[Sca-cooks] OT: Rules for Cooks

Elise Fleming alysk at ix.netcom.com
Fri Mar 23 11:36:21 PDT 2012


There is a blog site, The Old Foodie (http://www.theoldfoodie.com/), 
which has some interesting tidbits on food.  This one is too good to 
miss.  It is a list of 13 Rules for Cooks [Essays, moral, philosophical, 
and stomachical, on the important science of good-living, (1823)] which 
would be rather "interesting" to post in various kitchens.

Here are a few of the ones you might get a kick out of:

I.  Never Get Drunk - until the last dish be served up.

II. Never Be Saucy - unless you happen to be in your airs and can't help 
it: but then, take, care to have the last word.

III. Never Be Sulky - unless you have a great dinner to dress: your 
mistress will then be sure to coax you.

IV.  Never Spoil A Joint - unless you have been unjustly found fault 
with - (which must be the fact if you have been accused at all) in which 
case, if complaint be made of its having been under-done - you may, next 
time, roast it to a cinder; and if that should not give satisfaction - 
you may, the following day send it up raw.

V. Never Get Dinner Ready At The Time It Is Ordered- unless you know 
that the family are not ready for it; in which case, send it up to a 
moment: if it be cold and spoiled, that, you know, will not be your fault.

VI.  Never Admit That You Are In The Wrong - unless the devil will so 
have it that you can't help it. If you should transgress your orders, 
stand stoutly to it -that they were such as you have followed; and if 
you hav'nt brass enough for that -say, you thought they were.

VII. Never Take Snuff - unless when you are mixing a stew, or stirring 
the soup. Nor ever examine the latter without holding a lighted 
tallow-candle obliquely over the pot: if it should not enable you to see 
quite to the bottom, what drops from it will at least enrich the 
contents; and when you taste it - be sure to throw back what remains in 
your spoon.

I recommend you read the remaining six!

Alys K.
-- 
Elise Fleming
alysk at ix.netcom.com
alyskatharine at gmail.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8311418@N08/sets/



More information about the Sca-cooks mailing list