with a knife; set it over the fire again to dry; stir in butter, salt,
and black pepper; break in two or more eggs; stir them with the spinach
and let them cook until it looks quite dry; serve it in a hot vegetable
dish.
SPINACH SOUFFLE.
Boil and dry spinach; chop it very fine in the saucepan and let it dry;
stir in two tablespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of salt, and one
half teaspoonful of black pepper; let the butter be absorbed. Beat the
yolks of two eggs in a large bowl, beat the whites to a stiff froth,
mix them well into the yolks, stir in the hot seasoned spinach with a
fork, and bake it in a hot buttered dish in a quick oven until the top
is well browned.
TOMATOES.
TOMATO ON TOAST.
Use stale bread, cut in reasonably thick slices; dip in sweet milk,
then in beaten egg, seasoned with salt and pepper; fry in butter till
a nice brown. Have ready a quart of tomatoes that have stewed gently
until reduced one fourth; season to taste; add one tablespoonful of
butter and pour over fried toast. Just before serving place a poached
egg on each slice.
STUFFED BAKED TOMATOES.
Select good-sized, smooth, solid fruit; wash, do not pare; cut out the
hard center and remove seed pulp with finger. Fill in with mixture made
of two cupfuls of bread crumbs, wet with one tablespoonful of melted
butter; add two tablespoonfuls of chopped onion, one cupful of chopped
celery, season to taste; heap the filling in tomatoes and put a piece
of butter on top; place in earthen pie dish to bake. They should be in
the oven until well browned on top; serve on squares of bread that have
been fried a nice brown, in butter.
FRIED TOMATOES.
Wash and slice the tomatoes, without paring; sprinkle with seasoning,
dip in flour, cook in frying pan with butter, a liberal supply of
grease is required. Cover for a few minutes, so the tomatoes may steam
through, and not brown too quickly, as they need to be well cooked;
turn and brown on both sides. Serve on toast.
FRICASSEED TOMATOES.
Select large smooth tomatoes; cut them in half, do not peel. Take a
broad agate, or enameled pan and melt in it two ounces of butter; cover
the pan with the halved tomatoes that have been sprinkled with salt,
and pepper, and dipped in meal; whole wheat flour is best. Put cover
on pan and let cook until tomatoes are cooked through, but not broken.
The fire should be moderate, and it is well to lift the tomatoes
occasionally so they will not burn or stick to pan. When cooked, pour
in one half cupful sweet cream, let come to a scald, and serve.
ESCALOPED TOMATOES.
Fill baking dish with alternate layers of bread crumbs and cold stewed
tomatoes, well seasoned, finishing with bread crumbs on top, and break
in bits over the top one heaping tablespoonful of butter, and bake
until brown.
TOMATO AND RICE FRITTERS.
Add one teacupful of cold stewed tomatoes to two cupfuls of cold
boiled rice; season to taste; bind with one egg well whipped; mould
into smooth little shapes, and fry in butter.
DEVILLED TOMATOES.
Take two or three large firm tomatoes, not over ripe, cut them in
slices half an inch thick and lay on a sieve. Make a dressing of one
tablespoonful of butter and one of vinegar rubbed smooth with the yolk
of one hard boiled egg; add a very little sugar, salt, mustard and
cayenne pepper; beat until smooth and heat to a boil. Take from the
fire and pour upon a well beaten egg whipping to a smooth cream. Put
the vessel containing this dressing in hot water while the tomatoes are
being broiled over a clear fire. Put the tomatoes on a hot dish and
pour the dressing over them.
BREAD STUFFS.
HOME MADE YEAST.
Wash, pare, and soak one large potato. Steep one tablespoonful of hops
(loose) in one pint of boiling water; mix one heaping tablespoonful
of flour, one teaspoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one
teaspoonful of ginger; grate the potato into the flour mixture; let
the hot water boil briskly for one minute, strain it over the flour
and potato mixture, and mix thoroughly; if it does not thicken like
starch, place it over the fire for a few minutes, stirring briskly. If
too thick, add boiling water till thin as cream. When lukewarm or at 70
degrees, add one half cake of yeast. Raise in a warm place till frothy,
beat it down every half hour. Bottle and keep in a cool place.
