davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

I was done on the platform, and II turn
ed out so we'll that / had no misgiVings.
| I measured and mixed and whipped in
exact limitations OF the dcmOnSLTatOT,
and put the product over the fire, Julia,
/ the plain cook, looking on curiously
The omeIette stuck TO the pan; 1t was
as heavy as putty. and IL had soaked
Up so much butter that IL was greasy
] an through. Even / could see that It
was a failwTe, and Julia was downright
inSoleut IN her dispraise. She never
had no opinion Of them cooks that
/ learned folks by preaChin TO them
/ from books, and she thought even less
The whole lecture had been upon eggs
The next was on oysters. / chose
panned oysters as the easiest OF the doz-
en- ways in which Mrs. - served them
up before our astOnished ewes The
wretches We're as dry as dead leaves in
winter and as tough as shoe leather
when 1 drew them from the oven. in
which they had stayed for just the time
named by the instructor.
/ will not Worry you With the list Of
my successive failures. If they had no
other effect, they imbued my maid-Of-
thorough and intolerance of my presence
I'm her kitchen so pronounced that / had
TO discharge her for impertinenCe at the
end of the second month.
/ had. however. watched her plain
cooking 10 some purpose. / could boil
potato. make tOieTable soup and bTOil
steak or chop when she left me 70 shift
for myself, and, as she put it-"make
as much mess In the kitchen as I liked
at auy time of day or night
One thing / had discovered and l
acted upon it for the next month.
Cooks don't like TO have Her hang
ing around their domain They don't
engage fCr THAI sort of thing. If YOU
hire "a plain cook you must put up with
plain cnOktry.
We had tc lie content with IT while /
was practiCing my lessons.
Not mind you, what I had paid for at
the rate of a dollar an hour, but what I
had gained. surTeptitiously. by watching
nv very plain cook. I ruled myself down
to the hardest work ] ever undertook for
that month. / am obstinate, and l
would not confess myself beaten. / put
out the washing. and did my own
work" until / had learned how 20 man
age "A gas stove, 10 toast bread without
burning 20 brOil and To roast meat; TO
stew oysters; 10 make biscuits Zone kind
and that the easiest known 10 the recipe
maker) and TO boil and 10 pOach eggs
At the risk of putting JOln forever out
of C1nceit with bsefsteak, / gave him no
other meat for dinner for a week. until
satisfied myself that I could cook II
right Then I began upon chops follow
ing up my final success with them by a
course of roasts It was horribly eX-
pensiVe, of course. for l did not know
what to do with the leftovers. Scraps
went into the garbage pail
I have another plain cook now. Not
a day passes without my stealing some
trick of the trade from her. She does
know something Of hashes. steWs.
minces and even croquets. and ] have
my hopes on this head.
This is a tedious tale. Is the con-
ciusfOn of the whole matter condemna-
ton Of demonstration lessons IN cook
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
THE HOUSEMOTHERS EXCHANGE

~ HE lively member who assumes
the sobridUet Of Mrs. Much
Afraid" todd US last week Of
her perplexities in trying 20 rec
oneua the teaching Of a lecturer on
household economies with the possioili-
ties open 20 a young housewife Of mod
est means The rest of her story has
10 do with her term in a cooking school
am so much impressed by the real
feeling that uuderruns the narrative
she would have US believe merry, and
so convinced OF the existence Of the
evils she recounts, that I am moved 20
beg for light, more light" from those
who have time to attend cooking classes
and lectures upon domestic hygiene and
culinary chemistry. / wish young house
keepers would talk freely through our
Exchange Of their experiences and Pc
culiar triaIsl ] ask il IN the 1nemOry OF
my own novelties when Miss Leslics s
Cook Book was the only manual Of
practical cookery at my command. The
record OF that crucial first year might
ntly be written in blood. Yet, If / have
served the next generation Of house
wives 20 any purpose l. owe the PRIV
llege to chat terrible ordeal. From the
travail Of that nOvitiate was born the
resolution to save other yCUnE wives
something of what I had endured by
giving them the benefit OF what / had
fought. bled, and almost died 10 win.
Why have I been led into this retro
Specti BY the desire to impress upon
the minds of my youthful constituents
me truth Of my abiding interest In their
tolls and struggles. and the COCO reason
nave FOR COmprehendng what these
are, II they forgive the lapse into ego
tsIlcdl feVeTie. will they provo II By
aCcezdIlhS 10 the request that they viii
Sohllde 10 me their needs, thCf efforts.
tHeH successes, and their failures2 In
W"Id, they viii allow rac 10 help
then sun and at the same time. lend
men ana 10 slster-wOrkers. In our
beaulllul EXCHANGE rome should be con-
night"
Bear with me a little longer. dear
MoJner COMPRESSOR, while I tell YOU VIII At
hAEle my cooking lessons have
dumb as a stone when married Win
regard 10 practical cookery l VAS sure
as the Irish gTeenhOrnS say maj
was alsy taehed. Also, that there
WASH much 10 learn. told you, just
now. that we keep a maid-of-all-w work
/ assured her, when ! engaged her. mai
I expected 10 90 the fancy cO0l<fnr. nv
self so II mattered little that she could
not make cake and Custards or 1n,1ffins
et al, as the law papers 1 used 10 cOpy
say.
I confidently expected to be able 10 do
all this, and more, inside OF "a month
For. wasn't 7 going 20 take cooking les
sons I'm one OF the best schools I'm the
country.
Weui I watched Mrs. IS every mo-
ton. ! wrote down her every word
When / went home / got together The
materials for an Omelette. with jelly in
IL, and prepared to surprise John that
very evening. IL looked so easy as 1t
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

