Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-01
Table and Kitchen.
Good and Wholesome Dishes From
Corn Meal N

Corn Meal. N
Maize dea Mays is close rival in pro-
duction and quantity consumed TO the king
of all vegetable products-Theat., The lat
ter is essentially a product of temperate
countries, whilst maize Is a chief food in
many hot as well as temperate climates.
Unless one has eaten 1t from childhood.
the -four of the mature and dried seed
seems rough and harsh, and requires train
ing to acquire a fondness for it. Those
who have been raised on corn meal" en-
Joy 1t when cooked only with water and
served with milk. But 1t is improved by
the addition of milk, eggs sugar and other
substances, which disguise it's characters
tic flavor.
While corn is inferior, from a nutritive
standpoint to hard wheat, 1t Is said to
contain about tn same amount OF MI
trogenous matter as the soft varieties OK
wheat and at least five times as much fat.
It's lack of gluten prevents its successful
use in the making of yeast-raised breads.
But this fact need not, in the least, inter-
fere with it's usefulness, and 1t is much to
be regretted that it is not more generally
used in every section of the country, as 1t
Is not only one of the most valuable of our
cereal foods, but one of our most abundant
products, and, therefore, one of the cheap
est, and is perhaps scorned for this very
reason by those who would be most bene-
nteQ financially ana III HSdlll bS d IioiS
common use of its various forms of prep
aration.
Perhaps much of the distaste for corn
meal arises from the careless and imperfect
manner of grinding it in some parts of the
country, especially in the newly peopled
sections; and also on account of the insult
ficient and Indifferent cooking which leaves
the food indigestible
While we have the Johnny cake and
brown bread, the mush, hasty pudding and
soup of the northern and eastern states, 1t
is only in the south, in the land of hoe
cakes, pone, Mexican tortillas and pinoles,
where we find "cohn'' bread in perfection.
Southern cooks have learned its virtues
through much practice, and rich and poor
alike enjoy their corn bread three times
day, while the northerner rarely eats 1t
oftener than once or twice a month at his
own table; but will soon acquire taste for
it when he goes south, and wonders at so
radical a change. The secret lies In the
fact that in the south the white corn meal
is used almost universally, and this not only
has more delicate, sweeter favor, but in
the hands Of the good southern cock pro-
duces better results.
One point about the southern corn breads
which adds greatly to their delicious flavor
is the crisp brown crust, not hard and
thick, but thin. crisp and sweet. Southern
cooks make their muffin rings and bread
pans hot, not merely warm, before the bat
ter is poured in.
Scald Corn Meal.
Most cooks not versed in cornmeal doin's
do not know how important it is to scald
the meal before making 1t up in batters,
especially the yellow meal In fact, the
graduated yellow cornmeal requires more
than scalding to make it digestible to most
stoma chs. If first made into mush, and
then into batter, it will not be swallowed in
half-raw state, and thus impose on the d.
geSti xe organs a task they will resent-that
of attempting to do the work of outward di-
gestion-Which should be accomplished by
the cook by scalding the meal as the pre-
liminary stage.
A Maize Party.
This is one of the most delightful of fall
entertainments and can be arranged with
little trouble.
For the menus cut piece of maze-col-
ored paper the shape of a small ear of corn,
write on this the menu, then with drop
of mucilage fasten the menu in the center
of leaf of corn husk, fasten a little silk
floss or fringe of silk paper to the point of
the leaf and roll up the leaf torflook like an
ear of corn, tie with a piece OF pale green
or maize-colored bebe. ribbon. Or the me-
nus can be written on maize-c olored paper
and either an ear of cora outlined on each
card or, If you are handy, with your pen,
little harvest or farm scene sketched in the
corner. sr..----- q.
The menu may consist of cream OF corn
soup made yellow with yolk of egg, corn
oysters, corn pop-oVers, egg croquettes
with cream sauce, Indian corn pudding,
coffee, popcorn cake, maize pudding.
Use unbleached cheesecloth for table
cloth. Have it double, fringe the edge,
draw out threads and run in for a border
two or three-inch maiZe-colored and green
ribbons The napkins may be made Of
maize-colored crepe paper, fringed Golden
rod, cattails, grains Of corn strung on
thread and southern smilax may be used to
festoon chandeliers, etc, and little corn
shock with small gourds and vines used
for the centerpiece for the table. Sunf1ow-
ers, stalks of corn. cattails pumpkins and
golden-rod may be used in decorating the
hall and rooms for this affair. If 1t is an
evening function, use the pumpkins as Ian
terms, in the daylight for holding flowers
and plants.
For the popcorn cake use a jelly cake
mixture; when cake is cold cut it in strips
about an inch wide and four long, make lit
tie layer CAKES by filing with orange Icing,
cover each one with soft-boiled icing and
cover thickly with popcorn. If you want a
little bright color, cover few of the pop
corn cakes with popcorn rolled In red sugar.
Do not forget the real red ear OF corn,
which should be suspended, like the mistle-
toe from the chandelier by maize-co!ored
or green ribbon. A centerpiece for the ia
BILE may be made OF popcorn balls heaped
in pyramid form; have some balls white,
some red and some yellow, using orange or
yellow icing for the latter. These. with
border of green leaves, will give the effect
of chrysanthemums grouped together
Southern Corn Breakfast Mullins.
Measure two cups Of sifted meal, add
a tablespoonful of salt, well-beaten egg,
one pint of sour milk IN which you have
dissolved a teaspoonful of soda. Then add
a tablespoonful of melted butter, stir thor
oughly, pour into hot, well-greased pans
and bake in quick oven until brown. rms
may be used for corn bread also. The
bread should not be more than an men
thick when done, and the crust should be
brown and crusty on both sides
Old Plantation Johnny Cake.
Sift one quart of Indian meal into bowl.
Make a hole in the center and pour In a
pint of warm water; add teaspoonful OF
salt and gradually mix water and meal into
soft dough; then stir briskly for fifteen
minutes or more until it is light and spongy.
Then spread the dough evenly and smoothly
out on straight fiat board; and place 1t
before the open fire and bake 1t we'll; then
cut into squares. send to table very hot,
split open and butter. This can be baked in
the lower oven of gas stove very success
fully but must be placed low down from
the fire. -sss ,xs-s..--.a
Spider Corn Cake.
Beat two eggs and quarter of cup of
sugar together, add one cup Of sweet milk
and one cup of sour milk in which you have
dissolved one Tea snoonf,iI of soda. add one