Four tablespoons of shortening,
Two cups of flour,
Five teaspoons of baking powder,
One cup of milk,
One-half teaspoon of nutmeg.
Beat to mix and then bake in well-greased and floured muffin pans in a
moderate oven for twenty-five minutes. Ice the tops with water-icing.
RICE BANANAS AND POACHED EGGS
Cook one-fourth cup of rice in one and one-fourth cups of water until
the rice is soft and the water absorbed. Place in a baking dish and
cover one inch deep with sliced bananas. Place in the oven and bake
for ten minutes. Now lay on one poached egg for each service. Garnish
with a strip of bacon and serve with parsley sauce.
BANANA PANCAKES
Place in a mixing bowl
One cup of crushed bananas,
One cup of milk,
One and one-half cups of flour,
Two tablespoons of syrup,
Two tablespoons of shortening,
One egg,
Two teaspoons of baking powder.
Beat to mix and then bake in the usual manner on a well-greased
smoking hot frying pan.
BANANA SAUCE
One-half cup of crushed banana,
One-half cup of sugar,
One teaspoon of vanilla,
Juice of one orange.
Beat to mix and then serve with the fritters.
FISH
Fish are divided into two classes--those having backbones, which are
called vertebrates; and those which have no backbones, and are called
shellfish.
The vertebrates are classified as fresh and salt-water fish, and
they contain both white and dark meat. Fish is similar to meat
in composition and structure and is classed among the protein or
body-building foods; it may replace meat or its equivalent on the
menu.
The muscle consists of a bundle of fibers, bound together by a
connective tissue; it is so tender that it requires much less time
to cook than meat. Fish, as a rule, contains less fat than meat, and
while there is considerable refuse, it will be found to be about equal
to the bone in meat.
The methods of cooking fish are: Broiling, boiling, baking, deep fat
frying and sautéing.
TO BOIL FISH
Cleanse and prepare the fish. Tie in a piece of cheese-cloth and then
plunge into a kettle of boiling court bouillon. Cook, allowing twenty
minutes to the pound. Lift, drain well and then turn on a hot platter,
laying a napkin under the fish to absorb the moisture. Serve with
either cream, Hollandaise, egg or tomato sauce and garnish with slices
of hard-boiled egg, beet and carrots cut in dice or capers, diced
beets, slices of lemon.
BAKED FISH
Cleanse and prepare the fish, leaving the head and tail on the body,
but remove the eyes and fins. Now prepare a filling as follows:
One cup of bread crumbs,
Three tablespoons of shortening,
One teaspoon of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One small onion grated,
One egg.
Mix and then fill into the fish. Fasten the opening with a string
or with toothpicks. Place in a baking dish and rub with plenty of
shortening. Dust with flour and place in a hot oven to bake. Baste
every fifteen minutes with boiling water. Allow eighteen minutes to
the pound and twenty minutes for the fish to heat thoroughly and start
baking.
COURT BOUILLON
Place five pints of water in a fish kettle and add
One small onion, sliced,
One clove,
Three branches of parsley,
One small red pepper,
One-half bay leaf,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One teaspoon of celery salt,
Two teaspoons of salt,
One-half cup of vinegar,
One fagot of soup herbs.
Bring to a boil and cook the fish. Strain and set aside to cook fish
in again.
FISH SAUCE
Strain the liquid left in the pan after removing the fish and add
sufficient boiling water to make one cup. Place in a saucepan and add
Two level tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in three level
tablespoons of water,
One tablespoon of butter,
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
One teaspoon of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
Juice of one-half lemon.
Bring to a boil, cook for five minutes and serve with fish.
TO BROIL FISH
Cleanse the fish, leaving the small fish whole, split the large fish
and then brush with melted shortening and broil, allowing ten minutes
for small fish and ten minutes to the pound for larger ones.
Large fish will require thirty to forty-five minutes. Lift to a hot
platter and spread with
Two tablespoons of butter,
Two tablespoons of parsley,
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
One tablespoon of lemon juice.
Mix well and then garnish with slices of lemon and parsley.
CREOLE FRIED FISH
The creole fried fish is a crisp golden brown. It is prepared as
follows: Clean the fish and then wash and drain and roll it in flour.
Place in a pan containing hot fat and fry until golden brown. Place
in the oven, if the fish is large, until all is cooked and to finish
cooking.
FRIED FISH
Small fish, like smelts, brook trout, perch, butter fish, etc., may be
well cleaned, dried and then dipped in beaten egg and rolled in fine
crumbs. Large fish should be cut into suitable pieces; sliced fish may
also be prepared in this manner.
