The delectable savour of oysters delighted the palates of epicures as far back as the time of Apicius--the celebrated Roman gourmet who moved his palace to the seashore in order to have fresh shellfish for his table. When Apicius discovered how to keep oysters alive during long journeys he narrowly escaped being deified. But the bivalves which he knew were tiny dwarfs--like our clams. How he would have been transported at the sight of a dozen luscious Sadde Rochs or Malpecques. And for a dish of Lynnhavens a la Bourguignonne from the kitchen at the Congress--well he squandered an estate for less. The oysters are placed in a pan moistened with olive oil. The Chef's deft hand bestows a pianissimo touch of garlic and just a suspicion of onion. Then the bivalves are placed in the oven and roasted in their own fortresses, as it were. Soon the shells open and the rich liquor pours out. Thus, bathed in this delicious juice, they are brought to the table and served. It was Napoleon III, who upon tasting this crustacean delicacy, exclaimed: "A delicious flash of gustatory lightning." [Illustration] _"The cook produced an ample dish Of frizzled sole, those best of fish, Embrowned, and wafting through the room, All spluttering still, a rich perfume."_ _Filet of Sole Marguery_ By originating this dish, an obscure restaurant keeper of Paris achieved a place among the immortals of cookery. The high relief of piquant sauce which sole requires, M. Marguery supplied in a flavoring with little mussels in it. So delightfully did it enhance the dish that a distinguished company of bon vivants who happened into the humble Marguery restaurant one night pronounced it a triumph. The next day M. Marguery awoke to find himself and his sole famous. He soon was on the road to wealth and the dingy little eating shop grew into the magnificent establishment with which visitors to Paris are familiar. The genius who presides over the range at the Congress is shown at his best in the reproduction of this exquisite culinary treat. The crisp tenderness of the browned sole and the piquant flavor of the sauce is the tribute of an artist to the immortal name of Marguery. [Illustration] _"Cookery is like matrimony--two things served together should match."_ --_Yuan Mei, the Savarin of China_ _Noisettes of Beef Tenderloin a la Rossini_ Rossini, a contemporary and friend of Dumas and Balzac--two famous fourchettes--was not only a distinguished composer, but also a cook of ability. This dish of his invention bears witness of his skill and rivals in seductiveness the sweet strains of "The Barber of Seville." Dumas once complained to Rossini that he had tasted everything eatable and sighed, like Alexander, for new culinary worlds to conquer. Whereupon the musician promised the great romancist that his palate should enjoy a new sensation.