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The Helping Hand Club
Tissue IRo. I
COOKERY
FOR
WORKING-MEN'S WIVES
REPRINTED FROM
Reports from ttje Cottsttla of tfje WimtzU states,
No. 107.
<&-Z.#£
NEW ALMADEN
1890
The Helping Hand Club
Ussue IRo. I
COOKERY
FOR
WORKING-MEN'S WIVES
REPRINTED FROM
fteports from tfje Consuls of tfje 8&m'teD States,
No. 107.
Off TEW ■
7BESIT
NEW ALMADEN
1890
VY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1888.
A Miners' Club-House.
A social organization known as the " Help-
ing Hand " was organized a few years ago at
the New Almaden quicksilver mines, Santa
Clara county. The company supplied a build-
ing for the club-house, and this is well fur-
nished and arranged for social purposes. Mr.
Randol, the manager of the company, con-
ceived the idea of fitting up a comfortable hall,
with reading-room and kitchen attached, and
this was carried out successfully. All who pay
$1 a month to the " Miners' Fund " are entitled
to the privileges and can come to the hall when
open, play games, read, or take a cup of tea,
chocolate or coffee, with cake. No gambling or
drinking of spirituous liquors is allowed. Smok.
ing is permitted in the main hall, also games,
and in the reading-room no smoking or talking
is allowed. There is a good library, and all the
magazines and daily and weekly papers are kept
on file.
The attendance is good, the rooms being very
generally frequented in the evenings. There is
a cook-room where light refreshments are serv-
ed at moderate cost. Entertainments of vari-
ous kinds are given in the hall. Most of the
amusements are arranged by the residents and
are free. There are sometimes dramatic enter-
tainments given by outsiders at which an ad-
misBion is charged, the main ha ll or auditorium
being fitted with a stage and scenery, so that it
is possible for small companies to render plays
there.
The Helping Hand Society is almost wholly
oonducted by the mine management. The
'•Miners' Fund," by which it is maintained, is
made up by monthly contributions of $1 from
each adult employe of the company. The build-
ing of the society is shown in the accom-
panying engraving, which was made direct
' from a photograph taken by Mr. Bulmore, one
of the officers of the mine, who is a skillful
amateur photographer.
*&
(o
IMIVISSITTJ
w
OF tB3«
COOKERY
FQR
WORKING-MEN'S WIVES
REPORT BY UNITED STATES CONSUL UNDERWOOD, OF GLASGOW.
I have the honor to state that I was lately invited to be present
at a " demonstration" of a school for women in cooking and other
branches of domestic economy. I should not, perhaps, be justified
in making this report if the instruction followed ordinary lines.
The novelty consists partly in cheapness, and having seen a good,
palatable, and nutritious meal for six persons prepared at a cost
of Is. (24 cents), and having observed the ameliorating influences
flowing out from the school, I have thought some account of it
might be of use in certain crowded districts of the United States,
where the advice and assistance of the benevolent is needed.
The school was established three years ago in Govan, a large
ship-building town adjoining Glasgow, by Mrs. John Elder, widow
of the well-known ship-builder, and all the expenses thus far have
been paid by her. It is held in Broomloan Hall, belonging to the
Established Presbyterian Church, under the charge of Rev. Dr.
Macleod, who, with Mrs. Macleod, has taken an active part in
promoting the work.
The teacher, Miss Martha H. Gordon, is a sensible and practical
woman,' and has shown great tact in gaining the good-will and
sympathy of those among whom she has labored. This confidence
appears to be an indispensable prerequisite ; the distrustful attitude
of those needing help often frustrates any attempt to benefit them.
4 # COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN S WIVES.
The school, though primarily aiming at humble things, seems likely
to have the broader effect of raising the plane of life and morals.
The pupils are in two classes (1), mothers and unmarried women
over twenty, and (2) girls of twenty and under. Girls are not
generally received until they have left school. Each class meets
twice a week for lessons in cooking and once a week for darning
and mending. Instruction is also given in starching and ironing.
In the leisure hours of every day Miss Gordon goes, as a friendly
adviser, to houses in the district, wherever she is asked — some-
times to pupils' houses, sometimes to others — giving practical in-
structions upon all household matters. The mothers' class this
last season numbered over two hundred, the younger class about
one hundred and thirty. The attendance was naturally more
regular in the latter. The numbers in both classes have been far
too large for one teacher. From seventy -five to one hundred should
be the maximum number, and for the next season additional
teachers will be employed.
The two classes represent about two hundred families, all of
which, and a great many more, have been often visited by the
teacher. The pupils are the wives and daughters of workmen in
ship-yards and machine-shops, and of common laborers. The
teacher thinks there is a visible improvement in the condition of
at least thirty families, with hopeful signs in more. The gain is
in personal neatness, in manners, speech, and general tone. The
houses are more tidy and the children better clothed, and there
are other cheerful signs, such as flower-pots in the windows. The
teacher thinks the younger pupils will be lifted permanently, and
not relapse when they become mothers of families. At present the
chief obstacle in the way of improvement is the want of education.
The girls read fairly, but write with difficulty.
The heads of these families earn from 15.s. to 25s. per week
($3.75 to $6.25). For a " house" of one room (meaning one room
in an apartment house) the rent is from £0 to £7 per annum ($29.10
to $34.02); for a house of two rooms from £7 to £9 ($34.02 to
$43.74). The taxes, water, and gas amount to about one-fifth as
much as the rent in addition. A very little arithmetic is necessary
to show how small a sum is left for clothing and food. From
these statements the importance of a system of instruction by which
food can be prepared at a low cost will be evident,
In many respects the instruction has been general — that is, as
to the ways and means by which all successful cooking is best
carried on ; but the materials have been chosen with rigid economy,
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN S WIVES. O
so as to produce satisfactory results with the least money. It is
easy enough to cook good dinners when there is an unlimited
larder.
Mrs. Elder offered a series of prizes in money and in books, from
£2 ($9.72) downwards, and on the day of the " demonstration"
there was a long show of bowls filled with hotch-potch (a broth
with an abundance of minced vegetables), of oat-cake, and of
" scones" (thin wheaten cakes, made light with baking-powder).
There were shown, also, specimens of mending clothes, of darning
stockings, of ironing shirts, etc. The teacher, assisted by two
pupils, stood upon a platform before the cooking range, and went
through all the operations required to prepare and cook a meal.
Every process and mode of manipulation was explained step by
step. This occupied nearly two hours, and there were produced
several excellent dishes ; a fish soup, a kidney and liver soup, and
a meat pie were the most successful. The fish soup was made of a
large cod's head, with the addition of rice, onions, and potatoes.
The kettle contained over 6 quarts, and the cost was a little more
than sixpence. The meat pie is called " sea pie," because it is in
general use among sailors. The peculiar excellence of Miss Gor-
don's method is in making the meat tender and the crust light and
not greasy. The flavor was excellent. The exact cost of each
dish was given.
The competition was not for the production of any one dish.
Each competitor furnished in writing a plan for a series of fourteen
dinners for a family of six, no dinner to exceed Is. (24 cents) in
cost, the price and quantity of each ingredient to be stated. One
dinner was produced by each, for which the soup was broth. Each
competitor also baked scones and oat-cakes.
After the examination of the specimens of cookery, mending,
etc., the company adjourned to the large hall. The chair was
taken by Dr. McLean, surgeon-general of the British army, who
made a speech full of good sense and of practical knowledge, and
with a clearness and beauty of phrase that left nothing to be de-
sired. The hall was completely filled by the pupils and their
families and friends. The prizes were given to the successful
competitors, and a large number of books were bestowed upon
other meritorious pupils. The scene was really affecting, mainly
on account of the condition of the people interested. The
bestowal of honors at a university was a commonplace affair in
comparison.
The time will soon come, if it has not come already, when
j|I7BJSIt
V
6 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
efforts of the kind here described will be needed in the more
populous districts of the United States, and without depreciating
the benevolent institutions which aim to diffuse intellectual and
moral influences among the working people, I submit that showing
them how to live comfortably upon their small wages and inducing
them to cultivate habits of order, neatness, and self-respect is not
less important.
F. H. UNDERWOOD,
United States Consulate, Consul.
Glasgow, September 6, 1888.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN S WIVES.
[Inclosure in Consul Underwood's report.]
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
(By Martha H. Gordon, as taught in Mrs. John Elder's domestic cookery classes, at Govan, near
Glasgow, Scotland.)
PREFACE.
One of the principal objects of the instruction in domestic
economy provided and organized in Govan some years ago by
Mrs. John Elder, is to teach plain and economical cookery to
women in classes, and especially at their homes.
Since this movement was begun, domestic economy has been
more largely taken up by school-boards in classes from the fifth
standard upwards. Obviously, however, great need still exists,
and must continue to exist — many children leaving the schools
before they reach the fifth standard — for instruction of the kind,
and given in the mode contemplated by Mrs. Elder. The recipes
in this little cookery book are among those which I have been in
the habit of teaching and illustrating, in fulfillment of the duties
assigned to me by Mrs. Elder. They are here printed in the hope
that they may be useful, not only to those attending the classes
here and in the homes of Govan, but to the wives and daughters
of artisans elsewhere. Some recipes for more advanced cookery
have been added, together with directions in regard to washing,
sanitary hints, etc. But it will be observed that the great aim kept
in view is to help working-men's wives to provide thoroughly good
and nutritrious food for their families at the smallest possible cost.
Some of the ingredients are, perhaps, not commonly used, but
the use of them does not involve much trouble, and they will be
found to make nutritious and substantial meals.
(1) Let me say, do not despise the importance of proper food to
the human body. In order to nourish properly every part of the
human body food should be carefully prepared and often varied.
It is one of the duties of women, and a very important one, to
attend to this. The mother of a family should grudge no trouble
to gain skill and knowledge as to the best method of providing
nourishing and palatable food for her husband and children. My
experience has shown me that there are very many good, nutritious
8 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEX's WIVES.
dishes to be made at exceedingly small cost. Unhappily, there are
comparatively few who will take enough thought or trouble to
prepare them. How many homes would be healthier, brighter,
and happier if our women could only be brought to see how much
depends on them, and bestir themselves in the matter.
(2) Do not despise the use of what are called scraps of meat.
Scraps of meat, which can be got cheap from the butcher, will, with
care and attention, make good pies and stews, and are as nutritious
as more expensive cuts. A working-man's wife who studies
economy and tries by careful cooking to get all the nourishment
possible out of food will be able to feed her family on a tenth of
what one who is careless and ignorant requires.
(3) The great art in cooking is to keep in all the nutrition, salts,
etc., of our foods, and to prevent them from being wasted in vapor
up the chimney or through the house. All foods, whether heat-
giving, flesh-forming, or stimulant, should therefore be cooked so
as to keep in their several juices and flavors. All foods over or
under done are wasteful.
(4) Of the various modes of cooking I think one of the most
economical, if attended to, is stewing. A clean pot with a close lid
is required for stewing. After the stew is in the pot and warm do
not remove the lid till it is ready, but give the pot a shake once or
twice to keep it from sticking, and when done you will have a dish
with all the nourishment and flavor in it.
(5) To boil meat for soup put it in cold water, to dissolve all the
juices. To boil meat so as to keep in the juices put it in boiling
water and boil fast for ten minutes, to form a crust to keep in the
juices, then simmer.
(6) All bones for soup should be boiled for some hours, when
the fire is not otherwise in use, so as to take all the goodness out of
them, and this has not been done until they are perfectly light.
The common practice of taking only two hours to boil a bone for
soup is both careless and extravagant. If you wish to make a
penn}'- go as far as possible by preventing the loss from any article
of food you cook of a single element of flavor or nutritiveness,
which is the object of perfect and economical cookery, remember
to boil long and slowty, keeping the lid of your pot on as much as
possible. By this means a pot of soup costing only a few pennies
will be more savory and enjoyable than one costing many shillings
and carelessly made.
(7) Some sweet herbs, such as thyme, marjoram, mint, etc. (which
can be grown at your windows), or a little celery seeds and two or
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES. 9
three cloves tied in a bit of muslin are a great improvement to
many soups and stews.
(8) It is much better, when you can, to grate your vegetables ;
both the flavor and color is better than when boiled and put
through a sieve.
(9) In selecting vegetables see that they are perfectly fresh.
After washing and trimming them, leave them in cold water and
salt for an hour, so as to get rid of any slugs and make them crisp
if drooping. To cook green vegetables, such as cabbage, greens,
etc., have plenty of water with salt and a little soda in it, and when
quite boiling put in the vegetables and boil quickly. Do not close
lid of pot, and remove all scum as it rises. Without attention to
these directions the vegetables will not be a good color. All water
that green vegetables have been boiled in should be taken to the
ash pit, as if put down the sink the smell would be very unpleasant
in the house. With roots, such as turnips, carrots, etc., the lid
may be kept on the pot. Turnips should be peeled rather thickly,
then cut in four, or in slices, and boiled till tender. Carrots are
only scraped, not peeled, then cut lengthways in four, and boiled
till tender. If onions be boiled whole, care must be taken not to
cut their tops too short, as they will fall to pieces. Never leave
vegetables in the water after they are cooked enough.
(10) The following recipes are specially intended for the ordin-
ary kitchen utensils and open fires. Some of them may appear to
be repetitions, but this is not the case, as the same ingredients,
when cooked in a different way, will produce a different result.
Should any of the recipes seem long, it must be remembered that
they, in some cases, give complete dinners, and so contain several
recipes in one.
(11) The quantities specified are, as a rule, given in proportion
suitable for a family from four to six in number, and the prices
given are averages. M. H. Gordon.
PLAIN HOUSEHOLD COOKERY.
Porridge. — To make really good porridge let the water come to
the boiling point before the meal is put in. Pour the meal in from
the left hand in a continuous stream, stirring all the time till it
comes to the boil. In this consists the chief art of porridge making,
and on its being well done depends the smoothness. Allow it to
boil for ten minutes, then add the salt. Salt has a tendency to
harden, and would prevent the meal from swelling. Boil for ten
minutes after the salt has been added. Dish and take with milk.
The quantity and consistency of the porridge must be regulated
by the cook.
Wheat meal porridge. — Have 1 quart of water at the boiling
point ; take three good handfuls, or about 2J teacupfuls, of wheat
meal; pour the meal regularly from the left hand, stirring all the
time. There must be no lumps in it. Boil for ten minutes, add
salt to taste, and boil for ten minutes more. Serve with milk,
treacle, or stewed fruit.
Porridge (for indigestion). — One pound barley meal, 1 pound
oatmeal, 2 pounds wheat meal, 1 pound Indian meal; mix well
together, proceed in the same way as with wheat meal porridge,
but boil for half an hour instead of twenty minutes.
