This volume, the fourth of the Woman's Institute Library of Cookery,deals with salads, sandwiches, cold desserts, cakes, both large andsmall, puddings, pastry, and pies. Such foods constitute some of theniceties of the diet, but skill in their preparation signifies at once ahousewife's mastery of the science of cookery.
In Salads and Sandwiches are presented so simply the secrets ofappetizing salads that they can be grasped by even a novice, andsandwiches of numerous varieties, from those appropriate for afternoonteas to those suitable for the main dish in the meal, are so treatedthat they appear to rise above the ordinary place usually accorded them.One need never hesitate to prepare a menu for an afternoon or eveningsocial affair or the salad course in a luncheon or dinner after a studyof this part of the volume.
A glance through Cold and Frozen Desserts will convince one veryquickly that a large number of the desserts that complete our meals areserved cold. The mere mention of custards, gelatine desserts, and suchfrozen mixtures as ice creams, ices, frappés, sherbets, mousses,parfaits, and biscuits, all of which are explained here, is sufficientto indicate that this is an extremely delightful part of the subject ofcookery. Entertaining takes on a new and simplified meaning when oneknows how to make and serve such dishes.
To be able to make cakes and puddings well is one of the ambitions ofthe modern housewife, and she has an opportunity to realize it in astudy of Cakes, Cookies, and Puddings, Parts 1 and 2. Sweet food inexcess is undesirable, but in a moderate quantity it is required in eachperson's diet and may be obtained in this form without harm if it isproperly prepared.
The two classes of cakes--butter and sponge--are treated in detail bothas to the methods of making and the required ingredients, and numerousrecipes are given which will enable the housewife to provide both plainand fancy cakes for ordinary and special occasions. Puddings that areprepared by boiling, steaming, and baking, and the sauces that make themappetizing, receive a goodly share of attention.
Pastries and Pies completes this volume, rounding out, as it were, thehousewife's understanding of dessert making. To many persons, pastrymaking is an intricate matter, but with the principles thoroughlyexplained and each step clearly illustrated, delicious pies of everyvariety, as well as puff-paste dainties, may be had with verylittle effort.
Upon the completion of a study of this volume, the housewife will findherself equipped with a knowledge of the way to prepare many delicaciesfor her meals. While these are probably not so important in the diet asthe more fundamental foods, they have a definite place and shouldreceive the attention they deserve.