COOKING UTENSILS

The various utensils used for the preparation and keeping of food are made either of metal, glass, pottery ware or wood, each of which is better suited to some particular purposes than the others. Metallic utensils are quite unfit for many uses, and the knowledge of this is necessary to the preservation of health in genera], and sometimes to the prevention of immediate danger- ous consequences.

The metals commonly used in the construction of these vessels are silver, copper, brass, tin, iron, and lead. Silver is preferable to all others, because it cannot be dissolved by any of the sub- stances used as food. Brimstone unites with silver, and forms a thin brittle crust over it that gives it the appearance of being tarnished, which may be accidentally taken with food ; but this is not particularly unwholesome, nor is liable to be taken often, nor in large quantities. The discoloring of silver spoons used with eggs arises from the brimstone contained in eggs. Nitre or salt- petre has also a slight effect upon silver, but nitre and silver sel- dom remain long enough together in domestic uses to require any particular caution.

Copper and brass are both liable to be dissolved by vinegar, acid fruits, and pearlash. Such solutions are highly poisonous, and great caution should be used to prevent accidents of the kind. Vessels made of these metals are generally tinned — that is, lined with a thin coating of a mixed metal, containing both tin and lead. Neither acids, nor any thing containing pearl- ash, should ever be suffered to remain above an hour in vessels of this kind, as the tinning is dissolvable by acids, and the coating is seldom perfect over the surface of the copper or brass.

The utensils made of what is called block tin, are constructed of iron plates coated with tin. This is as liable to be dissolved as the tinning of copper or brass vessels, but iron is not an un- wholesome substance, if even a portion of it should be dissolved and mixed in the food. Iron is therefore one of the safest met- als for the construction of culinary utensils ; and the objection to its more extensive use only rests upon its liability to rust, so that it requires more cleaning and soon decays. Some articles of food, such as quinces, orange peel, artichokes, &c., are blackened by remaining in iron vessels, which therefore must not be used for them.

Leaden vessels are very unwholesome, and should never be used for milk and cream, if it be ever likely to stand till it be- come sour. They are unsafe also for the purpose of keeping salted meats.

The best kind of pottery ware is oriental china, because

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glazing is a perfect glass, which cannot be dissolved, and the whole substance is so compact that liquid cannot penetrate it. Many of the English pottery wares are badly glazed, and as the glazing is made principally of lead, it is necessary to avoid put- ting vinegar and other acids into them. Acids and greasy sub- stances penetrate into unglazed wares, excepting the strong stone ware; or into those of which the glazing is cracked, and hence give a bad flavor to any thing they are used for afterwards. They are quite unfit therefore for keeping pickles or salted meats. Glass vessels are infinitely preferable to any pottery ware but oriental china, and should be used whenever the occasion admits of it.

Wooden vessels are very proper for keeping many articles of food, and should always be preferred to those lined with lead. If any substance has fermented or become putrid in a wooden cask or tub, it is sure to taint the vessel so as to produce a sim- ilar effect upon any thing that may be put into it in future. It is useful to char the iusides of these wooden vessels before they are used, by burning wooden shavings, so as to coat the insides with a crust of charcoal.

As whatever contaminates food in any way must be sure, from the repetition of its baneful effects, to injure the health, a due precaution with respect to all culinary vessels is necessary for its more certain preservation. There is a kind of hollow iron ware lined with enamel, which is superior to every other utensil for sauces or preserves ; indeed, it is preferable for every purpose.

To CLEAN PLATE. — The best material for cleaning plate that is in constant use, is soap and water, with a soft cloth; if a dark, tarnished spot should appear, a little damp whitening on a small brush will soon remove it. For plate that has long lain by, liquor castors, cruet stands, &c., first wash it with soap and water, and if needful (in consequence of tarnish), smear it all over with whitening and spirits of wine, or common gin, I set it to dry, and then brush it off. Decanter stands, and other articles which must not be washed, on account of the varnished satin-wood and green baize, should be subject to the latter treat- ment only.

