Food and freedom

The Efficient Kitchen, Georgie B. Child. The New Housekeeping, Christine Frederick. The Expert Waitress, Anne F. Springsteed. Foods and Household Management, Kinne and Cooley. ''Planning and Serving Meals," Home Economics Bul- letin, Iowa State College, Ames, Iowa. For the Comfort of the Family, Josephine Story. A Text Book of Cooking, Charlotte C. Greer. (See Part II, chapter on Dining-room Service.) Journal of Home Economics, American Home Eco- nomics Association, Baltimore, Md. (Special articles.) See, also. References listed at close of Chapter III. IX YOUR RECIPES HE value of a recipe depends upon its fundamental reliability, its complete- ness, its adaptability, and the accu- racy and judgment with which it is followed. The majority of foods may be pre- pared, and a number of wholesome, interesting dishes made from a few standard rules or recipes, variety being easily obtained by changing flavor, seasoning, form, or method of service, or sub- stituting one equivalent material or ingredient for another. While a practical recipe properly used should and does go far toward simplifying cooking and insuring good results, the fewer rec- ipes we have the better off we really are; in mere accumulation there is more burden than virtue. Every recipe used and kept should fill some definite purpose, either serving as a ''foundation" for many dishes or meeting some special need. From the one recipe for wheat tea biscuit, for 138 FOOD AND FREEDOM example, we should be able to make rye biscuit, drop biscuit, barley scones, cheese biscuit, gra- ham biscuit, shortcakes, quick coffee-cake, etc., by simply supplying the necessary variation or addition, or substituting one material for another. In the same way, from a recipe for cream of spinach soup we should be able to make any cream vegetable soup — cucumber, carrot, let- tuce, etc. — the vegetable varying, that is all — and perhaps the bowl in which we choose to serv^e it. The ideal recipe, one that is worth keeping and using, should not only be correct as to the pro- portions and amounts of the ingredients used in the making of the dish, and explicit in directions for treating or combining these ingredients, it should state, in addition, as far as practical: Time required for preparation. Time required for cooking. Most desirable cooking temperature. How to serve it. Number served. At what meal served. With what other foods it is best served. Wholesomeness or digestibility. Keeping qualities. How it may be varied or adapted. Approximate cost. Special caution, if any. YOUR RECIPES 139