Lessons in cooking through preparation of meals

The albumen of eggs begins to harden or "coagulate" at a temperature of 134° F. ; between 160° and 180° it becomes white throughout, tender and jelly-like ; it loses this consistency at about 200°, and at boiling temperature (212°) it becomes tough and less digestible. When the cold eggs are put into the boiling water the temperature is immediately lowered to about 180° F. Test this with a thermometer if you have one. Buttered Toast Cut stale bread into slices about ^ inch in thickness. With a gas stove, place them under the oven burners or arrange on a toaster fitted for a burner on top the stove. Turn the pieces often, so that they may be evenly browned. As soon as both sides have become a golden brown, butter, lay buttered sides together, and send to the table very hot. Note. — To keep toast, etc., hot on a gas stove, set plate or other serving dish on a hot burner, after the gas has been turned off, and cover with an inverted pan. Coffee In a coffee pot that has been well aired and well scalded, put twice as many level teaspoons of ground coffee as there are cups to be served ; add as many eggshells, washed before the eggs were broken, as there are cups to be served ; or part of the white of an egg may be used. Add i tablespoon cold water for each cup of liquid desired, and mix thoroughly; add the required number of cups of freshly boiling water, and let boil 5 minutes after boiling begins. Pour a little cold water, ^4 cup, down the spout, and set the pot where it will keep hot, without simmering, for 10 minutes. If at the end of that time for any reason the coffee cannot be served at once, pour the liquid from the grounds and keep hot. Preparing the Meal Start cooking the cereal for breakfast while getting dinner or washing the dishes the evening before. Let it cook until the evening work is done ; remove from the heat, cover the double-boiler tightly, and let stand on range until next morning. If steam radiators are convenient, set the boiler on the radiator and it will keep hot all night. Or, better still, if you have a "fireless cooker," put the cereal in that. With a gas stove, light the gas under the cereal cooker the first thing. Next put on a kettle of water to heat. Grind and make the cofifee and cut the bread for toast. Set the table, cut the butter, and fill cream pitchers. Start the eggs to cooking. Then toast the bread, butter it, and place the toast either in the oven or on top of a burner to keep hot while the cereal is being eaten. Serve the cereal in warm cereal bowls. Never put food supposed to be hot into cold dishes. By the time the cereal is eaten, the coffee, eggs and toast are ready to serve. Send the eggs to the table either all together, wrapped in a napkin and placed in a dish, or in individual egg cups. Monday Lesson 2 CREAM OF PEA SOUP — CROUTONS BREAD AND BUTTER COCOA Cream of Pea Soup To y2 can of peas add i teaspoon sugar, % teaspoon salt, I cup cold water, and i thin slice of onion. Simmer 20 minutes and then rub through a puree sieve. Melt I tablespoon butter, to it add i tablespoon flour, and rub to a smooth paste. Gradually to this add i cup hot milk and blend smoothly. Cook, stirring constantly, for several minutes and until the mixture thickens.