TX 715 .B814 Copy 1 Y^^ ^UU©hL (K)@y D flSiyiiS) ©Y TIHIII M@!STK)i(^(^ im%r €@lM)(PAMY~iAMIK Recipes contained in this little cook book have been carefully test- ed by me and are recommended for their wholesomeness, palatability and very moderate cost of materials. They certainly should help many a housewife to reduce her cost of living. Associate Editor, Good Housekeeping Magazine New York City, Nov. 1, 1912. Cooking Hints and Helps to Reduce the Cost of Living ?^^? Issued by The Northern Trust Company— Bank N. W. Cor. La Salle and Monroe Sts. Chicago A^ Cupyriglu 19U by The Northern Trust Companv — Bank )CI.A343755 It y\ , C ONTENTS Chapter I. Introductory. II. How to Prepare Inexpensive Cuts of Meat. III. Substitutes for Meat. IV. Appetizing Dishes from Leftovers. V. Food Value of Milk and its Care in the Home. VI. Vegetables, Food Value and How to Prepare them. VII. Desserts at Small Cost. VIII. Cakes at Small Cost. IX. Miscellaneous Economies in Cooking. X. How to Save Gas, Ice and Fuel. Important to Remember: — In all cases, in these recipes, 1 cup is Yi pint measured even. 1 tablespoonful (tbsp) is measured even. The same is true of every quantity men- tioned unless specified diflFerently. The Housewife's Problem in a Nutshell This little cook book is intended to help the frugal housewife to feed her family well. In these days of high cost of living this is not an easy problem. The woman who has a limited amount to spend on her table, must spend it wisely if the members of her household are to be well nourished and enjoy their food. True economy does not mean poor living. It means eliminating waste — getting the most for your money. It is quite possible to spend much and get little, in the way of wholesome food. Knowledge alone can save the housewife from such error. In the purchase and preparation of food she must know food values, how to get them at lowest cost, how to prepare them into appetizing dishes, how to save unnecessary waste. It may be poor economy to buy inexpensive food. The family must have certain elements to grow and work. Food may be cheap and worth- less, or inexpensive and valuable. One must 7 "know." It is really a simple matter to choose nutritious food, and have it so prepared that there is no waste. Waste is responsible for much of what we call ''high cost of living". Extravagance is evidenced not only by what people throw away, but also by what they leave in the shops because they do not know how to prepare it. Butchers put a high price on the cuts of meat which anybody can cook without loss of flavor. Parts requiring skill in preparation can be bought for much less. For health the human body requires proteids, carbohydrates, fats and mineral matter. The pro- teids are the muscle-builders. Meat is chief among them; hence it has a prominent place on our tables. Eggs, cheese, nuts and vegetables belonging to the pulse family (such as dried peas, beans and lentils) are all rich in proteid, and where economy is de- sired should often take the place of meat. The car- bohydrates are starches and sugars. These sub- stances furnish energy. They are found largely in cane sugar and the root vegetables, such as potatoes, beets, turnips, carrots, etc. White bread contains much starch, as do all the cereals. Fats and oils make heat and energy. They are found in cream, butter, oils, fat of meats, etc. The minerals have various uses, one of which is bone building. Green vegetables and grains supply them largely. No one food contains all of these valuable prop- erties. They usually are combined in varying pro- portions. Hence the need of a varied diet. A well planned meal includes foods from each of these large subdivisions, so insuring a full satisfaction of the body's needs. This is the reason why meat is served with potatoes and a green vegetable. Meat, or the proteid-bearing portion of the menu, is usually the most expensive. Food which is well cooked and contains suffi- cient variety of body building elements is certain to please the appetite. It is the ill nourished who crave other stimulants — or become tired of the menu. This is one cause of liquor drinking, espe- cially among men whose work is hard or heavy. Their food is insufficient or poorly balanced; it does not satisfy. A stronger stimulant is required, which, of course, is much more costly than any normal food. Every dollar saved on your food bill, without lessening food value or impairing its appetizing relish, is a dollar ahead. It will do you much more good in a savings bank earning interest than it will in being uselessly spent. 9 How to Prepare Inexpensive Cuts of Meat CHAPTER II When the housekeeper attempts to reduce her meat bill by using the less expensive cuts, she commonly has two difficulties to contend with: toughness and lack of flavor. These are readily overcome. Long cooking at moder- ate temperature softens the fibres, and pounding or chopping may be employed to break and cut the tough muscle. Proper cooking will develop natural flavor, which may also be en- riched by including vegetables and herbs with the meat. Directions follow herein for cooking some of the tough- est and cheapest cuts of meat so that they will be quite as nutritious as por- terhouse steak — and as appetizing. Hamburg steak may be made into dishes both appetizing and attractive in appearance. Take one cup of stale bread crumbs, ?^i?^"''^ and soften with two tablespoons of water or milk, mixed with one slightly beaten egg. Stir until well blended. 10 Loaf Beef Cecils Minced Stew Add a chopped onion, 1 teaspoon of minced parsley or celery tops, salt and pepper. Mix with two pounds of Hamburg steak and bake at moder- ate heat one hour in a greased loaf pan. When done turn out of the pan and serve with a brown sauce. Strained tomato, tomato sauce or brown gravy may be used to moisten the loaf instead of milk. Two pounds of steak are enough for five persons. As a variation from the loaf, mix the Hamburg steak as directed and form into flat cakes. Brown them in a frying pan over a slow fire, turning often to secure even cooking. For two persons, buy a half pound of Hamburg steak. Put one cup of boiling water into a skillet. Add salt and pepper to the meat and then stir- ring, cook in the boiling water until most of the latter has evaporated. Place spoonfuls of the steak on thin slices of toast and pour the gravy left in the pan over it. 11 Brown Stew with Dump- lings Stuffed Heart Two pounds of beef from the neck, shin or shank will make this appetiz- ing stew. Cut the beef into one-inch cubes; put ^ cup of suet into a sauce- pan. When the fat is rendered, take out the cracklings, throw the meat into the hot fat and shake it over the fire until browned. Add two tablespoons flour and one quart stock or water. Stir until boiling, season with salt, pepper and a small onion; cover and cook slowly for Ij/^ hours. Ten minutes be- fore serving take 1 cup flour, add ^ teaspoon salt and 2 level teaspoons bak- ing powder; sift and add sufficient milk to moisten. Drop this dough by spoon- fuls on top of stew, cover, and cook for 10 minutes without lifting the cover. Arrange the dumplings around the edge of the platter, place the stew in center and serve. Beef heart is