HOW KINGS AND RULERS LIVE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume X, Issue 6, 11 February 1893, Page 133

HOW KINGS AND RULERS LIVE.

If we are to believe the reports that from time to time reach the ears of the public, the kings and emperors of modern times do not every day partake of an extravagant banquet that costs several thousand dollars, like the Neros and Caligulas of ancient Rome. It is not precisely a matter of money, since they could afford the expenditure, their private purse being sufficiently furnished, but they understand better the laws of hygiene, and do not care, besides, to set an example of extravagance and gluttony that would be bad for their subjects, and might in these days of newspaper license cause adverse criticism. Most of them, be it said, live modestly, not to say abstemiously, reserving their grand symposia for the occasions when they are obliged to entertain their more distinguished subjects, their royal guests or the ambassadors of foreign nations. Thus we have the example of the Emperor of Austria working hard all day with his secretary, and, that his labour may not be interrupted, having a frugal lunch brought to him after the manner of a day labourer, and lamenting his painful lot to his employe, who can go away after his task is finished and partake of a square meal at a restaurant. What person sympathetically disposed can read this stern array of facts without pitying the deplorable lack of the necessities of life with which this imperial representative of the endless line of the Hapsburgs is obliged to content himself. Alexander 111., Czar of all the Russias, lives simply when he has not company to dinner, but has as many meals a day as the first-class steamship considers itself obliged to give to all its passengers who are not confined to their berths by sea sickness. The menu of these different repasts, as given in the French newspapers, is as follows : Breakfast (at the untimely hour of seven) : Tea, eggs, ham, and a slice of roast beef ; luncheon at 11, poached egg in a cup of bouillon, mutton cutlet, cold fowl or game, two kinds of vegetables, followed by three cups of strong black coffee ; at 2 o’clock a little boiled rice and milk, and at dinner the usual number of courses served at the tables of the middle class in France. A Scotch regimen is in high favour with Queen Victoria, who eats meat, venison, and boiled fowl, is fond of bannocks and haggis, and never commences a meal, especially when at Balmoral, without a plentiful bowl of oatmeal ponidge. The King of Sweden, while in general being served after the French manner, loves the national dishes, among which potted salmon is regarded with great favour. At the German court the French methods of cooking and serving are preferred, never having fallen into disfavour since introduced by Frederick the Great, but the menft is written in German. It is a weakness of his youthful majesty. But the bread is varied according to the best recognized rules of indigestion, the English muffin, fried on both sides, the art of making which was taught Emperor William by his British mo - her, being highly esteemed, and small loaves seasoned with mint, anise, and cumin having always the place

of honour on the table of the court. The Queen of Spain, compelled by the etiquette of the hidalgos to consume a specified amount of tamales and olla podrida, solaces herself when there is no company with certain Austrian dishes, among which is roast beef served with currant jelly. King Humbert of Italy has the reputation of being a vegetarian. He is certainly moderate in all things. To maintain his popularity with his subjects of the southern part of the peninsula he consumes a moderate amount of macaroni. The President of the French republic is described by those who know him as a ‘gastronome savant, delicate and admirably balanced’ (we translate the phrase literally from the French), but being aware of the great truth that • always to eat roast turkey makes one sick,’ he regulates his family bills of fare accordingly. Once every week there figures on the Presidential table that truly democratic dish known in France as pot au feu, and in America as boiled beef and vegetables. The menu of the breakfast is usually composed of eggs, fish, mutton or lamb cutlets, with game or poultry. The dinner is, as the French say, a la bourgeoise. The public dinners are the wonder and delight of practised gastronomes, and there is one dish which has won the heart of many a royal ambassador hitherto little disposed to favour a republican form of government. This is the creation of Louis Tabernat, cook at the Elysee.and is called ‘ poulet a la president.’ The recipe should interest all lovers of good cooking inNewZealand. If a capon is not to be had take a fat chicken or young cock, pluck ami scorch it, and after it is dressed, or undressed, in the usual manner cut off the feet and, bending them back, insert what is left of the legs in the side of the bird. Then cut the breast cuirass form, take out the breastbone and flatten gently but sufficiently to break the joints. Pierce the nervous centres with the point of the knife in order to prevent reaction. This last anatomic detail is truly French. When the fowl is thus prepared, salt and pepper it and apply a ‘ suspicion ’ of allspice after which drench with melted butter and slip into a very hot oven. When sufficiently cooked remove, roll in breadcrust crumbs and replacing in the oven, drench with the dripping. After it has taken a slight brown, again remove, place on a silver dish and serve, after having poured over it an abundance of extract of beef. Thus prepared, even withont the silver platter, this dish is said to be exquisite, and capable of softening the heart of the most hostile diplomatist. Competent critics say that it quite eclipses the chicken a la Marengo much beloved by Napoleon I. It costs dear, however, to win the hearts of men by Presidential banquets. A dinner or ball at the Elysee costs from £2,000 to £BOOO, and it is safe to say a similar entertainment would cost twice that in Australia. For a dinner of 400 guests, followed by a reception of 5000 persons, there are required 1500 bottles of the finest champagne, 500 bottles of fine Bordeaux, 200 bottles of beer, 150 fowls, 5000 sandwiches, galantine of fowl and truffles to the value of £2OO, with numerous other things, all the articles mentioned being for the buffet alone. Those who have once tasted the delicate

cooking of the Elysee Palace are not likely to forget it. On these occasions Tabernat has at his disposition twenty-five or thirty of the best cooks of Paris, all of whom improvise and invent in order to give all the variety possible. In respect to his table the French President is more royal probably than any sovereign in Europe.