cut out a little of their pulp, take out the seeds, and strain them;
chop up the pulp with a handful of parsley, a slice of fat bacon, a
slice of ham, and a cup of bread crumbs; fry all these, and season
with butter, pepper, salt, thyme, and the yolks of two eggs; take
it off the fire as soon as the eggs are beaten in, and stuff the
tomatoes. Bake them for half an hour, pour some brown sauce or gravy
over them and serve.
TOMATOES TO BROIL
Take ripe, red tomatoes, place them on the gridiron, broil, and
turn until done through; then serve them whole, so that they can be
seasoned at the table.
STEWED TOMATOES, WITH OR WITHOUT SUGAR
Pour boiling water over six or eight large, ripe tomatoes, let them
remain in it a few minutes to scald the skins, then take them out
and skin them. Chop them up and put them to stew with a little salt,
pepper, and a small piece of butter; then add a spoonful of rolled
cracker or toasted bread, and a tablespoonful of sugar, if liked;
if not, omit the sugar, and let them stew gently, for half an hour
longer.
TO COOK SPINACH
Wash in two or three waters, as the grit adheres very closely to
spinach; when well washed, boil it one half hour in clear water; add
a little soda, if it does not look a nice green. When soft, drain it
well and chop very fine--it cannot be too fine; add butter, salt if
needed, and pepper to taste; garnish with hard-boiled eggs cut in
fancy shapes; or, in early spring, it is nice to poach two or three
eggs, and lay on the freshly cooked spinach.
ASPARAGUS ON TOAST
The fresher this vegetable is the better; and in picking and washing
it, all stalks not crisp and tender should be thrown aside. Cut off
nearly all the horny white parts, tie the rest in neat bunches, and
boil in salted water for twenty minutes or half an hour; then take it
out, let it drain a minute and lay on buttered toast, the heads all
one way; cover with rich drawn butter sauce.
ASPARAGUS WITH CREAM
When cream is plentiful, cut the asparagus in inch pieces, boil, and
then throw it into rich hot cream, with seasoning of pepper and salt.
STEWED MUSHROOMS ON TOAST
Pull out the stems of the mushrooms, and peel them; melt a
tablespoonful of butter in a stew pan, throw into the butter a little
salt, pepper, and powdered mace (if liked), lay the mushrooms in
this, upper side down, and stew till they are tender, which will be
in about twenty minutes. Fry a slice of bread until it is a light
brown, and then arrange the mushrooms over it. Serve hot.
EGG PLANT
Parboil egg plant, slice it and dip each piece in beaten egg and roll
it in pounded cracker; then drop it in hot lard and fry brown. Season
with salt and pepper. They are delicious cooked this way, and taste
like soft-shelled crabs. Another way is to parboil them, mash them up
and season with eggs, onions, pepper, salt and butter; then place the
mixture back in the shell, and bake. Serve in their shells.
ANOTHER WAY TO COOK EGG PLANT
Parboil, slice them, and without rolling them in anything drop them
into boiling lard; season with salt and pepper. Some like them
mashed and added to a batter of eggs, flour and milk, seasoned with
pepper and salt, and then dropped like fritters into hot lard.
BURR ARTICHOKES
Get them young or they are not tender, wash them in salted water,
and put them to boil. Boil until you can pull off a leaf easily;
salt them and serve with drawn-butter sauce, with vinegar in it, or
mustard and oil, as preferred.
SNAP BEANS, STEWED AND BOILED
Pick and snap them when green and tender, cut them small, and throw
into boiling water; let them cook gently for two hours; then stir in
a half cup of broth, and a cup of milk; let them stew in this for
half an hour longer; season with salt and pepper to taste. Many like
them cooked with a piece of lean side bacon. They require several
hours boiling, if not very young. Put the beans in first, and when
half done, put in a pound or so of bacon to an ordinary mess of beans.
