from Italian wheat, which contains more flesh-forming matter than
butcher's meat. In the manufacture of macaroni some of the bran is
removed from the flour, but the meal left is still very rich in
flesh-forming matter. As the coarser particles of the bran have been
taken away, macaroni is slightly constipating, and must therefore
always be eaten with green vegetables, onions, or fruit. Macaroni
should always be boiled before being made into various dishes. It may
be cooked in plain water, or in milk and water; a little salt may be
added by those who use it, and care should be taken to use just enough
water to cook it in, so that when the macaroni is done, little or no
fluid may be left, but if any does remain it should be saved for
sauce, stock for soup, &c., as it contains valuable nutritive
material. Macaroni takes from 20 minutes to 1 hour to cook, according
to the kind used. That which is slightly yellow is to be preferred to
the white, as the latter is usually poorer than the former in mineral
salts and flesh-forming substances. From 2 to 4 oz. may be regarded as
the amount to be allowed at a meal for grown-up persons.
A very simple nourishing and satisfying meal can be made from macaroni
plainly boiled; it may be eaten with any kind of vegetables, or baked
potatoes, or fried onions, and if desired, with grated cheese, onion,
caper, or parsley sauce.
MACARONI (Italian).
1/2 lb. of spaghetti or vermicelli, 2 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 3 oz. of
grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, pepper and
salt to taste. Boil the macaroni till tender in 2 pints of water, to
which the butter has been added. When soft add seasoning, the cheese,
and the parsley. Beat the eggs well in the dish in which the macaroni
is to be served, pour over the mixture of macaroni and other
ingredients, mix all well with the eggs, and serve. If neither
spaghetti nor vermicelli are handy, use Naples macaroni.
MACARONI CHEESE.
1/2 lb. of macaroni, 8 oz. of grated cheese, some breadcrumbs, pepper
and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Boil the macaroni in slightly
salted water until soft. Then place a layer of it in a pie-dish,
sprinkle some of the grated cheese over it, dust with pepper, and
repeat the layers of macaroni and cheese, finishing with a sprinkling
of cheese, and the breadcrumbs. Cut the butter in pieces, and place
them here and there on the top. Bake it in a moderately hot oven until
brown. Eat with vegetables and tomato sauce. For those who have a weak
digestion plain boiled macaroni with grated cheese added at table is
better and lighter. Macaroni requires from 25 minutes to 1/2 an hour
cooking. The Genoa macaroni takes longer, the thin spaghetti kind is
done in from 15 to 20 minutes, and vermicelli and Italian paste are
done in a few minutes. Macaroni should be thrown into boiling water
and be kept boiling, as the pipes or pieces otherwise stick together.
The Italian paste is mostly used as an addition in clear soup.
MACARONI CREAM.
6 oz. of macaroni, 3 oz. of cheese, 1/2 oz. of butter, 3/4 pint of
milk, 1 teaspoonful of Allinson cornflour, pepper and salt to taste.
Boil the macaroni until tender in only as much water as it will
absorb. Make a sauce of the milk, cornflour, and cheese (you can use
Parmesan, Gruyère, or Canadian cheese). Place the macaroni in a
pie-dish, pour the sauce over it, grate some more cheese over the top,
and let the macaroni brown in the oven.
MACARONI SAVOURY.
4 oz. of boiled macaroni, 4 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 eggs,
3/4 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped onion, the grated rind of 1 lemon,
2 oz. of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1
oz. of butter, 1/2 a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, pepper and salt to
taste. Cut the macaroni in small pieces. Make a batter of the milk,
eggs, and meal, mix into it all the other ingredients, pour it into a
buttered pie-dish, cut up the butter in pieces and spread them on the
top. Bake the savoury for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.
RICE
In many households it seems a difficulty to get rice cooked properly,
that is having all the grains separate. Very often it comes to table
in a soft, pulpy mass, which is certainly not appetising. To cook it
in a large saucepanful of water which is then drained away is very
wasteful, for a great deal of the goodness of the rice is thrown away.
