Chapter 17

Meat from the neck, breast and knuckle is frequently used with chicken and, if properly prepared, it is delicious. Stock made from veal bones is rich in gelatine and may be used for meat loaves, moulds and aspics.

TO PREPARE BREADED CUTLETS

Cut the cutlets into suitable pieces and then roll in flour and dip in beaten egg, and then dip again in fine bread crumbs, patting firmly. Fry quickly to a golden brown. Place in a hot oven to finish cooking. The cutlet may be served with either brown gravy or tomato sauce.

VEAL CROQUETTES

One cup of milk, Five level tablespoons of cornstarch.

Place in a saucepan and then dissolve the starch in the milk. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes. Now add

One and one-half cups of cooked veal, minced fine, One tablespoon of grated onion, Two tablespoons of finely minced parsley, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of pepper, One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce.

Beat to blend well and then pour on greased platter and set in a cool place for four hours to mould. Form into croquettes and then dip in beaten egg, and then in fine bread crumbs; fry in hot fat. Serve with tomato sauce.

COOKING THE FANCY CUTS

TO PREPARE BRAINS

Soak for one hour in cool water, adding the juice of one-half lemon. Drain and then parboil for ten minutes. Drain and then trim free from excess tissue. Place under a weight to flatten and make firm, if desired, or cut into two and dip in flour and then in egg and finally in fine bread crumbs. Fry in hot fat until a golden brown. Serve with Hollandaise sauce.

ROAST SHOULDER OF VEAL

Have the butcher make a pocket in the veal for the filling. Now soak sufficient stale bread in cold water so that when pressed dry it will measure two cups. Place the bread in a saucepan and add

One cup of finely chopped onions, Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, One green pepper, chopped fine, One-half cup of shortening.

Mix thoroughly and then cook slowly so that the onion does not brown. When tender add

One teaspoon of paprika, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of pepper.

Mix thoroughly and then cool and fill into veal. Sew the opening with a darning needle and a stout string or fasten with toothpicks. Dust the meat well with flour and then place in a hot oven to brown. Then reduce the heat of the oven to moderate and roast, allowing thirty minutes for the meat to start cooking and twenty-five minutes to the pound. Baste every ten minutes with:

One-half cup of vegetable salad oil in One and one-half cups of boiling water.

CALF'S HEART A LA MODE

Wash and soak the heart for a few minutes in water and then remove the tubes, veins and cut the heart into dice. Parboil until tender. Then add, using sufficient water to cover

One half-cup of vinegar, Four onions, chopped fine, Two carrots, cut in dice, One teaspoon of sweet marjoram, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of white pepper.

Thicken gravy and serve with toasted strips of bread.

Calf's heart may be cut in thin slices, dipped in flour and then fried. Calf's liver is most delicate and must be cooked quickly, either by panning or broiling. The head is used for mock-turtle soup or cooked and served with brown sauce or made into calves' head cheese. The tongue may be cooked until tender and then pickled in vinegar.

The feet may be used in place of the head for mock-turtle soup, and in place of the knuckle in making pepper pot.

TRIPE FRIED IN BATTER

Cut the tripe into pieces the size of an oyster and then season and dip in a batter. Fry until golden brown in hot fat and then serve with Hollandaise sauce.

THE BATTER

Break one egg in a cup and fill with milk. Place in a bowl and add

One and one-quarter cups of flour, One teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of pepper.

Beat well to free from lumps.

CREOLE TRIPE

Mince four onions fine and then place in a saucepan, four tablespoonfuls of shortening; add the onions and cook until soft, but not brown. Now add four tablespoonfuls of flour. Stir to blend well and then add:

Two cups of strained tomatoes, One green pepper, minced fine, One-half pound of prepared mushrooms, One pound of tripe cut into inch blocks.

Cook gently for twenty minutes and then season and serve.

PICKLED TRIPE

Cut the prepared tripe in strips one inch wide and two inches long and then place in a china bowl and add

Four onions cut in rings and parboiled, Two bay leaves, One dozen cloves, Half-dozen allspice

and sufficient vinegar to cover. Let stand two days before using.