people who have put up all manner Of
fruits IN cold water and in cOlu syrup.
and who report perfect success with
both methods Science and common
sense agree with our dear little ladv's
deduction that fruit should not ferment
In the circumstance Opposed to her
optimism and my wishes stand the
truths that sealed tomatoes, guarded
from bacteria by every means known 20
science, did rerment into Ioaths0neness
under my very eyes, and that / am still
Wit ont ocular demonstration Of any
other result I have been offered cans
OF W2ter-cured fruits but they never
came. And the blessed hright-heartad
Cana0ian holds fast to her trust in the
-coLd nr0Cess- and In misera bic No
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

apple and celery salad is crisp and
toothsome enough 10 serve with almost
any combination.
Then icesi and then coffee, served
black. although in defiance Of rule.
there viii be some coffee lovers who
won't be happy without cream and
sugar. Have them ready, though. for
there's nothing which So endears a
hostess to the heart OF even the most
casual guest like the little indulger rces
Of his idiosynCrasics.
Just O Welsh rarebit and some other
equally delectable dainty prepared
while you wait. forms the basis Of the
supper prepared for a jolly musical
crowd after the various performers
have sung and played themselves hun
cry. See 10 f. then, that there is
plenty. so that the plates may be gem
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Chicken a Ia Newberg.

Separate the meat Of cold roast or
boiled chicken from the bones, strip on
all the skin and cut the meat into neat
dice OF uniform size. Make a white
roux Of a great spoonful of -four heat
ed IN a saucepan and rubbed TO a cream
while hot with a tablespoonful OF but
ter. Ada 20 this a cupful OF cream
heated in another vessel a pinch OF
soda being ajiJird to prevent curdling.
Put in the chicken. season 10 taste with
pepper and salt and bring to the boil.
AS soon as this is gained add three
hard boiled eggs (hoD cut small and
just before lifting from the fire. stir in
glass Of sherry.
a nice chahng-dish supper for Sunday
night.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
MeZz5[
EoNGHc5

erously heaped-there's nothing ike a
temporary abandonment 10 art, 10 Gre
.aJe apparently boundIess appetites for
good things
If you have saudwiches-and il is one
OF the easiest ways Of serving bread
lcI them be heavy or light IN charac-
ter. depending upon the rest OF the sup
Per Plain bread and butter ones, made
into tiny crustless triangles, are best
for lobster Newburg and the heavier
sort of eflashments. And don't make
The mIstaks OF serving lettuce sand
wiches with chicken salad-theyre too
near akin
Choose frozen fruits or water ices or
fTappDes -ather than ice cr-cri-thcy
are so much more refreshing. And don I
serve any ices at all 81 Welsh rarebit
is the piece de resistance" Of the little
supper.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

