RECIPES TRIED AND TRUE.
COMPILED BY THE LADIES' AID SOCIETY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH,
MARION, OHIO.
"We may live without poetry, music, and art;
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends; we may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."
- OWEN MEREDITH
MARION, OHIO:
PRESS OF KELLEY MOUNT.
1894.
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1894 by the
LADIES' AID SOCIETY OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, MARION, OHIO.
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington.
To the Mothers, Wives, Sisters and Sweethearts of the Good Men of
America this Book is Dedicated by the "TRUE BLUES."
PREFACE.
Although in putting forth this little book we do not claim that we are
filling a "Long felt want," yet we do feel that its many tried and
true recipes from our own housekeepers will be very welcome. We also
believe that it will not only be welcomed by those who recognize the
names and merits of the various contributors, but by all housekeepers,
young and old. There can never be too many helps for those who, three
times a day, must meet and answer the imperative question, "What shall
we eat?"
To the many who have helped so willingly in the compilation of this
book, the Editorial Committee would extend a grateful acknowledgment.
For the literary part of the work, we would beg your indulgence, since
for each of us it is the first venture in the making of a book.
MENUS.
"All the labor of man is for his mouth, And yet the appetite is not
filled." - SOLOMON.
SUNDAY BREAKFAST (WINTER). MRS. T. H. LINSLEY.
Oat Meal. Boston Brown Bread. Boston Baked Beans. Coffee.
PLAIN DINNER. EUGENE DE WOLFE.
Tomato Soup. Boiled Fish. Lemon Sauce. Roast Lamb. Mint Sauce.
Stewed Tomatoes. Sweet Potatoes. Spanish Cream. Coffee.
PLAIN DINNER. EUGENE DE WOLFE.
Bouillon. Boiled Spring Chicken. New Potatoes. New Peas. Lettuce,
Mayonnaise Dressing. Rhubarb Pie. Cheese. Crackers. Coffee.
OLD-FASHIONED THANKSGIVING DINNER. GAIL HAMILTON.
Roast Turkey, Oyster Dressing. Cranberry Sauce. Mashed Potatoes.
Baked Corn. Olives. Peaches. Pumpkin Pie. Mince Pie. Fruit.
Cheese. Coffee.
FAMILY DINNERS FOR A WEEK IN SUMMER. OZELLA SEFFNER.
Sunday.
Green Corn Soup. Salmon and Green Peas. Roast Beef. Tomatoes. New
Potatoes. Strawberry Ice Cream. Cake. Coffee. Iced Tea.
Monday.
Lamb Chops. Mint Sauce. Potatoes. Escaloped Onions. Cucumber
Salad. Orange Pudding.
Tuesday.
Veal Soup. Fried Chicken. Green Peas. Rice Croquettes.
Strawberries and Cream.
Wednesday.
Broiled Beef Steak. Potato Croquettes. String Beans. Tomato Salad.
Fruit Jelly. Cream Pie.
Thursday.
Potato Soup. Roast Veal. Baked Potatoes. Beet Salad. Asparagus.
Strawberry Shortcake.
Friday.
Boiled Fish. Egg Sauce. Lamb Chops. Peas. Escaloped Potatoes.
Lettuce, Mayonnaise. Raspberry Iced Tea.
Saturday.
Chicken Pot Pie, with Dumplings. Spinach. Cucumber Salad. Radishes.
Lemonade.
PLAIN FAMILY DINNERS FOR A WEEK IN WINTER. OZELLA SEFFNER.
Sunday.
Cracker-Ball Soup. Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding. Creamed
Potatoes. Celery. Mince Pie. Apricot Ice Cream. Cheese. Coffee or
Chocolate.
Monday.
Cold Roast Beef. Mashed Potatoes. Cabbage Slaw. Pickles. Plain
Plum Pudding. Cheese. Tea.
Tuesday.
Tomato Soup. Leg of Mutton. Caper Sauce. Baked Potatoes. Stewed
Turnips. Apple Pudding. Coffee or Tea.
Wednesday.
Lemon Bouillon. Baked Fish, with Drawn Butter. Roast Chicken.
Potatoes. Boiled Onions. Pickles or Olives. Cottage Pudding.
Thursday.
Roast Beef Soup. Stewed Tomatoes. Mashed Potatoes. Boiled Rice.
Turnips. Troy Pudding. Egg Sauce.
Friday.
Corn Soup. Chicken Pie. French Peas. Stewed Potatoes. Cream Slaw.
Suet Pudding.
Saturday.
Boiled Corn Beef, with Vegetables. Pork and Beans. Pickles. Indian
Pudding. Cream Sauce.
BREAKFASTS. Fall and Winter.
OZELLA SEFFNER.
1. Melon. Fried Mush. Fried Oysters. Potatoes. Rolls. Coffee or
Cocoa.
2. Melon or Fruit. Graham Cakes. Maple Syrup. New Pickles.
Broiled Steak. Corn Oysters. Coffee or Cocoa.
