The San Francisco call. [volume], October 20, 1907, Page 14, Image 14

About The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913

Image provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA

                
THE MODERN KITCHEN AND ITS EQUIPMENT
THERE Is nothing -whiter", cleaner
and more Immaculate than the
modern kitchen. Its floors are
neat enough to serve a meal on
end its walls glisten with an absolute j
lack of dust The perfect kitchen of
today does not boast of rows of bur-
CLshed copper pans and pots, neither
does its floor show the result of hard
•crabbing and polishing, for we have
learned how to have our kitchens clean
asd shining without all that labor. We
have learned to economize time and
\u25a0trength without sacrificing cleanli
ness and order, and no old time south
ern kitchen, nor any Dutch one, how
ever quaint and picturesque, could
hold a candle to the modern realm
over which a chef presides when the
convenience and practical arrangement
of everything are considered.
The modern kitchen is a kitchen de
luxe. It is as perfectly fitted up as the
drawing room or library. In fact, the
furnishings are chosen with as much
care as are the Louis Quinze pieces,
and every utensil fills a certain want*
Just as every book suits a certain
mood. It is expensive to provide a
• first dacs cook with all the weapons
of cookery she demands and to have
her surroundings as wholesome, at
tractive, sanitary and convenient as
Invention and planning can make them.
There Is never anythlng'ln the modern
kitchen which does not belong there,
and In small quarters it requires
some planning and arranging to dis
pose of them to the best advantage.
Zn the larger kitchen space may be
more lavishly divided, but the Idea of
convenience must not be lost sight of
even there.
Kitchens have color schemes, usually
whte with a shade of blue in trim
mings and utensils to give a little re
lief from too much glistening kitchen
ware and snowy furnishings. The floor
of the up to date kitchen is more often
a light colored linoleum suggesting
tiling than real tiling, though some*
times white blocks of glazed tile are
used to good advantage. The floor
problem is one of neatness, the choos
ing of some covering that Is easy to
keep dean, is perfectly sanitary,
wears well and is not hard on the feet.
It must be remembered that during a
single day a cook spends a large por
tion of the time on her feet. There is
each a difference in the resisting
power of certain materials that the
•Sect to the eye must not be the sole
consideration so that the cook is tired
out before her day's work Is half done
from standing on a' hard, unresisting
surface.
Tiled Walls and Brass Hooks
The walls of th« finest equipped home
kitchen are either tiling or a composi
tion that gives the same effect. A model
kitchen that has recently been finished
- has large white tiles in blue and white
reaching to a height of five feet, and
above that line are smaller tiles in pure
white. All the walls but one are sup
plied with strips of wood about three
Inches wide in which hooks are screwed
to hang pots, pans and other utensils
on. The first strip comes about three
feet above the base board and the other
two feet above that. The wooden strips
are enameled white and the hooks are
solid brass ones which are heavy
enough to hold any of the tins and han
dled pans used for baking. The great
convenience of such an arrangement is
readily appreciated by any one who
has ever done cooking, whether It is
mistress or chef, for not only Is every
thing In sight and quickly found, but
It Is within easy reach. Perhaps there
Is more chance of dust gathering on
utensils when they are hung in this
way without any covering, but it takes
very little time to clean them, and
when they are of white enamel every
epeck of dirt Is seen before using. An
other advantage of the pot and pan rail
Is that no closet or cabinet is needed
to take up space that would be utilized
In other ways. Spoons are hung on this
rail, and the systematic housewife sees
to it that all the utensils are arranged
tn some sort of order, are grouped ac
cording to kind or size. For example,
all the pans will be in one group, all
the saucepans in another, all the pot
covers together, and so on, so that no
time is lost in finding what one wants.
