The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1890-04-23
A WORD ABOUT COOKING.

Cleanliness, Exactncss and Vigilance
Three Requisites In the Kitchen.
In cooking it should be, mot how
much, but how we'll" No people on the
earth cook so badly and waste so much as
Americans, In half the houses in the
country one-tilird of all that is brought
into the kitchen for food is carried out
the back door as garba ge. The French
arc famed the world over as caterers,
and their marketing would seem very
scant and niggardly to an American
housekeeper, accustom ed to buy by the
gross and the barrel One fowl is
enough for mediums fzed family; the
vast variety of vegetables, pastry and
pudding arc unheard Of, yet he who sits
at FreSefs table fires we'll and in
abundance Travellers who spend some
time abroad, uext to the filth of city
streets, are impressed by the wastefulness
Of American cooks This is particularly
noticeable in the c<pantr,i. On the rich,
Western farms every thing grows luxu-
riantly, fruits of all kinds, vegetables
of all kinds, and there are eggs, milk,
cream, and butter without stint. Yet
who has not Eepeat,dly sat at tables
loaded with yiands and nothing fit to
eat-heavy bsead, meat swimming in
crease, a half dozen kinds of preserves,
pie, and coffee SO disguised that its
identity is lest.
The great Eault is that cooking as an
art is not esteemed as it should be. 1t
is practical CHI emistry, more important
than any other branch of that science,
since upon it depend the health and
usefulness of the race. A man is what
his food makes him, to a greater degree
than ethnologists admit; therefore his
food Should be ma itious, easily dieested,
andof tie proper aort. A change of diet for
the better, it has been recently demon
strated, has worked astonishing results
in the reformation of criminals. A good
MANY women become responsible for
the larder before they have had the
necessary training. To cook we'll re-
auires teaching and experience. Luck
| has little to do with the preparation of
perfect dinner. On the contrary, it
argues accuracy in weighing and meas
uring, delicacy and lightness of touch,
no fumbling, and no laundering. A
thing spoiled can not be remedied. Too
much saleratus in the bread and too
much salt in the soup can not be taken
out again though ''all the Kings
horses be brought into requisition. 1t
is the uncertain and slovenly cook whose
| rules are "a tash," of this and "a pinch"
Of that Spoons and scales and pint and
quart measures are as necessary on the
kitchen table as in the chemists labora-
tory, and it is in badly-fed family
where it is otherwise.
Lack of seraping and securing and
scalding and airing gives the coffee-pot
or the gridiron musty favor, which is
impaired several degrees MUSTER to the
coffee and the chop.
AS to watchfulness, it is fully as i'm
portant. The roast will take care of
itself in the most exemplary way up
to a certain point Then it will burn to
crisp in second and the dinner is
ruined. So it is with every thing con-
signed to the oven or the stew-pan, and
the catastrophe can only De aVerted by
the hand that is ready for immediate
interference, when the critical moment
arrives. A young woman Of literary
proclivities stood over a kettle of most
promising blackberry jain one August
morning. 1t was nearly done-a store
of gathered sweetness for many a
winter tea and luncheon. In an evil
moment an idea came to her, which she
thought she could iot down in twink
ling. But she proceeded to elaborate
it, under the insidious spell which such
ideas usually exert, and was only re-
called to the practical matter in hand
by pungent odor-odors can reach the
brain which is impervious to sight and
! sound. The jam was e total loss, and
| what it had cost was not worth the do
ing, viewed as compensation. Chicago
!nter-Qcegn