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Title: Lowney's Cook Book Illustrated in Colors Author: Maria Willett Howard Release Date: August 14, 2016 [EBook #52800] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK LOWNEY'S COOK BOOK *** Produced by Emmy, MWS and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) Cover Lowney's name COOK BOOK ILLUSTRATED IN COLORS A NEW GUIDE FOR THE HOUSEKEEPER, ESPECIALLY INTENDED AS A FULL RECORD OF DELICIOUS DISHES SUFFICIENT FOR ANY WELL-TO-DO FAMILY, CLEAR ENOUGH FOR THE BEGINNER, AND COMPLETE ENOUGH FOR AMBITIOUS PROVIDERS PREPARED AND REVISED BY ONE OF THE MOST EXPERIENCED AND SUCCESSFUL TEACHERS OF COOKING IN THE COUNTRY, AS THE LATEST FRUITS OF PRACTICAL AND SCIENTIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THE ART MARIA WILLETT HOWARD ———————— REVISED EDITION ———————— PUBLISHED BY THE WALTER M. LOWNEY CO. 486 HANOVER STREET, BOSTON 1908 [i] COPYRIGHT, 1907, 1908, BY THE WALTER M. LOWNEY CO. BOSTON. Norwood Press J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. [ii] PREFACE TO REVISED EDITION We are giving the public in this new edition eighteen admirable colored plates on three inserts which show the two most common methods of cutting beef, a chapter on economical dishes, one on Southern or Creole dishes, and about fifty new receipts, in addition to the same superfine cook book that has been received with so much favor. It is our aim to improve the book in every way and keep it abreast of the times. No one—not even the United States government—has ever attempted such expensive illustrations of cuts of meat, and we believe they will be appreciated by every one who has occasion to order provisions. The price of the book remains the same, and we are glad to furnish a greatly improved cook book of increased cost as our recognition of the friendly attitude of the great public toward our goods. THE WALTER M. LOWNEY CO. Boston. [iii] INTRODUCTION We present this cook book with confidence that it brings up to date the modern possibilities of the table. It is prepared by a woman who has devoted her life to scientific and artistic cooking, and who has recently been honored by appointment to full charge of the culinary department of one of the most advanced colleges for self-supporting women in the country. She speaks with knowledge and authority. We hope the book will contribute something to the fine art of living in many homes, making those homes the happier and more attractive for the husband and children, and solving many a problem for brides and beginners. Thousands of our most valued customers cannot afford to prepare many of these dishes very often for their tables. But there are special occasions when we all feel that we can have the best for ourselves and our guests. This book will stand the strain of such occasions. There are hundreds of simple dishes here for all tastes, suitable for all pocket-books. With this book as a guide, it will be possible for any woman to live within her means and still have that infinite variety on the table which means so much for appetite and health, which we all wish for and which we wish for you all. THE WALTER M. LOWNEY CO. Boston. [iv] [v] CONTENTS PART I PAGE Value of Food to the Body 3 Methods of Cooking 7 Just How 10 Carving 15 Marketing 18 Dinners and Luncheons 25 Butler’s Duties 31 Garnishings 32 Weights and Measures 33 PART II. RECEIPTS CHAPTER I.First Course Dishes 37 II.Soups 42 III.Fish 69 IV.Meats 82 V.Vegetables 103 VI.Cereals 115 VII.Eggs 118 VIII.Sauces for Meat and Vegetables 124 IX.Entrées 134 X.Bread 164 XI.Salads 181 XII.Sandwiches 197 XIII.Desserts 203 XIV.Cake and Cookies; Frostings and Fillings 258 XV.Frozen Dishes 293 XVI.Beverages 306 XVII.Fruits and Nuts and Candy 313 XVIII.Preserving 318 XIX.Chafing Dish Delicacies 340 XX.Cookery for the Sick and Convalescent 349 XXI.Creole Dishes 360 XXII.Economical Receipts 372 Bibliography 385 Glossary 387 Index 389 [vi] [vii] [viii] PART I VALUE OF FOOD TO THE BODY. METHODS OF COOKING. JUST HOW. CARVING. MARKETING. DINNERS AND LUNCHEONS. BUTLER’S DUTIES. GARNISHING. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. [1] PART I VALUE OF FOOD TO THE BODY “Food is that which when taken into the body tends either to build tissue or to yield energy.” The chief offices of food are to build the material of the body, to repair the waste which is continually going on and to yield heat to keep the body warm. Foods may be divided into tissue-building foods and fuel foods. The tissue-building foods are such foods as milk, eggs, cheese, wheat, meat and the legumes. The fuel foods are sugars and starches and fats and oils. In order to keep the body in a good condition a combination of the tissue-building foods and the fuel foods is necessary, with a supply of water to dissolve them. About 125 grams of tissue-building foods and 550 grams of the fuel foods is the amount required daily. A mixed diet, therefore, is the ideal diet for the healthy adult. The changing of the tissues and the assimilation of food are very rapid in childhood and youth, so that the system demands at that time