Foods, their selection and preparation

fried potatoes. The cooking quality is best when they are stored between 50° and 60° F. For long periods of storage, temperatures be¬ tween 38° and 50° F. are recommended to prevent sprouting. The change from starch to sugar caused by storage at such low tempera¬ tures can be reversed by storing the potatoes for a period of time at temperatures above 50° F. The flavor of parsnips is improved by storage at a low temperature, which stimu¬ lates the change of the starch to sugar. Many fresh vegetables can and should be eaten raw, as relishes or in salads. Any vege¬ table which is low in starch and has a tender, crisp texture is palatable raw. Celery, car¬ rots, and peppers are cut into strips; turnips, cucumbers, and onions into thin slices; and cauliflower is separated into flowerets for service as relishes. These may be crisped by short soaking in ice water, but prolonged soaking is undesirable because of the result¬ ant loss of soluble nutrients from the cut cells. Other vegetables are improved by cook¬ ing. This gelatinizes any starch, softens the cellulose, and improves both palatability and ease of digestion. The bulk of most vegeta¬ bles is reduced by cooking. The added sea¬ soning and forms of service give variety and increase the palatability of this important group of foods. Palatability in cooked vegetable dishes is a combination of flavor, texture, and appear¬ ance. The preparation should maintain and develop these factors as far as is possible without undue loss of nutritive value. Since vegetables constitute a valuable source of vitamins and minerals, it is espe¬ cially important to regulate cooking methods so as to prevent undue losses of these im¬ portant constituents. Methods of cooking that conserve flavor tend to prevent nutri¬ tive losses. Flavor. Each vegetable has its character¬ istic flavor. As a general rule this should be conserved in the preparation. Some of the substances contributing flavor are soluble, others are volatile, and still others are de¬ composed if heated too long. Any method in which the cooking water is discarded results in a loss of both food value and flavor. Flavors are retained by baking vegetables in the skin or by cooking them in covered uten¬ sils. The good flavors resulting from paperbag cookery were due partly to the retention of the volatile substances responsible for flavor. On the contrary, if a vegetable is too strong, some of the flavor may profitably be volatilized by cooking in an open kettle. Some vegetables with a relatively mild flavor develop a strong flavor when cooked too long. This is particularly true of the members of the cabbage family. The flavor of finely chopped cabbage boiled for five minutes, or heated to serving temperature in milk or cream sauce, is very much milder than that of the same cabbage boiled for an hour. This makes one wonder whether some so-called "strong-flavored” vegetables are really strong-flavored or just made so by the method of cooking. Browning the starch or caramelizing the sugar in vegetables during baking or frying develops flavor and may add interest to an otherwise uninteresting vegetable.