Thomas J. Murrey

“ Season with salt and pepper, and a tablespoonful or two of minced celery; chop up the meat; put it in a pan with a little butter or turkey fat, to prevent burning, and just a suspicion of onion; moisten with a little broth made from the turkey bones. [Pg 45] Poach one or two eggs for each person; arrange the minced meat neatly on slices of buttered toast; place the egg on top, and serve.
The above mode of preparing a breakfast dish is not only economical, but is one of the most delightful dishes that can be produced ”

“ Bakers' bread cannot always be relied upon. One never knows to what extent the flour has been mixed with brands of flour made from musty or sprouted wheat, as the baker can make what appears to be good bread from these by mixing them with what is known as garlic flour, which is a grade of flour ground with garlic, the effect being to conceal other unpleasant odors. ”

“ When forming part of a mixed diet, no substance is more wholesome than the potato. Even the wild potato found in the Yellowstone Country is thought one of the best of edible wild roots.
Boiled Potatoes.—To retain the highest amount of nourishment, potatoes should be boiled with their skins on. When so treated, they are twice as rich in potassa salts as those which have first been peeled. It is a good plan to place them in the oven or on top of the range after boiling them, thereby allowing all surplus moisture to escape. ”

“ The peas should be cooked as follows: Open a small can of imported peas; drain off the liquid; melt an ounce of butter in a pan, and when it creams, add the peas: shake the pan to prevent burning; add pepper and salt. When the peas are heated through they require no longer cooking, and should be served at once.
The great mistake made by many cooks in cooking canned peas is that they allow them to remain too long on the fire, which spoils them, as they are already cooked, and simply require heating.
Minced Turkey with Poached Eggs.—A very appetizing dish is made of cold boiled or roast turkey. ”

“ The importance of preparing a variety of dainty dishes for the breakfast table is but lightly considered by many who can afford luxuries, quite as much as by those who little dream of the delightful, palate-pleasing compounds made from "unconsidered trifles." ”

“ Put three ounces of finely-ground coffee in the top compartment of the coffee-pot; pour a quart of boiling water over it; let it filter through; add half a pint more of boiling water; let it filter through, and pour it out into a hot measure, and pour it through the filter again. Let it stand a moment on the range, and you have coffee as clear as wine; but unless your pot, measure, and the water are very hot, the coffee will taste as though it had become cold and then "warmed over." No eggs or other foreign substances are used to clear or settle the coffee. ”

“ American manufacturers have not as yet made a salt free from foreign flavors and suitable to delicate cookery; its peculiar fishy flavor is objectionable, and gives to bread a taste that leads the eater thereof to imagine it had been sliced with a fish-knife. ”

“ In making an omelet care should be taken that the omelet pan is hot and dry. To insure this, put a small quantity of lard into the pan; let it simmer a few minutes, and remove it; wipe the pan dry with a towel, and put in a little fresh lard, in which the omelet may be fried. Care should be taken that the lard does not burn, as it would spoil the color of the omelet.
It is better to make two or three small omelets than one very large one, as the latter cannot be well handled by a novice.
The omelet made of three eggs is the one recommended for beginners. Break the eggs separately ”

“ Slice and cut into small dice half a pound of salt pork; flour the chicken, and fry in the pork fat; dissolve a heaping tablespoonful of flour with a little cold milk; add to it gradually half a pint of boiled milk that has been seasoned with butter, pepper, and salt; simmer until thick; arrange the chicken on a hot dish, and pour the sauce round it. Toast may be placed under the chicken, if desired.
Crabs, Soft-shell.—These should be cooked as soon as possible after being caught, as their flavor rapidly deteriorates after being exposed to the air. Select crabs as lively as possible ”

“ Any flour containing too much moisture is likely to "heat," or sour, and flour of the best quality, when placed in damp, stuffy cellars, [Pg 22] where it will absorb moisture, is likely to do the same thing. The yeast used by many bakers is deserving the attention of the Health Department. Damaged hops are often used, which, when boiled too long, impart their obnoxious flavor to the yeast, and to the bread made from it. ”

“ The following recipes and remarks will be found valuable assistants to those so situated, and will offer many practical suggestions intended to develop ingenuity and skilfulness in this much-neglected branch of cookery. Avoid asking that innocent but often annoying question, "What shall we have for breakfast?" Rely upon your own resources and inventiveness, and you will soon master the situation. The average business man generally knows but little of what is or is not in market, and he dislikes to have his gastronomic knowledge constantly analyzed. ”

“ By the producer of inferior bread these little items are not taken into consideration. The bread has been made, and it must be sold; and the unsuspecting housewife who buys bread from certain bakers because they sell it a few cents less per loaf than the price asked by firms who will not jeopardize their reputations, is endangering the health of her family. ”

