ESSENTIALS OF COOKING VOLUME 5-2
10. So far as candy is concerned, the coarseness of the sugar does not
make a great deal of difference, although the finer sugars are perhaps a
little better because they dissolve more quickly in the liquid and are a
trifle less likely to crystallize after cooking. When sugar is to be
used without cooking, however, its fineness makes a decided difference.
Sugars finer than granulated are known as pulverized sugars and are
made by grinding granulated sugar in a mill that crushes the crystals.
These pulverized sugars are known on the market as coarse powdered,
standard powdered, and XXXX powdered, the last being the one that
should always be purchased for the making of confectionery where the use
of uncooked sugar is required. One of the chief characteristics of
sugars of this kind is that they lump to a great extent, the finer the
sugar the larger and harder being the lumps. Before sugar that has
become lumpy can be used, it must be reduced to its original condition
by crushing the lumps with a rolling pin and then sifting the sugar
through a fine wire sieve. As explained in Cakes, Cookies, and
Puddings, Part 1, sugars of this kind are not suitable for cooking
purposes, such as the preparation of cooked icings, etc. These are made
from granulated or other coarse sugar, while the uncooked ones are made
from XXXX, or confectioners', sugar, as it is sometimes called. Then,
too, fine sugars cost more than do the granulated sugars, so it is well
to remember that nothing is gained by their use.
11. The third variety of sugars, which are known as soft sugars, are
purchased by the retail dealer by number. There are fifteen grades of
this sugar, ranging from 1 to 15, and the number indicates the color of
the sugar. No. 1 is practically white, while No. 15 is very dark, and
the intervening numbers vary in color between these two shades. The
lightness of the color indicates the amount of refinement the sugars
have had. The dark-brown sugars are stronger in flavor and indicate less
refinement than the light ones. When brown sugar is required for any
purpose, it is usually advisable to use one of the lighter shades,
because they are more agreeable in taste than the very dark ones.
12. MOLASSES.--The liquid that remains after most of the sugar has been
refined out of the cane juice is known as molasses. The juice from beets
does not produce molasses; therefore, all of the molasses found on the
market is the product of cane juice. A molasses known as sorghum
molasses is made by boiling the sap of sorghum, which is a stout cereal
grass, but this variety is seldom found on the general market, it being
used locally where it is manufactured. The dark color and the
characteristic flavor of molasses are due to the foreign materials that
remain in the juice after the removal of the sugar. Molasses is not so
sweet as sugar, but it is much used as an ingredient in the making of
many delicious confections. As in the case of soft sugars, the lighter
the molasses is in color, the more agreeable is the flavor of the
confections made from it.
13. GLUCOSE.--Another substance much used in the making of confections
is glucose. It is usually manufactured from the starch of corn and is
put on the market under various trade names, but generally it is called
corn sirup. Many persons have long considered glucose a harmful food,
but this belief has been proved untrue. Glucose has come to be
absolutely necessary in some candy making in order to produce certain
results. The glucose that the confectioners use is a heavier, stickier
substance than the sirups that can be purchased for table use or for
cooking, but these do very well for most candy-making purposes. However,
none of the glucose preparations are so sweet as sugar, maple sirup,
or honey.
14. Glucose will not crystallize nor make a creamy substance; neither
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will it permit any substance that contains more than a very little of it
to become creamy. A creamy candy containing a small amount of it will
remain soft longer than that made without it; also, it will cream
without danger of the formation of large crystals. Because of these
characteristics, which are responsible for its use in candy making, a
mixture containing glucose will not "go to sugar." Taffy-like
confections and clear candies contain a large proportion of glucose,
while any that are intended to be creamy, such as bonbons and the
centers for chocolates, have only a small amount, if any, glucose
in them.
15. MAPLE SIRUP AND MAPLE SUGAR.--Maple sirup and maple sugar, because
of their pleasing flavor, are used extensively for candy making. Maple
sirup is, of course, the basis for maple sugar, for by boiling the sirup
to evaporate the water and then stirring it, maple sugar results. When
the sirup is used for candy making, it must be boiled, but it seldom
requires any liquid other than that which it already contains. On the
other hand, maple sugar requires liquid in some form, for it must first
be dissolved in a liquid and then boiled with it.
16. HONEY.--Honey that has been pressed from the comb and is in the form
of a heavy sirup is used in the making of various confections. It
provides a delightful flavor much different from that of sugar, and when
it is cooked it acts in much the same way as glucose.
FLAVORINGS
17. KINDS OF FLAVORINGS.--Flavorings are very important in the making of
confections, for it is on them that much of the appetizing effect of
these foods depends. In fact, unless good flavorings are secured and
then used discreetly, tasty results cannot be expected.
The flavorings used in candy making are in reality divided into two
classes--natural and artificial.
18. NATURAL FLAVORINGS.--Under the head of natural flavorings come those
which are made from the fruit or the plant that produces the desired
flavor. They are known as oils and extracts.
19. The oils are obtained by pressing out the natural flavoring
substance from the material containing it. They are usually very strong,
so that only a little is needed to flavor a comparatively large quantity
of food. Peppermint, wintergreen, and cinnamon are the oils that are
used the most.
20. EXTRACTS are prepared by using alcohol to extract the flavoring
substances from certain materials. The alcohol acts as a preservative,
so that the finished extract nearly always contains a high percentage of
this material. Vanilla and such flavorings as lemon and orange are
examples of extracts that are usually made in this way. A few companies
manufacture a product in which glycerine instead of alcohol is used as
the preservative. Flavorings so prepared are in the form of a thick,
sirupy substance rather than a liquid and are usually sold in a tube.
21. ARTIFICIAL FLAVORINGS.--Flavorings classified as artificial
flavorings are of two kinds: those having for their basis substances
extracted from coal tar and those prepared by various chemical
combinations. They are also known as synthetic flavors. With regard to
both healthfulness and taste, they are not so desirable as the natural
flavorings.
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22. ADULTERATION OF FLAVORINGS.--As it is a common practice to
adulterate flavorings, every manufacturer of these materials is obliged
to state on the label of each bottle or tube of flavoring just what its
contents consist of. Therefore, when the purchase is made, the label
should be carefully examined. Without doubt, vanilla is adulterated more
often than any other flavoring, a pure extract of vanilla being seldom
found. The beans from which the flavor is extracted are very expensive,
so the Tonka bean and other cheaper flavoring substances are often
resorted to in the making of this flavoring. However, when large amounts
of such things are used, the price of the extract should be less than
that charged for the pure extract of the vanilla bean. Many chefs and
professional cooks overcome this difficulty by purchasing the vanilla
beans and using them for flavoring purposes by soaking or cooking small
pieces of them in the material that is to be flavored or grinding the
bean in a mortar and using it in the ground form.
COLORINGS
23. COLORINGS are used in the making of confections, candy in
particular, for two purposes: to make them attractive and to indicate
certain flavors. For instance, candies flavored with wintergreen are
usually colored pink, while those containing peppermint are colored pale
green or are left white. Strawberry and rose flavors are also colored
pink; orange and lemon, their respective shades of yellow; violet,
lavender; and pistachio and almond, green.
24. The substances used for coloring confections are of two general
classes: vegetable and mineral, or chemical. The vegetable
colorings, like the natural flavorings, are considered to be the most
healthful ones. Some of the chemical colorings are derivatives of coal
tar, just as are the coal-tar flavorings. Cochineal, a red color
extracted from the bodies of cochineal insects, is a coloring matter
much used in the preparation of confections. These coloring materials
may be purchased in several forms. The ones most commonly used come in
the form of liquid or paste, but frequently colorings are to be had in
powder or tablet form.
25. Discretion must always be observed in the use of colorings. Because
of their concentration, they must be greatly diluted and used in only
very small amounts. As is well known, pale colors in candies are always
more attractive than deep ones. Then, too, when candies contain much
color, most persons are likely to consider them harmful to eat. To get
the best results, only a little coloring should be added at a time, and
each amount added should be mixed in thoroughly. Then the danger of
getting too much coloring will be avoided. It should be remembered,
however, that if colored candies are kept for any length of time or are
exposed to the light, they will fade to a certain extent; consequently,
these may be colored a little more deeply than those which are to be
used at once.
ACIDS
26. To prevent the creaming or the crystallizing of such candy as taffy,
an acid of some kind is generally used with the cane sugar in the making
of this variety of confection. The acid, upon being boiled with the
sugar, changes a part of the cane sugar to invert sugar, and as this
does not crystallize, the candy will not become sugary. A similar effect
is obtained by adding glucose in sufficient amounts; since it does not
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crystallize, the cane sugar is prevented from becoming sugary.
27. The acids most commonly used for this purpose are cream of tartar,
acetic acid, vinegar, which has acetic acid for its basis, and lemon
juice, which has citric acid for its basis. With each pound of sugar, it
will be necessary to use 1/8 teaspoonful of cream of tartar, 1 or 2
drops of acetic acid, or 1 tablespoonful of vinegar or lemon juice in
order to prevent crystallization. Lemon juice and vinegar are much more
likely to flavor the candy than are cream of tartar and acetic acid.
Often, if a fine-grained creamy candy is desired, a small amount of one
of these acids is used. Even in small quantities, they will prevent the
coarse-grained crystallization that is the natural result of the cooking
and stirring of the cane sugar when nothing is done to prevent it.
FOOD MATERIALS
28. In addition to the ingredients already mentioned, there are a number
of materials that may be used in the making of candy to provide food
value and at the same time give variety and improve the flavor and
appearance of the candy. Chief among these materials are coconut, cocoa,
chocolate, nuts, candied and dried fruits, milk, cream, butter, etc.
Their value in candy depends on their use, so it is well to understand
their nature and the methods of using them.
29. COCONUT.--Either shredded or ground coconut is often used in candy
to give it flavor or variety. Coconut for this purpose may be secured in
a number of forms. A coconut itself may be purchased, cracked open to
remove the flesh, and then prepared either by grating it or by grinding
it. This will be found to be very delicious and preferable to any other
kind. However, if it is not desired to prepare the coconut in the home,
this material may be purchased shredded in boxes or in cans. That which
comes in boxes is usually somewhat dry and is often found to be quite
hard. The canned varieties remain soft, since the shredded coconut is
mixed with the milk of the coconut, but these have the disadvantage of
not keeping very well. Any coconut that becomes too dry for use may be
softened by steaming it.
30. COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--In the making of confections, cocoa and
chocolate are used extensively for both flavoring and coating. Either of
them may be used for flavoring purposes, but chocolate is always
preferable, because it has a richer, deeper flavor than cocoa. Bitter
chocolate should be used in preference to any kind of sweet chocolate.
When it is to be cooked with candy for flavoring, it may be added to the
other ingredients in pieces and allowed to melt during the cooking. It
is often used without cooking, however, as when it is added to material
that is to be used as centers for bonbons or opera creams. In such an
event, it is first melted over steam or hot water and then worked into
the candy.
31. When desired for coating, chocolate that is sweetened is usually
employed, although many persons are fond of creams that have a bitter
coating. Sometimes a bitter-sweet coating, that is, a slightly sweetened
chocolate, is used, and for most purposes a coating of this kind is
preferred. Such chocolate must usually be purchased from a store where
confectioner's supplies are sold or from a candy-making establishment.
Milk chocolate and very sweet coatings may also be purchased for
coating, but the eating chocolate that is sold in bars will not produce
satisfactory results, and so should never be used for coating purposes.
32. CANDIED AND DRIED FRUITS.--Many varieties of candied or crystallized
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fruits and flowers find a place in the making of confections. Sometimes
they are used as an ingredient, while other times they are added to
bonbons and chocolates merely for decorative purposes. Again, they are
often used in boxes of fancy candies that are packed to sell at some
special event or to give away. They are somewhat expensive to purchase,
but if they are properly used they add such an appetizing touch and
produce such gratifying and delightful results that the expenditure for
them is well justified. Many of these may be prepared in the home with a
certain degree of satisfaction.
33. The two candied fruits most frequently used are candied pineapple
and candied cherries, but, in addition to these candied apricots,
peaches, pears, limes, lemons, and oranges are often found in the
market. Cherries preserved in maraschino wine and creme de menthe add
attractive touches of color to candies and make delicious confections
when coated with bonbon cream or chocolate.
34. Crystallized violets, rose petals, and mint leaves are used
frequently in the preparation of confections. They are added merely for
decoration and make very attractive candies. They can usually be
purchased in confectionery stores.
35. Several varieties of dried fruits, chief among which are dates,
figs, and raisins, are useful in the making of confections. They have
the advantage of not requiring complicated manipulation, and at the same
time they lend themselves to a number of delicious confections that may
often be eaten by persons who cannot eat anything so rich as candy.
Children can usually partake of confections made of these fruits without
harm when candy would disagree with them.
36. NUTS.--Nuts of various kinds probably have more extensive use in the
making of confections than any other class of foods. In fact, there are
few kinds of candy that cannot be much improved by the addition of nuts.
Halves of such nuts as English walnuts and pecans are frequently used by
being pressed into the outside of bonbons and chocolates. Then, too,
pieces of various kinds of nuts are used with a filling for coated
candies. Such nuts as almonds, filberts, walnuts, and peanuts are often
covered singly or in clusters with the same chocolate coating that is
used to coat creams. Pistachio nuts, which are light green in color, are
either chopped or used in halves on chocolates or bonbons.
37. When nuts are not desired whole for confections, they should never
be put through a food chopper; rather, they should always be broken up
by being cut or chopped with a knife. The simplest way in which to cut
them is to spread the nuts in a single layer on a board and then with a
sharp knife press down on them, having one hand on the back of the knife
near the point and the other on the handle and rocking the knife back
and forth across the nuts until they are as fine as desired. They may
also be chopped in a chopping bowl or cut one at a time with a small,
sharp knife.
38. Salted nuts, while not a confection in the true sense of the word,
are closely related to confections, since they are used for the same
purpose. For this reason, it seems advisable to give the methods of
preparing them in connection with the preparation of confections.
39. POP CORN.--An excellent confection and one that always appeals to
children may be made from pop corn. This variety of Indian corn has
small kernels with or without sharp points. To prepare it for
confections; the kernels, or grains, are removed from the ears and then
exposed to heat in a corn popper or a covered pan. When they become
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sufficiently hot, they pop, or explode; that is, they rupture their
yellow coat and turn inside out. The popped kernels may be eaten in this
form by merely being salted or they may be treated with various sugar
preparations in the ways explained later.
40. MILK, CREAM, AND BUTTER.--Milk is extensively used in the making of
candy, both to obtain a certain flavor and to secure a particular
consistency. Skim milk may be used for this purpose, but the richer the
milk, the better will be the flavor of the finished candy. Cream, of
course, makes the most delicious candy, but as it is usually expensive,
it greatly increases the cost of the confection. Butter may be used with
milk to obtain a result similar to that secured by the use of cream. If
skim milk is used, butter should by all means be added, for it greatly
improves the flavor of the candy. In any recipe requiring milk,
condensed or evaporated milk may be substituted with very satisfactory
results. These milks may be diluted as much as is desired.
Besides providing flavor, milk, cream, and butter add food value to the
confections in which they are used. Most of this is in the form of fat,
a food substance that is not supplied by any other ingredients, except
perhaps chocolate and nuts. They are therefore particularly valuable and
should always be used properly in order that the most good may be
derived from them.
41. The chief problem in the use of milk is to keep it from curding and,
if curding takes place, to prevent the curds from settling and burning
during the boiling. When maple sirup, molasses, or other substances that
are liable to curdle milk are to be cooked with the milk, a little soda
should be added or, if possible, the milk should be heated well before
it is put in. When it can be done, the milk should be cooked with the
sugar before the ingredients likely to make it curdle are added.
In case the milk does curdle, the mixture should be treated at once, or
the result will be very unsatisfactory. The best plan consists in
beating the mixture rapidly with a rotary egg beater in order to break
up the curds as fine as possible, and then stirring it frequently during
the boiling to keep the milk from settling and burning. As this stirring
is a disadvantage in the making of candy, every precaution should be
taken to prevent the curding of the milk.
EQUIPMENT FOR CONFECTION MAKING
42. The utensils for candy making are few in number and simple in
nature. As with all of the more elaborate foods, the fancy candies
require slightly more unusual equipment, and even for the more ordinary
kinds it is possible to buy convenient utensils that will make results a
little more certain. But, practically all the utensils required are to
be found in every kitchen.
43. To boil the confectionery ingredients, a saucepan or a kettle is
required. This may be made of copper or aluminum or of any of the
various types of enamelware that are used for cooking utensils. One
important requirement is that the surface of the pan be perfectly
smooth. A pan that has become rough from usage or an enamelware pan that
is chipped should not be used for the boiling of candy.
The size of the utensil to use depends on the kind and the amount of the
mixture to be boiled. A sugar-and-water mixture does not require a pan
much larger in size than is necessary to hold the mixture itself, for it
does not expand much in boiling. However, a mixture containing milk,
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condensed milk, cream, or butter should be cooked in a pan much larger
than is needed for the same quantity of sugar and water, for such a
mixture expands greatly and is liable to boil over. The necessary size
of the pan to be used should be overestimated rather than
underestimated. In the cooking of candy, just as in the cooking of other
foods, the surface exposed to the heat and the depth of the material to
be cooked affect the rapidity of cooking and evaporation. Consequently,
if rapid evaporation and quick cooking are desired, a pan that is broad
and comparatively shallow should be used, rather than one that is
narrow and deep.
44. Measuring cups and spoons, a spoon for stirring, and a knife are, of
course, essential in making confections. Then, too, it is often
convenient to have a metal spatula and a wooden spoon or spatula. When
these utensils are made of wood, they are light in weight and
consequently excellent for stirring and beating. If egg whites are used
in the preparation of a confection, an egg whip is needed. When candy
must be poured into a pan to harden, any variety of pan may be used, but
generally one having square corners is the most satisfactory. Then if
the candy is cut into squares, none of it will be wasted in the cutting.
45. A thermometer that registers as high as 300 or 400 degrees
Fahrenheit is a valuable asset in candy making when recipes giving the
temperature to which the boiling must be carried are followed. A degree
of accuracy can be obtained in this way by the inexperienced candy maker
that cannot be matched with the usual tests. A small thermometer may be
used, but the larger the thermometer, the easier will it be to determine
the degrees on the mercury column. A new thermometer should always be
tested to determine its accuracy. To do this, stand the thermometer in a
small vessel of warm water, place the vessel over a flame, and allow the
water to boil. If the thermometer does not register 212 degrees at
boiling, the number of degrees more or less must be taken into account
whenever the thermometer is used. For instance, if the thermometer
registers 208 degrees at boiling and a recipe requires candy to be
boiled to 238 degrees, it will be necessary to boil the candy to 234
degrees because the thermometer registers 4 degrees lower than
it should.
46. The double boiler also finds a place in candy making. For melting
chocolate, coating for bonbons, or fondant for reception wafers, a
utensil of this kind is necessary. One that will answer the purpose very
well may be improvised by putting a smaller pan into a larger one
containing water. In using one of this kind, however, an effort should
be made to have the pans exactly suited to each other in size;
otherwise, the water in the lower pan will be liable to splash into the
pan containing the material that is being heated.
For the coating of bonbons, a coating fork, which is merely a thin wire
twisted to make a handle with a loop at one end, is the most convenient
utensil to use. However, this is not satisfactory for coating with
chocolate, a different method being required for this material.
47. A number of candies, such as fondant, bonbon creams, and cream
centers for chocolates, can be made much more satisfactorily if, after
they are boiled, they are poured on a flat surface to cool. Such
treatment permits them to cool as quickly as possible in a comparatively
thin layer and thus helps to prevent crystallization. When only a small
amount of candy is to be made, a large platter, which is the easiest
utensil to procure, produces fairly good results. For larger amounts,
as, for instance, when candy is being made to sell, some more convenient
arrangement must be made. The most satisfactory thing that has been
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found for cooling purposes is a marble slab such as is found on an
old-fashioned table or dresser. If one of these is not available, and
the kitchen or pastry table has a vitrolite or other heavy top
resembling porcelain, this will make a very good substitute.
48. To prevent the hot candy from running off after it is poured on a
slab or any similar flat surface, a device of some kind should be
provided. A very satisfactory one consists of four metal bars about 3/4
to 1 inch in width and thickness and as long as desired to fit the slab,
but usually about 18 inches in length. They may be procured from a
factory where steel and iron work is done, or they may be purchased from
firms selling candy-making supplies. These bars are merely placed on top
of the slab or flat surface with the corners carefully fitted and the
candy is then poured in the space between the bars. When it is desired
to pour out fudge, caramels, and similar candies to harden before
cutting, the metal bars may be fitted together and then placed on the
slab in such a way as to be most convenient. Fudge, however, may be
cooled satisfactorily in the pan in which it is cooked if the cooling is
done very rapidly.
49. A satisfactory cooling slab may be improvised by fastening four
pieces of wood together so as to fit the outside edge of the slab and
extend an inch or more above the surface. If such a device is used,
plaster of Paris should be poured around the edge of the slab to fill
any space between the wood and the slab. In using a slab or similar
surface for purposes of this kind, a point that should be remembered is
that a part of it should never be greased, but should be reserved for
the cooling of fondant and certain kinds of center creams, which require
only a moistened surface.
50. Many of the candies that are turned out on a flat surface must be
worked to make them creamy. For this purpose, nothing is quite so
satisfactory as a putty knife or a wallpaper scraper. If a platter is
used, a putty knife is preferable, for it has a narrower blade than a
wallpaper scraper; but where candy is made in quantity and a large slab
is used, the larger scraper does the work better. For use with a
platter, a spoon is perhaps the best utensil when a putty knife is not
in supply.
51. Scales are valuable in candy making because they permit exact
measurements to be made. However, they are not an actual necessity, for
almost all recipes give the ingredients by measure, and even if this is
not done, they may be purchased in the desired weight or transposed into
equivalent measure. Scales, of course, are required if it is desired to
weigh out candy in small amounts or in boxes after it is made.
52. Waxed paper is a valuable addition to candy-making supplies, there
being many occasions for its use. For instance, caramels and certain
other candies must be wrapped and waxed paper is the most suitable kind
for this purpose. Then, too, chocolate-coated candies and bonbons must
be placed on a smooth surface to which they will not stick. Waxed paper
is largely used for this purpose, although candy makers often prefer
white oilcloth, because its surface is ideal and it can be cleansed and
used repeatedly. Often a candy- or cracker-box lining that has been
pressed smooth with a warm iron may be utilized. For such purposes, as
when reception wafers are to be dropped, it is necessary that the
surface of the paper used be absolutely unwrinkled.
* * * * *
PROCEDURE IN CONFECTION MAKING
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COOKING THE MIXTURE
53. WEATHER CONDITIONS.--If uniformly good results are desired in candy
making, certain points that determine the success or failure of many
candies, although seemingly unimportant, must be observed. Among these,
weather conditions form such a large factor that they cannot be
disregarded. A cool, clear day, when the atmosphere is fairly dry, is
the ideal time for the making of all kinds of candies. Warm weather is
not favorable, because the candy does not cool rapidly enough after
being cooked. Damp weather is very bad for the making of such candies as
the creamy ones that are made with egg white and that are desired to be
as soft as possible and still in condition to handle. In view of these
facts, candy should be made preferably on days when the weather is
favorable if the element of uncertainty, so far as results are
concerned, would be eliminated.
54. COMBINING THE SUGAR AND LIQUID.--The proportion of liquid and sugar
to use in making candy varies to some extent with the kind of
ingredients used and with the quantity of candy being made. In the
making of quantities up to several pounds, the usual proportion is
one-third as much liquid as sugar, but with larger amounts of sugar
the quantity of liquid may be slightly decreased.
With the quantities decided on, mix the sugar and liquid and put them
over the fire to boil. Stir at first to prevent the sugar from settling
and burning, continuing the stirring either constantly or at intervals
until the boiling begins. At this point, discontinue the stirring if
possible. Mixtures that do not contain milk usually require no further
stirring, and many times stirring is unnecessary even in those which do
contain milk; but whenever any stirring is required, as little as
possible should be done. The rule that applies in this connection is
that the sugar should be entirely dissolved before the boiling begins
and that all unnecessary agitation should then cease.
55. BOILING THE MIXTURE.--When the mixture begins to boil, wash down the
sides of the kettle with a small cloth wet with clean water. This
treatment should not be omitted if especially nice candy is desired, for
it removes all undissolved sugar and helps to prevent crystallization
later. In case merely sugar and water make up the ingredients, a cover
may be placed on the kettle; then the steam that is retained will keep
any sirup that may splash on the sides from crystallizing. This cannot
be done, however, with mixtures containing milk and butter, for they
will in all probability boil over.
56. The boiling of candy should be carried on quickly, for slow boiling
often proves a disadvantage. A sugar-and-water mixture may, of course,
be boiled more rapidly than any other kind, because there is not the
danger of its boiling over nor of burning before the water is evaporated
that there is with a mixture containing material that may settle and
burn. It should be remembered that candy does not begin to burn until
the water has entirely evaporated.
57. The length of time candy should boil is also a matter to which
attention should be given. This depends somewhat on the kind that is
being made, but largely on the rapidity with which the boiling is
carried on. Thus, to time the boiling of candy is the most uncertain way
of determining when the boiling has continued long enough. The
inaccuracy of measurement, the size and shape of the pan, and the rate
of speed in boiling cause a variation in the time required.
Consequently, it would be rather difficult for the same person to get
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identical conditions twice and much more difficult for two persons to
produce the same results.
58. TESTING CANDY.--Since accurate results cannot be obtained by timing
the boiling of candy, other tests must be found that will be reliable.
As has already been stated, a thermometer is perhaps the most accurate
means that can be adopted for this purpose. However, if one is not
available, the testing of a small quantity of the hot mixture by cooling
it in cold water will be found to be fairly accurate. Ice water is not
necessary nor particularly desirable for this kind of testing. In fact,
water just as it comes from the faucet is the best, as it is quickly
obtained and its temperature will not vary greatly except in very hot or
very cold weather. Of course, to make an extremely accurate test of this
kind, it would be necessary always to have the water at the same
temperature, a condition that can be determined only by testing the
temperature, but such accuracy is not usually required.
If the thermometer is used, all that need be done is to insert it into
the candy and allow it to remain there until the temperature is
registered. In case it does not reach the right temperature the first
time, keep the mixture boiling until it registers the temperature that
is decided on as the correct one.
59. To test the mixture by the water method, allow it to boil almost
long enough to be done, and then try it at close intervals when it is
nearing the end of the boiling. Dip a little of the sirup into a spoon
and drop it slowly into a cup containing a little water. Not much sirup
is needed for the test, a few drops being sufficient. Gather the drops
together with the tips of the fingers and judge from the ball that forms
whether the candy has boiled sufficiently or not. If the ball is not of
the right consistency, boil the candy a little longer, and test again.
Be sure, however, to get fresh water for each test. When the candy is
nearing the final test, and it is thought that the mixture has boiled
enough, remove the pan from the heat while the test is being made so
that the boiling will not be continued too long.
60. To assist in making the tests for candy properly, Table I is given.
This table shows both the water test and the corresponding temperature
test for the representative variety of the leading classes of candies.
In each one of these classes there are, of course, a number of varieties
which may cause a slight variation in some of the tests, but on the
whole these tests are uniform and can be relied on for practically
all candies.
TABLE I
TESTS FOR REPRESENTATIVE CLASSES OF CANDY
Classes Water Test Temperature Test
Degrees Fahrenheit
Center Cream......Soft ball 234 to 236
Fudge.............Firm ball 238 to 240
Caramels..........Hard ball 246 to 248
Taffies..........Brittle ball 256 to 260
When candy is cooked long enough to form a soft ball, it can just be
gathered together and held in the fingers. If it is held for any length
of time, the warmth of the fingers softens it greatly and causes it to
lose its form. This test is used for candies, such as soft-center
cream. It will be found that when candy boiled to this degree is
finished, it can scarcely be handled.
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The firm ball is the stage just following the soft ball. It will keep
its shape when held in the fingers for some time. This is the test for
fudge, bonbon creams, and similar candies that are creamed and are
expected to be hard and dry enough to handle when they are finished.
To form a hard ball, candy must be cooked longer than for the firm
ball. At this stage, the ball that is formed may be rolled in the finger
tips. It is not so hard, however, that an impression cannot be made in
it with the fingers. It is the test for caramels, soft butter scotch,
sea foam, and many other candies.
A brittle ball is the result of any temperature beyond 256 degrees up
to the point where the sugar would begin to burn. It is hard enough to
make a sound when struck against the side of the cup or to crack when an
attempt is made to break it. This is the test that is made for taffy and
other hard candies.
POURING AND COOLING THE MIXTURE
61. After the testing of the mixture proves that it is boiled
sufficiently, there are several procedures that may be followed. The one
to adopt depends on the kind of candy that is being made, but every
candy that is cooked should be cooled by one of the following methods.
62. The first treatment consists in pouring the mixture at once from the
pan to be finished without cooling, as, for instance, caramels and
butter scotch, which are poured at once into a buttered pan to be cooled
and cut; or, the hot sirup may be poured upon beaten egg whites, as in
the case of sea foam or penuchie. In the making of either of these
kinds, the sirup may be allowed to drip as completely as possible from
the pan without injury to the finished product.
