Chapter I: Part 1

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A FRIEND IN THE KITCHEN

Or What to Cook and How to Cook It

Containing About 400 Choice Recipes Carefully Tested Together with Plain Directions on Healthful Cookery; How to Can Fruit; A Week’s Menu; Proper Food Combinations; Rules for Dyspeptics; Food for Infants; Simple Dishes for the Sick; Wholesome Drinks; Useful Tables on Nutritive Values of Foods; Time Required to Digest Foods; Weights and Measures for the Kitchen; etc.

by

MRS. ANNA L. COLCORD

Sixteenth Edition, 160th Thousand

“_There is religion in a good loaf of bread._”
“_Bad Cooking diminishes happiness and shortens life._”

Review and Herald Publishing Association Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C.

Copyrighted 1899, 1908 by the Author. All rights reserved.

INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS

PAGE

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COOKING 4

SOUPS 7

CEREALS 13

TOASTS 18

BREADS 21

FRUITS 35

VEGETABLES 47

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS 58

SUBSTITUTES FOR MEATS 60

EGGS 66

OMELETS 68

PUDDINGS 69

CUSTARDS AND CREAMS 75

SAUCES 77

PIES 80

CAKES 86

WHOLESOME DRINKS 91

SPECIALLY PREPARED HEALTH FOODS 94

SIMPLE DISHES FOR THE SICK 98

FOOD FOR INFANTS 101

MISCELLANEOUS 102

A WEEK’S MENU 105

SABBATH DINNERS 106

FOOD COMBINATIONS 107

TIME REQUIRED TO DIGEST VARIOUS FOODS 107

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FOODS 108

HOW TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN 109

RULES FOR DYSPEPTICS 110

THE PULSE IN HEALTH 111

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES FOR THE KITCHEN 111

HOUSEHOLD HINTS 111

THE ART OF ARTS

Some maids are gifted with the art
Of painting like the masters;
To dullest canvas they impart
The freshness of the pastures.

While others, with their ready pen,
Find hours of busy pleasure
In polished prose, or then, again,
In light poetic measure.

Another, like a woodland bird,
May set the sad world ringing
With carols sweet as ever heard;
Here is the art of singing.

But there’s a maid and there’s an art
To which the world is looking,—
The nearest art unto the heart,—
The good old art of cooking.
—_Selected._

PRACTICAL ’OLOGIES

DAUGHTER.—“Yes, I’ve graduated, but now I must inform myself in psychology, philology, bibli—“ PRACTICAL MOTHER.—“Stop right where you are: I have arranged for you a thorough course in ‘roastology,’ ‘boilology,’ ‘stitchology,’ ‘darnology,’ ‘patchology,’ and general domestic ‘hustleology.’ Now get on your working clothes.”—_Detroit Free Press._

A little girl who, when having her Scripture lesson, was asked by her sister Ruth, “Why did God make Eve?” replied, “To cook for Adam, o‘ course.”—_Christian World._

There are some tombstones upon which the inscription might very properly be written, “He died a victim to poor cooking.”

Preface

The object of this work is to furnish in an inexpensive and convenient form, plain directions on healthful cookery. Special attention has been given to the idea of presenting such recipes as will tend to make the living of the family what it should be,—simple, economical, wholesome, nutritious, palatable, and varied.

The housewife is often perplexed to know just what to cook; but if she has at hand something which will suggest to her what she desires but can not think of, she has that which is indeed a friend.

The author has tried to make the work sufficiently comprehensive to answer the demands of an ordinary household.

The recipes for the preparation of grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables occupy a large portion of the work. Cream is mentioned in a number of the recipes, but while its use is to be preferred instead of butter, especially if sterilized, substitutes have generally been suggested where it is not at hand or available.

Pains have been taken to make the recipes plain and explicit, and yet as brief as possible consistent with these ends. The amount of the various ingredients required has generally been indicated by measure, rather than by weight, as this is usually more convenient and time-saving.

It is hoped that this little work will be found to be a real friend in the kitchen. That it may be such, and that it may prove a blessing to thousands in many lands, is the sincere wish of— THE AUTHOR.

A FRIEND IN THE KITCHEN
Or What to Cook and How to Cook It

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COOKING

Healthful cookery is not receiving the attention which its importance demands. Although we are living at a time when eating and drinking are carried to excess, and when elaborate bills of fare are frequently placed before us, yet plain, simple, and healthful cookery occupies but a comparatively small place in the culinary world to-day.

Good food is of primary importance. We live upon what we eat. It is not sufficient, however, merely to select good food. To be well digested and thoroughly assimilated the food must be properly prepared. The best food may be spoiled in cooking. The kind of food upon which we live, and the manner in which it is prepared, determines largely our physical well-being, and consequently much of our happiness or misery in this life.

“For love, nor honor, wealth, nor power,
Can give the heart a cheerful hour
When health is lost. Be timely wise;
With health all taste of pleasure flies.”

Moreover, the mind is affected by the condition of the body, and the morals by the state of the mind. As, therefore, cooking determines to a large degree the condition of the body, it must also affect to a considerable extent our moral and spiritual welfare. It is not too much to say, therefore, that there is religion in good cooking.

It has been truly said that “the cook fills an important place in the household. She is preparing food to be taken into the stomach, to form brain, bone, and muscle. The health of all the members of the family depends largely upon her skill and intelligence.” As the lives of those on a steamship are in the hands of the helmsman, so the lives and the health of the members of the family are, to a great degree, in the hands of the one who prepares their meals.

