Chapter 7
Shell beans just before using. Rinse in cold water. Put into saucepan; cover with boiling water and boil until tender. Drain and add salt, pepper and melted butter.
KOHL-RABI
Peel turnip-shaped globe; cut into small pieces; cover with boiling water and boil until tender, 30 to 35 minutes. Add one teaspoon salt to each quart water. Serve plain with melted butter and pepper, or with cream sauce.
The leaves may be stemmed and cooked as greens, boiling 40 minutes.
CANDIED SWEET POTATOES
Boil 1 quart sweet potatoes in salted water until tender; drain and scrape off skins; cut into slices and put in layers into greased basing dish covering each layer and top with brown sugar and pieces of butter. Bake in hot oven until brown.
BAKED TOMATOES
6 tomatoes 2 cups soft bread crumbs 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1 tablespoon butter
Wash tomatoes and cut off stem ends; remove pulp from center and fill with bread crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper; place small piece of butter on each. Bake in hot oven 30 minutes. The pulp may be seasoned to taste, cooked in the pan and served as a sauce.
BROWNED PARSNIPS
1 quart parsnips 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Wash, scrape and cut parsnips into slices. Cover with boiling water and boil until tender; drain. Brown on greased griddle or frying pan. Season with salt and pepper.
OYSTER PLANT
Wash and cover with boiling water. Cook 40 to 60 minutes or until soft. Scrape, cut in pieces and serve with cream sauce.
SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS
Salads may be made in infinite variety from plain lettuce, chicory, endive, romaine or water cress served with French dressing, to many combinations of lettuce with cold vegetables, fish, meats or fruits.
All salad greens should be fresh, crisp, dry and cold before serving. Wash leaves carefully and put on ice either in lettuce dryer or in a cloth. Salads should be dressed at the table or just before serving.
CHICKEN SALAD
4 cups cold boiled chicken, cut into small pieces 2 cups finely cut celery 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 hard boiled eggs 2 cups mayonnaise dressing 6 olives 1/3 cup French dressing
Mix chicken with celery, seasoning and one egg cut into small pieces; marinate with French dressing, and let stand in cold place about one hour. Serve on lettuce leaves and spread mayonnaise over top. Garnish with olives and remaining egg cut into slices. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and paprika.
FRUIT SALAD
1/2 pound Malaga grapes 2 pears 1 grapefruit 1 orange 1 head lettuce
Wash, peel; remove seeds from all fruit; cut grapes into halves, pears in lengthwise pieces, grapefruit and orange into sections; chill until ready to serve. Serve on lettuce leaves with French dressing. Alligator pears, melon or other fruit may be substituted for above variety.
MARQUISE SALAD
3 firm tomatoes 1/2 cup chopped onion 1/2 cup chopped parsley 2 tablespoons salad oil
Peel tomatoes and cut in half. Mix onion and parsley, add oil; let stand two hours before using. When ready to serve line salad bowl with lettuce, place tomatoes in it and on each half put 1 tablespoon onion and parsley mixture. Pour on French dressing. Everything should be ice cold.
VEGETABLE SALAD
1 cup finely cut red cabbage 1 cup cold boiled beets 1 cup cold boiled carrots 1 cup cold boiled potatoes 1 cup chopped celery 1/2 cup pimentoes 1 head lettuce 1 cup French dressing
Soak cabbage in cold water 1 hour; drain and add beets, carrots and potatoes cut into small pieces; add celery. Mix well together, season with salt and pepper and serve on lettuce leaves. On top put strips of pimento and serve with French dressing, to which may be added one teaspoon onion juice.
POTATO SALAD
1 quart cold boiled potatoes 1 onion, finely sliced 1/2 teaspoon salt chopped parsley 1/2 cup French dressing
Cut potatoes into slices or cubes; add onion; mix with salt, parsley and French dressing. Serve on lettuce leaves with boiled dressing.
LOBSTER SALAD
Cut cold boiled lobster into small pieces. Marinate with French dressing; arrange on lettuce leaves; cover with mayonnaise and garnish with lobster claws, olives and hard-boiled eggs. For boiled lobster see page 31.
FISH SALAD
2 cups shredded lettuce 1 can tuna fish or 1-1/2 lbs. any cold boiled fish 1/2 cup French dressing 1 teaspoon onion juice 1 cup finely cut celery 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
Line dish with lettuce; place fish in center; pour over French dressing to which onion juice has been added and cover top of fish with celery; put mayonnaise on top. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
FRENCH DRESSING
Mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper or few grains cayenne pepper in bowl; add 3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil, beating constantly. Place on ice until ready to serve.
