Transcriber’s Notes
Text between _underscores_ represents italic text, and text between
=equal signs= represents bold face text. Blackletter texts are
indicated by ~tildes~. Small capitals have been replaced with ALL
CAPITALS. Superscript texts have been transcribed as ^{text}.
More Transcriber’s Notes may be found at the end of this text.
THE TABLE:
HOW TO BUY FOOD, HOW TO COOK IT,
AND HOW TO SERVE IT.
[Illustration:
_Very Sincerely
Yours obedient servant
Alessandro Filippini_]
_Queen:_--“Sure to find its way to any Kitchen ruled by a Cook worthy
of the name.”
THE
DELMONICO COOK BOOK.
HOW TO BUY FOOD, HOW TO COOK IT,
AND HOW TO SERVE IT.
BY
ALESSANDRO FILIPPINI.
(25 YEARS CHEF AT DELMONICO’S, NEW YORK).
BRENTANO’S
LONDON: 430 STRAND.
NEW YORK. CHICAGO. WASHINGTON. PARIS.
[_All Rights Reserved._]
12s. Nett.
CONTENTS.
PAGE
FAC-SIMILE LETTERS OF FILIPPINI AND DELMONICO vi-vii
THE PLEASURES OF THE TABLE 1-3
OUR MARKETS 4-7
VARIETIES OF FISH TO BE FOUND IN THE MARKETS DURING THE
DIFFERENT MONTHS 8-14
VEGETABLES 15-17
WATER-MELONS AND MUSK-MELONS 18
HOW TO SET A TABLE 19, 20
HOW TO SERVE MEALS 20-23
MENUS FOR EVERY DAY IN THE YEAR 25-150
RECIPES 151-382
SUPPLEMENT 383-392
HOW TO CARVE 393, 394
CELEBRATED MENUS, MANY OF WHICH WERE PREPARED BY MR.
FILIPPINI 395-409
CURIOUS MENUS OF VARIOUS NATIONS 411-418
INDEX 419-432
SECOND SUPPLEMENT 433-505
[Illustration:
_Delmonico’s 341 Broadway
New York February 14^{th} 1889
M^{r}. Charles C. Delmonico,
My Dear Sir:--_
_Your are, no doubt, acquainted with the fact, that for the past five
years, I have been engaged upon a work, designed for the use of private
families. This work, which embraces the culinary art of the past and
present, together, with a collection of Menus from almost every country
in world, is now completed._
_Having been with “Delmonico’s” for nearly a quarter of a century; and
as a mark of reverence for those departed and of respect and esteem to
those living, I should feel honored by your permission, to dedicate the
book_
_To the Delmonico Family_
_Very Sincerely
Yours obedient Servant
Alessandro Filippini_]
[Illustration:
_New York March 4^{th} 1889_
_Mr. A. Filippini,
Dear Sir,_
_The work which you have now completed, I have no doubt, will prove
instructive and invaluable._
_Your labors in the house of Delmonico, satifactory as they have been,
should be a sufficient guarantee, of your comprehensive knowledge of the
subject._
_Very sincerely
Charles Delmonico_]
THE TABLE.
THE PLEASURES OF THE TABLE.
The pleasures of the table are enjoyed by all who possess good health.
Nothing is more fascinating than to be seated at a well-served,
well-cooked breakfast or dinner; and yet, of the immense number that
enjoy the good cheer and luxuries of the table, how few, very few, there
are who stop to consider the vexatious trouble our host undergoes when
arranging the daily bill of fare. “Variety is the spice of life,” but
nowhere is it more important, aye, actually necessary, than in the
getting up of a palatable meal. This pertains not only to the
dining-room of a hotel of the least pretensions or to the so-called
“grand” restaurant, but particularly to the family table. The writer has
known a gentleman who presided over an immense restaurant, and daily
provided the supplies therefor. He experienced no difficulty with any
single part of his business, yet when he came to arrange the details of
his own family’s meals, and attempted to practically fulfill them, he
was puzzled and annoyed beyond description. And, after all, there is no
place in the civilized world where the market for the supply of food is
so well provided as in New York, both as to variety and excellence, and
even as to luxuries. Educated as thousands of persons have been, in the
art of dining, by the famous Delmonico and his able lieutenants, New
York, perhaps, contains a larger number of so-called high-livers than
any other city.
These “gourmands” (if you please), and their number is legion, have,
with the aid of the excellent resources of the American market and the
encouragement given to the culinary art of the period, brought the
modern American table to virtual perfection. This is saying a great
deal, inasmuch as the famed restaurants of London, Paris, and Vienna
have ever claimed a reputation and an ascendancy over others that seemed
to form a part of history itself.
But as times change, so we change with them. Westward the course of
Empire sways, and the great glory of the past has departed from those
centres where the culinary art at one time defied all rivals. The
sceptre of supremacy has passed into the hands of the great metropolis
of the New World. It has been the writer’s good fortune to gain
experience on this subject from his observations in Europe as well as in
this country. He can state, without fear of contradiction, that more
first-class, well-fatted, and corn-fed cattle reach the markets of New
York, than any other market of the United States. Whenever a first-class
article of beef is required by one of the inland hotels, they send to
New York for it.
