headaches and for the gloom which, in many a household, does not wear
off until Tuesday morning. If Sunday were a day of fasting instead of
a day of feasting, Monday might be radiant occasionally instead of
riotous or revolutionary.
We make Sunday a hard day for the women of the household, especially
the servants, and the imperial liver appertaining to the Head of the
Establishment balks sometimes at the strain. The American Sunday
Dinner is one cause of the American Servant Problem--and everybody
knows what that is.
In more than one household, a twelve or one o'clock breakfast has
proved both hygienic and satisfactory. Coffee and rolls are served to
those who want them at eight or nine o'clock, if they come into the
dining-room. At noon the family sits down to a simple breakfast--fruit,
broiled chicken, creamed potatoes, hot bread and coffee, for example.
The maid has few dishes to wash, is not too tired to enjoy her
afternoon off, and gets away two or three hours earlier than her less
fortunate sisters. Also she remains where she is hired--which has its
advantages. Only a light lunch is needed in the evening which the
mistress may serve, leaving the dishes to be washed in the morning.
Owing to the aforesaid American Servant Problem an increasing number
of women do their own housework--not from choice, but from stern
necessity. This book is intended for the woman in a small house or
apartment, who is her own cook, who earnestly desires to do her duty
by her family, yet be something more than a wearied and soul-sickened
drudge; who has to look after her dimes and nickels, if not her
pennies, and who wants more than the weekly "afternoon off" accorded
to the stronger women who undertake domestic tasks.
Simplicity--and, as a general rule, economy--has been the standard by
which each recipe has been judged. All are within the capabilities of
the most inexperienced cook, who is willing to follow directions,
and, in the case of such variable materials as flour and eggs, trust,
now and then, to her own judgment.
THIRTY-FIVE CANAPES
I
Cover thin circles of fried or toasted bread with chopped hard-boiled
eggs, lay a curled anchovy in the centre of each piece and serve
either hot or cold, garnishing with minced parsley or capers.
II
Cut thin slices of bread into fancy shapes, toast, spread with butter,
and lay a curled anchovy in the centre around half a pimola. Fill the
spaces with the minced whites and sifted yolks of hard-boiled eggs and
border with minced capers or parsley.
III
Serve pitted olives on rounds of fried bread with an anchovy curled
around each olive. Fill the space to the edge with chopped olives or
rings of hard-boiled eggs. Garnish with cress.
IV
Fry small rounds of bread in clarified butter, sprinkle with grated
cheese, season with salt and cayenne, and put in the oven until the
cheese is melted. Fillets of anchovies may be laid on these canapes
and they may be served hot or cold, garnishing with minced parsley.
V
Pound anchovies to a smooth paste with butter and season with cayenne
and lemon-juice. Spread on strips of toast or bread and lay strips of
anchovy on each piece. Fill the spaces between with hard-boiled eggs
chopped separately.
VI
Chop watercress and pickles with the yolks of hard-boiled eggs and rub
to a smooth paste with butter. Spread on strips of fried or toasted
bread and lay an anchovy on each one.
VII
Slice large tomatoes, cut circles of bread to fit, and toast or fry
the bread. Lay a slice of tomato on each piece, put a pimola in the
centre, curl an anchovy around it and border with stiff Mayonnaise,
using the pastry bag and tube. Serve ice cold.
VIII
Beat together two eggs, a tablespoonful of melted butter, a
teaspoonful of anchovy sauce, and salt and cayenne to season. Add
three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese and one tablespoonful of flour
wet with cream. Spread thickly upon small slices of toast and bake
until brown.
IX
Chop two hard-boiled eggs fine, mix to a smooth paste with melted
butter, season with anchovy essence, and serve on small circles or
squares of buttered toast.
X
Spread strips of toast with caviare rubbed to a smooth paste with
butter, sprinkle with chopped watercress, and serve cold.
XI
Heat caviare with enough cream to moisten, spread on rounds of fried
or toasted bread, and sprinkle with hard-boiled egg-yolks rubbed
through a fine sieve. Garnish with cress.
