Dishes for invalids should be served in the daintiest and most
attractive way; never send more than a supply for one meal; the same
dish too frequently set before an invalid often causes a distaste,
when perhaps a change would tempt the appetite.
When preparing dishes where milk is used, the condition of the patient
should be considered. Long cooking hardens the albumen and makes the
milk very constipating; then, if the patient should be already
constipated, care should be taken not to heat the milk above the
boiling point.
The seasoning of food for the sick should be varied according to the
condition of the patient; one recovering from illness can partake of a
little piece of roast mutton, chicken, rabbit, game, fish, simply
dressed, and simple puddings are all light food and easily digested. A
mutton chop, nicely cut, trimmed and broiled, is a dish that is often
inviting to an invalid. As a rule, an invalid will be more likely to
enjoy any preparation sent to him if it is served in small delicate
pieces. As there are so many small, dainty dishes that can be made for
this purpose, it seems useless to try to give more than a small
variety of them. Pudding can be made of prepared barley, or tapioca,
well soaked before boiling, with an egg added, and a change can be
made of light puddings by mixing up some stewed fruit with the
puddings before baking; a bread pudding from stale bread crumbs, and a
tiny cup-custard, boiled in a small basin or cup; also various drinks,
such as milk punch, wine, whey, apple-toddy, and various other
nourishing drinks.