MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 15 July 1933, Page 3

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

household notes. SIDELIGHTS ON COOKING. There was a very interesting book published in 1817, called Cook’s Oracle. The author was Dr Kitchmei, who was an eminent eye doctor and also an accomplished musician (writes a. contributor to the “Sydney Morning Herld”). This cookery book was rather notable at. the time, because it endeavoured to associate the science of nutrition with the art of cookery. Dr Kitchiner maintained that health depended on the caieful preparation of food. He wrote. It medicine be ranked among’ those ai ts which dignify their professors, cookery may lay claim to an equal, if not a superior, distinction. To prevent diseases is surely better than to cure them.” From which it may be seen that Dr Kitchiner was a good deal in advance of his time 1 .

There are many cooking terms which the inexperienced young housewife may find in her recipes, the meaning of which may be a little obscure. For instance, I was asked the other day whajt sailte- me'ant, and when giving the explanation, thought it might' be helpful if I explained some of the definitions and methods of cooking.

To cut in means to mix ingredients by cutting them through with a knife, sometimes suggested when butter has to be mixed with flour for pastry. To blanch f means to cover with boiling water, almonds for instance, allow to stand in boiling water for two minutes, drain, throw into cold water, and then rub off skins and dry in a towel. To clarify fat, put any trimmings of fat from the meat and the dripping into a saucepan. Add a quarter teaspoonful of baking soda, and one pint of milk or water for every 31b of dripping. Place it over a moderate heat, and when thoroughly melted boil till the water has evaporated. Skim when cool and strain into a jar. This fat is excellent for pastry in the proportion of Jib to each 11b of flour.

To beat, to mix ingredients with a vigorous over and over action with an eggbeater, a spoon, or a whisk. This introduces air to the mixture and always. beat in the same direction. To baste, to spoon fat or liquid over poultry or other food, when it is baking, which prevents it drying. To make croutons, cut bread Jin thick into iin wide strips, then into Jin squares. Then place them in a frying basket, and lower it into smoking fat, fry till light brown, then drain well on paper, and serve with soups. If wanted for savouries prepare in the same way, but cut the bread thicker, and then they can be cut into fancy shapes, or rounds, squares, or triangles. To bard, to place thin slices of fat bacon over the breast of a bird. If game or poultry is barded there is no need for basting. The bacon should be a Jin thick, and it should be tied on with string.

To make a glaze put a 1 gill of "water, Joz of gelatine, and loz of meat extract info a saucepan. Stir till boiling, and slightly thick. If for ham or tongue, wipe with a cloth wrung out of hot water, and then put the glaze on with a brush. To fold is to mix in with a light over and over motion, something like cutting. Always fold in one way. Whipped cream or white of egg are usually folded into other ingredients. The mixture must not be beaten or stirred. To knead, is to press and turn dough with the hands till it is very smooth. To marinate means to cover with a liquid, usually a French dressing, and allow fish or meat to stand in it until it has absorbed the flavour.

To saute means to toss any meat or vegetables etc, in a pan over the fire with some melted butter. Allow the butter to be thoroughly and lightly mixed through the mixture without becoming brown.

Roux is a mixture of flour and butter cooked together without browning for white roux and browned for brown roux. It is used for thickening soups, sauces, and entrees. Puree, a term given to a preparation of meat or vegetables which has been reduced to a pulp and made into the consistency of thick cream with water or milk. Bain Marie, is a large pan filled with boiling water in which several saucepans can be placed, and their contents may be kept hot without boiling. It is a very useful ut'eusil to have in the kitchen, and will aid good cooking. If the hour of dinner is uncertain there is no surer way of keeping the food hot without losing its flavour than the use of a Bain Marie. Caramel: This is made with some sugar, browned at the bottom of a saucepan, upon which some stock is poured and' stirred well until the sugar dissolves. It may be used to colour soups or sauces or entrees.

