of cold water. Cook until soft and then rub through a fine sieve.
Measure and return to the saucepan, and add one cup of milk for every
cup of onion puree and two level tablespoons of flour to every cup of
milk. Stir to dissolve the flour, then bring to a boil and cook slowly
for five minutes. Season, using salt and white pepper. Serve, then
add one tablespoon of butter to every quart of cream soup. Croutons or
toasted strips of bread make a delicious accompaniment to cream soups.
How to prepare croutons: Cut slices of bread into one-inch blocks and
place in a baking sheet and bake until golden brown. Place in a tin
box or jar and seal. When ready to use just reheat to crisp and then
serve. Stale bread may be used for this purpose.
CREAM OF TOMATO
Place two cups of stewed tomatoes in a saucepan and add
One onion, chopped fine,
One faggot of soup herbs,
Pinch of cloves.
Cook gently for ten minutes and then run through a fine sieve. Now
place in a saucepan
Two cups of milk,
Five tablespoons of cornstarch.
Stir until dissolved and then bring to a boil and cook for five
minutes. Add to prepared tomato, beating well to thoroughly mix. Now
add
One teaspoon of salt,
One-half teaspoon of pepper,
One tablespoon of butter.
The making of the cream sauce and then adding the prepared tomato
prevents curdling.
TOMATO PUREE
One pint of stewed tomatoes,
Two onions chopped fine,
One carrot cut in dice,
One faggot of soup herbs,
One pint of water.
Cook slowly until the vegetables are soft, rub through a sieve and
then dissolve
Four tablespoons of cornstarch in
Five tablespoons of cold water.
Add to the tomato sauce mixture with
Two tablespoons of butter,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One-half teaspoon of pepper.
Cook slowly for ten minutes.
VEGETABLE PUREE
Pare and cut in dice
Six medium-sized turnips,
Four medium-sized carrots,
Six medium-sized onions.
Chop fine
One small head of cabbage,
Four branches of celery,
One bunch of potherbs,
One teaspoon of thyme.
Place in a saucepan and add seven pints of cold water. Bring to a
boil and cook slowly for two hours. Mash through a fine sieve and then
return to the kettle and add
One-half cup of flour dissolved in
One cup of milk,
One and one-half tablespoons of salt,
One teaspoon of pepper,
Two well-beaten eggs,
Butter, size of large walnut or one ounce.
Stir to thoroughly blend and then add one-quarter cup of finely
chopped parsley. Serve with toast.
CABBAGE SOUP
Two quarts of water,
Three onions, chopped fine,
One faggot of soup herbs,
Two slices of salt pork, cut into dice,
One and one-quarter pounds of soup meat, with bone in it,
Two and one-half cups of finely shredded cabbage.
Place in a saucepan and cook slowly for one and three-quarter hours.
Now add two tablespoons of flour, dissolved in one-quarter cup of
water, and season with
One tablespoon of salt,
One teaspoon of pepper,
One-half teaspoon of thyme.
CREAM OF CUCUMBER
Pare and grate one large cucumber, and then place in a saucepan and
add
One cup of cold water,
One tablespoon of grated onion.
Bring to a boil and cook slowly for ten minutes. Rub through a fine
sieve and add
Four cups of milk,
Six tablespoons of flour.
Stir to dissolve the flour, and then bring to a boil and cook slowly
for five minutes. Now add
One teaspoon of salt,
One-half teaspoon of paprika,
One quarter green pepper, chopped fine,
One tablespoon of butter,
Beat hard to mix.
CREAM OF CORN, SUPREME
Use a corn scraper and then score and scrape the pulp from four large
ears of corn, and rub through a sieve into a saucepan. Now add
Four cups of milk,
Six tablespoons of flour,
One tablespoon of grated onion.
Stir to dissolve and then bring to a boil and cook slowly for five
minutes. Season to taste and add
One tablespoon of butter,
One tablespoon of finely minced parsley.
