To lay (i.e. prepare) a Fire. — The chief thing to
attend to in laying a fire is to leave spaces for air, as
after the light is put to the fire, it is the mixture of
one part of air (oxygen) with the fuel that enables the
fire to burn. Put two or three cinders in the bottom
of the fireplace with spaces between ; crumple up
loosely pieces of paper and lay them in next. Then
place well -dried sticks loosely one across another.
Finally, lay lightly some larger cinders on the top.
Light the fire, and let it catch thoroughly before adding
coal and more cinders.
Iron Pans. — Wash thoroughly outside and inside
with hot water and soda. Rub the inside with a wash-
ing cloth or pot range 1 with soap and sand and a little
hot water. Rinse well with hot water ; dry. If
onions have been cooked in the pan, the odour may be
removed by using fine ashes instead of sand.
Enamelled Pans. — Wash well inside and outside
with boiling water and soda. Then rub the inside
with crushed egg shells, soap, and a little hot water.
Rinse well with hot water ; dry.
Brass Pans. — If the pans have stood unused for
some time, rub them with vinegar and salt to remove
any verdigris. Clean with polishing paste, or with
bath-brick dust and water, then rinse well out with hot
■water, and polish with a soft cloth or chamois leather.
Copper Pans.- — Rub a grated and squeezed lemon -
skin with soap, and dip it in brick dust. Clean the
outside of the pan with this or with vinegar and salt
till the copper is quite bright. Do not use any acid
1 Chiefly used in Scotland. It consists of a bunch of stiff Sue
twigs or heather roots, cut evenly across and tightly tied together.
2 See note, p. 179.
CHAP. I
TO CLEANSE UTENSILS
27
for the inside. Clean it with sand and soap, then with
soap and water alone. Rinse well with hot water ;
dry.
If pans of all kinds cannot be cleaned immediately
after using them, let them stand filled with cold water.
Tins. — Wash with hot water and soda. Make a
paste of whitening and water ; dip a cloth into this,
rub the tins well with it, taking care to clean all the
crevices. When dry, rub it off with a second cloth, and
then polish, using a little dry whitening. Chamois
leather polishes best.
Cake Tins. — Do not wash or polish the inside of
these ; they should be scraped if anything is sticking
to them, and then rubbed with a dry cloth.
Knives and Forks. — Wipe the knives and forks
with a dish cloth ; if greasy, dip in hot water and
soda, taking care not to wet the handles ; dry. Rub
the knife-board with the brick dust ; rub all parts of
the blade on it, taking care that the sharp edge does
not come against the board. Rub the forks with a
cloth and dry brick dust. Polish both knives and
forks with a dry cloth, taking care to remove all the
brick dust between the prongs. If the forks have a
flavour about them of fish, onions, etc., this may be
removed by sticking them into earth or powdered
ashes.
Tables and Shelves. — Wash first with warm water
and a coarse flannel cloth. Sprinkle over some coarse
sand, rub the scrubbing brush with soft soap, brush
the wood, rubbing with the grain if possible. Wash
the wood over again with warm water and a flannel
cloth.
If there is grease on the wood, add a little soda to
the first warm water.
Plates, Dishes, etc. — Remove all scraps from tho
28
MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK
PART II
Page 14
Presented as published in 1912. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
To lay (i.e. prepare) a Fire. — The chief thing to
attend to in laying a fire is to leave spaces for air, as
after the light is put to the fire, it is the mixture of
one part of air (oxygen) with the fuel that enables the
fire to burn. Put two or three cinders in the bottom
of the fireplace with spaces between ; crumple up
loosely pieces of paper and lay them in next. Then
place well -dried sticks loosely one across another.
Finally, lay lightly some larger cinders on the top.
Light the fire, and let it catch thoroughly before adding
coal and more cinders.
Iron Pans. — Wash thoroughly outside and inside
with hot water and soda. Rub the inside with a wash-
ing cloth or pot range 1 with soap and sand and a little
hot water. Rinse well with hot water ; dry. If
onions have been cooked in the pan, the odour may be
removed by using fine ashes instead of sand.
Enamelled Pans. — Wash well inside and outside
with boiling water and soda. Then rub the inside
with crushed egg shells, soap, and a little hot water.
Rinse well with hot water ; dry.
Brass Pans. — If the pans have stood unused for
some time, rub them with vinegar and salt to remove
any verdigris. Clean with polishing paste, or with
bath-brick dust and water, then rinse well out with hot
■water, and polish with a soft cloth or chamois leather.
Copper Pans.- — Rub a grated and squeezed lemon -
skin with soap, and dip it in brick dust. Clean the
outside of the pan with this or with vinegar and salt
till the copper is quite bright. Do not use any acid
1 Chiefly used in Scotland. It consists of a bunch of stiff Sue
twigs or heather roots, cut evenly across and tightly tied together.
2 See note, p. 179.
CHAP. I
TO CLEANSE UTENSILS
27
for the inside. Clean it with sand and soap, then with
soap and water alone. Rinse well with hot water ;
dry.
If pans of all kinds cannot be cleaned immediately
after using them, let them stand filled with cold water.
Tins. — Wash with hot water and soda. Make a
paste of whitening and water ; dip a cloth into this,
rub the tins well with it, taking care to clean all the
crevices. When dry, rub it off with a second cloth, and
then polish, using a little dry whitening. Chamois
leather polishes best.
Cake Tins. — Do not wash or polish the inside of
these ; they should be scraped if anything is sticking
to them, and then rubbed with a dry cloth.
Knives and Forks. — Wipe the knives and forks
with a dish cloth ; if greasy, dip in hot water and
soda, taking care not to wet the handles ; dry. Rub
the knife-board with the brick dust ; rub all parts of
the blade on it, taking care that the sharp edge does
not come against the board. Rub the forks with a
cloth and dry brick dust. Polish both knives and
forks with a dry cloth, taking care to remove all the
brick dust between the prongs. If the forks have a
flavour about them of fish, onions, etc., this may be
removed by sticking them into earth or powdered
ashes.
Tables and Shelves. — Wash first with warm water
and a coarse flannel cloth. Sprinkle over some coarse
sand, rub the scrubbing brush with soft soap, brush
the wood, rubbing with the grain if possible. Wash
the wood over again with warm water and a flannel
cloth.
If there is grease on the wood, add a little soda to
the first warm water.
Plates, Dishes, etc. — Remove all scraps from tho
28
MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK
PART II