Chapter 4

Take ten or twelve good-sized potatoes, peel and boil in salt water, add a large bunch of parsley previously washed and drained, and a pinch of baking soda. When the parsley is done, which will be in ten or fifteen minutes, take it up and lay it in a plate, drain it well and chop it, leaving out the stems. Chop fine one onion; when the potatoes are cooked place them at the back of the stove with a cloth and the lid over them; mash them, adding the onions as quickly as possible as the hot potatoes cook it, add a little pepper and salt and about one-half cup of hot milk with a lump of butter melted in it. Mix all together, serve with a little butter with each helping. This is sometimes made with kale, hence its name.

LYONNAISE POTATOES.

One pint cold potatoes cut in dice and seasoned with salt and pepper. Fry one scant tablespoonful of onion in one heaping tablespoonful of butter, add the potatoes, stir with a fork until the potatoes absorb the butter, add one teaspoonful chopped parsley. Three pints of boiling water, one-half teaspoonful salt. All vegetables should be put in boiling water.

MOCK ASPARAGUS.

Cut the tops from several bunches of young, green onions, leaving the stalks about the length of asparagus; trim the roots, wash and tie in bundles like asparagus. Cook until tender, drain off water, sprinkle with cheese and pour over ends a little melted butter. Onions are very delicate prepared in this way.

MUSHROOM SPAGHETTI.

Boil spaghetti in salt water one-half hour, drain, cover with soup stock, add one can of tomatoes, salt, pepper to taste. One can mushrooms. Boil all these ingredients well together, turn into a hot dish. Pass grated Parmesan cheese, to sprinkle over each portion. Fresh mushrooms turned in butter may be used instead of canned ones.

NEW ENGLAND SWEET POTATOES.

Put a layer of boiled, peeled and sliced sweet potatoes in a greased baking dish, sprinkle with brown sugar and dot with butter. Cover with another layer of potatoes and another of sugar, and so on until the dish is full. The last thing, pour over a cup of boiling water. Bake in a medium oven for one-half hour.

OKRA.

This vegetable grows in almost every state in the Union and is used extensively in soups. When young it is good boiled in salted water until tender, drained, and heated for five minutes with cream, butter, salt and pepper.

BAKED ONIONS.

Cover a number of large onions with boiling water and boil twenty minutes. Drain off water and make small hole in center of each onion. Fill hole with well-seasoned mashed potatoes. Add salt, pepper and butter, and milk to cover. Bake about one-half hour.

PARSNIPS.

Wash and scrape until clean, and cook until tender. When cooked, put into hot dish, sprinkle with salt and add bits of butter. Serve at once.

PEAS AND CARROTS.

One cup of carrots cut in dice and cooked, two cups green peas (or canned), four tablespoonfuls cream, one tablespoonful butter, salt and pepper. Put carrots and peas in stew pan, add cream, butter, and serve hot.

POTATOES AU GRATIN.

First prepare your white sauce of one-half pint milk, one tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls flour. Cream butter and flour and add to boiling milk. Cook about ten minutes in double boiler. Slice or chop cold boiled potatoes, put in baking dish. One layer of potatoes. Cover thickly with layer of white sauce and grated cheese. Season with salt, pepper, mustard and cayenne pepper to suit taste. Put in other layers in same manner and bake twenty minutes.

POTATO CROQUETTES.

Two cups hot riced potatoes, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-fourth teaspoonful celery salt, one teaspoonful finely chopped parsley, two tablespoonfuls butter, one-half teaspoonful pepper, yolk of one egg, a few drops of onion juice. Mix the above ingredients, beat until light, shape, egg and crumb, and fry in deep fat, drain on paper. Serve hot. Finely chopped almonds are a pleasant addition.

POTATOES O'BRIEN.

Boil with skin on, allow them to stand until perfectly cold. Peel and chop fine and use Spanish peppers and salt, cream and butter. If you wish to brown, don't use cream, just fry slowly in butter.

