FoodNet

The girl's own cookery book

1882

Page 99

Presented as published in 1882. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
It may perhaps be taken for granted that our readers need only to have the evil of a certain course of conduct pointed out to them, in order to induce them to avoid it. \Ve will therefore let it go without saying that the girls of our cookery class will from this time forward always rise in good time. If there is any cooking to be done, they will get well forward with it ; their papas and brothers will come down and find the breakfast-table tastefully laid and amply provided, and everybody will be comfortable and satisfied all round. All I can say, under these circumstances, is, that the papas and brothers in question are very fortunate individuals. I should not object to change places with them now and then at breakfast time. I believe I could appreciate the position as much as any one, especially in winter time. Meanwhile, we have to make up our minds to the fact that virtue of this kind is exceptional, and that breakfast remains to be got ready in households where the “ getting up” difficulty, and consequently the breakfast difficulty, has not as yet been satisfactorily mastered. I will therefore try to call to mind a few dishes suitable for breakfast which can either be prepared beforehand or which can be cooked in a short time and without very much elaboration of detail. In doing this, however, I by no means wish to condone the habit of lying late in the morning. I think it is very lazy and foolish, and it would be much better for people to go to bed and get up early. If they would do so they would find the ad- vantage in other directions besides that of breakfasts. One conclusion which I have arrived at with regard to breakfasts is, that it is not safe, during one half of the year, at any rate, to arrange for dishes which have to be cooked in the oven. I am speaking now of households where the family breakfast early, in order that the master may go to business in good time, or the children may leave early for school. With ordinary ranges, and even 148 The Girl's Own Cookery Book, with kitcheners, it is not easy to get the oven in good working order until the fire has burnt brightly for some time. The oven may be used occasionally when circum- stances are favourable, but we shall be less likely to suffer disappointment if we leave it out of our calculations altogether. A Dutch oven we may use, certainly, and many tasty little preparations can be cooked with it. The gridiron, too, and the frying-pan, we may employ ; but the ordinary oven we will leave for the morning when we have risen in excellent time, and have got well beforehand with our work.