Chapter 42
2 c. milk 2 Tb. fat 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 Tb. flour 1 c. cracker crumbs 4 hard-cooked eggs 1 c. chopped cold meat
Heat the milk. Brown the fat in a saucepan, add the salt, pepper, and flour, and mix well. To this add the hot milk. Cook until the sauce thickens, stirring constantly. Grease a baking dish and place in it 1/3 cupful of the cracker crumbs. Over the crumbs arrange two of the eggs sliced thinly, and on the top of the eggs put half of the meat. Repeat by adding a layer of 1/3 cupful of the crumbs, the remaining eggs sliced, and the remainder of the meat. Pour the white sauce over all and arrange the remaining 1/3 cupful of crumbs on top. Bake in a moderate oven for 1/2 hour. Serve hot from the baking dish.
67. INDIVIDUAL BAKING DISHES FOR EGG RECIPES.--Although the directions given in the preceding recipe for scalloped eggs state that this recipe is baked in a baking dish, it is not necessary that one large dish of this kind be used, for, if desired, individual baking dishes may be subst.i.tuted. In fact, any recipe for which a large baking dish would ordinarily be used may be baked in the small dishes used for a single serving, and eggs prepared in this way are especially attractive. Such dishes are also used for the baking of custards or the molding of jelly and blanc mange. Since they prove very useful and find so much favor, it is advisable for every housewife to add a few of them to her supply of utensils and to become familiar with the varieties that can be secured and the proper way to use them.
Dishes of this kind may be purchased in both cheap and expensive varieties and in plain or fancy styles, being made of white porcelain, of gla.s.s, or of the brown ware so much used for large baking dishes and ca.s.seroles and having a white glazing on the inside.
68. When such dishes are used as a means of adding variety to the cooking and serving of eggs, they should be placed in the oven in a shallow pan containing enough hot water to come nearly to the top of them. The object of this plan is to keep the temperature uniform. As long as the dishes are surrounded by water, the food to be cooked will not attain a greater heat than 212 degrees Fahrenheit, because the surrounding water cannot reach a higher temperature. Food cooked in this way will be found to be baked much more evenly and to be of a better consistency than food that is subjected to the high temperature of the oven. Most of the recipes that follow, while they can be baked in large baking dishes if desired and then served from the dish, are designed particularly to be used in individual baking dishes.
69. BAKED EGGS IN CREAM.--A dish that is particularly desirable for breakfast, but that may be served for luncheon, is made by baking eggs in cream according to the accompanying recipe. Besides being very appetizing, this dish is high in food value because of the addition of the cream and fat. Crisp toast served with eggs prepared in this way is very delightful.
BAKED EGGS IN CREAM (Sufficient to Serve Six)
6 eggs 1 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper 3/4 c. cream
Grease six individual baking dishes and break an egg into each. Put a small piece of b.u.t.ter on top of each egg and season with salt and pepper. Pour over each egg two tablespoonfuls of cream. Place the baking dishes in a shallow pan of hot water and bake until the eggs are as hard as desired. Serve hot.
70. s.h.i.+RRED EGGS WITH HAM.--An excellent way in which to utilize sc.r.a.ps of ham is to combine them with eggs to make a dish that may be served in place of meat. This dish, besides being high in food value, is very tasty because of the flavor of the ham and the fact that it is quite highly seasoned.
s.h.i.+RRED EGGS WITH HAM (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/2 tsp. prepared mustard 1/4 tsp. pepper 1 c. chopped ham 6 eggs 1/4 tsp. salt 1 Tb. b.u.t.ter
Grease six individual baking dishes. Mix the mustard and pepper with the ham, and then divide this mixture as evenly as possible into the baking dishes. Break an egg on top of the ham in each dish, season with salt, and put a small piece of b.u.t.ter on each. Place the dishes in a shallow pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are well set or hardened. Remove from the oven and serve at once.
71. EGG SOUFFLe.--If a delicate
EGG SOUFFLe (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. milk 2 Tb. fat 2 Tb. flour 1/2 tsp. salt 1 Tb. chopped parsley 4 eggs
Heat the milk. Brown the fat in a saucepan, add to it the flour, salt, and parsley, and mix well. Pour in the hot milk, stir constantly until the sauce thickens, and then remove from the fire. Separate the eggs and add the well-beaten yolks to the sauce, stirring rapidly so that the egg will not curd. Beat the whites stiff and fold them carefully into the sauce. Turn into well-greased individual baking dishes until they are about two-thirds full, place in a shallow pan of hot water, and bake until firm when touched with the finger. Serve at once in the dishes in which they are baked, because they shrink when they are allowed to cool.
72. The tomato sauce that is often served with egg souffle is made as follows:
TOMATO SAUCE
1 1/2 c. strained stewed tomatoes 2 Tb. fat 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper 2 Tb. flour
Force enough stewed tomatoes through a sieve to make 1 1/2 cupfuls of strained tomato. Heat the strained tomato and to it add the fat, salt, and pepper. Moisten the flour with a little cold water and add it to the hot tomato. Cook for 5 minutes. Serve over the souffle.
[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 17]
73. Alpine Eggs.--It is rather unusual to combine cream or cottage cheese with eggs, so that when this is done, as in the accompanying recipe, a dish that is out of the ordinary is the result. If not a sufficient amount of cottage cheese is in supply to serve for a meal, it may very well be used for this dish. Otherwise, cream cheese serves nicely.
