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BETTER MEALS FOR LESS MONEY
BY
MARY GREEN
[Illustration]
NEW YORK
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
1917
COPYRIGHT, 1917,
BY
HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY
PREFACE
With the steadily increasing cost of all staple foods the need of
intelligent buying, cooking, and serving is greater than ever before:
more money must be spent for food, or more consideration must be given
to selecting and using it. For those who would continue to serve their
households well, and whose allowance for food has not kept pace with
prices, there is only one alternative, and that is, to use more of the
cheaper foods, and to prepare and combine them so skilfully that economy
shall not be a hardship. Good meals depend not so much upon expensive
material as upon care and good judgment in the use of ordinary material.
The time-worn boarding-house jokes about prunes and hash mean simply
that these foods, in themselves excellent, are poorly prepared and too
frequently served.
It is the plan of this book to include a variety of (1) recipes which
require only a small amount of meat; (2) recipes for vegetable dishes
which can take the place of meat; (3) recipes for the economical use of
cereals, dairy products, and other common inexpensive foods; (4) recipes
for breads, cakes, and desserts requiring only a small amount of butter
and eggs; and (5) recipes for a few relishes, condiments, and other
accessories which lend variety and interest. The General Suggestions for
Economy (Chapter I) are not all new, but are liable, through disuse, to
be forgotten by the present generation. Spasmodic economy counts for
little in the long run; only systematic and continued watchfulness is
really worth while.
Economy, however, ought not to necessitate the total elimination of
one's favorite cuts of steak, nor all of the little luxuries, because by
the skilful planning of the majority of the meals the occasional use of
these luxuries can be made possible.
This book is not intended as a complete guide to cookery; it presupposes
an elementary knowledge of the care and preparation of food.
The study of Tables D and E in the Appendix is especially recommended as
an aid to the better understanding of food values.
M. G.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMY 1
II. COMMON WAYS OF COOKING FOOD 15
III. APPETIZERS AND RELISHES 17
IV. BEVERAGES 23
V. SOUPS WITHOUT MEAT 27
VI. SOUPS AND STEWS WITH MEAT OR FISH 35
VII. CHOWDERS 43
VIII. FISH 47
IX. MEATS 57
X. SAUCES AND STUFFINGS FOR FISH AND MEATS 80
XI. EGGS 88
XII. CHEESE AND NUTS 95
XIII. VEGETABLES 100
XIV. CEREALS, MACARONI, AND RICE 113
XV. CROQUETTES AND FRITTERS 120
XVI. SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS 126
XVII. YEAST BREADS, MUFFINS, AND ROLLS 138
XVIII. BAKING POWDER BREADS, MUFFINS, AND BISCUIT 146
XIX. SHORTCAKES AND ROULETTES 160
XX. SANDWICHES AND TOASTS 163
XXI. GRIDDLE CAKES, WAFFLES, AND SIRUPS 170
XXII. CAKES AND COOKIES 174
XXIII. ICINGS AND FILLINGS 184
XXIV. HOT DESSERTS 189
XXV. COLD DESSERTS 196
XXVI. FROZEN DESSERTS 203
XXVII. SAUCES FOR DESSERTS 209
XXVIII. PASTRIES 213
XXIX. FRUITS, COOKED AND UNCOOKED 224
XXX. CANDIES 232
APPENDIX
A. Table of Weights and Measures 239
B. Time Table for Cooking 240
C. Temperature Table 243
D. Table of Caloric Values of Average Portions of Food 245
E. Table of Caloric Values of Raw Food Materials 250
F. Table of Normal Weights for Men and Women 253
G. List of Government Publications on Foods and Cooking 254
Index 257
Before using recipes see _Special Notice_ on Page 14.
CHAPTER I
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMY
PLANNING MEALS
In order to buy, prepare, and serve food to the best possible advantage,
an elementary knowledge of the composition and nutritive value of foods,
and the necessary food requirement of the family, is essential. Many
books are published on these subjects, but from the government
publications alone (see page 255) an excellent working knowledge may be
obtained. Only the merest outline can be given here, and this should be
supplemented by further reading.