The best plate powder is the purest whitening; because it is soft, and not a metallic preparation, as rouge is, and other adver- tised plate powders; these act upon the silver, and wear it rap- idly away.

After the plate has been washed with hot water, rub it over with a mixture of levigated hartshorn and spirits of turpentine,

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which is the hest preparation I have known for cleansing plate and renewing its polish. Remember, that two good si/.cd leathers are required for cleaning plate, one of which should he kept for rubbing off the hartshorn powder, and the other for polishing up the silver afterwards.

To PRETEXT THE ILL' EFFECTS OF ClIAKCOAL. Set an imCOV-

ered vessel filled with boiling water over the pan containing the charcoal, the vapor of which will counteract the deleterious fumes, and, while it keeps boiling, will make charcoal as safe as any other fuel.

To KEEP PICKLES AND SWEETMEATS. — Pickles should be kept in unglazed earthen jars; nnglazed stone pots answer very well for common fruit. A paper wet in brandy, or proof spirit, and laid on the preserved fruit, tends to keep it from fermenting. Both pickles and swreetmeats should be watched, to 'see that they do not ferment, particularly when the weather is warm. When- ever they ferment, turn off the vinegar or syrup, scald and turn it back while hot. When pickles grow soft, it is owing to the vinegar being too weak. To strengthen it, heat it scalding hot, turn it back on the pickles, and, when lukewarm, put in a little alum, and a brown paper wet in molasses. If it does not grow eharp in the course of three weeks it is past recovery, and should be thrown away, and fresh vinegar turned on, scalding hot to the pickles.

CAUTIONS RELATIVE TO THE USE OF BRASS AND COPPER COOK- ING UTENSILS. — Cleanliness has been aptly styled the cardinal virtue of cooks. Food is more healthy, as well as palatable, cooked in a cleanly manner. Many lives have been lost in con- sequence of carelessness in using brass, copper, and glazed earth- en cooking utensils. The two first should be thoroughly cleansed with salt and hot vinegar before cooking in them, and no oily or acid substance after being cooked, should be allowed to cool or remain in any of them.

DURABLE INK FOR MARKING LINE^T. — Dissolve a couple of .Irachms of lunar caustic, and half an ounce of gum arabic, in a gill of rain water. Dip whatever is to be marked in strong ,)earl-ash water. When perfectly dry, iron it very smooth ; the pearl-ash water turns it a dark color, but washing will efface it. After marking the linen, put it near a fire, or in the snn to dry. Red ink, for marking linen, is made by mixing and reducing to a fine powder half an ounce of vermilion, a drachin of the salt of steel, and linseed oil to render it of the consistency of black durable ink.

BLACK BALL. — Melt together, moderately, ten ounces of Baj-

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berrv tallow, five ounces of bees' wax, one ounce of mutton tal-

low. When melted, add lamp or ivory black to give it a good black color, Stir the whole well together, and add, when taken from the tire, half a glass of rum.

CEMENT FOE THE MOUTHS OF COEKED BOTTLES. — Melt together a quarter of a pound of sealing wax, the same quantity of rosin, a couple of ounces ol bees' wax. When it froths, stir it with a tallow candle. As soon as it melts, dip the mouths of the corked bottles into it. This is an excellent thing to exclude the air from such things as are injured by being exposed to it.

JAPANESE CEMENT OE RICE GLUE. — Mix rice flour with cold water, to a smooth paste, and boil it gently. It answers all the purposes of wheat tlour paste, while it is far superior in point of transparency ana smoothness. This composition, made with so small a proportion of water as to have it of the consistence of plastic clay, may oe used to form models, busts, basso-relievos, and similar articles. When made of it, they are susceptible of a very high polish. Poland starch is a nice cement for pasting layers of paper together, or any fancy articles.

