School and Home Cooking by Carlotta C. Greer Published: 1920

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DIVISION SIX

ENERGY-GIVING AND BODY-BUILDING FOODS,--RICH IN PROTEIN

LESSON XLII


EGGS [Footnote 44: NOTE TO THE TEACHER.--If the egg lessons came in the
mid-winter months, they may be omitted until the price of eggs is
reasonable; or the "theory" concerning eggs and the experiment concerning
the temperature of cooking protein-rich foods may be given, and the
cooking of eggs take place later in the year.]

PROTEIN, A BODY-BUILDER AND REPAIRER.--An automobile requires not only
fuels for its use but occasional repair. The body also needs not only fuel
but building and repairing materials. The function of the fuel foods
considered thus far is to give energy to the body. But there is another
great class of foods, or foodstuffs--those included under the term
protein--that not only give energy to the body but also build up or
promote growth and repair it or support life. The process of building and
repairing takes place in the body cells. Hence the body differs from an
automobile in that it possesses the property of self-building and
repairing.

The child must have protein food so that it can grow and live when growth
is completed, the adult must have protein food so that it can live and
maintain health. The slightest using of the body causes the wearing away
of some of the tissues, hence the importance of food containing the
foodstuff, protein.

Protein is a very broad term, including many different materials, having
different properties. Some proteins will promote the growth of the body
and support life, while others are growth promoting but not life
supporting, while still others are only life supporting.

The first type of protein is sometimes called complete protein,
while the two latter types are called incomplete protein. In food
study and meal planning, it is not sufficient to know that a food contains
protein; one should know whether the protein is complete or incomplete.
The incomplete proteins need to be supplemented with other foods
containing the lacking type of protein. Milk, eggs, cheese, meat, and fish
contain complete proteins, while beans, peas, gelatine, and certain
cereals contain incomplete proteins.

A consideration of eggs, a food rich in complete protein, follows:

EXPERIMENT 37: THE COAGULATION OF EGG WHITE.--Put the white of an egg in a
dish and break the membranes by cutting with a pair of scissors. Then
place a small quantity of the white of egg in a test tube. Apply heat.
Into what form is the liquid egg white changed by heat?

When eggs are cooked, the protein in the white called albumin
stiffens or coagulates. The yolk also contains a kind of protein
which coagulates when heated.

EXPERIMENT 38: THE SOLUBILITY OF ALBUMIN.--Put a small portion of the
broken egg white in a test tube. Half fill the tube with cold water. Then
turn the contents of the tube on to a folded filter paper, and catch the
filtrate in another test tube. Are the contents of the tube clear?

Apply heat to the filtrate. What happens? Does this prove that egg albumin
was dissolved in the water before applying heat to the contents of the
tube? Explain.

EXPERIMENT 39: TEMPERATURE AT WHICH EGGS COAGULATE.--Place a teaspoonful
of white of egg in a test tube. Insert a thermometer in the test tube and
place the test tube in a beaker of water (see Figure 39). Heat the water
gradually. Note and record: (a) Temperature at which
coagulation first appears. (b) Temperature at which the egg
white is entirely coagulated. Has the water reached the boiling point when
the egg white has entirely coagulated? What application can you draw from
this as to the temperature of the water in which eggs may be cooked?

EXPERIMENT 40: COMPARISON OF COOKED AND BOILED EGGS.--Remove at
once about half of the coagulated egg from the test tube of Experiment
39. Examine it and press it between the fingers.

Continue to heat the remainder of the egg in the test tube, allowing the
water to boil a few minutes. Then remove the egg, examine it, and press it
between the fingers. Compare it with the egg cooked below the boiling
point of water. Which is more tender? Which breaks more easily? Which do
you consider more palatable? What conclusion can you draw concerning the
temperature at which eggs should be cooked to make them most tender and
palatable?

DIGESTIBILITY AND PALATABILITY OF EGGS.--The experiments of this lesson
show that eggs cooked at simmering temperature are more tender than those
cooked at boiling temperature. The question may arise, is the tender egg
more wholesome than the tough egg? It is true that eggs cooked below the
boiling temperature will digest in a little less time than those cooked in
boiling water. Since, however, the tougher egg is as completely digested
as the more tender, the difference in the time of digestion is a matter of
little importance.

[Illustration: FIGURE 39.--APPARATUS TO DETERMINE THE TEMPERATURE AT WHICH
EGGS COAGULATE.]

But even though the difference in digestion is not considered, the
difference in palatability is worth some attention. If soft-cooked
and soft-boiled eggs are compared, the soft-cooked will be found to be
much more uniformly cooked. The white of a soft-boiled egg may be firm,
while its yolk is very soft or the white may be soft while its yolk is
raw.

STRUCTURE OF EGGS.--A hen's egg consists of shell, membrane, white, yolk,
and the little mass in the yolk called the embryo, from which the young
chicken grows. The yolk is kept in place by two twisted cords of white
membrane. This membrane is the first part to disappear when the egg begins
to spoil.

CARE AND USE OF EGGS.--(a) Wash eggs just before using. [Footnote
45: Washing removes a coating on egg-shells. This coating prevents the
entrance of microorganisms. Hence eggs should not be washed until they are
to be used.] The shells may be used for clearing coffee.

(b) Keep eggs in a cool place.

(c) The unbroken yolk of an egg may be kept from hardening by
covering with cold water.

(d) All protein-rich foods contain substances which spoil or
decompose readily. The egg loses water by evaporation through the pores in
the shell; air enters to take the place of this and since the air contains
microorganisms, the egg spoils. Eggs may be kept fresh by keeping air out
of them. They may be preserved by packing them, small end down, in bran,
sawdust, or sand; by immersing them in water-glass.

(e) When using several eggs, if not sure of their freshness, break
each separately into a saucer and examine before adding to the rest.

(f) When using a number of eggs, it is well to scrape out the bit
of white clinging to the inside of the shell.

TESTS FOR FRESHNESS.--(a) A fresh egg has a rough shell. (b)
Drop an egg into cold water. If it sinks, it is fresh; if it floats, it is
stale.

SOFT-COOKED EGGS

Place eggs in enough boiling water to cover. Remove from the fire, cover,
and allow to stand from 5 to 8 minutes.

The time of soft-cooking an egg varies with the different conditions. The
time depends upon:

(a) Temperature of the eggs.

(b) Number of eggs cooked.

(c) Quantity of water used.

(d) Place on the stove.

One must determine by experience the length of time of cooking to produce
the desired results.

By following the method above, eggs may be cooked at the dining table.

HARD-COOKED EGGS. [Footnote 46: NOTE TO THE TEACHER.--The Hard-cooked Eggs
prepared in this lesson may be used in the preparation of Goldenrod Eggs
of the following lesson.]--Place eggs in cold water and heat the water
gradually until it reaches the boiling point. Remove from the fire at
once; cover and place on the back of range, or in a warm place, for 20
minutes. Plunge into cold water, so that the shells may be removed easily.

Eggs may be hard-cooked by using the same method as for soft-cooked,
allowing the eggs to remain in the hot water for 40 minutes or longer.

Eggs may also be hard-cooked in the double boiler. Put boiling
water in the top and bottom of the double boiler. Place the eggs in the
top part and cook 40 minutes.