3. Melon or Fruit. Fried Oat Meal Mush. Syrup. Bacon, Dipped in
Eggs. Fried Potatoes. Coffee.
4. Oranges. Warm Biscuit. Jelly. Broiled Oysters on Toast. Rice
Balls. Coffee.
5. Oranges. Mackerel. Fried Potatoes. Ham Toast. Muffins.
6. Breakfast Bacon. Corn Griddle Cakes. Syrup. Boiled Eggs. Baked
Potatoes.
Spring and Summer.
1. Fruit. Muffins. Ham. Eggs. Radishes. Onions. Coffee.
2. Fruit. Light Biscuit. Breakfast Bacon. Scrambled Eggs. Fried
Potatoes. Coffee.
3. Fruit. Corn Meal Muffins. Veal Cutlets. French Toast.
Radishes. New Onions. Coffee.
4. Strawberries. Lamb Chops. Cream Potatoes. Graham Muffins.
Coffee.
5. Raspberries. Oat Meal and Cream. Sweet Breads. Sliced Tomatoes.
Hamburg Steak. Fried Potatoes. Coffee.
6. Berries. Breakfast Bacon, Dipped in Butter and Fried. Sliced
Tomatoes. Baked Potatoes. Muffins. Coffee.
A FEW PLAIN DINNERS. GAIL HAMILTON.
1. Tomato Soup. Cranberry Sauce. Roast Pork, with Dressing.
Potatoes. Peas.
DESSERT - Fruit and Cake. Coffee.
2. Vegetable Soup. Beef Steak and Gravy. Macaroni, with Cheese.
DESSERT - Cake and Lemon Pudding. Coffee.
3. Clam Soup. Boiled Chicken. Potatoes. Lettuce, Mayonnaise
Dressing.
DESSERT - Strawberry Shortcake, with Strawberry Sauce. Coffee.
Crackers. Cheese.
SOUP.
"A hasty plate of soup"
PREFACE.
The best soups are made with a blending of many flavors. Don't be
afraid of experimenting with them. Where you make one mistake you
will be surprised to find the number of successful varieties you can
produce. If you like a spicy flavor, try two or three cloves, or
allspice, or bay leaves. All soups are improved by a dash of onion,
unless it is the white soups, or purees from chicken, veal, fish, etc.
In these celery may be used.
In nothing so well as soups can a housekeeper be economical of the
odds and ends of food left from meals. One of the best cooks was in
the habit of saving everything, and announced one day, when her soup
was especially praised, that it contained the crumbs of gingerbread
from her cake box!
Creamed onions left from a dinner, or a little stewed corn or
tomatoes, potatoes fried or mashed, a few baked beans - even a small
dish of apple sauce - have often added to the flavor of soup. Of
course, all good meat gravies, or bones from roast or fried meats, can
be added to the contents of your stock kettle. A little butter is
always needed in tomato soup.
Stock is regularly prepared by taking fresh meat (cracking the bones
and cutting the meat into small pieces) and covering it with cold
water. Put it over the fire and simmer or boil gently until the meat
is very tender. Some cooks say, allow an hour for each pound of meat.
Be sure to skim carefully. When done take out meat and strain your
liquid. It will frequently jelly, and will keep in a cold place for
several days, and is useful for gravies, as well as soups.
A FINE SOUP. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Take good soup stock and strain it. When it boils add cracker balls,
made thus: To one pint of cracker crumbs add a pinch of salt and
pepper, one teaspoonful parsley, cut fine, one teaspoonful baking
powder, mixed with the crumbs, one small dessert spoon of butter, one
egg; stir all together; make into balls size of a marble; place on
platter to dry for about two hours; when ready to serve your soup put
them into the stock; boil five minutes.
ROAST BEEF SOUP. MRS. W. C. BUTCHER
To a good loin roast add six tablespoons of vinegar and small piece of
butter; salt and pepper; stick six cloves in the roast; sprinkle two
tablespoons of cinnamon and sift one cup of flour over it. Put in
oven in deep pan or kettle with a quart of boiling water; roast until
it is about half done and then strain over it three-fourths of a can
of tomatoes; finish roasting it and when done add celery-salt to suit
the taste, and one cup of sweet cream and some catsup, if preferred.
BEAN SOUP. MRS. H. F. SNYDER.
To one quart of beans add one teaspoon of soda, cover with water, let
boil until the hulls will slip off, skim the beans out, throw them
into cold water, rub with the hands, then remove the hulls; drain, and
rub until all hulls are removed; take two quarts of water to one quart
of beans, boil until the beans will mash smooth; boil a small piece of
meat with the beans. If you have no meat, rub butter and flour
together, add to the soup, pour over toasted bread or crackers, and
season with salt and pepper. Add a little parsley, if desired.
BOUILLON. MRS. W. C. DENMAN.
