HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Brussels Post, 1952-4-2, Page 7Time F,.. Bed
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Add Years Of Life To Your
If, you're shivering in bed .on
these chilly nights, console yourself Wool Or Feather Quilts .. * .
with the thought that our fore -
/ethers
slept on the ground.
The ancient world of Egyptians,
Greeks and Romans retired to
couches and cots, but In .the Dark
Ages everyone lay on the ground,
They simply flung bear -skins over
a mat of leaves, Later they learned
to put the leaves in a shallow box,
Early in the Middle Ages they in-
vented mattresses stuffed with
feathers, wool or hair.
These mattresses rested on
benches against the wall—clearly
the ancestors of to -day's utility
beds!
When the Crusaders brought
treasures from the Middle East,
bed draperies were part of the
loot. For centuries after that, no-
body who was anybody dreamed
of going to bed without being cur-
tained in.
Reached Their Peak
But beds didn't really get going
until Columbus discovered America
and Europe grew rich beyond its
most gilded medieval dreams,
Beds grew bigger. Beds grew
more elegent. Their heavy, be-
jewelled fabrics bred a whole new
kind of snob appeal,
Wood superstructures—so tall
they grazed the high ceiling—
reachedtheir peak in England
during Elizabeth's reign.
, In the 78th century beds became
lighter, simpler in woodwork and
drapery. Frenchmen slept in a
small, separate bedframe, either in
an alcove or under a detached
draped conopy,
The English kept the canopy
intact and produced the ancestor of
the four-poster,
"Twin v. Double"
All through the 19th century, of
course, beds had the Victorian ten-
dency to be heavy, solid, dark and
elaborately carved. But in the
nineties modern springs and mat-
tresses arrived, and beds as we
know them followed shortly after-
wards.
Engaged couple% who fall out on
the "twin v. double" problem can
blame William Sheraton, the
famous English furniture -maker of
the 18th century,
He built a twin -bed four-poster,
both sides resting under the same
canopy. Ire called it a "summer
bed."
The majority of people put both
halves together again, but Shera-
ton's experiment gradually took
hold. With the triumph of furnished
apartments in the 20th century,
twin beds seem to have won.
But actor Rex Harrison thinks
that twin beds are on the way out
again, He and his wife, Lilii Palm-
er, have just finished a film cailed
"The Fourposter," in which they
co-star with tine piece of furniture
In the title,
The bed used to belong to that
Latin lover, Rudolf Valentino, and
so impressed the film unit that
most of them have abandoned their
single beds in favour of four-
posters.
Brave First Steps—Glyn Evans, 4,
of Roehampton, England, smiles
at adversity as he learns to
walk with his "plonkers," as he
calls them. The artificial legs
and crutches were designed for
him by doctors of Queen Mary's
hospital. The child was born
without legs.
GOOD REASON
He arrived at an Australian Army
recruiting station and said he'd like
to join up. In no time at all he
was before a medical examiner.
However, he was turned down be-
cause his fent,wcrc so fiat that his
prints in the sand would have look-
ed like a duck's,
Ho went away looking very de-
jected, But early next morning he
was lsaek again. And once more he
was turned down, The third mor-
ning .he was there again, and for
the third tune they said "No" very
fifthly.
"1 keep telling you that you
couldn't march with those flat
feet," the doctor explained, "Why
do you keep cooling back?"
"Well, doctor," wailed the nuut,
"1 walked over a hundred mites to
get here, and I'd hate to have to
walk back!"
Eiderdowns are expensive to buy
new and to have recovered, But
there is no need to discard one
which is thin and leaking. A cor-
respondent described how she re-
covered and made featherproof,
one stowed away in the attic, for
a shall Cost.
She bought six yards of quil-
padding for the single bed eider-
down, cut it into three lengths of
two yards each and then very
carefully opened it out. The eider-
down was then spread on the floor
and, quilt padding placed over it,
and using large stitches, tacked
to the eiderdown to cover it coo-
pletely, '
Recovering was simplified by
stitching cover material into a bag
shape to fit eiderdown with one
open end. Stilt working from the
floor the cover was carefully eased
over the wadding and old quilt and
end was closed up.
