When his mistress goes out, the khit is once more at
leisure, if he has been wise enough to see to his preparations
for dinner betAveen lunch and tea-time. Dessert should then
be ari'anged, and creased tablecloths or napkins taken to the
dhobi (Avasherwoman) for an iron. A khit should always be
reminded that an untidy table, dull glass, and tarnished silver
tell his character far more truthfully than his chitu (certifi-
cates) tell it ; and that even should he lose the latter, as chits
through some fatality are aUvays being lost, he need fear no
difficulty in finding, and keeping, a good place if his glass,
china, and silver attest his industry.
The procedure at dinner is much the same as at lunch;
but special care should be taken to avoid delay betAveen the
y8 The Complete Indian
courses. Vegetables, especially potatoes, should be handed
with the joint, and not ten minutes after, when people have
finished their meat. To facilitate carving at the side-table,
the cook should never put sauce or gravy in the dish, but
in a separate bowl. A servant should never jnit anything
down, even for an instant, on the dinner-table, and he should
never dodge round the table, but serve steadily from right
to left.
Silver should reeeive a special cleaning twice a week, and
once a week the pantry should be cleared out, and every-
thing in it receive an extra wash. Water carafes must be
emptied every night and set to drain in the decanter
drainer. Silver should be counted over every niglit, and
glass and china once a week. If a breakage is not re-
ported, and the mistress discovers it, cut the hukshcesh
money remorselessly ; not so if it is reported, since acci-
dents will occur.
Dirt, illimitable, inconceivable dirt must be expected,
until a generation of mistresses has rooted out the habits
of immemorial years. Till then look at both sides of your
plates, and tui’n up the spare cups ranged so neatly in order
in the pantry. Probably one-half of them are dirty.
The following recipes will be found useful by the khil-
mutgar : —
1. Brass, to clean. — Use Putz pomade, or mb with finely
pounded batlibrick mixed to a paste with sweet oil, or powdered
sal-ammoniac mixed in the same way with water. Polish with
e<iual parts of bran✪ Brass Cleaner and wliiting.
2. Bread, to freshen. — Soak the loaf for one minute in boiling
water, then bake till dry in a hot oven.
3. Butter, to keep sweet. — Press the butter into the bottom
of an empty jam jar, then invert the latter in a soup plate of water.
This keeps out the air effectually. If the butter is kept actually
in the water, the latter should always have salt or boracic acid in
it, and be changed every day.
4. Coffee, to make Essence of.— For every two tablespoons of
ground coffee take one breakfast cup of cold water. Place in a
wide-mouthed jar and stand all night. Place the jar in n dtychi
of water, and let the whole come to boiling point Strain and
bottle. It will keep for a week, the aildition of an etpial quantity
Housekeeper and Cook 79
of boiling water making it hot enough to use. Similar essence may
be made in any macliine by adhering to the same proportions of
coffee and water. ✪ Tea Preparation
Page 53 · 5 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1898. 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
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
When his mistress goes out, the khit is once more at
leisure, if he has been wise enough to see to his preparations
for dinner betAveen lunch and tea-time. Dessert should then
be ari'anged, and creased tablecloths or napkins taken to the
dhobi (Avasherwoman) for an iron. A khit should always be
reminded that an untidy table, dull glass, and tarnished silver
tell his character far more truthfully than his chitu (certifi-
cates) tell it ; and that even should he lose the latter, as chits
through some fatality are aUvays being lost, he need fear no
difficulty in finding, and keeping, a good place if his glass,
china, and silver attest his industry.
The procedure at dinner is much the same as at lunch;
but special care should be taken to avoid delay betAveen the
y8 The Complete Indian
courses. Vegetables, especially potatoes, should be handed
with the joint, and not ten minutes after, when people have
finished their meat. To facilitate carving at the side-table,
the cook should never put sauce or gravy in the dish, but
in a separate bowl. A servant should never jnit anything
down, even for an instant, on the dinner-table, and he should
never dodge round the table, but serve steadily from right
to left.
Silver should reeeive a special cleaning twice a week, and
once a week the pantry should be cleared out, and every-
thing in it receive an extra wash. Water carafes must be
emptied every night and set to drain in the decanter
drainer. Silver should be counted over every niglit, and
glass and china once a week. If a breakage is not re-
ported, and the mistress discovers it, cut the hukshcesh
money remorselessly ; not so if it is reported, since acci-
dents will occur.
Dirt, illimitable, inconceivable dirt must be expected,
until a generation of mistresses has rooted out the habits
of immemorial years. Till then look at both sides of your
plates, and tui’n up the spare cups ranged so neatly in order
in the pantry. Probably one-half of them are dirty.
The following recipes will be found useful by the khil-
mutgar : —
1. Brass, to clean. — Use Putz pomade, or mb with finely
pounded batlibrick mixed to a paste with sweet oil, or powdered
sal-ammoniac mixed in the same way with water. Polish with
e<iual parts of bran and wliiting.
2. Bread, to freshen. — Soak the loaf for one minute in boiling
water, then bake till dry in a hot oven.
3. Butter, to keep sweet. — Press the butter into the bottom
of an empty jam jar, then invert the latter in a soup plate of water.
This keeps out the air effectually. If the butter is kept actually
in the water, the latter should always have salt or boracic acid in
it, and be changed every day.
4. Coffee, to make Essence of.— For every two tablespoons of
ground coffee take one breakfast cup of cold water. Place in a
wide-mouthed jar and stand all night. Place the jar in n dtychi
of water, and let the whole come to boiling point Strain and
bottle. It will keep for a week, the aildition of an etpial quantity
Housekeeper and Cook 79
of boiling water making it hot enough to use. Similar essence may
be made in any macliine by adhering to the same proportions of
coffee and water.