Chapter V: Part 5

Divide slices of lemons into four parts, and use on salads and other dishes, placing the points toward the center.

HOW TO CUT BREAD

Bread should be cut into smooth, even slices, not too thick, the full length or width of the loaf. If large, the slices may be divided. The Clauss, or scalloped-edged, bread-knife does the work nicely. If bread or cake is to be cut while warm, the knife should first be heated.

NUT RELISH

Take one cup of almond or peanut butter, one cup of dried figs, or seedless raisins, and one cup of gluten. Mix well together, then grind twice through a nut mill. Mold into a square pan, then cut into inch squares one-half inch thick, similar in size to caramels.

NUT DAINTIES

Crack English walnuts so as not to break the meats. Take the two halves from each nut and press on each side of a nut relish square. When sufficient are prepared, place in a dish with an equal number of olives.

A WEEK’S MENU

FIRST DAY

_Breakfast_

Fresh Fruit
Oatmeal Mush Breakfast Rolls
Zwieback Stewed Fruit
Cereal Coffee

_Dinner_

Split Pea Soup
Mashed Potatoes with Brown Sauce
Scalloped Tomatoes Brown Bread
French Rolls Baked Apples
Rice Custard

SECOND DAY

_Breakfast_

Fresh Fruit
Corn Flakes
Graham Gems Whole Wheat Crisps
Egg Toast Cereal Coffee

_Dinner_

Potato Soup
Boiled Potatoes Baked Beans
Stewed Cauliflower
Brown and White Bread Rusks
Bananas Pumpkin Pie

THIRD DAY

_Breakfast_

Boiled Rice
Baked Potatoes Plain Omelet
Cream Toast Sticks
Hot Milk

_Dinner_

Bean Soup
Mashed Potatoes Stewed Turnips
Brown and White Bread
Peach Pie Fruit Biscuit

FOURTH DAY

_Breakfast_

Fresh Apples Cream of Wheat
Toast with Cream
Rice Waffles Stewed Pears
Cereal Coffee

_Dinner_

Lentil Soup
Baked Sweet Potatoes, Cream Sauce
Tomato Salad
Boiled Beans with Rice
Corn-meal Gems Sago Pudding

FIFTH DAY

_Breakfast_

Fresh Fruit
Graham Mush with Dates
Oatmeal Gems Baked Sweet Apples
Berry Toast Cambric Tea

_Dinner_

Vegetable Soup
Potatoes with Cream Stewed Asparagus
Boiled Sweet Corn
Brown and White Bread
Stewed Prunes Cream Pie

SIXTH DAY

_Breakfast_

Corn-meal Mush
Rice Cakes Stewed Fruit
Whole Wheat Bread Egg Toast
Cereal Coffee or Hot Milk

_Dinner_

Rice Soup
Mashed Potatoes Green Peas
Succotash
Brown and White Bread
Apple Float Raised Biscuits

SABBATH

_Breakfast_

Oranges and Bananas
Graham Mush with Dates
Stewed Prunes
Parker House Rolls
Brown and White Bread
Cereal Coffee

_Dinner_

Split Pea and Vermicelli Soup
Baked Beans
Warmed-up Potatoes Fruit Buns
Brown and White Bread
Lemon or Prune Pie Orangeade
Fresh Fruit and Nuts

NOTE.—The above is simply suggestive, and may be simplified, enlarged, or varied as desired. It is not supposed that every person shall necessarily eat everything indicated for each meal. Some will prefer the grain and vegetable dishes; others the grain and fruit. If a third meal is eaten, either at middle or close of day, it should be light and simple,—a mere lunch.

“REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY”

SABBATH DINNERS

The Sabbath is the day of rest. In order that it may be devoted by all to religious exercises, holy meditation, and spiritual delight, it should be as free as possible from the ordinary duties and cares of life. To make it thus, preparation on the day before is necessary. The Lord calls the day before the Sabbath “the preparation” day. Luke 23:54. Of the work to be done on this day he says: “To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord: bake that which ye will bake to-day, and seethe [boil] that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.” Ex. 16:23.

