Deus, in adjutorium meum intende. Domine, ad adjuvandum me festina.
O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.
Ah, this little offering assumes that the lady of the house has servants!
***************************
A lady who for a time was compelled to do all of her own kitchen work says. "If every iron, pot, pan, kettle or any utensil used in the cooking of food, be washed as soon as emptied, and while still hot, half the labor will be saved." It is a simple habit to acquire, and the washing of pots and kettles by this means loses some of its distasteful aspects. No lady seriously objects to washing and wiping the crystal and silver, but to tackle the black, greasy, and formidable-looking ironware of the kitchen takes a good deal of sturdy brawn and muscle as well as common-sense.
If the range be wiped carefully with brown paper, after cooking greasy food, it can be kept bright with little difficulty. Stoves and ranges should be kept free from soot in all compartments. A clogged hot-air passage will prevent any oven from baking well.
When the draught (in case one doesn't remember the spelling of "draft") is imperfect the defect frequently arises from the chimney being too low. To remedy the evil the chimney should be built up, or a chimney-pot added. It is an excellent plan for the mistress to acquaint herself with the practical workings of her range, unless her servants are exceptionally good, for many hindrances to well-=cooked food arises from some misunderstanding of, or imperfection in, this article.
A clean, tidy kitchen can only be secured by having a place for everything and everything in its place, and by frequent scourings of the room and utensils.
A hand-towel and basin are needed in every kitchen for the use of the cook or house-worker. Unless dish-towels are washed, scalded and thoroughly dried daily, they become musty and unfit for use, as also the dish-cloth.
Cinders make a very hot fire - one particularly good for ironing days.
Milk keeps from souring longer in a shallow pan than in a milk pitcher. Deep pans make an equal amount of cream.
Hash smoothly plastered down will sour more readily than if left in broken masses in the chopping bowl, each mass being well exposed to the air.
Sauce, plain, and for immediate use, should not be put into a jar and covered when warm, else it will change and ferment very quickly. It will keep some days with care in the putting up. Let it stand until perfectly cold, then put into a stone jar.
To scatter the Philadelphia brick over the scouring board onto the floor, to leave the soap in the bottom of the scrubbing pail, the sapolio in the basin of water, and to spatter the black lead or stove polish on the floor are wasteful, slatternly habits.
A clock in the kitchen is both useful and necessary.
*********************
Remember that there was no refrigeration! I have looked for the definitions of Philadelphia brick and sapolio, at this point, to no avail. If and when I have answers I will share them.
A handy hint noted in a different section: A Cement for Stoves - If the stove is cracked, a good cement is made for it as follows: Wood ashes and salt in equal proportions, reduce to a paste with cold water, and fill in the cracks when the stove is cool. It will soon harden. Stove Polish - Stove lustre, when mixed with turpentine and applied in the usual manner, is blacker, more glossy and more durable then when mixed with any other liquid. The turpentine prevents rust, and when put on an old rusty stove will make it look as well as new. 11/18/13
No comments:
Post a Comment