The Portland daily press., 1893-03-27

MORE LIBERAL USE OF BUTTER.


No dietetic reform would, believe, be
more conductive to improved health
amoung children. and especially to the
prevention of tuberculosis, than an increas
ed consumption of butter. Our children
are trained to- take butter with great re-
straint, and are told that it is greedy and
extravagaut to eat, much of it. 1t is
regarded as a luxury, and as giving
relish to bread, rather than in itself a
most important article of food. Even to
private families of the wealthier classes
these rules prevail at table, and at
schools and at public boarding establish
ments they receive strong reinforcements
from economical motives. Minute al
lowances of butter are served out to those
who would gladly consume five times
the quantity. Where the house income
makes this matter necessity, there is
little more to, be said than that it is often
a costly economy. Enfeebled health
NAV easily entail a far heavier expense
than more liberal breakfast would have
done. :
Cod-liver oil costs more than bntter1
and it is besides often not resorted to
until too late. Instead of restricting a
child's consumption of butter, would
encourage it. Let the limit be the power
of; digestion and the tendency to bilious
ness Most children may be allowed to
follow their own inclinations, and will
not take more than is good for them.
The butter should be of the best and
taken cold Bread, dry toast. biscuits,
potatoes and rice are good vehicles.
Children well supplied with butter feel
the cold less than others, and resist the
influenza better. They do not catch
cold so easily. In speaking of children
/ by no means, intend. to exclude other
ages. especially young adults. Grown
up persons, however, take other animal
fats more freely than most children do,
and are besides allowed much freer
selections as to both quality and guam
tity. 1t is not so necessary to raise any
clamor for reform on their account
Medical Times.
HOW TO MAKE TOAST.
Wheaton bread is composed principally
of starch. Starch is an organized body
composed of minute grains. which vary
in size according to the source from
which they are derived. The granules
of the starch found in potatoes are
l-3OOth of an inch in diameter, those. in
wheat: about 1-0e0th of an inch, and
those Of rice about 1-2000th. Starch is
also found in corn and all other grains
and in the roots, stems and fruits OF
many plants.
When starch is subjected to high
temperaturp it is changed into an easily
digestud substance called dextrine. In
the ordinary cooking of a loaf of bread
the starch in the outer layers is changed
into dextrine, which. helps to give the
crust that peculiar agreeable flavor which
we call sweet. SLICES of bread undergo
a similar change when toast is made.
To make toast successfully one must en-
deayor to convert as much as possible OF
the starch into dextrine. To do this cut
the bread one-third of an inch thick,
place the slices into tOaster OF wire
broiler and dry slowly either in a mod
crate oven or by holding the broiler
some distance from the fire.
The object is to give tht heat time to
penetrate to the centefhof the slice be-
fore the outside has1sbegun to change
COLOR. for if sheath, be formed over
the outside at ence, the moisture will be
shut in and the middle Of the slice will
be prevented from BIT coming sufficiently
heated to change itsastarch, for the
temperature will ,notSr rise much above
212 F. until the water is dried out.
Starch is changed to, dextrine at 4010F.
Toast that is moist-in the middle and
blackened on the outside is less whole
some than untoasted bread. Great care
should therefore, be taken with the
drying. When this has been accom-
plished lower the sbroiler a little nearer
xuil1 II
turn golden brown. --
An ideal piece Of toast is crisp and
golden throughout. Many say they
prefer toast that is soft inside, and that
thew. cannot eat hard, dry toast, but the
ideal piece of toast is not really so hard
as it seems. 1t breaks and crumbles
very easily, and moistens very quickly
in the mouth. If one would persevere
with slice he would soon learn to pre-
fer it. At all events that which is soft
inside should not be given to the sick.
lis better to make the toast dry and
thensmoisten tiff needs be-by dipping
the slices into hot water for an instant,
not soaking them.
DRY. toast should be served directly
from the toaster. When this is not
practical, pile it on a heated bread plate,
cover it with napkin, and put it on
the hearth or in the oven.
Toast is given in all slight attacks Of
sickness, because it $50 easily digested
The more thorough the conversion of
the starch the more easily and perfectly
the system will manage it, for the change
of starch into dextrine by the action of
of heat is simply doing outside of the
body what takes place in it in the ordi-
nary course of digestion fluids. There
fore when thisis accomplished by artificial
means natured is spared so much energy.
Toast thin slices Of bread. Put into a
shallow pan pint of water, with half a
teaspoonful of salt. Dip each slice
quickly into the water, place in covered
dish, and spread with butter, piling one
slice above another.
Do not let the bread soak in the water
endeaver to keep suggestion of crisp
ness in it, for sloppy, sodden toast is not
palatable. Serve hot with apple sauce,
sweet baked apples or tart jelly
ar NOTES ABOUT WOMEN.
The statement is credited to Daniel
Webster that the foundation of a happy
home lay in the sending of the wash
|tout.