Ask the ordinary traveler, and he will tell you that a first-class
steak, an “A 1” chop, or prime roast beef is a _rara avis_ in hotels
outside of New York. London has excellent mutton and good beef; that is
all. Paris gives plenty of variety, but it is all of an inferior quality
with the exception of veal, which is good. The same may be said of
northern Germany, where, in addition, the larger hotels in Hamburg and
Bremen are able to supply good steaks, the cattle in that country being
of fine quality.
Yet no American, accustomed to his prime beef at New York, can be
pleased at any of these continental hotels, as he loses sight of his
favorite roast and steak.
At the extensive cattle yards of Berlin, which are under control of an
excellent administration, and perfectly arranged, it was impossible, for
instance, on a well-supplied market day to find a single dozen corn-fed
young steers that would make good enough beef for first-class custom in
New York. The bulk of cattle offered for sale was made up of oxen that
had been overworked--they had horns bigger than themselves--and the
remainder were old cows and bulls.
Of the bovine family, the branch most celebrated for the good quality of
beef is the Durhams or Shorthorns. It is only fifty years ago that the
first were imported to this country from England, and so well have they
prospered and multiplied that the finest and best specimens of the race
are now found in these United States. They are now freely exported, at
large prices, to the mother-country, where they are highly prized for
breeding purposes. There are farms in Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio,
and even in Missouri and Kansas, that turn out annually from 300 to
1,000 head of fatted, corn-fed cattle, from two to four years old, and
weighing from 1,500 to 2,500 pounds per head.
As to mutton, this country is already beginning to occupy a position
second to none. We may probably not as yet surpass England in this
respect, but we have learned a great deal on this subject during the
past thirty years; hence the American breed of sheep has considerably
improved. The quality and flavor of our mutton is improving to that
extent that a long time cannot possibly elapse before the prejudice now
existing in favor of the English article must give way to the honest
acknowledgment that the American mutton, if not superior to, stands at
least fully on a par with, the English rival.
Our farmers and agriculturists have learned a great deal on this
question. They now know that, as to early lambs, for instance, the ewes
should be strong, and kept in good condition, so that they can supply
the lambs with plenty of milk. They are now kept in a warm barn where
the cold winds do not touch them, and where the sun can shine on them.
They commence feeding them by putting a little bran in the lamb’s mouth,
so that it can taste it, and the lambs commence eating from a box
separate from the sheep. They generally feed them with cracked corn or
meal, and sometimes oats and corn ground together, with plenty of milk
from the ewes. If kept in good order and well fed, they will be ready
for market by the time they are six to eight weeks old. After the month
of June, lambs come from New York State--mostly from Dutchess County.
They are turned out to graze on the hills, where some cracked corn and
meal are put in the fields, so they can eat it at their pleasure. Many
of the late sheep and lambs come from Canada. Two of the largest sheep
ever sold in New York were raised by Mr. Vail, of Dutchess County, and
sold by A. Luyster to Mr. L. Delmonico for the sum of $100. The two
weighed, alive, 632 lbs., and dressed, 420 lbs.
One of the leading questions that directly affects the American cuisine
is the contest now progressing as to the transportation of animal food
to the great Eastern markets. Heretofore live cattle were transported
to, and slaughtered at, the places of consumption. This so-called
home-slaughtering interest has within the past few years experienced
great competition with the slaughterers of cattle in the far West, who
have brought their meats to the Eastern market in refrigerator-cars. The
great question now is: Which is the better way, and by which method are
the public interests served the best, as well as the sanitary condition
of this important article of food most improved?
There can be no doubt that, while this controversy lasts, the consumer
has already been benefited, and the transportation of live cattle has
already been greatly facilitated and improved. The quality of the meat
does not depend upon the place where the animal is slaughtered, but it
does depend upon the state of the animal’s health when it is
slaughtered. Let the cattle-cars be improved so that cattle can be
transported without being knocked about and bruised, and let them be
properly fed and watered while in transit; after making the long journey
from the far West, let them be well rested and cooled off before
slaughtering.
The Western dressed-beef men will also have to be on their mettle in
order to meet the exigencies of the times. Let them keep their wild
prairie cattle and their scalawags out of the better markets, handle
their beef carefully, keep it subjected to a uniform temperature of
about 38° Fahrenheit, discard all artificial preservative means, and all
opponents to their interests will be bereft of argument.
OUR MARKETS.
Our markets contain an abundant supply of poultry and game of an
exceptionally fine quality. For superior and palatable chickens we are
recommended to those raised about the creameries of New Jersey. The
hand-fed geese and ducks of Rhode Island rival in flavor and delicacy
the celebrated Caneton-de-Rouen, while the American turkeys are famous
the world over. To give any adequate idea of the quantity of game which
comes from the vast feeding-grounds of this country, or to enumerate
substantially every form in which, during the different seasons, game
appears in market, would require too much space.
No game is more highly prized or more eagerly sought after in Europe
than our American canvas-back ducks, grouse and wild turkeys. It has
become part of our history that during the late war twenty thousand
turkeys were shipped by one firm in New York City to supply a
Thanksgiving dinner to an army; while at present so plentiful is the
supply that but a few days would be required to secure double that
number.
Near Rhode Island, on one farm of about fifty acres, twenty thousand
geese, and as many ducks, are fattened annually for market. In Vermont
and other cold localities during December, when turkeys are full grown
and fattest, hundreds of tons of them are dressed, frozen hard in boxes,
and preserved in that condition for use in the spring and summer months;
when freshly killed, turkeys are tough and unpalatable. Unless well
experienced, the purchaser would do better to leave the selection of
poultry and game to some reliable dealer, rather than depend upon
“signs,” which are at times deceiving.