If hard-cooked eggs are not well masticated, they are apt to cause
distress during digestion. To insure thorough mastication, it is well to
chop them fine and mix them with some other food (see Goldenrod
Eggs). Hard-cooked eggs used in this way cause no digestive
disturbances to the normal person.

QUESTIONS

Is it possible to cook eggs hard in water that is below the boiling point?
Explain your answer.

Why should eggs be called hard- or soft-cooked rather than hard- or
soft-boiled?




LESSON XLIII

EGGS: DIGESTION OF PROTEIN


THE DIGESTION OF PROTEIN.--It was mentioned previously that proteins are
made up of many different substances. The materials composing proteins are
called amino acids. There are 18 common amino acids. All proteins
are not made up of the same amino acids. Amino acids in the various
proteins differ not only in kind, but in quantity.

When proteins are digested, they undergo certain changes and are finally
separated into their amino acids. As amino acids proteins are finally
absorbed and carried to all parts of the body.

The digestion of protein begins in the stomach and continues in the
intestines. The digestive juices [Footnote 47: The pepsin and hydrochloric
acid of the stomach, the trypsin of the pancreatic juice, and the erepsin
of the intestinal juice digest proteins.] of these organs change protein
into soluble forms.

POACHED EGG

Fill a shallow pan about two thirds full of boiling water. Add 1/2
teaspoonful of salt to each pint of water; place buttered muffin rings in
the pan. Break separately each egg into a saucer and carefully slip it
into a buttered muffin ring. Cover the pan and place it where the water
will keep hot but not boil. Pour a spoonful of the hot water on
each yolk occasionally.

Let stand (about 5 minutes) until the white is coagulated and a film
covers the yolk. Take up with a skimmer, drain, place on slices of toast,
and serve at once.

An egg poacher may be used in place of the muffin rings, or the water in
the pan may be stirred in a circular motion and the eggs dropped at once
into the "whirlpool." This tends to keep the white of egg from separating
into pieces.

Eggs are thought by some to be much more tasty when poached in milk rather
than in water.

GOLDENROD EGGS

3 or 4 hard-cooked eggs
2 tablespoonfuls flour
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
3/4 teaspoonful salt
1 1/2 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1 1/2 cupfuls milk
6 pieces of toast
Parsley

Separate the yolk and white of the cooked eggs and chop the whites. Make a
White Sauce of flour, seasoning, fat, and milk. Add the chopped egg whites
to the sauce and pour it over the toast. Press the yolks through a
strainer or crush them with a fork and sprinkle them over the top of the
toast. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.

If the crusts are not cut from bread in making toast, it is well to dip
the edges of each slice of toast for an instant in hot, salted water
before adding the sauce (see Cream Toast).

QUESTIONS

Why is it advisable to pour occasionally a spoonful of hot water over the
yolks of eggs that are being poached?

Explain why the chopped hard-cooked eggs in Goldenrod Eggs should be more
easily digested than plain hard-cooked eggs (see Experiment 12, and
Solution and Digestion).




LESSON XLIV

EGGS: OMELETS (A)


TO BREAK AND SEPARATE THE WHITE AND YOLK.--An egg is sometimes broken by
cracking the shell with the blade of a knife or by striking the egg on the
edge of a bowl or pan. The following method has also been found
satisfactory, especially when it is desired to separate the white and
yolk.

Strike the egg one blow upon the surface of the table. Put the thumbs
together at the crack in the shell, then hold the egg upright, and gently
break the shell into two parts. Then slip the yolk several times from one
part of the shell to the other until all the white has run over the edge
into a bowl or plate. Scrape out the shell of the egg.

Two kinds of egg beaters are used for eggs,--the Dover egg beater and the
wire spoon. If the former utensil is used, the egg is generally dropped
into a bowl; if the latter, the egg is placed on a plate.

TO BEAT AN EGG.--When the wire spoon is used to beat an egg, draw the
spoon straight and swiftly through the egg, tilting the dish and lifting
the egg beater so that the material will be turned over at each stroke.
Egg whites are beaten stiff when the impression made by the beater
is retained; and they are beaten dry, when the gloss has
disappeared and flaky bits fly off as the egg is beaten. Egg yolks are
beaten thoroughly when they are thicker and much lighter in color than
before beating.

TO CUT AND FOLD BEATEN EGG WHITES AND OTHER MATERIALS.--Pour the beaten
egg whites into the material with which they are to be mixed; then with a
tablespoon edgewise, cut the ingredients, lift them, and turn them over
the whites. Repeat quickly until the ingredients are mixed thoroughly.

EXPERIMENT 41: EFFECT OF BEATING A WHOLE EGG.--Break an egg into a bowl.
What is its approximate measure? With a Dover egg beater or wire spoon
beat it thoroughly. What is the approximate increase in quantity? What has
been beaten into the egg? What other difference is there between a beaten
and an unbeaten egg?

(Use this egg for making Scrambled Eggs. See below.)

EXPERIMENT 42: COMPARISON OF EGGS BEATEN WITH A DOVER EGG BEATER AND WITH
A WIRE SPOON.--Half the pupils of the class beat eggs with Dover egg
beaters and the other half with wire spoons. Compare results. What is the
difference in the size of the air cells made by using the different
utensils? Is there any difference in the quantity of the beaten eggs?
Which contains the more air?

EXPERIMENT 43: EFFECT OF BEATING EGG YOLK AND WHITE SEPARATELY.--Separate
an egg and beat thoroughly the white and then the yolk with a Dover egg
beater or wire spoon. What is the approximate increase in quantity? Which
becomes lighter when beaten,--a whole or a separated egg? From this
explain why every bit of yolk should be removed from the egg white before
beating, if it is desired to beat the egg white as stiff as possible.

(Use this egg for making Foamy Omelet. See below.)

SCRAMBLED EGGS

4 eggs
1 teaspoonful salt
Pepper
1/2 cupful milk
1 teaspoonful butter

Scald the milk in a double boiler and add the butter. Beat the eggs and
add the seasoning. Pour the hot milk over the egg mixture; return the
whole to the double boiler, and cook, stirring constantly. When the
mixture is thick and "lumpy" but still tender, remove from the double
boiler and serve at once.

For economy, the butter may be omitted.

FOAMY OMELET

4 eggs
4 tablespoonfuls milk or water
1/2 teaspoonful salt
Pepper
2 teaspoonfuls butter or substitute

Separate the yolks and whites of the eggs. Beat the yolks of the eggs
until creamy; add seasonings and milk or water. Then beat the whites until
stiff and cut and fold them into the yolk mixture. Place the fat in an
omelet pan, heat, and turn the omelet into it. Cook slowly,
occasionally turning the pan so that the omelet may brown evenly When the
omelet is set and delicately browned underneath, place it in a hot oven
for a few minutes to dry the top. Fold and serve immediately.

[Illustration: FIGURE 40--METHOD OF HOLDING PAN TO TURN AN OMELET ON TO A
PLATTER]

TO FOLD AN OMELET--Run a spatula underneath the omelet to loosen it. Make
a slight incision with a knife through the middle of the omelet at right
angles to the handle of the pan, and fold the omelet over upon itself away
from the handle of the pan. Grasp the handle of the pan in the right hand,
placing the back of the hand underneath with the thumb pointing away from
you. Then turn the omelet upon a platter (see Figure 40).

