FoodNetArchive

Mrs. Roundell's Practical cookery book

1898

Page 9

Presented as published in 1898. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
In putting- cabbage water (that is, the water in which cabbages of any kind have been boiled) down the sink, always put it down quite hot, straight from the pan, and pour plenty of cold water after it. In this way all smell will be prevented, whereas if the cabbage water is allowed to cool before it is put down the sink no amount of water thrown after it will prevent the disagreeable smell from spreading over the whole house. The Larder. — -All shelves must be kept thoroug-hly clean and free from dust. The bread-pan and cover must he wiped out every day and scalded once a week, or the bread will become musty and mouldy. Explicit directions are given in other chapters as to the care of the meat, poultry, or game in the larder. If there is not time to clean pans inside and out after a dinner it is a good plan to fill each with hot water and to put a bit of soda into the water. This should be done as soon as the pan has been used. Set it by the side of the stove to keep hot, then rinse it thoroughly out. Silver-sand will clean the inside in a minute or two, and the polishing of the outside can be left till the next day. But, whatever the hour may he, only a slattern will put a pan away dirty. The Kitchen Store-cupboard. — The cook requires several things which should be ready to her hand. Among these are salt, mustard-flour, white and black pepper, mignonette and Nepaul pepper, herb seasonings, breadcrumbs, raspings, grated cheese, mushroom ketchup, French-wine- vinegar, both red and white, anchovy vinegar, glaze, salad oil, sifted sugar, lump sugar, tomato conserve, and Parisian essence 24 KITCHEN, LARDER, AND SCULLERY or caramel for colouring. No great quantity of any of these need be provided, but they should all be conveniently airanged in the cupboard. Spices ai'e sometimes required, and grocers’ sauces may be very occasionally required, but both should be kept away from the cook till needed, and kept under lock and key as carefully as the “ poison cupboard ” in the ward of an infirmary. Herb seasonings are given in the chapter on Herbs. A very useful herb seasoning for soups is made by drying by the fire two ounces each of parsley, winter savory, sweet marjoram, and lemon thyme ; and one ounce of basil and of lemon peel cut very thin and dried. Pound all in a mortar, pass through a hair sieve, and bottle for use. If celery seed is in the store-cupboard the cook must be careful in using it. The flavour is so strong that one drachm, or a small saltspoonful. will flavour a quart of soup as much as could be done by two large heads of fresh celery. Wyvern suggests as a stock sauce for the cook’s store-cupboard an ounce of melted glaze, a gill of mushroom ketchup, half a gill of walnut pickle vinegar, the same of tomato ketchup, a dessert- spoonful of red-currant jelly, and a gill of marsala. All to be mixed together, well shaken when used, and a teaspoonful to be added to half a pint of the brown sauce used with hashes and stews. Grated cheese must be kept in a large tightly- corked bottle. The least damp will spoil it. A pound or two of Parmesan cheese (or of dry mild Cheddar) should be bought and grated from time to time ready for use. Bi’eadcrumbs must always be at hand and in plenty.