TURTLE AND SNAPPER

Lay the turtle on its back and cut off the head. Let turtle bleed for twenty minutes. Separate the body from the shell and remove the entrails. Carefully separate the liver and heart. Now, with a sharp knife, remove the meat from the shell and lay in boiling water for two minutes. Drain. Rub the legs and all flesh containing the outer skin until the skin is removed, with a coarse towel. Now, with a cleaver, chop the shell into five pieces and place in scalding water for five minutes. Remove from hot water. Use the knife to peel off the skin and bristle from the shell. Now lay the meat and shell in cold water for one and one-half hours. You now have white and green turtle meat ready to cook.

TO COOK

Put the meat and shell in a large preserving kettle with sufficient cold water to cover, adding

One pint jar of stewed tomatoes, One stalk of celery, One bunch of potherbs, One bunch of parsley, Three cloves, Four allspice, Four large onions, Two bay leaves, One medium-sized carrot, Rind of one-half lemon, Three tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.

Tie the spices and vegetables in a piece of cheese-cloth and bring to a boil. Cook slowly until the meat is tender and then remove the white meat. Cook the green meat, most of which is in the shell, until it is tender. Place the meat, when tender, in cold water to blanch. Use the liquid for soup. Strain and add part of the turtle meat, hard-boiled egg, grated lemon rind and juice of lemon. Prepare the snapper same as green turtle. Only bleed snapper ten minutes.

SHRIMP SALAD

Open two tall cans of shrimp and then drain and wash under cold water. Now shred the coarse green outside leaves of lettuce very fine. Measure two cups and place in a bowl and add

One green pepper, One onion, chopped very fine, One-half cup of mayonnaise dressing.

Mix well and then fill into a nest of crisp lettuce leaves. Lay the shrimp on top and mask with mayonnaise. Garnish with two hard-boiled eggs into quarters.

SHRIMP

Shrimp come, as a rule, cooked, but to cook shrimp: Plunge the shrimp into boiler prepared as for crabs. Boil for ten minutes, then drain and cool. Remove the shells and then they may be used for salads, croquettes and fried shrimps.

TERRAPIN

Diamond back or salt water terrapin are best. Fresh water terrapin may be used for croquettes and puree. Clean the terrapin by placing in fresh water for six hours. Wash in warm water and then place them alive in boiling water. Cook for five minutes. Remove and then rub with a coarse cloth the neck, legs and tail to remove the skin. Wash again. Return to the pot. Cook until the legs leave the body easily. Usually about thirty-five minutes for small terrapin and seventy-five minutes for large ones. The age and condition determine the time of cooking. Cool. Now, before it is entirely cold, separate the terrapin from the shell, discard the small intestines, shell, gall, etc. Cut the meat into pieces.

Cook in cream sauce for a la Maryland; in brown sauce for a la mode or stewed terrapin.

STEWED SNAPPER

Open a can of snapper into a china bowl and let stand for one hour; place in a saucepan.

Two cups of water, Four tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in water, Faggot of soup herbs, Two cloves, Two tablespoons of butter, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, Juice of one lemon, Grated rind of one-fourth lemon.

Bring to a boil and cook slowly for fifteen minutes; then add the snapper meat, heat slowly 10 minutes, serve.

STEAKS

The selection of steak depends entirely upon the number of persons to be served. A steak cannot be classed as a cheap meat; the portions of bone and trimming makes this meat a rare luxury in these times of high prices.

Yet there come times when the men folk want steak--and steak it must be. There are three kinds of meats that are cut into steaks; namely, the loin, rump and round. All three will make delicious eating if properly prepared.

The round steak has the least waste, and if steaks are taken from the first three cuts they should be tender and juicy, providing they are cut sufficiently thick and are properly cooked.

The rump steak is fully as tender and palatable as loin and it contains about one-third less waste. The sirloin is the choicest cut in the whole carcass and it contains a proportionately large amount of waste.

Have the butcher cut the round steak one-half inch thick and then pound it with a meat ax to break the tough tissues. Place on a platter and brush with salad oil and let stand for one-half hour. Now broil in the usual manner, turning every four minutes. Lift to a hot platter and spread with choice meat butters given below.

Rump steak should be cut two inches thick and the bone and fat trimmed. Now nick and score the edge of the fat and brush with salad oil, and then broil the same as for round steak.