XII
Spread thin rounds of toasted rye-bread with caviare, seasoned with
lemon-juice. Lay a slice of hard-boiled egg on each one and serve with
a garnish of parsley.
XIII
Spread thin squares of toast with caviare seasoned with lemon-juice,
sprinkle with minced parsley, and border with chopped hard-boiled
eggs. Garnish with lemon and parsley.
XIV
Chop fine, olives, pimentos, and cucumber pickles. Season caviare with
lemon-juice and spread upon circles of fried or toasted bread. Cover
with a thin layer of the chopped mixture.
XV
Spread butter upon thin round slices of rye-bread or Boston
brown-bread and lay a thin slice of cucumber, which has been dipped in
French dressing, on each piece. Remove the yolk from slices of
hard-boiled egg, lay the ring of white on the cucumber, and fill the
centre with caviare.
XVI
Season caviare with lemon-juice and spread upon rounds of toasted
bread. Lay an oyster on each piece and serve on a plate with a garnish
of cress and lemon.
XVII
Mix caviare to a cream with lemon-juice and spread on buttered toast
cut into squares or diamonds. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, chopped
finely, and sprinkle with minced onion. Skinned and boned anchovies
may be used instead of caviare.
XVIII
Heat a can of caviare with a little melted butter, season with
lemon-juice and cayenne, and serve on small squares of hot buttered
toast.
XIX
Fry small rounds of bread in butter, drain and cool. Chop watercress
very fine, rub it to a paste with butter and spread on the toast.
Sprinkle with salt and paprika, cover with caviare seasoned with
lemon-juice, and serve with a garnish of cress.
XX
Spread thick rounds of fresh bread with butter and anchovy paste,
cover with crab-meat, sprinkle with minced green pepper, press firmly,
and serve with a garnish of cress.
XXI
Rub to a smooth paste the yolks of hard-boiled eggs and an equal
quantity of skinned and boned sardines, seasoning with lemon-juice.
Spread on narrow strips of buttered toast and serve either hot or
cold.
XXII
Drain and skin boned sardines. Saute in butter, season with salt,
cayenne, and lemon-juice, and serve hot on small strips of buttered
toast.
XXIII
Drain, skin, bone, and mash sardines. Rub to a smooth paste,
moistening with melted butter and lemon-juice. Spread on small
circles of bread, lay a ring of hard-boiled egg-white in the centre,
fill the space with minced olives and surround with the sifted yolk.
Serve with cress or parsley.
XXIV
Toast small slices of rye-bread and spread with sardines, pounded to a
paste and rubbed smooth with butter. Arrange alternate rows of chopped
hard-boiled egg yolks and whites, garnish with parsley and serve.
XXV
Rub boned and skinned sardines to a paste with butter and the yolks of
hard-boiled eggs, seasoning with chopped pickle and parsley,
lemon-juice, and mustard. Spread the paste on rounds or strips of
fried bread, lay a skinned and boned sardine on each piece, heat
thoroughly and serve.
XXVI
Spread rounds of fried bread with anchovy paste and cover with
Mayonnaise to which has been added chopped capers, olives, and onion.
Garnish with cress and serve cold.
XXVII
Fry small rounds of bread, spread with anchovy paste, lay a slice of
tomato on each and serve ice cold, garnishing with cress or parsley.
XXVIII
Sprinkle rounds of fried bread with grated cheese, heat until the
cheese melts, and serve very hot.
XXIX
Spread rounds of fried bread with caviare seasoned with lemon-juice,
lay a slice of hard-boiled egg on each one, and sprinkle with chopped
cress.
XXX
Rub chopped ham to a smooth paste, moistening with cream, milk, or
melted butter. Spread on small rounds of fried bread, sprinkle with
grated Parmesan cheese and cayenne, and brown in a hot oven.
XXXI
Spread small strips of bread with butter and sprinkle with salt and
paprika. Cover with grated cheese, bake until the cheese softens, and
serve immediately.
