Cook in double boiler with one slice of onion and three cups of milk for
twenty minutes. Remove onion, heat two tablespoons of butter, add two
tablespoons of flour, one-fourth teaspoon of pepper, one teaspoon of
salt; first two-thirds of a cup, and gradually the rest of the celery
broth, add one cup of cream; cook until smooth and serve at once.
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP
Proceed as with cream of celery soup, substituting one-half bundle of
fresh asparagus or an equal amount of canned for the stalk of celery.
Or, the tips of a bundle of asparagus may be cut off for table use and
the remainder used for soup. In either case the asparagus will be better
if mashed through a colander, thus removing the woody portions.
CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER SOUP
Take a solid head of cauliflower, scald it to take away the strong
taste; separate the flowers and proceed as with cream of celery soup.
CREAM OF CORN SOUP
Take a can of corn or six ears of corn. Run a sharp knife down through
the center of each row of kernels, and with the back of a knife press
out the pulp, leaving the husk on the cob. Break the cobs and put them
on to boil in sufficient cold water to cover them. Boil thirty minutes
and strain the liquor. Return the liquor to the fire, and when boiling
add the corn pulp and bay leaf. Cook fifteen minutes; add the cream
sauce and serve.
CREAM OF HERRING SOUP (RUSSIAN STYLE)
Place two cups of milk, two cups of water, one small onion, salt and
pepper to taste in a saucepan, and boil for ten minutes, add two
herrings which have been previously soaked and cut in small pieces; cook
until herring is tender.
MILK, OR CREAM SOUP
Heat a quart of milk or cream, add a tablespoon of sweet butter and
thicken with a spoon of flour or corn starch, wet with cold milk. Pour,
boiling, over pieces of toasted bread cut into dices; crackers may also
be used.
FISH CHOWDER
Skin and bone one and one-half pounds of codfish or haddock. Cut six
large tomatoes, six large potatoes, two large onions in small pieces,
add salt, pepper, three pints of water and cook one hour. Add one-half
pint of cream, one-fourth cup of butter, and paprika. Cook five minutes
and serve.
MOCK FISH CHOWDER
Omit fish and use same ingredients, sprinkle with chopped parsley and
serve.
GLOBE ARTICHOKE OR TURNIP SOUP
Heat two tablespoons of butter, add one and one-half pounds of sliced
turnips or artichokes and stir them in the butter, add one tablespoon of
flour, a little salt, three cups of hot milk, three cups of hot water,
stirring them in slowly. When the vegetables are done rub them through a
sieve, put them back in the saucepan, add a little sugar and more
seasoning, if required, and heat thoroughly. A little cream or butter
may be put into the tureen, and the soup stirred into it.
SPINACH SOUP
Wash, pick over and cook two quarts of spinach for twenty minutes;
drain, chop and rub through a sieve and return to the water in which it
was cooked, add one-half cup of chopped onions, cook until thoroughly
done, thicken with a white sauce made by melting two tablespoons of
butter to which is added two tablespoons of flour; stir until smooth,
add two cups of milk; season with one-half teaspoon of salt and pepper
and add the spinach mixture.
CREAM OF LETTUCE SOUP
Proceed as with spinach, substituting lettuce for spinach.
CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
Cook one quart tomatoes (fresh or canned) with one pint water until
done, and strain through a sieve. Meanwhile melt two tablespoons of
butter, add two tablespoons of flour, add gradually one and one-half
cups of milk (or half cream and half milk), one teaspoon of salt, one
teaspoon of sugar, one-quarter teaspoon of pepper; add a little chopped
parsley and celery, and let this boil for fifteen minutes. Just before
ready to serve add one-fourth teaspoon of baking soda to the hot
strained tomatoes, pour gradually into the cream sauce stirring
constantly and serve at once.
