foods contained in the same groups differ in cost. One can economize by
using the cheaper foods in the group or by using the more expensive only
occasionally. If you find that fresh vegetables cost less than fruits, use
the latter more sparingly than the former. Meats are more expensive than
dried peas or beans and cheese, especially Cottage Cheese. Cottage Cheese
or peas and beans in combination with milk or eggs may take the place of
meat. A small quantity of meat may be combined with the dried legumes or
cereals and a saving effected.
The third, fourth, and fifth groups contain energy-giving foods (see
Divisions IV and V). Of the three groups of foods, cereals are by far the
cheapest source of energy. A generous use of cereals is economical. In
buying grains one gets much nutriment at little cost (when compared with
other foods). If the food bills must be curtailed, use cereals generously
and meat sparingly. Do not eat cereals, however, to the exclusion of the
foods of the other groups. It is especially necessary to use milk and
leafy vegetables with cereals. The latter are lacking in the fat-soluble A
vitamine.
The fats included in Group 5 differ in cost. It is necessary to select
these wisely in order to economize. A wise and economical use of fats is
discussed previously.
PLANNING BEFORE BUYING.--It is not only an obligation but a necessity to
waste no food. The bit of cereal left from breakfast, the crust of bread,
and the scrap of meat represent money. They must be utilized.
The thrifty housekeeper sees to it that left-over food is properly cared
for so that it need not be wasted because of spoilage. She covers food and
stores it in a cool place. She uses it before it begins to spoil.
In order to buy wisely it is necessary to take account of the foods
already in the house or in the garden. It is necessary to decide before
going to market just what is needed to supplement the materials already on
hand.
LESSON XC
COOKING AND SERVING A LUNCHEON OR SUPPER
Cook and serve a luncheon or supper. The following menu is suggested:
Salmon Timbale with White Sauce
Stuffed Baked Potatoes
Stewed or Scalloped Tomatoes
Bread and Butter
Prune Pudding with Top Milk
Analyze this menu. Is food from each of the groups given in lesson LXXXIX
contained in it?
Follow the English or family style of serving. Serve the luncheon or
supper without a maid. Calculate the cost of the meal per person.
LESSON XCI
REVIEW: MEAL COOKING
MENU
Cream of Tomato Soup
Cheese Pudding
Spiced Baked Apples
See Lesson XIV for suggestions regarding the preparation of the lesson.
LESSON XCII
HOME PROJECTS [Footnote 65: See Lesson IX]
SUGGESTIONS FOR HOME WORK.--If possible secure lists of foods purchased
for use at your home during a week or a month. List each article and price
in one of the five groups, viz.,
=====================================================================
| Vegetables | Milk and | Meat, Fish, | Bread and | Sugar, Fat and |
| and Fruits | Cheese | Eggs, Etc | Cereals | Other Groceries |
_____________________________________________________________________
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
| | | | | |
=====================================================================
Add up the cost in each column. Compare the sums.
SUGGESTED AIMS:
(1) To determine if the money for the various groups of food has been
spent according to the plan suggested in lesson LXXXIX.
(2) If not, to use the food lists actually purchased as a foundation and
change them so as to embody the division of the dollar suggested in lesson
LXXXIX.
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.