Regarding Mousses And Creams

The terms mousse and cream are both applied to a puree of meat, fish or vegetable, stiffened with gelatine and lightened with whipped cream. In most of the recipes - as a means of insuring a firmer and thus more easily handled mixture the cream is spoken of as "beaten until firm to the bottom of the bowl." While cream thus whipped will insure - other conditions being right - a preparation that is sure to hold its shape, the dish will be drier and less agreeable to the palate than if the cream had been less firmly beaten. The same thing holds true wherever whipped cream is used. Cream applied with a pastry bag and tubes presents an attractive appearance, but it certainly tastes much better when only half beaten.

The vegetable creams glace, recipes for which follow those for mousses and creams, are identical with mousse preparations, except that less gelatine is used. Mixtures containing a tablespoonful of granulated gelatine (one-fourth a package) to a pint of liquid will not freeze.

Cold Mousse Of Vegetable Macedoine, With Spinach

When the above mixture begins to set, fold in from half to a full cup of cream, beaten firm, and turn into a mold.

Mousse Of Macedoine Of Vegetables

¼ package of gelatine

¼ cup of cold water

1 cup of highly seasoned chicken broth 1½ cups of cooked vegetables in bits

½ cup of double cream 1 truffle

¾ teaspoonful of salt ½ teaspoonful of paprika

Soften the gelatine in cold water and dissolve in the hot broth. Have individual molds chilled in ice and water; dip peas in the gelatine mixture and set around the bottom of a part of the molds. Cut a star or other figure from thin slices of cooked carrot and dispose in other molds above a figure cut from a slice of truffle. The bits of cooked vegetables should have been cooked separately. A good combination is celery, string beans, peas, carrot and asparagus tips. Add these to the gelatine mixture and when this begins to set, fold in the cream, beaten solid; add more seasoning if needed.. Use this to fill the cups. Serve on lettuce, with French dressing.

Cold Asparagus Mousse Or Cream

1 bunch of asparagus

1 cup of chicken broth or water

2 slices of onion

2 cloves

3 slices of carrot

½ teaspoonful of sweet herbs or ¼ soup bag

½ teaspoonful of salt

½ teaspoonful of paprika

1 tablespoonful of granulated gelatine ¼ cup of cold water 1 cup of double cream, beaten firm Lettuce and French dressing

From a bunch of asparagus cut off enough tips to line eight small molds. The tips may be set close together or a little distance apart and should be cut to the exact height of the molds. Tie these together and cook in the usual manner until just tender. Set these aside to become cold. To the water in which the tips were cooked add the rest of the asparagus, the broth, onion, cloves, carrot and herbs, cover and let simmer until the asparagus is tender and the liquid somewhat evaporated. Remove the onion, cloves, herbs, and carrot and press the asparagus through a sieve. There should be one cup of asparagus pulp and liquid; if there is more, let it evaporate by slow cooking. Soften the gelatine in the cold water, and set it in the dish into boiling water to dissolve. Add the dissolved gelatine and the salt and pepper to the puree; stir occasionally while cooling; when it begins to thicken fold in the cream, and when stiff enough to hold its shape use to fill the lined molds. When cold serve unmolded on crisp lettuce hearts with French dressing.