The Washington times., 1915-01-21

- RECEIVED twenty letters this
week all on the same topic
"what foods can we buy that are
nourishing and yet that are low
er in price than many staples on
which the prices have been suddenly
boomed?" The cost of living is the
old, but newly complicated problem,
owing to the unfortunate European
war. and this fall nothing is nearer
10 the heart and pocketbook of the
house wife.
If the war and other conditions are
soaring the prices of certain foods.
are there no other foods to take their
place? If so. what are they. do tell
us! That there is a new condition in
food supplies. all Of us must meet;
that it is a discouraging condition. l
do not believe; there Is a way out.
and we can all take it. The first ar
ticle of food unduly raised has been
meat-which in many families is, the
staff of each meal. Now the qualities
which make meat full Of nutriment.
are not confined to meat alone, but
are shared by a number Of familiar
and cheap foods such as cheese. eggs.
, macaroni. spaghetti. fish. nuts. par
ticularly peanuts. beans, peas, and
j lentils.
AS long as milk continues to be
normal in price. all the daily products
especially cheese. can be used TO re-
place meat in a very inexpensive way.
Cheese can be used excellently as a
sauce, in souffle or custard form.
grated in soup. ,r on rice, spaghetti,
and in the more elaborate cheese
dishes. In a table given below. are
comparisons between the amount of
nutriment derived from similar foods.
and the cost.
Eggs are another staple. which even
when high per dozen. are always
cheaper than meat. Eggs" to many
may mean only the proverbial fried,
"boiled," or scrambled. But when one
cookbook gives a list of 10l ways ,o
prepare eggs. their infinite posi-
bilities can be seen.
The much maligned "macaroni" ha:
more nourishment in 1t than we
Americans credit it. If this We're no.
so, it could not possibly be the staf1
of life to so many thousands of 1tal'
ians. 1t Is high in gluten, and in the
cooked. have never eaten spaghet.
ii appetizingly served in an American
family--the ordinary cheese ant
y cream sauce. while nourishing. being
100 Iiats IL SnOulQ De prepared VIII
tomatoes, sharp cheese, good stock
or boiled with fowl carcass or other
wise have some meat flavor. A pound
Of chuck, boiled. and the spaghetti
cooked in this liquor. and later flaw
ored with tomato, olive oil and sea
sonings, will be as nutritious as {
so cent steak. at a cost Of less THAI
half that sum. The other pastes, yer
micelli, noodles. and "alphabets.
should all be increasingly used. a
the basis Of an economical meal.
Rice is another food that we shall
have to learn to regard more highly
and cook more intelligently. America n
usually think Of rice as children!
cereal. and the basis of unending ant
unpaatable rice pudding. But othe
nations like Japan. India. and Turke!
l can cook rice so that real life men lik
1t. and call for more! Any soup stocl
better than plain water for boilint
n in. Scraps of ham or pork are par
tSularly good served with it. It can b.
Sused excellently with favored cauce
like tomato. curry. pepper, chile, etc
A peep in the cookbooks Of foreigl
lands will give us new viewpoint ol
rice. as used in countries where pota
toes are nil While on the subject o
rice. I must mention the too-littie use
''brown' rice. or the rice which is un
coated. and from which the outer Goa
has not been removed. This rice 9TH