376 COFFEE. 



uniform in that respect. The drying has to be done in the shade 

 and in a place not exposed to the wind, as, if dried too quickly, or 

 if the slender pieces were blown against one another, they would 

 be apt to break. When suflSciently dry, it is removed from the ' 

 frames and packed in boxes, such as are familiar to all grocers. 



The different sizes are made by changing the movable bottom^ 

 of the press and employing different sized perforations. I also 

 forgot to say that each of these perforated holes has a core or 

 centre around which the dough has to pass, and this produces the 

 hollow which is a characteristic of macaroni. The reason for this 

 arrangement is, if the macaroni were made solid, it would take 

 very long to dry when hung upon xacks, and, also, when dried, it 

 woiild be very difficult to cook it without a great deal of boiling, 

 and impossible to do so uniformly. So important is this con- 

 sidered, and so defective do the Italians regard the product if 

 not thus perforated, that a proverb has arisen in Italy to the effect 

 that " a foolish person is like macaroni without any hole in it." 



Vermicelli is made from the same material and in the same 

 way as macaroni, except that it is not hollow, it being so small that 

 it is neither practicable nor necessary to make it so. 



The cooTcing of macaroni in Naples is a feature which also de- 

 serves description. I here, for the first time, understood why 

 Italians are so fond of this dish, and why it has never attained a 

 very large consumption in America. It is because they know 

 how to cook it so as to make it palatable, while we do not. A 

 majority of American cooks put a quantity of macaroni in cold 

 water and let it haK soak, half boil for an indefinite time, 

 until it is a watery, doughy mass. Then they throw some soft 

 cheese crumbs on top of it, put it in a dish, place it in an 

 oven and bake it until the top is thoroughly crusted and tough. 

 As a contrast to this, the Neapolitans place the macaroni in boil- 

 ing water, boil it for twelve to fifteen minutes, when it is tender 

 but yet slightly elastic, and there is no danger of one piece stick- 

 ing to another. The water is then poured off, and if to be served 

 " au gratin," a little Tiard, dry cheese is grated and not only 

 sprinkled over it, but thoroughly mixed through it, so that the 

 flavor of the cheese is to be found at the bottom as well as at the 

 top of the dish, and a lump of butter or a trifle of fine salad. 



