A. Food value of butter. — Although butter is generally used for the table for the sake of its flavor, from the standpoint of the dieti- tian it is a very important food, for butter fat contains in generous quantities one of the substances so essential for growth and health. For this reason butter is an important part of the diet of children and adults. If other fats must be substituted for table butter, care should be taken that the diet includes plenty of whole milk, eggs, and leaf vegetables if the deficiency in this " dietary essential " is to be met. B. Ways of extending the butter flavor. — If it is not possible to afford the normal and desirable supply of butter for table use there are various ways of extending the butter flavor over mixtures con- sisting only partly of butter. Such " merged butters " are usually made by combining equal parts of softened butter and whole milk. The process results in apparently doubling the amount of butter, and while the mixture has an agreeable flavor and a butterlike texture it must be remembered that the food value of the original ingredients is not altered and that the mixture has not the same food value as an equal measure of butter. C. Butter substitutes. — There are many brands of butter substi- tutes on the market, made from various combinations of animal and vegetable oils and fats, churned in milk to obtain the butter flavor. These are good, wholesome products and may be safely used in the mixed diet. 4. Cooking fats: A. Beside the fats commonly used for cooking, such as lard and compounds, the housewife should make use of all excess meat fats, both for the sake of conservation and of economy. She should insist that all meat trimmings paid for be sent home. All fat that can be spared from steaks, chops, or roasts should be cut off before cooking, covered, and set aside in a cold place until enough to be rendered has been collected. A surprising quantity can be accumu- lated in a short time without spoiling the flavor or juiciness of the meat. Fat from chickens or other fowls may be used in the same manner. B. Any fats that have a decided flavor may be improved by ren- dering with sweet milk. C. Fats with decided flavors may also be made into savory fat and used for sauteing or gravy making. USE AND PKEPAEATION OF FOOD. 85 D. Some fats, such as beef suet or mutton fat, are too hard to be used conveniently in cooking. These may be rendered with a softer fat, such as a vegetable oil, or the two may be mixed after the suet is rendered to obtain a fat of any desired consistency. E. The cracklings left from rendering suet should not be thrown away. They contain sufficient fat to make them valuable in cooking. Four to six tablespoons of cracklings are equivalent to one tablespoon of clear fat. They may be ground, salted lightly, and stored in glass jars until needed. These are especially desirable in the preparation of corn bread and are good served with baked potato. 5. Economical use of fats: A. Even a small saving of fat is important. Every bit saved by careful management helps to make the world's supply go further and helps to lessen the household bills. Some of the ways of saving fat in the household are — (1) Train the members of the family not to take more butter than they need. Any butter left over on the plate may be saved and used for special cooking.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

A. Food value of butter. — Although butter is generally used for the table for the sake of its flavor, from the standpoint of the dietitian it is a very important food, for butter fat contains in generous quantities one of the substances so essential for growth and health. For this reason butter is an important part of the diet of children and adults. If other fats must be substituted for table butter, care should be taken that the diet includes plenty of whole milk, eggs, and leaf vegetables if the deficiency in this " dietary essential " is to be met. B. Ways of extending the butter flavor. — If it is not possible to afford the normal and desirable supply of butter for table use there are various ways of extending the butter flavor over mixtures consisting only partly of butter. Such " merged butters " are usually made by combining equal parts of softened butter and whole milk. The process results in apparently doubling the amount of butter, and while the mixture has an agreeable flavor and a butterlike texture it must be remembered that the food value of the original ingredients is not altered and that the mixture has not the same food value as an equal measure of butter. C. Butter substitutes. — There are many brands of butter substitutes on the market, made from various combinations of animal and vegetable oils and fats, churned in milk to obtain the butter flavor. These are good, wholesome products and may be safely used in the mixed diet. 4. Cooking fats: A. Beside the fats commonly used for cooking, such as lard and compounds, the housewife should make use of all excess meat fats, both for the sake of conservation and of economy. She should insist that all meat trimmings paid for be sent home. All fat that can be spared from steaks, chops, or roasts should be cut off before cooking, covered, and set aside in a cold place until enough to be rendered has been collected. A surprising quantity can be accumulated in a short time without spoiling the flavor or juiciness of the meat. Fat from chickens or other fowls may be used in the same manner. B. Any fats that have a decided flavor may be improved by rendering with sweet milk. C. Fats with decided flavors may also be made into savory fat and used for sauteing or gravy making. D. Some fats, such as beef suet or mutton fat, are too hard to be used conveniently in cooking. These may be rendered with a softer fat, such as a vegetable oil, or the two may be mixed after the suet is rendered to obtain a fat of any desired consistency. E. The cracklings left from rendering suet should not be thrown away. They contain sufficient fat to make them valuable in cooking. Four to six tablespoons of cracklings are equivalent to one tablespoon of clear fat. They may be ground, salted lightly, and stored in glass jars until needed. These are especially desirable in the preparation of corn bread and are good served with baked potato. 5. Economical use of fats: A. Even a small saving of fat is important. Every bit saved by careful management helps to make the world's supply go further and helps to lessen the household bills. Some of the ways of saving fat in the household are — (1) Train the members of the family not to take more butter than they need. Any butter left over on the plate may be saved and used for special cooking.

Use and preparation of food