Chapter 2

One-half can tomatoes strained, one quart milk, one-third cup butter, one tablespoonful cornstarch, one teaspoonful salt, one salt-spoon pepper, heat milk in double boiler. Mix smoothly one tablespoonful butter, cornstarch and seasoning, add hot milk slowly. Boil ten minutes and add remainder of butter and strained tomatoes. Serve immediately.

MUTTON BROTH.

Remove pink skin from mutton, also fat; have the meat from the neck. Cover well with water, let boil slowly, cook until meat becomes ragged. One tablespoonful rice.

OYSTER SOUP.

Put about fifty oysters in a colander and drain. Pour over them a pitcher of cold water, and then put them into a hot kettle. Let stand covered for a few minutes. Add one pint of water. Rub together a tablespoonful of butter and one of flour; add a little of the soup to make a smooth paste. Put this with a quart of milk into the soup kettle with oysters, and stir till it begins to thicken. Add a teaspoonful of salt, and pepper to taste.

POTATO SOUP.

To one gallon of water add six large potatoes chopped fine, one teacupful rice, butter the size of an egg, one tablespoonful flour. Work butter and flour together and add one teacupful sweet cream just before taking from the fire. Boil one hour.

TOMATO BOUILLON.

One quart tomatoes, one tablespoonful onion minced, one tablespoonful parsley minced, one tablespoonful lean ham minced, one tablespoonful butter, one pint water, six whole peppercorns, four whole cloves, one bay leaf, salt-spoon paprika, one egg, one tablespoonful sugar. When the whole mixture has thoroughly boiled, add sugar and salt to taste; brown the onion and parsley in the butter, add to the other ingredients; boil all ten minutes, then strain and cool; when perfectly cold stir in the white of one egg, then beat thoroughly with Dover beater, place on stove and stir constantly (to prevent egg from cooking) until the mixture comes to a boil. Stand a few minutes on the back of the stove, strain very carefully through a sieve covered with a cheese-cloth wrung out in hot water. Serve hot. This will serve five persons.

TOMATO SOUP.

To one quart of tomatoes add one pint of water, one tablespoonful sugar, one teaspoonful salt, six cloves and a little pepper; let boil ten minutes. In another saucepan put one tablespoonful butter. When it boils, add a chopped onion and some parsley, and let fry about five minutes, then add one tablespoonful flour previously mixed with water; boil all for ten minutes, strain and serve.

VEAL BOUILLON.

Two knuckles of veal, four quarts of cold water, one onion, one stock celery, one bay leaf, twelve cloves, one teaspoonful salt, one blade mace, one pinch pepper. Put veal in soup kettle with cold water and salt. Simmer gently four hours. Cut up the vegetables and add with spices and simmer one hour longer. Strain, cool, remove fat, reheat and serve with teaspoonful whipped cream on each cup.

FISH

"Fools lade water, and wise men catch the fish."

BAKED WHITE FISH.

Clean and prepare the fish. Make a stuffing of one cupful of cracker crumbs, one teaspoonful chopped parsley, one teaspoonful chopped onion, two tablespoonfuls chopped suet or bacon or one large tablespoonful butter, one-third teaspoonful salt, two teaspoonfuls chopped pickles, one-quarter teaspoonful pepper. If a moist stuffing is desired, add one-quarter cup milk. Bake fifteen minutes to a pound, allowing ten or fifteen minutes if the fish is unusually large.

CODFISH BALLS.

Boil and mash as many potatoes as desired, using about one-half pound of soaked and drained codfish to a pound of potatoes. Have fish picked apart, and after soaking and drying mix thoroughly with potatoes, adding, for one-half pound of codfish, one tablespoonful butter, yolks of two eggs, one-half teaspoonful salt and a dash of pepper. Make into balls, dip in beaten egg and bread crumbs and fry in hot fat.

FINNAN HADDIE.

Boil a three-pound haddock until the skin comes off easily, remove every particle of bone, cut into small pieces, shred; put one-half pint cream into a chafing dish, add three finely-chopped hard-boiled eggs, rub together two rounded tablespoonfuls flour and two of butter, add to the other ingredients. Now light the lamp under the chafing dish. Stir until the mixture begins to thicken, then blend a raw yolk and add it to the haddie. Sprinkle with finely-chopped parsley and serve on toast. Should there not be quite enough sauce, sweet cream may be added.

