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Tips from Mrs Beeton
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This
gem is taken from Chapter 1: The Mistress:
"Housekeeping
has been aptly described as the 'oldest industry'. It is
certainly the most important, the very linch-pin of life's
daily round... There are those - not many nowadays - who
hold that housekeeping is a matter of instinct and the light
of nature. Many women have, it is true, an inherited capacity;
but, like all other arts, this of domestic management must
be cultivated, and even the most self-reliant of brides
is generally willing, after a short experience, to concede
that she is glad of such counsel as a well-tried book like
this can give."
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This
one comes from the chapter entitled: " The Nursery " (chapter
LXXVII if you really need to know - this is how extensive
the book is - I don't even know what number this is in regular
numbers!):
"A mother's responsibilities are the greatest that a woman
can have, for with her rests not only the care for the daily
needs of food, clothing and the like of her children, but,
what is even more important, their moral training. No matter
what good nurses and attendants she may be able to engage
for her little ones, what pleasures, changes of air, model
nurseries, toys and books she may afford for their benefit,
she should still devote some part of her time to them at
any rate; should be with them often, should know their individual
childish tastes and faults, and strive by her influence,
precepts and example to make them what she hopes they may
be in the future."
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This
is from the chapter entitled: "The Art of Cookery" (chapter
VIII for reference's sake!):
"Reason's for cooking. Food is prepared for many reasons,
of which six may be enumerated: (1) To render mastication
easy; (2) to facilitate digestion; (3) to convert certain
naturally hurtful substances into nutricious foods; (4)
to eliminate harmful parasites and ptomaines sometimes developed
in foods; (5) to combine the right foods in proper proportions
for the needs of the body; (6) to make food agreeable to
the palate and pleasing to the eye. It may be said
that the last "reason" is in contradiction to No 2; that
is only apparently so. Apart from the purely aesthetic value
of an agreeable meal and a well-spread table, there are
many solid arguements for reason No. 6. 'The eye does half
the eating'."
Personally number 6 is pretty much the only reason I eat.
In fact I could wittle that entire paragraph down to one sentence:
"Reason for cooking: To eat". In fact, why cook? A bar of
chocolate will do. Oh and if anyone knows what ptomaines
are, please let me know.
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