Chapter 5

Mix pumpkin with milk, sugar, beaten eggs, ginger, salt, cinnamon, and beat 2 minutes. Pour into pie tin which has been lined with pastry. Place in hot oven for fifteen minutes, then reduce heat and bake 45 minutes in moderate oven.

LEMON MERINGUE PIE

2 cups water 3 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons flour 1 cup sugar 3 eggs 4 tablespoons lemon Juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind 1 teaspoon salt

Line pie plate loosely with pastry and bake about 10 minutes or until very light brown. Put water on to boil; mix cornstarch, flour and sugar with 1/2 cup cold water until smooth; separate eggs; add egg yolks; mix well and add slowly to boiling water. Cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly; add lemon juice, rind and salt. Pour into baked crust. Beat egg whites; add 3 tablespoons sugar and spread thickly over top of pie. Dust with sugar and brown slightly in slow oven.

STRAWBERRY PIE

1 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1/4 cup cold water 4 tablespoons shortening 1 quart strawberries

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with finger tips; add water slowly, just enough to make a stiff dough. Roll out on floured board and use for bottom crust of pie, being careful to fold the paste well over the edge of pie plate. Bake in hot oven 12 to 15 minutes.

If glazed crust is desired, brush edges after baking with boiling hot syrup (2 tablespoons syrup and one tablespoon water) and return to oven for one or two minutes until syrup hardens. Fill the baked crust with fresh selected hulled strawberries and cover with syrup made as follows:

Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 cup strawberries to 2 cups boiling water; bring to a boil and strain; add one tablespoon cornstarch which has been mixed with little cold water. Cook over hot fire for a minute or two, stirring constantly; remove from fire and beat hard; return to slow fire, cook very gently until thick. Pour while hot over strawberries. Serve either hot or cold.

CUSTARD PIE

3 eggs 3/4 cup sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups scalded milk

Beat eggs; add sugar, salt and milk slowly; add vanilla. Line pie plate with pastry page 26, pour in custard. Bake in moderate oven 25 to 30 minutes or until custard is baked. Cocoanut pie is made the same way, adding one cup fresh grated cocoanut and using only two eggs. Bake as above.

MINCE PIE

Mince Pie should always be made with two crusts. Line pie plate with pastry page 26, fill with mince meat, cover with pastry and bake in hot oven 25 minutes.

MINCE MEAT

2 lbs. fresh lean beef, boiled and chopped fine when cold 1 lb. suet, chopped very fine 5 lbs. chopped apples 1 lb. seeded raisins 2 lbs. currants 3/4 lb. sliced citron 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons ground mace 1 tablespoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon allspice 1 tablespoon fine salt 2-1/2 lbs. brown sugar 1 qt. sherry or boiled cider 1 pt. brandy or grape juice

Mix all ingredients thoroughly. Pack in jars. Store in cold, dry place. Allow to stand 24 hours before using.

RHUBARB PIE

2 cups cut rhubarb 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cut off root, stem ends and peel; cut into small pieces; put into deep pie plate which has been lined with pastry; sprinkle with cornstarch, salt and sugar which have been mixed together. Cover with pastry; prick top of crust and bake about one-half hour in moderate oven.

BERRY PIES

3 cups blueberries, huckleberries, or blackberries 1 teaspoon flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2/3 cup sugar 1 teaspoon butter

Line pie plate with plain pastry; fill heaping with berries; sprinkle with flour, salt and sugar mixed together; dot with small pieces of butter; cover with crust or strips of pastry across top. Bake about 45 minutes in moderate oven. Other fruit pies can be made in same way.

CHERRY TARTS

1-1/2 cups flour 3 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 6 tablespoons shortening 1/3 cup cold water 1 quart pitted cherries

Sift dry ingredients together; rub in shortening very lightly with fingertips; add water slowly, just enough to make stiff dough; roll out very thin on floured board; line patty pans with pastry; being very careful to have pastry come well over the edges of pans. Bake in hot oven about 12 or 15 minutes; fill with cherries which have been washed and picked over. Cover with syrup made as for strawberry pie above, using 1/2 cup cherries instead of strawberries. Other fruit can be used in place of cherries.