ALPINE EGGS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 10-cent pkgs. cream cheese or 1 c. cottage cheese 2 Tb. finely chopped parsley 1/8 tsp. paprika 6 eggs 1 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1 1/2 tsp. salt
Grease six individual baking dishes. Break up the cheese with a fork and sprinkle a layer on the bottom of each dish. Break an egg in each dish over the cheese. Season with salt. Sprinkle a layer of cheese on top of the egg, and over that put chopped parsley, paprika, and a small piece of b.u.t.ter. Place the baking dishes in a shallow pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are set. Remove from the oven and serve at once.
74. Clipped Eggs.--The chief value of clipped eggs is their appearance, which, as will be observed in Fig. 17, is very attractive. This dish adds much to the breakfast tray of an invalid or will tempt the appet.i.te of a child who does not feel like eating. But in addition to being attractive, this dish is high in food value, for in this respect it is exactly equivalent to a poached egg on toast or a plain egg served with a piece of toast to which is added a small amount of b.u.t.ter.
CLIPPED EGGS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
6 pieces toast 3 Tb. b.u.t.ter 6 eggs 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. pepper
b.u.t.ter the toast with some of the b.u.t.ter. Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs without breaking the yolks. Beat the whites stiff, and put a mound of the beaten white on top of each piece of b.u.t.tered toast. Make a hole in the center of the mound of egg white and drop the unbroken yolk into it. Season each with salt and pepper and bits of the remaining b.u.t.ter. Place in a hot oven and bake until the yolk is set and the white slightly browned. Serve hot.
75. LEFT-OVER EGGS.--It is not a difficult matter to utilize eggs in any form in which they may be left over, for they combine readily with many other foods. For instance, left-over hard-cooked eggs may be sliced or chopped and used to garnish dishes of vegetables, meat, fish, or salads.
Eggs cooked in this way may also be stuffed according to the recipe given in Art. 63, or they may be crushed and mixed with seasoning for sandwiches. If any soft-cooked eggs remain after a meal, they should be hard-cooked in order to be used to the best advantage. Left-over omelet or scrambled, poached, or fried eggs may be chopped and added to soups, sauces, or gravies, or combined with small pieces of meat or fish and used with crumbs and white sauce to make a scalloped dish.
Even uncooked eggs that are taken from the sh.e.l.ls, but that cannot be used at once, need not be wasted if proper care is given to them to prevent the formation of a hard crust over their surface. Such eggs should be put into a dish that will allow as little of the surface as possible to be exposed and should be covered with cold water and kept in a cool place. When they are desired for use, the water should be poured off carefully so as to prevent the loss of any of the egg.
BREAKFAST MENU
76. So that a definite idea may be formed of the student's progress in cookery, there is here presented a breakfast menu that is to be prepared and reported on at the same time that the answers to the Examination Questions are sent. This menu is practical and it may be easily prepared, as all the dishes it contains have already been considered.
MENU
Sliced Bananas Cream of Wheat Graham m.u.f.fins b.u.t.ter Puff Omelet Coffee
In most homes, breakfast is a meal that is gathered together with as little thought and preparation as possible. The reason for this is that the housewife feels that she does not wish to rise early enough in the morning to prepare an elaborate menu. Breakfast, however, should be the most attractive meal in the day, because it is one that gives to each member of the family the right start for the day and sustains him until luncheon time. In most cases, a cup of coffee and a slice or two of toast do not start one with a cheerful att.i.tude, nor do they contain sufficient food value to nourish the individual properly. With a little forethought and planning, certain foods may be partly prepared for breakfast the day before. If this is done, the time required for the actual preparation of the breakfast need not be greatly increased. For example, in the accompanying menu, the cream of wheat may be cooked the evening before, the materials for the graham m.u.f.fins measured, and even the pan in which they are to be baked greased, and the materials for the omelet collected and measured. If all this is done, the preparation necessary in the morning will consist merely of slicing the bananas, reheating the cream of wheat, preparing the coffee, baking the m.u.f.fins, and making the omelet. While the coffee and cream of wheat are heating or cooking, the oven will be heating, so that when the m.u.f.fins are mixed it will be ready to bake them; and while these are baking the omelet may be prepared. When this is done, all will be ready to serve.
EGGS
EXAMINATION QUESTIONS
(1) Give a brief description of the physical structure of an egg.
(2) (_a_) Why are eggs an important article of diet? (_b_) For what foods may they be subst.i.tuted?
(3) (_a_) Mention the food substances that are found in an egg, and give the percentage of each one. (_b_) What food substance is lacking in eggs, and how may it be supplied?
(4) What is the chief food substance in: (_a_) an egg white? (_b_) an egg yolk?
(5) Discuss briefly the digestibility of eggs.
(6) (_a_) Of what value is the grading of eggs? (_b_) What points are considered when eggs are graded?
(7) (_a_) What conditions affect the quality of eggs? (6) Mention the agencies that render the quality of eggs inferior and explain how they work.
(8) How can the quality of eggs be determined: (_a_) in the market?
(_b_) in the home?
(9) (_a_) What is the common commercial means of preserving eggs? (_b_) How is it beneficial to the housewife?
(10) (_a_) Mention the various ways by which eggs may be preserved in the home. (_b_) Explain the preservation of eggs with water gla.s.s.