BUYING FOOD AND CARING FOR IT.
Going to Market.
WHEN a housekeeper understands just what to do, and can spend the time
to go to the market herself, she will find that she can have a better
table, with greater variety and at less expense, than when she orders
from the provision man who comes to the house each day. It is true that
there are a great many housekeepers who have neither time nor strength
for daily or even weekly visits to the markets, but the average
housekeeper has the time, and she will find that in the end it will add
to her mental and physical health, as well as to the attractiveness of
her table.
[Illustration: FIRST FIVE RIBS.]
In ordering at the house it is a difficult matter to keep in mind all
the things that the provision man briskly calls off. Even if he should
not miss many little things that one might choose for the sake of
economy and variety, it would be almost impossible to remember them all
when giving him the order. In the market, however, the articles are
spread out before you, and one thing suggests another. Here the prices
can be kept in mind when selecting the food; and should the thing that
you have decided upon be too expensive, something else that you will
find to be nearly or equally good may be substituted. For example, you
may have planned to have halibut for dinner, and found that, instead of
being eighteen cents, it has gone up to twenty-five or thirty cents. You
will naturally hesitate before adding fifty per cent to the expense of
the dish. A cod, haddock, whitefish, red-snapper, or something else of
moderate price, will make a satisfactory substitute. Although the prices
of beef, mutton, pork, etc. are not subject to great changes, the prices
of fresh fish, vegetables, fruit, and game fluctuate constantly. Then
again, many little savory dishes are suggested by the sight of the
various little odds and ends found in the stalls. The sight and odor of
a piece of smoked bacon may give you visions of the many savory dishes
to which it will give relish,—liver and bacon, chicken livers en
brochette, and rashers of bacon with chops or beefsteak.
[Illustration: CHUCK RIBS.]
In the market, too, perhaps you will see sheep’s hearts, which when
boiled make a cheap and savory breakfast, luncheon, or supper dish.
Calves and lambs’ tongues are both cheap and good. They may be kept in
brine for a week or two and then boiled, the same as beef tongue; or
they may be boiled while fresh. They make an attractive dish when served
in jelly, or they may be braised, and served with vegetables à la
jardinière, making an elegant as well as an economical dish. Sheep and
lambs’ kidneys are delicious when broiled, stewed, or sautéd. They are
always cheap. Perhaps you may see a piece of honeycomb tripe which would
make a pleasing dish for breakfast. The liver of nearly all animals is
used, but beef, calves, and pigs’ livers are the most common. Sheep and
lambs’ livers are delicious.
[Illustration: HIND QUARTER OF BEEF.]
EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM.
┌────────────────────────┬───────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┐
│ BOSTON. │ NEW YORK. │ PHILADELPHIA. │
├────────────────────────┼───────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ 1. Tip end of sirloin. │ First cut of ribs. │First cut of ribs. │
│ │ │ │
│ 2. Second cut of │ Porter-house steak or │Sirloin roast or steak. │
│ sirloin. │ sirloin roast. │ │
│ │ │ │
│ 3. First cut of │ Flat-boned sirloin │Sirloin roast or steak. │
│ sirloin. │ steak or roast. │ │
│ │ │ │
│ 4. Back of rump. │⎧(_a_) Large sirloin │Hip roast; also rump steak.│
│ │⎪ │ │
│ 5. Middle of rump. │⎨(_a_) steaks or │Middle of rump. │
│ │⎪ │ │
│ 6. Face of rump. │⎩roasts. │Face of rump. │
│ │ │ │
│ 7. Aitchbone. │ Aitchbone. │Tail end of rump. │
│ │ │ │
│ 8. Best round steak. │ (and 4_b_ and 5_b_) │Best round steak. │
│ │ Rump steak or roasts.│ │
│ │ │ │
│ 9. Poorer round steak. │ (and 12_c_) Round │Poorer round steak. │
│ │ steak. │ │
│ │ │ │
│10. Best part of vein. │ Best part of vein. │Best part of vein. │
│ │ │ │
│11. Poorer part of vein.│ Poorer part of vein. │Poorer part of vein. │
│ │ │ │
│12. Shank of round. │ (_d_) Leg of beef. │Leg. │
│ │ │ │
│13. Flank. │ (_e_) Flank. │(_e_) Flank. │
└────────────────────────┴───────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┘
[Illustration: FORE QUARTER OF BEEF.]
EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM.
┌────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┐
│ BOSTON. │ NEW YORK. │ PHILADELPHIA. │
├────────────────────────────┼──────────────────────┼──────────────────────┤
│ 1. First cut of ribs. │ First cut of ribs, │ First cut of ribs, │
│ │ with tip of sirloin.│ with tip of sirloin.│
│ │ │ │
│ 2. Second cut of ribs. │ Second cut of ribs. │ Second cut of ribs. │
│ │ │ │
│ 3. Third cut of ribs. │ Third cut of ribs. │ Third cut of ribs. │
│ │ │ │
│ 4 and 5. Best chuck ribs. │ Best chuck ribs. │ Best chuck ribs. │
│ │ │ │
│ 6 and 7. Poorer chuck ribs.│ Poorer chuck ribs. │ Poorer chuck ribs. │
│ │ │ │
│ 8. Neck piece. │ Neck piece. │ Neck chuck. │
│ │ │ │
│ 9. Rattle-ran. │ Plate piece. │ Plate piece. │
│ │ │ │
│10. Shoulder of mutton. │⎫ │⎧Shoulder of mutton │
│ │⎬Shoulder of mutton. │⎨ or boler piece. │
│11. Sticking piece. │⎭ │⎩Sticking piece. │
│ │ │ │
│12. Middle cut or rib plate.│⎫ │ │
│ │⎬Navel end of brisket.│ Navel end of brisket.│
│13. Navel end of brisket. │⎭ │ │
│ │ │ │
│14. Brisket piece. │ Brisket piece. │ Brisket piece. │
│ │ │ │
│15. Shin, thick end of │ Shin and thick end of│ Shin and thick end of│
│ brisket, part of sticking │ brisket. │ brisket. │
│ piece. │ │ │
└────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────┴──────────────────────┘
[Illustration: SIRLOIN ROAST,—SECOND CUT.]
Perhaps you want just about two pounds of the neck of mutton for a
broth. You see it cut off and are sure to get nearly what you want. It
may be you want a pound or two of the round of beef chopped for a
Hamburg steak or for beef tea. If you see it cut, you will not get three
or four pounds instead of two. This is true of all the cuts of meat and
fish. It is a rare thing that the provision man, who takes your order at
the house, does not bring you more than you want. In the fish,
vegetable, and fruit market there is constant change, and we cannot be
well supplied with the best and cheapest except by a personal visit to
the sales place.
If one have a large and cold room to keep stores in, and the family be
large, it will pay to buy in quantity, provided the housekeeper knows
what to do with the supplies when she gets them.
[Illustration: CARCASS OF MUTTON.]
1.⎫ 1. Leg.
2.⎬ Hind quarter. 2. Loin.
4.⎭ 3. Shoulder.
3.⎫ 4. Flank.
5.⎬ Fore quarter. 5.⎫ Breast.
5.⎭ 5.⎭
In cold weather I often buy a hind quarter of mutton. To give the
housekeeper an idea of what can be done with such a piece of meat, let
me explain how I use it. This is for a family of three, with an average
of one guest for one meal each day. It must be kept in mind that the
part of the hind quarter which will spoil first is the flank; next come
the ribs and loin; the leg will keep many weeks if hung in a cold dry
place. When the piece of mutton is sent home, I cut off the flank and
the thin end of the ribs, leaving the rib and loin chops quite short.