Thousands are dying annually as the result of poor cooking. Food poorly prepared is not nutritious, and can not, therefore, make good blood.

Some may say they have no natural ability to cook; but any one having ordinary intelligence, with a little effort, care, and proper directions, can learn to cook well. And surely the health of the family ought to be of sufficient importance to inspire every mother with ambition to learn how to cook.

Mothers should also teach their daughters the mysteries of good cooking. They should show them that this is an essential part of their education,—more essential than the study of music, fancy work, the dead languages, or the sciences. The knowledge of these latter without the knowledge of how to care for the body and provide it with suitable nourishment, is of little worth. Meredith hit upon a great truth when he said:—

“We may live without music, poetry, and art;
We may live without conscience, and live without heart,
We may live without friends; we may live without books;
But civilized man can not live without cooks.”

No young woman should contemplate marriage until she has first acquired a practical knowledge of simple cookery, for this is essential, whether she expects to do the cooking herself, or supervise the maid. Although bread is the staff of life, it is a sad fact that a large proportion of the daughters of the present generation do not know how to make a good loaf of bread. They have not been instructed in the useful art of cookery, so that when they have families of their own they can provide for their tables a well-cooked dinner, prepared with nicety, so that they would not blush to place it before their most esteemed friends.

There has never been an age so noted for dyspeptics as the present, and there was perhaps never before a time when there was a greater scarcity of good cooks.

“Though we boast of modern progress as aloft we proudly soar
Above untutored cannibals whose habits we deplore,
Yet in our daily papers any day you chance to look
You may find this advertisement: ‘Wanted—A Girl to Cook.’”

Good cooking does not consist in the preparation of highly seasoned foods to pamper a perverted appetite, but in cooking with simplicity, variety, and skill natural foods in a palatable and wholesome manner. To assist in this direction is the object of this little work.

But no workman can work without materials and tools. The necessary materials for cooking are indicated in the recipes given in this book. Illustrations of many of the most necessary and useful cooking utensils will be found scattered throughout the work.

A very convenient and easily constructed wall rack, which may be placed over the kitchen work table, is shown in the following cut:

SOUPS

O hour of all hours, the most pleasant on earth,
Happy hour of our dinners!—_Meredith._

Soup rejoices the stomach, and disposes it to receive and digest other food.—_Brillat Savarin._

It is important that we relish the food we eat.—_Christian Temperance._

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Soup is easily prepared, economical, and when made from healthful materials, is a very wholesome article of diet. It adds much to the elegance and relish of a dinner, and, if taken in small quantities, is a good means of preparing the whole system to assimilate a hearty meal.

Soups afford an excellent opportunity for using left-over foods which might otherwise be wasted. A combination of vegetables left over from the previous day, such as a cupful of mashed potatoes, some stewed peas, beans, or lentils, a few spoonfuls of boiled rice, stewed tomatoes, or other bits of vegetables or grains, if in good order, make a very palatable and nourishing soup. The vegetables should be put all together in a saucepan with enough water to cover them, let simmer for an hour or two, then rubbed through a colander, and returned to the saucepan with sufficient water added to make the soup of proper consistency, reheated, seasoned, and served.

For seasoning soup, a few spoonfuls of cream, or a little butter or nut butter may be used, though, if properly made, it is quite relishable without.

We wish all our readers success with the following simple but delicious kinds.

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BEAN SOUP

For two quarts of soup soak one pint of beans overnight. In the morning drain, and put to cook in cold water, adding one-third cup of well-washed rice if desired; boil slowly for about two hours. When done, rub through a colander, thin with boiling water, and season with a little butter and salt.

POTATO SOUP

Pare and slice three medium-sized potatoes, and put to cook with a tablespoonful of chopped onion, or stalk of celery chopped fine, in sufficient water to cover. If celery is not at hand, one-half teaspoonful of celery salt may be used instead. Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan over the fire, then add two tablespoonfuls of flour, stir well, and cook one minute; then add gradually one quart of milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Simmer for ten minutes. As soon as the potatoes are done, and the water nearly absorbed, rub, without draining, through a colander, and add them to the hot, thickened milk. Season with salt, and serve.

GREEN PEA SOUP

Add to a quart of green peas a teaspoonful of sugar and enough water to cover; cook gently until tender, and the water quite absorbed. Then rub through a colander, add a quart of milk, salt to taste, and return to the fire. Heat to boiling, then add a spoonful of flour, mixed smooth with a little butter, then to a thin paste with a little of the soup. Simmer for a few minutes, and serve with croutons. If desired, a little onion or celery may be added for seasoning during the last few minutes of cooking, and then be removed.

SPLIT PEA SOUP

Wash one cupful of dried, split peas, and soak for several hours, or overnight, in cold water. Then put to cook in three pints of cold water, and boil slowly until thoroughly dissolved, adding more water occasionally to keep the quantity good. Stir up frequently from the bottom of the kettle. Rub through a colander; add water or rich milk to make the proper consistency, and return to the fire. Brown slightly one tablespoonful of flour in a tablespoonful of butter or cooking oil, then thin it with a few spoonfuls of the hot soup; stir this into the boiling soup, with salt to taste; simmer for ten minutes, and serve. An onion chopped fine and browned with the flour may be used for seasoning; also a cupful of tomatoes may be cooked with the peas before straining, if desired.

SPLIT PEA AND VERMICELLI SOUP

Make the soup as above. Cook one-half cup of vermicelli in a cupful of boiling water for ten minutes and add to the soup.