CREAM OF LENTIL SOUP
Soak one cup of lentils over night. Drain and boil slowly for one hour
in water containing one-half teaspoon of baking soda, drain and boil
again very gently in fresh water; when the lentils are tender drain off
most of the liquid and return to the fire. Add two tablespoons of
butter, or butter substitute, two teaspoons of salt, and one-half
teaspoon of sugar. Bring three cups of milk to a boil in the
double-boiler. Just before serving mash the lentils through a strainer
directly into the milk. Serve in cups and pass croutons with the soup.
ONION SOUP
Slice two or three large onions; fry them in a tablespoon of butter
until they are soft and red, then add three tablespoons of flour and
stir until it is a little cooked. To this add slowly a pint of boiling
water, stirring all the time, so it will be smooth.
Boil and mash three good-sized potatoes. Add to them slowly a quart of
scalded milk, stirring well so it will be smooth. Add the potato and
milk mixture to the onion mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Let it
get very hot, and pass it through a strainer into the tureen. Sprinkle
over the top a little parsley chopped very fine, and a few croutons.
CREAM WINE SOUP
Put one cup of white wine and one-half cup of cold water on to boil, add
a few pieces of stick cinnamon and seven lumps of cut loaf sugar; while
boiling scald a cup of sweet cream in double boiler. Have ready the
well-beaten yolks of two eggs, pour over this the hot cream, stirring
all the time, then pour in the boiling wine, being careful to stir well
or it will curdle. Very nice for invalids. Can be eaten hot or cold.
VEGETABLE SOUP (MILCHIG)
Brown one-half cup of chopped onion in one tablespoon of butter, add one
and a half quarts of boiling water, two cups of shredded cabbage
one-half cup of chopped carrot, one leek, one tablespoon of chopped
peppers, one tablespoon of chopped celery. Boil rapidly for ten minutes,
then gently for one hour. Add one medium-sized potato diced and a
tomato, one and a half teaspoons of salt and one-quarter teaspoon of
pepper, a pinch of paprika and thyme. Cook one hour longer. Have the
cover partially off the kettle during the entire time. Ten minutes
before serving thicken with two tablespoons of flour mixed with
one-fourth cup of cold milk.
BRAUNE MEHLSUPPE (BROWN FLOUR SOUP), No. 1
Heat a spoon of butter in a spider, add a spoon of flour, stir briskly,
but do not let it get black; pour boiling water over it, add salt and
caraway seeds.
BROWN FLOUR SOUP, No. 2
Heat two tablespoons of fresh butter in a spider, add four tablespoons
of flour to it and brown to light golden brown, then add one quart
water, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper and a little
nutmeg. Add one pint of milk, let boil up once or twice and serve at
once.
BEER SOUP
To one pint of beer add one cup of water, let come to a boil, season
with salt and cinnamon if desired. Beat two egg yolks well with a little
sugar and flour mixed, add one cup of milk, stir until smooth, stir all
together in the hot beer mixture, let come almost to the boiling point,
fold in the beaten whites of the two eggs and serve at once with
croutons. If desired for a meat meal equal parts of water and beer may
be used instead of milk.
SOUR MILK SOUP
Let the milk stand until it jellies, but does not separate. Put it into
a saucepan and let simmer one minute. Then thicken with two generous
tablespoons of flour; blend to a smooth paste with butter. Strain
through a fine sieve and serve in cups or soup plates and sprinkle the
top with maple sugar.
POTATO SOUP
Boil and mash three or four potatoes, one tablespoon of butter, one-half
tablespoon of flour, and one teaspoon of chopped onion, letting the
onion cook in the butter a few minutes before adding the flour. When
this is cooked add to it a pint of milk, making a thin, white sauce. Add
this to the mashed potato and pass the whole through a strainer. Return
it to the fire for a few minutes to heat and blend it. Season it with
salt and pepper. Sprinkle on the soup chopped parsley and a few
croutons.
*For Fleischig Soup.*--This soup may be made with fat instead of butter,
and the water in which the potatoes have been boiled may be used instead
of the milk; any left-over meat gravy will give the soup a rich flavor.
