School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer Published: 1920
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DIVISION NINE
FOOD COMBINATIONS
LESSON XCIII
VEGETABLES WITH SALAD DRESSING (A)
FOOD COMBINATIONS.--From a dietetic standpoint, it is well to combine
foods of different compositions. If a food is lacking in one or more of
the foodstuffs, it should be combined with a food that supplies the
missing nutrient. Bread contains little fat, and butter contains no
carbohydrates; hence these two foods make a desirable combination.
Vegetable oils, butter, and other fats make desirable additions to
vegetables. Macaroni contains little fat, while cheese is rich in this
foodstuff. Moreover, macaroni contains a small quantity of incomplete
protein, while cheese is rich in complete protein. Hence macaroni and
cheese make a good combination. In selecting foods to be used together,
careful attention should be given to their composition.
EMULSION OF OIL; SALAD DRESSING.--As has been stated (see Breaking Up
of Fats), to emulsify fat it is necessary to separate it into tiny
globules, and to coat each globule with some materials, so that the
droplets will remain separate. Various materials serve to emulsify fats.
During digestion, fat is emulsified by means of a soap (see
Experiment 36). Egg is another material which emulsifies fats. This fact
is made use of in making Mayonnaise Dressing from vegetable oil and eggs.
If one understands that the oil must be divided into globules, and that
each globule must be coated with egg, the preparation of salad dressing
becomes interesting and successful. It is evident that the fat should be
added to the egg slowly and should be beaten while being added. If the oil
and other ingredients are cold, a thicker dressing results. Quick
mayonnaise, however, is an exception to this rule.
[Illustration: FIGURE 62--THE COMPOSITION OF ROOTS AND SUCCULENT
VEGETABLES (Revised edition)]
Since emulsion of fat is one of the processes of digestion, it would seem
that fat in emulsified form would be most readily digested. This is true
of some emulsified fats,--the fat of milk is one of the most readily
digested. But when an emulsified fat is mixed with protein as in
Mayonnaise Dressing, the digestion of the mixture is slower than if either
of the foodstuffs were alone. Hence to some persons, Mayonnaise Dressing
proves distressing.
MAYONNAISE DRESSING
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoonful vinegar
1 tablespoonful lemon juice
1/4 teaspoonful mustard
3/4 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful sugar
Cayenne
1 cupful vegetable oil
2 tablespoonfuls boiling water
Put the egg yolk into a mixing bowl, add hot vinegar, and mix thoroughly.
Then add the lemon juice and dry ingredients. Let the mixture stand until
cool. Then beat it with a Dover egg beater and while beating add the oil
in small quantities,--about 1/2 tablespoonful at a time. Continue beating
and adding the oil. When the mixture begins to thicken, the oil can be
added in greater quantities. After all the oil is added, add the boiling
water. Beat until the latter is thoroughly blended.
It has been found that the oil may be added more rapidly if the egg is
acidified before mixing it with the oil. [Footnote 66: This is due to the
fact that the acid reacts with the albumin of the egg to form a kind of
salt which hydrates and takes up water from the mixture. The more water
that can be taken out of an emulsion in the form of hydrates, the more
easily will an emulsion be formed.] The addition of boiling water to the
mixture after the egg and oil have been blended, prevents the oil from
separating from the other ingredients.
[Illustration: FIGURE 63--THE COMPOSITION OF BUTTER AND OTHER FAT-YIELDING
FOODS (Revised edition)]
If desired, the whole egg may be used in place of the egg yolks. In
case this substitution is made, all the ingredients other than the egg
should be doubled in quantity, since 1 whole egg will emulsify 2 cupfuls
of oil.
The flavor of refined corn, cottonseed, or peanut oil is mild and
pleasing. These oils have less flavor than olive oil but are as
nutritious. Their use lessens the cost of Mayonnaise Dressing. After
opening a bottle of vegetable oil, it should be kept in a cold place. If
it is rancid, it should not be used in salad dressing.
If Mayonnaise Dressing is made successfully, it is thick and smooth. If
the dressing is thin and curdled, the oil has been added too quickly, i.e.
it has not been emulsified.
To remedy Mayonnaise that has curdled, beat the yolk of an egg
slightly, then add the dressing to it gradually, beating constantly.
Mayonnaise Dressing may be varied by the addition of chili or
celery sauce, chopped hard-cooked eggs, chopped parsley, pimentos, and
green peppers.
QUICK MAYONNAISE DRESSING [Footnote 67: Adding the entire quantity of oil
at one time and mixing it with hot paste may seem an unusual procedure for
making an oil dressing. The fact that the method is successful may be
explained as follows: Mixing the acid with the egg forms a salt which
hydrates the mixture, and thus aids in making favorable conditions for
emulsifying the oil as explained in the footnote of a previous page. The
starch paste also takes up water from the mixture. This makes it possible
to emulsify the oil easily, and also to make a stable emulsion.]
2 egg yolks or
1 whole egg
2 tablespoonfuls vinegar
2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice
1 1/4 teaspoonfuls salt
1 teaspoonful sugar
1/2 teaspoonful mustard
Cayenne
1 cupful vegetable oil
Into a mixing bowl put the eggs and vinegar. Mix well. Add the other
ingredients. (It is not necessary to stir them.)
Prepare a thick paste as follows:
In the top part of a double boiler put
1/3 cupful flour
1 cupful cold water
1 tablespoonful butter
Mix thoroughly. Then stir and cook over boiling water at least 10 minutes.
At once (while it is hot) turn this paste into the egg and oil mixture.
Beat all the ingredients with a Dover egg beater until a thick, uniform
dressing results.
(Adapted from a recipe by Mrs. Hill.)
SEASONABLE VEGETABLE SALADS
Use seasonable vegetables in salads. Cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, and
cooked cauliflower may be used in the fall. Cooked beets, cabbage,
carrots, and olives may be used in the winter, and head lettuce, radishes,
and cooked asparagus in the spring. Vegetables should be chilled, cut into
desirable shapes, and served on lettuce with salad dressing. Beets are
greatly improved by cutting into pieces, after cooking, and soaking for
one hour in vinegar to which salt has been added. They may also be soaked
in French Dressing.
A combination of vegetables and fruits makes a pleasing salad. Cucumbers
and pineapple, celery and apples, olives and cooked cranberries are
successful salad mixtures. The use of cheese, nuts, and peanuts with
vegetables and fruits adds to the flavor and food value of salads.
Uncooked carrots, cabbage, and peanuts dressed with French Dressing make a
tasty salad.
Canned vegetables, "left over" cold vegetables, meat, and fish have a
better flavor in salads if they are mixed with French Dressing and allowed
to stand in a cold place for one hour before serving. This process is
called marinating. If several meats or vegetables are used in the
same salad, they should be marinated separately. Just before serving,
Cream Salad Dressing or Mayonnaise Dressing may be added to marinated
salad materials.
