School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer Published: 1920
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DIVISION EIGHTEEN
SUPPLEMENTARY
LESSON I
THANKSGIVING SAUCE
CRANBERRY SAUCE
1 quart (1 pound) cranberries
2 cupfuls water
2 cupfuls sugar
Salt
Pick over and wash the cranberries. Cook them in water until they are soft
and the skins are broken. Remove from the fire; strain if desired, add the
sugar and salt, and stir until dissolved. Set aside to cool.
CRANBERRY "JELLY"
1 quart (1 pound) cranberries
1 cupful water
2 cupfuls sugar
Salt
Prepare and cook the cranberries in water, as for Cranberry Sauce. Press
through a strainer, add the sugar and salt, and mix well. Without further
cooking pour the mixture into molds which have been rinsed in cold water.
Set aside to cool and stiffen.
QUESTIONS
Give a practical method of washing cranberries. How does Cranberry Sauce
differ from Cranberry Jelly? If you desired to make clear Cranberry
Jelly what change would you make in the method given above?
LESSON II
THANKSGIVING DESSERTS
PLUM PUDDING
2 cupfuls soft bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoonful baking soda
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder
1/8 teaspoonful cloves
1/2 teaspoonful cinnamon
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1/2 cupful suet
1/2 cupful molasses
1 egg
3/4 cupful milk
1/2 cupful currants
1/2 cupful raisins
To prevent suet from sticking while being chopped, sprinkle it with a
little flour. Use a meat grinder, or a chopping bowl and knife, to chop
the suet. Beat the eggs lightly and add the milk to them. The currants and
raisins should be cleaned as directed previously, and sprinkled with
flour. Mix the ingredients in the order given. Steam in an oiled pudding
mold for at least 2 hours. Serve with Hard Sauce I or II, Yellow Sauce, or
Vanilla Sauce.
VEGETABLE PLUM PUDDING
2 cupfuls flour
1 pound seeded raisins
1 cupful potatoes
1 cupful carrots
1 cupful sugar
1 teaspoonful salt
1 teaspoonful baking soda
1 tablespoonful cold water
1 cupful suet
2 oranges--juice and grated rind
1 lemon--juice and grated rind
Mix the flour and raisins. Put the potatoes, carrots, and suet through a
food chopper. Mix the baking soda and water. Combine these three mixtures.
Then add the remaining ingredients. Turn into a greased mold and steam
three hours. Serve hot with Lemon Sauce or with Hard or Yellow Sauce.
HARD SAUCE II
3/4 cupful brown sugar
1/3 cupful butter
2 tablespoonfuls cream or milk
1 teaspoonful vanilla or 1 teaspoonful lemon juice and 1/2
teaspoonful
vanilla
Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, and mix thoroughly. Add the
cream or milk gradually. Add the flavoring. Chill; serve over hot
puddings.
YELLOW SAUCE
2 eggs
1/2 cupful powdered sugar
1 tablespoonful milk or cream
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla
Salt
Separate the eggs; beat the whites until they are stiff and dry. Add the
yolks and continue beating until the mixture is very light. Then add the
powdered sugar and beat again. Continue beating and add the milk or cream
gradually; finally add the vanilla and salt. Serve at once over hot
puddings.
CRANBERRY FRAPPE
1 quart (1 pound) cranberries
2 1/2 cupfuls sugar
4 cupfuls water
Juice 1 large lemon
Salt
Cook the cranberries and water slowly, until soft. Force through a sieve,
and add the sugar, lemon juice, and salt. When cool, freeze (see
Preparing and Packing the Freezer and Freezing).
Serve with roast chicken or turkey, or as a dessert.
QUESTIONS
What are the leavening materials used in Plum Pudding? Explain their
action.
Why are raisins and currants sprinkled with flour before adding to the
pudding?
How should pudding molds be prepared for pour batters (see General
Suggestions for Steamed Quick-bread Mixtures)? If it is desired to use
left-over steamed pudding, how should it be reheated?
What is the price per pound of suet? How much by weight is required to
make one half cupful?
See Figure 63 and tabulate the percentage composition of beef suet and
butter. Which contains the more fat?
How many persons does the Plum Pudding recipe serve?
How many persons does the Cranberry Frappe recipe serve?
