Cookery

be bought in small quantities; that is decidedly false economy, as it melts in so short a time as to be hardly worth the expense. Do not hesitate to invest in as much as half a hundredweight at once, for instance, for if it is sprinkled with sawdust and wrapped up in a flannel, it will last an incredible time. In the refrigerators which have now attained to such perfection, such a block simply placed inside the apparatus without any further treatment should last at least a week. The scullery can be kept absolutely pleasant and wholesome by regular cleaning ; the sink should be well rinsed and sluiced after every washing up. All vegetable matter should be kept together in a vessel provided for the purpose, which must be emptied after every meal ; nothing is so unwholesome ns decayed matter in the house. The vegetable basket, too, should have a share of attention ; it must be overhauled every day, and any single article, such as an onion, turnip, carrot, etc., that shows the slightest sign of mould should be at once thrown awav ; nothing should ever be left in the paper in which it may have been sent from the shop. Dish and kitchen cloths must be washed out regularly, and pending such washing should hang spread out on a horse or rail provided expressly, instead of being thrown together in a corner or in a tub, as is only too fre- quently the case. All the shelves must be carefully scrubbed once or twice a week, and occasionally with Condy’s fluid this is also very useful for purifying PRACTICAL AND GENERAL HINTS. 15 the sink every now and then. These, of course, are merely hints, but as such may be a guide to every housewife ; she may improve upon them according to her own experience, remembering that, especially where the rules of health are concerned, domestics cannot be as well informed as more educated people concerning the dangers arising from the neglect of apparent trifles, and should therefore not incur all the blame when things go wrong. Whatever people may say or think to the contrary, cooking must be looked upon as an art, for it is no easy task to prepare the raw material at our disposal so that it may be wholesome, palatable, easily diges- tible, and chosen with a view to maintaining health and strength. ’Tis an old-world adage that “if a thing is worth doing at all, it is worth doing well,” and this applies to the culinary art perhaps more absolutely than to any other. It is carelessness in details, such as neglect of the thorough mixing of ingredients, a waste of butter, insufficient stirring, overboiling, etc., which so often spoils good materials. In these matters the indifferent cook shows an incompetency which should be a timely warning to those engaging the one domestic of the personnel whose greatest responsibility lies in providing for the comfort, health, and good temper of her employers. Finally, punctuality both on the part of the family, and on the part of the cook, is a nine qua non to the enjoyment of food prepared for a special time. It is therefore really incumbent upon every 1G COOKERY. housewife to be somewhat versed in matters culinary, so as to be capable of assuring herself that economy without stint, and a proper disposal of the materials at hand, are the order of the day in her establishment. KITCHEN UTENSILS. 17 CHAPTER II. KITCHEN UTENSILS.