Tea . . . . i of a lb. Sugar . . . . I „ Butter . . . . f „ The allowance of meat in a large household, in- cluding poultry, game, and bacon, is from i^ lbs. to 2 lbs. per head per day. One correspondent says ' the amount of meat used depends on the cook ; ' another says ' there is no limit placed on the consumption of meat, but the rule of the house (a great house) is plain dishes.' The restriction in the last instance is therefore in the use of eggs, cream, sauces, truffles, and the ac- companiments of entrees. Another correspondent gives her experience as follows : — In a small household in the country — family and guests, six persons ; servants' hall and guests there, six to eight ; a month's consumption was Eggs . . . .42 dozens. Butter . . . .56 lbs. Milk per day ... 6 quarts. Cream for the month . lO pints. HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES. 51 The responsibility must rest, not on the cook or housekeeper, however, but on the employer — that is, the lady at the head of the house ; and either by a knowledge of details she may guide the extravagant cook, or by stern refusal to pay unreasonably high bills she may compel the cook to look into details and reduce expenditure without impoverishing the fare, which is the course a cook attempts in order to coerce her employer. E 2 52 DEFECTS OF ENGLISH COOKERY. CHAPTER X. SOME DEFECTS IN ENGLISH COOKERY. Wateriness. One of the most conspicuous faults in English cookery is the presence of water. Sometimes the soup is little more than hot water. The boiled fish is sent up surrounded by hot water. The Irish stew has lost all savour by reason of water added to that which the vegetables in it have already yielded ; and in the sending up of vegetables it is too apparent that the draining and evaporating processes have been omitted. Besides the objection that tepid water is not a sauce, there is the further objection that the water sent up has a disagreeable taste, and is unwholesome from the vegetable juices contained in it. A careful cook will press, squeeze, strain, drain, dry, or evaporate all vegetables that are cooked by boiling, and on the oc- casions when water is an ingredient in a dish, she will never exceed the quantity indicated. When broth is used to dilute a dish whilst it is cooking, only a small quantity is to be poured in at a time, and after that has been absorbed, in stewing, a second dose may be ad- ministered. The practice of adding water to the gravy in the dish is severely to be reprehended. The gravy ought to be the pure juice from the roasted joints. GREASJXESS. 53 Greasiness.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Tea . . . . i of a lb. Sugar . . . . I „ Butter . . . . f „ The allowance of meat in a large household, including poultry, game, and bacon, is from i^ lbs. to 2 lbs. per head per day. One correspondent says ' the amount of meat used depends on the cook ; ' another says ' there is no limit placed on the consumption of meat, but the rule of the house (a great house) is plain dishes.' The restriction in the last instance is therefore in the use of eggs, cream, sauces, truffles, and the accompaniments of entrees. Another correspondent gives her experience as follows : — In a small household in the country — family and guests, six persons ; servants' hall and guests there, six to eight ; a month's consumption was Eggs . . . .42 dozens. Butter . . . .56 lbs. Milk per day ... 6 quarts. Cream for the month . lO pints. HOUSEHOLD EXPENSES. 51 The responsibility must rest, not on the cook or housekeeper, however, but on the employer — that is, the lady at the head of the house ; and either by a knowledge of details she may guide the extravagant cook, or by stern refusal to pay unreasonably high bills she may compel the cook to look into details and reduce expenditure without impoverishing the fare, which is the course a cook attempts in order to coerce her employer. E 2 52 DEFECTS OF ENGLISH COOKERY. CHAPTER X. SOME DEFECTS IN ENGLISH COOKERY. Wateriness. One of the most conspicuous faults in English cookery is the presence of water. Sometimes the soup is little more than hot water. The boiled fish is sent up surrounded by hot water. The Irish stew has lost all savour by reason of water added to that which the vegetables in it have already yielded ; and in the sending up of vegetables it is too apparent that the draining and evaporating processes have been omitted. Besides the objection that tepid water is not a sauce, there is the further objection that the water sent up has a disagreeable taste, and is unwholesome from the vegetable juices contained in it. A careful cook will press, squeeze, strain, drain, dry, or evaporate all vegetables that are cooked by boiling, and on the occasions when water is an ingredient in a dish, she will never exceed the quantity indicated. When broth is used to dilute a dish whilst it is cooking, only a small quantity is to be poured in at a time, and after that has been absorbed, in stewing, a second dose may be administered. The practice of adding water to the gravy in the dish is severely to be reprehended. The gravy ought to be the pure juice from the roasted joints. GREASJXESS. 53 Greasiness.

Cookery and housekeeping