A text-book of cooking

In the consideration of nutritive value, the personal factor enters, for some persons assimilate food much more easily or completely than others. In summing up what has been said, it will be seen that three factors determine the nutritive value of a food : (a) per cent of nutrients, (6) form of nutrients, and (c) personal digestive characteristics. Drop Batters. — All batters can be stirred with a spoon. Drop batters are somewhat stiffer than pour batters. They contain, approximately, tioo parts of flour to one part of moisture. Compare the Plain Muffin recipe below with that for Popovers. (See p. 194.) Note how the recipes differ in the quantity of flour used. What ingredient do muffins contain that popovers do not ? Muffin mixture is a typical drop batter. PLAIN MUFFINS 2 cupfuls flour i to 1 tablespoonful sugar 3J teaspoonf uls baking powder 1 egg J teaspoonful salt 1 cupful milk 2 tablespoonfuls fat Break the egg into a mixing bowl, beat it. Add the milk to it. Mix the dry ingredients thoroughly. Add them (through a sifter) to the egg mixture. Melt the fat, add it to the flour mixture. Mix quickly and thoroughly, and drop into buttered muffin pans. Bake in a hot oven from 25 to 30 minutes. As in the waffle recipe, the number of eggs may be increased and. the quantity of baking powder decreased. WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS 1 cupful whole wheat flour 3£ teaspoonfuls baking powder 1 cupful flour 1 egg $ to J cupful sugar 1 cupful milk J teaspoonful salt 2 tablespoonfuls fat Mix and bake as Plain Muffins. Graham flour may be substituted for whole wheat. Molasses may be substituted for sugar, if graham flour is used. Account for the quantity of baking powder in the muffin recipes. What determines the quantity of baking powder ? Write a recipe for muffins, using sour instead of sweet milk. If all the cups in the muffin pan are not filled with batter, how should the empty cups be protected while in the oven ? How many muffins will the above recipes make ? From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, Revised Edition, Chemical Composition of American Food Materials, tabulate the percentage composition of patent wheat flour, of graham flour, .and of entire wheat flour. Which contains the most protein and ash ? Which probably yields the most protein to the body ? Account for the discrepancy. (See Value of Coarse Flour, p. 212.) Tabulate the percentage composition of baker's flour and of a high grade of wheat flour (patent roller process). Which contains the more protein ? Which, the more carbohydrates ? What is the weight of a barrel of flour ? Of an ordinary sack of flour? COMPOSITION OF CEREALS 215 What is the present price per sack of baker's and of high-grade patent flour ? How many cupfuls in a pound of flour ? In what quantity are entire wheat flour and graham flour usually purchased for home use ? What is the price per pound of each ? LESSON LXXI Composition of Wheat and Other Cereals; Muffins Wheat Flour and Rice. — From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the percentage composition of wheat flour, all analyses, average. Now tabulate the percentage composition of rice, average. Which contains the more carbohydrates ? Which, the more protein and ash? Rice contains the least ash and protein of all the common cereals. It is also deficient in fat in comparison with the other cereals. For this reason, it is not nearly so well balanced in composition as wheat. The nutrients of rice grains are not so completely assimilated as finely ground cereals. Wheat Flour and Corn Meal. — From U. S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 28, tabulate the percentage composition of wheat flour and of com meal. Which contains the more fat ? Which contains the more ash ?