The Whitehouse Cookbook (1887) by Hugo Ziemann (ebook and pdf reader txt) 📕

Catherine Owen, in Good Housekeeping.

ARTICLES REQUIRED FOR THE KITCHEN.

The following list will show what articles are necessary for the kitchen, and will be quite an aid to young housekeepers when about commencing to furnish the utensils needed in the kitchen department, and may prove useful to many.

3 Sweeping brooms and 1 dust-pan. 1 Whisk broom. 1 Bread box. 2 Cake boxes. 1 Large flour box. 1 Dredging box. 1 Large-sized tin pepper box. 1 Spice box containing smaller spice boxes. 2 Cake pans, two sizes. 4 Bread pans. 2 Square biscuit pans. 1 Apple corer. 1 Lemon squeezer. 1 Meat cleaver. 3 Kitchen knives and forks. 1 Large kitchen fork and 4 kitchen spoons, two sizes. 1 Wooden spoon for cake making. 1 Large bread knife. 1 Griddle cake turner, also 1 griddle. 1 Potato masher. 1 Meat board. 1 Dozen patty pans; and the same number of tartlet pans. 1 Large tin pail and 1 wooden pail. 2 Small tin pails. 1 Set of tin basins. 1 Set of tin measures. 1 Wooden butter ladle. 1 Tin skimmer. 1 Tin steamer. 2 Dippers, two sizes. 2 Funnels, two sizes. 1 Set of jelly cake tins. 4 Pie pans. 3 Pudding molds, one for boiling, two for baking, two sizes. 2 Dish pans, two sizes. 2 Cake or biscuit cutters, two sizes. 2 Graters, one large and one small. 1 Coffee canister. 1 Tea canister. 1 Tin or granite-ware teapot. 1 Tin or granite-ware coffeepot. 4 Milk pans, 1 milk strainer. 1 Dozen iron gem pans or muffin rings. 1 Coarse gravy strainer, 1 fine strainer. 1 Colander. 1 Flour sifter. 2 Scoops, one for flour, one for sugar. 2 Jelly molds, two sizes. 1 Can opener, 1 egg beater. 1 Cork screw. 1 Chopping-knife. 2 Wooden chopping-bowls, two sizes. 1 Meat saw. 2 Large earthen bowls. 4 Stone jars. 1 Coffee mill. 1 Candlestick. 2 Market baskets, two sizes. 1 Clock. 1 Ash bucket. 1 Gridiron. 2 Frying pans or spiders, two sizes. 4 Flat-irons, 2 number 8 and 2 number 6. 2 Dripping pans, two sizes. 3 Iron kettles, porcelain lined if possible. 1 Corn beef or fish kettle. 1 Tea-kettle. 2 Granite-ware stewpans, two sizes. 1 Wire toaster. 1 Double kettle for cooking custards, grains, etc. 2 Sugar boxes, one for coarse and one for fine sugar. 1 Waffle iron. 1 Step ladder. 1 Stove, 1 coal shovel. 1 Pair of scales. 2 Coal hods or buckets. 1 Kitchen table, 2 kitchen chairs. 1 Large clothes basket. 1 Wash boiler, 1 wash board. 8 Dozen clothes pins. 1 Large nail hammer and one small tack hammer. 1 Bean pot. 1 Clothes wringer.

An ingenious housewife will manage to do with less conveniences, but these articles, if they can be purchased in the commencement of housekeeping, will save time and labor, making the preparation of food more easy—and it is always economy in the end to get the best material in all wares, as, for instance, the double plate tin will last for years, whereas the poor kind has to be replaced in a short time; the low-priced earthenware is soon broken up, whereas the strong stoneware, costing but a trifle more, lasts almost a lifetime.

In relation to the economy and management of the kitchen, I might suggest that the most essential thing is cleanliness in cooking, and also cleanliness with your person as well as in the keeping of the kitchen.

The hands of the cook should be always thoroughly cleansed before touching or handling anything pertaining to the cooking. Next there should never be anything wasted or thrown away that can be turned to account, either for your own family or some family in poor circumstances. Bread that has become hard can be used for toasting, or for stuffing and pudding. In warm weather any gravies or soups that are left from the preceding day should be boiled up and poured into clean pans. This is particularly necessary where vegetables have been added to the preparation, as it then so soon turns sour. In cooler weather, every other day will be often enough to warm up these things. In cooking, clear as you go; that is to say, do not allow a host of basins, plates, spoons, and other utensils, to accumulate on the dressers and tables whilst you are engaged in preparing the dinner. By a little management and forethought, much confusion may be saved in this way. It is as easy to put a thing in its place when it is done with, as it is to keep continually moving it to find room for fresh requisites. For instance, after making a pudding, the flour-tub, paste-board, and rolling-pin, should be put away, and any basins, spoons, etc., should be neatly packed up near the sink, to be washed when the proper time arrives. Neatness, order and method should be always observed.

Never let your stock of spices, salt, seasoning, herbs, etc., dwindle down so low that some day, in the midst of preparing a large dinner, you find yourself minus a very important ingredient, thereby causing much confusion and annoyance.

After you have washed your saucepans, fish-kettle, etc., stand them before the fire for a few minutes to get thoroughly dry inside, before putting them away. They should then be kept in a dry place, in order that they may escape the deteriorating influence of rust, and thereby be quickly destroyed. Never leave saucepans dirty from one day's use to be cleaned the next; it is slovenly and untidy.

