Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-10-12
HOW TO BUY FOOD.


tical bits of advice to young housekeepers =
the best The animal should be five or six
years old before it is killed if you would have
the best beef If we'll ted it will be fine grain
ed the lean should be bright red color, and
we'll mingled with fat. If there is not good
quality of lat running through it Me beef will
be tough, aud not well favored. The tat
should be a rich clear white, Just tinged with
yellow, and firm, and the suet also. Heifer or
cow beef is paler then ox-beef frmer grained,
the fat clear white, and the bones smaller,
but it is not so rich or juicy. When the ami
NAL is too old or badly fed, it is Of dark red,
the fat skinny and tough and in very old beef
a horny substance will be found running
through the ribs. When it is pressed if the
meat rises quickly from the finger it is good
but if tie finger dent rises slowly, or not at ALL
do not buy it lit is poor meat. The slrloin
and the middle ribs arc the best for roasting.
If you buy sirloin have it cut from the
'chump end,' which has good undercut or
tillet. The rump is often preferred by epicures,
but being too large to roast whole, q roast is
usually cut from what is called the 'chump
end Porter. house steak is the best for broi.
ing, but not the most economical. One rib is
too small for baking it dries IN cooking, and
is not good economy unless you take out the
bone, roll the meat, and stuff it, when it makes
a pice dish Tor small family.
"Veal should be small and white, the kidney
we'll covered with fat. If the calf is over ten
weeks old the meat will be coarse. The flesh
should be dry and white. If coarse grained,
moist. and clammy, have nothing to do with it.
The illet, oin, and shoulder are the best for
roasting. The breast, we'll cut and jointed,
makes fine stew or pot pie, and IS better
economy than when baked or roasted. Veal is
excellent to make ''stock' for soups; the
knuckle or the poorer parts OF the neck are just
as good for soup as the more expensive parts.
plenty of fat. The color determines the age.
and age is considered mark of excellence in
mutton. 1t should be five or six years old 10
satisfy lover of mutton. All the joints may
be roasted-but the saddle, the next TO that
the hauncE-the leg and loin undvded-are
the best chops are cut from the loln, outlets
from the leg, the best end of the neck or thick
end of the Ioin. The leg and neck are often
boiled.
"Lamb should be small, pale red aud tat,
Best roasted. The leg, when the lamb at
tains good size, is excellent boiled.
Pork should never be bought except from
a butcher whose honesty you are sure OF, and
who knows where the pork was fattened. 1t
none should be used unless corn fed. There IS
much bad or diseased pork sold, and it is very
dangerous food. If the flesh feels 1abby or
clammy to the touch it is not good, and should
not on any account be used. 1t there are keT-
nels iu the fat let it alone The tat should be
hard, the lean white and fine In the grain, and
the rine thin and smooth.
"As soon as your meat of any kind is brought
home from the butchers wipe it with clean,
dry cloth. 1t in summer you find any 'fy-
blows which is very common, cut them out at
once, and no harm will be done. ln the lolns
a long pipe runs by the bone; that should be
taken out Immediately or in few hours 1t Will
faint and spoil the whole joint. 1t the meat IS
not to be used at once, dredge 1t With pepper.
Powdered charcoal busted over meat Will hep
to keep it sweet, or will remove any talnt al
ready begun. 1t is wise to keep charcoal on
hand during warm weather it is wonderfully
efioacous in preserving meat, and 1t busted
over it, while hanging it can all be washed on
when you are ready to cook it. Most meat is
more tender aud easily digested it kept hang
ing some time, and charcoa! is great and re-
liable aid in preserving it. Lamb and veal can
not be kept as safely as beet and mutton.
I'm choosing turkeys and fowls bear IN mind
that the male bird, if young, will have a
smooth leg and short spur, eyes bright and full
and feet supple The ben may be judged BY
the same signs, and If these are not found, be
sure the birds are stale and old.
Ducks, geese, and pigeons should have
pabe leet !; if stiff, they are old. In all, the
vent should be firm ; if disco!ored or habby,
they are stale. This last sign should be re-
membered in judging of all poultry or game,
THE eyes OF fish should be bright, the gl'ls
clear red, body stiff and smell not unpleasant,
or rather not stale for We imagine that fish
can never be of a pleasant smell, however
palatable they may be to the taste.
las far as possible buy all stores by the
quantity there is always some reduction
when an article is purchased at Wholesale
You save the retail commission, if nothing
more
PROSPER MER1MEE.-M. Prosper Merimee,
the celebrated French author, was born at
Paris, September 20, 1903 His death was an
nounced yesterday by the cable telegraph.
His father was distinguished Partisan paint.
er and Secretary of the School OF the Fine
Arts. He studied law, but practlced ltera,,
ture, and was known as the author OF several
fine novels and two or three Indifferent plays.
In 1880 he was made Secretary to the frencn
Cabinet. He was aiterward Secretary to the
Minister of Commerce and Chief of Bureau to
tie Minister of Marine In 1881 he became
Inspector OF Ancient and Historical Works OF
France. lie aiterward again entered the Min
istry. He succeeded NJ. Nodier in the French
Academy. In 1858 he appointed Senator Of
France 10 1860 he was named Comman
der of the Legion of Honor.
CoNTRIBUTIoNs.-Th remittances of Ger.
man subscriptions made BY the North German
consul general at New York to the Central
Sanitary Commission at Berlin amount to
sl57, 500, cold. The North German consul
general at New York has also received from
Germans of Havana, Cuba, as patriotic con
Berlin. The great fair for the relief Of the
wounded within the Prussian lines will open on
thel7th of this month, and continue tor three
a.uo IT. nash enhsnrintinns from various cltl