Ohio). Ladies' Aid Society First Presbyterian Church (Marion

“ It is said that "Any fool can make a salad," but all salads are not made by fools. "Mixing" comes by intuition, and the successful cooks use the ingredients, judgment, and their own tastes, rather than the recipe. ”

“ RULE FOR SELECTING FISH. If the gills are red, the eyes full, and the whole fish firm and stiff, they are fresh and good; if, on the contrary, the gills are pale, the eyes sunken, the flesh flabby, they are stale.
BAKED FISH. Take large white fish or pickerel, make a dressing as for turkey, with the addition of one egg and a little onion; fill the fish, wrap close with twine, lay in baking pan; put in one-half pint of water, small lumps of butter and dredge with flour. Bake from three-fourths to one hour, basting carefully. ”

“ CINNAMON BREAD. Take flour as for making biscuit; add a cupful of yeast sponge, two well beaten eggs, a quart of luke-warm water, and a cupful of sugar. Salt and knead same as light dough and set to rise. When it is ready to make out, roll into thin cakes; place in well buttered pans and let it rise again. Bake to a light brown on top, and when done, spread a cream over it, as follows: White of an egg beaten to stiff froth; add teaspoonful of ground cinnamon, and a tablespoonful of granulated sugar. When this is done, put the bread again in the oven to dry the cream. ”

“ The lightness of a cake depends not only upon the making, but the baking, also. It is highly important to exercise judgment respecting the heat of the oven, which must be regulated according to the cake you bake, and the stove you use. Solid cake requires sufficient heat to cause it to rise, and brown nicely without scorching. If it should brown too fast, cover with thick brown paper. All light cakes require quick heat, and are not good if baked in a cool oven. ”

“ Rabbit pie is made like chicken pie. To roast a rabbit, stuff with a dressing made of bread crumbs, chopped salt pork, thyme, onion, pepper and salt; sew up; rub over with a little butter, or pin on a few slices of salt pork; add a little water, and baste often. Rabbits may be fried as you would steak, and served with a sour sauce made like a brown flour gravy, with half a cup of vinegar added ”

“ It should never boil hard, but simmer gently until the ham has cooked fifteen minutes to every pound. It must cool in the liquor, and the skin should not be removed until the meat is entirely cold, taking care not to break or tear the fat. Brush over the ham with beaten egg, strew it thickly with very fine bread crumbs, and brown in a quick oven. Arrange a frill of paper around the bone of the shank, and surround the ham with water-cress, or garnish the dish with parsley. ”

“ Chop as much celery as you have meat. For the dressing, take six yolks and one whole egg; beat to a froth, mix with two spoonfuls of salad oil, one spoonful mixed mustard, a little pepper and salt, one pint vinegar, heated; before it boils, stir in the other ingredients; cook till thick, stirring all the time. Boil down the liquid in which the chickens were cooked until it forms a jelly. ”

“ Put one-half cup of butter into an iron frying pan over the fire. When it begins to brown, add one quart of strained pumpkin; let it cook a few moments, stirring all the time; put into a large bowl or crock; add two quarts of good rich milk, eight eggs, beaten separately, two large cups of sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, one of pepper, one of ginger, one of cinnamon, one of cloves, one grated nutmeg, and one tablespoonful of vanilla. Bake in moderate oven, with under crust only. ”

“ When cool, place in stone jars, one layer of pickles, and then a layer of grape leaves, some horseradish, and a few sliced onions, if you like the taste of onion. When your jars are full, make a syrup of good vinegar and sugar, sweetened to taste, and add stick of cinnamon, a little celery seed ”

“ TROY PUDDING. MRS. GEO. TURNER. One cup of raisins, one cup of New Orleans molasses, one cup of beef suet; one cup of sweet milk, three cups of flour, one teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful each of ground cloves, ginger, and cinnamon, saltspoon of salt; mix; pour in pudding pan, and steam from four to six hours. Serve very hot, with sauce to suit taste. When taken from steamer, set in oven a moment to dry the top. This rule makes three small loaves. It will keep to warm over when needed.
PIES. "Who dare deny the truth, there's poetry in pie?" ”

“ Where you make one mistake you will be surprised to find the number of successful varieties you can produce. If you like a spicy flavor, try two or three cloves, or allspice, or bay leaves. All soups are improved by a dash of onion, unless it is the white soups, or purees from chicken, veal, fish, etc. In these celery may be used.
In nothing so well as soups can a housekeeper be economical of the odds and ends of food left from meals. ”

“ LEMON JELLY FOR CAKE. Lemon jelly, to spread between layers of cake, or on the top of sago or custard pudding, is made by grating the rinds of two lemons and squeezing out the juice; add a heaping cup of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter. Stir these together and then add three eggs, beaten very light; set the basin or little pail in which you have this in another of boiling water; stir it constantly until it thickens. ”

“ To one pint of cracker crumbs add a pinch of salt and pepper, one teaspoonful parsley, cut fine, one teaspoonful baking powder, mixed with the crumbs, one small dessert spoon of butter, one egg; stir all together; make into balls size of a marble ”