MAYONNAISE I
1 egg yolk 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/16 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 cup salad oil 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
Utensils and ingredients should be very cold. Put egg yolk into shallow bowl; add, seasoning and mix well; add oil slowly, almost drop by drop, beating continually until very thick. Thin with vinegar; continue adding oil and vinegar until all is used.
MAYONNAISE II
1 egg juice of 1 lemon or 4 tablespoons vinegar 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon paprika few grains cayenne 2 cups salad oil
Put egg with vinegar or lemon juice and seasoning into bowl and beat with rotary egg beater. Add oil a tablespoonful or more at a time, beating constantly. Well covered, this mayonnaise will keep for three or four weeks.
BOILED SALAD DRESSING
1/2 tablespoon salt 1-1/2 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon mustard 1/2 tablespoon flour few grains cayenne 1/2 cup vinegar 2 eggs 3/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon butter or other shortening
Mix dry ingredients in top of double boiler; add vinegar and beaten egg yolks and mix; add milk and butter. Cook in double boiler until thick and smooth. Take from fire and add beaten egg whites. Cool and serve.
RUSSIAN DRESSING
To 1 cup mayonnaise add just before serving 2 teaspoons chili sauce, 6 pimentos chopped fine, and if desired a dash of grated cheese.
BEVERAGES
BOILED COFFEE
For 4 cups. Beat half an egg white with three tablespoons cold water and mix with 3/4 cup ground coffee; put into scalded coffee pot; add 1 quart boiling water and boil 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup cold water and allow to stand 3 minutes to settle before serving.
FRENCH OR DRIP COFFEE
6 tablespoons finely ground coffee 4 cups boiling water
Put coffee in fine strainer of coffee pot. Keep over hot water or on back of range but do not boil. Pour boiling water slowly over coffee, about one-quarter of a cup at a time, keeping pot covered between each addition of water.
TEA
Water for tea should be freshly heated and just boiling. Teas are of different strength, but a safe rule is 1 teaspoon dry tea to 1 cup water. Scald teapot; put in dry tea and cover with little boiling water for 1 minute. Add boiling water and cover closely. Allow it to stand 3 to 6 minutes and strain off into a second hot pot before serving.
CHOCOLATE
Cut into small pieces 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate; add 1 tablespoon sugar and 2 tablespoons hot water. Boil all together till smooth; add gradually 2 cups scalded milk; cook in double boiler 5 minutes. If desired add 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Serve with whipped cream.
COCOA
The usual rule is 2 teaspoons cocoa, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 tablespoon cold water and 3/4 milk to each cup. Mix dry cocoa with sugar and cold water; cook over slow fire until thick; add milk, and boil 1 minute.
COCOA SYRUP
2 cups water 2 cups sugar 1 cup cocoa 1/2 teaspoon salt
Stir water and sugar in saucepan until dissolved; boil 5 minutes; mix cocoa with cold water to make a paste and add to boiling water and sugar; boil slowly for 10 minutes; add salt. When cold put into bottle or glass jar in refrigerator. Take 2 tablespoons of syrup for each glass or cup of milk. Served with whipped cream either hot or cold this is a nourishing and delicious beverage.
CANDIES
CREAM CANDY
2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons vinegar 1 teaspoon cream of tartar 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Add a little water to moisten sugar; boil with vinegar and cream of tartar without stirring, until brittle when tried in cold water. Add lemon; turn out quickly on buttered plates. When cool enough to handle, pull until white, and cut into pieces.
BUTTER SCOTCH
2 cups sugar 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons butter
Boil without stirring until brittle when tested in cold water. Pour out on buttered plates to cool.
BUTTER TAFFY
3 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup molasses 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup vinegar 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Boil sugar, molasses, water and vinegar. When crisp in cold water add butter and vanilla. Cook 3 minutes. Cool on buttered pans and break into pieces.
PEANUT BRITTLE
2 cups chopped roasted nuts 3 cups granulated sugar
Put sugar in frying pan. Stir over slow fire. It will lump, then gradually melt. When pale yellow, and clear, add nuts and pour quickly on greased tin. When cold break into pieces.