Spring chickens appear in market about May; those hatched in incubators
come somewhat earlier. They are very small, weighing about a pound each,
and improve in flavor and richness as they increase in size. Tender
chickens may be had almost the whole year, but they are not plentiful
during the spring months.
Capons are good from December until April.
Young turkeys are first killed in September; they are full grown and
fattest in December, and remain good until spring, when they are
superseded by frozen turkeys.
Geese and ducks are first brought to market in June, and, if they have
been properly fed, are a great delicacy. They may be had through the
summer, autumn, and winter months. Geese are called “green” until they
are three or four months old.
Guinea-fowls are best in summer and autumn, when young and fat.
Squabs are in market the whole year.
The laws for killing and selling game vary somewhat in the different
States, and sometimes in the different counties of the same State.
Reference is made principally in regard to the New York City markets. So
great are the facilities for forwarding quickly by rail and steamer,
that supplies of game are easily obtained from long distances; and birds
killed in southern Texas, or other remote places, may be served
perfectly fresh on New York tables a few days later. The flight of birds
is greatly controlled by the weather. An early or late season, or a wet
or dry one, or even a cold wave, may hasten or retard them, and make
game plentiful or scarce, fat or poor; but an abundant supply of all
kinds of game in its best condition is generally to be had in the months
it is in season, as follows:
Ruffed grouse, commonly called partridges, are in season from September
1 to February 1.
Pinnated grouse, commonly called prairie-chickens, from September 1 to
February 1.
Quails, from November 1 to February 1.
Woodcock are in the market from August 1 to February 1, and are fattest
in October.
English snipe appear in the spring, and again in the autumn, when they
are in their best condition, and are to be had in smaller quantities
during the winter.
Yellow-legged snipe, robin or red-breasted snipe, dowicher and
black-breasted or winter snipe, also common snipe, are abundant in the
spring, and again from July through October, when they are best.
Upland, grass, or gray plover are in market through the spring and
summer months, and are fattest in August and September.
Doe-birds are to be had at about the same time. They are plover of a
larger size, and are considered not inferior to any other.
Golden plover, or frost-birds, are plentiful in the spring, and are in
fine condition in September and October.
Sora, or Virginia rail, are best in September and October.
Reed-birds, or rice-birds, become very fat in August and September. When
found among the reeds of New Jersey they are called reed-birds, and
rice-birds when from the wild rice-fields of the South.
Rabbits and hares are in season from November 1 to February 1.
Venison is in market from August 1 to January 1 only, and is good during
that time.
Antelope may be generally had through the autumn and winter months.
Wild pigeons appear in the spring and autumn, but no longer in such
immense numbers as formerly. It is only possible to obtain them for
market when their “nestings” are near a railroad, which facilitates
their quick shipment. The young birds (wild squabs), taken from the
nest, make a most delicious broil.
Wild ducks, swan, geese, and brant are in season from September 1 to May
1. The choicest of these are: canvas-back, mallard, teal, red-head,
widgeon, wood, brant, cygnet or young swan, goose when young and fat.
English pheasants, English hares, and Scotch grouse are to be found in
the New York markets in excellent condition during the winter months.
The wild mongrel goose, which appears in our markets about
Christmas-time, is, like the canvas-back duck, considered as one of the
greatest luxuries, and exclusively American.
The far-famed canvas-back duck is also an exclusively North American
species. Closely resembling in appearance and habits the red-head of
America and the pochard of Europe, it is still quite distinct from and
superior to both these species in the excellence of its flesh. It is
found throughout North America, from the Arctic Ocean to Central
America, on the interior waters and on both shores. Chesapeake Bay is
the most noted ground for canvas-back ducks in the country, but they are
especially abundant in Southern California. They breed on the ponds,
rivers, and lakes, from Oregon to the more extreme northern portions of
the continent. The canvas-back is without doubt the most sought after
and widely known of all our ducks, and in localities where it can obtain
the root of the _Vallisneria spiralis_ (called by some tape-grass, and
by others, incorrectly, wild celery), the food to which it owes the
peculiarly delicate flavor for which it is so famous. As a highly prized
delicacy, it stands without a rival. When, however, it is obliged to
content itself with a diet chiefly of animal food, or is not properly
handled in the kitchen, it becomes merely a very ordinary table bird.
The _Vallisneria_ is not found on the Pacific Coast, but in many parts
of the interior, and especially in the Chesapeake Bay. The canvas-back
being an excellent and strong diver, brings from the bottom the
_Vallisneria_ by the roots; these it bites off and swallows, while the
red-head, black-head, and other ducks feed on the refuse grass, or
occasionally a root snatched from the canvas-back. At times the water is
covered with grass thus pulled up. By the middle of December the
canvas-back becomes so fat as to have been known to burst open in the
breast in falling on the water. In New Orleans it is called “canard
cheval.” The canvas-back is covered somewhat like the red-head, but
there is no reason for the confusion which exists in the minds of so
many people regarding the two species. A careful comparison of the
following descriptions of the two birds will indicate well-marked
differences by which they may always be distinguished. The cook of a
Buffalo gentleman, when asked if she knew the difference between a
red-head and a canvas-back replied, “To be sure! one has the head of a
fool!” (meaning the canvas-back).
CANVAS-BACK.
