Читать книгу The Economical Jewish Cook: A Modern Orthodox Recipe Book for Young Housekeepers - May Henry - Страница 3

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1. In making soups or gravies which require colouring the outer skins of the onion should be left on. Mushroom skins are also useful for this purpose, and impart a pleasant flavour.

2. When thickening soups, gravies, etc., mix the flour, cornflour, arrowroot, etc., to a smooth cream with cold liquid first, then stir continually from the bottom and against the sides of the saucepan or other vessel to prevent lumps.

3. The dripping from roast mutton, when used for making pastry, sometimes has an unpleasant flavour. If a few drops of vinegar and of oil be beaten up with it, it will be found quite as good as beef dripping.

4. Home-dried herbs are much cheaper than bought ones. About June buy the herbs, rinse them slightly in cold water, strip off the leaves, place the various kinds of herbs on separate pieces of white paper, in the oven or on top of it. When the leaves are quite crisp, rub them through a wire sieve, and bottle them up tight.

5. When chopping onions, let cold water run on the wrists for a minute. This will prevent the eyes from watering.

6. When the juice of lemons is required, and the lemons are hard, place them on a baking sheet in the oven for a few minutes; they will become quite soft. To keep them from getting mouldy, wrap each one in tissue paper, and keep separate.

7. Stale scraps of bread should be put in a tin in the oven, and baked a nice brown. When quite crisp, they should be pounded and bottled. These “raspings” will be found very useful.

8. Bread should be kept in a glazed earthenware pan, which should have a cover, and must be cleaned frequently.

9. To disguise the disagreeable odours which often ascend from the kitchen during the process of cooking, throw a handful of cedar dust on the top of the grate. (This—called “Dust of Lebanon”—may be obtained of most stationers at about 4d. per packet.)

10. Milk is the best thing for removing fresh ink stains, but it must be applied immediately, and the stained part washed.

11. A little powdered sugar sprinkled on a fire, which is almost out, will invariably revive it. Salt sprinkled on a fire clears it for grilling, roasting, etc.

12. House flannels should be herringboned all round before they are used. This ensures their lasting longer, and prevents sinks being stopped up by the ravellings.

13. It is a decided economy to order soap in large quantities. It should be cut up when new, and stored for several weeks in a warm place to dry. Candles also last longer if kept some weeks.

14. All stores should be kept in air-tight tins or glazed jars.

15. Liquid browning, for colouring soups and gravies, should be made as follows, and kept in a bottle for use:—Put 2 oz. pounded loaf sugar in a small iron saucepan; let it melt, stirring with an iron spoon; when very dark (but not black), add ½ pint hot water; let it boil up, and when cool, bottle it. A few drops are sufficient to colour a quart of liquid.