Italian paste comes in the form of tiny figures and let- ters. This is used largely for soup. TAPIOCA. This is sold in three different forms. Flake tapioca is that which comes in large, coarse flakes. Pearl tapioca comes in small globules about half the size of a pea. It cooks soft more readily than the flaked kind, but never seems quite so rich. " Tapioca exotique " is a prepara- tion of tapioca that has been ground as fine as granulated sugar. It cooks clear in a short time, and is convenient and nice for soups and jellies. It comes in small pack- ages, the smallest weighing half a pound. The house- keeper who once tries this preparation for soups and desserts will always have it in her storeroom. ARROWROOT. This has so long been considered as belonging to the food supplies for invalids and the sick that it is not used to any great extent in ordinary cookery. It has, however, 7 98 MISS PARLOA'S KITCHEN COMPANION. properties which will commend it to the cook for many dishes. It will, for example, become perfectly transpar- ent when cooked in a clear liquid, and for this reason it is a valuable thickening agent in soups and sauces that are required to be thick and yet clear. Arrowroot absorbs odors readily, and therefore should be put up and kept in tin boxes. Never buy it in any other form, and never buy it at the druggist's, because it will have absorbed the odors of some of the things near it. All first-class grocers keep it. GELATINE. Gelatine is now used so freely in all households that it pays to buy it by the quantity. It is one of the most valuable ingredients that we have for making desserts and jellies. There are a good many brands. The pack- ages are all supposed to hold the same amount, — two ounces and a half with the wrappers, and two ounces if weighed without them. Sometimes the gelatine weighs a little more, and frequently less, than two ounces ; so it is best to weigh it before it is used. This shortness in weight probably is due to the carelessness of the packers and not to a desire to defraud, as gelatine is cheap. Pink gelatine comes in sheets. It can be bought at the grocer's by the ounce. It costs a little more than the ordinary gelatine. Using half plain and half pink gelatine will give a rich pink color to a jelly or cream. Many people prefer using the Eussian isinglass, which comes in sheets. This costs more than the prepared gel- atine. It is nice for blanc-mange, and besides being used for jellies and creams, it is frequently used for clearing soups and coffee. CONDIMENTS. In this age of adulterations nothing suffers more than ground condiments. The only safety is to buy them at ABOUT FOOD. 99 first-class stores. This does not always mean that you will get a pure article, but your chances are much greater than when trusting to the common grocer. After salt, pepper is the most extensively used condiment; black, white, and red pepper being in common use. White pepper is better than black for cooking pur- poses, because it is so much more delicate in flavor and does not mar the looks of a white sauce, soup, or ragout. It is not so liable to be adulterated as the black. It, however, costs more. Always keep pepper in a glass jar or tin box. Cayenne is used in such a small quantity that a two- ounce bottle will last an ordinary family for a year or more.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

Italian paste comes in the form of tiny figures and letters. This is used largely for soup. TAPIOCA. This is sold in three different forms. Flake tapioca is that which comes in large, coarse flakes. Pearl tapioca comes in small globules about half the size of a pea. It cooks soft more readily than the flaked kind, but never seems quite so rich. " Tapioca exotique " is a preparation of tapioca that has been ground as fine as granulated sugar. It cooks clear in a short time, and is convenient and nice for soups and jellies. It comes in small packages, the smallest weighing half a pound. The housekeeper who once tries this preparation for soups and desserts will always have it in her storeroom. ARROWROOT. This has so long been considered as belonging to the food supplies for invalids and the sick that it is not used to any great extent in ordinary cookery. It has, however, properties which will commend it to the cook for many dishes. It will, for example, become perfectly transparent when cooked in a clear liquid, and for this reason it is a valuable thickening agent in soups and sauces that are required to be thick and yet clear. Arrowroot absorbs odors readily, and therefore should be put up and kept in tin boxes. Never buy it in any other form, and never buy it at the druggist's, because it will have absorbed the odors of some of the things near it. All first-class grocers keep it. GELATINE. Gelatine is now used so freely in all households that it pays to buy it by the quantity. It is one of the most valuable ingredients that we have for making desserts and jellies. There are a good many brands. The packages are all supposed to hold the same amount, — two ounces and a half with the wrappers, and two ounces if weighed without them. Sometimes the gelatine weighs a little more, and frequently less, than two ounces ; so it is best to weigh it before it is used. This shortness in weight probably is due to the carelessness of the packers and not to a desire to defraud, as gelatine is cheap. Pink gelatine comes in sheets. It can be bought at the grocer's by the ounce. It costs a little more than the ordinary gelatine. Using half plain and half pink gelatine will give a rich pink color to a jelly or cream. Many people prefer using the Russian isinglass, which comes in sheets. This costs more than the prepared gelatine. It is nice for blanc-mange, and besides being used for jellies and creams, it is frequently used for clearing soups and coffee. CONDIMENTS. In this age of adulterations nothing suffers more than ground condiments. The only safety is to buy them at first-class stores. This does not always mean that you will get a pure article, but your chances are much greater than when trusting to the common grocer. After salt, pepper is the most extensively used condiment; black, white, and red pepper being in common use. White pepper is better than black for cooking purposes, because it is so much more delicate in flavor and does not mar the looks of a white sauce, soup, or ragout. It is not so liable to be adulterated as the black. It, however, costs more. Always keep pepper in a glass jar or tin box. Cayenne is used in such a small quantity that a twoounce bottle will last an ordinary family for a year or more.

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