Take three pounds of lean beef (cut into small pieces) and one soup
bone; cover with three quarts of cold water, and heat slowly. Add one
tablespoon of salt, six pepper corns, six cloves, one tablespoon mixed
herbs, one or two onions, and boil slowly five hours. Strain, and
when cold, remove the fat. Heat again before serving, and season with
pepper, salt, and Worcester sauce, according to taste.
LEMON BOUILLON. LOUISE KRAUSE.
A DELICATE SOUP. - Take soup meat, put on to cook in cold water; boil
until very tender; season with salt. Into each soup plate slice very
fine one hard boiled egg and two or three very thin slices of lemon.
Strain the meat broth over this and serve hot, with crackers.
CORN SOUP. MRS. G. H. WRIGHT.
Cover a soup bone with water, and boil one hour. Add some cabbage and
onion (cut fine). Boil two hours longer. Add twelve ears of grated
sweet corn. Season to taste.
NOODLE SOUP. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Beat three eggs. Add a pinch of salt, and flour sufficient for a
stiff dough; roll into very thin sheets; dredge with flour to avoid
sticking; turn often until dry enough to cut; cut very fine, and add
to the stock five minutes before serving. Season to taste.
OYSTER STEW. MRS. J. ED. THOMAS.
Wash one quart oysters and place on the fire. When they boil, add one
quart of boiling milk, and season with salt, pepper, and plenty of
butter. Serve with crackers or toast.
POTATO SOUP. MRS. T. H. LINSLEY.
Slice four ordinary-sized potatoes into one quart of boiling water.
When done add one quart milk; into this slice one onion. Thicken just
before serving with one egg rubbed into as much flour as it will
moisten. Pepper and salt to taste.
POTATO SOUP. MRS. U. F. SEFFNER.
After stewing veal, use the stock. Slice four or five potatoes very
thin; lay them in cold water until thirty minutes before serving; add
them to the stock, with sufficient salt and pepper. Beat one
tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of flour to cream; add to this
one pint milk; stir in the soup just before serving. This can be made
without meat by adding more butter and milk.
TOMATO SOUP. MRS. R. H. JOHNSON.
Take half a can, or six large fresh tomatoes; stew until you can pass
through a course sieve. Rub one tablespoonful of butter to a cream
with one tablespoonful flour or corn starch. Have ready a pint
scalded milk, into which stir one-half saltspoon soda. Put the
strained tomato into the soup pot; add the butter and flour, after
having heated them to almost frying point; let come to a good boil;
add just before serving; season with a little pepper, a lump of loaf
sugar, a dust of mace and a teaspoon of salt.
TOMATO SOUP. MRS. HARRY TRUE.
One quart canned tomatoes, one quart of water, a few stalks of celery;
boil until soft. Return to stove, and add three-fourths of a teaspoon
of soda and allow to effervesce; then add the liquid from one quart of
oysters, one quart boiling milk and one cup of cream. Salt, butter,
and pepper to taste. Boil a few moments and serve.
TOMATO SOUP. MRS. T. H. B. BEALE
Put on soup bone early to boil. Have two quarts of liquor on the
bone. When done, remove the bone from kettle; put one can of tomatoes
through sieve; add to the liquor; then immediately add one-half
teaspoon soda, a small lump butter, one tablespoon white sugar, one
heaping tablespoon of flour mixed with a half cup of cream or milk;
salt and pepper to taste. After the flour is in let boil up three
times, and serve.
VEGETABLE SOUP. MRS. J. S. REED.
One-fourth head cabbage, three large onions, one turnip, three large
potatoes, two tablespoons cooked beans; boil all together till tender.
Pour off all water; then add one gallon of stock. Add tomatoes, if
you like.
VEAL SOUP. MRS. SAMUEL BARTRAM.
Put a veal soup bone over the fire in one gallon of cold water; skim
carefully as it comes to a boil; after it has boiled one hour season
it with salt and pepper and half teaspoonful (scant) celery seed. In
another half hour put in one-half cup rice, one medium-sized potato
(cut in dice or thin slices), two good-sized onions (sliced fine); let
boil one-half hour longer, and when ready to serve add one egg
(well-beaten), one-half cup milk, one tablespoon flour; let come to a
boil, and serve.
VEGETABLE SOUP. MRS. G. A. LIVINGSTON.
Three onions, three carrots, three turnips, one small cabbage, one
pint tomatoes. Chop all the vegetables, except the tomatoes, very
fine. Have ready in a porcelain kettle three quarts boiling water;
put in all except tomatoes and cabbage; simmer for one-half hour; then
add the chopped cabbage and tomatoes (the tomatoes previously stewed);
also a bunch of sweet herbs. Let soup boil for twenty minutes; strain
through a sieve, rubbing all the vegetables through. Take two
tablespoonfuls butter, one tablespoon flour; beat to cream. Pepper
and salt to taste, and add a teaspoon of white sugar; one-half cup
sweet cream, if you have it; stir in butter and flour; let it boil up,
and it is ready for the table. Serve with fried bread chips or
poached eggs, one in each dish.