THREE HOUR BREAD.
Pour one cupful of boiling water over two tablespoonfuls of flour and
beat well; when this becomes lukewarm add two teaspoonfuls of sugar and
one yeast cake that has been dissolved in one half cupful of lukewarm
water. Beat thoroughly, add flour enough to make a thick batter, beat
until light and set in a warm place, about 90 degrees F. Keep covered
and let rise until light and frothy, with this proportion of yeast it
should rise in thirty minutes. When light add one cupful of scalded
milk, cooled to lukewarm, and flour enough to make a stiff dough; stir
in the flour with a spoon, beating it thoroughly; when the dough begins
to stiffen, cut in the flour with a bread knife; add flour until the
dough slips easily from the board, and does not stick to the hands.
Then knead the dough on a slightly floured board until smooth, elastic,
and full of air bubbles. Knead it firmly, but lightly, using only the
wrist movements, put back in bowl, cover, and let rise in warm place
until it doubles in bulk; shape into loaves, or biscuit; brush lightly
with melted butter, and place in warm buttered pan. Let rise, closely
covered, until loaves have doubled in bulk. Bake in an oven hot enough
to brown one teaspoonful of flour placed on a piece of paper, in five
minutes. If biscuits are to be baked, the oven should be hot enough to
brown flour in two minutes. Let the bread bake from forty-five minutes
to one hour. The first quarter of the time the bread should rise, but
not form a crust; the second quarter the crust should form; the third
the crust should become golden brown; the fourth should complete the
baking. Place the loaf to cool uncovered, and in such a position that
the air can circulate freely around it, bottom and all.
WHOLE WHEAT BREAD.
Make a sponge of one half cupful lukewarm water, one half yeast cake
dissolved in one fourth cupful lukewarm water, and one cupful of white
flour; cover; and set in warm place,--about 90 degrees F.--until light
and foamy; add one half cupful scalded milk, cooled to lukewarm, one
half teaspoonful of salt and whole wheat flour to make a stiff dough;
knead thoroughly, put into warm place, let rise until it doubles
in bulk; mould into a loaf, put into a warm buttered pan, and keep
closely covered in warm place until it rises sufficiently to double
in size; put into a hot oven; at the end of fifteen minutes lower the
temperature of oven and bake at least forty-five minutes longer. This
makes one loaf.
ENGLISH UNFERMENTED GRIDDLE BREAD.
This bread is usually made from whole wheat flour. It is cooked on a
griddle, hence its name “Griddle Bread.” The griddle should be made
thoroughly hot before placing the dough on it, and sprinkled with a
little fine white flour. Measure the meal, and for every two level
measures of meal allow one measure of boiling water; have the meal in
a mixing bowl, and use a wooden spoon for stirring. Make a hole in
the center of the meal and pour the boiling water into it, stirring
all the time till it forms a mass or lump. No kneading is required.
Sprinkle the paste-board with fine white flour and turn the mass onto
it. Roll out into cakes, making the cake about half an inch thick. The
edge should not be ragged, but dredged with fine flour and pressed
with the knuckles to an even thickness. Dredge fine flour on each
piece, rub it well in with the fingers, then turn it on the other side
with the knife and do the same, so that the surface has a fine smooth
appearance. As each piece is prepared, place it on the hot griddle
plate. Two or three minutes is sufficient time to prepare the bread
from the moment the water boils. The time for the cooking necessarily
varies according to the heat of the fire, which should be kept at an
even temperature; twenty to thirty minutes will be found the average.
TEA ROLLS.