Feathers of the head short and smooth. Male with head and neck of deep
chestnut color, the former sometimes quite blackish. Fore parts of
body, wings and tail, black, under parts white; back and sides
whitish, waved with black, but the white predominates, and the black
lines are faint and much broken up. Female everywhere duller in color
than the male.
Bill entirely greenish-black, longer than head, nearly as long as
middle toe (without claw), narrow, high at base, and nostrils medium.
Iris red.
The weight of a pair of good fat canvas-back ducks with feathers on
will average six pounds.
RED-HEAD.
Feathers of the head rather long, giving it a puffy appearance.
Male with head and neck chestnut red. Fore parts of body, wings and
tail, black, under parts
white; back and sides whitish, waved with black, the dark waved lines
unbroken. Female everywhere duller in color than the male.
Bill dull blue, with a black belt across the end, shorter than the
head, shorter than the middle toe (without claw), broad, depressed;
nostrils within its basal half. Always to be distinguished from other
ducks by shape of the bill.
Iris yellow.
The weight of a pair of good fat red-head ducks with feathers on will
average five pounds.
The red-head duck is found in greater or less numbers throughout North
America, on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, breeding in high northern
latitudes, and frequenting in winter the southern portions of the
continent as far as Mexico. The red-head is not common on the coasts of
New England. During the winter months it abounds considerably along the
south shore of Long Island, and is extremely abundant from this point
south, especially at Chesapeake Bay and Currituck. Its flesh is
excellent, and when it is enabled to feed on the well-known
_Vallisneria_ is almost fully equal in point of flavor to that of the
canvas-back. The diet of the red-head is by preference vegetable, but in
default of a sufficiency of food of this nature, they will, like other
ducks, eat frogs, tadpoles, and various mollusks. In the West they feed
largely on corn and wheat, which they glean from the fields, and on wild
oats, the seed of the water-lily, and roots and leaves of other aquatic
plants.
VARIETIES OF FISH TO BE FOUND IN THE MARKETS DURING THE DIFFERENT
MONTHS.
JANUARY.
Live codfish [_Gadus morrhua_]. Haddock [_Melamogramus agle finus_].
Cusk [_Brosmius brosme_]; this belongs to the cod family, and although
very little known, is an excellent table fish. Hake [_Phycis chuss_];
this is another of the codfish family, but inferior to any of the other
varieties. Halibut [_Hypoglossus vulgaris_]. Small chicken halibut
[_Hypoglossus vulgaris_]. Striped bass [_Roccus lineatus_]. Eels
[_Arguilla vulgaris_]. Lobsters [_Homarus Americanus_]; very scarce, and
in poor condition. Fresh salmon [_Oncorhynchus chouicha_]; these salmon
are caught in the Columbia River, Oregon, all the year round, and are
shipped in refrigerator-cars, and received daily in the New York
markets. Frozen salmon [_Salmo salar_]; caught in the Restigouche River
in July, and kept in freezers. Turbot [_Platysomatichthys
hippoglossoides_], coming from Newfoundland, are occasionally in market
during this month. Frost-fish, sometimes called tom-cods [_Microgdus
tomcod_]. Frozen fresh mackerel [_Scomber scombrus_]. Frozen
Spanish-mackerel [_Scomber omarus_]. Pompano [_Trachynotus carolinus_];
a few occasionally in market, coming from Pensacola, Florida. Red-fish,
or channel bass [_Sciœna ocellata_], caught in Florida. Sheep’s-head
[_Diplodus pobatocephalus_], from Florida. Grouper [_Epinephelus
morio_], from Pensacola; a very good fish for boiling, somewhat like the
red-snapper, but the meat is of a finer grain. Red-snapper [_Lutjanus
Blackfordii_] has become a staple article in our markets during the
winter. They weigh from two pounds upward, as much as twenty pounds
each. It is good either boiled or baked, but most epicures prefer it
baked. In selecting a fish, care should be taken not to buy one that
weighs over eight pounds, as anything larger than that is apt to be
tough and lacking in flavor. Shad [_Clupea sopidisima_], caught in the
St. John’s River, in Florida, are to be had nearly every day during this
month. Frozen bluefish [_Pomatomus saltatrix_], preserved by being kept
in freezers since the previous fall. Herring [_Clupea harengus_], from
Nova Scotia. Skate, or ray-fish [_Plerroplatea maclura_]. The demand for
this fish increases every year. The American people begin to appreciate
its many excellences. Probably the annual dinners of the Ichthyophagous
Club, at which this fish is always served, have materially increased the
popularity and demand for this fish. Rainbow trout [_Salmo irridea_].
These fish were first marketed during the winter of 1885 and 1886, and
they are one of the notable examples of fish-culture, as the following
brief history will show. Six years ago Professor Spencer F. Baird, then
Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries for the United States, received a lot
of eggs of the rainbow trout from California. He presented five hundred
of them to the South Side Club, who have one of the most complete
fish-cultural establishments in this State. These eggs were hatched and
the fish raised in the preserves of the Club, where they increased to
such an extent that the Club decided to send their surplus to market,
and they have become very popular, and sell readily at one dollar and
twenty-five cents per pound. The open season for these trout is from
April to September. Salmon-trout, frozen [_Salvelinus namaycush_].
Whitefish, frozen [_Coregonus clupeiformis_]. Pickerel [_Esox
reticulatus_], weighing from half a pound to ten pounds each, are very
good during the winter months. Wall-eyed pike [_Sticostedium vitreum_].
