Use and preparation of food

A. Sear a portion of the meat to develop the flavor of the soup. B. Start cooking in cold water so that the outside will not become coagulated and the soluble constituents held in. 4. After cooking, the meat should be set aside to cool so that the fat can be removed. It can usually be lifted off in a solid cake. If the fat does not solidify, a piece of ice in a cloth run over the top will aid in its removal. Fat left on the top of soup is not only wasteful but dietetically undesirable. 5. Ways of clearing soups. — Soups may be partially cleared by straining. If complete clearness is desired, it is necessary to collect the fine, suspended particles of coagulated protein by adding to tlie cold soup a soluble protein which will coagulate in masses and entangle the finer particles, (The principle is the same as clearing coffee with an egg.) Egg white is most frequently used for this purpose. The egg white contributes in no way to the food value of the soup, but is itself wasted. The food value of the soup is also decreased by the removal of the floating particles of protein. The demand for a clear soup is purely an aesthetic standard which should break down before the standards of conservation and economy. C. Divide the meat and bone as finely as possible so that the soluble constituents are more easily extracted. 6. Uses of the left-over meat : A. The large part of the food value of the meat is left in the solid portion from which the flavor has been extracted. It is therefore important that this meat should be utilized. B. In making the meat left over from soups and broths palatable, it is desirable that flavor be added. C. The following ways of using soup meats are suggested : ( 1 ) Croquet tes — (a) Grind the meat and add a binder and seasoning; mold, dip in egg and crumbs, and fry or bake. (b) Binder ma}' be any thick, starchy mixture, such as cooked left-over cereal, potato, or thick white sauce (four tablespoons flour to one cup of milk). The resulting mixture should be thick enough to mold when cold but thin enough to be moist when hot. Tlie proportion should be 1 part binder to 2 or 3 parts meat. (c) Season to taste. Salt, pepper, ground parsley, celery, lemon juice, and onion are suggested. Since much of the flavor of the meat has been extracted, generous seasoning is desirable. (d) Dip in egg (dilute each egg with two tablespoons of milk or water), because it cooks quickly over the outside and makes it possible for the croquette to retain its shape. This is especially necessary if the croquettes are to be fried since the coating of egg coagulates quickly and prevents the fat from soaking into the inside of the croquette. (e) Baking the croquette. — In order to save fat and time it is suggested that the croquettes be baked rather than fried. Form as usual, roll in egg and crumbs, and place in a hot oven to brown. (2) Escalloped. — Prepare as for croquettes but do not mold. Place in a baking dish, cover the top with buttered crumbs, and brown in the oven. (3) Baked hash. (4) Tamale. (5) Stuffed peppers.