Chapter 1

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THE COMMUNITY COOK BOOK

Sold by Class of Willing Workers of the Winter St. Baptist Church Haverhill, Mass

A Practical Cook Book, Representative of the Best Cookery to Be Found in Any of the More Intelligent and Progressive American Communities

IN COMPILING AND REVISING THIS BOOK, ONE PERSON AND HER NEEDS WERE ALWAYS KEPT IN MIND--THAT PERSON IS THE AVERAGE AMERICAN WOMAN, AND TO HER THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED IN THE FIRM BELIEF THAT IN IT SHE WILL FIND MUCH HELPFULNESS.

Third Edition--1916

Copyright 1914, Powell & White Cincinnati, Ohio

CONTENTS

FOREWORD 4 BREAD, BISCUITS, ROLLS AND PASTRY 5 Pies and Pastry 12 CEREALS, BREAKFAST FOODS 15 SOUPS 17 FISH 21 SALADS 26 MEAT 32 EGGS 46 VEGETABLES 48 DESSERTS 58 CAKE 72 FRUITS 85 PICKLES AND PRESERVES 87 Preserves and Jellies 89 CANDIES 92 MISCELLANEOUS 96 BEVERAGES 100 DEFINITIONS OF SOME FOREIGN AND OTHER TERMS. 110 INDEX. 112

FOREWORD

The Community Cook Book is a collection of recipes chosen from many hundreds that may well be considered representative of the best to be found in any of the more intelligent and progressive of American Communities in which a part of the population make occasional visits to all parts of the country from which they bring back choice recipes to contribute to the neighborhood fund. Added to this, that constant change and interchange of a part of the population, and if the best recipes of such a section be carefully selected and classified, then in a real American Community's Cook Book, such as this, we have one of the most valuable practical cook books in the world.

In presenting this cook book, the compilers were guided by the fact that what each housekeeper needs, is not so much a great variety of ways, but a few successful ways of preparing each article of food.

BREAD, BISCUITS, ROLLS AND PASTRY

"'Bread,' says he, 'dear brothers, is the staff of life.'"

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS.

Two cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls lard, a little sugar if desired, one-half cup milk or water, milk preferred. Mix flour, salt, sugar and baking powder well with fork; add milk. When well mixed, drop in small quantities onto buttered pans. Bake eight minutes in moderate oven.

BAKING POWDER BISCUITS.

Two cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls butter, milk enough to make soft dough. Mix dry ingredients, chop in butter, add milk, mixing all the while with a wooden paddle or knife. Toss on a small floured board, roll lightly to one-half inch in thickness. Shape with cutter. Place on a buttered pan and bake in a hot oven.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD.

One level pint cornmeal scalded, one level tablespoonful salt, one cup New Orleans molasses, two teaspoonfuls soda over which pour a little boiling water, one pint sour milk; put half the soda in the molasses and the remainder in the milk. Stiffen with Graham flour. Steam four hours, and brown in oven for about fifteen minutes.

BUCKWHEAT CAKES.

One cake yeast, one coffee-cup cornmeal, two coffee-cups buckwheat, one teaspoonful salt, one quart tepid water. Before cooking, add four tablespoonfuls milk and two of molasses in which you have stirred a teaspoonful of soda.

CORNBREAD.

Sift three-fourths cup cornmeal, three-fourths cup flour, two and one-half teaspoonfuls baking powder, three-fourths teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful sugar. Work in tablespoonful butter, then add three-fourths cup sweet milk, into which one or two eggs have been beaten. Pour into greased pans and bake in a moderate oven. If sour milk is used, take one and one-half teaspoonful baking powder and one-fourth teaspoonful soda.

CORN GEMS.

Two eggs, one-half cup white flour, one cup milk, one cup corn flour, one tablespoonful butter, one teaspoonful salt, one heaping teaspoonful baking powder. Pour enough boiling water over corn flour to wet it and burst starch grains. Beat eggs very light. Mix dry ingredients to corn flour, then eggs, milk and last butter. Bake twenty-five minutes in hot oven.

CRUMPETS.

