PRACTICAL FOOD ECONOMY ALICE GltCHELL KIRK Class 'TX3 Book Jii. COPYRIGHT DEPOSm Practical Food Economy Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/practicalfoodecoOOkirk Alice Gitchell Kirk. PRACTICAL FOOD ECONOMY By ALICE GITCHELL KIRK WITH ILLUSTRATIONS n on-refer T I SlAIVAD ♦ Q 3S BOSTON LITTLE, BROWN, AND COMPANY 1917 Copyright, igiy. By Little, Brown, and Company. All rights reserved Published, September, 1917 SEP 13 1917 Set up and electrotyped by J. S. Gushing Co., Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. Presswork by S. J. Parkhill & Co., Boston, Mass., U.S.A. I.A478434 DEDICATION " If I can put one touch of a rosy sunset into the life of any man or woman I shall feel I have worked with God." — George MacDonald. This book is the direct result of eleven years' lecturing on Home Economics, with requests from hundreds of women who have faithfully attended the lectures in Cleveland and other cities to put into book form my talks and demonstrations. The experience of teaching all grades from kindergarten through the academic departments in cooking has enabled me to interpret this study of foods and home making in terms which all women can understand and practice. To these women whom I have seen develop and grow in executive ability and interest in their homes through a harmonious correlation of brains and hands in their work, and who have been a source of continuous inspiration to me, I affectionately dedicate this book, trusting It will carry a message of present help which they will enjoy taking from the shelf and using every day for a still greater under- standing of foods and economy. — Alice Gitchell Kirk. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I Preparedness IN THE Home i II Meats 51 III Bread 86 IV Milk . 115 V Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables . .127 VI Use of Fruits in Season 161 VII Service First . . . . . ... 190 Index .. . . . . . . . . 241 LIST OF PLATES Portrait of the Author . . . . . Frontispiece rACmO PAGE Sifting the flour before measuring lightens and makes it go farther 14 Dipping sifted flour lightly into the cup saves material. Do not shake it down or pack 14 All measurements level, particularly baking powder, as too much is frequently used in baking .... 16 Packing fats for accuracy into the measuring cup . . 16 Always level measurements 18 Successful method of making mayonnaise .... 18 A convenient grouping of utensils near the kitchen range . 44 Small utensils within easy reach 44 Chart in color, showing composition of lamb chop, pork chop, smoked ham, beef steak and dried beef . . 58 An entrance to a French garden 128 Practical Food Economy CHAPTER I PREPAREDNESS IN THE HOME Waste Not, Want Not ! "If you would have sunlight in your home, see that you have work in it ; that you work yourself and set others to work. For Christ said, * My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.' Sunlight comes with work." — A. Brooke. Housekeeping or home making is not a "'one person" profession. While every one has been perfectly willing to concede the management of the home to the woman, it has been discovered that it is just as impossible for a woman alone, with little or no cooperation or help, to run the business end of the home successfully as it would be for a man to manage successfully his business without the united effort of every one in his employ to contribute toward its financial success. Home making is also a business and needs the united cooperation of every member of the home to bring it to the same financial success. X 2 Practical Food Economy Home making is the biggest departmental occu- pation in the world, and the "Food Department" is no small part of this business which men, women, and children should understand for their health, strength, and development — mental, moral, and physical. We have reached the "crossroads" in this all- important study of foods where it requires a willing- ness to learn, and a steadiness of purpose to choose and follow the right "signposts" at this critical moment in the life, not only of our individual family, but of the world. From our years of experience we are ready to take the right road, labeled "Economy of Food" in buying, preparing, cooking, and thus do our part in avoiding unnecessary waste and help to develop a national thrift. Foods Buying, i. For every high-priced food, there is a medium or low-priced substitute. 2. Cost of food does not determine nutritive value. 3. Eliminate needlessly expensive material providing little nutrition. 4. Buy food in quantities only when kept without waste. 5. Your grocer and butcher have had years of experi- ence ; they will help you if you go to market at least once a week. Don't hesitate to ask when you don't know, especially about meats. 6. Buy seasonable foods. 7. Keep strict account of every penny spent every day. Preparedness in the Home 3 8. Plan meals and marketing on paper from one day to three days in advance. This means strict economy. Preparing, i. Take care of all foods as soon as de- livered at the home. 2. Empty goods from paper bags into covered jars; keeps food clean and prevents loss in waste. 3. Wash and sort greens. Put into cheesecloth or sugar bags and place on ice or in the wet bag in a cool place ; will keep several days, and be ready to use at once. 4. Outside lettuce leaves, beet tops, dandelions, mus- tard, etc., use for greens. Celery leaves and parsley, use for salads and flavoring. Dry for future use. 5. Remove all skins of vegetables and fruits when possible after cooking; both material and food value saved. 6. Bring home from butcher all meat, trimmings, bones, and extra fat. Use former for soup, sauces, and gravies, and the fat for cooking. Cooking. I. Use less fuel; casserole cooking or the fireless cooker for most foods. Foods taste better; less gas used, and food value saved from burning and over- cooking. 2. Save all water in which foods are cooked for soups and sauces. Saves necessary mineral matter. Food value and flavor saved by steaming vegetables, instead of boiling. ""' 3. Don't guess in cooking. Measure accurately. 4. Study principles of cooking and measurements. Apply them when reading a recipe, and this will lessen much waste. 5. Avoid fancy cooking. The finest flavors and best values are the result of simple but careful preparation and seasoning. 4 Practical Food Economy 6. Too much burned food thrown away. Cook with smaller amount of heat. 7. Too much food spoiled in trying " Everybody's " recipe. Use only reliable, tested recipes. 8. Learn to cook just enough and no more. Too much waste of time, material, fuel, and energy, in using up " left-overs." 9. Know body-building foods. Apply to the needs of your family. Not too great a variety. Serve reasonable portions and waste none. Calories "No educated man can say that he 'does not believe in calories' when the energy in the food stuffs constitutes the basis of his being, and calories eliminated from his body are a measure of the sum total of his physical activities." — LusK. Professor Atwater's wonderful nutrition table^ compiled from four thousand laboratory tests in the United States Department of Agriculture at Wash- ington, D.C., shows the waste and fuel matter (measured in calories) of every food variety. By comparing the current prices of food with the nutri- tion and calories values in this table, you can deter- mine the most economical foods at any period of the year, and serve them in portions to meet the calorie amount required for your family. The calorie, or heat energy which is produced in the body by the food we eat, is a most necessary consideration in the balancing of our daily meals. I believe the average woman has planned sometimes Preparedness in the Home 5 much better than she has been aware, and her family has been well nourished. Again, without an under- standing of foods and their real value in the body, the direct opposite has been the result of many menus. Again I repeat we have come to the "cross- roads" in real economy of foods, so we cannot afford waste or wavering of any sort. We must know, or at least begin to learn and learn fast. It is neither reasonable nor possible for the average woman with a family and the oversight of all the depart- ments in her home besides cooking, to work out to the minute fraction, three times a day, the necessary calories and food portions for the average normal family; but she can know that a calorie is a name for a measure of heat, or a unit which would raise one pint of water four degrees Fahrenheit; or, if she cannot image that, let her rise from a chair, shuffle her feet once, and sit down again. She has then spent this one unit of heat energy or calorie in her body which has been created there through the use of foods such as these given in the following table; or to visualize still more, a small list of a hundred calorie portions is given which is ap- proximately accurate and will aid in carefully balanc- ing foods so as to avoid too much or too little of any one kind, furnishing just what is needed for growth and repair without waste. "Take care of the calories and the proteins will take care of them- selves." Women who have not studied food chem- istry cannot learn everything at once. But if the 6 Practical Food Economy desire to know more of foods for good health and economy is created and applied every day in their cooking, they cannot help doing their part in build- ing strong men and women for the future. Nutrition Tables Animal Food Pro- Car- Fuel Food Materials (as purchased) R'f'se Wat'r Fat bohy- Ash Val. drates PER Lb. Per Per Per Per Per Per Calo- Beef, fresh : cent cent cent cent cent cent ries Chuck ribs 16.3 52.6 15.5 15.0 0.8 910 Flank .... 10.2 S4-0 17.0 19.0 •7 i,ios Loin .... 13.3 52.5 16.I 17-5 — •9 1,025 Porterhouse steak 12.7 52.4 19.I 17.9 — .8 1,100 Sirloin steak . . 12.8 54-0 16.5 16.I — .9 955 Neck .... 27.6 45-9 I4-S II.9 — .7 i,i6s Ribs .... 20.8 43.8 13.9 21.2 — .7 1,13s Rib rolls . . . — 63.9 19-3 16.7 — •9 1,05s Round .... 7.2 60.7 19.0 12.8 — I.O 890 Rump .... 20.7 45 -o 13.8 20.2 — •7 1,090 Shank, fore . . 36.9 42.9 12.8 7-3 — \ .6 S4S Shoulder and clod 16.4 56.8 16.4 9.8 — •9 715 Fore quarter 18.7 49.1 14-5 17.5 — •7 99S Hind quarter 15.7 S0.4 15-4 18.3 — •7 i,04S Beef,corned, canned, pickled, and dried : Corned beef 8.4 49.2 14-3 23.8 — 4.6 i,24S Tongue, pickled .... 6.0 58.9 11.9 19.2 — 4.3 1,010 Dried, salted, and smoked 47 53.7 26.4 6.9 — 8.9 790 Canned boiled beef . . 51.8 25.5 22.5 — 1.3 1,410 Canned corned beef . . — S1.8 26.3 18.7 — 4.0 1,270 Veal: Breast 21.3 52.0 IS4 II.O — .8 745 Leg . . 14.2 60.1 15-5 7-9 — .9 62s Leg cutlets . . . . 3-4 68.3 20.1 7-S — i.o 695 Fore quarter . . , . 24-5 54-2 iS-i 6.0 — .7 535 Hind quarter . . . • 20.7 56.2 16.2 6.6 — .8 580 Preparedness in the Home Pro- tein Car- Fuel Food Materials (as purchased) R'f'se Wat'r Fat bohy- Ash Val. drates PER Lb. Per Per Per Per Per Per Calo- Mutton : cent cent cent cent cent cent ries Flank 9.9 39-0 13-8 36.9 — 0.6 1,770 Leg, hind 18.4 51.2 I5-I 14.7 — .8 890 Loin chops 16.0 42.0 13-5 28.3 — •7 I4IS Fore quarter .... 21.2 41.6 12.3 24-5 — •7 1,23s Hind quarter, without tal- low 17.2 45.4 13.8 23.2 — •7 1,210 Lamb: Breast I9.I 45-5 15.4 19.1 — .8 1,075 Leg, hind 17.4 52.9 15.9 13.6 — •9 860 Pork, fresh : Ham 10.7 48.0 I3-S 25.9 — .8 1,320 Loin chops 19.7 41.8 134 24.2 — .8 1,245 Shoulder 12.4 44.9 12.0 29.8 — .7 i,4SO Tenderloin — 66.5 18.9 13.0 — I.O 89s Pork, salted, cured, pickled : Ham, smoked .... 13.6 34.8 14.2 33-4 — 4.2 1,635 Shoulder, smoked , . . 18.2 36.8 13.0 26.6 — S-S 1,335 Salt pork — 7.9 1.9 86.2 — 3-9 3,555 Bacon, smoked .... 77 17.4 9.1 62.2 — 4.1 2,715 Sausage : Bologna 3-3 S5.2 18.2 19.7 — 3.8 1,155 Pork — 39-8 13.0 44.2 I.I 2.2 2,075 Frankfort — 57.2 19.6 18.6 I.I 34 1,155 Soups : Celery, cream of . . . — 88.6 2.1 2.8 S-o 1-5 235 Beef — 92.9 4.4 •4 I.I 1.2 120 Meat stew — 84.5 4.6 4-3 S'S I.I 365 Tomato — 90.0 1.8 I.I 5.6 i-S 185 Poultry : Chicken, broilers . . . 41.6 43.7 12.8 1.4 — •7 305 Fowls 25-9 47.1 13.7 12.3 — •7 76s Goose 17.6 38.S 13.4 29.8 — .7 1,475 Turkey 22.7 42.4 16.1 18.4 — .8 1,060 Fish: Cod, dressed .... 29.9 58.5 II. I .2 — .8 220 Halibut, steaks or sections 17.7 61.9 15.3 44 — .9 475 Mackerel, whole . . . 44.7 40.4 10.2 4.2 — •7 370 Practical Food Economy Nutrition Tables — Continued Animal Food — Continued Pro- TEIN Car- Fuel Food Materials (as purchased) R'f'se Wat'r Fat bohy- Ash Val. drates PER Lb. Per Per Per Per Per Per Calo- Fish : — Continued cent cent cent cent cent cent ries Perch, yellow, dressed 35-1 50.7 12.8 0.7 — 0.9 275 Shad, whole SO. I 35.2 9.4 4.8 — .7 380 Shad, roe 71.2 20.9 3.8 2.6 i-S 600 Fish, preserved : Cod, salt 24.9 40.7 16.0 •4 — I8.S 32s Herring, smoked . . . 444 19.2 20.S 8.8 — 7-4 755 Fish, canned : Salmon — 63.5 21.8 12.1 — 2.6 9IS Sardines S-o S3.6 23.7 12.1 — 5-3 950 Shellfish: Oysters, "solids" . . . — 88.3 6.0 1-3 3.3 I.I 225 Clams — 80.8 10.6 I.I 5.2 2.3 340 Crabs 52.4 36.7 7-9 •9 .6 i-S 200 Lobsters 61.7 307 S-9 •7 .2 .8 145 Eggs : Hens' eggs .... 11.2 65.5 I3-I 9.3 — •9 63s Dairy products, etc. : Butter — II.O I.O 85.0 — 3.0 3,410 Whole milk — 87.0 3.3 4.0 5-0 .7 310 Skim milk — 90.5 3.4 •3 S-i .7 165 Buttermilk — 91.0 3.0 •S 4.8 .7 160 Condensed milk . . . — 26.9 8.8 8.3 54-1 1.9 1,430 Cream — 74.0 2.S 18.S 45 •S 865 Cheese, Cheddar . . . — 27.4 27.7 36.8 4.1 4.0 2,07s Cheese, full cream . . . — 34.2 25-9 33-7 2.4 3.8 1,88s Vegetable Food Flour, meal, etc. : Entire wheat flour . . . — 11.4 13.8 1.9 71.9 1.0 1,650 Graham flour .... — 11.3 13.3 2.2 71.4 1.8 1,64s Wheat flour,pat. roll.proc. : High grade and medium — 12.0 11.4 1.0 75.1 .5 1,63 s Low grade .... — 12.0 14.0 1.9 71.2 .9 1,640 Preparedness in the Home Food Materials (as ]?urchased) Flour, meal, etc. :— Continued Macaroni, vermicelli, etc. Wheat breakfast food Buckwheat flour Rye flour . . . Corn meal . . Oat breakfast food Rice .... Tapioca . . . Starch .... Bread, pastry, etc. : White bread . . Brown bread . . Graham bread . Whole wheat bread Rye bread . . Cake .... Cream crackers . Oyster crackers . Soda crackers, . Sugars, etc. : Molasses . . . Candy .... Honey .... Sugar, granulated Maple sirup . . Vegetables : Beans, dried . . Beans, Lima, shelled Beans, string Beets .... Cabbage . . . Celery .... Corn, green (sweet) portion . . . Cucumbers . . Lettuce . . . Mushrooms . . edible R'r'sE Per cent 7-0 20.0 15.0 20.0 IS-0 15.0 Wat'r Per cent 10.3 9.6 13.6 12.9 I2.S 7-7 12.3 11.4 35-3 43-6 35-7 38.4 35-7 19.9 6.8 4.8 5-9 12.6 68.5 83.0 70.0 77-7 75-6 75-4 81. 1 80.5 88.1 Tt^n Car- FUEI Fat bohy- Ash Val. drates PER Lb. Per Per Per Per Calo- cent cent cent cent ries 134 0.9 74.1 1.3 1,64s I2.I 1.8 75-2 1-3 1,680 6.4 1.2 77-9 •9 1,60s 6.8 •9 78.7 •7 1,620 9.2 1.9 754 1.0 1,63s 16.7 7-3 66.2 2.1 1,800 8.0 .3 79.0 4 1,620 •4 .1 88.0 .1 1,650 — — 90.0 — 1,67s 9.2 1-3 S3.I I.I 1,200 5-4 1.8 47.1 2.1 1,040 8.9 1.8 52.1 i-S 1, 19s 9-7 •9 49-7 1-3 1,130 9.0 .6 53-2 1-5 1,170 6.3 9.0 63.3 1.5 1,630 9.7 12.1 69.7 1-7 1,92s u-3 lo.s 70.S 2.9 1,910 9.8 9.1 73.1 2.1 h^75 — — 70.0 — I,22S — — 96.0 — 1,680 — — 81.0 — 1,420 — — lOO.O — 1,750 — — 71.4 — 1,250 22.5 1.8 59-6 3-5 1,520 7-1 •7 22.0 1-7 540 2.1 •3 6.9 .7 170 1-3 .1 7-7 .9 160 1.4 .2 4.8 •9 US .9 .1 2.6 ,8 65 3.1 I.I 19.7 .7 440 •7 .2 2.6 4 6S I.O .2 2-5 .8 6S 3-5 •4 6.8 1.2 18S 10 Practical Food Economy Nutrition Tables — Continued Vegetable Food — Continued Pro- Car- Fuel Food Materials (as purchased) R'f'se Wat'r Fat bohy- Ash Val. tein drates perLb. Per Per Per Per Per Per Calo- Vegetables : — Continued ( cent cent cent cent cent cent ries Onions lO.O 78.9 1.4 0.3 8.9 0.5 190 Parsnips .... 20.0 66.4 1-3 4 10.8 I.I 230 Peas, dried . . . — 9-5 24.6 1.0 62.0 2.9 1,565 Peas, shelled . . . — 74.6 7.0 •5 16.9 1.0 440 Cowpeas, dried . . — 13.0 21.4 1.4 60.8 34 1,505 Potatoes .... 20.0 62.6 1.8 .1 14.7 •8 295 Rhubarb .... 40.0 56.6 4 4 2.2 4 60 Sweet potatoes 20.0 55-2 1.4 .6 21.9 .9 440 Spinach .... • — 92-3 2.1 •3 3.2 2.1 95 Squash 50.0 44.2 •7 .2 4-5 4 100 Tomatoes .... 94-3 .9 4 3-9 •5 100 Turnips .... 30.0 62.7 .9 .1 5-7 .6 120 Vegetables, canned : Baked beans . . — 68.9 6.9 2-S 19.6 2.1 555 Peas, green . . . — 85.3 3.6 .2 9.8 I.I 235 Corn, green . . . — 76.1 2.8 1.2 19.0 •9 1430 Tomatoes .... — 94.0 1.2 .2 4.0 .6 95 Fruits, berries, etc., fresh : Apples 25.0 63.3 •3 •3 10.8 •3 190 Bananas 35-0 48.9 .8 4 14-3 .6 260 Grapes ...... 25.0 58.0 I.O 1.2 14.4 4 295 Lemons 30.0 62.S •7 •5 5.9 4 125 Muskmelons .... 50.0 44.8 •3 — 4.6 •3 80 Oranges . . . . . 27.0 634 .6 .1 8.5 4 150 Pears lO.O 76.0 •5 4 12.7 4 230 Raspberries .... — 85.8 1.0 12.6 .6 220 Strawberries . . . S-0 85.9 •9 .6 7.0 .6 150 Watermelons .... 594 37.5 .2 .1 2.7 .1 SO Fruits, dried : Apples ...... — 28.1 1.6 2.2 66.1 2.0 1,185 Apricots .... — 29.4 4-7 1.0 62.S 2.4 1,125 Dates lO.O 13.8 1.9 2.5 70.6 1.2 1,275 Raisins lO.O 13. 1 2.3 3.0 68.5 31 1,26s Preparedness in the Home 11 Pro- tein Car- Fuel Food Materials (as purchased) R'f'se Wat'r Fat bohy- Ash Val. drates PER Lb. Per Per Per Per Per Per Calo- Nuts: cent cent cent cent cent cent ries Almonds 4S-0 27 ii.S 30.2 9-5 I.I 1,51s Butternuts 86.4 .6 3.8 8.3 •5 •4 38s Chestnuts, fresh . . . 16.0 37.8 S-2 4-5 35-4 I.I 9IS Cocoanut, prepared . . — 3-5 6.3 57-4 31-5 1.3 2,865 Pecans, polished . . . 53.2 1.4 S.2 33-3 6.2 •7 1,465 Peanuts 24-5 6.9 I9.S 29.1 18.5 i-S 1,775 Walnuts, black .... 74.1 .6 7.2 14.6 3-0 •S .730 Walnuts, English . . . 58.1 I.O 6.9 26.6 6.8 .6 1,250 Miscellaneous : Chocolate — S-9 12.9 48.7 30.3 2.2 2,625 Cocoa, powdered . . . — 4.6 21.6 28.9 37-3 7.2 2,160 Cereal coffee, infusion (i part boiled in 20 parts water) — 98.2 .2 1.4 ,2 30 Approximate ioo-Calorie Portions of Some Common Foods Realizing that measuring by cup and tablespoonful varies so much that exact data for calorie portions could not be determined accurately, the author still believes it the most helpful and practical method in kitchen and home measurements. This is based upon Bulletin Number 28 of Office of Experiment Stations, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C., which has been varied from only a little so as to always keep the measure in terms the average woman in the home can grasp at once. There are some women with time at their command who will be interested to know that 28.35 grams 12 Practical Food Economy equal one ounce, the unit upon which the calories are based ; but this fact is not of much use to the busy woman with three meals to prepare. If she can visualize the following approximate measure- ments of some well-known foods — a few calories more or less in a day is not a serious matter — then from day to day this correct balancing of the diet will come to mean something more than terms of "calories" ; she will see them in food measurements with which she is familiar and using every day in the preparation of meals. Egg Yolks 2 Lettuce 2 heads (large) Egg Whites 7 Onions (raw) 3 to 4 me- Apple, Baked dium (sweetened) 1 large Apple Sauce 1 cup (scant) Popover I Orange Juice I cup French Rolls I Corn Flakes i^ cup8 Bananas I large Corn Meal Dates 3 to 4 (cooked) f cup Figs (dried) i| Oatmeal (cooked) I cup Grapes I large bunch Puffed Rice i|cup Peaches 3 Rice (steamed) f cup Prunes (stewed) 2 tos Cup Custard ^cup Raisins 20 to 25 Buttermilk i| cups Rib Roast (and ap- Cream (thin) J cup proximately all Cherries (stoned) I cup other beef roasts Currants i^ cups and steaks) average slice Grape Juice Icup Frankfurter I link Dried Beef Lamb Chop 1 inch thick (creamed) icup Chicken (roasted) I slice (aver- Codfish age) (creamed) icup Brazil Nuts 2 Tuna Fish Peanuts 20 to 24 single (canned) h cup English Walnuts 8 to 10 Lobster (canned) f cup Preparedness in the Home 13 Dried Bean, Cel- Brown Sugar 2 tablespoon- ery, Corn, Oys- fuls ter, and Potato Bacon Fat I tablespoonful Soup ^ cup each Butter I tablespoon- Lentil Soup I cup ful (scant) Split Pea Soup i cup (large) Cottage Cheese si tablespoon- Tomato (cream) fuls Soup 1 cup (scant) Cream (heavy) i^ tablespoon- LimaJBeans (fresh) | cup fuls Peas (green) f cup Whipped Cream 2 tablespoon- Peas (canned) fcup fuls Honey I tablespoon- Oleomargarine I tablespoonful ful Olive Oil I tablespoonful Maple Sirup i^ tablespoon- Mayonnaise I tablespoon- fuls Dressing ful Granulated Sugar 2 tablespoon- Peanut Butter li tablespoon- fuls fuls Food Sense Purpose Material Occupation Daily Portion Approximately ist I lb. high protein • To keep body Meat Active, value in repair Protein Fish Out-of- i lb. low protein To rebuild Eggs doors value wasted Milk Inactive (An average of t5 tissues of an ounce for each pound in § Potatoes weight per person) b 2d Whole Rice or about To supply heat Fats and Fuel or Flour tV for Proteins and energy Carbohy- Calories Cereals Stu for Fats and To keep body drates Olive Oil Starches m operation and Fats Tapioca A for Mineral Matter Mineral Matter Vegetables and Fruits 14 Practical Food Economy Food Sense Food for one day Family — Average required calories per person Husband, active busi- for one day, 2500 to ness, 2 children, ages 3500 (according to age 6 and 10 years and occupation) Breakfast: Fruit, Rolls, Butter, Cereal, Top Milk, Coffee, Cocoa, Milk Average calories per person, 475.62 Luncheon: Dried Bean Soup, Whole Wheat Bread, Dates, Lettuce Mayonnaise Sandwiches Average calories per person, 788.8 Dinner: Cream of Celery Soup, Chuck Roast, Gravy, Potatoes, String Bean Salad, Lettuce, Baked Apples, Bread, No Butter, Suet Pudding with Raisins, Milk Average calories per person, 185 2.1 Total average calories (for one day) per person, approximately, 3000 Proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and mineral matter are interrelated in all foods, and only by an every- day study of Atwater's Nutrition Table can any woman determine food values and their place in the meals of her family ; then watch growth, weight, color, and activity in each one and change foods as required, keeping the necessary calorie basis, per day. Directions for Measuring All measurements are level, measured In a stand- ard half-pint cup of tin, aluminum, or glass, divided into quarters, halves, and thirds. Most foods weigh J pound for each cup. A standard measuring teaspoon Is divided in halves and quarters, fastened together and sold under the name of "Measuring Spoons." Sifting the Flour Before Measuring Lightens It and Makes It Go Farther. «l^. Dipping Sifted Flour Lightly into the Cur Saves Material. Do Not Shake It Down or Pack. Preparedness in the Home 15 Tablespoon, regulation size. Flour, sifted before measuring and then dipped lightly with the tablespoon into the cup. Level off top with knife or spatula. Fats are packed in the cup. These are the standard measurements taught in all schools and colleges, and should always be used in the home ; the result will be a great saving in material used and less failures in recipes. Assemble all utensils and materials before begin- ning work. Housekeeper's Measuring Schedule Leavening Agents. Dough is made light or porous in the following ways : A. By the production (and expansion of heat) of car- bon-dioxide gas from the baking soda in baking powder or baking soda, combined with some acid substance. B. From carbon-dioxide gas produced by growth of yeast — a plant. C. From the expansion of entangled air, incorporated in the dough by means of beaten eggs, especially the white, and by the beating of batters, and by the folding of thick doughs. D. From the expansion of water to steam. Two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder are equivalent to one half teaspoon of baking soda combined with one and one half teaspoons of cream of tartar ; or one cup of thick sour milk, or one cup of molasses, in place of the cream of tartar. Two cups flour made into a soft dough require two to four level teaspoonfuls of baking powder. 16 Practical Food Economy Batters and muffin mixtures require somewhat more baking powder to the flour than doughs. One teaspoonful less of baking powder may be used for each egg added. The yeast plant grows best at 75° to 90° F. It changes sugar into alcohol and carbon-dioxide gas. Flour contains a small proportion of sugar, and during bread making some of the starch is changed into sugar, but the yeast begins to act more quickly if a little sugar is added at first. Salt and fat hinder the growth of the yeast. Low tem- peratures stop the growth almost completely; high tem- peratures kill the plant. When eggs are used as leavening agents, the whites are beaten separately, as they will hold much more air than the yolks, and folded into the mixture the last thing, breaking as few air cells as possible. When air is depended on for leavening agent, all ma- terials are kept cold as possible. Cold air expands more on heating than warm air. In pastry making, heat also melts the fat, so that the dough cannot be handled. (See Pastry.) Nutrition and Wise Marketing "In increasing numbers women read the newspapers, not the ladies* papers, and in the dim future we may hope that editors will find this out. In reading these newspapers women are setting in motion the same trains of thought that men are following throughout the country, and the minds of the sexes are being encouraged to grow toward and not away from each other.'' — Beatrice Forbes-Robertson Hale. Wherever we go to purchase materials for our daily food, clothing, or shelter, we are greeted with All Measurements Level, Particularly Baking Powder, as Too Much Is Frequently Used IN Baking. Packing Fats for Accuracy into the Measuring Cup. Preparedness in the Home 17 a constant rise in price of every article we wish to buy, and many strange but plausible tales are told us over the counter why this must be so. However, that is not for us to discuss at the present time. What we should know is whether it is necessary to buy the article at the advanced price, or whether some other commodity will answer every purpose at a less cost ; and many times, in the case of food, whether it will not give even greater nourishment than that which is higher priced. Is this hard for women to understand ? Nothing is too hard for them if they will acquire the habit of thinking about the economic side of home making. Since the efficiency of all labor in the home or out of it depends upon energy and constant repair of waste in the body by food, it is certainly of no small moment that every citizen, from the youngest to the oldest, should know how to maintain this machine at the highest efficiency, and in such a crisis as the present one, should know where to turn to find nour- ishment in the form which is best and cheapest. Was there any one but Graham Lusk (high au- thority on nutrition) brave enough to tell the aver- age woman that canned tomatoes are practically valueless as food ? Should the laboring man who has to have three thousand calories or heat units of energy a day for his work spend his money for a can of tomatoes which is little less than flavored water ? (One hundred calories per pound : At- water, United States Government report.) 18 Practical Food Economy This is saying nothing against tomatoes when used with plenty of other good food, but too much labor is given by women in the home to the canning of tomatoes when it should be spent on the preser- vation of nutritive foods, and in the getting of real food returns for money spent. Again, when wheat advances and there Is a rise in the price of bread, — corn meal, oatmeal, dried beans, or rice may all be used in place of bread, at a lower price. We have been led to believe that all the ash necessary in the diet comes from the grains, and yet in some of our recent tests it has been found in milk when all protein content had been entirely removed. From a recent experiment on rats, in v/hich growth had come to a standstill when the fat in the diet consisted of lard, but rapid growth fol- lowed when butter fat was substituted, we naturally conclude that butter fat must contain something in nutrition which lard does not. In another report, the food of sixty families, with incomes varying from $3.25 to $15.00 per week, was examined ; when above $5.00 per week was spent, the family was nourished, averaging three thousand calories daily ; below $5.00 a week, under-nutrition. Staple foods, bread, potatoes, milk, sugar, beef, and vegetables, were main foods, little use being made of corn meal, oatmeal, dried peas, beans, macaroni, spaghetti, cheese, fish, raisins, dates, or figs. It was also found that when a child was underweight it was invariably due to inadequate Always Level Measurements. Successful Method of Making Mayonnaise. See page 222, Preparedness in the Home 19 diet. These were also tests made by Graham Lusk. ( During a recent strike in Chicago, a poor woman spent her last ten cents to buy lettuce to feed her hungry family. If she had bought dried beans and cooked them without waste, she would have had seventy-one times as much food for the same money ; or, if she had spent five cents for whole wheat bread, or wheat coarsely ground for porridge, and five cents for milk, she could have increased their nourish- ment fifty per cent. A few weeks ago, while lecturing in this same city, a boy about twelve years old appeared at our lecture hall, and looking eagerly at our beautiful, clean, white, modern kitchen, stopped before it and said to me, "I have come to have you tell me what to eat.'V "Why did you come here?^^ I asked. "Because everything I eat at noon makes me hurt here," and he placed his hand on his stomach, "and some of the men told me to come here and you would tell me what to eat." " First tell me what you eat for breakfast," I said. "Coffee," he answered. "Anything else.?" I asked. "Sometimes a little bread, but mostly coffee." "At what hour do you eat your breakfast ? " "About six-thirty," he replied, "and I don't have lunch until twelve, and then I want to eat everything I see." "What do you usually decide upon?" "Frankfurters, potatoes, pie, and coffee, and then in a little while my stomach hurts, and sometimes I have to stay home all day." 20 Practical Food Economy He then told me, after much questioning, that the doctor had given him some medicine, but had said nothing about his food, nor had he told him that growing children should never drink coffee, as it is only a stimulant and not a food, which he must have in order to grow and be well and happy. Never shall I forget this boy's pleading face and his willingness to learn why and how he should eat. We also sent some advice to his mother, who was eager to know and help make her boy well. There was no more coffee drinking, but real building food was served in that home, and the boy reported to me nearly every morning for three weeks. When we left him, if not entirely cured, at least he and his mother were thinking about this all-important ques- tion of nourishment. The example of this one boy who wished to know brought other men and women every day to our lecture room, asking questions rela- tive to foods and their values in their own dietary. Every day for years in my own city, we have been answering these same questions asked by young and old, on the street cars, in elevators, and in my office. Se we naturally conclude that one of the large factors in under-nutrition or poor nourishment is either bad marketing or lack of understanding in regard to foods that build our bodies. This has been well illustrated in the lunches in our public schools, where marked improvement in the physical and mental growth of the children has followed the Preparedness in the Home 21 establishment of free or penny lunches. Surely a city and state economy should be the direct result of such service to our children ! The parents must have the same nourishment, and they will if every woman in charge of a home will devote one hour a day to getting and applying information which will enable her to buy the best and cheapest foods for herself and family. If, as men, women, and children, we lived sepa- rate lives in separate homes, and not all of us ate food, I could understand the lecture bureau man who said to me recently: "Only women are in- terested in your lectures ; they are not for men and women, are they?" Women and children, yes; but it would take no urging to bring the husbands, if some evenings could be devoted to the study of real preparedness — that is, our food supply and economy in its distribution, purchase, and prepara- tion, which as American people we shall have to know. This is not a woman's profession alone, but one to which every family in the United States, and every member of it, must devote time and interest, for the immediate welfare and preparedness of our nation begins with the food interest and economy in the home. Looking after Finances There are two things which interest all people. One is the earning of money, and the other is the spending of it. For years men and women who have 22 Practical Food Economy been earning money in any avenue whatsoever, business or professional, have been putting great mental effort into devising ways and means of increasing their income; but the new note in our home economics is to look well and carefully to the saving and spending without waste and extravagance. Some one has said, "It is not what you earn, but what your wife saves." It does not seem quite fair to place all the saving on one side of the partner- ship ; but, whatever this outgo represents, let it be fair play and equal partners in all spending and saving. Women are and must be the spenders of money; but whose ? Let us make a proper beginning by doing a little tabulating of these people referred to as interested in the earning and spending of money. First, married people whose income consists wholly of the husband's earnings. Second, married people where both follow their own vocations and earn separate salaries. Third, widows with or without children who have taken the husband's place as wage earners, and single women in business of their own, or on a salary. Fourth, unmarried people who have heard the warning, "Between even those who love most de- votedly finances will bring friction." To this class we must try to give help to keep them off the rocks of worry and possible shipwreck. Fifth, woman's viewpoint : Preparedness in the Home 23 (i) No self-respecting woman likes to ask her husband for money every time she desires some- thing for her personal use. (2) Most women know the irritation of needing and not knowing whether they can afford to buy a new pan or a new gown. (3) The widow educating her children, and un- trained in division of income, does not make a fair distribution to all, particularly to herself. Sixth, man's viewpoint : (i) The irresponsible spending of money by women, who realize nothing of the efforts made in earning it. (2) Man's natural reluctance in parting with money for which he has worked. The best available thinking by both partners on their future income is necessary to clear the way for a happy, healthy, prosperous partnership in married Hfe. There should be a clear understanding of the financial question when two people become engaged to be married, and all buying for the home should be based on such income and standards for their future living. A business system should be adopted in the home, covering the allowance and outgo each day, this record being balanced at the end of each week. With allowance properly proportioned for the neces- sary expenditures in a home, and outgo for each class of expenditures tabulated for the day, and summed up at the end of each week and month, an 24 Practical Food Economy interesting business, such as women have never known, would soon be developed in the home. This regardless of whether one or both are earning the money. If this is the right partnership, both are earning it and should spend it equally. And this is not all. The other partner, the man, at the end of each week or month should make a statement equally explicit relative to his finances, as much of the so-called reckless, careless spending has been done because women do not have money given them for personal use and therefore resort to reckless charging. Another is when both members of this firm do not understand the cash-on-hand system and prac- tice it. Many times the woman goes on spending lavishly, when, if she only knew conditions and balances, she would use the utmost care and save, as no one knows so well how to do. So it is not what "the man earns and the wife saves", but what both earn and both save equally and economically. The man and woman working this out together are in an easier position than the "third" family referred to. She, the widow, must not only earn, but know how to spend this money wisely for her family, besides providing for the careful up-keep of the home and education of her children, and what is so often overlooked — herself. A simple and easily understood method of daily accounting is found in these Household Expense Cards : Preparedness in the Home 25 . I 1 u 1 1 1 i t 1 i i f2 i J i4 ' ^ o 1 1 s g 1 1 1 1 i 1 1 1 26 Practical Food Economy ! J 1^ 1 1 1 1 ti" 1 3 1 ■< 1 1 ■ i J Itl S 1 1 g 8 1 s ! 