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Miss Parloa's New Cook Book

by Maria Parloa · English · Gutenberg #6745 · 670,470 chars · public domain (US)

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Title: Miss Parloa's New Cook Book

Author: Maria Parloa


        
Release date: October 1, 2004 [eBook #6745]
                Most recently updated: December 29, 2020

Language: English

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Credits: Produced by Steve Schulze, Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. This file was produced from images generously made available by the Digital & Multimedia Center, Michigan State University Libraries


*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MISS PARLOA'S NEW COOK BOOK ***




Produced by Steve Schulze, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
This file was produced from images generously made available by the
Digital & Multimedia Center, Michigan State University Libraries.






MISS PARLOA'S

NEW COOK BOOK,

A GUIDE TO MARKETING AND COOKING.


BY MARIA PARLOA,

PRINCIPAL OF THE SCHOOL OF COOKING IN BOSTON



ILLUSTRATED.



PREFACE.



When the author wrote the Appledore Cook Book, nine years ago, she had
seen so many failures and so much consequent mortification and
dissatisfaction as to determine her to give those minute directions
which were so often wanting in cook-books, and without which success
in preparing dishes was for many a person unattainable. It seemed then
unwise to leave much to the cook's judgment; and experience in
lecturing and in teaching in her school since that time has satisfied
the author that what was given in her first literary work was what was
needed. In this book an endeavor has been made to again supply what is
desired: to have the directions and descriptions clear, complete and
concise. Especially has this been the case in the chapter on
Marketing. Much more of interest might have been written, but the hope
which led to brevity was that the few pages devoted to remarks on that
important household duty, and which contain about all that the average
cook or housekeeper cares and needs to know, will be carefully read.
It is believed that there is much in them of considerable value to
those whose knowledge of meats, fish and vegetables is not extensive;
much that would help to an intelligent selection of the best
provisions.

Of the hundreds of recipes in the volume only a few were not prepared
especially for it, and nearly all of these were taken by the author
from her other books. Many in the chapters on Preserving and Pickling
were contributed by Mrs. E. C. Daniell of Dedham, Mass., whose
understanding of the lines of cookery mentioned is thorough. While
each subject has received the attention it seemed to deserve, Soups,
Salads, Entrées and Dessert have been treated at unusual length,
because with a good acquaintance with the first three, one can set a
table more healthfully, economically and elegantly than with meats or
fish served in the common ways; and the light desserts could well take
the place of the pies and heavy puddings of which many people are so
fond. Many ladies will not undertake the making of a dish that
requires hours for cooking, and often for the poor reason only that
they do not so read a recipe as to see that the work will not be hard.
If they would but forget cake and pastry long enough to learn
something of food that is more satisfying!

After much consideration it was decided to be right to call particular
attention in different parts of the book to certain manufactured
articles. Lest her motive should be misconstrued, or unfair criticisms
be made, the author would state that there is not a word of praise
which is not merited, and that every line of commendation appears
utterly without the solicitation, suggestion or _knowledge_ of
anybody likely to receive pecuniary benefit therefrom.





NOTE.

The following is a table of measures and weights which will be found
useful in connection with the recipes:

 One quart of flour                                one pound.
 Two cupfuls of butter                             one pound.
 One generous pint of liquid                       one pound.
 Two cupfuls of granulated sugar                   one pound.
 Two heaping cupfuls of powdered sugar             one pound.
 One pint of finely-chopped meat, packed solidly   one pound.

The cup used is the common kitchen cup, holding half a pint.




CONTENTS.

Marketing
Groceries
Care of Food
Kitchen Furnishing
Soups
Fish
Meats
Poultry and Game
Entrées
Salads
Meat and Fish Sauces
Force-Meat and Garnishes
Vegetables
Pies and Puddings
Dessert
Cake
Preserving
Pickles and Ketchup
Potting
Breakfast and Tea
Economical Dishes
Bread
Drinks
How to do Various Things
Bills of Fare



THE PUBLISHERS' COMPLIMENTS TO THE READER.

Dear Madame:

In the preparation of this book the author and publishers have
expended much time and money, with the hope that it may lessen your
cares, by enabling you to provide your household with appetizing and
healthful food, at a reasonable outlay of expense and skill. Should
they not be disappointed in this hope, and you find yourself made
happier by the fond approval of those who enjoy the food which you set
before them as a result of your use of this book, we trust you will
recommend its purchase by your friends, to the end that they may also
be benefited by it, and that both author and publisher may be
recompensed for its preparation.




MISS PARLOA'S NEW COOK BOOK.




MARKETING.


Upon the amount of practical knowledge of marketing that the
housekeeper has, the comfort and expense of the family are in a great
measure dependent; therefore, every head of a household should acquire
as much of this knowledge as is practicable, and the best way is to go
into the market. Then such information as is gained by reading becomes
of real value. Many think the market not a pleasant or proper place
for ladies. The idea is erroneous. My experience has been that there
are as many gentlemen among marketmen as are to be found engaged in
any other business. One should have a regular place at which to trade,
as time is saved and disappointment obviated. If not a judge of meat,
it is advisable, when purchasing, to tell the dealer so, and rely upon
him to do well by you. He will probably give you a nicer piece than
you could have chosen. If a housekeeper makes a practice of going to
the market herself, she is able to supply her table with a better
variety than she is by ordering at the door or by note, for she sees
many good and fresh articles that would not have been thought of at
home. In a book like this it is possible to treat at length only of
such things as meat, fish and vegetables, which always form a large
item of expense.


BEEF.

Beef is one of the most nutritious, and, in the end, the most
economical, kinds of meat, for there is not a scrap of it which a good
housekeeper will not utilize for food.


As to Choosing It.

Good steer or heifer beef has a fine grain, a yellowish-white fat, and
is firm. When first cut it will be of a dark red color, which changes
to a bright red after a few minutes' exposure to the air. It will also
have a juicy appearance; the suet will be dry, crumble easily and be
nearly free from fibre. The flesh and fat of the ox and cow will be
darker, and will appear dry and rather coarse. The quantity of meat
should be large for the size of the bones. Quarters of beef should be
kept as long as possible before cutting. The time depends upon climate
and conveniences, but in the North should be two or three weeks. A
side of beef is first divided into two parts called the fore and hind
quarters. These are then cut into variously-shaped and sized pieces.
Different localities have different names for some of these cuts. The
diagrams represent the pieces as they are sold in the Boston market,
and the tables give the New York and Philadelphia names for the same
pieces. In these latter two cities, when the side of beef is divided
into halves, they cut farther back on the hind quarter than they do in
Boston, taking in all the ribs--thirteen and sometimes fourteen. This
gives one more rib roast. They do not have what in Boston is called
the tip of the sirloin.


The Hind Quarter.

In Philadelphia they cut meat more as is done in Boston than they do
in New York. The following diagram shows a hind quarter as it appears
in Boston. In the other two cities the parts 1 and 13f are included in
the _fore_ quarter. The dotted lines show wherein the New York
cutting differs from the Boston:

[ILLUSTRATION: Diagram No. 1. Hind Quarter of Beef.]


EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM NO. 1.

BOSTON.

1. Tip end of sirloin.
2. Second cut of sirloin.
3. First cut of sirloin.
4. Back of rump.
5. Middle of rump.
6. Face of rump.
7. Aichbone.
8. Best of round steak.
9. Poorer round steak.
10. Best part of vein.
11. Poorer part of vein.
12. Shank of round.
13. Flank.


PHILADELPHIA.

1. First cut of ribs.
2. Sirloin roast or steak.
3. Sirloin roast or steak.
4. Hip roast; also rump steak.
5. Middle of rump.
6. Face of rump.
7. Tail of rump.
8. Best of round steak.
9. Poorer round steak.
10. Best part of vein.
11. Poorer part of vein.
12. Leg.
13. (e) Flank.


NEW YORK.

1. First cut of ribs.
2. Porter-house steak or sirloin roast
3. Flat-boned sirloin steak or roast.
4,5,6. /(a) Large sirloin (a) steaks or roasts
7. Aichbone.
8. (and 4b and 5b) Rump steak.
9. (and 13e) Round steak.
10. Best part of vein
11. Poorer part of vein.
12. (d) Leg of beef.
13. (e) Flank.


The hind quarter consists of the loin, rump, round, tenderloin or
fillet of beef, leg and flank. The loin is usually cut into roasts and
steaks; the roasts are called sirloin roasts and the steaks sirloin or
porter-house steaks. In the loin is found the tenderloin; and a small
piece of it (about two and a half pounds in a large animal) runs back
into the rump. In Boston this is often sold under the name of the
short fillet, but the New York and Philadelphia marketmen do not cut
it. Plate No. 2 shows the fillet.

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 2. SHORT FILLET.]

Next the loin comes the rump, from which are cut steaks, roasts and
pieces for stewing, braising, a la mode and soups. Next the rump comes
the round, from which are cut steaks, pieces for a la mode, stewing,
braising and soups. The flank is cut from the loin, and used for
corning, stewing and as a roll of beef.

Plate No. 4 represents a loin as cut in Boston and Philadelphia, and
it and No. 3 represent one as cut in New York, if the two parts be
imagined joined at the point A. No. 4 also shows the inside of the
loin, where the tenderloin lies.

The sirloin is cut in all sizes, from eight to twenty pounds, to suit
the purchaser. The end next the ribs gives the smallest pieces, which
are best for a small family. The tenderloin in this cut is not as
large as in the first and second. In cutting sirloin steaks or roasts,
dealers vary as to the amount of flank they leave on. There should be
little, if any, as that is not a part for roasting or broiling. When
it is all cut off the price of the sirloin is of course very much more
than when a part is left on, but though the cost is increased eight or
ten cents a pound, it is economy to pay this rather than take what you
do not want.

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 3. RUMP, SHOWING END WHICH JOINS ROUND.]

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 4. LOIN. THE LOWER END JOINS RIBS.]


Porter-House Steaks.

Every part of the sirloin, and a part of the rump, is named porter-
house steak in various localities. In New York the second cut of the
sirloin is considered the choice one for these steaks. The rump steak,
when cut with the tenderloin in it, is also called porter-house steak.
The original porter-house steaks came from the small end of the loin.


Sirloin Steaks.

Sirloin steaks are cut from all parts of the loin, beginning with the
small end and finishing with the rump. In New York the rump steaks are
also known as sirloin. In some places they do not cut tenderloin with
sirloin. One slice of sirloin from a good-sized animal will weigh
about two and a half pounds. If the flank, bone and fat were removed,
there would remain about a pound of clear, tender, juicy meat There
being, therefore, considerable waste to this steak, it will always be
expensive as compared with one from a rump or round. But many persons
care only for this kind, as it has a flavor peculiar to itself; and
they will buy it regardless of economy. Plate No. 5 shows a second cut
of the sirloin, with the shape of a sirloin or small porter-house
steak. The only part that is really eatable as a steak is from the
base to the point A, the remainder being flank.

[Illustration: Plate No. 5. SIRLOIN ROAST--SECOND CUT.]

[Illustration: Plate No. 7. SHORT RUMP STEAK.]

[Illustration: Plate No. 6. LONG RUMP STEAK.]


Rump Steak.

What in Boston and Philadelphia is called rump steak is in New York
named sirloin. There are three methods of cutting a rump steak; two of
these give a very fine steak, the third almost the poorest kind. The
first two are to cut across the grain of the meat, and thus obtain,
when the beeve is a good one, really the best steaks in the animal.

Plates Nos. 6 and 7 represent these steaks. No. 6 is a long rump
steak, very fine; and No. 7 a short rump, also excellent. In both of
these there is a piece of tenderloin. In New York, No. 6 is sirloin
without bone, and No. 7 sirloin. There is yet another slice of rump
that is of a superior quality. It is cut from the back of the rump,
and there is no tenderloin in it. Plate No. 8 shows a rump steak cut
with the grain of the meat; that is, cut lengthwise. It comes much
cheaper than the others, but is so poor that it should never be
bought. It will curl up when broiled, and will be tough and dry.

[Illustration; Plate No. 8. RUMP STEAK WITH THE GRAIN.]

[Illustration: Plate No. 9. BACK OF THE RUMP.]

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 10. AITCHBONE.]

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 11. ROUND OF BEEF.]

Some marketmen will not cut rump steak by the first two methods,
because it spoils the rump for cutting into roasts, and also leaves a
great deal of bone and some tough meat on hand. The price per pound
for a rump steak cut with the grain is ten cents less than for that
cut across, and yet dealers do not find it profitable to sell steak
cut the latter way. Plate No. 9 shows the back of the rump, which is
used for steaks and to roast. The steaks are juicy and tender, but do
not contain any tenderloin.


Round Steaks.

Plate No. 11 shows the round of beef with the aitch bone taken off; a,
a, a, a, is the top of the round, b, b, b, b, the under part, where
the aitchbone has been cut off, and c, c, c, c, the vein. Plate No. 10
is this aitchbone, which is first cut from the round, and then the
steaks are taken off.

The best steak begins with the third slice. The top and under part of
the round are often cut in one slice. The top is tender and the under
part tough. When both are together the steak sells for fifteen or
sixteen cents per pound; when separate, the top is twenty or more and
the under part from ten to twelve. If it is all to be used as a steak,
the better way is to buy the top alone; but if you wish to make a stew
one day and have a steak another, it is cheaper to buy both parts
together. Round steak is not, of course, as tender as tenderloin,
sirloin or rump, but it has a far richer and higher flavor than any of
the others. It should be cut thick, and be cooked rare over a quick
fire. Steaks are cut from the vein in the round and from the shoulder
in the fore quarter. They are of about the same quality as those from
the round.


Tenderloin Steak.

This is cut from the tenderloin, and costs from twenty-five cents to a
dollar per pound. It is very soft and tender, but has hardly any
flavor, and is not half as nutritious as one from a round or rump.


Quality and Cost.

We will now consider the various kinds of steak, as to their cost and
nutritive qualities. The prices given are not those of all sections of
the country, but they will be helpful to the purchaser, as showing the
ratio which each bears to the other.

Top of the round, the most nutritious, 18 to 25 cents.

Rump cut across the grain, next in nutritive qualities, 28 to 30 cents

Rump cut with the grain, 22 to 25 cents

Sirloin, 25 to 30 cents

Porter-house, 30 cents

Tenderloin, 25 cts. to $1.00

The tenderloin, rump and round steaks are all clear meat; therefore,
there is no waste, and of course one will not buy as many pounds of
these pieces to provide for a given number of persons as if one were
purchasing a sirloin or porter-house steak, because with the latter-
named the weight of bone and of the flank, if this be left on, must
always be taken into consideration.

After the aitchbone and steaks have been taken from the round there
remain nice pieces for stewing and braising; and still lower the meat
and bones are good for soups and jellies. The price decreases as you
go down to the shank, until for the shank itself you pay only from
three to four cents per pound.


Sirloin.

It will be remembered that plate No. 4 represents a loin of beef,
showing the end which joined the ribs, also the kidney suet. No. 12
represents the same loin, showing the end which joined the rump. There
are about thirty pounds in a sirloin that has been cut from a large
beeve. This makes about three roasting pieces for a moderately large
family. The piece next the rump has the largest tenderloin and is,
therefore, by many considered the choicest. Steaks cut from it are now
served in the principal hotels as porter-house.


The Rump.

In plate No. 3 was shown that part of the ramp which joins the round.
Plate No. 13 represents the end which joins the sirloin.

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 13. RUMP.]

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 12. LOIN.]


Ribs.

Plate No. 14 represents the first five ribs cut from the back half
where it joins the tip of the sirloin, and shows the end that joined.
This cut is considered the best of the rib-roasts. For family use it
is generally divided into two roasts, the three ribs next the sirloin
being the first cut of the ribs and the others the second cut.

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 14. FIRST FIVE RIBS.]

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 15. CHUCK RIBS.]

Plate No. 15 represents the chuck ribs, the first chuck, or sixth rib,
being seen at the end. There are ten ribs in the back half as cut in
Boston, five prime and five chuck; We must remember that in New York
and Philadelphia there are thirteen ribs, eight of which are prime.
The first two chuck ribs make a very good roast or steak, being one of
the most nutritious cuts in the animal, and the next three are good
for stewing and braising. Many people roast them. The flavor is fine
when they are cooked in this manner, but the meat is rather tough. A
chuck rib contains part of the shoulder-blade, while the prime ribs do
not. In New York and Philadelphia the ribs are cut much longer than in
Boston; hence the price per pound is less there. But the cost to the
purchaser is as great as in Boston, because he has to pay for a great
deal of the rattle-ran or rack. It is always best to have the
ribroasts cut short, and even pay a higher price for them, as there
will then be no waste.


Fore Quarter.

The fore quarter is first cut into two parts, the back half and the
rattle-ran, and these are then cut into smaller pieces for the
different modes of cooking. Diagram No. 16 represents a fore quarter.
The back half only is numbered, for the rattle-ran is given in diagram
No 17.

[Illustration: FACE OF THE RUMP.]

[Illustration: DIAGRAM NO. 16. THE FORE QUARTER.]


EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM NO. 16.

BOSTON.

1. First cut of ribs.
2. Second cut of ribs.
3. Third cut of ribs.
 4 and 5. Best chuck ribs.
6 and 7. Poorer chuck ribs.
8. Neck piece.


NEW YORK.

1. First cut of ribs, with tip of sirloin.
2. Second cut of ribs.
3. Third cut of ribs.
4 and 5. Best chuck ribs.
6 and 7. Poorer chuck ribs.
8. Neck piece.

PHILADELPHIA.

1. First cut of ribs, with tip of sirloin.
2. Second cut of ribs.
3. Third cut of ribs.
4 and 5. Best chuck ribs.
6 and 7. Poorer chuck ribs.
8. Neck chuck.


The Rattle-Ran.

The whole of lower half of the fore quarter is often called the
rattle-ran. Diagram No. 17 shows this, and the table following gives
the name of the separate cuts:

[Illustration: DIAGRAM NO. 17. THE RATTLE-RAN.]


EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM NO. 17.

BOSTON.

1. Rattle-ran.
2. Shoulder of mutton.
3. Sticking piece.
4. Shin, thick end of brisket, part of sticking piece.
5 and 6. Brisket piece.
7. Middle cut or rib plate.
8. Navel end of brisket.


NEW YORK.

1. Plate piece.
2 and 3. Shoulder of mutton.
4. Shin and thick end of brisket.
5 and 6. Brisket piece.
7 and 8. Navel end of brisket.


PHILADELPHIA.

1. Plate piece.
2. Shoulder of mutton or boler piece.
3. Sticking piece.
4. Shin and thick end of brisket.
5 and 6. Brisket piece.
7 and 8. Navel end of brisket.

The rattle-ran or plate piece is generally corned, and is considered
one of the best cuts for pressed beef. The shoulder of mutton is used
for stews, beef _à la mode_, roasts and steaks, and is also
corned. The sticking piece, commonly called the back of the shoulder,
but which is really the front, is used for stews, soups, pie meat and
for corning. The shin is used for soups, and the brisket and ribs for
corning and for stews and soups. One of the best pieces for corning is
the navel end of the brisket. The middle cut of the rattle-ran is also
corned.


MUTTON.

Mutton is very nutritious and easily digested. The best quality will
have clear, hard, white fat, and a good deal of it; the lean part will
be juicy, firm and of a rather dark red color. When there is but
little fat, and that is soft and yellow and the meat is coarse and
stringy, you may be sure that the quality is poor. Mutton is much
improved by being hung in a cool place for a week or more. At the
North a leg will keep quite well for two or three weeks in winter, if
hung in a cold, dry shed or cellar. Mutton, like beef, is first split
through the back, and then the sides are divided, giving two fore and
two hind quarters. Diagram No. 18 is of a whole carcass of mutton, and
half of it is numbered to show the pieces into which the animal is cut
for use.

[Illustration: DIAGRAM NO. 18.]

EXPLANATION OF DIAGRAM NO. 18.

1, 2, 4. Hind quarter.

3, 5, 5. Fore quarter

1. Leg.
2. Loin.
3. Shoulder.
4. Flank.
5,5. Breast.


Hind Quarter of Mutton.

This consists of the leg and loin, and is the choicest cut. It makes a
fine roast for a large family, but for a moderate-sized or small one
either the leg or loin alone is better. A hind quarter taken from a
prime animal will weigh from twenty to thirty pounds.


Leg of Mutton.

This joint is nearly always used for roasting and boiling. It has but
little bone, as compared with the other parts of the animal, and is,
therefore, an economical piece to select, though the price per pound
be greater than that of any other cut. It is not common to find a good
leg weighing under ten or twelve pounds. A leg is shown in plate No.
19.

[Illustration: PLATE NO. 19.]


Loin of Mutton.

In a loin, as cut in Boston, there are seven ribs, which make a good
roast for a small family. This cut is particularly nice in hot
weather. It is not as large as a leg, and the meat is, besides, of a
lighter quality and more delicate flavor. The cost when the flank is
taken off will be about seven cents more a pound than if the loin be
sold with it on; but, unless you wish to use the flank for a soup,
stew or haricot, it is the better economy to buy a trimmed piece and
pay the higher price. When the two loins are joined they are called a
saddle. Plate No. 20 shows a saddle and two French chops.

[Illustration: PLATE NO 20. SADDLE OF MUTTON AND FRENCH CHOPS.]


Fore Quarter of Mutton.

In this is included the shoulder and breast. When the shoulder-blade
is taken out the quarter makes a good roast for a large family. The
shoulder is separated from the breast by running a sharp knife between
the two, starting at the curved dotted lines near the neck (shown in
diagram No. 18), and cutting round to the end of the line. The
shoulder is nice for roasting or boiling. The breast can be used for a
roast, for broths, braising, stewing or cotelettes. Rib chops are also
cut from the breast, which is, by the way, the cheapest part of the
mutton.