GREEN PEA PURÉE
Cook one quart of green peas until very tender. Then mash through
colander. To this amount heat one quart of milk in double boiler. Add
butter, salt and pepper to taste, and last the mashed green peas.
LEEK SOUP
Put a small piece of butter in saucepan and then six or eight leeks cut
in small pieces. Keep turning for about five minutes so they will get
brown; add water for amount desired; season with salt and pepper and put
in piece of stale bread. Strain through the strainer. Put in croutons
and serve with grated cheese.
RED WINE SOUP
Put on to boil one cup of good red wine and one-half cup of water,
sweeten to taste, add three whole cloves and three small pieces of
cinnamon bark, let boil ten minutes, and pour while boiling over the
well-beaten yolk of one egg. Eat hot or cold. This quantity serves one
person.
SPLIT PEA SOUP (MILCHIG)
Soak peas in lukewarm water over night. Use one quart of peas to one
gallon of water. Boil about two hours with the following vegetables: a
few potatoes, a large celery root, a little parsley and a little onion,
a small carrot cut up in cubes and a small clove of garlic. When boiled
down to half the quantity, press all through colander. If soup is too
thin, take a tablespoon of flour blended with a little cold water in a
saucepan and add to the peas already strained. Serve with croutons.
TOMATO SOUP WITH RICE
Brown slightly one minced onion in one tablespoon of butter, add one can
of tomatoes or a quart of medium sized tomatoes cut in small pieces,
season with salt, pepper, one tablespoon of sugar and a pinch of
paprika. Simmer a half hour, strain and thicken with one tablespoon of
flour moistened with cold water, add the strained tomatoes and one cup
of boiled rice; let come to a boil and serve.
MILK AND CHEESE SOUP
Thicken three cups of milk with one-half tablespoon of flour and cook
thoroughly in a double boiler, stirring very often. When ready to serve
add one cup of grated cheese and season with salt and paprika.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Soak one pint of beans over night, drain, add cold water and rinse
thoroughly. Fry two tablespoons of chopped onion in two tablespoons of
butter, put in with the beans, add two stalks of celery or a piece of
celery root and two quarts of water. Cook slowly until the beans are
soft, three or four hours, add more boiling water as it boils away; rub
through a strainer, add one-eighth teaspoon of pepper, one-fourth
teaspoon of mustard, a few grains of cayenne. Heat one tablespoon of
butter in saucepan with two tablespoons of flour, then two-thirds cup
and then the rest of the soup gradually; cut a lemon (removing seeds)
and two hard-boiled eggs in slices and serve in the soup.
BARLEY AND VEGETABLE SOUP
Take a half cup of coarse barley and two quarts of water. Let boil for
one hour and skim. Then add two onions, a bunch of carrots, parsley, two
turnips, one green pepper and six tomatoes (all chopped fine). Add a few
green peas, lima beans, two ears of corn cut from cob; pepper and salt
to taste. Cook for one hour or more until done. Then add a small piece
of butter, quarter teaspoon of sage and thyme, if you like, and if soup
is too thick add more water.
BEER SOUP (PARVE)
Mix the beer with one-third water, boil with sugar and the grated crust
of stale rye bread, add stick cinnamon and a little lemon juice. Pour
over small pieces of zwieback (rusk). Some boil a handful of dried
currants. When done add both currants and juice.
BEET SOUP (RUSSIAN STYLE)
Cut two small beets in strips, cover with water and let cook until
tender, add citric acid (sour salt) and a little sugar to make sweet and
sour, a little salt, and three-quarter cup of sour cream. Serve cold.
Sweet cream may be used and while hot gradually poured over the
well-beaten yolks of two eggs, keeping the soup over the stove and
stirring all the time until thick and smooth. Remove from stove and
serve cold.
