Chapter 2

Put a veal bone to boil in one quart of water. After skimming it well, put in one pint of celery cut up very fine, two tablespoonfuls of rice, one onion, one teaspoonful of celery salt. Let this boil till reduced to a pint. Take out the meat and pass the soup through a colander, mashing and extracting as much of the puree as possible, passing the stock through it two or three times. Boil a quart of milk separately; rub two tablespoonfuls of flour in a half a cup of butter; add this to the boiled milk; after cooking it a few minutes, add the milk to the celery puree and serve at once, mixing milk and puree well.

OYSTER SOUP.

From MRS. HELEN C. BRAYTON, of South Carolina, Vice President of State Board, and Lady Manager.

Take one hundred oysters and simmer in their liquor with allspice. As the scum rises skim carefully. Strain off the liquor and add to it three-quarters lb. butter and one-quarter lb. flour, rubbed to a cream. Let this boil and carefully stir in a quart of milk, guarding against curdling and pour over the oysters.

BISQUE OF CRAB OR CRAWFISH.

From MRS. BELLE H. PERKINS, of Louisiana, President of State Board, Lady Manager.

Boil one dozen crabs; pick them in flaky pieces as much as possible; remove the meat from the claws and the fat from the back. Reserve some of the nicest pieces and put them aside for the soup after it is done. Boil a chicken or veal bone; put it into two quarts of cold water; let it come to a boil and skim well, adding a cup of rice; let all boil together until the ingredients are reduced to one quart; add an onion, a piece of celery (or a teaspoon of celery salt); pass the stock and rice, together with the other parts of the crab, through a sieve; mash the chicken or veal bone well, and add some of the stock. Mash again and scrape from the bottom of the sieve, obtaining all the puree possible; add this to the broth, together with the meat of the crabs. Let a pint of sweet cream come to a boil, adding it to the soup just as it is being served; also two tablespoons of butter, celery salt and pepper.

POTATO PUREE.

From MRS. JAMES R. DEANE, of California, Lady Manager.

Two pounds potatoes; two ounces butter; two tablespoonfuls chopped onions; two tablespoonfuls chopped celery; one quart milk; one quart boiling water; one-half cupful sago; one-half teaspoonful pepper; one teaspoonful salt. Wash, peel and slice potatoes, onions and celery. Melt the butter and add it to the vegetables, stirring it for five minutes to keep it from browning or burning. Then add the boiling water. When the vegetables are soft, rub them through a sieve; add the milk, and when the soup is boiling, add the sago, a little at a time, and cook until the sago looks clear. Stir the soup well and add seasoning the last.

ASPARAGUS SOUP.

From MRS. LAURA P. COLEMAN, of Colorado, Lady Manager.

Two quarts veal stock; two bunches asparagus; two cloves; two onions; three pepper corns; a little parsley. Boil one hour and strain, then add one pint whipped cream. After dished, season with salt to taste. Tapioca or celery may be substituted for asparagus.

TOMATO SOUP.

From MRS. IDA M. BALL, of Delaware, Lady Manager.

One quart of canned tomatoes; one quart of boiling water; one small onion; one carrot; celery and parsley; one teaspoonful salt. Boil slowly for three hours and strain. Add two tablespoonfuls sugar, one tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls flour made into a paste with water and used as thickening.

TOMATO SOUP.

From MRS. E. J. P. HOWES, of Michigan, Lady Manager.

Take one-half dozen fresh tomatoes or a pint of canned, and stew a half hour in a pint of water; strain through a colander; put the liquid on the fire; stir in a teaspoonful of soda; then add a pint of heated milk; season with a little butter (a dessertspoonful); salt and pepper to taste, and bring the whole to a boiling heat and serve hot.

GUMBO FILÉ

From MRS. ANNA M. FOSDICK, of Alabama, Lady Manager.