Chops and Cutlets.

Chops are cut from the loin. They are called long when the flank is
cut on them and short if without it. When part of the bone of the
short chop is scraped clean it is called a French chop. The rolled
chops sold by provision dealers are the long chops with the bone
removed. One often sees them selling at a low price. They are then the
poor parts of the mutton, like the flank, and will be found very
expensive no matter how little is asked.


Prices.

The price of mutton varies with the seasons, but a table giving the
average price may help the purchaser to an estimate of the comparative
cost of each cut:

 Hind Quarter,          15 cents.
 Leg,                   17 cents.
 Loin, with flank,      13 cents.
 Loin, without flank,   20 cents.
 Fore Quarter,           8 cents.
 Trimmed Chops,         20 cents.
 Untrimmed Chops,       12 cents.

When one has a large family it brings all kinds of meat considerably
cheaper to buy large pieces untrimmed, as the trimmings can be used
for soups, stews, etc.; but for a small family, it is much better to
purchase only the part you want for immediate use. Although mutton
costs less per pound than beef, it is no cheaper in the end, because
to be good it must be fat, and mutton fat, unlike beef fat, cannot be
employed for cooking purposes, as it gives a strong flavor to any
article with which it is used.


LAMB.

Lamb is cut and sold like mutton. Being much smaller, however, a hind
or fore quarter is not too large for a good-sized family. Lamb will
not keep as long as mutton, for, being juicy, it taints more readily.
It is of a delicate flavor until nearly a year old, when it begins to
taste like mutton and is not so tender. The bones of a young lamb will
be red, and the fat hard and white. This meat is in season from May to
September.


VEAL.

The calf being so much larger than the sheep, the fore and hind
quarters are not cooked together, and for an ordinary family both are
not purchased. The animal is, however, cut into the same parts as
mutton. The loin, breast and shoulder are used for roasting. Chops are
cut from the loin and neck, those from the neck being called rib chops
or cotelettes. The neck itself is used for stews, pies, fricassees,
etc. The leg is used for cutlets, fricandeaux, stews and roasts, and
for braising. The fillet of veal is a solid piece cut from the leg--
not like the tenderloin in beef, but used in much the same way. The
lower part of the leg is called a knuckle, and is particularly nice
for soups and sauces. Good veal will have white, firm fat, and the
lean part a pinkish tinge. When extremely white it indicates that the
calf has been bled before being killed, which is a great cruelty to
the animal, besides greatly impoverishing the meat. When veal is too
young it will be soft and of a bluish tinge. The calf should not be
killed until at least six weeks old. Veal is in the market all the
year, but the season is really from April to September, when the price
is low. The leg costs more than any other joint, because it is almost
wholly solid meat. The fillet costs from 20 to 25 cents; cutlets from
the leg, 30 cents; chops from loin, 20 cents; loin for roast, 15
cents; breast, 10 to 12 cents. Veal is not nutritious nor easily
digested. Many people cannot eat it in any form, but such a number of
nice dishes can be made from it, and when in season the price is so
low, that it will always be used for made dishes and soups.


PORK.

Pork, although not so much used in the fresh state as beef, mutton,
lamb, etc., is extensively employed in the preparation of food. It is
cut somewhat like mutton, but into more parts. Fresh young pork should
be firm; the fat white, the lean a pale reddish color and the skin
white and clear. When the fat is yellow and soft the pork is not of
the best quality. After pork has been salted, if it is corn-fed, the
fat will be of a delicate pinkish shade. When hogs weighing three and
four hundred pounds are killed, the fat will not be very firm,
particularly if they are not fed on corn. The amount of salt pork
purchased at a time depends upon the mode of cooking in each family.
If bought in small quantities it should be kept in a small jar or tub,
half filled with brine, and a plate, smaller round than the tub,
should be placed on top of the meat to press it under the brine.

The parts into which the hog is cut are called leg, loin, rib piece,
shoulder, neck, flank, brisket, head and feet. The legs and shoulders
are usually salted and smoked. The loin of a large hog has about two
or three inches of the fat cut with the rind. This is used for
salting, and the loin fresh for roasting. When, however, the hog is
small, the loin is simply scored and roasted. The ribs are treated the
same as the loin, and when the rind and fat are cut off are called
spare-ribs. This piece makes a sweet roast. Having much more bone and
less meat than the loin, it is not really any cheaper, although sold
for less. The loin and ribs are both used for chops and steaks. The
flank and brisket are corned. The head is sold while fresh for head-
cheese, or is divided into two or four parts and corned, and is a
favorite dish with many people. The feet are sometimes sold while
fresh, but are more frequently first pickled. The fat taken from the
inside of the hog and also all the trimmings are cooked slowly until
dissolved. This, when strained and cooled, is termed lard. Many
housekeepers buy the leaf or clear fat and try it out themselves. This
is the best way, as one is then sure of a pure article.


Sausages.

These should be made wholly of pork, but there is often a large
portion of beef in them. They should be firm, and rather dry on the
outside.


Liver.

Calves' liver is the best in the market, and always brings the highest
price. In some markets they will not cut it. A single liver costs
about fifty cents, and when properly cooked, several delicious dishes
can be made from it.

Beef liver is much larger and darker than the calves', has a stronger
flavor and is not so tender. It is sold in small or large pieces at a
low price.

Pigs' liver is not nearly as good as the calves' or beeves', and comes
very much cheaper.


Hearts.

Both the calves' and beeves' hearts are used for roasting and
braising. The calves' are rather small, but tenderer than the beeves'.
The price of one is usually not more than fifteen cents. The heart is
nutritious, but not easily digested.


Kidneys.

The kidneys of beef, veal, mutton, lamb and pork are all used for
stews, broils, _sautés_, curries and fricassees. Veal are the
best.

Tongues.

These are very delicate. Beef tongue is the most used. It should be
thick and firm, with a good deal of fat on the under side. When fresh,
it it used for bouilli, mince pies and to serve cold or in jelly.
Salted and smoked, it is boiled and served cold. Lambs' tongues are
sold both fresh and pickled.

POULTRY AND GAME.

Chickens.

All fowl less than a year old come under this head. The lower end of
the breast-bone in a chicken is soft, and can be bent easily. The
breast should be full, the lean meat white, and the fat a pale straw
color. Chickens are best in last of the summer and the fell and
winter. The largest and juciest come from Philadelphia.

Spring Chickens.

These are generally used for broiling. They vary in size, weighing
from half a pound to two and a half pounds. The small, plump ones,
weighing about one and a half or two pounds, are the best. There is
little fat on spring chickens.

Fowl.

These may be anywhere from one to five or six years old. When over two
years the meat is apt to be tough, dry and stringy. They should be
fat, and the breast full and soft. The meat of fowl is richer than
that of chickens, and is, therefore, better for boiling and to use for
salads and made dishes. The weight of bone is not much greater than in
a chicken, while there is a great deal more meat. Another point to be
remembered is that the price per pound is also generally a few cents
less.


Turkeys.

The lower end of the breast-bone should be soft, and bend easily, the
breast be plump and short, the meat firm and the fat white. When the
bird is very large and fat the flavor is sometimes a little strong.
Eight or ten pounds is a good size for a small family.


Geese.

It is more difficult to judge of the age and quality of a goose than
of any other bird. If the wind pipe is brittle and breaks easily under
pressure of the finger and thumb, the bird is young, but if it rolls
the bird is old. Geese live to a great age--thirty or more years. They
are not good when more than three years old. Indeed, to be perfect,
they should be not more than one year old. They are in season in the
fall and winter.


Green Geese.

The young geese are very well fed, and when from two to four months
old are killed for sale. They bring a high price, and are delicious.
They are sometimes in the market in winter, but the season is the
summer and fall.


Ducks.

The same tests that are applied to chickens and geese to ascertain age
and quality are made with ducks. Besides the tame bird, there are at
least twenty different kinds that come under the head of game. The
canvas-back is the finest in the list; the mallard and red-head come
next. The domestic duck is in season nearly all the year, but the wild
ones only through the fall and winter. The price varies with the
season and supply. A pair of canvas-backs will at one time cost a
dollar and a half and at another five dollars.


Pigeons.

There are two kinds of pigeons found in the market, the tame and the
wild, which are used for potting, stewing, &c. Except when "stall-fed"
they are dry and tough, and require great care in preparation. The
wild birds are the cheapest. They are shipped from the West, packed in
barrels, through the latter part of the winter and the early spring.
Stall-fed pigeons are the tame ones cooped for a few weeks and well
fed. They are then quite fat and tender, and come into market about
the first of October.


Squabs.

These are the young of the tame pigeon. Their flesh is very delicate,
and they are used for roasting and broiling.


Grouse, or Prairie Chicken.

These birds comes from the West, and are much like the partridge of
the Eastern States and Canada. The flesh is dark, but exceedingly
tender. Grouse should be plump and heavy. The breast is all that is
good to serve when roasted, and being so dry, it should always be
larded. The season is from September to January, but it is often
continued into April.


Venison.

There should be a good deal of fat on this meat. The lean should be
dark red and the fat white. Venison is in season all the year, but is
most used in cold weather. In summer it should have been killed at
least ten days before cooking; in winter three weeks is better. The
cuts are the leg, saddle, loin, fore quarter and steaks. The supply
regulates the price.


Partridge.

This bird is so like the grouse that the same rules apply to both.
What is known as quail at the North is called partridge at the South.


Quail.

These birds are found in the market all through the fall and winter.
They are quite small (about the size of a squab), are nearly always
tender and juicy, and not very expensive. They come from the West.


Woodcock.

Woodcock is in season from July to November. It is a small bird,
weighing about half a pound. It has a fine, delicate flavor, and is
very high-priced.


Other Game.

There are numerous large and small birds which are used for food, but
there is not space to treat of them all. In selecting game it must be
remembered that the birds will have a gamey smell, which is wholly
different from that of tainted meat.


FISH.

To fully describe all the kinds of fish found in our markets would
require too much space and is unnecessary, but a list of those of
which there is usually a supply is given, that housekeepers may know
what it is best to select in a certain season and have some idea of
the prices.


To Select Fish.

When fresh, the skin and scales will be bright, the eyes full and
clear, the fins stiff and the body firm. If there is a bad odor, or,
if the fish is soft and darker than is usual for that kind, and has
dim, sunken eyes, it is not fit to use.


Codfish.

This is good all the year, but best in the fall and winter. When
cooked, it breaks into large white flakes. It is not as nutritious as
the darker kinds of fish, but is more easily digested. The price
remains about the same through all seasons.


Haddock.

This is a firmer and smaller-flaked fish than the cod, but varies
little in flavor from it. The cod has a light stripe running down the
sides; the haddock a dark one.


Cusk.

This also belongs to the cod family, and is a firm, white fish. It is
best in winter.


Pollock.

This is used mostly for salting. It is much like the cod, only firmer
grained and drier.


Halibut.

This fine fish is always good. It varies in weight from two pounds to
three hundred. The flesh is a pearly white in a perfectly fresh fish.
That cut from one weighing from fifty to seventy-five pounds is the
best, the flesh of any larger being coarse and dry. The small fish are
called chicken halibut.


Flounders.

These are thin, flat fish, often sold under the name of sole. Good at
all times of the year.


Turbot.

This is a flat fish, weighing from two to twenty pounds. The flesh is
soft, white and delicate. Turbot is not common in our market.


Salmon.

Salmon is in season from April to July, but is in its prime in June.
It is often found in the market as early as January, when it brings a
high price. Being very rich, a much smaller quantity should be
provided for a given number of people than of the lighter kinds of
fish.


Shad.

This is in season in the Eastern and Middle States from March to
April, and in the Southern States from November to February. The flesh
is sweet, but full of small bones. Shad is much prized for the roe.


Blue-fish.

This is a rich, dark fish, weighing from two to eight pounds' and in
season in June, July and August. It is particularly nice broiled and
baked.


Black-fish, or Tautog.

Good all the year, but best in the spring. It is not a large fish,
weighing only from one to five pounds.


White-fish, or Lake Shad.

This delicious fish is found in the great lakes, and in the locality
where caught it is always in season. At the South and in the East the
market is supplied only in winter, when the price is about eighteen
cents a pound. The average weight is between two and three pounds.


Sea-Bass.

This fish, weighing from half a pound to six or seven, pounds, is very
fine, and is in season nearly all the year. It is best in March, April
and May.


Rock-Bass.

The weight of rock-bass generally ranges from half a pound to thirty
or forty pounds, but sometimes reaches eighty or a hundred. The small
fish are the best. The very small ones (under one pound) are fried;
the larger broiled, baked and boiled. The bass are in season all the
year, but best in the fall.


Sword Fish.

This is very large, with dark, firm flesh. It is nutritious, but not
as delicate as other kinds of fish: It is cut and sold like halibut,
and in season in July and August.


Sturgeon.

This fish, like the halibut and sword fish, is large. The flesh is of
a light red color and the fat of a pale yellow. There is a rather
strong flavor. A fish weighing under a hundred pounds will taste
better than a larger one. The season is from April to September.


Weak-Fish.

Weak-fish is found in the New York and Philadelphia markets from May
to October. In the Eastern States it is not so well known. It is a
delicate fish, and grows soft very quickly. It is good boiled or
fried.


Small, or "Pan"-Fish.

The small fish that are usually fried, have the general name of "pan"-
fish. There is a great variety, each kind found in the market being
nearly always local, as it does not pay to pack and ship them. A
greater part have the heads and skin taken off before being sold.


Smelts.

These are good at any time, but best in the winter, when they are both
plenty and cheap.


Mullet.

There are several varieties of this fish, which is much prized in some
sections of the country. It is a small fish, weighing from a quarter
of a pound to two or three pounds. It often has a slightly muddy
flavor, owing to living a large part of the time in the mud of the
rivers.


Mackerel.

This fish is nutritious and cheap. It is in the market through the
spring and summer, and averages in weight between one and two pounds.


Spanish Mackerel.

These are larger than the common mackerel, and have rows of yellow
spots, instead of the dark lines on the sides. They are in season from
June to October, and generally bring a high price.


Eels.

These are sold skinned; are always in season, but best from April to
November.


Lobsters.

This shell-fish is in the market all the year, but is best in May and
June. If the tail, when straightened, springs back into position, it
indicates that the fish is fresh. The time of boiling live lobsters
depends upon the size. If boiled too much they will be tough and dry.
They are generally boiled by the fishermen. This is certainly the best
plan, as these people know from practice, just how long to cook them.
Besides, as the lobsters must be alive when put into the pot, they are
ugly things to handle. The medium-sized are the tenderest and
sweetest. A good one will be heavy for its size. In the parts of the
country where fresh lobsters cannot be obtained, the canned will be
found convenient for making salads, soups, stews, etc.


Hard-Shell Crabs.

These are in the market all the year. They are sold alive and, also,
like the lobster, boiled. Near the coast of the Southern and Middle
States they are plenty and cheap, but in the interior and in the
Eastern States they are quite expensive. They are not used as much as
the lobster, because it is a great deal of trouble to take the meat
from the shell.


Soft-Shell Crabs.

As the crab grows, a new, soft shell forms, and the old, hard one is
shed. Thus comes the soft-shelled crab. In about three days the shell
begins to harden again. In Maryland there are ponds for raising these
crabs, so that now the supply is surer than in former years. Crabs are
a great luxury, and very expensive. In the Eastern States they are
found only in warm weather. They must always be cooked while alive.
Frying and broiling are the modes of preparing.


Shrimp.

These are found on the Southern coasts; are much the shape of a
lobster, but very small. They are used mostly for sauces to serve with
fish. Their season is through the spring, summer and fall. There is a
larger kind called big shrimp or prawns, sold boiled in the Southern
markets. These are good for sauces or stews, and, in fact, can be
used, in most cases, the same as lobster. But few shrimp are found in
the Eastern or Western markets. The canned goods are, however,
convenient and nice for sauces.


Terrapin.

This shell-fish comes from the South, Baltimore being the great
terrapin market. It belongs to the turtle family. It is always sold
alive, and is a very expensive fish, the diamond backs costing from
one to two dollars apiece. Three varieties are found in the market,
the diamond backs, little bulls and red fenders. The first named are
considered marketable when they measure six inches across the back.
They are then about three years old. The little bulls, or male fish,
hardly ever measure more than five inches across the back. They are
cheaper than diamond backs, but not so well flavored. The red fenders
grow larger than the others, and are much cheaper, but their meat is
coarse and of an inferior flavor. Terrapin are in the market all the
year, but the best time to buy them is from November to February.


Oysters.

No other shell-fish is as highly prized as this. The oyster usually
takes the name of the place where it is grown, because the quality and
flavor depend very much upon the feeding grounds. The Blue-point, a
small, round oyster from Long Island, is considered the finest in the
market, and it costs about twice as much as the common oyster. Next
comes the Wareham, thought by many quite equal to the Blue-point. It
is a salt water oyster, and is, therefore, particularly good for
serving raw. The Providence River oyster is large and well flavored,
yet costs only about half as much as the Blue-point. The very large
ones, however, sell at the same price. Oysters are found all along;
the coast from Massachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico. Those taken from
the cool Northern waters are the best. The sooner this shell-fish is
used after being opened, the better. In the months of May, June, July
and August, the oyster becomes soft and milky. It is not then very
healthful or well flavored. The common-sized oysters are good for all
purposes of cooking except broiling and frying, when the large are
preferable. The very large ones are not served as frequently on the
half shell as in former years, the Blue-point, or the small Wareham,
having supplanted them.


Clams.

There are two kinds of this shell-fish, the common thin-shelled clam
and the quahaug. The first is the most abundant. It is sold by the
peck or bushel in the shell, or by the quart when shelled. Clams are
in season all the year, but in summer a black substance is found in
the body, which must be pressed from it before using. The shell of the
quahaug is thick and round.


Scollops.

This shell-fish is used about the same as the clam, but is not so
popular, owing to a peculiarly sweet flavor. It is in season from
September to March, and is sold shelled, as only the muscular part of
the fish is used.


VEGETABLES.

Every good housekeeper will supply her table with a variety of
vegetables all the year round. One can hardly think of a vegetable,
either fresh or canned, that cannot be had in our markets at any
season. The railroads and steamers connect the climes so closely that
one hardly knows whether he is eating fruits and vegetables in or out
of season. The provider, however, realizes that it takes a long purse
to buy fresh produce at the North while the ground is yet frozen.
Still, there are so many winter vegetables that keep well in the
cellar through cold weather that if we did not have the new ones from
the South, there would be, nevertheless, a variety from which to
choose. It is late in the spring, when the old vegetables begin to
shrink and grow rank, that we appreciate what comes from the South.


Buying Vegetables.

If one has a good, dry cellar, it is economy to procure in the fall
vegetables enough for all winter, but if the cellar is too warm the
vegetables will sprout and decay before half the cold months have
passed. Those to be bought are onions, squashes, turnips, beets,
carrots, parsnips, cabbages, potatoes and Jerusalem artichokes, all of
which, except the first two, should be bedded in sand and in a cool
place, yet where they will not freeze. Squashes and onions should be
kept in a very dry room. The price of all depends upon the supply.


WHEN IN SEASON.

Bermuda sends new potatoes into Northern markets about the last of
March or first of April. Florida soon follows, and one Southern State
after another continues the supply until June, when the Northern and
Eastern districts begin. It is only the rich, however, who can afford
new potatoes before July; but the old are good up to that time, if
they have been well kept and are properly cooked. Cabbage is in season
all the year. Beets, carrots, turnips and onions are received from the
South in April and May, so that we have them young and fresh for at
least five months. After this period they are not particularly tender,
and require much cooking. Squashes come from the South until about
May, and we then have the summer squash till the last of August, when
the winter squash is first used. This is not as delicate as the summer
squash, but is generally liked better. Green peas are found in the
market in February, though they are very expensive up to the time of
the home supply, which is the middle of June, in an ordinary season,
in the Eastern States. They last until the latter part of August, but
begin to grow poor before that time. There is a great variety, some
being quite large, others very small. The smaller are the more
desirable, being much like French peas. When peas are not really in
season it is more satisfactory to use French canned peas, costing
forty cents a can. One can is enough for six persons. When buying
peas, see that the pods are green, dry and cool. If they have turned
light they have been picked either a long time or when old.


SPINACH.

Spinach is always in season, but is valued most during the winter and
spring, as it is one of the few green vegetables that we get then, and
is not expensive. It should be green and crisp.


Asparagus.

Asparagus, from hot houses and the South, begins to come into the
market in March and April. It is then costly, but in May and June is
abundant and quite cheap. About the last of June it grows poor, and no
matter how low the price, it will be an expensive article to buy as it
has then become very "woody." The heads should be full and green; if
light and not full, the asparagus will not spend well.


Dandelions.

The cultivated dandelion is found in the market in March, April and a
part of May. It is larger, tenderer and less bitter than the wild
plant, which begins to get into the market--in April. By the last of
May the dandelion is too rank and tough to make a good dish.


Cauliflower.

This vegetable is generally quite expensive. It is found in the market
a greater part of the year, being now grown in hot houses in winter.
It is in perfection from the first of May to November or December. The
leaves should be green and fresh and the heads a creamy white. When
the leaves are wilted, or when there are dark spots on the head, the
cauliflower is not good.


Tomatoes.

The fresh tomato comes to the market from the South in April and
sometimes in March. On account of the high price it is then used only
where the canned tomato will not answer. In July, August and September
it is cheap. It comes next to the potato in the variety of forms in
which it may be served. By most physicians it is considered a very
healthful vegetable. The time to buy ripe tomatoes for canning is
about the last of August, when they are abundant and cheap. About the
middle or last of September green ones should be secured for pickling,
etc. As the vines still bear a great many that cannot ripen before the
frost comes, these are sold for this purpose.


