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Title: Jennie June's American Cookery Book...
Author: Croly, Jane Cunningham
Publisher: New York: American News Co.

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> GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF COOKING.

1. The object of cooking is to make food healthful, and palatable; the secret is therefore, how to combine elements and flavors, so as to produce the best results.

2. The best meat requires the simplest preparation.

3. A cardinal principle in cooking is cleanliness; a dirty cook cannot be a good cook, because all her dishes, no matter how distinct in quality, or costly in material, will taste as if, to use a common expression, they were "cooked in one pot."

4. As a general rule, to which there are very few exceptions, cook long and slowly, to cook well, and let the heat reach every part as evenly as possible.

5. Fresh meats, and fish are better than corned, pickled, or smoked provisions; and the flesh of grown animals, (beef or mutton) is to be preferred to young beasts, such as veal or lamb.

6. The natural order in cooking meats or fish, excepting oysters, is first to broil, second to boil, third to roast, fourth to stew, fifth to bake, and sixth to fry; and never to fry, as long as there is another method left.

7. To retain the juices in boiled meat, keep it in mass and plunge it in boiling water; this coagulates the outer coating and prevents the escape of the jucies, or soluable matter. To extract the jucies for soup, cut it up in small pieces, and put it in cold water; this draws out all the strength, making good soup, but poor meat.

8. Air should have access to roasting meat, hence spit roasting before a fire, is found much better than roasting in a closed oven.

9. Always retain as much as possible of the distinct flavor of every article of food used; mixtures which make all dishes taste alike, are dyspepsia breeding, as well as appetite killing.

10. Carefully avoid placing articles in contact, which have no


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affinity, such as fish and meat, etc. It is sufficient for people to do that in their stomachs.

11. A light hand in making, a quick step in baking, maketh a good conscience for eating bread, puddings, and pies.

12. Food for the well, is better than physic for the sick. Bad cooking is a crime; it is the cause of dyspepsia, and a host of other evils. A woman convicted of it ought to be arrainged for manslaughter.

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> HOUSEKEEPING.

The great question when a young couple are going to be married is, whether they shall keep house or board. The gentleman, as a general rule, wishes to keep house, he is tired of boarding; moreover, he had anticipated so much enjoyment in a snug little house of their own, and so much pride and pleasure in seeing his pretty Nellie at the head of his table, doing the honors to the choicest of his friends.

But Nellie has quite different ideas; in the first place, she knows nothing about cooking. She has, with the help of her mother, or the cook, made cake once or twice, or possibly blanc-mange, which was very much praised; but of the practical details required in the getting up of the most ordinary breakfast, dinner, or supper, she knows nothing, and has not the remotest intention or inclination to become acquainted with them.

The final result is, that they go to "board" in some highly genteel establishment, where the prices are high in proportion to the gentility and lack of real comfort, and some fine morning the young gentleman wakes up to the knowledge that he is tied to a wife who doubles his expenses, but has added nothing to his happiness, or at any rate, nothing to the real value and usefulness of his life.

This is a matrimonial swindle. Girls ought not to marry until they are ready and willing to accept the position of head of a household, and capable of making a home what it should be to husband and children.

If a man can find a woman to act as his mistress for her board and clothes, well and good--there is no law to prevent it; but for a woman bearing the honored name of wife to hold so dependent and humilating a position, is fearful degradation.

The marriage relation is one of reciprocal interests, duties, and responsibilities; and no young lady ought to marry until she is


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willing to assume her share of them. True affection on the part of the husband will lighten, and make duties pleasures, but whatever aspect they bear, she must not shrink from them. If she has not received the training necessary to fit her for the position, it is her misfortune; but it will be her fault, if she does not try as far as possible to remedy the evil.

Want of means constitutes no sort of reason why young married people should not go to housekeeping. What we spend on foolish and useless gewgaws and presents would, in nine cases out of ten, if usefully applied, set them up in a style quite in accordance with their means, if not their inclination.

But it is not for themselves they fear. They are willing, or at least they think so, to live together in an attic; but society! Well, what has society got to do with it? Society will not pay your butcher's and grocer's bills, nor care a copper whether they are paid or not. Society will eat ice-cream, oysters, and cake of your providing, but that is not what you are marrying for.

You have chosen a comparatively poor man, your business is to adapt yourself to his circumstances, to make the most of his means in providing a pleasant home, and bringing up carefully and conscientiously the children which may be given you. If society find you out, or if you find it worth while to fill up any of the chinks or interstices with occasional glimpses of the false, glittering, outside world--good! you will come back to your sweet home with so much the more relish; but do not marry it, do not sacrifice your own sense of duty, and the happiness and welfare of husband and family to it.

Talk of happiness,--there is none like that of an intelligent, affectionate family circle. There is no pleasure, no enjoyment equal to that of a mother ministering to the wants, or gratifying the natural and innocent tastes of her children. The pleasure is all the greater, because it is a surprise.

Young women very often dread the exacting care of a family, and expect to find wifely and maternal duties irksome and wearisome; that is the reason why they would so willingly escape them, as they fancy, by boarding, and not having children.

But unfortunately, or fortunately, God has managed it so that we cannot take the pleasures of life without bearing its pains; we


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cannot shirk a plain line of duty, without incurring the penalty. But we can, and do, by taking upon ourselves bravely, its burdens, find an exaltation of womanhood, and a hight and depth of happiness, such as we never before dreamed of.

Exceptions are said to exist to every general rule; but there are very few to this, that when people marry, they ought to set right about making a home of their own. If you can only afford two rooms, live in two rooms. If your means will compass a small house, but not a large one, then take the small one, and be happy and thankful.

I would not give a wisp of straw for a young woman who does not want, on her marriage, to occupy her own little domain; who does not revel in anticipation over the contents of kitchen and closet, if there is only a small cook stove in one, and a set of delf in the other. But this suggests a matter of some importance.

> KITCHEN FURNISHING.

In selecting a house to live in, particularly if it is a small one, give the preference to a pleasant, sunny kitchen, which will at least look clean when it is clean, and into which it will not be disagreeable to enter.

