freshly picked; pods of fresh peas are green and juicy, becoming yellow
and withered when old. Fresh beans are crisp and snap when broken. The
stringless beans now on the market save time in preparing them.
=Berries=: A dry surface indicates freshness in strawberries,
raspberries and blackberries.
=Apples, Peaches, Plums, Cherries and Grapes=: Plumpness, brightness
of skin and freedom from spots of decay are reliable indications of
freshness.
=Grapefruit, Oranges and Lemons=: Are heavy for size.
=Melons=: Cantaloupes usually have a nice odor when they are fresh and
good flavored. Press end of melon with finger and if it gives slightly,
the melon is ripe, if hard, it is too green to cut.
=Honey Dew=: Test same as Cantaloupes.
=Watermelon=: The best variety are heavy for size.
=Fruits and Vegetables= are best when “cheapest” because the lowest
prices are quoted when they are in season. They should be preserved
when in season.
=Mutton=: The best mutton has abundant, white, clear and solid fat; leg
bones are white; the scored skin on the forequarters red; the lean meat
juicy, firmy and of a dark red color.
=Lamb=: Choose lamb that has hard, white fat on the back and about the
kidneys, with pinkish-hued bones.
=Pork=: The lean of the best pork is a delicate pinkish red, juicy,
firm and fine grained; the fat is white and the skin thin and pearly;
when the skin is thick it indicates that the hog was old.
=Ham=: Medium-sized hams weighing from 8 to 12 lbs. are usually best.
They should be plump and round, with short tapering shanks and small
bones. The fat should be white and firm, the skin thin and unwrinkled.
=Turkey=: A moderate size turkey is more apt to be young than a larger
one. Select 12 to 16-lb. birds that have no superfluous fat. A hen is
preferable to a gobbler, being more plump and delicate in flavor. The
legs of turkey should be black and smooth; the breastbone soft and
pliable. If legs are rough, the breastbone hard, and the skin tough,
the turkey was old. When turkeys or other fowls are fresh, the eyes are
bright and full, the feet and legs smooth and limber.
=Goose=: The breast of goose should be plump and white, the feet yellow
and flexible. If the windpipe is soft, the goose was young.
=Capons=: They retain the tenderness of young chickens while having the
size and flavor of mature fowls. Select 7 to 8-lb. size.
=Chicken=: Press with the finger on the breastbone at the point nearest
the tail. If the bone is soft and pliable, the chicken was young. Some
butchers break this bone to deceive buyers. Poultry that is dark or
slimy is stale and unfit for food. Poultry packed in ice will soak
up from 3 to 14% water so insist on dry-packed birds when buying
cold-storage poultry. In fresh killed poultry, the liver is firm and
solid to the touch, while in thawed-out, cold-storage poultry, the
liver is limp and soft to the touch.
=Eggs=: Fresh eggs look clear and semi-transparent in a strong light.
To test, drop into a bucket or pan of water; those that are perfectly
fresh will sink to the bottom and rest on the side; those that are
stale will stand obliquely in the water, while those that are actually
bad will take an upright position and float.
=Fish=: Choose those only with firm flesh, stiff fins, lively red
gills, and full clear eyes.
=Test for Butter=: The “spoon” test is good for distinguishing fresh
butter from renovated butter or oleomargarine: A small sample is melted
in a spoon held over a slow fire; if it is fresh butter, it will boil
quietly, with many small bubbles; oleomargarine and process butter will
sputter and crackle.
=Test for Extracts=: Vanilla is sometimes adulterated with tonka bean
extract. This can be detected by its odor, which is penetrating,
almost pungent, in contrast to pure vanilla extract. Extracts made
from artificial vanilla can be detected by evaporating about 1 oz. of
vanilla to about ¼ its volume by placing it in a dish over boiling
water. If pure, the resins become insoluble and settle to the bottom of
the dish. Artificial extracts remain clear. Artificial extracts made by
dissolving artificial vanilla in alcohol lack color which is supplied
by adding caramel. To detect this, shake a sample of the extract. If
pure the foam is colorless.
=Lemon Extract=: Place 1 tsp of extract in a glass tumbler and add 2 or
3 tsp water. If pure, the lemon oil will separate and rise to top after
a short time, as lemon oil is insoluble in alcohol to which water is
added.
=Baking Powder Test=: Add 1 tsp baking powder to 1 c hot water. Bubbles
of gas will rise as the action of the baking powder takes place. The
greater the bubbling the stronger the baking powder. Never allow baking
powder to be exposed to the air.
=Baking Powder= made in quantity: Sift together 7 times or more, 5⅝ lb.
cream of tartar, 2½ lb. soda, and 1¼ lb cornstarch.
