Parmesan

“ As soufflé, either au Gruyère or au Parmesan, it becomes light and dainty as the poet's lyric, and surely should be served only on porcelain of the finest. It is simple to say how the miracle is worked: a well-heated oven, a proper saucepan, butter, water, pepper, salt and sugar in becoming proportions, the yolks of eggs and grated Parmesan, the whites of the eggs added, as if an afterthought; and twenty-five minutes in the expectant oven will do the rest. But was ever lyric turned out by rule and measure? Even the inspired artist has been known to fail with his soufflé. ”

“ Lay these fillets seasoned in a china fire-proof dish which has been well buttered and strewed with grated Parmesan; split two anchovies, remove the bone. Wash and dry the four halves, lay one on each fillet of teal, moisten with a gill of fish stock, sprinkle with bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, lay small pieces of butter over, and bake in the oven fifteen minutes. The last thing before serving squeeze the juice of a lemon over all.
Rabbits are so little cared for in this country that it may seem useless to give recipes for using them. ”

“ I have used this kind of cheese as a substitute for Parmesan, and I find it quite satisfactory, though it has not exactly the same fine flavor as the best qualities of Parmesan, but is equal to that commonly used by the Italian millions. The only fault of our ordinary whole-milk English and American cheeses is that they are too rich, and can not be so finely grated on account of their more unctuous structure, due to the cream they contain. ”

“ Sprinkle in two ounces of Parmesan cheese and warm up for five minutes, then garnish the fowl with them, and pour over it a pint of rich Béchamel sauce, in which two ounces of Parmesan cheese has been mixed. The Nouilles are made by mixing half a pound of butter with three eggs till it becomes a thick smooth paste, roll it out very thin, cut it into strips an inch wide, and place four or five of these on the top of each other, shred them in thin slices like Julienne vegetables, and drain them. ”

“ The last notable mention of cheese in war was the name of the Monitor: "A cheese box on a raft."
Romano is not as expensive as Parmesan, although it is as friable, sharp and tangy for flavoring, especially for soups such as onion and minestrone. It is brittle and just off-white when well aged.
Although made of sheep's milk, Pecorino is classed with both Parmesan and Romano. All three are excellently imitated in Argentina. Romano and Pecorino Romano are interchangeable names for the strong, medium-sharp and piquant Parmesan types that sell for considerably less. ”

“ Beat twelve eggs in a saucepan, with two tablespoonfuls of grated Parmesan cheese, a pinch of pepper, but no salt; stir them well with a whip, and make of this six small omelets, as for No. 450. As soon as they are sufficiently firm, lay them on a dish. Besprinkle the tops with a little grated Parmesan cheese, roll, and trim them nicely, sprinkle more cheese over the tops, wipe off the sides of the dish, and put them in a hot oven for five minutes. Remove from the oven, pour around the omelets one gill of hot Madeira sauce (No. 185) ; and serve very hot. ”

“ Scalloped.—Melt together 2 oz. Parmesan cheese and 2 oz. butter, finely mince 1⁄2 lb. tender and rather underdone cold roast beef; mix this with the cheese and butter, seasoning it with a little pepper and salt; have ready some tin or plated scallop shells, buttered and sprinkled over with breadcrumbs finely grated; pour in the mixture, sprinkle over it some more breadcrumbs, and then grate Parmesan cheese over the top; they may be baked either in the oven or in a Dutch oven before the fire. Serve very hot. ”

“ The former two show a very large decrease and the latter a large increase on the export figures for 1882. The export of agricultural products shows a large increase.
The north of Italy has long been known for its great dairy districts. Parmesan cheese, otherwise called Lodigiano (from Lodi) or grana, was presented to King Louis XII. as early as 1509. Parmesan is not confined to the province from which it derives its name; it is manufactured in all that part of Emilia in the neighbourhood of the Po, and in the provinces of Brescia, Bergamo, Pavia, Novara and Alessandria. ”

“ Let them get cool, drain, and put them in a pie-dish with two ounces of fresh butter, a quarter pint of very good stock, a little pepper, and a dust of grated Parmesan. When they are well glazed over, pour off the sauce, season with three tablespoonsful of boiling Bechamel sauce (No. 3) , and serve with croutons fried in butter.
No. 156. Barbabietola alla Parmigiana (Beetroot) Ingredients: Beetroot, white sauce, Parmesan, Cheddar.
Boil a beetroot till it is quite tender, peel it, cut into slices, put it in a fireproof dish, and cover it with a thick white sauce. ”

“ Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Wash the rice, melt the butter in a stewpan, and fry the shallot, chopped, until of a light gold colour. Put in the rice and fry it, stirring constantly for 10 minutes, over a slow fire; then add some boiling, strong gravy and boil all up for 18 minutes; draw it back, have ready the saffron soaked in a little hot water, strain it into the rice, then add 3 oz. grated Parmesan, a few dice of fresh butter, and a pinch of grated nutmeg; stir all together for a minute over the fire, and serve at once very hot. ”

“ Remove roaster breast and vegetables to serving platter; keep warm. In small bowl, stir together milk and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in Dutch oven. Over medium heat, bring to boil; boil l minute, stirring constantly. Serve sauce with roaster breast and vegetables.
PARMESAN BREASTServes 4 Parmesan cheese is a "cooking cheese" and is usually used in its grated form in the United States. When young, it's mild and nutty, but with age is acquires a sharply tangy flavor. ”

“ Bake about 20 minutes in a quick oven, basting at intervals; then strew over some fine breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese, bake a few minutes more till delicately coloured, dish without breaking the slices, but take away the bay leaf and onions. Pour enough broth or water into the baking dish to make a sauce; add pepper, salt, lemon juice, or vinegar; stir well round the crusting, and pour it over the fish. ”

