Soups

The following recipes for soup are given, not be­cause I recommend its use, but because soup has become a staple part of the ordinary diet, and experience shows that it is always better in any reform work to proceed on lines of least resistance. In order to promote digestion and preserve the integrity of the teeth, our food should be taken in hard or solid forms exactly the opposite of soup. This would induce thorough mastication and delegate to the,teeth, instead of a pot, the delightful task of making soup.

The harmful effects, however, of the soup taking habit may be partially overcome by taking it slowly with some very hard cracker that requires thorough mastica­tion.

Since soups will be used, the following recipes are given as the best articles from which they can be made.

SOUPS UNCOOKED

CEREAL SOUP

Use half pound of flaked grain, preferably oat-flakes. Cover with warm water and soak several hours, or over night, then put through a sieve, which will make a thick cream for the body, adding milk and a little cream to bring to the consistency desired, and flavor with the juice of fresh tomatoes, a little pulp of tender corn, scraped from the cob, or puree of peas; add a pinch of salt and a piece of butter; warm before serving.
NOTE: The above recipe can be used to form the body or cream of any kind of soup, using any flavor desired.

CREAM OF CORN

Mash a can of sweet corn through a strainer. Add sufficient cream and a little milk to bring to the con­sistency desired; add salt to taste.

Place in a double boiler on back of the stove to warm before serving. Cream of pea can be made as per recipe above, sub­stituting canned peas for canned corn. If a cooked soup is desired, use the same recipes by allowing to come to a boil before serving, using suf­ficient milk and cream to bring to the consistency de­sired.

COOKED SOUPS

This book being designed to contribute the greatest good to the greatest number of people, and soup being a staple article of diet that no reform is likely to abolish, it is my purpose to give the housewife some instructions in regard to producing the most wholesome and nutritious combinations that can be made in this class of edibles.

CREAM OF TOMATO

To one quart can of tomatoes, add an equal amount of water. Boil until the whole is reduced to the original amount (one quart). Mash thoroughly through a fine sieve. Place the strained tomato on the fire until it again comes to a boil, adding a scant teaspoon of baking soda, stirring vigorously, then add half teaspoon of sugar, a little pepper and about two tablespoons of thoroughly dissolved cornstarch, stirring constantly.

Put one quart of unskimmed milk in double boiler, allow to come to a boil, add this to the tomato mixture, while both are at the boiling point. Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Butter the size of a walnut and salt to taste, serve.

This is one of the most delicious of all cream soups, if properly made, but much care should be exercised in mixing and seasoning.

CREAM OF CORN AND TOMATO

This delicious combination can be made by thoroughly cooking a can of corn, putting through a sieve and add­ing to the cream of tomato as above recipe.

CREAM OF CORN

Cook until tender, one can of sweet corn. Mash thoroughly through a sieve. Add about three cups of milk and a piece of butter size of a walnut. Allow to boil, and stir in one«teaspoon of thoroughly dissolved cornstarch. ^Just before serving, salt and pepper to taste.

CREAM OF CELERY

Clean thoroughly the outer pieces and tops of celery. Cut in bits, cover with water and boil until tender. Put through a sieve, add amount of milk desired (but not enough to reduce the flavor too much), thicken with cornstarch to the consistency desired.

Just before serving, season with butter, pepper, salt and a dash of celery salt.

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS, BEAN, PEA OR LENTIL

Cream of asparagus, bean, pea or lentil can be made according to recipe for cream of celery (omitting cel­ery saft).

CREAM OF RICE OR POTATO

Cream of rice or potato can also be made as above recipes, using onion (a small piece) to flavor the potato soup, and a dash of celery salt for the cream of rice.

The group of cream soups herein given are ex­ceedingly nourishing, and with some solid or hard bread that requires thorough mastication they would constitute a sufficient meal for the ordinary worker.

The cook should exercise great care in mixing, in order to prevent the cornstarch or solid substance from forming into lumps and the milk from curdling. A little patience and experimentation will very soon master the art of making these delicious soups.

PEA, BEAN OR LENTIL (Dried) Place in a deep vessel the quantity desired, cover with hot water and allow to stand over night, then cook until soft. Mash through a sieve.

To 1 cup of pulp or puree add about 3 cups of milk, allow to boil and stir in one teaspoon of thoroughly dissolved corn starch or enough to thicken to the consis­tency desired. Season with butter, pepper and salt just before serving.

NOTE: This pulp or puree will keep several days in a cool place and is very delicious properly seasoned and warmed or browned in an oven.

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