Should vegetables be boiled in a large quantity of
water ? No, or a large part of their flavor and sweetness
will be wasted in the water.
POTATOES.
When potatoes are rightly cooked, are they a good
food? Yes, because they help to furnish some of the
needed bulk and waste for the system, though there is
not much nourishment in them.
Should new potatoes be given to children and invalids?
No, they are like unripe fruit, the starch in them is not
ripened, and is hard to digest.
Why should potatoes cooked at one time be of as nearly
the same size as possible? So they will all be ready to
take up at the same time.
Why should potatoes be pared thin? The most nour-
ishing part of a potato is next the skin.
Why should they be put to cook in boiling water ? Less
of the goodness of the potato is lost in hot water than
if cold water is used.
Should potatoes boil violently in cooking? No, it is
apt to make the outside broken and ragged.
Should the water be kept boiling all the time they are
cooking? Yes, or they will be water-soaked.
Should potatoes be thoroughly cooked ? Yes ; for all
starchy foods are hard to digest unless thoroughly
cooked.
Should potatoes be taken out of the water as soon as
tender? Yes, or they will become water-soaked.
ioo First Aid to Good Cooking
Should all the water be carefully drained from them?
Yes ; then the kettle should be shaken over the fire a few
seconds until every particle of the water and steam is
dried out, and they look like white, mealy balls.
Is this necessary if they are to be mashed? It is, very.
Mash them thoroughly, beat vigorously with a wooden
spoon, add more salt if needed, and a very little hot milk,
keep them hot while fixing them.
Should they be patted down in the serving dish?
Never! They should be put in loosely and left uncov-
ered.
Should potatoes be put in a hot oven to bake? Yes; so
they will not be watery and soggy.
How can you make baked pohiloes mealy? When they
are nearly baked, protect the hand with a clean cloth and
break open the skin a little; this will let the steam out
make them mealy.
Should they be eaten as soon as baked? Yes; they are
not nearly as good if they stand.
MILK.
Is there danger in putting an uncovered dish on the
steps, for the milk to be left in? There is great danger;
it should never be done under any circumstances.
What should milk be kept in? Glass jars or milk bot-
tles are best, but a well-glazed earthen dish, or fresh tin-
ware that is perfectly bright, but never if it is old.
Is it necessary that milk should be kept cool? It is
very. It should be cooled as soon as it is milked, and
kept cool. The bacteria in it will grow very rapidly if
it is not, and cause it to sour more quickly.
If ice cannot be had for keeping it cool what should be
done? It should be kept in a dish of cold water, chang-
ing the water occasionally to keep it cool.
Will this prevent it from souring in a thunderstorm?
It will if the water is cold enough.
First Aid to Good Cooking ioi
Page 53
Presented as published in 1915. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Should vegetables be boiled in a large quantity of water ? No, or a large part of their flavor and sweetness will be wasted in the water.
POTATOES.
When potatoes are rightly cooked, are they a good food? Yes, because they help to furnish some of the needed bulk and waste for the system, though there is not much nourishment in them.
Should new potatoes be given to children and invalids? No, they are like unripe fruit, the starch in them is not ripened, and is hard to digest.
Why should potatoes cooked at one time be of as nearly the same size as possible? So they will all be ready to take up at the same time.
Why should potatoes be pared thin? The most nourishing part of a potato is next the skin.
Why should they be put to cook in boiling water ? Less of the goodness of the potato is lost in hot water than if cold water is used.
Should potatoes boil violently in cooking? No, it is apt to make the outside broken and ragged.
Should the water be kept boiling all the time they are cooking? Yes, or they will be water-soaked.
Should potatoes be thoroughly cooked ? Yes ; for all starchy foods are hard to digest unless thoroughly cooked.
Should potatoes be taken out of the water as soon as tender? Yes, or they will become water-soaked.
ioo First Aid to Good Cooking
Should all the water be carefully drained from them? Yes ; then the kettle should be shaken over the fire a few seconds until every particle of the water and steam is dried out, and they look like white, mealy balls.
Is this necessary if they are to be mashed? It is, very. Mash them thoroughly, beat vigorously with a wooden spoon, add more salt if needed, and a very little hot milk, keep them hot while fixing them.
Should they be patted down in the serving dish? Never! They should be put in loosely and left uncovered.
Should potatoes be put in a hot oven to bake? Yes; so they will not be watery and soggy.
How can you make baked potatoes mealy? When they are nearly baked, protect the hand with a clean cloth and break open the skin a little; this will let the steam out make them mealy.
Should they be eaten as soon as baked? Yes; they are not nearly as good if they stand.
MILK.
Is there danger in putting an uncovered dish on the steps, for the milk to be left in? There is great danger; it should never be done under any circumstances.
What should milk be kept in? Glass jars or milk bottles are best, but a well-glazed earthen dish, or fresh tinware that is perfectly bright, but never if it is old.
Is it necessary that milk should be kept cool? It is very. It should be cooled as soon as it is milked, and kept cool. The bacteria in it will grow very rapidly if it is not, and cause it to sour more quickly.
If ice cannot be had for keeping it cool what should be done? It should be kept in a dish of cold water, changing the water occasionally to keep it cool.
Will this prevent it from souring in a thunderstorm? It will if the water is cold enough.
First Aid to Good Cooking ioi