Bag is first turned inside out,
and gathered so you are grasping
bottom corners from inside bag,
Then hold each corner of eider-
down bottom in hands as well and
another ,person, eases slip top
right side outside, over quilt form.
Another woman suggests how
to prepare for easier washing of
wool comforters at the time Of
making them. Put the wool in a
cheesecloth casing made into the
same size as outside coverings and
sewn on only three sides.
Casing is spread on floor and
wool inserted evenly and smoothly,
Then quilt with strong cord ib
three-inch squares to hold wool
firmly in place. Sew up open sides
on machine.
Outside covering is attached to
bottom lining of comforter with
ane side left open also. This can
be done similarly to eiderdown
method to assure corners are well
tucked in and covering is on
straight,
Wool ties are placed at frequent
intervals with colorful yarn to hold
in place and open end is sewn up
with snatching thread,
When washing time comes round
just cut wool ties and pick open
hand -sewn seam. Slip out the wool
and wash in cheesecloth cover.
Wash outside casing separately but
wash both well in good suras and
rinse several times; Wool in cheese-
cl'otit casing will quite likely go
through wringer if carefully folded
first,
Outside covering can be ironed
quite simply when dry, and wool
padding, you'll find will dry much
quicker in this form, 13e certain
it is thoroughly dry before slip-
ping back inside covering and ty-
ing,
DEATH -RAY FOR FLIES
Here's bad news for flies, A
scientist has invented a death ray
for killing them and claims it is
100 per cent. effective, Hermann
Wolf, a 47 -year-old Hamburg
engineer, has perfected what he
calls a supersonic death ray. It re-
sembles a tiny radio set.
By pressing a button he causes
high -frequency sound waves to kill
.--flies. He demonstrated it recently
in his basement worshop. All the
flies on walls and ceilings fell
dead.
Wolf plans to sell his death ray
machine to householders and others
troubled with flies. It costs about
$250, And it can be used only
against flies—not against human
beings!
"But, darling," said the prospec-
tive bride, "if I marry you, I'll
lose my job."
"Can't we keep our marriage a
secret?" asked her fiance.
"But suppose we have a baby?"
"Oh, we'll tell the baby, of
course."-
4Fr TALK&TABLE
elates Andrews
"Of the making of cook books
there is no end"—or have I made
that oris -quotation before? Any-
way, I know that I have a couple
of shelves full of them, but when a
new one appears I scan it just as
eagerly as some folks bury them-
selves in detective stories!
But it wasn't from a book, but
from the - New York Sunday
Times, that I got this idea, Cook
books—and Cookery Columns—
use plenty of terms that might be
puzzling to a novice.
So here are some of those terns,
each accompanied by an explana-
tion.
* * *
Blanch— To immerse fruits or
nuts in boiling water to remove
skins, also to dip fruits and vege-
tables in boiling water in prepara-
tion for canning, ferezing or dry-
ing.
Braise—To brown meat or vege-
tables in small quantity of hot fat,
then to cook slowly in small
amount of liquid.
Clarify — To clear a liquid, such
as consomme, by adding slightly
beaten egg white and egg shells.
The beaten egg coagulates in the
` hot liquid and the particles which
cause cloudiness adhere to it. The
mixture is then strained.
Dice—To cut into small cubes.
Fold in—To combine two in-
gredients or two combinations of
ingredients by two motions, cutt-
ing vertically through the mixture
and turning over and over by
sliding the implement across the
bottom of, the mixing bowl with
each turn,
Lard—To insert strips or pieces
of fat into uncooked lean meat for
added flavor and juiciness, Or
slices of fat may be spread on top
of uncooked lean meat or fish for
the sante purpose.
Marinate—To let foods stand in
a marinade, usually an acid -oil
mixture of oil and vinegar or wine,
often flavored s'vith spices and
herbs.
Mince—To cut with knife or
scissors into very fine pieces.
Pan-broil — To cook uncovered
on a hot surface, usually a skillet.
The fat is poured off as it ac-
cumulates.
Pan fry— To cook in a small
amount of fat; synonymous with
saute,
Parboil -To boil until partially
cooked,
Puree — To force vegetables,
fruits and other foods through a
fine sieve to retnove skins, seeds
and so forth, and to produce a fine
textured substance,
Reduce -To, evaporate some of
the liquid in stock or sauce by
boiling.
