The compound is to be strained and cooled. The
larger the mass the slower the cooling.
Experiment. To illustrate this put half the jelly in
one mould and the other half in several cups. The cup
will be firm before the large mould at any tempera-
ture.
To illustrate another point put one cup in a pan of
snow or cracked ice mixed with coarse salt. When
some of the jelly is half thickened combine with it
whipped' cream or white of egg.
If possible take temperature of each with a ther-
mometer. The key to all gelatine desserts, is to have
proper proportions of gelatine and liquid and to have
the right temperature for the different stages. The
proportions are given by each manufacturer on the
package.
METHODS OF COOKING IN WATER.
Water is as essential as fire in all processes of cook-
ery. No food can be Cooked without water and un-
less it naturally contains a large proportion of the
fluid, more must be added during the cooking process,
poiiing Cooking food in water indicates further progress in
WATER. 21
this art than either broiling or roasting. It implies
the invention of a kettle to contain the water, though
the earliest cooking of this sort may have been done by
dropping heated stones into a hollow one containing
the water and meat or into a water tight basket. Homer
and other ancient writers have nothing to say about
boiled meats, though they mention those which were
broiled or roasted.
Boiling, stewing, and steaming are slight variations
of the same process. Under ordinary conditions, with-
out pressure, no food thus cooked can be raised to a
higher temperature than 21 2° F at sea level, and at
high altitudes few foods can be cooked in this way,
since water boils at a lower temperature.
Experiment. Much may be learned by heating a
given measure of water and watching it until it reaches
the boiling point.
Tiny bubbles hardly larger than the point of a pin
soon form and rise to the top, but this is not boiling.
The same thing may happen in a glass of water stand-
ing for an hour on the table. How will you explain
this ?
When the water is actually boiling large bubbles
rise rapidly and break on the surface. Keep up this
process until nothing appears to be left in the pan.
Where has the water gone? Has anything been left
behind ? There will usually be a trace of coloring mat-
ter to indicate that solids do not evaporate.
This point may be made more apparent by putting a
2'2
PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY.
Evaporation
Choice of
Utensils
tablespoonful of salt in the water that is to be evapo-
rated.
What is left behind in a teakettle which is never
cleaned inside though the water is allowed to boil day
after day ?
Experiment. Other simple experiments may be made
with two dishes of uniform size containing the same
amount of water exposed to the same heat, one covered,
the other uncovered. Which reaches the boiling point
first? From which does the water first evaporate?
The evaporation of water is an important factor in
cooking. The rate of evaporation is proportionate to
the surface exposed to the air and not to the amount
of water in the kettle.
Thus the same quantity of syrup or sauce made in a
shallow pan will naturally become thicker than when
cooked for the same time in a deep pan having only
one-fourth the surface.
Page 9
Presented as published in 1910. 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
The compound is to be strained and cooled. The larger the mass the slower the cooling.
Experiment. To illustrate this put half the jelly in one mould and the other half in several cups. The cup will be firm before the large mould at any temperature.
To illustrate another point put one cup in a pan of snow or cracked ice mixed with coarse salt. When some of the jelly is half thickened combine with it whipped' cream or white of egg.
If possible take temperature of each with a thermometer. The key to all gelatine desserts, is to have proper proportions of gelatine and liquid and to have the right temperature for the different stages. The proportions are given by each manufacturer on the package.
METHODS OF COOKING IN WATER.
Water is as essential as fire in all processes of cookery. No food can be Cooked without water and unless it naturally contains a large proportion of the fluid, more must be added during the cooking process, poiiing Cooking food in water indicates further progress in
this art than either broiling or roasting. It implies the invention of a kettle to contain the water, though the earliest cooking of this sort may have been done by dropping heated stones into a hollow one containing the water and meat or into a water tight basket. Homer and other ancient writers have nothing to say about boiled meats, though they mention those which were broiled or roasted.
Boiling, stewing, and steaming are slight variations of the same process. Under ordinary conditions, without pressure, no food thus cooked can be raised to a higher temperature than 21 2° F at sea level, and at high altitudes few foods can be cooked in this way, since water boils at a lower temperature.
Experiment. Much may be learned by heating a given measure of water and watching it until it reaches the boiling point.
Tiny bubbles hardly larger than the point of a pin soon form and rise to the top, but this is not boiling. The same thing may happen in a glass of water standing for an hour on the table. How will you explain this ?
When the water is actually boiling large bubbles rise rapidly and break on the surface. Keep up this process until nothing appears to be left in the pan. Where has the water gone? Has anything been left behind ? There will usually be a trace of coloring matter to indicate that solids do not evaporate.
This point may be made more apparent by putting a
2'2
Evaporation
Choice of
Utensils
tablespoonful of salt in the water that is to be evaporated.
What is left behind in a teakettle which is never cleaned inside though the water is allowed to boil day after day ?
Experiment. Other simple experiments may be made with two dishes of uniform size containing the same amount of water exposed to the same heat, one covered, the other uncovered. Which reaches the boiling point first? From which does the water first evaporate?
The evaporation of water is an important factor in cooking. The rate of evaporation is proportionate to the surface exposed to the air and not to the amount of water in the kettle.
Thus the same quantity of syrup or sauce made in a shallow pan will naturally become thicker than when cooked for the same time in a deep pan having only one-fourth the surface.