32. HOMINY is whole corn from which the outside covering has been
removed, and for this reason it is high in food value. Corn in this form
may be procured as a commercial product, but it may be prepared in the
home at less expense. As a commercial product, it is sold dry by the
pound or cooked as a canned food. Dry hominy requires long cooking to
make it palatable, and this, of course, increases its cost; but even
with this additional cost it is cheaper than canned hominy.
Sometimes corn from which the covering has been removed is ground or
crushed to form what is called _samp_, or _grits_, and when it is ground
still more finely CORN MEAL is produced. Corn meal is made from both
white and yellow corn, and is ground more finely in some localities than
in others. It is sold loose by the pound, but it can also be bought in
bags or packages of various sizes from 1 pound up. Corn meal should be
included in the diet of every economical family, for it yields a large
quantity of food at a moderately low cost. If it is prepared well, it is
very palatable, and when eaten with milk or cream it is a food that is
particularly desirable for children, especially for the evening meal,
because of its food value and the fact that it is easily digested.
33. So that the importance of these corn products may be understood and
the products then used to the best advantage in the diet, recipes are
here given for preparing hominy in the home, for dishes in which hominy
forms the principal part, and for dishes in which corn meal is used. To
get the best results from these recipes and thereby become thoroughly
familiar with the cooking processes involved, it is recommended that
each one be worked out in detail. This thought applies as well to all
recipes given throughout the various Sections. Of course, to prepare
each recipe is not compulsory; nevertheless, to learn to cook right
means actually to do the work called for by the recipes, not merely
once, but from time to time as the food can be utilized to give variety
to the daily menus in the home.
34. HOMINY.--Although, as has been mentioned, prepared hominy may be
purchased, some housewives prefer to prepare it themselves. Hominy
serves as a foundation from which many satisfactory dishes can be made,
as it is high in food value and reasonable in cost. This cereal can be
used in so many ways that it is advisable to prepare enough at one time
to meet the demands of several meals. The following recipe for making
hominy should provide 3 quarts of this cereal; however, as is true of
other recipes--a point that should be remembered throughout the various
lessons--the quantities given may be increased or decreased to meet with
the requirements of the household.
HOMINY
(Sufficient for 3 Quarts)
2 qt. water
1 Tb. lye
1 qt. shelled corn
3 tsp. salt
Put the water into a large kettle or saucepan, and into the water put
the lye. Allow the water to come to the boiling point, and then add the
corn and let it boil until the skins will slip off the grains when they
are pressed between the thumb and the finger. Take from the stove, stir
sufficiently to loosen the skins, and then remove them by washing the
grains of corn in a coarse colander. Cover the grains with cold water
and return to the fire. When the water boils, pour it off. Repeat this
process at least three times, so as to make sure that there is no trace
of the lye, and then allow the grains to cook in more water until they
burst. Season them with the salt, and while the hominy thus prepared is
still hot put it into a jar or a crock and cover it tight until it is to
be used. The water in which the hominy is cooked should remain on it.
35. BUTTERED HOMINY.--Perhaps the simplest method of preparing cooked
hominy is to butter it. In this form it may be served with cream as a
breakfast or a luncheon dish, or it may be used in the place of a
vegetable.
BUTTERED HOMINY
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 pt. cooked hominy
3 Tb. butter
1 tsp. salt
Allow a few spoonfuls of water to remain on the cooked hominy. Add the
butter and the salt, and then heat all thoroughly, stirring the hominy
gently so as to incorporate, or mix in, the butter and the salt. Serve
while hot.
36. CREAMED HOMINY.--The addition of a cream sauce to cooked hominy not
only adds to the palatableness of this cereal, but increases its food
value. When hominy is served with a sauce, it may be used as a dinner
vegetable or as the main dish in a light meal.
CREAMED HOMINY
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
1 tsp. salt
1 Tb. flour
1 pt. cooked hominy
Heat the milk, and to it add the butter and the salt. Then thicken it
with the flour. To this sauce add the hominy and allow all to cook
slowly for 10 or 15 minutes. Serve the creamed hominy hot.
37. HOMINY GRITS.--The cereal sold under the name of _hominy grits_ is
prepared commercially by crushing dried hominy grains. It has
practically the same food value as hominy, and in appearance resembles
cream of wheat. The following recipe shows the simplest way in which to
prepare this food, it being usually served as a breakfast cereal in
this form:
HOMINY GRITS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 tsp. salt
4 c. water
1 c. hominy grits
Add the salt to the water and bring it to the boiling point. Stir the
hominy grits into the water and continue to boil for 10 minutes. Then
place in a double boiler and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Serve hot with cream
or milk and sugar.
