Although cheese in some form is familiar to every household, it has been widely regarded in America as an accessory, almost a condimental substance rather than as a staple food worthy of comparison with meat or eggs. Statistics of the annual production, importation and exportation of cheese indicate that the total consumption in the United States is about 300,000,000 pounds—perhaps three pounds per capita. The household manufacture and consumption of cottage cheese would add a small amount to these figures. Cheese is used as a staple source of food values among many peoples of Europe. Such use of cheese increases rather than decreases with the density of the population. France with a small fraction of the land area and one-half the population of the United States produces and consumes about the same amount of cheese. In America, cheese-making has been developed with the advance of settlement into unoccupied territories only to be dropped as increasing population produced greater demands for milk in other forms. If cheese had been accepted as a regular part of the food supply in such communities, some form of cheese-making would have survived the economic changes. 334. "In order, however, that the question of the use of cheese in the diet may be adequately discussed, knowledge of its composition in comparison with other foods is desirable, and there is an abundance of data available on this subject, since the composition of cheese and other foods has often been investigated at the Department of Agriculture, in experiment station laboratories and in many other places where nutrition problems are studied. An extended summary of analyses of cheese of different sorts is included in an earlier publication of this department. "Data regarding the composition of cheese and a few other common foods are summarized in the following table. "It will be seen from the table (Table XXX) that cheese has nearly twice as much protein, weight for weight, as beef of average composition as purchased and that its fuel value is more than twice as great. It contains over 25 per cent more protein than the same weight of porterhouse steak as purchased, and nearly twice as much fat. TABLE XXX
"As shown by the figures in the following table, cheese contains 3.8 per cent ash. Of this a considerable part may be salt added in cheese-making. Like the milk from which it is made, cheese ash is characterized chiefly It is clear from the calculations shown in the last column, that Cheddar cheese takes first rank among the foods compared as to fuel value. The estimate of food values in terms of calories may not completely express the value of that food to a particular individual. It is generally conceded that one great function of food is the production of energy and this function is probably more closely determined by the number of calories produced than in any other known way. Such calculation has become an essential factor in the preparation of dietaries. The calculation here given necessarily applies only to Cheddar cheese. By easy use of the last column, the caloric value of this cheese can be compared with that of any competing food and the relative economy determined, whatever the price asked. Another recent calculation with reference "One pound of American Cheddar cheese contains as much protein as— 1.57 pounds of sirloin steak. "In order to judge the value of foods fairly not only the protein but the energy also must be compared. To supply 1.98 pounds of sirloin steak. All these discussions have applied to whole-milk Cheddar cheese. With minor reductions, much the same figures will hold for Swiss, Limburger, Brick, Munster, Edam. On the other hand, very little has been published until recently on the skimmed-milk cheeses. The food value lost in skimmed-milk has at times been enormous. Many households purchase milk by the bottle, use the top-milk as cream and lose a part of the remainder. Similarly creameries have wasted tons of skimmed-milk. The recovery of the protein of this milk for human food is both good economy and an important addition to the dietary. The United States Department of Agriculture has recently published the following: "Cottage cheese is richer in protein than most meats and is very much cheaper. Every pound contains more than three ounces of protein, the source of nitrogen for body building. It is a valuable source of energy also, though not so high as foods with more fat. It follows that its value in this respect can be greatly increased by serving it with cream, as is so commonly done." It is an open question whether the decline of cheese-making in America is not due to our failure to develop the use of skim and part-skim cheeses. The whole-milk cheeses are very rich in fat. Use of such cheese in quantity in connection with ordinary foods quickly leads to the "The following table shows that cottage cheese is much cheaper than most meats in furnishing protein for the diet. "For supplying protein, one pound of cottage cheese equals: 1.27 pounds sirloin steak. "In addition to protein, energy for performing body work must be furnished by food. As a source of energy also, cottage cheese is cheaper than most meats at present prices. The following table shows the comparison when energy is considered. "On the basis of energy supplied, one pound of cottage cheese equals: 8? ounces sirloin steak. 