Evening star., 1943-04-15
Report to the Housewife
Meat Distribution Still Problem; Produce Supplies
Good Except for Onions Potatoes and Cabbaees

The splendid supplies of local fish,
notably rockflsh and shad. have
indeed proved boon to harassed
Washington housewives this past
week. They will continue to be
plentiful and reasonable over the
week end, too, dealers say, and steady
buying is expected. With meat dis
tribution still far from ironed out,
and poultry scarce as the proverblal
hens teeth (oops-sorryD the flsh
market is rapidly becoming the
Mecca of those who must procure
the family's food.
Some fish from the South will
also be available, but the supplies
from New England are sketchy.
There will be some cod and founder
on hand, though. Because of labor
conditions, crab meat has become
almost out of the picture, and when
it is found, the price is something
fierce Much the same thing applies
to lobster meat and cooked shrimp
this week-althougn raw shrimp can
be purchased for a reasonable sum.
Herring, whiting, mackerel and bass
are not expensive, and very good
There is pan rock. too, as we'll as
the larger sized fish.
AS we said before, the meat and
poultry situation continues in a
srarl There are very few chickens
on the market, and it looks as
though reinforcements will be long
in coming. There seems to be a
quantity of veal for sale in many
stores, and with the lowering of
points on some sausage products,
these items are enjoying a revival
of popularity. Glandular meats are
moving slowly-too slowly, say the
butchers, who must try to keep
them from spelling. Fair quantities
of beef and lamb are found in some
markets, but again distribution is
uneven, and very different condi-
tions exist in various parts of town.
Some good cuts of pork relieve the
situation somewhat.
Summing up, it would appear that
for the week end the housewife will
dc we'll to depend on sausage and
similar meats. veal, glandular meats,
fish, eggs and cheese. Then, of
course, there are the dried legumes,
which are full of protein, but of
which, I find. a family tires very
quickly. In my household we have
come to depend a great deal on
mushrooms to make filling and de-
licious main dish; stuffed eggplant,
too, gives a delusion of grandeur,
and a cheese souffie, which uses very
little cheese, has always been IA
vorite.
If you want onions. potatoes or
cabbage this week end, forget EN-.
They have just about disappeared
from many markets, and are mighty
scarce in the ones that have been
able to hold over a slim supply.
Instead. count on spinach. kale. rape,
turnip greens. landcress, collards or
any other greens; Jerusalem arti-
chokes. sweet potatoes. leeks or
'spring" onions. These will pinch
hit very nicely for the more usual
items. There's wonderful asparagus
on the market now. coming from
South Carolina as we'll as from Cali
fornia: peas are still high and scarce.
though some are available. and snap
beans are better in quality. more
plentiful and not quite as high as
they have been. Tomatoes of fair
quality stay about the same, most of
them coming in from Mexico these
days Cauliflower, mushrooms. arti-
chokes. green peppers, fine water
cress, good Iceberg lettuce. escarole,
radishes. white and yellow squash.
beets and carrots are recommended.
The first of the Louisiana straw
berries are here, in addition to the
last stocks from Florida. Good avo-
cadoes. few pineapples. some small
Persian lines. Golden Delicious ap-
piles and excellent rhubarb are also
available.
And by the way, those quick
frozen baked beans that we have
been limiting about have finally
arrived in town. much to the delight
Of true bean devotees. These have
Succulent bits of DOrk in them too