GREEN ENGLISH PEAS, TO STEW
Shell a quart of green peas for a small mess. Wash them in cold
water, and put them on to cook in a stew pan with a pint of boiling
water, or enough to cover them. Let them cook half an hour, and then
stir in a large lump of butter rolled in flour; let this cook a few
minutes, and add a teaspoonful of white sugar, same of salt and
pepper, and serve while hot. Do not let them cook dry. Lamb and green
peas is a favorite dish in the spring of the year.
MARROWFAT PEAS
This is a late sort of green pea, and is much richer in taste than
the earlier ones, but not so delicate. They must be dressed like the
early peas, by boiling in water, and when soft, pour off the water.
They are sometimes a little strong if the water is not changed. Fill
up with milk, or milk and water, and boil a little longer, then
season with butter, pepper and salt, and thicken with a teaspoon of
flour stirred in among the peas.
LIMA, OR BUTTER BEANS
Shell them, and lay them in cold water for an hour or so before
cooking; this renders them more delicate and mealy. When ready to
cook, put them in a stew pan in boiling water enough to cover them;
let them boil fast and keep them covered while cooking; examine them
in an hour, and if soft, pour off nearly all the water and stir in a
lump of butter, some pepper and salt. Lima beans and sweet corn make
the finest succotash, although string beans are generally used.
SQUASH, STEWED
If not very young, you must peel the squashes, steam or boil them
until tender, and season them with sweet milk or cream, and a little
butter, pepper and salt; let them stew down in this until they are
thick, and of the consistence of mashed potatoes. Another way is to
take them from the steamer, mash them with a cut-up onion, and a
slice or two of ham; then stew them down thick, adding pepper and
salt to taste.
STEWED SUMMER SQUASH
Gather them while young and tender. Peel, cut them up, take out the
seeds, and put them on to boil; let them cook rapidly until very
tender. Drain them well in a colander, and mash with a wooden spoon.
Put this pulp in a stew pan with a small piece of butter, a gill of
cream, and a little pepper and salt; cook this, and stir constantly
until the squash is dry. Serve very hot.
PUMPKIN WITH SALT MEAT
This is very good cooked with salt meat and brown sugar. Slice the
pumpkin and put it in the oven with brown sugar, or good molasses;
slice some smoked meat and lay it in among the pumpkin; cook it
tender. It is better than many things with more reputation.
CAULIFLOWER, WITH WHITE SAUCE
Remove the green stalks, and if the heads are large, divide them into
quarters; wash and boil them with a little pepper, butter and salt;
serve with drawn butter or white sauce, when they become soft and
tender.
STEWED CABBAGE
Cold cabbage left from dinner can be drained from the pot liquor in
which it was boiled, and then simmered for half an hour in water, or
milk and water; pour off all the water when it is tender, and stir in
the pot a lump of butter or clarified drippings; let it cook gently,
then throw in a cup of milk or cream; thicken it with flour, and
season with pepper and salt. Serve with the cream gravy poured over
the cabbage.
BEETS BOILED
Wash the beets clean, but do not trim the roots, or they will bleed
and lose their sweetness. If the beets are young and tender, they are
nice cooked whole, and then stewed in a little butter, with sugar,
salt and vinegar added. Let them simmer in this batter for twenty
minutes, and serve. If the beets are large, boil, and slice them when
cooked, and season with vinegar, pepper and salt, or slice them, and
serve with butter.
PARSNIP FRITTERS
Boil the parsnips in salted water until they are done; make a batter
of an egg, a spoonful of milk and flour, pepper and salt, and when
the parsnips are cool enough to handle cut them in rounds, dip them
in the batter and drop them into hot lard; fry a light brown, turn
them and fry the other side. When brown on both sides, drain them
from the grease. They are good, mashed like turnips.
MACARONI IN A MOULD
Boil macaroni till it is tender, line a mould with it, fitting it in
closely. Make a mince of any kind of meat, raw or cooked; season with
sweet herbs, butter, pepper, chopped eschalot, and a couple of eggs;
fill the mould with this and boil for twenty minutes. Serve with
white sauce No. 10 put around the macaroni.
