For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, dec., referred to, see under their special heads. THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL COOKERY. 293 Caraway — continued. and must then be taken out and packed away in boxes if not wanted for immediate use. The size of the cakes will depend upon fancy. Essence of Caraway. — Put 2oz. of freshly-bruised Caraway- seeds into a bottle with 1 pint of spirits of wine; cork the bottle down, and place it in a warm place for about ten days. Pass the essence through a fine cloth to filter it, put into smaller bottles, and keep them well-stoppered until wanted for use. Tincture of Caraway. — Infuse for three weeks lib. of caraway-seeds (not ground) in lgall. of over-proof spirit ; filter and bottle. CARBOInIC ACID. — This powerful disinfectant, distilled from coal tar, is not suitable for kitchen use owing to its powerful pungent exhalation, which is cer- tain to taint any food that may come in contact with it. Some cooks like to use it for pouring down sinks and drains, but it is not recommended when other less offen- sive disinfectants are within reach. See Disinfectants. CARBON. — It would be entering on a vast field of interesting matter — but outside the practical intentions of this Encyclopaedia — to treat of Carbon in its multi- farious associations with food and cookery. Suffice it to state broadly that Carbon is the essential basis of all organic matter, and, in combination with other elementary bodies, has to be considered and dealt with by the cook and confectioner in each and every stage of their practices. From the fuel or gas that provides by its combustion heat for cooking, to the finest entremet or ragout, Carbon either sensibly or insensibly occupies the prime post. The most highly concentrated and purest condition in which Carbon can be found is the diamond, a form of crystallised Carbon; then we find Carbon in coal, gas (as carburetted hydrogen), lamp-black, charcoal, soot, and carbonic-acid gas as the product of decomposition. But besides all these useful compounds of Carbon, it exists in foods to an extraordinary extent, and makes its presence unpleasantly conspicuous whenever incineration or “burning” of food occurs, which is neither more nor less than the driving off by excessive heat of watery matters with which the Carbon is in combination, and leaving it to destroy by its unfettered presence the coarsest or the most delicate dish. Of this we have samples in caramel or “ burnt ” sugar, in baking, roasting, frying, or any other similar process — continue the heat indefinitely, and Carbon will show itself by browning, then “ burning,” giving off lots of carbonaceous smoke, and leaving nothing behind but a black cinder. Carbon then should be treated by the cook as an excellent servant and friend, and feared as a terrible foe. Treated with care and consideration it is the most trustworthy slave of the kitchen, its influence being felt everywhere, whilst its presence is unrecognised ; but neglect will assuredly bring the cook face to face with the grievous fact that the neglected slave is his master.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

For details respecting Culinary Processes, Utensils, Sauces, dec., referred to, see under their special heads. Caraway — continued. and must then be taken out and packed away in boxes if not wanted for immediate use. The size of the cakes will depend upon fancy. Essence of Caraway. — Put 2oz. of freshly-bruised Caraway seeds into a bottle with 1 pint of spirits of wine; cork the bottle down, and place it in a warm place for about ten days. Pass the essence through a fine cloth to filter it, put into smaller bottles, and keep them well-stoppered until wanted for use. Tincture of Caraway. — Infuse for three weeks lib. of caraway-seeds (not ground) in lgall. of over-proof spirit ; filter and bottle. CARBONIC ACID. — This powerful disinfectant, distilled from coal tar, is not suitable for kitchen use owing to its powerful pungent exhalation, which is certain to taint any food that may come in contact with it. Some cooks like to use it for pouring down sinks and drains, but it is not recommended when other less offensive disinfectants are within reach. See Disinfectants. CARBON. — It would be entering on a vast field of interesting matter — but outside the practical intentions of this Encyclopaedia — to treat of Carbon in its multifarious associations with food and cookery. Suffice it to state broadly that Carbon is the essential basis of all organic matter, and, in combination with other elementary bodies, has to be considered and dealt with by the cook and confectioner in each and every stage of their practices. From the fuel or gas that provides by its combustion heat for cooking, to the finest entremet or ragout, Carbon either sensibly or insensibly occupies the prime post. The most highly concentrated and purest condition in which Carbon can be found is the diamond, a form of crystallised Carbon; then we find Carbon in coal, gas (as carburetted hydrogen), lamp-black, charcoal, soot, and carbonic-acid gas as the product of decomposition. But besides all these useful compounds of Carbon, it exists in foods to an extraordinary extent, and makes its presence unpleasantly conspicuous whenever incineration or “burning” of food occurs, which is neither more nor less than the driving off by excessive heat of watery matters with which the Carbon is in combination, and leaving it to destroy by its unfettered presence the coarsest or the most delicate dish. Of this we have samples in caramel or “ burnt ” sugar, in baking, roasting, frying, or any other similar process — continue the heat indefinitely, and Carbon will show itself by browning, then “ burning,” giving off lots of carbonaceous smoke, and leaving nothing behind but a black cinder. Carbon then should be treated by the cook as an excellent servant and friend, and feared as a terrible foe. Treated with care and consideration it is the most trustworthy slave of the kitchen, its influence being felt everywhere, whilst its presence is unrecognised ; but neglect will assuredly bring the cook face to face with the grievous fact that the neglected slave is his master.

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