The times., 1898-06-19
COSTLY KITCHEN sHRINEs.
Where Viands FIT for the Gods Are
Prepared.

Prepared.
The cook who enjoys beautifully mani
cured finger nails and keeps up her in
terests in the arts and belle-1ettres is no
longer comic opera character. but
really truly individual, who is the natural
product of the modern kitchen. 1t is a
truly beautiful and interesting depart
ment-the improvised kitchen in the new
American house-and in some of them the
most exquisite. artistic taste, not to speak
of dollars unlimited. have been layished
in It's perfection and decoration. Now It
is the belief of many enlightened house
holders that there is no domestic en-
ploye who can profit to a greater extent
by agreeable surroundings than a cook.
She will toss up far more sayory. digesti-
BILE and tempting dishes in a cheerful.
harmonious atmosphere than in the midst
of dull and depressing environment, and
acting on the proof of experiment the
architects and householders are building
for the cook shrines where Venus or Min
erva might be exceedingly happy.
With very few exceptions these kitch-
ems are set up on the roofs, so that light
room. For four feet up the walls are
usually tiled in colors and designs pecu-
liarly adapted to culinary talent. For ex-
ample. in one kitchen the tiles about the
room were copies from frescoes in a
Pompeiian house. showing quantity the
ancient modes of cookery. In another
kitchen the tiles represented a feast of
the Greek gods. with offerings of grain.
fruits, savories and flesh. provided by
Ceres, Pan, Bacchus. etc.
Above the tiles the walls are given a
hard finish. and so treated that moist
cloth can be each week passed over them,
TO remove every atom of dust. No pic
lures are hung against the walls. but
clever decorations. in grape-bearing vines
or a composition in Indian corn, or mixed
grains is stenciled on as a frieze and
then overlaid with a varnish that keeps
1t from fading or from injury by the
cleaning cloth. The ceiling is treated in
a variety of ways; finished hard and plain
in color. or. as in the house of one New
York millionaire and politician. is gor-
geousiy frescoed an exact copy of his
wedding breakfast. with the guests rising
and raising their glasses in the final con-
gratulat atory toast.
The floors are always wisely and sim
ply covered with brown or green prep
aratiOu half rubber, half wool that is
ia III JtN easy uiitti lllE NOOh rect anu
all the Illuminating is done by electricity
in side lights from richly wrought pen
dant brackets. Such wooden furniture as
| is used, and there is the cooks own great
| chair, a monks bench for the assistants
| and dressers of various sizes. are carved
| oak and often the richest genuine an
| tiques Some kitchens are regular curio
| shops, every cup. kettle and platter hav-
| ing been chosen with infinite care and all
| of these articles SkiIftrly- n or
| altered as to bring them quite up 10 date
| without taking away the least OF the
| charm of age. over gas. electricity. or
| charcoal the cooking can be done if neces-
| sary-dutch ovens. electric heaters and
| gas stoves occupying their respective
| places against the walls and each one so
| exquisitely tiled and decorated with hand
wrought metal. that they could hold
| places OF honor in a drawing room.
| There is a marvellous stove that was
| taken from an Eliza bethan kitchen near
| oxford and set up in a Boston house
where American genius has rendered 1t
/ useful for all manner Of cooking This
| huge cooking machine, one of the first
| ever used in England. runs up 10 the cell
| ing with steps at the side, to admit of
the cooks climbing up TO peep into the
! various departments, where dozens OF
| fowls can roast at once.
This stove when completed cost its
| owner nearly $, ,O01, since by electricity
| the whole or only a department of it
can be used at time, and by touching a
| button, as the cook opens the door, the
| whole interior of the ovens are iIlum-
mated. enabling her to see the exact
condition of the rising bread or baking
meats without turning them In kitchens
such as these the CommOnest utensils
even the humble garbage tub. becomes
an excellent and ornamental piece OF
brie-a-brac, when the days labors are
over and everything Is in place, and one
| corner of the spacious room is invaTI-
ably given up to the presiding deity Of
food This is called the kitchen shrine
for in a niche in the wall the b-rnze
plaster. wood or porcelain figure stands
a broad shelf at it's feet and a series ui
notices or an appropriate verse insor6,
ed on the wall above it head. The fig.
ure is whatever the owner of the housl
may please to seIect-a jolly Dutcn Sac.
chus. a stately painted wooden rigure or
Brillat Savorin, or a tinted plaster Gauy.
mede.
AS if these agreeable surroundings
were not enough to keep any cook VI
to the mark in her best endeavo~s fo1
the table, TO such a kitchen is added ar
| electric music box and a library, as wei
as boxes of flowers in the windows. Tn,
library holds not only the best books q
recipes but splendid portfolios Of col
Ored plates, showing marvellous pIstiHss
table decorations. etc and a series o
volumes on the chemistry Of cookery. tn
history Of cookery, the art of cooIinl
among all nations.