There are such attractive looking
cooking pans and utensils that in se
lecting them a housewife may , feel
that she is actually purchasing orna
ments for her kitchen. The various
enamel and porcelain wares are al
most as much to be proud of as bur
nished brass and copper. These enamels
and porcelains come In all white. In
white and Delft blue, in white and
dark blue- and in both blues without
any white except for linings. When
everything that hangs on these two
trail rails Is either all white or blue
and white against a white tiled back
ground, it makes the visitor to the
kitchen feel that nothing but the most
- palatable and delicious concoctions
could possibly be made In such an en
vironment.
Glass Top Tables
Few pieces of furniture are needed
to equip the modern kitchen. More
than two or three would take up too
much space and make the work of
keeping it in order all the harder. The
range Is, of course,. the most Important
article, and some kitchens have a coal
range, others have only a gas range,
•while 'some are supplied with both. It
Is more convenient to have the . two
ranges placed end to end on one : side
of the room and thus confine the actual
cooking to this place. For a coal range
a hood is necessary, though If . care is
taken even the snowy walls may. be
protected from smoke and the grime
that cornea from burning coaL
Two tables will give the cook all
the room she requires to prepare meats,
vegetables and pastry, one of these
Is square, or perhaps slightly longer
one way than the other, and measures
come ' two and a half feet each side.
The less are good,_ substantial, square
wooden ones, slanting outward slightly
toward the floor. -The top of this table
is either marble or glass, for kneading
and mixing pastry. In either case the
frame part Is enameled white, and if it
is marble then the^top is stationary,
while, if It is glass, it is removable.
Such a table is no more trouble to keep
clean and it makes pie and cake baking
twice as simple as it otherwise would
The old fashioned wooden kitchen
table la still given a place in the mod-
em cook's realm. If it is to grace a
perfect kitchen then it is 'enameled in"
white and has a removable glass top
with beveled edges and rounding cor
ners. So much for this change. The
other parts are Just as they used to be
except for the white covering. There
is the bin underneath in the middle,
the tier of drawers at each side, and
there are the. turned legs, sturdy and
white and standing on rubber sup
ports, which keep the table firm and
prevent any sliding on the polished
floor.
The third important piece of . furni
ture is the kitchen cabinet, which is
rather large and holds everything that
cannot be hung on the two rows of
wall pegs. The lower section is flttea
with a set of drawers; then there is
a smooth marble top about the height
of a table and almost as large as the
oblong kitchen table, while above this
are double doors closing over shelves
and cubby holes. Even the doors of
tkis cabinet are utilized. They are
made with shelves and brackets .to
hold materials used in- baking and
cooking. One side may contain the
spice cabinet, a rack with three or
four rows of small white porcelain
jars, In which the usual spices are
kept. Each Jar has the name of the
spice it holds burned in in blue on a .
white background or white on blue.
Thley. are fastened in securely, yetthey
are handy for the cook. In addition
to these conveniences there are dozens
of others In the way of little compart
ments arranged Just right for utensils
or materials. The opposite door may
have a knife rack on the inside, which
consists of a strip of wood going
crosswise and having long, narrow
silts of wood cut out of the side next
the door, where different sized knives
may be slipped in and held .firmly
against the door. - This arrangement
will be found a great convenience for
the reason that it keeps the knives
perfectly stationary and there is no
danger of being pricked by the point
of one while getting another, and fur
thermore, all the ' knives are in r, plain
view bo that no time Is lost in select
ing the one wanted.
The i Imported Dutch and French I
porcelain jars in blue and white, with
the names for whatever they are In
tended to hold across the front, are at
tractive enough to be allowed. to grace
a more decoratively important room
than the kitchen. From the viewpoint
of home comfort and happiness the'
kitchen is all Important, but until re
cently its furnishings were not de
signed with any idea of making them,
otherwise than useful. The decorative
feature was considered. There are
quaint Jars for the different kinds of
sugar, for the cereals in use, for.pep-
per, salt, coffee and tea, and there, are
white^enameled tin boxes for holding
cakes and bread. Extra boxes . for
knives are painted white. In, fact, about
the only things used In the kitchen
that are not enameled or painted are
the meat and bread boards. These are \u25a0
left in the natural hard wood.'