1 1 1 1 1 J a Ou ■ 1 Preparedness in the Home 27 J ||.I i -1 J a '3 ( 5 S < X Toul Expenditares lor Month s ! Total Aliowenoe for Month 1 s 1 fe 1 1 < 1 »5 >> ? < 1 t J i 1 1 — — u i 28 Practical Food Economy Not False, but True Economy "Great Wealth is measured by savings rather than by amounts earned, and the greatest losses are in the Home." There Is nothing In the world which gives expres- sion to the great natural love Instinct In woman as the act of making a home. It should not be the ex- pression of an end in Itself, but as a means through which the woman grows, expands, rounds out, and balances her life. All our Hves as women, we have been working to make the homes of our husbands and children beautiful, comfortable, happy places in which to live. We have reared children, cooked, washed, ironed, swept, dusted, mended, sewed, and knitted, besides manufacturing cloth, rugs, candles, and many other things which are now being done better outside of the home for our use. We were worn, tired, sick, unhappy creatures as a class, and why ? Because we were making all this "doing" in the home the ultimate end rather than the expression of our own development and growth, which should have given freedom rather than bondage. J. A. Hobson writes : "Given a number of human beings with a certain development of physical and mental faculties and of social resources, how best can they utihze these powers for the attainment of the most complete satisfaction, or for the largest number of healthy and happy beings .f^" Let us see how this can be done, at least by women. Preparedness in the Home 29 There was a time in our history when all the occupations mentioned were done in the home, because there were no factories or bakeshops or electric light plants which could supply us with the necessary materials, foods, or lighting, and the home was naturally the creative place for our necessi- ties. The home was independent industrially and in no way dependent upon the world at large and was not involved in outside labor problems. Woman had no thought of a "career" at that time, as she was busily engaged in producing at home; neither did she suggest to city or village boards how the housecleaning should be done; nor had she given much thought to hygiene, sanitation, or warding off disease, for then it was taken for granted every child must some time or other have measles, mumps, chickenpox, and whooping cough. Now all is changed. We use factory food prod- ucts and employ help from the outside. This has in- volved and still involves labor problems. We have educated our daughters to support themselves out- side the home, and that has changed the adminis- tration of affairs in home life. We send our very young children to the kindergarten, to their "second mothers", for their first education, instead of teach- ing them their A B C's at home as we used to do. Instead of caring for the sick at home, they are now sent to the hospitals, and instead of beHeving in so-called children's diseases, we know, through our study of hygiene, they are not necessary. Many 30 Practical Food Economy other matters of progress show us that the home is so closely related with the outside world and its interests that it has brought new responsibilities, new opportunities, a broader horizon, and wider sympathies to women. If we are going to keep in this rapidly moving van of progress with the least possible friction, we must let go of some of the older things which we used in this first process of construction, and be ready to take the newer and better things when they come. It represents not only a matter of greater comfort and happiness, but also greater economy. I should not like to go on record as saying that women do not think. But at any rate they have reached the time in this cycle of civilization when, if they wish to find expression for all the talents with which women believe to-day they are endowed, they must think and think intelligently, with con- tinuity — logically and truthfully. They must be able to decide questions in a perfectly unbiased manner, keeping the poise, balance, and dignity of womanhood. This is one step toward healthy, happy hving in which women may express them- selves through the actual doing. It has been a popular impression that the knowl- edge of good housekeeping and the proper care of the children came "naturally" to a woman, when she suddenly found herself with both thrust upon her, even though she had no previous training for this profession. I remember a woman with many Preparedness in the Home 31 years' experience once said to me : "If I could only- have heard these home-making talks when I was young ! I married and one day suddenly found myself with two babies and no helper, and I had been educated for everything under the sun but the care of babies and a home." Very few of us can look back with any particular joy at least to the first year of housekeeping. I remember how I resented the fact that my husband, a lawyer, did not have to change his profession, while I, a teacher who loved mine as well as he loved his, must give it up and do something for which I thought I was not educated. No one had told me that this great art of home making and science of foods meant the same appHcation of all the peda- gogy and system which I had used in my school- room. This had to be learned through mistakes and discomfort, and even by the shedding of a few tears. This is not intended as a resume of my own life and experience, but of the life of the average woman who enters a home with no special training which fits her to do her work efficiently and economically, or with the understanding which would enable her to give clear ^nd definite instructions as to how it should be done. For no woman can expect good service or work well done when she can neither do it herself, has no idea of the labor or time required for its completion, and cannot give definite direc- tions for some one else to do it. Any one who has physical strength can take care 32 Practical Food Economy of a house, but it takes a woman who thinks and thinks broadly to make a home — one who can keep the wheels of the machinery running smoothly with little or no friction, and have time to take part in the big affairs outside where she is needed ; a woman who does not neglect the social and play side that is an essential part of our everyday Hfe, and which more and more must come through the work we are e^ngaged in. This can only be done by the woman who is able to discriminate between essentials and nonessentials, just as she chooses the kind of utensils that will do the work more quickly and efficiently, instead of those knives, potato mashers, and iron kettles which mother or grandmother used. I know the question of money is in the reader's mind, but as women gain a sense of values, they will adjust the proportion of money to be spent on foods, utensils, and furnishings. The same success which has attended every business to which she has applied her mind will follow the eifort of the woman in the home who realizes that this business of home making is worthy of her best mental energy. This clear definite thinking in getting right values so as to be capable of determining what is real economy, gives a woman judgment in the buying of everything for her home. She soon learns how to dis- criminate, choose and select with thought, no matter whether it is furniture or foods. She knows without any argument that in her busy useful life many Preparedness in the Home 33 staple goods may be telephoned for, and by going to market once or twice a week, she can keep in touch with seasonable foods and prices. No one need tell any woman she must do it ; just get her to think, and she will practice the best methods of true economy in both time and labor and careful buying, which eliminates all waste in the home. Reduce Grocery Bills by Using Seasonable Articles "Enough is as good as a feast." — George Chapman. "Gluttony kills more than the sword." — Herbert. Lessen the size of the garbage can, and in lessening the size there is less opportunity for food which is usable in many ways to go into it. While we talk a great deal about this tremendous subject — the high price of food — waste is one of the biggest problems in our homes. "Foods seasonable and as reasonable in price with value, as our income will allow" should be our slogan. We are well aware that with our present system of shipping fruits and vegetables in perfectly refrigerated cars all over the world, they can be delivered quickly to our markets in good condition and frequently sold at a price within our means. But that requires sensible "market- ing", and not the purchase of green corn and to- matoes in May, which I see continually at the 34 Practical Food Economy markets where I study our present methods of buy- ing. Women must learn the science of buying good body-building food and not that for satisfying an artificial appetite. As a nation, we do not appreciate what the French learned long ago — the necessity of "a perfect re- spect" for food. When they buy a head of lettuce, outside leaves are carefully washed and used for greens, soups, or shredded for a salad, and all the dainty bits are used in the regulation way. When we purchase the same head of lettuce, all the outside leaves are stripped off and thrown into the garbage can, and this is true also of certain parts of the celery, beets, and many other foods grown in our country and purchased in the markets which should be utilized for soups, greens, or flavorings. Now, necessity is making all of us in the United States have this same "respect" for food. One of the causes of the present prices is cer- tainly that of supply and demand, and every woman knows that there is greater demand to-day for all kinds of foods, in season and out of season, than ever before In the history of marketing. If we can learn to buy food when In season, and then utilize every bit of it to the best advantage, without waste, and conserve every part of the food value in cooking, it will do much toward lessening the great demand and high prices now so prevalent, and at the same time give all a chance for their share of food. In doing marketing each day, while lecturing in Preparedness in the Home 35 our large cities, I have learned food conditions and prices from the buyers of the largest food-supply houses in the United States. One November day in an eastern market, in the discussion of fresh fruits and vegetables — and most of them unseasonable, such as asparagus at one dollar a bunch, tomatoes fifty cents a pound, peaches, strawberries, alligator pears, and others of like kind and prices — I asked, "Do you have much complaint on prices?" ** Never," the proprietor responded. "People do not want things these days unless they are unseason- able, unusual, and hard to get. They do not ques- tion the price." "But how about paying for them .f*" I asked. "Oh ! that's easy. We send the bill and receive the check." "That may be all right for milHonaires," I still persisted; "they can afford to spend their money freely and as they choose, but how does it affect others that cannot afford it.?" Then he opened up his heart and told me what a wasteful extravagance it was for some of their cus- tomers, whom he knew to have an income of only one or two thousand a year, to come into their store and insist upon buying this same food, because rare and unseasonable, at fabulous prices ; and he said, "Between you and me, I would rather have a can of that nice asparagus on the shelf than this forced hothouse bunch which costs a dollar." After all, our living is summed up in knowing foods and their body-building value in health and strength, education in money values, and enough 36 Practical Food Economy good common sense to know how to spend it, and to "pass by" all unseasonable foods which are not priced for the family of average incomes. The time has come when those with the large income must spend it for nutritious foods, and give up luxuries which rarely ever contribute to good health. Then if we buy wisely and know the relation of heat to this food in its cooking, the least expensive dish may prove to be an appetizing one for rich or poor. Understanding the Gas Range There are few housekeepers or cooks who have mastered all the details of managing the gas range, though the results obtained in cooking and baking are easier and cleaner than with either wood or coal. To most women a stove is a stove, and there is nothing special to learn about it except where to turn on the gas and how to light it. They think that the higher they turn the flame, the hotter it is, which is anything but true. By experience we have found that by turning on the gas until a little blue flame is reached and no yellow "tips" — which is air — are seen, the greatest heat value is attained. Do not turn up the flame until it rises to the handles of the cooking utensils. The heat is no greater, and it is destructive to the saucepans and kettles. It is sur- prising what perfect cooking of most foods with no watching or anxiety can be done with the flame on the gas stove turned as low as possible without going out. Preparedness in the Home 37 . Most women are ready to confess that they do not understand their oven. Often we are so busy doing things in the kitchen that we forget what is happen- ing in the oven. Not enough care has been given to the study of the relation of heat to food, which is a big item in the finished meal. The preparation of food, mixing and material, may be perfect, and yet all is ruined in cooking over the gas and baking in the oven. Mothers often make the mistake of letting the daughters make the cake, and then tell them to "run along", and they'll watch the baking. The most important part was omitted in the daughter's lesson in cake making. Here is where our cooking schools are giving our daughters an opportunity seldom found at home. The girl must study and know the temperature of ovens ; she must time all processes, to see how long it takes the oven to heat for various purposes ; she must also notice the effect of too much heat, and will learn that many articles continue cooking or baking after the gas is turned off. If the girls are learning all this in cooking schools, surely it would pay any mother to spend some time in experimenting with her own stove. One difficulty in the management of a gas stove lies in the fact that the pressure and supply of gas are not always uniform. Occasionally the supply pipe is insufficient for the size of the range, or too many are using the gas at one time. This is fre- quently noticed in apartments between five and 38 Practical Food Economy seven p.m., when so many dinners are being pre- pared all over the city, thus testing the full capacity of each stove and of the general supply. In some kitchens, where light and heat come from the same pipe, it is wiser at times to light the room by other means, that the full force of the gas may be given to the cooking of the dinner. Women are not keen about the mechanical side of housekeeping. At a lecture on foods and cookery some years ago, when gas was a less common fuel, the teacher turned out the light above her head that the full supply of gas might come to the kettle of fat in which she was about to cook croquettes. One spectator turned to her neighbor with a stage whisper, "Why must she fry them in the dark.^" There is more than one woman to-day to whom processes of cookery with the gas stove or other agencies seem invested with magic or under control of the powers of darkness. The usual gas range has three parts, which may be used together or separately — the top burners, the baking and broiling ovens. By judicious plan- ning, it is seldom necessary to use more than two upper burners, and one may often do the work of two. The milk for a soup or pudding may be scalded over the kettle where potatoes are boiling. The kettles made so that two can fit over one burner may be helpful, but those of three divisions are less desirable. When a kettle represents the third of a circle it brings a point directly over the hottest part of the flame, and this tends toward inequalities in Preparedness in the Home 39 cooking, if not toward burning on the kettle. For a family of six or more a good steam cooker will save gas enough to pay for its cost inside of a year, and vegetables will be all the better in flavor and there will be less waste if cooked by steam. By forethought parts of two dinners may be prepared in the cooker. A portable oven, Hke those provided for oil or small gas stoves, may be used on the top burner of a gas range. Here potatoes, a pan of beans, and a pie or pudding can be baked at one time, instead of heating the larger oven, which would require much more fuel. The broiler pan provided in the average gas range is a delusion to the small family. It is too large and clumsy to handle and difficult to wash. It may serve as a rack in which to set a smaller pan, however. A long, narrow tin or a perforated pie pan, which holds the required number of chops or sections of fish or beefsteak (not a full porterhouse) may be used under one row of burners, and the broiling thus be accom- plished twice as well with half the gas. Have the iron above well heated at first and place any meat as close to the flame as is safe, sear it thoroughly and turn and sear the other side, then move farther away from the flame or turn it low. Thus the heat will penetrate and cook the center without burning the outside ; or heat will have accumulated in the upper oven, and the gas may be turned out, and the fish, flesh, or fowl placed in that moderate temperature to finish. 40 Practical Food Economy In conclusion, when the oven does not bake on top or burns on the bottom, or anything else is wrong with the gas range, let me urge women to take their troubles at once to the gas man, or the one from whom the stove was purchased. They are only too glad and willing to remedy the difficulty. It is worse than wasted energy, besides a tremendous waste of good food, to try to cook and bake under such unsatisfactory conditions. Cooking by Electricity When attending a recent Woman's Industrial Ex- hibition, I wondered if there was really anything in the world that was not for woman, or that she did not have something to do with, either in the making or disposition of, in the home. We surely have passed the age when women's hands lie idly in their laps, for the rugs we saw woven, the dresses and bonnets made, the marmalades, jams, and jellies, candies, the work by children, and the cooking, all showed evidence of woman's work. A model municipal terminal market, designed by a woman, helped solve the economic wastes in trans- portation and distribution of foods, and since this exposition, this wonderful municipal market has been completed and is in operation. The center of vital interest to both men and women, however, was the "kitchen de luxe", where all the cooking and operating of utensils was done Preparedness in the Home 41 by the faithful and ready servant, electricity. It was a kitchen and dining room combined, which seemed quite the proper thing, as this method of cooking by electricity is so clean and the arrange- ment of the kitchen was so orderly and attractive there really seemed no necessity for separating these two rooms, which are so closely linked together. As I had cooked for several years entirely by electricity in my own home (and still use it with reasonable economy as compared with other fuel), I Was naturally interested in what was being cooked at this exhibition. There was no question in the minds of every one who watched these Domestic Science instructors cooking with such accuracy, comfort, ease, and real enjoyment, that some day when they "could afford it", they too would be able to solve through electric cooking the "help" and many other problems. Most of us have become familiar with the smaller appliances operated by electricity, and it would be a sad move backward if the electric iron, vacuum cleaner, grill, toaster, chafing dish, percolator, and washing machine were taken from the home, and women had to resort to old methods, less efficient and requiring greater labor than these appliances operated by electricity. Yes ! They have come to stay ! But the real help which women have needed has been a good economical electric stove. It has been my good fortune to use one — which is a combina- tion of gas, electricity, and fireless — for several 42 Practical Food Economy years at my own home and when lecturing in various cities, and my conclusions are : First, that baking can only be done with economy of food, fuel, and time by having a definite heat in- dicator on the oven door. Food is only digestible and serves its purpose if it is cooked just long enough^ and at neither too high nor too low heat. This testing of the oven then is most important, in that, with such a thermometer and insulated oven, we may know exact temperature when food should go into the oven and when it should be removed for perfect baking. Second, this stove which we used and which is illustrated here, automatically cuts off the current when just the right heat is reached, and baking continues, with no cost, on retained heat. Very often I have cooked my cereals and evaporated fruits in the oven on the retained heat after the bak- ing is finished for dinner. Of course, this requires thinking and planning, but no successful business can succeed without system, planning, and definite thinking. Third, this kind of accurate, sure baking certainly must and will, more and more in the future, play a large part in the release of women from work which at times seems endless. Their time must be profit- ably employed in the home and out of it. They must study social problems of the day, if they are to be of the greatest service to humanity and their country, and more time also must be given for train- ing and living with their children. But all this great Preparedness in the Home 43 good can only come to the woman who will use or direct the use of electric cooking with economy. But if once used, you will say with me, "I can never cook without it," for it means economy of. food, time, and labor; besides it means better foods and a healthier present and coming generation. Stocking the Kitchen "The entire object of true education is to make people not merely do the right things, but enjoy the right things — not merely industrious, but to love industry — not merely learned, but to love knowledge — not merely pure, but to love purity — not merely just, but to hunger and thirst after justice." — John Ruskin. It may sound rather commonplace to write of replenishing housekeeping conveniences and utensils when wearing apparel and other fascinating things for the wardrobe are beckoning us from every store window, as well as from the enticing advertisements in the newspapers and magazines. It takes good judgment and balance in every woman to buy the clothes best suited in quality, quantity, and style (never fashion) for her own or her family's particular needs. It also takes the same good judgment to replenish or restock the house equipment. Spring or fall seems to be one of the times when we must take account of our stock in both clothes and the appliances which help to make the wheels of the housekeeping machinery run quickly and with the fewest possible jars or setbacks. 44 Practical Food Economy We know better, in our profession of home making, than to "just get along" with whatever we happen to have in utensils for cooking our food, or for keep- ing the house clean and in order. We have learned through experience and education that there is as close a relationship between the food and the right utensils, and the house and the right working ap- pliances, as there is between a picture and the correct brushes used in painting it, our home and the exact tools for certain work in building it. More than this, there has never been a time in the history of our lives when the manufacturer and the home have been as close together in thought along these Hnes as now — one creating and the other de- manding. The one creating stands ready to give us just what we demand — if we know what utensils are for, and their use in the kitchen or any other part of the house. For instance, a delicate sauce or cream soup may be scorched or underdone when made in a saucepan, with all the other cooking and the setting of table coming at the same time, whereas with a double boiler all anxiety is eHminated, and with most sauces the quality is far superior. Eggs cooked in a thin skillet heat and cook too rapidly for quality or diges- tion, while in a cast spider the heat can be well regu- lated. The shrinkage of meats in an open pan in the oven is twenty-five per cent, greater than in a covered roaster, unless in an insulated or fireless oven. These are only a few illustrations of the actual A Convenient Grouping of Utensils Near the Kitchen Range. y7^— S^^.r' •.?^^:^?;'??55r;?f=^ff^rB^5^g?sJ'.«'=T»s?T/er"'^^^g»«=7'','? Small Utensils Within Easy Reach, Preparedness in the Home 45 necessity for having the right utensils for getting good results in flavor, food value, and economy. A woman once said to me : ''When I married, I wanted to go into the kitchen and cook, and my husband had not expected me to do it. However, when he saw I was anxious to learn, he said, 'Have every- thing you need to do your work easily, economically, and well.' I did, without spending much money or having too many utensils. I used care and discrim- ination in the selection, and I have made it the pleasure of my life." Every woman can do the same by thinking out, as she works, which utensil is most practical and use- ful, discarding as soon as she can afford it the one which is not, and informing herself, before going to buy, on the best in material, shapes, handles, sizes, etc., in relation to the work expected of such utensils. If it is aluminum — which is light, lasting, and attractive — don't expect it to look as bright after use as when on the shelves in the shop any more than you would expect an automobile to look the same after being driven all day as when it left the show window. Learn something about aluminum and how to keep it clean, and know that cleanliness is all that is essential to keep it perfect for use. Surely a woman who is alive and thinking to-day is not using pots and pans — either heavy to handle or hard to wash. Who would use an iron spider, which is heavy and porous, absorbing grease and 46 Practical Food Economy odors of all foods which have ever been cooked in it, when a light aluminum one is on sale in every house-furnishing department and is much more attractive to look at, besides being perfectly sani- tary for cooking purposes ? Employ in the kitchen, as in other parts of the house, a process of elimination rather than accumu- lation. Think of the useless utensils in drawers and on pantry shelves which are never used. Either find out if they are perfectly useless (and, if so, relegate them to the waste basket), or use them. There are too many tools lying around the " working laboratory" of the home which make extra work to handle and do not add to the efficiency engineering of the home or housekeeping. This is just the time to mend our ways in these respects, at the beginning of the season, when we do more or less rearranging and reorganizing in our homes in the spring or after the relaxation of the hot summer months. The very best way is for the woman in the home to study easy methods of work ; and, when she sees or — while working — thinks of a labor-saving or any necessary new utensil, make a note of it. Then, at various times, one or more may be purchased, and the extra expense will hardly be noticed. Another thing which will help in this readjustment is the selection of utensils which will answer several purposes. For instance, suppose a new roaster is necessary ; an aluminum one may cost a little more Preparedness in the Home 47 at the time, but It means two baking pans Instead of one, as the cover is a real pan. Fruit may be canned In It by standing jars on the rack; then, with plenty of boIHng water In the pan — over a fire or In the oven, or fire turned out entirely and the roaster covered — the fruit Is canned by the steam process. The bread mixer Is not only useful and necessary for bread making, but is fine for mix- ing fruit cakes and plum puddings. Who would mash potatoes the old hard way, when a fruit press or potato ricer will do it better In one fourth the time, with much less effort, besides press- ing juice from fruits ? While abroad one year, our butter was served in pretty shell-Hke forms. I was sure they were made with a butter curler which I knew was being sold In our own home city, as I had one in my possession at least a year before going abroad ; so I managed In Paris to have the utensil brought me for Inspection, and, sure enough. It was the same. Many women were purchasing them and bringing them home to America, thinking them novelties. The newest and best things are all here in our house-furnishing stores, attractive and use- ful, awaiting your selection. But do not forget the elimination process before you begin to buy the newest tools ; then use them and take care of them. The old saying surely is a great help, "A place for everything and everything in its place," and — we might add — "the proper use for everything." 48 Practical Food Economy Elements of Everyday Food ''"Those who live on the mountain have a longer day than those who live in the valley. Sometimes all we need to brighten our day is to rise a little higher." — Ella Flagg Young. Every woman, we feel sure, is quite ready for a more complete, definite chemical knowledge of the balance of foods in her daily purchases. For every living thing there is a "right kind" of food, without which disease sets in or it dies. Every child who has kept chickens, rabbits, or pets of any kind, knows how carefully, regularly, and how much of the right quality of food they must have. Every child who has grown house plants or cultivated a garden knows how necessary air, soil, and water are for the growth of the plants. It is only necessary to apply this knowledge to ourselves to see that we, as living human beings, need our food in the same way, and that air, sun- shine, and water — as well as meat (or its substi- tutes) and milk, sugars, and starches — are our foods, without which we cannot live. If young boys and girls could be taught these things during their child- hood, by the time they were grown up, "keeping well", not "getting well", and a better understand- ing of their bodies would be the result. Mrs. Ellen Richards has written in one of her valuable books on foods : "The baby's food is milk, which contains all the substances needed except Preparedness in the Home 49 oxygen of the air. This must be breathed in through the lungs. To milk is added for the child of two years, starch in various forms — rice, potatoes, wheat bread, corn mush, etc. For the six-year-old there are added a few fruits and vegetables, eggs, and a very little meat. The youth of twelve to fifteen years takes with profit all kinds of food, if it is well cooked and not in the form of soggy bread, or greasy, fried things. The young person from eighteen to twenty-five has a digestion which even the worst cooking does not always spoil, but there is even then a risk in overtaxing willing stomachs, for bad effects may not be manifest for many years." With this very simple outline for young and old, experienced or inexperienced, we give below a table of the everyday foods, which should be used for fre- quent reference, as it has taken scientists many years to acquire what they consider only the slightest knowledge of foods. From their continuous study, however, it is being made easier for the average home maker to have a clearer understanding of the purpose of foods. Proteins or Muscle Builders. Beef, lean pork, mutton, lamb, veal, poultry, game, milk, eggs, fish (better dried), with substitutes such as dried beans, peas, lentils, and thick nutritious soups, which include milk and egg yolks. Carbohydrates or Fuels. These include starches and sweets. Starches. Potatoes, rice, macaroni, spaghetti, cooked prepared cereals, breads (especially from white flour), 50 Practical Food Economy bananas, cocoa, cornstarch, tapioca in puddings, and others which may with understanding and thought be easily re- lated to these. Sweets. Honey, candy, cakes, frostlngs, preserves, jellies, jams, sugar, cookies, very sweet puddings, stewed fruits, maple sirups, and many other recognized sweets. Fats — Energy Foods. Fat ham, pork, bacon, fat fish, some kinds of sausage, cream, butter, cream soups, cream cheese, olive and peanut oil, ripe olives, mayonnaise and other salad dressings, gravies, sauces, pastry, most nuts, sweet chocolate, ice cream, parfalts, and all Bavarian creams. Minerals and Acids — Blood Purifiers. Cabbage, celery, radishes, cucumbers, tomatoes, egg-plant, spinach, dandelions, and all greens cooked or used fresh in salads, prunes, figs, rhubarb, and all dried and fresh fruits. Bulky Foods and Cleansers. Coarse bran and whole wheat breads, woody vegetables, coarse cereals, and all bran foods. Liquids — Dissolvents. Pure water, stock and milk soups, buttermilk, skimmed milk, fruit juices and similar drinks, gelatines, watery fruits and vegetables. CHAPTER II MEATS Our New Partnership "All things in life, arranged according to System, will fall into line and serve us, if our wills are strong enough and our purpose sufficiently steady." — Selected. The home makers of our country have formed their first big business partnership for putting their homes on a financial and economic basis so that our own people may be well nourished and plenty saved for war purposes. Our new partner is Herbert C. Hoover, and we are asked by him to become actual members of the food administration for conservation and elimina- tion of all waste of which he is the head in the United States. There is only one way to win in any partnership, and that is to find out what the organization is work- ing for and then, with united effort, work together until the goal has been reached. "Here's our hand, Mr. Hoover; you have our willing cooperation in all you ask." 51 52 Practical Food Economy If I may presume to do so, I should like to add one more principle to the following instructions from him, and that is this: "We will never miss an op- portunity to help others in this food conservation, by giving encouragement to women or actual help, when needed, in food economy, marketing, care of food in the home, or by passing on to them the best methods known in cooking, whenever and wherever we see an opportunity to do so." No great deeds were ever accompHshed without personal sacrifice, and we are ready. The general principles of instruction given by Mr. Hoover are as follows : "First. To save the wheat. If we eat as usual from our harvest this year, we will have little more than enough for our own supply, but we can divide with our allies if each individual makes some sacri- fice — by eating at least one wheatless meal a day, substituting corn bread or other cereals. Second. We want to save the meat, for our cattle and hogs are decreasing, and we must send to our allies, so we wish every householder to buy less, to serve smaller portions, and to allow no waste. Third. We wish to save the fats. We consume three times the fats that are necessary for nutrition, and we need them now for war. We wish no butter used in cooking ; we want less butter served on the table; we want less lard, bacon, and other pork products used. Fourth. Any deficiencies In food supply, by Meats 53 economy along the above lines, can be amply covered by increasing the use of fish, potatoes, beans, peas, turnips, cabbages, and vegetables generally, corn, buckwheat, rye, and rice, which we will have in abundance this harvest. Fifth. We want to save transportation. Our railways are unable to meet the war pressure for munitions, men, and coal, so that we wish every one to consume products of local origin so far as possible, to buy from the local miller, the local packer, buy and eat vegetables grown near home. Sixth. We preach and want every one to preach the gospel of the clean plate ; to buy less foodstuffs, to serve smaller portions, and to see that nothing of value goes into the garbage can. Aside from eating an increased proportion of these commodities in order to save on the staples, it is extremely Important that any surplus of these com- modities shall be preserved or well stored for winter Economy in Meat Buying Scientific Cooking and Care in Cuts Solve High Cost Problem The scientific cooking of meat In America is still in its infancy. The methods used have been the ones handed down from our grandmothers, or those devised by unskilled cooks, neither one of which is likely to lead to great advancement. 54 Practical Food Economy In its higher development, the cooking has fol- lowed the English method of bringing out the flavor inherent in the meat, and this method has been more or less successful because our supply comes from an abundance of well-fed, well-matured animals ; but cooking to preserve flavor and all nutritive value is our main point of consideration. From an economical standpoint, it is absolutely essential to know just how many ounces of our roast are lost in the cooking. Manufacturers are very much alive to this detail in building new ovens. Only recently I spent a week in one of the largest factories in our city, testing a new stove with additional improve- ments for conserving the heat, food value, and weight in foods. Very accurate and complete records were made of every kind of food which went into this oven, and I must confess to great surprise when we found we had lost only three ounces in a leg of lamb in the roasting. The digestibiUty of meat is not dependent upon the cut of meat. A cut of meat from the shoulder digests about as readily and completely as one from the loin, the difference being too small to be con- sidered. But the flavor, the digestibility, and the shrinkage of meat are dependent upon right cooking. My experiments were undertaken with the Inten- tion of studying the composition of the different cuts of meat from the housekeeper's standpoint, to determine what cuts will furnish the greatest amount of edible meat for a given amount of money. They Meats 55 are based entirely upon results obtained by ac- curate weighings. The cooked meat has not been chemically analyzed, and hence its nutritive value is not here discussed. No unusual fuel or utensils were used for the tests but those which would be practical for everyday use in the home. But very accurate records were made in the cooking of various cuts with these con- clusions based on the study of the results. First. The highest percentage of edible meat was obtained from the beef loaf. Loaf made from neck and chuck was a cent or two cheaper than that made from plate and flank. Second. The amount of waste fat was small in the beef loaf, because a large amount of it was held in the loaf by the added ingredients, making the fat become edible meat. This made the total cost per pound of edible meat lower than in any other cut, even at the same price for the butcher's weight. Third. Braised round — practically no loss in cooking. Fourth. Boiled rib — too much loss in wasted fat, unless this fat is saved for other cooking. Fifth. Rib roast — fine meats at average price. Chuck roast — highest percentage of edible meat, but not so fine in flavor, unless as carefully cooked, as loin roasts. Sixth. Porterhouse roast or steak most expensive, with loss in waste of fat and ends of meat. 56 Practical Food Economy Seventh. The loss by evaporation is greater in lean meats and less in fat meats, and greater in small cuts than in large ones. Eighth. Long cooking increases the loss by evapo- ration of water, and the loss of fat, unless iireless or casserole cooking is used. The conclusion is that the juiciness of meat and flavor seem to be directly proportioned according to the amount of fat it contains and the nutritive value and care in cooking. BRAISED BEEF Braised beef, when well cooked, is tender and appetizing. Select a piece weighing five or six pounds from rump or cross rib. Wipe and trim. Line the braising pan with thin slices of fat salt pork, and over this sprinkle two tablespoonfuls each of chopped carrot, onion, white turnip, and celery. On this place the meat and dredge with salt and pepper. Pour round it a pint of stock or water, and cover and cook in a moderate oven, allowing half an hour for each pound of meat. Un- cover for the last half hour and quicken the heat that the meat may slightly brown. To serve with it take half a cupful of freshly grated horse-radish. Put in a double boiler with one cupful and a half of milk, two tablespoonfuls of cracker crumbs, one tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, and cook for fifteen minutes. Meats 57 The Fore Quarter of Beef The confusing thing to the average woman in seeing the various cuts of beef pictured in the whole animal, is to recognize the animal or the cuts when divided and shown her by her butcher in the meat TENDERLOIN FORB oji^sifn market. So we have thought best to eliminate the head and only take the fore quarter for study, with the cuts and names used for them generally. The meat arrives in the shop divided first in halves from head to tail and then into quarters, known as hind and fore quarters. Better buy only from the fore quarter until thoroughly familiar with 58 Practical Food Economy the cuts, then later take the hind quarter in the same manner. Before studying the buying of cuts, one should know the value of meat as a food. Its value lies in the protein, which is necessary for the renewal of muscle and tissue building of the body. If taken in too great quantities, twice or three times a day, where the individual is not engaged in active or out- door work, protein cannot all be used in the build- ing process, and consequently remains in the body and forms decay, resulting in such diseases as rheu- matism, hardening of the arteries, and weakening of the kidneys, by giving them too much work to do. Remember that we live and are healthy on what we digest, regardless of what we eat. There are many other foods supplying this protein besides the beef, and every day we should have it in some form or other, such as nuts, cheese, poultry, game, pork, lamb, mutton, milk, eggs, fish, dried peas, beans, and lentils. These need not necessarily come on the table in one dish, but be distributed as a sweet, salad, entree, or soup, and can still retain the title of "protein." Do not duplicate this in several dishes, however, at the same meal, which so frequently happens, as, for instance, a "first or second cut" from the "prime ribs" in the fore quarter as illustrated, rich in protein, preceded with a cream soup, rich in milk (protein), and followed with custard pie, both eggs and milk, very largely protein. The proper balancing of meals and plan- U.S. Department of Agriculture States Relations Service A.C.Truei Director Reared by CFLANGWORTHY Chief, Office of Home Economics COBAPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Fat cm Water F[ie\ Value 9 So. In. Equals LAMB CHOP EDIBLE PORTION 1006 Calories PORK CHOP Fat:30.1 SlOcALORIES PER POUND Meats 59 ning of the daily menus means much, and it is the most vital and educative part of all the cooking for any woman, whether she actually prepares the meal or not. Some Government statistics might be useful here. "There are twenty million families in the United States, and one million out* of the twenty have one maid or more in their homes." So the very large majority of women in the home must be intelligent regarding foods and their values, for the health of their families, and the small mi- nority should know so they can direct those in their employ, who are rarely trained in the chemistry of foods. , I Study these cuts in the fore quarter. Know prices and quality. Never use the expensive cuts when the "brisket", "shoulder", and "chuck" will an- swer as well. Know the cost, their place on your table and in your allowance. On days when at home cook the cheaper cuts, which require more preparation and attention and slower cooking, but consider time, labor, and fuel in so doing. While they have the same nutritive value, they must be perfectly cooked and attractively served to compete with the more choice and expensive cuts of meats, which are delicate in flavor and cooked with less labor, time, and fueL The thinking woman of to-day realizes that economy in prices of meats rests largely with her knowledge in buying, preparing, and cooking. 