FROZEN DESSERTS

HOW TO FREEZE

Scald ice cream can, cover and dasher, adjust can in freezer; put in dasher; pour in mixture to be frozen and fasten cover (the can should never be more than 3/4 full); adjust crank and turn once or twice. Fill space around can to within an inch of top with ice and salt (three parts crushed ice to one part salt), packing hard. Turn slowly at first, increasing speed when mixture begins to stiffen. Add more ice and salt as required. When mixture is very firm, wipe off cover, open can and remove dasher; scrape frozen mixture from dasher and sides of can, and pack down solidly; cover with paper and replace cover. Put cork in opening in cover. Pour off salt water if there is danger of its getting into the can. Fill up over top of can with ice and salt (four parts ice to one part salt). Cover freezer with heavy blanket and keep in cool place until ready to serve.

PHILADELPHIA ICE CREAM

1 quart cream 1 cup sugar 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Scald 1 cup of cream; add sugar and stir until dissolved. Cool and add remainder of cream and vanilla. Freeze as above.

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM

Add to Philadelphia Ice Cream before freezing one quart of berries which have been washed, hulled, crushed and slightly sweetened.

CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM

Melt 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate with half pint cream and proceed as for Philadelphia Ice Cream.

FRENCH ICE CREAM

1 cup milk yolks of 4 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 quart cream

Scald milk and add slowly to beaten egg yolks; add sugar, salt, vanilla and cream which has been whipped. Freeze as above.

COFFEE ICE CREAM

Add one cup coffee to either French or Philadelphia Ice Cream.

FROZEN PUDDING

3 cups milk 1 tablespoon cornstarch 3 eggs 1 cup sugar 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped mixed fruit

Scald milk in double boiler. Mix cornstarch with little cold milk; add beaten eggs, sugar and salt; mix well and add slowly to scalded milk, stirring until it thickens. Cool and add fruit, which has been put through food chopper. The fruit is a matter of taste. It may be 2 tablespoons raisins, 1 tablespoon citron, 1 tablespoon cherries, 1 tablespoon blanched almonds, 1 tablespoon candied pineapple and a few currants. Freeze, but not too stiff; put into mold and pack in ice and salt.

GRAPE SHERBET

1 pint grape juice 1 cup sugar 1 quart milk

Warm grape juice, and in it dissolve sugar; mix thoroughly with ice cold milk; freeze at once. This makes a lilac colored sherbet.

LEMON SHERBET

juice of 3 lemons 1-1/2 cups sugar 1 quart milk

Mix juice and sugar, stirring constantly while slowly adding very cold milk. If added too rapidly, mixture will curdle. However, this does not affect quality. Freeze and serve.

ORANGE WATER ICE

juice of 6 oranges 2 teaspoons orange extract 1 quart water juice of 1 lemon 2 cups powdered sugar 1/2 cup cream

Mix all ingredients together; strain and freeze.

STRAWBERRY MOUSSE

1 quart strawberries 1 cup sugar 1/4 box or 1 tablespoon granulated gelatine 2 tablespoons cold water 3 tablespoons boiling water 1 quart cream

Wash and hull berries, sprinkle with sugar and let stand one hour; mash and rub through fine sieve; add gelatine which has been soaked in cold water and dissolved in boiling water. Set in pan of ice water and stir until it begins to thicken; fold in whipped cream. Put into mold, cover, pack in salt and ice, 1 part salt to 3 parts ice; let stand 4 hours. Raspberries, peaches, shredded pineapple, or other fruit can be substituted for strawberries.

SOUPS

The basis of all good soups is the stock or liquid in which bones, cooked or uncooked meat or vegetables have been boiled.

The proportions for soup stock are generally one pound meat and bone to one quart water. The meat should be cut into small pieces and put into kettle with bones, covered with cold water and cooked slowly for several hours.

Gravies and browned pieces of meat are often added to the soup kettle for color and flavoring.

The stock should be strained, quickly cooled and all fat removed.

Cream soups are made with a cream sauce foundation to which is added strained pulp of vegetables or fish.

BROWN SOUP STOCK

6 lbs. shin of beef 3 to 6 quarts cold water 1 bay leaf 6 cloves 1 tablespoon mixed herbs 2 sprigs parsley 1/2 cup carrot 1/2 cup turnip 1/2 cup celery 1/2 cup onion

Wipe beef and cut lean meat into cubes; brown one-third in hot frying pan; put remaining two-thirds with bone and fat into soup kettle; add water and let stand 30 minutes. Place on back of range; add browned meat and heat gradually to boiling point. Cover and cook slowly six hours; add vegetables and seasoning one hour before it is finished. Strain and put away to cool. Remove all fat; reheat and serve.

