That evening at Rossini's table Dumas sat down before a wonderful dish. Dainty slices of tenderloin were fried in oil, portions of chicken liver sauted in butter were placed on these, the whole being capped with a slice of truffle and bathed in a delightful Madeira sauce. Dumas--himself a master juggler of the saucepans--pronounced the dish a more glorious creation than any of the composer's operas. It is the proud boast of the Congress chef that the cookery of this dish requires an artist's delicate perception as truly as does the rendition of Rossini's sweetest arias. [Illustration] _Lucullus one day ate alone. Whereupon, his chef, thinking that a $500 dinner would suffice, acted accordingly._ _At the end of the repast, his face flushed with Falernian, Lucullus sent for the chef and took him to task. There were no fig-peckers and the prized spawn of the sea lamprey was missing._ _"But seigneur," said the chef, "you were alone."_ _"At such time," responded his master, "you must remember that Lucullus dines with Lucullus."_ _Salmi of Partridge_ Salmi is perhaps the finest preparation of game which historic cookery has bequeathed to us. Like other masterpieces of art, it has never been improved upon. The wonderful sauce brings out the delightful woodland flavor in which the partridge excels--as all sportsmen who love to tramp afield when the woods are covered with a shroud of autumn frost can attest. In the Congress kitchen this delectable native of the cover is prepared according to the original recipe given to Grimrod de la Reyniere, the famous French epicure by the prior of an English abbey. After the bird is roasted it is cooked in white wine, then immersed in melted butter and served hot with mushrooms and truffles. When the witty Grimrod first tasted this dish he remarked that one must take care to eat with the fork for fear of devouring a finger should it be baptized with the exquisite sauce. [Illustration] _"It is difficult to imagine a happier conjunction than the blending of symbols when the arms of a sportsman are quartered with those of a cook."_ --_John Aldergrove_ _Venison a la Cumberland_ The saddle of venison for centuries has been the symbol of civic luxury in England and is held in highest esteem by epicures. An offspring of wild Nature--fed upon its sweet fruits and vegetation, it exhales the very essence of the forest. In addition venison possesses the admirable virtue of calling forth the rare flavor of port, Bordeaux or Burgundy. A choice cut from the ruddy flesh of the roebuck--that monarch of the north woods--is skillfully prepared for the oven by the Congress chef. When it has received just the right caress from the flames' heat it is brought to the table smoking hot and served with the exquisite Cumberland sauce--the invention of the gifted Francatelli, officier de bouche to Queen Victoria.