"Cafeteria" conundrum (1893-94); Chicken Tetrazzini (1911)

Mon May 31 08:12:50 UTC 2004

CHICKEN TETRAZZINI

   John Mariani's ENYCLOPEDIA OF AMERICAN FOOD AND DRINK (1999) says: "It is 
not known when or where the dish was created, though some say it was in San 
Francisco (the dish was first mentioned in print in 1931), and Tetrazzini 
herself does not mention the dish in her autobiography, _My Life of Song_ (1921)."  
Mariani--the expert on Italian food--is always right.
   Another coup for the newly digitized Chicago Tribune!

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS)
    1.  New Ways of Preparing Chicken; Some Tasty Dishes Easily Made.
MARGARET BARROWS. Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Jan 15, 
1911. p. F2 (1 page) :
   CHICKEN TETRAZZINI--Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter, add three 
tablespoonfuls of flour and stir until well blended; then pour on gradually, while 
stirring constantly, one cupful of thin cream.  Bring to the boiling point and 
seaspn with one teaspoonful of salt, one-fourth of a teaspoonful of celery salt, 
and one-eighth of a teaspoonful of pepper.  Add one cupful of cold chicken or 
fowl cut in small thin slices, one-half cupful of fresh mushroom caps cut in 
slices, one-half cupful of cooked spaghetti, and one-third of a cupful of 
Parmesan cheese.  Put into buttered ramekin dishes, cover with buttered cracker 
crumbs, and bake until crumbs are brown.    

    2.  Display Ad 17 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Oct 1, 1922. p. 17 (1 page) 

    3.  Display Ad 14 -- No Title
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Jun 18, 1924. p. 
8 (1 page) 

    4.  Favorite Recipes Of New York Chefs; Emince of Breast of Chicken 
Tetrazzini 
By THEODORE LA MANNA. (Chef, Hotel Woodward). The Washington Post 
(1877-1954). Washington, D.C.: Jan 8, 1928. p. SM8 (1 page)     

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CAFETERIA

   "Cafeteria" is one of the most important words of American food, and we 
must get it right.  I've discussed it before--see the ADS-L archives.
   John Mariani writes:  "The first self-service restaurant was the Exchange 
Buffet in New York City, opened September 4, 1885, which catered to an 
exclusively male clientele.  Food was purchaed at a counter, and patrons ate standing 
up.  The word "cafeteria" was first used by John Kruger, who ran a 
self-service eatery at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago, although he 
also nicknamed them "conscience joints" because customers tallied their own 
bills."
    We now have the Chicago Tribune, so let's take a look, shall we?  
Unfortunately, the name "John Kruger" didn't turn up anything useful.

(OED)
cafeteria
orig. U.S. [a. Amer.- Sp. cafetería coffee-shop.]     A coffee-house; a 
restaurant, esp. now a self-service restaurant. 
  1839 J. L. STEPHENS Trav. Russian & Turkish Emp. I. 157 Every third shop, 
almost, being a cafteria [sic] where a parcel of huge turbanded fellows were at 
their daily labours of smoking pipes and drinking coffee. 1894 Lakeside 
Directory Chicago 2188 Cafetiria Catering Co. 45 Lake. 1895 Ibid. 2231 ‘Cafetiria’
, 46 Lake, 80 Adams, 108 Quincy and 93 Vanburen. 1896 Chicago Tribune 28 June 
4/1 Gerbach used to be a waiter in a West Side restaurant subsequent to his 
employment by the cafeteria company. 1912 Jrnl. Home Economics IV. 245 Exactly 
the same menu was served in a large college dining room and at the cafeteria. 
1916 H. NEWMARK Sixty Years in S. Calif. x. 133 Then came the cafetería... It 
was rather a place for drinking than for eating, and in this respect the name 
had little of the meaning current in parts of Mexico to-day, where a cafetería 
is a small restaurant serving ordinary alcoholic drinks and plain meals. 1923 
Mod. Lang. Notes Mar. 188 Every one knows by this time that a cafeteria is a ‘
help yourself’ restaurant. 1925 Glasgow Herald 30 July, Cafeterias, although a 
commonplace in America, are just beginning to have a hold in Paris. 1958 Oxf. 
Mag. 8 May 410/2 Breakfast and lunch are served cafeteria style in Hall... 
How many colleges eat cafeteria-wise?

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("cafeteria")
    4.  PETTY STOPPED THE MUSIC.; AND THERE WAS A NARROW ESCAPE FROM 
BLOODSHED. 
New York Times (1857-Current file). New York, N.Y.: Dec 16, 1890. p. 8 (1 
page) 

    5.  Classified Ad 16 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: May 27, 1894. p. 24 (1 
page) 

    6.  BITS OF CITY LIFE.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Nov 25, 1894. p. 46 (1 
page):   
   The cafeteria has not yet made its appearance on the West Side.  But an 
enterprising Swede has started one on Chicago avenue and swung to the gaze this 
sign:  "Cafetery.  Also hot cakes baked while you eat them."

    7.  Classified Ad 8 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Nov 25, 1894. p. 17 (1 
page) 

    8.  Classified Ad 20 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Dec 2, 1894. p. 24 (1 page) 

    9.  GOES ON THE CAFETERIA PLAN.; With This Street Peddler You Help 
Yourself and Pay for What You Get. 
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Jan 13, 1895. p. 34 (1 
page) 

    10. SOCIETY--AMUSEMENTS.
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Feb 1, 1895. p. 5 (1 page) 

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("cafetiria")
    1.  COMMISSIONER KENT MUST EXPLAIN.; Council to Hear About Sidewalk 
Openings at No. 100 Washington Street. 
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Dec 10, 1895. p. 10 (1 
page) 

    2.  ON GUARD IN THE CAFETIRIAS.; Employes of Franklin MacVeagh Watching 
the Receipts. 
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Jan 22, 1896. p. 7 (1 page) 

(PROQUEST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS) ("cafiteria")
    1.  Classified Ad 2 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: Aug 8, 1910. p. 19 (1 page) 

    2.  Classified Ad 16 -- No Title
Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1963). Chicago, Ill.: May 18, 1916. p. 22 (1 
page) 

    3.  Classified Ad 219 -- No Title
Los Angeles Times (1886-Current File). Los Angeles, Calif.: Nov 26, 1922. p. 
V_A12 (1 page) 