Year: 1869

How to Cook and What to Eat.


Professor Blot is Frenchman who
knows everything relating to cookery
He has studied into the science of it, SO
that his methods not only make food
most palatable, but also most healthy;
and besides, he teaches the true economy
of getting the best and the most out of
all the materials used, allowing no waste.
The professor has been talking to Spring
field (Mass.) housewives upon his favor
ite theme, and sketch of his first lee
ture is given below:


A person with correct knowledge of
cooking may have good food at mod
crate cost; but without that knowledge,
very poor living, with any limit to the
expense.


If it is true that "the minds the
standard of the man." and that health
of the mind cannot exist without health
of the body, and that the health of the
body depends greatly on what one eats,
why is it not one of the greatest accom-
plishments to know how to cook we'll p
This conundrum can be answered or be
given up, as the reader may choose, for
now am going to tell you a few of the
good things that Prof. Blot says; though
'twould be impossible to put down half
of them here, and l cannot by writing
enable my readers to see the Professor
cook any of his various dishes, nor give
them taste with spoon or fork
they must attend his lectures to get all
that. | can only repeat few of his in
structions that are worth knowing.
Boiling is the most abused branch in
cooking. To boil meat, put it into the
kettle with fresh cold water, and let it
| gradually heat till it boils; then keep it
boiling just as slowly as possible till
done. If boiled fast, the flavor evapo-
rates rapidly, and entirely, finally, SO
much water has to be used in constant
ly supplying what has boiled away
Then another result of the rapid boiling
is that the meat will be hard, as we'll as
without good flavor.


Coffee should not be boiled at all, for
the same reason given for the meat-it
takes out all the flavor. If you smell
the coffee when you are coming down
stairs to breakfast, it is a sure sign that
it will not be good; only the bitter is
left for drink, the aroma having ascend
ed, perhaps to the attic. 4 tin cup
large enough to hold all the grounds
necessary for the pot, may be fitted to
the top of any tin coffee-pot, removing
the lid; the bottom of the cup must be
Of fine wire gauze-or perforated tin
will do if very fine; the coffee, ground
much finer than it is usually, must be
put into the cup-allowing two ounces
for quart Of water-then boiling water
should be poured on the grounds and al
lowed to filter through into the pot. The
latter should stand back on the stove
where it is hot, but not boiling, till suf-
ficient quantity Of water has gone through
when it will be ready for use. 1t is bet
ter to have the nose Of the pot stopped
by tin cap or cork during the filter.
ing, SO there will be no evaporation
The strength of the coffee can be ex-
tracted more thoroughly when it is
ground fine; and by having 1t filtered in
the way above mentioned, no sediment is
found in the bottom.


When boiling cabbage there will be
but little odor from it-not enough, GER
tainly, to scent the whole house, if it is
only allowed to simmer, and not boil
fast For cooking purposes one should
never use water that has been standing
over the fire for long time; take fresh,
cold water, and heat it when just it is
wanted. And it is better to have only
a moderate fire.


When necessary to keep dish of food
hot for time after it has been taken
up, it should not be set into the oven,
nor back on the stove to dry; but il
may be set into pan containing some


water, boiling on the stove, and the food
will be kept hot without drying up.
L