As a general rule, buy as little as possible on first going to housekeeping; it is easy to add more when experience has discovered to you precisely what you want; but if you should indulge in any extravagance, let it be in the kitchen furnishing.

It is a real pleasure to get a glimpse of an orderly kitchen and neat closets, newly fitted up with all the useful modern contrivances for saving labor, and making it agreeable, and as the whole cost would not amount to more than one expensive carpet, it is not worth while to do without them.

It is economical, moreover, to have all kitchen utensils of the best quality; cheap pans, brushes, pails, earthenware and the like, are not only an "eyesore" in a house, and bad or disagreeable to use, but they are good for nothing; they eternally want replacing,


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while a really good article is not only taken better care of, but will stand infinitely more of hard usage.

Oil cloth is the best material for covering a kitchen floor; it is easily kept clean, and does not absorb the dirt and grease.

Short, white muslin curtains to kitchen windows are considered "nonsense" by some people, but they are tidy, and the cost and washing are not much.

Of course the kitchen will be supplied with dresser, table with drawer, and ironing table. As to chairs, three and a common rocker are sufficient; but I would enliven the walls with a picture or two, if possible, and encourage the cook, or maid of all work, to have her monthly rose or pot of geranium in the window.

Under the shelves of the kitchen closets, it is a good plan to have narrow strips of board, in which nails or tacks can be inserted, for the purpose of hanging up all sorts of small articles, such as iron and wooden spoons, sugar and flour sifters, tin strainers, lemon squeezer, lemon grater, egg beater, skewers, small sauce pans, cake turner, rolling pin, and such things as one is most likely to want, and which it is convenient to have in sight.

The floors of all closets should be covered with oil-cloth, so that they can be easily washed up, and kept neat and clean.

> HOUSEHOLD MANAGEMENT.

Women are sometimes accused of managing too much, and sometimes of not managing at all; but the most perfect system of management is, undoubtedly, that which outwardly betrays itself least, and in the results of which, there is not suspected to have been any management at all.

Regularity is the pivot upon which all household management turns; where there is a lack of system there is a lack of comfort, that no amount of individual effort can supply. Forethought also is necessary, so that the work may be all arranged beforehand; done in its proper order, and at the right time. Never, except in cases of extreme emergency, allow Monday's washing to be put


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off till Tuesday; Tuesday's ironing till Wednesday, or Wednesday's finishing up and "setting to rights," till Thursday. Leave Thursday for extra work; or when that is not required, for resting day, or half holiday, and as a preparation for the up stairs' sweeping and dusting of Friday, and the downstairs' baking and scrubbing of Saturday.

Arrange work so as to save fuel as much as possible. Mix bread at night, so that it will be ready to bake with that "first fire" which always makes the oven hot in the morning. Prepare fruit over night, so that pies or other things can be quickly made and baked immediately after. Prepare hashes for breakfast, over night. Have the kitchen and dining room put in order before retiring to rest. Have kindlings and whatever is needed for building fires laid ready, and the fire in the kitchen raked down, so that it can be built up in the shortest possible space of time. This is not only a saving in the morning, but will be found useful in case of illness in the night, when a fire is often required at a moment's notice.

Try to buy in as large quantities as possible, so as to save the perpetual running out to the grocery. Supplies on hand also enable the housekeeper to provide a more varied table, with far greater economy than is possible where every thing is bought by the half a pound, more or less.

Every family that can possibly find means to do it, or a place to properly keep the articles, should commence winter with fuel, potatoes, apples, flour, and butter, enough to last till Spring. A good supply of hominy, rice, farina, Indian meal, preserved fish, and other staples, including sugar, should also be laid in, not forgetting a box of raisins, one of currants, a third of soap, and a fourth of starch.

There is such an immense saving in soap well dried, that it is surprising so many housekeepers content themselves with buying it in damp bars. Starch also is frightfully wasted by quarter, and half pound purchases, which are frequently all absorbed at one time, by careless girls, in doing the washing for a small family.

But in most American families, the largest amount of waste, probably, takes place in the use of fuel. Heretofore, fuel of all kinds has been comparatively cheap, and very little supervision has


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been exercised over its use. At present rates however, it is an item of considerable importance; and it is quite time that servants were taught how to employ it to the best advantage.

In nine out of ten kitchens, when there is any cooking to be done the range is made red hot; when the cooking is done, the fire is left to go down to ashes, and is then raised by means of a wasteful pile of kindling wood. When no cooking is going on, and a large fire is not needed, the dampers will frequently be left open, and the fuel allowed to blaze itself out up the chimney instead of being kept in reserve for actual service.

The general principle of construction upon which American kitchen stoves and ranges is based, renders them either very economical, or very much otherwise, according to the way they are managed. After the fire is first built in an ordinary stove, or range, the dampers ought all to be closed up and not opened again during the day, except while broiling, or something of that sort. If the grate is kept clear, and the fire replenished with a small quantity of coal, before it begins to get low, both the oven, and the top of the range will be kept sufficiently hot for any kind of cooking, and it will be done all the better for being done somewhat more slowly, than is customary with the well meaning, but terribly blundering, and irresponsible race of wild Irish girls, who officiate as the high priestesses of our domestic altars.

The strictest attention on the part of a house-keeper, is necessary, to see that certain articles are kept for their proper use; for instance, that the dish cloth is not used for a floor cloth, that the napkins are not used to wipe up the dishes, the dish towels as dusters, a new broom to sweep out the back yard, and the best new enamelled sauce pan, for melting down grease.

Where the lady of the house attends partly to her own work, she will naturally see to all these things; but where it is left wholly to servants, there are always complaints of missing articles, and an inspection of the kitchen, or ironing table drawer, would generally bring them all to light, although in a state almost unrecognizable, from dirt, and their contiguity to whitening, hair oil, candle grease, combs and brushes, and other articles, all of which it is found "handy" to keep in a drawer in the kitchen, with mats, table cloths, towels, and other things destined for family use.