CHOCOLATE CARAMELS
2 cups molasses 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cream or milk 1/4 pound unsweetened chocolate 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put all ingredients but vanilla into kettle. Boil until it hardens when tested in cold water; add vanilla and turn into large flat greased tins. When nearly cold, cut into small squares.
CREAMED NUTS
2 cups confectioners' sugar white of 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 teaspoons cold water walnuts or other nuts
Mix sugar, unbeaten egg white, vanilla and cold water into a stiff paste. Shape into little balls, press between halved walnut or other nut meats.
Stoned dates and large seeded raisins may be filled with this cream, or it may be mixed with chopped nuts, shaped into bars and cut into squares.
CANDIED POPCORN
1-1/2 cups sugar or maple syrup 1 tablespoon butter 3 tablespoons water 3 quarts popped corn
Boil sugar or syrup with butter and water until it spins a long thread; pour this on popcorn and if desired shape into balls. Candied nuts may be prepared in the same way.
PULLED MOLASSES CANDY
1 cup molasses 2 cups brown sugar 1 cup water 3 tablespoons vinegar 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar 3 tablespoons butter 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Put molasses, sugar, water and vinegar into saucepan and stir; when boiling add cream of tartar and boil until very brittle when tested in cold water; add butter and soda and pour on buttered platter. When cool enough to handle, butter hands and pull until light brown. Cut with scissors into small pieces.
FUDGE
3 cups sugar 1 cup milk or cream 1 tablespoon butter 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate or 6 tablespoons cocoa 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put sugar, milk and cocoa or chocolate into saucepan; stir and boil until it makes soft ball when tested in cold water; take from fire, add butter and vanilla, cool and stir until creamy. Pour on buttered plates and cut into squares.
PENUCHE
2 cups light brown sugar 1/3 cup milk or cream 1 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup chopped nuts 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Put sugar, milk, and butter into saucepan. Boil with as little stirring as possible until it makes a soft ball when tested in cold water. Take from fire; add nuts and vanilla; stir until creamy and pour into greased tins.
COCOA CREAM CANDY
4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar 2 tablespoons boiling water 4 tablespoons cocoa 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix sugar and boiling water until smooth; add cocoa and vanilla; mix until creamy. Dust hands with sugar; take up 1/2 teaspoon of mixture and roll. Dust a plate with sugar, and roll balls in finely chopped nuts and allow to dry for about 2 hours.
COCOANUT CREAM CANDY
1 tablespoon butter 3/4 cup milk 2 cups sugar 1/2 cup grated fresh cocoanut 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Melt butter in saucepan; add milk and sugar; stir until sugar is dissolved, heating slowly; boil 12 to 15 minutes; remove from fire and add cocoanut and vanilla, beating until creamy. Pour into buttered tins and cool.
For Chocolate Cocoanut Cream Candy add 1-1/2 ounces unsweetened chocolate or 4 tablespoons cocoa before boiling.
HICKORY NUT CANDY
2 cups sugar 1/2 cup water 1 teaspoon lemon or vanilla extract 1 cup hickory nut meats
Boil sugar and water without stirring until thick enough to spin a thread; place saucepan in cold water; add flavoring and stir quickly until white; stir in nuts; turn into flat buttered tin; when cold cut into squares.
SALTED ALMONDS
Blanch almonds by putting into boiling water for a few minutes. Remove skins, dry well and brown in heated oil or butter on top of stove or in oven. Take from fire when very light brown, as they continue to color after removing from fire. Drain well on brown paper and sprinkle with salt.
STUFFED PRUNES OR DATES
Wash, dry and stone fruit; fill with a half marshmallow or blanched almond or chopped nuts and raisins and roll in sugar.
FIRELESS COOKERY
The Fireless Cooker has become an important factor in the home. The principle employed is the preservation of heat by the use of non-conducting materials. The device ordinarily used is a rectangular box lined on all sides with some substance which will prevent escape of heat, with spaces or wells for stone or metal discs or radiators, and vessels containing food to be cooked.
The advantages of this method are: the improvement in flavor occasioned by the slower cooking with little opportunity for evaporation, the improved appearance of food that is subject to shrinkage when cooked by ordinary methods; the saving in labor and time, as the cooking practically takes care of itself. Dinner may be prepared in the morning, placed in the cooker, and without further attention be ready to serve after 3 or 4 hours. While the time required for cooking is somewhat longer than in the usual methods, the actual time consumed in preparation of a meal is considerably reduced.