XXXII
Butter small rounds of toast, cover with thin slices of Swiss cheese
or sprinkle with grated Swiss cheese, brown in the oven, and serve
hot.
XXXIII
Spread grated cheese on small rounds of bread seasoned with salt and
cayenne, and bake until the cheese is melted. The bread may be spread
with French mustard before the cheese is put on.
XXXIV
Rub two chicken livers to a smooth paste with butter, seasoning with
salt and paprika, spread on rounds of fried bread, and serve hot.
XXXV
Mix equal quantities of minced cooked chicken, ham, or tongue with a
little very thick Cream Sauce. Season with curry-powder and
lemon-juice. Spread on small rounds of toast and serve hot, or make
sandwiches of toast with the mixture between.
ONE HUNDRED SIMPLE SOUPS
_BEEF SOUPS_
BARLEY SOUP
Cook one cupful of barley slowly until soft. Drain, and add to beef
stock made according to any preferred method. Serve very hot.
BLACK BEAN SOUP
Soak two cupfuls of black beans in cold water over night. In the
morning, drain, and cover with fresh boiling water. Boil until tender,
add four cupfuls of beef stock, and two cupfuls of boiling water. Rub
through a fine sieve, return to the fire, and bring to the boil.
Season with salt, pepper, and a wineglassful of sherry. Cut into
slices one lemon, and two hard-boiled eggs. Put into a tureen, pour
the hot soup over, and serve.
BOSTON SUMMER SOUP
Cook together one cupful of peas and one cupful of tomatoes. Rub
through a sieve, and add to four cupfuls of beef stock. Thicken with
two tablespoonfuls of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold stock.
Simmer fifteen minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of butter and three
tablespoonfuls of cooked peas. Season with salt and pepper, reheat
and serve.
CREOLE SOUP
Half a can of tomatoes, three tablespoonfuls of rice, one half can of
okra, and a red pepper, added to two quarts of beef stock. Simmer
until the rice is cooked. Blend together two tablespoonfuls of flour,
mix with a little cold stock, pour into the soup, and stir until it
thickens. Season with salt and serve at once.
ENGLISH SPINACH SOUP
Cook half a peck of spinach, rub through a fine sieve, add six cupfuls
of strong beef stock, season with salt, pepper, sugar, and mace,
thicken with butter and flour, bring to the boil, and serve
immediately.
ENGLISH TOMATO SOUP
Add one can of tomatoes to four cupfuls of beef stock, and simmer
together for an hour, with a small onion cut fine. Rub through a
sieve, reheat, season with salt, pepper, and sugar, and thicken with a
tablespoonful of butter, rubbed smooth with a tablespoonful of flour,
boiled in the soup, while stirring. When thick, add three
tablespoonfuls of cold boiled rice, reheat, and serve with croutons.
ITALIAN ONION SOUP WITH CHEESE
Slice four large onions very thin, fry brown in butter, and add to
four cupfuls of beef stock. Put into an earthen pot and arrange slices
of toast on top, liberally sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese.
Serve from the dish with one slice of toast for each person.
JULIENNE SOUP
Cut into thin, match-like strips carrots, turnips, and celery, having
half a cupful of each. Cover with boiling water, season with salt and
pepper, and cook until soft. Add to two quarts of boiling beef stock.
SOUP OF MIXED VEGETABLES
One cupful each of chopped onion, carrot, celery, and tomatoes;
one-half cupful each of chopped turnip, parsnip, and cabbage. Fry the
onions and carrot in a little butter, then add four cupfuls of boiling
water and four cupfuls of beef stock. Simmer until the vegetables are
tender. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, and minced parsley.
NOODLE AND TOMATO SOUP
Add a five-cent can of tomato paste to three pints of boiling beef
stock. Season to taste, and cook in it noodles made according to
directions given elsewhere. Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese.
