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Washing Up

I would, however, here give a few words of advice to cooks about this very subject of washing up, which is most important. Now you all know how very quickly a dozen plates are washed up, supposing they are wanted immediately for the dinner that is going on. Probably the dozen dirty fish-plates and the two dozen plates used for the entrees are quickly washed. Yet how is it that you will not persevere and wash up all the things as they come downstairs, down to the cheese plates, instead of as a rule only going on washing as long as you know the things are wanted immediately ? Half an hour's more perseverance at the time would probably save you two hours' work later on. Yet it is your custom to give up washing when it becomes certain that they have got enough to finish with upstairs; and consequently, after dinner is over, the wash-house or back kitchen, as the case may be, presents the appearance of stacks of dirty plates getting cold, the grease hardening and settling on them, while heaps of dirty forks and spoons are lying by the side. The amount of trouble that would be saved by washing all these up at once is something wonderful. Recollect that the time taken to wash up two dozen plates is not double the time taken to wash one dozen. What occupies the time principally is getting the things ready--the hot water, the tubs, etc. Another point for the cook to bear in mind is that joints on being removed from the table should never be allowed to get cold or to be put away in the dish in which they were sent to table containing the gravy. Let the joint be placed on a cold clean dish, and let the gravy be poured off through a small strainer, in order to get rid of the fat on it, into a basin, and be put by: this gravy is useful for a variety of purposes, either to act as gravy again, or it can be added to the stock; or should there be very young children in the family it can be made into a dish of bread and gravy for the early dinner. Another point of warning to cooks in reference to their usual method of pouring away the dirty water in which things have been washed. They empty the large tubs into the sink, causing the sink to be some inches deep in water, which requires time to run down. However, impatience is natural to all of us, and too often, to save time, as they imagine, cooks will pull up the strainer in the sink bodily, upon which the water goes down fast enough, finishing with a grunt of satisfaction. But, alas ! in addition to running a considerable risk of blocking up the pipes, this is the fruitful cause of losses of all descriptions in the shape of forks, spoons, etc., that get overlooked in the sink, and often sucked down with the water. A case once came under my immediate notice in which the pipe leading from the sink to the drain was blocked up, the cause being that no less than five steel knives were found wedged in the pipe near the bend, all of which had accidentally got down, owing to the foolish habit of lifting the strainer. Again, these strainers are used as traps, in order to prevent unpleasant odours rising into the house. A strainer once lifted is very apt to be forgotten, and the sink is thus often put into open communication with the drain; the sewer gas rises and spreads over the house, sowing the deadly seeds of fever.

The same remarks that applied to the washing of plates and spoons and forks apply equally to the washing of glass. Glass should always be washed in plain cold water. Now it is evident that a tumbler, say, that has contained stout, or a wine-glass that has contained port wine, will be easily washed when moist, but that if the stout or port be allowed to get dry in the glass some time will have to be expended in cleaning it. Directly glasses are brought downstairs they should be rinsed in cold water and turned upside down to get dry by themselves. Wet glasses take a long time to dry, and when dried generally present a fluffy appearance, that necessitates their being re-wiped. Therefore, let the glasses dry themselves, and then let them be polished with a good large soft leather; and, whatever you do, do not use the glass leather for any other purpose save that of polishing the glass. Again, glasses when being dried with a cloth very frequently get broken, especially those that have very thin stems, as the cloth sticks to the glass and in twisting it is apt to crack it. When, therefore, a leather is used, care should be taken that is perfectly dry, as a damp leather is as liable to break glass as a damp cloth is.

When dinner is brought to a close, those waiting should bear in mind that their first thought ought to be the table. It will sometimes be found that in clearing away this is overlooked, and that the waiters begin what may be termed clearing the room before they finish clearing the table. The one thought should be, not to keep people waiting one instant longer than is absolutely necessary. Consequently, it is more important to put the wine-glasses, wine, etc., on the table than it is to get rid of some of the things from the dinner that may have been left in the room. Where there are two persons waiting it will be found a great saving of time if one carries a large tray in both hands whilst the other removes the things quickly and quietly from the table and places them on it.

There is one point in connection with dinner that should never be forgotten, and that is the importance of having a menu. When the dishes are not placed on the table a menu is absolutely essential; and even when the dishes are placed on the table it is always desirable to know--first, what the dishes are; secondly, what is to follow. In many private houses a menu is omitted because the host and hostess think that having one has the appearance of ostentation. This is, however, a very mistaken notion. How often do persons, not knowing it was coming, pass by perhaps their favourite dish simply because they have taken something before ! Again, how often would some small eaters decide on, say, a second piece of mutton or not according to whether game would follow ! There is a story told of some great gourmand, who was "taken in" by a friend in the following manner. A leg of mutton was placed on the table, and the gourmand was informed that he saw his dinner before him, and, as was his wont, he accordingly ate freely, while his so-called friend scarcely touched a mouthful. What the gourmand's feelings were when a splendid haunch of venison followed the mutton can better be imagined than described. He is reported, however, to have said, "It was a cruel thing not to have told me." Whether such a piece of exquisitely bad taste was ever perpetrated or not we do not know, but the story serves to illustrate our point about the menu, as without one, recollect, the guests are treated, though to a lesser extent, like the unfortunate gourmand. Little sheets of decorated paper are now sold for the purpose, and form an additional ornament to the dinner-table. When all the plates and glasses are cleared off the table, it is customary for all the crumbs likewise to be removed; for this, however, avoid using those useless things called crumb-brushes, which are the means too often of sending nearly as many crumbs on to the floor as on to the tray--as when the brush is used quickly the bristles bend and cause the crumbs to fly over the edge. There is a small silver shovel now used for the purpose, which is far better, and when one of these is not at hand, an ordinary table-napkin will answer very well.