60 Practical Food Economy The Hind Quarter of Beef This cut or quarter of the animal may not be quite as interesting to study as the fore quarter, with all its prime rib cuts for roasts, but it is very valuable from an economic standpoint, as there is Hiwo Q.. much solid meat in ^~^**'^*"~- — - it and not so much waste in bone. If the cut of the fore quarter and this be placed together, the animal as a whole will be easily recog- nized, but it is never seen as such in the market, being shown only as in the given illustrations. The main thing to remember in cooking these meats is that, when using cuts from loin and of fine texture, a quick, hot heat is desirable; when using the meats of coarser texture, such as shoulder, rump, round, and flank, more time is necessary and slower heat, as the fiber in this type of meat can only be made tender by the process of slow cooking. The kidney is encased in plenty of fat or suet, which Is used in puddings ; when heated until a liquid fat is produced, it may be used for cooking. The flank is back of the ribs and below the loin, and Meats 61 makes a good steak, in which a pocket is cut, filled with dressing, baked slowly, and with plenty of moisture. The top sirloin is really the thick flank, and is used for pot roasts. Extending to the hip joint are the fine prime cuts of beef, and both flavor and tenderness are found here. The porter- house steaks are such as long as they contain the loin. The Delmonico or Club steak is the best steak for the family of two or three, but for planking there is nothing quite so fine as the porterhouse or sirloin, with the bone removed. The tenderloin is often used separately as a whole or cut in fillets, larded to supply the fat, and broiled or baked with vegetables for flavor, basting often. The rump is usually used as the brisket for corning, but occasionally for a roast. The reader will see there is much bone, but it is fat ; and if a large roast can be used, it makes a tender, well-flavored, and economical purchase. The round is well known by most women, but they do not always know of the top and bottom cuts, the latter being the outside of the thigh, which is not so fine or juicy as the top cut nearer the bone. Again, we repeat, care must be used in cooking those meats which are more muscular and coarse ; the best cuts may be used for steaks. *' Steak a la minute", which is cut very thin and served with a brown sauce, is from one of the best round cuts, and is very popular in hotels and restaurants. Pot 62 Practical Food Economy roasts a la mode, corning, and beef tea are other ways for using the round. The shin on the fore quarter, and the leg and tail on the hind quarter are used, with pieces from the neck, and also veal, for soups. The bone is always used with soup meat. After studying these cuts, supplement this knowl- edge with personal marketing, and through questions asked your meat dealer, great saving and better meats must surely be the result. HAMBURG LOAF I pound Hamburg steak i onion (grated) 1 cup cooked rice Season with salt, pepper, 2 cups tomatoes and chopped parsley Utensils. Loaf pan, roasting pan, measuring cup, grater. Directions. Mix all well together and press into a wet pan to shape the loaf. Turn out into a baking pan, sprinkle with buttered bread or cracker crumbs, and bake one hour. Baste, if necessary. Serve hot or cold. SHORT RIBS OF BEEF Have your butcher cut the short ribs 2J inches wide. Proceed to boil as for boiled chuck, only giving three quarters of an hour of cooking. Drain well, sear in hot drippings to a golden brown, set in an earthen pot with the vegetables, and put to cook in the oven with the vegetables around them. Don't forget the bay leaf, pepper corn, and cloves, as Meats 63 they give the necessary aroma. Moisten with the broth every once in a while when nearly done and add some small raw potatoes so they will brown with the short ribs. When done, skim for future use all fat that will rise to the surface, and serve. BEEF A LA MODE 4 pounds beef J teaspoonful black pepper I teaspoonful cinnamon J teaspoonful grated nutmeg J teaspoonful cloves 2 teaspoonfuls salt I teaspoonful allspice S tablespoonfuls vinegar I quart boiling water iltensils. Covered baking pan,' measuring spoon, tablespoon, sharp knife, measuring cup, bowl. Directions. Select the meat from the fleshy part of the shoulder, the bolar piece, or four pounds from the under round, being careful to have it thick and short. Mix in a bowl all the spices and pepper. Make deep cuts in the meat with a sharp knife and sprinkle well into these cuts the spices, also rubbing well over the top. Stand in a dish and moisten on all sides with the vinegar and let stand in the re- frigerator overnight. These slashes may be filled with any bread dressing, salt pork, or finely chopped vegetables. Tie the meat firmly together to hold its shape with strips of muslin about an inch wide ; put into the covered baking pan, add the salt and boiling water, and cook in a moderate oven four hours ; or if you have a moderate fire and do not wish to heat the oven, cook slowly on top of the 64 Practical Food Economy stove, basting often and turning twice. This may also be cooked in the iireless cooker. It is a very good warm-weather meat dish, as it can be served hot one day, sliced cold the next, and made up into a meat salad or ragout to finish. The spices pre- serve the meat so that it keeps well in warm weather. FLANK STEAK 4 cups bread crumbs i turnip (white) I teaspoonful salt i carrot J cup chopped celery ends i onion I tablespoonful parsley, chopped 2 peppers Utensils. Baking pan or casserole ; measuring cup, grater, vegetable knife, meat board, bowl. Directions. Wipe the steak clean with a damp cloth ; remove the skin and fat, and lay flat on the board to spread with the bread crumbs ; wet with water or stock, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, celery (or onion if preferred). Roll and tie up well. Slice the vegetables and lay in bottom of pan; on top lay the meat and pour in enough stock or water to cover the pan one inch. Cover and place in a very slow oven three hours. If baked uncovered, it must be basted often. DINNER StufFed Flank Steak Browned Potatoes — Tomato Catsup Water Cress or Lettuce Salad Peach Shortcake Coffee Meats 65 STUFFED ROUND STEAK WITH RICE AND TOMATO DRESSING Take a round steak, cut J inch thick, wipe, trim edges, pound on both sides. Spread dressing, tie into compact shape. Dredge with flour, melt a little suet in small dripping pan on the top of stove, and quickly brown steak on all sides. Slice onion and place on bottom of pan, pour over J cup boiling water. Place steak on this. Cover closely and cook in oven from one to two hours. Serve with liquid which has been thickened in pan. RICE AND TOMATO DRESSING 1 cup cooked rice | cup peanuts chopped 2 cups soft bread crumbs f teaspoonful paprika I cup tomatoes drained | teaspoonful salt BAKED HAM HASH l| cups chopped ham i cup milk 2 cups cooked potatoes 2 tablespoonfuls chopped onion I cup celery 4 tablespoonfuls green peppers Salt and pepper or paprika Utensils. Chopping bowl and knife or food chop- per, measuring cup, tablespoon, and heavy frying pan. Directions. The ham and potatoes should be chopped, not too fine; then add all the remaining ingredients. Put a tablespoonful of vegetable fat, or butter, into the spider, and turn the ingredients into it. Cover and bake in moderate oven for half 66 Practical Food Economy an hour. When ready to serve, cut in half, as you would an omelet, fold, and serve plain or with a tomato sauce or poached eggs. This can easily be prepared, by having things ready, in half an hour's time, as it is understood the ham and potatoes are both cooked. Also this can all be prepared several hours before cooking, except putting in milk; then it can be put into the oven and baked the required time. FRIED SALT PORK Salt pork sliced 2 tablespoonfuls fat 1 tablespoonful flour i cup milk 2 tablespoonfuls corn meal i^ cups diced boiled potatoes Salt and pepper Utensils. Frying pan, measuring cup, measuring spoon, tablespoon, knife. Directions. Cut the salt pork in thin slices, gash the rinds crosswise so the slices will not curl. Par- boil and drain. Dip the sHces in two parts corn meal and one of flour mixed, and put back to fry in the pan. Turn frequently until crisp and brown. Remove to a hot platter. Drain off all the fat but two tablespoonfuls, and the same of flour, mix well and gradually add milk, salt, pepper, and the potatoes ; then pour around the pork. Serve corn bread with this dish. For a change, brown twice the amount of flour for thickening gravy, which gives color and flavor. Meats 67 CHEAPER MEAT SUBSTITUTES OR ALTERNATIVES Protein Equivalents Equal to I Pound of Lean Beef Food Material Bkt.ative Cost Calorie In Weight Pounds In Measure Value Walnuts (in shell) . 4 $1.00 3,400 Chocolate .... i^ i\ cake .60 4,173 Fowl (as purchased) . li \-\ average sized .38 952 Tuna Fish (canned) . ^ I large can •35 500 Egg5 a I dozen .34 969 Salmon (canned) . . I I large can •30 654 Sardines (canned) . 3 4= 3f cans (3I ounces each) •30 757 Mackerel (salt) . . if .28 1,554 Meat (lean beef) . . I 4 average servings .28 652 Cheese (American) . f .24 1,342 Milk (whole, 4% fat) sf 2f quarts .24 1,860 Macaroni (dry) . . If 2\ boxes .23 2,348 Peanuts (in shell) I .20 1,870 Herring (smoked) I .20 731 Lima Beans (dry) . I 2f cups .18 1,701 Cottage Cheese . . 9 ro if cups .18 463 Codfish (salt) . 1 .16 361 Bread . . . i^ 2 small loaves •15 1,699 Hominy (dry) 2i 5 cups .14 3,763 Peas (dried) . f i| cups .11 1,267 Corn Meal . . IT^^ 5I cups .10 3,094 Oatmeal . . li 7 cups .07-. 10 2,178 Milk (skimmed) 5tV 2f quarts .065 958 Soy Beans (dry) h I cup .015 652 ^ From Chart of Ohio Branch Council of National Defense Agri- culture. 68 Practical Food Economy Nuts and Cheese of Meat Value "Throughout the year, why not keep sweet ? No frown ever made a heart glad; no complaint ever made a dark day bright; no bitter word ever Hghtened a burden or made a rough road smooth; no grumbKng ever introduced sunshine into a home. What the world needs is the resolute step, the look of cheer, the smiling countenance and the kindly word. Keep sweet!'* — George L. Perin. Nuts and cheese both have great food value. They also have the advantage of being Hked by almost every one, young and old. They give greater variety in our menus. Some one has said, "The tendency of the housekeeper is to fall into ruts, and we all know that ruts, whether for carriages, automobiles or for the wheels of our brains, are easy to get into but hard to get out of." Our main rut is basing our menus around a meat course rather than varying it with equally good substitutes. Both of the above-mentioned foods have good keep- ing qualities and are always ready for emergencies. Nuts are found in some variety in nearly every part of the world, so it does seem as though the all-wise Providence planned that they should be used for food, from the inexpensive peanut to those higher priced. Nuts are not fully appreciated as a standard food except by those who have discarded meat entirely. They contain a goodly amount of protein, besides being well balanced in the other elements. As meats tend to produce old age conditions, one of the first steps in scientific living should be to cultivate the Meats 69 habit of eating nuts occasionally in later years instead of meat. Nuts serve a better purpose if served natu- rally, taken from the shells as they are eaten, than when cooked. It is restful and poetic to linger over a plate of nuts and fresh fruit. When nut meats are served alone they are often eaten too rapidly, and too many are indulged in. Nuts are rich in fat, and, being condensed food, must be eaten in modera- tion and be well masticated. Eight or a dozen medium sized nuts are enough for a meal with other food. Children should not be allowed to eat all the nuts they can at one time, as is so often done, because they have been classed with sweetmeats. Nuts may enter into many combinations after being ground, chopped, or crushed. Dishes in which nuts are used should be baked very quickly before the nuts become heated through, or the first heat should be lowered to 200° F., as soon as the material is hot, and the baking continued slowly. Nuts may be blanched by pouring boiling water over them, and turning it off in a few minutes, or they may be soaked overnight in cold water, when the outer covering may be easily removed. Chestnuts should be cooked over hot water, or may be used uncooked. All kinds of nuts are best suited to uncooked dishes or are sprinkled over food after it is cooked, giving meat value. Nuts may be ground, mixed with mayonnaise dressing, and spread between thin slices of bread or wafers for sandwiches, with or without a lettuce leaf. 70 Practical Food Economy A teaspoonful or two is delicious over oatmeal for breakfast, using top milk in place of cream. Nut butter is a standard food, and is made by grinding nuts in a closely adjusted mill. Nuts added to salads give them full food value, as they supply the tissue- building element that is lacking in green vegetables. Every housekeeper should know something of the nutritive value of cheese and the many ways of preparing it into deHcious dishes for the table. As there are more than two hundred varieties of cheese, we can hardly take up all of them in this article, but will have to hold closely to the American cheese for our cooking dishes. This cheese is of the Cheddar type, but is a softer, milder-flavored cheese than that desired by our neighbors across the ocean. (See Table of Cheaper Meat Substitutes.) Casein, fats, and some mineral matter are in cheese, and the flavor is largely dependent upon the particular process of ripening. It is particularly digestible when served with salads, and should be used on the bill of fare more frequently than it is. The old fallacy that "Cheese is a naughty old elf, digesting everything else but itself," has — with our present knowledge of foods and cookery — proven untrue. It has no equal in replacing meat in our diet. NUT LOAF I cup English walnuts i tablespoonful butter I cup dry bread or cracker crumbs 2 eggs I cup milk I teaspoonful salt Dash of sage or parsley Meats 71 Directions. Soak the bread crumbs in the milk. Add the well-beaten eggs, melted butter, chopped walnuts, and desired seasoning. Mix all well to- gether and bake slowly in a pudding dish or steam in a double boiler. Serve hot with tomato sauce as a substitute loaf for meat. NUT OR CHEESE CUSTARD I pint milk 4 tablespoonfuls sugar 3 eggs I pinch salt Cheese or nuts Directions, Beat the eggs, without separating, until Hght and well mixed. Add sugar and salt and beat a very little more. Now pour in the milk, mix all together, and turn into a baking dish. Remove the crusts from three or four slices of bread and butter the sHces. Dip the buttered side into some finely grated cheese, chopped pecan or walnut meats, and lay nut or cheese side up, over the custard. Stand in a baking pan, partly filled with boihng water. Put into a moderate oven and bake until the custard is set. Serve cold. Fats in Menu Making Cooking methods and materials have undergone a marked change in the past few years. As a result, the nation's food is becoming more and more whole- some through the use of different discoveries in foods, new sources of supply, and the inteUigent weighing of their values and purity by the housekeeper. 72 Practical Food Economy The terms "domestic science" and "home eco- nomics" are better understood and appreciated; the people as a whole are fairer to their stomachs, realiz- ing that their health, business, and progress depend upon this faithful servant. Digestion and disposi- tion sound very much the same, but a good "dis- position" is often wrecked by a poor "digestion." America has been called a nation of dyspeptics, but it is fast changing to a land of sensible eaters and consequently to healthier, happier, and more efficient people. One of the greatest changes has been in the kinds of fat we have been using in our foods, for one of the most important food supplies for our bodies comes from the digestible fats we use. One half of our physical energy is derived from the different forms of fat we eat. If this is not pure, easily digested fat, the digestive organs are over- taxed. Or if the animal fats, such as lard, suet, etc., are not used in very reasonable quantity, disarranged digestion is the result. We should not put these excesses in fats into our desserts when we have used them plentifully in the main course of the meal. A letter recently received asking that all the dif- ferent fats from oleomargarine to olive oil be ex- plained is just the keynote to information for which many women are asking every day. In a few words I can explain to the home maker the composition of the various animal and vegetable fats on the market, and then she can make her own selection intelligently. Meats 73 Oleomargarine is made of the oleo (or beef fats) and vegetable fats. Nutmargarine is made of cocoa- nut oil and stero fat. By vegetable fats, we mean those made from olive oil, cocoanut oil, peanut oil, and refined cottonseed oil. These are most whole- some fats for cooking, also for salads and table use — thus saving butter at the season when the price is highest. This is most valuable knowledge for every woman who has charge of a home and cooking, and these butter substitutes are decidedly useful for all cooking purposes. All fats are labeled "butter" or "animal fats" or "without animal fats", so that if the label is read, and one has an understanding of fats and their place in the menu, it is not possible to go wrong in buying them. It is interesting to note that among the very poor in foreign districts, where olive oil is used freely as a fat, the children show better physical condition than under the same conditions among Americans, where only animal fats or practically none of any kind are used. Fat is of vast importance to growth and the build- ing of body tissue, and every woman should be well informed on the subject of fats in menu making. Under normal conditions, if butter would be used in moderation, it could be afforded at least once or twice a day for the table and some cooking. An ounce of butter or two level tablespoons is a fair allowance for each person for each day when meats, olive oil, and cream are used. As a test, let 74 Practical Food Economy the reader try this and divide the ounce of butter in three portions and see whether one will use less or desire more. If all creamed dishes and sauces have the butter or other fats added as they are removed from the fire, the flavor and digestive qualities will be improved, and a less amount required. DEEP-FAT FRYING "Order, Cleanliness, and Know-How, and the greatest of these is Know-How." That her doughnuts, crullers, croquettes, fritters, and other deep-fat fried foods shall not be soaked with grease is the desire of every housekeeper. This result is due more to the handling of the fat than to the preparation of the food to be fried, although that is also quite important. But the best doughnut dough could be prepared, and if the fat were too hot or too cold, a heavy grease-soaked doughnut, or one cooked too rapidly outside and not done inside, would be the result. My experience with hundreds of housekeepers has been that it is this heating of the fat which has troubled them. The progressive, thinking house- keeper to-day is substituting a vegetable fat for the old-time animal fat. It is surely more healthy where fried foods are used, which we are eating less and less, making it possible for members of the family who have weak stomachs to eat them without any ill effects. Meats 75 A good test is to heat the vegetable fat until a small piece of bread becomes a golden brown in sixty seconds for raw-dough mixtures, crullers, etc. ; in forty seconds for cooked mixtures, croquettes, cod- fish balls, etc. ; and in twenty seconds for French fried potatoes. About the same temperature will apply for lard, although a blue smoke is watched for at first, which means that this is a burned fat before it reaches the frying heat, and therefore is not as wholesome for frying purposes. Fat may be clarified by frying a sliced raw potato in it and straining through cheesecloth ; by keeping fat clarified, it may be used indefinitely. HOW, TO CRUMB Take some pieces of stale bread, dry and roll, or put through the food chopper. Break the egg into a soup plate and beat until white and yolk are well blended. Add two tablespoonfuls of cold water. Dip croquettes (or whatever is to be fried) first in crumbs, then thoroughly cover with egg, drain a minute and then dip again in crumbs. The cro- quettes may stand an hour, and be dipped again. All this work may be done in the morning and set in a cool place until ready to be fried. When done, drain on blotting paper or paper towel, which absorbs all the grease. 76 Practical Food Economy CROQUETTES I pint chopped cooked chicken, veal, or i teaspoonful chopped parsley any meat or combination of left-overs i teaspoonful grated onion 1 pint milk Salt and pepper 2 tablespoonfuls butter A dash of cayenne ' 4 tablespoonfuls flour Fat Directions. Clean and separate the chicken as for a fricassee. Put into the saucepan and cover with boihng water, boihng five minutes ; then simmer until tender, about one and a half or two hours. At the end of the first hour, add one small onion, a dozen cloves, two bay leaves, one teaspoonful of salt, one fourth teaspoonful of celery seed, or a little fresh chopped celery. When done, cool the chicken and chop. If you have one pint of the chopped chicken, use proportions given, or part sweetbreads or veal may be used. Put the milk into the double boiler, rub butter and flour together, adding a little hot milk so as to pour into rgmainlng milk in the boiler, stir, and cook until it is thick. Add all the seasonings to the meat and then to the sauce. Stir until well blended. Cool and make into pyramid-shaped croquettes, dip in bread crumbs, and then in beaten Qgg as directed, being careful to cover the whole croquette, or the hot fat penetrating to the cold center is apt tomake them pop open. Fry in hot fat until a rich brown, drain on blotting paper. Serve on a hot dish with a piece of parsley in the top. All meat croquettes are made as above, changing Meats 77 seasonings to suit the meat. A pair of sweetbreads, cooked three quarters of an hour, chopped and added to the chicken, make the croquettes more deUcate. Veal may also be used. Five pounds of veal from the leg and one chicken will make about seventy-five croquettes. DROP DOUGHNUTS 2 cups pastry flour 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder J cup sugar ' I teaspoonful melted butter I cup milk i teaspoonful salt I egg Nutmeg Fat Directions. Put all dry ingredients into the flour sifter and sift into the mixing bowl. Beat the egg well and add to the milk. Add this gradually to the dry mixture with the melted butter. In the mean- time have the fat heating in the kettle over a moder- ate fire. When hot, test by dropping in a piece of bread to see if it browns quickly; then drop the batter by teaspoonfuls into the hot fat to fry until a light brown. These are very nice for breakfast and are very easy to make ; the dough may be made the day before, covered, and set in a cool place. It is much better to practice with this recipe before making the rolled kind. PLAIN DOUGHNUTS f cup sugar i tablespoonful soda I cup sour milk ^ teaspoonful cream of tartar About 2 cups flour i teaspoonful baking powder I tablespoonful butter or fat | teaspoonful nutmeg I egg 78 Practical Food Economy Directions. Sift all the dry ingredients together. Beat the Qgg and add it to the milk. Add the butter softened over hot water. Mix all well together and stand in a cold place for an hour or overnight. Roll out half an inch thick, cut out with a doughnut cutter, and fry as directed in deep fat. Waste No Fats ! ^ 1. Serve only as much butter and salad oil at the table as will be eaten, so that left-overs will be as small as possible. It is not necessary to serve butter at dinner when other fats, such as meats and olive oil, are served. 2. Use no more fat than a good recipe calls for. Too much spoils the product and may hinder diges- tion. 3 . Add butter to vegetables just as they are served. If added during the cooking, there is a loss in strength of flavor and in quantity, if the cooking water is not saved. 4. Salt pork or bacon boiled with vegetables gives a pleasing flavor and adds some food value. 5. Finely chopped suet may be used for shortening in such mixtures as steamed puddings and spice cakes. 6. Either uncooked or cooked fats from chickens, 1 Based on Bulletin of Ohio Branch Council of National Defense Agriculture. \ Meats 79 geese, or other fowls may often be used as any other fats would be. If the flavor is strong, they may be used in mixtures having strongly flavored ingredients, like molasses or spice, whole wheat or bran bread, or they may be prepared as "savory fat" and used for many vegetables. 7. Render fats by chopping them in small pieces and heating in a double boiler or a kettle set in another kettle containing water (the inner kettle must be so raised as to allow complete circulation of water). When completely melted, strain through two thicknesses of cheesecloth wrung out of hot water. Fats rendered in this way are not overheated and therefore keep well. 8. The shriveled tissue, which remains after ren- dering, is called "cracklings" or "scraps." It may be used as shortening in corn bread and other mix- tures. 9. Save the drippings from roasts, sausage, and broiled meats. Save the fat from pot roasts and the soup kettle. These may be used as they are for making gravies, browning stews, warming over vegetables, etc. 10. Clarify fats as follows : Heat with about the same amount of milk (preferably sour) or water in a double boiler for an hour or more. Stir oc- casionally. Strain as directed. When cold, the hard clean layer of fat can be easily removed. 80 Practical Food Economy Vary Menus with Fish "Wisest is he who, never quite secure, Changes his thought for better day by day; To-morrow some new Hght will shine, be sure, And thou shalt see thy thought another way.'* — Archibald Lampman. Particles of fish left over after a good piece or a whole one has been served are not the same as scraps, and should not be treated as such for making into attractive, appetizing dishes for another day or meal. Far too frequently we are indifferent to the value of such material in our larder. It is the one left-over which should never appear on the luncheon or supper table without being made into an appetizing, presentable, new dish, and this may be done without much trouble or expense. Even a small remnant of good fish may be made into a charming morsel if it is daintily freed of all gristle, bones, or unsightly pieces. If it is to be served cold, just enough mayonnaise to lie on top of a neat helping of the fish is quite sufficient; or the clever manipulator of culinary materials will bind her sauce with a little aspic jelly, which is any plain consomme or stock well seasoned and made tart with a little lemon juice or tarragon vinegar and stiffened with gelatine. This is most desirable in making up attractive cold fish dishes, as it changes the appearance of the fish entirely, and permits mold- ing in forms most appetizing in appearance and taste. Meats 81 Sometimes salmon, cod, white fish, or our most delicious canned tunny fish may be separated into medium-sized pieces, arranged on a platter, coated with a very thin aspic, and decorated with parsley, hard boiled eggs, cold peas, beets, carrots, or any other edible foods. No one who understands the value of food would ever chop the best pieces of good fish; they should be served in as attractive a manner for the second meal as for the first. It is only when pieces are small that we use them for creaming or chopping fine for a souffle. Not only fresh fish but many of the smoked ones are most delicious to use ; the latter have a fine flavor all their own, due to the special treatment they receive in smoking, and many of these are particularly good in making sandwiches with a few olives, pickles, or bits of crisp bacon chopped up with them. The point I wish to make is, that pieces of left- over fish should be treated as good food and used in a variety of ways, and should not be considered even as "left-overs" if one gives a little thought to the careful preparation of such dishes. Fish is very valuable in its food content, and runs all the way in proteid value from five per cent, to twenty-two and two tenths per cent., the higher percentage being found in dried salt cod. Fish also contains a fair percentage of fat and mineral matter. Lobsters, clams, oysters, and crabs average from five to fifteen per cent, proteid, with a fair percentage of fat, mineral matter, and carbohydrates; all of which 82 Practical Food Economy shows that fish has a greater value in our diet than many women, particularly in the middle west, are in- clined to attach to it. I believe that many times this idea prevails because the average woman has thought that having fish meant cooking something for just one particular meal and that what was left was of no value. As a matter of fact a nice piece of boiled or baked salmon, co3, or haddock may be of as much value for luncheon or supper dishes or an entree for dinner as any dish prepared from the remains of a roast of meat. One only has to visit our fish markets or counters to find a great variety of dried fish (which has a concentrated food value), such as bloaters, halibut, sturgeon, finnan haddie, and cod ; also our own lake fish — yellow and blue pike, herring, white fish ; and from the Pacific Ocean, halibut and salmon. When any of these are prepared with milk or cream sauce, with the addition of a beaten egg or two, the family is provided with an economical dish of great food value and easy of digestion. We are edu- cated past the day of considering fish merely as a Friday dish ; it is of sufiicient importance to grace our tables on any day of the week and that more frequently than heretofore. Some points to be remembered in regard to the cooking of fish are : Salt gives flavor, and lemon juice or vinegar keeps the fish white and firm.. Tie fish loosely in cheesecloth when boiling — this holds it together and keeps the scum off. In baking fish, put Meats 83 In a paper bag or cover closely with oiled paper; this holds in moisture and flavor and keeps odors from penetrating the house. In broiling, clean, wipe, dry, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and lemon juice, turning as necessary. The principal seasonings for fish are salt, pepper, lemon, parsley, bay leaves, tomatoes, curry powder, onions, butter. Indians and hunters long ago learned the art of wrapping unsealed fish in a casing of clay, baking on hot stones in the ground, and covering closely; when they returned from their hunt and broke this clay covering, the outside skin came off with it, leaving the fish moist and with all its original flavor. One hunter told me he had prepared fish in like manner, stuffing it with cranberries, wrapping it first in cheesecloth, then in the wet clay, and when opened he had a most delicious fish, moist and pink in color. The cooking of fish is an art that is quite worth while. PERFECTION FINNAN HADDIE 3 slices bacon 2 tablespoonfuls flour I cup finnan haddie 2 yolks of eggs I cup milk Salt i| cups potatoes Paprika Chopped parsley Directions. Cut the bacon into bits and fry until crisp and the fat is out. Blend the flour well into this and pour the milk on gradually. Bring to the boiling point, then add the cooked, flaked finnan 84 Practical Food Economy haddie and the cooked potato balls or cubes. Add seasoning and the slightly beaten yolks of eggs. Remove from the fire at once and serve, sprinkled with a little chopped parsley. FISH SALAD 2 cups fish 2 tablespoonfuls grated onion i cup celery French dressing 1 cup beets Salt Paprika Directions. Separate from skin and bones cold cooked fish, such as halibut, salmon, or tunny fish. Cut the celery and pickled beets in small strips, add all other seasonings with the dressing. Mix together with a fork so as not to break the fish, and serve on a bed of lettuce or celery leaves mixed with parsley. If a mayonnaise dressing is used, and served with three hard boiled eggs, with bread and butter and little sweet dessert it makes an entire supper or luncheon. What to Serve with Fish^ With boiled fish. Sauce HoUandaise, boiled po- tatoes, parsley, butter, cucumbers or lettuce with French dressing. With baked fish. Fried or plain boiled potato balls, cucumbers or lettuce with French dressing. With broiled or planked fish. Potato balls, potato puff or plain boiled potatoes, cucumbers or lettuce with French dressing. 1 Copyright 1908, Mrs. Kirk's Card Index Cooking Recipes. Meats 85 With small fried fish, such as smelts. Tartar sauce, French bread, and butter. With creamed or deviled fish. Crisp bread and butter. With plain mackerel. Fried mush or corn bread. With plain cod. For breakfast, baked potatoes ; for luncheon or supper, plain boiled potatoes. With halibut steaks for luncheon. Cucumbers with French dressing, graham bread and butter. With fried halibut steaks for dinner. Plain boiled potatoes, cucumbers or lettuce with French dressing. Fish for luncheon or dinner should be followed with a salad with French dressing, wafers, a small bit of cheese, and coffee. CHAPTER III BREAD Why Do We Eat Bread ? There is hardly any food so universally used as bread, except possibly milk. Ever since the world's history began, bread has been used in some form as one of the staples of diet among all but the most savage people, and it would be interesting to trace the relationship between the bread-making process of various peoples and their growth in civilization down to the present time. Following this interesting research, we find that the Kaffir simply grinds his grain between two stones, makes a paste or cake of the meal and water, and bakes it in the ashes of his fire in the woods ; Israelites and Egyptians ate leavened bread ; the ancient Greeks cultivated the yeast plant, and in the ruins of Pompeii was found an oven containing eighty-one loaves of bread similar to those of the present day. The Swiss and French have their bread baked in public ovens, known the world over as "French 86 Bread 87 bread." In our own United States it is baked in our private homes, or we have mammoth bakeries turn- ing out thousands of loaves which are delivered fresh at our doors every day. From this short resume of the use of the grains in the form called bread, we conclude that except with the lowest savages and in the most extreme climates, some kind of grain is a necessary food, and bread — when the entire grain is used — is one of the most convenient forms for every one, in all classes, as it gives the greatest amount of nourishment for the least labor and cost. So our conclusion must be that in the upward progress in civilization the more intelligent the people in a country or community, the better the bread. ■ Bread is used in every civilized country in the world, usually three times a day and three hundred and sixty-five days in the year, making a total of one thousand and ninety-five times a year that we eat of this well-known "staff of life" in some form or other; and surely it cannot be from "habit" only. Do not think, because we have many varieties of bread to-day, that it is anything remarkable when an ancient Greek writer names sixty-two kinds of bread as being in use. Years ago Egyptians knew the art of bread making, and baked loaves and cakes in great variety, and there are many characteristic breads of different nations still in use, such as the black bread and rye bread, the oat cakes of Scotland, Swedish rye cakes, French bread, and many others. Now, the well-known French bread has been 88 Practical Food Economy changed during this war to whole wheat bread. Most significant ! A recent investigation in London found fifteen per cent, of the very poor children eating only bread for the entire twenty-one meals of the week ; forty per cent, more had other food only two or three times a week. So we conclude that so universal a food must be important in our diet and should be nutritious, palatable, and digestible. To create such a standard of bread, the flour used must be rich in nutrient, and not a demineralized or devi- tamined product ; the bread must be light and porous, sometimes coarse (not fine and close, as many have supposed) so that as large a surface as possible may be exposed to the digestive juices, and the baking must develop the flavor. The necessary ingredients for bread making to produce a finished loaf as described are flour, water or part milk, salt, and yeast, a most simple variety of material which may be counted on one hand; yet one of the few books v/hich describe to complete- ness this process of bread making is a volume of over six hundred pages. Surely bread is important enough to have the careful consideration of every home in America, and right now, with our United States at war, the first thing the woman in the home should know is how to make good bread. Our daughters, too, with lessons in bread making in the cooking classes in all our schools, and with practice at home should all know how to make a good, nourishing loaf of bread. Bread 89 John Locke says, "If he at any time calls for victuals between meals, use him to nothing but dry bread. If he be hungry more than wanton, bread alone will down ; and if he be not hungry, 'tis not fit he should eat, and by this custom he will come to be in love with bread." Bread as a Food "From the point of view of public health it is of considerable importance that the bread supply for our constant use should possess the highest possible nutritive value," says one of our recent Washington bulletins. This bulletin refers particularly to condi- tions existing in the United States and is the direct result of some studies on the causes of the occurrence of pellagra in this country. An article with illustrations — which every man and woman should read and study carefully — was published in the April, 1916, number of Good House- keeping on "What Every One Should Know About Pellagra." As a result of the research by the United States Public Health Service, they conclude that it is essentially of dietary origin, and is caused either by the absence from the diet of proteins or by the presence of another substance not known. This investigation concerns the readers of this page to this extent : that in the Bureau of Chemistry in the Department of Agriculture, it can be clearly shown that the highly milled white flour and corn meal 90 Practical Food Economy contain less protein^ fat, and ash than the old-fash- ioned products which preserved all these elements of the grain in the grinding. Once, while in Chicago lecturing, I visited a bake- shop where flours of all kinds are ground fresh in their own mill in the bakery every day. We were able to buy it ground coarse, medium, or fine, to suit individual or family needs. The coarse made a fine breakfast porridge and the medium was suitable for bread or muffins. It may be interesting to know that a small mill for grinding grains may be pur- chased for ^7.50 for use in the home. Besides the manager and his wife, we found a physician and a chemist in charge of the bakery, who are constantly testing all goods purchased for their use, such as molasses, nuts and nut butter, raisins, figs, fruit juices, etc. On one side of the shop were book- shelves containing books by the best authorities on foods, and here one is welcome to sit and read as long as one chooses. In our most interesting talk the manager told me it was up-hill work for years educating people to eat bread which meant real building food, but that now people were really thinking and putting it into action by their generous patronage of his whole wheat breads and flours. I know it was an inspiration to me to go on in this education for a better understanding of the value of bread as a food. He said, "Bread is said to be the staff of life, but if the bread is not good bread, made of the right ingredients — that is, the Bread 91 whole grain and nothing added thereto for the pur- pose of making the bread light, look better, taste better, smell better, or sell better, and at the same time will in any way harm the one who might eat it — then the bread should be rightly called the staff of death. Our breads can truly be called the staff of life, for they are a perfect food. From a digestive standpoint, they meet every requirement of a food, being hard enough to give the teeth exercise in the mastication thereof for insalivation and deglutition, without which there can be no good digestion. These breads should be eaten from childhood to the end of life; they have the elements that will nourish the teeth and hence prevent decay. No teeth can decay that are well nourished." Let every family show their cooperation with our government in their research work for our health by eating bread made from the entire grain and demonstrating what its value is to us as food. Value of Whole Wheat Bread Let us emphasize once more that three times a day, three hundred and sixty-five days each year, a table is set in about twenty million homes in the United States. No matter whether mansion or hovel, all have one article of food on the table similar in appearance or quality — that is, bread. Much of this has been made from brushed, scoured, screened, sifted, denatured, and bleached flour which is eaten 92 Practical Food Economy by our children three times a day in the form of bread ; and our government reports tell us that thousands of children in the United States, under ten years of age, are not able to live on such food and die from malnutrition or food starvation in such numbers that it has been easily forgotten or just taken for granted, because they "are children", or die of "children's diseases." The unrefined grain of wheat as it comes from the field contains in organic form the twelve mineral substances needed for the health, growth, and Hfe of the animal body, whether young or of mature years. The child needs it for growth and structural development, and the adult to maintain the tissues and strength of the body through constant everyday wear in various activities. The mineral substances — such as phosphorus, salts of calcium, iron, potassium, chlorine, fluorine, manganese, etc. — are contained, or rather left, in the brown outer skin of wheat, the cells underneath this skin, and the very heart of the berry or grain ; they also contain the mysterious r chemical substance so necessary to life called "vitamines" whose pres- ence is essential if bread is to be classed as real food. These elements are essential to our children's growth and to our own, and are to be found in the whole wheat bread, the coarseness being determined by the age or delicate intestinal tract of the individual. The use of such nourishing, undenatured honest foods will mean less cancer, diabetes, Bright's disease, Bread 93 hardening of the arteries and Hver, so frequently found in middle age. At the age of forty or fifty years, when men and women should be at their best, these diseases are at their height, and much of the mortality is directly or indirectly traceable to de- natured and demineralized food. Much of the bread in the homes of the poor has been a poor apology for such food, while the families of the well-to-do have sufficient variety in their menus containing the necessary "vitamines." The children of the poor, in their restricted diet, greatly lack this important essential of food, if they do not get it in plenty of whole wheat bread. A satisfactory loaf of this bread is rarely available in our markets or on the tables of hotels and restau- rants. When I try to get this bread in public places for myself, I am told they have "no call for it." If this is true, then let us begin this education in the home, making such a perfect loaf of whole wheat bread that the family will demand and get the same kind and quality when eating in public hotels and restaurants, which hundreds and thousands of men, women, and children have to do every day. Our conclusion is that whole wheat, as a product or in bread, yields material which makes strong, robust, disease-resisting men and women. Bran is the coarse outer covering of wheat ; bran bread is particularly useful in constipation, and should be mixed with the whole wheat flour or cereals in breads, muffins, or breakfast foods. It should 94 Practical Food Economy not be used for every meal, but usually only once a day or perhaps two or three times a week. This bread is not intended for children. Save the children, and we shall save the future citi- zens of the United States, and at the same time have our own awakening in better foods for better living. Standardizing a Loaf of Bread "What object can there be in continued existence on earth unless it be a constant striving after better things, an earnest looking forward to the time when justice, peace, and content- ment in life may prevail the world over?" — American Cookery. There is no phase or process of cooking about which a woman is so ignorant or so fearful as baking a loaf of bread or a pan of rolls. For many years I have found, however, that it is the one culinary subject which arouses greatest interest — real live interest in both men and women. From the very earUest times in history, bread was considered the "staff of life." It was the "staff" at that time, because father took the wheat and grain to the mill to have it ground and returned with as much as he took away with him ; the flour, meal, bran, with all the necessary elements in it. Bread was the main food of the family. We have wandered far from the good old "staff of life", which has been a pretty broken stick sometimes, but we are coming back to it rapidly. If it is white flour, it is not as Bread 95 denatured, bleached, and bolted as formerly. If it is whole wheat, it is suppHed by our dealers, as millers are ready to meet the demand of the public, and they are insisting upon an honest whole wheat flour. The difficulty has been to have a woman use whole wheat and acquire a certain standard for the bread she serves her family. As a nation we have no standard for a loaf of bread, either in appearance, texture, flavor, or its function in the body three times a day ; and until every woman interests herself in estabhshing a definite standard for so important a food, she cannot take the proper interest either in making or buying a loaf of bread. In the past five years there has been a marked improvement in the quality of baker's bread, and women have become much better informed in relative values of foods and labor. But even so, I should say a homemade loaf, when well made, costs less and tastes -better. The housekeepers of two generations ago did many val- uable things which their granddaughters are just discovering through the study of Domestic Science in the pubHc schools, or which are unnecessary to-day because of changed conditions of life. Visit your best bakeshops and large sanitary bakeries and see with what cleanliness, system, and accuracy all their baking is done. Note the even temperatures in the process of raising and baking, thus insuring the same kind of loaf every day and not the ''good luck" or "bad luck" kind. All this, even 96 Practical Food Economy to the wrapping of each loaf, Is done by machinery, which insures uniformity and cleanHness ; the standard may he just what every home-maker demands^ when she makes up her mind to set a perfect standard for a loaf of bread for her family and requires every loaf to reach this standard. Necessities for Good Bread 1. A good baking oven with a thermometer or indicator for testing heat. I place this first because I consider it absolutely essential, as too much bread has been spoiled with too little heat or burned in the baking. No matter how perfect the preparation, all can be ruined in the baking. 