Should I want to cook any of the chops that day or the next I cut off
the required number, but if I do not care to use them for several days,
they are not cut off until that time. The piece of meat is now hung in
my cold room, and cut from as required. The flank and thin ribs are
freed from every bit of fat; the lean meat is cut into cubes and placed
in a stewpan with four tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, a generous
half-cupful of pearl barley, two level tablespoonfuls of salt, one level
teaspoonful of pepper, and three quarts of cold water. These materials
for a soup are placed on the fire and skimmed carefully when they begin
to boil; then the stewpan is set back where the contents will just
bubble for three hours. The bones are placed in another stewpan with one
quart of cold water. They cook for two hours and then the water is
strained into the soup in the other stewpan. When the soup has been
cooking for three hours, two tablespoonfuls of butter are put into a
small frying-pan and set on the fire. When this becomes hot, two
tablespoonfuls of flour are stirred into it, and when the mixture
becomes smooth and frothy it is added to the soup; after which a
tablespoonful of chopped parsley is added. The result is a gallon of the
most delicious Scotch broth. This soup is just as good when warmed over
as when first made, and it is so substantial that it answers for
luncheon, no meat, fish, or vegetables being required. From the
remainder of the hind quarter I get fourteen chops, cutting the last
four from the leg, and a good roast. All the fat is rendered for soap
grease; and as I make my own soap, this is quite an item.
[Illustration:
SIRLOIN ROAST.
A, Tenderloin. B, Back of Sirloin. C, Flank. D, Suet.
]
The weight of the hind quarter described is about twenty pounds, and I
save about one third what it would cost me to buy the soup meat, chops,
and roast separately. One must have a good sharp knife, a meat-saw, and
a cleaver to cut up meats in this manner.
Before going to market one should look through her supplies, and then
make a list of things for use with them. A list of the meals that are to
be arranged, and such purchases as must be made for these meals, is next
in order. One may find it best to make radical changes in her plans when
she gets to the market; still, the list will be a great aid as a guide.
With it, one is not likely to buy too much or too little.
[Illustration: RIB CHOP BEFORE TRIMMING.]
[Illustration: RIB CHOP AFTER TRIMMING.]
In some places it is a great pleasure to go through the markets,
especially on the regular market days. This is particularly true where
there is a large German or French population. The women of these
nationalities have stalls where they sell eggs, butter, cheese, poultry,
fruit, vegetables, and flowers,—the product of their own and neighbors’
farms. Nothing can be brighter or more picturesque than are such markets
in the spring, summer, and fall, when flowers and vegetables are in
abundance. Even the poor laborer’s wife takes home her little growing
plant, or a bunch of fresh flowers. Going to market has not been all
prose to that poor woman, although she had to calculate very closely in
her purchases for her table; for has she not had the sight and odor of
the plants and green vegetables, and did not their beauty and freshness
fill her mind with visions of a beautiful and fragrant country? What a
pity there are not such markets in all our cities!
If you have never made a practice of going to market, try the plan now.
It will pay you.
Buying Food for a Small Family.
[Illustration: LOIN.]
A woman who has to provide for a large family can plan and buy with
greater economy than if her family consisted of only two or three. This
is especially the case with meats and some kinds of fish. In buying
meats, if the family be small, it is wiser to get only the parts
actually wanted than to buy large pieces, simply because they are
cheaper by the pound. When planning to cook a large piece of meat or
fish, its adaptability to being made over into various little dishes
should be considered. Pork is the least desirable of the fresh meats for
such purposes. For warming over in various ways the following-named
meats are the most valuable: poultry, veal, lamb, mutton, and beef. The
white meats are better than the red for this purpose. This is also true
of fish; the white, dry varieties are much better for made-over dishes
than the dark, oily kinds.
The smallest prime roast of beef is one of the short ribs, weighing from
three to four pounds. There are two of these short ribs. In Boston they
are called the tip of the sirloin; outside New England, the short ribs
or first cut of the ribs. The two ribs are included in the cut, but it
is possible to get the cut divided.
A small loin of lamb, mutton, or veal, weighing about three or four
pounds, makes a roast that will not last forever. Great care must be
used in treating these small roasts. The heat must be moderate after the
roast is browned and there must be a generous and frequent basting, else
the meat will be dry.
[Illustration: RUMP.]
A turkey weighing between six and seven pounds is about the smallest one
can find in the market, but it can be served in so many ways that one
need not grow to hate the sight of turkey before it is all gone.
