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RECIPES FOR WHITE SAUCE
Three white sauces are commonly used for different purposes, and in each one of them milk is the basis. These sauces differ from one another in thickness, and include thin white sauce, which is used for cream toast and soups; medium white sauce which is used for dressing vegetables and is flavored in various ways to accompany meats, patties, or croquettes; and thick white sauce, which is used to mix with the materials used for croquettes in order to hold them together. To insure the best results, the proportion of flour and liquid should be learned for each kind, and to avoid the formation of lumps the proper method of mixing should be carefully followed out. A white sauce properly made is perfectly smooth, and since only little care is needed to produce such a result it is inexcusable to serve a lumpy sauce. Also, nothing is more disagreeable than thick, pasty sauce, but this can be avoided by employing the right proportion of flour and milk. The ingredients and their proportions for the various kinds of white sauce are as follows:
THIN WHITE SAUCE
1 c. milk
1 Tb. butter
1 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
MEDIUM WHITE SAUCE
1 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
2 Tb. flour
1/2 tsp. salt
THICK WHITE SAUCE
1 c. milk
2 Tb. butter
1/4 c. (4 Tb.) flour
1/2 tsp. salt
It will be easy to remember the proportions for these three sauces if it is observed that each one doubles the previous one in the quantity of flour used, the thin one having 1 tablespoonful to 1 cupful of milk, the medium one 2 tablespoonfuls to 1 cupful of milk, and the thick one 4 tablespoonfuls to 1 cupful of milk. To produce these sauces the ingredients may be combined in three different ways, each of which has its advantages. These methods, which are here given, should be carefully observed, for they apply not only to the making of this particular sauce, but to the combining of fat, starch, and liquid in any sauce.
Method 1. Heat the milk, being careful that it does not scorch. Brown the butter slightly in a saucepan, add the flour and salt, and stir the mixture until it is perfectly smooth and has a deep cream color. Then add the hot milk gradually, stirring to prevent the formation of lumps. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent the sauce from scorching. Sauce made according to this method does not require long cooking because the flour added to the hot fat cooks quickly. In fact, it is a very desirable method, for the browned butter and the flour lend flavor to the sauce. Many otherwise unattractive or rather tasteless foods can be made much more appetizing by the addition of white sauce made in this way.
Method 2. Put the milk on to heat. While this is heating, stir the butter, flour, and salt together until they are soft and well mixed; then add the hot milk to them slowly, stirring constantly. Place over the heat and finish cooking, or cook in a double boiler. Sauce made by this method requires longer cooking than the preceding one and it has less flavor.
Method 3. Heat the milk, reserving a small portion. Stir the flour smooth with the cold milk and add it to the hot milk, stirring rapidly. Add the butter and the salt, and continue to stir if cooked over the heat; if cooked in a double boiler, stir only until the mixture is completely thickened and then continue to cook for 10 or 15 minutes. When butter is added to the mixture in this way, it is likely to float on top, especially if too much is used. A better sauce may be made according to this method by using thin cream for the liquid and omitting the butter.
CHEESE BONBONS. A combination of cheese and nuts in the form of cheese bonbons, besides being very tasty, is highly nutritious, since both the cheese and the nuts used in making them are high in food value. Such bonbons can be served with a light salad, such as a vegetable or a fruit salad, to add food value to the dish, or they may be served with wafers to take the place of a salad, when a small amount of some kind of tart jelly goes nicely with them. If the dessert for the dinner has been a very light one, these bonbons may be served with coffee and wafers after the dessert. They may be made as follows:
CHEESE BONBONS
(Sufficient for Twelve Bonbons)
1 pkg. Neufchâtel or cream cheese
2 Tb. finely chopped pimiento
1/2 tsp. salt
Few grains of paprika
1/3 c. half English-walnut meats
Work the cheese smooth with the pimiento and other seasoning, and if the mixture is too dry add a little cream. Shape this into small balls, press each ball flat, and then place a half nut on top of each. If the pimiento is not desired, it may be omitted.
CHEESE SOUFFLÉ. As a dish that will take the place of meat in a light meal is often desired, cheese soufflé, which is comparatively high in food value, finds much favour. This dish contains milk, eggs, and cheese, as is shown in the accompanying recipe, and so may actually be considered as a protein dish and used accordingly. Soufflé is served in the dish in which it is baked, but if it is quite firm and is to be eaten at once, it may be removed from the ramekin to a plate.
CHEESE SOUFFLÉ
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
3 Tb. butter
4 Tb. flour
1-1/4 c. milk
3/4 c. grated cheese
Dash of paprika
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
Melt the butter, add the flour, mix well, and then gradually add the milk, which should be scalded. To this sauce add the cheese, paprika, and salt. When thoroughly mixed, remove from the fire and add the beaten yolks of eggs, beating rapidly. Cool and fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Pour into a buttered baking dish or in ramekins and bake 20 minutes in a slow oven. Serve at once.
