The complete Indian housekeeper & cook

Housekeeper and Cook 71 high-handedness is the only weapon of any avail. As an instance in pointy one of the authors ordered potted sheep’s head several times, and in spite of minute instructions the result was failure. At last the head was ordered for inspec- tion, and it was skinned.' The reply to an indignant query as to why strict orders had been disobeyed, was that sheep’s heads were always skinned — it was dusioor, i.e. custom ; together with the remark that skinning or not skinning had nothing to do with the non-setting of the jelly, which every one knew came from bones and not skin. The offender was told to boil an unskinned head for twelve hours. He came next day with a new light on his face. “Mem Sahib,” he said, “do they by any chance make gelatine of skins, foj', as the Lord sees me, I can hardly cut that jelly with a knife !” Here was a case of sheer ignorance of facts well known to an English child ; and it must never be forgotten that this is not the exception, but the rule. An Indian cook does not under- stand why eggs will not rise if whipped slowly, or why syrup will never crystallise unless stirred. He often stands con- founded before his own failures, unable to tell where he has gone wrong, or how; and if his mistress is a practical cook, he will give a smile of wonder and relief when she points out what he must have done to have caused that specific result. The consequent testimony, “ Leshukk — dp such furmdta hai — aisa hua” (“Without doubt, your honour speaks truth — it was so ”), will go further to raise a mistress in his estimation than any amount of theoretical knowledge she may display. It must not be forgotten either that the best cooks are liable to failures. The fire may be too slack, and yet the delay of increasing it may be ?vorse than making the best of what you have. Attention may be distracted for half a second, and lo ! the custard curdles, the caramel burns. In cooking, as in other things, the charity born of sympathy covers a multitude of sins. In regard to the actual duties of a cook in India, they are confined entirely to cooking. He has nothing whatever to do with the morning tea, boiling the kettle, making the toast, &c. That is the khitmutgdr s work, and even when poached eggs are taken it is best not to make the cook responsible, for the early morning is his marketing time. In the same way he is in no way responsible for the pro])er 72 The Complete Indian serving of breakfast, only with the dressing and dishing up of the hot dishes, whatever they may he. Tea, coffee, eggs, milk, toast, butter, &c., are in charge of the khilmntgar ; and so is the afternoon tea. Beyond this, everything which comes to table is in the cook’s care, and he must arrange with the table servants how the various dishes and sauces are to be served. A considerate mistress will always look a day or two ahead in her orderings, but the cook should be encouraged to act on his own responsibility in minor details, and be praised when he has contrived some fresh pudding or side-dish. This is an immense relief, especially in the hot weather, Avhen one racks one’s brains in vain to think of something new, and everything that comes to mind seems a Dead Sea apple of dust and ashes.