The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-24
STIMULATING SOUPS.
Interesting Facts in the Theory OF
Food Making.

Inc theory OF soups IS InaJ Ihey
should play the role of stimulants, of
appetizefs, of soothers of the i'm
patient stomach. At a dinner of any
ceremony two soups ought TO be
served, one of the liquid kind and the
other of a creamy nature. In the
meat soups, the simple boullion or the
more quintessential consommes, the
qualities which the gourmet demands
are l%inlpidity, succulence and purity
OF aroma, unimpaired by violent or
piquant seasoning. In the early
stages of the feast the palate is
offended by too ardent appeals. The
qualities required in purees and
cremes are snloothness and lightness,
fineness of taste, perfect material
amalgamation of all the elements,
and the preservation and develop
1nent of the distinctive savors of the
different constituent substances.
Consomme is necessary for making
fine soups, but for household cookery
the good ordinary stock is sufficient.
Remember that without good beef
stock it is impossible to make a dinner
worthy of the name. Stock is con
stantly required in the most simple
operations of cookery. The aversion
OF the Anglo-Saxon cook to making
stock is one of the main sources of his
inferiority. Bear in mind that meat
does not take the place of stock Elk
tracts of meat should be very s%paringly
used in a well regulated kitchen, and
extracts of coffee never As a rule, in
cookery avorine w inventions, scientific
improvements, and everything that
recommends itself in the name of pro-
gress. Good cooking. like good paint
ing, is a question of genius and senti-
ment. Note that stock or bouillon is
not an aliment; the so-calied potages
gras, which have a basis of bouillon,
are not essentially ailments; in gen
eral, the soups that are served at a
scientific dinner are not ailments. AS
has been said quite often, soup is
theoretically merely a preparation for
the dinner; it is q consolation to the
hungry stomach and at the same time
an appetizer and a stimulant.
The decoction of meat and vege-
tables which, under the name of con-
somlne or bouillon, forms the bases, if
not the whole substance, of meat
soups or potages gras, is simply an
aromatic and exciting liquid of agree
able flavor, very poor in organic ali
mentary matter, but very rich in
mineral salts. In the long process of
cooking needed to make bouillon the
eminently nutritive principles of the
meat have been annihilateG and de-
prived of all their qualities of organic
nutriment. Bouillon contains in the
way of assimilable substances only a
small quantity of grease, some mineral
salts, and a certain quantity of gela-
tine. The researches of modern
chemistry have shown that gelatine
has little or no alimentary virtues,
but that it is certainly ''peptogenic;'
that is to say, it excites the stomach
to activity.
The stimulating power of bouiilon
is chiefly due to creatine, which has
almost the same chemical composition
as caffeine, and passes through the
system without being absorbed at all.
Bouillon is also rich in salts of potash.
The chemists tell us that osmazome
consists, SO tar as we can find out, of
creatine, inosic acid and mineral salts,
l~actates, pnosphates, chlorures OF
potassium, calcium, sodium, etc.
Bouillon restores a man Immediately
after drinking It, like tea u coffee.
1t. is thus essentially an appetizer and
a stilnulant, but not an aliment. -
Hd2peT'S Bdzdy.