Principles of cooking

Directions for Cooking. — Breakfast foods should be cooked in a double boiler. Fill the lower part of the double boiler one third full of boiling water. Put boiling salted water in the upper part of the double boiler, and add the cereal gradually, stirring constantly to prevent lumping. Cover and steam according to the directions given below. If the particles of the cereal are finely ground, it is best to mix it with a little cold water first to prevent lumping. Keep the lower part of the double boiler one third full of water. After the water begins to boil, turn : . Italian Pastes — macaroni, spaghetti, vermicelli. / | QUANTITY KInpD See TimE REQUIRED | SERVED WITH I cup rolled oats or 2 cups 30 minutes | Baked wheat, steam . apples cooked first I cup rice 3 cups 30 minutes | Sliced fruit i cup corn meal 33 cups | 1 hour I cup cream of wheat 4 cups 30 minutes | Chopped dates I cup hominy, flaked 4 cups t hour Sliced bananas I cup oatmeal, coarse 4 cups 3-4 hours I cup whole hominy, 4 cups 4-6 hours — = soak first | the heat as low as possible. It requires very little heat to keep water boiling after it has once reached the boiling point. Use one half to one teaspoon of salt for each cup of cereal. Serving the Breakfast Foods. — Breakfast foods are served after the fruit course for breakfast, or with the fruit, as suggested in the outline. They are also served as a first course at supper. With fruit, cream, a small amount of sugar, and bread and butter, they make a very appetizing and nutritious breakfast, and the deficiency in protein , may be made up at dinner when meat, fish, eggs, or legumes are served as the protein food. CEREAL PRODUCTS — STARCH This lesson shows the uses of starch as a thickening agent. For this purpose it is used also in sauces and gravies. Flour is sometimes used instead, but it lumps more easily and does not taste as well as cornstarch. In the making of sauces and puddings, the starch is mixed thoroughly with the sugar before the liquid is added, to prevent lumping. Cornstarch Mold. — Mix three tablespoons of cornstarch with four tablespoons of sugar in the saucepan, add two cups of milk, mix thoroughly, place on the stove and cook until it thickens (about three minutes after it begins to boil), stirring constantly. Remove from the stove, add one teaspoon of vanilla, and turn into molds or cups that have been rinsed with cold water so that the mold will slip out easily when cold. Let the molds stand until perfectly cold, serve with cream and sugar, or with sliced fruit, as a dessert. Vanilla is always added after the food is taken from the fire, because it is volatile and would evaporate if added while the heat is being applied. In that case, most of the flavor would be lost. Chocolate Cornstarch Mold. — Melt one half ounce of chocolate, or use two tablespoons of cocoa, add the mixed sugar and cornstarch and milk as given in the recipe for cornstarch mold. Cook and serve in the same way. Cornstarch Pudding. — Mix four tablespoons of cornstarch with four tablespoons of sugar, add three cups of milk, and cook until it thickens, stirring constantly to _ prevent lumping. Beat the yolks of two eggs until smooth, add a few tablespoons of the cooked mixture to - the egg to apply the heat to it slowly, and mix thoroughly so that the egg will not be cooked in flakes, then add the remainder of the milk and cook one minute. Remove from the stove and add one teaspoon of vanilla. Pour into a baking dish. Beat the whites of the two eggs until stiff and dry, add two tablespoons of sugar, one fourth teaspoon of vanilla, and place it over the pudding. Bake until the egg whites are brown. Serve cold.