Bohemian-American Cook Book/Preface

O BOOK is valuable, if the reader does not read it carefully and does not grasp the spirit in which it is written. When following directions given in a cook book, it is necessary that everything be done exactly as the recipe states, even though some thing may seem insignificant, for very often success depends upon that very insignificant thing.

American cookery is, in many respects, more simple than Bohemian cookery, for in America many appliances and improvements are used which are not known in Bohemia. Besides those, baking powder is used extensively, often instead of yeast, and that is entirely unknown in Bohemia. Among Bohemians who came here from their mother country, there are many who think that American cookery is not as good as Bohemian. This is probably owing to the fact that many American housewives like to prepare only those dishes that require the least time and labor, but even Bohemian foods may be poor, if proper care is not given to their preparation. That American cookery does not always appeal to those who have grown up in any European country is easily understood, for we usually like best those foods to which we have been accustomed from childhood. We give in this cook book also some American dishes and think the readers will find that they are as good as any, when properly made.

It will not be amiss to give a few hints in general, regarding the kitchen:

Iron kettles, etc. which were used a great deal formerly and still are used to a certain extent, when new should be filled with water, to which has been added some charcoal, and this should be kept boiling for a while. Then we may scour the kettle well and it is ready for use. Iron skillets, griddles, etc. should be well greased ​and then the grease should be burned or smoked off, once or twice, before they are used. Where conditions permit, nothing but granite and aluminum ware should be used.

If we wish to use stone or carthen ware, it is best to fill new pieces with cold water and let it come slowly to the boiling point. In this way we may ward off the cracking thereof.

When washing greasy kitchenware, put a little soda into the water.

Vinegar cruets, water bottles and bottles in general may be cleansed with water and small shot, tacks or sand.

Put two or three oyster shells, thoroughly cleansed, into your water kettle and the sediment from the water will settle on them, instead of on the inside of the kettle.

It goes without saying that the kitchen should be as thoroughly equipped as possible.

Below is a table of measures and weights, which may come in handy to the housewife:

Sixteen ounces are one pound.

Four quarts or eight pints are oue gallon.

Four pecks are one bushel, and a peck is two gallons or eight quarts.

Four cups are one quart.

An ordinary tumbler is half a pint.

Two heaping teaspoons contain as much as one heaping tablespoon.

One heaping tablespoon of sugar weighs one ounce.

Two level teacups of granulated sugar weigh one pound.

Two heaping tablespoons of flour weigh one ounce.

One teacup contains five heaping tablespoons of flour.

Five teacups of sifted flour weigh one pound.

​A quart of sifted flour weighs one pound.

A liberal tablespoon of butter weighs one ounce.

A piece of butter, the size of an egg, weighs two ounces.

A teacup full of soft butter contains four tablespoons.

Two teacups of butter, well packed, weigh one pound.

Eight large or ten medium sized eggs weigh one pound.

In conclusion it may be noted that inasmuch as a great many of the recipes in this book call for various condiments (mace, cloves, allspice, garlic, caraway seed, lemon rind, anchovies etc.) it is impossible. to give the exact amount, because individual tastes vary. The housewife must use her own judgment, and if necessary omit some of them altogether. The expert foreign cook depends entirely on her tongue in this respect, adding a little of this, tasting the food, then adding a little of something else and so on. Some people do not like garlic or caraway seed. These may be omitted altogether, without spoiling the dish, and that is true of many of the others. However, those who do like the various flavors, like to have food seasoned that way.

In the recipes for bread, raised tarts, etc., the exact amount of flour is seldom given. As every cook knows, flours vary, and she must be guided by her experience. After one or two failures she can tell just how much flour to use.

Many recipes call for flour and butter blended together, without giving the exact amounts of each. In this too the housewife must be guided by the taste of her family. She can use from one tablespoon of butter to two of flour to half of each (a tablespoon of butter to a tablespoon of flour).

Wherever the word “pepper” is used, black or ​white pepper is meant. In recipes calling for red pepper or paprika, it is so stated. A pinch or dash of spices means of course ground spices.

In recipes calling for wine, sour wine is used for meats, gravies, and sauces requiring sweetening, in all others use sweet wine.