center with plum tomato preserve and fold over matching edges, either as
a half circle, or a triangle. Prick and bake.
Turnovers are especially ideal as pies for fitting into lunch boxes, and
may be made of any sweetened vegetable preserve for school lunches.
King Cabbage Tarts
Use cabbage, which has been boiled in salted water and seasoned with
salt and pepper to taste. Make a white sauce and pour over, mixing well
with the cabbage. Fill round muffin pans lined with pastry circles,
sprinkle with cheese over the top and bake. Carrots may be used the same
way, omitting the cheese and using latticed strips of pastry over the
top. These will be hardly recognizable as such common vegetables.
M. K. S.
New Ways of Using Milk
While probably the best way of using milk is to drink it in its raw or
pasteurized state, many children and adults will not use it in that
form. In that case, the problem is to disguise or flavor the milk in
some way so that the food value will not be changed or destroyed, and
yet be more palatable than the natural product.
It has been found that children will drink flavored, sweetened milk when
they will simply not touch pure milk. In order to demonstrate how
universal the craving for sweetened, cold drinks has become, and how
easy it is for the milkmen to cater to this demand, Prof. J. L. Sammis
of the Wisconsin College of Agriculture conducted a booth at the 1921
Wisconsin state fair and dispensed milk in twenty-five new, pleasing,
and attractive ways over a soda fountain.
Thousands of these milk drinks were consumed, and a report from a
Tennessee county fair also revealed that 10,000 similar drinks were sold
there by an enterprising dairyman. There is nothing elaborate about the
proposition. If these drinks are to be prepared in the home, and the
whole question is largely one of increasing the home consumption of
milk, Professor Sammis declares:
"Take any flavor that happens to be on the pantry shelf, put a little in
a glass, add sugar to taste, fill the glass with milk, and put in some
ice. That is all there is to it. Be sure that the milk is drank very
cold, when it is most palatable. Vanilla is a very good flavor."
It is not even necessary that whole milk be used, as condensed milk will
do very well. Simply dilute the condensed milk with an equal volume of
water, and use as whole milk. Condensed milk, however, has a cooked
flavor found objectionable by many, and, in that case, a suitable
substitute is powdered milk, which has no such cooked flavor.
To prepare a powdered milk drink, put the flavor into the receptacle
first, then the sugar, and then the powdered milk with a little water.
Beat the powdered milk with an egg beater until it is wet through, and
then add the rest of the water, finishing with the ice.
By adding fruit colors these various milk drinks can be given a changed
external appearance, and wise is the mother who will prepare them often
when her children show an inclination not to drink enough milk. Served
at the table, they attract every member of the family. These milk drinks
are no more expensive than many of the more watery and less useful
compounds, so often substituted.
Soda fountains might well consider these various forms of sweetened and
flavored milk to attract new trade. At the fountains the various
flavoring syrups would naturally be used, and no sugar is necessary. And
instead of clear water, carbonated water is used. The variety of these
drinks is limited only by the ingenuity of the dispenser.
W. A. F.
Old New England Sweetmeats
Crab-Apple Dainty
Wash seven pounds of fruit and let boil with a little water until soft
enough to press through a colander. Add three pounds of sugar, three
pints of vinegar, and cloves and cinnamon to taste, and let the mixture
boil, slowly, until it is thick and jelly-like.
Pumpkin Preserve
Pare a medium-sized pumpkin and cut into inch cubes. Let steam until
tender, but not broken. Or cut the pumpkin into large pieces and let
steam a short time and then cut the cubes.
Prepare a syrup of sugar and water, about three pounds of sugar and a
pint-and-a-half of water, in which simmer the juice and rind (cut into
strips) of two lemons. Drop the pumpkin cubes into the syrup and let
simmer, carefully, until the pumpkin is translucent. Dip out the pumpkin
and pack in ordinary preserve jars; pour over the syrup and lemon and
close the jars.
S. A. R.
* * * * *
Apple-Orange Marmalade
Take seven pounds of apples, all green, if possible; wash and remove any
imperfections, also the blossom and stem. Cut, but do not core nor peel.
Cut in very small pieces. Three oranges; wash and remove peel, which put
through finest knife of food-chopper, after discarding the inner white
peeling, also seeds. Put the apple on to boil, adding water till it
shows among the fruit, and boil to quite soft; mash fine and put in
jelly bag to drain over night. Boil the juice with the orange pulp, cut
in very small pieces; add the orange peel and cook for twenty minutes,
or till the orange is cooked. Add five (5) pounds of granulated sugar
and let boil until a little in a cold saucer will jell.
