Food and Its Preparation 



371 



heat; in stewing it acts as a solvent as well. The advantage of 

 stewing is that in this way a very wholesome dish is prepared at a 

 minimum cost. The juice of a small piece of meat stewed with 

 a quantity of vegetables imparts its flavor ta the whole dish, and 

 requires much less fuel than roasting. This makes it desirable 

 from an economic point of view. 



Brown Brothers. 



LEARNING THE BEST WAY TO PREPARE FOOD 



Frying is commonly regarded as the poorest method of prepar- 

 ing meat. To fry a piece of meat is to cook it in hot fat. A hot 

 fire is necessary, for unless there is sufficient heat to coagulate 

 the surface of the meat the nutrient juices will escape and the 

 hot fat will soak into the meat, making it difficult to digest. 



Why Vegetable Food Should Be Cooked. Just as all 

 methods of applying heat change the condition of raw meat, soft- 

 ening the tissue and rendering it more easily chewed, so cooking 



