Milk based gruel

The content of protein and salt in cow’s milk is 2 to 3 times as high as in breast milk, and in contrast to breast milk the protein in cow milk basically consists of casein, which forms coarse flocs (precipitation) in the stomach under the influence of hydrochloric acid. Since the high content of salt can lead to a morbid uptake of liquid, cow milk in its’ natural form is unsuitable for new born children. Furthermore is the content of iron, vitamin A, and C et al considerably lower than in breast milk, which can lead to vitamin insufficiency in regards to those components (for an extract in Swedish, see below):

With the help of some methods, cow’s milk can be made more easily digested. The content of protein and salt can be reduced though extension with water. The protein can be made more digestable through boiling the milk (or through preformed precipitation of the casein with citric asid). Extension of the cow milk with equal amount of water, however, reduces the already low concentration of carbohydrate, which usually is replaced with 5% sugar, so called half milk (55 Kcal/100 g), or adequate sugar and boiled milk-substitution, where 1/3 of the milk is a water and sugar substitution, so called half or 2/3-milk based gruel (70 kcal/100 g).

Preparation:
Half milk: ½ l whole milk and ½ l water. Put to a boil together with 50 g sugar.
2/3-milk gruel: 25 g wheat flour (two full Tbsps)
2 cups (3 dl) of cold water. Dissolved the flour in cold water.
Whisk and boil 5 minutes (replace all reduced water).
Add 30 g sugar (circa two Tbsps) and 5-7 dl of half milk. Bring it to a boil.

Put the mixtures in a refrigerator after boiling. Keep them for maximum 24 hours. To warm the milk based gruel: Place in a hot water bath and warm it to 32- 35 oC (90-95 oF) before serving. By changing the composition, you can to a certain extent have an effect on the gastrointestinal tract: milk gruel based on low fat or skimmed milk has less calories but has constipation as an effect; mixtures with oat or rye flour helps to more looseness.

Oat flour gruel with a 2/3-milk base:

1,5 dl oat flour
½ l cold water. Soak for one hour.
Let 1,5 l of 2/3-milk plus 2 Tbsps of sugar boil for 2-3 minutes.
Add the oat flour gruel and bring to a boil.

Rice flour gruel with a 2/3-milk base:

0,7 dl (circa ½ cup) rice flour
½ Tbsp butter or rape oil
1 small piece of cinnamon/vanilla bean
2,5 l of 2/3-milk
Mix and boil 5 minutes.

[Cf. Göran Wallgren, Näringsfysiologi, bristsjukdomar och uppfödning, Almqvist & Wiksell Förlag AB, Stockholm (1973)]

Bröstmjölkersättning:

Äggvitehalt liksom salthalt i komjölk är 2-3 gånger högre än i modersmjölk, och äggvitan består till skillnad från bröstmjölkens huvudsakligen av ostämne, kasein, som i barnets magsäck under inverkan av saltsyra omvandlas till en grovflockig fällning, som är svårsmält. Då den höga salthalten främjer en onaturligt stor vätskesamling hos barnet, är komjölk i sin naturliga skick olämplig för spädbarn. Dessutom är komjölkens halt av bl.a. järn, A- och C-vitamin betydligt lägre än bröstmjölkens, som lättare kan ge bristtilstånd vad gäller dessa komponenter.

Genom olika åtgärder kan komjölk göras mera lättsmält för barnet. Äggvite- och salthalten kan minskas genom spädning av mjölken med vatten. Äggvitan kan göras mera lättsmält genom kokning av mjölken (eller genom förfällning av ostämnet med citronsyra). Vid spädning av komjölk med lika delar vatten minskas emellertid den redan låga kolhydratkoncentrationen, varför denna vanligtvis ersätts med 5% socker, s.k. halvmjölk (55 kcal/100 g), eller motsvarande mängd socker och mjölkavkok, där 1/3 av mjölken ersätts av vatten och kolhydrathalten justeras upp som angivits, s.k. halv- eller 2/3-välling (70 kcal/100 g).

