Home › Aids to the Amateur
Aids to the Amateur
There are short cuts and methods of preparing food that apply to many recipes. The use of the following suggestions will shorten the time needed for preparation.
For making canapés, hors d'œuvres and sandwiches use day-old bread. Fresh bread does not cut so well as it is too soft, except for rolled sandwiches. When both butter and another spread are used, it is easier to mix softened butter with the other ingredients and spread all at once.
Soften your butter by working it with a spoon until soft enough to spread or work into other mixtures. Melted butter gives a different taste, as it soaks into the bread.
Square loaves usually cut to the best advantage.
About twenty-four quarter-inch slices can be cut from a pound loaf of bread.
If sandwiches must be kept for some time before serving, wrap them in a damp napkin and keep in a cool place. 1 Attractive sandwiches and canapés can be made, in less time, by the aid of fancy vegetable and cooky-cutters, special knives and a pastry bag with various tubes, than by the ordinary method of cutting and trimming.
If lettuce is to be used in sandwiches, wash it well and crisp it in a lettuce basket in the ice box, so the lettuce will be cool and dry. When needed put it in the sandwiches just before serving.
When white of egg is to be whipped, the addition of a pinch of salt makes the egg white stiffen with less effort. The same applies to cream.
In making ice cream for the moderate-sized family, the two-quart crank freezer is a useful size, as it will make twelve servings, and the wooden pail may be used for freezing mousse and ice cream packed in molds.
In getting the ice ready you will find a canvas bag or one made of awning cloth, with a wooden mallet, will greatly facilitate the process of crushing the ice. Or you may use a wooden box and an ice crusher. This is easier for some women, as one can stand upright while crushing the ice. If the ice is in too large pieces it is not easy to turn the can in the freezer and the mixture does not freeze so quickly.
Have your freezer cold before you put in your mixture. Adjust the can in the pail, put on the cover, attach the crank and turn a few times to see if it is properly placed before you put in the ice and salt. Often too much salt is used and it sinks to the bottom of the pail and is wasted.
Pack your freezer two thirds full of ice, then add the salt and ice in alternate layers. By experimenting it has been found that eight measures of ice to one of salt is best for ice cream.
Measure the ice and salt carefully before you start to fill your freezer.
Other aids to ice cream making are a round galvanized tub about four inches deep, into which the freezer is set to keep the salty water off the floor. A big long-handled spoon for the salt and some measures that will not rust for measuring the ice and salt are also useful.
As most ice cream mixtures swell when frozen, do not fill the freezer can more than three quarters full.
In freezing mousse use a mold with a tight cover.
Fill your mold full to overflowing, cover with parchment or greased paper, having the paper an inch bigger all around than the mold. Put on the cover tightly, and freeze in a mixture of two parts of ice to one of salt for three or four hours. Be careful in packing the mold that the ice and salt surround it, the mold being completely covered.
In making recipes in which there is gelatin, always soak your gelatin in a little cold water before dissolving it over, or in, hot water. Dip molds for gelatin mixtures in cold water.
Frosting made by beating the egg before putting the sugar in is more brittle than if you add the sugar to the unbeaten white.
ADDITIONAL RECIPES