The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-01-27
FARM, GARDEN AND HOUSEHOLD.


How to Make Pastry.
A well known cook gives the follow
ing hints about making pastry. Every
housewife will thank us for publishing
them: -t.Ir..
Success in making pastry depends on
several things, which will name in
their order. The right sort of flour,
good shortening, proper baking. The
best recipe will fail without these essen
tials. Pastry -four is the finest and
lightest known to the trade. Good
pastry cannot be made with ordinary
cheap flour, such as is put up in bags.
The shortening should in all cases be
only pure leaf lard and sweet butter.
Grease from pork, beef drippings, ETC.,
is only a cheap device to cheat the
stomach. Since the shortening is to be
eaten, it is only common sense to get
the best. The heat required is about
240 deg, or Just so the hand can be held
in about a minute. The process is as
follows: TO % pint of flour, measured,
take half pint of shortening, lard and
butter iu equal parts, turn the flour on
board, put the shortening in the middle
and chop it up with knife till it is
about the size of walnuts; putall back in
bowl or small pan, and put just water,
ice cold, enough to make stiff dough
as little water as You can use. Put an
other cupful of flour on the pastry
board, tuln the paste into it, flour the
rolling pin, and roll it out fat. always
on the Toured board; turn all the cor
.ners over toward the center, like an en-
velope, and roll again; repeat this pro-
cess half dozen times, and then lay it
one side for an hour or two--out-doors
if it is freezing weather; i'll the ice box
if it is warm; when ready to use it roll
it out once or twice and make up.
Puff paste as generally made is very
greasy and indigestible. The sample
sent may be eaten by any one with i'm
punity, and has the additional advantage
of not costing much. Puff paste is made
as the first receipt given, only it has
rather more shortening, and has no
more water in it than will unite the flour
and shortening. l am a man of great
strength, weighing 165 pounds, but it
requires my whole force, when the paste
is cold, to- roll it out. You can see
whether it is good or not Tarts SO roade
cannot be cut with knife when fresh
they go into fakes at the touch. They
are about one third of an inch thick be-
fore baking, possibly one-half an inch,
and they rise more than four times their
original size. You may roll pastry in
any direction, from you, toward you,
sidewise, any way, it matters not, but
you must have pastry -four, ice water,
and very little Of it, and strength, if you
would succeed.
Borrowing Tools.
There is miserable habit prevalent
among farmers which ought to be treat
ed and cured as disease. Just what
remedy might be prescribed, would per-
haps be difficult to tell. In some farm
ing districts dozen or so of the in.
habitants are always down sick with this
terrible complaint If they could be
cured it would be blessing to their re,
spective neighborhoods. Land would
rise in value, and property would be
more desirable from the moment it could
be said that that class of individuals had
been cured or moved away" To be
compelled to borrow farm tool is EN-.
barrassing enough, but to never return
it, or, after months have elapsed, return
it in damaged condition, is aggravat-
ing. There is no class Of people in the
world more generous and accommodate
ing than tillers Of the soil They like
to do as they would be done by, that is,
the better portion of them. But even
the golden rule and its prompting spirit
wear out when practiced by O certain
class of men at their continual expense.
| heard an old farmer say once: "I
have learned TO do as am done by, and
not as I would be done by. Self-protec
ton first, and the golden rule after.
ward" The old farmer was right as the
world goes, if wrong in any higher
sense. Now, cannot this great evil be
cured, and society in this respect be re-
formed? What we ask is, that all bor
royed tools be taken home at once, ant
be returned in asgood condition as wher
they left their owners hands. If they
are cracked or broken, take them to th,
shop and have them repaired, or buy
new ones to return in their stead. If ou,
advice is needed and new era usheret
in q grander step will be taken towards
the worlds regeneration than anything
the Suffragists can do by their votes O
their conventions. When farmers il
their upward progress get so that the,
can return borrowed tools immediatel
after they have used them, the signs Q
better time will have come.
To Keep Potato Onions.
AS soon as pulled they must be drie
in the shade, for they will not bear tn
sun. Spread them out thin on a bar
floor and leave them until Just befor
winter sets in. Then select place i
the garden where the water will not eet
fln l,n -, l.
toes, put little straw over them, the
four inches of dirt. They will i'll thi
way keep we'll until spring.