Part 8

To each stiffly beaten white of an egg, add a tablespoonful of sugar, and spread on the pie after it is baked and allowed to cool slightly; place in the oven for a few minutes. Care should be taken that the oven is not too hot, or the covering will be tough and leathery.

CAKES

Feed sparingly, and defy the physician. Who lives to eat, will die by eating.

Whoever eats too much, or of food which is not healthful, is weakening his powers to resist the clamors of other appetites and passions.—“_Christian Temperance._”

The best seasoning for food is hunger.—_Socrates._

Reason should direct, and appetite obey.—_Cicero._

Men should be temperate in eating as well as drinking.—_Dr. Brandreth._

[Leaf]

It is important that all the necessary materials should be gathered together before beginning the cake. If baking-powder is used, allow a teaspoonful to each cup of flour; sift it in the flour, and measure the sugar; have the pans for baking in readiness. Beat the whites and yolks of eggs separately in china bowls, using a Dover egg-beater. The whites should be beaten till stiff enough to cut with a knife, the yolks till they cease to froth and begin to thicken. Cream the butter by beating it, first warming the dish by rinsing with hot water, if the weather is cold. Then add the sugar slowly, then the beaten yolks of eggs; add a little of the milk, then a part of the flour, thus alternating with the milk and flour till all are used, being careful to have the mixture always of about the same consistency.

Next fold in the stiffly beaten whites, add flavoring if desired, and beat for a few moments. If fruit is used, fold it in, well floured, the last thing, or it will sink to the bottom of the cake.

The baking is an important part of cake-making. The oven should be at a proper temperature; if too hot at first, the cake browns too quickly, and a crust is formed over the top before the cake has sufficient time to rise; if not hot enough, the air that has been beaten in escapes before the heat has time to expand it; the result is that the cake is coarse-grained and heavy.

Have the oven less hot for cake than for bread, but hotter for thin cake than for loaf cake. It is about right for loaf cake made with butter when it turns a piece of writing-paper a light brown in five minutes. About an hour will be required to bake a loaf cake: from fifteen to twenty minutes for small cakes and layer cakes.

A tube cake pan, as shown in the accompanying cut, is very good for baking ordinary cakes, as the tube causes the cake to bake more evenly, and renders it less liable to fall.

If it is necessary to move the cake after putting it in the oven, it should be done carefully, as jarring is liable to make it fall. A cake is done when a clean broom straw passed through the thickest part comes out clean.

If a cake rises up, cracks open, and remains that way, it has baked too fast, or too much flour has been used. To bake properly, it should rise first on the edges, then in the middle, crack open slightly, then settle till level, when it will have closed nearly together again. The outside should be a golden brown, the inside slightly moist, and fine grained.

In beating the yolks of eggs where both eggs and milk are used, first rinse the bowl in which the yolks are to be beaten with a little of the milk.

In beating the whites of the eggs, do not stop until they are stiff, as they can not be beaten stiff after standing till they have become liquid again. Eggs will beat stiffer if cold, and beaten in a cold dish and in a cool room.

Jelly for filling should be beaten till smooth, then spread between the layers before they are quite cool. In using dessicated cocoanut, first moisten it with a little sweet cream.

Citron used in cake should be cut into fine strips. Currants and raisins should be looked over, washed, dried, and then be well floured before being added to the cake, as they absorb moisture and tend to make the cake heavy. Rich cake should be avoided. Sponge cake may be considered the most healthful.

To make sponge cake, beat the yolks till thick and light-colored, then beat in the sugar, add lemon-juice, or other liquid and flavoring to be used. Then add the stiffly beaten whites, sift in the flour over them, and fold all in together without stirring or beating. Beating sponge cake after adding the flour makes it firm and tough, as also does the addition of too much flour. Sponge cake should be put together lightly and quickly, and baked at once.

SPONGE CAKE

Beat the yolks of three eggs; then gradually add one cupful of granulated sugar, one tablespoonful each of cold water and lemon-juice. Add the beaten whites and one cupful of flour, following general directions for making sponge cake as given above.