2. A good bread mixer. The hands cannot be made "perfectly clean", and they should be kept out of the bread as much as possible ; besides it is made and completed in a much shorter period, and assures a uniformity of practically good bread at every baking, because the methods are always ahke. 3. Even, equal temperature. Uneven tempera- ture is really one of the most destructive things in bread making. Dough set to rise in a draft has spoiled many a loaf of what otherwise might have been "perfect bread." The temperature should be moderate, neither too hot nor too cold, and bread should never be set to rise where it would be too hot to place the hand. Bread 97 4. Choose the best whole wheat or white flour of a brand you know to be good. Learn how to use it, so that just enough, and no more, may be used each time. 5. A good hve yeast with water, or milk and water, and salt are all the necessities, although fat, sugar, molasses, nuts, and fruits may be added for the various changes. But learn to make good, palatable plain bread first. 6. Time required is about four hours from the time it is set to rise until out of the oven, and left to cool on wire rack (see cut of apple pie). SIXTH CITY WHOLE WHEAT BREAD I pint boiling water 2 tablespoonfuls molasses or brown sugar I pint milk i compressed yeast cake I teaspoonful salt 4 cups whole wheat flour i| cups white flour Utensils. Bread mixer or large mixing bowl, tea- spoon, tablespoon, measuring cup. Directions, Put the milk into a large mixing bowl or bread mixer, and turn the cup of boiling water over it. Cool to lukewarm. While cooling, dissolve yeast in one fourth cup of lukewarm water, add i teaspoonful sugar (yeast feeds and grows rapidly on this), and a little flour to make a batter. This is to be rising and at work while milk and water liquid is cooling. When ready, add yeast, salt, and enough white flour to make a batter which can be beaten. Beat hard, cover, and set to rise in a warm place 98 Practical Food Economy without drafts, until full of bubbles — one hour or more. Now add molasses (and one or two table- spoonfuls of shortening, if desired ; not necessary for good bread) and as much whole wheat flour as can be stirred in with a strong wooden spoon, or in the bread mixer, mix five minutes and set to rise until it doubles its bulk and then make into two loaves ; or turn at once into two medium-sized ^ bread pans, cover, and let rise until it doubles its bulk, then bake in a moderate oven forty-five minutes and cool uncovered. Practice only will make this a perfect loaf of bread. Raisins, nuts, figs, or dates may be added at the last mixing. Whole wheat bread mixed stiff enough to knead makes too dry a bread, unless through experience a woman knows how to handle the dough very quickly and deftly, and with a light touch. With this amount of liquid, many changes may be made by using corn meal, white flour, or rolled oats in any proportion desired or suggested in the list of "Wheat Flour Substitutes or Alternatives", follow- ing. Wheat Flour Substitutes The famihar term "war bread" means bread which is prepared by combining the minimum amount of wheat flour with other materials for bread making. Since, in the process of manufacturing patent flour, about three fourths of the mineral salt is lost, it is evident that by miUing a larger percentage of the Bread 99 wheat, the food value as well as the positive amount of bread-making material would be greatly increased. This added mineral matter may become a vital factor in making up the diet of children. Good whole wheat flour is now sold by all good grocers. A corn mill for grinding corn and wheat at a very great saving may be purchased for home use. Some of the materials which may be substituted for wheat flour are : corn meal, buckwheat flour, and soy-bean meal. Our government is also investigat- ing many other foods which we hope may be used as substitutes, such as bananas, chestnuts, peanuts, white beans, millet, cottonseed flour, pease, rice, dasheen, cassava, alfalfa and kaolian. The last is a tropical annual plant which has been recently grown with success in the Dakotas. Sugar-beet flour has also been tried abroad with success. Corn meal may be used in the proportion of one part corn meal to two parts wheat flour. Buckwheat flour combines well with wheat flour in any proportion. Soy-bean meal and cottonseed meal are both useful in small amounts. Boiled mashed potatoes may be substituted for slightly less than half the flour, and this quantity may be lessened in the case of corn meal. Boiled rice may also be used with flour in about the same proportion. Equal measures of cooked bean pulp or rice and flour are satisfactory in mufiins. 100 Practical Food Economy VERY BEST BREAD i I cup milk I teaspoonful salt I cup water ^ cake compressed yeast 6 cups bread flour Utensils. Bread mixer, saucepan, measuring cup, measuring spoon, bread pans, flour sifter, wire cooler. Directions. Have the bread mixer clean, scalded, and screwed in place — low, if you wish to sit down to use it, and high if you are going to stand. Put the milk and water into the saucepan and bring to the scalding point ; be very careful that it does not boil. Pour this into the mixer and let cool to luke- warm. Dissolve the yeast in half a cup of lukewarm water, add about two or three teaspoonfuls of flour, cover, and set this to rise, while the milk and water mixture is cooling. When that is lukewarm, add the yeast sponge, and only five cups of the flour, with the salt. It is better to add the remaining cup as you see that it is needed, but be very careful and not put in too much flour, as this will make the bread dry. Now turn the mixer for about fifteen minutes, then if it is still sticky, add the remaining flour, half a cup at a time, until your dough is just right. It is the kneading, as much as the flour, which relieves the stickiness and makes it smooth and springy to the touch ; better too little, rather than too much flour. About fifteen or twenty minutes is usually sufficient for this kneading in the mixer, then 1 Copyright, 1908, Mrs. Kirk's Card Index Cooking Recipes. Bread 101 cover and set in a warm place. Now this does not mean hot, nor in hot water, nor on a radiator where you would get uneven temperature, but out of drafts, in a perfectly" warm place. Let rise two hours, or until it doubles its bulk, or breaks down and leaves a hole when you press your finger into it. Have your pans greased and warm (not hot) ; divide the dough into two equal parts, shaping lightly into loaves, put into the pans and cover with greased paper, setting in the same warm, even temperature to rise an hour, or until it has doubled its bulk, and the pan feels light. Now with all of this care, bread may be spoiled in baking if you do not understand your oven. Have a hot quick-baking oven. Put in the bread when ready and bake for fifteen minutes ; it should just begin to have a delicate color. Now lower the temperature a little so that it is a steady moderate heat, and bake it for this sized loaf forty- five minutes. Practice is the only sure method to secure success in making good bread. If you desire a stronger flavor to your bread, knead for ten minutes after the first rising and let rise again. This takes a little longer time than the first process. This recipe will make two loaves of bread. ENTIRE WHEAT AND BRAN MUFFINS I egg 2 cups bran I cup sweet milk i tablespoonful melted butter or vegetable fat ^ cup white flour I tablespoonful molasses I cup entire wheat flour 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder 2 teaspoonful salt 102 Practical Food Economy Utensils. Measuring cup, tablespoon, teaspoon, mixing bowl, ^gg beater, gem pans, flour sifter. Directions. Sift all the dry ingredients into the bowl and then add the well-beaten Qgg^ milk, and melted shortening. Beat thoroughly four or five minutes, lifting the batter up well each time, so as to let in all the air possible. Bake in well-greased hot gem pans in a hot oven about twenty minutes. Sifting the flour is done only for lightness, and any bran left in the sifter should be added to the batter, unless some members of the family have delicate digestive organs ; then the bran is better left out, or put into only part of the batter. Add a cup of chopped raisins or currants for a change. GLUTEN MUFFINS Use two eggs, beating white and yolks separately, and one cup of gluten flour, in place of entire wheat and white flour. BROWN BREAD I cup buttermilk or sour milk i cup seedless raisins I cup honey (strained) i egg I I cups corn meal i teaspoonful soda ^ cup flour I teaspoonful salt Utensils. Mixing bowl, flour sifter, measuring cup, measuring spoon, o^gg beater, saucepan, tablespoon, pans. Directions. Put the seedless raisins to cook in a very little water, and let simmer until the water is absorbed. Stir together the Qgg^ buttermilk, and Bread 103 honey. Into this sift the corn meal, flour, soda, and salt. Flour the cooked raisins lightly and add. Pour into two one-pound baking-powder cans and steam. NUT BREAD 3 cups flour I cup chopped nuts I cup strained honey (warm) 2 tablespoonfuls vegetable fat f cup scalded milk 2 teaspoonfuls salt I egg white (beaten) i yeast cake (compressed) Utensils, Bread mixer, saucepan, measuring cup, measuring spoon, tablespoon, flour sifter, egg beater. Directions. After dissolving the yeast cake in the warm milk, stir in a tablespoon of honey and i| cups of flour, beating the whole thoroughly. Then set in a warm place to rise. When light, add the re- mainder of the honey and flour, and the rest of the ingredients. Knead well in the mixer. Let rise until double in bulk. Then make into a loaf, and when light enough, bake in a moderate oven. Ready Food for the United States Corn Meal "It is difficult, if not impossible to make any good yeast or baking-powder breads out of corn meal alone. The granular particles of meal separate and can only be held together in baking with wheat flour and one or more eggs. Three parts corn meal with one of good gluten or bread flour gives good color, value and flavor.'* — Miss Hunt, Department of Agriculture. 104 Practical Food Economy Indian corn has special historical interest for Americans from the fact that it is generally recog- nized as being native to American soil. It grows in the south and as far north as Canada. Its cultiva- tion and use, therefore, in the early days was very widely distributed throughout America. With iish and game it made the staple food of the Indians, and except for a little wild rice, it was the only cereal known to them. It was probably the recognized necessity of the use of corn meal which made the Indians abandon their nomadic life, form settlements, and cultivate corn. Now corn is raised in all regions of the world where it will flourish. In composition and nutritive value, fully ripened and matured corn is practically the same as other grains, except possibly wheat. , As compared with other cereals, such as wheat, rice, oats, rye, barley,- etc., its fuel and energy value is the highest of all the cereals, being about eighteen hundred calories per pound or about one hundred calories above the average cereal. It is too heating for the body in hot weather if used in large quantities. Regardless of the color of corn meal, there is only a little difference in flavor between the white and yellow, and only a slight percentage more of food value in the white. Methods of milling have changed so much that some modifications have been necessary in the cooking. In general, about ten per cent, more water is needed for the new process corn meal than for the old, and the best results are obtained by Bread 105 heating meal and liquid together in a double boiler, without stirring, for ten or fifteen minutes ; also in the new process meal there is less water and less fat. In all old recipes, which call for no fat, a little butter or vegetable fat should be used. CORN MEAL MUFFINS ^ cup corn meal i teaspoonful salt I cup flour 2 tablespoonfuls sugar f cup milk I tablespoonful pielted butter or vege- 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder table fat I egg Utensils. Measuring cup, measuring spoon, flour sifter, mixing bowl, tablespoon, ^gg beater, muffin pans. Directions. Mix and sift into a bowl all the dry ingredients, add the milk gradually, and the egg well beaten, also melted butter. Bake in a hot oven in well-greased and heated muffin pans twenty-five minutes. SOUTHERN SPOON CORN BREAD 1 cup white corn meal i cup milk 2 cups boiling water i tablespoonful butter (or vegetable fat) § cup hominy (cooked) i teaspoonful baking powder I cup rice (cooked) i teaspoonful salt I egg (white and yolk beaten separately) Utensils. Saucepan, tablespoon, measuring spoon, Q^gg beater, measuring cup, pudding dish. Directions. Add corn meal gradually to boiling water, boil five minutes, then add butter, and let 106 Practical Food Economy stand until cool. Add baking powder, salt, and ^gg yolk well beaten, hominy, rice, and milk. Beat two minutes and add the Ggg white beaten until stiff. Turn into a buttered pudding dish and bake in a hot oven forty minutes. CORN MEAL AND FIG PUDDING I cup corn meal i cup chopped figs I cup molasses 2 eggs 6 cups milk I teaspoonful salt Utensils. Double boiler, egg beater, measuring cup, food chopper, pudding dish. Directions. Cook the corn meal with four cups of milk in a double boiler. This should be put into the boiler cold and cooked fifteen minutes without stir- ring, adding figs and salt. When the mixture is cool, add the eggs well beaten. Pour into a buttered pudding dish and bake in a moderate oven for three hours or more. When partly cooked, add the re- mainder of the milk without stirring. Raisins may be used in place of figs if desired. CORN MEAL MUSH I cup corn meal 4 cups milk and water I teaspoonful salt Utensils. Double boiler, measuring cup, measuring spoon. Directions. Put all the ingredients cold into a double boiler and cook four hours. Serve with milk or cream. This mush is often eaten with Bread 107 maple sirup, molasses or honey, maple sugar and butter. FOREST HILL CORN STICKS I cup corn meal i egg f cup flour 3 teaspoonfuls baking powder I cup milk i teaspoonful salt I cup butter or vegetable fat ^ cup hominy grits (boiled) Utensils. Measuring cup, measuring spoon, flour sifter, mixing bowl, egg beater, bread-stick pans, or muffin pans, tablespoon. Directions, Sift dry ingredients all together, add butter and milk to hot grits, and add egg well beaten. Bake in greased bread-stick pans until brown and crisp. Rice "The home-makers of a country are the soldiers in times of peace, and any woman who depreciates good home-making is depreciating the very roots of a country's prosperity and pre- paredness." The Federal Government has rather startled men and women in the recent food investigation by stating that the grave difficulty is the "waste each year in the home of ^700,000,000 in garbage." Does it mean that as women we have selected our food supply on the basis of tastes, instead of the amount of nourishment contained .f* If so, that may account for garbage cans well filled with peelings, bones, etc., when the same or greater food value which pro- duces our everyday energy may be supplied by 108 Practical Food Economy a clean and easily prepared, palatable food, with no waste. Such is the unpolished and brown rice grown in our own United States. It is here, and has been waiting for us to use it. But not until necessity — good friend as she is sometimes — made a shortage in our potato supply, did we recognize rice as a regu- lar member of the food family ready to come to the rescue, not as a visitor all dressed up to serve only as an occasional dessert, but to occupy a regular place and give us her share of our food requirement. Will you note the comparisons of rice and pota- toes, made by Doctor Atwater, late of the United States Government : Rice, one pound, no waste, 79 per cent, carbohydrates ; fuel value, in terms of calories, 1,620. Potatoes, one pound, waste 20 per cent., carbohydrates 14.7 per cent. This fuel value in terms of calories, only 295. So much for the dif- ference in waste and food value. Now ask any woman which is easier to prepare in her kitchen, and I feel sure rice would receive the preference because of its greater cleanliness, ease, and saving of time in preparing, all valuable assets to the home-making profession. It is the cooking, I think, which has been the great stumbling block against its acceptance with pleasure by the family. It may be cooked so that the kernels are formed into a heavy, solid, pasty mass, or it may be cooked until every kernel stands alone — dry, tender, and flaky, and fit to "set before the king" or the invalid, Bread 109 for that matter. The latter is the method of cook- ing we wish to talk about. But first a word about unpolished rice and its relative food value. The producers of rice have frequently treated it with glucose, paraffin, or some other foreign sub- stance, making it bright and shiny to appeal to our eye ; then have charged us for this extra work. In this process they have also removed the outer cover- ing, which is far richer in minerals than the grain itself. When the rice is left in its natural unpolished condition, we have all the food elements retained, and unpolished and brown rice are both far superior to the prepared article. These we are able to secure at any first class grocer's now, and let us hope they are here to stay. No matter what rice is used, however, much of its value depends upon the cooking. It is a starchy food, fairly bubbling over with heat and energy, easily digested, and leaves little if any residue in the intestines. A few years ago rice was used only as a dessert. Now it is considered a valuable food and should be used as a vegetable instead of potatoes two or three times a week at least, or oftener, where there are children or elderly people in the family. COOKING RICE Rice may be steamed, cooked in a double boiler with just enough water, milk, or both, to be entirely absorbed by the kernels when tender, or boiled in 110 Practical Food Economy plenty of salted water, which is drained off as a basis for soups. Where vegetables of all kinds can be steamed, much food value is saved. But where this is not possible, cook the rice in plenty of rapidly boiling water, adding a fourth teaspoon of fat to keep it from boiling over. Do not stir but keep it boiling rapidly, so that every kernel is tossed about actively. It takes from ten to twenty minutes to thoroughly break up the starch by this boiling temperature so as to make it digestible. When done, turn through a colander and save the water for soups, then blanch by letting cold water run slowly over the rice. Set the colander on a pan in the oven, or some warm place, to dry, and while preparing the remainder of the meal, occasionally toss the rice about. Sprinkle with salt, turn into a vegetable dish, and every kernel will be large, white, dry, and flaky. Serve as potatoes. Rice may be served in many different ways, and if a little is left over it can always be added to soup, croquettes, with cheese, tomatoes, puddings, fritters, or used as a rice border with a meat stew. The brown rice takes a longer time to cook than the unpolished white rice, and is used entirely as a vegetable or in casseroles with meats and other vegetables. It has a nutty, sweet flavor and when once used is liked by almost every one. It has the advantage of retaining all of its mineral con- tent. Start to-day and use brown and unpolished Bread 111 rice in the regular bill of fare for economy and health. SPANISH RICE I sliced onion 2 tablespoons sweet red peppers (sliced) 1 cup washed rice | teaspoon paprika 2 cups canned tomatoes i tablespoon sugar I teaspoon salt 2 cups boiling water Directions. Cook 45 minutes in double boiler or fireless cooker. RICE WITH CHICKEN One cup rice washed and put in stone crock. Cover two inches with chicken stock. Salt and cook slowly until dry. Do not stir or add more stock. Dip with large spoon, arrange around platter with chicken in center. Pour gravy over all or serve separately. BAVARIAN RICE Soak 2 tablespoons gelatin in J cup cold water, wash J cup rice and sprinkle into boiling salted water. Boil until tender and dry as previously directed. Dissolve gelatin over hot water and cool. Whip i pint cream, fold in gelatin, cold rice, § cup powdered sugar, I teaspoon vanilla. Pour into mold. When ready to serve make following sauce : | tumbler quince jelly melted over fire with 2 tablespoons cold water, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and bits of orange peel. 112 Practical Food Economy Macaroni "All through life be sure you put your feet in the right place and then stand firm." — Lincoln. There is no question but that we are living in an "Educational Era." Every new movement, whether charitable or for profit, must be educational. Every large department store and factory has its social service or educational department, which means a study of the best "ways and means" to better the conditions, from the food the, employees eat to the sanitary conditions under which they work. Their physical, mental, and moral activities are as care- fully watched as their development at work and at play. This new side of industrial management does not claim to be altruistic ; it is merely a recognition of the added returns in business profits where the employees are working under the best possible condi- tions. One phase of industrial management in the home has caused us to seek for cheap and nourishing foods. For a hundred years and more, macaroni has been a food product of Europe, but we have used it only when we wished to make a change in our American dishes. For years we have eaten the imported product, much of which is made and dried in the open, exposed to all the contamination of the outside elements. About twelve years ago, the United States Government stepped in and said, "We will bring Bread 113 the seed of the Durum wheat from Russia and grow it in North Dakota, as the climate there is best adapted to it." It is from this wheat that a flour with a minimum of sixteen per cent, gluten and little or no starch is made. Mixed into dough with water, kneaded and pressed into shape, dried by machinery and packed into packages, we buy it as "macaroni", "spaghetti", and "noodles", which average 1645 calories per pound. Thus we have added to our "food family" a product rich in nutritive content, clean and easy to cook, and best of all, cheap enough for the poorest household. Every man, woman, and child should know that macaroni furnishes a large quantity of gluten, which is one of the elements of food that the human system turns into blood, sinew, and muscle, and this macaroni made from the Durum wheat contains more gluten than any other wheat product. In this inexpensive food we have practically all the elements of bread and meat. It is easy, quick, clean, and economical to prepare. If well cooked with varied seasoning, such as milk, meat, or cheese, the family will not tire of it, but ask for "more and oftener." When our wheat supply is shortened, for any reason, we are particularly fortunate in these United States in being able to grow corn, rice, and Durum wheat, which will give us a sufficient supply of grain products to be alternated with wheat. 114 Practical Food Economy COOKING MACARONI Cook macaroni, spaghetti, or noodles In plenty of actively boiling salted water. Water should cover any of these while cooking, and the boiling should be continuous and lively for twelve to fifteen minutes. Turn into a colander and drain. Rinse with cold water to avoid sticking together. However, if a high-grade quality of macaroni is used, there is little or no starch to be removed ; it is all a golden-yellow gluten, rich in every requirement for nutrition. SEASONINGS FOR MACARONI The above formula is the first process in cooking macaroni, no matter what particular dish is to be made. Then a sauce made from milk, tomatoes, or beef, veal or chicken stock, thickened with flour, also butter or any vegetable fat, or meat, may be mixed with it. To this dish for variation may be added bacon cut in bits, sliced onion and green peppers, and cheese cooked together and added to the sauce. Such meats as chicken, veal, Hamburg steak, or other chopped meat left over may be arranged in a baking dish, in layers, with cheese added to the sauce and sprinkled over the top, and browned in the oven. Garlic, paprika, pepper, butter, onion, eggs, and nuts are all used with macaroni dishes, which include spaghetti and noodles. CHAPTER IV MILK Women's Duty in the Care of Milk " It is for us to express love in terms of human helpfulness." — David Starr Jordan. Educating the woman in the care of milk in the home should go hand in hand with the increased demands made on the dairy farmer for a cleaner, higher grade of milk, and on the milk dealer for greater care in delivering it at our doors pasteurized, clean, cold, and unadulterated. If the milk producer in the country and the milk dealer in our cities have conscientiously done their duty, then surely every woman in any home should be willing to learn and to do the simple things necessary after the milk reaches them, giving it proper treatment so it will not become unfit food, especially for babies. One of our United States Government bulletins says : "The bad treatment consists — (i) In placing the milk in unclean vessels. (2) In exposing it unnecessarily to the air. IIS 116 Practical Food Economy (3) In failing to keep it cool up to the time of using it. (4) In exposing it to flies." From my experience in milk investigation in our own city in the past few years, I should say that one of the most serious dangers to our milk is in having no proper place for the milkman to deliver it at our doors. In riding about the city to find out just where the milkman left the milk, as late as nine o'clock in the morning, I found it on the front or back porch, with the hot sun beating down on it, or in all sorts of places where uncleanliness prevailed, and where it was within easy access of cats and dogs. In all kind- ness, and yet seriously, I must say that any woman who does not plan for a clean place out of the sun is undoing very rapidly the work she has demanded of the dairy farmer and her milk dealer in giving her clean, cold, pasteurized milk. The careless handling of this food, the most valu- able single article of diet known to man, is due to one of two causes — either as women we are indifferent to the health of the family, or ignorant as to the effect of careless handling of milk. We feel sure that no woman could be indifferent to the health of her family, so we must conclude that it is due to lack of understanding. Most of us are pretty well educated in the matter of buying milk in milk bottles which are thoroughly sterilized and clean when the pas- teurized milk goes into them, but there are still many places in the smaller towns where milk is sold by dip- Milk 117 ping from large cans and pouring into receptacles on the street. I had my awakening to one of the dangers of such delivery several years ago, when early one morning I saw the driver of a milk wagon eating his sandwich and drinking milk from the deep cover of the can. If it is imxpossible to get milk in bottles, have a clean, covered fruit jar set out, but never an open vessel where thousands of bacteria will gather over- night; and never put money or tickets in the jar. Take the milk into the house as soon after delivery as possible, especially during the summer months. Wash cap and bottle immediately. Place at once in the refrigerator ; otherwise in cold running water, or wrap in a wet cloth and place in moving air; or coarse salt may be placed in the water, which reduces the temperature. When ready to use, remove cap with the lifter (furnished free by all milk dealers), cover with a clean inverted glass — or milk-bottle covers may be purchased at any house-furnishing store for a few cents — then return to a cool place. Have perfectly clean receptacles into which milk is poured. Cleanliness and cold are imperative if the family are to have good milk, and all suggestions regarding milk apply to cream also. Milk absorbs impurities whenever it is left uncovered in the refrig- erator or on the kitchen table while preparing a meal, or when the pan or bowl into which it is emptied is not clean — I mean by that, every corner clean and thoroughly scalded with boiling water before using. 118 Practical Food Economy Home Information about Milk Every woman should know why certified milk is the only safe milk to use unpasteurized, and that all other milk — for safety to her family — should be pasteurized. There are dangerous bacteria which grow or develop in milk, causing illness, particularly among children. Pasteurizing clean milk, that means heating to not less than 150° F. and reducing at once to a cool temperature, say 40° F., is our present method of eliminating such dangers. Bacteria are thickest where there is dirt and decay, consequently everything should be kept clean and cov- ered to preserve the flavor, and make milk safe to use. If kept at a temperature of 50° F. or a little less, milk should keep for twelve hours or more, and new milk should never be mixed with old, unless it is to be used at once, as the old milk may destroy the fresh. Good milk, as described, is a well-balanced nutritious food, containing : 3 to 4! per cent, butter fat 4J to 4! per cent, milk sugar si to 3! per cent, proteids It is the best food for nursing mothers ; the most necessary food for children ; an economical food ; when clean, a safe food ; makes muscle ; has no waste; requires no cooking; is good food for the sick ; the best food for young and old ; can be used in the making of many dishes ; is a better and cheaper Milk 119 food than condensed milk or any patented foods ; is an easily digested food ; the most valuable food from soup to dessert in the home. If a mother is obliged to choose between rich milk or clean milk, she had better take the latter. Skimmed milk contains all the original food value, except the fat. In conclusion, no matter how well milk has been handled up to the time it is delivered at the door, it cannot be expected to keep if carelessly handled in the kitchen. This is the cooperation which every woman should pledge herself to enforce in the home, so that she does not nullify all the work done by Federal, State, and municipal authorities, and render useless the time and money spent by the dairy farmer and our own milk dealers in giving us what we have demanded — clean, cool, unadulterated, and pasteur- ized milk. In small towns the women should keep in close touch with their local milk dealer in order to know cleanliness and quality of milk ; in large cities call on the Board of Health for information about the milk supply. Questions for Mothers In a recent United States illustrated bulletin. Number 717, entitled "Food for Young Children", written by Caroline L. Hunt, scientific assistant, office of Home Economics, is a most interesting " re- view" of the pages studied in this bulletin relative to children's foods and the cooking of them. She writes as follows : 120 Practical Food Economy At the close of the day the mother might ask herself questions like the following, to make sure that she has taken into account the things to which her attention has been directed : "Did each child take about a quart of milk in one form or other ? "Have I taken pains to see that the milk that comes to my home has been handled in a clean way ? "If I was obliged to serve skim milk for the sake of cleanliness or economy, did I supply a little extra fat in some other way ? "Were the fats which I gave the child of the wholesome kind found in milk, cream, butter, and salad oils, or of the unwholesome kind found in doughnuts and other fried foods ? "Did I make good use of all skim milk by utilizing it in the preparation of cereal mushes, puddings, or otherwise ? "Were all cereal foods thoroughly cooked ? "Was the bread soggy? If so, was it because the loaves were too large, or because they were not cooked long enough ? "Did I take pains to get a variety of foods from the cereal group by serving a cereal mush once during the day? "Did I keep in mind that, while cereals are good foods in themselves, they do not take the place of meat, milk, eggs, fruit, and vegetables ? "Did I keep in mind that children who do not have plenty of fruit and vegetables need whole wheat bread and whole grains served in other ways ? "Did each child have an egg or an equivalent amount of meat, fish, or poultry ? Milk 121 ''Did any child have more than this of flesh foods or eggs ? If so, might not the money have been better spent for fruits or vegetables ? "If I was unable to get milk, meat, fish, poultry, or eggs, did I serve dried beans or other legumes, thoroughly cooked and carefully seasoned ? "Were vegetables and fruits both on the child's bill of fare once during the day ? If not, was it because we have not taken pains to raise them in our home garden ? "Did either the fruit or the vegetable disagree with the child ? If so, ought I to have cooked it more thor- oughly, chopped it more finely, or have removed the skins and seeds ? "Was the child given sweets between meals, or any- thing that tempted him to eat when he was not hungry ? "Was he allowed to eat sweets when he should have been drinking milk or eating cereals, meat, eggs, fruit, or vegetables ? "Were the sweets given to the child simple — i.e. un- mixed with much fat, or with hard substances difficult to chew — and not highly flavored ? "Was the child made to eat slowly and chew his food properly ? " A young child may be considered well fed if he has plenty of milk, bread, and other cereal food ; an &gg once a day or its equivalent in flesh foods, a small portion each of carefully prepared fruits and vegetables, with a small amount of sweet food after his appetite for other foods is satisfied. If there is too much or too little of any of these, his diet is one-sided. 122 Practical Food Economy Milk Table " If I were asked today what factor would be most effective in increasing the virility and endurance of the American citizen during the next generation, I would answer, unhesitatingly, a strict governmental, state and municipal control of infant feed- ing." — Harvey W. Wiley, M.D. 1. Milk is not a beverage, such as water, tea, or coffee, but is valuable especially for children as food, and should be taken slowly. 2. So far as we know, nothing serves so well as clean milk for the diet of the healthy child. 3. If a mother is obliged to choose between rich milk and clean milk, she had better take the latter. 4. Clean, fresh, skim milk is better for a child than dirty, questionable whole milk. 5. Compared with other foods, milk contains much lime, which aids in teeth and bone structure, and but very little iron. So spinach, carrots, and other green vegetables, also egg yolks, should be used, as they are very rich in iron. This is the reason why combinations of egg yolks and milk and vegetables and milk are given in children's menus. The vegetables should be strained and rubbed through a sieve. 