Have about two quarts of boiling water in a large stewpan, and into it stir one cup of oatmeal, which you have already wet with cold water; boil this an hour, stirring often, and then add half a spoonful of salt, and boil an hour longer. If it should get too stiff, add more boiling water; or, if too thin, boil a little longer. You cannot boil it too much.
The only trouble there is in cooking oatmeal is, that it takes a long time; and surely no one will let that stand in the way when it is so much better for having the extra time. It is also very necessary that there be an abundance of water to begin with; if not, it will never be as good, no matter how much may be added after it has been cooking any time.
Hominy.
Wash in two waters one cup of hominy, then stir it into one quart of boiling water with a little salt, and boil from thirty to sixty minutes. It is better boiled sixty than thirty. Be careful that it does not burn. Hominy can be used more than oatmeal, as it can be eaten with any kind of meat, and should be cooked once a day. It is nice and appropriate for any meal. It is also good eaten warm or cold with milk.
Hominy Griddle-cakes.
To one pint of warm, boiled hominy, add a pint of milk or water, and one pint of flour. Beat up two or three eggs, and stir them into the batter with a little salt. Fry as any other griddle-cake. They are delicious.
Fried Mush.
Into two quarts of boiling water stir one tablespoonful of salt, and one cup of flour mixed with one quart of Indian meal (it may take a little more than a quart of meal to make it stiff enough); beat it well, or it will be lumpy. Boil gently two hours, and then turn into dishes which have been dipped in cold water, and set away to cool. Pans in which you bake loaves of bread are the best to cool it in, as it then makes handsome slices. In the morning cut into slices an inch thick, and fry brown in pork fat. Serve slices of fried pork with it. You can cook enough at one time for several breakfasts. If you do not wish to fry the mush, do not use the flour, and do not make quite so stiff.
Spider-Cakes.
Heat the frypan hot; also a cover for it. While heating, mix with one pint of Hecker’s prepared flour half a pint of milk or water; grease the hot pan with pork, lard, or butter, and pour half the mixture into it. Make smooth with the spoon; cover, and cook four minutes; turn the cake, and cook four minutes longer. Take up, grease the pan again, and put in the remainder of the mixture, which cook as before.