CHEESE OMELETTE. Grated cheese added to an omelette gives it a delightful flavour. Since such an omelette is a high-protein dish, it should never be served in the same meal in which meat, fish, or other protein foods are served, but should be used as the main dish of a luncheon or a light supper.
CHEESE OMELETTE
(Sufficient to Serve Four)
4 eggs
4 Tb. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tb. bread crumbs
1 c. grated cheese
1 Tb. butter
Beat the egg yolks thoroughly and add to them the hot water, salt, crumbs, and cheese. Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry, and fold them carefully into the yolk mixture. Heat the butter in an omelette pan. Pour in the mixture, brown very slowly over the heat, and then place in the oven to cook the top. Serve at once.
CHEESE TOAST. When toast has added to it eggs, milk, and cheese, as in the recipe here given, it is sufficiently high in protein to serve as a meat substitute and is a particularly good dish for a light meal. It combines well with a vegetable salad for luncheon and is an excellent dish to serve for Sunday night supper, when very little else need be served with it.
CHEESE TOAST
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 c. milk
4 Tb. flour
4 Tb. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 c. grated cheese
2 hard-cooked eggs
6 squares of toast
Make a white sauce of the milk, flour, butter, and salt, and to it add 1/2 cupful of the grated cheese and the egg whites chopped fine. Arrange the toast on a platter, pour the sauce over it, sprinkle the top with the egg yolks that have been run through a ricer or a sieve, and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cupful of cheese over all. Place in hot oven or under a broiler until the cheese melts a little. Serve hot.
WELSH RAREBIT. Whenever a dish that can be made in a chafing dish is desired, Welsh rarebit is immediately thought of. This is possibly due to the fact that this tasty cheese dish is very often served at evening parties, when a crowd may gather around a table and enjoy the preparation of this food in the chafing dish. A chafing dish consists of a frame to which is attached a lamp that provides the heat, a pan in which water is placed, another pan with a handle in which the food is cooked, and a cover. The heat for cooking is furnished by alcohol, although it is possible to get chafing dishes that are heated by electricity. Chafing dishes are used by many housewives, for in addition to the use mentioned, they serve very well for the making of practically any kind of creamed dish, including those in which sea foods and vegetables are used, as well as for the sautéing of foods. It should not be understood, however, that Welsh rarebit must be made in a chafing dish, for this food can be prepared as well in a heavy frying pan or a double boiler; nor should it be taken for granted that it is served only at parties, for it may be served as the main dish for luncheon or supper. Rarebit is often flavoured with ale or beer, but this is not required to make an appetising dish, as the following recipe shows.
WELSH RAREBIT
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
2 Tb. butter
1 Tb. flour
1 c. milk
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. paprika
1/2 lb. cheese cut into small pieces
6 slices of toast or 6 wafers
Melt the butter, add to it the flour, and stir until smooth. Gradually add the milk, and cook for a few minutes; then add the salt, paprika, and cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. The finished rarebit should not be stringy. Pour over the toast or wafers and serve.
ENGLISH MONKEY. Another cheese dish that is frequently made in a chafing dish and served from it is English monkey, but this may likewise be made with ordinary kitchen utensils and served directly on plates from the kitchen or from a bowl on the table. A dish of this kind is most satisfactory if it is served as soon as the sauce is poured over toast or wafers and before they have had time to become soaked. English monkey may be made according to the following recipe and served for the same purposes as Welsh rarebit.
ENGLISH MONKEY
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 c. bread crumbs
1 c. milk
1 Tb. butter
1/2 c. soft cheese cut into small pieces
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
6 buttered wafers
Soak the bread crumbs in the milk. Melt the butter and add to it the cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Then add the soaked crumbs, the slightly beaten egg, and the salt. Cook for a few minutes and pour over wafers and serve. If desired, toast may be used in place of the wafers.
CHEESE AND MACARONI LOAF. Macaroni combined with cheese makes a high-protein dish that very readily takes the place of meat and that may be served as the main dish in a dinner. If this combination is made into a loaf and baked well in an oblong bread pan, it may be turned out on a platter and cut into slices. In case a loaf is not desired, it may be baked in a baking dish and served directly from that. In either form, it is made more appetizing by the addition of a tomato sauce.
CHEESE-AND-MACARONI LOAF
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1/2 c. macaroni (inch lengths)
1 c. milk
1 c. bread crumbs
2 Tb. chopped green peppers
1 Tb. chopped onion
1 Tb. chopped parsley
2 eggs
2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 c. grated cheese
1 Tb. butter
Cook the macaroni and when it is thoroughly soft, drain off the water and mix the macaroni with the milk, bread crumbs, green pepper, onion, parsley, well-beaten egg, salt, pepper, and grated cheese. Place in a baking dish, dot the top with butter, and bake in a moderate oven until the mixture is set. Serve with or without sauce, as desired.
CHEESE FONDUE. A dish that is very similar to cheese soufflé and that must be served as soon as it comes from the oven in order to avoid shrinking is cheese fondue. It satisfactorily takes the place of meat in a light meal, and may be served from a large dish or from individual baking dishes with or without sauce, as desired.