The patented appliances on the mar
ket for simplifying kitchen work aro
almost countless. Some are good,
while others are utterly worthless, and
only the experienced cook can tell
which to choose and which to throw
aside. A separate small cabinet for. the
utensils used in fancy cooking is added
in the kitchen .of the modern house
where a chef is to rule.
' Slnksv^for the perfectly- equipped
kitchen' are of white .'enamel, with
nickel v. plumbing or of thick white
pqrcelain^with the same trimmings.
Usually. a,kltchen has two sinks, one of
each*; klnd^thbugh sometimes the/ sec
ond sink Is -put in the butler's pantry,
where' .the silver and ": t glassware '..-are',''
cleaned. The sink. can never be made
a great ornament, and only. its absolute
necessity: makes the. housewife accept
it as part of the kitchen outfit
The Compartment Refrigerator
The model refrigerator seems to be
white tiled; inside* and : out. with /nickel
bands and '\u25a0 trimmings. These are ex
- pensive In any size, and, of course,' the
size depends upon that of the house and
/-" the family. ,- It is a better/ plan /not ; to
have the refrigerator placed ., in the
kitchen proper unless } gas/ la ;, used - for
, cooking altogether,\thVugh the tiled ,re
frigerators - are • about as effective in
' keeping out heat as they are in keeping
[In cold. The model refrigerator Is per
-fectly aanitary. Like: the; \u25a0ink./it/ja
arranged so that/the water l»i drained
In the best - possible way and fiber* <la
no chance of a leakage or taint. There •
are separate compartments for ', milk
and eggs, for, meats "and . for other
foods, i And, best jof all, the model ! re
frigerator is easily - cleaned, which is
an Item appreciated by the cook or her
helpers. ? - ' ',*"\u25a0:'
A kitchen-cabinet and refrigerator
combined that was designed to fit in a
special place In a model kitchen has
the refrigerator part farthest from the
range and the window. It is all glass
and white tiling, while the cabinet part,
some two feet longer than the refrig-'
erator, has \u25a0an .inclosed place " beneath
the marble top of the table arid ; two
' shelves with \ compartments *- above.'
'There is room in this fj?r nearly every-
thing that la needed in cooking- except
the cooking utensils,'. which are always
more conveniently i arranged; in ;a; aep- :!
arate '\u25a0';. cabinet i or ,on 1 1 hooks \u25a0',' Intended
specially for them.
One reason that white walls, utensils
and furnishings are liked for kitchens
is that as;a rule this part of the mod-,
crn 'city home >_ is none* too light; fre
\u25a0quently it, Is quiteldark even during
.. the brightest i part of , ' the day. The
white furnishings , not . only \u25a0 stand : for
absolute - cleanliness, but they • help : to
increase the reflection of natural light.'
Where' artificial light;-.' ls * used, r> and
every kitchen" must ' have gas or \u25a0 elec-;'
trie lights, ; it. Is. better to -have a few
burners placed In the, walls where • they ,
will be most advantageous than i a cen- ,
ter light. Several side brackets plain
of form and material will light a large
kitchen sufficiently,; and if they, -are
properly shaded there.will be* no. trying
- glare from the . white \ enamel and , tlles.v
Perfection in
Simple Cooking,
: f ,,' | . P, y ou* know, how to , p oach an tgg
-. ••I and • make*: toast^ perfectly vthea \u25a0
' I you know how ;•? toVcoolt,"' re
marked \ the feminine genius who':
presides over i the
: where eggs ' and toast and " all - such
.things are done In;^e" right way. The
statement may .'\u25a0'seem- broad," but;, it > Is,
' based < on \u25a0•' the';< f act * that hi . requires"-, at- ;
."' tentton rand * care^ to (prepare \u25a0'•"•\u25bcin i the :
i simplest/ disband If ; the one ; : who does
the work exhibits these requisites .then /
she has the ; foundation : for 5 making an*
,' expert. chef.; '\u0084.\u25a0 V- '.:,.".;/-,.• ' \u25a0_ \u25a0~']'^\\ . \u25a0-\u25a0 \u25a0-
r : How many cooks are there who know/
how ;. to make even i tft« . atmptwt . osti
most ordinary dishes as appetising as
they ; ought to be? \u25a0 Very; few, ; as; the
average ; person ; has . already learned ; to
his sorrow. There Is , nothing more dis
couraging to the owner, of an excellent
appetite i than //to, find- that^toe^b*"*,* oo *
material has been spoiled in preparation,
and that . not \u25a0 through ignorance ;/\u25a0©*
jßiuch"/ as { through ) «he«r 5 ca*elessn«w V
good I meal has been made worthless.