Beans.

There are two kinds of green beans in the market, the string or snap
bean and the shell bean. String beans come from the South about the
first of April. They are picked in Northern gardens about the first of
June, and they last until about the middle of July. They should be
green, the beans just beginning to form, and should snap crisply. If
wilted or yellow they have been picked too long.


Shell Beans.

Shell beans come in May, but are not picked at the North before June.
They are good until the last of September. There is a great variety of
shell beans, but the Lima is considered the best When fresh, shell
beans are dry and smooth; but if old, they look dull and sticky.


Celery.

Celery is found in the market from August to April, but is in its
prime and is cheapest from November to the first of March. Before the
frost comes it is slightly bitter, and after the first of March it
grows tough and stringy. Unless one has a good cellar in which to bury
celery, it is best to purchase as one has need from time to time.
Celery is a delicious salad. It is also considered one of the best
vegetables that a nervous, rheumatic or neuralgic person can take. The
heads should be close and white, and the stalks should break off
crisply. Save the trimmings for soups.


Lettuce.

Lettuce is found in the market all the year round, being now raised in
hot houses in winter. It then costs two and three times as much as in
summer; still, it is not an expensive salad. There are a number of
varieties having much the same general appearance. That which comes in
round heads, with leaves like a shell, is the most popular in this
country, because it can be served so handsome. There is another kind,
high in favor in Paris and in some localities in this country for its
tenderness and delicate flavor, but not liked by marketmen, because it
will not bear rough handling. The tune will come, however, when there
will be such a demand for this species that all first-class provision
dealers will keep it. The French call it Romaine, and in this country
it is sometimes called Roman lettuce. It does not head. The leaves are
long and not handsome whole; but one who uses the lettuce never wishes
for any other. Lettuce should be crisp and green, and be kept until
used in a very cold place--in an ice chest if possible.

Mushrooms.

Mushrooms are in the market at all seasons. In summer, when they are
found in pastures, they are comparatively (fifty or seventy-five cents
a pound), but in winter they are high priced. Being, however, very
light, a pound goes a great way. The French canned mushrooms are safe,
convenient and cheap. One can, costing forty cents, is enough for a
sauce for at least ten people. There is nothing else among vegetables
which gives such a peculiarly delicious flavor to meat sauces.
Mushrooms are used also as a relish for breakfast and tea, or as an
entrée. In gathering from the fields one should exercise great care
not to collect poisonous toadstools, which are in appearance much like
mushrooms, and are often mistaken for these by people whose knowledge
of vegetables has been gained solely by reading. The confusion of the
two things has sometimes resulted fatally. There can hardly be danger
if purchases are made of reliable provision dealers.


Green Corn.

Green corn is sent from the South about the last of May or the first
of June, and then costs much. It comes from the Middle States about
the middle of July and from the Eastern in August, and it lasts into
October in the North Eastern States. It should be tender and milky,
and have well-filled ears. If too old it will be hard, and the grains
straw colored, and no amount of boiling wilt make it tender. Corn is
boiled simply in clear water, is made into chowders, fritters,
puddings, succotash, etc.

Artichokes.

There are two kinds of artichokes, the one best known in this country,
the Jerusalem artichoke, being a tuber something like the potato. It
is used as a salad, is boiled and served as a vegetable, and is also
pickled. This artichoke comes into the market about July, and can be
preserved in sand for winter use.

The Globe Artichoke.

A thick, fleshy-petaled flower grows on a plant that strongly
resembles the thistle; this flower is the part that is eaten. It is
boiled and served with a white sauce, and is also eaten as a salad. It
is much used in France, but we have so many vegetables with so much
more to recommend them, that this will probably never be common in
this country.


Cucumbers.

Cucumbers are in the market all the year round. In winter they are
raised in green houses and command a high price. They begin to come
from the South about the first of April, and by the last of May the
price is reasonable. They last through the summer, but are not very
nice after August They are mostly used as a salad and for pickles, but
are often cooked. They should be perfectly green and firm for a salad,
and when to be pickled, they must be small. If for cooking, it does no
harm to have them a little large and slightly turned yellow.


Radishes.

There are two forms of the radish commonly found in the market, the
long radish and the small round one. They are in the market in all
seasons, and in early spring and summer the price is low. Radishes are
used mostly as a relish.


Chicory or Endive.

The roots and leaves of this plant are both used, but the leaves only
are found in the market (the roots are used in coffee), and these come
in heads like the lettuce. Chicory comes into the market later than
lettuce, and is used in all respects like it. Sometimes it is cooked.


Sweet Herbs.

The housekeeper in large cities has no difficulty in finding all the
herbs she may want, but this is not so in small towns and villages.
The very fact, however, that one lives in a country place suggests a
remedy. Why not have a little bed of herbs in your own garden, and
before they go to seed, dry what you will need for the winter and
spring? Thus, in summer you could always have the fresh herbs, and in
whiter have your supply of dried.

It is essential to have green parsley throughout the winter, and this
can be managed very easily by having two or three pots planted with
healthy roots in the fall. Or, a still better way is to have large
holes bored in the sides of a large tub or keg; then fill up to the
first row of holes with rich soil; put the roots of the plants through
the holes, having the leaves on the outside; fill up again with soil
and continue this until the tub is nearly full; then plant the top
with roots. Keep in a sunny window and you will have not only a useful
herb, but a thing of beauty through the winter.

For soups, sauces, stews and braising, one wants sweet marjoram,
summer savory, thyme, parsley, sage, tarragon and bay-leaf always on
hand. You can get bunches of savory, sage, marjoram and thyme for five
cents each at the vegetable market. Five cents' worth of bay-leaves
from the drug shop win complete the list (save tarragon, which is hard
to find), and you have for a quarter of a dollar herbs enough to last
a large family a year. Keep them tied together in a large paper bag or
a box, where they will be dry. Mint and parsley should be used green.
There is but little difficulty in regard to mint, as it is used only
in the spring and summer.




GROCERIES.

The manner in which a housekeeper buys her groceries must depend upon
where she lives and how large her family is. In a country place, where
the stores are few and not well supplied, it is best to buy in large
quantities all articles that will not deteriorate by keeping. If one
has a large family a great saving is made by purchasing the greater
portion of one's groceries at wholesale.


Flour.

There is now in use flour made by two different processes, by the old,
or St. Louis, and the new, or Haxall. The Haxall flour is used mostly
for bread and the old-process for pastry, cake, etc. By the new
process more starch and less of the outer coats, which contain much of
the phosphates, is retained; so that the flour makes a whiter and
moister bread. This flour packs closer than that made in the old way,
so that a pound of it will not measure as much as a pound of the old
kind. In using an old rule, one-eighth of this flour should be left
out. For instance, if in a recipe for bread you have four quarts (old-
process) of flour given, of the new-process you would take only three
and a half quarts. This flour does not make as good cake and pastry as
the old-process. It is, therefore, well, to have a barrel of each, if
you have space, for the pastry flour is the cheaper, and the longer
all kinds of flour are kept in a _dry_ place, the better they
are. Buying in small quantities is extremely extravagant. When you
have become accustomed to one brand, and it works to your
satisfaction, do not change for a new one. The _best_ flour is
the cheapest. There are a great many brands that are equally good.


Graham.

The best Graham is made by grinding good wheat and not sifting it.
Much that is sold is a poor quality of flour mixed with bran. This
will not, of course, make good, sweet bread. The "Arlington Whole
Wheat Meal" is manufactured from pure wheat, and makes delicious
bread. Graham, like flour, will keep in a cool, dry place for years.


Indian Meal.

In most families there is a large amount of this used, but the
quantity purchased at a time depends upon the kind of meal selected.
The common kind, which is made by grinding between two mill-stones,
retains a great deal of moisture, and, in hot weather, will soon grow
musty; but the granulated meal will keep for any length of time. The
corn for this meal is first dried; and it takes about two years for
this. Then the outer husks are removed, and the corn is ground by a
process that produces grains like granulated sugar. After once using
this meal one will not willingly go back to the old kind. Indian meal
is made from two kinds of corn, Northern and Southern. The former
gives the yellow meal, and is much richer than the Southern, of which
white meal is made.


Rye Meal.

This meal, like the old-process Indian, will grow musty in a short
time in hot weather, so that but a small quantity of it should be
bought at a time. The meal is much better than the flour for all kinds
of bread and muffins.


Oat Meal.

There are several kinds of oat meal--Scotch, Irish, Canadian and
American. The first two are sold in small packages, the Canadian and
American in any quantity. It seems as if the Canadian and American
should be the best because the freshest; but the fact is the others
are considered the choicest. Many people could not eat oat meal in
former years, owing to the husks irritating the lining of the stomach.
There is now what is called pearled meal. All the husks are removed,
and the oats are then cut. The coarse kind will keep longer than the
fine ground, but it is best to purchase often, and have the meal as
fresh as possible.


Cracked Wheat.

This is the whole wheat just crushed or cut like the coarse oat meal,
but unlike the meal. It will keep a long time. It is cooked the same
as oat meal. That which is cut makes a handsomer dish than the
crushed, but the latter cooks more quickly.


Hominy.

This is made from corn, and it comes in a number of sizes, beginning
with samp and ending with a grade nearly as fine as coarse-granulated
sugar. The finest grade is really the best, so many nice dishes can be
made with it which you cannot make with the coarse. Hominy will keep a
long time, and it can be bought in five-pound package or by the
barrel.


Sugar.

The fine-granulated sugar is the best and cheapest for general family
use. It is pure and dry; therefore, there is more in one pound of it
than in a damp, brown sugar, besides its sweetening power being
considerably greater. The price of sugar at wholesale is not much less
than at retail, but time and trouble are saved by purchasing by the
barrel.


Spice.

It is well to keep on hand all kinds of spice, both whole and ground.
They should not be in large quantities, as a good cook will use them
very sparingly, and a good house-keeper will have too much regard for
the health of her family and the delicacy of her food to have them
used lavishly. For soups and sauces the whole spice is best, as it
gives a delicate flavor, and does not color. A small wooden or tin box
should be partly filled with whole mace, cloves, allspice and
cinnamon, and a smaller paste-board box, full of pepper-corns, should
be placed in it. By this plan you will have all your spices together
when you season a soup or sauce.


English Currants.

These keep well, and if cleaned, washed and _well_ dried, will
improve in flavor by being kept.


Raisins.

In large families, if this fruit is much used, it is well to buy by
the box. Time does not improve raisins.


Soda, Cream of Tartar, Baking Powder.

There should not be so much of these articles used as to require that
they be purchased in large quantities. Cream of tartar is expensive,
soda cheap. If one prefers to use baking powders there will be no need
of cream of tartar, but the soda will still be required for
gingerbread and brown bread, and to use with sour milk, etc. The
advantage of baking powder is that it is prepared by chemists who know
just the proportion of soda to use with the acid (which should be
cream of tartar), and the result will be invariable if the cook is
exact in measuring the other ingredients. When an inexperienced cook
uses the soda and cream of tartar there is apt to be a little too much
of one or the other. Just now, with the failure of the grape crops in
France, from which a greater part of the crystals in use come, cream
of tarter is extremely high, and substitutes, such as phosphates, are
being used.


To be Always Kept on Hand.

Besides the things already mentioned, housekeepers should always have
a supply of rice, pearl barley, dried beans, split peas, tapioca,
macaroni, vermicilli, tea, coffee, chocolate, corn-starch, molasses,
vinegar, mustard, pepper, salt, capers, canned tomato, and any other
canned vegetables of which a quantity is used. Of the many kind of
molasses, Porto Rico is the best for cooking purposes. It is well to
have a few such condiments as curry powder (a small bottle will last
for years), Halford sauce, essence of anchovies and mushroom ketchup.
These give variety to the flavoring, and, if used carefully, will not
be an expensive addition, so little is needed for a dish.




CARE OF FOOD.

A great saving is made by the proper care and use of cooked and
uncooked food. The first and great consideration is perfect
cleanliness. The ice chest and cellar should be thoroughly cleaned
once a week; the jars in which bread is kept must be washed, scalded
and dried thoroughly at least twice a week. When cooked food is placed
in either the ice chest or cellar it should be perfectly cool; if not,
it will absorb an unpleasant flavor from the close atmosphere of
either place. Meat should not be put directly on the ice, as the water
draws out the juices. Always place it in a pan, and this may be set on
the ice. When you have a refrigerator where the meat can be hung, a
pan is not needed. In winter, too, when one has a cold room, it is
best to hang meats there. These remarks apply, of course, only to
joints and fowl. The habit which many people have of putting steaks,
chops, etc., in the wrapping paper on ice, is a very bad one. When
purchasing meat always have the trimmings sent home, as they help to
make soups and sauces. Every scrap of meat and bone left from roasts
and broils should be saved for the soup-pot. Trimmings from ham,
tongue, corned beef, etc., should all be saved for the many relishes
they will make. Cold fish can be used in salads and warmed up in many
palatable ways. In fact, nothing that comes on the table is enjoyed
more than the little dishes which an artistic cook will make from the
odds and ends left from a former meal. By artistic cook is meant not a
professional, but a woman who believes in cleanliness and hot dishes,
and that there is something in the appearance as well as in the taste
of the food, and who does not believe that a quantity of butter, or of
some kind of fat, is essential to the success of nearly every dish
cooked. The amount of food spoiled by butter, _good_ butter too,
is surprising.

One should have a number of plates for cold food, that each kind may
be kept by itself. The fat trimmings from beef, pork, veal, chickens
and fowl should be tried out while fresh, and then strained. The fowl
and chicken fat ought to be kept in a pot by itself for shortening and
delicate frying. Have a stone pot for it, holding about a quart, and
another, holding three or four quarts, for the other kinds. The fat
that has been skimmed from soups, boiled beef and fowl, should be
cooked rather slowly until the sediment falls to the bottom and there
is not the shadow of a bubble. It can then be strained into the jar
with the other fat; but if strained while bubbles remain, there is
water in it, and it will spoil quickly. The fat from sausages can also
be strained into the larger pot. Another pot, holding about three
quarts, should be kept for the fat in which articles of food have been
fried. When you have finished frying, set the kettle in a cool place
for about half an hour; then pour the fat into the pot through a fine
strainer, being careful to keep back the sediment, which scrape into
the soap-grease. In this way you can fry in the same fat a dozen
times, while if you are not careful to strain it each time, the crumbs
left will burn and blacken all the fat. Occasionally, when you have
finished frying, cut up two or three uncooked potatoes and put into
the boiling fat. Set on the back of the stove for ten or fifteen
minutes; then set in a cool place for fifteen minutes longer, and
strain. The potatoes clarify the fat. Many people use ham fat for
cooking purposes; and when there is no objection to the flavor, it is
nice for frying eggs, potatoes, etc. But it should not be mixed with
other kinds. The fat from mutton, lamb, geese, turkey or ducks will
give an unpleasant flavor to anything with which it is used, and the
best place for it is with the soap-grease. Every particle of soup and
gravy should be saved, as a small quantity of either adds a great deal
to many little dishes. The quicker food of all kinds cools the longer
it keeps. This should be particularly remembered with soups and bread.

Bread and cake must be thoroughly cooled before being put into box or
jar. If not, the steam will cause them to mold quickly. Crusts and
pieces of stale bread should be dried in a slow oven, rolled into fine
crumbs on a board, and put away for croquettes, cutlets or anything
that is breaded. Pieces of stale bread can be used for toast, griddle-
cakes and puddings and for dressing for poultry and other kinds of
meat. Stale cake can be made into puddings; The best tub butter will
keep perfectly well without a brine if kept in a cool, sweet room. It
is more healthful and satisfactory to buy the choicest tub butter and
use it for table and cooking purposes than to provide a fancy article
for the table and use an inferior one in the preparation of the food.
If, from any cause, butter becomes rancid, to each pint of it add one
table-spoonful of salt and one teaspoonful of soda, and mix well; then
add one pint of cold water, and set on the fire until it comes to the
boiling point Now set away to cool, and when cool and hard, take off
the butter in a cake. Wipe dry and put away for cooking purposes. It
will be perfectly sweet.

Milk, cream and butter all quickly absorb strong odors; therefore,
care must be taken to keep them in a cool, sweet room or in an ice
chest. Cheese should be wrapped in a piece of clean linen and kept in
a box. Berries must be kept in a cool place, and uncovered.




KITCHEN FURNISHING.


Stove, or Range?

The question often arises, even with old housekeepers, Which shall it
be--a stove or a range? There are strong points in favor of each. For
a small kitchen the range may be commended, because it occupies the
least space, and does not heat a room as intensely as a stove,
although it will heat water enough for kitchen and bath-room purposes
for a large family. That the range is popular is evident from the fact
that nearly every modern house is supplied with one; and thus the cost
of, and cartage for, stoves is generally saved to tenants in these
days.

There are these advantage of a stove over a set range: it requires
less than half as much fuel and is more easily managed--that is, the
fire can be more quickly started, and if it gets too low, more easily
replenished and put in working order; and the ovens can be more
quickly heated or cooled. But, although you can have a water-back and
boiler with most modern stoves or, as they are now called, portable
ranges, the supply of hot water will not be large. And you cannot
roast before the fire as with a range.

So near-perfection have the makers of ranges and stoves come that it
would be difficult to speak of possible improvements, especially in
stoves. This can be said not of a few, but of a great many
manufacturers, each having his special merit. And where the products
are so generally good, it is hard to mention one make in preference to
another. When purchasing, it is well to remember, that one of simple
construction is the most easily managed and does not soon get out of
order. No single piece of furniture contributes so much to the comfort
of a family as the range or stove, which should, therefore, be the
best of its kind.


Gas and Oil Stoves.

During the hot weather a gas or oil stove is a great comfort. The "Sun
Dial," manufactured by the Goodwin Gas Stove Co., Philadelphia, is a
"perfect gem," roasting, baking, broiling, etc., as well as a coal
stove or range. Indeed, meats roasted or broiled by it are jucier than
when cooked over or before coals. The peculiar advantage of oil and
gas stoves is that they can be coveniently used for a short time, say
for the preparation of a meal, at a trifling expense. The cost of
running a gas stove throughout the day is, however, much greater than
that of a coal stove, while an oil stove can be run cheaper than
either.

There are a great many manufacturers of oil stoves, and as a natural
consequence, where there is so much competition, the stoves are nearly
all good. One would not think of doing the cooking for a large family
with one or, indeed, two of them; but the amount of work that can be
accomplished with a single stove is remarkable. They are a great
comfort in hot weather, many small families doing their entire cooking
with them.


Refrigerators.

The trouble with most refrigerators is that the food kept in them is
apt to have a peculiar taste. This is owing in a great measure to the
wood used in the construction of the interior and for the shelves. On
the inside of the Eddy chest-shaped refrigerator there is not a
particle of wood, and the food kept in it is always sweet. It is
simply a chest, where the ice is placed on the bottom and slate
shelves put on top. With this style of refrigerator the waste of ice
is much greater than in those built with a separate compartment for
ice, but the food is more healthful.


Utensils.

The following is a list of utensils with which a kitchen should be
furnished. But the housekeeper will find that there is continually
something new to be bought. If there be much fancy cooking, there must
be an ice cream freezer, jelly and charlotte russe moulds and many
little pans and cutters. The right way is, of course, to get the
essential articles first, and then, from time to time, to add those
used in fancy cooking:

Two cast-iron pots, size depending upon range or stove (they come with
the stove).

One griddle.

One porcelain-lined preserving kettle.

One fish kettle.

Three porcelain-lined stew-pans, holding from one to six quarts.

One No. 4 deep Scotch frying kettle.

One waffle iron.

Three French polished frying-pans, Nos. 1, 3 and 6.

Four stamped tin or granite ware stewpans, holding from one pint to
four quarts.

One double boiler, holding three quarts.

One Dover egg-beater.

One common wire beater.

One meat rack.

One dish pan.

Two bread pans, holding six and eight quarts respectively.

Two milk pans.

Two Russian-iron baking pans--two sizes.

Four tin shallow baking-pans.

Four deep pans for loaves.

Two quart measures.

One deep, round pan of granite-ware, with cover, for braising.

One deep Russian-iron French roll pan.

Two stamped tin muffin pans.

One tea-pot.

One coffee-pot.

One coffee biggin.

One chocolate pot.

One colander.

One squash strainer.

One strainer that will fit on to one of the cast-iron pots.

One frying-basket.

One melon mould.

Two brown bread tins.

One round pudding mould.

Two vegetable cutters.

One tea canister.

One coffee canister.

One cake box.

One spice box.

One dredger for flour.

One for powdered sugar.

One smaller dredger for salt.

One, still smaller, for pepper.

One boning knife.

One French cook's knife.

One large fork.

Two case-knives and forks.

Two vegetable knives.

Four large mixing spoons.

Two table-spoons.

Six teaspoons.

One larding needle.

One trussing needle.

One set of steel skewers.

One wire dish cloth.

One whip churn.

One biscuit cutter.

One hand basin.

One jagging iron.

Three double broilers--one each for toast, fish and meat.

One long-handled dipper.

One large grater.

One apple corer.

One flour scoop.

One sugar scoop.

One lemon squeezer.

Chopping tray and knife.

Small wooden bowl to use in chopping.

Moulding board of good _hard_ wood.

Board for cutting-bread on.

One for cutting cold meats on.

Thick board, or block, on which to break bones, open lobsters, etc.

A rolling pin.

Wooden buckets for sugar, Graham, Indian and rye meal.

Wooden boxes for rice, tapioca, crackers, barley, soda, cream of
tartar, etc.

Covers for flour barrels.

Wire flour sieve--not too large.

A pail for cleaning purposes.

One vegetable masher.

Stone pot for bread, holding ten quarts.

One for butter, holding six quarts.

One for pork, holding three quarts.

One dust pan and brush.

One scrubbing brush.

One broom.

One blacking brush.

Four yellow earthen bowls, holding from six quarts down.

Four white, smooth-bottomed bowls, holding one quart each.

One bean pot.

One earthen pudding dish.


All the tin ware should be made from xx tin. It will then keep its
shape, and wear three times as long as if made of thin stuff. Scouring
with sand soon ruins tin, the coarse sand scratching it and causing it
to rust. Sapolio, a soap which comes for cleaning tins, wood-work and
paint, will be found of great value in the kitchen.

Granite ware, as now made, is perfectly safe to-use. It will not
become discolored by any kind of cooking, and is so perfectly smooth
that articles of food will not stick and bum in it as quickly as in
the porcelain-lined pans. Nearly every utensil used in the kitchen is
now made in granite ware. The mixing spoons are, however, not
desirable, as the coating of granite peels off when the spoon is bent.
Have no more heavy cast-iron articles than are really needed, for they
are not easily handled, and are, therefore, less likely to be kept as
clean, inside and out, as the lighter and smoother ware.


[Illustration: Scotch Kettle]

The Scotch Kettle is quite cheap, and will be found of great value for
every kind of frying, as it is so deep that enough fat can put into it
to immerse the article to be cooked.


[Illustration: French Frying-Pan.]

The French polished frying-pans are particularly nice, because they
can be used for any kind of frying and for cooking sauces and
omelets. The small size, No. 1, is just right for an omelet made with
two eggs.


[Illustration: Tin Kitchen.]

When possible, a tin kitchen should be used, as meat cooked before a bright
fire has a flavor much nicer than when baked in an oven.


[Illustration: Bird Roaster.]

The bird roaster will be found valuable.


[Illustration: Ice Cream Freezer.]

An ice cream freezer is a great luxury in a family, and will soon do
away with that unhealthy dish--pie. No matter how small the family,
nothing less than a gallon freezer should be bought, because you can
make a small quantity of the cream in this size, and when you have
friends in, there is no occasion to send to the confectioner's for
what can be prepared as well at home. With the freezer should be
purchased a mallet and canvas bag for pounding the ice fine, as much
time and ice can be saved.


[Illustration: Bain-Marie.]

[Illustration: Bain-Marie Pan.]

A bain-marie is a great convenience for keeping the various dishes hot
when serving large dinners. It is simply a large tin pan, which is
partially filled with boiling water and placed where this will keep at
a high temperature, but will not boil. The sauce-pans containing the
cooked food are placed in the water until the time for serving.



[Illustration: Carving Knife and Fork.]

The large knives for the kitchen, as well as those belonging in the
dining-room, should be kept very sharp. If used about the fire they
are soon spoiled.


[Illustration: French Cook's Knife.]

The French cook's knife is particularly good for carving, cutting
bread, etc. It. is rather expensive, but it pays to get one, if only
proper care can be taken of it. The butcher's knife should be used for
all heavy work. One should never try to break a bone with a knife.
That this is often attempted in both kitchen and dining room, the
nicked edges of the knives give proof, and show the greater hardness
of the bones.


[Illustration: Boning Knife.]

Where much boning is done a small boning knife, costing about seventy-
five cents, will be necessary; It should be used only for this
purpose.


[Illustration: French Vegetable Scoop.]

The French vegetable scoop, costs about seventy-five cents, will cut
potatoes and other vegetables in balls for frying or boiling. The
largest size is the best.


[Illustration: Garnishing Knife.]

The garnishing knife flutes vegetables, adding much to their
appearance when they are used as a garnish.


[Illustration: Long French Roll Pan.]

[Illustration: Short French Roll Pan--Made of Russian Iron.]

[Illustration: Muffin Pans]

The long French roll pan, made from Russian iron, is nice for baking
long loaves or rolls where a great deal of crust is liked There are
muffin pans of tin, Russian iron and granite ware. Those of iron
should be chosen last, on account of their weight. It is a good thing
to have pans of a number of different shapes, as a variety for the eye
is a matter of importance. The muffin rings of former years have done
their duty, and should be allowed to rest, the convenient cups, which
comes in sheets, more than filling their place.


[Illustration: Frying Basket.]

The frying basket should have fine meshes, as delicate articles, like
croquettes, need more support than a coarsely-woven basket gives.


[Illustration: Meat Rack.]

Where roasting is done in the oven there must be a rack to keep the
meat from coming in contact with the water in the bottom of the pan.


[Illustration: Larding and Trussing Needles.]

One medium-sized larding needle will answer for all kinds of meat that
are to be larded.


[Illustration: Potato Slicer.]

A potato slicer will be found useful for slicing potatoes, for frying,
or cabbage, for slaw. It cuts vegetables in very thin pieces.


[Illustration: Steamer for Pot. Steamer for Tea-Kettle.]

The steamers which fit into the cast-iron pot or the tea-kettle are
quite convenient. Both kinds will not, of course, be required.


[Illustration: Quart Measure]

The quart measure for milk is the best for common measuring. Being
divided into half pints, the one vessel answers for all quantities. A
kitchen should be furnished with two measures, one for dry material
and the other for liquids.


[Illustration: Bread Grater. Whip Churn.]

In the preparation of desserts the whip churn is essential. It is a
tin cylinder, perforated on the bottom and sides, in which a dasher of
tin, also perforated, can be easily moved tip and down. When this
churn is placed in a bowl of cream and the dasher is worked, air is
forced through the cream, causing it to froth.


[Illustration: Double Boiler.]

The double boiler is invaluable in the kitchen. It is a good plan to
have two of them where a great deal of cooking is done. The lower part
of the boiler is half filled with boiling water, and the inside kettle
is placed in this. By this means food is cooked without danger of
burning, and more rapidly than if the kettle were placed directly on
the stove, exposed to the cold air, because the boiling water in the
outside kettle reaches not only the bottom, but also the sides of that
in which the food is.


[Illustration: Double Broiler, with Back.]

[Illustration: Double Broiler.]

When broiling is done before the fire it is necessary to have a back
for the double broiler, for the tin reflects the heat, and the food is
cooked much sooner.


[Illustration: Colander.]

[Illustration: Squash Strainer.]

The colander is used for draining vegetables, straining soups, etc.,
and with the squash arid gravy strainers, it is all that is required
in the way of strainers.


[Illustration: Coffee Biggin. Coffee Pot.]

Under "Drinks" will be found a description of the French coffee
biggin.


[Illustration: Brown-Bread Tin.]

There should be two brown-bread tins, each holding three pints. They
answer also for steaming puddings.


[Illustration: Melon Mould. Round Pudding Mould. ]

The melon and round padding moulds are nice for frozen or steamed
puddings.


[Illustration: Stew-Pan.]

The stew-pans that are porcelain-lined are better than the tin-lined,
because the tin is liable to melt when frying is done, as, for
instance, when meat and vegetables are fried for a stew. Granite ware
stew-pans are made in the same shapes as the porcelain-lined.


[Illustration: Heavy Tin Sauce-Pan.]

The tin sauce-pans are nice for sauces and gravies. The porcelain-
lined come in the same shapes. Copper is a better conductor of heat
than either tin or iron, but when it is not kept perfectly clean,
oxide of copper, which is very poisonous, collects on it, and is
dissolved by oils and fats. Then when fruit, pickles, or any food
containing an acid is allowed to cool in the vessels, verdigris is
produced; and this is a deadly poison.


[Illustration: Bread or Dish Pan. Shallow Milk Pan.]

[Illustration: Dripping Pan. Bread Pan.]

The stamped tin-ware is made from a better quality of metal than the
soldered; therefore, it comes higher, but it is in the end cheaper,
and it is always safer. Bread, milk and dish pans should be made of
stamped tin. The pans for roasting meat should be made of Russian
iron.


[Illustration: Basting Spoon. Ladle. Dredging Box.]

The spoons for basting and mixing, and also the ladle, should be
strong and well tinned.


[Illustration: Lemon Squeezer.]

The plain wooden lemon squeezer is the most easily kept clean, and is,
therefore, the best. That made of iron, with a porcelain cup, is
stronger, but it needs more care.


[Illustration: Dover Egg Beater.]

The Dover egg beater is the best in the market. It will do in five
minutes the work that in former years required half an hour. There are
three sizes. The smallest is too delicate for a large number of eggs.
The second size, selling for $1.25, is the best for family use.


[Illustration: Apple Parer.]

An apple parer saves a great deal of time and fruit, and is not very
expensive.

[Illustration: Wooden Buckets.]

[Illustration: Wooden Boxes.]

[Illustration: Cake Box.]

Wooden buckets and boxes come in nests, or, they can be bought
separately. A good supply of them goes a great way toward keeping a
store-room or closet in order.

The Japanned ware is best for canisters for tea and coffee and for
spice and cake boxes. Cake boxes are made square and round. The square
boxes have shelves. The most convenient form is the upright. It is
higher-priced than the other makes.


[Illustration: Tea Caddy.]

[Illustration: Spice Box.]

The spice box is a large box filled with smaller ones for each kind of
ground spice. It is very convenient, and, besides, preserves the
strength of the contents.


[Illustration: Oblong Jelly Mould.]

[Illustration: Pointed Jelly Mould.]

[Illustration: Rice Mould.]

There are so many beautiful moulds for fancy dishes that there is no
longer any excuse for turning out jellies, blanc-mange, etc., in the
form of animals. There are two modes of making moulds. By one the tin
is pressed or stamped into shape, and by the other it is cut in pieces
and soldered together. Moulds made by the first method are quite
cheap, but not particularly handsome. Those made in the second way
come in a great variety of pretty forms, but as all are imported, they
are expensive.


[Illustration: Crown Moulds.]

The crown moulds are especially good for Bavarian creams, with which
is served whipped cream, heaped in the centre.


[Illustration: French Pie Mould.]

The French pie mould comes in a number of sizes, and can be opened to
remove the pie. Deep tin squash-pie plates, answer for custard, cream,
Washington and squash pies, and for corn cake.


[Illustration: Vegetable Cutter.]

Tin vegetable cutters, for cutting raw vegetables for soups, and the
cooked ones for garnishing, are nice to have, as is also a
confectioner's ornamenting tube for decorating cake, etc. Larger tubes
come for lady fingers and éclairs. Little pans also come for lady-
fingers, but they cost a great deal. The jagging iron will be found
useful for pastry and hard gingerbread.

[Illustration: Lady-Fingers Pan.]

[Illustration: Confectioner's Tube. Jagging Iron.]

The little tin, granite ware and silver-plated escaloped shells are
pretty and convenient for serving escaloped oysters, lobster, etc. The
price for the tin style is two dollars per dozen, for the granite
ware, four dollars, and for the silver-plated, from thirty to forty
dollars.

[Illustration: Escaloped Shell.]





SOUPS.

Remarks on Soup Stock.

There is a number of methods of making soup stocks, and no two will
give exactly the same results. One of the simplest and most
satisfactory is that of clear stock or bouillon. By this the best
flavor of the meat is obtained, for none passes off in steam, as when
the meat is boiled rapidly. The second mode is in boiling the stock a
great deal, to reduce it. This gives a very rich soup, with a marked
difference in the flavor from that made with clear meat kept in water
at the boiling point. The third way leaves a mixed stock, which will
not be clear unless whites of eggs are used. In following the first
methods we buy clear beef specially for the stock, and know from the
beginning just how much stock there will be when the work is
completed. By the second method we are not sure, because more or less
than we estimate may boil away. The third stock, being made from bones
and pieces of meat left from roasts, and from the trimmings of raw
meats, will always be changeable in color, quantity and quality. This
is, however, a very important stock, and it should always be kept on
hand. No household, even where only a moderate amount of meat is used,
should be without a stock-pot. It can be kept on the back of the range
or stove while cooking is going on. Two or three times a week it
should be put on with the trimmings and bones left from cooked and
uncooked meats. This practice will give a supply of stock at all
times, which will be of the greatest value in making sauces, side
dishes and soups. Meat if only slightly tainted will spoil a stock;
therefore great care must be taken that every particle is perfectly
sweet.

Vegetables make a stock sour very quickly, so if you wish to keep a
stock do not use them. Many rules advise putting vegetables into the
stock-pot with the meat and water and cooking from the very beginning.
When this is done they absorb the fine flavor of the meat and give the
soup a rank taste. They should cook not more than an hour--the last
hour--in the stock. A white stock is made with veal or poultry. The
water in which a leg of mutton or fowl have been boiled makes a good
stock for light soups and gravies. A soup stock must be cooled quickly
or it will not keep well. In winter any kind of stock ought to keep
good a week. That boiled down to a jelly will last the longest. In the
warm months three days will be the average time stock will keep.


Stock for Clear Soups.

Five pounds of clear beef, cut from the lower part of the round; five
quarts of cold water. Let come to a boil, slowly; skim carefully, and
set where it will keep just at the boiling point for eight or ten
hours. Strain, and set away to cool. In the morning skim off all the
fat and turn the soup into the kettle, being careful not to let the
sediment pass in. Into the soup put an onion, one stalk of celery, two
leaves of sage, two sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two of summer
savory, two bay leaves, twelve pepper-corns and six whole cloves. Boil
gently from ten to twenty minutes; salt and pepper to taste. Strain
through an old napkin. This is now ready for serving as a simple clear
soup or for the foundation of all kinds of clear soups.


Mixed Stock.

Put the trimmings of your fresh meats and the bones and tough pieces
left from roasts or broils into the soup pot with one quart of water
to every two pounds of meat and bones. When it comes to a boil, skim
and set back where it will simmer six hours; then add a bouquet of
sweet herbs, one onion, six cloves and twelve pepper-corns to each
gallon of stock. Cook two hours longer; strain and set in a cool
place. In the morning skim off the fat. Keep in a very cool place.
This can be used for common soups, sauces, and where stock is used in
made dishes. It should always be kept on hand, as it really costs
nothing but the labor (which is very little), and enters so often into
the preparation of simple, yet toothsome, dishes.


Consommé.

Eight pounds of a shin of veal, eight pounds of the lower part of the
round of beef, half a cupful of butter, twelve quarts of cold water,
half a small carrot, two large onions, half a head of celery, thirty
pepper-corns, six whole cloves, a small piece each of mace and
cinnamon, four sprigs each of parsley, sweet marjoram, summer savory
and thyme, four leaves of sage, four bay leaves, about one ounce of
ham. Put half of the butter in the soup pot and then put in the meat,
which has been cut into very small pieces. Stir over a hot fire until
the meat begins to brown; then add one quart of the water, and cook
until there is a thick glaze on the bottom of the kettle (this will be
about an hour). Add the remainder of the water and let it come to a
boil. Skim carefully, and set back where it will simmer for six hours.
Fry the vegetables, which have been cut very small, in the remaining
butter for half an hour, being careful not to burn them. When done,
turn into the soup pot, and at the same time add the herbs and spice.
Cook one hour longer; salt to taste and strain. Set in a very cold
place until morning, when skim off all the fat. Turn the soup into the
pot, being careful not to turn in the sediment, and set on the fire.
Beat the whites and shells of two eggs with one cup of cold water.
Stir into the soup, and when it comes to a boil, set back where it
will simmer for twenty minutes. Strain through a napkin, and if not
ready to use, put away in a cold place. This will keep a week in
winter, but not more than three days in summer. It is a particularly
nicely-flavored soup, and is the foundation for any clear soup, the
soup taking the name of the solid used with it, as _Consommé au
Ris_, Consommé with Macaroni, etc.


Bouillon.

Bouillon, for Germans and other parties, is made the same as the clear
stock, using a pint of water to the pound of meat, and seasoning with
salt and pepper and with the spice, herbs and vegetables or not, as
you please. It should be remembered that the amount of seasoning in
the recipe referred to is for one gallon of stock.


White Stock.

Six pounds of a shin of veal, one fowl, three table-spoonfuls of
butter, four stalks of celery, two onions, one blade of mace, one
stick of cinnamon, eight quarts of cold water, salt, pepper. Wash and
cut the veal and fowl into small pieces. Put the butter in the bottom
of the soup pot and then put in the meat. Cover, and cook gently
(stirring often) half an hour, then add the water. Let it come to a
boil, then skim and set back where it will boil gently for six hours.
Add the vegetables and spice and boil one hour longer. Strain and cool
quickly. In the morning take off all the fat. Then turn the jelly
gently into a deep dish, and with a knife scrape off the sediment
which is on the bottom. Put the jelly into a stone pot and set in a
cold place. This will keep a week in cold weather and three days in
warm.


Consommé à la Royale.

Two eggs, two table-spoonfuls of milk, one-fourth of a tea-spoonful of
salt. Beat eggs with a spoon, and add milk and salt Turn into a
buttered cup, and place in a pan of warm water. Cook in a slow oven
until firm in the centre. Set away to cool. Cut into small and
prettily-shaped pieces; put into the tureen, and pour one quart of
boiling consomme or clear stock on it.


Cheese Soup.

One and a half cupfuls of flour, one pint of rich cream, four table-
spoonfuls of butter, four of grated Parmesan cheese, a speck of
cayenne, two eggs, three quarts of clear soup stock. Mix flour, cream,
butter, cheese and pepper together. Place the basin in another of hot
water and stir until the mixture becomes a smooth, firm paste. Break
into it the two eggs, and mix quickly and thoroughly. Cook two minutes
longer, and set away to cool. When cold, roll into little balls about
the size of an American walnut When the balls are all formed drop them
into boiling water and cook gently five minutes; then put them in the
soup tureen and pour the boiling stock on them. Pass a plate of finely
grated Parmesan cheese with the soup.


Thick Vegetable Soup.

One quart of the sediment which is left from the clear stock, one
quart of water, one-fourth of a cupful of pearl barley, one good-sized
white turnip, one carrot, half a head of celery, two onions, about two
pounds of cabbage, three potatoes, salt and pepper. Wash the barley
and put it on in the quart of water, and simmer gently for two hours.
Then add all the vegetables (except the potatoes), cut very fine, and
the quart of stock. Boil gently for one hour and a half, then add the
potatoes and the salt and pepper. Cook thirty minutes longer. When
there is no stock, take two pounds of beef and two quarts of water.
Cook beef, barley and water two hours, and add the vegetables as
before. The meat can be served with the soup or as a separate dish.


Mulligatawny Soup.

One chicken or fowl weighing three pounds, three pounds of veal, two
large onions, two large slices of carrot, four stalks of celery, three
large table-spoonfuls of butter, one table-spoonful of curry powder,
four of flour, salt, pepper, five quarts of water. Take two table-
spoonfuls of the fat from the opening in the chicken and put in the
soup pot As soon as melted, put in the vegetables, which have been cut
very fine. Let all cook together for twenty minutes, stirring
frequently, that it may not burn; then add the veal, cut into small
pieces. Cook fifteen minutes longer; then add the whole chicken and
the water. Cover, and let it come to a boil. Skim, and set back where
it will simmer for four hours (in the mean time taking out the chicken
when it is tender). Now put the butter into a small frying-pan, and
when hot, add the dry flour. Stir until a rich brown; then take from
the fire and add the curry powder. Stir this mixture into the soup,
and let it cook half an hour longer; then strain through a sieve,
rinse out the soup pot and return the strained soup to it. Add salt
and pepper and the chicken (which has been freed from the bones and
skin and cut into small pieces); simmer very gently thirty minutes.
Skim off any fat that may rise to the top, and serve. This soup is
served with plain boiled rice in a separate dish or with small squares
of fried or toasted bread. The rice can be served in the soup if you
choose.


Mulligatawny Soup, No. 2.

Chicken or turkey left from a former dinner, bones and scraps from
roast veal, lamb or mutton, four quarts of water, four stalks of
celery, four table-spoonfuls of butter, four of flour, one of curry,
two onions, two slices of carrot, salt, pepper, half a small cupful of
barley. Put on the bones of the poultry and meat with the water. Have
the vegetables cut very fine, and cook gently twenty minutes in the
butter; then skim them into the soup pot, being careful to press out
all the butter. Into the butter remaining in the pan put the flour,
and when that is brown, add the curry powder, and stir all into the
soup. Cook gently four hours; then season with salt and pepper, and
strain. Return to the pot and add bits of chicken or turkey, as the
case may be, and the barley, which has been simmering two hours and a
half in clear water to cover. Simmer half an hour and serve.


Green Turtle Soup.

One can of green turtle, such as is put up by the "Merriam Packing
Co." Separate the green fat from the other contents of the can, cut
into dice and set aside. Put one quart of water with the remainder of
the turtle; add twelve pepper-corns, six whole cloves, two small
sprigs each of parsley, summer savory, sweet marjoram and thyme, two
bay leaves, two leaves of sage. Have the herbs tied together. Put one
large onion, one slice of carrot, one of turnip, and a stalk of
celery, cut fine, into a pan, with two large table-spoonfuls of
butter. Fry fifteen minutes, being careful not to burn. Skim carefully
from the butter and put into the soup. Now, into the butter in which
the vegetables were fried, put two table-spoonfuls of dry flour, and
cook until brown. Stir into the soup; season with salt and pepper and
let simmer very gently one hour. Strain, skim off all the fat and
serve with thin slices of lemon, egg or force-meat balls, and the
green fat. The lemon should have a very thin rind; should be put into
the tureen and the soup poured over it Cooking the lemon in this or
any other soup often gives it a bitter taste. If the soup is wished
quite thick, add a table-spoonful of butter to that in which the
vegetables were cooked, and use three table-spoonfuls of flour instead
of two. Many people use wine in this soup, but it is delicious
without. In case you do use wine there should not be more than four
table-spoonfuls to this quantity. If you desire the soup extremely
rich, use a quart of rich soup stock. The green turtles are so very
large that it is only in great establishments that they are available,
and for this reason a rule for preparing the live turtle is not given.
Few housekeepers would ever see one. The cans contain not what is
commonly called turtle soup, but the meat of the turtle, boiled, and
the proper proportions of lean meat, yellow and green fat put
together. They cost fifty cents each, and a single can will make soup
enough for six persons.


