A text-book of cooking

Spread thin crackers very lightly with butter, or split thick crackers and butter them. Brown in the oven and serve with soup. What is the simplest way of thickening soup, if it is too thin ? Too thick ? If a ham bone is cooked with split peas, what ingredient should be omitted in making the soup ? Why ? How many persons will these recipes for soup serve ? How many cupfuls in a pound of split peas ? What is the cost per pound of split peas ? How much does one cupful of split peas increase in bulk by soaking ? What quantity of split peas would be equal to a can of peas ? What is the cost of a can of peas ? How much is saved in making soup by using split peas rather than green peas ? DIVISION FIVE BODY-BUILDING AND BODY-REGULATING FOODS: ASH (MINERAL MATTER) LESSON LIII Green Vegetables Ash. — A common constituent of foods is ash or mineral matter. This term is applied to many different substances. The most common mineral matter is salt ; another example is the white scaly substance which sometimes forms on the inside of a teakettle or on any pan in which water has been heated. Soda is still another familiar mineral substance. The condiment salt — ordinary table salt — (see Condiments, p. 183) must not be confused with the term "salts"; the latter applies to many mineral substances besides common salt. Milk, eggs, vegetables — especially green vegetables and cereals — and fruits are valuable food sources of ash. Use of Ash in the Body. — Ash does not burn, and is, in fact, the only foodstuff, except water, which does not burn in the body. It is therefore considered an incombustible foodstuff. Bones and many other parts of the body contain certain mineral materials. Ash builds the body. Ash exists in the fluids of the body. For example, there is salt in perspiration and in all excretions of the body. This indicates that certain minerals aid in eliminating the wastes of the body. The digestive juices also contain mineral materials. So it would seem that ash aids also in the digestive processes of the body. Scientists have shown that ash does participate in the regulation of body processes. Thus ash has two uses in the body : (a) it aids in building the body ; and (b) it aids in regulating body processes. Ash, therefore, is an absolute necessity in diet. Green Vegetables. — It was mentioned above that green vegetables are one of the most valuable food sources of ash. The leaves and stems of certain plants, and also those fruits which are used as vegetables, may be classed as green vegetables. Some of these are : cabbage, brussels sprouts, lettuce, water cress, spinach, celery, onions, tomatoes, and cucumbers. Green vegetables contain much water, cellulose, and mineral matter, and are especially valuable for the two latter constituents. It was previously mentioned that cellulose furnishes bulk to foods, stimulates activity in the intestines, and thus aids in the digestion of foods and in the elimination of waste material. Experiment 60 : Effect of Acid on Milk. — Put a small quantity of milk in a test tube, heat it slightly, and add a few drops of some acid substance, — tomato juice, lemon juice, or vinegar. What is the result ? Experiment 61 : Neutralization of Acid by Means of Soda. — Put a small quantity of any of the acids mentioned above in a test tube and add J teaspoonful baking soda. What happens? Now add a little milk to the mixture. Does the milk curdle ? How has the acid been changed so that it does not curdle the milk ? What conclusions may be drawn from this as to the use of soda in cooking tomato and milk mixtures ? CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP 1 can tomatoes J cupful flour £ teaspoonful baking soda J cupful butter 1 quart milk 3 teaspoonf uls salt £ teaspoonful white pepper GREEN VEGETABLES OP DELICATE FLAVOR 165