CHERRY SOUP
This soup is a summer soup and is to be eaten cold. Cook two tablespoons
of sago in one cup of boiling water until tender, add more as water
boils down. Put one quart of large red or black cherries, one cup of
claret, one tablespoon of broken cinnamon, one-fourth cup of sugar, and
one-half lemon sliced fine, up to boil and let boil fifteen minutes; add
the cooked sago, let boil up and pour very gradually over the
well-beaten yolks of two eggs. Serve cold. Raspberry, strawberry,
currant, gooseberry, apple, plum or rhubarb soups are prepared the same
way, each cooked until tender and sweetened to taste. The juice of lemon
may be used instead of the wine.
FRUIT SOUP
Take two pounds of plums, cherries, or red currants and raspberries,
which carefully pick and wash, and boil to a pulp with a pint of water.
Let it slightly cool and then stir in the beaten yolk of an egg and a
little sugar. Strain the soup, which should be served cold.
COLD SOUR SOUP
Take a pound of sour grass (sorrel), remove leaves, wash well, cut and
squeeze well. Peel three potatoes, mince a bunch of young onions, salt
and set on to boil, when boiling add the sour grass and let boil well,
add two tablespoons of sugar, and a bit of sour salt, let simmer a bit,
afterward add two well-beaten eggs. Do not boil this soup after adding
the eggs. This soup is to be eaten cold. It can be kept for some time in
jars.
*GARNISHES AND DUMPLINGS FOR SOUPS*
NOODLES
Beat one large egg slightly with one-fourth teaspoon of salt, add enough
flour to make a stiff dough; work it well for fifteen or twenty minutes,
adding flour when necessary. When the dough is smooth place on slightly
floured board and roll out very thin and set aside on a clean towel for
an hour or more to dry. Fold in a tight roll and cut crosswise in fine
threads. Toss them up lightly with fingers to separate well, and spread
them on the board to dry. When thoroughly dry, put in a jar covered with
cheese cloth for future use. Drop by handfuls in boiling soup, ten
minutes before serving.
Noodles for vegetables or for puddings are made in the same way, but to
each egg, one-half egg-shell full of cold water may be added. The strips
are cut one-half inch wide.
PLAETCHEN
Take noodle dough, roll out thin in same manner as noodles, when dry cut
in three-inch strips, place the strips on top of one another, then cut
into one-half inch strips, crosswise, cut again to form one-half inch
squares. Dry same as noodles. Drop by handfuls in boiling soup.
KREPLECH OR BUTTERFLIES
Roll noodle dough into pieces two and one-half inches square. Place on
each one tablespoon of force-meat, then fold squares into three corned
pockets, pressing edges well together. Drop in boiling soup or salted
water and boil fifteen minutes.
FORCE-MEAT FOR KREPLECH
Chop one pound of beef, soup meat, cold veal, or take lamb chopped very
fine, season with one teaspoon of salt, one-eighth teaspoon of pepper,
ginger or nutmeg, one-half teaspoon of onion juice, mix with one egg.
This force-meat may also be made into balls one-half inch in diameter,
roll the balls in flour and cook them in the boiling soup, or fry them
in fat.
BAKING POWDER DUMPLINGS
Sift one cup of flour, one-fourth teaspoon of salt, one teaspoon of
baking powder, stir in scant one-half cup of milk or water and mix to a
smooth batter. Drop one teaspoonful at a time in the boiling soup; cover
kettle, let boil five minutes and serve at once.
CROUTONS
Cut stale bread into cubes, place in pan and brown in the oven; or
butter the bread, cut into cubes and then brown the same way. Fry small
cubes of stale bread in deep hot fat until brown or fry them in a little
butter or fat in a hot spider until brown.
PFÄRVEL OR GRATED EGG FOR SOUP
Into the yolk of one egg stir enough flour until it is too stiff to
work. Grate on coarse grater, and spread on board to dry. After soup is
strained, put in and boil ten minutes before serving.
SPATZEN
Beat one egg well, add one-half teaspoon of salt, three-fourths cup of
flour and one-third cup of water, stirring to a stiff, smooth batter.
