" HOW TO COOK WELL."

Otago Witness, Issue 1916, 30 October 1890, Page 37

" HOW TO COOK WELL."

Of making coqk hooks there is no end, but this one by j. Rosalie Benton seems to have points about it to warrant its publication. It is a good-sized volume, and contains a great variety of recipes in which economy, as well as excellent quality, is considered. Beyond this it teaches cooking, which is something else than the mere concoction of compounds. It does not take for granted that the reader is already a skilled cook, so far as manipulations are concerned. It recognisrs that the commonest culinary processe<— boiling, fiyirg, broiling, roasting, the order of mixing ingredients and the time to be allowed for cooking, are matters of mjstery to inexperienced housekeepers, and that even those who have attended to their own kitchens for years may have jnany little points to learn. The best Qook

puts her brains into her dishes, and the author does not claim to have made a book which can be used successfully without a modicum of that commodity. No precise-ne-s of statement will compensate for lack of intelligence and thourhtfulness, but the author aims to give all'the help possible. One important feature is the exactness of measurements given. Most cook books are very indefinite on that subject. The average " teaspoonful," for instance,, is about the most unsafe guide possible, all depending upon the character of the ingredient and, if not a liquid, how high it is heaped. There are also minute directions given regarding the treatment of various substances which require particular handling. Much attention ia given to methods of using up odds and ends of meat in toothsome and economical " made dishes." The arrangement of the work, and the index, makes it convenient for reference. The preparation of food for the sick forms an important chapter.