Camping and woodcraft - Scoutmastercg.com

";PROVISIONS 193but the ordinary granulated meal of commerce keepsbetter, because it has been kiln-dried. Corn mealshould not be used as the leading breadstuff, forreasons already given, but johnnycake, corn pancakes,and mush, are a welcome change from hotwheat bread or biscuit, and the average novice atcooking may succeed better with them. The mealIs useful to roll fish in, before frying.Breakfast Cereals.— These according to taste, andfor variety sake. Plain cereals, particularly oatmeal, require long cooking, either in a double boileror with constant stirring, to make them digestibleand then there is a messy pot to clean up. Theydo more harm than good to campers who hurrytheir cooking. So it is best to buy the partiallycooked cereals that take only a few minutes to prepare.Otherwise the " patent breakfast foodshave no more nutritive quality than plain grain;some of them not so much. The notion that branhas remarkable food value is a delusion: it actuallymakes the protein of the grain less digestible. Asfor mineral matter, to " build up bone and teeth andbrawn," there is enough of It in almost any mixeddiet, without swallowing a lot of crude fiber.Rice, although not very appetising by Itself, combinesso well in stews or the like, and goes so wellin pudding, that It deserves a place in the commissariat.Macaroni, etc.— The various paste (pas-tay), a*the Italians call them, take the place of bread, maybe cooked In many ways to lend variety, and areespecially good in soups, which otherwise wouldhave little nourishing power. Spaghetti, vermicelliand noodles, all are good In their way. Breakmacaroni into Inch pieces, and pack so that Insectscannot get Into it. It is more wholesome than flapjacks,and it " sticks to the ribs."Sweets.— Sugar Is stored-up energ}^, and Is assimilatedmore quickly than any other food. Men/n the open soon get to craving sweets„The '' substitute " variously known as saccharin.