The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1921-04-18
DOMESTIC SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Mrs. Belle De Graf
Domestic Science Director spcrry Flour 90.

Fat ia one of the most important
foods as Il Is the greatest source OF
reserve energy. II is also required to
lubricate tho body and when taken In
reasonable quantities is easily digest
ed by persons In normal health.
Starch is digested mainly In the
mouth: protein clean meat, eggs,
cheese. fish in the stomach; fats
are changed but little until they
reach the small intestine, then they
are divided into tiny portions and are
carried To the blood. Fats. rank In
digestibility as follows: first butter
and cream, then olive oil; other veg
etable oils such as cottonseed, corn
and peanut oil; oleomargarine, beef
fat and last the various pork fats.
Margarines are used as butter sub
stitutes and rank with butter In fuel
value In proportion to fat content.
But butter contains the valuable fat
soluble vitamines so necessary to
growth. especially OF children. Mar
garines do not possess this quality
so are not as desirable to use In
children's diet although the adult
may use margarine In place OF butter
ms a diet for the normal grown per-
son will include these vitamines in
other foods.
Nature has taught us to take fats
in mbination with other foods as
Il is more palatable in that form. We
spread butte on bread, or steak
and add II TO boiled vegetables. po-
tatoes, etc. or cut with an acid we
pour oils over lettuce. Anything
which aids in the division OF the oil,
helps in its digestion and assimila-
ton. From this Il would seem tina,
pastry might not be indigestible. But
as already stated starch is digested
mainly in the mouth, and II the
starch or flour in pastry be mixed
with layers Of fat, how can the saliva
permeate through these layers and
digest the starch? Well, made, light
flaky pastry can be eaten In modera-
ton without causing indigestion, but
pastry should not be served too fire.
quently.
When using fat for cooking do not
allow Il to become over-heated. Fats
heated to the smolSng point become
decomposed; when the fat is eaten II
can be an irritation which produces
indigestion. The temperature OF dir
ferent fats varies. Butter when heat
ed to the point when 1t bubbles and
foams Is about the heat OF boiling
water. II heated beyond the bpbbling
point, It Is considerably hotter than
the boiling point OF water. II fat
bubbles when heated, there is water
present and II Is the water which Is
boiling: when the fat ceases to boil
the water has been evaporated and
the fat is ready to use. Since fat
when overlooked is very unwhole-
some, II is essential to know how to
use this important food so that II
will be beneficial and not a detrim-
ent by daily use.
Deep fat frying is a method OF
cooking by immersing food In very
hot fat. II properly fried, foods cook
ed In this manner should not be un'
wholesome to persons in normal
health. Vegetable. oils are the best
fats to use for deep fat frying be-
cause they can be heated TO higher
temperature before the burning point
is reached than animal fats. Fat
should be heated until just an indt
cation of delicate blue smoke oil
yapor arises. II the smoke is decided
ly perceptible. the. fat is too hot FOL
use. Heated to the point when the
smoke can just Ne noticed and the
food to be fried added to the fat
the temperature will be immediatel,
reduced to the right degree OF heat
To test the fat have several cubes o.
bread when the fat is hot, but moi
smoking. Drop in one OF these cubei
OF bread and count forty, about al
the clock ticks. II the bread turns
golden brown in that time, the IA
is ready for mixtures that require
heating through, such as croquets
fish balls, fritters OF fruit or yeseta
bles which have only a. coating o
thin batter. II the food to be frie'
are uncooked mixtures such as dougl
nuts or fillets OF fish, the brea'
should take sixty seconds to brown