Even to boil an •fir . on« * must tTtre th»
two or three minutes necessary. to/ have'
It t ood /conaoientloualy , toi the \wbfk ; in
' hand."* Coffee, ' potatoes f and "' ail '.C such
homelyi but o substantial ~i fare .can be
made f or ; the ; gods •if {made > in the
right way. .Therein lies the whole:se
cret; of good cooking. So says the head'
of : the " ; Lemcke "cooking :j school, from
whom the" following rules for preparing
the simplest foods in the simplest; and
' most ; appetizing (wayi.were obtained: /&o
\u25a0j.. To.'poaohlah* egg have -the .water 1 botl
ing, pour; some' of J It! In ' the" pan \u25a0 and add
a quarter/ of a teaspoonful of salt; Draw,
thm pan to one rifle of tfc« stove or, if
;' it : tea gas range, ..turn ; the . flame down
a little and let the water \u25a0 simmer be
fore dropping in the eggs. The f rea
; son that .the \ eggs arrive ' at the break
j fast table morning J after morning } in .
" such ' a " hopleesly unattractive '?' condl-'
; tion is that the cook has been in too
' much of i a hurry Ito \u25a0 give ' them proper..
? attention^ and % has - put 1 them . tn i while -
the water was boiling, and -they came
\ out lumpy7and . tough. -.-While the^water/
j. la simmering . - drop iln .the r eggs 'I very/
? srently.f so ithat they^ do ; not^break / and
4 let l them stand; in . the simmering water
l aix minutes. A poacher or ; set of muf-
I fin t rings will ; serve *, to -. keep , th e eggs •
i in : shape. * They should I lifted J from
; the i water \u25a0 and ; laid . on; f reah * hot • slices
of buttered toast
Problem;. \
The reason that fried eggs are sel
dom appetizing is because they are al
| lowed \ to>" cook f too I. crisp land,1 and , brown *
|The i butterj In ..which I they i are): cooked :"
'<: never Jbe i allowed -toI ge t dark. '
s Many,i cooks '^will v put i* t the pan \on a '
% hot \ flre i while j they are . preparing " the
a rest % of , the (breakfast, so ; that >by th c
'•tim«f theyi want ""* tof fry :, eggs :the*j'hot v
pan burns the butter. A half tea
spoonful of butter: should be dropped
In the pan, and " when it \u25a0 has melted
the eggs should be put in separately.
If they are placed over the fire at once
the eggs will set. Add a tablespoonful
Of water and watch to see that the
eggs do not brown on ] the bottom.
French cooks use. oil Instead of . but
ter to cook eggs, ~- as It does not burn
so ; quickly. .' "\u25a0,'
C TheAbachelor's ; way of preparing ,
egg* *rf or.' breakfast Is a simple one
and 4# the recipe < Used by the \farm
ers^m"; Europe. "Take an ordinary
round-pan, . or an earthen one if liked;
drop In a little butter. after the pan
has been heated; put In two or three
eggs and leave in the oven. for a few
minutes. Salt and pepper to taste
afterward. Paprika is considered much
better 'for seasoning eggs than white
pepper. The Hungarian red' pepper
seems to bring out the flavor of the
food.