There are two methods of frying, deep frying and dry frying. For deep frying have about 21b of clarified dripping in a deep iron pan, and allow it to become very hot. When it is hot enough the fat will cease bubbling, and a bluish smoke will rise from the middle of the pan. The heat may be tested by putting in a piece of bread, and if it begins to brown at once the fat is hot enough, and the article to be fried should lie put in at once. Unless the fat is thoroughly hot fried things are always greasy and not crisp. Fried meat or fish should always be drained on paper, and served with fried parsley. The fresh, parsley will become limp, so after washing and drying the parsley fry it for a few seconds in the hot fat, and drain also. After the fat has been used it should be allowed to cool, and while still liquid it should be strained through a fine wire sieve. If it is carefully used and not allowed to burn it may

be used over and over again. For dry frying use a frying pan with a small amount of dripping or butter, but the fat must always be very hot before using. When turning meat be careful not to stick a fork in the lean, or the juices will escape. The fork should always be put into the fat. It is best, too, to turn steaks or chops when frying or grilling immediately the first side is browned, as this keeps in the juices better than any other way. Then turn again to finish off the cooking. / Gravy should never be poured over fried or roasted meat, as it. will take away all the crispness.

j BUSY PHOTOGRAPHERS “TAKING” COURT BEAUTIES In the early hours of a Saturday morning a few weeks ago hundreds of debutantes in London drove away for the “unofficial court.” They had been dancing and taking refreshments while waiting for the second time that day—waiting to have their photographs taken in the studios of Bond street, Baker street, and Kensington. This is the busiest time of the wear for West End photographers. They hold impromptu courts of their own, attended by hundreds of debutantes and women who have made their curtesy to the King and Queen. To secure a momento of the great occasion they descend in their hundreds on the studios, white gowns and feathers complete. “We keep open all night for the court rush,” a Bond street portraittaker told an interviewer. “I Had 126 sitters here on Thursday and IS3 on Friday. Yesterday the rush was as big as ever.

“We change the whole mode of work for those days. We start at about 10 in the morning and have sitter after sitter until the evening when all the debutantes are at the Palace. Then, from 10 o’clock until 2 or 3, it is one Jong rush. Last night I had 50 people waiting at one time in my reception room here, and a. line of cars outside; it looked as though I were holding a court myself. “We make arrangements for our clients’ comfort, of course. There is a buffet with refreshments and radio and gramophone music. Lots of girls who bring escorts to help them while away the second wait of the day dance most of the time. In fact, it is all very jolly. After a restful week-end we shall start again on Tuesday with the Second Court. I have already scores of bookings.” Thousands of pounds are spent on photographs every year by women presented at Court. The average order amounts to £4 4s for each sitter, and one photographer alone handles seven or eight hundred sitters at each Court. Some West End experts take as much as £5OOO at this time of the year.

NURSERY OMENS. Although in these days we do not pay so much heed to superstitious sayings, some of the old-time babylore is rather interesting to recall (writes a corresp’ondent in “Pearson’s Weekly”). For instance, when a baby smiles in its sleep Dutch people say it is talking with the angels; in Cornwall they say fairies are whispering in its ear, and it is generally regarded as a lucky omen. In Spain, they say if a butterfly flits around a baby’s crade, it is the child’s guardian angel, and when the baby smiles they believe the angel is speaking to the infant. If the baby’s hair gets tangled during sleep in some parts they say the fairies have ruffled it.

Many people still say that baby’s nails must not be cut till he is a year old, for fear he should become “lightfingered” (thief). In Wales I was told that the child’s right hand should be left unwashed so that he should bo rich, and here, too, the finger-nail superstition is believed, but the mother may bite off the finger-nails. A quaint addition to this was to bury the first, nail parings under an ash tree, when it was said the child would turn out to bo “a top singer.”

When a baby is born it should always be carried up instead of downstairs, and to this day many, a nurse will mount a. chair with a new-born child in order to carry this out. A gift of salt, an egg, and a coin is lucky when a child is taken on a visit.