Page:Every Woman's Encyclopedia Volume 1.djvu/681

 655 kiT6HIN AND OOOKKRV COOKERY FOR INVALIDS I The Importance of Invalid Cookery— Foods Suitable and Unsuitable— Ho a^ to Serve Invalid M«al» Daintily— Some Useful Recipes T^HE manner in which food for invalids is cooked and served is a matter of such vast importance that it claims special and earnest attention. While disease is acute the actual cooking required for the patient's food is reduced to a minimum, but even then practical knowledge, science, and care are required, or the apparently simple nourishment may do harm instead of good. Doctors tell us over and over again that they frequently experience the greatest difficulty in obtaining perfectly made beef- tea, chicken jelly, and such-like sick-room fare, even in houses where the cook is accustomed to serve elaborate dinners. Such ignorance often renders the phy- sician's skill unavaihng. At all events, his efforts arc hampered unfairly, and the patient's recovery retarded owing to the lack of wisely selected dishes, correctly cooked and temptingly served. To quote a writer on culinary matters : " A woman may be excused if she cannot make a cake, but it should be regarded as a social crime if she is unable to prepare a cup of good beef-tea or some simple dish that will further, not re- tard, the in- valid's r e- covery." The most critical time for the patient and An attractively served meal for an invalid the period when ""'""^"''y ^°°^^'^' ^"' the temper, tact, and skill of the nurse and cook are most severely taxed, is when the crisis is over and the " feeding-up " stage I is reached, for the appetite of the con- valescent is fickle. i ■ RULES TO REMEMBER 1. The digestion of the invahd is very eeble. Therefore give foods so prepared hat the digestive organs have as little work o do as possible. 2. Foods suitable for the healthy are often worse than useless for invalids, for their digestions are too weak to be able to prepare them for absorption into the blood. 3. Avoid giving invalids veal, pork, idneys, liver, salmon, mackerel, eels, or any shell- fish (except oysters). Nor must rich cakes, pastry, rich soups or sauces and highly-spiced dishes be permitted. 4. Give strong, clear soups, broths, ght dishes of eggs, sole, whiting, oysters, hicken, and mutton, if meat is allowed. Quail, turkey, and pheasant arc also per- missible, if not the least high. A.sparagus, spinach, and mashed potatoes arc whole- some, and jelHes, custards, milk puddings and stewed fruits, freed from skin anrl stones' are all useful. 5. Do not ask the patient what he will like ; let the menu be a pleasant little surprise. 6. Offer all possible variety, even if only by varying the wearisome eggs and milk by novel touches of colour, mode of .serving and so forth, 7. Offer small quantities of food at regular, short intervals; this is far better than imagining a good round meal should be eaten at the orthodox hours. 8. Serve less than the patient will probably require ; never overload the plate in over-anxiety to " feed-up," or the result will generally be that the whole portion will be refused. Be ready, however, to offer a second helping. 9. Jelhes, blancmanges, puddings, etc., are all best made in tiny cups or moulds just sufficient for one meal. The appearance is more tempt- ing, and there is no risk of the cut surface be- coming dry and discoloured. 10. Make a net rule that ^i^l no food is left The wisely selects- not only in the patient's also temptingly served ^^^^ Not Onlv does the constant sight of food remove all desire for it, but the food deteriorates. It is specially harmful for milk, or prepara- tions of milk. II. Absolute cleanhness of all saucepans and cuhnary apparatus is most essential. otherwise the characteristically delicate flavours o^f invalid food will be spoilt. SERVING THE INVALID'S MEALS Do not rest content with cooking the meal perfectly, but serve it as attractively a.s possible. Use a light tray or bed-table, one of wicker is very good. Let all the silver, glass, etc., be as bright as rubbing will make them, and provide small, light glasses, spoons, cruet, and so forth. Massive silver is very desirable, but not when wrists and hands are weak from illness. Note that the tray-cloth is spotlessly clean, or an excellent plan is to use the pretty Japanese paper varieties. A fresh one can be put on each day — they make a