TOMATO SOUP

Put a quart can of tomatoes in a porcelain stewpan, add a pint of water, and stew until well done. Brown lightly in a frying-pan a tablespoonful of finely chopped onion in a tablespoonful of butter or cooking oil; then mix in a tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch; thin this with a little of the soup, and then stir it into the soup. Simmer for ten minutes, run through a colander, reheat, add salt to taste, and serve hot with croutons.

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

Take two cupfuls of canned or fresh tomatoes, add a cupful of water, one teaspoonful of minced onion, and, if desired, a little chopped celery; stew till tender, then rub through a colander. Heat one quart of milk to boiling. Have mixed smooth one tablespoonful of butter and one level tablespoonful of flour, then thin with a little of the hot milk. Stir this into the milk as soon as it starts to boil, and cook for several minutes, adding salt to taste. Then add the tomatoes. Do not cook or let stand after the tomatoes are added, but serve at once.

LENTIL SOUP

Cook one cupful of lentils, previously soaked an hour or two in about a quart of water, until tender. Rub through a colander; return to the fire, adding enough boiling water to make a quart in all, a small onion cut in slices, and salt to taste. When heated to boiling, thicken to the consistency of cream with browned flour. Season with a little butter or a few spoonfuls of sweet cream. If butter is used it should be mixed or braided with the flour, then thinned with enough of the soup so that it can be easily poured in. Simmer for ten minutes after adding the flour. Remove the onion before serving. The German or dark lentils are usually cheaper than the Egyptian or red lentils.

LENTIL AND TOMATO SOUP

Soak one cupful of lentils in cold water for a few hours, then cook in a quart of water until tender, with one small onion, three or four fresh tomatoes, or two cupfuls of stewed ones, and a tablespoonful of nut butter, if desired. Rub through a colander, add hot water to make three pints in all, reheat to boiling, and slightly thicken with a spoonful of browned flour mixed with a little cold water. Season with a small lump of butter or a few spoonfuls of cream.

TOMATO AND MACARONI SOUP

Drop a cupful of macaroni broken into small pieces into three or four cupfuls of boiling, slightly salted, water; boil from thirty to sixty minutes, or until tender, the length of time required depending upon whether the macaroni is fresh or stale. Have stewing one quart of fresh or canned tomatoes, and when done, rub through a colander; drain the macaroni, and add it to the tomatoes, with hot water to make about three pints in all. Reheat, season with salt and a little butter, and, after removing from the fire, add a few spoonfuls of sweet cream if convenient. Serve as soon as the cream is added.

RICE SOUP

Wash one-third cup of rice and put to cook in about three cupfuls of water, adding a little salt; cook until tender. Then add one quart of milk, and salt to taste; reheat to boiling. Have ready a tablespoonful of butter mixed smooth with a tablespoonful of flour, then made thin with a little of the hot milk; pour this into the soup and simmer for ten minutes. Celery may be added for flavoring if desired. Also, if desired richer, a beaten yolk of egg, first mixed with a few spoonfuls of the hot soup to prevent coagulating, may be added to the soup a few minutes before serving.

SAGO PEA SOUP

Wash, soak, and cook one cupful of split peas in plenty of water until tender; rub through a colander, return to the fire, adding enough hot water to make three pints in all, and a few slices of onion. Wash three tablespoonfuls of sago in warm water, and stir gradually into the soup; simmer for a half-hour, or until well dissolved. Remove the onion, and season with salt. Add a few spoonfuls of thin cream or rich milk to the beaten yolk of an egg, and stir into the soup a few minutes before serving.

SAGO FRUIT SOUP (SUMMER)

Soak one-half cup of sago for an hour in a cup of cold water; then add a quart of hot water, and simmer until transparent. In the meantime cook together one cup of prunes and one-half cup of raisins in a small quantity of water. When the sago is transparent, add the fruit, together with one-half cup of currant, plum, or some other tart fruit juice, and one-half cup of sugar. This will make three pints of soup. Serve hot with croutons.

Instead of the above, rice with dried apricots, and prune or currant juice may be used.

VEGETABLE SOUP (SUMMER)

Take a cupful each of chopped turnips, carrots, cauliflower or cabbage, several young onions cut fine, one cupful of green peas, one tablespoonful parsley or bay leaves for flavoring, and stew together in a stewpan with water to cover for six or eight minutes; then drain, cover with fresh boiling water, and stew slowly until tender, and the water nearly absorbed. Strain through a colander. Add enough hot rich milk or cream to make quite thin, salt to taste, reheat, and serve.

VEGETABLE SOUP (WINTER)

Put two tablespoonfuls of butter into a stewpan or soup kettle, add one onion chopped fine, and brown nicely; stir frequently to prevent burning. To this add a tablespoonful of flour, mix thoroughly, then pour in slowly a pint of hot water, stirring to keep smooth. Add to this one-half cupful each of chopped carrots, turnips, and celery, one cupful of tomatoes, a teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of chopped or powdered parsley, bay leaves or thyme, and a slice of bread toasted very brown. Boil two potatoes for ten minutes, drain, and add them to the soup. Simmer all till well done, run through a colander, add hot water to make of proper consistency, a little more salt if desired, and serve hot.

VEGETABLE SOUP STOCK

Put into a kettle one quart of tomatoes, three pints of water, and place over the fire; add one onion, one or two pared potatoes, and one carrot, all finely chopped, one teaspoonful of celery salt, two bay leaves, and cook slowly for one hour. Run through a colander, and add salt to taste. Add to this cooked macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli, corn, or rice.