FISH AND OYSTERS.
"Now good digestion, wait on appetite,
And health on both."
- MACBETH.
ACCOMPANIMENTS OF FISH. MRS. DELL WEBSTER DE WOLFE.
With boiled fresh mackerel, gooseberries, stewed.
With boiled blue fish, white cream sauce and lemon sauce.
With boiled shad, mushroom, parsley and egg sauce.
Lemon makes a very grateful addition to nearly all the insipid members
of the fish tribe. Slices of lemon cut into very small dice, stirred
into drawn butter and allowed to come to a boiling point, is a very
fine accompaniment.
RULE FOR SELECTING FISH.
If the gills are red, the eyes full, and the whole fish firm and
stiff, they are fresh and good; if, on the contrary, the gills are
pale, the eyes sunken, the flesh flabby, they are stale.
BAKED FISH.
Take large white fish or pickerel, make a dressing as for turkey, with
the addition of one egg and a little onion; fill the fish, wrap close
with twine, lay in baking pan; put in one-half pint of water, small
lumps of butter and dredge with flour. Bake from three-fourths to one
hour, basting carefully.
CODFISH WITH EGG. MRS. E. P. TRUE.
Wash codfish; shred fine with fingers (never cut or chop it); pour
cold water over it. Place the dish on the stove and bring the water
to a boil. Throw the fish in a colander and drain. Stir a
teaspoonful of flour smoothly with water; add two tablespoonfuls of
butter and a little pepper; bring to a boil; then throw in the
codfish, with a well-beaten egg. When it boils up it is ready for
table.
CODFISH WITH CREAM. MRS. E. P. TRUE.
Take a piece of codfish six inches square; soak twelve hours in soft,
cold water; shred fine with the fingers; boil a few moments in fresh
water. Take one-half pint cream and a little butter; stir into this
two large tablespoonfuls flour, smoothly blended in a little cold
water; pour over the fish; add one egg, well beaten. Let come to a
boil; season with black pepper.
SLIVERED CODFISH.
Sliver the codfish fine; pour on boiling water; drain it off; add
butter and a little pepper. Heat three or four minutes, but do not
let fry.
CODFISH BALLS. MRS. T. H. LINSLEY.
One pint shredded codfish, two quarts mashed potatoes, well seasoned
with butter and pepper - salt, if necessary. Make this mixture into
balls. After dipping them into a mixture of two eggs beaten with
one-half cup milk, place them in a dripping pan into which you have
put a little butter; place them in the oven; baste frequently with
eggs and milk; bake till a golden brown.
FRIED FISH. MRS. J. S. REED.
Wash the fish and dry well. Take one-half pint of flour and one
teaspoon salt; sift together, and roll the fish in it. Have lard very
hot, and fry quickly. When done roll in a cloth to absorb all grease.
OYSTERS ON TOAST. MRS. JOHN KISHLER.
Toast and butter a few slices of bread; lay them in a shallow dish.
Put the liquor from the oysters on to heat; add salt, pepper, and
thicken with a little flour. Just before this boils add the oysters.
Let it all boil up once, and pour over the toast.
ESCALOPED OYSTERS. EVELYN GAILEY.
Two quarts of oysters; wash them and drain off the liquor; roll some
crackers (not too fine). Put in a pan a layer of crumbs, some bits of
butter, a little pepper and salt; then a layer of oysters, and repeat
until the dish is full. Have cracker crumbs on top; turn a cup of
oyster liquor over it; add good sweet milk sufficient to thoroughly
saturate it, and bake three-fourths of an hour.
STEAMED OYSTERS. S. E. G.
Select large oysters; drain; put on a plate; place in the steamer over
a kettle of boiling water. About twenty minutes will cook them.
Season with pepper and salt; serve on soft buttered toast.
OYSTER GUMBO. ALICE TURNEY THOMPSON.
Cut up a chicken; roll in flour and brown well in a soup-pot, with a
spoonful of lard, two slices of ham, one large onion (chopped fine),
and a good-sized red pepper. When browned, cover the whole with water
and stew until the chicken is perfectly tender. Then add the liquor
of four or five dozen oysters, with water enough to make four quarts.
When it has again come to a good boil, add the oysters and stir while
sifting in one large spoonful of fresh file. Salt to taste. Serve
immediately, placing a large spoonful of boiled rice in each soup
plate.
"Gumbo File" is made of the red sassafras leaves, dried and ground
into a powder.
OYSTER PIE. MRS. ECKHART.
Make a rich pie crust, and proceed as you would to make any pie with
top crust. Have nice fat oysters and put on a thick layer, with
plenty of lumps of butter; salt and pepper, and sprinkle over cracker
crumbs. Put in the least bit of water, and cover with crust. Bake,
and serve with turkey.
OYSTER PIE. MRS. EMMA OGIER.
