essays-1-第35节

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being　sufficiently　nourishing　without　it；　it　is　or　much　importance　that　it　be　reduced　to　very　small　pieces；　in　order　that　it　be　brought　into　contract　with　the　organs　of　taste　by　a　large　surface；　and　that　it　be　mixed　with　some　hard　substance；　（fried　bread；　for　instance；　crumbs；　or　hard　dumplins；）　which　will　necessarily　prolong　the　time　employed　in　mastication。

When　this　is　done；　and　where　the　meat　employed　has　much　flavour；　a　very　small　quantity　of　it　will　be　found　sufficient　to　answer　the　purpose　required。

ONE　OUNCE　of　bacon；　or　of　smoked　beef；　and　ONE　OUNCE　of　fried　bread；　added　to　EIGHTEEN　OUNCES　of　the　Soup　No。　I。　would　afford　an　excellent　meal；　in　which　the　taste　of　animal　food　would　decidedly　predominate。

Dried　salt　fish；　or　smoked　fish；　boiled　and　then　minced；　and　made　into　dumplins　with　mashed　potatoes；　bread；　and　flour；　and　boiled　again；　would　be　very　good；　eaten　with　either　of　the　Soup　No。　I。　or　No。　II。

These　soups　may　likewise　be　improved；　by　mixing　with　them　various　kinds　of　cheap　roots　and　green　vegetables；　as　turnips；　carrots；　parsnips；　celery；　cabbages；　sour…crout；　etc。　as　also　by　seasoning　them　with　fine　herbs　and　black　pepper。Onions　and　leeks　may　likewise　be　used　with　great　advantage；　as　they　not　only　serve　to　render　the　Food　in　which　they　enter　as　ingredients　peculiarly　savoury；　but　are　really　very　wholesome。

With　regard　to　the　barley　made　use　of　in　preparing　these　soups；　though　I　always　have　used　pearl　barley；　or　rolled　barley（as　it　is　called　in　Germany）；　yet　I　have　no　doubt　but　common　barley…meal　would　answer　nearly　as　well；　particularly　if　care　were　taken　to　boil　it　gently　for　a　sufficient　length　of　time　over　a　slow　fire　before　the　peas　are　added＇7＇。

Till　the　last　year；　we　used　to　cook　the　barley…soup　and　the　peas…soup　separate；　and　not　to　mix　them　till　the　moment　when　they　were　poured　into　the　tubs　upon　the　cut　bread；　in　order　to　be　carried　into　the　dining…hall；　but　I　do　not　know　that　any　advantages　were　derived　from　that　practice；　the　soup　being；　to　all　appearances；　quite　as　good　since　the　barley　and　the　peas　have　been　cooked　together　as　before。

As　soon　as　the　soup　is　done；　and　the　boilers　are　emptied；　they　are　immediately　refilled　with　water；　and　the　barley　for　the　soup　for　the　next　day　is　put　into　it；　and　left　to　steep　over　night；　and　at　six　o'clock　the　next　morning　the　fires　are　lighted　under　the　boilers＇8＇。

The　peas；　however；　are　never　suffered　to　remain　in　the　water　over…night；　as　we　have　found；　by　repeated　trials；　that　they　never　boil　soft　if　the　water　in　which　they　are　boiled　is　not　boiling　hot　when　they　are　put　into　it。Whether　this　is　peculiar　to　the　peas　which　grow　in　Bavaria；　I　know　not。

When　I　began　to　feed　the　Poor　of　Munich；　there　was　also　a　quantity　of　meat　boiled　in　their　soup；　but　as　the　quantity　was　small；　and　the　quality　of　it　but　very　indifferent；　I　never　thought　it　contributed　much　to　rendering　the　victuals　more　nourishing：　but　as　soon　as　means　were　found　for　rendering　the　soup　palatable　without　meat；　the　quantity　of　it　used　was　gradually　diminished；　and　it　was　at　length　entirely　omitted。　I　never　heard　that　the　Poor　complained　of　the　want　of　it；　and　much　doubt　whether　they　took　notice　of　it。