QUICK BEEF SOUP
Cook together in two quarts of water for half an hour, half an onion,
three stalks of celery, and a sliced carrot. Season with salt, pepper,
and mace. Strain, and add to the water two tablespoonfuls of extract
of beef. Stir until dissolved, reheat and serve.
RICE AND CURRY SOUP
Melt in a saucepan two tablespoonfuls of butter, add a chopped onion,
and a tablespoonful of chopped raw ham. Fry for three minutes. Add one
tablespoonful of curry powder and two tablespoonfuls of flour. Mix
thoroughly, add three quarts of beef stock, boil for one hour, skim,
and press through a fine strainer into another saucepan. Add a pint of
rice which has been cooked in stock, reheat, skim, and serve.
SPANISH ONION SOUP
Chop fine five onions and fry brown in butter, adding a teaspoonful of
sugar. When brown, pour over eight cupfuls of hot beef stock. Add a
bay leaf, half a dozen pepper-corns, and a tablespoonful of minced
parsley. Simmer fifteen minutes, strain, and serve with dice of fried
or toasted bread.
VEAL SOUP
Put a knuckle of veal into three quarts of cold water, with a
teaspoonful of salt, and a tablespoonful of uncooked rice. Simmer
gently for four hours, take from the fire, and strain through a
colander. Beat the yolk of one egg with a cupful of milk, add a
teaspoonful of butter, and strain the hot soup upon it, stirring
constantly. Pour into the tureen and serve immediately.
WREXHAM SOUP
One pound of lean beef chopped fine. Peel and slice one large carrot,
one large turnip, six small onions, a stalk of celery, and two cupfuls
of tomatoes. Tie up in a muslin cloth a small bunch of parsley, six
cloves, six pepper-corns, and a sprig of thyme. Put all these
ingredients into a bean-pot, with a tablespoonful of salt, a
teaspoonful of sugar and a pinch of pepper. Cover with five pints of
cold water, and bake very slowly for five hours. Take out the bag of
spices, and serve the soup with croutons.
_BISQUES AND PUREES_
BISQUE OF CLAMS
Reheat four cupfuls of veal stock, and thicken with two tablespoonfuls
of butter, blended with two tablespoonfuls of flour, and rubbed smooth
in the stock, while boiling. Add a small can of minced clams with
their liquor, or twenty-five clams, chopped very fine. Season to
taste, add two cupfuls of boiling cream, and serve immediately.
CRAB AND TOMATO BISQUE
Blend together two tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour. Add one
quart of cold milk, and cook slowly until it thickens, stirring
constantly. Add one cupful of cooked crab meat, two cupfuls of stewed
and strained tomatoes, a pinch of soda, and salt and pepper to season.
Boil up once and serve.
PUREE OF ASPARAGUS
Cut the tops from two bunches of asparagus, and set aside. Boil the
stalks in salted water until tender, and rub through a sieve. Add the
pulp to three pints of boiling beef stock, and season with salt,
pepper, and butter. Simmer fifteen or twenty minutes. Stir in three
tablespoonfuls of cream, strain the soup, add the cooked asparagus
tips, and serve. This soup may be thickened if desired.
PUREE OF GREEN PEAS
Boil four cupfuls of green peas in salted water with an onion, a small
bunch of parsley, and two sprigs of mint. Rub through a colander and
reheat. Add a cupful of veal stock, season with salt, pepper, and
sugar, and thicken with one tablespoonful of butter blended with one
tablespoonful of flour, and rubbed smooth in the soup, while boiling.
Serve with croutons.
PUREE OF KIDNEY BEANS
Soak over night two cupfuls of red kidney beans. Drain, and cook
slowly until very soft in enough beef stock to cover. Rub through a
coarse sieve. Add one-half cupful of salt pork, cut into dice and
fried until brown and crisp, two onions, one carrot, and a
tablespoonful of powdered sweet herbs. Add four cupfuls of beef stock,
and simmer for an hour. Strain, add two tablespoonfuls of sherry or
claret, reheat, and serve.