To make a good cup of tea. — One teaspoonful of tea to every
half-pint of water ; have the teapot well rinsed in hot water; put
in the tea, take a piece of paper and close the spout, set the teapot
near the fire, but not so near as to burn, for ten minutes ; have the
water boiling and add ; do not let it stand longer than six minutes
after adding the water. Remove the paper from the spout and you
will find you have a cup of tea with all the aroma in it. Sugar
and cream to taste.
Be sure not to allow the water to boil too long. It is best taken
when it first comes through the boil.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES. 11
Coffee. — One teaspoonful of coffee to each breakfast cup. An
earthenware pot is best ; have it very clean and hot. Put in the
coffee, close the spout to keep in all the aroma, let it stand at the
fire, not too near, for ten minutes ; when the water boils, put it
into the pot and cover close. Do not boil your coffee, but see that
your lid is very close, so that all the fine flavor is preserved.
How to boil eggs. — Put 1 pint of water in a small pan; let it
boil; put in the egg; if small, three minutes will set it; if large,
four minutes. When boiling several eggs see that they are as
nearly as possible the same size. Ten minutes is required to boil
an egg hard.
Poached eggs. — Put 1 pint of water in a small pan, with half a
teaspoonful of salt, and a tablespoonful of vinegar ; let it boil ;
break the egg carefully into the pan, and simmer for four minutes.
Take it out carefully and serve on toast.
French toast. — Break and beat an egg well, add a pinch of salt
and one gill of milk, dip some neat slices of bread in on both sides.
Have your frying-pan with some hot dripping ready, then fry the
bread a light brown.
This is good with stewed rhubarb laid on the top.
A nice breakfast. — One-fourth pound of old cheese, a teacupful
of milk, two eggs, a pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, a small bit of
butter. Cut the cheese very thin, put it into a frying-pan with
half of the milk, butter, pepper and salt. Stir until the cheese is
melted, then add the eggs, well beaten, with the rest of the milk.
Cook for one minute and spread on hot toast.
Eggs stewed with cheese. — One egg for each person. Let them
set in a frying-pan, remove them to a plate. Cut some cheese very
thin; put it on the top of the eggs, with salt and pepper to taste.
Set before the fire or in the oven to swell, and serve hot.
Ham and eggs. — Put your sliced ham on in a cold frying-pan,
turn it two or three times, taking care not to let it burn. When
sufficiently done lay the ham on a nice hot plate. Break the eggs
into a cup, taking care not to break the yolks ; slip one at a time
into the frying-pan and baste with the ham fat. Keep the eggs as
round as possible, lift with a slice, and lay on the ham.
Omelet (plain). — In making an omelet care, should be taken to
have the pan quite hot and perfectly dry. Put into the frying-pan
1 ounce of lard, beat very gently (the lard must not get brown).
The eggs are to be very lightly beaten, only long enough to mix
them and no more. Break 4 eggs into a basin, half a teaspoonful
of salt, and a quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper ; mix, pour into a
12 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
hot pan, and keep mixing quickly, till they are delicately set.
Turn in the edges, let it rest a moment to set, turn it over on a
dish, and serve.
Omelet. — Two eggs, 1 teacupful of milk, 1 tablespoonful of corn
flour, 1 tablespoonful sugar, pinch of salt, teaspoonful essence
vanilla. Put the yolks of the eggs in a basin and stir them till
they are light. Add the milk to them, then add, gradually, to the
corn flour and other ingredients in another basin ; stir till very
smooth; beat the white of the eggs to a snow and add them very
gently with the essence vanilla to the rest of the mixture. Have a
hot frying-pan, put in a little lard and melt, pour in all the mix-
ture, and hold it over a gentle fire for a quarter of an hour, till set
and well risen ; brown the sap before the fire, or bake for a quarter
of an hour in the oven.
Colored eggs for Easter. — Eggs can be dyed a pretty color with
the juice of a beet root, or the peel of onions boiled in the water;
or, if you have a patch of fancy print, bind it round the egg and
boil it, and it will leave the impression. Wash the eggs clean
before boiling. Easter eggs should be boiled for ten minutes.
Kedgeree. — One pound fish, one-fourth pound rice, 3 eggs, 1
ounce butter. Wash rice well, put on in boiling water, and boil
till soft; boil the fish and take away all bones and skin and
separate into flakes. Boil 3 eggs for ten minutes, then throw into
cold water to prevent their turning black, then peel and cut fine.
Drain all the water from the rice, put it on the fire to dry, add the
butter, salt, pepper, fish and eggs (saving one of the yolks), let it
all warm, then dish and grate the yolk of the egg over it.
Pea soup and potatoes. — One pound split peas, 1 Jd ; vegetables,
l^d.; one-fourth stone* potatoes, 1J<1; total, 4Jd
Wash the peas, and leave them soak over night ; put them on
with 1 gallon of the water in which they were soaked, and the
onions cut fine ; boil for one hour and a half, add carrot and
turnip and two potatoes, all grated ; boil for another half hour,
then add a teaspoonful of powdered mint, and serve hot. To be
taken with potatoes.
Barley broth. — One pound mutton or beef bones, Id.; one-half
pound barley, Id. ; one-half pound of peas, Id. ; cabbage, turnip,
carrot, parsnip, leeks, parsley, and celery, Id; total, 4d. In most
places an assorted lot of vegetables can be got for Id. or 2d., accord-
ing to quantity.
Nothing can be more nourishing or wholesome than broth. It
* Note. — The stone equals 14 pounds avoirdupois.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 13
is advisable to make sufficient for two days, as many think the
second day's broth warmed up is the best. It can be made of beef
or mutton. The neck of mutton makes very sweet broth, but some
prefer a cut of boiling beef with marrow. Be sure to have a pot
with a good fitting lid. Put on the meat with 2 gallons of water,
barley, and peas (if peas are used, they must be soaked the night
before), and boil for one hour, then add the cabbage, turnip, carrot,
and parsnip, cut small, and part of the carrot grated. Boil very
slowly with lid closed for half an hour, then add leeks, parsley,
and celery; boil for another half-hour; in all, boil for two hours,
and serve.
Sheep's head broth. — Head and trotters, Qd; barley and peas,
Id. ; mixed vegetables, l^d. ; total, 8Jd.
Get head and trotters singed; have the head split, take out the
brains, wash every part well ; pierce the eyes, and wash the skin
well with the liquor that flows out; scape out the eye cavities with
a knife, then put the head and trotters in a pail of clean water,
with a little salt and soda ; let them steep all night ; take them
out, and scrape them well ; put them in the pot with 1 gallon of
water, a teacupful of peas, and three-fourths of a teacupful of
barley, boil for three-quarters of an hour ; add half a turnip cut in
slices, the other half with carrot, parsnip, and cabbage cut very
small ; add leeks, celery, parsley cut small, and boil for another
hour; dish the broth, and serve head and trotters with the slices
of turnip for garnish. Sheep's head broth requires longer boiling
than other broths.
Fish soup. — Cod head, Id. ; vegetables (carrot, onion and
parsley), l^d.; one-half pound rice, 0|d.; one-half stone potatoes,
2d.; total, 5d.
Get a large cod head, wash it well ; put in on with cold water
(1 gallon), and boil for an hour, then put it through a sieve or
clean coarse cloth ; wash the rice well and add ; cut the onions
very fine, and add ; grate the carrot, and boil very slowly with lid
closed for one hour ; then add chopped parsley and all the fish
taken from the head, with pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot
with potatoes. A little milk will improve the soup. It is very
like oyster soup.
Mock kidney soup and potatoes. — Two pounds of liver, 6d.;
vegetables (carrot, turnip, onion), Id.; one-half stone potatoes, 3d.;
total, lOd
Put on half of the liver with 1 gallon of water ; boil very slowly
for an hour, then take it out, and grate it ; have the other half cut
14 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
in nice, small pieces, and add ; grate the carrot and turnip, and
one potato, but do not add the potato until fifteen minutes before
you take the soup off the fire ; cut the onion very fine, and add it
with the liver, carrot and turnip ; boil very slowly for one and
one-half hours with lid close. Pepper and salt to taste, and serve
hot with potatoes.
Potato soup and fried beans. — One-fourth stone potatoes, \\d.;
bone, Id.; vegetables, Id.; 1 pound haricot beans, l|<i; 2 ounces
dripping, Ofd.; onions, 0|-cl; total, 6d.
Boil the bone for six hours in 1 gallon of water; cut the pota-
toes in six, and add ; cut leeks fine, grate carrot and turnip, and
add; boil for an hour with lid very close, then add a little parsley
cut fine ; pepper and salt to taste. Serve hot.
Beans : Soak the beans for sixteen hours, then boil them for
two and one-half hours; drain them; have a hot pan ready, put
in dripping, with onion cut fine, then add beans, and fry till of a
pale, golden brown.
Rice soup and baked haricot beans. — One-half pound rice, Ofd;
bone, Id; vegetables, Id; 1 pound beans, l%d.; onions, Ohd.; 2
ounces dripping, Ofrf.; salt and pepper to taste; total, 5|d
Soup: Boil the bone for six hours. When you are going to
make your soup see that you have a gallon of the water that the
bone was boiled in ; add the rice, carrot and turnip, grated, leek
cut up small, and a little parsley cut fine; boil for one hour; pep-
per and salt to taste.
Beans : Soak the beans over night ; put them and the onions
cut fine into a dish ; salt and pepper to taste ; add dripping and a
pint of water ; cover with a close fitting lid, and bake in a slow oven
for six hours. A most nutritious and savory dinner.
Rice soup, tripe and potatoes. — Sheep's bag, 2} £ d.; one-half
pound rice, Ofci.; vegetables, Id.; one-fourth stone potatoes, 1J(/.;
total, 5f d.
Clean the tripe well, and boil it slowly for five hours ; take it
out, and cut it up into small pieces, and put it into another sauce-
pan with a pint of stock, keep lid close ; let it simmer for two
hours; to remainder of stock add water to make 1 gallon, add rice,
and let it boil for half an hour slowly ; cut leeks and parsley fine,
grate carrot, and add; boil for another half-hour, and serve hot,
with salt and pepper to taste. Serve tripe with potatoes.
Haricot bean soup and potatoes. — One-fourth stone potatoes,
ljci; 1 pound beans, ljd; vegetables, Id.; onions, OJd; one-fourth
stone potatoes, 1M; total, 6c/.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 15
Wash the beans, and leave them to soak for sixteen hours. Put
into a clean pot with a gallon of water and the onion cut fine.
Boil very carefully and slowly for two hours, then add carrot,
turnip and two potatoes, all grated, and boil for half an hour. Just
before serving add a teaspoonful of powdered sage; salt and pepper
to taste. Serve hot. To be taken with potatoes.
Mulligatawny soup. — A calf's head and feet, 4d.; pepper, salt,
carrot and turnip, Id.; apple, Id.; onion, marjoram, thyme, curry
powder and sugar, Id.; total, Id.
Scald the head and feet in hot water, having about the size of a
nut of soda in the water; then scrape the hair all off, wash clean,
and boil for about two hours; then strain the stock through a sieve
or cloth; take all the meat from the bones, cut into small dice, and
put it back into the soup; add water until you have 1 gallon ; then
cut the apple, onion, and half of the carrot and turnip into small
dice, and fry them in a pan; grate the other half of the turnip and
carrot, and add all to the soup, also a teaspoonful of powdered
marjoram, curry powder, thyme, and sugar, pepper and salt to
taste, and boil for one hour.
Mock cock-a-leekie (very good). — Two pounds veal, Qd,; leeks,
2d.; four cloves, blade of mace, one-half teaspoonful of celery seed,
Id.; total, 9d.
Boil the veal slowly for two hours in 1 gallon of water, with the
cloves, mace and celery seed tied up in a muslin bag. When the
veal has boiled two hours take it out and add the leeks, well
washed and cut fine. Cut up the veal in small pieces, add to soup.
When the leeks have boiled half an hour add the potato, grated;
boil for fifteen minutes ; take out the muslin bag. Salt and pepper
to taste ; serve hot.
Mock turtle soup. — Calf's head, a small piece of the lights, Qd.;
small piece of the liver, one-fourth pound fat pork, 2d.; 1 tea-
spoonful of cinnamon, 1 of allspice, one-half of cloves, one-half of
cayenne pepper, Id.; 1 lemon, Id.; one-half pound flour, 0\d.; 3
potatoes, 0%d.; 3 eggs, 3d; total, Is. 2d.
Wash and soak the head, lights, and liver for some hours.
Boil them very carefully, keeping the lid close. Cut the meat up
into small strips, fry the pork, cut it up into small pieces and add
all to the soup. Veal should have 1 gallon. When it boils put in
the cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cayenne pepper. Grate the rind
of the lemon, add it with the juice to the soup. Grate the three
potatoes and add. Brown the flour before the fire, mix it smooth,
and add; let it all boil for ten minutes. Have 3 hard-boiled eggs,
16 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MKN's WIVES.
slice them up into the tureen, and pour the soup on the top of
them. This recipe is equal to real turtle soup. It can be made
with force meat balls, which are an improvement.
Sea pie and potatoes. — One pound scrap meat, 5d.; vegetables,
lei.; suet, Id.; flour, Id.; baking powder; one-fourth stone potatoes,
1 R; total, 9$d.
Get nice fresh meat and cut it into small pieces. Wash and cut
up onions, carrot, turnip; put into stew-pan with two cups of boil-
ing water ; set on the fire. Mince suet fine and mix with the flour, a
pinch of salt, one-half teaspoonful of baking powder, mix with cold
water, roll out paste the size of the pan lid, put it on top of the
meat and vegetables, and let all steam for one and one-half hours
at the side of the fire, not boiling but at the boil. When done cut
the paste in four and take it out with the fork, then the meat and
vegetables, and put the paste on top of all as it was in the pot.
Serve hot with potatoes.
Potatoes and stewed tripe. — Sheep's bag, 2\d.; one-fourth stone
potatoes, \\d.\ one-half pound onions, 0|d; total, \\d.
Get a sheep's bag and clean it well with hot water, not boiling
but very hot, then leave it over night in salt and water, put it on
and let it stew very gently for three hours in 2 pints of water. Cut
up the onion very small, and cut the tripe up into nice pieces ; re-
turn the tripe to the soup with onion and a large tablespoonful of
flour, then stew for another hour. If you can afford it, Id. worth of
milk added to this would make it better. Serve hot with potatoes.
"Hot pot," or stewed mutton and potatoes. — One pound flank
of mutton, 4-|d.; carrot, turnip, onion, Id.; one-fourth stone pota-
toes, l%d.; total, Id.
Wash and pare potatoes, cut into four or six ; pare turnip, cut
in slices ; scrape carrot and cut in slices ; cut onion fine ; cut
mutton into small pieces ; put a little of it into the bottom of the
stew-pan, then potatoes, onion, carrot, turnip, mixed with pepper
and salt, then some more mutton, till all is in ; add 1 pint of water,
and steam for two hours. Serve hot.
