Radio Digest (Mar 1928-Oct 1929)

RADIO DIGES T — Illustrated 51 Telling Fortunes With Foods Like the Mystic of Old Mrs. Peterson Shows Housewives How Foods Become the Elixir of Success WHEN Colleen Moore returned to Hollywood several years ago, she looked across at a motherly looking woman who was getting off the train also' surrounded by a large following of admirers. "Who are you?" the little screen star called out merrily. "Only a cook from Chicago," answered Anna J. Peterson with a chuckle. Here was an older woman whose Radio audience had never seen her competing for popularity with , a young motion picture actress. However, for three years, at that time, Mrs. Peterson's voice had been entering thousands of homes when she broadcast from KYW. Now she may be found at her usual hour of 11:35 a. m. behind the microphone of WENR. Her experiences as a mother, a grandmother, and a business woman have given to her voice a quality that wins at once the hearts of her invisible audience. Along with her descriptions of foods, she gives homely bits of advice on homemaking, and hints for those who must economize. Her listeners know that she understands them. And so when fellow tourists heard her voice, they recognized an old and trusted friend. Mrs. Peterson comes to her position as adviser in thousands of homes throughout the Middle West with not only her own practical experience but with the training she received under Fannie Farmer, her sixteen years of teaching in the East and her laboratory work with a corn products company and with the gas company. Every recipe she broadcasts has been tested in her kitchen. Broadcasting is, of course, only a small though very important part of her work. In order to show the homemaker what wonderful opportunities for health and happiness the intelligent use of food may bring, Mrs. Peterson has been giving a course of lessons called "Telling Fortunes With Foods." Here is a' sample broadcast: Hints on Food Values By Anna' J. Peterson WHEN we think of fortune telling, we probably have before our minds some sort of mystic person or thing, perhaps a Hindu, full of very wise thoughts, with his intensive steady gaze into our faces, or perhaps a very motherly looking Woman, who says she is the possessor of the mind of some Indian prince or princess and can tell us our past, present and future. Without any of this mystical thing I am talking about — with just plain everyday food, I am able to tell at least what your future will be — even if I cannot delve into the past or present. The foods you eat today tell whether you keep the elastic step of youth, whether your eyes keep clear and bright in the years to come. Gray hairs and wrinkles trace their beginning to a lack of something in the system, which might have been supplied with food. That is why I call the onion "fruit," which I give in this menu, the very elixir of life, for I know it has in it the elements which will make the skin clear and fresh, and keep you vigorous with a zest for living. Onion Soup 4 large potatoes. 4 medium-sized onions. 1 bunch soup greens. 1 pint water. 1 quart milk. Yz cup butter. 1 teaspoon salt. Paprika. Scrub potatoes very clean. Cut potatoes and onions into even sized cubes ; mince soup greens; add water and cook gently 15-20 minutes until thoroughly ANNA J. PETERSON, WENR, National dietetic authority and adviser to thousands of listening housewives. soft. Push through strainer. Add milk, butter, salt and paprika and re-heat in double boiler. At least once a week, it is very wholesome for us to use a vegetarian dish, such as the vegetable chop suey I am giving you, to take the place of meat and potato in the daily dinner, and makes a delightful dish, which to me is the personification of life. Vegetable Chop Suey Spanish onion. green pepper. red pepper. cups celery. small head cauliflower. cup fresh or canned mushrooms. cup fresh or canned tomato. cup bean sprouts. cups boiling water. tablespoon Vegex. Y2 teaspoons salt. Y2 cup parsley. Peel onion; wash remaining vegetables clean and cut or shred evenly. Separate flowerets of cauliflower and cut them lengthwise. Place all vegetables except parsley in saucepan; add boiling water and salt; cook gently 15 minutes uncovered. Add Vegex and cook 5 minutes longer. Turn into serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley. In my search for salads, which bring the iron you need to make the blood red, I have developed a fresh spinach and radish salad, with a new honey and lemon dressing which is perfectly delicious. Spinach shredded with a scissors as I have directed in this recipe, is entirely different from cooked spinach, and I am sure you will like the glow it brings you of joy in the spring days. Fresh Spinach and Radish Salad 1 pound spinach. 1 bunch radishes. 1 small head lettuce. Honey and lemon dressing. Wash .vegetables thoroughly. Shred spinach with scissors, and grate radishes on coarse grater. Toss spinach, radishes and dressing together. Serve in lettuce cups. Honey and Lemon Dressing Y\ cup honey. Yz cup lemon juice. Few grains salt. Mix all ingredients thoroughly and marinate salad greens. When we are forecasting your future with foods, to make your golden dreams come true, we must use whole grain products in our menu which will give to the body all the elements it needs. That is why in the dessert planned for this menu I have used whole wheat in making my apple and honey turnovers, and you will note also I have used honey for sweetening the apples. Honey, like maple sugar, is one of the easiest digested forms, of sweets and It does not require much of it to give the satisfaction which we crave. Whole Wheat Apple and Honey Turnovers Filling: 6 apples. Yz cup honey. Ya teaspoon cinnamon. *4 teaspoon salt Crust: 1J4 cups whole wheat flour. % teaspoon salt. Yz cup solid shortening. 5 tablespoons cold water. Wash, core and chop apples, but do not pare them; add honey, cinnamon and salt and mix well. Mix flour andsalt; cut in shortening; add water, cutting into a soft dough. Toss onto floured board, pat and roll out. Cut with large cutter about size of a saucer; place apples on y2 of dough: moisten edge with cold water and cover with other half, pressing edges firmly. Place on baking tin and bake 40 minutes at 350 degrees. If I could sit with 3rou at your family table when you serve this menu, I am sure I could promise to all of you a renewed vigor in living, and a delight in the days to come, which makes ir possible for you to carry out your very dreams and desires. What Mrs. Peterson is trying to do more than anything else is1 to make her Radio listeners feel that the job of taking care of the family is an important far-reaching one. Upon the intelligent selection and preparation of foods depends the future success of the children.