PUREE OF PEAS AND RICE
Rub through a sieve one cupful of cooked peas, and one cupful of cold
boiled rice. Mix with six cupfuls of boiling beef stock, thicken with
butter and flour, according to directions previously given, and serve
very hot.
PUREE OF TOMATOES
Boil together for half an hour one can of tomatoes, and one large
onion, chopped fine. Run through a sieve, return to the fire, and
season with pepper, salt, and sugar. Blend together two tablespoonfuls
of butter, and one tablespoonful of flour. Add two cupfuls of cold
milk, and cook until smooth and thick, stirring constantly. Add the
tomatoes and a pinch of soda. Reheat, add half a cupful of cracker
crumbs, and serve immediately.
PUREE OF TOMATOES AND MACARONI
Cook together for an hour, one can of tomatoes, a sprig of parsley, a
teaspoonful of celery seed, a teaspoonful of sugar, a blade of mace, a
bay-leaf, and a small onion chopped fine. Rub through a coarse sieve,
add two cupfuls of beef stock, season with salt and pepper, and
thicken with one tablespoonful each of butter and flour, rubbed
together and boiled in soup, while stirring. When thickened add one
cupful of cooked macaroni, cut into small bits.
_CHICKEN SOUPS_
CHICKEN BOUILLON
Cut up a chicken, cover with cold water, add a small onion sliced, a
stalk of celery cut fine, and a small bunch of parsley. Simmer until
the meat falls from the bones, strain through cheese-cloth, cool,
skim, reheat, season with salt and pepper, and serve in cups.
CHICKEN SOUP
Select an old fowl and cut it in pieces. Put into the soup-kettle,
with a sliced carrot, two onions, two cloves, and water to cover.
Simmer for three or four hours, and strain. Reheat the liquor, add one
cupful each of washed rice and meat of the chicken, a small turnip
chopped, and a blade of mace. Simmer for three hours, rub through a
sieve, season to taste, and serve.
CHICKEN AND TOMATO SOUP
Cut up a chicken, fry in butter with an onion, and a slice of ham
chopped fine. Add two quarts of beef stock, two cupfuls of water, a
small bunch of parsley, a tablespoonful of powdered sweet herbs, and
salt and pepper to season. Add a can of tomatoes and cook until the
meat falls from the bones. Remove the bones, chop the meat fine,
reheat, and serve.
CREAM OF CHICKEN
Melt one tablespoonful of butter, add two tablespoonfuls of flour,
and, when thoroughly blended, three cupfuls of chicken stock. Season
to taste, add one cupful of boiling cream, and serve.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND ASPARAGUS
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of cooked asparagus, which has been rubbed through a sieve.
Add the asparagus tops, cooked separately, and serve with unsweetened
whipped cream.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND BARLEY
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of barley which has been cooked in chicken stock. Add more
cream if too thick.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND CELERY
Chop fine one head of celery, and boil until soft in four cupfuls of
chicken stock. Rub through a sieve, reheat, thicken with two
tablespoonfuls each of butter and flour, boiled in the soup, while
stirring, season to taste, add two cupfuls of boiling cream, and
serve.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND NOODLES
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of cooked noodles. Season with grated Parmesan cheese.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND OYSTERS
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of cooked oysters with their liquor. Season with minced
parsley and lemon-juice.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND SAGO
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of sago which has been cooked in chicken stock. Dilute with
boiling cream if too thick, and serve with whipped cream in each
plate.
CREAM OF CHICKEN AND VERMICELLI
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, and add
one cupful of broken vermicelli, which has been cooked in chicken
stock. Season with minced parsley, and grated Parmesan cheese.
CREAM CHICKEN BOUILLON
Prepare Cream of Chicken according to directions given above, thicken
with one tablespoonful each of butter and flour, add one cupful of
boiling cream, and serve in cups with a tablespoonful of unsweetened
whipped cream on each cup.