POTATOES ON HALF SHELL.

Six baked potatoes, three tablespoonfuls hot milk, two tablespoonfuls butter, whites of two eggs, salt and pepper. Cut slice from top, scoop out inside, mash, add seasoning, then the whites of the eggs well beaten. Refill and bake from five to eight minutes in hot oven. A little grated cheese can be sprinkled on them.

RICH CREAMED POTATOES.

One cup potatoes cold, milk to cover, three tablespoonfuls butter, salt and pepper to taste, dash of paprika. Cut cold boiled potatoes in dice, better if boiled the day before. Melt butter in a saucepan, add potatoes and seasoning, cover and cook a minute, uncover, stir well, cover and cook another minute. Then add milk to cover well, and cook very slowly for forty-five minutes, keeping saucepan covered. These need watching, but are delicious; nice for Sunday night supper. Asbestos mats are best to use under these, if cooked over gas stove.

SALSIFY.

To prevent salsify from turning dark, drop as soon as pared into a mixture of flour, water and a little vinegar. After paring, cut into slices about three inches long. Put on in prepared water and cook thirty minutes from the time it begins to boil. Drain and serve in white sauce; or mix butter, salt, lemon juice and parsley and serve with this.

SCALLOPED CELERY.

Chopped celery, bread or cracker crumbs, butter, salt and pepper, milk. Place a layer of crumbs in bottom of buttered dish, then a layer of celery, dot with butter, season and continue alternately until pan is full, having crumbs on top, cover with milk, bake slowly until milk is absorbed, about one-half hour. Serve in bake dish.

SCALLOPED POTATOES AND EGGS.

Boil six medium-sized potatoes in salt water; boil four eggs an hour; let get cold. Make a cream sauce of one heaping tablespoonful of butter and a rounding tablespoonful of flour, with one and one-half cup of milk and a little salt. Cut potatoes and eggs and put in baking dish with the white sauce. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top. Bake until a yellowish brown, about three-fourths of an hour.

SHELLED BEANS STEWED.

Cut one-quarter pound salt pork in slices and fry slowly for ten minutes. Add one onion, chopped fine, and cook very slowly for twenty minutes. Cover one quart of green shelled kidney beans with boiling water and boil ten minutes. Drain off the water, put the beans and one tablespoonful of flour with the pork and onion and stir over the fire for five minutes. Add a quart of boiling water and one-half teaspoonful pepper. Keep where it will simmer for two hours. Salt to taste.

SPAGHETTI.

Four onions cut fine, one can of tomatoes, one package spaghetti, grated cheese, salt, pepper and cinnamon. Fry four onions in butter and lard, then put in tomatoes and seasoning, boil slowly until thick, put in grated cheese. Boil spaghetti in hot water until tender, cook until done, throw into strainer, then serve. Place grated cheese over it. Serve sauce separately.

SPAGHETTI.

White sauce: One and one-half cup hot milk, tablespoonful butter, tablespoonful flour. Add one-half teaspoonful salt and mix two-thirds cup fine cracker crumbs with one-third cup melted butter and sprinkle over the top. One-half cup cheese, dry.

SPINACH.

Put one-half peck spinach in stewpan and on the fire. Cover and cook for ten minutes. Press down and turn over several times. At the end of ten minutes turn into chopping bowl and mince. Return to stewpan and add seasoning; two generous tablespoonfuls butter and teaspoonful salt. Simmer for ten minutes.

SPINACH WITH SAUCE.

One-half peck spinach, one teaspoonful salt, two tablespoonfuls flour or cornstarch, one pint boiling water, two tablespoonfuls butter, three-fourths cup cream or one cup milk. Prepare one-half peck spinach by cooking uncovered in one pint of boiling water, or, if young and tender, its own juices. Drain and chop fine. Put two tablespoonfuls butter in a frying pan; when melted add the spinach and cook three minutes. Sprinkle with two level tablespoonfuls cornstarch; stir thoroughly and add gradually three-fourths cup milk. Cook five minutes, serve with toast points on a pretty platter.

