Lean, juicy beef, mutton, and veal, form the basis of all good soups; therefore it is advisable to procure those pieces which afford the richest succulence, and such as are fresh-killed. Stale meat renders them bad, and fat is not so well adapted for making them. The principal art in composing good rich soup, is to proportion the several ingredients that the flavor of one shall not predominate over another, and that all the articles of which it is composed, shall form an agreeable whole. To accomplish this, care must be taken that the roots and herbs are perfectly well cleaned, and that the water is proportioned to the quantity of meat and other ingredients. Generally a quart of water may be allowed to a pound of meat for soups, and half the quantity for gravies. In making soups or gravies, gentle stewing or simmering is the best. It may be remarked, however, that a really good soup can never be made but in a well-closed vessel, although, perhaps, greater wholesomeness is obtained by an occasional exposure to the air. Soups will, in general, take from three to six hours doing, and are much better prepared the day before they are wanted. When the soup is cold, the fat may be much more easily and completely removed; and when it is poured off, care must be taken not to disturb the settlings at the bottom of the vessel, which are so fine that they will escape through a sieve. A tamis is the best strainer, and if the soup is strained while it is hot, let the tamis or cloth be previously soaked in cold water. Clear soups must be perfectly transparent, and thickened soups about the consistence of cream. To thicken and give body to soups and gravies, potato-mucilage, arrow-root, bread-raspings, isinglass, flour and butter, barley, rice, or oatmeal, in a little water rubbed well together, are used. A piece of boiled beef pounded to a pulp, with a bit of butter and flour, and rubbed through a sieve, and gradually incorporated with the soup, will be found an excellent addition. When the soup appears to be  too thin  or  too weak , the cover of the boiler should be taken off, and the contents allowed to boil till some of the watery parts have evaporated; or some of the thickening materials, above mentioned, should be added. When soups and gravies are kept from day to day in hot weather, they should be warmed up every day, and put into fresh scalded pans or tureens, and placed in a cool cellar. In temperate weather, every other day may be sufficient.

Various herbs and vegetables are required for the purpose of making soups and gravies. Of these the principal are, Scotch barley, pearl barley, wheat flour, oatmeal, bread-raspings, pease, beans, rice, vermicelli, macaroni, isinglass, potato-mucilage, mushroom or mushroom ketchup, champignons, parsnips, carrots, beetroot, turnips, garlic, shalots and onions. Sliced onions, fried with butter and flour till they are browned, and then rubbed through a sieve, are excellent to heighten the colour and flavour of brown soups and sauces, and form the basis of many of the fine relishes furnished by the cook. The older and drier the onion, the stronger will be its flavour. Leeks, cucumber, or burnet vinegar; celery or celery-seed pounded. The latter, though equally strong, does not impart the delicate sweetness of the fresh vegetable; and when used as a substitute, its flavour should be corrected by the addition of a bit of sugar. Cress-seed, parsley, common thyme, lemon thyme, orange thyme, knotted marjoram, sage, mint, winter savoury, and basil. As fresh green basil is seldom to be procured, and its fine flavour is soon lost, the best way of preserving the extract is by pouring wine on the fresh leaves.

For the seasoning of soups, bay-leaves, tomato, tarragon, chervil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove, mace, black and white pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon-peel, and juice, and Seville orange-juice, are all taken. The latter imparts a finer flavour than the lemon, and the acid is much milder. These materials, with wine, mushroom ketchup, Harvey’s sauce, tomato sauce, combined in various proportions, are, with other ingredients, manipulated into an almost endless variety of excellent soups and gravies. Soups, which are intended to constitute the principal part of a meal, certainly ought not to be flavoured like sauces, which are only designed to give a relish to some particular dish.

Color Your Life With Cookware

One of the greatest delights in this world is eating; especially if the food is good. The more exceptional the food, the better your experience will be. Just as delightful is the actual cooking of the food. There is no restaurant in the world that can compete, even slightly, with a superb home cooked meal. There is just something that speaks to the heart and soul in a home cooked meal.

There is something that speaks just as strongly about the art of cooking. You can ask anyone who enjoys making a truly awesome meal and they will all tell you that the act of cooking followed by others’ enjoyment of the food is sheer bliss. One aspect of the whole process that can make of break your pleasure is your cookware. Trying to cook up a storm with warped, rusted, charred, chipped or broken cookware is a nightmare in the making. What you need is solid, top quality cast iron cookware.

Cooking To Your Heart’s Content

Cookware made from cast iron is probably the strongest, sturdiest and most reliable cookware you can find on the market today. Cast iron won’t rust from the damp in a kitchen if taken care of properly. Nor will cast iron burn if left over very high heat. Cookware made from cast iron also retains heat during and after your cooking session and it is very unlikely that this cookware will ever warp or wobble. These features make cast iron an attractive material for cookware to be made out of.

Aside from cookware made from cast iron, you could also choose from stainless steel and aluminum. Cast iron lends your cookware a mat black color that looks functional and does not show up scratches or blotches easily. Stainless steel gives you a beautiful, high shine finish that looks stylish and elegant. However, stainless steel also shows up scratches and marks relatively easily.

Aluminum, on the other hand, offers you an affordable range of cookware that gets the job done. Aluminum may not offer you the stylish shine of stainless steel or the incredible hardiness of cast iron but it does offer you a cheap workhorse for your busy kitchen. What you choose to help you make your food is important in allowing you to enjoy and savor the experience. It is all about the food, the end result, but it is the journey to the destination that is the best part, make your journey a good one with quality cookware.