6. When milk is given to children, the chill is usually taken from it. 7. The following are some good milk combination dishes : Bread and milk. Use well-baked whole wheat. Milk 123 corn, mush, or graham bread, oatmeal crackers, or toast. Cereals and milk. Oatmeal, and all wheat foods (according to needs of individual child). Milk gravy. Use with codfish, dried beef, tender chicken, fish, or vegetables. Milk toast. Use alone or with hard boiled yolk of Qgg. (Do not use whites unless chopped very fine.) Skimmed milk having no fat may be used with foods of a fatty nature. Cocoa. Make with whole or skimmed milk. Milk soups. With vegetable purees. Custards. Steamed or baked. Floating island. Also many other combinations. Buttermilk A sign attracted my attention one day, which read: "Get the happy habit: drink buttermilk." I hear the question asked over and over again — ''Is buttermilk good for you.f"' Sometimes yes; sometimes no. In other words, I might answer yes and no. If it is made from clean pasteurized milk and taken moderately, yes, most people can drink it. But if made from centralized milk (by that we mean cream separated from milk) from any and all farms, when we have no knowledge as to conditions of cleanliness, and where this cream is in no way pasteurized and the buttermilk left thin, I should say that drinking the buttermilk made 124 Practical Food Economy from this loose milk was not a "happy habit" for any one to form. We do know that a lactic acid in buttermilk, which has been made from pasteurized milk with a good Bulgarian culture under sanitary conditions, is an excellent cleanser and purifier of the intestinal tract. Too much of it can be taken into the system at one time, or in a day, or week even. It should be drunk in moderation. From a pint to a quart a day for the average person is plenty, and that, sipped slowly with a sandwich or a whole wheat muffin and butter, followed by a baked apple, is a good luncheon. Very high praise is given to lactic buttermilk by the best medical authorities who are thoroughly conversant with the experiments of Metchnikoff. Strangers who come to Bulgaria marvel at the extreme youth of the so-called old people, for they are old only in years, not in health and strength, as was learned by Metchnikoff, who came here to Investigate this "youth In old age." He found that these people were drinking sour milk, or milk con- taining lactic acid. And this is the whole secret of youth — keeping the body and intestinal tract clean. We would be horrified to have anything decayed and putrlfied around our home. In our living room, bedroom, kitchen, or pantry, but we forget to take a peep Inside of our bodies occasionally. It should be done seml-occaslonally, and we would be horrified at the uncleanhness which we would find there. Milk 125 Buttermilk Is a particularly good remedy for all those troubled with gout, rheumatic tendencies, and liver troubles, but it should be made from pas- teurized milk and kept covered under clean, sanitary conditions in the home. When some is left over, various good things may be made from it, such as pancakes, breads, biscuits, corn bread, corn cakes, Boston brown bread, and many other well-liked foods. BUTTERMILK NUT BREAD l| cups sour milk or buttermilk 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder 4 cups whole wheat flour | teaspoonful salt ^ cup sugar i tablespoonful fat I cup chopped English walnuts i egg f teaspoonful soda Utensils. Egg beater, bowl, chopping knife, two bread pans. Directions, Beat the ^gg in the bowl, add the sugar, beat again, and then add all the remaining ingredients, mix and knead into two loaves and set in a warm place, covered, for twenty minutes ; bake in a moderate oven forty-five minutes or one hour. This is fine for children's lunch, sliced thin and slightly buttered. QUICK BUTTERMILK BREAD I cup whole wheat flour i cup raisins f cup white flour 2 teaspoonfuls cream of tartar I cup buttermilk J teaspoonful soda Directions. Sift together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and soda. Stir it into buttermilk, add raisins. 126 Practical Food Economy Make into a loaf, score it across, and bake in a moderate oven three quarters of an hour. BUTTERMILK BISCUIT I cup buttermilk | teaspoonful salt I teaspoonful soda 3 tablespoonfuls butter or fat Flour Directions. To buttermilk, soda, salt, and butter or other fat, add sifted flour to make a dough. Knead until smooth and elastic as for light bread. Roll out one half inch thick, cut out, brush over with milk or cream, and sprinkle with granulated sugar ; bake in a quick oven for ten or fifteen minutes. WHOLE WHEAT CRUMPETS I pint buttermilk 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder I tablespoonful fat ^ i| cups whole wheat flour I teaspoonful salt ' 2 eggs I teaspoonful soda Directions. Beat whites and yolks of eggs sepa- rately, add yolks to milk, soda, melted fat, salt, flour, and baking powder. Fold in the well-beaten whites of eggs, and bake in hot mufhn tins for thirty minutes. Split while hot and butter. The addi- tion of maple sirup or fresh stewed fruit makes this an inviting supper dish. CHAPTER V CONSERVATION OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Truths about Canned Food "The business of real home-making is a problem of heart and brain, rather than one demanding physical toil for its solution.'* — Selected. Fruits and vegetables of our own choosing would certainly be fresh and ripe from tree, vine, or field, instead of obtained with the aid of a can opener; or sweet milk, clean and fresh from a dairy, instead of the concentrated product in cans ; or, if we were to choose between the peas, beans, and corn gathered fresh every morning from our gardens and those picked and packed in cans thousands of miles away and shipped to our grocers, we would no doubt prefer our home garden variety. For no fruit is ever so good as when picked in our own garden, and no milk is ever so sweet as when freshly drawn. But we cannot all have gardens, and even when we do, the crop is soon exhausted, and milk fresh from tested and registered stock is not possible to 127 128 Practical Food Economy more than a limited and fortunate few. Of course, there are many who can afford to spend any amount of money on satisfying the appetite, and they can have hothouse fruits and vegetables brought from far countries and held in refrigerators ready to supply their demand the year round. All that is changed now, when every one must share alike, so we may have enough to divide with all, and the tin or glass can must supply the large majority of us with its contents of early June peas about eleven months of the year, and our pantry or reserve shelves with canned beans, peas, corn, tomatoes, fruits, soups, and vegetables of every description which offer no mean substitute for the fresh products. Indeed, in many cases, if the buyer of home supplies knows how to select a good brand, the goods from the can are more juicy and palatable than the stale, wilted, half-ripe, so-called fresh products from poor markets. Neither would it be economy for any woman to can inferior foods ; nor to do so if the cost would, in a perfect product, exceed the ready canned goods of fine quaHty. We have heard much of the process of canning in the past few years, and we are quite aware that we have some of the bad with the good, but education by means of books, illustrated magazine articles, and moving pictures has done much towards giving all of us true knowledge of the best quahty of canned goods for the home. This liberal education has en- lightened us further on home canning, so that we An Entrance to a French Garden. This picture shows how the French utilise every bit of land for growing fruit and vegetables of the finest type. They train peaches and pears on poles and on lattice work against the walls, thus saving space, avoiding shade, and securing sun-ripened fruits and vegetables of superior flavor. The gardens are beautiful beyond description, artistic and brightened by many Howers. Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 129 are better able to conserve for future use foods which otherwise would go to waste in our own gardens. The art of canning is but little more than a hundred years old. When it was found that all kinds of food could be sealed in glass or tin and preserved there indefinitely, it was first given official recognition by the French Government. In these hundred years, and especially in the last ten, canning has made wonderful strides as an industry, and no food is now so unusual or so rare that it is not preserved for future consumption. With the difficulty, under present conditions, of procuring importations, it is not surprising that the alert, progressive American canner is beginning to show us some wonderful choice fancy canned products of our own. [ Perhaps all women in the home do not know that every soup known to the most skilful chef is made at our best canning factories in ideal, clean, sani- tary kitchens from the finest materials and by the most skilled cooks money can obtain ; and such products we may have on our tables from our well- stocked shelves at a moment's notice. Doctor Barnard, State Food and Drug Commis- sioner of Industry, says : "The once common belief that canned goods con- tained preservatives and other gross adulterants has been shown to be false, and the reports of chemists, who in every State and many cities check food frauds, show that no foods on the pantry shelves are less liable to adulteration than those in the tin package. 130 Practical Food Economy "Canned goods are not preserved by chemicals, because they are made sterile by heat, the safest, cheapest, and altogether the best way of saving food in good condition until the time it may be needed. "In the tin package there is no deterioration and no waste. Wheat in the elevator or granary may become damp and soggy, and it is always subject to attack by rats and insects. "Food in cold storage has a definite life Hmit, but food in the can stays good so long as the tin package lasts. Canners are modern Josephs, storing up a surplus in ideal warehouses against times of scarcity, and when the brethren descend on the unprepared housewife, there are always tinned foods on hand to avert the famine and load the lengthened table." With this feeling of safety, it rests with the house- keeper to select as good a quality — not necessarily a fancy brand — as she can afford to buy and then see that none of it goes to waste. If there is any one thing which will spoil the flavor and tenderness of the best canned vegetables it is draining off all the liquor into the sink, turning the vegetables into a saucepan, and cooking hard and long with milk until all taste and goodness is dissi- pated. A double boiler is the only utensil which should ever be used for reheating vegetables. If the water or liquor in the can is not desired at the time of heating the vegetables, drain and save for a soup another day. Surely, much of the food value most important for its mineral matter must be lost Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 131 in turning the liquid down the sink drain. All canned vegetables should just be heated through, as their cooking was done when canned. There is nothing better for seasoning than good, sweet butter, salt, and pepper or paprika, or a few spoonfuls of cream. A sprig of mint in lima beans gives a flavor most people will like, and a little chopped parsley in carrots or turnips improves the flavor. Then such delicious soups may be made from peas, corn, tomatoes, etc., that they seem a necessity in the house all the year round. There is hardly a day in many homes when tomatoes are not used for sauce, seasoning, stewed, baked, or for salad. Canned fruits are used as desserts just as they come from the can or in shortcakes, pastries, etc. Sometimes there is a larger proportion of juice in the can than fruit ; save this for sweet sauces for pudding, or for fruit punches, lemonades, etc. In the case of canned peaches, for instance, for ice cream or Bava- rian creams, only the solid fruit is used ; then the juice should be reserved to be made into sirups, sauces, or beverages. Canned pineapple is one of the most beneficial of all the fruits during the spring months. It is better, however, to use after, rather than before a meal, as the acid in pineapple is a good digester. Use canned goods, as we do all other foods, with understanding and intelligence in their selection and preparation. It seems to me most fitting that women should know something of the canning in- 132 Practical Food Economy dustry, which has reached such a high state of per- fection, and from this study they can learn much in home conservation of fruits and vegetables. Home Canning "I pity the creature who does not work, at whichever end of the social scale he may regard himself as being. The law of worthy work well done is the law of successful American life. I believe in play, too; play and play hard, so that greater interest and strength may be given to work. The work is what counts ; and, if it is well done and is worth while doing, then it matters but little in which line that work is done — the man or woman is a good American citizen." — Selected. The subject of home canning, or preservation of fruits and vegetables, has been of interest to women for many years. They have naturally wished to "store away" for the winter. By some it was done easily and successfully, but others — perhaps the large majority — made hard work of it, and they were not sure whether they were going to have "good" or "bad luck" after a hard day's work in canning. Knowing the necessity and obligation resting upon the women of every home in our land in the conser- vation of all surplus fruits and vegetables for future use, it is not necessary for us to urge women to give their best service to this economic and additional work in the home. They never fail in a call to duty. The canning of a few jars of fruit and vegetables every season in the home has been comparatively Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 133 easy, but on the large scale outlined for this year, it becomes a factory job, and unless the proper selec- tion of fruits, vegetables, and jars, with perfect sterili- zation and definite methods of work are thoroughly understood, and cooperation and help are given by the entire family, there will be more waste and loss than saving in this conservation of foods. Conservation of women's strength means a mobiliz- ing and readjustment of most homes, and the time has come for the real living of community life where every member of the household is responsible for his or her share of work. It takes no more time or effort to do a thing right than wrong. One is certainty, and the other is un- certainty in results. Know the best method of can- ning, then follow it. If it is to be done in a slipshod "guess it will keep" method, don't attempt it; and this year take no chances, but know. \ The old preserving or canning kettle has no place in our modern methods of fruit preservation, neither has a big wash boiler, unless in the country where fruit ripens in quantities and must be taken care of or spoil. Then I can see some use for such quantity methods, but the wash boiler is not for city canning. A modern roaster may be used for canning, as there is a rack already in the bottom and a good deep cover to put over the top ; little heat is created, as six jars are easily canned over one burner, and that is enough for any woman who does her own work to attempt at one time. 134 Practical Food Economy When there is plenty of help, the steam cooker may be used, and will hold eighteen jars done by the steam process, with the water all in the pan on one burner below the jars. There are also steam pressure cookers, which are accurate; only two or three jars may be canned at once, but in less time. Decide upon the number of jars necessary for the entire canning season and get them early. Also any other utensils necessary for good expeditious work. At the height of the season, fruit jars are often scarce and advance materially in price. No end of failures and inconvenience are caused by shortage of containers when the canning is in process. The kitchen must be made perfectly clean and free from dust before the process of canning is be- gun. Everything should be dusted with a damp cloth and the floor clean and free from dust. The one doing the work should be equally clean and her hair covered. Fruits perfectly fresh, clean, and not overripe should be used. Never be persuaded to use pre- servatives of any kind or description. Scales for weighing are as necessary as jars, as fruit and sugar for preserving can only be correctly proportioned by weight. For years our Government has been making a study of this very subject, and has presented to us the "cold pack" process, which, if followed exactly, cannot fail. Whenever such conditions as are men- tioned exist, all other methods should be cast aside Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 135 and this one chosen with an assurance of no loss in fruits or vegetables, because the science of sterili- zation is revolutionizing home canning. Women may can a jar or two every day with perfect ease without disrupting the household as used to be done with the bushel or two of fruit and the open kettle method. The general principle of the "cold pack" method is this : that fruits and vegetables preserved in this manner are prepared, placed in jars, and covered either with a thin sirup, or boiling hot salted water; the jars are then covered, set in boil- ing water or live steam from a few minutes to a few hours, removed, sealed, and stored in a cool, dry, dark place. This heat kills all germ life, and fruit or vegetables will keep indefinitely. The Cold Pack Method 1. Have jars clean and tested for leakage before beginning to can. 2. Use all new rubbers. 3. Have ready on the stove a covered canner, oval or round in shape, with rack for holding jars and partly filled with boiling water. (A large covered kettle with wire rack to raise the cans from the bottom of the kettle could be used.) 4. Select perfectly ripened fruit for canning or jelly making. Keep others for everyday use or drying. 5. Have required number of jars and covers in the canner or kettle, so that when the water is boil- 136 Practical Food Economy ing, they are hot, and no breakage will occur when boiling sirup or water is poured into them. 6. Place the vegetables or fruit in the wire basket and set in a kettle of boiling water for "blanching", counting time when the water begins to boil. (See table.) When blanched, lift out wire basket, and dip up and down two or three times in cold water. Both boiling and cold water cause the removal of excess acids and shrinkage, so more may be placed in jar, and cause vegetables to retain their original coloring. 7. Pack the skinned, scraped, or cut product into the jars a quarter of an inch from the top. 8. With fruits, fill with boiling sirup. (See table.) With vegetables, fill with boiling water and one teaspoonful of salt to each quart of vegetables. 9. Put on the new rubber rings, which have been dipped in boiling water, and, if a screw top, screw on part way to allow some steam generated in the jar to escape for safety in preventing breakage. If a glass-top jar is used, snap top or short wire, leaving the larger one until the sterilization time is finished. 10. Place the filled and covered jars on the rack in the canner, with the water completely covering the jars, and begin counting the time when the water begins to boil. (See time-table for different fruits and vegetables.) 11. When finished, remove from hot-water can- ner, seal tight, watching rubber that it does not slip out of place, cool, and store in a cool dark place or Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 137 wrap in paper to prevent fruit fading. (Send for "Home Canning by the One-Period Cold-pack Method", Farmers' Bulletin Number 839, United States Department of Agriculture.) TIME-TABLE FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNING (COLD PACK METHOD) Based on United States Government Charts, Plus Experience Products to be Canned Preparations Boiling Water OR Sirup Cooking Period Soft Fruits Strawberries, Grade, rinse, stem. 3 cups sugar to Count time dewberries, black- pack whole. 2 cups water, when boiling berries, and blue- boil for 4 min- in canner be- berries. utes. gins. Peaches, apri- Grade, rinse, seed, Hot-water bath, cots, sweet cher- skin, or pit. strawberries, 8 ries. Pack cherries whole. minutes, other peaches and apri- fruits 8 to 12. cots in halves. Sour Berry Fruits Currants, goose- Stem, pit, rinse, (Same as Hot-water bath, berries, cranber- blanch in hot water above.) 12 minutes. ries, sour cherries. I minute. Dip quickly in cold water. Pack whole closely. Hard Fruits Apples, pears, Grade, blanch i| (Same as Hot-water bath, quinces. minutes in hot water, dip quickly in cold water. Skin, core, pack whole, in halves, quartered, or sliced. above.) 20 minutes. 138 Practical Food Economy TIME-TABLE FOR FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CANNING (COLD PACK METHOD) — Continued Products to be Canned Preparations Boiling Water OR Sirup Cooking Period Vegetable Greens Asparagus, spin- ach, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, beet tops, Swiss chard, kale, French endive, dandelion. Tomatoes Corn Legumes Peas, Lima beans, string beans, lentils Blanch In steam from 15 to 20 min- utes. Dip in cold water. Cut in convenient sizes. Pack tight, season to taste. Scald long enough to loosen skins. Dip quickly into cold water, core and skin. Pack whole. Blanch on cob from 3 to 5 minutes. Dip quickly in cold water. Cut from cob with sharp knife. Pack loosely. Cull, string, grade. Blanch from 2 to 5 minutes in boiling water. Pack whole, or they take up less room cut or sliced fine, some- times called "Frenched." Fill jar with boiling water. Add I tea- spoon salt to I pint jar. Add I teaspoon of salt to I quart jar or | teaspoon salt to I pint jar. Fill jar with boiling water. Add I teaspoon salt to I quart jar or | tea- spoon salt to I pint jar. Fill jar with boiling water. Add I tea- spoon salt to I quart jar or | teaspoon salt to I pint jar. Hot-water bath, 90 minutes, except cauli- flower 45 min- utes. Hot-water bath, 20 minutes. Hot-water bath, 3 hours. Hot-water bath, 2 hours. Conservation of Fruits and Ves:etables 139 Products to be Canned Roots Beets, carrots. (Unless jars are plentiful for all canning, these two vegetables, includ- ing sweet potatoes, should be stored in the cellar in box or barrel, covered with clean sand, dirt, or shavings, with small ones on top to be used first, as they are apt to shrivel or dry up.) Preparations Cleanse thoroughly. Scald till skin is loose. Dip quickly in cold water. Re- move skins. Pack whole, sliced across or lengthwise. Boiling Water OR Sirup Fill jar with boiling water. Add I tea- spoon salt to I quart jar or | teaspoon salt to I pint jar, Cooking Period Hot-water bath, 90 minutes. A sirup made of three cups of sugar to two cups of water and boiled for four minutes, or until it reaches the temperature of 219° F., can be used in the canning of all fruits. The sugar should be well dissolved before placing on the fire, and the time counted when it begins to boil throughout. Never stir while boiling. Variations may be made to meet the individual tastes and kind of fruits. If a thinner and lighter sirup is desired, do not boil sugar and water more than two or three minutes. If a thicker, heavier sirup is desired, boil the sugar and water not more than five minutes. Half sugar sirup and half boil- ing maple sirup, or honey, gives a most delicious change to such fruits as peaches and pears. 140 Practical Food Economy Home Evaporation of Fruits and Vegetables There are very few women of this generation and particularly in city districts who know or appreciate home evaporated or dried foods. In the rural dis- tricts, however, it was the usual method long before canning and cultivated fruits were known. The wild fruits and berries which were gathered on prairies and in the woods were "stored away" in this manner for the winter. This method is still used — plus the canning — as much fruit can be dried with less effort and with no danger of any loss. But old methods are fast passing away, and an evaporator is a common part of household equip- ment in many rural homes. The smaller size is more convenient for city use, and if any drying is to be done, it should be used, as it shortens the time by days, and always insures accuracy in work and eliminates that great danger of contamination by flies and insects as when the evaporation is done out of doors. I have been very fortunate in having the experi- ence of my mother to call upon, plus the investiga- tion of the more modern methods of evaporation of fruits and vegetables, and can recommend such preser- vation of food as economical, unexcelled in preserv- ing quality and taste and all the good elements in a concentrated form of natural flavor and nutriment. The heat develops all the natural sugars of the fruit, and you really secure a better product with this method of preservation. Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 141 The National Emergency Food Garden Commis- sion, Washington, D.C., in response to thousands of requests for equipment for all kinds of canning and drying, have furnished a list which every woman should send for at once, so they may choose for accurate, speedy work only the tested and best utensils. How TO Use an Evaporator Set the evaporator on the stove, which may be oil, electric, or a single gas burner. This has really the principle of ^the double boiler. Turn water through the funnel into the lower pan and put your peaches (halved or sliced lengthwise or across), apples, pears, plums, cherries, berries of all kinds, tomatoes, corn, mushrooms, string beans, peas, pumpkin, etc. — whichever one of these you have ready to dry — into the top pan. Heat is produced by the hot-water bath underneath, and evaporation of moisture in the fruit or vegetables begins to take place at once. Time-Table for the Evaporation of Fruits AND Vegetables Cherries Wash and stem ; pit or not as you choose. Time, about Apples (fall and winter varieties) 2| hours Pared, cored, and sliced thin across. 2| hours Peaches- Wash, stone, cut in halves, cut side up. 2| hours Apricots, 1 Pears, and > Prepare same as peaches, j 2 hours Plums J 142 Practical Food Economy Time-Table for the Evaporation of Fruits AND Vegetables — Continued Corn Peas and Beans Parsley, Peppers, and Celery Leaves (Most satisfactory of all vegetables to dry and furnishing a wonderful treat for any one who has never eaten evaporated corn.) Use freshly picked corn, scald, cut from the cob, and heap on the dryer. The entire top may be filled ; simply stir once in a while to dry evenly. (All surplus Lima beans, peas, string or wax beans may be conserved for winter use by this simple process.) String the beans or shell the peas, and fill the top of the dryer, stirring occasionally that evaporation may take place evenly. n hours 2 hours Storage. Store In clean paper bags or boxes ; keep in a dry place. No cans or sugar necessary. Method of Using. When ready to use any of the evaporated fruits or vegetables, soak two to three hours, or overnight, in water to cover, and they will soon be restored to their original size and ap- pearance. Then place them in a double boiler or over a slow fire to cook as desired, when any addi- tional sugar required may be added to the fruits and the regulation seasoning to the vegetables. When not possible or practical to have the evapo- rator, small amounts of drying may be done with ordinary home appliances, but the process will take Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 143 longer and be dependent upon sunshine ; also greater care will have to be exercised to keep such vegetables as corn from growing sour. So vege- tables and fruits are scalded first and then turned on to plates, or into white paper-lined pans, when there is liquid, or on to a clean cloth spread on a table. Pans and plates may be set in a very, very slow oven, and the product stirred occasionally; when the cloth and table are used, this may be placed on. the porch or in the yard, but covered with cheese- cloth to keep out dust and flies. Even so, it is not the cleanest method of conserving fruits and vege- tables, besides entailing the extra work of bringing it into the house every night or on damp rainy days. Sugar may be sprinkled over fruit in drying, and gives a richer taste. (Send for "Drying Fruits and Vegetables in the Home", Farmer's Bulletin Number 841, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.) Dried Fruits and Their Uses "I have just used my last jar of fruit" is not an unusual thing to hear in the home in the spring. This need not be quite so much of a tragedy as it sounds, as there are fresh fruits and berries in the market and more coming all the time ; but it takes money to buy fresh fruits, and sometimes much money. The market prices fluctuate on a special holiday 144 Practical Food Economy with great demands, or with scarcity of fresh fruits, adding a few cents to the cost of even the common fruits, while a day or two later they may drop much lower. But the evaporated or dried fruits are a staple article in season, and they require little if any sugar, which is a saving (particularly now when sugar is so high), and very little fuel to bring them back to their highest perfection. All fruit is mainly water, which has the ad- vantage of always being pure. The solids are very useful in keeping the body in a healthy condition. Dried fruits have parted with all their moisture and natural juices in the drying process, and they must have these restored before they are cooked. The most effectual way to do this Is, first pick the fruit over carefully and wash well In luke- warm water, to remove any foreign substances. (Not necessary when home evaporated.) Then let them soak in enough water to entirely cover over night. The time for soaking depends upon the dryness of the fruit, but sufficient water should be absorbed to fill out the fruit to Its natural outlines. Set over slow fire In a covered saucepan. In the water In which It has been soaked, and bring to the boiling point. Now put on the back part of the stove. Turn the gas burner as low as possible, placing an asbestos mat under, and cook very slowly. The usual size double boiler is too small to allow the fruit to swell to its full size, unless half a pound Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 145 or less is being cooked. Some fruits, such as apri- cots, need little or no cooking, only the soaking and a light sirup made and poured over them. A fireless cooker is perfect for cooking all these evaporated fruits, or a double boiler of generous size. The main thing is to cook them slowly in order to soften the fruit and develop the sugars and flavors in them, as well as a dark, rich, sweet sirup. This is particularly true of prunes. There is scarcely any limit to the good things which can be made from these fruits when properly cooked, and they may also be eaten much more freely by children or elderly people, or those having rheumatism or other acid diseases, than the fresh fruits. I was, however, very much surprised when in- vited to dinner at a small club in New^ York to have prune ice cream served. My friends said they had ordered it specially for me to try, as it was a great favorite with all who dined there. It was delicious. PRUNE ICE Cream Prepare cream same as for vanilla ice cream. Drain and seed carefully prunes cooked as directed. Rub through the puree sieve or a colander, or they may be even chopped very fine. For every quart of sweet cream and one cup of sugar, use one pint of the prunes unsweetened and one tablespoonful of lemon juice. Freeze and pack. Let ripen for one hour. 146 Practical Food Economy DATE MUSH One pint corn meal, one teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful flour, one pint cold milk, one half pound dates chopped. Cook in double boiler one hour, the evening before, while getting dinner or doing up the dinner dishes. If too thick, add a little hot water. In the morning reheat in double boiler. APRICOT SHORTCAKE 3 cups pastry flour 4 teaspoonfuls baking powder I cup butter or vegetable fat 2 teaspoonfuls sugar I teaspoonful salt Milk Utensils. Flour sifter, pastry board, measuring cup, measuring spoon, knife or spatula, pan. Directions, Set the flour sifter into bowl and add the sifted flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder. Sift, measure, add the fat, and cut well into the flour. Now add milk, a little at a time, using a knife — cut It in rather than stir. Have the dough just stiff enough to take out on the board and pat to fit a large size pie pan. Brush the top over with cream, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and bake in a hot oven for twenty-five minutes. Split open while hot, spread with soft butter, and put between and on top a layer of apricots, or other fruit, cooked as directed. Serve with cream. With the exception of Oregon prunes, fruits will never need sweetening, if cooked slowly, as they are very rich in their own sugar. But apricots are Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 147 quite tart and will need sugar ; peaches will need very little. Any fruits such as berries, prunes, apri- cots, and peaches are very good for shortcakes, pies, tarts, ice cream, or souffles. STUFFED PRUNES All of the dried fruits are very fine steamed. In fact, there is no better way to cook them if one has the steamer. Select choice, large California prunes and prepare as directed, or soak and steam, but not too soft ; remove the stones and stuff with nuts and dates, or raisins chopped fine. Roll in granulated sugar. They are better by keeping several days, and are a dainty and nutritious after-dinner sweet. Science of Jelly Making **We learn wisdom from failure much more than from suc- cess, often discover what will do by finding out what will not do, and probably he who never made a mistake never made a discovery.*' — Samuel Smiles. In all my experience in lecturing on the preser- vation of fruits, and answering questions from housekeepers on this art, there is no branch in which they have all felt so insecure as jelly making. The rule that worked perfectly well last year failed this year. The housekeeper can give no reason for it, but only knows that last year her jelly was perfect and she had no difiiculty whatever in having it "jelL" This year it will not harden, and some of 148 Practical Food Economy it candies besides, although the same recipe was followed. "Why doesn't the jelly harden?" and ''What causes jelly to candy or crystallize?" are constant questions. All fruit for jelly should be perfect and under rather than overripe, as in this condition it con- tains a starchy substance, called pectin, which is* necessary for jelly; and this quality is lessened as the fruit ripens. If the fruit is overripe and fer- ments, or the jelly is cooked too long, the pectin loses its jelly-making power. It is therefore of the greatest importance to know how to select fruit which is just reaching the ripening stage and is full of juice which has not, through overripening, lost any of its jelly properties. An acid fruit is the most suitable for jelly making, though in some of the acid fruits — strawberries, for instance — the quantity of jelly-making pectin Is so small that it Is difficult to make them "jell." If, however, a little currant juice is added, a fine jelly, pleasant to the taste, is the result, although the flavor of the strawberry will be modified. If a scant teaspoonful of tartaric acid is used for every cup of sugar, results will be equally as good, and the flavor of the strawberry preserved. Unless points just like these are perfectly clear, jelly making will always be a hazy, indefinite uncertainty, with a feeling of, "I had good luck last year and bad luck this year." If the season has been a very wet one, the fruits Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 149 will contain a larger amount of acid and moisture and will require more sugar. If, on the contrary, there has been much sunshine, the fruit will contain or develop more sugar, which is the reason why jelhes candy sometimes ; consequently, less sugar will be required, and in that event some of the more acid juices or tartaric acid should be used. After all is written, the art of jelly making consists in *' knowing how" and in "thinking." Some of the most desirable fruits for jelly making are apples, currants, crab apples, quinces, grapes, blackberries, and raspberries. Berries should be placed, a few at a time, in the colander, and washed quickly so as not to absorb moisture. Then put them into an aluminum pre- serving kettle with a large bottom, and heat until the juices are well started. Pour all into a double, three-cornered cheesecloth bag and hang up to drip. A ten-cent harness hook screwed up over the kitchen sink, where the bag has room to hang and drip into a bowl, has been the most successful arrange- ment I have ever found for this purpose, although a very good device, with cheesecloth bag, may be pur- chased and attached to a bowl. Do not squeeze the jelly bag if you wish the jelly bright and sparkling, or you . may do so and boil the juices separately, making a jelly not quite so bright and clear. Where no water Is added to fruits, bring the juice to the boiling point for five minutes, never boiling hard, either with or without sugar. Have an equal 150 Practical Food Economy amount of sugar heating in a moderate oven, being very careful not to melt or brown. Stir this into the boiling juice until the sugar is dissolved, bring to the boiUng point, and test a Httle in a cold dish, when it should be done. If not quite ready, how- ever, continue easy but steady boiling, and test every minute, skimming carefully. If water has been added when cooking the fruit, the strained juice must be boiled steadily from ten to twenty minutes for evaporation of moisture, then add heated sugar and proceed as above outlined. When fruit has matured under a great amount of sunshine, I have frequently squeezed the fruit and dripped the juice until clear. Heat the sugar as directed and stir into this juice until all is dissolved. It should jelly at once, and is then ready to be poured into glasses. When ready, pour into hot sterilized glasses, and place in a sunny window in a room where there is no dust, or cover with pieces of glass or cheesecloth until well set. When cold, cover with melted paraffin poured over the top to the depth of a quarter of an inch. Paste label on the side of glass and store in a very cool, dark place. This recipe for jellies will cover currant, currant- raspberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry, cur- rant, or other acid fruits, underripe or green grapes, and gooseberries. Large fruits, such as plums, apples, quinces, crab apples, etc., require water while cooking. To eight quarts of crab apples or apples (washed and quartered) use about four quarts of Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 151 water. There should be about three quarts of juice, and finish as for any other jelly. A method very much approved by many house- keepers is to squeeze the juice through a fruit press, drip in cheesecloth bag, heat to boihng point, and can. Then, whenever it is convenient and the weather cooler, the juices may be reheated, sugar added, and the jelly made under more comfortable conditions than in the summer time. The fruit flavor is more pronounced when jelly is freshly made than after standing for several months, hov/ever, and in the case of grape jelly is much less apt to "candy" or "sugar." When sugar is expensive or scarce In the summer, but fruit plentiful, it is always a good plan to can the fruit juices and make into jelly in the winter, when the price of sugar is lowered. The juice of currants may be canned and, when raspberries are in season, the desired quantity of raspberry juice added to the canned currant juice for jelly, using one pint of raspberry juice to three pints of currant juice, or any other desired proportion, and proceed as directed for jelly making. The main thing to remember Is that wet or dry seasons change the quality of fruit, as previously stated, and that is frequently the reason for so-called "good" or "bad luck" In jelly making. In a dry season, with plenty of sunshine, more sugar and less moisture are developed — then lessen sugar and boil- ing. In wet weather the reverse is true — less sugar and more moisture are in the fruit. 