Catfish [_Ictalurus punctatus_]. Smelts [_Osmerus mordax_] are received
from different parts of the East and North during this month. The
choicest come from Maine and Massachusetts. Those coming from Canada are
always frozen, and are inferior, and sold at a very low price. Green
turtle. Diamond-back terrapin. Prawns, from South Carolina. Scallops.
Oysters. The following are the best in this month: Blue Points,
Shrewsburys, East Rivers, and Mill Ponds. Hard crabs. Crab-meat, fresh
picked. Whitebait. Finnan haddie. Smoked salmon. Smoked halibut. Best
boneless dried codfish.
FEBRUARY.
Live codfish. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Live lobsters. Fresh
salmon. Frost-fish. Fresh Spanish-mackerel are found occasionally in
market, coming from Pensacola, Florida. Pompano. Sheep’s-head. Red-fish,
or channel bass. Grouper. Red-snapper. White perch [_Roccus
Americanus_], from Long Island; one of the best pan-fish that is found
in market. Smelts, green, from Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island,
and frozen smelts from Canada. During the latter part of the month very
choice smelts are received from Long Island. These fish are large, and
are considered the best of all varieties of smelts received. Shad.
During the latter part of the month they begin to come from North
Carolina. These fish are oftentimes large, weighing six pounds each, and
in flavor are equal to those taken in the Connecticut River. Herring.
Skate, or ray-fish. Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow perch [_Perca
Americana_]. Pickerel. Wall-eyed pike. Catfish. Green turtle. Terrapin.
Prawns. Scallops. Oysters. Codfish tongues. Soft shell crabs during this
month are in excellent condition, and are considered one of the most
seasonable shell fish in market at this time. Hard crabs. Whitebait.
Crab-meat, fresh picked. Finnan haddie. Smoked salmon. Boneless dried
codfish. Smoked halibut.
MARCH.
Live codfish. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Chicken Halibut. Eels.
Live lobsters. Salmon, from the Columbia River. During the latter part
of the month a few fish are received from Nova Scotia, weighing about
eight pounds each, and are called Kennebec salmon by the tradesmen,
although no salmon are caught either in the Penobscot or Kennebec
rivers, Maine, until about the 1st of May. Large flounders
[_Pseudopleuronectes Americanus_], suitable for making fillet of sole.
Spanish-mackerel. Pompano. Sheep’s-head. Red-snapper. Grouper. Shad are
abundant this month from North Carolina, and about the 25th or 30th of
March they make their first appearance in the North or Hudson River.
Herring. Skate, or ray-fish. Sturgeon [_Acipencer sturio_].
Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow perch. Pickerel. Cisco [_Coregonus
artedi_]. Catfish. Wall-eyed pike. Green turtle. Terrapin. With the
month of March closes the terrapin season, as after the 1st of April it
seems to be universally conceded that the weather is too warm, and
terrapin are not relished, nor does the palate crave them. Soft shell
clams are still excellent this month. Prawns. Scallops. Oysters. Those
known as East Rivers, caught on the north shore of Long Island, are
considered best in this month. Crab-meat, fresh picked. Smoked haddock.
Smoked salmon. Smoked halibut. Smoked mackerel.
APRIL.
Live codfish. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Chicken halibut. Eels.
Live lobsters. Tomcods. Salmon, fresh from the Columbia River. Salmon,
fresh from Nova Scotia. Flounders. White perch. Fresh mackerel. About
the first part of April mackerel make their appearance on our coast,
oftentimes in enormous numbers, and are sold in the markets at prices so
low as to make them the cheapest food of the season. Spanish-mackerel
and pompano are occasionally in the market from Pensacola, Florida.
Kingfish [_Menticirrus nebulosus_]; a few come into market from North
Carolina. Sheep’s-head, from North Carolina. Smelts; with the close of
this month the fish goes out of season. Red-snapper are to be found in
market up to the 15th of April. Sea bass [_Serranus atrarius_]; a few
occasionally come into market from Charleston, S. C. Shad increase in
abundance from the North and Hudson rivers. Skate, or ray-fish. Bluefish
[_Pomatomus saltatrix_]; a few make their appearance, caught on the
Florida coast. Brook-trout [_Salvelinus fontinalis_]. The open season
for this fish commences April 1. Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Pickerel.
Cisco. Wall-eyed pike. Catfish. Green turtle. Prawns. Crayfish [_Astacus
fluviatilus_] are found during this month in the markets; they are
caught in the Potomac River. Scallops; with the close of this month they
are out of season. Oysters are generally better during the month of
April than at any other time of the year, but, according to custom, with
the close of this month the oyster season ends. Fresh frogs’ legs during
the latter part of this month are taken, and begin to make their
appearance in market at prices of about sixty to seventy-five cents per
pound. Codfish tongues. Hard crabs. Crab-meat. Whitebait. Smoked
haddock. Smoked salmon. Smoked halibut.
MAY.
Codfish during this month is apt to be poor, as no live fish are brought
to the New York markets. It is mostly fish caught off Nantucket and
repacked in Boston, and from there shipped to New York. Haddock; the
same applies to this fish as to the cod. Halibut is in excellent
condition this month, both large fish for steaks, and small chicken
halibut for dinner fish. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Blackfish
[_Teutogo onitis_]. Salmon from Restigouche make their appearance about
the 20th of May. Oregon salmon continue to come during this month,
although not in as good order as in previous months. Large flounders for
fillet of sole are excellent this month. Fresh mackerel.
