A KITCHEN SCIENTIST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19762, 8 October 1927, Page 6 (Supplement)

A KITCHEN SCIENTIST.

ROMANCE AND WORK. BY SACHA LORAINE. ;1 made an early-morning call on Dorothy Giimore the other day, and, a; we were old friends, 1 followed her into the kitchen. It was a dream of a place, that little kitchen, all in white enamel, with shining crystal knobs on the cupboard doors. Over the sink there was a row of windows hung vrith blue-lined curtains, appliqued with yellow daffodils. On the window ledge stood a vase of golden flowers. It made a charming picture. Dorothv included. In the old days, Dorothy Giimore was considered artistic with literary aspirations, and we all wondered how sht would settle down to housekeeping. ] asked her how she liked spending so mud: of her time in the kitchen, now that sht had everything to do herself. " Oh/ really love it!" she exclaimed. " I spenc many happy hours here. When lam peel ing "potatoes, shelling peas, or waiting t( take a cake out'of the oven,-1 sit dowr at my little table in.the corner and glanc< at an interesting book, which I keep 01 an upright stand in front of me." I note< that she had " Memories and Studies,' by William James, kept open by a paten' arrangement, so that the pages need uo 1 Be touched by soiled hands. " Sometimes,, when polishing the silver or washing the dishes, I commit t< memory choice verses," she continued " Then, vou wouldn't believe how mucl I have learned about the contents of m; cupboards. I am thinking of writing • book for the edification of cooks; not ; la Mrs. Beeton, but interesting facts abou the tilings we order each" day from tin grocer. Everv country in the world con tributes to the treasures in my pantry Some of the quaintest things, too: fo: instance, this cochineal, which I use tcolour my rainbow cake, is made from th< powdered bodies of tiny scarlet insects of the Mexican cactus plant. Just think o " I do not lack for interesting sights for I have a moving picture-show goinj all the time. When I look at these dates I se's waving date palms against the flanu and gold background of a desert- sky, am a long line of camels bearing the basket: and bales to the sea coast. Now, thes< rfricd figs have come all the way frorr Snrvrna. There, in the harbour, I see th< strange little boats flaunting their multi coloured sails, and hundreds of swarthj folk bustling about the wharves. " Here is some cream of tartar, tar vou tell me where it came from ? I kepi silent, suspecting one of those intelligent tests so popular in America. " No ? AVell it- is a by-product of the wine-making industry. and comes from France; a sedi ment left on the side of the vats. "That accounts for the picture grapes on the cream of tartar labels, 1 murmured. " I am having lentil .soup to-morrow and am soaking the grains overnight,' Dorothv informed me. " Did you know that the lentil is the oldest cereal in the world ? These reddish ones are froir Egypt. They were much prized by th( ancient Hebrews. In fact, it was for i potage of these red lentils that Fsat bartered his birthright. " Talk about the cargoes the ships o Tarshish brought to King Solomon,*" saic .Dorothy. .."Well, to my mind, they d< not compare in variety and romance witj the things my grocer brings to the bad door in his" delivery van! Tea fron the plantations of India and Ceylon raisins from California, coffee from Soutl America and Mexico, olive oil fron Ftanqe, Italy Spain, sugar from the can fields of Fiji, sago and tapioca fron Brazil and the East Indies, vanilla fron Tahiti and Java, rice from the swamps o China and Japan. Is it not wonderful " Now, do have a cup of cocoa with mi before you go." It was hard to refusi the rich brown beverage topped with ; melted niarshmallow, which Dorothy ten dered wii;h her final piece of-information ' " The generic term for cocoa is ' theo broma.' Linnaeus gave it that nam* when he first tasted it, from • Theo' (god) and ' broraa' (food), ': food fit for the gods.' " It vou put a girl like Dorothy on f desert island, she would turn geologisi or astronomer, so I vras not surprised thai she found a wealth of interest ant romance in that most prosaic of all places the kitchen.