This recipe has never been in print to my knowledge and will prove very
satisfactory to the majority of people.
B. F. B.
QUERIES AND ANSWERS
This department is for the benefit and free use of our subscribers.
Questions relating to recipes and those pertaining to culinary science
and domestic economics in general, will be cheerfully answered by the
editor. Communications for this department must reach us before the
first of the month preceding that in which the answers are expected to
appear. In letters requesting answers by mail, please enclose address
and stamped envelope. Address queries to Janet M. Hill, Editor. AMERICAN
COOKERY, 221 Columbus Ave., Boston, Mass.
QUERY NO. 4241.--"I wish you would let me have a good recipe for Caramel
Icing, the kind that does not call for the whites of eggs."
Caramel Icing
Add two cups and one-half of dark brown sugar to three-fourths a cup of
milk, and let boil thirteen minutes. When nearly done add three
tablespoonfuls of butter and one teaspoonful of vanilla. Beat until
nearly cold, then spread on top of cake. It may also be used between the
layers. If a sugar thermometer be used, the syrup should be boiled to
the soft-ball stage, or between 235 deg. Fah. to 240 deg. Fah.
QUERY NO. 4242.--"Please let me have a recipe for Spiced Pineapple."
Spiced Pineapple
Weigh six pounds of pineapple, after paring, coring, and cutting in
rather small pieces. Cook in a porcelain kettle with three cups of the
best white vinegar, until the pineapple is softened, keeping the kettle
closely covered, and turning the fruit once in a while so that the
pieces may be equally exposed to the action of the vinegar. Tie in
cheesecloth or netting one ounce, each, of whole cloves, previously
bruised, and stick cinnamon, broken into small pieces; add these to the
kettle with five pounds of granulated sugar, and let cook until the
mixture is of the consistency of marmalade, being careful to avoid
burning. The spices may be removed as soon as they have given the flavor
desired.
QUERY NO. 4243.--"Will you kindly answer the following in your
Department of Queries and Answers? Should Boiled Potatoes be started in
cold or boiling water? Should Corn on the cob be put on in cold water
and allowed to simmer for several minutes after it comes to a boil, or
be put on in boiling water and boiled five minutes? Should Chicken,
Turkey, or other Fowl be covered during roasting? Can you give a clear
and up-to-date article on correct Table Service?"
To Boil Potatoes
Very young, new potatoes--the kind hardly bigger than walnuts, should be
put on in cold water and brought quickly to a boil, for potatoes so
young as to be immature contain more or less of a bitter principle,
which is desirable to get rid of in the cooking. Potatoes in their
prime, as from September to March, are best put on in boiling, salted
water. Later in the spring, when the potatoes begin to sprout and
shrivel they ought to be put on in cold water and brought, as slowly as
possible, to a boil, or allowed to stand in cold water for some hours
before cooking.
To Boil Corn
It is usually preferred to put on the corn in cold water, bring to a
boil, and let simmer until done. But to steam the ears will give, in our
opinion, the best results.
Should Chicken Be Covered While Roasting?
Decidedly not; it spoils the flavor not only of chicken and turkey, but
of any prime joint of meat to bake it in a covered pan. The covered pan
is properly used for braising only, for the tough cuts which have to be
braised call for the combination of baking and steaming which results
from the covered pan. All kinds of poultry, and all prime joints of meat
should be placed on a rack in an uncovered roasting pan, put into a very
hot oven for the first ten or fifteen minutes, and then have one or two
cups of water poured over them, mixed with fat if the meat is lean, this
water to be used for basting every ten or fifteen minutes. The rack in
the pan serves both to allow a circulation of air around the meat, and
to keep it from touching the water. It is this circulation of air that
gives the fine flavor of the properly roasted meat, and the frequent
opening of the oven door for the basting serves to supply the fresh air
needed for the best results.
Instructions on Table Service
The Up-to-Date Waitress, by Janet M. Hill, or Breakfasts, Luncheons, and
Dinners, by Mary D. Chambers, both contain clear and up-to-date
directions for table service. We can supply these books if you wish to
have either of them.
QUERY NO. 4244.--"Will you tell me in your paper why my Lemon Pies
become watery when I return them to the oven to brown the meringue? Also
give me some suggestions for Desserts for Summertime, other than frozen
dishes."
