Domestic science (Johnson, for schools and homes)

Temperature: With our modern methods of heating, we bid fair to become a weak and enervated people. Care should be taken that during the heating season, the tempera- ture should not stand for any considerable period, above 70 degrees Fahr., in living rooms. The temperature of sleeping rooms should stand much lower. Lesson 2. Starch: Review lesson VIII., seventh year. When starch is cooked at a high temperature, it changes into a sub- stance resembling sugar. The longer starchy foods are cook- ed at a high temperature, the more digestible they be<;om<» 58 DOMESTIC SCIENCE During tKe process of digestion, starch is changed into sugar, called glucose, grape sugar, and dextrose. General Rule for Mixing flour or any other starchy substance, for thickening purposes in cooking, or for laundry starch: Mix the flour or the starch, as the case may be, with an equal quantity of cold liquid (always cold water for laundry starch); stir until there are no lumps. It should be smooth and creamy. Add sufficient cold liquid to make the mixture thin enough to pour easily. Pour this into the boil- ing liquid to be thickened, let it boil at least five minutes, stirring constantly. Comparative Values of Rice and Potatoes, Fig. 16. Rice. 1. Carbo-hydrates. 4. Indigestible Matter, 2. Water. 5, Fat. 3. Protein. 6. Ash. Fuel Value per lb., 1625 Calories. ■■■13 ■ 4 ■ 5 Fig. 17. ■ 6 Potatoes. 1. Water. 4. Protein. 2. Indigestible Matter. 5. Ash. 3. Carbo-hydrates. 6. Fat. FuRl, Valur per lb., 295 QqIqH^9, COOKING 59 The Fuel Value of a food-stuflF is its heat and energg giving value. The fats and the carbo-hydrates are, pre emi- nently, the fuels of the body; yet proteids act as fuel, also. In proof of this, we may consider the fact that an animal will live on lean meat only, and still possess great strength and energy. Fuel value is measured in calories. It is a heat measure. A Calorie is that amount of power in the form of heat, that is required to raise one ton, 1.54 feet. The table shows that it takes 5 30-59 lbs. of potatoes to give the working power of a lb. of rice; while neither pos- sesses any considerable amount of proteid matter. It will be seen, also, that the potato is composed largely of water. Weak in proteids, potatoes should be used with meat, fish, eggs, or some other strong proteid food-stu£F. Potatoes Boiled, Riced, and Mashed: Select po- tatoes of uniform size. Wash, pare, and drop at once into cold water to prevent discoloration; soak one-half hour in the fall, and from one to two hours in the winter or spring. Cook in boiling salted water until easily pierced with a fork. Allow one tablespoonful of salt for seven medium sized potatoes, and cover with boiling water. When cooked sufficiently, drain off the water, and allow the potatoes to stand uncovered, but where they will keep hot enough to dry, until serving time; Large potatoes frequently cook soft on the outside, while hard in the centre. To finish cooking without breaking them apart, add one pint of cold water. This cools the outside of the potato, while the heat already accumulated in the inside completes the process of cooking the center. To Rice Potatoes: Force the hot boiled potatoes through a potato ricer or a coarse strainer. Serve, lightly piled in a hot vegetable dish.