inexpensive. House- keepers should use it more often. The best way to prepare is to stuff it and bake. Have the butcher remove the gristle and tough red part at the top. Wash the heart carefully, then 12 parboil for half an hour in water that just simmers. Make a stuffing of 1 cup of stale bread crumbs, 2 table- spoons of lard, suet or salt pork chopped fine, ^ teaspoon salt, dash of pepper, 2 sprigs of parsley chopped fine, and Y^. cup of any cold vegetable on hand. Fill the three holes of the parboiled heart with this stuffing. Sew up the openings, dredge with flour and bake 1^ hours in a hot oven. Baste often. Serve with Chili sauce. Hungarian 2 lbs. top round of 1 onion Goulash beef 2 bay leaves 2 ounces salt pork 6 whole cloves 2 cups tomatoes 6 peppercorns 1 stalk celery 1 blade mace Cut the beef into two-inch pieces and sprinkle with flour; fry the salt pork until light brown, add the beef and cook slowly for 35 minutes, stir- ring occasionally. Cover with water and simmer for two hours. Make a sauce of the vegetables and spices as follows: Cook all together in suffi- cient water to cover for 20 minutes; then rub through a sieve, and add to 1.3 Farmer Stew some of the stock in which the meat is cooked. Thicken with flour, using 2 tablespoons (moistened with cold wa- ter) to each cup of liquid, and bring to the boiling point. Serve the meat on a platter with the sauce poured over it. Pound flour into both sides of a round steak, using as much as the meat will take up. Sear in drippings, then add water enough to cover it. Cover the dish tightly, so that the steam can- not escape, and allow the meat to sim- mer for two hours, or until tender. 1 pound round of beef 1 cup soft stale bread Yi. lb. lean fresh pork crumbs 1 small onion 1 egg 1 green pepper 2 cups stewed to Filipino 1 teaspoon salt toes Beef 2 tablespoons butter 2 slices bacon 4 tablespoons flour Remove the seeds from the pepper and chop fine with the meats and onion. Add crumbs, beaten egg and salt. Shape into a roll, place in a shallow greased baking dish, pour the strained tomatoes around it, put the bacon on 14 Flank Stew Irish Stew top, and bake 45 minutes, basting with the tomatoes. Thicken the gravy with the flour cooked in the butter. A little seasoning, such as a bay leaf, a clove, and a small piece of onion, improves the tomato sauce. This dish will serve 6 to 8 people. When the meat is 20 cents a pound and every other item is valued at usual town market prices, the total cost is about 50 cents. When preparing to broil a porter- house steak, cut off the tough flank and serve for stew at another meal. 2 lbs. of neck mutton 6 potatoes 2 tablespoons of drip- Parsley pings Salt 2 onions Cut the meat into pieces about two inches square, washing carefully to re- move bits of bone. Sear the outside of the meat in the hot drippings. Slice the onions and add to the meat with the parsley. Cover with cold water. Bring rapidly to the boiling point, then let it simmer until tender. (Fast boil- ing toughens the meat.) After the meat has cooked two hours add the 15 Smoked White Fish Finnan Haddie potatoes, pared and cut into cubes. Cook until potatoes are done. Do not use any more water than is necessary. The stew should be thick. Fish is highly nutritious, easily di- gested, and usually much less in price than other meats. At least once or twice a week it should appear upon the menu. The price of fresh fish is rarely high, while smoked and dried fish may be purchased from the smallest allow- ance. Of smoked whitefish or trout a delicious dish may be concocted. Pick the fish into small pieces with fork or fingers, removing all skin and bones. To a cupful of the fish add a cupful of cold boiled potatoes chopped. Make a sauce of 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, y^ teaspoon salt and 1 cup of milk. Stir sauce into fish. Place in a small baking dish and brown in the oven. Finnan Haddie may be prepared like smoked whitefish. Soak ^ hour in hot water before removing skin, etc. Put buttered bread crumbs on top be- fore setting in oven to brown. 16 Codfish Balls Fish Souffle Buy the salt codfish in one piece. This is more economical and tastes bet- ter than that already shredded. Soak the fish over night, drain and pick into fine pieces. To a cup of the fish add 1^ cups of raw potatoes sliced. Place fish and potatoes in a saucepan, cover with boiling water and cook until the potatoes are soft. Drain off the water and press fish and potatoes through a sieve. Add 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons milk, and beat all together with a fork. Cool the mixture and mold into flat cakes. Fry in deep fat, and drain on brown paper. Use 1 cup of Finnan Haddie which has soaked in warm water for 2 hours or more, and has been then flaked; 1 cup cold mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, j^ cup hot milk, the yolk of 1 egg well beaten. Stir all together and beat 3 minutes. Beat the whites of 2 eggs until stifif. Fold lightly into the fish mixture and pile quickly into a baking dish. Bake in a moderate oven until firm. 17 Veal and Lamb Poultry Veal and lamb are usually expen- sive; they are neither so nutritious nor digestible as beef and mutton, hence are not entitled to consideration here. Poultry should be bought sparingly by the economical housewife, for in no other meat is there so much waste. With fowl one pays for a larger per cent of bone and refuse than with any other meat. When the apparent price of chicken is 20 cents, its real price is about 50 cents per pound. The most economical chicken to buy is the stew- ing chicken. By cooking in a small amount of water, closely covered, much nutriment may be saved that is lost when roasting, broiling, etc. 18 u bstitutes F o r Meat Beaure- garde Eggs Surprise CHAPTER III The food value of eggs is so great that even when the price is high, they are less expensive than good meat. The ways of cooking eggs are practically without end. The following are some of the most appetizing. Boil five eggs hard. Remove whites from yolks. Chop whites fine and stir into 1 cup of white sauce. Mash the yolks with a fork and add ^ teaspoon salt. Arrange slices of buttered toast upon a flat dish. On each slice pour 2 spoonfuls of sauce containing the egg whites. Sprinkle the mashed yolks upon the top. Bake large white potatoes. When done, remove from oven. Cut a por- tion of the skin from the side of each potato and, without splitting the re- maining skin, take out a large spoonful of the potato. Into the cavity drop 1 raw egg. Return to oven and cook until egg is "set." 19 Health Eggs Coddled Eggs Eggs Japanese Tomato Scramble Allow 1 egg for each person to be served. Drop the whites into a bowl and place each yolk in a separate saucer. Whip the whites until stiff, adding a pinch of salt. Pile the whites lightly into a buttered baking dish, making a slight depression in the mass with a spoon, one cavity for each egg yolk. Drop an egg yolk, unbroken, into each depression. Place dish in a moderate oven and brown. Eggs are considered more digestible if cooked in water which has just boiled, but does not boil during the cooking of them. Eggs cooked this way are called soft or hard coddled eggs. A