SAUTEING
Fish should be well cleaned and then fried in sufficient fat to
prevent sticking.
COCOANUT PUDDING
Place in a mixing bowl
One cup of bread crumbs,
One cup of sifted flour,
One-half teaspoon of salt,
One tablespoon of baking powder,
Three-quarters cup of cocoanut,
One egg,
One cup of milk.
Beat to thoroughly mix and pour into well-greased custard cups or
pudding pan and bake in a moderate oven for thirty-five minutes. Serve
with lemon sauce.
SNOW PUDDING
Place in a saucepan
One cup of milk,
Four level tablespoons of cornstarch.
Stir to dissolve and then bring to a boil and cook slowly for five
minutes. Now add
Six tablespoons of sugar,
Stiffly beaten white of one egg,
One teaspoon of vanilla.
Beat thoroughly to blend. Pour in four custard cups and set in a cool
place to mould. Serve with custard sauce.
FRUIT PUDDING
Place in a bowl
One cup of molasses,
And add
One cup of sour milk,
One egg,
One teaspoon of baking soda,
Five tablespoons of shortening,
One teaspoon of cinnamon,
One-half teaspoon of allspice,
Four tablespoons of cocoa,
One and one-half cups of coarse bread crumbs,
One and one-half cups of wheat flour,
One-half cup of seeded raisins,
Two teaspoons of baking powder.
Mix in the order given, beating hard. Pour in well-greased and floured
mould. Boil and steam for two hours and then serve with vanilla or
cream sauce.
RICE PUDDING
Wash one-half cup of rice in plenty of cold water. Place in a saucepan
and add three cups of boiling water. Cook slowly until water is
absorbed and then grease a baking dish well. Pour rice in a bowl and
add
Two cups of milk,
One yolk of egg,
One-half cup of sugar,
One-half teaspoon of nutmeg,
One-half teaspoon of salt.
Mix well and pour in a baking dish and bake in a slow oven for
thirty-five minutes. Cook and then place the left-over white of egg
and one-half glass of jelly in a bowl and beat until it will hold its
shape. Use as a whip for the pudding.
CHOCOLATE RICE PUDDING
Wash one-half cup of rice in plenty of warm water and then place two
and one-half cups of boiling water in a saucepan and add the rice.
Cook until the rice is soft and the water absorbed. Now place three
ounces of chocolate, cut into fine pieces, in one quart of milk. Bring
to a boil and then add
Three-quarters cup of sugar,
One-half teaspoon of cinnamon extract,
Two teaspoons of vanilla,
Two tablespoons of butter,
The prepared rice.
Mix well and then pour into a baking dish and bake for forty minutes
in a moderate oven. Stir frequently.
PLUM PUDDING, ROMANY STYLE
One cup of cooked oatmeal,
One cup of seedless raisins,
One cup of dried peaches, put through food chopper,
One cup of peanuts put through food chopper,
One-quarter cup of citron put through food chopper,
Two teaspoons of cinnamon,
One teaspoon of allspice,
One teaspoon of nutmeg,
One cup of syrup,
One egg,
One glass of jam or apple jelly.
Mix and then pack into moulds, one-pound coffee can or tie it in a
pudding cloth. Boil for two hours.
BROWN BETTY
Pare the apples and then slice thin. Now grease a pudding mould or
a baking dish. Place a layer one inch deep of apples, then layer of
bread crumbs. Repeat until the dish is full and then sprinkle each
layer with brown sugar and cinnamon, as it is placed. Now pour over
the dish sufficient thick, well-sweetened apple sauce to fill the
baking dish two-thirds full. Bake in a moderate oven for forty
minutes.
LEMON PUDDING
Heat three-quarters cup of milk to the scalding point and then add
One tablespoon of butter,
Five tablespoons of sugar.
Pour over one-half cup of fine bread crumbs and then cool, and add
Yolk of one egg,
Juice of one-half lemon,
Grated rind of one-quarter lemon,
One-quarter cup of water.
Mix thoroughly before adding to the scalded bread crumbs. Pour into a
small baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes.
Make a fruit whip of
One-half glass of apple jelly,
White of one egg.
Beat until mixture will hold its shape. Pile on pudding and brown in
the oven for five minutes. Set aside to cool.
CRUMB COOKIES
One cup of molasses,
One-half cup of brown sugar,
Six tablespoons of shortening,
Two teaspoons of cinnamon,
One-half teaspoon of ginger,
One-half teaspoon of allspice,
One egg,
Five tablespoons of sour milk.
Beat to mix and then add
Two and one-half cups of coarse bread crumbs
and sufficient flour to make a very stiff mixture.