QUESTIONS

How are Scrambled Eggs usually cooked? From your work concerning the
effect of intense heat upon eggs, explain the advantages of the method
given above for Scrambled Eggs.

What is the proportion of liquid and salt for each egg of a Foamy Omelet?

Explain why it is especially important to cook a Foamy Omelet slowly.

What causes a Foamy Omelet to "fall"?

What is the test for the sufficient oven-drying of a Foamy Omelet?

How many persons may be served by using these recipes for Scrambled Eggs
and Foamy Omelet?




LESSON XLV

EGGS: OMELETS (B)


WHITE SAUCE OMELET

3 tablespoonfuls flour
2 1/2 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1 teaspoonful salt
1 cupful milk
Pepper
4 eggs
2 teaspoonfuls butter or substitute

Make a White Sauce of the milk, fat, flour, and seasoning. Separate the
whites and yolks of the eggs, and beat them until light. When the White
Sauce is cool, stir in the yolks and fold in the whites. Cook and serve as
Foamy Omelet.

BAKED OMELET

Prepare a White Sauce Omelet. Instead of turning it into a frying pan,
pour it into an oiled baking-dish. Bake in a hot oven (375 degrees F.)
for 30 to 40 minutes, or until it is "puffed" in appearance and golden
brown in color. Serve at once from the dish in which it was baked.

MODIFICATION OF FOAMY AND WHITE SAUCE OMELETS.--Mix and cook a Foamy or
White Sauce Omelet. As soon as the omelet begins to set, spread it while
cooking with finely chopped cooked ham, veal, or chicken. Continue to cook
and then dry, fold, and serve as with the usual omelet.

Cooked peas, asparagus, cauliflower, or flaked fish may be added to the
sauce of White Sauce Omelet. Cheese may be used in place of meat with
either omelet.

Foamy Omelet may be varied by using tomato juice instead of milk. Tomato
sauce may be served with either of these omelets.

Sweet Omelet may be made as follows: Add 4 tablespoonfuls of powdered
sugar to the Foamy Omelet mixture; after cooking, spread with softened
jelly; after folding, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Use 1/2 cupful of
jelly for the Foamy Omelet recipe.

QUESTIONS

Why is the White Sauce cooled before adding the egg yolks in White Sauce
Omelet?

Point out the most important differences between a Foamy and a White Sauce
Omelet.

What is the purpose of cutting and folding in the whites of eggs in
omelets?

What is the purpose of beating eggs?

What are the tests that show when egg white is beaten stiff and when dry?

What are the tests for thoroughly beaten egg yolk?




LESSON XLVI

MILK


MILK, AN INVALUABLE FOOD.--It has been said that there is no one food
except milk which cannot be eliminated from the diet. Milk is the
only food for which there are no easily found substitutes. The housekeeper
or one who plans the food for the family should purchase daily, if
possible, a pint of milk for each adult and a quart for each child under
ten years. She should see to it that this amount of milk is entirely used
either as a beverage or in cooked foods. If one must economize in foods,
less should be spent for meat, and more for milk.

Although more than 4/5 of milk is water, it contains only a little more
water than do potatoes and lean meat. The value of milk is due to the fact
that it contains: (a) Proteins of "excellent quality." An
authority on diet says [Footnote 48: See "The Newer Knowledge of
Nutrition," by McCollum, p. 74.]: "There can be no doubt that the proteins
of milk are far superior to those of any foods derived from vegetable
sources." The most important protein existing in milk is called
casein.

Casein is a complete protein and is very important for growth. It has a
peculiar property; it precipitates when acid is added to milk. When milk
sours, the sugar contained in the milk changes to an acid, and this acid
causes the casein to precipitate. Casein is also clotted by an enzyme
occurring in the digestive juice of the stomach.

(b) Valuable ash. Lime which is so essential to bodybuilding
is one of the minerals in milk. The following diagram from United States
Food Leaflet No. 11 shows that milk is especially rich in lime. (Lime is
calcium oxide.)

[Illustration]

(c) Vitamines. These are substances contained only in
certain foods. They are essential for maintaining life and health. Milk is
rich in these indispensable materials (see Division Seven).

Milk also contains fat and carbohydrate. The presence of the foodstuffs in
milk is shown by the following:

EXPERIMENT 44: SEPARATION OF MILK INTO FOODSTUFFS.

(a) By means of a cream dipper, remove the cream from a bottle of
milk. Place a drop of the cream on a piece of paper. Let the paper dry.
What foodstuff is indicated by the stain on the paper?

(b) Take 1/4 cupful of the skimmed milk. Heat it to blood
temperature (test by dropping the milk on the wrist, see Junket
Custard). Crush 1/8 junket tablet and add it to the warm milk. Stir
until the powder is dissolved. Let the milk stand in a warm place until it
is clotted. Heat the clotted milk and boil 1 minute. Pour it into a filter
paper. Catch the filtrate in a beaker. What is the foodstuff that remains
in the filter paper (see Proteins of "excellent quality")?

(c) Put 15 cubic centimeters of Fehling's Solution [Footnote 49:
NOTE TO THE TEACHER.--Fehling's Solution is made as follows: Prepare a
solution of Rochelle salts,--175 grams of Rochelle salts, 50 grams of
sodium hydroxide, and 250 cubic centimeters of water. Prepare a solution
of copper sulphate,--57.73 grams of copper sulphate, 250 cubic centimeters
of water, and 0.4 cubic centimeter of sulphuric acid. Then combine 1 part
of the alkaline Rochelle salt solution, 1 part of copper sulphate, and 4
parts of water. Boil the mixture.

This solution deteriorates readily. The best results are obtained by using
a "fresh" mixture for testing sugar and by boiling just before using.] in
a flask. Boil for 2 minutes. Add 2 cubic centimeters of the filtrate from
(b) and boil one minute. To what color does the blue mixture
change? A red precipitate indicates sugar. What foodstuff does this test
indicate that milk contains?

(d) Put the remainder of the filtrate from (b) in a custard
cup and evaporate over hot water to dryness. Note the residue. What
foodstuff other than sugar is contained in the residue?

(e) What foodstuff has passed off in the form of vapor during
evaporation?

(f) As mentioned above, milk also contains vitamines.




LESSON XLVII

MILK WITH COCOA AND CHOCOLATE


EXPERIMENT 46: SCALDING MILK.--Fill the lower part of a double boiler one
third full of boiling water. Put 1/2 cupful of milk in the top of the
double boiler, cover, and heat over the boiling water. In a few minutes
examine. Carefully note the appearance of the surface of the milk. Explain
why it is that dishes that have contained milk should be soaked in cold
water, and then washed in warm water.

Insert a thermometer in the milk and record temperature. Is it possible to
boil milk over hot water? Explain your answer. (Use this scalded milk to
make cocoa and chocolate.)

The taste of milk is changed by heating it above 158 degrees F. Less
change, however, is produced by scalding than by boiling. Milk is also
apt to scorch if cooked at boiling temperature. It is sometimes necessary
to boil milk to sterilize it.

COCOA AND CHOCOLATE as found at market are prepared from cacao beans. The
latter grow in pods,--the fruit of the tropical cacao trees (see Figure
41). The beans are taken from the pods, allowed to ferment, dried, and
roasted. The husks loosened by roasting are then removed from the beans.

