The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-07-16
UHpR0FlTABLE
.....LABOR.
Ats. Lincoln's Sage Adpdce to Wc-
men Who CcoA.

4 LII. labor in the preparation OF food
"A which does not tend to make the
u food more digestible or which Is done
solely to give variety or novelty, or
to cater to an unnatural appetite, Is UNI
profitable We would lessen cur work
greatly IL we should cease making mix
lures OF food materials that require the ex-
pendtture Of great digestive power. and
also much time and labor In their prepara-
ton.
why should We take anything - simple
or delicious az a properly roasted or boiled
chicken, and expend time and labor IN
chopping 1t. mixing 1t with so many otner
things that we cannot detect its original
flavor, then shaping. egging and crumo-
ing it, and making II indigestioae by
Drowning It In scorching fat?
We have In wheat. in milk, and IN eggs
all the substances needed to sustain lie.
Why should We sift out oil the mineral
and nitrogenous parts OF the wheat, ana
use only the starch. an we do In our bread
made from fine flour. when We might have
the perfect food, which nature prepared Tor
US II we would use the whole grain with
the exception Of its outer coat OF siHcit),
either coarsely ground In the form or
whole wheat mush. or finely ground IN the
form Of whole wheat -four?
Butter and cream are the most whole
perfect diet: and fat II digsstible when
taken by itself. or when It h not closely
enveioped in starch. or when not sub1ect-
ed to so great degree OF heat m to change
II into acid and acid substances.
Pure sugar taken in suitable quantities
is easily digested and enters quickly into
the circulation. giving W IT. carbon for
warmth.
Eggs eaten raw or properly prepared,
that is. cooked at only moderate degree
of heat are palatable and easily digested,
but when hardened by intense heat. they
become difficult OF digestion.
Now, why should we overtax our mus
GUAR strength by beating butter. sugar
and eggs together. mixing them with milk
and -four. and baking them a. cakes or
rolling and frying them a. doughnuss.
when these same perfect food substances
might be an palatable II prepared with
far less labor? Why should we subject
food materials to the intense heat necessary
to cook them when prepared In these COM
pounds, when less heat would suflics IL
they were more simply prepared? Or. why
!. make them indigestible by uniting 80 close
ly substances which must be dlgested sep
arately. or by overheating the albumen and
scorching the sweet globules OF fat, or en-
tangling them In starch and aibumen?
Such a waste OF time and energy In an
unjustifiable as Is the cutting OF cloth into
minute pieces and then sewing them to-
gether. for the sake Of having one piece
made up OF 1,435 little ones.
why will women be so foolish? I can
not say, unless II be that We are still
slaves to the ways OF our mothers and
grandmothers. ana dare not keep house
without our crocheted or patchwork
quits, and fili our pantries with an un-
limited supply of cakes. ginger-snaps.
cookies. waters. tarts, doughnuts and
pies, and dare not invite friend TO lun-
cheon without serving croauettes. patties
and some novel Ice or cream.
Possibly you may say, but you are
teacher OF cookery. and In your books
you teach us how to make a great many
elaborate and difficult dishes. and yet now
you are condemning them" No. not en-
tirely.
Those who can afford TO buy these ex-
pensive materials and to hire a cook TO
make them into fanciful dishes. or who
have plenty of time and strength to give
to such work and whose habits In other
respects are such that their digestive or
gans will not be overtaxed by diet Of
this kind, may have these dishes II they
please. and so must be taught TO make
them. But oil other persons should avoid
them. have for long time felt that.
instead Of teaching women who are al
ready oyerworked, and especially young
housekeepers how 10 prepare elegant din
ners OF many courses. and urging them to
compete with chefs and caterers. should
spend more time and thought In trying
to show them the Importance OF prepar-
ing the essential dishes perfectly and the
advantages of greater simplicity In our
daily living. And that II why so many
OF my menus have seemed simple or plain
as compared with the prevalent fashion
Mary J. Lincoln In st. Louis Globe DEM
ocrat.