Thickening For Stock

When thickening is needed for a clear soup, arrow-root, corn starch or fine ground tapioca should be used, decided preference being given the arrow-root. When no possible trace of thickening is desired, this will be by far the most satisfactory: Allow a table-spoonful of arrow-root to each quart of stock, wetting the arrow-root until smooth with a little of the liquid; and boil slowly for half an hour. Corn starch gives a little cloudiness to the soup, but it is used in the same proportion as arrow-root. Tapioca in the same proportion is sprinkled into the soup, which should be boiling hot, and should boil ten minutes after. This leaves small grains in the soup, which to many are not objectionable. Cream soups are thickened very delicately with the yolks of eggs, two yolks being allowed to a quart of soup. The yolks are beaten thoroughly and thinned with a little cold milk before being added to the soup, which should be served after only a moment's boiling.

Coloring For Stock

To color soup brown take equal parts of flour and butter and brown them in a frying-pan, stirring constantly to prevent burning; when well browned, add to the soup. A piece of bread toasted very brown, but in no case burned, may be simmered in the soup for ten minutes, serving to give it a darker color.

Many preparations are obtainable for coloring soups, such as soup paste, beef extract and caramel. The last is most frequently used and is easily made at home. Melt a cupful of sugar, either white or brown, with a table-spoonful of water in a frying-pan, stir until of a dark brown color, add a cupful of boiling water, stir for ten minutes and cool and bottle for use. Many housewives keep this caramel always ready for use; it may also be used for flavoring custards and pudding sauces, coloring jelly, etc.

Spinach greens, which some professional cooks use for coloring soup, is made thus: Pound the uncooked spinach well, adding a few drops of water; then place the whole in a cloth, squeeze the juice through, and put it over a good fire. When the liquor looks curdy, take it off, and strain through a sieve. What remains on the sieve is the coloring matter, and the juice that is strained off is not used.

To Be Served In Soup

Clear soup is much improved by dropping into the tureen before serving a number of poached eggs that have been cooked in salted water and neatly trimmed around, one egg being provided for each plate. Slices of lemon are sometimes added just before serving the soup, one slice for each one at table; or the same number of yolks of hard boiled eggs may be dropped into the soup. Fried bread may, if desired, be served with soup. This is made by cutting neat slices of bread half an inch thick, trimming off the crusts, and dividing the slices into . half-inch cubes, which are then placed in a frying basket and plunged into hot fat; they should brown at once. These cubes may be prepared some time before they are needed and set away for use. The hot soup is poured over them when served. Crisped crackers are often served with vegetable soups and oyster stews and in fish chowders. They are first buttered and then browned in the oven, with the buttered side up.

A great many different kinds of fried and baked balls are made to be served in soup, and the varieties are here given.