Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-08-17

n F you are trying to cook surprises
and extra dishes for your family,
u. you will discover that they have
lost their relish for salads and cold
desserts, and that when they come in for
dinner nothing will be more welcome
than well-favored soup. We are to
take the soups without stock, and by
that mean the purees and cream
soups with vegetable foundation, in
stead of the heavier meat soups.
We have been talking of the values
Of cold dishes, and having them served
really cold; now we must learn that
the essential point OF hot food, particu-
larly soups, is to have them served al
most as hot as when they are taken
from the stove. This little foreword
about service will be easily understood
ii you have ever been served cold and
!nrapy soup; and whatever other mis-
takes you may make, never forget to
heat the dishes in which the soup is to
/. taken to the table.
,;a-vo in Cups
Since soup tureens have gone little
cat of style, soup is serve in plates or
cups directly from the stove Although
re cannot answer for the changes of
fashion, this difference in service has
been made because the fewer times soup
is poured or ladled from one receptacle
to another, the hotter it will be when
served to the person for whom it is
intended
Now for the soups themselves.
split-Pea Soup Easily Made
Perhaps we will begin with the most
old fashioned of them all, a split-pea
soup. This takes time to make, which
seems to be true of almost every dish
which was favorite with our grand
parents.
To get the most from your peas, you
should soak them over night in cold
water, one cupful of the dried vegetable
% three pints of water. By morning
hey should be slightly softened, and
may be set upon the. stove in the soup
eettle to cook slowly until they are
thoroughly soft.
An onion cut in small pieces should
De added at once. The soup should be
watched and stirred occasionally as
means of determining how fast the peas
are softening. Also hot water should
be added in case the soup boils away
in its lengthy cooking. Three or four
hours of simmering should suffice for
this, and, if it does not, you may know
that the peas have been kept too long
and have hardened beyond hope.
If you start your pea soup early and
yet do not wish to serve it until late,
it does no harm to set the kettle on
the back of the stove to wait. Shortly
before dinner the kettle may be brought
to the front of the stove and allowed
to boil before it is taken from the fire
to strain.
Importance of straining
One of the important factors in sue
cessful soup making is careful straining.
Have ready bowl, wire strainer and
masher, and pour the soup through the
strainer into the bowl The liquid will
pass through easily enough, but it will
be necessary to use the masher in order
to force the softened peas and bits of
onion through the wires of the straincr
in the tiniest particles, which fall and
make body to the liquid already in
the bowl.
When nothing remains but the shells
or husks of the peas, lift the strainer,
scrape what may adhere to the bottom
after having passed through the wires
and then set the strainer aside. The
contents of the bowl may then be re-
turned into the soup-kettle.
When the soup has been returned to
the fire take one cupful of milk and
pour two-thirds into the soup, stirring
it carefully. Reserve one-third of a
cupful and with this mix heaping
of -four Stir until there