FRIED FISH.

Brook trout, perch, catfish and other well-known fish are good fried. Cook in lard, suet or oil. Wash and clean, wipe dry, dip in beaten egg and roll in bread crumbs. Fry in oil, if possible.

FRIED OYSTERS.

One pint large oysters, one-half cup flour, one-half cup milk, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-half cup fresh tomato catsup. Mix thoroughly the flour, milk, catsup and salt; dip oysters into mixture, then roll in cracker crumbs. Fry in sweet, fresh lard until a dark brown. Serve very hot.

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE.

Rub one-half cup butter to a cream, add the yolks of two eggs, one at a time, then salt and cayenne pepper. About five minutes before serving add one-half cup boiling water. Thicken in double boiler. Add lemon juice.

LOBSTER A LA BUSHMAN.

Cut the meat of four-pound lobster into large pieces; melt one tablespoonful butter and one teaspoonful minced onion, let cook until yellow. Add the lobster, salt, cayenne pepper, two tablespoonfuls white wine; simmer for five minutes, then sprinkle one tablespoonful flour over this. When well mixed, add six or eight mushrooms cut fine, one tablespoonful chili sauce, add one cup water or stock. Cook five minutes longer in shells, put a mushroom on each, sprinkle with buttered cracker crumbs. Bake till brown.

OYSTER COCKTAIL.

Mix one tablespoonful tomato catsup, one-half tablespoonful vinegar or lemon, two drops Tabasco sauce, one-half teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful finely chopped celery and one-half teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce. Chill these ingredients thoroughly, pour over eight oysters and serve in cocktail glasses.

OYSTER NEWBURG.

One pint oysters, one-half cup cream, one teaspoonful onion juice, two tablespoonfuls butter, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-eighth teaspoonful paprika, two level tablespoonfuls flour, one teaspoonful lemon juice, yolk of one egg, toasted bread. Melt one tablespoonful butter, add oysters, salt, paprika, onion and lemon juice, cook three minutes, and melt remaining tablespoonful butter, add flour, and when blended add cream, then the yolk of the egg, beaten slightly; cook until it thickens, stirring slowly, add to the oysters, mix and serve on toast.

OYSTER OMELET.

Make a plain omelet, beat six eggs until light, separately; add two tablespoonfuls milk, one of flour, one-fifth teaspoonful baking powder, put in flour and rub with milk, salt to taste. Fry in melted butter in a hot skillet. Put in oven for a few minutes to brown on top. Turn out on a good-sized meat dish, pour upon it the oyster sauce and serve at once, hot.

Sauce.

Make the oyster sauce first. Take twenty-five large oysters, put them in a saucepan over a moderate fire, and cook slowly until the gills are curled. Drain, save the liquor, add enough milk to make a pint. Take a tablespoonful flour and one of butter and cream them. Put the liquor in a pan and when it begins to boil stir in the flour and butter. Stir until boiling, add a teaspoonful salt and a dash of paprika. Stand in a warm place until you make the omelet.

OYSTER PATTIES.

Cook one heaping tablespoonful flour in one heaping tablespoonful butter; add slowly one cup hot milk, season with one teaspoonful salt, one-fourth teaspoonful red pepper; wash over one pint oysters, parboil until plump, skin carefully, drain and add the sauce, fill the patty shells when ready to serve.

OYSTER TENDERLOINS.

Take out one dozen oysters for the gravy first; then take one pint of oysters (pour off most of the liquor and save to put in the gravy); one pint of cracker crumbs rolled but not fine, pepper and salt to taste; also add a pinch of sage to the crumbs. Roll the oysters in the crumbs and put in butter the size of an egg. Cut the tenderloins in the center, roll until flat, then sew together, making a pocket. Stuff with the oysters and sew up the end. Put butter the size of an egg in a pan and brown. Pour this on top of the tenderloin, sprinkle over it salt, pepper and flour. Roast in a moderate oven one and one-half hour. To make the gravy, pour in the liquor and a little water and thickening. Drop in the oysters a few minutes before taking off the stove.

SALMON LOAF.

One can salmon. Drain off juice into stewpan, place salmon in a pan and add one-half cup fine cracker crumbs, two eggs, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly, press into a mold, steam one hour.

Dressing.

