FoodNet

Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

1901

Page 25

Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Weekly cleaning. — Qlean the refrigerator thoroughly at least once a week. Take out both food and ice. Wash shelves and racks with hot soapsuds or with sal-soda solution, and rinse with clear hot water. Dry them in the open air or by the fire. Wash the food chamber and the air chamber in the same way. Clean grooves and corners with a skewer, and run a wire with a cloth twisted around it down the waste-pipe. Rinse the pipe with hot sal-soda solution. Wipe the refrigerator dry ; and if possible, let it remain open for an hour. Care of Articles used in Cleaning 97. Rinse scrubbing-brushes and dry them in the sun, bristles down. Hang up brooms, when not in use, by strings tied into the handles. Do not waste soap by 48 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY leaving it in water. Keep knife-cleaning materials in one box, silver-polishing materials in another, etc. See that all things used in cleaning are kept clean. Treatment for Insects 98. To have a kitchen free from cockroaches and water-bugs, keep every part of it clean and dry, and leave no uncovered food, soiled dishes, garbage, or crumbs about. To destroy the pests, dissolve one pound of alum in three pints of hot water, and pour the solution while hot into cracks and crevices. Also sprinkle borax in all places where the insects have been seen. Personal Cleanliness 99. Observe the following rules in the school kitchen and at home : — 1. When cooking, or doing other housework, wear a washable gown short enough to clear the floor by at least two inches. 2. When in the kitchen, pin or tie your hair back so that no hairs may fall into the food. When sweeping, cover it with a cap or kerchief to protect it from dust. 3. Wear no rings or bracelets in the kitchen. 4. Before touching or preparing any food, wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water ; scrub the nails with a nail brush, and clean them with a wooden tooth- pick or a regular nail cleaner. 5. Keep a damp towel at hand, on which to wipe your fingers if they become soiled or sticky. Always PREPARATORY LESSONS 49 wipe them after touching your hair or pocket handker- chief, or after handling the coal-hod, or anything else not quite clean. Never wipe them on your apron, your handkerchief, or on a dish-towel. 6. Never dry dishes with a hand-towel. 7. The best way to taste of what you are cooking is to take a little of the food up with the mixing-spoon, put it in a teaspoon, and taste from the teaspoon. If you should happen to taste from the mixing-spoon, wash it before putting it back into the dish. of The history of soap and the process of soap-making are written in Chemistry of Daily Life, pp. 204-213. Section 5. Matter: its Nature and Changes The chemistry of cooking is largely . . . the application of heat to the food material in such a way as to bring about the right changes and only these. — Ellen H. Richards.