Cut up a chicken; sprinkle with flour, and fry in the vessel in which the gumbo is to be made. When the chicken is nearly done, chop an onion and fry with it. Pour on this three quarts of boiling water, and let all boil slowly till the flesh leaves the bones of the chicken. Then add the liquor from the oysters, two tablespoonfuls of tomato catchup, and salt and pepper to taste. Let this boil a short time; then add one hundred oysters. Do not allow them to boil more than two minutes. Remove the vessel from the fire, and before pouring into the tureen, sprinkle in two tablespoonfuls of filé. Serve always with rice.

_To Prepare Filé for Gumbo_.--Gather sassafras leaves, as late as possible in the season, before they turn red. Dry them in the shade and open air. When perfectly dry, pound thorn, sift the powder and bottle it Keep tightly corked.

GUMBO SOUP.

From MRS. VIRGINIA T. SMITH, of Connecticut, Alternate Lady Manager.

Fry three rather thin slices of salted pork; and three large onions in the some fat. Fry also a chicken of medium size, after which put pork, onions, chicken and a half pound of _lean_ ham, into a dinner kettle containing four quarts of boiling water. When the mixture begins to boil, add one quart of gumbo, the corn cut from two ears, three tomatoes, and two VERY small red peppers. Add boiling water as it needs and cook slowly five or six hours, after which strain and serve with bread "crunchers" cut in dice.

CHICKEN GUMBO WITH OYSTERS.

From MRS. ALICE B. CASTLEMAN, of Kentucky, Alternate Lady Manager.

Take a young chicken or a half grown one; cut up; roll it in salt, pepper and flour, and fry it a nice brown, using lard or drippings as if for a fricassee. Cut up a quart of fresh green okra and take out the chicken and fry the okra in the same lard. When well browned, return the chicken to the pot and boil. Add to it a large slice of ham--a quarter of a pound will be about right for this gumbo. Pour on to the chicken, ham and okra half a gallon of boiling water and let it boil down to three pints. Ten minutes before serving, pour into the boiling soup two dozen fine oysters, with half a pint of their liquor; let it come to a good boil and serve with well-boiled rice._--La Cuisine Creole._

OKRA SOUP.

From MISS FLORIDA CUNINGHAM, of South Carolina, Lady Manager.

Two quarts of okra out very fine in three quarts of water, in which put a large shank of beef, and boil one hour. Then skim well and add two quarts of fresh tomatoes, strained. Boil slowly and without ceasing for at least five hours. Season with salt to the taste when the tomatoes are put in, and add black and cayenne pepper when ready to serve. Keep closely covered while cooking.

BLACK BEAN SOUP.

From MRS. M. D. FOLEY, of Nevada, Lady Manager.

Soak one coffee cup black turtle beans over night in cold water. Add water enough in the morning to cook thoroughly. One hour before dinner rub through a sieve and stir in three pints plain beef stock. Season with salt, pepper, and a salt spoon each of cloven and allspice. Just before serving add a wine glass of port or sherry, one small lemon thinly sliced and one hard boiled egg chopped fine.

BEAN SOUP.

From MRS. ANNE B. PATRICK, of Colorado, Alternate Lady Manager.

Take one can of Boston baked beans. Remove all the pork and pour over the beans one quart of boiling water, and let it boil slowly for one hour, adding hot water from time to time to keep up the quantity. Mash the beans thoroughly and strain through a sieve, heat again nearly to boiling and add one pint of hot (not boiling) cream; add pepper and salt to taste.

SOUP REGENCY.

From MRS. ISABELLA BEECHER HOOKER, of Connecticut, Lady Manager.

The bones and remains of cold fowls, such as turkey and chicken: or game, such as partridges, woodcock, etc.; two carrots; two small onions; one head of celery; one turnip; one-half tea cup pearl barley; the yolks of three eggs, boiled hard; one-quarter pint of cream; salt to taste, and two quarts of common stock.

