Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Nine Things to do with Porridge.

Waste not, want not. A good rule to live by, Yes? There is, however, something particularly challenging about the congealed paste that is leftover porridge - whether it be the oatmeal or cornmeal variety - is there not?

There are several ideas in Foods and Household Management: a textbook of the household arts, (New York, 1914) by Helen Kinne and Anna Maria Cooley.

The uses of cold cereal. – Never throw away cooked cereals.
The cold cereal is useful in many ways.
(a) Mould in small cups with dates or other fruit, and serve with sugar and cream for luncheon.
(b) Cool corn meal mush in a flat dish, cut it in slices when cold, and brown the slices in a frying pan with beef fat, or a butter substitute. Serve with sugar, molasses, or sirup for breakfast or luncheon.
(c) Rice or hominy may be mixed with a beaten egg, moulded into small cakes, and a browned wither in the frying pan or in the oven.
(d) A small remaining portion of any cereal may be used to thicken soup.
(e) Any cooked cereal may be used in muffins or even yeast bread [the author suggest substituting ½ cup cooked cereal in place of an equal quantity of flour.]

Suggestion 6: Elsewhere in the above cookery book, the authors also suggest leftover cold cereal may be added to the meat mixture when making rissoles.20

Suggestion7: Cereal Pancakes.
Cooked cereal of any kind may be added to a pancake batter by omitting an equal quantity of flour and using not more than 1 cupful of cereal to each cupful of flour.
Mrs. De Graf’s Cook Book (1922)

Suggestion 8: Cereal Griddle Cakes.
1 cup any cold cooked cereal, mashed fine to free from lumps; add 1 beaten egg, yolk and white separate, ½ teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, beat thoroughly. Drop by spoonfuls on hot griddle and serve when brown with syrup.
The Royal Baker and Pastrycook, 1911

Suggestion 9: Oatmeal Fritters

I leave you in the happy expectation that leftover porridge will no longer be a domestic problem in your home.

P.S I know I half-promised some more beer recipes, but - Hey, I get distracted by a better idea some times. They will come, I promise.

Quotation for the Day.

He receives comfort like cold porridge.
William Shakespeare

3 comments:

  1. A friend of mine who for breakfast usually has cooked cereal of various grains -- oats, corn, millet, wheat, rice -- saves the leftovers and puts them into his weekly output of wheat bread. He says it gives the bread an interesting variety and improves the texture. An excellent cook, and I certainly trust his judgment, although I haven't eaten his bread recently.

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  2. Well worth the distraction... excellent ideas... thanks for the investigation and the sharing... come visit when you can...

    Twitter: SolarChief

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