There are two ancient very wholesome and pleasant dishes, which are
much used in the states south of Pennsylvania, to which the middle
and northern states have not yet paid sufficient attention. The
first called FIRMITY, is made of WHEAT. The second, called HOMINY,
is made of INDIAN CORN, or MAIZE. The grains of wheat and Indian
corn are prepared by beating in the same manner in a wooden mortar,
with an iron pestle, filed in crosses or ridges at the bottom, like
a modern stamp or seal for letters.
To make the firmity mortar, or hominy mortar, select a tree of from
two feet to two feet and one half in diameter. Cut off a length (or
piece as nearly as possible cylindrical) of about the height of a
man's waistband from the ground. Let an iron hoop be well secured
on and around each of the ends, to bind and keep the wood together.
Then make a hole at each end of this cut of wood, like the cavity
of a common mortar, as wide as the wood will admit, at top, and
narrowing to a blunt point at the bottom. Both cavities are to be
made alike, so that in fact, in the one cylindrical piece of wood,
there will be two mortars; one in and at each end. These may be
used indiscriminately for wheat or firmity, or for Indian corn or
hominy, and will occasion the utensil to last longer.--It will be
proper not to have the bottoms of the two mortars, or mortar holes,
so deep as to endanger the driving a hole from one into the other,
which would destroy the use of both. When the mortar is thus well
made, a moderate quantity of wheat, to make firmity, is to be put
into the mortar, in the upper part, as it stands on the end, and the
grain is to be moistened with a little warm water, to make the skin
or bran come off easily and perfectly, by the beating. The pestle
is then to be used by a man so as, by striking in among the grains
of wheat, from the top to the bottom of the parcel, from time to
time, and repeatedly, to skin the grains of wheat, which it will do
effectually. When this is done, the grains are to be separated from
the hulls or bran, by a sieve large enough to let the wheat through
and keep out the bran or skin. When this has been done, the parcel
is spread to dry, on a clean coarse linen or cotton cloth. The
proper quantity is put into a large family pot, with a sufficient
quantity of water to boil it, and to be evaporated by a steady
simmering heat from 8 or 9 in the evening till 9 or 10 next morning.
Thus the firmity will be made into a large mass of white mixture of
paste or pulp of wheat, and of whole wheat. This is to be taken out
in portions, as wanted to make a mess, boiled with skim or common
milk, as thick as pea-soup or rice-milk, and sweetened to the taste.
A small lump of butter, of the size of a nutmeg, is often put into
the tureen or soup-dish of firmity, at the moment when it is served
up hot. Some use a little nutmeg and a very little salt. Firmity
is used after the meat meal, which need be but small when there is
firmity for dinner, for it is a very hearty and pleasant food. At
supper there is no occasion for meat.
Hominy is prepared in like manner, except that it is served up
without milk, and that it is diluted moderately with hot water. A
little butter and salt may be added; and on following days hominy
is often fried in a large cake to the size of the pan.--Hominy, in
every form and state, is very good with the gravy of roasted beef,
mutton, lamb, and poultry, steaks, chops, and cutlets.
It is believed, that wheat and Indian corn are much more wholesome
in firmity and hominy, than in bread or _pone_. No yeast is
required.--Great quantities of grain might be used in this way.
Every thing that employs our grain, which is becoming redundant, is
an object worthy of consideration and attention. A great number of
the best living and most expensive families in Philadelphia, from
Maryland, Delaware, and Virginia, use hominy and firmity with the
greatest relish; and if suitable mortars were sent thither for sale,
the use of this food would increase.