aassIXL4^. T^ \ n G^V ,M7y^'^ .Z V a; "-: 4) "s's s - o . = 1 «1 SOJ S JS a care, on m I roai like hi 3 « ^ 0) — D V 4J X '>''-> :3 31 5 ii 4^:- iis-3 2 H a « o liij Ph Q Pi S t3 - o .s E c ^ " o 3 « .si 1 return, ove s dearest sol roni tliat cot so humble, t ^ o 4) ;^ - tt fe w V ^ J s > ^ V ^ ^ 1 s s ^ •^ S 'Si •—""£•' B O O = ■J 3 HHZtt J^ ft3 o H C8 »j 3 *• £ --! - £ « 2 = .5 - i- > Is I; V o E 5- o - - i .'^ E •: " . »f> "^ s .5 E « 1 ^' '^ A^ '" " AfrVILI. tx xV NOTICE Many owners of Household Discoveries have written us that they have saved, by using a single recip>e or suggestion among the thousands it contains, more than the price of the entire volume. For every such letter, truthfully recording an actual experience by which any owner of this book has saved its price, and describing a new money-making use to which this volume has been put — i.e.. one not previously reported to us by someone else — we will re- mit promptly the sum of One Dollar. Tell your experience in your own words, and do not fail to mention all the particulars. Address SUCCESS COMPANY'S BRANCH OFFICES, Petersburg, N.Y. Your communication will be forwarded to our nearest Branch Office for attention. Copyright, 1908 Br S. L. Mouse CopyniGHT, 1909 By The Success Co. COPYUIGHT, 1913 Br Success Company's Bkanch Offices Copyright, 1914 By Success Company's Branch Offices Copyright, 1917 By Success Company's Branch Offices NOTICE We are constantly hearing from owners of Household Discoveries who want to buy additional copies to present to others, and from their friends and neighbors who desire copies but upon whom our representatives have failed to call. We therefore wish to appoint someone in every neighborhood to gather up these scattering orders for us and send them in, and \vill pay liberally for this service. If you would like to give this work a trial, write us for terms and instructions. Such a business connection with us might lead to permanent employment at a good salary. Address SUCCESS COMPANY'S BRANCH OFFICES, Peters- burg, N.Y. Your communication will be forwarded to our nearest Branch Office for attention. JUL 23 1317 OOPYr.iSHl CFrlOE vnv ?i tlV US. Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A.C.True, Director Prepared by C.FLANGV/ORTHY Expert in charge of Nutrition Investigations FUNCTIONS AND USES OF FOOD. FOOD AS PUR- CHASED CONTAINS CONSTITUENTS OF FOOD [ Water EDIBLE PORTION \ Flesh of meat.yolk [ Nutrients-i and white of eggs, wheat flour, etc ^ REFUSE Bones, entrails, shells, bran.etc. USE OF FOOD IN THE BODY. PROTEIN Builds and repairs tissue White (albumen) of eggs. curd (casein) of milk, lean meat.gluten of wheat.etc. Protein Fats Carbohydrates Mineral Matter Or Ash All serve as fuel to yield energy inthe forms of heat and muscular power FATS Are stored as fat Fat ofmeat, butter. olive oil, oils of corn and wheat, etc CARBOHYDRATES---Are transformed into fat Sugar, starch, etc INERALMATTER OR ASH — Sharesin forming bone, Phosphates of lime, assists in digestion, etc. potash, soda, etc Food IS that which, taken into the body, builds tissue or yields energy. -. J-L J iJ.lL AWU-1 7-if--.^,aM,yw:n=ri«-w^.a.i»«Fn«--.j»^myi>-.«.^:«m«M^ U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations AC. True -.Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Qpert in Charge of Nutrition InvesftigOtions coMPosiTioM or rooo b^aterials. Protein 3 Fat Carbohydrates Ash VVrrter I Fuel Value Va 5q. In. Equals lOOO Calories LAMB CHOP EDIBLE PORTION Water: 53.1 PORK CHOP EDIBLE PORTION Water: 5 2.0 Protein : Fat:28.3 SMOKED MAM EDIBLE PORTIOri Water: ^0.3, Fat-.38.8 BEEP STEAK EDIBLE PORTION Ash:^.8 1875 CALORIES PER POUND Water: 61.9 DRIED BEEP EDIBLE PORTION Wateri54.3 >j=vProtein:30.0 F£t;ia5 — Protein: 18.6 Ash: 1.0 Full ^H 1090 CALORIES VALUE: ^^H PERPOUNO Fuel VALUE 8 1 CALORIES PER POUND tL .':.;.ii.-«aat'MM»wa!»7- U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations AC True: Director Prepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSBTfiOM ©F F©©0 IjfflATlSm^LSc nz] L Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water I Fuel Value Vi Sq. In. Equals ■1000 Calories VEGETABLE ®1LS^J^S liMmMIO I, ,1 m@NSE£i BACON Protein:9A Fat:67A Water: 18. Fat:100.0 3090. Ash:4A CALDRIEIS PER PDUIMD +080 CALDRIEIS PER PDUIMD Water:13.2 Protein: ■^.7 Ash:0.3 BUTTER Fat:83.0. 3425 CALDRIES PER PDUWD WatenHO FatjOO.O LARD Ash:3.0 ^-FV-otein:1.0 Fuel value 3405 Fuel CALDRIES PER PDUND 4080 CALORIES PER .POUND U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C.True: Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition hvestigotions COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water c I Fuel Value Va 5q. In. Equa I 1000 Cflilorle Water: 2.5 WALNUT FVotein: 16.6 FVotein:10.7 Carbo- hy_drates:l6.1 FutL VALUE: 3180 CALORIES PER POUND PEANUT Water> 9.2__3^^y^g^|= .^ ^ Ash: 2.0 Protein: 25.8 r^8.6 FutL VALUE. CHESTNUT Water. 5.9 Fat: 7.0 Ash: Z.2 Fuel value 1820CALORIE5 PER POUND PEANUT EUTTtR Wat9rL2.1 -FVotein: 29.3 Fat: 46. Carbo- 2485cALDRIE5 PER POUND COCOANUT DESICCATED Water: 3.5 Prepared by CFLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. us Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C.True: Director Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water Fuel Volue 'ASq. In. Equals 1000 Calories WHOLK MILK SKIM MILK Fat-.4.0 Ash:0.7- Water: 87.0 Protein: 3.3 Fat:0.3 Ash: 0.7 -Water:90.5 ^Protein: 3.^ Carbohydrates: 5.0 Carbohydrates-.S .1 FuEl VALUE:315 DALDRIEB PER PDUND Fua. VALUE :1 65 CALORIES PER PDUND BUTTERMILK CREAM Fat: 0.5 Ash:0.7 Carbohydrates:^-. Fuel value:160 calories per pound Protein: 3.0 Fat:18 Ash:0. ater: 7i.O FVotein: 2.5 Carbohydrates: 4.5 Fuel value:8 80 calories per pound lUS Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations AC True: Director coMPosmnoN or Carbohydrates Prepared b> C.FLANGWORTHY Fipprt in Charge of Nutrition Investigations Protei Fat Water I Fuel Value ViSq In Equals 1000 Calories WHOLE ECC WHITE AND YOLK WaterJ3 Protein .■n.8 Fat:lO Ash:1 FuElL VALUE or whole: EGG: Water:86.2 n 695 CALDRIE5 PER POUND Fuel value or yolk: 1650 CALDRIE5 PER PQUNII Protein: 13.0 Fat: 0.2 Ash: 0.6' Fuel value df whitc: c 245 CALDRC5 Water: 3 ^.2 COTTAGE CHBE^E R-otein:25.9 Carbo- hydrates: 2. 4 Water: 72.0 Protein: 20.9 Fuel value : 1885 calories per pound Carbo- >^s_uJ^Fat:1.0 hydratesT4^'^'*-*^^^Ash : 1 .8 Fuel value: 495 calories per pound U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations AC True: Director Prepared by CFLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water I Fuel Value ViSq. In. Equals 1000 Calories CORN WHEAT Fat: 4-. Ash: Water: 10.8 Protein: 10.0 Water- 10.6 Protein: 12.2 Fat: 1.7 CarboR5'drates: 73.4 Carbohydrates: 73.7 Vy__ k^.^q FuElL VALUE BUCKWHEAT ^H 1585 CALDRO FVotein:10.a^|^ater:12.6 1625 caldro PER POUND p,.„ _,^V^^^F at: 2.2 PER POUND hydrates: 73.2 ^~«^A5h: 2.0 Fuel value 1595 CALORIES PER PQUMD OAT RKB Fat: 5.0 Water: 11.0 Protein: 11.8 Water: 12.0 Protein78:0 arbo- hydrates: 69.2 RYE Fat:1.5 Carbo- hydrates:73.9W-Ash:1.9 1670 CALORIES Fuel value PER POUND Water:10.5 P^in:12.2 Carbo;: hydrates: 77 Fat: 2.0 Ash: 1.0 rUEL VALUE 1620 CALORIES PER POUND 1620 CALORIES .PER POUND U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C.True: Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrcrtes Ash Water I Fuel Value !4Sq. In. Equals 1000 Calories WHITE BREAD Fat: 1.5 Water. 35.3 Protein: 9.2 VTHOLE WHEAT BREAD Waten PrjjteiTL: CI. I Y5JF— Carbo- hydrates: 53.1 Ash: 1.1 "UEIL VALUE 1180 CALORIES PER PDUIMD rat-.0.9 Carbq__ hydrates:'^9.7 Ash: 1.3 OAT BREAKFAST FOOD COOKED UEL VALUE 11 lOcALDRIEB PER PDUtMI] Fat: 0.5 Carbohydrates: 11.5 TOASTED BREAD CORN BREAD A7 Ash: 2.2 Fuel 1380 CALORIES PER POUND Fat:1.5 MACARONI COOKED Protein: 3.0 ___,..Waten 78.4 Fuel value 1 17 5 CALORIES PER POUND Ash: 1.3 Carbohydrates: 15.8 value F..U 4-OOcALDRlES PER POUND ■EiAfiaaUBBaiaiBaab; I mfmimt^amtatamm^m U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C.True: Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COilPOSITIIOfi^ or FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water I Fuel Value %Sa In. Equals 1000 Calories FuElL D 2 95 CALORIES PER POUND ONION Carbohydrates?9^S=3^^^C-Ash: 0.6 Water: 83.0 Puel value: D££0cALORIE5 PER PDUMD Fat: 0.5 Carb"o hydrates -. 1 3.5 ' CELERY POTATO Protein: 2.2 Carbohydrates: 18.4 '^~~-vVater:78.3 Fuel value R"ot ein:1.1 I Carbohydrates: 3.4- 375 calories per pound A-shVi.O niFW^W'l IliiL IILMII III III U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A CTrue: Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF F0OO IMATEIRJALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water I Fuel Value '/4Sq. In. Equals 1000 Calories SHELLED BEAN FRESH. Water; 58.9 Fat;0.6 .^ Carbohy>ates:29.1 NAVY BEAN, DRYo ^^ -Water:l2.6 R-otginr22.5 FVotein: ^'i T|p Ash: 2.0 Fuel value: 720 Carbohyclrates:59.6 Fuel valued CALORIES PER POUND 1560 CALORIES PER POUMI] STRING BEAN., GREEN. Carbohydrates : 7. 4-- Water:89.2- 190 CALORIES PER POUND Water: 75 A CORN, 6REEN EDIBLE PORTION FVotein: 3.K Carbohydrates-. 19.7 -Ash: 0.7 Full ■ 1460 calories ~'~^''3t:1.1 VALUE: H PER POUND S U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stotons A C.True: Director FVepared by C.FLANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protan Fat Carbohydrates Ash Water IF"uel Value ViSq_ In. Equals 1000 Calories APPLE EOIBUE PORTION DRIED FIG EDIBLE PORTION Water: 8^.6 FVoteinrOA —Fat: 0.5 FVotein: Carbohydrates: 1 4-. £ ^^Ash:0.3 FuEJ. VALUt c 285eaLDWE5 PCR POUND Carbohy Fuel VALUE 1435 CALORIES PER POUND STRAWBERRY EDIBLE PORTION Laten 90A FMiOe Carbohycirates: 7.4 Fuel VALUE C175cA PER P LORIES OUND BANANA EDIBLE PORTION FVotein. 1.0 Ash- 06 Carboiiydrates: 22.0 Fuel value Ash: 0.8 445CALDRIE5 PER POUND ;^'^'::/--:; .'.■ '..,;':w>.AK;?g?rT? TT5rv^''5i»5a5nraE3SB??r^5S3H«E U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C. True: Director FVepared by CriANGWORTHY Expert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Water: 77 4- Fct Carbohydrates Ash Water • I Fuel Value % Sq, In Equals 1000 Calories Wat£n_H.6 Fat: 3. 3 FV-otein:1.3 FatTLG Ash: 0.5 Carbo- hydrates-.l9.2 Ash: 3.4 4-35 CAL0RIE5 PER POUND Fuel value AM M M» ■twrn^*, ^'^ ^ ^ CALORIES QRAPE JUICC PER PDUIMD UNFERMENTED CANNED PRVIT Water: 77 2 Water:79.2 rmnr JELLY Water: 21.0 AshTO.5 Fuel value c 405 CALORIES PER POUND n^- no MCarbo- Water: 21.0 Protein^^ ^ hydrates :Z0 3 ^^^^^ K AThrOJ ^^^^ Fue l VAL UE I R-otein:1.1 |_J 1 I r . (-\ 4 310 CALORIES Carbo;/ I tat:U.l PER POUND hydr'^es:78.3U__J \ ^Sh:0.7 Carbo- hydrates: 21.t Fuel value 1,4"! 5 CALORIES PER POUND iAMlHi«hasaia«iad ^..*.t«^^>:.V^^- ■■,^.->--.>*.^.> ^'^- ' [? U.S Department of Agriculture Office of Experiment Stations A C. True: Director Prepared by CFLANGWORTTHY Elxpert in Charge of Nutrition Investigations COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS. Protein Fat Carbohydrates Ash I Fuel Value V4Sq. In Equals 1000 Calories MOLASSES Carbohydrates: 100.0 /^W^fpr.P-M FVotein : 2 ^ / S. ' Carbohydrates:69.c 1810 CALORIES PER POUND STICK CANDY Carbohydrates: 96.5 UE.L VALUE: 1300 EALDRIE5 PER PQUIVD A5h:ai2 7/ / // 7/ // K Water: 3.0 ^ A5h:0.5 lUEL VALUE NAPLK 4UQA« 174-5 EALDRIE5 PER POUND MONKY A5h:09- — Water :16.3 Water4§:2 Protein: 0.4- Carbo- Carbo;,,.^--''^ hydrates:8£.8 hydrates:8l.2 Fuel VALUE: 1500 Ash: 0.2 CALDRIE5 PER POUND 1475cALDRlE5 PER POUND KS PREFACE In an address to his fellow-countrymen on April 16, 1917, President Wilson said : " Let me suggest . . . that every housewife who prac- tices strict economy puts herself in the ranks of those who serve the nation. This is the time for America to correct her unpardonable fault of wastefulness and extravagance." Before anyone can respond efficiently to this appeal two things are necessary. One must understand in what respects American housekeep- ing is wasteful and extravagant; and one must learn by what means these faults can be corrected. Such are the objects of this book, namely, to show American housekeepers how they can economize in foods, in fabrics, in prevention of disease, in time, and in labor — each and all of which are equivalent to direct economy of money. Nearly every woman, when she marries and begins housekeeping, copies into a scrapbook the favorite recipes that have been handed down in her immediate family from mother to daughter for generations. And through life she continues adding from time to time the favorite recipes of others to her collection. Household suggestions of this character are perhaps the most practical and economical of any, because they are be- ing subjected daily to the test of actual experience. Such is the nature of this book ; for its original basis consists in some fifty thousand labor- saving and money-saving ideas contributed to a popular magazine by practical housekeepers. In addition, the editor has laid under contribution every important book of household recipes previously published in the English language (over fifty in all), as well as the rich literature of household suggestions resulting from scientific research. For many costly investigations have been conducted during recent years in college and university labora- tories, and in the experiment stations of the several states and of the nation, the results of which have been made available in countless re- ports and bulletins, as well as in the newspapers and popular mag- azines. From all these sources were gathered more than one hundred thousand separate recipes and suggestions, and the present volume con- tains the cream of them all. The combination thus effected of money-saving and labor-saving sug- gestions of practical housekeepers, with the conclusions of scientific in- vestigators, is believed to be unique. And by the explanation in popu- lar language thus afforded of the scientific principles at bottom of the recipes and processes recommended, this book, in the opinion of authori- ties, has taken a long step in advance of its predecessors. Having been based upon contributions from practical housekeepers, it was designed expressly for the home-maker and, at its inception, no thouglit was entertained that it would be of interest or value to teachers of domestic economy for use in schools. Hence the very cordial reception accorded PREFACE it by educators, and its general adoption as a text book and work of reference in schools and libraries throughout the United States, have occasioned both editor and publisher surprise as well as gratification. In the several revisions of this work the editor has freely availed himself of both practical and scientific information — if adapted in form to popular use — wherever found. Hence — in addition to the general acknowledgment due the many thousands of housekeepers and others who have contributed favorite family recipes — the following special obligations are gratefully acknowledged: To E. H. S. Bailey, Pli.D., of the Kansas State Board of Health, and Bigelow & Howard of the United States Dei^artment of Agriculture, Bureau of Chemistry, for tests for detecting adulterants in foods ; to M. Edouard Panchard, man- aging chef of the Hotel McAlpin, the Hotel Claridge, and Cafe Savarin of New York, and the Trouville, Long Beach, for the article on Cater- ing, Cooking and Carving; to C. F. Langworthy, Ph.D., and Caroline L. Hunt, A.B., for articles on the economical use of meat and cheese; to Maria Parloa for the article on the preparation of vegetables for the table; to Isabel Gordon Curtis, formerly editor of Good Housekeeping Magazine, and autlior of " Lcft-Overs Made Palatable," " The Every- day Cookbook," " The Making of a Housewife," and " The Progress of a Housekeeper," for the bulk of the cookery recipes comprised in Chap- ters VII to XV and XVIII to XXXII, inclusive, and also for the ar- ticle, " Wliat tlie Home Nurse Ought to Do " ; to the Public Health authorities of the principal cities of the United States, and the several States of the nation, for material on the prevention of disease and care of babies comprised in Chapter .XXXVIII to XLI, inclusive; to Dr. George J. Fisher of the International Y. M. C, A. for the article on " First Aid to the Injured "; and to sundry other authorities too numer- ous to mention. Already upward of a million copies of Household Discoveries have been distributed, and there is abundant evidence that the American people regard the millions of dollars paid for them not as an expense, but as an investment. For the keynote of the letters of endorsement received by the publishers is economy. Multitudes have said that by the use of a single recipe they have saved as much or more than the cost to them of the entire volume. Indeed, it would be difficult to over-es- timate the possibilities of saving in time, in money, and in human suf- fering that would result if every family in the land should observe the teachings on Diet, on Laundering and Dry-cleaning, on the Care of In- fants, and on the Prevention of Communicable Disease, approved by the leading authorities and set forth in these pages. It is believed that no volume before the American people is better calculated to enable its owners to effect needful economies, and that no service could be more patriotic than to promote to the utmost possible extent its distribution and use. The Publishers. I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI CONTENTS PAGE Food Values and Adulterations 17 Household Weights and Measures 49 Menus and Menu Making 55 The Art of Correct Table Service .... 72 Catering, Cooking and Carving Joints, Poultry and Game °^ Economical Use of Meat in the Home . . . 101 Beef and Left-Over Beef Dishes 118 Lamb AND Mutton Dishes and Left-Overs . . .132 Veal Dishes and Left-Overs 137 Pork Dishes and Left-Overs 144 Poultry and Game Dishes and Left-Overs . .150 Fish Dishes and Left-Overs 158 Oysters, Clams, Lobsters and Other Shellfish . 171 Meat and Fish Sauces and Flavorers .... 177 Eggs and Egg Dishes 185 Cheese and its Economical Uses in the Diet . .192 Preparation of Vegetables for the Table . . 213 Vegetable Dishes and Left-Overs 234 Potato Dishes and Left-Overs 255 The Art of Soup-Making 263 The Art of Salad-Making 279 Yeast Breads, Doughs and Batters 292 Baking-Powder Breads, Doughs and Batters . 306 Stale Bread and How to Utilize It . . . .319 Sandwiches for Picnics, Receptions and Other Entertainments ■ • • • ^23 Cereals, Flour Paste and Cereal Left-Overs . 328 CONTENTS cjSapter page XXVII Cake and Cake-Making 339 XXVIII Cookies, Cakes and Doughnuts 368 XXIX Puff Paste, Piecrust and Pastries 380 XXX Puddings and Other Desserts and Pudding Sauces 392 XXXI Frozen Desserts 417 XXXII Beverages for All Occasions 434 XXXIII Preservation of Meat and Vegetables .... 441 XXXIV Preserving and Canning Fruit and Vegetables . 461 XXXV Vinegar, Pickles and Pickling 489 XXXVI Candies and Candy-Making 508 XXXVII Fireless Cookery 537 XXXVIII Infection and Disinfection 543 XXXIX Prevention of Communicable Disease .... 558 XL Preventable Diseases of Children 584 XLI The Care of Babies 607 XLII First Aid to the Injured 638 XLIII What the Home Nurse Ought to Do .... 652 XLIV The Toilet and Bath 665 XLV Toilet Preparations 678 XLVI Care of the Hair 698 XLVII The Teeth 709 XLVIII The Home Laundry 719 XLIX Removal of Spots and Stains 742 L House Cleaning 770 Index 806 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES CHAPTER I FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS HUMAN NUTRITION — DIETARY STANDARDS — KINDS OF NU- TRIENTS—PROBLEMS OF DIET — MEAT IN THE DIET — FISH AS FOOD — POULTRY AND DAIRY PROD l/CTS — SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES — FOOD ADULTERATIONS — CANNED VEG- ETABLES AND FRUITS — FLAVORING EXTRACTS AND CON- DIMENTS—BAKING CHEMICALS — TEA. AND COFFEE — DAIRY AND MEAT PRODUCTS The choice, preparation, service and care of food are topics of vital im- portance in every home. Until quite recently experience — as represented by the traditions of the best house- keepers — has been about the only source of information on these sub- jects. And such experience is still in many respects the best and safest guide. But of late a great many scientific investigations as to food values and adulterations have been made — notably under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture — and very practical re- sults have been secured. The most essential facts and principles are here condensed for ready reference. In many respects the result of scientific study has been to confirm popular impressions derived from everyday experience. Yet it has been shown that certain very widespread beliefs are wholly groundless. All the con- clusions here stated have been abundantly confirmed by practical experiments and may be accepted without hesitation. Such knowledge is valuable because it dispels doubt and uncertainty. It confirms good practices. It also draws attention to 17 mistakes and shows how they may be corrected. HUMAN NUTRITION The human body has often been likened to a steam engine in which the food we eat takes the part of fuel. This comparison is partly true but is inadequate. A steam engine gradually wears out with use. Then the worn or broken parts must be re- placed from some source without itself. The human body also wears away, but — unlike the steam engine — it has the power of rebuilding its own parts from the fuel (food) which it consumes. It can also bring about certain chemical changes where- by its fuel (food) is converted into new forms either for immediate use or for storage within the body against future needs. Hence the value of food depends in part upon its capacity to produce needed heat and energj--, and in part upon its capacity to supply material for growth and repair of bodily waste. Food Wastes. — The relation be- tween the cost of food and its actual value to supply bodily needs is af- 18 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES fected by at least three diiferent kinds of wastes. These differ greatly in different kinds of food. They are among the things which should be most jealously watched and studied by the housewife. There is consider- able loss between some kinds of foods as j)urchascd and as cooked or served. Familiar examples are the shells of eggs, skins and seeds of fruit and vegetables, bones and offal of meat, bran of cereals and the like. These are commonly known as refuse. Some are of no value since they are wholly indigestible (for example egg shells). Others may be utilized in various ways as meat bones, which may be used for soup stock. A second kind of waste is that caused by cooking. This is less im- portant since, in most cases, it can- not be helped. But with some of the more expensive kinds of food, the choice among methods of cookery may be affected by the fact that some ways are more economical than others. A third waste is due to the fact that a part of the food actually eaten is not taken up into the lymph and blood channels but passes through the digestive tract and is excreted from the body. This is said not to be " available " to digestion. The net product which finally gets into the blood is called nutritive ma- terial, or nutrients. Nutrients in Food. — Formerly a great many scientific terms were used in discussing the nutritive value of foods. This made the subject un- interesting to most persons because difficult to understand. With the in- crease of popular interest, efforts were made to simplify the language of science. It was found that all nu- trients may be classed under five heads and referred to by means of terms, all but two of which are in every-day use. These unusual terms are " proteid " and " carbohydrate." Of these the former is indispensable. There is no other word which can take its place. It refers to that part of foods which contains (among other things) the element nitrogen. These include, chiefly, the lean of meat; the gluten of wheat and other cereals; the curd (casein) of milk; and the white (albumen) of eggs. The two words sugar and starch can be used in place of the term " car- bohydrate " as the word refers chiefly to these two substances. These and other carbohydrates are so called be- cause the}' contain the element hydro- gen in the same proportions in which it occurs in water but combined with the element carbon; hence the name. Good examples of carbohydrates are potato or corn starch, and cane, grape, or milk sugar. The names of the other three classes of nutrients are in common use. These are water, fat and ash. Water occurs in varying percentages in nearly all foods, even those which we are accustomed to think of as en- tirely dry, such as wheat and other dry grains, or dried peas and beans. Common examples of fat are lard, suet, butter and olive oil. The ash in foods consists of various kinds of mineral matter which are left as a residue when the foods are burned. The only kind of mineral matter usually added to foods in cookery is common salt. In addition to these five kinds of nutrients, there is another class of substances in food which is of some value in cookery, although it is not believed that they furnish fuel or contribute to the growth of bodily tissue. They are called " extrac- tives." They include various volatile oils and similar flavors which are " extracted " from foods in the proc- ess of cookery, whence the name. They give to certain foods the char- acteristic taste and odor which " make the mouth water." They aid digestion by stimulating the palate and prompting the flow of the saliva, gastric juice and other secretions which are necessary to good diges- tion. An example is the well known meat extract used for bouillon. This is not a food but merely an appetiz- ing condiment. Interest in the subject of food val- ues centers in the three classes of nu- trients — proteid, carbohydrate, and fat. Water is plentiful in every diet and is usually taken freely to satisfy thirst. Ash or mineral matter rep- FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 19 resents only about 1 per cent of most foods and is thought to be abundant in the ordinary diet. It is most plentiful in the natural food of the young, as in milk and eggs, and is of special importance to furnish ma- terial for bony structures during the period of growth and also in some diseased conditions. The housekeep- er's problem is thus narrowed to the supply of sufficient proteid, carbohy- drate and fat in the right propor- tions, as cheaply as possible, and in readily available, that is easily diges- tible, forms. Uses of Nutrients in the Body. — The three principal classes of nutri- ents, — proteid fat and carbohydrate, all serve as fuel to yield energy in the forms of heat and muscular power. But the chief source of fuel is fat. Hence the Eskimo eats freely of tallow and blubber to keep up the bodily heat in winter. Any excess of fat may be stored in the body against future needs. Thus the bear lives on his fat during his long win- ter's sleep, and comes out lean in the spring. The carbohydrates — sugar and starch — may be immedi- ately consumed as fuel, or they may be converted into and stored as fat. The proteids may also be consumed as fuel. But this does not ordinarily happen unless there is a deficiency of fat and carbohydrate in the diet. The normal use of proteid is in the growth and repair of the bodily tis- sues. The importance of this class of nutrients in food is due to the fact that none of the others can take its place. This explains why an infant fed wholly on condensed milk — which is rich in sugar and fat, but deficient in proteid (curds), may be fat but not strong. Roughly speaking, fat and carbohydrate supply heat and energy, and proteid forms tissue. This broad distinction is very serv- iceable and should be kept clearly in mind. DIETARY STANDARDS Balanced Diet. — A diet is said to be balanced when it contains avail- able proteid, carbohydrate and fat in the right proportions. A great many experiments have been made to de- termine the ratio which the different classes of nutrients should sustain to one another in human food. In American publications the conclu- sions of Atwater and Chittenden are most often taken as standards. The Atwater standard, for a man with light exercise, is 100 parts (by weight) of proteid, 100 parts of fat and 360 parts of carbohydrate. The Chittenden standard is that for every 100 food units about 10 should be proteid, 30 fat, and 