152 Practical Food Economy To be a good jelly maker, knowledge of fruits and their acids, as well as of climatic conditions, is neces- sary, with accuracy and close attention during the process of boiling. Store Preserves for the Winter There is nothing more natural or instinctive than the act of storing away and preparing for the cold weather. One has only to watch the squirrels and rabbits and other animals to see how they store for the days when food is not to be had for their picking. I know what the average apartment dweller will say : "I have no place for storing fruits for the winter. If I put them down in my locker, it is too warm ; if I have them in my kitchen, it is too warm. Why, I can hardly keep a peck of potatoes." Every word of this is true, and every apartment- house builder should plan for one cool closet where preserved fruit and vegetables may be kept without danger of spoiling. If every housekeeper had such a closet, more supplies could be laid in while they were cheap and plentiful in the markets. If we are obliged to purchase from day to day, regardless of the gradual rise in the market prices during the winter and spring, we know we shall have to pay more and conserve more economically. I believe if every woman would readjust her kitchen and pantry or linen cupboards, she would be able to find at least one spare shelf near the floor which Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 153 would be cool, ventilated, and provide sufficient room for storing preserved foods for months in advance. That is one way every woman in the home can do her "bit" to keep prices of foods at a reasonable price. The only economy for her is to go back to the old custom of storing away for the winter, utilizing every particle of fruit or vegetables in pres- ervation. The cost is small compared with having to buy every time they are needed. Much of the difficulty of the high prices of foods could be over- come if we could get back to the good old custom of storing away for the winter by canning, preserving, jelly making, pickling, and drying fruits and vege- tables. Tomatoes are usually plentiful and cheap, and yet I wonder how many housekeepers store by enough for the winter in cans for stewing, soups, and sauces, catsup, chili sauce, and pickles. They cost little to make and dwindle the allowance very fast when they have to be bought every time they are wanted. AMBER MARMALADE I grapefruit i orange I lemon Water Sugar Utensils, Paring knife, measuring cup, mixing bowl, wooden spoon, jelly glasses, saucepan, or pre- serving kettle. Directions. Cut the fruit very, very thin, reject- ing nothing but seeds and cores. Measure the fruit. 154 * Practical Food Economy and add to it three times the quantity of water. Let stand in an earthen dish over night. In the morning, boil ten minutes. Let stand another night. The second morning, add equal quantity of sugar, and boil steadily until it jellies. This will usually make twelve jelly glasses of marmalade, according to size of fruit. Stir as little as possible so as to keep fruit in shape. Pickling Time " Sugar and spice and all things nice." Never did I realize how susceptible we all are to the delicious odors which arise while cooking "spicy" things, as when passing one of the greatest pickling and preserving establishments in the world in Lon- don one summer. No matter if we had just finished a meal, it made us hungry just to smell these " spicy" goodies. It was a question in our minds whether or not we would "pass", as it seemed by far more satisfying to loiter around where we could feast on these delicious odors. The same is true in the home; the only trouble is that many women have been afraid some of the odors from cooking would not be confined in the kitchen, but meet the family or friends at the front door. Let it travel sometimes, for it is a very good way to draw the family home, and they all like it. One day last fall, while we were making pickles. Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 155 a little cash boy opened the cooking-school door and stood looking in for a minute. Finally he said, "Gee! this smells like home !" Just the atmosphere we like to have around our kitchen and lecture auditorium. Pickles are made from various fruits and vege- tables, such as peaches, pears, sweet apples, citron, watermelon rind, cucumbers (ripe and green), cauli- flower, beans, peppers, and carrots. These may be sweet or sour as desired, and various mixtures and spices added which are best adapted for flavoring the particular fruit or vegetable being pickled. If sweet, the sirup should be cooked until rich; in fact, pickling is really preserving, with the addition of spices and vinegar. For sour pickles, use only the best pure cider or white vinegar; never boil it, but scald only and pour over the pickles hot or cold. If the vinegar is too strong, it will make the pickles soft, or they will wrinkle and shrink. If there is any doubt, add one third water. Use a wooden spoon for any stirring. A small piece of horse-radish placed in each jar prevents mold. Buy only the best and purest of spices if a finely flavored pickle is desired. If this is not done, the pickles do not retain the flavor of spice long. Have on hand, ready for use, white wine or pickling vinegar; whole and ground spices, such as cinna- mon, cloves, allspice ; whole mustard seed, cloves ; 156 Practical Food Economy celery seed ; mace ; bay leaves ; raisins ; lemons ; ginger root ; garlic ; tiny white onions ; brown and white sugar. To these materials should be added the necessary utensils and jars. And one final word of warning: Do not wait until they are all over the fire and then discover shortages of the necessary spices and vine- gar. Be ready when pickling time comes. ICE WATER PICKLES 3 dozen cucumbers 2 quarts vinegar I bunch celery i cup brown sugar 3 onions ^ cup salt Utensils. Large bowl, vegetable knife, saucepan, measuring cup, jars, tablespoon, vegetable brush. Directions. Wash the cucumbers and celery with the vegetable brush and soak in ice water for two hours. Have the jars clean and ready for use. Slice a few pieces of onion into each jar. Quarter the cucumbers, cutting and arranging them length- wise in the jars. Add a few stalks of celery and a tablespoonful of mustard seed. If the vinegar is very strong, dilute it with one third water and to the given amount (diluted) add the salt and sugar, set over the fire in the saucepan, and bring just to the boiling point. When cool, pour over the cucum- bers in the jars and seal. A little piece of horse- radish will insure against any molding. Select cucumbers about the size used for dill pickles, that is, a little below a medium size. If these pickles Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 157 are to be used in a short time, turn hot vinegar over them. If very sweet pickles for fruits and ripe melons are desired, more sugar and spices may be used, and the sirup reheated each day for four or five days and poured over hot. DILL PICKLES Make a brine which is strong enough to bear an egg, then add half as much more water as you have brine. Wash the cucumbers in cold water. In a stone jar place a layer of cucumbers, a layer of grape leaves, and a layer of dill, using leaves and stems. Fill the jar up in this way. Pour the brine over all and cover first with a cloth and then with a plate, putting a weight on top of the plate. The cloth must be taken off and rinsed out clean fre- quently, as in making sauerkraut. SALTED CUCUMBERS Select a uniform size of cucumbers for salting, preferably small or medium size. In the bottom of a large jar, put a layer of coarse salt about one quarter inch deep, then a layer of clean cucumbers as free from blemish as possible. Repeat layers of salt and cucumbers, and so continue until all are used. Place a board or plate with stone or weight on top to keep the pickles in the brine. Pour over one quart of water. If cucumbers are picked from your own vines, do this morning or evening, lifting the cover and proceeding as directed in the beginning ; 158 Practical Food Economy when full, place horse-radish or cabbage leaves and cloth before replacing the cover. The leaves keep them from molding, and the cloth absorbs the scum. These will keep a year or more and when ready to use, remove stone and cloth. Rinse well. Take out the required amount of pickles and return cloth cover and weight. Soak cucumbers for three days in cold water, changing the water each day. Heat as much vinegar as necessary to cover, with bay leaves and cloves, add cucumbers, and cook until they come to a boil. Drain, put into a crock, cover with fresh cold vinegar and chopped horse- radish. Ready to use in a few days. String beans, corn, and green tomatoes, whole or sliced, may be prepared in precisely the same manner. PICKLED ONIONS Select the small white button onion and peel. Scald them in salt and water until tender. Put them when drained into wide-mouthed jars and pour over them hot spiced vinegar as directed in the cabbage recipe. When cold, seal. Keep in a dry, coolj dark place. SPICED GRAPES 7 pounds grapes i teaspoonful cinnamon 4I pounds sugar i teaspoonful cloves I pint vinegar I teaspoonful allspice Directions. Take the pulp from the grapes, re- serving the skins. Boil the pulp and rub through Conservation of Fruits and Vegetables 159 a colander to get out the seeds. Then add the skins to the strained pulp and boil with the sugar and vinegar and spices for about thirty minutes, or until it begins to thicken and jelly. This is fine with meats. PICKLED PURPLE CABBAGE Cut the cabbage into quarters and then again, and steam or cook in boiling salted water until tender. Have ready a sweet spiced vinegar, one cup of brown sugar to each quart of vinegar, and any spices to suit the taste. If ground tie in cheese- cloth bag, and pour while hot over the cabbage. Seal in jars or cover tightly, and it is good to use in a day or two. A few sliced beets add to the color, and then when some pickled eggs are desired, hard boil them and let stand several hours in the cabbage vinegar. The color will be beautiful, and the eggs will have a very tart taste and may be used for salads. GREEN TOMATO PICKLES I peck green tomatoes i tablespoonful allspice 6 large onions i tablespoonful cinnamon 6 red peppers i teaspoonful cloves I cup sugar i tablespoonful mustard 3 pints vinegar Directions. Wash and slice the tomatoes into a large bowl or crock. Sprinkle salt between each layer. Let stand overnight. In the morning, drain off all the liquor from them. Put a layer of tomatoes into the large preserving kettle, then a 160 Practical Food Economy layer of the sliced onions and the red peppers chopped up coarsely. Add sugar and spice and turn over the vinegar and boil until tender. If this is not quite enough vinegar to cover, add more, and if very strong, dilute with one third water. CHAPTER VI USE OF FRUITS IN SEASON Oranges and Lemons for Spring There is not a woman in the world who does not desire a beautiful complexion. One often will spend from fifteen minutes to half an hour a day on her face with massage, cold cream, and tonics, while she fails almost universally to take into account the inside of her body which is responsible for her good or bad color. A good clear skin means that the machinery of the body is clean and in fine working condition. The use of oranges and lemons will accomplish this purpose, for oranges and lemons more than any other citrus fruits are utilized by the liver, kidneys, bowels, and skin in an effort to keep the system clear. The juice of half a lemon in a glass of water (some physicians recommend hot water) every morning for two or three weeks will give better re- sults in stirring up a sluggish liver than half a dozen lemons at irregular intervals. These juices are germicides and help to destroy many of the minute organisms that cause various i6i 162 Practical Food Economy diseases ; while the bulk of the pulp absorbs and carries the poison away with it. Eminent physicians are already advocating the fruit cure for the strong drink habit, as it over- comes in a natural way the abnormal craving for intoxicants, while preserves, jams, sweet pickles, and highly spiced food cause fermentation in the body and create a restless craving which demands stimu- lants. At all functions where cocktails are usually served, try for the spring months, at least, serving a glass of fresh orange juice instead. Some people who have recently returned from a trip to California tell me that at the hotels where they were stopping, orange juice was served at meals in pitchers and carafes, and as a refreshing pleasant drink any time during the day ; and never anywhere had they seen women with such beautiful com- plexions. Doctor Harvey W. Wiley says: "I do not think anything I have ever said about a diet is too strong to say about oranges and lemons. Even people in straitened circumstances should watch when they are cheap and plentiful, and use them freely, not only in the spring but all of the time." These fruits can be served in a greater variety of ways than any other known in the market, and the flavor is liked by men, women, and children. Get the habit to-day of using plenty of oranges and lemons, either as beverages or made into fruit salads, fruit jellies, molded with gelatin, lemon or Use of Fruits in Season 163 orange pie, fillings for cakes, cookies, flavorings, frostings, puddings, souflles, ices, ice cream, mar- malades, cocktails (fruit), candied peel, and sauces. The shells may be scooped out and used for fancy cases. As a garnish for oysters, fish, meats, omelets, these fruits have never met their equal. Plain Pastry and Berry Pie "Truly one might almost be led to think that the mind is in the stomach, and not in the brain, for we look at the whole world through rose-colored or blue glasses, according to the way we succeed in digesting what we eat." — Selected. It is said "the proof of the pudding is in the eat- ing of it", but with pies, whether they are the kind which require "the hatchet", or the tender flaky variety, the proof may be discovered long before they are eaten. The conditions under which pastry is made, the materials, — flour and fat, — the handling and bak- ing all enter very largely (almost more than in any other baking unless it is bread) into the success or failure of a pie. In the first place, the one who is making the pastry should set some standard as to taste and flaki- ness, and then work to accomplish this end. The materials should include always a pastry flour ; that is, a flour made from winter wheat, which makes a much more tender pastry than bread flour, which is largely spring wheat. This is abso- 164 Practical Food Economy lutely essential for a perfect pastry. The fat should never be all lard ; it is too heavy and hard for most digestive organs, and should be combined with good, sweet butter, half and half, when used. Or a good vegetable fat, of which there are now many varieties on the market, may be used. Be careful of compounds which are bought for lard. Pay a little more, if necessary, but buy a pure kettle-rendered leaf lard. There are good vege- table fats, such as oleomargarine, nut margarine, etc., which may be used and are easily digested. They are made from refined cottonseed oil or cocoa- nut oil, and are absolutely free from animal fats. These also may be combined with good, sweet butter, as it is from this fat that we get our flavor, which is so essential to plain or flaky pastry. Flour and fat should be cut together rather than rubbed with the hands. Everything should be cold. Make the pastry the day before, or several hours before using, if possible ; put it into a bowl, cover, and set in the refrigerator. It is through the expansion of this cold air (which has been incorporated in the pastry, both in the making and standing in the refrigerator) in a hot oven which gives the flaky quality to a perfect pie. A perforated pie pan almost invariably insures just as crispy a bottom as an upper crust; in fact, a pie which has a soggy bottom crust should never be eaten ; and if this has been the experience of the housekeeper, she should not stop experimenting until Use of Fruits in Season 165 this difficulty is overcome, or she should stop mak- ing pies, as they are most indigestible when served in this manner. When taken from the oven, always stand them on a wire rack or a cake cooler, which allows the air to circulate entirely around the pie; this means dry crust on the bottom. Such a pie with a good wholesome filling can be eaten occasionally without harm by the average healthy person. PLAIN PASTRY 3 cups pastry flour i teaspoonful salt I cup lard or vegetable fat i teaspoonful sugar f cup butter Ice water Utensils. Flour sifter, chopping or pastry knife, measuring cup, spatula, pastry board, rolling pin, measuring spoon, tablespoon, mixing bowl. Directions. Measure the flour, sugar, and salt into the flour sifter. Sift all into the bowl, measure the shortening — butter and lard or vegetable fat — and add to flour, cutting well together with the chop- ping knife. When well cut in, but not too fine, gradually add the water, being careful as fast as softened to push to one side, pouring the water each time in a dry place. Add only enough water to mix all together, and lift on to the molding board, which has been lightly sprinkled with flour. Pat with a rolling pin and then roll lightly from you. Turn and roll again, and so continue until you have the desired thickness and size for your present use. 166 Practical Food Economy This pastry is better and easier to handle after standing covered in the refrigerator several hours before using. RHUBARB PIE 2 cups rhubarb i tablespoonful lemon juice f cup sugar i egg (small) I tablespoonful (level) flour Butter Utensils. Measuring cup, tablespoon, pastry board, rolling pin, knife or spatula, pie pan. Directions. Wash and cut young, fresh rhubarb in small pieces without peeling. Measure the sugar and add the flour to this, mixing well. Beat the egg only until mixed, and add with the sugar mixed to the rhubarb and lemon juice. Stir all well together and turn on to the bottom crust in pie pan, dotting with bits of butter. Brush the top edges with cold sweetened water. Roll the upper crust to cover, with vents cut for escaping steam, and press down on the bottom crust. Trim off the edges, and then with a thin knife loosen the bottom crust all the way round from the edge of the pan. Then in the baking, when the expansion comes, both crusts expand together, and no juice runs out of the pie. Bake about thirty minutes. STRAWBERRY PIE In all berry pies the main thing is to have a crisp, flaky crust and the juice rich and plentiful in the pie. If the same care is given as directed in the "Rhubarb Pie", I am sure there will be no failures. Use of Fruits in Season 167 Very fine bread or cracker crumbs are frequently- substituted for the flour, or the crust may be baked on the inverted pie pan, filled with sweetened berries, and meringue baked on top if desired. LEMON PIE Juice and rind of i lemon 3 tablespoonfuls flour I cup sugar i tablespoonful melted butter I cup milk 2 eggs I teaspoonful salt Utensils. Lemon squeezer, measuring cup, meas- uring spoon, bowl, double boiler, egg beater, grater. Directions. Beat the yolks, and add to them sugar, flour, and salt, mixed well together. Beat again. Add lemon juice, grated rind, milk, and butter. Cook in a double boiler until of the desired thickness. Turn into a baked, flaky, rich pastry shell and cover with the well-beaten whites, mixed with two tablespoons of sugar. Brown in a slow oven. One half cup of fine white bread crumbs or cracker crumbs may be used instead of flour, but never use cornstarch, as it makes a close heavy custard. APPLE PIE 3 apples (medium size) J teaspoonful cinnamon or ^ cup sugar ^ as much nutmeg I teaspoonful butter 2 tablespoonfuls water Utensils. Measuring cup, measuring spoon, vege- table knife, tablespoon, pie pan. Directions. Roll the first half of pastry and place on pie pan. 168 Practical Food Economy Pare and slice the apples thin on this crust; cover with sugar, butter broken in bits, cinnamon, and water, if the apples are not juicy. Prepare the upper crust and proceed the same as for rhubarb or berry pie, as it is most important that apple pie does not run over and lose its moisture. Bake in a quick oven for fifteen minutes and a slow oven for the next thirty minutes. The secret of a good apple pie is to choose apples with a fine flavor that will cook easily and keep in the juice. Or, if preferred, prepare the crust and apples as above, then make a mixture of the sugar, one table- spoon of butter, three tablespoons of water, and one tablespoon of flour. Stir over fire until it thickens, and then pour over the apples. Cover with the upper crust and bake. Shortcakes Sometimes, within the past few years, it has been diflicult to recognize the good old-fashioned short- cake in the oversweet and too-much decorated ones served for dessert. But it is perhaps just as well to have variety even in shortcakes ; usually they are made with the rich, unsweetened biscuit dough which boasts of several variations in sweetness, rich- ness, and flavor; also with angel and sponge cake which has no shortening, but is very tender and a little more dainty and sweet than the other variety. Use of Fruits in Season 169 In any event, real shortcake should be genuinely delicious and, with our standards for wholesome liv- ing, made only of the best materials. In making shortcakes where there is a helper in the kitchen, it is baked while the family are eating their dinner. Then it comes to the table fresh and warm. Where there is no one to assist in the cook- ing, the shortcake should be put into the oven when the dinner is served. Then it will come out of the oven when the meal is about half finished. It will take only a few moments to butter it and add the fruit, so that it can be left in a warm place ready to serve at the proper time. The preparation of the filling is as important as the crust. It should be neither cold nor hot ; neither too wet nor too dry. Prepare the berries before mak- ing the shortcake by washing a few at a time in a colander before hulling. Drain. Reserve a few of the finest with the hulls on for garnishing; also a few others to be cut in pieces. Sweeten the re- mainder to taste. When the cake is done, put a teaspoonful of butter into a saucepan with the berries and sugar, and crush with a wire masher enough to start the juice nicely. Stir until only warmed all through. Add the cut berries and spread between the layers of the shortcake and on top. Garnish with the whole berries and green leaves. Serve with plain or whipped cream ; or with very little cream, beaten whites of eggs, and melted marshmallows. 170 Practical Food Economy A delicious dessert, which some call strawberry shortcake, is made from a regular sponge cake batter baked in two separate layers and put together with strawberries and whipped cream ; or it can be baked in a whole loaf, the top carefully cut off and some of the inside scooped out, then filled with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream. The top is again put over and boiled icing is made. The whole cake is iced and decorated with the whole strawberries. This should be served as soon as put together and is a most deUcious but rich dessert. SHORTCAKE NUMBER 1 3 cups pastry flour 3 teaspoonfuls sugar I cup butter ^ teaspoonful salt 4I teaspoonfuls baking powder Milk Utensils. Flour sifter, chopping knife or pastry cutter, measuring cup, measuring spoon, 2 pie pans, pastry board. Directions. Measure the dry ingredients and sift two or three times into the bowl. Cut the butter into the flour with a chopping knife. Add the milk gradually, about three fourths of a cup, until the dough is just moist enough to lay out with the hands on the board. This should be divided first into halves and then pressed to fit two pie pans. Bake in a quick oven twelve to fifteen minutes. SpHt and spread with butter which has been beaten and creamed as for cake. Put strawberries in be- tween and on top as directed. Never roll shortcake Use of Fruits in Season 171 dough, but pat it, one half an inch thick, into shape to fit the pans. If two layers are desired, bake in one pan, with bits of butter and light sprinkhng of flour on top of the first layer before the second one is put on, then they will separate easily. SHORTCAKE NUMBER 2 3 cups flour i teaspoonful salt J cup sugar i egg I cup butter Few grains nutmeg Milk Utensils. Flour sifter, measuring cup, egg beater, biscuit cutter, pastry board, biscuit pan. Directions. Mix and sift all the dry ingredients together two or three times and add the egg well beaten with about half a cup of milk. Proceed exactly as for Shortcake Number i, but cut like biscuits. Lay them in the pan just touching each other, brush over with cream, sprinkle a very little granulated sugar over the top, and bake in a very quick oven. When done, split, add the prepared fruit in between and on top. Garnish around the edge and in the center on top with whipped cream and whole berries. Peaches and Plums Toward the end of July most of the berries have been at their best, but Nature provides well for that and brings us peaches, plums, pears, and CaKfornia grapes. 172 Practical Pood Economy When fruit can be eaten in its ripe natural condi- tion, there is no better way of enjoying it, but every one cannot eat it without some of the acids being neutralized through cooking, so a few combinations with other food materials will furnish some fresh fruit dishes good to look upon and delicious in taste. For years we have known that apples were excel- lent baked, and as apple sauce, but only within two or three years have we tried peaches in the same manner and have been more than dehghted with results. BAKED PEACHES Rub a half dozen peaches well with a dry cloth and put them into a casserole. Make a sirup of one cup of sugar and a cup of water, boiling five minutes, and pour over the peaches ; add two thin slices of lemon, and a little grated nutmeg, or a clove or two stuck in each ; cover and bake until tender, about thirty to forty-five minutes. These are deli- cious for breakfast or lunch. Apples, pears, or bananas may be prepared in the same way. PEACH SAUCE Rub a dozen peaches with a cloth until smooth and clean and cut into pieces, putting stones and all into the double boiler. Let steam until tender and well heated through. Then rub through a colander, adding sugar to sweeten, and a little bit of butter and ground cloves or cinnamon. Serve with cottage pudding or wherever a fruit sauce is desired. Use of Fruits in Season 173 PEACH ICE CREAM 12 ripe peaches i teaspoonful vanilla 1 pint cream i| cups granulated sugar 2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice Utensils. Wire basket, vegetable knife, colander, double boiler, ice-cream freezer, tablespoon. Directions. Put half the sugar and cream over the fire in the double boiler until the sugar is dis- solved and the cream hot. Stand aside to cool. Put the peaches into a colander or wire basket, and dip for a moment into boiling water to loosen the skins. Remove the stones and press the peaches through the colander. Mix the remainder of the sugar with this pulp and add the lemon juice. When the cream is cold, add vanilla, turn into the freezer, and freeze. Remove the cover, add peaches, cover, and freeze again. Remove the dasher, pack, re- place the cover, being sure to put a cork in the top, and repack with ice and salt, cover with news- papers and blanket or carpet for one or two hours to ripen. PLUM CONSERVE 5 pounds ripe plums 3 pounds oranges 2 pounds seeded raisins 5 pounds sugar Utensils. Preserving kettle, scales, sharp knife, food chopper, jars or glasses. Directions. Wipe the plums, remove the stones, and cut in pieces ; chop the raisins, and wipe and cut the oranges in very thin slices. Turn all into 174 Practical Food Economy the kettle with the sugar, and cook by simmering until it jellies or is the desired consistency. Cover as jelly. PLUM SALAD Wipe a dozen large, ripe plums, peel, and cut in halves. Arrange on crisp lettuce leaves, cavity side up, and fill with balls of cream cheese and pistachio nuts ; pour over French dressing made from lemon juice instead of vinegar. PLUM JELLY Blue or wild plums Gx anulated sugar Utensils. Preserving kettles (large and small), jelly bag, jelly glasses, paraffin, pan, wooden spoon. Directions. Wash the plums — the wild plums are best for jelly if you can get them. Put these into a large preserving kettle with only enough water to cover the bottom of the kettle. Cover and heat until the plums are soft and the juices are well started. Turn into the jelly bag and let drip until morning. Do not squeeze or the jelly will be cloudy. For every quart of this juice use the same amount of sugar. Put the juice into the small pre- serving kettle and boil twenty minutes, skimming well. Have the sugar heating in the oven, being careful not to melt it, and at the end of twenty minutes' boiling, add the sugar ; stir only until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boiling point and it is ready, in most instances, for the jelly glasses. Use of Fruits in Season 175 But if it is not, boil until it is jelly. Jelly must boil continuously when once started. Stand in the sun and when cold, cover with melted paraffin. Rub the plum pulp through a colander, extracting all the pulp possible. Add one third as much sugar and for. each quart cook thirty minutes, and when nearly done add spices to taste. Turn into glasses or crocks and cover the same as jelly. Spread on bread in place of butter for sweet sandwiches. How TO Judge Watermelon and Cantaloupe "Fish still abitin', — some; but most Too hot for anything but layin' Jest do-less like, and watching clos't The tree tops and the squirrels playin' Their tail tips switched 'bove knot and limb, But keeping most in sequestration, Leavin* a big part to the imagination." — James Whitcomb Riley. Mr. Riley's little "do-less" verse has made us feel that all we need at the end of the day is a very large, red, juicy piece of watermelon which fits per- fectly with the time, place, and season. There is no other fruit perhaps, which causes so much envy or unrest in the breast of a small boy (or full grown one for that matter) as this melon. Its coming is watched and longed for, and when at last it is ripe, it is eagerly enjoyed, no matter what the conditions or surroundings be. In fact, if one has ever watched the small boy emerge from a melon 176 Practical Food Economy patch with the choicest one he could find, break it open, and then nestle down in some fence corner to enjoy it, he would know that for this one fruit there is more than just an ordinary liking. It is a uni- versal favorite, and thousands and thousands of carloads are shipped to the cities each year from June to October by the countless growers of the various watermelon States. Watermelons ripen in different States at different intervals, so that through- out the entire summer and late fall, we are supplied with this luscious fruit. A trade journal recently gave the names of all the varieties and their special characteristics. But the variation comes through size and color very largely. In Iowa we used to grow a most delicious, sweet white melon, but its center is a deep blood red, and the meat the sweetest of any of the melons. It is called the "Sweetheart", and is a well-deserved favorite. Nothing, however, is more vexatious to the house- keeper than to order a melon and go to the trouble and expense of chilling it only to discover, when it has been cut open, that all time, money, and energy were wasted on an unripe or poor quality melon. It's true the grocer does not grow the melon, but he and all his clerks should be taught how to judge a good, ripe melon — whether watermelon or cantaloupe — from one which is green or of an inferior quality. But better still, learn to judge it yourself. This is a pretty good guide : Snap the melon in the center with the thumb and middle finger. If it is green Use of Fruits in Season 177 there will be a hard, very clear sound, and very distinct. If the melon is ripe, the sound will be dull and thudlike. Plugging a melon, that is cutting a little cube out of it, was the old way of testing a melon and a perfectly sure one, but this cannot be done in our fruit stores. . Testing a cantaloupe is no easy matter, and I ven- ture to assert fully half of the melons purchased are unfit to eat when cut at home. Pressing on the end means nothing, when they have been pressed dozens of times during the day. Smell them. There should be an odor if they are ripe. Then take them in both hands and press gently ; if there is no spring what- ever, and they feel firm and hard, they are surely green. How TO Serve Watermelon Melons should be well chilled, and should be eaten slowly. Too much chilling of the stomach hinders digestion and causes many people to say, "I cannot eat watermelon." Eat it for lunch or between meals. It is often cut into balls with a French cutter, put into a freezer with a very little sugar and sherry, packed in ice and salt, and served as a cocktail. Cut in half and served with a tablespoon at the table makes a very comfortable and pretty way of serving it. If sliced, cut it thick rather than thin, as less of the sweet juice is lost while eating. Halves of cantaloupe may be partially filled with ice cream and watermelon balls arranged over the top. 178 Practical Food Economy WATERMELON SHERBET 2 quarts watermelon pulp and juice 2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice I cup sugar 2 tablespoonfuls sherry I cup chopped pecans 2 whites of eggs Utensils. Ice-cream freezer, measuring cup, table- spoon, tgg beater, food chopper. Directions. Chop fine the red pulp from a ripe melon, saving all the juice. Cook the sugar and half a cup of the juice together five minutes. When cold, add, with the chopped pecans and lemon juice. Turn into the freezer and freeze, turning the freezer slowly at first. When nearly done, add the well- beaten whites of the eggs and finish the freezing. Let ripen for one hour and serve in tall glasses which have been chilled. WATERMELON PICKLES 7 pounds watermelon rind (peeled) 2 tablespoonfuls cinnamon 4 pounds light brown sugar 2 teaspoonfuls ground allspice I pint cider vinegar I teaspoonful clove I ounce green ginger root i teaspoonful mace Utensils. Porcelain-lined kettle, teaspoon, scales, measuring cup, jars, paring knife. Directions. Divide the spices in three parts and tie up in muslin bags. Put the sugar and vinegar into the kettle; add the spice bags and ginger root broken into small pieces. Bring to a boil and put in the watermelon rind cut in about two-inch-long pieces, having soaked these in ice water several hours. Bring to a boil once more, remove from fire, Use of Fruits in Season 179 cover, and let stand in a cool place twenty-four hours. Then take out the melon rind and let the sirup again come to a boil. Add the rind again and set away for another twenty-four hours. Do this daily for one week. The last time, bring all to a boil, simmer very gently ten minutes, and put away in jars. Do not think any part of this too much trouble, as results are good, and you will feel well repaid for the effort, which really takes only a few minutes each day. GRAPES There is no doubt about grapes being one of the great favorites in fall fruits. There is the long season in which we have fresh grapes, and we eat them all winter in delicious jellies, sirups, preserves, and conserves, besides the very necessary and de- licious grape juice which as a beverage for young, old, sick, or well is delicious and wholesome. If the true flavor of grapes is desired, get up some morning at 4 a.m. when grapes are ripening, and visit a vineyard. The fragrance in the fresh morning air from ripening grapes cannot be excelled by any fruit. They have the advantage also of being very nu- tritious, if we may use that term with fruit. (See x\twater's Chart, page 10.) Surely such fruit is worth eating plentifully while fresh ; and be sure and put up plenty of grape juice for winter and summer 180 Practical Food Economy use. If one is fortunate enough to have his own vines, the cost is only a trifle. It may be put up with or without sugar, although the reader has only to look at the above-mentioned formula to see that grapes are largely supplied with natural sugars, so sweetening is really unnecessary. GRAPE JUICE I Pick over ripe, sound Concord grapes and remove them from the stems ; mash, strain them first through a fine sieve or fruit press and then through a jelly bag of two thicknesses of cheesecloth. Put the juice into an aluminum kettle and boil rapidly ten minutes. Have bottles clean and sterilized, bottle juice while hot, cork and, if necessary, seal, although most of the bottles purchased for sirups, catsups, etc., have patent stoppers. GRAPE JUICE II I cup grapes f cup sugar Boiling water Wash, stem and measure the grapes into a clean sterilized quart jar, add sugar and fill with boiHng water. Put on rubber and seal at once. Tastes like the juice from fresh grapes. GRAPE SIRUP Select fully ripened Concord grapes, mash thor- oughly, and let stand in a warm place or the sun, Use of Fruits in Season 181 covered with glass, for a day or two. Then pour into a bag and let drain without squeezing. To each pint of this juice add two pounds or four measur- ing cups of granulated sugar. Put over the fire in a double boiler and stir until the sugar is dissolved and hot. Set directly over the fire at the last moment so it just reaches the boiling point. Remove at once from the fire, bottle and seal as in the Grape Juice recipe. GRAPE CONSERVE 3 pints Concord grapes i cup English walnuts 3 pints granulated sugar I pound seeded raisins I pint water 2 oranges Utensils. Saucepan, measuring cup, sharp knife, colander, food chopper or chopping bowl, knife, jelly glasses or jars. Directions. Press the pulp from the skin of the grapes and put them into the saucepan ; heat a few minutes until soft, then press through the colander. Put back into the saucepan with the skins, sugar, water, raisins, and oranges sliced very thin. Cook about thirty minutes. Add the chopped nuts just before taking from the fire. Pour into small jars or jelly glasses and cover. A delicious spiced conserve is made by using the same amount of sugar, any desired spices, and i cup of water, f cup vinegar, 2 teaspoonfuls cinna- mon, I teaspoonful cloves, and | teaspoonful all- spice. Be careful not to cook too long. 182 Practical Food Economy GRAPE JELLY Half-ripe grapes Sugar Utensils. Saucepan, jelly bag, measuring cup, jelly glasses, large kettle. Directions. Wash the grapes and pick them from the stems into a large kettle ; half cover with cold water, cover the kettle, and set over the fire. Bring slowly to the boiling point so as to extract all the juice possible. When the grapes crack open and the juice seems well started, remove from the fire and turn pulp and juice into a jelly bag which is made of two thicknesses of cheesecloth. Suspend this from a hook (a ten-cent harness hook screwed over the kitchen sink is good) and let drip into a bowl. If more juice is desired, squeeze the bag into a separate bowl. This makes a jelly not quite so bright and sparkling. Boil a quart of this juice at a time in the saucepan for twenty minutes. Have three fourths as much sugar as juice warming in the oven ; add when the juice is boiled, and it should jelly at once. If not, boil until it does (without stopping). Test by taking out a little in a dish and set on ice to see if it jellies. Half teaspoonful of cloves and one tablespoonful of cinnamon to each quart of juice makes a nice spiced jelly for meats. For this use the juice which has been squeezed from the bag. Remember that when a season has been unusually dry, with an abundance of sunshine, there is more Use of Fruits in Season 183 sugar and less water in the fruit. An equal amount of sugar then is not necessary. An apple or two cut up with the grapes when cooking will change the flavor a trifle, but will lessen the danger of crystals forming in the jelly. Apples the King of Fruits The apple is without question the king of fruits, having everything in its favor for popularity. It is the exceptional person who cannot eat apples raw or cooked, and they are delicious either way ; in fact, whether fresh, evaporated, or canned, the apple is a wholesome food, easily prepared, attractive and palatable at all times. One of the fine things about the apple is its rare keeping qualities, so that people in the most remote corners of the earth are able to take advantage of its great food value. Most fruits are classified as "Flavor Fruits" and "Nutritive Fruits", but the apple comes under both of these heads. (See At- water's Table of Food Values, page lo.) From a dietetic standpoint the most important function of the apple is that of furnishing mineral salts and organic acids, but it has a nutritive value as well, furnished by the carbohydrates present; and as the fruit ripens, the starch changes to sugar. The apple has a medicinal value if eaten at the beginning or between meals. It will often satisfy a craving for strong drink when nothing else will, 184 Practical Food Economy and when one has been obliged to live on heavier foods and more of them than usual, a breakfast should be made entirely of apples. In the fall and early winter they are at their best, but during the latter part of the summer we begin to have the early harvest apples which add much to our bill of fare. In the summer and fall they need nothing to add to their flavor, but in late winter and spring, spices and other seasoning are necessary. There is positively no waste to a good apple. Even the paring and core may be utilized for jelly. The Red Astrachan makes the prettiest color. It has a goodly amount of pectose, which accounts for ease with which it jellies, and is used in combination with other fruits for jelly. Always cook apples in earthen or granite utensils and use silver or wooden spoons for stirring, as the acidity of the apple acts quickly on metal and the taste of the apple is changed. There are such a variety of apples for good sauce and baking