The Sabbath should not be made a day of feasting. The labor of the week being laid aside, a moderate amount of plain, wholesome food is all that is necessary. To gormandize on this day, as is the custom with many, causes the mind to become dull and stupid, and unfits it for spiritual devotion.

With proper planning, very little, if any, cooking need ever be done on the Sabbath, aside from simply warming over some of the foods prepared the previous day.

Brown bread, fruit bread-sticks, or French rolls; warmed up potatoes, or potatoes with cream; baked or boiled beans; split pea or lentil soup, with croutons; sago, tapioca, or some other simple pudding or pie; canned or stewed fruit; and fresh fruits and nuts, make an excellent Sabbath dinner. All these may be prepared on the previous day. The potatoes may be boiled ready to warm up, the beans baked or boiled, the peas or lentils cooked and rubbed through a colander ready to add the seasoning and necessary water for soup, the croutons prepared, the fruit stewed, the pudding or pie baked, and the nuts cracked. Then the dinner may be made ready quickly, and with but little effort.

FOOD COMBINATIONS

Because of their chemical nature, the time required to digest them, and the place where, and the juices with which, they are digested, some foods do not combine as well as others. While the young and those with sound stomachs and vigorous digestion may experience little or no inconvenience from improper and more varied combinations, to continue their use is likely in time seriously to impair the digestion. Dyspeptics and those troubled with slow digestion will find it to their advantage to avoid such combinations as fruits and vegetables, milk and vegetables, sugar and milk, milk and fruits; and, when fruits are taken, to eat them at the close of the meal. The following are good combinations: Grains and fruits; fruits and nuts; grains, fruits, and nuts; grains, legumes, and vegetables; grains and milk. An excellent rule to follow is to avoid a large variety at any meal, and let natural cravings indicate largely the kinds of food eaten. Above all, use common sense, and relish what you eat.

TIME REQUIRED TO DIGEST VARIOUS FOODS

Hrs. Mins.

Rice 1 00
Apples, sweet, mellow, raw 1 00
Granola 1 00
Eggs, whipped 1 30
Trout, boiled 1 30
Venison, broiled 1 35
Sago 1 45
Tapioca 2 00
Barley 2 00
Eggs raw 2 00
Apples, sour, mellow, raw 2 00
Milk, boiled 2 00
Milk, raw 2 15
Turkey, boiled 2 25
Parsnips, boiled 2 30
Potatoes, baked 2 30
Beans, string, boiled 2 30
Cabbage, raw 2 30
Turkey, roasted 2 30
Goose, roasted 2 30
Lamb, boiled 2 30
Oysters, raw 2 55
Eggs, soft boiled 3 00
Beef, lean, raw, roasted 3 00
Beefsteak, broiled 3 00
Chicken soup, boiled 3 00
Mutton, broiled 3 00
Bean soup 3 00
Mutton, roasted 3 15
Bread, corn-meal 3 15
Mutton soup 3 30
Bread, white 3 30
Potatoes, boiled 3 30
Turnips, boiled 3 30
Eggs, hard boiled 3 00
Eggs, fried 3 30
Oysters, stewed 3 30
Butter, melted 3 30
Cheese 3 30
Beets, boiled 3 45
Corn and Beans, green 3 45
Veal, broiled 4 00
Fowl, broiled 4 00
Beef, lean, fried 4 00
Salmon, salted, boiled 4 00
Beef, salted, boiled 4 15
Soup, marrow-bone 4 15
Pork, salted, fried 4 15
Veal, fried 4 30
Duck, roasted 4 30
Cabbage, boiled 4 30
Pork, roasted 5 15

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FOODS

The nutritive food elements are classified into three groups. The _nitrogenous_, or muscle- and tissue-building; the _carbonaceous_, or heat- and energy-producing; and the _mineral_, or the bone- and nerve-building.

Albumen, gluten, and casein belong to the nitrogenous; starch, sugar, and fats to the carbonaceous; and salts, cellulose portions, and inorganic substances to the mineral.

