430 



DR CHASE'S RECIPES. 



ing fluid, is supposed to be a concentrated solution of permanganate of potassa," 

 etc., vrhich is the same as " potash," above. Mr. Condy, in a pamphlet pub- 

 lished by himself in 1862 says "half a tumbler of his fluid in a good sized bath 

 (this is supposing a person to be scalded all over, or at least mucli of his surface), 

 will give instant relief in tliese frightful scalds and burns. 



Driving away Flies with It. — The wi-iter of "Hints and Helps." 

 published in the Blade in 1879, from which the author gathered and condensed 

 these items, claims that a little of this mixture, in a soup-plate of water, will 

 drive away flies, even tliose big buzzing ones which are so troublesome when 

 fresh meat is around. This is easily tried, but knowing the permanganate to be 

 a powerful disinfectant, I have no hesitation in recommending the mixture for 

 all the purposes for whicb it is claimed to be valuable. 



BEEFSTEAK.— How to Cook It.— As beefsteak is, probably, more 

 often cooked than any other dish, I will begin with it; and as I have, in rhyme, 

 by a Layman contributor to the "Home Department" oif the Toledo Commer- 

 cial, the way it was cooked by an English "beefsteak fluke" in 1734, and 

 which has continued to be the plan, until very recently, and still is the plan 

 pursued by most people. I will give it, and afterwards make such explana- 

 tions, in the remarks, as shall give the true, and better way, of cooking beef- 

 steaks. The rhyme referred to is as follows. 



" Pound well your meat till tJie fibres break. 

 Be sure that next you have, to broil the steak, 

 Good coal in plenty; nor a moment leave. 

 But turn it over this way, and then that; 

 The lean should be quite rare — not so the fat. 

 The platter now and then the juice receive. 

 Put on your butter, place it on your meat. 

 Salt, pepper, turn it over, serve, and eat." 



RemarJcs.— This "contributor" asked: "Can any correspondent of the 

 V Home Department " furnish a better rule? " to which I answer, y&&. Simply 

 leave off the first, or italicised hne, and you have the better rule, except the 

 steak be very tough, that is the only reason why pounding should be resorted 

 to, as it lets out the sw^eet juices of tlie meat, and removes, if broiled, (broiling 

 is the true way to cook a steak) much of the nourishing properties, and spoils 

 its delicacy of flavor. Some people broil, or rather cook, their steak on top of 

 the stove. This is not delicate, nor so advisable as to cook in the hot skillet, or 

 spider, without butter, as mentioned below; but I will give you the plan which 

 my family pursued for a number of years before my companion was taken 

 away by death. 



BEEFSTEAK.— Broiler, to Make.— I went to a tinner and told him 

 I wanted a kind of " Griddle Ring Broiler," made of suitable sized wire — cross- 

 barred, of a size to drop into the stove, by taking oflf a cover. The holes being 

 9 inches, he made a ring of No. 9 wire, 8^^ inches in diameter; and cross-barred 

 it with No. 15 wire, to lay the steak upon. Then, for a handle, he took a piece 

 QT the No. 9, or possibly No. 8, which is still larger, about 4 or 4K feet long. 



