For instance, the placing of glasses, spoons and knives at the right of the plate, and the forks at the left is not an arbitrary regulation, but because the forks are used by the left hand and the other things by the right. Afternoon Tea—This delightful form of entertaining is everywhere becoming more and more popular. Little prepa- ration is needed, and it comes at the most leisurely hour of the day. It gives one a real chance to chat with one’s friends, and so two or three at one time are usually all that are invited. Needless to say, the best china, silver and linen are produced, and daintiness is the keynote. A tea-wagon is a real labor-saver, but a prettily arranged tray on a small, firm table, looks very inviting. If you have a nest of small tables, distribute them among your guests, keeping the largest one for the tray. And then the tea itself! You will, of course, want the best, and this is where BLUE RIBBON can help you. This tea has such a delicate flavor and delightful aroma, that once you have tried it you will use no other. It is also so rich and strong that less of it is required. Full directions for making it can be found elsewhere. If desired it may be served iced in summer, and is a wonderfully refreshing beverage. If one prefers coffee instead of tea at these afternoon func- tions, Blue Ribbon Coffee is the best that can be purchased, and made according to directions, cannot be excelled. 12 Blue Ribbon Cook Book COMMON MISTAKES in COOKING | Recipes are written accurately by experts after they have been tried several times, so it is better to follow them exactly. Nine out of ten mishaps, or failures, are due almost entirely to a lack of mixing, or change of the recipe, or from failure to observe the proper heat. A cupful mens a half pint, level; a teaspoonful means just what it says, a level teaspoonful; half a teaspoonful means exactly one-half of the level teaspoonful. Careless measur- ing of salt will make a dish so unpleasant that it is practically useless. Divided recipes fail because they are not accurately divided. Many mishaps occur from a lack of forethought. Do not begin to make a dish until you have carefully read over the recipe, collected all the ingredients, and fixed the fire. Do one thing at a time. Make haste without hurrying. Cakes, pastry and such delicate dishes, should be made when there is no other cooking going on in the kitchen. Give them your whole time. Cornbreads are heavy when sweet milk is substituted for sour, and the soda is not changed to baking powder. Sponge cake has heavy streaks near the bottom when the stove has been jarred, or the door of the stove slammed soon after the cake has been put in the oven. When cakes are saggy in the middle they are not sufficiently baked. ‘The centre of the cake is the last part to bake. Before removing a cake from the oven touch it lightly in the centre; if the finger makes an imprint the cake is not done; if it springs back and does not “‘tick’’ or “sing,” it 1s done. A, toothpick inserted in the cake should have no dough adhering to it. Fruit cake is rather light in color when it has not been cooked sufficiently long, or when it has been cooked too fast at first. It should either be steamed three hours and baked one or two hours, or be baked slowly for four hours. Baking powder or soda biscuits, gems, or anything contain- ing baking powder, need a very hot oven, and should be baked on the bottom before they are browned on the top. Cakes split in the centre and burst open when they have been baked too quickly on top. Common Mistakes in Cooking 13 Pop-overs depend for their lightness entirely upon the heat of the oven, and must be baked quickly with the greater heat underneath, to drive them up, as it were. Pop-overs are often sodden when the batter is too thick, or when they have not been sufficiently mixed.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

For instance, the placing of glasses, spoons and knives at the right of the plate, and the forks at the left is not an arbitrary regulation, but because the forks are used by the left hand and the other things by the right. Afternoon Tea—This delightful form of entertaining is everywhere becoming more and more popular. Little preparation is needed, and it comes at the most leisurely hour of the day. It gives one a real chance to chat with one’s friends, and so two or three at one time are usually all that are invited. Needless to say, the best china, silver and linen are produced, and daintiness is the keynote. A tea-wagon is a real labor-saver, but a prettily arranged tray on a small, firm table, looks very inviting. If you have a nest of small tables, distribute them among your guests, keeping the largest one for the tray. And then the tea itself! You will, of course, want the best, and this is where BLUE RIBBON can help you. This tea has such a delicate flavor and delightful aroma, that once you have tried it you will use no other. It is also so rich and strong that less of it is required. Full directions for making it can be found elsewhere. If desired it may be served iced in summer, and is a wonderfully refreshing beverage. If one prefers coffee instead of tea at these afternoon functions, Blue Ribbon Coffee is the best that can be purchased, and made according to directions, cannot be excelled. 12 Blue Ribbon Cook Book COMMON MISTAKES in COOKING | Recipes are written accurately by experts after they have been tried several times, so it is better to follow them exactly. Nine out of ten mishaps, or failures, are due almost entirely to a lack of mixing, or change of the recipe, or from failure to observe the proper heat. A cupful means a half pint, level; a teaspoonful means just what it says, a level teaspoonful; half a teaspoonful means exactly one-half of the level teaspoonful. Careless measuring of salt will make a dish so unpleasant that it is practically useless. Divided recipes fail because they are not accurately divided. Many mishaps occur from a lack of forethought. Do not begin to make a dish until you have carefully read over the recipe, collected all the ingredients, and fixed the fire. Do one thing at a time. Make haste without hurrying. Cakes, pastry and such delicate dishes, should be made when there is no other cooking going on in the kitchen. Give them your whole time. Cornbreads are heavy when sweet milk is substituted for sour, and the soda is not changed to baking powder. Sponge cake has heavy streaks near the bottom when the stove has been jarred, or the door of the stove slammed soon after the cake has been put in the oven. When cakes are saggy in the middle they are not sufficiently baked. ‘The centre of the cake is the last part to bake. Before removing a cake from the oven touch it lightly in the centre; if the finger makes an imprint the cake is not done; if it springs back and does not “‘tick’’ or “sing,” it 1s done. A, toothpick inserted in the cake should have no dough adhering to it. Fruit cake is rather light in color when it has not been cooked sufficiently long, or when it has been cooked too fast at first. It should either be steamed three hours and baked one or two hours, or be baked slowly for four hours. Baking powder or soda biscuits, gems, or anything containing baking powder, need a very hot oven, and should be baked on the bottom before they are browned on the top. Cakes split in the centre and burst open when they have been baked too quickly on top. Common Mistakes in Cooking 13 Pop-overs depend for their lightness entirely upon the heat of the oven, and must be baked quickly with the greater heat underneath, to drive them up, as it were. Pop-overs are often sodden when the batter is too thick, or when they have not been sufficiently mixed.

Blue Ribbon and Pure Gold cook book