OATMEAL MUSH
Quart Measure
To a quart of boiling water add a pinch of salt, sprinkle in a cupful of oatmeal, and boil rapidly for about ten minutes, or until it sets, stirring frequently with a fork. Then place over the hot water in the lower boiler and cook from one to three hours. Just before serving, remove the cover and stir lightly with a fork to allow the steam to escape. This makes the mush more dry. Serve with baked apples, cream, fresh fruit, or with the juice from stewed fruit. Oatmeal is richer in nitrogen than any other grain, and therefore very nutritious. But to be wholesome it must be well cooked, and not served in a pasty, undone mass.
ROLLED OATS
This is much preferred by some, as it requires only a short time to cook. Make as above, only using two cupfuls of the meal to one quart of water. An ordinary saucepan does very well for this, but the double boiler is better.
ROLLED OATS AND SAGO MUSH
Wash and soak one-third cup of sago in a little cold water. Stir one and one-half cups of rolled oats into one quart of salted, boiling water. Cook for fifteen minutes, then stir in the sago, and cook as much longer. Serve with cream, stewed fruit, or fruit juice.
GRAHAM MUSH
Into three pints of rapidly boiling water, properly salted, stir dry, one heaping pint of sifted Graham flour. Cook slowly for one hour on the back of the range, stirring but little after the first few minutes. Serve with milk or cream, and a very little sugar if desired.
GRAHAM MUSH WITH DATES
Cook as above. Take a cupful of dates, cut in two, removing the stones, and stir into the mush just before taking from the fire. Serve with milk or cream. Steamed raisins or stewed figs may be used instead of dates. Serve hot, or pour out into cups or molds, first wet with cold water, and serve cold with cream.
BOILED RICE
Wash one cup of rice, and put to cook in four cups of boiling water, slightly salted. Cook quite rapidly for the first fifteen minutes, stirring a little occasionally to prevent sticking to the pan. Then cover closely, and cook slowly on the back of the range without stirring. When nearly done, add a cup of sweet milk, cook until tender, and serve with milk, cream, or stewed fruit. If the rice has been soaked overnight, put to cook in an equal quantity of boiling water, or equal parts of milk and water, and cook for about half an hour.
CREAM OF WHEAT
To four parts of boiling water previously salted, add one part cream of wheat, sprinkling it in with the hand, and cook slowly for about an hour. Serve hot with cream or stewed figs.
CORN-MEAL MUSH, NO. 1
Into three pints of boiling water, salted, sprinkle one pint of corn-meal. Cook slowly for an hour, stirring occasionally. Serve with plenty of milk or cream. Very good and nutritious, especially for winter.
CORN-MEAL MUSH, NO. 2
Put to boil one quart of water, adding one teaspoonful of salt. Mix smooth one tablespoonful of flour and two cupfuls each of milk and corn-meal. Stir this gradually into the rapidly boiling water; boil about half an hour, stirring frequently. Serve as soon as done, with rich milk.
CORN-MEAL SQUARES
Take cold, left-over corn-meal mush, cut into rather thick slices, and then into inch squares. Put the squares into a tureen, and pour over them some hot milk or cream. Cover the dish, let stand a few minutes, and serve.
BARLEY MUSH
To each cupful of pearl barley, previously washed, add five cups of boiling water, a teaspoonful of salt, and cook in a double boiler for three or four hours. Serve with cream, lemon sauce, or stewed fruit.
BOILED WHEAT
To one part of good, plump wheat add five parts of cold water, a little salt, and cook slowly from four to six hours, or until the grains burst open and are tender. If soaked overnight, less time for boiling will be required. Add a little more water while cooking if necessary, but avoid much stirring. Serve hot or cold with milk, cream, fruit, or fruit juice. A very simple and wholesome dish.
GLUTEN MUSH
Into three pints of rapidly boiling, salted water stir one pint of gluten; cook in a double boiler for several hours.
HOMINY
Soak, then put to cook in enough boiling water to cover. Cook gently for several hours, being careful not to stir after the grains begin to soften. Add a little more water if needed. Season with salt when done. A quantity may be cooked at a time, and warmed up with a little cream or butter as needed.
CRACKED WHEAT
Cook the same as hominy and oatmeal, using three parts of boiling water to one of cracked wheat. When done, turn into cups or molds first wet with cold water. Nice served cold with cream. Seedless raisins may be cooked with it.
GRANULATED WHEAT
Use the same proportion and cook the same as cracked wheat. Serve warm or cold with good sweet cream.
CORN-MEAL CUTLETS
Cut cold corn-meal mush into slices three inches long and one inch wide; roll each piece in beaten egg, slightly salted, then in grated bread crumbs; place on an oiled tin in the oven till nicely browned. Other mushes may be treated likewise.
BROWNED RICE
Place a small quantity on shallow tins, and brown in the oven till a golden yellow, stirring frequently so that it may brown evenly; then steam for about an hour in a steamer over boiling water or in a steam cooker, allowing two parts of hot water to one part of rice. When done, it should be quite dry and mealy. It may be eaten dry, or served with brown or lentil sauce, or rich milk or cream.
BAKED MUSH
Cook any of the foregoing mushes as directed, and as soon as done, turn into a pan, crock, or a round tin can, first wet with cold water, or oiled, to prevent sticking. If brushed over the top with oil, a crust will not form. When cold, cut into slices from one half to three fourths of an inch thick, place on oiled tins, and bake till a nice brown. A quart of cooked mush will make about a dozen slices.
[Toasts]
“A meal—what is it? Just enough of food
To renovate and well refresh the frame,
So that with spirits lightened, and with strength renewed,
We turn with willingness to work again.”
The appetite is subject to education; therefore learn to love that which you know to be good and wholesome.
The most expensive food is spoiled when served up burnt or tasteless; the cheapest may be delicious with the proper seasoning.—Lantz.