Boston Cooking-School cook book

If desired, use milk in place of half or more of the water. Raisins or dates, stoned and cut in pieces, may be stirred into cereal just before serving. Pack cooked cereal in a greased tin. Chill. in butter or bacon fat. from forming. FRIED MUSH Slice 14 inch thick. Dip in flour. Cook slowly, if preferred crisp and dry. Cover to prevent crust Sauté If mushes are cooked to fry, use less water in steaming. Serve with maple sirup or Mock Maple Sirup (p. 611). Corn Meal or Hominy Cakes. hominy grits. Make of cooked corn meal or Serve in place of potato. CEREALS AND TOAST 63 TO WASH RICE Put in strainer, place strainer over bowl nearly full of cold water; rub rice between hands, lift strainer from bowl, and change water. Repeat process three or four times, until water is quite clear. BOILED RICE Y cup rice, washed 1 quart boiling water 1 tablespoon salt Pick over rice; add slowly to boiling, salted water, so as not to check boiling of water. Boil 20 minutes, or until soft, which may be determined by rubbing a kernel between the fingers. If there is no hard spot in center, rice is done. Old rice absorbs much more water than new rice and takes longer for cooking. Drain in coarse strainer, reserve water, and pour over rice 1 quart hot water; return to kettle in which it was cooked; cover, let stand in warm place to dry off, when each grain will be separate. When stirring rice, always use a fork to avoid breaking kernels. Rice may be soaked overnight in cold water to cover. Save water in which rice was cooked for soups, since it contains valuable minerals and starch which may be used for thickening. Half a cup of uncooked rice increases in bulk to 144 cups or more, when boiled. Wild Rice. Cook as above, but allow a longer time. Wild rice does not need repeated washing as it is uncoated. BOILED RICE, TURKISH STYLE 1 cup rice, washed 1 teaspoon butter 11% cups cold water V4 teaspoon salt Put rice, cold water, butter and salt in heavy pan. Cook, uncovered, until nearly all the water is absorbed. Tuck pieces of clean linen (old napkin) carefully over rice. Set on asbestos mat over very low flame and cook until dry. Fried. Rice. Cook dry rice in butter until rice is delicately brown. Add water and cook as above. 64 THE BOSTON COOKING-SCHOOL COOK BOOK STEAMED RICE V4 cup rice 2 cups boiling water 1 teaspoon salt Put salt and water in top of double boiler, place directly over heat and add gradually well-washed rice, stirring with fork to prevent sticking to boiler. Boil 5 minutes, cover, place over lower part of double boiler, and steam 45 minutes, or until kernels are soft; uncover, that steam may escape. When rice is steamed for a simple dessert, use 1 cup water and steam until rice has absorbed water; then add 1 cup scalded milk and cook until soft. RICE TIMBALES Pack hot boiled or steamed rice in slightly buttered, small tin molds. Let stand in hot water 10 minutes. DRY TOAST Cut stale bread in 14-inch slices or according to taste. Remove crusts or not. ‘Toast slowly on each side for crisp toast, quickly for soft toast. Butter evenly or serve unbuttered. Do not pile compactly or toast will become moist. MELBA TOAST Cut stale bread in very thin slices. Let dry in warming oven. Arrange in dripping pan. Bake in slow oven (325° F.) until thoroughly dried out and delicately brown. TOASTED ENGLISH MUFFINS Split English Muffins (baker’s or homemade, p. 87) or pull apart with fork. Brush cut side generously with melted butter. Toast in broiler, buttered side only. Serve hot with jam or mar- malade. With Cheese. Sprinkle with grated cheese before toasting, or put a thin round slice of soft cheese on each. CEREALS AND TOAST 65 CINNAMON TOAST I