The nitrogenous elements are of prime importance, as they nourish the brain, nerves, muscles, and the more highly vitalized tissues of the body. The carbonaceous, however, are required in much larger quantities, the correct proportion being about eight or ten of carbonaceous to one of nitrogenous.

────────────────┬─────────────┬──────────────┬─────────┬──────────
│ │ │ │ Total
FOODS │ Nitrogenous │ Carbonaceous │ Mineral │ Nutritive
│ │ │ │ Value
────────────────┼─────────────┼──────────────┼─────────┼──────────
GRAINS │ │ │ │
Wheat │ 10.8 │ 72.5 │ 1.7 │ 85.0
Barley │ 6.3 │ 76.7 │ 2.0 │ 85.0
Oats │ 12.6 │ 69.4 │ 3.0 │ 85.0
Rye │ 8.0 │ 75.2 │ 1.8 │ 85.0
Corn │ 11.1 │ 73.2 │ 1.7 │ 86.0
Rice │ 6.3 │ 80.2 │ 0.5 │ 87.0
│ │ │ │
FRUITS │ │ │ │
Banana │ 4.8 │ 20.2 │ 0.8 │ 25.8
Date │ 9.0 │ 58.0 │ ... │ 67.0
Grape │ 0.8 │ 14.3 │ 0.3 │ 15.4
Apple │ 0.2 │ 10.3 │ 0.4 │ 10.9
Pear │ 0.2 │ 10.2 │ 0.3 │ 10.7
Peach │ 0.4 │ 7.8 │ 0.4 │ 8.6
Plum │ 0.2 │ 9.3 │ 0.6 │ 10.1
Cherry │ 0.9 │ 15.3 │ 0.6 │ 16.8
Blackberry │ 0.5 │ 5.8 │ 0.4 │ 6.7
Gooseberry │ 0.4 │ 8.9 │ 0.3 │ 9.6
Raspberry │ 0.5 │ 6.4 │ 0.5 │ 7.4
Currant │ 0.4 │ 5.0 │ 0.5 │ 5.9
Apricot │ 0.5 │ 12.2 │ 0.8 │ 13.5
│ │ │ │
VEGETABLES │ │ │ │
Arrowroot │ ... │ 82.0 │ ... │ 82.0
Potato │ 2.1 │ 22.2 │ 0.7 │ 25.0
Sweet Potato │ 1.5 │ 27.5 │ 2.6 │ 31.6
Carrot │ 1.3 │ 14.7 │ 1.0 │ 17.0
Beet │ 1.5 │ 11.3 │ 3.7 │ 16.5
Parsnip │ 1.1 │ 15.9 │ 1.0 │ 18.0
Cabbage │ 0.9 │ 4.1 │ 0.6 │ 5.6
Turnip │ 1.2 │ 7.2 │ 0.6 │ 9.0
│ │ │ │
LEGUMES │ │ │ │
Peas │ 23.8 │ 60.8 │ 2.1 │ 86.7
Beans │ 30.8 │ 50.2 │ 3.5 │ 84.5
Lentils │ 25.2 │ 58.6 │ 2.3 │ 86.1
│ │ │ │
NUTS │ │ │ │
Peanut │ 28.3 │ 48.0 │ 3.3 │ 79.6
Almond │ 23.5 │ 60.8 │ 3.0 │ 87.3
Cocoanut │ 5.6 │ 43.9 │ 1.0 │ 50.5
Walnut │ 15.8 │ 60.4 │ 2.0 │ 88.2
Hazelnut │ 17.4 │ 60.8 │ 2.5 │ 89.7
│ │ │ │
SWEETS │ │ │ │
Sugar │ ... │ 95.0 │ ... │ 95.0
Molasses │ ... │ 77.0 │ ... │ 77.0
│ │ │ │
MILK │ │ │ │
New Milk │ 4.1 │ 9.1 │ 0.8 │ 14.0
Cream │ 2.7 │ 29.5 │ 1.8 │ 34.0
Skimmed Milk │ 4.0 │ 7.2 │ 0.8 │ 12.0
│ │ │ │
MEATS │ │ │ │
Lean Mutton │ 18.3 │ 4.9 │ 4.8 │ 28.0
Lean Beef │ 19.3 │ 3.6 │ 5.1 │ 28.0
Veal │ 16.5 │ 15.8 │ 4.7 │ 37.0
Pork │ 9.8 │ 48.9 │ 2.3 │ 61.0
Poultry │ 21.0 │ 3.8 │ 1.2 │ 26.0
White Fish │ 18.1 │ 2.9 │ 1.0 │ 22.0
Salmon │ 16.1 │ 5.5 │ 1.4 │ 23.0
Egg │ 14.0 │ 10.5 │ 1.5 │ 26.0
────────────────┴─────────────┴──────────────┴─────────┴──────────

