EXTENSION COURSE IN VEGETABLE FOODS. 495 
by the large amount of fat which the peanut contains, and which 
differentiates it from other legumes. 
COTTON SEED. 
Cottonseed meal is being experimented upon for human food. It 
has long been used for animals. The meal or flour remains after the 
oil has been extracted. Cottonseed oil is used in many ways like olive 
oil and similar oils, and in the manufacture of culinary fats. 
WHEAT, OATS, AND RICE. 
The seeds of the common cereals are often used in preparing dishes 
served as vegetables, such as boiled rice, macaroni’ dishes, oatmeal 
fritters, farina cake, etc. 
Cereals do not possess very distinctive flavors, so it is a common 
practice when using cereal products in this way to season the dishes 
highly with cheese, with tomato, or with onion, or else to cook them 
in ways which will give flavor as, for instance, by browning in fat. 
Rice cooked with tomatoes, macaroni with cheese, and noodles sea- 
soned with fried onions are familiar examples of well-seasoned 
‘cereal dishes made tasty by the use of seasoning, while rice cro- 
quettes, mock oysters (made of sweet corn), and farina fritters are 
examples of foods made savory by browning in deep fat. 7 
CORN. 
Corn is a native of the New World and has been cultivated for cen- 
turies before America was discovered. Originally a tropical plant, 
it had been developed and changed by selection and culture until it 
would mature a crop as.far north as Montreal, a remarkable achieve- 
ment for an uncivilized people like the Indians. 
Corn 1s commonly regarded as a distinctively American foodstuff, 
but it was long ago introduced into other countries and is now exten- 
sively used in the Mediterranean regions of Europe, in Africa, in 
Australia, and in China. In the United States it is—as it has been 
since colonial times—a staple and very important foodstuff. 
Corn is a very important breadstuff and is served in more forms as 
a vegetable than perhaps any other grain. The Mexicans use the corn 
husk to wrap the combination of corn, meat, and seasoning known as 
tamales. The hulled corn or lye hominy is used not only as a break- 
fast cereal but also as a vegetable, and so is the cracked corn or hominy. 
But the sweet or green corn is most used and is one of the most 
highly esteemed of American fresh vegetables. Knormous quantities 
are eaten fresh, and its canning is a great industry. The ears are 
roasted or boiled and served on the cobs; or the raw or boiled corn is 
cut from the cob and stewed or fried alone or in combination with 