CREOLE CHICKEN GUMBO
Cut up a chicken, and fry brown in ham or bacon fat. Cover with three
quarts of cold water, and boil until the chicken is tender. Add the
corn cut from three large ears, or half a can of corn, two sliced
tomatoes, two potatoes cut into dice, six pods of okra, and half a
cupful of cold boiled ham chopped fine. Boil until the chicken falls
to pieces, take out the bones, and serve.
EGG AND CHICKEN SOUP
Reheat six cupfuls of chicken stock, add half a cupful of cold boiled
rice, and two hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine. Thicken with one
tablespoonful each of butter and flour, rubbed smooth in the boiling
soup, season with salt, pepper, and minced parsley, and serve.
GERMAN CHICKEN SOUP
Reheat six cupfuls of chicken stock, add one cupful of cooked tapioca,
and one cupful of milk. Season to taste. Thicken with the yolks of two
eggs beaten smooth with one cupful of cream, stir until eggs are
cooked, and pour the hot soup over the whites of the eggs, beaten to a
stiff froth.
GIBLET SOUP
Reheat four cupfuls of chicken stock. Add the finely minced cooked
giblets of two chickens, and salt, pepper, and parsley to season.
Thicken with two tablespoonfuls each of butter and browned flour,
rubbed smooth in the boiling soup. Add two hard-boiled eggs, finely
chopped, and serve.
HUNGARIAN CHICKEN SOUP
Chop fine, two cupfuls of cold roast chicken. Fry in butter, dredge
with flour, add four cupfuls of chicken stock, one cupful of white
wine, a bay-leaf, a sprig of thyme, and a small bunch of parsley.
Simmer for an hour, rub through a sieve, and reheat. Add one-half
cupful of chicken cut into dice, a shredded green pepper, which has
been fried in butter, and a cupful of barley which has been cooked in
chicken stock. Season to taste, and serve.
JELLIED CHICKEN BOUILLON
Cut up a large chicken and break the bones. Cover with cold water, and
simmer for four hours. Cool, skim, and strain, season to taste,
reheat, and add one-half package of gelatine, dissolved in cold water,
for each quart of soup. Stir until the gelatine is thoroughly mixed
with the hot liquid, strain through cheese-cloth, pour into cups, and
set on ice.
MOCK CHICKEN GUMBO
Chop fine a quarter of a pound of cold cooked ham, and fry in butter
with an onion. Add a can of chicken, half a cupful of stewed tomatoes,
a can of okra, one cupful of chicken stock, and boiling water to
cover. Boil for fifteen minutes, and thicken with a tablespoonful each
of butter and flour, blended with a little cold stock. Season to
taste, and serve with boiled rice.
_CREAM SOUPS_
CREAM OF ASPARAGUS
Prepare according to directions given for Cream of Celery, using two
cupfuls of asparagus. Add a tablespoonful of whipped cream and a few
of the cooked asparagus tops to each plate of soup.
CREAM OF BARLEY
Prepare according to directions given for Cream of Celery, using one
cupful of cooked barley and an extra cupful of milk. Season with curry
powder, celery salt, and minced parsley.
CREAM OF CELERY
Melt one-fourth of a cupful of butter, and add one-fourth of a cupful
of flour. When thoroughly blended, add two cupfuls of cold milk, cook
and stir until thick. Cook a large head of celery, cut fine, in
boiling water until tender, and rub through a sieve. Measure the pulp
and add enough of the water in which it was cooked to make two
cupfuls. Add to the thickened milk, season with salt and pepper, and
if too thick, dilute with boiling milk, or stock, to the proper
consistency.
CREAM OF CLAMS
Prepare according to directions given above, using two cupfuls of
minced clams with their liquor instead of the celery.
CREAM OF CORN AND TOMATO
Prepare according to directions given above, using one cupful each of
corn and tomato pulp.
CREAM OF CRABS
Prepare according to directions given above, using two cupfuls of
cooked crab meat. Season with lemon-juice and sherry.
CREAM OF MUSHROOMS
Prepare according to directions given above, using either fresh or
canned mushrooms. Season with celery salt and parsley.
CREAM OF OYSTERS