The　management　of　the　fire　in　cooking　is；　in　all　cases；　a　matter　of　great　importance；　but　in　no　case　is　it　so　necessary　to　be　attended　to　as　in　preparing　the　cheap　and　nutritive　soups　here　recommended。Not　only　the　palatableness；　but　even　the　strength　or　richness　of　the　soup；　seems　to　depend　very　much　upon　the　management　of　the　heat　employed　in　cooking　it。

From　the　beginning　of　the　process　to　the　end　of　it；　the　boiling　should　be　as　gentle　as　possible；and　if　it　were　possible　to　keep　the　soup　always　JUST　BOILING　HOT；　without　actually　boiling；　it　would　be　so　much　the　better。

Causing　any　thing　to　boil　violently　in　any　culinary　process　is　very　ill　judged；　for　it　not　only　does　not　expedite；　even　in　the　smallest　degree；　the　process　of　cooking；　but　it　occasions　a　most　enormous　waste　of　fuel；　and　by　driving　away　with　the　steam　many　of　the　more　volatile　and　more　savoury　particles　of　the　ingredients；　renders　the　victuals　less　good　and　less　palatable。　To　those　who　are　acquainted　with　the　experimental　philosophy　of　heat；　and　who　know　that　water　once　brought　to　be　BOILING　HOT；　however　gently　it　may　boil　in　fact；　CANNOT　BE　MADE　ANY　HOTTER；　however　large　and　intense　the　fire　under　it　may　be　made；　and　who　know　that　it　is　by　the　HEATthat　is　to　say；　THE　DEGREE　or　intensify　of　it；　and　the　TIME　of　its　being　continued；　and　not　by　the　bubbling　up　or　BOILING；　（as　it　is　called）　of　the　water　that　culinary　operations　are　performedthis　will　be　evident；　and　those　who　know　that　more　than　FIVE　TIMES　as　much　heat　is　required　to　SEND　OFF　IN　STEAM　any　given　quantity　of　water　ALREADY　BOILING　HOT　as　would　be　necessary　to　heat　the　same　quantity　of　ICE…COLD　water　TO　THE　BOILING　POINT　will　see　the　enormous　waste　of　heat；　and　consequently　of　fuel；　which；　in　all　cases　must　result　from　violent　boiling　in　culinary　processes。

To　prevent　the　soup　from　burning　to　the　boiler；　the　bottom　of　the　boiler　should　be　made　DOUBLE；　the　false　bottom；　（which　may　be　very　thin）　being　fixed　on　the　inside　of　the　boiler；　the　two　sheets　of　copper　being　every　where　in　contact　with　each　other；　but　they　ought　not　to　be　attached　to　each　other　with　solder；　except　only　at　the　edge　of　the　false　bottom　where　it　is　joined　to　the　sides　of　the　boiler。The　false　bottom　should　have　a　rim　about　an　inch　and　a　half　wide；　projecting　upwards；　by　which　it　should　be　riveted　to　the　sides　of　the　boiler；　but　only　few　rivets；　or　nails；　should　be　used　for　fixing　the　two　bottoms　together　below；　and　those　used　should　be　very　small；　otherwise　where　large　nails　are　employed　at　the　bottom　of　the　boiler；　where　the　fire　is　most　intense；　the　soup　will　be　apt　to　BURN　TO；　at　least　on　the　heads　of　those　large　nails。

The　two　sheets　of　metal　may　be　made　to　touch　each　other　every　where；　by　hammering　them　together　after　the　false　bottom　is　fixed　in　its　place；　and　they　may　be　tacked　together　by　a　few　small　rivets　placed　here　and　there；　at　considerable　distances　from　each　other；　and　after　this　is　done；　the　boiler　may　be　tinned。