The sirloin steak should be cut two inches thick. Have the butcher remove the chine bone and then the flank end. Let him add a piece of suet to the flank end; then put it through the food chopper for hamburg steak. It is a mistake to cook the flank with the sirloin. Brush the steak with salad oil and then broil. Lift to a hot platter.

Place one pint of water and one tablespoonful of salt in the bottom of the broiling pan to prevent the fat drippings from taking fire. Turn the meat every four minutes, so that it makes the cooking even. To test the meat when broiling press with a knife; if it is soft and spongy it is raw. Watch carefully and when just beginning to become firm it is rare. Allow four minutes for medium and six minutes for well done.

Do not turn the meat with a fork. The intense heat has sealed or seared the surface and caused the meat to retain its juices, and if you use a fork to turn it you will puncture or make an opening so that these juices will escape.

A two-pound steak will be cooked rare in twelve minutes, medium in fifteen minutes and well done in eighteen minutes. Always lift to a hot platter.

FRENCH BUTTER

Two tablespoons of finely chopped chives, One tablespoon of finely chopped leeks, One tablespoon of finely chopped tarragon, Juice of one-half lemon, Two tablespoons of melted butter, One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika.

Work to a smooth paste.

French and Italian and Swiss cooks frequently serve a vegetable garnish with steaks. It is prepared as follows:

One green pepper, chopped fine, Two leeks, chopped fine, Eight branches of parsley, chopped fine, Two onions, chopped fine, Ten branches of tarragon, chopped fine, One-half cup of chives, chopped fine.

Place four tablespoonfuls of shortening or vegetable oil in a frying pan and add the herbs and cook very slowly until soft, taking care not to brown. Now season with salt, pepper and dress on a hot platter in a little mound at the bottom of the steak. Garnish with a slice of lemon.

ENGLISH BUTTER

One tablespoon of butter, One-quarter teaspoon of white pepper, One-quarter teaspoon of mustard, One-half teaspoon of salt.

Work to a paste and then spread on a steak as soon as you place it on the platter.

LONDON BUTTER

One tablespoon of melted butter, One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of pepper, One tablespoon of lemon juice.

Mix and then pour over the steak.

SWISS BUTTER

One tablespoon of grated onion, One tablespoon of finely minced parsley, One-half teaspoon of salt, One-quarter teaspoon of paprika, One and one-half tablespoons of butter.

Work to a smooth paste.

ITALIAN BUTTER

One green pepper, chopped very fine, One teaspoon of paprika, One-half teaspoon of salt, Two tablespoons of butter.

Work to a smooth paste and then spread on the meat.

VEGETABLE GARNISH

Carrots, turnips and parsnips may be cut into cubes and then shaped like a cork. Cook until tender in boiling water and then brown quickly in a little hot fat. Beets and turnips may be cooked until tender and then scoop out the centres and fill with onions or cucumber mayonnaise.

BROILED HAMBURG STEAK

Do not fry or pan hamburg steak made from flank of sirloin. Place meat in bowl and add

Three-quarters cup of moist bread crumbs, One onion, minced fine, Two tablespoons of parsley, One teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika, One egg.

Mix, form into flat cakes, brush with salad oil; place on baking dish. Broil in gas broiler for eight minutes, then place in hot oven for seven minutes longer. Spread with desired butter and send to the table in a baking dish. This will give a delicious flavored meat in place of the usual dry, tasteless cake that is frequently served.

SALADS

Salads are a popular summer dish. They should be made from fresh vegetables which contain the health-giving elements that are so vitally essential for our physical well-being. There are also the mineral salts which help purify the blood stream and thus keep us physically fit.

Eggs, etc., that are used in preparing the dressings have a food value that may be figured upon in our daily ration. Heavy salads, composed of meat, are best to be eliminated for the hot weather. Replace them with light, dainty, attractive salads, that are not only appetizing but also easily digested.

The making of a successful salad is an art indeed. The proper blending of the various ingredients and then using a well-blended dressing and garnishing, so that it will not only satisfy the eye but will tempt the palate as well; that is a real salad.

