heavy course. Clearing soup is rather extravagant; however, while it
does not improve the taste, it does improve the appearance.

A very satisfactory way in which to clear stock is to use egg whites and
crushed egg shell. To each quart of cold stock should be added the
crushed shell and a slightly beaten egg white. These should be mixed
well, placed on the fire, and the mixture stirred constantly until it
boils. As the egg coagulates, some of the floating particles in the
stock are caught and carried to the top, while others are carried to the
bottom by the particles of shell as they settle. After the mixture has
boiled for 5 or 10 minutes, the top should be skimmed carefully and the
stock then strained through a fine cloth. When it has been reheated, the
cleared stock will be ready to serve.

32. THICKENING SOUP.--Although thin, clear soups are preferred by some
and are particularly desirable for their stimulating effect, thick soups
find much favor when they are used to form a substantial part of a meal.
Besides giving consistency to soup, thickening usually improves the
flavor, but its chief purpose is to give nutritive value to this food.
In fact, whenever a soup is thickened, its food value is increased by
the ingredient thus added. For this reason, it is advisable to thicken
soups when they are desired for any other purpose than their
stimulating effect.

33. The substance used to thicken soups may be either a starchy material
or food or a puree of some food. The starchy materials generally used
for this purpose are plain flour, browned flour, corn starch, and
arrowroot flour. Any one of these should be moistened with enough cold
water to make a mixture that will pour easily, and then added to the hot
liquid while the soup is stirred constantly to prevent the formation of