A salad consisting of lettuce or other uncooked leafy vegetables should
not be dressed until it is ready to be served. The acid in salad dressing
wilts the leaves.
QUESTIONS
Explain why it is necessary to add the oil to the egg mixture in small
quantities.
Explain why it is that a curdled dressing can be remedied by adding it
gradually to an egg.
What is the price per quart of olive oil? Of peanut oil? Of cottonseed
oil? Of corn oil?
Find the difference in cost between a Mayonnaise Dressing made with corn,
cottonseed, or peanut oil and one made with olive oil.
From the standpoint of composition, explain why fresh vegetables and
Mayonnaise Dressing make a suitable combination (see Figures 62 and 63).
How much Mayonnaise Dressing is generally used for one serving? How many
will the above recipe serve?
Make a list of combinations of materials which make tasty salads.
LESSON XCIV
VEGETABLES WITH SALAD DRESSING (B)
SALAD GARNISHING.--Successful garnishing of a salad requires a sense of
good color combination, judgment in blending flavors, and ingenuity in
arranging materials. Usually it is well to use only edible materials for
garnishing. Certain flowers and greens may be used to advantage, however,
in garnishing the salad for an occasional dinner or luncheon. Celery with
"fringed ends," stuffed olives cut in slices, lettuce shredded or whole,
pimentos, parsley, hard-cooked eggs sliced or pressed through strainer,
and vegetables of pronounced color (as beets or carrots) cut into slices,
cubes, or fancy shapes,--all these make pleasing garnishes.
PERFECTION SALAD
2 tablespoonfuls granulated gelatine
1/2 cupful cold water
1/2 cupful vinegar
1 lemon,--juice
2 cupfuls boiling water
1/2 cupful sugar
1 teaspoonful salt
1 1/2 cupfuls sliced celery
1 1/2 cupfuls shredded cabbage
3 pimentos chopped
Prepare all ingredients, except the vegetables, as for a gelatine mixture
(see Lemon Jelly). When the mixture begins to set, stir in the
vegetables, and pour into a mold. Serve on lettuce leaves with Mayonnaise
Dressing.
Other vegetable mixtures such as cucumbers and tomatoes or peas and celery
molded in jelly make tasty salads.
QUESTIONS
Mention at least four different kinds of salads, with a suitable garnish
for each.
What should be the condition of all green vegetables used in salads?
How should lettuce be kept and prepared for salads?
From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of tomatoes, cucumbers, spinach, cabbage, lettuce,
celery, and onions.
Which contains the most water? Which contains the most ash?
Aside from the fact that sugar improves the flavor of Perfection Salad,
why is it a valuable ingredient of the salad mixture (see Figure 94)?
Explain why Mayonnaise Dressing with wafers or rolls would make a valuable
food addition to Perfection Salad.
FOOD COMBINATIONS
LESSON XCV
FISH SALAD AND SALAD ROLLS
SALMON OR TUNNY SALAD
1 can salmon or tunny (or tuna) fish
1 cupful shredded cabbage or sliced celery
Drain the oil from the fish; remove the bone and bits of skin. Add the
cabbage or celery, and Mayonnaise or Cream Salad Dressing. Arrange on
lettuce and garnish as desired.
If Cream Dressing is used with salmon, the oil drained from the salmon may
be used for the fat of Cream Dressing.
The salmon may be marinated before adding the other ingredients. When this
is done, the salad dressing may be omitted. Salmon contains so much fat
that it is not well to add more oil after marinating.
SALAD ROLLS
2 cupfuls flour
3 1/2 teaspoonfuls baking powder
1/2 teaspoonful salt
4 tablespoonfuls vegetable oil or melted butter or substitute
1/2 cupful milk
1 egg
Sift some flour, then measure 2 cupfuls of it. Add the baking powder and
salt to the flour. Beat the egg, add the milk and oil or melted fat to it.
Through a sifter add the dry ingredients to the milk mixture. Thoroughly
mix the ingredients by cutting them with a knife. Roll out on a floured
board, cut into oblong pieces, and with a floured knife make a deep crease
through the center of each roll. Brush the top with diluted egg (use 2
tablespoonfuls of water to 1 egg) and sprinkle granulated sugar over it.
Bake in a moderate oven.
QUESTIONS
Why is the top of the salad roll mixture brushed with egg? Why should the
egg be diluted for such purposes?
What reason is there for combining fish, salad dressing, and rolls?
How much fat and protein does canned salmon and tunny contain (see U.
S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28)?
Compare this with the quantity of fat and protein in beef steak (see
Figure 68).
LESSON XCVI
CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP AND CHEESE STRAWS
COMBINING MILK WITH ACID.--In the preparation of Cream of Tomato Soup, it
is necessary to combine milk with tomatoes,--a food containing acid. If
the following experiments are performed, and applications drawn from the
results of the experiments, it should be possible to make this soup
successfully.
EXPERIMENT 61: EFFECT OF ACID ON MILK.--Put a small quantity of milk in a
test tube, heat it slightly, and add a few drops of some acid substance,--
tomato juice, lemon juice, or vinegar. What is the result?
EXPERIMENT 62: NEUTRALIZATION OF ACID BY MEANS OF SODA.--Put a small
quantity of any of the acids mentioned above in a test tube and add 1/4
teaspoonful baking soda. What happens? Now add a little milk to the
mixture. Does the milk curdle? How has the acid been changed so that it
does not curdle the milk? What conclusions may be drawn from this as to
the use of soda in cooking tomato and milk mixtures?
CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
1 can tomatoes
1/4 teaspoonful baking soda
1 quart milk
1/3 cupful flour
1/4 cupful butter or substitute
1 tablespoonful salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
Turn the tomatoes into a saucepan, cover them; cook at simmering
temperature for about fifteen minutes. Press through a strainer and add
the baking soda. Make a White Sauce of the milk, flour, and fat, remove
from the fire. Add the hot tomatoes slowly to the White Sauce,
stirring constantly. Add the seasonings. Do not heat the mixture after
combining the tomatoes and White Sauce. Serve at once.
[Illustration: FIGURE 64--THE COMPOSITION OF MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS]
Cream of Tomato Soup may also be prepared by making a sauce of the
tomatoes, flour, and fat, adding the baking soda and pouring the sauce
into the hot milk and finally adding the seasonings.
Note that in either method of preparation, the tomato is added to the milk
and the salt is added just before serving. Only enough baking soda is used
to affect a portion of the acid of the tomatoes so that the pleasing acid
flavor of the tomatoes still predominates.
CHEESE STRAWS
2/3 cupful flour
1/4 teaspoonful salt
Cayenne
1 cupful soft bread crumbs
1 cupful grated cheese
2 tablespoonfuls milk
Mix the ingredients in the order given in the recipe. (The milk should
merely moisten the ingredients so they will stick together. It may be
necessary to increase the quantity.) On a slightly floured board roll the
mixture to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in strips 1/4 inch wide and 4 to 6
inches long. Place on an oiled pan. Bake until brown in a moderate oven.