Tilberedning:
1/2 –mjölk: ½ l komjölk och ½ l vatten uppkokas tillsammans med 50 g socker.
2/3-välling: 25 g vetemjöl (2 rågade msk)
Vispas upp i 3 dl kallt vatten. Låt koka i 5 min (ersätt bortkokat vatten).
30 g socker (ca. 2 msk) och 5-7 dl mjölk tillsätts. Låt koka upp.

Avkyl blandningarna efter uppkokning och bevara dem i kylskåp. Uppvärm till hudtemperatur Uppvärm till hudtemperatur (< 35 oC) i vattenbad före målet. Genom ändring av blandningens sammansättning har man vissa möjligheter att påverka bl.a. barnets tarmfunktion: mjölkblandningar gjorda på lätt- eller skummjölk har lägre kalorital men också en stoppande effekt, och blandningar med vetemjölet ersatt av havre eller råg har en lösande effekt.


Havremjölsvälling
Blötlägg i 1 h:
1 kaffekopp havremjöl
½ l vatten
Koka upp 1,5 l 2/3-mjölk plus 2 msk socker, och kom i havremjölsvällingen (låt koka upp).

Risgrynsvälling
0,7 dl (el ½ kaffekopp) risgrynsmjöl
½ msk smör eller rapsolja
1 bit kanel/vaniljstång
2,5 l 2/3-mjölk
Blanda och låt koka 5 min.

[Göran Wallgren, Näringsfysiologi, bristsjukdomar och uppfödning, Almqvist & Wiksell Förlag AB, Stockholm (1973)]

Sour dough

A true sourdough starter is only flour and water (sometimes other ingredients)

but no yeast, and can last for years, even decades. Some buy dried starters, that are ready to activate in a few hours--this is a good shortcut, or you can make your own, catching the wild yeasts indigenous to your area.

For a non-yeast sourdough starter:

Mix 1 cup non-chlorinated water

and 1 cup white or rye flour (organic if possible).

Mix in a glass bowl or jar, loosely cover, and set aside for 2-3 days.

If you're lucky, the mixture should be bubbly and fermented in about

3 days (or more). At this point you can feed the starter by adding

1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water, mix, and set aside again til

bubbly. Try setting container in a warm part of the house to speed

up fermentation.

When the starter is ready (after first feeding):

Use 1 cup (3-4 dl) of it in your bread recipe without adding yeast.

Your bread might need a much longer rising time before it's ready to bake.

To keep the sourdough starter active, feed it an additional 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour every 2-3 days. Either use 1 cup of starter in your recipe every few days, or toss out that 1 cup so you don't build up so much starter that you can't use it all.

Ways to get some sourdough starter:

1. Get a cup of starter from a friend or another baker. You take a cup of the starter and add flour and water to make more of it.

2. You can make a starter with normal packaged yeast you buy at the store (see recipe below).

3. Or you can buy a packaged sourdough starter mix at a grocery, by mail-order, or in IKEA if living outside Scandinavia.

Sourdough Honey Whole Wheat Bread

1 package Active Dry Yeast

1 cup Warm Water

1 teaspoon Salt

(2/3 cup Sourdough Starter)

1/2 cup Honey

1 1/2 tablespoons Shortening

4 cups Whole Wheat Flour

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water.

Mix yeast, honey, salt and shortening with 3 cups flour.

Add more flour as needed to make a stiff dough.

Knead 150 strokes on a floured surface and place in a greased bowl.

Cover and let rise 1 to 1 1/2 hours until doubled in size.

Punch down, let double again. Punch down and roll into tight loaf.

Grease and flour a loaf pan. Let double in pan.

Bake at 210 °C/400 °F. for 35 to 40 minutes or until very dark golden brown (The bread should sound hollow when thumped).

