The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-08-25
Cheap Food.


fare OF al ordinary household. Such
criticisms, directed toward modern
works on the culinary art, are hardly
Just, as both in England and this collI-
try many handy books have been COM
piled, whose chief end is to teach the
Ignorant how toprcparc food in the most
economical manner. Perhaps, what is
not 80 fully explained rs it should be in
many Of these books, is what might be
called the rationale Of food values. The
most mquiring of housewives, thumbing
her cookbook, when she comes across
some page or two devoted to the chcmi-
Cal composition of food, generally skips
1t, rs she is only intent on finding out
how charlotte russo is to be compound
cd. Still, these rather dry pages have
their use, and by no means difficult to
understand. 1t is by no means necessary
that the exact chemical composition Of
food, its carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, sulphur, phosphatcs and other
mineral salts should be mcmorizcd, but
the three specific characteristics of the
things we cat ought to be remembered.
LII the brlefcst manner, then, food may
DC separated into three classes, the al
bumlnoids, the hydro -carbons, and the
nntl-scorbutics. The first are essentially
tho builders-up and rcstorers of the body
the second are substances which tend to
Keep lis warm; thoy are essentially the
Goals which keep the engine going, and
the third are the prevcntivcs which keep
OH disease and more especially scurvy.
An egg IL an albuminoid, butter is a
hydro-carbon, and cabbage nh anti
sscorbutic. An albuminoid makes tissue.
What men call ''the strength" in food is
said to be derived from albuminoids.
but this term is an erroneous one. Men
can and do grow strong and'lusty when
partnking Of the albuminoids in the most
sparlng way. The rice feeders OF Hin
dnstan are notable example of this.
The hydrocarbons exist in nll the
starchcs which arc found in the cereals.
III sugars and in The fats. The anti
scorbntics, found i'll certain vegetables,
arc rs valuable rs any other edible sub
stances, though their food value may
not be very great. Now, what is notice
able in MI those rhnro 1T inristino nf food
IS that many single things may possess
III themselves some Of these qualities
For instance, meat has in the lean the
albnminoid, i'll its fat the hydro carbon;
1t has even, when fresh, q certain anti
scorbutic power. In milk, too, we have
the albumen, and most particularly IN
antl-scorbutic power. We sec, then,
that in certain way nature has given
us III single substance more than one
OF those things necessary for life, but tho
perfect unit, containing all in proper
proportions, docs not exist Hence the
natural inclination we have to mix>our
food. The dish of meat cooked with
vegetables rs n compound gives us the
variety plcasurable to the pnlate and de-
sirnble for our health. The human ell
ginc not only wants fuel and water, but
MS its CRATE bars are worn out it must
possess tho magical powers of self-rc-
storation. Just rs in the repairs of a
locomotive, the head of the machine
shop looks out where he can find the
best md cheapest coal and oil or mntcri-
ais, always having the cost in view; 50
must we learn how to feed ourselves, by
the study Of food values, Mt the smallest
outlay of money. Now, in England at
present, where food is scarce and money
not plenty, it becomes quite important
that lessons ofeconomy should be taught
to all classes. If the bare chance of life
is not alone thought of, ,thorcquircmcnts
OF the workingmcn-thosc who plow or
dig or spin-arc also m object of solici-
tude. What is the food, the cheapest,
laborcrs can have, so that their thcws,
their sinew and muscle, shall be forth
coming? 1t is curious to find that re-
turn has been made, by the analysis Of
these alimentary substances, the hydro
gen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon to M
old English dish. Possibly the classic
pork and beans was brought over from
England to Plymouth Rock English
writer's on the economy of food, Sir
Henry Thompson and DR.. Paxy espc-
cially, direct working people to the cx-
ccllcncc OF beans, peas and lcntils, when
cooked with fat meats such as bacon
but wisely require certain simple add.
TONS Now, why? The beans contain
the starch, the sugar-making properties,
the fat the hydro -carbons. These are
albuminoids and hydro carbons, but your
anti-scorbutic is not present. This want
is supplied by the addition of yegeta-
bic such as an onion or carrot. The
value of anti-scorbutics in our food can
not be overlooked. If the poorer classes
can not indulge in salads, the usc of
which entails more or less expensive
dressings, resource cnn be had to sour
kraut, the excellence of which has often
been stated in these columns. These
lessons as to the destruction Of food
ought to DC of use to even those who
know nothing Of want. and whose tables