MACARONI AND GRATED CHEESE
Take a quarter of a pound of macaroni, break into lengths, and throw
it into cold water to soak, an hour or so after breakfast. Boil it an
hour, take it out of the pot and put in the bottom of the pan a layer
of the boiled macaroni and then a layer of grated cheese; strew over
the top a teaspoonful of salt and some lumps of butter as big as a
nutmeg. Then fill up the pan with new milk and bake until browned on
top, but never let it get dry; it is better to put water in, if your
milk has given out, than to let it get the least dry. This is a rich
dish when well made, but a poor one if badly made, and served dry.
EGGS, OMELETS, ETC.
_In choosing eggs_ hold each one up to the light; if fresh, the white
will be clear and the yolk distinct; if they are not good, they will
have a clouded appearance.
_Eggs for boiling_ must be as fresh as possible; they may be kept
fresh for several weeks by packing them in bran. Lay the small end
of the egg downward in the box. You may also keep them for months by
greasing them with melted lard, or beef fat, or in a weak brine of
lime water and salt; strong lime water will eat the shell, and if
_very_ strong will cook the eggs. Add to a common bucket of water a
pint of salt and a pint of lime; stir it well, and it is ready to
receive the eggs.
_Omelets_ require a thick bottomed pan, as an ordinary pan is too
thin and would scorch the eggs before they could be properly cooked.
For turning omelets, eggs, fried parsley, etc., have a skimmer spoon
with a flat, thin blade, with holes, to let the fat from the fry.
TO BOIL EGGS IN THEIR SHELLS, SOFT OR HARD
Wash the eggs clean, drop them as wanted in a stewpan of boiling
water; if you desire them soft, let them boil just three minutes by
the watch; if only the yolk is to be soft five minutes will do it;
but if wanted very hard for salad, sandwiches, etc., let them boil
ten or fifteen minutes. Then put them in cold water, to make them
peel easily. If soft-boiled eggs are kept in the shell before eating
them, they will harden very much from the heat of the shell.
EGGS, AU GRATIN, FOR LENT
Boil the eggs hard, peel and cut them in slices, and lay them in a
deep dish in close circular rows. Make a sauce of a tablespoonful of
butter, the yolks of four eggs, a little grated cheese and half a cup
of sweet milk. Stir this over the fire until it thickens, pour it
over the eggs, strew some bread crumbs on the top, and bake for about
ten minutes; then send to table hot.
POACHED EGGS WITH TOAST AND ANCHOVY PASTE
Toast six pieces of bread, shape them round, before browning; keep
them where they will be hot until you poach the eggs. Take a tin
dipper, half fill it with boiling water, and drop it gently into the
pot again, holding it so that none of the water from the pot can
get into the dipper; keep it firm by holding it yourself or getting
it held for you, and break a nice fresh egg into the dipper; let it
stand until the white is firm. Lay each egg on one of the slices of
toast, use butter and salt on the toast for both egg and toast; break
each egg in this way until your six eggs and six pieces of toast
are used; butter very freely, and serve hot. Anchovy paste may be
spread on the toast before the eggs are put on, but it is a nice dish
without it and very suitable for a delicate breakfast.
POACHED EGGS AND HAM
Poach your eggs in a tin dipper, as directed, and when done put them
on round slices of broiled or fried ham. Many prefer this to fried
ham and eggs.
EGGS WITH BROWNED BUTTER AND VINEGAR
Put four ounces of butter into an omelet pan over the fire; as it
begins to sputter, break the eggs into it without disturbing the
yolks, season with pepper and salt; fry the eggs carefully and remove
them on to the dish in which they are to be served. Put two ounces
more butter in the pan, fry it of a brown color; put to the butter
two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, pour it over the eggs and serve.