German pie. — One-fourth stone potatoes, \\d.; red herring, Of c?.;
1 pound flour, l\d.; one-fourth pound dripping, lhd.; pepper, salt,
baking powder, 0\d.; total, 5|c?.
Wash, pare and slice potatoes, soak the herring in warm water,
and divide into flakes; put the sliced potatoes and herring into a
pie dish, well mixed with a little pepper and 1 ounce of dripping.
If the herring is not salt, add a little salt, cover, and bake for two
hours.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 17
Cover: Mix the flour and 3 ounces of dripping with a tea-
spoonful of baking powder and a saltspoonful of salt ; make a stiff
paste with cold water, roll out to the size of the pie dish and cover.
Serve hot.
A good "poor man's" pie. — One-fourth stone potatoes, lfd; 3
ounces tapioca, Of d; one-half pound onions, Of d; 1 pound flour,
1 f d; one-fourth pound dripping, lfd; pepper, salt, baking powder,
Old.: total, 5fd
Mode : Wash, pare and slice the potatoes. Have the tapioca
washed and soaked in cold water for an hour before it is wanted.
Cut onion fine. Take 1 ounce of the dripping and put a little in the
bottom of a pie dish, then onion, then some of the soaked tapioca, then
potatoes, salt and pepper. Repeat till all are in, then cover. Take
the 1 pound of flour, 3 ounces dripping, a teaspoonful of baking
powder and a saltspoonful of salt, mix well and add cold water
to make a stiff paste, roll out and cover. Bake for two hours.
Serve hot.
A good savory pie. — One pound ox liver, 3d; one-fourth stone
potatoes, lfd; 1 pound flour, lfd; one-fourth pound lard, l£d;
pepper, salt, onion and baking powder, Of d; total, Sd.
Mode: Cut the liver in small pieces, also the onion. Pare
the potatoes very thin, cut in slices, and put them in pie dish
in layers with pepper and salt. When all in, add water till
three parts full.
Cover : Take flour, lard, a teaspoonful of baking powder, and a
saltspoonful of salt ; mix well ; add cold water to make a paste ;
roll out and cover pie dish and bake for two hours.
Stewed calfs head and potatoes. — Calf's head, 4d; onions,
Of d.; potatoes, one-half stone, 3d; total, 7f d.
Wash the head well and leave it to soak for some hours in
water and a little salt. Break up the head. Put it, with 1
quart of water and the onions cut fine, into a nice clean pot.
Let it boil, and then only keep it at the boil, without boiling,
for three hours, and you have a good savory stew to eat with
potatoes.
Lentils and rice. — One pound lentils, lfd; one-half pound rice,
Of.; onions, 0|d; dripping, Ofd; total, 3d
Wash the lentils, soak them over night, and put them into a
saucepan with 3 quarts of water. Boil for two hours very slowly ;
then add the rice (after washing it), with onion cut fine and
dripping. Let the rice boil until it absorbs all the water. This
makes a good substantial dinner.
18 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Rice and cabbage. — One pound rice, l|c?.; 1 cabbage, Id.;
dripping, 0|c?.; total, 3c?.
Wash the cabbage well and boil it soft in salt and water. Wash
the rice and boil it soft and dry. Mash the cabbage well ; add it
to the rice with the dripping, and pepper and salt to taste. Mix
well and serve hot. Good.
Potato pie. — One-fourth pound suet, IJc?.; onions, O^c?.; one-half
pound oatmeal, Ofc?.; one-fourth stone potatoes, ljc?.; 1 pound flour,
l|c?.; one-fourth pound lard, l|c?.; baking powder; total, 6fc?.
Chop the suet very fine, cut the onions small, pare the potatoes
very thin, and cut in slices. Take a large pie dish, scatter some
suet in first, then some onions, then some meal, and a layer of
potatoes, pepper and salt, till all is in. Put potatoes on the top,
then cover with a crust made of the flour, lard and 1 teaspoonful
of baking powder. Bake for two hours in moderate oven.
Savory meat pie with potatoes. — One-half pound liver, l|c?.;
1 pound scrap meat, 5c?.; onion, Q\d.; 1 pound flour, l\d.; one-
fourth pound lard, l\d.; pepper, salt, baking powder ; one-fourth
stone potatoes, l|c?.; total, lie?.
Cut the meat and liver into nice thin slices. Chop the onion
fine. Put a tablespoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, a tea-
spoonful of pepper on a plate ; then mix, and dip your meat and
liver in this. Roll a small bit of onion in a piece of liver, then
the liver in a slice of meat, and lay it very lightly in a pie dish,
heaping it in the center ; add water till the dish is three parts full,
then cover.
Cover: Flour, lard and a teaspoonful of baking powder, mixed
well together, with cold water and a pinch of salt ; roll to make
nice stiff paste. Cover and bake for two hours. Serve hot with
potatoes.
Skirt pie and potatoes. — One and one-fourth pounds beef skirt-
ing, 5c?.; pepper and salt, OJc?.; baking powder ; 1 pound flour,
l|c?.; one-fourth pound lard, l\d.; one-fourth stone potatoes, l|c?.;
total, 9|c?.
Beef skirt is very tender and good if nicely cooked. Cut it
across in thin slices. Mix a tablespoonful of flour, a teaspoonful of
salt, one-half a teaspoonful of pepper on a plate, and dip each slice
of meat in this mixture. Roll up tightly and place in a dish,
keeping it well in the center. Fill three parts full and cover.
Cover : Flour, lard, baking powder, pinch of salt, mix well to-
gether ; add cold water to make stiff paste. Bake two hours.
Serve hot with potatoes.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 19
Two dinners from a sheep's pluck. — One sheep's pluck, 6c?.; 1
pound onions, Id.; 2 ounces dripping, Ofc?.; some sweet marjoram,
pepper and salt, OJc?.; one-half stone potatoes, 3c?.; total, lljc?.
Split the heart, cut the lights, and soak in water for an hour.
Take them out and cut in small pieces. Put a teaspoonful of
dripping in a stew-pan with 2 onions cut fine. Let them brown.
Add the heart and lights with 2 cups of water, half a teaspoonful
of powdered marjoram, let them boil, and keep them simmering
for two hours. Serve with potatoes or rice.
Fried liver. — Cut the liver in thin slices. Cut the onions fine.
Put a tablespoonful of dripping in a pan ; let it get hot. Add the
liver and let it cook for about ten minutes, then turn it out on a
warm dish. Put in the onions and fry them brown. Mix a tea-
spoonful of flour and some pepper and salt in half a cup of water,
and stir it into the pan with the onions. Let it boil up for a
minute, then pour it over the liver.
Two days' dinners for a family. — Ox-foot, 5c?.; vegetables (cab-
bage, turnip, carrot, leek, parsley), 2c?.; pot barley, Id.; potatoes,
3Jc?.; cheese, l|c?.; flour, l|c?.; total, Is. 2£c?.
First day's dinner, broth, stewed ox-foot and potatoes; second
day's dinner, broth, cheese and potato pie.
To make two days' broth, get a good ox-foot, cleaned, wash it well,
and put on in 2 gallons of cold water. Boil very slowly for five hours
the night before it is wanted, then take it out and skim all the oil
carefully off. After breakfast put on the stock that the foot was
boiled in (keeping out one pint) ; add water to make up 2 gallons ;
wash the barley well and add. Wash the vegetables very care-
fully, cut them very fine (grating the carrot), and add them, after
the barley has boiled slowly for an hour. Keep the lid close on
the pot, and boil slowly for another hour, in all two hours. Salt
and pepper to taste.
Ox-foot stewed to be taken with potatoes : Cut the foot in nice
pieces, put in a saucepan with a pint of stock (if liked, a little of
the white part of the leek also). Take 1 ounce of flour, pepper,
salt, and a tablespoonful of oil, mix with a little tepid water, make
into little balls, and add twenty minutes before you serve on a
hot plate, the balls being put round the pieces of foot. Boil half
the potatoes, and you will have a good dinner for a large family,
taking one-half of the broth, and leaving the other to be warmed
up next day and taken with potatoes and cheese pie.
For cheese pie take the other half of your potatoes, pare very
thin (as the best part of the potato is next to the skin), and cut in
20 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
slices. Put in a layer of potatoes, pepper and salt ; grate the
cheese, put in some, and so on till all is in, then over all put in a
large tablespoonful of the oil. For crust take flour and the rest of
the oil taken from the foot, and mix with tepid water, a teaspoonful
of baking powder, a little salt ; roll out and cover pie. Bake for
two hours and serve hot.
Soup and haricot of ox-tail. — Good ox-tail, Is.; vegetables, tyd.;
rice, OJc?.; total, Is. 2c?.
Haricot : Separate the tail at the joints, wipe with a clean
cloth. Take the root and divide in four for the first day's dinner,
put it in saucepan, and let it get nice and brown ; be careful not to
let it burn. Then add the half of the Vegetables (which should be
carrot, turnip and onion), 1 pint of boiling water ; let it simmer for
four hours. Salt and pepper to taste ; serve hot.
Soup : Take the rest of the tail, put on with 3 quarts of cold
water, 3 cloves, 1 teaspoonful of mixed sweet herbs, 10 pepper-
corns, 12 allspice ; tie all these in a muslin bag. Let all simmer
very gently for three hours. Add the rice, after it has been well
Washed, and the other half of the vegetables cut very fine or
grated, and boil for two hours more with close lid. Serve hot.
Stewed hough. — One pound hough, 5c?., cut in slices (by the
butcher, to break the bone). Take out the marrow, and put it
into the stew-pan with 2 sliced onions and a teaspoonful of flour.
Let it brown, then put in the slices of meat, and let them brown
for a few minutes ; add half a teacupful of water, some pepper
and salt. Stew slowly for four hours, with lid very close. Tough
pieces of meat can be made very palatable by long, slow stewing.
Take 1 pound of the common dry green peas, having soaked
them for sixteen hours in water with a bit of soda the size of a
nut; and, after the hough has stewed for three hours and a half,
add the peas with a tablespoonful of vinegar, and let them stew to-
gether for half an hour. Serve hot.
Stewed steak. — Get 1 pound stewing steak and a piece of suet,
which is always given. Chop the suet fine and fry. Dredge the
steak with flour and fry very lightly in stewing-pan on both sides.
Then add a teacupful of water, boil, then simmer very gently for
one hour and a half. Add salt to taste and half a teaspoonful of
pepper. A tablespoonful of flour mix in water, add, boil, and
serve hot.
This is very good and goes a great way further if you add some
vegetables. You can vary the flavor with carrots, onions, parsley,
turnips and sweet herbs.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 21
Collops. — Put a little dripping into a saucepan, let it get quite
hot, then put in your minced-meat, and keep turning it for ten
minutes or so with a fork (if liked, when the dripping is hot, before
putting in the meat, add an onion chopped fine and a teaspoonful
of flour). When all is a nice brown, add as much boiling water as
will cover the meat ; close the lid and stew very gently for one
hour. Pepper and salt to taste.
Stewed rabbit. — Cut the rabbit into eight pieces and fry till
brown, add a teaspoonful of curry powder, quarter teaspoonful
pepper, half a teaspoonful powdered thyme, some carrot and turnip
cut in slices, two gills of water. Simmer (with close lid) for one
and a half hours. Mix 1 tablespoonful flour with water till smooth,
1 small tablespoonful burnt sugar, 1 of vinegar, a little salt to taste,
add this to the stew, and boil all another minute or two. Serve hot.
Curried rabbit. — One rabbit, 2 onions, 1 apple, 1 teaspoonful
curry powder, 1 ounce dripping and a little salt. Wash and dry
rabbit, cut it up in small pieces, put the dripping in a stew-pan,
let it get quite hot; peel and chop up the onions, also the apple,
fry them till a pale brown ; add the pieces of rabbit, and fry them
on all sides ; stir in a teaspoonful of curry powder, a pinch of salt,
and mix well with the meat. Add a teacupful of water, and stew
very gently with lid close for an hour and a half. Serve with dry
boiled rice for a border round it.
Rice and cheese with green peas. — One pound rice, l\d.; three-
fourths pound dry green peas, l?d.; one-fourth pound cheese, l\d.;
vinegar, sugar, pepper and salt, 0|d; milk, 0|d; total, 5|c?.
Wash the rice and put it on to boil in 2 quarts of water, with a
teaspoonful of salt. When soft and all the water taken up stir in
the milk with more salt, if required, and pepper to taste. Grate
the cheese (old cheese is best), mix it in, but keep a tablespoonful
to put on the top of the dish. Warm all up in the pot ; then turn
out on a pie dish. Put tablespoonful of cheese on the top, and let
it brown in the oven or before the fire. Get the common dry
green peas, soak them for sixteen hours with a bit of soda the size
of a bean in the water. Then boil in salt and water. When soft
drain, and add 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 1 teaspoonful of sugar,
pepper and salt to taste; shake in the saucepan well. Serve hot.
Indian meal and cheese. — One pound Indian meal, Id.; one-
fourth pound cheese, l|e?.; dripping, 0|d; total, 3d. Boil the meal
for one hour, and let it be very thick. Grate the cheese and add
with dripping, pepper, and salt. Serve hot. Good after hard
day's work.
22 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES.
Potted head. — Half an ox-head, Is. Qd. Break up the head,
wash and soak it in water for a few hours. Boil slowly for five
hours in enough water to cover it. Then take it out, and skim the
fat off the pot. When cold, lay the head on a clean board, and
take the meat off the bones. Cut the meat into small pieces, and
put it back into the pot. Add a tablespoonful of salt, a table-
spoonful of Jamaica pepper, a teaspoonful of black pepper, a pinch
of cayenne pepper, and boil all for half an hour ; then put into
basins, and let stand till cold and stiff. This, warmed up, will
make good dinners for two or three days, with potatoes.
Black pudding. — One quart of blood and skins, Id.; one-half
pound suet, 3c?.; and one-half pound oatmeal, Id.; one-half pint
skimmed milk, 0\d.; 1 teaspoonful of mint and a little salt, Of*?.;
total, 6d
Get the blood free from clot. Mix with the oatmeal. Add
suet, salt, a tablespoonful of Jamaica pepper, a teaspoonful of black
pepper and a teaspoonful of powdered mint. Warm the milk, add
and mix thoroughly ; turn the skins inside out, and wash them
well in warm water and salt. Then rinse them well in cold water,
and fill three parts full with the mixture. Tie the two ends
together ; put them in hot water and boil slowly for twenty
minutes. While they are boiling prick with a pin to let the
air escape. For serving, toast before the fire, or fry in pan for
ten minutes. *
To boil potatoes. — Wash the potatoes clean in cold water, put
them in a pot with cold water to cover them, and a tablespoonful
of salt ; boil from twenty minutes to half an hour. Take a fork
and feel if their center is quite tender ; if so, drain off all the
water, put a clean cloth over the potatoes in the pot, let them stand
by the side of the fire with lid on to steam. When quite dry take
them out very carefully, peel them without breaking, and put them
in a hot dish. If the potatoes are watery, put them in boiling
water and keep boiling rapidly till done; dry well, and it will
make them quite mealy.