Briefly stated, food is divided into three chief classes:[1]
(1) _Protein_, which builds and repairs the tissues.[2] It is furnished
chiefly by meats, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, cereals, and legumes.
(2) _Fats_, which furnish heat and energy, but are chiefly valuable for
storing a reserve supply of fat in the body. They are furnished largely
by butter, cream, olive and similar vegetable oils, bacon and other fat
meats. (3) _Carbohydrates_, which furnish heat and energy. They are
supplied chiefly by potatoes and other vegetables, cereals, fruits, and
sugars.
People who are eating the proper amount and kind of food should
approximate the normal weight[3] for their sex, age, and height. For the
proper maintenance of the body, a man of average height and weight, of
sedentary life,[4] requires daily food which will yield about 2,500
calories;[5] a woman of average height and weight, about 2,300 calories
(more or less according to activity). Children between two and five
years require from 1,200 to 1,400 calories; between five and ten years,
from 1,400 to 1,900 calories; and from ten to fourteen years, from 1,900
to 2,500 calories. Girls between fourteen and seventeen years require
from 2,200 to 2,600 calories; and boys between fourteen and seventeen
years, from 2,500 to 3,000 calories. Of the total number of calories
furnished ten per cent. should be protein, approximately 30 per cent.
fat, and 60 per cent. carbohydrates.
Before planning meals the consideration of these caloric requirements
and the study of the "Caloric Value of Average Portions of Food" (Table
D, page 245) and of the "Fuel Value of Raw Materials" (Table E, page
250) will help in the selection of foods to yield approximately the
desired amount of nutrition. It is not necessary or desirable that the
exact amount of each class of foods should be reckoned daily; but by the
general study of foods and their nutritive value, and the food
requirements of the body, which vary with age, sex, and conditions, the
housekeeper may serve her family with the kinds and amount of food best
suited to their needs. She should plan to use in a week as large a
variety of food as possible, and to avoid an excess of any one class.
With a definite idea of the needs of the family, she should take account
of the stock in the ice-box and pantry, and see that every bit of food
is utilized to advantage. Meals should be planned in detail at least one
day in advance, and, if possible, outlined for several days ahead;
though these plans must, of course, be varied slightly, at times,
according to the amount of left-over material and the exigencies of
supply and demand. Each day's programme should be plainly written; any
special recipes to be used noted; and a list made of supplies to be
ordered. To have the meals planned well in advance and the order list
ready saves a deal of nervous energy, time, and money.
MARKETING
If possible, attend personally to your marketing and consider carefully
the quality, quantity, and cost of your purchases in relation to the
needs of your purse and your household. Ask for what you want, and try
hard to get it; but in trying to buy supplies at lowest prices be sure
that the time and nervous energy spent are not out of proportion to the
amount of money saved.
MEAT
In considering the price of meat, the amount of bone, fat, gristle, and
so forth should be taken into account. Many of the coarser and cheaper
parts contain as much nutriment as the more expensive cuts, and can, by
proper cooking, be made fully as palatable. See that every bit of
left-over meat is used to advantage and in a variety of ways; the rinds
of bacon and salt pork when cooked with spinach or other greens, or in
soups of peas or beans, add both flavor and richness.
THE STOCK POT
All trimmings and bones, both cooked and uncooked, and any left-over
bits of meat or gravy that are not needed for other dishes, should be
put into the stock pot, covered with cold water, and _simmered_ (_not
boiled_) with soup vegetables and savory herbs for three or four hours.
Almost any left-over vegetable can be added, including macaroni, rice,
and the scrapings of the cereal cooker. If the family is small, the
cereal cooker itself makes an excellent stock pot: to the remnants of
breakfast cereal, add any soup material at hand; cover with cold water;
cook slowly; strain; and, if necessary, add one or two bouillon cubes,
and a few drops of kitchen bouquet. When soup stock is lacking in
richness a small amount of gelatine improves the quality.
The water in which vegetables, macaroni, rice, or any meats, either
fresh or salt, are cooked contains valuable mineral matter as well as
flavor, and should be added wholly or in part to the stock pot. Order
corned meats lightly salted so that all of the stock may be used. Be
sure that all fat is removed from soup stock before using. Do not serve
greasy soups. When stock must be used before the fat has had time to
harden, skim off as much as possible, and remove what remains with clean
blotting paper, or a lump of ice wrapped in cheesecloth.