LESSON III
CHRISTMAS SWEETS
THE USE OF CANDY IN DIET.--Candy is an energy-giving food, but,
unfortunately perhaps, it is not (at all times) a most desirable energy-
giving food. Sugar exists in candy in concentrated form. As stated
previously, such sugar is irritating to the organs of digestion. Sugar is
contained in large quantity in some fruits, especially in dried fruits,
figs, dates, prunes, etc. These fruits are a much better source of sweets
for children than is candy, because they do not contain as much sugar, and
have, in addition, valuable food materials in the form of ash. (See
Figures 92 and 94. Note the large quantity of carbohydrates and ash in
raisins. Also note the large quantity of carbohydrates--which are in the
form of sugar--in stick candy.)
Candy should never be used to excess or at the wrong time. A little eaten
at the end of a meal is not harmful to the normal person. At that time the
sugar is diluted because it is mixed with other foods. When diluted it
does not irritate the digestive tract to the extent that it would if eaten
between meals with no other foods. It is well to drink a generous quantity
of water when eating candy or other sweets. Since molasses, honey, and
maple sirup are not so concentrated as is sugar (see Figure 94), they are
desirable sweets for children,--provided they are used moderately, at the
right time, and are mixed with other foods.
[Illustration: FIGURE 94--THE COMPOSITION OF SUGAR AND SIMILAR FOODS
(Revised edition)]
PARISIAN SWEETS
Chop equal parts of figs, dates, or raisins, and nuts together. Knead on a
board dredged with confectioner's sugar, until well blended. Roll to 1/3
inch thickness, cut into cubes or rounds, and dip each piece in
confectioner's sugar. Store in tin boxes.
STUFFED FRUITS
Cover prunes with cold water, and let them soak for 30 minutes.
Then heat and cook at boiling temperature for 15 minutes. Now drain off
the water and place prunes in the top part of a double boiler and cook
over boiling water for 45 minutes. Or put the prunes in a tightly covered
pan and place in the fireless cooker for several hours. Cool and remove
the stones and fill the open space with a nut or a mixture of chopped
dates or raisins, figs, and nuts. Press the prunes into symmetrical shape,
then roll them in fine granulated sugar. (The Parisian Sweet mixture may
be used for stuffing prunes.) Prunes may also be stuffed with
marshmallows. One half of a marshmallow should be inserted in each cooked
and seeded prune.
Dates stuffed with chopped nuts, peanut butter, or candied ginger
are tasty sweets. They may be rolled in granulated sugar after stuffing.
DATE BARS
1 egg
1 cupful sugar
1 teaspoonful vanilla
1 cupful flour
2 teaspoonfuls baking powder
1/4 teaspoonful salt
3/4 cupful dates, seeded and cut into pieces
1 cupful nuts, chopped
1/2 cupful milk
Mix as Date Pudding. Turn into an oblong or square pan about 9 by 9
inches. Bake at 350 degrees F., for from 30 to 40 minutes. When
sufficiently baked, remove from the pan and place on a cake cooler for
a few minutes. Then cut the cake into halves, and cut each half into
narrow strips about 1 inch wide and 4 1/2 inches long. Roll each strip in
powdered sugar. Store in a tightly covered tin box. These cakes have a
finer flavor after they have been stored for a few days.
Raisins may be substituted for dates.
POP-CORN BALLS
1 cupful molasses
1/4 teaspoonful baking soda
1 cupful corn sirup or sugar
1/2 teaspoonful salt
Mix the molasses and sirup or sugar and cook them to the crack stage. Then
add the soda and salt and pour the mixture over popped corn,--about six
quarts. Stir the corn while pouring the sirup. Let the sweetened corn
stand a few minutes. Then dip the hands into cold water, shake off the
water, and with the two hands press some corn into a ball. Repeat until
all the corn is shaped into balls.
QUESTIONS
Explain why Parisian Sweets and Stuffed Fruits are a more desirable sweet
food than candy.
When is the best time to eat candy? Explain your answer.
Why are mints served at the close, rather than at the beginning of a meal?
Why is it advisable to drink a generous quantity of water when eating
candy or sweets?
Compare the recipes for Date Pudding and Date Bars. Account for the
greater quantity of flour, sugar, and milk in Date Bars.
Why is it necessary to dip the hands in cold water before shaping Pop-corn
Balls?
LESSON IV
CHRISTMAS CANDY
SUGAR AND GLUCOSE.--Granulated sugar and glucose differ in taste and
composition. Granulated sugar is crystalline in structure, while
commercial glucose exists in the form of a heavy sirup, i.e. is
non-crystalline in form.