How to boil rice. — Half-pound rice, a pinch of salt, a quart of
water and a tablespoonful of dripping.
Put on a quart of water, let it boil (milk is better). Wash the
rice well. Throw it into the boiling water with a pinch of salt.
Boil for fifteen minutes. The rice must be soft, but each grain
separate ; drain it in a colander and shake it well. Put the drip-
ping into the pot, then put the rice back, and let it swell slowly
near the fire for ten minutes. Serve hot.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 23
How to boil macaroni, and to make macaroni cheese. — Put on a
a quart of water; let it boil. Add a little salt, then a half-pound of ma-
caroni. Boil for half an hour ; drain it in a colander. If for cheese,
put one cup of milk into the pan, one-fourth pound grated cheese,
a tablespoonful of dripping, a tablespoonful of flour, one-half tea-
spoonful of pepper, a little salt. Let it boil. Grease the bottom of
a pie dish, put in the macaroni. Pour the milk, cheese, flour, pep-
per and salt over it, and last, sprinkle a little more grated cheese
on the top. Let it brown before the fire or in the oven. Two eggs
may be added in place of cheese, and a teaspoonful of sugar.
FISH.
Fresh herring, baked. — Fresh herring, salt, pepper, vinegar
and dripping.
Clean the herring well, pack them in a baking dish, sprinkle
salt and pepper over them, a little dripping and two teaspoonfuls
of vinegar. Bake half an hour. Serve hot. Good cold.
To fry herring. — Clean and dry the herring, put some salt,
pepper and oatmeal on a plate ; dip each herring well in the mix-
ture ; have a frying-pan hot with some dripping in it, put in the
herring and fry, turn carefully, and fry the other side. Serve hot.
Another way to fry fresh herring. — Cut off the head, fins, and
tail, split them up the back ; clean well ; take out the backbone,
scrape them, salt and pepper inside. Take two herrings, place the
insides together flat, dip them in oatmeal, and fry for about eight
minutes over a clear fire in a frying-pan.
To boil fresh herring. — Wash, gut, dry, and rub them over
with a little salt and vinegar ; put them into boiling water with a
tablespoonful of vinegar, and simmer for ten minutes. When done
take them out of the water immediately. If they are to be kept
hot for some time, cover them with a clean cloth.
To boil salt herring. — If very salt, leave them to soak in cold
water for some hours. Put them on to boil in cold water, and let
it come slowly to the boil. When boiling, draw to the side of the
fire, and keep at the boil for ten minutes, and take them from the
water the moment they are cooked. If salt fish are allowed to boil
it hardens them.
Baked sprats. — Sprats, dripping, parsley, salt, pepper and
vinegar.
Clean and wipe the sprats gently; mix a tablespoonful of
chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of salt, and a half a teaspoonful of
pepper on a plate ; dip in each sprat, and put in a baking dish,
24 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
with a little vinegar and a little dripping on the top, and bake for
half an hour. Good hot or cold.
Fish pie. — Cod head, Id.; one-fourth stone potatoes, l\d.; 1
pound flour, \%d.; one-fourth pound lard, l\d.; baking powder,
Q\d.; total, b\d.
Get a large cod head, wash it well, place it in a pie dish, and
put the dish into a pot with water; but do not allow any of the
water to get into the pie dish. The head is to be cooked by the
steam. Let the water boil hard for half an hour, then take out the
head and remove all the meat from it ; boil and slice one-fourth
stone of potatoes, put a layer of potatoes into the pie dish first, then
fish, pepper, salt, till all are in, adding only any of the liquid that
was in the pie dish, then cover with paste.
Salt codfish cakes. — Two pounds codfish, one-fourth stone
potatoes, 1 egg, pepper, flour and dripping.
Soak the fish over night. Put it on to boil. Whenever it boils
draw it to the side, and let it steam (salt fish should never be
allowed to boil, for it only hardens it). When done take out all
the bones ; have your potatoes boiled ; mash them and the fish
together, with pepper and salt to taste. Beat up the egg and add
it. Make into thin cakes, flour them, and fry them, with dripping,
a light brown. Fresh fish can be done in the same way, and is
more nutritious.
Fish cooked in its own juice. — One pound fish.
Have your fish well cleaned, wipe it well, and put it into a jar
with a clove or sprig of parsley ; cover very close, and set it in a
saucepan of boiling water, keeping it boiling for half an hour.
Serve on a hot plate, with or without sauce.
Fresh fish. — One pound fish, one-fourth pound dripping.
Put the dripping on the fire in a pan to get hot ; have the fish
cleaned and wiped, cut off fins and tail, sprinkle it lightly with
bread crumbs, or flour, or meal ; shake off any loose crumbs. Put
a crumb of bread into the dripping to see if it is hot enough ; if it
hisses, it is ready ; if it burns, it is overdone. Put in your fish ; it
will take about ten minutes to fry ; have it a nice color. Serve on
hot plate. (If you can afford it, you can dip it in egg before you
put it in bread crumbs.)
To boil fish. — If the fish is large, with skin whole, it must be
placed on the fire in cold water ; if it weighs 3 or 4 pounds, it will
take thirty minutes to boil. To every quart of water put a tea-
spoonful of salt, and when the fish begins to boil remove the lid to
one side and let it simmer gently till quite done. Have only
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES. 25
enough water to cover the fish, or the skin will crack and spoil its
appearance.
Steaks or sliced fish. — To every quart of water add a teaspoon-
ful of salt. When the water boils add the fish and allow it from
fifteen to twenty minutes for each pound. A tablespoonful of
vinegar in the water is an improvement to fish.
PUDDINGS.
Boiled scrap bread pudding. — Any odd pieces of bread. Put
into a bowl, pour boiling milk over them ; let them stand till well
soaked, then beat up with a fork ; add a small piece of dripping, a
few currants or raisins, a little moist sugar ; mix well up, put into
a greased bowl, tie a floured cloth over the top, and boil for an
hour. Good either hot or cold.
Plum pudding for the million. — One-half pound chopped suet,
one-half pound flour, one-half pound bread crumbs, 1 pound grated
carrots, 1 pound potatoes, 1 pound currants, 1 pound raisins, 1
pound apples, 1 teaspoonful of ginger, 1 teaspoonful of cinnamon,
1 teaspoonful of allspice, 1 teaspoonful of baking powder, half a
nutmeg (grated), 1 pound sugar, a good pinch of salt.
Mix the flour, bread crumbs, suet, carrots, potatoes, ginger, cin-
namon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and sugar well ; then
add currants, raisins (stoned and cleaned), and apples. Mix with
water or milk into a soft paste, boil in floured cloth for four hours,
or in a basin or mold for five hours. Good.
Brown suet pudding. — One pound flour, one-fourth pound suet,
one-half pound treacle, one-half pound raisins, salt, half nutmeg
(grated), 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 teaspoonful soda, 1 teaspoonful
cream of tartar, milk.
Warm the treacle, chop the suet very fine, mix the flour with a
pinch of salt, soda, cream of tartar, nutmeg, cinnamon, all well to-
gether; add treacle, suet, raisins, and put .in a well-floured cloth
and boil quickly for three hours.
Fig pudding. — One pound figs, one-half pound flour, one-half
pounds bread crumbs, one-fourth pound suet, 2 ounces sugar, half
a teaspoonful nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon, 1 small teaspoonful
baking powder, milk or water.
Chop the suet and figs fine; mix flour, bread crumbs, sugar,
cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder well together ; add suet
and figs, with enough milk or water to make into dough. Roll it
into a floured cloth, leaving room for it to swell, and boil very fast
for three hours. i^<
U»lv
26 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Indian pudding. — One quart milk, one-half pound Indian meal,
1 small cup treacle, 1 tablespoonful dripping, 1 teaspoonful ginger,
1 egg, 1 teaspooonful baking powder, a pinch of salt.
When the milk is nearly boiling wet the meal with some of th3
cold milk and let it boil; then add the treacle, dripping, ginger,
pinch of salt, and egg well beaten; lastly, the baking powder.
Turn it into a pie dish and bake for two hours.
Cottage pudding. — One cup milk, 1 teaspoonful (large) butter,
1 teaspoonful sugar, three-fourths pound flour, 1 teaspoonful soda,
1 teaspoonful cream of tartar, yolks of two eggs.
Mix sugar, yolks of eggs and butter to a cream ; then add the
milk and flour by degrees ; beat very light, then add soda and
cream of tartar, and bake for one hour.
Sauce. — Half a cup of milk, stir in two tablespoonfuls of sugar,
beat the whites of two eggs to a slight froth, and stir in; flavor
with vanilla before serving.
Swiss pudding. — One pound apples, 2 tablespoonfuls stale bread
crumbs, 1 egg, 3 ounces sugar, 2 teaspoonfuls butter, or dripping.
Peel, core, and slice the apples and stew in a covered jar ; when
done add the sugar and a teaspoonful of butter; when cool, stir in
the egg, well beaten ; butter the pie dish ; strew bread crumbs
about an inch thick at the bottom, and as many up the sides as
will remain on ; pour in your apples, and strew over them the re-
maining crumbs, and bake for one hour.
Rhubarb or apple dumpling. — One pound flour, one-fourth
pound suet, 2 pounds apples or rhubarb, 6 ounces sugar, 1 tea-
spoonful baking powder, one-fourth teaspoonful salt; if apples,
two cloves; if rhubarb, half the skin of a lemon, or a little
ginger.
Chop the suet fine, and mix it with the flour, salt and baking
powder ; then add a little water till you have a nice, stiff paste.
Roll out enough of the paste to line your dish, both bottom and
sides. Peel and core the apples, cut them into six slices. If it is a
rhubarb dumpling, cut the rhubarb in 1-inch lengths, and put it
into the basin with the sugar and flavoring. Then take the re-
mainder of your paste and roll it out the size of the top of the
basin, wet the edge of the paste lining and lay on your paste cover
so that it will stick to it; then flour your cloth and tie it up.
Have the water boiling ; boil your dumpling for three hours, and
turn it out.
A good tapioca pudding. — Soak 3 tablespoonfuls of tapioca in
some ginger wine for one hour ; then add a little sugar, 1 beaten
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 27
egg, and some milk. Grease a dish, pour it in, and bake for
one hour.
Sago can be made in this way, also bread and butter pudding ;
using more wine, with a little water and no milk, is a nice change.
Simple trifle. — Six sponge cakes, 2 eggs, 1£ tablespoonfuls jam,
1£ breakfast-cupfuls milk, 1 teaspoonful sugar.
Cut sponge cakes in slices and arrange neatly in a pudding
dish ; pour a little milk over them, just enough to make them soft,
then spread the jam over. Take the eggs and separate the whites
from the yolks ; lay aside the whites ; beat up the yolks in a bowl.
Put sugar and a breakfast-cupful of milk into a small pan and
bring it to the boil ; then pour this over yolks, stirring all the time
with a fork ; return it to the pan, and stir over the fire till it
thickens a little (it must not boil, or the eggs will curdle), then put
spoonfuls lightly over the sponge cakes. Whisk up the whites
with a knife into a stiff broth, and lay lightly on the top. Stale
sponge cakes are very good for this pudding, and are to be had
cheaper on Saturday night.
Marmalade pudding. — One breakfast-cupful of flour, 1 break-
fast-cupful bread crumbs, 2 ounces suet, 1 teaspoonful baking soda,
1 tablespoonful of sugar, 3 tablespoonfuls marmalade, butter and
milk.
Chop suet fine, and put in a basin, add bread crumbs, flour,
sugar, soda, and marmalade ; mix with a little buttermilk till the
whole is wet (it should not be very moist), and beat up a little with
a fork ; grease a bowl, put in the pudding, and cover with a greased
paper ; put the bowl into a pot with an inch of boiling water in it,
put the lid of the pot closely on and steam for two and a half hours.
This pudding can also be made with syrup, instead of mar-
malade.
Christmas pies (simple).— One half pound apples, one-fourth
pound figs, one-fourth pound currants, one-fourth pound raisins,
one-fourth pound sugar, one-half ounce cinnamon, one-half ounce
ginger, 1 pound flour, one-fourth pound lard, 1 teaspoonful bak-
ing powder.
Peel and core the apples, and cut them into small dice, put
them in a basin with the sugar; mince the figs fine; stone and
mince the raisins (or use sultana raisins) ; pick and rub the cur-
rants very carefully with a cloth ; put all into a basin with the
apples and sugar, add the cinnamon and ginger (and any other
flavoring that is liked). Mix all well together (the mince is all the
better of being prepared some time before it is wanted).
28 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES.
For the crust, mix the flour, lard, a teaspoonful of baking pow-
der, and a pinch of salt, well together, then add enough cold water
to make a stiff paste ; roll out to about a quarter of an inch thick.
The pies can either be made in small tins or soup plates. Rub the
tins or plates well with lard, cut the pastes to the right size, put the
mince meat in carefully, wet round the edges, and cover the top
with paste, and bake in a not too quick oven.
Jam roly. — One breakfast-cup of flour, 1 breakfast-cup of bread
crumbs, 2 ounces suet, 1 pound jam, 1 tablespoonful of sugar, a
small teaspoonful of baking soda.
Put in a basin the flour, bread crumbs, suet chopped very fine,
soda and sugar, and mix with cold water into stiff paste, and roll
out into a thin sheet about one-fourth inch thick ; take a bowl and
grease it with dripping, line it with some of the paste, spread at the
foot of the bowl some jam; then lay in a layer of paste, repeating
layers of jam and paste, till the bowl is filled; wet the edges of the
last layer of paste, and turn down over it the lining of the bowl ;
cover the top with a greased paper, and put the bowl into a pot
with half an inch of boiling water in it ; put the lid of the pot
close on, and steam for two hours, then turn out.
This pudding is very good made with apples instead of jam.
A few hints on pudding making. — When a pudding is to be
boiled, see that the cloth to be used is very clean, and that it is
dipped in boiling water, dredged with flour, and shaken well before
the pudding is put into it.
If a bread pudding, it must be tied loose. If a batter one, it
must be tied tight.
When a shape or basin is to be used they must be well greased
before the pudding is put in. When it is ready care must be
taken in lifting it out. Allow it to stand for a few minutes before
unloosing the cloth.
All puddings must be boiled in plenty of water, turned fre-
quently, kept closely covered, and never allowed to go off the boil.
