Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-19
able and Kitchen.
Compromising a Salad.

strive fer. 1t Is not difficult one to ac-
quire and If 1t were 1t Is worth an effort,
| as there is so much pleasure and gratifca-
ton to be obtained and given when the re-
suit of the work is success from both ar
tistic and gustatory point of criticism.
Before going into the detail of the work it
may be well to submit 'dietetic caution in
reference to salad materials and the eating
thereof. All salad materials in nature of
green vegetables must be as tender and
fresh as possible to maintain their digesti-
bility Cooked vegetables. meats and fish.
even In small quantities known as scraps.
may be used, but these must not be mussy
or stale. Theu, too, remember that when
you serve salad as relish with hot
meats. even though In a separate course, 1t
must be in moderate quantity and composed
of the lighter, most digestble salad ma
terials. In such instances salads are in
tended to supply ballast and mineral salts,
and green vegetables are the most valuable
source from which this supply may be OBJ
tanned.
For many salads the plain dressing of oil
and vinegar or lemon juice with seasoning
OF salt and pepper is to be preferred, while
others are equally good with this plain
dressing or the richer mayonnaise. Some
prefer to first dress marinade the salad
ingredients, all but the green salad leaves,
with the Oil and acid, allowing them to
stand in a cold place for fifteen or twenty
| minutes, then mixing with the mayonnaise.
For those who do not like the oil dressings
there are quite number of boiled dress
ings' and salad sauces. Rather poor apollo
gieS, some of them, for the sweet, whole
some nutty oils The homemade boiled
dressings may be made very tempting to
the appetite, but are decidedly indigestible
in spite of the eXcellency of the materials
used.
Doubtless the most useful of the green
salad vegetables is the cabbage or head let
tuce-early, late, green, brown or yellow.
We can find II in the city markets at any
season. But whatever the variety its heart
must be white or of the palest yellow.
About one-third of it's weight consists of
succulent ribs and two-thirds of green or
nearly white thin leaf tissue. This must be
kept crisp and tender, not allowed to be-
come wilted and tough. The leaves must
be thoroughly cleansed with cold water
and freed from adherent water. This is
done by centrifugal action, using either the
round wire baskets which come for the pur-
pose or a large piece of coarse cheese
cloth to hold 1t while it is swung briskly,
but not too vigorously. When all the wa
ter has been shaken off the lettuce should
be placed on or very near the ice in the re-
frigerator or chest and allowed to get very
cold and crisp. When the dressing is
poured over with wet salad leaves 1t is
diluted and the greater part falls to the
bottom of the bowl or dish a watery, in
cold water do not mix. Do not blend your
salad ingredients until a very short time
before they are to be served.
Onion and Garlic.
The use Of both these ffavoring agents is
a much-oontested subject with a large num-
Der of persons. The salad artist. as well
as the salad worshiper, contend that
chicory or endive salad is without SAVIOR
lacking a soupcon of garlic. and the faint,
elusive taste of the onion gives to every
vegetable and meat salad the true Zest
which makes them so pleasing to the taste.
The objection to the employment of these
bulbs lies in the carelesSness of their use.
The French, better than any other people,
seem to understand how to blend them with
with the skill which gives that desired con-
cord of atoms necessary in compound
salad while the quantity used does not
make the diner perceptible as a sufferer
from culinary coarseness." In Latin coun-
tries garlic is used broadly and without
apology. The use of garlic is said to be
marked distinction between the upper and
lower classes-provincial cookery is said to
be based garlic, but the more refined
part of society does not have so strong
prediction for this fiavoring.
Endives are salad plants very similar in
composition to lettuce. except that the
fleshy leaf ribs are said to contain a small
amount of sugar. Endives best late in
the autumn. They are not so bitter as the
summer endive, called Roman. Unless
endive is etoilated (blanchedl it is bitter
hard and indigestible. The barbe de ca
pucins, which is generally grown from roots
In the cellar and therefore consists of slen-
der, blanched. tender stalks. is the most
delicate and digestible. Endive salads
should not be served with complicated
dressings, oil, vinegar and seasoning being
all that is required.
The Crosses.
Watercress, garden cress, etc, may be
treated in same manner endive or eaten,
as many prefer without dressing other
than salt and served with thin bread and
butter and cottage cheese, or richer cheese,
or cold meats.
Watercress is the most hardy of winter
salads, growing all the year round in any
latitude of about 52 degrees Fahr., in flow
ing springs.
Other wen-known salad plants and vege-
tables are beet root celery, vegetable
sprouts, asparagus, green peas, green and
yellow beans string beans, Brussel sprouts,
caulifiower, red and white cabbage and
artichokeS. Any vegetable may be used.
In fact, there are very few things in the
nature of foods which may not be employed
in making salad When fruits are used
they are more delicious when several kinds
are used, both fresh and preserved, and a
few nuts added but vegetable salads, with
the exception of white potatoes, are best
when but one vegetable, not including the
green salad leaves and onion or Its con-
geners, is used. Compound vegetable salads
gredient is insufficient in quantity and
there are several small portions of leftover
cooked vegetables to be utilized to the best
advantage.
Salads from cold cooked meats require
various other materials and diversity of
seasonngs to produce the desired appetiZ-
ing result.
OF the compound vegetable salads the
potato salads hold first place.
OF meat salads chicken is the most popu-
lar favorite.
Among the crustaceans lobster salad
takes first rank not only because of the
pleasing effect which may be produced in
colors but because of its fine flavor.
About Salad Oil.
Studying salads from an economic stand
point we must consider of what use they
are to the body.
The salad proper, which consists only of
the tender green plant leaves moistened
with oil, furnishes two very useful and
necessary food substances, a form of fat
unchanged by cooking and mineral salts
likewise undisturbed by heating processes.
In no other agreeable way can we obtain
these much-needed elements in their natural
form
Wa have cautioned that the green vege-