Page:Once a Week Jul - Dec 1859.pdf/343

 ONCE A WEEK

[October 22,  IS  59.

sidered fatal. The element  which  repairs  this waste is  called  the  nitrogenous  substance  of  food; the other  is  called  the  carboniferous. There ought to be  three  times  as  much  of  the  latter  as  of  the former to  keep  one  in  full  health;  but  a person may do  without  it  for  a short  time  without  fatal consequences, because  the  nitrogenous  portion  sup- plies its place  to  a small  extent.

The carboniferous  element  supports  the  respira- tion, keeps up  the  action  of  the  frame  by  which the nitrogenous  portion  is  carried  where  it  is wanted,  causing  the  circulation  and  the  renewal  of the  blood,  and  the  power  of  each  part  of  the body to  do  its  work. The two  together  make  our food.

The first  question,  therefore,  in  choosing  our food is,  what  articles  of  diet  contain  most  of these  two  elements,  with  the  least  mixture  of what  is  useless; and  the  next  consideration  is, how best  to  ensure  the  due  proportion  of  three parts of  one  to  one  of  the  other. To understand and apply  these  two  pieces  of  knowledge  is  the fundamental business  of  cookery.

Though this  is  the  scientific  basis  of  cookery,  it by  no  means  follows  that  every  wife  who  goes  to house-keeping,  and  every  girl  who  takes  a place as cook  is  expected  to  study  the  scientific  part  of the  matter  herself. Learned men  have  done it for  her. They have  told  us  what  articles  of food  contain  most  of  what  we  want,  under  the best conditions  for  use; and  the  treatment  of  the subject has  now  reached  the  practical  point  which suits the  purposes  of  every-day  life. Lists of  good dinners have  been  made  out,  not  only  for  hospitals, but for  soldiers  in  barracks  and  in  camp,  from which we  may  learn  what  mode  of  eating  is  most healthful for  active  people.

The useful  articles  of  diet  are  numerous,  and the commonest  we  have. As to  the  quantity required, the  prize-fighter,  who  requires  most,  has thirty-six ounces  per  day,  besides  the  innutritions portion which  everybody  swallows  at  every  meaL For women,  twenty  ounces  may  suffice,  though a larger allowance  is  better. Healthy working- men ought to  have  from  twenty-five  to  thirty ounces.

The greatest  amount  of  nourishment  of  both kinds is  contained  in  flour,  meat,  potatoes  and peas; milk, cheese,  rice,  and  other  grains,  and sugar; while  tea,  coffee,  and  cocoa  are  of  great value in  their  way. . Such are  the  materials; but they may  be  so  treated  in  the  cooking  as  to  waste what is  most  valuable,  and  preserve  what  is  of  the least consequence. It is  possible  to  manage  the making of  a stew,  so  as  to  wash  away  the  best qualities of  the  meat,  and  leave  the  vegetables hard, and  drain  away  the  thickening,  causing  a predominant  taste  of  smoke  and  salt. When Miss Nightingale  and  her  assistants  undertook  to cook  in  the  Eastern  Hospitals,  they  made  a pint of thick  arrowroot  from  one  ounce  of  the  powder, while in  the  general  kitchen  it  took  two  ounces  to make  a pint  of  thin  arrowroot. It was  the proper boiling  of  the  water  that  made  the  differ- ence here. Again, two  ounces  of  rice  were  saved on every  four  puddings  when  the  nurses  made  the puddings. Such incidents  show  that  it  is  not enough to  have  the  beet  materials  for  nourish- ment; they must  be  husbanded  in  the  prepara- tion. It seems  probable  that,  by  sensible  con- duct all around,  everybody  might  command  enough of the  best  material  for  food; and  it  is  certain that a very  proportion  of  the  wives  of

Englishmen know  how  to  do  justice  to  the  food they buy.

As a matter  of  fact,  what  do  the  working- classes of  this  country  eat  and  drink? Different methods prevail  in  different  districts,  no  doubt,  and in different  ranks  of  labourers; and,  of  course,  one wife will  differ  from  another  in  household  manage- ment, according to  her  training  and  her  ability; but still,  a few  specimens  will  throw  some  light  on the  reasons  why  so  many  persons  die  every  year from being  underfed.

In some  rural  districts  the  diet  in  the  cottages is just  that  of  the  Irish  before  the  famine; a diet which the  Irish  peasant  still  prefers,  and  which  is sufficient,  if  he  is  not  stinted  in  quantity. “What, potatoes!” some  reader  may  contemp- tuously exclaim. Yes; but not  potatoes  alone. The secret  of  potato-diet  is  having  milk  with  it, that the  one  article  may  make  up  for  the  deficiency in the  other. In winter,  when  milk  is  not  to  be had,  the  practice  is  to  melt  salt  lard  in  water,  for sauce; or to  have  a red  herring  (one  for  a whole family)  as  a relish: and  then  the  food  does  not suffice. This is  one  mode. Another is,  living  on bread  and  tea,  with  occasional  lard,  or  butter,  or cheese. The tea  is  hot  for  breakfast,  but  cold  at dinner,  which  is  eaten  in  the  field. Cold tea  at dinner-time, — without  sugar,  or  without  milk; and sometimes  without  either! Bread from  the baker’s, most  likely,  with  a trifle  of  something  to take  off  the  dryness. On Sundays  and  holidays there may  be  a morsel  of  bacon; but  no  fresh meat. This is  another  way. Elsewhere, the  wife makes the  bread; but  not  in  goodly  loaves,  but  in the  form  of  **  bread-cakes  — hot  buttered  cakes at breakfast; — the  same  cold  at  dinner; and  hot buttered cakes  for  supper. This is  for  three  days or so  after  the  wages  are  paid; and  for  the  rest  of the  week  there  is  hunger — unless  debt  is  per- mitted at the  shop.

In none  of  these  ways  could  the  dinner  come  to less  than  a penny  a head: and  it  must  usually amount to  a good  deal  more. Now, there  are wives who  can  set  a good  dinner  before  their households for  a penny  a head;  and  for  half  as much  again  can  provide  a considerable  variety  in the  course  of  the  week. The penny  dinner  on  record happened to  be  a beef  dumpling,  as  some  people call it,  while  others  know  it  by  the  name  of  pot- pie. The family  consisted  of  six;  and  the  dish cost sixpence,  affording  enough  for  everybody. The sticking-piece  of  beef  was  the  meat-part, — costing threepence. Onions, seasoning,  and  the flour and  lard  for  the  crust  made  up  the  rest. No pieces  of  beef  are  to  be  had  so  cheap  now; but there are  plenty  of  good  materials  to  be  had  by those  who  know  how  to  look  for  them ox-cheek, the sticking-piece  of  each  sort  of  meat; a sheep’s head and  pluck; and  the  bits  and  odds  and  ends seen in  the  butcher’s  shop  by  housewives  who  go early  enough  to  secure  such  things. The most valuable dash  in  a household  that  I know  of, where there  is  nothing  to  spare,  is  a stew,  which