CEMENT FOE ALABASTEE. — Take of white bees' wax one pound, of rosin a pound, and three-quarters of alabaster. Melt the wax and rosin, then strew the alabaster over it lightly, (which should be previously reduced to a fine powder.) Stir the whole well together, then knead tb mass in water, in order to incorporate the alabaster thoroughly with the rosin and wax. The alabaster, when mended, shoulc be perfectly dry, and heated. The cement, when applied, should also be heated. Join the broken pieces, bind them, and let them remain a week. This composition, when properly managed, forms an extremely strong cement.

CEMENT FOB IRON WAEE. — Beat the i rliites of eggs to a froth, then stir into them enough quicklime to make a consistent paste, then add iron file dust to make a thick paste. The quicklime should be reduced to a fine powder before mixing it with the eggs. Fill the cracks in iron- ware with this cement, and let them remain several weeks before using them.

TO LOOSEN THE STOPPLES OF DECANTERS AND SMELLING BOTTLES

THAT ARE WEDDED IN TIGHT. — Dip the end of a feather in oil, and rub it round the stopple, close to the mouth of the bottle; then put the bottle about a couple of feet from the fire, having the mouth toward it. The heat will cause the oil to run down between the stopple and the mouth of the bottle. When warm, strike the bottle gently on both sides, with any light woodeo

itistrument that you may happen to have. II the stopple can- not be taken out with the hand at the end of this process, repeat it, and you will finally succeed by persevering in it, howevei firmly it may be wedged in.

LIP SALVE. — Dissolve a small lump of white sugar in a table- spoonful of rosewater ; common water will do, but is not aa good. Mix it with a couple of large spoonfuls of sweet oil, a piece of spermaceti, of the size of half a butternut. Simmer the whole well together eight or ten minutes, then turn it into a small box.

COLD CREAM. — Take of the oil of almonds two ounces, ol spermaceti half aw ounce, and white wax half an ounce. Put them in a close vessel, and set the vessel in a skillet of boiling water. When melted, beat the ingredients with rose-water until cold. Keep it in a tight box, or wide-mouthed bottle, corked up close.

To PREVENT THE FORMATION OF a CRUST ON TEA-KETTLES.-

Keep an oyster-shell in your tea-kettle, and it will prevent the formation of a crust on the inside of it, by attracting the stony particles to itself.

To REMOVE STAINS FROM BROADCLOTH. — Take an ounce of pipe cljy that has been ground fine, and mix it with twelve drops of alcohol, and the same quantity of the spirits of turpentine. Whenever you wish to remove any stains from cloth, moisten a little of this mixture with alcohol, and rub it on the spots. Let it remain till dry, then rub it off with a woollen cloth, and the spots will disappear.

To EXTRACT PAINT FROM COTTON, SILK AMD WOOLLEN GOODS. — Saturate the spot with spirits of turpentine, and let it remain several hours, then rub it between the hands. It will crumble away, without injuring either the color or texture of the article.

To REMOVE BLACK STAINS ON SCARLET WOOLLEN GOODS. — Mix tartaric acid with water to give it a pleasant acid taste, then satu- rate the black spots with it, taking care not to have it touch the clean part of the garment. Rinse the spots immediately, in fair water. Weak pearl-ash water is good to remove stains that are produced by acids.

FEATHERS.— It is said that tumbled plumes may be restored to elasticity and beauty by dipping them in hot water, theo shaking and drying them.

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ICY STEPS. —Salt streAved upon the door-steps in winter, will muse tiie ice to crack, so that it can bt easily removed.

FLOWERS. — Flowers may be preserved fresh in tumblers or vases by putting a handful of salt in the water, to increase its coldness. If put under a class vase, from which the air is en- tirely excluded, they will keep a long while.

To CLEAN MARBLE FIRE-PLACES. — If you happen to live in house which has marble fireplaces, never wash them with suds; this destroys tlie polish, in time. They should be dusted ; the spois taken off with a nice oiled cloth, and then rubbed dry with a soft ra.

