Page:The Boston cooking-school cook book (1910).djvu/128

 CHAPTER VII

EGGS

COMPOSITION

Proteid, 14.9% Fat, 10.6% Mineral matter, 1% Water, 73.5%

Eggs, like milk, form a typical food, inasmuch as they contain all the elements, in the right proportion, necessary for the support of the body. Their highly concentrated, nutritive value renders it necessary to use them in combination with other foods rich in starch (bread, potatoes, etc.). In order that the stomach may have enough to act upon, a certain amount of bulk must be furnished.

A pound of eggs (nine) is equivalent in nutritive value to a pound of beef. From this it may be seen that eggs, at even twenty-five cents per dozen, should not be freely used by the strict economist. Eggs being rich in proteid serve as a valuable substitute for meat. In most families, their use in the making of cake, custard, puddings, etc., renders them almost indispensable. It is surprising how many intelligent women, who look well to the affairs of the kitchen, are satisfied to use what are termed "cooking eggs"; this shows poor judgment from an economical standpoint. Strictly fresh eggs should always be used if obtainable. An egg after the first twenty-four hours steadily deteriorates. If exposed to air, owing to the porous structure of the shell, there is an evaporation of water, air rushes in, and decomposition takes place.

White of egg contains albumen in its purest form. Albumen coagulates at a temperature of from 134° to 160° F. Herein lies the importance of cooking eggs at a low temperature, thus rendering them easy of digestion. Eggs cooked