Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-27
HOME TOPICS.
Economy in the Household.

| HOME TOPlCSs
| Economy in the Household.
While every one complains of the cost
Of living, and more consideration is given
to the possibility of economizing than in
almost anything else, it is always inter-
estiDg to consider what other people do in
the way of saving. In France, the land
of cooks, household expenses are reduced
to n minimum. Cooking becomes n
science, and even the most ordinary bour-
geois cuisine is regulated upon scientific
principles.
What comfort it would be If such n
system could once be inaugurated among
ourselves. III every cook was prepared to
give the reason for all the processes of
cooking we should soon see difference,
not only in tho bill of fare, but in the bill
of costs. Perhaps this is too much to
expect, and yet the increased attention
paid to the subject ought to lead to some
thing of thekind.
For one thing, in France immense at
tention is paid to the value of fish and
vegetables as articles of diet, owing, no
doubt, i'll some measure, to the fact that
there are 30 many fast days in the calen-
liar which forbid the use of meat, but
also because 80 very much attention is
there given to the matter and the least
skilled cook knows their value and is fully
aware of the important part they play,
whether in the pot au .fcu or in more
elaborate dishes.
Vegetables, fish and salad figure con-
spicuously i'll every French bill of fare,
while the principles Of cooking are so
well understood that each article is forced
to yield all the nourishment it contains.
The least well educated French hostess
becomes eloquent when called upon to
discuss the question of food, and will
hold forth glibly about and the
superiority of meat subjected to the gen.
tie simmering over that which has had all
its juices dried up before roaring fire
or in quick oven, or, horror of horrors
to her Imagination, has "galloped" ever
since its immersion in pot of boiling
water. She has studied the culinary art,
whatever else she may have neglected ;
her kitchen is model of neatness, and if
she goes to market she will purchase for
a modest sum vegetables unknown to us
save as weeds, and meat for ragOW
which would scarcely be noticed in our
butchers store, if it could be found there
at all.
Once in this country of lavish expendi-
ture she retains her habits of thrift, and
if called upon to market at the present
time for large family we can easily sup
pose in what direction her taste would
lead her. Even if compelled by circum-
stances to different choice OF material
the result would be in the highest degree
appetizing and effective. Here is sim
pie dinner, easily prepared by the most
modest housekeeper, and which could be
so divided, dishes selected from it, as to
suit the most economical
Vegetable Soup.
Stuffed Salmon Trout or Baked HalIbut.
Puree OF Peas Asparaeus on Toast.
Drowned Tomatoes.
Banquettc OF Veal. with Fried Potatoes.
Stuffed Eggs and salad.
California Cream.
Vegetable Soup.-Put an ounce of but
ter i'll o stewpan and stir till melted cut
fectly brown add chopped carrots and
turnips cut into dice, celery and pint of
green peas add n cupful of cut-up
beans, a little chopped parsley, some
sweet herbs tied up in amuslin bag then
add white stock, if it is in the larder, or n
quarter Of pound OF butter and quart
Of water. Let it boil all together for two
or three hours. Beat up the yolk of an
egg into the bottom of the soup tureen
and pour the boiling soupon oit, stirring
all the time after removing the bag OF
sweet herbs. Some cooks add little balls
made of the yolks of hard boiled eggs,
pounded in mortar and used with enough
raw yolk to allow of making up into balls,
and boiled till firmly set. Pepper and
salt, of course, to taste.
Stuffed Salmon Trout Should be fill
ed with forcemeat made of fbreadcrumbs
chopped oysters or the meat of lobster
pounded, butter, cayenne, little salt ol
powdered mace, mixed well together and
moistened with beaten yolk of egg. Tho
fish should be bent round, with the tai
in the mouth, fastened with skewer
then, being placed in large, deep dish
with small pieces of butter laid on at in
tervals, it Is to be placed in the oven ant
basted from time to time with butter. Al
one side browns the fish should be turn
ed carefully in the dish and ..butter adde,
MS may be required. The fish will b.
done when the upper side is as brown a
the lower, and it should be served in thu
gravy thatsurrounds it, for which reason
if it is possible to send it to the table il
the same dish, it is well to do 30.
Baked Halibut.-As halibut is now il
season, it may suit pocket and taste bet
, ter than salmon trout 1t is best cut int
slices of about pound in weight, tn
, skin ON the back being well scored, an
for baking it requires plenty of butter
If frying is preferred, the slices may b
: thinner, less than an inch, in fact, and
e must have plenty of lard, oil, or butter il
I the pan.
Puree of Peas.-Boil the peas until ten
der, then rub them through hair sisv
into Il saucepan in which two ounces @
more of butter have been melted. Sti
the puree thoroughly, and be very carefu
Z that it does not burn add little watt
! or more butter if it is not sufficiently i
quid. In serving sprinkle fried brea
. crumbs over it.
Asparagus on Toast. Have ready som
, nicely Drowned slices of toast, and aftt
~ scraping the ends of the asparagus tho
y oughly, tie it up into small bundles an
= boil them in slightly sailed water. The
!. will require from ten to twenty minutes
n according to size. The asparagus mu
S be lifted up very carefully, and after IL
;. bundles have been cut they should be a
l. ranged upon the toast with the heads a
d turning the same way. There are e,
d tremely pretty dishes now for serving a
l. paragus. This vegetable should eith
be served with drawn butter, or each sep
l. rate piece should have melted butt
L. brushed over it before serving.
J.: Drowned Tomatoes. not ov
d ripe tomatoes, should be chosen Al
u sliced in two equal halves, then place
skin downward in frying pan with
little butter they should be we'll sprin
led with pepper and salt and dredg
- with flour. The pan should be plac
~ over IA brisk fire thnt they may brown We