The chefs of the New York Cooking School

“ The properly made griddle cake is a delicious food, healthful, appetizing, and nutritious.
Raising the griddle cake with yeast is altogether obsolete with expert cooks. Mixtures of soda, saleratus, sour milk, buttermilk, etc., are likewise not permissible. Royal Baking Powder has altogether redeemed the griddle cake. It makes the cake light, tender, digestible, and its preparation and baking are the work of a moment only.
Royal Baking Powder, plain, sweet milk, flour, and a little salt make a food fit for a feast. What so simple, so easily prepared? Eggs are altogether unessential. ”

“ Cake Baking.—For a plain cake made with one pound of flour, Royal Baking Powder, etc., the time to be allowed in baking would be from 40 to 50 minutes; at the outside not more than 1 hour. Very rich cakes, in which butter and eggs predominate, take, of course, very much longer time to bake, a pound cake taking from 11⁄2 to 2 hours, and a bride’s cake 31⁄2. On no account should an oven be too hot when the cake is put in—that is, hot enough to brown at once ”

“ When chopped fruits or vegetables are stirred in, or the batter is to be used plain, it should be thick enough to retain its shape when dropped by spoonfuls into the frying-kettle. The fat should be deep enough to cover the fritters, and it should be smoking hot when used. Each fritter will at first sink to the bottom of the kettle; then, as the heat starts the baking powder into action and the dough begins to swell, it will rise to the surface, and should be gently turned, the turning to be repeated until the fritter is finely colored. ”

“ Sausages.—Have 3⁄4 lean and 1⁄4 fat pork chopped very fine, 1 pound salt, 1⁄4 pound pepper, and tea-cup sage to every 40 pounds meat. Warm the meat, that you can mix it well with your hands, do up a part in small patties mixed with a little flour, the rest pack in jars. When to be used, do it up in small cakes, flour the outside, fry in butter or alone. They should not be covered while frying, or they will fall to pieces. They should be kept where it is cool, but not damp. To prevent sausages from bursting when cooking, never make a hole in them with a fork while turning them. ”

“ The griddle cake as made to-day with Royal Baking Powder is another article of food which has taken high rank upon the American table. The heavy, sour, grease-soaked, indigestible griddle cake of old is, where modern methods are employed, a thing of the past. ”

“ During the cooking the liquid in pot or steamer should be kept at a steady boil. No more batter or dough should be dropped in at one time than will cover the surface of the liquid or rest on top of the meat, for, if too many dumplings are dropped in at once, those underneath are sure to be soggy. The cover should not be lifted until the dumplings are done.
Dumplings for Soup.—1 cup flour, 1⁄4 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, sifted together. Add 1⁄3 cup finely chopped suet, and enough milk to make stiff dough. ”

“ The broth of boiled meat should always be saved to use in soups, stews, and gravies. Stewing and simmering meats means to place them near enough to the fire to keep the water on them bubbling moderately, constantly, and slowly. Salt meats should be put over the fire in cold water, which as soon as it boils should be replaced by fresh cold water, the water to be changed until it remains fresh enough to give the meat a palatable flavor when done. Salted and smoked meats require about 30 minutes’ very slow boiling, from the time the water boils, to each pound. ”

“ By the use of Royal Baking Powder a fine fritter batter may be stirred up in a moment, and a meal which it may be thought necessary to extend, perhaps because of unexpected guests, can be embellished by the addition of a delicate and tasty dish.
A fritter batter which is to be used as a medium for whole or sliced fruit should be quite thin, as it is to serve as a cover for the fruit. ”

“ To reheat, set cup in pan of hot water.
Restorative Jelly.—Put in glass jar 1⁄2 box granulated gelatine, 1 tablespoon granulated gum arabic, 2 cloves, 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 cup port wine. Stand in kettle cold water, heat till all is dissolved. Strain into shallow dish. Chill. Cut in 1⁄2-inch squares.
Candies Granulated sugar is preferable. Candy should not be stirred while boiling. Cream tartar should not be added until syrup begins to boil. Butter should be put in when candy is almost done. Flavors are more delicate when not boiled in candy but added afterward. ”