that it is an easy matter to settle upon one's favorite flavor. The ones most common are Baldwin, Greening, Red Astrachan, Jonathan, King, Maiden Blush, Rome Beauty, and Spitzenberg from the far West; any one of these will give a great variety in the daily menus. APPLE SAUCE Wash clean perfect apples, quarter, and slice. Put into a granite pan with only enough water to Use of Fruits in Season 185 cook. When done, rub through a colander, sweeten with white or light-brown sugar, a small piece of butter, and a very little grating of nutmeg. Serve cold. It is very wasteful to peel apples unless after- ward some use is to be made of the peelings. ROSY-CHEEKED APPLES 10 apples i cup chopped almonds I cup sugar Currant jelly I cup water Heavy cream Utensils. Apple corer, measuring cup, saucepan. Directions. Wash, core, and cook red apples in the sugar and water until a fork will pierce them in the hollow center. Set the cooked apples on a serving dish and cut the skin down in quarters, peeling it off and scraping off every bit of red and putting it back on to the cheek of the apple. Blanch and chop fine the almonds. Cook f of a cup of sugar to a caramel in a dry pan ; when the sugar begins to turn a light brown, add the nuts, and cook until all are a caramel. Put a spoonful of these on top of each apple around the opening and the jelly in the center. Beat the cream until firm, flavor, and serve around the apples. APPLE FRUIT COCKTAIL Peel large apples with fine flavor, and with a potato scoop, cut out small balls, dropping them into a little water with plenty of lemon juice added to keep them white. Prepare a mixture of grapefruit, 186 Practical Food Economy pineapple, and bananas, and put into the cocktail glasses; add a few of the apple balls, pour over all the cooled juice left from the fruit and peelings boiled down with sugar. Serve at once. BLUSHING APPLES Wash, core, and cook red apples in boiling water until soft. Have the water half surround the apples and turn often. Remove the skins and scrape, putting the "red" back on the "cheeks" of the apples. To a pint of the water add one cup of sugar, grated rind of one lemon, and juice of one orange. Simmer until reduced to about half a cup. Cool and pour over the apples. Serve with cream sauce. CREAM SAUCE I egg I cup powdered sugar ^ cup heavy cream i teaspoonful vanilla Directions. Beat the white of egg until stiff; add the well-beaten yolk and gradually the sugar. Beat the cream until stiif, combine the mixtures, flavor, and serve with apples. BROWN BETTY 1 1 cups soft bread crumbs 4 teaspoonfuls melted butter or I cup sugar vegetable fat I pint chopped apples i teaspoonful cinnamon I cup chopped raisins | teaspoonful cloves Utensils. Pudding dish, measuring cup, measur- ing spoon, tablespoon. Use of Fruits in Season 187 Directions, Pour the melted fat over the bread crumbs ; stir until the crumbs are evenly buttered. Put a layer of the crumbs into a well-greased pudding dish, mix the sugar, apples, raisins, cinnamon, and cloves. Put a layer of the apple mixture over the crumbs and alternate until all is used, finishing with crumbs. Cover closely and bake for three quarters of an hour in a moderate oven ; uncover and brown. Serve hot with hard sauce, or cold with cream. APPLE BUTTER Pare, core, and quarter the desired quantity of apples, allowing one third of sweet to two thirds of sour apples. Boil sweet cider until it is reduced one half. While the cider is boiling rapidly, add apples until the mixture is the desired thickness. Cook slowly, stirring constantly and skimming when necessary. When the apples begin to separate from the cider, take two pounds of sugar to each bushel of apples used ; add a little ground cinnamon and boil until it remains in a smooth mass, when a little is cooled. Usually one and one half bushels of apples are enough for one and one half gallons of boiled cider. Use parings for making vinegar. APPLES EN CASSEROLE Pare, core, and slice two quarts of apples and put in an earthen dish, alternately, with one and one half cups of sugar, and one fourth teaspoonful of cinnamon ; add one fourth cup of cold water, cover 188 Practical Food Economy the dish, and bake in a moderate oven. Serve either hot or cold with cream. APPLE COBBLER Pare and quarter enough tart apples to fill a bak- ing dish three fourths full. Cover with a rich baking-powder biscuit dough made soft enough to stir ; spread it over the apples without rolling. Make several cuts in the center to allow the 'steam to es- cape. Bake for three quarters of an hour and serve hot with sugar and rich cream. CODDLED APPLES From tart, ripe apples of uniform size remove the cores. Place the fruit in the bottom of a porcelain kettle ; spread thickly with sugar and a little butter and cinnamon on each one ; cover the bottom of the kettle with water and allow the apples to simmer until tender. Remove to a dish and pour the sirup over the apples and serve cold. APPLE CUSTARDS Steam two large, tart apples that have been cored. Rub them through a sieve and add one cupful of milk, two teaspoonfuls of butter, one quarter of a cupful of sugar, and the yolks of four eggs. Turn the mixture into baking cups, stand them in hot water, and bake about twenty minutes. When they come from the oven, pile the beaten white of egg on top of each cup, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and Use of Fruits in Season 189 place in the oven to brown slightly. Serve cold. This may also be served in baked pastry or patty shells. APPLE-SAUCE CAKE I cup sugar 2 cups flour I cup butter or vegetable fat i saltspoonful salt I cup raisins i| teaspoonfuls cinnamon I cup apple sauce | teaspoonful grated nutmeg I teaspoonful baking soda Utensils. Measuring cup, measuring spoon, mix- ing bowl, wooden spoon, loaf cake pan. Directions. Cream the butter and beat in the sugar; add the chopped raisins dredged with flour; add the salt, cinnamon, and grated nutmeg. Dis- solve the baking soda in a little warm water and stir into the unsweetened apple sauce, let it foam over into the other ingredients and beat thoroughly ; add two cups of flour and bake three quarters of an hour in a moderate oven. FRESH APPLE CUSTARD PIE I pint apple sauce i tablespoonful melted butter I quart sweet milk Pinch of salt 4 eggs Grated nutmeg I tablespoonful cornstarch Juice of i lemon ' Grated rind of | lemon Utensils. Measuring cup, tablespoon, Qgg beater, pie pan. ■ Directions. Beat the eggs only until well mixed, add sugar, beat again. Rub cornstarch smooth in a little cold milk and add with all the other flavor- ings. Bake with under crust only. CHAPTER VII SERVICE FIRST What Shall I Feed my Children ? ''Life's song, indeed, would lose its charm, Were there no babies to begin it ; A doleful place this world would be. Were there no little people in it." — John Greenleaf Whittier. What shall be the foods for children ? I know this is an important question, because at the close of almost every domestic science lecture I am greeted with a perfect volley of questions like these : "What food shall I give my two-year-old boy?" — "my five-year-old girl" — or "my ten-year-old child", as the case may be. Frequently I have heard this : "My child will not eat whole wheat bread or eggs or drink milk. He does not like this or that or the other thing." Not long ago a bright, intelligent woman was asking me what to do with her nine- year-old boy who would eat only the things he liked, and very few of those. Upon inquiry she said he was "well and strong." Later, as we talked, it 190 Service First 191 developed that the boy was pale, anemic, and nervous, which surely does not indicate a healthy child. It had not occurred to her that if he were anemic he should be given the foods rich in iron, such as spinach, yolk of egg, asparagus, milk, and whole wheat bread, according to his age, and if he were nervous, he should be given the phosphorous foods, so that his nerves would have plenty of oppor- tunity for building, such as bran muffins, whole wheat muffins, thick dried-pea soup, oatmeal, onions, and celery, with plenty of milk during the teeth and bone-building age. No one food builds any par- ticular part of the body, but, as nourishing and build- ing foods are used, the whole body develops. But these mothers reply, after being answered, "What will you do when they refuse to eat the food and say they 'do not like it' ?" Here is exactly where the mother's ingenuity must come to her rescue. The child is not always capable of reasoning, and the busy mother cannot always take the time for it. But if she knows that Mary or John refuses to take milk or eggs, she can plan to have these ingredients served in soups or custards. The same is true of spinach, carrots, asparagus, and celery; all may be made into delicious soups with a thick piece of toasted whole wheat bread to disguise these vege- tables. Have the helping small in the beginning until they acquire the taste, and they will surely "Hke it." It is fooHsh for a parent to allow a child to discuss 192 Practical Food Economy at the table what he likes or does not like. He is in no position to judge. He probably likes the things which have been placed before him often enough for him to become used to them. I don't beheve that unusually strong-flavored vegetables, such as tomatoes, parsnips, beets, and turnips, should ever be given to children. They will learn to choose these for themselves as they grow older. If good build- ing foods are included in the child's diet until he is eight, ten, or twelve years of age, St. Vitus' Dance, rickets, and other nerve diseases will not develop. Another plan which I know is used successfully with children is to know the food they should have and place a small amount, if it is new to them, on their plates. Do not say they must eat it. Better say nothing unless they ask questions. If it is not eaten, keep still. Repeat the same plan each and every day, and you will find they gradually taste a little, until they find it is not so "bad", and finally learn to eat it. That is the way most of us have learned to eat everything, so why be impatient with children 1 We were there once ourselves, and some men still make economy very hard for their wives by saying, "I don't like anything but a roast !" In a recent paper, I read a notice of a mother who had committed suicide because her child had St. Vitus' Dance. The real suicide happened long be- fore the child was born, when the woman was not eating proper food to make good blood, muscles, bone, hair, teeth, and nails while the child was sup- Service First 193 posedly growing. Food starvation was, in all probability, the cause of the child's ailment. Na- ture provides that all the nutritional activities of the mother be directed to this growing child, and unless she provides good building food for herself and enough for this new-born baby, both will suffer injury from which neither may ever recover. If children are to be born healthy, mothers cannot be starved, and if this is provided for, with an increased addition of food for this growing child, then it would come into the world started right at least. And what an endless amount of suffering and Hves would be saved I Every one of our children has the right to an honest start in the world. Parents owe it to their children. It is not a question of money spent, but the result of a reasonable amount of study of food habits. Don't think it too soon to begin before they are born ; then as soon as they are old enough, they should be taught that eating is a serious duty in order to maintain health and a strong body. If adequate building foods, varied at proper intervals of a child's growth, are provided, the period from in- fancy to "teens" will be safeguarded. After that he is pretty safe to face the world and judge for himself. Every boy and girl knows that if they are to enter a game of any sort they must know the rules of that game or suffer defeat. Now the laws of nature are the rules of this game — the study of health and disease. You cannot miss it. There are many 194 Practical Food Economy who will say, "This thing or the other thing does not hurt me," which may be true at the time; but many a game of baseball and football has been lost from the lack of knowing what to eat and hov/ to build the body for strength and endurance. However, even this Is being studied, and men who play national games or devote their time to business are better equipped for It physically and mentally than ever before, because of their better under- standing of the purpose of foods. Children's Menus 5 to 9 Years The meals for children should be neither heavy nor light. The stomach should never be overloaded, so that digestion Is difficult. Then children may go to school Immediately after a meal, and the brain will be able to work. Train children to eat slowly, chewing every mouthful. Have them rise a little earlier In the morning If necessary, that they may not be hurried. As children go to bed early, the evening meal should be the lightest of the day. The following menus will show well-balanced food for children from five to nine years old. BREAKFAST Cereal cooked over night with dates, one third cup; top milk, one half cup; dry toast, two small slices; butter, one half-inch cube; milk, one glass; cocoa, one cup. Service First 195 NOON DINNER (When possible) Lamb broth, with vegetables, one cup; bread, one slice; butter, one half-inch cube ; apple tapioca pudding, one half cup. SUPPER Scrambled eggs in one third cup of milk; dry toast, two slices; butter, one half-inch cube; apple sauce, one table- spoonful; or prunes, three; cookies (home baked), two; milk, one glass. SUGGESTIONS FOR BREAKFAST Cereal with dates, figs or seeded raisins, and top milk; creamed codfish, sauce made with milk and egg yolk; minced lamb on toast; eggs poached or scrambled in milk; creamed potatoes; corn meal muffins; bread and butter; cream toast; baked apple; steamed prunes. SUGGESTIONS FOR DINNER Chicken broth with rice or barley; broiled lamb chops; puree of peas or beans ; spinach ; lettuce (use lemons, no vine- gar) ; cornstarch puddings ; gelatine puddings ; fruit sauce with sponge cake; baked tapioca and rice puddings. SUGGESTIONS FOR SUPPER Cream soups; bread or unpolished rice and milk; toasted crackers or rolls ; stewed fruit ; milk or cocoa. BASIS FOR ALL CREAM SOUPS (For children or adults) I tablespoonful butter or fat Season with bay leaf, onion, I tablespoonful flour parsley, celery or celery seed, I cup milk, skim milk, cream, or salt and pepper white stock 196 Practical Food Economy Utensils, Double boiler, tablespoon, measuring cup and spoon, puree sieve. Directions. Heat milk or other liquid in double boiler, with seasonings. Rub butter and flour to- gether, add a little hot milk to make smooth, then stir into the hot milk in boiler until cooked and smooth. Add salt and pepper. To this sauce from one half to one cup of puree ^ of any of the following vegetables may be added which will make a per- fect cream soup : Variety of Cream Soups Cream of asparagus soup Cream of pea soup Cream of potato soup Cream of rice soup Cream of tomato soup Cream of chestnut soup Cream of peanut soup Cream of mushroom soup Cream of walnut or almond soup School Lunches for Children With the opening of our schools in the fall, it seems quite important that the midday meal for school children be given some special thought by parents. Teachers have long since recognized the im- portance of nourishing food for children in relation to their studies in school, and penny lunches for the poorer children have been established in our cities; 1 Puree means any vegetable boiled or steamed and rubbed through a sieve or colander. Service First 197 in fact, this year new serve-self lunches will be added to many high schools, and this coming year the food which children in the Philadelphia schools eat will be under the direct supervision of the Board of Education. Parents, strangely enough, have not seen the danger in malnutrition until the whole country has been aroused by educators on this most important subject. At a moderate estimate there are two million children between four and fourteen years of age, of which nearly twelve per cent, attend our schools in an underfed condition, and these are not all children of the poor. With experience in both public and private schools, and from kindergarten to high school, our observation has been that rich and poor children suffer alike from lack of real nutritive foods, — not expensive fancy foods, but simple plain foods, which build flesh, bone, teeth, skin, hair, and nails, also producing strength and activity and a healthy inquiring mind. To ac- complish this end, mothers should know just what their children should have for breakfast, also what food Is necessary to replenish the used-up energy in study, play, and growth during the day. The child who is allowed to eat a luncheon which takes all the efforts of the digestive organs, when he should be studying, is surely not a well-nourished child. It makes no difference whether the child is in kindergarten or high school, concentration usually follows the lunch period, and the amount 198 Practical Food Economy of brain work accomplished is largely dependent upon the ease with which his lunch is digested. Every boy and girl has at some time or other a desire for sweet and sour food, and both of these cravings may be perfectly satisfied without harm, if a few minutes' time is given each day by a re- sponsible, intelligent person to the selection of food for lunch box. As a kindergartner for eight years and supervisor of kindergartens part of that time, the lunches for the children was one of my most serious problems. Why ? In the first place too much' was put into the boxes ; and second, apparently no thought was given to combinations or food-building material. The lunch hour for these little folks comes usually about ten o'clock, and they need only a little to tide them over until their regular luncheon hour — an apple, banana, peeled orange, separated in sec- tions and wrapped in oiled paper; a dainty sweet sandwich and a tart apple, combining the sweet and sour, or a tart sandwich and a bit of sweet chocolate. French children are given a roll and a piece of choc- olate at eleven and four when they return home from school. All fruit should be quartered and cored ; and sandwiches (cookies and gingerbread may be substituted once in a while) wrapped in oiled paper. Another difficulty which kindergartners frequently meet is the desire of the children to trade lunches. This should not be permitted unless the teacher does the trading, and then only when she understands Service First 199 exactly what each individual child should have better than the one who prepares the lunch. So much for the younger ones. The older pupils cannot go home, but must have their luncheon at school, five days a week. There should be a list of many varieties of sandwiches prepared, and a study made by the mother of the best food values in each kind. Whole wheat bread and butter with a generous helping of good brown sugar makes a sandwich the children like, and will add also the energy required. Sandwiches spread with jam and fine nut meats pressed into each sHce are very satisfying ; and if cut round or oblong and wrapped in paraffin paper, often taste much better to the child for the extra thought in their prepara- tion. Nothing is better than cream or thick nu- tritious soups with vegetables and good whole wheat bread and butter. Water, good milk, cocoa, or chocolate are children's drink and are foods, not beverages. Green food is required the year round, and mothers should not forget it. Lettuce, parsley, onions, tomatoes, celery, cabbage, radishes, and cucumbers all furnish in large quantities the necessary salts for the human body. The lack of these and whole wheat bread is more often the cause of poor teeth than too much candy. But these should be chosen with great care to have them ripe and at a reasonable market price so they may be used occasionally and not be expensive. Lunches should be changed with 200 Practical Food Economy the seasons. As cool weather comes on, more sugar and fat are demanded, because additional heat must be generated for warmth. When the fresh fruits are not in season, use dried fruits such as figs, dates, and raisins, served plain or baked in bread or cake or for sandwiches. To sum up : We must have variety in the daily luncheon, and select foods best suited to keep the child's "human engine" in good running order, if health and the highest mental development are to be attained. Honey in Menu Making ** Butter and honey shall he eat, when he knoweth to refuse the evil, and choose the good." — Isaiah, VII 115. **And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna; — and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey." — Exodus, XVI : 31. Honey is the nectar of flowers modified and evap- orated by the bees. It may be found in the grocery stores as comb honey or extracted honey, and the best of it is, it is easy to get and nearly every one likes it. Most of the honey on the market is pure and ranges in color from almost white to the color of the darkest molasses. The flavor and color vary according to the flower from which it is obtained, the lighter colored honeys being milder in flavor as a rule. Those with which we are most familiar are buck- wheat, white clover, sweet clover, alfalfa, raspberry. Service First 201 etc., which are quite mild, each having, however, its own distinct flavor. Those coming from wild flowers, such as goldenrod and aster, or from buckwheat, etc., are darker and stronger in flavor, and since the pas- sage of the pure food law it is quite safe to assume that honey is genuine if so stated on the label. If there are any who cannot eat it, we would sug- gest a hght colored honey, mild in flavor, or the use of milk with the honey. Many times a disHke has been taken to honey because it has been eaten in too large quantities at a time. It is so valuable a sweet, and our systems demand food of this kind to such an extent, that we would be greatly benefited if honey were substituted for sugar and cheap molasses in much of our everyday cooking. Nearly eighty pounds of sugar on an average are annually consumed by every man, woman, and child in the United States, and if this quantity of sweet is necessary as an energizer in our bodies, it is most essential that it be pure and have a pleasing flavor. In pure honey we have every opportunity to suit the most fastidious taste in delicate flavors. In these days of scientific study of foods, no one is satisfied with merely the suggestion from some one that honey is "good for you to eat." We wish to know why and to secure some knowledge of it chemically. It is a concentrated solution of invert sugar, dextrose, and levulose in equal proportions, with traces of dextrin and other substances, most of which 202 Practical Food Economy correspond to those elements present in the human body. This makes a most desirable sweet, which furnishes energy to the system rather than fat and bone ; it ranks second only to dates, and is far ahead of steak, fish, potatoes, or white bread in this respect. At one time in the history of our country honey was the principal sweet, and is so recognized in many of the older countries to-day. Now we are bringing it back to our tables in a more attractive form than ever, with several additional flavors. We all know how children long for candy. This is a natural longing and should be satisfied with the best sweets at our command at the proper time — not when the stomach is empty, but when there is food in it ; then there is never danger of overeating. Spread a piece of whole wheat bread with butter and a light covering of honey, and with a glass of milk, child or adult will have a wholesome, satisfying luncheon. It was formerly believed that cakes baked with honey absorbed moisture from the air, but Miss Caroline Hunt and Miss Helen Atwater, working in the nutrition laboratory of the Department of Agriculture, have made experiments which seem to show that the abiding softness of honey cake is due to other causes not yet explained. The fact that such cakes, though soft, never be- come soggy, even though exposed to moist air for a long time, seems to bear out their conclusions. Our Service First 203 foreign neighbors have had this secret for years in making their delicious Christmas cakes, of which they will tell you "the longer you keep, the better they are." It may not be generally known, but our large biscuit companies purchase fifty to seventy carloads of the finest honey at a time for their baking. It is fine to use in baking apples, oatmeal, bread, ginger- bread, cakes, cookies ; on hot biscuits, waffles, pan- cakes, gems, popovers, toast, and in making pre- serves, canning fruits, etc. ; in fact, there is hardly any place in baking, putting up fruits, and making preserves where the flavor and quality are not im- proved by the use of honey. It is very valuable, combined with lemons, as a cough sirup. Take three medium size lemons, slice very thin in an earthen cooking utensil, and add three quarters of a cup of honey. Cook this over a slow fire for about fifteen minutes. Take a teaspoon- ful when cough is troublesome. Tar, herbs, and hoarhound are often added to this sirup, making it very effective and healing. The housekeeper should keep her honey in a dry, warm place, where her salt is kept. Even ioo° F. is none too warm. In substituting it for sugar in ordinary cooking recipes, much experimenting will have to be done, as almost an entirely new recipe must be used. The mere substitution of honey for sugar in most cases would result in a heavy cake; about one third less should be used, or part sugar and 204 Practical Food Economy part honey. Most baking with honey should be done with a moderate oven. GINGER COOKIES I cup shortening i teaspoonful soda I cup sugar | teaspoonful baking powder f cup honey i^ teaspoonfuls ginger f cup sour milk ^ teaspoonful salt I egg 4I cups flour Utensils. Pastry board, mixing bowl, measuring cup, measuring spoon, flour sifter, tablespoon, rolling pin, cookie cutter, pans. Directions. Cream together the sugar, shortening, and honey, and add the egg well beaten. Sift the soda and baking powder several times together with two cups of flour, then add more flour to make as soft a dough as it is possible to handle. Roll, cut, put into floured shallow pans, and bake in a moderate oven. For variety, leave out the ginger and add caraway seeds, or chopped nuts and raisins. GRAHAM PUDDING J cup butter i| cups graham flour f cup honey | teaspoonful soda i cup milk I teaspoonful salt I egg I cup raisins (seeded) Utensils. Mixing bowl, measuring cup, measuring spoon, tablespoon, egg beater, flour sifter, mold or pan, steamer. Directions. Melt the butter ; add the honey, milk. Service First 205 and egg well beaten, then the dry ingredients mixed and sifted, and raisins. Turn into buttered mold. Cover and steam two and one half hours. Serve with lemon sauce or any sauce made from left-over fruit juices. BAR-LE-DUC PRESERVES These preserves are believed to be the finest of their kind and have hitherto been imported at extravagant prices. Other fruits besides currants may be treated in this way, as honey is of itself a preservative. These preserves do not require to be kept absolutely air-tight. Take selected red or white currants of large size. One by one carefully make an incision in the skin J of an inch deep with tiny embroidery scissors. Through this slit remove the seeds with the aid of a sharp needle, preserving the shape of the fruit. Take the weight of the currants in honey and when this has been heated, add the currants. Let it simmer a minute or two, and then seal as for jelly. The cur- rants retain their shape, are of a beautiful color, and melt in the mouth. Care should be exercised not to scorch the honey. Food for Elderly People In recent "health talks". Doctor Stiles of Harvard University says, "It may be said that we should eat what we Hke ", but he adds, "That they are fortunate who Hke a great many kinds of foods." Those who 206 Practical Food Economy have followed this doctrine of eating will find that with the present shortage of some foods, they are the fortunate ones who can quickly turn to another which is plentiful and equally nutritious. Here is where the great work for the mothers in feeding children has been practically an unsolved problem. How many times I am asked, "What shall I do with my child who will not touch milk.^" It was one of my own problems, so as women and mothers we have "reasoned together", and this has been our conclusion. If James or Mary does not drink milk, we need not discuss or urge it, but learn how to get it into soups, sauces, custards, breads, puddings, so they will have the milk value until they can and are ready to accept it occasionally in regular form. Elderly people are sometimes just as strong in their likes and dislikes, and they should be treated in the same manner as the children. They need some one to constantly supervise their food, and if they do not accept it in one way, instead of discussing it, give it to them in another form, when they no doubt will like it. "Liking" and "digesting" seem to go hand in hand with the very young and the old. They can be given nearly the same food with the exception of, perhaps, milk. Because of the large amount of calcium, or lime, in combination with the other constituents of milk (See Atwater Table, page 8), it is the food preeminently suited to the growing child or infant, supplying material for bone Service First 207 and teeth. But when adult Hfe has been reached, and teeth and bone have been formed, milk is no longer a perfect food, its continued use causing cal- careous or lime deposit. Food which contains the en- tire grain of wheat is much better suited to maintain the life of aged or elderly persons, with a much smaller amount of milk, which may be used in connection with cream soups, and served hot with beverages. Whole wheat bread will sustain life for a very long period, while recent tests have proven that a person could live on white bread for about two months only, provided no other food was used. The elderly person needs food which will build up wasted tissue, and give energy, added strength, and vitaHty to the body. The best sugars are those found in the evaporated fruits, rather than in those containing the stronger acids. These are most excellent energy producers ; included with them for drink would be grape or pineapple juice. The best vegetables containing minerals are spinach, asparagus, lentils, and carrots. Carbon is by far the most abundant element entering into the composition of the body, and — when com- bined with hydrogen and oxygen — is certainly one of the most important food substances, because it furnishes the material for both heat and energy ; in other words, these elderly people must have fuel to keep their machinery going, such as brown or unpol- ished rice, oats, corn, rye, sweet potatoes, lentils, white beans and wheat, and some meat. Some proteins are necessary all our lives, but 208 Practical Food Economy elderly people should be very careful about eating too much of the protein, as they have not sufficient energy, nor do they take the exercise necessary to dispose of a large amount of it. Proteins are found largely in meats, milk, and egg yolks. Only the amount that can be digested and thoroughly assimilated should be taken ; otherwise, it settles as a deposit in the body, putrifies, and eventually causes disease. In other words, it is most important that elderly people eat only what they can digest, that their systems shall not become clogged and stiffness and disease result. Meat should never be eaten oftener than once a day ; and better still, only two or three times a week ; yolks of eggs, cottage cheese, codfish, dried peas, beans, or lentils being used as a substitute for meat. The following are a few of the menus which I gave to four elderly women who were having noon dinner together, their ages varying from seventy to ninety years. No white bread was used in these menus. Vegetable Soup Wafers Lamb Stew with Carrots, Rice, or Potatoes Lettuce Salad with French Dressing Pineapple Tapioca Grape Juice Cream of Pea Soup Wafers Ham Breslau (left over chipped ham with bread crumbs, eggs, and milk baked in custard cups) with tomato sauce Potatoes Boiled with Skins on Sponge Cake Ice Cream Service First 209 Kornlet Soup Wafers Hamburg Steak Brown Rice Cold Slaw Hot Gingerbread Grape Juice Tomato Bouillon Wafers Sliced Veal Loaf in a Brown Sauce Mashed Potatoes Buttered Carrots Baked Apples and Figs These menus are sufficient to give one an Idea of the kinds of food necessary and their combinations. Tea should never be served at the same time as meat. It is much better to take it as "afternoon tea" than with the dinner; use grape juice, or pure cool water in moderate quantities. There is no reason why, as we grow older, like the beautiful trees, we should not grow in strength and beauty, as well as symmetry, if we have the right building and sustaining food with plenty of air, exercise, sunshine, and a reasonable amount of work. The Trained Nurse in the Home ** Small service is true service while it lasts. Of humblest friends, bright creature ! scorn not one. The daisy, by the shadow that it casts. Protects the lingering dewdrop from the sun." — Wordsworth. A nurse has much more responsibility than the ordinary duties in a sick room. It is one thing to have a nurse who looks carefully after the ventilation 210 Practical Food Economy and cleanliness of the sick room, the care of the patient, and the proper methods of changing the linen, and thinks her work ends there; and it is another thing to have a nurse who can plan and cook the proper food for an invalid and serve it in the daintiest and most appetizing manner possible. Her training surely is not complete unless she is able to do both. If she does not understand the science of foods and professional housekeeping, it necessitates an extra person in the home to wait on her, when she should be able to go into the kitchen and prepare the three meals or more for the one who is ill without dis- turbing the working regime of the kitchen. If the cooking and serving of food are thoroughly under- stood by the nurse (and no other should have the title of "trained nurse"), and she knows exactly the right food and how to prepare it quietly, with little or no disturbance in the kitchen, she is usually wel- come — otherwise, not. She should wash and put away in the proper place every dish she uses — that again should be part of her training. Lack of knowledge in the preparation of food for the sick is the greatest deficiency among nurses. In every case to which they are called, they should know the proper foods, how to cook and serve them, the right quantity and how often, and require little or no waiting on. A very serious mistake is to serve too great a variety of food at one time, or in too large portions. I have seen one such dish spoil the pa- Service First 211 tient's appetite for everything on the tray or table. There is no excuse for this, as nurses graduated from any reputable hospital have had training by a dieti- tian who gives clear, definite instruction in all this service for the patient. Illness in any home, whether rich or poor, is an extra expense, and nurses should have fully mastered the art of economy. There is no excuse for willful waste, which is frequently seen at this time, when the average family finds necessary expenses about all it can meet. There are different stages of illness which call for different feeding. For instance, at times only a liquid diet can be given the patient. The glass should never be brought to the room in the hand, but on a small tray or plate with a paper doily under the glass, and a napkin to fold under the patient's chin to prevent any drops from soiling the sheet. A convalescent patient may be given broths, strained vegetable soups, eggs, milk toast, custards, jellies, baked potatoes, chops, chicken, etc. Nurses should know how to prepare these scientifically, and should know special diets for patients suffering from various diseases. Set rules are not the thing to follow, unless the nurse is able to recognize symptoms which should mean a change in food. Food, after all, with other right living and thinking, is the real thing that cures. Medicine alone never cures, and I believe our best physicians will agree with me in this. It is used for emergency only, and 212 Practical Food Economy good care and good food are the essentials. Too much stress cannot be laid on the selection, prepara- tion, and cooking of this food, which should be and is a special course, and no "slip-shod" cooking should ever be permitted by a nurse. The service should be spotless ; nothing should ever be spilled ; hot things should be hot — not cold — and cold things should be cold — not lukewarm ; then the patient will enjoy his meal if it is properly and invitingly arranged, and he is comfortably propped up. Summing everything up, a trained nurse should know the chemical composition of the body ; foods, their necessary cooking, and why necessary, the rela- tion of foods to the body, the correct proportions of well-balanced dietaries, the effect of starches, diges- tion, and fermentation. With this knowledge, work would be easier, service simpler and better, and all illness might be shortened and expense lightened. A Week-end Vacation for Mother "I must keep the body in good condition to do the bidding of the spirit." — Ellen H. Richards. If there is a daughter in the home, I wonder if she wouldn't like to give mother a week-end rest.? It is not always possible for mother to pack her bag like father or the older children, and go away somewhere, whenever she needs a change and rest, but if some one will take Saturday's and Sunday's work and let Service First 213 her do just as she pleases at home, it will surprise her and all the rest of the family to find the amount of real recreation she will get from such relaxation. I will admit that mothers are not always easy to manage on this "rest" question. If they would only take more of it, and oftener, work wouldn't be work, because doing things when one is rested is pleasure. Every one who is normal naturally likes to be busy, but there comes a time — as with mother at the head of the home — when she is tired and worn out. Then it is time for members of the family to see it and step in and take her place. She will go until the last minute and never say a word, so don't wait for her to break down. Just say, "Mother, you are to be our guest Satur- day and Sunday and do just as you please. I am going to do the best I can to take your place. If you have any special requests, write them down, and I'll do my utmost to follow them." Don't be discouraged if mother "balks" a little or insists that you, her daughter, cannot plan and prepare all the necessary meals, but be steadily and kindly persistent, and assure her that you are going to have a good time and that it is only fair for you to relieve her of the work and let her and father have a chance to do some of the things they would like to do together. Mothers continually make the mistake of doing everything in the home. Home is a little community of its own and, as such, should have community life. 214 Practical Food Economy This is only done where all the members of the family — father, mother, son, and daughter — work together, each actually doing something in the house every day. This is real community life and makes the happy contented home. Plan Saturday's and Sunday's meals on Friday and write out the entire grocery order for these two days. Do the marketing Friday and leave the order for fresh green vegetables to be delivered on Saturday. By placing your order in advance, the chances are you will get better selection and better service. Then, too, there is no time and effort wasted on Saturday in waiting for the grocery order. SUNDAY BREAKFAST Corn Flakes Berries and Cream Soft Boiled Eggs Rolls CofFee LUNCHEON Egg Sandwiches Cottage Cheese Raspberry Jam Boston Cookies Iced Tea with Mint The cookies are very easily made Saturday morn- ing, also the eggs may be boiled for the sandwiches and chopped ready to mix with the salad dressing. The sandwiches should be made right after breakfast Sunday, so if there are any members of the family who wish to spend the day in the woods, they can take their share with them. Service First 215 EGG SANDWICHES Chop fine the whites of four hard-boiled eggs. Press the yolks through a sieve and add to the whites. Moisten to the desired consistency with salad dress- ing, season, and spread between thin slices of bread with shredded lettuce. Cut into any shape desired. COTTAGE CHEESE Heat thick sour milk slowly over hot water until curds separate ; strain through a fine sieve or cloth, drain for several hours, and season — or this is easily purchased. BOSTON COOKIES I cup butter or vegetable fat | cup currants I I cups sugar | cup seeded raisins 3i cups flour 3 eggs I cup chopped nuts i teaspoonful soda I teaspoonful cinnamon Directions. Cream butter or vegetable fat and sugar together and add eggs well beaten. Mix soda and a little salt and cinnamon with flour and sift in half ; then add nuts