In many candies, a creamy consistency is desired. This is not possible, if
all the sugar of the candy exists in coarse crystalline form. Hence in the
making of candy from granulated sugar, it is desirable to add glucose or
sirup to granulated sugar or to change some of the crystallized sugar to a
sugar which crystallizes with difficulty, i.e. invert sugar.
This can be accomplished by boiling granulated sugar with acid.
Recent experimentation [Footnote 137: See Journal of Home Economics,
February, 1919 (Vol. XI), p. 65, "Factors Influencing the Amount of Invert
Sugar in Fondant," by Daniels and Cook.] with sugars, however, shows that
the quantity of acid required varies with the degree of hardness or the
alkalinity of the water,--the more alkaline the water, the greater the
quantity of acid needed. This experimental work also shows that unless
soft water is used in boiling sugar to which acid is added, more constant
and satisfactory results may be secured by adding glucose rather than acid
to sugar.
COOKING SIRUPS.--Sugar and water are boiled to different degrees of
temperature for making different kinds of candy. The thicker the sirup,
the higher the temperature. Tests for sirups of different consistencies
are:
(a) Thread,--when dropped from a spoon, the sirup forms a thread
about two inches long (230 degrees F.). [Footnote 138: These temperatures
apply to sirups made from cane sugar. The addition of glucose to cane
sugar lowers the temperatures of the sirups at the various stages. See
Note to the Teacher, Lesson CXVI, regarding the use of the Fahrenheit
scale of temperature.]
(b) Soft ball,--when dropped into cold water, the sirup forms a
soft ball if rolled between the fingers (236 degrees F.).
(c) Hard ball,--when dropped into cold water, the sirup forms a
firm ball (252 degrees F.).
(d) Crack,--when dropped into cold water, the sirup becomes brittle
(270 degrees F.).
(e) Hard crack,--when dropped into cold water, the sirup becomes
very hard and brittle (293 degrees F.).
(f) Caramel,--when sugar (without addition of water) liquefies when
hot and becomes very hard and brittle when cold (310 degrees F.).
FUDGE
2 cupfuls sugar
1/2 cupful water or milk
1/2 cupful corn sirup
2 ounces chocolate
2 tablespoonfuls butter
1 teaspoonful vanilla
1/4 teaspoonful salt
Mix the sugar with the liquid. Add the chocolate and sirup. Boil
gently to a "soft ball" stage. Just before removing from the fire,
add the butter. Cool, then beat the mixture until it thickens. Add the
vanilla and salt and pour into a buttered pan. Cut into squares; when cool
the fudge is ready for serving.
The butter may be omitted.
PANOCHA
2 cupfuls light brown sugar
1/2 cupful milk
1/8 teaspoonful cream of tartar
2 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1/2 pound nuts
1/8 teaspoonful salt
Mix the sugar with the milk. Add the cream of tartar, and boil gently to a
"soft ball" stage. Just before removing from the fire, add the butter and
salt. Cool and beat until the mixture thickens. Add nuts that have been
cut into pieces; pour into a buttered pan; cut into squares. When cool,
the Panocha is ready for serving.
Sour milk or cream may be substituted for sweet milk and cream of tartar.
When sour cream is used, omit the butter or substitute.
BUTTERSCOTCH
1/2 cupful water
3 cupfuls light brown sugar
Juice of 1 lemon or
1/4 cupful vinegar
2 to 4 tablespoonfuls butter
Mix the sugar and liquids thoroughly. Boil gently to the "crack" stage.
Add the butter. Pour into buttered pans. When almost cool, cut into
squares with a chopping knife. Break into pieces when cold.
The butter may be omitted. If this is done, add 1/8 teaspoonful of salt.
CINNAMON BALLS
1 cupful sirup
2 cupfuls sugar
1 tablespoonful butter
1/8 teaspoonful salt
1 tablespoonful water
1 tablespoonful vinegar
1 tablespoonful ground cinnamon or
2 drops of oil of cinnamon
Put all the ingredients except oil of cinnamon into a saucepan and boil to
the crack stage. If oil of cinnamon is used for flavoring, add it to the
mixture after cooking. Pour into a greased pan. When cool enough to
handle, take a small portion and shape it into a ball. If the candy
becomes too stiff to shape, it may be placed in an oven until it is soft
enough to handle.
