NEVER JOKE WITH THE EGG
Concerning the egg, scientists Romanoff in their book ‘’The Avian Egg’’ state: “No other single food of animal origin is eaten and relished by so many people the world over; none is served in such a variety of ways. Its popularity is justified not only because it is so easily procured and has so many uses in cookery, but also because it is almost unsurpassed in nutritive excellence.”
Among the ways in which eggs can be served are raw, boiled in their shells, scrambled, baked, poached, deviled and fried. And they are used in making omelets, cakes, cookies, pudding, ice cream, eggnog, custard, salads, and so forth.
Nutritionists regard egg yolk as one of the best of proteins. The yolks abound in minerals such as iron and copper, also in the A, B and D vitamins. And not to be overlooked are the uses to which eggs are put in medical research.
NEVER UNDERATE THE CARROT
THE carrot is a gift of the Creator that many persons underrate. In the United States carrots rank ninth among twenty-eight vegetables of commercial importance; and of the better known ones, only spinach is less popular. Concerning this humble root a popular American cookbook quips: “They may not make your hair curl, but they will help protect your health.”
The dictionary defines the carrot “as a plant of the parsley family having a long, tapering, orange-red or reddish-yellow root which is eaten as a vegetable.” But it is not used only as a vegetable. Carrots, ground and roasted, have long been used as a coffee substitute in Germany, and as a sweetener in cooking throughout Europe.
SALADS COME IN GREAT VARIETY
EVERY good housewife is concerned with pleasing the palates of her family by making tasty dishes. And she is also concerned with providing them with wholesome meals. A great aid in realizing these two goals is salads.
Salads serve many purposes. Aside from their nutrient value, which can be considerable, they add zest and variety to your meals. They can also save you work in preparing meals, as well as cost, and they are especially welcome on hot days.
Great indeed is the variety of salads you can make. Chief, of course, are the many kinds of salads consisting largely of greens or other vegetables, but there are also many others. There are the salads that provide protein, and those consisting of starchy foods. There are also salads made with gelatin and those with fruits.
SURPRISING SAUERKRAUT
THE dinner is a special one. In the center of the table is a large pineapple that has been hollowed out and filled with pineapple chunks and something white. Shredded coconut? No, sauerkraut! Surprised? Not if you live in Germany or Poland.
German cooks not only serve sauerkraut in the traditional way, as an accompaniment to meat dishes (especially sausage or pork), but use it in combination with other foods, such as mixing it with grapes for a “tangy side dish.” There are Polish recipes for sauerkraut in wine, with dried mushrooms or with pickles. There are also “kraut” soups and salads. Yes, sauerkraut is popular.
Popular in many places, yes, but is it nutritious? Consider just one incident in its long history. Did you know that sauerkraut was vital in overcoming the once-dreaded “sailor’s disease,” scurvy? Scurvy is a vitamin-C-deficiency disease “that habitually decimated the crews of ships on lengthy voyages” because they did not get fresh vegetables. In the late 1700’s British captain James Cook discovered that sauerkraut along with other vegetables and fruits both prevented and cured this disease. He began one of his voyages with a supply of 7,860 pounds of sauerkraut!
So, too, today, because of its vitamin and mineral content, uncooked, that is, “raw” sauerkraut is recommended by nutritionists. For instance, Dr. Linus Pauling notes: “Sauerkraut contains a good amount of vitamin C.”
BABY FOODS FOR ADULTS
WHEN you buy a quart of milk at the market, it is not likely that you think of it as baby food. That, of course, is actually what it is. Nevertheless, milk has become a popular adult food, being used in cooking and in various drinks. But is this baby food really good for adults?
The milk you are most familiar with is, no doubt, cow’s milk. There are countries, however, where the people are accustomed to using milk from other types of animals. Goat’s milk, for example, is popular in the countries around the Mediterranean Sea as well as in Norway, Switzerland, Latin America and in parts of Asia and Africa. In Arctic regions people use milk from horses and reindeer. Sheep milk is popular in Spain and Italy. In India and the Philippine Republic the use of water-buffalo milk is not uncommon, and in South America llama milk is used.
No matter what type of milk is used, however, it can be dangerous. Why is this? Because it is easily contaminated by disease-producing bacteria and is an ideal medium in which they can rapidly multiply. Diseases such as tuberculosis, undulant fever, typhoid fever, septic sore throat, scarlet fever and diphtheria can be spread by milk.
