Bourgeois
À LA BOURGEOISE. It has always been difficult to translate these phrases into English, and the attempt to do so now would be absurd. They belonged to an order of things when there was a more marked gastronomical distinction between the nobleman and the townsman than we can now find. The nobleman had a fine way of cooking, the burgess had a less refined way. It is better in the present day to contrast the set dinner or the dinner of state with the family dinner. We make greater preparation for invited guests than for every-day home use. Throughout these pages, therefore, what the French call a Bourgeois dish or one prepared à la Bourgeoise-will be described as a family dish or one prepared in a familiar way.