The use of a whisk on a platter is the best way of quickly converting the slippery egg white into a frothy, flaky mass, so firm and dry that it may be turned up- side down without slipping from the platter. Egg beaters are not absolutely essential, for the work may be done with a fork in time. The whisks are best for beating whites alone — those with cog wheels for the whole egg or for beating batters. When yolk and white are mixed, it is impossible to beat in as much air as into the white alone, probably be- cause of the oil contained in the yolk. Even a very little of the yolk will prevent the whites from becom- ing a stiff froth. Popovers, meringues, and sponge cake, like other articles containing large proportions of egg, require long cooking at moderate heat. When taken from the oven too soon they shrivel out of shape. It is not wise to make cheap cakes and try to make baking powder take the place of eggs in making the mass light. When eggs are cheap, make good cakes and custards, but when they are high in price, de- pend upon desserts where they are not required. FISH, FOWL, AND FLESH. Two important animal products, milk and eggs, have been studied, and we come now to a consideration of the flesh of animals as food. The cooking of the flesh in any way is a comparatively simple matter once we have mastered a few fundamental laws which are prac- tically the same as in cooking eggs. The choice of different sections of a creature for different purposes and the decision as to best ways of cooking whatever cut happens to be available, are less simple. The primitive cook applied heat to his fish, fowl, or section of meat and consumed it when cooked. The modern marketmen first divide and clean, then the chef seasons and applies the heat in different ways to the various portions. One part is naturally tender and ready for immediate cooking, another will be better if kept a week or a month, others will be improved by salting or smoking. Savages have fewer kinds of food and simpler meth- ods of preparation than civilized man. Because of greater abundance it is a natural tendency in civiliza- tion to discard as refuse certain portions formerly eaten. On the other hand, business competition makes it necessary to save all by-products and every por- tion of an animal is used for some purpose and brings some money return, even though small. Were it not for this, our animal foods would be higher in price 67 68 PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY. Meat a Secondary Product Comparative Composition of Animal Food Costs of Meat than they are. As it is, they are. the most expensive part of the daily food. This is partly due to the fact that the flesh of ani- mals is a secondary product. Animals consume grains and require additional human care, and. thus must cost more than the grains, themselves, alone. More- over, it has been learned by dietary studies that average families in the United States obtain from half to two-thirds of the protein in their food from animal source, and the cost of food is usually proportionate to the demand.

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The use of a whisk on a platter is the best way of quickly converting the slippery egg white into a frothy, flaky mass, so firm and dry that it may be turned upside down without slipping from the platter. Egg beaters are not absolutely essential, for the work may be done with a fork in time. The whisks are best for beating whites alone — those with cog wheels for the whole egg or for beating batters. When yolk and white are mixed, it is impossible to beat in as much air as into the white alone, probably because of the oil contained in the yolk. Even a very little of the yolk will prevent the whites from becoming a stiff froth. Popovers, meringues, and sponge cake, like other articles containing large proportions of egg, require long cooking at moderate heat. When taken from the oven too soon they shrivel out of shape. It is not wise to make cheap cakes and try to make baking powder take the place of eggs in making the mass light. When eggs are cheap, make good cakes and custards, but when they are high in price, depend upon desserts where they are not required. FISH, FOWL, AND FLESH. Two important animal products, milk and eggs, have been studied, and we come now to a consideration of the flesh of animals as food. The cooking of the flesh in any way is a comparatively simple matter once we have mastered a few fundamental laws which are practically the same as in cooking eggs. The choice of different sections of a creature for different purposes and the decision as to best ways of cooking whatever cut happens to be available, are less simple. The primitive cook applied heat to his fish, fowl, or section of meat and consumed it when cooked. The modern marketmen first divide and clean, then the chef seasons and applies the heat in different ways to the various portions. One part is naturally tender and ready for immediate cooking, another will be better if kept a week or a month, others will be improved by salting or smoking. Savages have fewer kinds of food and simpler methods of preparation than civilized man. Because of greater abundance it is a natural tendency in civilization to discard as refuse certain portions formerly eaten. On the other hand, business competition makes it necessary to save all by-products and every portion of an animal is used for some purpose and brings some money return, even though small. Were it not for this, our animal foods would be higher in price Meat a Secondary Product Comparative Composition of Animal Food Costs of Meat than they are. As it is, they are. the most expensive part of the daily food. This is partly due to the fact that the flesh of animals is a secondary product. Animals consume grains and require additional human care, and. thus must cost more than the grains, themselves, alone. Moreover, it has been learned by dietary studies that average families in the United States obtain from half to two-thirds of the protein in their food from animal source, and the cost of food is usually proportionate to the demand.

Principles of cookery