Chapter 15
57. j.a.pANESE METHOD OF COOKING RICE.--Rice prepared by the j.a.panese method may be used in the same ways as boiled rice. However, unless some use is to be made of the liquid from boiled rice, the j.a.panese method has the advantage of being a more economical way of cooking this cereal.
j.a.pANESE METHOD (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. rice 1-1/2 tsp. salt 5 c. boiling water
Wash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water, and boil slowly for 15 minutes. Then cover the utensil in which the rice is cooking and place it in the oven for 15 minutes more, in order to evaporate the water more completely and make the grains soft without being mushy.
Serve in the same way as boiled rice.
58. STEAMED RICE.--To steam rice requires more time than either of the preceding cooking methods, but it causes no loss of food material. Then, too, unless the rice is stirred too much while it is steaming, it will have a better appearance than rice cooked by the other methods. As in the case of boiled rice, steamed rice may be used as the foundation for a variety of dishes and may be served in any meal.
STEAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rice 1-1/2 tsp. salt 2-1/2 c. water
Wash the rice carefully and add it to the boiling salted water. Cook it for 5 minutes and then place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook until it is soft. Keep the cooking utensil covered and do not stir the rice. About 1 hour will be required to cook rice in this way. Serve in the same way as boiled rice.
59. CREAMED RICE.--To increase the nutritive value of rice, it is sometimes cooked with milk and cream to form what is known as creamed rice. These dairy products added to rice supply protein and fat, food substances in which this cereal is lacking, and also add to its palatability.
CREAMED RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2-1/2 c. milk 1 c. rice 1-1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 c. cream
Heat the milk in the small pan of a double boiler and add to it the rice and salt. Place this pan into the larger one and cook for about 1 hour, or until the rice is soft. Then pour the cream over the rice and cook a few minutes longer. Serve hot.
60. ORIENTAL RICE.--As rice is a bland food, practically lacking in flavor, any flavoring material that may be added in its preparation or serving aids in making it more appetizing. Oriental rice, which is prepared according to the following recipe, therefore makes a very tasty dish and one that may be used in place of a vegetable for lunch or dinner.
ORIENTAL RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rice 2-1/2 c. stock, or meat broth 2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1 slice onion 1/2 c. canned tomatoes
Steam the rice in the stock until it is soft by the method given for steaming rice. Then brown the b.u.t.ter and onion in a frying pan, add the tomatoes, and heat thoroughly. Pour this mixture into the rice, mix well, and serve.
61. BROWNED RICE.--Another way in which to add variety in serving rice is to brown it. Sufficient browned rice for six persons may be prepared by putting 1 cupful of clean rice in an iron frying pan that contains no fat, placing the pan directly over the flame, and stirring the rice until the grains become an even, light brown. Rice that has been treated in this way has additional flavor added to it and can be used in the same way as boiled or steamed rice.
62. SAVORY RICE.--Rice browned in the manner just explained is used in the preparation of savory rice, a dish that serves as a very good subst.i.tute for a vegetable. Savory rice may be prepared according to the
SAVORY RICE (Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 c. browned rice 2-1/2 c. water 1 tsp. salt 1/2 c. chopped celery 2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1 small onion, chopped 1/2 c. canned tomatoes 1/4 c. chopped pimiento
Steam the browned rice in the salted water as in steaming rice, and cook the celery, which should be chopped fine, with the rice for the last half hour of the steaming. Brown the b.u.t.ter and add to it the onion finely chopped, the tomatoes, and the pimiento. A few minutes before serving time, add this to the rice, mix well, and serve hot.
63. LEFT-OVER RICE.--There are a variety of ways in which left-over rice may be used. For instance, rice that has been cooked and is not used may be utilized in soups, combined with pancake, m.u.f.fin, or omelet mixtures, or made into puddings by mixing it with a custard and then baking. It may be served with fruit, made into patties, or combined with tomatoes, cheese, or meat to form an appetizing dish.
[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 3] 64. As has been shown, rice is one of the cereals that contain very little cellulose. Fruit added to it in the preparation of any dish makes up for this lack of cellulose and at the same time produces a delicious combination. Rice combined with pineapple to form a dish like that shown in Fig. 3 not only is very attractive but meets with the favor of many; besides, it provides a good way in which to utilize left-over rice.
