EGGS
Unless the winter's supply of eggs has been preserved in water glass, guaranteed cold storage eggs will be found satisfactory, and much cheaper than hennery eggs. Only enough for a few days should be bought at a time, however, and they should be kept in a cold place until used. Wash eggs before breaking, and save the shells for clearing boiled coffee, soup, and aspic. For coating croquettes, dilute each beaten egg with one-fourth cup of water or one-third cup of milk; cover unused yolks with water to prevent drying, and pour off water before using. Have both yolk and white of egg cold, so that they may be beaten more quickly; add a pinch of salt to whites of eggs which are to be beaten stiff, and beat in a current of air. Soft-boiled or dropped eggs not used at table should be put back in boiling water, cooked hard, and used for garnishing, egg sauce, etc.
CHEESE
Cheese is nutritious and, even at present prices, economical, as it contains a large proportion of protein in concentrated form. It can be successfully combined with many other foods, and every left-over bit should be so used; when partly dry it should be put through the food chopper, using a fine cutter; when very dry it should be grated and used in sauces, soufflés, soups, and many other dishes. Cheese is more readily digested if a pinch of baking soda is cooked with it. To keep cheese moist and fresh, brush the cut surface with melted paraffin. Save left-over Welsh rarebit for sandwich filling. The shells of Edam or pineapple cheeses should not be thrown away, but be filled with creamed macaroni, spaghetti, or rice, covered with crumbs, and baked in a hot oven.
FRESH VEGETABLES
A variety of vegetables should be served daily, and those which contain a large amount of protein, such as beans, lentils, and peas, should be used not only as an accompaniment to meat, but, in combination with other vegetables, sauces, bacon or other fats, as the substantial dish of the meal.
DRIED VEGETABLES
Dried vegetables should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or longer, and then cooked slowly until tender; dried julienne should be soaked for twenty-four hours before cooking.
MACARONI, NOODLES, RICE, CEREALS
Macaroni, noodles and similar pastas, rice, and the cereals furnish much nutriment at low cost; oatmeal and corn meal are among our cheapest foods.
Ready cooked cereals, though they are convenient and give variety to the diet, are more expensive than raw cereals well cooked; not only do they yield less food value, but, being dry, they require more cream or milk to make them palatable.
LEFT-OVER VEGETABLES
Left-over vegetables and cereals, even in small quantities, should be saved for use in entrées, desserts, salads, sauces, and soups. Celery tops should be saved for flavoring and garnishing, the root stalk chopped and added to the stock pot, and the outside stalks stewed, creamed, or used for cream soup. The outside leaves of lettuce should be shredded for salad, or, for any large quantity, cooked the same as spinach.
CANNED VEGETABLES
The flavor of canned vegetables is improved if, before being cooked, they are rinsed with cold water and exposed to the air. Parsley and chives may be kept growing in pots in the kitchen window to be used as needed.
SALADS
Salads should be freely used at all seasons, and be made light or nourishing according to the foods served with them. They offer an opportunity to the housekeeper to exercise her ingenuity in combining various vegetables, meats, and fruits, especially left-over bits. Crisp white cabbage, shredded, may be used in place of celery.
SALAD DRESSINGS
Salad dressings need not necessarily be made of olive oil, for there are other good and less expensive vegetable oils well worth using, and many of the cooked salad dressings without oil are excellent.
BREAD
Various kinds of bread should be freely used, especially whole wheat and other cereal breads, and those containing raisins, dates, and prunes. Watch the bread-box, and see that every bit of bread is used in some way; the unused crusts should be dried, rolled, sifted, and kept in a covered jar for stuffing, crumbing croquettes, brown bread, puddings, or other dishes in which the color is not objectionable; cold toast or cut slices should be made into croutons, or used for canapés or French toast; other pieces should be used for croustades, or made into crumbs, both coarse and fine, for use in fondues, griddle cakes, omelets, sauces, and soups. Bits of crackers should be dried, rolled, and used the same as bread crumbs.
CAKE
None of the recipes for cake require more than two eggs; many, only one; and some, none at all. Water may always be used in place of milk, and any clean, fresh shortening may be substituted for butter, especially in the recipes which include molasses and spices. These cakes will not keep moist like richer cakes, however, and should be used soon after making.
Slices of stale cake and crumbs should be utilized in making other desserts in combination with custards, ices, preserves, etc.
BAKING POWDER
Do not use more baking powder than is necessary for good results; two level teaspoons to each cup of flour is the usual allowance, but one and one-half teaspoons each to each cup will be sufficient if the muffins, biscuits, or cake are quickly and lightly handled and properly baked.
FLAVORING EXTRACTS
When volatile flavoring extracts are used in cake, much of their strength is wasted during baking; grated rind or spices could well be used in their place, or only the icing or filling flavored. All desserts, whenever practicable, should be flavored when cold.
COLORING
The small package of red coloring which comes with gelatine is useful for coloring cakes, icings, and other desserts as well as jellies.
FRUITS
Fruits, either fresh, dried, or preserved, should be served at least once a day; dried fruits, such as apricots, peaches, and prunes, should be soaked in cold water for twelve hours or longer and then cooked slowly until tender. Raisins, dates, and figs yield a large food value at comparatively low cost. Bananas, which contain more nutriment than most fresh fruits, should be used for salads or desserts when the other courses are light. In cooking acid fruits, such as cranberries, plums, and cherries, less sugar is required if added after cooking. Parings and cores from quinces and apples can be made into excellent jelly; the rinds of watermelons are the foundation of a delicious sweet pickle; orange and grape fruit peel, when candied, are well worth the trouble of making. Surplus orange, lemon, and grape fruit peels, when dried, are not only useful for flavoring, but make an interesting and aromatic fuel for the fire-place; the nut meat found in prune stones tastes much like that of bitter almonds and can be used in place of them.
When making jelly remember that the pulp of the fruit after the juice has dripped from it may be made into excellent marmalade: cover with water, heat to boiling point, press through a sieve, add three-quarters of the amount of sugar, and cook until thick.