River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1890-04-24
A WORD ABOUT COOKING.
Cleanliness, Exactness and Vigilance
Three Requisites in the Kitchen.

Cleanliness, Exactness 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-third of all that is brought
into the kitchen for food is carried out
the back door as garbage. The French
are famed the world over as caterers,
and their marketing would seem very
scant and niggardly TO an American
housekeeper accustomed to buy by the
gross and the barrel. One fowl is
enough for medium sized family; the
vast variety of vegetables, pastry and
pudding are unheard of, yet he who sits
at a French table fares well and in
abundance. Travellers who Spend some
time abroad, next to the filth of city
streets, are impressed by the wastefulness
Of American cooks. This is particularly
noticeable in the country. 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 repeatedly sat at tables
loaded with viands and nothing ht to
eat--heavy bread, meat swimming in
grease, half dozen kinds of preserves,
pie, and coffee so disguised that its
identity is lost.
The great fault is that cooking as an
art is not esteemed as it should be. 1t
is practical chemistry, 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 nutritious, easily digested,
andof the proper sort. 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-
quires teaching and experience. Luck
has little to do with the preparation OF
a perfect dinner. On the contrary, ii
argues accuracy in weighing and meas
uring, delicacy and lightness of touch,
no fumbling, and no laundering.
thing-spoiled can not be remedied. Toe
much saleratus in the bread and toe
much salt in the soup can not be taken
out again though ''all the Kings
horses" be brought into requisition. II
is the uncertain and slovenly cook whose
rules are "a TASTE 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 a badly-fed family
where it is otherwise.
There is nothing easier in the world
than to make cup of perfect coffee an6
broil steak Yet good coffee and we'll
broiled steaks are the exception and moi
the rule. There are things indispensa
BILE, whatever is undertaken, and these
are absolutely clean utensils, and un
tagging vigilance while the cooking il
going on.
Lack of scraping and securing ani
scalding and airing gives the coffee-poI
or the gridiron musty flavor, which il
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
itself in the most exemplary way VI
to a certain point. Then it will burn t.
cflSp III q StCOuus anu bilc uiHhcI II
ruined. So it is with every thing con
signed to the oven or the stew-pan, ane
the catastrophe can only be averted by
the hand that is ready for immediate
interference, when the critical moment
arrives. A young woman of literary
proclivities stood over kettle of mos
promising blackberry jam one Augus
morning. 1t was nearly done-a store
of gathered sweetness" for many q
winter tea and luncheon. In an evil
moment an idea came to her, which she
thought she could jot down in twink
ling. But she proceeded to elaborate
it. under the insidious spell which suci
ideas usually exert, and was only re
called to the practical matter in hane
by pungent odor-odors can reach the
brain which is impervioUs to sight ane
sound. The jam was total loss, ane
what it had cost was nos worth the do
ing, viewed as cOmpensation.-Chic
Inter-Ocean.