European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 18, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                In the circus bandwagon at the left some Barman & Bailey Cooks strikes culinary pose below ringmaster Eric Michael Gillett in the Kitchen Arena at right so Gold Zebal offers laughter Tina a taste of windjammer s Clam chowder a three ring circus favorite. From gingered Chicken to Linguini the contortionist s contribution naturally Whilo juggling Chili shrimp. North Carolina Coles a Boston Clam chowder and desserts such As Apple Crisp banana bread and Lemon tart although Gebel Williams and his family travel and Cook in their sleek Silver Provost bus tinker toy Iii most of he show s 300 performers and Crew members live for 47 weeks a year on the 44-car circus train during its annual journey om4.200 Miles and they Cook in the train s Many kitchens. Trie constraints Are prodigious but not insurmountable. In act to City people who dwell in the comparative luxury of one room studio apartments the strategies devised by circus Cooks May seem positively inspired. As a featured performer. Gillett has very Roomy accommodations he said a 3-by-16-Lool compartment with a refrigerator a two Burner Hotplate an electric Skillet a microwave oven and a sell cleaning toaster oven. Understandably one of the first tricks of circus train cooking Gillett Learned was to avoid any utensil or appliance that does not have a Mui Lilure of functions wooden spoons double Tor mixing and serving he explained you can Cook and serve in Copper mixing bowls. Ditto for a Crock pot and an electric Skillet the constraints Force you to be More creative said Kenneth Fitzgerald the circus band s Bass player. I can put out a veal Marsala with two saute pans and a tour quart Saucepan. Now if i could Only get a Bain Marie i d be All sell Fitzgerald is hardly a culinary Novice having apprenticed at the Parker House roof restaurant in Boston Belore he ran away with the circus. I was trained to prepare 25 or 50 portions and now i have a  he said gesturing to indicate a space considerably smaller than a Clown car Bui circus cooking has taught him to waste nothing. Ill make a Mannara  he said and it la be for Chicken Parmigiana Green Beans Puz Aiola and spa Ghelli with red sauce. And i Dan i buy Marsala i buy Mellow Sherry because can use it for five different things " another Lenel of circus train cooking according to William j. Torres is hold onto everything during ins  Torres is the manager father confessor and Drill sergeant of the live action squad a group of eight break dancers 14 to 20 years old Robin Frye. The show s performance director added. And just iry to Wash dishes on a moving train see How dry you wind  As soon As the train stops in a new Lown we Stock up and  said Torres. If Hois Lucky enough to find herbs such As Recap a Cilantro like Herb used in Caribbean cooking he freezes Ham in plastic bags. It la last for months and the flavor is still excellent he said. Food shopping might sometimes resemble a scavenger Hunt in some towns even a red Bell Pepper can be hard to  Gillett said. However said Sigrid Gebel Gebel Williams s wife. Things have become easier in America in recent years Relle cling increasing sophistication. There is much More variety in supermarkets now. Morn  Torres a vegetarian has not Only educated his charges in the subtleties of consumerism bul has also conducted cooking classes Tor them in his Battle against junk food i used logo to Mcdonald s a Tot said one of his students 19-year-old Edgar Miranda but you get tired of fasl food. I be found myself cooking for myself More and  proper diet is a preoccupation of Many circus Perlor ners. Some of whom Are athletes at the Peak of physical conditioning clowning is tremendously physical work and you really have to eat right said Jim Vogelgesang the show s Boss Clown i Tell the clowns that hey can t do 600 shows a year on hot  bul a Tew manage to live totally on unkind  said Adele Lepman. A Clown who As an enthusiastic circus Cook is not one of those Tew the porn orders extraordinary occupations even affect the timing and number of their meals. I eat five meals a  said Gebel Williams who gels up before Dawn to Check on his animals. Often he has his last and largest meal at 11  he final show. Sign takes very Good care of me he said. I have exactly the same Waist size As i did when we got married 20 years  weight watching is a necessary preoccupation for the 13 showgirls who must Brave the traditional showgirls weigh in every saturday morning to prove that i Herr costumes still id basically you Don l eat on Friday night said Heather Harris a very slender showgirl who has been 1/avelmg Tor six years Wilh big Bertha As the Ringling circus is called Tor some it in l How much they cat. But when Iii a my contortions on g full stomach i m unable to breathe said Rudy do Menle the show s Star Connor zionist for others their performance specialities can Attell their menus. Peter Harrison for example is one of she few sea lion trainers m the world who will eat Tish All Day Long if you re cons ally culling up Lish. Well you get really led up with fish he said. Each of his four sea hons eats to pounds of herring a Day. Circus people May prefer to Cook their own National cuisines As do he 23 romanians who form the largest Loreign contingent in the show. But regional american cooking has changed Many a menu especially among the american performers. I m using okra  said Karen Bell a Clown who discovered the vegetable on the show s Southern travels being from Colorado. I d never had it. And now move it food has always been of great importance to american circuses. During the Lent show Era. When circus wages were Low circus managements provided three Mammoth meals a Day in their dining tents on picnic tables covered with Check ered oilcloth ii was the Way the circus ally acted Good and steady  said Bill Mccarthy a historian at the circus world museum at Baraboo wis the major Railroad shows had first class food. There was great diversity and you ordered All you could Eal frequently that was quite a  but the Days when you could give circus people three Square meals a Day and pay them virtually Noah my Well those Days Are gone said Kenneth Feld. President and producer of he Ringling circus since the demise of Ringling Lent shows in 1956, the company s performers and Crews have cooked Lor themselves. Nov.1 the most tangible culinary link with thai Era is Tho pie car the cafeteria style restaurant on the Iram Ihal provides Coffee sandwiches and hot meals Al reduced Rales when Trie urus is travelling to new ail Nas to be sure not everyone at the circus 15 a committed chel i m a terrible Cook said Keith Greene Tho bandmaster. But i m a really great Ealer an inveterate restaurant seeker he has developed in encyclopedic knowledge of places across the nation that Are Good inexpensive and open Laic How do Olner performers find Good restaurants 1 Well said hams the showgirl we follow the band " recipes Tor circus cuisine appear an Page 16. 13, 1937 the stars and stripes Page 15