RICE WITH PINEAPPLE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. steamed or creamed rice 1/4 c. sugar 6 rings pineapple 3/4 c. whipped cream
Stir the sugar into the rice and if necessary moisten with a little cream. Shape the rice into six b.a.l.l.s of equal size, making them so that they will be about the same in diameter as the rings of the pineapple, and place one in the center of each pineapple ring. Whip the cream with an egg whip or beater until it stands up well, and garnish each dish with the whipped cream before serving.
65. Another satisfactory dish may be made by combining eggs with left-over rice to form RICE PATTIES. Owing to the protein supplied by the eggs, such a combination as this may be made to take the place of a light meat dish for luncheon or supper, and, to impart additional flavor, it may be served with any sauce desired.
RICE PATTIES (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. stale crumbs 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. celery salt 2 eggs 2 c. steamed rice
Add 1/2 cupful of the crumbs, the salt, the celery salt, and the eggs, slightly beaten, to the cold steamed rice. If more moisture seems to be necessary, add a very little milk. Shape the rice with the other ingredients into round patties, and then roll these in the remainder of the crumbs and saute them in hot b.u.t.ter. Serve the patties hot and with sauce, if desired.
66. Besides left-over rice, small quant.i.ties of one or more kinds of left-over meat and stock or gravy can be used to make a very appetizing dish known as SPANISH RICE, which may be used as the main, or heavy, dish in a luncheon.
SPANISH RICE (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 small onion 2 Tb. b.u.t.ter 1-1/2 c. steamed or boiled rice 1 c. chopped meat 1/2 c. meat stock or gravy 1/2 c. canned tomatoes 2 Tb. grated cheese 1/4 c. stale crumbs
Chop the onion and brown it in b.u.t.ter. Mix well the browned onion, rice, chopped meat, stock or gravy, and tomatoes, and pour all into a b.u.t.tered baking dish. Then sprinkle the cheese and crumbs on top of the mixture and bake for 1 hour in a slow oven. Serve hot.
OATS
COMPOSITION AND VARIETIES
67. As an article of food, OATS are used very extensively. In Scotland, this cereal formed the princ.i.p.al article of diet for many years, and as the hardiness of the Scotch people is usually attributed to their diet the value of oats as a food cannot be overestimated. This grain, or cereal, grows very much like wheat and yields an abundant crop in fairly good soil; but it is unlike wheat in composition, for it contains very little protein and considerable fat. In fact, it contains more fat than any other cereal. Because of its lack of protein, it will not make raised bread, and when it must serve the purpose of bread it is made into flat cakes and baked. Although it is used to some extent in this way, its greatest use for food, particularly in the United States, is in the form of _oatmeal_ and _rolled oats_. In the preparation of oatmeal for the market, the oat grains are crushed or cut into very small pieces, while in the preparation of rolled oats they are crushed flat between large rollers.
RECIPES FOR OATS
68. The same methods of cooking can be applied to both oatmeal and rolled oats. Therefore, while the recipes here given are for rolled oats, it will be well to note that they can be used for oatmeal by merely subst.i.tuting this cereal wherever rolled oats are mentioned.
69. ROLLED OATS.--Because of the high food value of rolled oats, this cereal is excellent for cold weather, especially when it is served with hot cream or milk and sugar. It can be prepared very easily, as the accompanying recipe shows.
ROLLED OATS (Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. rolled oats 3 c. boiling water 1 tsp. salt
Stir the oats into the boiling water to which the salt has been added.
Boil 2 minutes, stirring them occasionally to keep them from sticking.
Then cook them in a double boiler for 2 to 4 hours. During this time, stir the oats as little as possible, so as to prevent them from becoming mushy. Serve hot.
70. ROLLED OATS WITH APPLES.--The combination of rolled oats and apples is rather unusual, still it makes a dish that lends variety to a breakfast or a luncheon. Such a dish is easily digested, because the apples supply to it a considerable quant.i.ty of cellulose and mineral salts.
ROLLED OATS WITH APPLES (Sufficient to Serve Six)
2/3 c. rolled oats 2 c. boiling water 1/2 tsp. salt 6 medium-sized apples 1 c. water 1/2 c. sugar
Stir the rolled oats into the boiling salted water and cook them until they set; then place them in a double boiler and cook for 2 to 4 hours.
Pare and core the apples, and then cook them whole in a sirup made of 1 cupful of water and 1/2 cupful of sugar until they are soft, but not soft enough to fall apart. To serve the food, place it in six cereal dishes. Put a large spoonful of the cooked oats in each dish, arrange an apple on top of the oats, and then fill the hole left by the core with rolled oats. Over each portion, pour some of the sirup left from cooking the apples, and serve hot with cream.