“ When very soft add 2 tablespoons boiling water, cook till smooth. Beat in hot sugar; keep beating till partly cool, add 1⁄2 teaspoon extract vanilla. Use at once.
Plain Cakes German Apple Cake.—1 pint flour, 11⁄2 teaspoons Royal Baking Powder, 1⁄2 teaspoon salt, mixed and sifted. Rub in 2 tablespoons butter, add 1 beaten egg, and milk to make very thick batter. Spread 1 inch deep in greased shallow tin; have ready several pared, cored, and quartered apples. Press points into dough, sprinkle thickly with sugar mixed with little cinnamon. Bake in hot oven. ”

“ But even the young or inexperienced housekeeper will find that with Royal Baking Powder a perfect short cake is an easy and agreeable task. The baking powder only needs to be thoroughly sifted with the flour, so that it may evenly lighten the cake. Use sweet milk always. For the old-fashioned short cake no eggs are needed, the dough being put together in the same way as for baking powder biscuit. ”

“ Pour yolks over whites, add grated rind of orange and 1 tablespoon of orange juice, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Mix and cook as above.
Omelet Soufflé.—Break 6 eggs into separate cups; beat 4 of the yolks, mix with them teaspoon flour, 3 tablespoons powdered sugar, very little salt; flavor with extract lemon or any other flavors that may be preferred. Whisk the whites of the 6 eggs to firm froth; mix them lightly with yolks; pour the mixture into a greased pan or dish; bake in quick oven. When well risen and lightly browned on the top it is done ”

“ The very simplicity of the methods of making and the familiar, every-day use of this little hot bread-morsel have, however, sometimes led to lack of care in its preparation, so that we too seldom find it in perfection upon our tables. ”

“ Turn can occasionally to make sure it will run freely. When ice is within 1 inch of top of can open and fill can, replace and fasten top. Turn slowly at first. Increase speed, adding more ice and salt as mixture sinks. When cream is very firm open can, draw out dasher, work cream down in can with wooden spoon, cover top with paper, then with can cover, add more ice and salt, heaping it over top of can. Cover with heavy blanket, set away in cold place for 2 hours.
Plain Ice Cream.—Scald 1 pint milk; mix 1 cup sugar with 2 tablespoons flour, pinch salt, and 2 beaten eggs. ”

“ It is the object of this chapter to stimulate an interest in and awaken a love for this most healthful and economical of our purely American foods, so that it will be found, as it deserves to be, a prominent part of every day’s food in every household. ”

“ For 4 pounds prepared fruit allow 1 pint vinegar, 2 pounds brown sugar, 1⁄2 cup whole spices—cloves, allspice, stick cinnamon, and cassia-buds. Tie spices in thin muslin bag, boil 10 minutes with vinegar and sugar. Skim, add fruit, cook till tender. Boil down syrup, pour over fruit in jars, and seal. If put in stone pots, boil syrup 3 successive mornings and pour over fruit. Currants, peaches, grapes, pears, and berries may be prepared in this way, also ripe cucumbers, muskmelons, and watermelon rind.
Soups Soup Stock is made from cheap, tough cuts. ”

“ The fruit should never be floured in making mince pie.
Mince-meat, 2.—2 pounds currants, 5 pounds peeled and cored apples, 2 pounds lean boiled beef, 1 pound beef suet, 3⁄4 pound citron, 21⁄2 pounds coffee sugar, 2 pounds raisins, 1 pound seedless raisins, 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 1 nutmeg, 1 tablespoon each mace, cloves, and allspice, 1 pint each Madeira wine and brandy. Wash currants, dry, pick them; stone the raisins; remove skin and sinews from the beef. Chop each ingredient up, separately, very fine; place as soon as done in large pan, finally adding spices, Madeira, and brandy ”

“ With a basis of flour, salt, and Royal Baking Powder, we can add other ingredients to vary and enrich the cakes and biscuits generally known to the housewife, and produce in almost endless variety breakfast and luncheon foods that shall be dainty and delicious or substantial and hearty. ”

