THE STORY OF MILK TEXT

added in the form of milk, which may take the place of other similar ingredients in the combination. 2. That if milk is even but slightly sour, or if some other acid is added to it,—in the form of fruit, for instance,—it is apt to curdle by scalding or boiling. The limits of a single chapter do not allow many recipes to be given, but a few are furnished under each of the several kinds of milk dishes, and a clever domestic science pupil or the ordinary good housekeeper and cook can easily add to these recipes indefinitely, by following out the simple suggestions offered. All measurements are level. SOUPS =Cream Soups.=—So-called cream soups may be made with or without the addition of meat stock. For example: =Asparagus Soup= 3 cups veal or chicken broth 1 can asparagus ¼ cup butter ¼ cup flour 1 qt. scalded milk Salt and pepper Reserve tips of asparagus. Add stalks to cold stock, boil fifteen minutes, rub through sieve, thicken with butter and flour cooked together, add milk, tips, salt and pepper. If fresh asparagus is used, cut one bunch in small pieces, boil in as little water as will cover, remove tough bits of stalk, add two cups stock and proceed as above. =Cream of Celery Soup= 3 cups veal or chicken broth 3 cups celery cut in inch pieces 4 cups milk Yolks 2 eggs ½ cup cream Salt and pepper Boil celery in broth till tender. Rub through sieve, add milk, bring to the boiling point and add egg yolks beaten and diluted with cream. =Spinach Soup= 4 cups broth 2 qts. spinach 3 cups boiling water 2 cups milk ¼ cup butter ½ cup flour Salt and pepper Wash the spinach and cook thirty minutes in boiling water to which ⅛ teaspoon soda has been added. Drain and chop fine. Add stock and butter and flour cooked together, milk and seasoning. Cauliflower, mushrooms, lettuce, string beans, onions and other vegetables may be used for soups in the same way. _In all of these recipes milk may be substituted for the stock._ The soups will be more nourishing, many like them better, and they are more easily prepared. If canned vegetables are used they may be added to the thickened milk, which should be made in the proportions of one quart of milk to two tablespoons butter or substitute and two tablespoons flour. One can of beans, peas, asparagus, or corn, may be added to three pints of thickened milk. If fresh vegetables are used, they should be boiled in as little water as possible and this water added with the vegetables to the hot, thickened milk. The addition of one-half to one cup of cream to these soups improves their taste but is not necessary. If the cream is whipped and added just before serving, the appearance is also much improved. The vegetables may be pressed through a sieve or not, as preferred. If the soup is to be served in cups it is better to do this or chop the vegetables very fine, but if the soup is to be served in soup plates it looks attractive and is more substantial if the vegetables are cut in inch pieces and left in the soup. All cooks are familiar with _cornlet soup_, _tomato_ _bisque_, and _oyster_ and _clam stews_, the foundation of which is also milk. Plenty of good recipes for them can be found in any standard cook book. =Cereal Cream Soups.=—There is another class of soups used much in Europe but, unfortunately, little known here. They are very nourishing, easy of preparation, and delicious. A few recipes will suffice to introduce the housewife to this class of soups and she can then easily add to the varieties herself. Her family will enjoy the new dishes for their good taste and their novelty. Croutons, crackers, zwieback, or toast may be served with any of them. They should always be prepared in a double boiler. =Rice Soup= 1 qt. milk ⅓ cup rice 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon sugar Heat the milk in a double boiler, add the rice and cook two hours. Add sugar and butter. Sprinkle cinnamon on each plate of soup when serving. =Sago Soup= 1 qt. milk 4 tablespoons sago 1 tablespoon butter 1 egg yolk 2 tablespoons sugar Heat the milk in a double boiler, add sago and cook one-half hour. Care must be taken to stir the mixture often when the sago is first added or it will lump. Add