Milk in the Daily Diet

New Zealand Listener, Volume 35, Issue 896, 5 October 1956, Page 32

Milk in the Daily Diet

have lately been studying the necessity for eggs to be a part of our daily diet. No less important is milk, * which contains all the various food factors essential for life _-and

healthy growth. Its immense value is due to the high quality of its protein (for body building); its richness in minerals and vitamins (for general health); and the easy digestibility of its fats (for energy). For example: "Proteins consist of a group of compounds, ten of which are vital for health; and milk contains all these ten and_ eight more besides," is a statement made in an English analysis. Also, milk is rich in the minerals calcium and phosphorus, so essential for the growth and upkeep of healthy teeth and bones. In the case of expectant or nursing mothers, and of growing children, we should double the accepted "pint per day," and the reason for the old bones breaking so easily and fractures not healing well is often due to old people having stopped taking enough milk and milk-foods. It is a good habit to drink a glass of milk with meals. Eat Your Milk It is not necessary to drink your quota of milk each day. It may be introduced into the daily diet in any way desiredin soups, luncheon dishes, sauces (both sweet and savoury), in cheese dishes (excellent), in puddings (cold or hot), in fancy drinks, in smack meals and fritters, and in party sweets. Besides fresh milk, use with confidence dried or powdered milk, evaporated unsweetened milk, and also sweetened condensed milk, which is milk to which pure cane sugar has been added after a large percentage of the water content has been removed. Evaporated milk is sterilised | and homogenised (that is, broken up into infinitesimal particles which are evenly distributed), and from which a large percentage of water-content has been removed. Powdered milk is pasteurised milk from which all water has been removed. All these are pure and nutritious. Cream of Parsnip Soup Lightly take the outside skin off 3 'medium parsnips and mince them. Simmer for half an hour with 1 cup of water. Press all through a sieve, and re'turn the pulp and the liquid to the saucepan. Add salt to taste, and 1 pint of milk, Thicken with cornflour, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of finely-chopped parsley, and serve very hot. Cream of Mushroom Soup This may be made quite well with tinned mushrooms. Four. cups milk, 4 tablespoons butter, 112 teaspoons salt, speck of pepper, 4 tablespoons flour, 1%, teaspoon grated onion, %%4 lb. mush‘rooms. Melt butter in saucepan. Add mushrooms, washed, stemmed and sliced. Cook 3 minutes. Then add flour and seasoning while stirring. When smooth, add milk, and stir till smooth. Cook 35 minutes. Artichoke Soup About 6 artichokes and 2 onions. Melt 1 oz. butter in a saucepan, add cut-up onions and simmer a few minutes without browning. Add about 2 pints water, and the artichokes cut up finely. Cook all gently for 40 minutes or so. Strain through sieve, pressing well. Return to

pan, add equal quantity of milk, bring to boil, and thicken with flour or cornflour. Season to taste.

Cream of Barley Soup A knuckle of veal about 2 Ib., 3 oz. pearl barley, 3 pints cold water. Wash barley and soak overnight. Cut up the meat from knuckle and put it with bone into saucepan, with water, 1 teaspoon salt, and the barley. Bring slowly to the boil, skim, and simmer slowly 2 or 3 hours. Strain through sieve, rubbing through as much as possible of the meat and barley. Return this to saucepan and add equal quantity of milk, or sufficient to make desired thickness. French Luncheon Six ounces flaky or shortcrust pastry, 6 rashers of bacon, about 1% Ib. cheese, 6 eggs, salt and cayenne pepper, 3% pint thin cream or top milk, 1 oz. melted butter. Line a deep plate with pastry. Trim the bacon and fry it lightly, then cut the rashers in half and cover the pastry with bacon and thin slices of cheese. Beat the eggs with the seasoning, cream and melted butter; strain this over the bacon and bake in a moderate oven about 40 minutes, or till set and golden brown. Surprise Cheese Souffle Four eggs, 1 oz. butter, 2 oz. flour, % pint of milk, 3 oz. grated cheese, salt and pepper. Slices of cheese cut thinly. Separate 3 of the eggs. Melt the butter and stir in the flour, gradually add the milk and bring to the boil, stirring. Cool slightly; add the cheese, the seasoning and the egg yolks one by one, beating well. Fold in the very stiffly-beaten egg whites, put half the mixture into a prepared souffle case, break the fourth egg into the centre and cover with the remaining mixture. Cut the thinly-sliced cheese into strips and place diagonally on the top as a garnish. Bake in a moderately hot oven for about 42 hour, till well risen and brown. Remove the paper and serve at once. Fish Steaks in Milk Two fish steaks of about 1 |b. each, 1 tablespoon flour, pepper and salt, milk to cover, 2 or 3 onions, oil or butter, 4 strips of bacon, tomatoes to garnish. Wipe or wash the fish and dry in a cloth. Mix the flour, pepper and salt, coat the fish with seasoned flour and place in a greased baking dish. Cover with milk and place in a moderate oven. Meanwhile, slice the onions thickly and fry them in oil or butter until a delicate brown, keeping each slice whole. After 10 minutes, remove the fish from the oven, cover with the onions and lay the bacon on top. Bake till done-about % hour. Garnish with baked tomatoes and hand Bechamel sauce separately-make sauce with half milk and half chicken broth, Savoury Bacon Waffles Savoury filling: 8 oz. flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, seasoning, 2 eggs, 2 pint milk, 4 oz. chopped bacon, 2 oz. butter. Waffles should be eaten directly they are cooked, so the filling must be prepared first. This can be anything savoury like minced ham, flaked fish, chicken or vegetables, mixed with a good sauce. To make the waffles, put the dry ingredients in a basin, make a well in the centre, add the egg yolks and % pint

of milk, and mix to a batter. Lightly fry the bacon and add this to the batter; add remaining milk and lastly fold in the stiffly-beaten egg whites. Brush the waffle iron with melted lard and heat until smoking hot. Pour in enough batter to run over the surface, close the iron and cook 2 to 3 minutes, turning the iron to brown the waffle evenly on both sides. When cooked, it should be golden brown and crisp, and easily removed, Make a pile of waffles and filling. Bacon Fritters Four heaped tablespoons Risa salt and cayenne, 1 dessertspoon chopped onion, 1 egg, milk, fat for frying, 4 oz. chopped lean bacon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, Mix the flour, seasonings and

onion, aaa the egg, and gradually stir | in milk to make a stiff batter; beat | well. Have ready some smoking hot fat and add the bacon and baking powder to the batter. Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture into the fat and fry golden brown. Drain, and serve very hot,

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