Part 7

Fresh vegetables should be whole and sound when purchased. Roots and tubers require special care as to cleanliness. Perishable vegetables should be used as soon as purchased. If kept for any length of time, they should be stored in a cool, dry place. From time to time, they should be looked over and those which show signs of decay, removed.

PREPARATION FOR COOKING

The first step is cleansing. Wash thoroughly in cold water and then pick over or scrub with a vegetable brush to thoroughly remove any small portions of dirt that may be embedded in the outer covering or hidden among the leaves. Remove all leaves, tops, etc. The ideal way, from a food value standpoint, is to cook potatoes with the skins on, for, if pared, the valuable mineral salts escape into the water. Vegetables that are pared before cooking should be pared very thin. Between the skin and outer layers of the vegetable lies a layer containing much nutritive material, and, unless the parings are thin, this material is lost. Water in which pared vegetables are cooked should be saved and used as soup stock.

METHODS OF COOKING

BOILING

Vegetables should be cooked in boiling water. Strong smelling vegetables, such as cabbage, onions, etc., will not give off strong odors if cooked in plenty of water and uncovered. Other vegetables should be cooked in just enough water to cover and the kettle should be covered. Salt, however, toughens the fiber and, for this reason, is only used in the cooking of young, tender shoots. For the older vegetables the salt may be added just before serving.

STEAMING

Steaming is a very satisfactory method of cooking vegetables. The vegetables are placed on racks in the steamer and cooked until tender. None of the juices are lost, and the fiber is not toughened, and the appearance and shape of the vegetables are preserved.

BAKING

Vegetables may be washed, and baked in a moderate oven until the skin bursts. This method of cooking is satisfactory in that no nutriment is lost. The vegetables classed as roots, such as turnips, parsnips, etc., may be baked, but are less suited to this method of cooking.

WAYS OF SERVING VEGETABLES

Fresh with dressing (salads) Creamed Cooked, with dressing Sautéed Steamed Boiled with butter sauce Pickled Baked Braised as in soups, stews Croquettes Scalloped Au gratin

GARNISHES

Garnishes of vegetables are often used to give a colorful touch to meat dishes. A little sprig of parsley is often sufficient decoration. Clever garnishes are made by means of vegetable cutters. These are attractive additions when used as a border around a meat dish.

Lettuce is used extensively as a garnish. It is used most commonly as a garnish for cold meats.

VEGETABLE GARNISHES

Tomato Celery tops Peas Celery Chicory Olives Radishes Asparagus tips Chopped beets Nests of lettuce Romaine Cucumbers Green beans

CANDIED SWEET POTATOES

Serves 6. Preparation 30 minutes.

8 sweet potatoes ¼ lb. butter ¼ tsp. salt and pepper 1 c. sugar 1 tsp. cinnamon

Method: Pare the potatoes. Cut in two lengthwise. Parboil for fifteen minutes, drain and lay in baking dish. Spread with butter, sprinkle with salt and pepper, sugar and cinnamon. Add a few tablespoonfuls of hot water and bake until tender, basting often with the sauce in the pan.

ASPARAGUS BAKED WITH CHEESE

Serves 6. Preparation 20 minutes.

1 bunch asparagus 3 tbsp. butter 3 tbsp. flour ¼ tsp. salt 1 c. white stock or 1 c. asparagus stock and ½ c. evaporated milk Yolks of 2 eggs Grated American cheese Buttered cracker crumbs

Wash and tie the asparagus in a bunch and cook in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and save the liquor for soup. Make a sauce of the butter, flour, seasoning, stock and evaporated milk; add the yolks and two tablespoonfuls of cheese. Stir the sauce until the cheese melts but do not boil. Put the asparagus in a buttered baking dish and cover with sauce. Cover with cracker crumbs and put in an oven and bake until brown.

_Appetizing cheese of many varieties is marketed under the Armour Oval Label of Quality_

