A text-book of cooking

(2) Eggs. — Since eggs are both high in nutrients and are easily digested, they serve as a most important article of diet for the sick. The variety of ways in which eggs can be cooked and served also adds to their value as a sick-room food. Eggs combined with milk (egg-nog, custards), with cereals (rice pudding, gruels), and with toast make suitable foods for the sick and convalescent. The principles used in the preparation of custards (see Lesson XXX, p. 104) should be applied in combining eggs with hot liquids. (3) Gniels. — The principle of preparing breakfast cereals may be applied to the preparation of gruels. In the making of gruels less cereal and more liquid are used, i.e. mix 1 tablespoonful of cereal with 1 cupful of liquid. The finished product is strained. A gruel may be prepared by diluting a cooked cereal and straining. Gruels should be of the consistency of cream soups. Cornmeal, oatmeal, barley, rice, flour — especially graham, whole wheat, and gluten — arrowroot, and crushed crackers — especially graham and oatmeal — are suitable cereals for gruels. Water or a combination of water and milk is used for the liquid. When both water and milk are used, the method of cooking rice given on p. 102 should be followed. The seasoning and flavoring of gruels are most important. Distaste for gruels is often due to improper seasoning. " High " seasoning is not desirable for the sick or convalescent. Usually a patient does not care for highly seasoned food. But some seasoning is necessary to make a tasty gruel. Gruels may be flavored with whole spices, meat extract, fruits, such as raisins, cranberries, etc., and lemon peel. The flavor of whole spices and fruits is extracted by cooking them with the gruel. If nutmeg is used, it is grated over the surface of the cooked food. The identity of this spice can thus be recognized. Sugar is rarely used, THE SICK-ROOM TRAY 335 (4) Broth and Meat. — Although there is little nourishment contained in meat broths (see Protein in Meat, p. 131), beef tea is often used as food for the sick, especially when liquid diet is necessary. It is stimulating and tasty. To make beef tea, soak chopped meat in water for at least one hour. (Use 1 pint of water to 1 pound of lean beef.) Then cook the mixture slightly, over hot water (until it becomes reddish brown in color), and stir constantly. Strain through a coarse strainer, season, and serve at once. Sometimes the juice of beef without any dilution with water is served to the sick. The meat is cut into pieces and heated slightly ; then by means of a lemon " squeezer " or a meat press the juice is extracted. Meats such as chicken (white meat preferably), lamb, broiled or roasted beef, can be used for convalescents. Scraped meat, i.e. meat from which the tough tissue is removed (see Experiment 47, p. 119), can often be given to an invalid when solid meats are denied. The scraped meat contains more nutriment than beef juice. (See Protein in Meat, p. 131.) It should be made into balls and pan-broiled. (See Pan-Broiling, p. 125.) Preparing the Tray. — Attractive serving of foods may make a stronger appeal to the appetite than choice selection or skillful preparation of foods. It should be remembered that the foods are to be carried from the kitchen to the sick room. For this reason, it is well to place foods, especially liquids, in deep dishes suitable for transit. All hot foods should be placed in covered dishes, that they may be hot when the bedside is reached. For serving sick-room foods, the daintiest china available should be used. The tray should be spread with a clean napkin or doily. In the case of a contagious disease, a paper napkin or doily may be used. It should be destroyed at once after using. A bedside tray which supports the tray without any effort of the patient is a comfort.