Practical gastronomy and culinary dictionary

In the case of foods we soon tire of a thing as a regular diet, and the taste craves a change. Here the whole system rebels against the monotony of diet be- cause no one food is likely to contain all the elements of nutrition required by the body for the exercise of its functions, and soon the elements which are in excess cloy upon the taste, because the system is already sup- 34 PRACTICAL GASTRONOMY plied with them while we crave the foods containing substances which the system lacks. A change is then demanded by Nature, and made manifest by the sense of taste. If the change cannot be made, Nature shows her dis- approval by causing a loss of appetite, or a repugnance to the condemned article of diet. Again, in the case of foods which are much concen- trated, or have a strong flavour, like preserved fruits or syrups, the taste soon becomes dulled to the pleasure of their sweetness, because the dehcate nerves which con- vey the impression of sweetness to the brain become fatigued, and fail to respond to the exciting cause. 36 PART II. THE COOK AND THE KITCHEN The word "cook" is derived from the Anglo-Saxon, coc. Danish, Kok ; German, Koch ; French, cuisinier ; Italian, cuoco ; and Latin, cocus, coquus, from coquere, to cook. The word '* cock" has also the same deriva- tion in Great Britain, coc ; and in France also, coq. In Roman -Latin the Frenchman ^ was Gallus, a Gaul, and, from some arrangement peculiar to the Romans, gallus is the Latin for ** cock." The cook in Plautus is called " Hominum Serva- tor," the server of mankind ; and by Mercier " un medecinqui guerit radicalement deux maladies mortelles, la faim et la soif " (a doctor who radically cures two mortal complaints, viz. hunger and thirst). In William the Norman Conqueror's time the cook was styled " Magnus Coquus." In 1248 the brother of Cardinal Otto, the Pope's legate, officiated as cook, and was then called" Magister Coquinus." In the times of our forefathers, cooks were thought 36 PKACTICAL GASTRONOMY a great deal more of than they are now ; the rarity of their talents was so well understood that, besides receiv- ing a very considerable compensation, they were titled " Esquire " by their office. Their important posts were always held as situations of high trust and confidence ; so that " magni coqui " (master kitcheners) have filled positions of consider- able dignity, in their time, in the palaces of kings and princes. William the Conqueror bestowed several portions of land upon these highly favoured domestics, the Co- quorum Praepositus and Coquus Eegius. Robert Argillon, a cook, had a manor bestowed on him for the services he rendered. Domesday's Book refers to this honour as follows : — ** Robert Argillon holdeth one carucate of land in Addington in the county of Surrey by the service of making one mess in an earthen pot in the kitchen of our lord the King on the day of his coronation, called ' de la groute,' i.e. a kind of plum-porridge or water- gruel with plums in it. This dish is still served up at the royal table at coronations by the lord of the said manor of Addington."