A manual of home-making

A rather heavy iron or steel frying pan is best adapted for this purpose. In a thin pan, or in one of grariiteware, the fat passes too soon from the temperature at which it fonns the de- sired golden-brown crust on the food to be (*ooke<l, to the point where it begins to decompose and becomes irritating to the di- gestive tract. For frying in deep fat an iron or steel frj'ing kettle is best. It may be bowl-shaf>ed, or it may have straiglit sides. The latter sha|ie accc«nmodates a greater numlier of articles at a time, and is nu)re convenient for use with a wire frying basket. In using the bowl-shapeil kettle, a long-handled skinuner may be more convenient for removing the food. Tlie kettle should be deep^ so that when it is two-thirds full of fat the food to be cooked will be entirely iiruixersed. I I I I 228 .1 MA^yUAL OF HOME-MAKING Candy-making, Profesi!iioniil eon feet ioners use a copper kettle conoected with an appanitua that niakra a partial varuuni in the kettle and allows the 8Uf(ar to Ijoil at a lower temperature than the ordi- nary boihnj? point, thus lessening the danger of scorehing tlie sugar. For the home c*an*ly*rnakcr, altmiinuni is the liest suIj- Rtitute for copper as a ("onflurtor of lieat. 8irup boiled in an aluminum kettle rarely scorches, and the srnf>oth surface makes it easy to keep the sides wiped free from sugar crystals as they form, JeUy^making, Enamel or granitcware — unless there is a defwt in the enamel finish — makes the best utensil for jelly-making, l>t^.*ause of the ease with which it may be cleanetl and the certainty that it will not be affected l>y the acid of fruit juices. SPECIAL UTENSILS AND EQUIPMENT Knives, The assortment of knives should include a bread knife, butcher's knife, vegetable knife, a knife with a waved edge for cutting fresh bread and cake, and a spatula. The mo«t dur- al>le knife is a haml-forged one in which the steel extends, tlat and unnarrowed, to the end of the handle, and is fastened to it by rivets of steel, copptT, or brass. Strength is lost if the steel extends only half the length of the handle. In the cheapest setting, known as the '* twang/' the steel is narrowctl to a point, pushed into the handle, and fiustencil liv adliesion. Tliis Ls the kind of handle that is surt* to come off at the most inconvenient time, Handles of Ijeech or birch wootl wear best. Rubber handles are unpractical because they shrink, swell, and burn. Ivory» fx»arl, or I tone handles are likely to blacken or l>ecome loosenetl if they are put in water. Egg-bcakrs, Different types of egg-l»eatei-s are uctM^letb according to the consistency desired in the lH?aten whites. For all-round use, I KITCHEN UTENSILS 229 the dover egg-beater is a good choice because it works most quickly. It is operated liy tiiniing a wheel, without being lifted from the eggs to bo beaten, and hence Ijcata in compara- tively little air and gives a fine, close texture, (-)ne should bo selected in which the cogs do not ''interfere." The balloon- shaped egg-whisk made of piano wire carries more air into the moisture, and the flat wire beater gives the airiest texture of all. Either of the latter types is preferable to the dover egg- heater for angel cake, sponge cake, or meringues where Ught- ness is more desirable than fineness of grain. Sjjoons,