longer time is required for cooking, naturally. Boil y^ cup of rice in 1 quart of boil- ing salted water until tender. Drain off the water at once. Pile rice on a platter, to resemble nests. In each nest place a soft poached egg. Allow 1 egg for each person to be served. Beat yolks and whites together until the mass can be picked up in spoonfuls. For each tgg used add 1 20 Eggs with Spaghetti Timbales Nut Scramble tablespoon thick tomato sauce. Turn into a hot skillet in which 1 or 2 tea- spoons of butter have been melted, and scramble. Serve on hot toast. Boil 1 cup spaghetti in salted water 25 minutes. Drain and dispose on a platter. Sprinkle with salt and tiny pieces of butter. Poach 4 eggs. Lift carefully and arrange on the spaghetti. Beat 6 eggs, whites and yolks to- gether, until well blended. Add 3 ta- blespoons of milk, 1 onion chopped fine, 1 chopped tomato, or >4 cup of canned tomatoes, 1 teaspoon chopped parsley, }i teaspoon of salt. Pour into buttered timbale moulds and bake un- til firm, setting the moulds in a pan of boiling water while they cook. When brown, turn out of the moulds on a serving platter and serve with tomato sauce. Pecan meats make the best scramble. Allow ^ cup of nuts to 6 eggs. Beat the eggs, whites and yolks together, un- til well blended. For each 6 eggs add 3 tablespoons of water, ji teaspoon salt. 21 Food Value of Cheese Cheese Fondue Stir in nut meats, turn into a hot greased frying pan, and scramble quickly. Serve at once on hot buttered toast. Compared with other foods, cheese ranks high in nutriment value. It contains nearly twice as much protein, weight for weight, as beef of average composition, and its fuel value is twice as great. It is also rich in fat, excel- ling beef, eggs, milk, bread and pota- toes. It is an error to consider cheese difficult of digestion. In this respect it ranks favorably with other staple foods, and is quite as thoroughly assimilated as others. Cheese should be a favorite with the housekeeper who wishes to furnish nourishing meals at low cost. 1 cup cheese cut into 1 cup milk small pieces 3 eggs 1 cup soft stale bread Yi teaspoon salt crumbs Scald the milk and add the bread crumbs. Beat the egg yolks ; add these and the cheese and salt. Lastly, fold in the egg whites beaten stifif. Bake 20 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve at once. 22 Creole Rice Macaroni 1 cup rice 1 large onion, sliced Yi cup cheese grated 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 2 cups canned toma- toes Wash rice and boil 30 minutes in 2 quarts boiling salted water. Drain. Grease a baking dish. Place ^ the rice in the bottom. Cover with tomato, parsley and onion. Add the remaining rice and sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Place in the oven to brown the cheese. Macaroni or spaghetti, when pre- pared with milk, cheese or eggs, should not be accompanied in the menu with meat. These dishes contain sufficient proteid. The most popular dish of macaroni is au gratin. Macaroni I ^"P^ "^^,7«"^ Au Gratin I ^"Pf ""^^^^ ^ 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt Yi, cup cheese grated 1 tablespoon flour Boil the macaroni 45 minutes, drain and stand in cold water 15 minutes. Make a sauce of the butter, flour, salt and milk. Put a layer of macaroni 23 Macaroni with Tomato Sauce Lentils Lentil Puree into a buttered baking dish, then a layer of sauce and cheese, then maca- roni again, and so on in layers, until the dish is full, reserving enough of the cheese to cover the top. Brown in the oven. As a variation melt the cheese in the sauce; add macaroni, pour into dish and place crumbs upon the top. Prepare the dish as macaroni au gratin, using tomato sauce instead of the white sauce. ^ To make tomato sauce, let the tomatoes from 1 can stew slowly with 1 onion sliced, 3 sprigs of parsley and 1 bay leaf. When reduced one-half, strain and use. Lentils contain a high percentage of proteids, or muscle-building material. They are grown largely in Europe, where they form the main fare of the peasants. Usually they are to be found in our markets dried. One pound of lentils is sufficient for a meal for six persons. When made thick, this soup, supple- mented with bread and butter, is almost a meal in itself. Wash 1 cup of len- tils, soak several hours, then boil slowly 24 Lentils Baked Lentil Cro- quettes until the skins break, allowing the liquor to become reduced to 1 pint. Press all through a strainer, add salt, 1 tablespoon catsup, 1 tablespoon but- ter, or other fat, and hot milk to thin to desired consistency. Wash 1 cup of lentils and soak in 2 quarts of cold water over night. In the morning put the lentils on to boil in cold water. Boil slowly until they can be pierced with a needle. The length of time will depend upon the age of the legumes. Drain the lentils, saving the water for soup, and place in a greased baking dish, with 2 large tablespoons of drippings, salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Bake in the oven until tender. Wash, soak and boil the lentils as in the preceding recipe, allowing them to boil until quite tender. Strain and press through a sieve. To the pulp add ^ cup of the liquor in which they were boiled, y2 teaspoon salt, a dash of pep- per, 2 tablespoons of drippings, 1 ta- blespoon parsley, chopped fine. Beat well and mould into croquettes, adding 25 milk if the mixture appears too dry. A well-beaten egg is an improvement. When firm, roll the croquettes in fine dry crumbs, dip in egg (1 slightly- beaten egg and 2 tablespoons cold water), then in crumbs again and fry. The covering serves to form a shell which prevents the croquettes from soaking fat. Soak 2 cups of split peas over night. In the morning place over the fire in 2 Split Pea Q^^^ts of water, with a good-sized onion cut into slices. Allow to simmer until quite tender. Add 1 cup of milk, 1 ta- blespoon butter, pepper, and salt, and serve. Soup Black Soup Soak over night 1 pint black beans and 1 pint lentils. Next day boil them ■Riant (water enough to cover) for 4 hours with 1 onion and 1 stalk of okra. Then mash all together through a colander. Tie up in a piece of cheesecloth a little thyme, summer savory and parsley, and let boil in the strained soup for 10 min- utes. Add a tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper. 26 Make a pastry as for apple dump- Peanut lings. Cut into squares, butter each, Dumpling sprinkle with sugar and a few shelled roasted peanuts. Fold over the dough. Tie each dumpling in a cloth, drop into boiling water and cook 20 minutes. Serve with sweet sauce. 27 Appetizing Dishes From Leftovers Rice Pancakes Rice Waffles CHAPTER IV Cold boiled rice may be used in griddle cakes, as follows: 1 cup of rice (boiled) 1 teaspoon baking pow- 1 cup flour der Yi cup milk ^ teaspoon salt 1 egg Beat the eggs, add the milk and stir into the rice. Sift flour, salt and bak- ing powder together and beat into the mixture. Bake in spoonfuls on a hot griddle. 1 cup cold boiled rice 1 cup flour Yi. cup milk 1 egg 1 tablespoon melted butter Yi teaspoon salt Yi teaspoon baking powder Moisten the rice with the milk, and add the beaten egg. Sift baking pow- der and salt with the flour, and add the melted butter; use more milk if necessary to form a thick batter. Heat the waflie iron, grease it well, and fill with the batter. Two or three min- utes will bake it on one side; then turn over and brown the other side. Serve immediately. 