Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-22
POTATO RECIPES.
Scientific Methods Advocated by a
Woman Teacher

More than half the ills that attend the
middle and later part of life are due more
to erroneous habits of diet than to the use
of alcohol, great as | know the latter evil
to be."-Sir Henry Thompson.
After the first potato lesson, says Mrs
Mary Williams, instructor in domestic sci
ence. the girls have learned what mistakes
are commonly made in the cooking of this
vegetable and how to avoid such mistakes
They will not serve potatoes that are soggy
and waxy instead or mealy. They know
that potatoes should be drained thoroughly
and should be left uncovered to allow the
steam to escape, instead of recondensing
and soaking into the starch. If potatoes
are hard in the middle and the outside has
worn off in the water, they have been AL
lowed to boil too rapidly.
In the analysis of the potato we have
found it to be starchy food. Starch is
partly digested in the mouth by a ferment
saliva time to work We should be careful
to thoroughly chew our food, especially
that containing starch. The place of
starchy foods in the daily Diet is next con-
S!dered. Potatoes do not contain a large
enough quantity of foodstuffs to be val
liable il eaten alone. When combined with
richer foods they form In ortant article
of diet, particularly when the other food
contains no starch, as meat or fish
The practical work in the second lesson
on potatoes has to do with various ways
Of serving this vegetable Potatoes appear
on the table so often that this variety in
serving is most important The girls learn
that with little trouble and expense they
can prepare creamed potatoes equal to
those served in the finest hotels. The use
of starch in thickening liquids for sauces
and gravies is explained when making
white sauce for the creamed potatoes. The
important point in this is to keep the starch
from Jumping when it is used thicken-
ing material. There are three ways by
which the Jumping may be avoided. First,
by mixing the starch with a little cold
water before adding it to the hot mixture;
second, by rubbing the starch with the but
ter or other fat before adding the liquid:
third. by mixing starch and sugar together.
Before leaving the subject of potatoes it
will probably be of value TO housekeepers
(who dearly love recipes) to give some po-
tato recipes which are used in the public
school classes. The directions for baked
and boiled potatoes were given in the last
lesson, and those for creamed, riced and
mashed follow:
Creamed Potatoes.-Cut freshly boiled
cold boiled potatoes into one-half-inch
cubes, put them into saucepan. nearly
cover them with milk and COOK gently until
nearly all the milk is absorbed. Add white
GAUGE, stir for enc minute, sprinkle with
finely cut parsley and serve
White Sauce Qor VegetablesI.-Butter, two
tablespoonfuls: salt. one-half teaspoonful:
-four two tablespoonfuls: pepper, one
eighth teaspoonful; milk. one cupful. Rub
the butter and flour together with a spoon
in a small saucepan. Add the milk and
stir steadily over a moderate heat until
the sauce bcils. Add salt and pepper. For
richer white sauce use part cream. Cream
sauce is white sauce made with all cream
instead of milk. Use one and one-half
teaspoonfuls of flour to one cupful of cream
Mashed Potatoes-Mash potatoes in the
saucepan in which they were cooked using
a fork or a wire potato masher. When
free from humps add one-third cupful OF
scalded milk in which has been heated one
tablespoonful of butter. one-half teaspoon
full of salt and one-eghth teaspoonful OF
white pepper. Beat all together until light
and creamy. Heap in dish without
smoothing the top, or it may be put into
baking dish. the top brushed with milk and
Drowned in a hot oven.
Riced Potato - Press boiled potatoes
through a strainer or vegetable press into
a hot dish Serve potatoes uncovered.