Put red shades at the window, a plant or two on the sills, a side lamp
on the wall so that the room may be well lighted, and out of the way ;
a low, old-fashioned lounge, with calico cushion, filled with excelsior,
and pillow to match ; a rocker, straight-backed chair, and a small stand,
All this is for the housekeeper's comfort ; for though it is a kitchen, it
is not necessary that one may have no time for comfort or rest. If the
mistress is seldom in the kitchen there is all the more reason for making
the girl comfortable. Few servant girls will leave a mistress who makes
their working place pleasant, and shows a proper consideration for their
comfort. Then when their work is done they can black their stove,
shut away all the unsightly implements of their service, and for a time
forget that they are working for others, but as if in a house of their
•own ; this gives them a home-feeling and attaches them to the place.
Have separate cupboards made for the iron and tin-ware, and a
closet for earthen-ware, spice boxes, etc. A sink is necessary for
dish-washing, and, if possible, a long table should be placed near
the sink to place dishes upon. A folding table, or one that may be
let down from the wall is quite necessary for cutting bread, pie or
cake, upon, and should be kept exclusively for things of this kind.
The pantry should have an abundance of shelves and cupboards —
it can hardly have too many — the upper closets for the silver and
china, and the lower ones to hold other utensils when not in use.
THE CARE OF KITCHEN UTENSILS. 187
The drawers are for table linen and dish towels. At the pantry window
should be placed a green shade and screen to shut out flies and light.
Use a brush to wash potatoes. In the work apron have two pockets,
one to keep a clean holder in, and near the stove have a place to hang
another, to handle kettles and pans. A piece of clam shell is useful to
scrape kettles, if you are unfortunate enough to burn them. A ripe
tomato will cleanse the hands after paring fruit, and also remove the
grease from the table. If you use a copper kettle, or tea-kettle, wash
it with sour milk, then with clean water, and it will be as good as new.
THE CARE OF KITCHEN UTENSILS.
Keep apart things that would injure each other, or .destroy their
flavor.
Keep every cloth, saucepan and all other utensils to their proper use,
and when done with, put them in their proper places.
Keep every copper stewpan and saucepan bright without, and per-
fectly clean within, and take care that they are always well tinned.
Keep all your dish-covers well dried, and polished ; and to effect this it
will be necessary to wash them in scalding water as soon as removed
from the table, and when these things are done let them be hung up in
their proper places.
The gridiron, frying-pan, spit, dripping-pan, etc., must be perfectly-
cleaned of grease and dried before they are put in their proper places.
Attention should be paid to things that do not meet the sight in the
way that tins and copper vessels do. Let, for instance, the pudding
cloth, the dish-cloth and the dish-tub, be always kept perfectly clean.
To these may be added, the sieve, the colander, the jelly-bag, etc.,
which ought always to be washed as soon after they are used as may
be practicable.
Page 166
Presented as published in 1886. 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
Put red shades at the window, a plant or two on the sills, a side lamp on the wall so that the room may be well lighted, and out of the way ; a low, old-fashioned lounge, with calico cushion, filled with excelsior, and pillow to match ; a rocker, straight-backed chair, and a small stand, All this is for the housekeeper's comfort ; for though it is a kitchen, it is not necessary that one may have no time for comfort or rest. If the mistress is seldom in the kitchen there is all the more reason for making the girl comfortable. Few servant girls will leave a mistress who makes their working place pleasant, and shows a proper consideration for their comfort. Then when their work is done they can black their stove, shut away all the unsightly implements of their service, and for a time forget that they are working for others, but as if in a house of their •own ; this gives them a home-feeling and attaches them to the place.
Have separate cupboards made for the iron and tin-ware, and a closet for earthen-ware, spice boxes, etc. A sink is necessary for dish-washing, and, if possible, a long table should be placed near the sink to place dishes upon. A folding table, or one that may be let down from the wall is quite necessary for cutting bread, pie or cake, upon, and should be kept exclusively for things of this kind. The pantry should have an abundance of shelves and cupboards — it can hardly have too many — the upper closets for the silver and china, and the lower ones to hold other utensils when not in use.
THE CARE OF KITCHEN UTENSILS. 187
[illustration: THE CARE OF KITCHEN UTENSILS. 187]
The drawers are for table linen and dish towels. At the pantry window should be placed a green shade and screen to shut out flies and light. Use a brush to wash potatoes. In the work apron have two pockets, one to keep a clean holder in, and near the stove have a place to hang another, to handle kettles and pans. A piece of clam shell is useful to scrape kettles, if you are unfortunate enough to burn them. A ripe tomato will cleanse the hands after paring fruit, and also remove the grease from the table. If you use a copper kettle, or tea-kettle, wash it with sour milk, then with clean water, and it will be as good as new.
THE CARE OF KITCHEN UTENSILS.
Keep apart things that would injure each other, or .destroy their flavor.
Keep every cloth, saucepan and all other utensils to their proper use, and when done with, put them in their proper places.
Keep every copper stewpan and saucepan bright without, and perfectly clean within, and take care that they are always well tinned. Keep all your dish-covers well dried, and polished ; and to effect this it will be necessary to wash them in scalding water as soon as removed from the table, and when these things are done let them be hung up in their proper places.
The gridiron, frying-pan, spit, dripping-pan, etc., must be perfectlycleaned of grease and dried before they are put in their proper places.
Attention should be paid to things that do not meet the sight in the way that tins and copper vessels do. Let, for instance, the pudding cloth, the dish-cloth and the dish-tub, be always kept perfectly clean. To these may be added, the sieve, the colander, the jelly-bag, etc., which ought always to be washed as soon after they are used as may be practicable.