Make a sponge of one cupful of lukewarm water, one cake of yeast,
one fourth cupful sugar, and flour enough to make a soft dough. When
sufficiently raised add a little over a cupful of softened butter, and
three fourths of a cupful of luke warm milk and enough flour to keep
it a sponge. Beat well and let rise; then add beaten white of one egg
and enough flour to knead. Knead thoroughly and let it rise again; work
down; place in a buttered bowl; let it rise again, turn onto a board,
roll, and cut. Shape to suit fancy, in finger rolls, bread sticks, or
cleft rolls; place in pans and let rise; bake in hot oven. For Cinnamon
Rolls, make as above only roll out one fourth inch in thickness and
spread with softened butter, sugar, cinnamon, and currants. All bread
stuffs brown better if brushed over with melted butter.
WHOLE WHEAT MUFFINS.
Take one and one half cupfuls of whole wheat flour, one cupful of
common flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, mix, and sift
together; beat up one egg and add one cupful of milk; add one
tablespoonful of melted butter and stir into the dry mixture; bake in
gem pans in a hot oven for about twenty minutes.
CORN MUFFINS.
Mix thoroughly one cupful of white flour, one half cupful of fine
yellow corn meal, one eighth cupful of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of
baking powder; then beat one egg and stir in one cupful of sweet milk;
stir into dry mixture; then add one tablespoonful of melted butter;
beat well, and bake in muffin tins.
GRAHAM OR RYE GEMS.
To one and one half cupfuls of graham, or rye flour, measured after
sifting, add one eighth cupful of sugar, two teaspoonfuls of baking
powder, one half cupful of white flour and mix thoroughly; then add one
cupful of sweet milk and two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, and stir
quickly. Put in hot gem pans, bake for twenty-five minutes in hot oven.
BAKING POWDER BISCUITS.
To one pint of sifted flour add two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; sift
together twice; then rub in one tablespoonful of shortening until fine,
like meal. Mix in gradually enough milk to make a soft dough, cutting
it in with bread knife; when stiff enough to be handled it should look
spongy in the cuts, and seem full of air; turn it out on a well floured
board, toss with knife until well floured, pat with rolling pin, and
when dough is about half an inch thick, cut it into rounds and bake at
once in hot oven.
PUFFS.
Sift one teaspoonful of baking powder into two cupfuls of flour; with
one half teaspoonful of salt; add two cupfuls of milk and two eggs,
beat the yolks and the whites of the eggs separately. Bake in gem pans
in quick oven.
POP-OVERS.
With one cupful of flour, mix one saltspoonful of salt; add slowly one
cupful of milk; when a smooth paste is formed add one cupful more of
milk and one egg beaten thoroughly; beat well; cook in hot buttered gem
pans or earthen cups in a quick oven for half an hour, or until the
puffs are brown and well popped over. The more the milk and flour are
beaten the lighter the puffs will be.
WAFFLES.
Sift together one pint of flour, one teaspoonful of baking powder,
one teaspoonful of salt; add one and one fourth cupfuls of milk to
smooth the batter; then add the well beaten yolks of three eggs; beat
well; then whip in one tablespoonful of melted butter; and add the
stiffly beaten whites of the eggs, cutting and folding these in. Have
waffle-iron hot and well greased; butter as soon as taken from the
iron. Sugar can be added at the same time, if relished.
BOSTON BROWN BREAD.
Take one pint each of whole wheat flour and Indian meal, one cupful of
molasses, three fourths cupful of sour milk, and one half teaspoonful
of soda, one and one half pints of cold water, mix; put in steamer on
stove over cold water, which is afterwards brought to the boiling point
and kept constantly boiling until bread is done; steam for four hours,
and brown in the oven. Just before putting in the steamer add one
cupful of seeded raisins.
BANNOCKS.
Two teacupfuls of oatmeal, or barley meal, sifted with two teaspoonfuls
of baking powder; add two beaten eggs, one tablespoonful of sugar and
one pint of milk with a little salt, sifting in the meal. Mix and bake
on a griddle.
GRIDDLE CAKES.
To one cupful of flour, add one saltspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful
of baking powder; sift thoroughly; add milk enough to make a batter
like a thick cream; then whip in one teaspoonful of melted butter. One
egg may be well beaten and added, though it is not necessary.