_Mode_--Place the bones and remains of the fowls in the stew pan, with the vegetables sliced; pour over the stock and simmer for two hours; skim off all the fat and strain it Wash the barley and boil it in two waters before adding it to the soup; finish simmering in the soup, and when the barley is done take out half and pound the other half with the yolks of the eggs. When well pounded, rub it through a fine colander, add the cream and the salt, if necessary; let it boil up once more and serve very hot, putting in the barley that was taken out first. Time of cooking, 3-1/2 hours. Seasonable from September to March. Sufficient for eight persons.

PEA SOUP.

From MRS. WHITING S. CLARK, of Iowa, Lady Manager.

Cover a quart of green peas and a very small onion with hot water; boil till soft enough to strain through a sieve. Cream two tablespoons of butter and one of flour and add to a quart of milk and coffee cup of cream. Boil all together and strain. Stir in whipped cream and serve with buttered toast cut in small squares.

CLAM CHOWDER.

From MRS. CHARLES H. OLMSTEAD, of Georgia, Lady Manager.

To one pint of clams add one quart of milk, two onions, chopped fine, two tablespoonfuls of butter, the yolks of two eggs rubbed in two tablespoonfuls of flour, salt, parsley, cayenne pepper, half teaspoonful allspice, four hard-boiled eggs sliced, and half pint sherry wine added when served. Cut the soft part of the clams in two pieces; mince the tough part very fine and boil it one hour in a quart of water before adding the soft part; after the soft part has boiled half an hour longer, add the milk, flour and other ingredients. Serve hot.

CLAM CHOWDER.

From MISS LIDA M. RUSSELL, of Nevada, Lady Manager.

Two large onions, sliced and fried with one cup of finely chopped salt pork. Add to it three pints of boiling milk and juice of one can of clams, in which has been cooked two large potatoes, thinly sliced; a pinch of red pepper; salt; two tablespoonfuls of flour, rubbed smooth with one tablespoon of melted butter. Stir in clams, heat well and serve at once.

FISH

SOLES OR SMELTS COOKED WITH MAÎTRE D'HOTEL SAUCE.

From MRS. JAMES R. DEANE, of California, Lady Manager.

Skin the fish and cut flesh into filets; put the skin and bones into a saucepan with water enough to cover them; let this boil to make the stock for the gravy. Now wipe the filets dry and roll them up with the skin side inward to make them stand firm; place the filets on a buttered baking tin, first rolling them into bread crumbs. When ready to cook, squeeze over each filet about a teaspoonful lemon juice and put on each a piece of Maître d'Hotel butter; cover with a buttered paper and cook about ten minutes.

_To Make Maître d'Hotel Butter_--Work one tablespoonful of butter to a cream; squeeze in the juice of one-half a lemon; one-quarter saltspoonful cayenne; one tablespoonful finely chopped parsley. Put butter on ice to cool before using.

_Sauce for this Dish_--Two tablespoonfuls of butter, melted; two tablespoonfuls of flour, stirred into the butter and cook for ten minutes. Then put in a small pinch of cayenne pepper and a cupful of fish stock and cook for ten minutes. Then put in juice of one-half lemon, a tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, and just before serving put in two tablespoonfuls of cream.

BAKED SHAD.

From MRS. MARY R. KINDER, of Delaware, Lady Manager.

Make a stuffing of bread crumbs, butter, salt, pepper, and an egg well beaten. Stuff the shad, sew it up and bake in a quick oven. Serve with _brown gravy_, mushroom, or tomato ketchup.

CUBION.

From MRS. ANNA M. FOSDICK, of Alabama, Lady Manager.

Cut a red-fish or red-snapper in pieces and fry brown. While frying the fish, in a separate vessel, cut very fine and fry, one onion and two cloves of garlic. When brown, add two tablespoonfuls of flour, one pint of prepared tomatoes, pepper and salt to taste, a tablespoonful of Worcestershire sauce, and half a dozen whole cloves. Let this simmer for one-half hour, then add one-half pint of wine. Pour over the fried fish, and serve immediately.

