CHEESE. 151 
with it the fatty matter, or cream. The coagulation from 
the soluble to the insoluble form by rennet becomes produced 
rather mysteriously. The milk sugar is probably changed into 
lactic acid, which then serves to coagulate the milk-casein. A 
similar coagulation takes place within the stomach by the acid 
gastric juice, when milk is had as food. The casein of fresh milk 
contains more nutritious material than any other food which is 
ordinarily to be obtained, except that the mineral salts which 
have been dissolved in the whey are left behind. Cooked casein 
is more digestible than the raw substance as we for the most 
part eat it in Cheese, junket, or curds ; but its heated preparations 
are unknown to our kitchens except as Welsh Rabbit (rare-bit), 
which is an indigestible dish as generally made. 
‘““Here comes the practical question, Can we assimilate, 
or convert into our bodily substance, the Cheese food as 
easily as we can flesh food?” “I reply” (says Mattieu 
Williams) ‘‘ we certainly cannot if the Cheese is raw, but I 
have no doubt we may do so if it be suitably cooked.” The 
Swiss make, as one of their plainest and commonest dishes, 
a Cheese fondu, of eggs, and grated Cheese, with a little new milk, 
or butter, and cooked in the condition of a paste; or else with 
slices of bread soaked in a batter of eggs and milk, and covered 
with grated Cheese, being then gently baked ; by some persons 
the bread-crumb is likewise grated. In such fashion is concocted 
the ‘‘ Cheese pudding ”’ of the Swiss, who gain the mineral salts 
lacking in their Cheese by their accompanying salads of fresh vege- 
table substances rich in potash salts. Mattieu Williams adds : 
‘The following is a simplified recipe of my own : Take a quarter of 
a pound of grated Cheese, add to it a teacupful of milk, in which 
is dissolved as much powdered bicarbonate of potash as will 
stand on the surface of a threepenny piece; also add mustard, 
and pepper to taste; heat this carefully until the Cheese is 
completely dissolved ; then beat up three eggs (yolks and whites 
together), and add them to this solution of Cheese, stirring the 
whole. Now take a shallow metal, or earthenware dish, or tray, 
which will bear heating, put a little butter on it, and heat the 
butter until it frizzles; next pour the mixture into the tray, 
and bake, or fry it until it is nearly solidified. The bicarbonate 
of potash is an original novelty which may possibly alarm some 
readers averse to medicinal agents, but its harmless use is to be 
advocated for two reasons: First, it effects a better solution 
