New-York tribune., 1912-03-18
One Honest Dish Is Bet
ter Than Many Indif-
ferent Courses,
BY Martha MccuIIoch Williams.

| Dy Wartna McSuIloch WiIllame,
One great drawback 10 economical menus
Is that they force one to eat too much. 1
mean that the pale-tasting, bulky, econom-
| ical things have to be swallowed in quantity
| unless you want 10 go hungry. Now. food
too rich and too concentratedly nourishing
! clogs easily. Thus II is, IN a Sort its own
! corrective. The sense Of safety overweighs
the mere pleasure of the palate, unless, Of
course, one is glutton-gluttons deserve
all the stomachic ills that may befall them
! In he face of all which, assert, beyond
fear of contradiction. one may be well fed
| without extravaganza. One single dish, suf-
| ficient in quantity, tasty, nourishing and
suiting the eaters taste. will. with no more
| accessories than bread or potatoes, the
simplest sort OF salad and tea, coffee or
| beer make a dinner wholly satisfying
| Ever so much more satisfying than II It
| had included soup. pasty or watery; a
snippet Of meat, vegetables Of sorts, cheap
| pickles, pie or pudding, also Of sorts, and
an apology for after-dinner coffee. And the
| trouble Of serving this lot Of things is at
least treble that OF the one-dish dinner.
OF course, the trouble may not cost actual
j
the worst of all waste.
would rather have plate Of real soup,
with a rich pudding or mince pie or roly
poly afterward. than any of your ave-
course meals for-a-little-less-t than nothing
exploited by sundry folk who write Of cook
ing. have eaten such meals-as matter
OF courtesy. They are assuredly filing for
the price-for the price is also wonderful.
Iy,,tT 7 In 70 ho I'D
certainly I shall never counsel anybody 10
go and do likewise.
Plum pudding Is said to contain all the
elements OF nutrition. II II has wine sauce
then there's an extra 1t does not follow,
however, that a steady diet of plum pud
ding would be either healthful or eco
nomical My point is-plum pudding and its
coneeners have their uses. They are types
OF the things 1t is wise extrayega to eat
now and then, but never after a full meal
Of other things Rather let them form the
backbone Of a dinner beginning Il modestly
and ending II with real coffee, not near
coffee I am Of opinion that much more
than half the worlds dyspepsia comes from
overworking its stomach In the effort 10
turn fguratye grass into flesh. Human
beings are granlinivorous-that is 10 say,
grain-eating, but only moderately herbivor-
Gus. unless the herbs have been over the
fire and are touched up with butter or oil
and seasonings Salads, II IS true, are
grateful TO the human stomach, but they
must be made OF salad plants, In other
words, tender ones.
Don't by any means understand that I
am slurring those good creatures, beans,
hho and
grains. They have their place. their uses,
rich ones. What decry is the overeffort
at variety. which results go often in delug-
ing craving stomachs with slops that insult
the name Of soup. then distending the
stomachs further with pastry messes. sand
wiching in barely meat enough TO be
tantalizing. What wonder the stomachs
turn sulky, or that the owners OF them are
tempted by tasty free lunches. and the in
ey1table drinks. Animals OF every sort like
10 be quiescent after they have fed well.
Men are no exceptions to the rule. Espe-
cally, when they are young. young enough
still to keep the boys keen relish for good
things A fat jar Of cookies easily acces-
sble or a loaf OF real ginger bread which
mother smiles TO see melt away, will do
more than tons OF tracts or hours OF
prayerful solcitude TO keep such fellows,
often the best OF good fellows, within the
safe confines OF home.
wonder II any high brow ever thinks OF
candy. plain everyday candy, as great
moral agent. II is that, II rightly handled.
Human nature loves sweets-in looks, In
words, in that whereof II eats. Candy. IL
good, is costly. You can make 1t ana make
n better at home for little more than the
cost OF sugar, certainly for as little as nine
cents a pound. Witness the millions Of all
the great candymakers. Home making OF
candy need not be troublesome. Indeed, II
should be rather family festival The
cream. known technically as fondant can
be made In quantity. as 1t keeps very we'll
and almost indefinitely II covered with
damp cloth and get in cold place, Cook
il in q granite kettle. using three cups OF
/ cranulated sugar to one cup OF water. Add
a good pinch Of cream Of tartar or a few
drops Of lemon juice, put over the fire and
gtlr with 4 wooden spoon until the sugar is
dissolved, but no longer. After stirring
ceases wipe the sides Of the pan with a
damp cloth 10 remove any adhering crys-
/ tails as II left they will make the syrup
grain. Neither stir nor move II while
boiling down TO q thickness that will form
I soft ball If dropped in water. At this
( stage pour It upon a CREASED marble slab
or meat platter, watch II carefully and as
/ soon as you can touch II without burning
your fingers stir II rapidly and steadily
with your wooden paddle until IT turns
thick and creamy. Dust breadboard with
| dry sugar. gather the cream in lump lay