THE CUBA REVIEW 



27 



SOME COCOANUT DISHES 



FANCY AND TOOTHSOME DISHES FROM THIS VALUED NUT 

 PHILIPPINE RECIPES 



In countries like India and Spanish 

 America, a considerable number of fancy 

 dishes are made from the various parts and 

 kinds of cocoanut. Several of these dishes 

 would be a valuable addition to Philippine 

 cookery, and the following recipes* are 

 offered with the hope that they will be 

 given a trial by all families interested in 

 increasing the list of good food and dishes 

 for the home table : 



Cocoanut cream.- — This may be used 

 with a variety of dishes in the same way 

 as dairy cream ; added to gelatine, bread, 

 corn starch, or rice puddings it imparts a 

 delicious flavor without the objectionable 

 feature of grated "meat" : there is nothing 

 better to serve with fruit, either fresh or 

 preserved, than a few spoonfuls of this 

 cream poured over the dish just before 

 serving. 



To prepare this cream, grate the "dry," 

 or ripe, cocoanut and to the grated meal 

 add enough boiling water to cover ; stir 

 with a tablespoon for one minute and then 

 squeeze through a strainer cloth. The 

 semi-fluid cream has not only the true 

 cocoanut flavor, but it is both a rich and 

 easily digested food and a delightful 

 flavoring extract. Another method pro- 

 duces a slightly different article: to one 

 grated cocoanut add three-fourths of a liter 

 of boiling water ; let this stand until cold, 

 then skim off the cream which will have 

 risen to the surface. 



Ambrosia. — Add grated cocoanut pulp to 

 shredded orange, pineapple and sliced ba- 

 nanas. Mix thoroughly to sweeten with 

 confectioner's sugar; this delicious dish 

 may be decorated with maraschino cherries. 



Cocoanut ice cream. — To the cream from 

 six small or four large, ripe nuts, add an 

 equal quantity of "natural" tinned milk; 

 sweeten to taste, and add vanilla. 



Cocoanut ice. — Mince the jelly of six 

 unripe cocoanuts and add one liter of the 

 water therefrom ; sweeten to taste ; no 

 flavoring is required as nothing can im- 

 prove the taste of this sherbet. 



Cocoanut rice. — To the grated meat of 

 one cocoanut add two cups of hot water ; 

 squeeze this in a strainer cloth and add 

 sufficient water to make four cups of 

 liquid; add four tablespoons of sugar, a 

 spoonful of ginger and two cups of rice ; 

 cook in a double boiler for nearly one 

 hour. Serve for dessert. (In Spanish 

 America ginger is almost always added to 

 cocoanut dishes; it promotes digestion.) 



* From Mrs. O. W. Barrett, Manila, P. I. 



"Bien-me-sahe," or cocoanut savory. — 

 This is the justly famous Spanish dessert 

 dish of the West Indies. To the grated 

 meat of one large, ripe coconut add one 

 cup of hot water and squeeze through the 

 strainer until all the "milk" is extracted ; 

 to this creamy liquor add the beaten yolks 

 of four eggs and four tablespoons of white 

 sugar. Heat slowly, stirring well until a 

 thin custard-like coating forms upon the 

 spoon. Remove from the stove and when 

 nearly cold pour over small slices of sponge 

 cake. Finally spread over the dish a layer 

 of egg whites thorough beaten and sweet- 

 ened. Serve as cold as possible. 



"Polvo de amor," or love powder. — This 

 is also one of the commonest dessert dishes 

 in Spanish America and is worthy of much 

 greater popularity ; it often accompanies 

 the preceeding. To the grated meat left 

 after the extraction of the cream for the 

 previous dish, add several tablespoons of 

 moist brown sugar and toast slowly in a 

 deep iron skillet, stirring constantly until 

 the cocoanut assumes a light brown color. 

 Serve hot. This dish keeps well for several 

 days, but it should be placed in the oven 

 a few moments each time just before 

 serving. 



Cocoanut and tapioca pudding. — Mix one 

 cup of "minute tapioca" with four table- 

 spoons of grated cocoanut "meat," the 

 yolks of four eggs well beaten, one cup 

 of white sugar and one liter of "natural" 

 tinned or dairy milk. Bake for one-half 

 hour and add meringue made of the whites 

 of four eggs and three tablespoons of 

 sugar. 



Cocoanut soup. — To common clear beef- 

 steak thickened with barley or corn starch, 

 add the "cream" of one cocoanut and one 

 teaspoon of curry powder (previously 

 moistened with cold water) ; this must not 

 boil after the cocoanut is added. 



Cocoanut candy. — Cook one-half kilo of 

 brown sugar with one-half cup of hot 

 water until it hardens when dropped into 

 cold water. Add the grated "meat" of one 

 cocoanut and one-half teaspoon of ground 

 ginger, one-fourth teaspoon of ground cin- 

 namon and one teaspoon of vanilla extract. 

 Cook again until the mixture will harden 

 in cold water; pour into buttered tin to 

 cool. Cut into squares. 



Filling for cocoanut pie. — To the grated 

 meat of one ripe cocoanut add one-fourth 

 kilo of white sugar well beaten witli fc'Ur 

 eggs ; flavor with vanilla or with lime or 

 lemon juice. — From the Philippine Reviezv. 