Render—"To heat tueat fat cttt
in small pieces, until fat is separat-
ed from connective tissues.
Saute -To fry lightly in a small
amount of hot fat, turning fre-
quently,
Scald—To heat a liquid to just
below the boiling point, Milk his
reached a scalding point when Mtn
forme on surface.
Score—To eut narrow grbovss
or gashes.
Sear—To cook at a very high
temperature for a short time in
order quickly to form a brown
crust on the outer surface of meat.
Simmer—To cook in a liquid
that is kept below the boiling
point. Temperature should be
about 185 degrees F. Bubbles
form slowly and break below the
surface.
IN THE FRENCH
Au gratin—This refers to the
thin crust that forms on top when
foods, usually creamed or moisten-
ed with eggs, milk or stock, are
broiled or baked. The dish may be
topped with a sprinkling of butter-
ed bread, crumbs or cheese, though
this is not altvays done.
Court Bouillon—A highly sea-
soned fish broth,
Croutons—Dices of bread that
have been toasted or sauteed in
butter.
Faggot — A small bundle of
herbs, usually consisting of three
or four sprigs parsley, one or -two
stalks celery, half a bay leaf and a
sprig or two of thyme, that are
tied together and cooked in a
stew, sauce, and so forth, to give
added flavor.
Fines Herbes — Finely minced
dry herbs, usually a mixture of
equal parts of parsley, tarragon,
chives and chervil.
Flambe—Sprinkled with brandy
or a liqueur and ignited.
Julienne -Food cut in very thin
strips,
Macedoine -A mixture of fruits
or vegetables.
Ragout --A thick, well -seasoned
stew.
Baking A Cake Far Experts — Restaurant owners and operators
from all parts of Ontario will attend the 8th annual convention
and exhibition of the Canadian Restaurant Association, being
held in the Automotive Building, Toronto, on April 7, 8 and 9.
"i know you were coming so i baked a cake," says Helen Robb.
Problems pertaining to the health of the notion and Canada's
tourist trade will be among those discussed at the convention.
LADIES—HERE'S HOW TO CAN
PORK & BEANS AT HOME
That Saturday night stand-by in
many homes—beans and pork—
usually has been considered too
complicated a dish for canning at
home. But as a result of recent ex-
periments, the United States De-
partment of Agriculture has just
announced a comparatively easy
procedure for canning the legumes
with molasses sauce. Instead of
baking the beans for hours before
processing, the cooking' is accom-
plished in the pressure canner after
the soaked and parboiled vegetable
and the molasses sauce have been
packed in jars.
The State Experiment Station in
Massachusetts, center of the region
where baked beans are in highest
favor, cooperated with the Agricul-
ture Department in developing the
new recipe. Directions state that
kidney, navy or yellow -eyed beans
maybe used.
Navy, or pea beans as they are
sometimes called, made up the
largest proportion of this crop with
kidney beans ranking fourth and
the yellow eyes farther down the
list.
An excellent source of protein,
dried beans also supply a generous
share of iron and two of the B
vitamins, thiamine and riboflavin.
They may be used in place of meat
as a main dish. though nutrition -
wise it is best that in such a meal
milk or cheese be included to
supply the animal protein not avail-'
able in the legumes.
Here are the directions for seven
quarts—a canner load --of pork and
beans with molasses sauce. After
the beans have been canned, they
need only reheating to he ready for
serving.
* a
Wash two and one-half quarts
(ten cups) of beans and prepare
them by the quick -soak method:
that is, cover the beans with six
quarts of boiling water and boil
two minutes. Remove from ]teat
and soak beans one hour.
To have the beans hot for pack-
ing, reheat them and drain off
Chained For 67 Days—Canadian seaman William M. Olynyk, 27,
of New Westminster, B.C., Left, asked '$100,0'50 damages from
Isthmian- Steamship Co., in Superior Court suit at Seattle. He
charged his. captainchained him to the rail of the freighter Clyde
L Seavey for 67 days on voyage half way around the world.
With Olynyk left, are ills wife, Emily, and his lawYer, Sam
Levinson,
Iiquid. Save liquid for use in sauce,
if desired.
