Middletown transcript., 1915-03-27

there is q tendency to discolor, as
with potatoes More detailed infor-
nation regarding this new introduc-
tion and its preparation will be sent
free to the housewife who applies to
the United States department of agri-
culture
The Importance Of Properly Cooking
Starch.
Starch cookery is a very important
subject. That starch may be thor
oughly cooked 1t is essential that ev-
cry starch grain be brought into con
tact with water Of at least 14O to ITS
degrees F.
In the case Of starches separated
from the plant cells when they we're
formed (arrow root, corn starch, etc.
cooking is a simple matter, and long
continued cooking is seldom needed to
make them palatable and In good con-
dition for digestion.
The selection of potato starch in.
stead OF corn or wheat starch for thick
ening sauces in accordance with the
custom of French cooks Is rational,
since'it does not require SO long boil
ing to insure the best results.
In the case of starch still enclosed
In plant cells-as is the case with the
starch present in cereal breakfast
foods, etc.-long cooking is desirable
In order that water may penetrate to
each individual starch grain and unite
with 1t to form the well cooked mate
rial which is considered most whole
some.
Starches from different plants or
plant parts differ in the form Of the
starch grain, so that starches OF va
rious kinds can be identified by the
aid Of the microscope. But from the
culinary standpoint they are practical
ly interchangeable, and one form Of
starch may be substituted for another
In nearly all cases. Just as we may
substitute the yam or a dish Of rice
for the potato as a vegetab' so we
may use starch from the potato, OF
corn, or wheat, or rice for thickening
gravies or making puddings. making
! slight changes in proportion, according
to the expansive powers of each kind
Suggestions Regarding suceulent
: Roots.
Beets contain a larger percentage
Of sugar than most vegetables, and
, should be baked or steamed to retain
as much Of this as possible. At all
events, they should be cooked in the
skins, and the tip of the root and q
portion of the leaf stems should also
be left on until after cooking. Even
SO, some color and sweetness are lost
in the water in which they are cooked
Radishes, red or white, when little
, too large to eat raw, may be cooked
. like turnips and served with a white
/, sauce
Raw carrots often are eaten by chill.
, dren, and are advocated by those who
believe in the use of raw foods. When
grated. raw carrots may be used in
: soups without further cooking, OF
added to salads. The carrot contains
so much sugar that its use for sugar
. making in the same way as the beet
has been seriously considered.
The parsnip is said to have been
/. cultivated even before the Christian
era. The woody fiber Of these roots
is softened by freezing without injury
to other portions. Hence they are left
4 in the ground until the frost comes oI
even through the winter. But the
: roots must be used before they begir
to grow again or they lose their sweet
ness and get rusty" The larger oneI
; are likely to be less sweet and more
; woody. Small parsnips Just from the
) ground in the spring will cook In lest
l. than a half hour II steamed in theiI
a skins, they lose less sweetness thar
by boiling. They should be peeled aft
g er cooking, and served plain or with
e white sauce, or sauteed in butter Of
+ mashed and made into fritters. They
Q may be made into a stew with pota
toes, onions, and milk
l. The vegetables sometimes known al
o the "oyster plant" is the satisfy,
It which ia most available for use during
!, the late fall and winter The root turni
d dark quickly If the skin is removed be
n fore cooking, and after pairing SHOULD
d be dropped at once into vinegar ant
10 water to prevent discoloratlon. Aft
er boiling for about thirty minutes, th'
e satisfy may be served with butter o.
.s white sauce. or mashed and made int
II fritters.