Drop by teaspoons into boiling soup ten minutes before serving.
EGG CUSTARD
Beat slightly the yolks of two eggs, add two tablespoons of milk and a
few grains of salt. Pour into small buttered cup, place in pan of hot
water and bake until firm; cool, remove from cup and cut in fancy shapes
with French vegetable cutters.
GRATED IRISH POTATO
Peel, wash and grate one large Irish potato, or two medium-sized ones.
Put it in a sieve and let hot water run over it until it is perfectly
white. Have the white of one egg beaten to a very stiff froth, then stir
in the potatoes and twenty minutes before serving add it to the boiling
soup. Beat the yolk of one egg up in the soup tureen, and pour the hot
soup over it, stirring carefully at first.
FARINA DUMPLINGS
Put in a double boiler one kitchen spoon of fresh butter, stir in one
cup of milk. When it begins to boil stir in enough farina to thicken.
Take off the stove and when cold add the yolks of two eggs and the
stiffly-beaten whites, and a little salt and nutmeg and one-half cup of
grated almonds if desired. Let cool, then make into little balls, and
ten minutes before soup is to be served, drop in boiler and let boil up
once or twice.
BOILED FLOUR BALLS WITH ALMONDS
Two yolks of eggs beaten very light, add a pinch of salt, pepper and
finely-chopped parsley. Add six blanched almonds grated, enough sifted
flour to make stiff batter, then add the stiffly-beaten whites of eggs
and one-half teaspoon of baking powder. Drop by teaspoons in soup ten
minutes before serving.
EINLAUF (EGG DROP)
Beat one egg, add one-eighth teaspoon of salt, three tablespoons of
flour and one-fourth cup of water, stir until smooth. Pour slowly from a
considerable height from the end of a spoon into the boiling soup. Cook
two or three minutes and serve hot; add one teaspoon of chopped parsley
to the soup.
EGG DUMPLINGS FOR SOUPS
Rub the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs to a smooth paste, add a little
salt and grated nutmeg and one-half teaspoon of melted butter. Add the
chopped whites of two eggs and a raw egg yolk to be able to mold the
dough into little marbles, put in boiling soup one minute.
SCHWEM KLOESSE
Take three tablespoons of flour; stir with one egg and one-half cup of
milk; pour this in a pan in which some butter was melted; stir until it
loosens from the pan. When it is cold, add two more eggs and some salt,
and shortly before needed form in little dumplings and put in boiling
hot soup for five minutes.
DUMPLINGS FOR CREAM SOUPS
Scald some flour with milk or water, mix in a small piece of butter and
salt, and boil until thick. When cool beat in yolk of an egg, if too
stiff add the beaten white.
DROP DUMPLINGS
Break into a cup the whites of three eggs; fill the cup with milk; put
it with a tablespoon of fresh butter and one cup of sifted flour in a
spider and stir as it boils until it leaves the spider clean. Set aside
until cool and stir in the yolks of three eggs. Season with salt, pepper
and nutmeg, mix thoroughly and drop by teaspoons in the boiling soup ten
minutes before ready to be served.
LIVER KLOESSE (DUMPLINGS)
Brown a small onion minced in one tablespoon of chicken fat, add a small
liver chopped fine, chopped parsley, two tablespoons of flour. Season
with nutmeg, red and white pepper, and add two eggs. Drop with teaspoon
in the boiling soup, let cook ten minutes--serve.
FRITTER BEANS
Beat one egg until light, add three-fourths teaspoon of salt, one-half
cup of flour and two tablespoons of water. Put through colander into
deep hot fat and fry until brown. Drain and pour hot broth over them.
SPONGE DUMPLINGS
Separate three eggs, beat the yolks, and add one cup of soup stock,
one-fourth teaspoon of salt, then add the beaten whites. Pour into a
greased cup and place in pan of hot water and steam until firm; cool,
remove from cup and cut into small dumplings with a teaspoon; pour the
boiling soup over and just before serving add chopped parsley.
