Foods and home making

Cut the bread into slices about £ inch in thickness. Then cut each slice into \ inch strips, removing as little of the crust as possible. Cut the strips into | inch cubes. Place on a pie pan or baking sheet and bake in a hot oven until a golden brown ( 400 ° F., 8 to 10 minutes). Stir to brown the bread evenly. Variation. — If desired, the slices of bread may be spread thinly with butter before cutting. Instead of cutting into cubes they may be cut only into strips and browned in the oven. The browned strips of bread are known as soup sticks. How should crackers and breads be eaten with soup? It is not good manners to break up crackers and drop them in soup. Crackers should be eaten somewhat as bread. Break off a bit at a time and eat the small piece without dipping it in the soup. Breads served with soups are eaten in the same way as crackers. However, a few croutons may be dropped in the soup. This is done just before it is brought to the table. The one seated at the table does not place the croutons in the soup. These crisp pieces of bread used in this way really serve as a garnish for the soup. How shall bread crusts be used? Save bread crusts. Do not waste them. From the crusts, dried bread crumbs may be made. These crumbs are more desirable for many dishes than are cracker crumbs. Dry the crusts or pieces of stale bread by breaking them into pieces, placing them on a shallow pan, and heating them very slowly in an oven of low baking temperature — 250° F. — for about 2 hours. Bread may be dried also in a warming oven. The bread should dry until it is crisp. It should not brown. Crumb the dried bread by passing it through a food chopper or by rolling it on a pastry board. For croquettes, very fine dried bread crumbs are desirable. If such crumbs are desired, sift the crushed bread, thus separating the coarse and fine crumbs. Place the crumbs in jars and cover the jars by tying a piece of cloth over them. 242 Luncheon or Supper For scalloped dishes, soft bread crumbs are more desirable than stale bread crumbs. Soft bread crumbs are prepared by break- ing stale bread into bits. What size of cans shall we buy ? The size of a can is indicated by a number. It is often helpful to know the measure in cups Figure 83. Different Sizes of Cans in Common Use The following are the cans and foods commonly associated : No. 10 cans, fruits and vegetables (cafeteria size) : No. 5, tomato and fruit juices ; No. 2\, fruits, tomatoes, pumpkin, sauerkraut, beets; No. 2. vegetables and fruits; No. 300, pork and beans, tomato juice, spaghetti; No. 1, fruits, vegetables, canned soups ; 8Z, fruits, mushrooms, fish. Formerly tomatoes were packed in No. 3 cans. Now cans of this size are rarely found in retail stores. Pimientos and fish are sometimes packed in cans holding less than 8Z. and the weight or volume of the contents of cans of different sizes. Just as a cup of sirup does not weigh the same as a cup of milk, so two different foods in the same size can may vary in weight. Size of Can Measure Weight or Volume of Contents No. io .... 13 cups . . . . 6 lbs. to 8 lbs. No. s 7 cups . . . . 1 qt. 1 pt. 2 fluid oz. to 1 qt. 1 pt. 4 fluid oz. No. 2\ .... 3* cups . . . . 1 lb. 10 oz. to 2 lbs. 3 oz. No. 2 2^ cups . . . . 1 lb. 2 oz. to 1 lb. 8 oz. No. 300 .... if cups . . . . 13 oz. to 1 lb. 2 oz. No. 1 1 1 cups