excellent, and when mixed with crumbs or cooked rice can be made into croquettes or rissoles. An equal quantity of rice and meat | is best, or some mashed potatoes can be added, which will also help in the binding. ‘Coated with batter and crumbed and fried, these are very appetising. If they are to be | baked, which of course during the shortness _ of fat is perhaps the only way to deal with | them, it would be best to roll the stuffing _ into a very thin layer of paste, brush over | with water and then roll in crumbs, instead of using a batter. When baked, these will be | suitable for breakfast or supper. ee ) 1%: CHAPTER V MEATLESS DISHES—CEREALS, PULSES, ETC. It may be that with increased knowledge we shall feed better though we eat less. 114 CHAPTER V MEATLESS DISHES—CEREALS, PULSES, ETC. Method of Cooking Cereals _ In cooking cereals often much valuable food is wasted. Rice for curry is, after boiling, drained and washed; thus starch and minerals are thrown away; or if cooked in milk in the usual fashion it is liable to burn, _ requires much attention, and considerable _ time in cooking which, when gas, oil or electricity are used, might be saved. Much of this waste may be avoided by adopting the following method: Place the cereal in a tin—a cocoa tin for instance—add as | much water as the cereal is able to absorb, _ salt according to the moisture added, but ' much less than is generally used, cover the _ tin with muslin, and then with the lid, so | that no steam or water can escape, or any water enter. Place in a pan of boiling ' water, and allow to cook according to the 115g 116 THE VICTORY COOKERY BOOK Hl time required. (For details as to quantity | of water and time of cooking, see recipes.) It will be found that the cereal will be thoroughly cooked, every grain intact, and the natural flavour and all the minerals preserved. No more moisture must be added than is necessary, so that the full food value is preserved, for if too much moisture is absorbed the food value will — be reduced accordingly, and the sloppy mass of food will not be sufficiently masti- cated. There is not much to gain by soaking cereals, except tapioca or barley. Rice grains are destroyed by soaking, and conse- quently break. A rice pudding prepared — by adding milk in the usual proportion — to the rice, after it has been thus cooked; and then baked, will be creamy, the rice © grains remain whole though thoroughly cooked, and the flavour such that no sugar will be required. By following this “tin method ” of cooking, it is possible to produce a good substitute for breadcrumbs with maize semolina (see p. 231). Cooking by this method is economical of time, material and fuel. Many tins can be placed in one cooking vessel, so that when | gas is used, all may be cooked over one burner. MEATLESS DISHES 117 Method of Cooking Pulse Food Pulses prepared in the usual manner ‘take a long time to cook, absorb a large proportion of water, and in doing so decrease the food value to the amount of water absorbed. There is here a waste of fuel and time. It is usual to soak pulse food for 12 to 24 hours to allow them to absorb the moisture lost in drying, and also to add a certain percentage of soda to soften the skins, which harden in the drying, and to soften the water. Rain water, which is already soft, does not require this, but otherwise, as the pulse contains lime, it is advisable to add a certain amount of soda. Water in which potatoes are cooked is also an excellent medium to soften the skins. Often the pulse begins to shoot while soak- ing; when placed in boiling water and left to soak this does not occur.

AI-modernized reading of the original text

excellent, and when mixed with crumbs or cooked rice can be made into croquettes or rissoles. An equal quantity of rice and meat | is best, or some mashed potatoes can be added, which will also help in the binding. ‘Coated with batter and crumbed and fried, these are very appetising. If they are to be | baked, which of course during the shortness _ of fat is perhaps the only way to deal with | them, it would be best to roll the stuffing _ into a very thin layer of paste, brush over | with water and then roll in crumbs, instead of using a batter. When baked, these will be | suitable for breakfast or supper. ee ) 1%: CHAPTER V MEATLESS DISHES—CEREALS, PULSES, ETC. It may be that with increased knowledge we shall feed better though we eat less. CHAPTER V MEATLESS DISHES—CEREALS, PULSES, ETC. Method of Cooking Cereals _ In cooking cereals often much valuable food is wasted. Rice for curry is, after boiling, drained and washed; thus starch and minerals are thrown away; or if cooked in milk in the usual fashion it is liable to burn, _ requires much attention, and considerable _ time in cooking which, when gas, oil or electricity are used, might be saved. Much of this waste may be avoided by adopting the following method: Place the cereal in a tin—a cocoa tin for instance—add as | much water as the cereal is able to absorb, _ salt according to the moisture added, but ' much less than is generally used, cover the _ tin with muslin, and then with the lid, so that no steam or water can escape, or any water enter. Place in a pan of boiling ' water, and allow to cook according to the 115g Hl time required. (For details as to quantity | of water and time of cooking, see recipes.) It will be found that the cereal will be thoroughly cooked, every grain intact, and the natural flavour and all the minerals preserved. No more moisture must be added than is necessary, so that the full food value is preserved, for if too much moisture is absorbed the food value will — be reduced accordingly, and the sloppy mass of food will not be sufficiently masticated. There is not much to gain by soaking cereals, except tapioca or barley. Rice grains are destroyed by soaking, and consequently break. A rice pudding prepared — by adding milk in the usual proportion — to the rice, after it has been thus cooked; and then baked, will be creamy, the rice © grains remain whole though thoroughly cooked, and the flavour such that no sugar will be required. By following this “tin method ” of cooking, it is possible to produce a good substitute for breadcrumbs with maize semolina (see p. 231). Cooking by this method is economical of time, material and fuel. Many tins can be placed in one cooking vessel, so that when | gas is used, all may be cooked over one burner. Method of Cooking Pulse Food Pulses prepared in the usual manner ‘take a long time to cook, absorb a large proportion of water, and in doing so decrease the food value to the amount of water absorbed. There is here a waste of fuel and time. It is usual to soak pulse food for 12 to 24 hours to allow them to absorb the moisture lost in drying, and also to add a certain percentage of soda to soften the skins, which harden in the drying, and to soften the water. Rain water, which is already soft, does not require this, but otherwise, as the pulse contains lime, it is advisable to add a certain amount of soda. Water in which potatoes are cooked is also an excellent medium to soften the skins. Often the pulse begins to shoot while soaking; when placed in boiling water and left to soak this does not occur.

The victory cookery book