BARLEY SOUP

Cook a cupful of pearl barley in three pints of water for several hours, adding water as needed to keep the quantity good. When done, add salt and a little cream, or the beaten yolk of an egg.

NOODLE SOUP

Beat the yolks of two eggs thoroughly, then add one cup of sifted flour, and knead well for five or ten minutes; divide into four parts, roll each part nearly as thin as a knife blade, and place on a clean cloth near the fire to dry. When dried sufficiently so that they will not stick together when rolled up, or be so dry as to be brittle, roll each piece up into a roll, and with a sharp knife cut or shave crosswise into very narrow slices, about one-twelfth of an inch in width. Shake out well, and let dry thoroughly. Then drop into hot salted water, and boil twenty minutes; drain off the water well, add a quart of milk, salt to taste, reheat, and serve. Noodles may be added to other soups instead of macaroni.

ASPARAGUS SOUP

Take two bundles of fresh, tender asparagus, wash, cut into short lengths, and put to cook in a quart of hot water. Let cook slowly till tender, and the water reduced one-half; rub through a colander, add three cups of milk, a spoonful or two of cream, and salt to taste. Let heat to boiling, and serve with croutons. A half cup of well-cooked rice may be stirred into the soup before serving if desired.

FOUNDATION FOR CREAM OF VEGETABLE SOUPS

Rub one tablespoonful each of butter and flour to a cream, then slowly pour into it one quart of boiling milk, stirring well. Allow to thicken, add salt to taste, and the seasoning and ingredients, as canned corn, peas, celery, asparagus, salsify, etc., desired for the soup. To make the soup richer, a beaten egg, or a few spoonfuls of cream may be put into the tureen before turning in the soup.

CROUTONS FOR SOUP

Cut bread into small cubes from one-half inch to an inch square, and brown in a moderate oven. A spoonful or two of the croutons may be placed in each plate, and the hot soup turned over them, or placed in a dish on the table for use as desired.

BROWNED FLOUR FOR SOUPS

Spread a small quantity of flour on shallow tins, and brown lightly in a moderately hot oven; stir often enough to prevent any part from scorching. A quantity may be prepared and put away in covered jars for use.

SEASONING FOR SOUPS

Ground nuts with herbs, dried and powdered nicely, flavor and enrich vegetable soups, gravies, and sauces.

HERBS FOR SOUPS

Herbs, such as bay leaves, parsley, thyme, etc., are valuable for flavoring soups, savories, and gravies. They can be obtained at a druggists, and a few cents’ worth will last a long time.

CEREALS

“O stay me with rice and with porridge
O comfort me sweetly with grits!
Baked beans give me plenty of courage,
And cracked wheat enlivens my wits.”

No one should adopt an impoverished diet.

Bring me my breakfast—oatmeal and boiled eggs.—_A. T. Stewart, the millionaire._

Carlyle, catching a glimpse of Macaulay’s face, once remarked, “Well, any one can see that you are an honest, good sort of a fellow, made out of oatmeal.”

Dr. Johnson, who entertained a great dislike for the Scots, and lost no opportunity of saying bitter things against them, once defined oats as “in Scotland food for Scotchmen; but in England, food for horses.” He was well answered by the indignant Scotchman, who replied, “Yes, and where can you find such men as in Scotland, or such horses as in England?”

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Most grains require prolonged cooking, and slow cooking is preferable to fast. They are frequently served in the form of mush, and too often in an underdone state. Thorough cooking not only breaks up the food, but partially digests the starch contained in it.

Salt should be added to the water before stirring in the grain or meal.

All grains and meals should be put into actively boiling water to prevent them from having a raw taste, and allowed to boil fast until they “set,” or thicken, and cease sinking to the bottom; till then they should be stirred frequently, but gently, to prevent burning. After the grain has thickened, it should be stirred very little, or none at all.

Enough grain or meal should be used to make the mush quite thick and glutinous when done. Watery or sloppy mush is neither palatable nor strengthening to the digestive organs when used constantly. In fact, it should not be considered necessary to have mush every morning. A change occasionally to drier foods is better for the digestion.

An excellent utensil for cooking grains is a milk or mush boiler, generally called a double boiler. This consists of one vessel set inside of another, the inner one containing the grain to be cooked, the other partly filled with boiling water. An ordinary saucepan, however, will do very well, if smooth, and by greasing the inside with a little butter before putting in the water, the tendency of the grain to adhere to the saucepan will be greatly obviated.

If a double boiler is used, allow the grain to boil in the inner vessel standing directly over the range until it “sets,” then cover and place in the outer vessel, the water in which must also be boiling in order that the cooking process be not checked; then leave to cook slowly until done. From three to four hours is not too long when the double boiler is used. Grain prepared in this way may be cooked on the previous day and simply warmed up again the next morning for breakfast. What is left over from any meal may be used in the next preparation.

If a hastily prepared mush is required, perhaps nothing better than the rolled oats can be employed, these requiring not more than half an hour’s cooking, as they are already partially cooked in their manufacture; but even these are improved by longer cooking in a double boiler.

It is very important, when making any kind of mush, that the water be boiling rapidly, and kept thus while stirring in the meal; for unless the grain or meal is thoroughly scalded when stirred in, not even prolonged cooking will take away the raw taste.

