Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1884-08-07

Now this same saving is trial; there
IS no use denying it. We do not hon.
estly think women, as rule. are ex.
travagant in large things. and they will
cheerfully make large sacrifices but in
small things they do not usually find
economy pleasant. This proceeds
chiefly from ignorance. false shame,
and. in extreme cases, from idleness.
Mistresses far too often do not know
how to make the most Of things,
though, Us far as their lights go. they
will use them themselves, and oblige
those connected with them to do like.
wise. Then, again, these petty econ.
omies are so small that one breads to
encounter cooks face of horror at such
unheard-of meanness. The things are
so petty! What difference can they
make? The whole thing would moi
save sixpence in the twenty-four hours,
etc. Granted; but look through your
accounts and see how your money goes.
Is it not mostly carried off by odd six,
pences that at the time seem almost toe
unimportant to consider? None, until
they try, realize how tiny sums will
mount up in short space of time, and
how far scraps will go in making dainty
dishes, tempting to eat. and saving the
butchers book.
1t Is just in these small economies
that French women are such splendid
managers. They know exactly how far
everything will 60, and have no false
shame at any management that will
save even a penny. Yet in spite of this
(perhaps because of this), French cook
cry is always quoted as the best. The
fact is, French cookery is a cookery OF
scraps; and it is owing to this that the
French ''menagere" can produce SC
tempting and varied menu on the
microscopic sum that does duty az
ouse-keeping allowance. Of course
the great ''cordons bleus' do not
practice this rigid economy; but that is
not the style of cookery we are re.
ferring to. 1t is French domestic cook
cry to which we a!lude, and how
every scrap has its value, and is care.
fully considered. This is the secret of it
all, for to make ''rechauffes' whole.
some and palatable the cookery
must be most careful, and the
scraps, however small, good of their
kind. A French menu reads most
grandly, but write it out in plain En-.
glish, and see how homely the fare is
in nine cases out of ten. In this coun-
try there is widespread idea that it is
bad economy to buy any but the best
joints of meat. unless actually obliged to
do so by the shallowness of ones purse,
and for this reason parts are left
as inferior which, if properly dressed,
would afford fare as wholesome and
palatable as, and far less expensive than,
the more thought of prime joints. It
is curious how fashion has tabooed some
dishes as quite too vulgar for any but
the innermost privacy of the family
circle, though many of these very dishes
will be cheerfully accepted when pre-
sented abroad with q foreign name.
Take tripe, for instance. Men, as a
rule, know and like it, though they do
not often introduce it to their family
fare; but very few ladies have seen it,
and fewer still have tasted it. Be this
as it NAV, few things can be served in
so varied and dainty fashions, while,
for the invalid, it is a marvellous addi-
ton to the sick-room fare. Onions are
homely vegetables, and are apt to flavor
everything connected with them more
strongly than suits a delicate palate
still, there are few dishes but owe their
flavor in a great measure to this despised
vegetable, or its even coarser brother,
garlic. Nothing but bad management
is answerable if onions flavor dish
too strongly, or if every one is
informed by their noses of tie fact that
there is cabbage for dinner. Curiously
enough, directly economy becomes a
necessity, the housekeeper inaugurates,
under the name of plain fare, about the
most wasteful style of cookery attaina-
BILE. Fish, vegetables, entrees, are all
ruthlessly cut off, and the family fare
subsidies into roast or boiled, with pota-
toes, and perhaps pudding. Now. in
the first place, roasting is not an econo-
mical way of cooking meat, it shrinks
so much in the process. In the second,
trusting entirely to butchers meat, as
you do in the case we are supposing,
certainly does not decrease your expend-
iture. With proper care little dishes
can be contrived easily out of scraps
that five out of seven S0i-disa,M "good
plain cooks" would throw aside as
worthless. Take fish, for instance. What
becomes of the head of cod, and the
huge backbonep Behind the fire or in
the dust-heap by this time. Well, take
this head and bone. with some of the
water it was boiled in, some parsley, q
small onion stuck with two or three
cloves, carrot, and seasoning to taste.
Let these all simmer till it almost jellies,
add little milk. thicken with q little
butter rolled in flour, strain it, and
serve with fried bread cut into dice. If
you have any scraps OF fish, or few
oysters left from sauce, flake the fish
free from skin and bone, and with the
oysters lay it into the soup to heat, not
boil, just before serving; or little cur
nv powder may be mixed with the but
ter and flour thickening. and half tin
of preserved lobster carefully warmed
in the soup. This may not be ''com-
pany' soup, but it certainly is appetiz-
ing on a cold day. Luckily, we are be-
ginning to realize that soup does not
require the enormous amount of fresh
meat formerly considered indispensable
for family fare, and that in some cases
soups can be made, and very good
soups, too, with no stock at all. Fish
Jelly, again. is admittedly delicious
carnage, and the average housekeeper
would never dream of using it for daily
fare. But it is easy to make, and as
economical as it is dainty. The fish
stock mentioned above, cleared. end
with a little isinglass or gelatine added
to it. and suspicion of tarragon vine-
gar, will turn scraps of fish into a Jelly
that, garnished with some freshly.