essays-1-第53部分

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my　usual　exercise；　and　did　not　sup　after　it；　I　neither　felt　any　particular　faintness；　nor　any　unusual　degree　of　appetite　for　my　breakfast　next　morning。

I　have　been　the　more　particular　in　my　account　of　this　experiment；　to　show　in　what　manner　experiments　of　this　kind　ought；　in　my　opinion；　to　be　conducted；and　also　to　induce　others　to　engage　in　these　most　useful　investigations。

It　will　not　escape　the　observation　of　the　reader；　that　small　as　the　expence　was　of　providing　this　dinner；　yet　very　near　one…half　of　that　sum　was　laid　out　in　purchasing　the　ingredients　for　the　sauce。But　it　is　probable　that　a　considerable　part　of　that　expence　might　be　saved。In　Italy；　polenta；　which　is　nothing　more　than　hasty…pudding　made　with　Indian　meal　and　water；　is　very　frequently；　and　I　believe　commonly　eaten　without　any　sauce；　and　when　on　holidays　or　other　extraordinary　occasions　they　indulge　themselves　by　adding　a　sauce　to　it；　this　sauce　is　far　from　expensive。It　is　commonly　nothing　more　than　a　very　small　quantity　of　butter　spread　over　the　flat　surface　of　the　hot　polenta　which　is　spread　out　thin　in　a　large　platter；　with　a　little　Parmezan　or　other　strong　cheese；　reduced　to　a　coarse　powder　by　grating　it　with　a　grater；　strewed　over　it。

Perhaps　this　Italian　sauce　might　be　more　agreeable　to　an　English　palate　than　that　commonly　used　in　America。　　It　would　certainly　be　less　expensive；　as　much　less　butter　would　be　required；　and　as　cheese　in　this　country　is　plenty　and　cheap。　But　whatever　may　be　the　sauce　used　with　Food　prepared　of　Indian　Corn；　I　cannot　too　strongly　recommend　the　use　of　that　grain。

While　I　was　employed　in　making　my　experiment　upon　hasty…pudding；　I　learnt　from　my　servant；　（a　Bavarian；）　who　assisted　me；　a　fact　which　gave　me　great　pleasure；　as　it　served　to　confirm　me　in　the　opinion　I　have　long　entertained　of　the　great　merit　of　Indian　Corn。He　assured　me　that　polenta　is　much　esteemed　by　the　peasantry　in　Bavaria；　and　that　it　makes　a　very　considerable　article　of　their　Food；　that　it　comes　from　Italy　through　the　Tyrol；　and　that　it　is　commonly　sold　in　Bavaria　AT　THE　SAME　PRICE　AS　WHEAT　FLOUR！　　Can　there　be　stronger　proofs　of　its　merit？

The　negroes　in　America　prefer　it　to　rice；　and　the　Bavarian　peasants　to　wheat。Why　then　should　not　the　inhabitants　of　this　island　like　it？　　It　will　not；　I　hope；　be　pretended；　that　it　is　in　this　favoured　soil　alone　that　prejudices　take　such　deep　root　that　they　are　never　to　be　eradicated；　or　that　there　is　any　thing　peculiar　in　the　construction　of　the　palate　of　an　Englishman。

The　objection　that　may　be　made　to　Indian　Corn；that　it　does　not　thrive　well　in　this　country；is　of　no　weight。　　The　same　objection　might；　with　equal　reason；　be　made　to　rice；　and　twenty　other　articles　of　Food　now　in　common　use。

It　has　ever　been　considered；　by　those　versed　in　the　science　of　political　economy；　as　an　object　of　the　first　importance　to　keep　down　the　prices　of　provisions；　particularly　in　manufacturing　and　commercial　countries；and　if　there　be　a　country　on　earth　where　this　ought　to　be　done；　it　is　surely　Great　Britain：and　there　is　certainly　no　country　which　has　the　means　of　doing　it　so　much　in　its　power。

But　the　progress　of　national　improvements　must　be　very　slow；　however　favorable　other　circumstances　may　be；　where　those　citizens；　who；　by　their　rank　and　situation　in　society；　are　destined　to　direct　the　public　opinion；　AFFECT　to　consider　the　national　prejudices　as　unconquerable＇16＇。But　to　return　to　the　subject　immediately　under　consideration。