In the season of lamb it is possible to get a small leg from which there
can be cut one or two cutlets. The remainder of the leg can be roasted
the following day. If there be a cold room where meats can be hung, a
leg of mutton can be used for several meals. Cut off about one third for
a roast. In about two or three days cut off a thick slice, to be breaded
and fried, and served with tomato sauce. In four or five days the
remainder of the leg can be roasted. The leg of mutton that one can get
small enough for this purpose will probably be what butchers call
yearling lamb. It is not possible to get the best kind of beef or mutton
in so light a weight that it can be used to advantage in a small family.
One grouse or partridge, a chicken, duck, or rabbit, a pair of pigeons
or of quail, all can be used as a roast in a family of two.
Here are some of the things that can be bought in small quantities: half
a pound of sausages, a thin slice of ham that will not weigh more than
half a pound, a quarter of a pound of dried beef, a quarter of a pound
of smoked bacon, a quarter of a pound of smoked salmon or halibut, one
pound of salt codfish, which will answer for three or four
dishes,—fish-balls, fish in cream, fish hash, etc.; one thin slice of
round steak, weighing about a pound, can be used for beef olives or
roll; a slice of veal from the leg can be used in the same way; a piece
of beef, cut from the shoulder, and weighing about two or three pounds,
can be braised; about a pound and a quarter of fresh beef, cut from any
of the tough parts of the animal, can be prepared in a stew; mutton and
veal can be used in the same way.
A short porter-house steak may be made to answer for two meals. Cut out
the tenderloin, broil it, and serve with brown or mushroom sauce. The
remainder of the steak should be put in a cold place and used a day or
two later.
[Illustration: LEG OF MUTTON.]
In summer vegetables should be bought from day to day, as they are
required. In the fall and winter tuberous vegetables may be bought in
larger quantities, if there be a cool place in which to store them. The
common white potatoes may be purchased by the barrel, but as the sweet
potato decays rapidly, it is best to buy it by the pound. Carrots,
turnips, beets, onions, squash, etc., are vegetables that can be stored,
and if one live in a country town it will be well to store them; but for
the housekeeper in the city it will be economy to purchase these
vegetables only as she requires them.
Squash spoils quickly after it has been cut. Since one can purchase as
small a quantity as two or three pounds, it would, therefore, be unwise
to buy a whole squash simply because it costs a little less per pound
than when bought in a small quantity.
If one have a cold cellar, it would be well to put in one or two barrels
of apples late in the fall; but as all fruits as well as vegetables
require a low, dry temperature, it would be unwise to make large
purchases unless one have a proper place to keep them in.
Butter, Eggs, and Milk.
Butter is an expensive article, and should be selected with care. If one
have the proper place for storing it, and can get it direct from some
trustworthy dairy, it would be economical to purchase the winter’s
supply in October. About fifty pounds will be enough for a family of two
for six months. This should be put up in two or three small tubs. It
must be kept in a cool, sweet place.
Eggs, of course, are best fresh. It is wise economy for the young
housekeeper to pay the extra price, and always be sure of the quality of
her supply.
Pure milk is a most important adjunct to the table. As far as it is in
her power to do so, the housekeeper should see that the supply comes
from a wholesome source, and then do her part to keep the milk good by
having the vessels perfectly clean and the surroundings such that the
milk shall not be contaminated.
About Groceries.
Flour, if stored in a cool, sweet, dry place, will be better for
bread-making if kept several months after being made. All the meals are
better when fresh, and only a small quantity should be purchased at a
time. Sugar is about the same price, whether you buy it in small or
large quantities. It saves much bother to buy the granulated and cut
sugar in sufficient quantities to last a month or more. Powdered sugar
“cakes,” and only a small amount should be kept in store. English
breakfast tea improves with age, while the lighter teas do not. The
green coffee berry grows better as it grows older; but after coffee is
roasted it quickly loses strength and flavor, so that only a small
quantity of the roasted berry should be bought at one time.