FASTING AND ABSTAINING
EMBER DAYS
Ember days are those ordered by the church as days of fasting and
abstinence. They occur at the beginning of the seasons and are:
1. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after December 13.
2. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday of the week following Ash
Wednesday.
3. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after Whit Sunday.
4. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday after September 14, which is
the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross.
DAYS OF ABSTINENCE
A day of abstinence is one on which Catholics are prohibited from using
flesh meat at any of their meals. All Fridays of the year, except those
on which a holiday of obligation falls, are days of abstinence. During
the Lenten season, in addition to being days of abstinence, Fridays are
also fast days.
Throughout the Latin Church, the law of abstinence prohibits all
responsible Catholics from indulging in meat diet on days of abstinence.
Meat diet comprises the flesh, blood or marrow of such animals
and birds that constitute flesh meat, according to appreciative,
intelligent and law-abiding Christians.
On days of abstinence the use of fish, vegetables, molluscs, crabs,
turtles, frogs and such cold-blooded creatures is not at variance
with the law of abstinence. The sick, infirmed, mendicants, laborers,
and such as find difficulty in procuring a fish diet are not bound to
observe the law of abstinence, as long as such conditions prevail.
Regular days of abstinence are as follows:
1. All Fridays excepting those on which a holiday of obligation
falls.
2. The first and last Wednesday and the second and last Saturday
of Lent.
3. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays of ember weeks.
4. The vigils of Christmas, Pentecost, Assumption and All Saints’
Days (In Canada, the vigil of St. Peter and Paul, and Wednesdays
of Advent, as well as all the ember days, are added to the list
of fast and abstinence days.)
FASTING
In the U. S. all the days of Lent, the Ember days, the vigil of
Christmas, Pentecost, Assumption and All Saints Days are fast days. (In
Canada the vigil of St. Peter and Paul, June 28, is a fast day.)
* * * * *
Fasting consists in eating but one full meal in twenty-four hours and
that about mid-day. It also implies the obligation of abstaining from
flesh meat during the same period unless legitimate authorities granted
permission to eat meat. Pope Benedict XIV granted permission to eat
meat on fast days, but prohibited the use of fish and flesh at the same
meal on all fast days during the year, as well as the Sundays during
Lent.
In the U. S. working men and their families may use flesh meat once
a day throughout the year, except on Fridays, Ash Wednesday, Holy
Saturday, and the vigil of Christmas. For working men during Lent, it
is forbidden that fish and flesh be taken at the same meal. Flesh and
fish may be eaten at the same meal at other times except on fast days
and days of abstinence.
The quantity of food allowed at the one full meal permitted on fast
days has never been defined, and one full satisfying meal may be
partaken of without breaking the rule. Moreover a slight collation is
now allowed in the evening, the full meal usually being taken at noon.
In the U. S. and Canada fast day meals usually consist of milk, eggs,
cheese, butter, bread, fish, and similar foods.
NOT REQUIRED TO FAST
Those exempt from fasting are:
The sick, the infirmed, convalescents, delicate women, men or women
sixty years or over; families whose members cannot have the necessaries
for a full meal at the same time, or who have nothing but bread,
vegetables or such-like food; those to whom fasting brings headaches or
loss of sleep; wives whose fasting incurs their husband’s indignation;
children whose fasting arouses their parents’ wrath; in a word,
all those who cannot comply with the obligation of fasting without
undergoing more than ordinary hardships are excused because of their
inability to fulfill the obligation.
THE COOK’S DICTIONARY
=A la carte=—French for according to the bill of fare at the
table.
=A la mode=—French for according to the style.
=Anchovy=—A fish caught in the Mediterranean.
=Anchovy Essence=—Consists of pounded anchovies cooked with
water, vinegar, spices, and mushrooms.
=Angelica=—A plant, the stalks of which are preserved, used for
decorating.
=Appetizers=—Cold hors d’oeuvres, side dishes, served preliminary
to the dinner, supposed to create an appetite for something more
substantial.
=Aspic=—Savory jelly.
=Au, Aux=—To or with.
=Baba Cakes=—Sweet Cakes raised with yeast.
=Bain-marie=—A double boiler.
=Bisque=—A paste or puree.
=Blanch=—To scald.
=Bombe=—Ices in a mold, an outside coating of one kind, a filling
of another.
=Bouchee=—Mouthful.
=Bouillon=—Beef Broth.
=Brioche=—A bread made rich with eggs.
=Brochette=—A skewer.
=Canape=—Pieces of toast or bread, spread with some mixture.
=Caviar=—Salted and smoked sturgeon roe.
=Curacao=—A cordial.
=Cutlets=—Steaks of veal, lamb, mutton or pork.
=Entree=—A made dish served as a course or between courses.
=Filet Mignon=—French for small pieces of beef served with sauce.
