Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

On the other hand, it is probably because of the cellulose walls surrounding plant proteids, that these proteids are not so completely digested as animal pro- teids ; so that three ounces of green peas cannot be counted on to build as much tissue as one ounce of beefsteak, although the quantity of tissue-building material supplied is in each case the same. Peas and beans may to some extent, however, take the place of ACID AND SALT SUPPLYING FOODS 239 animal proteid food. Lentils, which are much used in Europe, are more digestible than either peas or beans. Experiments show that part of the cellulose of carrots, celery, and lettuce is slowly digested and absorbed. If tender, it is more digestible raw and crisp than cooked. Thus cooked cabbage is less readily digestible than raw, and most indigestible when boiled till sodden and stringy. If you were to have both meat and fish for dinner, would you serve tomato or split pea soup ? What vegetables are suitable with roast beef ? Which are suitable for a meal at which little or no meat is served ? Pork is fat, a fuel food ; what vegetable goes well with it ? What sort of vegetables should be served with lean meat ? Tomato, or a vegetable dressed with acid — pickled beets or cole-slaw — is appetizing with fish. With delicately flavored meat, such as chicken or veal, do not serve a strong vege- table like cabbage. Custom prescribes peas with lamb, apple sauce with pork and goose, cranberry sauce with turkey. 386. Selecting vegetables in the market. — Choose vege- tables that are in season. Those forced in hot-beds or brought from a distance are seldom equal to native produce, garden grown, — besides being too expensive for most purses. Know what each is worth when plentiful, and you will not be tempted to pay four or five times that sum for it out of season. Choose medium-sized or small vegetables. Large 240 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY vegetables are usually old and woody ; they require more fuel to cook them than younger ones do, and are less nutritious. A measure holds a greater weight of small vegetables than of large ones — one reason why they ought to be sold by the pound. Large squashes and cucumbers are seedy ; corn with large kernels is tough. The signs of freshness and good quality in particu- lar vegetables are given in the table on pp. 244-247. Stale or wilted vegetables are never economical, and are likely to be unwholesome. If you get your vegetables from the garden, gather them while the dew is on them. 387. Care of vegetables. — Keep winter vegetables, except squashes, in a cool, dark, dry place, piled up to exclude air. Squashes keep better spread out in a rather warm, dry place. What grows on food in the damp ? Keep green vegetables in the refrigerator or other cold place till used. 388. Preparation of vegetables. — 1. Fresh. Wash all fresh vegetables. Even if they look clean, they may be spoiled by impure water used in watering, by insect poison, or in other ways. Eggs of insects swallowed raw may produce worms in the human body. Soak in cold water vegetables not fresh from the garden. How does water affect wilted flowers ? In the same way it makes vegetables firm and crisp. 389. 2. Dried. Dried peas and beans must be soaked to restore the water lost by evaporation. Weigh a pint of ACID AND SALT SUPPLYING FOODS 241