60 carbohydrate. These figures are interesting chiefly as showing that there can be no xmi- versal rule of proportion fixed by sci- ence. So-called standards are merely attempts to arrive at a general aver- age on the basis of experience. In practice it will be sufficient if each of the principal nutrients is present in the dietary in sufficient quantities and without marked excess or de- ficiency of either. If this is the case the normal appetite will ordinarily select a well balanced diet. The Graphic Method of Diet Cal- culations. — Prof. Irving Fisher has devised a method of making " food maps " which show the proportions of proteid, fat, and carbohydrate in graphic form. He says : " Any food is represented on the food map by a point the relative distance of which from the three sides of the triangle represents the proteid, fat and carbo- hydrate. Fatty foods are represent- ed by points near the fat corner, F; starchy and sugary foods by points near the carbohydrate corner, C; and proteids by a point near the proteid corner, P. A food devoid of proteid is evidently located on the base line CF. A food devoid of fat on the side, CP, and a food devoid of car- bohydrates on FP. . . . In each case the position of the point relative to the sides of the triangle represents the proportions of proteid, fat and carbohydrate and the number op- posite each name represents the weight in ounces of a 'standard por- tion.' " The accompanying food maps pre- pared by Dr. Fisher are a much more convenient means of comparing the values of different foods than 20 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES tables of percentages. If carefully studied they will be found to con- tain about as much information as most persons would be apt to need P ' :^BcrrTEB 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 BO 90 100 r* I- •■ Food map showing combination of one "portion" of bread and one "portion" of butter. — Dr. Irving Fisher. or use. Roughly speaking, a bal- anced ration should contain one or more foods from each of the three corners of this triangle. To take an extreme illustration, butter, white of egg and sugar combined in standard proportions — if such a combination were possible in cookery — would give an example of a well balanced ration because they consist of almost pure fat, proteid and carbohydrate respec- tively. Or, a food located near either corner of the triangle may be bal- anced by one which is about equi- distance between the opposite corners. The food map " Flesh and Cereals " affords many good illustrations of this principle. The different kinds of flesh are seen to contain both fat and proteid, but practically no starch or sugar. But the cereals are nearly all carbohydrate. For example, beef tongue and brown bread make a well balanced ration. Observe that brown bread is shown by the food map to be near the carbohydrate corner. Its food values are practically all sugar or starch. Beef tongue is about half way between the fat and proteid cor- ners. Its food values are about equally divided between these two kinds of nutrients. The foods that are represented on or near one of the side lines of the Classes of Foods. Jam \ Marmaladesv Swe«t8 ) Food Map Illustrating Classes of Foods. — Dr. Inking Fisher. FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 21 triangle show absence or marked de- ficiency of the kind of nutrient rep- resented at the opposite corner. Those at or near one of the corners show absence or deficiency of the kinds of nutrients represented at both the opposite corners. The foods appearing at or near the center of the triangle contain each of the three classes of nutrients and, according to their position, afford a naturally more or less well balanced ration. By reference to the standards given on page 19 it will be seen that the body requires, according to Chitten- den, about one part proteid to three parts fat and six parts carbohydrate. Hence foods constituting a naturally culating food values, a unit which he calls the " standard portion." This is a quantity of each kind of food which will produce 100 calories of energy. The " calory " is the unit of measurement of heat, just as the pound is the unit of weight, or the acre the unit of land measure. A calory is approximately the amount of heat that is required to raise the temperature of one pound of water 4° F. The figures after the names on the food maps give the weight of " standard portions " in ounces. They are useful as a means of comparing the values of different kinds of foods, since the value of food to the body is determined by the number of calories of heat or energy that it can produce. Referring to the food map " Flesh and Cereals," for exam- ple, it will be seen that l^o ounces of white bread are the equiva- lent of 3 %o ounces of round of beef (uncooked), and many other in- teresting comparisons are suggested. A few words about each of the prin- cipal kinds of nutrients and a brief discussion of each of the chief classes of food from which they may be ob- tained — with the aid of the food maps for purposes of comparison — will enable any housewife to provide a reasonably well balanced diet. •0 20 30 4. vq, o^N) cy' y^ ■ Food Map for Flesh and Cereals. — Dr. h-ving Fisher. bulky and nmst be ])aid for and eaten in far larger quantities to yield an equal amount of nutriment. Mineral Matter or Ash. — When food or body material is burned, a small residue of mineral matter re- mains as ash. This constitutes some 5 per cent or G per cent of the body 1 per cent, but tiie proportion ranges to over -2 per cent in some cereals. It is most plentiful in the hulls (as the bran of wheat found in whole wheat flour) and in dried legumes (peas and beans); these contain about 4 per cent of mineral matter. Fresh vege- tables, especially lettuce, are esteemed FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 23 — especially in certain kinds of dis- eases — for tiie mineral salts they con- tain. Proteid. — The proteid compounds form about 18 per cent by weiglit of the average human body. They in- clude the white of egg, the lean of meat, the curd of milk and the gluten of wheat. They also occur to some extent in animals in the tendons, skin and bones. They are most important constituents of our food since they make the basis of bone, muscle and other tissues. They may also be used as fuel or even, to some extent, trans- formed into fat and stored in the body, especially if there is a defi- ciency of fats or carbohydrates. The chief sources of proteid are animal foods — • meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Butter and lard are exceptions; they represent only the fat of milk and meat. The projiortion of proteid present in meats and fish varies greatly with the kind and cut. In beef, veal, and mutton it composes between 14 and 26 per cent of the edible portion. It is somewhat less abundant in the flesh of fish, because the latter is more watery than meat. The fatter the meat, the smaller is the propor- tion of proteid. Lean pork has less than beef and mutton, and fat pork almost none. It is very abundant in cheese (28-38 per cent) and likewise in dried beans and peas (18-25 per cent). Proteid makes up, roughly speaking, from 7 to 15 per cent of the cereals, being least abundant in rye and buckwheat and most abund- ant in oats. Wheat flour averages not far from 11 per cent and bread not far from 9 per cent of proteid. Fresh vegetables and fruits contain almost no proteid, seldom if ever more than 5 and often only 1 per cent or less. Fats. — These form about 15 per cent by weight of the body of an av- erage man, but the amount varies greatly with food, exercise, age and other conditions. As a general rule any excess of the diet tends to be con- verted into fat and stored in the body. But the tendency to fatness or leanness cannot be controlled by the diet alone. It depends also on individual peculiarities which are not well understood. Fats occur chiefly in animal foods, as meat and dairy products. They are also abundant in some vegetable products, such as olives and cottonseed. From these they are expressed as oil. They occur to a less extent in some cereals, as oatmeal and corn, and also in all common edible nuts. Fats may be stored in various parts of the body in masses, or may be scattered through the tissues in mi- nute particles. The quantities pres- ent in meat vary from less than 10 per cent in some cuts of beef and veal, to over 40 per cent in a side of pork, or over 80 per cent in fat salt pork. Lean fish, like cod and haddock, con- tains a small amount, but fatter kinds, like shad, mackerel, and nota- bly salmon, often contain from 5 per cent to 10 per cent and sometimes as high as 15 per cent of fat. The chem- ical composition of salmon is not un- like that of lean meat. Milk averages about 4 per cent of fat. Butter is nearly pure fat, and cheese contains from 25 per cent to 40 per cent of fat, according to the richness of the cream or milk from which it is made. Vege- table foods are as a rule very defi- cient in fats. The principal excep- tions have been noted. Carbohydrates. — The carbohy- drates form only a very small part of the body, less than 1 per cent. They are either immediately con- sumed as fuel or transformed in the body as fat. They include such com- pounds as starches, different kinds of sugar and the fiber of plants or cellu- lose. They are very abundant in veg- etable foods like cereals, green vege- tables and potatoes, but unlike the fats, are almost entirely absent from the animal foods except milk. Car- bohydrates make up from 70 per cent to 80 per cent of the cereals, 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the dry legumes (peas and beans) and the biilk of the nutrients of fresh fruits and vege- tables. Sugar, molasses, honey and the like are almost entirely carbo- hydrates. Milk also contains a con- siderable amount of carbohydrates in the form of milk sugar. They are a very important portion of the diet, 24- HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES because they are an excellent source of energy and are easily digested. Atwater says: *' In brief then, the chief source of proti'id is animal foods, legumes and cereals; of fats, animal foods; and of carbohydrates, vegetable products and milk. Mineral matters are found in all food materials. Refuse and water are most abundant in meats, fish, eggs, milk, fresh vegeta- bles and fruit. The fuel value varies within wide limits, being greatest in those materials which contain the most fat and the least water. " The ingredients of food and the ways they are used in the body may be briefly summarized in the follow- ing schematic manner: moved at will. Beaumont's table giving the average time required for the stomach to digest various articles of diet has been frequently pub- lished. More recent experiments show that his conclusions are by no means a safe guide. The process of diges- tion is not confined to the stomach. It continues in the intestine. The di- gestibility of foods is also affected by the quantity taken, its mechanical condition, and other causes. As a general rule the less atten- tion given by housewives to this ques- tion the better. Recent experiments seem to indicate that all well-cooked ordinary foods are about equally well digested by normally healthy persons. The question of modification of diet NUTRITIVE INGREDIENTS (OR NUTRIENTS) OF FOOD C Water. 'Edible portion e. g., flesh of meat, yolk J Food as purchased aud white of eggs, wheat, | fProteid. coutains — -l flour, etc. Nutrients ....J Fats. Refuse. L ] Carbohydrates, c. g.. bones, entrails, ^Mineral matters. . shells, bran, etc. USES OF NUTRIENTS IN THE BODY Proteid Forms tissue e. g., white (albumen) of eggs, curd (casein) of milk, lean meat, gluten of wheat, etc. Fats Are stored as fat e. g., fat of meat, butter, olive oils, oils of corn and wheat, etc. Carbohydrates Are transformed into fat. . . e. g., sugar, starch, etc. Mineral matters (ash) Share in forming bone, assist in digestion, etc. e. g., phosphates of lime, potash, soda, etc. All serve as fuel to yield energy in the forms of heat and muscular power. PROBLEMS OF THE DIET Digestibility. — Many experiments have been made to learn the com- parative value of different kinds of food as aff"ected by their digestibil- ity and by various processes of cook- ery. Some of the earliest and most famous of these were made by Dr. Win. Beaumont, U. S. A., between 18J5-3.3. His subject was a French- Canadian trapi)er, a man whose stom- ach had been torn o]>cn by a gun- shot wound but had healed, leaving an opening closed only by a valve whicii developed over it. By pressing this valve inward the contents of the stomach could be observed or re- on the grounds of digestibility, is of importance only in some kinds of disease. It should then be referred to the attending physician. It is true that some kinds of foods do not agree with certain individuals. But this is a matter which does not admit of general rules. It can be settled in each case only on the basis of ex- perience. Each person must learn what kinds of food yield him nourish- ment with the least discomfort and must avoid those which do not agree with him. The value to persons in good health of special diets consisting ex- clusively of vegetables, fruits and nuts, or of an exclusive diet of un- FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 25 cooked foods is often grossly exag- gerated. The ordinary mixed diet has been shown by scientific tests to be by far the most wholesome and economical. As general rules, how- ever, it may be said that carbohy- drates — especially in the form of sugar — are more completely digested than proteids and fats; and that the proteid of animal foods — as meat, fish, milk and eggs — is more digesti- ble than that of vegetable foods. Economy in Diet. — The needs of individuals differ, but it has been estimated that an average man at moderately active labor — as a farm- er, carpenter or mason — should have about one-fourth of a pound of avail- able proteid each day, and suflficient fats and carbohydrates, in addition, to bring the total fuel value of the whole diet up to about 3000 calories. A man at sedentary employment would require only one-fifth of a pound of proteid, and other nutrients enough to produce a total of only 2700 calories of energy. A woman under similar conditions would need about eight-tenths as much food as a man. Children require lesser amounts, varying with their ages. The proportions usually stated are about seven-tenths for a boy from the ages of 1;? to 14; six-tenths from 10 to 13; five-tenths from 6 to 9, and four-tenths from 2 to 5 years of age. Girls require slightly less nutrient than boys of the same age, but in practice the difference is negligible. The cost of the amounts of differ- ent nutrients required varies greatly with the different kinds of food at ordinary prices. For example, one- fourth of a pound of proteid from a sirloin of beef at 25 cents a pound would cost 40 cents. The same amount from a shoulder clod of beef at 12 cents a pound would cost 19 cents, and from a i)iece of beef stew meat at 5 cents a pound only 9 cents; yet the actual value of each in the diet would be identical. The table on the next page of the comparative cost of digestible nutrients and energy in different food materials at average prices, prepared by the Department of Agriculture, is very useful and suggests many similar comparisons. The most common errors in food economy are (1) the needless waste of expensive foods, (2) the use of a one-sided diet, (3) waste of food from over-eating, (4) table waste, and (5) neglect of the value of refuse. Many housekeepers buy the more expensive kinds of meat and pay higher prices for vegetables and eggs out of season, from a mistaken belief that such foods are enough more nutritious to be worth what they cost. In point of fact equal amounts of nutriment could be ob- tained from other foods at very much lower price. The result is a great waste of money. The maxim that " the best is the cheapest," as pop- ularly understood to apply to high prices, is not true of food. The larger part of the price of the cost- lier foods is paid for appearance, flavor or rarity. While often more pleasing to the palate and sometimes more easily cooked or of finer flavor, the dearer articles are no more di- gestible or nutritious than the cheap- er ones. The plain, substantial stand- ard food materials — like the cheaper cuts of meat and fish, milk, flour, cornmeal, oatmeal, beans and pota- toes — are as digestible and nutri- tious and as well fitted for the nour- ishment of persons in good health as are any of the costly materials. A one-sided or badly balanced diet is one in which either proteid or fuel ingredients arc in excess. If we eat too much meat and too few vegeta- bles, the diet will be too rich in pro- teid and may be harmful. Or, if we eat too much pastry and other food rich in fats and sweets, the diet fur- nishes too much energy and too lit- tle building material. The result is injurious to health as well as false economy. Waste from over-eating is perhaps not common except among persons of sedentary occupations — brain workers, as distinguished from hand workers — but table waste is al- most universal in America. In many families it is a matter of pride to furnish more food than is needed. The waste in the preparation of food materials for consumption is also considerable. This is especially the case with animal foods which are the COMPARATIVE COST OF DIGESTIBLE NUTRIENTS AND ENERGY IN DIFFER- ENT FOOD MATERIALS AT AVERAGE PRICES [It IS estimated that a man at light to moderate muscular work requires about 0.23 pound of proteid and 3,050 calories of energy per day.] Kind of food material Price per pound Cost of 1 pound Cost of 1,000 cal- ories teid a energy (0) Dollars Cents 3 1.60 25 1.28 20 .90 15 .87 18 .76 16 .65 13 .75 17 .57 13 .35 7 .98 32 1.22 11 1.37 22 1.10 18 .92 10 1.60 13 1.30 11 6.67 3 .93 46 1.22 38 .45 22 .74 9 .57 13 4.30 111 3.10 80 1.02 46 20.00 6 25.00 7 30.00 9 2.09 39 1.39 26 .70 13 .64 8 1.09 11 .94 10 .31 2 .26 2 .32 2 .73 4 .53 4 .29 2 1.18 6 .77 5 .64 4 .51 3 .05 4 .29 3 2.08 22 6.65 77 4.21 23 1.00 5 .67 3 .50 3 1.33 8 5.00 8 10.00 27 12.00 40 8.75 47 Amounts for 10 cents Total weight of food mate- rial Pro- teid Fat Carbo- hy- drates Energy bugar Beef, sirloin Do Do Beef, round Do Do Beef, shoulder clod.. Do Beef, stew meat Beef, dried, chipped.. Mutton chops, loin... Mutton, leg Do Roast pork, loin Pork, smoked ham... Do Pork, fat salt Codfish, dressed, fresh Halibut, fresh Cod, salt Mackerel, salt, dressed Salmon, canned Oysters, solids, 50(! pei quart Oysters, solids, 350 pet quart Lobster, canned .... Butter Do Do Eggs, 36(! per dozen.. Eggs, 24^ per dozen.. Eggs, 12(! per dozen.. Cheese Milk, 7(! per quart. . . Milk, 0(f per quart... Wheat flour Do Corn meal, granular. Wheat breakfast food Oat breakfast food... Oatmeal Rice Wheat bread Do Do Rye bread Beans, white, dried.. Cabbage Celery Corn, canned Potatoes, 90(J per bu. Potatoes, fi0(J per bu. Potatoes, 45^ per bu. Turnips Apples Bananas Oranges Strawberries Cents 6 25 20 15 16 14 12 12 9 5 25 16 20 16 12 22 18 12 10 18 7 10 12 25 18 18 20 25 30 24 16 8 16 3/2 3 3 2/2 2/2 7/2 7/2 4 8 6 5 4 5 5 2^ 5 10 1/2 1 1 1/2 7 6 7 Pounds 1.67 0.40 .50 .67 .63 .71 .83 .83 1.11 2 .40 .63 .50 .63 .83 .45 .56 .83 1 .56 1.43 1 .83 .40 .56 .56 .50 .40 .33 .42 .63 1.25 .63 2.85 3.33 3.33 4 4 1.33 1.33 2.50 1.25 1.67 2 2.50 2 o 4 2 1 6.67 10 13.33 10 6.67 1.43 1.67 1.43 Pound Pound 0.06 .08 .10 .11 .13 .15 .13 .18 .29 .10 .08 .07 .09 .11 .06 .08 .02 .11 .08 .22 .13 .13 .02 .03 .10 .01 .05 .07 .14 .16 .09 .11 .32 .39 .31 .13 .19 .34 .08 .13 .16 .20 .15 .35 .05 .02 .02 .10 .15 .20 .08 .02 .01 .01 .01 0.06 .08 .11 .08 .09 .10 .08 .10 .23 .03 .17 .07 .09 .19 .14 .18 .68 "".62" .01 .20 .10 .01 .01 .40 .32 .27 .04 .06 .11 .20 .11 .13 .03 .04 .07 .02 .09 .16 .02 .02 .03 .01 .03 .01 .01 .01 .01 .01 .01 .02 .01 Pounds 1.67 .01 .02 .02 .14 .17 2.45 2.94 2.96 .98 .86 1.66 .97 .87 1.04 1.30 1.04 1.16 .18 .05 .18 .93 1.40 1.87 .54 .65 .18 .13 .09 Calories 2,920 410 515 685 500 620 740 595 795 1,530 315 890 445 560 1,035 735 915 2,950 220 265 465 1,135 760 90 125 225 1,705 1,365 1,125 260 385 770 1,185 885 1,030 5.440 6,540 6,540 2,235 2,395 4,500 2,025 2,000 2,400 3,000 2,340 3,040 460 130 430 1,970 2.950 3,935 1,200 1,270 370 250 215 (J The cost of 1 pound of proteid means the cost of enough of the given material to fur- nish 1 pound of proteid, without regard to the amounts of the other nutrients present. Likewise the cost of energy means the cost of enough material to furnish 1,000 calories without reference to the kinds and proportions of nutrients in which the energy is sup- plied. Thesc_ estimates of the cost of proteid and energy are thus incorrect in that neither g:ives credit for the value of the other. 26 FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 27 most expensive. The trimmings of meat left with the butcher or thrown away in the kitchen often represent one-eighth of its value. Much of this might be saved by its use in soups, stews and the like. But persons who wish to get the most nutriment for their money should avoid such cuts as loin of beef, rib chops of lamb, and others, one-fifth or more of which are bone, and buy more economical cuts in which there is less waste. The common remark that " the average American family wastes as much food as a French family would live upon" is greatly exaggerated. Yet it con- tains considerable truth. Tests have shown that the waste in private fam- ilies is often as high as twenty per cent. A study of the information here given is important for both health and purse. MEATS IN THE DIET Reference to the food map will show that the nutritive part of meat contains no carbohydrate but con- sists of proteid and fat in varying proportions. It is possible to live on animal food alone. And this is done in the arctic regions where vegeta- ble food is lacking. But the diet is better and more wholesome if the proteid and fat of meat are balanced by the sugar and starch contained in vegetables. Meat is an expensive source of proteid as compared to some foods of vegetable origin, but is to be preferred upon the ground that it is more easily digested. Meats are more similar in composi- tion to the tissues of the human body than foods of vegetable origin. Hence they require less change in the body to make them available to digestion. A comparison of the nutrients in the different cuts of meat shows that they vary chiefly in the amounts of fat and water which they contain, but that there is very little difference in the proportion of proteid. Lang- worthy says, in substance, that for every day purposes the proportion and net value of the proteid obtained from a given weight of meat differs very little either with the kind of meat or the cut, with the exception of fat salt pork or bacon. This makes it easy for the housekeeper to be sure that her family is getting enough of this nutrient. The total amount of proteid needed each day for a man at moderate la- bor is estimated at 3J ounces. Of this, one-half is usually taken in the form of animal food, including milk, eggs, poultry and fish, as well as meat. The remainder is taken in the form of bread and other cereal foods, or beans and other vegetables. An ordinary helping of three to five ounces of lean meat may be consid- ered to contain about one-half of the required proteid. An egg or a glass of milk contains about one-twelfth of the needed daily supply. Hence the housekeeper who gives each adult member of her family a helping of three to five ounces of cooked meat each day with eggs, milk or cheese — together with puddings or other dishes which contain eggs or milk — can feel sure that she is supplying sufficient proteid. The remainder necessary will be supplied by bread, cereals and other vegetable foods. Langworthy says further, that there is practically no difference be- tween the various cuts of meat, or the meats from different animals, with respect to either the thorough- ness or the ease with which they are digested. Red meat is equally as di- gestible as white meat, pork is as di- gestible as beef, and the cheaper cuts are equally as digestible as the tenderest steak. Meats of all kinds and cuts are therefore to be classed as easily digested foods. Those who wish to use the chea])er cuts need not feel that, in so doing, their fam- ilies are less well nourished than by the more expensive meats. It is, how- ever, true that some kinds of meat — as roast chicken, or veal, tender- loin of steak and lamb chops cooked rare — are tender, easily masticated, well flavored and appetizing. Hence so far as stomach or gastric digestion is concerned, they are somewhat more easily and rapidly digested than others. In other words, they pass quickly out of the stomach and into the intestine where the principal work of digestion actually takes place. 28 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES This agrees with the practice of using so-called white meats in diets for the sick room. It remains true, however, that nearly all of the proteid and about 95 per cent of the fat of all sorts of meat are digested by the average person. Cuts of Meat. — The method of cut- ting sides of beef, veal, mutton and pork into parts for sale, and the terms used for the different " cuts " as these parts are commonly called, vary in different locahties. The standard adopted by the U. S. De- partment of Agriculture is shown in the accompanying illustrations both for the live animal and the dressed carcass. Elsewhere the principal cuts are illustrated as they appear on the butcher's table. Both the lines of the different cuts and the names vary more or less in different parts of the country. The best way to learn the cuts of meat, as sold in your local market, is to ask the butcher to allow you to watch him cut up one or more sides of the different kinds of meat. Ask him to give you the names of the parts and also to give you his own ideas concerning them. In this way a great deal of valuable infor- mation can be obtained. Too many housekeepers are in the habit of buy- ing only two or three of the highest priced cuts of meat. They do not realize that by proper methods of cookery equally as much nutriment can be obtained from cheaper cuts at from one-half to one-tenth the cost. The characteristics of the dif- ferent cuts are described by Woods, in substance, as follows: Cuts of Beef. — The diagram shows the general method of cutting up a side of beef. The neck piece is some- times cut so as to include more of the chuck than is here shown. The shoulder clod is usually cut without bone, and hence is an economical cut, being free from refuse. The shoulder (not indicated in the dia- gram) includes more br less of the shoulder blade and the upper end of the foreshank. Shoulder steak is cut from the chuck. The blade is some- times made to include all the parts of the forequarter here shown as brisket, cross ribs, blade and navel. The different portions of the blade as thus cut are then spoken of as the " brisket " end of the blade, or " navel " end of the blade. This part of the animal is largely used for corning. The ribs may also be di- vided into first, second and third cuts. The latter lying nearest the chuck are slightly less desirable than the former. The chuck may also be di- vided in a similar way, the third cut being nearest the neck. Dia(/r(u)is of cuts of beef. (Chas. D. Woods.) 1. Neck. 2 Chuck. 3. Ribs. 4. Shoulder clod. 5. Foreshank. 6. Brisket. 7. Cross ribs. 8. Plate. 9. Navel. 10. Loin. 11. Flank. 12. Rump. 13. Round. 14. Second cut rounds. 15. Hind shank. The names applied to different por- tions of the loin vary considerably. The part nearest the ribs is often called " small end of loin " or " short steak." The other end is called " hip sirloin " or " sirloin." Between the " short " and the " sirloin " is a por- tion quite generally called the " ten- derloin " for the reason that the real tenderloin — the very tenderest strip of meat lying in the tenderloin — is found most fully developed in this cut. " Porterhouse steak " is the term usually ajjplied to either the FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 29 short steak or the tenderloin. The flank may be cut to inchide more of the loin, in which case the upper por- tion is called " flank steak." The larger part of the flank is, however, ^./^; — r--. ^ 3-- 1 - Y^ '' 1 \fj -ij *'aWJ&-* Diagrams of cuts of lamb and mutton. {Chas. D. Woods.) 