Cacao beans are ground, molded, and sold as bitter or baker's chocolate.
In the preparation of sweet chocolate sugar is added to the powdered
chocolate before molding. Cocoa differs from chocolate in that some of the
fat is removed.

Cocoa and chocolate contain protein, fat, and carbohydrates. These
materials, in addition to the milk and sugar used in preparing the
beverages, make the cocoa and chocolate beverages high in food value. But
in addition to the materials mentioned above, there is present in cocoa
and chocolate some tannin and stimulating materials. The large percentage
of fat existing in chocolate may produce distressing effects when taken in
addition to a full meal. If, however, the use of these beverages causes no
ill effects, they may be classed among the nutritious foods and are much
preferable to tea and coffee especially for girls and boys.

Neither cocoa nor chocolate is soluble in water. Some cocoas are very
finely ground and are termed soluble cocoas.

[Illustration: FIGURE 41.--CACAO PODS.]

When mixed with water these cocoas do not separate as rapidly as others,
but they are not soluble. Because of its insolubility, chocolate should be
blended as thoroughly as possible with other materials. A satisfactory and
practical method of accomplishing this is to make a smooth paste of
chocolate and boiling water.

To develop flavor, it is well to cook both chocolate and cocoa at boiling
temperature, especially when combining with liquids. The flavor of the
cocoa beverage is improved by much cooking. Long cooking of the chocolate
beverage causes the fat to separate and float.

COCOA

1/4 cupful cocoa
3 cupfuls milk
1 to 3 teaspoonfuls corn-starch
1/4 to 3/8 cupful sugar
1 cupful water
1/4 teaspoonful salt

Mix cocoa, corn-starch, and water and boil for 10 minutes. Add the milk
and sugar to the mixture and cook over hot water for 1/2 hour. Add salt.
Beat well and serve. Vanilla may be added to cocoa if desired.

Varying quantities of corn-starch and sugar are given so that the beverage
may be thickened and sweetened to suit one's taste. If desired, the corn-
starch may be omitted entirely.

CHOCOLATE

2 squares chocolate
3 cupfuls milk
1 cupful boiling water
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1/3 cupful sugar
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Cut the chocolate into bits and put it in a pan; add the boiling water.
Stir and cook until it reaches the boiling point and is perfectly smooth.
Heat the milk in a double boiler. Then gradually add the hot milk to the
chocolate mixture, add the sugar, and heat all in a double boiler. Add
salt and vanilla, if desired. If there is a scum over the beverage, beat
well. Serve hot.

Whipped cream or marshmallows are often served with chocolate. The use of
whipped cream with chocolate, however, makes the beverage excessively rich
in fat.

QUESTIONS

What is the difference in method between scalding milk and boiling it? How
can one determine when milk is scalded?

If it is necessary to heat milk, give two reasons why it is usually better
to scald it than to boil it. Under what conditions should it be boiled?

What is the present cost of milk per quart? When is the price highest and
when lowest?

If sweetened chocolate is used, how should the recipe for chocolate
beverage be changed? Give two reasons why cocoa and chocolate should not
be boiled after adding the hot milk.

Why is vanilla not added until the beverages are ready to be served (see
Flavoring Extracts)?

What is the weight of one square of chocolate? How many squares in an
ordinary cake of chocolate? What is the price per cake?

How many cupfuls are there in a half pound box of cocoa? What is the price
per box?

See Chocolate Corn-starch Pudding. How much cocoa may be used for 1 ounce
of chocolate when one is substituted for the other? What is the difference
in cost of these quantities of chocolate and cocoa?




LESSON XLVIII

MILK AND CREAM


WHIPPING CREAM.--A popular way of preparing cream for serving is to whip
it. This is done most successfully when the cream is cold and kept cold,
i.e. surrounded with ice water during the beating process.

To show one of the points involved in chilling materials try the
following:

EXPERIMENT 46: COMPARISON OF THE CONDUCTING POWER OF METAL AND
EARTHENWARE.--Select a tin and an earthenware utensil of about the same
size and shape. Put an equal quantity of water of the same temperature in
each utensil. Surround each with ice water and cover. After 5 minutes,
take the temperature of the water in the tin and in the earthenware
utensil. Which is colder? Through which material,--tin or earthenware,--is
heat transmitted more readily? When cream is to be surrounded by ice water
for whipping, in which kind of utensil should it be placed? Explain your
answer.

Use a Dover egg beater or a cream whip for whipping cream. Since cream
"spatters" when being beaten, a cream whip arranged with a cover is very
satisfactory. To prevent spattering, the bowl of cream may be covered with
paper while the cream is being whipped. Cut a slit in a piece of paper,
insert the Dover egg beater in the slit, put the beater in the cream and
push the paper down to cover.

Since cream contains considerable fat, under certain conditions, it is
possible to mass the fat together, that is, separate it from the other
constituents, and form butter. For making butter the cream should
be "ripened," i.e. it should contain certain bacteria. It should then be
churned.

On the other hand, if it is desired to beat or whip the cream, but not to
form butter, it is necessary to prevent the fat from massing together. To
accomplish this, use thick cream (containing 20 per cent or more of fat)
from 12 to 24 hours old [Footnote 50: Such cream contains a small amount
of lactic acid.] and have it very cold; it will then whip quickly. Cream
may be chilled by placing it on ice for some time before whipping or by
surrounding it with ice water while whipping. In warm weather, it is safer
not only to chill the cream but also to surround it with ice water while
whipping.

A harmless substance called viscogen may be added to thinner cream
(i.e. the so-called coffee or 16 per cent cream) to make the latter
whip. Viscogen is prepared by mixing the following ingredients:

1/2 cupful sugar
1 cupful water
1 tablespoonful milk of lime [Footnote 51: Milk of lime may be prepared
by mixing 1 part of slaked lime with 3 parts of water.]

Mix the sugar and water and heat the mixture until it boils. Cool and add
the milk of lime. Let the mixture stand at least 24 hours before using.
Add 1 teaspoonful to each pint of cream, then whip the mixture as directed
above.

COMPARISON OF MILK AND CREAM.--Cream is richer in fat than milk, average
cream containing 16 per cent of fat and whole milk about 4 per cent. But
cream contains less protein and ash than whole milk.

Since cream is always more expensive than milk, it is interesting to
compare the food value of quantities of each which may be purchased for
the same price. Although the prices of cream and milk vary in different
places, usually 1/2 pint of cream costs about as much as 1 quart of milk.
The following shows the approximate quantity of nutrients shown in the two
quantities:

In 1 quart of milk [Footnote 52: By permission Journal of Home
Economics, Vol. X (August, 1918, p. 379).]

As much protein as in 5 eggs
2 1/2 tablespoonfuls of fat
3 tablespoonfuls of sugar

In 1/2 pint of cream

As much protein as in 1 egg
3 tablespoonfuls of fat
1/2 tablespoonful of sugar

Although 1/2 pint of cream contains 1/2 tablespoonful more of fat than
does 1 quart of milk, the latter contains 2 1/2 tablespoonfuls more of
sugar and as much more protein as is contained in 4 eggs. This comparison
makes us question the advisability of buying much cream.

If whole milk is purchased, its top milk may often be used in place of
cream. The skim milk that remains is a valuable food. Although whole milk
contains more fat and vitamines than does skim milk, the latter has as
much protein, lime, and sugar as whole milk. The use of both whole and
skim milk is advised.