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OATMEAL MUSH

To a quart of boiling water add a pinch of salt, sprinkle in a cupful of oatmeal, and boil rapidly for about ten minutes, or until it sets, stirring frequently with a fork. Then place over the hot water in the lower boiler and cook from one to three hours. Just before serving, remove the cover and stir lightly with a fork to allow the steam to escape. This makes the mush more dry. Serve with baked apples, cream, fresh fruit, or with the juice from stewed fruit. Oatmeal is richer in nitrogen than any other grain, and therefore very nutritious. But to be wholesome it must be well cooked, and not served in a pasty, undone mass.

ROLLED OATS

This is much preferred by some, as it requires only a short time to cook. Make as above, only using two cupfuls of the meal to one quart of water. An ordinary saucepan does very well for this, but the double boiler is better.

ROLLED OATS AND SAGO MUSH

Wash and soak one-third cup of sago in a little cold water. Stir one and one-half cups of rolled oats into one quart of salted, boiling water. Cook for fifteen minutes, then stir in the sago, and cook as much longer. Serve with cream, stewed fruit, or fruit juice.

GRAHAM MUSH

Into three pints of rapidly boiling water, properly salted, stir dry, one heaping pint of sifted Graham flour. Cook slowly for one hour on the back of the range, stirring but little after the first few minutes. Serve with milk or cream, and a very little sugar if desired.

GRAHAM MUSH WITH DATES

Cook as above. Take a cupful of dates, cut in two, removing the stones, and stir into the mush just before taking from the fire. Serve with milk or cream. Steamed raisins or stewed figs may be used instead of dates. Serve hot, or pour out into cups or molds, first wet with cold water, and serve cold with cream.

BOILED RICE

Wash one cup of rice, and put to cook in four cups of boiling water, slightly salted. Cook quite rapidly for the first fifteen minutes, stirring a little occasionally to prevent sticking to the pan. Then cover closely, and cook slowly on the back of the range without stirring. When nearly done, add a cup of sweet milk, cook until tender, and serve with milk, cream, or stewed fruit. If the rice has been soaked overnight, put to cook in an equal quantity of boiling water, or equal parts of milk and water, and cook for about half an hour.

CREAM OF WHEAT

To four parts of boiling water previously salted, add one part cream of wheat, sprinkling it in with the hand, and cook slowly for about an hour. Serve hot with cream or stewed figs.

CORN-MEAL MUSH, NO. 1

Into three pints of boiling water, salted, sprinkle one pint of corn-meal. Cook slowly for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with plenty of milk or cream. Very good and nutritious, especially for winter.

CORN-MEAL MUSH, NO. 2

Put to boil one quart of water, adding one teaspoonful of salt. Mix smooth one tablespoonful of flour and two cupfuls each of milk and corn-meal. Stir this gradually into the rapidly boiling water; boil about half an hour, stirring frequently. Serve as soon as done, with rich milk.

CORN-MEAL SQUARES

Take cold, left-over corn-meal mush, cut into rather thick slices, and then into inch squares. Put the squares into a tureen, and pour over them some hot milk or cream. Cover the dish, let stand a few minutes, and serve.

BARLEY MUSH

To each cupful of pearl barley, previously washed, add five cups of boiling water, a teaspoonful of salt, and cook in a double boiler for three or four hours. Serve with cream, lemon sauce, or stewed fruit.

BOILED WHEAT

To one part of good, plump wheat add five parts of cold water, a little salt, and cook slowly from four to six hours, or until the grains burst open and are tender. If soaked overnight, less time for boiling will be required. Add a little more water while cooking if necessary, but avoid much stirring. Serve hot or cold with milk, cream, fruit, or fruit juice. A very simple and wholesome dish.

GLUTEN MUSH

Into three pints of rapidly boiling, salted water stir one pint of gluten; cook in a double boiler for several hours.

HOMINY

Soak, then put to cook in enough boiling water to cover. Cook gently for several hours, being careful not to stir after the grains begin to soften. Add a little more water if needed. Season with salt when done. A quantity may be cooked at a time, and warmed up with a little cream or butter as needed.

CRACKED WHEAT

Cook the same as hominy and oatmeal, using three parts of boiling water to one of cracked wheat. When done, turn into cups or molds first wet with cold water. Nice served cold with cream. Seedless raisins may be cooked with it.

GRANULATED WHEAT

Use the same proportion and cook the same as cracked wheat. Serve warm or cold with good sweet cream.

CORN-MEAL CUTLETS

Cut cold corn-meal mush into slices three inches long and one inch wide; roll each piece in beaten egg, slightly salted, then in grated bread crumbs; place on an oiled tin in the oven till nicely browned. Other mushes may be treated likewise.

BROWNED RICE

Place a small quantity on shallow tins, and brown in the oven till a golden yellow, stirring frequently so that it may brown evenly; then steam for about an hour in a steamer over boiling water or in a steam cooker, allowing two parts of hot water to one part of rice. When done, it should be quite dry and mealy. It may be eaten dry, or served with brown or lentil sauce, or rich milk or cream.

BAKED MUSH

Cook any of the foregoing mushes as directed, and as soon as done, turn into a pan, crock, or a round tin can, first wet with cold water, or oiled, to prevent sticking. If brushed over the top with oil, a crust will not form. When cold, cut into slices from one half to three fourths of an inch thick, place on oiled tins, and bake till a nice brown. A quart of cooked mush will make about a dozen slices.

TOASTS

“A meal—what is it? Just enough of food
To renovate and well refresh the frame,
So that with spirits lightened, and with strength renewed,
We turn with willingness to work again.”