OMELETTE AU NATUREL
Break eight eggs into a bowl; add a teaspoonful of salt, half as much
pepper, beat up the whole very hard and throw in a tablespoonful of
water. Have the omelet-pan on the fire with a cup of sweet butter
heated to a gentle heat (fierce heat would scorch the eggs); pour
the eggs into the heated butter; raise it as it cooks, with a
skimmer-spoon, turn in the brown edges, or turn one half over the
other, as it keeps in the lusciousness of the omelet. Keep gently
rolling it, as it cooks, until, when done, it is round like a small
roly-poly pudding. Omelette au naturel is the basis of all omelets,
for, by substituting different seasonings, you have all the varieties
of them. Parsley and onion chopped fine and mixed with the eggs is
one variety; grated ham and parsley is another; sugar makes another
class, and so on.
A NICE OMELET WITH GREEN ONION
Beat the whites and yolks of six eggs separately, put in a
tablespoonful of butter, a spoonful of chopped green onion and one
of fine-cut parsley, and mix with the eggs; then put it into a
thick-bottomed pan, in which you have placed a half cup of butter.
Roll it up as it cooks, and tilt the pan on one side, that the omelet
may cook on the other side; roll up again as it cooks. Do not let it
get hard and brown, but keep it soft. Keep on rolling as well as you
can; a little practice will make you perfect. When the eggs cook,
butter, pepper and salt them, and turn on a dish.
OMELET FOR ONE PERSON
Beat two eggs--yolks and whites separately; in a bowl put a
tablespoonful of water, a little parsley, a teaspoonful of butter,
and a little green onion, if liked; beat the eggs into this, and
whisk all very rapidly for a few minutes; then pour it into a pan,
where there is a tablespoonful of butter just hot enough to color the
eggs; cook them very slowly, and roll up the omelet as it cooks until
it is like a rolled pancake; pepper and salt it at the last moment of
cooking, as putting in salt too soon makes eggs tough.
OMELET WITH PARMESAN CHEESE
Break six eggs into a bowl, add a gill of cream, four ounces of
grated cheese, some pepper and a little salt; beat the whole
together, pour into a pan, roll up and bake as directed. Butter it
well before sending to table.
OMELET WITH SUGAR
Beat six eggs, whites and yolks separately, with seven spoonfuls of
powdered sugar. Flavor with lemon, and bake like a pudding for ten or
fifteen minutes, or just long enough to set the eggs. Longer baking
will spoil the jelly-like consistency of the omelet.
OMELETTE SOUFFLE
Beat six eggs, the whites and yolks separately; put to the yolks
four dessertspoonfuls of white sugar powdered, and the yellow rind
of a lemon chopped very fine; mix them thoroughly, whip the whites
to a high froth and add them to the yolks. Put quarter of a pound
of butter into the pan, over a brisk fire, and as soon as it is
completely melted pour in the mixture; stir it that the butter may
be completely incorporated with the eggs. When it is so, put it in
a buttered dish and set it over hot embers or ashes, strew powdered
sugar over the top and color it with a hot shovel; this may be done
in the oven. Serve as soon as possible, as it soon falls and so the
appearance is spoiled.
OMELETTE SOUFFLE IN A MOULD
Break six fresh eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, put with
the yolks three spoonfuls of rice flour and a tablespoonful of
orange-flower water; stir these well together, whip the whites of the
eggs to a high froth, and mix them with the yolks. Pour the mixture
into a buttered mould, about half full; bake it in a moderate oven
for half an hour. When done turn it on to a dish and serve quickly.
This omelet must be clear and shake like a jelly.
A DELICIOUS OMELET
Beat separately, and lightly, six eggs; add to them a tablespoonful
of chopped green onion, and the same of parsley, chopped fine; beat
them into the eggs with two tablespoonfuls of water, and at the last
moment a little salt. Have a thick-bottomed skillet or pan on the
fire, put in a teaspoonful of nice sweet butter, and when this is
hot put in the eggs. Take a broad-bladed knife and keep rolling the
omelet as it sets; do not let it get too brown, but roll it in an
oblong shape; never turn an omelet over, but push and roll it, as
described, then slide it on a hot dish, pour a spoonful of melted
butter over it, and send it to table hot. A wood fire is the best,
over which to cook an omelet, as you want only a blaze; a great
heat in the stove makes it impossible to have the eggs of the light
delicate brown required.