Why Lemon Pies Become Watery
A lemon pie may become watery when put in the oven to brown the
meringue, if it be left in the oven too long; or it may water because
the filling was not sufficiently cooked before putting into the pastry
shell; or it may be from an insufficiency of flour being used in making
the filling. If you had told us just how your pies are made, we would be
better able to solve your problem.
In future we hope to answer queries as soon as they reach us, and by
direct reply to each individual questioner; but up to the present we
have answered most of them in this department of the magazine, and
since it takes two or three months to get the manuscript into print many
of the questions are answered too late. So it happens with your inquiry
regarding desserts for Summertime. Any of the cold desserts, such as
gelatines, custards, blancmanges, or fresh fruits with cream, are
suitable for summer and are easily prepared.
QUERY NO. 4245.--"Will you oblige me by an answer to the following in
the pages of AMERICAN COOKERY? How shall I make Tartare Sauce? What
should be the temperature of the fat for French Fried Potatoes or for
Potato Chips? Mine are never crisp, can you tell me why? Also tell me
how to Broil Fish, how to make a good Cream Dressing for fish, meat, or
croquettes, and how to make Soft Gingerbread with a sauce to put over
it."
Tartare Sauce
A Tartare Sauce or Sauce Tartare is merely a mayonnaise dressing with
pickles chopped into it, a tablespoonful, each, or more, of chopped
cucumber, cauliflower, and olives, with a tablespoonful of capers and
two teaspoonfuls of red pepper to a pint of the mayonnaise. There is,
however, a hot Tartare Sauce which is made by adding to one cup of thick
white sauce the following ingredients: One tablespoonful, each, of
chives, parsley, pickled gherkins, olives, and capers, all put through
the food chopper. Stir into the white sauce; heat while stirring
constantly, but do not allow the mixture to boil, and add one
tablespoonful of vinegar just before serving.
Crisp Fried Potatoes
We think your trouble is not so much the temperature of the fat, which
should be about 350 deg. to 375 deg. Fah., as it is that potatoes, to be
crisped by deep frying, should first be soaked in cold water for twenty
to thirty minutes, then dried perfectly before immersing in the fat.
Also, they should be removed from the fat the moment they are done, and
drained dry.
To Broil Fish
Wipe the fish dry, and brush it lightly with oil or melted butter.
Place it in a double wire broiler, and cook over a clear fire, turning
every other minute until both sides are a light, even brown. Remove
carefully from the broiler, using a sharp boning knife to free it from
adhesions. If the fish is thoroughly oiled, it should not adhere to the
broiler.
Cream Sauce
Blend together butter and flour, and add to hot milk; keep stirring
until the whole has boiled for at least one minute. Add seasonings to
taste, at the beginning of cooking. The proportions for a thin, a
medium, and a thick sauce are, respectively: One, two, and four
tablespoonfuls of flour to one cup of milk. And an equal volume of
butter, or one-third less than the flour, is called for.
Soft Gingerbread
To two beaten eggs in a mixing-bowl add two tablespoonfuls of butter,
melted, three-eighths a cup of sour milk, and one cup of molasses. Beat
all together; add two cups of flour, sifted with one-half a teaspoonful
of salt and one teaspoonful of baking powder, and one tablespoonful of
ginger. Lastly, add one teaspoonful of baking soda, dissolved in two
teaspoonfuls of water. Bake in a sheet, and serve with whipped cream for
a simple dessert.
QUERY NO. 4246.--"Can you give me a recipe for Deep-Dish Apple Pie? It
has a thick top covering, I cannot call it a crust, for it is something
between a cake and a biscuit dough--not at all like pie crust."
Deep-Dish Apple Pie
This is the genuine English Apple Pie--they would call ours an apple
tart. It is made in oval baking-dishes of thick yellow ware, about two
and one-half or three inches deep, and with flat rims an inch in width.
The first thing to do is to invert a teacup--preferably one without a
handle--in the bottom of the dish, then core and pare sour, juicy
apples--any number, from six to a dozen, depending on the size of the
family and the dish--and divide them in eighths. Arrange these in
alternate layers with sugar in the dish, with a generous sprinkling of
whole cloves over each layer, and pile, layer on layer, until not
another bit of apple can go in anywhere without toppling out. The apples
are piled up as high again as the depth of the dish, or higher. Now lay
over all a very rich biscuit dough, lightly rolled out to one-fourth
inch in thickness. Decorate this with leaves, or other cut-out designs,
and arrange them over the covering and moisten the under sides with
water, to make them adhere during the baking. Place long strips of the
dough over the brim of the pie-dish, and press with the bowl of a spoon
in concentric designs. Bake in a moderate oven for an hour. Pieces of
the crust are cut off for serving, and spoonfuls of the apple pulp are
served with them on the plate, then, as soon as convenient the inverted
cup is removed, and the rich liquid collected under it is spooned over
each serving of crust and apples.