CAKE MAKING

_Make all measurements level._

==============+=============+==========+=======+==========+=========+========+======+===========+============ Classification|Shortening | Sugar | *Eggs | Liquid |Baking |Flour | Salt | Flavoring | Other | | | | | Powder | | | |Ingredients | | | | | or Soda | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ PLAIN CAKE |¼ c. | 1 c. | 2 |½ c. | 2½ |1½ c. | ⅛ | ½ tsp. | for layer |Butter or | | |Diluted | tsp. |Sifted | tsp. | Vanilla | or loaf |Oleomargarine| | |Evaporated| B. P. |twice | | | | | | |†Milk | | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ SPICE |1 c. |1½ c. | 3 |1 c. | 1 tsp. |2 c. | ⅛ | 5 tsp. | Currants CAKE |Bacon |Light | |Sour Milk | Soda |Sifted | tsp. | Mixed | and Nuts |Drippings |Brown | | | |twice | | Spices | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ GINGER |4 tbsp. |1 c. | 1 |½ c. | 1 tsp. |2 c. | ⅛ | 2 tsp. | CAKE |Drippings |Molasses | |Hot Water | Soda |Sifted | tsp. | Ginger | | | | | | |twice | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ DEVIL’S |½ c. |2 c. | 4 |1 c. | 5 tsp. |2⅔ c. | ⅛ | ½ tsp. | 4 squares FOOD |Drippings or |Light | |Diluted | B. P. |Sifted | tsp. | Vanilla | Melted |Oleomargarine|Brown | |Evaporated| |twice | | | Chocolate | | | |Milk | | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ POUND |1 c. |1½ c. | 4 |½ c. | 2 tsp. |2 c. | ⅛ | 1 tsp. | CAKE |Butter or Nut|Powdered | |Diluted | B. P. |Sifted | tsp. | Almond | |Margarine |Sugar | |Evaporated| |twice | | Ext. | | | | |Milk | | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ LADY |1 c. |2 c. | 6 |1 c. | 2 tsp. |2 c. | | 1 tsp. | BALTIMORE |Butter |Granulated|whites |Diluted | B. P. |Sifted | | Rosewater | | | | |Evaporated| |twice | | or Almond | | | | |Milk | | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ FRUIT CAKE |2 c. |1 c. | 2 |1 c. | 1 tsp. |5 c. | ½ | 1 tsp. | 1 lb. Dark |Oleomargarine|Molasses, | |Diluted | Soda |Sifted | tsp. | Allspice | Raisins, |or Drippings |2 c. | |Evaporated| |Flour | | 2 tsp. | ½ lb. | |dk. brn. | |Milk | | | | Cinnamon | Citron, | |Sugar | | | | | | 1 tsp. | 1 lb. | | | | | | | | Cloves | Currants, | | | | | | | | | ½ c. | | | | | | | | | Maraschino | | | | | | | | | Cherries --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ FRUIT CAKE |½ c. |1 c. | 5 | | 1 tsp. |1¾ c. | | ½ tsp. | ⅓ cup White |Oleomargarine|Sugar |whites | | B. P. |Sifted | | Almond | Blanched |or Butter | | | | |Flour | | Extract | Alm’ds | | | | | | | | | ½ cup | | | | | | | | | Cocoanut | | | | | | | | | ½ cup | | | | | | | | | Citron --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ SPONGE | |1 c. | 5 | | |1 c. | ¼ | 1 tsp. | CAKE | |Granulated| | | |Pastry | tsp. | Lemon | | | | | | |Flour | | Juice | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ SPONGE | |⅓ c. | 2 | | |⅓ c. | ⅛ | ¼ tsp. | DROPS | |Powdered | yolks | | |Pastry | tsp. | Vanilla | | | | 3 | | |Flour | | | | | |whites | | | | | | --------------+-------------+----------+-------+----------+---------+--------+------+-----------+------------ ORANGE | |2 c. | 5 | | |2 c. | ½ | | Orange CAKE | |Powdered | yolks | | |Pastry | tsp. | | Frosting | | | 4 | | |Flour | | | 2 tsp. | | | whites| | | | | | Cream of | | | | | | | | | Tartar ==============+=============+==========+=======+==========+=========+========+======+===========+============

_Method_ Cream butter, add sugar gradually and cream well, add beaten egg and mix. Mix and sift flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients and milk alternately to the first mixture. Mix with as little stirring as possible.

VARIATIONS: Add fruit and nuts with dry ingredients.

When whites and yolks are beaten separately, mix the yolk with the butter, and cut and fold in the whites last.

SPONGE CAKE

Beat yolks until thick and lemon colored. Add sugar gradually and continue beating, using Dover beater. Add lemon juice and water. Cut and fold in whites of egg alternately with flour.

VARIATIONS:

Sponge Drops should be dropped from teaspoon on oil paper.

* Fresh or high grade cold storage. † One part evaporated milk to two parts water. c.=cup tsp.=teaspoon tbsp.=tablespoon

Cake is judged by its delicate flavor, fine grain or texture, evenly baked crust, and appearance. Special pastry flour assures a more delicate texture than bread flour in cake making.

PROPORTION AND USE OF MATERIALS

Salt is used to bring out flavor. Quantity used should be according to amount of butter present. When nuts are used, the amount of salt should be increased slightly to bring out flavor. When chocolate or cocoa is used, decrease the amount of fat, as there is a certain amount of fat in the cocoa and chocolate.