an abundant supply of such foods as meat, milk and eggs. When middle age is reached, the amount of such food should be decreased. Otherwise the tax on the organs which take care of the wastes will be so great that disease will follow. Thus it is clear that people of different ages require different combinations and amounts of food. The kinds of food required to nourish the healthy body vary also with the sex, occupation and climate, as well as with the age and peculiarities of the individual. In order to judge of the relative value of food to the body it is necessary to find out what percentage of each nutritive constituent the food contains, how much energy it is capable of yielding, how much of the food eaten is digested, how much is absorbed, and whether the nutritive constituents are obtained at a reasonable cost. Farmers’ Bulletin No. 23, published by the United States Department of Agriculture, will be found interesting to those caring to study foods from the above standpoints. Mr. W. O. Atwater, Ph. D., writes in Farmers Bulletin No. 142, on “Food and Food Economy,” the following table: — Nutritive Ingredients (or Nutrients) of Food Food as purchased contains: Edible portion e.g., flesh of meat yolk and white of eggs wheat, flour, etc. Refuse. e.g., bones, entrails, shell, bran, cellulose, etc. Water Nutrients— Protein Fats Carbohydrates Mineral matters Uses of Nutrients in the Body Protein Forms tissue — All serve as fuel to yield energy in the forms of heat and muscular power. e.g., white (albumen) of eggs curd (casein) of milk lean meat gluten of wheat, etc. Fats Are stored as fat e.g., fat of meat, butter, olive oil oils of corn, wheat, etc. Carbohydrates Transformed into fat e.g., sugar, starch, etc. Mineral Matters (ash) Share in forming bone, assist in digestion, etc. e.g., phosphates of lime potash, soda, etc. Thus foods have different functions. The proteid or nitrogenous foods build up and repair the tissues; mineral matter and water are also necessary for this purpose. The tissues of the body cannot be kept in a healthy state unless these constituents of food are taken into the system regularly; only the proteid foods can repair the waste of the living tissue. The proteid foods, together with the fats and carbohydrates, may supply both power and heat for the body, but the special functions of the carbohydrates and fats are to keep the body warm and to supply energy. The amount of proteid food required for a healthy adult is very difficult to determine. It is safe to state that too much proteid brings about undue strain upon the digestive apparatus, and that too little proteid reduces the working [2] [3] [4] [5] equipment of the body. The amount of fats and carbohydrates needed depend largely upon occupation and climate. The proteid foods are many, and contain the same chemical elements as the bodies which they are destined to feed; also they seem to be more completely taken care of in the body than the carbohydrate foods. Milk, cheese, eggs, meat, and fish are proteid foods. Of these milk is regarded as a typical food, as it contains all the nutritive constituents required by the body,—proteid, carbohydrates, fats, mineral matter, and water,—but it does not contain these constituents in the correct proportion. It is too rich in proteid and fat and too poor in carbohydrate to be a perfect food. It is a perfect food for the infant, because an excess of proteid and of fat is needed for the growth of the child. For the healthy man about eight pints daily would be required for complete nutrition. This, it is apparent, would be a very bulky food, and the system would be burdened with too large a proportion of water. Milk, on the other hand, is the cheapest source of proteid. It is claimed that one quart of good milk is equivalent in proteid to a pound of beefsteak, and that when combined with the correct proportion of carbohydrate food it possesses great nutritive and economic value. All of the proteid foods are deficient in starch, so must be combined with carbohydrates to properly nourish the body. According to Mr. Atwater the proteid foods are more completely digested than the carbohydrates. This is probably because there is found in all carbohydrate foods a large proportion of cellulose or indigestible material enveloping the starch and sugar. The nutritive value of the carbohydrate foods is large if the starch and sugar, of which they are composed, can be separated from the cellulose. The normal diet is one which contains proteid foods, carbohydrate foods, fatty foods, with the correct proportion of mineral matter and sufficient water to moisten them. The proper diet depends largely upon the occupation. People of sedentary habits and brain workers need more digestible food than the day laborer—therefore, the necessity of mixed diets; but diets should be varied as well as mixed, and the true housekeeper in planning meals thinks what was served at the preceding meal. The cheapest diet is that which yields the largest amount of nutriment for the least expenditure of money. The most economical diet is that which is cheapest and at