_Observations upon Pastry._
Although the art of making pastry is very nearly as old as the world,
having been the delight of the ancients, and of the sensual inhabitants
of Asia, it is only within the last twenty years that it has attained
any degree of perfection, which is partly due to the talent and
intelligence of my illustrious compatriot and confrère, CAREME, who has
left little or no room for innovation in that vast field of culinary
delight; but I shall endeavour as much as possible to simplify the
present excellent system, and introduce as much novelty as I can into
that department, which is considered the greatest ornament of the second
course; I must here likewise observe that as ages change so also do the
fashions. Fifteen years ago large ornamental pieces, (or pièces
montées,) were very much in vogue, but at the present time I know many
epicures that would object to sit down before those once favorite
monuments, or colossal sugar ornaments, the modern table embellishments
having very properly fallen into the hands of the silversmith.
Simplicity, the mother of elegance, being now the order of the day.
_Of different sorts of Paste._
The variety of pastes is to the pastry what first stocks are to soups
and sauces, and must be very properly first described, particularly as
it is here to which I must refer my readers for paste even used for the
hors-d’œuvres and entrées; to succeed you must be particular in your
proportions, and very careful in the mixing, for although there is
nothing more simple if pains be taken, so will the least neglect produce
a failure, nor is it only with the making of the paste that pains must
be taken, but likewise with the baking, for as paste badly made would
not improve in baking, neither will paste, however well made, be good if
badly baked; should the oven be too hot the paste would become set and
burn before it was done; and, again, if too cold it would give the paste
a dull heavy appearance, but an oven properly heated (which can be
readily known by a little attention on the part of those in the habit of
using it) will give it a clear brilliant appearance.
For every description of pastry made from puff paste, try if the oven is
hot by placing your hand about half way in, and hold it there about a
quarter of a minute, if you can hold it there that time without
inconvenience it would not be hot enough, but if you cannot judge of the
heat, the safest method would be, try a piece of the paste previous to
baking the whole; I apply these few observations to all my readers, but
particularly to the uninstructed, as a person of continual practice
cannot fail to be aware of the truth of them.