Oil of cinnamon produces a more pleasing flavor than ground cinnamon.
However, the former is expensive. If it is added, the use of a medicine
dropper prevents its waste.
QUESTIONS
What ingredient does corn sirup contain that would make it effective in
preparing creamy candy?
Explain the use of corn sirup, cream of tartar, sour milk, and vinegar in
these candies. In Fudge, why is the butter added just before removing the
candy from the fire (see Frying and Digestion)?
Why are not the nuts cooked in the Panocha mixture?
Why is butter or substitute omitted in Panocha if sour cream is
substituted for sweet milk?
If a thermometer is used for testing sirups, what precaution should be
taken against breaking?
From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of granulated (see Figure 94), powdered, brown, and
maple sugars. What is the price per pound of each?
How many cupfuls in a pound of brown sugar?
Considering the percentage of carbohydrates, and the price per pound of
granulated and brown sugar, which is the cheaper?
Tabulate the percentage composition of honey, of molasses, and of maple
sirup.
How much fudge, by weight, does 1 pound of sugar make?
What is the cost per pound of homemade fudge?
APPENDIX
SUGGESTIONS FOR TEACHING
In using this text, the teacher may follow the order of
presenting a lesson which she considers most satisfactory. She may
prefer to preface processes of cooking with a discussion of foods and
reasons for the steps involved in the processes, or she may consider it
advisable to have the pupils do the cooking and discuss foods and methods
later. In case both the so-called "theory" and practical work are
undertaken in the same lesson, the time required to cook the food often
determines the order of the lesson. In either case, this text may be used
to advantage.
Although recipes in definitely stated form appear in the book, the teacher
need not refer to them in class, or place them upon the board previous to
the lesson. She may prefer to lead the pupils to develop a recipe. The
latter method is valuable in training pupils to know the proper quantity
of food materials to combine for practical recipe making, and to
know how to substitute one food material for another.
The relation of one recipe to another is shown in this text and
should be constantly emphasized. The pupils should be made to understand
that there are a few basic recipes from which many may be developed.
Much attention should be given to the cost of foods. At frequent
intervals, pupils should be required to compute the cost of particular
dishes or of entire meals. The buying of foods by the pupils is
most valuable. In table service lessons, it is advisable to have the
pupils not only plan and cook foods but, when possible, buy them.
In teaching table service lessons, the greatest care should be
taken to adapt the lessons to the standard of living of the pupils. In
communities where the equipment for serving foods is most meagre, a
special effort should be made to make the best use of such dishes and
furnishings as are found in the homes of the pupils. Serving meals in a
more pleasing way with more adequate (but not elaborate) equipment should
also be taught. Methods of serving without a maid meet best the needs of
most pupils of the public schools.
The cooking of foods by each pupil in family quantity rather than
in individual amount is valuable. To do this some practical way of
disposing of the cooked products must be arranged. The lunch rooms of the
school may serve as the means of disposal. In case the pupils of a school
cook for the lunch room, the greatest care needs to be exercised by the
teacher to place the responsibility of preparing a salable product upon
the pupil. Too much assistance on the part of the teacher in directing the
pupils' work and in deciding when a food is sufficiently cooked or baked,
may interfere in developing initiative in pupils,--one of the aims to be
accomplished in education. The plan of having each pupil prepare a food
for the first time in individual quantity and then later in family
quantity for the lunch room has proved satisfactory in some cases.
This text furnishes material for a year's work, if five lessons per
week (at least ninety minutes in length) are given; or for two
years' work, if the curriculum provides for but two or three lessons
per week. If it is necessary to arrange a shorter course, certain lessons
may be omitted or assigned for home work, or lessons may be combined.
If the teacher wishes to correlate food study with some other
subject such as general science, or physiology, chemistry, or physics, the
time may be extended, or the order of work may be changed to fit the
particular requirements. Because many of the lessons of the first eight
divisions treat of the uses of the foods in the body, they are especially
good for correlation with physiology. The remaining lessons, many of which
emphasize food composition, may be correlated to advantage with chemistry.
If for any reason an entire semester's work is to be devoted to table
service, including the planning, buying, cooking, and serving of foods and
determining the cost and computing the calorific value of the foods, the
material found in Related Work--the lessons placed at the end of
each division--will be found adequate for such a course.
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