For crust make a dough as for baking powder biscuit. Take one quart
of oysters; remove a half dozen good-sized ones into a saucepan; put
the rest into bottom of your baking dish. Add four spoons of milk;
salt to taste, and dot closely with small lumps of butter. Over this
put your crust, about as thick as for chicken pie, and place in oven
to bake until crust is well done. Take the oyster left, add one-half
cup water, some butter, salt and pepper; let this come to a boil;
thicken with flour and milk, and serve as gravy with the pie.
FRIED OYSTERS. MRS. H. T. VAN FLEET.
Place New York counts in a colander to drain for a few minutes. With
a fork remove them separately to a dry towel. Place another towel
over them, allowing them to remain until all moisture is absorbed.
Have ready the beaten yolks of three eggs and a quantity of rolled
cracker, salted and peppered. Dip each oyster separately, first into
egg, then into cracker. When all have been thus dipped, have ready a
hot spider, into which drop four heaping tablespoons of butter. When
butter is melted, place in the oysters, one by one; fry a light brown,
then turn. Serve very hot.
PIGS IN BLANKET. FRED. LINSLEY.
Take extra select oysters and very thin slices of nice bacon. Season
the oysters with a little salt and pepper. Roll each oyster in a
slice of bacon; pin together with a toothpick; roast over hot coals,
either laid on a broiler, or fasten them on a meat fork and hold over
the coals. Cook until the bacon is crisp and brown. Don't remove the
toothpick. Serve hot.
SOUR FISH. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Take a whole fish; stew until tender in salt water; take out, lay on
platter. Throw a handful of raisins in the salt water and a few whole
cloves, allspice, stick cinnamon, with vinegar enough to give a sour
taste, and a tablespoonful of sugar. Thicken with flour to the
consistency of gravy; pour over fish. Serve cold. Fish may be served
with mayonnaise dressing, cooked in same manner.
SALT HERRING. MRS. JUDGE B.
Heat them on gridiron; remove the skin and serve with pepper and
melted butter.
SALMON LOAF. MARGARET LEONARD.
One small can salmon, four eggs beaten light, four tablespoons melted
butter - not hot - one half cup fine bread crumbs. Season with salt,
pepper, and parsley. Chop fish fine, then rub in butter till smooth.
Beat crumbs into egg and season before putting with fish. Butter your
mold and steam one hour.
SAUCE FOR SAME. - One cup of milk, heated to a boil; thicken with one
tablespoon of corn starch and one tablespoon of butter, beaten
together. Put in the liquor from the salmon and one raw egg, beaten
light; add a little pepper. Put the egg in last, and carefully pour
over loaf; Serve hot.
SAUCE FOR FISH.
Stir in one cup of drawn butter, the yolks of two eggs (well beaten),
pepper and salt, and a few sprigs of parsley. Let it boil. Pour over
fish when ready to serve.
SOUR SAUCE FOR FISH.
One-half cup butter, with one-half cup vinegar; let boil, then add two
mustardspoonfuls of prepared mustard, a little salt, and one egg,
beaten together. Make in the farina kettle. Stir while cooking.
BROILED OYSTERS.
Place good-sized oysters on pie plates; sprinkle well with flour,
small lumps of butter, pepper and salt. Cover with strained liquor
and a little cold water. Set in a warm oven fifteen or twenty
minutes. Nice to serve with turkey.
OVEN FRIED FISH. MRS. JANE E. WALLACE.
Open and clean fish (white or bass). Have fish pan spread thick with
butter, and lay fish in. Season with salt. Over this pour two
well-beaten eggs, and dredge with flour. Bake three-quarters of an
hour, and baste with butter and water. Garnish fish plate with
parsley.
ESCALOPED SALMON. CARRIE P. WALLACE.
Pick bones and skin out of one can of salmon, and mince fine. Use as
much rolled cracker as you have salmon, a little salt, and cup of
cream. Fill sea shells with this mixture, placing a small piece of
butter on top of each shell. Bake twenty minutes and serve in the
shells.
FOWL AND GAME.
"And then to breakfast with what appetite you have."
- SHAKESPEARE.
ACCOMPANIMENTS FOR FOWLS.
With boiled fowls, bread sauce, onion sauce, lemon sauce, cranberry
sauce, jellies, and cream sauce.
With roast turkey, cranberry sauce, currant jelly.
With boiled turkey, oyster sauce.
With wild ducks, cucumber sauce, currant jelly, or cranberry sauce.
With roast goose or venison, grape jelly, or cranberry sauce.
A GOOD WAY TO COOK CHICKEN. MRS. R. H. JOHNSON.
Fricassee your chicken, taking care to brown the skin nicely; season
to taste. When done set by to cool; then remove all the bones; put
back into the liquor in which it was cooked; chop fine, leaving in all
the oil of the fowl. If not enough of the oil, add a piece of butter;
then pack closely in a dish as you wish it to go to the table.
DROP DUMPLINGS FOR VEAL OR CHICKEN. MRS. R. H. JOHNSON.
