WHEAT WITH RAISINS.—­Raisins or Zante currants may be added to any of the foregoing recipes, if desired.  The raisins or currants should be well steamed previously, however, and stirred in lightly and evenly just before dishing.  If cooked with the grain, they become soft, broken, and insipid.  Figs, well steamed and chopped, may be added in the same way.

WHEAT WITH FRESH FRUIT.—­Fresh whortleberries, blueberries, and blackberries stirred into any of the well-cooked wheat preparations just before serving, make a very desirable addition.  A most delicious dish may be prepared by stirring into well-cooked cracked wheat a few spoonfuls of rather thick cream and some fresh wild blackberries.  Serve hot.

MOLDED WHEAT.—­Cracked wheat, rolled wheat, or pearl wheat, cooked according to the foregoing recipes, and turned into molds until cold, makes a very palatable dessert, and may be served with sugar and cream or with fruit juice.  Bits of jelly placed on top of the molds in the form of stars or crosses, add to the appearance.  Molded grains are also very nice served with fresh berries, either mashed or whole, arranged around the mold.

FINER MILL PRODUCTS OF WHEAT.

The grain of wheat is inclosed in a woody envelope.  The cellular layers just beneath contain the largest proportion of nitrogenous matter, in the form of gluten, and are hard of pulverization, while the starchy heart of the grain is easily crumbled into fine dust.  Thus it will be readily understood that when the grain is subjected to an equal pulverizing force, the several portions will be likely to be crushed into particles of different sizes.  The outer husk being toughest, will be the least affected, the nitrogenous or glutenous portion will be much finer, while the brittle starch will be reduced to powder.  This first simple product of grinding is termed wheat meal, unbolted, or Graham flour, and of course contains all the elements of the grain.  In ordinary milling, however, this is subjected to various siftings, boltings, or dressings, to separate the finer from the coarser particles, and then subdivided into various grades of flour, which vary much in composition and properties.  The coarser product contains the largest proportion of nutrients, while in the finer portions there is an exclusion of a large part of the nitrogenous element of the grain.  The outer portions of the wheat kernel, which contain the greater part of the nitrogenous element, are darker in color than the central, starchy portion.  It will be apparent, then, that the finer and whiter the flour, the less nutriment it is likely to contain, and that in the use of superfine white flour the eye is gratified at the expense of the body.