The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-10-11
BE A CORNMEAL MISSIONARY

In the annals of the famous Irish fam me of lS47 that reduced the population or Erin by several hundred thousand. there are many chapters that would make us regard any possible food short age that might come to US in conse- quence of our effort to help to feed our allies as too inconsitferable to mentio, So demoralized did conditions become as consequence of long continued fail- ure of the potato crops and so weakened nad the poor people become that when the authorities did take the matter in hand they had to distribute as many as 3,0o0,00 cooked rations at a time.
 That at least shows that conditions were Tar from pleasant and that there was an appalling food shortage. Yet it comes on very good authority that at that period in Ireland there were many cases where cornmeal would not be eaten. Fersons who were actually starving would not taste it, simply because they were not used to it, and-what probably con- trlbuted even more to the distaste of t. because Irish housewives had not the least idea how to cook 1t.
 No doubt, if you had no special corn meal recipes, but simply went ahead and used cornmeal in place of wheat flour in bread or cake, you, too, would get a very untempting result
 And, as everyone knows, one of the reasons why the women of America in general are being urged to eat cornmeal and leave the white wheat flour for the allies, is because they with few excep- tlons do not know how to use cornme3l Although very nourishing and extremely wholesome, it differs considerably from the other meals and Hours and needs spe ciai preparations The very persons who would lind 1t unpalatable when they :.t- tempted 10 use it themselves after their old receipts would find it extremely de- ilcious if they ate it as prepared by a oeIt handed old southern nanny or a good New England housewife who was well versed in the lore of cornmeal
 Inere are ever so many housewives still In this country who do not know how 70 prepare this greatest of all American staples. There are many housewives whose mothers are of European birth and training and it is quite natural that they should be unfamiliar with cornmeal There are many women who are themselves of European birth and training, and they have even less of q neal.
 Most or these women--there must se millions of them in the country-are the very women who have the least opportuo ties to learn how to use cornmeal lnroueh the help of government bulle 1ns, public libraries courses of instruc
 
 Ions or lectures. In way, they are ,eculiariy inaccessible these women who 10 not know how to use anything but white wheat flour. They cannot even 'e reached by the daily newspapers which Ire read in part very thoroughly by cer- ain members of their families The idea hat there Is anything new under the sun Q be learned about cooking is some hing that never occurs to them. if hey did read about it. they would bc 1, uspicious That is where you are going to be Dle to neip Surely you como in con- act with two or possibly a half ozen-such women. Tell them how 10 } se cornmeal. Tell them why we are sing It. Do even more, show them. Let ; nem taste some of your good hot johnny ake or spoon bread or corn dodeers
 Take the woman who does your 'ashing If she is swarthy daughter [ Dixie she will need no instruction. n hat case, the best thing for you to do