it was supposed to be under the sway of immutable hindrances, and by this erroneous proposition bereft of the advantages of improvement. But quite lately the subject has been considered both in this country and in Germany in a highly practical spirit by several authorities,* from whom we derive welcome aid in the arranging of the results of our practical personal experience.
In war more men are made useless or killed by disease than by either sword or projectile. The diseases which
* Colonel Layiilann, in the Nord- Deutsche. Alitjem. (so-called Kreuz-) ZeituiKj, 1891.
COOKERY OF SOLDIERS IN THE FIELD
affect the greatest number of victims are of the infectious and contagious kinds, and amongst these the most virulent and frequent are those which have their main seat in the intestinal canal, namely, enteric fever, or abdominal typhus, and dysentery. Healthy persons are the more liable to these diseases, the worse is their state of nutrition, and the more predisposed, the longer they have to live on coarse, indigestible, badly prepared food, particularly in case they have already contracted a state of indigestion or enteric catarrh by such agencies. It is therefore of the greatest importance for the preservation of the health of the soldier that his food should be of good quality and well prepared, so as to be easily digestible, and that can be attained only with the aid of proper cooking. Food is nutritious only as far as it is digestible, and what is of doubtful digestibility had better not be eaten, as it is sure to cause disturbance.