For this the art of the cook is all essen-
tial. Nature offers us a great variety of
foods, and man has learned how to combine
and develop these into hundreds of palatable
dishes. They can be spoiled ; nothing is
more easy. They can be rendered unnutri-
tious and distasteful by careless or ignorant
handling. On the other hand, by the exer-
cise of skill and care, the}^ can be made
nutritious, toothsome, often delightful to
the palate, and the task of sustaining life
can be converted into one of the leading
pleasures of existence. How this may be
done it is proposed to show in the following
pages, by giving a collection of practical
recipes for the preparation of food. In this
it has been our purpose to combine economy
with palatableness. Many of the recipes
given in cook-books are so lavish in the use
of butter, eggs, and other costly ingredients
as to place them beyond the reach of ordi-
nary families. This we have endeavored to
avoid, and have also taken care to submit
all our recipes to the inspection of expe-
rienced housewives, giving none which have
not received the verdict of approval.
Man is ominivorous in appetite. He is
at once a carnivorous and a herliivorous
animal. A due combination of meats and
vegetables forms the basis of our meals ;
followed, when appetite is stayed, with deli-
cate and tasteful viands, in which all the art
of the cook is enlisted to make them deli-
cious. In ordinary dinner service it is cus-
tomary to begin with soup, and follow with
fish, meats or game, accompanied with vege-
tables, and proceed to a dessert of pies or
puddings, cake, fruit, and other stag's to the
failing appetite. In arranging our recipes
Z7^ 3
THE MODEL COOK BOOK
we have followed in general this order, be-
ginning with soups and proceeding through
the solid courses to the dessert.
The Kitchen Fire.
To make a fire in a stove or range, take
off the covers, brush out the ashes and
knock all clinkers from the sides of the fire
box. Open all the dampers. Bring shav-
ings or paper, wood and coal. Cover the
grate with shavings or loosely crumpled
pieces of paper. I^ay in crosswise small
pieces of wood, and on top of these larger
pieces, being careful to fill all the corners
of the fire box. Leave spaces between for
the passage of air, and light the fire from
underneath.
When the wood begins to burn put on
coal, pressing the wood down to the grate.
Add more coal after the first supply kindles.
As soon as the fire burns freely close the
back damper, and when the oven is hot
close the front damper. Never allow the
coal to come above the edge of the fire box.
Every stove or range has, at least, two
dampers ; one to allow the air to pass up
through the fire, another to allow the gas to
escape up the chimney and to complete the
circulation of air. When the oven is to be
used, the dampers should be so regulated as
to allow the heated air to pass around the
oven .
In making a fire one thing should be
borne strictly in mind. Neyer pour coal-oil
on the kindling to make it burn more freely
or on the fire to give it new life. If you
have it in view to do this you had better
take poison at once, and avoid the more
painful suicide of burning to death, which
has been the fate of so many who had the
habit of using this dangerous material.
Page 1
Presented as published in 1901. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
For this the art of the cook is all essential. Nature offers us a great variety of foods, and man has learned how to combine and develop these into hundreds of palatable dishes. They can be spoiled ; nothing is more easy. They can be rendered unnutritious and distasteful by careless or ignorant handling. On the other hand, by the exer-
cise of skill and care, the}^ can be made nutritious, toothsome, often delightful to the palate, and the task of sustaining life can be converted into one of the leading pleasures of existence. How this may be done it is proposed to show in the following pages, by giving a collection of practical recipes for the preparation of food. In this it has been our purpose to combine economy with palatableness. Many of the recipes given in cook-books are so lavish in the use of butter, eggs, and other costly ingredients as to place them beyond the reach of ordinary families. This we have endeavored to avoid, and have also taken care to submit all our recipes to the inspection of experienced housewives, giving none which have not received the verdict of approval.
Man is ominivorous in appetite. He is at once a carnivorous and a herbivorous animal. A due combination of meats and vegetables forms the basis of our meals ; followed, when appetite is stayed, with delicate and tasteful viands, in which all the art of the cook is enlisted to make them delicious. In ordinary dinner service it is customary to begin with soup, and follow with fish, meats or game, accompanied with vegetables, and proceed to a dessert of pies or puddings, cake, fruit, and other stages to the failing appetite. In arranging our recipes
Z7^ 3
we have followed in general this order, beginning with soups and proceeding through the solid courses to the dessert.
The Kitchen Fire.
To make a fire in a stove or range, take off the covers, brush out the ashes and knock all clinkers from the sides of the fire box. Open all the dampers. Bring shavings or paper, wood and coal. Cover the grate with shavings or loosely crumpled pieces of paper. I^ay in crosswise small pieces of wood, and on top of these larger pieces, being careful to fill all the corners of the fire box. Leave spaces between for the passage of air, and light the fire from underneath.
When the wood begins to burn put on coal, pressing the wood down to the grate. Add more coal after the first supply kindles. As soon as the fire burns freely close the back damper, and when the oven is hot close the front damper. Never allow the coal to come above the edge of the fire box.
Every stove or range has, at least, two dampers ; one to allow the air to pass up through the fire, another to allow the gas to escape up the chimney and to complete the circulation of air. When the oven is to be used, the dampers should be so regulated as to allow the heated air to pass around the oven .
In making a fire one thing should be borne strictly in mind. Neyer pour coal-oil on the kindling to make it burn more freely or on the fire to give it new life. If you have it in view to do this you had better take poison at once, and avoid the more painful suicide of burning to death, which has been the fate of so many who had the habit of using this dangerous material.