  The common grains, sometimes called cereals, Manufacture of cereal food materials. Fig. 37.—Composition of cereals. Breakfast cereals and meal are now made in the great factories that produce flour; steam is the motive power and the grains are broken, or rolled, between steel rollers. (See Chapter XII.) Breakfast cereals.—The ready-to-eat breakfast cereal has met the popular demand for a quickly prepared food for the first meal of the day. A few of these are made under known conditions, but they are sometimes manufactured from inferior grain, and the presence of grit at times indicates a possible lack of cleanliness in the process. It is a question, too, whether or not the starch has been subjected to heat for a sufficient length of time, and whether they can be masticated sufficiently to make the grain digestible, and the nutritive material available. Their use for young children is undesirable. For older people, they add variety Cooked breakfast cereals.—It is an easy task to cook a cereal, especially now that the fireless cooker in some form is present in so many homes. The cereal for breakfast does not necessitate early rising; as it may be prepared the day or evening before and be served in palatable form in the morning. The most common breakfast cereals are made from oats, wheat, and corn, varying in fineness of grain from those ground like a meal to the coarser cracked wheat and the samp made from corn. It is well to use kinds made from different grains, but when the worth of a few has been proved, it is not wise to try another kind simply because it has a new label. One manufacturer confessed to a visitor that the same cereal was put into boxes of different colors and sold under different names as a means of inviting purchasers. The cereal foods made from whole grains are especially valuable on account of the high mineral content. It usually pays to buy in boxes, rather than in bulk, in the case of cereals; and always from a reliable grocer. If you purchase a box of cereal as a “bargain,” weigh its contents and compare the weight with the weight of a box bought in the regular way. Also examine such a box for the presence of insects. These may be recognized sometimes by a webby substance, and again the insects themselves may be detected. Do not buy too large a stock of cereals, since they are better when they are fresh from the factory, and a good firm renews its stock often. Fig. 38.—100-Calorie portions of starches and cereals. A. Fowler, Photographer.
GENERAL METHODS AND RECIPESPrinciples of cooking.—1. Softening of the fiber by long-continued low temperature with a supply of water present. 2. Complete opening of the starch granules by the boiling temperature of water. 3. The protein present presents no special problem. Its digestibility is not especially affected, but the softening of the fiber of the cereal makes the protein available to us. Methods.—There are two classes into which the cereals may be divided,—the flaked and the granular. The weighing experiments (page 62) show that the granular is the heavier. This means that more water will be absorbed by a given measure of the granular, because it contains more material. 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.
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 mass, so much so that the separate 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 butter substitute. Serve with sugar, molasses, 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 muffins 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 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, 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 principally in cooking for invalids. Cassava, manioca, tapioca, and sago are starchy materials in granular form. The first three are made from the pith of the cassava 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 quantity of cold water, and stir this into boiling water. 4. Mix a teaspoonful of starch with ¼ 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? 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.
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.
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 buttered 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.” EXERCISES1. For what reasons are the cereal products so valuable? 2. Compare the composition of the different grains. 3. What changes are effected in the proper cookery of cereals? 4. What are the important points in practice? 5. What are the advantages of a good “ready to serve” breakfast cereal? 6. Ascertain the cost of a box of puffed cereal and an uncooked cereal of the same size. Weigh the contents of the two. 7. Estimate the cost of each one served to a family of six. 8. What is the cost of a 100-Calorie portion? 9. What is the advantage of serving dry toast with a cereal? |
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