Family meals and catering

It is true that the shopper cannot always find the cheapest of each kind of food in one place, but the careful housewife will take advantage of the abundance or even gluts of fish, fruit, vegetables, and perishable goods generally which occur according to season, and these foodstuffs are usually low in price in districts where incomes are low. ‘The price of dry goods does not vary much in these days of multiple stores. It will be noticed that such things as flank of beef, heart of ox and sheep, etc., ate not included, but this could easily be done. Mince, however, is used in several dishes. For those who have to economize in time and fuel minced meat is an advantage, and the coarser cuts of beef can be used by the butcher for this purpose. Herrings appear in the menus, and this is an economical foodstuff when the price does not exceed 1d. per fish. The butter supply arranged in Diet 16 is low. This would not be difficult to remedy. If the school children took advantage of the milk supply at school at 4d. per 4 pt., the money saved on a general expenditure in milk could be used for butter, or margarine for mixing with the butter. Milk is such a valuable food that the supply originally specified has not been altered because the family contains young children. For fully grown adults some of the money allowed for milk could be employed for other purposes. Cocoa could be given instead of tea to the younger children. Packets of manufactured food (such as patent cereals, cake mixtures, etc.) are avoided because of their high cost, and tinned foods are used sparingly. . This booklet is primarily intended as a guide for families who have to plan carefully in order to “make ends meet,” and it is also the hope of the Nutrition Committee that it will prove to be of practical use to others. Malnutrition is by no means confined to the poorer section of the community, and while there is undoubtedly a need for a wider understanding of the significance to health of qualitative defects in diet it is felt by the Committee that family catering and cooking based on its first report and on this practical manual are calculated to improve the well-being of individuals and families and the state of nutrition and health of the nation as a whole. | & PRACTICAL NOTES ON THE USE OF THE MENUS AND RECIPES 1.. The Shopping List for each week includes the total food required by the family per week for all meals. 2. The Menus given are for the two main meals of the day—Dinner and High Tea or Supper. Details of breakfasts are not given, but ample food remains for this meal, and for supplementing other meals, after putting aside the foodstuffs for the dishes listed on the Menus. 3. In making use of the Menus and Recipes it will be found that the coloured plate for each day corresponds with the list of items on the menu for the day, and that full information as to quantities of ingredients and cooking is given for each dish. 4. ‘To turn up the appropriate Recipe for any dish it is only necessary to note the week number and day of the week, and then to look up the Recipes for that day. In weeks 2 and 3, if a dish has sited appeared on the Menu a reference to the week and day is inserted so that it may be readily ound. [2] Se ee ee ee HOMELY MEASURES 1 tablespoonful, rounded, of flour and similar light ingredients 1 tablespoonful, filled level, of sugar and similar heavy ingredients 1 dessertspoon ful I teaspoonful I teacupful 1 breakfastcupful 1 tumbler PROPORTIONS OF SOME PRINCIPAL Milk Puddings 1} to 2 oz. of grain to every pt. of milk. Sauces 14 oz. to 2 oz. of fat and flour to every pt. of liquid. Batter : 4 4.as.much flour as liquid for Yorkshire pudding, etc. Short Pastry and Suet Pastry 3 as much fat as flour if plain flour is used. } as much fat as flour if baking powder is added.