This receipt can be varied by using graham, corn, or whole wheat flour,
in proportions of two thirds graham or wheat to one third white flour.
Corn should only be one third corn to two thirds white flour.
HOMINY GRIDDLE CAKES.
To one cupful of sweet milk, add one cupful of warm, fine, boiled
hominy; add one half teaspoonful of salt, two eggs,--whites and yolks
beaten separately,--one teaspoonful of melted butter. In mixing add
well beaten whites of eggs last. Use flour enough to make thin batter.
Can be cooked either as griddle cakes or waffles.
RAISED GRAHAM GRIDDLE CAKES.
One cupful of graham meal, one cupful of flour, one half yeast cake
dissolved in one quarter of a cupful of lukewarm water, mix with this
one pint of milk scalded and cooled, and let it rise over night. In
the morning add one tablespoonful of molasses, and one saltspoonful of
soda. If the batter is too thick add a little warm water.
INDIAN MEAL GRIDDLE CAKES.
One pint of Indian meal, one teaspoonful of sugar, one teaspoonful of
butter, add gradually to this sufficient boiling milk to wet the meal;
when cool add two well beaten eggs, and sufficient cold milk to make a
thin batter.
BREAD GRIDDLE CAKES.
One pint of stale bread crumbs; pour over them one pint of hot milk;
add one tablespoonful of butter; when the crumbs are soft rub through
a strainer and add the beaten yolks of two eggs, one cupful of flour,
and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. If the batter is not thin enough
add a little cold milk.
RICE GRIDDLE CAKES.
Take one cupful of sweet milk, one cupful of warm boiled rice, the
yolks of two eggs beaten until light, one tablespoonful of melted
butter, and flour enough to make a thin batter; stir in lastly the
whites of the eggs beaten stiff and dry. Bake on a hot griddle.
SOUR MILK GRIDDLE CAKES.
Sift one half teaspoonful of salt and one teaspoonful of soda into one
pint of flour; add one scant pint of sour milk or cream, the beaten
yolks of two eggs, and lastly the whites beaten very stiff. Bake on a
hot, well greased griddle.
BREAKFAST FOODS.
WHOLE WHEAT.
Sift one cupful of whole wheat meal into one pint of boiling water; add
salt to taste. Cook in double boiler and steam from one to two hours,
until meal is thoroughly cooked. Very nice when cold fried in delicate
slices and served with maple syrup.
Graham, rye, oat meal, or corn meal can be cooked in same way, only
they require longer cooking. Corn requires the most time. Corn and oat
meals need a larger quantity of water.
SANDWICHES.
CHEESE AND EGG SANDWICHES.
Beat two eggs in a bowl for two minutes, add two tablespoonfuls of
milk, one eighth tablespoonful of salt, a sprinkle of white pepper;
melt one half tablespoonful of butter in a small frying pan, pour in
the eggs, stir until they begin to thicken, then sprinkle over one
tablespoonful of freshly grated bread crumbs and two tablespoonfuls of
cheese, stir for a few minutes longer, remove and put one tablespoonful
of this preparation between two thin slices of bread.
EGG SANDWICH.
Break two eggs in a small bowl and beat until they foam; add a sprinkle
of salt. Place a small frying pan over the fire with one tablespoonful
of butter; as soon as butter is melted pour in the eggs, stir until
they thicken, then remove. Butter four thin slices of bread, cover two
with the eggs; lay over the remaining two slices; trim them neatly and
cut them slantingly in half.
NUT SANDWICHES. No. 1.
Mix equal parts of grated Swiss cheese and chopped English walnut meat.
Season with salt and cayenne. Spread between thin slices of bread
slightly buttered, and cut in fancy shapes.
NUT SANDWICHES. No. 2.
