Domestic

New Zealand Tablet, 24 April 1924, Page 49

Domestic

By M a nre^j By Maureen aae !.t. aa—bb—Bß

Oatmeal '"Pudding. ''Grate four tablespoonsful of brown breadcrumbs very fine, and mix with two ounces of fine oatmeal; pour one pint of boiling milk gradually, mix well, and let cool. Then add two well-beaten eggs, sweeten to taste, add two ounces of sultanas, grate a little nutmeg over, place in a- greased basin, cover with greased paper, and steam for one hour. Turn out to serve; warm some treacle, and pour it round. Lemon Arrowroot. Mix in a bowl a dessertspoonful of white sugar with three of arrowroot. Squeeze the juice of one large lemon on to this, pour over boiling water whilst stirring briskly till the arrowroot is quite clear, but do* not use more water than is just, necessary, or the arrowroot will be too thin. Pour into a wetted mould; when cold loosen the edges with a sharp knife and turn it out. Sweeten some rich cream, whip it up thoroughly and serve round the dish. Coloring for Gravy and Soup, A good coloring for soups, gravies, sauces, etc., can be made as follows; —Melt \1 b of granulated sugar in a stewpan until if is a very rich, dark brown, “almost black.” Stir constantly; great care must be taken that it does not burn. 'When done, pour over carefully a quart of boiling water, and let it cook until the caramel is entirely dissolved. Pour it out, and when cold strain and bottle. It will keep any length of time. Use a tablespoonful to a pint of liquid. To Cook Parsnips. This nourishing and excellent vegetable is apt to lie despised where the only method of cooking it seems to he boiling it in water and serving it dry. No wonder it is despised. The French method o? serving parsnips a la creme is quite simple to prepare, and makes a high-class vegetable dish at little cost. Method: Cut the parsnips into short thick cubes, boil in salted water for five minutes, and drain; this removes the strong flavor. Now place the vegetables in a small pan with a good slice of butter and milk just to cover. Put on the lid and simmer until quite tender; thicken with a spoonful of cornflour mixed with a little milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg, let all boil for five minutes to cook the sauce. Especially delicious with roast or boiled mutton. Food in Cold Weather. (By a Hospital Superintendent in a London Paper.) What is the proper diet when the weather is cold? The Eskimo consumes the blubber of seals, and the south-

erner enjoys his fruit and salads. The moral is obvious. Our diet charts should be regulated by climatical conditions! In the absence of direct sunlight, animal food in some form is vitally necessary. There are no vegetarians among the races who live close to the Arctic Circle. Meat is Nature's substitute for the sun. It is to us what fuel is to a boiler —it heats the system and enables the blood to fulfil its functions of feeding the brain and the body. Diet would obviate many of winter's physical evils. Over-feeding is as injurious as under-feeding. It may sound paradoxical, but the more we eat the less we feed ourselves. The real value of food is not the amount consumed, but the quantity assimilated. "How much can I eat?" should give place to "How much can I digest?" Under-feeding reduces the vitality of the body, and renders it more susceptible to ailments such as pneumonia, influenza, and even tuberculosis. # lt is almost impossible to formulate a universal diet chart." The infinite variability of constitution between one person and another led to the old proverb: "One man's meat may be another man's poison." Certain definite principles may be suggested: An exceptional meal need not be disdained, but it is wise to protect the organism by eating sparingly the next day. It is not what one does occasionally, but the habitual indulgence which counts. 'Water is more valuable for what it carries away than for what it contributes. It is wise to drink at least a pint of it a few hours after a heavy meal. "Our graves are dug by our teeth." Mastication sounds the death knell to indigestion. In cold weather particularly, diet and health are closely inter-linked. Take care of the first and the second will take care of itself.