335. 336. "The cleavage of the nitrogenous material of the cheese and other changes are brought about chiefly by the action of enzymes originally present in cheese or by micro-organisms and are to be regarded as fermentative and not as putrefactive changes. "The liking for highly flavored cheeses of strong odor is a matter of individual preference, but from the chemist's standpoint there is no reason for the statement often made that such cheeses have undergone putrefactive decomposition." 337. 339. It is clear that in buying cheese, the housekeeper should know definitely the dietary purpose of the purchase, and then choose the variety of cheese best suited. To a very large degree the personal tastes of the family determine the kinds of cheese which will be tolerated when served uncooked. In some families, the strong flavors of Roquefort or Limburger are not acceptable. However, there is a range of choice in which much judgment can be used. Cheese to be served with mild-flavored foods should as a rule be also mild-flavored. For most sandwiches, for example, Cheddar or Swiss is usually very acceptable; Brick or partly ripe Limburger still hard enough to slice cuts into thin rectangular slices and is very attractive to many consumers because it has somewhat more flavor without being too strong. With proper handling it is good policy to buy the cheapest of these forms for this purpose. The selection of dessert cheeses offers the widest range. If served with mild-flavored crackers, very many persons prefer Cream, NeufchÂtel or mild Cheddar; a little stronger taste calls for club cheese, or Camembert. If tobacco smoke is present, Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Limburger and related types will satisfy many consumers better than mild cheeses. The intensity of flavor to be sought in the cheese should thus be adjusted to the food served with it. A person with an aversion to strong-smelling or strong-tasting cheese has For cooking purposes, some recipes prescribe cheese of special quality. In large markets, old Cheddar ripened carefully for two or three years is commonly purchasable for Welsh rabbit. (Ask for "rabbit" cheese.) An expert housekeeper familiar also with cheese ripening has demonstrated that almost any cheese, whether ripened to its best, part ripe or over-ripe, can be used in many cooking formulas without injuring the acceptability of the product to most consumers. In canning Camembert, it has been shown 340. "In some markets it is possible to buy small whole cheeses. These may be satisfactorily kept by cutting 341. 342. Foods which are to be served in place of meat should be rich in protein and fat and should also be savory. Cheese Sauce No. 1
Thicken the milk with the flour and just before serving add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. This sauce is suitable to use in preparing creamed eggs, or to pour over toast, making a dish corresponding to ordinary milk toast, except for the presence of cheese. It may be seasoned with a little curry powder and poured over hard-boiled eggs. Cheese Sauce No. 2 Same as cheese sauce No. 1, except that the cheese is increased from 1 to 2 ounces. This sauce is suitable for using with macaroni or rice, or for baking with crackers soaked in milk. Cheese Sauce No. 3 Same as cheese sauce No. 1, except that two cupfuls of grated cheese or 8 ounces are used. This may be used upon toast as a substitute for Welsh rabbit. Cheese Sauce No. 4 Same as cheese sauce No. 2, save that 2 tablespoonfuls of melted butter are mixed with the flour before the latter is put into the milk. This sauce is therefore very rich in fat and has only a mild flavor of cheese. Among the recipes for dishes which may be used like meat, the following give products which, eaten in usual quantities, will provide much the same kind and amount of nutritive material as the ordinary servings of meat dishes used at dinner. In several cases there is a resemblance in appearance and flavor to common meat dishes, which would doubtless be a point in their favor with many families. (2) For general cooking purposes: Cheese Fondue No. 1
Mix the water, bread crumbs, salt and cheese; add the yolks thoroughly beaten; into this mixture cut and fold the whites of eggs beaten until stiff. Pour into a buttered baking dish and cook 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve at once. The food value of this dish, made with the above quantities, is almost exactly the same as that of a pound of beef of average composition and a pound of potatoes combined. It contains about 80 grams of proteids and has a fuel value of about 1300 calories. Cheese Fondue No. 2
