FoodNet

Selection and preparation of food

1907

Page 27

Presented as published in 1907. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Steam potatoes until tender, reserving one for com- parison below. Remove skins, oil lightly with butter, sprinkle a very little sugar over, and brown a few minutes in the oven. Compare the steamed sweet potato with a baked one and with a boiled one. Explain differences. What is the objection to cooking sweet potatoes in water ? Experiment 155. Boiled Beets. Select small, young beets. Wash and cook in boiling water until tender, without removing the skins. Why? Put into cold water and slip off the skins quickly. Slice and reheat with butter, salt, and pepper. Serve hot. Experiment 156. Carrots en Casserole. Wash and scrape carrots. Cut in slices \ inch thick. Arrange in casserole. Add a very little hot water. Season with butter, salt, and pepper. Cover and cook slowly in a moderate oven until tender. Experiment 157. Sauted Parsnips. Wash and scrape parsnips. Slice lengthwise. Cook in skillet in a very little water until tender. Drain off any Laboratory Manual 83 water remaining. Season with salt, add butter, and saute until slices are browned. Give reasons for choice of methods used in cooking beets, carrots, and parsnips. Experiment 158. Cooking of Strong Flavored Vegetables. (a) Boiled Onions. Wash white onions, remove skins. Cover with boiling, salted water, boil 5 minutes. Drain, and again cover with boiling, salted water. Simmer in open vessel for 1 hour or until tender. Drain, season with butter, salt, and pepper ; or (b) Creamed Onions. Cook as above, but serve in white sauce. Of what consistency ? What constituents of onions are lost by cooking in a large amount of water? Why is such a method chosen ? (c) Cook cauliflower, cabbage, or turnips in a large amount of water in an open vessel until tender, changing water if necessary. Drain. (d) Creamed Cauliflower. See Creamed Onions above. (e) Escaloped Cabbage. Arrange alternate layers of cooked cabbage and white sauce in a baking dish. Cover with buttered crumbs. Heat in oven until crumbs are brown. (/) Escaloped Turnips. Fill a well-buttered baking dish with alternate layers 84 Preparation of Food of diced cooked turnips and crumbled crackers. Season each layer with salt, pepper, and a liberal amount of butter. Add milk until it covers top layer. Let stand a moment until crackers have absorbed milk. Then cover with buttered crumbs, and bake until thoroughly heated and browned on top. Experiment 159. Cooking of Spinach. Prepare spinach by removing roots, discarding wilted leaves, and washing in several waters to free it from grit. Lift the spinach from the wash water instead of draining the water off. Why? If it is young and tender put in a stew pan, allow to heat gradually, and boil 25 minutes, or until tender, in its own juices. Old spinach is better cooked in boiling, salted water, allowing 2 quarts of water to 1 peck of spinach. Drain thoroughly, chop fine, reheat, and season with butter, salt, and pepper. Serve hot, with slices of hard-boiled eggs as a garnish. Experiment 160. Preparation of Canned Green Vegetables. Open the can and empty at once. Why? The flavor is usually improved by allowing the contents to stand for some time exposed to the air. Drain off the excess of liquor. Season with butter, salt, and white pepper. Heat in double boiler 30 minutes. Experiment 161. Uncooked Green Vegetables. See Experiments 17 and 93. Laboratory Manual 85