BEAN SOUP

2 cups beans 2 tablespoons finely cut onion 2 tablespoons finely cut bacon 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 1 teaspoon thyme 3 tablespoons flour

Soak beans in water over night. Drain and put into saucepan with six cups boiling water and boil slowly two hours or until soft; add onion and bacon which have been fried light brown; boil five minutes; add salt, pepper, parsley and thyme. Mash beans with back of spoon. Add flour which has been mixed with a little cold water; boil five minutes and serve.

CREAM SOUPS

This is the foundation or sauce for many fish and vegetable cream soups.

1 quart milk 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon white pepper 2 tablespoons flour 1 tablespoon butter 1 cup boiling water

Scald milk and add seasoning; thicken with flour and butter rubbed to a cream with boiling water and boil two minutes.

For pea soup boil and mash 2 cups green peas and add to sauce.

For cream of celery boil 2 cups cut celery until tender; rub through sieve, add to milk and proceed as above.

For potato soup use 6 large or 10 medium-sized potatoes boiled and mashed fine. Stir into milk, proceed as above, and strain. Add a tablespoon chopped parsley just before serving.

For corn soup use same foundation, adding a can of corn, or corn cut from 6 ears boiled fresh corn and boil 15 minutes.

For cream of fish soup add to milk about one pound of boiled fish, rubbed through sieve and proceed as above.

CREOLE SOUP

1/4 cup rice 1/3 cup chopped onion 2 tablespoons bacon drippings 2 cups tomatoes 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon sugar 1/8 teaspoon paprika 1 tablespoon parsley

Wash rice, add 3 cups boiling water and boil 30 minutes. Cook onion in pan with drippings until tender, but not brown; add tomatoes and boil 10 minutes; rub through strainer into boiled rice and water; add seasoning and sprinkle with parsley. Add little chopped green pepper if desired.

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP

1 quart tomatoes 1/4 teaspoon soda 4 tablespoons butter 4 tablespoons flour 1 quart milk 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Stew tomatoes slowly one-half hour; rub through strainer; heat and add soda. In the meantime, melt butter and stir in flour; add milk slowly, cooking over low fire until thick; add seasoning. Take from fire and stir in hot tomatoes and serve immediately.

ONION SOUP

2 cups finely chopped onion 2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings 4 cups rice water or vegetable stock 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon white pepper 1/8 teaspoon paprika 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Cook onions and butter or drippings in covered saucepan, shaking pan often. When tender add rice water or stock; boil 5 minutes; add seasoning and parsley. Serve with croutons.

FISH

Fish is in good condition when gills are a bright, clear red, eyes full and flesh firm. Before cooking wash thoroughly in cold water.

Always cook fish thoroughly.

BOILED FISH

Cook small fish whole in sufficient boiling water to cover. Cut large fish, such as salmon or halibut in thick pieces and tie in piece of cheesecloth. Boil from 20 to 45 minutes, depending upon weight of fish. Drain, season and serve with egg sauce page 35.

BROILED FISH

Clean, wash, and split, removing backbone and fins along the edge. Very large fish should be cut into slices. Dry on piece of cheesecloth; season with salt and pepper. Cook on well-greased broiler, from 10 to 20 minutes, turning frequently. Remove to hot platter; add melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley; garnish with slices of lemon and serve.

BAKED FISH

Prepare as for "Broiled Fish." Brush pan with drippings; place fish, skin side down; sprinkle with salt, pepper and flour; pour over 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1/2 cup milk. Bake in hot oven 20 to 25 minutes or until brown. Remove to hot platter, sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

FRIED FISH

Clean, removing head and tail (unless the fish are small); wash with cold water and dry on piece of cheesecloth; sprinkle with salt, pepper and flour on both sides. Heat one tablespoon bacon drippings or other fat in heavy pan over hot fire. Put in fish; brown quickly on both sides; reduce heat and fry 5 to 10 minutes longer, or fry in deep fat. Serve with chopped parsley and lemon or sauce tartare page 36.

PLANKED FISH

Prepare as for "Broiled Fish." Heat plank, brush with drippings and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange fish on plank skin side down, doubling thin part so that it will not burn. Cook in hot oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven; surround fish with mashed potato roses and return to oven baking until potatoes and fish are brown. Melt 1 tablespoon butter, add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and pour over fish. Garnish with lemon and parsley and serve on the plank.

