THE STORY OF MILK TEXT

half inch pieces, boil in salted water exactly twenty minutes and drain. For one pint of this cooked cabbage make a sauce of: 2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons flour ½ cup milk ½ cup cheese When thoroughly blended add the cabbage; cover with buttered crumbs and bake twenty minutes. The result is a good dish for supper or luncheon and it is well named. CHEESE SALADS =Cheese and Pimento Salad= Stuff canned pimentos with cream cheese, cut into slices, place on lettuce leaves and serve with mayonnaise dressing. =Cheese and Celery Salad= Select celery stalks with deep grooves in them; wash and dry on clean towel. Mix a small cream cheese with a bit of salt, and ¼ cup finely chopped nuts (pecans are best). Fill grooves in celery stalk with the cheese mixture and chill. When ready to serve cut stalks into small pieces with sharp knife. Serve on lettuce leaves with French dressing. For a pleasant addition to fruit salad, fill tender celery stalks with roquefort cheese, and lay one or two on each plate of salad. =Pepper and Cheese Salad= Remove top and seeds from a sweet green pepper. Scald it with boiling water, letting it stand in water about ten minutes. Mix soft cream cheese with chopped nuts, or with tiny cubes of cooked beets and fill pepper with this mixture; chill well, cut in thin slices with sharp knife and serve on bed of head lettuce with French dressing. Apples can also be used (with cheese and nuts) by removing core without breaking the apple. COTTAGE CHEESE (See also under the chapter on Cheese) All that has been said of cheese as a valuable food and as a substitute for meat, applies equally to cottage cheese and it is so easily prepared, inexpensive and generally relished that it should be used much more freely than it is. The following recipes are only a few of the many that might be given, but the careful cook should evolve other combinations equally attractive. =Cottage Cheese by Government Method= (From Food Administration Bulletin) Unit, 1 gallon. For lesser amounts, measurements to be divided accordingly. Take 1 gallon of sweet skim milk; add ¾ cup of clean, sour milk and stir as it is put in. Raise the temperature in hot water to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, using a dairy thermometer. Remove from heat and place where it is to remain until set. Add ⅛ of a junket tablet thoroughly dissolved in a tablespoon of cold water; stir while adding. Cover with cloth and leave for 12 to 16 hours in even temperature, about 75 degrees Fahrenheit. At end of this period there should be a slight whey on the top and when poured out the curd should cleave sharply. Drain through cotton cloth, not cheese-cloth. When whey has been drained out, work in 1 or 2 teaspoons of salt to the cheese, according to taste; 1½ to 2 pounds of cheese should be obtained from a gallon of milk. For table use it is advisable to work in 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream to the pound. For use in cooking, this is not necessary. One may also make cottage cheese of freshly soured milk by simply heating it in a double boiler till whey forms, letting it stand an hour and then turning it into a cheese-cloth bag to drain. To the dry curd formed add sweet or sour cream and salt to taste. When made in this way care must be taken that the milk is freshly soured—if it is old it will have a bitter taste and the cheese will not be good. =Cottage Cheese Sandwiches= Thin slices of rye, brown or white bread, buttered, with fillings of cottage cheese in combination with jelly, marmalade, pimentoes, lettuce or mayonnaise are all good. =Cottage Cheese Club Sandwiches= Toast slices of bread, cut diamond shape and spread with butter and cottage cheese or cottage cheese alone and put together with any one of the following combinations: Tomato, lettuce and mayonnaise dressing. Thin slices of ham spread with mustard and lettuce. Sliced, tart apple, chopped nuts and drops of French dressing. Sliced orange and mayonnaise. Sliced Spanish onion, a hot fried egg sprinkled with Worcestershire sauce. Thin slices of tomato, bacon, chicken, lettuce and mayonnaise dressing. =Cottage Cheese Salad Dressing= ½ cup cottage cheese 1 tablespoon vinegar ½ teaspoon sugar ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup heavy cream (either sweet or sour) whipped stiff. Mix in order given. A chopped hard boiled egg improves it. A similar salad dressing, although containing no cottage cheese, may be given here also. =Sour Cream Salad Dressing= 1 cup sour cream—whipped 1 tablespoon vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil ¼ teaspoon salt (1 teaspoon sugar, if desired) 2 hard boiled egg yolks finely chopped Mix in order given. Either of these is particularly good with green vegetables. For a fruit salad the eggs should be omitted and double the amount of sugar used. =Cottage Cheese Salad= Lettuce, sliced cucumber or green, sweet peppers, cottage cheese formed in small balls or slices, mayonnaise or French dressing. =Cottage Cheese Pie= 1 cup cottage cheese ⅔ cup sugar ⅔ cup milk 2 egg yolks, beaten 1 tablespoon melted butter Salt ¼ teaspoon vanilla Mix the ingredients in the order given. Bake the pie in one crust. Cool it slightly and cover it with meringue made by adding 2 tablespoons of sugar and ½ teaspoon of vanilla to the beaten white of 2 eggs and