Black Bean Soup.

A pint of black beans, soaked over night in three quarts of water. In
the morning pour off this water, and add three quarts of fresh. Boil
gently six hours. When done, there should be one quart. Add a quart of
stock, six whole cloves, six whole allspice, a small piece of mace, a
small piece of cinnamon, stalk of celery, a bouquet of sweet herbs,
also one good-sized onion and one small slice each of turnip and
carrot, all cut fine and fried in three table-spoonfuls of butter.
Into the butter remaining in the pan put a spoonful of flour, and cook
until brown. Add to soup, and simmer all together one hour. Season
with salt and pepper, and rub through a fine sieve. Serve with slices
of lemon and egg balls, the lemon to be put in the tureen with the
soup.


Scotch Broth.

Two pounds of the scraggy part of a neck of mutton. Cut the meat from
the bones, and cut off all the fat. Then cut meat into small pieces
and put into soup pot with one large slice of turnip, two of carrot,
one onion and a stalk of celery, all cut fine, half a cup of barley
and three pints of cold water. Simmer gently two hours. On to the
bones put one pint of water; simmer two hours, and strain upon the
soup. Cook a table-spoonful of flour and one of butter together until
perfectly smooth; stir into soup, and add a teaspoonful of chopped
parsley. Season with salt and pepper.


Meg Merrilies' Soup.

One hare, one grouse, four onions, one small carrot, four slices of
turnip, a bouquet of sweet herbs, three table-spoonfuls of rice flour,
four table-spoonfuls of butter, half a cupful of stale bread, half a
cupful of milk, one egg, six quarts of water. Wash the grouse and hare
and put to boil in the six quarts of cold water. When this comes to a
boil, skim, and set back where it will simmer for one hour. Then take
out the hare and grouse and cut all the meat from the bones. Return
the bones to the soup and simmer two hours longer. Cut the meat into
handsome pieces, roll in flour, and fry in the butter till a rich
brown. Set aside for the present. Slice the onions, and fry in the
butter in which the meat was fried; when brown, add to the soup. Make
force-meat balls of the livers of the hare and grouse (which have been
boiled one hour in the stock), the egg, bread and milk. Boil the bread
and milk together until a smooth paste. Mash the livers with a strong
spoon, then add bread and milk and the egg, unbeaten. Season well with
pepper and salt and, if you like, with a little lemon juice. Shape
into small balls and fry in either chicken fat or butter. Put these
into the soup twenty minutes before dishing. Have the turnip and
carrot cut into small pieces and cooked one hour in clear water. When
the bones and the onions have simmered two hours, strain and return to
the soup pot. Add the fried meat and vegetables. Mix the rice flour
with a cupful of cold water; add to the soup, season with salt and
pepper, simmer ten minutes. Add force-meat balls and simmer twenty
minutes longer.


Okra Soup.

One cold roast chicken, two quarts of stock (any kind), one of water,
quarter of a pound of salt pork, one quart of green okra, an onion,
salt, pepper, three table-spoonfuls of flour. Cut the okra pods into
small pieces. Slice the pork and onion. Fry the pork, and then add the
onion and okra. Cover closely, and fry half an hour. Cut all the meat
from the chicken. Put the bones on with the water. Add the okra and
onion, first being careful to press out all the pork fat possible.
Into the fat remaining put the flour, and stir until it becomes a rich
brown; add this to the other ingredients. Cover the pot, and simmer
three hours; then rub through a sieve, and add the stock, salt and
pepper and the meat of the chicken, cut into small pieces. Simmer
gently twenty minutes. Serve with a dish of boiled rice.


Okra Soup, No. 2.

One pint of green okra, one of green peas, one of green com, cut from
the cob, half a pint of shell beans, two onions, four stalks of
celery, two ripe tomatoes, one slice of carrot, one of turnip, two
pounds of veal, quarter of a pound of fat ham or bacon, two table-
spoonfuls of flour, four quarts of water, salt, pepper. Fry the ham or
bacon, being careful not to bum. Cut the veal into dice; roll these in
the flour and fry brown in the ham fat; then put them in the soup pot.
Fry the onion, carrot and turnip in the remaining fat. Add these to
the veal, and then add the okra, cut into small pieces, the shell
beans, celery and water. Simmer two hours, and then add the tomatoes,
corn, peas and salt and pepper. Simmer half an hour longer and serve
without straining. If dried okra be used for either soup, half the
quantity given in the recipes is sufficient Okra is often called
gumbo. The same kind of a soup is meant under both names.


Grouse Soup.

The bones of two roasted grouse and the breast of one, a quart of any
kind of stock, or pieces and bones of cold roasts; three quarts of
cold water, two slices of turnip, two of carrot, two large onions, two
cloves, two stalks of celery, a bouquet of sweet herbs, three table-
spoonfuls of butter, three of flour. Cook the grouse bones in three
quarts of water four hours. The last hour add the vegetables and the
cloves; then strain, and return to the lire with the quart of stock.
Cook the butter and the flour together until a rich brown, and then
turn into the stock. Cut the breast of the grouse into very small
pieces and add to the soup. Season with salt and pepper and simmer
gently half an hour. If there is any fat on the soup, skim it off.
Serve with fried bread. When bones and meat are used instead of the
stock, use one more quart of water, and cook them with the grouse
bones.


Spring Soup.

Half a pint of green peas, half a pint of cauliflower, one pint of
turnip, carrot, celery and string beans (all the four vegetables being
included in the pint), half a cupful of tomato, half a pint of
asparagus heads, two quarts of soup stock--any kind will do; three
table-spoonfuls of butter, three table-spoonfuls of flour, and salt
and pepper. Cook all the vegetables, except the peas and tomato, in
water to cover one hour. Cook butter and dry flour together until
smooth, but not brown; stir into the stock, which has been heated to
the boiling point. Now add the tomato and simmer gently fifteen
minutes; then strain. Add the peas and cooked vegetables to the
strained soup, and simmer again for thirty minutes. Serve small slices
of toasted bread in a separate dish.


Spring and Summer Soup Without Stock.

Quarter of a pound of salt pork, or three large table-spoonfuls of
butter; three large young onions, half a small head of cabbage, three
potatoes, half a small carrot, half a small white turnip, three table-
spoonfuls of flour, two quarts of water, six large slices of toasted
bread, salt, pepper, one small parsnip. Cut the pork into thin slices;
place these in the soup pot and let them fry out slowly. Have the
vegetables (except the potatoes), cut quite fine, and when the pork is
cooked, put the vegetables into the pot with it. Cover tightly, and
let cook very gently, on the back of the stove, one hour. Stir
frequently to prevent burning. Add the water, which should be boiling.
Let simmer gently for one hour, and then add the potatoes, cut into
slices, and the flour, which has been mixed with a little cold water.
Season with salt and pepper, and simmer gently an hour longer. Have
the toasted bread in the tureen. Turn the soup on it and serve. A pint
of green peas, cooked in the soup the last half, is a great addition.
When the butter is used, let it melt in the soup pot before adding the
vegetables.


Giblet Soup.

The giblets from two or three fowl or chickens, any kind of stock, or
if there are remains of the roast chickens, use these; one large
onion, two slices of carrot, one of turnip, two stalks of celery, two
quarts of water, one of stock, two large table-spoonfuls of butter,
two of flour, salt, pepper. Put the giblets on to boil in the two
quarts of water, and boil gently until reduced to one quart (it will
take about two hours); then take out the giblets. Cut all the hard,
tough parts from the gizzards, and put hearts, livers and gizzards
together and chop rather coarse. Return them to the liquor in which
they were boiled, and add the quart of stock. Have the vegetables cut
fine, and fry them in the butter until they are very tender (about
fifteen minutes), but be careful they do not burn; then add the dry
flour to them and stir until the flour browns. Turn this mixture into
the soup, and season with pepper and salt. Cook gently half an hour
and serve with toasted bread. If the chicken bones are used, put them
on to boil in three quarts of water, and boil the giblets with them.
When you take out the giblets, strain the stock through a sieve and
return to the pot; then proceed as before.


Potage à la Reine,

Boil a large fowl in three quarts of water until tender (the water
should never more than bubble). Skim off the fat, and add a teacupful
of rice, and, also, a slice of carrot, one of turnip, a small piece of
celery and an onion, which have been cooked slowly for fifteen minutes
in two large table-spoonfuls of butter. Skim this butter carefully
from the vegetables, and into the pan in which it is, stir a table-
spoonful of flour. Cook until smooth, but not brown. Add this, as well
as a small piece of cinnamon and of mace, and four whole cloves. Cook
all together slowly for two hours. Chop and pound the breast of the
fowl very fine. Rub the soup through a fine sieve; add the pounded
breast and again rub the whole through the sieve. Put back on the fire
and add one and a half table-spoonfuls of salt, a fourth of a
teaspoonful of pepper and a pint of cream, which has come just to a
boil. Boil up once and serve. This is a delicious soup.


Tomato Soup.

One quart can of tomato, two heaping table-spoonfuls of flour, one of
butter, one teaspoonful of salt, one of sugar, a pint of hot water.
Let tomato and water come to a boil Rub flour, butter and a table-
spoonful of tomato together. Stir into boiling mixture, add seasoning,
boil all together fifteen minutes, rub through a sieve, and serve with
toasted bread. This bread should first be cut in thin slices; should
be buttered, cut into little squares, placed in a pan, buttered side
up, and browned in a quick oven.


Mock Bisque Soup.

A quart can of tomato, three pints of milk, a large table-spoonful of
flour, butter the size of an egg, pepper and salt to taste, a scant
teaspoonful of soda. Put the tomato on to stew, and the milk in a
double kettle to boil, reserving however, half a cupful to mix with
flour. Mix the flour smoothly with this cold milk, stir into the
boiling milk, and cook ten minutes. To the tomato add the soda; stir
well, and rub through a strainer that is fine enough to keep back the
seeds. Add butter, salt and pepper to the milk, and then the tomato.
Serve immediately. If half the rule is made, stir the tomato well in
the can before dividing, as the liquid portion is the more acid.


Onion Soup.

One quart of milk, six large onions, yolks of four eggs, three table-
spoonfuls of butter, a large one of flour, one cupful of cream, salt,
pepper. Put the butter in a frying-pan. Cut the onions into thin
slices and drop in the butter. Stir until they begin to cook; then
cover tight and set back where they will simmer, but not burn, for
half an hour. Now put the milk on to boil, and then add the dry flour
to the onions, and stir constantly for three minutes over the fire.
Then turn the mixture into the milk and cook fifteen minutes. Rub the
soup through a strainer, return to the fire, season with salt and
pepper. Beat the yokes of the eggs well; add the cream to them and
stir into the soup. Cook three minutes, stirring constantly. If you
have no cream, use milk, in which case add a table-spoonful of butter
at the same time.


Potato Soup.

A quart of milk, six large potatoes, one stalk of celery, an onion and
a table-spoonful of butter. Put milk to boil with onion and celery.
Pare potatoes and boil thirty minutes. Turn off the water, and mash
fine and light. Add boiling milk and the butter, and pepper and salt
to taste. Rub through a strainer and serve immediately. A cupful of
whipped cream, added when in the tureen, is a great improvement. This
soup must not be allowed to stand, not even if kept hot. Served as
soon as ready, it is excellent.


Asparagus Soup.

Two bundles of asparagus, one quart of white stock or water, one pint
of milk, and one of cream, if stock is used, but if water, use all
cream; three table-spoonfuls of butter, three of flour, one onion,
salt and pepper. Cut the tops from one bunch of the asparagus and cook
them twenty minutes in salted water to cover. The remainder of the
asparagus cook twenty minutes in the quart of stock or water. Cut the
onion into thin slices and fry in the butter ten minutes, being
careful not to burn; then add the asparagus that has been boiled in
the stock. Cook five minutes, stirring constantly; then add flour, and
cook five minutes longer. Turn this mixture into the boiling stock and
boil gently twenty minutes. Rub through a sieve, add the milk and
cream, which has just come to a boil, and also the asparagus heads.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve. Dropped eggs can be served
with it if you choose, but they are rattier heavy for such a delicate
soup.


Green Pea Soup.

Cover a quart of green peas with hot water, and boil, with an onion,
until they will mash easily. (The time will depend on the age of the
peas, but will be from twenty to thirty minutes.) Mash, and add a pint
of stock or water. Cook together two table-spoonfuls of butter and one
of flour until smooth, but not brown. Add to the peas, and then add a
cupful of cream and one of milk. Season with salt and pepper, and let
boil up once. Strain and serve. A cupful of whipped cream added the
last moment is an improvement.


Pumpkin Soup.

Two pounds of pumpkin. Take out seeds and pare off the rind. Cut into
small pieces, and put into a stew-pan with half a pint of water.
Simmer slowly an hour and a half, then rub through a sieve and put
back on the fire with one and a half pints of boiling milk, butter the
size of an egg, one tea-spoonful of sugar, salt and pepper to taste,
and three slices of stale bread, cut into small squares. Stir
occasionally; and when it boils, serve.


Cream of Celery Soup.

A pint of milk, a table-spoonful of flour, one of butter, a head of
celery, a large slice of onion and small piece of mace. Boil celery in
a pint of water from thirty to forty-five minutes; boil mace, onion
and milk together. Mix flour with two table-spoonfuls of cold milk,
and add to boiling milk. Cook ten minutes. Mash celery in the water in
which it has been cooked, and stir into boiling milk. Add butter, and
season with salt and pepper to taste. Strain and serve immediately.
The flavor is improved by adding a cupful of whipped cream when the
soup is in the tureen.


Tapioca Cream Soup.

One quart of white stock, one pint of cream or milk, one onion, two
stalks of celery, one-third of a cupful of tapioca, two cupfuls of
cold water, one table-spoonful of butter, a small piece of mace, salt,
pepper. Wash the tapioca, and soak over night in cold water. Cook it
and the stock together, very gently, for one hour. Cut the onion and
celery into small pieces, and put on to cook for twenty minutes with
the milk and mace. Strain on the tapioca and stock. Season with salt
and pepper, add butter, and serve.


Cream of Rice Soup.

Two quarts of chicken stock (the water in which fowl have been boiled
will answer), one tea-cupful of rice, a quart of cream or milk, a
small onion, a stalk of celery and salt and pepper to taste. Wash rice
carefully, and add to chicken stock, onion and celery. Cook slowly two
hours (it should hardly bubble). Put through a sieve; add seasoning
and the milk or cream, which has been allowed to come just to a boil.
If milk, use also a table-spoonful of butter.


Cream of Barley Soup.

A tea-cupful of barley, well washed; three pints of chicken stock, an
onion and a small piece each of mace and cinnamon. Cook slowly
together five hours; then rub through a sieve, and add one and a half
pints of boiling cream or milk. If milk, add also two table-spoonfuls
of butter. Salt and pepper to taste. The yolks of four eggs, beaten
with four table-spoonfuls of milk, and cooked a minute in the boiling
milk or cream, makes the soup very much richer.


Duchess Soup.

One quart of milk, two large onions, three eggs, two table-spoonfuls
of butter, two of flour, salt, pepper, two table-spoonfuls of grated
cheese. Put milk on to boil. Fry the butter and onions together for
eight minutes; then add dry flour, and cook two minutes longer, being
careful not to burn. Stir into the milk, and cook ten minutes. Rub
through a strainer, and return to the fire. Now add the cheese. Beat
the eggs, with a speck of pepper and half a teaspoonful of salt.
Season the soup with salt and pepper. Hold the colander over the soup
and pour the eggs through, upon the butter, and set back for three
minutes where it will not boll. Then serve. The cheese may be omitted
if it is not liked.


Yacht Oyster Soup.

A quart of milk, one of oysters, a head of celery, a small onion, half
a cupful of butter, half a cupful of powdered cracker, one teaspoonful
of Worcestershire sauce, a speck of cayenne and salt and pepper to
taste. Chop onion and celery fine. Put on to boil with milk for twenty
minutes. Then strain, and add the butter, cracker, oyster liquor,
(which has been boiled and skimmed), and finally the seasoning and
oysters. Cook three minutes longer, and serve.


Lobster Soup with Milk.

Meat of a small lobster, chopped fine; three crackers, rolled fine,
butter--size of an egg, salt and pepper to taste and a speck of
cayenne. Mix all in the same pan, and add, gradually, a pint of
boiling milk, stirring all the while. Boil up once, and serve.


Lobster Soup with Stock.

One small lobster, three pints of water or stock, three large table-
spoonfuls of butter and three of flour, a speck of cayenne, white
pepper and salt to taste. Break up the body of the lobster, and cut
off the scraggy parts of the meat. Pour over these and the body the
water or stock. If there is "coral" in the lobster, pound it and use
also. Boil twenty minutes. Cook the butter and flour until smooth, but
not brown. Stir into the cooking mixture and add the seasoning. Boil
two minutes, and strain into a saucepan. Have the remainder of the
lobster meat--that found in the tail and claws--cut up very fine, and
add it to the soup. Boil up once, and serve.


Philadelphia Clam Soup.

Twenty-five small clams, one quart of milk, half a cupful of butter,
one table-spoonful of chopped parsley, three potatoes, two large
table-spoonfuls of flour, salt, pepper. The clams should be chopped
fine end put into a colander to drain. Pare the potatoes, and chop
rather fine. Put them on to boil with the milk, in a double kettle.
Rub the butter and flour together until perfectly creamy, and when the
milk and potatoes have been boiling fifteen minutes, stir this in, and
cook eight minutes more. Add the parsley, pepper and salt, and cook
three minutes longer. Now add the clams. Cook one minute longer, and
serve. This gives a very delicate soup, as the liquor from the clams
is not used.

Fish Chowder.

Five pounds of any kind of fish, (the light salt-water fish is the
best), half a pound of pork, two large onions, one quart of sliced
potatoes, one quart of water, one pint of milk, two table-spoonfuls of
flour, six crackers, salt, pepper. Skin the fish, and cut all the
flesh from the bones. Put the bones onto cook in the quart of water,
and simmer gently ten minutes. Fry the pork; then add the onions, cut
into slices. Cover, and cook five minutes; then add the flour, and
cook eight minutes longer, stirring often. Strain on this the water in
which the fish bones were cooked and boil gently for five minutes;
then strain all on the potatoes and fish. Season with salt and pepper,
and simmer fifteen minutes. Add the milk and the crackers, which were
first soaked for three minutes, in the milk. Let it boil up once, and
serve. The milk maybe omitted, and a pint of tomatoes used, if you
like.


Corn Chowder.

Cut enough green corn from the cob to make a quart; pare and slice one
quart of potatoes; pare and slice two onions. Cut half a pound of pork
in slices, and fry until brown then take up, and fry the onions in the
fat. Put the potatoes and corn into the kettle in layers, sprinkling
each layer with salt, pepper and flour. Use half a teaspoonful of
pepper, one and a half table-spoonfuls of salt and three of flour.
Place the gravy strainer on the vegetables, and turn the onions and
pork fat into it, and with a spoon press the juice through; then
slowly pour one and one-fourth quarts of boiling water through the
strainer, rubbing as much onion through as possible. Take out the
strainer, cover the kettle, and boil gently for twenty minutes. Mix
three table-spoonfuls of flour with a little milk, and when perfectly
smooth, add a pint and a half of rich milk. Stir this into the boiling
chowder. Taste to see if seasoned enough, and if it is not, add more
pepper and salt. Then add six crackers, split, and dipped for a minute
in cold water. Put on the cover, boil up once, and serve.


Corn Soup.

One pint of grated green com, one quart of milk, one pint of hot
water, one heaping table-spoonful of flour, two table-spoonfuls of
butter, one slice of onion, salt and pepper to taste. Cook the corn in
the water thirty minutes. Let the milk and onion come to a boil. Have
the flour and butter mixed together, and add a few table-spoonfuls of
the boiling milk. When perfectly smooth stir into the milk; and cook
eight minutes. Take out the onion and add the corn. Season to taste,
and serve.


Glaze.

Boil four quarts of consommé rapidly until reduced to one quart. Turn
into small jars, and cool quickly. This will keep for a month in a
cool, dry place. It is used for soups and sauces and for glazing
meats.


French Paste for Soups.

A preparation for flavoring and coloring soups and sauces comes in
small tin boxes. In each box there are twelve little squares, which
look very much like chocolate caramels. One of these will give two
quarts of soup the most delicious flavor and a rich color. The paste
should not be cooked with the soup, but put into the tureen, and the
soup poured over it; and as the soup is served, stir with the ladle.
If you let it boil with the clear soup the flavor will not be as fine
and the soup not as clear. It may be used with any dark or clear soup,
even when already seasoned. It is for sale in Boston by S.S. Pierce
and McDewell & Adams; New York: Park, Tilford & Co., retail, E.C.
Hayward & Co., 192-4 Chamber street, wholesale; Philadelphia: Githens
& Rexsame's; Chicago: Rockwood Bros., 102 North Clark street; St.
Louis: David Nicholson. The paste costs only twenty-five cents per
box.


Egg Balls.

Boil four eggs ten minutes. Drop into cold water, and when cool remove
the yolks. Pound these in a mortar until reduced to a paste, and then
beat them with a teaspoonful of salt, a speck of pepper and the white
of one raw egg. Form in balls about the size of a walnut. Roll in
flour, and fry brown in butter or chicken fat, being careful not to
burn.


