Evening star., 1926-03-30
FOOD AND HEALTH
By WINIFRED SIT ART GIBBS.
Food Specialist

The cook or chef thinks of appe-
Tiers or hors d'oeuvres chiefly as
decorative bits Of food that may he
counted upon to prove his taste. his
skill and his knowledge of social
usage. In other words, these appe-
Tiers are to him just what their name
implies-something TO add that little
more to a meal.
Now there is no quarrel with this
view. On the contrary, it is very i'm
portant. indeed but there is yet an
other point of view in connection with
appetizeIs that is equally important
and less frequently stressed. This is
the attitude of the dietetian or nutri-
tion specialist toward the Canapes,
fruit cocktails and dishes of that sort.
| The housewife will find it is only
through an all-round knowledge of all
sides of the appetizer question that
She is in position to understand their
value and to use them properly.
To begin with, an appetizer. if in
telligently chosen and skillfully con
costed. will give to q meal that at
tribute known as imagination. The
plainest of american meals" will
take on a "F'rencEy touch" If opened
with, let us say, an appetizer of
stuffed nasturtiums. SO the dietetian
is in full sympathy with the cook in
her wish TO add grace and beauty:
she wishes. in addition. to add food
value. whether direct or indirect.
From the point of view of nutri-
ton the appetizer must be judged,
first. as an aid to digestion by reason
of its appetite stimulation. its con
| tribution to social enjoyment.
What about the actual food value
as represented in the hors d'oeuvreS
themselves?
Beginning with the fruit cocktail
type. the answer is positive and en-
nhatic. Because of the valuable miner
ais salts and acids present in practical
ly all fruits. these cocktails add def
nitely to the food value OF the meal. as
well as to its attractiveness and appe-
tizing qualities. Orange slices and juice
pineapple juice and cubes, for exam
pie, help TO maintain the alkalinity
CT the blood. add to the hardness of
the bones torange1 and furnish di-
geStive principle useful in taking care
OF meats (pineapple). These are not
the only contributions made by fruit
appetiZers, but they will serve as
| illustrations.
Appetizers composed of shellfish,
oysters. Holsters and the like. while
they do afford certain food ele-
ments. as. for example, the iodine to
be found in oysters. yet. because of
the small size of the cauapeS and
the relatively smaller amount of min
erals present in the fish, one does not
depend on these appetiZerS TO add ac
tual food material 10 the diet. 1t is
advantageous, however, to be cog
infant of their general character and
to know then what food materials are
present of the character that is ac-
ceptaEle to the dietetian when she
plans the diet as whole.
CanapeS or TeliS hes of eggs are
sometimes of sufficient proportions to
give an appreciable increase of food
value. Egg yClk is a good source OF
fat, sulphur, iron and various other
elements important when we are con
sidering the makeup of the diet. Egg
relishes are frequently combined with
smoked fish, but the smoking process.
while adding considerably to the ap-
petiZing qualities of the fish, is not
an addition to its nourishing qualities.
Smoked fish, therefore, should be
thought of as an appetizer. pure and
simple, and at that should not be
given to children.
Such "rich" foodstuffs as caviar
and pate de foie gras should never,
under any circumstances. be given TO
children. Foie gras, for example, is
composed Of goose livers. and as the
geese have previously been fattened
beyond the normal, it stands to rea-
son that the livers are indigestible.
SO relishes or appetizers should
take their proper place. as something
to give interest, Zest and attractive
ness, but not actual food.
Copyright. 1926