Spanish-mackerel and pompano from Pensacola, Florida. A few come to
market from North Carolina during this month. Butter-fish [_Stromateus
triacanthus_] make their appearance in the market this month. Weakfish
[_Cyonoscion regale_] plenty and cheap. Kingfish from Long Island make
their appearance during this month in the markets, and are an excellent
fish, growing better each month till October, when they go out of
season. Sheep’s-head; a few make their appearance from Long Island.
Porgies [_Stenotomus chrysops_], from Long Island. Sea bass during this
month are abundant from Narragansett Bay. Shad from Connecticut is
probably at its best this month. There is no doubt that shad from this
river possesses a flavor superior to all others. Shad from the North
River begin to get soft and are not in good condition. Bluefish; there
are a few weighing one and a half to two pounds each in market. Squid
[_Loligo pealæi_] This is an article of food that Spaniards and Italians
think a great deal of, but it is very little used by American people as
yet. It has been introduced to the American public by the dinners of the
Ichthyophagous Club, which is composed of a few gentlemen connected with
the leading newspapers, and some eminent scientific men, whose object is
to cultivate a taste and demand for those varieties of fish which are
not generally supposed to be good edible food. Brook-trout under the
existing law come into market on April 1. Probably the finest flavored
trout found on this continent are the wild brook-trout taken in the
streams of Long Island. Cultivated brook-trout that are raised in ponds
and preserves depend very much upon the character of their food as to
what the flavor will be. Trout that are fed entirely upon chopped liver
are usually flat and insipid to the taste. But trout that are fed upon
small minnows or other fish-food, such as clams, larvae of insects, and
small fish of any kind, are always more delicate in flavor. Salmon-trout
and whitefish; a few are found in market this month, but during warm
weather it is very difficult to obtain them in New York City markets in
prime condition. Carp [_Cyprinus carpia_]. These fish are now making
their appearance in our markets in considerable quantities, having been
introduced into this country through the instrumentality of Professor
Spencer F. Baird, late United States Fish and Fisheries Commissioner,
some eight years ago. They have been distributed in nearly every State
of the Union, and in the Southern States have grown larger, and are
found in better condition, than they are in Germany, where the parent
fish came from. The market is principally supplied now with fish caught
in the Potomac River, weighing from two to fifteen pounds each, and are
selling at present for twenty-five cents a pound; but in the course of a
few years there is no doubt that these fish will be sold for from ten to
twelve cents a pound. Green turtle. Frogs’ legs. Crayfish during this
month come from Wisconsin. They are of very fine flavor, and are the
best that are found in this country. Prawns from South Carolina.
Crab-meat, fresh picked. Soft crabs grow more abundant during this
month, and are in excellent condition. A very choice smoked fish is in
season this month, called the roe herring, and by some of the grocers
under various names, such as bloaters, Burlington herring, etc.
JUNE.
Codfish may be had, but not in good condition. Haddock may be had, but
not in good condition. Halibut. Striped Bass. Eels. Lobsters. Fresh
salmon from the Kennebec and Penobscot rivers, Maine, and from the
Restigouche and other rivers in Canada, are very abundant this month,
and are to be had at the lowest price during the season, selling
oftentimes as low as fifteen cents per pound by the whole fish. Large
flounders for fillet of sole. Blackfish. Fresh mackerel. Pompano.
Spanish-mackerel. Weakfish. Butter-fish. Kingfish. Sheep’s-head.
Porgies. Sea bass. Sturgeon. Shad from the Connecticut River are still
in good condition, but with the close of this month go out of season.
Bluefish are larger, sometimes weighing four to six pounds each, and are
improving in quality. Carp. Skate, or ray-fish. Black bass [_Micropterus
dolomiei_] are in season from the 1st of June until the 1st of January.
This is a very choice table fish; probably one of the best of the fresh
water fishes. Crayfish. Frogs’ legs. Soft crabs. Crab-meat. Whitebait.
JULY.
Cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Kennebec salmon.
Pompano. Restigouche salmon. Large flounders for fillet of sole.
Blackfish. Fresh mackerel. Spanish-mackerel. Butter-fish; this is a
small, sweet pan-fish. Weakfish. Kingfish. Sheep’s-head. Porgies. Sea
bass. Bluefish. Moonfish [_Choetodipterus faber_]. This fish is somewhat
similar in appearance to the sheep’s-head, and is a very fine boiling or
baking fish. Squid. Skate. Brook-trout. Black bass. Green turtle.
Crayfish. Prawns. Frogs’ legs. Soft crabs. Whitebait.
AUGUST.
Cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Restigouche salmon.
Kennebec salmon. Large flounders for fillet of sole. Fresh mackerel.
Spanish-mackerel. Bonito [_Sarda mediterranea_]. This fish is sometimes
sold through the country as Spanish-mackerel, but it is a very inferior
fish as compared with the Spanish-mackerel. Crevalle [_Caranx hippos_].
This fish is sometimes sold as pompano, but is a very inferior fish, as
the pompano is one of the choicest fishes that we have in market.
