Hand-Book of Practical Cookery for Ladies and Professional Cooks Part 4

EGG-BEATER.

We have tried five different kinds in Boston, before a large audience and on the demand of an inventor of one, but none could beat eggs as well as a common hand-beater. The whites of the eggs could not be raised with any of the others much more than half as much as with the common one; and besides, could not be beaten stiff.

Many persons do not succeed in making cakes of different preparations in which whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth are used, because the eggs are not properly beaten.

Any tinsmith can make an egg-beater. It is generally made with tin-wire, but may be made with bra.s.s-wire.

With the cut below, as a model, it can be easily made.

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The handle _a_ is of tin, into which the tin wires _b_ are fastened and soldered.

ERRORS IN COOKING.

Ignorance produces abuse or error, or both. Blissful ignorance may be a fine thing in some cases, but either in preparing or partaking of food, it is certainly more than an abuse, it is a dangerous error.

It is by ignorance or disease that man abuses wine or any other liquor.

It is by ignorance or prejudice that many eschew the best and most healthful of condiments, such as garlics, onions, etc. They dislike them on account of their pungent taste when raw, not knowing that when cooked it is all evaporated. Their pungent taste comes from the volatile oil they contain, and which evaporates in cooking; it cannot be retained, but their sugar is retained, and gives such a good flavor to gravies and sauces.

FENNEL.

This is said to be a native of the Canary Islands; it has a very strong taste, and is used as a spice, especially in blood pudding. The Romans used a great deal of it.

FIG.

The fig-tree comes from Mesopotamia. Figs are generally served as _hors-d'oeuvre_, or used in puddings, etc.

FINES HERBES.

Parsley and cives chopped fine, and used for omelets, or with cold meat, sauces, etc., are called thus.

FLOUR.

In cooking, new flour is not as good as old; it does not thicken as well and as fast.

FOIES GRAS.

_Foies_, or _pates de foies gras_ are made with geese-livers, fresh fat pork, truffles, ham, _fines herbes_, and spices.

They are always served cold as a _releve_ or _entree_, but most generally they are used for lunch or supper.

FRUIT-CORER.

There are many sizes in the set, to core from a pineapple to a cherry.

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GALANTINE.

The word galantine means a _boned bird_, or a boned shoulder of veal.

GLAZING.

Glazing is generally done by means of a brush or with feathers. A beaten egg, or syrup, or jelly, or egg and sugar, etc., are used to glaze cakes, etc. It is done by dipping the brush into the egg or jelly, and by spreading it on the cake or other object before baking or before serving, as directed in the different receipts. It is also done by sifting powdered sugar on cakes which are put back in the oven for a short time--that is, the time necessary to melt the sugar.

INDIGESTION.

A cup of tea and camomile, half of each, with a few drops of orange-flower water, and the whole well sweetened and taken warm, is very good after having eaten something difficult to digest.

ITALIAN PASTES.

Macaroni, vermicelli, and the like dry pastes, are called Italian pastes, whatever the shape--round, oval, or star-like.

ISINGLa.s.s.

It is sometimes used instead of gelatine to make jellies.

JELLY-BAG.

Make a conical bag of good white flannel, about twenty inches long, fifteen inches broad at one end when spread on a flat surface, or about thirty inches in circ.u.mference, the other end being the point. Sew to it four pieces of white tape at the large end, and at equal distances, so that two sticks may be run into them. The sticks are placed on chairs or something else, in order to have the point of the bag about one foot from the floor. It is then ready to pa.s.s the jellies through it.

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KITCHEN UTENSILS.

Gastronomists use, in preference to any thing else, crockery or earthen pans; or, for want of these, block-tin pans.

Copper is, in the end, the cheapest of all; but American cooks do not like them because they require too much care and must be examined every day; to prevent any accident, it is necessary to keep the inside properly lined.

Many indispositions are caused by food prepared in copper not properly lined; even food allowed to cool in a well-lined pan would be dangerous.