Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1915-09-28
HOMEMAKERS COLUMN.
Correspondence on topics Of interes. TO the adie.
is solicited. Address: Editor hOAEhAhSsn.5
The Value of Good Seasoning.


The Value of Good Seasoning.
American cookery, cosmopolitan. as 1t
Ia in character, has borrowed no more
valuable suggestion In the art OF season.
ing than the employment Of garlic, used
60 universally ard delectably by chefs
throughout Southern Europe. In fact,
IL is hard to recall any appeal to the pal
ate in the seasoning line that has so long
retained its hold on popular fancy. Gar.
lie formed an important ingredient OF
some of the crudest dishes known to the
ancients. In tho book of Numbers,
Chapter XI, verse 5, we read OF the es'
TEEN in which it was held by the Israel
ties in Egypt, and age-worn records
made proud mention of bow this agree
able article of diet was freely eaten by
the laborers employed by Cheops In the
construction of his pyramid.
While the rose and acanthus blossom
Welded to the early Greeks and Romans
tbe inspiration Of their most graceful
architecture, 1t was undoubtedly the
largely consumed quantities OF garlic
that kept their soldiers and sailors in
good working trim, for garlic contains
volatile oil, called Allyl Sulphide, which
has strong stomachic properties, and acts
as fine stimulant on all the excretory
organs.
On its merits as seasoning garlic has
won it's inalienable place in American
dishes. One of the greatest OF French
epicures was wont to call it-"The soul
of cookery"
Without question, it is the French
chef who is an unsurpassed adept In
bringing out the savOriness Of his meat
dishes, and gradually We have acquired
the art. II lies in using just q mere
suspicion of garlic.
At one home where l visit it is the
custom of the host to mix the dressing
for green salads at the table, and for
some time | was at a loss to know just
how be acquired such an inimitable H.
vor. l watched the amount of oil, vine,
gar, salt and paprika used, observed how
deity the cold, crisp leaves were tossed
about, but 1t was not until learned that
the bowl had been previously well rub
bed with a cut Glove of garlic that /
solved tue secret. And right here let
me give you another very appetizng sal
ad which is similarly made.
Salad Italiepne-Rub the bowl vigor-
ously with severed garlic Glove. Add
white pepper, salt, olive oil and red wine
vinegar. Have at hand few stalks OF
cold, boiled asparagus cut in pieces of
the desired length, roundels Of cold pc,
tatoes. small quantity of green peas,
some French string beans, few slices
OF tiny French carrots, all of which have
been carefully cooked, drained and chill
ed. Toss all these ingredients in tie
salad bowl, stir gently about until thor
nughly mixed with the dressing, then ar
range ON individual nests Of lettuce
leaves and garnsh with small olives and
anchovies.
A tiny suggestion of garlic added to
the bread dressing for a boned leg OF
lamb or the stuffing for veal will be
found 10 impart an immeasurably good
flavor to the meat. Likewise bit OF
garlic rubbed over the surface Of chick
en- to be roasted will be pronounced q
decided improvement.
A thick porter house steak, thorough.
ly rubbed on both sides with split gar
lie Glove, broiled evenly over bed OF
hot Goals, busted with pepper, salt, a
dash of lemon juice if liked, dotted with
butter, and then sent to the table gar
nished with fresh parsley, is, indeed,
roothsome enough to grace the feast OF
any modern Lucullus.
Pot roasts, numberless varieties OF
soups, and many of the cheaper cuts OF
meats, are lifted from the mediocre by
this delicious seasoning which must be
used only in such quantities "a will not
mask the original flavor but simply &C
centuate its goodness.
Not only in the preparation OF meats
and fowls will garlic find au unrvall. d
welcome. It's palatable flavor lends it.
self as acceptably to many fish dishes.
10 using garlic, We must remember
that We are employing not merely a re-
markable flavoring ingredient, but nat
ural aid to the digestion-sn article pos
essipg rich medicinal properties, which
some of our leading medical specialists
are now using to check the inroads of
the great white plague.
A teaspoonful of garlic juice contains
about two drops of Allyl Sulphide, the
curative agent which is said to poison
the bacilli of this dread disease. While
this is present to some extent in all the
lesser representatives of the onion fami-
ly, shallots, chives, leeks, etc, garlic un-
questionably contains the highest per-
centage OF it.
1t would therefore seem both as an
eficacious food and seasoning that the
onion and its powerful ally, garlic, de
serve prominent place in aealthful
dietary.