This section is from the book "Cooking Hints and Helps to Reduce the Cost of Living", by Cecilia K. Bradt. Also available from Amazon: Cooking Hints And Helps To Reduce The Cost Of Living.
Save the water in which spinach or asparagus has been cooked. This water contains many valuable mineral salts. Use it instead of fresh water when making soup or boiling meat.
Potatoes baked or boiled in their jackets are more nutritious than those cooked after peeling. The skin prevents considerable nutriment from going to waste.
The water from boiled rice contains nutriment. Use it in cooking the breakfast cereal.
Much food, such as green vegetables and fruits, is wasted after purchasing, by spoiling before it is used. If properly cared for, much of this might be saved.
Spread out in a thin layer berries every sort, and keep them in a cool, dry and dark place. If they seem soft and unlikely to keep, stew them in a little sugar syrup.
Wash lettuce carefully, so as not to bruise. Put it, dripping, into a closely covered earthenware pot. Set in a cool place. Lettuce thus prepared will keep fresh and crisp for several days.
Celery, cress and endive should be treated the same way.
Set asparagus bunches in a few inches of cold water to keep them fresh; the water should not come more than half way up the stalks.
To keep egg yolks from drying, put in a jelly glass and just cover with olive oil. Put on ice and pour off the oil when ready to use. Cover egg whites with a little water.
Dry scraps of bread in the oven. When enough has accumulated, roll to powder with the rolling pin and put away in jars or tin boxes for croquettes, breading, etc.
Bits of Neufchatel or cream cheese may be served again by mixing them with butter or cream and spreading on thin crackers. Or, make them into sandwiches and serve with salad.
Potatoes should be thinly pared, as the best part lies next the skin.
If cheese becomes too hard for use on the table, grate it and put away in bottles. It may be used for macaroni, sandwiches, sauces and in many ways as a relish.
When eggs are high, wash each egg carefully before opening. Save the shells to clear coffee.
Save all fat fried out from cooking bacon and use it instead of butter for sauteing. This may also be used instead of fresh shortening in pancakes, waffles, and corn bread; also as the fat in vegetable purees.
If milk sours it may be used in cooking in place of sweet milk and baking powder, by using soda instead of the latter. Proportion, 1 teaspoon to a pint of sour milk. Many people prefer this sour milk in biscuits, pancakes, gems, etc.
Sour milk makes nutritious cheese called cottage cheese. Use milk which has loppered. When quite thick, hang in a cheesecloth bag to drain off the whey. Let drip over night, then salt and mix with cream to desired consistency, breaking up the curd with a fork.
Bread may be made with all water instead of milk if two additional teaspoons of shortening are used. Knead the bread half again as long as milk bread.
 
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