Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-07-16
THE HOUSEHOLD.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY AND HOME DEcoRA
TIoN AND FURNISHING.
The Parlor. Kitchen. store-room, Studio,
Library. Nursery. Sewing room,
Garden and Poultry Yard

Library, Nursery, Sewing room,
Garden and Poultry Yard.
There are few articles imported by
grocers that have grown so much in popu-
lar favor within the last few years as maca-
roni. The figures of the Custom House
tell better than words OF the immense in
crease in the use of the imported article.
The greater portion of the macarohi I'M
ported comes from Italy, large quantity
is brought from France, and a little from
Austria. A large part of the macaroni
sold by ordinary grocers is manufactured
in this country, and is a very inferior
article. 1t is exceedingly difficult to OBJ
tain imported macaroni it can only be
bought at few trustworthy groceries and
at one or two of the Italian groceries in
the town. The mass of the article con-
sumed in this country is the cheap Ameri-
can manufacture, which is often labeled and
sold under the head OF Italian macaroni.
This title would not be such misnomer If
the word American were coupled with it.
1t is generally made by Italians, but IN the.
lowest slums. This hardly applies to
California, as they have several cleanly,
airy and good macaroni factories. Eds.
Household. The attempt TO manufacture
maearoni in this country equal to the i'm
ported was made number of years ago
by careful -four firm, but it was failure.
The grain in the southern part of Europe
is said to be harder than any grain in this
country, and the harder the grain the bet
ter the macaroni.
The best macaroni in the world is uni
versaly admitted to be that made in Ma
Piles. 1t is rich cream color, while the
French is quite white. and the American is
the color of dingy -four paste made with
boiling water. The Italian macaroni has
nutty taste when raw, like the kernel of
the wheat The French lacks this rich fla
vor, and the American has taste before it
is cooked of the -four the poorer quail.
ities taste almost like dough. The Italian
and French are about equally hard, and
break like cylinder of rock candy. The
American breaks like hard dried crust.
This difference might hardly be noticed
without comparing the three. The Italian
and French both keep their form after
cooking, and the Italian can only be told
from the French by its superior flavor.
The American macaroni as soon as it Is
cooked shows its quality, 1t breaks IN pieces
and often partly melts In the water. Its
paste-like taste is more noticeable, and it
becomes heavy, sodden food, unfit for
the digestive power OF an ostrich. The
French macaroni is tasteless, but it is not
unwholesome and is not a bad article. 1t
is carefully made, and leaves no suspicion,
like the American, that, whatever its prin-
cipal components may be, one of them is
dust. After using the best Neapolitan
macaroni the housekeeper will search far
and wide for it again once having tested
its value, she will use no other. The fine
grdno dele Pugiie is the grain chosen in
Naples for its manufacture. The grain is
carefully washed in mountain streams,
freed of it's husk, and ground into -four
and made into macaroni In the country
around Naples.
There are many forms of macaroni
paste. The shape generally known as
macaroni is a cylinder made in five sizes.
Vermicelli is mere thread. 1t is made
in two or three thicknesses, and is some
times colored yellow with saffron. Italian
pastes are in various forms, including the
alphabet, numerals, melon seeds, hearts,
diamonds, clubs and spades, minute shells,
and many others. Italian pastes and yer.
micelli are used chiefly in soup.
| The best Italian macaroni is now IA to
is cents a pound. Italian paste and ver-
micelh are two cents a pound higher.
! French macaroni is now sold at the same
price as the Italian, though grocers admit
there should be difference. American
macaroni is from to 10 cents pound and
in boxes of twenty-five pounds it is sold
az cents pound This article in many
groceries in the country and in some large
cities is sold at an exorbitant profit as I'M
ported. In this city, however, whatever
virtues are claimed for it, American maca-
roni is seldom sold at over 10 or II cents
pound.
There are many ways of cooking maca-
roni besides the well accepted way of boil
ing it in water and baking it afterward
with grated cheese, bread crumbs, butter
and seasoning of salt and pepper. This is
very nice, but if the cheese chosen was
always Parmesan it would be much more
palatable. The Italians cook macaroni
and serve it with a tomato sauce, which is
very excellent, and is sold now in Italian
groceries in cans, already prepared to pour
over the boiled macaroni. This tomato
sauce is from Is to 70 cents can. Maca.
roni stewed in milk is good and whole
some dish for children, especially in
summer.
An excellent way to serve macaroni is
the following: FIJI china baking dish
with alternate layers of oysters and boiled
macaroni season each layer with salt,
pepper and butter. When the dish is full
cover with cracker crumbs. Pour over all
a cup of oyster juice and bake in quick
oven till brown. Macaroni and kidneys
are thus prepared: Scald two veal kid
neys which have been skinned and freed
from fat; cut them in slices and fry
brown then place them in a baking dish,
season with salt and pepper, cover them
with macaroni and cracker crumbs, and
pour over the whole gravy made with to.
matoes. Bake in quick oven till brown.
Vermicelli and italian paste should always
be boiled separately, and added to the
soup just before it is served. New York
I-.l.