BAKED PRUNES
Wash and soak the prunes and then place in a casserole dish and add
one-half pound of fruit,
Paring of lemon rind,
Juice of one-half lemon,
Four tablespoons of brown sugar and just barely enough of water to
cover.
Bake for thirty minutes.
FRUITS
BAKED PEARS
Select pears of uniform size and then pare and cut in half. Place in a
baking dish and add
One-half cup of syrup,
One-half cup of water,
One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.
Bake until pears are tender. Baste frequently with the syrup.
PEAR TARTS
Line pie tins or tart pans with plain pastry. Fill with stewed pears
and then dust with cinnamon and bake in a slow oven. Top with fruit
whip.
PEAR BREAD PUDDING
Place a layer of broken stale bread in the bottom of a well-greased
pudding pan and then a layer of thinly-sliced pears. Season each layer
of bread and pears slightly with nutmeg and cinnamon. When the dish is
full pour over
One cup of syrup,
One-half cup of brown sugar,
One cup of water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and then bake in a slow oven for one
hour. Serve with custard sauce.
PEAR SAUCE
Pare and then cover with just enough water to cook. Cook until tender
and then mash and put through a fine sieve or colander. Sweeten to
taste, adding
Juice of one lemon.
One tablespoon of either cinnamon or nutmeg to each quart of the pear
sauce. This may be used and served with roast duck, chicken, or as
a side dish, and in pear shortcake and as a spread for bread and hot
cakes.
BAKED PEARS AND CRANBERRIES
Pare eight pears and then cut in half, removing stems and seeds. Place
in a baking dish with the cut side up. Sort over and wash one cup of
cranberries and then add the berries to the pears and
One-half cup of raisins,
One cup of syrup,
One-half cup of brown sugar,
One cup of water,
One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.
Bake in a slow oven until the pears are soft.
NOTE.--This dish may be cooked upon the top of the stove in a
saucepan.
DRIED FRUIT
Oranges and grapefruit are high-priced and the dried fruits may be
substituted to advantage. If these fruits are nicely prepared, the
family will hardly be able to distinguish between them and the fresh
fruit.
Frequently the dried fruits are so prepared that they are anything
but inviting. Much will depend upon the selection of these fruits.
Purchase only the best grade. This fruit should be bright and waxy and
not too dry. Soak for fifteen minutes in warm water; this loosens the
dirt before washing. Now wash in plenty of water. Cover with water and
allow to stand until the fruit has plumped out; each piece of
fruit will only absorb just the amount of moisture as it originally
contained.
This will require from six to twelve hours, depending entirely upon
the dryness of the fruit. Be sure that the water covers the fruit at
least one inch. Now, when the fruit is ready, add sugar to sweeten
and place in the stove to cook. The slower this fruit is cooked
the better. Remember that hard, rapid cooking not only spoils dried
fruits, but fresh fruit as well.
When cooked tender, drain the liquid from the fruit and measure. Allow
one-half cup of sugar to every three cups of juice. Place this juice
and the sugar in a separate saucepan and boil until thick; then pour
over the fruit.
Dried fruits prepared this way will be found to be delicious. Apricots
will require very little cooking, so drain them free from the liquid
in which they are soaked and add the sugar. Boil the syrup until thick
and then pour over the apricots and cook gently for ten minutes.
Remove the skins from peaches, after soaking them, and before cooking
add a little piece of thin orange peel for flavor.
To prepare dried pears soak them for twelve hours and then place in a
casserole dish and add to one-half pound of fruit
One cup of brown sugar.
Juice of one lemon,
One cup of raisins.
Cover the casserole dish and bake slowly.
STEWED PEARS
Three-quarters cup of syrup,
One-half cup of water,
Six cloves,
Piece of cinnamon and piece of lemon peel,
Peel and then cook slowly until tender, chill and serve.