General Directions
Prepare food for cooking as usual. Place in special vessel, designed to fit into wells of Fireless Cooker, and heat on range or over gas flame until ordinary cooking temperature is reached. Put into cooker with one or more radiators which have been heated for 10 or 15 minutes over hot fire. For roasting, radiator should be hot enough to brown a pinch of flour immediately. Close cover, fasten lightly so that the steam may escape and allow cooking to proceed for time specified in recipes.
For baking cake, apples, etc., proceed as for roasting. The time required for baking is slightly longer than that specified for regular ovens. For cake ordinarily baked in a moderate oven, heat radiators hot enough to brown a pinch of flour in half a minute.
CEREALS
Prepare cereal for cooking in double boiler as usual. Boil over fire for 5 minutes; place in larger vessel of boiling water in cooker, and allow it to remain 4 or 5 hours or longer. If placed in cooker at night it should remain warm enough to serve for breakfast.
STEAMING
For recipes see "Boston Brown Bread," "Poor Man's Pudding," "Christmas Plum Pudding," etc. Prepare and mix ingredients as directed. Put into greased molds and place in shallow pan of boiling water over very hot radiator in cooker. Fasten cover tight and cook for 5 to 6 hours.
SOUPS
For ingredients and preparation of soups see pages 29 and 30.
Place ingredients in a vessel; cover with cold water; bring to boil over free flame and boil 5 minutes. Fasten cover and transfer to cooker, using one hot radiator in bottom of well. Cook 4 or 5 hours, season and serve.
BOILED OR STEWED MEATS
Prepare meat for cooking as usual, searing in frying pan if desired brown. Place in large vessel and cover or partly cover with boiling water, boiling with cover fastened tight for 10 or 15 minutes over free flame. Transfer to cooker, using one hot radiator underneath. Cook 2 or 3 hours, season and serve.
ROAST MEATS
Prepare and season meat in usual way. Place in large dry vessel; put very hot radiator in bottom of cooker well; place vessel containing roast on radiator, and place another very hot radiator on top. Close cooker and fasten. Allow it to remain about one-half hour per pound of meat.
The roast may be browned in a very hot oven before putting into cooker or just before serving.
VEGETABLES
Prepare vegetables as usual. Place in vessel with small quantity of boiling water. As there is little evaporation in tireless cookers, allowance does not have to be made for loss by evaporation. Boil over free flame for 5 to 10 minutes. Transfer to cooker, using one radiator in bottom of well. Cook 3 or 4 hours, remove from cooker, season and serve.
SUGGESTIONS FOR INVALIDS
BARLEY WATER
2 tablespoons pearl barley 2 quarts cold water
Wash barley, soak several hours in cold water and boil gently in same water for 2 hours; or put into double boiler and cook 4 hours or until reduced one-half. Lemon juice and sugar or salt to taste may be added if desired.
ALBUMINIZED ORANGE
1 egg white Juice of 1 orange Sugar
Add orange juice sweetened to taste to egg white and beat well. Chill and serve cold.
PINEAPPLE JUICE
Peel a ripe pineapple, cut into small pieces and extract juice with fruit press or potato ricer. Strain and serve with cracked ice.
BEEF TEA
1 pound lean beef 1 cup cold water
Cut beef into small pieces or put through meat chopper. Put into fruit jar; add cold water and allow to stand 15 to 20 minutes to draw out juice. Place on trivet or rack in pan of cold water and heat very slowly for about 2 hours. The water must not boil. Season, strain, cool and remove fat. Serve hot or cold.
SCRAPED BEEF
Scrape meat with knife from lean beef cut from round until nothing but connective tissue is left. Form into small balls and broil on both sides for about 2 minutes. Season and serve. For sandwiches spread uncooked scraped beef on thin slices of bread and season.
SPANISH CREAM
2 cups scalded milk 4 eggs 1/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons granulated gelatine 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 pint cream
Pour scalded milk over egg yolks and sugar which have been mixed together. Put into double boiler and cook slowly until thick and smooth. Pour over gelatine which has been soaking in 1/4 cup cold water. Chill; add vanilla and beat with egg whip until thick. Fold in beaten egg whites. Chill in molds and serve with sweetened whipped cream.
GLUTEN MUFFINS
2 cups gluten flour 3 teaspoons Dr. Price's Baking Powder 1 egg 1 tablespoon melted butter 2 cups milk
Sift together flour and baking powder, add beaten egg and butter to milk and mix well. Bake in greased muffin tins in moderate oven about 35 minutes.