1. Neck. 4. Flank. 2. Chuck. 5. Loin. 3. Shoulder. 6. Leg. very often corned, as is also the case with the rump. Or, the rump may be cut so as to include a portion of the loin, which is then sold as " rump steak." The portion of the round on the inside of the leg is frequently preferred to the outside as more tender than the latter. As the leg lies upon the butcher's table, this in- side of the round is usually the up- per or top side and is therefore called " top round." Sometimes the blade is called the "rattle." Cuts of Veal. — A side of veal cuts up into fewer parts and otherwise quite differently than a side of beef. The chuck is smaller and is often cut off with the neck. Or the chuck may be so cut as to take in part of the shoulder — more nearly like the chuck of beef. The shoulder of veal, as usually cut, includes the larger part of what is classed as chuck in the full grown animal. The under jiart of the forequarter, corresponding to the blade in beef, is often called the "breast" in veal. The part of the veal corresponding to the rump of beef is most often cut with the loin, but may be cut to form part of the leg. The fore and hind shanks of veal are sometimes called " knuckles." Cuts of Lamb and Mutton. — These number but six, three in each quar- ter. The chuck includes the ribs to the end of the shoulder blades. Be- yond this comes the loin. The flank is made to include all the underside of the animal. Some butchers how- ever include part of the "loin" and " chuck " in a cut known as the " ribs " and part of the flank and shoulder in a cut known as "brisket." The term "chops" is applied to parts of the loin, rib, chuck or shoulder, cut or chopped by the butcher into pieces for frying or boiling. The chuck and ribs are sometimes called the " rack." Cuts of Pork. — A large portion of the carcass of a dressed pig is al- most clear fat. This is used for salt pork and bacon. The cut designated as " back " is almost clear fat used for salting and pickling. The "middle" cut is used for bacon or for lean ends of salt pork. The "belly" is salted, pickled or made into sausages. Beneath the " back " are the ribs and loins. They furnish the " spareribs," " chops " and roasting pieces, here Diagrams of cuts of pork. (Chas. D. Woods.) 1. Head. 5. Belly. 2. Shoulder. 6. Hum. 3. Back. 7. Ribs. 4. Middle cut. 8. Loin. shown by dotted lines. The hams or shoulders may be cured or sold fresh as " pork steak." The tenderloin proper is a very small strip of com- paratively lean meat lying under the 30 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES bones of the loin. It usually weighs a fraction of a pound. Some fat is usually trimmed from the hams and shoulders. This is called " ham and shoulder fat" and is often used for sausages. The kidney fat from the inside of the back is often called " leaf lard." Cost of Different Cuts. — The table below is useful as showing the pro- portion of bone or other waste in the different kinds of cuts and the effect of this waste in the actual, as com- makes it appear that the chuck ribs are less than half as expensive as porterhouse steak and two-thirds as expensive as the round. But appar- ent economy is not always real econ- omy. In this case the bones in the three cuts should be taken into ac- count. Of the chuck ribs, more than one-half is bone or other materials usually classed under the head of ' waste ' or ' refuse.' Of the round, one-twelfth is waste, and of the por- terhouse, one-eighth. In buying the NET COST OF EDIBLE PORTION OF DIFFERENT CUTS AS COMPARED WITH ASSUMED MARKET PRICE (a) PER POUND Kind of meat Beef: Brisket . . . Rump .... Flank .... Chuck rib Porterhouse Neck Ribs Round . . . Shin Heart Tongue . . . Veal: Cutlets . . . Breast . . . Mutton: Leg Chops Forequarter cut for stewing. Pork: Loin Salt pork Bacon Ham Proportion Proportion Assumed Net price of bone of edible market per pound or waste material price per of edible in cut in cut pound portion Per Cent Per Cent Cents Cents 23.3 76.7 7.0 9.0 10.0 81.0 10.0 12.5 5.5 99.5 7.0 7.5 53.8 46.2 10.0 22.0 12.7 87.3 20.0 23.0 32.2 68.8 7.0 10.0 20.1 79.9 15.0 20.0 8.5 91.5 15.0 16.0 38.3 61.7 3.0 5.0 5.9 94.1 5.0 5.3 26.5 73.5 22.0 29.8 3.4 96.6 20.0 21.0 24.5 75.5 12.6 17.0 17.7 82.3 15.0 18.0 14.8 85.2 15.0 17.5 21.2 78.8 12.5 20.0 19.3 80.7 15.0 20.0 8.1 91.9 12.5 13.0 8.7 91.3 20.0 22.0 12.2 87.8 20.0 23.0 a Prices vary greatly in different parts of the country. These prices are assumed for the purpose of making it possible to compare nominal with net prices. pared with the apparent cost of meat. Langworthy says : " The relative retail prices of various cuts usually bear a direct relation to the favor with which they are regarded by the majority of persons. The juicy, ten- der cuts, of good flavor, sell for the higher prices. When porterhouse steak sells for 25 cents a pound, it may be assumed that in town or vil- lage markets round steak would ordi- narily sell for about 15 cents, and chuck ribs, one of the best cuts of the forequarter, for 10 cents. This chuck, then, the housewife gets, at the prices assumed, less than one- half pound of food for 10 cents. This makes the net price of the edi- ble portion 22 cents a pound. In buying round, she gets eleven-twelfths of a pound for 15 cents. This makes the net value about 16^ cents. In buying porterhouse, she gets seven- eighths of a pound for 25 cents. This makes the net value about 28i cents a pound. The relative prices, therefore, of the edible portions are 22, 16i and 28i cents. Or to put FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 31 it in a different way, a dollar at the prices assumed will buy 4^ pounds of solid meat from the cut known as chuck, 6 pounds of such meat from the round, and only 3^ pounds of such meat from the porterhouse." Owing to the extremely high price of meats in recent years a special study has been made by the United Slates Government on the economical use of meat in the home. The con- clusion has been reached that the ex- pense for meat can be reduced in a number of different ways. Among these may be mentioned lessening of the amount of meat used as food; buying meat in quantity for home use; utilizing the fat, bone and trim- mings and the left-over cold meats; extending the flavor of meats to vari- ous vegetables and cereals by means of mixed dishes; utilizing the cheaper cuts; and developing and improving the flavor by proper methods of cookery, including use of herbs, spices, sauces and the like. To accomplish these results a num- ber of valuable recipes have been prepared by Miss Caroline L. Hunt, an expert in nutrition, under the supervision of Dr. C. F. Langworthy, who has been in charge of this inves- tigation, many of which are so valu- able as to merit reproduction else- where in this volume. In general, it is suggested that most American families eat too much meat and that the simplest way to reduce the meat bill would be to serve meat once only, instead of two or three times a day, or to use less meat at a time. One good meat dish a day will furnish sufficient proteid, provided other and cheaper substi- tutes such as eggs, milk, cheese and beans are used instead. Fish might well be substituted for meat for the sake of variety as well as of econ- omy, wherever it can be obtained fresh and cheap. Canned or salt fish also makes a useful and economical variation of the diet. FISH AS FOOD The flesh of fish is included with that of other animals on the food map on page 22. This shows that fish is similar in composition to meat and occupies much the same place in the diet. It contains practically no carbohydrates but consists almost wholly of proteid and fat in varying proportions. Some fish, such as fat mackerel, shad and salmon, contain a high percentage of fat. And these are believed to be less easily and readily digestible than the leaner kinds such as cod, haddock, perch, pike, bluefish and others. The ash or mineral matter in fish does not vary greatly in quantity or value from other foods. The notion that fish are richer in phosphorus, and hence more valuable as a brain food for students and other sedentary workers, has no scientific foundation. Experiments do not indicate that fish contain a larger percentage of phos- phorus than other kinds of flesh used as food, nor that phosphorus is any more essential to the brain than ni- trogen, potassium or other elements. The percentage of available nutrients per pound is somewhat less in fish than in most kinds of meat because fish contains a much larger propor- tion of water. But this difference is offset by the difference in cost under ordinary conditions and prices. A careful comparative study of dif- ferent sources of proteid shows that shell fish are the most expensive and the cheaper meats, fish and cereals less expensive in the order mentioned. As sources of energy, shell fish are higher in price than common fish. The ordinary kinds of meats and the cereals are most economical. Both fish and the leaner kinds of meat are deficient in materials which yield muscular power. But when supple- mented by bread, potatoes and the like, they are the more important parts of a well-balanced diet. Cautions Concerning Fish. — Avoid fish which is not perfectly fresh and especially that which has been frozen and kept for a time after thawing and before being cooked. Such fish is liable to rapid decomposition with the forming of ptomaine poisons. As a general rule fish are unfit for food if tlie eyes are dull, the ball of the eye clouded, the gills pale and frothy, the scales dry and easily 32 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES loosened, or the meat so soft that it can be dented with the finger like putty. To test fish about which you are in doubt, lay them in water. If they sink they are probably good. But if they float they are certainly unfit for food. Remove canned fish promjitly from the can and use at once. If left in the can there is danger of poisoning from metallic oxides formed by the action of the air on the inside of the can. More- over, canned fish deteriorates very rapidly after being opened. Do not buy or use clams in the shell unless they are alive. That is, use only clams which close the shell when taken out of water. Also avoid oysters which are not perfectly fresh. Oysters dead in the shell and even sliglitly decomposed may be extreme- ly poisonous. When removed from water good oysters close the shell, move when touched, are of normal size and color and have a clear fluid inside the shell. In the case of dead oysters the shells remain open. The oysters in a short time become dis- colored and very soft. They have a stale odor and show blackish rings in- side the shell. Oysters are some- times " floated " or " fattened " in water contaminated with sewage, and death sometimes residts from eating them from typhoid fever and other diseases. The only safeguard against such conditions is to buy oysters only from the most reliable dealers. POULTRY AND DAIRY PRODUCTS In addition to meat and fish, the chief sources of proteid in the ordi- nary mixed diet are poultry and dairy products. Poultry diflFers very little in composition from other kinds of flesh used as food and is but slightly more digestible than beef, pork or mutton. The difference in digestibil- ity between the different kinds of poultry depends chiefly upon the amount of fat present. Fat birds such as fat geese are least easily di- gested. Tenderness assists digestion; hence young birds are more easily digested than old. The less used muscles such as those of the breast are also more digestible than the much used muscular tissues of the thighs or " drumsticks." Experiments indicate that there is very little dif- ference in digestibility between the white fleshed and dark fleshed birds, or between the white and dark meat of the same species. From the standpoint of economy, home-grown chickens fed chiefly upon table scraps, sour milk and other by- products are among the cheapest and most wholesome kinds of food. Reckoning the cost of the actual nu- trients, chicken as purchased in city markets at low or average prices is the cheajjest kind of poultry. It then compares favorably in economy with the cheaper cuts of beef and pork. Turkey and goose may be compared in value and economy to sirloin of beef and leg of lamb. Out-of-season chicken and turkey, capon, duck and green goose are more expensive. Squabs, pheasant and quail are so dear as to be luxuries. Their place can be filled, however, in most lo- calities at little or no expense by trapping the ordinary English spar- row. These birds are equally as fine as game birds in flavor. They are especially valuable as delicacies in sickness, either broiled or used as the basis of stews or broths. The chief value of game and poultry to invalids is found in the extractives they contain. These under proper methods of cooker^y give the charac- teristic flavor which makes the pa- tient's " mouth water," i. e., they start the digestive juices flowing and stim- ulate the appetite. Eggs are a very important part of the average dietary. They furnish a light, easily digested food, rich in proteid and especially suitable for breakfast or other light meals and useful for persons of sedentary habits. It is the practice of many families of moderate means to serve fresh meat for only one meal a day — i. e., dinner. They use for breakfast such foods as bacon, dried beef, cod fish or left-over meats. For lunch or supper, they have bread and but- ter, with cold meats and otlier left- overs, and perhaps the addition of cooked, fresh or preserved fruits. It is not sound economy to omit eggs FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 33 from such a diet. At ordinary prices they are among the cheapest sources of proteid and should be used freely as meat substitutes. Eggs at 25 cents a dozen are cheaper than meat, especially if one egg is sufficient to satisfy each person or if the average is less than two eggs per person, as will usually prove to be the case. Even at high prices the occasional use of eggs in the place of meat need not be regarded as a luxury. equivalent to three-fourths of a pound of meat or 6 ounces of bread. On the other hand milk is some- times spoken of as the only perfect food. This is perhaps true in the sense that it is possible to sustain life indefinitely upon an exclusive milk diet. Such a diet is sometimes prescribed in the treatment of rheu- matism and in some other diseases. Persons doing ordinary sedentary or light work can take sufficient mifik to White of Eggs 6.4 Dairy Products, Eggs and Meat Substitutes. Gluten Gruel 7.3 ^ Skimmed Milk 9,4 Buttermilk 9.7 Whey 13 . Condensed Milk 1.06- Food Map for Dairy Products, Eggs and Meat Substitutes. — Dr. Irving Fisher. Milk and Skim Milk.— While milk is universally recognized as the stand- ard food of infancy and childhood its value as a food for adults is often underestimated. Milk is most com- monly thought of merely as a bever- age like coffee, tea or water. It is taken or not according to taste — or to satisfy thirst — rather than as a substitute for meat or other sub- stantial portion of the diet. Yet a single glass of milk contains about as much of the nutritive value of a meal as a quarter of a loaf of bread or a good slice of roast beef. A quart of fresh milk contains nutrients sustain themselves in good health and to furnish normal energy for periods of several months. But such a diet is not advisable for adults under ordi- nary conditions for the reason — among others — that to secure the re- quired amoimt of carbohydrate it is necessary to take a much larger amount of proteid than is necessary. Yet these facts indicate that milk should be regarded as a substantial food. Skim milk is often regarded on the farm as having little food value. It may be purchased in cities at a very low rate, usually about 2 or 3 34 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES cents a quart. Yet even after the bulk of the butter fat has been re- moved from milk by skimming, the solid nutrients make up nearly one- tenth of its entire weight and it af- fords one of the cheapest sources of proteid generally available. A lunch or meal of bread and skim milk is very nutritious in proportion to its Many housewives hesitate to re- move the cream from whole milk in the belief that they are thus robbing members of their family, and espe- cially growing children, of a neces- sary kind of nutriment. But this is not the case. The fuel value of the butter fat removed in cream can be supplied in the ordinary diet more Consomme soup 29 — Soups, Salads and Relishes. A^' <^:^ Clam Chowder 8.25 Mixed pickles 14.6 -- Tomato Catsup C-" p\ m Food Map of Soups, Salads and Relishes. — Dr. Irving Fisher. cost and convenience. Eight ounces of bread eaten with a pint of skim milk will furnish very nearly one- third of the proteid required for a day's nutriment at a cost of 5 cents. As compared with the ordinary mixed diet of meat and potatoes, bread and skim milk make a better balanced and equally wholesome ration. cheaply by the use of butter, meat, sweets and other carbohydrates. And the skim milk is rich in carbohydrates and proteid. Many families in mod- erate circumstances who are in the habit of drinking whole milk and buying cream, would be quite as well off if the top of the milk for 2 or 3 inches were poured into the cream FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 35 pitcher. And there would he a marked saving in the cost of cream. Growing children will ordinarily drink freely of skim milk, if it is available, and nothing could be more wholesome for them. But since the older members of the family may not take kindly to skim milk as a food, it is an excellent plan to use it freely in cookery. Skim milk should be pre- ferred to water for making bread and for all other recipes for which it is available. Milk soups furnish an excellent means of increasing the food value of a meal or using up superfluous milk. Milk may be mixed with stock made from meat, or used as a basis of vegetable purees, such as bean, pea, potato, corn and celery soups, or tomato bisque and the like. Oyster stew made of milk owes its food value to the milk more than to the oys- ters. Milk "white" or "cream" sauces are also very useful. They are nutri- tious and are a convenient and eco- nomical way of using up left-overs. Numerous recipes found elsewhere in this volume for puddings, desserts, blanc-mange, ice cream and junket, il- lustrate the many ways in which sur- plus milk may be used up in the or- dinary mixed diet. Among ordinary by-products of milk may be mentioned — junket, cottage cheese, butter milk, whey, sour milk or clabber, and kou- miss. All of these may profitably be employed to give variety. Cheese. — One of the most impor- tant among dairy products is cheese. This has been a common article of diet among civilized people since the earliest times. Yet, oddly enough, its food value is not fully appre- ciated and it labors under what seems to be an unfounded prejudice, being supposed to cause certain digestive disturbances. Cheese is among the best of all meat substitutes and, at ordinary prices, is one of the cheap- est sources of proteid. Its flavor is so pronounced that there may be one or more members of a family who do not relish it. And from lack of ex- perience most housekeepers are un- skillful in the use of cheese in cook- ery. Yet when properly cooked and relished it may fill an important place in the diet. A series of careful experiments under the auspices of the Depart- ment of Agriculture have led to the conclusion that cheese, when used by normal healthy persons in sufficient quantity to be a substitute for meat, is not indigestible. Nor does it seem to cause any digestive disturbances. While there are persons with whom cheese does not agree, the same is true with many other articles of diet. If it should have a tendency to pro- duce constipation, this may be offset by adding fruits and fruit juices to the diet. Bread and cheese taken with fruit is a thoroughly well bal- anced and very economical ration. A number of suggestive bills of fare and recipes for the use of cheese, prepared under the supervision of the Department of Agriculture, are given elsewhere. SOURCES OF CARBOHYDRATES Sugar as Food. — Sugar, on account of its pleasant flavor and high nu- tritive value, is among the most de- servedly popular of all food prod- ucts. It occurs in several forms of which the best known are cane sugar — the ordinary granulated sugar and other well known kinds used in cook- ery — glucose, made from starch; milk sugar, grape sugar and honey. Sugar is also produced in large quantities from the sugar beet. And maple sugar is an important article of com- merce. Roughly speaking, sugar is the equivalent of starch after the latter has been digested and made soluble. Thus a mealy potato is very nearly akin to sugar, but — like all forms of starchy food — it must be turned into a kind of sugar by the digestive juices before it can be ab- sorbed by the system. This process is started by a ferment contained in the saliva. It is continued and com- pleted in the intestine. Sugar in proper quantity is very fully and rapidly digestible and is one of the most important sources of heat and energy in the diet. For this reason men employed at hard labor — espe- cially in cold chmates, as lumbermen 36 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES in the northern forests — use large quantities of sugar in the form of molasses. And, for similar reasons, it is relished by children to supply the energy required by their active habits. Sugar, like starch, is fattening since, when taken in excess, it may valuable as flavors. They have high food value and may properly be re- garded as economical sources of heat and energy. Well-to-do families in our country consume about 2 pounds of sugar per week per person. Most of the bad eifects sometimes ascribed to sugar are due to its use in excess. Puddings, Pies, Pastries, Sweets. Honey 1.05 -~^__ Molasses Canb 1.2 "^^ Tapioca 3.85— -n^ \ \ Tapioca Apples 3.8.>v \ \ Prune Marmalade 2.2-c^^^''0 Granulated sngar 1.86.___"i-^l Maple sugar 1.2 q Food Map for Puddings, Pies, Pastries and Sweets. — Dr. Irving Fisher. be transformed into fat and stored as reserve fuel. On this account sugar should be used sparingly by persons who tend to become corpu- lent. Sugar, confectionery, and the vari- ous sweet table sirups and molasses are not luxuries. They are not only Sugar is not any more harmful to the teeth than other foods. If al- lowed to cling to the teeth after eat- ing it rapidly ferments and forms acids that may be injurious. But this is true also of starchy foods. The remedy is to be found in proper care of the teeth as elsewhere recom- FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 37 mended. Neither does sugar produce gout; although it may be injurious in large quantities in certain classes of illness. In addition to being used as a fla- vor in cooked foods and otherwise, considerable quantities of sugar are taken in fresh fruits — of which it sometimes forms one-tenth or more — and dried fruits such as figs, dates and raisins, of which as much as 50 per cent may be sugar. Large quantities of sugar are also taken as confectionery. Cheap can- dies are made largely from glucose. This is no longer considered an in- jurious adulterant, although it is not quite so digestible as sugar and may, therefore, overload the stomach more easily. The best authorities seem to agree that, while sugar is a valuable food for growing children, it should be withheld from infants under two years of age. Nor should it be used for older children to sweeten cereal foods which form their staple food. Mush, porridge, and similar prepara- tions of wheat or other grain, should be eaten only with milk or cream. They are then in the same class as bread and milk and form the simple, wholesome basis of a meal. Sugar should preferably be given afterward in a simple pudding, or dessert, or in the form of lump sugar or home- made candy. Indeed, the best man- ner and time for giving candy to children is in the form of a few bon- bons for dessert rather than at all hours of the day between meals. Cereals. — Wheat bread and loaves of corn, rye or other cereal prod- ucts, together with the cereal break- fast foods, form a very essential part of the ordinary mixed diet. The va- rious cereals are- similar in chemical composition. They contain little fat, but consist, on an average, of 10 per cent proteid and from 60 to 80 per cent carbohydrate with varying pro- portions of water and ash. The ce- reals rank with milk and other dairy products as among the cheapest sources of nutriment. An average man at moderately active work re- quires about i of a pound of pro- teid with enough fats and carbohy- drates daily to make a total of 3,C00 calories of available energy. Milk contains all three classes of nutri- ents but not in the proper propor- tions for healthy adults. Meats and cheese are rich in proteid and fat. Vegetables are especially rich in car- bohydrates. Cereals contain both proteid and carbohydrates but in such proportions that, in order to get the requisite amount of proteid from bread alone, one would have to take more carbohydrate than would other- wise be necessary. Hence, the com- bination of bread with such foods as meat, milk or cheese, which are rich in proteid, makes a much better bal- anced ration. All of the cereals contain an inner kernel surrounded by one or more outer hulls. These hulls are ordi- narily removed in the process of mill- ing and sold as bran which is fed to stock. The popular opinion that bread made from the entire grain is more wholesome is not sustained by scientific experiments. The bran con- tains a large proportion of cellulose, or woody fiber, which is wholly indi- gestible. This substance may have some value as a laxative in cases of constipation, since, by mechanical ac- tion it stimulates the peristaltic ac- tion of the bowel. But it adds very little nutritive value to the loaf. On the contrary, experiments indicate that its presence somewhat lessens the digestibility of the finer portion of the grain. On the whole it may be taken for granted that the ordinary white bread is not only more pala- table, and preferable for appearance sake, but is actually a more economi- cal source of nutriment. However, all kinds of bread are nutritious and are to be recommended for the sake of variety. This is equally as impor- tant in bread as in meats, vegetables and puddings. The cheaper grades of flour are about as nutritious as the more ex- pensive and may be used with- out hesitancy if economy is required. Crackers, macaroni, and the various kinds of cake made from white flour have practically the same nutritive value as bread and are equally well digested by healthy adults. Hot bread in the form of rolls and bis- 88 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES cuit is also found to be digestible, if properly masticated. The value of toast for invalids and others is due to several changes produced by heat- ing. A portion of the carbohydrates becomes more soluble and hence more easily digested. If the heating is strong enough anj"^ ferments and bac- teria present may be killed. Toast, on account of its dryness, is likely to be well masticated. And partial caramelization gives a crispness and flavor which stimulate the digestive juices. Bread made with skim milk makes a better balanced ration than that made with water alone and is preferable since it does not materially increase the cost. The common cus- tom of eating butter or some other fat with bread is justified by the fact that the cereals, with the exception of corn, have little or no fat content. Breakfast Foods. — Careful studies in large numbers of American fami- lies show that the various cereals fur- nish over one-fifth of the total food, about one-third of the total proteid and considerably over one-half of the total carbohydrates of the average dietary. Of these about 2 per cent are furnished by the modern cereal breakfast foods. Notwithstanding that the percentage is small, the total quantity of such foods consumed is very great. And the millions of dol- lars expended in advertising the claims of superiority made for these food^ by their manufacturers give the subject popular interest. A careful study of the principal breakfast foods, made under the supervision of the De- partment of Agriculture, indicates that their nutritive value and digesti- bility are practically the same as the old-fashioned porridge and similar dishes. The ready-to-eat cereals economize time and, to some extent, fuel. This advantage, may justify the difference in their cost under cer- tain conditions in the household. The process of preparation in most cases is thoroughly cleanly and sanitary. And the small pasteboard packages in which these products are put up pro- tect the contents from all possible contamination. They also aflFord a convenient means of storage in the pantry. In general it was found that the less expensive kinds of raw cereal breakfast foods selling for about 4 cents a pound in bulk were as eco- nomical as flour, meal, or other forms of cereals with which they may be properly compared. The higher prices of ready-to-eat brands, how- ever, do not yield any additional nu- triment. Their advantage, if any, lies in their convenience and the pleasant variety they aiford. Some of these are excessively high in price, the maxi- mum being about 15 cents per pound, or nearly four times as much as their nutritive value would justify. The so-called malted foods and others said to be predigested, are per- haps the most objectionable of any. The claims made for them are largely fraudulent. The addition of malt and similar processes are designed to transform the starch content of such foods into sugar and other soluble forms. Experiment with most of the advertised foods shows that this has really not been done to any appreci- able extent. Moreover, healthy adults are more likely to be injured than benefited by the use of predigested foods. Nor should they be used by invalids except upon the advice of a competent physician. Hence, while these foods are really more whole- some than they would be if actually predigested, they are sold under mis- representation, and at excessively high prices which are in no way jus- tifiable. Coffee Substitutes. — Cereal prod- ucts as coflFee substitutes aj^pear to be made of parched barley, wheat and other grain, sometimes mixed with pea hulls, corn cobs or bran. Such grain parched with a little molasses in an ordinary oven makes something undistinguishable in fla- vor from the cereal coffees on the market. The claim of the manufac- turers that these substitutes yield more nourishment than coffee is en- tirely unfounded. They contain lit- tle or no nutriment, skim milk being about twenty times as nutritive. If strict economy is necessary it will be found equally as satisfactory to use old-fashioned •' crust coffee " made by toasting broken crusts of white, brown, or preferably " rye and In- FOOD VALUES AND ADULTERATIONS 89 dian " bread, steeping them in hot water and straining until compara- tively clear. Or parched corn, rye, sweet potato or other old-fashioned coffee substitutes may be used. Vegetables in the Diet. — In addi- tion to the cereals, vegetable foods may be classified as legumes, tubers, roots and bulbs, green vegetables and fruita. The principal legumes used important nutrient, that they may well be used for the sake of both economy and variety, as substitutes for meat in the daily dietary. The lack of fat in legumes suggests the addition of butter or other suitable fat, as salt pork, in the process of cooking. Dietary studies and experi- ments with legumes indicate that, when properly cooked and combined Vegetables. Cabbage 11 Celery 19 \ String Beans 17> \ \ Lima Beans 4.5 \ \ \ N \ \ \ Cucumbers 20 ^^ \ \ \ Egg Plant 12,\ \ \ \ \ \ ^ \ \\ \ \ Eadishes 17 ^- "^ Pumpkins 13 ■3\ \\ \\ v\\\ \ WW Onions.