Mrs. Wilson"s Cook Book.
by Mary A. Wilson.
PREFACE
The influence of well-cooked, palatable food upon the health and general well-being of the family is as certain as that of changes of temperature and more serious in its consequences for lasting good or ill.
The sage old saying "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are" is as full of the "pith o" sense" to-day as in ye days of long ago, for food either makes us physically fit and fully efficient, or miserable failures with physical complications that keep us constantly in the physician"s hands.
The vital essences of that which we prepare for eating are "medicinal messengers" bearing light to the eye, vigor to the limb, beauty to the cheek and alertness to the brain, as vitamines, or distorted in the misdirected process are the harsh heralds of pain and debility to the human system. How great then is the influence of the one who prepares it!
Influence, according to astrology, was "a power or virtue flowing from the planets upon men and things," but from the kitchen, as a sun and heat centre, there truly flows a planetary influence that makes or mars us.
Scientific cooking means the elimination of waste, the preservation of edible resources and conservation of their potential energy through the preparation of attractive, vitalizing food with minimum cost and labor, thus providing in wide, deep measure, for harmony, personal comfort and domestic peace.
The preface of a book is too often a flat, spiritless excuse for offering it to the public instead of being a hearty announcement in welcome terms of the arrival of a much-desired provision for a real need, so I will come to the essential point at once by saying that gathered here, in these pages, are my best recipes, truly "tried in the fire," the actual working results of many years" teaching and lecturing, brought "up to the minute" in the interests of that exacting domestic economy now, as rarely before, imperative in its demands.
It will also be noted that the heavy cook-book style is not used here but the recipes are presented as if housewife and author were conversing upon the dish in question, and to her I will say: economical, palatable food is within your reach if you will discard the ideas and methods of long ago. Remember, you would not prefer to ride in a horse car, as a means of conveyance, so why use the recipes of those days?
The capable housewife, whose busy hands bake bread, cake and pastry, spreads forth to the community an influence that is priceless, a largesse not of festal day, holy day, or holiday, but thrice daily, wholesome and welcome as spring"s first sunbeam and precious to every home so blessed, ever growing and radiating. May this book help in that growth and a greater radiation!
THE AUTHOR
MRS. WILSON"S COOK BOOK
Bread, the staff of life, must be palatable and good if we are to be satisfied with it when we eat.
Can you think of anything that will spoil a meal more quickly than poor, over moist, doughy or heavy bread?
Bread may truly be called the staff of life, as it will maintain life longer than any other single food.
Yet many women think bread-making is a simple task; that the ingredients can be thrown together helter-skelter and good results obtained; or that any kind of flour will make good bread. This is a great mistake. To make good palatable bread it requires good materials, a reasonable amount of care and attention. But first of all must come the knowledge of the flour.
A good blend of hard winter flour is necessary and it can easily be tested by pressing a small quant.i.ty of it in the hand; if the flour is good, it will retain the shape of the hand. Graham or whole wheat flour and rye flours can be used for variety and to advantage in making bread.
Other cereal flours do not contain gluten to allow them to be used alone for making the yeast-raised breads. Keep this in mind and thus prevent failures. The yeast is a single-cell plant and must be given the proper temperature, moisture and food for its successful growth.
When this is supplied, each little cell multiples a thousand times, thus pushing and stretching the dough. This makes it rise or become light.
WHY DOUGH FALLS
When the yeast cells have absorbed or consumed all the food that they can obtain from the sugar, flour, etc., the dough will recede or fall.
Now, if the dough is carefully handled at a given time, this will not take place, and so for this reason the dough is permitted to stand only for a given length of time before it is worked and then placed in the pans.
Few utensils will be required for making bread, but they must be scrupulously clean, if the bread is to have a good flavor. Potatoes and other cooked cereals may be used with good results. Compressed yeast will give the best results, and either the sponge or straight dough method may be used.