QUESTIONS
Why should tomatoes be covered when cooked for soup?
Why should they be cooked at simmering rather than boiling temperature?
From the results of your experiments (see Experiments 61 and 62) explain
why soda is added to the tomatoes in Cream of Tomato Soup.
What is the purpose of adding the strained tomatoes or Tomato Sauce
slowly to the White Sauce or milk?
Why should the soup be served at once after combining the tomato
and milk mixture?
If enough Cream of Tomato Soup were prepared for two meals, how and when
should the tomatoes and White Sauce be mixed?
What is the price per can of tomatoes?
How many cupfuls in one can of tomatoes?
With the aid of United States Department of Agriculture, Bulletin
No. 28 and illustrations in this text, tabulate the composition of
tomatoes, whole milk (see Figure 64), cheese (see Figure 75), flour, and
bread (see Figure 77). Explain why Cream of Tomato Soup and Cheese Straws
make a desirable combination from the standpoint of composition and use in
the body.
LESSON XCVII
VEAL AND POTATOES
MUSCLE OF YOUNG ANIMALS.--The muscle of an undeveloped animal contains
more water than does the muscle of a mature animal. It is also lacking in
flavor and usually contains little fat. The meat does not keep so well as
that of a mature animal; therefore it should be used at once and not
allowed to hang.
[Illustration: FIGURE 65.--CUTS OF VEAL.]
CUTS OF VEAL (see Figure 65).
===================================================================
| NAME OF CUT | FORM OF CUT | METHOD OF COOKING |
===================================================================
| A. Loin. | Chops. | Sauteing. |
| | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | | |
| B. Leg. | Steaks--veal cutlets | Sauteing. |
| | or veal steak. | Stewing. |
| | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | | |
| C. Knuckle. | Whole. | Stewing. |
| | | Soup-making. |
| | | |
| D. Rib or Rack. | Chops. | Sauteing. |
| | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | | |
| E. Shoulder. | Thick Pieces. | Stuffing and Roasting. |
| | Whole. | Braising. |
| | | |
| F. Neck. | Thick Pieces. | Stewing. |
| | | |
| G. G. Breast. | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | Whole. | Stewing. |
| | | |
| Sweetbreads | Whole--in pairs. | Parboiling and |
| (thymus glands) | | Sauteing, Broiling, |
| --"Throat" and | | etc. |
| "Heart" | | |
| Sweetbreads. | | |
===================================================================
VEAL.--Veal is the muscle of the calf or young cow. It has the
characteristic qualities of undeveloped muscle. Because it is lacking in
flavor, it should be seasoned with herbs and spices, or served with a
sauce of pronounced flavor. It is also improved by adding some fat, or
some meat containing considerable fat such as pork. A calf is usually
killed when it is six or eight weeks old. The season for veal is spring;
it can usually be purchased, however, throughout the year. The muscle of
the veal should be pink in color, and the fat, white. The meat of a calf
less than six weeks old is lacking in color.
The connective tissue in veal is abundant, but it is easily changed to
gelatine by cooking. Veal is generally considered difficult of digestion.
VEAL CUTLETS (STEAK)
Clean the meat; then remove the bone and tough membranes. Cut the meat
into pieces for serving. Cover the bone and the tough pieces of meat with
cold water and cook at a low temperature. (This stock is to be used in the
sauce.) Small pieces of meat may be put together by using wooden
toothpicks for skewers. Season the veal with salt and pepper. Roll in
dried bread crumbs, dip in beaten egg, then in crumbs again. Put 2
tablespoonfuls of drippings or other fat in a frying pan. Brown the
cutlets in the fat. Remove the veal; in the frying pan prepare the
following:
SAUCE FOR CUTLETS
3 tablespoonfuls drippings
1/4 cupful flour
1/2 tablespoonful salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
2 cupfuls stock or water
2 tablespoonfuls chopped parsley
1 teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce
Make a brown sauce, using all ingredients except the Worcestershire sauce
(see Brown Sauce). Add the cutlets to the sauce, and cook them at
simmering temperature for 1 hour or until tender. Just before serving, add
the Worcestershire sauce.
Beef may be prepared in the same way.
VEAL WITH EGG DRESSING
1 pound veal steak, sliced thin
2 eggs
3/4 cupful flour
Salt and pepper
Cut the meat into pieces of suitable size for serving. Brown each piece in
fat. (Use scraps of fat cut from the meat.)
Mix the egg, flour, and seasoning. Spread both sides of each piece of meat
with the egg mixture. Again brown the pieces of meat in fat. Then add
boiling water and let the meat cook at simmering temperature for at
least 2 hours. Serve hot.
Beef may be substituted for veal.
POTATO PUFF
2 cupfuls mashed potatoes
2 tablespoonfuls milk
1 tablespoonful butter or substitute
1 teaspoonful salt
Pepper
1 egg
Mix all the ingredients except the egg. Separate the egg, and beat the
white and the yolk. Beat the yolk into the potato mixture; then add the
white by cutting and folding-in. Turn into a buttered baking-dish or drop
by spoonfuls on a buttered baking-sheet. Bake until the egg is cooked and
the top brown. Serve at once.
The egg may also be added unbeaten to the potatoes, and the entire mixture
beaten vigorously.
QUESTIONS
Why is cold water, rather than hot, used for making meat stock?
How does veal stock compare in color with beef stock? What is the stock
called that is made from veal?
Why is this meat cooked at simmering rather than at boiling temperature?
Why is it desirable to use parsley and Worcestershire sauce with veal? Is
it desirable to use Worcestershire sauce with beef or mutton? Explain your
answer. Why is Worcestershire sauce not cooked with the brown sauce?
Locate veal cutlets or veal steak (see Figure 65). To what cut of beef
does it correspond?
What cut of veal corresponds to the tenderloin cuts of beef?
How does the cutting and the using of the rib section of veal differ from
that of beef?
What are the prices per pound of each cut of veal? Arrange in tabulated
form and record the date.
From U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of veal cutlets or veal steak. Compare with the
percentage composition of beef steak (see Figure 68).
Potato Puff may be prepared from either hot or cold mashed potatoes.
Should the temperature of the oven be the same for each? Explain your
answer.
What is the purpose of the egg in the potato mixture?
Which would give the better result when added to the potato mixture,
beaten egg or unbeaten egg? Give the reason for your answer.
How many persons will the Potato Puff recipe serve?
From U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of fresh potatoes (see Figure 62) and boiled
potatoes. How much nutriment is lost by boiling one pound of potatoes? By
what method can potatoes be cooked in order to retain the most nutriment?
Give reasons for combining veal and potatoes.
