Boil one bushel of tomatoes until soft, squeeze through a
sieve, add to the juice half a gallon of vinegar, 1½ pints
salt, 3 ounces of whole cloves, 1 ounce of allspice, 2 ounces
of cayenne pepper, 3 tablespoonfuls of black pepper, 3 heads
of garlic, skinned and separated; boil three hours or until
the quantity is reduced one-half, bottle without skimming. The
spices should be put in a muslin bag, which must be taken out,
of course, before bottling. If desired 1 peck of onions can be
boiled, passed through a sieve, and the juice added to the
tomatoes.
_Green pepper pickles_: Half a pound of mustard seed soaked
over night, 1 quart of green pepper chopped, 2 quarts of
onions chopped, 4 quarts of cucumbers also chopped, 8 quarts
of green tomatoes chopped, 6 quarts of cabbage chopped; mix
and measure. To every gallon of this mixture add one teacup of
salt, let it stand until morning, then squeeze perfectly dry
with the hands. Then add 8 pounds of sugar, and cover with
good vinegar and boil five minutes. After boiling, and while
still hot, squeeze perfectly dry, then add 2 ounces of cloves,
2 ounces of allspice, 3 ounces of cinnamon and the mustard
seed.
The peppers should be soaked in brine thirty-six or
forty-eight hours. After soaking, wipe dry and stuff, place
them in glass jars, and cover with fresh vinegar.
This was considered the triumph of the Southern housekeeper.
_Chicken with spaghetti_: Stir four sliced onions in two
ounces of butter till very soft, add one quart of peeled
tomatoes; stew chicken in water until tender, and pick to
pieces. Add enough of the gravy to make a quart, put with the
onions and tomatoes. Let it stew fifteen minutes gently. Put
into boiling water 2½ pounds of spaghetti and a handful of
salt, boil twenty minutes or until tender; drain this and put
in a layer on a platter sprinkled with grated cheese, and pour
the stew on it. Fill the platter with these layers, reserving
the best of the chicken to lay on top.
The old negro cooks made a delicious confection known as confection
cake. Those who lived to tell of having eaten it declared that it was
a dream. It certainly leads to dreams, and bad ones, but it is worth a
nightmare:--
1½ cups of sugar, 2½ cups of flour, ½ cup of butter, ½ cup of
sweet milk, whites of six eggs, 3 small teaspoons of baking
powder. Bake in two or three layers on a griddle.
_Filling_: 1 small cocoanut grated, 1 pound almonds blanched,
and cut up not too fine, 1 teacup of raisins chopped, 1 teacup
of citron chopped, 4 eggs, whites only, 7 tablespoonfuls of
pulverized sugar to each egg.
Mix this destructive substance well in the froth of egg, and spread
between the layers of cake when they are hot; set it a few minutes in
the oven, but do not burn it, and you have a delicious and profoundly
indigestible dessert. You will be able to write Sartor Resartus, after
eating of it freely.
_Walnut Cake_: 1 cup of butter, 2 cups of sugar, 6 eggs, 4
cups of flour, 1 cup of milk, 2 teaspoonfuls of yeast powder.
This is also baked in layers, and awaits the dynamite filling which is
to blow you up:--
_Walnut Filling_: 2 cups of brown sugar, 1 cup of cream, a
piece of butter the size of an egg. Cook twenty minutes,
stirring all the time; when ready to take off the stove put in
one cup of walnut meats. After this has cooked a few minutes
longer, spread between the layers, and while both cake and
filling are hot.
Perhaps a few _menus_ may be added here to assist the memory of her
"who does not know what to have for dinner:"--
Tomato Soup.
Golden Sherry. Whitefish broiled. Claret.
Mashed potatoes.
Round of beef _braisé_, Madeira.
with glazed onions.
Champagne. Roast plover with cress. Château Yquem.
Chiccory Salad.
Custard flavoured with vanilla.
Cheese. Cordials.
Chambertin. Fruit.
Coffee.