Ingredient of the Week: Milk
It being Mothering Sunday, what better ingredient to feature than milk, the opaque white liquid produced by female mammals. Since we grow to depend on it from the moment we enter this world as newborns, it is no wonder that humans continue to consume milk beyond infancy, using the milk of other animals as a food product (in particular cows’s milk in Western society, and in other cultures, sheep, goats, yaks, water buffalo, moose, donkeys, horses, camels and even seals’ milk!)
For millennia, milk has been processed into dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, and cheese. Industrial science has brought us condensed milk and powdered milk, and the term milk is also used for whitish non-animal substitutes such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, coconut milk and my latest discovery, potato milk. But what is the difference between the milk that comes straight out of the cow, and the processed stuff we drink right out of the fridge?
Firstly, milk undergoes pasteurisation – a process used to kill harmful microorganisms by heating the milk for a short time and then cooling it for storage and transportation. Milk is also often homogenised, a treatment which prevents a cream layer from separating out of the milk. The exact components of raw milk varies by species, but it contains significant amounts of saturated fat, protein and calcium as well as many vitamins.
Most of us are accustomed to drinking milk either alone, in a smoothie, milk-shake or mixed into other beverages, and we also are used to adding it to our breakfast cereal. But what about eating milk? Whether you like your milk whole, semi-skimmed or fat-free, incorporating milk into your cuisine is another great way to add this healthy food staple to your diet.
Whereas most creamy recipes contain milk as a base ingredient or hidden within a sauce, why not make this frothy, creamy liquid the star of your dishes? Golden brown fried Milk Croquettes make a divine starter. Travel the world with milk, by sampling Corn and Milk Tamales and tasty Grilled Milk Tart from South America, or Spanish Milk Pudding – comforting sweetness for any palate. Bake some delicious Milk and Egg bread or stir up some Squash with milk, an old Hispanic family recipe. If animal milk is not your preference (or if you’re lactose intolerant) “there’s no use in crying over spilt milk”. Instead, venture into Thai cuisine where coconut milk is a dominant ingredient.
When it comes to desserts, where would we be without milk? Perhaps I could live without milky rice pudding, but imagine a world with no milk chocolate, or worse….no ice-cream?! One thing’s for sure, milk should not be taken for granted – I say take this incredible ingredient and “milk it” for all it’s worth.
Recipies can be found online at :
http://www.foodnetwork.com & http://www.gotmilk.com
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Nathalie J. Kyrou © 2008
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