The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-05
W0MAN'S WORK.
Aunt Helen'S Home Talks---COlOr in
DreSS---0u Letter Box, &c.

"A few days ago." said Aunt Helen, when
the family was once again assembled, Il came
into possession of an excellent and practical
paper ON the care of food, written by Miss
Parloa, principal of the School of Cooking in
Boston. The article contains many useful
hints and think that cannot do better than
to use it as the closing part of my chapter on
the kitchen. There is a wholesome directness
about Miss Parloa's style, as you will observe.
She writes: A great saving is made by the
proper care and use of cooked and uneOoked
food. The first and great consideration is per-
feet cleanliness The ice-chest and cellar should
be thoroughly cleaned once week; the jars in
which bread is kept must be washed, scalded,
and dried thoroughly at least twice a week.
When cooked food is placed in either the ice
chest cellar it should be perfectly COOL If
not, it will absorb an unpleasant flavor from the
close atmosphere of either place. Meat should
not be put directly on the ice, as the water
| draws out the juices. Always place it on pan,
and this may be set on the ice, When you have
d refrigerator where the meat can be hung, a
pan is not needed. In winter, too, when one
has cold room, it is best to hang meats there.
These remarks apply, of course only to joints
! and fowl. The habit which many people have
of putting steaks chops, &C., ia the wrf piping
paper on ice is very bad one. When purchas-
! ing meat always have the trimmings sent home,
/ scrap of meat and bone left from roasts and
broils should be saved for the soup-pot. Trim
mings from ham, tongue, corned beef, &c,
! should ali be saved for the many relishes they
! viii make. Cold fish can be used in salads and
warmed up i'll many palatable ways In fact,
nothing that comes on the table is enjoyed
more than the little dishes which an artistic
cook will make from the odds and ends left
from former meal. By artistic cook is meant
not professional, but woman who believes in
! cleanliness and hot dishes, and that there is
something in the appearance as well as in the
taste of the food, and who does not believe that
quantity of butter, or some kind of fat, is es-
/ sential to the success OF nearly every dish
/ cooked. The amount of food spoiled by butter,
! good butter, too, is surprising. One should have
( a number of plates for cold food, that each kind
may be kept by itself. The fat trimmings from
/ beef, pork, veal, and chickens and fowl should
| be tried out while fresh and then strained.
! The fowl and chicken fat should be kept in
pot by itself for shortening and delicate frying.
/ Have stone pot for it, holding about quart,
! and another, holding three or four quarts, for
/ the other kinds. The fat that has been
skinned from soups, boiled beef and fowl
| should be cooked rather slowly until the sedi-
ment falls TO the bottom and there is not the
shadow of bubble 1t can then be strained
in the jar with the other fat; but if strained
while bubbles remain there is water in it. and it
/
also be strained into the larger pot. Another
pot should be kept for the fat in which articles
/ of food have been fried. When you have fin
/ ished frying sset the kettle in cool place for
/ about half an hour; then pour the fat into the
pot through fine strainer, being careful TO keep
back the sediment, which scrape into the soup
/ grease. In this way you can fry in the same fat
dozen times, while If you are not careful to
strain it each time, the crumbs left will burn
and blacken all the fat. Occasionally, when
you have finished frying, cut up two or three
uncooked potatoes and put into the boiling fat.
/ Set on the back Of the stove for ten or fifteen
minutes, then set in a cool place for fifteen
| minutes longer, and strain. The potatoes
/ clarity the fat. Many people use ham fat for
cooking purposes, and when there is no objec-
/ ton TO the flavor, it is nice for frying eggs,
potatoes, DC. But it should not be mixed with
1 other kinds The fat from mutton, lamb, geese,
| turkey, or ducks will give an unpleasant flavor
| to anything with which it is used and the best
place for it is with the soap-grease. Every
! particle of soup and gravy should be saved, as
/ a small quantity of either adds great deal to
many little dishes. The quicker food of all
kinds cools the longer it keeps. This should be
| particularly remembered with soups and bread.
Bread and cake must be thoroughly cooled be-
! fore being put into box or jar. If not, the
steam viii cause them to mould quickly
| Crusts and pieces of stale bread should be dried
beard, and put away for croquettes, outlets, or
anything that is Dreaded. Pieces of stale bread
can be used for toast, griddle-eakes, and pud-
| dings, and for dressing for poultry and other
| kinds of meat. Stale cake can be made into
| buildings. The best tub butter will keep per-
| fectly well without a brine if kept in cool
sweet room. 1t is more healthful and satisfac-
tory TO buy the choicest tub butter and use it
for table and cooking purposes than to provide
| fancy article for the table and use an inferior
/ one III the preparation OF the food. If from
any cause, butter becomes rancid, to each pint
| of it add one tablespoonful of salt and one tea
| spoonful of soda, and mix well; then add one
pint of cold water, and set on the fire until it
comes to the boiling point. Now set away to
cool, and when cool and hard, take off the but
ter in cake. Wipe dry and put away for
cooking purposes. 1t will be perfectly sweet
Milk, cream, and butter all quickly absorb
strong odors therefore, care must be taken to
| keep them IN a cool, sweet ROOM or in an ice-
chest. Cheese should be wrapped in piece of
clean linen, and kept in box. Berries must
be kept in a cool place, and uncovered
Il shall attempt to add nothing to this"
said Aunt Helen, laying the paper aside, and
a glance at Tabbie's package shows me that
her culinary investigations during the last
week have all been in one direction" And
then she read this little lady's weekly Offering
OUR TABLE
Eggs.
Plain 0meIet-Four eggs, one teaspoonful of salt,
two tablespoonfus of milk tablespoonful of but
ter. Beat the eggs with dover any other good
/ egg-beater, and add the salt and milk. Have the
| pan reTg hot. Put in the spoonful of butter and
! pour in the beaten egg. Shake vigorously on the
hottest part of the stove until the egg begins to
thicken; then let it stand few seconds to brown.
Run the knife between the sides of the omelet and
the pan, fold, and turn Il hot dish. Serve with
| out delay.
Quaker O1neIet.-A Quaker omelet is a handsome
! and sure dish when care is taken in the prepara-
| ton. Three eggs half cupful of milk, one and q,
half tablespoonfuls of n-starch teaSpoonful
OF salt, tablespoonful of butter. Put the ONE
let PAN and that will closely fit on to heat
starch and the salt Beat the whites n stiff froth
then add to the we-beaten yolSs and corn-starch.
| Stir all together very thoroughly, and add the
milk. Put the butter III the hot pan. When
melted, pour in the mixture. Cover, and place on
the stove where it will brown, but not burn. Cook
about seven minutes. Fold, turn hot dish,
| and serve with cream sauce poured around it. If
| the yoiks and starch Thoroughly beaten,
aud if, when the whites added, they well
| mixed and the pan and cover are very hot, there
can hardly be failure.
Cheese ODaelet.-Make the same as plain ofuelet,
! and il begins to thicken sprinkle in
three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese.
Ham Onlelet-The same as plain omelet, and add
! three tabespoonfuIs of cooked ham, chopped
rather fine, as it begins to thiciSen.
Chicken 0mcIet.-The same as plain omeIet and
just before cooking, add one cupful of cooked
/ chicken, cut rather fine, and warmed in cream
sauce.