Friday, December 22, 2006

A Food Facts Quiz.

Today, December 22nd ...

By December 1941, with WW II well underway, the British Ministry of Food had already produced 74 “Food Facts Leaflets” to assist the housewife with feeding her family under rationing. Leaflet Number 75 appeared in The Times on this day, just in time for some Christmas fun. It was in the form of a quiz - no prizes for the winners, only the warm glow of satisfaction of a quiz well-answered, but a suggested penalty for the poor performers in the family.

See how well you do with it today:


Here is a handful of nuts for you to crack around the fire at Christmas. “Chestnuts” they should be – to those of you who listen to the Kitchen Front Broadcasts or read Food Facts. Each correct answer is worth a certain number of points. A score of 20 out of 25 is good; but anyone who scores less than 10 should be made to do the washing up!

1 (a) Why is it an advantage to cook green vegetables quickly? (one point) (b) How do you prepare them for quick cooking? (one point)
2. Should young children be given cheese? (one point)
3. Who drew the figure at the top of this advertisement? (one point)
4. How long must a fruiterer keep oranges for the holder of a child’s ration book? (one point)
5. (a) How much is fresh-salted cod per lb.? (one point) (b) Who prepares it for cooking, and how? (two points).(c) When should it be cooked (one point).
6. (a) What are the present values of Points Coupons A, B, and C? (three points). (b)Between what dates are the current coupons valid? (two points)
7. Which is the correct way of mixing Milk Powder? (a) Do you pour the water on to the powder (b) Sprinkle the powder into the water? (one point)
8.(a) What is the time of the Kitchen Front Broadcast? (one point) (b) Which four of the following have taken part in these broadcasts? Raymond Gram Swing, Jack Hylton, Quentin Reynolds, Vic Oliver, Howard Marshall, Mabel Constanduros, George Allison, Goss Custard, Bernard Shaw (four points).
9. Each of the following foods is famous for a particular Vitamin. State whether A, B, C, or D: - National Wheatmeal; Carrots; Cod Liver Oil; Brussels Sprouts (four points).
10. What is (or are) Rose Hips? A dress design, An authoress, An Eastern Dance; Pods of the wild rose, rich in Vitamin C (one point).

[These were printed upside down in the advertisement “so that you do not look before you should!”]

1. (a) To preserve the vitamins. (b) Shred them.
2. Certainly. Preferably grated and not cooked.
3. Walt Disney.
4. Five days (it used to be seven)
5. (a) 9d. a lb. (Smoked varieties 1/1d. to 1/3d.) (b) The fishmonger. He desalts it by soaking it in water for 48 hours. (c) The same day it is desalted.
6. (a) A and B equal 1 point each. C equals 2 points. (b) December 14th to January 12th .
7. (b)
8. (a) 8.15 a.m. (b) Quentin Reynolds, Vic Oliver, Mabel Constanduros, George Allison.
9. Carrot, A; National Wheatmeal, B; Sprouts, C; Cod Liver Oil, D.
10. Pods of the Wild Rose.

Walt Disney designed a whole cartoon family of carrots for the Ministry of Food. Here is a recipe from another advertisement featuring “Doctor Carrot”.

"Here’s a recipe that will be new to most British housewives."

Boston Bake.
Soak 2 breakfastcupfuls small white beans in cold water for 24 hours. Put into a stew-jar with 3 ozs. diced fat bacon, and 1 lb. sliced carrots. Mix thoroughly 1 level teaspoonful dry mustard and 1 tablespoonful golden syrup with enough hot water to make ½ pint. Pour over beans, and add enough water to cover. Put on lid, and bake in moderate oven for 2 to 2 ½ hours. For the last half-hour, remove the lid, and bring some of the bits of bacon to the top to brown off. Delicious!

Monday’s Story …

Queen Victoria’s Christmas Dinner.

A Previous Story for this Day …

We had a story about the composer Puccini on this day in 2005.

Quotation for the Day …



rsb said...

Love your blog.

The Old Foodie said...

Thanks rsb - I love doing it,and I love getting comments.