P

PARAGUAY TEA.

Paraguay or Maté, Yerba Maté or Jesuits’ Tea, consists of the leaves of the Brazilian holly, which grows wild in many parts of South America. The picked leaves are dried and reduced to a coarse powder for use. Paraguay Tea has been known to the South American Indians from prehistoric times and has now been in almost universal use among the whole white population since the 17th century. It is practically the sole non-alcoholic stimulant in vogue among the working classes of that continent.

Maté contains a percentage of caffein, an astringent matter analogous to tannin, and a peculiar volatile oil. It thus closely resembles tea but is thought by those who take it to be more exciting and to possess superior invigorating powers, while its long-continued use does not appear to induce harmful results.

The South Americans drink Maté all day long and practically at every meal. The infusion is made in a cup by pouring hot water upon the powdered leaves. Into this cup is placed a metal tube or bombilla furnished with a perforated bulb or strainer at its lower end. This cup is passed round from hand to hand. To the European, Maté tastes like ordinary tea to which senna or some kind of herb has been added. This at first is nauseous, but custom makes it more pleasant.

The infusion is made by simply pouring boiling water upon the Maté and allowing it to stand as in the case of ordinary tea.

The infusion should be drunk shortly after making as it blackens on standing. The leaves will bear two or three steepings. The natives usually add a lump of burnt sugar and sometimes a few drops of lemon juice, but seldom milk or ordinary sugar.

Maté possesses a great advantage over tea in that it is laxative, and thus a good remedy for constipation and sluggish action of the liver. To attain the best results, a large very hot cupful should be taken in the morning fasting, followed by a walk or suitable gymnastic exercises.

PARSLEY.

This common herb of our kitchen gardens, so much prized by the votaries of the culinary art, is thought to be mildly aperient and to act upon the kidneys. There are two varieties, the tall and the curled. Parsley is mostly used in the preparation of sauces of which the less said the better.

Decoction of Parsley.

Take a handful of curled parsley, wash it, bruise the stalks and boil for ten minutes; then pick out the stalks, chop the leaves very fine, put back into the water, boil for another ten minutes, strain and serve as a hot drink, taking a small wineglassful at intervals.

Parsley Tea.

Put a handful of well chopped parsley into a warmed teapot, pour boiling water upon it, let it stand a few minutes, then strain and serve.

Parsley Tea (alternative).

Take a handful of parsley, a little scraped horseradish root, mince and pound and then add 1 pint of boiling water. A few young onions, lemon juice and oil can be added to modify the flavour if preferred.

PEAR.

The pear is not much used for simple beverages. In the countries where this fruit grows plentifully an intoxicating drink known as perry is made which closely resembles cider and by many is preferred to it.

Pear Soup.

2 lbs. hard stewing pears, 6 ounces of water, half a teaspoonful of aniseed, honey to taste, 1 stick of cinnamon, 2 pints of water. Stew slowly until dissolved, strain, and serve either quite cold or very hot.

PEAS, BEANS AND LENTILS.

Dried peas, as well as beans and lentils, are theoretically the most nourishing foods extant and food reformers are fond of comparing them with meat and other foods to prove this. It is, however, in practice that we often find these comparisons unreliable. Most people find the pulse foods markedly difficult to digest; so that the relatively greater amount of nutriment that they contain does not serve them much. Pulses are good for those fortunate people who have very strong digestions which they can back up with plenty of open air exercise. It does not avail much for the city dweller with deficient digestive power to try to live on pulse foods when he finds that it only leads to endless dyspeptic discomforts.

Green peas and green broad beans as well as French beans in a fresh green state are, however, quite valuable articles of diet. They contain far less nutriment, but they are, in return for this, much more easily digested. They go well in salads uncooked, if flaked or grated.

Green Pea Soup.

Take 4 ozs. of green peas, or green broad beans or an equivalent amount of well soaked and softened marrowfat peas. Pass once or twice through the Dana Flaker and mash well, add pulped rhubarb, cucumber and tomato to flavour; mix all with 1 pint of boiling water; allow to infuse, or boil for a few minutes, strain, and serve hot.

PEPPERMINT.

This herb is universally employed as a corrective of dyspepsia and colic. It contains 1 per cent. of volatile oil, to the presence of which its medicinal virtues are due. Peppermint possesses warming properties which also make it valuable for relieving pain. For this reason the bruised leaves or the expressed oil are often used as an outward application. Peppermint enters into the composition of many of the warming comforting drinks which are sold commercially under a variety of names.

Peppermint Tea.

Take 1 oz. of the dried or fresh leaves, add to them 1 pint of boiling water, strain, and take a wineglassful as a dose.

PINEAPPLE.

The fresh pineapple contains an abundant supply of a powerful ferment or vegetable trypsin which possesses strong digestive powers. The juice of a pineapple will freely digest flesh meat and other animal or vegetable products. The ferment is so powerful that the workpeople who prepare pines for tinning have to wear rubber gloves to protect their skins.

Pineapple Juice.

This can be extracted by means of the Fruit Juice Press. The fresh fruit must first be cut up into slices and the outer skin removed to facilitate the passage of the pineapple pieces through the machine. Fresh pineapple juice is a valuable remedy for sore throat and for diphtheria. The syrup of tinned pineapple is in no sense a substitute for the above, since it is chiefly sugar and water.

POTATO.

It is a singular fact that children have been known to munch a raw potato whenever they can get a chance of doing so. The potato is the most alkaline of all the root vegetables. It will clean dirty hands as well as old pictures or walls. It is the organic soda which does this. The potato is anti-scorbutic or a remedy against scurvy. This is why all ships carry a big supply of this tuber with them. The pulp of a grated raw potato is the finest remedy for acidity and stomach fermentation. Its earthy taste is objectionable. To correct this, one need only pour over the grated or pulverised roots some hot vegetable soup.

Potato Juice.

By passing clean scrubbed potatoes through the Enterprise Press we get a pungent alkaline liquid which is strongly antiseptic, but very nauseous. Some people are willing to drink it if their sufferings are great, but others will think that the remedy is worse than the complaint. The flavour of the juice can be improved by adding honey and lemon juice, or a little fresh carrot juice.

Potato Water.

Bake a large potato in the oven; then cut up skin and all, and add pint of boiling water; allow to stand; strain, and serve hot.

PRUNE.

The dried plum or prune does not lend itself much to the making of beverages. To prepare prunes first clean and then soak them in warm water, for 8 hours, more or less, according to the size, age, and hardness of the fruit; then chill them, and carefully dry them in a cloth for use. Their flavour and appearance are quite spoilt when they are cooked in the customary foolish fashion, namely, boiled furiously for an hour with sugar. If cooked at all, they should be placed with water in a jar in the oven and allowed to stew very slowly until swollen to the full roundness of fresh fruit, adding a little water, if necessary, during the process, but no sugar—there is plenty of natural sugar in the fruit. People who follow this method for the first time are always greatly astonished at the delicious flavour and handsome appearance of the fruit. And this applies to practically all dried fruits.

Prune Soup.

½ lb. prunes; 3 pints of water; simmer until soft; sieve, boil again and serve either hot or iced. The addition of fresh apple juice just before serving is an improvement.