cry? I declare to YOU sOlemnIy that
! am not one whit more capable Of put
ting a decent meal before my husband
than if l had never taken notes of
Mrs IS lectures. ! learned, literally,
not one practical lesson from the course
Of twenty lectures at 81 apiece. Almost
all she said was in an unknown jar
gOu 10 my ears. Her rapid movements
and glib explanations confused me.
was an ig0OTamus, you see, had
never learned the alphabet, and she
expected me to read in words OF four
syllables
1 am now spelling my way up 10
Reading made easy / told John last
night that / am practicing my scales,
and that he will have 10 wait for a
long while before can play even Days
Of Absence"
Never mind what John said,
MRS MUCH AFRAID.
You are in the right Path. Cooking
schools are excellent in their way. That
is 20 say, they help and stimulate emu
lOus housewives who have already mas
tered the rudiments OF the profession.
They teach the higher branches OF
the fine art 70 advanced students We
will call them universities, If you like
The home kitchen is the danes schOo.-
the primary department l have SAID
befOre-and. II / mistake not, in this
cOlumn-that / should rather have a
daughter OF mine learn how TO cook III
the homo kitchen. under my eye, or un-
der the tutelage OF an old family serv-
ant. than 20 take ten courses in a
cooking school. AS a postgraduate, she
might bc greatly benefited by Illus
trated lectures
Cookery. like learning a forei0n Ian
guage. must be practical from the be
ginning One must do it in order 20
know how It is done.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Dyeing Carpets on the Floor.

Yet-and she is a stupid pupil who
does not discover, every day, how much
she has TO learn that other people
know was inC-edulous, few weeks
ago. as TO the praCticability of dyeing
carpets upon the floor, Humbled, and
willing TO be taught even more upon the
subject. / make room for another com
municatiOn in Tefutation of my unbe-
lief:
1 coiored thirty yards OF old reg car
pet in the follow ing way q think that
brussels could be treated in the same
maunerl.
I had one package Of each shade %
patent dye-dark blue, dark red, and
yellow. I mixed as directed, and before
adding all the water. dipped SOme out TO
reserve for the darkest stripes. After
doing this. / added enough boiling wa
such as blue and yellow to make
ing sure not TO have that for the ground
too dark. Thcn. by mixing two coiors
such asd blue and yellow &c make
green, blue, and red for purple. etc.-I
had yet other colors at my command.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Philadelphia Sc1apple.

(By request OF l. Z. A H.. Detroit,
Mich)
~ OIL a PIGS head until the flesh
K slips entirely from the bones.
Remove all the bones and return
them 20 the pot When the
liquor in which the head was cooked is
perfectly cold. take the fat from the
surface, strain out the bones and put
the liquor again over the fire Chop the
meat, season well with salt and pepper.
and when the liquor boils. stir the meat
into IL. Boil again and put in two large
cups Of COrnmeal, letting IL slip grad
ually through your fingers. as YOU
would IN making mush.
Stir until smooth. and cook gently for
an hour after the boil recommences.
When done, pour out into a shallow
pan. OF pans
It Is sliced. when cold and firm. and
fried In butter OF in dripping. 1t keeps
for some weeks in winter If put into q
cold place.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Some Recipes by Request

and flavor Eggs vary so much in size
that three OF one breed Of hens will out
weigh four laid by a smaller hen or
one OF q more prolific family
Weigh ten eggs, then, and graduate
the weight OF other materials by them
Allow half their weight in -four and
their whole weight in sugar. Beat
whites and yOlks separately. When the
yoiks are smooth and thick whip in
the sugar-ftne gTanuiated is the best.
Have ready the strained juice Of
Beat this in next, then the -four, finally
the whites whipped TO a standing froth.
Bake in cups. for "snowballs.' or IN
loaf. IN a steady oven.
Mrs MARTIN.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

used blue for the ground shade. and
applied the paint with a fCur-inch brush
for the groundwork. a one-inch brush
for the stripes.
! painted only one side o. the carpet,
2s IL lay on the kitchen floor. Had
there been children about l could not
have done 81 "a there. ! applied the
paint as hot as il could be nlsde, keep
ing a kettle of IL on the stove. and
using a cup 10 dip IL out as IL was
needed. I used a tin ruler two feet
long 10 guide inc in making the stripes
even, leaving a dry space between every
two. lest the cOI0rs should run into each
other. A little practice enables one 10
do il well. The first L ial was complete
" successful IN my case. II ycI wish.
and II Il viii b. OF any help 10 other
makers OF domestic floor coverings. I
VIII, with pleasure. send in directions
FOR copying rug patterns and making
The rugs themselves. II. =.
(Rosllndale, Mass)
Send along your directions. at your
convenience, and they w.n be thank
fully received and passed on To eager
readers.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

at buffet suppers, and the extent Of it
may be two courses or ten, five being
a good number and as simple TO pre-
pare as anything need be.
Serve a good bouillon .n cups first.
with breadsticks or with tiny biscuits.
with never a touch OF butter about
them.
For the next course, CrOquettes. or
crabs. or lobster prepared in any one Of
its many delicious ways are equally
good-Iobster Newburg served piping
hot from the chahng-dish, over which
the hostess may possibly preside. be-
ing especially delicious.
A salad Of chicken or Of lobster. de-
pending, of course, upon what the hot
course has been, should follow or, In
this season, when celery is just right. a
delicious mayounaise of celery may be
served upon lettuce leaves, or the nut
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Some Pudding Sauces.

