well as by the experience of the ages. It is true that "ap-
petite is the best sauce" and that abundant outdoor exercise
gives good appetite. But not everyone can have a keen
appetite at all times, so that pleasing combinations are im-
portant from the standpoint of health.
Foods have the following characteristics or contrasts:
Heavy or light ; strong flavored or mild flavored ; moist or
dry ; crisp or soft ; acid or sweet ; hot or cold.
A meal should have contrast and variety ; it should not be
composed all of one kind of food, as all heavy or all strong
flavored dishes, or all soft or all dry and so on.
Mild flavored foods, like bread or potatoes, can be eaten
in considerable quantities in a meal, but the appetite revolts
at large amounts of strong flavored foods, like turnips, cauli-
flower, game, cheese, etc.
In simple combinations and made dishes the strong
flavored food should be much less in quantity than the mild
flavored food, as bread and cheese, macaroni and tomatoes,
baked beans and ketchup.
Creamed potatoes should not be served when there is
gravy, but should be served with a dry meat. Moist meats
such as stews, etc., should be served with dry vegetables.
Plain sponge or butter cakes or cookies, not rich layer cakes,
should be served with ice cream and whipped cream desserts,
etc. Acid sauces should be served with rich puddings.
In a well-planned dinner of five courses the soup should
be light, giving a stimulant to the appetite; it should be
served with croutons or crackers, which furnish dryness or
crispness. If fish were used it should be light, served with
an acid sauce or relish. The main course of meat would be
heavy, fairly strong flavored. The vegetables would be
soft and moist and in general mild flavored, or only one
strong in flavor. The salad should be crisp, cold and light,
and the dessert warm, moderately heavy and sweet.
184 LESSONS IN COOKING
In a recent magazine article Miss Caroline Hunt gives
the following comparison between the art of planning meals
and the art of painting:
"A well-planned meal has something in common with a
well-designed painting. The latter usually consists of a
background of neutral colors, relieved here and there by
bits of bright color, known as high lights. The background
may be a forest in browns and greens and the high light
may be the sun finding a way to one spot through the trees ;
or the background may be an expanse of sea and the high
light, the foam on the crest of the waves.
"A well-planned meal has its background also. This con-
sists usually of neutrally flavored foods : breads, meats,
cereals. These should be touched up like the painting and
relieved by small quantities of food having pronounced
flavor : acid fruits, vinegar, capers, sweets.
Page 103
Presented as published in 1912. 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
well as by the experience of the ages. It is true that "appetite is the best sauce" and that abundant outdoor exercise gives good appetite. But not everyone can have a keen appetite at all times, so that pleasing combinations are important from the standpoint of health.
Foods have the following characteristics or contrasts: Heavy or light ; strong flavored or mild flavored ; moist or dry ; crisp or soft ; acid or sweet ; hot or cold.
A meal should have contrast and variety ; it should not be composed all of one kind of food, as all heavy or all strong flavored dishes, or all soft or all dry and so on.
Mild flavored foods, like bread or potatoes, can be eaten in considerable quantities in a meal, but the appetite revolts at large amounts of strong flavored foods, llike turnips, cauliflower, game, cheese, etc.
In simple combinations and made dishes the strong flavored food should be much less in quantity than the mild flavored food, as bread and cheese, macaroni and tomatoes, baked beans and ketchup.
Creamed potatoes should not be served when there is gravy, but should be served with a dry meat. Moist meats such as stews, etc., should be served with dry vegetables. Plain sponge or butter cakes or cookies, not rich layer cakes, should be served with ice cream and whipped cream desserts, etc. Acid sauces should be served with rich puddings.
In a well-planned dinner of five courses the soup should be light, giving a stimulant to the appetite; it should be served with croutons or crackers, which furnish dryness or crispness. If fish were used it should be light, served with an acid sauce or relish. The main course of meat would be heavy, fairly strong flavored. The vegetables would be soft and moist and in general mild flavored, or only one strong in flavor. The salad should be crisp, cold and light, and the dessert warm, moderately heavy and sweet.
In a recent magazine article Miss Caroline Hunt gives the following comparison between the art of planning meals and the art of painting:
"A well-planned meal has something in common with a well-designed painting. The latter usually consists of a background of neutral colors, relieved here and there by bits of bright color, known as high lights. The background may be a forest in browns and greens and the high light may be the sun finding a way to one spot through the trees ; or the background may be an expanse of sea and the high light, the foam on the crest of the waves.
"A well-planned meal has its background also. This consists usually of neutrally flavored foods : breads, meats, cereals. These should be touched up like the painting and relieved by small quantities of food having pronounced flavor : acid fruits, vinegar, capers, sweets.