Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-06-11

height: its leaves are OF silver nue., It's |
fruit aromatic. The young shoots are |
cooked rs greens, and from the fibres OF
the leaves Is manufactured fine kind OF
grass cloth OF great beauty.
Though different specific names are
applied to the plantain and banana, the
plantain Is probably simply variety OF
banana. Ii is distinguishable to the eye
by the purple spots on the stem, and by
its longer fruit. The plantain fruit is
commonly eaten cooked before fully
matured, while the banana ia mostly
eaten fresh when ripe; the pulp OF the
plantain Is dried and pulverized into
meal.
The plantain together with the banana
supplies the chief food OF millions living
In the tropics. Though less nutritious
than wheat or potatoes, 1t Is produced In
vastly larger quantities from the same
area, and with far less effort. The plan
tain is also called Adams apple, from
the fancy that this Is the forbidden fruit
Of the garden OF Eden.
The banana Is a nutritious food and
has less water and more heterogeneous
matter than Is commonly found in fresh
fruits. IL contains when ripe much sugar
but very little starch. Although the
banana is commonly eaten fresh, 1t Il
more readily digested when cooked
little cooking Is sufficient.
The following recipes in which the
banana has been subjected to slight
cooking have been tested by individuals
unable 10 eat the fresh fruit, and found
satisfactory.
BANANA CHARLOTTE.
l-3 box gelatine, l-3 cup cold water,
l-3 cup boiling water, cup sugar, Juice
OF ! lemon, cup banana pulp, whites
If 3 eggs. Line mould with lady fin
gers. Soak the gclatine in cold water.
Pour over it the boiling water. Strain
over the banana pulp about four ban
.nas peeled and pressed througha ricer),
add the sugar and strained lemon juice.
Place the mixture In pan OF Ice water.
stir till the sugar IL dissolved. Beat the
whites OF eggs till stifl, add the cooled
mixture TO the eggs, and fold together
till stiff enough to drop from the spoon.
Pour into the lined mould and serve
with whipped cream or custard made
with one pint OF milk and the yolks OF
the eggs.
BANANA AND ORANGE SALAD.
Slice and mix in bowl four oranges
md four bananas. Put the juice OF two
oranges, hslf-cup sugar and the white OF
IN egg over the fire. heat TO the boiling
point, then simmer five minutes, strain
through muslin upon the sliced fruit,
mix well, add one-half cup pineapple
Juice and mix again. Set away on Ice
70 become chilled before serving.
PRESERVED BANANAS.
Put one pound OF sugar, half pint OF
water and the juice of one lemon and one
orange on TO boil. Skim, and when
syrup-like put in six bananas, peeled and
cut In halves leDgthwise. Cook slowly
twenty minutes. Serve cold.
BAKED BANANAS.
Loosen the banana from the skin so
that il can be removed easily after being
baked, replace and bake about half an
hour. Remove from the skins and pour
over sauce made by boiling half cup
of sugar and half cup Of water five
minutes, add a teaspoonful OF butter and
Juice of half lemon.
BANANA CANTELouPE.
l-2 box gelatipe, l-2 cup cold water,
| pint of cream, l II cups milk.
yolks Of four eggs, l cup sugar,
IL ssltspoonful salt, juice OF two LEM
ons. pint banana pulp. Chill and whip
the cream. Set away in cool place.
Soak the gelatine in the cold water.
Heat the milk In the double boiler, beat
the eggs, add the sugar and salt. Pour
the hot milk upon the eggs and sugar,
mix. and return TO the boiler TO cook till
it thickens slightly, add the soaked gela-
line, strain through cheese cloth on to
the banana pulp (six bananas pressed
through a ricer). Place in ice water and
when cool pour over the whipped cream,
folding II in lightly. When stiff enough
TO drop from the spoon turn into but
tered melon mould lined with lady fin
gers. When ready TO serve turn from
mould and sprinkle thiekly with chop
ped preserved green plums or water
melon rinds. Garnish with whipped
cream.
BANANA PUDDING.
This Is always favOrite with chill
dren. pint milk, 81 cup sugar, 3 eggs,
saltspoonful salt, tablespoonful
of cornstarch, bananas, scant tea
spoonful lemon extract, 2 table
spoonfuls powdered sugar. Put the
milk in double boiler and over the fire.
Mix the cornstarch and salt with little
cold milk so that it will pour. Stir into
the hot milk and cook till 1t thickens.
Beat together till light and smooth the
yolks aud sugar, add to the mixture in
the boiler. Beat the whites till dry, and
fold into the mixture gently about one
third of the whites. Then pour over the
three bananas that have been peeled and
sliced into pudding dish. Mix the two
tablespoonful of sugar with the remain
der Of the beaten whites Of eggs. Spread
over the pudding and set In a moderate
oven till colored delicate brown. Serve
hot or cold.
A process has recently been dis
covered for making flour OF bananas.
Chemical experiments show that this
-four contains more nutriment than rice,
and that when eaten with beans, corn or
sago, it forms very palatable and nour-
isbinU diat