One full pint of sifted flour, two even teaspoonfuls of yeast powder,
and a little salt. Wet this with enough milk or water to drop from
spoon in a ball; remove your meat or chicken; drop in the balls of
dough; cook five minutes in the liquor; place around the edge of
platter, with the chicken or meat in center; season the liquor and
pour over it.
JELLIED CHICKEN. MRS. R. H. J.
Boil the fowl until the meat will slip easily from the bones; reduce
the water to one pint. Pick the meat from the bones in good-sized
pieces; leave out all the fat and gristle, and place in a wet mold.
Skim all the fat from the liquor; add one-half box of gelatine, a
little butter, pepper and salt. When the gelatine is dissolved, pour
all over the chicken while hot. Season well. Serve cold, cut in
slices.
FRIED CHICKEN. MRS. J. ED. THOMAS.
Kill the fowls the night before; clean, cut and set on ice until
needed the next day. Flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper; pour
boiling water over it, and stew three-quarters of an hour. Add
sufficient butter to fry a light brown.
CHICKEN PIE.
Take a pair of young, tender chickens and cut them into neat joints.
Lay them in a deep pudding-dish, arranging them so that the pile shall
be higher in the middle than at the sides. Reserve the pinions of the
wings, the necks, and the feet, scalding the latter and scraping off
the skin. Make small forcemeat balls of fine bread crumbs seasoned
with pepper, salt, parsley, a suspicion of grated lemon peel, and a
raw egg. Make this into little balls with the hands, and lay them
here and there in the pie. Pour in a cupful of cold water, cover the
pie with a good crust, making a couple of cuts in the middle of this,
and bake in a steady oven for an hour and a quarter. Lay a paper over
the pie if it should brown too quickly. Soak a tablespoonful of
gelatine for an hour in enough cold water to cover it. Make a gravy
of the wings, feet, and necks of the fowls, seasoning it highly;
dissolve the gelatine in this, and when the pie is done pour this
gravy into it through a small funnel inserted in the opening in the
top. The pie should not be cut until it is cold. This is nice for
picnics.
CHICKEN PIE. MRS. M. A. MOORHEAD.
Stew the chicken until tender. Line a pan with crust made as you
would baking powder biscuit. Alternate a layer of chicken and pieces
of the crust until the pan is filled; add a little salt and pepper to
each layer; fill with the broth in which the chicken was cooked; bake
until the crust is done. If you bake the bottom crust before filling,
it will only be necessary to bake until the top crust is done. A layer
of stewed chicken and a layer of oysters make a delicious pie. Use
the same crust.
DROP DUMPLINGS FOR STEWED CHICKEN. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Stew chicken and make a rich gravy with milk or cream. Pour off a
part into a separate vessel and thin with water; let it boil, then
drop in dumplings made with this proportion: One quart flour, a
little salt, one egg, two teaspoonfuls baking powder, and milk to make
a stiff batter. Stir, and drop from spoon into boiling gravy. Cover,
and let boil gently for five minutes. Try them with a fork. They
must be perfectly dry inside when done. Serve with the chicken.
CHICKEN ON BISCUIT. MRS. H. T. VAN FLEET.
Have prepared for cooking a nice fat fowl about a year old; season
with pepper and salt, and boil two hours, or until very tender. When
done there should be a quart of broth. If there is not that quantity,
boiling water should be added. Beat together very smoothly two
heaping tablespoonfuls of flour with the yolk of one egg and one-third
pint of cold water; add this to broth, stirring briskly all the time;
add one tablespoonful of butter. Have ready a pan of hot biscuit;
break them open and lay halves on platter, crust down; pour chicken
and gravy over biscuit, and serve immediately .
ROAST TURKEY. MRS. J. F. MC NEAL.
Prepare the dressing as follows: Three coffeecups of bread crumbs,
made very fine; one teaspoonful salt, half teaspoonful pepper, one
tablespoonful powdered sage, one teacup melted butter, one egg; mix
all together thoroughly. With this dressing stuff the body and
breast, and sew with a strong thread. Take two tablespoonfuls of
melted butter, two of flour; mix to a paste. Rub the turkey with salt
and pepper; then spread the paste over the entire fowl, with a few
thin slices of sweet bacon. Roll the fowl loosely in a piece of clean
linen or muslin; tie it up; put it in the oven, and baste every
fifteen minutes till done. Remove cloth a few moments before taking
turkey from oven. A young turkey requires about two hours; an old one
three or four hours. This can be tested with fork. Thicken the
drippings with two tablespoonfuls of browned flour, mixed with one cup
sweet cream.
OYSTER SAUCE TO BE USED WITH THE TURKEY. - Take one quart of oysters;
put them into stew pan; add half cup butter; pepper and salt to taste;
cover closely; let come to a boil, and serve with the turkey and
dressing.
TURKEY AND DRESSING. MRS. U. F. SEFFNER.