LEMON SPONGE CAKE

Take four eggs, one cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of lemon-juice, with a little of the grated rind, and one cupful of flour. Beat the yolks of the eggs to a foam, then beat in the sugar, adding a little at a time; then add the lemon-juice and grated rind; beat the whites of the eggs until very stiff, then lightly fold and chop them into the mixture. Slowly sift in the flour, carefully working it in. Do not beat after the flour has been added. Bake in two layers, and put together with fruit jelly or lemon honey. See page 40.

SPONGE LOAF CAKE

Break ten eggs into a large bowl, add two large cupfuls of granulated sugar, and beat together for half an hour without pausing. Then add one cupful of sifted flour, the juice and grated rind of one lemon, and one-fourth cup of cold water. Turn into deep pans, sprinkle the top lightly with powdered sugar, and bake about an hour in a moderate oven.

GEM CAKES

Beat to a foam the yolk of one egg, one cup of sugar, and one cup of cold, thin, sweet cream; a little grated lemon rind may be added for flavoring. Stir in slowly, beating thoroughly, two cupfuls of flour into which a heaping tablespoonful of cornstarch has been sifted. Beat until light and smooth; then add the well-beaten whites of two eggs, stirring just enough to mix them in. Turn into oiled, heated gem irons, and bake in a rather quick oven.

RICE CAKES

Separate four eggs; add a pinch of salt to the whites, beat until stiff, then set in a cool place. Beat the yolks for several minutes, then slowly add one cupful of sugar, beating continuously; carefully fold in the beaten whites, and lastly add one-half cup of flour, sifted before measuring, and mixed with one-half cup of ground rice; work in carefully, and quickly turn the mixture into oiled patty-pans, or drop by spoonfuls into a large oiled baking pan, and bake in a quick oven.

CREAM CAKE

One cupful each of sugar and sweet milk, one egg, one tablespoonful of butter, two cupfuls of flour, and two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder. Put together according to general directions. Bake in three layers, and put together with a filling made as follows: Heat one cupful of milk to boiling; to this add one-fourth cup of sugar, one dessertspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk reserved for this purpose, and one well-beaten egg; boil until thickened, let cool a little, and spread between the layers.

NUT CAKE

One and one-half cups of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of butter, two eggs, two cupfuls of flour, with two teaspoonfuls of baking-powder, and one cupful of milk. Put together according to general directions. Lastly, stir in one cupful of chopped nuts, and bake in a moderate oven.

FAVORITE CAKE

Beat together for nearly an hour one cupful each of flour and rice flour, twelve eggs, two cupfuls of sugar, and a spoonful of caraway seeds. Bake in a tube cake pan.

LAYER CAKE

One and one-half cups sugar, half cup of butter, three eggs, half cup of milk, and two heaping cups of sifted flour, with two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in three layers, and put together with a boiled frosting to which a cupful of chopped nuts or raisins may be added.

DELICATE CUP CAKE

Take two eggs, beaten separately, one cup of sugar, one cup of rich milk, two cups of flour, and teaspoonful of vanilla. Make according to general directions; bake in patty pans, or gem irons.

RAISED FRUIT CAKE

Take one cup of light bread dough when ready for the pans, put into a dish, and work into it one-half cup of oil or butter, one egg well beaten, one cup of sugar, one-half cup of milk, one and one-half cups of flour, and lastly one cup of English currants or seedless raisins, chopped fine. Turn into an oiled bread tin, let rise in a warm place for about an hour and a half, or until light, then bake for nearly an hour in a moderate oven.

FROSTING FOR CAKE

Beat the white of one egg until stiff, add a teaspoonful of lemon-juice, then gradually add one scant cup of powdered sugar; beat very hard; flavor as desired. To color it a delicate pink, add a little currant or strawberry juice; a yellow tint may be obtained by grating orange or lemon rind, and using two tablespoonfuls of the juice, first straining through a cloth.

BOILED FROSTING

Without stirring boil one cupful of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of water in a saucepan until clear; then pour it upon the stiffly beaten white of an egg, stirring well together, and spread over the cake with a knife, which dip frequently into cold water.

CREAM ICING

To two tablespoonfuls of cream and one teaspoonful of vanilla or other flavoring add enough confectioner’s sugar to make it stiff enough to spread. Orange, or other fruit juice, may be used in place of the cream.

ORANGE ICING

Beat the yolk of one egg and add the juice and grated rind of one orange and enough confectioner’s sugar to make it stiff enough to spread.