Shell one half pint of peanuts and roll them fine with the rolling
pin. Stir the yolk of one hard boiled egg to a cream with one half
tablespoonful of butter, add one teaspoonful of French mixed mustard,
one quarter teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of lemon juice, one
half tablespoonful of unsweetened condensed milk, one half cupful of
finely chopped red apple, the finely chopped white of an egg, and the
nuts. Put one tablespoonful of this mixture between two thin slices of
bread; trim them evenly all around, and cut them slantingly into two
pieces.
PLAIN CHEESE SANDWICH.
Butter the bread; lay thin slices of cream cheese to cover, add a
lettuce leaf, and cover with another piece of buttered bread.
COTTAGE CHEESE SANDWICH.
Use crisp, square crackers, wet the cottage cheese with sweet cream,
season to taste, and spread on crackers.
OLIVE AND CAPER SANDWICHES.
Chop olives very fine, add one third as much of finely chopped capers;
mix thoroughly with a little soft butter; season with celery salt,
cayenne, a very few drops of lemon juice, and a little of the grated
lemon peel. Spread on thin squares of buttered graham bread.
CHEESE AND MUSTARD SANDWICH.
Grate one fourth pound of cheese and mix one half teaspoonful of salt
and mustard, with a dash of cayenne pepper; melt one tablespoonful of
butter and blend with seasoning; then stir thoroughly into the cheese;
if liked, a teaspoonful of lemon juice may be added. Spread on thin
slices of whole wheat, or white, bread.
BOILED EGG SANDWICHES.
Chop the whites of hard boiled eggs very fine; blend the yolks with a
little cream or melted butter, season to taste, and spread on buttered
white bread.
TOMATO SANDWICH.
Cut thin slices of brown bread; spread with French mustard; then a
layer of cream cheese; sprinkle lightly with salt; peel and slice some
small, solid, ripe tomatoes. Cover the prepared bread with the slices;
form into sandwiches and cut in broad strips. Serve with water cress.
TOMATO AND EGG SANDWICH.
Chop the whites of four hard boiled eggs very fine. Mash the yolks and
blend with a little thick cream, some tomato pulp, salt, pepper, and a
tiny pinch of sugar. Spread on thin slices of brown, buttered, bread.
CHOCOLATE SANDWICH.
Melt one ounce of grated chocolate; whip in a little hot cream; add one
half teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring, a little confectioner’s sugar,
and the yolk of one egg. Stir until it begins to thicken, then whip in
the whites of the egg beaten to a stiff froth.
Spread on thin slices of sponge cake, or white bread and butter.
MUSHROOM SANDWICHES.
Stew a few large mushrooms in one ounce of butter; cover closely and
cook slowly so that they shall not burn; mash them with pepper, salt,
and a dash of nutmeg; cut thin slices of whole wheat bread, butter and
spread with the mushroom paste. Cut into finger sandwiches.
PINEAPPLE SANDWICH.
Cut small sweet sponge buns in slices; spread them with grated
pineapple; sift with fine sugar; press two slices together and spread
soft icing on top and sides.
ITALIAN SANDWICHES.
Make a mixture of chopped olives, grated cheese and chopped English
walnuts in the proportion of two fifths each of cheese and olives to
one fifth of nuts; then make a dressing of five tablespoonfuls of malt
vinegar (or six, if ordinary vinegar is used) bring to a scald and stir
into the well beaten yolks of five eggs; set the egg mixture back on
the stove and stir constantly until it becomes as thick as cream; then
remove from the stove and beat in one tablespoonful of butter, whipping
until the butter is dissolved and thoroughly blended. Season to taste
with salt, pepper and mustard; if liked add a dash of cayenne. Stir
in the chopped olives, nuts, and cheese. Spread between crisp square
crackers, or thin slices of whole wheat bread.
FRUIT SANDWICHES.
Slice whole wheat or graham bread very thin, butter, then spread with a
layer of chopped raisins, or candied cherries wet with orange juice.
GRAHAM SANDWICHES.