One and one-half cup milk, four tablespoonfuls catsup, piece of butter size of an egg; boil; thicken with one tablespoonful cornstarch dissolved in water. Pour over loaf when done.

SALMON ON TOAST.

Toast bread and butter it. One and one-half pint milk and cream mixed; heat boiling hot; two tablespoonfuls flour, three tablespoonfuls butter. Work butter and flour together at boiling point, stir this in the milk. Strain salmon in colander upon top of stove, to get warm; then put on toast and pour cream dressing over all. Take three hard-boiled eggs and grate the yellows on top of salmon, and slice the white of eggs around edges of toast in the platter.

SALT MACKEREL IN CREAM.

Wash the mackerel and soak over night in clear, cold water. Lay in a baking pan, and to one mackerel add one-half pint of new milk; put into a moderate oven and bake one-half hour. Just before the fish is done, drop a few pieces of butter onto it.

SCALLOPED OYSTERS.

Roll the crackers, line the baking dish with butter; put the oysters, with a few cloves, salt and pepper, in a stewpan for say five minutes, but do not let them boil. Put a layer of oysters in the baking dish, then a layer of crackers, and so on, having the crackers on top. Bake twenty minutes.

SALADS

"Salads and eggs and lighter fare."

More progressive Americans now understand the value of the salad, and in this way use many vegetables, fish and meats that heretofore have not been extensively used for that purpose. There is room for much interesting experimenting in the making of salads. Almost endless variety may be had by ingenious mixing and combining of suitable ingredients. Used sparingly, they give a zest to the plainest meal, and the olive oil which is used so frequently in the preparation of salads is of immense value in promoting health.

The greens used in making salad, lettuce, dandelion and water cress should always be most carefully washed, and served only when fresh, crisp and cold. Many canned vegetables and left-overs may be used in salad, which would not be nearly so appetizing prepared in any other way.

ASPARAGUS SALAD.

Use either fresh or canned asparagus. If fresh, of course it should be cooked in the usual way and allowed to cool. Only very tender asparagus is suitable for salad. Cut green or red peppers into rings, put four stalks in each ring. Place these bundles on lettuce leaves and serve with usual French dressing. A little pat of Philadelphia cream cheese may be put on edge of each plate.

BEET RELISH.

One quart chopped beets, one quart chopped cabbage, one cup ground horseradish, one cup brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Pour over enough vinegar to moisten well about three cups. Heat and seal.

BOILED DRESSING.

Four tablespoonfuls vinegar, one tablespoonful butter, one-half tablespoonful sugar, yolks of three eggs, one cup whipped cream when ready to serve. Boil vinegar and sugar, turn on beaten yolks of eggs. Return to fire, and when as thick as boiled custard remove and add butter.

COLD SLAW.

One-half cup vinegar boiled, two teaspoonfuls sugar, one-half teaspoonful salt and mustard, one-half teaspoonful pepper, one-quarter cup butter to a cream, one teaspoonful flour; pour into boiling vinegar, cook five minutes. One well-beaten egg, with the cabbage chopped fine; pour vinegar over while hot.

COMBINATION SALAD.

Line a dish with lettuce. Arrange on it a layer of sliced tomatoes, thin layer of chopped onions, one sliced cucumber and one green pepper chopped fine. Pour over these layers a dressing made as follows:

Beat yolks of two eggs; add slowly about one cup of olive oil, beating all the time, two tablespoonfuls vinegar, salt and pepper to taste.

COOKED SALAD DRESSING.

One teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful mustard, one and one-half teaspoonful sugar, few grains cayenne, three-fourths tablespoonful flour, yolks of two eggs, three-fourths cup of scalded milk, one-half cup hot vinegar, one and one-half teaspoonful melted butter. Mix the dry ingredients, add the yolks and mix thoroughly; add the scalded milk, return to double boiler, add the hot vinegar, stirring constantly until mixture thickens, add the butter. Cool before using.

FRENCH DRESSING.

One saltspoonful salt, one-half saltspoonful white pepper, three tablespoonfuls olive oil, one-half teaspoonful onion juice, one tablespoonful vinegar. Mix in order slowly. One spoonful lemon juice may be used in place of onion juice.

FRUIT SALAD.

