The Laurel Health Cookery: A Collection of Practical Suggestions and Recipes for the Preparation of Non-Flesh Foods in Palatable and Attractive Ways

Dry well, then increase the heat of the oven gradually and bake to a cream color all through. This process partially digests the starch and renders the bread crisp, tender, and nutty in flavor. Keep zwieback in a paper sack hanging near the fire and it will not loose its crispness. Eaten dry with porridge and other soft foods it furnishes material for mastication. It is also a suitable and delightful accompaniment to fruits and nuts, and may be used when toast points are called for as a garnish. A recipe for special zwieback bread will be found among the yeast recipes. Salt rising bread makes especially tender zwieback. When moist toast is desired, dip the crust part of the slice into the liquid first, then drop the whole slice in, taking it out quickly with a skimmer so that it will not be mushy, and lay it in a covered dish to steam for a few minutes. Always salt the water for dipping. When cream or milk are the liquids for dipping, do not have them quite boiling as boiling milk toughens the toast. Do not moisten toast when the dressing is thin enough to soften it. Prepared toast and dressing may be sent to the table separate and served on individual dishes. With many, acid or sub-acid fruit dressings served over moistened toast cause acidity in the stomach. Never use milk for moistening toast for fruit dressings, always water or cream. When delicate fruits are to be used, strain off the juice, bring it to the boiling point and thicken it a very little with cornstarch. When perfectly boiling add the fruit, heat carefully and dip over toast. Many little left-overs of foods may be made into dainty and satisfying dishes by being served on toast. =Blueberry Toast= The blueberry is one of the most suitable fruits for toasts. The slightly sweetened stewed fruit may be thickened without straining, as the berries do not break easily. Serve with Brazil nuts or dried blanched almonds, or with chopped or ground nuts. =Prune Toast= Use sweet California prunes stewed without