Alaska Sourest Dough

Sourdoughs were originally produced by wild yeasts. The wild yeasts on the west coast and in bay area produce a unique flavor in breads, which can be recreated with using vinegar.

1 package Yeast

1 tablespoon Vinegar

2 1/4 cups Warm water

1 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 cups of flour

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water.

Add sugar, vinegar, salt, and all purpose flour.

Add remaining water until a creamy batter is formed.

Place in a glass bowl, cover and let sit until it starts to ferment(About 3 days).

It will take on a powerful boozy smell.

Stir again until creamy and measure out what is called for in the recipe.

Replenish starter with equal amounts of flour and water.

Store in the fridge and bring to room temp before using.

How to prepare a fine Wok

Fried Chicken and Vegetables with Special Steamed Rice
COM THO GA

This dish is called “rice cooked in a bowl”, because the rice is prepared in a special way and then steamed in an individual bowl for each person. How to do a fine wok is stir-frying the vegetables without a lid on the pot, so they remain crunchy, and prepare a fine sauce with i.e. coconut milk and thickening.

Steamed rice:
Utensils: 6 ovenproof small bowls or pots

Rice 3 cups
Salt ¼ tsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp
Oil 2 Tbsp
Water

Fried Chicken:
Chicken filet of breast 4
Chinese Mushrooms 10 p (dried)
Mushrooms 200 g (fresh)
Onion 2
Red Capsicum 1 (chili)
Medium Carrots 2
Pumpkin 200 g (in slices)
Chinese Cabbage 2 leaves
Leek 2 sticks

Oil 4 Tbsp
Salt ½ Tsp
Sugar 1 Tbsp
(monosodium glutamate ½ Tsp)
Sesame Seed Oil 1 Tsp
Soya Sauce 2 Tbsps
Coconut Milk 1 Cup
Corn flour 2 Tbsps
Coriander leaves 1 Tbsp (chopped) – Optional
Spring Onions 1 Tsp

Preparation:
First prepare the rice, as it takes about one hour to cook. Wash the rice thoroughly under cold water until without starch in the water, and pout it in a small mixing bowl. Mix in salt, sugar, and oil. Half fill the bowls with rice. Add water until it is about 1,5 cm above the rice. Place bowls in a large steamer and steam for 1 hour. Check that the water in the steamer does not evaporate.

Cut chicken into 4 x 1 cm slices. Soak the Chinese mushrooms for 30 min in hot water. Remove the stems and cut into 4. Wash vegetables and also cut into 4 x 1 cm strips. Slice garlic finely.

Heat at least 2 tablespoons of oil over high to moderate heat in a separate frying pan. Add ¼ teaspoon salt and half of the garlic and onion. Stir-fry until onion becomes translucent. Add 1 tablespoon sugar and then the Chinese mushrooms. Stir-fry and put in a large wok over low to medium heat. Add the vegetables in the frying pan and stir-fry carrots, cabbage, capsicum, pumpkin, and fresh mushrooms in that order. Stir-fry until vegetables change colour but still remain crunchy. Add some hot water or vegetable stock if necessary.

Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan over moderate heat. Add the remaining salt, onion and garlic. Stir-fry until onion becomes translucent, and add chicken. Stir-fry until the chicken is cooked and then slightly increase the heat. Add vegetable stock, soya sauce, coconut milk, monosodium glutamate and sesame seed oil. Mix the chicken with the vegetables, and mix corn flour with ½ cup of cold water. When the sauce in the frying pan starts boiling, add the corn flour and water. Mix well and remove from heat.

To serve: Serve immediately with coriander leaves, spring onion leaves, or otherwise basil or parsley is adequate.

Danish Rye Bread (Rugbrød)

Rugbrød skal bages igennem, men det må heller ikke blive for hårdt, og det sker, hvis temperaturen er for høj. Til gengæld bliver smagen utrolig god. Dette rugbrød fra Per Brun og Emmerys er et honning–salt hævet surdejsbrød. Det vil sige, at hævningen sker ved hjælp af en surdej, men at processen hjælpes på vej af honning og salt.

