Chapter 9 assembled 20jy02
Milk is an almost perfect food for young and old. It helps to build and maintain strong bones and teeth, to build and repair muscle and other body-tissue, and contains vitamins A, B, and D. A diet lacking in milk or cheese (which is concentrated milk) is seldom adequate for good health.
It is specially important for children, nursing and expectant mothers, and adolescents. Fresh, whole milk is best, but when it is scarce other milks, such as evaporated, condensed, dried, and skimmed, should be used to make up the deficiency.
The ideal allowance of milk is 1 ½-2 pints [855-1140ml] a day for children and adolescents and 1 pint a day for adults. This includes milk used for drinking and cooking. If your family does not like drinking plain milk there are many good ways of using it in cooking, such as sauces, soups, puddings, and so on.
Cheese contains most of the valuable properties of milk but in a very concentrated form, 2 oz. [55g] Cheese equals 1 pint milk.
It is one of the first-class body-building foods, and can be used in meals in place of meat and fish, 2 oz [55g] cheese being equal to 4 oz. [110g] meat. Cheese combines well with all vegetables and with cereal foods such as macaroni, semolina, etc.
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MILK AND CHEESE 87
MILK
Although milk is such an excellent food, there is one great drawback to its use. It is an ideal food for germs, and if care is not taken in its distribution and use,it can be a means of spreading such diseases as diphtheria, sore throats, typhoid, dysentery, and tuberculosis. There are two ways of ensuring that milk for drinking is safe from infection. Either buy pasteurised milk which has been heated so as to destroy harmful germs without harming the flavour or food value of the milk or, if you are unable to get pasteurised milk, scald all milk used for drinking by heating it over boiling water until it reaches 162°F [72°C]. Keep it at that heat for 15 seconds, and then stand the milk in cold water to cool quickly.
If you have no thermometer ordinary scalding is the best method. Heat the milk in an uncovered pan until bubbles begin to appear round the edges. If possible do this over boiling water. After heating, pour the milk into a scalded jug and cool quickly by standing the jug in cold water.
Milk should always be kept in as cool a place as possible. If you have no refrigerator or very cold larder, stand the jug or bottle in a basin of cold water with a piece of clean, damp muslin over the top, with the ends in the water. Stand in a draught to encourage evaporation of the water, for this keeps the milk cool.
If milk comes in bottles, it is best to leave it there until you are ready to use it, but wipe the outside of the bottles.
Milk jugs and containers for milk should be kept very clean. After ordinary washing with first cold and then
88 THE PENGUIN COOKERY BOOK
hot water, rinse out with boiling water and turn upside down to dry. Do not dry with a cloth, as this may introduce germs and undo the good done by scalding.
Always keep milk covered from dust and flies and, as it absorbs odours readily, keep it away from any food with a strong flavour.
Do not mix new milk and old unless it is to be used at once, and even then you should be sure the old milk is still quite sweet.
Full-cream dried milk is the best, but it does not keep as long as dried skim milk, because the fat or cream tends to become rancid, especially after the container has been opened.
Mix dried milk according to the directions on the container, but after mixing, do not try to keep it longer than fresh milk.
For cakes, puddings, and sauces the milk may be mixed dry with the other dry ingredients, and so save the trouble of reconstituting.
Store dried milk in an airtight jar or tin in a cool, dry place, away from foods which have a strong flavour. The time it will keep depends on its age when you bought it.
This is full cream or skim milk from which some of the water has
been evaporated. To bring it to the consistency of fresh
milk,
add water according to the directions on the tin, generally an equal
amount. It can then be used in any recipe
requiring fresh milk,
except junket. After the tin has been opened evaporated milk will not
keep any longer than fresh milk.
This is like evaporated milk, but with still more water removed and some sugar added. It should be diluted ac-
MILK AND CHEESE 89
cording to the directions on the tin, and used for sweet sauces and puddings. Because of the sugar, it will keep longer than evaporated milk after the tin has been opened.
Milk which has been pasteurised or scalded will not Sour, but does eventually go bad. Milk which has not been heated sours. because it contains bacteria which feed on the small amounts of sugar in milk and produce lactic acid. This acid makes the milk clot.
Sour milk may he used in place of fresh milk for mixing cakes, scones, and puddings. Some people advise the use of bicarbonate of soda instead of baking-powder when mixing scones with sour milk, but I find it better to use baking-powder in the usual way. The curd alone may be used for cottage cheese. The whey can be used in place of fresh milk for mixing.