“ Cream-cheese is the richest form, but keeps less well than that of milk. Stilton, the finest English brand, is made partly of cream, partly of milk, and so with various other foreign brands, Gruyere, &c. Parmesan is delicately flavored with fine herbs, and retains this flavor almost unaltered by age. Our American cheeses now rank with the best foreign ones, and will grow more and more in favor as their value is understood, this being their strongly nitrogenous character. ”

“ Parmesan cheese 1⁄4 lb. butter 1⁄4 lb. flour 1 pinch salt 1 pinch paprika (red pepper) Preparation: The butter is beaten to foam, the cheese is grated fine and added, also salt and paprika. Then the flour is kneaded into it to make a smooth dough and rolled out to 1⁄2 inch thickness. Cut in 1⁄2 inch strips and 5 inches long. Now bake in a medium hot oven to a light yellow color. If too dark the sticks will taste bitter.
They are served fresh and warm with strong bouillon. ”

“ A boiled sole is all very well when one is just convalescent, but in robust health we demand the delights of egg and bread-crumb, which are after all only the vehicle for the appetising grease. Plain boiled macaroni may pass muster in the unsophisticated nursery, but in the pampered dining-room it requires the aid of toasted parmesan. Good modern cookery is the practical result of centuries of experience in this direction; the final flower of ages of evolution, devoted to the equalisation of flavours in all human food. ”

“ Sprinkle bottom and sides evenly with Parmesan cheese. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Add flour and stir with wire whisk. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly until mixture foams and bubbles. Remove from heat, add milk, and beat until smooth. Beat in salt, mustard, cayenne and Worcestershire. Return to heat and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly, until mixture is quite thick. Remove from heat and add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Pour this mixture into a large bowl. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. ”

“ These bodini may be made with various ingredients; they will be most delicate with a forcemeat of fowl and bits of brain mixed with herbs, truffle, cooked ham, or tongue. They are also excellent made with fish (sole, mullet, turbot, &c.) , either cooked or raw, and marinated in lemon, salt, pepper, oil, nutmeg, and parsley.
No. 112. Animelle alla Parmegiana (Sweetbread) Ingredients: Sweetbread, bread crumbs, Parmesan, butter.
Blanch as many sweetbreads as you require, and then roll them in bread crumbs mixed with grated Parmesan, salt, and pepper ”

“ For twelve fondants make a white sauce with two soupspoons of flour and milk. Add to it the yolks of three eggs. Stir in four ounces of mixed Gruyère cheese, and Parmesan, grated very finely. Add at the end the juice of half a lemon, and a dust of cayenne. Let it all grow cold. Then make little balls with this paste and roll them in breadcrumbs. Throw them in a pan of boiling fat, where they must remain till they are a good golden color. Drain them, keeping them hot, and serve quickly. ”

“ FROM THE U.S.: Liederkranz, Blue, Cheddar
FROM SWEDEN: Hablé Crême Chantilly
FROM ITALY: Taleggio, Gorgonzola, Provolone, Bel Paese
FROM HUNGARY: Kascaval
FROM SWITZERLAND: Swiss Gruyère
FROM GERMANY: Kümmelkäse
FROM NORWAY: Gjetost, Bondost
FROM HOLLAND: Edam, Gouda
FROM ENGLAND: Stilton
FROM POLAND: Warshawski Syr
Chapter
Nine Au Gratin, Soups, Salads and Sauces
He who says au gratin says Parmesan. Thomas Gray, the English poet, saluted it two centuries ago with:
Parma, the happy country where huge cheeses grow. ”

“ No. 142. Fagiano alla Napoletana (Pheasant) Ingredients: Pheasant, macaroni, gravy, butter, Parmesan, tomatoes.
Lard a pheasant, roast it, and serve it on a layer of macaroni cooked with good reduced gravy, two ounces of butter, a tablespoonful of grated Parmesan, and a puree of tomatoes. Serve with Neapolitan sauce (No. 12) in a sauce bowl.
No. 143. Fagiano alla Perigo (Pheasant) Ingredients: Pheasant, butter, truffles, larding bacon, Madeira. ”

“ In a few days it is fit for use. As it is both wholesome and nutritious, it ought to be much more used by all classes in England than it is. It generally accompanies Parmesan cheese to the tables of the rich, but is also used for thickening soups and making puddings.
SOUP MAIGRE (i.e. without Meat) .
136. INGREDIENTS.—6 oz. butter, 6 onions sliced, 4 heads of celery, 2 lettuces, a small bunch of parsley, 2 handfuls of spinach, 3 pieces of bread-crust, 2 blades of mace, salt and pepper to taste, the yolks of 2 eggs, 3 teaspoonfuls of vinegar, 2 quarts of water. ”

“ What is? The “English Parmesan,” they called it then, when their palates first became acquainted with it, but it deserved better of them than that. It was a species of itself, and not justly comparable with aught else. But Stilton cheese is not, nor ever was, made at Stilton, or anywhere near it. It originated with Mrs. Paulet of Wymondham, near Melton Mowbray, who first supplied it to Cooper Thornhill, the once celebrated landlord of the “Bell,” for the use of the table provided for the coach passengers and other travellers who dined there. Mrs. ”

“ Add a bit of mace, half a cupful of cream, a little flour and butter, pepper and salt.
PARSNIP WINE. To twelve pounds of sliced parsnips, add four gallons of water, and boil them till they become soft. Squeeze the liquor well out of them, run it through a sieve, and add to every gallon three pounds of lump sugar. Boil the whole three quarters of an hour, and when it is nearly cold, add a little yeast. Let it stand in a tub for ten days, stirring it from the bottom every day, and then put it into a cask for twelve months. As it works over, fill it up every day. ”