Cooking for profit

There is as yet no meat block in the kitchen, but one must be procured soon. The block, the same as all butchers have, but small, is the first sign of the difference between professional cookery and poor Mary Jane's fried victuals. It is all Greek talking about selecting choice parts of meat to those who don't know the use or see the need of having a meat block. It is part of a cook's trade to know how to select and he must have a block to saw and chop upon, to trim and Dinner. but- Beefsteak stewed in gravy Potatoes (4 cents) mashed with ter 7 Green peas from garden 15 Corn, I 2-lb can 15 Bread custard pudding (No, n3 doubled)^ Rhubarb pie, 3 large covered Milk 4 quarts Coffee and tea Bread and biscuits from breakfast $1 25 Fifteen persons ; SYs cents a plate. 518— Beefsteak Stewed in Cravy. Took ij^ pounds the toughest part ot steaks, cut thin and stewed two hours in water with small bits salt pork, salt and pepper. Put a spoonful butter in large frying pan, dipped out pieces of steak and simmered in the butter till all light brown, added heaping tablespoon flour, stir to mix, then the reduced liquor this was stewed in, poured through a strainer. Let stew together ten minutes longer to become thick smooth gravy. Served like steak in individual dishes. 519— Covered Rhubarb Pie. Took 8 cups flour (2 pounds, 7 cents.] 2 cups butter (i pound, 19 cents.) // Rubbed together dry and wetted with two cups water (No. 20.) Lined three pie pans, dinner plate size, cut up into them raw rhubarb in veiy small pieces (4 cents) and spread over it a pound of sugar (8 cents). Covered with very thin crust, cut off by pressing the paste against edge of plate, baked light colored. One-third the paste left over. Cut pies in five each ; 2 cents each plate. 520— A Bill of Groceries and the Cost. We are now to make out an order and send to Lakeport for a store-room stock of groceries. The great expenses are going to be for perishable provisions, for meat, butter, eggs, cream, milk, fruits and such things as people go to the country expecting to enjoy m abundance. Besides those there is a bewildering lot of articles to be always on hand and it saves a great deal worry and a good many forced journeys to get them together all at once. _ The hostess laughs when this is mentioned, saying she has always been in the habit of looking through a cook book when this ordering was to be done, to be reminded of things that would be wanted. This time, however, we will dispense with the cook book lest it lead us to order articles that would not be needed once in a year. The following is what we ordered and the prices they cost. The calculation was for one month's supply with the expectation of a big business to be done — for a house of this size : Sugar, granulated, small barrel, 221 @ 7 $15 47 Sugar, cut loaf, for table, 35 @ 8 2 80 Sugar, powdered for fruit, etc, 20 ^8 I 60 Flour, 550 H)S @ 3H Coffee, 30 lbs, Java *' 28 Table fruits in syrup case " 25 Apples canned 8 gals. " 25 Vegetables assorted 36 cans " 15 Maple syrup 6 gals " i 25 Crackers, 3 kinds, 30 lbs " 7 Cheese 10 lbs " 11 Baking powder 7 lbs ^ "37/^ Raisins stoneless cooking 14" 10 Nuts assorted 18 lbs ** 15 Tea 2 kinds 2 lbs ** 70 8 40 6 00