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Part 3 The Preparation of Food
They can be presweetened or unsweetened. Some have added ingredients, such as
raisins or nuts.
Cereals may be ready-to-eat, or they may require some amount of cooking. Ready-
to-eat cereals may be puffed, shredded, fl aked, granulated, rolled, or formed into
shapes. You can pour them into a bowl and eat them without any preparation.
Cereals that require cooking are available in cracked, crushed, granular, and fl aked
forms. They require the addition of liquid and heat. Quick-cooking or instant cereals are
partially cooked and require little time to prepare. Raw or old-fashioned cereals require
longer cooking times. Oatmeal and oat bran are examples of these types of cereals.
Flour
Any grain can be made into fl our. However, most consumers use wheat fl ours for
baking because the gluten in wheat fl ours is superior. (Gluten is an elastic protein
substance that provides the structure in baked goods.)
You can buy many kinds of wheat fl our. Both bleached and unbleached all-purpose
fl our are made from milled, sifted blends of different varieties of wheat. All-purpose fl our
is made up primarily of the endosperm. Bleached fl our is whiter than unbleached, but
there is no nutritional difference between the two. People use both types for general
cooking and baking.
Bread fl our contains more protein than all-purpose fl our. It is often used in bread
machines because it gives the bread more structure.
Cake fl our is made from a class of wheat called soft wheat. People use it for making
cakes and other baked products with delicate textures.
Instant or quick-mixing fl our is all-purpose fl our that has been specially treated to
blend easily with liquids. People use it to make gravies and sauces.
Self-rising fl our is all-purpose fl our with added leavening agents and salt. You must
adjust your recipe when using this type of fl our.
Whole wheat fl our is made by milling the entire wheat kernel so it contains the bran,
germ, and endosperm. Whole wheat fl our gives baked products a nutlike fl avor and
coarser texture than does all-purpose fl our.
Potato fl our is made from cooked potatoes that have
been dried and ground. People on wheat-free diets often
use potato fl our.
Buckwheat fl our is made from ground buckwheat
grain. It is gluten free and has a nutlike fl avor.
Rye and pumpernickel fl ours are made from ground
rye. Both are popular for making breads. Pumpernickel
fl our is whole grain and produces a darker, coarser loaf.
Rye fl our may have some or all of the bran and germ
removed and produces a lighter loaf.
Soy fl our is made from ground soybeans. It has a
strong fl avor and must be combined with wheat fl our for
use in baked products.
Rice fl our is made by milling white rice. It is a white,
starchy fl our that is popular in Asia and the Far East.
Corn fl our is a gluten-free fl our made from ground
yellow corn. Masa harina is made from a different variety
of corn that has been specially treated. It is an ingredient
in tortillas and other Mexican dishes, 13-2.
Photo courtesy of National Pork Board. For more information about pork, visit
TheOtherWhite Meat.com.
13-2 Masa harina is used to make corn tortillas.