the same time best adapted to the needs of the user. The most expensive diet is not necessarily the most nutritious. Every good housekeeper should know approximately the composition of the various foodstuffs, and so be able to make proper combinations of foods and substitutions when necessary. Hunger and thirst are provided by nature as guides in the choice of food, and if the bodily conditions are normal, these, as a rule, are safe guides to follow. The nutritive value of many foods depends upon how they are cooked. Many raw foods are indigestible, but these same foods cooked are nutritious. The importance of proper cooking cannot be overestimated. Cooking changes the food so that the digestive juices can take care of it; cooking improves the flavor and the appearance, thus making the food more appetizing; and cooking kills disease germs, parasites, and other dangerous organisms. Proper cooking and dainty serving make even cheap foods more palatable. This stimulates the digestive juices; hence food should be made appetizing in order to obtain the greatest nutritive value from it. [6] [7] METHODS OF COOKING Boiling Boiling point is the temperature at which a fluid is converted into vapor, with the phenomenon of ebullition. The boiling point of water is 212 degrees Fahrenheit. In cooking, the term boiling means the cooking of food in a boiling liquid, and water is the liquid generally used. Rapidly boiling water is no hotter than when the agitation is less, but in some cases, as in the boiling of rice, violently boiling water is recommended for the purpose of keeping the grains of rice separated. The boiling point of water once reached can be held with a moderate amount of heat. Food is generally boiled by putting immediately into boiling water. This sears the surface, and keeps in the juices; but if the water is to be used for soups, gravies, and so forth, the food is put into cold water and brought slowly to the boiling point. Salt is added to the boiling water ordinarily when cooking food, as it tends to keep the flavor in the food. Roasting Roasting, truly speaking, is cooking food before an open fire, so that roasting is seldom accomplished in modern kitchens. Baking Baking is cooking food by dry heat in an inclosed oven. The oven should be very hot when the food is first put in, then the heat reduced. In baking meats, basting frequently with hot fat will drive the heat to the center and make the meat juicy. Stewing Stewing is cooking food in water kept below the boiling point, and is similar to simmering. Fricasseeing Fricasseeing is a combination of sautéing and simmering. The food is first sautéd and then simmered until tender. Steaming Moist steaming is accomplished by placing the food in a perforated dish over a kettle of boiling water and cooking until tender. Dry steaming is accomplished by placing the food in the top of a double boiler and keeping the water boiling in the lower part until the food is cooked. Simmering Simmering is cooking in water at 185 degrees Fahrenheit or 27 degrees below the point of boiling. This method of cooking is employed where long, slow cooking is desired, as in making stews, soups and so forth; also for cooking tough cuts of meat. As a rule, in both boiling and simmering, the kettle should be tightly covered. Braising Braising is a form of cooking generally adopted for cooking tough meats. The food to be braised is placed in a kettle with a few slices of salt pork, some vegetables, seasonings and a small amount of liquid, either water or stock. The kettle is then covered closely and the food cooked until tender. Braising is a long, slow process. Frying Frying is cooking food in hot fat, deep enough to cover the food. Lard, olive oil, cottolene or drippings may be used. The fat should be heated hot enough to brown a piece of bread a golden brown in forty seconds for cooked food, and in sixty seconds for uncooked food. There are various theories about the digestibility of fried food. The latest seems to be that food properly fried and drained may not be very indigestible. To prepare fat for frying, fill frying kettle one half full, and heat gradually. Avoid frying too much at a time, as the temperature will be reduced and the food much more liable to absorb fat. Reheat fat after each frying. Drain the food on brown paper. Sautéing Sautéing is cooking food in a frying pan in a small amount of fat. Food is less digestible cooked in this way than fried food. [8] [9] Broiling Broiling is cooking the food on a greased broiler before hot coals or the gas flame. The broiler should be held very near the flame at first to sear the surface of the food, and should be turned every ten seconds for the first minute of cooking, and afterwards occasionally. Pan Broiling Pan broiling is cooking the food in a hissing-hot frying pan without fat. It is employed where it is impossible to broil, and may be better accomplished where two frying pans are used, and the food turned from one to the other every ten seconds for the first minute and afterwards occasionally, as in broiling. [10] JUST HOW How to Crumb, Egg and Crumb For