*FISH*
Fish that is not fresh is a very dangerous food and great care should be
taken in selecting only fish fit to eat. If the fish is hard in body and
the eyes are clear and bright, the gills a bright red and slimy, the
flesh so firm that when pressed the marks of the fingers do not remain,
the scales not dry or easy to loosen, then the fish is fresh.
In the refrigerator fish will taint butter and other foods if placed in
the same compartment, so that in most cases it is better to lay it on a
plate on a pan of ice, or wrap it in parchment or waxed paper and put it
in the ice box.
Pickerel weighing more than five pounds should not be bought. If belly
is thick it is likely that there is another fish inside. This smaller
fish or any found in any other fish may not be used as food.
Salt fish should be soaked in fresh water, skin side up, to draw out the
salt.
Each fish is at its best in its season, for instance:--
Bluefish, Butterfish, Sea, Striped Bass, Porgies, Sea-trout or Weakfish
are best from April to September.
Fluke and Flounders are good all year round, but the fluke is better
than the flounder in summer. Carp may be had all year, but care must be
taken that it has not been in polluted water.
Cod, Haddock, Halibut, Mackerel, Redsnapper, Salmon, Whitefish are good
all year.
In the different states of the United States there are laws governing
the fishing for trout, so the season for that fish differs in the
various states.
Black Bass, Perch, Pickerel and Pike are in season from June 1st to
December 1st.
Shad, April to June.
Smelts, November 10th to April.
TO CLEAN FISH
The fish may be cleaned at the market, but needs to be looked over
carefully before cooking.
To remove the scales hold the fish by the tail and scrape firmly toward
the head with a small sharp knife, held with the blade slanting toward
the tail. Scrape slowly so that the scales will not fly, and rinse the
knife frequently in cold water. If the fish is to be served whole, leave
the head and tail on and trim the fins; otherwise remove them.
TO OPEN FISH
To open small fish cut under the gills and squeeze out the contents by
pressing upward from the middle with the thumb and finger. To open large
fish split them from the gills halfway down the body toward the tail;
remove the entrails and scrape and clean, opening far enough to remove
all the blood from the backbone, and wiping the inside thoroughly with a
cloth wrung out of cold, salted water.
TO SKIN FISH
To skin a fish remove the fins along the back and cut off a narrow strip
of the skin the entire length of the back. Then slip the knife under the
skin that lies over the bony part of the gills and work slowly toward
the tail. Do the same with the other side.
TO BONE FISH
To bone a fish clean it first and remove the head. Then, beginning at
the tail, run a sharp knife under the flesh close to the bone, scraping
the flesh away clean from the bone. Work up one side toward the head;
then repeat the same process on the other side of the bone. Lift the
bone carefully and pull out any small bones that may be left in the
flesh.
BOILED FISH
To cook fish properly is very important, as no food, perhaps, is so
insipid as fish if carelessly cooked. It must be well done and properly
salted. A good rule to cook fish by is the following: Allow ten minutes
to the first pound and five minutes for each additional pound; for
example: boil a fish weighing five pounds thirty minutes. By pulling out
a fin you may ascertain whether your fish is done; if it comes out
easily and the meat is an opaque white, your fish has boiled long
enough. Always set your fish on to boil in hot water, hot from the
teakettle, adding salt and a dash of vinegar to keep the meat firm; an
onion, a head of celery and parsley roots are always an acceptable
flavor to any kind of boiled fish, no matter what kind of sauce you
intend to serve with the fish. If you wish to serve the fish whole, tie
it in a napkin and lay it on an old plate at the bottom of the kettle;
if you have a regular "fish kettle" this is not necessary. In boiling
fish avoid using too much water.
To thicken sauces, where flour is used, take a level teaspoon of flour
to a cup of sauce, or the yolk of an egg to a cup of sauce.
BAKED FISH