CARE OF MILK.--Milk is one of the foods that require the greatest care,
and should be well cared for not only in the home but also on the dairy
farm. It is one of the foods that afford ideal conditions for the growth
of microscopic vegetable organisms, called bacteria (see Why
Foods Spoil). Many varieties of these bacteria or tiny plants produce
changes in the milk which cause it to sour. A few varieties of disease-
producing bacteria also sometimes exist in milk.

Milk can be kept reasonably free from bacteria by:

(a) Perfect cleanliness on the dairy farm.

(b) Cooling it immediately after being drawn from the cow, and by
keeping it cool.

(c) Placing it in sterilized utensils.

(d) Covering it, thus keeping it free from dust.

Utensils for holding milk should be of glass, earthenware, or smooth,
bright tin. They should be washed, scalded, or even better, boiled, and
placed in the sun for two or three hours. In the home, milk should not be
used after long standing, even though it is sweet. It is well to buy milk
in small quantities and in bottles. The upper rim of a milk bottle should
be washed before pouring milk from it. Because milk readily absorbs odors
and flavors, it should be kept away from any substance having a strong
odor or flavor.

RICE DAINTY

3/4 cupful cooked rice
3/4 cupful fruit, cut into pieces
3/4 cupful powdered sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cupful cream, whipped

Mix the rice, fruit, and sugar, then fold in the whipped cream. Pineapple,
shredded or diced; bananas cut into pieces (not slices); dates, seeded and
cut into pieces; or cooked apricots are desirable fruits for this dessert.

CREAM OF RICE PUDDING

1 quart milk or
1 quart milk and water
1/3 cupful rice
1/2 teaspoonful salt
1/3 cupful sugar
Grated rind of 1/2 lemon

Wash rice; put it and all the other ingredients into a buttered pudding
dish. Bake in a slow oven (250 degrees F.) until firm. This usually
takes three hours. While baking, stir the mixture occasionally.

If desired, one half cupful of raisins may be added to the mixture, and 1
teaspoonful vanilla or 1/4 teaspoonful nutmeg may be substituted for lemon
rind.

QUESTIONS

From your knowledge of the effect of intense heat upon milk, explain why
Cream of Rice Pudding should be baked in a slow oven.

What change in quantity takes place in the milk of this pudding during
long cooking? What change in quantity takes place in the rice during long
cooking? From this explain why so much milk when combined with a little
rice forms a solid mixture.

What is the price per pint of thin or coffee cream?

What is the price per pint of heavy or whipping cream?

What is the least quantity of cream that can be purchased?

Explain why it is that scalded milk does not sour as soon as uncooked milk
(see Care of Milk).

Why should utensils that have held milk be scalded or boiled?




LESSON XLIX

CREAM SOUPS (A)


THICK SOUPS.--Milk combined with various vegetables, grains, and fish is
used in making Cream Soups and Purees. The vegetables are cooked and
mashed or forced through a strainer and combined with a liquid,--usually
milk or milk with vegetable stock. In order to have the vegetable pulp
uniformly mixed through the liquid, it is necessary to thicken the liquid
with a starchy material. Flour with butter or substitute, mixed and cooked
as in White Sauce, is used for this purpose. It is said to "bind" the
vegetables and the liquid. Thus, Cream Soups and Purees are simply White
Sauces to which vegetable pulp is added.

GENERAL PROPORTIONS.--The usual proportion of vegetable pulp or puree
to liquid is: One part of vegetable pulp or puree to 2 parts of
liquid, i.e. milk, vegetable stock, or meat stock.

The proportion of flour to liquid is: 1/2 tablespoonful flour to 1
cupful liquid, if a starchy vegetable is used, or, 1 tablespoonful flour
to 1 cupful liquid, if a vegetable having little thickening property, as
celery, is used.

Sometimes an egg or two is added to soup for thickening or flavor, and to
increase the food value.

Different kinds of vegetables are sometimes mixed for a soup, as: Peas and
beans, or corn and beans.

POTATO SOUP

3 potatoes
1 tablespoonful flour
1 pint milk or
1 pint milk and potato stock
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
1/8 teaspoonful pepper
2 slices of onion
Celery salt
3/4 tablespoonful butter or substitute
2 teaspoonfuls chopped parsley

Cook and mash the potatoes, heat the milk and onion in a double boiler,
then add them to the mashed potatoes. Press the potato mixture through a
strainer and use it as the liquid for a White Sauce, using all other
ingredients except the parsley in the sauce. If necessary, add more
liquid, or evaporate to the desired consistency. Add the chopped parsley
just before serving.

"Left over" mashed potatoes may be utilized in making this soup.

CROUTONS

Cut stale bread into half-inch cubes. Bake slowly in the oven until
a golden brown. Stir often. Serve with soups.

Save the crusts and prepare Dried Bread Crumbs with them.

QUESTIONS

What is the proportion of flour and liquid in one cup of White Sauce for
Vegetables?

How does the proportion of flour and liquid for one cup of Cream Soup
differ from the above proportion?

Why are the potatoes pressed through a strainer after rather than
before adding the hot milk?

Why should the cubes of stale bread be baked slowly (see Toast)?




LESSON L

CREAM SOUPS (B)


FOOD VALUE OF CREAM SOUPS.--Since thin or clear soups contain much liquid,
their food value is not as high as most solid foods. Cream Soups, however,
are as concentrated as a potato; they are the most nourishing of all
soups. The use of milk instead of water or stock and of flour and fat, to
say nothing of vegetable pulp, increases their food value. Cream Soups are
more suitable to serve at a meal of few courses such as luncheon or supper
rather than at dinner where there is a greater variety of foods.

Thick soups may serve as a valuable part of a meal; a hot liquid taken
into an empty stomach is easily assimilated, acts as an appetizer, and
thus prepares for the digestion of the remainder of the meal.

CORN SOUP

1 can of corn
1 pint water
l 1/2 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
1 slice onion
2 tablespoonfuls flour
1 teaspoonful salt
1/8 teaspoonful white pepper
1 pint milk

Add the water to the canned corn and simmer 20 minutes. Melt the
fat, add the onion, and cook until light brown. To this add the dry
ingredients and proceed as in making White Sauce. Add the cooked corn and
strain.

Reheat before serving, if necessary.

NOTE.--The method of adding onion flavor to this soup (i.e.
browning onion in fat) is often used in the preparation of other foods,
especially meats and sauces.

SOUP STICKS

Cut stale bread into slices, remove the crusts, and spread with butter.
Cut into strips and brown slowly in the oven. Save the crusts and prepare
Dried Bread Crumbs with them.

[Illustration: FIGURE 42.--DRIED BREAD CRUMBS. (Note that the jar is
covered with a cloth.)]

DRIED BREAD CRUMBS

Dried Bread Crumbs may be prepared from crusts and small pieces of bread.
Dry the bread in a slow oven or in a warming oven. Crumb it by rolling on
a pastry board or putting it through a meat grinder. If fine crumbs are
desired, sift the crushed bread. Place the fine and coarse crumbs in
separate jars. Cover the jars by tying a piece of muslin over each. (The
muslin covering can also be conveniently secured by means of a rubber
band.) If each jar is tightly covered with a lid, air is excluded from the
crumbs and molds often grow on them. Bread crumbs thoroughly dried and
stored as directed will keep for several months (see Figure 42).