crumbing, dried bread crumbs which have been pounded or rolled until fine and then sifted are best. The bread may be broken in pieces and dried in the oven or merely allowed to stand in the open air until dried. To prepare the egg, break into soup plate, beat until yolk and white are well blended, season with salt and pepper, dilute with two tablespoons cold water and use for dipping. Food to be fried should be dried as much as possible, then dipped in crumbs, then placed in the egg, and thoroughly covered with the egg, then drained and dipped again in crumbs. It is an economy of time to crumb all of the pieces to be fried, then egg all, and when drained, to crumb all. This may be done in the morning and the food fried when wanted. In this case, allow the prepared food to stand in kitchen fifteen or twenty minutes before frying. When fried always drain on brown paper. How to bone Meat, Fish, Birds Legs and loins of lamb and mutton are the meats ordinarily boned. The butcher will do it; but if it must be done at home, wipe the meat, and with a sharp knife scrape the meat from the bone, being careful not to cut through the skin. Fish to be boned generally have the heads cut off; then remove the flesh from one side of the backbone, and then from the other. To bone birds, chickens, or turkeys, select undrawn birds, with head and feet left on. Remove pin feathers and singe. Draw tendons from legs by making an incision just below the knee joint, and with a strong skewer draw the tendons out one at a time. Loosen the skin near the feet and cut off feet. Make an incision through the skin from the neck to the tail, the entire length of the backbone. Scrape the flesh from the bones until the shoulder blade is found, then continue scraping around the wing joint. Scrape down the backbone to the thigh, then around the second joint and leg, cutting tendinous portion when necessary. When one side of backbone is boned, bone the other, then remove flesh from breastbone, on either side of bird. When flesh is all separated from bone, discard carcass, wipe flesh and skin, and arrange in original shape. The birds may be seasoned and broiled; or stuffed, sewed into shape and steamed. Small birds are generally prepared the former way, and large birds the latter way. How to clarify Fat When through frying, add a pared potato, cut in slices, to the fat, and let stand on back of range until potato has browned. Remove potato and strain fat through a cheese cloth. Fat clarified in this way may be used indefinitely. How to clarify Melted Butter Let melted butter stand in a dish on back of the range until the salt has settled, then pour off butter, leaving sediment in the bottom of the dish. How to avoid the Burning of Fat When fat is put on the range to heat for frying, put in a cube of bread. If the fat is forgotten, the bread will burn first, and the odor of the burned crumb will attract the attention. The burned flavor cannot be removed from burned fat. How to try out Suet Cut the suet in small pieces, place in top of double boiler, cover, and cook over hot water until all the fat is tried out; strain through a cheese cloth. This can be done in the oven if the top of the range is crowded. How to Lard Larding is accomplished by cutting strips of salt pork lengthwise with the rind two inches long and one quarter inch wide, and with aid of the larding needle drawing these pieces through the surface of the meat, taking a stitch an inch long and a quarter inch deep. How to test Fat for Frying Heat the fat. When a blue smoke begins to appear, drop in a cube of bread; if the bread browns a golden brown in forty seconds, the fat is hot enough for any food which has previously been cooked. Uncooked food requires a longer, slower frying; the cube of bread should brown in sixty seconds for such food. Food cooked in fat tested in this way should never soak fat if one is careful to put a small enough quantity of food in at a time—not enough to cool the fat. [11] [12] [13] How to make Croquettes For meat croquettes, cold cooked meat should be freed from skin and gristle, and cut quite fine, then mixed with a thick sauce to as soft a consistency as it is possible to handle. Chill before shaping. For vegetable croquettes the vegetables should be boiled, then mashed and seasoned. Chill before shaping. To Shape.—Allow one rounding tablespoon of croquette mixture for each croquette, roll into a round ball, roll ball in crumbs, then shape either like a cylinder or pyramid; when all are perfect and uniform, dip in egg, then in crumbs. How to prepare Sweetbreads Soak in cold water from the time they come from the market until used. Drain, cover with two cups cold water, add four cloves, one and a half teaspoons salt, two tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice, and a slice of onion; simmer for one half hour, drain, cover with cold water, remove tubes and membranes. Broil whole; or if for larding, dip in egg, wrap in cheese cloth, and press under weight over night. How to care for the Refrigerator Select a large refrigerator, of simple construction and of hardwood,—the