Make molasses sauce by heating
to boiling four quarts of soaking
liquid or water, three-fourths cup
dark molasses, one-fourth cup vine-
gar, three tablespoons salt and one
tablespoon ground mustard. .
Fill each jar three-fourths full of
hot beans. Add a small piece of
salt pork, bacon or ham. Pour in
sauce, leaving one-half inch head -
apace at top of jar. Adjust jar lid
and process at once in steam pres-
sure canner at ten pounds pressure
(240 degrees F.)—quart jars sev-
enty-five minutes; pint jars sixty-
five minutes. Complete jar seals, if
closures are not self-sealing type..
The Cinderella Vegetable Potatoes
How many ways do you know
of serving potatoes? Bailed, mash-
ed, baked to jackets, roasted, or
sometimes chipped --- that's how
many changes most of us ring, The
potato has been called "the stand-
by and the Cinderella of all
the vegetables." It is always there,
but it receives scant attention.
Is it another case of familiarity
breeding contempt? Considering the
vast number of ways of cooking
potatoes, it seems a, pity that on
most days of the week they are
served plain boiled—and not al-
ways well boiled at that,
The health -giving, part of pota-
toes lies just under the skin—the
part we throw away when we peel
them too thickly. We get most out
of potatoes, both in flavor and food
value, when we scrub the skins
well and bake them in their jackets.
If you want to keep the jackets
soft, brush the potatoes over with
melted dripping (beef is best) be-
fore putting them in the hat oven.
Then when they are done, wrap
them in a towel for a few min-
utes. The skins will then peel off,
paper thin.
Or if you like a crisp skin, just
dry the potatoes well before baking
them. Turn thein two or three
times so that the skins brown
evenly,
If your digestion is good you
should eat the skins of your baked
potatoes; they have a delicious
nutty flavour, and taste good,
spread with butter.
Starting from potatoes baked in
their jackets, we can get stuffed
potatoes that can form the main
course of a meal.
A favourite way is to cut the
baked potatoes in halves length-
wise, scoop out most of the insides,
placing the scooped -out portion in
a mixing bowl. Add to ills as
much gated dry cheese as you can
spare, a knob of butter or mar-
garine and season with salt and
pepper.
Mix well, pile the mixture back
into the baked potato skins, sprin-
kle with a little more grated cheese,
and place under red-hot grill until
the cheese melts and browns slight-
ly,
When you are having an oven -
cooked dinner, serve escalloped po-
tatoes for a change. Peel and slice
thinly one medium-sized potato to
each person, and one medium onion
to each, peeled and thinly sliced.
Separate the slices into rings.
Grease well a fireproof baking
dish, about two inches deep. Ar-
range the potatoes and onions in
layers in the dish, the first and
last layers being potatoes. Sprinkle
each layer with salt and pepper,
Dot the top with margarine or
butter; pour about 34 pint milk
into the dish. Cover with a piece
of grease -proof paper, and bake in
a fairly hot oven for an hour. Then
remove the paper and place the
dish near the top of the oven for
another fifteen to twenty minutes,
ao that the potatoes on top get
crisp and brown.
Another overt method with pota-
toes is to cut the peeled potatoes
into slices, lay them in a greased
fireproof dish with a sprinkling of
salt, curry powder, and piece of
bay leaf between the layers; half
fill the dish with !Wilk, theta cover
the potatoes with bread -crumbs and
dot with margarine or butter
Bake in moderate oven ,1 hour.
The Scots claim to be the origin-
ators of the following potato dish,
known to them as "Stovies," but it
is also popular in France. Cut about
2 lb, of peeled potatoes into half-
inch cubes; slice a medium-sized
onion. Heat about 2 oz. dripping and
fry the onion slices lightly, without
browning, for two minutes. Add the
potatoes, season with salt and pep-
per, and toss the pan until every
piece of potato is covered with fat.
Then just add enough water to
cover the bottom of the panput
lid on pan, and simmer for fifteen
to twenty minutes, until tender,
shaking the pan from time to time
to prevent sticking. By this time
the potatoes will have absorbed
practically all the water,
You can then serve them as a
vegetable with hot or cold meat, or
with a cheese dish—or, if you like,
add 2 to 3 oz. grated cheese, stir-
ring it well in, and serve as a sup-
per or high tea dish, on its own.
"I've seen it through so many
times I forget where we come
in."