To CLEAN WOOLLEN AND SILK SHAWLS. — Pare and grate raw, mealy potatoes, and put to each pint of the potato pulp a cou- ple of quarts of cold water. Let it stand five hours, then strain the water through a sieve, and rub as much of the potato pulp through as possible — let the strained water stand to settle again — when very clear, turn the water off from the dregs carefr'ly. Put a clean white cotton sheet on a perfectly clean table, lay on the shawl which you wish to clean, and pin it down tight. Dip a sponge, that has never been used, into the potato wa er, and rub the shawl with it till ciean ; then rinse the shawl in clear water, with a tea-cup of salt to a pailful of water. Spread it on a clean, level place, where it will dry quick — il hung up to dry, the colors are apt to run, and make the shawl streaked. Fold it up while damp, and let it remain half an hour, then put it in a mangier — if you have not one, wrap it in a clean white cloth, and put it under a weight, and let it re- main till dry. If there are any grease spots on the shawl, they should be extracted before the shawl is washed.

DIRECTIONS FOR CARPETS. — Carpets should be taken up and shook thoroughly, if in constant use, as often as three or four times in a year, as the dirt that collects underneath them wears them out very fast. Straw kept under carpets, will make them wear much longer, a.s the dirt will sift through, and keep it from grinding out. Carpets should be taken up as often as once a year, even if not much used, as there is danger of moths getting into them. If there is any appearance of moths in car- pets when they are taken up, sprinkle tobacco or black pepper on tne door before the carpets are put down, and let it remain after they are laid down. When the dust is well shaken out ol carpets, if there are any grease spots on them, grate on potter's slay very thick, cover them with brown paper, and set on a warm iron. It will be necessary to i ••prat this process severe.

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rltnes to get out all the grease. If the carpets are so mucfi soiled as to require cleaning all over, after the dirt has been shaken out, spread them on a clean floor, and rub on them, with it new broom, pared and grated raw potatoes. Let the carpeta remain till perfectly dry, before walking on them.

To PRESERVE CHEESE FROM INSECTS. — Cover the cheese, while whole, with a paste made of wheat flour; then wrap a cloth round it, and cover it with the paste. Keep the cheese in a cool dry place. Cheese that has skippers in it, if kept till cold weather, will be freed from them.

To POT CHEESE. — Cheese that has begun to mould, can be kept from becoming any more so, by being treated in the fol- lowing manner: Cut off the mouldy part, and if the cheese is dry, grate it — if not, pound it fine in a mortar, together with the crust. To each pound of it, when fine, put a table-spoonful ol brandy — mix it in well with the cheese, then press it down liijht, in a clean stone pot, and lay a paper wet with brandy on the top of it. Cover the pot up tight, and keep it in a cool dry place. This is also a good way to treat dry pieces of cheese. Potted cheese is best when a year old. It will keep several years, without any danger of its breeding insects.

To POT BUTTER FOR WINTER USE. — Mix a large spoonlui of salt, a table-spoonful of powdered white sugar, and one of saltpetre. Work this quantity into six pounds of fresh-made butter. Put the butter into a stone pot, that is thoroughly cleansed. When you have finished putting down your butter, cover it with a layer of salt, and let it remain covered until cold weather.

To KEEP VEGETABLES THROUGH THE WINTER. — Succulent ve getables are preserved best in a cool, shady place, that is damp. Turnips, Irish potatoes, and similar vegetables, should be pro- tected from the air and frost by being buried up in sand, and in very severe cold weather covered over with a linen cloth. It is said that the dust of charcoal, sprinkled over potatoes, will keep them from sprouting. I have also heard it said, that Carolina potatoes may be kept a number of months, if treated in the following mannner: Take those that are large, and per- fectly free from decay — pack them in boxes of dry sand, and set the boxes in a place ex >sed to the influence of smoke, and inaccessible to frost.

To PRESERVE HERBS. — Al kinds of herbs should be gathered on a dry day, just before, o. while in blossom. Tie them in