Prepare as in previous recipe. The protein value of this dish is equal to that of 1? pounds of potato and beef, the fuel value, however, being much in excess of these. In making either of these fondues, rice or other cereals may be substituted for bread crumbs. One-fourth cupful of rice measured before cooking, or one cupful of cooked rice or other cereals, should be used. Corn and Cheese SoufflÉ
Melt the butter and cook the pepper thoroughly in it. Make a sauce out of the flour, milk and cheese; add the corn, cheese, yolks and seasoning; cut and fold in the whites beaten stiffly; turn into a buttered baking dish and bake in a moderate oven 30 minutes. Made with skimmed-milk and without butter, this dish has a food value slightly in excess of a pound of beef and a pound of potatoes. Cheese SoufflÉ
Melt the butter; add the flour and, when well mixed, add gradually the scalded milk. Then add salt, cayenne and cheese. Remove from the fire and add the yolks of the eggs, beaten until lemon colored. Cool the mixture and fold into it the whites of the eggs, beaten until stiff. Pour into a buttered baking dish and cook 20 minutes in a slow oven. Serve at once. The proteid of this recipe is equal to that of half a pound of beef; the fuel value is equal to that of three-fourths of a pound. Welsh Rabbit
Cook the corn-starch in the butter; then add the milk gradually and cook two minutes; add the cheese and stir until it is melted. Season and serve on crackers or bread toasted on one side, the rabbit being poured over the untoasted side. Food value is that of about three-fourths of a pound of beef. Macaroni and Cheese No. 1 Macaroni and Cheese No. 1
Cook the macaroni in the boiling salted water, drain in a strainer, and pour cold water over it to prevent the pieces from adhering to each other. Make a sauce out of the flour, milk, and cheese. Put the sauce and macaroni in alternate layers in a buttered baking dish, cover with buttered crumbs, and heat in oven until crumbs are brown. Macaroni and Cheese No. 2 A good way to prepare macaroni and cheese is to make a rich cheese sauce and heat the macaroni in it. The mixture is usually covered with buttered crumbs and browned in the oven. The advantage of this way of preparing the dish, however, is that it is unnecessary to have a hot oven, as the sauce and macaroni may be reheated on the top of the stove. Baked Rice and Cheese No. 1
If uncooked rice is used, it should be cooked in 3 cupfuls of milk. Make a sauce with one cupful of milk, add the flour, cheese and salt. Into a buttered baking dish put alternate layers of the cooked rice and the sauce. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake until the crumbs are brown. The proteids in this dish, made with rice cooked in milk, are equal to those of nearly 1¾ pounds of average beef. If skimmed-milk is used, the fuel value is equal to nearly 3½ pounds of beef. Whole milk raises the fuel value still higher. Fried Bread with Cheese No. 1
Scald the milk with the potassium bicarbonate; add the grated cheese, and stir until it dissolves. Dip the bread in this mixture and fry it in the butter. The potassium bicarbonate helps to keep the cheese in solution. It is desirable, however, to keep the milk hot while the bread is being dipped. Plain Cheese Salad Cut Edam or ordinary American cheese into thin pieces, scatter them over lettuce leaves and serve with French dressing. Olive and Pimiento Sandwich or Salad Cheese Mash any of the soft cream cheeses and add chopped olives and pimientos in equal parts. This mixture requires much salt to make it palatable to most palates, the amount depending chiefly on the quantity of pimiento used. The mixture may be spread between thin slices of bread or it may be made into a roll or molded, cut into slices and served on lettuce leaves with French dressing. Cheese and Tomato Salad Stuff cold tomatoes with cream cheese and serve on lettuce leaves with French dressing. Cheese and Pimiento Salad Stuff canned pimientos with cream cheese, cut into slices and serve one or two slices to each person on lettuce leaves with French dressing. (3) Ways to use cottage cheese. Cottage cheese alone is an appetizing and nutritious dish. It may also be served with sweet or sour cream, and some persons add a little sugar, or chives, chopped onion or caraway seed. The following recipes Cottage Cheese with Preserves and Jellies Pour over cottage cheese any fruit preserves, such as strawberries, figs or cherries. Serve with bread or crackers. If preferred, cottage cheese balls may be served separately and eaten with the preserves. A very attractive dish may be made by dropping a bit of jelly into a nest of the cottage cheese. Cottage Cheese Salad Mix thoroughly one pound of cheese, one and one-half tablespoonfuls of cream, one tablespoonful of chopped parsley and salt to taste. First, fill a rectangular tin mold with cold water to chill and wet the surface; line the bottom with waxed paper, then pack in