There are two kinds of scrambled
eggs, the plain /and. the economical
kind. Both are easy to do and the
plain is the kind cooked in homes.
Butter is melted in the pan In which
they are to bo scrambled and " when
the pan is hot the eggs are added
whole. Almost at once * they are
stirred or whipped once through the
center of the pan with a spoon. When
they show signs of setting they should
.be drawn from side to side with a
spoon until: they finally, harden . suffi
ciently to serve. The economic way Is
the one. followed In boarding houses
and hotels. For each egg a tablespoon
ful of cold water or milk is added
after the- egga, have .been put In the
-pan; then they are beaten five minutes
and when firm are ready to grace the
breakfast table. -
Of all the simple egg dishes, the
omelet is the hardest to make perfectly.
The French .way of cooking it is to
beat up two eggs . for . three minutes.
Put in the omelet pan a half teaspoon
ful of butter, a quarter teaspoonful of
salt and a dash of paprika. Pour the
egg mixture into the pan after the
butter, has ..melted and cook over a
-medium fire until. the omelet begins to
set when it should be drawn from ths
sides of the pan. to the center, from the
bottom of the pan. When all parts
kave shown signs of becoming firm then
ft i should be drawn to - the center, and
let stand until slightly; browned under
neath. - The omelet is then slipped jon
to a platter and served. .If there ta any
filling to go .with It this Is not put
.through the Inside of the omelet. In
stead the top of the omelet Is slashed
from end : to end and . the filling laid • tn
the crack. ;To make a purl omelet
separate two* eggs, and beat the whites
very stiff. To the yolks add two table
, spoonfuls of water, or milk, a . quarter
teaspoonful of salt and a dash of
paprika, w Pour r , the" . • yolk ' mixture
through:; the .whites and .beat :- quickly.
Melt a half tablespoonful; of: butter -In
the i omelet pan/, and iwhen this Is hot
: not ;brown;. pour 'in .the -omelet.-';. Put on
a cover and let cook over a very slow
fire ;. about I six , minutes. Then lift the
cover.nand touch the omelet « with the
; finger, 'to see if the omelet Is firm, which
«howa that It la sufficiently cooked.
Secret of Good "Toast
; ; Everybody ought . v to' know how to
make. and to serve toast, but there are
, few "whoj do* lt 1 perfectly. It comes ; to
the / tabled cold " or : underdone, - too "\u25a0 thin
or too. thick; and half the time it is .not
buttered ; properly.;/. There Is -_ nothing
simpler to make If * one - gives .one's at
tention to' the \u25a0 making. J in •. the first
'placed the" {" bread ; should ;be "baker's
' bread : a\ day; or; two . old. : and •tt i should
be cut for buttered toa3t. half. an inch
thick. 'The reason thai the edges art
burned when the -center Is' not even
The Sfn Francisco Sunday CaE
Drown Is that tha toast Is held at one*
too n«ar tha heat When It la laid on
the toaster tt should be held far enough
away from the' fire so that tt dries
through. About six Inches Is the. aver
age ! dlstancs to keep It In the begin*
ning. Very soon tt may be lowered to
three Inches and held ther* until
browned." Soft buttered toast ts pre
pared in this way. and after the bread
Is browned tt 13 liberally buttered
slice, by slice and these slices laid on«
on top of the other on a platter, cov
ered with a bowl, and put tn tijV'ovea
for a fe.w seconds. Dry toast ts^rnad*
in the same way of slices cut less than
half an Inch In thickness. These art
served on a rack, but alwaya when
quite fresh and hot If toast stands
even for a minute or two after It ts
ready to servo it losea Its taata and
flavor. .-•
Coffee la prepared In hundreds of
waya and with various ktnda of pots
and urns, but there are two recipes
which are excellent and different. The
first la the plain American boiled cof
fee, made of beans ground rather fine.
