1010 
mixture of the English and French 
’ modes of cookery would be the best. 
Boiled endive, rare with us, is a 
common and healthy dish at Paris, 
being mucilaginous, and agreeable 
to weak stomachs. But another 
usual dish, a partridge boiled with 
bacon and cabbage, seems an ab- 
surdity, the flavour being lost, and 
the whole nauseous to the English 
palate. Carrots are regarded as 
stomachic, and a bason of vermi- 
celli soup, with grated carrot, is a 
famous breakfast. ‘The French 
pastry is much celebrated, but many 
persons seem deservedly to prefer 
the English. Some have an aversion 
to the pigeons of Paris, because they 
are fed:from mouth to mouth. The 
goose is left to the populace, being 
in general meagre and unsavoury ; 
but the ducks are often excellent. 
In the winter there is a sufficient 
supply of excellent fish, and turbot 
is sold by the pound. A rich farmer 
general, about to give a solemn 
dinner, sent his maitre d’hotel for 
fish, who: reported that there was 
only a large turbot, for which a 
counsellor had paid two louis d’or. 
‘¢ Here,” said the farmer-general, 
throwing four louis on the table, 
*¢ go and buy me the turbot and the 
counsellor.” During the summer 
the fish is scarce and bad, and a 
large forturle might be made by 
bringing this article to Paris in ice. 
Fish-women carry about live carp in 
Jeathern vessels, suspended at their 
girdles: these are dangerous to en- 
counter, as any derangement of her 
fish-pond occasions a torrent of 
abuse; and sometimes a live carp 
serves as an instrument of manual 
exercise. A dish of gudgeons is a 
favourite food of a petite maitresse. 
The hams of Bayonne are excellent, 
aud extremely mild; but those of 
3 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
Mentz, though harder, are more 
savoury. The milk and eggs of 
Paris are superior to those of. Lon- 
don. Of artichokes and strawber- 
ries the season is prolonged by the 
art of the gardener, and both may 
be had at the end of September. 
M. Grimod has wittily observed, 
that thirteen form an unlucky num. 
ber at table, when there is only 
food for twelve; and that the fall- 
ing of the salt-seller is very unlucky, 
when it spoils a good dish. Yet 
he recommends as sacred another 
prejudice, that of paying a visit at 
the house where you are treated, 
some days after the dinner; as if 
the business of a forenoon could 
be neglected for such an idle cere- 
mony. His parallel, vol. i. p. 225, 
between the. pleasures of the table 
and those of love, gave some of- 
fence to the Parisian belles, and he 
was obliged to soften it in a second 
edition. 
Le dejeuner a la fourchette, or 
fork-breakfast, is so called, because 
in eating meat you have occasion 
for a fork. Since the lateness of 
the dinner hour, and the disconti- 
nuance of supper, this repast has 
become very common. It gene. 
rally consists of cold meats; ' but 
broiled fowls, kidneys, and sausages, 
are admitted with petit-patés. Dur- 
ing the winter, oysters from the 
rock of Cencale, a public-house so 
called, and much celebrated for this 
article, form the usual introduction, 
The master and mistress of the 
house continue to carve, while it is 
to be regretted that the German 
fashion is not introduced, of having 
the dishes carved by a servant at a 
side-table. ‘The plateau which de- 
corates the middle of the table, is 
often strewved with fine sand, of va« 
rious colours, in compartments, and 
deco- 
