Science of food & cookery

General Rules for Cooking Grains. — Add salt to boiling water in the inside part of a double boiler. Add the dry grains slowly to the boiling water, stirring constantly. Let boil undisturbed until the cereal begins to thicken ; then put on the cover, and set in the outside part of the double boiler, which should be filled a third full of boiling water. Cook slowly, covered, for 3 hours or more, and keep up the quantity of water in the outside boiler if this should boil away. Cereal cooked in a fireless cooker, of course, needs no further attention after the compartment is covered. Dates or steamed raisins lightly stirred in, a few minutes before the cereal is removed from the fire, make a pleasing variety. CRACKED WHEAT i cup cracked wheat 4 cups boiling water (or more) I teaspoon salt Follow general rules for cooking the grain, as given above. ROLLED OATS i cup rolled oats 3 cups boiling water Scant i teaspoon salt Proceed the same as for cracked wheat. CORN MEAL MUSH i cup corn meal -)4 cup cold water 2l/2 cups boiling water i teaspoon salt Blend the corn meal with the cold water, add to the boiling water, and stir until it reaches the boiling point. Let boil quite rapidly until it begins to thicken; then set in the outer part of a double boiler, or into a fireless cooker, and finish the same as for rolled oats. BROWNED CORN MEAL MUSH Prepare and cook the same as above. When thoroughly cooked, pour into an oiled brick-shaped tin (bread tin) ; and when cold, slice l/2 inch thick, and brown slowly in a slightly oiled skillet or in a good oven. Serve with maple sirup or honey. STEAMED NATURAL RICE i cup natural brown rice 3^2 cups water 1/4 teaspoon salt Wash the rice thoroughly, drain, add the water and the salt, and let boil continuously until the cereal is tender and the liquid reduced down dry. Set in the outer boiler, or on the edge of the stove, and let steam for 15 minutes. Mote. — It should be remembered that a wide saucepan has more evaporation surface than a deep, narrow vessel, and that con- sequently, the larger or wider the vessel in which the rice is cooked, the more water will be required, proportionately. WHITE RICE Cook the same as natural rice, except use i cup less of liquid than for the same amount of natural brown rice. BROWNED RICE Yi cup natural rice 1 1/4 cups boiling water Put the rice into a small frying pan, and stir over the fire until a very light brown color. Add the boiling water, and cook the same as for steamed natural rice. CREAMED RICE Add sufficient hot cream, or milk and a little butter, to the above steamed rice to make it creamy but not too soft. Reheat and serve. BANANA RICE Slice two bananas into the above hot creamed rice. Cover, let stand five minutes, and serve. STEAMED WHEAT I cup cleaned wheat 5 cups hot water l/4 teaspoon salt Wash the wheat in several waters, and let soak overnight. Drain, add the salt and the hot water, and let boil over the fire for half an hour; then set in a fireless on a hot stone overnight. In the absence of a fireless, cook the same as steamed rice. STEAMED PEARL BARLEY I cup pearl barley 5 cups hot water l/4 teaspoon salt