If the pudding is to be baked, the dish or pan must be also
greased before it is put in. Bread and custard puddings require
time and a moderate oven to raise them.
As a rule, steamed puddings are put in an earthenware dish, cov-
ered with a tight cover or greased paper, which is placed in a pan
of boiling water, which must not come more than three parts up
the sides of the pudding dish. If the water boils away, more boil-
ing water must be added, and it must be kept always boiling. Be
careful in removing the lid that no drops fall on the pudding.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 29
Puddings, etc., when steamed, do not require so much liquid in
them as when baked. The dry air of the oven dries them, steam-
ing keeps them moist.
Plain bread pudding. — Any odd pieces of crust or crumbs of
bread will make a nice pudding. To every quart allow half a tea-
spoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, 3 ounces of sugar,
half a pound of currants, and half an ounce of butter.
Break the bread into small pieces, and pour as much boiling
water over it as will soak it well. Let this stand till the water is
cool ; then press it out, and mash the bread with a fork until it is
quite free from lumps. Measure this pulp, and to every quart stir
in salt, nutmeg, sugar, and currants, in the above proportions; mix
all well together, and put into a well-buttered pie dish. Smooth
the surface with the back of a spoon, and place the butter in small
pieces over the top ; bake in a moderate oven for one and a half
hours, and serve very hot. Boiling milk substituted for boiling
water would very much improve the pudding.
Oatmeal pudding. — One-fourth pound suet chopped fine, one-
half pound oatmeal ; 2 onions chopped fine, a teaspoonful salt, and
half a teaspoonful pepper ; mix well together without water ; tie it
rather loosely into a floured cloth, and boil for three hours.
A cheap dish, and eaten with bread or potatoes. Good and
nourishing.
Suet crust for pies or puddings. — To every pound of flour
allow one-fourth pound beef suet, half a pint of water, half a tea-
spoonful of salt, and a teaspoonful of baking powder.
Free the suet from skin, chop it extremely fine, and rub it well
into the flour, with salt and baking powder; add the water, and
work the whole into a smooth paste, roll it out, and it is ready
for use.
The above, with the addition of treacle or fruit, and rolled up as
a roly-poly in a flour cloth, and boiled for three hours, is very good.
Apple sauce. — One pound of apples, peeled, cored, and cut in
thin slices. Stew with 1 ounce sugar, half a teacupful of water.
Stew till in a pulp, and serve with roast pork, etc.
Mint sauce. — Chop a good handful of green mint up fine, put
into bowl with a large tablespoonful of brown sugar, half a tea-
spoonful of salt, a quarter teaspoonful of pepper and a teacupful of
vinegar. Serve with cold meat or lamb.
Brown sauce. — One ounce butter, 1£ ounces flour, half a tea-
spoonful of salt, a quarter teaspoonful of pepper, a tablespoonful of
vinegar and a small onion.
30 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Put the flour before the fire till it is a pale brown, put the
butter and onion, cut fine, into the pan, let it get pale brown ; add
the flour made smooth in a cup of water, a little pepper, salt,
vinegar, and another one-half cupful of water ; boil and drain.
White sauce. — One ounce butter, 1J ounces flour, half a tea-
spoonful of salt, a quarter teaspoonful pepper. Mix together in a
pan, add the milk gradually (about two teacupfuls), let it boil, and
serve for fish or vegetables. For mutton sauce add to the above a
handful of parsley, washed well and chopped very fine.
Pudding sauce. — Two teacupfuls of milk, half a cup of sugar, 2
eggs, a tablespoonful of vanilla. Beat eggs to a froth with sugar.
Boil milk and sugar, pour over them, stirring all the time, add
vanilla.
Plain pudding sauce. — One tablespoonful corn flour, large
tablespoonful sugar, teacupful milk and 1 egg. Beat egg, sugar,
and corn flour, with tablespoonful of milk, very light, boil the rest
of the milk, pour it over the mixture, stirring all the time.
Preserved rhubarb. — Wipe the stalks of young rhubarb, cut in
neat pieces. To every pound of rhubarb add 1 pound of sugar and
the grated rind and juice of 1 lemon. Put sugar and lemon on
the fire to melt ; when melted add rhubarb. Boil for half an hour,
taking care not to break the rhubarb. Take it out carefully, put
it in jars, let it cool, then cover with paper, and put away for
winter use.
To preserve rhubarb for winter use. — Rub the rhubarb well
with a damp cloth to take off any sand, dust, or smoke ; when per-
fectly clean cut it into nice pieces about an inch long, and put
them into a deep earthware dish. To every 6 pounds of rhubarb
add 6 pounds of sugar and one-fourth pound of best whole ginger.
Cover the dish and let stand for two days. Then run off the syrup
into a preserving pan and boil it for half an hour ; then add the
rhubarb and boil until it is clear ; when it is transparent it is
done. Stir it as little as possible, so as not to break the rhubarb
(it looks best whole). This preserve will keep for a year.
Apple jelly. — Two pounds apples, 2 pounds rhubarb, 2 lemons,
and sugar.
Wipe clean and quarter the apples, remove any decayed pieces,
keep in the seeds. Wipe the rhubarb clean, and cut it up into
small pieces ; wipe and peel the lemons very thin ; put all in jelly
pan, and just cover with water, add the juice of the lemon, and
boil to a mash. Then pour into a jelly bag, and let it drain ;
measure the juice, and to every pint add 1 pound of sugar. Put
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 31
the jelly pan on the fire, and bring to the boil, stirring until all
the sugar is melted. Let it boil for twenty-five minutes, then skim
and pot.
Lemonade with citric acid. — One pound sugar, 1 pint of water,
1 ounce citric acid, 2 teaspoonfuls essence of lemon.
Put sugar and cold water in saucepan and boil. Let it cool ;
then add the other ingredients, and bottle. A tablespoonful to a
tumbler of water.
Sherbet (a refreshing drink). — One-half pound sugar, one-
fourth pound tartaric acid, one-fourth pound carbonate soda, sixty
drops essence of lemon.
Mix sugar and essence of lemon, and dry thoroughly. Then
pass all through a sieve. Bottle and cork tight. For a tumbler
of water use a teaspoonful of the mixture.
Boston cream. — One pound brown sugar, 2c?. worth essence
lemon, 2 ounces tartaric acid, the white of 1 egg.
Put the sugar into 3 quarts of cold water, boil it, pour into a
basin, and let it cool. Add the essence of lemon, tartaric acid, and
the white of the egg well beaten up. Bottle. One tablespoonful of
this syrup to a tumbler of cold water.
Ginger wine. — One-fourth ounce essence of cayenne, one-fourth
ounce essence of ginger, one-half ounce tartaric acid, 1 lemon, Id.
worth burnt sugar, 3 pounds sugar, 3 quarts of water.
Put 3 quarts of cold water into a preserving pan, with the rinds
and juices of lemon, the tartaric acid and the sugar. When melted
take any scum off; let it boil. When cold add the essence of
cayenne and of ginger, and add sufficient burnt sugar to give the
color you wish. Bottle tight, and it will keep good for three
months.
Raspberry wine. — One-half ounce essence of raspberry, one-
fourth ounce essence of cayenne, one-half ounce tartaric acid, Id.
worth cochineal, 2 lemons, 4 pounds sugar and 3 quarts water.
Put on the water with the juice and rinds of lemons, sugar, and
tartaric acid ; let it boil ; take off all the scum. When cold, add
the essences, and a few drops of cochineal to give the desired color.
Bottle tight.
Apple and tapioca tart. — One pound apples, one-fourth pound
tapioca, one-fourth pound sugar, 3 cloves.
Soak the tapioca all night in cold water. Peel, core and slice
the apples. Put a layer of apples in a pudding dish, then one of
tapioca. Sprinkle in some sugar and cloves, and continue this
process till all is in.
32 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Cover : Three-fourths pound flour, 2 ounces lard, 1 teaspoonful
baking powder. Mix flour, lard, and baking powder, with a pinch
of salt, well together ; then add water to make a stiff paste, roll
out, cover, and bake for an hour and a half.
In the spring rhubarb is very cheap and wholesome, and may
be used instead of apples.
Suet can be substituted for lard or dripping, and made into a
roly-poly, and boiled for two hours.
BREAD, SCONES, AND CAKES.
To make bread. — Seven pounds flour, 2 ounces German yeast,
1 teaspoonful sugar, 1 tablespoonful salt, a little butter, and a little
more than a quart of water.
Mode: Take 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, the sugar and yeast, with
a cupful of tepid water (the water to be the heat of new milk), set
it near the fire to rise for half an hour. Put all the flour but one
handful into a basin, mix well with the salt ; if the yeast has risen
well, you will have light bread. Add the yeast and a quart of
tepid water to the flour in basin, knead it with the hand until
smooth ; then take the butter and rub over the dough. Cover the
basin with a cloth, set it near the fire, let it rise for three hours ;
then divide the dough into loaves, and bake for one and a half
hours in a moderate oven. If the oven is too cold, the bread will
not rise ; if too hot, it will destroy the yeast.
Wheat meal bread. — Ingredients, 2 pounds wheat meal, 2 tea-
spoonfuls of baking soda, 2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, 1 tea-
spoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, 2 teaspoonfuls dripping,
and not quite a quart of buttermilk.
Mode : Mix the wheat meal, the baking soda, cream of tartar,
salt, sugar, and dripping well together ; then stir in the buttermilk,
and mix quickly and thoroughly for not more than ten minutes.
Put into a tin and bake in rather a quick oven for one and a half
hours. This will make two loaves at least.
Soda bread. — Ingredients, 2 pounds flour, 2 pounds Indian
meal, 3 teaspoonfuls baking soda, 3 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar, 1
large teaspoonful of salt, 1 large teaspoonful of sugar, a little more
than a quart of buttermilk.
Mode : Mix all the dry ingredients well together, then stir in the
buttermilk ; mix well and divide it into three or more loaves,
and bake in a tin in a rather quick oven ; time, one hour. Very
wholesome.
Soda scones. — One-fourth stone flour, large teaspoonful baking
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 33
soda, one teaspoonful cream of tartar, buttermilk, and a small tea-
spoonful of salt.
Mix the dry ingredients together thoroughly and lightly ; add
the buttermilk to make the dough, and divide into from four to
six pieces. Sprinkle a little flour on the baking board, and roll
out the dough with rolling pin to about a quarter of an inch thick.
Cut in four and bake on a hot griddle till of a pale brown ; then
turn and bake the other side the same.
Steamed brown bread. — One pound Indian meal, half a cup of
treacle, salt, 1 teaspoonful baking soda, and 1 teaspoonful cream
of tartar.
Mode : Mix meal, treacle, a pinch of salt, baking soda, and
cream of tartar well together ; then add enough buttermilk to
make a firm dough ; mix quickly, and put into steamer or basin,
and steam in fast boiling water for four hours.
Baked brown bread. — One pound wheat meal, 1 pound Indian
corn meal, half a cup of treacle, salt, 1 egg, 2 teaspoonfuls of baking
soda, 2 teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, milk or water.
Mode : Mix wheat meal, Indian meal, half teaspoonful salt,
baking soda, cream of tartar well together ; warm the treacle and
add it, with the milk (or water), to the dry ingredients; put in
floured tin, and bake five hours in a moderate oven.
Oat cakes. — Mode: Put 1 pound of oatmeal into a basin, a
very small pinch of baking soda, and a small teacupful of tepid
water ; mix well. Spread some dry meal on the baking board, lay
the dough on it and knead with knuckles till you have it half the
size wanted. Roll out smooth, and finish with rolling-pin ; it
should be very thin. Cut in three, and rub well with dry meal on
both sides ; put them on the griddle. The fire must not be too
quick ; when quite dry (not brown), take them from the griddle,
and toast the other side before the fire till crisp. One teaspoonful
of melted dripping is thought by some to be an improvement.
Wheaten meal scones. — One pound wheat meal, 1 pound flour,
teaspoonful baking soda, teaspoonful cream of tartar, teaspoonful
dripping, half teaspoonful salt, and a little buttermilk.
Mode: Mix the meal, flour, baking soda, cream of tartar,
dripping, and salt well together ; then add the buttermilk to make
a light dough ; divide, and roll out to the thickness of a quarter an
inch, and bake on not too hot a griddle.
Rice scones. — One pound rice, one-fourth pound flour, 1* tea-
spoonful sugar, and half teaspoonful salt.
Put the rice, sugar, and salt into a saucepan, with 1 quart
34 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
water, and let it come to the boil. Then set it to the side of the
fire, and let it steam for two hours with the lid close till all the
water has been absorbed and the rice has become soft; then
sprinkle the flour on the baking board and turn the rice out on
it. Let it stand till cool ; then divide into six parts, and roll
out very thin. Cut each part in three, and bake on not too hot a
griddle.
Potato scones. — Potatoes, flour, and salt.
Take any boiled potatoes left from the dinner ; bruise them nice
and smooth on the table or baking board ; add salt to season ; then
shake some flour over them or work it in, roll out very thin, prick
with a fork, and cut in three. Bake on not too hot a griddle.
Scalded scones. — One pound flour, one-half teaspoonful salt.
Mix the flour and salt together, and add boiling water enough
to make a good, firm dough; then divide it, and roll out very thin
on the baking board sprinkled with flour. Cut in three, and bake
on not too hot a griddle.
Indian meal and flour scones. — One pound Indian meal, 1
pound flour, 1 tablespoonful treacle, 1 teaspoonful baking soda,
1 teaspoonful cream of tartar, half a teaspoonful salt, and butter-
milk.
Mix all together, and then add enough buttermilk to make a
nice, soft dough ; divide it, and roll out each piece into about a
fourth of an inch thick. Cut in four, and bake on not too hot
a griddle.
Barley meal scones. — Two pounds barley meal, three-fourths
teaspoonful baking soda, three-fourths teaspoonful cream of tartar,
half a teaspoonful salt, and buttermilk.
Mix, and add enough buttermilk to make a nice, soft dough ;
then sprinkle a little meal on the baking board, and roll out to a
fourth of an inch thick. Cut in three, and bake on not too hot
a griddle.
Crullers. — One and one-half pounds flour, one-half pound sugar,
one-fourth pound butter, 2 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder,
milk, and lemon.
Mode : Butter and sugar, beat to a cream, add flour and milk
alternately till all are in ; beat up the eggs very lightly ; grate the
rind of the lemon into the flour, and add the juice ; then put in
baking powder, mix well, roll out to a quarter of an inch thick,
divide into small rounds, cutting center out of each to form rings.
Fry in hot fat a light brown. The quantities given will make
eighty-five crullers.
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 35
Cocoanut cake. — One-half pound sugar, 1 pound flour, one-
fourth pound butter, milk, 1 cocoanut, 2 eggs, and 1 large tea-
spoonful baking powder.