WHOLESOME DRINKS

Write it underneath your feet, Up and down the busy street; Write it for the great and small, In the palace, cottage, hall,— Where there’s drink there’s danger. _—Selected._

Water is best.—_Pindar._

Tea is a stimulant; coffee is a hurtful indulgence.

Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.—_Solomon._

If you wish to keep mind clear and body healthy, abstain from all fermented liquors.—_Sydney Smith._

Many who never touch alcohol ruin their health by tea.—_Hygiene Review._

Temperance is the parent of health, cheerfulness, and old age.—_George Mogridge._

CEREAL COFFEE

To prepare, take three and one-half quarts of fresh bran, one and one-half quarts corn-meal, two cupfuls of molasses, and one cupful of boiling water; mix all together thoroughly, bake in a large dripping-pan in the oven till a rich brown color; stir often to prevent scorching. Make the same as ordinary coffee, only let boil a little longer.

CRUST COFFEE

Brown stale pieces of brown or white bread in the oven slowly to a golden brown; then crush with a rolling-pin. Put the crumbs in a thin cloth bag, filling only half full, and tying near the top; put the bag in the coffee-pot and turn on hot water, allowing seven parts of water to one of crumbs. Boil five or ten minutes. Remove the bag, bring the coffee to a boil again, and serve with cream and sugar. This makes a very smooth drink, and is especially nice for the sick.

CORN COFFEE

Brown common field corn as brown as possible without burning; then pound, or grind coarsely in a coffee-mill, and place in a covered can ready for use. In making the coffee, mix the white of an egg with three tablespoonfuls of the ground grain, pour over three or four cups of boiling water, and steep for ten or fifteen minutes. Serve with cream and sugar.

Peas, wheat, barley, or rice may be prepared in the same way.

HOT MILK

Heat the milk in a double boiler until the surface becomes wrinkled. It should be drunk a few sips at a time. A bowl of hot milk and brown bread forms a nourishing meal.

CAMBRIC TEA

Take a cup of boiling water, add a little cream, and sugar to sweeten. A simple but pleasant and wholesome drink.

EGG-NOG

Beat one egg and a teaspoonful of powdered sugar to a foam; add the juice of half a lemon, pour into a glass and fill up with cold water.

EGG-NOG, HOT

Beat well together the yolk of one egg and a tablespoonful of sugar; add one-half cup of hot milk or water, and the white of the egg beaten to a stiff froth; stir lightly, and serve.

LEMONADE, NO. 1

Roll the lemons till soft; cut into halves, and with a lemon drill squeeze out sufficient juice to make one cupful; add to this one cupful of white sugar; as soon as the sugar dissolves, add about two quarts of water, and serve. For lemon frappé add the beaten whites of three eggs.

LEMONADE, NO. 2

For each quart desired, take the juice of three or four lemons, and the rind of one. Peel the rind very thin, getting just the yellow; place it in a pitcher with the juice of the lemons and from four to six tablespoonfuls of white sugar. Pour over enough hot water to make a quart in all; cover at once, and let stand until cold; or pour over a spoonful or two of boiling water to dissolve the sugar, and add the necessary quantity of cold water.

HOT LEMONADE

To the juice of each lemon add a cupful of boiling water, and sweeten to taste. Excellent for a cold.

ORANGEADE

Choose nice, juicy, ripe oranges, and make the same as Lemonade Nos. 1 and 2, only using less sugar. This will be found a much nicer drink than many imagine. Try it.

FRUIT JUICE LEMONADE

To a pint of lemonade prepared according to foregoing recipes, add a half cup of strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, or currant juice. This gives a nice color to the lemonade, besides improving its flavor.

PINEAPPLE LEMONADE

Make the lemonade as indicated above, and flavor with a few spoonfuls of pineapple juice.

GRAPEADE

Take two pounds of thoroughly ripe purple grapes, crush, and strain the juice through a coarse cloth or jelly-bag. Add to the juice three tablespoonfuls of white sugar, and dilute with sufficient cold water to suit the taste.

FRUIT JUICE DRINKS

Take a small quantity of the juice of any stewed or canned fruit. Dilute with water, and add sugar according to the acidity of the juice. When fruit juice is not available, similar drinks may be made by dissolving fruit jelly in warm water, and allowing to cool. Such drinks are especially refreshing for the sick.