(fresli)C^x ^sVv^- '>.\ \ 7.1x^sV<^^v Corn, (greenl) X'^s'"- Squash 7A'^-n --Cr. Boiled Potatoes 3.6 — -; Parsnips 5.3 — '"'\,^-' Turnips 8.7-'*^ Food Map for Vegetables. — Dr. Irving Fisher. as food are peas, beans, cow-peas and lentils. While about one-half of these consists of carbohydrate in the form of starch, they also contain about one-fourth proteid. The re- mainder is chiefly water and refuse, since the proportion of fat which they contain is small. The dried legumes are so rich in proteid and compara- tively so cheap a source of this most with other foods in the ordinary mixed diet, they are well digested. Their tendency to cause flatulence may be corrected by soaking in soda and water and parboiling to remove the skin. Also by the addition of soda and salt in cooking. There can be no doubt that such foods as baked beans, pur^e of peas, and the like, are a valuable and economical part 40 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES of the diet, especially for men em- ployed at muscular work and for growing children. In view of their low cost, high nutritive value and wholesomeness, they may profitably be used to a much greater extent than they are at present. The potato, among roots and tu- bers, is most commonly used as food. butter and similar sources of fat and proteid. Mashed potato, prepared with milk and butter, is for this rea- son more wholesome and palatable than plain boiled potato. Use preferably young potatoes of the early varieties, of medium size, smooth and regular in shape and with comparatively few eyes. Avoid old Nuts and Fruits. Watermelon 27--^ Bananas 3.5 ^ \ Apricots 1.2 ^ \ \ 1 Oranges 9.4 ~-^ \ Peaches 10-^ ^n Cantaloupe 8.6 O^^ ^ ries.i.i— — _^_ ""v;; Prunes 1.14 IllllvliJi Pineapples 8 "'^,,'0 ] i \\\n\\ ^ On Grape juice 4,2 ''' - ■ • I 1 ' \ 00 X \ t~ \ ft n ^ Saudle of Lamb Lorx OF Veai, Leg of Lamis Crowx Roast of Lamb IIL ROASTS OF LAMB. \ KAL, AND PORK READY FOR THE OVEN Leg of Lamb Ready to Serve Ckown l{oAsr Kkai)^ to Ski{\ e (_'au\in(; Lec oi l.AMii Caumnc; Ckown Roast Serving Leg of Lamu Serving Crown Roast IV. carvlng roasts of lamb HuoiLiNCi Chicken Partridge Dick Goose TiRKEY Capon V. POULTRY A\D GAME READY FOR THE OVEN IJuoiLEU Heady to Serve Turkey Ready to Serve Carving Broiler ("ARVixf: Ti rkey Servinc; Broiler Serving Tirkey VI. CARVING POULTRY £c3 rfl n OS Blue Points ox Half-shell with Cocktail Sauce in Cup Broiled Mushrooms on Toast Consomme a la Royal Roast Fillet of Beef Potato Balls Horseradish Sauce String Beans Fried Smelts Sauce Tartake Apricot Sokbet VIII. SERVICE OF TWELVE-COURSE DINNER Sqcab, Roasted Hearts of Lettuce Parisian French Dressing Manhattan Ice Cream Little Cakes Cheese Souffle Toasted Wafers Fruit Nuts Bonbons Plum Pudding Hard Sauce Coffee IX. SERVICE OF A TWELVE-COURSE DINNER (lu\PF. Fiil IT CoCKIAri,: Hkoii.ki) MrsHKooMs ON Toast CuNSOMMb: A LA HoVAL UoAsT Fii.i.ET OF Beef Hohseradish Saice Potato Balls Strinc. Beans Fhied Smelts Saice Tauim;!- Aphicot SonnET X. SERVICE OF TWELVE COURSE DIWER FROM BUFFET OR SERVING TABLE SouAB, Roasted Heakts of Lettice Parisian French Dressing Manhattan Ice (kkam Little CJakes PbrM Pudding Hard Saitce Coffee XI. SERVICE OF TWELVE COIRSE DINNER FROM BUFFET OR SERVING TABLE LuxcHEOx Table Laid with Cloth for a Fohmal Luncheon Dinner Table Laid fok Lnfohmal Family Dinner XIIL SERVICE FOR FORMAL LUNCHEON AND FAMILY DINNER Breakfast Table for Service of Cereal and Coffee SriM'KU Tahle kou Ciiafinu Dish Sipper Xn . SKK\ ICK FOR FAMILY HHEAKFAST AND CHAFING DISH SUPPER Buffet Laid for Service of Refreshments at a Reception Table Laid for Service of Refreshments at a Recepiio.v XV. SERVICE OF REFRESHMENTS AT RECEPTIONS Aki'ioknoon Tea Sehvice Dhawinc; Room Seuvite fok Coffee Tea Cart Invalid's Bedside Table with Tray Chocolate Service Punch Bowl for Reception ok Dance XVI. SERVICE OF BEVERAGES AND BEDSIDE SERVICE THE ART OF CORRECT TABLE SERVICE 77 ience, in removal, even at less formal meals, nor should a waitress carry piles of plates in her hands and dis- tribute them about the table. Soiled dishes should not be allowed to ac- cumulate upon the side table, but should be removed promptly from the dining room. When a dish containing food is passed by the waitress, the dish is placed on a napkin on the palm of the left hand. The napkin is not used when placing or exchanging plates or in removing the table dishes contain- ing food. The serving silver is placed on the dish in a position convenient to be served; this silver should be ar- ranged at the side table, not as the dish is being presented. Two pieces of silver arranged at either end of the dish are essential in most cases for the best service. The serving dish should be held firmly and low and near the person to be served. It should be held in the left hand and if too heavy for one hand, steadied with the right hand on the edge of the dish. The waitress should stand slightly back and to the left of the person served when passing food. Before a meal is announced, all doors and drawers should be closed, all shades properly drawn and all can- dles lighted. All food pertaining to the first course should be ready to serve. At informal meals the first course may be placed on the table. The water glasses may be filled be- fore the meal is announced or just after the guests are seated. At less formal meals the carafes or water pitchers are kept filled upon the side table, the waitress being trained to replenish the glass. If apoUinaris or other aerated water is served, the small tumbler to contain it stands empty; for effervescent waters are not poured until after the guests are seated. Glasses are filled three-quar- ters full — never to the brim. A formal meal is always annoimced by the waitress in person. In an- nouncing the meal, the waitress ap- pears at the door of the drawing- room and stands in silence for her mistress to recognize her; or she may say " Dinner is served." Other meals are announced according to the pref- erence of the hostess, sometimes by the Japanese gong, sometimes by per- sonal announcement. As has been explained, the style of service varies according to the formal- ity of the meal and the individual preferences of the host and hostess. A description of the style of service, for more formal meals will be given first and remarks regarding the less formal styles will follow. SERVICE A LA RUSSE For a ceremonious dinner the Rus- sian style is commonly used. It per- mits of two methods of serving. Either the food is arranged on in- dividual plates and placed before each person, or the plates are placed, empty, for the successive courses and all food is passed, the food being at- tractively arranged on suitable dishes from which each person helps himself. The menu is divided into courses that succeed each other according to a conventional order. It is good taste not to have too many. Five or six courses are regarded as sufficient; eight, as adequate; and most hos- tesses advise against the serving of more than ten courses in any circum- stances. The order of courses is usually as follows: A first course of oysters or clams on the half shell or canapes of sardines, caviar, or some other light relish; or of fruit such as grape fruit, strawberries or melon according to locality and season; or the dinner may begin with a soup. This is followed by the fish, an entree, roast and vegetables, sorbet, game, and salad, an entree of cheese or vegetables, hot dessert, ice-cream, fruit, nuts, bonbons, and coffee. A discussion as to the way these courses may be served at a large and ceremonious dinner will suggest the way a meal may be served when fewer courses constitute the menu. The Shell Fish. — After the guests are seated and have removed their napkins, the waitress takes up the place-plates and puts down a plate holding the first course of fruit or oysters. These are in their re- 78 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES spective dishes which rest on a serv- vice plate; both plates together are placed in position on the table. To expedite the service, they may be ar- ranged on the side table just before the dinner is announced; or it is per- missible for the waitress to bring two plates of food at a time to the dining- room, placing one on the serving table and the other on the dining- table, and returning to the serving table for the second plate rather than to the pantry, thus saving steps and time. All plates are removed and placed one by one, the waitress taking up with the left hand the plate to be removed and with the right hand slipping a fresh plate into the vacant place. No cover is left at any time throughout a formal dinner without a plate except when the table is cleared for the dessert. Sometimes a place-plate is exchanged for the soiled plate and this plate removed when the next course arranged on indi- vidual plates is placed. When the guests have finished the first course, the oyster plates are removed; the service plates left in position. On these the soup plates are placed. The Soup Course. — Before the soup is served, the soup tureen, soup plates, and soup ladle should be laid in order on the side table in the din- ing room or pantry and here the soup is served, a ladleful or half ladleful — according to the size of the ladle — being given to each guest, the soup plates never being more than half full. If the soup is served from the pantry, the waitress may bring in two plates of soup and proceed as in the first course. The bread sticks or other SOU]) accompaniments are next passed. The most important accom- paniments of a course are always passed first and the others in the order of their importance. At the conclusion of the soup course, all the soup plates are re- moved. When a course of hors d'oeuvre — celery, radishes, olives, and salted nuts — follows, the place plates are left in position and these relishes are passed. Otherwise, the place plates are removed with the soup plates upon them, and warm, flat plates for the fish are set down. The Fish Course. — The fish may be disposed on a large platter, the whole attractively garnished, or it may be arranged in individual por- tions on the plates. Should the fish be small, one or more are placed on each plate; otherwise, a small portion of fish is served. A sauce is com- monly passed with the fish, together with potatoes cooked in some dainty fashion. In addition, cucumber salad is frequently served with the fish, in which case it is either placed directly upon the plate with the fish or upon small plates placed to receive it. After the fish has been disposed of, the plates are taken away and warm plates for the entree placed. The Entree. — The entries are served from the pantry or side table usually in individual forms such as pastry shells. A sauce is either served on the plate or handed at the left in order that each guest may help himself. The apoUinaris is poured just before the roast is served. The Roast and Vegetables. — The fresh warm dinner plates for the roast displace those on which the entree was served. The carving is done in the pantry. The roast is then placed on a platter containing slices both rare and well done, so arranged that the guests may readily help themselves to the kind preferred. A single vegetable may accompany the roast. More than two vegetables are very rarely served. One vegetable may be arranged on the platter with the meat or both may be brought in in vegetable dishes and passed, each guest taking a helping on the plate with the meat. A single waitress passes the roast to all guests and then retraces her steps to pass the vege- tables in the same order as that in which she passed the meat. Two waitresses may perform the same duties on opposite sides of the table or one may pass the roast and the other follow closely with the vege- table. The roast and vegetables are often served in the pantry. A plate containing portions of these is then placed before each guest. The sorbet. — Which is a frozen punch or ice — is served after the THE ART OF CORRECT TABLE SERVICE 79 roast. This course is served in a sher- bet glass on a small plate with a doily between, and a small spoon. These are always arranged in the pantry; a heaping tablespoonful of sorbet is sufScient for each glass. The plates containing the roast are removed as the sorbet is placed. Laying Additional Silver. — The knives, forks, and spoons used at each course are removed on the plates and — unless a complete cover has been laid — fresh ones should be brought when those originally sup- plied have been used. This fresh silver should be placed from a napkin on the hand or from a tray just be- fore or just after the plate is placed. But when rapid service is desired or when a dinner of many courses is served (especially with such courses as sorbet, salad, dessert and coffee), it is permissible to bring in the fresh silver on the plate on which the course is served. Silver should always be put down from the right. A knife and fork are not put down side by side. The fork is placed at the left of the cover and the knife at the right. If a fork alone is to be used, as for salad, it is placed at the right. When the hostess' supply of china or silver is limited the articles first used are washed in the pantry and brought in again when needed. This is the duty of the maid who helps in the pantry; it must never be left to those who wait upon the table, as this would delay the service. The Game and Salad. — After the sorbet cups and plates have been taken away, warm plates are placed for the game. Venison is carved and served from the pantry, or side table and handled in all respects the same as the roast. Poultry and game birds are carved and served on warm plat- ters. In case of chicken and turkey, both dark and light meat should be so disposed that each guest may select either or both. Small game or birds are served in the pantry or from the side table. When the salad is served with the game it may either be upon plates containing the game or passed from the left, each guest helping himself directly upon a small plate laid for that purpose to the left of each cover before the salad is offered; or it may be served from the side table on sep- arate plates and placed at the left of each person. Should a vegetable be served with the game, however, the salad follows, constituting with cheese and wafers a separate course. Cold plates are used for the salad to keep it crisp. In removing this course, the waitress takes the salad plate and then the game plate. W^hen salad is served with the game, cheese may be served as a separate course after the game. Such a course of cheese is often served as savories, being ar- ranged on individual plates and placed before the guests after the game plates are removed. Clearing the Table. — Before the dessert is brought in, the table is cleared and crumbed. With the ex- ception of the glasses, everything in front of each guest should be re- moved. At less formal meals the table is likewise cleared; relishes, bread and butter plates, salts and peppers which may have been upon the table are removed. Only the nuts, bonbons, decorations and illum- inations are left in place. Any crumbs are removed with a napkin on to a small plate. The goblets are filled with water and the dessert is then brought in. The Hot Dessert. — At a formal dinner, a hot dessert (often omitted to shorten the meal) may precede a frozen cream or ice. It is usually arranged on individual plates and placed from the right. The Ice. — After the removal of the hot dessert, the ice-cream is next served. If in individual molds, it is placed before the guest; if in a large mold, it is passed, the cold ice-cream plates having been placed as the plates of the preceding course were removed. The Finger Bowl Service. — As the ices are removed, the finger bowl service is placed. This consists of a plate of dessert size with doily in its center and the finger bowl which rests on the doily. The bowl should be about one-third full of tepid water and may contain a very thin slice of 80 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES lemon, or a sweet scented leaf or small blossom. If a course follows for which a spoon or a knife is needed one or both may be placed on the plate, one on each side if both are used. The guest will remove the bowl, doily and silver before the next course is offered. The bowl and doily are placed to the left of the plate; the silver is laid in position at the sides. The Fruit, Nuts and Bonbons. — A dish of fruit is i)assed after the finger bowls have been removed and, sometimes, is afterwards placed on the table. Grapes should be accom- panied with grape scissors by means of which clusters are clipped from the stem. After the fruit, nuts and raisins with bonbons are frequently passed. Instead of fruit, a course of cheese and wafers may be offered if a similar course has not been served earlier in the meal. The Coffee. — Coffee in small cups — demi-tasse — is now brought in and set down from the right, and sugar on a small tray is passed to the left of each guest. Cream may be offered though few people take it. Coffee is sometimes served from the table; the complete coffee service being brought to the table and set be- fore the hostess. Often, however, at formal dinners, coffee is served to the men in the dining-room after the women have withdrawn and to the latter separately in the drawing- room. Or, it may be served to the men and to the women together in the drawing-room. In either of the latter cases, the coffee service may be placed before the hostess who pours and the coffee passed by a waitress; or, if preferred, all the cups filled may be placed on a large tray with sugar bowl, sugar tongs, and creamer and the tray passed. Another way to serve coffee is as follows: One waitress passes a tray containing the coffee cups — a coffee spoon lying on each saucer — and a sugar bowl and creamer; another follows with a silver coffee pot upon a tray and pours the coffee for each guest. Coffee in large cups is served with the meals only at family meals or similar informal occasions. THE ENGLISH STYLE OF SERVICE The service of a meal after the Rus- sian style requires one or more people to be constantly busy attending to the orderly progression of tlie courses. The mistress of a home who wishes to have a meal served after this fashion, but who does not have the necessary servants must employ extra help. For company dinners in small households, therefore, as for ordinary meals, the English or American style of service is used. The host who can skillfully carve and the hostess who understands the art of serving, need not hesitate to entertain in one of these fashions, from fear that their hospitality will be less acceptable than that characterized by the formal service. A meal of few courses may be cooked and served by the hostess herself as acceptably, in every re- spect, as if prepared and served by trained helpers. But for a meal that makes any pretense of formality, at least one maid is required in order that the hostess may not be obliged to leave the table to wait upon her guests. If onl3' one maid is in at- tendance the menu should be simple and the number of courses few. When a meal is served after the Eng- lish style, the duties of the maid are to bring the food to the table, to re- move all soiled dishes from the table, to pass the plates containing indi- vidual portions, to offer, at proper time the vegetables, relishes, etc. The maid should stand back of the carver, and she should take each plate as it is served and place it before the person for whom it is intended. If a sauce or vegetables are to be served with any course she should offer them as promptly as possible. In order to lighten the work of serv- ing it is customary not only to place bonbons, and salted nuts upon the table but also to add at proper in- tervals the accessories of the various courses. These accompaniments of courses the maid may pass or allow the guests to help themselves at the invitation of the hostess. Whether the dinner begins with shell fish or fruit, the first course may be served in all respects the same THE ART OF CORRECT TABLE SERVICE 81 as on a more ceremonious occasion. If the dinner begins with soup a cov- ered soup tureen is placed in front of the cover of the hostess. The soup ladle is laid at the right of the soup tureen. A pile of warm soup plates may be placed at the right or left of the hostess' cover if space is ade- quate, or these may be in position on the serving table. As soon as every one is seated the maid removes the tureen cover and places the ladle in the soup. If the soup plates are on the side table the maid takes one and places it before the hostess. A fresh soup-plate is placed when the one filled is removed. If the plates are beside the hostess' cover, it is the custom for the hostess to place the plate in position before serving the soup. The maid passes the plates of soup as served by the hostess, one at a time, precisely as above directed for the Russian service. As it is not customary to offer a second serving of soup — except at a family dinner — the maid should re-cover and re- move the soup tureen as soon as the soup and its accompaniments have been served. After every one has finished with the course, the maid re- moves the soup and service plates and brings to the side table the dinner plates, the vegetables, and the roast. The roast is placed directly in front of the cover of the host. The carving knife and serving spoon are placed at the right of the platter and the carving fork at the left. The warm dinner plates may be placed as were the soup plates. The maid places one plate containing a portion of the roast while the carver is pre- paring another. After the roast has been served, the maid takes the vegetables from the side table, passes them and returns them, covered, to their former posi- tion. The vegetables and roast are left in place until all have finished in order that second helpings may be served if desired. The platter con- taining the roast is removed with the carving set and serving spoon upon it. If frozen punch follows the roast, it is served as for the formal dinner. Game and fowl, if any, are served in precisely the same manner as the roast. Salad may be served with game or may constitute a separate course. In either case, a salad may be prepared in advance and kept in a cool place until required, or a large salad bowl and necessary ingredients may be set before the hostess in order that she may prepare and dress the salad at the table. She may then serve the portions on plates brought to her by the maid. These are placed before the guests. At the small din- ner, salad often constitutes a separate course. The salad may be served as above or the salad plates may be placed as the dinner plates are re- moved. The bowl of salad is placed upon the table before the hostess. The plate before her is filled and this exchanged for the plate at the cover of the one first served. This in turn is filled and so on. Cheese and wafers may be passed. As the des- sert, puddings, ice-cream and the like, are usually served by the hostess, cake is either passed by the maid and finally set upon the table, or placed upon the table in the first place and passed by the guests. After the des- sert, the hostess passes the bonbons. Coffee may either be poured by the hostess at the table or served in the living room; but usually for dinners served after the English fashion, the men and women take their coffee to- gether in the dining-room. Other- wise, when a simple dinner is given, the maid in attendance follows the custom for a formal dinner as though the Russian service was used. THE AMERICAN SERVICE In our American homes, the com- bination of the two forms — the Rus- sian and the English forms — is wide- ly used, especially for small dinners and luncheons. When this form (pre- viously designated as the American style of service) is used, such dishes as present an attractive appearance are served from the table after the fashion of the English; in other courses, the food, in dishes from which each guest helps himself, is passed or arranged in individual por- tions and placed by the waitress ac- cording to the Russian form. 8^ HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES A meal may be prepared and served without a maid. Families with average incomes find service without a maid imperative. When a woman has all the work of the home to do, she must consider how she may conserve her health and energy. The menu, therefore, must be simple and consideration must be given to the details of service before the meal is begun. Even if the service is simple it is of the greatest importance to have the table clean and dainty in ap- pearance. In laying the table, special pains should be taken to provide everything necessary, that there may be as little occasion as possible for leaving the table. The carving cloth and carving set, if to be used, should be in place; also sufficient silver for each dish to be served. The vinegar and oil cruets and relishes, if served, may be placed when the table is laid. Bread and butter plates may be placed on the table. The use of bread and butter plates is not neces- sary but gives a daintier service than if the butter is placed on a hot plate. Butter may be neatly cut and placed on a plate on the table, likewise bread. A pitcher of ice-water may be placed on the table near some member of the family who will re- plenish the glasses. If a hot bev- erage is to be served during the meal, sugar and cream together with the cups and saucers may be on the table before the family are seated. All foods which need not be served very hot or very cold may be placed on the dining table or on the serving table. Food on the serving table may be covered with a napkin until required. The style of serving is necessarily simple. For this kind of service, it is not practicable to carry out all the rules observed by a wait- ress. One who must prepare and serve a meal should not be expected to take additional steps for the sake of form. Therefore, for this kind of serving it is allowable to dispense with the place plate, to remove two plates at a time, etc.; the leading principle is to dispense with that which is unnecessary. A small tray or serving wagon at the right or left of the hostess is very convenient. Children should be permitted and taught to help with the serving. They should have daily share in such duties as filling the glasses, passing food, arranging for the change of courses and the like. The one who sits near the carver may serve the vegetables that are to be on the same plate with the meat and thus save time and confusion in passing them. Sometimes the making of a beverage at the table or the cooking of an arti- cle in the chafing dish will give variety and add a charm to the meal as well as simplify the service, es- pecially when breakfast or supper is the meal to be served. CHAPTER V CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING JOINTS, POULTRY AND GAME BY M. EDOUARD PANCHARD Managing Chef of the Hotel McAlpin, Hotel Claridge, and Caf6 Savarin, New York, and tlie Trouville, Long Beach. METHODS OF COOKING JOINTS, POULTRY, AND GAME — SELEC- TION OF BEEF, VEAL, LAMB AND MUTTON, PORK, POULTRY AND GAME BIRDS, DUCKS AND GEESE — DRESSING POULTRY — ROASTING AND CARVING POULTRY AND GAME — UTEN- SILS FOR CARVING. Catering or marketing — i.e., the selection and purchase of food stuffs for the table — is most often con- sidered, in the ordinary American household, primarily from the stand- point of convenience. The house- wife's choice of meat, fish, and other perishable food stuffs that form the principal part of the daily meals is usually determined by the resources of the grocer or butcher that she patronizes. And in most parts of the country orders for the day's supplies are given to a clerk who calls upon the housewife to receive them, or given direct to the tradesman over the telephone, the selection being, as a rule, intrusted wholly to the latter's discretion. Within recent years, how- ever, as a result of scientific study of foods, and of popular instruction in the subject in cooking schools and other institutions, the wholesome old- fashioned custom of going to market and selecting in person one's meats, fish, vegetables, and other supplies, has been quite generally revived, and the lore of the market has resumed, to a great extent, the place that it formerly occupied as among the fash- ionable accomplishments of our grand- mothers. 