Principles of food preparation

to nourish the young. Its bulk, in proportion to its nutritive value, makes it less suitable to adults in ordinary life than it is to children, but its usefulness and wholesomeness should insure it a place in every dietary. In the study of milk assigned in this chapter you should try to discover the characteristics of its chief constituents, and if there is time and opportunity, to make a rough analysis of this important food, isolating its component parts and even making a rough quantitative estimate of the proportion of each that is present. Rennet Custard, or Junket Ingredients. Junket tablets, milk, water, sugar, flavoring. Proportions. One junket tablet to one quart of milk. Water enough to dissolve the tablet, about one tablespoonful or less, sugar and flavoring to taste — a halfcup of sugar to a quart of milk is a good proportion. Method. For class work, or if it should at any time be desired to abbreviate the process, a double quantity of junket tablets may be used. Hence in this recipe half of one tablet can be allowed to one cup of milk. Dissolve the tablet in a very little water. Heat the milk until just blood-warm, dissolve the sugar in the warm milk, then stir in the dissolved junket tablet, add the flavoring, stir well, and pour the mixture into the dishes in which it is to be served. Let it stand in a warm place until it is set — it should be of the consistency of jelly — then place it on ice or in the refrigerator until chilled. Serve with a spoonful of strawberry or other preserve on top, and pile whipped cream over this, Make a second junket, using milk which has first been boiled and then allowed to cool to blood-warm. Make a third junket, using freshly boiling milk. Compare results. Does boiling the milk prevent the action of the rennet? Is the action of the rennet retarded or weakened by boiling the milk? What effect has a boihng temperature applied directly to the rennet? Note. One-half cupful of milk, or less, may be allowed for each of the methods given above. Cottage Cheese Method I. Proceed as for junket, omitting the sugar and flavoring. When the milk is set or jellied, break up the clot with a fork, and strain off the liquid through a jelly-bag, or a piece of cheesecloth placed over a wire strainer. Squeeze the cloth gently to get rid of the liquid, season the curd with a little salt, blend it well with a spoon, and serve with or without cream. Save the liquid, or whey, which was strained off from the curd. Method 2. Use sour milk; it is best when just nicely clabbered. Heat it very slowly and gently until the curd has separated. Strain as before, season, and serve. Preserve the liquid as in Method 1. Compare both kinds of cottage cheese as to consistency and flavor. Compare the whey resulting from the two methods. Preserve the whey for future use. Butter Beat an ounce of thick cream with a Dover beater in a bowl until butter is formed. Separate the butter from the buttermilk, wash it thoroughly in cold water, and form it into a little ball. Compare this with the ordinary creamery butter. What weight of butter was yielded by one ounce of cream?