In　tinning　the　boiler；　if　proper　care　be　taken；　the　edge　of　the　false　bottom　may　be　soldered　by　the　tin　to　the　sides　of　the　boiler；　and　this　will　prevent　the　water；　or　other　liquids　put　into　the　boiler；　from　getting　between　the　two　bottoms。

In　this　manner　double　bottoms　may　be　made　to　sauce…pans　and　kettles　of　all　kinds　used　in　cooking；　and　this　contrivance　will；　in　all　cases；　most　effectually　prevent　what　is　called　by　the　cooks　burning　to＇9＇。

The　heat　is　so　much　obstructed　in　its　passage　through　the　thin　sheet　of　air；　which；　notwithstanding　all　the　care　that　is　taken　to　bring　the　two　bottoms　into　actual　contact；　will　still　remain　between　them；　the　second　has　time　to　give　its　heat　as　fast　as　it　receives　it；　to　the　fluid　in　the　boiler；　and　consequently　never　acquires　a　degree　of　heat　sufficient　for　burning　any　thing　that　may　be　upon　it。

Perhaps　it　would　be　best　to　double　copper　sauce…pans　and　small　kettles　throughout；　and　as　this　may　and　ought　to　be　done　with　a　very　thin　sheet　of　metal；　it　could　not　cost　much；　even　if　this　lining　were　to　be　made　of　silver。

But　I　must　not　enlarge　here　upon　a　subject　I　shall　have　occasion　to　treat　more　fully　in　another　place。To　return；　therefore；　to　the　subject　more　immediately　under　consideration；　Food。


CHAPTER。　IV。

　Of　the　small　expense　at　which　the　Bavarian　soldiers　are　fed。　　Details　of　their　housekeeping；　founded　on　actual　experiment。　　An　account　of　the　fuel　expended　by　them　in　cooking。

It　has　often　been　matter　of　surprise　to　many；　and　even　to　those　who　are　most　conversant　in　military　affairs；　that　soldiers　can　find　means　to　live　upon　the　very　small　allowances　granted　them　for　their　subsistence；　and　I　have　often　wondered　that　nobody　has　undertaken　to　investigate　that　matter；　and　to　explain　a　mystery　at　the　same　time　curious　and　interesting；　in　a　high　degree。

The　pay　of　a　private　soldier　is　in　all　countries　very　small；　much　less　than　the　wages　of　a　day…labourer；　and　in　some　countries　it　is　so　mere　a　pittance；　that　it　is　quite　astonishing　how　it　can　be　made　to　support　life。

The　pay　of　a　private　foot…soldier　in　the　service　of　His　Most　Serene　Highness　the　Elector　Palatine；　（and　it　is　the　same　for　a　private　grenadier　in　the　regiment　of　guards；）　is　FIVE　CREUTZERS　a…day；　and　no　more。Formerly　the　pay　of　a　private　foot…soldier　was　only　four　creutzers　and　a　half　a…day；　but　lately；　upon　the　introduction　of　the　new　military　arrangements　in　the　country；　his　pay　has　been　raised　to　five　creutzers；and　with　this　he　receives　one　pound　thirteen　ounces　and　a　half；　Avoirdupois　weight；　of　rye…bread；　which；　at　the　medium　price　of　grain　in　Bavaria　and　the　Palatinate；　costs　something　less　than　three　creutzers；　or　just　about　ONE　PENNY　sterling。

The　pay　which　the　soldier　receives　in　money；　（five　creutzers　a…day；）　equal　to　one　penny　three　farthings　sterling；　added　to　his　daily　allowance　of　bread；　valued　at　one　penny；　make　TWO　PENCE　THREE　FARTHINGS　a…day；　for　the　sum　total　of　his　allowance。

That　it　is　possible；　in　any　country；　to　procure　Food　sufficient　to　support　life　with　so　small　a　sum；　will　doubtless　app