FoodNet

Principles of cookery

1910

Page 20

Presented as published in 1910. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
not keep so well as that made with water. A cer- tain cheesy flavor develops where milk is a principal ingredient, sour Sour milk is often used for mixing griddle cakes and quick doughs, because the acid it contains will be neu- tralized by the soda added, and thus produce the effer- vescence which makes the dough light. The souring process seems to have so affected the protein sub- stances in the milk that such a dough is tenderer than one made with sweet milk and baking powder. The use of sour milk will be further treated in the section on doughs, skimmed For doughs, soups, and puddings, in which additional fat is introduced, skimmed milk may be used as well as full milk. The use of cream in well-to-do families is increas- ing. Whipped cream is demanded as a garnish or sauce for many desserts quite complete in themselves. The process of beating or "whipping" cream gives it an attractive appearance, and by expanding its par- ticles probably makes it more digestible. BUTTER Butter is one of the most digestible forms of fat. An ounce of butter a day is a fair allowance for each person when meats, lard, olive oil, and cream are used. To test this in your own case, divide one ounce of butter in three portions, one for each meal, and see w.hether you naturally use less or want more. Or, this BUTTER. 49 may be tried in a family by shaping a portion of but- ter into balls with butter paddles and noting the amount consumed by each person at the table. An ounce of butter is easily secured by cutting a quarter pound pat into quarters. Or, if that is not available, measure the butter. Two level or one round table- spoonful is equivalent to one ounce. A pound of but- ter will measure one pint. Individual shortcakes to be Served with Whipped Cream. Butter is probably rendered slower of digestion by cooking, and for this reason it is wiser to flavor foods with it after they are cooked. Often it is better to allow the individual eater to butter the broiled meat, or fish, or mashed vegetables, according to his own taste. Then there need be no waste if a portion of the whole dish is not eaten, and if the food is re- heated the flavor is better. In one dietary study of the Department of Agricul- ture of the United States (Bulletin 75 from the office of Experiment Station), so much butter yame back in Butter for Flavoring . so PRINCIPLES OF COOKERY. the platters where it had been poured over steaks, chops, and fish, that it was assumed that none was con- sumed. Certainly, in every household considerable but- ter and other valuable fat finds its way to the dish water. One of the first steps in the application of science to housekeeping is to stop such needless waste. Composition In a glass measure cup, or a tumbler, put a quar- ter of a pound of butter, set the glass in a pan of warm water and leave until the butter melts. Estimate the percentage of clear fat. What other substances appear to be present? How does this explain the sour and cheesy tastes sometimes noticed in butter? white Milk thickened by flour and made richer with but-