Oprindeligt er denne opskrift med rent rugmel og knækkede rugkerner, og ligner meget det sydtyske Pumpernickel uden at smage lakridsagtigt. Under Napoleonskrigene skulle tyskerne angiveligt under en våbenhvile have tilbudt franskmændene netop pumpernikkel. Ved synet af det mørke brød lød Napoleons kommentar “C’est pain pour Nicke” – altså “Det er brød til Nicke”. Nicke var en af Napoleons hvide hingste. Ordet skulle således være en forvanskning af ‘pain pour Nickel’.

Day One:

One packet of sour Rye-dough (ca. 4 dl)
1 liter water (lukewarm)
½ liter bier

800 g rye-flour
200 g wheat-flour
½ kg crushed rye-grains (0,8 l)
4 tblsp. honey
2-3 tblsp. coarse cooking salt

– blend it and let is rest for 24 h —

Soaking for Day Two:
½ liter water (appr. 1.0 pint)
1 kg crushed rye-grains

Day Two:

— the dough is mixed with the hand! —

soaked rye grains
20 g yeast dissolved in 1 dl (appr. 0.2 pint) water
+ 2 dl (appr. 0.4 pint) vegetable Oil

Take ca. 4 dl (appr. 1.0 pint) sourdough from the mixture and keep for some days in refrigerator or in the freezer.

The rest of the dough is put in 4 small forms – preferable of beechwood (oiled in)*.

Pointage: 2-4 hours
Baked: 2 hours at 160 °C/320 °F

* Derfor bøgetræsforme: Ved langtidshævning dannes blandt andet mælkesyre, som er aggressivt overfor metal. For at undgå dette hæver og bager pumpernikkel i bøgetræsrammer, som giver en blid varme til brødet og påvirker aromadannelsen positivt. Træformene holder 6–10 år. jh

Jewish Cookery for Passover

Traditional “Gildene” Soup with Turkey Wings and Beef (Entree):

0,5 kg Turkey Wings (1 lb)

1 Onion (large)
1 Carrot (large), diced or en julienne
2 stalks Celery (including leaves)
1 Bay Leaf
6 Peppercorns
200 g Beef for making soup (0.5 lbs)
Boiled water (1 quart/liter per pound of poultry)

Cook slowly after bringing to a quick boil. Skim carefully and add vegetables after 30 minutes of simmering. Cooking time maximum 2 hrs. Strain soup while hot just before serving.

Main Dish:
Stuffed Breast of Turkey with Parsley

Serves 4-6:
1 kg Turkey breast (2 lbs.)
A big bunch of Parsley
1 kg Sweet Potatoes (2 lbs.)
1/2 kg New Potatoes (2 lbs.)
½ kg Chopped Onions (1 lb.)
200 g Boiled Cranberries (0.5 lb.)

Accompaniments:
1 kg New Green Asparagus (2 lbs.)

Pre-heat the oven at 225 degree C (440 degree F). Stuff the turkey breast with a big bunch of fresh parsley. Place it on a bed of sweet potatoes mixed with onions and cranberries in an ovenproof ovenware. Cook in the oven for appr. 1 hour (the meat juice should no longer be red). Let the meat rest before serving in slices with the sweet potato. Garnish with fresh sprigs of parsley or dill.


Entrements et Dessert: (using Cocoa)
Chocolate Pendant Brownies and boiled down Rhubarbs

7 eggs, separated
1 cup Sugar
¾ cup Matzo Cake Flour
3-4 Tb Cocoa
¼ tsp Salt
2 Tb Cold Water
1 Orange, juice and grated rind
½ cup chopped Nuts

Beat egg yolks with sugar added while beating till creamy. Stir in the cake flour, well mixed with cocoa and salt. Combine water, orange juice and grated rind and stir it in. Add nuts to the mixture and fold in stiffly beaten egg whites. Turn into an ungreased rectangular cake pan. Bake at 170 degree C (340 degree F) for 45 minutes or till lightly browned on top. Turn off the heat and let the cake cool in the oven. Serve with boiled down rhubarbs.

