The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-12-10
Mellifuous Mild Macaroni.

MeII1duOuS MILO mACarOn1.
Macaroni a meal in itself; the bread
and meat of the italian peasant. 1t IS
not certainly known in what land or by
what people this paste was first made.
But it is believed that the Germans oD-
tanned their knowledge of the method
of its manufacture from the Cn1neSe,
and from the Germans the Italians
learned the secret and found the re-
markable preparation so much to their
taste they have come to consider 1t their
one indispensable food. We are told
that the appellation it bears. an itah-
cized Greek name, implies happiness.
Practically the name "Maccheroni, is
derived from "Maccare, to crush
The three principal varieties are
known as macaroni-large cylinders;
spaghetti, the smaller tube; and Vernl-
celG the very fine. cord like variety
When the paste is made into fancy
shapes, it is called pasta d1tal1a, ano
| these pastes, large and small, are pro
duced in great quantities. The tubular
paSteS denote the italian origin of this
class. The introduction of macaroni as
common food in America did not meet
with remarkable success until 1t has
quite recently been discovered that the
! United States grows a wheat quite a.
rich in the element. j. e., gluten, needed
/ for making superior grades of macarOnl,
as can be produced from the far-famec
Italian varieties of the grain. Truth to
4 tell, for years before the fact became
| known, this country manufactured
] very considerable amount OI IIldCdIOIA
for the Italian markets as well as for
home trade. None but the commoner
varieties of these found their way into
the average American household, and
unfortunately for the home product,
was too often rendered unpalatable and
useless by Indifferent cooking.
Owing to an existing prejudice for
supposed foreign goods, few of the
American pastes were allowed to be sold
as such, but sported brilliant and fanci-
| full labels of supposedly Italian and
French origin. This was not cause
/ for regret when the labels covered In
ferior goods, but too frequently the
poorer grades were branded purely
American and put up for home market
only, the finest being sent over to Eu
rope in exchange for a still inferior va
riety made in Italy and France; thus
| the careless, good natured, unsuspecting
| American getting not only a poor,
valueless product from both sources bun
| in most of the imported kinds, adulter-
ated and unclean goods. Many of the
Italian macaroni are, during the drying
process, when the greatest care should
be observed to avoid such danger, ex-
posed to dust and OdOrS of every kind,
and as they are not always made in the
best parts of the cities and under the
best sanitary conditions, one can readily
see that they might be made agents to
carry disease over an immense territors.-
The quality of -four selected for max
ing the best macarOni is of the same
sort as used for making the best bread.
and from wheat grain rich in gluten.
From this high-grade flour is elimina-
ted great part of the starch, and for
| this reason it must be higher in price.
Good macaroni cannot be successfully
| made from a starchy flour because
when poor in gluten, it breaks easily
when cooking, or else becomes a pasty
and cohesive mass, presenting an unat-
tractive appearance.
A good macaroni is rather rough, elias
tic and hard, never starchy; and in color
it is a yellowish gray. Cooking is the
infallible test of. its quality and free
dom from adulteration. When the cook
ing is properly done the tubes come out
$ whole, separate, free from pastiness and
tender and delieately cwhite-
A good nacaroni-wiH increase in bulk
while cooking.
THE FOOD VALUE OF MACARONI
Macaroni is a comparatively rich nj
trogenous food. and NAV also be con
sidered as a heat producer, and an eco
nomical food as well. The latter asser-
ton can be proven by skillful cooking
which will swell it to almost three times
its original bulk
Properly treated it is very suitable
and digestible for adults and children
having weak digestion, when it is serv
ed alone: but it does not contain thu
amount of matchmaking food required
by the man who labors physically, i
served without cheese or eggs. But will
the addition of these it makes a ysr.
substantial nutriment and should no
accompany a meat dish
It's nourishing qualities. its cheapness
the many and convenient ways in which
it may be prepared and made to serv'
as an agreeable and suitable substitute
! for meats should recommend it to every
American housewife, especially to thos
who must look well to expenditures.
. AMERICAN MACARONL
Admitting that there are certain hom
, manufa cturers of this product, who ar
producing an article in no wise Superio