SPANISH OMELET
Beat up six eggs until quite light, add to them a cup of chopped ham
and two small onions minced very fine. The onions should be cooked
a little before being put into the eggs, or they will not be cooked
enough. When mixed together put it into a thick-bottomed pan and
commence rolling. When it is a light brown, give it the last roll,
let it lie a moment in the pan, then dish it. Put fresh butter as it
goes to table, for the butter the omelet is fried in is never good to
send to table.
OMELET WITH OYSTERS
Break eight or ten eggs in a basin, whip them up well, add a gill
of cream, a tablespoonful of sweet butter, a spoonful of chopped
parsley, pepper and salt to taste; beat it again very light, then
stir in a pint of chopped oysters, and when the butter is hot put in
the omelet. When the eggs have partly set, roll the omelet in form of
a cushion, which you can do by using the tin slice. Brown delicately,
and serve with a little melted butter or some sauce you prefer.
Grated Parmesan cheese is very fine in place of the chopped oysters;
also, ham, in the above omelet, is an acceptable addition.
SALADS AND RELISHES
GARNISHES
Parsley is most universally used to garnish all kinds of cold meats,
boiled poultry, broiled steak and fish of many kinds. Horse-radish
is much liked on roast beef; slices of lemon are liked by many on
broiled fish or boiled calf’s head, etc. Mint is liked by many on
roast lamb, and currant jelly is generally liked on game, ducks, etc.
MUSHROOM CATSUP
Lay fresh mushrooms in a deep dish, strew a little salt over them,
then a fresh layer of mushrooms and salt, till you get in all the
mushrooms. Let them stay in this brine three days; then mash them
fine, add to each quart a spoonful of vinegar, half a spoonful of
pepper and a teaspoonful of cloves; pour all this in a stone jar, and
place the jar in a pot of boiling water; let it boil two hours, then
strain it without squeezing the mushrooms. Boil the juice fifteen
minutes, and skim it well; let it stand a few hours to settle; bottle
and cork it well. Keep it cool, or it will ferment.
A DELICIOUS FLAVOR FROM THYME, ETC.
A delicious flavor from thyme, mint, sweet marjoram and rosemary may
be obtained when gathered in full perfection. They should be picked
from the stalks and put into a large jar, then pour strong vinegar
or brandy over them; let them stay in this twenty-four hours, then
take the herbs out, and throw in fresh bunches; do this three times,
then strain the liquor or vinegar. Cork and seal the bottles tight.
Do not let the herbs stay more than twenty or twenty-four hours in
the liquid before straining, for fear of imparting an unsavory taste.
This is very useful in soups.
CELERY AND SWEET HERBS VINEGAR
Take two gills of celery seed, pound them and put them in a bottle;
fill the bottle with sharp vinegar, shake it every day for two weeks,
then strain and bottle it for use.
GREEN TOMATO SOY, OR SAUCE
Slice a peck of green tomatoes thin, salt them thoroughly, using a
pint of salt. Let them stay in this all night, and in the morning
drain them from the salt, wash them in cold water, and put them in a
kettle with a dozen cut-up raw onions, two tablespoonfuls of black
pepper, same of allspice, a quarter of a spoonful of ground mustard,
half a pound of white mustard seed, and a tablespoonful of red
pepper. Cover all with strong vinegar, and boil it until it becomes
like jam. Stir it frequently while it is boiling or it will scorch.
SUPERIOR TOMATO CATSUP
Get a bushel of ripe tomatoes, scald them until they are soft enough
to squeeze through a sieve. When strained, add to the pulp a pint and
a half of salt, four tablespoonfuls of ground cloves, same of cayenne
pepper, a quarter of a pound of allspice and a tablespoonful of black
pepper, a head of garlic skinned and separated, and a half gallon of
vinegar. Boil until it is reduced one-half, then bottle.
