500 Recipes for Egg and Cheese Dishes [antikvár]

Hints on cooking and storingAlways cook eggs slowly-with a slow to moderate heatHigh temperatures and over-cooking cause curdh'ng and 'watering* in dishes thickened with eggs, while soufflés and other dishes leavened with eggs will have a tough crust and become rubbery inside. There is no need to be ashamed that you *can*t even boil an egg'-a good cook never boils an egg. As with many other foods, when we say boil, in this context, we mean, bring to boiling point, reduce heat quickly and hold at simmering point.Always cook cheese very gently and not more than necessaryOver-heating and over-cooking tend to make cheese tough and indigestible. When making a cheese sauce for example, add the cheese at the last minute and continue to cook the mixture only long enough to melt the cheese. Better still, if the cheese is finely grated, remove the pan from the heat and allow the heat of the sauce to melt it. Like egg dishes, most cheese dishes should be cooked at a slow or moderate temperature.Choice of cheese is important Cheddar is the cheese most widely used in cooking in this country, though crumbly Lancashire is the one to choose, especially for toasting. Of the foreign cheese, Parmesan is the most at home in the kitchen, as it has, in addition to its excellent flavour, the advantage of being very hard, so can be grated finely. Parmesan can also be bought ready grated and is suitable for all made up cheese dishes. But it is more expensive than Cheddar or Lancashire.Storage of cheeseCheese will keep, well wrapped in foil, cellophane, or in a polythene bag. Keep it in a cool place-the refrigerator or a cold larder. Do not wrap cheese in greaseproof paper as this tends to draw out the fat. If the cheese gets white bloom on it, this is easily scraped off and the cheese will be perfectly all right to eat.Do remember that for the best flavour, cheese should be at room temperature for at least one hour before eatmg.Storage of eggsEggs require cool storage in an atmosphere that is not too dry. Keep eggs broad end up and away from strongly flavoured food like some cheese and onions. The porous nature of the shell makes the contents particularly receptive to external odours. Eggs kept in a refrigerator should be removed one hour before use and allowed to come to room temperature.Tips for using up cheeseGrate cheese, several kinds can be mixed together.Add a little freshly ground black pepper and some softened butter, using about 1 oz. to 8 oz. cheese. Moisten with a little white wine and beat till creamy. Press into a basin and cover with melted butter. Keep in a cold place and use as a sandwich spread or on toast or crispbread.Choice of eggs for cooking The Romans believed that long eggs had better flavour than round eggs, just as many people today believe that brown eggs taste better than white, but when it comes to cooking, it is the size that is important. Eggs are graded according to their weight: Large, Standard, Medium and Small. In cooking it is advisable to use standard eggs-unless the size is specified. In liquid capacity there are an average 12 standard eggs, shelled, to the pint. 12 small eggs yield only i pint, hence the importance in a balanced recipe, a large cake for example, to use eggs of the correct size.When choosuig cheese for the end of a meal remember that each cheese has an individual taste. Here is a guide:For men, select a strong cheese: Cheddar for its nutty flavour, Stilton, rich and mellow, or Double Gloucester, a pungent smooth textured cheese or a matured Lancashire.Many children prefer a cheese to sweet things and there's nothing better for an in-between-meals nibble. Give them Wensleydale, a creamy cheese with a honeyed after-taste, or Caerphilly with its gentle, milk flavour.To suit feminine taste, choose a cheese of medium flavour such as Cheshire, mellow with a salty tang, Leicester, a real dessert cheese known by its rich russet colour, or Derby, a very close textured cheese.