The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1875-09-13
Imperfect Cookery.

To ascertain just how much really
good material is spoiled in the cooking
would form an interesting and quite
fruitful subject of research, and set
some housekeepers at least to thinking.
II every loaf of bad bread manutact-
ured from good -four, every overdone or
underdone piece Of meat prime in origi
nal quality, every mess of potatoes ru-
ined in the kettle, every muddy cup of
coffee made, every dish Of every sort
that might be palatable and nutritious.
but which by carelessness, ignorance, or
neglect is made tasteless and mediocre
il all these could be written down in q
book, with dates and specifications, and
the average cook confronted with them
once year, what CONSERVATION would
or should fill her heart, and what fear
full aggregate Of material wasted beyond
redemption would appear in the account.
The fact is that cookery is entitled to
rank among the exact sciences, and that
happy accidents are of rare occurrence
in the culinary domain, while unhappy
There is continually the golden mean to
be sought in the admixture of all the
elements that are to make up savory
meal, and such is 1.-the total depravity Of
material things" as one of our witty
writer's once phrased it, that if there is
one chance in ten on things gong
wrong that chance is sure to befall. To
cook potato exactly right so, that it
will be just done and no more, be mealy,
with, perfect, requires an exercise OF
talent little short of genius, so one
would think who eats that vegetable at
ordinary tables. The same is true OF
onions, that odorous bulb. which is al
most always served underdone; Of
beans, which are either burned in the
baking or dried to choking consistency.
Now a hungry epicure even can make q
good meal off three or four things
nicely cooked meat, perfectly prepared
potato, dish Of ripe fruit, and exem-
plary bread and butter. II is not varie-
ty or quantity that is so important as
quality, and if those who cook could on.
" realize this and precipitate all their
powers upon the perfect preparation oil
only two dishes at each meal, those who
feed at their hands would certainly be
the gamers. 1t is q great deal easier,
when one has really made up her mind
to it. to have everything just right than
it is to let things drift, for one right
thing and then the whole isright. Bad
IL cooked food is not only sheer waste
Of raw material, but it causes waste in
nerve, muscle, soul power. The hungry
body vainly attempts recuperation in
trying to digest and assimilate food mol
convenient for it, 30 that what might
have been accomplished had the food
beeu right remains undone.
Apropos hereto and for the help Of
careless cooks the following extract from
an unpublished business letter is given
Having written an hour or 20 l found
the inner roomliness large and descended
to breakfast. The order was scrambled
eggs, steak, Goldfish cake, corn cakes
mullins, stewed chicken, and chocolate
The eggs were 50 old they smelt, the
chicken even worse, the corn cakes
tasted like sawdust, and the butter was
eleomargarine or worse. The mullins
turned ont to be one small but good
graham biscuit, burned to cinder at
the top; the chocolate was fat and bitter.
But the hotel is central. is elegant: the
furniture is costly; the walls are fres-
coed; the mirrors are large; the darkies
are clever; the bills are ample the lady
boarders wear scant skirts with ruf1ied
humps; and how rude it would be to
sniyal about the mere victuals, | won't
do it. went without my breakfast,
paid for it with elusive cheerfnlness,
tipped my hat Jauntily in taking leave 81
the handsome cashier. and knew that
had had just - good > time - the other
felIOws.