The following recipe will be found thoroughly reliable and
satisfactory.
RICE, HOW TO COOK.
1 lb. of good rice, 1 quart of water, 1 oz. of butter, salt to taste.
Wash the rice and set it over the fire with 1 quart of cold water, the
butter and salt. Let it come to the boil gently, stirring it a little
to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan. When the rice
boils, set it on the side and let it just simmer. It will be
sufficiently cooked in 15 to 20 minutes and each grain will be
separate. Rice should not be cooked too soft, only just cooked
through.
CURRIED RICE.
1 lb. of Patna rice, 1 quart of cold water, 1 dessertspoonful of
curry, 1 oz. of butter, and salt to taste. Wash the rice, mix the
curry with the proper quantity of water, and set the rice over the
fire with it, adding the butter and seasoning. Let the rice come to
the boil slowly, and stir it a few times to prevent it sticking to the
saucepan. When the rice boils, cover it with a piece of buttered
paper, and let it cook very gently, not stirring it again. When all
the water is absorbed, serve the rice. Do not allow it to get very
soft; the rice will take from 15 to 20 minutes' cooking only.
CURRIED RICE AND TOMATOES.
1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, salt to
taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Wash the rice; mix 1 pint of cold water
with the curry powder, put this over the fire with the rice, butter,
and salt. Cover the rice with a piece of buttered paper and let it
simmer gently until the water is absorbed. This will take about 20
minutes. Rice cooked this way will have all the grains separate. For
the tomatoes proceed as follows: 1 lb. of tomatoes and a little
butter, pepper and salt. Wash the tomatoes and place them in a flat
tin with a few spoonfuls of water; dust them with pepper and salt, and
place little bits of butter on each tomato. Bake them from 15 to 20
minutes, according to the size of the tomatoes and the heat of the
oven. Place the rice in the centre of a hot flat dish, put the
tomatoes round it, pour the liquid over the rice, and serve.
PORTUGUESE RICE.
1 teacupful of rice, 3 medium-sized onions, 3 tomatoes, 2 oz. of
grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and
salt to taste. Peel and slice the onions and tomatoes and fry them in
the butter for 15 minutes; place the rice over the fire with 1 pint of
water; add the onions, tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning, and let all
cook until the rice is quite soft; serve in a vegetable dish with the
grated cheese sprinkled over.
RICE AND LENTILS.
Boil the rice as above; stew Egyptian lentils with chopped onions,
pepper, salt, and a little butter, until well done. Put the rice on a
dish, pour over the stewed onions and lentils, serve, and eat with
green vegetables.
RICE AND ONIONS.
Boil whole onions in water until done quite through, remove them from
the water, and put in it washed rice with a little pepper, salt, and
butter. When done, serve with the onions and eat with a green
vegetable.
SAVOURY RICE (Italian).
1 breakfastcupful of rice, 4 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese (Parmesan
or other cheese), 1 oz. of butter, a pinch of saffron, pepper and salt
to taste. Boil the rice with water as above, then add the cheese,
butter, saffron, and seasoning; mix all well, and serve.
SAVOURY RICE CROQUETTES.
1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1-1/2 pints of milk, 1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1
oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 1 teacupful of raspings, Allinson's oil for
frying. Boil the rice in the milk until soft, and turn it out to get
quite cold. Meanwhile chop the onions up fine and fry them brown in
the butter. Form the cold rice into balls, and with the thumb of the
right hand hollow them sufficiently to admit of their receiving a
stuffing of fried onions, close them again carefully, dip them in the
eggs beaten up and then in the raspings, and fry them in boiling oil a
light brown. Serve with gravy. There are various stuffings which can
be used instead of the onions--fried mushrooms chopped up, some olives
chopped fine and mixed with hard-boiled yolks of eggs, &c.