COD FISH BALLS.

From MRS. A. M. PALMER, of New York, Alternate Lady Manager.

One pound codfish; one and a half pound potatoes; one quarter pound butter; two eggs. Boil the fish slowly, then pound with a potato masher until _very_ fine; add the potatoes mashed and hot; next add butter and one-half cup milk and the two eggs. Mix thoroughly, form into balls, and fry in hot fat.

SALMON CROQUETTES.

From MRS. GEORGE W. LAMAR, of Georgia, Alternate Lady Manager.

One can of salmon, minced very fine; two large Irish potatoes, boiled and mashed; half of a small onion, chopped fine; two raw eggs; salt and black pepper; two tablespoonfuls of Worcestershire sauce. Rub these together until very light. Make into balls, roll in cracker dust and fry in boiling lard.

SHELL FISH

MARYLAND TERRAPINS.

From MRS. WILLIAM REED, of Maryland, Lady Manager.

After bleeding them an hour, put them into warm water. A young one will boil tender in half an hour. They are done when the shell is easily removed. Be careful not to cut off the heads before boiling, as it will make them watery. In picking them, be careful not to break the gall or waste the liquor. The small bones are often left in the terrapin--if they are Diamondbacks. Be careful not to break the eggs. When picked, add the liquor, and to three medium sized terrapins, three-fourths pound of butter, salt and pepper (cayenne) to taste. Let them stew for a short time, but be careful not to stir them more than is absolutely necessary. If you wish, one-half pint of good wine can be added just before serving.

Another way to dress terrapin is to add to the liquor of three terrapins, three-fourths pound of butter thickened with browned flour, cayenne pepper and salt. Spices or onions are never used in Maryland to dress terrapins.

TERRAPIN WHITE STEW.

From MRS. JAMBS R. DEANE, of California, Lady Manager.

Two large terrapin; three tablespoonfuls butter; one pint cream; one- half pint sherry or Madeira; one gill water; six hard-boiled eggs; one-half a lemon; two level teaspoonfuls salt; cayenne, white pepper, mace and allspice to taste. Cut up the terrapin fine; put in a stew pan with terrapin juice, water, butter, salt, pepper and spices. Simmer for fifteen minutes. Mash yolks of eggs well and mix gradually with cream; add this mixture, with the wine, and the lemon cut in thin slices, to the terrapin stew. Cut up the whites of eggs in thin rings and, stirring, mix thoroughly, but do not let it boil. To be served at once.

WHITE STEW OF TERRAPIN.

From MRS. GEORGE W. LAMAR, of Georgia, Alternate Lady Manager.

Cut off the heads and throw into cold water for about an hour to draw the blood. Scald them to loosen the skin and nails; open and clean them. Cover with water and boil, with part of an onion chopped fine, and a sprig of parsley and thyme. When thoroughly done, remove all the meat from the shells and bones, chop fine and return to the pot. Rub to a cream one-quarter pound of butter and one tablespoonful of flour, with a little of the stock, and stir in gradually, adding salt and red pepper to taste. Just before serving put in one-half pint of cream and one wineglass of wine to each terrapin. Slice one lemon and four hard- boiled eggs into a tureen, pour the stew over them and serve in terrapin dishes.

TERRAPIN CROQUETTES.

From MRS. W. W. KIMBALL, of Chicago, Lady Manager.

Take the meat of one terrapin. Chop in small pieces, add a pint of sherry and boil ten minutes; then add a quart of cream and boil again ten minutes; add salt, cayenne pepper, a little Worcestershire sauce and two tablespoons of cream sauce. Beat up yolks of four eggs in some cream butter and mix with the other. Put in tin moulds and place on ice for six or eight hours until hard. Dip moulds in hot water to loosen. Take out of moulds, bread as you would oysters, and fry.

