“An hour later, clad in fresh linen, white vest, and thin summer suit, he sallied forth in search of dinner. He felt that he had earned a good one, and did not intend to scrimp himself. After a moment's deliberation, he turned into Fifth Avenue, and, at Twenty-sixth Street, made his way through the open door of Delmonico's. He saw with pleasure that his favorite table (the second from the corner on the street, not too conspicuous, and yet commanding the avenue) was vacant. He slipped into the chair which the waiter drew out for him, and took up the bill of fare. With the sight of the menu, he felt his flickering appetite revive; but it was still capricious, and would not brook the thought of meat. Little-Neck clams, of course. They seemed to convey a delicate intimation to the waiting stomach of favors to come. Soup? No, too hot for soup. Frogs' legs à la McVickar? Yes, he would have those, though he did not exactly know what "à la McVickar" indicated, and felt that he should lose caste with the waiter by inquiring. When that functionary recommended a bite of broiled tenderloin, prepared with Madeira sauce, and the addition of fresh mushrooms and a small sweetbread, he allowed himself to be persuaded. An English snipe, with chicory salad and some cheese, with coffee, completed his order. Oh, and a pint of Rudesheimer with it!”
A cook of roughly the same moment, setting down the same dish.
Cook two tablespoons butter with one sliced onion five minutes. Add one and one-half cups mushroom caps finely chopped, and one small parboiled sweetbread, finely chopped; then add one cup White Sauce II, one-fourth cup stale bread crumbs, one red pepper chopped, one-half teaspoon salt, yolks two eggs, well beaten, and whites two eggs, beaten until stiff. Fill buttered timbale moulds, set in pan of hot water, cover with buttered paper, and bake fifteen minutes. Remove to serving dish and pour around =Mushroom Sauce.= Clean five large mushroom caps, cut in halves crosswise, then in slices. Sauté in three tablespoons butter five minutes; dredge with two tablespoons flour, add one-third cup cream and one cup chicken stock, and cook two minutes. Season with salt and paprika, and add one chopped truffle.
Sources: The passage is from Maud Wilder Goodwin, Flint: His Faults, His Friendships and His Fortunes, free to read in full at Project Gutenberg. The recipe is from Farmer, The Boston cooking-school cook book of 1896, also free in full. Both are in the public domain in the United States. The binding above is ours — slate cloth, cheese stamp.