6 4 



RECREATION. 



cheeses during the curing process, accord- 

 ing to Professor Farrington, they can be 

 kept clean and attractive in apppearance, 

 and if well made from good milk will de- 

 velop an acceptable flavor that, together 

 with the trade-mark branded into each 

 pound, will be helpful in protecting the 

 reputation of any given make of cheese. 



FRENCH PATE DE FOIS GRAS. 



The statement has been made that in the 

 high priced French pate de foie gras ex- 

 ported to the United States "the traditional 

 diseased livers have been replaced by beef 

 and pork." Discussing these subjects, the 

 American Consul at Bordeaux, Albion W. 

 Tourgee, says : 



"It is hardly correct, at the outset, to 

 refer to foie gras, as it is produced in 

 Southern France, at least, as diseased. A 

 fatted goose liver is no more diseased than 

 the meat of an overfed hog. Both are ab- 

 normal and in that sense might be regard- 

 ed as the product of unsanitary conditions. 

 The goose may for a time be confined by a 

 tether a yard or so in length, fastened to a 

 stake, beside which it waits with the health- 

 iest appetite for its frequently supplied 

 portion of American corn meal, which is 

 the food chiefly relied on for fattening. In 

 fact, the increased importation of American 

 maize during the past quarter of a century 

 has been a chief stimulus to the trade in 

 foie gras. The goose is not encouraged to 

 take too much exercise, any more than any 

 other fattening animal. It is not fed for its 

 health, but to incline it to take on fat. The 

 result of this is to greatly enlarge the liver, 

 which is the most valuable part of the car- 

 cass. Those who have seen the prize hog, 

 almost unable to stand erect, and kept from 

 actual melting of its superabundant flesh 

 only by frequent use of the hose, will read- 

 ily perceive that if too much fat is a dis- 

 ease there are other forms of abnormal de- 

 velopment just as objectionable as the 

 much prized goose liver. 



"Foie gras d'oie, the fat goose liver, is 

 prepared for use and export here in sev- 

 eral forms : Foie gras nature! ; pates de 

 foie gras; and puree de foie gras. The 

 foie gras naturel is simply the cooked liver 

 served without any form of sauce or sea- 

 soning except the fat or oil of the liver it- 

 self. t The pate de foie gras of commerce 

 consists of the cooked liver packed in tin 

 boxes of a standard size, which the liver is 

 roughly cut to fit. The space not occupied 

 by the liver is filled with the trimmings of 

 the liver or with pork, finely hashed and 

 pressed in. Over this is poured the melt- 

 ed fat, sometimes of the liver and some- 

 times beef suet. The pieces of liver clipped 

 off in this process of fitting the cooked liver 

 to the box are used with other hashed 



meats and flavoring matters like truffles in 

 preparing what is known in commerce as 

 puree de foie gras. 



"The practice of using suet instead of 

 the natural fat of the goose liver, as a sup- 

 port or matrix by which the interstices 

 between the liver and the box are filled, 

 is not so wholly reprehensible as might at 

 first appear, since it has certain good rea- 

 sons, or at least excuses. In the first place, 

 the suet and the somewhat firmer meat 

 packed about the liver prevent the latter 

 from being broken by sliding about in 

 the box, as it is likely to do on long jour- 

 neys when only the thin oil of the liver is 

 used. Another fact which shippers have 

 learned by costly experience is that the 

 pure fat of the goose is much more likely 

 than beef suet to become rancid when used 

 as the sole pack of the foie. It is also 

 claimed that the strong greenish fat of the 

 goose is sometimes repulsive to persons of 

 weak stomach; and that Americans, who 

 are especially opposed to what they term 

 'messy dishes,' are unreasonably opposed to 

 pates made with the pure goose fat. The 

 modifications described are prepared simply 

 to reconcile the perverted American taste 

 to the foreign dainty. Though the primal 

 purpose of the change of material was no 

 doubt to reduce the cost of production, the 

 result is said not only to be a reduction 

 m price to the consumer, but to give him 

 an _ opportunity to select the form of this 

 delicacy he may prefer. Some people great- 

 ly prefer the sorts which have the foie nat- 

 urel with the supporting pate made of oth- 

 er hashed meats and the more wholesome 

 appearing and less highly flavored suet. 



"Instead of being a harmful or depreci- 

 able adulteration of a well known product, 

 it is claimed this is a modification not only 

 harmless, but of a character essential to its 

 preservation and adaptation to the popular 

 taste of the majority of the American peo- 

 ple. At all events, it does not seem exact- 

 ly fair that firms which have made entirely 

 healthful products should be rated by name 

 among those engaged in making and selling 

 adulterated food. At least one well known 

 shipper manufactures all kinds of foie gras 

 known to commerce, leaving to his custom- 

 ers the choice of those best suited to their 

 particular trade. All are good and all their 

 components absolutely wholesome, as he 

 declares, some being better adapted for 

 one taste and some for others.." 



I can not eat them," said the belle, 

 looking nervously at the dainty entree of 

 frogs' legs. 



"Why not? They're all right." 

 "Oh, they look like breaded chorus 

 girls." 