brown it in a slow oven. =Devonshire Dainty= Serve on individual plates ½ cup cottage cheese to which has been added 2 tablespoonfuls whipped cream (sweet or sour). Over this pour ½ cup currant jam. Pass saltines or other dry, unsweetened crackers. MILK BREADS AND BISCUITS =Parker House Rolls= 2 cups scalded milk (skim) 3 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt 1 yeast cake dissolved in ¼ cup lukewarm water Dissolve yeast in water, melt butter, combine all ingredients except flour. Add 3 cups flour gradually, beating vigorously. Let rise till light; cut down and knead in 2½ cups flour. Cover and allow to rise until three times original bulk. Roll ½ inch thick. Cut, spread half with butter and fold over. Put in buttered tins to rise, placing 1 inch apart. Bake when light in a hot oven 15 to 20 minutes. =Popovers= 1 cup flour ¼ teaspoon salt 2 eggs ½ teaspoon melted butter 1 cup milk Beat eggs thoroughly. Add gradually, while beating, the milk and flour, to which salt has been added. Add butter and beat two minutes with Dover egg beater. Put a half teaspoon of butter in hissing hot iron gem pans. Fill half with batter and bake thirty minutes in a hot oven. Serve immediately. =Boston Nut Bread= ½ cup molasses 1 teaspoon soda 2 cups sour milk 2 cups graham flour 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup sugar 1 cup chopped nuts 1½ cups white flour Mix and sift all the dry ingredients. Add molasses to the milk and combine this gradually with the dry materials. Add the nuts. Half fill baking powder cans, with oiled cover, and let stand one-half hour. Bake three-quarters of an hour in moderate oven. =Sour Milk Biscuit= 1 qt. flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar 2 tablespoons butter Sour milk to moisten (about 1½ cups) Sift dry ingredients together, cut in butter with knife, add milk to make a stiff dough. Roll out thin and bake in hot oven. Serve with honey or maple syrup. =Gingerbread= 4 tablespoons butter ½ cup sugar 1 egg ½ cup molasses 2 teaspoons cocoa ½ cup sour milk 1¾ cups flour ¾ teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon ginger 1 teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon allspice Sift flour and spices, salt and soda together. Mix other ingredients in the order given and combine mixtures. Bake in moderate oven 30 minutes. =Sour Milk Waffles= 1 egg 1 cup sour milk 1 cup flour 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon soda ½ teaspoon salt Beat egg thoroughly, add sour milk, flour and salt. Dissolve soda in ½ tablespoon cold water. Add to mixture. Beat thoroughly. Cook on oiled, hot waffle iron and serve hot with maple syrup. =Sweet Milk Waffles= 2 cups flour 3 teaspoons baking powder ½ teaspoon salt 1¼ cups milk Yolks 2 eggs Whites 2 eggs 2 tablespoons butter Mix and sift dry ingredients, add milk, beaten yolks, butter and egg whites beaten stiff. =Buttermilk Griddle Cakes= 2 cups buttermilk 2 cups flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 egg beaten Mix in order given. =Sweet Milk Griddle Cakes= 1 egg beaten 2 cups milk 3 cups flour sifted with 3 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons melted butter Mix in order given. =Boston Brown Bread= 1 cup whole wheat flour 2 cups graham flour 1 teaspoon soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 cups sour milk ½ cup molasses Mix dry ingredients thoroughly. Mix the sour milk and molasses. Stir in dry ingredients, beating thoroughly. Turn into well buttered pound baking powder cans. Cover tightly and steam three hours. Take from can and slice, ½ cup raisins or nuts can be added to the dough mixture, if desired. DESSERTS For desserts the number of custards, creams and puddings made with milk is legion, and they are so well known and can be so easily varied that only a few stock recipes need be given. =Boiled Custard= 2 cups scalded milk Yolks 2 eggs ¼ cup sugar ⅛ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon vanilla Beat eggs slightly, add sugar and salt; stir constantly while adding gradually hot milk. Cook in double boiler, continue stirring until mixture thickens and a coating is formed on the spoon; strain immediately, chill and flavor. If cooked too long the custard will curdle. Should this happen, by using a Dover egg beater it may be restored to a smooth consistency, but custard will not be as thick. Eggs should be beaten slightly for custard that it may be of smooth, thick consistency. To prevent scum from forming, cover with a perforated tin or sprinkle with granulated sugar when cooling. =Blanc Mange or Cornstarch Pudding= 1 qt. milk ½ cup cornstarch Pinch of salt 3 eggs ½ cup sugar Heat milk to boiling, add cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk and a pinch of salt. Boil five minutes, add yolks of eggs beaten with sugar. Boil 2 minutes longer, remove from fire and beat in the whipped whites of eggs. Flavor with vanilla or lemon. Serve cold with cream and sugar or canned peaches or pears. This is used also as a filling for cream pie, using the beaten whites of eggs, sweetened for a meringue and browning slightly in oven. Bake the crust before filling with the cream. =Baked Custard= 4 cups scalded milk 4 eggs ½ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon salt Few gratings nutmeg Beat eggs slightly, add sugar and salt, pour on slowly scalded milk, strain in buttered mold, set in