QUERY NO. 4247.--"I wish very much to know the right temperature for
Baking both layer and loaf, white, butter Cakes, also for chocolate
Cake. Should the Baking begin with a cold or a warm oven? How long
should each kind of cake bake?"
Temperature for Cake Baking
The usual time and temperature for baking layer cakes is 400 deg. Fah.,
for twenty minutes. Loaf cakes, made with butter, with or without
chocolate, take a temperature of from 350 deg. to 375 deg, Fah. for from
forty minutes to an hour. These temperatures are approximate, and are in
accordance with the general rules for oven temperature, but this has to
be adapted to the recipe. The more sugar used the lower should be the
temperature, to avoid burning, and especially when molasses is used does
the need to decrease temperature become imperative. The more butter used
the higher should be the temperature, at least, until the cake is "set,"
to keep it from falling. Cakes with much butter need the greatest heat
at first, and then a reduced temperature. So do all cakes of small size.
Large cakes are better at a uniform temperature, not so high as the
average. A different flavor is produced, especially in very rich cakes
with a good many eggs, when put into a cool oven and baked with
gradually increasing heat, from that developed by a high initial
temperature and then a decreased heat. The quality of the flour and
shortening also affect the temperature and time needed in baking. It is
a good safe thing to follow the rules, and to temper them with judgment.
When the cake is just firm in the center, and has shrunk from the sides
of the pan, it is done, no matter what the temperature has been or how
long it has baked. But you will always get your cake at this condition,
more surely and safely, by following the rules, though you must be on
the alert to use them with flexibility.
QUERY NO. 4248.--"Will you please give me a recipe for Canned
Pimientoes?"
Canned Pimientoes
Cut round the stem of each, and with a small, sharp knife remove the
seeds and the white partitions inside. Set on a baking sheet in a hot
oven until the thin outside skin puffs and cracks, then remove it with a
small, sharp knife. Or they may be scalded, then dipped into cold water
and the skin be carefully removed. Sometimes the skin is left on. Now
press each one flat, and arrange them in layers, alternately overlapping
one another, in the jars, without liquid, and process for twenty-five to
thirty-five minutes at 212 deg. Fah. During the processing a thick
liquid should exude, covering the pimientoes.
QUERY NO. 4249.--"I should like a recipe for New York Ice Cream."
Classes of Ice Cream
There are three distinct classes of Ice Cream: The Philadelphia, which
is supposed to be made of heavy cream; the French, which is made with
eggs on a soft custard foundation; and the so-called American, which is
made on the foundation of a thin white sauce. All three classes are made
in New York, and in every other large city, but we have never heard that
any special recipe for ice cream is peculiar to New York. The less
expensive forms of cream, in that and every other city, are those based
on a thin white sauce, sweetened, flavored, and frozen.
* * * * *
[Illustration: Housewives the nation over will be enthusiastic over the
appointment of Mrs. Belle DeGraf as Domestic Science Director of the
California Prune and Apricot Growers. Mrs. DeGraf enjoys a countrywide
reputation as a home-cooking expert and as an authority on food values.]
=_I never knew what prunes and apricots could do until--_=
I came to analyze the flavor-and-health values of these two fruit-foods.
At first their use seemed rather limited but with each new dish others
immediately suggested themselves.
The chief nutritive element in both prunes and apricots, of course, is
fruit sugar. But you derive great value, too, from their mineral salts
and organic acids. These improve the quality of the blood and counteract
the acid-elements in meat, eggs, cereals and other high-protein foods.
Also, they are rich in tonic iron and other mineral and vitamine
elements needed for body tone. Nor should I forget to mention that
prunes especially provide a natural laxative made in Nature's own
pharmacy.
But aside from these essential health values, I found that Sunsweet
Prunes and Apricots offer wonderful possibilities--varying from the most
delicate souffle to the more substantial cobbler, pie or pudding.
--_Belle DeGraf_
The new 1922 Sunsweet Recipe Packet--edited by
Mrs. Belle DeGraf--will be nothing less than a
revelation to you. The recipes are printed on
_gummed slips_ [5x3"] for easy pasting in your
cook book. And it's free! California Prune &
Apricot Growers Inc., 1196 Market St., San
Jose, Cal.