Though　hasty…pudding　is；　I　believe；　the　cheapest　Food　that　can　be　prepared　with　Indian　Corn；　yet　several　other　very　cheap　dishes　may　be　made　of　it；　which　in　general　are　considered　as　being　more　palatable；　and　which；　most　probably；　would　be　preferred　in　this　country；　and　among　these；　what　in　America　is　called　a　plain　Indian　pudding　certainly　holds　the　first　place；　and　can　hardly　fail　to　be　much　liked　by　those；　who　will　be　persuaded　to　try　it。It　is　not　only　cheap　and　wholesome；　but　a　great　delicacy；　and　it　is　principally　on　account　of　these　puddings　that　the　Americans；　who　reside　in　this　country；　import　annually　for　their　own　consumption　Indian　Corn　from　the　Continent　of　America。

In　order　to　be　able　to　give　the　most　particular　and　satisfactory　information　respecting　the　manner　of　preparing　these　Indian　puddings；　I　caused　one　of　them　to　be　made　here；　（in　London；）　under　my　immediate　direction；　by　a　person　born　and　brought　up　in　North　America；　and　who　understands　perfectly　the　American　art　of　cookery　in　all　its　branches＇17＇。　　This　pudding；　which　was　allowed　by　competent　judges　who　tasted　it　to　be　as　good　as　they　had　ever　eaten；　was　composed　and　prepared　in　the　following　manner：

Approved　Receipt　for　making　a　plain　Indian　Pudding。

Three　pounds　of　Indian　meal　（from　which　the　bran　had　been　separated　by　sifting　it　in　a　common　hair　sieve）　were　put　into　a　large　bowl；　and　five　pints　of　boiling　water　were　put　to　it；　and　the　whole　well　stirred　together；　three　quarters　of　a　pound　of　molasses　and　one　ounce　of　salt　were　then　added　to　it；　and　these　being　well　mixed；　by　stirring　them　with　the　other　ingredients；　the　pudding　was　poured　into　a　fit　bag；　and　the　bag　being　tied　up；　（an　empty　space　being　left　in　the　bag　tying　it；　equal　to　about　one…sixth　of　its　contents；　for　giving　room　for　the　pudding　to　swell；）　this　pudding　was　put　into　a　kettle　of　boiling　water；　and　was　boiled　six　hours　without　intermission；　the　loss　of　the　water　in　the　kettle　by　evaporation　during　this　time　being　frequently　replaced　with　boiling　water　from　another　kettle。

The　pudding　upon　being　taken　out　of　the　bag　weighed　ten　pounds　and　one　ounce；　and　it　was　found　to　be　perfectly　done；　not　having　the　smallest　remains　of　that　raw　taste　so　disagreeable　to　all　palates；　and　particularly　to　those　who　are　not　used　to　it；　which　always　predominates　in　dishes　prepared　of　Indian　meal　when　they　are　not　sufficiently　cooked。

As　this　raw　taste　is　the　only　well…founded　objection　that　can　be　made　to　this　most　useful　grain；　and　is；　I　am　persuaded；　the　only　cause　which　makes　it　disliked　by　those　who　are　not　accustomed　to　it；　I　would　advise　those　who　may　attempt　to　introduce　it　into　common　use；　where　it　is　not　known；　to　begin　with　Indian　（bag）　puddings；　such　as　I　have　here　been　describing；　and　that　this　is　a　very　cheap　kind　of　Food　will　be　evident　from　the　following　computation：

Expense　of　preparing　the　Indian　Pudding　above　mentioned。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Pence。　　　　　　Pence。　　3　lb。　of　Indian　meal　at　。。。　　。。。　　1　1/2　　。。。　　4　1/2　3/4　lb。　of　molasses　at　　　。。。　　。。。　　6　　　　　　。。。　　4　1/2　　1　oz。　of　salt　at　2d。　per　lb。　。。。　　。。。　　　　。。。　　0　1/8　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Total　for　the　ingredients；　　　9　1/8

As　this　pudding　weighed　10　1/16　lbs。　and　the　ingredients　cost　nine　pence　and　half　a　farthing；　this　gives　three　farthings　and　a　half　for　each　pound　of　pudding。

It　will　be　observed；　that　in　this　computation　I　have　reckoned　the　Indian　meal　at　no　more　than　1　1/2d　per　pound；　whereas　in　the　calculation　which　was　given　to　determine　the　expense　of　preparing　hasty…pudding　it　was　taken　at　two　pence　a　pound。　　I　have　here　reckoned　it　at　1　1/2d。　a　pound；　because　I　am　persuaded　it　might　be　had　here　in　London　for　that　pri