83 To know how intelligently to select, every day in the year, the best that the market affords, is of far greater importance, both from the standpoint of the physical well-being of the fam- ily, and from that of conserving the family income, than is commonly sup- posed. Yet many women in their everyday routine are very careless and indifferent concerning these mat- ters. But every housekeeper becomes more or less solicitous concerning her catering upon occasion of giving a breakfast, luncheon, or dinner-party, or even a family meal to which guests are to be entertained. The instinct of hospitality impels most persons to feel that nothing is too good for the invited guest; yet the best intentions of the housekeeper who habitually entrusts the choice of meats, poultry, and game to the butcher, and of vege- tables to the green-grocer, are often unhappily defeated by the dealer's carelessness or by her own inability in an emergencj^ to recognize the best, so as to insist upon having it. Every woman, out of regard for the welfare of her family, should do her own marketing. But certainly the woman who entertains should cultivate this practice and the nice skill in catering 84 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES that it gives, will add immeasurably to the success of her dinner-parties and other entertainments. The Selection of Meats. — Not many houseliecpcrs give enough thought to the characteristics of tlie various cuts of meat resulting from their natural relation to the living animal. Indeed, the cook or the carver who knows just what part of the living animal is rep- resented by the piece before him, or what relation the bone in a steak or roast sustains to the animal's skeleton, is doubtless the very rare exception. Yet nothing could be simpler than to familiarize oneself with the various cuts of meat, as exemplified in the ac- compan)'ing plates, or to identify these u])on the butcher's counter, indeed, any housekeeper can readily arrange, by apjiointment with the butcher, to be at iiand when the latter is cutting up a side of beef, veal, mutton, or pork, and thus receive without expense a practical demonstration of the art of meat cutting. The method of cutting the various sides of meat has been described elsewhere. It is suflBcient in this place to discuss the special characteristics by which the best grades of meat may be recognized when marketing, and the qualities of the various cuts from the standpoint of catering, especially for dinner-parties and other enter- tainments. Full directions for cooking the vari- ous meats and meat dishes are also given elsewhere but it seems desirable to give in this connection certain suggestions of special interest to the woman who entertains. METHODS OF COOKING JOINTS, POULTRY, AND GAME There are three typical methods of cooking meat: first, by the application of intense heat to keep in the juices, as by roasting, baking, or broiling; second, by placing the meat in cold water and cooking for a long time at a low temperature, i.e. boiling: and, third, by a combination of the two processes, first searing, and then after- wards stewing the meat. The first method is suitable only for tlie most tender cuts, young poultry, and game birds, and as these are the kinds of meat most often selected for meals at which company is to be entertained, the processes of roasting, baking, and broiling, and the kinds of meat, poul- try, and game that are best adapted to these methods of cookery are of chief interest in this connection. Cooks recognize a distinction be- tween roasting and baking. The word roasting, properly speaking, applies to the old-fashioned method of cook- ing by the direct radiant heat from the open fire; whereas baking is cooking by heat reflected by the sides of the oven. The older method of roasting is now very little practiced in private houses, and the term roast- ing is now most often improperly ap- plied to baking in an oven. The rules for the treatment of the meat, how- ever, are substantially the same in both cases, and the two processes therefore may properly be dealt with together. Meat which is to be roasted should never be washed, but only wiped over on the outside with a clean, damp cloth. For roasting in the older sense of the term, it should then be hung on the roasting spit or hook. For baking it should be set on the trivet or meat stand, and placed in a drip- ping-pan large enough to project two or three inches all around it. The modern double dripj^ing-pan, having a close-fitting cover, with a vent to allow the escape of gases and steam from the meat juices is in- finitely superior to the old-fashioned single pan, and the purchase of at least two such pans — one of about 8 inches for small roasts, game birds, and the like; and one of about 18 inches for large joints, roasting chicken and turkey — is to be earn- estly recommended to every house- wife. A very essential point in roasting or baking meat properly is to expose the joint or bird for the first few minutes to a very high temperature to sear the surface and thereby harden the albumen on the outside so as to prevent the escape of the meat juices, and tlien to lower the temperature and keep it at a sub- stantially lower point for the remain- CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 85 der of the time that the joint requires for roasting or baking, with the object of preventing a similar hardening of the albumen in the interior of the meat. The proper temperature for a large piece of meat at the beginning is about 550 degrees, but after the surface is well browned, the tempera- ture should be dropped to about 400 degrees, and kept at this point until the process is finished. To accomplish this, a roast of meat should be hung close to the fire, and meat to be baked should be placed in the hottest part of the oven, until the surface is thor- oughly browned. Then it should be drawn back or moved to a cooler part of the oven. If a gas oven is being used, the gas should be turned on full, in advance, and allowed to burn about ten minutes. Then it may be turned down slightly to reduce the temperature. In the absence of an oven thermometer the cook, must of course learn by experiment the proper management of her own oven. Basting and Larding. — Meat, while being cooked, whether by roasting or baking, must be often basted, i.e., the melted fat which has run from it must be poured over its surface with a spoon or ladle, to prevent the roast from drying out or burning. In order to insure that there may be suflBcient dripping for this purpose, the cook must take notice whether the meat has enough fat; otherwise a little additional fat should be put in the pan, and also upon the top of the roast. Lean joints of meat, or poultry, game, and the like — which have no natural fat on the outside — should be larded by having slices of fat bacon laid over them and tied tightly with a cord to protect the meat from browning too rapidly. Or a piece of buttered paper may be used for this purpose, which may be taken off during the last fifteen minutes so that the surface may become brown. Larding is usually necessary for thick pieces only. Meat roasting before an open fire requires frequent basting, at intervals of about ten minutes. Meat baking in the oven — except for very small pieces — requires basting only about half as often, or at inter- vals of twenty minutes. How Long to Cook a Roast. — Some experience is required to deter- mine when a roast is sufficiently done. The inexperienced cook should con- sult the Complete Time Table, else- where given. But one must also con- sider that the time required depends upon the weight and the quality of the roast. As a general rule, a thick piece of beef requires fifteen minutes to the pound, and fifteen minutes over. A similar piece of pork or veal will require twenty minutes to the pound, and fifteen minutes over; poultry, fifteen minutes to the pound. With a little experience, the cook should be able to tell when the meat is done by pressing with the finger upon the outside. If the roast is well done, the outside will recover slowly from the pressure of the finger. If done, it will rebound at once. If overdone, it will scarcely yield at all. Broiling. — Broiling, like roasting, is cooking by the direct rays of the fire but, unlike roasting, it is adapted to small and thin pieces of meat, such as chops, steak, chicken, and smaller game birds. The whole of the cooking is accomplished by sharp heat applied to the outside, but so regu- lated as to allow the outside to be hardened while the inside is being gently cooked. To accomplish per- fect broiling, some care and experi- ence are required, and lack of care and judgment many times causes fail- ure in broiling, the meat being either tough and dry or underdone. In cooking on the grill, the state of the fire must be taken into consideration. The coals must be glowing, without smoke or flame. Should flame arise, a few drops of cold water sprinkled over the coals will cause them to sub- side. For broiling by gas, the gas must be lighted long enough in ad- vance to radiate a strong heat, both over and under the grill. The grill must be greased with suet or pieces of larding pork, and the steak or other pieces of meat to be broiled laid on this, held at a proper distance from the fire, and turned once in a w-hile till done. A chop or steak, when properly grilled, should look plump in the middle, and should be 86 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES rare and juicy, rather than dry and hard. For full instructions as to the time required for broiling, consult the Cook's Complete Time Table. But obsen'e that, in general, the time is regulated, not by weight, but by the thickness of the meat, and is approxi- mately as follows: For a steak, one and one-half inches thick, underdone, fifteen minutes; welldone, twenty minutes. For a steak, one inch thick, underdone, twelve minutes; welldone, fifteen minutes. For spring chicken, fifteen minutes, squab chicken, ten served with good taste at any season of the year. Beef is affected as to quality by several conditions, such as the breed of the animal, the manner of feeding, the amount of exercise, the age when killed, and the length of time the meat is allowed to cure before being used. The beeves from the ranges of the West and Southwest — com- monly known in America as Western or Chicago beef — are to be preferred, as a rule, to local beef; indeed, there is very little of the latter nowadays in the American market. A grass- Chart Illustrating American Method of Cutting Side of Beef minutes. For a Iamb chop, seven minutes; and for a veal chop, fifteen minutes. SELECTION OF BEEF Characteristics of Beef. — Beef is a staple article with the butcher and the housekeeper the year round, for not only is a fresh supply constantly coming into the market, but a sur- plus is always kept in cold storage. Lamb and veal are especially season- able in early spring and summer, mutton and pork in late fall and winter; but beef of good quality may be had at any time, and may be fed steer, allowed to range on the open plains so as to receive a mod- erate amount of exercise, yields, in general, the best beef, as these con- ditions make the animal healthy and give the meat the finest flavor ; but the stall-fed steer also develops beef of good quality. The age of the animal at killing for prime beef is four years, but the beef continues to be good up to the eighth year of the ani- mal's age, after which it is likely to become tough and stringy. Both the flavor and texture of beef are very much improved by hanging, that is, being kept as long a time as possible before using. The objects of CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 87 hanging are to allow the skins to dry thereby closing the pores so as to exclude the germs that cause decay and to allow the muscular fibers and other tissues to relax and soften. To accomplish these results a side of meat should be hung up (never laid flat on a table or shelf) either in the open air — which is to be preferred in a hot, dry climate — or in cold storage. The larger the side or cut, the longer it may be safely hung be- fore being used, and for this reason the heaviest sides of Western beef are quite commonly shipped to Eng- land, where the market demands large cuts with a " high " flavor resulting from long hanging. To select good beef, one should preferably go to the butcher-shop and inspect the meat in the full side, or at least before the cut is trimmed, and should require the cut selected to be set aside and trimmed in one's presence. The beef from a medium sized carcass, weighing eight hundred to nine hundred pounds, is likely to be best. The side or cut should be medium fat, not over fat, but cer- tainly not lean. With the aid of a little experience anyone can learn to distinguish be- tween the fine texture and bright color of young beef, and the coarse, dry texture and dark color of that from older animals. The flesh in healthy young beeves is firm and of fine texture; the color of the lean meat, bright red, that of the fat, yel- lowish white. But observe that a dark color in beef may be a mere surface discoloration due to exposure to the air, which may be trimmed ofi', leaving the rest of the cut entirely acceptable for use; or it may be an indication that the beef is old, or even tainted. The difference can easily be detected when the cut is trimmed. One may judge the quality of beef not only by the thickness of the layer of fat underlying the skin and about the kidneys, but also by the extent to which the meat is " marbled," i.e., shot through with yellowish white streaks and spots of fat. The portion of any animal that gets the least exercise is naturally the finest, both in texture and flavor. Hence the portion of all animals sur- rounding the backbone, contains the choicest cuts, and is preferred to the limbs, neck, and similar pieces. In the beef, the choice cuts are the prime ribs, commonly served as roasts, and the Delmonico, porterhouse, sirloin, and tenderloin cuts, which may be served either in the form of roasts or steaks. The chuck or shoulder clod and the rump, round, and top sirloin, stand next in order of general de- sirability. When the beef carcass is first divided into halves, the backbone is split lengthwise so that the cuts taken from the portions surrounding the backbone — including the rib roast, the Delmonico, the porterhouse, etc. — each contain a triangular piece of bone, representing one-half of the animal's vertebrae. The side is next divided into quarters, called, respec- tively, the fore- and hind-quarters, of which the muscles of the former having received more exercise are coarser and tougher than those of the latter. By reference to the accom- panying illustrations the sections of bone that are found in the various cuts of beef can be readily identified. From the standpoint of economy, it is apparent that, in general, the amount of bone in the cut should be small in proportion to the amount of meat. But in this connection the table given elsewhere, showing the relative amount of bone in the differ- ent cuts of meat, should be consulted. Perhaps the most fashionable cut of beef for a dinner-party is the filet roast, i.e., the entire tenderloin de- tached from the backbone and roasted. The filet should be cut from a young, fat beef, and should be well marbled with fat. But since the filet is essen- tially a piece of lean meat, it is cus- tomary to lard the tenderloin by drawing ribbons of fat pork through the upper surface by means of a lard- ing needle — a hollow implement de- signed expressly for this purpose — in such wise as to leave both ends protruding. The larding can be seen in the accompanying illustration of carving the tenderloin. The filet or tenderloin of beef is, in the opinion of many, greatly over- 88 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES rated. For, although the tenderest of all cuts of beef, it is neither as juicy nor as rich in flavor as the rest of the loin. When planning for a filet roast, it is sound economy to buy the entire loin, i.e., the Delmonico and porter- house cuts — or such part of them as may be necessary to secure a filet of the described size — remove the ten- derloin for the filet roast, and reserve the rest to be served as steaks, or to be roasted subsequently. The thin end of the tenderloin, extending to- ward the rump, is less desirable, and would better be omitted, unless a very large filet is desired. Next to the tenderloin, the short loin — including the porterhouse, and Delmonico cuts — makes the juiciest and tenderest roast, and excels even the filet in flavor. This cut makes an excellent roast for the family din- ner to which one or more guests are invited. The short loin may be pre- pared for roasting in either of two ways, with or without the bone. Many hostesses prefer to have the bone removed to facilitate carving, in which case the butcher should be instructed to this effect when the roast is ordered. ROASTING. CARVING AND SERVING BEEF In buying a roast, allow about one pound, or slightly less, for each adult member of the company. That is, order a roast of from four to six pounds for a dinner-party of six people. To prepare the rib roast, or similar roast of beef, for a dinner- party, first make ready the roast as shown in the accompanying illustra- tions, or request the butcher to do so, and lay it in the dripping-pan upon the rack or trivet, as illustrated. Add salt, pepper and, unless the meat is very fat, a few drippings or pieces of fine fat. Put the skin side down and set the meat in a very hot oven, so that the fierce heat may sear and hold the juices in the lean part. When this part becomes brown, show- ing that the meat has become seared, baste with the fat, and reduce the heat. For a dinner-party or company dinner, beef should be roasted rare, the condition of beef roasted to a turn being indicated by the expression, " the blood should follow the knife." The time required for a thick piece of beef is about fifteen minutes to the pound, and fifteen minutes over, and the roast should be ready at least a half an hour before being carved, in order to allow the albumen inside to set. A somewhat longer time should be allowed for a roast which has been boned and rolled into symmetrical form as such a roast is more compact and the interior heats through more slowly. No water should be placed in the dripping-pan unless there is danger that the fat in the bottom may be burned, in which case a tablespoonful at a time may be added. The juices from the meat will ordinarily form a sufficient gravy. But the flavor of the gravy may be very much en- hanced by placing around the roast in the pan a few small carrots and onions, and a sprinkling of bay leaves, thyme, and parsley. Many hostesses also add small, new potatoes in season, previously peeled, to be baked, browned, and flavored by the roast. Lean roasts of meat and poultry or game birds, that are deficient in fat, may also require larding, i.e., the addition of some meat or vegetable fat, such as fine drippings, lard, crisco, or the like. Butter should not be used for this purpose, as it is likely to burn at the bottom of the pan. The gravj', however, should not be suffered to become too rich and greasy. If any fat is evident upon the surface of the gravy, it should be poured off before the gravy is served or thickened. The gravy may be thickened or not, as the hostess prefers, the un- thickened or " dish gravy " being usu- ally given preference at formal meals, and the thickened gravy being per- haps more customary at family din- ners. French cooks, in order to make a somewhat richer gravy, conunonly sprinkle dry flour over the roast be- fore placing it in the pan. After becoming browned and flavored by contact with the roasting meat, this flour, gradually falling into the bot- CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 89 torn of the pan, browns and flavors the gravy and slightly thickens it. After the meat is done and has been removed to the platter, hold the cor- ner of the dripping-pan over a bowl, pour off the fat from the top of the gravy, and save it. Then pour one pint of good stock into the pan, dis- solve in it all the sediment of the coagulated albumen and juices, sim- mer until it has been reduced about one-third in bulk and pour into the sauce bowl. For further suggestions on the length of time required for roasting, consult the Cook's Complete Time Table. The prime ribs of beef are used chiefly for roasts, and constitute the best part of the fore-quarter.i Be- tween the four cuts of prime ribs there is a very decided preference. The first cut, that nearest the hind quarter, is very nearly equal in qual- ity to the short loin, and is valued accordingly. The second cut is also a very good roast. The others are less desirable in their order. Rib roasts may also be had boned and rolled by the butcher, if desired, but these cuts are quite commonly roasted with the bones, upon the ground that they give the roast additional flavor, and also cause it to present a more at- tractive appearance. Other less de- sirable, but also less expensive roasts, are the top of the round, i.e., the in- side of the hind quarter of the animal — so named because that side usually lies uppermost on the butcher's counter — the rump, and the chuck, or shoulder clod, a solid piece of meat of low cost, but of fair quality. Carving' and Serving Roast Beef. — The filet or tenderloin, properly larded, presents a very attractive ap- pearance, especially when garnished with a few sprigs of watercress or parsley. To carve, it should be held firmly with a fork, grasped in the left hand, and cut into slices slightly less 1 In New York, all the ribs are cut on the forequarter; but in Boston and some other localities only ten ribs are cut on the forequarter, the remaining three being left on the hind-quarter. Other differences in the customs of cutting meat will be en- countered in different cities and, as a rule, will be cheerfully explained, on request, by the local butchers. than a half inch thick, beginning with the thicker or forward portion of the tenderloin, and continuing toward the thin end. The slices should be cut squarely across the grain of the tenderloin, which is usually at a slight angle from the plane on which the filet lies. To serve a filet of beef, serve each person one slice, add a few sprigs of parsley or cress, and put a spoonful of mushroom sauce upon the side of the plate. The short loin, the top of the round, the rump, and the chuck roasts are carved and served in the same man- ner as the tenderloin, i.e., in slices cut vertically across the grain, ex- cept that they should be sliced as thin as possible. The top of the round, especially, should be in very thin slices, as it is rather tough, although juicy and well flavored. The process of carving a porter- house, Delmonico, or rib roast de- pends upon whether or not the bones have been removed. In the latter case the roast should be rolled into symmetrical shape, and fastened by means of either metal or wooden skewers, preferably the former, or by means of cord. The proper cord for this purpose is rather large and soft, and should be cut into the right lengths, drawn tightly around the roast, and knotted at intervals of about one inch throughout its entire length. The cord should not be con- tinuous, else the carver will have dif- ficulty in separating it and it will present an untidy and awkward ap- pearance. The accompanying illustration shows a rib roast from which the bones have not been removed, the ends of the ribs being decorated with paper frills, and the platter garnished with water- cress. To carve such a roast, observe that it should be placed before the carver with the ribs protruding to his left. He then steadies the roast by grasping the uppermost rib with the left hand, and cuts very thin slices transversely across the grain, until the edge of the knife encounters the rib. He then draws the point of the knife across the slices near the bone, so as to separate them. 90 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES The process of carving a porter- house, Delmonico, or rib roast from which