NOTE.—From the above it will be seen that grains, legumes, nuts, and sweets, as well as some fruits and vegetables, contain more nourishment than do meats.

HOW TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN

The fact that many people abstain from flesh food altogether, and maintain their full vigor, is good proof that the eating of flesh-meat is not essential to either life or health. But those accustomed all their life to the use of meat may need to use a little caution in making a change to a vegetarian diet. A good way to begin might be to limit one’s self at first to the use of meat once or twice a week, discarding it as better foods are substituted. The British Vegetarian Society, in “How to Begin,” gives the following suggestions for those desiring to make this change:—

1. _Steadily persevere._

2. _Use Variety._—Nature affords the most bountiful abundance. Have something new on your table frequently, especially fruits.

3. _Choose foods which compel mastication._

4. _Drink Little._—If fruits be used plentifully—condiments, hot foods, and stimulants avoided, and frequently bathing practised—little drink will be required.

5. _Prefer natural to manufactured foods._

6. _Avoid Excess._—Most people eat too much; a smaller quantity of food, well masticated, will nourish and sustain the system best.

7. _Eat Seldom._—Not more than thrice daily. “Little and often” is an unwise maxim for any healthy person. And if you wish sound sleep, and an appetite for breakfast, avoid suppers.

8. _Let your food be attractively prepared._

9. _See That Your Life be Right in Other Respects._—Eat food which is pure of its kind, agreeably prepared, at right times, and in right quantities; breathe pure air by night and by day; take physical exercise (if possible in the open air) daily; and practise strict cleanliness.

10. _Get Mind and Body in Harmony._—Remember that man’s physical condition, and the state of his spiritual and mental faculties are closely and mutually inter-dependent. It is, therefore, a primary essential to keep these also in health; and to see that they be usefully, tranquilly, and constantly occupied and cultivated.

VEGETARIANISM IN LONDON

Vegetarianism has worked an improvement, and its many restaurants in London show how the taste for this diet has been on the increase of late. One very great and undeniable advantage in the teaching of this school is the showing us how many foods we possess, and how few, comparatively speaking, we have used. Also, it proves to us how much cheaper we could live by utilizing all the foods at our command except meat, and abstaining from it.—_Mrs. Beeton._

RULES FOR DYSPEPTICS

DYSPEPSIA, or indigestion, is coming to be so general as to demand serious attention. The following rules will be found valuable to those suffering with this complaint:—

1. Eat slowly, chewing the food very thoroughly, even more so, if possible, than is required in health. The more time the food spends in the mouth, the less it will need to spend in the stomach.

2. Avoid drinking at meals; at most, take a few sips of warm drink at the close of the meal, if the food is very dry.

3. In general, dyspeptic stomachs manage dry food better than that containing much fluid.

4. Eat neither very hot nor very cold food. The best temperature is about that of the body. Avoid exposure to cold after eating.

5. Be careful to avoid excess in eating. Eat no more than the wants of the system require. Sometimes less than is really needed must be taken when the digestion is very weak. Strength depends not on what is eaten, but on what is digested.

6. Never take violent exercise, either mental or physical, just before or just after a meal. Do not go to sleep immediately after eating.

7. Do not eat more than three times a day, and make the last meal very light. For many dyspeptics two meals are better than more.

8. Avoid eating two meals too close together, as this is one of the most prolific causes of indigestion.

9. Observe regularity in eating; do not eat between meals.

10. Never eat when very tired, whether exhausted from mental or physical labor. Rest first.

11. Never eat when the mind is worried, or the temper is ruffled, if possible to avoid doing so.

12. Eat only food that is easy of digestion, avoiding complicated and indigestible dishes, and taking from but one to three kinds at a meal.

13. Omit a meal occasionally, or fast a day. This will give the stomach time to rest and recuperate, and will be found beneficial.

14. If the stomach or bowels feel weak or tender, apply hot fomentations over them.

15. Most persons will be benefited by the use of oatmeal, Graham flour, cracked wheat, whole wheat flour, and other whole-grain preparations, though many will find it necessary to avoid vegetables, especially when fruits are taken.

THE PULSE IN HEALTH

PER MIN. │ PER MIN.
At birth 150-130 │ Three years 100-90
One month 140-120 │ Seven years 80
Six months 130 │ Fourteen years 85-80
One year 120-108 │ Adult age 75-70
Two years 110-100 │ Old age 65-60

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES FOR THE KITCHEN

3 teaspoonfuls 1 tablespoonful
16 tablespoonfuls 1 cupful
2 cupfuls about 1 pint
4 cupfuls ” 1 quart
2 cupfuls of granulated sugar ” 1 pound
3 cupfuls brown sugar ” 1 pound
2 cupfuls of butter ” 1 pound
2 cupfuls of flour or oatmeal ” 1 pound
4 cupfuls of sifted flour ” 1 pound
1 pint of liquid ” 1 pound
10 eggs ” 1 pound
1 egg ” 2 ounces
1 heaping tablespoonful of sugar ” 1 ounce
2 rounding tablespoonfuls of flour ” 1 ounce
1 tablespoonful of butter ” 1 ounce
5 heaping tablespoonfuls of flour ” 1 cupful
7 heaping tablespoonfuls of sugar ” 1 cupful

HOUSEHOLD HINTS

Every housewife should take pride in keeping her home neat and tidy. “Order is heaven’s first law.”

Sinks and drains should be frequently cleaned and disinfected.

Dish-cloths should always be washed out after using; otherwise they are liable to become foul and full of germs.

After washing the dishes, pour over them scalding water, and wipe quickly with a clean dry cloth. This insures cleanliness, and gives a nice polish.

Scour steel knives after each meal.

Sweep out the corners, and under the tables and chairs as well as the middle of the room. “Dirt may be hated, but should never be hidden.”

Pare vegetables and fruits thin; study how to use left-over foods; save the bread crumbs for puddings and scalloped vegetables. “Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.”

INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS

PAGE

IMPORTANCE OF GOOD COOKING 4

SOUPS 7

CEREALS 13

TOASTS 18

BREADS 21

FRUITS 35

VEGETABLES 47

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS 58

SUBSTITUTES FOR MEATS 60

EGGS 66

OMELETS 68

PUDDINGS 69

CUSTARDS AND CREAMS 75

SAUCES 77

PIES 80

CAKES 86

WHOLESOME DRINKS 91

SPECIALLY PREPARED HEALTH FOODS 94

SIMPLE DISHES FOR THE SICK 98

FOOD FOR INFANTS 101

MISCELLANEOUS 102

A WEEK’S MENU 105

SABBATH DINNERS 106

FOOD COMBINATIONS 107

TIME REQUIRED TO DIGEST VARIOUS FOODS 107

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF FOODS 108

HOW TO BECOME A VEGETARIAN 109

RULES FOR DYSPEPTICS 110

THE PULSE IN HEALTH 111

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES FOR THE KITCHEN 111

HOUSEHOLD HINTS 111

* * * * * *

Transcriber’s note:

Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected.

All chapter headings are heavily illustrated, so they have been replaced with plain, centred, text.

The ‘INDEX TO DEPARTMENTS’, effectively a table of contents, is the last section of the book. It has been copied to the beginning for the convenience of readers.