A malted milkshake in the back of my mind

Like many people, I keep a mental file of "projects," things I would like to learn more about when I have time. I was reminded of one recently, when Al Schenkman of Fort Lauderdale e-mailed a Woolworth's menu from the 1950s that included a malted milkshake for the princely sum of 25 cents.

If I ever had a real "malted," I don't remember it. I do know that one taste of Ovaltine (malt, eggs, sugar, milk powder) when I was a child wasn't enough to make me a fan. As a teenager, I had friends who wouldn't drink anything but malted milkshakes. But for every one of them, I'm sure there was another who wouldn't touch the drink. I concluded it must be an "acquired taste," a euphemism for "you either love it or you hate it."

The malt in a milkshake is a grain, typically barley, that is sprouted, kiln-dried and ground into a mellow, slightly sweet-flavored powder, according to "Food Lover's Companion." The same malt shows up in malt vinegar, beer and liquor. At answers.com, a nutritional analysis for 3/4 ounce of malt lists 85 calories, 15 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of protein, 4 grams cholesterol and 2 grams of fat.

According to the menu, the malteds and the milkshakes were made with "two dippers of ice cream." No surprise there ... aren't all milkshakes made with ice cream?

As it turns out, no they aren't. Milkshakes, like egg cream, Moxie, chowder, chili and cornbread, are among the foods that elicit regional recollections and pride. And they don't all include ice cream. To a person living in Rhode Island or the adjoining part of Massachusetts, a milkshake consists of milk shaken up with flavored syrup and nothing more. If ice cream is included, the drink is called a cabinet, possibly named after the square wooden cabinet in which the mixer was encased, according to John Mariani in "Dictionary of American Food and Drink," Farther north in New England, the same drink is called a velvet or a frappe, from French frapper, "to ice."

Recipe request: D. McDaniel remembered making an Italian Cream Cake that contained 5 eggs, buttermilk and coconut. I couldn't find it in the Herald-Tribune's archives, but I did find one online with those ingredients, courtesy of the USAA insurance company. (See recipe.)

Note to readers: Last week I requested your favorite Thanksgiving recipes for an upcoming story about making the holiday food healthier. I was pleasantly surprised that many of the recipes I have received so far have included the origin and favorite memories. I will be collecting them through Oct. 8.

E-mail Linda Brandt at linda.g.brandt@gmail.com.