True food values and their low costs

Hot Bread Statements of a popular nature are frequently met with regarding the unwholesomeness of hot bread. The fact that bread is hot has doubtless little to do with the matter. New bread, especially that from a large loaf, may be readily compressed into more or less solid masses, and it is possible that such bread would be much less finely masticated than crumbly, stale bread, and that, therefore, it might offer more resistance to the digestive juices of the stomach. However, with such hot bread as rolls, biscuit, and like forms, in which the crust is very large in proportion to the crumb, this objection has much less force. There is then little difficulty in masticating the crumb, and it is doubtless usually finely divided. The advantages of toast for invalids is often said to lie in the fact that the carbohydrates have been changed into more soluble form by the extra heating. Only the outer layers are thus changed, however, unless the bread is dried and browned throughout. If there is any advantage it probably comes from the more appetizing flavor of the toasted bread and the fact that it is more likely to be thoroughly masticated. The lightness and sweetness of bread depend as much on the way in which it is made as on the materials used. The greatest care should be used in preparing and baking the dough, and in cooking and keeping the finished bread. Heavy, badly raised bread is a very dangerous food, and unfortunately very common, and probably more indigestion has been caused by it than by all other badly cooked foods. As compared with most meats and vegetables, bread has practically no waste and is very completely digested. It is usually too poor in protein to be fittingly used alone, but when eaten with due quantities of other foods it is invaluable, and well deserves its title of "the staff of life." CHAPTER XVIII [illustration: master and servant discussing fish] Fish, on account of its abundance, cheapness, and wholesomeness, is invaluable as an article of food. It contains less solid matter and more water than meat, and consequently may be said to be less nutritious and less stimulating. However, as it contains little fat — ^the white varieties particularly — it is easily digested, and as it has a large proportion of nitrogenous material, it is especially adapted to all those upon whom there are great demands for nervous energy. Salmon heads the list "of whatsoever hath scales and fins" in nutritive qualities, and it is richer than meat. The next in value are fat halibut, shad, whitefish, mackerel, bluefish, lean halibut, bass, flounder, trout, cod, haddock, cusk. etc. Red-blooded fish, like salmon, mackerel, and bluefish, have the oil distributed through the body. They are very nutritious for those who can digest them, but are too rich and oily for invalids. White fish, like flounder, halibut, cod, and haddock, have the oil in the liver, and are more easily digested. Fish should be perfectly fresh and thoroughly cooked, or it will be not only indigestible but sometimes poisonous. All varieties of fish need an accompaniment of starchy foods, like bread and potatoes ; and white ■ fish need beside to be cooked with butter or fat to make them desirable as food. The juices of fish, shellfish particularly, are of an alkaline nature, and this renders lemon juice or vinegar a desirable condiment as a neutralizing agency. Frozen fish should always be thawed in cold water. It is surprising how few people understand the preparation of salt fish in the making of fish balls, or fish and potatoes. The method here given is that in use by the housewives of Cape Cod, who certainly are adepts in the art of cooking fish.