Mode : Grate cocoanut. Beat butter and sugar to a cream, beat
the eggs very light, and by degrees add the milk and flour ; then
cocoanut and baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Bake in a tin
or mold for two hours.
Small cocoanut cakes (good for children). — One cocoanut, 1
egg, half a gill milk, one-fourth pound sugar, one-fourth pound
flour, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, and 1 tablespoonful of
corn flour.
Mode : Mix corn flour, sugar, baking powder and flour well to-
gether ; add milk and cocoanut grated, beat up the egg well, and
add. Divide the mixture, and work it with your hands into small
cones or drops. Bake on buttered paper in a quick oven.
Ginger bread. — One pound flour, one-half pound treacle, one-half
pound sugar, one-half pound lard ; 3 eggs, a large teaspoonful of gin-
ger, a teaspoonful of cinnamon, half teaspoonful cloves, 2 teaspoon-
fuls of baking powder, half a nutmeg grated, a little salt, and milk.
Mode : Melt the lard, sugar and treacle in a saucepan. Beat
up the eggs well, mix the flour, baking powder, spice, and a pinch
of salt well together ; add the melted lard, sugar, treacle, and eggs.
Use a little milk to make a soft batter, and bake in a moderate
oven one and a half hours. Fruit can be added to this cake —
raisins, currants, or almonds — which will make it richer.
Rough robin. — One and one-half pounds flour, one-half pound
rice flour, one-half pound lard or butter, one-half pound sugar, 1
pound currants, 1 pound sultana raisins, 2 teaspoonfuls baking
powder, 1 teaspoonful ground caraways, 1 teaspoonful cinnamon,
and a little salt.
Mode: Mix lard, flour, sugar, baking powder, spices, and a
pinch of salt well together, and beat well. Then add fruit. Mix
with buttermilk to make a stiff batter. Bake for two hours.
Rice cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound rice, one-half
pound sugar, one-half pound butter, 4 eggs, 2 teaspoonfuls of
baking powder, 1 teaspoonful essence of vanilla, salt and milk.
Mode : Beat butter to a cream, add the yolks of the eggs and
the sugar ; beat very lightly. Then add the flour (after being well
dried before the fire or in the oven), baking powder, pinch of salt,
vanilla, and sufficient milk to make a nice, thick batter. Beat up
the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and add them last. Mix all
very lightly, and bake for two hours in a moderate oven.
36 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Seed cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound sugar, one-half
pound butter, 3 eggs, 2 spoonfuls caraways, milk, and a teaspoonful
baking powder.
Mode : Mix butter to a cream, add yolks of eggs, sugar and
flour (well dried), baking powder, seeds, pinch of salt, and milk to
make a stiff batter. Beat whites of eggs to a stiff froth, and add
them last. Stir very lightly, and bake one and a half hours.
Sultana cake. — One pound flour, one-half pound sugar, one-
half pound lard, 3 eggs, 1 pound sultana raisins, the rind of a
lemon grated, 1 large teaspoonful baking powder, salt and milk.
Mode : Mix the lard, flour, yolks of eggs, baking powder, pinch
of salt, sugar, and raisins well together ; and add enough milk to
make a stiff batter. Beat the whites of eggs to a stiff froth and
add, mix in very lightly, and bake for one and a half hours.
French cake. — One pound flour, three-fourths pound sugar, one-
fourth pound butter, 2 eggs, milk, large teaspoonful baking pow-
der, and salt.
Mode : Beat butter and eggs to a cream ; add the sugar and
flour by degrees, and mix with a little milk to a stiff batter, or soft
dough. Add the salt and baking powder last ; mix all well, and
bake in a moderate oven one and a half hours.
Pancakes. — One pound flour, fourth pound sugar, one egg, a
teaspoonful carbonate of soda, a teaspoonful cream of tartar,
buttermilk.
Mode : Beat sugar and egg very lightly, mix in by degrees the
flour and milk, work well, add soda and cream of tartar last. Take
a little dripping in a piece of clean muslin, rub over the griddle ;
drop batter in spoonfuls. When one side is done turn them.
Pancakes. — Rub 1 pound of flour, 2 ounces dripping, teaspoon-
ful carbonate of soda, teaspoonful cream of tartar, one-fourth pound
sugar, all well together. Add buttermilk to make a soft batter.
Rub the griddle over with dripping, and put a spoonful on for
each pancake. When one side is done turn. Can be flavored with
anything that is liked, or currants may be added.
SICK-ROOM COOKERY.
Mustard Poultices. — Dry mustard, cold water.
Mix enough cold water with the mustard to make it into a
thick paste ; when quite smooth spread it upon a piece of thin old
linen, or cotton ; sew it round so as to form a bag. Be careful not
to make the poultice larger than required ; hold it to the fire for a
few minutes, so as not to chill your patient ; time, from fifteen to
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 37
thirty minutes ; have ready a piece of clean soft cotton, or a piece
of clean wadding, and when you take off the mustard poultice, put
on the wadding or the cotton.
Bread and milk poultice. — Stale bread, cold milk.
Boil bread with enough milk to make a thick pulp ; spread it
on a piece of soft cotton, and apply it very hot. This poultice is
often applied without a cloth between it and the affected part, but
poultices put into a bag are cleaner and easier rewarmed. Bread
poultices are cleansing and soothing.
Linseed meal poultices. — Linseed meal, boiling water. •
Put sufficient meal to make the poultice the size required into a
hot bowl, and pour on boiling water enough to make a soft paste ;
beat quickly for three minutes, or till it looks oily. Have ready a
flannel, or cotton bag, the size required ; pour in the paste, sew up
the mouth of the bag quickly. Apply the poultice to the affected
part as hot as can be borne.
If ordered with mustard, mix a tablespoonful of dry mustard
with the meal. Good for inflammation.
Fomentation of camomile flowers. — Two ounces camomile
flowers.
Put into a jar with 2 teacupfuls of water, cover jar very close,
let it come to the boil, and infuse for fifteen minutes, keeping lid
close on jar all the time; strain off the hot liquor, keep it hot, dip
pieces of flannel into it, and apply externally to the part affected.
Good to allay swelling and inflammation.
Bran poultice. — Make it like porridge, and put it into a bag.
Be sure not to make it so soft that any water will trickle down
to annoy the patient.
Linseed or flaxseed jelly for a cough. — One pound linseed, 1
large lemon, one-fourth pound raisins, one-half pound sugar.
Boil the linseed in 2 quarts of water, then let it simmer for
three hours ; strain ; return to the pot with raisins and pulp of
lemon, and simmer, without boiling, one hour ; strain again, add
the sugar. Take a teaspoonful (two or three times a day). This
is very good.
Gruel. — Two tablespoonfuls of oatmeal, 2 cups of cold water,
half teaspoonful sugar, pinch of salt.
Put the oatmeal into a bowl with the cold water, let it stand for
fifteen minutes ; then with a spoon press all the water from the oat-
meal, and pour into the pan, leaving the meal as dry as possible ;
put the pan on the fire, and stir it till it boils ; then simmer for
ten minutes, add the sugar, and serve hot.
38 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
Some prefer gruel without sugar, and some with milk instead of
water, or a little butter and a scrape of nutmeg.
Barley water. — Two tablespoonfuls of barley, 2 quarts of water,
1 tablespoonful of sugar.
Wash the barley well ; put the barley and water into a sauce-
pan and bring it to the boil ; then boil very slowly for two hours,
strain it, add sugar, and let it cool. Barley water is very cooling
and nourishing. The barley may afterwards be used for a pudding,
or put into soup.
Beef tea. — One-half pound gravy beef, 2 gills water.
Cut the beef very small; put it into a jar, sprinkle a very little
salt over it to draw out the juice of the meat quickly, add the
water, cover the jar with paper twisted close over it ; let it stand
for half an hour; place the jar in a pan of boiling water; keep it
boiling for half an hour, and you will have good, nutritious beef
tea, easily digested by an invalid.
Veal tea. — One pound veal, 1 large cup of water.
Cut the veal up very small, sprinkle a very little salt over it ;
put it into a jar, add the water, cover closely with paper ; let it
stand for half an hour; place the jar in a saucepan of boiling
water, and let it boil for two hours.
Suet or milk porridge for invalids. — One tablespoonful suet, 2
tablespoonfuls flour, 1 teacup of milk, a little salt.
Mince the suet very fine; mix milk and flour till smooth, then
put into a pan ; add suet and a pinch of salt ; boil very gently for
ten minutes, and serve hot. This is very good and nourishing,
especially for those who can not take cod liver oil.
Fish for an invalid. — One small fish, a small sprig of parsley,
1 tablespoonful of milk.
Get a nice, fresh white fish ; clean it well ; put it into a small
jelly jar with the milk and parsley well washed, cover very closely
with paper, and set it in a saucepan of boiling water at the side of
the fire for half an hour. This is a very light way of cooking fish
for an invalid. It can be skinned and boned if preferred.
Egg with tea, coffee, cocoa, or milk. — Break the egg into a tea-
cup, beat with a fork till well mixed ; pour in the tea, coffee, cocoa,
or milk, gradually stirring all the time. This is very nourishing,
and good in cases of exhaustion from overwork or strain.
Lemonade. — One lemon, a large cup of boiling water.
Roll the lemon on the table to soften it ; pare the rind very
thin (for the white part is very bitter), squeeze the juice into a jug,
taking care not to let any pips in, as they are too bitter, add the
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN's WIVES. 39
lemon rind and the boiling water, cover the jug; let it stand till
cold, strain and use. Very cooling.
For a pleasant drink add a teaspoonful of sugar ; but not in
cases of sickness.
Breadberry, or toast water. — One slice bread, a large cup of
boiling water.
Toast the bread on both sides till quite dry and a nice brown,
but not burnt; break it, and put it in a jug, pour the boiling water
over it, and cover ; let it stand till cold, and strain. Cooling.
Koumiss, or milk wine. — One quart buttermilk, 2 quarts sweet
milk, 4 teaspoonfuls sugar.
Mix the buttermilk and sweet milk together, add the sugar, and
stir till melted. Let it stand near the kitchen fire for twelve hours
covered with a cloth, then bottle. As it is an effervescing drink,
the cork must be tied down and the bottles kept on their sides.
When the koumiss is opened it should be used.
ROASTING.
To ascertain the length of time required for roasting, weigh the
meat, and allow a quarter of an hour to every pound, and one-
quarter of an hour over. If, however, the piece of meat is very
thick, allow half an hour over. Young and white meat (veal,
lamb, pork,) requires twenty minutes to each pound, and twenty
minutes over. They are unwholesome when underdone.
Before beginning to roast sweep up the hearth and make up a
large fire in a well-polished fireplace an hour before it is wanted,
so as to have it bright and glowing. Do not let the fire go down
while the meat is roasting; add small pieces of coal or large
cinders occasionally so as to keep it up. Hang the meat, by the
small end, to the hook of the jack. When there is no jack the
meat may be hooked to a skein of twisted worsted, suspended from
a hook projected from the mantel shelf. Wind up the jack, or
twist the worsted, so as to make it spin slowly. Place the dripping-
pan under the joint. If you have a meat screen, see that it is
bright (so as to throw back the heat upon the joint), and place it
before the fire. Meat should be placed for the first ten minutes as
near the fire as possible, without scorching ; the great heat hardens
the outside, and keeps in the juices. Baste it as soon as the
fat melts. Basting prevents the meat from becoming dry and
scorched. Then withdraw the meat 18 or 20 inches from the fire,
and baste it very frequently while roasting with the dripping pro-
duced by the melting of the fat. If the meat is lean it must be
40 COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES.
basted with dripping melted for the purpose. The meat may be
dredged with flour a quarter of an hour before it is quite ready, to
make it browner and to thicken the gravy a little. When it is
ready and placed on the ashet, sprinkle it with a little salt. Before
making sauce of the brown gravy pour away the dripping from
the dripping-pan (keep this dripping for other purposes) ; add a
little boiling water to the brown gravy left in the pan ; mix well ;
add a little salt, and pour it round the roast, not over, or it will
sodden the meat.
To roast meat in the oven. — Place the meat in a baking tin, in
a very hot part of the oven, for five minutes, to harden the outside
and keep in the juice. Baste it as soon as the fat melts ; then re-
move it to a cooler part. Place beside it a cup, or basin, of water
to keep the air of the oven moist without cooling it. Baste the
meat frequently. For the length of time required, see preceding
directions.
All ovens in which meat is cooked should be properly ven-
tilated, in order to allow the escape of an injurious vapor produced
by meat when cooked in a close oven. Meat roasted in the oven
is not considered so digestible as when roasted before the fire.
Roasting in the pot or saucepan. — This way of roasting is espe-
cially suitable for small pieces of meat, and is far more economical,
because of the small quantity of fuel required. Melt and heat a
tablespoonful of dripping in a pot. Brown all sides of the meat in
this, so as to harden the outside and keep in the juices. Then
draw the pot to the side of the fire and let the meat cook slowly
with the lid on, basting it frequently. Time required, same as in
previous directions.
FRYING.
To fry a steak. — Having got your steak, which must not be
thinner than half an inch, and not thicker than an inch, take the
suet, which is always given with the steak, chop it fine ; see that
your pan is perfectly clean and dry. Place the pan on the fire
with the suet; let it remain until the suet is melted and rather
hot. Take hold of the steak at one end with a fork, dip it in the
pan, and keep it for two minutes; then turn the other side for two
or three minutes, according to the heat of the fire; then turn it.
It will take about twelve minutes to cook, and requires to be
turned on each side three times during the cooking. Take care
that the pan is not too hot, or it will burn the gravy, and perhaps
the meat, and lose all the nutriment; you must not leave the pan,
COOKERY FOR WORKING-MEN'S WIVES. 41
but carefully watch it all the time. If not turned very often it
will be noticed that the gravy will come out on the upper surface
of the meat, which in turning over will go into the pan and be
lost, instead of remaining in the meat. Always, in lifting, insert
the fork in the fat. Serve on hot plates with salt, pepper, and the
gravy round it.
To fry a mutton chop. — Get some nice loin chops, cut the same
thickness all through. Have your frying-pan very clean; put in
a little dripping or lard ; let it get rather hot. As soon as it begins
to smoke take the chop with a fork by the small end and dip it in
the fat for a minute; then turn it and let it fry for three minutes ;
you can turn it several times, it will take ten minutes to cook a
chop an inch thick with a good, clear fire. Add salt and pepper;
have a nice hot plate, and lift carefully, always putting the fork in
fat. Pour the gravy round it.
