The school kitchen textbook

Starch in its uncooked, insoluble state is not easily digested. All starchy foods should be moistened with a sufficient amount of liquid, and subjected to a great degree of heat, that all the grains may swell and burst. To Wash Rice. Use a colander or coarse strainer, that the sediment may go out with the water. If washed in a bowl and the water merely turned off, the sediment remains with the rice. Set the strainer into a pan of cold water and rub the rice, still in the strainer, with the fingers ; change the water three times or until clear ; then the rice is clean. Recipe, No. 42. Boiled Rice 1 qt. or more of water. ^ tsp. salt. ^ c. rice. Put the water into a large stewpan and set it where it will boil rapidly. Wash the rice. Turn the rice into the water slowly that it may fairly dance in the water ; stir with a fork at first, to keep the rice from sticking ; remove the scum. Cook steadily, uncovered, fifteen or twenty minutes according to the age of the rice ; add more boiling water if needed ; be careful not to let it boil all out. Test the grains often after fifteen minutes and the moment they may be mashed between the thumb and finger, or are soft to the taste, turn them at once into a colander to drain. Save the water. If cooked too long and the starch has thickened the water and the grains stick together, pour boiling water through them to make each grain distinct. Set the colander in a pan ; keep it hot in the hot-closet or on the back of the stove ; stir it with a fork before serving to let the steam escape. Serve it in place of potato, — not with it, — as an accompaniment to lamb, veal, or chicken. If served without meat or gravy, season with butter. Some of the protein and mineral matter, of which rice has but a small amount, escape into the boiling water, especially when the rice is boiled too long. Recipe, No. 43. Lemon Sauce 2 e, hot water. Grated rind and juice 1 c. sugar. of 1 lemon. 2 tsp. cornstarch. 1 tbsp. butter. Mix the sugar and cornstarch thoroughly ; add the boiling water. Cook eight or ten minutes, stirring often, add the lemon rind and juice, and the butter. Stir until the butter is melted and serve at once. If the water boils away and the sauce becomes too thick, add more hot water till of the right consistency. By mixing the cornstarch with the sugar, the boiling water may be poured directly upon it without making it lumpy. Serve on boiled rice. Recipe, No. 44. Snow Balls Wring small squares of thin cloth out of hot water, lay them one at a time over a half -pint bowl. Spread with cooked rice, lay half of a canned peach in the center, fill the cavity with rice, draw the cloth around the peach till it is covered with the rice, then tie tightly, and steam them ten minutes. Remove the cloth, turn the balls out and serve with the peach syrup heated and flavored with butter. LESSON XII RICE Water Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash 12.3 8.0 .3 79.0 .4 Rice is the seed of an annual cereal grass, cultivated on irrigated or inundated land in warm climates. It is the chief food of people in eastern Asia. A large part of our supply comes from the Gulf states, South Carolina formerly taking the lead in its production, but Louisiana and Texas are now the greatest producers.