SPANISH RICE.
6 onions, 6 tomatoes, 1-1/2 pints of vegetable stock, herbs and
seasoning, 1-1/2 cupfuls of rice, butter. Fry the onions and tomatoes
in butter until well browned, then place them with the seasoning into
the cold stock, and add the rice. When all have boiled slowly for 20
minutes, the rice should have absorbed the stock. Serve with cheese
grated over.
OMELETS
CHEESE OMELET.
4 slices of Allinson bread toasted, or Allinson rusks, 3 eggs, 1/4 lb.
of grated cheese, 1 saltspoonful of nutmeg, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of
butter, pepper and salt to taste. Beat up the eggs, and mix them with
the milk; crush the toast or rusks with your hands, and soak them in
the egg and milk. Add the cheese, nutmeg, and seasoning. Dissolve half
of the butter and mix it with the other ingredients. Butter a
pie-dish, pour in the mixture, cut the rest of the butter in little
pieces, and scatter them over the top. Bake the savoury for 1 hour or
a little longer until well set. Serve hot or cold.
FRENCH BEAN OMELET.
3 tablespoonfuls of cut boiled French beans, 4 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful
of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a teacupful of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls
of grated cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan), pepper and salt to taste, some
vege-butter or oil for frying. Smooth the meal with the milk, beat up
the eggs and add them, the cheese and seasoning to the meal and milk;
mix thoroughly with the beans, and fry the omelet in boiling butter or
Allinson frying oil.
FRENCH OMELET WITH CHEESE.
3 eggs, 1 oz. of grated cheese, 3 dessertspoonfuls of water, pepper
and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Beat the yolks of the eggs,
add to them the water and seasoning; whip the whites of the eggs to a
stiff froth, and mix it lightly with the yolks. Meanwhile have the
butter boiling hot in an omelet pan, pour the mixture into it, and let
it fry over a gentle fire. Pass a heated salamander or coal-shovel
over the top of the omelet. When it has risen, scatter the cheese over
it; let the omelet cook a little longer, fold over when the top is
still creamy, and serve immediately.
GARDENER'S OMELET.
1 breakfastcupful of cold boiled vegetables, minced fine (green peas,
carrots, turnips, potatoes, &c.), 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson
fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a gill of milk, pepper and salt, and a little
nutmeg to taste, 1 oz. of butter. Beat the eggs and milk well
together, rub the meal smooth with it, add the vegetables and
seasoning, and fry as an omelet. Serve with sauce.
OMELET HERB.
4 slices of Allinson bread, 1 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped English
onion, 1 good tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful
of dried mixed herbs, 3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to
taste. Soak the bread, fry the onion in 1-1/2 oz. of butter, and mix
it with the soaked bread. Add the herbs, parsley, and seasoning, and
mix all well. Butter a pie-dish with the rest of the butter, pour the
mixture into it, and bake.
OMELET LENTIL.
It you have any cold boiled lentils, for instance, some sandwich
mixture you wish to use up, proceed as follows: To 1 teacupful of
boiled lentils take 3 well-beaten eggs, and pepper and salt to taste.
Add 1 dessertspoonful of water to each egg, and mix the lentils and
eggs smooth. Fry the mixture as an omelet in boiling butter.
OMELET MACARONI.
3 oz. of boiled cold macaroni, 3 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of finely
chopped parsley, 1-1/2 oz. of grated cheese, 1/2 a saltspoonful of
nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, 1-1/2 oz. of butter. Cut the
macaroni into little pieces; beat the eggs well, and mix them with the
macaroni. Add the seasoning, parsley, cheese, and nutmeg; mix all
well, and fry the omelet with the butter in a large frying-pan.
OMELET ONION.
