ISTor is this a solitary instance in
history where culinary skill has been a passport to for-
tune to its possessor. Sayarin relates that the Cheya-
lier d'Aubigny, exiled from France, was in London, in
utter poverty, notwithstanding which, by chance, he was
6 Culture and Cooking,
invited to dine at a tayern frequented by the young bucks
of that day.
After he had finished his dinner^ a party of young
gentlemen^ who had been observing him from their table,
sent one of their number with many apologies and ex-
cuses to beg of him, as a son of a nation renowned for
their salads, to be kind enough to mix theirs for them.
He complied, and while occupied in making the salad,
told them frankly his story, and did not hide his pov-
erty. One of the gentlemen, as they parted, slipped a
five-pound note into his hand, and his need of it was so
great that he did not obey the promj)ting of his pride,
but accepted it.
A few days later he was sent for to a great house, and
learned on his arrival that the young gentleman he had
obliged at the tavern had spoken so highly of his salad
that they begged him to do the same thing again. A
very handsome sum was tendered him on his departure,
and afterwards he had frequent calls on his skill, until
it became the fashion to have salads prepared by d'Au-
bigny, who became a well-known character in London,
and was called " the fashionaile salad-maker P In a few
years he amassed a large fortune by this means, and
was in such request that his carriage would drive from
house to house, carrying him and his various condiments
— for he took with him everything that could give
variety to his concoctions — from one place, where his
services were needed, to another.
The contempt for this art of cooking is confined to this
country, and to the lower middle classes in England. By
the ^Hower middle classes" I mean, what Carlyle terms
thegigocracy— I.e., people sufficiently well-to-do to keep a
gig or phaeton — well-to-do tradesmen, small professional
A Few Preliminary Remarks. 7
men, the class whose womenkind would call themselves
*^ genteel," and many absurd stories are told of the
determined ignorance and pretense of these would-be
ladies. But in no class above this is a knowledge of
cooking a thing to be ashamed of ; in England, indeed,
so far from that being the case, indifference to the sub-
ject, or lack of understanding and taste for certain dishes
is looked upon as a sort of proof of want of breeding.
Not to like curry, macaroni, or parmesan, pate de fois
gras, mushrooms, and such like, is a sign that you have
not been all your life accustomed to good living. Mr.
Hardy, in his '' Pair of Blue Eyes," cleverly hits this
prejudice when he makes Mr. Swancourt say, *^ I knew
the fellow wasn't a gentleman; he had no acquired tastes,
never took Worcestershire sauce."
Abroad many women of high rank and culture de-
vote a good deal of time to a thorough understanding
of the subject. We have a lady of the '^ lordly line of
proud St. Clair" writing for us ^^ Dainty Dishes," and
doing it with a zest that shows she enjoys her work,
although she does once in a while forget something she
ought to have mentioned, and later still we have Miss
Eose Coles writing the ^^ Official Handbook of Cookery."
Page 5
Presented as published in 1885. 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
ISTor is this a solitary instance in history where culinary skill has been a passport to fortune to its possessor. Sayarin relates that the Cheyalier d'Aubigny, exiled from France, was in London, in utter poverty, notwithstanding which, by chance, he was
6 Culture and Cooking,
invited to dine at a tayern frequented by the young bucks of that day.
After he had finished his dinner, a party of young gentlemen, who had been observing him from their table, sent one of their number with many apologies and excuses to beg of him, as a son of a nation renowned for their salads, to be kind enough to mix theirs for them. He complied, and while occupied in making the salad, told them frankly his story, and did not hide his poverty. One of the gentlemen, as they parted, slipped a five-pound note into his hand, and his need of it was so great that he did not obey the prompting of his pride, but accepted it.
A few days later he was sent for to a great house, and learned on his arrival that the young gentleman he had obliged at the tavern had spoken so highly of his salad that they begged him to do the same thing again. A very handsome sum was tendered him on his departure, and afterwards he had frequent calls on his skill, until it became the fashion to have salads prepared by d'Aubigny, who became a well-known character in London, and was called ""the fashionable salad-maker" In a few years he amassed a large fortune by this means, and was in such request that his carriage would drive from house to house, carrying him and his various condiments — for he took with him everything that could give variety to his concoctions — from one place, where his services were needed, to another.
The contempt for this art of cooking is confined to this country, and to the lower middle classes in England. By the "lower middle classes" I mean, what Carlyle terms thegigocracy— I.e., people sufficiently well-to-do to keep a gig or phaeton — well-to-do tradesmen, small professional
A Few Preliminary Remarks. 7
men, the class whose womenkind would call themselves "genteel," and many absurd stories are told of the determined ignorance and pretense of these would-be ladies. But in no class above this is a knowledge of cooking a thing to be ashamed of ; in England, indeed, so far from that being the case, indifference to the subject, or lack of understanding and taste for certain dishes is looked upon as a sort of proof of want of breeding. Not to like curry, macaroni, or parmesan, pate de fois gras, mushrooms, and such like, is a sign that you have not been all your life accustomed to good living. Mr. Hardy, in his '' "Pair of Blue Eyes," cleverly hits this prejudice when he makes Mr. Swancourt say, "I knewthe fellow wasn't a gentleman; he had no acquired tastes, never took Worcestershire sauce."
Abroad many women of high rank and culture devote a good deal of time to a thorough understanding of the subject. We have a lady of the '^ "lordly line of proud St. Clair" writing for us "Dainty Dishes,"and doing it with a zest that shows she enjoys her work, although she does once in a while forget something she ought to have mentioned, and later still we have Miss Rose Coles writing the "Official Handbook of Cookery."