“ Nearly all of the important domestic animals that are used as food are fed upon it exclusively, and a large percentage of the population depends upon it—directly or indirectly—for very existence, which is conclusive evidence that a failure of this important cereal means starvation and bankruptcy to many, which the failure of the wheat crop would not effect.
Corn Bread.—Sift half a pound each of corn meal and flour, add a scant teaspoonful of salt and a tablespoonful of wheat baking powder. Beat together one ounce of powdered sugar, two eggs, and one ounce of butter ”

“ I particularly warn my readers against bakers seeking customers by cutting rates; they cannot [Pg 23] supply good bread at low rates without using inferior flour.
Home-made Bread.—To make good bread or rolls, take five potatoes; peel and cut them up, and boil in water enough to cover them; when done, mash them smooth in the water in which they were boiled; when cool, not cold, add a gill of liquid yeast, a dessert-spoonful of sugar, a salt-tablespoonful of lard, and a pint of flour. ”

“ Put into a frying-pan an ounce of sweet butter; when hot, add six birds; toss them about to cook evenly; add a little salt and pepper; let them remain over the fire for about three minutes, and serve on a hot dish.
To cook them in large quantities, as they are prepared by the gunners at their club-houses along the Delaware, proceed as follows: Clean them properly; arrange them in a baking-tin; add a liberal quantity of butter, salt, and pepper; put the pan in the oven. At the end of five minutes turn them with a long-handled spoon, let them cook five minutes longer, and serve. ”

“ In Iceland codfish is dried and beaten to a powder, and made into bread.
Bread is universally admitted to be a matter deserving the serious consideration of all good housewives. It is no longer a luxury, as in olden times, but a positive necessity; upon it depends the health of all mankind. ”

“ Season each piece; roll it up and tie it with strong thread; dredge them in flour, and fry in plenty of hot fat (they may be dipped in egg batter and rolled in bread crumb if liked) ; remove the thread; arrange them neatly on a hot dish; garnish with parsley, and send to table with sauce tartare (which see) .
Hamburg Steak, Sauce Piquante.—Select a thick rump steak, and with a stiff-backed kitchen knife scrape away the lean meat from the sinews. ”

“ Fried Tomatoes.—Select three smooth, medium-sized, well-filled tomatoes; cut into slices half an inch thick; dredge them with flour or roll in egg and crumbs, and fry (or, rather, sautée) in a small quantity of hot fat, turning and cooking both sides evenly. Have prepared the following sauce: Add to a pint of milk a tablespoonful of flour, one beaten egg, salt, pepper, and a very little mace. Cream an ounce of butter; whisk into it the milk, and let it simmer until it thickens; pour the sauce on a hot side dish ”

“ Many like a Hamburg steak rare, while others prefer it well done; others there are who think they like it rare, highly seasoned with onion and other pungent seasoning.
Hominy Fritters.—Take one pint of boiled hominy, one gill of cream, two tablespoonfuls of corn-starch, two eggs, half a teaspoonful of baking powder, a saltspoonful of salt; mix to a batter. If too stiff, add a little more cream. Drop the batter in large spoonfuls into hot fat, and fry brown.
Kidney, Sautéed.—Cut up half an onion; brown it in a pan with an ounce of butter. Slice a calf's kidneys ”

“ Steaks and chops are looked upon as the substantials of the breakfast-table, but when served continually they do not give satisfaction, be they ever so good, and are not duly appreciated unless interspersed occasionally with lighter dishes. ”

“ Add a teaspoonful of milk, and beat up with the eggs; beat until the last moment before pouring into the pan, which should be over a hot fire. As soon as the omelet sets, remove the [Pg 34] pan from the hottest part of the fire, slip a knife under it to prevent sticking to the pan; when the centre is almost firm, slant the pan; work the omelet in shape to fold easily and neatly; and, when slightly browned, hold a platter against the edge of the pan, and deftly turn it out upon the hot dish. ”

“ Enough has been said to practically demonstrate the necessity of our [Pg 25] being at all times aware of its excellent qualities, if we value health and subsequent happiness.
In America no national question is of more importance than the success or failure of the corn crop. Upon it depends the success not only of large business enterprises, but of business centres. ”

“ Their flour is often stored in damp cellars, where, under the influence of heat that is not strong enough to expel moisture, fermentation takes place in it, exactly as it does in bread-making, except on a smaller scale. ”

“ It is, therefore, highly important that its ingredients should be of the very best quality. At no time is this question more seriously to be considered than when changing the food of infants from liquids to solid food. ”

“ Cantaloupes, or small melons, should be placed on ice the night preceding their use. Cut or slice off the top of each melon; remove the seeds, and replace them with fine ice; replace the covers, and send to table looking as though uncut.
Should they taste insipid, trim off the rind, cut the remainder into neat pieces, pour over them a plain salad-dressing, and they will be found quite palatable. ”

“ Should your domestic duties prevent you from occasionally visiting the public markets, it will be found expedient to subscribe for a reliable newspaper that makes a specialty of reporting the latest gastronomic news. ”

“ Purchase coffee from large dealers who roast it daily. Have it ground moderately fine, and do not purchase large quantities at a time. At home keep the coffee in air-tight jars or cans when not in use. ”