SQUASH.

Cut squash into small pieces and either steam or cook in boiling water. If boiled it will cook in half an hour; steaming will take an hour. Mash fine, season with salt, pepper and butter.

TOMATO ON TOAST.

Boil a quart of peeled and cut tomatoes for about ten minutes, then strain and put in saucepan with two teaspoonfuls salt, one-half teaspoonful pepper and two tablespoonfuls butter. Cook for five minutes. Cover a hot platter with toasted slices of bread and pour the tomato over it.

TWENTY-MINUTE CABBAGE.

Cut cabbage fine as for slaw. Cover with _boiling_ water and boil twenty minutes, changing the water once. Drain and serve with sauce made of tablespoonful butter, tablespoonful flour, cup of hot milk.

DESSERTS

"The little sweet doth kill much bitterness."--Keats.

ALMOND TART.

Yolks of six eggs, beaten well, to which is added one cup powdered sugar. Mix one cup grated dried rusk, one cup grated almonds, one teaspoonful baking powder. Add to the yolks, and lastly add the well-beaten whites of six eggs. This makes three layers. Bake very slowly.

Filling.

One cup hot water, to which is added one-half cup sugar, one egg, one tablespoonful cornstarch, boil slowly, and add one cup grated almonds and one teaspoonful vanilla. Any other nuts can be used.

APPLE CHARLOTTE.

One cup apple sauce, one cup sugar, one-third package gelatin, three cups cold water, three cups boiling water, one lemon. Dissolve the gelatin (Knox's preferred) in cold water for five minutes, add the boiling water, sugar, lemon juice and apple, strain and set it to cool. When it is nearly stiff, add the well-beaten whites of three eggs. Line a mold with lady-fingers, pour in jelly and let stand until firm. It is nice served with whipped cream or a sauce made from yolks of eggs.

Sauce.

One pint boiling milk, yolks of three eggs, one-fourth cup sugar. Add a tablespoonful gelatin dissolved in a little water just before taking from fire. A teaspoonful of vanilla.

APRICOT SHORTCAKE.

Three cups flour, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, one-half teaspoonful salt, one-half cup butter, one egg (very light), one cup cold water stirred into the flour. Stir all very slowly. Divide in half, bake in square pans. Sprinkle the tops with white granulated sugar. Bake ten or fifteen minutes. Mash and sweeten the fruit, spread on top and between layers.

Sauce.

One teaspoonful cornstarch with one-half cup sugar; one cup of the fruit juice at boiling point, add sugar with cornstarch and let boil five minutes. Grease pans with lard or beef drippings.

BAKED APPLES.

Core the apples, but do not peel them. Stuff them with minced pecans mixed with scraped maple sugar, and bake. When done, cover with whipped cream.

BAKED APPLES.

Pare and quarter apples. Put into baking dish with butter, sugar, cinnamon and a little hot water. Keep cover on dish until almost done, then remove cover and brown.

BAKED DUMPLINGS.

For the dough: One pint flour, one-half cup butter, stir together; one teaspoonful baking powder, and milk to make a dough. Roll, cut in squares. Fill with apple or any fruit desired, put dumplings in a pan with one pint of water, a little butter, two-thirds cup sugar. Put on top of stove and let come to a boil, then put in oven at least one-half hour. Serve warm with cream.

BREAD PUDDING.

One pint bread crumbs without crust to one quart milk, four eggs beaten separately. After it is baked, cover with sweet jelly, beat the whites very light, add to them one-half cup pulverized sugar, put on top of the pudding, then in the oven until brown.

Sauce.

Two tablespoonfuls butter, one-half cup sugar, yolk of one egg, one tablespoonful cornstarch; beat hard, thin with boiling water, cook in hot water.