CHICKEN AND GREEN PEPPER SANDWICHES
Remove the seeds from two green peppers and add one small onion and
chop very fine. Mince one cup of chicken meat fine and add to the
green peppers and onions and then season with
One teaspoon of salt,
One-quarter teaspoon of mustard,
One-half teaspoon of paprika,
Two tablespoons of melted butter.
Mix well and then spread between thin slices of buttered bread.
BROILED CHICKEN, VIRGINIA STYLE
Select a plump broiler, weighing from one and a half to two pounds.
Singe and then split with a sharp knife down the back. Draw. Remove
the head and feet and then wash and parboil for eight minutes. Now
flatten well with a rolling pin. Rub with shortening and broil for
ten minutes. Garnish with bacon. Bacon or ham fat will give the bird a
delicious flavor.
CHICKEN A LA KING
Cut the breast of cooked chicken into one-inch pieces and then place
one and a half cups of thick sauce in a saucepan and add one cup of
mushrooms that have been peeled and cut in pieces and then parboiled
for six minutes in boiling water, and also
One green pepper, diced fine and parboiled,
Add
Yolks of two eggs,
Juice of one-half lemon,
One-quarter teaspoon of mustard,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
in the cream sauce. Also add the prepared chicken, the mushrooms and
then green pepper. Heat until the boiling point is reached and then
simmer slowly for ten minutes and serve on toast.
BREAST OF GUINEA HEN, TERRAPIN STYLE
Cut the breasts of two cooked guinea hens into one-inch blocks and
place in a chafing dish and add
Three cups of thick cream sauce,
One well-beaten egg,
One-half teaspoon of mustard,
One teaspoon of salt,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One large onion chopped very fine,
Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley,
Juice of one large lemon,
Grated rind of one-half lemon.
Stir to mix thoroughly and add the prepared breasts of the guinea hens
and heat slowly until very hot. Serve on toasted waffles.
GUINEA HEN--POT PIE
Draw and singe the pair of guinea hens, removing the wings, thighs and
legs and leaving the breast whole. Break the back of the carcass and
then place in a deep saucepan and add seven cups of boiling water and
steam slowly until tender. Add
A piece of carrot,
One small onion,
One branch of celery
for flavoring and then lift and set the thighs and breast aside for
future use. Pick the meat from the back of the carcass and add to two
and one-half cups of the stock. Season and thicken slightly. Now place
the legs and wings in a casserole dish and add
One cup of peas,
The prepared gravy,
Four boiled onions.
Cover with a crust of plain pastry and bake in a moderate oven for
thirty minutes.
FRICASSEE CHICKEN
Draw and singe and cut the chicken. Wash and place in a deep saucepan
and cover with boiling water. Bring to a boil and add
One onion,
One small carrot,
Two branches of celery.
Cook slowly until tender and then thicken the gravy. Dumplings may be
added if desired.
ROAST CHICKEN, SPLIT STYLE
Prepare the chicken as for roasting. Do not fill. Rub well with
shortening and then pat in plenty of flour. Place in a roasting pan
and roast until tender; baste frequently with hot water.
ROAST DUCK
Singe and draw the duck and then remove the neck and add to the
giblets and cook until tender. Wash and then drain the duck. Now
prepare a filling by soaking sufficient stale bread in cold water.
When pressed dry it will measure two and one-half cups. Rub through a
sieve. Now place five tablespoons of shortening in a saucepan and add
One cup of chopped onion,
One green pepper, chopped fine,
The prepared bread,
Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley,
One level teaspoon of thyme.
Cook slowly, turning frequently until the onions are tender, adding
more shortening if necessary to prevent the mixture from sticking to
the pan. Then season with salt and pepper. Cook and then fill into
the duck. Dust with flour and then roast in a moderate oven, allowing
thirty minutes for the duck to start cooking and twenty minutes to the
pound.