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It is hardly necessary after this to say that a kitchen being once provided with necessary and convenient articles for cleaning and cooking, the presiding genius should be held to a strict accountability for them. Pudding cloths should be forthcoming whenever wanted,--dry, clean, and free from stains; towels, napkins, pans, bowls, and cooking utensils, should be kept strictly to their uses, and not put away till perfectly clean and dry.

Ironing sheets, blankets, skirt board, bosom board, iron holder, rubber, and the like, should be kept smoothly folded in the drawer of the ironing table, when not in use.

The shelves of kitchen, dining-room, and other closets, should be covered with fresh paper, neatly cut out on the edges, once in two weeks, and dusted down twice a week.

Pot closets, safes, and refrigerators, should be thoroughly scrubbed out every week, and the latter aired every day.

Good brooms and brushes will last a long time if care is taken of them. When first bought they should be allowed to stand in cold water for twelve hours, and then thoroughly dried before using. When not in use, they should be hung up by a loop of twine, or cord, so that the weight may not rest on the edge of the splinters, and break them. Four large brooms should be provided, one for the kitchen, one for the parlor, one for the sleeping rooms, and one for the family, or "living" room. A "whisk" will be required for every room in the house, besides one for the hall.

As soon as the kitchen broom is worn down so as to render it unfit to sweep the floor with ease and comfort, take it for the cellar, door steps, and back yard; take the one from the sitting room for the kitchen, the one from the parlor to the sitting room, and get a new one for the parlor.

Exact punctuality in serving the meals, and punctual attendance at them; it is oftener the fault of the family, than the servants, that meals are served at irregular hours. Where the members make a practice of sitting down any time, and food is kept waiting until it suits their pleasure or convenience to partake of it, irrespective of household necessities, servants, or any one else, will naturally become careless and neglectful.

> HOUSEHOLD MEMORANDA.

Dried herbs should be tied each separately in a paper bag, and


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hung against the wall in the store-room. Mint, pennyroyal, catnip, sage, thyme, summer-savory and parsley, are all good to have in the house.

Parsley should be bunched before it goes to seed, and hung up to dry. In a week, or two, it may be put in paper bags, and is ready for use, for soup, stuffing, or fricassee.

> PIECE BAGS.

Out of an old calico dress make three piece bags, and label each one of them with its written name upon a small square piece of white muslin, which must be sewn upon the side of the bag. One should be the "rag-bag," another the "white piece-bag," a third, the "colored piece-bag,"--they will be found very useful.

> DUSTERS.

Provide a duster, as well as a feather brush, and a whisk broom, for every room in the house, and see that they are kept in their place, when not in use.

> KITCHEN HOLDERS.

Make three kitchen holders, one to put away with the ironing apparatus, two others, to be hung up, one each side, under the kitchen mantle piece, so as to be ready for lifting pots and kettles off the fire, or taking hold of the hot handle of a sauce pan, or skillet. Small squares of old, or new carpet, are best, with an inner lining of old cloth, and an outer one of dark twilled cotton, which may either be sewed to the edge of the carpet, or the whole may be bound with worsted binding. Add a loop to hang it up by.

> PAPER AND STRING.

When parcels are brought to the house, take the nice white, or brown tissue paper, in which the goods have been wrapped, fold it and put it away in a drawer, with the string tied round it, to be ready for use in case of emergency.

> MENDING.

When you put the clean clothes away for the family, examine every piece, and see if a string, or a button needs replacing, or


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a fracture requires mending. Pile all together, and repair them at once, remembering that a stitch in time saves nine.

> MENDING STOCKINGS.

Mending stockings for a large family, is a somewhat onerous, and not altogether agreeable duty. As soon as the daughters are old enough they should be set to mending their own; but even then, there is sometimes a large pile for "mother's" work basket. Do not hurry them; however, mend them conscientiously, if it is only one pair at a time. Have needle and darning cotton of the proper size, take a large area in every direction beyond the hole, leave loops at each end of the thread, as it is drawn out, for shrinkage--and darn carefully and extensively over all the thin places. Hose mended in this way will not require the process more than twice, during their existence, provided the quality in the first place was the best. Cheap hose are not worth buying at all.

> RAINY DAYS.

Make the house look as bright as possible inside, have something good for tea, put on a pretty dress, light up early, romp with the children, tell them stories, and determine at least to have sunshine in the house, if you cannot have it outside.

PACKING AWAY SUMMER OR WINTER CLOTHES.

Before packing away summer or winter clothes, devote a day to an examination of them; mend, and clean any spots off that may require it, brush, and shake them well, fold up smoothly, and sprinkle between every fold a little gum camphor, unless you are so fortunate as to have cedar chests, and then you will not need it. Sprinkle a little gum camphor also on the bottom of common trunks or chests, pack closely, filling up all the crevices, with small articles such as stockings, gloves, scarfs, hoods and the like, reserving the body part of the box for the larger garments.

Nice dresses, velvet cloaks, opera cloaks, furs, and the like, should be folded in sheets, or towels, pinned tightly down, and be placed in the trays, or hollow part of trunks, by themselves, if possible.

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> CAKE BOX.

Have a japanned box, or large jar, for cake, which will shut down tight. Cover it with a linen cloth, which should be put in the wash once in two weeks. Empty the box, scald it out, and let it dry in the sun, or before the fire, every week.

CHAMBER, MANTEL, AND TOILET COVERS.

White Marseilles, thin pique or Allendale quilting, edged with white ball, or twisted fringe, makes nice covers for toilet stands, or chamber mantels, especially where cottage furniture is used. If the furniture is very handsome black walnut, or rosewood, elegant mantel covers may be made, by tacking patent maroon velvet on a thin board, and edging it with bullion fringe.

TO CLEAN LOOKING GLASSES.

Divide a newspaper in two halves, fold up one in a small square and dip it in cold water. Rub the glass first with the wet half of the paper, and dry with the other. Fly specks, and all other dirty marks will disappear as if by magic.

> TO TAKE OUT SCORCH.

If a shirt bosom, or any other article has unfortunately been scorched in ironing, lay it where bright sunshine will fall straight upon it. It will take it entirely out, leaving it clean and white as snow.