“ If any is allowed to remain, it will prevent them becoming as stiff and dry as required. Deep earthen bowls are best for mixing cake, and should be kept exclusively for that purpose. After using, wash well, dry perfectly, and keep in a dry place. A wooden spoon or paddle is best for beating batter. Before commencing to make your cake, see that all the ingredients required are at hand. ”

“ Remove the yolks, and cream them with a good salad dressing. Mix with chopped ham, or chicken, or any cold meat, if you choose. Make mixture into balls, and fill in the hollows of your whites. If you have not the salad dressing mix the yolks from six eggs with a teaspoonful of melted butter, a dash of cayenne pepper, a little prepared mustard, salt, vinegar and sugar to taste.
SALADS AND SALAD DRESSING. "To make a perfect salad, there should be a spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a wise man for salt, and a madcap to stir the ingredients up, and mix them well together." ”

“ Have ready the beaten yolks of three eggs and a quantity of rolled cracker, salted and peppered. Dip each oyster separately, first into egg, then into cracker. When all have been thus dipped, have ready a hot spider, into which drop four heaping tablespoons of butter. When butter is melted, place in the oysters, one by one; fry a light brown, then turn. Serve very hot. ”

“ Make a gravy with milk, a little flour, and a teaspoonful of sugar; pour over the ham.
HAM TOAST. MRS. E. SEFFNER. Chop lean ham (the refuse bits) ; put in a pan with a lump of butter the size of an egg, a little pepper, and two beaten eggs. When well warmed, spread on hot buttered toast.
BOILED HAM. The best ham to select is one weighing from eight to ten pounds. Take one that is not too fat, to save waste. Wash it carefully before you put it on to boil, removing rust or mold with a small, stiff scrubbing brush. Lay it in a large boiler, and pour over it enough cold water to cover it. ”

“ We also believe that it will not only be welcomed by those who recognize the names and merits of the various contributors, but by all housekeepers, young and old. There can never be too many helps for those who, three times a day, must meet and answer the imperative question, "What shall we eat?" ”

“ Like cooking the hare, you must first catch it. Choose a thick cut from the sirloin of a mature, well fatted beeve, avoiding any having dark yellow fat. Detach a portion of the narrow end and trim off any adhering inner skin. Place the steak upon a hot spider, and quickly turn it. ”

“ VEGETABLES. "Cheerful cooks make every dish a feast."
—MASSINGER.
Always have the water boiling when you put your vegetables in, and keep it constantly boiling until they are done. Cook each kind by itself when convenient. All vegetables should be well seasoned.
BEETS. Boil the beets in salted water until tender. When cold, skin; cut in thin slices, and dress with white pepper, salt, oil, or butter, and vinegar ”

“ While cooking, make many openings in the steak to allow the butter to pass through. When done, place on a hot platter and serve immediately.
BEEFSTEAK AND ONIONS. MRS. H. T. VAN FLEET. Have a steak well hacked; over this sprinkle pepper, salt, and a little flour. Into a very hot spider drop one teaspoonful of lard; when melted, lay in steak; pour over this two tablespoons boiling water, and cover steak with four good-sized onions, sliced very thin. Cover quickly and cook five minutes; then turn all over together, and cook five minutes longer. Care should be taken that the onions do not turn. ”

“ FRITTERS. Separate four eggs; beat the yolks until light; add to them one quart of sweet milk, a little salt. Beat the whites very stiff; stir in one quart of flour, and the whites, half and half, with one teaspoonful of baking powder. In a tablespoonful of batter, place a slice of nice sour apple; drop into hot lard, and fry nice brown on both sides. Serve hot, with butter and syrup. ”

“ SALMON LOAF. MARGARET LEONARD. One small can salmon, four eggs beaten light, four tablespoons melted butter—not hot—one half cup fine bread crumbs. Season with salt, pepper, and parsley. Chop fish fine, then rub in butter till smooth. Beat crumbs into egg and season before putting with fish. Butter your mold and steam one hour.
SAUCE FOR SAME.—One cup of milk, heated to a boil; thicken with one tablespoon of corn starch and one tablespoon of butter, beaten together. Put in the liquor from the salmon and one raw egg, beaten light; add a little pepper. ”

“ ANNIE'S CORN CAKES. One egg, one pint of sour milk, one-half teaspoonful soda, pinch salt, one-half cup flour, corn meal to make not too stiff a batter.
MUSH. W. R. C. To three quarts of boiling water, add salt to taste. Stir in gradually sufficient corn meal to make it quite thick. Boil slowly one hour. Stir often, and beat well; that will make it light and smooth. Eat with cream, milk, and butter, or syrup. To fry when cold, cut in thin slices, and fry in lard and butter, mixed. ”

“ MRS. E. FAIRFIELD. One egg, one cup milk, one tablespoon sugar, one tablespoon butter, two teacups flour, three teaspoons baking powder, one teaspoon salt. Mix yolk of egg, butter, and sugar; add then the flour, baking powder, and salt, sifted together; then white of egg, beaten well. Bake ten minutes in quick oven. Much of the success in baking depends upon having the iron muffin ring well heated on the top of stove before putting the batter in them. ”