Various

“ 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 purées from chicken, veal, fish, etc. In these celery may be used. In nothing as well as soups can a housekeeper be economical of the odds and ends of food left from meals. One of the best cooks was in the habit of saving everything, and announced one day, when her soup was especially praised, that it contained the crumbs of gingerbread from her cake box! ”

“ When the pudding is hard, it can be rolled in the egg and bread crumbs. The moment the egg touches the hot lard it hardens and secures the pudding which softens to a creamy substance very delicious. Ingredients, one pint of milk, five ounces of sugar (little more than half a cupful,) butter the size of a hickory nut, yolks of three eggs, two tablespoonfuls of corn starch, and one tablespoonful of flour, (a generous half cupful altogether) , stick of cinnamon one inch long, one half teaspoonful of vanilla. ”

“ When the barrel of apples you have bought, begins to make your mind uneasy, because they can spoil faster than you can use them, a good plan is to peel, core and stir them with a very little sugar and screw them down in your jam jars. They will keep for a couple of months and will be handy to fill a tart or as apple sauce, etc.; they do not need to be cooked too much and some of the firmer sorts may remain in quarters solid enough for a pie. Another plan is to peel but not core the suspicious ones, then let them freeze solid, when frozen pack them in a box and cover. ”

“ When you wish for a dish of baked apples, put them in your baking pan, scatter a little sugar over them and put them in a quick oven without letting them thaw, when done, they should each be whole and a pretty brown color. ”

“ One pound cooked fish, one tablespoon each of mushroom ketchup, essence of anchovy, Harvey's sauce and mustard, one ounce of butter, rolled flour and one half a pint of cream, a wall of potatoes. Divide the fish into flakes, place it with cream and butter into a stew pan, until very hot. Mash the potatoes, and add to them one tablespoon cream, one yolk of egg, pepper and salt; well butter a wall mould and sprinkle with browned bread crumbs, and place it in the oven till hot, turn it out on a silver dish and pour the ragoût in the centre. Garnish with lemon and parsley. ”

“ Put some onions to soak for ten minutes in boiling water. Peel them, cut in halves or quarters. Put them in a small saucepan with a lump of fresh butter; simmer very slowly until the onions are quite cooked, add salt to taste; thicken with flour, or flour and fine bread crumbs, and add cream or milk. Pass through a sieve, must be thick and smooth. Some people like a pinch of sugar. ”

“ One pound cooked white fish, one apple, two ounces of butter, one onion, one pint of fish stock, one tablespoon curry-powder, one tablespoon flour, one teaspoon lemon juice or vinegar, salt and pepper, six ounces of rice. Slice the apple and onion, and brown them in a pan with a little butter, stir in them the flour and curry powder, add the stock by degrees; skim when boiling and simmer slowly one half hour, stir in them the lemon juice, also a very small teaspoon sugar ”

“ Cream the butter in an earthen dish with silver spoon, stirring till light cream color, add sugar beating thoroughly. Sift the flour, add one half of it and the cup of water a little of each, till cup is finished. Beat whites of eggs stiff and dry, add one half, beat, then the rest of the flour. Beat well, add the juice, and grated rind of lemon or vanilla as preferred, next the baking powder and the balance of the beaten eggs. Turn quickly into a deep, well buttered tin, and bake for three quarters of an hour. The tin should be ready for use immediately the baking powder is added. ”

“ Take one ounce box of gelatine; put to soak in a pint of cold water for an hour. Take the juice of three lemons and one orange, with three cups of sugar; add this to the gelatine, and pour over all three pints of boiling water: let this boil up once, stirring all the time. Take two moulds of the same size, and pour half your jelly into each. Stir into one mould half a cup of candied cherries, and into the other one pound of blanched almonds. The almonds will rise to the top. ”

