Elements of the theory and practice of cookery

What food should they have ? Is beef juice nourishing ? Beef extract ? (§§ 257 and 288.) Sometimes a patient is restricted to one class of foods. For a patient on farinaceous (starchy) diet, what dishes would you prepare ? What dishes for a patient on nitrogenous diet, i.e. one con- taining neither sugar nor starch? SCO THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY 480. Pre-digested foods are used for invalids as for babies. Such are peptonized milk, malted milk, and all foods in which the starch has been digested by malt, or by some other ferment. Recipes for GraiELS (See Chapter II, sect. 3.) 481. Serve gruel hot in a cup on a small plate or small tray covered with a doily. Oatmeal Gruel Oatmeal, ^ cupful. Cold water, 1 quart. Salt, 2 teaspoonf uls. Cook these together in a double boiler for two hours. Press through a strainer, dilute with milk or cream, reheat, and serve. The ivell-heaten white of one egg stirred into the gruel makes it more nutritious. CoRNMEAL Gruel (Adapted from ]\Iiss Farmer's ^o.^^/on Cooking School Cook-hook.) Coriimeal, 2 tablespoonfuls. Salt, yz teaspoon ful. Flour, 1 tablespoonful. Cold water, about j4 cupful. Boiling water or hot milk, 3 cupfuls. Mix meal, flour, and salt ; stir into them enough cold milk or water to make a thin paste, and pour this into the hot milk or water. If water is used, cook one hour in a saucepan ; if milk, three hours in a double boiler. Serve hot, diluted with milk or cream. SPECIAL DIETS 301 Shredded-wheat Gruel Shredded-wheat biscuit, 1. Boiling water, 1 pint. Salt, 1 teaspoonful. Milk, 1 cupful. Cook biscuit, salt, and water together for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. After adding the milk, strain. Egg Preparations (See Chapter III, sect. 1.) 482. Raw eggs are often prescribed. Break the egg into a glass, season it with pepper, salt, and vinegar, and let the patient swallow it whole. Egg Gruel (Adapted from Mrs, Lincoln's Boston Cook-book) Egg, 1. Hot milk (not scalded), 1 cupful. Sugar, 1 teaspoonful. Nutmeg or lemon juice to flav'or. While the milk heats beat the yolk of the egg till thick and light colored, the white till stiff. Stir into the yolk the other ingredients in the following order : Sugar, milk, beaten Avhite, flavoring. Serve hot in a glass placed on a plate covered with a doily. Eggnog Eggs, 1. Wine, 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls. Sugar, 2 teaspoonfuls. or Lemon juice, 1)4 tablespoonfuls. Brand}', 1 teaspoonful. or Nutmeg. Beat the yolk till thoroughly foamy ; stir in the other ingredients. Nutmeg may be omitted. 302 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY Shirred Egg Break an egg into a buttered cup or egg stirrer ; let this stand in a pan of hot water in the oven till the white jellies. Season and serve in the same dish placed on a plate. Milk Preparations (See sect. 2 of Chapter III, and paragraph relating to Yeast in Chapter IV, sect. 4.) 483. Milk diet mat/ he varied by giving the milk in various forms, e.g. kumiss, milk punch ; if permitted, in milk jellies and ice-cream ; and by serving it some- times hot, sometimes cold, and sometimes flavored with coffee. When plain milk does not agree with the patient, add a little lime-water or a few grains of salt. Albuminized Milk Put the white of one egg and half a capful of milk into a glass jar, cover tightly, and shake until well mixed. Peptonized Milk •