To broil a rump steak. — Get your steak three-quarters of an
inch thick (if it should be cut rather thicker in one part than
another, beat it well with a chopper). Before cooking a steak stir
up the fire (say half an hour before you intend to use it) ; clear
away the ashes ; stir all the dead cinders from the bottom, and in
a few minutes you will have a clear fire fit for the use of the grid-
iron. Place your gridiron, with the steak, about 5 inches above
the fire, and keep constantly turning the steak, to keep the gravy
in. Put the fork, not into the lean part, but into the fat to turn
it. One pound of steak three-quarters of an inch thick will take
about twelve or fifteen minutes to cook with a nice clear fire.
Serve hot on a hot plate.
WASTE IN COOKING.
The following table shows how much is wasted in some of the
different ways of cooking :
Four pounds of beef, in boiling or stewing, wastes about 1
pound of its substance ; but you have it all in the broth or gravy,
if you have kept the pot closely covered.
In baking 1£ pounds is almost entirely lost, unless you have
plenty of vegetables in the dripping-pan to absorb and preserve it.
In roasting before the fire you lose nearly 1J pounds. Do not
think you save the waste in the shape of dripping. It is poor
economy to buy fat at the price of meat merely for the pleasure of
frying it out.
42 HINTS ON WASHING, ETC.
GENERAL HINTS.
It is very desirable that all cooked food should be taken hot.
When cold food is taken it reduces the temperature of the stomach ;
and both the nerves and vessels of the stomach are taxed, in order
to bring the temperature of the food thus taken up to that of the
human body. So in taking hot soup, tea, coffee, or cocoa we pre-
vent this tax upon the internal organs. When people have been
overexerted or had a long fast it is better for them to have a little
hot soup or a cup of cocoa, and wait for half an hour before they
take their dinner ; by that time they are rested, the hot soup or
cocoa has refreshed and invigorated the stomach as no wine or
spirit could have done.
Before beginning to cook be careful to see that you have a clear
fire in a clean grate, and that your pots and pans are thoroughly
clean. To clean pots, first clean the inside out well with pot-range,
then wash them both inside and out with hot water and some
washing soda ; then take a cloth, with a little soap rubbed on it,
dip it in fine ashes, with this rub the inside of the pot till it is
quite clean, then wash it with warm water and dry. Do the lid in
the same way.
Fish, if at all plentiful, is always cheaper on Thursdays, Fridays,
and Saturdays, and can be had at the time the shops close at less
than half price, if they have any over. For those who study
economy this is worth remembering, as they can thus provide a
good, cheap dinner for the next day.
Pieces of dry cheese, which the grocers are glad to get rid of
very cheap, do excellently for cooking and grating.
Soap parings in the same way can be got very much cheaper,
and are quite as good for boiling down for washing purposes.
HINTS ON WASHING, ETC.
Washing is always best done early in the week, say Tuesday ;
then you have the week before you to dry, etc. Mend what re-
quires to be mended the day before. Soak your things before
washing; if this is done it saves a great deal of trouble and hard
rubbing. Boil the soap, and mix a handful of boiled soap to every
gallon of hot water, with a little soda or borax (borax is better for
the fine things). Into this put the shirts and linen, collars, etc., to
soak all night. Bed and table linen can either be soaked in cold
HINTS ON WASHING, ETC. 43
water or laid aside till its turn comes. Curtains or window blinds
should always be soaked in cold water to draw out the smoke.
Flannels should be well shaken, to free them from dust, and put
together by themselves.
Begin your washing as early as possible in the morning. First
light your boiler fire and have plenty of hot water. If it is fine,
wash your flannels first. Add a little hot water to the soaked
things, taking the best things first. Wash them out carefully, re-
moving all stains. Then put them into another tub with warm
water and melted soap, and wash them again ; and, as they are
finished, drop them into a tub of cold water, and let them lie in it
for a while.
Fill up the boiler with cold water, put into it a handful of
melted soap, 1 teaspoonful of borax to the gallon of water. Wring
the clothes out of the cold water, put them in the boiler, put on the
lid, and let them boil gently for a quarter of an hour. Then take
them out, add more water, soap, and borax, and put in the next
quantity. Pour some cold water on the boiled clothes, wash them
and rinse them out, then blue them. Put a little water in the tub
and tinge it well with blue. Do not allow things to lie in blue
water, but just dip each article in separately, and wring them out.
When all are finished hang them out to dry.
If possible, bleach your clothes on grass after boiling ; but where
this can not be done it is yet possible, with care, to keep your linen
white and clear.
Laces and muslin should not be rubbed, but squeezed with the
hands in melted soap and warm water. Be careful, in boiling
them, to tie them up in a handkerchief to prevent their being
torn.
In washing flannels (notice particularly), to keep them a good
color and to prevent their shrinking, get from the grocer 1 or 2
pounds (according to the size of your washing) of soap parings,
which you will get cheap; for 1 pound of soap parings put 3
quarts of water ; boil to a jelly, and with this wash your flannels.
Be sure you have plenty of water warm, not too hot. Put in a
handful of your soap jelly, and mix thoroughly in the water ; then
take the flannels, one at a time, shake all dust out of them, then
sluice the articles up and down well ; rub as little as possible, for
rubbing knots the little loops of wool together and thickens the
flannel; wring them in a machine, if you have one, if not, squeeze
them well. Dry in the open air, if weather permits, as quickly
as possible.
44 HINTS ON WASHING, ETC.
In washing scarlet or the blue flannel, put one tablespoonful
spirits ammonia in the rinsing water.
For other woolen articles, such as children's dresses, shawls, etc.,
where there are green or other fancy colors, add to your soap jelly
one-half gill of spirits of turpentine, and a tablespoonful of spirits
of hartshorn ; then thoroughly wash as quickly as possibly ; rinse
in cold water with a little salt in it, and dry quickly. If this is
done carefully, the colors will remain quite fresh.
For prints. — Never rub them with soap. Boil the soap as for
flannel, add to water, and wash as quickly as possible ; then in the
rinsing water put a few drops of vitriol, just sufficient to make it
taste a little tart ; this will fasten all colors except black, but black
fades. For black prints better use salt or a little spirits of turpen-
tine in the rinsing water.
To make hot water starch. — Take a clean basin, and mix to 1
large tablespoonful of starch, 1 teaspoonful spirits of turpentine, 1
teaspoonful spirits of ammonia, with only enough cold water to
make into a smooth paste ; then pour boiling water (it must be
boiling) over it, stirring all the time till it is quite transparent.
To make cold water starch. — To a large tablespoonful of starch
put half a teaspoonful borax, half a teaspoonful spirits of turpen-
tine, mix with a little cold water to a paste ; then add cold water
to make the starch to the thickness of cream ; stir well, and put in
the things ; if the things to be starched are dry, you will have to
make the starch thinner.
To starch and iron a shirt. — The linen should be rather damp ;
dip the front, collar, and cuffs of shirt into the starch, squeeze them
well out, and roll up tight for some hours ; then shake out and
pull them quite straight, leaving no creases; rub them over with a
piece of soft cloth. Fold the skirt straight down the back. Iron
all the unstarched part first, then the cuffs, then the band. To
gloss the front place a smooth board, covered with flannel, inside
the breast, rub over the front of the shirt with a damp cloth and
iron (with the heel of the iron) very nicely till quite dry and
glossy.
In ironing be careful always to rub the iron over something
of little value first ; this will prevent the scorching and smearing
of many articles.
To wash clothes with paraffine oil. — To every 8 gallons of cold
water put one-fourth pound soap, shred fine, 1J tablespoonfuls of
paraffine oil, into a boiler ; put in the clothes, let them come to
the boil, keep the lid close on boiler, and steam for half an hour;
SANITARY HINTS. 45
take out the clothes, rub any parts not quite clean, and rinse in
plenty of cold water.
To wash clothes in paraffine soap. — Cut down one-half pound
paraffine soap, and put it into a boiler of water to melt. Rub the
clothes well out of the soda water, in which they have previously
been soaked, put them into a boiler and let them boil for half an
hour, then put them into a tub with plenty of cold water ; wash
them thoroughly, then rinse in blue water, and dry.
SANITARY HINTS.
(1) Remember that pure air is food, and that polluted air is
poison.
(2) Never allow the air to stagnate in your rooms or houses.
(3) Provide for the constant ventilation of your rooms. One of
the best ways of doing this is keeping the window a little down
from the top..
(4) Keep the vent always open.
(5) Thoroughly air all sleeping apartments, beds, and bed
clothes during the day.
(6) Do not use, for drinking or cooking, water which has long
lain stagnant in cisterns or vessels.
(7) See that the water cistern is cleaned out regularly, say every
month or two.
(8) See that there is no connection between the water cistern
and the drain, and that the waste goes to the outside of the house.
(9) Do everything in your power to keep closets and sinks
cleanly and sweet.
(10) See that the private drains from closets are ventilated by
pipe opening at the roof.
(11) See that the private drains from closet and sinks are properly
trapped, in order that the poisonous gases from the sewers may not
get into the house.
(12) The neglect of this precaution is a fruitful cause for many
of the worst diseases, such as diphtheria, typhoid fever, etc.
(13) When you need to use disinfectants, as after fever, etc., re-
member that they do not radically cure the evil. The only remedy
is the removal of the causes of impure air or water which has pro-
duced the evil.
(14) Avoid the use of covered (or " press") beds, the most whole-
some being a plain iron bed without any curtains.
46 HINTS ON WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
(15) In cases of sickness all utensils, etc., should be kept scrupu-
lously clean, and the precautions suggested above as to main-
taining a supply of pure air should be observed with redoubled
vigilance.
HINTS ON WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
Croup. — Croup, or inflammatory sore throat, is caused by ex-
posure to cold, damp air, or sudden change of weather. The signs
are hoarseness and noisy breathing. Give the child a teaspoonful
of ipecacuanha wine. If vomiting does not soon follow, give half
the quantity. Keep the child in bed. Put a brick into the fire
until it is quite hot; place a bucket of water at the bedside; put
the hot brick into it, which will raise a large quantity of warm
vapor, which the child will breathe. Apply a warm poultice
to the throat and use warm fomentations. Milk is the best
diet. If the above does not relieve, send for medical advice
without delay.
A very good and simple remedy for croup is a teaspoonful of
powdered alum and 2 teaspoonfuls of sugar ; mix with a little
water and give it, as quickly as possible, a little at a time, and in-
stant relief will be given.
Diphtheria. — What goes by the popular name of croup is, in a
great many instances, really diphtheria, which is a contagious
general disease of great danger. The chief characteristic is the
formation of a thick, tough, false membrane on the palate, tonsils,
and back of the throat, spreading downwards into the windpipe.
The signs are great loss of strength (never absent), the formation
of the above-named membrane, sometimes high fever, as often no
rise in the temperature. Sometimes eruptions in the skin appear.
Whenever the above signs can be traced get medical advice with-
out a moment's delay.
Common cold. — In the case of a child, confine the child to one
room, or, if at all feverish, to bed. Apply a warm poultice to chest,
and give 10 drops of ipecacuanha wine every hour or two till
patient perspires and feels a little sick. In the case of a grown-up
person, confine to house and keep patient warm. Mix 30 drops
antimonial wine, 80 grains of citrate of potash, 3 teaspoonfuls of
syrup, or a little sugar, in 4 ounces of water (an ounce is 2 tablespoon-
fuls). Give an ounce of this every three or four hours. If the cough
lingers, a teaspoonful of paregoric, with 20 drops of ipecacuanha
wine in a little water, should be given at bedtime.
HINTS ON WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES. 47
Useful homely recipe for a cold and cough. — One ounce Span-
ish juice, 2 ounces honey, one-half pound treacle, Id worth lauda-
num, Id. worth oil of peppermint, 1 pint of water.
Boil down 1 pint of water, with the Spanish juice, honey, and
treacle in it, to a gill ; let it get cold, and add laudanum and oil of
peppermint. Bottle tight, and shake the bottle before using.
Dose for an adult, a tablespoonful night and morning.
Fainting. — At once make patient lie down, with the head quite
low. Loosen articles of dress. Let patient have plenty of air, and
keep people from crowding round. Apply smelling salts, cau-
tiously, to nose. Sprinkle face with a little cold water smartly. If
faint continues long, or feet and hands are cold, apply hot bottles,
and when patient can swallow give a teaspoonful of sal volatile in
water, or a little spirits in water.
Fits. — This means either apoplexy or epilepsy. Apoplexy is
attended with insensibility. The patient falls, generally, but not
always, grows purple in the face, and breathes in a snoring man-
ner. There is paralysis of one side, and the mouth is drawn to
one side. Place patient in bed, with head raised. If hot, apply
cold water to head, and send for doctor.
In epilepsy patient usually gives a scream, becomes deadly pale,
falls on his face, becomes convulsed, and then profoundly insen-
sible. While in this state all that need be done is to loosen articles
of dress and keep patient quiet and beyond danger of hurting
himself until sensibility returns. It is then a case for medical
treatment.
Choking. — Choking arises from food, or fluids, or other substances
sticking in the throat or passing into the air passages. In bad
choking, where the patient suddenly turns dark in the face, etc., no
time is to be lost. Open the mouth and push your forefinger in a
determined way over the tongue, right back, and try to hook away
or push aside the hindrance. If this does not succeed, you may, by
pressing the hinder portion of the tongue, bring on vomiting, and
so secure relief. A good plan is sometimes tried with children,
viz, that of pressing the chest and stomach against something
hard, as a table or a chair, then slapping or thumping the back
between the shoulder blades. In this way air is driven from the
lungs through the windpipe so forcibly as often to expel the ob-
stacle. When the obstruction consists of a coin, as often in the
case of children, a good plan is at once to take the child up by the
heels and at the same time give it a shake, or slap its back. Fish
bones can sometimes be got rid of by swallowing a mouthful of
0? TH3S v
7BR3IT7S
^CiTCftf^
48 HINTS ON WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
bread. If these remedies fail, medical help should at once be
called in.
Suffocation by gases. — Drag the patient as quickly as possible
into fresh air ; loose clothing ; dash cold water on head, face, and
upper part of chest. If the breathing has stopped, artificial re-
spiration must be resorted to.
Poisoning. — Send at once for the nearest doctor, telling him all
the particulars, so that he may bring what is necessary. Unless
the poison is an irritant, such as oil of vitriol or the like, which
burns or destroys the stomach, etc., do all you can to make the
patient sick. You may give a tablespoonful of mustard in a
tumbler of warm water, or the same amount of common salt with
warm water. If the patient is drowsy, as from poisoning by nar-
cotics, you must do all you can to keep him awake by dashing
cold water on his head and face, walking him about, etc. Do not
permit him to sleep. In cases of poisoning by irritants, emetics
should not be given, but you should try to save the stomach as
much as possible by giving soothing drinks, as milk, etc. Always
try to find out what the poison taken has been. You will generally
be able to recognize a case of irritant poison, even if the patient can
not tell you, by the stains on the clothes, lips, etc., the burning sen-
sation of the mouth, the terrible suffering of the stomach, the
retching, and vomiting of blood, etc. Medical advice must in any
case of poison be called in with the utmost haste.
