Principles of food preparation

In this chapter the Exercises are introduced for the first time. These are not intended for the beginner in the formal study of cookery, but will be assigned by your instructor according as your proficiency warrants. They are designed to develop initiative and originality, or to give additional practice, or to afford opportunity to make further application of the principles learned from the work of each chapter. EFFECT OF SALT ON CELLULOSE Sweet Com, Boiled Divide an ear of corn into two parts. Cook one part in strongly salted boiling water for 20 m., cook the second part in soft, unsalted water for 20 m. If very soft water is not at hand the second part may be steamed. Compare the color and consistency of the two portions. Potatoes Scrub and pare a potato, and divide it into two parts. Cook one part in strongly salted boiling water for 30 m. ; cook the other part in soft, unsalted water for 30 m. Compare the color and consistency of the two portions. Is the effect of the salt as marked as in the case of the corn? Why? Is the cellulose of the potato as tough as that of the corn? STUDY OF POTATO, A TYPICAL STARCHY VEGETABLE Mashed Potatoes Take two potatoes; pare one before cooking, cook the other in its jacket. Boil both for 30 m. Mash each one separately, using a fork to bruise the potato until it is free from lumps, then adding the right proportion of seasoning. This can be estimated from Ingredients for One Pint of Mashed Potatoes (see below). The mixture should then be beaten with a fork or a Dover beater until it is light and white. Compare the behavior of the two potatoes during the making of this dish. Do you notice any difference in color, flavor, or consistency? Note. In preparing mashed potatoes all the utensils used should be hot, the milk or cream added should also be hot, and the work should be performed as expeditiously as possible, since the flavor depends on the retention of the heat — the dish, if reheated, loses its delicacy. Ingredients for One Pint of Mashed Potatoes. 3 or 4 medium-sized potatoes. }/s teaspoonful pepper. 2 tablespoonfuls butter. Milk or cream sufficient to }4 teaspoonful salt. moisten, generally 1 cupful. STUDY OF POTATO 9 Potatoes with Cheese This and the next dish are better illustrations of the principle involved when they are made in the full quantity given in the recipe. One or two students may be allowed to make the dishes for the whole class, but every student should have opportunity to compare the two. Ingredients. Four medium-sized potatoes, freshly boiled, and pared before boiling. Two cups of grated cheese, two cups of medium white sauce (see recipe). Method. Break the potatoes with a fork into goodsized pieces, and arrange these in a layer to cover the bottom of a baking-dish. Add a layer of grated cheese, then cover with white sauce, and proceed in this way until all the ingredients have been used. Cover with buttered crumbs (see recipe), and bake until brown on top. Medium White Sauce Ingredients. 4 tablespoonfuls butter. 3^ teaspoonful pepper. 4 tablespoonfuls flour. 2 cups milk. 3^ teaspoonful salt.