QUESTIONS

Explain why thick soup may serve as a valuable part of a meal.

Why is it served as the first course of a meal?

Is the mashed potato of Potato Soup strained before or after adding it to
the other ingredients? When is the Corn Soup strained? How is the flavor
extracted from the onion in preparing Potato Soup? How is the flavor
extracted for Corn Soup? From this explain the difference in straining the
soups.

If fresh corn were used for this soup, how would its cooking differ from
that of canned corn?

How should fresh corn be cut from the cob for soup (see Green
Corn)?

What is the price per can of corn?

In preparing Soup Sticks, why are the crusts removed from the bread before
buttering it? Why is the bread spread with butter before cutting it into
strips? Aside from flavor, what is the purpose of spreading the bread for
Soup Sticks with butter?

How should dried bread crumbs be covered for storing? Why?

What is the difference between soft bread crumbs (see note under recipe
for Stuffed Tomatoes) and dried bread crumbs? Which should be used for
scalloped dishes? Which for covering fried foods? Think of the dishes
which contain bread crumbs and then state for which foods either kind of
crumbs could be used. Explain.




LESSON LI

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG (A)


CUSTARDS.--Since eggs have the property of stiffening when heated, they
are often used for thickening liquids, especially milk. Milk thickened
with eggs is called custard.

There are two kinds of plain custards: (a) steamed or baked custard
and (b) soft custard. The method of mixing these custards is the
same, but the methods of cooking and the tests for sufficient cooking
differ.

That the milk may not scorch and that the egg may not cook too hard, all
milk-and-egg mixtures should be cooked below the boiling temperature of
water. They should never be cooked directly over the fire, but over hot
water or in a double boiler. That the egg may cook evenly and not too
quickly, the water in the double boiler should not boil rapidly.

If a custard is properly cooked, the egg is in a soft-cooked condition. It
exists in a jelly-like mass throughout the milk. The custard has a creamy
appearance. If, however, a custard is cooked too much, the egg becomes
hard-cooked and the particles of egg appear in "lumps" in the milk
mixture. The custard is then said to be curdled.

A curdled custard may be made smooth by placing the upper part of the
double boiler in a pan of cold water and then beating the custard at
once with a Dover egg beater. This applies to all types of plain
custards.

STEAMED OR BAKED CUSTARD

1 pint milk
2 or 3 eggs
1/4 cupful sugar
1/8 teaspoonful salt
2 tablespoonfuls caramel sirup or
1/16 teaspoonful nutmeg

Scald the milk in a double boiler. Beat the eggs slightly, add the
sugar and salt, mix. Add the hot milk to this mixture. Strain the mixture,
flavor, and pour it into a mold. If steamed custard is desired,
steam (without stirring) until the custard is firm. Let the water in the
steamer boil gently rather than vigorously. Test for sufficient cooking by
inserting a knife into the custard. If it comes out clean, the custard is
done.

If baked custard is desired, place the cups of custard in a pan of
hot water, and bake in a moderate oven (325 degrees F.) for 35 minutes or
until firm. Test as steamed custard.

If a Baked or Steamed Custard is to be turned out of the mold after
steaming, 3 or 4 eggs should be used with each pint of milk. By placing a
little Caramel Sirup in the bottom of each mold, a custard may easily be
turned out of the mold. The custard mixture should be poured very gently
on top of the sirup to prevent the custard and sirup from mixing. The
caramel also serves as a sauce for the custard when served. (Caramel Sirup
may be prepared by caramelizing sugar (as directed in making Peanut
Candy) and then dissolving the caramelized sugar in boiling water. Use
equal quantities of sugar and water.)

SOFT CUSTARD

1 pint milk
1/4 cupful sugar
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Mix the materials in the same way as for steamed or baked custard. Instead
of pouring the mixture into molds, return it to the double boiler and cook
(stirring constantly) until it thickens or forms a coating over the spoon.
Strain, cool, and flavor. Note that steamed custard is strained and
flavored before cooking, and soft custard, after cooking.

In preparing soft custard, the eggs may be separated and the yolks cooked
with the milk and other ingredients. The whites may be beaten stiff and
beaten into the hot mixture with a Dover egg beater. Soft Custard may be
used as a sauce over cooked rice, cake, bananas, peaches, and other foods.

To Decrease the Eggs in Custard

When eggs are expensive omit 1 or 2 from a custard recipe. Substitute 1/2
tablespoonful of corn-starch for each omitted egg. For methods of
thickening milk with both eggs and starchy materials, see Lessons LIV.

QUESTIONS

What is the purpose of eggs in custard?

Why are eggs beaten slightly for custards?

How do Steamed Custards and Soft Custards differ in method of cooking?
What are the tests for sufficient cooking of each?

What is the purpose of straining custards? Why is Steamed Custard strained
and flavored before cooking, and Soft Custard, after cooking?

In what condition is the egg when a custard is curdled? How can a curdled
custard be made smooth?




LESSON LII

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG (B)


FLOATING ISLAND

Custard

1 pint milk
3 egg yolks
1/4 cupful sugar
1/8 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Meringue

3 egg whites
3 tablespoonfuls powdered sugar

The custard may be made thicker by using 4 (instead of 3) eggs.

Prepare the custard as Soft Custard.

Prepare the Meringue by beating the whites of eggs stiff and then adding I
tablespoonful of sugar for each white of egg. Drop the Meringue by
spoonfuls on the custard. If desired, garnish the Meringue by bits of
jelly or colored gelatine.

From the results of Experiment 42, which egg beater do you consider most
advisable for preparing Meringue?

If desired, the Meringue may be cooked. This may be accomplished in
several ways: (a) place it on the hot custard at once after
preparing the custard, (b) Steam it by dropping it by spoonfuls on
the hot milk before preparing the custard. Cover, and let the egg white
cook for about 2 minutes, then remove from the milk and proceed to thicken
the milk with the egg yolks, (c) Drop the uncooked Meringue on the
cooked custard as directed above, then cook and brown it slightly by
placing the custard in the broiling oven or in the top of a hot baking
oven.

QUESTIONS

In making custards, why should the hot milk be added to the eggs, instead
of the eggs to the hot milk?

How does Floating Island differ from Soft Custard?

What is Meringue?

Compare Floating Island made with three eggs to that made with four eggs.
How does it differ in thickness, color, and cost?




LESSON LIII

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG (C)


APRICOT DAINTY

1 cupful dried apricots
1/3 cupful powdered sugar
3 egg whites

Wash and soak the apricots. Steam until soft. Mash the apricots, or press
through a coarse strainer or colander; add the sugar. Beat the whites of
eggs until very stiff; fold them into the apricots and sugar mixture.
Chill and serve with Custard Sauce.

Dried prunes may be substituted for apricots, using less sugar and
adding a little lemon juice.

If it is desired to make Apricot Dainty some time before serving, it
should be stiffened with gelatine. To do this, mix 1/2 tablespoonful of
granulated or powdered gelatine with 2 tablespoonfuls of cold water. Add
the gelatine mixture to the hot mashed or strained apricots, stir until
the gelatine is dissolved, then proceed to add the sugar and egg white as
directed above.