Butter-fish. Tilefish [_Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps_]. This fish was
first discovered in our waters by the United States Fish Commission in
1880. It is very brilliant in color, but the meat is very coarse-flaked,
and somewhat resembling the haddock in appearance and flavor. Lafayette
[_Liostomus xanthurus_], a small fish weighing about a quarter of a
pound each, and a very desirable pan-fish. Sea-robins [_Prionotus
palmipes_]. This fish is found very plentifully at this season of the
year in the waters of Long Island, and was first introduced as a table
fish by the Ichthyophagous Club some five years ago. It is a very fair
pan-fish. Sea bass. Kingfish. Sheep’s-head. Porgies. Bluefish. Moonfish.
Squid. Skate. Brook-trout. Black bass. Catfish. Green turtle. Crayfish.
Prawns. Frogs’ legs. Soft crabs. White-bait.
SEPTEMBER.
Codfish. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Lobsters. Eels. Salmon from
Nova Scotia. During this month the salmon advance very much in price,
and with the close of the month fresh salmon caught on the Atlantic
coast go out of season. Large flounders for fillet of sole. Blackfish.
Fresh mackerel. Spanish-mackerel. During this month the Spanish-mackerel
are in their best condition, being fat and of delicate flavor. Cero
[_Scomberomorus caballa_]. A large fish, weighing from six to twenty
pounds each, resembling the Spanish-mackerel in appearance, but not so
fine flavored. Crevalle [_Caranx hippos_]. Pompano. Butter-fish.
Tilefish. Weakfish. Lafayette. Porgies. Squid. Smelts make their
appearance for the first time in the season during this month.
Red-snapper are to be found in market this month, the first of the
season. Grouper; a fish somewhat resembling the red-snapper in form, but
of a darker red color, and similar in flavor to the red-snapper, and by
a great many people thought to be superior to the red-snapper. Sea bass.
Skate. Bluefish are in better condition, and in their prime during this
month. Salmon-trout. Pickerel. Whitefish. Catfish. Wall-eyed pike. Carp.
Green turtle. Crayfish. Prawns. Frogs’ legs. Scallops begin to come into
market at this time, but are not quite so good as they are a month
later. Hard crabs. Whitebait. Soft crabs are in better condition and of
better flavor during this month than at any other time of the year.
Moonfish. Butter-fish. Bonito. Sea-robins.
OCTOBER.
Codfish; during the latter part of this month codfish are brought alive
to the market. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters.
Blackfish. Columbia River salmon commence to come into market at this
time. These salmon are what are known as the steel-head variety [_Salmo
gardneri_]. They are not as fine flavored nor as much esteemed as those
that are called chinooks, which come earlier in the season. Large
flounders for fillet of sole. Fresh mackerel. Cero. Spanish-mackerel.
Pompano. Weakfish. Kingfish. Sheep’s-head. Grouper. White Perch. Smelts.
Red-snapper. Sea bass. Bluefish. Black bass. Salmon-trout. Whitefish.
Yellow perch. Pickerel. Cisco. Wall-eyed pike. Green turtle. Carp.
Terrapin are caught during every month in the year, but are not
considered good for the table until the weather is cold, and with the
month of October are first used on the table. Crayfish. Prawns. Frogs’
legs. Hard crabs. Soft crabs are to be found in market usually up to the
10th of October. White-bait. Scallops. Redfish, or spotted bass. This is
a Southern fish, and is somewhat similar in flavor to the striped bass,
but not quite so good.
NOVEMBER.
Live cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Salmon. Cusk.
Blackfish. Fresh mackerel. Redfish, or spotted bass. Grouper. White
perch. Smelts. Red-snapper. Skate. Black bass. Salmon-trout. Whitefish.
Yellow Perch. Pickerel. Cisco. Shad. For the past two or three years,
during the month of November, shad have been taken off the coast of
Massachusetts in the nets along with the mackerel. These shad are large,
weighing five pounds each, and are very fat and of excellent flavor.
Bluefish. This month usually closes the bluefish season, but during the
months of December, January, and February they are found in market, but
always are fish that have been preserved by freezing. Masquallonge
[_Esox nobilier_]. This fish weighs from four to twenty pounds each, and
is of the pickerel family, and considered the most superior in flavor to
all the pickerels. Wall-eyed pike. Catfish. Green turtle. Terrapin.
Crayfish. Prawns. Scallops. Frogs’ legs. Hard crabs. Whitebait.
DECEMBER.
Live cod. Haddock. Halibut. Striped bass. Eels. Lobsters. Columbia River
salmon. Large flounders for fillet of sole. Turbot. These fish are
caught in extreme Northern waters. They are somewhat similar in flavor
to the chicken halibut, but are black upon both sides. They are of a
very peculiar flavor. Tomcods, or frost-fish. A small fish weighing
about one-fourth of a pound each; very sweet, and a desirable pan-fish.
Cusk. Blackfish. Grouper. Smelts. Mullet [_Mugil albula_]. A Southern
fish, sweet and oily, and a good pan-fish. Red-snapper. Skate. Shad are
received during this month from St. John’s River, Florida. Black bass.
Salmon-trout. Whitefish. Yellow perch. Pickerel. Masquallonge. Cisco.
Wall-eyed pike. Green turtle. Terrapin. Crayfish. Frogs’ legs. Prawns.
Scallops. Hard crabs. Soft crabs. This is a different variety of crab
than is found in the summer; it is very much smaller, and of a brown
color; not equal in flavor to the soft crab found during the summer.
VEGETABLES.
Vegetables are grown to such an extent in the South, and also in
hot-houses in the North, that we may enjoy, even in the coldest winter
weather, nearly every variety.
