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| My old cooking stov |
I inherited
the
“Student’s Manual in Household Arts – FOOD AND COOKERY” published in
1915. It belonged to my dad’s oldest
sister, Fern Shenk. Aunt Fern was born
in 1888, never married and taught school. She used this book in the classroom.
The book is
designed to teach young girls the art of homemaking and much of it could be
used today. Take out how to clean and
light a coal or wood cook stove, it’s chocked full of practical advice for all
kinds of household chores no matter whose shoulders it falls on today.
Because
it’s soup weather, I thought you’d enjoy some information from the “Exercise V
- Creamed Soups”. So much of early
cooking had to do with using what was available, how to use all parts of plants
and animals and how to keep things from spoiling.
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| My Grandma's Hoosier cabinet |
Soup not
only tastes good, it’s economical by stretching the supply of meat and
vegetables, it contains a lot of nourishment and is easily digested.
The point
of creamed soup:
It used the
tough and indigestible parts of vegetables, which were later, strained out,
leaving the bits of tender portions and nutrients. The old “waste not – want not” adage. After storing vegetables in the basement
larder, they began to be less than prime as winter progressed.
Vegetables
were preserved according to their type.
Root vegetables were kept cool and picked over regularly to make sure
anything rotting was removed promptly.
Many vegetables, fruits and meats were either fermented or canned in
jars. Still others were dried.
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| Food storage |
Realize in
this era, the most up to date refrigeration was a block of ice in a heavy zinc
or porcelain-lined wood cabinet. Not
having that luxury, a zinc lined box attached to the outside of the window in
cold climates, brick lined flues in basement floors or submersion in the
outside well would keep other things from spoiling – hopefully.
Once the
vegetables are strained through a large-hole sieve, the remaining vegetables
are rubbed through a strainer. This is
reheated and a warm white sauce is added just before serving.
Never boil
creamed soup after the white sauce or cream is added. It will cause the soup to curdle. Curdled soup doesn’t poison but it’s less
than tasty or pretty. I personally don’t
like creamed soup thickened with cornstarch although it’s easier. I make rue from butter, flour and milk (cream
if you like living on the edge of cholesterol city) and beat with a whisk until
smooth.
I enjoyed
the book’s instruction on how to serve creamed soup: “Never crumble bread or crackers into the
soup because it will make an untidy soup plate filled with crumbs.” Well OK then.
A rule I do wholeheartedly agree with:
“Each soup bowl should be heated.”
And because
I know you want to know: “The soup spoon
is placed to the right of the teaspoon, which is to the right of the knife,
which is to the right of the plate, which is under the soup bowl.”
And because
you really do want to know: “In eating
soup, the side of the spoon farthest from you should be dipped into the soup,
the spoon should then be raised to the mouth and the soup silently sipped from
the side of the spoon.” I’m old enough
to remember when people actually did this because you were a disgusting clod if
you didn’t. Not to mention comments
about how you were raised and your general over all intelligence level. Manners were taken seriously in those days
and I’m still OK with that.
For those
of you who preserved asparagus from your garden this year (or went to the
grocery), here’s a simple recipe:
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| Fresh Asparagus from my garden |
“Cream of Asparagus Soup”
1 bunch of
asparagus (or one can)
2 ½ C of
water
1 slice of
onion
Speck of
pepper
2 C milk
4 T butter
4 T flour
1 ½ t salt
Remove the
tips of asparagus and save to garnish soup.
Cook stalks, water and onion together for twenty minutes then rub
through a strainer. Mike a white sauce
from the butter, flour and milk and add to the strained asparagus. Season with salt and pepper (adjust to taste)
and add asparagus tips and reheat but don’t boil. Serve with toast. For a modern touch, sprinkle with grated
fresh Parmesan cheese.
It’s the
perfect meal for a cold winter evening.
Side Note: Bishop Hill, Illinois, Colony Potter, Jeffrey Goard, makes some of the best soup bowls (along with his many other works of art) I've ever used. They hold the heat, are ample in size, and are so beautiful any soup improves. Seriously fabulous!
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