the bone has been removed is precisely similar, except that the roast is steadied by means of a fork, firmly inserted at a point just be- low the slice that is next to be taken, and that the skewers or cords with which the roast is fastened together must be removed, one by one, as they are encountered. If the skewers are inserted, as they should be, directly across the grain of the meat, so as to be parallel with the slices, they can usually be loosened without diffi- culty, and should be placed upon the side of the platter or carving board. If the roast is bound with cords, only one cord should be cut at a time. This should be loosened with the fork, and allowed to fall upon the side of the platter or carving board, with due care that it does not come in contact with the cloth. The other cords should be left in place until the rest of the roast is sliced down to them, in order to keep it in shajie and pre- serve the uniformity of the slices, and also to prevent the juices from running out. Carving and Serving Beefsteak. — The Delmonico, porterhouse, and sir- loin cuts are very commonly served as steaks, either broiled or planked, broiled steak being a favorite dish in American households for informal family dinners, to which one or more guests are invited. Instructions for broiling and planking steaks are given elsewhere, but observe that any steak worthy of the name should be cut very thick — an inch and a half, or even two inches being about the proper thickness — and that they should be broiled or roasted very rare, so that the meat will be bright red, rather than white, or even brown, in color. One of the most common and flagrant errors of the American cook is to order (or accept) steaks cut a half inch or less in thickness, and to fry them until they are done brown through and through, and of a tough and leathery consistency. The carving of steak will be greatly expedited if the butcher is instructed to take out the bone — which can be done to very much better advantage before the steak is cooked than after- ward — and steaks to be planked are invariably boned before planking. Otherwise the carver should first re- move the bone by cutting along its edge with the thin round-pointed knife, which is elsewhere recom- mended for this purpose. He should then divide the entire steak, except the thin portion at the small end, into sections of an inch or more in width, depending upon the thickness of the steak and the number of guests, be- ginning with the wide or bone end of the steak. In serving porterhouse Delmonico and similar beefsteaks, the fact should be borne in mind that the tenderloin and wider portion of the steak, op- posite the tenderloin, is superior in texture and flavor to the narrow por- tion at the opposite end. Hence, in justice to all, it is desirable to divide the steak, if possible, into about twice as many strips as there are guests, and to serve each gueSt with one of the less desirable, as well as one of the more desirable portions. A steak should preferably be gar- nished with sprigs of watercress, one or two of which should be placed be- side each portion served, and a spoon- ful of gravy should be added upon the side of the plate. The planked steak is served with an assortment of vege- tables, the various vegetables being placed around the steak in orderly array, each kind by itself, so as to form a most effective garnish. Planked steak is first divided in the same manner as any other; then one or more slices are served to each plate, and a hcljiing of each of the various vegetables added, with care to preserve their separate identities and to avoid jumbling all together. SELECTION OF VEAL The subject of veal is of very slight importance from the standpoint of catering for entertainments, as roasts of veal are rarely employed for this purpose, and perhaps never except from the standpoint of economy. Veal is very much inferior to beef, both in flavor and in nutritive quali- ties, being immature at best, but the quality depends largely upon the age of the animal when killed, and the CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 91 manner of feeding. The flesh of the calf killed under four weeks of age — " bob " veal — should never be used for food, and six to ten weeks of age is preferable as the time for killing. Veal should be very fine grained, tender, and either clear white or slightly pinkish in color. If the flesh is flabby, watery, and gray or bluish in color, the meat is immature and unwholesome. The skin should be very dry and white rather than of a grayish color. Veal is not very fat, as a rule, but there should be some pounds and makes a suitable roast for twelve or more people. These various roasts are sometimes served at informal family dinners, but are not usually regarded as suitable for formal meals or preferred when guests have been invited. The leg of veal is usually divided into cutlets. The loin or rack is frequently divided into chops. The loin of veal is carved precisely as the tenderloin or Delmonico roasts of beef, except that, being the entire joint, the roast is placed upon its Chart Illustrating American Method of Cutting Side of Veal fat to indicate that the animal has been properly nourished. The method of cutting up a side of veal is suf- ficiently shown in the illustration. The principal roasts are the loin and the shoulder. The loin of veal is prepared for roasting by being rolled up with the kidney in the center, and either tied with cord or fastened by means of skewers, after the same fashion as boned roasts of beef. The shoulder, or even the entire fore-quar- ter, is so small that it can be easily boned and rolled for a roast. A shoulder of veal weighs about ten side, with the backbone next the plat- ter. The slices are cut vertically across the grain and then detached by cutting with the point of the knife along the bone. The shoulder of veal is usually boned and stuflfed and is carved in the same fashion as the short loin, rump, chuck and similar cuts. While veal is seasonable in many markets the year around, the quality, as a rule, is best in the spring and summer. It is usually in its prime in May. 92 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES SELECTION OF LAMB AND MUTTON From the standpoint of catering for entertainments, lamb and mutton rank next after beef in order of interest and importance, the leg of lamb, the crown roast, and the loin roast being esteemed as delicacies suitable for the most formal entertainments. The earliest, or so-called hot-house lambs, come into the market toward the end of winter, weighing about twelve or fifteen pounds. Around Easter time comes the so-called Easter lamb, weighing fifteen to twenty pounds. means equally as well flavored, in the judgment of epicures, as good mut- ton. Mutton, moreover, is much less expensive than lamb, is more eco- nomical to carve and serve, and, from the standpoint of family meals, is more desirable in every way. For formal entertainments and company dinners, however, the more delicate young Iamb is advisable. The best young lamb is from a carcass of medium weight, of fine, firm texture, clear pink in color, and neither too fat nor too lean. The fat should be clear white. The age of Chart Ilhistrating American Method of Cuttincj Side of Lamb or Mutton These are followed by the spring lamb, weighing eighteen to twenty- four pounds, during the months of May, June, and July. Sjiring lamb is at its prime in the latter part of June and July and continues in the market until about September. After that, the animal being a year or more old, its flesh is known as mutton. Young lamb meat has a characteris- tic pinkish color, which gradually deepens and becomes red in mutton. While spring lamb is esteemed as a great delicacy, it is, like veal, rela- tively inniiature meat, and is less di- gestible, less nutritious, and by no the animal may be determined by the bone in the foreleg, that of the young lamb being smooth, and that of the older animal showing ridges, which increase in depth with age. The quality of mutton may be judged by the amount of fat, the texture, and the weight. Mutton should be fatter than lamb, the flesh of fine rather than of coarse grain, and the carcass small to medium. A large carcass usually indicates age. Coarseness of texture indicates toughness. For good nnitton the animal should be plump, with small bones, and under five years of age. Lamb or mutton CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 93 should be hung at least three weeks, and preferably longer, before serv- ing. The average mutton carcass weighs from thirty to forty pounds. The lamb or mutton carcass is usually divided, like the beef, first into halves or sides, and afterward into fore- and hind-quarters. But where a larger roast than the loin or crown roast is desired, the entire back portion of the animal, including the loin on both sides of the backbone, is taken out, this cut being known as the saddle of lamb or mutton. The leg and shoulder of lamb or mutton are commonly roasted whole. As in the case of beef, the loin of lamb is esteemed a great delicacy, and either single or in the form of saddle, is a favorite roast for company dinners, especially in England. The crown roast consists of the fourteen ribs of the fore-quarter, trimmed and ar- ranged in circular form, fastened with skewers, and stuffed with tlie portions trimmed off in dressing the roast which are chopped fine for this purpose. If a larger roast is re- quired, additional ribs can be inserted, taken from tlie opposite side. Lamb and mutton, although deli- cious when properly cooked, are often very uninviting from carelessness in cooking and serving. When properly decorated and garnished, the crown roast of lamb makes a very attractive dish, especially when carved at the table, after the English or the Ameri- can style of service. For family meals, the loin and rack are common- ly divided into loin and rib chops, respectively. These are broiled and served singly. The average leg of lamb weighs about six or seven pounds, and is suf- ficient to serve about seven or eight persons. A loin roast weighs about three pounds, and is sufficient for three persons. The saddle is, of course, exactly double the loin in quantity. The shoulder weighs four to five pounds, trimmed ready for roasting. The rack — that is, the portion of the spine on the fore-quar- ter to which the ribs are attached — weighs from two to four pounds. The shoulder, or rack, should serve three or four persons. CARVING AND SERVING IAMB AND MUTTON Roast Leg of Lamb. — To get the most from a leg of lamb, and to carve it easily, the butcher should be instructed to remove the hip bone. The joint should be put on the rack in the dripping-pan with the fleshy part up. French cooks flavor roast lamb by inserting four or live cloves of garlic at intervals over the surface, in small openings, made by thrusting the point of a wooden skewer through the fat and into the meat. A better flavor will also be imparted to the meat and to the gravy if a few car- rots and onions are placed around the roast in the pan. Small new po- tatoes may also be baked in the pan, as with the roasts of beef. When served, the bone in the leg of lamb may be decorated with a paper frill, and the platter garnished with sprigs of watercress or parsley. To carve this joint, it should be placed before the carver with the bone to the left and the skin side down and steadied by inserting the fork well down toward the end of the roast. Thin slices should then be cut, beginning at the right end, or thick- est portion of the roast, at an angle of about thirty degrees, working back to the left until the roast is sliced to the bone. Larger slices can be had by slicing horizontally across the top of the roast, but such slices, being cut with the grain, are not equally as tender or palatable. Some persons prefer to carve this roast vertically, making the first cut about the middle of the roast and taking slices from either side. And this plan has the merit of cutting directly across the grain, which is always an advantage. This method is objected to, however, by many, as not being economical of the roast, for the reason that the slices at either end are too small to serve and a portion of the roast is thereby wasted; whereas, by the method first above recommended, the slices taken at an angle across the grain, are sufficiently tender and palatable, and yet permit of carving the entire upper portion of the roast into good-sized slices. If more per- 94 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES sons remain to be served after the upper part of the roast has been sliced down to the bone, the bone should be rennoved by making an in- cision on either side of it, loosening it at the end, and running the knife underneath, between the bone and the meat. The lower part of the roast may then be sliced the same as the upper part, the knife being held at such an angle as to increase to any desired extent the size of the slices. Saddle of Mutton. — Few joints are more toothsome or nutritious than the well cooked prime saddle of mut- ton, whether roasted entire or grilled in the form of English mutton chops, which include the kidney lying just may then be carved according to two entirely different methods. The Eng- lish method of carving is to slice the meat lengthwise. The French method is to slice each piece crosswise, pre- cisely as in serving a tenderloin of beef but in very thin slices. The crown roast, when properly trimmed, roasted, decorated, and gar- nished, makes an extremely attrac- tive dish, and is especially suitable for the formal breakfast or luncheon. The end of each rib should be dec- orated with a paper frill, and the platter garnished with cress or pars- ley. To carve a crown roast is most simple, the divisions between the ribs being clearly indicated, and no more Chart Illustrating American Method of Culting Side of Pork under the vertebrae. The best sad- dle of mutton comes from the short- legged breeds, having black legs and feet, and short, thick, stubby tails, such as the Southdown, in which the meat comes well down the leg, nearly reaching the feet. The saddle of lamb or mutton is rolled and fastened with skewers or tied with cords, and otherwise prepared and roasted after the same manner as the equivalent roasts of beef. This joint should first be boned. To this end place it ■with the bone resting upon the plat- ter and the end toward the carver, make an incision the entire length down to the backbone and remove the meat from the bone in two pieces. It care being required than is necessary to cut the portions of equal thickness. A single chop, with a portion of stuffing, a few sprigs of cress or pars- ley, and a spoonful of gravy is served to each person. THE SELECTION OF PORK Pork is seasonable only in autumn and winter. The great bulk of the animal is so fat that it is unsuitable for food while fresh, and is therefore cured and salted as bacon, salt pork, and the like. The hams are served either fresh or cured, and may be baked, boiled, or broiled in the form of steaks. But with the exception of CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 96 baked cured ham, sliced cold, no joint of pork is really suitable for service at entertainments. The ribs and loin are the most desirable fresh cuts, and may be either roasted or served in the form of chops. Fresh pork should be of firm tex- ture, and fine grain, the lean, pink and the fat, clear white in color. The loin of pork is prepared for roasting either with or without the bone, in much the same fashion as the loin of beef or mutton, except that, being a lean piece of meat, it may require to be larded with a strip of bacon or salt pork, laid over the top of the joint and fastened with cords, as shown in the illustration. This joint is carved in the same manner as the similar joints of beef. SELECTION OF POULTRY Chicken, turkey, geese, and domes- tic ducks are classified as poultry; wild duck, wild geese, partridge, reed birds, quail, and other small birds, as game. Poultry is a staple ar- ticle of diet, being more or less avail- able at every season of the year. The first broilers come into the market very early in the spring, and con- tinue to become more plentiful, and to decrease in price during the spring and summer. The season for broilers may be said to be at its height in May and June, at which time they make an excellent dish for formal breakfasts, luncheons, and similar entertainments, and afford a substi- tute for game birds for formal din- ners. The so-called milk-fed and early spring chickens begin to become available in July, and continue in the market until August. They are com- monly cooked, either a la casserole, or roasted, and make an admirable dish for luncheons, breakfasts, and dinner- parties, in the form of supreme of chicken, i. e., breasts of chicken, either sauted or broiled and served with any suitable sauce. Philadelphia capons begin to come in about the same time as roasting chicken, namely, in Sep- tember. They are commonly served at dinner, usually roasted. The ca- pon has a somewhat larger and plumper carcass than other chicken, and is further distinguished by its richer flavor. Chicken and other poultry is usually most plentiful before Thanks- giving, and the supply of local stock is generally exhausted on or before the holidays. After this the city markets are supplied chiefly with cold storage stock, and hold the local stock at an average level of about one-third higher. As the season ad- vances, the tendency is for the local stock to increase in relative price as the cold storage stocks shrink and deteriorate in quality. The season for turkey is now very similar to that for chicken. Not many years ago turkeys were thought to be at their best only on or after Thanksgiving Day, but young turkeys, comparable to chicken broil- ers and milk-fed chicken, are now commonly cooked and accepted as a summer delicacy. Young Guinea hen broilers and roasting chickens are also very delicious, being even more tender when properly cooked, than chicken, and having a distinc- tive flavor that makes them an ex- cellent substitute for game birds. The season for domestic ducks is the same as that for chicken. The quality of poultry depends upon the breed, the method of feeding, the age of the bird when killed, the manner in which the carcass is dressed, and the length of time that it has been upon the market. No other kind of meat requires more knowledge, skill, and care in catering than poultry. As to breed, the black and red feathered birds are always to be preferred over the light feathered varieties, and the gray feathered birds are always to be avoided. The best chickens have soft, yellow feet, smooth, thick legs, and smooth yellow or white skins. The yellow skinned birds are likely to be more plump, those having white skin more tender. The skin should be moist and tender, and the breast plump and firm. The car- tilage of the breastbone should be soft and pliable. But observe that this cartilage is sometimes broken to deceive purchasers, a device which, however, if the purchaser is upon his guard, can be very easily detected. 96 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES As to feeding, grain-fed chickens are to be preferred to those fed upon table scraps or garbage. Fowls fed upon rice, as is quite customary in certain parts of the South, have white fat, and the Southern barnj'ard fed turkey, fattened on small rice, is among the finest of domestic fowl. Poultry fed on cornmeal have yellow fat. The so-called milk-fed chickens are presumed to be fed, or at least fattened, in large parts, upon meal, or other ground grain mixed with milk instead of water. The age of poultry at the time of killing may usually be detected by the legs and feet, which in young birds are smooth, moist, and supple, and in older fowl hard and scaly. One test is to try the skin under the leg or wing, or to seize a pinch of the breast meat and twist it. If the skin and flesh is tender and breaks easily, the bird is young and fresh. Otherwise, it is probably old, and certainly is tough. Also turn the wing backward. If the joint yields readily it is tender. The eyes of fresh young fowls are full and bright. A growth of hair over the carcass is an indication of age in both chicken or turkey. Plentiful pin feathers denote a young bird. The flesh of the old turkey, where it shows under the skin upon the back and legs, is purplish. Observe in this connection that about March turkeys begin to deteriorate in quality. As to the method of dressing, great care should be taken to avoid poul- try the flesh of which has become tainted and unwholesome. All poul- try should be promptly and properly drawn, but the laws of some states permit of fowls being kept for sale undrawn, a condition which is not only a serious menace to health, but is ruinous of their proper flavor. The partly, or otherwise improperly, drawn chicken is often as bad (and sometimes even worse) than the un- drawn one. The higher price charged in most markets for the so-called Philadelphia chicken is a premium paid for proper methods of killing and preparing them for market. The flavor of poultry is also im- paired by scalding, as an aid in re- moving the feathers, hence the dry picked fowl sells at a higher price, and is to be preferred, although its appearance may be somewhat less attractive. As to the length of time that poul- try has been upon the market, the law in most states gives the buyer little or no protection, and in these days of cold storage it behooves him to be upon his guard and to place little or no reliance upon the representations of dealers, except when buying in the most reliable local markets. One of the best tests of the fresh chicken is the color and condition of the eyes. If they are bright and clear, as in life, the chicken is fresh, but if dull and lusterless, or even further de- teriorated, the carcass has been for some time in cold storage. Another test is to open the beak of the chicken and note whether the blood is still red, in which case the chicken is fresh; whereas, if it is white, the opposite is true. A domestic duck or goose should never be more than a year old. Young ducks and geese have white, soft feet and tender wings. The body should be plump and thick, the fat light and semi-transparent, the breastbone soft, the flesh tender. The leg joints should break under the weight of the bird. The beak should be flesh-colored and brittle. The wind-pipe should break when pressed between the thumb and fore-finger. Domestic ducks — commonly called in Eastern markets. Long Island duckling — and the domestic geese, are, at ordinary prices, as economical as chicken, and may well be used for family dinners on Sundays, holidays, and other special occasions, for the sake of variety, somewhat more com- monly than they now are. The sea- son is the same as for poultry. SELECTION OF GAME BIRDS The principal game birds in the American market are Avild duck — such as the Canvas, Mallard, Redhead, Blackhead, Teal, and many others — the wild goose, partridge, pheasant, quail, woodcock, snipe, etc. The best test for selecting game birds is to CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 97 weigh each one in the hand. The finest birds are always heaviest for their size. The flesh of the breast should be firm, fat, and plump, and the skin clear. Pluck a few feathers so as to expose the flesh inside the leg and about the vent. The flesh of the newly killed bird will be fresh in color and fat; that of the bird which has been hung a long time will be dark and discolored. The wings of the larger game birds should be tender to the touch. The small ones should have full and tender breasts. Note that in the partridge the tips of the wing are pointed in young birds, and round in old ones. The partridge should have full, heavy breasts, dark bill, and yellowish legs. A good substitute for the smaller game birds is the squab, or the young of the domestic pigeon, which are available in most city markets, at prices within the means of persons who have occasion to entertain in a formal way. The flesh of young pigeons is light red upon the breast, the legs are full and fresh colored. If the breast meat is dark and the legs thin, the birds are old. Wild duck and most other game birds are in season from November until March. DRESSING POULTRY AND GAME As a general thing, fresh killed poultry should not be cooked for twenty-four hours, although in hot climates, as, for example, in the Southern United States, broiling and roasting chickens are commonly sold alive, and killed by the cook and im- mediately prepared for the oven. But at all events, poultry should be picked and drawn as soon as possible after killing. . The flavor of poultry is better if the birds are picked dry, but the feathers will come ofi' more easily if the fowl is plunged into a pot of scalding water. After the carcass is picked clean it should be held over the coals or over a roll of burning white paper or an alcohol flame, to singe off" all hairs. To draw poultry and game, make cut around the vent and make an in- cision up toward the breast bone. Insert two fingers, loosen the fat from the skin and separate the mem- branes lying close to the body. Keep the fingers up close to the breastbone until you can reach in beyond the liver and heart and loosen them upon either side, gradually working the fingers around toward the back. Always remember that the gall bladder lies under the liver at the left side, and that, if it is broken, the contents will make every part of the meat that it touches bitter and unfit for use. If the fingers are kept up and everything is carefully loos- ened before being drawn out, there will be less danger of its breaking. The kidneys and lungs are not in- frequently left in by careless cooks, but everything should be taken out that is movable. After the bird has been drawn, it should be wiped dry, inside and out, with a clean towel. The head and neck should then be cut off, and the bird trussed for the oven. To Truss a Chicken or Turkey draw the thighs up close to the body, cross the legs over the vent, and tie firmly with twine. Thrust a skewer through one tliigh, into the body, and out through the opposite thigh, and an- other in like manner through the wings. Draw the wings and thigh closely together, and tie firmly with twine. Since poultry and game birds have little or no fat in the meat under the skin they should be larded by lay- ing a thin strip of salt pork or bacon over the breast after the carcass has been placed on its back in the dripping-pan, as shown in the accompanying illustrations. When roasting a chicken or small fowl there is danger that the legs may burn or become too hard to be eaten. To avoid this, a strip of cloth dipped in a little melted lard, or rubbed with lard, may be wound about the legs while the heat in the oven is highest, and afterward removed in time to al- low the legs to brown sufl5ciently. This difficulty will be overcome, how- ever, if the deep roasting pan with a close cover is used, as shown in the illustrations. These pans are made double, with only a small opening in 98 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES the top as a vent for the accumulation of steam and gases, but retain most of the moisture and flavor of the juices, that would otherwise be lost in large measure by evaporation. To dress a chicken or other bird for broiling, pick, singe, cut off the head and neck close to the breast, and the legs at the knee joints. Singe, wipe dry, and split down the middle of the back, instead of along the belly. Lay the carcass open, and remove the contents. Cut the tendons in the thighs or break the joints, and re- move the breast bone to facilitate carving. Lay the carcass flat be- tween the double broiler, as illus- trated, or upon the bars of the grill, and broil, for the squab chicken, ten minutes, and for the spring chicken, fifteen minutes. To cut up a raw chicken for fricasseeing, pick and wipe dry as for a roasting chicken. First take off the legs from the carcass, then the wings. Then separate the breast from the remainder of the carcass. Split it into two and cut each half of the breast into either two or three parts, according to the size of the chicken. Cut the rest of