Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-10-17
Constellation

land which is picturesqueness and dis
comfort-romance VS.. common sense
But, as the results are eminently salts
factory and palatable, what more could
be desired?
Isoletta, our cook, has lived with ua
many years, and possesses those traits
which are so rare among hired SER
wants, namely, gratitude and affection
toward her padroni. She is attached
to every member of our family, but her
heart warns with especial devotion to-
ward her "Signora." She is even anx-
ious to go with us to America, and 10
ready to give up father, mother and
lover that she may follow us, step to
which we, of course, would never con-
sent. She is gentle, sweet-volced and
graceful. Her soft black hair waves
over her forehead and her large brown
eyes look out from under their long
lashes with an expression of trust and
fidelity Many are the good things
which Isoletta sends to our table from
this quaint old kitchen, with its brick
floor, its huge flaring chimney, all be-
grimed with SCOT and smoke, and Its
dazzling copper saucepans hanging on
the wall in military order.
Our kitchen is the type Of. all we'll
TODD kitchens in Italy. From the front
hall we enter long, narrow room; at
the further end there is one window
opening into the side street, and we
can look over into the vacant suite Of
rooms in the palace across the way,
with its uncurtained windows and
dusty panes. The floor Of our kitchen
Is paved with red bricks, originally, l
have every reason to believe, laid even
ly. But 1t has already seen many dec
AIDES of good service, and during our
occupation the surface of the floor has
presented an undulating appearance,
as though a tidal wave had swept over
it at some previous period Of its exist
ence. You have, in consequence,
slightly unpleasant feeling Of uncer-
tainty as you stumble Of sudden into
a depression or rise on the crest of
billow.
The object of greatest interest in the
room, and the only one which is strik-
ingly unfamiliar, is the cooking aEpa-
ratus. Extending almost the entire
length Of the room, it is built out from
the wall, and is, In fact, neither more
nor less than solid block Of masonry,
about twelve feet long, four feet high
and three feet deep. We might call 1t
a counter built of bricks and mortar,
and covered with heavy stone slab.
Above this hangs the faring chimney
cap, projecting its black, gaping
mouth over the entire length of the
counter.
At regular intervals in the stone
slab there are three openings about
foot square and foot and half deep,
with a CRATE at the bottom of each, and
on the face of the counter are three
corresponding openings, which connect
with the upright ones below the CRATE,
and thus serve for draught. A char
coal fire is made in each CRATE and is
coaxed into life with primitive fan Of
cocks feathers. The tea kettle, soup
pot double boiler, sauce pans, frying
pans and fish kettle all jostle one an
other around the edge Of these two
apertures, each elbowing its neighbor
with the most amiable and unrufIled
temper, after the manner Of true
Italian crowd, trying to see which can
get the nearest to the fire without SETH
ously interfering with the respective
boiling, simmering or frying privileges
of the others. They all seem playful
and merry, Notwithstanding their
modicum of heat, and always perform
their duty in most commendable
manner. The third aperture is re-
served for state occasions, two being
considered amply sufficient for ordin-
airy family use, or even for small din
ners.
An oven in a private house is I'M
known. The bread is bought at the
bakers, and the cake and pastry at the
confectioner's. Our joints are roasted
on spit in front of red-hot Goals,
which are piled on the top of the stone
slab against the wall and directly I'M
der the chimney. The meats are kept
thoroughly basted with the drippings
from the pan, which stands under
meath the spit, and are constantly
turned, so that every part is
Drowned and crisped in the most APP
petizing manner For baking vege-
tables and buildings we have contriv-
ance known as "forno di campagna,"
which, being interpreted, signifies a
country oven. No one, indeed, would
be SO bold as to charge it with being
else than a most countrified
country oven. We might call 1t large
inverted tin sieve without the holes.
The dish to be baked is placed over one
of the aforesaid square apertures,
which has fire somewhere in the bot
tom Of 1t; the inverted sieve is set over
It, and covered with red-hot Goals.
Should any one be tempted to call this
an unprogressive method, will merely |
say that the pudding, when completed,
Is all that could be desired, and II the
proof Of the pudding is in the eating,
suppose one may claim. without be-
Ing accused of presumption, that the
proof Of the cooking is in the pudding.
The only drawback to this method is |
that one cannot have more than one |