The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-10-27
Scissors Handy in the Kitchen.


In your grandmother's kitchen there
was pair of scissors hanging IN on a
nail beside the stove, along with te al
manac and the holder. Usually on or
both points were broken, because scis-
sors are so convenient for digging on a
cork. Nowadays the almanac and the
holder have disappeared, because gas
ranges need no stove lid litter and ket-
ties are made with handles that protect
the fingers. But that is no reason why
the scissors should 90. In fact they are
far more useful for kitchen purposes
than they were in the old days.
The up-to-date kitchen may well have
two pairs, one for cutting string and
paper, the other for preparing food.
There is nothing like scissors for sever
ing the Joint of chicken quickly. neat
ly and easily, says the New York Sun.
The chef who commands a salary of
5000 a year does not cut up herbs with
dull knife that brushes them. His
recipes call for parsley, cress or lettuce
"cisele" for seasoning that is, cut into
narrow. clean shreds without the loss
of bit of juice. And the scissors do
this far better than knife. because
the juice does not soak into the wood
ON which the herbs are cut and the job
is neater.
Then in serving orange or grapefruit,
how pretty the edges look, notched, and
how impossible it is to do it with a
knife.
There are cunning little stamps made
for cutting thin slices of beet. red or
green pepper or citron into decorative
hearts or diamonds. but the scissors
do it Just as well and can be taken up
without loss of time. Then you may
have your salad ornamented with hearts,
creseents rounds, fishes, poll
liwogs or Maltese crosses without the
bother of washing half a dozen tin
stamps.
But the usefulness of the scissors does
not end here. They can be used to cut
dough in strips for twisty French rolls,
and are still more useful for the pie
crust sculpture in which foreign cooks
delight. A chicken pie not only looks
but tastes better when decorated with
a wreath of leaves and blossoms, be-
cause the pie crust in the wreath is
baked crisp and tastes delicious.
Then there is the making of thin
rounds, diamonds and ire
foils with pair of shears; cut them
in strips or make checkerboard squares
Of white and brown bread. The kitchen
scissors can do the work Just as well |
rs the caterer.
Then when candies are to be made |
the scissors come into play again. Mo |
asses candy can be pulled into gold |
brown ropes and cut into kisses" half /
IN inch TO an inch in length. For a !
AXE nothing is daintier than cut angel |
ca sprays of green leaves, with bios
'oms of rose colored paste, the petals /
nut with the scissors. or little men and /
women cut paper doll fashion to form |
procession round the cake. One can
make cream candies from colored fon-
liant; roll out bit of white in a thin
heet and before it hardens altogether
mt out small ornaments to be stuck
IN the colored candies
A way in which simple dessert can
,e given festive appearance for chill
lren or guests is very simple. Make
auce { some toothsome combination
hubarb and apple, currant and rasp-
Jerry, apple and lemon. pears and ginger
-snd have it almost as thick as jam.
Then roll out cookie dough and cut out
unny little rabbits, birds or elves, bake
hem and just before serving put one
n each portion.
And these are only few of the SER
ices which the good scissors will per-
orm for any ingenious housekeeper. But
hey must be treated well. Keep them
harp; keep them near the stove, warm
nd dry; wash, wipe and scour them
,hen they need it. When hung up let
hem be open.
Dorothy Dexter.