Fried Bread for Soups.

Cut stale bread into dice, and fry in boiling fat until brown. It will
take about half a minute. The fat must be smoking in the centre when
the bread is put into it.




FISH.

A General Chapter on Fish.

It may seem as if a small number of recipes has been given, but the
aim has been to present under the heads of Baking, Boiling, Broiling,
Frying and Stewing such general directions that one cannot be at a
loss as to how to prepare any kind of fish. Once having mastered the
five primary methods, and learned also how to make sauces, the variety
of dishes within the cook's power is great All that is required is
confidence in the rules, which are perfectly reliable, and will always
bring about a satisfactory result if followed carefully. Fish, to be
eatable, should be perfectly fresh. Nothing else in the line of food
deteriorates so rapidly, especially the white fish-those that are
nearly free of oil, like cod, cusk, etc. Most of the oil in this class
centres in the liver. Salmon, mackerel, etc., have it distributed
throughout the body, which gives a higher and richer flavor, and at
the same time tends to preserve the fish. People who do not live near
the seashore do not get that delicious flavor which fish just caught
have. If the fish is kept on ice until used, it will retain much of
its freshness; let it once get heated and nothing will bring back the
delicate flavor. Fresh fish will be firm, and the skin and scales
bright. When fish looks dim and limp, do not buy it. Fish should be
washed quickly in only one _(cold)_ water, and should not be
allowed to stand in it. If it is cut up before cooking, wash while
whole, else much of the flavor will be lost. For frying, the fat
should be deep enough to cover the article, and yet have it float from
the bottom. Unless one cooks great quantities of fish in this way it
is not necessary to have a separate pot of fat for this kind of
frying. The same pot, with proper care, will answer for chops,
cutlets, muffins, potatoes, croquettes, etc. All the cold fish left
from any mode of cooking can be utilized in making delicious salads,
croquettes, and escallops.

Boiled Fish.

A general role for boiling fish, which will hold good for all kinds,
and thus save a great deal of time and space, is this: Any fresh fish
weighing between four and six pounds should be first washed in cold
water and then put into boiling water enough to cover it, and
containing one table-spoonful of salt. Simmer gently thirty minutes;
then take up. A fish kettle is a great convenience, and it can be used
also for boiling hams. When you do not have a fish kettle, keep a
piece of strong white cotton cloth in which pin the fish before
putting into the boiling water. This will hold it in shape. Hard
boiling will break the fish, and, of course, there will be great
waste, besides the dish's not looking so handsome and appetizing.
There should be a gentle bubbling of the water, and nothing more, all
the time the fish is in it, A fish weighing more than six pounds
should cook five minutes longer for every additional _two_
pounds. Boiled fish can be served with a great variety of sauces.
After you have learned to make them (which is a simple matter), if you
cannot get a variety of fish you will not miss it particularly, the
sauce and mode of serving doing much to change the whole character of
the dish. Many people put a table-spoonful of vinegar in the water in
which the fish is boiled. The fish flakes a little more readily for
it. Small fish, like trout, require from four to eight minutes to
cook. They are, however, much better baked, broiled or fried.


Court-Bouillon.

This preparation gives boiled fish a better flavor than cooking in
clear water does. Many cooks use wine in it, but there is no necessity
for it. Four quarts of water, one onion, one slice of carrot, two
cloves, two table-spoonfuls of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, one
table-spoonful of vinegar, the juice of half a lemon and a bouquet of
sweet herbs are used. Tie the onion, carrot, cloves and herbs in a
piece of muslin, and put in the water with the other ingredients.
Cover, and boil slowly for one hour. Then put in the fish and cook as
directed for plain boiling.


Boiled Cod with Lobster Sauce.

Boil the fish, as directed [see boiled fish], and, when done,
carefully remove the skin from one side; then turn the fish over on to
the dish on which it is to be served, skin side up. Remove the skin
from this side. Wipe the dish with a damp cloth. Pour a few spoonfuls
of the sauce over the fish, and the remainder around it; garnish with
parsley, and serve. This is a handsome dish.


Boiled Haddock with Lobster Sauce.

The same as cod. In fact, all kinds of fish can be served in the same
manner; but the lighter are the better, as the sauce is so rich that
it is not really the thing for salmon and blue fish. Many of the best
cooks and caterers, however, use the lobster sauce with salmon, but
salmon has too rich and delicate a flavor to be mixed with the
lobster.


Cold Boiled Fish, a la Vinaigrette.

If the fish is whole, take off the head and skin, and then place it in
the centre of a dish. Have two cold hard-boiled eggs, and cut fine
with a silver knife or spoon, (steel turns the egg black). Sprinkle
the fish with this, and garnish either with small lettuce leaves,
water-cresses, or cold boiled potatoes and beets, cut in slices. Place
tastefully around the dish, with here and there a sprig of parsley.
Serve the vinaigrette sauce in a separate dish. Help to the garnish
when the fish is served, and pour a spoonful of the sauce over the
fish as you serve it. This makes a nice dish for tea in summer, and
takes the place of a salad, as it is, in fact, a kind of salad.

If the fish is left from the dinner, and is broken, pick free from
skin and bones, heap it lightly in the centre of the dish, sprinkle
the sauce over it, and set away in a cool place until tea time. Then
add the garnish, and serve as before. Many people prefer the latter
method, as the fish is seasoned better and more easily served. The
cold fish remaining from a bake or broil can be served in the same
manner. This same dish can be served with a sauce piquante or Tartare
sauce, for a change.


Baked Fish.

As for the boiled fish, a general rule, that will cover all kinds of
baked fish, is herewith given: A fish weighing about five pounds;
three large, or five small, crackers, quarter of a pound of salt pork,
two table-spoonfuls of salt, quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, half
a table-spoonful of chopped parsley, two table-spoonfuls of flour.

If the fish has not already been scraped free of scales, scrape, and
wash clean; then rub into it one table-spoonful of the salt. Roll the
crackers very fine, and add to them the parsley, one table-spoonful of
chopped pork, half the pepper, half a table-spoonful of salt, and cold
water to moisten well. Put this into the body of the fish, and fasten
together with a skewer. Butter a tin sheet and put it into a baking
pan. Cut gashes across the fish, about half an inch deep and two
inches long. Cut the remainder of the pork into strips, and put these
into the gashes. Now put the fish into the baking pan, and dredge well
with salt, pepper and flour. Cover the bottom of the pan with hot
water, and put into a rather hot oven. Bake one hour, basting often
with the gravy in the pan, and dredging each time with salt, pepper
and flour. The water in the pan must often be renewed, as the bottom
is simply to be covered with it each time. The fish should be basted
every fifteen minutes. When it is cooked, lift from the pan on to the
tin sheet, and slide it carefully into the centre of the dish on which
it is to be served. Pour around it Hollandaise sauce, tomato sauce, or
any kind you like. Garnish with parsley.


Broiled Fish.

Bluefish, young cod, mackerel, salmon, large trout, and all other
fish, when they weigh between half a pound and four pounds, are nice
for broiling. When smaller or larger they are not so good. Always use
a double broiler, which, before putting the fish into it, rub with
either butter or a piece of salt pork. This prevents sticking. The
thickness of the fish will have to be the guide in broiling. A
bluefish weighing four pounds will take from twenty minutes to half an
hour to cook. Many cooks brown the fish handsomely over the coals and
then put it into the oven to finish broiling. Where the fish is very
thick, this is a good plan. If the fish is taken from the broiler to
be put into the oven, it should be slipped on to a tin sheet, that it
may slide easily into the platter at serving time; for nothing so mars
a dish of fish as to have it come to the table broken. In broiling,
the inside should be exposed to the fire first, and then the skin.
Great care must be taken that the skin does not burn. Mackerel will
broil in from twelve to twenty minutes, young cod (also called scrod)
in from twenty to thirty minutes, bluefish in from twenty to thirty
minutes, salmon, in from twelve to twenty minutes, and whitefish,
bass, mullet, etc., in about eighteen minutes. All kinds of broiled
fish can be served with a seasoning of salt, pepper and butter, or
with any of the following sauces: _bearer noir, maître d' hôtel_,
Tartare, sharp, tomato and curry. Always, when possible, garnish with
parsley or something else green.


Broiled Halibut.

Season the slices with salt and pepper, and lay them in melted butter
for half an hour, having them well covered on both sides. Roll in
flour, and broil for twelve minutes over a clear fire. Serve on a hot
dish, garnishing with parsley and slices of lemon. The slices of
halibut should be about an inch thick, and for every pound there
should be three table-spoonfuls of butter.


Broiled Halibut, with Maître d' Hôtel Butter.

Butter both sides of the broiler. Season the slices of halibut with
salt and pepper, place them in the broiler and cook over clear coals
for twelve minutes, turning frequently. Place on a hot dish, and
spread on them the sauce, using one spoonful to each pound. Garnish
with parsley.


Stewed Fish.

Six pounds of any kind of fish, large or small; three large pints of
water, quarter of a pound of pork, or, half a cupful of butter; two
large onions, three table-spoonfuls of flour, salt and pepper to
taste. Cut the heads from the fish, and cut out all the bones. Put the
heads and bones on to boil in the three pints of water. Cook gently
half an hour. In the meanwhile cut the pork in slices, and fry brown.
Cut the onions in slices, and fry in the pork fat. Stir the dry flour
into the onion and fat, and cook three minutes, stirring all the time.
Now pour over this the water in which the bones have been cooking, and
simmer ten minutes. Have the fish cut in pieces about three inches
square. Season well with salt and pepper, and place in the stew-pan.
Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and strain on the fish. Cover
tight, and simmer twenty minutes. A bouquet of sweet herbs, simmered
with the bones, is an improvement. Taste to see if the sauce is
seasoned enough, and dish on a large platter. Garnish with potato
balls and parsley. The potato balls are cut from the raw potatoes with
a vegetable scoop, and boiled ten minutes in salted water. Put them in
little heaps around the dish.


Fried Fish.

All small fish, like brook trout, smelts, perch, etc., are best fried.
They are often called pan-fish for this reason. They should be
cleaned, washed and drained, then well salted, and rolled in flour and
Indian meal (half of each), which has been thoroughly mixed and
salted. For every four pounds of fish have half a pound of salt pork,
cut in thin slices, and fried a crisp brown. Take the pork from the
pan and put the fish in, having only enough to cover the bottom. Fry
brown on one side; turn, and fry the other side. Serve on a hot dish,
with the salt pork as a garnish. Great care must be taken that the
pork or fat does not burn, and yet to have it hot enough to brown
quickly. Cod, haddock, cusk and halibut are all cut in handsome slices
and fried in this manner; or, the slices can be well seasoned with
salt and pepper, dipped in beaten egg, rolled in bread or cracker
crumbs and fried in boiling fat enough to cover. This method gives the
handsomer dish, but the first the more savory. Where Indian meal is
not liked, all flour can be used. Serve very hot Any kind of fried
fish can be served with _beurre noir_, but this is particularly
nice for that which is fried without pork. When the cooked fish is
placed in the dish, pour the butter over it, garnish with parsley, and
serve.


To Cook Salt Codfish.

The fish should be thoroughly washed, and soaked in cold water over
night. In the morning change the water, and put on to cook. As soon as
the water comes to the boiling point set back where it will keep
_hot_, but will _not boil_. From four to six hours will cook
a very dry, hard fish, and there are kinds which will cook in half an
hour. The boneless codfish, put up at the Isles of Shoals, by Brown &
Seavey, will cook in from half an hour to an hour. Where a family uses
only a small quantity of salt fish at a time, this is a convenient and
economical way to buy it, as there is no waste with bone or skin. It
comes in five pound boxes, and costs sixty cents.


Dropped Fish Balls.

One pint bowlful of raw fish, two heaping bowlfuls of pared potatoes,
(let the potatoes be under medium size), two eggs, butter, the size of
an egg, and a little pepper. Pick the fish very fine, and measure it
lightly in the bowl. Put the potatoes into the boiler, and the fish on
top of them; then cover with boiling water, and boil half an hour.
Drain off all the water, and mash fish and potatoes together until
fine and light. Then add the butter and pepper, and the egg, well
beaten. Have a deep kettle of _boiling_ fat. Dip a table-spoon in
it, and then take up a spoonful of the mixture, having care to get it
into as good shape as possible. Drop into the boiling fat, and cook
until brown, which should be in two minutes. Be careful not to crowd
the balls, and, also, that the fat is hot enough. The spoon should be
dipped in the fat every time you take a spoonful of the mixture. These
balls are delicious.


Common Fish Balls.

One pint of finely-chopped cooked salt fish, six medium-sized
potatoes, one egg, one heaping table-spoonful of butter, pepper, two
table-spoonfuls of cream, or four of milk. Pare the potatoes, and put
on in _boiling_ water. Boil half an hour. Drain off all the
water, turn the potatoes into the tray with the fish, and mash light
and fine with a vegetable masher. Add the butter, pepper, milk and
eggs, and mix all very thoroughly. Taste to see if salt enough. Shape
into smooth balls, the size of an egg, and fry brown in boiling fat
enough to float them. They will cook in three minutes. If the potatoes
are very mealy it will take more milk or cream to moisten them, about
two spoonfuls more. If the fat is smoking in the centre, and the balls
are made _very_ smooth, they will not soak fat; but if the fat is
not hot enough, they certainly will. Putting too many balls into the
fat at one time cools it. Put in say four or five. Let the fat regain
its first temperature, then add more.


Salt Fish with Dropped Eggs.

One pint of cooked salt fish, one pint of milk or cream, two table-
spoonfuls of flour, one of butter, six eggs, pepper. Put milk on to
boil, keeping half a cupful of it to mix the flour. When it boils,
stir in the flour, which has been mixed smooth with the milk; then add
the fish, which has been flaked. Season, and cook ten minutes. Have
six slices of toasted bread on a platter. Drop six eggs into boiling
water, being careful to keep the shape. Turn the fish and cream on to
the toast. Lift the eggs carefully from the water, as soon as the
whites are set, and place very gently on the fish. Garnish the dish
with points of toast and parsley.


Salt Codfish, in Purée of Potatoes.

Six large potatoes, one pint and one cupful of milk, two table-
spoonfuls of butter, a small slice of onion (about the size of a
silver quarter), one pint of cooked salt codfish, salt, pepper, one
large table-spoonful of flour. Pare the potatoes and boil half an
hour; then drain off the water, and mash them light and fine. Add the
salt, pepper, one table-spoonful of butter, and the cupful of milk,
which has been allowed to come to a boil. Beat very thoroughly, and
spread a thin layer of the potatoes on the centre of a hot platter.
Heap the remainder around the edge, making a wall to keep in the cream
and fish, which should then be poured in. Garnish the border with
parsley, and serve.

To prepare the fish: Put the pint of milk on to boil with the onion.
Mix flour and butter together, and when well mixed, add two table-
spoonfuls of the hot milk. Stir all into the boiling milk, skim out
the onion, add the fish, and cook ten minutes. Season with pepper, and
if not salty enough, with salt. This is a nice dish for breakfast,
lunch or dinner.


Salt Fish Soufflé.

One pint of finely-chopped cooked salt fish, eight good-sized
potatoes, three-fourths of a cupful of milk or cream, four eggs, salt,
pepper, two generous table-spoonfuls of butter. Pare the potatoes and
boil thirty minutes. Drain the water from them, and mash very fine;
then mix thoroughly with the fish. Add butter, seasoning and the hot
milk. Have two of the eggs well beaten, which stir into the mixture,
and heap this in the dish in which it is to be served. Place in the
oven for ten minutes. Beat the whites of the two remaining eggs to a
stiff froth, and add a quarter of a teaspoonful of salt; then add
yolks. Spread this over the dish of fish; return to the oven to brown,
and serve.


Cusk, à la Crème.

A cusk, cod or haddock, weighing five or six pounds; one quart of
milk, two table-spoonfuls of flour, one of butter, one small slice of
onion, two sprigs of parsley, salt, pepper. Put the fish on in boiling
water enough to cover, and which contains one table-spoonful of salt.
Cook gently twenty minutes; then lift out of the water, but let it
remain on the tray. Now carefully remove all the skin and the head;
then turn the fish over into the dish in which it is to be served (it
should be stone china), and scrape off the skin from the other side.
Pick out all the small bones. You will find them the whole length of
the back, and a few in the lower part of the fish, near the tail. They
are in rows like pins in a paper, and if you start all right it will
take but a few minutes to remove them. Then take out the back-bone,
starting at the head and working gently down toward the tail. Great
care must be taken, that the fish may keep its shape. Cover with the
cream, and bake about ten minutes, just to brown it a little. Garnish
with parsley or little puff-paste cakes; or, you can cover it with the
whites of three eggs, beaten to a stiff froth, and then slightly
brown.

To prepare the cream: Put the milk, parsley and onion on to boil,
reserving half a cupful of milk to mix with the flour. When it boils,
stir in the flour, which has been mixed smoothly with the cold milk.
Cook eight minutes. Season highly with salt and pepper, add the
butter, strain on the fish, and proceed as directed.


Escaloped Fish.

One pint of milk, one pint of cream, four table-spoonfuls of flour,
one cupful of bread crumbs and between four and five pounds of any
kind of white fish--cusk, cod, haddock, etc., boiled twenty minutes in
water to cover and two table-spoonfuls of salt. Put fish on to boil,
then the cream and milk. Mix the flour with half a cupful of cold
milk, and stir into boiling cream and milk. Cook eight minutes and
season highly with salt and pepper. Remove skin and bones from fish,
and break it into flakes. Put a layer of sauce in a deep escalop dish,
and then a layer of fish, which dredge well with salt (a table-
spoonful) and pepper; then another layer of sauce, again fish, and
then sauce. Cover with the bread crumbs, and bake half an hour. This
quantity requires a dish holding a little over two quarts, or, two
smaller dishes will answer. If for the only solid dish for dinner,
this will answer for six persons; but if it is in a course for a
dinner party, it will serve twelve. Cold boiled fish can be used when
you have it. Great care must be taken to remove every bone when fish
is prepared with a sauce, (as when it is served _à la crème_,
escaloped, &c.), because one cannot look for bones then as when the
sauce is served separately.


Turbot à la Crème.

Boil five or six pounds of haddock. Take out all bones, and shred the
fish very fine. Let a quart of milk, a quarter of an onion and a piece
of parsley come to a boil; then stir in a scant cupful of flour, which
has been mixed with a cupful of cold milk, and the yolks of two eggs.
Season with half a teaspoonful of white pepper, the same quantity of
thyme, half a cupful of butter, and well with salt. Butter a pan, and
put in first a layer of sauce, then one of fish. Finish with sauce,
and over it sprinkle cracker crumbs and a light grating of cheese.
Bake for an hour in a moderate oven.


Matelote of Codfish.

Cut off the head of a codfish weighing five pounds. Remove bones from
the fish, and fill it with a dressing made of half a pint of oysters,
a scant pint of bread crumbs, a fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, two
teaspoonfuls of salt, two table-spoonfuls of butter, half an onion, an
egg and half a table-spoonful of chopped parsley. Place five slices of
pork both under and over the fish. Boil the bones in a pint of water,
and pour this around the fish. Bake an hour, and baste often with
gravy and butter. Have a bouquet in the corner of the baking pan. Make
a gravy, and pour around the fish. Then garnish with fried smelts.


Smelts à la Tartare.

Clean the smelts by drawing them between the finger and thumb,
beginning at the tail. This will press out the insides at the opening
at the gills. Wash them, and drain in the colander; salt well, and dip
in beaten egg and bread or cracker crumbs (one egg and one cupful of
crumbs to twelve smelts, unless these are very large). Dip first in
the egg, and then roll in the crumbs. Fry in boiling fat deep enough
to float them. They should be a handsome brown in two minutes and a
half. Take them up, and place on a sheet of brown paper for a few
moments, to drain; then place on a hot dish. Garnish with parsley and
a few slices of lemon, and serve with Tartare sauce in a separate
dish; or, they may be served without the sauce.


Smelts as a Garnish,

Smelts are often fried, as for _à la Tartare_; or, rolled in meal
or flour, and then fried, they are used to garnish other kinds of
fish. With baked fish they are arranged around the dish in any form
that the taste of the cook may dictate; but in garnishing fish, or any
other dish, the arrangement should always be simple, so as not to make
the matter of serving any harder than if the dish were not garnished.
Smelts are also seasoned well with salt and pepper, dipped in butter
and afterwards in flour, and placed in a very hot oven for eight or
ten minutes to get a handsome brown. They are then served as a garnish
or on slices of buttered toast. When smelts are used as a garnish,
serve one on each plate with the other fish. If you wish to have the
smelts in rings, for a garnish, fasten the tails in the opening at the
gills, with little wooden tooth picks; then dip them in the beaten egg
and in the crumbs, place in the frying basket and plunge into the
boiling fat. When they are cooked take out the skewers, and they will
retain their shape.


Fish au Gratin.

Any kind of light fish--that is, cod, cusk, flounder, etc. Skin the
fish by starting at the head and drawing down towards the tail; then
take out the bones. Cut the fish into pieces about three inches
square, and salt and pepper well. Butter such a dish, as you would use
for escolloped oysters. Put in one layer of fish, then moisten well
with sauce; add more fish and sauce, and finally cover with fine bread
crumbs. Bake half an hour. The dish should be rather shallow, allowing
only two layers of fish.

