Good Things in England - A Practical Cookery Book for Everyday Use, Containing Traditional and Regional Recipes Suited to Modern Tastes. Florence White
useful:
(1) A spoonful in England means as much above the bowl of the spoon as there is in it. In this book this is the measure used for an ordinary spoonful; it is equal to 2 level spoonfuls whichever size is used. When only a level spoonful is required a level spoonful of the required size is definitely stated.
(2) A level spoonful means a spoonful the contents of which are level with the bowl of whatever spoon is used.
Glass measures can be bought, on which the following English weights of ordinary solid food are marked:
Bread-crumbs 2 oz. Baking powder 2 oz.
4 oz. of flour, sago, currants, ground rice, peel, sugar, tapioca, chopped suet, ground almonds, sultanas, raisins, rice. From these we get the approximate English weights in a marked cup of 8 or 10 fluid ounces. Roughly speaking if we fill it up to the marked liquid measure of 8 oz. with bread-crumbs, we get a weight of 2 oz. or 4 oz. (1/4 lb.) of bread-crumbs; two ounces only if put in lightly, 4 oz. (or 1/4 lb.) if pressed down.
If we fill any cup up to the marked liquid measure of: —
7 oz. with flour or ground almonds, the flour or almonds will weigh 1/4 lb.
6 1/2 oz. with sago the sago will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.
6 oz. with currants the currants will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.
5 oz. with ground rice, this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.
4 oz. with chopped peel this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.
3 oz. with castor or granulated sugar this will weigh 4 oz. or 1/4 lb.
8 oz. with tapioca this should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
7 oz. with chopped suet should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
5 1/2 oz. with sultanas should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
5 oz. with raisins should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
4 1/4 oz. with rice should weigh 4 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
2 1/4 oz. with baking powder should weigh 2 oz. avoirdupois or solid weight.
In most American Cookery Books equivalents to their ‘cups’ are given in the solid weights of many things, but the difference in English and American measures given above must be remembered.
For example in that excellent American Cookery Book The Way to a Man’s Heart, The Settlement Cookery Book, we read on page 3 ‘4 level tablespoons of flour = 1 oz.,’ but these are American not English tablespoons; the equivalent in English tablespoons would be 3 level tablespoons not 4, because 12 teaspoons make 4 American tablespoons, but 12 teaspoons make only 3 ordinary English tablespoons.
The teaspoon in both countries holds the same quantity of liquid. It is therefore the basic measure for both America and England.
The juice of one lemon = about 1 tablespoonful or 1/2 a fluid ounce; but syrup, oil and cream weigh a little heavier than water, vinegar and milk; and wine and spirits a little less.
A middling sized teaspoon holds about a drachm or 60 drops.
TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF COOKERY
OVEN TEMPERATURES AND THERMOMETERS FOR BOILING AND FRYING
THE PAPER TEST FOR OVEN HEAT
‘Moderate’ Oven. If a piece of white writing paper put into a heated oven turns golden brown in 5 minutes the heat is said to be ‘moderate.’
‘Hot’ Oven. If the paper becomes dark brown in 5 minutes the oven is said to be ‘hot.’
‘Slow’ Oven. The heat is said to be ‘slow’ if it takes 7 minutes for the ‘paper to become a golden brown.
OVEN THERMOMETERS
Ovens differ in size and make, and heat differently. Their habits vary and their whims and fancies have to be studied individually.
Mr. Kirkland, our leading bakery expert, says: ‘Even steam-pipe ovens bake cakes at varying temperatures: while 380°F. may be considered a sound hot oven in one case, another oven will not produce the same results until it is about 420°F.’
Therefore buy a set of thermometers and test your own oven, even if it be one with automatic control and a heat regulator.
Put in the oven thermometer when the oven is cold; when it registers 270°F. put in a piece of white note-paper: if it turns a golden brown in 7 minutes, make a note of the degrees registered on the thermometer and state the fact that in your oven these degrees (and the corresponding number on your heat regulator) indicate a ‘slow’ oven, and so forth as above.
It is quite worth while doing this; baking is a fine art and must be studied.
THE TAYLOR HOME SET
This has now been made in England for some years by Short & Mason, the famous aneroid makers of Walthamstow, Essex.
An oven thermometer, a saccharometer, and a sugar-boiling thermometer are all put up in one box, together with a very clear book of instructions (including recipes) for their use, and for the use of the frying thermometer which is sold separately.
Her Majesty Queen Mary accepted one of these sets in 1924 to show her interest in Home Cooking.
FRUIT AND VEGETABLE BOTTLING
Thermometers for this purpose can be bought or ordered at any furnishing ironmongers in England.
A PRACTICAL POINT
Those who are not accustomed to the use of thermometers should remember that sudden changes of temperature will break the glass, therefore I always teach my pupils to put the thermometers in a saucepan containing cold water and stand it over a corresponding heat, when I put the sugar or fat on to heat. Then when the sugar or fat is liquid, they lift out the thermometer, wipe it and use it; the saucepan with hot water is kept hot, and when the thermometer is finished with it is put back into the hot water for a few minutes and can be easily cleaned and wiped dry.
I
ENGLISH BREAKFASTS
ANY type of breakfast can be had in England. All one has to do is to know what one wants, order it in good time, and have the money to pay for it.
(1) We have inherited from India the chota-hazri consisting of a large breakfast cup of coffee made with milk and accompanied by two bananas; this is served in our bedrooms at five or six in the morning before we go for our usual morning ride, which is followed by a tub and some luscious mangoes, the proper place for eating which is one’s tub! After this comes luncheon at 11 o’clock, or tiffin, which corresponds to the French déjeuner.
(2) There is the normal workers’ breakfast at 8 o’clock consisting of tea or coffee, toast, butter and marmalade, eggs and bacon or some similar dish; and porridge during the winter months.
(3) The Country House Breakfast described by Ethel, Lady Raglan in Memories of Three Reigns (1928).
‘I always remember what a great feature was made of the breakfasts at my grandfather’s (the Earl of St. Germans) house parties at Port Eliot (in Cornwall; 1870), and of the numerous courses that succeeded each other.
‘There would be a choice of fish, fried eggs, and crisp bacon, a variety of egg dishes, omelets, and sizzling sausages and bacon. During the shooting parties hot game and grilled pheasants always appeared on the breakfast menu but were served of course without any vegetables.