pan of hot water. Sprinkle with nutmeg and bake in slow oven until firm, which may be readily determined by running a silver knife through custard. If knife comes out clean, custard is done. During baking care must be taken that water surrounding mold does not reach boiling point or custard will whey. Always bear in mind that eggs and milk combination must be cooked at a low temperature. For cup custards allow three eggs to four cups milk; for large molded custard four or five eggs; if fewer eggs are used, custard is liable to crack when turned on a serving dish. =Baked Apple, Southern Style= [Illustration] 6 choice apples ½ cup sugar 1 qt. milk Salt 4 eggs ⅔ cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla Pare and core apples that are not too sour to hold their shape when baked. Put in a pudding dish, sprinkle the half cupful of sugar over and around them, also filling place where the core was taken out. Put in oven and bake. Remove from oven and pour around them the milk mixture made thus: Beat the eggs well, add sugar and beat again, add milk, salt and vanilla. Bake slowly until a knife-blade will come out clean after insertion in the custard. Serve hot or cold, with or without whipped cream. This is an especially good dessert for children. =Coffee Custard= 2 cups milk 1 cup strong coffee 3 eggs ¼ cup sugar ⅛ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon vanilla Beat eggs slightly; add sugar, salt, vanilla, milk and coffee. Strain into buttered individual molds, set in pan of hot water and bake until firm. =Caramel Custard= 4 cups scalded milk 5 eggs ½ teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla ½ cup sugar Put sugar in omelette pan, stirring constantly over hot part of range until melted to a syrup of light brown color. Add gradually to milk, being careful that milk does not bubble up and go over, as is liable on account of high temperature of sugar. As soon as sugar is melted in milk, add mixture gradually to eggs slightly beaten, add salt and flavoring, then strain in buttered mold. Bake as custard. Chill and serve with caramel sauce. =Rice Pudding= 1 qt. milk ⅓ cup rice ½ teaspoon salt ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or cinnamon, or grated rind of ¼ of a lemon Wash the rice thoroughly, mix the ingredients and bake three hours or more in a very slow oven, stirring occasionally at first. =Tapioca Custard= Add to the list of ingredients for boiled custard ¼ cup of pearl tapioca. Soak the tapioca in water for an hour or two, drain it, and cook in the milk until it is transparent. Proceed as for boiled custard. GENERAL RECIPE FOR CEREAL-MILK PUDDINGS Bread and rice puddings, made with milk and eggs, are familiar to all cooks. Made without eggs, the following will be found suggestive: For a quart of milk allow ⅓ of a cup of any coarse cereal (rice, cornmeal, cracked wheat, oatmeal or barley); add ⅓ of a cup of brown, white or maple sugar, syrup, honey or molasses; ½ teaspoon salt; ⅛ teaspoon spice. The flavoring may be omitted when honey or molasses is used. The above recipe makes quite a large pudding. It is often convenient to make a smaller one, and enough for a child’s dinner can be made in the double boiler, allowing two level or one rounding tablespoon of cereal to a cup of salted and flavored milk. Cook an hour and sweeten slightly. These puddings, if made thin, may be poured over stewed prunes or other cooked fruits, and are a good and economical substitute for the cream or soft custard usually used for that purpose. A very old recipe for a baked corn pudding has recently been given to the author. =Indian Meal Custard= 1 pt. sweet milk, when hot add slowly ½ cup cornmeal Pinch salt ½ teaspoon each cinnamon and ginger Sugar to taste 1 tablespoon molasses Boil 5 minutes, and add 2 beaten eggs 1 pt. milk Bake about one-half hour or till set. =Milk and Fruit Mold[11]= [Illustration: Milk and fruit mold ] 3½ cups hot milk, ½ cup cold milk, 5 tablespoons granulated sugar 10 tablespoons cornstarch 2 beaten egg whites 1 teaspoon almond extract, ½ teaspoon salt Candied cherries, cut into small pieces Heat milk in double boiler. Mix cornstarch with cold milk, stir it into the hot milk, add salt and sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from fire, fold in the beaten whites and add the flavoring. Rinse mold in cold water, drain, pour in part of the cooked mixture, add a layer of cherries and continue until mold is filled. Set on ice to chill. May be served in tall glasses, as illustrated, or unmolded on a flat serving platter. =Caramel Rice[11]= 6 cups milk 1 cup rice 1¼ cups granulated sugar 1 teaspoon salt 2 slightly beaten eggs Grated rind of half an orange Cook rice, salt, the quarter cup of sugar and milk together in a double boiler until rice is tender. Remove from fire, add grated rind and beaten eggs and mix well. Put the cup of sugar in a small saucepan over the fire and stir constantly until it is a golden brown liquid. Have a mold heating, and when very hot pour the liquid in it, turning the mold so that all parts are coated. Turn the rice into the mold and set it in a pan of water in a hot oven for 20 minutes, having the mold covered the entire time. Remove from oven, let stand until cold, unmold and serve with the caramel sauce that is in the mold. =Milk Cream=[11] 1½ cups hot milk ½ cup cold milk ⅜ cup granulated sugar