Principles of cookery

Another point is to add to any food, substances supplying any of the food principles it lacks. Potatoes arc mashed with cream or butter because they lack fat, are blended with egg for croquettes or souffle because they lack protein. Eggs lack starch, so we serve them on toast or use them in puddings with rice, tapioca, etc. Composite preparations of food, often classed as entrees or made dishes, are known by many names derived from different languages, especially from the French. Here is no place to attempt to define all the terms 11 r . Names used on a menu card, but we may group some of these compound dishes under a few general heads and study their characteristics. Soups have as their basis either animal or vegetable SouPs stock or both combined. Stock is secured by the aid of heat and moisture from portions of meat and vegetables too tough to be used in other ways. Flavor and some nutriment are soaked, cooked and strained out, and this water is the stock which is then further flavored and garnished by the addition of some contrasting substance. Thus a meat stock is usually garnished with grains or shreds of vegetable, and a vegetable stock is often combined with milk and thickened. Stews are thick soups containing larger portions of stews the meat and vegetables. These are also known as chowders, ragouts, salmis, etc., etc. Sometimes a stew has dumplings steamed over it, sometimes it is covered with a crust of pastry, mashed potatoes, or cooked cereal and baked as a pie. Here again are combined contrasting food principles. Hash is a term that also may include the assortment Hash of foods known as scallops, timbales, etc., since the substance giving a specific name to each of these is minced or chopped fine before it is combined with other materials. Meat and fish are put on toast or mixed with potatoes or bread crumbs or encased in rice or in a pastry shell. The exact proportions of the con- Souffles Salads Left Overs trasting ingredients is of less importance than their proper moistening and flavoring. The scallop owes its name to the shell in which it is often served. Au gratni is another name for the same combination of a meat or vegetable with sauce and crumbs. The croquette gets its name from its crisp crust, the timbale from its thimble-like shape. Rissoles and kromeskies are kinds of fried meat pies or croquettes in a pastry crust. Souffles have as a foundation fruit or vegetable pulp or minced meat in a sauce and are puffed "up by the introduction of stiffly beaten egg whites. The name is sometimes given to cold dishes where a similar effect is gained by whipped cream. Salads may consist of cold cooked meats, fish, etc., vegetables cooked or raw, fruits and nuts. Almost any food may be served in a salad, singly or in combination. The distinctive feature of a salad is the dressing of fat, oil, butter, or thick cream, which is variously flavored. Many of the most satisfactory of these made dishes doubtless had their origin in an effort to use left-overs.