Pogliani gave up the
bassoon for the fork, spoon, and saucepan. Like Prospero he buried his
magic wand and in Viafora's cartoon the instrument lies idle in the
cobwebs.

Charles Santley's "Reminiscences" and "Student and Singer" are full of
references to food: "ox-hearts, stuffed with onions," "a joint of
meat, well cooked, with a bright brown crust which prevented the
juices escaping," "a splendid shoulder of mutton, a picture to behold,
and a _peas pudding_," and "whaffles" are a few of the dishes referred
to with enthusiasm. In America a newspaper gravely informed its
readers that "Santley says squash pie is the best thing to sing on he
knows!" Santley was a true pantophagist, but he was worsted in his
first encounter with the American oyster: "I had often heard of the
celebrated American oyster, which half a dozen people had tried to
swallow without success, and was anxious to learn if the story were
founded on fact. Cummings conducted me to a cellar in Broadway, where,
upon his order, a waiter produced two plates, on which were half a
dozen objects, about the size and shape of the sole of an ordinary
lady's shoe, on each of which lay what appeared to me to be a very
bilious tongue, accompanied by smaller plates containing shredded
white cabbage raw. I did not admire the look of the repast, but I
never discard food on account of looks. I took up an oyster and tried
to get it into my mouth, but it was of no use; I tried to ram it in
with the butt-end of the fork, but all to no purpose, and I had to
drop it, and, to the great indignation of the waiter, paid and left
the oysters for him to dispose of as he might like best. I presume
those oysters are eaten, but I cannot imagine by whom; I have rarely
seen a mouth capable of the necessary expansion. I soon found out that
there were plenty of delicious oysters in the States within the
compass of ordinary jaws."

J. H. Mapleson says in his "Memoirs" that at the Opera at Lodi, where
he made his debut as a tenor, refreshments of all kinds were served to
the audience between the acts and every box was furnished with a
little kitchen for cooking macaroni and baking or frying pastry. The
wine of the country was drunk freely, not out of glasses, but "in
classical fashion--from bowls." Mapleson also tells us that Del Puente
was a "very tolerable cook." On one trying occasion he prepared
macaroni for his impressario. Michael Kelly declares that the sight of
Signor St. Giorgio