Читать книгу A Friend in the Kitchen; Or, What to Cook and How to Cook It онлайн

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Dr. Johnson, who entertained a great dislike for the Scots, and lost no opportunity of saying bitter things against them, once defined oats as “in Scotland food for Scotchmen; but in England, food for horses.” He was well answered by the indignant Scotchman, who replied, “Yes, and where can you find such men as in Scotland, or such horses as in England?”

Most grains require prolonged cooking, and slow cooking is preferable to fast. They are frequently served in the form of mush, and too often in an underdone state. Thorough cooking not only breaks up the food, but partially digests the starch contained in it.

Salt should be added to the water before stirring in the grain or meal.

All grains and meals should be put into actively boiling water to prevent them from having a raw taste, and allowed to boil fast until they “set,” or thicken, and cease sinking to the bottom; till then they should be stirred frequently, but gently, to prevent burning. After the grain has thickened, it should be stirred very little, or none at all.