(_Continued on page 37_)

_Use Armour’s Veribest Oleomargarine for cake making_

PASTRIES

PLAIN PASTRY

In plain pastry the shortening is mixed into the flour by chopping or with tips of fingers. All ingredients and utensils should be cold. When the lard is thoroughly chilled a large amount of ice-water can be incorporated, which, when converted into steam, acts as a leavening agent and makes the pastry light and fluffy.

PUFF PASTE

In puff paste the shortening is worked into a paste of flour and water by folding and rolling. Equal parts by weight of flour and shortening are used.

MATERIALS

Pure leaf lard is the ideal shortening for pastry making. It makes a light colored, soft, tender crust. Pure leaf lard is made only of leaf fat rendered in open kettles by a special process which makes the resulting product extremely rich and delicate.

Vegetole may be successfully used, following the same methods as with lard. Vegetole is an absolutely pure vegetable fat, processed to proper cooking consistency without anything being added. It may be secured in a sanitary pail in convenient size for home use.

Butter and oleomargarine are especially desirable for puff paste. A fine pastry or cake flour will absorb moisture least and is therefore one of the first requisites to pastry making. A small quantity of baking powder insures lightness to pie paste, but is not an essential to the product of an expert.

RULES

Everything must be cold, handled lightly and quickly and baked in a hot oven, to assure delicate pastry. To prevent escape of juice, mix cornstarch or flour with sugar and sprinkle lightly over the fruit before covering with the top crust. Press the edges of the upper and lower crusts tightly together. A cone of paper or piece of macaroni may be put into the slit of the crust to allow the escape of steam.

FRENCH PASTRY

French pastries are nationally popular and are very attractive for tea or fancy dessert service. The maker has wide scope for the display of individuality in devising and decorating pastries. Slices of jelly roll, loaf or sponge cake may be spread with mocha frosting to form individual cakes. Fruit-filled tarts, topped with a bit of meringue, are always popular. The real French pastry is made of puff paste, very tender and flaky, and filled with fruit.

CAKE MAKING (Continued from page 36)

LEAVENING AGENTS

Baking powder, soda and eggs are used as leavening agents; this is to make the cake light. If the number of eggs is increased in the cake recipe, decrease the amount of baking powder. One egg is equivalent to one teaspoon baking powder in leavening. Egg and milk together should not exceed 1½ cups liquid with three cups flour.

SHORTENING

A large amount of fat makes a cake close-grained; a small amount makes it porous, but it dries out easily. With too much fat, the cake crumbles and it maybe heavy. If melted fat is used in a cake, add it cool. If added hot, the cake will be tough, coarse in grain and less light.

LIQUID

If water is substituted for milk, use seven-eighths cup of water where one cup of milk is called for. If Veribest Evaporated Milk is substituted for whole milk, use one-third cup of evaporated milk and two-thirds cup of water. If cream is substituted for milk, lessen the shortening and use more cream than the milk called for.

USE OF SOUR OR SWEET MILK

Soda and acid both act on gluten and tend to make it tender, so cakes made with sour milk or buttermilk will be more tender than those made with water or sweet milk. One scant teaspoonful of soda is necessary to neutralize a cup of buttermilk or milk of the same sourness as buttermilk. An excess of soda gives the product an unpleasant flavor and, if present in too large a quantity, is injurious as well.

Sour evaporated milk is very useful in cookery. Dilute it as when sweet and add the necessary amount of soda to the product in which it is to be used.

Muffins, griddle cakes and biscuits are better made with sour milk than with sweet milk. Every bit of sour evaporated milk may be used in this way.

Evaporated milk does not sour quickly because of the thorough sterilization in heating to the temperature necessary for evaporation.

A quality grade of evaporated milk will keep after being open some four days before souring in warm weather and over a week in cold weather.

Foods made with sour milk are characterized by a particular softness of texture.

_Use Armour’s “Simon Pure” Leaf Lard or Vegetole for particular pastry making_

CEREALS AND FRUITS

Cereals are economical, contain unusually good proportions of necessary food ingredients with small proportion of refuse, are readily prepared for the table, palatable, digestible, compact, and easily preserved without deterioration.

Rolled oats is perhaps the best-known of the cereals and lends itself to the greatest variety of dishes, aside from its popular use as a breakfast food.

Corn flakes are manufactured of the best pure white corn, thoroughly toasted and ready to serve. Wheat flakes are the whole wheat berry, flaked and toasted.

Macaroni, spaghetti, and egg noodles are made from Durum wheat semolina, ground fine. Eggs are added to the cereal for noodles.

Hominy grits and whole hominy are favorite American breakfast cereals and combine well with other foods as the main dish for the meal.

Among the staple food products, rice is one of the least expensive and should appear frequently on the family bill of fare.

