Remedies for Cooking Disasters.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 367, 23 February 1937, Page 2

Remedies for Cooking Disasters.

“Haste makes waste” is perhaps truer in the work in the kitchen than any other plaice in the house, for it is almost always hurry which causes most of the kitchen troubles —it is nearly al v.‘ays this which makes the custard curdle, the soup too salty, the gravy lumpy. When such things happen the unknowing housewife too often throws away the apparently spoiled food which she might have saved, had she known the best method of restoring it to palatability. * * *

To Remedy Curdled Custard. If in your hurry in preparing boiled custard you have not taken time to allow it to come to the boil in the double but have over-heated it, do not Waste time wishing you had not taken the chance, but turn the custard quickly into a cold bowl and beat it vigorously with an egg beater. As a rule this treatment works; if it does not, however, take a level tablespoonful of cornflour, moisten with cold water, add it to the custard and place over boiling water just Ion? enough to cook the cornflour; then strain. By doing this you Will save milk and eggs. It usually happens that the soup is abnormally salty the night there is a particular guest for dinner. Of course, you cannot remove the sa*, but if you will add a grated raw potato and cook a short time longer you will find the potato has absorbed excess* salt.

Mayonnaise. Mayonnaise, that is a salad dressing containing salad oil, has a way of curdling at the most inopportune time, when one is in a hurry, and it is usually the hurry which causes it, if the oil is l added too fast or It may be the ingredients are too Warm. Beating will not remedy this disaster. Take another egg yolk, put it in a dry cold bowl, and add the curdled mixture a little at h time, as the oil should have been added in the first, place, and, when it is well beaten in. proceed with the fresh oil. * * * To Mould Croquettes. Many of us have had trying experience® when moulding croquettes, v.hich sometimes just will not hold their shape. Try adding a little gfclktine. Take a teaspoonful of granulated gelatine, soak it in a very little cold water for a few minutes'; dissolve it over hot water and add to the croquette mixture. If you have a refrigerator pop the mixture in, or leave it in a cool place until the gelatine has had time enough to set. You will then find you can mould the- croquettes without further trouble. Never try to cook croquettes in a shallow pan with just a. little fat, if you find that your supply of cooking fat is low. Instead, put them in the oven, after they have been prepared and bake them. * * * When Cream Refuses to Whip. If the cream refuses to whip you may find yourself in an awkward position. This should never happen to the lucky owner of a regrigerator for if the cream has been chilled for a short time in the refrigerator if should not fail to vliip. An egg also may save the situation. Add the white of an egg, leave both in a cool place for a short time and you should have no further trouble. ** ' * When Making Pastry. If you have planned to make a pie and find you are a bit short of butter, use instead some good fresh beef dripping. Put half a cupful of this in a bowl and beait till creamy; add half a teaspoonful of baking powder, a squeeze of lemon juice, and use just as you would use butter.