In experimenting with a cereal at home it is well to try the proportion of water and cereal printed on the box the first time, altering the proportion if the first result is not satisfactory. There should be enough water to soften the cereal, and _only_ just enough. If the cooked cereal is stiff, the measure of water is short; if so thin that the cereal runs on the plate, too much water was allowed.

=1. Preparation of breakfast cereal.=

_Ingredients._

1 part, by measure, flaked cereal to 2 of water.

1 part granular cereal to 3 to 4 of water.

1 cup of dry cereal will serve three or four people.

Samp, cracked wheat, and coa.r.s.e corn meal will take from 4 to 6 parts of water.

Salt. A tablespoonful to a quart of water is an average amount.

_Utensils_: a measuring cup; a double boiler; a fork.

_Method._--Measure the cereal and water, put the water into the inner part of the double boiler with the salt. Have the lower part of the boiler ready--about half full of hot water; place the inner boiler directly upon the stove or over the flame. When the water is boiling rapidly, shake the cereal into the water from a cup, _so slowly that the water does not stop boiling_. This is the first secret of a well-cooked cereal. The rapidly boiling water keeps the grains of cereal in motion, and thus they do not stick to the vessel nor to each other, and the heat reaches the starch in the grains equally. If the grains begin to settle, shake the vessel gently, but do not stir, even with a fork. Allow this process to continue for about five minutes, or until you see a thickening of the ma.s.s, so much so that the separate grains do not settle. If toward the end of this stage there is danger of sticking, _lift_ the ma.s.s with the fork, but do not stir it, as this motion will break the grains. This first process opens the starch grains. Place the inner part of the boiler in the outer over boiling water and allow the cooking to continue for _at least_ one hour. For this is the second secret of the perfect cereal,--a long-continued process that softens the fiber and develops flavor. One cereal, advertised as being cooked in three minutes, remains unpalatable after that length of time, but is delicious at the end of two hours. If you have a fireless cooker, put the cereal in the double boiler into the cooker overnight for the second stage. Any low temperature apparatus gives the desired result.

=2. The uses of cold cereal.=--Never throw away cooked cereals. The cold cereal is useful in many ways.

(_a_) Mold in small cups with dates or other fruit, and serve with sugar and cream for luncheon.

(_b_) Cool corn meal mush in a flat dish, cut it in slices when cold, and brown the slices in a frying pan, with beef fat, or a b.u.t.ter subst.i.tute. Serve with sugar, mola.s.ses, or sirup for breakfast or luncheon.

(_c_) Rice or hominy may be mixed with a beaten egg, molded into small cakes, and browned either in the frying pan, or in the oven.

(_d_) A small remaining portion of any cereal may be used to thicken soup.

(_e_) Any cooked cereal may be used in m.u.f.fins or even yeast bread. (See those chapters.)

=3. Corn meal "mush."=--This is cooked by the same method as the other cereals, except that the amount of water is larger and the first boiling should continue longer. The meal must be scattered slowly into the boiling water, or else be mixed first with cold water, as it lumps very easily. The second stage of the process should continue several hours.

_Rice._--Rice varies very much in quality and in the shape of the grain.

Louisiana and Chinese rice are among those that have a firm and large grain keeping its shape well when cooked. Inferior varieties become too soft, and the finished product is pasty and poor in color and flavor. Much is said at present about the harmful effect of the polishing process upon the quality of the rice. An unpolished rice may sometimes be found on the market, brownish in color and with a good flavor.

=4. Boiled rice.=--Rice may be cooked in the double boiler by the same method as other cereals, allowing 1 part of rice to 3 of water.

The rice should be well washed in cold water.

The second stage need not be continued so long, from three quarters of an hour to an hour being sufficient. The flavor is improved by the use of milk in place of half of the water. By this method the nutritive value is much increased.

Another method used by the Chinese continues the boiling throughout the whole process. A very large amount of water is used, several quarts for one cup of rice, and when the water is boiling violently the rice is scattered in very slowly. The boiling continues from twenty minutes to half an hour, or until the grains are tender, and then the water is drained off, through a colander. The rice in the colander should then be placed where the remaining moisture will steam off. By this method nutrients are lost, but the grains of the rice stand out distinctly and are light and dry. It is a difficult method for the novice, because its success depends upon the removal of the rice from the water just at the moment it is tender, but not too soft. The grains should be tested in twenty minutes.

_Corn products._--Corn being our most abundant grain, it is the cheapest, and we should promote its use. Hominy and samp and Indian meal, when well cooked, are all most palatable. There is a difference between old and new process corn meal, to be noticed in the flavor and in the behavior of the two kinds in cooking. The new process meal now more largely on the market has been deprived of the germ, which contains a large amount of oil, and although the meal does not deteriorate so soon, there is some loss of flavor. Moreover, when the new process meal is used in an old-time recipe, more wetting must be used than the recipe calls for and a larger amount of fat.

The old process of grinding between stones is still employed in some localities. Southern and Rhode Island corn meal are ground in this way, and may be found at some groceries. There are also two colors, the yellow and the white, each with a distinctive flavor, and some people who think they dislike corn meal find the white meal agreeable.

