Evening star., 1921-10-07

The Stars Household
Expert Gives Sugges-
tons for Seasonable
Dishes-One Value of
Paper Bag Cookery
Lies in the Fact That
There Is No Waste.
Getting Best Results
From Vegetables.

From ne-fourth to one-half Of the
average family's income Is spent for
food. The increase in price Of almost
all foods in the last few years has
resulted either in an increase in the
amount spent for food or a decrease in
the amount of food purchased. Why not
try ways and means to obtain a larger
return for the money expended? One
of the best ways to get good value
from money expended on food Is to do
some cooking in paper bags. The
method consists in using paper bag OF
pure and very tough waterproof paper
in place of an ordinary baking pan. The
results are astonishingly out of propor-
tion to the simplicity of the method.
In ordinary cooking, whether the ar
ticie be meat. fish, vegetables or pastry
there is considerable waste. This is
evaporation of juices. which, in some
instances. contain the most valuable
nutritive substances of the food. This
loss is noticeable in the decreased
weight of the cooked food. Every
housekeeper is aware how large this
shrinkage is. Another source of waste
is the excessive browning. which often
amounts to burning. which the outside
Of some foods must receive in order
that the inside be cooked through. This
is especially true of large roasts.
When cooking in paper bags both
these sources of waste are eliminated.
The juices. all preserved. are distilled
and redistilled, thereby helping, through
the steam which they furnish. to cook
the food. and in the end remaining to
flavor and make rich the substance from
which they come. In vegetables this is
especially desirable. for most of their
dietary value lies in the mineral salts
which they contain and which in or,
dinary cooking are boiled out ant
thrown away. In this case what is left
and difficult of digestion. The method
of cooking In paper bags reduces the
shrinkage in weight virtually to MOTH
ing. II four pounds of food go into
the bag four pounds will come out. Loss
by the crusting or burning of the out
a paper bag attains only a tender brown
on the surface. delicate criSpnesS
which makes it more palatable. The
time required for cooking also is re-
duced. which means saving of fuel;
odors are confined. SO that they do not
permeate the house: there are no greasy
baking pans to wash and scour: the
food is not only more nourshing and
more easily digested. but always more
palatable.
The simple Process.
THE process is as simple as the
equipment. 1t is necessary only to
grease the inside Of the bag with
butter. lard or drippings. When
vegetables are being cooked or when
water Is added to the food being
cooked. first place the food in the
bag, then fold over the mouth of the
bag two or three times to make it
as tight as possible fasten the folds
with one or two wire clips. and place
in a hot oven. The best results are
obtained by placing the bag not on
the fioer of the oven. hut on the graf
ing. or lacking that. on broiler
placed in the+ore
This insures a circu1k of 3nfI
around the bag. AnH<n 1Fsss3I5
used and any source.of heafENSfISE
coal, gas. wood or e1z6fst6IfEs~43- 70
best however, to have the oven very
hot when the bag Is 6rHsplaced In II
and then reduce ths@heat a little.
Nearly every kind of food can be
cooked satisfactorily rM tins way. and
water and gravies may be placed in
the bags as confdentfS~asixl.a. .haking
pan. The followinss-timestab1e will
be helpful.
Roasts-Beef, eighteen pounds. two
one and one-auarter hours: three
pounds, forty-hve minutes. Veal fif-
teen to eighteen pounds. two and
'hree quarters hours: seven pounds.
one and one-half hours. Pork, three
20 four pounds. afty minutes. Leg of
mutton. one and one half hours:
shoulder. forty-five minutes. Poultry,
large chicken. forty minutes: turkey,
two hours: goose. one and one-quar-
ter hours; old fowl. sixty minutes.
Fish-Seven pounds. fifty minutes: