_Cream soups._--The strained pulp of cooked vegetables or legumes, with an equal portion of thin white sauce, is the basis for cream soups. The liquid for the soup may be all milk, part vegetable water and part milk, or all vegetable water.
A binding of flour is used to prevent a separation of the thicker and the thinner parts of the soup. This is combined as for white sauce and is stirred into the hot liquid just before the soup is to be served. The soup should be made in a double boiler and kept in this utensil until it is served.
Four tablespoons of flour to each quart of soup is a good proportion to use for thickening all vegetable soups that are not of a starchy nature; half that amount will be sufficient for soup prepared from a very starchy vegetable.
The value of the vegetable water should be impressed upon the pupils, and it should be pointed out that these soups are an excellent way of using the cooking water and any left-over vegetables. From these, attractive cream soups may be prepared, and a combination of flavours often gives good results.
_Accompaniments._--Crisp crackers, croutons, soup sticks, or bread sticks are served with cream soups, and are valuable because they necessitate thorough mastication, thus inducing the flow of saliva and aiding in the digestion of the starchy ingredients of the soups.
PRELIMINARY PLAN
As a basis for the soup, the teacher should secure a vegetable that the pupils use in their own homes, and crackers or bread to serve with the soup.
If dried peas are used, they should be allowed to soak overnight and be put on to cook early in the morning.
It will be well to have the cooking of the carrots begun before the lesson period. If the carrots are cut up in small pieces, they will cook more quickly.
RECIPES
_Cream of Carrot Soup_
1 c. cooked carrots 2 c. vegetable water 2 c. milk 4 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. b.u.t.ter Salt and pepper to taste
Press the vegetables through a sieve or chop finely; put the vegetable water on to heat. Mix the flour smoothly with an equal measure of milk and thin it with a little more of the milk. Stir into the steaming liquid, stirring constantly until it thickens. Stir in the b.u.t.ter, vegetable pulp, and remaining milk. Season to taste and serve hot.
Serves six.
_Cream of Potato Soup_
1 pt. milk or milk and water 2 tsp. chopped onions 3 potatoes 1 tbsp. b.u.t.ter 1 tbsp. flour 1 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. chopped parsley
Put the milk to heat in a double boiler. Boil the potatoes and onion together until soft, then rub the liquid and pulp through a strainer into the hot milk. Bind with the flour, add the seasonings, and serve hot. Serves four.
_Pea Soup_
1 c. split peas 2-1/2 qt. water 2 tbsp. chopped onion 3 tbsp. b.u.t.ter 3 tbsp. flour 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 pt. milk
Wash the peas and soak them overnight in cold water, drain and rinse thoroughly, add 2-1/2 quarts of cold water and the onion, cook slowly until soft, rub the liquid and pulp through a strainer, and bind with the flour. Add the milk and the seasonings and serve hot. Serves six to eight.
_Toast_
Cut stale bread into slices one quarter of an inch thick; put on the toaster or fork, move gently over the heat until dry, then brown by placing near the heat, turning constantly. Bread may be dried in the oven before toasting. Hot milk may be poured over dry toast.
_Croutons_
Cut stale bread into one-half-inch cubes and brown in the oven.
_Crisp Crackers_
Put the crackers into the oven for a few minutes, or split and b.u.t.ter thick crackers, and brown in a hot oven; serve with soup.
METHOD OF WORK
Devote a few minutes to a discussion of cream soups and a review of the cooking of vegetables and white sauce.
Divide the work among the members of the cla.s.s, a.s.signing enough to each pupil to keep her busy, arranging the work so that the soup and its accompaniments will be ready for serving at the same time.
LESSON XI: EGGS
_Food value and general rules for cooking eggs. Cooked in sh.e.l.l, poached, scrambled, and omelet._
SUBJECT-MATTER
Eggs are a very valuable food, because of the large amount of protein and fat they contain. Though lacking in carbohydrates, they furnish material for building up the muscles and provide heat and energy to the body. If cooked at a low temperature, eggs are very easily and very completely digested. Combined with other foods, they serve as a thickening agent (for sauces and soups) and as a means of making batters light (popovers and sponge cake). They add flavour and colour and increase the nutritive value of other foods.
PRELIMINARY PLAN
The lesson on eggs furnishes one of the best opportunities to teach the muscle-building foods. If eggs are scarce, it may be well to give this lesson at some other time. Each pupil should be asked to bring an egg; one or two should bring a little milk; and sufficient bread should be provided to toast for the poached eggs. The teacher should not undertake to give too many recipes in this lesson, but should try to make the pupils familiar with a sufficient variety of ways of using eggs to make egg cookery interesting. The necessity of having a moderate temperature for the cooking of eggs should be emphasized.
RECIPES
_Soft-cooked Eggs_
Put the eggs in boiling water sufficient to cover them, remove from the fire, cover, and allow them to stand from 5 to 8 minutes.
_Hard-cooked Eggs_
Put the eggs in cold water, heat, and, when the water boils, reduce the heat, and let them stand for 20 minutes with water just below the boiling-point, then put them into cold water.
_Poached Eggs_
Break each egg into a saucer carefully, slip the egg into boiling water, decrease the heat, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the white is firm and a film has formed over the yolk. Take up with a skimmer, drain, trim off the rough edges, and serve on slices of toast. Season.
Poached eggs are attractive when covered with white sauce to which chopped parsley has been added.