three layers of the cheese, putting two or three parallel strips of pimiento, fresh or canned, between the layers. Cover with waxed paper and set in a cool place until ready to serve; then run a knife around the sides and invert the mold. Cut in slices and serve on lettuce leaves with French dressing and wafers or thin bread-and-butter sandwiches. Minced olives may be used instead of the parsley, and chopped nuts also may be added. Cottage Cheese Rolls A large variety of rolls, suitable for serving as the main dish at dinner, may be made by combining legumes (beans of various kinds, cowpeas, lentils or peas) with cottage cheese, and adding Boston Roast 1 pound can of kidney beans, or equivalent quantity of cooked beans. ½ pound of cottage cheese. Mash the beans or put them through a meat grinder. Add the cheese and bread crumbs enough to make the mixture sufficiently stiff to be formed into a roll. Bake in a moderate oven, basting occasionally with butter or other fat, and water. Serve with tomato sauce. This dish may be flavored with chopped onions cooked until tender in butter or other fat and a very little water. Cottage Cheese with Preserves and Jellies 2 cupfuls of cooked Lima beans. Put the first three ingredients through a meat chopper. Mix thoroughly and add bread crumbs until it is stiff enough to form into a roll. Brown in the oven, basting occasionally with butter or other fat, and water. Cottage Cheese and Nut Roast
Cook the onion in the butter or other fat and a little water until tender. Mix the other ingredients and moisten with the Cheese Sauce One cupful of milk, 1 tablespoonful of cottage cheese, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, salt and pepper to taste. Thicken the milk with the flour and just before serving add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. This sauce may be used in preparing creamed eggs or for ordinary milk toast. The quantity of cheese in the recipe may be increased, making a sauce suitable for using with macaroni or rice. FOOTNOTES:Maine Exp. Sta. Rept. 1890, part II, pages 52-57. Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Rept. 1886, pages 119-130. Vt. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1890, pages 97-100. Vt. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1891, pages 61-74. N. Y. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1892, pages 299-392. N. Y. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1893, pages 39-162. Wis. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1890, pages 115-119. Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Rept. 1907, pages 152-156. N. Y. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1891, pages 139-142. N. Y. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1894, pages 31-86, 118-121. N. J. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1895, pages 136-137. Eckles, C. H., and R. H. Shaw. The influence of breed and individuality on the composition and properties of milk, Bur. An. Ind. Bul. 156, 1913. Eckles, C. H., and R. H. Shaw, Variations in the composition and properties of milk from the individual cow, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. An. Ind. Bul. 157, 1913. Wis. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1890, pages 238-247. Van Slyke, L. L., Conditions affecting the proportions of fat and protein in cow's milk, Jour. Am. Chem. Soc., 30 (1908), no. 7, pages 1166-1186. Forbes, E. B., and M. H. Keith, A review of the literature of phosphorus compounds in animal metabolism, Ohio Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 5, pages 32-36, 42-45. Van Slyke, L. L., and A. W. Bosworth, Condition of casein and salts in milk, N. Y. Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 39.
Stocking, W. A., Germicidal action of milk, Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Bul. 37, 1905. U. S. Treasury Dept., Hygienic Laboratory, Bul. 41, Milk and its relation to the public health, 1908, also revised as Bul. 56, 1909. Lauder, A., and A. Cunningham, Some factors affecting the bacteriological content of milk, Edinburgh and East of Scotland Coll. of Agr. Rept. XXVIII, 1913. Prucha, M. J., and H. M. Weeter, Germ content of milk, Ill. Exp. Sta. Bul. 199, 1917. Harding, H. A., et al., The effect of certain dairy operations upon the germ content of milk, N. Y. Exp. Sta. Bul. 365, 1913. Fraser, W. J., Sources of bacteria in milk, Ill. Exp. Sta. Bul. 91, 1903. Frandsen, J. H., Care of milk and cream on the farm, Neb. Exp. Sta. Bul. 133, 1912. Conn, H. W., The care and handling of milk, Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Bul. 26, 1903. Stocking, W. A., Jr., Quality of milk as affected by certain dairy operations, Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Bul. 42, 1906. Stocking, W. A., Tests of covered milk pails, Conn. (Storrs) Exp. Sta. Bul. 48, 1907. Todd, A., and E. C. V. Cornish, Experiments in the preparation of homemade rennet, Jour. Bd. Agr. (London) 23 (1916), no. 6, pages 549-555. Besana, C., Lack