LESSON XCVIII
MUTTON AND LAMB DISHES
MUTTON.--Mutton is the meat obtained from the sheep. The animal is usually
about three years of age when killed. Like beef, mutton needs to hang a
few days before using. It is considered as nutritious and as easily
digested as beef. Its strong flavor may be destroyed by removing the "pink
skin" and much of the fat. The latter has such a strong flavor, that it
cannot be used for cooking unless it is tried out with onion, apple, and
dried herbs. Mutton fat so prepared is sometimes termed savory fat.
It is thought that the fat dissolves certain flavoring materials present
in the fruit, vegetable, and herbs. The caramelized carbohydrate formed by
browning the apple and onion also adds to the flavor. [Footnote 68: See
Department of Agriculture, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 526.]
Mutton fat is useful for soap-making.
[Illustration: FIGURE 66.--CUTS OF LAMB OR MUTTON]
LAMB.--Lamb is meat obtained from the young sheep, killed when from six
weeks to one year old. As the animal matures, the blood recedes from its
joints; hence the joints of lamb are pink in color, while those of mutton
are white.
Lamb has the characteristics of the meat of immature animals. It contains
more water and a little less fat than mutton, and should not be allowed to
hang. It is more delicate in flavor than is mutton. Lamb should be well
cooked; mutton is sometimes served rare.
FOOD COMBINATIONS
CUTS OF LAMB AND MUTTON (see Figure 66).
==================================================================
| Name of Cut | Form Of Cut | Method Of Cooking |
==================================================================
| A. Loin. | Chops--Loin chops (see | Broiling. |
| | Figure 67). | Roasting. |
| | Thick pieces (loin sections | |
| | of both hind quarters in | |
| | one piece called "Saddle | |
| | of Mutton"). | |
| | | |
| B. Leg. | Slices. | Broiling. |
| | Thick pieces. | Roasting. |
| | | Stewing. |
| | | |
| C. Rib. | Chops--rib chops(see Fig- | Broiling. |
| | ure 67) (when trimmed | Roasting. |
| | called "French" chops. | |
| | see Figure 67). | |
| | Thick Pieces (rib sections | |
| | of both fore quarters in | |
| | one piece called "Rack | |
| | of Mutton"). | |
| | | |
| D. Shoulder. | Chops blade shoulder | Broiling. |
| | chops (see Figure 67) | Braising. |
| | and round shoulder | Roasting. |
| | chops (see Figure 67). | Stuffing and |
| | Thick Pieces. | Roasting. |
| | Whole. | |
| | | |
| E. Breast. | Thick Pieces. | Stewing. |
| | | Broth-making. |
| | | |
| F. Neck. | Thick Pieces. | Stewing. |
| | | Broth-making. |
==================================================================
STUFFED SHOULDER OF LAMB
4 to 5 pounds shoulder of lamb, boned, cleaned, and stuffed with the
mixture used in Stuffed Meat Roast. (Double the quantity of ingredients
for the shoulder of lamb.) Add the stuffing to the meat; then "lace" (see
Baked Fish) or skewer into shape. Season, and dredge with flour.
Place drippings or other fat in a frying pan or iron roasting pan, and
brown the surface of the meat. Place the lamb on the rack in a roasting
pan, add boiling water; cover; and bake in a moderate oven, allowing
one half hour to the pound. Shoulder of veal may be
prepared and stuffed in the same way.
[Illustration: Courtesy of Bureau of Publications, Teachers
College. FIGURE 67.--LAMB CHOPS. Upper row: Rib chops,--French. Loin
chops. Lower row: Rib chops. Blade shoulder chop. Round bone shoulder
chop.]
MINT SAUCE
1 cupful fresh mint
1/2 cupful vinegar
1/4 cupful sugar
Chop the leaves and the tender tips of the mint. Dissolve the sugar in the
vinegar, and add the mint. Let the sauce stand one hour before using. Heat
over hot water before serving.
LAMB OR MUTTON IN THE CASSEROLE
2 pounds neck, breast, or shoulder of lamb or mutton
Flour
Fat for browning
Water or stock
4 carrots
2 cupfuls peas
2 teaspoonfuls salt
Pepper
1/2 bay leaf
3 allspice berries
Cut the meat into pieces suitable for serving. Roll in flour, and brown in
a frying pan with hot fat. Remove to the casserole, and cover with boiling
water or stock. Wash, scrape, and cut the carrots into halves. Add them
and the spices to the meat in the casserole. Cover, and cook at simmering
temperature for two hours. Then add the peas and the seasoning. Cook until
tender. Serve hot from the casserole.
One half cupful of cooked rice may be used instead of the carrots and
peas. Tomatoes also make a pleasing addition.
THE CASSEROLE.--The casserole is a popular utensil for cooking and
serving. It is suitable for foods that need to be cooked at a low
temperature for a long period of time; hence its adaptability to tough
cuts of meat. Because the casserole is tightly covered, foods may be
cooked in it with little loss by evaporation. The flavor is retained also,
if the cooking is carefully done. The use of the casserole in serving is a
distinct advantage, since the foods may be served hot. The casserole may
be used in the oven or on top of the range.
If a covered crock is used in place of the regulation casserole, a dinner
napkin should be folded neatly around it for serving.
QUESTIONS
Tell how lamb can be distinguished from mutton. Give two reasons for
adding dried herbs to the stuffing for lamb.
Give two reasons for serving Mint Sauce with lamb. What is the purpose of
first browning the lamb that is to be roasted?
[Illustration: FIGURE 68.--THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND CURED MEATS.
(Revised edition)]
What is the easiest method of adding extra flour to the sauce around lamb
or mutton in the casserole (see Thickening the Sauce of Meat Cooked in
Water)?
How many persons will this recipe serve?
Name the advantages of cooking meat in a casserole.
Give a dietetic reason for combining carrots, peas, or rice, with lamb or
mutton.
Distinguish between rib and loin chops of lamb or mutton. What is a French
chop?
Obtain the prices per pound of each cut of mutton or lamb. Arrange in
tabulated form and record the date.
From U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of the hind quarter of mutton. Compare it with the
composition of beef steak.
Tabulate the percentage composition of beets, carrots, parsnips, and
turnips. Which contains the most carbohydrates? Which the most ash?
LESSON XCIX
PORK, VEGETABLES, AND APPLE SAUCE
PORK.--Pork is meat obtained from the pig. In all meats, much fat is
entangled in the network of connective tissue that binds the muscle
fibers. Pork, however, contains more fat than does any other meat. The fat
is most intimately mingled with the lean. For this reason it is digested
slowly. Fresh pork should be used sparingly. Its use should be confined to
the winter months. Pork should be thoroughly cooked. It sometimes contains
organisms which may produce serious results, if not destroyed in the
cooking. Pork is made more wholesome by curing, salting, and smoking. The
fat of bacon is readily digested.
[Illustration: FIGURE 69.--CUTS OF PORK.]
CUTS OF PORK (see Figure 69).
