Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 298, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 December 1914 — Showed Wifey How to Cook [ARTICLE]

Showed Wifey How to Cook

“It’s'Junny I never can get a steak cooked at home the way it ought to be < cooked?’ grumbled the married man. v “How ought It to-be cooked?” asked his wife. “Perhaps if you would tell me I could see that you had it the way you wanted it” “Oh, no, you couldn’t” said the man. “Not on your life. In the first place, you wouldn’t get the steak. You let that butcher send you any old thing that he wants to and then charge you what be likes. A steak ought to be cooked so that a man can get his teeth into it, io begin with. The steaks I get you can’t get the knife through the gravy.” “I think you are exaggerating a little, my dear,” said the man’s wife. “I think we get pretty good steak — considering.” “Considering that it’s cut from between the horns,” said the married man. “1 suppose it is—considering that. I can tell you the way it shouldn’t be cooked, if you want to know. It shouldn’t be frietl until it’s as tough as leather and as dry as dog biscuit, and it shouldn’t be charred to a cindejr on the outside and have a violet streak running through the middle.” “No?” said his wife.

“No,” replied the man. “There’s no reason why it should be cut as thin as a sheet of wrapping paper, either. Have you told the man you’d like something eatable?” “No, and I haven’t flung it in his face, either,” said the man’s wife. “It’s as good steak as any one could expect for money. If I remember, it was you who objected to paying more than thirty cents for a steak enough for four persons, and I’ve been trying to please you by keeping it down to that. Just look over the bills?’ ‘h don’t think I ever made any complaint of the price.”/ ' ‘ “But you wouldn’t be sure, would you? I don’t think —I know.” “Weren’t you going to call up the butcher yourself and tell him that he needn’t expect any more orders after such robbery, and didn’t I talk and talk to you before I could make you understand that I was attending to that department?” “I’ve no doubt you talked,” said the married man. “Any way, it isn’t so much the meat as it is the way it’s cooked. “That’s what I was talking about, if you will exercise that phenomenal memory of yours. You can buy the best meat in the world —or any other food —and pay the best prices, and then spoil it by not cooking it properly. You know that just as well as I do.

“A' steak ought to be about an inch and a quarter thick and then it ought to be broiled. You spoil a steak when you fry it, to begin with.” “I don’t,” said the lady. “I Always have your steak broiled. We never fry it” . “I thought you wanted me to tell yoy how I liked my steak done. If you don’t, of course, I’m wasting time trying to tell you. You want to broil it until it is just cooked through and a nice, rich brown on top. Then you can put a lump of butter on it and season it and” — “Who was it complained of the amount of butter we used?” “I suppose I did. I suppose I grudged the pepper and salt, too. I raised cain about the mustard, didn’t I? I’ll take you to a restaurant where they can cook a steak, where it will be brought on juicy and tender with the flavor in it. It will be an object lesson for you.” X “Will it cost 30 cents?” asked\he man’s wife.

The man looked at her in ‘disgust “Oh, you women are ldtical crea tures, aren’t you?” he sSWI. “Can't you keep it in your head for five min utes I was talking about the cooking?”