The Housekeeper - Softcover

This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1920. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... CHAPTER XLI HOUSEHOLD HINTS Have a spatula at hand ready for use. To lift dough shaped for cookies or doughnuts from the board, run the side rather than the end of the spatula beneath the dough. Either the end or the side may be used to remove cooked food from the pan. This is also convenient for scraping batter from a mixing bowl when baking. If the kitchen window is opened two inches at the top while frying foods, or boiling cabbage or onions, the unpleasant odor will go out of the window instead of spreading through the house. To hasten the baking of potatoes let them stand a few minutes in boiling water before putting them in the oven. Try mashing a large number of potatoes in a bread mixer. Dry celery leaves as you have them; put them away in a fruit jar. When preparing soup, tie a few of the leaves in a cloth, and drop it into the kettle. You will find that the soup will have even more of the taste of celery than when using the stalk. The use of a double boiler in scalding milk, or in any cooking in which milk is the foundation, insures more perfect cooking and a more easily cleaned dish. To deodorize cooking fat cut up a potato and fry in the fat. By so doing both fishballs and doughnuts may be fried in the same fat. For flavoring icings and cakes a medicine dropper is useful. To make pop corn big and flaky put it in a strainer and throw a little cold water on it before popping. To serve with meat if potatoes grow monotonous, try fried sliced bananas and boiled rice. To prevent the contents of a kettle from boiling over grease the inner rim. To keep cream sr<'cct scald it in the top of a double boiler, put it in a glass bottle, cover, and set aside to cool. Cream thus treated will keep sweet and fresh several days. When making ice cream a smal...