Brevities

You know, of course, the story of the wily old Jewish sage. He was asked for the best thing on earth and he named the tongue. And when he subsequently was asked for the most vicious, the most dangerous thing, he named the tongue again. Good and bad, beneficient and ruinous, the tongue may save or destroy according to the way you use it.

From a culinary point of view, too, the truism of the old teacher is fully valid. For if there is no better dish than a properly cooked tongue, there is no poorer repast than a tongue badly prepared. Tongue recipes were, therefore, in continental families, which were appreciative not only of the Good Life but also of good living. Something treasured something guarded, something that was handed on like an heirloom to a younger generation. It is from such a source that we have culled for our readers the following instructions.

Choose a good, meaty tongue—smoked, of course—and soak it over night in a pan of water to remove the surplus salt. Cook it the next morning for from three to four hours, till very soft. Then remove the tongue from the water, skin it, cutting away at the same time all fat and waste material. While the tongue was still cooking you prepared a special sauce consisting of five snaps, one-half cup of brown sugar, four tablespoons of vinegar, one cup of hot soup stock, one sliced lemon, one-half cup of raisins and one-quarter teaspoon of onion sauce. You have mixed carefully all these ingredients and cooked them until smooth. Now you put the skinned tongue into this sauce and let it simmer for another ten or fifteen minutes. Then you will have a tongue which will sing, silently but effectively, your praises and will testify to your perfection in the fine art of coo###