Chop olives; add a little chopped parsley and a little finely chopped
celery; mix with mayonaise dressing to which has been added a few drops
of onion juice and a very little French mustard; spread thin slices of
graham bread very lightly with butter; then put a layer of the mixture;
cover with another slice of buttered bread and cut into strips or
squares.
RUSSIAN SANDWICHES.
Spread zephyrettes (crackers) with thin slices of cream cheese; cover
with chopped olives mixed with mayonaise. Place a zephyrette over each
and press together.
CAKES AND ICINGS.
CAKES.
Thin cakes require a hotter oven than those baked in thick loaves.
Cakes with molasses in them burn more quickly than others. Thin cakes
should bake from fifteen to twenty minutes, thicker cakes from thirty
to forty minutes, and very thick loaves about one hour. If only the
yolks of the eggs are used the cake is richer, if only the whites it
is lighter. Have all ingredients ready, then see that fire and oven
are right, and mix carefully. The secret of fine grained cake is in
the mixing. First always cream the butter by beating, then add sugar
slowly, creaming carefully, then add the well beaten yolks of eggs.
Sift the flour and baking powder together three times, at least, then
add alternately in small quantities the flour and milk, and last of
all the stiffly beaten whites of eggs, working them in as lightly as
possible.
ONE EGG CAKE.
Cream one half cupful of butter in a warm bowl adding slowly one cupful
of sugar, whip the yolk of one egg and add to butter and sugar. Have
ready two cupfuls of flour into which has been sifted two teaspoonfuls
of baking powder; put flour and baking powder through sifter three
times. Add flour and one cupful of milk slowly and alternately to
butter mixture, adding last of all the whites of egg beaten stiff and
one teaspoonful of flavoring. Bake in loaf in moderate oven for thirty
minutes.
ORANGE CAKE.
Cream one third cupful of butter with one and one half cupfuls of
sugar; add the well beaten yolks of three eggs and one teaspoonful of
flavoring, beat well; add alternately, in small quantities, two heaping
cupfuls of flour, into which two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder
has been sifted, and one cupful of milk; last of all add the whites of
the three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, folding them into the dough
lightly. Bake in shallow pans for about twenty minutes, or until cake
shrinks from the pan. Put together with orange icing.
IDA’S CAKE.
Beat the whites of four eggs very stiff and set in refrigerator to
chill; cream the yolks; add one cupful of sugar and a teaspoonful of
lemon extract; sift flour until very light, and sprinkle in one cupful
slowly, stirring lightly; then fold in the whites of the eggs as
delicately as possible. Bake in moderate oven.
ANGEL FOOD.
Sift one cupful of flour and one half teaspoonful of cream of tartar
together, sifting at least six times; add one cupful of sugar, sift
again; beat the whites of seven eggs stiff; chill; then whip in the
flour and sugar; flavor with one teaspoonful of vanilla extract. Bake
in moderate oven.
WATER SPONGE CAKE.
Beat the yolk of one egg, add one half cupful of sugar and beat again,
add one half teaspoonful of lemon juice and three tablespoonfuls of
cold water, then two thirds of a cupful of flour into which one half
even teaspoonful of baking powder has been sifted, and lastly the
whites of the egg beaten stiff. Bake in shallow pan or in small tins.
TEA CAKES.
Tea cakes that are much esteemed in southern households are made from
the yolks of six eggs, half a pound of butter, one pound of sugar, one
pound of flour and one teaspoonful of baking powder mixed with the
flour. They should be rolled thin and baked in a quick oven. Frost with
a thin icing or sprinkle while hot with granulated sugar.
POOR MAN’S CAKE.
Take three good-sized apples, pare, chop them fine, put them into a
saucepan with two cupfuls of molasses, and boil until the apples are
soft--say for three minutes--remove, and add one cupful of sugar, one
egg, and one half teaspoonful of ginger, cinnamon allspice, clove
and nutmeg, one cupful of strong coffee in which one and one half
teaspoonfuls of soda are dissolved; two and one half cupfuls of flour.
This cake will keep all winter. These proportions make three large
cakes.