Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-09-17
Nidtllp.('laSs ('oOkpry.

subject: We are having, and have
bad, so many lectures on cookery in
general, we sec so many pamphlets and
works Of all kinds come ont on the sub
| Ject in these days that it may seem su
pertiuous to ad, to the general stock of
literature touching on that point. Bat
1T has been suggested to me that all has
| been done either for the highest or
lowest classes. Those who come under
the denomination Of the upper mid
die classes" seem to require no help. l
aliude to the numerous family of 50
called professional men, soldiers and
sailors, clergymen and lawyers. Such
cannot possibly afford "cook house
keeper" with all her expensive peigui-
sites. On the other hand, alas! how
many of the young girls who marry in
that class can take the post of cook
housekeeper' themselves, if dire ne
cessity demands it. To them, what
would be the use of ordering, Take
eight eggs, beat we'll; OF tho best but
ter put half a pound in bowl; warm
gradually, and beat into cream. &c.
How are eight eggs to come ont of $500
year, with eggs at the rate of four for
one shilling, or butter at two shillings
pound, hard enough to afford for
breakfast purposes even for the masters
table, utterly impossible for tho pur-
pose Of - beating into cream " for pud.
dings or other daintles. You say, per-
haps, there are plenty of cheap cookery
books with less extravaganza materials.
Yes, truly there are; but have you
ever tested them? No. Well, l have,
and several of them too. and more nau
seous, unappetizing stuff never tasted
in my life. Many gentlemen, | know,
would simply go diunerless and
supperless to bed did ever venture to
place such connections before them
Quite useless to tell them I" lentils are
both cheap and nutritious. and haricot
beans equal to plenty of beef and nut
ton" Even if they are Of placid dis
position, the men will not stand weak
extracts called "lentil SOUP long to-
gether, and invariably there will be ex-
cuses to "diae with friend at the club"
or particular business iii the city, to
keep them away from home more and
more; the wife gets discontinued, and
life gradually assumes more dreary
aspect, all for the want of Il little com.
mon sense, and a few practical hints on
this most important subject, which l
call middle-class cookery. What do
most of the so called cooks" of the
present day know of really nice cooking?
Simply nothing, as faras my experience
goes! She will start by telling you she
lean do most hanythink in plain
way" which you soon discover means
joints sent up either nearly raw, with u
whitish outer crust, or burnt nearly
black, with a greasy thin liquor float
ing round the dish; potatoes sodden in
water, and second vegetable, perhaps,
also rich in watery particles, and of a
sickly green or brown hue. This may
be followed by some tumble down con-
coc.ion, digniied by the name of "pud-
ding" or "tart," the crust of which
might with advantage be used by the
children for the purpose of "ball.'
What an appetizing meal for hungry
man home from u hard days work,
either 'soldiering" in his parish or in
the close office! Do I exaggerate the
picture, sister housekeepers with linn
tied incomes? Exceptions, of course,
there may be. but are they not very few
and far between? Have we not all at
oCAhO POiAOu 6cuC suAou6h thC ihAoCk
of such scenes? am sure you cannot
deny it; and the question arises, what
'asss'Ssss - 20 improve this state OF
things, and make our husbands and
sons more contented with home fare,
and yet not dip down too deeply into
the slender purse, which has all the
formidable calls of rent, taxes, cloth
ing. education and doctors bills to be
made on it, the "must-be's." the dire
necessities none can escape? My an
swer is, learn to be your own cook.
Have your assistant, OF course, but be
her mistress in the most complete
sense, and never let her fancy she can
ride rough shod over the Missis." for
she knows nothink, poor thing" Get
any amount of cheap cookery books you
can afford; but try the recipes yourself,
and if you will bring your common
sense to cut out one ingredient from
one recipe and put in another from
second-if you will use your brain as
we'll as your gustativeness to bear on
the matter in question-not despising
the thing as "unfit for a lady," or mot
worth the trouble" I know from ex-
perience you may save yourselves much
worry and inconvenience, and, above
all, much expense and terrible waste of
good raw materially. Y. Herald.