The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-04-11

These are certainly the days of short
shrift with superstition. Opals have
become one of the most fashlonaple OF
stones, the widely spread and long eX-
listing idea that it was omlnous 10 OWN
them even, much less wear them, nav
ing quite passed away. An advantage
possessed by these gems over all others
is that they cannot be initiated A
paste or any other sort of falsified opal
does not exist. With the passing OF the
opal boyle has gone, too the ban unoer
which peacock feathers have long IAN.
Decorators delight in the rich colorlnsS
of these plumes, and have done much
by their persistent use of them In car
rying out effects, to do away with the
nonsensical belief that they are I'M
lucky to have about.
An excellent white soup has for stock
fried vegetables. 1t may be Lenten
soup if the frying is accomplished IN
olive oil, though clarified beef rat or a
slice or two of bacon make the pest
lubricant In one Of these fats snce
an onion and a root of the KNOB Gel
cry. with a few springs of parsley, salt
and pepper, and a little mace Inc
vegetables are not to brown IN the
least in the frying pan, and after COOK
ing them about ten minutes add TWO
tablespoonfuls of flour. Stir for three
minutes, then add slowly pint ana
half Of cold water. Let the mixture
boil and thicken, then simmer gently
till the vegetables are tender. Remove
from the fire and pass the STOCK
through a sieve. Ten minutes before
the soup is needed add a pint OF milk
to the strained stock and let 1t get
thoroughly hot, but not boil, before
sending it to the table in a hot tureen,
poured over a few small croutons or
some sticks of pulled bread.
A careful housekeeper is frequently
troubled by the tannin stains in fine
china teacups They may usually be
removed by rubbing them with little
whiting on flannel Salt will have the
same effect but it sometimes scratches
very fine ware.
Potato souffle, the crisp, toothsome
little bladders of the vegetable, which
are familiar to all travellers in France,
made an important part of recent
are pared and sliced lengthwise, this
being a large factor in the success OF
the dish. They should be halved be-
fore slicing, and each slice measure
not more than a sixth of an inch in
thickness. When thus ready, throw in
cold water, drying the slices between
clean towels before frying. Have ready
two kettles Of fat, the melted lard in
n ha
temperature of the lard in the first
kettle should be about 300 degrees, and
a frying basketful of the slices should
cook in this about six minutes. AT
the end of such time they ought to
be blown up, as their name indicates,
into little air-bags, whose browning IS
matter of one minute in the second
kettle, where the temperature of the
fat is fully 800 degrees. In managing
the cooking it is a caution not to use
a fork or any pointed utensil among
the slices, lest it should prick them
and SO release the air and their conse-
quent lightneSs. These are the pota-
toes which are sold at street corners
in Paris on fete days, prepared while
you wait by the skillful French man
or woman who may preside over an
often primitive pair of boiling-fat hold
erS.
To clean wall paper use bread about
a day old. If the paper is only dusty,
flick and rub it with a soft yarn mop.
If it is marked with grease, hold a
piece of blotting paper over the spot
with hot hatiron for a few moments
For the moment tulips are suppressed
ing all other flowers for the decoration
of the fashionable dinner board. These
blossoms fade so quickly when sepa-
rated from the parent stem that on
many tables they are seen growing,
small pots of them, in various stand
ards, which mass the coloring into a
sufficiently ample center.
An eminent Norwegian scientist has
been conducting an investigation Of
the ake-houses of his country in con-
nection with an exhaustive study of
bread from the grain to the loaf on the
table. He finds much to criticise and
condemn in the places he has visited,
and points out that they are most i'm
por-tant spots for stringent municipal
regulation. 1t will be recalled in this
connection that the inspection of the
bake-shops in New York by the Ladies'
Health Protective Association brought
to light many dangerous conditions in
these places. They are radiating CEN
tiers in every neighborhood where they
exist and every part of them should
be as chemically and sanitarily clean
as the antiseptically washed marble
kneading- board of the modern we'll
conducted private kitchen. The health
are two more significant matters to be
considered, as the European inveStiga-
tor indicates, and these should, he
thinks, be under the most strict civic
observation and control.
When grease has been split upon
mating. apply powdered French chalk
and benZine. Cover the grease with
the chalk and sprinkle lightly with
the benzine. When the latter has evap-
GRATED, brush off the chalk, and the
spot will also vanish. When grease is
split on wooden flooring, cold water
Should Immediately be poured over it.
This hardens it so that it can easily be
scratched away. otherwise it sinks in
and repeated scrubbngs will not get
rid of it,
Realism should not be carried to ex-
cess. as in the case CT an atrocious
frame for a picture of group of chick
ems WHERE an inch wide ledge across the
lower franie-piece held real corn, but.a