The growing of vegetables in the South for Northern markets received its
impetus through an incident which happened in a then well-known resort
in New York. A party of gentlemen, among them a steward on one of the
Southern steamers, were seated one day in January conversing, when the
steward, who was in the habit of bringing mint with him for this
particular resort, ordered a mint-julep; this order, at that time of the
year, created a little surprise, especially to one of the party, who was
a dealer in vegetables. However, the matter was explained, and the
dealer arranged with the steward to bring him some mint, together with
whatever vegetables he could get, on each of his Northern trips. The
demand for them increased so fast that a great many growers commenced to
raise vegetables, so that the business has grown to vast proportions.
The following information may be useful to those who wish to know at
what season of the year certain vegetables may be had, and also where
they may be had in their prime.
Asparagus. The consumption of asparagus has grown so much during the
past few years, partly, perhaps, through the recommendation of
physicians, that it might be well here to give an idea as to where and
when it is grown. It first makes its appearance in market from the
middle of February until the middle of March, according to the condition
of the weather.
Occasionally it may be had during the winter from hot-houses, but of
inferior quality. The first of out-door growth comes from Charleston, S.
C., where there are a number of very large beds, and where it is grown
very successfully, both as to quality and quantity. It is shipped from
there to Baltimore, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York, arriving at
the latter place by express in a little less than forty-eight hours
after cutting. Although North Carolina is growing more every year, the
next location where it is raised in quantities for market is Norfolk,
Va., the quality being of the best. We now reach our own
vicinity--Oyster Bay and New Jersey. The former place has long had the
reputation of raising the finest asparagus, but as a great many of their
beds are getting old, and not receiving the proper attention, they are
fast losing their prestige to Jersey, where they are growing more and
more every year, and of the very finest quality. Asparagus may be had at
its best from the 1st of May, until the 1st of June; after this time it
commences to run out until July first, when cutting is stopped. The
demand has been so great for the past few years that, although more and
more is raised every year, the price advances instead of getting less,
and for the large “Colossal” or “Delmonico” asparagus immense prices are
paid.
French artichokes may be had all the year round; the quality and size
depend on the condition of the weather during their growth. Most of the
supply is from France, but occasionally from California and the South.
Jerusalem artichokes appear from the 1st of October until June; they are
always good.
String beans can be had from the middle of February until December; they
are in their prime during the spring and fall months. Occasionally we
receive them in December and January from Havana, but they are not
first-class.
Lima beans, which are seldom shipped from the South, can be had from
August until frost sets in; they are always good.
Beets all the year round; best in spring and summer.
Cabbage all the year round; always good. The first new cabbage comes
from Florida in March. During the winter large quantities of cabbages
are imported from Denmark.
Carrots all the year; the small young ones appearing in the spring.
Chives can be had all the year round.
Cucumbers all the year round. In the winter we get them from the
hot-houses around Boston; they are of the very finest quality, although
rather expensive.
Cauliflower all the year round; we have them in January, February, and
March from England and France, and in April and May from the hot-houses
on Long Island. They are of fine quality at all seasons except during
summer.
Celery may be had in every month but May and June, but is best during
the cold weather. It is being extensively raised in Kalamazoo, Mich.,
for the past three or four years; and as they raise it much earlier than
we, and of good quality, it will not be long before we have it all the
year round.
Chervil may be had all the year round, but is usually poor during warm
weather.
Chicory we have from August until March; best during fall and winter
months; occasionally during February and March; a fine quality comes
from France.
Corn or winter salad (called by the French _doucette_, and by the
Germans _fetticux_) from September until warm weather sets in. It is
purely, as its name indicates, a winter salad, as it never grows in the
summer.
Cress all the year round; best in the spring.
Dandelion from January 1 to June.
Escarole salad from August until March.
Egg-plant all the year round; scarce during winter.
Garlic all the year round; in large quantities for the past two or three
years during May, June, and July, from New Orleans.
Herbs, such as thyme, sage, sweet basil, borage, dill, lavender,
sweet-fennel, sweet-marjoram, rosemary, summer-savory, tansy, etc., may
be had green in the summer and fall, and dry during the balance of the
year.
Kohl-rabi from May until November.
Knot celery from September until May.
Leeks all the year round.
Lettuce can be had all the year round. In the winter it comes from the
hot-houses of Boston, Providence, Long Island, and Jersey, but
principally from Providence, as that city for the past few years has
made a business of growing lettuce for the New York market. It is best
in the fall and spring. It is almost impossible to grow good lettuce in
the summer, for, should it head at all, the warm weather would rot it.
Mint can be had nearly all the year round; scarce during December and
January.
Mushrooms can be had all the year round; they are raised principally in
cellars and hot-houses on Long Island, and the demand for them increases
yearly. The people are gradually getting over the fear they once had of
the poisonous toad-stools, of which, by the way, there is no danger now,
as the mushrooms are carefully picked and sent to market by men who
understand the business. They are scarce during the very warm weather.
Oyster-plant can be had from September until June.
Okra appears all the year round; in the winter and spring it comes from
Havana.
Parsley all the year round.
Onions may be had all the year round.
Green peppers all the year round. In winter we get them from Havana.
Potatoes all the year round. There need be but little fear of a
potato-famine. During the past few years, when our own crop has been
light, large quantities were imported from England, Ireland, Scotland,
and Germany. The first new potatoes come from Bermuda about April 1.
Sweet potatoes from August until June.
Peas from March until November.
Parsnips from September until June.