FISH
Fresh fish is offered in variety at all seasons of the year, and is a
valuable and comparatively inexpensive food; salted and smoked fish
contain much protein in a concentrated form; the canned varieties are
important, too, especially for the emergency shelf, as they furnish a
substantial, inexpensive food which can be served in many ways at short
notice.
GROCERIES
Groceries in sealed packages are, as a rule, slightly more expensive
than those sold in bulk; but they are cleaner, often fresher, and more
convenient to store and use.
BUTTER AND OTHER SHORTENING
To the taste of the average person, there is no real equivalent for the
flavor of fine creamery butter, but, for cooking, excellent results may
be obtained by the use of cheaper shortening, beginning with the common
household fats which are so often discarded. All drippings from the
roasts and fat from boiled meats should be carefully strained and saved;
beef and chicken fat may be used in many recipes, including those for
cookies, cakes, meat sauces, soups, and made dishes; bacon fat is
excellent for corn cake, meat sauces, and soups of peas, beans, or
lentils; sausage fat may be used for gingerbread, cookies, poultry
stuffing, and also for frying potatoes and other vegetables, for in
these the spicy flavoring is not objectionable. Both bacon and sausage
fat and that from soup stock are useful for basting lean roasts, fish,
or meat loaf. Any surplus fat, including that of lamb and mutton, should
be clarified and added to that in the frying kettle. Fat which cannot
be utilized for cooking should be made into kitchen soap.
COOKING FATS--OILS
There are many excellent brands of wholesome cooking fats and oils on
the market, including peanut, corn, and cottonseed oil, and compound
vegetable fats. Almost any of these costs less than butter.
OLEOMARGARINE
The best oleomargarine is wholesome and economical, and much to be
preferred to inferior grades of butter.
MILK
Milk, even at present prices, gives good return in food value.
Unsweetened evaporated milk, which is absolutely sterile and clean,
costs no more, and in some places costs less, than fresh milk, and can
be used to advantage to supplement the supply. Because of its
consistency it is an excellent substitute for cream in frozen desserts.
CREAM
When eggs are relatively cheaper than cream, the stiffly beaten white of
an egg may be used to advantage to mix with beaten cream. Thin cream
whipped with a whip churn is lighter and less expensive than heavy cream
beaten.
EGGS
Unless the winter's supply of eggs has been preserved in water glass,
guaranteed cold storage eggs will be found satisfactory, and much
cheaper than hennery eggs. Only enough for a few days should be bought
at a time, however, and they should be kept in a cold place until used.
Wash eggs before breaking, and save the shells for clearing boiled
coffee, soup, and aspic. For coating croquettes, dilute each beaten egg
with one-fourth cup of water or one-third cup of milk; cover unused
yolks with water to prevent drying, and pour off water before using.
Have both yolk and white of egg cold, so that they may be beaten more
quickly; add a pinch of salt to whites of eggs which are to be beaten
stiff, and beat in a current of air. Soft-boiled or dropped eggs not
used at table should be put back in boiling water, cooked hard, and used
for garnishing, egg sauce, etc.
CHEESE
Cheese is nutritious and, even at present prices, economical, as it
contains a large proportion of protein in concentrated form. It can be
successfully combined with many other foods, and every left-over bit
should be so used; when partly dry it should be put through the food
chopper, using a fine cutter; when very dry it should be grated and used
in sauces, souffles, soups, and many other dishes. Cheese is more
readily digested if a pinch of baking soda is cooked with it. To keep
cheese moist and fresh, brush the cut surface with melted paraffin. Save
left-over Welsh rarebit for sandwich filling. The shells of Edam or
pineapple cheeses should not be thrown away, but be filled with creamed
macaroni, spaghetti, or rice, covered with crumbs, and baked in a hot
oven.
FRESH VEGETABLES
A variety of vegetables should be served daily, and those which contain
a large amount of protein, such as beans, lentils, and peas, should be
used not only as an accompaniment to meat, but, in combination with
other vegetables, sauces, bacon or other fats, as the substantial dish
of the meal.