Drop by the spoonful on well-greased baking sheet, three inches apart.
Bake in a moderate oven for ten minutes.
CARAMEL PUDDING
Make a caramel of
One cup of sugar,
Four tablespoons of water,
One tablespoon of butter.
Pour into a pudding dish and turn until the mixture thoroughly coats
the dish. Now place in a mixing bowl
Three cups of apple sauce,
One cup of brown sugar,
Two cups of bread crumbs,
One-half cup of nutmeg.
Beat to mix and then pour into a baking dish, and bake in a slow oven
for forty minutes, then turn out at once on a platter and serve with
caramel sauce.
RAISIN PUDDING
Soak one-half cup of raisins in boiling water for one hour. Drain and
then add two ounces of candied citron, and sufficient stale bread to
make one cup of crumbs. Put all through the food chopper. Place in a
bowl and add
One cup of brown sugar,
One cup of flour,
One tablespoon of baking powder,
Juice of one lemon,
Grated rind of one-half lemon,
Yolks of two eggs,
One cup of milk,
Three tablespoons of shortening.
Beat to thoroughly mix and then cut and fold in the stiffly beaten
whites of two eggs. Pour into well-greased and floured one-quart
mould. Place the mould deep in a pan containing sufficient boiling
water to cover the mold two-thirds of its depth. Place in the oven
and bake for fifty minutes in a moderate oven. Unmould and serve with
Saboyon sauce.
PUMPKIN PUDDING
Place in a bowl
Eleven and one-half cups of steamed pumpkin drained dry,
One cup of milk,
Yolk of one egg,
One-half cup of sugar,
One teaspoon melted butter,
One teaspoon of cinnamon,
One-half teaspoon of nutmeg,
Two teaspoons of vanilla.
Beat thoroughly to mix and then pour into well-greased custard cups.
Set cups in baking pan and pour in sufficient boiling water to half
fill the pan. Bake in a moderate oven for forty-five minutes and then
serve cold. Garnish with fruit whip or jelly.
SOUP
Soup, unless it is a thick cream or puree, contains little food value.
Rather, it is stimulating to the stomach and causes a free flow of the
digestive juices. Thus the food taken in after the soup has stimulated
the stomach is quickly absorbed and thus gives the body immediate
nourishment without distressing the digestion.
The French lay great stress upon two essentials in making soup
successfully. First, it must not go below the boiling point, just a
gentle bubbling, and, second, after once started, no water should be
added. In making soup always use cold water to start with. Do not
use salt or any seasoning, and heat slowly, keeping the pot closely
covered.
Protein, which is the chief constituent of meat, is drawn into the
liquid, making it very nutritious. Rapid boiling destroys the fine
aroma and volatile oils, which escape in the steam.
Soups are divided into three classes: First, stock; second, cream;
third, fruit soups.
Soups made from meat and bone are called stock; those without stock
are called cream, such as cream vegetable, clam and oyster soups,
and, lastly, those made from meat and bones, cooked by long and slow
boiling, which dissolves the soluble elements of the meat and bones
into the water and makes a very rich soup.
THE STOCK POT
This should be a deep pot or kettle with a tight-fitting lid. This is
important, so that none of the steam may be lost by evaporation. The
steam contains the aroma or fine volatile oil and essentials which
pass into the air. In a fairly large family little meat need be
purchased for the stock pot if the housewife insists that all portions
of bone and trimming be sent with the purchased meat. The French
women look with horror on the American women leaving all the scrap and
trimming to the butcher.
TO MAKE THE STOCK
A soup bone from the shin, beef, which is full of nutriment, will have
nearly one-half pound of meat on it. Take one pound of the scrag end
of the neck of veal and four quarts of water. Wash the bones and add
the cold water and bring slowly to a boil. Skim and then cover closely
and cook for four hours. By this time the meat will have fallen from
the bones. Strain and set aside to cool. Let stand overnight. This is
best.
Then remove all fat from the top. This stock is the basis of all
soups, sauces and gravies. It is rich in mineral matter and gelatine.
The meat can be taken from the bones and run through the food chopper
and used for meat loaf, croquettes and meat biscuits or sausage, and
it will make mighty tasty hash when combined with potatoes and onions
for breakfast.
You now have a delicious and nutritious broth, without seasoning of
any kind, which will keep in cold weather four or five days. In warm
weather it must be returned every second day to the pot, brought to
a boil and skimmed and then left to cool and finally put in the ice
box. Small portions of meat, ham, any trimming and bones that have
accumulated may be added. Chicken feet, scalded in boiling water to
loosen the outer skin, which must be peeled off, together with the
giblets of fowl, may be added to the stock pot. Seasoning and the
addition of vegetables cause it to sour. Many varieties of soup are
possible with the use of this stock.
