The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1881-09-06
Choap Food.

criticisms, directed toward modern
works Oh tho culinary art, are hardly
just, as both in England and this coun.
try many handy books have been com.
piled, whose chief end is to teach the
ignorant how oprcparc food in the most
economical manner. Perhaps, what is
not SO fully explained as it should be in
many of these books, is what might be
called the rationale of food values. The
most inquiring of housewives, thumbing
her cookbook, when she comes across
some page or two devoted to the chemi-
cal composition of food, generally slsips
it, rs she is only intent on finding out
how charlotte russo is to be compound
eel. Still, these rather dry pages have
their use, and by no means difficult to
understand. 1t is by 10 means necessary
that the exact chemical composition of
food, it's carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen,
oxygen, sulphur, phosphatcs and other
mineral salts should be mcmorized, but
the three specific characteristics of the
things we cat ought to be remembered.
In the bricfcst manner, then, food may
be separated into three classes, the al
bumlnolds, the hydro o-carbons, and the
anti-scorbutics. The first are essentially
the buildcrsup and restorcrs of the body
the second arc substances which tend to
keep us warm; they aro essentially the
Goals which keep the engine going, and
the third are the prcventives which keep
OIL disease and moro especially scurvy.
An egg is an albuminoid, butter is Il
hydro-carbon, and cabbage M anti
scorbutic. 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
partalSing of the albuminoids in the most
spnring way. The rice feeders of Hin
dustan are a notable example of this.
Tho hydrocarbons exist in all the
starches which are found in the cereals,
III sugars and in the fats. The anti
scorbntics, found in certain vegetables,
arc as valuable rs my other edible sub
stances, though thoir food value may
not be very great. Now, what is notice
able i'll all these characteristics of food
is that many single things may possess,
III themselves some of these qualities.
For instance, meat has in the lean the
albnminoid, in its fat the hytlro-carbon;
1t has even, whom fresh, certain anti
scTbutic power. In milk, too, we have
the albumen, md most particularly an
anti-scorbutic power. We sec, then,
that i'll certain way nature has given
us in single substance more than one
OF those things necessary for life, but the
perfect unit, containing all III proper
proportions, does 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 plcnslrablc to the palate md de-
sirable for our health. The human Gil
gine not only wants fuel md water, but
rs it's CRATE bars are worn ont it must
possess the magical powers of sef-rc-
storation. just rs in the repairs of
locomotive, the head of the machine
shop looks out where he can find the
best and cheapest coal and oil or matcri-
ais, always having the cost in view; so
must we learn how to feed ourselves, by
the study of food values, Mt the smallest
outlay OF money. Now, in England Mt
present, where food is scarce and money
not plenty, it becomes quite important
That lessons ofcconomy should he taught
to all classes. If the bare chance of life
is not alone thought of, the requirements
OF the workingmcn-thosc who plow or
dig or spin-are also IN Object of solici-
tudc. What is the food, the cheapest,
laborcrs can have, so that their thcws,
their sinew md muscle, shall be forth
coming? 1t is curious to find that q re-
turn has been made, by the analysis of
these alimentary substances, the hydro
gen, oxygen, nitrogen and carbon to IN
old English dish. Possibly tho 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 cspc-
cially, direct working people to the cx-
ccllcnce Of beans, peas and lontils, when
cooked with fat meats such rs bacon,
but wisely require certain simple addi
tions. Now, why? The beans contain
the starch, the sugar making properties,
tho fat the hydrocarbons. These arc
albuminoids and hydro carbons, but your
anti-scorbutic is not present. This want
is supplied by the addition of a vcgeta-
bic such as III onion or carrot The
value of anti-scormitics in our food can
not be overlooked. If the poorer classes
can not indulge in salads, tho use of
which entails more or less expensive
dressings, resource con be had to sour
krallt, the excellence of which has often
been stated in these columns. These
lessons as to tho destruction of food
ought to be of use to even those who
know nothing of want. and whose tables
can be always luxuriously furnished. At
one time we Americans were horribly