Evening star., 1934-06-22
Cereals i'm Summer Menus
Cooking and Service Are Matters of Kitchen
Technique-Savory Toast and Tasty
Macaroni Dishes.

~ EREALS should appear in some
4 form, every day. all the year
round. With just a little
~ extra attention they can be
made appetizing and varied.
Housewives will remember what
long, slow, tiresome business the cook
ing Of cereals used to be. Now, OF
course, most of the cereals we use
have already been given enough cook
ing in the factory to soften the cellu-
lose and partially convert the starch
into sugar, SO that practically all we
have to do is to heat them up.
In recipes, we are told to moisten
starchy things first in little cold
water and blend thoroughly before
putting them in boiling water. Every
cook knows that this works well with
-four and cofnstarch, so why not treat
cereals in the same way. which Will
prevent having lumpy cereals. After
you have put the cereal In boiling
water, you can hasten the cooking
by placing the upper pan of the dou-
bile boiler directly over the flame for
q few minutes, being careful to pre-
vent burning. AS soon as the cereal
has a good start, put the upper pan
back in place, over the lower part OF
the double boiler. Add pinch OF
salt to the water in which the cereal
Is being cooked but not too much salt.
Cereals are often unpalatable be-
cause improperly cooked and then
served with milk instead OF thin
cream. Many of the prepared cereals
on the market are only partially
cooked. To have the cooking COM
plete requires more time than is stated
In the directions on prepared pack
ages.
Honliny takes a long time to cook,
and for this reason should be soaked
overnight in boiling water, using one
quart of boiling water for half a
pound of hominy. 1t absorbs the
water during the night, and should
be put into a pan with another quart
of water and a little salt, be brought
to a boil and then sinmered for half
an hour. when it can be eaten as
breakfast food, with milk or cream and
sugar sirup.
In order to avoid the watery taste
usually accompanying reheated, cooked
cereals, such as grits. oatmeal, and
SO on, put the cold cereal. without
stirring or breaking but very little,
into a saucepan. Cover with cold
water and heat until the water boils
well. Drain off the water and stir
the cereal we'll 1t will then be as
palatable as if freshly cooked.
Variety in Serving.
If you wish to serve nodded cereal
hot, first stand the molds in hot water
for IS minutes, or place them In a
steamer for 10 minutes. Turn out
and serve hot with thin cream and
very little sugar, or with crushed or
stewed fruit.
All cereals are more appetizing II
served with baked apples, apple sauce,
stewed prunes, chopped dates, or
other fruit. Berries and sliced peaches
in season give to cereal added inter-
est. Cut-up bananas or figs, or dates
or raisins, can usually be counted
upon to stimulate interest.
Fine-grained and faxed cereals are
q pleasant and entirely satisfactory
variation on bread crumbs for the
egging and crumbing of croquettes,
fish, chops, sliced tomatoes, eggplant,
or anything you fry Or add leftover
cereal to a cream soup as thickening,
or use it as stuf1ng for a fish or a
chicken or a shoulder Of veal, or for
a binder and extender Of meat or
a fish loaf, or mix it with leftover
vegetables and cream sauce, and bake
with cheese.
Savory Rice.
Rice is one of the most versatile
of all our goods, for 1t can be used
separately or with other foods to make
puddings, meat, fish. vegetable and
fruit dishes. The essential thing about
many recipes which call for rice In
combination with other foods Is that
the rice must be pre-cooked. How
this is to be accomplished is de-
batable point. Some cooks are In
favor of cooking the rice IN lots OF
violently boiling water, then strainlng
the water of and drying the rice IN
the pan on the back Of the stove.
This method results in the grains
being distinct and whole. Another
school believes that rice should be
cooked in a double boiler, using a
minimum of water with the rice. The
rice should be cooked and the water
all absorbed at the same time.
Fried Rice.-Wash one cupful of
rice. Heat / y tablespoonfuls Of lard
in frying pan and add the rice un-