CABINET PUDDING.

Butter a melon mold, decorated with seeded raisins; one layer lady-fingers or stale sponge cake, then a few raisins, then repeat until the mold is nearly full; beat well the yolks of three eggs, add three tablespoonfuls sugar, one-half saltspoonful salt, add slowly one pint boiling milk, pour over cake in mold, and then steam for one hour. Serve with Foamy Sauce.

Foamy Sauce.

Rub one-half cup butter to a cream, add slowly one cup powdered sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla. When ready to serve, add one-fourth cup boiling water, the whites of two eggs beaten to a foam.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING.

One pint milk, four tablespoonfuls sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla, salt, two tablespoonfuls cornstarch, one tablespoonful cocoa, cinnamon. Thoroughly blend together the dry cornstarch and cocoa, then dissolve with a little cold milk and reduce to a pouring state, add vanilla. Heat the milk in a double boiler, add sugar and a pinch of cinnamon and salt; when scalding hot, pour in cornstarch and cocoa mixture and stir carefully until it thickens well. Turn into wet molds. Serve with plain or whipped cream. Garnish with Maraschino cherry.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING.

One pint milk, one pint bread crumbs, yolks of three eggs, one-half teaspoon vanilla, five tablespoonfuls grated chocolate. Scald the milk, add bread crumbs and chocolate. Take from fire and add one-half cup sugar and the beaten yolks. Bake in pudding dish fifteen minutes. Make meringue of whites of eggs and three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Spread over pudding and brown. Serve warm or cold, with cream, plain or whipped.

CREAM STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE.

One quart white flour; mix well with three tablespoonfuls cold butter, one teaspoonful salt, a tablespoonful white sugar. Add a beaten egg to a cup of sour cream, turn into other ingredients. Dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a little water, mix all together quickly, roll lightly into two round sheets, place on pie tins and bake from twenty to twenty-five minutes in quick oven. Split, spread sweetened berries between layers and on top, and cover generously with whipped cream.

CUP CUSTARD.

Beat four eggs and stir in one-half cup sugar, one-fourth teaspoonful salt, then slowly one quart scalded milk. When sugar has dissolved, flavor with nutmeg or vanilla and pour in cups or bake dish. Set cups or bake dish in a pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven till a knife inserted in custard comes out clean. Do not let the water in the pan boil. Serve plain or with caramel sauce.

Caramel Sauce.

Melt one-half cup sugar to a syrup of light brown color, and add one-half cup water. Simmer ten minutes. Cool before serving.

FIG PUDDING.

Chop one-half pound beef suet and work with the hands until creamy, then add one-half pound figs finely chopped, and again work with the hands until thoroughly blended. Soak two cups stale bread crumbs in one-half cup milk thirty minutes. Add two eggs well beaten, one cup sugar and three-fourths teaspoonful salt. Combine the mixture, beat vigorously, turn into a buttered mold, steam over three hours, remove from the mold and serve with sauce. Serve ten or eleven persons.

Sauce for Pudding.

Yolks of two eggs beaten light, two-thirds cup powdered sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla. Add one-half pint cream, whipped just before serving. Whites of eggs may be used instead of whipped cream.

FIG TAPIOCA.

Soak two-thirds of a cup of tapioca in three cups of cold water, add one pound of chopped figs and one and one-half cup of brown sugar. Steam one hour. Just before the tapioca sets add one cupful of chopped nuts and one teaspoonful of vanilla, (with knife), one-fourth teaspoonful salt. Ice water to form stiff dough.

FLUFFY CORNSTARCH PUDDING.