If they are too coarse the flavor is lost
to some extent Fresh boiling water—
and . this is the point to be remem
bered, that it must be water that ts ab
solutely fresh boiled — ts used, a half
pint being poured over the grounds In
the bottom of the freshly rinsed coffee
pot of earthern or enamel ware. When
this has. been left on the stove Ions;
enough for it to boll up a pint of fresh
ly boiled water Is poured into the pot
And then it ts allowed to stand at
the back of the stove or on a turned
down gas burner for about 10 minutes.
I* the coffee needs clearing, and many
persons think tt always does, then a
tablespoonful of cold water poured in
after It has boiled will accomplish the
settling, or eggs will answer as well.
One egg lasts the old fashioned houae
wife three mornings. It is beaten up,
the white, yolk and shell together, and
this Is put in with tho first cup of
water before the coffee has boiled, so
that the tgg cook 3 with the coffee, and
cold water is used instead of boiling to
prevent the egg cooking too <s^tkly.
The rest is made in the same 'nTay as
already described.
To make French drip coffee the pul
verized bean Is liked. For four per
sons four tablespoonfuls of coffee ars
put tn the body part of the urn and
three cups of boiling water are put tn
the top. In 10 minutes four excellent
and dellclously flavored cups of coffee
will be ready to serve from the urn.
In broiling steak or chops It 13 well
to bear In mind that oil or butter
brushed on the meat first will add to
Its savoriness. If a coal fire Is used
a good, clear, steady one is required.
The thinner the meat tha closer it
should be held to the heat The fat is
trimmed | off before broiling, and if a
coal fire Is used then two bricks or
objects which can be used to raise the
broiler about six Inches from the stov*
are made to support the broiler. A steak
that is an inch thick will broil in about
10 minutes. It is held over the fire for
three minutes, first on one side and
then on the other, to sear It and keep
the juices from running out Then each
side 13 allowed to broil about three
minutes. This will make It medium rare
when taken off. If the meat la brushod
with butter or oil before it la put on
the broiler then no other seasoning
is used until after tha steak is cooked,
when pepper and salt may be added to
• taste. . -
An excellent seasoning that improves
both chops and steak is made of a
half tablespoonful of butter, a half even
teaspoonful of salt and one-eighth tea
spoonful of pepper. These are mixed
together, until blended, and when tha
steak or chops come from the broiler
they ar e laid on a hot platter «^l
enough of this seasoning is spread ovsr
them to glvo them a good flavor. Tha
spreading.^ is done Just as though ths
meat were bread and the sauce butter.
This . sauce makes a savory platter
gravy, and It Is not heavy and greasy.
Nothing, seems simpler to do than to
boil a potato, but those who teach
cooking say that not one maid in fifty
knows how to boil one properly and
does It, /and they lay the blame of all
the aogglnesa on the potatoes. A good
cook can convert almost any kind of
a potato into a light mealy one if she
goes at.lt right The. potatoes should
be peeled and placed on the fire tn a
quart of cold water, to which had been
added a tablespoonful of salt They
should be boiled, gently until done, or
until a fork goes into them easily.
Then they should be taken from the
fire and the water drawn off. every drop
of It. even lf.lt ts necessary to turn the ,
pan up to. drain ' two' or three times.
After thoroughly draining the paa
should be put .back on tne stove to
stand for a second or two to get rid of
: any, water that has escaped the previ
ous draining. Then the cover la re
moved quickly to let out the steam. By
this time the ' potatoes are quite dro
and then the pan la tightly shaken, nog
, hard enough to make the potatoes fall
. to pieces, but gently two or thre<J
. times, and the potatoes will be as ligfcf.
and mealy as any one could wish. I
To mash them they are treated in ex-*
I actly I the ; same way as Just described,
and .when dry they are run , thxocle^ a
* ricer into a saucepan. "A half cup *>?•
milk, into which a tablespoonful of
butter, has been melted, is . poured Into
the ' mashed . or riced potatoes "and the
whole is beaten over the fire with a
wooden spoon until the potatoes are
light fftfid.puffj. ;