The fat used may be butter or the
drippings from the meat, the allowance being 2 tablespoonfuls to a cup
of liquid. The easiest way to mix the ingredients is to heat the fat,
add the flour and cook until the mixture ceases to bubble, and then to
add the liquid. This is a quick method and by using it there is little
danger of getting a lumpy gravy. Many persons, however, think it is
not a wholesome method, and prefer the old-fashioned one of thickening
the gravy by means of flour mixed with a little cold water. (Aunt
Sarah was one who thought thus.) The latter method is not "practicable
for brown gravies," to quote the _Farmers' Bulletin_.

The _Farmers' Bulletin_ further adds:

"Considering the large amount of discussion about the digestibility of
fried food and of gravies made by heating flour in fat, a few words on
the subject at this point may not be out of order. It is difficult to
see how heating the fat before adding the flour can be unwholesome,
unless the cook is unskillful enough to heat the fat so high that it
begins to scorch. Overheated fat, as has already been pointed out,
contains an acrid, irritating substance called 'Acrolein,' which may
readily be considered to be unwholesome. It is without doubt the
production of this body by overheating which has given fried food its
bad name. There are several ways of varying the flavor of gravies and
sauces. One should be especially mentioned here. The _flavor of
browned flour_--The good flavor of browned flour is often overlooked.
If flour is cooked in fat, until it is a dark brown color, a
distinctive and very agreeable flavor is obtained.

"This flavor combines very well with that of currant jelly, and a
little jelly added to a brown gravy is a great improvement. The flavor
of this should not be combined with that of onions or other
highly-flavored vegetables."

BUTTER, CHEESE AND SUET--A SUBSTITUTE FOR BUTTER

This formula for preparing a good, sweet, wholesome substitute for
butter to be used for baking and frying was given Aunt Sarah by a
thrifty German hausfrau, who prepared and used it in her large family
many years. Aunt Sarah always kept a supply on hand. It was made as
follows:

10 pounds of fine solid kidney suet.
10 pounds of clean pork fat.
10 pounds of butter.

The suet cut in small pieces was put in a large boiler of water,
boiled until all was melted, and the fat extracted from the suet. It
was then all poured through a fine sieve into a