SUNSWEET
CALIFORNIA'S NATURE-FLAVORED
PRUNES & APRICOTS
* * * * *
[Illustration]
Another
Mystery Cake
Can You Name It?
The first Royal Mystery Cake Contest created a countrywide sensation.
Here is another cake even more wonderful. Who can give it a name that
will do justice to its unusual qualities?
This cake can be made just right only with
Royal Baking Powder. Will you make it and name
it?
$500 For The Best Names
For the name selected as best, we will pay $250. For the second, third,
fourth, and fifth choice, we will pay $100, $75, $50, and $25
respectively. Anyone may enter the contest, but only one name from each
person will be considered. All names must be received by December 15th.
In case of ties, the full amount of the prize will be given to each
tying contestant. Do not send your cake. Simply send the name you
suggest With your own name and address, to the
ROYAL BAKING POWDER CO: 158 William Street, New York
HOW TO MAKE IT
Use level measurements for all materials
1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
Grated rind of 1/2 orange
1 egg and 1 yolk
2-1/3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder
1 cup milk
1-1/2 squares (1-1/2 ozs.) of unsweetened chocolate (melted)
Cream shortening, add sugar and grated orange
rind. Add beaten egg yolks. Sift together
flour, salt and Royal Baking Powder and add
alternately with the milk; lastly fold in one
beaten egg white. Divide batter into two parts.
To one part add the chocolate. Put by
tablespoonfuls, alternating dark and light
batter, into three greased layer cake pans.
Bake in moderate oven 20 min.
FILLING AND ICING
3 tablespoons melted butter
3 cups confectioner's sugar
3 squares (3 ozs.) unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 egg white
Grated rind of 1/2 orange and pulp of 1 orange
Put butter, sugar, orange juice and rind into
bowl. Cut pulp from orange, removing skin and
seeds, and add. Beat all together until smooth.
Fold in beaten egg white. Spread this icing on
layer used for top of cake. While icing is
soft, sprinkle with unsweetened chocolate
shaved in fine pieces with sharp knife (use 1/2
square). To remaining icing add 2-1/2 squares
unsweetened chocolate which has been melted,
Spread this thickly between layers and on sides
of cake.
[Illustration]
* * * * *
[Illustration]
"Holds Like Daddy's"
Not only that, but it is made with the _same care_ and of the same
_quality_ as Daddy's.
[Illustration]
=The Baby Midget Velvet Grip Hose Supporter=
Has taken the place of all makeshifts ever known for holding up baby's
tiny socks--equipped with that exclusive feature found only on Velvet
Grip garters for "grown-ups"--namely the
=All-Rubber Oblong Button=
_Sold everywhere or sent postpaid_
=Lisle 12 cents= =Silk 18 cents=
=George Frost Company
568 Tremont St., Boston=
Makers of the famous
=Boston Garter for Men=
* * * * *
It was the custom of the congregation to repeat the Twenty-third Psalm
in concert, and Mrs. Armstrong's habit was to keep about a dozen words
ahead all the way through. A stranger was asking one day about Mrs.
Armstrong. "Who," he inquired, "was the lady who was already by the
still waters while the rest of us were lying down in green pastures?"
_Metropolitan._
* * * * *
[Illustration: The Finest Relish with Beef as well as Poultry
Nature's own condiment--the tonic tang of health-giving cranberries
gives zest to the appetite, and a piquant flavor to meats--hot or cold.
When cooked with pot-roast or cheaper cuts of meats cranberries make the
meat tender and delicious. (See recipe folder for this and other
recipes.)
=_8 lbs. cranberries and 2-1/2 lbs. of sugar make 10 tumblers of
beautiful clear jelly. Try this recipe:--_=
Cranberry Jelly
Cook until soft the desired quantity of cranberries with 1-1/2 pints of
water for each two quarts of berries. Strain the juice through a jelly
bag.
Measure the juice and heat it to the boiling point. Add one cup of sugar
for every two cups of juice; stir until the sugar is dissolved; boil
briskly for five minutes; skim, and pour into glass tumblers, porcelain
or crockery molds.
Always cook cranberries in porcelain-lined, enameled or aluminum
utensils.
A recipe folder, containing many ways to use and preserve cranberries
will be sent free on request.
=_For quality and economy specify "Eatmor" Cranberries_=