242 KITCHEN rCGDKERY Conducted by GLADYS OWEN All matters pertaining to the kitchen and the subject of cookery in all its branches will be fullv dealt with in Every Woman's Encyclop^:dia. Everything a woman oui^ht to know will be 'taught in the most practical and expert manner. A few of the subjects are here mentioned : Recipes for Soups Entrees Pastry Puddings Salads Preserves^ etc. ' For the sake of ensuring absolute accuracy, no recipe is printed been actually made up and tried. Ratiges Gas Stoves Utensils The Theory of Cooking The Cook's Time-table Weights and Measures, etc. Cookery for Invalids Cookery for Children Vegetarian Cookery Preparing Game and Poultry The Art of Making Coffee Hozv to Carve Poultry, Joints, etc. this section which has not THE IDEAL LARDER How the Larder Should be Situated, Constructed, and Arranged— How to Clean and Keep Clean- The Importance of Separate Larders for Certain Foods— Inspecting the Larder The larder is a department of no small
- importance in the home, for if its arrange-
ments are inefficient the housewife will lose many pounds per annum in spoilt food. POSITION AND ARRANGEMENT For a larder a northerly aspect is best, because in this way the direct heat of the sun is avoided. Should this be impossible, how- ever, a tree or bush may be grown which vdll shelter the window without excluding air. A larder must be dry, cool, well ventilated, and not situated near the kitchen or hot- water pipes. The windows must be large and open both ways, so as to admit plenty of light and air, because the three great foes to food are darkness, damp, and dirt. The ingress of flies, etc., can be prevented by hailing sheets of perforated zinc over the windows. To find the walls, floor, and ceiling tiled is an ideal not often met with, but as a substitute one should insist on a smooth stone floor, hard, smooth, lime- washed walls and ceiling, and as few corners and ledges as possible. Rough, cracked sur- faces harbour insects and dirt. The ceiling should be lofty, and a good ven- tilator should be fixed as close to it as possible, to carry off impure air which rises. Iron rods for hanging meat, etc., should be fixed under the ceiling in a place where a brisk current of air always will be passing. Perforated bricks also aid ventilation. Care must be taken to ascertain that there is no communication between the larder and any drain through an untrapped grating in the floor, such as often exists for carrying off the scrubbing and rinsing water. Marble, slate, or stone shelves are best. Wood is hard to keep clean and sweet. The upper part of the door should be made of perforated zinc for ventilating purposes. CLEANING THE LARDER Absolute cleanliness and an absence of insect life are essential for the preservation of food. To ensure this, the walls and ceil- ings, if untiled, should be lime-washed twice a year, the zinc window-guards and upper door scrubbed weekly with hot water con- taining some disinfectant, and the floor and shelves wiped daily with a well damped cloth. Sweeping should be avoided, since it raises dust. Once a week, moreover, both the floor and shelves should be scrubbed with hot water and carbolic soap. This, if possible, should be done on a dry day, and no food should be put back until all parts of the larder are dry. Meat-hooks and wire or muslin covers for the foods often are left uncleaned, but they should be cleaned thoroughly at least once a week. A dirty meat-hook will soon taint any food which may be hung upon it. The ideal home possesses one larder for the storage of milk, butter, cold sweets, pastry, etc., another for meat, fish, or strong-