Poisoning by alcohol, or drunkenness. — Get the patient under
cover as soon as possible. If insensible, rouse him by dashing cold
water on the face. Endeavor to make the patient vomit. Rub the
surface of the body with warm, dry cloths; wrap the patient in
blankets ; put hot water bottles to his feet, and do all you can to
keep up the heat of body, which is always lowered in the state of
intoxication.
Broken limbs. — The thing to be first done is to keep the limb
quite steady till the surgeon comes. This is done by placing on
each side of the broken limb whatever may be at hand, such as
slips of wood, small pillows, an umbrella, the stock and barrel of a
gun, or two walking sticks, or even firmly rolled straw, or pads of
cotton wool, and retaining them in their position by one or two
handkerchiefs, not tied too tightly. Never raise the patient from
the ground until the nature of his injury has been ascertained, or
some appliance has been made to prevent the movement of the
broken limb. Then raise him, if possible, with the help of several
persons, and, as it were, in one solid piece, all moving together,
HINTS ON WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES. 49
and keeping step in carrying. If a patient has to be carried
home, let it be on a shutter, or a table, or a stretcher, on which he
can lie flat, instead of being doubled up in a cab; as is often done.
It is from neglect of this simple rule that broken bones are often
made to protrude through the flesh, simple being thus turned
into compound fractures, attended by the risk of the limb being
lost.
What to do when dress catches fire. — The following are the
directions given in Dr. Robert's book on ambulance work : " If
your own dress, throw yourself at once on the ground, so that the
rising flames may not catch the upper part of your clothes nor
burn your head and chest ; roll about (so putting the flames out by
pressure), and at the same, if possible, wrap yourself up closely in
a rug, hearth rug, blanket, table cloth, overcoat, or carpet, so as to
smother the fire. Do not get up to call for assistance, but for that
purpose crawl to the bell rope or door. If another person's dress,
throw the person on fire down at once, wrap him or her up in a
rug or something similar, or, if there is nothing at hand suitable,
use your own coat, rolling the patient about in it, for the purpose
of smothering the flames." A woman rendering help in this way
must exercise great self-possession, and be careful not to get her
own clothes entangled in the flames.
Measles and scarlet fever. — When measles or infectious dis-
eases are prevalent in a neighborhood, and a child shows symptoms
of cold in the head and fever, it is a reason for immediate careful-
ness. The diet should be light, cooling, scanty, and the child
should be kept indoors. In its ordinary course measles is unac-
companied by danger, but the mildest form may be quickly con-
verted, by want of care, into the most dangerous. The parent
should carefully watch the symptoms of change, and if a child
complains of piercing headache, intolerance of light, etc., the doctor
should be called in at once. It is also most dangerous to resort,
without advice, to spirits and such remedies to bring out the rash
if it suddenly disappears. Sometimes the disappearance of the rash
may be traced to careless exposure to cold. In this case the child
should be instantly, and without hesitation, put into a warm bath,
care being taken to prevent subsequent cold. Often, however,
the cause of the disappearance may be dependent on internal in-
flammation or too high fever, and medical advice should be at
once procured.
Indigestion. — Among the most common causes of indigestion
are the undue use of strong or too long infused tea (which, taken
50 HINTS OX WHAT TO DO BEFORE THE DOCTOR COMES.
without food and in excess, is destructive), the use of new bread,
and eating too fast.
Teeth. — If people wish to preserve their teeth they should
brush them, especially at night, gently with a short, soft brush,
moved up and down so as to remove remnants of food, etc., lodging
between the teeth, and so destroying the enamel. This precaution
involves little or no expense, and the trouble will be well repaid.
When iron tonic or acid mixtures have to be taken they should
always be sucked through a glass tube, which can be got at any
chemist's for a penny or two. Doctors often forget to remind
patients of this, and, in consequence, the teeth grow prematurely
black or loosen and decay.
Recovery from sickness. — When patients are recovering from
measles and scarlet fever the greatest care must be taken to avoid
chills. From the neglect of this precaution after-consequences of
the most serious character often occur. Children recovering from
these illnesses should be warmly clothed and kept out of cold
draughts until they have quite regained strength. It is also the
duty of parents who have children suffering from the above dis-
eases to prevent healthy people from coming near them, particu-
larly in the case of scarlet fever, until the stage of peeling of the
skin is quite over, when the patient should be well washed with
carbolic soap. The bed and bedding should be disinfected as well
as the clothing.
Intoxicating drink. — The abuse of intoxicating drink is the
curse of this country. It is the fruitful parent of crime, disease,
premature death, and domestic misery in every shape and degree.
The judges, with one accord, say that if the people could only be
made to abstain from the use of intoxicating drinks more than
half the prisons might be shut up. Men and women who are
tempted to sin in this w T ay should abstain entirely. For these
there is but one rule of safety — taste not, touch not. Industry,
thrift, and strict temperance, these are the simple rules which, by
the divine blessing, secure health and lasting happiness.
San Jose Mercury.
OHAKLES M. 8HOKTK1DGE
Editok & Publisher.
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County OflToial Paper.
MONDAY. - OCTOBElT6ri89r.
What is Being Done for
Them at New Almaden.
THE VALUABLE INSTRUCTION GIVEN.
Result of the Techuical Schools Es-
tablished Under the Direction
of Hon. James B. Kandol.
Hon. James B. Kandol, Superintendent
of the New Almaden quicksilver mines,
takes an active interest in the welfare of the
people employed at the works and their
families, and the social features of their
lives are made pleasant and profitable in
j! many ways through his benevolent and
kindly help.
The latest institution started under his
direction is a technical school, which will
prove of great benefit to the children of j^ie
employes of the mine, and, in fact, it has
already been such, although established
but a few months ago.
The school embraces most useful branches
of practical knowledge for boys and girls,
and has separate branches on the Hill and
at the Hacienda. Great credit is due to
Col. P. Von Leicbt, chairman of the
schools, for the success of the work, and
also to his amiable wife, the latter
having attended daily the sewing school at
the Hacienda and personally supervised
the work of every pupil with a degree of
skill and intelligence possessed by few
pupils. Another commendable fact is that
the instruction was all given by home
talent and the results are so encou raging
that there will be a renewal of the work
next year at the summer vacation.
The following extracts from the report of
Col. Von Leicht will prove of general in-
terest :
"J. B. Randol, Esq. — DeakSib: I have
the honor to submit herewith a report on
the 'technical schools' at New Almaden
which were started this year under your
ausninps •
Oi
• \ "The schools commenced on the 7th of
■ July and continued regularly until the 22d
;:jOf August, a term of seven weeks, limited
■ by the term of vacation in the public
7\ school, which be*un on Julv 1st and ended
1 August 31, 1890. The technical
^schools were established on the Hill
las well as at the Hacienda, and instruction
was given in plain cooking, sewing, carpen
;9try and blacksmith work, both on the Hill
iand at the Hacienda. The daily course of
instruction was limited to iwo hours, for
five days in each wee*. Saturday being al-
lowed as a holiday.
THE INSTBUCTOBS.
"Seven weeks, or thirty-five school days,
constituted the whole term. The sewing
school on the Hill, attended by the largest
number of pupils, fifty-one in the begin-
ning, was instructed by Mrs. John Trus-
cott, assisted by Miss Minnie Gilbert. The
large number of pupils made it necessary
to divide the class into two divisions one
being taught in the forenoon and the o'ther
in the afternoon. A similar division was
made in the cooking school, the carpenter
school and the blacksmith school. The
pupils at the Hacienda not being so numer-
ous the classes there were not divided
The cooking school on the Hill was in-
structed by Mrs. Lizzie Roberts; the car-
penter school on the Hill was instructed by
Angel Delmeastro; the blacksmith school
on the Hill was instructed fey John Harrv.
"At Hacienda the sewing school was in-
structed by Mary Higgins; the cooking
school; was instructed by Miss Lottie Bul-
more : the carpenter school was instructed
by Chas. Buzza; and the biacksmith school
was instructed by Chas. Higgins.
COURSE OF IN8TBUCTION.
"The course of instruction at these
schools was : Sewing school— straight seams,
hems, and whip seams, gathering, button-
holes, patchwork and tucking; cooking
school— bread-making, puddings, pastry,
cakes, roasting meats and cooking beans ;
carpenter school— use of the chisel, saw
and plane, cross-cut and rip-sawing driv-
ing nails, making boxes, paring with chisel
chamfering, making lap joints, mortising
and mitre joints, dovetailidg, planing to di-
mensions ; blacksmith school— heating and
shaping iron, making bolts, staples, clev-
ises, hooks, welding, making links, temper-
ing steel, drilling holes, making washers
and tapping nuts.
HILI, SCHOOLS.
"The sewing school enrolled fifty-one
pupils ; thirteen of these attended school
in July only, leaving thirty-eight pupils at
the end of the term. Total days' attend-
ance, 977 ; average for each pupil enrolled,
19.16 days. This average was exceeded by
twenty-nine pupils; twelve of these more
than twenty-nine days.
"The cooking school enrolled thirty-three
pupils. Fifteen of these attended school
in July only, and one pupil in August
only, seventeen pupils being present at the
end of the term. Total days' attendance
324; average for each pupil, 9.82 days
Seventeen pupils exceeded this average • of
these two pupils more than twenty days
and one pupil over thirtv days. Pupils'
were given permission to attend both
classes of instruction, sewing and cooking
Twenty pupils were enrolled in both classes';
at the end of the term only nine were
present iu both classes.
"The carpenter school enrolled thirty-six
pupils, twelve of which attended school in
July only, leaving twenty-four pupils pres-
ent at the end of the term. Total days at-
tendance, 791 ; average for each pupil en-
rolled, twenty - two days. Twenty-two
ils exce e ded this average; of these thir
teen pupils attending school thirty days
and over.
"The blacksmith school enrolled twenty-
one pupils, and all were present at the end
of the term. The total days attendance
was 698; average for each pupil, 33.24-100
days. Thirteen pupils attended school
each day of the term, and only three pupils
for less than thirty days.
HACIENDA SCHOOLS.
"The sewing school enrolled twenty-six
pupils, eighteen of which were present at
the end of the term. Eight pupils attended
school in July only. Total days attend-
ance, 574; average per scholar enrolled, 26.
Fourteen pupils exceeded this average.
"The cooking school enrolled thirteen
pupils, nine being present at the end of the
term. Total days attendance. 351 ; average,
27 days. Nine pupils exceeded this average,
and seven of these attended school every
day of the term. Eleven pupils enrolled in
the sewing and cooking schools at the same
time, and nine of these were present at the
end of the term.
''The carpenter school enrolled thirteen
pupil.", and had eleven present at the end of
the term. Total days attendance, 339; aver-
age, 26 days—exceeded by eleven boys; of
these seven attended school more that 30
days.
"The blacksmith school enrolled twelve
pupils, eight of which were present at the
end of the term. Total days attendance,
212; average, 17% days— exceeded by six
boys ; only one of these attended school
*very day of the term.
THE PRIZES.
"The distribution of prizes has been made
by the several committees after a careful
inspection of the work done by the pupils,
the age of the pupil having been taken in
consideration. Altogether the work done
by the pupils is very creditable, considering
their age, and the short term of instruction,
and some pupils have shown much intelli-
gence and great aptitude."
The foil wing prizes were awarded in the
Hill schools: Sewing — Janie Martin, An-
nie Harrower, first prizes, each $3. Bertha
Tregoning, Dora Dunstan, A. Cistema, A.
A. Collins, Lizzie Drew, second prizes, each
$2. Lena Toy, Julia Smith, Esperanza
Montijo, Edith Drew, Annie Biswarick,
Philippa Harris, C. Cistema, Ethel Che-
quin, Ellen Harris, third prizes, each $1.
Annie Bennetts, Annie Hoking, attendance,
each $1. Selina Odgers, Mabel Collins,
Isabel Mendizabal, each 60 cents. Total:
Two first prizes, $6; five second prizes, $10;
nine third prizes, $9; attendance, $2; be-
havior, $1.50,— $2§ 50.
Cooking— Maud Eslick, first prize, $3;
Janie Geach, Annie Tonkin, second prize,
$2; Lena Toy, Esperanza Montijo, Edith
Drew, third prize, $1; Nellie Bone, Rosa
Moreno. Eliza George, attendance, 75 cents j
Nellie Berryman, 50 cents. Total: One
first prize, $3; two second prizes, $4; three
third prizes, $3; attendance, $2.25; be-
havior, 50 cents— $12.75.
Carpenters— Chas. Bone, first prhje, $3;
kin, second prize, $2; John Delmastro,
Willie Odgers, J as. Job, Joe Montijo, Harry I
TerriH tbire prize. $1 ; John James, Frank
Gambia, Miguel Pena, Fred Andrews, at-
tendance. 75 cents; John Beswarick, Benny I
Doidge, 50 cents. Total: One first prize,
$3- three second prizes, $6; five third
prizes, $5; attendance, behavior. $4- $18.
Blacksmiths — Harry Woolcock, first
prize $3; Willie Harry. John Bone, Johnnie
Kemp, second prize, $2; Tommy Hams
Willie Tregoning, Arthur Montijo. third
prize. $1; Josie Harris, Santiago Garcia,
Cruz Pena, Willie Pascoe. Joe Moreno, <5
cents. Total: One first prize, $3; three
second prizes, $6; three third prizes, $3; at-
tendance, $3.75-$15.75. ■■'.--.
The prizes in the Hacienda schools were
i as follows: Sewing- Annie Buzza, n.-st
prize, $3; Josie Cantua. Llllie Buzza, second
prize, each $2; Mabel Barrett Erva Mc-
Comas, Livie Higgins. Rosie Higgms, 1
third prizes, each $1; attendance-Maggie
Lawlor, Mable Buzza, $1 ; Came Lawlor, 50
cents. Total : One first prize, $3 ; two sec-
ond prizes $4, four third prizes, $4; attend-
ance,|$2.50-$13.50.
Cooking— Blanche Bairett, first prize, $3;
Lottie Buzza, second prize. $2; Mabel Bar-
rett, third prize, $1; Phillippa Barrett, at-
tendance, 75 cents. Total, $6.75.
Carpenters-George Carson, first prize,
$3; John Stile, second prize, $2; Alma Bul-
more, H. Dahlgren, (each $1). $2; J. Ander-
son, attendance, $1. Total, $8.
Blacksmiths— Jos. Hancock, first prize,
$3: Peter Barrett, second prize, $2; Wu,
Lawlor, third prize, $1; F. McComas, at
tendance, $1. Total. $7.
JAM 11 I 940
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