American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1879-11-08
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.

little black pepper and n teaspoohfni
of salt Mix very smooth. Do not stir
until used.
BAKED LEMON PUpDING.-Mix the
following ingredients together in the or
der in which they are placed: Moist
sugar, one-guarter pound; bread
crumbs, six ounces; eggs, well beaten,
three; lemon peel grated and juice,
two bake one and Il half hours In
moderate oven.
SQUASH PIE.-Stew the squash with
little salt; rub it through Il colander,
and have it perfectly smooth; mix the
squash with sweet milk; if you have
cream, all the better; make it about as
thick rs batter, adding the yelks of two
eggs; swceten with pulverized sugar to
taste; line pie-dish with crust; fill with
squash and bake for half an hour.
Fec OMELEr.-Take us many eggs
as you have eaters, beat them, and add
about as much milk as egg salt and pep
per. Butter the frying-pan and set it
on the stove; when hot pour in the mix
ture about one-half inch in depth, let it
stand a minute or two, then set the pan
in the oven. When thoroughly risen it
is done If cooked Il minute too long it
becomes watery, as custards do.
| ORANGE SNOwBALLs.-Bon some
rice for ten minutes drain and let cool;
pare some oranges, taking off the thick,
white skin; spread the rice in as many
protions as there are oranges on pud-
ding or dumpling-cloths; tie the fruit
surrounded by the rice) separately in
these and boil for an hour; turn out
carefully on a dish; sprinkle with plenty
of sifted sugar; serve with sauce or
sweet cream.
COOKING MEATs.-Bread and meat
should be among the simplest and least
difficult articles of food to cook, but for
lack of care or through objectionable
ignorance they are the most frequently
spoiled. For the present we only pro-
pose to speak of meats. Where there
are no reasons for stringent economy
and the choicest pieces are selected,
there is no excuse if they are not so
cooked as to give the highest gratifica-
ton. For those who are compelled to
choose the cheapest, not the best, there
are many ways by which little skill
and fair amount of good common
sense can make even the poorer portions
quite satisfactory. Indeed, sometimes
the cheapest cuts give more pleasure
than the choice joints that wealth pro-
vides, because the one is daintily dressed
and finely seasoned, carefully cooked to
a turn, and its plebeian origin skilfully
covered by good farmers sensible
wife, and the other ruined by the reck-
less carelessness of the expensive cook
whom no one dare censure or direct.
Attention to the art of seasoning, a fair
knowledge of the modes of making
tough beef tender, nutritious and pala-
table, are important items in domestic
education. Many housekeepers are very
careless in giving their directions or in
their own Use of seasoning, and thus
often spoil what might have been deli
cious. We say ''careless," but too often
it is the result of ignorance. The injudi-
cious use of salt, pepper and herbs has
ruined many a meal that should have
been most excellent, and added the tor
lures of dyspepsia, the usual penalty
for such ignorance or misuse of
seasoning. 1t is a common prac-
tice of cooks, and often of those
who are called good housekeepers, to
sprinkle salt over meat when just ready
to put over the fire. Now, to salt any
meat before it is well heated through
or, better still, half cooked-will injure
very materially the best ever sold in
market, and certainly quite spoil poor
article, no matter whether it is steak,
roast or stew. 1t will harden the fibers,
tougher the meat all through, extract
the best part of the juice, make it very
injurious to the stomach and give no
pleasure to the palate. If hOusekeep-
er thinks she can explain to her cook
the effect of this mode of seasoning will
have on health and comfort and then
feel that her part of the care is over she
will make a great mistake. Unless Il
proper supervision is steadily practiced
she will soon learn that explanations,
and even strict injunctions, are usually
disregarded. The salt will still be
thrown over the meat before it is at all
cooked-perhaps because the girl wants
it g off her mind ''-and, as the result, a
poor indigestible mess of meat is set
before the family. Should any one
venture to complain, the mistress has
| any number of excuses at her tongues
end Upon the butcher or cook, or both
unitedly, is thrown the whole burden of
blame But, in truth, the chief fault
rests with the housekeeper; for with her
alone lies the whole responsibility. 1t
is her own business to see that her in
structions receive respectful at
tention, and that her orders are prompt
ly and scrupulously obeyed. Simply to
give the order is of little avail. One fail
ure should suffice to teach the mistress
that her careful supervision will have
more effect than hundred messages
through the speaking-tube or verbal
directions 1t is difficult to impress up
on cooks, or careless, incompetent
housekeepers, the simple rule that salt
should not be used in seasoning meat or
poultry until partly cooked, and, on the
contrary, that pepper and herbs, if used,
should be added ut an earlier stage; be-
cause all such seasonings release the
best part of their flavor more readily by
tl,o oat;n,, IS bn,t thAnrh NOT at go in