Evening star., 1901-05-18
able and Kitchen.
Practical Suggestions AbOut What to
Eat and How to Prepare Food.


culinary art lies in the factithat the aver
age cook does not, first Of ALL understand
the important part they pldy in the prep
aration of foods, and does mot give suffi-
cient time and study to- the manner of
making tiem.
Blot tells us that there IS no good cook
ing without good sauces, and it is unde-
niable that many otherwise excellent
dishes ruined by being served with a
poor sauce.
Good sauces cannot be made from poor
materials, though it is not necessary that
the substances used be expensive but they
must be suitable. The American cook will
spend more for materials in the making of
her sauces for one meal than would fur
nish a French. German or Spanish cook
with supplies for a dozen sauces. The for
eign cook would not attempt I'd substitute
water for broth. or vinegar and water for
wine, as does the American cook, and vet
the former can produce the most delicious
sauces at half the cost. One wastes from
not knowing how, while the other can af-
ford the better, richer materials, because
wasting nothing good through carelessness
and ignorance
Are Sauces Wholesome.
Why not? Having admitted that there
are sauces and sauces, we must acknowl-
edge that a sauce from the hands of
careless or unframed cook is quite as dam
gerous to good digestion as any other SIM
ilarly mistreated food preparation But
from the hands of the artist it is sure to
meet such approval of the senses as to aid
rather than interfere with the assimilation
of our food. A noted lover of good living
so highly valued the skill of the cook in
the preparation of his sauces that he
deemed him worthy of knighthood. and ex-
pressed his approval in such wise:
AN exquisite and poignant sauce,
For which I'll say unto my cook There's
gold,
Go forth and be a knight.
The Origin of Our Sauces,
While Americans are cosmopolitan in
their sauces, and have, from the abundant
supplies of nature, originated many dain-
ty and delicious which are unknown
abroad, they have derived the original idea
of most of their finest sauces from the
French. But what few American cooks un-
derstand is that the French, who excel in
variety of exquisite sauces, have really
but two original sauces for meats and vege-
tables. With these foundation sauces. they.
skill, cultivated taste and originality
in playing the many variations with these
two keys.
The espagnole, or brown sauce and the
white sauces are, as the French express it,
the mother of sauces.
Understanding how to make these two
in perfection, you can ring any number of
changes, they can be made to suit the
taste and accord with the dishes they are
to be served with. A hundred varieties
can be made just as well one, by add
Ing or leaving out one or more substances,
or by adopting a little different mode of
preparation.
So much Importance have the French al
ways attached to their sauces that the
names given them are often noted and his
torical, and generally designate their orig
inator. When adopting them for the Amer
lean kitchens we must of necessity retain
these names in many instances, for want
of something more appropriate, as the name
does not signify the nature of the sauce,
but the person who designed this particular
combination.
American Sauces.
If we have a class of sauces which are
strictly American they are the pudding and
dessert sauces. And in these we show an
apt appreciation for the eternal fitness OF
things by combinations produced, though
the cook fails, more or less often, to give
but an exasperating idea of ''the might
have BEEN r. ss
Follow set rules in this respect, as there
must be no guessing or careless measure
ments. The founda ton of the sauce which
consists of a solid and liquid must be in eN-
act proportions and mixed in certain man.
ner, in order to give SmoothnesS and proper
consist ency. Flour and eggs are the thick
ening agents butter is to enrich and give
smoothness; but these must be used in such
proportion as will combine with the Hour;
otherwise unless you want a butter sauce,
YOU will have one that is badly made. Sea
sonings and favorngs are matter Of
taste; but cultivated to nicely In order to
get the flavor of some SubuetleS that are
so pleasing.
Accessories to Sauces.
While there is considerable license, yet
a. strict regard must be paid to suitable
hat will ha of
tune with the meats, vegetables or ar
ticle of food with which you intend serving
the sauce.
Mushroom sauce or powder is de-
lightful addition to many sauces, and also
a dash of curry.
Mushroom, walnut or tomato catsup,
few chopped oysters, lemon juice, pap
rika, chopped gherkins, picked walnuts
or green peppers go nicely in sauce
to accompany beef or veal Picked wal
nuts are also considered suitable for
brown sauce for pork chops, and boiled
mutton needs the piquancy of caper
sauce. Horseradish, cucumber and onion
sauces are three favorite meat sauces,
either hot or cold.
Some Things to Remember.
Do not use straight bread flour for
sauces Have the butter bubblng hot
when the flour goes in, but not colored,
unless you are making a brown sauce.
Cook both well together before adding the
milk. This prevents the sauce from hav-
ing a raw, pasty taste.
1t is necessary 90 stir all sauces con-
tinually while they are cooking until they
begin to thicken, and the starch is Suf
fciently cooked to remain in suspension
and not fall to the bottom of the sauce
pan.
Do not wet the -four before stirring it
irto the liquid, or it will not combine with
the butter, which will float on the top.
Add the salt when the sauce begins to
thicken. Do not be eXtraVagant in the
use of seasonings or let any one season.
ing or Havoring predominate. If a hot
sauce cannot be served soon as made,
cover closely and keep warm over hot but
not boiling water.
When vinegar is added to a boiled
dressing, heat the butter or fat with the
vinegar; pour in gradually, beating rap
idly, and continue to beat If it shows
signs of curdling, until it is smooth. Do
not beat or strain a flour sauce if you can
avoid it, as 1t makes it pasty.
If an uncooked sauce curdles on adding
vinegar or acid, chill it thoroughly and
then beat 1t smooth. .f-
Plain White Sauce.
Measure all your materials before you
begin cooking. Put two level teaspoonfuls
n in