MAINLY FOR WOMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 April 1932, Page 3

MAINLY FOR WOMEN

ITEMS OF INTEREST

(Notes by

Marjorie)

HOUSEHOLD NOTES.

YEAST AND OTHER THINGS.

A good many women who would like to add yeast as a raising to their cakes and buns, are, rather diffident because there are no directions on the small packets, telling them how to use it. But after all, there are plenty of things which you buy which are merely part of the ingredients, hnd one looks to the actual directions in the various cookery books for guidfance. For example, where apple cake is concerned, and the recipe for which has been given lately, half an ounce of compressed yeast and half an ounce of sugar are creamed together until liquid. But in the case of buns and so on, where the recipe says to stir in a gill of yeast, this would mean ordinary hop yeast, made by an approved recipe such as: Two ounces of the best hops, four quarts of water, lib of flour, 31bs of the best potatoes, half a pound of brown sugar, and a handful of salt. One morning boil the hops in the water for 30 minutes, then strain through mosquito net. Let it cool down to new milk warmth, then add the sugar and salt. Beat up the flour with a little of the liquid, and stir well in. Two days later add the potatoes, previously boiled and mashed, and leave until next day. Thon strain again, put into strong bottles, and it is ready foi* use. On the other hand you can proceed thus: Take one pound of flour, half an ounce of contipressed yeast, one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of sugar. Sift the flour, and place in a large bowl. Put in a warm place for a few moments, as flour becomes very cold. Make a hole in the centre of the flour, and crumble in the yeast. Sprinkle in the sugar, and then pou-’ in about two teaspoonfuls of warm water, making a batter in the centre. Leave to rise for about 15 minutes. Then sprinkle oyer the salt, and make up into a rather stiff dough, using more lukewarm water. Knead until the dough comes away from the board and the hands. Put it back again into the bowl, cover it over, and leave it 1 to rise for about 40 minutes. Finally': place, again on the board, roll in a sprinkle of sugar, and a handful of currants or raisins, and shape as required. '

This is a very nice recipe for a yeast loaf, and I have not given you this before. It is usually known as a Brownie, and is generally appreciated for afternoon tea, cut in slices and buttered. Take a piece of dough, risen to the size, of an ordinary loaf, and into it knead two ounces of fresh butter or lard, one beaten egg, a handful of currants, and one teaspoonful of mixed spice. Bake as you would your bread, after forming into buns and placing on a greased tray. A good many of the country women would scorn to use compressed yeast as they prefer to make it as suggested. Vrey strong stone bottles are of course necessary, and the corks must be wired in very securely. You .can make a very nice glaze by brushing over with milk directly the buns are taken from the oven. On the other hand, white of egg may be used, but do not put any yolk on. as it makes the buns look cheap. Here is the recipe for an American Nut Chocolate Cake which may be a little new to you. Take two-thirds of a cup of butter, two-thirds of a cup of sugar, the yolks of four eggs, one cup of hot mashed potato, the whites of the four eggs beaten firm, one teaspoonful of nutmeg, half a teaspoonful of cloves, two squares, of melted chocolate, half a cup of sweet milk, two cups of flour, three teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, and one cup of broken-up walnuts. Cream the butler with the sugar, add the eggs, then the other ingredients in the usual order. Bako for an hour and a half in a good oven, lining the tin with two thicknesses of buttered paper. When cold, ice the cake with marshmallow icing. For this take two cups of sugar, the whites of four eggs, one teaspoonful of vanilla, two-thirds of a cup of water, and half a pound of marshmal lows. Boil the sugar and water to the hair stage—that is, 240 degrees—then pour slowly on to the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Beat constantly until nearly cold, when add the marshmallows cut into fourths. Do not have the icing too hot, or it will melt the sweets. Pour over the cake at once, and leave to set. This makes a very large cake, and the ingredients may bo halved if necessary.—A.M. in the “Sydney Morning Herald.” (

