DBIKKS AT MEALS

A warm drink at meals is better than a cold one, es- pecially in winter or at any time when we are tired; and the drinking of ice water cannot be too strongly con- demned, lowering as it does the temperature of the stomach and so delaying digestion. To furnish warm drinks for each meal, acceptable to the palate, cheap and harmless, is no easy question. Soups or broth once adopted as a part of two meals in the day, as is so frequently seen in Europe, and the problem is half solved; indeed some of the drinks here given are really thin vegetable soups or porridges to which the flavor of salt or of sugar may be given according to taste.

It may be concluded, after comparing authors on the subject, that although coffee somewhat retards digestion and acts as a stimu- lant to the nervous system, still one or even two cups of moderately strong coffee a day will not harm a healthy person. We may say, therefore, that its use to this extent is a question of expense only.

Java and Mocha coffee in equal parts are considered the best mixture. Rio is much cheaper, and of strong, pure flavor. The amount to be used for moderately strong coffee is 1 tablespoon ( ground) to a cup.

Chicory is considered here only as an adulterant, whereas in Europe a very little of it, say -J teaspoon of

134 Coffee and Tea.

the prepared chicory to a cup of ground coffee, is used to improve the flavor.

Next to the quality of the coffee, it is of importance that it should be freshly ground and browned. If you buy it browned, reheat it first before grinding. The easiest and most economical way of making is to grind it very fine and put into a bag made of woven stuff, a white stocking top will do ; leave room to swell. Heat this in your coffee pot as hot as you can without burning. Pour on boiling water and keep it hot and close-covered for 15 or 20 minutes.

Boiling coffee increases its strength, but does not improve its flavor.

All authors agree as to the harmful- Tea. , .

ness of strong tea, taken to excess.

Take great pains in making tea. Use an earthen teapot, and have a tea cozy or a large flannel cloth to wrap it in.

The water used should be between hard and soft, extracting the aroma but not the astringency; in China river water is used. If hard water must be used, remember that boiling increases its hardness and that it should be used as soon as it reaches the boiling point.

Take 1 teaspoonful of tea to a cup, put it in the teapot and heat in an oven till hot, pour on 1 cup of water that has just come to a boil, and cover with the tea cozy. Let it stand 5 minutes, then fill up with the requisite quantity of hot water and serve immediately, cocoa and choco- These both contain a good deal of late. nourishment, and as drinks are con- sidered rather heavy. As the various kinds differ

Gruels. 1^5

very much from each other, they are best prepared according to the recipes found on the packages.

Milk, except for children, can hardly

" Cambric Tea." 11in -i • i i ^ TT j_ j

be looked upon as a drink, but diluted with hot water, and sweetened, it has already been christened for the children as "cambric tea," and it is no bad drink for their elders.

A very thin gruel, slightly sweetened,

Gruels. . -. , . ,

is a good drink.

Oatmeal gruel. jnto a qt. of boiling water stir 2 table- spoons oatmeal; boil for an hour or longer, strain through a coarse sieve or a cullender, add a pinch of salt, and a little milk and sugar.

Wet 1 tablespoon rice flour in a little

cold milk, put into 1 qt. boiling water, salt slightly and boil till transparent. Flavor with a little lemon peel and sugar.

1 qt. boiling water, 3 tablespoons

Cornmeal gruel. , ° , . ,

corn meal washed in several waters, % teaspoon salt ; add -J cup milk and a little sugar ; — a pinch of ginger is an improvement.

Soak pearl or ground barley all night

Barley gruel. , \ j • ij

or a lew hours in cold water, put into boiling water and cook till very soft. Season like the others.

8ag° SiS? ploca Can be made in the same way. All these drinks must be thin and not too highly

Brown common field corn as you

would coffee, as brown as you can without

burning. Grind coarsely and steep like coffee. Add

milk and sugar, and you will find it a delicious drink.

136 Summer Drink*.

Cold drinks in Lemonade is too strongly acid for a Summer. regular drink at meals, but lemon as a

flavor is always welcome.

Irish moss lemon- Wash a handful of Irish moss in 5 ade. waters, pour over it 2 qts. boiling water

and let it stand till cold. Strain, adding more water

if necessary and add the juice of 2 lemons and sweeten

with lump sugar which you have rubbed on the lemons

to obtain the oil in the skin.

Soda cream * ^' SU&ar> * OZ* tartaric aci(i dis-

solved in a pt. of hot water. When cold flavor with lemon zest or extract, and add the beaten white of an egg. When used, add 2 table- spoons of it to a glass of water in which you have dissolved i teaspoon soda.

Slice juicy sour apples into boiling

Apple water. J, , J

water and keep warm an hour. Strain and sweeten. All these drinks taste best cooled (but not too cold) with ice.

Sweet cider can be bottled for use and makes a delicious drink. Boil and skim till it is clear — no longer; pour hot into bottles, and seal.

See also vegetable and fruit soups.

COOKEEY FOE THE SICK

It is comparatively easy for your family to live on a small income while all its members are in good health, but you will find your resources all too slender when you must cater for the appetite of an invalid.

At best, sickness is always a severe drain on the limited income, but here, as in every other depart- ment of your work, you will find that good sense and ingenuity will often stand you in stead for money.

During a severe illness the food as much as the medicine is under the care of the physician, but when the danger is over and he has left you with only gen- eral directions, you will be more than likely in your bewilderment to take the advice of the first neighbor that drops in, although you may know that neither her judgment nor experience is as good as your own.