the carcass crosswise, in three pieces or, if the chicken is very big, split the carcass in two before cutting crosswise. CARVING AND SERVING POULTRY AND GAME Carving Poultry. — To carve a turkey or other large bird, such as goose, duck, or roasting chicken, place the carcass on a platter or wooden carving board, upon its back, with the head to the left, the carcass resting diagonally rather than at right angles to the carver's body. Insert a fork firmly across the breast bone, grasp the fork with the left hand, firmly enough to steady the carcass, and with the knife divide the skin between the leg and the carcass on the side nearest the carver, cutting clear down to the leg joint. Force the leg over sharply from the carcass, so as to expose the joint, and com- pletely sever the drumstick and sec- ond joint in one piece from the car- cass. Separate the drumstick from the second joint by cutting from the point of the angle between them upon the inside, straight in and directly across the joint, the exact location of which can be easily ascertained by the sense of touch by manipulating with the fingers and feeling the joint in the carcass of the uncooked bird. If this cut is made at the right point, no further difficulty need be antici- pated. For if the knife is drawn squarely across the joint, it will sepa- rate without resistance, whereas at any other point the knife will en- counter solid bone. Now make an incision along either side of the bone, in the second joint, cut under the bone at the end, lift it up, and cut underneath and be- tween the bone and the meat, so as to remove the bone from this joint entirely. Now carve thin slices of the white meat from the breast, parallel with the breastbone, and similar slices of the dark meat from the face of the second joint, also parallel with the bone, and serve to each person a slice of the white and a slice of the dark meat, with a few sprigs of cress or parsley, a portion of the dressing, and a spoonful of gravy upon the side of the plate. If the slices from the breast and second joint are sufBcient to serve the entire company, the carver need proceed no further; but if not, the wing should next be cut off, in the same manner as the leg, and similar- ly divided at the joint, the second joint of the wing being served as one portion. The tip of the wing and the drumstick are neither carved nor served except when necessary at the family dinner but are usually re- served and consumed in the form of hash, or other palatable r^chauff^. Should the whole turkey be re- quired, the platter should be turned and the opposite side carved in pre- cisely the same fashion, but the carver should proceed no further than is necessary, leaving the re- mainder of the carcass intact, for another meal. Roasting Duck. — The wild duck, notably the Canvasback, Mallard, CATERING, COOKING AND CARVING 99 and Redhead, are deservedly among the most popular game birds of the world. They are roasted, without trussing, in their own juices, but when roasting Mallard it is cus- tomary to put inside the carcass a few sticks of celery. Wild duck are so expensive as rarely to be served in the ordinary household, and are still more rarely properly cooked. Duck should be roasted very rare, the test of duck done to a turn being that " the blood will follow" the knife." To find out whether the duck is done, lift the bird and let a few drops of blood run out from the carcass. If the blood comes out red, the duck is under-done; if it comes out bluish, it is ready to be served. To carve wild duck. — One duel is usually served for two persons, although occasionally a large duck, like the Mallard, might be big enough for three. To carve wild duck, in- sert a fork in the carcass with the left hand, just behind the breast- bone, make an incision with the knife from the point of the breast- bone down the middle of the breast, and cut along this line between the breastbone and the meat, beginning at the head of the bird, and forcing the knife between the bone and the meat until the whole breast has been removed in one piece. Where a duck is served for two persons, half of the breast is served to each, the remainder of the carcass being re- served for salmi or similar re- chauflF6. To carve a partridge. — Place the bird with the head toward the carver, insert a fork near the breastbone, and cut through the center of the breast and back, lengthwise, cutting the bird right through. Serve a half of the partridge to each person, with currant jelly, and bread sauce, or fried bread crumbs. Sometimes a large partridge may be served to the three persons by separating the breast from the breastbone, and di- viding the breast into three parts. To carve a broiler. — Place the chicken with the head toward the carver, disjoint the leg by insert- ing a fork in the second joint and making an incision with the knife around the leg joint, bend the joint over sharply, separate it from the breast, and divide the leg at the joint. Split the breast in two. Serve half the breast and the second joint to each person, with a spoonful of drawn butter and a few sprigs of cress or parsley. Or each half of the breast and each second joint may be served on toast, as separate por- tions. Broiled chicken is an ex- cellent dish to serve for a breakfast or luncheon. To carve a broiled young, or spring-, turkey, proceed precisely as for the broiled chicken, but cut the second joint and each half of the breast into two parts. To carve broiled Guinea hen, proceed pre- cisely as for a broiled chicken. Quail, woodcock, snipe, and other small birds are served whole, a single bird to each person. The diner, in separating for himself the meat of small birds from the carcass, should bear in mind that, however toothsome may seem these tempting morsels, it is not customary to dis- sect the small carcass in order to secure every edible morsel, but that, as a rule, only the thick meat upon the breast, and perhaps a portion of the second joint, is eaten. No blun- der is commoner or more egregious than to cut off the drumstick and pick it up with the fingers, in order to gnaw the meat from the bone. The trite old saying, that fingers were made before forks, so common- ly quoted as an apology, only serves to make the offense greater, and the offender more ridiculous. A person who handles small game birds after this fashion, at a formal dinner — which is the only occasion when they are likely to be served — lays himself open to the suspicion that he is doubtful of ever having such another opportunity and is resolved to make the most of the present one. UTENSILS FOR CARVING When joints, poultry, or game are carved in the pantry or on the side board, as is customary for formal table service a la Russe, the joint or bird is removed from the platter 100 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES upon which it is brought in, to a carving board, a flat piece of hard wood, which may or may not be mounted upon short legs, and sur- rounded by a strip of silver or other metal. The carving board should pre- ferably be about one and one-half or two Inches in thickness, and should be scored with a number of grooves, converging into a well or depression at one end of the board to catch and retain the meat juices or gravy. The use of the carving board for carving at table in private houses is a new custom, and by no means a generally established one. Indeed, a fancy carving board is not obtain- able in many localities, although the style of board used for planking steak or fish affords a good substi- tute, and if bought and reserved ex- clusively for this purpose, may be re- garded as entirely satisfactory. Where the roast is brought in upon a silver trencher, the carving board is really necessary, to avoid scratch- ing the metal. And even where the roast is brought in upon an ordinary porcelain platter, it can be handled much more satisfactorily if trans- ferred to the carving board. For the coarser texture of the board prevents the roast from slipping away from the carver, and by giving the carver more room, it does away with the liability of gravy stains and similar accidents. After the roast has been placed upon the carving board and carved, the portions are replaced upon the platter before serving. Whether or not the carving board is used, the instructions given for carving the various joints and birds, respectively, are in no wise altered. A complete set of carving tools of the best quality, such as that em- ployed professionally by the writer, consists of twelve knives of assorted sizes, a fork, and a steel, which, packed in a suitable case, cost ap- proximately fifty dollars. Two, or at most, three knives, besides the fork and steel, are sufficient for the ordi- nary householder. A large, thin, broad-bladed, round-pointed knife, about twelve inches long, is desirable, but is used for carving beefsteaks only. A sharp-pointed knife of the French pattern, shown in the accom- panying illustrations, about nine inches long, is the best utensil for gen- eral use in carving roasts, as joints of meat and poultry. And a similar knife about seven inches long is desirable for carving duck, partridge, and other game birds. A suitable fork is, of course, necessary, and while the ex- pert carver does not require the pro- tection of the steel guard upon the fork, such a device is advisable for the inexperienced person, for in carv- ing, the edge of the knife is often drawn toward the hand holding the fork, and the resistance of the knife blade varies greatly, and there is always danger that its edge may be deflected by a skewer or piece of bone or tendon, so that serious accidents are liable to occur. No one can do satisfactory carv- ing without a sharp knife, and to this end it is thoroughly sound economy to buy a carving set of the best steel, to cause the knives to be ground as often as may be necessary to keep them sharp, and to furnish oneself with a good steel. The edge of the carving knife, like that of the razor, deteriorates more or less while standing, and hence the carver should always sharpen the knife upon the steel immediately before using. To use the steel, it should be held in the left hand, the point raised and in- clining slightly toward the carver's body. The knife should be held in the right hand, at an angle of about thirty-five degrees from the steel, and drawn along the side of the steel, from the point of the steel down- ward toward the hand and from the heel to the point of the knife, the strokes being reversed from side to side of the steel. The touch should be very light, as a good steel — espe- cially if it has been thoroughly mag- netized as it should be — will not fail to do its work if contact with the edge of the knife is really established. About a half-dozen strokes will be sufficient, unless the knife is very much out of condition. CHAPTER VI ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME^ GENERAL METHODS OF PREPARING MEAT FOR THE TABLE — REDUCING EXPENSE OF MEAT IN THE DIET — UTILIZING FAT, BONE, AND TRIMMINGS IN MEATS — LEFT-OVER COLD MEATS — MEAT PIES AND SIMILAR DISHES — MEAT WITH MACARONI AND OTHER STARCHY MATERIALS — UTILIZING THE CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT — MEAT COOKED WITH VIN- EGAR—POUNDED MEAT — FLAVORING MEAT GENERAL METHODS OF PREPAH- ING MEAT FOR THE TABLE The advantages of variety in the methods of preparing and serving are to be considered even more seriously in the coolsing of the cheaper cuts than in the cooking of the more ex- pensive ones, and yet even in this con- nection it is a mistake to lose sight of the fact that, though there is a great variety of dishes, the processes in- volved are few in number. An experienced teacher of cooking, a woman who has made very valuable contributions to the art of cookery by showing that most of the numer- ous processes outlined and elaborately described in the cook books can be classified under a very few heads, says that she tries " to reduce the cook- ing of meat to its lowest terms and teach only three ways of cooking. The first is the application of in- tense heat to keep in the juices. This is suitable only for portions of clear meat where the fibers are tender. By the second method the meats are put in cold water and cooked at a low temperature. This is suitable for bone, gristle, and the toughest por- tions of the meat, which for this pur- 1 U. S. Department of Agriculture Farm- ers Bulletin No. 391. 101 pose should be divided into small bits. The third is a combination of these two processes and consists of searing and then stewing the meat. This is suitable for halfway cuts, 1. e., those that are neither tender nor very tough." The many varieties of meat dishes are usually only a matter of flavor and garnish. In other words, of the three proc- esses the first is the short method; it aims to keep all the juices within the meat. The second is a very long method employed for the purpose of getting all or most of the juices out. The third is a combination of the two not so long as the second and yet re- quiring so much time that there is danger of the meat being rendered tasteless unless certain precautions are taken such as searing in hot fat or plunging into boiling water. It is commonly said that the cooked meat fibers are harder or less tender than the raw, which seems a natural assumption since the meat protein, like egg albumen, is coagulated by heat, and furthermore, the water is forced out from the individual muscle fibers and they are shortened and thickened by the application of heat. . . . A good idea of the changes which take place while meat is being cooked 102 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES can be obtained by examining a piece of flesh which has been " cooked to pieces," as the saying goes. In this the muscular fibers may be seen com- pletely separated one from another, showing that the connective tissue has been destroyed. It is also evident that the fibers themselves are of dif- ferent texture from those in the raw meat. In preparing meat for the table it is usual to stop short of the point of disintegration, but while the long process of cooking is going on the connective tissue is gradually soft- ening and the fibers are gradually changing in texture. Tlie former is the thing to be especially desired, but the latter is not. For this reason it is necessary to keep the temperature below the boiling point and as low as is consistent with thorough cooking, for cooks seem agreed, as the result of experience shows, that slow gentle cooking results in better texture than is the case when meat is boiled rap- idly. This is the philosophy that lies back of the simmering process. When meat is cooked by roasting, broiling, or any other similar process the meat juices brown with the fat, producing substances which to most of us are agreeable to the senses of smell and taste alike. When meats are cooked in hot water such highly flavored substances are not so evident to the sense of smell, but neverthe- less bodies of agreeable flavor which are perceptible to the palate are de- veloped in the meat during the cook- ing process and are of smilar value in promoting digestion. The chief loss in weight when meat is cocked is due to the driving off of water. When beef is cooked by pan broiling — that is, searing in a hot, greased pan, a common cooking proc- ess — no great loss of nutrition re- sults, particularly if the fat and other substances adhering to the pan are utilized in the preparation of gravy. When beef is cooked by boiling, there is a loss of 3 to 20 per cent, of material present, though this is not an actual loss if the broth is utilized for soup or in some similar way. Even in the case of meat which is used for the preparation of beef tea or broth, the losses of nutritive material are ap- parently small though much of the flavoring matter has been removed. The amount of fat found in broth varies directly with the amount originally present in the meat; the fatter the meat the greater the quan- tity of fat in the broth. The loss of water in cooking varies inversely with the fatness of the meat; that is, the fatter the meat the smaller the shrinkage due to loss of water. In cooked meat the loss of various con- stituents is inversely proportional to the size of the cut. In other words, the smaller the piece of meat the greater the percentage of loss. Loss also appears to be dependent some- what upon the length of time the cooking is continued. When pieces of meat weighing 1^ to 5 pounds are cooked in water somewhat under the boiling point there appears to be little difference in the amount of material found in broth whether the meat is placed in cold w^ater or hot water at the beginning of the cooking period. When meat is roasted in the oven the amount of material removed is somewhat aflfected by the character of the roasting pan and similar factors, thus the total loss in weight is nat- urally greater in an open than in a closed pan as the open pan offers more opportunity for the evapora- tion of water. Judging from the average results of a considerable number of tests it appears that a roast weighing 6 pounds raw should weigh 5 pounds after cooking, or in other words the loss is about one- sixth of the original weight. This means that if the raw meat cost 20 cents per pound the cooked would represent an increase of 4 cents a pound on the original cost; but this increase would of course be lessened if all the drippings and gravy are utilized. With the quantities used in the ordinary home the relative losses sustained in different methods of cooking meat are not great enough to be of particular importance with reference to economical management. However, in public institutions where a small saving per day for each in- mate represents a large item in the course of a year, it may be desirable to select methods involving the least ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 103 loss, which would mean that the advan- tage would lie with stewing and boil- ing rather than with broiling or roast- ing, so far as the relative losses of material are concerned. The relative economy of different methods of cook- ery depends very greatly upon the kind of fuel, the form of stove and oven, and other similar factors. These vary so much under different home conditions that it is diflBcult to draw general deductions though the subject has often been investigated. However, it may be said that it is often possible to effect a saving if the housewife can so plan the cooking of meat and other foods as to take full advantage of the heat supplied by the fuel used. REDTTCING THE EXPENSE FOR MEAT IN THE DIET The expense for meat in the home may be reduced ... by careful at- tention to the use of meat, bone, fat, and small portions commonly trimmed off and thrown away and the utiliza- tion of left-over portions of cooked meat; and the use of the less expen- sive kinds. UTILIZING THE FAT, BONE AND TRIMMINGS IN MEATS AND THE LEFT-OVER COLD MEAT§ In the percentage of fat present in different kinds and cuts of meat, a greater difference exists than in the percentage of proteids. The lowest percentage of fat ordinarily found in meat is 8.1 per cent, as in the shank of beef; the highest is 32 per cent, in pork chops. The highest priced cuts, loin and ribs of beef, contain 20 to 25 per cent. If the fat of the meat is not eaten at the table, and is not utilized otherwise, a pecuniary loss re- sults. If butter is the fajt, used in making crusts for meat pies, and in preparing the cheaper cuts, there is little economy involved; the fats from other meat should therefore be saved, as they may be used in place of but- ter in such cases, as well as in pre- paring many other foods. The fat from sausage or from the soup kettle, or from a pot roast, which is savory because it has been cooked with veg- etables, is particularly acceptable. Sometimes savory vegetables, onion, or sweet herbs are added to fat when it is tried out to give it flavor. Some illustrations of methods of preparing such cooking fats follow: Trying Out Fat.— A double boiler is the best utensil to use in trying out small portions of fat. There is no danger of burning the fat and the odor is much less noticeable than if it is heated in a dish set directly over the fire. Clarifying Fat. — Excepting where the purpose of clarifying fat is to remove flavors, a good method to fol- low is to pour boiling water over the fat, to boil thoroughly, and then to set it away to cool. The cold fat may be removed in a solid cake and any impurities clinging to it may be scraped off, as they will be found at the bottom of the layer. By repeat- ing this process two or three times a cake of clean, white fat may be ob- tained. A slight burned taste or similar ob- jectionable flavors often can be re- moved from fat by means of pota- toes. After melting the fat, put into it thick slices of raw potato; heat gradually. When the fat ceases to bubble and the potatoes are brown, strain through a cloth placed in a wire strainer. Savory Drippings. — When render- ing the drippings of fat meat, add a small onion (do not cut it), a few leaves of summer savory and thyme, a teaspoonful of salt, and a little pepper. This is enough for a pint of fat. Keep the drippings covered and in a cool place. Uses for Bones. — Almost any meat bones can be used in soup mak- ing, and if the meat is not all removed from them the soup is better. But some bones, especially the rib bones, if they have a little meat left on them, can be grilled or roasted into very palatable dishes. The " spare-rib " of southern cooks is made of the rib bones from a roast of pork, and makes a favorite dish when well browned. The braised ribs of beef often served in high-class restaurants are made from the bones cut from 104 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES rib roasts. In this connection it may- be noted that many of the dishes pop- ular in good hotels are made of por- tions of meat such as are frequently thrown away in private houses, but which with proper cooking and sea- soning make attractive dishes and give most acceptable variety to the menu. An old recipe for " broiled bones " directs that the bones (beef ribs or sirloin bones on which the meat is not left too thick in any part) be sprinkled with salt and pepper (Cay- enne), and broiled over a clear fire until browned. Another example of the use of bones is boiled marrow bone. The bones are cut in conven- ient lengths, the ends covered with a little piece of dough over which a floured cloth is tied, and cooked in boiling water for two hours. After removing the cloth and dough, the bones are placed upright on toast and served. Prepared as above, the bones may also be baked in a deep dish. Marrow is sometimes removed from bones after cooking, seasoned, and served on toast. Trimmings from meat may be util- ized in various " made dishes," of which examples will be given further on, or they can always be put to good use in the soup kettle. It is surpris- ing how many economies may be practiced in such ways and also in the table use of left-over portions of cooked meat if attention is given to the matter. Many of the recipes given in this bulletin involve the use of left-overs. Others will suggest them- selves or may be found in all the usual cookery books. Extending the Flavor of Meat. — Common household methods of ex- tending the meat flavor through a considerable quantity of material which would otherwise be lacking in distinctive taste are to serve the meat with dumplings, generally in the dish with it, to combine the meat with crusts, as in meat pies or meat rolls, or to serve the meat on toast and, bis- cuits. Borders of rice, hominy, or mashed potatoes are examples of the same principles applied in different ways. By serving some preparation of flour, rice, hominy, or other food rich in starch with the meat we get a dish which in itself approaches nearer to the balanced ration than meat alone and one in which the meat flavor is extended through a large amount of material. Throughout the measurements given in the recipe call for a level spoonful or a level cupful, as the case may be. A number of recipes for meat dishes made with dumplings and sim- ilar preiDarations follow: Meat Stew with Dumplings. Stew. 5 pounds of a cheaper cut of beef. 4 cups of potatoes cut into small pieces. § cup each of turnips and car- rots cut into ^-inch cubes. i onion, chopped, i cup of flour. Salt and pepper. Cut the meat into small pieces, re- moving the fat; try out the fat and brown the meat in it. When well browned, cover with boiling water, boil for five minutes and then cook in a lower temperature until the meat is done. If tender, this will require about three hours on the stove or five hours in the fireless cooker. Add carrots, turnips, onions, pepper and salt during the last hour of cooking, and the potatoes fifteen minutes be- fore serving. Thicken with the flour diluted with cold water. Serve with dumplings (see below). If this dish is made in the fireless cooker, the mix- ture must be reheated when the veg- etables are put in. Such a stew may also be made of mutton. If veal or pork is used the vegetables may be omitted or simply a little onion used. Sometimes for variety the browning of the meat is dispensed with. When white meat, such as chicken, veal, or fresh pork, is used, the gravy is often made rich with cream or milk thick- ened with flour. The numerous minor additions which may be introduced give the great variety of such stews found in cookbooks. Dtimplings. 2 cups flour. 4 teaspoon fuls baking powder. ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 105 S cup milk or a little more if needed. i teaspoonful salt. 2 teaspoonfuls butter. Mix and sift the dry ingredients. Work in the butter with the tips of fingers, add milk gradually, roll out to a thickness of one-half inch and cut with biscuit cutter. In some countries it is customary to season the dumplings themselves with herbs, etc., or to stuflF them with bread crumbs fried in butter instead of de- pending upon the gravy to season them. A good way to cook dumplings is to put them in a buttered steamer over a kettle of hot water. They should cook from twelve to fifteen minutes. If it is necessary to cook them with the stew, enough liquid should be removed so that they may be placed upon the meat and vege- tables. Sometimes the dough is baked and served as biscuits over which the stew is poured. If the stew is made with chicken or veal it is generally termed a fricassee. Ragout of Mutton with Farina Balls. I J pounds neck of mutton cut into small pieces. 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. 1 onion. 1 carrot. i can peas. 2 cups hot water. 1 teaspoonful salt. i teaspoonful pepper. 1 bay leaf. Sprig parsley. 1 clove. Farina Balls i cup farina. 