Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1911-12-29


dies of starch break into very fine
particles. The more finely divided
these particles are the more digest.
IDLE the starch is and the better flavor
it has. The power which causes the
starch particles to be finely divided
is heat.
The starch that is found in all food
is packed away in just the same lit
tie tight bundles, which can be caused
to burst only by means of heat. If
you fill cup with corn meal you will
nave little more than three-fourths
Of cup of starch in your cup. Re-
member tn all corn meal foods must
be thoroughly cooked, because they
contain such large amount Of
starch.
Much Of your success will depend
upon the care with which you tend
the oven. Another point which is
equally important is the measuring of
the ingredients you use. All measure
ments are level and not heaping. Be
careful to fill cup without packing
the dry ingredients into it. It is best
to have a regular measuring cup, but
if you you do not have enc, test some
cup and see if it holds sixteen level
tablespoons. If it does hold that
amount, it is the cup to use in MAX
ing your measurements.
Corn Meal Gruel-Four tablespoons
.orn meal, one-half easpoon salt, two
cups boiling water. Stir corn meal
very gradually into the boiling sailed
water. Cook two hours in a double
boiler. Strain through fine sieve
and add four tablespoons hot milk.
Corn Meal Mush-One cup corn
meal, three and one-half cups boiling
water, two teaspoons salt. Add corn
meal very gradually to boiling sailed
water. Cook three hours in a double
boiler or cook in fireless cooker.
Cook the corn meal in the boiling
water for one-half hour on the stove.
Place it in the cooker and let it stand
all night.
Steamed Brown Bread-One and
one-half cups corn meal, one and one
half cups sifted graham -four, one
teaspoon salt, three-fourths cup Por-
to Rico moiasses, two cups sour milk,
three-fourths tablespoon soda. Sift
meal, flour and salt together. Dis
solve soda in sour milk and add mo-
asses. Add flour gradually. Grease
three one-pound baking powder cans
thoroughly. Fill each can three
fourths full and place in steamer.
Cover the steamer and place over a
kettle that is one-half full of boiling
water. Steam the bread two hours.
Place in hot oven for ten minutes.
Take from the cans at once.
What Made the Bread Rise-Place
one-fourth teaspoon of soda in one
fourth cup of sour milk and see what
happens. Try the soda in the same
amount of vinegar and see what hap
pens. Try the same amount of mo-
asses and see what happens. Soda
Is an alkali. Sour milk, vinegar and
molasses contain acid. When acid
and soda are combined, gas is
formed. This gas rises when it is
warmed. As it rises it pulls the bat
ter or dough up with it and so makes
the food light.
Corn Meal Muffins-One-half cup
:orn meal, one cup -four, three tea
spoons baking powder, one tablespoon
melted butter, one-half teaspoon salt,
three fourths cup milk, one egg. Sift
Try ingredients. Add milk gradually.
Add beaten egg. Add melted butter
Crease muffin pans well. Fill each
pan three-fourths full. Bake twenty
1--WE minutes in an oven that browns
piece of letter paper golden brown
in five minutes.
What Makes the Mullins Rise
Baking powder is made of soda and
some acid. When these combine a
gas is formed. When the gas is
warmed 1t rises, and as it rises It
pulls the batter up with 1t. The four
has a glue like substance in ft which
is made hard by heat. When this sub
stance hardens it makes the muffin
firm instead of doughty. This glue.
like substance is called gluten. We
used one beaten egg in these muf-
fins. We beat the egg because we
want to enclose air in it. This air
rises when it is warmed. AS it rises
it helps to pull the batter up with it.
So you see the egg has helped to
make the mullins light.
Batter Bread-One cup boiling
water. one-half cup corn meal, one