Do not be afraid of hot water in washing up dishes and dirty cooking utensils. As these are essentially greasy, luke-warm water cannot possibly have the effect of cleansing them effectually. Do not be chary also of changing and renewing the water occasionally. You will thus save yourself much time and labor in the long run.

Keep a cake of sapolio always on hand in the kitchen—always convenient for rubbing off stains from earthenware, tin, glass, in fact, almost everything but silver; it is a cheap and valuable article, and can be purchased at nearly every grocery in the United States.

DYEING OR COLORING.

GENERAL REMARKS.

Everything should be clean. The goods should be scoured in soap and the soap rinsed out. They are often steeped in soap lye over night. Dip them into water just before putting them into preparations, to prevent spotting. Soft water should be used, sufficient to cover the goods well; this is always understood where quantity is not mentioned. When goods are dyed, air them; then rinse well, and hang up to dry. Do not wring silk or merino dresses when scouring or dyeing them. If cotton goods are to be dyed a light color, they should first be bleached.

SILKS.

Black:—Make a weak lye as for black or woolens; work goods in bichromate of potash a little below boiling heat, then dip in the log-wood in the same way; if colored in blue vitriol dye, use about the same heat.

Orange:—For one pound goods, annotto one pound, soda one pound; repeat as desired.

Green—Very Handsome:—For one pound goods, yellow oak bark eight ounces; boil one-half hour; turn off the liquor from bark and add alum six ounces; let it stand until cold; while making this, color goods in blue dye-tub a light blue, dry and wash, dip in alum and bark dye. If it does not take well, warm the dye a little.

Purple:—For one pound goods. First obtain a light blue, by dipping in home-made dye-tub; then dry; dip in alum four ounces, with water to cover, when little warm. If color is not full enough add chemic.

Yellow:—For one pound goods, alum three ounces, sugar of lead three-fourths ounce; immerse goods in solution over night; take out, drain, and make a new lye with fustic one pound; dip until the required color is obtained.

Crimson:—For one pound goods, alum three ounces; dip at hand heat one hour; take out and drain while making new dye by boiling ten minutes, cochineal three ounces, bruised nutgalls two ounces and cream of tartar one-fourth ounce, in one pail of water; when little cool, begin to dip, raising heat to boil; dip one hour; wash and dry.

Sky Blue on Silk or Cotton—Very Beautiful:—Give goods as much color from a solution of blue vitriol two ounces, to water one gallon, as it will take up in dipping fifteen minutes; then run it through lime water. This will make a beautiful and durable sky blue.

Brown on Silk or Cotton—Very Beautiful:—After obtaining a blue color as above, run goods through a solution of prussiate of potash one ounce, to water one gallon.

Light Blue:—For cold water one gallon, dissolve alum one-half tablespoonful, in hot water one teacupful, and add to it; then add chemic, one teaspoonful at a time to obtain the desired color—the more chemic the darker the color.

WOOLEN GOODS.

Chrome Black—Best in Use:—For five pounds of goods, blue vitriol six ounces; boil a few minutes, then dip the goods three-fourths of an hour, airing often; take out the goods, make a dye with three pounds of log-wood, boil one-half hour; dip three-fourths of an hour, air goods, and dip three-fourths of an hour more. Wash in strong suds. This will not fade by exposure to sun.

Wine Color:—For five pounds of goods, camwood two pounds; boil fifteen minutes and dip the goods one-half hour; boil again and dip one-half hour then darken with blue vitriol one and one-half ounces; if not dark enough, add copperas one-half ounce.

Scarlet—Very Fine:—For one pound of goods, cream of tartar one-half ounce, cochineal, well pulverized, one half ounce, muriate of tin two and one-half ounces; boil up the dye and enter the goods; work them briskly for ten or fifteen minutes, then boil one and one-half hours, stirring goods slowly while boiling. Wash in clear water and dry in the shade.

Pink:—For three pounds of goods, alum three ounces; boil and dip the goods one hour, then add to the dye, cream of tartar four ounces, cochineal, well pulverized, one ounce; boil well and dip the goods while boiling until the color suits.

Blue—Quick Process:—For two pounds of goods, alum five ounces, cream of tartar three ounces; boil goods in this one hour, then put them into warm water which has more or less extract of indigo in it, according to the depth of color desired, and boil again until it suits, adding more of the blue if needed.

Madder Red:—To each pound of goods, alum five ounces, red or cream of tartar one ounce. Put in the goods and bring the kettle to a boil for one-half hour; then air them and boil one-half hour longer; empty the kettle and fill with clean water; put in bran one peck; make it milk-warm, and let it stand until the bran rises; then skim off the bran and put in one-half pound madder; put in the goods and heat slowly until it boils and is done. Wash in strong suds.

Green:—For each pound of goods, fustic one pound, with alum three and one-half ounces; steep until strength is out, and soak the goods therein until a good yellow is obtained, then remove the chips, and add extract of indigo or chemic, one tablespoonful at a time, until color suits.

Snuff Brown, Dark:—For five pounds of goods, camwood one pound; boil it fifteen minutes; then dip the goods three-fourths of an hour; take them out and add to the dye two and one-half pounds fustic; boil ten minutes, and dip the goods three-fourths of an hour; then add blue vitriol one ounce, copperas four ounces; dip again one-half hour. If not dark enough add more copperas.

Another Method—Any Shade:—Boil the goods in a mordant of alum two parts, copperas three parts; then rinse them through a bath of madder. The tint depends on the relative proportions of the copperas and alum; the more copperas, the darker the dye; joint weight of both should not