FoodNet

Foods, their selection and preparation

1935

Page 85

Presented as published in 1935. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
Milled parboiled rices now are being pro¬ duced in this country. Until recently they have all been reserved for army use. They now are being produced in increasing amounts as both converted and parboiled rice, and as the amount required for army use has decreased, more of this rice has been available on the consumer market. Cooking. The aim in cooking rice is to make the grains tender and swell them to capacity without breaking. Each grain should stand apart and not be sticky or gummy. It also should be prepared so as to conserve the nutrients not lost in milling. In raw milled white rice and milled raw brown rice the soluble nutrients are in the outside coats. They are removed by wash¬ ing and by discarding excess cooking water. In packaging rice should be so handled that it requires no washing before cooking. Cook¬ ing methods should be used which regulate the amount and evaporation of the water so that none remains to be discarded when the rice is ready to serve. An interesting story from the Philippines illustrates this point. Two groups of a Catholic order, one composed of nuns, the other of friars, were supplied from the same lot of undermilled rice. Cases of beriberi appeared among the nuns, none among the friars. The answer was in the method of preparation. The nuns washed the rice before cooking. The friars cooked it without wash¬ ing, little knowing that in this way they were retaining the essential thiamine and prevent¬ ing the occurrence of beriberi in the group. With different rices, the amount of water and the cooking time will vary slightly. The amount of water a rice will absorb and the time of cooking have been carefully deter¬ mined for most packaged rice, and these are indicated on the package. In general, rices require about twice as much water as rice by volume. The water is heated to boiling with the addition of J teaspoon salt to each cup of Water. To main¬ tain a boiling temperature, the unwashed rice is added slowly. After all has been added, the sauce pan is covered, and the heat is reduced to allow the rice to steam without sticking. When the grains have swollen to full size, the cover can be removed to allow any excess water to escape while the rice continues cooking over very low heat. Avoid the use of methods that require several volumes of water and draining of the excess after cooking. Rices require from 20 to 30 minutes cook- ing time. This will vary with variety, with the age of the rice, and with the milling method. The cover should be removed to allow any excess water to evaporate and the grains to separate during the completion of the cooking over very low heat. Rice is served alone with butter or gravy. In a Chinese meal, it is served separately and combined as eaten with the various other dishes that provide flavor and supplement the nutrients found in rice. In this country, rice is used also in many mixed dishes. MACARONI PRODUCTS Macaroni is a cereal product made from a flour of high gluten content specially suited to the manufacture of macaroni. This flour is mixed with the smallest possible amount of boiling water, is well kneaded, and then pressed through cylinders into the form desired.