Now consider first, what did the doctor mean by saying that the patient must be " built up," and how is the wasted frame to get back the fat and muscle that were burned away in the sickness? Chiefly, as you know, by the digestion of food, the proteids and fats and carbohydrates that we have been talking about, and still another, a real food although so often forgotten, the oxygen of the air.

We have said that we need not concern ourselves about this food, that it would take care of itself; and so it will when we are in a state of health and living

138 Cookery for the Sick.

as human beings should, for as we walk or work we are fed by the air without knowing it. But the case is quite different with a poor invalid shut up in a sick room, we must bring the fresh air to him with as much care and regularity as we do his jellies and broths.

When we are considering what we shall feed our invalid, we cannot do better than keep to our old classification of Proteids, Fats, and Carbohydrates. He must have all these principles but in the most digestible form, for the stomach is feeble like the rest of the body. For this reason the proteids must be furnished mainly from the animal kingdom, butter and cream must supply the fat, and the carbohy- drates must bring with them as little as possible of the tough cellulose, and they must be so cooked as to be easily digested.

First, as to the Proteids.

Hot milk, given often in small quantities, is much used in the early stages of recovery and is generally better liked if accompanied by a bit of toasted bread or made into a thin gruel.

In the first rank, also, comes soup made of lean beef scraped fine, covered with cold water and allowed to stand for an hour, then brought slowly to scalding heat and kept there for a short time; it is then strained through a coarse sieve, the small brown flakes being allowed to pass. Season only with salt. Or, broil a thick, tender steak, cut it in pieces, and then with a lemon squeezer press out every particle of juice, it may then be diluted and seasoned.

Mutton broth is made like beef soup but should be cooked a longer time. Chicken broth also requires more cooking.

Cookery for the Sick. 139

Any of these soups may have a little rice or tapioca cooked with them.

Eggs are an important item in the diet of an inva- lid, being very nutritious and, if fresh, easily diges- ted; do not use them at all if uncertain of their age.

Eggs may be given raw ( see page 58 ) or soft-boiled (see page 59 ) or poached in hot water. An egg may be served in many ways and makes always a pretty and attractive dish. In cooking, it should never be submitted to a high temperature, as that makes the white part horny and indigestible.

A custard made from an egg and a cup of milk and a half table spoon of sugar may be given early in a convalescence. Or use beef soup or chicken broth instead of the milk, and flavor with a little salt and pepper. These custards should be made in a pail set in a kettle of boiling water, the custard being stirred till it begins to thicken.

Next in order, comes cooked meat. Beef is best of all, but let it be juicy and tender and broil or roast it, serving it rare. Probably a broiled mutton chop ranks next, although chicken, because of its delicate flavor will often receive the first choice. An invalid should not touch pork, and should be given veal or lamb only in the form of soup.

As to fats, the system needs them of course, but fat meat should not be given, only butter or better still, cream. The butter must never be melted and soaked into the food, nor made into a sauce.

As to the vegetable part of the diet, much care must be used. In the form of gruel or porridge, it is generally very welcome and gives the fluid part of

140 Cookery for the Sick.

the meal in a good form. For Indian meal and oat- meal porridge see page 122. Milk may take the place of the water.

Toast is with good reason considered invalids' food, for the process of toasting turns part of the starch of the bread into dextrine which is digested with great ease. Grains may be also browned or roasted. Roast rice as you would coffee, cook as usual and eat with a little cream. Remember that bread for toast must be cut thin and first dried out at a little distance from the fire, then brought nearer and browned. You may then serve it as dry toast lightly buttered, or in addi- tion to the butter and a little salt, pour hot water or milk on it just before serving.

Panada of toasted brown bread, white bread or crackers, is made by piling the pieces in a bowl, hav- ing sprinkled either salt or sugar over, and then pour- ing over enough boiling water to soak them well. It should be kept hot for an hour or more, the pieces then lifted out carefully on a hot saucer and served with a little cream and perhaps more salt or sugar. Nutmeg may be added.

Rice is also a very valuable food for use in sickness, as it does not tax the most delicate digestion.

Macaroni is easily digested and of high food value. It should be boiled in salted hot water till tender and served with a little batter or cream. Or it may be added to a custard and lightly baked.

Barley, thoroughly cooked, is good food for an in- valid. Oatmeal must be used with caution until the digestion becomes stronger.

As to vegetables proper, a mealy baked potatoe is

Cookery for the Sick. 141

perhaps the first to be introduced into the bill of fare; remove the inside, mash fine and season with a little salt and cream. Beware of potatoes cooked in any other way.

The juice of fruits may be used early as a flavor in drinks, but the pulp must be discarded. A baked apple is safest to begin with, when the time comes to introduce fruit as such into the diet.

As to the serving, use the best china, silver and linen that you have in the house and let exquisite neatness never fail.

Remember that surprises are delightful to a sick person; never let the bill of fare be known before hand, and if you can disguise a well known dish, so much the better. Beaten white of egg is a good fairy and serves you cheaply. Snowy white or made golden brown in the oven, it may top many a dish, conceal- ing at one time a custard, at another a mold of chicken jelly or even a cup of delicate apple sauce.

The processes of cooking, if simple, an invalid loves to watch and the sight is often a whet to the appetite. Bring his gruel to him in the form of mush and thin it before his eyes with milk or cream, coddle his egg in a stone ware bowl while he eats another course, and by all means make his tea at the bed-side.