FoodNet

Foods and home making

1928

Page 110

Presented as published in 1928. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
room. The drawers of the secretary may be used for storing table linens. On the book shelves, dishes may be placed. If the doors are glass, the dishes may be screened with curtains fastened inside the doors. L. and J. G. SlickUy Figure 73. A Living-Dining Room Table This table is an authentic reproduction of an Early American table. Because of its pleasing lines it will always be in good taste. It is suitable in size for a living room. Note that the top has two leaves folded, one under the other. L. and J. G. Sticklty Figure 74. Another View of the Living-Dining Room Table This shows the table with its top unfolded, making it twice as large as when folded. Arranged in this way the table can be used as a dining table. 208 The Dining Room and Its Furnishings 209 What type of design and shape is suitable for dishes? The design, color, and perhaps shape of a dish first attract us. Since most plates and many other dishes are round, a design that conforms in shape to the edge of a plate is pleasing. (See Fig- ures 75 and 76.) A B Figure 75. A, a Plate of Poor Design ; B, a Plate of Good Design The design on plate A is naturalistic, i.e., an attempt has been made to have the holly look real. High lights and shadows give the design depth. The design of a dish which is to hold food should be flat. The design of plate B is conventional, i.e., the design is adapted to use on a plate. It is flat and conforms to the shape of the piate ; it is restful and pleasing. A dish that is used constantly should be easy to wash. This means that dishes shaped so there are crevices and creases in which food and dust may lodge are not practicable. What are matt and bright gold? overglaze and underglaze? Gold hands are commonly used for decorating dishes. There are two kinds of gold used for this purpose — matt and bright. After matt gold is applied and fired, it is dull in appearance. It must be burnished to make it bright. The bright gold needs no burnishing to give it luster. Matt gold is more dur- 210 Modern Housewifery able than bright gold. By comparing the two kinds of bands on dishes, one can learn easily to distinguish them. The hard lustrous surface of dishes is due to a coating of glassy material called glaze. Decorations are usually placed on dishes over the glaze and are known as overglaze. There are decora- under the glaze. Such decorations are known as underglaze. These do not wear off ; overglaze deco- rations may wear away. What is the difference between china, porcelain and earthenware? A flower crock containing moist earth feels damp on the outside. This is be- cause the crock is made of earthenware , which is porous. Some dishes are made of earthenware, but they are usually coated with glaze so they are not as porous as a flower pot. Other dishes are made of semi-porcelain , porcelain , and china. The two latter are not porous. All dishes are made of clay and other materials but they are fired to different degrees of hardness ; different clays and other materials may be used in making them. Porcelain and china are baked at higher tem- peratures than semi-porcelain and earthenware. In selecting dishes, one wants to know what kind will not chip, scratch, and break easily, and will not absorb moisture. China and porcelain dishes do not chip and break as readily as those made of semi-porcelain and earthenware ; they do not absorb