One pint of milk, four ounces butter, one teaspoonful salt, one cake compressed yeast, three cups flour. Scald milk and let stand until lukewarm, then add salt and flour, beat vigorously, then add butter melted and the yeast, beat again, cover and stand in a warm place until very light. Grease muffin rings and place them on a hot griddle. Fill each ring half full of batter. Bake until brown on one side, then turn and brown the other side. Take from the fire and stand aside until wanted. When ready to use, steam and serve with butter, marmalade, syrup, jam, or anything else desired.

DUMPLINGS.

One pint flour, one level teaspoonful salt, one heaping teaspoonful baking powder, one heaping teaspoonful lard, enough milk and water to make a soft dough. Roll one-half inch thick, cut in squares, or with biscuit cutter, and lay in on top of stew. Cook ten minutes.

FRENCH BREAD.

After softening one cake of compressed yeast in one-half cup lukewarm water, stir in enough flour to make a very stiff dough. Knead well, shaping into a ball. Make two cuts on top about one-quarter inch deep. Place in a pan of tepid water until it swells and floats. When very light put into a bowl containing one-half cup salted water, stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Let stand in a temperature of 68 or 70 degrees F. until light. Shape into loaf, let lighten again and bake.

GRAHAM BREAD.

Two cups sour milk, two teaspoonfuls soda dissolved in little warm water, one-fourth cup sugar, one-half cup molasses, one egg, salt, three and one-half cups Graham flour. Bake one hour.

GRAHAM BREAD.

With one pint warm milk, one cake of yeast and white flour, make a sponge. One teaspoonful salt not heaped, one-half cup molasses. Let rise, then stir in sifted brown flour till partly stiff, put in baking pan, let rise, then bake.

GRIDDLE CAKES.

One-half pint milk, one-half pint warm water, one-half cake yeast, one teaspoonful salt, one egg, one tablespoonful melted lard, flour enough to make a batter like ordinary batter-cakes. Let rise over night and fry for breakfast.

KENTUCKY CORN BREAD.

One pint thick, sour milk, two teaspoonfuls salt, one egg. Mix with this enough cornmeal to make a batter not stiff. Use meal of medium fineness--not the very fine sold in most groceries. Beat well; add last one level teaspoonful soda dissolved in a little water. Allow a tablespoonful of lard to become very hot in baking pan; pour into the batter, stir, and turn into pan. Bake until cooked through.

MILK BREAD.

Scald one pint of milk, pour while hot over a tablespoonful of butter, one tablespoonful sugar, one teaspoonful salt. When nearly cold, add one-fourth cake of yeast, dissolved in one-half a cup of lukewarm water, add flour stiff enough to knead. Knead until smooth and elastic, cover, and let rise until morning, then shape into loaves, let rise again, bake from forty to fifty minutes; rolls from fifteen to twenty minutes.

MUFFINS.

One egg, one-half cup sugar, two cups flour, two heaping teaspoonfuls baking powder, three-fourths cup milk, salt. Mix egg with sugar. Sift flour, baking powder and salt, add to egg and sugar alternately with the milk and beat well. In season add blueberries. If short of milk, use part water.

NUT BREAD.

Four and one-half cups wheat flour, eight teaspoonfuls baking powder, one teaspoonful salt, one cup sugar, two cups sweet milk, one large cup chopped walnuts, two eggs well beaten. Stir all dry ingredients together thoroughly, add eggs and milk. Stand twenty minutes before baking. Bake in two tins about forty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS.

Two cups scalded milk, two tablespoonfuls sugar, one teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls butter, one egg, one yeast cake dissolved in one-fourth cup lukewarm water. Mix dry ingredients and butter in the hot milk; when slightly cool, add flour enough to make a drop batter, beat well, add the yolk of egg, then the white beaten until stiff, and lastly the dissolved yeast cake, beat hard. Then add flour enough for a soft dough that you can handle. Turn on a well-floured board and knead until covered with blisters, turn into a well-buttered bowl. Cover and place in a temperature of 75 degrees until it doubles its bulk. Shape into rolls, butter and cover until they are very light. Bake in a quick oven until a delicate brown.

PARKER HOUSE CORN ROLLS.

One and one-fourth cup white flour (measurements level), three-fourths cup cornmeal, four teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt, one tablespoonful sugar, two tablespoonfuls butter, one egg, one-half cup milk. Method: Mix and sift dry ingredients in a bowl; chop butter in with a knife; beat egg, to which add one-half cup milk; add all slowly to dry ingredients to make a soft dough that can be handled; add more milk, if necessary; toss lightly on floured board and pat to one-half inch thickness; cut with round cutter, patting piece of butter in center; fold in center, so that opposite edges meet; put in buttered baking sheet; wet top with milk and bake in quick oven ten to fifteen minutes.

