Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-19
BY SALLY MONROE.

There is O tendency nowadays 10
decry the use Of spices, and If statistics
were available on the subject am sure
it would be found that the amounts OF
allspice, cinnamon. cloves, ginger,
mustard, nutmeg, pepper and mace used
in most American households Is con-
siderably less than 1t was 80 or 40 or
so years ago:
Still there Is something 70 be said In
| defense of these spices, and III ages past
| they have served definite purpose.
| They have made foods more appet1zing
! and contributed the variety to foods
that would otherwise have been much
too monotonous. Indirectly spices have
aided digestion, since they have made
food more palatable, and since: other
things being equal, palatable food is
always more easily digested than I'M
palatab1e food. Palatability excites the
flow of saliva, which is the first step In
digestion.
But spices have sometimes made food
too palatable. People have eaten more
than is good for them because 1t was
made tempting by the addition Of spices.
Moreover, spices have sometimes been
used to hide the unpleasant taste OF
food that was stale or otherwise UNIT
for use.
Spices, we are told, should not be
REGARDED as foods, since they DO not
contribute to the nour1shment OF the
body. II we except Salt-which isn't
a spice at all in the usual acceptance
Of the word-there is none that can
De said to be in any way necessary to
the body. Spices do not contribute
add minerals, which might, however, be
obtained from any we'll balanced diet
containing no spices whatever.
It is interesting to note that 1t was
the cooks Of France who first led the
way toward less highly spiced foods
Cloves, mace, cinnamon and allspice
are now used but rarely by French
cooks and have been assured that they
never on any account use ginger.
In place of spices the French cooks
of the eighteenth and nineteenth CEN
turtles developed the art of using herbs
and fiavorings obtainable from garden
vegetables No French cook could
manage at all without parsley. Onions
and other vegetables Of the onion family
are also essential to the French cook.
Celery, cucumber, cress, mushrooms,
tomato, all contribute their important
supply of flavors to the expert French
cook.
Interesting questions from readers
this week include:
rs there any helpful diet for St
Vitus' dance?"-Mrs. J. NJ, Richmond
In effecting speedy recovery from
st. Vitus' dance or chorea diet plays a
very important part. 1t is especially
important for children suffering from
this malady to have plenty of fruit,
vegetables milk, butter and an ade-
quate supply of proteins, or body build
ing foods An excess Of sweets, cakes,
pies, etc, should be avoided. The doc
tor should be consulted for particulars
IT would like TO know how to make
crumb kloese for soup."-F. N. s..
Washington.
Mix together one and a half table,
spoons of butter, a cup of bread
crumbs, two eggs. half q teaspoonful
! baking powder, a little chopped parsley
with a pinch of salt. About 10 or Is
minutes before the soup is to be served
!, form into small balls and carefully
drop into the soup, which should sim
mer gently until served.
"I have heard that cabbage Is good
for asthma. How should IL be prepared