The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1879-03-05
Hygiene of Cooking

Our health and strength depends upon
the food we eat. The value of the food
depends upon It's nutritious qualities and
the way it is prepared. A good flavor in
any food promotes its digestion and its
power of nutrition. So we have few
words to say on cooking meat. Albumen
is the leading constituent Of amin Il food,
as starch is of vegetable. They differ,
however, in their chemical composition
and in their way Of digestion, and in the
changes they undergo in the stomach.
Alhumen is a compound, insoluble in
water, but the gastric juice dissolves it in
the stomach. Otherwise iekwould be use
less as food. Every kind Sof nutriment
must be soluble and redpeeds.toi q fluid
before it canlenter the .bl5Sd and noufish
the body.
We are now ready to consider the vari-
GUS modes OF cooking. Stewiag, boiling
roasting, broiling, baking and frying are
each worth a distinct consideration.
Stewing is conducted by slowly cooking
in close vessel. The better the meat
the better the stew, but the toughest and
coarsest meat may be so stewed as to be-
come tender and digesble. This way of
any other, and so may be partially pre-
pared on the day previous to its being
served. Pieces and trimmings of meat
can be cheaply bought and in this way
be made into good, diestible and nutri-
tious food. Even bones may be broken
into small pieces and simmered until the
gelatine has exuded. Gelatine il not
very nutritious element, but may thicken
the mass and add somewhat to its nutri-
ton. Bones contain over 40 per cent. of
gelatine. Lean meat is the best for stew
ing. Cover the meat with soft water and
a little butter and let 1t simmer for four
or five hours. Stews may be thickened
by vegetables, or by oat meal, roast pota-
toes or barley, and favored with heros to
suit the taste. This mode of cooking is
usually done in stewpans with close fit
ting cover. A good stone jar with we'll
fitting lid is better. It retains the heat
for long time and can be easily kept
clean. The. grey jar has no red glazing
on the inside, that may peel off in con:
tact with salt. The stewing should 20
on slowly and the lid seldom removed.
The sticking of the meat, etc, may be
prevented by shaking the jar now and
then.
Closely allied to stewing is boiling
The vessel in which the meat is to be
boiled should be completely cleansed,
have closely fitting-lid and have water
enough to completely cover the meat.
The fire should be just enough for q
moderate boiling. The scum should be
removed as it comes to the surface. Add
ing pint or more of water will promote
this rising. Pure rain water is usually
the best for all cooking purposes.
Whether the meat should be put into
cold water or into hot depends upon the
object in view. Place a piece of meat
into water at temperature of 60 degrees
Fahrenheit, and gradually raise it to the
boiling point, it's soluble and nutritious
properties will gradually exude and en-
rich the water. The albumcn is partially
dissolved and comes out of tile meat,
the tibres become hard, dry and stringy.
The thinner the meat, the more easily the
juices will oozc out and so deprive the
meat of its savory and palatable juices.
In this way the water becomes enriched
and forms broth. The value of the
meat is chiefly in the broth. The meat
has lost its former value. These facts
show that soaking fresh meat in cold
water before cooking IS not wise. II
should only be wiped with moist cloth
Place piece Of meat in boiling water
for five minutes and then reduce the tenn.
perature to 100 degrees Fahr., or 40 de-
greas below boiling. The boiling water
coagulates the albumen on the surface OF
the meat and so retains it with the flavor