lining of zinc or marble and the shelves of slate or hardwood. To keep the refrigerator clean, remove instantly any food spilled in any of the compartments. Wash the ice compartment and food chambers at least once a week with hot soapsuds, and for economy’s sake do this when the ice is low. Pour boiling water down the waste pipe. Sal soda dissolved in the water tends to keep every part sweet and clean. Shelves and all portable parts, when washed and scalded, should be placed in the sun to dry; if this is impossible, dry before a fire. Keep a good supply of ice in the ice chamber; it is cheaper in the end. Never keep the doors or covers of the refrigerator open unnecessarily long; it wastes the ice. A good refrigerator properly cared for should last at least twenty-five years. How to Caramelize Place sugar in clean agate-ware frying pan, and stir continually until the sugar becomes a golden brown sirup. How to Poach Place food to be poached in frying pan half filled with boiling salted water. Cook below the boiling point from three to eight minutes. How to cream Butter Place butter in bowl, and mash against the sides of the bowl, with a spoon, until of a creamy consistency. How to cut and Fold Pour mixture into bowl, and cut through and through mixture with a spoon, then take up some of mixture in spoon, and turn spoon completely over, and fold under mixture. Continue this process until mixture is blended. How to crease Frosting When frosting is nearly cold, cut with a silver knife, wiping knife after making each crease. [14] CARVING To master the art of carving one must understand the anatomy of the meat to be carved. The carver should insist upon having a sharp knife, a large platter, and sufficient space to move his arms. Whole Fish The carving of fish is extremely simple. Run the knife the whole length of the back, then cut from the back to the middle of the fish; the flesh may then be separated from the bone. When one side is served, turn the fish over and carve the other side in the same way. The center of the fish is considered the best, as it is the fattest portion. The meat around the head and neck is decidedly gelatinous. Medium-sized fish, like mackerel, salmon, trout, and so forth, are cut through the bone, thus giving a piece of fish on either side of the backbone for each serving. Small fish are generally served so as to make four fillets,—two fillets on either side of the backbone. Beef For carving roast beef, a long, broad-bladed knife is required. Always cut across the grain of the meat; never with the grain. The joint of beef known as the Porterhouse roast or sirloin roast consists of the sirloin, the tenderloin, and the flank. The flank is tough, and if roasted with the meat, is generally used for some made dish, such as croquettes, or hashed meat on toast; it is seldom carved at the table. The tenderloin and sirloin must be carved across the grain. Cut thin slices parallel to the ribs or at right angles with the backbone, then cut close to the backbone, thus separating the slices. Rib roasts are carved in the same way as the sirloin. Rolled ribs and round of beef are carved in round slices as thin as possible, each slice having considerable fat mixed with the lean. Beefsteaks are carved across the grain. Sirloin Steak.—Cut slices at right angles to the vertebræ in both the sirloin and the tenderloin, then separate. Lamb and Mutton A leg of mutton is considered by many the most difficult piece of meat to carve. If the hip bone is removed, the carving of this joint is simple, but it is usually left in. Place the leg on the platter, with the skin side next the platter. Carve from the hip bone across the leg; these will be the largest slices, as they come from the part of the joint which has the most meat. The portions near the knuckle are to be carved in the same way; they will not be so rare as the thicker slices. Chops may be cut from the upper part of the leg. Fore Quarter of Mutton or Lamb.—Remove the fore leg and the shoulder, then separate the rib chops. Every part of the fore quarter of lamb is sweet and tender, but the neck in the fore quarter of mutton should be used only for stewing. In carving the shoulder of either lamb or mutton, one must study the meat before cooking. The Saddle of Mutton.—There are several ways of carving this joint. The fat, tenderloin and kidney should all be removed in one piece. The most popular way is to cut long slices parallel with the backbone, on the portion nearest the tail, and slices diagonally on the portion nearest the neck. The Loin of Mutton.—Generally this joint is carved by merely separating the chops, but it may be carved in the same manner as the saddle of mutton. Veal Fillet of Veal.—This cut is carved like the round of beef. Shoulder of Veal.—The shoulder is often boned and stuffed. In that case, cut through the meat from side to side. If the bone is left in, carve in the same manner as the shoulder of mutton. Loin of Veal.—-This cut is often stuffed, and the kidney is always cooked with the meat. Carve the same as the sirloin of beef, in large, thin slices. Pork [15] [16] [17]