Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 2, Number 44, DeMotte, Jasper County, 16 March 1933 — The Household [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Household

By LYDIA LE BARON WALKER

Mothers who hope their children will like the foods which are supposed to be good for their health should be careful to make the viands seem desirable. There is a sort of aristocracy in edibles, some of which rightfully belong in the category of

epicurean dishes, and others which for reason of disapnragement, chiefly because of low cost or plentiful quantity, are debarred. Among the latter there are many which could be slipped from one classification to another to advantage. As a matter of fact it is localities and seasons which are great determinators of luxuries. For example there are parts of the globe where carrots, spinach, prunes, and green corn are luxuries, and others where ripe olives, avacado pears, pumpflowers used as a vegetable, are no luxuries at all. It is well, therefore, to give the wholesome foods which

are abundant, some appearance of desired luxuries, in order to give them the appetizing appeal of the exclusive articles. A Simple Method. This plan of instilling the usual with elements of the desired, but not easily attainable articles, is not so difficult as might at example I remember one wished to make fish seem very desirwho were not inclined.

to relish it as much as meat. She kept it as an especial dish to serve one day only. Then she surrounded the idea of fish dishes with a sort of glamor by mentioning just often enough that she was having a particularly delicious dish on that day. Also she was careful to procure dainty fish and to prepare it in a most attractive dish in looks and flavor. Association. After a few weeks of creating this atmosphere and bringing the edible to a high degree of excellence through such careful preparation, the children began to clamor for certain fish dishes and to look forward to the one day in the week when they could have it. Making food a treat through infrequent serving of it is one way to make it seem desirable, therefore. Another way is to have the less desired food, as an accompaniment to some dish which the children delight in. By association of the less wanted with the wanted the former absorbs some of the wanted characteristics. One child who was especially fond of roast beef acquired an almost like appetite for macaroni and cheese because both were always served together in her home. Making foods appeal to the eye is a well-recognized method of creating a desire for it. Instilling an unusual flavor through mixing with other ingredients is another method. Salads afford a good opportunity for this way. Altering looks is sometimes successful. One mother colored rennet and topped it with whipped cream and, once despised, it became a favorite dessert. Heating of Left-Overs Oven warming up of left-overs is apt to be more successful than reheating food on top of a range. The heat in the oven is more even than over a flame which comes directly on the bottom of the pan and has, after that, to be distributed. In an oven

the heat radiates to surround the sides and top as well as the bottom of the inclosure. This makes the top of the container get as much, or nearly as much, heat pressure as the bottom of it When the edible to be reheated is liquid such as soup and sauces they should be heated on top of the range as the under heat is taken up immediately into the liquid and distributed through it fairly evenly and very quickly. There is no advantage in having heat on all sides, and there is a distinct disadvantage in handling pans of liquid when putting them in and out of the oven. Containers with handles should be used, for the reheating of liquids and not regular oven pans, which are generally minus handles. Beefsteak left-over is delicious if put in a tightly covered container with a very, very little water in the bottom of the pan, just enough to germinate steam and the temperature be kept medium or lower. Never try to reheat food in a hot oven for the outside of the food will be hot when the Inside is almost cold. I have reheated steak thus and found it practically gs good as when first broiled. It should be dotted with little bits of butter, and salt and pepper should be lightly sprinkled on it also. Remove the lid of the container for two or three minutes, not more, before serving the beefsteak on a hot platter. Garnish with parsley. ©, 1933, Bell Syndicate.--WNU Service.

Mother Made the Food Sound Delicious.