4 medium-sized English onions, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of Allinson
breadcrumbs, 4 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls of milk, pepper and salt to
taste. Peel and slice the onions, bake them in a pie-dish with the
butter and seasoning, until quite soft. Whip the eggs up, mix them
with the milk, breadcrumbs, and the baked onions. Put the mixture into
a greased pie-dish, and bake in a moderately hot oven. Serve with
tomato sauce.
OMELET SAVOURY.
Soak Allinson wholemeal bread in cold milk and water until soft, then
rub smooth, grate 1 onion, beat up 1 egg, and add a few flavouring
herbs, and pepper and salt to taste. Mix the whole together, put in a
pie-dish, place a few small pieces of butter on the top, and bake
about 1/2 hour, or until done. Eat with vegetables and potatoes.
OMELET SOUFFLÉ.
4 eggs, 3 oz. of sifted castor sugar, the grated rind of 1/2 a lemon,
1 oz. of butter. Beat the yolks of the eggs for 10 minutes with the
sugar and lemon rind. Whip the whites of the eggs to a very stiff
froth, mix it with the other ingredients, pour the mixture into a
well-buttered pie-dish or cake tin, and bake the soufflé in a
moderately hot oven from 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.
OMELET SOUFFLÉ (SWEET).
6 eggs, 3 oz. of powdered sugar, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of
potato flour, and 1 dessertspoonful of orangeflower water. Put the
yolks of the eggs into a large basin, add the sugar, potato flour, and
orange water, and beat all well with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes;
beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them lightly
with the other ingredients. Meanwhile beat the butter in the omelet
pan; when boiling pour the mixture into it, and fry the omelet over a
gentle fire. When it begins to set round the sides shake it very
gently from side to side, and turn the omelet neatly out on a buttered
dish. Set it in the oven for about 10 minutes, and serve immediately
with a little castor sugar sifted over it.
OMELET TOMATO (1).
This is made in almost the same way as the savoury omelet, but without
the addition of flavouring herbs. 2 average-sized tomatoes are cut up
fine, and mixed with the ingredients given above. When tinned tomatoes
are used the juice may be made hot and the bread soaked in it instead
of in milk and water.
OMELET TOMATO (2).
1 lb. of tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of breadcrumbs, 1 large Spanish onion, 3
eggs, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Stew the finely
chopped onions in the butter for 20 minutes in a covered-up saucepan,
add pepper and salt, cut the tomatoes up, add these to the other
ingredients. Let all simmer for 20 minutes; pour the mixture over the
breadcrumbs, add the eggs well beaten, mix all up thoroughly, and turn
the mixture into one or more well-buttered shallow tins. Bake the
omelet in a quick oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
OMELET TRAPPIST.
4 oz. of fine breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, 1/2
teaspoonful of powdered herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 gill of
boiling milk. Moisten the breadcrumbs with the milk, add the eggs well
beaten, the herbs and seasoning. Mix all well and smoothly. Melt the
butter in the frying-pan, spread the mixture in it, and fry the omelet
a golden brown both sides.
SWEET OMELET (1).
3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, sugar to taste, 1 lemon, and 1/2 a teacupful
of new milk. Whip the yolks of the eggs well, adding the grated rind
of the lemon, half the butter melted, the milk, and sugar. Just before
frying the omelet, add the lemon juice and the whites of the eggs
whipped to a stiff froth. Make the rest of the butter boiling hot in
an oval omelet pan, the size of the dish on which it is to be served,
and fry till lightly browned. Sift sugar over it, and serve
immediately.
SWEET OMELET (2).
1/2 pint of new milk, 4 eggs, cinnamon and sugar to taste, 1 oz. of
butter, and 1 teaspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal. Smooth the
wheatmeal with the milk, and mix with the other ingredients. Make the
butter boiling hot in a frying-pan, and fry the omelet till lightly
browned. Serve immediately with sugar sifted over it.
SWEET OMELET (3).
