Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-18
Table and Kitchen.
Cheese and Its Many Forms of Prepa-
ration


ing cheese, either in substantial dishes or
in dainty little tit-bits, such as entrees or
saEories, 1t Is not possible for the ordinary
cook book to give an exhaustive list of the
many methods of preparing this valuable
food product
The digestibility of cheese is an ever
vexed and disputed question, but expert
ment proves that to the average person
certain kinds of cheese are as digestible
as they are nutritious. When We consider
the chemical composition of the best quail
tiles of cheese we find it very rich, richer.
than any other known foods, in nutritive
elements; but 1t varies with the conditions
Of its manufacture The skim milk forms
are apt to be indigestible. The poorer the
cheese the greater Is the proportion OF
casein or the heterogeneous element, while
the richer cheese contains greater pro-
portion Of fat or butter. In either case.
however. the proportion OF heterogeneous
matter in given weight far exceeds that
of meat.
When we question the value of cheese as
an article Of food We should consider that
large class of laboring men-the Scotch,
the poor of South Wales and many coun-
ties in England where cheese Is largely
manufactured. and also the Swiss noun
tafneers-eat 1t as substitute for meat.
And these people experience no difficulty
in digesting 1t as they eat 1t nationally and
not as the American usually consumes 1t,
as a savory, to be eaten at the end of
full dinner. This is adding insult to injury
by placing an added burden upon an al
ready overloaded digestion, as the system
must discard as waste this additional III
trogenous matter which 1t has no for.
Cheese of the skim-milk variety requires
longer time for digestion than the richer
cheese owing to the smaller amount of fat
and larger amount of casein contained
in the former. Among the best cheeses are
the cheddar, most famous of all English
oh alt a.,
Cheeses similar to the English cheddar are
made in the states and Canada. The still
ton is another choice English cheese. Its
rich, pale-colored substance is marked with
greenish veins. This is never eaten until
well cured. 1t Is a dessert cheese, which
rivals the Roquefort and the Italian Cor
gonzala- This latter cheese, though con-
sidered sadly indigestible," best pleases
the true gourmet.
France produces forty varieties of cheese,
the most famous among them being the
Roquefort Gruyere, Port du Salut, Brie.
Camembert and Neufchatel. The Gruyere
Is a thick, firm cheese, much used in cook
ing. variety Of this cheese is made in
Switzerland and is usually favored with
herbs.
Neufchatel cheese is familiar to most
housekeepers. 1t Is the rich, creamy white
cheese put up in tiny rolls, covered with
tin FOIL and is very popular dessert cheese
favored by those whose taste does not rel
ish the strong-fiavored varieties. The rare
ripe cheeses, beloved by the epicures, owe
their peculiar and individual favors to the
Gampness, certain temperatures and Guilt
walton of certain peculiar species bacteria.
Holland gives Gouda and the we'll
known Edam cheese. The former resembles
the English Cheddar. The Edam is a rich
though rather hard cheese of a deep yellow
color, and differs from other cheeSeS in its
preparation, acid instead of rennet being
used to form the curd. Edam is formed in
round balls and artiicially colored red out
side and then wrapped in tin foil. The
'Ian and bn oh a re ne
whole, first having the top cut off, plain or
in notches, these tops being replaced after
the cheese has been served so as to keep it
moist. Wrap these cheeses neatly in
plated napkin to serve, unless you have
silver cheese holder.
Germany furnishes number of we'll
known cheeses. Italy gives us the we'll
known Parmesan, generally used In
cooking. This is a skip-milk cheese and
very hard. 1t is grated before using, and
will keep Indefinitely without deteriorating.
Provident housewives keep a bottle of the
grated Parmesan on the pantry shelf, as its
fine flavor will add greatly to dish of
boiled macaroni, rice, caulif1ower, creamed
cabbage and many other vegetables. Par
mesan Is also used In cheese st1aws, cheese
fingers, cheese balls for the salad course,
etc.
The American dairy cheeses are much
esteemed, although we have the reputation
of making filled cheeSes, that Is, substi-
tuting for the cream a sufficient amount of
lard or cheap vegetable oil to make rich,
moist cheese. When colored they are
hardly distinguishable from the honestly
made product until they "ripen," and their
lack of flavor proves them to be cheap
Initial ion. The really good article of Ameri-
can manufacture suffers through the repu-
tation of the spurious goods.
Perhaps the earliest, and certainly the
best and most wholesome, cheese made Is
the Dutch or cottage cheese. This Is
made by farmers who have milk In aoun5
dance The milk Is soured, then SKINNED
and scalded with sufficient boiling water to
separate the curds and whey, but leaving
the former soft. When sufficiently drained
the curd Is mixed with a little cream, salt
and pepper, and forms delicious, whole
some dish, very nutritious and the result of
a natural process of fermentation.
The display of cheeses from almost every
civilized land which was one of the notable
exhibits at the Columbian exposition was
strong evidence OF the fact that it is a
staple food in many countries, and conse-
quently valuable food.
Serving Cheeses.
Cheese may be made into souffies. rame-
kins, omelets, ETC.. and served before the
dessert or with crackers, wafer biscuits
or celery with salad before hot dessert
or after the dessert. Cheese fingers and
cheese straws are served with the salad
A Stilton or Chester cheese IS cut in half
and one part wrapped in napkin and
served. Roquefort and Gorgonzola are cut
in large slices from the cheese and served
In a folded napkin. The American dairy
cheese Is cut IN small cubes Of equal size,
while the soft cheeses, Brte, Neufchatel
etc., are unwrapped from the tinfoil and
scraped before serving
Place on lace paper. Pass fresh butter,
wafer biscuit, or the celery with the cheese
Cheese Savory.
Put an ounce of butter in a saucepan with
a teaspoonful Of curry powder, half small
onion and one tart apple chopped very fine
Stew for q few minutes. then add little
milk and cook gently until the onion Is soft.
Add two ounces of rich cheese cut into thin
slices; stir until melted, then put In half a
saltspoon of salt and pour over some neat
ly trimmed toasted slices Of bread.
Welsh Custard.
Take one cup Of dry grated cheese. four
eggs, one cup of milk, one teaspoonful of
butter, two teaspoonfuls of -four mixed
with milk bit Of baking soda the size OF
aS salt