Sauce for _au gratin_: One pint of stock, three table-spoonfuls
of butter, two of flour, juice of half a lemon, half a tablespoonful
of chopped parsley, a slice of onion, the size of half a dollar, and
about as thick--chopped very fine, (one table-spoonful of onion juice
is better); one table-spoonful of vinegar, salt, pepper. Heat the
butter in a small frying-pan, and when hot, add the dry flour. Stir
constantly until a rich brown; then add, gradually, the cold stock,
stirring all the time. As soon as it boils, season well with salt and
pepper, and then add the other seasoning. This quantity is enough for
three pounds of fish, weighed after being skinned and boned, and will
serve six persons if it is the only solid dish for dinner, or ten if
served in a course.

Another way to serve fish _au gratin_, is to skin it, cut off the
head, and take out the back-bone; and there are then two large pieces
of fish. Season the fish, and prepare the sauce as before. Butter a
tin sheet that will fit loosely into a large baking-pan. Lay the fish
on this, and moisten well with the sauce. Cover thickly with bread
crumbs, and cook twenty-five minutes in a rather quick oven. Then slip
on a hot dish, and serve with tomato, Tartare or Hollandaise sauce
poured around the fish.


Eels à la Tartare.

Cut the eels into pieces about four inches long. Cover them with
boiling water, in which let them stand five minutes, and then drain
them. Now dip in beaten egg, which has been well salted and peppered,
then in bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in boiling fat for five minutes.
Have Tartare sauce spread in the centre of a cold dish. Place the
fried eels in a circle on this, garnish with parsley, and serve.


Stewed Eels.

Cut two eels in pieces about four inches long. Put three large table-
spoonfuls of butter into the stew-pan with half a small onion. As soon
as the onion begins to turn yellow stir in two table-spoonfuls of
flour, and stir until brown. Add one pint of stock, if you have it; if
not, use water. Season well with pepper and salt; then put in the eels
and two bay leaves. Cover, and simmer gently three-quarters of an
hour. Heap the eels in the centre of a hot dish, strain the sauce over
them and garnish with toasted bread and parsley. If you wish, add a
table-spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice to the stew.



OYSTERS.


On the Half Shell.

Not until just before serving should they be opened. Marketmen often
furnish some one to do this. Six large oysters are usually allowed
each person. Left in half the shell, they are placed on a dinner
plate, with a thin slice of lemon in the centre of the dish.


On a Block of Ice.

Having a perfectly clear and solid block of ice, weighing ten or
fifteen pounds, a cavity is to be made in the top of it in either of
two ways. The first is to carefully chip with an ice pick; the other,
to melt with heated bricks. If the latter be chosen the ice must be
put into a tub or large pan, and one of the bricks held upon the
centre of it until there is a slight depression, yet sufficient for
the brick to rest in. When the first brick is cold remove it, tip the
block on one side, to let off the water, and then use another brick.
Continue the operation till the cavity will hold as many oysters as
are to be served. These should be kept an hour previous in a cool
place; should be drained in a colander, and seasoned with salt, pepper
and vinegar. After laying two folded napkins on a large platter, to
prevent the block from slipping, cover the dish with parsley, so that
only the ice is visible. Stick a number of pinks, or of any small,
bright flowers that do not wilt rapidly, into the parsley. Pour
oysters into the space in the top of the ice, and garnish with thin
slices of lemon. This gives an elegant dish, and does away with the
unsightly shells in which raw oysters are usually served. It is not
expensive, for the common oysters do as well as those of good size.
Indeed, as many ladies dislike the large ones, here is an excellent
substitute for serving in the shell, particularly as the oysters
require no seasoning when once on the table. A quart is enough for a
party of ten; but a block of the size given will hold two quarts.


Roasted Oysters on Toast.

Eighteen large oysters, or thirty small ones, one teaspoonful of
flour, one table-spoonful of butter, salt, pepper, three slices of
toast. Have the toast buttered and on a hot dish. Put the butter in a
small sauce-pan, and when hot, add the dry flour. Stir until smooth,
but not brown; then add the cream, and let it boil up once. Put the
oysters (in their own liquor) into a hot oven, for three minutes; then
add them to the cream. Season, and pour over the toast. Garnish the
dish with thin slices of lemon, and serve very hot. It is nice for
lunch or tea.


Oysters Panned in their Own Liquor.

Eighteen large, or thirty small, oysters, one table-spoonful of
butter, one of cracker crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, one
teaspoonful of lemon juice, a speck of cayenne. Put the oysters on in
their own liquor, and when they boil up, add seasoning, butter and
crumbs. Cook one minute, and serve on toast.


Oysters Panned in the Shell.

Wash the shells and wipe dry. Place them in a pan with the round shell
down. Set in a hot oven for three minutes; then take out, and remove
the upper shell. Put two or three oysters into one of the round
shells, season with pepper and salt, add butter, the size of two peas,
and cover with cracker or bread crumbs. Return to the oven and brown.


Oyster Sauté.

Two dozen large, or three dozen small, oysters, two table-spoonfuls of
butter, four of fine cracker crumbs, salt, pepper. Let the oysters
drain in the colander. Then season with salt and pepper and roll in
the crumbs. Have the butter very hot in a frying-pan, and put in
enough of the oysters to cover the bottom of the pan. Fry crisp and
brown, being careful not to burn. Serve on hot, crisp toast.


Oysters Roasted in the Shell.

Wash the shells clean, and wipe dry. Place in a baking pan, and put in
a hot oven for about twenty minutes. Serve on hot dishes the moment
they are taken from the oven. Though this is not an elegant dish, many
people enjoy it, as the first and best flavor of the oysters is
retained in this manner of cooking. The oysters can, instead, be
opened into a hot dish and seasoned with butter, salt, pepper and
lemon juice. They should be served immediately.


Little Pigs in Blankets.

Season large oysters with salt and pepper. Cut fat English bacon in
very thin slices, wrap an oyster in each slice, and fasten with a
little wooden skewer (toothpicks are the best things). Heat a frying-
pan and put in the "little pigs." Cook just long enough to crisp the
bacon--about two minutes. Place on slices of toast that have been cut
into small pieces, and serve immediately. Do not remove the skewers.
This is a nice relish for lunch or tea; and, garnished with parsley,
is a pretty one. The pan must be very hot before the "pigs" are put
in, and then great care must be taken that they do not burn.


Fricasseed Oysters.

One hundred oysters (about two quarts), four large tablespoonfuls of
butter, one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, one table-spoonful of
flour, a speck of cayenne, salt, yolks of three eggs. Brown two table-
spoonfuls of the butter, and add to it the parsley, cayenne and salt
and the oysters, well drained. Mix together the flour and the
remainder of the butter and stir into the oysters when they begin to
curl. Then add yolks, well beaten, and take immediately from the fire.
Serve on a hot dish with a garnish of fried bread and parsley.


Creamed Oysters.

A pint of cream, one quart of oysters, a small piece of onion, a very
small piece of mace, a table-spoonful of flour, and salt and pepper to
taste. Let the cream, with the onion and mace, come to a boil. Mix
flour with a little cold milk or cream, and stir into the boiling
cream. Let the oysters come to a boil in their own liquor, and skim
carefully. Drain off all the liquor, and turn the oysters into the
cream. Skim out the mace and onions, and serve.


Crôustade of Oysters.

Have a loaf of bread baked in a round two-quart basin. When two or
three days old, with a sharp knife cut out the heart of the bread,
being careful not to break the crust. Break up the crumbs very fine,
and dry them slowly in an oven; then quickly fry three cupfuls of them
in two table-spoonfuls of butter. As soon as they begin to look golden
and are crisp, they are done. It takes about two minutes over a hot
fire, stirring all the time. Put one quart of cream to boil, and when
it boils, stir in three table-spoonfuls of flour, which has been mixed
with half a cupful of cold milk. Cook eight minutes. Season well with
salt and pepper. Put a layer of the sauce into the _crôustade_
then a layer of oysters, which dredge well with salt and pepper; then
another layer of sauce and one of fried crumbs. Continue this until
the _crôustade_ is nearly full, having the last layer a thick one
of crumbs. It takes three pints of oysters for this dish, and about
three teaspoonfuls of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper. Bake
slowly half an hour. Serve with a garnish of parsley around the dish,


Escaloped Oysters.

Two quarts of oysters, half a cupful of butter, half a cupful of cream
or milk, four teaspoonfuls of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, two
quarts of stale bread crumbs, and spice, if you choose. Butter the
escalop dishes, and put in a layer of crumbs and then one of oysters.
Dredge with the salt and pepper, and put small pieces of butter here
and there in the dish. Now have another layer of oysters, seasoning as
before; then add the milk, and, finally, a thick layer of crumbs,
which dot with butter. Bake twenty minutes in a rather quick oven. The
crumbs must be light and flakey. The quantity given above is enough to
fill two dishes.


Escaloped Oysters, No. 2.

Put a layer of rolled crackers in an oval dish, and then a layer of
oysters, and lay on small pieces of butter. Dredge with salt and
pepper, and moisten well with milk (or equal parts of milk and water).
Add another layer of cracker and of oysters, and butter, dredge and
moisten as before. Continue these alternate layers until the dish is
nearly full; then cover with a thin layer of cracker and pieces of
butter. If the dish be a large one, holding about two quarts, it will
require an hour and a half or two hours to bake.


Oysters Served in Escalop Shells.

The shells may be tin, granite-ware, or silver-plated, or, the natural
oyster or scollop shells. The ingredients are: one quart of oysters,
half a pint of cream or milk, one pint of bread crumbs, one table-
spoonful of butter, if cream is used, or three, if milk; salt and
pepper, a grating of nutmeg and two table-spoonfuls of flour. Drain
all the liquor from the oysters into a stew-pan. Let it come to a
boil, and skim; then add the cream or milk, with which the flour
should first be mixed. Let this boil two minutes, and add the butter,
salt, pepper and nutmeg, and then the oysters. Take from the fire
immediately. Taste to see if seasoned enough. Have the shells
buttered, and sprinkled lightly with crumbs. Nearly fill them with the
prepared oysters; then cover thickly with crumbs. Put the shells in a
baking-pan, and bake fifteen minutes. Serve very hot, on a large
platter, which garnish with parsley. The quantity given above will
fill twelve common-sized shells.

Oyster Chartreuse.

One quart of oysters, one pint of cream, one small slice of onion,
half a cupful of milk, whites of four eggs, two table-spoonfuls of
butter, salt, pepper, two table-spoonfuls of flour, one cupful of
fine, dry bread crumbs, six potatoes. Pare and boil the potatoes. Mash
fine and light, and add the milk, salt, pepper, one spoonful of
butter, and then the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Have
a two-quart charlotte russe mould well buttered, and sprinkle the
bottom and sides with the bread crumbs (there must be butter enough to
hold the crumbs). Line the mould with the potato, and let stand for a
few minutes. Put the cream and onion on to boil. Mix the flour with a
little cold milk or cream--about one-fourth of a cupful--and stir into
the boiling cream. Season well with salt and pepper, and cook eight
minutes. Let the oysters come to a boil in their own liquor. Skim
them, and drain of all the juice. Take the piece of onion from the
sauce, and add the oysters. Taste to see if seasoned enough, and turn
gently into the mould. Cover with the remainder of the potato, being
careful not to put on too much at once, as in that case the sauce
would be forced to the top. When covered, bake half an hour in a hot
oven. Take from the oven ten minutes before dishing time, and let it
stand on the table. Place a large platter over the mould and turn both
dish and mould at the same time. Remove the mould very gently. Garnish
the dish with parsley, and serve. A word of caution: Every part of the
mould must have a thick coating of the mashed potato, and when the
covering of potato is put on no opening must be left for sauce to
escape.


To Pickle Oysters

Two hundred large oysters, half a pint of vinegar, half a pint of
white wine, four spoonfuls of salt, six spoonfuls of whole black
pepper and a little mace. Strain the liquor, and add the above-named
ingredients. Let boil up once, and pour, while boiling hot, over the
oysters. After these have stood ten minutes pour off the liquor,
which, as well as the oysters, should then be allowed to get cold. Put
into a jar and cover tight. The oysters will keep some time.



LOBSTER.

Lobster, to be eatable, should be perfectly fresh. One of the tests of
freshness is to draw back the tail, for if it springs into position
again, it is safe to think the fish good. The time of boiling varies
with the size of the lobster and in different localities. In Boston,
Rockport and other places on the Massachusetts coast the time is
fifteen or twenty minutes for large lobsters and ten for small. The
usual way is to plunge them into boiling water enough to cover, and to
continue boiling them until they are done. Some people advocate
putting the lobsters into cold water, and letting this come to a boil
gradually. They claim that the lobsters do not suffer so much. This
may be so, but it seems as if death must instantly follow the plunge
into boiling water. Cooking a lobster too long makes it tough and dry.
When, on opening a lobster, you find the meat clinging to the shell,
and very much shrunken, you may be sure the time of boiling was too
long. There are very few modes of cooking lobster in which it should
be more than thoroughly heated, as much cooking toughens it and
destroys the fine, delicate flavor of the meat.


To open a lobster.

Separate the tail from the body, and shake out the tom-ally, and,
also, the "coral," if there is any, upon a plate. Then by drawing the
body from the shell with the thumb, and pressing the part near the
head against the shell with the first and second finger, you will free
it from the stomach or "lady." Now split the lobster through the
centre and, with a fork, pick the meat from the joints. Cut the under
side of the tail shell open and take out the meat without breaking. On
the upper part of that end of this meat which joined the body is a
small piece of flesh, which should be lifted; and a strip of meat
attached to it should be turned back to the extreme end of the tail.
This will uncover a little vein, running the entire length, which must
be removed. Sometimes this vein is dark, and sometimes as light as the
meat itself. It and the stomach are the only parts not eatable. The
piece that covered the vein should be turned again into place. Hold
the claws on edge on a thick board, and strike hard with a hammer
until the shell cracks. Draw apart, and take out the meat. If you have
the claws lying flat on the board when you strike, you not only break
the shell, but mash the meat, and thus spoil a fine dish. Remember
that the stomach of the lobster is found near the head, and is a
small, hard sack containing poisonous matter; and that the intestinal
vein is found in the tail. These should always be carefully removed.
When lobster is opened in the manner explained it may be arranged
handsomely on a dish, and each person can season it at the table to
suit himself.


Lobster Broiled in the Shell.

Divide the tail into two parts, cutting lengthwise. Break the large
claws in two parts, and free the body from the small claws and
stomach. Replace the body in the shell. Put the meat from the claws in
half of the shells it came from, and put the other half of the shells
where they will get hot. Put the lobster into the double broiler, and
cook, with the meat side exposed to the fire, for eight minutes; then
turn, and cook ten minutes longer. Place on a hot dish, and season
slightly with salt and cayenne, and then well with _maître d'
hôtel_ butter. Cover the claws with the hot shells. Garnish the
dish with parsley, and serve.


Broiled Lobster.

Split the meat of the tail and claws, and season well with salt and
pepper. Cover with soft butter and dredge with flour. Place in the
broiler, and cook over a bright fire until a delicate brown. Arrange
on a hot dish, pour Bechamel sauce around, and serve.


Breaded Lobster.

Split the meat of the tail and claws, and season well with salt and
pepper. Dip in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs, which let dry on
the meat; and then repeat the operation. Place in a frying-basket, and
plunge into boiling fat. Cook till a golden brown--about two minutes.
Serve with Tartare sauce.


Stewed Lobster.

The meat of a two and a half pound lobster, cut into dice; two table-
spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, one pint of stock or water, a speck
of cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Let the butter get hot, and add
the dry flour. Stir until perfectly smooth, when add the water,
gradually, stirring all the while. Season to taste. Add the lobster;
heat thoroughly, and serve.


Curry of Lobster.

The meat of a lobster weighing between two and three pounds, one very
small onion, three table-spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, a scant
one of curry powder, a speck of cayenne, salt, a scant pint of water
or stock. Let the butter get hot; and then add the onion, cut fine,
and fry brown. When the onion is cooked add the flour and curry
powder, and stir all together for two minutes. Add stock; cook two
minutes, and strain. Add the meat of lobster, cut into dice, and
simmer five minutes. Serve with a border of boiled rice around the
dish.


Devilled Lobster in the Shell.

Two lobsters, each weighing about two and a half pounds; one pint of
cream, two table-spoonfuls of butter, two of flour, one of mustard, a
speck of cayenne, salt, pepper, a scant pint of bread crumbs. Open the
lobster and, with a sharp knife, cut the meat rather fine. Be careful,
in opening, not to break the body or tail shells. Wash these shells
and wipe dry; join them in the form of a boat, that they may hold the
prepared meat. Put the cream on to boil. Mix the butter, flour,
mustard and pepper together, and add three spoonfuls of the boiling
cream. Stir all into the remaining cream, and cook two minutes. Add
the lobster, salt and pepper, and boil one minute. Fill the shells
with the mixture, and place in a pan, with something to keep them in
position (a few small stones answer very well). Cover with the bread
crumbs, and brown for twenty minutes in a hot oven. Serve on a long,
narrow dish; the body in the centre, the tails at either end. Garnish
with parsley. If for a large company, it would be best to have a broad
dish, and have four lobsters, instead of two. This is a very handsome
dish, and is really not hard to cook. There is always a little more of
the prepared lobster than will go into the shells without crowding,
and this is nice warmed and served on slices of crisp toast.


Escaloped Lobster.

Prepare the lobster as for devilling, omitting, however, the mustard.
Turn into a buttered escollop dish, and cover thickly with crumbs.
Brown in a hot oven, and serve.

White stock may be used instead of the cream. Many people who cannot
eat lobster when prepared with cream or milk, find it palatable when
prepared with stock or water.


Lobster Cutlets.

A lobster weighing between two and a half and three pounds, three
table-spoonfuls of butter, half a cupful of stock or cream, one
heaping table-spoonful of flour, a speck of cayenne, salt, two eggs,
about a pint of bread crumbs, twelve sprigs of parsley. Cut the meat
of the lobster into fine dice, and season with salt and pepper. Put
the butter on to heat. Add the flour, and when smooth, add the stock
and one well-beaten egg. Season. Boil up once, add the lobster, and
take from the fire immediately. Now add a table-spoonful of lemon
juice. Butter a platter, and pour the mixture upon it, to the
thickness of about an inch. Make perfectly smooth with a knife, and
set away to cool. When cool, cut into chops, to resemble cutlets. Dip
in beaten egg and then in bread crumbs, being sure to have every part
covered. Place in the frying-basket and plunge into boiling fat. Cook
till a rich brown. It will take about two minutes. Drain for a moment
in the basket; then arrange on a hot dish, and put part of a small
claw in each one, to represent the bone in a cutlet. Put the parsley
in the basket and plunge for a moment into the boiling fat. Garnish
with this, or, pour a white or Bechamel sauce around the dish, and
garnish with fresh parsley. The quantity given will make six or seven
cutlets.


Canned Lobster.

Canned lobster can be used for cutlets, stews, curries and patties,
can be escaloped, or served on toast.




OTHER SHELL-FISH.


Stewed Terrapins.

Put them into boiling water, and boil rapidly for ten or fifteen
minutes, or until the nails will come out and the black skin rub off--
the time depending upon the size of the fish. After this, put into
fresh boiling water, and boil until the under shell cracks, which will
be about three-quarters of an hour. Remove the under shell, throw away
the sand and gall bags, take out intestines, and put the terrapins to
boil again in the same water for an hour. Pick liver and meat from
upper shell. Cut the intestines in small pieces, and add to this meat.
Pour over all a quantity of the liquor in which the intestines were
boiled sufficient to make very moist. Put away until the next day. For
each terrapin, if of good size, a gill of cream and of wine, half a
cupful of butter, yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, rubbed smooth, salt,
pepper and cayenne are needed. Pour over the terrapin, let it come to
a boil, and serve,--[Mrs. Furness, of Philadelphia.]


Soft-Shell Crabs.

Lift the shell at both sides and remove the spongy substance found on
the back. Then pull off the "apron," which will be found on the under
side, and to which is attached a substance like that removed from the
back. Now wipe the crabs, and dip them in beaten egg, and then in fine
bread or cracker crumbs. Fry in boiling fat from eight to ten minutes,
the time depending upon the size of the crabs. Serve with Tartare
sauce. Or, the egg and bread crumbs may be omitted. Season with salt
and cayenne, and fry as before,

When broiled, crabs are cleaned, and seasoned with salt and cayenne;
are then dropped into boiling water for one minute, taken up, and
broiled over a hot fire for eight minutes. They are served with
_maître d' hôtel_ butter or Tartare sauce.




MEATS.

BOILING.

All pieces, unless very salt, should be plunged into boiling water,
and boiled rapidly for fifteen minutes, to harden the albumen that is
on the outside, and thus keep in the juices. The kettle should then be
put back where it will just simmer, for meat that is boiled rapidly
becomes hard and stringy, while that which is kept just at the boiling
point (where the water hardly bubbles) will cut tender and juicy,
provided there is any juiciness in it at the beginning. White meats,
like mutton and poultry, are improved in appearance by having rice
boiled with them; or, a still better way is to thickly flour a piece
of coarse cotton cloth, pin the meat in it, and place in the boiling
water. Meat cooked in this way will be extremely juicy.


Leg of Mutton.

Cook, as directed, in boiling water to cover. A leg that weighs eight
or nine pounds will cook in one hour and a quarter if it is wanted
done rare. Allow five minutes for every additional pound. Save the
water for soups.


Lamb.

Cook the same as mutton. Serve with drawn butter.


Boiled Ham.

Wash the ham very clean, and put on with cold water to cover. Simmer
gently five hours, and set the kettle aside for one or two hours. When
nearly cold, take out the ham and draw off the skin. Cover with
cracker crumbs and about three table-spoonfuls of sugar. Place in the
oven, in a baking-pan, for thirty or forty minutes. Many people stick
cloves into the fat part of the ham, and use only a few crumbs. The
time given is for a ham weighing about twelve pounds; every pound over
that will require fifteen minutes more. The fish kettle comes next to
a regular ham kettle, and answers quite as well as both. If you have
neither kettle, and no pot large enough to hold all the meat, cut off
the knuckle, which will cook in about two hours. But this rather hurts
the flavor and appearance of the dish.


