If it be admitted that from the food the body is
continually built up and kept in health, how can it be
expected if the food be insufficient, or, from its nature,
incapable of making healthy blood, that we can have
anything but a weak race of men and women always
complaining of ill-health ? The stomach has often to
work and waste its power on a mass of useless
material.
Masters of schools and parents should not measure
the appetites of children by their own wants. A
morbid condition of the skin, ringworm, and debility
of constitution in children are often traceable to imper-
fect nourishment Where there is an insufficiency
of food, or, what is the same thing, improper food, the
vital functions go on and the body lives on itself; and
this explains in some degree the frequent occurrence
of consumption in rapidly growing and ill-fed youths.
The intellectual culture and progress of a boy depend
very much on physical power. In looking over the
advertisements of boarding schools, it is a matter of
regret that a plain substantial diet is not always recog-
nised. I do not undervalue the importance of light,
cleanliness, physical exercise, temperance, and pure
air and good water ; but all these are unavailing with-
out abundance of wholesome, well-cooked food. As
this question is very important, parents should be as
particular about the food as they are about the
education of their children. Insufficiency of food
has given rise to an impression that children are
over-worked. Cases of over-pressure in schools may
generally be traced to hunger and hereditary weak-
ness.
HASHES AND STEWS.
“ Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox
and hatred therewith. ”
Hashed mutton it is said drive men to dine at
clubs and restaurants. It is the horror of most
husbands, but this arises from its not being properly
prepared. The first thing required is tender meat;
if the leg or shoulder of mutton be tough the hash
will be tough ; but good tender mutton, with every
piece which has seen the fire, carefully removed, and
if the hash be properly prepared, it may be made a
palatable, inviting dish. Cold mutton, with a few
sprigs of parsley and mashed potatoes and pickles, is
considered by most men a sufficient reason for not
coming home to dinner ; but what is good enough for
the wife and children, ought to be good enough for
the husband. I quite admit that the greasy messes
called hashes are not very inviting to a man after a
hard day’s work ; but there ought to be no such thing
as greasy messes, nor any place where a man can
obtain a better, cheaper, or happier dinner than with
his wife and children. The family dinner should be
the daily humanizing influence of every household.
There is a freedom which never obtains at any other
54
Buckincister s Cookery .
time, and you get at the inner life and thoughts of
your children. Sir Thomas Lawrence used to invite
his sitters to dinner that he might better understand
the natural expression of their characters. It should
be the study of the wife to make the plainest food
varied and attractive by cooking, and she has a right
to expect in return love from her husband and
children, and a kindly interest in all the affairs of the
family.
STEWS. •
Page 23
Presented as published in 1887. 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
If it be admitted that from the food the body is continually built up and kept in health, how can it be expected if the food be insufficient, or, from its nature, incapable of making healthy blood, that we can have anything but a weak race of men and women always complaining of ill-health ? The stomach has often to work and waste its power on a mass of useless material.
Masters of schools and parents should not measure the appetites of children by their own wants. A morbid condition of the skin, ringworm, and debility of constitution in children are often traceable to imperfect nourishment Where there is an insufficiency of food, or, what is the same thing, improper food, the vital functions go on and the body lives on itself; and this explains in some degree the frequent occurrence of consumption in rapidly growing and ill-fed youths. The intellectual culture and progress of a boy depend very much on physical power. In looking over the advertisements of boarding schools, it is a matter of regret that a plain substantial diet is not always recognised. I do not undervalue the importance of light, cleanliness, physical exercise, temperance, and pure air and good water ; but all these are unavailing without abundance of wholesome, well-cooked food. As this question is very important, parents should be as particular about the food as they are about the education of their children. Insufficiency of food has given rise to an impression that children are over-worked. Cases of over-pressure in schools may generally be traced to hunger and hereditary weakness.
HASHES AND STEWS.
“ Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. ”
Hashed mutton it is said drive men to dine at clubs and restaurants. It is the horror of most husbands, but this arises from its not being properly prepared. The first thing required is tender meat; if the leg or shoulder of mutton be tough the hash will be tough ; but good tender mutton, with every piece which has seen the fire, carefully removed, and if the hash be properly prepared, it may be made a palatable, inviting dish. Cold mutton, with a few sprigs of parsley and mashed potatoes and pickles, is considered by most men a sufficient reason for not coming home to dinner ; but what is good enough for the wife and children, ought to be good enough for the husband. I quite admit that the greasy messes called hashes are not very inviting to a man after a hard day’s work ; but there ought to be no such thing as greasy messes, nor any place where a man can obtain a better, cheaper, or happier dinner than with his wife and children. The family dinner should be the daily humanizing influence of every household. There is a freedom which never obtains at any other
Buckmaster's Cookery.
time, and you get at the inner life and thoughts of your children. Sir Thomas Lawrence used to invite his sitters to dinner that he might better understand the natural expression of their characters. It should be the study of the wife to make the plainest food varied and attractive by cooking, and she has a right to expect in return love from her husband and children, and a kindly interest in all the affairs of the family.
STEWS. •