“ Lightning Cake.—1 cup butter, 1 cup granulated sugar, 3 eggs, 2 cups flour, 1⁄2 teaspoon Royal Baking Powder, grated rind 1 lemon. Mix flour and baking powder. Cream butter and sugar, add lemon and beaten eggs, add flour, and beat well. Spread 1 inch thick on flat buttered pans, sprinkle with a mixture of granulated sugar, powdered cinnamon, and few chopped almonds. Bake pale brown in hot oven, and when cold cut in squares. ”

“ In no department of cookery is Royal Baking Powder of greater use and importance than in making fine cake. Eggs are too expensive nowadays to be used as lavishly as they were a generation ago—ten or more to a cake. ”

“ Use a kettle with a very tight cover and simmer slowly for a number of hours. Stock is better when made the day before it is to be used.
Soup Stock.—1 pound lean beef, 1 pound bone (or 2 pounds of shin) , 1 quart cold water, 1 teaspoon salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon peppercorns, 2 cloves, 2 allspice berries, 1 sprig parsley, 1 teaspoon mixed herbs, 1 tablespoon each kind chopped vegetable. Prepare meat as above, soak in water 1⁄2 hour, heat slowly and simmer 3 hours, add vegetables and seasonings, simmer 1 hour longer, and strain. Next day remove cake of fat. ”

“ More ill health and physical discomfort result from unwholesome food than from any other one cause, and chief among unwholesome foods are the alum and other cheaply made baking powders.
The market is full of low-grade powders, mostly made from burnt alum and phosphatic acid. The sale of these powders is urged by some dealers because they are bought cheap at wholesale and yield them large profits. Consumers should ask for Royal and take no substitute. ”

“ In using shortening for biscuits, especially through the winter season, with some limitation, good, sweet home-made lard may take the place of butter. Butter will color slightly yellow; lard will whiten the biscuits. This substitution will not do when considerable shortening is called for, as in cake; but in receipts where the quantity does not exceed 2 ounces or tablespoons to the quart of flour, butter may, in the majority of cases, be replaced by lard without impairing the taste. ”

“ Sear brown on all sides in very hot frying-pan over hot fire. In braising-pan or iron kettle put layers of sliced onions, turnips, and carrots; add bunch of sweet herbs, 1 teaspoon salt, 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper; on this lay meat. Add 1 pint boiling water (or water and stewed tomatoes) . Cover closely and cook 4 hours in moderate oven. If water evaporates rapidly add more. ”

“ To Mix Cakes Containing No Butter
Beat the egg yolks until very light and thick. Add the sugar gradually, beating till very light and spongy. Add the flavoring and liquid, if used. Have the whites of eggs whipped to a stiff froth. Add them alternately with the sifted flour (mixed with baking powder) , and cut both in very lightly and quickly.
To Bake Cakes
Thin cakes need a hotter oven than loaf cakes. Cakes without butter (sponge cakes) should have a more moderate, longer baking than cakes of same size containing butter. ”

“ Some flour requires more water, or milk, than others; so that the quantity may have to be varied to make dough of a proper consistency. Different bakings will vary as to time and heat required, and should, therefore, be examined occasionally. ”

“ I have made a large number of analyses of Royal Baking Powder, and have found it to be an absolutely pure cream of tartar powder, entirely free from alum, ammonia, and all adulterations and impurities. In leavening power it is of the very highest. ”

“ Meats Broiling The rules for roasting meat apply to broiling, except that instead of cooking it in the oven it is to be quickly browned, first on one side and then on the other, over a hot fire, and removed a little from the fire to finish cooking. ”

“ The meat should be cut in small pieces and soaked in cold water for half an hour to draw out the juices. Bone is added for the sake of the gelatine which it contains, and which will give body to the soup. A good proportion is 1 pound each of meat and bone to each quart of water. ”

“ Cream Dressing.—1 cup cream, 1 tablespoon flour, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 2 tablespoons butter, 1⁄2 teaspoon powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, 1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard, whites 2 eggs. Cook in double boiler, stirring constantly, and adding whipped whites just before taking from fire. ”