The Portland daily press., 1875-07-20
THE FARM AND HOUSEHOLD.
A New Bill of Fare.

A New Bill of Fare.
No more important questions have ever
been considered, so far as the material pros
perity of the race is concerned, than, what
shall we eat? and what shall we drink? FIRE.
quently, and perhaps always, of vital impor-
tance to the individual man, they are also
most intimately connected with the problems
of social science and political economy, and
even the higher realm of ethics. No person.
can be more proftably employed than in the
endeavor to solve some of the still mooted
points which under such plain and homely
guise, do nevertheless involve mans happi-
ness or misery. Malthusian, Sanitarian,
philanthropist or economist, all alike may
find ample room and verge enough for wise
and profound thought and suggestion.
There is vague but prevailing impression
founded upon mistaken and unfortunate lit
eralness, rather than any true spiritual appre-
hension, that we are to take no thought as
to these two questions; that it is unworthy
the dignity or an heir of immortality to de-
scend to- the low plane of gastronomic discus
sion, and contend for the laurels which be-
long alone to the keepers or feeders of flocks
and herds. To this opinion we cannot assent.
On the contrary we think that in this very
direction lies the path of duty; and that in
difference and neglect are not only culpable,
but not seldom suicidal. That there are sub
jects of greater magnitude we admit, that in
the minds of some they may occupy too great
prominence, and engross too much of their
lives cannot be denied, but we affirm that in
body and soul the mass of mankind would be
better off, were more attention given to the
selection of the animal and vegetable sub
stances which they consume, and more care
and skill displayed in their preparation as ar
ticles of food. Ignoring entirely the mere
pleasure of the palate, and passing by the
luxuries and delicaces which hardly tempt
the cloyed senses of the epicure, and we find
in the domain of plain everyday cookery
room enough for the common sense scientist
and the philanthropic experim enter.
To prove that such matters have been and
still are worthy the notice of the statesman
and political economist, we have only to re-
fer to the potato of ireland, the oat of Scot
land, the barley of England, the grape of
France, the olive of Southern Europe, the
tea of China, and the rice of India, to show
how much they have had to do with devel-
oping and enstamping upon a race,
fixed national characteristics; and how
much they have advanced or retarded
commerce and civilization over the globe.
So far as the multitude of families are
concerned, we can only approximate the
magnitude of the considerations involved,
by referring to the question of economy, in
its relations to the production, or purchase,
or preparation of single article of food or
the higher sanitary point, relating to the
health of the body and the longevity of the
individual the still superior merits, of
those delightful daily contributions to ones
happiness, which serve to smooth the way to
a serene old age. We may say in passing that
ample qualification for devoting time and
money and skill to the preparation of food,
may be found in the single fact that thereby
every thing harmful can be eliminated; and so
the fortunate partaker, after his repast is over,
with sound mind in a sound body, gives
no more attention to the matter. The better
adapted food is 10 man, the less time and
thought need he give to it at least all the
emotions excited will be pleasurable. How
can the unfortunate sufferer from perverse
cookery lift up soul or body to any resolute
or useful performance, so long as the several
viands with which he trusted he had parted
company forever, still in remembrance rise;'
and the shades of victims foully murdered
rest heavily upon his spirit? Other things
being equal, we conclude, the wholesomer
the fare, the better the man.
We wish TO recognize the importance of
this field as to what has been already
accomplished, and especially what remains to
be done. So to the inquiring mind, the inven
tive genius, the lover of his race, we say en-
couragingly, and yet there is room. New
fields remain to be explored and annexed,
and in the Kingdom of Nature some of her
choicest treasures are still undiscovered. We
of the Anglo-Saxon blood, are inclined to
speak of the French as only volatile and mer-
curial nation of trifers; but we believe in
many respects their philosophy and practice
are profounder than ours: and certainly so
in the art and science of cooking. We are
disposed to believe the assertion of recent
writer, that the average French family can
be supported upon the waste of the average
American family. Any one can more readily
yield assent to such statement, who is at all
familiar with those wonderous ragouts and
soups which are founded upon the common
garden roots and herbs, and only some slight
suspicion of beef or bone. Who can tell how
much the culinary skill and economy of their
common households may have had to do
with meeting and discharging the great Ger
man Indebtedness. Honor to the grand ma
tlon; not SO much for he1 martial glory, as
that there and nowhere else we find men
like the savant who saw with such keen SEN
sibility the sad disparity between a score of
religions, and single sauce in England, and
the great reformer, Blots, who did so much to-
wards lifting up our gross gastronomy into
the region Of refinement and good sense.
Most heartily do we wish to commend the
persistent efforts of her practical and scieR-
tific men, who have endeavored to encourage
hippophagy, or the feeding ON horse flesh,
both by precept and example. Why should
not this noble animal, fed upon the same
food, and nurtured with more care than his
lower and coarser associate, the OK, furnish,
to say the least, as savory and nutritious
morsel for the table? We have only to recall
the absurd prejudices which have heretofore
existed against the introduction of new and
unfamiliar articles of food, to believe that
there are new delights yet in store for man
kind. That our readers may see some of
the advances made in our country, we copy
from the american Agricultmist:
In the July number, is notice of the seventh
Report of our esteemed correspondent, Prof c.
V. Riley, as State Entomologist of Missouri;
especially with reference to that part which
treats of the locust or grasshopper In that
article it is stated that the author will find but
few rea ty to adopt his suggestion to use the in
sects as food. A few days after that portion of
the paper was made up, we had the pleasure of
a visit from Prof. R., who was ON his way to
Europe, and he informed us that the locusthad
actually appeared at dinner-'not where he
eats, but where he is eaten.' Our friend isl