5 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of castor sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of water, 2
oz. of butter, some raspberry and currant jam. Melt the butter in an
omelet pan, beat the eggs well, stir in the sugar, and pour the
mixture into the hot butter. Fry a pale golden colour, and turn it on
to a hot dish. Spread some jam on the omelet, double it, and serve at
once. The inside of the omelet should remain creamy.
VEGETABLES
GREEN VEGETABLES (General Remarks).
I have not given recipes for the cooking of plain greens, as they are
prepared very much alike everywhere in England. There are a number of
recipes in this book giving savoury ways of preparing them, and I will
now make a few remarks on the cooking of plain vegetables. The English
way of boiling them is not at all a good one, as most of the soluble
vegetable salts, which are so important to our system, are lost
through it. Green vegetables are generally boiled in a great deal of
salt water; this is drained off when they are tender, and the
vegetables then served. A much better way for all vegetables is to
cook them in a very small quantity of water, and adding a small piece
of butter (1 oz. to 2 lb. of greens) and a little salt. When the
greens are tender, any water which is not absorbed should be thickened
with a little Allinson fine wheatmeal and eaten with the vegetables. A
great number of them, such as _Cabbages, Savoys, Brussel sprouts,
Scotch kail, turnip-tops, &c., &c._, can be prepared this way.
In the case of vegetables like _asparagus, cauliflower, sea kale,
parsnips, artichokes, carrots_ or _celery_, which cannot always be
stewed in a little water, this should be saved as stock for soups or
sauces. Most of these vegetables are very nice with a white sauce;
carrots are particularly pleasant with parsley sauce.
_Spinach_ is a vegetable which English cooks rarely prepare nicely;
the Continental way of preparing it is as follows: The spinach is
cooked without water, with a little salt; when quite tender it is
strained, turned on to a board, and chopped very finely; then it is
returned to the saucepan with a piece of butter, a little nutmeg, or a
few very finely chopped eschalots and some of the juice previously
strained. When the spinach is cooking a little Allinson fine
wheatmeal, smoothed in 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of milk, is added to bind
the spinach with the juice; cook it a few minutes longer, and serve it
with slices of hard-boiled egg on the top. _Potatoes_ also require a
good deal of care. When peeled, potatoes are plainly boiled, they
should be placed over the fire after the water has been strained; the
potatoes should be lightly shaken to allow the moisture to steam out.
This makes them mealy and more palatable. Potatoes which have been
baked in their skins should be pricked when tender, or the skins be
cracked in some way, otherwise they very soon become sodden. A very
palatable way of serving potatoes, is to peel them and bake them in a
tin with a little oil or butter, or vege-butter; they should be turned
occasionally, in order that they should brown evenly. This is not a
very hygienic way of preparing potatoes. From a health point of view
they are best baked in their skins, or steamed with or without the
skins. A good many vegetables may be steamed with advantage; for
instance, _cabbage, sprouts, turnips, parsnips, swedes, Scotch kail,
&c._ Any way of preparing greens is better than boiling them in a
large saucepanful of water and throwing this away. I may just mention
that Scotch kail, after being boiled in a little water, should be
treated exactly as spinach, and is most delicious in that way; an
onion cooked with it greatly improves the flavour.
ARTICHOKES À LA SAUCE BLANCHE.
2 lbs. of artichokes, 1 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3/4 pint of
milk, 1 egg, juice of 1/2 a lemon, pepper and salt to taste. Peel the
artichokes, and boil them in water until tender; cut them into slices
1/2 an inch thick and place them on a dish. Make a sauce of the milk
and meal with seasoning; when the sauce has thickened, remove it from
the fire, beat up the egg with the lemon juice and add both to the
sauce, pour it over the artichokes, and serve.
ARTICHOKES À LA PARMESAN.
2 lbs. of artichokes, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson
fine wheatmeal, 1 egg, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 2 oz. of grated Parmesan
or any other cooking cheese. Proceed as in the recipe for "Celery à la
Parmesan," add the cheese to the sauce, and serve the same with sauce
as above.