(By request OF r. A. b, Denver, Cold
SEAFOAM SAUCE.
]. Rub to smooth cream two table
spoOnfuls OF butter. with a CupfuI OF
powdered sugar. It should then BE-
beaten TO light, snowy froth, and into
this, gradually. put the stiffened whites
OF two eggs. Have ready half a cuDflIl
Of scalding cream and beat into the
foam just before serving. Flavor with
vanilla.
CUSTARD SAUCE.
p Into half a cupful Of powdered
sugar rub heaping tablespoonful If
warmed butter. Next beat into this the
yolks OF two eggs, whipped very light
When smooth and creamy, add a cuD-
ful OF milk, heated, with a pinch Of
soda. 70 prevent curdling. Put over
the fire End stir until II bOils. Add a
glass OF sherry and serve at once.
JELLY SAUCE
s. Put a cupful OF boiling water into
a saucepan and set over the fire Stir
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Nonpareil MayOnnaise Salad Dressing

tBy special request Of six housewives }
Put an egg on the ice three OF four
hours before you need TO use IT, Set a
soup plate in the refrigerator at the
same time, and a bottle OF salad oil
When ready 70 make the mayonnaIse,
free the yOlk Of the egg entirely from
the white. and drop il upon the cold
plate. Squeeze upon the yoIk tea
spoonful Of strained lemon Juice, and
begin 10 stir il into the egg with a
chilled silver fork. Work slowly and
steadily until the two are thoroughly
blended. when drOp in 4 very lrtIe salad
oil Add this gradually a few drops AZ
2 time, working 10 in for a whole min
ute before Won put in more. It should
be quite thick before you pour in the
oil by the teaspOOufuL a CUpful Of oil.
II properly Incorporated. is not TOO
much for a single egg. BY now YOU
should have a smooth golden cream.
Season, at the last. with a pinch OF
paprlka, or OF white pepper. cr. II de
sired, a smaller pinch OF cayenne a
half teaspOouful of salt, and half as
much mustard as YOU have salt
This quantity OF dressing VIII suffice
for quart of salad
There is no more delicious mayCnnaise
than that compounded in exact obc-
dience 10 this recipe here given.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Old Virginia Waters.

Chop a tablespoonful Of good butter
into half a pound OF -four that has been
dried in the oven and then cooled. Add
a saltspOOnful OF salt and enough iced
water 10 make a fairly stiff dough-one
that may be rolled out easily. Roll
very thin, cut into cakes the size OF q
coffee cup and roll these again to the
thlnness OF writing paper. They should
be three times as large as the first
cakes. Transfer carefully 20 g Toured
pan and bake quickly. Eat cold. They
should be hubby" on the top.
Mrs. MARTIN
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

preventive 10 the housewife as to the
bartender
STILL ANOTHER MERE MAN.
buffalo. y. y.
corroborate the statement intelli-
gently. Not that l am cOnversant with
the ways of bartenders. OF learned in
the matter Of their hot stuffs,' but /
ice freshly made tea daily, pouring the
scalding decoctiOn directly from the pot
into tumbIers. protected from danger Of
breaking by a silver spoon And, like
the bartenders. / never break glass.
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Protesting Glass Prom Breaking.

