279.—MUSICAL COOKS.
Curious stories have come down to us as to the idiosyncrasies of many a noted musician; but we have not elsewhere had occasion to note one peculiar enjoyment that several of them have taken in an occupation that is not generally supposed to give great pleasure to the average man. We refer to the art of cooking. Not a musical art, certainly, but one deprived of which we might hardly relish even a Beethoven symphony.
Lulli was an accomplished cook and used frequently to return to the instruments of his early days, i.e., pots and kettles. For his original occupation was that of cook's assistant. From him, considering his early training, we might certainly expect musical pot-pourris.
Then there were the Italian musicians Rossini and Paganini. They each enjoyed dabbling in the regions where the cook is supposed to have full sway. The violinist especially was fond of this occupation and turned it to good account when in later years he became so miserly. We may well suppose that neither of them (being Italian) was forgetful of the odoriferous little plant called garlic, in the preparation of their artistic dishes.
And then the greatest musician to cook, if not the greatest cook among musicians, was Beethoven. He had an idea that no one could prepare his food quite as well as he could himself. It is probable that he had a good deal of experience at it, perhaps more than he really wanted at times. For his treatment of his servants was so peculiar that it was seldom one would stay with him for any length of time. Part of his culinary arrangements Beethoven determined with mathematical accuracy A friend once found him counting coffee grains, and on inquiring the reason for the seemingly absurd occupation he was informed that sixty grains was just the right number to produce the best possible cup of coffee.