of coagulating ferment in cheesemaking, Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital. 49 (1916), pages 10-12. Van Dam, W., Rennet economy and substitutes, Verslag. Ver. Exploit. Proefzuivelboerderij. Hoorn, 1914, pages 45-46. See also, Van Slyke, L. L., and D. D. Van Slyke, I, The action of dilute acids upon casein when no soluble compounds are formed; II, The hydrolyses of the sodium salts of casein, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 3, pages 75-162, 1906. Sammis, J. L., S. K. Suzuki and F. W. Laabs, Factors controlling the moisture content of cheese curds, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. An. Ind. Bul. 122, pages 1-61, 1910. Hastings, E. G., Preparation and use of starter, Wis. Exp. Sta. Bul. 181, 1909. Larsen, C., and W. White, Preparation and use of starter, S. D. Exp. Sta. Bul. 123, 1910. Guthrie, E. S., and W. W. Fisk, Propagation of starter for butter-making and cheese-making, N. Y. (Cornell) Exp. Sta. Circ. 13, 1912. Hastings, E. G., and A. C. Evans, A comparison of the acid test and the rennet test for determining the condition of milk for the Cheddar type of cheese, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. An. Ind. Circ. 210, pages 1-6, 1913. Michels, J., Improved methods for making cottage and NeufchÂtel cheese, N. C. Exp. Sta. Bul. 210, pages 29-38. Fisk, W. W., Methods of making some of the soft cheeses, Cornell Exp. Sta. Circ. 30, pages 41-62, 1915. Dox, A. W., Proteolytic changes in the ripening of Camembert cheese, U. S. Dept. Agr. Bur. An. Ind. Bul. 109, pages 1-24, 1908. Marty, G., Brick cheesemaking, Wis. Cheese-makers Assoc., 15th Annual Meeting, 1907, page 66. Wuethrich, F., The manufacture of Brick cheese, Wis. Cheese-makers Assoc., 14th Annual Meeting, 1906, page 50. Schenk, C., Brick cheesemaking, Wis. Cheese-makers Assoc., 13th Annual Meeting, 1905, page 38. Boekhout, F. W. F., and J. J. O. de Vries, Sur le dÉfaut "Knijpers" dans le fromage d'Edam, Rev. Gen. Lait, 9 (1913), no. 18, pages 420-427. Marshall, C. E., Gassy curd and cheese, Mich. Exp. Sta. Bul. 183, 1900. Marshall, C. E., Gassy curd and cheese, Mich. Exp. Sta. Bul. 183, 1900. Moore, V. A., and A. R. Ward, Causes of tainted cheese curds, N. Y. (Cornell) Exp. Sta. Bul. 158, 1899. Ont. Agr. College and Exp. Farm Rept. 1909, pages 111-124, Cheese making experiments. Ont. Agr. College and Exp. Farm Rept. 1910, pages 111-128, Cheese making experiments. Fisk, W. W., A study of some factors influencing the yield and the moisture content of Cheddar cheese, Cornell Exp. Sta. Bul. 334, pages 515-537, 1913. E. G. Hastings, et al., Studies on the factors concerned in the ripening of Cheddar cheese, Wis. Exp. Sta. Research Bul. 25. Van Slyke, L. L., and A. W. Bosworth, Condition of casein and salts in milk, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 39, 1914. Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, A study of some of the salts formed by casein and paracasein with acids; their relation to American Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bul. 214, 1902. Van Slyke, L. L., and E. B. Hart, Some of the relations of casein and paracasein to bases and acids and their application to Cheddar cheese, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bul. 261, 1905. Van Slyke, L. L., and O. B. Winter, Cheese ripening investigations, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Tech. Bul. 33, 1914. Van Slyke, L. L., et al., Cheese ripening investigations; rennet enzyme as a factor in cheese ripening, N. Y. (Geneva) Exp. Sta. Bul. 233, 1903. Wis. Exp. Sta. Rept. 1903, pages 195-197, 201-205, 222-223, Action of proteolytic ferments on milk. Among important studies of Swiss cheese ripening are the following: Freudenreich, E. v., and Orla Jensen, Ueber die in EmmentalerkÄse stattfindende ProprionsÄuregÄrung, Centralb. f. Bakt. etc. 2 Abt. 17, page 529. Jensen, Orla, Biologische Studien Über den KÄsereifungsprozess unter spezieller Berucksichtigung der flÜchtigen FettsÄuren, Centralb. f. Bakt. etc. 2 Abt. 13 (1904), page 161. Eldredge, E. E., and L. A. Rogers, The bacteriology of cheese of the Emmenthal type, Centralb. f. Bakt. 2 Abt. 40 (1914), no. ?, pages 5-21. Gorini, C., On the distribution of bacteria in Grana cheese, Centralb. f. Bakt. etc. 2 Abt. 12 (1904), pages 78-81. Fascetti, G., The technological chemistry of the manufacture of Grana cheese in Reggio, Staz. Sper. Agr. Ital. 47 (1914), no. 8, pages 541-568. Sammis, J. L., Making whey butter at Cheddar cheese factories, Wis. Exp. Sta. Bul. 246, 1915. Ellenberrger, H. B., and M. R. Tolstrup, Skimming whey at Vermont cheese factories, Vt. Dept. Agr. Bul. 26, 1916. Farrington, E. H., and E. H. Benkendorf, Origination and construction of cheese factories and creameries, Wis. Exp. Sta. Bul. 244, 1915. Troy, H. C., A cheese moisture test, N. Y. (Cornell) Exp. Sta. Ext. Bul. 17, 1917. Hibbard, B. H., and A. Hobson, Markets and prices of Wisconsin cheese, Wis. Exp. Sta. Bul. 251, pages 1-56, 1915. |