I would answer to the cracking fruit
Jar query that bartenders, in making
hot drinks" always put a spoon in the
glass first. and that they never break
a glass Undoubtedly this would work
well with fruit jars.
Your page always interests me, and I
hope the above viii prove as useful @
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Kitchen Helps

A little lemon Juice added to the water
in which rice is boiled is said TO in
crease the whiteness and separate the
grains OF the rice.
Cayenne pepper poured into cracks
viii drive away ants.
Hands that have been in hot soda
water and become shTunken and soft
will become smooth aud natural again
II rubbed with ordinary kitchen Salt
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

in two tabIespoonfuls Of powdered SUI
gar. Bea, half e cupfuI Of Currant jelly
into two UahIesp1Onfuls Of warmed mot
melredl butter, and add. when il Is a
pink cream. 10 the contents of the
saucepan. We au even tesspoonful Of
cornstarch with cold water and stir into
half a cupfIl of boiling water Cook
stirring all the time until il UniCkcUs,
add 10 the sauce, and set the whole in
boiling water until 10 IS served Give
a final wRirl Of the eggbearer just be-
fore 10 goes 10 the table
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Old Virginia Sponge Cake.

for cake-least Of all for the sponge
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

Admitting the absolute necessity ot
care in the use Of gasOlene as / do
must call attention to the self-evident
facts that there must have been fire iu
that CRATE. and that the paper was un-
dOubtedly saturated with gasolene. II
was imprudent in the extreme 10 clean
the curtains in a porch opening into the
kitchen. Tie heated draught OF air
flowing up the chimney volatilized the
gasOlene and made the disaster pos
sible.
The mixture OF wood alcohol and cor
Tosive sublimate has been recommended
by me repeatedly 81 the Corner. You
may not have read the lively discussion
that went on here four years ago be
tween chemists of repute who declared
the mercury. when dissolved in alcohol
to be a me lace 10 health, and other
chemists of equal renoWn who contend
ed that the mineral poison could not
be voiatilized into a dangerous agent
except under heat that would kill hu-
man beings.
Who shall decide when experts dis
agreeg
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
That "Cold Process"

Like many another housewife I watch
your page closely. and ] found the story
Of the cold process" in preserving
fruit especially interesting. I suppose
the member from Tonawanda viii an
swer your doubt as to the fruit keeping.
and I shall look eagerly for her reply.
I shall have to resort to the old method
if the answer does not come ia time |
really thi1ls that in alright jars ,ae
fruit would not ferment, as all air is
shut out ] sincerely hope such uVu' be
the case. for the process is certainly
very simple and easy.
However, hoping for An answer from
you or from our TOnawanda friend l
will fOrbear this time from making anv
brilliant suggestions of my own, and
keep on profiting by your wisdom and
that of others.
A. Q. Hamilton. Ontario CAM
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
zl6gl7l7lI2l[I' S(JlrFl]Ez11R!S

II OR house weddings, OF for any
sort OF party" where the
/" number invited is too large TO
seat about little tables and
the guests of too formal a
type TO treat to actual den
spreads. suppeTs served from buffet or
side table solve the refreshment prob
lem in the only really satisfactory
way
II you are trying to dispense with the
presence of servants as far as possible.
impress as many friends as you can for
the actual serving letting the servants
remove the soiled dishes as rapidly as
possible and bring in fresh ones all the
time. Then there Is none OF Jhe con-
ryestfon that so often results, when ices
are melted before the cakes are passed,
or bouillon served at coffee time.
Both hot and cold things are served
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
A G Hamilton, Ontario, CAM

Il iTks and humiliates me to disap-
point the expectation of one who trusts
in me And the serene simplicity OF
that woman's faith in my ability to
enlighten her on the cOld-process ques-
tiun merits something better than the
reluctant admission that I am no wiser
than herself as to the trustworthiness of
alright Jars when raw or cooked fruit
is committed to them. We have had
dozens Of confident assurances from
The Washington times., 1906-10-07

an egg can lurk-there will be no bugs
10 disturb the peace OF our corner.
NJ D.
Grant Works. Ill
The Washington times., 1906-10-07
Bread Sweet But Tnnoh-

VIII you please help me out? It is
about bread. I have the potato water,
put In spoonful of suga- and salt. and
one yeast cake. When il IS somewhat
frothy / make my sponge, and when
this, in turn. is light I llnead II stiff
knead II from twenty 10 thirty minutes
II rises beautifully I bake II carefully
and II looks fine, but il is almost in
variably more or less tough and sponev
What in the world makes It so7 1 don't
like tough bread I have varie6 tn a
method OF making It. but to no avail
I bake twice a week. NV bread is sweet
bul lousn. PERPLEXED.
Philadelphia.
II you will work a tablespoonful Of
butter INTO your bread before setting
be handled. 81 VIII not be tough and
II for the second rising il will not be
tough II YOU will mix it as soft as can
spongy. Bread should always be mixed
soft The dough rises sooner. and the
lOaveS are softer