Lowney's cook book

Food is generally boiled by putting immediately into boiling water. This sears the surface, and keeps in the juices ; but if the water is to be used for soups, gravies, and so forth, the food is put into cold water and brought slowly to the boiling point. Salt is added to the boiling water ordinarily when cooking food, as it tends to keep the flavor in the food. Roasting Roasting, truly speaking, is cooking food before an open fire, so that roasting is seldom accomplished in modern kitchens. Baking Baking is cooking food by dry heat in an inclosed oven. The oven should be very hot when the food is first put in, then the heat reduced. In baking meats, basting frequently with hot fat will drive the heat to the center and make the meat juicy. 6 lowney's cook book Stewing Stewing is cooking food in water kept below the boiling point, and is similar to simmering. Fricasseeing Fricasseeing is a combination of sauteing and simmering. The food is first sauted and then simmered until tender. Steaming Moist steaming is accomplished by placing the food in a perforated dish over a kettle of boiling water and cooking until tender. Dry steaming is accomplished by placing the food in the top of a double boiler and keeping the water boiling in the lower part until the food is cooked. Simmering Simmering is cooking in water at 185 degrees Fahrenheit or 27 degrees below the point of boiling. This method of cooking is employed where long, slow cooking is desired, as in making stews, soups and so forth ; also for cooking tough cuts of meats. As a rule, in both boiling and simmering, the kettle should be tightly covered. Braising Braising is a form of cooking generally adopted for cooking tough meats. The food to be braised is placed in a kettle with a few slices of salt pork, some vegetables, seasonings and a small amount of liquid, either water or stock. The kettle is then covered closely, and the food cooked until tender. Braising is a long, slow process. Frying Frying is cooking food in hot fat, deep enough to cover the food. Lard, olive oil, cottolene or drippings may be used. The fat should be heated hot enough to brown a piece of bread a golden brown in forty seconds for cooked food, and in sixty seconds for uncooked food. There are various theories about the digestibility of fried food. The latest seems to be that food properly fried and drained may not be very indigestible. To prepare fat for frying, fill frying kettle one half full, and heat gradually. Avoid frying too much at a time, as the temperature will be reduced and the food much more liable to absorb fat. Reheat fat after each frying. Drain the food on brown paper. Sauteing Sauteing is cooking food in a frying pan in a small amount of fat. Food is less digestible cooked in this way than fried food. Broiling Broiling is cooking the food on a greased broiler before hot coals or the gas flame. The broiler should be held very near the flame at first to sear the surface of the food, and should be turned every ten seconds for the first minute of cooking, and afterwards occasionally. Pan Broiling