DEVILED LOBSTER.

From MRS. JOSEPH C. STRAUGHAN, of Idaho, Lady Manager.

Two lobsters, each weighing about two and a half lbs.; one pint of cream; two tablespoonfuls of butter; two of flour; one of mustard; a speck of cayenne; salt; pepper; a scant pint of bread crumbs. Open the lobster and with a sharp knife cut the meat rather fine. Be careful in opening not to break the body or tail shells. Wash these shells and wipe dry. Join them in the form of a boat, that they may hold the prepared meat. Put the cream on to boil. Mix the butter, flour, mustard, and pepper together and add three spoonfuls of the boiling cream. Stir all into the remaining cream and cook two minutes. Add the lobster, salt and pepper, and boil one minute. Fill the shells with the mixture and place in pan. Cover with the bread crumbs and brown for twenty minutes in a hot oven. Serve on a long narrow dish, the body in the centre, the tails at either end. Garnish with parsley.

LOBSTER CROQUETTES.

From MRS. LOUISE L. BARTON, of Idaho, Alternate Lady Manager.

One pint chopped lobsters; good half pint rolled crackers; one tablespoonful butter; ten of milk; salt and pepper to taste. This quantity is enough for twelve persons.

DEVILED CRABS.

From MRS. CORA L. BARTLETT, of New Mexico, Lady Manager.

Take butter the size of an egg; melt slowly in sauce-pan; into butter slice fine a piece of onion size of a filbert; brown slowly. Sift into above, tablespoonful of flour and cream carefully; heat a generous half pint of milk and stir into butter and flour. Take No. 2 can of deviled crabs; strain off all the liquor; season with a scant teaspoon of mustard, scant teaspoon cayenne pepper, half teaspoon salt, good half teaspoon of liquor from Crosse & Blackwell's chow-chow, one teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, tablespoonful vinegar and a half teaspoon lemon juice; parsley to taste. Mix _thoroughly_, and stir into butter and milk. When cooking well, stir into it rapidly two eggs that have been well beaten. Remove from stove and put in crab shells with butter the size of filbert and rolled crackers on top. Heat in quick oven and serve at once, garnished with parsley.

This recipe makes an amount sufficient for eight persons. If desired, cracker crumbs very fine may be added to increase the quantity, just before stirring in the eggs. The crabs may be kept three or four days if in a cool place.

DEVILED CRABS.

From MRS. ANNA E. M. FARNUM, of Idaho, Lady Manager.

Boil them, take the meat out of the bodies, and large claws; put it into stew pan with half a pint of claret, spoonful of eschalot vinegar, a little cayenne, some salt, piece of butter. Stew for an hour over a gentle fire until they are almost dry. Then add small quantity of fish stock, or gravy, a tablespoonful of essence of anchovy, and small piece of butter rolled in flour. Serve with sippets of fried bread around the dish.

DEVILED CRABS.

From MISS JENNIE TORREYSON, of Nevada, Alternate Lady Manager.

Have one large crab picked from the shell, and shred fine, and the shell well cleansed. Heat one egg well, add one _tea_-cup sweet cream; butter, size of an egg, melted; one sherry glass of sherry; one large spoonful of Worcestershire sauce; mace, allspice and cloves to taste; a good deal of cayenne and a little black pepper and salt. Stir this all together over the fire till it boils; then pour over the crab and mix well; fill the shell and sprinkle over the top a thick layer of fine cracker crumbs and bits of butter. Put in a hot oven till browned on top. Serve hot.

SOFT SHELL CRABS.

From MRS. GEORGE W. LAMAR, of Georgia, Alternate Lady Manager.

Plunge the crabs into boiling water and leave for about ten minutes. Wash them carefully and remove the sand bags. Dry them thoroughly and for one dozen crabs have six raw eggs, well beaten. Dip each crab into the eggs and roll them in cracker dust seasoned with salt and black pepper. Fry a light brown, in boiling butter or lard.

