Vegetarian Cook Book

Many fail signally in making this article, and lose its nutritive value, and also spoil its palatableness. The milk should be allowed to thicken, and then be skimmed before any attempt is made to heat it. Heat it slowly — preferably in hot water or in a moderate oven. The milk should not be stirred while cooking, but an advantage is gained by passing a knife through it so as to cut it in squares, just as the curd begins to form. This helps to give uniformity of texture, which is more pleasing than to have some parts hard and others soft. A short method is to pour boiling water into the clobbered milk, with gentle stirring, until the curd forms and separates from the watery whey. Rapid cooking is likely to cause lumps and a stringiness not altogether agreeable. As soon as well curded, it should be poured into a strong (287) but loose cloth to drain without pressure. Overnight is none too long for it to remain quiescent. It may then have added to it a portion of salt, and as much sweet cream or milk or sour cream as will be required to make it of the desired consistency. Should there be any lack of smoothness, the cheese will be vastly improved by passing through a colander or an ordinary meat mill. Various seasonings may be added, as minced onion, parsley, or other herbs, and the whole formed into balls or other shapes. Served with a garnish of lettuce or other green, it gives a pleasing variety. Used in place of common cheese with macaroni, it is more wholesome than that article. Sweet milk may be readily curded by the addition of lemon juice. One cup stirred into a gallon of warm milk will usually gather all the curd. If the whey is white and milky, add a little more juice, and more curd will form, BUTTERMILK CHEESE Buttermilk, 2 quarts. Lemon juice, 2 tablespoons. Add the lemon juice to the buttermilk, and set in warm water, or in a warm place, until it wheys off. Then drain in a cloth, and proceed as for other cheese. STERILIZED MILK Milk is so liable to be infected with disease germs, that it is much the safest plan to sterilize it before using. Heat DAIRY DISHES 289 the water in an outer boiler to the boiling point, and set into it the inner boiler containing the milk, and cook over a hot fire until the albumen rises to the top in the form of little bubbles. Remove, pour into shallow pans, and cool rapidly. If, when cool, it is poured from one dish to another for a few minutes, it will be likely to have less of the cooked taste. Some authorities favor cooking the milk for thirty minutes. Be that as it may, the milk should be heated, and cooled quickly. CONDENSED MILK Condensed milk is prepared by a vacuum process by which much of the water is removed by evaporation. Such milk is usually wholesome, as it has to be sterilized in the process of canning. It can be prepared for use by adding from one to five parts water. For some purposes it has an advantage over ordinary milk. MILK SHAKE Milk, 1 pint. 'Egg, 1. Sugar, 2 tablespoons. Ice, finely chopped, 1 cup. Flavor. Put all in a two quart glass jar, seal tightly, shake vigorously for several minutes, pour into glasses, and serve at once. RENNET BLANC-]\iANGE Milk, 1 quart, Rennet tablet, i/^. Egg whites, 2. Powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons. Currant jelly, 4 tablespoons.