> LABEL CHILDREN.

Into the crowns of the hats or bonnets of little children, sew a square of writing paper, stating age, and residence. This will save them from any danger of being lost.

> WASH RAGS.

Small squares of crash hemmed, make very nice wash rags, or small, coarse tea napkins, fringed on the sides; very good ones may also be made out of the best part of old dinner napkins, or tablecloths. Be careful always to supply them to every sleeping-room with the towels, and see that they are changed once a week.

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> NIGHT CLOTHES.

Never wear anything at night that you have worn during the day, nor during the day, that you have worn at night.

TO PUT OUT FIRE.

In all such cases, great promptitude and quickness is necessary. The thing to be done is, to crush it out; either with rugs, mats, blankets, or whatever else is handy.

If the fire is in a chimney, fire a pistol into it, or put salt on it, and close up the draft of the fire-place, by pinning a quilt up over it. This last precaution alone will generally prevent danger, unless there should happen to be a high wind.

SHEETS.

When sheets are beginning to wear in the middle, sew the selvage sides together, tear them in two, and hem down the sides; they will last enough longer to pay for the trouble, especially at present price of muslin.

> PAY AS YOU GO.

Keep no books, and never run accounts with stores; pay for what you buy when you buy it, and so save much money and trouble and prevent many very disagreeable mistakes.

HOW TO CLEAR A TABLE.

Collect all the food together first, and dispose of it, neatly, and carefully. Put all the spoons together, all the forks together, and all the knives together, If you have a small pitcher partly full of warm water on the table, put the knives into that, blades down. Scrape the plates clean, and empty all the slops from the tea and coffee cups, into the slop bowl. Have ready your clean light wooden tub, two thirds full of hot water, little mop, piece of soap, and tin pan of warm water for rinsing. Wash the glasses first, with a little soap, and rinse them, then the spoons, then the cups and saucers, then the silver forks, then the plates, lastly, the larger dishes. Dry quickly with nice large fine linen crash towels. Be careful not to put the handle of knives into hot water, or silver


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knives where they can touch the forks, as that will scratch them. The quicker the whole operation is performed, the brighter and nicer the ware will be.

> MATTRESSES.

Mattresses are used universally now in preference to feather beds; and to save trouble, some people straighten the clothes over them, just as they rise. This is very bad, they ought to be turned every day, and exposed to the air some time before the bed is made up.

> HINTS ON ECONOMY.

PROVIDE ON SATURDAY for Monday, so as not to take up the fire with cooking, or time in running errands, any more than is possible on washing day.

WAIT TILL ARTICLES, fruit, fish, poultry and vegetables, are in full season, before purchasing. They are then not only much lower in price than when first brought to market, but finer in quality and flavor.

OUTSIDE GARMENTS, bonnets, cloaks, hats, shawls, scarfs and the like, will last clean and fresh much longer, if the dust is carefully removed from them by brushing and shaking after returning from a ride or a walk.

WHEN YOUR APPLES begin to rot, pick the specked ones out carefully; stew them up with cider and sugar, and fill all your empty self-sealing cans. In this way you may keep in nice apple sauce till apples come again.

PICKLE OR PRESERVE JARS should be washed in lukewarm or cold water, and dried in the sun or near the fire. Hot water cracks the polished surface of the inside, and renders them unfit for their specific use.

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NEVER ALLOW CHILDREN to eat butter with meat or gravy; it is both wasteful and injurious.

HOT BUCKWHEAT CAKES will go farther and last longer than any other single article of food. A celebrated judge declared that he could remain in court all day, without feeling a symptom of hunger, after a breakfast of buckwheat cakes.

A STEW is not a bad dish for a family dinner, once a week; make it of good meat, and savory with sweet herbs, and the most fastidious will not object to it.

RISE EARLY on fine summer mornings, and throw all the windows of the house open, so that it may exchange its close atmosphere, for the cool, fresh air. Have the work done before the heat of the day comes on, and save it as much as possible during the warmest weather.

TAKE CARE OF THE FOOD that is brought into the house, and see that none of it is wasted; but do not be always on the lookout for cheap things. Beans are cheap, and very good sometimes; corn meal is cheap too, and even more available, because it can be made into a great variety of dishes, but people would not care to live on beans and corn meal all the time, because they are cheap. Eating is intended as a means of enjoyment, as well as of sustaining life; and it is right to avail ourselves of the abundant resources provided, as far as we can consistently.

USE TEA LEAVES, or short, freshly cut grass, to sprinkle upon carpets before sweeping. It will freshen up the colors, and save the usual cloud of dust.

HAVE EVERYTHING CLEAN, on Saturday night, something nice for tea, and also for Sunday morning breakfast. Let the approach of the Sabbath be anticipated in all things, with pleasure. Stay at home with the children on Sabbath evening, and finish the day with a sacred concert.

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ALLOW NO HOLES, or corners in the house, in drawers, on shelves, or in closets, for the stowing away of dirty rags, old bottles, grease-pots, and broken crockery. When bottles are emptied, let them be cleaned, and put down in the cellar, until they are wanted. Harbor no dirty grease pots, and when an article is broken past recovery, throw it away at once; there is no use in keeping it to collect dust, and cobwebs.

MAKE A POINT of examining safe, refrigerator, closets, drawers, and all receptacles for food, and kitchen articles, at least as often as once a week, either Saturday, or washing day. Look into pickle jars, bread jars, cake jars, butter tubs, apple, and potato barrels, everything in fact, examine their condition, see if they are kept covered and clean, and that food put away, is not left to spoil, or be wasted.

THE FEWER SERVANTS THE BETTER--two requires a third to wait upon them, and so on ad infinitum. Have good servants however, pay good wages, and make them responsible for their work.

IF IT IS POSSIBLE, and when there is a will there is a way, call your household together, after breakfast every morning, and have domestic worship, be it ever so short. A verse of a hymn, a passage from the Bible, and just a few words of heartfelt prayer, and praise, sets everything right for the day, smooths ruffled tempers, and puts the domestic machine in nicely running order. It is also no bad preparation for the temptations and annoyances of business.