A good-sized turkey should be baked two and one-half or three hours,
very slowly at first. Turkey one year old is considered best. See
that it is well cleaned and washed. Salt and pepper it inside. Take
one and a half loaves of stale bread (bakers preferred) and crumble
fine. Put into frying pan a lump of butter the size of an egg; cut
into this one white onion; cook a few moments, but do not brown. Stir
into this the bread, with one teaspoon of salt and one of pepper; let
it heat thoroughly; fill the turkey; put in roaster; salt and pepper
the outside; dredge with flour and pour over one cup water.
BONED TURKEY. MRS. R. H. J.
Boil a turkey in as little water as possible until the bones can be
easily separated from the meat; remove all the skin; slice, mixing
together the light and dark parts; season with salt and pepper. Take
the liquor in which the fowl was boiled, having kept it warm; pour it
on the meat; mix well; shape it like a loaf of bread; wrap in a cloth
and press with a heavy weight for a few hours. Cut in thin slices
when served.
ROAST DUCKS AND GEESE.
Use any filling you prefer; season with sage and onion, chopped fine;
Salt and pepper. (You can use this seasoning with mashed potatoes for
a stuffing). Young ducks should roast from twenty-five to thirty
minutes; full grown ones for two hours. Baste frequently. Serve with
currant jelly, apple sauce and green peas. If the fowls are old
parboil before roasting.
APPLE STUFFING. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Take one-half pint of apple sauce (unsweetened); add one half cup or
more of bread crumbs, some powdered sage, a little chopped onion, and
season with cayenne pepper. Delicious for roast geese, ducks, etc.
CHESTNUT DRESSING. MRS. W. H. ECKHART.
Boil the chestnuts and shell them; blanch them, and boil until soft;
mix with bread crumbs and sweet cream; salt and pepper; one cup
raisins. Excellent dressing for turkey.
PLAIN STUFFING.
Take stale bread; cut off the crust; rub very fine, and pour over it
as much melted butter as will make it crumble in your hand. Salt and
pepper to taste. To this you can add one good-sized onion (chopped
fine), a cup of raisins, or a little sage.
OYSTER DRESSING.
Make dressing same as above plain stuffing; add one egg and one-half
can drained oysters. Strain the oyster liquor and use for basting the
fowl.
A GOOD SAUCE FOR BIRDS OR VENISON.
Chop an onion fine, and boil it in milk; when done, add the gravy from
the game, and thicken with pounded cracker.
POTTED PIGEONS OR BIRDS.
Pick, soak, and boil the birds with the same care as for roasting.
Make a crust as for chicken pie; lay the birds in whole, and season
with pepper, salt, bits of butter, and a little sweet marjoram; flour
them thickly; then strain the water in which they were boiled, and
fill up the vessel two-thirds full with it; cover with the crust; cut
hole in the center. Bake one hour and a half.
PIGEONS AND PARTRIDGES.
These may be boiled or roasted the same as chickens, only cover the
breasts with thin slices of bacon; when nearly done, remove the bacon,
dredge with flour, and baste with butter. They will cook in half an
hour.
RABBITS. MRS. ECKHART.
Rabbits, which are best in mid-winter, may be fricasseed, like
chicken, in white or brown sauce. Rabbit pie is made like chicken
pie. To roast a rabbit, stuff with a dressing made of bread crumbs,
chopped salt pork, thyme, onion, pepper and salt; sew up; rub over
with a little butter, or pin on a few slices of salt pork; add a
little water, and baste often. Rabbits may be fried as you would
steak, and served with a sour sauce made like a brown flour gravy,
with half a cup of vinegar added; pour over the fried rabbit, and
serve it with mashed potatoes.
MEATS.
"What say you to a piece of beef and mustard?"
- SHAKESPEARE.
ACCOMPANIMENTS. MRS. DELL DE WOLFE.
With roast beef, tomato sauce, grated horseradish, mustard, cranberry
sauce, pickles.
With roast pork, apple sauce and cranberry sauce.
With roast veal, tomato sauce, mushroom sauce, onion sauce, or lemon
sauce.
With roast mutton, currant jelly, caper sauce, bread sauce, onion
sauce.
With roast lamb, mint sauce, green peas.
TO BOIL MEATS.
For all meats allow from fifteen to twenty minutes for each pound.
Skim well. All fresh meats are to be put into boiling water to cook;
salt meats into cold water. Keep the water constantly boiling,
otherwise the meat will absorb the water. Be sure to add boiling
water if more is needed. The more gently meat boils the more tender
it will be.
TO BROIL MEATS.
In broiling all meats, you must remember that the surface should not
be cut or broken any more than is absolutely necessary; that the meat
should be exposed to a clear, quick fire, close enough to sear the
surface without burning, in order to confine all its juices; if it is
approached slowly to a poor fire, or seasoned before it is cooked, it
will be comparatively dry and tasteless, as both of these processes
are useful only to extract and waste those precious juices which
contain nearly all the nourishing properties of the meat.