28 Bread Crumb Griddle Cakes Fried Cereal Potato Cakes German Fried Potatoes Cream Soups Two cups bread crumbs softened in cold water; 1 egg beaten, 2 cups sour milk, 2 teaspoons soda (dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water), ^ teaspoon salt, y2 cup flour. Mix in order mentioned and bake on hot griddle. Pour the boiled cereal left from breakfast into a shallow pan to harden. Next morning slice it, dip each slice into crumbs and fry brown. Serve with syrup. Shape cold mashed potatoes into small flat cakes. Roll in flour and brown each side in a hot frying pan. Drippings from bacon make a good fat in which to brown these cakes. Cut cold boiled potatoes into slices. Season with salt and pepper. Brown on both sides in a hot greased skillet. Slice leftover beets. Marinate in vinegar and serve next day cold. Leftover vegetables make delicious cream soups. Almost any vegetable may be used, carrots, peas, asparagus, spinach, potatoes and cauliflower being among the best. To make a cream 29 soup, melt 1 tablespoon butter in the upper pan of a double boiler. When the butter bubbles, stir in 1 tablespoon flour, Yz teaspoon salt, dash of pepper, and cook until smooth. Place over boiling water and add 1 cup of milk slowly. When blended, add the vege- table, which must have been mashed fine with a fork. Cook over the boil- ing water five minutes, strain, then serve. Odds and ends of vegetables may be utilized in clear soups, a tablespoon or less of each not to exceed three kinds. Let the vegetable heat in the soup. Bits of cold vegetables may be com- bined into a salad, using not more than three kinds. If the vegetables have been served with either butter or a sauce, wash quickly in cold water and let dry before using for salad. A boiled dressing is best for vegetable salad. Arrange the vegetables upon crisp let- tuce leaves before serving. Use any leftover vegetable. Cut it ^j - , , into small pieces, season with salt and Vegetable i i • o i i f Omelet P^PP^^' ^^^ \i^2X m 2 tablespoons or milk. Spread upon the omelet just be- fore folding. 30 Julienne Combina- tion Salad Cold boiled potatoes may be sliced Escalloped^^^ browned as a scallop. Make a Potatoes white sauce, line a buttered baking dish with a layer of the potatoes, pour over a little of the sauce, add another layer of potatoes and more sauce, and so on until the dish is full. Over the top dot bits of butter and brown in hot oven. Pastry Bits Cheese Sticks Pastry scraps may be utilized to make dainties for luncheon. Roll the dough left from pies into a thin sheet and spread with chopped dates, raisins, figs, nuts, a mixture of whatever hap- pens to be on hand; lay another sheet of paste on top and press lightly with the roller. Cut into shapes and bake a delicate brown. Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar in be- tween pieces of paste, or on top, using only one layer, if preferred. Another use for pastry scraps is to sprinkle the rolled-out dough with grated cheese, seasoned with salt and cayenne pepper. Cut into long strips and bake. 31 When the whites of eggs are used for a dish not requiring the yollcs, have ready on the stove a pan of boiling water. As the eggs are to be opened Balls for ^^^P ^^^^ Y^^^ whole into the water Soup and cook hard. Drain when done and put away to add later to a clear soup, serving 1 egg yolk in each plate of soup. Also use the yolks mashed as a garnish for creamed toast or hash. Leftover whites will make a me- Meringue ringue to improve tapioca puddings, or spread over pies in place of the upper crust. Beat the whites stiff, adding a tablespoon of sugar for each egg. Spread on pudding or pie and brown in a moderate oven. They can also be used for frosting, and for pudding sauce. Gelatine Foam The beaten white of an egg will add to the appearance and nutritive value of a gelatine pudding. Fold it into the jelly just as the latter is about to harden. 32 Fried Bread French Bread Croutons Custard Garnish Fresh Fish Balls Brown Hash Remove crusts from leftover slices of stale bread, butter and brown in a skillet. Serve as a breakfast dish. When cut into dice and fried, they make excellent croutons for soup. A small piece of custard pudding may- be cut into squares and two or three added to each serving of clear soup. This makes a delicious garnish. Pick cooked fish to pieces, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pass through a vegetable ricer a few hot boiled potatoes; to these add a little fish sauce, if at hand, or a little milk or butter; also salt and pepper, and beat as for mashed potatoes. To the fish add enough of the hot potatoes to hold the fish balls together. Shape the mix- ture into balls, roll these in fine crumbs and fry in deep fat. Use at least twice as much potato as fish. The addition of one egg is an improvement, as it holds the mixture together better. Take any kind of cold meat you may have, add 1 cup of cold boiled pota- toes, and 1 cup of bread crumbs. Chop 33 all together until fine. Season with salt and pepper and a little onion. Place in a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of fat and fry a delicate brown. Turn onto a platter, being careful not to break the crust. This may be baked in the oven. SheD- ^ ^"P^ ''^^^ meat 4 large potatoes herds' ^^ tablespoons butter ^ cup hot milk pjg 1 tablespoon flour Salt and pepper 1 cup water Cut the meat into thin slices, place in an earthenware dish and over it pour a sauce made of one-half the butter, the flour, salt, pepper and water. Pare, boil and mash the potatoes, and add the boiling milk, the rest of the butter and salt. Spread this preparation over all and bake for half an hour. Chop leftover meat fine, turn into a Breakfast P^^ ^^^^ three beaten eggs, four broken Scramble crackers, three tablespoons of top milk, a pinch of salt, and stir while cooking until the egg is done. Serve on toast moistened with milk. 34 Chicken 1 cup cold chicken, 1 tablespoon chopped Souffle minced parsley % cup milk 4 egg whites % cup soft stale bread ^ teaspoon salt crumbs By using 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour, and combining with the milk to form a sauce, 2 whites only will be needed for the souffle. One yolk or 2 may be used if desired, also. Mix chicken, milk, or cream sauce if used, bread crumbs and seasonings. Beat the eggs very light. Fold care- fully into the mixture and bake in a moderate oven until set — about 30 min- utes. Serve at once. 35 Food Value of Milk CHAPTER V Milk and milk products are whole- some and economical foods, which may readily be used in quantity in the diet. Quality and cleanliness in handling are important topics which must be considered, as well as food value. Cow's milk is a perfect food. It contains, first, materials which are needed for growth; second, materials which repair the bodily machinery; and, third, materials which provide the heat and energy necessary for work. This does not mean, however, that milk can be used as an exclusive food, either for