CUSTARD SAUCE

Use the recipe for Soft Custard for Custard Sauce, substituting 3 yolks
for 2 whole eggs.

QUESTIONS

Why is it desirable to steam the fruit rather than cook it in water for
this dessert?

Compare the custard made with the entire egg to that made with the egg
yolk. What is the difference in thickness and color?

How many egg yolks are equivalent to two whole eggs in thickening?




LESSON LIV

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG AND STARCHY MATERIALS (A)


EGG AND STARCH.--How long is it necessary to cook milk-and-starch mixtures
so that the starch will be cooked thoroughly (see Blanc Mange)? How
long does it take to cook eggs when used for thickening? Are eggs used for
thickening harmed by long cooking? Explain your answer. If both starch and
egg are used for thickening a mixture, devise a way whereby the starch can
be cooked thoroughly, and the egg can be cooked without curdling.

BUTTERSCOTCH TAPIOCA

1 pint milk
1/8 to 1/4 cupful granulated tapioca
1/2 cupful dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoonful salt
1 egg
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla
1/2 to 1 tablespoonful butter

Scald the milk, add the tapioca, and cook the mixture over hot water until
the tapioca is transparent (see Apple Tapioca, above). Mix the
sugar, salt, and egg. Add a portion of the hot tapioca mixture to the egg
mixture. Mix thoroughly, then return the mixture to the double boiler.
Stir and cook until the egg thickens. Add the vanilla and butter and turn
into dishes for serving. Cool. Serve with plain or whipped cream.

The quantity of tapioca determines the stiffness of the dessert. If a very
soft consistency is desired, use the smaller quantity of tapioca.

Chopped nuts may be added to the dessert just before turning into the
serving dishes.

For economy, the egg and butter may be omitted. If the egg is omitted, the
greater quantity of tapioca should be used.

CREAM OF POTATO SOUP

3 potatoes
2 1/2 cupfuls milk
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoonfuls salt
Pepper
1/8 teaspoonful celery salt

Cook the potatoes until soft, drain, and mash. Scald the milk and add it
to the potatoes, then strain the mixture. Beat the eggs, add seasoning,
combine with the potato mixture, and cook in the top part of the double
boiler, stirring constantly, until the egg thickens. Serve
immediately.

QUESTIONS

In Butterscotch Tapioca what ingredient could be substituted for tapioca?
How much of this ingredient should be used (see Blanc Mange,
above)?

What is the purpose of the eggs in Cream of Potato Soup?

Why should the soup be served immediately after cooking the eggs?

How does this soup differ in thickening materials from Potato Soup (see
above)?

What would be the effect of adding 1 egg to plain Blanc Mange?

When and how should the egg be added? Give reasons for your method of
adding the egg.

Write a recipe for Soft Custard in which corn-starch is substituted for
one of the eggs. Write out the method of cooking such a custard.




LESSON LV

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG AND STARCHY MATERIALS (B)


CORN CUSTARD

1 can corn or
6 ears green corn
1 teaspoonful salt
l 1/2 tablespoonfuls butter or substitute
2 tablespoonfuls flour
1 cupful milk
2 eggs

Make a White Sauce of the flour, salt, butter, and milk. Add the corn (for
method of cutting green corn from the cob, see Lesson IV). Beat the eggs,
add them to the corn mixture. Turn the mixture into a buttered baking-
dish, and place the dish in a pan of hot water. Bake in a moderate oven
until the mixture is firm. Serve hot as a vegetable.

One egg may be omitted and the flour and fat increased to 3 and 2
tablespoonfuls respectively.

CHEESE PUDDING

1 cupful cheese grated or cut into pieces
1 egg
1 cupful milk
1/2 teaspoonful salt
1/4 cupful dried bread crumbs or granulated tapioca
Cayenne

Beat the egg slightly, and add the other ingredients. Turn into a buttered
baking-dish, custard cups, or ramekins. Place in a pan of hot water, and
bake in a moderate oven until the mixture is firm. Serve hot (for method
of preparing Dried Bread Crumbs).

QUESTIONS

What ingredients in Corn Custard thicken the mixture?

What ingredients in Cheese Pudding thicken the mixture?

What is the purpose of placing the baking-dish containing Corn Custard or
Cheese Pudding in a pan of hot water? At what temperature should these two
foods bake? Give a reason for your answer.

In Cheese Pudding, why are the starchy material and egg cooked for the
same length of time?

Compare the cost of a can of corn and six ears of green corn.

How many persons will the recipe for Corn Custard serve?

How many will the Cheese Pudding serve?




LESSON LVI

MILK THICKENED WITH EGG AND STARCHY MATERIALS (C)


Bread Puddings are made by adding bread to a custard mixture, and then
baking in the oven like Baked Custard. For these puddings either stale or
dry bread is used. The bread should be softened with the milk.

How many eggs are used to thicken one pint of milk in Steamed or Baked
Custard? How many eggs are used to thicken one pint of milk in Bread
Puddings (see recipe below)? Account for this difference.

BREAD PUDDING

2 cupfuls milk
1 cupful bread crumbs
1 tablespoonful butter
3 tablespoonfuls sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1 teaspoonful vanilla or 1/2 teaspoonful spices
3 tablespoonfuls cooked currants

Scald the milk; add the bread crumbs. When the crumbs are soft, add the
remaining ingredients. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking-dish, and
place the baking-dish in a pan of hot water. Bake the pudding slowly until
it becomes firm and golden brown. Cover during the first 15 minutes of
baking. Serve with cream, Hard Sauce, Chocolate or Vanilla Sauce (see
below).

If chocolate were added to the recipe for plain Bread Pudding, what change
should be made in the other ingredients (see Chocolate Corn-starch
Pudding)? Since chocolate contains much fat, what ingredient could be
omitted, if chocolate were used? Compare the recipes for Bread Pudding and
Chocolate Bread Pudding.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

1 cupful bread crumbs
2 cupfuls scalded milk
1 ounce chocolate
1/4 cupful boiling water
1/3 cupful sugar
1 egg
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Add the bread crumbs to the scalded milk and allow them to soak until
soft. Cut the chocolate in pieces, add the boiling water to it, and cook
gently until a smooth paste is formed. Add this to the bread mixture.
Proceed as in the preparation of plain Bread Pudding. Serve with plain or
whipped cream or Lemon Sauce.

VANILLA SAUCE

1/2 cupful sugar
2 tablespoonfuls flour
1/8 teaspoonful salt
2 cupfuls boiling water
1 to 2 tablespoonfuls butter
1 teaspoonful vanilla

Mix sugar and flour thoroughly, then add boiling water slowly. Cook 10
minutes. Dilute or evaporate if necessary. Add the butter and vanilla
[Footnote 53: See footnote 25 regarding the adding of vanilla.] just
before serving.

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

1/2 cupful sugar
3 tablespoonfuls flour
1 cupful water
1 cupful milk
3/8 cupful cocoa or
2 squares (or ounces) chocolate
1/4 teaspoonful salt
1/2 teaspoonful vanilla

Mix the sugar, flour, and cocoa (if the latter is used). Add the water;
stir and cook until the mixture thickens. Then add the milk and cook over
boiling water for at least 15 minutes.