Bread made by the sponge method will require a longer time to make than the bread that is made by the straight dough method. Sponge dough consists of setting the sponge and letting it rise until it drops back, usually in two and one-half hours, and then adding sufficient flour to make a dough that can easily be handled.
The straight dough method consists of making a dough at the start. To make bread successfully, do not set the dough over the range, do not set it on the radiators and do not place it where it will be in a draft, to rise. Cold chills the dough and r.e.t.a.r.ds the yeast. Yeast grows successfully only in a warm moist temperature from 80 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
DOUGH BOX
I would like to tell the housewife about a dough box that I have found to work very successfully. The baker"s success in making bread is founded on the fact that he can regulate the temperature of his shop and thus prevent drafts from chilling the dough. This box is just an ordinary cracker box with the lid hinged on it. It is then lined with thick asbestos paper on the inside and then covered with oilcloth on the outside. The bowl with the dough is then placed in the box to retain its temperature and to be free from drafts while it rises. In cold weather this box can be heated by placing a warm iron in it when starting to mix the dough, and then removing the iron before placing the dough in the box. This box will easily pay for the time and cost in a few weeks, and then, too, it will prevent failure.
Now to get the proper temperature--always use a thermometer. Remember that you cannot successfully gauge the correct temperature of liquids that are used for making bread by testing with the finger or by testing them from the spoon. Any plain thermometer that can be found in the house will do for this work. Scrub it with soda and water to remove the paint. Remember, in cold weather to heat the mixing bowl.
See that the flour is not lower than 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
All water or half water and milk may be used in making bread. When the milk is used it must be scalded and then allowed to cool. Evaporated or condensed milk does not require scalding. Simply add the hot water to acquire the proper temperature.
POINTS THAT WILL MAKE FOR SUCCESSFUL BAKING
Earthen mixing bowls or clean cedar pails make the best utensils to set the bread dough in. These utensils will retain the heat and are easy to clean, and when they are closely covered, prevent a hard crust from forming on the dough.
Do not fail to give the dough plenty of proof--that is, let it rise for a sufficient length of time as given in the recipes.
Use a good grade of blended flour.
Use the ball of the hand, near the wrist, to knead and work the dough.
Kneading is most important and should be thoroughly done. Do not be afraid of hurting the dough; you can handle it as roughly as you like.
Heavy, active kneading distributes the yeast organisms and develops the elasticity of the gluten and gives body and strength to the dough.
Now, a word about the baking. Bread is baked to kill the fermentation and to hold the glutinous walls of the dough in place and to cook the starch and thus make it palatable and easy to digest.
An oven 350 degrees Fahrenheit is necessary. Do not have it any hotter than this. Too much heat browns the loaf before it has time to bake in the centre.
SALT
Salt controls the action of the yeast. It also r.e.t.a.r.ds or delays the proper fermentation if too large an amount of it is used. Then again, if not enough salt is added to the mix, the yeast becomes too active and thus produces an overlight loaf of bread. One ounce of salt to each quart of liquid in summer, and three-fourths of an ounce in winter will give the best results to the home baker.
BAKING THE BREAD
Now turn on a moulding board and cut into five parts or loaves. Allow about nineteen ounces to each loaf. Take the dough up between the hands and work into a round ball. Place on the moulding board and cover for ten minutes. Now with the palm of the hand flatten out the dough and then fold halfway over, pounding well with the hand. Now, take the dough between the hands and stretch out, knocking it against the moulding board, fold in the ends and shape into loaves. Place in well-greased pans and brush the top of each loaf with shortening.
Cover and let raise for 45 minutes. Bake in a hot oven for 45 minutes and brush with shortening when removing from the oven. Let cool and then the bread is ready to use.
SPONGE METHOD
Generally speaking, the sponge method produces a lighter and whiter loaf than the bread made by the straight dough method. Bread made by the straight dough method has the advantage over bread made by the sponge method in flavor, texture and keeping qualities.