MACARONI
Macaroni is to the Italian cook the starchy content of the meal;
just as the Irish and sweet potato are our common starchy foods. The
thrifty Italian and French housewifes have found that by addition of
meat, cheese and eggs for flavoring, they can serve their families
substantial and attractive foods at a minimum cost.
The average American consumer of pastes and macaroni has no idea of
the number of styles or forms--of which there are over a hundred--into
which this wheat product is made. They range from the lasagnes, which
are the short, flat pieces one and two inches wide, cut and frequently
moulded by hand, to the fideline, which are the long, thin threads,
the finest of which are many times smaller than vermicelli. Between
these two extremes there is a great variety, which includes the
alphabet and many fancy designs.
MACARONI MILIEUSE
Wipe with damp cloth and cut in one-inch blocks one pound of shin
beef. Roll in flour and brown quickly in hot fat. Place in a deep
saucepan and add
Three pints of cold water,
Two onions cut fine,
One medium-sized carrot cut in dice.
Bring to a boil and cook gently until the meat is tender. Now add
One-half cup of tomato aux fines herbes,
Two teaspoons of salt,
One and one-half teaspoons of paprika,
Six ounces of prepared macaroni.
Bring this mixture to a boil and then cook until the macaroni is
well heated. Pour on a large platter and garnish with finely chopped
parsley.
TO PREPARE MACARONI
The macaroni may be broken into pieces one and one-half inches long,
or it may be cooked whole. In all recipes the macaroni must first be
prepared as follows:
Grease the bottom of a deep saucepan and then add two quarts of
boiling water. Let boil for two minutes and then add the macaroni.
Stir for a few minutes and then cook for fifteen minutes. Turn into a
colander and drain. Then blanch under the running cold water for three
minutes. Let drain. It is now ready to use in any number of ways.
Greasing the saucepan prevents the macaroni from sticking to the
bottom, while it is cooking.
The Italian prepares a seasoning as follows:
Wash two leeks,
Six branches of parsley,
Two green or red peppers,
Four branches of celery.
Pare
Six onions,
Tiny bit of garlic.
Place in a chopping bowl and chop very fine. Now place in one-half cup
of vegetable cooking oil in a saucepan and add the vegetables. Cook
slowly until soft and then add one small can of tomato paste. Blend
well and then pour in a bowl or jar and set in a cool place. This
mixture will keep in the refrigerator or in a cool place for one week
in summer time and from ten to twelve days in winter. This mixture is
called tomato aux fine herbes.
Small portions of meat that would be insufficient to serve alone can
be utilized in making these dishes. When making gravy, prepare enough
so that a cup or more may be set aside to use in the macaroni dishes.
Bones, gristle and meat joints left on the serving platter may all
be made into stock, from which the various gravies can be made.
The Italian cook uses a small piece of meat for flavoring, usually
chopping it in small pieces.
MACARONI CUSTARD
Place in a saucepan
Two cups of milk,
One and one-half cups of water,
Six level tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch in the water and add the milk. Bring to a boil and
cook for five minutes. Remove from the fire and add
Yolks of two eggs,
One cup of sugar,
One and one-half teaspoons of vanilla.
Beat to mix and then pour over six ounces of macaroni prepared as
given in the method for preparation. Add one-half cup of raisins and
then bake in a moderate oven for twenty-five minutes. Place the whites
of two eggs in a bowl and add one glass of jelly. Beat until the
mixture holds its shape; then pile on top of pudding.
MACARONI AU GRATIN
Cook one-half pound of macaroni as given in the method of preparing.
Place in a baking dish and then make three cups of cream sauce, using
One and one-half cups of milk,
One and one-half cups of clear stock,
One-half cup of flour.
Blend well and then pour over the macaroni. Sprinkle the top with
fine bread crumbs and grated cheese and bake in a moderate oven for
twenty-five minutes.
POTATOES
This nutritious tuber is said to have saved the Irish people from
famine, and it is fitting that this variety of potato should bear
that name. The potato was unknown to Europe before the venturesome
expedition of the fifteenth century to the Americas, where it was
found to be used freely by the natives of both continents.