===================================================================
| NAME OF CUT | FORM OF CUT | METHOD OF COOKING |
===================================================================
| A. Loin. | Chops--rib and loin | Sauteing. |
| | chops (freed from fat| Roasting. |
| | called "spare ribs") | |
| | --cut into chops or | |
| | thick pieces. | |
| | | |
| B. Ham | Slices. | Sauteing. |
| (usually smoked). | Whole. | "Boiling." |
| | | Roasting. |
| | | |
| C. Back (all fat). | Strips. | "Tried out" (its |
| | Slices. | fat used for |
| | | sauteing, frying, |
| | | and flavoring), |
| | | Larding. |
| | | |
| D. Shoulder | Slices. | Sauteing. |
| (smoked or fresh). | Whole. | "Boiling." |
| | | Roasting. |
| | | |
| E. Bacon (smoked) | Thin or thick slices. | Sauteing. |
| or Salt Pork. | | Broiling. |
===================================================================
PORK CHOPS WITH SWEET POTATOES
Pare sweet potatoes, and place them in the bottom of a roasting pan. Wipe
the pork chops, and place them on top of the potatoes. Place the roasting
pan on the top shelf of a hot oven, in order to brown the chops. Brown on
one side; turn the chops with a fork, and brown on the other side. Then
remove the roasting pan from the oven, sprinkle the chops with salt,
pepper, and powdered sage. Add a little boiling water. Return to the oven.
[Illustration: FIGURE 70.--THE COMPOSITION OF FRESH AND DRIED FRUITS.
(Revised edition)]
Cover and bake 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender. Baste the
potatoes and meat occasionally.
Remove the chops to the center of a hot platter, and surround them with
the potatoes. Serve at once with Apple Sauce (for preparation of Apple
Sauce, see Fruit Sauces).
TURNIPS WITH FRESH PORK
1 1/2 pounds fresh pork (shoulder)
3 medium sized turnips
1 tablespoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls flour
Pepper
Clean the meat, put it in a saucepan, and add enough boiling water to
cover. Cook at simmering temperature for 1 1/2 hours.
Pare the turnips, cut them into cubes. When the meat has cooked 1/2 hour,
add the turnips and salt and continue cooking for 1 hour or until the meat
and vegetables are tender. Mix the flour with enough cold water (about 2
tablespoonfuls) to make a thin batter. Add it to the meat and turnips.
Stir and cook for at least 10 minutes. Add a dash of pepper. Serve hot.
BROILED HAM
Parboil in boiling water for 10 minutes a slice of ham about 1/2 inch
thick. Place in a broiler and broil, or place in a "frying" pan and pan-
broil, turning often. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.
BACON
Place thin slices of bacon (from which the rind has been removed) in a hot
frying-pan. As the fat tries out, drain it from the bacon. Scorching of
the fat is thus prevented. Cook the bacon until it is brown and crisp,
turning once.
Bacon fat should be saved. It can be used in cooking.
SCALLOPED POTATOES WITH BACON
4 medium potatoes
1/4 pound sliced bacon
Flour
Salt, used sparingly
Pepper
Milk
Pare the potatoes and cut them into thin slices. Cook the bacon until
brown; cut each slice of bacon into several pieces. Oil a baking-dish and
place a layer of potatoes in it, then a layer of bacon and some of the
tried-out bacon fat. Sprinkle with flour, salt, and pepper. Repeat, until
all the ingredients are used; the top layer should be of bacon. Add milk
until it reaches the top layer. Bake in a moderate oven for one hour, or
until much of the milk has evaporated and the potatoes are tender. Serve
hot.
1/4 cupful of bacon drippings may be used instead of sliced bacon.
QUESTIONS
Why should fresh pork be used in winter rather than in summer?
Why is pork slow in digesting?
Explain why vegetables and Apple Sauce are desirable foods to serve with
pork (see Figure 62, Figure 68, and Figure 70).
For what reason should pork be cooked thoroughly?
What is the purpose of parboiling ham before broiling it?
What ingredient, invariably used in Scalloped Potatoes, is omitted in
Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon? What is substituted for this material?
Why should salt be added sparingly to potatoes cooked with bacon?
How many persons does the given quantity of Scalloped Potatoes with Bacon
and of Turnips with Fresh Pork serve?
To what cut of beef does ham correspond?
From U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of fresh and salted ham. Compare it with the
composition of beef steak (see Figure 68).
Obtain the price per pound of each cut of pork. Arrange in tabulated form
and record date.
LESSON C
CHICKEN AND RICE
POULTRY.--Poultry includes chicken (or common fowl), turkey, duck, and
goose--domestic birds suitable for food. Pigeon and squab are not
considered poultry. Chickens that are three or four months old are called
spring chickens or broilers. Birds older than one year are
sometimes called fowls.
[Illustration: FIGURE 71.--REMOVING TENDONS FROM THE LEG OF A FOWL.]
SELECTION OF CHICKEN AND FOWL.--Chickens and fowls have certain
characteristics which make them readily distinguishable. Chickens have
soft feet, a soft and flexible breast bone, many pin feathers, and little
fat. Fowls have hard and scaly feet, rigid breast bone, long hairs, and
much fat surrounding the intestines.
DIGESTION OF POULTRY.--The muscle of chicken, fowl, and turkey contains
little fat; the fat that exists is in layers directly under the skin and
around the intestines. The fibers of the muscle are short. For this
reason, and also because they have so little fat, these meats are readily
digested. The white meat contains less fat than the dark.
[Illustration with caption: FIGURE 72--FOWL TRUSSED FOR ROASTING. BREAST
VIEW]
DRESSING AND CLEANING POULTRY.--Singe, by holding the bird over a flame of
gas, alcohol, or burning paper. Cut off the head, push back the skin, and
cut off the neck close to the body. Cut through the skin around the leg
one inch below the leg joint. If it is a fowl, take out the tendons;
remove them separately, using a skewer (see Figure 71). Remove the pin
feathers with the point of a knife or with a strawberry huller. Cut the
oil bag from the tail.
[Illustration: FIGURE 73--FOWL TRUSSED FOR ROASTING,--BACK VIEW.]
The internal organs are not always removed before the chicken is sold. If
they have not been removed, make an opening under one of the legs or at
the vent, leaving a strip of skin above the vent. Remove the organs
carefully,--the intestines, gizzard, heart, and liver should all be
removed together. Care must be taken that the gall bladder, which lies
under the liver, is not broken; it must be cut away carefully from the
liver. The lungs and kidneys, lying in the hollow of the backbone, must be
carefully removed. Press the heart to extract the blood. Cut off the outer
coat of the gizzard. The gizzard, heart, and liver constitute the giblets
to be used in making gravy. Wash the giblets. Place them all, with the
exception of the liver, in cold water; heat quickly and cook (at simmering
temperature) until tender. Add the liver a short time before removing the
other giblets from the stove, as it does not require long cooking.
Clean the bird by wiping it thoroughly inside and out with a damp cloth,
stuff and truss for roasting, or cut into pieces for fricassee or stew. If
the bird is stuffed, the incision in the skin may be fastened together as
directed for Baked Fish.