One pint of milk, three tablespoonfuls sugar, two tablespoonfuls cornstarch, whites of three eggs, a little salt to taste, one-half teaspoonful vanilla or lemon. Have egg whites beaten stiff. Put milk on in a double boiler; when heated, add sugar, salt and flavoring; when scalding hot, add cornstarch, which has been dissolved in a little cold milk. Let this cook a minute or two, stirring well, then add the stiffly beaten whites of eggs, using cut-and-fold method. Turn mixture into molds which have been wet with cold water; sherbet cups make excellent molds, tea cup half filled will do. Turn into suitable dishes and serve with custard sauce. Maraschino cherry on top of pudding is attractive.

Custard Sauce.

One pint milk, yolks of three eggs, three tablespoonfuls sugar, one teaspoonful vanilla or lemon, little salt. Beat egg yolks, add to these the sugar; heat milk in a double boiler, add salt and beaten egg yolks, stirring until the mixture thickens. Flavor when cool.

FROZEN PUDDING.

Soak one cup of candied fruit cut in pieces; put in hot syrup (sugar and water) to cover until softened; mix one quart cream and three-fourths cup sugar, and flavor, then freeze. Line two-quart mold with lady-fingers, crust side down. Fill with alternate layers of cream and fruit, cover, pack in salt and ice and let stand two hours. Serve with a nice boiled custard or whipped cream.

FRUIT PUFFS.

Make dough as for dumplings or fruit roll, only stiff enough to drop from spoon. To one pint sifted flour add one heaping teaspoonful baking powder, one-fourth teaspoonful salt, lump of lard or butter size of small egg, milk to make dough of consistency to drop it from a tablespoon. Drop a little dough on top of fruit, having cup about two-thirds full. Place cups in steamer and steam about three-fourths of an hour. Serve with any sauce or dip preferred.

FRUIT ROLL.

One pint flour, one tablespoonful sugar, one teaspoonful baking powder, pinch of salt, rounding tablespoonful lard, milk enough to roll. Roll in a long piece and put fruit (ripe or canned peaches, apricots, raspberries, blackberries or cherries) in center, then put the two sides together, a little water will make it stick; turn over and put in pan. Butter the top, take one-half cup sugar and one tablespoonful flour, mix thoroughly and pour into this the juice of the fruit or a little boiling water. Put a little of this on the top, also a little nutmeg. When half baked, pour in the sugar and flour, water or juice of fruit. Bake about one-half hour, when done baste with the juice. Serve with cream and sugar.

GRAHAM PUDDING.

One and one-half cup of Graham flour, one cup sweet milk, one-half cup molasses, one cup chopped raisins, one-half teaspoonful salt, one level teaspoonful soda. Sift the Graham flour to make it light and return the bran to the sifted mixture; dissolve the soda in the milk and add the salt and molasses with the milk to the Graham flour. Then add the raisins and pour into a double boiler and steam four hours.

GREEN TOMATO PIE.

Pare and slice tomatoes just beginning to ripen. Fill heaping full pie pan prepared with lower crust. Put in one cup sugar, a little nutmeg or cinnamon, juice of half a lemon and a tablespoonful butter. Cover with top crust. Bake three-fourths hour.

ICE CREAM PUDDING.

Custard: Two tablespoonfuls cornstarch, yolks of three eggs, one cup milk, one and one-third cup pulverized sugar; boil in double boiler, stirring constantly. Whip one quart cream, sweeten and flavor to taste; dissolve one tablespoonful Cox's gelatine and mix with cream; then add the beaten whites of eggs to the cream. Place alternate layers of the custard and whipped cream in a form or mold, sprinkling blanched and chopped almonds and candied cherries cut in small pieces in each layer. Close mold securely and place in a pail of chopped ice and salt. Allow four hours for freezing. Turn out of mold on a platter and cut in slices.

LEMON BUTTER.

Two lemons, grate rind of one; two eggs, one cup of sugar and small piece of butter. Boil until it thickens.

LEMON JELLY.

Soak one-half box of gelatine in one-half cup cold water; dissolve with one cup boiling water. Juice of one lemon, one cup sugar, one pint orange juice. Strain through a fine napkin. Put on ice to harden.