Buy flavors, spices, etc. in small quantities, and get only the purest.
The store closet should always contain macaroni, rice, fine breakfast
hominy, tapioca, barley, corn-starch, arrowroot, farina, chocolate,
breakfast cocoa, tea, coffee, some of the cereal preparations for mush,
white and red pepper, mustard, a small supply of whole spices, such as
cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, mace, allspice, and pepper; also ground
cinnamon, mace, and allspice. The less ground clove one uses the better.
It is well to have on hand a bunch each of dried thyme, savory, and
sage, and half an ounce of bay leaves, which can be purchased at the
grocer’s or druggist’s, a few packages of gelatine, and a small package
of sea-moss farina, which insures a foundation for a cold dessert at
short notice.
For emergencies, the store closet should always contain some canned
peas, tomatoes, corn, fruit, chicken, salmon, a box of fancy crackers,
some plain soda crackers, a bottle of olives, and a can of condensed
milk. One need never be at a loss to prepare a good meal at short notice
with this supply in reserve.
CARE OF FOOD.
One may buy food with good judgment, and yet fail to be an economical
provider because she does not take proper care of it. Perfect
cleanliness is essential for the best preservation of food. The cellar,
pantries, storerooms, refrigerators, and all the receptacles in which
food is kept, should be frequently inspected and thoroughly cleaned.
Heat and moisture tend to cause decay; therefore it is important that
all foods should be surrounded with pure, cool, dry air. When it is
possible, expose every closet and food receptacle to the sun and air
several times a week.
All kinds of cooked food, particularly the animal foods, spoil quickly
when covered closely while still warm. All soups, meat, fish, bread,
etc., that are to be kept for many days or hours, should be cooled
thoroughly and quickly in a current of cold air. In hot weather it is a
good plan, when cooling soups, milk, or any liquid mass, to place the
vessel containing the food in another of cold water,—with ice, if
convenient,—and set it in a cool draught.
All meat, when not hung up, should be placed on a dish and set in a cool
place. If poultry be drawn, and a few pieces of charcoal be placed in
the body, it will keep longer than if hung undrawn. It must not be
washed until it is to be cooked. The dryer the meat is kept the better.
A dish of charcoal placed in the refrigerator or pantry helps to keep
the atmosphere dry and sweet.
Milk and butter should be kept in a cool place, and away from all strong
odors.
Bread and cake must be thoroughly cooled before being put in boxes or
jars; if not, the steam will cause them to mould quickly. The bread box
should be washed, scalded, and thoroughly aired in the sun, twice a
week. The crusts and stale pieces of white raised bread, for which there
is no other use, should be put in a pan, be dried slowly in a warm oven,
and then be pounded, sifted, and put in glass jars for future use.
All the trimmings of fat should be rendered while they are sweet; then
strained into jars or pails kept for that purpose. Put beef, pork, and
chicken fat together; this will answer for deep frying. Ham, bacon, and
sausage fat answers for frying potatoes, hominy, mush, etc. All the
strong-flavored fats, such as mutton, duck, turkey, and the skimmings
from boiled ham, are to be kept by themselves for making soap.
It should be remembered that pure fat will keep sweet many months, but
if water or any foreign substance be left in it, it will spoil quickly.
When rendering or clarifying fat, cook it slowly until there are no
bubbles. As long as bubbles form, you may be sure that there is water in
the fat. If put away in that condition it will become rancid.
Clarifying Fat.
To clarify fat that has been used for frying, put it into a frying
kettle, being careful not to let the sediment go in, and place the
kettle on the fire. When the fat becomes hot, add three raw potatoes cut
into slices, and stir well. The impurities gather on the potatoes. Three
potatoes will be enough for four pounds of fat. Whenever there are any
trimmings of fat from any kind of meat cut them in bits and place in a
frying-pan on the back part of the stove, where they will cook slowly
until all the liquid fat has been extracted. Strain this into a pot kept
for this purpose.