TOMATO CATSUP
Take enough ripe tomatoes to fill a jar, put them in a moderate
oven, and bake them until they are thoroughly soft; then strain
them through a coarse cloth or sieve, and to every pint of juice
put a pint of vinegar, half an ounce of garlic sliced, a quarter of
an ounce of salt, and the same of white pepper finely ground. Boil
it for one hour, then rub it through a sieve, boil it again to the
consistency of cream; when cold, bottle it, put a teaspoonful of
sweet oil in each bottle; cork them tight, and keep in a dry place.
TOMATO CATSUP. RECIPE FOR MAKING A SMALL QUANTITY
Take a gallon of ripe tomatoes, skin them by pouring boiling water
over them; let them get cold and put them in a stew pan with four
tablespoonfuls of salt, and the same of ground black pepper, half a
spoonful of ground allspice, and three spoonfuls of ground mustard.
Throw in eight pods of red pepper, and let all stew slowly until the
tomatoes are soft and tender. Thin the mixture with enough vinegar
to allow the catsup to be strained through a sieve; cook it fifteen
minutes, and bottle up when cold. This will last in any climate, if
well boiled and made according to these directions. Keep always in
a cool, dark closet or cellar. Light ruins all catsups, pickles or
preserves, when they are exposed to it. This is a fine recipe.
FRENCH CHICKEN SALAD
Roast one or two nice chickens, season them well, and when cooked,
put them by to cool. Just before serving the dish, carve the fowls
in small pieces, taking out all the large bones. Make a dressing
of the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to each fowl, mash the yolks
very smooth with a wooden spoon and pour gently on them in a little
stream a cup of olive oil; beat the eggs all one way till they are
creamed. Add now a cup of vinegar to two fowls, a half cup to one,
pepper, salt, and drop a little vinegar on the fowl, then pour on the
dressing. Arrange on the dish, cool, fresh lettuce heads quartered,
and slice six more hard-boiled eggs over all as a garnish. A few
red beets are a handsome addition, mixed with the green lettuce and
yellow eggs.
CHICKEN SALAD FOR A SMALL COMPANY
Boil four eggs hard, throw them in cold water; when cool, take the
yolks of two in a bowl, pour over them a spoonful of mixed mustard,
an ounce of sweet oil, a saltspoonful of salt, and a little black
pepper; mix this carefully, pouring in the oil a little at a time;
when it is smooth, pour in four tablespoonfuls of good vinegar, and
one-half a teaspoonful of sugar. This is the dressing for your salad.
The chicken is supposed to be already boiled or baked. When cold,
pick all the flesh from the bones and pile it in the centre of a
glass bowl, or dish; mix with it three heads of celery, cut up fine,
and season it with pepper and salt. About the time you wish it
served, take six or seven heads of white-heart lettuce, split them,
and place them closely around the cut-up chicken, and pour over it
all the dressing. This is a plain and economical way, but if wanted
richer, it is easy to add more eggs, and trim the salad with sliced
hard-boiled eggs, over the top.
A NICE CHICKEN SALAD
Cut up the white parts of four or five heads of celery, reserving the
green leaves. Pick all the meat from a fine baked chicken, chop this
up, and mix it with the cut-up celery; lay it in a glass or china
dish, where it will be cool.
To make the dressing, rub the yolks of six hard-boiled eggs to a
paste, with two spoonfuls of mixed mustard, a teaspoonful of white
sugar, and enough oil to make it perfectly smooth; put this in
slowly, a little at a time, and finish the dressing by pouring in
half a cup of vinegar. Pour this over the celery and chicken, and
garnish with white heads of split lettuce, also the reserved celery
leaves, and four sliced hard-boiled eggs.
POTATO SALAD
Slice a pint of cold potatoes, put them in a dish, chop over them
six eschalots, pepper and salt them, and pour over them a dressing
of two tablespoonfuls of oil, one of made mustard, and half a cup of
vinegar; it is better without eggs.
POTATO SALAD
Slice cold potatoes, add to them chopped eschalots, and season with
pepper, salt, mustard, oil, tomato catsup and vinegar. Garnish with
sprigs of parsley.
TOMATO SALAD, WITH OR WITHOUT SHRIMP