The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-08-27

carrots and potatoes. thought IL Just possi
BILE that the girl might have been properly
taught, and so left her to herself. Had my hus-
band been coming home that day, l should
scarcely have ventured the experiment.
The dinner was behind time for serving nearly
an hour, and then went into the kitchen, tor
had been engaged with some callers who seemed
to set in that morning with determination to
"Why are you SO late Keziah gn asked.
The carrots are not done, maam, can't
think WHY
looked into the saucepan, they were nearly
black; the potatoes were mash, and the beer
was boiling very rapidly. must confess that
was angry, and sald:- ...,,.
about cooking YOU must cndeavor to forget; the
dinner is spoiled. You have put the carrots
into cold water, and with soda; the meat is
very hard, and the potatoes are watery ana
smell of the iron OF the saucepan. The carrots
must be thrown away, and the meat dread to
taste"
had the potatoes turned out the driest por-
ton of them taken off the top, and mixed with
"A tiny bit of butter and salt; then buttered an
iron spoon filed 1t with potato, pressed the
potato with another spoon so as to form it to
an eCg-shape; then turned these ''potato eggs"
on to fat dish, rubbed lltCe butter over
each, then placed them before huge and glow
ing hre, which the girl had wastetully kept up.
In Jew minutes the "eggs" were Drowned;
they were then turned over on the other side
and Drowned. At last they made very pre-
sentable dish. l should observe that it was in
and the carrots old. The beef was, as [ ex-
pected, hard, dry, and tasteless. KeZiah vol
uuteered the information, "Of course, that must
be the butchers fault, who sent such bad meat"
| did not then answer her, but the old adage
came to my mind of the nameless one who sends
the cooks.
In the evening as ] was looking around the
kitchen to see that all was right before going to
bed, the girl asked me If | would tell her why
she had failed IN the dinner? ut is of little use
to tell YOU now, Keziah; some day we shall
have boiled beef again, and l will show you how
have ever found the entire uselessness of
teaching how thing is to be accomplished,
except at the actual moment when it is about to
be done.
The morning brought its troubles thought
surely the girl can toast some bacon without
my going into the kitchen so early. Alas ii
came plentitully sprinkled with cinder dust, on
a cold Dish decorated with parsley sprgs, and
half filled with brown, 6irty-ooking tat. There
was just time for me to go INTO the kitchen, put
rasher of bacon on the tOasting-forK, and get
it ready before Allen came to breakfast. / saw
it was useless to complain, so l did not annoy
him with my worries. Presently l lifted
boiled egg: it was hollow, and the uncTaCked
end turned upwards for appearance sake. The
second was the same. This will never do, |
thought; it is easier to do the work oneself. ]
must confess to great irritation of temper, by
what ! could not but deem the girls stupidity.
Then | recollected how often, lately, had the
same sort OF thing to put up with and IN addi-
ton had to pay high wages, ''lUW everything
JOlnd," while with Keziah the rate OF payment
was trifing, and she was content with tea from
our teapot. This consideration made me patient.
After breakfast ! went into the kitchen to
commence my days teaching. "Now, Keziah.
be watchiu; tins is the way 10 cook bacon.
You see that have cut the bacon into slices,
and will first show you how to do this scrape
the rnd until 1t IS quite clean; now, turn
dish upside down, put the bacon on 1t, and with
sharp knife and carving fork pare off the rlnd
as thin as possible, ard lay il on one side; now
surface; now cut between each bone, and take
each out singly, so that there is no waste, and
all the lean is left on the bacon. Put away the
bones with the Tnd; these will serve to flavor
soup. Now turn the bacon edge ways, and by
sticking the fork into the end firmly, with the
spring-guard up, and with large sharp knife,
you see can cut the bacon into thin slices
without particle Of waste In doing this at a
leisure moment, time, trouble and Inconveni-
ence are saved; but as you are too young to
manage this, it is best for me to do 1T myself
boiling them, Keziah? ?' asked
directly | put 'em in the boiling water
maam, they burst. l didn't put 'em in hard,
not at ALL"
Remember to put them in quite cold water
and let them boil slowly; as soon as they boil
they are done. 1t is because the weather is
cold, and the eggs are not new-laid that they
burst. All disappointment in this way can be
saved by putting them into cold water instead
of into boiling; but new-laid egg Is best held
in a spoon for moment over the steam, and
then put IN Dolllng Waterj IN three minutes the
egg will be set"
"But I've seen new.laid eggs put into boiling
water for only a minute or less. My missis used
to eat 'em because she was in decline, and the
doctor SAID they was most nOurishng in that
way"
1T is quite true; they are an excellent diet for
invalids when they are new-laid, but would be
too expensive in my family, so we must make
the best we can of the freshest eggs we can buy
at cheap rate. Now about the bacon, Keziah
You must not fry it as you did this morning
told you to toast it before the fire. Why did you
not obey me 2"
II couldn't find anything to toast it in, and ]
| had too much to do TO hold it on fork, besides
I the fire was so hot"
4 NOW, then, bring me two old fiat dishes, a
large one, and one size smaller. Turn the
! smallest upside down in the largest, letting one
side OF the dish lie on the edge OF the large one;
draw out the grate-rack in front of the fire, now
| observe that lay the bacon on the upper dish
which is santing, and put it before the fire, only
sufficient distance from 1t to prevent the Gin
ders from falling IN. Thus you see the bacon
| gets gradually cooked through while the fat
runs into the dish below, and when cold will be
perfectly white, and is equal to any lard for
making pastry. You see, can't afford to have
the bacon fat eaten, it must always be saved.
As soon as the bacon is ready it must be put
| into hot dish and be served directly, after
wards the fat be poured into a clean preserve
| jar or basin; then wash up the dishes and put
them together, and see that they are never used
for anything but toasting bacon.
In another place you may be desired to send
| the liquid fat TO table, and by this means OF
toasting the bacon you can have it nice and
white instead OF peppered with cinder-dust."
II never knew any one take account of bacon
lat before, ma'am." ...-
Perhaps not; and yet, Keziah, if were
| very rich indeed and knowing as | do the use