grown-ups or children. Variety is also required. Compared with other animal foods, milk is cheap as well as nutritious. A quart of milk supplies practically as much of both protein and energy as three-quarters of a pound of beef of average composition, or eight average eggs, and can generally be bought for less money. In case milk is 6 cents a 36 quart, beef 20 cents a pound, and eggs 24 cents a dozen, 10 cents spent for milk will buy a little more protein and much more energy than 10 cents spent for beef or 10 cents spent for eggs. Thus, milk may be used as an economical sub- stitute for either of them. Some vegetable foods, like flour, are much cheaper than milk when both price and nutritive value are consid- ered, and as a matter of fact form the bulk of human food; but of the animal foods, milk is one of the cheapest. Milk should be used instead of more expensive foods — not in addition to them. A glass of milk reduces the amount of meat or other proteid mate- rial required. From the point of view of bodily need, serving both at one meal is extravagant. Any appetizing milk dish can take the place of eggs, meat, etc. As a wholesome and nutritious food, Butter- buttermilk is also valuable. It has 3 ^^^^ per cent of proteids, and a quart con- tains one-fourth as much proteid as a man needs in a day, even if the most 37 liberal estimate of his needs is taken. It is said to possess hygienic value as well, the theory being that lactic-acid bacteria may grow in the intestines, crowding out other and undesirable kinds. Though not much different in nutri- tive value, buttermilk obtained as a by- product in butter-making has a differ- ent quality or texture and a different flavor from so-called skim-milk butter- milk referred to above. Pure milk is easily spoiled by im- Handling proper treatment in the home; for in- ,^ . stance, by putting it in unclean recep- Milk tacles, by too much exposure to the air, by failure to keep it cool, by exposing to flies. Milk readily absorbs impurities and bacteria from the air or from unclean surfaces, and warm milk is a good breeding ground for all kinds of germs. They multiply rapidly in milk which remains very long at 50° F. or higher. Impure or germ-laden milk is dan- gerous. It may contain the bacteria of 38 contagious diseases or the more com- mon bacteria which cause indigestion Care of ^^^ cholera infantum in babies. Milk in the Careful handling at home is quite as Home important as the securing of pure milk from the source of supply. The best way of buying milk is in Receiving bottles. Dipping milk from large cans the and pouring it into customers' recep- 3Iilk ^^^igg Qj^ |.j^g street, with all the incident exposure to dusty air not always the cleanest, is a bad practice. Draw- ing milk from the faucet of a re- tailer's can is almost as bad as dip- ping, because, although the milk may be exposed to the street air a little less than by the dipping process, it is not kept thoroughly mixed, and some con- sumers will receive less than their pro- portion of cream. If situated so that it is impossible to get bottled milk, do not set out overnight an uncovered vessel to collect thousands of bacteria from street dust before milk is put into it. Have the milk delivered personally to some member of the family if possible; 39 Milk Vessel Covered Must Not be Left in Sun if not, set out a bowl covered with a plate, or better still, use a glass preserv- ing jar in which nothing but milk is put. In the latter case, use a jar with a glass top, but omit the rubber band. Paper tickets are often more or less soiled; hence, if they are used do not put them in the can, bowl or jar. For the same reason, money should not be put in the can. Take the milk into the house as soon as possible after delivery, particularly in hot weather. Never allow the sun to shine for any length of time on the milk. Sometimes milk delivered as early as 4 a. m. remains out of doors until 9 or 10 o'clock. This is wrong. If it is inconvenient to receive the milk soon after it is delivered, indicate to the driver a sheltered place, or provide a covered box in which the milk bottle or can may be left. On receiving the milk, put it in the Keep Cold refrigerator at once and allow it to remain there when not using it. Ex- cept in cold weather milk can not be 40 properly kept without ice. Unless the milk bottle is in actual contact with the ice it will be colder at the bottom of the refrigerator than in the ice compart- ment, as the cold air settles rapidly. Keep milk in the original bottle till needed for immediate consumption; do not pour it into a bowl or pitcher for storage. Carefully wipe or rinse the bottle, especially the mouth, before pouring any milk from it, so that dust or dirt which may have gathered there- Keep ill oj^ or Q^ the cap will not get into the Original .^^ -p^ ^^^ j. ^^^y^ -^^^^ ^^^ bottle milk which has been exposed to the air by being placed in other vessels. Keep the bottle covered with a paper cap as long as milk is in it and when not actu- ally pouring from it. If the paper cap has been punctured, cover the bottle with an inverted tumbler. Milk deteriorates by exposure to the air of pantry, kitchen or nursery. Do not expose uncovered milk in a refrig- erator containing food of any kind, not to mention strong-smelling foods like 41 Bottle fish, cabbage or onions. An excellent way of serving milk on the table, from the sanitary standpoint, is in the origi- nal bottle; at all events pour out only what will be consumed at one meal. When milk is received in a bowl or pitcher instead of in a bottle, observe the spirit of the foregoing remarks: Keep the milk vessel covered; expose uncovered milk to the air of any room as little as possible; do not expose it at all in a refrigerator. Remember that exposure of milk to Exposure the open air invites contamination not Contamin- only from odors and bacteria-laden ates 3Iilk ^^^^^ ^^^ ^j^^ ^^^^ ^.^^ rj.^^^^ ^^^^_ engers may convey germs of typhoid fever or other contagious diseases from the sick room or from excreta to the milk. Records show typhoid epidemics The from such a cause, and 100,000 fecal Deadly Flybacteria have been found on a single fly. Flies also frequently convey to milk large numbers of the bacteria that cause intestinal disorders in infants; an 42 A Clean Refrig- erator Cleaning Bottles and Dishes examination of 414 flies showed an average of 1,250,000 bacteria per fly. Keep the refrigerator clean and sweet. Personally inspect it at least once a week. See that the outlet for water formed by the melting ice is kept open, and that the space under the ice rack is clean. The place where food is kept should be scalded every week; a single drop of spilled milk or a small particle of other neglected food will contaminate a refrigerator in a few days. As soon as a milk bottle is empty, rinse it in lukewarm water until it ap- pears clear, then set it bottom up to drain. Do not use it for any other pur- pose than for milk. There is no objec- tion to the consumer's washing and scalding the milk bottle, but this is un- necessary, as the dealer will wash it again when it reaches his plant. He can not, however, do this properly if he receives the bottle in a filthy