Household science and arts

Opening Lobsters. — Take off the small and the large claws. Separate the tail from the body and draw out the tail meat. Separate the tail meat through the center and carefully remove the intestinal canal, which runs the length of the tail. Hold the body shell firmly in the hand and draw out the body, leaving stomach or ladylike matter which is unfit for use. The green part or Uver may be removed by shaking the shell. Break the body through the center and pick out the meat from body bones. Separate the large claws at the joints, crack or cut the shell, and remove the meat. The small claws should be kept for garnishing. RECIPE X64. CREAMED LOBSTER Make a thin white sauce according to No. 24, and keep it hot in a double boiler. Cut the lobster meat fine. Allow 1 c. sauce to 2 e. lobster meat. Add the lobster to the sauce, cook it about five minutes, or just long enough to heat the lobster. Season it with salt and pepper. Serve it plain or on toasted bread or crackers. RECIPE 165. LOBSTER CHOWDER 2 c. lobster meat Brown the pork in a stewpan. Add the (cut fine) onion and cook it until it is golden brown. Digitized by Google Make a white sauce of butter, flour, milk, and seasoning according to No. 25. Strain the pork fat from the onion into the sauce and add the lobster meat. LOBSTER CROQUETTES Mix all the ingredients. Cool the mixture; shape it into croquettes; fry them according to page 114. i onion (chopped) J c. salt pork (cut into i-inch dice) 2 tbs. butter 4 tbs. flour 4 c. milk i ts. salt Few grains cayenne 2 c. chopped lobster meat J ts. salt i ts. nutmeg Few grains cayenne 1 tbs. chopped parsley 1 c. thick white sauce (No. 26) Fats and Oils Food Value. — Fats and oils constitute one of the five principal divisions of food. They possess an extremely high food value, inasmuch as they furnish the needed supply of energy to the body. Classes. — Fats and oils come from animal and from vegetable sources. The animal fats are : — Milk (cream and butter). Meat (suet, marrow, dripping, bacon, etc.). Fish (cod liver oil, used for medicinal purposes). Egg yolks. The vegetable sources are : — Olive trees (olive oil). . .Cotton plant (cottonseed oil). Peanut plant (peanut oil). Coconut tree (coconut oil). Nut trees (various oily nuts). Digitized by Google FATS AND OILS 113 Vegetable and animal fats are sometimes used in combination to produce manufactured foods such as butterine, oleomargarine, cottolene, etc. Consistency. — Fats and oils are affected by temperature. At ordinary temperatures the fats are solid and oils are liquid. But in very hot weather fats tend to become liquid, and in very cold weather oils tend to become solid. Trying Out and Clarifying. — Before using for cooking purposes such fats as beef drippings, leaf lard, etc., they are tried out in order to free them from skin and connective tissue, and then clarified in order to free them from water, or from discoloring impurities. Tried out and clarified fat is constantly needed in the kitchen as it is used for frying, saut6ing, and shortening foods, as well as in other ways. Directions for Trying Out Fat. — Cut or chop fat fine, put it into a pan in the oven, or on top of the range, with enough water to cover it. Simmer it for several hours. When fat is free from water, it stops bubbling. Strain it through cheesecloth into a tin pail. Directions for Clarifying. — Melt beef drippings or tried-out fat, add to it a few slices of raw potato, and heat it slowly in the oven or on top of the range until it ceases to bubble. Strain the fat through cheesecloth and let it stand until it is firm, then put it in a cool place.