“ Beat the whites of eleven eggs to a stiff froth, then stir in carefully a cup and a half of sifted granulated sugar, (or better still of castor sugar,) a teaspoonful of vanilla and one cup of flour that has been sifted with a teaspoonful of cream of tartar five times; add this very carefully and mix thoroughly, turn into an ungreased pan and bake in a moderate oven for about fifty-five minutes. When done turn upside down and when cool it will either drop out or it may be easily removed from the pan with a knife. ”

“ Pare and cut up nine or ten good sized potatoes and add to your stew with salt and pepper, about one half an hour before dishing. After the potatoes have been put in, the greatest care must be taken to prevent them from sticking to the pot and burning, therefore you must stir frequently with a spoon. What remains from dinner pour into a mould and it will become a jelly, which is nice eaten cold for breakfast. ”

“ Boil one quart of milk twenty minutes, with one onion, one bunch parsley, one bunch thyme; mix in a little cold milk, one quartercup flour, and add [Page 52] gradually to boiled milk also salt, pepper and a grate of nutmeg. When thick, remove from fire, add one quarter pound fresh butter, the yolks two eggs, and two tablespoonfuls of grated gruyere cheese. Pass through a coarse sieve and pour over two and one half pounds of boiled fish removed from bones and flaked, putting in the dish first a layer of sauce, then a layer of fish, another layer of sauce and another of fish. ”

“ Four eggs, beat whites and yolks separately, a cup of sugar to the whites, beat again, then add the yolks, mix a teaspoon of baking powder in a cup of flour and mix the flour and eggs and beat again. Put a sheet of buttered paper in a square pan and bake. When done turn it on a heated towel, the buttered side up and take off the paper and spread with a thick jam or marmalade, roll up quickly and pour sweetened whipped cream over, flavor with vanilla. ”

“ Two pounds and a half raisins, three quarters of currants, two pounds finest moist sugar, two pounds bread crumbs, sixteen eggs, two pounds finely chopped suet, six ounces mixed candied peel, juice and rind of two lemons, one ounce of ground nutmeg, one ounce of cinnamon, half ounce pounded bitter almonds, gill of brandy or if objected to, any flavoring at hand. Stone and cut up the raisins do not chop them; wash and dry the currants; cut the candied peel into thin slices; mix all the dry ingredients well together and moisten with the eggs, which should be well beaten ”

“ Ten eggs; very fresh, one pound fine sugar, the weight of five eggs in flour, the rind of two lemons and juice of one. Break the eggs on the sugar and beat them twenty minutes with two pronged steel carving fork until in a lovely light cream, then grate the lemon rind into it with the juice of one lemon. Sift the flour several times and next mix in the flour most carefully barely stirring to mix it in, if stirred too much it will make the cake heavy. ”

“ One pound ground sweet almonds, eight ounces sugar, eight ounces sifted flour, eight ounces good butter. The yolks of eight eggs, about eight drops of essence of ratafia. First see that the ground almonds are fresh. Mix them with the flour and sugar and then very, very carefully add a few drops of ratafia. Mix everything thoroughly. Make a space in centre, and in this drop the yolks of the eggs. Then melt the butter, add that and mix up the whole together until it is a nice firm stiff paste. This should now be rolled a great many times; cannot be rolled too much. ”

“ In using cold beef, a teaspoon anchovy essence or paste is an improvement, and to mutton a teaspoon mushroom catsup. When the mixture is cold, place some flour on board to prevent sticking and form into rolls with square edges, beat the egg, place breadcrumbs mixed with pepper and salt on paper, put the rolls first in the egg, then in crumbs, have sufficient fat in pan and when the [Page 25] white smoke rises, put the rolls in and fry three minutes, drain on paper. Brown sauce may be served and mashed peas or potatoes placed in the centre. ”

“ One pound of flour, one half pound butter, six ounces sugar; cream butter and sugar, add flour. Roll into a smooth ball and work down until half an inch in thickness, an operation which is rather difficult for a novice, as it is apt to crack at the edges; but the knack is soon learned, and the more it is worked the better. Prick with a small skewer, strew with large carraway comfits, and bake slowly, a pale brown. ”