BEFORE SWEEPING a room, have the furniture, and especially all the small articles, dusted and removed. This keeps them looking fresh, and new.

WEAR PRETTY MORNING DRESSES; they are inexpensive, and easily preserved from injury, by a large calico apron enveloping the skirt of the dress, and sleeves of the same kind, gathered into a band, top, and bottom, and extending over the elbows. These can be slipped on and off in a minute, and with a bib added to the


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apron in front, affords complete protection, while engaged in dusting, making pastry, and the like.

ALWAYS HAVE YOUR TABLE served neatly, and then if friends "happen in," you will not be ashamed to ask them to share your meal. Be hospitable, if it is only a crust, and a cup of cold water; if it is clean and good of its kind, there is no reason to blush for it; the hearty welcome will make amends for the absence of rich viands.

IF CHILDREN WANT ANYTHING between meals, which they should not, give them a cracker, or an apple; do not encourage an irregular and unhealthy appetite, by giving them pie, cake, or ginger-bread.

RULES FOR EATING.

1. Eat slowly as if it was a pleasure you desired to prolong, rather than a duty to be got rid of as quickly as possible.

2. Don't bring your prejudices, your dislikes, your annoyances, your past misfortunes, or future forebodings, to the table--they would spoil the best dinner.

3. Respect the hours of meals, you have no right to injure the temper of the cook, destroy the flavor of the viands, and the comfort of the family, by your want of punctuality.

4. Have as much variety in your food as possible, but not many dishes served at one time.

5. Find as little fault with the food prepared as possible, and praise whenever you can.

6. Finally, be thankful, if you have not meat, that you have at least an appetite, and hope for something more and better in the future.

> THE USE OF FUEL.

There is no department of housekeeping in which our national spirit of waste and extravagance is more clearly exemplified, than


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in our use of fuel. Even the enormous advance in prices has led to no retrenchment or reform in this respect. Coal and wood are just as recklessly as ever, shovelled into the cellar. Bridget makes the same blazing fires, subject to no supervision, except a faint, general direction, to "sift the cinders every morning;" and Bridget says "yes'm" as usual, but there being nobody to see, or know whether she does or not, in nineteen cases out of twenty, she does not do it.

Every little while through the day, the fires are raked down, and fresh coal put on, the dampers of stove or range left wide open, and for so much cooking as a cup of tea, or a dish of potatoes, a fresh fire built with range made red hot, and as much fuel wasted as would have cooked a thanksgiving dinner.

GRATE FIRES.

These are generally considered as requiring a great deal of coal, and so they do, under the usual system of management in this country. But let us see how they manage grate fires in England.

The grate is cleared, with the exception of a few scattering cinders, which forms a sort of body, for the paper, which is torn up in small pieces, and crushed down, and the wood, which is neatly and compactly laid "across and across." When the largest and best cinders remaining are picked out and thrown on, a match is applied, cinders are still put on wherever they are needed to catch the blaze, and when the wood is burnt down, and the cinders are all a-glow, fresh coal is used to fill up the grate. The ashes are then sifted, the cinders, which are fine and small, damped, and when the fire has burned red through, without the use of the blower, the wet cinders are thrown on the top. In this way a grate fire will last through a whole day with once replenishing, and keep a room warmer than we do, without blaze, our frequent use of the blower, and reckless waste of fuel.

> KITCHEN RANGES.

Nearly all of these are built on the air tight principle, and should be kept closed up tight all the time. The fire will be found to burn equally well, though more moderately; the oven will be always hot, and cooking can be done slowly, as it ought, on the


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top of the range, with much less trouble, and infinitely better than if "rushed through," at a red heat.

> PARLOR HEATERS.

These new heaters are very good for small houses; we used one for years, with great satisfaction, and found it quite as efficient, and much safer, more convenient and more economical than a furnace.

Parlor heaters are fitted into the wall, and take up no more room than a grate; they should be attended to with regularity, and then the fire will hardly ever need to go out; once in two months is quite as often as it requires to be made up fresh. At night, wetted cinders should be thrown on the fire so as to thickly cover it while it is good, and the dampers shut up close; these will keep the fire almost intact till the next morning, when a thorough raking down will be needed. A parlor heater properly managed, burns out about as much coal as one large grate or two small stoves; but excepting in the very coldest weather, it will comfortably heat the whole house.

> SPRING FUEL.

Coke is excellent fuel for spring and fall, if it is carefully and rightly used; but if it is mixed with hard coal and thrown on a kitchen fire by a reckless servant, at discretion, it becomes equally extravagant and useless. Coke makes a bright, hot fire, kindles easily, and goes out easily; but it can also be made to last a long while, by packing it a little on top, and neglecting to rake it down. This is the method for early spring, when fires are required in the morning and evening, but not much through the sunshiny part of the day.

A great saving is effected in spring fuel, by putting the "slack" from coal, in a heap by itself, and with it, ashes from which the cinders have not been taken. Dampen the heap occasionally with a little water, and add to it, whenever there is material. Doing this through the coldest weather will form a sort of compost, hard and insoluble, which can be broken apart, and furnishes splendid fuel for spring grate fires, or for parlor heaters.

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> SOUPS.

> STOCKS.

Stock is the foundation of soups, and also of good gravies, sauces, and the like. A French cook can do nothing without the stock pot, and keeps it supplied in a way that is both useful, and economical.

Stock can be made to keep for a considerable time, and be used for many purposes, if occasional additions are made, and the whole of the liquor re-scalded. It may be made from meat, or from bones, or from both, or it may be made from bones with the addition of refuse meat, the trimmings of regular joints. Chicken and turkey bones may be thrown in, and will help to enrich, and give flavor to the preparation. Any kind of bones with a little meat upon them, will make good stock, if they are simmered, not boiled, long enough, and beef, mutton, veal, poultry, and other bones may be stewed together. In stewing them down, use the liquor if you have it, in which other meat has been boiled, so that nothing may be wasted. Shank bones, trimmings from chops, any thing of this sort may be thrown in, simmered all day, then poured into a jar, and the fat removed the next morning. It is then frequently a jelly, and ready to convert into soup, with the aid of herbs, and vegetables--or kept for other uses. Stock sours very soon after the vegetables have been boiled in it, so it is best not to put the vegetables in till needed for soup.