TO SEPARATE THE CURD AND WHEY. Put the sour milk in a basin and heat it over hot water until the curd separates. Scald a piece of butter muslin in boiling water. Wring out well. Place it in a strainer and pour the sour milk carefully into the centre. Gather the ends together into a bag, tie with clean string, and hang the bag over a basin to drip for 24 hours.
TO MAKE COTTAGE CHEESE. Remove the curd from the bag and mash it with a fork, seasoning well with salt and pepper. A few chopped chives may be added for extra flavour. In some countries cottage cheese seasoned with salt is eaten with jam and hot rolls for breakfast, and is very good too. Cottage cheese may be used for sandwich fillings, see No. 787. It may also be made from fresh milk set with rennet or by warming 1 pt. of fresh milk with the juice of 12 lemons.
YOGHURT. This is milk that has been fermented by the use of heat and different bacteria from those causing
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90 THE PENGUIN COOKERY BOOK
ordinary souring. Many people claim medicinal properties for Yoghurt, but it is doubtful whether it has any advantages over ordinary milk as a source of nutrients. In cooking, Yoghurt can be used to take the place of sour cream, giving an excellent flavour to the dish without increasing the fat content to the same extent.
The amount of fat in cream varies a great deal. Single cream contains 18 per cent fat; Double cream 48 per cent fat; Canned cream 23 per cent fat. For whipping there should be about 25 per cent fat. If the cream contains too much fat it will tend to turn to butter during whipping, and if too thin it will not whip at all. Cream for whipping should be 12-24 hours old, and should be as cold as possible. Cream made from butter or margarine and milk can also be whipped if it is first kept in a very cold place for 24 hours. A rotary beater is the best to use for whipping, and, as the cream splutters a lot during beating, it is a help to cover the top of the bowl with a piece of greaseproof paper, leaving a hole for the handle of the beater to come through. Be careful not to overheat, or the cream will turn to butter.
After whipping, the cream can have sugar and flavouring added to taste.
Recipes for Mock Cream are Nos. 120-21.
Quantities for 4 helpings:
1 Pt. [570ml] milk (2c.) Rennet, junket powder, or tablets, according to the maker's instructions
Pinch of salt
1 Tbs. sugar
Flavouring to taste
Measures level.
1. Heat the milk until it is just lukewarm (90 F. [32°C]). Fresh milk is best for junket, but dried milk may be used
MILK AND CHEESE 91
if it is mixed a little thicker than usual, and if 1½ times the normal amount of rennet is used. Evaporated or condensed milk is not suitable, because heat used in the canning process destroys the power of the milk to clot.
2. Pour the milk into the serving dish and stir in the salt, sugar, and flavouring.
3. When the sugar is dissolved add the rennet. Leave in a warm place, and do not disturb until set.
Mix 2 level Tbs. cocoa and 2 Tbs. boiling water. Add to the milk, and warm as in #170, or add 2 Tbs. Cocoa Syrup. #800. Use vanilla essence for the flavouring.
Add 2 tsp. coffee essence or 4 Tbs. strong black coffee to the milk. Add vanilla essence for flavouring. Make as for #170.
For children who are difficult about taking milk puddings it is a good plan to disguise the milk by adding a little vegetable colouring, such as a few drops of cochineal, and by flavouring with fruit essence. If the junket is set in a small individual dish it is made still more attractive to the child.
Spread 2 Tbs. of red jam in the bottom of the dish before pouring in the junket. In this case the rennet should be mixed into the milk first, as the milk should not be disturbed after it has been poured on the jam.
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The most useful cheese for cooking is dry Cheddar or Parmesan, which is a very hard cheese made from skimmed milk. Hard cheese is better, because it grates more finely, and so blends with other foods more easily. Soft cheese or processed cheese may be cut into small pieces and used to make sauces and Welsh Rarebit.
Other types of cheese are mostly eaten without cooking, and are served with bread, biscuits, toast, or rusks, according to personal taste. Some people like to eat pickles with mild cheese; others prefer a little green salad or some watercress, celery, or radishes.
If cheese is sold in a box or wrapper it should be stored in these. Otherwise wrap the cheese in greased or waxed paper and hang it in muslin in a cool place. If you have a refrigerator, place the cheese in a plastic bag or container to prevent it from becoming dry.
