converse was nogourmet , his culinary education having been forcedon him in expensive restaurants where his mind wasonly mildly distracted by the food , but he instinc tively knew when a dish was the best in its class.there was nothing second-rate about leifhelm'stable , including the table itself , an enormous solidmass of mahogany supported by two huge butdelicately carved tripods resting on the intricateparquet floor .