Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1890-02-07
HOW MACARONl IS MADE.
Y IS CONSIDERED AN EXCELLENT
Dish, BUT A LITTLE QUEER.

''' Appearance Is Slightly Against II. bu.
Is All Rigbt-An Interesting Trim
] Through Factory Where IL Is Mann.
hctured-Funny Things In the soup.
nave you ever eaten macaroni. grated
up with fresh Parmesan cheese and
served with gravy, Italian style? If YOU
nave not you have missed great treat.
In years gone by it was favorite dish
IN Restaurants in this city, but it has
given place TO newer dishes, and now ia
not to be found on any bill Of fare in
chicago. We have all wondered at the
iunny things we sometimes find In our
soup at these high toned restaurants
where everything is Judged by appear
ance as well as by smell and taste Our
plate OF mock turtle has appeared lihe a
sort OF miniature ocean, in which all
Kinds OF swimming things were 10 l,,.
iound. There were quaint star fish,
miniature, it is true, but perfect in shape
and appearance. There were long, strag.
giing things like thread worms that re-
CURED good deal of sound reflection on
the part of the novice to get them down
without qualm.
There were the letters forming our
own initials, and oh. wonder of wonders.
the initials of that dear fellow destined
to be our future husbandl How in the
world did Q. K. happen to get into our
soupf There must be magic in it! There
were shells of various descriptions
and strip of ribbon seaweed. There
was also hairpin, which must have
been dropped out Of some fair ones head
as she leaned over the side of vessel
But our soup is getting cold as we lose
ourselves in the study of its wonderful
possibilities, and it is not till our more
experienced friend to the left whispers,
Macaroni, you goose!' that we realize
that all the Shiny sea things we have
found are only limitations of the same.
made in -four and water.
! How is it done anyway? You want to
know. Well, come with me to the north
side, and there, at 10l Indiana street.
you shall find the largest factory of the
kind on the continent, where macaroni
in thick strips and macaroni in thin
strips, and vermicelli in true love knots,
and noodles that are not human, and
condensed flour and water in the shape
OF worms that do everything but crawl
and neck frills that look as if they only
needed to be put round your neck and
fastened with pin, and pockethandker-
chiefs half unfolded, and imitation pump
kin seed and rice, AMI wedding rings and
nutshells and various parts of machinery
such as cogwheels and nuts. are all dis
played in neat boxes, with glass lids, SO
that you may see exactly what you want
before you purchase
The obliging proprietor, Signor Canepa,
is waiting to show us over, and we will
descend with him into the basement
where all the machinery is at work ana
see how it is done. First, there is the
steam flour sitter, that sits it out so fine
that hardly grain of dust can get
through with the -four. The latter is
then mixed with water to the consistency
of very thick dough This is also done
by steam in pan where two curved
scythes in perpetual motion keep the
flour and water ever moving and mix.
ing. The dough is then transferred to
the kneading machine, which consists of
great vat, around which a huge steel
wheel perpendicular to the trough is
ever moving round and round like the
cycles of eternity
The material is now ready. and all
that remains is to put it in shape. For
this purpose there are several machines,
consisting of upright steel cylinders, of
which the bottom plate is a sieve con
tanning holes of various sizes to suit the
various grades of macaroni, spaghetti
and vermicelli. Into these cylinders a
stated quantity of dough is placed, when
colossal weight, representing a pres
sure of ten tons to the square inch is
slowly screwed down upon the mass
forcing it through the holes of the sieve
bottom in the desired shapes. The com
mon tube shaped macaroni and vermi
celli, also the hairpin and stovepipe va
rieties, are forced through in endless
length, as many strings as there are
holes, till the dough is exhausted
1t is then cut into the required sizes
and laid out to dry. The fancy shapes
are made in horizontal cylinder, forced
through plates containing holes of the
desired shape. AS the dough passes
through these holes it is cut off short in
quarter, half or inch lengths by a revolv-
ing knife. The dough has to be of diff
ferent consistency for all the various
varieties. Great care is needed in this
respect, for if the dough is a shade too
light or too heavy the machinery will
not work
Once through the cylinders, the per-
fected comestible falls into the metal
trays provided for it, and all that is now
necessary is to dry it. 1t is now taken
by young girls and laid out in even rows
upon canvas trays, which are sent up on
the great elevators to the floors above
Three stories are required for this pro-
cess. Great experience is needed in the
drying, for the whole success of the
brew depends upon whether or not
this is done successfully. Macaroni which
appears drier than Saratoga chips to the
novice is known by the experienced op
orator to be quite damp. and if it is put
away in this condition mold and destruc-
ton will surely follow The three floors
hold about $500 trays, each three feet
square. An exception to this process is
the hairpin variety. which is hung upon
poles till about half dry. and then laid
on the trays The drying process in fine
weather takes about seven days In
mean, damp weather twice that time
The establishment was beautifully
clean throughout, as indeed place de-
voted to the manufacture of food always
should be. The operators are all Italians