The appetite is subject to education; therefore learn to love that which you know to be good and wholesome.

The most _expensive_ food is spoiled when served up burnt or tasteless; the _cheapest_ may be delicious with the proper seasoning.—_Lantz._

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Toast makes a very nice breakfast dish, and is easily and quickly prepared. It can be made in a variety of ways which are both simple and wholesome. When properly prepared, it furnishes abundant nourishment, and is easily digested.

The proper foundation for all toasts is zwieback (pronounced zwībäck), or twice-baked bread. This may be made from either fresh or stale bread, the fresh making the more crisp and delicious for dry eating. The bread should be light and of good quality. That which is sour, heavy, and unfit to eat untoasted, should never be used for toast.

Toasts afford an excellent opportunity for using up left-over slices of bread, and its use is therefore a matter of economy as well as of securing variety in diet.

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ZWIEBACK, OR DRY TOAST

Cut fresh or stale light bread, either white or brown, into slices half an inch thick, place on tins, and bake slowly in a moderate oven until browned evenly throughout. Care should be taken not to scorch the bread. It should not be put into an oven that is merely warm. It should be baked, not simply dried. The common method of toasting merely the outside of the bread by holding it over a fire is not the most wholesome way of preparing toast. When properly made, it will be crisp throughout. Zwieback may be prepared in quantity and kept on hand for use. It furnishes a good article of diet, especially for dyspeptics, eaten dry, or with milk or cream.

MILK TOAST

Scald one cupful of milk in double boiler, then add one teaspoonful of cornstarch, mixed with a little cold water; stir until it thickens. Cook about ten minutes, then add one teaspoonful of butter, one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, and pour it over six slices of zwieback, previously moistened with hot water or milk.

TOAST WITH CREAM SAUCE

Prepare a cream sauce as directed on page 77. Moisten five or six slices of zwieback by dipping them quickly into hot water or milk, place them on a dish, and pour over the hot cream sauce.

ASPARAGUS TOAST

Prepare asparagus by washing each stalk free from sand; remove the tough portions, cut the stalks into small pieces, and stew in a little hot, salted water; drain off the water as soon as done, add a cup of milk, and season with a little butter and salt. Cream may be used instead of the milk and butter. Moisten the zwieback with hot milk, and place in a dish. Pour over the stewed asparagus, and serve hot.

BERRY TOAST

Prepare zwieback as above. Take fresh or canned strawberries, raspberries, mulberries, or other fruit, mash well with a spoon, add sugar to sweeten, and serve as a dressing on the slices of zwieback previously moistened.

EGG TOAST

Moisten slices of zwieback in hot milk or cream, season with a sprinkle of salt, and serve hot with a poached egg on each slice. For poached eggs see page 66.

BANANA TOAST

Moisten slices of zwieback in hot milk. Mash the bananas into a pulp, or cut into thin slices, and place some on each slice of toast.

FRUIT TOAST

Take stewed apricots, peaches, or plums, rub through a colander, heat to boiling, thicken with a little cornstarch, sweeten to taste, and pour over the moistened zwieback.

CREAM TOAST

Moisten slices of zwieback in hot water, sprinkle with a little salt, and dip over each slice a spoonful or two of nice, sweet, cold cream.

BUTTER TOAST

Place each slice of zwieback on a small plate, pour over a little hot water, and quickly drain off; add a sprinkle of salt, if desired, spread lightly with butter and serve.

CRUSHED TOAST

Take fresh, but thoroughly toasted bread or crackers, or some of each, grind closely in a coffee or hand mill, or crush with a rolling-pin, and serve in small dishes with milk, cream, or fruit juice. This may be served as a substitute for the health food known as granola. Crushed toast is also a very serviceable article for use in soups and puddings.

TOMATO TOAST

Moisten slices of zwieback in hot milk, and serve with a dressing prepared by heating a pint of strained, stewed tomatoes to boiling, and thickening with a tablespoonful of flour or cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Season with salt and a little cream or butter, and pour over the toast.

BEAN PASTE

Soak one cupful of white beans overnight in cold water; put to cook in the morning in boiling water, and cook to a pulp, and till the water is quite absorbed. Rub through a colander, then add a tablespoonful of finely minced onion, one teaspoonful of powdered sage, one saltspoonful of celery salt, the juice of one lemon, two or three spoonfuls of tomato juice, if at hand, and salt to taste. Simmer together for a short time, then use cold to spread on toast or bread as a relish, or in the place of butter, or for making sandwiches.

VARIETY.—Remember, as Home Note says, that “variety of diet is important. Ill health often follows a monotonous sameness of diet. Oatmeal, bread and butter, and marmalade, are all excellent breakfast dishes of their kind, but when given every morning, for years at a time, they become positively nauseating.”

BREADS

A VOICE FROM THE CORN

“I was made to be eaten, not to be drank,
To be thrashed in a barn, not soaked in a tank;
I come as a blessing when put in a mill,
As a blight and a curse when run through a still;
Make me up into loaves, and your children are fed;
But made into drink, I will starve them instead.
In bread I’m a servant, the eater shall rule,
In drink I’m a master, the drinker a fool.
Then remember my warning; my strength I’ll employ,—
If eaten, to strengthen, if drunk, to destroy.”

The wandering Arab lives almost entirely upon bread, with a few dates as a relish.

Behind the nutty loaf is the mill wheel; behind the mill is the wheat field; on the wheat field rests the sunlight; above the sun is God.—_James Russell Lowell._

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Bread stands at the head of all foods. It has very properly been termed “the staff of life.”

