The Institute cook book

[illustration: Planned for a Family of Four] L(Jlr 1 -U V JIKO FamllT of Four [illustration: Family of Four] LEFT-OVERS LEFT-OVERS Fami?y of Four VEGETABLES are prepared for the table in several ways, but the most common method of cooking them Is in boiling water or in the related method of steaming. On the whole, it may be said that the simpler methods of preparing are to be preferred, in the majority of cases bringing the food to its most digestible form. The changes that take place in the cooking of vegetables are briefly these: The cellular tissue is softened and loosened; the nitrogenous substances are coagulated; the starch granules absorb moisture, swell and burst; and the flavor is developed. The food is rendered more digestible and in most cases more palatable. Over-cooking, however, changes and toughens the texture of vegetable foods, destroys the coloring matter and injures the flavor. All vegetables should be thoroughly cleansed before being put on to cook, and if for any reason a green vegetable has lost its crispness or firmness it should be soaked in very cold water until it has regained freshness. Vegetables that form in heads, such as cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts, should be soaked, heads down, in salted cold water to which a few teaspoons of .vinegar may be added. If there are any worms in the vegetables they will crawl out. To secure the best results all vegetables except the dried legumes must be put in boiling water and the water must be brought to a boil again as soon as possible after the vegetables have been added. Herbaceous vegetables should boil rapidly all the time; but with tubers, roots, cauliflower, etc., the ebullition should not be so violent as to break the vegetables. Green lima beans and peas when removed from the pods must be cooked gently. If [illustration: Planned for a Family of Four] V JiLrJl, i AiiL,ti,0 Family of Four beans or peas are a little old, a pinch of baking soda added to the water in which they are boiled will make them more tender. The best seasoning for most vegetables is salt and butter. Vegetables that are drained when partly done and then cooked with butter and seasoning for a few minutes are usually more palatable than those which are cooked the entire time in a large amount of clear water and seasoned afterward. CABBAGE Divide a small head of cabbage into four parts, cutting down through the stock; soak for one half hour in a pan of cold water to which has been added a tablespoon of salt; then remove from the water and cut in slices. Have a large saucepan full of boiling water; put in the cabbage, pushing the slices under the water with a spoon; add a tablespoon of salt and cook from twenty-five to sixty minutes, according to the age of the cabbage. Drain through a colander; then put in a chopping bowl and mince. Season with butter, pepper and more salt if needed, and stand over the fire for a few minutes to reheat. Allow a tablespoon of butter to a pint of cooked cabbage. Keep the kitchen windows open while cooking and the door closed so that no unpleasant odor may rise through the house. CABBAGE WITH PORK