If chocolate is used, cut it in pieces, add 5 tablespoonfuls of boiling
water. Stir and cook until a smooth paste is formed. Add the chocolate to
the other ingredients, then the salt and vanilla. [Footnote 54: See
footnote 25 regarding the adding of vanilla.] Serve hot or cold over
desserts.

QUESTIONS

What is the purpose of the egg and bread in the Bread Pudding?

What care must be taken in combining the egg mixture with the hot milk
mixture?

Think of the effect of intense heat upon the ingredients of Bread Pudding,
and then explain why the pudding should bake slowly. What is the result,
if baked in a very hot oven?

What is the reason for covering the pudding during the first 15 minutes of
baking?

Name combinations of spices that would be desirable for the pudding.

What care should be taken in cooking chocolate in boiling water?

In preparing Vanilla Sauce, why is the flour mixed with the sugar (see
Experiment 24)?

How does the quantity of thickening for Vanilla Sauce compare with the
quantity of thickening for the Sauce for Cream Toast?

Give the four different quantities of flour generally used to thicken one
pint of sauce.

What care should be taken in cooking Vanilla Sauce?

Compare the recipe for Chocolate Corn-starch Pudding with that for
Chocolate Sauce. What material and how much of it is used for thickening
each? What difference in consistency is there in the two cooked mixtures?
What liquids are used in each mixture? Why is the sauce cooked directly
over the flame and then over, boiling water, while the pudding is cooked
only over boiling water?




LESSON LVII

CHEESE (A)


THE RELATION OF CHEESE TO MILK.--To show the relation of cheese to milk,
and to understand the manufacture of cheese, try the following:

EXPERIMENT 47: EFFECT OF RENNET ON MILK.--Put a small quantity of milk in
a test tube and heat the milk a very little, taking care not to boil it.
Add to it 1/4 teaspoonful liquid rennet, or 1/8 junket tablet, and set
aside. After a few minutes examine the milk. How has the rennet changed
the milk? What substance in the milk has been clotted by the rennet (see
Lesson XLVI)?

EXPERIMENT 48: SEPARATION OF CURD AND WHEY--Again heat the contents of the
test tube of Experiment 47, turn the mixture into a cheese-cloth, and
press the cloth until the mixture is dry. Examine the material left in the
cloth. How does it differ from ordinary cheese in color and texture? In
cheese making what names are given to the solids and liquids of clotted
milk?

Cheese is prepared for the market in a way somewhat similar to that shown
in Experiments 47 and 48, except that it is colored, salted, pressed into
shape, and allowed to ripen. While ripening, changes take place in the
ingredients of cheese which develop characteristic flavors and make the
cheese firm.

There are two general classes of cheese,--hard cheese and soft cheese. A
hard cheese commonly known as "American Cream Cheese" is generally used in
this country.

ACTION OF RENNIN IN DIGESTING MILK.--The rennet or junket used to clot the
casein of the milk is obtained from the digestive juices of the stomach of
a calf. An enzyme called rennin exists in the gastric juice of the human
stomach also. When milk is digested, it is first clotted by the enzyme in
the stomach.

EXPERIMENT 49: EFFECT OF ACID ON MILK.--Add a few drops of vinegar to warm
milk in a test tube. What is the result? What substance in the milk has
been curdled by the acid?

To what substance in milk is its sweet taste due? Into what has this
substance changed when milk sours? What causes the change in this material
(see Care of Milk)? Knowing the effect of acid on milk, explain the
clotted condition of sour milk.

JUNKET "CUSTARD"

1 quart milk
1/4 cupful sugar
1 teaspoonful vanilla
1 tablespoonful liquid rennet or
1 junket tablet
Powdered cinnamon or nutmeg

Heat the milk in a double boiler until it is lukewarm only; do not
heat it to scalding temperature. Test milk for lukewarm, i.e. body
temperature, by letting a drop fall on the wrist. If the milk "feels like
the wrist"--neither warmer nor colder--it is lukewarm in temperature. If a
junket tablet is used, crush it. Add the sugar, vanilla, and rennet or
junket, and stir until dissolved. Pour into a glass dish and stand in a
warm place until it thickens. Then set the Junket "Custard" in a cool
place. When cold, sprinkle with a little cinnamon or nutmeg, and serve
with cream.

COTTAGE CHEESE

1 quart thick sour milk
1/4 teaspoonful salt
Cream, top milk, or butter

Pour at least 2 quarts of boiling water into the sour milk. Allow the
mixture to stand until the curd separates from the whey. Strain the
mixture in a cloth, pressing the cloth until the curd is dry, or allow it
to drip for several hours or overnight. Put the curd in a bowl, add salt
and a little cream, top milk, or melted butter, and mix thoroughly. Serve
lightly heaped, or molded into balls.

QUESTIONS

Why should junket tablets be crushed before adding to the milk (see
Experiment 12)?

In what way is the preparation of milk for Junket "Custard" like the
digestion of milk in the stomach?

Tell why Junket "Custard" is quickly digested.

How much Cottage Cheese is obtained from 1 quart of milk?

Explain the use of boiling water in preparing Cottage Cheese from sour
milk.

What is the price per pint of Cottage Cheese prepared at home?

What is the price per pint of Cottage Cheese obtained at market?




LESSON LVIII

CHEESE (B)


FOOD VALUE AND USE OF CHEESE.--Cheese is concentrated food, i.e. it
contains much nourishment in small bulk. One pound of cheese contains as
much protein as two pounds of eggs or one and one half pounds of meat, and
as much fat as three pounds of eggs and one pound of beef. In addition to
protein and fat, cheese contains ash and vitamines (see Division Seven).

Cottage Cheese is a particularly good food. Since it is less expensive
than most foods rich in protein, it should be used to a greater extent
than it is at the present time. Most tasty salads and meat substitute
dishes may be prepared from cottage cheese.

Cheese was formerly considered somewhat difficult of digestion, but
investigations (see Farmers' Bulletin 487, The Digestion of Cheese,
p. 15.) show that cheese differs but little from meat in ease of
digestion. Cheese, like protein foods in general, if cooked at all, should
be heated at low or moderate temperature.

It is well to cook cheese in combination with other food materials. The
use of cheese at the close of a dinner, when sufficient food has already
been eaten, is not advisable.

CARE OF CHEESE.--Molds grow rapidly upon cheese, especially if it is
placed in a warm place and the air is excluded from it (see Why Foods
Spoil). For this reason, cheese should never be placed in a tightly
covered dish or jar. It may be placed in a dish or jar and covered with a
cloth. To keep cheese that has been cut from drying, wrap it in paraffin
paper, then in a slightly dampened cloth, and then in paper. It should
not, however, be kept in the damp cloth too long; molds will grow upon it.

MACARONI AND CHEESE

1 cupful macaroni
1 1/2 cupfuls medium White Sauce
2 cupfuls buttered crumbs
3/4 cupful grated cheese

Break macaroni into one-inch pieces. Cook in a large quantity of boiling,
salted water, in the same manner as Boiled Rice. When tender, pour into a
colander, and run cold water through it. Make the sauce, using half milk
and half "macaroni water" for the liquid; then add the cheese and macaroni
to it. Pour into a buttered baking-dish. Cover with the buttered crumbs
and bake at 450 degrees F. for 20 minutes or until brown.

Rice or noodles, cooked in the same way, may be substituted for
macaroni.

Division 5  |  Next Chapter: Division 7 »