TRUSSING FOWL.--Insert a skewer through the fowl just underneath the legs,
then thrust another skewer through the wings and breast. With a piece of
string, tie the ends of the legs together and fasten them to the tail.
Then wind the ends of the string fastened to the tail, around the ends of
the skewer beneath the legs. Cross the strings over the back, and wind
them around the ends of the skewer through the wings; tie the strings
together at the back. If trussed in this manner, there is no string across
the breast of the fowl. A fowl should be served breast side up (see
Figures 72 and 73).
CUTTING A FOWL.--Cut off the leg, and separate it at the joint into
"drumstick" and second joint. Cut off the wing and remove the tip; make an
incision at the middle joint. Remove the leg and wing from the other side;
separate the wishbone with the meat on it, from the breast, cut through
the ribs on each side, and separate the breast from the back. Cut the
breast in half lengthwise and the back through the middle crosswise. There
should be twelve pieces. The neck and the tips of the wings may be cooked
with the giblets for making gravy.
STEWED CHICKEN [Footnote 69: Stewed Chicken may be utilized for Chicken
Croquettes) or Creole Stew.]
Cover the pieces of chicken with boiling water, and cook at boiling
temperature for 15 minutes; then add one tablespoonful of salt and cook at
simmering temperature until tender.
Arrange the pieces on a platter, placing the neck at one end of the
platter and the "drumsticks" at the other, and the remaining pieces in
order between. Cover with a sauce.
The chicken may be placed on pieces of toast or served in a border
of cooked rice.
SAUCE FOR CHICKEN
3 tablespoonfuls tried-out chicken fat or butter or substitute
1/4 cupful of flour
1 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls chopped parsley
1 pint stock
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
Prepare the sauce (see Cream Toast), and pour it over the well-
beaten eggs, stirring until thoroughly mixed. Cook until the eggs are
coagulated. Serve at once over chicken.
QUESTIONS
Why is chicken more readily digested than other meat?
What is the reason for cooking stewed chicken 15 minutes in boiling
water? Why is the salt not added at first? Why should the chicken finally
be cooked at simmering temperature rather than at boiling?
What use can be made of the fat of a fowl?
What is the purpose of the eggs in Sauce for Chicken?
Explain fully why rice or toast makes a desirable addition to Stewed
Chicken.
LESSON CI
CHICKEN AND PEAS
CHICKEN CROQUETTES
2 1/2 cupfuls chopped chicken or fowl
Onion juice
2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice
1 tablespoonful parsley
SAUCE
1 pint cream or milk
1/3 cupful fat
1/2 cupful flour
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
1 teaspoonful celery salt
Chop the chicken very fine; add the seasonings. Make the sauce (see
Cream Toast). Add the chicken to the sauce. Cool the mixture. Shape
into cones. Cover with dried bread crumbs and egg, and cook in deep fat
(see Fried Oysters). Drain on paper. Serve at once with green peas.
An egg may be beaten and added to the sauce, before mixing it with the
meat.
QUESTIONS
What is the purpose of cooling the chicken mixture before shaping it into
croquettes (see Experiment 17)?
How many croquettes does this recipe make?
How many cupfuls of chopped meat can be obtained from fowl of average
weight?
What is the average weight of a chicken one year old? How long does it
take to cook it?
What is the average weight of a spring chicken?
What is the present market price of spring chicken? Of fowl?
Compare the composition of fowl with that of round steak, using U. S.
Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28. Also record the percentage
of refuse in a fowl when it is purchased. Considering the refuse in fowl,
what is the price per pound?
Tabulate the percentage composition of fresh and dried peas and beans, and
of dried lentils. Which are richer in protein, the fresh or the dried
vegetables (see Figure 76)?
LESSON CII
OYSTER DISHES
EXPERIMENT 63. PROTEIN IN OYSTER LIQUOR.--Pour a small quantity of oyster
liquor into a test tube and boil it. What change takes place? From your
previous experience with eggs, what foodstuff would you infer that oysters
contain? What inference can you draw from this as to the temperature at
which oysters should be cooked?
OYSTERS.--An oyster is an animal covered with shell. The shell, which
consists of mineral matter, protects the animal.
[Illustration: FIGURE 74--COMPOSITION OF FISH, FISH PRODUCTS AND OYSTERS
(Revised edition)]
The oyster has no head, arms, or legs, but it has a mouth, liver, gills,
and one strong muscle. The mouth is near the hinge-end of the shell; by
means of the hinge, the shell is opened and water and food taken in; by
means of the muscle, the shell is closed. (Find the muscle in an oyster;
then the dark spot,--this is the liver; also find the fluted portions that
partly surround the liver,--these are the gills.)
Oysters are in season from September until May. They are sometimes eaten
during the summer months, but are not so palatable and are more apt to be
contaminated by the bacteria of warm water. The bluish green color of some
oysters is due to the oyster's feeding upon vegetable materials. This does
not harm the flavor of the oyster.
Oysters are sometimes placed in fresh water streams or in water which is
less salt than that in which they have grown to "fatten them." The animals
take in the fresh water, become plump, and increase in weight. If the
water is sewage-polluted, the oysters become contaminated with dangerous
bacteria. Methods of cooking usually applied to oysters, such as stewing
and boiling, may not destroy all bacteria. Hence, the danger in eating
oysters taken from polluted water.
When oysters are prepared for market, they are sorted according to size.
Blue points, or small oysters originally grown in Blue Point, are prized
for serving raw in the half shell. This name, however, no longer indicates
the place from which the oysters come, but is applied to small oysters in
the shell. Large oysters selected for frying may be purchased. Oysters are
found at markets either in the shell or with the shell removed.
Since oysters spoil readily, they must be kept cold during transportation.
They are now shipped in containers surrounded by ice. Formerly ice was
placed in contact with the oysters.
Note the percentage composition of oysters (see Figure 74). With such a
large quantity of water, the oyster has little food value. Oysters are
prized for their flavor, but make an expensive food. Cooking makes oysters
somewhat tough, but it sterilizes them and makes them safer to use. It is
considered that oysters properly cooked are easily digested. They should
be eaten when very fresh. They spoil quickly and develop poisonous
products.
CLEANING OYSTERS.--Drain off the liquor. If the liquor is to be used,
strain it through a fine strainer. Place the oysters in a strainer or
colander, and wash them. Do not allow oysters to stand in water after
washing. Run each oyster through the fingers to remove pieces of shell
that may be clinging to it.
OYSTER STEW
1 cupful milk
1 pint oysters
1 tablespoonful butter
Salt and pepper
Heat the milk in a double boiler; add the seasonings and butter. Clean the
oysters; cook them in a saucepan until they become plump and the edges
curl. Add the hot milk and serve at once.
The milk may be thickened with 1 tablespoonful of flour (see recipe for
Thin White Sauce).
Serve crackers or bread with Oyster Stew.