If your stock is made of meat, or partly of meat, cut it up fine, and always put it on in cold water, if the water is hard, put a pinch of soda in it. This will extract all the pieces of the bones and meat. If on the contrary, you want to boil meat, and retain its pieces, put it on in boiling water. [See the Principles of Cooking.]

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STOCK FROM BONES.

Take the bones of a sirloin of beef, break them into half a dozen pieces or more, put them in the stock pot with a gallon of cold water; and let them simmer gently for five or six hours. Then take it off, strain it--it ought to make about two quarts--and set it aside for several hours, or over night. When cold, skim off the fat. Then return it to the pot with a turnip, and a large carrot cut up in two or three pieces, two onions, a bunch of sweet herbs, a sprig or two of parsley, and a head of celery if it can be obtained, or a teaspoonful of celery-seed tied in a piece of muslin. Let these simmer together gently for two hours, adding boiling water to keep the quantity two quarts, and putting in also while boiling a little salt and a large lump of sugar; when done, strain it off into a jar, and you have a good stock, which can be kept several days, in a cool place in winter, or by being boiled over each day, in summer.

STOCK WITHOUT MEAT.

Put into a stew pan ten carrots, as many turnips and onions cut in small pieces, two lettuces, two sticks of celery, a handful of chervil, half a cabbage and a parsnip cut in slices; add to these three ounces of butter and a quart of water; stew them till the liquid is nearly dried up, and then fill the stewpan with water; add a quart of peas, green or dried, according to the season, two chives, some pepper and salt; stew slowly three or four hours and strain through a colander for use.

BRAN STOCK.

Put a large handful of bran into a quart of water, boil and leave to simmer till the quantity is reduced to half. This will do excellently for the thickening of meat soup. It will make very good soup of itself, if onions, salt and pepper, with a few vegetables, are mixed in it. It will also be good sweetened with molasses or honey.

COW HEEL STOCK.

A cow heel in two quarts of water will make first rate stock, but


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do not get boiled cow heels. The others take more boiling, but make much richer stock, and may be used more than once.

FOUR QUARTS OF BROWN STOCK.

Heat an iron pot and rub the bottom with garlic. Put in ten pounds of shin of beef, fresh killed, and a pint of water; let it stand by the fire for an hour, then add three quarters of a pound of lean ham, three onions, three carrots, a small head of celery, four cloves, six allspice, ten peppercorns, a table-spoonful of brown sugar, a tea-spoonful of mustard, a tea-spoonful of salt, a large black onion, and six quarts of water. Simmer and skim frequently for six hours. Strain into an earthen dish, and when cold, remove the fat; a fine hair sieve dipped in cold water is good to strain it with.

FOUR QUARTS OF WHITE STOCK.

Put into an iron pot a knuckle of veal, about seven pounds, a cow heel, and an old fowl; add a turnip, two onions, a lettuce, a blade of mace, quarter of a nutmeg, half a pound of lean ham, a tea-spoonful of salt, a small bunch of sweet herbs, and six quarts of water. Simmer gently, and skim frequently, for six hours. Strain into an earthen dish, and when cold, take off the fat.

COMMON SOUP.

Take the neck, shanks, scraps of fresh meat, or old fowls. Let your meat, beef, mutton, fowls, or game, be cut into small pieces, and the bones cracked up well. Put the pieces into a pot and cover them with as much water as will stew them into rags; stew them very slowly, then pour in some boiling water, and keep the soup boiling to within a few minutes of serving. Skim it entirely free from grease. Take out whatever you wish to set away for the next day before you put in the vegetables. Now cut up vegetables (previously cooked by themselves), in it slice potatoes, okra, turnips, carrots, any vegetable you like, or rice or barley. If there is any vegetable,--for instance, onions, cabbage, or tomatoes,--which you wish to give distinctive character to your soup, use that vegetable entirely, in connection with potatoes and okra, which give consistency without any very discernible taste. If your soup lacks


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richness, a few spoonfuls of drawn butter will help; if consistency, some gelatine may be dissolved in it. A bouquet of sweet herbs is indispensable. A rich soup is sometimes flavored with wine or catsup. It is as well to offer these articles to each person, as also the castor at the table.
Vermicelli or macaroni may be used as a substitute for okra.

SOUP OR STOCK FROM ONE POUND OF BEEF.

Take one pound of lean beef, free from fat, mince it finely and add to it its own weight of cold water; heat it very slowly to boiling, two or three hours is not too much, let it boil briskly a minute or two, strain it through a towel. Mix the liquid with salt and other seasoning, tinge it darker with roast onions or burnt sugar. Dr. Liebig says this forms the best soup that can be prepared from one pound of flesh.

FISH SOUPS.

A variety of good soups can be made of fish by stewing them down in the same manner as meat, with the same addition of vegetables and herbs. If the skin is coarse, strip it off before using the fish, and when stewing skim off the oily particles.

WINTER SOUP.

Take a shin of beef, boil it in two gallons of water down to one gallon; pour it out after removing the bones, and let it cool. This will be one mass of jelly, from which as much can be taken daily as may be needed in the quantity of soup desired. Stew the vegetables or cook the rice, split peas, beans, and add all together with as much water as may be necessary, and let it boil well.

SORREL SOUP WITHOUT MEAT.

Wash a handful of sorrel, add some chervil, lettuce, and leeks; chop all very fine, and stew with salt and butter; when the vegetables are done enough, add some stock without meat or water. Let it stew again, and before you serve, add the yolks of three or four eggs well beaten, with some cream or good milk, taking care it does not boil after the eggs are added. Season to taste. Sorrel is prepared for winter in jars, first chopped, then pounded and seasoned. It must be closely covered.

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RABBIT SOUP.