The proper combinations are very important; harmony must prevail. As, for instance, a combination of beets, tomatoes and carrots would not only be inartistic but also a poor combination of foods. Care must be taken in preparing the lettuce or other greens used. All plants that form into heads must be separately and thoroughly washed in order to free them from dirt and insects, and then they should be given a final washing in water that contains one tablespoon of salt to every two quarts, then rinsed in ice water. The bath in salt water will remove the tiny and almost invisible mites and slugs that cling to these greens.

Many varieties of salad dressing may be prepared from mayonnaise or from the dressing purchased in bottles. When the housewife fails to make a good mayonnaise dressing, or the family is small, a good standard dressing already prepared may be purchased and used in the following recipes:

RUSSIAN DRESSING

One cup of salad dressing, or mayonnaise, One raw beet, One raw carrot, One raw onion.

Pare and then grate the vegetables into the salad dressing and then add:

One teaspoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One tablespoon of sugar, One-half teaspoon of mustard.

Beat to mix and then use. This dressing will keep for a week, if it is placed in a bottle and stored in a cool place.

FRENCH DRESSING

Place in a bottle:

One-half cup of salad oil, Three tablespoons of vinegar or lemon juice, One teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of mustard, One-half teaspoon of pepper.

Shake until creamy and then store in a cool place. This will keep well until used.

ROQUEFORT DRESSING

One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika, One tablespoon of Roquefort cheese, One tablespoon of lemon juice, Two tablespoons of salad oil.

Mix smooth and serve.

BOILED DRESSING

One cup of vinegar, Three-quarters cup of water, Three level tablespoons of cornstarch.

Dissolve the starch in the water and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then add:

One well-beaten egg, Four tablespoons of salad oil, One teaspoon of mustard, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, Two teaspoons of sugar.

Beat till thoroughly mixed and then cook slowly for three minutes. Pour into jars or jelly glasses and thin out with cream or evaporated milk when using.

PIMENTO DRESSING

Add four finely chopped pimentoes to one-half cup of prepared salad dressing.

PAPRIKA DRESSING

Add one and one-half teaspoons of paprika to the French dressing. Shake well to blend. Paprika is a sweet, mild, red pepper that will not bite the tongue.

During the warm weather use salads twice a day, beginning the day with water-cress, radishes or crisp young onions or leaves of lettuce for your health's sake.

BLOND FRENCH DRESSING

Place in a wide mouthed bottle,

One teaspoon of sugar, One teaspoon of mustard, One-half teaspoon of salt, Four tablespoons of white wine vinegar, One-half cup of vegetable salad oil.

Shake until creamy.

The use of paprika is decidedly better than the pungent pepper. This pepper is mildly sweet-flavored spice that does not irritate the delicate lining of the throat or stomach. Now, fully as important as the green appetizers are the dainty salads, lettuce, corn salad, endive, romaine, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, cabbage and the cooked vegetables, such as lima beans, peas, string beans, beets, etc.

The success of salads depends entirely on the dressings used with them. So, with this in mind, we will now prepare some delicious dressings. Place in a fruit jar and then put them in the ice box, where they can be had at a minute's notice.

You know that often when you come home just fagged out, when perhaps you did not take the time to get luncheon, a cool, crisp salad and some thinly sliced buttered bread and a cup of tea will not only satisfy and refresh you, but will also prevent a headache.

A LA MODE CANADIENNE

Shred the coarse green leaves of lettuce fine and then place in salad bowl and add:

Two cooked carrots, Two cooked beets, cut in dice, Two onions, chopped fine.

Toss gently to mix and then prepare the following dressing:

Place in fruit jar,

One-half cup of vegetable salad oil, Two tablespoons of grated onion, Four tablespoons of vinegar, Three tablespoons of finely minced green or red pepper, One teaspoon of paprika, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, Three-quarters teaspoon of mustard, One-half cup of catsup or chili sauce.

Shake until well blended and then pour over the salad as you serve it.

TRY THIS DRESSING ON PLAIN LETTUCE

Wash and remove all blemishes from one bunch of scallions; then chop fine and add:

One-half cup of mayonnaise, Two tablespoons of vinegar, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One-half teaspoon of mustard.

