FoodNet

A practical cook and text book for general use

1896

Page 38 · 1 recipe record on this page

Presented as published in 1896. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
enough to handle easily ; turn on the floured board and mold into shape ; roll an inch thick, cut and bake in a hot oven thirty minutes. Corn Meal and Sweet Potato Biscuit. Make and bake as in the preceding recipe, adding to the hot potato one cup of boiling water to make it the consistency of squash. Corn Meal and Cocoanut Dodgers. Mix thoroughly one cup granulated corn meal and one scant half cup finely grated cocoanut, pour over it one cup boiling waterPeanut Biscuit stirring it well, then add sufficient cold water to make a dough that will almost retain its shape when turned in baking pans, spread with an oiled spoon, cover with thin slices of cocoanut butter, and bake thirty minutes or until well done. Corn Meal Crisps. One cup coarse or fine corn meal, wet with sufficient cold water to make a thin batter. Pour at once into an oiled tin plate or baking pan and bake to a crisp, but do not scorch it. The batter should be one- fourth inch thick in the pan. A dough that has scalded meal must be stiffer than one where the dough has not been scalded. " When I am going to use corn meal for any breakfast dish I like to scald it the night before so the particles are swelling and softening all night." — Anna Barrows, Cereals, Mushes and Gruels. CEREALS. The nutritive value of cereals is nearly three times that of flesh. Their use is becoming more general, but they are often ruined by an excess of salt, which destroys their 96 THE FAT OF THE LAND delicate flavor ; and also by being either too thin or too thick, and not thoroughly cooked. Cereals sold in packages and partially cooked, require much longer time than that usually advertised on the wrapper, to render them digestible. They should be cooked in a double boiler, closed steamer or a covered tin or granite-ware pail set in a kettle of boiling water, and cooked from twenty minutes to half an hour. They are inexpensive, nutritious, easily prepared, and in hot weather a steamer over a single burner kerosene stove will cook them to perfection. One objection has been urged against the use of mushes, which it may be well to notice here. As usually served, they are eaten alone and hence get no mastication — in other words get no admixture of saliva, — being so soft as not apparently to require it. This fact has led some health teachers to repudiate them altogether. It is a fact that food thoroughly masticated is half digested in the mouth. To obtain this result, all soft food should be eaten with crackers, wafers, dry toast, hard rolls, gems or bread, made from Graham or entire wheat flour. GENERAL DIRECTIONS. Cracked and pearled wheat, rolled and pearled bar- ley, coarse and fine hominy, and oatmeal groats, all being coarse, require from three to six hours to steam or boil, and from four to five or more cups of water to one cup of grain. Use a third more water in cooking if they are to be eaten cold. If needed for breakfast cook the day before ; put in a mold or china dish, and set in a very cool place. To steam these grains have the water in the steamer boiling continually. Measure the cup of CEREALS. 97 grain and put it in the double boiler, or a granite ware or earthen dish if cooked in the steamer. Measure four or five cups of cold water, according to the coarse or fine quality of the grain, and pour it on the grain stirring it well. Cover and cook until done. Stir carefully in an hour, and if it seems too thick add boiling water. With Fruit Juices. Cereals may be served cold or warm with fruit juices. If served cold they should be carefully molded in shallow cups or shells and served with the fruit juice poured around them. Wheatlet and Cracked Wheat. Either of these may be varied for those who have a " sweet tooth " by lightly stirring in with a fork, when ready to serve, a cupful of dates, or of raisins which have been previously seeded and steamed.