Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-05-16
Table and. Kitchen.
Practical Suggestions About What to
Eat and How to Prepare Food.

Eat HV" ~ Prepare ROOD,
We are accustomed to rank all fruits
as non-essentials among the necessary
foods. The cost of Gresh fruits prohibits
their very general use, except for a lin
tied term when they are in season and
very plentiful. A Grtain class of fruits
In common use on our tables contain but
little nourishment. although they play an
important part in sustaining life in a
normal condition. by supplying certain
qualities that produce most beneficial re-
suits when they are eaten in proper
amount. condition and combination.
Acidulous, juicy fruits are depended on
more for their refreshing properties, and to
give tone to the system by supplying va
riety of agreeable acids and large amount
of water, than for ntltriment
The More Nutritious Fruits,
But we have another class of fruits
which yield a very considerable amount of
nutritive value. combined with a delicious
flavor and tonic or diuretic qualities.
Chief among these is the prune. and a
homegrown product This fruit has not,
until recently, had~the recognition it so
richly deserves. 1t is in truth one of
our most useful and valuable fruits, and
+ should be regarded. not only as an agree
able addition to our dietary, but in the
light Of a food sufficiently rich in NIL
TRENT qualities to substitute meats. and
many of the more fndigestible foods more
frequently
places it within the means Of all and If ia
grievous error that all classes do nos or
cannot eat a greater amount of this fruit,
especially the eaters of strong. hearty
foods, and those who live inactive lives
Satisfying as Well as Sustaining.
io
completely satisfy hunger when eaten alone.
and with cereals, milks, cream or eggs
they furnish a sufficiently nourishing dish
for a meal. and they are ideal as a relish
for farinaceous foods. One difficulty lies
in the fact that so few understand the nat
ural design of this fruit and consider it
| only in the light of a sweetmeat therefore
compound it only in rich desserts COM
potes and such dishes as soon cloy the taste
and Surfeit the eater.
The proverbiaI boarding house prune
owes it's bad reputation to careless cook
Ing and inferior quality of fruit selected:
| it must be remembered that there are
prunes and prunes.
When you wish to serve prunes with a
meal that consists of other articles of diet
| very rich and sustaining in their nature,
| the prunes should be prepared in the sim
| plest manner possible.
1t is the excess of concentrated food that
proves Injurious, therefore study cOmbna-
tiOnS more carefully.
| If those who consider their dinners in
| complete without desserts would content
| themselves with such dishes as can be
easily and simply made of pruneS and other
| fruits, they would save themselves much
| toll and worry which they expend in Gre
| ating a combination that is a menace to
| the digestion Of the heartiest eater.
How Prunes May Be Used.
Prunes are available. not only in the
| lighter dishes, but must be regarded among
| the essentials. AS a meat substitute the
| delicate eater whose appetite must be coax
ed for breakfast would find dish of we'll
| cooked cereal and prunes an inviting as
we'll as sustaining dish. and quite hearty
enough to constitute the entire meal An
egg or whipped cream might be added to
| the bill of fare if needful to complete this
| early morning repast.
Sugar added to the prunes Is superfiuous
and harmful, nature has provided the
| fruit with sufficient natural sweetness,
which the sun, during the ripening process.
! converts INTO a sugar suitable to be taken
| into the system. The finest variety of
| prunes need no establishment in this way,
as this natural sugar is quite sufficient to
| make the cooked fruit palatable to the nor
| NAL taste
The finer prunes are often eaten raw, but
are more easily digested when cooked.
That the fruit possesses very consfd-
| cradle virtue in this respect is conceded
| by most eminent authorities. and for this
| reason, as well as on account of their food
! values, they are included among the foods
suitable for invalids. children and those
whose digestive powers are rather inactive.
| Their influence is mild. which fact makes
| them desirable for the not over-robuSt
! dish of well-cooked rice and prunes,
| made dainty and attractive for serving, is
dish to serve for either breakfast,
| luncheon or a dessert, especially for the
| child or invalid, and should be added to
our list of hot weather dishes, frequently
| replacing meat and potatoes and heavy,
| unreasonable desserts.
Cooking Prunes.
Prunes are better steamed. not boiled,
d rapid cooking hardens the skins and also
causes them to break before the fruit is
tender. We give the following method of
cooking by an authority on cooking prunes:
ITO prepare them properly for the palate,
| first give them a warm water bath, then
cover with cold water and let stand twelve
| hours; add little Sliced lemon and a stick
| of cinnamon to ameliorate the rich sweet
ness with the harshness of the former and
| the fragrance of the latter. Do not add
| sugar to increase the sweetness. Herein
| they are economically Then put on to boil.
| but slowly, very slowly, and as they swell
add little boiling water from time to time
until done"
Another Way to Cook Them.
Many consider that soaking spoils the
prunes making them fat .and insipid, and
unless the fruit is hard and dry they
should be simply washed and rinsed very
thoroughly first in warm, then in cold
water, then, If you have no steamer, put
them into double boiler, cover with cold
water, allowing one and one-half pints to
each pint of fruit. Steam them until ten
| der. Lift the fruit out into jars. Add
| little lemon juice. with stick cinnamon or
vanilla and sherry to the water. with just
sugar enough to sweeten slightly and cook
| down one-half. If the fruit is fne-favored
| it does not need any additional fiavorng.
unless it is to be served in a dessert COM
pound.
Prune MarmaIade.
Use the sweet, selected California
| prunes, wash them well in warm water,
| rubbing each one gently to cleanse it
| thoroughly. Cover with warm water and
| let stand a few moments; drain. rinse in
| cold water and put into saucepan; put
| three half pints of water to one pint Of
| prunes: less water will do If the prunes
| are quite fresh; cover them closely and
/ nj how will cir