As soon as the fat is skimmed from soups, gravies, and the water in
which meat has been boiled, it should be clarified, as the water and
other objectionable particles contained in it will cause it to become
rancid if it stands a long time. Put it on the stove, in a frying-pan,
and heat it slowly. When it becomes melted, set it where it will simply
bubble, and keep it there (being careful not to let it burn) until there
is no motion, and all the sediment has fallen to the bottom of the pan.
When this stage is reached the fat is clarified.
Sometimes fat that has been used several times for frying, and has not
been strained, will become dark and unfit for use. This may be put into
a kettle with about six times as much hot water, boiled for twenty
minutes, turned into a large pan, and set in a cold place. When the
contents of the pan become cold, the fat will be found in the form of a
solid cake on the surface of the water. It must be removed, and
clarified in the manner already described.
To clarify butter, put it in a stewpan, and set it on the back part of
the range, where it will heat slowly. When a clear, oily substance is
found on top, and a cloudy sediment at the bottom of the pan, lift the
pan gently and pour off the clear substance, which will be the clarified
butter.
When the fat is ready to strain, draw it back where it will partially
cool; then strain it through a piece of cheese-cloth.
Tin or stoneware vessels are the best in which to keep fat. The pails in
which lard comes are very good for soap grease, because, knowing their
exact capacity, one knows just how much grease there is on hand. Have
the pails covered, and keep them in a cool place.
Save for stock all the bones and trimmings from fresh meat, the bones
from roasts or broils, and such pieces of cooked meat as are too tough
or hard to serve cold or in made dishes. Put these in a stewpan, with
water enough to cover them, and simmer for five or six hours. Strain
into a bowl, and cool quickly. No matter how little bone or meat there
may be, cook it in this way while it is fresh and sweet. A gill of stock
has great value in warming over meats, fish, and vegetables.
Odds and Ends.
It is true that the care of remnants and their preparation for the table
is not a slight matter; but in the household where attention is given to
this matter there is no waste, and a pleasant change of fare can be made
daily. If a housekeeper looks into her larder each morning, and avails
herself of the opportunities she finds to make little dishes of the bits
of food which she sees before her, the work of caring for the odds and
ends may become a pleasure rather than a burden; the preparation of this
food giving a bright woman an opportunity to exercise much taste and
skill in producing dainty and healthful dishes.
Pieces of cold meat or fish may be divided into small pieces, and warmed
in a white or brown sauce; or the sauce and meat or fish may be put in a
small baking dish, covered with grated bread crumbs, and then browned in
the oven. If there be not enough fish or meat to serve to the entire
family, use an extra quantity of sauce, and fill up the dish with either
well seasoned mashed potatoes, hominy, rice, or macaroni. Cover lightly
with grated bread crumbs, and dot with butter. Bake this for half an
hour in a moderately hot oven.
Cold meat or fish may be hashed fine and mixed with potato, rice, or
hominy, and a sauce, and made into croquettes.
Bits of cooked ham or sausages may be minced fine and mixed with hashed
potatoes; the mixture being then well seasoned and put into a
frying-pan, with a little butter or sweet drippings, and browned. If
there be a little gravy of any kind, it may be added to any of the
above-mentioned dishes.
Nearly all kinds of vegetables may be combined in a salad or a hash.
Tough pieces of meat and bones may be used in making little stews or a
little soup stock. All kinds of meats may be combined in making a stew
or soup.
A few spoonfuls of almost any kind of meat, fish, or vegetable may be
heated in a sauce and spread over a plain omelet, just before rolling it
up, thus giving a change in this dish of eggs.
A soft-boiled egg left from a meal may be boiled until hard, and then
used in a salad or an egg sauce.
Pieces of bread may be used for puddings and griddle-cakes, and, in the
form of dried crumbs, for breading.
Pieces of cake and gingerbread may be used in puddings.
Gravies, sauces, and soups, no matter how small the quantity, should be
saved to use in warming over meat, fish, or vegetables.
A few tablespoonfuls of cold rice or hominy are often a pleasing
addition to muffins or griddle-cakes. Indeed, it is rarely necessary to
waste a particle of food if the proper attention be given to the little
details of kitchen management.
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