Evening star., 1894-02-17
Eggs Play a Prominent Part as a
Substitute for Meat.
WAYS In WHICH TO SERVE THEM
Many Good Points That Appeal
to Lovers of Good Living,
NUTRITIOUS AND TASTEFUL
written Exclusively for The Evening Star.

after her household is casting about for
strong" dishes which will take the place
of meat, now come to be the indispensable
adjunct of the American meal three
times day for at least three hun
dred days in the year. What a blood
thirsty lot of carnivora we are, and what
lot of money We spend for flesh food.
half of which, to put it mildly. is not at all
necessary to our well-being, and in many
instances is positively hurtful!
In Lenten menus eggs play a prominent
part, and it would be much in favor of
health if they were to usurp, in a measure
at least, the platter of greasy pork which
appears so often on the laboring mans
breakfast table, mainly because it is. as the
lrishman put it, both bafe and butter" In
this connection a doctors story will fit. He
was quite eminent in his profession, and
withal something of a philanthropist,
going often among the poor to use his great
skill. His stableman had two little chill
dren who were half covered with scrofulous
sores, and for some time the ailment
had baffied him. He found at the start
that pork in some shape or another, but
usually fried, was the staple dish at his
stableman's meals. He gave strict orders
that the children We're not to have a
mouthful Of the meat and the mother de-
clared that she had enforced the instruc-
tions. The doctor entered the cottage at
the dinner hour one day, to find the hus-
band and wife comfortably enjoying fried
pork at the table, while the two scabby
Kids, excluded from the feast because of
the meat, sat on the floor with a skillet
between them, sopping bread in the greasy
gravy fried out of the pork!
That tells the story" exclaimed the doc
tor. you might as well let your children
eat the devil drink his broth"
Those with delicate digestion, who care
to retain a good complexion, will touch
pork sparingly. If they must have strong
food, eggs are the very best and cheapest
substitute. There are no bones, gristle or
fat to waste about an egg, yet there is In
1t everything that enters into the struc-
ture of the human body. and one-third of
its weight is solid nutriment An
English writer on the subject of eggs SAYS:
Eggs a meal in themselves Every
element that Is necessary for the support
of man is contained within the limits of
most palatable form. Plain boiled, they
are wholesome. The masters of French
cookery, however, affirm that II is easy to
dress them In five hundred different ways,
each method not only economical, but salu-
tary in the highest degree. No honest
appetite ever rejected an egg in some guise
1t Is nutriment in the most portable form
and in the most concentrated shape
Whole nations of mankind rarely touch any
other animal food. Kings eat them as
readily as do the humble tradesmen. Far
more than fish-for that is watery diet
eggs are the scholars fare They contain
phosphorus. which is brain food and sui
phur, which performs a variety of func-
ticns in the economy. And they are the
best of nutriment for children, for in a
compact form they contain everything
that is necessary to the growth of the
youthful frame"
Their Many Good Points.
Besides being economically useful as food
eggs have excellent medicinal properties.
A daintily cooked frest egg will rarely
ever disturb impaired digestion, which
utterly refuses other stimulus. In cases of
diseased bowels. especially among young
children and even in chronic cases, eggs
beaten to a froth and sweetened-if liked
If not, eaten without seasoning will often
check troublesome bowel complaints. 1t is
said that they nourish and al the sarie
time form coating on the inflamed Innings
and thus allay irritation until nature can
take hold of the case unobstructed. The
Russians have implicit faith in the efficacy
of 'oil of egg yolk' for cuts and scratches
and for bruises and sprains. There are
many deadly poisons for which the white
of an egg is a swift and sure antidote For
a burn or scald the quickly applied white of
an egg will exclude the air and bring al
most instant relief.
People are. always fussing about hard
boiled eggs being indigestible, but they are
not If properly cooked. Miss Juliette Cor
son describes a 'hygienic hard-egg'' as one
that has been cooked twenty-five minutes
In the shell. Of course. And equally a mat
ter of course, no cook will think of boiling
an egg until she has washed the shell
thoroughly. Here is a pretty way to serve
hard-boiled eggs. When taken from the
water after twenty-five minutes Of boiling
drop them into ice-cold water for two
minutes. The shell will come Off in halves
ii properly cracked, then drop the hard
hrm egg back into a tin of clean boiling
water till ready to serve them. Heat small
fol
from the boiling water onto a clean napkin
cut each in half with a thin sharp knife.
so as not to leave them at all ragged,
place three halves in each dish. Law on the
top of each tiny bit of butter and dust
lightly with salt Lastly, to make the dish
look pretty, stick in a sprig of cress or
parsley. 1t is not well to pepper eggs on
serving, because TO some people pepper is
quite Objectionable with egg Salt care
fully, but always salt.
An Egg Salad.
To make pretty and delicious egg salad
boil for twenty-five minutes as many eggs
as are necessary for your guests. Remove
the yolks with a careful hand-for after
this long boiling the yolk is exceedingly
tender. Either chop or shred the whites
very fine. Take a sufficient number of
lettuce leaves. having them as nearly of a
size as possible, and crinkled and crisp
from bath in ice water. Put the leaves
Oh d ulsn ana IN eacn one arrange a little
hollow nest of chopped whites and in the
ce' ter put one yolk. Over each nest thus
~.de put a tablespoonful mayonnaise
dressing. You need not be a bit afraid
to eat this egg salad. because it Wouldn't
hurt baby.
Mrs. Rorer, who has been delighting the
people of Washington with her dainty
dishes, gives two recipes for preparing
eggs. which the writer knows by experiences
to be excellent The ingredients of the
dish-which may be increased or lessened
in quantity-are six eggs one tablespoon
full of flour, one tablespoonful of butter
one-half teaspoonful Of salt one-half pint
of milk. and pepper to taste" This dish is
called Eggs a la Creme" Boil the eggs
fifteen minutes, remove the shells and cut
them in halves cross wise. Slice a little bit
off the bottom to make them stand Melt
the butter and STIR the flour into it. Mix
until smooth, add the milk, and stir contin-
ually until it bo'ls; add the salt and pep
per. stand the eggs on a heated platter
pour the sauce over and around them and
serve red hot The other recipe she calls
'Eggs a IA Bechamel" Six eggs one
tablespoonful flour. one gill cream, one
tablespoonful butter. one gill white or veal
stock. one egg yolk. salt and pepper TO
taste. Boil the eggs twenty-five minutes
drop in cold water, shell and put in boiling
water till the sauce is ready. Melt the
butter and stir in the -four add the stock
and the egg yolks. and let II get hot. then
add the cream and let ii boil up once
Shred the whites of the eggs and cut the
yolks in squares. Pile the yolks in the
center OF heated dish and put the whites