BEEFSTEAK. MR. GEORGE B. CHRISTIAN.
The chief secret in preparing the family steak lies in selection.
Like cooking the hare, you must first catch it. Choose a thick cut
from the sirloin of a mature, well fatted beeve, avoiding any having
dark yellow fat. Detach a portion of the narrow end and trim off any
adhering inner skin. Place the steak upon a hot spider, and quickly
turn it. Do this frequently and rapidly until it is thoroughly
seared, without burning. It may now be cooked to any degree without
releasing the juices. Serve upon a hot platter. Pour over a scant
dressing of melted butter. Season. Whosoever partakes will never
become a vegetarian.
STUFFED BEEFSTEAK. E. H. W.
Take a flank or round steak and pound well; sprinkle with pepper and
salt. Make a plain dressing; spread it on the steak; roll it up; tie
closely, and put in a skillet with a little water and a lump of butter
the size of an egg; cover closely and let it boil slowly one hour;
then let it brown in skillet, basting frequently. When done, dredge a
little flour into the gravy, and pour over the meat.
TO FRY STEAK. MRS. H. T. VAN FLEET.
Have a nice tenderloin or porterhouse steak, one inch and half in
thickness, well hacked. Over this sprinkle salt, pepper, and a little
flour. Have ready a very hot spider. Into this drop plenty of good,
sweet butter (a quarter of a pound is not too much); when thoroughly
melted, lay in the meat; turn frequently. While cooking, make many
openings in the steak to allow the butter to pass through. When done,
place on a hot platter and serve immediately.
BEEFSTEAK AND ONIONS. MRS. H. T. VAN FLEET.
Have a steak well hacked; over this sprinkle pepper, salt, and a
little flour. Into a very hot spider drop one teaspoonful of lard;
when melted, lay in steak; pour over this two tablespoons boiling
water, and cover steak with four good-sized onions, sliced very thin.
Cover quickly and cook five minutes; then turn all over together, and
cook five minutes longer. Care should be taken that the onions do not
turn. Take up on hot platter; place onions on top of meat, and serve
immediately.
BEEFSTEAK AND MUSHROOMS. CALEB H. NORRIS.
Put the steak on to fry, with a little butter. At the same time put
the mushrooms on in a different skillet, with the water from the can
and one-half cup extra; season with pepper and salt, and thicken with
a tablespoonful of flour. Take the steak out, leaving the gravy, into
which put the mushrooms, cook for a few minutes, and pour all over the
steak.
BEEF LOAF. MRS. J. J. SLOAN.
Take three and one-half pounds of lean beef (raw), chopped; six
crackers, rolled fine; three well-beaten eggs, four tablespoonfuls of
cream, butter the size of an egg; salt and pepper to taste; mix all
together and make into a loaf. Bake one and one-half hours. Serve
cold in thin slices.
BEEF A LA MODE. ALICE TURNEY THOMPSON.
Take a round of beef, four or five inches thick, and for a piece
weighing five pounds soak a pound of white bread in cold water until
soft; turn off the water; mash the bread fine; then add a piece of
butter the size of an egg, half a teaspoonful each of salt, pepper,
and ground cloves, about half a nutmeg, two eggs, a tablespoonful of
flour, and a quarter of a pound of fresh pork, chopped very fine.
Gash the beef on both sides and fill with half the dressing. Place in
a baking pan, with luke-warm water enough to cover it; cover the pan
and put into the oven to bake gently two hours; then cover the top
with the rest of the dressing, and put it back for another hour and
let it brown well. On dishing up the meat, if the gravy is not thick
enough, stir in a little flour, and add a little butter. It is a
favorite meat, eaten cold for suppers and luncheons. When thus used,
remove the gravy.
FRIED LIVER.
Always use calf's liver, cut in slices. Pour boiling water over, and
let it stand fifteen minutes. Fry some slices of breakfast bacon;
take out the bacon; roll the liver in either flour or corn meal, and
fry a delicate brown; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve with gravy
if you like.
POTATO AND MEAT PIE.
Take mashed potatoes, seasoned with salt, pepper, and butter; line a
baking dish with it; lay upon this slices of cold meat (any kind),
with a little pepper, salt, catsup, and gravy; then another layer of
potatoes, another of meat, and so forth till pan is filled, having the
last a cover of potatoes. Bake until thoroughly warmed. Serve in the
dish in which it is cooked.
COLD MEAT TURNOVERS. MRS. A. B.
Roll out dough very thin; put in it, like a turnover, cold meat,
chopped fine, and seasoned with pepper, salt, catsup, and sweet herbs.
Make into small turnovers, and fry in lard until the dough is well
cooked.
VEAL CUTLETS. MRS. U. F. SEFFNER.
Fry a few slices of breakfast bacon. Dip the cutlets in a beaten egg;
roll in corn meal or cracker crumbs; salt and pepper; put in skillet
with the fat from bacon; fry slowly until a nice brown.