ASPARAGUS (BOILED).
Scrape the white parts of the stalks quite clean, and put them into
cold water as they are done. Tie them up into bundles, and cut them
all the same length. Now put them into a saucepan, cover with boiling
water, add a little salt, and boil gently and steadily for 20 to 30
minutes. Take them out of the water as soon as they are tender, and
dish on to rounds of toast with the points to the middle. Serve with
them rich melted butter in a tureen.
CABBAGE.
Remove the outer coarse leaves, cut the cabbage in four pieces
lengthways, and well wash the pieces in salt water. The salt is added
because it kills any insects which may be present. Wash the cabbage as
often as is necessary in pure water after this to clean it and remove
the salt, and then shred it up fine. Set it over the fire with 1/2
pint of water, 1 oz. of butter, a dash of pepper, and a very little
salt. Let it cook very gently for 2 hours; when it is quite tender,
the liquid can be thickened with a little fine wheatmeal; smooth this
with a little milk, or water if milk is not handy; boil it up, and
serve.
CARROTS WITH PARSLEY SAUCE.
Scrub and wash as many carrots as are required. Cook them in a little
water or steam them until quite tender, then slice them and place them
in a saucepan. Make a white sauce as directed in the recipe for
"Onions and white sauce," and stir into it a handful of finely-chopped
parsley. Pour the sauce over the carrots, and let them simmer for ten
minutes. Serve very hot with baked potatoes.
CAULIFLOWER WITH WHITE SAUCE.
Trim the cauliflower, cutting away only the bad and bruised leaves and
the coarse part of the stalk. Put it into salt water to force out any
insects in the cauliflower. After soaking, wash it well in fresh water
and boil quickly until tender, and serve with white sauce.
CELERY (ITALIAN).
2 heads of celery, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 egg, 1 cupful
of breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste. Cut up the celery into
pieces, boil it in water for 10 minutes; drain it and put it into the
stewpan with the milk, 1/2 oz. butter, pepper and salt. Simmer the
celery gently until tender, put it aside to cool a little, and add the
egg well beaten. Butter a shallow dish, strew it well with some of the
breadcrumbs, and pour in the celery, sprinkle the rest of the
breadcrumbs over the top, put the butter over it in little bits, and
bake the celery until brown.
CELERY (STEAMED) WITH WHITE CHEESE SAUCE.
Prepare the celery as in previous recipe, leaving it in long pieces,
and place it in a vegetable steamer, which consists of a large
saucepan over which is fitted a perforated top. Add a little pepper
and salt, and let the celery steam for 1-1/2 hours. For the sauce you
need: 1 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson
cornflour, 1-1/2 oz. of grated cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Boil
the milk with the butter, thicken it with the cornflour smoothed first
with a spoonful of water, and last add the grated cheese and
seasoning; let the sauce simmer, stirring it until the cheese is
dissolved. Have ready some Allinson plain rusks on a flat dish, place
the celery on it, pour the sauce over, and serve very hot.
CELERY (STEWED) WITH WHITE SAUCE.
2 or 3 heads of celery (according to quantity required), 2 oz. of
butter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of milk, pepper and salt
to taste. Remove the outer hard pieces from the celery, saving them
for flavouring soups or sauces; wash well and cut up in pieces about 3
inches long. Set over the fire with 1/2 pint of water, the butter and
seasoning. Let cook gently until the celery is quite tender, which
will take about 1 hour; add the thickening and the milk. Let all
gently simmer for a few minutes, and serve.
LEEKS.
Remove the coarse part of the green stalks of the leeks. If the leeks
are gritty cut them right through and wash them well, and if necessary
use a brush to get out the sand. Tie the leeks in bunches and steam
them until tender, which will take about 1-1/2 hours. Make a white
sauce as for the cauliflower. Put the leeks on pieces of dry toast on
a flat dish, pour the sauce over them, and serve.
MUSHROOMS (STEWED).