The herald., 1897-11-14
WATCH THE KITCHEN.
Gesine Lemcke, Cookery Expert,
Portrays the Consequences
of Neglect.
SCORES MY LADY.
European Housekeeping Methods
Superior to Ours-Coal Range
an Unnecessary Evil.

1t Is time for plain speaking about
the American kitchen. Too many
housewives permit a state of affairs
that Is a disgrace to us all. Many
think themselves excellent housekeep.
ers who do not know the first rudi-
ments of managing a house, and yet
wonder why they have such trouble
and so many vexations daily in their
household.
Let me tell them frankly why they
are not successful. The true reason Is
that many know absolutely nothing
about conducting a house.
If every woman, either rich or poor,
were thoroughly educated in domestic
affairs. and knew how to superintend
her own kitchen and the preparation
of food, she would then understand the
time, labor, and patience required in
cooking. and would be less fault finding
and more appreciative of efforts made
by those employed in the home.
BENEATH THEIR DIGNITY.
There are many women who think IL
beneath their dignity to enter the
kitchen, and look with contempt upon
the art of Cooking But they forget
that by neglecting this most important
duty they injure their own health az
we'll as that of their own family.
Our kitchens. in place of being such
dark, dreary dungeons as we often
q \ lt<vI,k
well-ventilated. In place of the ele-
phantine range or coal-eater. with
ovens that will neither bake nor roast
unless the wind blows to suit it's capri
cious temper, we should have a range
or gas stove ready at all times. Then
there would be fewer clashes between
mistress and cook.
| USED DISHPAN FOR BATHTUB.
am ashamed to notice the cooking
utensils in some kitchens. few rusty
old tins, an iron pot "a frying pan, and
dishpan constitute the cooking inn
plements in the ordinary kitchen.
The dishpan in particular. If it could
speak, would tell us some revolving
tales. I know of instances where 1t
was used not only for washing dishes
and mixing bread, but also as pre-
serving kettle. for cooking clam chow
der and occasionally as bathtub for
the baby!
There is no country in which the wo-
men pay so little attention to their
kitchen affairs as here in America. All
the money is spent on the drawing
room, where strangers can admire and
envy the effect.
| BADLY LOCATED.
| loo
thing an architect thinks Of when
planning a house is the kitchen. Then
he puts it in some obscure corner for
which he can find no other use. This
is most evident in the planning of our
apartment houses.
Everything is for show with some;
whatever they do in the culinary line
it must be in the way Of pink teas,
chrysanthemum luncheons, or daisy
suppers. On such humbug a great deal
of valuable time and money is wasted.
which, If applied in the right way,
would be a source Of comfort and hap
piness, and not the pleasures of the mo-
ment.
GREAT WASTE OF FOOD.
In many households there is more
food wasted or thrown away than is
eaten. Remains of meat, vegetables
stale bread and cake, ought to be util-
lied and made into appetizing and PAL
atable dishes. 1t grieves one to see
such food thrown into the garbage pail
while we have so many needy poor In
our cities suffering daily for lack OF
the necessary food to sustain life.
| Garbage Is a great source for gener-
ating germs of disease. 1t should either
! be burned up or kept in covered recep-
tacles, which should be thoroughly
cleaned at least twice week with soda
and hot water. The cellar should be
ventilated every day and whitewashed
| twice a year.
COOKS AT A DISADVANTAGE
The kitchen is the laboratory where
the food for the family is prepared,
and the cook is the chemist, in whose
hands the health and happiness Of the
whole family lie-yes, even life and
death are dependent upon her. Why is
IT. then, that our women pay so little
attention to these important things?
In many kitchens the cook has to
work part Of the day by gaslight, there
being neither ventilation nor sunshine
and no outlet for the poisonous gases.
Organic vapors of various kinds neces-
sarily develop in every occupied
dwelling from the daily culinary oper-
ations. This effluvia Is harmless az
first, but is subject to rapid decompo-
sition, and then becomes extremely
dangerous.
EUROPEAN HOUSEKEEPING.
Good ventilation Is absolutely neces-
sary in all kitchens. I noticed during
NV last visit that European countries
c,,rDooc IS in their kttCnenS.
The European woman prides herself
upon her kitchen, which Is generally SO
situated that the odor of cooking does
not penetrate through the whole house.
It is kept scrupulously clean and we'll
stocked with every article needed in
this important work, and the reckless
waste so common in the American
kitchen is unknown.
American women do not spend
enough thought on the kitchen.
GESINE LEMCKE.
Copyright, 1897, by Bacheller Syndicate.
Why He Hates Rats.