condition, and if you return such a bottle your negligence may result in the subsequent 43 Bottles delivery of contaminated milk to some consumer, possibly yourself. All utensils with which milk comes Scald Milk i^ contact should be rinsed, washed and scalded every time they are used. Use fresh water; do not wash them in dishwater which has been used for washing other utensils, or wipe them with an ordinary dish towel; it is bet- ter to boil in clean water and set them away unwiped. Sour Milk Curd Pie Sour milk is used to a large extent in cookery, and the sour milk itself, or more commonly the sour-milk curd, is considered by many persons a palatable and wholesome dish. Sour cream is also used in many ways in the house- hold in the making of sauces and dress- ings and in cookery. Sweet curds may be made into a good filling for pies or tarts. The curd is obtained by adding rennet to warm milk and allowing the milk to stand un- til it hardens. The curd is then broken up and strained. To the curd from 1 quart of milk add 1 level tablespoon 44 Whey Cottage Cheese of butter, % of a cup of sugar, the yolks of 2 eggs, and a few Zante currants or chopped raisins, and a little nutmeg. In earlier times the sweet curd from cheese-making was much used as a food, but is not common today, though sometimes served where it can be read- ily obtained from a cheese factory. Whey was also much used in earlier times and is still a favorite beverage with many, and employed especially in invalid dietetics. Perhaps the most common name in the United States for the freshly sepa- rated skim-milk curd is cottage cheese, though other names, for instance, schmierkase, are also well known. Cottage cheese contains all the pro- teids of milk and part of the fat. It is made either by heating the curd slightly and straining, or by straining it without heating. If any heat is used, it should be very gentle, or the curd will become hard and unpalatable. A safe way of heating is to pour boiling water into the curd. This is a good way also for those who do not care for 45 French Cheese the taste of lactic acid, for the hot water serves to remove part of this. Cottage cheese would probably be a more popular dish if it were served in a greater variety of ways. For many palates it needs to be enriched with a little butter or cream. The French va- riety is commonly served with sugar and cream, and a similar dish is eaten in the United States, often being sea- soned with a little ground cinnamon or nutmeg. Cottage cheese is always a good addi- tion to or accompaniment of salads. A good luncheon which can be served in one course consists of cottage cheese in which the first portions are eaten with dressed lettuce or water cress, and the last portion with a little of some rather sweet fruit preserve, such as strawberry or raspberry jam or preserved quinces. Served with bread and butter and tea, this makes a well-balanced meal. Cheese Cottage cheese flavored in different Sandwich ways may be used for sandwiches. In busy households it may be well to pre- pare the filling and to allow the various 46 Lunch Cheese members of the family to make their own sandwiches at the table. Caraway seeds, chopped stuffed olives of differ- ent sorts, and chives (a vegetable which may be easily grown in the kitchen window, as well as the kitchen garden) make good flavors. Instead of the dif- ferent kinds of stuffed olives, plain olives and pimentos may be chopped separately and added, but this requires more work. The question is likely to arise why Sour Milk sour milk and its products are consid- Safe ered safe food to be eaten raw, while stale sweet milk is looked upon with some suspicion unless it has been cooked. The reason is that for a long time after the milk is drawn all the bac- teria which enter into it increase in number, the increase being more or less rapid, depending chiefly on the temper- ature at which the milk is kept. Some of these bacteria may be kinds that produce disease. Finally, however, when milk sours, the harmless lactic- acid bacteria and the lactic acid which they produce tend to destroy other or- ganisms. 47 Milk Gravies Milk Toast 3Iilk Chowder A great variety of milk gravies, thickened with flour and enriched with butter or other fat, may be served with potatoes or other vegetables or poured over toast. The proportions are 2 level tablespoons of flour and 2 level ta- blespoons of butter to 1 cup of milk. To this may be added chipped beef, codfish or other fresh or salt fish, hard- boiled eggs, small portions of chicken or veal, or grated cheese. Milk gravy flavored with cheese makes a good and very nutritious sauce to pour over caul- iflower and cabbage or to serve with boiled rice or hominy. A good way to serve milk toast is to toast bread very thoroughly and to pour hot milk over it at the time of serving. In serving milk toast in this way all the dishes should be kept very hot. A heavy earthenware pitcher may be used for serving the hot milk, as it retains heat for a long time. Chowders are also a very acceptable means of serving milk. In making rich chowders the proportions used are: Two cups of milk or of milk and 48 water, 1 cup of potatoes cut into small pieces and 1 pound of fish. The flavor- ing is onions and fat fried from salt pork. While these proportions make a rich dish, it is possible to reduce the amount of fish greatly, to leave it out entirely, to use small portions of left- over fish or some salt codfish which has been freshened, or to substitute corn for it. Such dishes are palatable and of reasonably high nutritive value, pro- viding the greater part of the liquid used is milk. Junket served very cold is a refresh- ing dessert in hot weather, as are the Milk numerous milk sherbets, frozen cus- Desserts tards, and similar desserts in which milk is used. Baked milk, made by cooking sweetened and flavored milk for a long time in a slow oven, is also good. Many different kinds of puddings are made by baking milk with cereals and either molasses or sugar. The cereal may be rice, cornmeal, or buttered white or whole-wheat bread. In this class of food belongs, so far as nour- ishment is concerned, the scalloped po- tatoes made by cooking sliced raw po- tatoes for a long time in a large amount of milk. 49 Food Value of Vegetables and How to Prepare Them Simple Prepara- tion Should be Crisp CHAPTER VI The most common method of pre- paring vegetables for the table is boil- ing, though they are often baked, roasted, steamed or fried. Usually the simplest methods are best to bring out flavor and to aid digestion. All green vegetables, roots and tubers should be crisp and firm when put on to cook. If for any reason a vegetable has lost its firmness it should be soaked in very cold water until it becomes plump and crisp. With new vegetables this may take only a few minutes, but it may require hours to freshen old roots and tubers. All vege- tables should be thoroughly cleaned just before cooking. Vegetables that form heads, such as cabbage, cauli- flower, Brussels sprouts, should be soaked head down in salted cold water a half hour longer. If there are any worms or insects in them these will crawl out. 50 For best results, all vegetables ex- Boiling