FRIED CORN MUSH
Pour well-boiled cornmeal mush (page [228]) into a bread-tin or dish with straight sides, so it will cut in even slices. Make the mush the day before it is to be used, so it will have time to harden. Cut it in pieces one half inch thick, and into any shape desired, but have the pieces uniform. Roll each one in egg and flour, and fry in hot fat; or they may be rolled in milk, then in flour, and sautéd in butter. They should have a crust on both sides. It is good served as a vegetable with game, or as a breakfast dish with or without syrup.
MACARONI
General directions. The best macaroni is smooth, has a fine, close grain and clear yellow color. It is made of flour and water only, and when cooked needs the seasoning of a good sauce. It is generally mixed with cheese, but tomato, cream, or Béchamel sauces make at good combination. When macaroni is to be boiled in long pieces to be used for timbales, hold the pieces in a bunch, and lower them gradually into hot water. They will quickly soften, and can be turned into a circle in the saucepan. They must be removed when tender, and not cooked until they lose form. When done drain off the hot water, and pour on cold water for a few minutes; then lay them straight on a cloth.
SPAGHETTI
How to serve. Spaghetti is a small and more delicate form of macaroni. It is boiled until tender in salted water and is combined with cheese and with sauces the same as macaroni, and is usually left long. It makes a good garnish.
BAKED MACARONI, WITH CHEESE
Take as much macaroni as will half fill the dish in which it is to be served. Break it into pieces two and a half to three inches long. Put it into salted boiling water, and boil twelve to fifteen minutes, or until the macaroni is perfectly soft. Shake the saucepan frequently to prevent the macaroni from adhering to the bottom. Turn it into a colander to drain; then put it into a pudding-dish with butter, salt, and grated cheese. If much cheese is liked, it may be put into the dish in two layers, alternating the seasoning with the macaroni. Cover it with milk, and bake until the milk is absorbed and the top browned. A tablespoonful or more of melted butter should be used to a half pound of macaroni. The macaroni called “Mezzani,” which is a name designating size, not quality, is the preferable kind for macaroni dishes made with cheese.