FRUIT PUNCH

Boil two pounds of sugar and three quarts of water for five minutes. Then strain, and add to it the juice of two lemons and two oranges, and one pint of freshly grated pineapple. Let stand for an hour or two, then add sufficient shaved ice to make it palatable, a cupful of halved strawberries, a few raspberries, and serve.

BUTTERMILK

If rich and thick, drop into it a piece of ice; or if not, place on ice till cool. This is a very healthful drink, for, after the butter, which is the carbonaceous or heat-producing element, is removed, a most refreshing, nourishing quality remains.

SPECIALLY PREPARED HEALTH FOODS Nuts, Oils, Etc.

O blessed health! thou art above all gold and treasure. He who has thee has little more to wish for; and he who is so wretched as to want thee, wants everything with thee.—_Sterne._

Give a wise man health, and he will give himself every other thing.—_Colton._

It is health that makes your meat savory, your drink palatable, your sleep refreshing, your delights delightful, and your pleasures pleasurable.—_Combe._

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The world is in need of knowledge how to prepare and use simple, inexpensive, healthful foods. As diseases increase in the animal creation, it will be more and more necessary for those who desire to preserve their health to come back to the diet originally given to man,—a diet consisting chiefly of fruits, grains, and nuts, and various legumes, roots, and herbs. At the rate disease is increasing at the present time, it will not be long before it will be unsafe to use animal products of any kind. It is well, therefore, for all to learn how to prepare foods without them.

Various nut, cereal, and legume preparations well supply the place of flesh-meats. The different nut and vegetable oils take the place of butter, cream, and other animal fats.

In the use of nuts, care should be taken not to use them too freely, as they are a very rich and concentrated form of food. Eaten sparingly in their natural state in connection with the meals, or properly combined with other less concentrated foods, they fill an important place in a natural dietary.

A little experience in the use of vegetable oils will convince any one that they are not only palatable, but far more cleanly and wholesome than many of the ordinary fats used in cooking.

The following recipes are designed to aid especially in preparing foods in this manner:—

PEANUT BUTTER

Put the shelled peanuts in a pan in a slow oven, leaving the door slightly ajar; allow to stay in till so dry that the hulls will rub off easily, but in no case allow to brown or burn. When sufficiently dry, put into a bag, tie up closely, and knead or roll on a table with the hands until the husks are well loosened; separate the husks from the nuts by turning from one pan into another in the wind. Grind, and cook for several hours in a double boiler with no water added to the nuts. Put away to use as occasion requires.

PEANUT CREAM

Mix one tablespoonful of nut butter with two or three spoonfuls of water to a smooth cream; then add one-half cupful of water, a little salt, and stir well together.

PEANUT MILK

Make the same as peanut cream, only add more water.

ALMOND BUTTER

Pour boiling water over the shelled nuts, and let stand from three to five minutes; then drain, and slip off the husks with thumb and finger. Put in a warm place till thoroughly dry; grind, and put away for future use.

ALMOND MILK AND CREAM

Proceed the same as with peanut cream and milk, only using a little more water.

COCOANUT MILK AND CREAM

Select good cocoanuts with milk in them. Let the milk out of the soft eye; then, holding the nut in the left hand, strike sharp, quick blows with a hammer or iron bar on the meridian line, causing the nut to revolve by tossing it up slightly, when it will break in halves. Grate on an iron or steel cocoanut scraper, made as shown in accompanying cut, placing the scraper board across a chair, with a pan upon the floor to catch the grated nut, while the operator sits upon the board, takes half of the broken nut in the hollow of both hands, scraping it back and forth over the sharp teeth till all the meat has been finely scraped from the shell. For each grated nut pour over a quart of hot water; stir well, then squeeze and strain through a strong, coarse cloth. Empty the cocoanut from the cloth into a saucepan, pour over a little more hot water, stir, and strain through the cloth a second time, to get out all the milk. This makes cocoanut milk. Using half the quantity of water makes good cream; or let the milk stand an hour and skim off the top for thick cream.