Mix the spices and seasoning with the vinegar and add to the mayonnaise. Then add the finely chopped scallions. Serve on plain lettuce.

PARISIAN CELERY

Fill the grooves of the celery with highly seasoned cheese.

SCALLIONS A L'ITALIENNE

Wash and then remove the blemishes from two bunches of scallions, chop fine and then parboil and drain. Now cook four ounces of macaroni in boiling water until tender. Drain, blanch under cold water and then drain again. Now place the cooked macaroni and the prepared scallions in a saucepan and add:

One cup of brown gravy, One cup of thick cream sauce, One ounce of grated cheese, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika.

Toss gently until hot and then serve with waffles in place of meat for luncheon.

PEA SHORE PIE

Grease a deep pudding pan well. Cut any variety of fish desired into pieces weighing about two ounces. Free from bones and skin and then roll in flour and place a layer of fish, then a layer of thinly sliced tomatoes, a layer of thinly sliced potatoes and then a layer of prepared fish. Season each layer with salt, pepper and finely chopped green peppers. Pour over it two cups of thick cream sauce with

One-half dozen clams, One cup of cooked peas, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, Two tablespoons of finely chopped parsley.

Cover with a crust rolled one-half inch thick. Bake in a moderate oven for one and one-quarter hours. Brush the pastry with milk and as soon as it browns lightly cover with a pie plate to prevent taking on too deep a color.

FISH SOUFFLE

This dainty dish is made by rubbing one-half cup of cold boiled fish through a fine sieve. Then add

One cup of cold cream sauce, One tablespoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One-half teaspoon of mustard, Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, Yolk of two eggs.

Beat hard to mix and then carefully fold in the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs. Pour into well-greased custard cups and then set the cups in a pan containing warm water, and bake in a moderate oven until firm in the centre, usually about twenty minutes.

FISH LOAF

Two cups of cold boiled fish, One cup of prepared bread crumbs, One cup of thick cream sauce, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, Two teaspoons of grated onions, One green pepper, minced fine, One well-beaten egg.

Mix and then pack into the prepared loaf-shaped pan. Stand this pan in a larger one containing hot water. Bake in a moderate oven for fifty minutes. Remove from the oven and let stand for a few minutes. Then unmould on a hot platter and serve with creole sauce.

To prepare the crumbs, soak stale bread in cold water; then place in a cloth and squeeze dry. Rub through a fine sieve and then measure.

To prepare the pan, grease the pan and then line it with a greased and floured paper.

BOILED SALT COD

Soak one and one-quarter pounds of boneless salt cod for four hours and then drain and wipe in a piece of cheese-cloth and plunge in a deep saucepan containing sufficient boiling water to cover the fish. Bring to a boil and then cook for thirty-five minutes. Lift and drain well and place on a hot platter. Cover with two cupfuls of cream sauce and garnish with one-quarter cupful of finely minced parsley and then sprinkle with two tablespoonfuls of grated cheese.

CONNECTICUT FISH CHOWDER

Any cheap fish that is fresh will do for this dish, or it may be made from the heads, fins and backbones of the fish, used for filets or broiling. Place the heads, fins and backbones of three medium-sized fish in a deep saucepan and add

Two quarts of cold water, Two onions, cut fine, One carrot, cut in tiny dice, One-half bay leaf, One-half teaspoon of thyme.

Cover and bring to a boil. Cook slowly for one hour. Now remove the heads, fins and backbones and pick the meat from the heads and backbones and return to the stock.

Now rub one cup of stewed tomatoes through a sieve and add five tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir until the starch is dissolved and then add to the stock. Bring quickly to a boil and add:

Two cups of diced and par-boiled potatoes, Salt and pepper to taste, Two tablespoons of butter, Two tablespoons of finely chopped parsley.

Let boil up once and then serve. This is delicious. One pound of fish may be used in place of heads, fins and backbones.

FISH CUTLET

Place in a mixing bowl

Two cups of flaked cold fish, One and one-half cups of prepared stale bread, Two onions grated, Four tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, One tablespoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce, One-half teaspoon of mustard, One well-beaten egg.

Mix thoroughly and then shape into cutlets. Roll in flour and then dip in beaten egg, and then into fine bread crumbs. Fry in hot fat.