The Portland daily press., 1894-01-01
THE HOME.
Ffavorings.


tastes well joined. A generation ago, al
moss the only favorings known to tenn
peTate people in sweet cookery were va
niiia, lemon, nutmeg, bitter almonds an d
cinnamon. Today there are many dainty
new favors, and the coarser spices are
little used In delicate cookery, but are
reserved for rich puddings and for savory
dishes of meats and other places where
they more properly belong. The juice of
various fruits coffee and tea and caramel
have been added in the last dozen years
to our list of favors. Vanilla remains in
use, as 1t has been for over a hundred
years, but there is considerable doubt if
the Vanilla trade of today is quite equal
to the genuine bean of that tropical para
site from which our grandmothers made
their favoring. A great deal of the va
nilla of trade is made from the coar Sc
tenka bean.
Even those dainty custards which
were favored with fresh peach leaves
had certain delicacy which we miss
from the eustard favored with bitter
almond extract.
1t may be comfort to those who use
the bitter almond extract that physicians
have quite generally condemned the
prussia acid in the green leaf This
acid, however. is SO very volatile, and SO
easily expelled by slight heat that it
seems impossible that danger may Turk
in peach leaves that have been thorough
II boiled. The root from which tapioca
is made is 10 much more heavily impreg-
mated with prussic acid that ten drops
xvil1 nil ~ IoI 81 -
six minutes, and it is actually used as a
means of public execution by some In
dams of South America. Tapiocasis only
the pulp Of the root from which this
deadly juice is squeezed out by the
hand. Even the poisonous juice itself
Is saved and boiled when the prussic
acid is expelled, and from this juice is
made the popular beer of the country.
Yet no one doubts that tapioca is one of
She most wholesome substances in use in
our kitchens. Lemon flavoring is not
so much used now as it was once There
Is always something of popular fancy in
this matter, and lemon is Just now out
Of fashion, though it will always re-
main delicious and refreshing flavor
for ice creams and cold desserts. 1t is not
often used in hot desserts in this coun-
try. The best lemon favoring is that
made from bits of the yellow peel boiled
in milk. A good lemon essence may be
found in market, but like vanilla es-
sence, must be of the best kind, and
it must be confessed that the essences
are easier to use than anything else
A flavoring of coffee is one of the most
delicious of the new f1avorings It may
be used in custards, ice creams the icing
Of cake and in many other cold desserts
A charlotte russo favored with coffee is
especially nice. To favor quart of
oustard, two heaping tablespoonful of
Mocha coffee, ground quite fine and
measured after grinding. If possible the
coffee should have been Drowned and
ground the day it is used. Pour the
to be made boiling hot over the coffee,
beat the whole thoroughly for two or
three minutes over the fire. Then remove
it from the stove, cover it and let it
stand where 1t will gradually cool and
the davoring of the coffee will be infused
through the milk Then strain it, This
gives very delicate, delicious favor of
coffee, and is strong enough to favor a
quart OF ice cream, in which case mix
ture of half cream and half milk must
be poured over the coffee. To make a
coffee essence for flavoring icings and
other dishes that cannot be favored by
Infusion, take two heaping tablespoon
falls Of good Mocha coffee ground and
roasted fresh. Pour over it cup of cold
water. Let it reduce over the fire until
there remain but four tablespoonful.
when ii is strained. Use about one ia
blespoonful of this to favor the icing of
one gopd-sized cake, Or a teaspoonful if
You like the flavor very delicate.
A caramel flavor is very easily Smade,
and is excellent for custards, ice creams
and pudding sauces. Take,two heaping
tablespoo nfuls of granulated sugar and
one OF water. Stir them over the fire in
q t.yr %hn kar
20 turn brown, and when the mixture
y thoroughly melted and has become a
rich golden brown, which will be in
two or three minutes, add the milk of
the otlstard or ice cream which it is de-
sired 10 flavor and stir the whole over
the fire till the caramel has melted even
III into the milk. In the case of a sauce,
ana cup OF water, and we'll favored
with q little cinnamon and lemon peel,
and stir until the whole is we'll mixed.
New York Tribune.
Hints to Housekeepers.
Grained woodwork is best cleaned with
cold tea.
A decoction Of soapwort roots is the
best to wash white serge or flannel with.
When pair of new boots has been wet
ii you want to spoilssthem set them neal
the stove and dry quickly. then put or
lavish coat of liquid dressing. In this
way whatever oil there is in the leathe,
will ba dried out and the fbres warped
and cracked. The better way is to dry
slowly, then brush all the mud from
the leather and rub vaseline in with 6
small wooden rag. This softens the
leather and the boots will not be the
worse for The wear. Never apply dressing
to shoes of any kind until it is impossible
to, renovate them in any other way.
Gum arabic and gum tragacanth in
equal parts dissolved in hot water make
the best and most convenient mucilage
you can keep In the house.
A homemade paste that can be recon.
mended In unqualified terms is made oil
two tablespoonfuls Of laundry starch
and one tablespoonful Of gum arabic.
Dissolve these in little warm water
and pour over them about pint of boil
ing water, Stir rapidly over the fire fol
Few minutes and set it aside to cool
When the paste is nearly cold add three
drops OF oil OF cloves to keep it from
moulding or being dfscolored.
The following ointment. for chappeG
hands viii be found useful: Take eoua
parts Of beeswax, mutton taIlow and