Handbook of domestic science and household arts for use in elementary schools

French macaroni is made from a flour enriched with gluten and is considered as good or even better than Italian macaroni, but that made in the United States is poor in gluten, starchy, and breaks easily when cooking, presenting an unattractive appearance. Good macaroni is rough, elastic, and hard. In color it is yellowish gray, never starchy. When cooked in boiling salted water, it increases at least twice in bulk and does not split. Food Value. — Macaroni is comparatively rich in nitrogenous food and rich in heat-producers, hence is a valuable and nutritious food. It should be served as a vegetable or with cheese as the principal muscle-producing food at the meal, not as an accompaniment to a meat dish. Alone, macaroni does not contain the amount of muscle food necessary for the laboring-man, hence its use with eggs, meat, or cheese is essential. Method. — Material. Samples of the various forms in which macaroni or Italian paste is found in our markets, cheese, tomato (can), butter, and flour. Pictures showing native manufacture. Outline : — (1) History. (3) Manufacture. (2) Composition. (4) Food Value, Experiment 11. Composition of Flour. — Mix two tablespoons flour with two teaspoons water to form a stiff dough. Knead till smooth. Securely tie in a square of coarse muslin and knead in a bowl containing one quart lukewarm water, till the white material ceases to pass out. Save the water. When white material has settled, drain off the clear water, save the residue, and test for starch. Examine the product. Note its color and elasticity. It is a compound in flour which by swelling retains the gases in bread-making, or causes the increase in bulk in macaroni during cooking. Form part of it into a smooth ball and cook it in boiling water. Cooking Macaroni. — Cook in boiling salted water twenty minutes. Drain and pour over cold water to remove any starch paste on the outer part, which if left would cause the pieces of macaroni to adhere to each other. Review of previous lesson. Prepare white sauce. Prepare tomato sauce. Serve macaroni with (a) white sauce, as (6) Baked macaroni with cheese. (c) With tomato sauce. While the macaroni is cooking, each pupil may prepare a white or a tomato sauce as review and serve with the cooked macaroni as directed. Essay on macaroni may constitute the home work. Recipe for Pupils Tomato Sauce. — 1 cup hot stewed and strained tomato, \ teaspoon salt, \ saltspoon paprika or white pepper, 1 teaspoon chopped onion, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon flour. Prepare the same as for Roux or brown sauce. Serve with macaroni. For white sauce, see p. 73. Additional Work in Sauces (a) Roux or brown butter sauce is the basis of brown sauce piquante, sauce Robert, and brown mushroom sauce. (6) "White Roux" — a misnomer; white sauce, see p. 39. Drawn butter sauce, foundation of — Caper, Shrimp, Sauce Piquante, Egg, Oyster, Bechamel, Lemon, Parsley, Curry sauce. Practice. — Steamed rice with curry sauce ; cauliflower with white sauce ; cabbage au gratin, white sauce, and grated cheese. Facts to be noted : — (1) Sauces must be smooth and free from oil. (2) Cabbage and cauliflower are cooked when cellulose is tender, usually in twenty minutes. They become tough and strong flavored if cooked longer.