63. The second method by which the mixture is cooled calls for cooling
the sirup in the pan in which it was cooked, as, for instance, in the
case of fudge. When this is done, the pan should be carried from the
stove to the place where the mixture is to be cooled with as little
agitation as possible. Also, during the cooling, it should not be
disturbed in any way. Stirring it even a little is apt to start
crystallization and the candy will then be grainy instead of creamy.
64. In the third form of treatment, the sirup is poured out and then
cooled before it is stirred to make it creamy, as in opera creams or
bonbon creams. To accomplish this, the pan should be tipped quickly and
all its contents turned out at once. It should not be allowed to drip
even a few drops, for this dripping starts the crystallization. Candies
that contain milk or butter, or sticky materials, such as taffies,
should always be poured on a buttered surface. Those which are cooked
with water but are to be creamed should be poured on a surface moistened
with cold water.
65. When candy mixtures are cooled before being completed, the cooling
should be carried to the point where no heat is felt when the candy is
touched. To test it, the backs of the fingers should be laid lightly on
the surface of the candy, as they will not be so likely to stick as the
moist tips on the palm side. It should be remembered that the surface
must not be disturbed in the testing, as this is also apt to bring about
crystallization.
Every precaution should be taken to prevent even the smallest amount of
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crystallization. Any crystals that may have formed can be easily
detected when the stirring is begun by the scraping that can be felt by
the spoon or paddle used. If a little crystallization has taken place
before the candy has cooled completely, it being easily seen in the
clear sirup, the mixture should be cooled still further, for nothing is
gained by stirring it at once.
A point that should always be kept in mind in the cooling of candy is
that it should be cooled as quickly as possible. However, a refrigerator
should not be used for cooling, for the warm mixture raises the
temperature of the refrigerator and wastes the ice and at the same time
the moist atmosphere does not bring about the best results. As has
already been learned, a platter or a slab is very satisfactory. If
either of these is used, it should be as cold as possible when the sirup
is poured on it. Cold weather, of course, simplifies this matter
greatly, but if no better way is afforded, the utensil used should be
cooled with cold water.
FINISHING CANDIES
66. The treatment through which candy mixtures are put after being
cooled varies with the kind of candy being made. Some mixtures, as
fudge, are beaten until creamy in the pan in which they are cooked.
Others are worked on a platter or a slab with the proper kind of
utensil. These are usually treated in a rather elaborate way, being
often coated with bonbon cream or with chocolate. Still others, such as
taffy, are pulled until light in color and then cut into small pieces
with a pair of scissors. Again, certain candies, after being poured into
a pan, are allowed to become hard and then cut into squares or broken
into pieces. Usually candies made in the home are served without being
wrapped, but when certain varieties are to be packed, it is advisable to
wrap them. Directions for finishing confections in these different ways
are here given.
67. MARKING AND CUTTING CANDIES.--Much of the success of certain candies
depends on their treatment after being cooled. Those which must be
beaten in the pan until they are creamy should be beaten just as long as
possible. Then, if the surface is not smooth when they are poured out,
pat it out with the palm of the hand after the candy has hardened a
little. As soon as it has hardened sufficiently to remain as it is
marked and not run together, mark it in pieces of the desired size,
using for this purpose a thin, sharp knife. Be careful to have the lines
straight and the pieces even in size. Generally, candy that is treated
in this manner is cut into squares, although it may be cut into other
shapes if desired.
68. COATING CANDIES WITH BONBON CREAM.--When especially nice candy is
desired for a special occasion, it is often made into small pieces and
then coated with bonbon cream. A large number of the centers to be
coated should be made up before the coating is begun. In fact, if it is
possible, all the centers should be made first and then the coating can
proceed without interruption. The cream to be used for coating may be
flavored or colored in any desirable way. Any flavoring or coloring that
is to be used, however, should be added while the cream is melting.
69. To coat with bonbon cream, put the cream in a double boiler without
any water and allow it to melt with as little stirring as possible. It
is best to use a small double boiler for this purpose and not to melt
too much of the cream at one time, as it is apt to become grainy if it
is used too long for dipping. When it has melted to the extent that the
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coating will not be too thick after it has cooled, the dipping of the
candies may begin. As soon as it is found that no more centers can be
dipped in the cream, melt some fresh cream for the remaining centers,
but do not add it to that which has been used before. Instead, use the
first up as closely as possible and then drop the remainder by spoonfuls
on waxed paper. With all of it used, wash and dry the inner pan of the
double boiler and start again with a fresh lot of the cream.
70. To coat the centers, drop one at a time into the melted cream and
turn over with a coating fork or an ordinary table fork. When the
surface is entirely covered, lift out of the cream with the fork and
allow any superfluous coating to drip off. Then drop the coated bonbons
on waxed paper, to cool. While this work may prove a little difficult at
first, it can be done with dexterity after a little practice. If an
effort is made to have the centers uniform in size and shape, the
finished candies will have the same appearance. While the cream is soft,
tiny pieces of candied fruit or nuts may be pressed into the coating to
decorate the bonbons.
71. COATING WITH CHOCOLATE.--Candies coated with chocolate are always
desirable; so it is well for any one who aspires toward confection
making to become proficient in this phase of the work. The centers
should, of course, be prepared first and put in a convenient place on
the table where the coating is to be done. They may be made in any
desired size and shape.
If it is possible to secure a regular coating chocolate, this should be
obtained, for it produces better results than does a chocolate that can
be prepared. However, unless one lives in a place where confectioner's
supplies are on sale, it is almost impossible to purchase a chocolate of
this kind. In such an event, a substitute that will prove very
satisfactory for candy to be eaten in the home and not to be sold may be
made as follows:
COATING CHOCOLATE
4 oz. milk chocolate
2 oz. bitter chocolate
1/2 oz. paraffin
To prepare the chocolate, put all the ingredients in a double boiler and
allow them to melt, being careful that not a single drop of water nor
other foreign substance falls into the mixture. Do not cover the boiler,
for then the steam will condense on the inside of the cover and fall
into the chocolate. As this will spoil the chocolate so that it cannot
be used for coating, the pan in which the chocolate is melted should
always be allowed to remain open. The paraffin used helps to harden the
chocolate after it is put on the centers; this is a particular
advantage at any time, but especially when chocolates are made in
warm weather.
72. When the chocolate HAS COMPLETELY MELTED, dip some of it into a
small bowl or other dish or utensil having a round bottom and keep the
rest over the heat so that it will not harden. With a spoon, beat that
which is put into the bowl until it is cool enough to permit the fingers
being put into it. Then work it with the fingers until all the heat is
out of it and it begins to thicken. It may be tested at this point by
putting one of the centers into it. If it is found to be too thin, it
will run off the candy and make large, flat edges on the bottom. In such
an event, work it and cool it a little more. When it is of the proper
thickness, put the centers in, one at a time, and cover them completely
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with the chocolate and place them on waxed paper or white oilcloth to
harden. As they harden, it will be found that they will gradually grow
dull. No attempt whatever should be made to pick up these candies until
they are entirely cold. This process is sometimes considered
objectionable because of the use of the bare hands, but chocolate
coating cannot be so successfully done in any other way as with the
fingers. Therefore, any aversion to this method should be overcome if
good results are desired.
73. When the chocolate begins to harden in the bowl and consequently is
difficult to work with, add more of the hot chocolate from the double
boiler to it. It will be necessary, however, to beat the chocolate and
work it with the fingers each time some is added, for otherwise the
coating will not be desirable. So as to overcome the necessity of doing
this often, a fairly large amount may be cooled and worked at one time.
Care should be taken to cover each center completely or its quality will
deteriorate upon standing. With conditions right, the centers of
chocolates and bonbons should soften and improve for a short time after
being made, but chocolate-coated candies will keep longer than bonbons,
as the coating does not deteriorate.
74. WRAPPING CANDIES.--Such candies as caramels, certain kinds of
taffies, and even chocolates are often wrapped in waxed paper,
especially if they are to be packed in boxes. When this is to be done,
cut the paper into pieces of the proper size and then wrap each piece
separately. The best way to prepare the paper is to fold several sheets
until they are the desired size and then cut them with a sharp knife.
If a pair of scissors is used for this purpose, they are apt to slip
and cut the paper crooked. The method of wrapping depends on the candy
itself. Caramels are wrapped in square pieces whose ends are folded in
neatly, while taffy in the form of kisses is rolled in the paper and
the ends are twisted to fasten the wrapping.
* * * * *
VARIETIES OF CONFECTIONS AND THEIR PREPARATION
TAFFIES AND SIMILAR CANDIES
NATURE OF TAFFIES
75. TAFFY is probably one of the simplest candies that can be made.
Indeed, if candy of this kind is boiled long enough, it is almost
impossible to have unsatisfactory results. Taffies are usually made from
white sugar, but a variety of flavors may be obtained by the use of
different ingredients and flavors. For instance, molasses is used for
some taffies, maple sirup for others, and brown sugar for others, and
all of these offer an opportunity for variety. Then, again, taffy made
from white sugar may be varied by means of many delightful colors and
flavors. Melted chocolate or cocoa also makes a delightful
chocolate-flavored taffy. Recipes for all of these varieties are here
given, together with a number of recipes for closely related
confections, such as butter scotch, glace nuts and fruits, peanut
brittle, and nut bars.
76. METHODS OF TREATING TAFFY.--Taffy may be poured out in a pan,
allowed to become entirely cold, and then broken into irregular pieces
for serving, or it may be pulled and then cut in small pieces with a
pair of scissors. If it is to be pulled, it should be poured from the
pan in which it is cooked into flat pans or plates and set aside to
cool. As soon as it is cool enough to handle, it may be taken from the
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pans and pulled. It will be found that the edges will cool and harden
first. These should be pulled toward the center and folded so that they
will warm against the center and form a new edge. If this is done two or
three times during the cooling, the candy will cool evenly and be ready
to take up into the hands. The pulling may then begin at once. If it has
been cooked enough, it will not stick to the hands during the pulling.
It is usually wise, however, to take the precaution of dusting the hands
with corn starch before starting to pull the candy. Grease should never
be used for this purpose. When taffy is made in quantities, the work of
pulling it is greatly lessened by stretching it over a large hook
fastened securely to a wall.
RECIPES FOR TAFFY
77. VANILLA TAFFY.--The taffy explained in the accompanying recipe is
flavored with vanilla and when pulled is white in color. However, it may
be made in different colors and flavors by merely substituting the
desired flavor for the vanilla and using the coloring preferred. This
recipe may also be used for chocolate taffy by adding melted chocolate
just before the taffy has finished boiling.
VANILLA TAFFY
4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1 Tb. vinegar
1 c. boiling water
2 Tb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
To the sugar, add the cream of tartar, vinegar, and boiling water. Place
over the fire and boil until it will form a brittle ball when tested in
cold water or will register at least 260 degrees on a thermometer. Just
before the boiling is completed, add the butter. Remove from the fire,
add the vanilla, pour in a shallow layer in a buttered pan or plate.
Cool and pull. When the taffy has been pulled until it is perfectly
white and is hard enough to retain its shape, twist it into a long, thin
rope and cut with a pair of scissors into inch lengths.
78. BUTTER TAFFY.--Another variety of taffy flavored with vanilla is the
one given in the accompanying recipe. It is called butter taffy because
butter is used in a rather large amount for flavoring. It will be noted,
also, that brown sugar and corn sirup are two of the ingredients. These,
with the butter, give the taffy a very delightful flavor.
BUTTER TAFFY
2 c. light-brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1/2 c. corn sirup
1 Tb. vinegar
3/4 c. boiling water
1/4 butter
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix all the ingredients except the butter and vanilla. Place over the
fire and boil until a brittle ball will form in cold water or a
temperature of 260 degrees is reached. Just before the boiling has been
completed, add the butter. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and
pour in a thin layer into greased pans or plates. Cool, pull, and cut.
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79. MOLASSES TAFFY.--Of all the taffies, that made with molasses is
nearly always the favorite. A light cane molasses that is not very
strong in flavor is the preferred kind for this candy. When cut into
round flat pieces and wrapped in waxed paper, molasses taffy appeals to
both old and young.
MOLASSES TAFFY
2 c. light cane molasses
1 c. sugar
2 Tb. vinegar
1/2 c. boiling water
2 Tb. butter
Mix all the ingredients except the butter. Cook until a brittle ball
will form or a temperature of 264 degrees is reached on the thermometer.
Add the butter just before the boiling is completed. Remove from the
fire, pour into greased pans or plates, and allow it to become cool
enough to handle. Then pull and cut.
80. CHEWING TAFFY.--A taffy that is hard enough not to be sticky and
still soft enough to chew easily is often desired. Chewing taffy, which
is explained in the accompanying recipe, is a candy of this kind. After
being pulled, it may be cut as other taffy is cut or it may be piled in
a mass and chopped into pieces.
CHEWING TAFFY
1/2 Tb. unflavored gelatine
2 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. corn sirup
1-1/4 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
Vanilla and lemon
Put the gelatine to soak in a few tablespoonfuls of cold water. Cook the
sugar, sirup, and milk until the mixture will form a hard ball that may
be dented with the fingers or it reaches a temperature of 252 degrees.
Stir the mixture gently to prevent burning. Remove from the fire and add
the butter. Take the gelatine from the water, squeeze it as dry as
possible, and add it to the hot mixture, stirring until it is entirely
dissolved. Pour on a greased surface, cool, and pull until it is a
light-cream color. While pulling, flavor with vanilla and a few drops of
lemon. Stretch into a long thin rope and cut into inch lengths or pile
in a mass and chop into pieces.
81. BUTTER SCOTCH.--Closely related to taffies so far as ingredients are
concerned is candy known as butter scotch. This variety, however, is
not pulled as are the taffies, but is allowed to become cool and then
marked in squares which are broken apart when the candy is
entirely cold.
BUTTER SCOTCH
2 c. white sugar
2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. corn sirup
1 Tb. vinegar
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 c. butter
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1 tsp. lemon extract
Mix all the ingredients except the butter and the lemon extract. Boil
until a hard ball will form or 256 degrees register on the thermometer.
Just before the boiling is completed, add the butter, and when the
mixture has been removed from the fire, add the lemon extract. Pour into
a greased pan, and before it has entirely cooled, cut into squares with
a knife. When cold and desired for serving, remove from the pan and
break the squares apart. If desired, candy of this kind may be allowed
to become entirely cold without cutting and then broken into irregular
pieces just before being served.
82. MARSHMALLOWS COATED WITH BUTTER SCOTCH.--A delightful confection may
be made by covering marshmallows with hot butter scotch. To accomplish
this, drop the marshmallows with a coating fork or an ordinary table
fork into hot butter scotch that has just finished cooking. Remove them
quickly, but see that the marshmallows are entirely covered. Drop on a
buttered pan or plate and set aside to cool.
83. GLACE NUTS AND FRUITS.--Nuts and fruits covered with a clear, hard
candy are known as glace nuts and fruits. These are a very delightful
confection, and can easily be made if the accompanying directions are
carefully followed. Nuts of any variety may be used for this purpose,
and such nuts as almonds need not be blanched. Candied cherries, candied
pineapple, pressed figs, dates, and raisins are the fruits that are
usually glaced. Confections of this kind should be eaten while fresh or
kept in a closed receptacle in a dry place.
GLACE NUTS AND FRUITS
Fruits and nuts
2 c. granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 c. water
1 tsp. vanilla
Prepare the nuts by shelling them and, if necessary, roasting them, and
the fruits by cutting them into small strips or cubes. Mix the sugar and
cream of tartar and add the water. Cook until it will form a very
brittle ball in water, will spin hair-like threads when drops of it fall
from the spoon, or registers 290 degrees on the thermometer. Remove from
the fire and put in a convenient place for the dipping of the fruit and
nuts. Drop these into the hot sirup, one at a time, with a coating fork
or an ordinary table fork. When entirely covered with the sirup, remove
and drop on greased plates or pans.
84. PEANUT BRITTLE.--Peanuts are often used in confection making and are
very much liked by the majority of persons. They come in two general
varieties, which may be roasted before use or used unroasted, and it is
well for the housewife to understand the difference between them. One
variety is the large, oblong peanut generally sold at peanut stands and
used for the salted peanuts sold in confectionery stores. The other is
the variety known as Spanish peanuts, which are small and round. For
some candies, it is necessary that the peanuts be roasted and the skins
removed, while for others unroasted peanuts with the skins on are
desirable. To remove the skins from unroasted peanuts, they must be
blanched by immersing them in boiling water until the skins will slip
off easily, but in the case of roasted peanuts, the skins may be removed
without blanching.
85. Peanut brittle is one of the candies in which peanuts are used. As
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its name implies, it is very thin and brittle and it usually contains a
great many peanuts. Two recipes for candy of this kind are here given,
one requiring peanuts that are roasted and blanched and the other,
peanuts that are unroasted and not blanched.
PEANUT BRITTLE NO. 1
2 c. sugar
1/2 lb. shelled, roasted peanuts
Put the sugar in a saucepan without any water. Place it over a slow fire
and allow it to melt gradually until a clear, reddish-brown liquid is
formed, taking care not to allow it to burn. Have a pan greased and
covered with a thick layer of a large variety of roasted peanuts. Pour
the melted sugar over them and allow it to become hard. Then break into
pieces and serve.
PEANUT BRITTLE NO. 2
3 c. sugar
1 c. corn sirup
1 c. water
1/4 c. butter
1 lb. raw Spanish peanuts
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tb. soda
Mix the sugar, sirup, and water and place it over the fire. Boil until
a hard ball will form or a temperature of 250 degrees is reached on the
thermometer. Add the butter and the peanuts without removing their brown
skins. Allow to cook, stirring all the time, until the mixture begins to
turn a light brown and the skins of the peanuts pop open, showing that
the peanuts are roasted. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla and the
soda and stir rapidly. Then pour the mixture, which will become thick
upon the addition of the soda, on a flat, greased surface. A slab is
better for this purpose than anything else, but if this cannot be
obtained a metal or other hard table top may be used. When the candy
begins to get stiff, loosen it from the surface on which it was poured,
cut it into two pieces, and turn each over; or, if it can be handled
without cutting, turn the entire piece over. Then stretch the candy
until it is just as thin as possible, beginning around the edge. As it
becomes colder, stretch even thinner. When entirely cool, break into
pieces and serve.
86. NUT BARS.--Another excellent nut candy can be made by pouring a
sirup made of sugar, corn sirup, and water over a thick layer of nuts.
Such fruits as dates and figs or coconut, or a combination of these, may
be used with the nuts, if desired.
NUT BARS
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. corn sirup
1/4 c. water
1-1/2 c. shelled nuts
Put the sugar, sirup, and water over the fire and stir until it boils.
Cover and cook until a hard ball will form or a temperature of 254 or
256 degrees is reached. Spread the nuts on a buttered slab or pan, and
to them add fruit or coconut if it is desired to use either of these.
Pour the hot sirup over this until it is about 1 inch in thickness. When
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sufficiently cool, cut in pieces of any desirable size, using a quick,
sliding motion of the knife and pressing down at the same time. Break
into pieces when entirely cold and serve.
CARAMELS
87. NATURE OF CARAMELS.--Caramels are included among the popular
candies, and they may be made in many varieties. To plain vanilla
caramels, which are the simplest kind to make, may be added any
desirable color or flavor at the time they are removed from the fire. To
keep caramels from crystallizing after they are boiled, glucose in some
form must be used, and the most convenient kind to secure is corn sirup.
Then, too, caramels will cut more easily and will have less of a sticky
consistency if a small piece of paraffin is boiled with the mixture. The
addition of this material or any wax that is not a food is contrary to
the pure-food laws, and such candy cannot be sold. However, paraffin is
not harmful, but is merely a substance that is not digested, so that the
small amount taken by eating candy in which it is used cannot possibly
cause any injury.
88. In the making of caramels, it should be remembered that good results
depend on boiling the mixture to just the right point. If they are not
boiled enough, they will be too soft to retain their shape when cut, and
if they are cooked too long, they will be brittle. Neither of these
conditions is the proper consistency for caramels. To be right, they
must be boiled until a temperature of 246 to 248 degrees is reached.
However, chocolate caramels need not be boiled so long, as the chocolate
helps to harden them.
89. PLAIN CARAMELS.--The accompanying recipe for plain caramels may be
made just as it is given, or to it may be added any flavoring or
coloring desired. A pink color and strawberry flavor are very often
found in caramels and are considered to be a delicious combination. As
will be noted, white sugar is called for, but if more of a caramel
flavor is preferred, brown sugar may be used instead of white. Maple
sugar may also be used in candy of this kind. Nuts, fruits, or coconut,
or any mixture of these materials, improves plain caramels wonderfully.
If they are used, they should be stirred into the mixture at the time it
is removed from the fire.
PLAIN CARAMELS
3 c. milk
3 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. corn sirup
The milk used for making caramels should be as rich as possible; in
fact, if cream can be used, the candy will be very much better. Add half
of the milk to the sugar and sirup and put over the fire to cook. Allow
this mixture to boil until a soft ball will form when dropped in water,
stirring when necessary to prevent burning. Then gradually add the
remaining milk without stopping the boiling if possible. Cook again
until a temperature of 248 degrees will register on the thermometer or a
fairly hard ball will form when tried in water. In the water test, the
ball, when thoroughly cold, should have exactly the same consistency as
the finished caramels. Toward the end of the boiling, it is necessary to
stir the mixture almost constantly to prevent it from burning. When
done, pour it out on a buttered slab or some other flat surface and
allow it to become cool. Then cut the candy into squares from 3/4 to 1
inch in size, cutting with a sliding pressure, that is, bearing down and
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away from you at the same time.
If the caramels are to be packed or kept for any length of time, it is
well to wrap them in waxed paper. Before attempting to use caramels,
however, they should be allowed to stand overnight in a cool, dry place,
but not in a refrigerator.
90. CHOCOLATE CARAMELS.--When chocolate caramels are made, the chocolate
should be added just before the cooking is finished. The amount of
chocolate to be used may be varied to suit the taste, but 2 squares are
usually considered sufficient for the quantities given in the
accompanying recipe.
CHOCOLATE CARAMELS
1 c. molasses or 1 c. maple sirup
1/2 c. corn sirup
2 c. sugar
1 pt. milk
2 Tb. butter
2 sq. chocolate
Pinch of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook the molasses or maple sirup, the corn sirup, and the sugar with 1
cupful of the milk until the mixture will form a soft ball in cold
water. Then add the remainder of the milk and cook until the mixture is
thick. Add the butter, chocolate, and salt, and cook until a hard ball
will form in cold water or a temperature of 248 degrees is reached,
stirring constantly to prevent burning. Add the vanilla, pour on a
buttered surface, cool, cut, and serve.
* * * * *
CREAM CANDIES
NATURES OF CREAM CANDIES
91. There are numerous varieties of cream candies, some of which must be
made with great care while others may be made quickly and easily. For
instance, fudge, penuchie, divinity, and sea foam are examples of cream
candies that do not require long preparation, but these must generally
be used up quickly, as they do not stay soft upon exposure to the air
unless it is very moist. On the other hand, such cream candies as opera
cream, fondant, center cream, and orientals require both care and time
in their preparation. If these are properly looked after, they may be
kept for some time. In fact, it is necessary that some of them stand for
several days before they can be made into the numerous varieties to
which they lend themselves.
The main point to consider in the preparation of all cream candies is
that crystallization of the sugar, which is commonly called graining,
must be prevented if a creamy mixture is to be the result. Candies of
this kind are not palatable unless they are soft and creamy. However, no
difficulty will be experienced in preparing delicious cream candies if
the principles of candy making previously given are applied.
FUDGES AND RELATED CANDIES
92. FUDGE NO. 1.--Probably no other candy is so well known and so often
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made as fudge. Even persons little experienced in candy making have
success with candy of this kind. Another advantage of fudge is that it
can be made up quickly, very little time being required in its
preparation. Several varieties of fudge may be made, the one given in
the accompanying recipe being a chocolate fudge containing a small
quantity of corn starch.
FUDGE No. 1
3 c. sugar
1-1/4 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
Pinch of salt
2 sq. chocolate
1 Tb. corn starch
3 Tb. water
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix the sugar, milk, butter, and salt and boil until a very soft ball
will form in water. Then add the chocolate and the corn starch, which
has been moistened with the cold water. Boil to a temperature of 236
degrees or until a ball that will hold together well and may be handled
is formed in cold water. Remove from the fire and allow the mixture to
cool until there is practically no heat in it. Add the vanilla, beat
until thick, pour into a buttered pan, cut into squares, and serve.
93. FUDGE NO. 2.--A fudge containing corn sirup is liked by many
persons. It has a slightly different flavor from the other variety of
fudge, but is just as creamy if the directions are carefully followed.
FUDGE No. 2
3/4 c. milk
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. corn sirup
2 Tb. butter
Pinch of salt
2 sq. chocolate
1 tsp. vanilla
Cook the milk, sugar, corn sirup, butter, and salt until the mixture
will form a very soft ball when tried in water. Add the chocolate and
cook again until a soft ball that can be handled will form or the
thermometer registers 236 degrees. Remove from the fire, cool without
stirring until entirely cold, and then add the vanilla. Beat until
creamy, pour into buttered pans, cut into squares, and serve.
94. TWO LAYER FUDGE.--A very attractive as well as delicious fudge can
be had by making it in two layers, one white and one dark. The dark
layer contains chocolate while the white one is the same mixture, with
the exception of the chocolate. The layers may be arranged with either
the white or the dark layer on top, as preferred.
TWO-LAYER FUDGE
4 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. milk
6 Tb. corn sirup
2 Tb. butter
Pinch of salt
2 sq. chocolate
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1 tsp. vanilla
Mix the sugar, milk, corn sirup, butter, and salt, and cook until a very
soft ball will form. Transfer half of the mixture to another pan and add
to it the chocolate, which has been melted. Boil each mixture until it
tests 238 degrees with the thermometer or a soft ball that can be
handled well will form in cold water. Upon removing it from the fire,
add the vanilla, putting half into each mixture. Set aside to cool and
when all the heat is gone, beat one of the mixtures until it becomes
creamy and pour it into a buttered pan. Then beat the other one and
pour it over the first. Cut into squares and serve.
95. BROWN-SUGAR FUDGE.--Fudge in which brown sugar is used for the
largest part of the sweetening is explained in the accompanying recipe.
Peanuts are added, but if desired nuts of any other kind may be used.
BROWN-SUGAR FUDGE
2 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. milk
1 Tb. butter
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. chopped peanuts
Mix the sugar, milk, and butter and boil until a soft ball will form in
cold water or a temperature of 238 degrees is reached on the
thermometer. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and cool until the
heat is out of the mixture. Beat, and when the candy begins to grow
creamy, add the chopped nuts. When sufficiently thick, pour into a
buttered pan, cut, and serve.
96. MAPLE PENUCHIE.--Almost any kind of maple candy finds favor with the
majority of persons, but maple penuchie is especially well liked. Nuts
and coconut are used in it, and these improve the flavor very much.
MAPLE PENUCHIE
3 c. maple sirup
1/4 tsp. soda
1 c. milk
Few grains of salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts
1/2 c. shredded coconut
Into the maple sirup, stir the soda, and add the milk and salt. Place
over the fire and boil until a soft ball that can be easily handled will
form in cold water or a temperature of 238 degrees is reached on the
thermometer. Remove from the fire, add the vanilla, and allow the
mixture to become entirely cold. Beat, and when it begins to get thick,
add the nuts and coconut. Continue beating until the candy grows stiff
but can be poured out. Pour in a buttered pan, cut, and serve.
97. DIVINITY.--An excellent confection known as divinity can be made
with very little difficulty if the accompanying recipe is carefully
followed. Nuts and raisins are used in this confection, but if desired
they may be omitted. As divinity is dropped from a spoon on oiled paper,
care should be taken not to boil the mixture too long, or it will be
necessary to work very rapidly in order to drop all of it before it
becomes too dry.
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DIVINITY
1/3 c. corn sirup
1/2 c. water
2 c. sugar
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 c. nuts
1/4 c. raisins
Boil the sirup, water, and sugar together until a fairly hard ball will
form in cold water or the mixture registers 240 degrees on the
thermometer, which is a trifle harder than the fudge mixture. Beat the
egg white until it is stiff but not dry. Over this pour the hot mixture
a drop at a time until it can be added faster without cooking the egg
white. Beat rapidly until all the sirup is added, stir in the vanilla,
and when fairly stiff add the nuts and raisins. Continue beating until
the mixture will stand alone, and then drop by spoonfuls on oiled paper
or a buttered surface. When dry enough to handle, divinity may
be served.
98. SEA FOAM.--Another candy in which a cooked sirup is poured over
beaten egg white is known as sea foam. Candies of this kind should be
served at once, for they are apt to become dry and hard if they are
allowed to stand.