Hair TodayMayBe Gone Tomorrow,
So 'Problem z Heads' Switch to Wigs
By Richard Kleiner
New York—If your new wig
costs more, blame it on Adolf
Hitler. Indirectly, it's all his fault,
Hitler started World War II.
During the war, Canadian and
United States troops took their
ideas with them wherever they
went. They went to Europe and
soon European women were wear-
ing their hair shorter, the nay the
visitors liked it.
The continent, particularly the
'Balkans, had always beet -17'111e big
long ]fair supplier. Nowadays,
there's very little ,of the real thing
cultivated on Europe's female
beads. So the long hair buyers
have to go to remote villages, run
contests with prizes Inc t11e best
hair in each district and pay high-
er prices. These factors come out
in wig costs here.
That's the sad story unfolded by
Paul Fleischer, the fourth Fleisch-
er generation to he in the hair
goods business. To illustrate the
current market value of beautiful
long hair, he pulled out a carton
about the size of a shirt box.
w * *
"Inside," he said, tapping it with
a significant forefinger, "is about
$7000 worth of hair."
Ile opened it, and displayed
hanks of hair, all neatly grouped
M lengths and shades, There was
glistening black and pure plati-
num, lush -looking shades of red
and auburn and titian and some
MOW white.
Fleischer looked almost rever-
ent as he folded the hair carefully
and stowed it hack in the box,
"Hair," he said, in a hushed
voice, "is nature's masterpiece, but
few of us appreciate it. Compare
it with a diamond—if you close
your eyes and feel a diamond, what
is it? Just a sharp stone. But hair!
Touch it, and you can feel its
beauty. It's almost flesh -like,
"But American women tease,
abuse, wave, tint, dye, rut and
otherwise mess up their hair. They
ruin its texture,"
* * e
There are some exceptions, and
Fleischer's eyes sparked aa he
talked about Ethel Thorsen, a
television actress. Ile says she has
the most beautiful, Nair in America.
In case she—or anybody else—
loses it, or wants to augment It
'svitlt switches, curls, falls, top
knots, bangs, pony tails or chig-
nons, Fleischer stands ready to
help. De calls people with sparse
or non-existent Hair "problem!
*heads."
Wigmaker and Exhibits; Paul Fleischer makes "hair pieces" like
those in foreground for "problem heads," but not for Ehel Thorsen,
He can give a male "problem
head" a new set of hair far some-
where between $75 and $250, de-
pending on size and type. These
"toppers" are usually rade to look
like junior grade baldness to make
them more realistic.
Fleischer says his toppers art
"the most undetectable" now made,
and that his "hair pieces" for wo-
men are virtually impossible to
detect. That's because they're
"fussier in the front," which is the
hardest spot to disguise. Fleischer's
hest hair pieces --with each of the
110,000 to 150,000 hairs tied in
separately by hand --cost front $500
tip,
* +u w
It takes tip to two weeks to slake
one of these starting with the raw
hair, which first has a really per-
manent wave putt in it. It's blended
on a hackle to !Hatch exactly the
hair still left on the prnhletn head,
Then it's knotted, hair by hair, on
a ventillated base of silk anti nylon.
Finally. stylists arrange the stair
into the precise coiffure ordered,
But, an Fleischer points nut, the
nearer -of -the -hair eat) change it to
suit her stood.
'She can be denture *Monday,
soignee Tuesday, femme' fatale
Wednesday," says Fleischer, "She
can style it herself, or send it back
here to be restyled and cleaned."
One top Broadway star has three
lsa,r pieces. One in auburn, one
brunette, one white She _changes
them as her mood dictates, per's
isn't a "problem heat!"—she just
doesn't have time to keep her own
hair freshly stylized, so she just
slips on the coiffure like a hat,
Fleischer's business extends to
such small items as willow's peaks,
which costs about $2S, and
"streaks" of blonde, white or cop-
per hair to jazz up. an otherwise
undistinguished head of hair.
There's no danger of any of these
hirsute falses blowing oil', like
they always do its the moviet.
Men's toppers are held fact with
two-way plaster, and women's are
snugly ensconced with elastic,
If you're blonde, you'll be de,.
lighted to know that blonde glair,
is more expensive than brunette.
It's rarer,