=Foie-gras=—Fat liver; especially the liver of fat geese.
=Fondue=—Cheese and eggs cooked together.
=Fondant=—Cooked and beaten sugar, ready to flavor and mold for
centers of bonbons.
=Francaise=—In French style.
=Frappe=—Half frozen.
=Fricasse=—Originally meat fried and served with a sauce.
=Gherkins=—Small cucumbers.
=Giblets=—The neck, liver, gizzard and heart of poultry or game.
=Glace=—Glossed over.
=Hors d’oeuvres=—Side dishes.
=Italienne=—In Italian style.
=Jardiniere=—Mixed vegetables.
=Koumiss=—Fermented milk.
=Macedoine=—A mixture of several fruits or vegetables.
=Marinade=—A pickle composed of vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper.
=To Marinate=—To pickle in a French dressing.
=Marrons=—Chestnuts.
=Mayonnaise=—Salad sauce.
=Meringue=—Mixture of sugar and white of eggs beaten together.
=Mignon=—Small.
=Mousse=—Moss, froth, something light and spongy.
=Mulligatawny=—Curry soup.
=Noir=—Black.
=Papillote=—Paper.
=Parfait=—Perfect.
=Pate=—Paste.
=Pilaf=—Turkish dish of rice and tomatoes.
=Potage=—Soup.
=Printaniere=—With young spring vegetables.
=Puree=—Ingredients rubbed through a sieve.
=Ragout=—A highly seasoned fish or meat dish.
=Rissoles=—Something crisp.
=Riz=—Rice.
=Roux=—Butter and flour mixed and used for thickening.
=Sabayon=—A custard flavored with wine.
=Salamander=—An iron, similar to a large poker, used for browning
surfaces which cannot be placed in the oven.
=Salmi=—A rich stew, generally of game.
=Scones=—Scotch name for baking powder biscuit.
=Sippett=—Small cubes of fried bread.
=Sorbet=—Frozen punch.
=Souffle=—A puff, something light and fluffy.
=Syllabub=—Old English name for whipped and flavored cream.
Now that you have gone through her own cookbook, undoubtedly you would
be delighted to have
MOLLY GAVIN’S DIRECT PERSONAL ASSISTANCE
_Every Day of the Year_
Each week she writes entertainingly and helpfully for hundreds of
thousands of readers of Catholic newspapers throughout the United
States and Canada.
Each day she and her assistants answer hundreds of letters of women
readers, giving them the help they ask, suggesting menus and new
recipes, and sending out pamphlets.
Each month she adds new pamphlets to her list.
For information about them and for the names of the newspapers in which
you may find MOLLY GAVIN’S cooking column, drop a line to
THE GRIMES COMPANY
National Press Building
WASHINGTON, D. C.
INDEX
Abstaining, 157
Beef, 88
Beverages, 12
Biscuits, 10
Bread, 8
Breads (Quick), 44
Breakfast Rolls, 10
Cake, 16
Candy, 20
Canning Fruit, 138
Canning Meats, 140
Canning Vegetables, 139
Cereals, 25
Cheese, 27
Chilled Desserts, 119
Chowders, 92
Coffee, 12
Cook’s Dictionary, 158
Cookies, 48
Desserts, Chilled, 119
Dictionary, Cook’s, 158
Doughnuts, 48
Dressing, 78
Dumplings, 63
Economy, Kitchen, 154
Eggs, 145
Ember Days, 157
Equipment, General, 153
Etiquette, Table, 154
Fasting, 157
Fish, 108
Fish, (Shell), 103
Fruit Economy, 155
Gingerbread, 48
Glassware, 153
Icings, 81
Kitchen Utensils, 153
Kitchen Economy, 155
Lamb, 94
Linen, 153
Meats, 84, 85, 88, 94, 99
Meats, Canning, 140
Methods of Cooking Meats, 86
Mutton, 94
Personal Service, 159
Pork, 99
Poultry and Game, 128
Preserves, 137
Puddings, 69
Quick Breads, 44
Salads, 58
Sandwiches, 54
Sauces, 73
Service, Personal, 159
Silverware, 153
Shellfish, 103
Soup, 32
Stews, 91
Sweetbreads, Tongues, Etc., 97
Syrup Table, 139
Table Etiquette, 154
Tea, 12
Tests, Kitchen, 156
Time Table for Canning Fruits, 138
Time Table for Syrup, 139
Time Table for Canning Vegetables, 139
Utensils, Kitchen, 153
Veal, 85
Vegetables, 38
Vegetable Economy, 154
Yeast, 8
TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE
The index was not checked for proper alphabetization or correct page
references.
Obvious typographical errors and punctuation errors have been corrected
after careful comparison with other occurrences within the text and
consultation of external sources.