SEA FOAM
2 c. light-brown sugar
1/2 c. water
Pinch of salt
1 egg white
1 tsp. vanilla
Boil the sugar, water, and salt until a fairly hard ball will form or
the thermometer registers 240 degrees. Beat the egg white stiff, but not
dry. Pour the hot sirup over the egg white, a drop at a time at first,
and then as fast as possible without cooking the egg white. Add the
vanilla and continue beating the mixture until it will stand alone. Drop
by spoonfuls on a buttered surface or oiled paper. When sufficiently
dry, remove from the surface and serve.
FONDANT AND RELATED CREAMS
99. NATURE OF FONDANT.--Fondant is the foundation cream out of which
bonbons and various other fancy candies are made. It is also used for
stuffing dates, taking the place of the pit. While it is not so
desirable for the centers of chocolate creams as for most of the other
candies for which it is used, it can, of course, be coated with
chocolate if desired. Some persons have an idea that fondant and related
candies are difficult to make, but if directions are followed
carefully this will not be the case.
100. In the first place, it should be remembered that the weather is an
important factor in the success of candy of this kind. A clear, cold day
should be selected, for it is difficult to make fondant successfully on
a warm or a damp day. Then, too, it is an excellent plan to make more
than can be used at one time, for no greater labor will be involved in
the making of a large amount than a small amount and better results may
be expected. If the fondant material is cared for properly, small
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quantities of it may be made up as desired. Therefore, if convenient
equipment is on hand for making candies of this type, no less than 2-1/2
pounds should be made at one time. Five pounds is a preferable amount,
but, if desired, 10 pounds may be made up at one time, although this
amount is about as much as one person can handle and even this is
somewhat difficult for some to work up.
A little ingenuity on the part of the person making up the fondant will
result in many delightful bonbons. Candied fruits, nuts, coconut, and
numerous varieties of flavoring and coloring may be utilized very
successfully with fondant. It should be remembered, however, that
bonbons do not keep fresh for more than a few days or a week at the most
if they are exposed to the air. If it is desired to keep them for any
length of time, they should be packed in a tin box, but when stored in
this way, different colors should not be placed next to each other or
they will mix.
101. FONDANT.--As will be noted, the accompanying recipe for fondant
calls for 5 pounds of sugar. It is not necessary that all of the fondant
be worked up at once. Indeed, it is suggested that this amount be
prepared and then stored so that the fondant may be used as needed. If a
smaller amount should be desired, half of each ingredient may be used.
FONDANT
5 lb. sugar
1 qt. water
6 drops acetic acid or 1/4 tsp. cream tartar
Mix the sugar, water, and acetic acid or cream of tartar. Place over the
fire and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Just before the mixture
begins to boil, wash down the sides of the kettle with a wet cloth.
Then place a lid over the kettle and cook until almost ready to test.
Remove the cover and insert a thermometer, which should register 238
degrees. If the fondant is to be stored for some time, it may be boiled
to 240 degrees, but for general use a mixture that reaches a
temperature of 238 degrees will be the most satisfactory. If the water
test is applied, the mixture should form a firm ball that can be easily
held in the fingers. Just before the boiling is completed, cool a large
platter or a slab and moisten it by wetting it with a damp cloth.
No time should intervene between the end of the boiling and the removal
of the sirup from the stove, for every second that the sirup is allowed
to stand over the hot burner before it is poured out will raise the
temperature. Pour quickly on the platter and do not allow it to drip.
If some sirup is left in the pan, utilize it for something else, rather
than allow it to drop on the surface of the candy in the platter or
slab. It is at this point that crystallization begins, and the fondant,
instead of being creamy, will become grainy. Cool as quickly as
possible, so as to lessen the chances for crystallization to begin, and
do not disturb the sirup in any way during the cooling. The best way in
which to accomplish this is to put the platter in a cool place and make
it perfectly level before the sirup is poured into it.
When the mixture has cooled to the extent that it no longer retains any
heat, it is ready to be stirred. As already explained, a putty knife or
a wallpaper scraper is the most satisfactory utensil to use for this
purpose, especially if a large batch is being made. However, a small
batch may be stirred very successfully with a case knife. With whatever
utensil is selected, scrape the fondant up into a heap, and then start
the working. See that all parts are worked alike. Continue the
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operation, occasionally scraping off the knife or the paddle used. The
first indication of the creaming stage will be a cloudy look in the
mixture and a slight thinning of it, so that the work will be easier
for a few minutes. It will then gradually begin to harden, and when the
end of the work is reached the hardening will progress rapidly. At this
stage, try to get the mass together, see that no loose fragments cling
to the platter, and pile all into a heap. By the time the working is
completed, the candy will be rather hard and will look as if it can
never be worked into a soft, creamy candy. It will become soft, however,
by the proper treatment.
Wring a clean towel or napkin out of cold water, and place it tightly
over the mass of fondant and tuck it in securely around the edges.
Allow the candy to stand for an hour in this way. At the end of this
time it will be sufficiently moist to work in any desired way. With a
knife or a scraper, break it off into pieces of a size that can be
handled well at one time and work each one of these soft by squeezing
it in the manner shown in Fig. 12. When all of the pieces have been
worked soft, pack them into a bowl and continue working until all the
fondant has been worked together and is soft. Over the top of the bowl,
place a damp cloth and cover this with a plate or an earthen cover. Set
away in some place where it will remain cool, but will not become too
moist, until it is desired for further use.
The four recipes that follow show how fondant can be made up into
attractive as well as delicious confections. They will doubtless give
the housewife other ideas as to ways of preparing candies from this
foundation material.
102. BONBONS.--In a broad sense, bonbons mean candy or confections in
general, but it is also the name of candies made out of colored and
flavored fondant. Sometimes they are made small and dainty and are
decorated with a nut meat or a piece of maraschino or candied cherry or
candied pineapple. Again, centers may be made that contain coconut,
nuts, figs, dates, raisins, etc., and these then dipped in some of the
fondant that has been colored, flavored, and melted.
103. When bonbons are to be made, remove fondant in pieces from the
utensil in which it has been stored. Work it with the hands as it was
worked when put away and add the desired coloring and flavoring at this
time. If simple bonbons are to be made, form the colored and flavored
fondant into tiny balls, place them on oiled paper, and press a nut or a
piece of maraschino or candied cherry or candied pineapple on top.
104. To make more elaborate bonbons, form small round centers out of
the fondant to which have been added such materials as dates, figs,
raisins, nuts, or coconut, or any combination of these. Only enough
fondant should be used to make the other materials stick together.
Then, in a double boiler, color, flavor, and melt some of the fondant
and, with a coating or other fork, drop the centers into this melted
cream. When thoroughly coated, remove, and place on waxed paper. While
warm, a piece of nut or candied fruit may be placed on the top of each
one. If it is desired not to use fondant in the centers, the nuts or
candied fruits themselves may be dipped into the melted bonbon cream
and then placed on waxed paper to harden.
105. RECEPTION WAFERS.--Thin wafers made of fondant are a confection
much used at parties, receptions, and similar social gatherings. One
variety of these is colored pink and flavored with wintergreen, while
another is flavored with peppermint and not colored in any way. Other
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colors and flavors may also be made if desired, but the usual kinds are
the pink and white ones.
Divide the mass of fondant to be used into two parts and color one of
these a pale pink. Flavor the pink mass with wintergreen and the white
one with peppermint. Put one of these in a double boiler and allow it to
melt until it is soft enough to pour. Then, with a dessert spoon or a
tablespoon, drop the melted fondant on a smooth surface in sufficient
amounts to make wafers about the size of a quarter. Drop quickly and as
accurately as possible so that the wafers will be the same size and
shape. Allow them to stand until cold and set.
Sometimes it will be found that two wafers can be dropped from the same
spoonful before the material becomes too cold to pour, but usually it is
necessary to dip a fresh spoonful for each wafer. As the fondant hardens
on the back of the spoon it should be scraped off and put back into the
double boiler. A comparatively small amount of fondant should be melted
at one time in order to provide against its becoming sugary, but if it
shows any signs of this condition the double boiler should be emptied
and thoroughly cleaned before more of the fondant is melted in it.
106. RAINBOW DELIGHT.--An especially attractive candy that has fondant
for its foundation is rainbow delight. As may be inferred from its name,
candy of this kind is in several colors.
To make rainbow delight, divide fondant into three parts. Flavor one
with vanilla and to it add chopped nuts. Flavor the second with
strawberry, color it pink, and, if desired, add shredded coconut. To the
third, add melted bitter chocolate until it is as dark as preferred.
Line a small bread pan or a box as smoothly as possible with waxed
paper, place the white fondant in the bottom, and press it down into a
layer. Over this put the chocolate fondant, press this into a layer, and
on top of it place the pink candy. After making the mass smooth and
even, allow it to remain where it will be cold until it is set. Then
remove it from the pan or box by turning it out on a surface that has
been slightly dusted with confectioner's sugar. Have coating chocolate
melted and cover the surface of three sides of the candy with a thick
layer of the chocolate. If, when the chocolate becomes dry and hard, it
seems a little thin, give it a second coating.
When it is entirely cold, turn the candy over and coat the remaining
side. To serve, cut into slices and cut each slice into pieces.
107. TUTTI-FRUTTI ROLLS.--Another very good candy that can be made from
fondant is tutti-frutti roll. Secure nuts, cherries, candied pineapple,
and citron, chop them fine, and to them add shredded coconut. Work these
in any quantity desired into the fondant until all are worked through
evenly and then flavor with vanilla. Shape the mass into a roll and let
it stand until it is well set. Then coat it with coating chocolate. When
it has become cold, turn it over and coat the bottom. To serve
tutti-frutti roll, cut it into slices.
108. OPERA CREAM.--No more delicious cream candy can be made than that
known as opera cream. This may be colored and flavored in many different
ways or made up in various forms. When chocolate is added to it, a
better fudge than the ordinary kinds is the result. Sufficient time
should be allowed for the making of opera cream, for it is necessary
that this candy stand for several hours before it is worked up.
OPERA CREAM
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4 c. sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
2 Tb. corn sirup
1 pt. thin cream
Vanilla
Mix the sugar and the cream of tartar, add the sirup and cream, and cook
over a hot fire. Watch closely to see whether the cream looks as if it
might curd, and if it does, beat rapidly with a rotary beater. Do not
stir after the boiling has begun unless it is necessary to keep the
mixture from sticking to the pan. Boil until a very hard ball will form
in water or until it registers 240 degrees on the thermometer. Moisten a
large, flat platter or a marble slab, pour the mixture on it, and allow
it to remain until it is entirely cool, disturbing it in no way during
this cooling. When cool, work up with a putty knife or a similar utensil
in the same manner as for fondant until it becomes hard and creamy.
Place all in a heap in the center of the slab or platter and cover
closely with a damp cloth, a clean towel being desirable for this
purpose. Allow it to stand for about 2 hours, and then work it with the
hands, being careful to remove any lumps that it might contain.
The cream is now ready to be worked up in any desirable way. Divide it
into small batches, and then flavor and color it or work melted
chocolate into it. Press it into a layer about 1 inch thick in a shallow
box lined with waxed paper or a pan that has been buttered, cut it into
squares, and allow it to stand for a few hours. Then remove and serve.
109. CENTER CREAM.--An excellent cream candy for the centers of
chocolates is given in the accompanying recipe. As molds are necessary
in its preparation, it is more difficult to make than fondant, but
success can be had with this as well as with other candies.
The cream used for these centers may be colored and flavored in any
desirable way. It is somewhat firm while being handled, but will be
found to soften after it has been made up and coated. It can be handled
better if it is made 3 or 4 days before it is desired for use. As will
be noted, the recipe is given in a fairly large quantity, for it is
preferable to make a good-sized amount of the cream at a time; but it
need not all be used up at once.
CENTER CREAM
8 c. sugar
2 c. glucose or corn sirup
3 c. water
Mix the sugar, glucose or corn sirup, and water and proceed in the same
way as for fondant. Boil until the thermometer registers 234 or 236
degrees or a ball that is not quite so firm as for fondant will form in
cold water. Pour on a moistened platter or slab to cool. Then cream in
the same manner as for fondant, but allow more time for this part of the
work, as the glucose does not cream rapidly. Just before it hardens,
pour it into a crock or a bowl, place a damp cloth over the top of the
bowl, and put away for a couple of days.
110. The molds for shaping center creams are formed in a thick layer of
corn starch by means of a device that may be bought from a candy-making
supply house or made at home. This device consists of a long strip with
projections that may be pushed into the corn starch to make neatly
shaped holes, or molds. These projections are spaced about 1 inch apart,
so that the walls between the corn-starch molds will not fall down when
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the center-cream mixture is poured into them. A long stick, such as a
ruler or a yardstick, and either corks of different sizes or plaster of
Paris may be employed to make such a device. If corks are to be used,
simply glue them to the stick, spacing them about 1 inch apart. If
plaster of Paris is to be used, fill small receptacles about the size
and shape of chocolate creams with a thin mixture of plaster of Paris
and water and allow it to set. When hard, remove the plaster-of-Paris
shapes and glue them to the stick, spacing them the same distance as
mentioned for the corks. The home-made device will answer the same
purpose as one that is bought, and is much less expensive.
111. When it is desired to make up the creams, sift corn starch into a
pan to form a thick layer, making it perfectly level on top with the
straight edge of a knife. Then make depressions, or molds, in the corn
starch by pressing into it the device just described. Make as many rows
of molds as the space will permit, but do not make them so close
together as to weaken the walls between the molds. Melt some of the
center cream in a double boiler, color and flavor as desired, and pour
into the molds made in the corn starch. Allow the centers to remain
until they become hard in the molds. Then pick them out, blow off the
corn starch, and set aside until ready to coat. Continue making centers
in this way until all the cream is used up, resifting the corn starch
and making new molds each time. Then coat with chocolate in the
usual way.
112. ORIENTALS.--Delicious chocolate creams known as orientals can be
made by the amateur if a little care is exercised. It should be
remembered, however, that these cannot be made successfully on a damp
day and that it is somewhat difficult to make them in warm weather. A
clear, cold day is required for satisfactory results. Unlike fondant,
these creams must be made up at once, so it will be necessary to allow
sufficient time not only for the cooking and creaming processes, but
also for the making and coating as well. After being made up, however,
they should be allowed to stand for 3 or 4 days, as they, like many
other cream candies, improve upon standing.
Since these centers are very sweet, a slightly bitter chocolate is the
best kind with which to coat them. Confectioner's bitter-sweet chocolate
will be found to be the most satisfactory, but if this cannot be
procured, bitter chocolate may be mixed with sweet coating chocolate.
ORIENTALS
5 c. granulated sugar
2 c. water
1 tsp. glycerine
6 drops acetic acid
2 egg whites
Vanilla
Put the sugar, water, and glycerine over the fire and stir until the
sugar is dissolved. Wash down the sides of the kettle with a cloth, and
just as the mixture begins to boil, add the acetic acid. Place a cover
over the pan and allow the mixture to boil until a temperature of 238
degrees is reached on the thermometer or a firm ball that can be easily
held in the fingers will form. Pour out on a slab or a platter to cool,
and when perfectly cool begin to work it as for fondant, but first beat
the egg whites until they are stiff. As soon as the candy is collected
into a mass, pour the egg whites over it. Continue to work the candy
until all of the egg white is worked in. Add the vanilla during this
process. If the mixture seems stiff and the eggs do not work in,
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continue with a little patience, for they will eventually combine with
the candy. Because of the eggs, oriental cream is whiter than bonbon
cream, and so it is a little difficult to tell just when it is
beginning to get creamy. However, it softens a little as it begins to
set, just as fondant does. At this point work slowly, and as it hardens
get it into a mass in the center of the slab. When completely worked, it
will not be so hard as fondant. Make it up at once into small, round
centers, and as they are made place them on pieces of oiled paper to
become dry. Chopped nuts may be added to the filling if desired before
it is made up. As soon as it is possible to handle the centers, coat
them with chocolate in the usual way. Be careful to cover the entire
surface with chocolate, for otherwise the quality of the center will
deteriorate. A good plan is to wrap candies of this kind in waxed paper,
especially if they are to be packed in boxes, for then they will not be
so likely to crush.
113. UNCOOKED FONDANT.--A fairly satisfactory substitute for fondant
can be made by moistening confectioner's sugar with egg white or sweet
cream. A very fine sugar must be secured for this purpose or the candy
will be granular, and even then the result will not be so satisfactory
as in the case of cooked fondant properly made. Uncooked fondant, too,
is more limited in its uses than cooked fondant, for it cannot be melted
and used for bonbons.
UNCOOKED FONDANT
XXXX sugar
Egg white or sweet cream
Roll and sift the sugar if it is lumpy, making it as fine as possible.
Beat the egg white just enough to break it up or pour into a bowl the
desired amount of sweet cream, remembering that very little liquid will
moisten considerable sugar. Add the sugar a little at a time, beating
all the while, until a sufficient amount has been used to make the
mixture dry enough to handle with the fingers. Then flavor and color in
any desired way and make up as if it were fondant.
MISCELLANEOUS CONFECTIONS
114. STUFFED DATES.--Dates from which the seeds have been removed and
which have been filled with nuts or fondant or a combination of both are
a confection that meets with much favor. The uncooked fondant is
entirely satisfactory for this purpose, but if some of the other is on
hand it will make an especially fine confection. Regardless of what is
used for a filling, though, the preparation of such dates is the same.
First wash the dates in warm water and rinse them in cold water. Then,
if there is time, spread them out in a single layer on a cloth and let
them remain until they are entirely dry. Cut a slit in the side of each
one with a knife and remove the seed. If nuts, such as English walnuts,
are to be used for the filling, place half a nut meat in the cavity left
by the seed and press the date together over it. In case fondant and
nuts are to be used, chop the nuts and mix them with the fondant.
Coconut may be used in place of the nuts if desired or the fondant may
be used alone. Shape the fondant into tiny balls, press one tightly into
the cavity left by the seed, and close the date partly over the filling.
When all the dates have been stuffed, roll them in sugar, preferably
granulated, and serve.
115. SALTED NUTS.--Nuts to which salt has been added are an excellent
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contrast to the sweet confections that have been described. At social
gatherings, luncheons, dinners, etc., they are often served in
connection with some variety of bonbon and many times they replace the
sweet confection entirely. Peanuts and almonds are the nuts generally
used for salting. If peanuts are to be salted, the unroasted ones should
be purchased and then treated in exactly the same way as almonds. Before
nuts are salted, they must first be browned, and this may be
accomplished in three different ways: on the top of the stove, in the
oven, and in deep fat. Preparing them in deep fat is the most
satisfactory method, for by it all the nuts reach the same degree of
brownness.
116. First blanch the nuts by pouring boiling water over them and
allowing them to remain in the water until the skins can be removed;
then slip off the skins without breaking the nuts apart if possible.
Spread the nuts out on a towel to dry.
If the deep-fat method of browning them is to be followed, have in a
small saucepan or kettle a sufficient quantity of cooking fat or oil.
Allow it to become as hot as for frying doughnuts or croquettes, place
the nuts in a sieve, and fry them in the fat until they become a
delicate brown. Pour them out into a pan, sprinkle them with salt, cool,
and serve.
To brown nuts on top of the stove, heat a heavy frying pan over a slow
fire and into it put a small amount of fat. Add the nuts and stir
constantly until they are browned as evenly as possible. This part of
the work requires considerable time, for the more slowly it is done the
less likely are the nuts to have burned spots. Salt the nuts before
removing them from the pan, turn them out into a dish, cool, and serve.
It is more difficult to brown nuts equally by the oven method, but
sometimes it is desired to prepare them in this way. Put the nuts with a
little fat into a pan and set the pan in a hot oven. Stir frequently
until they are well browned, salt, cool, and serve.
117. ORIENTAL DELIGHT.--An excellent confection that can be prepared
without cooking is known as oriental delight. It is composed of fruit,
nuts, and coconut, which are held together with egg white and powdered
sugar.
ORIENTAL DELIGHT
1/2 lb. dates
1/2 lb. raisins
1/2 lb. pressed figs
1/2 c. shredded coconut
1/2 c. English walnuts
1 egg white
Powdered sugar
Wash all the fruits, put them together, and steam for about 15 minutes.
Then put these with the coconut and nuts through a food chopper or chop
them all in a bowl with a chopping knife. When the whole is reduced to a
pulpy mass, beat the egg white slightly, add sufficient sugar to make a
very soft paste, and mix with the fruit mixture. If it is very sticky,
continue to add powdered sugar and mix well until it is stiff enough to
pack in a layer in a pan. Press down tight and when it is set mark in
squares, remove from the pan, and serve as a confection.
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118. MARSHMALLOWS.--To be able to make marshmallows successfully is the
desire of many persons. At first thought, this seems somewhat of a task,
but in reality it is a simple matter if the directions are carefully
followed. Upon being cut into squares, the marshmallows may be served
plain or they may be coated with chocolate or, after standing several
days, dipped into a warm caramel mixture.
MARSHMALLOWS
8 tsp. gelatine
1-1/4 c. water
2 c. sugar
Few grains salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 Tb. corn starch
Soak the gelatine in one-half of the water for 5 minutes. Cook the sugar
and the remaining water until it will spin a thread when dropped from a
spoon. Remove from the fire and add the gelatine. When partly cold, add
the salt and the flavoring. Beat with an egg whip, cooling the mixture
as rapidly as possible, until it is light and fluffy. When the mixture
is thick, add the corn starch slowly, working it in thoroughly. Then
pour out on a flat surface that is well dusted with confectioner's
sugar. Let stand in a cool place until thoroughly chilled. Cut in
squares by pressing the blade of a knife down through the mass, but do
not slide it along when cutting. Remove the pieces, dust on all sides
with powdered sugar, and serve.
119. NOUGAT.--The confection known as nougat consists usually of a paste
filled with chopped nuts. Both corn sirup and honey are used in the
preparation of this candy. Generally it is merely flavored with vanilla,
but if chocolate flavoring is preferred it may be added.
NOUGAT
3 c. sugar
1-1/2 c. corn sirup
1/4 c. strained honey
1 c. water
2 egg whites
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. nut meats
Put the sugar, corn sirup, honey, and water together and cook until a
temperature of 260 degrees is reached or a brittle ball will form in
water. Beat the egg whites stiff and pour the mass slowly into them,
beating constantly until the mixture grows stiff and waxy. Then add the
vanilla and nut meats. Mix well and pour into a small box or pan lined
with waxed paper. If chocolate is to be used for flavoring, add the
desired amount just before pouring the mixture into the pan. When it has
cooled sufficiently, cut in squares or slices.
120. CANDIED PEEL.--Another favorite confection and one that is much
used in connection with candies for social functions is candied orange,
lemon, and grapefruit peel. After being removed from the fruit, the peel
should be well scraped and then cut into thin strips. In this form, it
is ready to coat with sirup.
CANDIED PEEL
1/2 doz. lemons, oranges, or grapefruit
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1/2 c. water
1 c. sugar
Remove the skin in quarters from the fruit, scrape off as much of the
white as possible, and cut each piece of skin into narrow strips. Put
these to cook in cold water, boil them until they may be easily pierced
with a fork, and then drain off the water. Add the water to the sugar
and cook until a thread will form when the sirup is dropped from a
spoon. Add the cooked peel to the sirup and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.
Drain and dredge in granulated sugar. Spread in a single layer to dry.
121. POP-CORN BALLS.--Pop corn in any form is always an attractive
confection, especially to young persons. It is often stuck together with
a sirup mixture and made into balls. In this form, it is an excellent
confection for the holiday season.
To make pop-corn balls, first shell the corn and pop it. Then make a
sirup with half as much water as sugar and cook it until it will spin a
thread. Have the pop corn in a large bowl and pour the sirup over it,
working quickly so that all the sirup can be used up while it is warm.
To form the balls, take up a large double handful and press firmly
together. If the sirup sticks to the hands, dip them into cold water so
as to moisten them somewhat before the next handful is taken up. Work in
this manner until all the corn is made into balls.
122. CRACKER JACK.--Another pop-corn confection that is liked by
practically every one is cracker jack. In this variety, pop corn and
peanuts are combined and a sirup made of molasses and sugar is used to
hold them together.
CRACKER JACK
4 qt. popped corn
1 c. shelled, roasted peanuts
1 c. molasses
1/2 c. sugar
Put the popped corn and the peanuts together in a receptacle large
enough to hold them easily. Cook the molasses and the sugar until the
sirup spins a thread. Then pour this over the popped corn and peanuts
and mix well until it becomes cold and hard.
SERVING CANDY
123. The best time to serve candy is when it will interfere least with
the digestion, and this is immediately after meals. A dish of candy
placed on the table with the dessert adds interest to any meal. It
should be passed immediately after the dessert is eaten.
Various kinds of bonbon dishes in which to serve candies are to be had,
some of them being very attractive. Those having a cover are intended
for candy that is to be left standing for a time, while open dishes
should be used for serving. Present the candy tastefully arranged on a
silver dish having a handle. Dishes made of glass or china answer the
purpose equally as well as silver ones, and if a bonbon dish is not in
supply a small plate will do very well. A paper or a linen doily on the
dish or plate adds to the attractiveness, as does also the manner in
which the candy is arranged.
* * * * *
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CONFECTIONS
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) What are confections?
(2) Discuss the use of confections in the diet of children and adults.
(3) (a) What food substance is found in the largest proportion in
candy? (b) Are candies high or low in food value?
(4) Discuss briefly the kinds and qualities of sugar and their uses.
(5) What is the value of glucose in candy making?
(6) What kinds of flavorings are the most desirable?
(7) What care should be exercised in the use of colorings in candy?
(8) (a) What acids are used in candy making? (b) Why are these acids
used?
(9) Of what value are milk, cream, and butter in the making of candy?
(10) What may be said of the selection of a pan for cooking candy?
(11) (a) What methods are used for testing candies? (b) Which of
these methods is the most accurate?
(12) (a) How should the mixture be poured out to cool when a creamy
candy is being made? (b) To what point should the sirup be cooled
before the stirring is begun?
(13) (a) How should chocolate be melted? (b) How should coating with
chocolate be done?
(14) How should waxed paper be cut for wrapping candies?
(15) Discuss the ingredients generally used for taffy.
(16) On what do good results in caramel making depend?
(17) What should be guarded against in the making of all cream candies?
(18) (a) What is fondant? (b) How may fondant be stored for future
use?
(19) How should dates be prepared for stuffing?
(20) What is the best time for the serving of candy?
* * * * *
BEVERAGES
* * * * *
BEVERAGES IN THE DIET
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NATURE AND CLASSES OF BEVERAGES
1. Throughout the lifetime of every person there is constant need for
solid food to preserve health and prolong life; and, just as such food
is necessary to satisfy the requirements of the body, so, too, is there
need for water. As is well known, the composition of the body is such
that it contains more liquid than solid material, the tissues and the
bones weighing much less than the liquid. A tremendous amount of this
liquid is continually being lost through the kidneys, through each pore
in the skin, and even through every breath that is exhaled, and if
continued good health is to be maintained this loss must be constantly
made up. This loss is greater in very hot weather or in the performance
of strenuous exercise than under ordinary conditions, which accounts for
the fact that more than the usual amount of liquid must be supplied
during such times. So necessary is liquid refreshment that the body
cannot exist without it for any great length of time. In fact, if the
supply were cut off so that no more could be obtained, the body would
begin to use its own fluids and death would soon occur. A person can
live for many days without solid food, but it is not possible to live
for more than a very few days without drink.
2. Nature's way of serving notice that the body is in need of liquid
refreshment is through the sensation of thirst. Satisfying thirst not
only brings relief, but produces a decidedly pleasant sensation;
however, the real pleasure of drinking is not experienced until one has
become actually thirsty.
The various liquids by which thirst may be slaked, or quenched, are
known as beverages. The first one of these given to man was water,
and it is still the chief beverage, for it is used both alone and as a
foundation for numerous other beverages that are calculated to be more
tasty, but whose use is liable in some cases to lead to excessive
drinking or to the partaking of substances that are injurious to health.
3. The beverages that are in common use may be placed in three general
classes: alcoholic, stimulating, and non-stimulating. The
alcoholic beverages include such drinks as beer, wine, whisky, etc.,
some of which are used more in one country than in another. In fact,
almost every class of people known has an alcoholic beverage that has
come to be regarded as typical of that class. Alcoholic fermentation is
supposed to have been discovered by accident, and when its effect became
known it was recognized as a popular means of supplying a beverage and
some stimulation besides. Under stimulating beverages come tea, coffee,
and cocoa. These are in common use all over the world, certain ones, of
course, finding greater favor in some countries than in others. With the
exception of cocoa, they provide very little food value. In contrast
with these drinks are the non-stimulating beverages, which include fruit
punches, soft drinks, and all the milk-and-egg concoctions. These are
usually very refreshing, and the majority of them contain sufficient
nourishment to recommend their frequent use.
WATER IN BEVERAGES
4. Many persons restrict the term beverages, contending that it refers
to refreshing or flavored drinks. It should be remembered, however, that
this term has a broader meaning and refers to any drink taken for the
purpose of quenching thirst. Water is the simplest beverage and is in
reality the foundation of nearly all drinks, for it is the water in them
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that slakes thirst. Flavors, such as fruit juice, tea, coffee, etc., are
combined with water to make the beverages more tempting, and
occasionally such foods as eggs, cream, and starchy materials are added
to give food value; but the first and foremost purpose of all beverages
is to introduce water into the system and thus satisfy thirst.