DRIED VEGETABLES
Dried vegetables should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or
longer, and then cooked slowly until tender; dried julienne should be
soaked for twenty-four hours before cooking.
MACARONI, NOODLES, RICE, CEREALS
Macaroni, noodles and similar pastas, rice, and the cereals furnish much
nutriment at low cost; oatmeal and corn meal are among our cheapest
foods.
Ready cooked cereals, though they are convenient and give variety to the
diet, are more expensive than raw cereals well cooked; not only do they
yield less food value, but, being dry, they require more cream or milk
to make them palatable.
LEFT-OVER VEGETABLES
Left-over vegetables and cereals, even in small quantities, should be
saved for use in entrees, desserts, salads, sauces, and soups. Celery
tops should be saved for flavoring and garnishing, the root stalk
chopped and added to the stock pot, and the outside stalks stewed,
creamed, or used for cream soup. The outside leaves of lettuce should be
shredded for salad, or, for any large quantity, cooked the same as
spinach.
CANNED VEGETABLES
The flavor of canned vegetables is improved if, before being cooked,
they are rinsed with cold water and exposed to the air. Parsley and
chives may be kept growing in pots in the kitchen window to be used as
needed.
SALADS
Salads should be freely used at all seasons, and be made light or
nourishing according to the foods served with them. They offer an
opportunity to the housekeeper to exercise her ingenuity in combining
various vegetables, meats, and fruits, especially left-over bits. Crisp
white cabbage, shredded, may be used in place of celery.
SALAD DRESSINGS
Salad dressings need not necessarily be made of olive oil, for there are
other good and less expensive vegetable oils well worth using, and many
of the cooked salad dressings without oil are excellent.
BREAD
Various kinds of bread should be freely used, especially whole wheat and
other cereal breads, and those containing raisins, dates, and prunes.
Watch the bread-box, and see that every bit of bread is used in some
way; the unused crusts should be dried, rolled, sifted, and kept in a
covered jar for stuffing, crumbing croquettes, brown bread, puddings, or
other dishes in which the color is not objectionable; cold toast or cut
slices should be made into croutons, or used for canapes or French
toast; other pieces should be used for croustades, or made into crumbs,
both coarse and fine, for use in fondues, griddle cakes, omelets,
sauces, and soups. Bits of crackers should be dried, rolled, and used
the same as bread crumbs.
None of the recipes for cake require more than two eggs; many, only one;
and some, none at all. Water may always be used in place of milk, and
any clean, fresh shortening may be substituted for butter, especially in
the recipes which include molasses and spices. These cakes will not keep
moist like richer cakes, however, and should be used soon after making.
Slices of stale cake and crumbs should be utilized in making other
desserts in combination with custards, ices, preserves, etc.
BAKING POWDER
Do not use more baking powder than is necessary for good results; two
_level_ teaspoons to each cup of flour is the usual allowance, but one
and one-half teaspoons each to each cup will be sufficient if the
muffins, biscuits, or cake are quickly and lightly handled and properly
baked.
FLAVORING EXTRACTS
When volatile flavoring extracts are used in cake, much of their
strength is wasted during baking; grated rind or spices could well be
used in their place, or only the icing or filling flavored. All
desserts, whenever practicable, should be flavored when cold.
COLORING
The small package of red coloring which comes with gelatine is useful
for coloring cakes, icings, and other desserts as well as jellies.
FRUITS
Fruits, either fresh, dried, or preserved, should be served at least
once a day; dried fruits, such as apricots, peaches, and prunes, should
be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or longer and then cooked
slowly until tender. Raisins, dates, and figs yield a large food value
at comparatively low cost. Bananas, which contain more nutriment than
most fresh fruits, should be used for salads or desserts when the other
courses are light. In cooking acid fruits, such as cranberries, plums,
and cherries, less sugar is required if added after cooking. Parings and
cores from quinces and apples can be made into excellent jelly; the
rinds of watermelons are the foundation of a delicious sweet pickle;
orange and grape fruit peel, when candied, are well worth the trouble of
making. Surplus orange, lemon, and grape fruit peels, when dried, are
not only useful for flavoring, but make an interesting and aromatic fuel
for the fire-place; the nut meat found in prune stones tastes much like
that of bitter almonds and can be used in place of them.