butter and egg yolk beaten with sugar. =Oatmeal Soup= 1 cup oat flakes 1 pint boiling water 2 tablespoons sugar 1 pint milk 1 tablespoon butter Add oat flakes to water and boil one-half hour. Add milk and boil one-half hour, add sugar and butter. =Farina or Cream of Wheat Soup= 3 pints milk ½ cup farina or cream of wheat 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon sugar Scald milk and add cereal slowly. Cook one hour and add butter and sugar and a sprinkling of nutmeg. =Milk Chowders= Chowders are also a very acceptable way of serving milk. For rich chowders the proportions used are: Two cups of milk or of milk and water, 1 cup of potatoes cut into small pieces and 1 pound of fish. For flavoring add an onion fried in two tablespoons of fat tried out from salt pork. While these proportions make a rich dish, it is possible to reduce the amount of fish greatly, to leave it out entirely, to use small portions of left-over fish or some salt codfish which has been freshened, or to substitute corn for it. Such dishes are palatable and of reasonably high nutritive value, providing the greater part of the liquid used is milk. Similar, but less rich and thick, is: =Milk Stew= 1 qt. of milk 1 cupful raw potatoes cut into small pieces 2 tablespoonfuls of butter or bacon fat 1 cupful of codfish cut into small pieces or just enough to flavor the stew Soak the fish in lukewarm water until it is soft and the salt removed. Cook the potatoes in water until tender, drain them, add the milk and codfish, and bring to the boiling point; add the butter and salt to taste. In place of the codfish, fresh fish, clams, oysters, or a little chipped beef may be used. Or the fish may be omitted and the soup made savory and palatable by adding a few drops of onion juice, or cheese or a vegetable cut into small pieces and cooked thoroughly. MILK CEREALS Most cereals are better cooked in milk than in water and those not familiar with this method have no idea of the many good dishes which they can thus easily provide for their families. Cereals so prepared make an especially good wholesome breakfast or supper for school children and the writer has never seen an adult, who, on a cold night, did not enjoy a dish of rice, or corn meal, boiled in milk and served with cream and sugar for supper. Milk cereals must always be cooked in a double boiler and the milk must be hot when the cereal is added. Rice 1 cup to 3 cups milk, boil 2 hours Cornmeal 1 cup to 4 cups milk, boil 1 to 2 hours Fine Hominy 1 cup to 4 cups milk, boil 1 hour Cream of Wheat 1 cup to 4 cups milk, boil 1 hour Farina 1 cup to 4 cups milk, boil 1 hour =Cream of Wheat or Farina Pudding= is also delicious. It is prepared in the same way, but ¾ cup of cereal only is added to 1 quart hot milk. Just before serving, a teaspoonful of vanilla is added, and two beaten eggs are folded in. It is eaten with cream, or milk, and sugar, or with maple syrup. LUNCHEON AND SUPPER DISHES Dishes prepared principally of milk, with the addition of either eggs, cheese, meat, or vegetables are particularly adapted for luncheon or supper use. Here again a few standard recipes are given which can be varied to make any desired number of good, wholesome and delicious dishes. =Creamed Dishes.=—The same sauce may be used to cream _cold chicken_, _lamb_, _veal_, _chipped beef_, and cold boiled or baked _fish_, canned _salmon_, _lobster_ or _shrimps_, according to the following recipe: =Creamed Chicken= 2 cups cold cooked chicken cut into dice 3 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour 1½ cups milk Salt and pepper Melt butter and add the flour and milk. Bring to the boiling point and add diced chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Many grate a small onion into the sauce before adding the chicken. The writer does not favor indiscriminate use of onion as it tends to make all dishes taste alike. It seems better to use sometimes a little celery or celery salt, sometimes an onion, and again frequently no flavor but the chicken or meat or fish. One’s cooking is thus more distinctive and varied. If the creamed mixture is turned into a baking dish, covered with buttered bread or cracker crumbs and browned in the oven, the result is even more pleasing. Such a sauce flavored with cheese makes a good and very nutritious gravy to pour over cauliflower and cabbage or to serve with boiled rice or hominy or poured over toast. CREAMED VEGETABLES In creaming vegetables the proportion is usually 1 cup of sauce to 2 cups of vegetables. _Potatoes_, _asparagus_, _cauliflower_, _boiled onions_, _beans_, and _carrots_, _beets_ or _peas_ are all delicious served in this way. =Eggs and Asparagus= Cream asparagus. Arrange in a baking dish, alternate layers of the asparagus and slices of hard boiled eggs. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake till crumbs are a delicate brown. =Souffles.=—Souffles are always delightful, and while many consider them difficult to make they are really very simple and if made correctly are always to be depended upon. They should, however, be eaten at once when baked. _Salmon_, _chicken_, _lamb_, _veal_, _ham_ and _cheese_, and also many vegetables such as _asparagus_, _cauliflower_ and _peas_ may be prepared in this way. Elaborate recipes are often given, but the following is entirely sufficient and always satisfactory: 2 cups chopped meat or vegetables cut fine 2 cups thick white sauce Yolks of 2 eggs Whites of 2 eggs To the meat or vegetables add white sauce (2 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour to 1 cup milk) and beaten yolks. Cool and add whites beaten stiff. Bake 30 minutes in moderate oven. This makes a dish large enough to serve four or five persons. A similar dish, Cheese Fondu, is also good, and can stand longer than a souffle before serving. =Cheese Fondu= 2 cups milk 2 cups minced cheese 1 cup bread crumbs 2 eggs beaten Bake in a hot oven for twenty minutes. Variations of this dish are made by substituting one cup minced ham for one cup of the cheese, or by using two cups of ham and omitting the cheese altogether. MILK TOAST A very good way to serve milk toast is to toast bread thoroughly and to pour hot milk over it at the time of serving. In serving milk toast in this way all the dishes should be kept very hot. A heavy earthenware pitcher may be used for serving the hot milk, as it retains heat for a long time. EGGS POACHED IN MILK Eggs are much better poached in milk than in water. If served on toast the hot milk may be poured on the egg if a soft toast is desired. If not, dip the eggs out of the milk with a perforated spoon and lay on the toast in the usual way, adding salt and butter. CHEESE DISHES AS MEAT SUBSTITUTES Meat is wholesome and relished by most persons, yet it is not essential to a well-balanced meal, and there are many housekeepers who, for one reason or another, are interested in lessening the amount of meat which they provide or to substitute some other foods for it. Cheese naturally suggests itself as a substitute for meat, since it is rich in the same kinds of nutrients which meat supplies, is a staple food with which everyone is familiar, and is one which can be used in a great variety of ways. In substituting cheese for meat, pains should be taken to serve dishes which are relished by members of the family. A number of recipes for dishes which are made with cheese follow: =Cheese Soup= 1 qt. milk 1 onion grated 1 blade mace 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour ½ c. grated cheese 2 egg yolks 1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper Scald milk, onion, mace and pepper pod. Melt butter in saucepan, blend flour with melted butter. Strain milk and seasonings and add gradually to flour mixture, stirring all the time. Return to double boiler to cook. When creamy, add the cheese, salt and pepper, stirring until cheese is melted. Then pour over well-beaten egg yolks, stirring all the time. Whip until frothing and serve. =Delmonico Potatoes= Arrange creamed potatoes and grated cheese in alternate layers. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake till crumbs are brown. =Stuffed Potatoes with Cheese= Split hot baked potatoes lengthwise and remove contents without injuring skin of potato. Put potato through ricer or mash, add salt and pepper to taste and enough hot milk to make of proper consistency. Beat until light, refill the skin, piling up lightly. Sprinkle thickly with grated cheese and reheat in oven until cheese is melted and a delicate brown. =Macaroni with Cheese= 1 cup macaroni 2 qts. boiling salted water 2 cups white sauce 1 cup grated cheese 1 cup buttered bread or cracker crumbs Break macaroni into one-inch pieces. Cook in boiling water until tender. (If macaroni is put in a wire basket in kettle, it will not stick to the kettle.) Drain and run cold water through it. Make sauce: 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk Add cheese and macaroni. Cover with crumbs and bake until crumbs are brown. =Rice Baked with Cheese= 1 cup rice 2 qts. boiling salted water ½ lb. grated cheese Milk Buttered crumbs (bread or cracker) Add rice to boiling water. When tender drain, cover bottom of buttered baking dish, sprinkle with grated cheese and a little paprika. Add alternate layers of rice and cheese until dish is full. Add milk nearly to fill dish. Cover with crumbs and bake until milk is absorbed and crumbs are brown. =Cheese Souffle with Bread Crumbs= 1 cup scalded milk 1 cup soft, stale bread crumbs ¼ lb. mild cheese, cut in small pieces 1 tablespoon butter ¼ teaspoon salt 2 egg yolks 2 egg whites Mix milk, bread crumbs, cheese, melted butter and salt. Add yolks of eggs beaten until lemon colored. Cut and fold in whites of eggs beaten until stiff. Pour into a buttered baking dish and bake twenty minutes in a moderate oven. =Cheese Souffle= 2 tablespoons butter 3 tablespoons flour ½ cup scalded milk ½ teaspoon salt Few grains cayenne ¼ cup grated cheese Yolks of 3 eggs Whites of 3 eggs Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the flour and mix well; add scalded milk gradually and seasonings; cook two minutes. Remove pan to back of stove and add cheese and well-beaten yolks of eggs. Set pan where mixture will cool. When cold, add the whites of eggs beaten until stiff and dry. Turn into a buttered baking dish and bake twenty minutes in a slow oven. Serve the moment it comes from the oven. =English Monkey= 1 cup bread crumbs 2 cups milk 1 cup grated cheese ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon white pepper or paprika 1 egg 1 tablespoon melted butter Scald milk in double boiler and add bread crumbs to it. Then add grated cheese, melted butter and seasonings. Cook in double boiler until cheese is melted; add the slightly-beaten egg gradually. Cook five minutes and serve on dry toast. =Cheese Omelette No. 1= 4 eggs ½ teaspoon salt Few grains pepper 4 tablespoons hot water 1 tablespoons butter 1 cup grated cheese Beat yolks of eggs thoroughly; add salt, pepper and hot water. Beat whites till stiff and dry; add cheese and fold into first mixture. Melt butter in pan, turn in mixture and cook slowly. When well raised and a delicate brown underneath, place pan in hot oven to cook top. Fold and turn on hot platter. =Cheese Omelette No. 2= Make as above, omitting cheese. Make two cups of hot, white sauce; add 1 cup grated cheese, melt and pour around the omelette. =Baked Eggs with Cheese= 4 eggs 1 cup grated cheese 1 cup soft bread crumbs ¼ teaspoon salt Few grains cayenne 2 cups white sauce Break the eggs into a buttered baking dish and cook in hot oven until they begin to turn white around the edges. Then cover eggs with the white sauce and over this put the mixture of crumbs, cheese and seasonings. Brown in very hot oven, so eggs will not be overcooked by time cheese is brown. If preferred, or for variety, the cheese may be added to the white sauce and only the seasoned crumbs put on the top. =Boston Roast= 1 can kidney beans or same amount of cooked beans Salt ½ lb. grated cheese Bread crumbs Mash beans or put them through a meat grinder. Add the cheese and sufficient bread crumbs to make the mixture stiff enough to be formed into a roll. Place in buttered baking pan and bake in moderate oven. Baste frequently with one-half cup hot water, in which one tablespoon butter is melted. Serve the roast with tomato sauce. If desired, a few drops of onion juice or a little finely chopped onion may be added to flavor this dish. =Camouflaged Cabbage= Remove the heart from a small cabbage, cut or chop the remainder into