Bananas sliced lengthwise in quarters; over this put pineapple in cubes. Boil the pineapple a few minutes, to make it more tender. Then large strawberries and English walnuts. Over it put a spoonful of mayonnaise. Make the mayonnaise as you would a filling for lemon pie, with two lemons. Add whipped cream to it before serving.

HOT SLAW.

Chop or slice one medium-sized cabbage; put in boiling water, well covered; boil fifteen minutes, drain off all water and add a dressing made as follows: Half teacup vinegar, two-thirds as much sugar, salt, pepper, one-half teaspoonful mustard, one tablespoonful butter or olive oil. When this is boiling hot add one teacup cream and one egg, stirred together; mix thoroughly and immediately with the cabbage. Cook a moment. Serve hot.

LETTUCE SALAD.

Remove the outer leaves from a large, solid head of lettuce. Tear each leaf into three or four pieces; put them into a towel and on ice or in a cold place. When wishing to serve, put into a bowl, mix one tablespoonful vinegar, one-half teaspoonful salt and one-quarter teaspoonful pepper and sprinkle over the lettuce; stir well, add four tablespoonfuls thick, sweet cream and mix quickly. Serve at once.

MAYONNAISE.

Two tablespoonfuls butter, one teaspoonful mustard, one teaspoonful salt, four teaspoonfuls sugar, one-half cup vinegar, one cup cream, yolks of four eggs. Beat yolks together, add butter, mustard, salt and sugar. Boil cream and add to mixture. Boil vinegar and add. Then put on fire and stir until it thickens.

MAYONNAISE.

Yolks of eight eggs, two tablespoonfuls butter, one cup sugar, one tablespoonful flour, one teaspoonful salt, one teaspoonful mustard, one and one-half cup strong vinegar, two-thirds cup water. Mix flour, mustard and sugar together; add to it the beaten eggs, sugar and butter; then add vinegar and water, and cook over slow fire, stirring all the time. Thin with cream when ready to use, and add celery seed if desired. One-half of this can be made at one time.

NEW ENGLAND POTATO SALAD.

One pint of cream, yolks of two eggs, one-half teaspoonful dry mustard, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-half teaspoonful pepper. Beat yolks for a few minutes, add mustard, salt and pepper, then mix with the cream and put in double boiler; let come to a boil. Put pepper and salt (more, if deemed necessary) and vinegar over potatoes or cabbage about ten minutes before putting in the dressing.

POTATO SALAD.

Boil six good-sized potatoes in their jackets. When cold, peel and put in chopping bowl; add two medium-sized onions, two hard-boiled eggs and chop fine. Add dressing.

Dressing.

Two eggs well beaten, one cup sweet milk. Boil milk and eggs until it thickens, then add one tablespoonful sugar and butter size of walnut. One-half cup vinegar; salt and pepper to taste.

SALAD No. 1.

Put alternate slices of tomatoes and pineapple on lettuce leaves and put a large spoonful mayonnaise over each.

SALAD No. 2.

Chop celery, English walnuts and apples, mix with mayonnaise. Serve on lettuce leaves.

SALAD.

Use lemon Jello as directed on the box. When beginning to get livery, put in thin slices of stuffed olives and pour in small cup to mold. Turn out on lettuce leaves and put a spoonful of mayonnaise on each.

SOUR CREAM POTATO SALAD.

Slice thin cold boiled potatoes and salt well, pour over thick sour cream and stir gently, cut celery in small pieces and mix; let stand one hour, then put in vinegar and stir, using one-third as much as cream. Let stand in cool place two or three hours.

SWEDISH SALAD.

One cup each of boiled potatoes, beet root, fish (mackerel, salmon or cold meat), celery root or stock, one apple, all cut up in small squares; chop some olives and pickles very fine, salt and pepper to taste. Mix in enough cream to make it stick together. Make a sauce by lightly whipping some cream and adding vinegar. Garnish with hard-boiled eggs, olives and beets.

SWEETBREAD SALAD.

One pair sweetbreads, two cucumbers, one cup mayonnaise. Decorate with shredded lettuce border.

SWEET CREAM DRESSING.

Mix together two tablespoonfuls olive oil, one teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls sugar, two tablespoonfuls vinegar. Then add one-half cup tomato catsup and one cupful sweet cream, beating in gradually. This dressing is good for fish, as well as vegetable salads.

TOMATO-CUCUMBER SALAD.

