Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil InstitutionsSoyer, Alexis
History
Soyer's Culinary Campaign: Being Historical Reminiscences of the Late War.: With The Plain Art of Cookery for Military and Civil Institutions
Soyer, Alexis
Cooking for military personnel; Crimean War, 1853-1856
Then followed chicken-broth, mutton-broth, beef-soup, rice-water,
barley-water, arrowroot-water, ditto with wine, sago with port,
calves’-foot jelly, &c. Everything was found superior, and so highly
commended by the doctor-in-chief, I no longer had any doubt of success,
nor of the general approval of all the faculty. I promised to lay the
recipes for my new diets before the doctor the next day, and he
retired.[10]
About half-past twelve, the kitchen was crowded to excess with military
and medical men. Lord William Paulet entered, followed by his staff, and
accompanied by Mr. Milton, Mr. and Mrs. Bracebridge, &c. They were much
pleased with the cleanly appearance of the kitchen, and equally
surprised at the alteration which it had undergone in so short a time. I
then showed his lordship round, carefully pointing out to him the simple
but useful alterations I had effected; and requested him to taste the
various samples, compare the one with the other, and give his candid
opinion thereupon. Having done this, Lord W. Paulet expressed his high
satisfaction, and to confirm it, while in the kitchen, wrote the
following letter:--
_Lord William Paulet to Monsieur Soyer._
It is with great pleasure that I state I have carefully viewed and
tasted the new diets introduced by Monsieur Soyer in the hospitals
this day; and had I not seen and tasted them, I could not have
believed that such an amelioration could have been produced from
the same materials as allowed by Government.
W. PAULET.
[Illustration: THE BARRACK HOSPITAL KITCHEN, SCUTARI.]
Above a hundred officials from the various hospitals were present, and
many of the Sisters of Mercy. Not one person had anything to say in
disapproval; but, on the contrary, praised everything. This was
sufficient to stamp it with success. The only thing I regretted was,
that--owing to the rough state of the Bosphorus that day--Lady Stratford
de Redcliffe, as well as a number of military men and medical officers
from the French and Turkish hospitals, were not present. However, they
visited my kitchen some days after, and having inspected everything,
added their testimonials of approbation to those I had already received.
They were particularly struck with the cleanliness and order in a place
where so much was done daily.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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