cept dry legumes, should be put on the fire in boiling salted water and the wa- ter kept boiling throughout the cook- ing. Herbaceous vegetables should boil rapidly all the time. Tubers, roots, cauliflower, etc., should not boil violently enough to break them. Green vegetables should merely simmer. To secure the most palatable dishes, only tender vegetables should be cooked. If, however, they are unavoidably tough, a small quantity of baking soda may be added to the cooking water to help soften the cellulose. No vegetable should be cooked closely covered. Allow the steam to escape, and cook until perfectly tender, but not long enough to lose shape. Avoid using a large quantity of water, as more of the savor and nutritious substances will be lost. In preparing vegetables for the table Loss From ^^^^ ^°^^ °^ edible matter nearly Parings always accompanies paring, seeding, etc. ; but with care this may be lessened appreciably and is well worth consid- 61 eration. Whenever possible, cook with- out paring, and thus save a goodly por- tion. Potatoes boiled or baked in jack- ets lose very little in cooking. Always peel beets, salsify, carrots, etc., after cooking. The tough skins keep the in- ner juices from escaping. Peas may be boiled in the pod, too. When possible, leave vegetables in large pieces; there is much less loss than when small pieces are used. For economy's sake, never buy vege- Buy Vege- tables out of season. Their cost then tables in is out of all proportion to the nutriment Season gained. Buy each in its natural season. They also have much better flavor then, and are much more likely to be fresh. Potatoes and other winter roots may be bought to advantage when the main crop is marketed and stored for later use. But one must be careful to store properly in a dry, cool place, else the ultimate loss of spoiled food will show an expense. Some fresh vegetables can never be bought in cities as cheaply or of such 52 good flavor as the best canned goods; Canned peas and corn, for instance. But in Goods buying canned food, never buy the cheapest, for the cheapest in price is likely to prove the most expensive. The can of water-packed tomatoes, green hard peas, the handful of berries in a pint of water, or poor quality beans disguised with tomato dressing, offered at a low price, are low in food value. Goods which are strictly standard give the best food value for the cost; but do not pay for fancy sizes. A medium sized pea is as nutritious as extra sifted and does not cost so much. Get the average size in beans, corn, tomatoes, asparagus too. Many cents may be saved by purchasing canned vegetables by the dozen or case, rather than by single cans. It is seldom an economy for house- Canning wives in cities to can at home. This at Home may be done only when there is a sur- plus in one's own garden. 53 Desserts at Small Cost CHAPTER VII Make this sauce of a bit of jelly left Fruit from the table — one tablespoon or ^^^ more. Put the jelly in the double boiler and thin with boiling water to a syrup. Serve hot or cold. Apple 4 apples (sour) Sugar Foam Whites of two eggs Pare and core apples. Steam until soft and rub through a sieve. Sweeten to taste. Beat egg whites as stiffly as possible, then add the apple, gradually, beating all the time. Pile on a serving dish, chill, and serve with custard sauce. This dessert may be made with other fruits, such as a half cup of left- over preserves, some crushed straw- berries, or three peaches. Caramel y^ cup sugar ^2 cup boiling water Sauce . . Melt sugar in a sauce pan, stirring so as not to let it burn. Add the water slowly, still stirring, then cook without boiling ten minutes. Chill and serve. 64 Lemon Jelly Junket Coffee Jelly Cottage Pudding 2 tablespoons gelatine 1 cup sugar ^ cup cold water Two lemons 25^ cups boiling water Soften gelatine in cold water, dis- solve in boiling water, strain and add the sugar and juice of the lemons. Turn into a wet mold and chill. 2 cups of milk Yz teaspoon vanilla ex- 2 tablespoons of sugar tract Yi junket tablet Heat the milk until luke-warm. Stir in the sugar, remove from fire and add the junket which has been crushed in a little cold water. Add flavoring and pour at once into small cups or moulds in which it is to be served. Place with- out jarring in ordinary room tempera- ture until jellied, then chill before serving. 2 tablespoons gelatine ^ cup sugar Yz cup cold water 2 cups coffee 1 cup boiling water. Make same as lemon jelly. XYz cups flour 25^ teaspoons baking powder Ya, cup butter Y2 cup sugar 1 egg well beaten Y2. cup milk Mix and bake as a cake and serve hot with sauce. 55 Delicate Pudding Brown Betty Fruit Sauce 1 cup of water 1 cup of fruit juice 3 tablespoons corn- starch 34 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar Whites of two eggs Boil the water and fruit juice (orange, lemon, canned fruit, etc.) to- gether. Mix the cornstarch, salt and sugar and wet with a little cold water, to consistency of pouring, stir into the boiling syrup and cook 20 minutes in a double boiler. Beat the whites of the eggs until foamy and fold into the pud- ding. Turn at once into a wet mold and serve cold with a boiled custard sauce made with the yolks of the eggs, 1^ cups milk, 3 tablespoons sugar, ys teaspoon salt and % teaspoon vanilla. Butter slices of stale bread and place in bottom of shallow baking dish. Cover the bread with apple sauce and sprinkle buttered bread crumbs on top. Sift sugar over all, and bake until brown. Serve hot. Instead of cream to serve with pud- dings or other desserts, make sauces of jelly or fruit juices which happen to be 56 Custard Sauce Lemon Sauce Molasses Sauce on hand. A good custard sauce may be made with 1 egg yolk, as follows : 1 egg yolk 3 tablespoons sugar 1 cup hot milk Ya teaspoon vanilla Beat egg yolk and add sugar. Heat milk in double boiler, add egg mixture and stir continually until the custard mixture coats the spoon. Strain, flavor and chill before using. }l cup lemon juice Vz cup water y2 cup sugar 2 teaspoons cornstarch Mix cornstarch and sugar. Add water gradually. Stir and cook in dou- ble boiler until mixture thickens slightly, add lemon juice and serve hot. Yi cup molasses Y^ tablespoon vinegar 1 tablespoon butter Boil molasses and butter five min- utes. Take from fire and add vinegar. Serve hot. 57 e s a t Small Cost Butter or 2 cups flour Milk CHAPTER VIII Cake 4 eggs ^ cup hot water Without 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder Beat eggs until light, add sugar grad- ually, beating hard. Stir in hot water in a fine stream and add the flour and baking powder together, after sifting several times. Bake as a loaf or in gem pans. One-fourth teaspoon salt could be added. One Egg 14 cup butter Cake 1 cup sugar 1 egg Yi cup milk y2 teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 cups flour Cream the butter, add sugar gradu- ally. Beat the tgg and stir into butter and sugar mixture. Sift flour and bak- ing powder together, then add flour and milk alternately. Flavor last. Bake thirty minutes. Poor 2 eggs 1^ teaspoons baking 3Ian's 1 cup sugar powder Sponge ^ cup hot water y^ teaspoon vanilla ex- Cake % teaspoon salt 1 cup flour tract 58 Beat yolks of eggs until thick, then beat in sugar gradually. Add the hot water, flour, salt, and baking powder, mixed and sifted together, then the ex- tract, and last cut and fold in the egg whites beaten stiffly. Bake slowly in a shallow pan. Hot 1 cup molasses Xy^ teaspoons ginger Water Yz cup boiling water 1 teaspoon salt Ginger- 2^ cups flour 4 tablespoons melted bread 1 teaspoon soda butter Jumbles Add water to molasses. Mix and sift dry ingredients, combine mixtures, add butter, and beat vigorously. Pour into a greased shallow pan and bake thirty minutes. Yz teaspoon cinnamon y^ teaspoon salt Flour Yl cup butter Y2, cup boiling water 1 cup molasses 1 teaspoon soda Sift together dry ingredients. Pour the boiling water on the butter; stir until butter melts and add the dry in- gredients with flour sufficient to make a batter that will drop from a spoon. Bake slowly on an inverted pan, previ- ously greasing the bottom. 