Some hyphens in words have been silently removed, some added, when a
predominant preference was found in the original book.
Except for those changes noted below, all misspellings in the text, and
inconsistent or archaic usage, have been retained.
Pg 6: ‘Farenheit’ replaced with ‘Fahrenheit’.
19: ‘on’ replaced with ‘in’ in “soda dissolved on”.
19: ‘and’ removed from “when cool and and dissolved yeast”.
19: ‘egg’ replaced with ‘butter’ in:
“add this to sugar and butter;”
22: ‘velvetry’ replaced with ‘velvety’.
26: ‘escalloped dished’ replaced with ‘escalloped dishes’.
30: ‘kurd’ replaced with ‘curd’.
31: ‘candided’ replaced with ‘candied’.
32: ‘low tem’ replaced with ‘low temp’.
36: ‘caramal’ replaced with ‘caramel’.
36: ‘cherry’ replaced with ‘sherry’.
36: ‘agg’ replaced with ‘egg’.
37: ‘thruogh’ replaced with ‘through’.
38: ‘commine’ replaced with ‘combine’.
40: ‘sprinke’ replaced with ‘sprinkle’.
41: ‘potatooes’ replaced with ‘potatoes’.
41: Added ‘1’ to
“Cut tender asparagus in 1-in lengths” for clarity.
41: ‘scar’ replaced with ‘sear’.
43: ‘parsely’ replaced with ‘parsley’.
46: ‘ainseed’ replaced with ‘aniseed’.
47: ‘thorhougly’ replaced with ‘thoroughly’.
50: ‘flower’ replaced with ‘flour’.
50: ‘moderaete’ replaced with ‘moderate’.
58: ‘terragon’ replaced with ‘tarragon’.
59: ‘rosetttes’ replaced with ‘rosettes’.
61: ‘Doquefort’ replaced with ‘Roquefort’.
61: ‘cutting’ is unclear, and has been inferred.
63: ‘letttuce’ replaced with ‘lettuce’.
63: ‘egg’ replaced with ‘eggs’.
64: ‘vegetatble’ replaced with ‘vegetable’.
64: ‘prunces’ replaced with ‘prunes’.
65: ‘stitck’ replaced with ‘stick’.
65: ‘sprinkel’ replaced with ‘sprinkle’.
69: ‘seecret’ replaced with ‘secret’.
69: ‘cup’ replaced with ‘cups’.
69: ‘custatrd’ replaced with ‘custard’.
70: ‘beated’ replaced with ‘beaten’.
76: ‘smoth’ replaced with ‘smooth’.
76: ‘sugar’ replaced with ‘vinegar’ in
“If the vinegar is very strong...”
77: ‘baten’ replaced with ‘beaten’.
77: ‘graually’ replaced with ‘gradually’.
77: ‘befor’ replaced with ‘before’.
83: ‘conucopia’ replaced with ‘cornucopia’.
87: ‘cottelene’ replaced with ‘cottolene’.
90: ‘sauted’ replaced with ‘sauteed’.
91: Chapter title ‘Stews and Chowders’ replaced with ‘Stews’.
92: Removed duplicate ‘to’ in: “the contents to grow stale;”
93: ‘romoved’ replaced with ‘removed’.
94: ‘opions’ replaced with ‘onions’.
95: ‘maket’ replaced with ‘market’.
100: Added ‘1’ to “score it in 1-in squares” for clarity.
102: ‘sal’ replaced with ‘salt’.
109: ‘to’ removed from ‘and to continue boiling’.
109: ‘fished’ replaced with ‘fleshed’.
109: ‘romoved’ replaced with ‘removed’.
111: ‘pay’ replaced with ‘pan’.
113: ‘SAUTERED’ replaced with ‘SAUTEED’.
113: ‘SAUTED’ replaced with ‘SAUTEED’.
120: ‘valnilla’ replaced with ‘vanilla’.
124: ‘carmel’ replaced with ‘caramel’.
124: ‘if’ replaced with ‘of’.
130: ‘majoram’ replaced with ‘marjoram’.
145: ‘tumeric’ replaced with ‘turmeric’.
145: ‘sterlized’ replaced with ‘sterilized’.
152: ‘preferable’ replaced with ‘preferably’.
153: ‘bock’ replaced with ‘block’.
153: ‘spatulas’ replaced with ‘spatula’.
153: ‘necesary’ replaced with ‘necessary’.
154: ‘flour’ replaced with ‘floor’.
157: ‘crambs’ replaced with ‘crabs’.
157: ‘memdicants’ replaced with ‘mendicants’.
158: ‘Caviare’ replaced with ‘Caviar’.
158: ‘Curacoa’ replaced with ‘Curacao’.