HOW TO MAKE CURRY. TIPS FROM EXPERTS. The “Daily Telegraph” (London) ' recently invited its readers to forward recipes for making curry. The following were among the prize-win ners: — THE JAVANESE WAY. There are two essentials to the making of a good curry—one is correct fryiilg in the initial stages, and the other that fresh curry powder and paste must be used. The ingredients for a chicken curry which nearly approaches the taste of the true Malayan curry are as follows: One small chicken, 1 lemon, 1 green apple, 1 large onion, 1 large potato, 2 dessert-spoonfuls of flour, 4 j tcaspoonfuls curry powder, 3 teaspoon, fuls curry paste, 2 tablespoonfuls desiccated coconut, 8 oz of butter, or lard for frying, pint of good stock, red. chilli pepper, and salt. Cut up the chicken, w r ash and dry the pieces. Place the butter in a frying pan, melt, lightly fry each piece of chicken, sufficient to seal up the pores—two minutes’ frying is sufficient—and transfer to pan containing the stock. Cut the onion in slices and toss in the hot frying-pan, being careful not to fry brown, then transfer to the saucepan. Tttke the curry powder and the flour, mix, and fry together in the butter, stirring continuously to ■ prevent burning, for five minutes. Put in th saucepan with the remains of the butter and the desiccated coconut, the apple, peeled, cored, and cut in slices, the potato cut in slices, and the curry paste. Bring all to the boil fairly quickly, stirring all the time to prevent burning. Boil for ten minutes, and transfer the whole to an earthenware stewpot, adding a large teaspoonful of Jlemon-jui/ie. Flavour with chilli pepper and salt to taste. Place the covered pot in the oven and cook very gently! for two to three hours.

This curry should be served with rice cooked very dry, the grains separate. A delicious series of additions, adds this prizewinner, which one rarely finds served in England, are the “Sambals,” or little side’ dishes, of which the following are a few:—Onion cut into fine pieces and pickled in

Chilli and Tarragon vinegar, vinegar, pea nuts fried in butter, “Krupons,” or wafer thin rusks, made by pounding together in a mortar, dry fish, flour and salt, moistening with water to make a stiff paste, and cooking the small cakes on a hot plate, thin, shredded cucumber in a mixture of half milk and half “coconut milk.”

EXCELLENT DRY CURRY. One tablespoonful butter, 2 onions, 1 apple, 1 dessertspoonful sultanas, 2 teaspoonfuls sugar, 1J tablespoonfuls curry powder, I teacupful stock. Peel the onions and apple and cut into small pieces. Put butter in frypans and when the smoke rises, put in the onions, apple, sultanas and sugar and curry powder. Fry all till the onions are brown, then add the stock, the meat, rabbit, or chicken, cut up in small squares. Fry all till nice and brown. Put it all in a glass fireproof dish and leave in the oven to keep warm till required. I find dhal served witli the curry and rice very good. This is merely about 4 tablespoonfuls of lentils covered witn water, boiled till transparent and thick, and serve in a sauceboat. The addition of a dessertspoonful of curry powder while cooking improves this.

CURRIED RABBIT. A pair of rabbits or 1 boiling fowl, Jib onions cut into thin slices, 3 cloves garlic, 1 dessertspoonful brown sugar. 1 teaspoonful salt, 2 dessertspoonfuls curry powder, 2 dessertspoonfuls turmeric powder, 4 apples, (cored and sliced), |lb butter, 1 coconut, and the juice of a lemon. Grate the coconut and put into a quart, basin, add a pint of cold water, and squeeze the ghated nut until the water is like milk. Put this liquid into th'e stew pan. Fry onions, apples, and garlic in the butter until the onions are brown. Take the lot out and put into the pan. Cut up meat into small pieces, and quickly brown on the outside, leaving centre- half cooked. Place the wohle of the ingredients in a covered pot. Simmer until well cooked. GOANESE CURRY. Before leaving India I got my roanese cook to show me how to

make his excellent curry. Here is the •recipe: Mix the curry powder, quantity to taste, in about half a teacupful of milk. Melt (for two persons) nearly llb.of margarine in a saucepan, add the curry powder, then put in the cutup meat or fish, to which have been added some onions, previously fried a dark brown. Heat thoroughly; the juice should be clean golden colour, with a brown sediment. Cook the rice by throwing it into a saucepan of boiling water for about twenty minutes to which salt has been added. Turn out into a fine sieve, and hold under cold tap till all the sticky part has been washed away. Return to sa'ucepan, and heat in oven. Serve in vegetable dish. The rice is handed first, and the curry heaped on top of it. Dhal is frequently eaten with curry and is simply leanils cooked in boiling water, with a little salt to a stiffish puree.