5. KINDS OF WATER.--Inasmuch as water is so important an element in the
composition of beverages, every one should endeavor to become familiar
with the nature of each of its varieties.
SOFT WATER is water that contains very little mineral matter. A common
example of soft water is rainwater.
HARD WATER is water that contains a large quantity of lime in solution.
Boiling such water precipitates, or separates, some of the lime and
consequently softens the water. An example of the precipitation of lime
in water is the deposit that can be found in any teakettle that has been
used for some time.
MINERAL WATER is water containing a large quantity of such minerals as
will go in solution in water, namely, sulphur, iron, lime, etc.
DISTILLED WATER is water from which all minerals have been removed. To
accomplish this, the water is converted into steam and then condensed.
This is the purest form of water.
CARBONATED WATER is water that has had carbon-dioxide, or carbonic-acid,
gas forced into it. The soda water used at soda fountains is an example
of this variety. Carbonated water is bottled and sold for
various purposes.
6. NECESSITY FOR PURE WATER.--The extensive use made of water in the
diet makes it imperative that every effort be exerted to have the water
supply as pure as possible. The ordinary city filter and the smaller
household filter can be depended on to remove sand, particles of leaves,
weeds, and such foreign material as is likely to drop into the water
from time to time, but they will not remove disease germs from an
unclean supply. Therefore, if there is any doubt about water being pure
enough to use for drinking purposes, it should be boiled before it is
used. Boiling kills any disease germs that the water may contain, but at
the same time it gives the water a very flat taste because of the loss
of air in boiling. However, as is mentioned in Essentials of Cookery,
Part 1, the natural taste may be restored by beating the boiled water
with an egg beater or by partly filling a jar, placing the lid on, and
shaking it vigorously.
RELATION OF BEVERAGES TO MEALS
7. About one-third of all the water required each day is taken in the
form of beverages with the meals. It was formerly thought that liquids
dilute the gastric juice and so should be avoided with meals. However,
it has been learned that beverages, either warm or cold, with the
exception of an occasional case, may be taken with meals without
injury. The chief point to remember is that it is unwise to drink
beverages either too hot or too cold. For the best results, their
temperature should be rather moderate.
8. Foods that may be dissolved in water can be incorporated in a
beverage to make it nutritious. With many persons, as in the case of
small children and invalids, this is often the only means there is of
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giving them nourishment. In serving beverages to healthy persons, the
food value of the meal should be taken into consideration. The beverage
accompanying a heavy meal should be one having very little food value;
whereas, in the case of a light meal, the beverage can be such as will
give additional nutrition. For instance, hot chocolate, which is very
nutritious, would not be a good beverage to serve with a meal consisting
of soup, meat, vegetables, salad, and dessert, but it would be an
excellent drink to serve with a lunch that is made up of light
sandwiches, salad, and fruit.
ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES
9. ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES are made by allowing yeast to ferment the starch
or the sugar in a certain kind of food, thus producing acid and alcohol.
Grains and fruits are used oftenest for this purpose. In some cases, the
fermentation is allowed to continue long enough to use up all the starch
or sugar in the material selected, and in this event the resulting
beverages are sour and contain a great deal of alcohol. In others, the
fermentation is stopped before all the sugar or starch is utilized, and
then the beverage is sweet and contains less alcohol. The higher the
percentage of alcohol a beverage contains, the more intoxicating it is
and the more quickly will a state of intoxication be reached by
drinking it.
10. HARMFUL EFFECTS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.--In years past, alcoholic
beverages were considered to be a necessity for medicinal purposes in
hospitals and in homes, but this use of them has been very greatly
decreased. In fact, it is believed by most authorities that often more
harm than good is done by using alcoholic beverages as a medical
stimulant or as a carrier for some drug. As these drinks are harmful in
this respect, so are they detrimental to health when they are taken
merely as beverages. It is definitely known that alcohol acts as a food
when it enters the body, for it is burned just as a carbohydrate would
be and thus produces heat. That this action takes place very rapidly can
be detected by the warmth that is produced almost immediately when the
drink is taken. Some of it is lost through the breath and the kidneys
without producing heat, and it also acts upon the blood vessels near the
skin in such a way as to lose very quickly the heat that is produced. It
is never conserved and used gradually as the heat from food is used. The
taking of alcohol requires much work on the part of the kidneys, and
this eventually injures them. It also hardens the liver and produces a
disease known as hob-nailed, or gin, liver. In addition, if used
continuously, this improper means of nourishing the body produces an
excessive amount of fat. Because of these harmful effects on the various
organs, its too rapid loss from the body, and the fact that it does not
build tissue, alcohol is at best a very poor food and should be avoided
on all occasions.
11. KINDS OF ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.--In spite of the truth that beverages
containing alcohol are found to be harmful, many of them are in common
use. Following are the names of these, together with a short account of
their preparation:
BEER is an alcoholic beverage made from certain grains, usually barley,
by malting the grain, boiling the product with hops, and finally
fermenting it with yeast. The malting of grains, it will be remembered,
is explained in Cereals. The hops are used to give the beer a
desirable flavor. This beverage is characterized by a low percentage of
alcohol, containing only 2 to 5 per cent., and consequently is not very
intoxicating.
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WINE is a beverage that is usually made from grapes, although berries
and other small fruits are occasionally used. It contains from 7 to 16
per cent. of alcohol and is therefore more intoxicating than beer. The
wines in which all of the sugar is fermented are known as sour, or
dry, wines, while those in which not all of the sugar has been
fermented are called sweet wines. Many classes of wines are made and
put on the market, but those most commonly used are claret, sherry,
hock, port, and Madeira.
BRANDY is an alcoholic liquor distilled from wine. It is very
intoxicating, for it consists of little besides alcohol and water, the
percentage of alcohol varying from 40 to 50 per cent. Upon being
distilled, brandy is colorless, but it is then stored in charred wooden
casks, from which it takes its characteristic color.
GIN is a practically colorless liquor distilled from various grains and
flavored with oil of juniper or some other flavoring substance, such as
anise, orange peel, or fennel. It contains from 30 to 40 per cent. of
alcohol. It is usually stored in glass bottles, which do not impart a
color to it.
RUM is an alcoholic beverage made by fermenting cane sugar, molasses,
cane juice, or the scum and waste from sugar refineries and then
distilling the product. It contains from 45 to 50 per cent. of alcohol,
and has a disagreeable odor when it is distilled. This odor, however, is
removed by storing the rum in wooden receptacles for a long period
of time.
CORDIALS are beverages made by steeping fruits or herbs in brandy.
Absinthe, which is barred from the United States because it contains
wormwood, a very injurious substance, is a well-known cordial. Besides
being extremely intoxicating, it overstimulates the heart and the
stomach if taken in even comparatively small quantities.
WHISKY is an alcoholic beverage obtained by distilling fermented grain
several times until it has a strength of 40 to 50 per cent. of alcohol.
Then it is flavored and stored in charred casks to ripen and become
mellow, after which it has a characteristic color. As can readily be
understood, distilled liquors contain the highest percentage of alcohol.
* * * * *
STIMULATING BEVERAGES
NATURE OF STIMULATING BEVERAGES
12. STIMULATING BEVERAGES are those which contain a drug that stimulates
the nervous and the circulatory system; that is, one that acts on the
nerves and the circulation in such a way as to make them active and
alert. Common examples of these beverages are coffee, tea, and cocoa or
chocolate. If the nerves are in need of rest, it is dangerous to
stimulate them with such beverages, for, as the nervous system
indirectly affects all the organs of the body, the effects of this
stimulation are far-reaching. The immediate effect of the stimulant in
these beverages is to keep the drinker awake, thus causing
sleeplessness, or temporary insomnia. If tea and coffee are used
habitually and excessively, headaches, dull brains, and many nervous
troubles are liable to result.
13. The stimulant that is found in the leaves of tea is known as
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theine; that found in coffee beans, caffeine; and that found in
cacao beans, from which cocoa and chocolate are made, theobromine.
Each of these stimulants is extracted by the hot liquid that is always
used to make the beverage. It is taken up by the liquid so quickly that
the method used to prepare the beverage makes little difference as to
the amount obtained. In other words, tea made by pouring water through
the leaves will contain nearly as much of the stimulant as tea made by
boiling the leaves.
14. In addition to the stimulant, tea and coffee contain tannin, or
tannic acid, an acid that is also obtained from the bark of certain
trees and used in the tanning of animal hides in the preparation of
leather. Tannin is not taken so quickly from tea and coffee by the hot
liquid used in preparing the beverage as is the stimulant, so that the
longer tea leaves and coffee grounds remain in the liquid, the more
tannic acid will be drawn out. This fact can be detected by the bitter
flavor and the puckery feeling in the mouth after drinking tea that has
been allowed to remain on the leaves or coffee that has stood for some
time on the grounds. Tannic acid has a decidedly bad effect on the
digestion in the stomach, so that if improperly prepared tea or coffee
is indulged in habitually, it may cause stomach disorders.
TABLE I
STIMULANT AND TANNIC ACID PRESENT IN STIMULATING BEVERAGES
-------------------------------------------------------------
Quantity of Quantity of
Beverage Stimulant Stimulant Tannic Acid
Grains Grains
-------------------------------------------------------------
Coffee Caffeine 2 to 3 1 to 2
Tea Theine 1 to 2 1 to 4
Cocoa or chocolate Theobromine 1 to 1-1/2 1/2 to 1
-------------------------------------------------------------
15. The quantity of stimulant and tannic acid contained in an ordinary
cup of tea, coffee, and cocoa or chocolate is given in Table I. As this
table shows, the quantity, which is given in grains, does not vary
considerably in the different beverages and is not present in such
quantity as to be harmful, unless these beverages are indulged in
to excess.
To reduce the quantity of caffeine contained in coffee has been the aim
of many coffee producers. As a result, there are on the market a number
of brands of coffee that have been put through a process that removes
practically all the caffeine. The beverage made from coffee so treated
is less harmful than that made from ordinary coffee, and so far as the
flavor is concerned this loss of caffeine does not change it.
16. Neither tea nor coffee possesses any food value. Unless sugar or
cream is added, these beverages contain nothing except water, flavor,
stimulant, and tannic acid. Chocolate and cocoa, however, are rich in
fat, and as they are usually made with milk and sugar they have the
advantage of conveying food to the system. Because of their nature, tea
and coffee should never be given to children. Cocoa and chocolate
provide enough food value to warrant their use in the diet of young
persons, but they should not be taken in too great quantity because of
the large amount of fat they contain. Any of these beverages used in
excessive amounts produces the same effect as a mild drug habit.
Consequently, when a person feels that it is impossible to get along
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without tea or coffee, it is time to stop the use of that beverage.
* * * * *
COFFEE
HISTORY AND PRODUCTION
17. COFFEE is the seed of the coffee tree, which in its wild state grows
to a height of 20 feet, but in cultivation is kept down to about 10 or
12 feet for convenience in gathering the fruit. Coffee originated in
Abyssinia, where it has been used as a beverage from time immemorial. At
the beginning of the 15th century, it found its way into Arabia, where
it was used by the religious leaders for preventing drowsiness, so that
they could perform religious ceremonies at night. About 100 years later
it came into favor in Turkey, but it was not until the middle of the
17th century that it was introduced into England. Its use gradually
increased among common people after much controversy as to whether it
was right to drink it or not. It is now extensively grown in India,
Ceylon, Java, the West Indies, Central America, Mexico, and Brazil. The
last-named country, Brazil, furnishes about 75 per cent. of the coffee
used in the United States and about 60 per cent. of the world's supply.
18. Coffee is a universal drink, but it finds more favor in some
countries than others. The hospitality of a Turkish home is never
thought to be complete without the serving of coffee to its guests;
however, the coffee made by the Turks is not pleasant except to those
who are accustomed to drinking it. As prepared in Turkey and the East, a
small amount of boiling water is poured over the coffee, which is
powdered and mixed with sugar, and the resulting beverage, which is very
thick, is served in a small cup without cream. The French make a
concoction known as cafe an lait, which, as explained in Essentials
of Cookery, Part 2, is a combination of coffee and milk. These two
ingredients are heated separately in equal proportions and then mixed
before serving. This is a very satisfactory way in which to serve coffee
if cream cannot be obtained.
19. OBTAINING THE COFFEE SEEDS.--The seeds of the coffee tree are
enclosed in pairs, with their flat surfaces toward each other, in dark,
cherry-like berries. The pulp of the berry is softened by fermentation
and then removed, leaving the seeds enclosed in a husk. They are then
separated from the husks by being either sun-dried and rolled or reduced
to a soft mass in water with the aid of a pulping machine. With the
husks removed, the seeds are packed into coarse cloth bags and
distributed.
20. ROASTING THE COFFEE BEANS.--The next step in the preparation of
coffee for use is the roasting of the coffee beans. After being
separated from the husks, the beans have a greenish-yellow color, but
during the roasting process, when they are subjected to high temperature
and must be turned constantly to prevent uneven roasting, they turn to a
dark brown. As the roasting also develops the flavor, it must be done
carefully. Some persons prefer to buy unroasted coffee and roast it at
home in an oven, but it is more economical to purchase coffee already
roasted. In addition, the improved methods of roasting produce coffee of
a better flavor, for they accomplish this by machinery especially
devised for the purpose.
21. GRINDING THE COFFEE BEANS.--During the roasting process there is
developed an aromatic volatile oil, called caffeol, to which the
flavor of the coffee is due. This oil is very strong, but upon being
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exposed to the air it passes off and thus causes a loss of flavor in the
coffee. For this reason, roasted coffee should be kept in air-tight
cans, boxes, or jars. Before it is used, however, it must be ground.
The grinding of the coffee beans exposes more surface and hence the
flavor is more quickly lost from ground than unground coffee. Because of
this fact and because ground coffee can be adulterated very easily, it
is not wise to buy coffee already ground. If only a small quantity is
bought at a time and it can be used up at once, the grinding may be done
by the grocer, but even in such a case the better plan is to grind it
immediately before using it.
22. The method by which the coffee is to be prepared for drinking will
determine to a large extent the way in which the coffee beans must be
ground. When coffee is to be made by a method in which the grounds are
not left in the water for any length of time, the beans must be ground
very fine, in fact, pulverized, for the flavor must be extracted
quickly. For other purposes, such as when it is to be made in a
percolator, the beans need not be ground quite so fine, and when it is
to be made in an ordinary coffee pot they may be ground very coarse.
23. For use in the home, simple coffee mills that will grind coffee as
coarse or as fine as may be desired are to be had.
One kind is fastened to a board so that it can be attached to the wall.
The coffee to be ground is put in the chamber from which it is fed to
the grinding rolls, and the ground coffee drops into the chamber. The
grinding rolls are adjusted to the desired fineness by the notched
arrangement on the end of the shaft.
Another type of coffee mill may be placed on a table top or some
other flat surface, but it operates on the same principle as the other.
The coffee beans are placed in the chamber at the top, and the ground
coffee drops into the drawer a at the bottom. The adjustment of the
grinding rolls is regulated by the notched head at the end of the
vertical shaft.
24. ADULTERATION OF COFFEE.--As in the case of numerous other foods,
attempts are often made to adulterate coffee. Since the Pure Food Laws
have been enforced, there is not so much danger of adulteration in a
product of this kind; still, every housewife should be familiar with the
ways in which this beverage may be reduced in strength or quality, so
that she may be able to tell whether she is getting a good or an
inferior product for her money.
Coffee may be adulterated in a number of ways. Ground coffee is
especially easy to adulterate with bread crumbs, bran, and similar
materials that have been thoroughly browned. Many of the cheaper coffees
are adulterated with chicory, a root that has a flavor similar to that
of coffee and gives the beverages with which it is used a reddish-brown
color. Chicory is not harmful; in fact, its flavor is sought by some
people, particularly the French. The objection to it, as well as to
other adulterants, is that it is much cheaper than coffee and the use of
it therefore increases the profits of the dealer. The presence of
chicory in coffee can be detected by putting a small amount of the
ground coffee in a glass of water. If chicory is present, the water will
become tinged with red and the chicory will settle to the bottom more
quickly than the coffee.
PREPARATION OF COFFEE
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25. SELECTION OF COFFEE.--Many varieties of coffee are to be had, but
Mocha, Java, and Rio are the ones most used. A single variety, however,
is seldom sold alone, because a much better flavor can be obtained from
blend coffee, by which is meant two or more kinds of coffee
mixed together.
It is usually advisable to buy as good a quality of coffee as can be
afforded. The more expensive coffees have better flavor and greater
strength than the cheaper grades and consequently need not be used in
such great quantity. It is far better to serve this beverage seldom and
to have what is served the very best than to serve it so often that a
cheap grade must be purchased. For instance, some persons think that
they must have coffee for at least two out of three daily meals, but it
is usually sufficient if coffee is served once a day, and then for the
morning or midday meal rather than for the evening meal.
After deciding on the variety of coffee that is desired, it is well to
buy unground beans that are packed in air-tight packages. Upon
receiving the coffee in the home, it should be poured into a jar or a
can and kept tightly covered.
26. NECESSARY UTENSILS.--Very few utensils are required for coffee
making, but they should be of the best material that can be afforded in
order that good results may be had. A coffee pot, a coffee percolator,
and a drip pot, or coffee biggin, are the utensils most frequently used
for the preparation of this beverage.
27. If a COFFEE POT is preferred, it should be one made of material that
will withstand the heat of a direct flame. The cheapest coffee pots are
made of tin, but they are the least desirable and should be avoided, for
the tin, upon coming in contact with the tannic acid contained in
coffee, sometimes changes the flavor. Coffee pots made of enamelware are
the next highest in price. Then come nickel-plated ones, and, finally,
the highest-priced ones, which are made of aluminum.
28. PERCOLATORS are very desirable for the making of coffee, for they
produce excellent results and at the same time make the preparation of
coffee easy. Those having an electric attachment are especially
convenient. In one form of percolator, the ground coffee is put in the
filter cup a and the water in the lower part of the pot. The water
immediately passes into the chamber. In this chamber, which is small, it
heats rapidly and then rises through a vertical tube. At the top it
comes out in the form of a spray, strikes the glass top, and falls back
on a perforated metal plate called the spreader. It then passes through
this plate into the filter cup containing the grounds, through which it
percolates and drops into the main chamber. The circulation of the
water continues as long as sufficient heat is applied, and the rate of
circulation depends on the degree of heat.
29. The DRIP POT, or coffee biggin, as it is sometimes called is
sometimes preferred for the making of coffee. This utensil is made of
metal or earthenware and operates on the same principle as a
percolator. The ground coffee is suspended above the liquid in a cloth
bag or a perforated receptacle and the water percolates through it.
30. In case a more complicated utensil than any of those mentioned is
used for the making of coffee, the directions that accompany it will
have to be followed. But no matter what kind of utensil is selected for
the preparation of coffee, it should be thoroughly cleaned each time it
is used. To clean it, first empty any coffee it contains and then wash
every part carefully and scald and dry it. If the utensil is not clean,
the flavor of the coffee made in it will be spoiled.
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31. METHODS OF MAKING COFFEE.--Several methods are followed in the
making of coffee, the one to select depending on the result desired and
the kind of utensil to be used. The most common of these methods are:
boiling, which produces a decoction; infusion, or filtration,
which consists in pouring boiling water over very finely ground coffee
in order to extract its properties; and percolating, in which boiling
water percolates, or passes through, finely ground coffee and extracts
its flavor. For any of these methods, soft water is better than water
that contains a great deal of lime. Many times persons cannot understand
why coffee that is excellent in one locality is poor in another. In the
majority of cases, this variation is due to the difference in the water
and not to the coffee. From 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of coffee to 1 cupful
of water is the usual proportion followed in making coffee.
32. BOILED COFFEE.--Without doubt, coffee is more often boiled in its
preparation than treated in any other way. Usually, an ordinary coffee
pot is all that is required in this method of preparation. The amount of
ground coffee used may be varied to obtain the desired strength.
BOILED COFFEE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. cold water
1/2 c. ground coffee
3 c. boiling water
After scalding the coffee pot, put 1/2 cupful of the cold water and the
ground coffee into it. Stir well and then add the boiling water. Allow
it to come to the boiling point and boil for 3 minutes. Pour a little of
the coffee into a cup to clear the spout of grounds, add the remaining
cupful of cold water, and put back on the stove to reheat, but not to
boil. When hot, serve at once. Never allow the liquid to stand on the
grounds for any length of time, for the longer it stands the more tannic
acid will be drawn out.
33. As coffee made by boiling is usually somewhat cloudy, it may be
cleared in one way or another. The last cold water is added for this
purpose, for as it is heavier than the warm liquid it sinks to the
bottom and carries the grounds with it. Coffee may also be cleared by
stirring a small quantity of beaten raw egg, either the white or the
yolk, or both, into the grounds before the cold water is added to them.
One egg will clear two or three potfuls of coffee if care is exercised
in its use. What remains of the egg after the first potful has been
cleared should be placed in a small dish and set away for future use. A
little cold water poured over it will assist in preserving it. If the
egg shells are washed before the egg is broken, they may be crushed and
added to the grounds also, for they will help to clear the coffee. The
explanation of the use of egg for this purpose is that it coagulates as
the coffee heats and carries the particles of coffee down with it as
it sinks.
34. Another very satisfactory way in which to make boiled coffee is to
tie the ground coffee loosely into a piece of cheesecloth, pour the
boiling water over it, and then let it boil for a few minutes longer
than in the method just given. Coffee prepared in this manner will be
found to be clear and therefore need not be treated in any of the ways
mentioned.
35. FILTERED COFFEE.--When it is desired to make coffee by the filtering
process, the coffee must be ground into powder. Then it should be made
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in a drip, or French, coffee pot. If one of these is not available,
cheesecloth of several thicknesses may be substituted. The advantage of
making coffee by this method is that the coffee grounds may sometimes be
used a second time.
FILTERED COFFEE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/2 c. powdered coffee
1 qt. boiling water
Place the coffee in the top of the drip pot, pour the boiling water over
it, and allow the water to drip through into the vessel below. When all
has run through, remove the water and pour it over the coffee a second
time. If cheesecloth is to be used, put the coffee in it, suspend it
over the coffee pot or other convenient utensil, and proceed as with
the drip pot.
36. PERCOLATED COFFEE.--The coffee used for percolated coffee should be
ground finer than for boiled coffee, but not so fine as for filtered
coffee. This is perhaps the easiest way in which to prepare coffee and
at the same time the surest method of securing good coffee.
PERCOLATED COFFEE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/2 c. finely ground coffee
1 qt. cold water
Place the coffee in the perforated compartment in the top of the
percolator and pour the cold water in the lower chamber. As the water
heats, it is forced up through the vertical tube against the top. It
then falls over the coffee and percolates through into the water below.
This process begins before the water boils, but the hotter the water
becomes the more rapidly does it percolate through the coffee. The
process continues as long as the heat is applied, and the liquid becomes
stronger in flavor as it repeatedly passes through the coffee. When the
coffee has obtained the desired strength, serve at once.
37. AFTER-DINNER COFFEE.--After a rather elaborate meal, a small cup of
very strong, black coffee is often served. To prepare after-dinner
coffee, as this kind is called, follow any of the methods already
explained, but make it twice as strong as coffee that is to accompany
the usual meal. Sugar and cream may be added to after-dinner coffee, but
usually this coffee is drunk black and unsweetened.
38. VIENNA COFFEE.--An especially nice way in which to serve coffee is
to combine it with boiled milk and whipped cream. It is then known as
Vienna coffee. The accompanying directions are for just 1 cup, as this
is prepared a cupful at a time.
VIENNA COFFEE
(Sufficient to Serve One)
1/4 c. boiled milk
3 Tb. whipped cream
1/2 c. hot filtered coffee, or coffee prepared by any method
Place the boiled milk in a cup, add the whipped cream, and fill the cup
with the hot coffee.
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39. ICED COFFEE.--Persons fond of coffee find iced coffee a most
delicious hot-weather drink. Iced coffee is usually served in a glass,
rather than in a cup, and when whipped cream is added an attractive
beverage results.
To prepare iced coffee, make coffee by any desired method, but if the
boiling method is followed be careful to strain the liquid so that it is
entirely free from grounds. Cool the liquid and then pour into glasses
containing cracked ice. Serve with plain cream and sugar or with a
tablespoonful or two of whipped cream. If desired, however, the cream
may be omitted and the coffee served with an equal amount of milk, when
it is known as iced cafe au lait.
40. LEFT-OVER COFFEE.--The aim of the person who prepares coffee should
be to make the exact quantity needed, no more nor no less, and this can
usually be done if directions are carefully followed. However, if any
coffee remains after all are served, it should not be thrown away, as it
can be utilized in several ways. Drain the liquid from the grounds as
soon as possible so that the flavor will not be impaired.
If desired, left-over coffee may be added to fresh coffee when it is
prepared for the next meal or, in hot weather, it may be used for iced
coffee. It may also be used to flavor gelatine, which, when sweetened
and served with whipped cream, makes an excellent dessert. Again,
left-over coffee is very satisfactory as a flavoring for cake icing, for
custards, or for whipped cream that is to be served with desserts. When
coffee is desired for flavoring, it should be boiled in order to
evaporate some of the water. Very good cake is made by using left-over
coffee for the liquid and spices for the flavoring.
SERVING COFFEE
41. The serving of coffee may be done in several ways, but, with the
exception of iced coffee, this beverage should always be served as hot
as possible. As can well be imagined, nothing is more insipid than
lukewarm coffee. Therefore, coffee is preferably made immediately before
it is to be served. Sugar and cream usually accompany coffee, but they
may be omitted if they are not desired.
Coffee may be served with the dinner course, with the dessert, or after
the dessert. When it is served with the dinner course or the dessert, a
coffee cup or a tea cup of ordinary size is used; but when it is served
after the dessert, a demi-tasse, or small cup that holds less than half
the amount of the other size, is preferable. Usually, after-dinner
coffee, or cafe noir, as such black coffee is called, rather than
coffee with cream and sugar, is served after the dessert course of a
heavy dinner because it is supposed to be stimulating to the digestion.
The pouring of coffee may be done at the table or in the kitchen. If it
is done at the table, the person serving should ask those to be served
whether or not they desire cream and sugar, and then serve accordingly.
If it is done before the coffee is brought to the table, the cream and
sugar should be passed, so that those served may help themselves to the
desired amount. Care should always be taken in the serving of coffee not
to fill the cup so full that it will run over or that it will be too
full to handle easily when the cream and sugar are added.
* * * * *
TEA
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HISTORY AND PRODUCTION
42. TEA consists of the prepared leaves or leaf buds of a plant known as
the tea plant and is used as one of the three stimulating beverages.
This plant is grown in China, Japan, India, Ceylon, and the East Indies,
and to a small extent in South Carolina. There are two distinct
varieties of tea, and each one may be used for the preparation of either
green or black tea. The leaves of the tea plant, which are what is used
for making the beverage, are gathered four times a year from the time
the plants are 4 years old until they are 10 or 12 years old. Then the
plants are pulled up and new ones planted. Upon being gathered, the
leaves are put through a series of processes before they are ready for
use. During this treatment, various modifications of flavor are
developed and the leaves are changed in color to black or green,
depending on the process used.
43. It is surprising to most persons to learn that tea was known in
China for many years before people began to make a beverage of it. The
first record of its use as a beverage was probably in the 6th century,
when an infusion of tea leaves was given to a ruler of the Chinese
Empire to cure a headache. A century later, tea had come into common use
as a beverage in that country. As civilization advanced and new
countries were formed, tea was introduced as a beverage, and today there
is scarcely a locality in which it is not commonly used.
44. CLASSIFICATION OF TEA AS TO QUALITY.--The position of the leaf on
the tea plant determines the quality of the tea. The farther from the
top, the coarser are the leaves and the poorer is the quality. On the
other hand, the smaller the leaves and the nearer the top, the better is
the quality. In the very best qualities of tea, the buds of the plant
are included with the tiny top leaves.
45. Tea that is raised in China is graded in a particular way, and it
will be well to understand this grading. The top buds are used entirely
for a variety known as flowery pekoe, but this is seldom found in our
markets. The youngest leaves next to the buds are made into a tea called
orange pekoe; the next older leaves are used for pekoe; the third,
for souchong first; the fourth, for souchong second; the fifth, for
congou; and if there is another leaf, it is made into a tea known as
bohea. Sometimes the first three leaves are mixed, and when this is
done the tea is called pekoe. If they are mixed with the next two, the
tea is called souchong pekoe. The laws controlling the importation of
tea require that each shipment be tested before it passes the custom
house, to determine whether or not it contains what the label claims
for it.
46. VARIETIES OF TEA.--The teas that are put on the market are of two
general varieties, black tea and green tea. Any quality of tea or
tea raised in any country may be made into these two kinds, for, as has
been mentioned, it is the method of preparation that is accountable for
the difference. A number of the common brands of tea are blends or
mixtures of green and black tea. These, which are often called mixed
teas, are preferred by many persons to the pure tea of either kind.
