Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-04-19
TABLE AND KITCHEN
Practical Suggestions About What
to Eat and How to Prepare Food.

to Eat and How to Prepare Food.
These articles on the necessarily alb.
sorbing topic Of food are carefully pre-
pared and based on knowledge of
chemistry as applied 20 cooking and
practical information derived from ae-
tual experience
FIRST VOLUME.
Conducted by Ida Amcs Willis, Mar
uuette building, Chicago. to whom all
injuries should be addressed
All rights reserved by Banning Co.,
Chicago.
When studying the common chemis-
tiy of our daily food we must not
overlook that very important part
played by the product Of the vegeta-
bic kingdom. which we are apt TO con
slider nothing but leaves which
serve only n subsidiary purpose in
connection with our diet
We recognize that the natural herb
age is ornamental to our landscape and |
necessary to animal life, but do we |
| understand how these plants feed us. |
or that they are ns essential in our |
dietary as any other forms of food? |
The main object OF every plant as well |
as every other subservient thing, is
to serve man in some way. TO I'M
dcrstnnd Just what relation each class |
of vegetable foods have to the needs
of man and of what chemical sub
Sances these different forms are COM
posed: why we choose to mix these
forms of vegetables foods we consume,
leads to host of chemical inquiries.
THE SALAD PLANTS.
These comprise group which may
be arranged under the head of ace
tarious plants. Some have long been
known as common vegetables and
cooked and served as such. while 9th
erS have been regarded simply as
weeds, by most of the native Ameri-
cans.
The salad plants contain no appre-
ciable amount Of nutrient. and are not
esteemed for this reason by those who
recognize their value and deem their
crispness and cooling properties an
| llulNl'tHSdbl' DuIt vi llit lI'ul uli1-
ner The nature of their component
parts. along with the oil. acids and
condiments used to dress them make
them most useful aids TO the digestion.
The custom of serving the green,
fresh leaves of plants with oil and
vinegar is very old one. The bit
ter herbs" of the Paschal feast of the
early Jews was II combination salad
OF lettuce dandelion, tansy mint
camomile, etc. A great many green
herbs. or so-called weeds, which were
once used for salads have gone out of
use and been forgotten, Some of these
might be again introduced with advan
tage.
The chief value and advantage of
. salad plants is derived from their sa-
line matters. In these they are COM
paratively rich, especially in potash
salts. Cooking generally extracts these
from vegetables and consequently
such vegetables as can be eaten in an
uncooked state. present these I'M
changed and in most agreeable form
i'm the crisp, cool and succulent leaves,
which also serve TO introduce Il large
amount of water into the system
The law of the early Romans, which
compelled the people to make free
use of green vegetables and combine
them with their meats, taught them to
use the salad plants extensively.
THE SOOTHING LEAVES OF THE
LETTUCE.
Chief Of the salad leaves is the let
tuce.
rhcre'nre two varieties, the head or
cabbage shaped and the curly, broad
leaved variety known as cas- lettuce.
| or all the salad plants, this leaf Is
the most priced for its delicacy, beau
ty, and dainty freshness of color.
The mineral salts contained in let
tuce, its refreshing, cooling properties
and its easy Digestion make it a
wholesome addition to the most solid
foods. The ancients used this plant
at the end of the meal, believing that
its cooling properties would counter
act the heating effects of the wine,
which they INDUCED in so freely. To
this day we follow this custom of serv
ing the crisp salad of lettuce without
perhaps thought as to its original
purpose.
THE PUNGENT CRESSES.
OF these we have two varieties. The
watcrcress which grows freely in wet
places, especially in shallow streams,
near springs, and always under
water. is one of our most
common as well MS popular
salad greens. 1t belongs to the mus
tard family and owes its biting. pun
gent oil to al essential oil, like the
mustard.
The dietctc value of course is
not dependent upon the proportion or
amount of organic nutrients present.
but mainly upon the aromatic oil sui
phur and other mineral matters pres
ent. The cultivated cress usually
found in our markets is larger and