Thorough cooking is the secret of the tasty and easily digested dish of cereal. Cereals in bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, croquettes, and in casseroles with cheese, fish, or left-over meat; in the baking dish with a slice of ham, or with a vegetable, they give variety to the menu and make the preparation of the everyday dishes more interesting.

TABLE FOR COOKING CEREALS

Kind Quantity Water Time Rolled Oats 1 c. 2 c. 20 min. Corn Meal 1 c. 3½ c. 2 hrs. Hominy (Fine) 1 c. 4 c. 1 hr. Hominy (Whole, canned) 1 can heat in 15 min. own liquid Rice (Steamed) 1 c. 2 to 3 c. 45 min. Wheat Cereals 1 c. 2¾ c. 30 min. Macaroni 1 c. 2 qts. 20 min. Spaghetti 1 c. 2 qts. 20 min.

Stir cereals gradually into required quantity of boiling water, allowing one teaspoon salt to each cup of cereal. Fine granular cereals may be mixed first with a small amount of cold water to prevent lumping, then add boiling water. Stir flaky cereals with a fork. Cook rapidly at first over flame five or ten minutes, then in double boiler. For prepared cereals, allow plenty of time to cook thoroughly as their palatability and ease of digestion depend largely on this.

For variety, stir figs, dates or marmalade into cereals before serving. Serve with canned fruits, baked apples, or fresh fruits sliced over the cereal.

Cold cooked cereals may be sliced, dipped in flour, or in eggs and crumbs and fried. In preparing corn meal mush for frying, a little flour added to the corn meal will make it slice more easily.

SERVE MORE FRUITS

During the season when fruits are plentiful serve them plain, uncooked and well ripened. Small fruits and berries should be thoroughly chilled. All fruits should be washed and drained or wiped before serving. To wash berries, place in a colander and pour water over them, handling as little as possible. If washed under the faucet turn to a small stream. Wash strawberries before removing the stems, otherwise they will become water soaked.

CANNED FRUITS

Serve canned fruits with their juices as a dessert for luncheon and dinner, as an appetizer for breakfast, in cocktails for dinner, and in various desserts in which fruit is used as a base. The flavor of canned fruit is improved by removing from the can to a dish and allowing to stand in the air one hour before using. The juice which is not served with the fruit should be used in fruit gelatins, sauces, or drinks. Do not waste any fruit juice.

Certain fruit juices contain a neutral substance called pectin, which, when properly cooked, causes them to solidify or jell. In this form much of our excess fruit and juices are preserved. Apples, grapes, currants, cranberries, and plums are the best known jell makers.

GRAPEFRUIT AND ORANGE

In preparing grapefruit to serve, chill the fruit thoroughly, cut in two crosswise, remove the seeds with a sharp pointed knife, remove the center, and, slipping the knife down between rind and pulp, loosen all around without cutting the tissue.

_Cereals and Armour’s Extract of Beef extend the meat flavor of a small amount of meat to make a satisfying main dish_

BREAD MAKING

(_Also see page 40_)

Bread can be made out of flour, water, yeast, and salt, but usually a little fat and sugar are added to give additional food value and flavor. Milk when used in place of water makes a more nutritious bread, and the crust has a more appetizing appearance.

Hard wheat flour, which is made from spring wheat and contains a high percentage of gluten, is best for bread making. Winter or soft wheat flour is used where a lighter, more flaky product is desired.

QUALITIES OF GOOD BREAD

Good bread is sometimes described as porous or containing a large number of holes, all about the same size and shape. A loaf of bread should be light in weight according to its size and should be elastic and have a symmetrical form and an unbroken golden crust.

POINTS TO REMEMBER

1. Use dependable materials and correct utensils.

2. Cleanliness. Exactness of proportions, measuring, mixing and molding.

3. Set bread to rise in a warm place. Keep it warm while rising.

4. Adjust oven temperature high at first to form crust, then medium and steady.

5. Cool loaves without steaming.

BAKING

Baking bread (1) kills the ferment (2) makes starch soluble (3) drives off the alcohol and carbon dioxide (4) forms brown crust of pleasant flavor. Bread should be baked 45 minutes-1 hour in a moderate oven at a temperature of 350°-400°. If the oven is too hot, the crust will brown too quickly before the center of the bread is baked. The first fifteen minutes of the baking, the loaves should continue rising, then should brown and continue browning for the next twenty minutes. The last fifteen minutes should finish the baking.

After baking, the loaves should be removed from the pans at once, and turned on their side on a wire bread or cake cooler. If a soft crust is desired, brush with butter and cover; if a crisp crust is preferred, allow the bread to cool without covering.

ROLLED OATS BREAD

Makes 3 loaves. Preparation 5 hours.