59 Cake Eggless One pound salt pork chopped fine. Fruit Pour on this 1^ pints boiling water, stirring constantly. Add 1 pound chopped raisins, 1 pound currants, 54 pound citron, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup mo- lasses, 1 tablespoon soda dissolved in warm water; 1 teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and flour until thick. Bake in a moderately heated oven. 60 Miscellaneous Economies in Cooking CHAPTER IX Save the water in which spinach Spinach or asparagus has been cooked. This Water water contains many valuable mineral salts. Use it instead of fresh water when making soup or boiling meat. Potatoes baked or boiled in their Potatoes jackets are more nutritious than those in Jackets cooked after peeling. The skin pre- vents considerable nutriment from go- ing to waste. The water from boiled rice con- •^^*^® tains nutriment. Use it in cooking the ^ breakfast cereal. Much food, such as green vegetables Take Care and fruits, is wasted after purchasing, of Perish- ^y spoiling before it is used. If prop- able Food gj.jy cared for, much of this might be saved. Spread out in a thin layer berries Keeping of every sort, and keep them in a cool. Berries dry and dark place. If they seem soft and unlikely to keep, stew them in a little sugar syrup. 61 Lettuce Celery Asparagu* Wash lettuce carefully, so as not to bruise. Put it, dripping, into a closely covered earthenware pot. Set in a cool place. Lettuce thus prepared will keep fresh and crisp for several days. Celery, cress and endive should be treated the same way. Set asparagus bunches in a few inches of cold water to keep them fresh; the water should not come more than half way up the stalks. To keep egg yolks from drying, put Egg Yolks in a jelly glass and just cover with olive oil. Put on ice and pour ofif the oil when ready to use. Cover egg whites with a little water. Dry scraps of bread in the oven. Bread When enough has accumulated, roll to Scraps powder with the rolling pin and put away in jars or tin boxes for croquettes, breading, etc. Bits of Neufchatel or cream cheese Cheese ^^Y be served again by mixing them Bits with butter or cream and spreading on thin crackers. Or, make them into sandwiches and serve with salad. 62 Grate Cheese Washing Eggs Fried Out Fat If Milk Sours Cottage Cheese Potatoes should be thinly pared, as the best part lies next the skin. If cheese becomes too hard for use on the table, grate it and put away in bottles. It may be used for maca- roni, sandwiches, sauces and in many ways as a relish. When eggs are high, wash each egg carefully before opening. Save the shells to clear coffee. Save all fat fried out from cooking bacon and use it instead of butter for sauteing. This may also be used in- stead of fresh shortening in pancakes, waffles, and corn bread; also as the fat in vegetable purees. If milk sours it may be used in cook- ing in place of sweet milk and baking powder, by using soda instead of the latter. Proportion, 1 teaspoon to a pint of sour milk. Many people prefer this sour milk in biscuits, pancakes, gems, etc. Sour milk makes nutritious cheese called cottage cheese. Use milk which has loppered. When quite thick, hang 63 Water Made Bread in a cheesecloth bag to drain off the whey. Let drip over night, then salt and mix with cream to desired consist- ency, breaking up the curd with a fork. Bread may be made with all water instead of milk if two additional tea- spoons of shortening are used. Knead the bread half again as long as milk bread. 64 How to Save Gas, Ice and Fuel CHAPTER X Fuel is always one of the big items of house- hold expenditure, and a few hints on its economical use will be helpful. The oven consumes the most gas, hence its use should be watched. Whenever it is necessary to heat the oven for bread or cake, plan to use it for cooking as many other articles as it will contain. Meat on that day may be roasted, potatoes and apples baked; the whole dinner may be cooked in a casserole. Never heat the oven for the few minutes needed to brown meringue or crumbs on a pudding. Have these dishes only on days ^yhen the oven must be in use anyway, for other things. Do not turn the burners on top of the stove high enough for rapid boiling unless the motion is needed, as in cooking rice or macaroni. When it is heat only that is wanted, adjust the flame so that the water just boils. Anything more than that is a pure waste of gas. The food will cook no quicker or better. To boil is to boil. No amount of heat can raise the temperature of water, or food in water, higher than 212" F. Never leave gas burn- ing while you go for materials, etc. Even when left for a moment the gas will be found much more expensive than matches. There are sauce pans made so that two or three vegetables may cook over one flame. Place a pan, inverted, over heating flat-irons. Less gas will be needed. 65 It is possible to do without ice during many months of the year. A box placed on its side with- out the kitchen window sill, facing in, makes an admirable and convenient cooling receptacle. During the hottest weather it is extremely diffi- cult to keep meat, butter and milk without ice. Indeed, milk requires it if kept for any length of time. To keep butter firm without ice, place it on an inverted bowl which lies in a pan of water. Do not let the water touch the butter. Over the butter put a large cloth, the ends extending into the water on all sides. Meat may be kept accept- ably a short time in the same way. Cooked meat keeps better than raw. Always sear a cut of meat in hot weather. Where there is no ice-box, a temporary substi- tute may be made on the fireless cooker plan. Line a box, cover sides and bottom with many thick- nesses of newspaper. Ice inside this box will keep a long time if tightly closed. Pack the food to be preserved next the ice. Ice in a refrigerator will last longer if the ice is wrapped in newspaper or canton flannel cloths before it is put in the ice chamber. It lasts longer this way, but does not keep the food quite as cold, as it is melting ice which draws the heat from the articles near it. Always be careful to close and latch the refrig- erator doors. If doors are left open, the warm air enters and helps melt the ice. 66 APR ^913 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 487 855