| Show British War Time Menu Puts Crimp In n Offerings of Restaurants Editor note This Thie Is II the ot of ota ofa a Arlu of ot articles article on life lite In bombed Britain The final will wilt appear Monday Nonday By Byl MILO 31 THOMPSON THO NEW YORK Dec 28 UP Do Ri-Do Do Donot not send food packages to England I You will annoy the ministry of I shipping hipping and probably embarrass the he recipient He may be questioned questioned ques- ques on the theory he is trying to o circumvent the rationing laws and the chances are hell he'll have to pay more to get your package out of f customs and inspection than hed he'd have lave to pay for twice its equivalent equivalent lent ent in English foods I Restaurant menus are not what they used t to be but here is one which will serve to illustrate the present situation It comes from a place catering to the newspaper newspapermen m men n of the Fleet street area Prices have been converted to the United States equivalent Soup Soup Consomme Consomme 08 pea soup 08 I Fish Fish Fillets Fillets of plaice 40 fried whiting tartar sauce 42 I Entrees Vienna steak with braised celery 36 chop toad-in- toad the-hole the 40 boiled cod lobster sauce 42 sausages and mashed potatoes 30 pO 30 Roast Roast Roast-Roast Roast mutton red currant currant cur cur- ur- ur rant jelly 42 Vegetables Vegetables Cabbage Cabbage 08 boiled mashed or saute potatoes 08 Sweets Sweets Plum Plum tart 12 suet roll rolland rolland rolland and marmalade 12 Savories Soft Savories Soft roes on toast 18 Welsh rarebit 12 toasted ch cheese ese 12 club toast 18 sardines on toast 12 Beverages Coffee Beverages Coffee 06 This is a typical menu and if one studied it eloquent of the food situation While it indicates no serious want it also shows what rationing and bombs have done to the food situation In prewar days there were half halfa a dozen soups on this menu several several several sev sev- sev- sev eral of them ready to serve Today only the pea soup is freshly made The consomme is canned and you wait 10 minutes for its heating Uncertainty of gas pressure and a limited number of emergency oil burners lead to making as few commitments as possible in this section Used to Be More Before wars war's crimp in offerings at least 10 or 12 fish courses were available including Dover sole Scotch salmon and the inevitable broiled herring The abbreviated d entree list of these days is notable for its avoidance avoidance avoid avoid- ance of scarce and rationed foods and its use of leftovers The Vienna steak is a pat of ground meat from yesterdays yesterday's roast The toad the is a braised lamb chop without bone pressed into a mound of mashed potatoes and splashed with gravy Sausages are not rationed They are of limited meat content but savory and fat Egg dishes have disappeared from the entree list Time was when you had several roasts to choose Now you have no choice but nearly always you find one roast offered Wary Vary of Gas Use The omission of grilled meats shows how wary the restaurant is of pledging its kitchen burners The vegetable assortment has shrunk from six or eight to two The list of hot desserts has been cut in half but one can choose one of the standard cold dishes The English often choose a savory savory savos' savos sa sa- sa- sa vos' vos vory rather than a sweet for the end of a meal and the present list of savories is the standard one And it is always possible to call for cheese and biscuits provided you'll take Cheddar or Cheshire cheese or to have an apple or pear The once-available once French Dutch Swiss and Italian cheeses cheeses' are gone So are the tropical fruits One Hot Beverage Bc The offering oftering of only one hot beverage beverage beverage bev bev- is another indication of the uncertain gas situation Usually a glass of milk is available however With our lunch we take a roll or wedge of bread from the basket on the table and perhaps ask for butter butter butter but but- ter getting a thin pat the size of ofa ofa ofa a quarter It may be butter or it may be margarine S There is no sugar on the table One tiny cube three-eighths three of an aninch aninch aninch inch square comes with th the cof cof- fee If you do not use sugar you present your cube to the man who does The cost of the average business mans man's lunch on this basis you can figure it yourself will be about 80 cents You can eat cheaper at counters A quarter w will buy a cup of soup a glass of milk and a sandwich You can also spend two dollars at ata a de place and eat much more but you'll still be held to one meat or fish dish fare little better on butter and sugar and still miss th things like lAke cream |