47. BLACK TEA is made by fermenting the tea leaves before they are
dried. This fermentation turns them black and produces a marked change
in their flavor. The process of preparation also renders some of the
tannin insoluble; that is, not so much of it can be dissolved when the
beverage is made. Some well-known brands of black tea are China
congou, or English breakfast, Formosa, oolong, and the various
154 / 211
pekoes. The English are especially fond of black tea, and the people
of the United States have followed their custom to the extent that it
has become a favorite in this country.
48. GREEN TEA is made by steaming the leaves and then drying them, a
process that retains the green color. With tea of this kind, all
fermentation of the leaves is carefully avoided. Some familiar kinds of
green tea are hyson, Japan, and gunpowder. The best of these are
the ones that come from Japan.
PREPARATION OF TEA
49. SELECTION OF TEA.--In the course of its preparation, tea is rolled
either into long, slender pieces or into little balls. Knowing this, the
housewife should be able to detect readily the stems and other foreign
material sometimes found in teas, especially the cheaper varieties. Such
teas should be avoided, for they are lacking not only in flavor but also
in strength. If economy must be practiced, the moderately expensive
grades will prove to be the best ones to buy.
50. METHODS OF MAKING TEA.--Upon steeping tea in hot water, a very
pleasant beverage results. If this is properly made, a gentle stimulant
that can be indulged in occasionally by normal adults without harmful
results can be expected. However, the value of tea as a beverage has at
all times been much overestimated. When it is served as afternoon tea,
as is frequently done, its chief value lies in the pleasant hospitality
that is afforded by pouring it. Especially is this the case in England,
where the inhabitants have adopted the pretty custom of serving
afternoon tea and feel that guests have not received the hospitality of
the home until tea has been served. Through their continued use of this
beverage, the English have become expert in tea making.
51. The Russians are also adepts so far as the making of tea is
concerned. They use a very good kind of tea, called caravan tea, which
is packed in lead-covered packages and brought to them by caravans. This
method of packing and delivery is supposed to have a ripening effect on
the leaves and to give them an unusually good flavor. For making tea,
the Russians use an equipment called a samovar. This is an urn that is
constantly kept filled with boiling water, so that tea can be served to
all visitors or callers that come, no matter what time of day they
arrive.
52. Most persons, however, make tea into a beverage by steeping it in
boiling water or by placing it in a tea ball or some similar utensil and
then allowing it to stand in boiling water for a short time. Whichever
method of preparation is followed, the water must be at the boiling
point and it must be freshly boiled. Water that has been boiled for any
length of time becomes very insipid and flat to the taste and affects
the flavor of the tea. Tea leaves that have been used once should never
be resteeped, for more tannin is extracted than is desirable and the
good tea flavor is lost, producing a very unwholesome beverage. As a
rule, 1 to 1-1/2 teaspoonfuls of tea to 1 cupful of water is the
proportion followed in tea making.
53. STEEPED TEA.--When tea is to be steeped, a teapot is used. That the
best results may be secured, the teapot should always be freshly scalded
and the water freshly boiled.
STEEPED TEA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
155 / 211
2 Tb. tea
1 qt. boiling water
Scald the teapot. Put the tea into the teapot and pour the boiling water
over it. Let stand on the back of the stove for 3 minutes, when a
beverage of sufficient strength will be formed. Strain the beverage from
the tea leaves and serve at once.
54. AFTERNOON TEA.--When tea is desired for afternoon serving or when it
is to be prepared at the table, a tea ball is the most satisfactory
utensil to use. This is a perforated silver or aluminum ball which
opens by means of a hinge and into which the tea is placed. For
convenience in use, a chain is attached to the ball and ends in a ring
that is large enough to slip over the finger. Some teapots contain a
ball attached to the inside of the lid and suspended inside the pot.
Utensils of this kind are very convenient, for when the tea made in
them becomes strong enough, the leaves may be removed without pouring
off the tea.
To prepare afternoon tea with a tea ball, put 1 or 2 teaspoonfuls of tea
in the ball, fasten it securely, and place it in a cup. Then pour enough
freshly boiled water over the ball to fill the cup to the desired
height. Allow the ball to remain in the water until the desired strength
is attained and then remove it. If more than 2 or 3 persons are to be
served, it will be necessary to refill the ball.
55. ICED TEA.--Perhaps one of the most refreshing drinks for warm
weather is iced tea. A tea that is especially blended for this purpose
and that is cheaper in price than other tea may be purchased. Slices of
lemon or crushed mint leaves add much to the flavor of the tea and are
often served with it.
Prepare tea by steeping it, but make it double strength. Strain it from
the leaves and allow it to become cool. Then pour it into glasses
containing cracked ice. Serve with sugar and slices of lemon or
mint leaves.
56. LEFT-OVER TEA.--Tea that remains after all persons are served need
not be wasted if it is poured off the leaves at once. Such tea is
satisfactory for iced tea, or it may be combined with certain fruit
juices in the preparation of various cold beverages. However, there are
not many satisfactory uses for left-over tea; so it is best to take
pains not to make more than will be required for one time.
SERVING TEA
57. Tea may be served as an accompaniment to meals or with small
sandwiches, dainty cakes, or macaroons as an afternoon ceremony. If it
is served with meals and is poured at the table, the hostess or the one
pouring asks those to be served whether they desire sugar and cream and
then uses these accompaniments accordingly. In the event that it is
brought to the table poured, the sugar and cream are passed and those
served may help themselves to what they desire. Lemon adds much to the
flavor of tea and is liked by most persons. A dish of sliced lemon may
be passed with the cream and sugar or placed where the hostess may add
it to the tea. The Russians, who are inveterate tea drinkers, prepare
this beverage by putting a slice of lemon in the cup and then pouring
the hot tea over it. If this custom is followed, the lemons should be
washed and sliced very thin and the seeds should be removed from the
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slices. The flavor may also be improved by sticking a few cloves in each
slice of lemon; or, if the clove flavor is desired, several cloves may
be put in the teapot when the tea is made.
Lemon is almost always served with iced tea, for it adds a delightful
flavor. If it is not squeezed into the glass, it should be cut into
quarters or eighths lengthwise and then cut across so that small
triangular pieces are formed. These are much easier to handle than
whole slices.
58. In the serving of afternoon tea, the pouring of the tea is the main
thing, and the remainder of the service simply complements this pleasant
ceremony. Tiny sandwiches, small cakes, or macaroons usually accompany
the tea, while such confections as candied orange peel, stuffed dates,
or salted nuts are often served also. When sandwiches are used, they may
be merely bread-and-butter sandwiches or they may contain marmalade or
any desired filling. The principal requirement is that they be made as
small and thin as possible, so that they will be extremely dainty in
appearance.
59. A tea cozy is a convenient device to use when tea is served from
the pot. It consists of a padded cap, or cover, that may be slipped over
the teapot to prevent the heat from escaping after the tea is infused.
It is made of several thicknesses of material in a shape and size that
will slip over the teapot easily and can then be removed when the tea
is to be poured. This can be made very attractive by means of a nicely
embroidered cover.
* * * * *
COCOA AND CHOCOLATE
NATURE AND SELECTION
62. COCOA and CHOCOLATE are made from the fruit of the cacao, or
chocolate, tree. This tree is native to Mexico, where cocoa was first
used as a beverage, but it is also grown in South America and the West
Indies. The fruit of this tree was named cocoa Theobroma, which means
"food for the gods," because of its excellent flavor. The original
natives of Mexico and Peru used cocoa in place of money. When the
Spanish invaded these countries, they learned its use and took it back
to Spain, where it is still a popular beverage. In many localities in
Spain it became a fashionable morning drink, but it was also served at
other times.
63. PRODUCTION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--The fruit of the cacao tree is
in the form of pods from 6 to 10 inches in length and 3 to 4 inches in
diameter. These pods are filled with a white, pulpy mass in which are
embedded from twenty to forty seeds about twice the size and very much
the shape of kidney beans. After seeds are removed from the pod, they
are fermented and then dried. In this form they are packed in bags and
distributed. The beans are then roasted to develop their flavor and are
crushed into small pieces called cocoa nibs. The cocoa nibs are then
ground fine, when they become almost a liquid mass because of the very
large amount of fat contained in cocoa. To make the ordinary bitter
chocolate used so extensively for cooking purposes, this mass is run
into shallow pans, where it hardens as it cools. It is often flavored
and sweetened and then forms the confection known as sweet chocolate.
The application of pressure to bitter chocolate extracts considerable
fat, which is known as cocoa butter and is used largely in creams and
toilet preparations. The remaining material is ground into a powder and
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becomes the commercial cocoa.
To prevent the formation of a large amount of sediment in the bottom of
the cup, cocoa is treated with various kinds of alkali. Some of these
remain in the cocoa and are supposed to be harmful if it is taken in any
quantity. The cocoas that are treated with alkali are darker in color
than the others. The Dutch cocoas are considered to be the most soluble
and also contain the most alkali.
64. SELECTION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--Chocolate is usually pure in the
form in which it is sold, because it does not offer much chance for
adulteration. However, the volume of cocoa can be easily increased by
cheaper materials, such as starch, ground cocoa shells, etc. Cocoa so
adulterated should be avoided if possible. Generally the best brands,
although higher in price than others, are free from adulteration, and
from these a selection should be made. The particular brand of chocolate
or cocoa to buy must be governed by the taste of those to whom it is to
be served.
PREPARATION OF COCOA AND CHOCOLATE
65. As a beverage, cocoa probably has greater use than chocolate; still
there are some who prefer the flavor of chocolate to that of cocoa.
Directions for preparing beverages from both of these materials are
given, with the intention that the housewife may decide for herself
which one she prefers to use. For either one, any ordinary saucepan or
kettle may be used, but those made of enamel or aluminum are best. Of
these two materials, aluminum is the better, for milk is less liable to
scorch in a vessel of this kind than in one of any other material.
66. When chocolate is to be used for a beverage, the amount required
varies with the strength desired. Recipes for bitter chocolate usually
give the amount in squares, but no difficulty will be experienced in
determining the amount, for the cakes of chocolate are marked in squares
of 1 ounce each. If sweet chocolate is used, less sugar should, of
course, be added to the beverage.
67. In all but the first of the recipes that follow, it will be observed
that milk is used for a part of the liquid. The quantity given makes an
excellent beverage, but more or less may be used if desired. However, if
the quantity of milk is changed, the quantity of water should be changed
accordingly. Condensed or evaporated milk may be utilized very nicely in
the making of these two beverages. Milk of this kind should, of course,
be diluted, a half-pint can requiring 2 to 3 cupfuls of water. If
condensed milk is used, less sugar than the recipe calls for may be
employed. A few drops of vanilla added just before serving always
improves the flavor of cocoa or chocolate.
68. PLAIN COCOA.--The quickest and cheapest method of making cocoa is
explained in the recipe that follows. It may be prepared in a saucepan
and poured into the cups or it may be made in the cups themselves. To
improve the flavor of cocoa made in this way, as well as add to its food
value, cream should be served with it. Salt also is used to improve the
flavor of all cocoa and chocolate beverages.
PLAIN COCOA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2-1/2 Tb. cocoa
2-1/2 Tb. sugar
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Few grains of salt
4 c. boiling water
Mix the cocoa, sugar, and salt, form into a paste by stirring in a
little of the water, and then add the remainder of the water. Serve
with cream.
69. BREAKFAST COCOA.--Delicious cocoa can be made by following the
directions given in the accompanying recipe. Here milk and water are
used in equal amounts. When milk is used in the preparation of this
beverage, a scum of albumin is likely to form on the top of the cups
unless care is taken. To prevent this, the cocoa, as soon as it is
prepared, should be beaten with a rotary egg beater until a fine froth
forms on top. This process is known as milling, and should always be
applied whenever milk is used in the preparation of these beverages.
BREAKFAST COCOA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. milk
2 Tb. cocoa
2 Tb. sugar
Few grains of salt
2 c. boiling water
Scald the milk. Mix the cocoa, sugar, and salt, form into a paste by
stirring in a little of the boiling water, and then add the scalded milk
and the remainder of the water. Beat with an egg beater until a froth is
formed and serve at once.
70. RICH COCOA.--There are times when it is desired to serve rich cocoa,
as, for instance, with a lunch that is not high in food value or with
wafers at afternoon social affairs. The accompanying recipe explains how
to make cocoa that will be suitable for such occasions.
RICH COCOA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
4 c. milk
3 Tb. cocoa
1/4 c. sugar
Few grains of salt
1/2 c. boiling water
Scald the milk. Stir the cocoa, sugar, and salt into a smooth paste with
the boiling water and boil for 2 or 3 minutes. Add the scalded milk,
mill, and serve.
71. CREAMY COCOA.--When there is not very much milk on hand and still a
rich, creamy cocoa is desired, the accompanying recipe should be tried.
As will be noted, flour is used in addition to the usual ingredients.
While this is accountable for the creamy consistency of the cocoa, it
should be remembered that the cocoa must be cooked long enough to remove
the raw, starchy flavor of the flour.
CREAMY COCOA
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
4 Tb. cocoa
1 Tb. flour
4 Tb. sugar
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Few grains of salt
2 c. boiling water
2 c. milk
Mix the cocoa, flour, sugar, and salt, and stir into a paste with some
of the water. Add the rest of the water, cook for 5 minutes, and then
add the milk, which has been scalded. Mill and serve.
72. HOT CHOCOLATE.--Very good hot chocolate can be made by following
the directions here given. As will be noted, this recipe is similar to
several of those given for cocoa, except that chocolate is substituted
for the cocoa. It may therefore be used on any occasion when cocoa would
be served. It is especially delicious when served with a tablespoonful
or two of whipped cream.
HOT CHOCOLATE
2 c. milk
1-1/2 sq. unsweetened chocolate
1/4 c. sugar
Few grains of salt
2 c. boiling water
Scald the milk. Melt the chocolate over the fire, add the sugar and
salt, and gradually stir in the boiling water. Place over the fire, let
boil for 2 or 3 minutes, and add the scalded milk. Mill and serve plain
or with whipped cream.
73. ICED COCOA OR CHOCOLATE.--An excellent warm-weather beverage
consists of cold cocoa or cold chocolate served either with or without
sweetened whipped cream. Prepare the cocoa or chocolate according to any
of the recipes already given and then allow it to cool. Fill glasses
with cracked ice, pour the cocoa or chocolate over it, and serve either
with or without sweetened whipped cream.
74. LEFT-OVER COCOA AND CHOCOLATE.--As the materials used in the
preparation of cocoa and chocolate are rather expensive, not the
slightest quantity of these beverages that remains after serving should
be wasted. However, a small amount of chocolate usually has to be added
so that it will have a stronger flavor. It may then be thickened with
corn starch for chocolate blanc mange or with gelatine for chocolate
jelly. Either of these served with whipped cream or a sauce of some kind
makes an excellent dessert. Chocolate bread pudding may also be flavored
with these left-over beverages.
It is also a good plan to utilize left-over cocoa or chocolate for
flavoring purposes. However, additional cocoa or chocolate and sugar
should first be added to it, and the mixture should then be boiled to a
sirup. When so prepared it may be used whenever a chocolate flavoring is
desired, such as for flavoring other beverages, cake icings, custards,
sauces for desserts, and ice creams.
SERVING COCOA AND CHOCOLATE
75. When cocoa or chocolate is used to accompany meals, it is served in
the usual sized teacup. However, when either of these beverages is
served at receptions or instead of tea in the afternoon, regular
chocolate cups, which hold only about half as much as teacups, are used.
The cocoa or chocolate is prepared in the kitchen, but is served to the
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guests from a chocolate pot in tall cups that match the chocolate pot
in design. If such a service is not available, the cocoa or chocolate
may be poured into the cups in the kitchen and then brought to the
guests on a tray.
Besides sugar, which is generally added in the preparation of cocoa and
chocolate, cream usually accompanies these beverages, especially when
they are made without milk or with only a little. If the cream is
whipped and slightly sweetened, a spoonful or two will be sufficient to
render the beverage delightful. In case no cream is on hand,
marshmallows make a very good substitute. One of these should be placed
in the bottom of each cup and the hot beverage poured over it. The
marshmallow softens and rises to the top. When marshmallows are to be
added to cocoa, less sugar should be used in its preparation.
* * * * *
NON-STIMULATING BEVERAGES
CEREAL BEVERAGES
76. NON-STIMULATING BEVERAGES are those which contain neither stimulant
nor alcohol. They are the ones usually depended on to carry nutrition
into the body and to provide the necessary refreshment. In this class of
beverages come the various cereal beverages, fruit drinks, soft drinks,
and milk-and-egg drinks. With the exception of the cereal beverages,
these drinks are of a very refreshing nature, for they are served as
cold as possible and they contain materials that make them very pleasing
to the taste. Most of them can be prepared in the home at much less cost
than they can be purchased commercially prepared or at soda fountains;
so it is well for the housewife to be familiar with their nature and
their preparation.
77. CEREAL BEVERAGES, as the name implies, are made from cereals. Of
these, the cereal coffees are perhaps the most common. They contain
nothing that is harmful, and are slightly beneficial in that they assist
in giving the body some of the necessary liquid. However, they have
absolutely no food value and are therefore of no importance in the diet
except to take the place of stimulating beverages that are likely to
injure those who drink them. They are made of cereals to which sugar or
molasses is added, and the whole is then baked until the cereals brown
and the sugar caramelizes, the combination producing a flavor much like
that of coffee. Plain roasted wheat or bran can be used very well as a
substitute in the making of these beverages. In the parts of the country
where rye is extensively grown, it is roasted in the oven until it is an
even brown in color. It is then used almost exclusively by some persons
to make rye coffee, a beverage that closely resembles coffee
in flavor.
78. The instantaneous cereal beverages are made by drawing all the
flavor possible out of the material by means of water. The water is then
evaporated and the hard substance that remains is ground until it is
almost a powder. When water is added again, this substance becomes
soluble instantly. Instantaneous coffee is prepared in the same way.
The way in which to use these beverages depends, of course, on the kind
selected, but no difficulty will be experienced in their preparation,
for explicit directions are always found in or on all packages
containing them.
* * * * *
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FRUIT BEVERAGES
INGREDIENTS FOR FRUIT BEVERAGES
79. FRUIT BEVERAGES are those which contain fruit and fruit juices for
their foundation. As there are many kinds of fruit that can be used for
this purpose, almost endless variety can be obtained in the making of
these beverages. One of the important features is that a great deal of
nourishment can be incorporated into them by the materials used. In
addition, the acids of fruits are slightly antiseptic and are
stimulating to the digestion as well as beneficial to the blood.
80. Lemon juice, when mixed with other fruit juices, seems to intensify
the flavor. Because of this fact, practically all the recipes for fruit
beverages include this juice as one of the ingredients. The combination
of pineapple and lemon yields a greater quantity of flavor for
beverages, ices, etc. than any other two fruit flavors. Juice may be
extracted from all fruits easily. To obtain lemon juice for a fruit
beverage, first soften the fruit by pressing it between the hand and a
hard surface, such as a table top, or merely soften it with the hands.
Then cut it in two, crosswise, and drill the juice out, as shown in Fig.
12, by placing each half over a drill made of glass or aluminum and
turning it around and around until all the juice is extracted. To remove
the seeds and pulp, strain the juice through a wire strainer. The juice
from oranges and grapefruit, if they are not too large, may be extracted
in the same way.
81. It is not always necessary to extract juices from fresh fruit for
fruit beverages; in fact, juice from canned fruit or juice especially
canned for beverage making is the kind most frequently employed. For
instance, in the canning of fruit there is often a large quantity of
juice left over that most persons use for jelly. It is a good plan to
can this juice just as it is and then use it with lemon juice or other
fruit juices for these beverages. Also, juices that remain after all the
fruit has been used from a can may be utilized in the same way, no
matter what the kind or the quantity. In fact, unless otherwise stated
in the recipes that follow, the fruit juices given, with the exception
of orange and lemon juice, are those taken from canned fruit or juices
canned especially for beverage making. These juices also lend themselves
admirably to various other uses, for, as has already been learned, they
are used in ices, gelatine desserts, salad dressing, pudding sauces,
etc. Therefore, no fruit juice should ever be wasted.
82. The clear-fruit beverages become more attractive when they are
garnished in some way. A slice of lemon, orange, or pineapple, or a
fresh strawberry put into each glass improves the flavor and makes the
beverage more appetizing. Red, yellow, and green cherries may be bought
in bottles and used for such purposes. As these are usually preserved in
wine and are artificially colored, many persons object to their use. A
good substitute for them is candied cherries. These can be bought from
any confectioner and do very well when a red decoration is desired.
PREPARATION OF FRUIT BEVERAGES
83. LEMONADE.--Next to water, no other drink is so refreshing nor
quenches the thirst to so great an extent as lemonade. Lemonade is
suitable for many occasions, and as lemons can be purchased at any time
of the year it can be made at almost any season. The lemon sirup
prepared for this beverage may be used as desired, for if it is put in a
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cool place it will keep for a long time. The more the sirup is boiled
down, the better will it keep. A tablespoonful or two of glucose or corn
sirup added to such mixtures when they are boiled will help to keep them
from crystallizing when they stand.
LEMONADE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. sugar
1 qt. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
Make a sirup by boiling the sugar and water for a few minutes, and set
aside to cool. Add the lemon juice and then dilute with ice water to
suit the taste. Serve in glasses and garnish each one with a slice of
lemon or a red cherry.
84. ORANGEADE.--While not so acid in flavor as lemonade, orangeade is
also a delightful drink. On warm days, drinks of this kind should take
the place of the hot ones that are generally used during the
cold weather.
ORANGEADE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
3/4 c. sugar
1 qt. water
1/2 c. orange juice
3 Tb. lemon juice
Make a sirup of the sugar and 1 cupful of the water. Allow this to
become cool and then add the fruit juices and the remaining water. Pour
into glasses and garnish each glass with a slice of orange, a red
cherry, or a fresh strawberry.
85. GRAPE LEMONADE.--An excellent combination in the way of a beverage
is lemonade and grape juice. Besides adding flavor to the lemonade, the
grape juice gives it a delightful color.
GRAPE LEMONADE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 qt. lemonade
1 c. grape juice
Prepare the lemonade in the manner explained in Art. 83. Add the grape
juice to the lemonade and stir well. Serve ice cold in glasses.
86. PINEAPPLE LEMONADE.--Another variation of lemonade is produced when
pineapple juice is added to it. To garnish this beverage, a slice of
lemon and a spoonful of grated pineapple are generally used. This
pineapple beverage is delightful with wafers or small cakes as
refreshments for informal social affairs during hot weather.
PINEAPPLE LEMONADE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
3 c. ice water
1 c. juice from canned pineapple
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3 lemons
Make a sirup of the water and sugar, and set aside to cool. Add the ice
water, the pineapple juice, and the juice of the lemons. Stir well,
strain, and serve. Garnish with a slice of lemon and a spoonful of
grated pineapple added to each glass.
87. MINT JULEP.--Mint drinks are not served so often as some of the
other fruit beverages, but those with whom they find favor will
undoubtedly be delighted with mint julep prepared according to the
following recipe:
MINT JULEP
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
4 sprigs mint
1 c. sugar
1 qt. water
1 c. red cherry juice
1/2 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. orange juice
1/4 c. lemon juice
Crush the mint with the sugar, using a potato masher or a large spoon.
Add the water and fruit juices and strain. Serve over crushed ice and
garnish the glasses with sprigs of mint. Tall, narrow glasses are
especially attractive for serving this drink.
88. FRUIT NECTAR.--The term nectar was used by the early Greeks to mean
the drink of the gods. Now it is often applied to an especially
delightful beverage. Pineapple combined with lemon is always good, but
when orange juice is also used, an excellent nectar is the result.
FRUIT NECTAR
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
3/4 c. sugar
2 c. water
1-1/2 c. orange juice
1 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. lemon juice
Boil the sugar and water for 2 minutes and then cool. Add the fruit
juices, strain, and serve over cracked ice.
89. RED-RASPBERRY NECTAR.--A beverage that is pleasing to the eye, as
well as delightful to the taste, can be made by combining red-raspberry
juice and lemon juice with the required amount of sugar and water. The
juice from canned raspberries may be used for this drink.
RED-RASPBERRY NECTAR
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/2 c. sugar
2 c. water
1/2 c. lemon juice
1-1/2 c. red raspberry juice
Boil the sugar and water for 2 minutes and allow the sirup to become
cool. Then add the fruit juices, strain, and serve over cracked ice.
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90. SPICE CUP.--Occasionally a spice drink seems to be just what is
desired. When this is the case, the directions given in the accompanying
recipe for spice cup should be followed.
SPICE CUP
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1-1/2 c. sugar
1-1/2 pt water
12 cloves
2-in. stick cinnamon
3 lemons
4 oranges
2 drops oil of wintergreen
Boil the sugar, water, and spices together for 5 minutes and allow the
sirup to become cool. Add the juice of the lemons and oranges and the
wintergreen oil and serve in glasses over cracked ice. Garnish each
glass with slices of orange and lemon or a piece of preserved ginger.
91. FRUIT PUNCH.--As fruit beverages are very often served at small
receptions, club meetings, or parties, a recipe that will make a
sufficiently large quantity is often desired. The amounts mentioned in
the following recipe will make enough fruit punch to serve thirty to
forty persons if punch glasses are used, or sixteen to twenty if
ordinary drinking glasses are used.
FRUIT PUNCH
2-1/2 c. sugar
1 qt. water
2 c. fruit juice (raspberry, strawberry, or cherry)
6 oranges
6 lemons
1 pt. can grated pineapple
1 c. strong black tea (strained)
1 qt. carbonated water
Boil the sugar and water for 2 minutes and allow the sirup to become
cool. Then add the fruit juice, the juice of the oranges and lemons, the
pineapple, and the tea. Just before serving, add the carbonated water,
which lends a sparkling appearance and a snappy taste to a beverage of
this kind. Pour over cracked ice into sherbet or punch glasses or into
tall narrow ones.
92. GINGER-ALE PUNCH.--As most persons like the flavor of ginger ale,
punch containing ginger ale is always a favorite when a large company of
persons is to be served. The quantity that the accompanying recipe makes
will serve twenty to twenty-five persons if punch glasses are used, or
ten to twelve persons if drinking glasses are used.
GINGER-ALE PUNCH
1-1/2 c. sugar
1 pt. water
2 lemons
3 oranges
1 pt. grape juice
4 sprigs fresh mint (crushed)
1 lemon sliced thin
1 qt. ginger ale
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Boil the sugar and water for 2 minutes and allow the sirup to become
cool. Drill the juice from the lemons and oranges and add this with the
grape juice, crushed mint, and sliced lemon to the sirup. Just before
using, add the ginger ale and serve over cracked ice.
SOFT DRINKS
93. A class of very popular non-stimulating beverages are the SOFT
DRINKS sold at the soda fountains. Many of them can also be bought in
bottles and so may be purchased and served at home. These drinks really
consist of carbonated water and a flavoring material that is either
prepared chemically and colored or made of fruit extracts. Sometimes ice
cream is added, and the drink is then called ice-cream soda.
94. Soft drinks include phosphates, ginger ale, coca cola, birch beer,
root beer, and various other drinks called mashes, sours, and freezes.
While these are pleasing to the taste and have the advantage of being
ready to drink when prepared, it is advisable not to indulge in them too
frequently, because excessive use of them is liable to affect the
system. Besides, beverages that are just as satisfactory as these so far
as flavor is concerned and that are made of much better material can be
prepared at home at far less cost. With these drinks, as with other
commercially prepared articles of food, the cost of preparation and
service in addition to the cost of materials must be paid for by
the consumer.
NOURISHING BEVERAGES
95. Many times it is necessary or desirable to administer food in the
form of liquid. When this is to be done, as much nourishment as possible
should generally be incorporated into the beverage. To meet such a need,
the following recipes are presented. In each case, the quantities
mentioned make a drink sufficient for only one person, so that if more
than one are to be served the amounts should be multiplied by the number
desired. The food materials used in these drinks are easily digested,
and the beverages are comparatively high in food value.
96. At most soda fountains, these nourishing drinks are offered for
sale, so that if one does not desire the work of preparation, they may
be obtained at such places. However, as practically all the ingredients
are materials used in the home and are therefore nearly always on hand
in most households, drinks of this kind may be prepared at home at much
less cost than when purchased already made. The main thing to remember
in their preparation is that the ingredients should be as cold as
possible and that the beverage should be cold when served.
97. The beverages containing eggs may be made in more than one way. They
may be mixed in a bowl or an enamelware dish with a rounded bottom and
then beaten with a rotary egg beater, or they may be mixed in a metal
shaker designed especially for this purpose and then shaken thoroughly
in that. In drinks of this kind, the point to remember is that the eggs
should be beaten or shaken until they are light and foamy.
98. CHOCOLATE SIRUP.--While chocolate sirup is not a beverage in itself,
it is used to such an extent in beverages, as well as an accompaniment
to numerous desserts, that it is well for the housewife to know how to
prepare it. It may be kept an indefinite length of time if it is put
into a glass jar and sealed. Here, as in the preparation of other
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sirups, a tablespoonful or two of corn sirup or glucose will help to
keep the sirup from crystallizing.