[Credit to Jewish Cookery, Leah H. Leonard, The Crown Classic Cook Book Serie, N.Y (1986)]

Cooking for toddlers

In Rest. Prins Ferdinand in Old City Aarhus, where I once were an apprentice, my Chef de cuisine Per Brun always claimed, that maybe you can’t trace less chemicals and heavy metals behind the peel in organic grown vegetables, but you definitely can taste the difference. Now our daughter Elin is turning one year old and going from suckling to toddler, and I haven’t been able to wait with introducing solid foods to her. Based on my experience with cooking for children in several ski-camps, I hereby feel motivated to share some of my thoughts with you how and what to cook for your toddlers:

FEEDING AT A GLANCE:

Birth to 6 months: Breastmilk and/or iron-fortified formula satisfies all nutritional requirements. Solid foods not nutritionally needed, but infant may want Breast and/or bottle

Designed to suck, not chew Rooting reflex; searches for food source Tongue-thrust reflex pushes out solid foods Sensitive gag reflex

6 months: Starter foods:

bananas, pears, rice cereal, applesauce Strained, pureed

Fingertipful Spoonful Tongue-thrust and gag reflexes lessen; accepts solids Sits erect in high chair

7 to 9 months: avocados, mashed potatoes, peaches, barley cereal, carrots, squash, teething

biscuits, pear and apple juice May drink from cup

Finger foods begin: Pureed and mashed foods pickup begins Fascination with tiny food morsels

Begins mouthing chokable food and objects (parents beware!) Bangs, drops, flings Reaches for food and utensils

9 to 12 months: lamb, veal, tofu, poultry, noodles, bagel, beans, rice cakes, peas, egg yolk, yams, cheese, oatmeal, yogurt

Lumpier consistency Finger foods mastered Bite-sized, cooked vegetables Melt-in-mouth foods Tries to use utensils, spills most

12 to 18 months: whole milk, papaya, cottage cheese, apricots, ice cream, grapefruit, whole eggs, grape halves, beef, strawberries, tomatoes, fish (salmon, tuna), pasta, graham crackers, broccoli, wheat cereal, spinach, honey, cauliflower, pancakes, melon, muffins, mango, kiwi

Participates in family meals Eats chopped and mashed family foods Begins self-feeding with utensils Holds spoon better, still spills much Picks at others' plates

18 to 24 months: Eats toddler portions of sandwiches, stews, nutritious puddings, sauces, smoothies, shakes, pate, dips, toppings, spreads, soups

Toddler food "language:" avocado boats, cooked carrot wheels, cheese blocks, broccoli trees, o-shaped cereal, toast sticks, cookie-cutter cheese melts, sailboat salads, peanut butter

Grazes – deserves title "picky eater" Uses spoon and fork Molars appear – begins rotary chewing Spoon-feeds self without spilling much Learns food talk, signals for "more," "all done".

[Source: http://www.askdrsears.com/]

Every one of us has experienced low blood sugar, and maybe you are used to give your children a raw carrot while waiting for the dinner. I have learned always to have a kilo or two of pre-cooked potatoes in the fridge, for an express dinner when it simply can’t go fast enough. In the morning I often offer a quarter banana or so, if my daughter is waking up with an appetite. Otherwise, beside basing my cooking on seasonal fruits and vegetables, what I have learned from my chef de cuisine Mr. Brun is always use the oven for cooking – either grilled, cooked or steamed wrapped in foil - then you have your hands free and minimize the risk of burnings.