and fruit and then the remain- ing flour. Mix well and drop by teaspoonfuls, one inch apart, on a greased pan. Bake in moderate oven. SUPPER Steak a la Quin Browned Potatoes with the Meat Quartered Tomatoes on Lettuce Rolls Jelly Blueberries with Cream Boston Cookies Coffee 216 Practical Food Economy The steak is prepared after breakfast and put into the pan or fireless cooker. If it is baked in the oven, it need not go in until after luncheon, for it will require no watching with a very slow fire. Use a fireless cooker, however, if possible. The potatoes should be peeled, put in cold water, and cooked with the meat. We have planned the easiest possible meals for the daughter, which — if she has had a little experience with mother — will not be difficult to prepare. ROUND STEAK A LA QUIN Cover a slice of round steak (cut about one and a half inches thick) with flour ; and using the edge of a plate, or meat pounder, pound as much as possible into the meat. Melt two tablespoons of fat in a baking pan ; brown the meat quickly on both sides in this ; sprinkle with salt and pepper and cover with two cups of water or tomatoes, adding one or two sliced onions. Cover closely and bake in a slow oven for two hours, or until the meat is tender throughout. This is an excellent recipe for use in the fireless cooker. Serve with tomato sauce or alone with the gravy. This may also be cooked very slowly on top of the stove. Salads and Salad Dressings Did you ever stop to think "Why bread and butter ? " Bread — no one can remember when bread was not called the "staff of life" — but why butter Service First 217 it ? Perhaps because you always have buttered it, or maybe because your parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents always buttered theirs. It might have been instinct which taught us that we require a balanced ration. Our bodies not only need the renewal of muscle and tissue, but also the mainte- nance of heat and energy. The bread supplies the tissue, and the butter or oil supplies much heat and energy; and if it is a good, pure oil, it does much toward building nerve tissue. That is why we ought to butter our bread, and why we ought to use pure olive oil with our salads and likewise in many other culinary combinations. The "taste" or liking for olives or olive oil should come instinctively to the normally healthy person, and it is characteristic of the healthiest races. If you are strong, well nourished, and active, olive oil helps to keep you so ; if run down, with wasted tis- sues, disordered stomach, and intestinal indigestion, take olive oil — a tablespoonful three times a day. Do not let morbid tastes bind you down any longer and lead you to say, "I can't eat olive oil." Re- member it is not an animal fat, but is really the juice of a vegetable, which in the olive takes the form of oil. Make your salads and greens an excuse for consuming olive oil, for that way lies health. Be careful to buy the best and purest oil possible, then the taste will be more easily acquired. A good way to test for fine flavor is to put a few drops in the palms of the hands and then rub briskly 218 Practical Food Economy together, after which open the hands a little and in- hale. If good oil, there should be a fragrance and bouquet that is as pleasing as the fragrance of flowers ; if there is a musty, dull smell, it will be equally notice- able. Take this as your slogan: "It is better to stay healthy than to waste time and money getting healthy." This is the age of hygiene, not medicine. Medicines are for emergencies ; pure foods, rightly prepared, are for every day. The Eskimos are the only people said to be free from tuberculosis. It is the belief of some writers that this is due to the cold, stimulating atmosphere in which they live, but this cannot be true, as statistics have proved that people living in similar cHmates are very much affected by this disease, so the solution is found in the Eskimo's diet. He eats fat and plenty of it, and seems to be free not only from tuberculosis, but appendicitis and other diseases of the intestines. When most of us reach maturity, we have too decided ideas about what we happen to like or dis- like. We stubbornly refuse to acquire tastes for foods we have every reason to know are good for us ; we stick to too narrow a diet. Only recently I overheard some one say, "We have too great a va- riety in our meals." With the many parts or ele- ments of our body constantly crying out to be fed, we surely need a varied diet — omnivorous, without gluttony — "A little of each, too much of none." There is no one branch of preparation of food which Service First 219 is given the thought to-day that salads receive. If we announce a lecture on *' Salads and Salad Dress- ings ", we are sure every seat will be taken. Why is this ? It is because all women like salads to eat, and they are rapidly educating the family to eat more of the greens and oils in salads. There is more variety in combinations of meats, fruits, and vege- tables with seasonings than in any other dish. Wo- men like variety, and they find it in the making of salads. Most of them are fond of attractive color combinations, and there is no end to this art in salads. Best of all, when well made and combined, they are wholesome and appeal to the taste, stimulating to the appetite and easily digested, so it is easy to see why every woman, young or old, wants to know more and more about salads. Some one has said : "Eat onions in May, no doc- tors you'll pay." To this quotation might be added, "Eat salads in May." If the fresh, seasonable greens are used, there is no question but the body will soon be relieved of the excess of food, and strength and vivacity be noticed. A French philosopher has made a study of the effects of good living upon the fair sex, and says : "Succulent (salads), delicate and carefully prepared food, has been proved by a series of minute studies to delay the exterior signs of age. It gives bril- liance to the eyes, freshness to the skin, strength to the muscles, and as it is acknowledged that the depression of the muscles causes wrinkles, it can 220 Practical Food Economy safely be said that all women who know what to eat are comparatively ten years younger than those who ignore this science." It has taken us many years to recognize this doc- trine, but it is now being put into practice by all thinking women. When the first warm days of spring or summer come, our appetites and taste naturally turn away from meats to the crisp, green salads. It has not been many years since part of the family, at least, had to be coaxed to eat salads ; but I doubt whether this happens very often when salads have become at all known and their food value appreciated, even among the men in the family. I so frequently hear women, both young and old, say: "I want to be a good salad maker." There is no reason why any one may not be a good salad maker if she has a good eye for form and color, a keen sense of taste, and exercises artistic ability in the selection of combinations of materials. Greens must always be fresh, crisp, and dry. Wash, dry, wrap in a deep cloth bag on ice, or put into a pail in a cold place until ready to use. This is the very foundation for a tasty and artistic salad, and must not be over- looked. If there is anything that will ruin the appetite, it is to sit down to the table with wilted lettuce, sliced cucumbers which have been soaked in salted water with every bit of the crispness removed from them, and both deluged in oil and vinegar. This is some- Service First 221 times called a salad ; but I should never honor it with such a title. The lettuce should be dry and crisp when laid on the plates. Cucumbers, if used (and I speak of these particularly, as they are so abused in the prep- aration), should be peeled and laid in ice water for an hour or more so they will become hard and crisp, not soft and flabby, with the juices drawn out. Then they should be laid on the lettuce, fresh and digest- ible, with a very little French dressing carefully made — just enough to moisten lettuce and cucum- bers, and not running on the plate. Dressings There are a few things very essential to good dressing — good, perfectly flavored oil, and a fruit or tarragon vinegar, or lemon, grape fruit, sour orange or pineapple, and lemon juice. Any of these combine well as an acid with the oil for fruit salads. If made with a French dressing, they should be stirred up with a piece of ice and used at once. If a mayon- naise, then in the proportion of half or one third whipped cream should be used with the mayonnaise. FRENCH DRESSING 6 tablespoonfuls olive oil i teaspoonful salt 2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice or vinegar J teaspoonful paprika Utensils. Shallow bowl, silver fork, tablespoon. Directions. Rub the bowl, which is very cold, 222 Practical Food Economy with a clove or garlic. Add a small piece of ice, the salt, paprika, and the oil gradually, stirring rapidly with a silver fork. When this is smooth, add the lemon juice, fruit or tarragon vinegar in the same manner, when the dressing should be thick as cream. A quantity of the above ingredients may be put into a fruit jar and when ready to use shake until thick and creamy. Vary this dressing with grated onion, or onion salt, celery seed, horse-radish, catsup, chopped parsley, peppers, chili sauce, chopped chives, or any desired flavorings. Remember a poor oil will spoil the most carefully made dressing, and this is frequently the reason why many dislike salad dressings made with oil. Pur- chase only the best olive oil, and refuse to accept any other. MAYONNAISE DRESSING 2 yolks eggs 3 teaspoonfuls lemon juice or tarragon vinegar I pint olive oil | teaspoonful salt I teaspoonful paprika Utensils. Mayonnaise mixer, measuring cup, glass lemon squeezer, tablespoon, measuring spoon. Directions. Put the mayonnaise mixer on ice and have oil and acids cold. Separate the yolks of the eggs very carefully and put them into the bowl of the mixer. Turn the dasher until the yolk is lightly beaten. Then from the dropper add the oil, a drop at a time, stirring steadily, until one dropper- Service First 223 ful has been used ; then a Httle more at a time may be added until half of the oil has been beaten into the eggs. Now begin to alternate with the lemon juice and oil until all are well blended to suit the taste. Put in seasonings, pour into a pint jar, set on cover, and place in refrigerator, where it will keep for several weeks. When ready to use, it may be thinned with whipped cream or the white of an egg, well beaten. Tarragon vinegar may be used Instead of the lemon juice if pre- ferred, or some of the fruit juices combined with the lemon give a delicious flavor. Mustard is used as seasoning in dressing for meat, fish, and cabbage salads. Add various seasonings to suit special salads, as this is one of the great arts in salad making. Good dressings may be made from inexpensive vegetable oils, but they do not have the fine flavoring which is found in olive oil, though they are a perfectly good fat. Fruit Salads and Dressings Fruit salads serve a different purpose in the food dietary from either meat or vegetables, as they have the natural sugars which satisfy that ever-present desire for sweets, and help supply the energy of which we are al?\rays in need. Remember these combinations when mixing fruits : Apples, celery, pineapple, grapefruit and Tokay or Malaga grapes ; oranges and bananas ; pineapple and grapefruit ; peaches and oranges ; apricots, 224 Practical Food Economy dates, and figs ; apples and dates ; cherries and pineapple; alligator pears and grapefruit; pome- granate and grapefruit ; with Romaine, leaf, or head lettuce or on leaf. With these may be combined English walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans, Brazil nuts, or peanuts, the amount and kind dependent upon the food value desired in the salad. To be clear upon this, I mean only a very few nuts, if used at the close of a hearty meal ; if a luncheon dish, one tablespoonful of chopped nuts may be used for each person. Dressing for Fruit Salads Prepare the fruits, whether canned or fresh, very carefully for salads, draining all juice from them. (Where skins are tough, as in some of the grapes, be sure to peel.) Save the juices and use in making the mayonnaise dressing. Vinegar should never be used for fruit salads. If it is desired very tart, use lemon or lime juice ; if mild, use orange and lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, grape juice, sherry wine, claret, madeira, or any of the fine flavored fruits or wines. This gives a delicate flavor and combines much better with fruits than vinegar. Whipped cream is always combined with this dress- ing, usually half and half, and added at the last moment when mixing. These salads are frequently served with hot cheese wafers in place of the regular dessert. Service First 225 When a simpler dressing is required for dinner use especially, there is nothing which excels French dressing, and there is no greater art in all salad mak- ing than in making this dressing well. Be miserly with acids, a spendthrift with good, pure, finely flavored olive oil, very diligent and lively in the stirring, and have all ingredients icy cold, including a small piece of ice in the dish. Season according to ingredients used in the salad. APPLE AND DATE SALAD 4 apples 2 tablespoonfuls lemon juice i pound dates (stoned) Fruit dressing Directions. Pare and core the apples, cutting them into strips. There should be two and one half cups. Pour the lemon juice well over the apples ; this keeps them from turning dark. Pour boiling water over the dates, wash and separate well, and wipe dry. Stone and cut each date into strips, mix apples and dates together, and set aside for an hour carefully covered. Make a fruit mayonnaise dressing, using lemon juice instead of vinegar. For one third cup of dress- ing use one tablespoonful of currant jelly, well mixed into it, and an equal amount of whipped cream. Mix with the fruit and dates on head lettuce or leaf lettuce, shredded fine. Garnish with a few pistachio nuts and one or two whole dates, stuffed with nuts and dressing. 226 Practical Food Economy CHRISTMAS SALAD Cut three grapefruit in half, crosswise. Remove the pulp and drain. Cut in two-inch strips French endive in the proportion of one cup grapefruit to one and one half cups endive. Toss all together with French dressing made with orange and grape- fruit juice and an extra seasoning of paprika. Refill the grapefruit shells, put a teaspoonful of pomegranate and a few chopped pistachio nuts over the top, and set in a bed of holly on lace paper doilies, and you will have a salad in keeping with the color scheme for the hoKday season. PEAR SALAD There is a delicious, long, russet pear which is fine for this salad, or canned ones may be used, drained, and well marinated with lemon and orange juice. Peel and cut down in half, carefully scooping out the seeds, making a deep depression. Fill this with ripe Camembert or any cream cheese and lay on white leaves of head lettuce on salad plates. Serve with French dressing highly seasoned with paprika. Epicures disagree as to the proper dressing for alligator pears. They are rich in fats and are called "butter fruit" in the tropics, where they are eaten with lime juice squeezed over them. A little oil and a great deal of lemon or lime juice is liked by most lovers of this fruit. Service First 227 FRUIT SALAD 1 grape fruit | cup white grapes 2 slices pineapple ^ cup pecan meats I orange i head lettuce Directions. Cut the grapefruit and oranges in cross sections and free from seeds or membrane ; drain ; skin and seed the grapes and cut the nuts and pineapple in pieces ; mix and arrange on lettuce leaves, and serve with a mayonnaise dressing which is half whipped cream, juice of half a lemon, and two tablespoonfuls of raspberry juice, jam, or jelly mixed well with it. Pass toasted split French biscuits or rolls with this salad. OLIVIA SALAD ^ pint ripe olives (pitted) i teaspoonful lemon juice 3 ripe tomatoes i teaspoonful grated onion ^ cup whipped cream Paprika I cup mayonnaise Lettuce Utensils. Mayonnaise mixer, vegetable knife, chopping knife and bowl, cream whip. Directions. Pit and chop the olives rather fine and season with the lemon juice, paprika, the mayon- naise, and whipped cream mixed (but not beaten) together. Arrange four portions of washed and dried lettuce on salad plates ; peel and put one slice of tomato on top and spread thick with olive mixture ; put another slice of tomato on this ; garnish with mayonnaise, ripe olives and chopped chives, grated onion or chopped parsley. Pass cheese croutons or souffle and wafers with this salad. 228 Practical Food Economy Informal Sunday Evening Suppers "Grace thou thy house and let not that grace thee." — Benjamin Franklin. In many homes the Sunday evening meal is made pleasantly informal both by the simplicity of the food and the manner of serving it. If partially prepared before, it is a simple matter to set the table as for luncheon, with centerpiece and doilies. If one hot dish is to be served, the chafing dish is often used, for many times the host is an expert in chafing-dish cookery. Or, if there are children (either sons or daughters) old enough to take charge of a meal, let them assume the entire re- sponsibility of the Sunday night supper, taking turns if they choose, and inviting mother to a meal once a week. I am sure no one will appreciate it more. In a cooking class we once had among others a brother and sister, nine and twelve years old re- spectively, who loved to cook and begged to do some of the cooking at home. But the cook said, "None of their fussing in my kitchen." The father, how- ever, said, "No cook or maid shall enter our kitchen Sunday morning — my two children may plan and cook our Sunday morning breakfast." We had many happy reports from them, as we always helped plan the breakfast and used such dishes as came within their experience in the cooking class. No meal during the week can so characterize the intimate family life or hospitality to friends as this Service First 229 Sunday evening meal. "Fireside suppers" are a pleasure if families are still in the country during the cool weather. A tea wagon or English tea stand, holding sandwiches, cakes, bonbons, plates, etc., is easily moved to the fireplace, and there is no end to the good cheer in eating under such happy conditions. Who would care for Sunday or Monday, or any day for that matter, unless unexpected company "dropped in" occasionally .f* The only discomfort which the hostess should ever feel is when she has not enough in her larder to serve these extra guests. If meals are planned in advance, make no changes for the unexpected guest. There is nothing which adds more to the discomfort than this "extra work" idea of hospitality. To make the guest comfortable and feel perfectly welcome, all that is necessary is to put on an extra plate and add a little more in quantity of food if ample time is given. If not, the emergency shelf should always contain reserve food, such as home canned fruit, canned soup, vegetables, noodlesj wafers of several kinds, canned salmon, lobster, tuna fish, crab meat, deviled ham and chicken, olives, pickles, cocoa, coffee, tea, and (in the refrigerator) grape, lime or pineapple juice, or ginger ale. With some or all of these things and plenty of good seasonings, a soup can be quickly made or an extra dish prepared which will help out. Being prepared for "drop-in" guests frequently gives greater pleasure to both hostess and guest than when company is formally invited. 230 Practical Food Economy If the mistress of the home is to have freedom and pleasure, she must carefully plan at least three meals in advance every day, and particularly for Sunday, which is the one day of all the week for the family to be together. Remember that it is not alone the food served the guest which gives pleasure, but the welcome, which must be cordial and genuine. Menus for Sunday Night NUMBER 1 Tongue Sandwiches Lettuce and Tomato Salad Olives Nuts Salted Peaches Sunshine Cake Chocolate or Coffee TONGUE SANDWICHES Chop cold tongue very fine and for every pint of this add one quarter cup of cream ; one quarter cup mayonnaise, both whipped very stiff; two table- spoonfuls melted butter, and dash of paprika. Beat the butter to a cream ; cut the bread very thin, and spread with the butter and then the tongue mixture. These should be moist and used at once. MENU NUMBER 2 Chicken or Lamb with Peas in Mayonnaise Thin Bread and Butter Pickles Cream Cheese and Bar le Due Currant Salad Wafers Coffee Service First 231 LAMB WITH PEAS Slice cold roast lamb and arrange nicely in the center of a platter. Open a can of peas and drain well, saving the liquid for soup. Mix with mayon- naise and turn on the platter around the lamb. Garnish with parsley and serve. CREAM CHEESE AND BAR LE DUC CURRANT SALAD I Philadelphia cream cheese Lettuce Bar le Due currants Directions, Prepare the lettuce and have per- fectly dry and cold. Arrange on individual salad plates. Season the cheese with salt and paprika and very little mayonnaise. Put into a potato ricer and press through on to each plate of lettuce. Dot the cheese all over with Bar le Due currants or other home preserves. Serve with plain wafers. MENU NUMBER 3 Ham Mousse and Epicurean Sauce Lettuce and Mayonnaise Sandwiches or Chopped Pimentos, Sweet Green Peppers, or Olives Salted Almonds Stuffed Dates Allegretta Fruit Cakes Ice Cream CofFee HAM MOUSSE AND EPICUREAN SAUCE 2 cups cold boiled ham (chopped) i tablespoonful granulated gelatin ^ cup heavy cream i tablespoonful mixed mustard I cup hot water Paprika and cayenne 232 Practical Food Economy Directions. Chop the ham very fine and pound in a mortar, when possible. Dissolve the gelatin in a little cold water, then in the hot water, and add to the prepared ham with the cream beaten stiff. Season with rnustard, paprika, and a few grains of cayenne. Mold and chill. Part ham and chicken or veal are well combined, especially where it is desired to use left-overs. EPICUREAN SAUCE 1 cup heavy cream i tablespoonful tarragon vinegar 3 tablespoonfuls mayonnaise i teaspoonful English mustard 2 tablespoonfuls horse-radish | teaspoonful salt Caj^enne Directions. Beat the given amount of cream stiff and add the remaining ingredients. Turn the ham mousse out on a platter and serve the sauce around it. ALLEGRETTA FRUIT CAKES I cup pastry flour 4 tablespoonfuls butter I cup boiling water 4 eggs Directions. Put the water and butter into a saucepan over the fire, and when actively boiling add flour all at once, stirring rapidly all the time until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and forms a large ball. Cover and set to one side to cool. Now add one egg at a time, beating well each time. The dough should look fine, velvety, and glossy. Dip by teaspoonfuls on to greased baking pans and bake in a Service First 233 moderately quick oven about forty-five minutes or until very light. Fill the space inside with sliced peaches, fruit, or any desired filling. A very small opening is required on the side of the puff for filling. Cover well with allegretta frosting. ALLEGRETTA FROSTING 2 whites of eggs i teaspoonful vanilla i| cups powdered sugar i teaspoonful lemon juice 3 squares unsweetened chocolate Directions. Break the whites of the eggs on to a cold platter, beat well, lifting the egg beater high to entangle air for lightness. When very frothy, commence adding the sugar, a very little at a time, and keep on doing so, beating hard until it will stand alone. Add the lemon juice, beat, and let stand until stiff and shiny, then add the vanilla. Spread this on each puff and let stand until dry. Heat the choc- olate in the bowl over the teakettle of hot water, or melt in a double boiler. When the icing is not soft on top of the puff, take your spatula and dip up plenty of the chocolate on the broad blade, and with a quick sweeping motion cover every bit of the icing with it. This will have to be repeated several times to cover all the icing. This is a delicious frosting or filling, and can easily be made with a little practice. Any good cake recipe is nice, baked in one sheet, iced, and spread with chocolate and decorated with nuts; cut in squares. 234 Practical Food Economy The Road to Men's Hearts "The turnpike road to men's hearts I find lies through their mouths, or I mistake mankind." If the above which I recently saw in print be true, then the "kitchen" instead of the "parlor" would be the place for laying the plot of "The Spider and the Fly." Certainly a web could be woven around the modern cook stove which would entice and hold any man, if girls were only willing to apply themselves to the art of cooking. I do not say the above statement is true ; but this I do know, that if I went into every home in the land, I would find the majority of cooking planned for some man. It is what he likes, when he likes it, and how he likes it. Years ago, in the beginning of homes and home- making, the husband went forth to kill the game and brought it home where the wife was ready to cook and serve it. Later, the man tilled the soil that food might grow which was made by the good "housewife" into appetizing dishes for the family. She also had time to spin the yarn for the cloth from which she made their clothes. Civilization and machinery have taken care of much of this labor in the home ; from the making of candles and the care of lamps, we have come to turning on the button and behold ! electric light. Instead of rag rugs and carpets which were sewed and woven in the home, we have Oriental rugs and Service First 235 machine-made floor coverings. All necessary work is made wonderfully easy through labor-saving devices for cleaning and cooking. But, while large bakeries do much for us, the essential part of cooking has not been taken from the home kitchen. If this cooking which is "the road to men's hearts" is looked upon as an art to be acquired, a science to be learned, what more important profession could a woman aspire to? In these days no one believes that a woman should wash and scrub and clean all day with no outside interests ; but she must use her brains and think of the best and quickest ways in her cooking. To this end our mothers and daughters are being trained by schools and lectures all over the country. The old saying, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach," has been demonstrated many times. Mary Livermore's famous reply to a woman who wrote asking her what to do for her husband's bad temper was, " Feed the brute." In each instance, it was' a recognition of the fact that the physical side of a tired, overworked, and possibly cross man when properly fed rebounds, and he recuperates physically, mentally, and morally. For an entire year I directed all the lunches which a devoted wife cooked and carried to her husband's office. Every dinner was planned and cooked by her to lessen his desire for drink. This was done without his knowledge, and we both lived to see the day when that desire was a thing of the past — all 236 Practical Food Economy because of a knowledge of foods, their combination and careful preparation. Any woman can win a man and draw him into the "web" if she so desires, but it is another thing to keep him there. Don't tempt him with all the good things to eat before marriage and then expect to hold him by careless, indifferent cooking. "Man cannot live by bread alone", but it is an essential asset in keeping out of the divorce court. A judge said to me two years ago, as he was looking at my "Card Index Cooking Recipes", "I beUeve if I could present one of these to the wife and tell her to go home and follow it, when young couples come to me for divorce, it would be the means of reuniting them in almost every instance." This comes from a man who daily deals with facts, not sentiments. You Can Easily Learn to Cook "It's come to a crisis in our flat," said a bride of six months. "It's a boarding house, a cook, or starvation. We can't afford a cook, and as self- preservation is the first law, there's but one' alterna- tive. I simply can't cook." "Why.^" inquired her hostess. "Because I never learned. We always had a cook at home, and I never thought of going to cooking school before I was married. My husband wants me to go to one now, but it would take so Service First 237 long to learn how to make all the different things that people eat that I don't see where I'd ever get time for it. '^I feel sorry for John sometimes. His mother was a great housekeeper, and I could see yesterday that he was just about discouraged when the ocean was no brinier than the soup at lunch, and the bis- cuits were like little paving stones. Where was that boarding house Emily was telling us about yesterday, v/here the cooking v/as so good .^" "If I remembered, I wouldn't tell you," said her friend promptly. "It's a miserable, crippled sort of life that you and John are too good for, and you ought to be ashamed to talk about relinquishing the home that you married to found, just because you are too lazy to cook." "Mary Smith!" cried the accused indignantly. " I'm not lazy. Didn't I tell you I've tried and tried, and I can't cook ^ Cooking is a matter of education, or special talent, or something that I haven't got." The -foregoing was a conversation I heard recently. Who could have told this poor young housekeeper such nonsense ? Does she suppose that women are born cooks ^ Not much ! If she put as much brains into the preparation of lunch as into the selec- tion of a gown or the planning of one for the sewing girl to make, the lunch would be as artistic as the gown. The trouble is girls scatter their brains on the cooking, and excuse themselves by saying they were 238 Practical Food Economy not born to it. Most women and girls concentrate on clothes, and that is why they can plan or make a dress better than they plan or cook a meal. An inexperienced cook may not get perfect results the first time, but this is not true for those who have intelhgence enough to read. She can get any number of accurate recipes, with measurements, utensils, and directions given ; she can set out these necessary utensils, measure out the quantities as given exactly (not "pretty near" but exactly) ; put them together as directed, and cook them according to instructions, not forgetting to concentrate on the cooking or baking until finished. Good food is bound to come from such centered effort. It's not having been born short on cooking nor long on cook- ing. If people are born short on anything, it is the determination not to try with the same interest, purpose, and concentration as when planning or making something pretty to wear. There is no intelligent woman on earth who can't cook if she wants to, and she ought to want to, if she voluntarily marries a man who cannot afford to hire a good cook, because every family is entitled to wholesome food, and as good cooks are expensive luxuries, the housekeeper must supply the deficien- cies of the incompetent one. Simple things, well cooked, are all that should be expected of the housekeeper who is mistress and maid in one, but I never heard of an appeal for divorce on the ground that planked steaks were wanting, while Service First 239 cold canned vegetables and leaden biscuits have figured in many a one. Let me say to the bride: "Don't go to boarding. You started to make a home — a little nook of com- fort and brightness in the world. As yet the indi- vidual kitchen is a necessary part of it, whatever the future may hold in the way of cooperation. Start your little cooking class there to-morrow, using your clever head as well as your willing hands, and by and by — ■ when John is able to afford a cook — he will be as proud of the wife who knows how to cook, as you will be of his practical grasp of business details, which, by that time, he will have relegated to those under him. " Every woman should remember that a successful business man must know his work from the bottom up. Why shouldn't you ^ Home-making is not play, but it is far better ; it is worth-while work, and as such should be healthy and wholesome ; and that little class of one, faithfully and cheerfully persisted in, represents a very important part in home life. "Make a fresh start and your husband will soon have one of the best cooks ever 'made', as there are few like Topsy — *just born.'" INDEX Acids and Minerals, 50, Allegretta, Frosting, 233. Fruit Cakes, 232-233. Amber Marmalade, 153-154. Animal Food, Atwater's Nutrition Table of, 6-8. Apple, and Date Salad, 225. Butter, 187. Cobbler, 188. Custard Pie, 189. Custards, 188. en Casserole, 187. Fruit Cocktail, 185-186. Pie, 167. Sauce, 184-185. Apples, 183-184. Blushing, 186. Coddled, 188. Rosy-cheeked, 185. Apple-sauce Cake, 189. Approximate lOO-Calorie Portions of Common Foods, 11-13. Apricot Shortcake, 146-147. Atwater's Nutrition Tables, 6-1 1. Animal Food, 6-8. Vegetable Food, 8-1 1. Baked Ham Hash, 65. Baked Peaches, 172. Bar le Due Preserves, 205. Basis for Cream Soups, 195-196. Bavarian Rice, 111-112. Beef, a la Mode, 63. Braised, 56. Beef, Fore Quarter of, 57-59. Hind Quarter of, 60-62. Short Ribs of, 62. Berry Pie, 163-165. Biscuit, Buttermilk, 126. Blood Purifiers, 50. Blushing Apples, 186. Boston Cookies, 215. Braised Beef, 56. Bread, as a Food, 89-91. Brown, 102-103. Buttermilk, 125. History of, 86-89. Necessities for Good, 96-97. Nut, 103. Quick Buttermilk, 125-126. Sixth City Whole Wheat, 97-98. Southern Spoon Corn, 105-106. Standardizing a Loaf of, 94-96. Value of Whole Wheat, 91-94. Very Best, loo-ioi. Breakfast, Sunday, 214. Brown Betty, 186-187. Brown Bread, 102-103. Bulky Foods and Cleansers, 50. Butter, Apple, 187. Buttermilk, 123-125. Biscuit, 126. Bread (quick), 125. Nut Bread, 125. Buying Foods, 2. Cabbage, Pickled Purple, 159. Cake, Allegretta. 241 242 Index Cake, Fruit, 232-233. Apple-sauce, 189. Calories, 4-5, II. Canned Food, Truths about, 127- 132. Canning, Cold Pack Method of, 135-139. Home, 132-135. Time-table for Fruit and Vegetables, 137-139. Cantaloupe, How to Judge, 175- 177. Carbohydrates, 49. Care of Milk, 11 5-1 17. Cheaper Meat Substitutes or Alter- natives, 68. Children, School Lunches for, 196-200. What to Feed, 190-200. Children's Menus, 194-195. Christmas Salad, 226. Cleansers, 50. Cobbler, Apple, 188. Cocktail, Apple Fruit, 185-186. Coddled Apples, 188. Cold Pack Method of Canning, 135-139- Conserve, Grape, 181. Plum, 173-174- Cook, Learn to, 236-239. Cookies, Boston, 215. Ginger, 204. Cooking by Electricity, 40-43. Foods, 3. Macaroni, 114. Rice, 109-110. Corn Meal, 103-105. and Fig Pudding, 106. Muffins, 105. Mush, 106. Cottage Cheese, 215. Cream Cheese and Bar le Due Currant Salad, 231. Cream Sauce, 186. Cream Soups, Basis for, 195-196. Variety of, 196. Croquettes, 76. Crumpets, Whole Wheat, 126. Cucumbers, Salted, 157-158. Custards, Apple, 188. Cuts, Scientific Cooking of, 53-56. Date Mush, 146. Deep-fat Frying, 74-75. Dill Pickles, 157. Dinner Menu, 64. Directions for Measuring, 14-16. Dissolvents, 50. Doughnuts, Drop, ']'j. Plain, 77-78. Dressing, French, 221-222. Mayonnaise, 222-223. Rice and Tomato, 65. Dressings, for Salads, 221-223. for Fruit Salads, 224-225. Dried Fruits and Their Uses, 143- 145- Drop Doughnuts, TJ. Economy, not False, but True, 28-33- in Meat Buying, 53-62. Egg Sandwiches, 215. Elderly People, Food for, 205-209. Menus for, 208-209. Electricity, Cooking by, 40-43 . Elements of Everyday Food, 48-50. Energy Foods, 50. Entire Wheat and Bran Muffins, 101-102. Epicurean Sauce,'232. Evaporation of Fruits and Vege- tables, 140-143. Time-table for, 141-142. Evaporator, How to Use, 141. Index 243 Fats, 50. in Menu Making, 71-74. Waste No, 78-79. Finances, Looking after, 21-24. Finnan Haddie, Perfection, 83- 84. Fish, What to Serve with, 84-85. Fish Salad, 84. Flank Steak, 64. Food, for Elderly People, 205-209. Sense, 13-14. Foods, Buying of, 2. Cooking of, 3 . Elements of Everyday, 48-50. lOO-Calorie Portions of, 11-13. Tables of Nutrition, 8-1 1. Fore Quarter of Beef, 57-59. Forest Hill Corn Sticks, 107. French Dressing, 221-222. Fried Salt Pork, 66. Frosting, AUegretta, 233. Fruits and Vegetables Cold Pack Canning of, 135-139. Dried, I43-I44- Home Evaporation of, 141-143. Fruit Salad, 227. Salads and Dressings, 223-227. Frying, Deep-fat, 74-75- Fuels, 49. , Gas Range, Understanding, 36- 40. Ginger Cookies, 204. Gluten Muffins, 102. Graham Pudding, 204-205. Grape, Conserve, 181. Jelly, 182-183. Juice, 180. Sirup, 180-181. Grapes, 179-180. Spiced, 158, 159. Green Tomato Pickles, 159-160. Grocery Bills, Reduce, 33-36. Hamburg Loaf, 62. Ham Mousse, 231-232. Hash, Baked Ham, 65. Hind Quarter of Beef, 60-62. History of Bread, 86-89. Home Canning, 132-135. Home Evaporation of Fruits and Vegetables, 140-143. Time-table for, 141- 142. Home Information about Milk, 118-119. Honey in Menu Making, 200-204. Housekeeper's Measuring Sched- ule, 15-16. How to Crumb, 75. How to Judge Watermelon and Cantaloupe, 175-177. How to Serve Watermelon, 177. How to Use an Evaporator, 141. Ice Cream, Peach, 173. Prime, 145. Ice Water Pickles, 156-157. Informal Sunday Evening Suppers, 228-233. Jelly, Grape, 182. Plum, 174-175- Jelly Making, Science of, 147-152. Kitchen, Stocking the, 43-47. Lamb with Peas, 231. Learn to Cook, 236-239. Lemon Pie, 167. Lemons, Use of, 161-163. Liquids, 50. Looking after Finances, 21-24. Luncheon, Sunday, 214. Macaroni, 112-113. Cooking, 114. Seasonings for, 114. 244 Index Marmalade, Amber, 153-154. Mayonnaise Dressing, 222-223. Measuring, Directions for, 14-16. Meat Buying, Economy in, 53- 62. Meat Substitutes or Alternatives, 68. Menu Making, Fats in, 71-74. Honey in, 200-204. Menus, Children's, 194-195. Dinner, 64. for Elderly People, 208-209. for Sunday, 214-215, 230-232. Vary with Fish, 80-83. Milk, Care of, 115-117. Home Information about, 118- 119. Questions for Mothers Regarding, 119-121. Milk Table, 122-123. Minerals and Acids, 50. Mousse, Ham, 231-232. Muscle Builders, 49. Muffins, Corn Meal, 105. Entire Wheat and Bran, loi- 102. Gluten, 102. Mush, Corn Meal, 106. Date, 146. Necessities for Good Bread, 96-97. Nut, Bread, 103. Loaf, 70. or Cheese Custard, 71. Nuts and Cheese of Meat Value, 67-70. Nutrition and Wise Marketing, 16-20. Olivia Salad, 227. Onions, Pickled, 158. Oranges, Use of, 161-163. Pastry, Plain, 163-166. Peaches and Plums, 171-172. Baked, 172. Peach, Ice Cream, 173. Sauce, 172. Pear Salad, 226, Perfection Finnan Haddie, 83-84. Pickled Onions, 158. Purple Cabbage, 159. Pickles, Dill, 157. Green Tomato, 159-160. Ice Water, 156-157. Watermelon, 178. Pickling Time, 1 54-160. Pie, Apple, 167. Apple Custard, 189. Berry, 163-165. Lemon, 167. Rhubarb, 166. Strawberry, 166-167. Plain Doughnuts, 'j']. Plum, Conserve, 173-174. Jelly, 174-175- Salad, 174, Pork, Fried Salt, 66. Preserves, Bar le Due, 205. Store for Winter, 152-153. Protein, 49. Prime Ice Cream, 145. Pudding, Corn Meal and Fig, 106. Graham, 204-205. Questions for Mothers, 119- 121, Quick Buttermilk Bread, 125-126. Ready Food for the United States, 103. Reduce Grocery Bills, 33-36. Rhubarb Pie, 166. Rice, 107-109. Bavarian, 111-112. Cooking, 109-110. Index 245 Rice, Spanish, iii. Rice, and Tomato Dressing, 65. with Chicken, iii. Road to Men's Hearts, 234-236.- Rosy-cheeked Apples, 185. Round Steak a la Quin, 216. Salad, Apple and Date, 225. Christmas, 226. Cream Cheese and Bar le Due Currant, 231. Fish, 84. Fruit, 227. Olivia, 227. Pear, 226. Plum, 174. Salads and Salad Dressings, 216- 223. Salted Cucumbers, 157-158. Sandwiches, Egg, 215. Tongue, 230. Sauce, Apple, 184-185. Cream, 186. Epicurean, 232. Peach, 172. School Lunches for Children, 196- 200. Science of Jelly Making, 147-152. Scientific Cooking and Care in Cuts, 53-56. Seasonings for Macaroni, 114. Sherbet, Watermelon, 178. Shortcakes, 168-170. Apricot, 146-147. Number I, 1 70-1 71. Number II, 171. Short Ribs of Beef, 62. Sirup, Grape, 180-181. Sixth City Whole Wheat Bread, 97-98. Soups, Cream, 195-196. Southern Spoon Corn Bread, 105- 106. Spanish Rice, iii. Spiced Grapes, 158-159. Standardizing a Loaf of Bread, 94-96. Starches, 49-50. Steak, a la Quin, 216. Flank, 64. Stuffed Round, 65. Stocking the Kitchen, 43-47. Store Preserves for Winter, 152- 153. Strawberry Pie, 166-167. Stuifed Prunes, 147. Round Steak, 65. Suggestions for Children's Menus, 195- Sunday Breakfast, 214. Luncheon, 214. Supper, 215-216, 228-233. Supper, Sunday, 215-216, 228-233. Sweets, 50. Table, Milk, 122-123. Tables, Atwater's Nutrition, 6-1 1. Time-table, for Fruit and Vege- table Canning, 137-139. for the Evaporation of Fruits and Vegetables, 141-142. Tongue Sandwiches, 230. Trained Nurse in the Home, 209- 212. Truths about Canned Food, 127- 132. Understanding the Gas Range, 36-40. Use of Oranges, 161-163. Vacation for Mother, 212-216. Value of Whole Wheat Bread, 91- 94- Variety of Cream Soups, 196. Vary Menus with Fish, 80-83. 246 Index Vegetable Food, Atwater's Nutri- tion Tables of, 8-11. Very Best Bread, loo-ioi. Waste no Fats, 78-79. Watermelon, how to Judge, 175- 177. how to Serve, 177. Watermelon, Pickles, 178-179. Sherbet, 178. Week-end Vacation for Mother, 212-216. What to Feed Children, 190-200. What to Serve with Fish, 84-85. Wheat Flour Substitutes, 98-99. Whole Wheat Crumpets, 126. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 358 610 8