Should it finish cooking at a higher temperature? Yes, to dissolve the connective tissue and the gelatine in the bones and cartilage. It is only an ignorant cook who puts her soup bone whole into a kettle of boiling water and boils it vigorously. Is there any nourishment left in soup meat? There is a good deal, for albuminoids are not soluble in water, so they cannot be extracted from the meat, and it should not be thrown away. In what ways can it be used ? It can be chopped very fine, or put through a meat cutter, seasoned with salt and a little pepper, and onion juice if liked, moistened with a little water, pack down in a tin, let stand with a heavy weight on top until firm. Slice thin, or cut in thick- slices, dip in white of egg, slightly beaten, with a table- spoon of water ; roll in bread crumbs, and fry in a deep fat— crisco or snowdrift is best. Soup meat may also be used in making croquettes, or in hash. MEATS. Why should chops, steaks, stews, roasts, and boiled meats be cooked at a very high temperature the first few minutes? To sear over the outside and keep all the juices in. 98 First Aid to Good Cooking Why should they finish cooking at a slow heat? So the fibre of the meat will become softened without the albumen becoming hard, as it surely will if cooked at a high temperature. How can steak be made more tender ? Rub it with one tablespoon of vinegar and two of olive oil mixed to- gether and let stand several hours. How does this make it more tender? The acid of the vinegar dissolves the connective tissue. EGGS. Why should eggs always be cooked at a very slow heat, below the boiling point? Because eggs are nearly all albumen, and this cooks at a very slow heat, and if cooked at a high heat it becomes very hard and indigesti- ble. Should the water boil in which eggs are being cooked ? No, neither in their shell nor as poached eggs, and if they are being scrambled the dish should always be set in hot water or on an asbestos mat — never directly on the stove. Why should custards and all custard puddings be put to bake in a dish of hot water with a piece of paper in the bottom of it? So the albumen of the eggs will cook at a slow heat and be a soft jelly-like mass instead of hard, tough and indigestible. VEGETABLES. If one has to use vegetables that are at all wilted, what should always be clone to them? They should be put in cold water several hours to freshen. Why should the water always be boiling when the vegetables are put in to cook (except dried beans and peas) ? Because they retain their flavor and color better. Why is it better to cook vegetables in an uncovered dish? Because they keep their color better and there is much less odor when cooking cabbage, onions, turnips. cauliflower, and kale if they are left uncovered. First Aid to Good Cooking 99 Why should a teaspoon of salt be put into each quart of boiling water before the vegetables are put in to cook? Because they will have a very much finer flavor than if cooked in unsalted water. With dried beans and peas the salt can be added after they have cooked a little while. Should vegetables cook slowly or rapidly? They are better if cooked slowly, but the water should not fall below the boiling point or they will become water- soaked.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Should it finish cooking at a higher temperature? Yes, to dissolve the connective tissue and the gelatine in the bones and cartilage. It is only an ignorant cook who puts her soup bone whole into a kettle of boiling water and boils it vigorously. Is there any nourishment left in soup meat? There is a good deal, for albuminoids are not soluble in water, so they cannot be extracted from the meat, and it should not be thrown away. In what ways can it be used ? It can be chopped very fine, or put through a meat cutter, seasoned with salt and a little pepper, and onion juice if liked, moistened with a little water, pack down in a tin, let stand with a heavy weight on top until firm. Slice thin, or cut in thick slices, dip in white of egg, slightly beaten, with a tablespoon of water ; roll in bread crumbs, and fry in a deep fat— crisco or snowdrift is best. Soup meat may also be used in making croquettes, or in hash. MEATS. Why should chops, steaks, stews, roasts, and boiled meats be cooked at a very high temperature the first few minutes? To sear over the outside and keep all the juices in. 98 First Aid to Good Cooking Why should they finish cooking at a slow heat? So the fibre of the meat will become softened without the albumen becoming hard, as it surely will if cooked at a high temperature. How can steak be made more tender ? Rub it with one tablespoon of vinegar and two of olive oil mixed together and let stand several hours. How does this make it more tender? The acid of the vinegar dissolves the connective tissue. EGGS. Why should eggs always be cooked at a very slow heat, below the boiling point? Because eggs are nearly all albumen, and this cooks at a very slow heat, and if cooked at a high heat it becomes very hard and indigestible. Should the water boil in which eggs are being cooked ? No, neither in their shell nor as poached eggs, and if they are being scrambled the dish should always be set in hot water or on an asbestos mat — never directly on the stove. Why should custards and all custard puddings be put to bake in a dish of hot water with a piece of paper in the bottom of it? So the albumen of the eggs will cook at a slow heat and be a soft jelly-like mass instead of hard, tough and indigestible. VEGETABLES. If one has to use vegetables that are at all wilted, what should always be clone to them? They should be put in cold water several hours to freshen. Why should the water always be boiling when the vegetables are put in to cook (except dried beans and peas) ? Because they retain their flavor and color better. Why is it better to cook vegetables in an uncovered dish? Because they keep their color better and there is much less odor when cooking cabbage, onions, turnips. cauliflower, and kale if they are left uncovered. First Aid to Good Cooking 99 Why should a teaspoon of salt be put into each quart of boiling water before the vegetables are put in to cook? Because they will have a very much finer flavor than if cooked in unsalted water. With dried beans and peas the salt can be added after they have cooked a little while. Should vegetables cook slowly or rapidly? They are better if cooked slowly, but the water should not fall below the boiling point or they will become watersoaked.

Efficiency in home-making and first-aid to good cooking