Why this is so is because wheat, from which bread is mostly made, contains more nearly than any other one article, all the necessary food elements required to sustain the human system, and these, too, in proper proportions, and so forms most nearly a perfect food. From it the brain, bones, muscles, and nerves, all receive a large amount of nourishment.

This being so, bread should enter largely into the daily bill of fare of every family. It is hardly too much to say that no meal is complete without it.

Where little bread is used, serious defects may frequently be observed. For instance, in some of the islands of the Pacific Ocean, where no wheat has been grown, and little could be obtained, the inhabitants almost universally have poor teeth. The early decay of the teeth so prevalent among the rising generation to-day, may generally be attributed to four causes: (1) A lack of sufficient lime in the water; (2) too free indulgence in sweets, such as rich cakes, jams, and candies; (3) too large an amount of flesh foods; and (4) an insufficient supply of good, simple, wholesome bread, especially whole wheat bread.

Home-made bread, when properly prepared, is generally to be preferred to bakers’ bread. Chemicals and adulterations, as well as a lack of cleanliness and proper care in preparation, not infrequently characterize the latter, and thus give rise to serious stomach disorders. Moreover, bakers’ bread is not always obtainable, and is always necessarily more expensive than that which is home-made. The baker can not afford to work for nothing. For these reasons, every woman, and especially every wife and mother, ought to know how to make good bread. The temptation to patronize the bake shop should not outweigh the interests of the health of the family, and the duty to practise economy.

The essentials to good bread-making are three:—

1. Good flour.
2. Good yeast.
3. Proper attention.

When either of these is lacking, good results can not be obtained. Poor flour will not produce good bread; good flour and poor yeast will not make good bread; and good flour and good yeast with improper attention will not insure good bread. All three are essential.

The first thing to consider in the making of bread is the flour. Good flour will generally be found to have a creamy white tint. That which is of a bluish white is seldom the best. Good flour will fall light and elastic from the hand. Flour that retains the imprint of the fingers when squeezed, and falls in a damp, clammy mass, should be avoided.

The second essential is good yeast. One may have ever so good flour and yet make poor bread, if the flour is used in conjunction with poor yeast. Good yeast has a fresh, pungent odor, and is light and foamy; while poor yeast has a sour odor, and a dull, watery appearance.

The third essential is proper attention. In winter, bread sponge should be made at night if it is desired to have the bread baked in the early part of the day. The flour used in making the sponge should first be warmed, and the sponge covered with several thicknesses of cloth, and set in a warm place till morning.

In hot weather set the sponge early in the morning, and the bread can be baked by noon. Both the sponge and dough are best kept in an earthen crock or jar, as they are less quickly affected by drafts of air.

As soon as the sponge has risen to be light and puffy, it should receive attention immediately, if desired to have the bread white and sweet. If allowed to reach the point of running over, or falling in the center, it has stood too long. For this reason sponge set at night should be mixed late in the evening, and attended to as early in the morning as possible.

In using very active yeast, it will not be necessary to set a sponge. Mix the ingredients into a good bread dough at the first mixing, beating the batter well while stirring in the flour. The more thoroughly the batter is beaten, the less kneading the dough will require. Set the bread in this way in the morning, and it can be baked by noon.

A few mealy potatoes, cooked and mashed, added to the sponge, makes the bread sweeter and keeps it fresh longer. Milk used in connection with yeast should first be scalded and cooled to lukewarm.

Too much flour should not be used in mixing, as it will make the bread hard and tough; but enough should be used to make the dough firm and elastic. Turn the dough out on the molding-board and knead it, not with the tips of the fingers, but with the whole hands, from the sides into the center, turning frequently, that all portions may be thoroughly worked. When the dough is smooth and elastic, with no dry flour left on its surface, form into a smooth ball, and place back in the crock, which should be washed clean, dried and oiled, to prevent the dough from sticking. Observe how full it makes the crock; cover up warmly, and when it has doubled its bulk, form gently into loaves, handling the dough as little as possible, and place in the pans for the last rising. When the loaves are risen to twice their size, place in a moderately hot oven to bake. The oven should be hot when the bread is put in. By no means have the bread, when ready to bake, wait for the oven to be heated, as it may then become too light, run over in the oven, and possibly be sour.

When nearly ready to bake, test the oven by putting in it a piece of writing-paper; if it turns dark brown in six minutes, the oven is of about the proper heat. If bread bakes too fast, a crust is formed on the outside of the loaf which prevents the inside from becoming hot enough to dry thoroughly, and the result is that the inside of the loaf is too moist, while the outside is baked hard. Bread should not brown much under fifteen or twenty minutes after being placed in the oven. If it rises much after being put in the oven, the heat is not sufficient. Bread should be turned around in the oven if it does not rise or brown evenly.

Medium-sized loaves should be baked from fifty to sixty minutes; small French loaves about thirty-five minutes. Bread is done when it shrinks from the pan, and can be handled without burning the fingers.

When taken from the oven, the loaves should be turned out of the pans, placed on their sides, so that the crust will not soften by the steam, and covered with a thin cloth. When cold, keep in a covered stone jar or a tin box, which should be kept free from crumbs and musty pieces of bread, and scalded and dried thoroughly every few days.

As to their healthfulness, the most wholesome breads are unleavened breads, or those made without either yeast, baking-powder, soda, or cream of tartar, such as gems, rolls, and crackers. Next come those made with good yeast; then those with baking-powder, if comparatively pure; and lastly those made with soda and sour milk, or soda and cream of tartar. Baking-powder is preferable to soda. The latter should seldom if ever be used, as it is injurious to the health, being an active dyspepsia-producing article.