Cut up your rabbit and put it into a soup-pot, with a ham bone, a bunch of sweet herbs, a bay leaf, an onion stuck with cloves, some whole pepper, and let it simmer till the meat is tender, then cut off the meat into neat squares, return the bones and trimmings into the soup, and let it simmer till the meat is in rags; then strain it, and thicken it with flour and butter, mixed on the fire, without being browned; add a pint of highly seasoned stock, or if desired a pint of red wine--port is best--season to taste and let all simmer together with the meat that was cut off. Serve hot.

SPRING SOUP.

Cut an equal quantity of carrots, turnips, onions and leeks; stew them in some good stock; then add some French beans, peas, bean cucumbers, asparagus tops, lettuces, sorrel and chervil; add a little bit of white sugar; let these reduce to nearly a glaze; then add them to some stock thickened with grean peas rubbed through a tammy. The soup might be thickened, to vary it, with asparagus rubbed through a tammy; in this case all the vegetables should be strained off, and some asparagus tops served only in the soup.

SOUP FOR INVALIDS.

Boil two pounds of lean veal and a quarter of a pound of pearl barley in a quart of water very slowly, until it becomes of the consistency of cream. Pass it through a fine sieve and salt it to taste. Flavor it with celery seed, if the taste be liked, or use fresh celery, if in season,--a very small quantity would suffice. It should simmer very slowly. This soup is very nourishing.

GUMBO.

Take a large fowl, cut in pieces, beat up and fry very brown, and make with it a highly seasoned and rich gravy. Cut into it a half gallon of tender green okra, as many ripe tomatoes, and pour on three pints of boiling water; boil until the vegetables are of the softest consistency, and chicken in rags. Stir in a heaping tablespoon of young sassafras leaves, dried and reduced to a


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powder. Strain into your dish hot. When well made this will almost rope like candy. Pepper, onions, and sweet herbs are used profusely in this soup, with salt to savor it.

WHITE SOUP.

Put four or five turnips, four leeks, two heads of celery, washed and sliced, into the saucepan with a piece of butter and a knuckle of ham; add a quart of stock, and let all stew together till tender. When nearly done, put in a pint of milk and some small pieces of bread; boil up two or three times, strain it and serve it hot.

MOCK TURTLE SOUP.

Parboil a calf's head divided, and cut all the meat in small pieces; then break the bones and boil them in some beef broth; fry some shalots in butter, add flour to thicken, and stir it in; skim it carefully while it boils up, and add a pint of white wine; let it simmer till the meat is perfectly tender, then put in some chives, parsley, basil, salt, cayenne, soy, and mushroom catsup to your taste, and boil it in for ten minutes; squeeze a little lemon juice into your tureen, pour your soup on it, and serve with force meat balls.

SHEEP'S-HEAD SOUP.

Cut the liver and lights into pieces, and stew them in four quarts of water, with some onions, carrots, and turnips, half pound of pearl barley, pepper, salt, cloves, and a little marjoram, parsley and thyme. Stew all these until nearly done enough, then put in the head and boil it until quite tender, then it should be taken out and everything strained from the liquor. Let this stand till cool, then take off the fat, and thicken it with butter and flour in the same way as mock turtle. A glass of wine may be put into the tureen if desired, before pouring in the soup.

CONCORD SOUP.

Three pounds of neck of beef, one cowheel, one pennyworth of carrots and turnips, part of a head of celery, one bunch of tied up sweet herbs, four onions browned, one pint of peas, all put together


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into three quarts of water. After boiling for some hours, to be well strained before serving up.

CALF'S HEAD SOUP BROWNED.

Strain the liquor the head was boiled in, and set it away until next day; take off all the fat; fry an onion in a little butter in the soup pot, dredge in a little flour, stir until brown; cut up two carrots, two onions, two turnips, and whatever is left of the head, in inch pieces, put them in with the stock, a dozen cloves, pepper and salt; boil it about two hours; braid up a little flour and butter, stir it into the soup, and boil about ten minutes; add, if desired, half a tumbler of red wine; serve hot.

BROWN GRAVY SOUP.

Cut a few onions in pieces, fry them in dripping brown; cut three pounds of beef in pieces, brown this also, stirring and turning both meat and onions as they fry, then put them in the saucepan with a carrot, a turnip cut small, and a little celery if you have it, or two seeds of celery, add three quarts of water to this, stir all together with a little pepper and salt; simmer very slowly and skim off what rises; in three or four hours the soup will be clear. When served, add a little vermicelli, which should have previously been boiled in water; the liquor should be carefully poured off through a sieve.

CHICKEN SOUP.

Take two large old fat chickens; chop up the pieces and mash the bones. Put in a few slices of boiled ham if not too strong. Stew slowly until in rags. Then pour on three quarts of boiling water, and boil it down to half a gallon. Chop up the chickens' hearts, the yolks of four hard boiled eggs, and stir, with a tea cup half full of grated bread crumbs, into a cup of rich sweet cream; strain the soup, return it to the kettle with a bouquet of herbs, boil five minutes, stir in the cream, etc., and take it off quickly.
Any soup of fowl or game may be made in the same way.
Instead of the thickening prepared as above, you may boil in it some rice, or use vermicelli, or macaroni, previously simmered until soft.

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OYSTER SOUP.--1.

Take a shin of veal, put it in a pot with three quarts of water, and a head of celery, pepper, and salt; boil it three hours; then strain it all through a sieve; add a small piece of butter, braided in a table-spoonful of flour; stir it in and give it one boil; have ready, washed out of the liquor, one gallon of oysters; strain the liquor into the soup, let it boil up, then put in the oysters with a spoonful of mushroom sauce; give it one boil and send it to the table very hot.

OYSTER SOUP.--2.

Slice some onions, fry them a light brown in a quarter of a pound of butter, then put them on the fire to stew in some stock, as much as required for your soup,--about half an hour is sufficient; before you serve, add two or three dozen of oysters, with their liquor strained. Thicken with the yolks of three eggs, and season it with white pepper, mace, and salt; it must not boil after the eggs are put in, but thicken like custard. Any kind of good broth or stock makes the foundation. Some add to this before the eggs are put in, a glass of white wine.

