unknown Sanitary Cooking.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2078, 31 October 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

unknown Sanitary Cooking.

B? "V mourn L. Oi'itvhlimer, M.D., Seymour, Ind. j " We may live without poetry, masic, and art, . We may li"c without consoieaoe, and live without heart, We may live without friends, We may live without books, But civilized man cannot live without cooks. 11 We may live without books— What is knowledge but grieving ? We may live without hope — What is hope but deoeiving ? We may live without love— what is passion but pining ? But where is the man that can live without dining?" Thus «aith the poet, and forthwith turns the world over into the hands of the oook. ADd into wh&t better hands could yon fall? To n i' >i, my lat, jolly, four meal^-a-day Mend, Mr. Grumbler, the oook is indeed a valuable friend. The cook wields a pcepter that is only second in powor to that of love ; and even Jove has become soured through the evil in'strumentility of the good-looking or badcooking cook. This is no jest, it is a very sad fact. Now, the question arises, how can the oook preserve the health of her patrons, maintain hnppinePß in the family, and yet not throw the gourmands into bankruptcy ? Verj aimpit 1 , 1 asfluro you. 1. You mu«t have th* cook. I uic&n by this, that nnt every ona can occupy th.it important oflicp. Thp f^citest consideration in the qualities of a cook in, docs she liko tho work ? No one can fulfill the duties of any noteworthy office unless he labors at them with vim and ■willingness. 2. You mast have good articles of food originally. 3. As our honest lego aatf, "You must have change." When cue arrives at adult age, he should have learned by experience what articles of food d», and whit artioles of food do nut, agree with him, and to shun the latter, no matter how daintily served or how tempting the circumstances. The man who knows that jtatus dr fnia tfriti, or the lively of abnormally fattened geese, disngrco wim him, and Btill eats tltern, is not to bo pitied^ when all the horrors of dyspepsia overtake him. The cooking of any artiole of food has evidently much, very much, to do with its digestibility. It is not the purpose of this paper to tench cooking, but merely to Rive some general hints as to the best as. well as tho simplest methods of preparing staple ar tides of food. The same articles of food can and should ba prepared differently on cash day of tho week. Changes of diet aro too likely to be underestimated. By constant change the digestive organs in the average person are prevented from having that re» pulsion of food which, to a greater or less extent, ia likoly to result from a sameness of diet continued for a long time. We often hear from our scientific men that this or that artiole of food in excellent for muscle, another ior brain, another for bone, etc. etc Now, stubborn facts are like atone walls, against which theories often butt out their beauty and thejr power. It is well known to almost every one nowadays that well-cooked food, whether it be potatoes meat and bread, fish, or anything else worthy the name of food, will well maintain, indefinitely, either the philosopher or the hod-carrior. Many of you know, and all of you ought to know, that the prinoipalingredicnts^of nearly all our foods aus starch and albumen. Starch is the principal nutritivo ingredient of vegetables and bresdstoffa. Albumen ia the principal ingredient of meats, eggs, railk, and other animal derivatives. Starch never enters the system as starch, but first must be converted into sugar either in thp body or out of it. The process of this transformation of starch into sugar is beautifull exemplified in certain plants, such as the beet, the so called sugar cane, and other growths. The young plant is, to a great extent, composed of etarch ; and as tho plant grows older, a substance is produced which is called diastase. Through the influence of this diastase the starch is converted into a peculiar non-crystallizable substance called dextrine, and ns the plant matures, this dextrine is transformed into crystallizabla sugar. 