SCALLOPED OYSTERS
1 pint oysters
1/2 teaspoonful salt
3 cupfuls soft bread crumbs
3 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1/4 cupful oyster juice or milk
Cayenne
Wash the oysters, strain the juice, and butter the crumbs. Add the
seasoning to the oysters. Place one fourth of the buttered crumbs in the
bottom of a buttered baking-dish. Add one half of the oysters, another
fourth of the crumbs, then the remainder of the oysters, the liquid, and
finally the remaining half of the buttered crumbs. Bake in a moderate oven
from 30 to 40 minutes.
If baked in individual baking-dishes, only 15 minutes will be required for
baking.
QUESTIONS
Count and record the number of oysters in one pint.
From Figures 64 and 74, tabulate the percentage composition of oysters and
milk.
Find the weight of one cupful of oysters and of one cupful of milk. How do
they compare as to the amount of water, protein, and fat contained in one
pint of each?
What is the difference in cost of one pint of each?
What is the purpose of straining the oyster liquor?
Why should not oysters stand in water after washing (see Experiment 38)?
Explain why oysters should be cooked only a short time. What is the effect
of long cooking upon oysters?
In Scalloped Oysters, why is the liquid added before the last layer of
crumbs?
How many persons do each of these oyster recipes serve?
What dietetic reason can be given for combining oysters and bread?
From U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the
percentage composition of the following fish: Fresh and salt cod, fresh
and smoked herring, fresh and salt mackerel, fresh and canned salmon,
fresh perch, and fresh white fish. Which contains the most fat? How can
fish be classified with regard to fat content (see Classes of
Fish)? Which fish contains the most protein?
How do fish, shellfish, and beef compare in protein content? Which is the
cheapest source of protein (see Figures 68 and 74)?
LESSON CIII
MEAT-SUBSTITUTE DISHES
MEAT-SUBSTITUTE MATERIALS.--Cottage cheese, eggs, peanuts, and other
legumes are valuable substitutes for meat. The legumes with the exception
of soy-beans and peanuts, however, do not contain complete protein. Hence,
their use with eggs or milk is desirable.
[Illustration: FIGURE 75.--The composition of eggs and cheese. (Revised
edition.)]
Nuts are a form of fruit. They are rich in nutritive materials. If they
can be digested readily, they make a valuable food. They need to be ground
fine or chewed thoroughly, however, to make them digestible. Nuts contain
much fat, protein, and little carbohydrates. Chestnuts, however, contain
much of the latter foodstuff. Because they contain protein, nuts may be
used as substitutes for meat. But most nuts are expensive. For this reason
in many households they are impractical as everyday foods.
COTTAGE CHEESE AND NUT LOAF
1 cupful cottage cheese
1 cupful chopped nuts
1 cupful soft bread crumbs
1 teaspoonful salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
2 teaspoonfuls lemon juice
2 tablespoonfuls scraped onion
1 tablespoonful fat
Mix the cheese, nuts, bread crumbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Cook
the onion and fat together until they are brown. Add a small quantity of
water and then add the onion mixture to the other ingredients. If
necessary, add more water to moisten the mixture. Pour into a baking-dish
and bake until brown.
(From United States Food Administration Leaflet.)
SCALLOPED EGGS WITH CHEESE
6 hard-cooked eggs
2 cupfuls medium White Sauce
2 cupfuls buttered soft bread crumbs
3/4 cupful cheese
Grate the cheese, or cut it into pieces, and add it to the White Sauce.
Cut the eggs in slices. Oil a baking-dish, and place the materials in the
dish in layers, having the lower and top layers of bread crumbs. Bake in a
moderate oven until the mixture is heated through and the crumbs are
browned. Serve hot in place of meat.
PEANUT ROAST
1 1/2 cupfuls dried bread crumbs
Milk
1 1/2 cupfuls shelled peanuts
4 teaspoonfuls baking powder
1 egg
Salt and pepper
[FIGURE 76--THE COMPOSITION OF LEGUMES AND CORN (Revised edition.)]
Cover the bread crumbs with milk, and soak them until soft. Chop the
peanuts very fine, and mix with the baking powder; beat the egg. Mix
thoroughly all the ingredients, and turn into an oiled bread pan. Bake
about 45 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve hot with Tomato Sauce.
[Illustration: FIGURE 77.--THE COMPOSITION OF BREAD AND OTHER CEREAL
FOODS. (Revised edition.)]
Commercial salted peanuts may be used for Peanut Roast.
QUESTIONS
From U.S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 28, find the
percentage of protein in Cream and Cottage Cheese, eggs (see Figure 75),
walnuts, peanuts, dried peas, and beans (see Figure 76), and beef. How
many ounces of protein does a pound of each of these foods contain? What
is the price per pound of each of these foods? Which food is the cheapest
source of protein?
Why are bread crumbs a valuable addition to Scalloped Eggs with Cheese
(see Figure 77)?
Name other meat-substitute foods and dishes.
LESSON CIV
MEAT EXTENDERS AND ONE-DISH MEALS
MEAT EXTENDERS.--The flavor of meat is generally liked. Doubtless the
flavor accounts more than any other characteristic for the popularity of
meat. By using a small quantity of meat and combining it with various
cereals and vegetables, the flavor of meat permeates the mixture although
its quantity is reduced and price consequently lowered. Foods containing
such a combination of food materials are termed meat extenders.
Those desiring to reduce the quantity of meat consumed either for the sake
of health or economy will find meat-extending dishes desirable.
ONE-DISH MEALS.--When many demands other than those of housekeeping are
made upon homekeepers it is often wise to lessen housekeeping duties. It
is both possible and satisfactory to cook an entire meal in one dish. A
meal consisting of one dish with a few accessories is termed a one-dish
meal. It is obvious that the one-dish meal is both simple and economical;
it saves time, fuel, and food; it is a wise conservation measure.
In preparing the one-dish meal use a combination of two or more of the
following groups of food:
(1) Vegetables,
(2) Milk, or cheese, or eggs, or fish, or meat, or beans, or nuts,
(3) Cereal, such as corn, barley, rice, oats, or buckwheat.
To two or more of these groups of food a small amount of fat or oil is
generally added.
The use of such foods with a dessert or fruit or a plain salad makes a
meal that satisfies the most exacting.
It is most interesting to select foods from the groups above that would
"eat well" together. The one-dish meal gives one the opportunity for a
fascinating study of food combinations. If the casserole or fireless
cooker is used in their preparation, the possibilities are limitless.
An examination of the meat-substitute dishes and meat extenders will show
that most of these foods make one-dish meals.
MUTTON WITH BARLEY
1 pound mutton
1 onion
1/2 cupful pearled barley
2 quarts water, boiling
4 potatoes
Celery leaves (fresh or dried)
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
Cut the fat from the meat, cut the meat into pieces. Put the fat and
sliced onion in a frying pan. Brown the meat in the fat. Add the barley
and water and let the mixture cook at simmering temperature for at least
1 1/2 hours. Pare the potatoes, cut them into quarters. Add the potatoes
and celery leaves and cook the mixture at boiling temperature until the
potatoes are tender. Serve hot.