CHOCOLATE SIRUP
4 sq. chocolate
1 c. water
3/4 c. sugar
Melt the chocolate in a saucepan, stir in the water, and add the sugar.
Boil until a thick sirup is formed.
99. PLAIN MILK SHAKE.--A pleasant variation for milk is the plain milk
shake here given. Even those who are not fond of milk and find it hard
to take like it when it is prepared in this way.
PLAIN MILK SHAKE
1 c. milk
2 tsp. sugar
Few drops of vanilla
Dash of nutmeg
Beat all the ingredients together with an egg beater or shake well in a
shaker and serve in a glass with cracked ice.
100. EGG MILK SHAKE.--The simplest form of egg drink is the egg milk
shake explained in the accompanying recipe. This is an extremely
nutritious drink and is often served to invalids and persons who must
have liquid nourishment.
EGG MILK SHAKE
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tb. sugar
Pinch of salt
Few drops of vanilla
Mix all the ingredients and beat the mixture with a rotary beater or
shake it in a shaker. Serve in a glass over cracked ice.
101. EGG CHOCOLATE.--The addition of chocolate to an egg milk shake
improves it very much and makes a drink called egg chocolate.
EGG CHOCOLATE
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tb. chocolate sirup
Few drops of vanilla
Pinch of salt
Mix all the materials and beat with an egg beater or shake thoroughly in
a shaker. Serve in a glass with cracked ice.
102. CHOCOLATE MALTED MILK.--A preparation that is much used in
nourishing drinks and that furnishes a great deal of nutrition is malted
milk. This is made from cow's milk and is blended by a scientific
process with malted grains. It comes in powder form and may be purchased
in bottles of various sizes. It is well to keep a good brand of malted
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milk on hand, as there are various uses to which it can be put.
CHOCOLATE MALTED MILK
3/4 c. milk
1 egg
2 Tb. malted milk
2 Tb. chocolate sirup
Few drops of vanilla
Pinch of salt
Mix and shake in a shaker or beat with a rotary egg beater. Serve in a
glass with cracked ice.
103. ORANGE EGG NOG.--The accompanying recipe for egg nog requires
orange for its flavoring, but any fruit juice may be substituted for the
orange if desired. Pineapple and apricot juices are exceptionally good.
ORANGE EGG NOG
1/4 c. cream
1/4 c. milk
1 egg
1 Tb. sugar
2 oranges
Mix the cream, milk, egg, and sugar, beat well with an egg beater, and
continue beating while adding the juice of the oranges. Serve in a glass
over crushed ice.
104. FOAMY EGG NOG.--An egg nog can be made foamy and light by
separating the eggs and beating the yolks and whites separately. Either
cream or milk may be used for this drink, and it may be flavored with
vanilla or fruit juice, as preferred. A small piece of red jelly beaten
into the egg white makes this drink very attractive; or, jelly may be
used as a flavoring and beaten with the ingredients.
FOAMY EGG NOG
2 eggs
1 Tb. sugar
1/2 c. cream or milk
2 Tb. fruit juice or 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs. Mix the yolks with the sugar,
cream or milk, and the fruit juice or vanilla and beat thoroughly. Beat
the whites stiff and fold into the first mixture, retaining a
tablespoonful of the beaten white. Pour into a tall glass, put the
remaining white on top, and serve.
* * * * *
BEVERAGES
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) What is a beverage?
(2) What does boiling do to: (a) hard water? (b) impure water?
(3) What is the value of beverages in the diet?
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(4) Mention and define the three classes of beverages.
(5) (a) What are caffeine, theine, and theobromine? (b) Where is
each found? (c) What effect do they have on the human body?
(6) (a) Where is tannic acid found? (b) What effect does it have on
the human body?
(7) Tell briefly about the preparation of coffee for the market.
(8) How should coffee be bought?
(9) What are the general proportions of coffee and liquid used in the
making of coffee?
(10) What use can be made of left-over coffee?
(11) Tell briefly about the preparation of black and green tea for the
market.
(12) What points should be observed in the selection of tea?
(13) What general proportions of tea and water are used for the making
of tea?
(14) Tell briefly about the preparation of cocoa and chocolate for the
market.
(15) What advantage have cocoa and chocolate over tea and coffee as.
articles of food?
(16) What use can be made of left-over cocoa and chocolate?
(17) (a) How are cereal coffees made? (b) Of what value are they?
(18) Of what value are fruit beverages?
(19) What uses can be made of left-over fruit juices?
(20) What good use can be made of nourishing beverages?
* * * * *
THE PLANNING OF MEALS
* * * * *
NECESSITY FOR CAREFUL MEAL PLANNING
1. As every housewife realizes, the feeding of the members of her family
places upon her serious and important responsibilities. While she
deserves and receives credit for their good health, the blame for much
of their ill health falls upon her, too. The reason for this is that
illness is due in a greater measure to wrong food than to any other
single factor; and even if improper diet is not directly responsible for
ill health, it certainly lowers the bodily resistance and thus makes a
person susceptible to disease.
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The health of her family is naturally the housewife's first and greatest
consideration, and as this depends so much on correct diet, it should be
the aim of every housewife to plan her meals in the careful, intelligent
way required to supply her household with the food each member needs.
2. As has already been learned, a knowledge of the selection, care, and
preparation of food is absolutely necessary in providing proper diet.
But correct feeding requires more than this. In addition, the housewife
must have a working knowledge of what foods contain and their effect in
the body. She must also learn what her family needs and then make every
effort to supply this need in the most economical way. The result will
be a sufficient amount of food of the right kind at a minimum
expenditure of funds.
She should keep in mind, however, that the cost of diet has no direct
relation to its food value, but that economy and proper feeding are
closely connected. For instance, an inexpensive diet may be just as
satisfactory from a food-value standpoint as an expensive one. But in
order to make the inexpensive one adequate and the expensive one
balanced, the housewife must apply her knowledge of the general
composition of food; that is, she must know whether a food predominates
in carbohydrate, fat, or protein, and whether or not it furnishes
minerals. Equipped with such knowledge, she will be able to purchase the
largest amount of nutritive material for the smallest outlay of money.
The cheapest food is not always the one that sells for the lowest price
per pound, quart, or bushel, but the one that furnishes the most
nutritive material at the lowest cost; also, food that is the wrong kind
to serve is not an economical one to purchase.
3. Many housewives regard it as unnecessary to plan beforehand and
persist in preparing meals without giving any previous thought to them.
But to begin thinking about an hour before meal time what to have for a
meal is neither wise nor economical, for then it is too late to
determine what ought to be served from a diet standpoint and there can
be prepared only those foods which the time will allow. As can well be
understood, this is both a disastrous plan for correct diet and a very
extravagant way in which to feed a family. Quickly broiled steaks and
chops, commercially canned vegetables and fruits, and prepared desserts
should be the occasional treat rather than the daily food. Instead of
using these constantly, time should be allowed for the preparation of
the less expensive meats and vegetables and the home-made desserts.
To prepare such foods successfully requires that meals should be planned
at least 24 hours before they are to be served, and in reality the main
dishes should be decided on 48 hours ahead of time. Then, sometime
between breakfast and luncheon and before the day's marketing is done,
detailed plans should be made for luncheon and dinner of that day and
for breakfast of the next. Nor should the left-overs be disregarded if
economy would be the watchword in the management of the household.
Rather, they should be included in the plans for each day and used up as
fast as possible.
* * * * *
PURCHASE OF FOODS
SUCCESSFUL MARKETING
4. The truly economical housewife will find it necessary each day to
determine three things: (1) what is left from yesterday's meals and what
use can be made of it; (2) what is in supply that can be used for that
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day; and (3) what must be added to these things to provide satisfactory
meals for the family. Having determined these points, she should make a
list of the articles that she must purchase when she does her marketing.
A pad fastened to the kitchen wall and a pencil on a string attached to
the pad are convenient for this purpose. At the same time, they serve as
a reminder that when all of any article, such as coffee, sugar, baking
powder, etc., has been used, a note should be made of this fact. To her
list of supplies that have become exhausted since her preceding
marketing day should be added the fresh fruits, vegetables, and other
perishable foods needed for the next day or preferably for the next two
days if they can be kept.
5. It is only with proper preparation that the housewife may expect her
marketing trips to be successful. If she starts to market with merely
two or three items in mind and then tries to think of what she needs as
she orders, not only does she waste the grocer's time, but her marketing
trip will be a failure. After she arrives home, she will find that there
are other things she should have purchased, and the grocer will be
forced to make an extra delivery to bring them to her. This is more than
she has a right to expect, for the grocer should not be obliged to pay
for her lack of planning.
6. To purchase economically, it is advisable, when possible, to buy at a
cash grocery and to pay cash for what is bought. When this is done, one
is not helping to pay the grocer for accounts he is unable to collect.
It is a fortunate grocer who is able to collect 80 per cent. of his
bills from his patrons when he conducts his business on the credit plan.
However, if it is desired to deal with a credit grocer, all bills
should be paid at least once a month. No customer has a right to expect
the grocer to wait longer than 30 days for his money.
In many of the cities and large towns, some credit grocers have adopted
what is called the "cash-and-carry plan." All customers, whether they
buy for cash or on credit, must pay the same price for groceries, but
those who wish their goods delivered must pay additional for delivery
and those who buy on credit must pay a certain percentage additional on
each purchase for bookkeeping. It will readily be seen that such a plan
gives the cash customers, especially if they carry their purchases, a
decided advantage over credit customers. Also, the grocer is better able
to sell his wares at a lower price than the credit grocer who makes free
deliveries and no charge for bookkeeping.
KEEPING HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNTS
7. NECESSITY FOR KEEPING ACCOUNTS.--Practically every family is limited
to a definite sum of money that may be spent for food. The first
consideration, then, while it may not be the most important one, is that
of making each dollar buy all that it possibly can in order that the
income may meet all the demands upon it. Various conditions arise that
affect the proportion of the income to be used for this purpose. For
instance, two women whose husbands have equal incomes would, under the
same conditions, have an equal amount of money to spend for food, but as
a rule there is something to cause this amount to become unequal. One
woman may have two children in her family while the other has none, a
condition that means, of course, that the woman with the children will
have less money to spend for food and with that money she must feed more
persons. Her family must be, if possible, as well nourished as the other
one. In order to accomplish this task, it will be necessary to supply
all the required food material in a form that will cost less than the
food purchased by the woman who has a smaller family to feed and clothe.
171 / 211
An excellent way in which to keep expenses down and consequently to live
within one's income is to keep a simple record of household expenses.
Such a record will enable every housewife to determine just what each
item of household necessities costs and whether or not the proportion of
cost to income is correct. To keep a record of expenditures will not
prove much of a task if it is done systematically, for a few minutes a
day will be sufficient time in which to keep accounts up to date.
However, if account keeping is attempted, it should not be neglected
even for a day, for it will soon assume the proportions of a large task
and will have a tendency to discourage the housewife with this part
of her work.
8. EQUIPMENT FOR HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT KEEPING.--For convenience in keeping
household accounts, a small desk should, if possible, be secured and
placed in an unoccupied or convenient corner of the kitchen. Here can
be kept cook books, recipes, suitable books or cards for account
keeping, the marketing pad, a file for bills from the grocer and the
butcher, labels for cans and jars, etc. Here may also be placed an
extension telephone, which, by being so convenient, will save the
housewife many steps. A white desk with a chair to match is the most
attractive kind to select for kitchen use, but a dark one may be used if
preferred. A small, plain table will, of course, answer very well if
no desk is available and it is desired not to buy one.
9. METHODS OF HOUSEHOLD ACCOUNT KEEPING.--If the housewife runs a
credit account with the grocer, she will learn that different grocers
have different ways of recording her purchases.
In some cases, she is provided with a "store book," which she takes to
the grocer each time she makes a purchase and in which he records the
date and the items bought by her. Then at the end of a stated time,
usually the end of the month, when a settlement is to be made, the
amounts for the month are totaled and a new account is started. With
such a plan, the housewife does not have to keep any record for herself.
To be certain that the grocer's account is accurate, she simply has to
check the entries each time they are made in the book by the grocer.
In other cases, the grocer merely makes out a slip, or bill, for each
purchase and at the end of the month presents his statement for the
amount due. In such an event, provided the housewife does not wish to
make entries into a suitable book, she may file the slips as she
receives them in order that she may check the grocer's monthly bill as
to accuracy. A bill file is very convenient for the filing of bills.
However, if she does not wish to save each slip she receives, she may
adopt one of two methods of account keeping, depending on how much time
she has to devote to this matter.
10. If she desires to be very systematic and has sufficient time, it
will prove a good plan to record each purchase in a suitable book.
Books for this purpose can be purchased in any store where stationery
is sold and are not expensive. In this method of recording, as a page
becomes filled with items, the total is carried forward to each new
page until the bill is paid at the end of the month. Then, for the next
month, a new account may be started. This same method may also be
followed in keeping accounts for meats, milk, and such household
expenses as rent, light, heat, and laundry. All these accounts,
together with an account for clothing and one for miscellaneous
expense, make up a complete expense account.
172 / 211
GROCERY ACCOUNT
With John Smith, 420 Fourth Avenue
=====================================================
10/15 | 1 pk. Apples......................| $ .45
| 1 doz. Eggs.......................| .55
| 1 lb. Butter......................| .53
| 2 lb. Sweet Potatoes..............| .15
| 2 cans Duff's Molasses............| .54
| 1 pt. Vinegar.....................| .10
10/17 | 1 cake Yeast......................| .04
| 6 lb. Crisco......................| 1.98
| 1 box Coconut.....................| .35
| 1 can Pineapple...................| .25
| 1 lb. coffee......................| .40
| 2 qt. Carrots.....................| .10
10/19 | 1 box Matches.....................| .10
| 2 bars Laundry Soap...............| .12
| 1 head Lettuce....................| .08
| 1 can Corn........................| .20
| 1 bu. Potatoes....................| 2.00
| 1 qt. Maple Sirup.................| .65
| |--------
| Forwarded.......| $8.59
======================================================
FIG. 3
11. A somewhat simpler plan and one that requires less time is shown in
Fig. 4. When the slips are received, they should be checked to see
whether they are correct and then added to get the total. Only this
total, together with the date, is placed in the book kept for the
purpose, the slips then being discarded. Such a plan will prove very
satisfactory for the various household expenses if care is used in
checking the items of the slips and in adding them.
Regarding the settlement of her accounts, the housewife who buys on
credit will find it a good plan to pay her bills by check. Then
receipts will not have to be saved, for the returned check is usually
all that is required to prove that a bill has been paid.
12. The housewife who buys for cash does not necessarily have to keep a
detailed record of her purchases, for by simply filing her purchase
slips in the manner shown in Fig. 2 she can determine at any time what
her money has been used for. Still, in every well-regulated household,
it is advisable to keep a daily record of income and expenditure; that
is, to put down every day how much is spent for food, laundry, cleaning,
and, in fact, all expenditures, as well as how much cash is received.
Indeed, if such an account is kept, the tendency of money to "slip away"
will be checked and a saving of money is bound to result.
GROCERY ACCOUNT
WithJohn Smith, 420 Fourth Avenue
======================================================
10/2 | Groceries...........................| $ 2.10
10/3 | Groceries...........................| 2.76
10/6 | Groceries...........................| .42
173 / 211
10/8 | Groceries...........................| 4.12
10/10 | Groceries...........................| 1.09
10/13 | Groceries...........................| .32
10/15 | Groceries...........................| 2.30
10/17 | Groceries...........................| 2.13
10/20 | Groceries...........................| 1.93
10/22 | Groceries...........................| 3.97
10/24 | Groceries...........................| 1.69
10/27 | Groceries...........................| 4.10
10/29 | Groceries...........................| 1.12
10/31 | Groceries...........................| 3.35
| |--------
| Forwarded..............| $31.40
======================================================
FIG. 4
13. A simple plan for keeping such a record is illustrated in Fig. 5.
For this record it is possible to buy sheets of paper or cards already
ruled at any stationery store, but it is a simple matter to rule sheets
of blank paper that will answer the purpose very well. As will be
observed, there is a space provided for every day of the month and
columns into which may be placed the expenditures for groceries,
including fruits and vegetables, as well as for meats and fish, milk,
laundry and cleaning, and miscellaneous items, such as ice and other
necessities that are not ordinarily classed as groceries. Of course, the
number of columns to be used can be regulated by the person keeping the
account, the illustration simply showing the general procedure. However,
one column should be devoted to the daily expenditure, the figures here
being the amounts of the total money spent for the different items each
day. In the last column should be recorded the various amounts of money
received by the housewife during the month for the settlement of her
bills. At the end of the month, all of the columns should be totaled.
The total of the daily outlay should equal that of the preceding
columns. The difference between this total and that of the money
received will show the housewife just how she stands with regard to
income and expenditure for foods and kitchen supplies. In this case,
there is an excess of expenditure amounting to $10.68, and this sum
should be forwarded to the June account. On the other hand, should the
housewife find that her expenses exceed her allowance, she will know
that it will be necessary for her to curtail her expenditures in
some way.
Expenditures and Receipts for the Month of May, 19
================================================================
| | Meats | |Laundry | Miscel-| |
Date| Groc- | and | Milk | and | laneous| Daily | Money
| eries | Fish | |Cleaning| Expend-| Outlay | Rec'vd
| | | | | itures | |
----------------------------------------------------------------
1 | $ 2.10| $ .60| $ .28| $ 1.50 | | $ 4.48 | $ 5.70
2 | | .40| .28| | | .58 |
3 | 2.76| 1.90| .28| | $ .35 | 5.29 | 15.00
4 | | | .28| | | .28 |
5 | | | .28| | | .28 |
6 | .42| | .28| | .35 | 1.05 |
7 | | .36| .28| | .10 | .74 |
8 | 4.12| | .28| 2.00 | .40 | 6.80 |
9 | | | .28| | | .28 |
10 | 1.09| 1.83| .28| | .38 | 3.60 | 15.00
11 | | | .28| | | .28 |
12 | | | .28| | .35 | .63 |
174 / 211
13 | .32| .76| .28| | | 1.36 |
14 | | | .28| | .19 | .47 |
15 | 2.30| | .28| 1.50 | .12 | 4.20 |
16 | | .53| .28| | | .81 |
17 | 2.13| 1.63| .28| | .60 | 4.64 | 15.00
18 | | | .28| | | .28 |
19 | | | .28| | .22 | .50 |
20 | 1.93| | .28| | .40 | 2.61 |
21 | | .90| .28| | | 1.18 |
22 | 3.97| | .28| 2.00 | .40 | 6.65 |
23 | 2.10| | .28| | | .28 |
24 | 2.10| 2.24| .28| | .80 | 5.01 | 15.00
25 | | | .28| | .10 | .38 |
26 | | | .28| 1.50 | | 1.78 |
27 | 4.10| | .28| | .35 | 4.73 |
28 | | .38| .28| | | .66 |
29 | 1.12| .46| .28| 1.50 | .40 | 3.76 |
30 | | | .28| | | .28 |
31 | 3.35| 1.87| .28| | .55 | 6.05 | 15.00
----------------------------------------------------------------
Total $31.40| $13.88| $ 8.68| $10.00 | $ 6.66 | $70.02 | $80.70
================================================================
FIG. 5
Such a method of record keeping could also be followed with good
results for showing the distribution of the entire income of a family.
It would simply mean the planning of suitable columns for the different
items of expenditure.
14. Too much cannot be said of the merit of following some such simple
account-keeping method as the ones here outlined, for, as has been
explained, it will enable the housewife to know with a fair degree of
accuracy what she has spent her money for. In addition to the
satisfaction this will give, it will supply a basis from which she can
apportion, or budget, her yearly income if she so desires. By giving
careful consideration to the various items of expense, she may find it
possible to reduce some of them in order to increase her savings account
or to have money for other items that require a larger expenditure.
* * * * *
COST OF FOODS
FACTORS INFLUENCING COST
15. Certain factors that enter into the production of food add so much
to the cost that they must be taken into consideration when food is
purchased. The housewife who disregards these factors fails in the
purchase of food, for she does not know so well what foods to buy nor
how to buy them in a way to keep down the cost as the woman who is
familiar with these matters. It is possible that the cost of a food may
be out of all proportion to its value because of the profits that must
necessarily be paid to each person through whose hands the food passes.
In the first place, the overhead expenses of the food dealer must be
paid by the housewife, who is regarded as the consumer. These expenses
include his rent, light, and heat, his hired help, such as clerks,
bookkeepers, delivery men, and the cost of delivery. In addition, the
cost of transportation figures in prominently if the foods have to be
shipped any distance, the manufacturer's profit must often be counted
in, and the cost of advertising must not be overlooked. With all such
matters, the housewife must acquaint herself if she would buy in the
175 / 211
most economical way.
18. NATIONALLY ADVERTISED GOODS.--Much is said about the fact that the
consumer, in buying package foods that are nationally advertised, must
pay for the package and the advertising. This statement is absolutely
true; but it must be remembered that where large quantities of foods are
handled, the materials can be bought by the manufacturer or the
wholesaler at a lower price than by one who purchases only a small
amount. Then, too, if great quantities are sold, and this condition is
made possible only through advertising, the profit on each package sold
can be much smaller than that which would have to be made when less is
sold. Often, therefore, in spite of the advertising cost, a widely
advertised food can be sold for less than one that is not advertised at
all because a much greater quantity is sold.
19. CHAIN STORES.--The principle of selling great quantities of food at
a comparatively small profit on each item is put into practice in chain
stores, which are operated by different companies throughout the United
States. Such stores are a boon to the housewife who must practice
economy, for they eliminate a middleman by acting both as wholesaler and
as retailer. Because of this fact, foods that are purchased in large
quantities from the producer or manufacturer can be offered to the
consumer at a lower price than in a retail store not a part of a chain.
Therefore, if foods of the same quality are not lower in price in chain
stores, it must be because the buying is not well done or a greater
profit is made in selling them. In addition, chain stores generally
require cash for all purchases made in them and they do not usually
deliver goods. Consequently, their overhead expense is materially
reduced and they do not need to make such a large profit.
ECONOMICAL BUYING
20. APPORTIONMENT OF INCOME.--When the housewife thoroughly understands
the qualities of foods as well as their comparative food values and is
familiar with the factors that govern food prices, she is well equipped
to do economical buying for her family. Then it remains for her to
purchase the right kind of food and at the same time keep within her
means. A good plan is to apportion the household expenses according to a
budget; that is, to prepare a statement of the financial plans for the
year. Then the amount of money that can be used for this part of the
household expenses will be known and the housewife will be able to plan
definitely on what she can buy. If necessary, this amount may be reduced
through the housewife's giving careful attention to the details of
buying, or if she is not obliged to lower her expenses, she may
occasionally purchase more expensive foods, which might be considered
luxuries, to give variety to the diet. The amount of money that may be
spent for food depends, of course, on the income, and the greater the
income, the lower will be the proportion of money required for this item
of the household expense.
21. To throw some light on the proper proportion of the family income to
spend for food, Table I is given. As the basis of this table, a family
of five is taken and the proportion that may be spent for food has been
worked out for incomes ranging from $600 to $2,400 a year. As will be
noted, an income of $600 permits an expenditure of only 19 cents a day
for each person. When food prices are high, it will be a difficult
matter to feed one person for that amount, and still if the income is
only $600 it will be necessary to do this. To increase the food cost
over 39 cents a day per person, which is the amount allotted for an
income of $2,400, would denote extravagance or at least would provide
176 / 211
more luxury than is warranted.
TABLE I
PROPORTION OF FAMILY INCOME FOR FOOD
================================================================
Income Per Cent. of Amount Spent Amount Spent Amount Spent
per Income Spent per year for per Day for per Day per
Year for Food Food Five Persons Person
----------------------------------------------------------------
$ 600 60 $360 $ .98 $ .19
800 55 500 1.36 .27
1,000 50 576 1.57 .31
1,200 48 576 1.57 .31
1,500 44 660 1.80 .36
1,800 39 702 1.92 .38
2,400 30 720 1.97 .39
================================================================
Various conditions greatly affect this proportion. One of these is the
rise and fall of the food cost. Theoretically, the buyer should adjust
this difference in the food cost rather than increase her expenditures.
For instance, if in a certain year, the general cost of food is 20 per
cent. greater than it was in the preceding year, the housewife should
adjust her plan of buying so that for the same amount of money spent in
the previous year she will be able to supply her family with what they
need. Of course, if there is an increase in the income, it will not be
so necessary to work out such an adjustment.
22. ECONOMIES IN PURCHASING FOOD.--Through her study of the preceding
lessons, the student has had an opportunity to learn how to care for
food in order to avoid loss and waste, how to prepare it so that it may
be easily digested and assimilated, and how to make it appetizing and
attractive so that as little as possible is left over and none is
wasted. She should therefore be thoroughly acquainted with the methods
of procedure in regard to all such matters and should have worked out to
her satisfaction the best ways of accomplishing these things to suit her
individual needs. But, in addition to these matters, she must give
strict attention to her food purchases if she would secure for her
family the most wholesome and nourishing foods for the least
expenditure of money.
23. To purchase food that will provide the necessary food value for a
small outlay is possible to a certain extent, but it cannot be done
without the required knowledge. In the first place, it means that fewer
luxuries can be indulged in and that the family dietary will have to be
reduced to necessities. It may also mean that there will probably be a
difference in the quality of the food purchased. For instance, it may be
necessary to practice such economies as buying broken rice at a few
cents a pound less than whole rice or purchasing smaller prunes with a
greater number to the pound at a lower price than the larger, more
desirable ones. The housewife need not hesitate in the least to adopt
such economies as these, for they are undoubtedly the easiest ways in
which to reduce the food expenses without causing detriment to any one.
24. Further economy can be practiced if a little extra attention is
given in the purchase of certain foods. As is well known, the packages
and cans containing food are labeled with the contents and the weight of
177 / 211
the contents. These should be carefully observed, as should also the
number of servings that may be obtained from the package or can. For
instance, the housewife should know the weight per package of the
various kinds of prepared cereals she uses and the number of servings
she is able to procure from each package.
Let it be assumed that she buys two packages of different cereals at
the same time, which, for convenience, may be called package No. 1 and
package No. 2. She finds that No. 1 contains 16 ounces and No. 2, only
12 ounces; so she knows that No. 1 furnishes the greater amount of food
by weight for the money spent. But, on the other hand, No. 2 may go
farther; that is, it may serve a greater number of persons. This, in all
probability, means that the cereals are similar in character, but that
the food value of the servings from No. 2 is greater than that of the
servings from No. 1. No. 2 is therefore the more economical of the two.
Matters of this kind must not be overlooked, especially in the feeding
of children.
Then, too, the housewife should work out carefully which she can use to
greater advantage, prepared or unprepared cereals. If she finds that
unprepared cereals are the more economical and if she can depend on
their food value as being as high as that of the prepared ones, she
should by all means give them the preference. Of course, she may use
prepared cereals for convenience or for varying the diet, but the more
economical ones should be used with greater regularity.
25. Canned goods should be carefully observed. A certain brand of
tomatoes, for instance, may have 16 ounces to the can, whereas another
brand that can be bought for the same price may have 24 ounces. There
may be, however, and there probably is, a great difference in the
quality of the tomatoes. The 24-ounce can may have a much greater
proportion of water than the 16-ounce can, and for this reason will not
serve to the same advantage. As it is with canned tomatoes, so is it
with canned corn, peas, and other canned vegetables, for the price
depends altogether on the quality. Therefore, several brands should be
compared and the one should be purchased which seems to furnish the most
food or the best quality of food for the least money, provided the
quality continues.
26. In the preparation of meat, there is always some waste, and as waste
is a factor that has much to do with the increasing of costs, it should
be taken into consideration each time a piece of meat is purchased. If
there is time for some experimenting, it makes an interesting study to
weigh the meat before and after preparation, for then the amount of
shrinkage in cookery, as well as the waste in bone, skin, and other
inedible material, can be determined.
An actual experiment made with a 4-pound chicken showed that there was
a loss of 2-3/4 pounds; that is, the weight of the edible meat after
deducting the waste was only 1-1/4 pounds. The following shows how this
weight was determined:
POUNDS
Weight of chicken, including head, feet, and entrails 4
Weight of head, feet, and entrails 1-1/4
Weight of bones after cooking 7/8
Weight of skin after cooking 1/4
Shrinkage in cooking 3/8
-----
178 / 211
Total amount of waste 2-3/4
-----
Actual weight of edible meat 1-1/4
It will readily be seen that chicken at 40 cents a pound would make the
cost per pound of edible meat amount to exactly $1.28, a rather
startling result. It is true, of course, that the busy housewife with a
family can hardly spare the time for the extra labor such experiments
require; still the greater the number of persons to be fed, the more
essential is the need for economy and the greater are the possibilities
for waste and loss.