POP-OVERS.

Two cups milk, one cup flour, two eggs, one-half teaspoonful salt. Beat eggs very light with Dover egg beater, add flour, milk and salt. Warm muffin pans slightly, butter them, and fill half full. Bake in hot oven until brown. This will make twelve pop-overs.

POTATO ROLLS.

Two cups hot mashed potatoes (four cups of sliced potatoes make about two cups of mashed potatoes), one scant cup lard, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, two teaspoonfuls salt, three well-beaten eggs. Mix all well together and have it lukewarm, then add one-half cake of yeast, which has been soaked in a cup of lukewarm water for twenty minutes. Let rise two hours in a warm place; work up (not too stiff) with flour; rise again. When very light, roll thin on a biscuit-board, cut with a cutter, put in pan, rise again, and bake in a very hot oven. This will make about sixty rolls.

REQUESTED BROWN BREAD.

Two cups each of Graham flour, cornmeal and buttermilk or sour milk, two-thirds cup of New Orleans molasses, two and one-half teaspoonfuls soda and a little salt; steam three hours; soda in sour milk.

SALLY LUNN.

Mix one pint of flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt, yolks of two eggs well beaten, one-half cup milk, one-half cup butter melted, whites of two eggs beaten stiff. Bake in muffin pans or drop loaf fifteen to twenty minutes. If for tea, add two tablespoonfuls sugar to flour.

SODA BISCUIT.

Mix well one teaspoonful salt, one-half teaspoonful soda, two and one-half cups flour. Mix thoroughly with one heaping tablespoonful lard. Pour in one cup thick, sour milk or buttermilk; stir up quickly, adding as much flour as may be necessary to make stiff enough to handle. Roll about one-half inch thick. Bake in hot oven.

SPOON BREAD.

Make a pint of cornmeal mush, five eggs, salt, tablespoonful of butter. Stir butter and salt into mush when warm; let cool, then add eggs, a cup of milk and two teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake. Serve with a spoon from baking dish.

WAFFLES.

Mix one pint flour, two level teaspoonfuls baking powder and one-half teaspoon salt. Add one and one-fourth cup milk, three well-beaten egg yolks, two tablespoonfuls melted butter and the whites of the three eggs, beaten stiff. Grease the hot waffle iron and put in the batter. Cook about one minute, then turn the iron and cook a little longer on the other side. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup or marmalade.

SANDWICHES.

Philadelphia cream cheese, chives. Cut chives into small pieces with scissors. Mix into the cheese and spread on rye bread.

* * * * *

One-half pound boiled ham, two dill pickles, one teaspoonful mustard. Grind ham and pickles in a meat chopper, mix in mustard, and spread on white or rye bread.

* * * * *

Ten cents' worth peanuts, one cup mayonnaise. Grind peanuts in a meat chopper and mix with dressing. Spread on white bread, with a lettuce leaf in each sandwich.

* * * * *

One cake Eagle cheese, one ten-cent can pimentos. Mix half of this quantity at a time. Grind or chop the pimentos very fine, mix well with cheese, and spread on rye bread.

* * * * *

One can sardines, one-half cup mayonnaise. Mash sardines in a bowl, mix with dressing, add salt, pepper and a little lemon juice. Spread on rye or white bread.

WALNUT-RAISIN SANDWICHES.

Grind English walnuts and raisins and put in a few drops of hot water to make them thin enough to spread on reception flakes.

Pies and Pastry

PASTRY.

One cup sifted flour, one-half cup lard (cut lard into flour with knife), one-fourth teaspoonful salt. Ice water to form stiff dough.

APPLE PIE.

Pare, core and cut five sour apples into eighths; place evenly in a pie plate lined with the usual pie pastry. Mix one-third cup sugar, one-fourth teaspoonful grated nutmeg, one-third teaspoonful salt, teaspoonful lemon juice and a few gratings of lemon rind and sprinkle over apples. Dot over with little lumps of butter, wet edges of under crust, cover with upper crust and press edges together. Bake forty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

JAM PIE.