In addition to the above, many recipes such as soups, broths, jellies, ices, and plain drop cakes suitable for invalids and convalescents are to be found in the preceding pages.
PRESERVING AND CANNING
(Material adapted from U.S. Food Administration and N.Y. State Department of Agriculture.)
GENERAL DIRECTIONS
Test all jars for leakage before using. To do this, fill with water, put on rubber and cover, seal and invert.
Sterilize all utensils, jars, covers, etc., by covering with cold water, and boil for 10 minutes. Use only new rubbers and dip in boiling water just before using.
Use wide-mouthed funnel when filling jars to avoid loss of material and keep jar rim clean.
Invert all jars after filling and sealing.
Fruit should be sound, firm and not overripe and carefully prepared.
Clean fruit, clean hands, clean utensils, and a clean kitchen free from flies, are essential for safety and success.
Keep products in a cool place. Avoid freezing in winter.
CANNING
Canning is the process of preparing sterilized food so that it will keep indefinitely.
The custom of canning fruit in syrup is based on the improvement in flavor and texture which sugar gives to fruit. Sugar is not necessary for its preservation. Success depends upon thorough sterilization--that is, killing the organisms which cause food to spoil, and then sealing perfectly to prevent their entrance. Fruit may be canned in water, in fruit juice and in syrup.
PRESERVING
The only difference between preserving and canning fruit is that sugar is always used in preserving, while in canning it is used in smaller quantity or not at all. In preserving the old rule of equal weights of sugar and fruit may be followed.
OPEN-KETTLE METHOD
This method is generally used for preserves, jams, and marmalades. Food is completely cooked and then poured boiling hot into sterilized jars.
Prepare fruit, which may or may not be peeled, and cut into pieces depending on the variety. Blanch or scald peaches and similar fruits to loosen skin and chill by plunging into cold water. Cook slowly in as little water as possible or in fruit juice or fruit syrup until done. Fill sterilized jars, seal and invert.
CAN-COOKED METHOD
By this method uncooked or partly cooked food is packed in can or jar, covered with liquid and both jar and contents sterilized.
Pare fruit if desired or blanch or scald in boiling water a small quantity of fruit at a time. (See time table.) Do not blanch cherries, sour cherries excepted, berries or plums.
Chill outside of blanched fruit by immersing a few minutes in a large vessel of cold water. Remove skin from such fruits as peaches.
Pack fruit firmly in clean, tested jars to within one-half inch of top.
Fill jars to within 1/4 inch of top with boiling water, fruit juice or syrup.
Place new rubber on each jar, adjust cover and partly seal.
Place jars on false bottom of water bath and sterilize for required time. See time-table. If the hot-water bath is used, jars should be immersed in sufficient boiling water to cover tops to depth of about 1 inch. Do not begin to time the sterilizing until water boils. Keep water boiling during sterilizing period.
Remove jars from sterilizer. Seal them and invert to cool. Avoid draft on jars, but cool as rapidly as possible.
Wash jars and label. Wrap in paper or store in a dark place to prevent loss of color of red fruit.
Vegetables may also be canned by this method.
A TIME-TABLE FOR CANNING FRUITS BY THE CAN-COOKED METHOD
TIME OF COOKING If the If the preserve Time of hot-water cooker is used Blanching bath is used (5 pounds) Fruit Minutes Minutes Minutes Apricots, peaches 1-2 16 10 Blackberries 16 6 Cherries, Strawberries, Grapes, Plums 16 10 Fruit Juices 20 10 Huckleberries, Raspberries 16 8 Pears 1-2 20 10 Pineapples 60 40 Quinces 1-2 60 40
USE OF SUGAR IN CANNING FRUIT
Sugar is used in canning fruit for the purpose of improving flavor and is not necessary for preservation.
Thin Syrup--1 part sugar to 2 parts water for sweet fruits.
Medium Syrup--1 part sugar to 1 part water for berries and medium sweet fruits.
Thick Syrup--2 parts sugar to 1 part water for sour fruits.
To make syrup add sugar to boiling water. Stir until all sugar is dissolved, boil 2 or 3 minutes.
CANNED PEACHES
Have ready a syrup by boiling sugar and water together until sugar has dissolved, using 1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar to each cup water. Allow 1 cup syrup to each quart jar of peaches and add 1 peach pit to each quart syrup.