Hum AX Nutrition. 791 



Eggs make a good illustration of the action of heat on our best known 

 proteids. It has been found that eggs will cook, that is, become firm 

 and lose their transparency, at a temperature considerably below that 

 of boiling water. The firmness of a " hard " egg cooked below boiling 

 point is quite different from that of the boiled eggs. It is crisper, easier 

 to cleave and break up into small particles and is less like leather. It 

 takes a much longer time to cook an egg at the lower temperature but 

 the result is worth the trouble any time, for we have produced some- 

 thing that is both more palatable and more easily digested. 



The underlying principle in cooking protein foods, if we use the egg as 

 an illustration, is to keep the food tender by avoiding too high a tempera- 

 ture. 



Directions for cooking eggs in water. 



Allow I pint boiling water for each egg. 



Put eggs into bowl or kettle and pour the boiling water over them. Cover 

 closely at once and set on back of stove where they will not heat any more. The 

 coldness of the egg reduces the temperature of the water to about the point that 

 gives the best results. 



For soft eggs, let stand 5 to 10 minutes, according to firmness desired. 



For hard eggs, let stand 45 minutes. 



The same principles that apply to the above method of cooking eggs 

 should be made to apply to all egg cookery. Eggs that are poached 

 slowly in water below the boiling point, eggs that are carefully scrambled 

 over a moderate heat, omelet that is cooked at a low temperature, are 

 all more palatable than the tougher products of higher temperatures. 



Custard mixtures. When eggs are thoroughly mixed with a liquid 

 and heat is applied, the hardening of the proteid causes the mixture 

 to thicken. This characteristic of proteid is applied to the preparation 

 of a class of dishes known as custards. A custard is a mixture of milk 

 and eggs which depends upon the hardening of the proteid of the egg 

 by the action of heat to thicken it. If the mixture is heated at a low 

 temperature, the particles of egg remain evenly divided throughout 

 the liquid and smoothness results. If the temperature is high and the 

 cooking continues too long, the particles of egg become harder and 

 gather together, and the custard is said to curdle or separate. 



The underlying principle in cooking custard mixtures is to -retain smooth- 

 ness by avoiding high temperatures. This is best accomplished by 

 cooking the mixture over water just below the boiling point. In baking 

 custards, the pan containing the custard is set in a pan of water which 

 should be hot but which should not boil, if the custard is to be perfectly 

 smooth. Stirring the custard mixture while it is cooking gives a soft 

 custard. If a soft custard curdles, it is due to too great heat or too 

 prolonged cooking. It may be remedied in part by removal to a cold 



