Food

1867

The Principles of Cookery
Cooking Advice for Old and New Wives

Nearly all will acknowledge cooking not only to be an art but a science as well. To know how to cook economically is an art. Making money is an art. Now is there not more money made and lost in the kitchen than almost anywhere else? Does not many a hardworking man have his substance wasted in the kitchen? Does not many a shiftless man have his substance saved in the kitchen? A careless cook can waste as much as a man can earn which might as well be saved.

It is not what we earn as much as what we save that makes us well off. A long and happy life is the reward of obedience to nature's laws and to be independent of want is not to want what we do not need. Prodigality and idleness constitute a crime against humanity. But frugality and industry combined with moral virtue and intelligence will insure individual happiness and national prosperity. Economy is an institute of nature and enforced by Bible precept: "Gather up the fragments that nothing be lost." Saving is a more difficult art than earning. Some people put dimes into pies and puddings where others only put in cents, the cent dishes are the most healthy.

Almost any woman can cook well if she have plenty with which to do it, but the real science of cooking is to be able to cook a good meal or dish with but little out of which to make it. As to the principles of cooking, remember that water can not be made more than boiling hot-no matter how much you hasten the fire, you cannot hasten the cooking of meat, potatoes, etc., one moment, a brisk boil is sufficient. When meat is to be boiled for eating, put it into boiling water at the beginning. By which its juices are preserved. But if you wish to extract these juices for soup or broth, put the meat in small pieces, into cold water and lit it simmer slowly.

The same principle holds good in baking also. Make the oven the right heat and give it time to bake through. This is the true plan. If you attempt to hurry it, you only burn instead of cooking it done. If you attempt the boiling to hurry, the wood only is wasted. But, in attempting the baking to hurry, the food as well isn't fit to be tasted.