Frequently it has been said that the potato competes with bread as
the staff of life, because its use is almost universal. There are more
than thirty-five varieties of potato and although it is affected by
soil and climate, the sandy soil necessary for its successful growth
is found in almost every country.
The housewife should understand its food value. The average analysis
of the white potato is as follows:
Sixty-two per cent. water, 2 per cent. protein, 1 per cent. fat, 4 per
cent. carbohydrates (starch and sugar), 20 per cent. waste and 1 per
cent. mineral ash.
The proportion of water found in the potato depends largely upon the
soil in which it is grown. The small protein content is offset by its
large carbohydrates (starch and sugar) content.
POTATO CAKES
Cook three large potatoes and then peel and mash fine. Measure and
place two cups of mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl and add
Two cups of flour,
One teaspoon of salt,
Four teaspoons of baking powder,
One egg,
Four tablespoons of milk.
Mix to a smooth dough and then roll out one-half inch thick and cut
and brush the tops with milk. Bake in a hot oven for eighteen minutes.
POTATO DISHES
One of the best forms of serving this tuber is to roast the potato in
the ashes. Few will realize how delicious it can be. Wrap the potato
in wax paper and then cover with coals and roast about one hour.
Next to this method comes the baked potato. Wash and dry medium-sized
potatoes and then rub well with shortening and place in the oven and
bake for thirty-five minutes for small potatoes and fifty minutes
to one hour for large ones. Greasing the potato well before baking
prevents a hard crust from forming and permits the entire contents of
the mealy sack to be eaten. Boiling potatoes in their jackets causes
the potato to lose about 2 per cent. of its nutritive value, while
peeling before cooking causes a loss of 14 per cent. If necessary to
peel, use a sharp knife and removed the very thinnest portion of the
skin; scraping new potatoes is better than peeling them.
O'BRIEN POTATOES
Pare and then cut in thin slices five potatoes that have been
boiled in their jackets. Mince sufficient onions, fine, to measure
three-quarters of a cup. Chop fine two green peppers. Parboil
onions and peppers until tender and then drain well. Now heat three
tablespoons of shortening in a frying pan until very hot and then add
the potatoes and let brown. Fold over and brown again. Keep turning
over until the potatoes are well browned and then add the prepared
onions and peppers. Cook slowly for five minutes and then turn on a
hot platter and garnish with finely chopped parsley.
BOILED POTATOES
To cook potatoes, either in jackets or pared: Cover with boiling
water, cook until tender. Season; now cover closely with clean cloth
to absorb moisture and the potato will be mealy.
GRILLED POTATOES
Wash and pare large old potatoes and then cut into thin slices,
cutting the full width of the potato. This means that you are to cut a
thin slice of raw potato that will cover your hand. Place on a shallow
baking dish and brush with shortening. Place in the broiler and broil
until nicely browned, then place in the oven for five minutes.
MOUNTAIN BUTTERMILK RYE MUFFINS
Place in a mixing bowl
One and one-half cups of buttermilk,
One teaspoon of baking soda,
Four tablespoons of shortening,
Six tablespoons of syrup,
One egg.
Beat to mix and then add
Two and one-half cups of rye flour,
One teaspoon of baking powder.
Beat to thoroughly mix and then pour into well-greased and floured
muffin pans, and bake for thirty minutes in a moderate oven. When
cold the muffins that are left over may be split and toasted and then
spread with mountain sweet-spiced jam.
IF NECESSARY TO KEEP MEAT THREE OR FOUR DAYS
Much sickness that is described as ptomaine poisoning is usually
caused by carelessness. If for any reason meat must be kept several
days after it is purchased, it may be cared for in the following
manner:
Place
Three-quarters cup of salt in a saucepan
And add
Three and one-half cups of water,
One bay leaf,
One-half teaspoon of saltpeter.
Bring to a boil and cool. Place the meat in a china bowl or a wooden
bucket and pour the brine over it. Now place a plate on top of the
meat and weigh down with an old flatiron and heavy stone. Turn the
meat every other day.
This meat will keep for one week. This method is suitable for mutton,
beef or pork. For lamb or chicken place in a saucepan and add
One-half carrot,
One onion,
Sufficient boiling water to partially cover same.
Cook, keeping pan closely covered, for ten minutes to the pound. Cool
before placing in the ice box. If it is necessary to keep the meat
only until the next day, mince fine two onions and add
Four tablespoons of salt,
One tablespoon of pepper.
Mix thoroughly and then rub the meat thoroughly with this mixture.
Meat may be kept in the ordinary ice box that holds seventy-five
pounds of ice for two days in the hottest weather in the following
manner: Wipe the meat with a dry cloth and cover with a wax or
parchment paper, and then hang from a hook in the lower part of the
refrigerator, directly under the ice chamber if possible. The hooks
are shaped like the letter S, sharply pointed at both ends and they
may be purchased or made by any hardware dealer.
Meat allowed to lie on a platter soon loses its nutritious qualities
with the escaping of the juices.
FILLET OF BEEF
Have the butcher trim the fillet into shape and then lard it with salt
pork. Dust lightly with flour and then place on a rack in the roasting
pan and place in a hot oven, basting every ten minutes. Cook, allowing
the meat one-half hour to become thoroughly heated and to start
cooking; then allow twelve minutes for every pound. This cut is the
choicest of the entire cattle and is without a single ounce of waste.
It is delicious either hot or cold.
WELSH CHEESE PUDDING
Five ounces of grated cheese,
One cup of bread crumbs,
One cup of flour,
One and one-half teaspoons of salt,
One teaspoon of white pepper,
One teaspoon of paprika,
One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce,
One tablespoon of baking powder,
Four tablespoons of grated onions,
One egg,
One cup of milk.
Beat to thoroughly mix and then pour in moulds or prepared pudding
cloth and boil for one and three-quarters hours. Serve either hot or
cold. To serve hot, use the following sauce:
Place in a saucepan
One cup of milk,
Two tablespoons of cornstarch.
Dissolve the starch in the milk and bring to a boil. Cook for five
minutes and then add
One well-beaten egg,
One teaspoon of salt,
Two teaspoons of paprika,
Juice of one-half lemon.
Beat hard to mix and then serve. This dish will replace meat and be
sufficient for a family of four or five.
MEAL PUDDING
Place one quart of milk in a saucepan and bring to a boil; then add
three-quarters cup of fine cornmeal. Stir until thick, and cook slowly
for ten minutes and then add
One cup of sweet spiced jam,
One cup of syrup,
One-half cup of sugar,
One-half teaspoon of nutmeg.
Beat to mix and then pour into a baking pan and bake slowly for
three-quarters of an hour. Cool and then serve with plain cream.
HOW TO COOK CORN BEEF
Wash the beef in cold water and then place in a saucepan and cover
with cold water. Bring to a boil and turn into a colander, and let
cold water run on the meat. Place a saucepan on the stove and fill
with boiling water, and add
One carrot, cut in dice,
Two onions, with one clove stuck in each onion,
One bay leaf and,
The meat.
Bring to a boil and cook slowly, allowing the meat to cook thirty
minutes to start and then twenty minutes to the pound, gross weight.
Then remove the saucepan from the fire when the meat is cooked and
allow the meat to cool in the liquid, with the lid removed. When cool,
remove and place at once in the ice box. Serve cold.
Mutton may be corned like beef. The shoulder makes a delicious
economical cut. Have the butcher bone the meat, but do not roll. Put
in a pickle for six days. Remove and wash and then tie securely, and
cook in the same manner as for corned beef.
OLD PHILADELPHIA STEWED KIDNEY