Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-01-17
Suggestions to Shoppers.

1t would hardly be possible to picture
the amazement of some thrifty housewife
of not longer than twenty-five years ago,
could we introduce her to kitchen
of to-day, stocked with all the latest i'm
provements, aids and abettors of culinary
arts. Mechanical contrivances of all kinds
sugply what in former years required delft
ness. Griddles themselves do the cake
turning. Eggs are beaten by crank; the
coffee bean is not only roasted and ground
by machinery, but the drink made by a
clever continuance that considerably whis-
ties when the beverage is done In such a
progressive age one almost might dread lest
mechanical genius, after doing all our cook
ing, would insist upon forcing an eating ma
chine on the too amiable public. With g
generosity very similar to that of Artemus
Ward, when he offered to sacrifice all his
wife's relations on the altar of his personal
patriotism, let us hope such clever discov-
cry may be left for remote posterity
Nothing but necessity would probably put
any one in position to realize what great
strides are being made in the matter of time
and labor-saving utensils as well as in sim
plifying the various processes in the prep.
aration of toothsome viands.
If our grandmothers prepared and ate
croquettes, or even Saratoga potatoes, so
dry, crisp, and free from grease, they GER
tainly must have been adopts in the art of
frying. At present it is made so easy by a
wire basket that any child might do it sue
cessfully. This open-work basket is set in
pan of fat with the article to be fried In
it. The pan is furnished with high han
die with hook in the middle The instant
the thing to be cooked has assumed the
delicate golden brown appropriate to viands
cooked in this way, the basket is lifted and
hung upon the nook to drip and dry. There
is no marring of the symmetry of outline
of the fragile delicacies, no scattering of
hot grease in the endeavor to fish them out,
and there are no last ones to burn while
waiting their turn to be taken out Then
the new broiler, which permits the article
to be tightly shut in, obviating all danger
of depositing it upon the floor or in the
fire, and by a cunningly arranged system of
holes and grooves exposes the meat to the
fire, but catches every drop of juice that
may exude. When the broiler is turned
over, the juices are thrown back upon the
meat, which thus bastes itself. To those
unsuccessful ones who have not yet arrived
at the solution of the problem of how to cook
a chop over a quick fire without burning
the fat, these broilers will bring success
and relief from their perplexities.
Another excellent invention is tin-en-
circled earthen pot for the cooking of all
the cereal foods at present so much in use,
and, indeed, all articles which easily burn
in tin. They must be tempered by gradual
heating, according to directions given with
each one. If one breaks in the process it is
replaced free of charge. The tin protects
the pot from direct contact with the fire,
and one may leave the most delicate thing
to cook in them in perfect safety.
Even fat-irons have been included in the
march of improvement, and may now be
found of various shapes suited to the uses
to which they are to be put. There are
convex ones for polishing; long, narrow
ones, with very pointed end, for ironing
among gathers, and in places that will not
conveniently admit one of ordinary proper
tons. We found, too, a new crater, oblong,
and looking like box with a crater for
cover. Underneath is a drawer which
catches all that falls indeed, when the ar
ticle stands fiat upon the table, all the grated
substance drops into the drawer. Those
having had experience know how much is
lost at the back of the old-fashioned utensil
that served this purpose. This form is par
ticularly useful where bread or cheese is To-
be powdered.
Those fond of nicely-shaped griddle.
cakes will rejoice over griddle made with
hinge in the middle. One side has a NUN
Der of circular depressons into which the
batter is dropped. When the cakes are
done on the under side, the griddle is
simply folded over on ITSELF which deposits
them on their other side on the opposite half
of the griddle, leaving the empty places
ready for more. Then there are ironing
boards covered and ready for use, and the
various articles, light and serviceable, like
buckets and basins and foot-tubs, made of
pdpier mache.
1t is only within few years that agate
ware has been in use, and until very re-
Gently it was only used for tea-kettles and a
few other articles. Now every conceivable
utensil that can be needed in the kitchen
may be found made from it, 1t is sheet
iron covered with a smooth, mottled, gray
substance, called agate. Though the price
is about twenty per cent, more than tin
nothing mars it; it will neither chip nor
break, and may be as easily cleansed as a
china plate,
To those wishing to refurnish or replen-
ish their stock of cooking utensils we
would heartily recommend an investigation
of the improved styles of this class. In
most instances the new are not more expen-
sive than their old prototypes, and are often
so simple in continuance that one is almost
ashamed of having been SO stupid as not to
have thought of it herself. Besides, in most
instances the improved styles insure better
results, failures are less frequent, and the
certainty Of success in these matters would
be source of great comfort to the house.
keeper. Then time and labor ought to be
of too much value to be wasted and any in.
vestment that will save either one or both
can not be an idle one.-SeLcted.