WHITE BREAD

Scald a quart of new or unskimmed milk, let cool to lukewarm, then stir in a dissolved yeast cake, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and enough sifted flour to make a thin batter. Cover, and set aside till light, then work in flour until a dough of the proper consistency for bread is formed. Knead until it is smooth and elastic, and does not stick to the hands or board. Place in a clean, oiled crock, and when light, form into four loaves; let rise again and bake. Equal parts of milk and water may be used if desired.

MOTHER’S BREAD

In the evening boil three small potatoes, or save them out when cooking, and mash them with a fork in a gallon crock. Put in about three cupfuls of flour, two tablespoonfuls each of salt and sugar, then pour in enough boiling water to make a good batter. Beat until smooth. Soak one cake of compressed yeast or yeast foam in one-half cup of lukewarm water, and when the batter is just warm stir in the yeast and beat until quite foamy. Set in a warm place overnight. The first thing in the morning dip about two quarts of flour in a pan, make a cavity in the center, and pour in the sponge and about a pint of warm water. Stir all together into a thin batter, and set in a warm place till after breakfast; then knead until it does not stick to the board, put it in a three-gallon crock, well oiled to prevent the dough from sticking; cover with a tin lid to keep a crust from forming over the top, then with several thicknesses of cloth, and set in a warm place until it rises up full. Then mold into loaves, place in pans, let rise again, and bake in a moderate oven for about an hour, or until the loaves shrink from the sides of the pans and do not burn the fingers when removing from the pans. Turn the bread out of the pans, and cover with a thin cloth. This will make six loaves. If the loaves are brushed over with cold water just before being placed in the oven the crust will be more crisp.

GRAHAM BREAD, NO. 1

Take two tablespoonfuls of good liquid yeast, two cups of sweet milk, previously scalded and cooled to lukewarm, one teaspoonful of salt, and two cupfuls of white flour; beat together thoroughly, and set to rise. When very light, add three heaping cupfuls of sifted Graham flour, or sufficient to make a soft dough. Knead for a half-hour, then place in a pan slightly buttered, cover warmly, and set to rise. When light, form into loaves, let rise again, and bake.

GRAHAM BREAD, NO. 2

Make a sponge as for white bread. When light, add the stiffly beaten white of one egg, one tablespoonful each of sugar and melted butter, and enough sifted Graham flour to make a soft dough. Knead lightly, place back in oiled crock till light, then make into loaves, let rise, and bake. Graham bread should not be mixed as stiff as white bread, or it will be too solid. Two tablespoonfuls of molasses may be used for sweetening instead of sugar, if preferred.

GRAHAM FRUIT BREAD

Make the same as Graham bread, and when ready to form into loaves, add a cupful of raisins or dried currants, washed and dried, and dusted with flour.

WHOLE WHEAT BREAD

Make a sponge as for white bread. If desired a light color, use one fourth white flour instead of all whole wheat flour. Knead well, keeping the dough soft, then set in a warm place to rise. When light, form into loaves, let rise again, and bake. This bread rises slower than white bread.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

Scald one pint of corn-meal with a pint of boiling water; let cool till lukewarm, then stir in one dissolved yeast cake, or one-half cup of sweet, lively yeast, three tablespoonfuls of molasses, one teaspoonful of salt, and about three cupfuls of rye meal. Beat well, put in oiled pan, steam four or five hours, then place in the oven for half an hour to form a crust.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

Take two cupfuls of lukewarm milk, previously scalded, three tablespoonfuls of melted butter, or vegetable oil, one well-beaten egg, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt, and one cake of yeast dissolved in a little of the milk; mix all together, then add enough flour to make a good batter. Let rise until light, knead, using sufficient flour; let rise again till very light, roll out to one-half inch in thickness, cut into round or oval shapes with a cutter, fold one third back over the top, and place in a pan to rise. When very light, bake in a moderate oven. Brush over with beaten yolk of egg, mixed with two spoonfuls of cold water just before taking from the oven. Braided or plaited rolls may be made by cutting the rolled dough into strips six inches long and one inch wide, pinching the ends of each three strips together, and then braiding.

CORN-MEAL BREAD

Stir one-half cup of corn-meal into two cupfuls of boiling water; when well cooked, remove from the fire and add two cupfuls of cold water; stir well together; then add one teaspoonful of salt, one cake of yeast dissolved in a little warm water, two tablespoonfuls of sugar or molasses, and enough white flour to make a good dough. Knead well, and set to rise; when light, form into three loaves, let rise again, and bake for nearly an hour.

SALT-RISING BREAD

Take a small pitcher and put into it a half pint of warm water, a teaspoonful each of salt and sugar, then stir in flour enough to make a medium-thick batter. Set the pitcher in a kettle of warm water to rise. It should be kept warm all the time, not hot, for if it is scalded, it will never rise. When light, stir in a pint of warm milk or water and enough warm flour to make a soft dough. Knead it, form into a loaf, place in the pan, set to rise in a warm place, and bake as soon as light.

RAISED BISCUITS

Make from dough prepared for white bread. When the dough is ready to form into loaves, divide it into small, equal portions, shape into smooth, round biscuits, place closely in a shallow baking pan, and let rise till considerably lighter than bread; brush lightly with milk, and bake in a rather quick oven.

GEMS

General Directions