OYSTER GUMBO
Mince two medium-sized onions very fine and then place in a saucepan
and add
One pint of hot water,
One pint of oyster liquid,
One pint of milk.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Now add
One-half cup of flour dissolved in
One-half cup of milk.
Stir well until it reaches the boiling point, and then add
Twenty-five oysters,
One tablespoon of file (gumbo powder),
One ounce of butter.
Cook for five minutes and then pour the gumbo into a tureen and add
three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley. File, or gumbo powder, is
made by the Choxtaw Indians from young sassafras leaves. The Indians
gather the leaves, spread them upon the bark to dry and then grind
them into a fine powder, put it through a fine sieve and then pack it
into pouches or jars. It is sold in the French markets in New Orleans
and in all high-class importing groceries. The Indians use the
sassafras both medicinally and in cookery, and the Creoles quickly
discovered this and appreciated it when making their famous gumbo or
file.
VEGETABLE SOUP
One pint of stock, one cup of tomato pulp, made by scalding the
peeling of tomatoes, or the canned tomatoes, may be used, and
One-half cup of diced potatoes,
One-half cup of mixed vegetables; cabbage, turnips and peas, may
be added
One-half carrot cut in dice,
One tablespoon of parsley,
Two tablespoons of flour,
Salt and pepper to taste,
Portion of bunch of potherbs.
Take a bunch of potherbs, divide into small bunches and tie each with
a string and then use one of these in the vegetable soup. Put the
remainder of the herbs in a fruit jar until needed again.
Put the herbs in the stock, add the tomatoes and let simmer. Cook the
vegetables in one pint of water until tender and then add water and
all to the stock and add the seasoning and flour, mixed with a little
cold water, and cook for five minutes.
TO MAKE NOODLES
One egg,
One tablespoon of water,
One-half teaspoon of salt.
Beat together until well mixed and then add sufficient flour to make a
stiff dough. Knead until elastic--about two minutes--and then roll out
on a pastry board until as thin as paper, dusting the board lightly
with flour to prevent sticking. Permit it to stand for fifteen minutes
to dry and then cut into strings, thick and thin. Do this by rolling
up loosely, like a jelly roll, and then cut. Lay on a dish to dry.
When thoroughly dry they may be kept in a fruit jar. Part of the paste
may be stamped with small vegetable cutters and cooked in the soup
same as the noodles.
Vegetables cut in fancy shapes, macaroni cut in small rings,
hard-boiled eggs in slices, cheese balls, slices of lemon, also rice
and barley, may be added to the soup.
To make brown coloring: One-half cup of sugar cooked ten minutes in
an iron pan until burned black; then add one-half cupful of water. Let
come to a boil and then strain and bottle for use.
The principal points to keep in mind when making soup are:
First, draw out all of the juice and soluble flavors into the water.
Second, retain that which we have drawn out by using a pot with a
tight-fitting lid.
Third, use cold water with which to extract meat juices and flavors.
Fourth, long, slow cooking.
Fifth, flavoring and vegetables added after making stock prevent its
souring quickly.
Sixth, do not use stock pot for other than it is intended. Care and
accurate judgment and measuring will give successful results.
If most of the work is done in the morning while attending to the
kitchen duties, the stock-making will take little of your time.
Delicious gravies may be made by using stock instead of water.
CLEAR SOUP
Use two tablespoons of fat and fry one onion until brown. Add two
tablespoons of flour and brown well and then pour in one pint of stock
and cook for five minutes, and then add seasoning, salt and pepper to
taste. Strain into a soup tureen and sprinkle with one tablespoon of
finely chopped parsley. Serve with bread cut in finger lengths and
toasted.
CELERY PUREE
Use one pint of diced celery and cook in one cup of cold water until
tender and then put through a sieve and add one cup of stock,
One cup of milk,
Two tablespoons of flour mixed with a little milk,
Seasoning,
Salt and pepper,
One tablespoon of chopped parsley and serve.
To the clear soup may be added macaroni, noodles or any vegetables.
This is a good way to use left-over portions of vegetables that are
too small to serve alone.
FISH SOUP
Use six slices of cod, hake or flounder. Mince four onions very fine
and then place the onions in a saucepan with
Three tablespoons of cooking oil.
Cook until tender, but not brown; then add
One cup of tomatoes rubbed through a fine sieve,
One bunch of potherbs,
Three pints of water.
Bring to a boil and cook slowly for twenty minutes and then add the
fish. Cook gently for thirty minutes and then add
Six tablespoons of flour dissolved in
One-half cup of water,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
Juice of one lemon,
Grated rind of one-quarter lemon.
Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Now lift the fish on slices
of nicely toasted bread and strain over this the soup. Garnish with
finely chopped parsley and one tablespoon of grated cheese.
FISH SOUPS
The bouillabaisse of France and New Orleans is most delectable and may
well be served upon our tables frequently. The French and our Southern
cooking, especially the creoles, excel in the preparation of delicious
cream soups and purees. They are made entirely from vegetables. These
good folk have preserved an old-world custom; namely, the daily plate
of soup. The creoles have introduced a new variety of their own called
gumbo.
Vegetables and milk are the basis for these soups. The vegetables are
cooked in water and then rubbed through a sieve. Equal parts of milk
are added and then thickened slightly and seasoned. When it is desired
to give additional food value, eggs may be added.
OYSTER BROTH
Drain twenty-four oysters, saving the liquid. Wash and carefully look
over the oysters to free from bits of shell. Chop fine and place in
saucepan and measure the oyster liquid, adding sufficient water to
make two cups. Simmer slowly for fifteen minutes. Let boil up once.
Strain, season to taste with salt, pepper and then the broth is ready
to serve. Equally good hot or cold.
PUREE OF OYSTER
Prepare two cups of thin cream sauce and add
Twenty-five oysters, chopped fine,
One and one-half cups of oyster liquid,
One tablespoon of grated onion.
Simmer slowly for twenty minutes and then bring to a scalding point.
Strain, season to taste with salt and pepper, adding two tablespoons
of finely minced parsley.
Clams may be used to replace the oysters.
TO PREPARE A STEW
Wash and look over the twenty-five stewing oysters carefully to free
them from bits of shell. Place in small stewing pan and heat until the
edges begin to curl. Then add
Three cups of scalding milk,
Two tablespoons of butter,
One teaspoon of salt,
One-half teaspoon of paprika.
Let the mixture come to the scalding point and then remove at once and
serve.
Clams may be used to replace the oysters.
FISH SOUP
One red beet,
Three medium-sized onions,
One carrot,
Three leeks,
Six branches of parsley,
One and one-half cups of finely chopped cabbage.
Chop fine and then place in a saucepan and add two cups of cold water.
Cook gently until the vegetables are very soft and then add
Three cups of fish stock.
Stock made by cooking the head, fins and bones of one and one-half
pounds of fish. Season with
Two teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
Juice of one-half lemon,
Two tablespoons of butter.
Simmer slowly for fifteen minutes and then place the prepared fish
in a tureen and pour over the broth. Sprinkle with paprika and finely
chopped parsley and then serve at once.
DEVILED CRABS
Make a cream sauce by placing in a saucepan
One cup of milk,
Five level tablespoons of flour.
Stir with a wire spoon or fork until the flour is dissolved in the
milk and then bring to a boil. Stir constantly and cook for five
minutes after it reaches the boiling point. Then add
One cup of crab meat,
One tablespoon of grated onion,
One tablespoon of finely minced parsley,
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One-half teaspoon of mustard.
Mix thoroughly and then fill into the crab shells, filling the shell
slightly above the level. Dust lightly with flour and then brush with
beaten egg and cover with fine bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown
in hot fat. The crabs may be prepared earlier in the day and then
reheated for serving.
CELERY SOUP
Wash and thoroughly cleanse the celery and then chop fine. Place one
pint of finely chopped celery in a saucepan and add three cups of cold
water. Bring to a boil and cook until the celery is very soft. Rub
through a fine sieve and then measure, and add
One cup of milk,
Two tablespoons of flour.
to every cup of the celery puree. Dissolve the flour in cold milk and
then add the celery puree. Bring to a boil and cook for ten minutes.
Season, adding one teaspoon of butter for flavoring. A faggot of soup
herbs may be added to the celery if desired.
CREAM SOUPS
Cream soups are a combination of vegetables, puree and milk. Almost
all of the green vegetables will make delicious soups. Clean the
vegetables well and then cut into small pieces. Place in a saucepan
and cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook slowly until
tender and then mash well; then rub through a fine sieve. Use this
vegetable stock with equal parts of milk to make the soup.
Carrots, peas, tomatoes, turnips, corn, beans, celery, lettuce,
potatoes, beets, cucumbers, asparagus, all these afford a splendid
variety.
Allow one level tablespoon of flour for thickening and dissolve the
flour in cold water before adding. Bring quickly to a boil and then
season. Add two tablespoons of butter for flavoring and then serve.
French, Swiss and Italians serve grated cheese and paprika with all
cream soups.
CREAM OF ONION