of air, eight-ninths of the weight of water, and two-thirds
of the weight of the human body. Hydrogen in an invisible
gas. It will burn, uniting with oxygen to form water. It
forms about one-ninth of the weight of water, and one-
eleventh of that of the human body. Nitrogen is an invisible,
incombustible gas. It does not readily combine with other
elements, and the compounds into which it enters break up
easily. It forms about one thirty-ninth of the weight of the
body. Carbon exists as an element in two forms, graphite,
the so-called " lead " of pencils, and the diamond. It is most
commonly met with in a slightly impure form as charcoal.
Of all the elements, no other enters into so many compounds
as does carbon. It is contained in all organic substance,
as is shown by their blackening (carbonizing) when heated.
All foods except common salt consist of organic matter.
104. Salts. — A salt is a compound resulting from the
union of an acid with one of a class of substances called
bases. Acids, bases, and salts are further treated of in
Chapter V, Sec. 1. Common salt (sodium chloride) can be
'nade by adding hydrochloric acid to caustic soda.
105. Action of acids on metals. — Acids act on metals,
particularly those exposed to dampness and air, forming
salts or oxides of the metals. The staining of steel and the
corroding of tin and other metal ware by potatoes, fruit, etc.,
is caused by the action of organic acids in the food. The
salts formed in this way are likely to be poisonous. Food
not naturally acid becomes so by long keeping, or by decay.
Reading that may help you better to understand the topics
briefly discussed in this section : Early Chapters in Science ; con-
nection, conduction, radiation, pp. 252-257 ; elements and com-
pounds, pp. 313, 314 ; oxidation, p. 323 ; three states of matter,
pp. 231-240.
52 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Section 6. Definitions, Tables, Rules
If a man or woman has not the soul of a cook, the most minute
recipes will end in failure. — Kuttner.
106. Food and cooking ; how and why food is cooked. —
Food is whatever nourishes the body. Cooking is making
food ready to eat. This is done chiefly by means of
heat.
Food is exposed to the action of heat, (1) to make it
more digestible, (2) to improve its flavor, and (3) to
kill any living things it may contain.
Many vegetable foods, and a few animal foods, oys-
ters, for instance, may be eaten uncooked. All plant
foods undergo a kind of cooking by the heat of the sun,
as do animal foods by the heat of the animal body.
Principal Methods of Cooking
1. Broiling: cooking over a glowing 1
fire. I Direct applica-
2. Roasting: cooking before a glow- | tion of heat.
ing fire.
] Application by
3. Baking: cooking in an oven. j- means of
j heated air.
4. Boiling: cooking in boiling water. ] „ , ,. ,
r nj ' 1 ' r 1 i • xdeat applied
5. Stewing: cooking tor a lon^ time , ^^ .
° , , ^, , .,. [ by means oi
\n water below the boiling- ^ ,
. ^ water,
point. ,
PREPARATORY LESSONS
63
6. Steaming:
'a. moist: cooking in
steamer.
h. dry: cooking in
double boiler.
By contact
with steam.
By the heat
of steam
surrounding
vessel.
9.
Heat applied
by means of
heated fat.
Heat applied
by means of
heated metal.
Page 27
Presented as published in 1901. 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
A modernized reading is not available for this page yet. You are seeing the original text.
of air, eight-ninths of the weight of water, and two-thirds
of the weight of the human body. Hydrogen in an invisible
gas. It will burn, uniting with oxygen to form water. It
forms about one-ninth of the weight of water, and one-
eleventh of that of the human body. Nitrogen is an invisible,
incombustible gas. It does not readily combine with other
elements, and the compounds into which it enters break up
easily. It forms about one thirty-ninth of the weight of the
body. Carbon exists as an element in two forms, graphite,
the so-called " lead " of pencils, and the diamond. It is most
commonly met with in a slightly impure form as charcoal.
Of all the elements, no other enters into so many compounds
as does carbon. It is contained in all organic substance,
as is shown by their blackening (carbonizing) when heated.
All foods except common salt consist of organic matter.
104. Salts. — A salt is a compound resulting from the
union of an acid with one of a class of substances called
bases. Acids, bases, and salts are further treated of in
Chapter V, Sec. 1. Common salt (sodium chloride) can be
'nade by adding hydrochloric acid to caustic soda.
105. Action of acids on metals. — Acids act on metals,
particularly those exposed to dampness and air, forming
salts or oxides of the metals. The staining of steel and the
corroding of tin and other metal ware by potatoes, fruit, etc.,
is caused by the action of organic acids in the food. The
salts formed in this way are likely to be poisonous. Food
not naturally acid becomes so by long keeping, or by decay.
Reading that may help you better to understand the topics
briefly discussed in this section : Early Chapters in Science ; con-
nection, conduction, radiation, pp. 252-257 ; elements and com-
pounds, pp. 313, 314 ; oxidation, p. 323 ; three states of matter,
pp. 231-240.
52 THEORY AND PRACTICE OF COOKERY
Section 6. Definitions, Tables, Rules
If a man or woman has not the soul of a cook, the most minute
recipes will end in failure. — Kuttner.
106. Food and cooking ; how and why food is cooked. —
Food is whatever nourishes the body. Cooking is making
food ready to eat. This is done chiefly by means of
heat.
Food is exposed to the action of heat, (1) to make it
more digestible, (2) to improve its flavor, and (3) to
kill any living things it may contain.
Many vegetable foods, and a few animal foods, oys-
ters, for instance, may be eaten uncooked. All plant
foods undergo a kind of cooking by the heat of the sun,
as do animal foods by the heat of the animal body.
Principal Methods of Cooking
1. Broiling: cooking over a glowing 1
fire. I Direct applica-
2. Roasting: cooking before a glow- | tion of heat.
ing fire.
] Application by
3. Baking: cooking in an oven. j- means of
j heated air.
4. Boiling: cooking in boiling water. ] „ , ,. ,
r nj ' 1 ' r 1 i • xdeat applied
5. Stewing: cooking tor a lon^ time , ^^ .
° , , ^, , .,. [ by means oi
\n water below the boiling- ^ ,
. ^ water,
point. ,
PREPARATORY LESSONS
63
6. Steaming:
'a. moist: cooking in
steamer.
h. dry: cooking in
double boiler.
By contact
with steam.
By the heat
of steam
surrounding
vessel.
9.
Heat applied
by means of
heated fat.
Heat applied
by means of
heated metal.