ooked for the table, the outer
stocks of celery, a hard boiled egg, etc., a very palatable and
nutritious soup may be made at a trifling cost. In families where
large quantities of meat are used, there should be sufficient material
without buying meat for soup. It is not necessary to have all the
ingredients mentioned in some recipes in order to secure satisfactory
results. It will, however, be necessary to understand soup flavorings,
so as to know which ones may be left out. Stock made from the shin of
beef, or from the cheaper pieces which contain the coarser fibre and
gristle, require long, slow cooking (see Methods).

Never soak meat in water before cooking in any form. Wipe carefully
with a damp cloth before cutting or preparing for use. For soup break
or saw the bones into small pieces, and for each pound of meat and
bone allow 1 qt. of cold water. Cover the kettle closely and let it
heat slowly until it reaches the simmering point, when it should be
moved back and kept at that degree for several hours. Soup should
never be allowed to boil hard. The scum which rises to the surface is
the albumen and juices of the meat, and should not be skimmed off. If
the kettle is clean, and all impurities removed from the meat, there
will not be anything objectionable in the scum. Stock must always be
allowed to remain until cold, so that the fat may be removed before
using. A strong, greasy soup is rarely relished, and is one of the
principal reasons why so many people dislike this valuable article of
diet. Do not add salt to the meat which is being prepared for stock
until a few minutes before removing from the fire. Salt hardens the
water if added at first and makes the tissues more difficult to
dissolve. Stock may be kept for several days by occasionally bringing
it to the boiling point. This is not necessary in winter if it is kept
in a cold place.

VEGETABLE SOUP.

1 qt. stock.
1/2 cup each chopped turnip and cabbage.
1 tsp. sugar.
1 ssp. pepper.
1/2 cup each of onion, carrot, celery (chopped).
1-1/2 tsp. salt.

If all these vegetables are not available, a little macaroni, rice or
barley may be added. Chop all the vegetables very fine, cabbage or
onions should be parboiled 5 minutes, drain carefully. Put all the
vegetables together, cover with 1 qt. of water and simmer until
tender, then add the stock, the seasoning, and allow it to simmer
about 10 minutes. Serve without straining.

T