CHEESE FONDUE
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 1/2 c. soft bread crumbs
1 1/2 c. grated cheese
1 c. hot milk
4 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
Mix the bread crumbs and cheese, and add them to the hot milk, beaten egg yolks, and salt. Fold in the stiffly beaten egg whites. Bake in a buttered baking dish for about 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve at once.
CHEESE DREAMS. If something delicious to serve with fruit or salad is desired for luncheon or Sunday night supper, the accompanying recipe for cheese dreams should be tried. They should be served at once on being taken from the stove, because as soon as they cool the cheese hardens and they are not appetizing. Cheese dreams may be sautéd or prepared in a broiler or an oven, but if they are sautéd, they may be made in a chafing dish.
CHEESE DREAMS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
12 thinly cut slices of bread
Butter
Cheese sliced 1/8 in. thick
Spread the bread thinly with butter and make sandwiches by placing a slice of cheese between two slices of bread. Place these sandwiches under a broiler or in a very hot oven and toast them on both sides, or omit the butter from the centre, place the sandwiches in a slightly oiled frying pan, and brown them on both sides. In heating the sandwiches, the cheese melts. Serve hot.
CHEESE WAFERS. If made daintily, cheese wafers may be served with salad or with tea for afternoon tea. The wafers selected for this purpose should be small and the layer of cheese not very thick. If a very thin broth is served at the beginning of a meal, cheese wafers may accompany it, but they should never be served with a heavy soup.
CHEESE WAFERS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 doz. wafers
Butter
3/4 grated cheese
Paprika
Spread the wafers thinly with butter and sprinkle each with 1 tablespoonful of grated cheese and a pinch of paprika. Bake in a hot oven until the cheese is melted. Cool and serve.
CHEESE STRAWS. Nothing can be more delightful to serve with a vegetable salad than cheese straws. An attractive way to serve them is to slip them through small rings made out of strips of the dough mixture and baked at the same time the straws are baked and then place them at the side of the salad plate. They may accompany a fruit salad, as well as a vegetable salad, but they are not appropriate for serving with a meat or a fish salad.
CHEESE STRAWS
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1 Tb. butter
2/3 c. flour
1 c. bread crumbs
1 c. grated or cut cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
Pinch of Cayenne pepper
1/2 c. milk
Cream the butter and to it add the flour, bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Mix thoroughly and add the milk. Roll 1/4 inch thick and then cut 1/4 inch wide and 6 inches long. Bake until brown in a moderately hot oven.
TOMATOES WITH CHEESE STUFFING. The addition of cheese to the stuffing used in stuffed tomatoes means added flavour, as well as nutritive value in the form of protein, the food substance in which the tomatoes themselves are lacking. The bread crumbs used for the stuffing supply a large amount of carbohydrate, so that the completed dish, besides being a very attractive one, contains all the food principles in fairly large quantities. Stuffed tomatoes may be served as the main dish in a light meal or as a vegetable dish in a heavy meal.
TOMATOES WITH CHEESE STUFFING
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
6 tomatoes
1 c. bread crumbs
1 c. grated cheese
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 Tb. butter
1/4 c. hot water
Select medium-sized tomatoes and hollow out the centres. Mix the crumbs, cheese, salt, pepper, butter, and hot water with the pulp from the centres of the tomatoes. Fill the tomatoes with this stuffing, place in a pan, and bake in a moderate oven until the tomato can be pierced easily with a fork. Serve hot.
FIGS STUFFED WITH CHEESE.--As cheese is a very concentrated food, it is often combined with another food to offset this effect. An excellent combination is formed by stuffing figs with cheese. Figs prepared in this way will be found to be very attractive and tasty and may be served in the place of a dessert or a salad, depending on the kind and size of the meal with which they are used.
FIGS STUFFED WITH CHEESE
(Sufficient to Serve Eight)
1 pkg. Neufchâtel or cream cheese
2 Tb. cream
8 small pulled figs
Work the cheese and cream until soft. Steam the figs for 10 or 15 minutes or until they are soft; then cool them, cut out their stems, fill their centres with the soft cheese, and serve.
CHEESE SANDWICHES. Very appetising sandwiches that may be used to take the place of meat sandwiches or a protein dish at any time are made with a cheese filling. If these are made very small and dainty, they may be served with salad in a light meal. The addition of pickles, olives, and pimiento, which are included in the accompanying recipe, makes the filling more attractive than the usual plain cheese by producing in it a variety of tastes. They also add bulk, which is lacking in both the white bread and the cheese. If desired, graham or whole-wheat bread may be used in place of white bread.
CHEESE SANDWICHES
(Sufficient to Serve Six)
1/4 lb. cheese
2 medium-sized pickles
1/2 pimiento
Meat from 1/2 doz. olives
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. paprika
Bread
Put the cheese, pickles, pimiento, and olives through a food chopper, and when chopped add the salt and the paprika. If the mixture is not moist enough to spread, add salad dressing or vinegar until it is of the right consistency. Mix well and spread on thinly cut, buttered slices of bread.