When strong flavored vegetables, such as cabbage, cauliflower, or onions, lose their color, are rather strong in flavor and throw off an unpleasant odor while cooking, the vegetable has not been put to cook in boiling water and the kettle in which it was cooked has been covered. Never start vegetables cooking in water under the boiling point. For the strong flavored vegetables use a quantity of water, but for the green, more delicate flavored ones use little water; add salt before the vegetables and cook in an uncovered kettle and they will retain their full flavor and bright green color. When a quantity of water is used to cook such vegetables as peas, spinach, string beans, etc., much of the valuable properties of the food are lost and thrown away. Many vegetables are overcooked until the best flavor is entirely destroyed. Cabbage is an example; it is usually cooked until limp and heavy, and while it may taste palatable, is most indigestible. Cabbage cooks very quickly and is done when tender.

Mayonnaise dressing separates if the oil is added too quickly or if all the ingredients are not of the same temperature.

A teaspoonful of vinegar or lemon juice added to the egg yolks before any of the oil is used will aid in keeping the dressing smooth. If the dressing should curdle add it very slowly to another egg yolk.

French dressing should be thick. This is easily accomplished by putting all the ingredients in a small covered fruit jar and shaking until the mixture thickens.

Fried foods, as croquettes, fritters, doughnuts, etc., become soaked with fat if the oil or lard they are fried in was not sufficiently heated. The temperature of the fat should be tested before any food is fried, and this should be repeated each time food is added, as the fat usually cools somewhat with each addition of cold food. Heat fat until a faint trace of smoke can be seen over the surface, then test. It should never be heated until the kitchen is filled with an unpleasant haze of smoke. If properly done, deep fat frying will be more satisfactory and food will absorb less fat than when cooked in a frying pan.

Sauces and gravies have a layer of fat on top when more fat is used than flour. The flour and fat should be in equal quantities; allow from 1 to 2 tablespoonfuls of each to a cupful of liquid, according to the thickness desired for the sauce.

Omelets are tough when cooked too rapidly. Dumplings are heavy if the liquid is not kept constantly boiling and if the cover of the kettle does not fit closely or has been removed before the dumplings are cooked. They should be dropped into rapidly boiling liquid, covered closely and cooked 12 minutes before cover is removed.

True sponge cakes (those made without baking powder) are coarse in texture and dry if eggs are not carefully beaten with a whip egg beater to inclose all the air possible, then baked in a very moderate oven.

Baking powder biscuits, muffins and all quick breakfast breads require a hot oven or they will not be light.

Popover and cream puffs fall when they have not been baked long enough.

Cakes that rise in the center and crack have been baked in too hot an oven or contain too much flour.

Cakes that are soggy in the center have not been thoroughly baked. The center is the last part to bake, and before removing from the oven touch the center lightly; if the finger makes an imprint the cake is not baked sufficiently; if it springs back the cake is done.

To prevent milk from separating when making a cream of tomato soup, heat milk and add the thickening. Combine milk and tomatoes just before serving.

Boiled or baked custards that have curdled have been cooked too fast or too long. A boiled custard that has curdled may be redeemed by pouring the mixture immediately into a cold bowl and beating until smooth with a rotary egg beater. It will never be quite so creamy, however. Baked custard and all forms of custard puddings should be set in a pan of hot water to bake. This will usually prevent too rapid cooking. The water is kept below the boiling point.

Fruit cake is light in color if baked too rapidly; it is also apt to be bitter.

Cereals should be cooked in boiling water. They should cook directly over the fire for 5 minutes; then cook over hot water (in a double boiler) for the time required. Cereal cannot be completely cooked directly over the flame, as it soon thickens and then will burn. The starch requires cooking to be digestible, and cooking over hot water is the only method whereby it is possible to cook cereal sufficiently.

These are only a few suggestions, and yet the success of cookery depends much upon such details, unimportant as they seem.