An amusing storj' is told by a scientist of the pre- dicament in which he was placed when the guest of honor at an English table. He was a man of sim- ple habits in his home, and was very near-sighted. Elaborately garnished dishes were passed to him first, as he sat at the right of the host, and he had to break the construction of what he was pleased to call architectural or master-builder's dishes, and this without Ivnowing where their keystone lay, or of what they were composed. He was thus obliged to make public exhibition of his awkwardness, as well as betray ignorance in that branch of his own busi- ness, which left him unable to recognize biological specimens when they had evolved into their highest development in the hands of the cook. This story serves as an important hint that no dish should be entirely disguised. A lobster should still be a lobster in form or suggestion, however it is prepared. For example, should it be served in chops, a claw pressed into one end would not only carry out the form of a chop, but would also designate the dish. There is generally something that can be reserved from an article which loses its shape in cooking that may be used to garnish the dish and act as a kind of label. The garnishes are : For Vegetables Parsley Croutons Hard-boiled eggs 26 LUNCHEONS Fob Cold Meats Parsley Leaves of any of the salads Cold vegetables in fancy cuts Hard-boiled eggs Stuffed eggs Pickles of any kind Capers Olives Lemons Jellied vegetables Aspic jelly Truffles Chaudfroid sauce Fancy skewers Flowers Ice Parslej^ Lettuce AVatercress Croutons Hard-boiled eggs Lemons Pickles For Fish Capers Potato puree and balls Lobster coral and claws Crawfish Prawns Shrimps POTATOES Potatoes are a universal dish, and there are an infinite variety of waj's of cooking them: boiling, baking, frying, all manner of ways to suit all man- ner of people, and to accompanj^ all kinds of meats. Yet, strange as it may seem, it is the food usually the worst cooked of any that is presented. The po- tatoes are too often soggy, greasy, blackened, burned. The poor cook seems determined to destroy both the favor and flavor of this useful vegetable. The po- tato is mostly starch, and it is not as well known as it should be that the principle of cooking starch is to cook it only until the starch grains burst, and then remove it from moisture, for the starch grains, when LUNCHEONS 27 open, readily absorb moisture and become soggy. Hence we see this vegetable a most delicious dish or one unfit to eat, according to the skill of the cook. jMashed potato is served from the simplest kitchen, but betrays the poor cook as quickly as a greasy soup. Sometimes one sees an attempt made to improve the appearance of this dish by pressing and smooth- ing it over the top. This makes a hard and compact mass of what ought to be a light and flaky substance. Often it is served in a deep dish, which is another mistake ; for the potato, when light and white, is tempting enough to serve on a flat dish where it may be seen. Potatoes that are to be served in this way should be mashed the moment they are cooked, and not set aside for a more convenient time. They may then be moistened with milk or cream and be sea- soned with butter, pepper, and salt, in measure to the richness desired, and whipped until, like the whites of eggs, they become white and spongy from the air imprisoned in the cells. Mashed potato may be served in a great variety of ways. It can be run through the menu from soup to salad ; can be used for entrees, and can make ornamental fancy dishes out of even minces and stews. It is invaluable as a mask for broken dishes ; for instance, a leg of mutton can be made a presentable dish to serve a second time by filling the cut with ma.shed potato.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

An amusing story is told by a scientist of the predicament in which he was placed when the guest of honor at an English table. He was a man of simple habits in his home, and was very near-sighted. Elaborately garnished dishes were passed to him first, as he sat at the right of the host, and he had to break the construction of what he was pleased to call architectural or master-builder's dishes, and this without knowing where their keystone lay, or of what they were composed. He was thus obliged to make public exhibition of his awkwardness, as well as betray ignorance in that branch of his own business, which left him unable to recognize biological specimens when they had evolved into their highest development in the hands of the cook. This story serves as an important hint that no dish should be entirely disguised. A lobster should still be a lobster in form or suggestion, however it is prepared. For example, should it be served in chops, a claw pressed into one end would not only carry out the form of a chop, but would also designate the dish. There is generally something that can be reserved from an article which loses its shape in cooking that may be used to garnish the dish and act as a kind of label. The garnishes are : For Vegetables Parsley Croutons Hard-boiled eggs Fob Cold Meats Parsley Leaves of any of the salads Cold vegetables in fancy cuts Hard-boiled eggs Stuffed eggs Pickles of any kind Capers Olives Lemons Jellied vegetables Aspic jelly Truffles Chaudfroid sauce Fancy skewers Flowers Ice Parsley Lettuce Watercress Croutons Hard-boiled eggs Lemons Pickles For Fish Capers Potato puree and balls Lobster coral and claws Crawfish Prawns Shrimps POTATOES Potatoes are a universal dish, and there are an infinite variety of waj's of cooking them: boiling, baking, frying, all manner of ways to suit all manner of people, and to accompanj^ all kinds of meats. Yet, strange as it may seem, it is the food usually the worst cooked of any that is presented. The potatoes are too often soggy, greasy, blackened, burned. The poor cook seems determined to destroy both the flavor and flavor of this useful vegetable. The potato is mostly starch, and it is not as well known as it should be that the principle of cooking starch is to cook it only until the starch grains burst, and then remove it from moisture, for the starch grains, when open, readily absorb moisture and become soggy. Hence we see this vegetable a most delicious dish or one unfit to eat, according to the skill of the cook. Mashed potato is served from the simplest kitchen, but betrays the poor cook as quickly as a greasy soup. Sometimes one sees an attempt made to improve the appearance of this dish by pressing and smoothing it over the top. This makes a hard and compact mass of what ought to be a light and flaky substance. Often it is served in a deep dish, which is another mistake ; for the potato, when light and white, is tempting enough to serve on a flat dish where it may be seen. Potatoes that are to be served in this way should be mashed the moment they are cooked, and not set aside for a more convenient time. They may then be moistened with milk or cream and be seasoned with butter, pepper, and salt, in measure to the richness desired, and whipped until, like the whites of eggs, they become white and spongy from the air imprisoned in the cells. Mashed potato may be served in a great variety of ways. It can be run through the menu from soup to salad ; can be used for entrees, and can make ornamental fancy dishes out of even minces and stews. It is invaluable as a mask for broken dishes ; for instance, a leg of mutton can be made a presentable dish to serve a second time by filling the cut with mashed potato.

Luncheons