The San Francisco call., 1910-03-06

years ago I engaged a
IL cook. who brought what she
would have termed "a car
rackt-er" from a rich and re-
spectacle woman, in whose service
she had been for seven years. I called
upon her late employer, who con
frmed the written certificate. Ma
rietta was clean, industrious. honest
and sober. and an excellent cook
At the end Of a week I had learned
that the treasure was proficient in
nothing except the plainest kind Of
cookery. She could roast, boil and fry
and cook vegetables as her mother
had done before her Beyond this
rudimentary knowledge she did not
aspire 10 go. And when she found
that we had soup every day in the
year she demonstrated.
4 didn't inSage to do French cook
ing" she said, tearfulIy. 1T nair
breaks me heart to think Of maxim
sup every day OF the week. At Mrs.
P.'s We niver thought O. such doins.7
FRENCH THRIFT
Upon that hint ] spake a bit Of my
mind, quietly but firmly. She must
learn TO make soup or seek another
place. She chose the alternative, and
carried her excellent cookery into an
other house.
7 thought her complaint odd then
and her Jisdain Of French cooking
the prejudice Of an unframed mind.
have come since 10 deprecate it as &
prevalent mistake on the part of an
immense number Of otherwise inteIli-
gent people who should know better
II goes without saying that the
trench lead the world in all pertain
ing 20 fine cookery. 1t should be
better known that they are also the
wlsest Of domestic economists.
l have said this, in effect, so often
that those who are Indifferent TO gas
Economical and culinary studies ac-
cuse me Of harping tediously upon one
string. 1t cannot be too strongly
driven into The consciousness Of our
praeticas housemother that she could
pFinS her family fare up to a much
higher standard Of palatableness than
she has dreamed of and lower market
6llIs by going TO school TO the
Frenchwoman Of limited means. 1 am
not writing this plain talk for those
who can command and pay for the
services Of a chef" The French
peasant knows how to make the very
pest as regards saYoriness and econo-
my. out OF the homely materials
winch are all she can afford to buy
and she puts the knowledge into
daily and hourly practice Her stock
pot is never empty and the garbare
pan IS seldom full. The dip" and the
"wallop," Of which I spoke some
weeks ago, are translated by her into
wise reserve OF every particle of
nutriment and flavor that meat. FISH
and esculent can yield.
sToCK-PoT ECONOMY
:. ] kept house in France long enough to
for time. and then edited me. Now
ana then, and as time wore on and nv
interest IN the subject became serious
ana practical, I used to go with my
cook 10 market. l had soon learned 10
lei her make purchases. Where I would
nave bought two pounds OF meat she
got Sg ore, ana made it go as far as two
would have gone in my hands 1 speak
the simple truth IN asserting that NOT
one leaf or stalk OF any green vegetable
that came into my kitchen found its
way 10 the sw1ll pail She shredded snirl
ach rom the stalks, and COMPOUNDED
Tor dinner the most enhancing spinach
a la creme that ever passed nv lips
The s1slRs were scalded to take out the
rank flavor. and then chopped before
they were committed TO the stock pot
Cracked bones Of cooked meat. gristlv
and skinny morsels and ''dabs'' Of
cooked vegetables contributed body RI
a week. We grew so fond OF II that
we would have been glad to buy ma
terlalS expressly Tor It But this Marie
would not allow. SO much would 90
10 waste but for the pot-au-feu that
the thought was narrowing" When told
that the eavory steaming broth that
Initiated nostrils and delighted palates
on rainy and chilly days (she made
cunning selection of times and wealth
ersl was unknown in America, she
rolled up her eyes and wrung her hands
But what then would madam do with
what would not serve for any other
dish?"
She put nothing raw into the pot
Everything was parbOiled or Scalded,
and twice week the pot itself was lift
ed 10 the range to simmer for an hour.
il never boiled actively.
Salads We're as much a matter of