“ Four cups sugar (white) , two cups milk, one pound butter, one cup grated chocolate, vanilla to taste. Nuts may be added. Boil and beat thoroughly (as for sucre à la crême) pour on buttered plates and cut into squares.
NUT CANDY.
Two cups white granulated sugar, one half cup sweet milk. Boil for about ten minutes, and add three quarters cup cut up walnuts. Remove from stove and beat thoroughly and when it thickens pour out on buttered plates. Cocoanut candy may be made same way. If the candy does not thicken after being beaten, it is not boiled sufficiently and can be put back on stove. ”

“ Two pounds of raw steak from the round, free from bone, fat or sinew, chopped very fine, six soda biscuits rolled fine, one cup of milk, two eggs beaten in one tablespoon salt, one dessertspoon of pepper, and add a little spice if you like. Butter an earthenware jar as large round the top as the bottom and press the mixture in very lightly. Cover with butter one half inch thick. Cover the jar with a plate and bake in an oven for two hours. Serve whole or cut in slices. ”

“ Two eggs, four tablespoonfuls of flour, a little salt and milk to make a batter the thickness of cream. When the beef is roasted pour off the boiling dripping into another pan, turn in the batter and bake to a good brown. ”

“ Lemon Sauce.—Beat two eggs very light, and add one cup of sugar, one tablespoon of melted butter, one small tablespoon of cornstarch, beat all together, then add one cup of boiling water, cook five minutes, boiling all the while. Cook a little longer if set in a basin of hot water, take from the fire, and add juice of lemon. ”

“ Four eggs, yolks and whites beaten together, one half cup brown sugar, one cup molasses, one cup stoned raisins, two cups currants, one cup bread crumbs, two cups chopped suet, three quarters of a nutmeg, grated, the grated rind of a large lemon, one cup flour and one teaspoon baking powder. Steam for three and a half hours in a tightly closed pudding mould well buttered, keeping the water boiling constantly. ”

“ One coffeecup of mashed pumpkin, reduced to the proper consistency with rich milk and melted butter or cream, one tablespoonful of flour, a small pinch of salt, one teaspoon of ginger, ditto of cinnamon, one-half nutmeg, one-half teaspoon lemon extract, two-thirds cup of sugar, and two eggs. ”

“ The best soups are made with a blending of many flavors. Don't be afraid of experimenting with them. Where you make one mistake you will be surprised to find the number of successful varieties you can produce. ”

“ Two thirds cup raw rice, one quart of milk, one half cup sugar, flavor with grated rind of lemon or nutmeg. Cook in a pie dish in moderate oven for one and half hour.
TO BOIL RICE. MISS M. SAMPSON.
Have enough boiling water with a pinch of salt to more than cover the rice, boil for twenty minutes, do not stir, strain through a collander when cooked, and serve. ”

“ They are also good thrown when drained into the frying pan with some dripping, pepper and salt, and heated a few minutes over the fire. The only attention they require in cooking is lest they melt into soup when nearly cooked.
FRIED BEETS. MRS. DUNCAN LAURIE.
Boil until tender, slice and put in stewpan with a teaspoon of vinegar, half the juice of a lemon, one half teaspoonful each sugar and salt, a grate of nutmeg and a dash of pepper. Add two tablespoonfuls of stock, a teaspoon butter, and let simmer one half hour. ”

“ Great care must be taken in having the bag very particularly scraped and cleansed by frequent washings in salt and water. The liver and heart, etc., are better, to be boiled before, then they can be grated down easily. ”

“ Two pounds of raisins, two pounds of currants, one half pound of citron, one pound of sugar, one pound of flour, eight ounces of butter, ten eggs, two nutmegs, one half ounce of mace, one tablespoon of cloves, same of cinnamon, one glass of brandy, one tablespoon of baking powder, one cup of molasses. Stir butter and sugar together until very light, beat whites and yolks separately and bake in a slow oven. ”