Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-26
QUAINT COOKING IN 1910
Recipes Of a Century Ago---Steak
Cooked With Fire of Two Newspapers.


in the year 1910? What kind of food
was cooked in the big open fireplaces
under the swinging cranes, or baked
in the old fashioned brick ovens ,
Were the housewives Of the early DAYS
Of the last century able to attain the
culinary results Of the present age
and was the food either wholesome or
Dalatable? There fell into the writer's
hands recently Il little leather covered
book which in "a manner answers
these Questions. AT least its $50 pages
contain Geai Of information not only
regarding the food materials which
were available in 1906, but how they
were prepared
1t is reasonable to believe that food =
StuifS were pure in those days, and we
know that many kinds of food were
very cheap. compared with the soar
ing prices of 1910. Ii materials were
both cheap and good one need not be
surprised. that the cookery was pre-
pared in such lavish quantities, or
that a bag OF -four that would last
an average family q week in this age
was used up in one baking of pies,
with other ingredients in proportion.
Perhaps the recipes in this little
volume in the main do not differ
greatly from the formulas that may
be found in similar books of today,
though it is interesting to note some
materials considered indispensable in
modern cookery are conspicuous by
their absence. Flavoring extracts are
not mentioned nor are soda and cream
of tartar referred to anywhere, while
baking powders We're unknown. It
may be noted, also, that housewives in
1910 were able to worry along without
the thousand and one ready prepared
substances and food ingredients that
are obtainablc today from srocers
everywhere. Some OF the food pre-
paved after these recipes was doubt
less rich--too rich and too highly sea-
soned-bUt the frills and the fancy
dishes do not appear, everything being
for The most uart on the order sub
stantial. The cooking school was a
thing of the future. and the imported
French chef had not arrived.
In lieu Of tlavoring extracts they
used quantities of roSeWater, orange
fewer water almonds, coriander seed
and the juice and rind of fresh orang-
es and lemons, and they introduced
wines and brandies into all forms Of
cookery without stint Constant use
was made OF the kitchen garden herbs.
ana they ran the ganut of the spices.
These were absolutely pure. however
for the cook usually ground and sifted
them as they were required. Even
perfumes were sometimes employed as
in whip cream musk at that. This
recipe and those which follow are
copied verbatim:
"Whipt crcam--Tako a quart of
cream and the whites Of eight eggs,
beaten with half q pint Of Wine. mix
it, together and sWeaten it to your
taste with dOuble-rcfined sugar; you
may porfutne it Off YOU eplease) with
musk or amborgum TIED in rag AMI
STEPPED a little III the cream. Whip it
with a whisk and a bit OF lemon peel
tied in the midt;lH IF the Whisk. take
off Tic froth with spoon and rut
into glasses.
There was no greedy beef trust, nor
were there cold storage houses. IN
1910. and meat cost from 3 to cents
p,r poiml-poulry Is cents. Nor"
than nnc-third Of tn" book is taken up
with quaint directions for preparing
au kinds OF meats, fish and fowls. ana
with tho making Of soups. There are
elaborate rules for roasting and stui-
in-. for brciliug. boiling and Ste~ine.
and for making hnsroS ana fricasSeS.
Sweet herbs were introduced INTO
n.orlv everything ''ooked in the meat
line. and even fish: wines "'l" USED
in preparing meats ant nel season
inq. and suiciu- Was the rulc. Here is
ono of the recipes Cor ".%lanod"
Beef:
cake n round Of D,ef and stuff II
with half pound pork. lnlf pound out
tor. the soft of half n Loaf Oh wheat
bread. boil four eggs very hard, chop
them up: add sage, parsley, summer
savorv, sweet marjarua ana one
.unco OF cloves pounded chop ther
nj, together with two eggs very me-
and ado Il gill Of wine, season very
high with salt ard pepper. Cut holes
in Your beef to put your stuinnG H.
thon stick whole cloves in the neef.
then ult il INTO tWo-ptli POT Win
click. At the bottom; ii YOU wish to
have tie beef round when zone pur
il into n cloth and bind it tight "th
90 or 30 vars of Irvine. put 1t INT" your
not with three quarts OF water ali't
one Gill of wine. a largo round VIII
take three or four hours to boil.
Among the quaint recipes is enc 10
dress 4 becfstalle sufficient lot TWO
gentlemen, with fire mace oil wv"
Let the beef pc CUT III
slices and laid on pewter plat'ei'
Pour on water sufficient to cover them'
salt and pepper WELL cover with an
other ,latter inverted: then place your
dish mon a stool bottom upwards.
tho legs Of such length as to raise ahe
matter three inches from the board
cut your newspaper into small stripes
l;rht with n candle and apply them
GRADUALLY. 50 as to keep a live IRE