One cup of raspberry or blackberry jam, yolk of two eggs, one cup rich milk or cream, one tablespoonful flour; mix thoroughly, cook over fire until thick. Use the whites of egg for meringue. Bake with bottom crust.

LEMON CUSTARD PIE.

One cup sugar, three eggs, one cup milk, one tablespoonful flour, three tablespoonfuls powdered sugar, juice and rind of one lemon. Beat yolks of eggs and sugar; add juice and rind of lemon. Mix flour with the milk, and pour through sieve into eggs and sugar. Line a deep pie plate with good rich paste; pour in the mixture and bake in a quick oven thirty minutes. Beat whites of eggs to a stiff froth and add three tablespoonfuls powdered sugar, beating all the while. Put on top of pie, and return to oven until a light brown.

LEMON PIE.

One cup water, one cup sugar, one lemon, two eggs, one tablespoonful butter, one heaping tablespoonful flour. Bake crust on the outside of pan, first pricking with a fork. Boil sugar and water; add to the beaten yolks of eggs the grated peel of lemon, butter and flour; pour over this the boiling mixture, then boil until it thickens like custard. Cool, turn into baked crust, spread on top whites of eggs beaten stiff, to which add a tablespoonful pulverized sugar. Place in oven until the meringue is brown.

MOCK CHERRY PIE.

One cup cranberries cut in half, one-half cup chopped raisins, one cup sugar, one tablespoonful flour, a pinch of salt, one teaspoonful vanilla and one-half cup boiling water. Bake with upper and under crust.

PUMPKIN PIE.

Peel and cut up in squares, cook with half pint of water, one cup sugar, one-fourth teaspoonful red pepper, boil slowly till soft and perfectly dry, then sift; two beaten eggs, one-half cup sugar, three and one-half large spoonfuls pumpkin, one-half cup milk, small pinch of salt, one-fourth teaspoonful cinnamon, a little more of ginger. Makes one pie. Bake slowly one hour.

SHORTCAKE.

Three cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt; sift three times; one-half cup butter mixed with flour till like meal. Beat one egg light, add to it a cup of cold water. Mix with flour. Put in two pie pans, or in muffin pans for individual shortcakes, and sprinkle tops with granulated sugar. When baked, split, butter and put sweetened berries between, and garnish tops with sweetened whipped cream and whole berries.

WAFERS.

Cream one-third cup butter, add one cup powdered sugar. Mix well. Add one-half cup milk alternately with two scant cups flour, or enough to make a stiff batter. Spread very thin on a slightly greased tin. Bake in very slow oven until light brown. Remove from oven and place on top of stove. Cut and roll in desired shape. These wafers can be flavored with ginger, sprinkled with chopped nuts or filled with whipped cream and berries.

CEREALS, BREAKFAST FOODS

"Look up! the wide extended plain Is billowy with its ripened grain, And on the summer winds are rolled Its waves of emerald and gold."

CORN MEAL MUSH.

Allow one pint of meal and one teaspoonful of salt to a quart of water. Sprinkle meal gradually into boiling salted water, stirring all the time. Boil rapidly for a few minutes, then let simmer for a long time. Very palatable served with milk; some people like it with butter and pepper. For fried mush let it get cold, then cut in slices, dip in flour and fry in suet until brown.

HOMINY.

This is very good when well cooked, and may be simply boiled until done in salted water, and served with pepper and butter. It is good fried like mush.

MACARONI WITH CHEESE.

After boiling macaroni in salted water until soft, sprinkle with grated cheese; repeat, pour over a sauce made of butter, flour, salt and scalded milk; cover with bread crumbs and bake until brown.

RICE.

Rice has been cultivated from time immemorial. While not so valuable a food as some of the other cereals, it forms the larger part of the diet of people in the tropics and in semi-tropical countries, and is used extensively in other places. It is eaten by more human beings than any other cereal; is not equal to wheat as a brain food, but worthy of the high place it holds in the estimation of mankind.

It may be simply boiled and served as a vegetable, with pepper and butter, or served with sugar and cream. It is good cooked in milk. Is baked like macaroni with cheese, and cooked in various ways in combination with meat or vegetables.

BOILED RICE.