1-2 Servings: (Vegetable)

1 Potato (peeled)

1 Sweet Potato (peeled)

1 Courgette/Zucchetti (washed)

Cut in the vegetable in even dices. Steam wrapped in foil (200 oC or 390 oF) or in a steamer for 3-5 minutes without any salt. Mash the vegetable together with some of the stock with a masher or a staff mixer. Add a teaspoon of warm-pressed olive or rape oil before serving.

2-3 Servings: (fleischig)

1 Potato (peeled)

1 Sweet Potato (peeled)

1 Courgette/Zucchetti (washed)

100-150 g Chicken leg (0.2-0.33 lbs)

Cook the chicken leg in the oven (225 oC or 440 oF) for 20 minutes. Remove the flesh from the bones. Cut the vegetable in even dices and steam them wrapped in foil (200 oC or 390 oF) or in a steamer for 3 minutes without any salt. Add the chicken and steam for another 5 minutes. Mash the vegetable and chicken together with some of the stock with a staff mixer. Add a teaspoon of warm-pressed rape oil or some dripping from the chicken before serving.

Zürich, 24/6/2009

Herrmiddag enligt The Maffia Cook Book

The Maffia Cook Book av Joe Iannuzzi
Testad den 3:e Januari 2009 (med Pokerspel Texas Hold’em tills kl. 5.00).

PASTA CASTELLANO (Spaghettin från filmen The Godfather av Francis Ford Coppola). Alias Pasta Coppola.


CICORIA INSALATA (Sallad på maskrosblad eller Ruccolasallad med Parmesanost)

RICE AND RICOTTA PUDDING (Ris à la Malta med färsk Ricotta)

CASTELLANO PASTA SAUCE:

2 Vitlöksklyftor, i mycket tunna skivor
1 dl Olivolja (Extra Virgine eller Virgine)
1 Burk skalade tomater (Pelati con Basilico är att föredra)
½ tsk Vitlökspulver
¼ tsk Colman’s senapspulver
¼ tsk Peppar
2 msk. torkade Basilika
3 dl Höns- eller Grönsaksbouillon
500 g Kött, Korvar i skivor eller köttbullar
1 ½ dl torrt Rödvin
1 dl Socker

Sautera vitlöken i olivolja i en liten saucier-panna tills vitlöken är mör (utan att brynas eller brännas vid). Tillsätt skalade tomater och rör om. Låt småkoka i 5 min. Tillsätt resten av ingredienserna, rör om och låt småkoka på svag varme i ytterligare 25 till 30 min. Rör till slut i köttet, vinet och sockret i och blanda, så att köttet är fullständigt täckt med sås. Serveras till din favoritpasta.

RIZ À LA MALTA MED RICOTTA:

6 personer

Risgrynsgröt:
3 dl Vatten
2½ dl Grötris (ca. 180 g)
1 liter Mjölk
100 g skalade Sötmandlar
korn från 2 Vaniljstänger
4 msk Socker
200 g. Ricotta

Koka upp vatten och ris i en tjockbottnad gryta. Låt riset koka i ca. 2 min. över medelhög värme och under omrörning. Tillsätt mjölken och låt koka vid svag värme under ständig
omrörning i ca. 10 min. Lägg på locket och låt småkoka vidare över låg värma i
ca. ½ h – rör om då och då. Låt gröten kylas av i kylskåp tills den är helt kall
eller vänta till nästa dag.
Rör i vaniljkornen och de hackade sötmandlarna i risgrynsgröten.
Vispa ihop Ricotta-ost med socker, och blanda i den i gröten. Låt Rispuddingen
stå täckt under plastfolie i kylskåp i minst 2 h. Smaka av med vaniljsocker och
evt. mera socker. Servera med fileer av apelsin.

Menyförslag baserat på The Maffia Cook Book, Joseph "Joe Dogs" Iannuzzi, (c) Joe Iannuzzi (2001)