CODFISH BALLS

1 cup salt codfish 2 cups potatoes, cut into small pieces 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 tablespoon butter 1 egg

Pick over fish and shred into small pieces. Put potatoes into deep saucepan; cover with cold water; add fish and boil until potatoes are soft. Take off fire; drain well; beat up with wire whip or fork until light and all lumps are out and potatoes and fish are thoroughly mixed; season; add butter and beaten egg. Drop by spoonfuls into deep fat (hot enough to brown a piece of bread in 40 seconds) and fry until golden brown. Drain on brown paper and serve immediately.

FISH CHOWDER

2 or 3 slices salt pork 6 medium sized potatoes 1 small onion chopped fine 3 lbs. fresh fish 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 quarts milk

Cut pork in small pieces; fry crisp and turn into chowder kettle. Pare potatoes and cut into pieces. Add with part of onion. Cut fish into convenient pieces, and lay over potatoes; sprinkle with rest of onion; add seasoning and enough water to come to top of fish; cover closely and cook until potatoes are done; add milk and let it scald up again. If desired split pilot crackers may be added just before last boiling. If milk is not available a somewhat smaller quantity of water may be used.

BOILED LOBSTERS OR CRABS

Lobsters should be purchased alive and plunged into boiling water in which a good proportion of salt has been added. Continue to boil according to size about 20 minutes. Crabs should be boiled in the same manner, but only a little more than half the time is necessary.

The only parts of lobster not used are the "lady," gills and intestinal cord.

To open a boiled lobster, wipe off shell, break off large claws; separate tail from body; take body from shell, leaving "lady" or stomach, on shell. Put aside green fat and coral; remove small claws; remove woolly gills from body, break latter through middle and pick out meat from joints. Cut with sharp scissors through length of under side of tail, draw meat from shell. Draw back flesh on upper end and pull off intestinal cord. Break large claws and remove meat.

CREAMED OYSTERS

To each 30 oysters use 1-1/2 cups thick cream sauce page 35. Put oysters with liquor into shallow pan over quick fire and boil about one minute or until edges curl, and add cream sauce, stirring; until smooth.

Or put on oysters with 1 tablespoon butter; when cooked add 1 tablespoon flour which has been mixed with little cold water; add 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Worcestershire sauce may be added if desired. Boil 1 minute and serve on thin squares of toasted bread, garnish with parsley.

SCALLOPED OYSTERS

25 oysters 2 cups bread crumbs 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Grease dish and cover bottom with bread crumbs, then lay oysters in carefully; season and cover with bread crumbs; pour over milk and cover top with butter; bake in hot oven 15 to 20 minutes.

FRIED OYSTERS

Wash and drain oysters. Season with salt and pepper, dip in flour, egg and then bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in deep hot fat until golden brown. Drain well and garnish with lemon and parsley.

CLAM CHOWDER

25 clams 6 potatoes 1 onion 2 or 3 slices salt pork 2 teaspoons salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 quart milk

Chop hard parts of clams. Slice potatoes and onion thin. Put pork into kettle and cook a short time; add potatoes, onion, seasoning and juice of clams. Cook about 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft; add clams. Boil 15 minutes and just before serving add hot milk.

SHELL FISH A LÀ NEWBURG

2 cups finely cut shrimp; scallops; lobster or crab meat 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 2 hard boiled eggs 1 teaspoon salt cayenne pepper to taste 1/4 teaspoon paprika 1/4 cup sherry

If canned fish is used cover with cold water 20 minutes and drain. Melt butter in sauce pan; add flour and stir until smooth; add milk slowly; boil until thick. Rub yolks of eggs through strainer and add, stirring until smooth; add seasoning, and finely chopped egg whites; add fish which has been cut into small pieces; put all in top of double boiler over fire for 15 minutes; add sherry and serve immediately.

MEATS

ROASTING

Wipe meat with damp cloth. Trim and tie into shape if necessary. Put some pieces of fat in bottom of pan and season with salt and pepper. Have oven very hot at first and when meat is half done reduce heat. Baste every 10 to 15 minutes. If there is danger of fat in pan being scorched add a little boiling water. Roast 10 to 15 minutes for each pound of meat, in proportion as it is desired rare or well done.

BROILING

The rules for roasting meat apply to broiling, except that instead of cooking in the oven it is quickly browned, first on one side and then on other, over hot coals or directly under a gas flame, turning every minute until done. Meat an inch and one-half thick will broil in 8 to 15 minutes. Season after it is cooked.

