The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-05
GOOD Things From Corn Meal.

Maize CTea Mays) is a close rival in
production and quantity consumed to
wheat. The latter is essentially a pro-
duct of temperate countries. whilst
maize is a chief food in many hot as
well as temperate climates.
Unless one has eaten it from child
hood, the -four of the mature and dried
seed seems rough and harsh. and re-
quires training to acquire a fondness
for it Those who have been raised
on corn meal enjoy it when cooked only
with water and served with milk. But
it is improved by the addition of milk
eggs, sugar and other substances which
disguise its characteristic flavor.
While corn is inferior, from nutri-
tive standpoint. to hard wheat. it is
said to contain about the same amount
of heterogeneous matter as the soft Varie
ties Of wheat and at least five times
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, interfere with its use
fulness, and it is much to be regretted
that it is not more generally used In
every section of the country, as it is not
only one of the most valuable of our
cereal foods but one of our most abund =
ant products, and therefore one of the
cheapest and is perhaps scorned for this
very reason by those who would be nzsst
benefited financially and in health by
more common use of its various forms
of preparation.
meal arises from the careless and i'm
perfect manner of grinding it in some
parts of the country, especially in the
newly peOpled sections; and also ON ac-
count of the insufficient and Indifferent
cooking which leaves the food indiges-
THE.
While we have the Johnny cake and
brown bread, the mush, hasty pudding
and soup of the northern and eastern
states, it is only in the south, in the land
of hoe cakes, pone, Mexican tortiIlas and
Dinoles, 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 a day. while the
northerner rarely eats it oftener than
once or twice a month at his own table;
but will soon acquire a 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 a more delicate, sweeter flavor,
but IN the lands of the good southern
cook produces better results.
One point about the southern corn
breads which adds greatly to their de-
not hard and thick. but thin. crisp and
sweet Southern cooks make their muf-
fin rings and bread pans hot, not merely
warm, before the batter is poured in.
SCALD CORN MEAL.
Most cooks not versed in corn meal
doin's do not know how important IT
is to scald the meal before making it
up in Datters, especially the yellow meal
In fact, the granulated yellow corn meal
requires more than scalding to make it
digestible to most stomachs. IF first
made into mush and then into batter.
it will not be swallowed in half raw
state and thus impose on the digestive
organs a task they will resent: that of
attempting to do the work of outward
digestion which should be accomplished
by the cook by scaldiag the meal, as the
preliminary 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 a piece of maize
colored paper the shape of a small ear
of corn. write on this the menu, then
with a drop of muciIage fasten the
menu N the center of a leaf of corn
husk, fasten q little silk floss or fringe
of silk paper to the point of the leaf and
roll I'D the leaf to look like an ear OF
corn, tie with piece of pale green or
maize-colored bebe ribbon. Or the menus
can be written on rnaiZe-colored paper
and either an ear OF corn outlined OH
each card. or if YOU are handy with
| your pen, a little harvest or farm scene
/ Sketched in the corner
! The menu may consist of cream OF
corn soup made yellow with yclk of
egg, corn oysters, corn pop-overs. egg