(Adapted from Department of Agriculture Leaflet.)
TAMALE PIE
3/4 cupful corn-meal
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
3 cupfuls boiling water
1 onion
1 tablespoonful fat
1 pound chopped meat
2 cupfuls tomatoes
Dash Cayenne pepper, or
1 small chopped sweet pepper
1 1/4 teaspoonfuls salt
Make a mush by stirring the corn-meal and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt into
boiling water. Cook in a double boiler or over water for 45 minutes. Brown
the onion in the fat, add the chopped meat, and stir until the red color
disappears. Add the tomato, pepper, and salt. Grease a baking-dish, put in
a layer of corn-meal mush, add the seasoned meat, and cover with mush.
Bake 30 minutes.
(Adapted from United States Department of Agriculture Leaflet.)
CREOLE STEW
1 pound lean beef or 1 medium fowl
1 tablespoonful fat
1/4 cupful chopped onion
1/2 cupful chopped sweet peppers
1 cupful boiling water
1/2 cupful rice
1 cupful carrots or okra (cut into small pieces)
2 cupfuls tomatoes
2 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
Cut the meat into small pieces or cut the fowl into joints. In a frying
pan melt the fat, add the onions, peppers, meat, or chicken. Brown for a
few minutes.
Pour these materials into a casserole or kettle of the fireless cooker and
add the other ingredients. If the casserole is used, cook at simmering
temperature for 2 hours. If the stew is to be cooked in the fireless
cooker, cook it directly over the flame for 1/2 hour and then place it in
the fireless cooker from 2 to 3 hours. Serve hot.
With chicken and okra this is the famous Creole Chicken of the South.
(Adapted from United States Department of Agriculture Leaflet.)
QUESTIONS
Make a list of meat-extending dishes.
Make a list of foods suitable for the main food of one-dish meals.
How many persons will one pound of meat serve?
How many persons will the dishes of this lesson (each containing one pound
of meat) serve?
Tell why the foods comprising these dishes are desirable food
combinations.
RELATED WORK
LESSON CV
MENU-MAKING
REPRESENTATION OF ALL ESSENTIALS OF DIET.--All the foodstuffs or nutrients
should be represented in the foods of a meal, or at least in the foods
composing a day's diet. The meal, or the day's ration, should consist of:
Food rich in carbohydrates and fat, to supply energy to the body.
Food rich in protein [Footnote 70: Protein is not only a body-builder, but
also a fuel. But since it should be used chiefly for body-building (see
Daily Carbohydrate and Fat Requirement) its energy-giving power is
not considered in meal planning.] and ash, to build the body.
Food in the form of ash and water, to regulate the processes of the body.
Food containing vitamines, to promote the health and growth of the body.
Food containing cellulose, to give bulk to diet.
Water is supplied to some extent with almost all the foods of a meal, but
as mentioned previously, a generous quantity should be used as a beverage.
A consideration of the kinds of food to meet the different needs of the
body follows:
A. Food for Energy.--Although both starch and sugar
are carbohydrates which furnish energy to the body, this need of the body
should be supplied for the most part by starch. The harmful effects of
excessive sugar eating were mentioned previously.
A certain amount of fat is needed for energy-giving. A meal
containing fat "stays by" a person for a longer time than one devoid of
foods rich in fat. This is because fat is more slowly digested than other
foodstuffs. Hence a vigorous person leading an active outdoor life may
feel much more comfortable when fat is included in his diet. On the other
hand, those exercising little find that fat-rich foods distress them
greatly, since they are too slowly digested. For many persons, the use of
much fat is harmful. Since butter contains the fat-soluble vitamine, it is
valuable not only for energy-giving, but for growth-promoting.
B. Food for Body-building and Repairing.--Both protein and
ash are needed for body-building. The former foodstuff contains the
element nitrogen,--one of the necessary elements for the growth and
maintenance of the body.
Since there are several kinds of food containing protein, the question
arises whether protein is best supplied by meat, eggs, milk, cheese, or
vegetable protein foods. There are some who contend that meat is the least
desirable source of protein food. The use of much meat may lead to the
formation of an excess of uric acid which is eliminated by some persons
with difficulty. It may also cause intestinal putrefaction.
Many find that by using meat once a day their health is normal. Others
find that by using meat but several times a week a more desirable
condition is maintained. Doubtless many people would find themselves much
benefited by using less meat. If the quantity of meat eaten is greatly
lessened, care should be taken that protein is supplied by other foods,
such as eggs, legumes, cheese, and the various meat-substitute dishes.
Care should also be taken to see that complete proteins are included in
diet. If foods containing incomplete protein such as some of the legumes
and cereals are used for body-building, they should be supplemented by
foods rich in complete protein such as milk and eggs. If much meat is
eaten, a generous quantity of water and of fresh vegetables and fruits
should be used.
While all the mineral materials found in the body [Footnote 71: The
ash constituents existing in the body in largest quantity are:
Sulphur Chlorine Calcium Iron
Sodium Magnesium Potassium Phosphorus
] are necessary for its growth and maintenance, calcium, phosphorus, and
iron are the elements most likely to be used in insufficient quantities
(see Figures 78, 79, and 80).
[Illustration: FIGURE 78.--FOODS CONTAINING CALCIUM. a, Dried beans, b,
dried figs; c, rutabaga, d, celery; e, milk; f, cauliflower, g, almonds;
h, egg yolk; i, cheese]
Calcium is needed for building the hard tissues such as the teeth and
bones. A diet deficient in calcium is sometimes the cause of poor teeth.
Calcium is equally important for body-regulating functions. It is
especially necessary that calcium-rich food be given to children.
The most practical and effective way of obtaining calcium is to use a
generous supply of milk. Cheese, eggs, and the leaves and stems of
plant-foods are also valuable sources of calcium.
Milk, egg yolk, cheese, whole grains, and vegetables are the most
satisfactory sources of phosphorus. A free use of these foods is
especially desirable since it has been found that phosphorus is quite as
necessary as nitrogen. The whole grains are a very valuable source of ash.
Many of the ash constituents in cereals are found next to the outer coat
of bran, hence fine white flour is not so rich in ash as whole wheat
flour.
[Illustration: Foods Containing Phosphorus: a Dried peas; b,
chocolate; c, dried beans; d, whole wheat; e,
peanuts; f, cheese; g, cocoa; h, egg yolk.]
In the formation of blood and for the welfare of the body as a whole, iron
is needed. For this reason, it is often a constituent of "tonics." If
foods rich in iron were more generally used, the body would not be so
likely to get into a condition requiring such tonics. The iron found in
eggs, milk, and vegetable foods is thought to be more completely
assimilated than that found in meat. Spinach and prunes are valuable
sources of iron. This is one of the reasons why t
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