11 Dextrine is a substance that can be produced from Btarch by the action of dilute acrds, alkalies, and malt extract, and by toasting it at a temperatnre between 284degs. and 330 degs. F., till it ia of a light brawn color, and has the odor of ovetbaked bread." A simple form of dextrine may be found in the brown crust of the bread — that sweatish substance that gives the crnit its agreeable flavor. Pure dextrine Is an insipid, odorless, yellowiih-white, translucent substance, which dissolve* in water almost as readily as sugar. As stated above, it is easily converted into dvxVrotc or glucose, as it is usually named. This glucose is often flold under the name of sugar, and is the same ag&imt whioh so many of the newspapers wagered suoh a war a year or two ago. These oritios were evidently, for the mc-Bt part, persons who knew little about the lubjact. Glucose, if free from sulphurio aoid or other chemicali, ii at harmless ai any other form of sugar. Most of our cancQsi contain more or less of it, and are in every way as satisfactory as when manufactured wholly from other sugars. It is, therefore, telf- evident that, a« sugar is a necessary article of food, the process whioh aide the transformation of our starohy foodi must necessarily aid digestion. Do not understand me to lay by this that if all our starchy foods were converted into sugar, their digestion would thereby be completed. As 1 stated a moment ago, this sweec food, if taken into the itomaoh day after day, would I soon cause that particular organ to rebel against the sameness ( of diet. In order the more clearly to illustrate this point. I will briefly chow you how «ome of the every day articles of food can be each day differently prepared, and thus be rendered more palatable, and, at a consequence, more digestible ; for it is a demonstrated faot that savouiy foodi are far more easily digested than the ■arne foods unsavorued. The art of serving and arranging dishes for the table is an accomplishment ia itself. It is very reasonable that all things that go to make up beauty and harmony at the dinner table should add their full quota to the appetite, and, I wai about to lay, •' to the digestion ;" but will qualify the statement by saying, to the digestion if the appetite be not poroine. Our commonest artiole of food is the potato. Let us see hovr potatoes— whioh oontain only twenty per oent. of ataroh, as against eightyeight per cent, in rioe, and sixty-six per oent. in wheat flour — can be prepared as just mentioned. We will look for a moment at the manner in whioh they are usually served by the average oook : 1, boiled with their jaokets on ; 2, roasted in the embers; 3, roasted with meat; 4, fried; 5, mashed ; G, salad. » 1. Potatoes boiled in their jaokets are excellent if properly prepared. But there'B the rub. The trouble is, they aro too often allowed to boil slowly and too long, and thus become water-soaked, soggy, and solid, iand proportionately indigestible. They should be put over a brisk fire, and kept at a brisk boil till done ; then drain off the water, sprinkle a little salt over them, and return to the fire a moment to dry thoroughly, when you will find them bursting with their white, mealy contents. „ 2. Roasted potatoes are general fnvoritios, and very digestible. A more agreeable flavor is'imparted to them if roasted in hot embers (wood fire), oare being used to keep them covered with the hot embers. 3. Fried potatoes, as they aro very generally Berved, aro almost as digcutible as rocks, but not bo tempting in all their greaae-Jrip-ping beauty as tho latter. Miiny of you have doubtless seen the potatoes neatly sliced and dumped into a frying-pan full of hot lard, where the/ were permitted to sink or float,

and Boak and sob for about a hall hour or mor?. When served, they presented the pscMitKq'i3 spectacle qi miniature potato iM'Vvh i^atinr at liberty in a flea of yellow g.easc. No*, if any of you can relish and ch'g°3i 3uch a mess as that, I would advise you to h ive t' us clime, and eat tallow candles with th*> 13 qainau-x. If you t.ro fond of fried potatoes, oook them in tl 13 way : ... Take vWmt boiled potatoes are left from br. Af *jt or dinner ; when cold, remove the jaJ <<i<, n*id cut into thin slices, season with sait.i) pper, and a little cayenne; have ready a hot Ciying-pan, with enough meat drippings or sweet lard to cover the bottom ; pat in t lo potatoes and fry a rich brown, stirring constantly with a knife to prevent burping. Ser\c \nty hot. A. Mashed potatoes will be discussed farther on. 5. Potato salads are appetizing and piquant, because they are usually made up with strong condiments, onions, etc. They are, thorpfore, not very digestible in thornsolves. Nevertheless, they are so # palatable that wo cannot easily dispense with them ; but, after eating them, if you expeot to have inward psac3, either split wood, walk eight and a half miles, or taka some other light exerciea. More palatable, and proportionately digestible, are the following methods of cooking thil useful vegetable : 1. Saratoga potatoes: 2, a la maitre d'hotel ; 3, potato croquettes ; 4, potatoes arrt civftui ; •"), ala Lyonnaise. 