Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1912-03-08
along with butter and sugar. cooked
together over boiling water.
CONVERTING THE COOK.

But would it be easy to get the
cook to take up Soyer's method Of
paper bag cooking?"
That question was put to me the
other day by one Of my friends who
has been captivated with the paper
bag cooked luncheons and dinners l
have invited her to eat with me,
In reply to her query l told how
l had converted n cook to NJ. Soyer's
method with one demonstration"
This particular queen of the kitchen
was a Creole cook who has followed
her Madam up North away from
the delights of her native New Or
leans. She feels that she knows
pretty we'll all that is to be known
about cooking, especially in the finer
parts, and not without reason.
Because her madam" is my friend,
and had eaten things out Of paper
bags, the cook was sent to see the
new method for herself. Less than
respectful she cannot possibly be
especially toward one whose cookery
she had deigned to approve. yet was
conscious of a certain bewildered
amusement in her; her eyes were
hawk-keen as she watched me grease
bags and slip into the bigges. o. them
well seasoned fllats of blue fish, along
with a thinly sliced onion, tomatoes,
peeled and sliced, a good lump Of but
ter, and a generous squeeze OF lemon
juice.
| then bagged some very firm, al
most green, unpeeled bananas, put
ting in with them a little wSter, ard
finding the trivet that would best
fit the remaining s~helf-space. | saw
my critic smile-a faint fleeting
ghostly smile, and look afectionately
at the scrubbing brush. l was sure
she saw herself mentally undoing the
tragic results Of my doing, by scrub
bling out the stove floor when burst.
ing bags had made 1t messy.
| was getting a hurry luncheon
partly because there was need OF
haste, partly to show my pupil how
quickly things could be done. A
lemon pie and fresh biscuit werekeep
ing hot in the broiler-space beneath
the oven, shielded from burning by
the inverted broiler pan.
Adele, the cook, had not seen item
l meant them for the finishing stroke
After five minutes a look-in showed
bag-corners brown, &C I turned off one
gas jet and busted myself getting
dishes hot. At the end Of tel minutes
l took t. EN- out.
Adele was staring at the bag. L
was brown, almost crisp at the cor
ners, but only lightly tinged on top
and underneath as sound and tough
as when 1t went in. Yet she had seel
bananas come out Of it-and her judg
ment assured her that they wer'
thoroughly. and beautifully cooked
| buL 6u6 was bJllk uOuUIIul.
Maybe hit is good for things da
don't take long" she said. But II
be 'feard ter trus' nit wild all my din
ner."
BY time the bananas yer out o
hand, the fish was ready-six fail
sized fllets made a brave showing II
the platter, with the tomatoe
splashed over them, the onion show
ing pearl rings in their red. Supple
mented with the potatoes. whicl
came out thoroughly cooked and
delicate brown, and the bananas
they made a satisfying meal.
Miss Molly says you tole her yo'
kin bake fish, and meat and roas
chickens in desc things?" Adele sal
in%terrogatively as she stood survey
ing the uncluttered sink, where neve
a pot or pan waited her skilled touch
"You can cook almost anything yo
like" | answered. But first you mus
take the trouble to learn how"
Adele nodded thoughtfully. Eye
sum-" she said, II amt as young a
| used ter be-but l sho'ly is goin' ia
learn how, and den l won't has an
pots and kittles to scrub"
Copyright, 1911, by the Associate
Literary Press.)