BEEF SOUP STOCK
(_Brodo di Carne_)
1 pound of round of beef
2 quarts of water
2 small, new carrots, or 1/2 of an old carrot
1/2 pound of beef bones
2 small potatoes
1 onion
1 tomato, fresh or canned
Parsley
Boil the beef, bones, and vegetables in two quarts of water over a
slow fire--adding pepper and salt. Skim occasionally, and after two
hours add two tablespoons of sherry; then strain through fine
soup-strainer or cheese-cloth. This is the basis of all the following
soups, except when otherwise stated.
To make this stock richer, add a turkey leg to above receipt; boil one
and a half hours, then add one-half a pound of finely chopped beef.
Cook for half an hour longer, then strain.
To make meat jelly, add a little gelatine to the soup stock five
minutes before straining.
To give a good dark color to the stock, add a few drops of "caramel,"
which is prepared in the following manner:
Put three tablespoons of granulated sugar into a saucepan with a
little water, and until the sugar has become dark and reddish; then
add a little more water and boil again until the sugar is melted.
Strain and pour into a bottle when the caramel will keep perfectly for
several weeks.
CHICKEN BROTH
(_Brodo di Capone_)
This is made like the meat stock, substituting a fowl in place of the
beef and bones.
RICE SOUP
(_Minestra di Riso_)
Meat stock
2 tablespoons of rice
Cover the rice with water and boil for ten minutes; then drain and add
to the stock (after it has been strained), and boil for five or ten
minutes more.
STRACCIATELLA SOUP
(_Minestra di Stracciatella_)
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon bread crumbs
Beat the egg, yolk and white together; add salt and the cheese,
grated, and the bread crumbs; mix well together and add to the boiling
stock (strained). Stir well with a fork to prevent the egg from
setting, and boil for four or five minutes.
VEGETABLE CHOWDER
(_Minestrone alla Milanese_)
1/2 quart of stock
2 slices of lean pork, or a ham bone
2 tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 cup of rice
2 tablespoons of dried beans
1 tablespoon of peas, fresh or canned
2 onions
Put into the stock the slices of pork, cut into small pieces; or, if
desired, a ham bone may be substituted for the pork. Add the tomatoes,
cut into small pieces also, the onions, in small pieces, and the rice.
Boil all together until the rice is cooked. Then add the beans and the
peas and cook a little longer. The soup is ready when it is thick. If
desired, this chowder can be made with fish broth instead of the
stock, and with the addition of shrimps which have been taken from
their shells.
This dish can be served hot or cold.
FISH BROTH
(_Brodo di Pesce_)
1 liberal pound of fresh codfish, or any other lean fish for boiling
1 quart of water
1 onion
Parsley
Salt and pepper
Boil until fish is thoroughly cooked; strain and serve.
CODFISH SOUP
(_Zuppa di Merluzzo_)
Take one-half pound of salt codfish that has been soaked, cut it up
into squares, but not small.
Prepare in a saucepan four tablespoons of good olive-oil, and one
small onion cut into pieces. Cook the onion in the oil over a slow
fire, without allowing the onion to become colored, then add a small
bunch of parsley stems, a small piece of celery, a bay-leaf, and a
small sprig of thyme. Cool for a few moments, then add two tomatoes,
skinned and with the seeds removed, and cut into slices, two
tablespoons of dry white wine, and one medium-sized potato, peeled and
cut into slices, and, lastly, one cup of water.
When the potato is half cooked, add the codfish, then one-half
tablespoon more of olive-oil. Remove the parsley stems, and put in
instead one-half tablespoon of chopped-up parsley; add a good pinch of
pepper, and some salt, if needed. When the vegetables are thoroughly
cooked pour the soup over pieces of toasted or fried bread, and serve.
LENTIL SOUP
(_Brodo di Lenticchie_)
3 tablespoons of dried lentils
1/2 tablespoon of butter
2 tablespoons of cream
Meat stock
Cover the lentils with water and boil until they are quite soft. Pass
them through a colander or a sieve. Melt the butter in a saucepan,
add the lentils and cream, mixing well, then add a ladleful of the
stock, and boil for a few minutes; then add the rest of the desired
amount of stock, a ladleful at a time.
VEGETABLE SOUP
(_Zuppa alla Primaverile_)
Take some cabbage, carrots, celery, onions, turnips, lettuce, squash,
potatoes, beans, and peas. Chop each into very small pieces, wash and
drain. Take a saucepan, put in a heaping tablespoon of butter; chop up
another small piece of onion and add to butter and fry until onion is
golden; then add all the vegetables, salt, and pepper, and cover the
saucepan. When the vegetables are half cooked, and their juice has
become absorbed, dissolve one tablespoon of tomato paste in one-third
of a cup of hot water, and add. Instead of the tomato paste there may
be added to the onion, before putting in the vegetables, one tomato,
peeled and cut into small pieces. When the tomato is cooked add the
vegetables. Then add water, a little at a time, until you have
sufficient quantity for two persons. Take a slice of bread and cut
into small squares or diamonds--toast or fry as desired--put these
into the soup plates, and pour the soup (without straining) over them.
LETTUCE SOUP
(_Zuppa di Lattuga_)
1 small lettuce
Meat stock
2 potatoes
The leaves of a head of celery
2 tablespoons of peas, fresh or canned
1 heaping tablespoon of flour
Put the potatoes, cold boiled, into the stock when it boils, add the
celery leaves, the lettuce chopped up, the peas, and the flour mixed
well with a little cold stock or water. Boil for one hour and a half,
and serve with little squares of fried bread.
PUMPKIN SOUP
(_Zuppa di Zucca_)
1 slice of pumpkin
2 tablespoons of butter
1/2 cup of water
1-1/2 cups of milk
1 tablespoon of sugar
Peel the pumpkin and remove the seeds, cut into small pieces, and put
into a saucepan with the butter, the sugar, a pinch of salt, and the
water. Boil for two hours, then drain and put back into the saucepan
with the milk, which has been boiled. Allow it to come to a boil, and
then serve it with squares of fried bread.
POTATO SOUP
(_Zuppa alla Provinciale_)
2 large potatoes
3 tablespoons of cream or milk
2 tablespoons of butter
2 yolks of eggs
Soup stock
Boil the potatoes, then rub them through a sieve. Put them into a
saucepan with the butter, a little salt, and the cream or milk. Simmer
until it is thick, then add the yolks of the two eggs to form it into
a paste. Turn out onto the bread-board, cut into small dice, and throw
them into the stock, which must be boiling. If desired, before serving
sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese into the soup.