1. For Snra togas, pare and ilice yonr pota* toes as thin as? poesiblo, dropping them into cold water in which is dissolved a tiny pieoi of "ilutj to make them cri*p. Let them remain in the woter for an hour or longer. Drain, and wipe perfectly dry with ft tna towel. Have ready a quantity of bailing lard. Drop {hem in, and fry a dflicate brown. Drain all grease fre-m them, spunkle with salt, and serve. Here, in the ori^p slices, you will have the maoh desired dextrine. Or, in other words, your potato is already half digested. Eat three or four potatoes peepared thus, and yon feel no inconvenience ; but how would yon feel did you devour three eoggy, water-soaked boiled potatoes? 2. For a la maitre d'hotel, pare the potatoes, cut into pieces half an rnoh wide, and the length ofj the potato^ drop intoi cold water until wanted (an hour or so); then drain, and fry fn boiling lard. Jast as they I be^in to brown take them out with ■ skirampr; let them slightly cool ; then put back, aod fry a rich brown. This makes them pufl np, and very attractive. 3. For croquette*, take finely mashed potatoes, and mix with salt, pepper, and butter, and sweet milk or creaai enough to moisten thoroughly. Mix with this one wellbeaton ogg, and form into small balls, taking care to have them smooth. Have read; one plate with a beaten ogg upon it, and another with cracker crumbs. Dip each ball into the eg:*, and than into tho orumbs, and brown them nicely. Lay the croquettes on brown paper first, to got rid of any superfluous grease, then serve on a napkin. i Potatoes and cream are prepared by mincing cold boiled potatoes fine, putting them in a spider with a little melted butter in it, and Jetting them fry slightly, keeping thorn well covered. Add a very small piece of fresh butter, season with pepper and salt, and pour over them cream or rich milk. Let them boil up once, and serve. This is a very nice dish, and may be safely taking into delioate stomachs. 5. A la LyonnaUe is prepared as follows : Take five oold potatoes, one onion, butter, salt, and pepper. Slice the onion finely, and fry it in butter until it begins to take color ; add the sliced potatoes, salt and pepper to taeto, and keep shaking the saucepan until they .iro somewhat browned. Serve hot. A few random remarks about the preparation of albuminous foods. If the albumen in food is hardened by prolonged cooking, it is rendered Irss instead of more digestible. Tn^reforo, the so-called well-cmkid meats «re really biduj -cooked meats. Meats should be only half done, or rare. To do this properly, it is necea3ary to oook with a quick fire. Stcak3 should be broiled, not fried. lam in accord with a well-known orator, who said recently that " the person who fries a steak should be arrested for oruelty to humanity." Some few meats should always be well oooked before eating. The same law holds good with eggs as with meats. A hard-boiled egg is only fit for the stomach of an ostrich ; it was never intended by nature to adorn the human itomaoh. There are very many ways of preparing eggs — by frying, baking, poaching, shirring, <ka. I will only deiorib* briefly a few simple methods of making omelets. In making this elegant dish! never die more than three eggs to an tmelet. Plain omelet i Separate the whites and yolk ; add a teaspoonful of water to the whites, and beat to a stiff froth ; add to the yolks a tearpoonful of water, and beat until light ; than ■eason with salt, and about two tablespoonfuls of cream *r rioh milk. Hava your ■pider very hot ; turn your whites and yolks together, and stir lightly to mix them : place a bit o". butter in the ipider, and immediately pour in your eggs. When set (whioh takaa from tsn to twenty seconds, and be oareful that it iocs not brown too maoh), fold together in a half moon, remove it, sprinkla with powdered sugar, and serve on a hot plate. It should be eaten immediately. F/uit omelets are mada by placing preserved fruits or jellies between the folds. Baked omelets ara prepared as above, with the addition of plaoing in the oven and allowing to brown slightly. French omelet is prepared in this way : Tak« a half cup of boiling milk with a half teaspoonfnl of butter melted in it ; pour this over one-half., cup of bread orumbs (light bread) ; add salt, pepper, and the yolks of three eggs beaten very light ; mix thoroughly; and lastly, add the white* whipped to a stiff froth. Stir lightly, and fry in butter. Whea noarly done, fold together in a half moon, and serve immediately. And thus we might oontinne ad infnitum, but, as was stated before, it is not my objeot to instruct you in special cooking, but to illustrate in this manner how much easier it is, to both the oook and jour stomaohs, to prepare healthful dishes than to do the reverse.— Scientific American Supplement,