FROG LEGS.

From MRS. ELLA RAY MILLER, of Idaho, Alternate Lady Manager.

Frog legs must be first salted and then dipped in a batter made of cracker dust and beaten eggs. Fry them in sweet table butter until they are a golden brown color. The batter retains their sweet juices and they need no other condiments.

PANNÉE OYSTERS.

From MRS. ALICE B. CASTLEMAN, of Kentucky, Alternate Lady Manager.

Drain two dozen or more oysters in a colander. Pour over them draining from them, one quart of ice water. Put an iron skillet or frying pan on the fire; let it get almost red hot. Then put in the oysters, shaking and stirring them until they boil; add a little salt and pepper, one large tablespoonful butter. The dish must be hot and the oysters must be served _very_ hot; must not stand a minute. Soda crackers put in the stove to get hot and brown, and the oysters poured over them, are very nice.

CREAMED OYSTERS.

From MRS. MIRA B. F. LADD, of New Hampshire, Lady Manager.

Parboil one pint of oysters in their own liquor until they are plump. Drain thoroughly and have your cracker crumbs and white sauce ready. Put a layer of oysters on a platter, then the white sauce over them, and a layer of the crumbs on top. Bake about twenty minutes or until they are brown. For this quantity of oysters use a cup of cracker or bread crumbs and about one-third of a cup of butter, melted and stirred into the crumbs. To make the white sauce, take two tablespoonfuls of butter, one pint of milk, two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, one-half teaspoonful of salt and one-half saltspoonful of pepper. Heat the milk. Put the butter in a granite saucepan and when it bubbles stir in the dry flour very quickly until well mixed. Pour on one-third of the milk, let it boil up and thicken, then add slowly the rest of the milk. It should be free from lumps before you put in the last of the milk. Let it boil a little, then add the pepper and salt; also a tablespoonful of lemon juice and a little celery salt.

"LITTLE PIGS IN BLANKETS."

From MRS. ISABELLA LANING CANDEE, of Illinois, Alternate Lady Manager.

This amusing and appetizing dish is easily made. Take large fine oysters and drain them well, and season with salt and pepper, and a drop of lemon juice if desired. Cut fat bacon into very thin, even slices, and wrap each oyster in a slice of bacon, fastening securely with a wooden skewer--a toothpick will do. Two cloves can be inserted at one end of the roll to simulate _ears_. Have the frying pan very hot, and cook the little pigs until the bacon crisps. Serve immediately upon small pieces of toast.

ESCALLOPED OYSTERS.

From MISS META TELFAIR MCLAWS, of Georgia, Alternate Lady Manager.

Spread cracker crumbs on bottom of baking dish; then place bits of butter and a layer of oysters, which must be sprinkled with salt and pepper. Make alternate layers of oysters, cracker crumbs, salt, pepper, and butter until dish is full. Have crumbs on top. Now make a small incision in center and pour in one well beaten egg, with a small quantity of oyster liquor. Put in hot oven and brown nicely.

CREAMED SHRIMPS.

From MRS. M. D. FOLEY, of Nevada, Lady Manager.

Cover one can of shrimps with cold milk and allow to come to a boil; then drain. Rub one tablespoonful flour with same quantity of butter and add slowly one cup rich milk or cream at the boiling point. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and enough tomato juice to color a shrimp pink. Stir in the shrimps and when hot pour over small squares of toast arranged on a warm platter. Garnish with sliced lemons.

SAUCES

SAUCE MOUSSELINE.

From MRS. WILSON PATTERSON, of Maryland, Alternate Lady Manager.

_I am always interested, and do my best to help anything done to help other women.

I send you a recipe which I hope may be of service to you. It is a delicious sauce for asparagus and is given me by the chef of Prince Jerome Bonaparte.

Wishing you every success in your most worthy undertaking, I am,

Sincerely yours, _