Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1894 — Difficulties of Cooking. [ARTICLE]

Difficulties of Cooking.

In African encampments the question of food is a burning one. How to obtain provisions, how to cook them when procured—these are problems of absorbing interest in a pioneer camp. The author of “Adventures in Mashonaland” says that it is curious and interesting to watch the process of victualling a new country. The trader throws the most eccentric provisiohs on tha market. At one time, the author says, nothing but tinned lobster could be purchased at their settlement; and at another time the whole of Maniea. breakfasted, dined and supped on folegras. V Our cooking utensils consisted of a three-legged pot and a frying pan.. How were we to create a dinner? We boiled the ox-flesh in the three-legged pot, whence it issued in the condition of shoe-leather. Mixing the meal with water, we made the most horrible halfcooked flat-cakes by heating the dough on hot stones. There was neither baking powder nor yeast in the country. One day we received a present of venison, shot by a Mr. Teal. Now I had from time to time saved up a small quantity of sardine oil, believing myself to be a famous housekeeper. In a moment of vain self-confidence I undertook the dinner that night, and we invited Mr. Campion to come and eat venison steaks. I fried those steaks in my sardine oil, and served them proudly. They positively looked like real steaks, such as people would eat at home. But, alas! scarcely had two mouthfuls been eaten when every one fled from the table, and my wonderful dinner was abandoned to the little native who wa'ited on us. He certainly enjoyed it immensely, so that even that ill wind blew somebody good; but it was unanimously decided that henceforth I was never to be trusted with the prepara tion of meals.