Middle class cookery book

To test an oven, put into it a piece of stale crumb of bread ; if in five minutes it is a golden colour, the oven Girdle. is hot enough for cooking pastry or bread ; if, on the contrary, the bread becomes dry and only slightly coloured, the oven is of a moderate heat, and suitable for browning puddings, etc. Another test is to put a piece of kitchen or writing paper into the oven ; if it curls up in about a minute, the oven is hot enough for baking. Where there is no oven, puddings may be browned before the fire. Meat, puddings, and even pastry, may i2 MIDDLE CLASS COOKERY BOOK part ii be cooked in a Dutch oven before the fire. Scones, oat-cakes, etc., may be cooked on a girdle (much used in Scotland) instead of in an oven. EXPLANATION OF VARIOUS TERMS To break flour is to mix in very gradually a small quantity of cold liquid, stirring it until it is smooth. To bind a mixture is to add milk or egg to make it hold together. To brown meat, etc., is to place it in a small quantity of hot fat, and not turn it until the part is brown. To burst rice is to put it on in cold water and bring it to the boil. This bursts the grains of starch. To clean currants is to nib them (the stalks being previously picked) in a damp cloth till clean, or to sprinkle a little flour over them and rub them in a dry rough cloth. To core is to remove the heart of an apple or pear ; this is either done when the apple is whole with a special utensil called a corer, or, after it is quartered, with a knife. To butter a dish, paper, etc., is to rub soft fat, such as drip- ping or butter, over it. It is best to spread the fat on paper with a knife. To parboil is to boil anything until half cooked. To scald vegetables, etc., is to pour boiling water over them for a few minutes, and then throw away the water. To scald milk is to bring it almost, but not quite, to the boil. To shred suet is to cut it with a sharp knife so thinly as to bo almost scraping ; the suet should be so thin as to curl up. To wash rice, barley, etc. , is to pour cold water over them, stir and pour off the water, repeating this till the water poured off is quite clear. A WELL-COOKED MEAL requires consideration as to the time necessary for the cooking of each one of the dishes. If dinner is arranged to be at 2 r.M. it would be useless at noon to begin to make a pudding which requires two hours to cook. Much time and worry will be saved by observation of the following rules : — CHA1-. I A WELL-COOKED MEAL 43 1. Begin to arrange the dinner several hours before it is to be eaten. 2. See that the fire is made up, and the oven (if you are going to bake) is getting heated before you begin. 3. Arrange the various saucepans, etc., that will be required, ready for use. 4-. If you always put away the paDS thoroughly clean, and turned downwards, you find them clean and reacly for use when needed. 5. Dust or thoroughly rinse each article that may have gathered dust — for instance, gravy strainers, etc. 6. Have plenty of hot and cold water ready. 7. Have the tins, or moulds, or basins ready buttered before you mix the puddings. 8. Have a kitchen cloth tucked into the belt of your apron, so that you may lift a pan without soiling your hands, by holding the handle with the cloth round it.