=Pure starches.=--These occur as food materials in several forms.

Cornstarch is the starchy portion only removed from the grain of corn.

Wheat starch is more largely used for laundry purposes than for food. Rice flour may be treated as starch in cooking. Arrowroot is a fine starch from the roots of a family of plants growing in the West Indies and other warm climates. It is used princ.i.p.ally in cooking for invalids. Ca.s.sava, manioca, tapioca, and sago are starchy materials in granular form. The first three are made from the pith of the ca.s.sava plant, the sago from the sago palm. The pure starches are all easily digested and inexpensive. Corn starch is the most abundant and cheapest pure starch in this country.

=The starch granule.=--To understand the behavior of materials like cornstarch, rice flour, and arrowroot in cooking, we need to know more of the starch grain. Cornstarch is composed of myriads of tiny granules somewhat like those pictured in Fig. 39, but smaller. The starch granules of different plants differ in size and even in shape, but they all have a covering lying in folds, the pure starch being within. The granule unfolds or bursts when exposed to heat. When these granules are floating in water, and, being heated, open at the same moment, the starch paste is smooth; otherwise, the starch lumps.

_A. Starch experiments._

Starch turns a characteristic blue color in the presence of iodine. This is an unfailing starch test, but must be used in the cold.

1. Grate a piece of potato into a small amount of water, and strain out the pulp. The starch settles from the water in a few minutes. Pour off the water, and add a drop of diluted iodine to the remaining starch. If a microscope is available, dilute this mixture and with a dropper tube place a drop upon a slide. The potato starch granules are comparatively large and easy to see through the microscope.

2. Drop a teaspoonful of dry starch into boiling water.

3. Mix a teaspoonful of starch with a small quant.i.ty of cold water, and stir this into boiling water.

4. Mix a teaspoonful of starch with cup of cold water, and bring the water to the boiling point, stirring the mixture as it heats.

Why are 3 and 4 similar in result, and different from 2?

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 39.--Changes of starch cells in cooking: _a_, cells of a raw potato with starch grains in natural condition; _b_, cells of a partially cooked potato; _c_, cells of a thoroughly boiled potato.

_Farmers' Bulletin No. 295, U. S. Dept. Agriculture._]

=Desserts from the starches.=--Cornstarch, in particular, is often disliked, because it is undercooked, and too large a proportion is used.

It may be made very palatable, and is too valuable in cooking and too inexpensive to be discarded.

=5. Chocolate cornstarch.=

Milk 1 pint Cornstarch 3 tablespoonfuls, _level_ Cocoa (Baker's) 3 tablespoonfuls, _level_ Sugar 1/2 cup Salt 1/4 teaspoonful Vanilla 1 teaspoonful

What utensils? You should be able to plan the method of mixing.

The milk must be heated in a double boiler. Which method of mixing in the cornstarch will you use? How can you best add the cocoa, sugar, and salt? The vanilla?

It is difficult to boil milk directly over the fire or flame, without scorching it. Since the starch cannot well be exposed to the boiling temperature in this case, the process must continue in the double boiler until the mixture has thickened well, for at least half an hour, three quarters being better. When the cooking is finished, pour the mixture into molds which have been wet in cold water. When the mixture is cooled, chill it in the refrigerator. Serve with cream or milk and sugar for those who may want it sweeter. This gives a soft mold, that is much more palatable than one so stiff, that it has a firm shape. This will serve four or five people.

=6. Tapioca and sago.=--These materials make delicious desserts with fruit. They are also used with eggs and milk. (See Chapter XV.)

_Laboratory management._--The undivided portion of cereal may be 1/4 cup.

Cornstarch may be made with 1/2 cup of liquid.

_Macaroni_, _spaghetti_, and _vermicelli_ are valuable cereal products made from flour, this form of cereal food having originated in Italy. The Italians manufacture the paste in a large variety of forms, and some of the small fancy shapes are also used in soup. The composition of macaroni is shown in Fig. 51. It is a valuable material, and when served or cooked with cheese may well be the main dish of a home luncheon.

=7. Boiled macaroni.=

_Ingredients._

Macaroni 3/4 cup, broken in inch pieces Boiling water 2 quarts Salt 1 tablespoonful Cream 1/2 cup

_Method._--Cook macaroni in boiling salted water twenty minutes or until soft, drain in a strainer, pour cold water over it to remove stickiness. Add cream and reheat. A thin white sauce may be used in place of the cream.

=8. Macaroni baked with cheese.=--Cover the bottom of a baking dish with plain boiled macaroni. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Add another layer of macaroni and another of cheese. Repeat until the dish is full. Pour a thin sauce over this, almost filling the dish. Cover with b.u.t.tered crumbs and bake in hot oven until crumbs are brown.

Some prefer to omit the crumbs and have a thick layer of the cheese on top which becomes crisp and brown. Boiled macaroni and spaghetti may be served with tomato sauce and a little grated cheese. This is called "Italian style."