The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-23

chemists nave given US formulas Tor
the right proportion of these food prin-
ciples for different ages and conditions
of mankind. Before these formulas can
be transformed into satisfactory food
the art of cookery must be recognized.
As Count Rumford said, Much more
depends upon the art and skill of the
cook than upon the sums laid out in
the market This art is combina-
ton of the skill of our grandmothers
and the science of modern chemists. AS
John Ruskin has said, 1T means the
knowledge of all herbs and fruits and
balms and spices; and of all that is
healing and sweet in fields and groves
and savory in meats; ii means careful
ness, and inventiveness, and watchful-
ness. and readiness of appliance"
To summarize what has already been
said. the science of cookery means a
knowledge of the composition of foods
and the way in which they are affect
ed by fire and water.
Let us take some Of the carbohy-
drates as an example. Place a cupful
of sugar with an equal amount of water
in small iron frying pan upon the
stove and watch its changes. The sugar
dlSsolves, forms a strip, which gradu-
ally becomes thicker by the evapora-
ton of the water. When the water is
gone the sugar forms in Jumps, then
gradually melts into a GOLDEN strip.
which becomes darker and darker until
bubble of dry charcoal is left. If we
catch IL at the right stage of provinces
and add water again, the result is a
strip of agreeable flavor. such as is
found in the golden-brown crust of
pies, puddings and cakes. The rich
color and flavor in the crust of bread
and its digestibility is due TO a similar
change in starch. Thus we may see
that high temperature does not in
Jure this group of food substances.
The woody fiber in vegetables, which is
closely allied to starch and sugar, needs
all the heat which can be transmitted TO
them by water to make them digesti-
Bile. Even if long continued, the heat
of boiling water. PIP degrees Fahren-
heit, is not sufficient to make certain
vegetable substances either digestible or
palatable.
On the other hand. the albuminous
portions of vegetables, the muscle of
meat and the albumen of eggs is rem
dered harder and less easy of digestion
by intense heat. Any reliable cook book
Will show us how, by mechanical agen-
cies, juices and fiavors are retained,
and at the same time the bulk of the
hDerS OF meat are not allowed TO be
overheated. The outside of a joint of
meat is sprinkled with flour and put
into a hot oven. which coagulates the
juices on the outside quickly, making
a coating which prevents the escape of
the juices when the temperature of the
oven is lowered Or when water is the
medium of cooking, after a few mo-
ments of rapid boiling to harden the
outside, the kettle is put where it will
keep below the boiling point, that the
meat may be tender and yet hold to-
Sether in neat slices when carved But
the boiled meat will part with some
of its juices because of the wonderful
power of water to pick up and carry
off part of everything with which il
comes in contact. Upon this characI
teristic depends the power of cleaning
and its capacity for making solutions
and infusions of tea, coffee, meats and
vegetables. Fat can be raised to
higher temperature than water. and if
properly used is a suitable medium for
cooking certain foods.
The making coughs light by the use
of acids with soda, and alkaline sub
stances. is distinctly chemical pro-
cess, Whatever acid is used it must
be combined with the soda in exact por-
tons. so that a neutral substance is
formed and no particle of either left
behind. Cream of tartar is usually con-
sidered the best acid substance for this
purpose, because the new material
which results is less harmful than that
which is formed from the union OF some
other acids with soda.
To tell all that applied science has
done for the housewife would be long
story. 1t has brought water from dis
tant hills and lakes into her home: it
has gathered the natural gas or mined
the coal, made gas from that, and
brought this wonderful fuel into the
house, ready to give light and heat for
cooking. Through the manufacture of
artificial ice science has done much to
produce healthful methods of preserv-
ing foods
When we see what has already been
accomplished we may well wonder what
marvels electricity and liquid air have
in store for US.