Salt Tongue.

Soak over night, and cook from five to six hours. Throw into cold
water and peel off the skin.


Fresh Tongue.

Put into boiling water to cover, with two table-spoonfuls of salt.
Cook from five to six hours. Skin the same as salt tongue.


Corned Beef.

Wash, and put into cold water, if very salt; but such a piece as one
finds in town and city shops, and which the butchers corn themselves,
put into boiling water. Cook very slowly for six hours. This time is
for a piece weighing eight or ten pounds. When it is to be served cold
let it stand for one or two hours in the water in which it was boiled.
If the beef is to be pressed, get either a piece of the brisket, flank
or rattle-ran. Take out the bones, place in a flat dish or platter,
put a tin sheet on top, and lay on it two or three bricks. If you have
a corned beef press, use that, of course.



ROASTING.

There are two modes of roasting: one is to use a tin Kitchen before an
open fire, and the other and more common way is to use a very hot
oven. The former gives the more delicious favor, but the second is not
by any means a poor way, if the meat is put on a rack, and basted
constantly when in the oven. A large piece is best for roasting, this
being especially true of beef. When meat is cooked in a tin kitchen it
requires more time, because the heat is not equally distributed, as it
is in the oven.

To prepare for roasting: Wipe the meat with a wet towel. Dredge on all
sides with salt, pepper and flour; and if the kitchen is used, dredge
the flour into that. Run the spit through the centre of the meat, and
place very near the fire at first, turning as it browns. When the
flour in the kitchen is browned, add a pint of hot water, and baste
frequently with it, dredging with salt and flour after each basting.
Roast a piece of beef weighing eight pounds fifty minutes, if to be
rare, but if to be medium, roast one hour and a quarter, and ten
minutes for each additional pound.


Roasting in the Oven.

Prepare the meat as before. Have a rack that will fit loosely into the
baking-pan. Cover the bottom of the pan rather lightly with flour, put
in rack, and then meat Place in a very hot oven for a few minutes, to
brown the flour in the pan, and then add hot water enough to cover the
bottom of the pan. Close the oven; and in about ten minutes, open, and
baste the meat with the gravy. Dredge with salt, pepper and flour. Do
this every fifteen minutes; and as soon as one side of the meat is
brown, turn, and brown the other. Make gravy as before. Allow a
quarter of an hour less in the oven than in the tin kitchen. The heat
for roasting must be very great at first, to harden the albumen, and
thus keep in the juices. After the meat is crusted over it is not
necessary to keep up so great a heat, but for rare meats the heat
must, of course, be greater than for those that are to be well done.
The kitchen can be drawn back a little distance from the fire and the
drafts closed. Putting salt on fresh meat draws out the juices, but by
using flour a paste is formed, which, keeps in all the juices and also
enriches and browns the piece. Never roast meat without having a rack
in the pan. If meat is put into the water in the pan it becomes soggy
and looses its flavor. A meat rack costs not more than thirty or forty
cents, and the improvement in the looks and flavor of a piece of meat
is enough to pay for it in one roasting. The time given for roasting a
piece of beef is for rib roasts and sirloin. The same weight in the
face or the back of the rump will require twenty minutes longer, as
the meat on these cuts is in a very compact form. If a saddle or loin
of mutton is to be roasted, cook the same time as beef if the weight
is the same; but if a leg is to be roasted, one hour and a quarter is
the time. Lamb should be cooked an hour and a half; veal, two hours
and three-quarters; pork, three hours and a quarter. Ten minutes
before dishing the dinner turn the gravy into a sauce-pan, skim off
all the fat, and set on the stove. Let it come to a boil; then stir in
one table-spoonful of flour, mixed with half a cupful of cold water.
Season with salt and pepper, and cook two minutes. Serve the meat on a
hot dish and the gravy in a hot tureen.


Boiled Rib Roast.

Either have the butcher remove the bones, or do it your-self by
slipping a sharp knife between the flesh and bones--a simple matter
with almost any kind of meat. Roll up the piece and tie with strong
twine. Treat the same as plain roast beef, giving the same time as if
it were a piece of rump (one hour and a half for eight pounds), as the
form it is now in does not readily admit the heat to all parts. This
piece of beef can be larded before roasting, or it can be larded and
braised. Serve with tomato or horse-radish sauce.


Roast Beef, with Yorkshire Pudding.

A rib or sirloin roast should be prepared as directed for roasting.
When within three-quarters of an hour of being done, have the pudding
made. Butter a pan like that in which the meat is being cooked, and
pour in the batter. Put the rack across the pan, not in it. Place the
meat on the rack, return to the oven, and cook forty-five minutes. If
you have only one pan, take up the meat, pour off the gravy and put in
the pudding. Cut in squares, and garnish the beef with these. Another
method is to have a pan that has squares stamped in it. This gives
even squares and crust on all the edges, which baking in the flat pan
does not. When the meat is roasted in the tin-kitchen, let the pudding
bake in the oven for half an hour, and then place it under the meat to
catch the drippings.

For the Yorkshire pudding, one pint of milk, two-thirds of a cupful of
flour, three eggs and one scant teaspoonful of salt will be needed.
Beat the eggs very light. Add salt and milk, and then pour about half
a cupful of the mixture upon the flour; and when perfectly smooth, add
the remainder. This makes a small pudding--about enough for six
persons. Serve it hot.


Fillet of Veal, Roasted.

About eight or ten pounds of the fillet, ham force-meat (see rule for
force-meat), half a cupful of butter, half a teaspoonful of pepper,
two table-spoonfuls of salt, two lemons, half a pound of salt pork.
Rub the salt and pepper into the veal; then fill the cavity, from
which the bone was taken, with the force-meat. Skewer and tie the
fillet into a round shape. Cut the pork in thin slices, and put half
of these on a tin sheet that will fit into the dripping pan; place
this in the pan, and the fillet on it. Cover the veal with the
remainder of the pork. Put hot water enough in the pan to just cover
the bottom, and place in the oven. Bake slowly for four hours, basting
frequently with the gravy in the pan, and with salt, pepper and flour.
As the water in the pan cooks away, it must be renewed, remembering to
have only enough to keep the meat and pan from burning. After it has
been cooking three hours, take the pork from the top of the fillet,
spread the top thickly with butter and dredge with flour. Repeat this
after thirty minutes, and then brown handsomely. Put the remainder of
the butter, which should be about three table-spoonfuls, in a sauce-
pan, and when hot, add two heaping table-spoonfuls of flour, and stir
until dark brown. Add to it half a pint of stock or water; stir a
minute, and set back where it will keep warm, but not cook. Now take
up the fillet, and skim all the fat off of the gravy; add water enough
to make half a pint of gravy, also the sauce just made. Let this boil
up, and add the juice of half a lemon, and more salt and pepper, if
needed. Strain, and pour around the fillet. Garnish the dish with
potato puffs and slices of lemon.


Roast Ham.

Prepare the ham as for boiling, and if it is of good size (say ten
pounds), boil three hours. Remove the skin, and put the ham in a
baking pan. Let it cook two hours in a moderate oven. Serve with
champagne sauce.




BROILING.

The fire for broiling must be clear, and for meats it must be hotter
and brighter than for fish. Coals from hard wood or charcoal are best,
but in all large towns and cities hard coal is nearly always used,
except in hotels and restaurants, where there is usually a special
place for broiling with charcoal. The double broiler is the very best
thing in the market for broiling meats and fish. When the meat is
placed in it, and the slide is slipped over the handles, all there is
to do is to hold the broiler over the fire, or, if you have an open
range, before the fire. A fork or knife need not go near the meat
until it is on the dish. A great amount of the juice is saved. With
the old-fashioned gridirons it is absolutely necessary to stick a fork
into the meat to turn it, and although there are little grooves for
the gravy to run into, what is saved in this way does not compare with
what is actually kept within the meat where the double broiler is
used. Professional cooks can turn a steak without running a fork into
the meat, but not one in a hundred common cooks can do it.


Mutton Chops.

Sprinkle the chops with salt, pepper and flour. Put them in the double
broiler. Broil over or before the fire for eight minutes. Serve on a
_hot_ dish with butter, salt and pepper for tomato sauce. The
fire for chops should not be as hot as for steak. Chops can be
seasoned with salt and pepper, wrapped in buttered paper and broiled
ten minutes over a hot fire.


Beef Steak.

Have it cut thick. It will never be good, rich and juicy if only from
one-fourth to one-half an inch thick. It ought to be at least three-
quarters of an inch thick. Trim off any suet that may be left on it,
and dredge with salt, pepper and flour. Cook in the double broiler,
over or before clear coals, for ten minutes, if to be rare, twelve, if
to be rather well done. Turn the meat constantly. Serve on a hot dish
with butter and salt, or with mushroom sauce, _maitre d' Hôtel_
butter or tomato sauce. Do not stick a knife or fork into the meat to
try it. This is the way many people spoil it. Pounding is another bad
habit: much of the juice of the meat is lost. When, as it sometimes
happens, there is no convenience for broiling, heat the frying pan
very hot, then sprinkle with salt, and lay in the steak. Turn
frequently.




MISCELLANEOUS MODES.


Braised Beef.

Take six or eight pounds of the round or the face of the rump, and
lard with quarter of a pound of salt pork. Put six slices of pork in
the bottom of the braising pan, and as soon as it begins to fry, add
two onions, half a small carrot and half a small turnip, all cut fine.
Cook these until they begin to brown; then draw them to one side of
the pan and put in the beef, which has been well dredged with salt,
pepper and flour. Brown on all sides, and then add one quart of
boiling water and a bouquet of sweet herbs; cover, and cook
_slowly_ in the oven for four hours, basting every twenty
minutes. Take up, and finish the gravy as for braised tongue. Or, add
to the gravy half a can of tomatoes, and cook for ten minutes. Strain,
pour around the beef, and serve.


Fricandeau of Veal.

Have a piece of veal, weighing about eight pounds, cut from that part
of the leg called the cushion. Wet the vegetable masher, and beat the
veal smooth; then lard one side thickly. Put eight slices of pork in
the bottom of the braising-pan; place the veal on this, larded side
up. Add two small onions, half a small turnip, two slices of carrot,
one clove and a bouquet of sweet herbs--these to be at the sides of
the meat, not on top; and one quart of white stock or water. Dredge
with salt, pepper and flour. Cover, and place in a rather moderate
oven. Cook three hours, basting every fifteen minutes. If cooked
rapidly the meat will be dry and stringy, but if slowly, it will be
tender and juicy. When done, lift carefully from the pan. Melt four
table-spoonfuls of glaze, and spread on the meat with a brush. Place
in the open oven for five minutes. Add one cupful of hot water to the
contents of the braising-pan. Skim off all the fat, and then add one
heaping teaspoonful of corn-starch, which has been mixed with a little
cold water. Let it boil one minute; then strain, and return to the
fire. Add two table-spoonfuls of glaze, and when this is melted, pour
the sauce around the fricandeau, and serve. Potato balls, boiled for
twelve minutes in stock, and then slightly browned in the oven, make a
pretty garnish for this dish. It is also served on a bed of finely-
chopped spinach or mashed potatoes.


Leg of Lamb à la Française.

Put a leg of lamb, weighing about eight pounds, in as small a kettle
as will hold it. Put in a muslin bag one onion, one small white
turnip, a few green celery leaves, three sprigs each of sweet marjoram
and summer savory, four cloves and twelve allspice. Tie the bag and
place it in the kettle with the lamb; then pour on two quarts of
boiling water. Let this come to a boil, and then skim carefully. Now
add four heaping table-spoonfuls of flour, which has been mixed with
one cupful of cold water, two table-spoonfuls of salt and a speck of
cayenne. Cover tight, and set back where it will just simmer for four
hours. In the meantime make a pint and a half of veal or mutton force-
meat, which make into little balls and fry brown. Boil six eggs hard.
At the end of four hours take up the Iamb. Skim all the fat off of the
gravy and take out the bag of seasoning. Now put the kettle where the
contents will boil rapidly for ten minutes. Put three table-spoonfuls
of butter in the frying-pan, and when hot, stir in two of flour; cook
until a dark brown, but not burned, and stir into the gravy. Taste to
see if seasoned enough. Have the whites and yolks of the hard-boiled
eggs chopped separately. Pour the gravy over the lamb; then garnish
with the chopped eggs, making a hill of the whites, and capping it
with part of the yolks. Sprinkle the remainder of the yolks over the
lamb. Place the meat balls in groups around the dish. Garnish with
parsley, and serve.


Braised Breast of Lamb.

With a sharp knife, remove the bones from a breast of lamb; then
season it well with salt and pepper, and roll up and tie firmly with
twine. Put two table-spoonfuls of butter in the braising-pan, and when
melted, add one onion, one slice of carrot and one of turnip, all cut
fine. Stir for five minutes, and then put in the lamb, with a thick
dredging of flour. Cover, and set back, where it will not cook
rapidly, for half an hour; then add one quart of stock or boiling
water, and place in the oven, where it will cook _slowly_, for
one hour. Baste often. Take up the meat, skim all the fat off of the
gravy, and then put it where it will boil rapidly for five minutes.
Take the string from the meat. Strain the gravy, and pour over the
dish. Serve very hot. Or serve with tomato or Bechamel sauce. The
bones should be put in the pan with the meat, to improve the gravy.


Beef Stew.

Two pounds of beef (the round, flank, or any cheap part; if there is
bone in it, two and a half pounds will be required), one onion, two
slices of carrot, two of turnip, two potatoes, three table-spoonfuls
of flour, salt, pepper, and a generous quart of water. Cut all the fat
from the meat, and put it in a stew-pan; fry gently for ten or fifteen
minutes. In the meantime cut the meat in small pieces, and season well
with salt and pepper, and then sprinkle over it two table-spoonfuls of
flour. Cut the vegetables in very small pieces, and put in the pot
with the fat. Fry them five minutes, stirring well, to prevent
burning. Now put in the meat, and move it about in the pot until it
begins to brown; then add the quart of boiling water. Cover; let it
boil up once, skim, and set back, where it will just bubble, for two
and a half hours. Add the potatoes, cut in thin slices, and one table-
spoonful of flour, which mix smooth with half a cupful of cold water,
pouring about one-third of the water on the flour at first, and adding
the rest when perfectly smooth. Taste to see if the stew is seasoned
enough, and if it is not, add more salt and pepper. Let the stew come
to a boil again, and cook ten minutes; then add dumplings. Cover
tightly, and boil rapidly ten minutes longer.

Mutton, lamb or veal can be cooked in this manner. When veal is used,
fry out two slices of pork, as there will not be much fat on the meat.
Lamb and mutton must have some of the fat put aside, as there is so
much on these meats that they are otherwise very gross.


Irish Stew.

About two pounds of the neck of mutton, four onions, six large
potatoes, salt, pepper, three pints of water and two table-spoonfuls
of flour. Cut the mutton in handsome pieces. Put about half the fat in
the stew-pan, with the onions, and stir for eight or ten minutes over
a hot fire; then put in the meat, which sprinkle with the flour, salt
and pepper. Stir ten minutes, and add the water, boiling. Set for one
hour where it will simmer; then add the potatoes, peeled, and cut in
quarters. Simmer an hour longer, and serve. You can cook dumplings
with this dish, if you choose. They are a great addition to all kinds
of stews and ragouts.


Toad in the Hole.

This is an English dish, and a good one, despite the unpleasant name.
One pound of round steak, one pint of milk, one cupful of flour, one
egg, and salt and pepper. Cut the steak into dice. Beat the egg very
light; add milk to it, and then half a teaspoonful of salt. Pour upon
the flour, gradually, beating very light and smooth. Butter a two-
quart dish, and in it put the meat. Season well, and pour over it the
batter. Bake an hour in a moderate oven. Serve hot. This dish can be
made with mutton and lamb in place of steak.


Scotch Roll.

Remove the tough skin from about five pounds of the flank of beef. A
portion of the meat will be found thicker than the rest. With a sharp
knife, cut a thin layer from the thick part, and lay upon the thin.
Mix together three table-spoonfuls of salt, one of sugar, half a
teaspoonful of pepper, one-eighth of a teaspoonful of clove and one
teaspoonful of summer savory. Sprinkle this over the meat, and then
sprinkle with three table-spoonfuls of vinegar. Roll up, and tie with
twine. Put away in a cold place for twelve hours When it has stood
this time, place in a stew-pan, with boiling water to cover, and
simmer gently for three hours and a half. Mix four heaping table-
spoonfuls of flour with half a cupful of cold water, and stir into the
gravy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer half an hour
longer. This dish is good hot or cold.




POULTRY AND GAME.


To Clean and Truss Poultry.

First singe, by holding the bird over a blazing paper. It is best to
do this over the open stove, when all the particles of burnt paper
will fall into the fire. Next open the vent and draw out the internal
organs, if this has not been done at the butcher's. Be careful not to
break the gall bladder. Wash quickly in one water. If there are large
black pin-feathers, take out what you can with the point of a knife,
(it is impossible to get out all). Cut the oil bag from the tail. Be
sure that you have taken out every part of the wind-pipe, the lights
and crop. Turn the skin back, and cut the neck quite short. Fill the
crop with dressing, and put some in the body also. With a short
skewer, fasten the legs together at the joint where the feet were cut
off. [Be careful, in cutting off the feet of game or poultry, to cut
in the joint. If you cut above, the ligaments that hold the flesh and
bones together will be severed, and in cooking, the meat will shrink,
leaving a bare, unsightly bone. Besides, you will have nothing to hold
the skewer, if the ligaments are cut off.] Run the skewer into the
bone of the tail, and tie firmly with a long piece of twine. Now take
a longer skewer, and run through the two wings, fastening them firmly
to the sides of the bird. With another short skewer, fasten the skin
of the neck on to the back-bone. Place the bird on its breast, and
draw the strings, with which the legs were tied, around the skewers in
the wings and neck; pass them across the back three times, and tie
very tightly. By following these directions, you will have the bird in
good shape, and all the strings on the back, so that you will avoid
breaking the handsome crust that always forms on properly basted and
roasted poultry. When cooked, first cut the strings, then draw out the
skewers. The fat that comes from the vent and the gizzard of chickens,
should be tried out immediately and put away for shortening and
frying. That of geese, turkeys and ducks is of too strong a flavor to
be nice in cookery.

To clean the giblets: Cut the gall-bag from the lobe of the liver,
cutting a little of the liver with it, so as not to cut into the bag.
Press the heart between the finger and thumb, to extract all the
blood. With a sharp knife, cut lightly around the gizzard, and draw
off the outer coat, leaving the lining coat whole. If you cannot do
that (and it does require practice), cut in two, and after removing
the filling, take out the lining. When the poultry is to be boiled,
and is stuffed, the vent must be sewed with mending cotton or soft
twine. Unless the bird is full of dressing, this will not be necessary
in roasting.


Fowl and Pork.

Clean and truss, pin in the floured cloth and put into water in which
one pound of rather lean pork has been boiling three hours. The time
of cooking depends upon the age of the fowl. If they are not more than
a year old an hour and a half will be enough, but if very old they may
need three hours. The quantity of pork given is for only a pair of
fowl, and more must be used if a large number of birds be cooked.
Serve with egg sauce. The liquor should be saved for soups.


Boiled Fowl with Macaroni.

Break twelve sticks of macaroni in pieces about two inches long; throw
them into one quart of boiling water, add a table-spoonful of salt and
half a table-spoonful of pepper. Boil rapidly for twelve minutes; then
take up, and drain off all the water. Season with one table-spoonful
of butter and one teaspoonful of salt. After the fowl have been singed
and cleaned, stuff with the macaroni. Truss them, and then pin in a
floured cloth and plunge into enough boiling water to cover them. Boil
rapidly for fifteen minutes; then set back where they will just simmer
for from one and a half to two and a half hours. The time of cooking
depends upon the age of the birds. Serve with an egg or Bechamel
sauce. The quantity of macaroni given is for two fowl. Plain boiled
macaroni should be served with this dish.


Boiled Turkey with Celery.

Chop half a head of celery very fine. Mix with it one quart of bread
crumbs, two scant table-spoonfuls of salt, half a teaspoonful of
pepper, two heaping table-spoonfuls of butter and two eggs. Stuff the
turkey with this; sew up and truss. Wring a large square of white
cotton cloth out of cold water, and dredge it thickly with flour. Pin
the turkey in this, and plunge into boiling water. Let it boil rapidly
for fifteen minutes; then set back where it will simmer. Allow three
hours for a turkey weighing nine pounds, and twelve minutes for every
additional pound. Serve with celery sauce. The stuffing may be made
the same as above, only substitute oysters for celery, and serve with
oyster sauce.


Boiled Turkey.

Clean and truss the same as for roasting. Rub into it two spoonfuls of
salt, and put into boiling water to cover. Simmer gently three hours,
if it weighs nine or ten pounds, and is tender. If old and tough it
will take longer. Serve with oyster, celery or egg sauce. Pour some of
the sauce over the turkey, and serve the rest in a gravy boat.


Roast Turkey.

Proceed the same with a turkey as with a chicken, allowing one hour
and three-quarters for a turkey weighing eight pounds, and ten minutes
for every additional pound.


Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing and Sauce.

Clean the turkey, and lard the breast. Throw fifty large chestnuts
into boiling water for a few minutes; then take them up, and rub off
the thin, dark skin. Cover them with boiling water, and simmer for one
hour; take them up, and mash fine. Chop one pound of veal and ha

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