One of the quickest ways of preparing rice is to fill a large kettle with water, allow it to come to a boil; when bubbling vigorously throw in two cups of rice and boil hard twenty-five minutes. Empty into a colander and dash under cold water, which will separate the grains. Season with pepper and salt, heap lightly on a dish and put a lump of butter on top.

ROLLED OATS.

None of the breakfast foods which are so much used are so wholesome as a simple dish of rolled oats or the old-fashioned oatmeal. Served with or without cream and sugar, these are to be highly recommended to persons who are compelled to live indoors a great deal, and are generally relished by those who lead an outdoor life. Although rolled oats is supposed to be a dish quickly prepared, it is better, like oatmeal, for being cooked a long time, and baked for two hours, after being boiled a few minutes, it is very palatable and nutritious.

SOUPS

"La soupe fait le soldat." ("The soup makes the soldier.")

BEAN SOUP.

One pint navy beans, soak over night, cook till they are very tender, add some celery and little tomato, salt and pepper to taste, cook all well together. In another saucepan let boil one tablespoonful of butter, add a chopped onion, fry till it is clear. Mix a tablespoonful of flour with a cup of the soup and a little butter, cook a moment or two, add to soup and let all boil ten minutes, add a pinch of red pepper and strain.

BOUILLON.

Twenty-cent beef soup bone, ten-cent knuckle of veal, twenty cents' worth chicken gizzards, seven quarts cold water. After reaching boiling point add one small handful salt; three or four whole peppers, one carrot, one onion, one celery root, one turnip, one parsley root, one bay leaf, two or three whole allspice, one-half can tomatoes. Let boil slowly one day. Strain and skim.

BOUILLON.

Chicken bones, three pounds beef, three quarts water, four whole cloves, one onion, one carrot, two pounds marrow bones, four peppercorns, a bouquet of herbs and one bay leaf, three stalks of celery, juice of a lemon, two tablespoonfuls butter or marrow, one-half cup of sherry, one turnip. Put vegetables in last, spices about one-half hour; brown vegetables in butter or suet; brown a few pieces of meat, to give a good color to the soup, turn into soup digester and cover with cold water. Let it come to a boil, skim, and let it simmer; cover and cook for five hours. Strain in an earthen vessel, cool, remove fat, clear and serve hot in cups.

CORN SOUP.

One can cornlet or corn, one pint cold water, one quart heated milk, two tablespoonfuls butter, one tablespoonful chopped onion, two tablespoonfuls flour, two teaspoonfuls salt, one-fourth teaspoonful white pepper, yolks of two eggs. Chop corn, cook it with the water twenty minutes; melt butter, add chopped onions and cook until light brown; add flour, and when thoroughly mixed add milk gradually. Add this mixture to corn and season with salt, pepper, rub through sieve, heat again. Beat yolk of eggs, put them in soup tureen, and pour soup over them very slowly. When mixed serve immediately.

CREAM OF CELERY SOUP.

A pint of milk, a tablespoonful of flour, one of butter, a head of celery, a large slice of onion and a small piece of mace, a little salt. Boil celery in one pint of water from thirty to forty-five minutes; boil mace, onion and milk together; mix flour with two tablespoonfuls of cold milk. Cook ten minutes. Mash celery in water it has been cooked in and stir in boiling milk. Strain and serve.

CREAM OF CORN SOUP.

Put one pint of milk in a double boiler, add one pint of grated corn, two teaspoonfuls of salt; rub together one tablespoonful of flour and one of butter. Add them to the soup when boiling. Just before serving add one-half pint of whipped cream.

FRENCH PEA SOUP.

Cover a quart of peas with water and boil with an onion till they mash easily. Mash and add a pint of water. Cook together two tablespoonfuls each of flour and butter until smooth but not brown. Add to the peas with one pint of cream and a cup of milk. Season with salt and pepper, strain and serve.

MIXED VEGETABLE SOUP.

Fifteen-cent soup bone, three quarts water, half a small cabbage cut very fine, three large potatoes, two good-sized carrots, two turnips, one medium-sized onion, three teaspoonfuls salt, one-half teaspoonful pepper, a little celery and green pepper. Put on in cold water with all vegetables except potatoes. Cook very slowly one hour. Do not cover closely. At the end of one hour add potatoes and cook an hour longer. Put in two or three tomatoes when potatoes are added, if liked.

MOCK BISQUE.