over, a woman should immediately run for aid, unless
she knows that there is none within call, or is so fortu-
nate as to have a pan of ashes or a quantity of sand near
by, and to have means of speedy retreat in case her
attempt to smother the flames fails. Possibly many
fires might be prevented from causing any loss if women
kept boxes of sand near the stove whenever frying food
of any kind.
A woman's clothes may be set on fire when fat boils
over, or possibly at some other time when she is in the
kitchen. Scientists assert that if a woman will lie down
in such an emergency the flames will become for the while
almost harmless, and time will be gained for further
action. Any bystander who has the quick wit in such a
case to spread a woollen garment or a rug over the suf-
ferer to exclude the air, may save a life. Perhaps the
woman, if alone, can extinguish the flames herself by
rolling over. The great point to bear in mind is the
wisdom of lying down as quickly as possible, though, of
course, no woman wants to lie down in a room that is all
ablaze. In case her misfortune be due to the boiling-over
of fat she should get out of the room, perhaps go out of
doors, instantly, and then lie down at once. She nerer
should run.
67
898 MISS PAELOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION.
BILLS OF FARE.
AMONG housekeepers who do their own work there is
too often a feeling that if the food which is set before
the family be wholesome and plentiful, there need be no
thought of the manner in which it is put upon the table.
Yet even if the fare be very simple and one's means be
small, it is possible to serve dishes in such a way as to
convey instruction in good manners at each meal. Take
some of the dinner bills of fare in this chapter. Many
readers may say : " Four courses ! That 's too elaborate ;
I shall not try to carry it out." Nevertheless, if the
soup be omitted, and other slight changes made, there
will be no more in the bill than families in moderate cir-
cumstances commonly have for dinner. But little ad-
ditional labor and few extra dishes are required when
the dinner is divided into courses ; and one's appetite is
likely to be better, and the table will certainly look
better than when all the food is put on at once. Haste
in eating may also be prevented; and it should be re-
membered that haste induces dyspepsia, no matter how
good the cooking may be. Let housekeepers study the
composition of bills of fare ; and although they may not
see fit to follow them exactly as published, they ought in
time to acquire considerable useful knowledge, and be
able to see the wisdom of serving meals in courses, as
well as to learn how to adapt commended bills of fare to
their own circumstances.
Breakfast.
To no meal do we come with more variable appetites than break-
fast : therefore the housekeeper should give special attention to the
BILLS OF FARE. 899
preparation and serving of the food which must suffice for the
majority of people through the hardest labor of the day. The pe-
riod between supper, or dinner, and breakfast on the morrow is
about twelve hours ; the stomach is in an exhausted condition in the
morning, and the food designed for it should be appetizing and not
heavy. The aim should be to have the dishes light, hot, nutritious,
and inviting.
Page 473
Presented as published in 1887. 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
over, a woman should immediately run for aid, unless she knows that there is none within call, or is so fortunate as to have a pan of ashes or a quantity of sand near by, and to have means of speedy retreat in case her attempt to smother the flames fails. Possibly many fires might be prevented from causing any loss if women kept boxes of sand near the stove whenever frying food of any kind.
A woman's clothes may be set on fire when fat boils over, or possibly at some other time when she is in the kitchen. Scientists assert that if a woman will lie down in such an emergency the flames will become for the while almost harmless, and time will be gained for further action. Any bystander who has the quick wit in such a case to spread a woollen garment or a rug over the sufferer to exclude the air, may save a life. Perhaps the woman, if alone, can extinguish the flames herself by rolling over. The great point to bear in mind is the wisdom of lying down as quickly as possible, though, of course, no woman wants to lie down in a room that is all ablaze. In case her misfortune be due to the boiling-over of fat she should get out of the room, perhaps go out of doors, instantly, and then lie down at once. She never should run.
AMONG housekeepers who do their own work there is too often a feeling that if the food which is set before the family be wholesome and plentiful, there need be no thought of the manner in which it is put upon the table. Yet even if the fare be very simple and one's means be small, it is possible to serve dishes in such a way as to convey instruction in good manners at each meal. Take some of the dinner bills of fare in this chapter. Many readers may say : " Four courses ! That 's too elaborate ; I shall not try to carry it out." Nevertheless, if the soup be omitted, and other slight changes made, there will be no more in the bill than families in moderate circumstances commonly have for dinner. But little additional labor and few extra dishes are required when the dinner is divided into courses ; and one's appetite is likely to be better, and the table will certainly look better than when all the food is put on at once. Haste in eating may also be prevented; and it should be remembered that haste induces dyspepsia, no matter how good the cooking may be. Let housekeepers study the composition of bills of fare ; and although they may not see fit to follow them exactly as published, they ought in time to acquire considerable useful knowledge, and be able to see the wisdom of serving meals in courses, as well as to learn how to adapt commended bills of fare to their own circumstances.
Breakfast.
To no meal do we come with more variable appetites than breakfast : therefore the housekeeper should give special attention to the
preparation and serving of the food which must suffice for the majority of people through the hardest labor of the day. The period between supper, or dinner, and breakfast on the morrow is about twelve hours ; the stomach is in an exhausted condition in the morning, and the food designed for it should be appetizing and not heavy. The aim should be to have the dishes light, hot, nutritious, and inviting.