A supply of ready-grated cheese can be stored in a covered jar, and will keep some weeks in a refrigerator. If grated cheese is to be stored in an ordinary larder it must be very dry, or the cheese will quickly become mouldy.
Cheese melts at a fairly low temperature, and if made very hot it soon becomes tough, stringy, and indigestible. When making cheese dishes for children, care should be taken to cook the cheese very lightly. In some cheese dishes the recipe calls for cooking at a very high temperature to brown the cheese. This should be done as quickly as possible.
Quantities for 3 helpings:
½ oz. [15g] butter or margarine (1 Tbs.)
1 tsp. made mustard or Worcester Sauce
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4 oz. [110g] grated Cheddar cheese (1 c.)
3 slices of toast
2 Tbs. milk or ale
Measures level. Melt the butter or margarine in a small pan. Mix the other ingredients in to the melted fat, arid cook very gently until smooth and creamy. Spread on the hot toast, and serve at once or brown under the grill, according to taste.
Serve a poached egg on top of each portion of Welsh Rarebit.
Quantities for 4 helpings:
8 Tbs. fresh breadcrumbs
Pinch of pepper
4 Tbs. milk
8 Tbs. grated cheese
½ tsp. made mustard
½ oz. [15g] margarine (1 Tbs.)
¼ tsp. salt
4 slices toast
Measures level. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk and add the mustard, salt, pepper, and half the cheese. Melt the margarine in a small pan and cook the mixture gently until hot and well blended. Spread over the slices of toast and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Brown under the grill.
Quantities for 4 helpings:
4 slices toast
2 Tbs. chutney
Margarine to spread
3-4 oz. [85-110g] cheese (4 thin slices)
Measures level. Spread the toast thinly with margarine. Cut the cheese in wafer-thin slices and place on the
94 THE PENGUIN COOKERY BOOK
toast. Spread with chutney and heat under the grill or in a hot oven, [232°C] 450 F. Mark 8, until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
Quantities for 2 helpings:
2 fresh eggs
1 oz. [30g] butter or margarine (1 Tbs.)
2 oz. [55g] grated ripe Cheddar or Gruyere (6 Tbs.)
Salt and pepper to taste
Measures level. Beat the eggs thoroughly, and add the butter cut in small pieces, and the grated cheese. Season well. Put in a small saucepan and stir over a fairly quick heat until the mixture begins to thicken. It should be thick enough to eat with a fork. Serve in small hot dishes with bread or toast handed separately.
Quantities for 4-6 helpings:
6 oz. [170g] fresh breadcrumbs (2 c.)
2 fresh eggs
½ tsp. salt
1 Pt. milk, scalded (2 c.)
Pinch of pepper
4 oz. [110g] grated cheese (1 c.)
Measures level. Soak the breadcrumbs in the milk for a few minutes. Then add the cheese, seasonings, and beaten egg-yolks. Beat the whites stiffly and fold them into the mixture. Pour into a well-greased baking dish. Bake until risen and set.
Quantities for about ¼ pt.:
2 Tbs. Flour
½ tsp. salt
6 Tbs. water
⅛ tsp. paprika pepper
2 oz. [55g] grated cheese (½c.)
1 Tbs. tomato puree or tomato-juice
1 oz. [30g] margarine (2 Tbs.)
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Measures level. Mix the flour and water to a smooth cream in a small saucepan and stir until it boils. Cook gently for 5 minutes. Add the cheese, margarine, seasonings, and tomato puree. Mix well and keep in small jars. The mixture may be used as a sandwich spread or as a savoury on toast.
Quantities for 4-6 helpings:
Short Pastry, No. 716, using 4 oz. [110g] Flour
½ pt. hot milk (1 c.)
2 oz. [55g] grated cheese (½ c.)
2 eggs
3 rashers bacon, grilled
½ tsp. salt
4 oz. [110g] butter (1 Tbs.)
Pinch pepper
Measures level. Roll the pastry to line a 7-8-inch [175-200mm] flan ring or sandwich tin. Bake blind, see #721. Beat the eggs and seasoning slightly, add the milk and cheese and the chopped cooked bacon and butter. Pour into the cooked pastry and bake in a moderate oven for 30-40 minutes or until the filling is set. Serve hot or cold.