I. Every kind of cake, and in fact every article of
food we make with any shade or grade of flour or meal,
will be a perfect success if mixed with pure, soft, cold
water, instead of milk. Boil and cool the water if hard,
or "suspicious" in any way, and keep it covered to pre-
vent absorption of impurities.
PUDDINGS, PASTRIES AND CAKES. 1 77
2. Substitute vegetable fats and nuts for animal fats
and dairy products. They are less expensive, more
healthful and but little more than half the quantity is
required for any desired result. The food is sweeter,
lighter and dev9id of any greasy odor or taste. (See
chapter on Vegetable Butter and Oils.)
3. Reduce the number of eggs ordinarily used by one-
half or more, to begin with.
4. Sugar, which we habitually use to excess, might be
gradually reduced in amount by one-third, then one-half
and the food would be less clogging to the system.
5. Spices should be gradually eliminated until ulti-
mately excluded from the cuisine ; and this also applies
to alcoholic extracts and flavors. For these, substitute
fruits dried and fresh with their juices, caraway, dill,
anise, lemon verbena, geranium, rose leaves, etc. Crush
the dry seeds and carefully steep the leaves as needed.
6. Reduce the salt crystal to the smallest amount, and
thus learn the taste of food ; and " lastly " substitute the
entire wheat flour for at least two-thirds of pastry and
cake preparations.
Examine any cook book, magazine, or paper contain-
ing recipes for cake, and it will become evident that they
do not in any way contribute to the nourishment of the
body, but cater only to an artificial taste which over-rides
the natural appetite and demands more of these sweets
than is either wise or healthful. On this subject, Mrs.
Emma P. Ewing says :
" Cake is innutritions and unsatisfying to a healthy
appetite, while properly made bread contains just the
nutrition the physical system demands. Cake deranges
the digestive organs sooner than any other article of
diet and a large proportion of the headaches and stomach
1 78 THE FAT OF THE LAND.
ailments with which women are so constantly afflicted are
the legitimate results of cake eating. A hankering for
cake is induced by a deranged appetite and a deranged
appetite is the outcome of nibbling at cake for supper
nearly every evening through the week, month and year.'*
Pies and puddings may be modified in like manner, so
long as these articles are deemed essential to your table.
^From a hygienic standpoint, we are better off without
them.
Puddings composed of milk, eggs, butter, sugar, spices,
and served with rich sauces, are unhygienic and dyspepsia-
producing. Only a perverted appetite will take delicious
fruit, spice and sugar it and inclose it between crusts of
starch and grease that would give an ostrich indigestion.
When the importance and necessity for changes in these
directions are realized, the table can be supplied with
substantial varieties of bread, made from entire wheat flour,
Graham, corn and rye, granulated wheat, wheatlet, farinose,
granula and scores of cereal preparations perfectly cooked
and daintily served ; while shredded wheat and granose
biscuits already cooked will, with fruits, make a variety of
tempting desserts without roasting the cooks, and the
trouble of freezing the food after it has been cooked, and
later applying the ice cold compound to the stomach
already filled with a dinner "served hot." Vegetables
also in well chosen combinations, the watery with the solid
varieties, and nuts served with them in place of meat,
what further do we need ?
These are all so plentiful and in such great variety that
there will be no lack of sufficient changes from day to
day, although the more we conform to a pure standard of
food, the less desire we have for frequent changes in the
menu.
PUDDINGS, PASTRIES AND CAKES. 179-*
Page 71
Presented as published in 1896. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
I. Every kind of cake, and in fact every article of food we make with any shade or grade of flour or meal, will be a perfect success if mixed with pure, soft, cold water, instead of milk. Boil and cool the water if hard, or "suspicious" in any way, and keep it covered to prevent absorption of impurities.
2. Substitute vegetable fats and nuts for animal fats and dairy products. They are less expensive, more healthful and but little more than half the quantity is required for any desired result. The food is sweeter, lighter and devoid of any greasy odor or taste. (See chapter on Vegetable Butter and Oils.)
3. Reduce the number of eggs ordinarily used by onehalf or more, to begin with.
4. Sugar, which we habitually use to excess, might be gradually reduced in amount by one-third, then one-half and the food would be less clogging to the system.
5. Spices should be gradually eliminated until ultimately excluded from the cuisine ; and this also applies to alcoholic extracts and flavors. For these, substitute fruits dried and fresh with their juices, caraway, dill, anise, lemon verbena, geranium, rose leaves, etc. Crush the dry seeds and carefully steep the leaves as needed.
6. Reduce the salt crystal to the smallest amount, and thus learn the taste of food ; and " lastly " substitute the entire wheat flour for at least two-thirds of pastry and cake preparations.
Examine any cook book, magazine, or paper containing recipes for cake, and it will become evident that they do not in any way contribute to the nourishment of the body, but cater only to an artificial taste which over-rides the natural appetite and demands more of these sweets than is either wise or healthful. On this subject, Mrs. Emma P. Ewing says :
" Cake is innutritions and unsatisfying to a healthy appetite, while properly made bread contains just the nutrition the physical system demands. Cake deranges the digestive organs sooner than any other article of diet and a large proportion of the headaches and stomach
ailments with which women are so constantly afflicted are the legitimate results of cake eating. A hankering for cake is induced by a deranged appetite and a deranged appetite is the outcome of nibbling at cake for supper nearly every evening through the week, month and year.'*
Pies and puddings may be modified in like manner, so long as these articles are deemed essential to your table. ^From a hygienic standpoint, we are better off without them.
Puddings composed of milk, eggs, butter, sugar, spices, and served with rich sauces, are unhygienic and dyspepsiaproducing. Only a perverted appetite will take delicious fruit, spice and sugar it and inclose it between crusts of starch and grease that would give an ostrich indigestion.
When the importance and necessity for changes in these directions are realized, the table can be supplied with substantial varieties of bread, made from entire wheat flour, Graham, corn and rye, granulated wheat, wheatlet, farinose, granula and scores of cereal preparations perfectly cooked and daintily served ; while shredded wheat and granose biscuits already cooked will, with fruits, make a variety of tempting desserts without roasting the cooks, and the trouble of freezing the food after it has been cooked, and later applying the ice cold compound to the stomach already filled with a dinner "served hot." Vegetables also in well chosen combinations, the watery with the solid varieties, and nuts served with them in place of meat, what further do we need ?
These are all so plentiful and in such great variety that there will be no lack of sufficient changes from day to day, although the more we conform to a pure standard of food, the less desire we have for frequent changes in the menu.