When making jelly remember that the pulp of the fruit after the juice
has dripped from it may be made into excellent marmalade: cover with
water, heat to boiling point, press through a sieve, add three-quarters
of the amount of sugar, and cook until thick.
CANDIES
In spite of its cost, candy is now classed by many with the necessities
rather than with the luxuries. After a little practice even the most
elaborate candies can be successfully made at home, and the difference
between the cost of a pound of the best ready-made candy and the cost of
the raw materials is astonishing. For those who can spare the time,
candy-making will prove both fascinating and economical. Recipes for a
few after-dinner candies are given.
CONDIMENTS
A small supply of condiments and relishes, including kitchen bouquet,
ketchup, and sweet herbs, and one or two table sauces, should be kept in
stock, as they make possible a greater variety of flavors. Many
home-made sauces and relishes can be easily and quickly prepared and are
usually much cheaper than the ready-made varieties.
CANDLE STUBS
Candle stubs should be melted, strained through cheesecloth, and used
for sealing ketchup, jellies, and preserves.
GARNISHINGS
Any dish, attractively garnished and served, pleases the eye, stimulates
the appetite, and often lifts a simple meal out of the commonplace.
Parsley, mint, celery tops, red and green peppers, olives, pickles,
capers, cooked beets and carrots, hard-cooked egg, lemon cut in various
shapes, nuts, cherries, and other small fruits are all effective if not
too lavishly used.
UTENSILS
A reasonable equipment of kitchen utensils and a convenient, systematic
arrangement of them will save time and strength. Kitchen scales are
almost indispensable, and a cooking thermometer eliminates guesswork,
especially in boiling sugar and heating fat for frying. Pans, molds, and
cutters of various shapes prevent monotony; suitable baking dishes and
covered casserole dishes simplify both cooking and serving; and food
cooked or served in individual dishes is often more attractive. When
the cogs of the egg beater slip, do not discard it, but tighten the
rivet; keep knives well sharpened. Cream jars, jugs, bottles, or any
other containers for which a charge is made, should be promptly returned
to be credited.
FUEL
Do not waste fuel; concentrate your cooking; when a hot oven is needed
for roasting meat or baking bread, plan to cook at the same time other
things which require a high temperature; potatoes can be cooked in the
pan with the meat; other vegetables and fruits can be cooked in the
oven; and if a coal fire is used, a variety of food can be cooked in a
steamer on top of the range without extra fuel.
Have the ashes sifted and save the _cinders_, which yield a quick top
heat.
Economize _gas_ by using the minimum amount necessary to keep food
cooking at the desired temperature. When the boiling point is reached a
small supply of gas will maintain the temperature.
_Fireless cookers_ save much fuel and unnecessary heat, and are
especially useful for any food which requires long, slow cooking, or for
those foods of strong odor which so often scent up the whole house.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Water and mineral salts are also necessary for the proper
maintenance of the body, but these are yielded chiefly in combination
with the other foods.
[2] Protein can also furnish energy, but this is more easily and cheaply
supplied by the fats and carbohydrates.
[3] See Table F, page 253.
[4] People of sedentary life require daily approximately sixteen
calories for each pound of their weight. So if the normal weight of such
persons is multiplied by sixteen, the result will be the approximate
number of calories needed.
[5] A Calorie is the amount of heat required to raise one kilogram of
water 1 deg. Centigrade or one pound of water 4 deg. Fahrenheit.
SPECIAL NOTICE
All ingredients in these recipes should be measured level, and the
standard teaspoon, tablespoon, and half-pint measuring cup should be
used.
Unless otherwise stated, one apple, onion, orange, etc., means one of
medium size.
Sift flour before measuring, and fill cup lightly. Use pastry flour,
unless otherwise directed, for thickening soups and sauces, and in all
recipes where baking powder is used; use bread flour in all recipes
where yeast is used.
The majority of these recipes are planned to serve four persons; those
for chowders and other dishes which form the substantial part of the
meal are sufficient for second helpings; those for cakes, muffins, and
other breads are large enough to be served more than once.