OYSTER SOUP.--3.

Mix one pint of water with whatever liquor you can drain from two quarts of fresh oysters. When this liquor comes to a full boil, put the oysters in, and boil until nearly done; then pour in a quart of fresh milk. Season with salt, pepper, and a blade of mace. If you prefer the soup a little thick, powder a half dozen crackers fine, and sift them into it.

OYSTER MOUTH SOUP.

First make a rich mutton broth, pour it on the oysters. Add a small piece of butter rolled in flour, let it simmer gently for about quarter of an hour, then serve it in a dish with crackers in the bottom.

ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH GREEN PEAS.

After cutting the greenest part of the asparagus into pieces


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about an inch or two long, blanch them in boiling water until quite done; add some good stock to it and strain it. Boil the pieces separately, add them to the soup and serve toasted bread with it, if desired.

GREEN PEA SOUP

Take some young carrots, turnips, onions, celery, and cabbage lettuces; cut them in slices, and put them into a stewpan with a little butter, and some lean ham cut in pieces. Cover them closely and let them stew for a short time. Fill up with stock sufficient for the soup required, and let it boil until the vegetables are quite soft, adding a few leaves of mint and the crust of a roll; pound all, and having boiled a quart of peas, as green as you can, strain them off and pound them also; mix them with the rest of the ingredients and pass through a sieve. Heat it, and season with salt, pepper and sugar; add a few young boiled peas, and use the spinach to restore it.

PEA SOUP WITHOUT MEAT.

Boil a pint of split peas in two quarts of water for four or five hours, or until quite tender. Then add two turnips, two carrots, a stick of celery, and some potatoes all cut in pieces. When tender, pulp it through a sieve. Cut a large onion in slices and fry it in butter and flour, to thicken the soup. Season to taste. If desired, a ham bone or a piece of beef can be stewed with the peas, to be taken out when the soup is pulped through the sieve. Serve with the soup pieces of bread fried crisp in butter.

ENGLISH PEA SOUP.

Take a half of a shin of beef, some beef and ham bones, and, if possible, a knuckle of veal, and boil all together, in a gallon of water, with a little salt. Clear it of the scum, as it rises, and have ready a quart of split peas, which have been soaked in cold water over night. Boil the meat very slowly, for two hours, then put in the peas, which will have absorbed the water, with a root of celery, and two or three carrots scraped, and cut in pieces. Sift in, also, a little dried mint, and season to taste. Cook slowly, stirring often with a wooden spoon, for four hours.

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ARTICHOKE SOUP.

Have a knuckle of veal (weighing about five pounds) for dinner. When all have dined, return the bones into the stewpan, with the liquor in which it was boiled, a nice, white onion, and two turnips. Boil some Jerusalem artichokes in milk, (skim milk will do,) then beat up all with the liquor, which, of course, must be first strained, then thickened with a small quantity of flour rubbed smooth in a tea cup, with a little milk. Use white pepper for the seasoning, to keep the color pure.

PARSNIP SOUP.

Cut in pieces half a dozen parsnips, a head of celery, and two onions; stew them in two quarts of stock until they are tender, take them out and pulp them through a coarse sieve, and pour the pulp back into the soup, flavor with pepper and salt, and before serving pour in a little milk.

CARROT SOUP.

Take half a gallon of stock; add three turnips, six carrots, three or four onions, and let them stew till tender. Take out the vegetables, strain the soup; take off the red part of the carrots, and rub it through a colander, make the soup about as thick as cream, with the pulped carrot. Heat it well through and serve.

COLANDERED SOUP.

Boil in water some peas with salt, pepper, and any vegetables. When quite soft mash the whole and bray through a sieve or colander. Instead of split peas you may use carrots, turnips, asparagus, or green peas, etc., as the staple. Put your colandered vegetables back into the pot, and if you have any stock, thin the soup with it; if you have no stock, thin with water, or milk and water. Boil up, and your dish is fit for table.

BARLEY SOUP.

In four quarts of water put two pounds of trimmings or odd pieces of meat, a quarter of a pound of pearl barley, four sliced onions, salt and pepper, with a little parsley, if you have it. Simmer for three hours or more.

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FRENCH SOUP.

Put first a gallon of water to a sheep's head nicely cleaned, then reduce it to half the quantity, and add a teacupful of pearl barley, half a dozen large onions, a turnip, a carrot, a bunch of sweet herbs, pepper, salt, cloves, and a little mushroom or walnut catsup. Strain all off, cut part of the head in pieces and serve it in the soup, with a small quantity of white wine.

PUMPKIN SOUP.

Take three pounds of ripe pumpkin, peel and remove the seeds, cut into pieces of moderate size, and place in a stewpan over the fire with a pint of water; let it boil slowly till soft, strain off all the water, and pass the pumpkin through a colander; return the pulp into the stew pan adding nearly three pints of milk, one ounce or more of butter, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a few lumps of loaf sugar; boil for ten minutes, stirring often. Pour it boiling into the dish, on very thin slices of bread. The sugar improves the flavor, but may be omitted. It can be seasoned with a blade of mace or a little nutmeg.

GOURD SOUP.

Cut two pounds of the gourd into large slices, put it into a pan with three ounces of butter, two tea-spoonfuls of salt, two of moist sugar, a little pepper, and half a pint of water; set on the fire and stew gently for twenty minutes. When reduced to a pulp, add two table-spoonfuls of flour, stir and moisten with three pints of new milk; boil with care ten minutes longer, and serve with toast in slices. Vegetable marrow is equally good, made into soup according to this receipt.

ONION SOUP WITH MILK.

Slice some onions into a stew pan, with a piece of dripping, or lard, and a little flour. When brown add a quart of boiling milk, pepper, salt, and any cold cooked vegetables at hand. Boil up once or twice, and you have a delicious food, without meat or stock.

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ONION SOUP WITH WATER.

Slice some onions into a stewpan, with any grease at hand, and keep them moving about till half brown, then sift in a little flour or fine bread-crumbs, and brown well. Now add a quart of boiling hot water, with salt,