Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-02-08
I IOUSE=
OLD
| HINTS

From time immemorial dinner has been
| the inspira ton of the masculine poet, novel;
list and dramatist alike. The acceptable dim
ner has called forth rounds of applause
| ard the laurel wreath for the cook: while a
| poor dinner has sufficed to turn the tuneful
flow of harmony to Earring discord and
! bring anathemas on the head of the culprit
| The Sweet Singer of Israel says, "a good
| heart will have a care of his meat and
drink Virgil grows eloquent over the
| splendid banquet in Dido's palace. Lamb is
| ecstatic over roast pig and Bacon over
| lamb. Whittier immortaizes the pumpkin
| pie and its fair maker, and Meredith AYERS
that "civilized man cannot live without
| cooks" Thackeray lays about him with
| his usual tWo-edged sword of satire and
| humor and asks of us, What is it, ladies,
! that often drives men out to clubs and
! leaves the domestic hearth desolate? What
| but bad dinners? And whose fault Is the
| bad dinners but yours-yours, forsooth who
| are too intellectual to go into the kitchen
! and too delicate to think about your hus-
| bands victualS.' ~
Then he points his moral with this tragic
| tale of domestic infelicity:
Il know case in which the misery of a
| whole life, nay, of a whole series Of little
| and big lives, arose from a wifes high and
| mighty neglect of the good things of life,
! when ennui, arrangement and subsequent
! ruin and suicide arose out of an obstinate
| practice of seeing a leg of mutton three
| days running in small respectable fam
! ily.''
Granted If need be--and it must be said
| that there is some truth in it-that the
| royal road to conjugal peace and prosperity
lies through the stomach of the head of the
| household, reckless indeed must be the wo-
man who dares to ignore the awful respOn-
| siblity resting upon her.
Fortunately the perfect dinner does not
necessarily involve a great expenditure of
money, an elaborate menu, nor yet an over
| taxing of brain muscle.
The ideal dinner is one suited to the sea-
SON, the climate, the means and the physi-
cal well being Of the special family for
whom it is prepared, simple If need be, in
all its constituents, but each perfect of its
| kind.
There Is no excuse for a soup insipid
Geld, greasy or full of splinters of bone
steak or chops charred or raw, potatoes
soegy, waXy, Overdone or UNDERGONE; rice
sticky and compact. a salad gritty or water
logged, muddy coffee or bitter tea; a greasy
soggy pie or a lumpy pudding, and yet in
families without number these are the pre-
Vailing conditions day in and day out. The
| excuse so often put forth that help Is SO
poor does not stand for moment. Elab-
crate dishes one need not expect from the
usual, Incompetent servitor, but the veriest
grcenhorn, with watching, can soon have
the A. b, Cs of good plain cooking at her
clumsy fingers ends. She must know that
cold; that coffee must be clear and fresh,
potatoes mealy and dry, rice with each ker-
nel distinct the cereal thoroughly cooked,
the steak richly brown, and all its juices
conserved. You will have to go often to
the kitchen yourself, my dear madam, but
Will it not pay you In the end?
While it is generally assumed that any
one can cook a steak, there is, after all,
right way and wrong way-and too often
the latter is in the ascendant. Given good
cut of sirloin, porterhouse or top round, a
clear, bright fire, strong gridiron and a
ncdicum of common sense, there Is no rea-
son why the result should not be always the
samoa hot, delicately seasoned steak
whose rich brown exterior holds it's wealth
Of juices ready for the consumer.
In selecting beef it is well to remember
that perfect beef is a fine red, close-grained
and dry, the lean web intergrained with
fat. Excessive leannesS shows age or de-
bility in the animal. while a preponderance
OF fat, except so far as it increases the
cost, shows a desirable condition Beef is
In its prime at four years. After five 1t de
be thoroughly chilled before putting in cold
storage; otherwise the animal heat is driven
inside and causes a poisonous fermenta-
ton.
Eastern beef is usually Of an inferior
grade, for the reason that the farmers
cling to their young animals and only mar
ket the older, dry cows and WORKOUT oxen.
Chicago and Kansas City dressed beef
steers and cows that have fed upon alfalfa
Or the juicy grass of the prairies-are the
IDEAL form of meat food. Texas beef. as
a rule. is not as good. In selecting steak
for a good-siZed family, sirloin will be found
more economical than porterhouse as there
is very much less waste. Not every one
knows that there are fashions in cuts of
steak as well as in dress, and these vary
from time to time. Now the pOrterhouSe
holds the place of honor, but not SO many
Years ago the rump was considered the
choicest, and the porterhouse was ranked
WIN INFERIOR cuts. AS matter of fact
a good steak cut from the top round Of n
prime quality of western steer viii be
found as choice a morsel as one can wish.
Ihe much Wanted and high-priced tender
ION is absolutely tasteIess and should al
ways have the juice from q bit Of round
expressed over it, to give 1t the good beef
flavor. The cross cut steaks Of the rump
are also excellent. FL n
Having then caught your steak" the
next thing Is to see to it's proper cooking.
While the ideal method of broiling steak is
over gas or charcoal any good clear Goals.
hard wood or mineral. will answer. Grease
the grtdiron with bit of the suet and lay,
the steak, which should be about an inch
ana half thick. upon 1t. Do not presume
to stick fork in the meat, as that would
aIiow the juice to escape. Scar 1t quickly
On one SIDE and turn on the other. AS
soon as both sides are scared over keep
turning every moment or two for about ten
minutes, depending. of course, on how rare
you llke your steak. Have your platter hot.
lKeWise the plates upon which 1t Is to be
served. Also tin plate upon which you
have half tablespoonful of butter, tea
spoonful OF salt and dash of pepper or
paprika. As soon as the steak is done. re-
move from the boiler on to the hot tin plate
and basic with the melted butter. Having
tnoroughly seasoned it. take from the tin
pate TO the hot platter. If yeu like extra
seasoning, have ready a little chopped
parsley and some sliced lemon. Rub the
lemon In the parsley and place two or three
shces on each end of the steak.
Here, then, is a, reliable recipe for the
Diack bean soup-which IS essentially Phila-
deiphian.. Failing the turtle beans, LIE
small red beans or the frijoies of the SOUTH
west via give nearly as good rel suits. sSoa-.