LEMON SAUCE.

Two heaping teaspoonfuls cornstarch, one cup sugar, add two cups boiling water, let simmer ten minutes, add grated rind and juice of one lemon, one tablespoonful butter.

MACARONI SOUFFLE.

Melt three tablespoonfuls butter, add four tablespoonfuls flour, and gradually one cup scalded milk with one-half cup macaroni rolled fine; when well thickened, pour into yolks of four eggs, beaten until thick, and lemon color, and mix with two tablespoonfuls sugar; cool, add one-fourth teaspoonful Crown almond extract and cut and fold in the whites of four eggs, beaten till stiff and dry. Turn into buttered pudding dish, sprinkle with macaroni crumbs and bake from thirty to thirty-five minutes in slow oven in a pan of water. Serve with Foamy Sauce.

Foamy Sauce.

Beat whites of two eggs till stiff, add gradually one cup powdered sugar and continue beating, and then add one-fourth cup hot milk or cream and one teaspoonful vanilla.

MAPLE MOUSSE.

Three-fourths cup maple syrup, yolks of four eggs, one pint whipped cream. Beat yolks until light, cook in double boiler with syrup fifteen minutes. Stir rapidly. Beat until cold, add whipped cream, put in a mold and pack in ice four or five hours.

MARSHMALLOW PUDDING.

Dissolve one and one-half tablespoonful gelatine in one-half cup boiling water. When thoroughly dissolved, add one-half cup cold water into which has been stirred a pinch of salt and sugar to taste; set aside to cool. When the gelatine begins to thicken, pour it slowly into the stiffly beaten whites of four eggs, beating it well as you pour. The mixture will now be white and spongy. Pour into mold or dish one-half of mixture, flavored to taste. Have ready cocoanut, chopped nuts or Maraschino cherries (all three may be used) in a center layer. Onto this pour the remainder of the mixture, which may be colored if desired. With this serve a sauce made from the yolks of three eggs, one pint milk, sugar and vanilla to taste; cook in double boiler till it thickens so that it will pour nicely. Quick and easy to prepare.

MOCK CHARLOTTE RUSSE.

One round tablespoonful cornstarch, moisten in cold water. Pour over one-half pint of boiling water, boil one minute, add one-half cup sugar and pour while hot over the well-beaten whites of three eggs. Add a teaspoonful vanilla and turn into a mold to harden. Make a sauce from the three yolks of the eggs beaten with four tablespoonfuls sugar and one pint of scalded milk cooked together for a moment, but not allowed to boil, or it will curdle.

ORANGE ICE.

Boil one quart of water, add one pint of sugar, boil twenty minutes, cool, add one pint orange juice, grated rind of two oranges and one-fourth cup lemon juice. Freeze and serve.

ORANGE PUDDING.

Four large oranges, sliced thin and sprinkled with sugar. Make a boiled custard of one pint milk, yolks of three eggs, pinch of salt, one tablespoonful cornstarch, three tablespoonfuls sugar. When cold, pour over oranges, cover with beaten whites and one-half cup sugar. To be eaten cold. Whipped cream can be used instead of frosting.

PINEAPPLE SHERBET.

Soak one tablespoonful gelatine in a cup of cold water; when soft, dissolve with a cup of boiling water, strain, add one pint sugar and one-half pint grated pineapple, juice of one lemon. Put in a freezer, pack with ice and salt and freeze.

PLUM PUDDING.

One and one-half cup molasses, one and one-half cup suet cut fine, one and one-half cup milk, one pound raisins, one pound currants, three teaspoonfuls soda melted in a little water, then poured in the molasses and stirred; cinnamon and cloves to taste, flour enough to make a stiff batter.

Sauce.

One large cup brown sugar, one-half cup butter beat until light, two eggs beaten separately; flavor with vanilla, put on stove and stir until it creams.

PLUM PUDDING.