COCOANUT-OIL

Cocoanut-oil can generally be purchased in the market from wholesale druggists, though it is sometimes difficult to get that which is not rancid. It can be made by taking the cream from a half dozen or dozen nuts, treated as above, only allowing the milk to stand over night before skimming, and boiling the cream in an iron vessel, without stirring, until all the water is evaporated. When done, the sediment will be found browned, and adhering to the bottom of the vessel. Bottle, and set away for use.

Ko-nut is a pure, refined cocoanut-oil, which does not turn rancid, and is, therefore, very nice, and far preferable to the cocoanut-oil ordinarily obtainable for cooking purposes.

VEGETABLE OIL

There are various good cooking oils, among which may be mentioned Wesson’s Cooking Oil, and Fairbank’s White Cooking Oil, both refined products of cottonseed-oil. Olive-oil may also be used in cooking.

HOME-MADE GRANOLA

Take slices of brown, white, or whole wheat bread, place in a moderate oven until a light brown, break in pieces, and grind coarsely through a mill. Or, take a cup each of wheat-meal and white flour, one-half cup each of corn-meal and rolled oats or corn-meal and rye flour, and enough cold water to make a stiff dough; knead well, roll thin, cut in squares, and bake until dry and brittle; grind coarsely, and serve with thin cream, hot or cold milk, cocoanut milk, or fruit juice; or to each pint of boiling milk or water stir in one cupful of granola, add a little salt, cook a few minutes, and serve.

NUTMEAT

Take one cup of peanut butter, one and one-half cups hot water, three heaping tablespoonfuls of gluten, and one level teaspoonful of salt. Mix all well together, and cook in a double boiler from four to five hours. A small onion grated fine and a teaspoonful of powdered sage may be added if desired.

PROTOSE STEAK

Cut protose into slices half an inch thick. Lay on an oiled tin and place in the oven until nicely browned.

PROTOSE CUTLETS

Take one pound of protose and cut into slices three or four inches long and one inch wide, lay on an oiled tin, and place in the oven till well heated; have ready an egg well beaten, to which add a sprinkle of salt; take the protose from the oven, and dip each piece in the beaten egg, then roll in fine bread crumbs, place back on the pan, and set in the oven until nicely browned.

NUT GRAVY

Blend one tablespoonful of nut butter with a little water; stir it into a pint of boiling water; salt, and thicken with two tablespoonfuls of browned flour moistened with cold water; boil five or ten minutes. A few spoonfuls of stewed, strained tomatoes will improve it. Nice with vegetables or toasts.

EGGS IN NEST ON ZWIEBACK

Take six eggs, or as many as required, break, and separate, by putting all the whites in one bowl and each yolk in a cup by itself containing a spoonful or two of cold water. Moisten six slices of zwieback by pouring over them hot water and quickly draining, and place side by side in a large shallow baking pan. Beat the whites of the eggs until very stiff, and place an equal amount on top of each slice of zwieback. Make a hollow in the center of the whites, lift the yolks out of the water from the cups with a tablespoon, being careful not to break them, and place a yolk in each hollow. Sprinkle over a little salt, and place in the oven until the whites are a delicate brown. Serve as soon as done. A nice dish for the sick.

SIMPLE DISHES FOR THE SICK.

Health—thou chiefest good, Bestow’d by heaven, But seldom understood. —_Lucan._

Diet cures more than doctors.—_Scotch Proverb._

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine.—_Solomon._

Health is not quoted in the markets, because it is without price.—_Selected._

The best physicians are Dr. Diet, Dr. Quiet, and Dr. Merryman.—_Selected._

The less the attention is called to the stomach the better. If you are in constant fear that your food will hurt you, it most assuredly will. Forget your troubles; think of something cheerful.—“_Christian Temperance._”

[Leaf]

Food for the sick should generally be of a very simple character. It should be such as will furnish the most nourishment with the least tax upon the digestive organs. It should be prepared with care and scrupulous cleanliness, well cooked, and served in the most inviting manner. Cover the tray with clean white linen, and use the daintiest dishes the house affords.

Other dishes suitable for the sick may be found among the Toasts, Breads, Fruits, Wholesome Drinks, etc.

GLUTEN GRUEL

For each cupful of boiling milk stir in one tablespoonful of gluten meal; add a little salt, let boil a moment, and serve.

ARROWROOT GRUEL