27. The home production of foods does not belong strictly to economical
buying, still it is a matter that offers so many advantages to the
economical housewife that she cannot afford to overlook it. A small
garden carefully prepared and well cultivated will often produce the
summer's supply of fresh vegetables, with sufficient overproduction to
permit much to be canned for winter. Not only do foods produced in a
home garden keep down the cost of both summer and winter foods, but they
add considerably to the variety of menus.
* * * * *
CORRECT DIET
SUITABILITY OF FOOD
28. At the same time the housewife is making a study of economy and
trying to procure as nearly as possible the best quality and the largest
quantity of food for the amount of money she has to spend, she must
consider the suitability of this food for the persons to whom it is to
be served. This matter is undoubtedly of greater importance than
economy, for, regardless of the amount of money that is to be spent,
suitable foods for the nourishment of all the members of the family must
be supplied to them. For instance, a family of two may have $10 a week
to spend for food, whereas one of five may perhaps have no more; but the
larger family must have nourishing food just as the one of two must
have. Therefore, whether the housewife has much or little to spend, her
money must purchase food suited to the needs of her family. Unless she
is able to accomplish this, she fails in the most important part of her
work as a housewife, and as a result, the members of her family are not
properly nourished.
29. It has long been an established fact that correct diet is the
greatest factor in maintaining bodily health. Food is responsible for
the growth and maintenance of the body tissues, as well as for their
repair. In addition, it supplies the body with heat and energy.
Consequently, taking the right food into the body assists in keeping a
person in a healthy condition and makes work and exercise possible.
Because so much depends on the diet, the housewife, while considering
what can be bought with the money she has to spend, must also decide
whether the foods she plans to buy are suitable for the needs of her
family. In fact, she should be so certain of this matter that she will
automatically plan her menus in such a way that they will contain all
that is necessary for each person to be fed. But, as every housewife
knows, the appetites of her family must also be taken into
consideration. Theoretically, she should feed her family what the
various members need, regardless of their likes and dislikes. However,
very few persons are willing to be fed in this way; in truth, it would
179 / 211
be quite useless to serve a dish for which no one in the family cared
and in addition it would be one of the sources of waste.
30. To make the work of the housewife less difficult, children should be
taught as far as possible to eat all kinds of food. Too often this
matter is disregarded, and too often, also, are the kinds of food
presented, to a family regulated by the likes and dislikes of the person
preparing the food. Because she is not fond of certain foods, she never
prepares them; consequently, the children do not learn to like them. On
the other hand, many children develop a habit of complaining about foods
that are served and often refuse to eat what is set before them. Such a
state of affairs should not be permitted. Indeed, every effort should be
made to prevent a spirit of complaint. If the housewife is certain that
she is providing the members of her family with the best that she can
purchase with the money she has to spend and that she is giving them
what they need, complaining on their part should be discouraged.
31. With a little effort, children can be taught to like a large variety
of foods, especially if these foods are given to them while they are
still young. It is a decided advantage for every one to form a liking
for a large number of foods. The person who can say that he cares for
everything in the way of food is indeed fortunate, for he has a great
variety from which to choose and is not so likely to have served to him
a meal in which there are one or more dishes that he cannot eat because
of a distaste for them.
Every mother should therefore train her children during their childhood
to care for all the cereals, vegetables, and fruits. Besides affording
the children a well-balanced diet, these foods, particularly vegetables
and fruits, when served in their season, offer the housewife a means of
planning economical menus, for, as every one knows, their price is then
much lower than at any other time and is less than that of most other
foods. During the winter, turnips, carrots, onions, and other winter
vegetables are more economical foods than summer vegetables that must be
canned or otherwise prepared to preserve them for winter use or the
fresh summer vegetables purchased out of season. However, it is
advisable to vary the diet occasionally with such foods.
COMPOSITION OF FOOD
32. To feed her family properly, the housewife should understand that
the daily food must include the five food substances--protein, fat,
carbohydrate, mineral matter, and water. As these are discussed in
Volume 1, they should be clear to the housewife, but if they are not
fully understood, a careful review should be made of the discussions
given there. The ways in which these food principles contribute to the
growth and health of the body, as well as the ordinary foods that
supply them in the greatest number, are tabulated in Table II for easy
reference. This information will assist the housewife materially in the
selection and preparation of food for her family; consequently, close
attention should be given to it and constant application made of it.
33. As has already been learned and as will be noted here, a food
substance often has more than one use in the body. For instance, protein
builds tissue and also yields energy, but its chief work is that of
building tissue, and so it is classed first as a tissue-building food
substance. The fats and carbohydrates also have a double use in the
body, that of producing heat and energy and of building fatty tissue.
However, as their chief use is to produce heat and energy, they are
known principally as heat-producing foods. Mineral matter not only is
180 / 211
necessary for the building of bone and muscle, but also enters into the
composition of the blood and all the fluids in the body. Growth and
development are not ideal without an adequate supply of the many kinds
of these salts, which go to make up the tissues, nerves, blood, and
other fluids in the body.
34. The body regulators must be included in the food given, for they
assist in all processes carried on in the body. Some are necessary to
aid in the stimulation required to carry on the processes of digestion
and in some cases make up a part of the digestive fluids. Consequently,
vegetables and fruits that supply these body regulators and foods that
supply vitamines should be provided.
Water, the chief body regulator, not only is essential to life itself,
but forms by far a greater proportion of the body than any other single
substance. The largest part of the water required in the body is
supplied as a beverage and the remainder is taken in with the foods that
are eaten.
TABLE II
FOOD SUBSTANCES AND THEIR RELATION TO GROWTH AND HEALTH
I Body-building materials
Proteins.
Meat
Fish and shell fish
Poultry and game
Eggs
Milk and milk products
Legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils)
Wheat and wheat products, as corn starch
Nuts
Mineral matter, or ash
Vegetables
Fruits
Eggs
Milk
Cereals
Meats
II Heat-producing materials
Fats
Animal
Lard
Suet
Tallow
Butter and cream
Vegetable
Olive oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Coconut oil
Nut oils
Mixed oils
Oleomargarine
Butterine
Nut butter
Crisco, etc.
Carbohydrates
Starch
Cereals and cereal products
181 / 211
Irish and sweet potatoes
Sugar
Cane sugar and molasses
Beet sugar
Maple sugar and sirup
Honey
Corn sirup and other manufactured sirups
Proteins
Same as in I
III Body regulators
Water
Mineral matter, or ash
Same as in I
Cellulose
Fruits
Vegetables
Covering of cereals and nuts
Food Acids
Sour fruits--citric and malic
Tomatoes--malic
Spinach--oxalic
Rhubarb--oxalic
Vitamines
Fat soluble A
Milk
Butter
Egg yolk
Water soluble B
Green vegetables, as spinach, chard, lettuce, beet greens
Asparagus and stem vegetables, as celery
Fruit vegetables, as tomatoes, peppers, okra
Fruits
The importance of bulk in foods cannot be emphasized too much. The
indigestible cellulose of fruits, vegetables, and cereals is of such
importance in the body that some of these foods should be supplied with
every meal. Therefore, their incorporation into the diet should be
considered as a definite part of the menu-making plan.
The acids of fruits are valuable as stimulants both to the appetite and
to the digestion. Then, too, they give a touch of variety to a menu
otherwise composed of rather bland foods. The stimulation they produce
is much more healthful than that of condiments, drugs, or alcoholic
beverages and should receive the preference.
Vitamines are substances necessary for both growth and health. A child
deprived of the foods containing them is usually not well and does not
grow nor develop normally. These substances are also required in the
diet of adults in order to maintain the body in a healthy condition. The
leafy vegetables and milk are the foods that yield the greatest supply
of vitamines. In fact, it is claimed by those who have experimented most
with this matter that these two sources will supply the required amount
of vitamines under all conditions.
* * * * *
BALANCING THE DIET
QUANTITY AND PROPORTION OF FOODS
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35. FACTORS INFLUENCING FOOD.--Numerous factors affect the kind and
quantity of food necessary for an individual. Chief among these are age,
size, sex, climate, and work or exercise. In addition to determining the
amount of food that must be taken into the body, these factors regulate
largely the suitability of the foods to be eaten. It is true, of course,
that all the food substances mentioned in Table II must be included in
every person's diet after the first few years of his life, but the
quantity and the proportion of the various substances given vary with
the age, sex, size, and work or exercise of the person and the climate
in which he lives. Merely to provide dishes that supply sufficient food
value is not enough. This food material must be given in forms that can
be properly digested and assimilated and it must be in the right
proportion for the person's needs. The aim should therefore be to
provide a balanced diet, by which is meant one that includes the
correct proportion of the various food substances to supply the needs of
the individual.
36. QUANTITY OF FOOD IN CALORIES.--Without doubt, the most intelligent
way in which to feed people is to compute the number of calories
required daily. As will be remembered, the calorie is the unit employed
to measure the amount of work that the food does in the body, either as
a tissue builder or a producer of energy. The composition and food value
of practically all foods are fairly well known, and with this
information it is a simple matter to tell fairly accurately the amount
of food that each person requires.
As has been stated, the number of calories per day required by a person
varies with the age, size, sex, and occupation of the person, as well as
with the climate in which he lives. For the adult, this will vary from
1,800 to 3,000, except in cases of extremely hard labor, when it may be
necessary to have as high as 4,500 calories. The average number of
calories for the adult, without taking into consideration the particular
conditions under which he lives or works, is about 2,500. Still a small
woman who is inactive might be sufficiently fed by taking 1,800 calories
a day, whereas a large man doing heavy, muscular work might require
3,500 to 4,000 daily.
37. IMPORTANCE OF PROPER AMOUNT OF FOOD.--Most authorities agree that it
is advisable for adults and children well past the age of infancy to
take all the food required in three meals. The taking of two meals a day
is sometimes advocated, but the possibility of securing in two meals the
same quantity of food that would ordinarily be taken in three is rather
doubtful, since it is assumed that large amounts of food are not so
easily disposed of as are smaller ones.
On the other hand, to overeat is always a disadvantage in more respects
than one. Taking food that is not required not only is an extravagance
in the matter of food, but overtaxes the digestive organs. In addition,
it supplies the body with material that must be disposed of, so that
extra work on the part of certain organs is required for this activity.
Finally, overeating results in the development of excessive fatty
tissue, which not only makes the body ponderous and inactive, but also
deadens the quickness of the mind and often predisposes a person to
disease or, in extreme cases, is the actual cause of illness.
38. EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON DIET.--An idea of the way in which the weight of
a person affects the amount of food required can be obtained by a study
of Tables III and IV. As will be observed, Table III gives the number
of calories per pound of body weight required each day by adults engaged
in the various normal activities that might be carried on within 24
hours.
183 / 211
It deals only with activity, the various factors that might alter the
amounts given being taken up later. The figures given are for adults
and the factors mentioned are those which affect the intake of food
to the greatest extent.
The lowest food requirement during the entire 24 hours is during the
time of sleep, when there is no activity and food is required for only
the bodily functions that go on during sleep. Sitting requires more food
than sleeping, standing, a still greater amount, and walking, still
more, because of the increase in energy needed for these activities.
In a rough way, the various occupations for both men and women are
classified under three different heads: Light Work, Moderate Work, and
Heavy Work. It is necessary that these be understood in examining
this table.
TABLE III
CALORIES PER POUND FOR 24 HOURS FOR ADULTS
Occupation Calories
Sleeping............................... 12
Sitting................................ 14
Standing............................... 17
Walking................................ 20
Light work............................. 22
Moderate work.......................... 24
Heavy work............................. 27
Those considered as doing light work are persons who sit or stand at
their employment without any great degree of activity. They include
stenographers, dressmakers, milliners, teachers, clerks, shoemakers,
tailors, machine operators, elevator operators, and conductors.
Moderate work involves a little more activity than light work, but not
so much as heavy work. Professional cooks, professional housekeepers,
housekeepers in their own homes, professional chambermaids, waitresses,
masons, drivers, chauffeurs, plumbers, electricians, and machinists come
under this class.
Persons doing heavy work are the most active of all. They include
farmers, laundresses, excavators, lumbermen, miners, metal workers, and
soldiers on forced march.
39. To show the variation in the amount of food required according to
body weight, Table IV is given. The scale here presented has been worked
out for two persons who are normal and whose weight is correct, but
different, one weighing 130 pounds and the other 180 pounds. It is
assumed, however, that they are occupied in 24 hours with activities
that are identical, each one sleeping 8 hours, working at moderate labor
for 8 hours, walking 2 hours, standing 2 hours, and sitting 4 hours.
TABLE IV
DIFFERENCE IN FOOD REQUIREMENTS THROUGH VARIATION IN WEIGHT
Number of Calories for 130 Pounds
8 hours, sleeping ....... 520
4 hours, sitting ........ 303
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2 hours, standing ....... 184
2 hours, walking ........ 216
8 hours, moderate work 1,040
-- -----
24 2,263
Number of Calories for 180 Pounds
8 hours, sleeping ....... 720
4 hours, sitting ........ 430
2 hours, walking ........ 300
2 hours, standing ....... 238
8 hours, moderate work 1,440
-- -----
24 3,128
To find the total number of calories required for these activities, the
weight, in pounds, is multiplied by the calories per pound for 24 hours
for a certain activity. Thus, as in Table IV, if a person weighing 130
pounds sleeps for 24 hours, the number of pounds of weight, or 130,
would be multiplied by 12, which is the number of calories required per
pound in 24 hours for sleeping. However, since only 8 hours is occupied
by sleep and 8 is 1/3 of 24, the required number of calories would be
only 1/3 of this number. In this way each item is worked out in the
table, as is clearly shown by the following figures:
For sleeping .............. 130 X 12 X 1/3 = 520
For sitting ............... 130 X 14 X 1/6 = 303
For standing .............. 130 X 17 X 1/12 = 184
For walking ............... 130 X 20 X 1/12 = 216
For moderate work ......... 130 X 24 X 1/3 = 1,040
Total, as in Table IV ..................... 2,263
40. In this connection, it may be interesting to know the ideal weight
for persons of a given height. Table V shows the various heights for
both men and women, in inches, and then gives, in pounds, the correct
weight for each height. When, from this table, a person determines how
far he is above or below the ideal weight, he can tell whether he should
increase or decrease the number of calories he takes a day. For persons
who are under weight, the calories should be increased over the number
given in Table III for the normal individual if the ideal weight would
be attained. On the other hand, persons who are overweight should
decrease the number of calories until there is sufficient loss of weight
to reach the ideal. Of course, an adjustment of this kind should be
gradual, unless the case is so extreme as to require stringent measures.
In most cases, a slight decrease or increase in the quantity of food
taken each day will bring about the desired increase or decrease
in weight.
TABLE V
CORRECT WEIGHT FOR CERTAIN HEIGHTS
===================================
Men | Women
-----------------+-----------------
185 / 211
Height | Weight | Height | Weight
Inches | Pounds | Inches | Pounds
--------+--------+--------+--------
61 | 131 | 59 | 119
62 | 133 | 60 | 122
63 | 136 | 61 | 124
64 | 140 | 62 | 127
65 | 143 | 63 | 131
66 | 147 | 64 | 134
67 | 152 | 65 | 139
68 | 157 | 66 | 143
69 | 162 | 67 | 147
70 | 167 | 68 | 151
71 | 173 | 69 | 155
72 | 179 | 70 | 159
73 | 185 | |
74 | 192 | |
75 | 200 | |
===================================
41. EFFECT OF SEX ON DIET.--The difference in sex does not affect the
diet to any great extent. Authorities claim that persons of opposite sex
but of the same weight and engaged in the same work require equal
quantities of food. But, in most cases, the work of women is lighter
than that of men, and even when this is not the case women seem to
require less food, probably because of a difference in temperament. That
taken by women is usually computed to be about four-fifths of the amount
necessary for a man. The proportion of food substances does not differ,
however, and when individual peculiarities are taken into consideration,
no definite rules can be made concerning it.
In the case of boys and girls up to the age of young manhood and
womanhood, the same amount of food is required, except for the
difference in activity, boys usually being more active than girls.
42. EFFECT OF CLIMATE ON DIET.--The climate in which a person lives has
much to do with the kind of diet he requires. In the extreme North, the
lack of vegetation makes it necessary for the inhabitants to live almost
entirely upon animal food except during the very short warm season.
Consequently, their diet consists largely of protein and fat. Under some
circumstances, a diet of this kind would be very unfavorable, but it
seems to be correct for the people who live in these regions, for
generations of them have accustomed themselves to it and they have
suffered no hardship by doing so. It is true, however, that races of
people who do not live on a well-balanced diet are not physically such
fine specimens as the majority of persons found in countries where it is
possible to obtain a diet that includes a sufficient supply of all the
food substances.
43. In hot countries, the diet consists much more largely of vegetables
than any other class of foods. This means that it is very high in
carbohydrate and comparatively low in protein and fat. As can well be
understood, a diet of this kind is much more ideal for a warm climate
than a diet composed to a great extent of animal foods.
44. In temperate zones, the diet for both summer and winter seasons
varies according to the appetite of the inhabitants themselves. Usually
a light diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, cereals, and a small
amount of meat is found the most desirable for summer weather, while a
similar one with a larger proportion of meat is the usual winter diet.
On the whole, the desire for food, which, to a certain extent, is
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regulated by the climate, can be trusted to vary the diet fairly well
for the existing conditions.
45. EFFECT OF AGE ON DIET.--The proper diet for infancy and childhood is
a matter that must be discussed by itself, for it has practically no
connection with other diet. It is also well understood that up to
maturity there is a difference in the diet because of a difference in
the needs of the body. However, from maturity up to 60 years of age, the
diet is altered by the conditions already mentioned, namely weight,
size, sex, climate, and work or exercise. At the age of 60, the amount
of food required begins to decrease, for as a person grows older, the
body and all of its organs become less active. Then, too, there is a
reduced amount of physical exercise, which correspondingly reduces the
necessity for food. At this time, an oversupply of food merely serves to
overwork the organs, which being scarcely able to handle the normal
quantity of food certainly keep in better condition if the amount of
work they are called upon to do is decreased rather than increased.
It has been estimated that persons 60 years of age require 10 per cent.
less food than they formerly did; those 70 years old, 20 per cent. less;
and those 80 years old, 30 per cent. less. Usually the appetite
regulates this decrease in food, for the less active a person is, the
less likely is the appetite to be stimulated. However, the fact that
there is also a great difference in persons must not be lost sight of.
Some men and women at 70 years of age are as young and just as active as
others at 50 years. For such persons, the decrease in quantity of food
should not begin so soon, nor should it be so great as that given for
the more usual cases.
46. As there is a decrease in quantity with advancing years, so should
there be a difference in the quality of the food taken. That which is
easily digested and assimilated is preferable to food that is rich or
highly concentrated. Usually, it is necessary to increase the laxative
food in the diet at this time of life, but this matter is one of the
abnormalities of diet and therefore belongs properly to medical
dietetics rather than to a lesson on normal diet.
DIET FOR INFANTS AND CHILDREN
47. From birth until a child has attained full growth, the food
requirement is high in proportion to the size of the child. This is due
to the fact that energy must be supplied for a great deal of activity,
and at the same time new tissue must be manufactured from the food
taken. It should be remembered, too, that all body processes during
growth are extremely rapid. At birth, the average child weighs about 7
pounds, and for several days after birth there is a normal loss of
weight. In a few days, however, if the diet is correct, the child begins
to increase in weight and should gain about 1/2 pound a week until it is
3 months old. From this time on, its weekly gain should be slightly
less, but it should be constant. If the weight remains the same or there
is a decrease for a number of consecutive days or weeks, it is certain
that the diet is incorrect, that the quantity of food is insufficient,
or that the child is ill. The reason for the loss should be determined
at once and the trouble then corrected.
Normal diet for the infant is the mother's milk, but if this cannot be
supplied, the next best diet is modified cow's milk, which for the young
child must be greatly diluted. If it is found necessary to give
proprietary, or manufactured, foods, raw food of some kind should be
used in addition, the best way to supply this being with a little orange
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juice or other fruit juice. At the age of 3 months, this may be given in
small quantity if it is diluted, and then the amount may be gradually
increased as the child grows older.
48. EFFECT OF WEIGHT ON CHILDREN'S DIET.--The food requirement in the
case of children is determined by weight. To decide on the proper
amount, it is necessary to know the normal weight at certain ages. At
birth, as has been stated, the normal weight is 7 pounds; at 6 months,
15 pounds; at 1 year, 21 pounds; at 2 years, 30 pounds. The food
requirement for 24 hours per pound of weight is as follows:
CALORIES
24 HOURS
Children up to 1 year.......................... 45
Children from 1 to 2 years..................... 40
Children from 2 to 5 years..................... 36
From a study of these figures, it will be noted that there is a gradual
decrease in the required number of calories per pound as the child
grows older. The decrease continues until maturity is reached, and then
the scale for adults applies.
49. EFFECT OF AGE ON CHILDREN'S DIET.--A child should not be kept
exclusively on milk for more than 6 or 8 months, and then only in case
it is fed on the mother's milk. Fruit juice, which has already been
mentioned as an additional food, is recommended if the diet requires raw
food or if it is necessary to make the child's food more laxative. When
the child reaches the age of 6 months, it should be taught to take foods
from a spoon or a cup; then when it must be weaned, the task of weaning
will be much easier. At the age of 8 or 9 months, depending on the
condition of the child, small amounts of well-cooked, strained cereals
may be added to the diet, and these may gradually be decreased as the
food is increased in variety. Up to 1-1/2 years of age, a child should
have 8 ounces of milk three times a day, which amounts to 1-1/2 pints.
At this age, half of a soft-cooked egg or a spoonful or two of tender
meat chopped very fine, may be given, and for each such addition 4
ounces of milk should be taken out of the day's feeding. But from 1-1/2
years up to 5 years, at least 1 pint of milk a day should be included
in the diet.
At a little past 1 year of age, a normal child may begin taking a few
well-cooked vegetables, such as a bit of baked potato, a spoonful of
spinach, carrot, celery, green peas, or other vegetables that have been
forced through a sieve or chopped very fine. At 1-1/2 years, the normal
child should be taking each day one vegetable, a cereal, buttered bread
or toast softened with milk, eggs, fruit juice, a little jelly, and
plain custards. However, each of these foods should be added to the diet
with caution and in small amounts, and if it appears to disagree with
the child in any way, it should be discontinued until such time as it
can be tolerated.
In case a child is being raised on a formula of cow's milk and it is a
strong, normal child, it should be taking whole milk at the age of 8 or
10 months. If the child is not strong, the milk may still be diluted
with a small amount of sterile water, but this should be gradually
decreased until the child is able to tolerate whole milk.
50. FEEDING SCALE FOR INFANTS.--It is, of course, a difficult matter to
make definite rules for the feeding of all children, for conditions
arise with many children that call for special plans. However, for
children that are normal, a feeding scale may be followed quite closely,
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and so the one given in Table VI is suggested.
TABLE VI
FEEDING SCALE FOR INFANTS
First Three Months
Milk.
Fourth Month
Same as for preceding months and orange juice and cereal waters.
Sixth Month
Same as for preceding months and well-cooked and strained cereal.
Eighth Month
Same as for preceding months and beef juice, beef broth, and yolk of
soft-cooked egg.
Tenth Month
Same as for preceding months and unstrained cereal, half of
soft-cooked egg, both white and yolk, chopped or strained cooked
vegetables, such as spinach and other greens, asparagus, carrots,
celery, and squash, stale bread, crackers, toast and butter.
Eleventh Month
Same as for preceding months and well-cooked rice, baked potato,
jelly, plain custard, corn-starch custard, and junket.
Twelfth Month
Same as for preceding months and whole egg, a tablespoonful of
tender meat, string beans, peas, turnips, onions, chopped or
strained applesauce, stewed prunes, and other fruits.
Eighteenth Month
Same as for preceding months and home-made ice cream, plain sponge
cake, milk soups, and cereal puddings.
This scale is to be used by adding to the diet for one month the foods
suggested for the next month, giving them at the time the child reaches
the age for which they are mentioned. For instance, a child of 8 months
may have everything included in the first three, four, and six months
and, in addition, beef juice, beef broth, and the yolk of a soft-cooked
egg, which is the diet suggested for the eighth month. Then at the tenth
month it may have all of these things together with those given for
this month.
51. When any of these foods is first added to the diet, much care is
necessary. Each new food should be given cautiously, a teaspoonful or
two at a time being sufficient at first, and its effect should be
carefully observed before more is given. If it is found to disagree, it
should not be repeated. If at any time a child is subject to an attack
of indigestion, its diet should be reduced to simple foods and when it
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has recovered, new foods should be added slowly again. In the case of
any of the ordinary illnesses to which children are subject, such as
colds, etc., the diet should be restricted to very simple food, and
preferably to liquids, until the illness has passed. The diet of a baby
still being fed on milk should be reduced to barley water or a very
little skim milk diluted with a large amount of sterile water. When the
illness is over, the child may be gradually brought back to its
normal diet.
DIET FOR THE FAMILY
52. One of the difficulties of every housewife having a family composed
of persons of widely different tastes and ages is the preparation of
meals that will contain sufficient food of the correct kind for all of
them. Children up to 6 years of age usually require something especially
prepared for their meals, except breakfast, but, as a rule, the
selection of the diet for children from 6 years up to 15 or 16 years of
age is merely a matter of taking from the meal prepared for the
remainder of the family the right amount of the various foods. Tea and
coffee should not be included in the diet of growing children, and
should under no circumstances be given to small children. If the proper
method is followed in this matter, no difficulty will result, but where
children expect to eat the food served to the others at the table and
are not content with what is given to them, it is better not to feed
them at the same table with the adults.
53. The most satisfactory way in which to arrange meals that are to be
served to persons of different ages is to include several foods that may
be fed to all members of the family and then to select certain others
proper only for adults and still others suitable for the children. A
sample of such a menu for supper is the one here given. It is assumed
that the children that are to eat this meal are not infants.
SUPPER MENU
ADULTS
Rice Croquettes with Cheese Sauce
Lettuce Salad
Bread, Butter, Jelly
Baked Apples
Plain Cookies
Tea
CHILDREN
Steamed Rice
Bread, Butter, Jelly
Baked Apples
Plain Cookies
Milk
A menu of this kind is not difficult to prepare, and still it meets the
needs of both the children and the adults of the family. The main dish
for each has the same foundation--rice. Enough to serve the entire
family may be steamed. Then some may be retained for the children and
the rest made up into croquettes and served with cheese sauce to the
adults. The remainder of the menu, bread, butter, jelly, baked apples,
and plain cookies, may be eaten by every one. Tea will probably be
preferred by the adults, but milk should be served to the children.
Other suitable menus may be planned without any extra trouble if just a
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little thought is given to the matter.
PROPORTION OF FOOD SUBSTANCES
54. The proportion of food substances necessary for building and
repairing the body and for providing it with material necessary for its
various functions is a matter to which much discussion has been given.
Formerly, it was not understood that the protein should be limited to
exactly what the body needed and that its requirements were
comparatively low regardless of conditions or exercise. The standard for
diet very often allowed as much as 25 per cent. in protein. This
percentage has been gradually reduced by the discovery of the actual
body needs, so that now it is believed by the most dependable
authorities that only about 10 per cent. of the entire day's rations for
the adult should be protein. The growing child needs a greater
proportion than this because he is building up muscle tissue. The adult
whose muscles have been entirely constructed requires protein only for
repair, and 10 per cent. of the day's food in protein is sufficient for
this. This means that if the total calories for the day are 2,500, only
250 of them need be protein.
55. The remainder of the calories are largely made up by fat and
carbohydrate. These, however, need not be in such exact proportion as
the protein, for no real danger lies in having either one in a greater
amount than the ideal proportion. This is usually three-tenths fat and
six-tenths carbohydrate or in a diet of 2,500 calories, 750 fat and
1,500 carbohydrate. The carbohydrate is very much in preponderance
because of its easy digestion and assimilation. As may be imagined, it
is not a simple matter to figure a diet as closely and carefully as
this, and it is only in extreme cases where such planning is necessary.
56. The required amount of protein for the ordinary daily diet can be
had with about 3 ounces of meat, together with that which is found in
the bread, vegetables, and cereals taken each day. At any rate, the menu
should be planned so as to supply a protein dish for at least one meal
in the day. The fat is supplied largely by the butter taken and the fat
used in the cooking of foods. The carbohydrate is provided by the starch
found in cereals, bread, and vegetables and by the sugar contained in
fruits, as well as that used in the preparation of various foods and in
the sweetening of beverages, cereals, and fruits.
In addition to providing these food substances, each meal should include
at least one food, and for dinner preferably two foods, that will supply
a large amount of mineral salts, cellulose, and vitamines. As will be
remembered, fruits and vegetables are the foods to be used for
this purpose.
57. This method of menu planning may seem somewhat difficult at first
thought, but in reality it is not different from that which the
intelligent housewife follows who attempts to provide her family with a
variety of foods and who appreciates the value of that variety. If she
plans her menu in this manner, prepares the food so that it will be
wholesome, easily digested, and given in the proper proportion, and at
the same time watches the weights of the members of the family in the
manner suggested, she need have no fear about the general health of her
family, for it will be well maintained.
