STEWED CHICKEN.
Clean and cut up a chicken. Put it, with the giblets, in enough boiling salted water to cover it—one teaspoonful of salt to each quart of water. Let it boil for ten minutes and put it into a cooker for ten hours or more. If not quite tender, bring it again to a boil and cook it for six or eight hours, depending on its toughness. Skim off as much fat from the liquor as possible, pour off some of the liquor to use as soup or stock, and thicken the remainder with flour for gravy. A beaten egg or two stirred into the gravy just before serving improves it. Add pepper and salt to taste, and serve chicken on hot platter with gravy poured around it.
SETTING THE TABLE.
A most important thing necessary to the enjoyment of life, and an actual aid to digestion and the preservation of health, is that each person should make up his or her mind to forget all but pleasant thoughts and to put an absolute bar against the discussion of disagreeable subjects while at the table. Then only can they appreciate the fact that the meal has been carefully prepared and the table daintily set.
To cook an excellent meal and then serve it well makes the meal perfect. First of all the table linen should be immaculate. The more inexpensive linens are as attractive as the handsomest damasks when absolutely spotless and snowy white. For the lighter meals, breakfast and luncheon, a center piece and doilies may be used instead of the table cloth. The silver should be polished frequently and glasses wiped out carefully before placing on the table. A small fern or low bowl filled with short-stemmed flowers in the center of the table gives a dainty, cozy air, while the more elaborate vases may be used on more formal occasions. Four shaded candles on the table, when there are side lights in the dining room, cast a soft and pleasing light, far more agreeable to the eyes than the usual chandelier.
The placing of the silver must, of course, suit the character of the meal. If the meal is simple, the service should be simple. A good arrangement for an ordinary dinner is to place the fork and teaspoon at left of space allowed for plate, the knife and butter knife at the right, the napkin on right side and coffee spoon at the top, with water glass at the right and butter plate at left of each place. Various articles may be added, such as oyster fork, bouillon spoon, salad fork and so forth.
FOOD FOR, AND SERVING THE SICK.
The utmost care should be taken in cooking food for the invalid, so that all of the flavor and delicacy of each dish may be preserved. We take it for granted that the food is the best that can be had, and that absolute cleanliness is used in preparation. But, really, the important thing is to make the tray as attractive and dainty as possible, or the food will not be tempting, no matter how carefully prepared.
The tray should have a fresh, white cover each time it is carried to the sick room, and thin china of a pretty pattern should be used. In the summer time any garden flower, laid on the fresh napkin beside the plate, lends a cheerful note of color to the tray. Always serve small portions, as a large helping does not look appetizing to sick, tired eyes, and be careful in serving liquids not to spill any on the tray cloth or saucer.
It is those little things that sometimes disgust the invalid with what is put before him. There is a tidy and an untidy way of serving most dishes, too; for instance, in serving a poached egg, have it piping hot and on the toast; not cold, part on the toast and part on the saucer, with the yolk broken.