Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-09-23
SCISSORS HANDY
IN. THE KITCHEN

U. I'LL MIUIlLlt
In your grandmcther's kitchen there
was a pair of scissors hanging up on
nail beside the stove, along with the
almanac and the holder Usually one
or both points were broken, because
scissors are so convenient for digging
out a cork Nowaaays the almanac
and the holder have disappeared, be-
cause gas ranges need no stove lid
litter. and kettles are made with han
dies that protect the fingers. But
that is no reason why the scissors
should go. In fact, they are far more
useful for kitchen purposes than they
were in the old Gays.
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 severing the joint of a chicken
quickly neatly and easily.
The chef who commands salary of
$1,000 q year does not cut up herbs
with, duh knife that brushes them.
His recipes call for parsley. cress or
lettuce "cisele," for seasoning@that
is, cut into narrow, clean shreds with
cut the loss of bit of juice. And the
scissors dc this far better than a
knife because the juice does not soak
into the wood on which the herbs are
cut. and the joe is neater.
Then IN serving orange or grape
fruit, how pretty the edges look notch
ed, and how impossible to do it with
a knifei
There are cunning little stamps
made for cutting thin slices of beet,
red or green pepper or citron into dec
oratiYe hearts or diamonds, but the
scissors do it just as we'll, and can be
taken up without loss of time. Then
you may have your salad ornamented
with hearts, diamonds, crescents,
rounds, fishes, polliwogs or Maltese
crosses without the bother of wash
ing 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 use
full for the pie crust sculpture in
which foreign cooks delight. A chick
en- PIE not only looks but tastes bet
ter when decorated with a wreath of
leaves and blossoms, because the pie
crust in the wreath is baked crisp
crisp and tastes delicious.
Then there is the making of thin
sandwiches for afternoon teas. Cut
them into hearts, rounds, diamonds
and trefoils 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 as the caterer.
Then when candies are to be made
the scissors come into play again. Mo-
lasses candy can be pulled into gold
brown ropes aRd cut into kisses;
half an inch to On inch in length. For
a cake nothing is daintierl than cut
angelica sprays Of green leaves, with
blossoms or rose colored paste. the pet
ais cut 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 fondant; rooF. out bit of
white in thin sheet and before it
hardens altogether, cut out small
ornaments to be stuck on the colored
candies.
A way in which a simple dessert
can be given festive appearance for
children or guests is very simple.
Make sauce of some toothsome COM
bination rhubarb and apple, currant
and raspberry, apple and lemon, pears
and ginger-and have 1t almost as
thick as jam. Then roll out cookie
dough and cut out funny little rab-
bits. birds or elves, bake them and
just before serving put one on each
portion.
And these are only few of the
services which the good scissors viii
perform for any ingenious housekeep-
er. But they must be treated well.
Keep them sharp; keep them near the
stove, warm and dry; wash, wipe and
scour them when they need it. When
hung up let them be open.