* * * * *
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MENU MAKING AND TABLE SERVICE
GENERAL RULES FOR MENU MAKING
58. Perhaps the greatest problem in the planning of menus for a family
is that of securing sufficient variety. A housewife who uses the same
recipes and the same combinations of food repeatedly is apt to get into
a rut and the members of her family will undoubtedly lose interest in
their meals. This condition results even with the dishes of which those
of the family are extremely fond. However, they will not tire so quickly
of the foods they care for if such foods are served to them less often.
Then, too, there is more chance to practice economy when a larger
variety of food is used.
The importance of planning menus systematically should not be
overlooked, either, no matter how simple they may be. Even if breakfast
consists of only two or more dishes, luncheon of three or four, and
dinner of no more than four or five, a certain amount of planning should
be done in order that the meal may be properly balanced. If the
suggestions for meal planning already given are applied to this work,
very little difficulty will be experienced in providing meals that are
both attractive and properly balanced. In addition to these suggestions,
a few general rules for menu making ought to be observed. Most of these
are simple and can be followed with very little effort.
59. Unless the menu is planned for a special occasion, the cost of the
various dishes should be made to balance. For instance, if an expensive
meat is to be served, the vegetables and the salad selected to accompany
it should be of moderate cost. On the other hand, if an expensive salad
is to be served, a dessert of moderate cost, such as a simple rice
pudding, should be used to offset the price of the other dish. Planning
meals in this way is urged for the sake of economy, and if it is
carefully followed, all the meals may be made to average about the
same cost.
60. Another important point in successful meal planning is the avoidance
of two dishes in the same meal made from the same food. For instance,
tomato soup and tomato salad should not be served in the same meal, for
the combination is undesirable. Corn soup contrasts much better with
tomato salad than does the tomato soup, for it has the bland flavor that
is needed to offset the acid salad. Some housewives, it is true, object
to such planning on the ground that it does not give them opportunity to
utilize all the materials they may have on hand at the same time. But in
nearly every instance the materials can be used to excellent advantage
in meals that are to follow and, in addition, the gain in variety is
sufficient to warrant the adoption of such a method.
61. As there should be variety in the materials used to make up the
dishes of a meal, so should there be variety in the flavor of the foods
selected. Rice, macaroni, and potato, for instance, make an undesirable
combination. They are too similar because they are all high in starch;
besides, they resemble one another too closely in consistency and they
are all bland in flavor. If a meal contains one or two bland dishes, a
special effort should be made to supply some highly flavored dish in
order to relieve the monotony. The same thing may be said of acid foods;
that is, an oversupply of these is just as distasteful as too many
bland foods.
62. To have fresh fruit for the daily breakfast would be very
delightful, but such fruit cannot always be secured. When fresh fruit
cannot be had every day, it is better to alternate it with canned fruit
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or stewed dried fruit than to have it for several days in succession and
then have to serve the alternative for a number of days. The same is
true of cereals. If use is to be made of both cooked and uncooked
cereals, it is much better to alternate them than to serve the cooked
ones for breakfast for an entire week and then uncooked ones the
next week.
63. When two vegetables are used in the same meal, they should be
different. Sweet potatoes and white potatoes, although often served
together, do not belong in the same meal. In fact, for most seasons of
the year, two vegetables dissimilar in consistency should be supplied.
For instance, if spinach is included in a meal, some contrasting
vegetable, such as carrots, shell beans, etc., should be served with it.
Beets and carrots would not make a good combination, nor should cabbage
be combined with spinach, especially if both vegetables are prepared
with a sour dressing.
64. A bland food or one high in fat, such as roast pork, certain kinds
of fish, etc., is much more palatable if a highly seasoned sauce or
another highly seasoned food or, in fact, a food of an entirely
different flavor is served with it. Apple sauce or baked apples are
usually served with roast pork for this purpose, while sour sauces or
pickles of some description are served with fish to relieve its
blandness.
65. To secure the most successful meals, the main course should be
decided upon first and the additional dishes, such as soup, salad, and
dessert, should be the second consideration. In this method of planning
meals, they can be properly balanced, for if the main course is heavy,
the others can be made light or some of them omitted altogether, while
if the main course is a light one, heavier dishes may be selected to
accompany it.
Whenever it is possible to do so, the heavy meal of the day should be
served at noon and the lighter one in the evening. This plan should
always be followed for children, and it is preferable for adults.
However, having dinner at noon is often very inconvenient and sometimes
impossible, because frequently one or more members of the family are at
business some distance from home and their coming home at noon for
dinner is impractical. In such an event, the evening meal should be the
heavy one, but it should not be made too hearty and overeating should
be avoided.
At all meals, tea and coffee should be used sparingly. Especially should
this rule be followed by persons who are nervous, or high strung, or are
troubled with indigestion and insomnia. At any rate, it is advisable not
to drink either of these beverages at night.
* * * * *
METHODS OF SECURING VARIETY IN MEALS
CARD-FILE SYSTEM OF MENU MAKING
66. With the general rules for meal planning in mind, the housewife is
well prepared to arrange menus that will be properly balanced, as well
as varied and attractive. One means of securing variety in menus, and at
the same time supplying oneself with a very convenient piece of kitchen
equipment, consists in placing the recipes used on small cards and
filing them in a card file under the headings to which they belong. For
instance, a heading should be made for soups, one for potatoes, and so
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on. These cards may then be rotated in order to make up menus. When the
first card of each group has been used, it should be placed at the back
of the others in that group; then each one will come in the order in
which it was originally placed in the file. Of course, when the cards
are not filed alphabetically, it is a little more difficult to find the
recipes one needs at a particular time, and so if desired other means
of using the cards for menu making may be easily devised without
changing their position.
In addition to serving as a basis for menus, this arrangement takes the
place of a cook book. In fact, it is much more convenient, for instead
of a book containing recipes on the table where the work is being done,
a small card, which takes up less space and is much less likely to be in
the way, may be substituted.
DINNER MENUS
67. To assist the housewife materially in planning dinners in great
variety, Table VII, which contains suggestions for dinner menus, is
given. As will be noted, it is intended that each dinner shall consist
of a soup, a meat, potatoes in some form, another vegetable, a salad,
and a dessert. It is not necessary, of course, to include all these
dishes when a simpler meal is desired, but a number of suggestions are
given in each group so that there may be a good selection. In order to
use this table to advantage and to secure a large variety of menus,
different combinations of the various foods may be made. Then, too, the
combinations given may be rotated so that frequent repetition of the
same combination will be avoided. This table therefore has the advantage
over meals planned for 14 or even 21 days, for these must be repeated
once in 2 or 3 weeks.
TABLE VII SUGGESTIONS FOR DINNER MENUS
SOUP
1. Tomato Bouillon
2. Rice
3. Cream of Corn
4. Noodle
5. Cream of Pea
6. Julienne
7. Clear Bouillon
8. Oxtail
9. Split-Pea Puree
10. Cream of Tomato
11. Celery
12. Cream of Onion
13. Barley Broth
14. Cream of Asparagus
15. Vegetable
16. Corn Chowder
MEAT
1. Roast Beef
2. Pork Chops
3. Macaroni and Cheese
4. Broiled Hamburg
5. Baked Fish
6. Broiled Steak
7. Kidney-Bean Loaf
8. Roast Pork
9. Lamb Chops
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10. Roast Chicken
11. Baked Beans
12. Meat Loaf
13. Liver and Bacon
14. Roast Mutton
15. Broiled Ham
16. Scalloped Salmon
17. Roast Lamb
18. Lima-Bean Loaf
19. Veal Tongue
20. Fried Oysters
POTATOES
1. Boiled Potatoes with Butter and Parsley
2. Scalloped Potatoes
3. Hashed-Brown Potatoes
4. Baked Potatoes
5. Potato Puff
6. French Fried Potatoes
7. Potato Patties
8. Roast Potatoes
9. Candied Sweet Potatoes
10. Mashed Potatoes
11. Creamed Potatoes
12. Stuffed Potatoes
13. Baked Sweet Potatoes
14. Potatoes au Gratin
15. Sauted Potatoes
VEGETABLES
1. Spinach
2. Green Peas
3. Breaded Tomatoes
4. Squash
5. Red Beets
6. Sweet Corn
7. Buttered Carrots
8. Mashed Turnips
9. Scalloped Eggplant
10. Buttered Cauliflower
11. Hot Slaw
12. Scalloped Tomatoes
13. Carrots and Peas
14. Buttered Kohlrabi
15. Baked Onions
16. Sauted Eggplant
17. Stuffed Peppers
18. Creamed Turnips
19. Browned Parsnips
20. Sauted Tomatoes
21. Escalloped Cabbage
22. Creamed Onions
23. String Beans
24. Asparagus
25. Succotash
SALADS
1. Apple and Celery
2. Lettuce
3. Banana
4. Orange and Coconut
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5. Cabbage
6. Tomato
7. Peas and Celery
8. Apple, Date, and Orange
9. Asparagus
10. Pineapple and Nut
11. Green Pepper and Cheese
12. String Bean
13. Fruit
14. Combination
15. Cucumber
16. Waldorf
17. Cabbage and Celery
18. Pineapple and Cream Cheese
19. Humpty Dumpty
DESSERTS
1. Chocolate Blanc Mange
2. Brown Betty
3. Raisin Pie
4. Crackers and Cheese
5. Fruit Gelatine
6. Cake and Fruit
7. Apricot Fluff
8. Tapioca Pudding
9. Steamed Pudding
10. Short Cake
11. Prunes in Jelly
12. Rice Pudding
13. Custard Pie
14. Baked Apples
15. Peach Cobbler
16. Chocolate Bread Pudding
17. Pineapple Tapioca
18. Ice Cream
19. Jelly Tarts
20. Gingerbread and Whipped Cream
21. Indian Pudding, with Custard Sauce
22. Floating Island
23. Prune Fluff
24. Nuts and Raisins
68. In the application of Table VII, use should be made of the dishes
numbered 1 in the various groups for the first day's menu. This dinner,
then, will consist of tomato bouillon, roast beef, boiled potatoes with
butter and parsley, spinach, apple-and-celery salad, and chocolate blanc
mange. In this way, the menus should be made by going through the entire
list and combining the dishes whose numbers correspond. Upon coming to
the last of the soups, which is No. 16, and attempting to make up a
menu, it will be discovered that there are only fifteen varieties of
potato dishes. In order to obtain a menu, the rotation must be begun
again, and so No. 1 of the potato dishes is used. This menu would
therefore consist of corn chowder, scalloped salmon, boiled potatoes
with butter and parsley, sauted eggplant, peach-and-cream-cheese salad,
and chocolate bread pudding.
In planning menus with the aid of this table, the housewife may not be
able to use a certain dish that is suggested because it is out of
season, cannot be procured, or resembles too closely some of the other
dishes in the menu. In such an event, she should select another dish to
take the place of the one that spoils the combination. Likewise, she
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should not hesitate to make any change that will result in producing
properly balanced meals.
LUNCHEON MENUS
69. To aid the housewife in the preparation of suitable luncheons, a
large number of luncheon menus are here given. These menus will serve to
give variety in the preparation of meals if they are rotated properly
and changes are made every once in a while in making up combinations of
food for this important and interesting meal.
THE PLANNING OF MEALS
No. 1
Rice Croquettes
Bread and Butter
Fruit Salad
Gingerbread and Cream Cheese
No. 2
Cream-of-Corn Soup
Egg Salad
Whole-Wheat Muffins
Baked Bananas
Tea
No. 3
Creamed Chicken on Toast
Sliced Tomatoes
Rolls
Fruit Cake
No. 4
Scalloped Oysters
Apple-and-Celery Salad
Wafers
Tea
No. 5
Cream-of-Tomato Soup
Hashed-Brown Potatoes
Graham Bread and Butter
Baked Apples
Tea
No. 6
Macaroni and Cheese
Cabbage Salad
Wafers
Sugar Cookies
Coffee
No. 7
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Eggs a la Goldenrod
Rice with Raisins
Bread and Jam
Tea
No. 8
Omelet
Toast
Prune Whip
Vanilla Wafers
Tea
No. 9
Consomme
Chicken Salad
Rolls
Warm Gingerbread and Whipped Cream
No. 10
Creamed Dried Beef on Toast
Lettuce Salad
Stewed Fruit
Tea
No. 11
Scalloped Corn
Brown Bread and Butter
Fruit Salad
Cheese Straws
Coffee
No. 12
Cold Ham
Potato Salad
Graham Bread and Butter
Cookies
Tea
No. 13
Oyster Stew
Wafers
Celery
Pineapple
Sponge Cake
No. 14
Cheese Souffle
Baked Tomato on Toast
Rice Pudding
Tea
No. 15
Meat Pie
Cranberry Jelly
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Table Raisins
Coffee
BREAKFAST MENUS
70. WINTER BREAKFAST MENUS.--To assist the housewife in planning
properly balanced breakfast menus for winter, a number of suggestions
are here given. These necessarily differ from breakfast menus for other
seasons because of the difference in the food that can be obtained. They
are usually of a more hearty nature and contain more heat-producing
foods.
No. 1
Oranges
Rolled Oats with Cream
Soft-Cooked Eggs
Toast and Butter
Coffee
No. 2
Stewed Prunes
Cream of Wheat with Cream
Broiled Bacon
Muffins and Butter
Coffee
No. 3
Baked Apples
Griddle Cakes with Maple Sirup
Sausage Patties
Coffee
No. 4
Rolls and Butter
Corn Flakes with Hot Milk
Grapefruit
Coffee
No. 5
Vitos with Dates
French Toast and Butter
Jelly
Hot Chocolate
No. 6
Apple Sauce
Fried Cornmeal Mush with Sirup
Broiled Bacon
Coffee
No. 7
Orange Juice
Steamed Rice
Omelet
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Cornmeal Muffins and Butter
Coffee
No. 8
California Grapes
Hominy Grits
Waffles and Sirup
Coffee
No. 9
Sliced Bananas
Pearl Barley
Codfish Balls
Marmalade
Toast
Coffee
No. 10
Popovers Filled with Warm Apple Sauce
White Cornmeal Mush
Baked Eggs in Cream
Toast
Coffee
71. SUMMER BREAKFAST MENUS.--During the summer season, fresh fruits of
various kinds can be obtained, and these are generally used as the first
course for breakfast. As the menus here given show, it is well to vary
the fruit course as much as possible, so that there will be no danger of
tiring the persons to be served. An uncooked breakfast food is
preferable to a cooked one for summer and so several varieties of these
are here suggested.
No. 1
Strawberries and Cream
Scrambled Eggs
Toast
Coffee
No. 2
Raspberries
Puffed Rice
Baking-Powder Biscuits and Honey
Coffee
No. 3
Blackberries
Corn Flakes
Creamed Toast
Coffee
No. 4
Blueberries
Grape Nuts and Cream
Jelly
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Omelet
Toast
Coffee
No. 5
Sliced Peaches
Puffed Wheat
Clipped Eggs
Toast
Coffee
No. 6
Cantaloupe
Krumbles with Cream
French Toast and Sirup
Coffee
MENUS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS
72. Special occasions, such as New Year's, Easter, Fourth of July,
Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc., are usually celebrated with a dinner that
is somewhat out of the ordinary. Then, too, on such days as St.
Valentine's, St. Patrick's, Hallowe'en, etc., it is often desired to
invite friends in for a social time of some kind, when dainty,
appetizing refreshments make up a part of the entertainment. To assist
the housewife in planning menus for occasions of this kind, a number of
suggestions are here given. Suitable decorations are also mentioned in
each instance, for much of the attraction of a special dinner or
luncheon depends on the form of decoration used.
It should not be thought that elaborate, costly decorations are
necessary, for often the most effective results can be achieved with
some very simple decoration. Of course, the decorations should be
suitable for the occasion to be celebrated. Favors of various kinds are
generally on sale in confectioners' and stationers' shops, so that, if
desired, favors may be purchased. However, the ingenious housewife can,
with very little trouble, make favors that will be just as attractive as
those she can buy and that will be much less expensive. She may copy
some she sees in the shops or work out any original ideas she may have
on the most suitable decorations for the occasion.
NEW YEAR'S DINNERS
No. 1
DECORATION--Ground Pine
Cream-of-Tomato Soup
Mustard Pickles
Croutons
Baked Ham
Hot Slaw
Candied Sweet Potatoes
String Beans
Orange-and-Pineapple Salad
Maple Parfait
Macaroons
Salted Nuts
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Coffee
No. 2
DECORATION--Potted Jerusalem Cherries
Crab-Flake Cocktail
Asparagus Broth
Radishes
Wafers
Roast Goose
Hot Baked Apples
Creamed Turnips
Mashed Potatoes
Peas-and-Celery Salad
Vanilla Ice Cream, Apricot Sauce
Table Raisins
Coffee
EASTER DINNERS
No. 1
DECORATION--Daffodils
Clear Tomato Soup
Mixed Pickles
Croutons
Creamed Mushrooms in Timbale Cases
Roast Spring Chicken
Mint Sauce
Potato Puff
Creamed Peas and Carrots
Grapefruit-and-Celery Salad
Milk Sherbet
Sponge Cake
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Chinese Lilies and Iris
Fruit Cocktail
Bouillon with Whipped Cream and Pimiento
Celery Wafers
Fricassee of Chicken
Riced Potatoes Scalloped Corn
Tomato Salad
Bavarian Cream Salted Nuts
Coffee
ST. VALENTINE PARTIES
DINNER MENU
DECORATIONS--Red Hearts and Ribbons, Red Candle Shades
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Heart-Shaped Canapes Olives
Clam Bouillon
Creamed Chicken and Mushrooms in Pattie Shells
Potatoes au Gratin
Grapefruit-and-California-Grape Salad
Vanilla Ice Cream Heart-Shaped Cakes
Candies
LUNCHEON MENU
DECORATIONS--Red Roses, Heart-Shaped Favors, Cupids
Tuna-Fish Salad
Heart-Shaped Brown Bread and Marmalade Sandwiches
Nut Sandwiches
Ice Cream in Heart-Shaped Cases
Small Decorated Cakes
Candies Nuts
ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARTIES
DINNER MENU
DECORATIONS--Shamrocks and Green Ribbon
Cream-of-Pea Soup
Olives Wafers
Roast Pork Loin Potatoes with Parsley Sauce
Tomatoes au Gratin
Green-Peppers-and-Cheese Salad
Lemon Ice Cakes
Coffee Green Mints
LUNCHEON MENU
DECORATIONS--White Narcissus, Green Carnations, Shamrocks
Chicken Salad
Cheese-and-Green-Pepper Sandwiches
Pistachio Ice Cream Sponge Cake
Mint Punch
FOURTH-OF-JULY LUNCHEONS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Sweet Peas, Small Flags
Iced Tomato Bouillon
Wafers
Cold Sliced Ham
Swiss Cheese
Creamed Potatoes and Peas
Strawberry-and-Pineapple Salad
Coconut Cream Pie
Iced Tea
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Cornflowers and Daisies
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Iced Watermelon with Mint
Creamed Chicken and Mushrooms on Toast
Potato Croquettes
Corn on the Cob
Sliced Cucumbers
Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Punch
HALLOWE'EN LUNCHEONS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Pumpkin Jack o' Lantern, Black-Paper Cats and Witches
Tongue Sandwiches
Swiss-Cheese Sandwiches
Cider
Doughnuts
Pumpkin Pie
Molasses Taffy
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Tiny Paper Jack o' Lanterns
Pink Bunny
Brown-Bread-and-Marmalade Sandwiches
Nut Cookies
Gingerbread
Candies
Cider
THANKSGIVING DINNERS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Basket of Fruit
Oyster Cocktail
Consomme with Peas
Celery
Wafers
Roast Turkey
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Asparagus with Drawn-Butter Sauce
Cranberry Frappe
Head Lettuce
Thousand-Island Dressing
Pumpkin Pie
Fruit
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Baby Chrysanthemums
Grapefruit Cocktail
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Celery Soup
Olives
Bread Sticks
Roast Chicken
Cranberry Jelly
Mashed Potatoes
Cottage-Cheese Balls
Baked Onions
Stuffed Dates
Mince Pie
Coffee
CHRISTMAS DINNERS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Small Christmas Tree
Oyster Broth
Oyster Crackers
Small Pickles
Olives
Chicken Pie
Pickled Peaches
Baked Sweet Potatoes
Creamed Cauliflower
Fruit Salad
Christmas Pudding
Sauce
Bonbons
Salted Nuts
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Poinsettias and Holly
Grapefruit with Grape Juice
Cream Chicken Bouillon
Stuffed Celery
Wafers
Roast Duck
Currant Jelly
Mashed Potatoes
Baked Squash
Spiced Punch
Cabbage-and-Green-Pepper Salad
Plum Pudding
Sauce
Mints
Almonds
Coffee
WEDDING BREAKFASTS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
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Iced Fruit
Creamed Chicken on Toast
Stuffed Potato
Asparagus with Butter Sauce
Rolls
Marmalade
Butter
Ice
Cake
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
Orange and Grapefruit Juice
Broiled Sweetbreads
Creamed Potatoes
Lima-Bean Souffle
Hot Biscuits
Honey
Butter
Pineapple Fritters
Milk Sherbet
Cake
Coffee
WEDDING LUNCHEONS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
Oyster Cocktail
Chicken Soup
Radishes
Olives
Broiled Squab
Browned Potatoes
Fresh String Beans
Fruit Salad
French Ice Cream
Cake
Candies
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
Grapefruit Cocktail
Bouillon
Celery
Radishes
Chicken Croquettes
Potato Puff
Stuffed Tomatoes
Bread-and-Butter Sandwiches
Hearts of Lettuce
Mayonnaise
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Chocolate Nut Ice Cream
Cake
Mints
Coffee
WEDDING DINNERS
No. 1
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
Fresh Pineapple
Cream-of-Celery Soup
Ripe Olives
Radishes
Broiled Chicken
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Green Peas in Cream
Corn Fritters
Whole-Wheat Rolls
Butter
Grapefruit Salad
Individual Molds of Ice Cream
Cake
Mints
Coffee
No. 2
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers
Crabflake Cocktail
Consomme Julienne
Celery
Olives
Radishes
Roast Young Duck
Mashed Potatoes
Green Lima Beans
Creamed Cauliflower
Rolls
Butter
Waldorf Salad
Vanilla Ice Cream
Chocolate Sauce
Cake
Candies
Coffee
BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR CHILDREN
BIRTHDAY DINNER
DECORATIONS--Kewpies with Large Bows of Ribbon To be Used as Favors
Fruit Cocktail in Orange Basket
Creamed Sweetbreads on Toast
Mashed Potatoes
Asparagus Souffle
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Peach-and-Cream-Cheese Salad
Vanilla Ice Cream with Maple Sirup
Birthday Cakes
Candies
Nuts
BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON
DECORATIONS--Pink Sweet Peas, Maiden-Hair Fern, Pink Favors Filled with
Candy
Fruit Salad
Wafers
Punch
Chocolate Ice Cream with Marshmallow
Birthday Cake
Stuffed Dates
BIRTHDAY PARTIES FOR ADULTS
BIRTHDAY DINNER
DECORATIONS--Pink Roses, Pink Candle Shades
Fruit Cocktail
Cream-of-Pea Soup
Radishes
Olives
Wafers
Chicken Croquettes
Stuffed Potatoes
Asparagus Tips
Pineapple-and-Cream-Cheese Salad
Meringue Glace
Birthday Cake
Coffee
BIRTHDAY LUNCHEON
DECORATIONS--Seasonal Flowers, Candle Shades, and Favors to Match
Lobster Cocktail
Clear Soup
Wafers
Stuffed Olives
Chicken a la King
Julienne Potatoes
Stuffed-Tomato Salad
Chocolate Parfait
Birthday Cake
Candies
Nuts
Coffee
AFTERNOON TEAS
No. 1
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Ribbon Sandwiches
Date-and-Nut Sandwiches
Toasted Pound Cake
Salted Nuts
Tea
No. 2
Apricot Sandwiches
Cream-Cheese-and-Peanut Sandwiches
Marguerites
Candied Orange Peel
Tea
SUPPER PARTIES
No. 1
Welsh Rarebit
Tomato Sandwiches
Chocolate Eclairs
Coffee
No. 2
Club Sandwiches
Bisque Ice Cream
Cakes
Coffee
TABLE SERVICE
73. ESSENTIALS OF GOOD TABLE SERVICE.--Too much cannot be said of the
importance of attractive table service. The simplest kind of meal served
attractively never fails to please, while the most elaborate meal served
in an uninviting way will not appeal to the appetite. Therefore, a
housewife should try never to neglect the little points that count so
much in making her meals pleasing and inviting. It is not at all
necessary that she have expensive dishes and linen, nor, in fact,
anything out of the ordinary, in order to serve meals in a dainty,
attractive way. Some points, however, are really essential and should
receive consideration.
74. In the first place, there should be absolute cleanliness in
everything used. To make this possible, the dishes should be properly
washed and dried. The glasses should be polished so that they are not
cloudy nor covered with lint. The silver should be kept polished
brightly. The linen, no matter what kind, should be nicely laundered.
Attention given to these matters forms the basis of good table service.
Close in hand with these points comes a well-arranged and neatly set
table. To this may be added some attractive touches in the way of
flowers or other simple decoration. These need cost little or nothing,
especially in the spring and summer seasons, for then the fields and
woods are filled with flowers and foliage that make most artistic table
decorations. Often, too, one's own garden offers a nice selection of
flowers that may be used for table decoration if a little time and
thought are given to their arrangement. In the winter, a small fern or
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some other growing plant will answer.
76. A breakfast cover for one.-- By a cover is meant the silver and
dishes placed on the table for one person. In a simple meal, this might
consist of a knife, a fork, spoons, a plate, a glass, a cup and saucer,
and a bread-and-butter plate. Here the cover has been arranged on a
breakfast tray for service at a bedside. This meal is not in the least
unusual, but it is very dainty and pleasing. It consists of
strawberries with the stems left on so that they may be dipped into
sugar and eaten, a cereal, a roll with butter, a hot dish of some kind,
such as eggs, and a hot beverage.
77. A luncheon table with covers for six. --The first course consists
of a fruit cocktail, which is placed on the table before the persons to
be served are seated. The silver required up to the dessert course is
also laid beforehand. Just before the dessert is served, the entire
table should be cleared and the silver necessary for this course laid
at each place.
A point to be remembered in the placing of silver is that the various
pieces should always be placed on the table in the order in which they
are to be used. Here the first spoon is for the cocktail, which is
already on the table, while the second spoon is for the soup, the next
course. The knife, which is the third piece of silver, with the two
forks on the opposite side will be required for the dinner course, while
the third fork is a fork for the salad course.
As will be noted, doilies have been used in place of a table cloth for
this luncheon. These, which may be as simple or as elaborate as desired,
save laundering and, if they are inexpensive, they are an economy as
well as a convenience. Since they also make a luncheon table very
attractive, they are strongly recommended for meals of this kind. The
luncheon napkin, which is smaller than that used for dinner service,
should always be placed where it is shown here, that is, at the left of
the forks. If only one beverage is to be served, as is usually the case,
the glass is placed at the tip of the knife.
78. An example of a correctly set dinner table.-- A table cloth, as
will be noted, is used, for a cloth is always preferable to doilies for
dinner. At this meal, the first course is soup. This, with anything
that is to be eaten with the soup, such as the wafers used here, or a
relish, should be placed before the guests are seated. The bread-andbutter
plate, which is placed just at the top of the fork, should also
be on the table. Between each two persons, it is well to have a set of
salt-and-pepper shakers.
* * * * *
THE PLANNING OF MEALS
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) What knowledge is necessary for the planning of economical and
well-balanced meals?
(2) Discuss a systematic plan for the purchasing of foods.
(3) Compare the advantages of buying foods at a cash store and a credit
store.
(4) Mention the advantages of keeping an account of household
210 / 211
expenditures.
(5) Tell how economy in the purchase of foods may be practiced.
(6) Discuss the training of a child's appetite.
(7) Why is a variety of food necessary in the diet?
(8) Name the factors that influence the amount and proportion of food
substances required for an adult.
(9) (a) Explain the meaning of calorie as applied to food. (b) What
is the average number of calories required by the adult?
(10) With the aid of Table V, find out how many pounds you are under
weight or over weight. Then tell how you would proceed to acquire your
correct weight.
(11) Make out menus for breakfast, dinner, and supper for 1 day for a
child 12 months old.
(12) Plan a dinner menu that contains foods suitable for both adults and
a child 4 years old, and from it select the foods you would give
the child.
(13) What does a balanced diet include?
(14) What can be done to balance the cost of foods used in a meal?
(15) Give several points of importance in selecting the dishes for a
meal.
(16) Make out menus for the seventeenth and eighteenth days from Table
VII.
(17) Plan an original menu and decorations for a dinner you can serve
for a special occasion.
(18) What are the advantages of a nicely arranged table?
(19) Give a few general rules for the correct serving of food and
setting of tables.
(20) Why is the following menu undesirable and what changes would you
suggest to make it more nearly correct?
Cream Soup
Potatoes
Roast Pork
Greens
Bread and Butter
Pudding
Hard Sauce
* * * * *
211 / 211
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