Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-06-11
THE HOUSEHOLD.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND HOME DEcoRA-
TIoN AND FURNISHING.
The rar.or, Kitchen, store-roon1, Studio
Library, Nursery, Sewing room,
Garden and Poultry Yard.

Library, Nursery, Sewisg room,
Garden and Poultry Yard.
IMPORTED FRENCH WINES. have
quoted an article On '.What Americans
Drink, and we think that subject requires
further explanation. What Americans
drink would puzzle many man, woman
and child, since it is mystery to the
American himself Does he drink pure
water, or tea of the tea plant, wine from
grapes, beer from hops and malt Not he.
He thinks so, but he does not know how
far science has outwitted him initiating
the natural favors of the vegetable king
dom and replacing them with those of
mans making, whether wholesome or not.
A few Issues ago we gave an extract from
description of French adulteration OF
the daily food of the poor now We have to
show what the adulteration for the higher
classes means. The French Government,
wariest OF all to detect wrong doing, tries
to control the cupidity of the wine growers
and stop their malpractices in the matter
of the Platrage." The platrage means
to throw fine plaster of paris over the
grapes as they are by basketfuls thrown
into the fermentation tubs; here the
plaster combines with the salts of
potash, forming combination, which
prevents much of the coloring and astring
ent matter of the wine from passing into
solution, therefore giving it that appear
ace of refined age which can only be got
after perfect vinous fermentation and long
laying up. So the wine. growers of the
Bordelais and the Burgundians give their
wines the appearance of fictitious age, and
besides the harsher wines of other districts
are introduced and having undergone
platrage become mild and palatable.
Thousands of hogsheads of wines are sold
that are already doctored on the other
side, as well as thousands that have been
doctored here. The French wine merchant
who doctors his wines can save storage and
get quick returns, but the present French
Minister of Commerce has put an end
to this and forbids the 'platrage. !"
We may therefore drink purer
claret in future, If we only get it
from the other side. The trouble is, that
much of our claret we do not get from
there. For the American climate, French
wines. 1t is of the greatest necessity to
look after them, that our money may be
well spent, and, what is more, that we
really are benefited by what we take.
A well-made, pure wine is not hurt
full to the system, but exhilarating and
helpful in life's economy, if taken in mod
Grafton, while doctored wines may lead to
evils little dreamed of. There are but few
who can doctor with profit. Science
teaches us that we can procure havors by
other than Natures process, bat flavor is
not the only property we require natural
flavor often hides other nutritious proper
ties. We are not so obtuse as not to know
that there are many harmless wine COM
binations, but the constant habit of doc
toring deserves check, as it would other
wise make it impossible to know the good
from the bad. The safest method of dealing
with this matter is to take your wines from
good firms whom you can trust an honest
firm will not lend itself to usages that
would impair the health of its customers,
even if it has to accommodate itself to some
fancies of the public. For all the vast de-
velopment Of wine-growing in America,
the importation of wines is still immense,
and we hope to bring some facts on i'm
ported wines before our readers in our next
issue Food and Health.
BEEF LA MoDE.-Take six or seven
pounds of beef from the first cut of
the round the butcher will prepare
it; cut inch and half long gashes in
the meat about one inch apart; throw
into bowl tablespoonful Of salt, half
teaspoonful of mace and cloves, one tea
spoonful of allspice, half teaspoo2ful Of
cinnamon, and little black pepper; mix
these together and rub well into the meat,
away down to the bottom of the gashes !;
this preparation can be done in the evening,
and the meat left to stand over night; it
will be all the better for the delay take
one cup of stale bread, and rub it until
fne don't use bread that is too stale; add
to it Tablespoonful of salt, little pep.
per, teaspoonful Of capsrs, and chopped
parsley, and an even teaspooGful OF melted
butter, then mix the crumbs with the
other materials, and cut as many thin and
narrow strips of bacon as you viii think
sufficient to lard the beef throw them
first into cold water fill the glass with
the bread mixture, not too full, however,
allowing sufficient space for swelling the
beef is larded by placing the strips of
bacon into the gashes On the top OF the
bread after the larding is performed,
take turnip, carrot, and onion, cutting
them into slices, and throw them into the
bottom of a pan or kettle with lids; also,
two bay leaves and sprig Of celery the
meat will require binding with strips of
muslin, after which place it in the
pan on the top Of the vegeta-
bles; half cover the meat with water
or stock, throwing in few sprigs of pars-
ley good plan is to put into the pan,
also, half shin, and let the whole cook
for four or five hours if the water cvap.
crates add more you may pour table,
spoonful of Worcestershire or mushroom
sauce upon the beef. Ii served warm,
brown tablespoonful of butter and one of
-four, making sauce, and rub on the beef.
most harmless drinks for the harvest field
is ginger beer. The proportions of this
may be varied to suit the taste. Granu-
lated sugar is best II you wish it very
sweet, put pound and a half to the gal
lon, otherwise a pound will be sufficient
| Half an ounce to an ounce of bruised GIN
ger to the gallon may be used, and lemon
to the same quality is the usual allowance /;
some would add from quarter to half an
ounce OF cream of tarter. The white OF
an egg to each gallon IS useful Tor Clarity
ing. but not absolutely necessary. Some
persons use brandy to preserve the beer /;
hops will answer the same purpose-half
an ounce to every four gallons. The
following proportions will be found very
good To four gallons of water put five
pounds OF sugar and the well-bea.en whites
OF two eggs. Boil and skim carefully.
Add four ounces OF bruised ginger, the
thin, yellow rind of four lemons and half
an ounce of hops let it boil half an hour.
Remove the tough white skin and the seeds
from the lemons and put the balance in
the beer. Put an ounce of cream of tartar
in a stone jar and pour the boiling liquid
over it. When cool, stir in two table
spoonfuls of yeast for every gallon. Put
it into keg without straining and bung
close ; in two weeks draw off and bottle,
cork and wire down, and in two weeks
longer it viii be fit for use.
WHITE IeISc FOR CAKEs.-One heaping
teacupful of pulverized sugar for the white
of each egg. Beat the white until it is
foaming and white, but not stiff froth /;
mix in the sugar gradually and favor with
a tablespoonful OF lemon juice or vanilla.
| If two tablespoonful of rosewater are used
as Aavoring, an additional quarter cup of
/ will ho roon,raJ - ef.A