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sipid buttons the French hatch out and send us 

 from their Cimmerian caves become worse and 

 worse every year, like the cuts off the tough Mon- 

 tana rangers they are used to garnish. The large, 

 high-flavored Cep of southern France, gathered 

 like our Agaricus campestris from the open 

 fields, is quite another thing, and is a prince of 

 esculents when prepared a la Bordelaise. This 

 agaric is very little known ; it has even been 

 overlooked by Gouffe and Francatelli. It may 

 be had in good condition in the can of commerce, 

 and, unlike the champignon^ is always tender 

 and digestible. 



The common field mushroom itself is excel- 

 lent a la Bordelaise, and, for those who do not 

 know it, the recipe is worth quoting as a fragrant 

 flower of the table when executed by a compe- 

 tent hand. There is no more expert guide than 

 fat old Baron Brisse (requiescat in pace]. I 

 know of none so concise and explicit as the au- 

 thor of the " Petite Cuisine " : 



" Champignons a la Bordelaise. Choose 

 large and freshly gathered mushrooms ; wash, 

 peel, and dry them ; soak them an hour and 

 a half in fine olive oil with salt and pepper ; 

 then place them on the grill* and turn them. 

 After cooking, dress them on a platter and sauce 

 them with hot oil, to which add finely chopped 



