Evening star., 1939-01-18

has on the kitchen shelf.
Foods such as corn that grows up
with people through primitive and
pioneer times has a certain senti-
mental interest. Probably due to
this, dishes like spoon bread Of the
South and the simple "hasty pud-
ding" of the New England States
have been priced in American homes,
and cherished recipes have been
handed down from generation to
generation.
To use corn meal a cook must
learn about her milled cereals, for
corn meal differs greatly in appear
ance, flavor, keeping quality and in
food value The following is what
the Bureau of Home Economics of
the United States Department of
Agriculture has to say on the subject:
Most obvious is the difference in
color. To some only rich golden
yellow gives full sense of salts
faction, while others show a decided
preference for a white color in corn
meals. In food value, yellow meal
is very good source of vitamin
A. frequently associated with the
yellow color in foods. The white
meal is lacking in this vitamin.
"Of greater significance are the
differences due to the method of
grinding. For the milling process
determines whether most of the
original food value of the corn will
remain In the meal, or whether Ger
tain choice bits of the kernel, spe-
cifically most of the germ and the
outer coat, will be largely sifted out
to be used in other products.
"On the one hand, is the entire
grain corn meal, called 'old-proc-
ess,' water ground or stone
ground which retains nearly all
the food value of the original kernel.
The rich flavor of this meal is due
to the oil Of the germ: its superior
food value, to the vitamins and min
erals, especially the vitamin B and
iron, concentrated in the germ por-
ton and the outer layers of the ker-
mel. Some water ground meals
are now bolted and more of the
sperm and bran are lost. Entire
grain meal spoils quickly. for the
oil of the germ becomes rancid in
short time if left open in a warm
place. For best results, store tightly
covered in a cool place, and use
within a month or six weeks
On the other hand, new process
or refined corn meal. with most of
the precious yet trouble making
germ sifted out, loses some of its
vltamins and most of its minerals,
though 1t retains the high energy
value of the original kernel. Corn
meal of this type keeps indefinitely.
Cooks. and compilers of cook
books, rather than the dietitians.
are concerned with the third major
difference in corn meals. the differ
ence in fneness or coarseness of
grinding. Meals with coarse parti-
cles sometimes weigh a good third
more than those finely ground. So,
consider both the grind of your meal
and the intention of your recipe
when making corn bread, mullins.
or any other light preparation. If
you have reason to believe your
recipe is written for fine corn meal,
and the kind you have on hand is
coarsely ground, use scanty measure
ments. say three-fourths cup of
coarse meal for every cupful called
for in the recipe. Or weigh. rather
than measure your corn meal.
aside from reason of weight.
finely ground meals are preferred
for some corn meal dishes: coarsely
ground meals for others. Fine meals
are the best choice for preparations
to be shaped or nodded with the
hands, as corn pones or chicken
tamales, for coarse meals have an
annoying way of crumbling Only
finely ground meal is suitable for
custard corn bread But coarsely
ground meal gives a better con-
sistency for the old favorite Indian
pudding.