Take nice shaped tomatoes, remove skin, scoop out the seed, sprinkle with salt and put in cool place. Cut cucumbers in bits, fill the tomatoes and serve with whipped cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

TOMATO SALAD.

Cut the tomatoes half or two-thirds size if desired. Take out the inside and cut into dice. Fill the shells with ice. One cup tomatoes, one-half teaspoonful shredded onion. Over this pour mayonnaise dressing made with one egg, well-beaten oil, pour in until a little thick, salt, pepper and vinegar. Have all very cold. One teaspoonful of this dressing to a cup of tomatoes. Serve in the tomato shells. Nasturtium leaves are pretty on the plate to garnish.

MEAT

"Meat was made for mouths."

While it is undoubtedly true that raw meat is, as a rule, more easily digested than cooked, our present state of civilization demands that it be cooked, and we can only comply with the demand, preparing the food in question so that it may be not only attractive to the eye, but in a manner that will render it pleasing to the taste and readily assimilated. Cooking softens the tissues, making the act of eating more enjoyable, and also destroys parasitic growths.

To boil meat when broth is not desired, plunge into boiling water. The water should be allowed to boil for about ten minutes and then be permitted to fall somewhat below boiling point and kept at even heat for a long time. The juices and flavors are thus retained.

It is not desirable that fish should be treated in this manner, as the boiling water would break it into little pieces.

To stew meat, put small portions into cold water and raise temperature slowly, until very hot, but not quite boiling. Let it remain thus for some hours, and a rich broth, as well as juicy and tender meat, will result.

In roasting meat it is well to remember that the smaller roast requires the hotter fire. Intense heat produces a semi-solid condition of the exterior, and prevents the drying up of the meat juices. Great heat would be inapplicable to large cuts, the exterior of which would be burned to a coal under such treatment before the heat could reach the interior.

Young housekeepers and others who are not familiar with the various cuts of meat obtainable in most of our markets will do well to consider thoughtfully the accompanying illustrations.

In selecting beef we must remember that color is of great importance. The surface of a fresh lean cut should be a bright red, while the fat should be clear white. After being exposed to a warm atmosphere the surface will of course become darker in color.

The loin commands a higher market price than any other cut, on account of its tenderness and quality. The names applied to different parts of the loin vary in different localities. The part nearest the ribs is often called the "short steak," the other end the "sirloin."

It is interesting in this connection to recall the story which has been told regarding the origin of the word "sirloin." It is said that this steak found such favor with some epicurean king of olden times that he, in a spirit of jocularity and good humor, bestowed upon it the honor of knighthood, to the great delight of his assembled court, and as "Sir Loin" it was thereafter known. It is a pity to spoil so good a story, but the fact is that the word is derived from the French "sur" (upon) and "longe" (loin), and the preferable orthography would therefore be "surloin." However spelled, and whatever its history, the sirloin is deservedly popular.

Between the short and sirloin is the portion usually called the tenderloin, the name of which indicates its prevailing characteristic, the tenderness which makes it a much-to-be-desired cut in spite of its lack of juiciness and flavor as compared with other cuts.

The rib is the cut between the loin and chuck, and contains the best roasts. The fat on the best grade of ribs should be about one-half inch deep.

Round steaks are rather popular, but as Americans have a preference for loin and rib cuts, a large share of the lower grades of "rounds" are used otherwise, being converted into Hamburger, used as sausage trimmings and disposed of in many other ways.

Chucks are used extensively as shoulder steak, boiling pieces, and make very good roasts. Pot roasts are cut from the lower side, and stews or soup meat from the neck. The better grade of chucks should have a complete covering of fat, thickest at the rib end of the cut.

Quality in veal is determined by color and grain of flesh. It should be light pink, nearly white, and should contain a quantity of fat. The many ways of cooking and serving veal are so well known as to need but passing mention; veal loaf, veal cutlets, chops, pie, stew, curry of veal and many others are all favorite dishes in many homes.

In selecting mutton or lamb we should be guided by color, fineness of grain, thickness of flesh and amount of fat. Mutton of a dull brick red is preferable, though the color varies from that to dark red. Lamb on account of its superior flavor is more popular than mutton. The flesh of lamb should be light in color, of fine grain and the fat evenly distributed. The nutritive value of mutton and lamb is practically the same as beef.