[Illustration: Fig. 2]
38. LEFT-OVER HOMINY.--No waste need result from hominy that is not used
at the meal for which it is prepared, for it may be utilized in many
ways. For example, it may be served cold with fruit and cream, made into
croquettes with chopped meat or cheese and either sautéd or baked, or
used in soups to increase materially their food value. A dish prepared
by combining cooked or left-over hominy with other ingredients to form
hominy and cheese soufflé, which is illustrated in Fig. 2, will prove to
be very appetizing.
HOMINY AND CHEESE SOUFFLÉ
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1-1/2 c. cooked hominy
1/2 c. hot milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 c. grated cheese
2 eggs
Work the hominy smooth by mashing it with a fork, and then add the hot
milk, salt, paprika, and grated cheese. Separate the eggs, beat the
yolks thoroughly, and stir them well into the mixture. Next, fold in the
whites, which should be stiffly beaten, pour the mass into a buttered
baking dish, and bake until it is firm in the center. Serve hot.
39. CORN-MEAL MUSH.--Since corn meal is comparatively inexpensive and
high in food value, the housewife can make frequent use of it to
advantage. In the form of mush, corn meal is easily digested; besides,
such mush is a very good breakfast cereal when served hot with milk or
cream. Although the recipe here given makes a sufficient amount for six
persons, a good plan is to increase the quantities mentioned so that
there will be enough mush left to mold and use in other ways.
CORN-MEAL MUSH
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 tsp. salt
3-1/2 c. water
1 c. corn meal
Add the salt to the water and bring the salted water to the boiling
point. When it is boiling rapidly, sift the corn meal slowly through the
fingers into it, and at the same time stir it rapidly so as to prevent
the formation of lumps. Any mush that contains lumps has not been
properly made and should not be served in this condition, as it is
unpalatable. Keep stirring constantly until the corn meal thickens; then
place it in a double boiler and allow it to cook from 2 to 4 hours, when
it should be ready to serve. This method of cooking mush is the most
convenient, because not much stirring is required after the corn meal is
thickened.
A heavy aluminum kettle or an iron pot is a good utensil in which to
cook mush, as it does not burn easily in either, although almost
constant stirring is required. When the mush becomes very thick, the
heated air, in forcing its way through the mush in the process of
boiling, makes the mush pop and very often splash on the hands and burn
them. To avoid such an accident, therefore, it is advisable to wrap the
hand used for stirring in a towel or a cloth.
40. SAUTÉD CORN-MEAL-MUSH.--Mush cooked in the manner just explained may
be poured into pans, such as bread pans, where it will harden and form a
mold that can be sliced as thick or as thin as desired and then sautéd.
Corn-meal mush prepared in this way pleases the taste of many persons,
and while some persons find it harder to digest than just plain mush, it
serves to give variety to meals. For sautéing mush, a heavy iron or
steel frying pan or griddle should be used, because utensils made of
thin material will allow the mush to burn before it browns properly. Put
enough fat, such as lard, cooking oil, or drippings, into the cooking
utensil so that when heated it will be about 1/4 inch deep all over the
surface. When the utensil is very hot, put in the slices of mush and
allow them to brown on one side. Then turn the slices over carefully, so
as not to break them, and brown them on the other side. As will be
observed, corn-meal mush does not brown quickly in sautéing. This
characteristic is due to the large amount of moisture it contains. Serve
the mush hot, and to add to its flavor serve with it sirup or honey.
41. CORN-MEAL CROQUETTES.--Croquettes of any kind add variety to a
meal, and because they are attractive they appeal to the appetite. To
make croquettes of corn meal, mold mush as for sautéing. Then cut this
into slices 1 inch thick, and cut each slice into strips 1 inch wide.
Roll these in slightly beaten egg and then in crumbs, and sauté them in
hot fat until they are crisp and brown. Serve these croquettes hot with
either butter or sirup or both.
42. LEFT-OVER CORN-MEAL MUSH.--Sautéd corn-meal mush and corn-meal
croquettes can, of course, be made from mush that is left over after it
has been cooked to serve as a cereal; however, if there is only a small
quantity left, it may be utilized in still another way, namely, as a
garnish for the platter on which meat is served. To prepare corn-meal
mush in this way, spread it about 1/3 inch thick in a pan and allow it
to cool. Then turn it out of the pan in a sheet on a board that has been
floured; that is, covered thinly with flour. Cut this sheet of corn meal
into small circles with the aid of a round cutter or into diamond shapes
with a knife, and then brown both sides of each of these in butter.
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