Evening star., 1942-12-22

balanced diet. And II it takes a
world war and all that goes with 1t
to bring this about, chalk up little
something to the credit side Of this
holocaust The message makes clear
how eating habits, even the worst,
require an earthquake and even
more to shake them loose.
This is written not to poke fun at
the poor hill and mountain and
back woods folk, but to bring the
matter right close home. The In
veterate beefsteak, potatoes and
gravy habit Of our so-called "best
families" Is equally deplorable. The
SNUG complacency with which we
cling to the lamb chops and veal
outlets and loins Of pork shows us
as lacking in culinary imagination
as the "hill-billy" and with less rea-
son or excuse We know better-or
at least, we should.
And still we all have to have a
war to pry us loose from costly. lazy
and often unwholesome cooking and
eating habits. So right now, we
can't get that strip sirloin. We
can't get our usual leg of lamb.
Ask for fresh ham and tie butcher
boy merely grins.
We wind up our shopping with
bag of bones and what, in days gone
by. we called dog meat"-fresh and
clean and all that, but of most
plebian cuts q. about half pound
of pork and some veal bones. What
in the world can we do with that
mess and for a family Of four?
The Italian in the Vegetable stall
adjoining notes our puzzled and dis
concerted look, steps up and says:
"Mr. and Mrs. Now you make the
good minestrone. I sell you the
green's" And as he fills shopping
bag for us, he explains, and this,
without the dialect, is what he pre-
scribed:
Rules for Making Minestrone.
Start the mlnestrone by trimming
the bits Of pork and setting aside a
small piece for later use. The rest
of the pork and the veal bones go
into the pot with three quarts OF
water to boil. Going back to the
small piece set aside, this is ground
and mashed to pulp, chopped
parsley is added and any celery
greens there may be. A nubbin Of
garlic is mashed, too, or il that
seems too powerful, then an onion.
This paste is added to the pot. -Four
carrots are sliced and added to the
array on the fire. A small cabbage,
with the ribs removed and all leaves
separate, goes in. A handful Of
string beans, some peas-just about
any sort of green vegetable may be
included. Add salt and pepper to
taste and let the soup simmer for
two or three hours. Then remove
the meat and the bones, cutting all
the meat into small bits and return
Ing to the pot.
Last of all, add for each person
quarter Of cup of washed uncooked
rice or 1t may be macaroni pieces
or any other paste and continue
cooking until the rice or paste is
done. Here is a meal In itself-weu
balanced and delicious.
Plan to have few slices Of hard
salami. some picked peppers and
handful Of olives to eat with bread
and butter for an "anti-pasto."
French or italian bread is best
fresh and crisp and crusty. Then
generous bowls of minestrone with
more bread and butter. Dry red
wine. mixed half and half with cold
water, If you like, is right at home
here, unless your conscience says
mo, no, no!'-but 1t belongs, just
the same.
Then place upon the table a dish
OF fruit-apples, pears. oranges
whatever your fancy or the fruit
counter dictates. Raisins and nuts,
too! And a piece of cheese with
any coffee your quota permits.
Viva la soW-belly shortage!