Grandmother’s Store-room,’ and a useful list of technical
words used in cookery, with English and French meanings.
The book is full of variety and good ideas very useful
and suggestive.
“ A Book of Sauces, by Mrs. Beaty Pownall (Chapman
& Hs-ll). This admirable book will tell all we can want
to know on the subject of sauces ; it is full of the most
minute reliable instruction, very clearly explained, and
besides that is full of suggestions for any one with a little
imagination and some little knowledp-e
o *
The book, besides ten chapters on actual sauces, has one
on ‘flavouring butters,’ one on ‘garnishes,’ and a useful
one on ‘ sundries.’
“ The People's Book of Moderti Cookery, by Eliza Acton
(Simpkin, Marshall). This is not a new book, but is
evidently a ‘ classic,’ having reached its thirty-fifth edition!
I happened upon it at Bangor Station lately, having, oddly
enough, just heard its praises sung by an old lady who
had always used it. Its 500 pages are full of useful recipes
and useful hints, and varieties too of ordinary things, such
foi instance as mint sauce with the mint itself strained off,
the mint being well pressed before straining off, and a
stronger flavour ensured by the mint and sugar being well
mixed and left for a time before the vinegar is added.
Hot and cold sauces and store sauces fill close on forty
pages !
“ In the confectionery chapter there is a recipe for orange-
flower candy. I wish you (who are lucky enough to live in
an orange-flower land) would try it, and send me some !
“ Cookery (The Nutshell Series), a little 6d. work, published
by Ilifife, 3 St. Bride Street, London. This is founded
on continental cookery. The writer is strong on the
92
COOKERY AND OTHER NOTES
March
necessity of a stock-pot as conducive to economy, and on
the imperativeness of proper cleaning of kitchen utensils^
and she is a great advocate for the use of ‘Maggi ’ ^ essence,
which no doubt is most useful for soups and gravies, and
gives many recipes for using it.”
March 22. — I have come upon a little memoranda of
cooking and other notes I have scribbled down from time
to time. Here are some of them most worth remember-
ing. Some are from hearsay, some I have seen in news-
papers or made a note of in books I was reading. I
can only say that at the time I thought them reliable
authorities.
To avoid Tough Pastry. — If you do not wish your pastry
to be tough, be sure not to re-open the oven door till the
paste is set. It is the checking of the even heat which
spoils and toughens the pastry.
To keep in Gravy. — To keep gravy in the joint put it
at once into boiling water, and after a few minutes add
some cold — to reduce heat ; after this heat again and simmer
till done. The first boiling water acting on the albumen
in the meat makes a kind of coat which keeps in the
gravy, and the subsec^uent slow cooking makes the joint
tender.
Time for Cooking Various Joints, etc. — Large joints should
be allowed 15 to 20 minutes for each pound weight of meat.
Smaller ones 12 to 15 minutes. A chicken takes 20
minutes, and turkey i| to 2 hours. Rabbits should be
cooked a long time, and in plenty of water— close on 2
hours.
To Cook White Meat. — In boiling any white meat
^ A now well-known species of soup in a portable solid form.
93
March TO PATTEN CHICKENS. CHEESES
Page 42
Presented as published in 1902. 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
Grandmother’s Store-room,’ and a useful list of technical words used in cookery, with English and French meanings. The book is full of variety and good ideas very useful and suggestive.
“ A Book of Sauces, by Mrs. Beaty Pownall (Chapman & Hall). This admirable book will tell all we can want to know on the subject of sauces ; it is full of the most minute reliable instruction, very clearly explained, and besides that is full of suggestions for any one with a little imagination and some little knowledge
o *
The book, besides ten chapters on actual sauces, has one on ‘flavouring butters,’ one on ‘garnishes,’ and a useful one on ‘ sundries.’
“ The People's Book of Moderti Cookery, by Eliza Acton (Simpkin, Marshall). This is not a new book, but is evidently a ‘ classic,’ having reached its thirty-fifth edition! I happened upon it at Bangor Station lately, having, oddly enough, just heard its praises sung by an old lady who had always used it. Its 500 pages are full of useful recipes and useful hints, and varieties too of ordinary things, such foi instance as mint sauce with the mint itself strained off, the mint being well pressed before straining off, and a stronger flavour ensured by the mint and sugar being well mixed and left for a time before the vinegar is added. Hot and cold sauces and store sauces fill close on forty pages !
“ In the confectionery chapter there is a recipe for orangeflower candy. I wish you (who are lucky enough to live in an orange-flower land) would try it, and send me some !
“ Cookery (The Nutshell Series), a little 6d. work, published by Ilifife, 3 St. Bride Street, London. This is founded
on continental cookery. The writer is strong on the
COOKERY AND OTHER NOTES
March
necessity of a stock-pot as conducive to economy, and on the imperativeness of proper cleaning of kitchen utensils and she is a great advocate for the use of ‘Maggi ’ ^ essence, which no doubt is most useful for soups and gravies, and gives many recipes for using it.”
March 22. — I have come upon a little memoranda of cooking and other notes I have scribbled down from time to time. Here are some of them most worth remembering. Some are from hearsay, some I have seen in newspapers or made a note of in books I was reading. I can only say that at the time I thought them reliable authorities.
To avoid Tough Pastry. — If you do not wish your pastry to be tough, be sure not to re-open the oven door till the paste is set. It is the checking of the even heat which spoils and toughens the pastry.
To keep in Gravy. — To keep gravy in the joint put it at once into boiling water, and after a few minutes add some cold — to reduce heat ; after this heat again and simmer till done. The first boiling water acting on the albumen in the meat makes a kind of coat which keeps in the gravy, and the subsequent slow cooking makes the joint tender.
Time for Cooking Various Joints, etc. — Large joints should be allowed 15 to 20 minutes for each pound weight of meat. Smaller ones 12 to 15 minutes. A chicken takes 20 minutes, and turkey i| to 2 hours. Rabbits should be cooked a long time, and in plenty of water— close on 2 hours.
To Cook White Meat. — In boiling any white meat
^ A now well-known species of soup in a portable solid form.
March TO PATTEN CHICKENS. CHEESES