Lettuga Informata (Lettuce Baked in Oven)
Take off wilted outside leaves, wash and tie up heads, and place in baking pan with two cups of soup stock. Bake one-half hour. Place fork under heads, remove, and serve with stock for gravy.
Polenta (Corn Meal Mush)
This is usually eaten with meat gravy instead of milk. It would not be difficult to teach children to eat it with milk.
Gnocchi di Semolina (Indian Meal)
Often called farina by the Italians, cooked in milk.
Canestrelli (Tea Cakes or Cookies)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup flour
- 1 egg yolk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Cream together sugar and butter; add well-beaten egg yolk and vanilla; then enough flour to make a firm dough, probably one-half cup. Roll out thin and cut into fancy shapes.
Italian children do not need to be encouraged to eat macaroni, vermicelli, or spaghetti, which are usually well cooked. They are quite ready to eat oat meal or rolled oats if these are cooked in milk and raisins added.
A constipation diet includes vegetables served in the many different ways of cooking and combining, and fresh fruit or fruit juices. When constipation is found among the Italians, it is usually due to the fact that they have been financially unable to secure vegetables, fruit, and olive oil, and have lived exclusively on macaroni, rice, and lentils.