PAN BROILING OR FRYING

Put meat to be broiled or fried in very hot frying pan, with very little or no fat. Turn every few minutes until cooked. Season and serve immediately. Steaks and chops may be pan-broiled without any fat in the pan. For thin gravy pour a little boiling water into pan after meat is taken out.

BOILING AND STEWING

Fresh meat should be put into boiling water and boiled over hot fire for about 5 minutes; reduce heat and boil very gently about 20 minutes for each pound. Salt and spices may be added for seasoning; vegetables may be boiled in water with the meat. The broth of boiled meat should always be saved to use in soups, stews and gravies. Salt meats should be put over the fire in cold water, which as soon as it boils should be replaced by fresh cold water, repeating until water is fresh enough to give meat a palatable flavor. Salted and smoked meats require about 30 minutes very slow boiling, to each pound. Vegetables and herbs may be boiled with them to flavor. When they are cooked the vessel containing them should be set where they will keep hot without boiling until required, if to be served hot; if to be served cold, they should be allowed to cool in the liquor in which they were boiled. Very salty meats, or those much dried in smoking should be soaked overnight in cold water before boiling.

POT ROASTING

A tough cut of meat may be first browned in fat, then cooked in small amount of water either in oven or in iron kettle on top of stove. This method requires long, slow cooking.

STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

2 lbs. lean beef 1 quart potatoes 2 cups cut carrots 2 cups cut onions 1 cup tomatoes 1 tablespoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon flour 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Wipe meat, cut into small pieces, put in kettle, cover with boiling water and boil slowly 1-1/2 hours; add carrots and onions; boil 15 minutes, then add potatoes, seasoning and tomatoes; add boiling water, if needed to cover vegetables; boil 30 minutes. Lift meat and vegetables out with skimmer and strain 4 cups of the stock for soup. There should be 2 cups left in the kettle; add flour which has been mixed with a little cold water; boil 3 minutes; pour over meat and vegetables and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

DUMPLINGS

1 cup flour 2 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon shortening cold water

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into bowl; rub in shortening lightly with fingers; add enough water to make dough hold together. Drop by spoonfuls into stew.

ROAST STUFFED SHOULDER OF LAMB WITH BROWNED POTATOES

3-1/2 or 4 pounds shoulder of lamb 2 cups stale bread crumbs 1 tablespoon finely cut onion 1 tablespoon drippings 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper

Wipe lamb with piece of wet cheesecloth; fill pocket with dressing made with above ingredients mixed together. Sew up and put into hot oven for 20 minutes. When well seared, season and pour over 1 cup cold water and roast 45 minutes; add 1 quart white potatoes, which have been washed, pared and boiled, and roast until potatoes are brown. Add more water as needed, making 2 cups of gravy when finished. Thicken gravy by adding 1 tablespoon flour mixed with little cold water, season and cook until smooth.

POT ROAST OF BEEF WITH BROWNED POTATOES

Wipe beef with damp cloth, put into iron kettle or frying pan, and brown well on all sides. Add 2 tablespoons cut onion, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and 2 cups boiling water; reduce heat and boil slowly 1-3/4 hours; add water as necessary, 1 cup at a time. After adding potatoes, boil 30 minutes. Place meat in center of hot platter and potatoes around edge. Mix 1 tablespoon flour with a little cold water, add to gravy and boil. Pour over meat and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Carrots cut in small pieces may be added with potatoes if desired.

LIVER AND BACON

Have liver cut in thin slices; wash, drain, dry and roll in flour. Put bacon thinly sliced into very hot frying pan; turn until brown and transfer to hot platter. Fry liver quickly in the hot bacon drippings, turning often. When done put on platter with bacon. Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons fat, add 1 to 2 tablespoons flour, and stir until brown. Add hot water gradually to make smooth gravy, season and boil 1 minute.

ROAST LAMB

Wipe meat with damp cloth. Put one or two thin slices of onion on top; season with salt and pepper. Put into roasting pan in hot oven and roast for about one hour and a quarter. Reduce the heat after lamb has been roasting about 20 minutes. Serve on hot platter with brown gravy or mint sauce.

BAKED VEAL WITH TOMATO SAUCE

1 thin veal cutlet 1 teaspoon drippings 1 teaspoon chopped onion 1 teaspoon chopped parsley 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper