Chapter 7

One onion, chopped fine, One red pepper, chopped fine, Four bunches parsley, chopped fine, Yolks of two eggs, Two cups of cream sauce, One and one-half teaspoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika.

Beat to mix and then cut and fold in the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs. Pour into a greased baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. Serve at once.

RICE

Rice is extensively cultivated in the Orient and supplies the principal food to nearly one-half the population of the entire world. There is every reason why rice should be a daily article of diet in planning the menu. It is more nutritious than the potato and it digests more readily. When properly cooked and served it is an ideal starchy food.

Unpolished rice contains all the nutritions of the grains, which is approximately 6 per cent. fat, 8 per cent. protein, 79 per cent. carbohydrates. The polished variety contains an average of 88 per cent. nutrition. Polished rice has been robbed of its vital life-giving elements.

Rice is graded for size and condition and then prepared for the trade. It is known as fancy head rice, choice, prime, good, medium, common and screenings. Patna rice, the small slender, well-rounded grain, is in great demand in the East, with the Japan, Siam, Java, Rangoon, and Passein varieties closely following. In this country the Carolina, Japan and Honduras are popularly in demand.

The Carolina rice is a large sweet-flavored grain of good color and appearance. Japanese rice is a thick-bodied, soft-grained variety. Honduras variety is the slender, well-shaped grain.

The preparation of rice for the markets involves, first, the threshing, and second, the milling, which removes the husks, and, third, the polishing to produce the pearly white gloss which so many folks think is very desirable.

Polished rice has been robbed of nearly all its fat and mineral content, and thus its food value is lowered and it is deprived of its flavor.

The rice dishes, as prepared in the Oriental countries, are made from fancy unpolished head rice and they form some of the main dishes.

The Oriental first washes his rice in several waters, rubbing it vigorously between the hands. This thoroughly cleanses it. Now, to follow this method, have a saucepan containing boiling water and then add the rice slowly, so that the water continually boils. Cook until tender and then remove the lid from the saucepan and cover the rice with a cloth to absorb the moisture. Set in a warm place for five minutes. This will give the saucepan containing a mass of delicious, fluffy rice, each grain distinct and separate.

Now, if you carefully measure both your rice and then the water, it will not be necessary for you to drain off the excess water and thus lose the valuable mineral and fat content.

HOW TO COOK RICE AMERICAN STYLE

Place in a double boiler two and one-half cups of boiling water and then add one teaspoon of salt. Now add slowly one-half cup of well-washed, unpolished rice. Cover and cook until the rice is tender and the water absorbed. Remove the lid and then cover the rice closely with a clean napkin and cook for five minutes. This will fluff each grain of rice.

It is now ready to serve, either as a vegetable to replace the potato or prepared into many delectable dishes that our Oriental neighbors relish so keenly.

JAPANESE RICE

Wash and chop fine two medium-sized leeks and then cook tender in one-half cup of water. Drain. Now add

Two cups of cooked rice, One teaspoon of salt, One teaspoon of soy.

Mix thoroughly and then dish on a hot baking dish. Cover with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and garnish with slices of smoked salmon. Place in the oven for a few minutes to heat. Soy may be purchased at fancy grocers.

INDIAN RICE

Add three cups of cooked rice to

One quart of chicken stock, One onion, grated fine, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika, One-half teaspoon of curry powder.

Cook fifteen minutes, and serve very hot, garnish with finely chopped parsley.

CREOLE RICE

Chop one large onion and one green pepper fine, and then place in a saucepan and add

One cup of canned tomatoes rubbed through a sieve, One-half cup of cold boiled ham chopped fine.

Cook slowly for ten minutes and then add

Three cups of cooked rice, Two teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika.

Mix thoroughly and then heat until very hot and serve. Cold roast pork may be used to replace the ham.

ITALIAN RICE

Place three tablespoons of vegetable cooking oil in a frying pan and add four tablespoons of well-washed rice. Toss until the rice is well brown and then add

One and one-half cups of boiling water, Three onions, chopped fine, One green pepper, chopped fine, One cup of strained canned tomatoes.

Cook until the rice is soft and then add

Two teaspoons of salt, One and one-half teaspoons of paprika, One-half cup of grated cheese.

Stir until well blended and then serve, garnished with finely chopped parsley.

BELGIAN RICE BALLS

Place two cups of cooked rice in a bowl and add

One-half cup of currants, One-half cup of sugar, One well beaten egg, One teaspoon of vanilla.

Mix and then form into small balls, about the size of an orange. Dip into beaten egg and then roll in fine bread crumbs. Fry until golden brown in hot fat. Serve with crushed and sweetened fruit.

SWEDISH RICE PUDDING

Place in a baking dish

One quart of milk, Six tablespoons of well-washed rice, Two-thirds cup of sugar, One teaspoon of vanilla extract, One-half teaspoon of salt, Two tablespoons of butter, broken into tiny balls.

Bake in a slow oven for one hour and stir two or three times.

The cultivation of rice in Louisiana is more than a hundred years old. Louisiana now produces a crop of this cereal larger than the entire crop of the states of Georgia and Carolina. The tourist who visits Louisiana during the time of the rice market enjoys a scene that is rarely duplicated elsewhere in the civilized world; for here are gathered the buyers from all parts of the country.

The Creole of Louisiana, like the Oriental, has the true secret for making this food a palatable article of diet. The old mammy in New Orleans always tells her children that, of course, le riz must be thoroughly washed and she always insists that the grains be cleansed in four waters--two warm and two cold--and then it is cooked in the same manner as the Orientals use.

Never stir the rice while it is cooking; this will make it mushy. Instead, always shake the sauce-pan. Never flood the rice with water while it is cooking. Always keep the fact in mind that just five times the actual measurements of the rice in water will be required to cook it.

In this way there will be no excess water to drain off. So if you are using one-quarter cup of rice you would use one and one-quarter cups of water. Now you cannot pile up the water; you must be accurate in measuring the rice.

Boiled rice is a delicious accompaniment to chicken, lamb, turkey, shrimp, crabs and lobster--with okra and for oyster, chicken and crab grumbo; as a vegetable to replace potatoes and as a border for stews, goulashes, etc.

PIMENTO SANDWICHES

Use one tall or two small cans of pimentos.

One cup of cottage cheese, One onion.

Put the pimento, cheese and onion through the food-chopper and then add four tablespoons of salad dressing and use for sandwich filling.

BAKED APPLES

Pare and core apples and then place in muffin pans and add

Two tablespoons of syrup, One tablespoon of water, One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.

Bake in a moderate oven until the apples are tender and then cool. To serve: Lift the apples into a small platter and cover with a fruit meringue and then sprinkle with cocoanut.

SPICED APPLES

Place six medium-sized apples in a casserole and then add

One piece of stick cinnamon, broken into pieces, Four cloves, Two allspice, Two blades of mace, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg, Three-quarters cup of brown sugar, One-half cup of cider.

Bake until tender and then serve cold.

CALAS

The old negro women of the old French quarters in New Orleans used to make a delicious rice cake, which they carried in bowls on their heads. The bowls were covered with an immaculately clean cloth and the cakes were called bella cala--tout chaud of New Orleans.

HOW TO MAKE THIS DELICIOUS RICE CAKE

(Use Level Measurements)

Wash one-half cup of rice and cook until tender in two and one-half cups of boiling water. Now cool and mash the rice well. Now dissolve one-half yeast cake in one-half cup of water 80 degrees Fahrenheit and pour into a bowl, and add

One-half teaspoon of salt, Four tablespoons of sugar, One-half cup of sifted flour, The mashed rice.

Beat well to mix and then cover and let rise over night. In the morning add

Two well-beaten eggs, Five tablespoons of sugar, Four tablespoons of flour, One teaspoon of nutmeg.

Beat well and then let rise for three-quarters of an hour in a warm room. Now place in the pan one and one-half cups of vegetable oil. Heat until hot enough to brown a crust of bread while you count forty. Drop the rice mixture in by the spoonful and fry until golden brown. Lift to a soft paper to drain. Dish on a hot platter; cover with warm napkin. Dust with pulverized sugar and nutmeg.

APPLE AND RICE CUSTARD

Wash six tablespoons or two ounces of rice in several waters and then place in a saucepan and add two cupsful of boiling water. Cook until the water is absorbed and the rice soft. Now wash, then cut into small pieces four small apples and then cover the apples with cold water and cook until soft. Rub through a fine sieve and add

One-half cup of sugar, One teaspoon of vanilla, One well-beaten egg, The cooked rice.

Beat to mix and then pour into the custard cups and bake for fifteen minutes in a moderate oven.

SARDINE SANDWICHES

Open a box of sardines and then drain free from oil. Remove the skin and bone and then mash very fine. Add

Two hard-boiled eggs, One green pepper, One-quarter onion.

Chop all fine and mix to a paste with six tablespoons of salad dressing, one-half teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of paprika.

Spread between the prepared bread and then cut into two pieces. Wrap in wax-paper until needed.

MY IDEAL APPLE SAUCE

Wash one-quarter peck of apples and then cut in pieces and place in a saucepan and add three cups of water.

Cook until soft and then rub through a fine sieve. Sweeten with

One cup of sugar, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg, One teaspoon of vanilla.

If red apples are used, this makes a most delicious pink-looking sauce. No need to peal or core apples.

APPLE CROQUETTES

Wash and cut into small pieces six medium-sized apples and then place in a saucepan and add one cup of water; cook slowly until the apples are soft, and then rub through a fine sieve and add

One-half cup of brown sugar, One teaspoon of nutmeg, One teaspoon of grated rind of lemon, Two and one-half cups of bread crumbs, One-half cupful of finely chopped raisins.

Mix thoroughly and then mould into croquettes and roll in flour, then fry until golden brown in hot fat. Serve with a custard sauce.

SALMON SANDWICHES

Open and drain a can of salmon and then remove the skin and bones. Place the salmon in a bowl and add

One onion, grated, One-quarter cup of finely chopped parsley, One-half cup of salad dressing, Juice of one-half lemon.

Mix and then prepare the bread. Place a leaf of lettuce on the bread and then spread the prepared filling, season and place the top slice of bread in position and cut into triangles.

ORANGES

The first orange crop of the season usually reaches the market about the end of October. The early Floridas are first, and they are closely followed by the Arizona navels, and just before Christmas comes the bulk of California and Florida oranges.

ORANGE SYRUP

Grate very lightly the rind from one dozen oranges and then place three pounds of sugar and the grated rind and the juice of oranges in a clean aluminum saucepan. Place where it will heat very slowly and then the sugar will melt. Stir frequently and do not let it boil. Cover closely and then strain into sterilized bottles. Place the bottles in a hot-water bath and process for forty minutes. Place the corks in the bottles and when cool dip in melted sealing wax. This recipe may be divided. To be used for making drinks, sauces, etc.

ORANGE JUICE

Place in a bowl

Juice of twenty-five oranges, Grated rind of ten oranges, One pound sugar

and then allow to stand for three hours. Strain and fill into sterilized bottles and process for forty minutes in a hot-water bath. Cork, and then finish like orange syrup.

NOTE.--Soak the cork in boiling water for one hour to soften. This will permit you to use a slightly larger cork and insure a good closing.

To use orange syrup: Place four tablespoons in a glass and then fill with carbonated water.

To use orange juice for making orangeade, dilute with equal parts of water and juice and chill, then serve.

SCOTCH ORANGE MARMALADE

Cut twelve oranges in half and then with a sharp knife cut into thin paper-like slices and remove all the seeds. Place in a preserving kettle and add five pints of cold water. Set aside for twelve hours and then bring to a boil and cook until the fruit is tender. Add the juice of four lemons and five cups of apple sauce and then bring to a boil and measure. Add three-quarters cup of sugar for every cup of mixture. Return to the kettle and bring to a boil. Cook until it forms a very thick jam, or until 223 degrees Fahrenheit is reached on the candy thermometer.

ORANGE PRESERVE IN SYRUP

Pare and separate nine oranges into sections, taking care to break as little as possible. Now place

Two pints of water, Four pounds of sugar

in a preserving kettle and bring to a boil. Cook for fifteen minutes and then add the oranges and cook until the oranges are tender. Lift the oranges into a jar and bring the syrup to a boil. Pour over the fruit and then seal and store in a cool, dry place. Any syrup left over may be used on cereal or hot cakes.

ORANGE SALAD

Remove the peel from four oranges and then separate the carpels and cut with a sharp scissors into pieces. Place in a bowl and add

One cup of cocoanut.

Toss the bowl gently to coat the fruit with the cocoanut and then fill into a nest of salad, and serve with orange dressing.

ORANGE SOUFFLÉ

Juice of three oranges, One-half cup of water, One-half cup of sugar, Five level tablespoons of cornstarch.

Dissolve the starch and sugar in the water and then add the juice and bring to a boil. Cook for five minutes and then cool. Now add the

Yolks of two eggs, One orange cut in tiny pieces.

Beat to mix and then carefully cut and fold in the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs. Pour into a well-buttered soufflé dish and set in a pan of warm water. Bake in a moderate oven until firm in the centre. Serve warm, with orange syrup for a sauce.

ORANGE CREAM PIE

Line a pie tin with plain pastry and then place in a saucepan

One cup of milk, One-half cup of water, Juice of three oranges, Grated rind of one-half orange, Six level tablespoons of cornstarch, Three-quarters cup of sugar.

Dissolve the cornstarch and the sugar in the water and add the milk and fruit juice. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes, partly cool and then add

One whole egg, Yolk of one egg.

Beat to thoroughly blend and then pour into prepared tins and bake in a very slow oven for thirty minutes. Cool and cover with a fruit meringue, using one-half glass of orange marmalade and the white of one egg, beaten until it forms a very stiff meringue.

ORANGE AND RICE CUSTARD

Wash one-half cup of rice and then cook until tender in three cups of water and the water is absorbed. Now add

Grated rind of one orange, Three oranges cut in tiny pieces, Three-quarters cup of sugar.

Mix thoroughly and then place in a bowl

Two cups of milk, Yolks of two eggs.

Beat to mix and then pour over the prepared rice. Mix thoroughly and then pour in either individual custard cups or into a baking dish. Set in a pan of warm water and then bake for thirty minutes in a moderate oven. Cool and serve with orange whip.

One glass of orange marmalade, Whites of two eggs.

Beat with a Dover egg-beater until very stiff and then pile on rice.

SPICED PRUNES

Prepare one pound of prunes for cooking and then place in a casserole dish and add

One cup of water, One-quarter cup of vinegar, One cup of brown sugar, One piece of stick cinnamon, Six cloves, Four allspice, Two blades of mace, One-half teaspoon of nutmeg.

Cook slowly until the prunes are tender and then drain the syrup and boil ten minutes before pouring over the prunes. Serve cold as a condiment with meat.

ORANGE DRESSING

Juice of two oranges, Grated rind of one-half of an orange, One-half cup of cold water, One-half cup of sugar, Two tablespoons of cornstarch.

Dissolve the sugar and the starch in water and add the fruit juice and the grated rind. Bring to a boil and cook for five minutes, and then remove from the fire and drop in yolk of one egg. Beat well to mix. Now beat the white very stiff, and then beat into the mixture and then chill and serve.

ORANGE BETTY

Pare and cut into dice three oranges. Place in a bowl and add

One and one-half cups of fine bread crumbs, One cup of boiling water.

Mix, let cool, and then add

One well-beaten egg, Three-quarters cup of milk, Three tablespoons of shortening, One-half cup of syrup, One-half cup of sugar, Three teaspoons of baking powder, Six tablespoons of flour.

Mix thoroughly and then pour into either individual custard cups or into a pudding mould and set in a pan of hot water. If the Betty is put in custard cups, grease them well and bake for forty minutes in a moderate oven. If put into a mould, bake for one hour.

ORANGE FRITTERS

Pare three oranges and then with a sharp knife cut into one-half inch slices. Dip the slices in flour, then into a batter, and fry until golden brown in hot fat.

THE BATTER

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

One and one-half cups of flour, Two teaspoons of baking powder, One-quarter teaspoon of salt, Two tablespoons of sugar.

Serve orange fritters with orange dressing or orange syrup.

BAKED PRUNES

Prepare one-half pound of prunes for cooking and place in a casserole dish. Add one-half of an orange cut in thin paper-like slices. Cover the dish and place in an oven to bake very slowly. Now if the prunes are soaked early in the morning and then prepared for baking and placed in the oven when the fire is slacked off for the night, they will be done very nicely in the morning. This long, slow cooking is just what the prune requires.

PRUNE SALAD

Prepare the prunes as for stuffing and then place one-half cup of cottage cheese in a bowl and add

One green pepper chopped fine, One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of paprika.

Blend thoroughly and then fill into the pitted prunes. Now arrange the stuffed prunes upon crisp lettuce leaves and sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve with either paprika or mayonnaise dressing. This is very nice for luncheon or supper served as a salad.

CALIFORNIA PRUNE CAKE

One cup of sugar, Six tablespoons of shortening.

Cream well until light and creamy and then add

Yolks of two eggs, One cup of water, Two and three-quarters cups of flour, Two level tablespoons of baking powder, One level tablespoon of mace.

Beat to thoroughly blend and then fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the two eggs. Now line a cake pan with greased paper and pour in a layer of the cake batter. Spread evenly. Now spread a layer of finely chopped nuts and then a layer of well-drained and cooked prunes that have been chopped fine. Cover with a layer of the cake batter and then repeat this until the pan, is three-quarters full. Then dust the top of the cake lightly with sugar. Place in a moderate oven and bake for one hour. Cool, and then ice with icing made of

Three-quarters cup of XXXX sugar, One tablespoon of lemon juice,

and sufficient boiling water to moisten. Then spread on the cake.

PRUNE AND NUT JELLY

Soak three level tablespoons of gelatine in one-half cup of cold water for one-half hour. Now stone sufficient prunes to measure one cup. Add

One-half cup of finely chopped nuts, One-half cup of sugar, One cup of prune juice, Juice of one lemon.

Now place the gelatine in a hot-water bath and then strain into the prune mixture. Stir until thoroughly mixed and then pour into moulds. Set aside to mould and then serve with fruit whip.

PRUNE DELICACIES

Wash the prunes thoroughly and then drain and turn on a cloth to dry. Remove the stones and fill the centres with a mixture of chopped nuts and ginger. Roll in granulated sugar. Prunes may be filled with fondant or fudge.

PRUNE CHARLOTTE

Soak three level tablespoons of gelatine in one-half cup of cold water for one-half hour. Then set in hot water bath to melt. Strain into a bowl and add

One cup of prune juice, Juice of one lemon, One-half cup of sugar.

Heat to dissolve sugar and then cool before adding to the gelatine. Now place a few spoonfuls of the prepared gelatine mixture in a mould and turn to thoroughly coat the mould. Then line the mould with cooked and stoned prunes. Pour a few spoonfuls of the gelatine mixture over the prunes and set them in place before pouring in the remainder of the mixture; then set aside to mould. When ready to serve unmould on platter and serve with prune sauce.

PRUNE SAUCE

Rub one cup of cooked and stoned prunes through a fine sieve and add

One cup of prune juice, Juice of one lemon, Six tablespoons of sugar.

Heat to dissolve sugar and then cool before serving.

RHUBARB

To cook rhubarb, cut it into inch pieces and remove the stringy peel. Cook in a glass or earthen casserole dish in the oven until it is soft, adding just enough sugar to sweeten. This will give you a splendid product.

Do not use the leaves of the rhubarb. And do not cook rhubarb in tin; the mineral salt or acid content of the fruit reacts upon the metal and sets up an active poison.

TO COOK RHUBARB FOR PIES

Prepare the rhubarb and then sprinkle well with flour and add sugar, and cook slowly until tender. The flour will thicken the mixture. Then pour into the prepared pie plate and cover with pastry. Bake in a moderate oven for twenty minutes. Pie made in this way will be far superior to that made where the rhubarb is cut and placed in the pie and then cooked.

RHUBARB AND RAISIN CONSERVE

Wash and peel and then cut the rhubarb into one-half inch pieces. Measure one quart of the cut pieces and place in a baking dish, adding

One cup of seeded raisins, Two cups of sugar.

Do not add water; cover and cook until the fruit is tender, usually about forty minutes.

RHUBARB FRUIT SAUCE

Place the whites of two eggs in a bowl and then add one-half glass of jelly. Beat until very stiff and then add one cup of very thick rhubarb sauce.

RHUBARB SHORTCAKE

Place two cups of flour in a bowl and add

One teaspoon of salt, Four teaspoons of baking powder, One-half cup of sugar.

Sift to mix and then rub in six tablespoons of shortening. Mix to a dough with two-thirds cup of milk. Cut with a large cookie cutter and then bake in a hot oven for fifteen minutes. Split and butter, and then fill with the cooked rhubarb and serve with either plain or whipped cream or custard sauce.

RHUBARB COCKTAIL

Place three tablespoons of rhubarb conserve in a cocktail glass. Add layer of thinly sliced bananas and then a layer of shredded orange. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and top with whipped cream or stiffly beaten white of egg. Garnish with maraschino cherries.

RHUBARB PUFFS