1 cup milk. i teaspoonful salt, j teaspoonful pepper. Onion juice. -Yolk 1 egg. Put butter in frying pan. When melted add flour and brown. Add carrot and onion, cut in dice. Re- move vegetables and add meat, sear- ing well. To meat and vegetables add hot water and seasonings. Put in a suitable kettle, cover and sim- mer two hours. Add peas ten min- utes before serving in a dish with farina balls made as follows: Cook farina and milk in double boiler one hour. Add seasoning and well-beaten yolk. Stir well and cool. When cold roll into balls. Dip in egg and crumbs and fry in deep fat. Rice may be used in a similar way. MEAT PIES AND SIMILAR DISHES Meat pies represent another method of combining flour with meat. They are ordinarily baked in a fairly deep dish the sides of which may or may not be lined with dough. The cooked meat, cut into small pieces, is put into the dish, sometimes with small pieces of vegetables, a gravy is poured over the meat, the dish is covered with a layer of dough, and then baked. Most commonly the dough is like that used for soda or cream-of- tartar biscuit, but sometimes short- ened pastry dough, such as is made for pies, is used. This is es- pecially the case in the fancy indi- vidual dishes usually called patties. Occasionally the pie is covered with a potato crust in which case the meat is put directly into the dish without lining the latter. Stewed beef, veal, and chicken are probably most used in pies, but any kind of meat may be used, or several kinds in combina- tion. Pork pies are favorite dishes in many rural regions, especially at hog-killing time, and when well made are excellent. If pies are made from raw meat and vegetables longer cooking is needed than otherwise, and in such cases it is well to cover the dish with a plate, cook until the pie is nearly done, then remove the plate, add the crust, and return to the oven until the crust is lightly browned. Many cooks insist on piercing holes in the top crust of a meat-pie di- rectly it is taken from the oven. Twelve o'clock Pie. This is made with shoulder of mut- ton, boiled with carrot and onion, then 106 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES cut up, mixed with potatoes sepa- rately boiled and cut up, and put into a baking dish. The crust is made by mixing smoothly mashed potatoes to which a tablespoonful of shortening has been added, with enough flour and water to make them roll out easily. A pie made of a pound of meat will require 5 or 6 small boiled potatoes, a cupful of mashed pota- toes, and 8 or 10 tablespoonfuls of flour, and should be baked about twenty minutes in a hot oven. Salt, pepper, and other seasoning, as onion and carrot, may be added to taste. A teaspoonful of baking powder makes the crust lighter. Meat and Tomato Fie. This dish presents an excellent way of using up small quantities of either cold beef, or cold mutton. If fresh to- matoes are used, peel and slice them; if canned, drain off the liquid. Place a layer of tomato in a baking dish, then a layer of sliced meat, and over the two dredge flour, pepper and salt; repeat xmtil the dish is nearly full, then put in an extra layer of tomato and cover the whole with a layer of pastry or of bread or cracker crumbs. When the quantity of meat is small, it may be " helped out " by boiled potatoes or other suitable vegetables. A few oysters or mush- rooms improve the flavor especially when beef is used. The pie will need to be baked from half an hour to an hour according to its size and the heat of the oven. Meat and Pastry Rolls. Small quantities of cold ham, chicken, or other meat may be utilized for these. The meat should be chopped fine, well seasoned, mixed with enough savory fat or butter to make it " shape," and formed into rolls about the size of a finger. A short dough (made, say, of a pint of flour, 2 tablespoonfuls of lard, 1 teaspoonful of baking powder, salt, and milk enough to mix) should be rolled thin, cut into strips, and folded about the meat rolls, care being taken to keep the shape regular. The rolls should be baked in a quick oven until they are a delicate brown color and served hot. Meat Turnovers. Almost any kind of chopped meat may be used in these, and if the quantity on hand is small may be mixed with potato or cooked rice. This filling should be seasoned to taste with salt and pepper, onion, or what- ever is relished, and laid on pieces of short biscuit dough rolled thin and cut into circles about the size of an ordinary saucer. The edges of the dough should be moistened with white of an egg, the dough then folded over the meat, and its edges pinched closely together. If desired, the tops of the turnovers may be brushed over with the yolk of egg before they are placed in the oven. About half an hour's baking in a hot oven is re- quired. Serving with a brown sauce increases the flavor and moistens the crust. MEAT WITH MACARONI AND OTHER STARCHY MATERIALS Macaroni cooked with chojiped ham, hash made of meat and pota- toes, or meat and rice, meat cro- quettes — made of meat and some starchy materials like bread crumbs, cracker dust, or rice — are other fa- miliar examples of meat combined with starchy materials. Pilaf, a dish very common in the Orient and well known in the Lnited States, is of this character and easily made. When there is soup or soup stock on hand if it can be well used in the pilaf. Meat Cakes. 1 pound chopped veal. i pound soaked bread crumbs. 2 tablespoonfuls savory fat or butter. 1 teaspooful chopped onion. IJ teaspoonful salt. Dash of pepper. Mix all the ingredients except the butter or fat and shape into small round cakes. Melt the fat in a bak- ing pan and brown the cakes in it, first one side and then the other. ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 107 Either cooked or raw veal may be used. In the case of raw meat the pan should be covered so that the heat may be retained to sotten the meat. Stew from Cold Roast. This dish provides a good way of using up the remnants of a roast, either of beef or mutton. The meat should be freed from fat, gristle, and bones, cut into small pieces, slightly salted, and put into a kettle with water enough to nearly cover it. It should simmer until almost ready to break in pieces, when onions and raw potatoes, peeled and quartered, should be added. A little soup stock may also be added if available. Cook until the potatoes are done, then thicken the liquor or gravy with flour. The stew may be attractively served on slices of crisp toast. Meat with Beans. Dry beans are very rich in protein, the percentage being fully as large as that in meat. Dry beans and other similar legumes are usually cooked in water, which they absorb, and so are diluted before serving; on the other hand, meats by the ordinary methods of cooking are usually de- prived of some of the water origi- nally present — facts which are often overlooked in discussing the matter. Nevertheless, when beans are served with meat the dish is almost as rich in protein as if it consisted entirely of meat. Pork and beans is such a well- known dish that recipes are not needed. Some cooks use a piece of corned mutton or a piece of corned beef in place of salt or corned pork or bacon or use butter or olive oil in preparing this dish. In the Southern States, where cow- peas are a common crop, they are cooked in the same way as dried beans. Cowpeas baked with salt pork or bacon make an excellent dish re- sembling pork and beans, but of dis- tictive flavor. Cowpeas boiled with ham or with bacon are also well- known and palatable dishes. Recipes are here given for some less common meat and bean dishes: Mexican Beef. The Mexicans have a dish known as " Chili con carne " (meat with Chili pepper), the ingredients for which one would doubtless have diflBculty in obtaining except in the southwestern United States. However, a good sub- stitute for it may be made with the foods available in all parts of the country. The Mexican recipe is as follows: Remove the seeds from two Chili peppers, soak the pods in a pint of warm water until they are soft, scrape the pulp from the skin and add to the water. Cut two pounds of beef into small pieces and brown in butter or drippings. Add a clove of garlic and the Chili water. Cook until the meat is tender, renewing the water if necessary. Thicken the sauce with flour. Serve with Mexi- can beans either mixed with the meat or used as a border. In the absence of the Chili pep- pers, water and Cayenne pepper may be used, and onions may be substi- tuted for garlic. For the Mexican beans, red kidney beans either fresh or canned make a good substitute. If the canned beans are used they should be drained and heated in a little savory fat or butter. The liquid may be added to the meat while it is cooking. If the dried beans are used they should be soaked until soft, then cooked in water un- til tender and rather dry, a little butter or dripping and salt being used for seasoning or gravy. White or dried Lima beans may be used in a similar way. Haricot of Mutton. 2 tablespoonfuls of chopped onions. 2 tablespoonfuls of butter or drippings. 2 cups of water, and salt and pepper. IJ pounds of lean mutton or lamb cut into 2-inch pieces. Fry the onions in the butter, add the meat, and brown; cover with water and cook until the meat is ten- der. Serve with a border of Lima beans, seasoned with salt, pepper. 108 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES butter, and a little chopped parsley. Fresh, canned, dried, or evaporated Lima beans may be used in making this dish. Roast Pork with Cowpeas. For this dish a leg of young pork should be selected. With a sharp knife make a deep cut in the knuckle and fill the opening with sage, pep- per, salt, and chopped onion. When the roast is half done scar the skin but do not cut deeper tlian the outer rind. When the meat is nearly cooked pour off the excess of fat and add a quart of white cowpeas which have been previously parboiled or " hulled " and cook slowly until quite done and the meat is brown. Apple sauce may be served with this dish. Heat Salads. Whether meat salads are economi- cal or not depends upon the way in which the materials are utilized. If in chicken salad, for example, only the white meat of chickens especially bought for the purpose and only the inside stems of expensive celery are used, it can hardly be cheaper than plain chicken. But, if portions of meat left over from a previous serv- ing are mixed with celery grown at home, they certainly make an eco- nomical dish, and one very acceptable to most persons. Cold roast pork or tender veal — in fact, any white meat can be utilized in the same way. Apples cut into cubes may be sub- stituted for part of the celery; many cooks consider that with the apple the salad takes the dressing better than with the celery alone. Many also prefer to marinate (i. e., mix with a little oil and vinegar) the meat and celery or celery and ap- ples before putting in the final dress- ing, which may be eitlier mayonnaise or a good boiled dressing. Meat with Eggs. Occasionally eggs are combined with meat, making very nutritious dishes. W^hether this is an economy or not of course depends on the comparative cost of eggs and meat. In general, it may be said that eggs are cheaper food than meat when a dozen cost less than li pounds of meat, for a doxen eggs weigh about li pounds and the proportions of pro- tein and fat which they contain are not far different from the proportions of these nutrients in the average cut of meat. When eggs are 30 cents a dozen they compare favorably with a round of beef at 20 cents a pound. Such common dishes as ham and eggs, bacon or salt pork and eggs, and omelette with minced ham or other meat are familiar to all cooks. Roast Beef with Yorkshire Pudding. The beef is roasted as usual and the pudding made as follows: Yorkshire Pudding. 3 eggs. 1 pint milk. 1 cupful flour. 1 teaspoonful salt. Beat the eggs until very light, then add the milk. Pour the mixture over the flour, add the salt, and beat well. Bake in hissing hot gem pans or in an ordinary baking pan for forty- five minutes, and baste with drip- pings from the beef. If gem pans are used, they should be placed on a dripping pan to jirotect the floor of the oven from the fat. Many cooks prefer to bake Yorkshire pud- ding in the pan with the meat; in this case the roast should be placed on a rack and the pudding batter poured on the pan under it. Corned Beef Hash with Poached Eggs. A dish popular with many persons is corned beef hash with poached eggs on top of the hash. A slice of toast is sometimes used imder the hash. This suggests a way of utiliz- ing the small amount of corned-beef hash which would otherwise be insuf- ficient for a meal. Housekeepers occasionally use up odd bits of other meat in a similar way, chopping and seasoning them and then warming and serving in in- dividual baking cups with a poached or shirred egg on each. ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 109 Ham and Poached Eggs with Cream Sauce. A more elaborate dish of meat and eggs is made by placing a piece of thinly sliced boiled ham on a round of buttered toast, a poached egg on the ham, and covering with a highly seasoned cream or a Hollandaise sauce. A slice of tongue may be used instead of the ham. If preferred, a well-seasoned and rather thick to- mato sauce or curry sauce may be used. Stuffing or rorcemeat. Another popular way to extend the flavor of meat over a large amount of food is by the use of stuflBng or forcemeat (a synonym more common in England than in the United States). As it is impossible to in- troduce much stuffing into some pieces of meat even if the meat is cut to make a pocket for it, it is often well to prepare more than can be put into the meat and to cook the re- mainder in the pan beside the meat. Some cooks cover the extra stuffing with buttered paper while it is cook- ing and baste it at intervals. Some recipes for meat dishes of this character follow, and others will be found in cook books. Mock Wild Duck. 1 flank steak, or 1^ pounds round steak cut ^-inch thick. 2 lamb kidneys. i cup butter or drippings. i cup cracker crumbs. 1 tablespoonful minced onion. Salt, pepper, and powdered thyme, sage or savory. 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 tablespoonful sugar. 3 cupfuls water or stock. Trim the kidneys of all fat, cords, and veins. Cut into small pieces and spread evenly over one side of the steak together with the crumbs, onion, and seasonings. Roll and tie with a cord. Brown the roll in fat, then re- move and make a gravy by heating the flour in the fat and adding three cupfuls of stock or water and the sugar. Put the meat into the gravy and cook slowly until tender in a cov- ever baking dish, a steamer, or a fire- less cooker. If steamed or cooked in a fireless cooker, the roll should be browned in the oven before serving. Mock Duck. Mock duck is made by placing on a round steak a stuffing of bread crumbs well seasoned with chopped onions, butter, chopped suet or drip- ping, salt, pepper, and a little sage, if the flavor is relished. The steak is then rolled around the stuffing and tied with a string in several places. If the steak seems tough, the roll is steamed or stewed until tender be- fore roasting in the oven until brown. Or it may be cooked in a casserole or other covered dish, in which case a cupful or more of water or soup- stock should be poured around the meat. Mock duck is excellent served with currant or other acid jelly. Veal or Beef Birds. A popular dish known as veal or beef birds or by a variety of special names is made by taking small pieces of meat, each just large enough for an individual serving, and preparing them in the same way as the mock duck is jirepared. Sometimes variety is introduced by seasoning the stuffing with chopped olives or tomato. Many cooks pre- pare their " birds " by browning in a little fat, then adding a little water, covering closely and simmering until tender. UTILIZING THE CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT IN PALATABLE DISHES When the housekeeper attempts to reduce her meat bill by using the less expensive cuts, she commonly has two difficulties to contend with — tough- ness and lack of flavor. It has been shown how prolonged cooking softens the connective tissues of the meat. Pounding the meat and chopping it are also employed with tough cuts, as they help to break the muscle fibers. As for flavor, the natural flavor of meat even in the least de- sirable cuts may be developed by care- ful cooking, notably by browning the 110 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES surface, and other flavors may be given by the addition of vegetables and seasoning with condiments of various kinds. Methods of preparing inexpensive meat dishes will be discussed and practical directions for them will be given in the following sections. As often ha])pens, two or three methods may be illustrated by the same dish, but the attempt has been made to group the recipes according to their most salient feature. Prolonged Cooking at Low Heat. Meat may be cooked in water in a number of ways without being allowed to reach the boiling point. With the ordinary kitchen range this is ac- complished by cooking on the cooler part of the stove rather than on the hottest part, directly over the fire. Experience with a gas stove, particu- larly if it has a small burner known as a " simmerer," usually enables the cook to maintain temperatures which are high enough to sterilize the meat if it has become accidentally contam- inated in any way and to make it tender without hardening the fibers. The double boiler would seem to be a neglected utensil for this purpose. Its contents can easily be kept up to a temperature of 200° F., and nothing will burn. Another method is by means of the fireless cooker. In this a high temperature can be maintained for a long time without the applica- tion of fresh heat. Still another method is by means of a closely cov- ered baking dish. Earthenware dishes of this kind suitable for serving foods as well as for cooking are known as casseroles. For cooking purposes a baking dish covered with a plate or a bean jar covered with a saucer may be substituted. The Aladdin oven has long been popular for the purpose of preserving tem- peratures which are near the boiling point and yet do not reach it. It fs a thoroughly insulated oven which may be heated by a kerosene lamp or a gas jet. In this connection directions are given for using some of the tough- est and least promising pieces of meat. Stewed Shin of Beef. 4 pounds of shin of beef. 1 medium sized onion. 1 whole clove and a small bay leaf. 1 sprig of parsley. IJ tablespoonfuls of flour, 1 small slice of carrot. ^ tablespoonful of salt. i teaspoonful of pepper. 2 quarts of boiling water. 1| tablespoonfuls of butter or savory drippings. Have the butcher cut the bone in several pieces. Put all the ingredients but the flour and butter into a stew- pan and bring to a boil. Set the pan where the liquid will just simmer for six hours, or after boiling for five or ten minutes, put all into the fireless cooker for eight or nine hours. With the butter, flour, and one-half cupful of the clear soup from which the fat has been removed, make a brown sauce; to this add the meat, the mar- row removed from the bone. Heat and serve. The remainder of the liquid in which the meat has been cooked may be used for soup. Sour Beef. Take a piece of beef from the rump or the lower round, cover wnth vinegar or with a half-and-half mix- ture of vinegar and water, add sliced onion, bay leaves, and a few mixed whole spices and salt. Allow to stand a week in winter or three or four days in summer; turn over once a day and keep covered. When ready to cook, brown the meat in fat, using an enameled iron pan, strain the liquid over it and cook until tender; thicken the gravy with flour or ginger snaps (which may be broken up first), strain it, and pour over the sliced meat. Some cooks add cream. Boiled Beef with Horse-radish Sauce. Plain boiled beef may also be served •with horse-radish sauce, and makes a palatable dish. A little chopped parsley sprinkled over the meat when served is considered an improvement by many persons. For the sake of variety the meat may be browned like pot roast before serving. ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 111 Farmer Stew. Pound flour into both sides of a round steak, using as much as the meat will take up. This may be done with a meat pounder or with the edge of a heavy plate. Fry in drippings, butter, or other fat in a Scotch bowl, or if more convenient in an ordinary iron kettle or a frying pan; then add water enough to cover it. Cover the dish very tightly so that the steam can not escape and allow the meat to simmer for two hours or until it is tender. One advantage of this dish is that ordinarily it is ready to serve when the meat is done as the gravy is already thickened. However, if a large amount of fat is used in the frying, the gravy may not be thick enough and must be blended with flour. Stuffed Heart. Wash the heart thoroughly inside and out, stuff with the following mix- ture, and sew up the opening: One cup broken bread dipped in fat and browned in the oven, 1 chopped onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover the heart with water and simmer until tender or boil ten min- utes and set in the tireless cooker for six or eight hours. Remove from the water about one-half hour before serving. Dredge with flour, pepper, and salt, or sprinkle with crumbs and bake until brown. Braised Beef, Pot Roast, and Beef k la Mode. The above names are given to dishes made from the less tender cuts of meat. They vary little either in com- position or method of preparation. In all cases the meat is browned on the outside to increase the flavor and then cooked in a small amount of water in a closely covered kettle or other receptacle until tender. The flavor of the dish is secured by brown- ing the meat and by the addition of the seasoning vegetables. Many recipes suggest that the vegetables be removed before serving and the liquid be thickened. As the vegetables are usually extremely well seasoned by means of the browned fat and the ex- tracts of the meat, it seems unfortu- nate not to serve them. Of course, the kind, quality, and shape of the meat all play their part in the matter. Extra time is needed for meats with a good deal of sinew and tough fibers such as the tough steaks, shank cuts, etc.; and natu- rally a fillet of beef, or a steak from a prime cut will take less time than a thick piece from the shin. Such dishes require more time and per- haps more skill in their preparation and may involve more expense for fuel than the more costly cuts, which like chops or tender steaks may be quickly cooked, but to the epicure, as well as to the average man, they are palatable when rightly prepared. ^ean-pot Roast. 3 pounds mutton (shoulder), or 3 pounds round, or chuck steak. 1 cup carrots cut into small pieces. 1 cup potatoes cut into small pieces. 1 cup sliced onion. Cover the meat with boiling water. Place the cover on the bean pot and let the meat cook in a moderate oven for two hours; then add the vegeta- bles cut in half-inch cubes, with 2 tea- spoonfuls salt; cook until the vegeta- bles are tender, which will require about one hour; then serve, pouring a sauce over the meat, made from 1 cup of the liquid in which the meat was cooked, thickened with 2 table- spoonfuls of flour, Hungarian Goulash. 2 pounds top round of beef. A little flour. 2 ounces salt pork. 2 cups tomatoes. 1 stalk celery. 1 onion. 2 bay leaves. 6 whole cloves. 6 peppercorns, 1 blade mace. Cut the beef into 2-inch pieces and sprinkle with flour; fry the salt pork until light brown; add the beef and cook slowly for about thirty-five min- 112 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES utes, stirring occasionally. Cover with water and simmer about two hours; season with salt and pepper or paprika. From the vegetables and spices a sauce is made as follows: Cook in sufficient water to cover for twenty minutes ; then rub through a sieve, and add to some of the stock in which the meat was cooked. Thicken with flour, using 2 tablespoonfuls (moistened with cold water) to each cup of liquid, and season with salt and pa- prika. Serve the meat on a platter with the sauce poured over it. Potatoes, carrots, and green peppers cooked un- til tender, and cut into small pieces or narrow strips, are usually sprinkled over the dish when served, and noodles may be arranged in a border upon the platter. Goulash is a Hungarian dish which has come to be a favorite in the United States. Casserole Cookery. A casserole is a heavy earthenware dish with a cover. A substitute for it can easily be improvised by using any heavy earthenware dish with a heavy plate for the cover. A casser- ole presentable enough in appearance to be put on the table serves the double purpose of baking and serving dish. A suitable cut of beef or veal, and it may well be one of the cheaper cuts, as the long, slow cooking insures tenderness, may be cooked in a casser- ole. Poultry and other meats besides beef or veal can be cooked in this manner. Chicken cooked in a casser- ole, which is a favorite and expensive dish in good hotels and restaurants, may be easily prepared in the home, and casserole cookery is to be recom- mended for tough chicken. The heat must be moderate and the cooking must occupy a long time. Hurried cooking in a casserole is out of the question. If care is taken in this particular, and suitable season- ings are used, few who know any- thing of cooking should go astray. Chojiped meat also may be cooked in a casserole and this utensil is par- ticularly useful for the purpose, be- cause the food is served in the same dish in which it is cooked and may easily be kept hot, a point which is im])ortant with chopped meats, which usually cool rapidly. Casserole Koast. 3 or 4 pounds or round or rump of beef. A slice of salt pork. A few pep])ercorns. One-fourth each of a carrot, a turnip, an onion, and a head of celery cut into small pieces. Try out the pork. Brown the meat on both sides in the fat. Put in a casserole with the vegetables around it, add 2 cupfuls of water or stock. Cover and cook in a hot oven three hours, basting occasionally. A sauce or gravy can be made with water, flour, and some of the juice left in the casserole. Casserole or Italian Hash. Boil one-fourth pound of macar- oni, drain and put into a buttered casserole, add a little butter and grated cheese. Push the macaroni to the sides of the dish and fill the center with chopped cooked meat seasoned to suit the taste of the family. A little sausage gives a good flavor to this dish. Place in the oven until hot throughout and serve. A very good modification of this is made by using raw instead of cooked meat. For this one-half pound of round steak is sufficient for a family of six. This should be cut into small pieces, browned, and cooked until tender in water with the onions and other seasonings. An hour before the cooking is complete, add one-half can of tomatoes. Before serving, the meat may be mixed with the sauce, and the whole is poured over the mac- aroni. MEAT COOKED WITH VINEGAR Dishes of similar sort as regards cooking, but in which vinegar is used to give flavor as well as to soften the meat and make it tender, are the following : ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 113 Spanish Beefsteak. Take a piece of round steak weigh- ing 2 pounds and about an inch thick; pound until thin, season with salt and Cayenne pepper, cover with a layer of bacon or salt pork, cut into thin slices, roll and tie with a cord. Pour around it half a cupful of milk and half a cupful of water. Place in a covered baking dish and cook two hours, basting occasionally. Sour Beefsteak. Round steak may be cooked in water in which there is a little vine- gar, or if the time is sufficient, it may be soaked for a few hours in vinegar and water and then cooked in a cas- serole or in some similar way. POUNDED MEAT Pounding meat before cooking is an old-fashioned method of making it tender, but while it has the advantage of breaking down the tough tissues it has the disadvantage of being likely to drive out the juices and with them the flavor. A very good way of es- caping this difficulty is pounding flour into the meat; this catches and retains the juices. Below are given the recipes for two palatable dishes in which this is done: CHOPPED MEAT Chopping meat is one of the prin- cipal methods of making tough and inexpensive meat tender, i. e., dividing it finely and thus cutting the con- nective tissue into small bits. Such meats have another advantage in that they may be cooked quickly and economically. In broiling chopped meat the fact should be kept in mind that there is no reason why it should not be cooked like the best and most expensive ten- derloin. The only reason that ever existed for difference in treatment was the toughness of the connective tissue, and this feature has been over- come by the chopping. The ideal to be reached in broiling steak is to sear the surface very quickly, so that the juices which contain the greater part of the flavoring of the meat shall be kept in, and then to allow the heat to penetrate to the inside until the whole mass is cooked to the taste of the family. To pass the point where the meat ceases to be puffy and juicy and becomes flat and hard is very unde- sirable, as the palatability is then lost. Exactly the same ideal should be kept in mind in broiling chopped meat. If this were always done, hard, compact, tasteless balls or cakes of meat would be served less often. To begin with, the broiler should be even more care- fully greased than for a whole steak. This makes it possible to form the balls or cakes of chopped meat with very little pressure without running the risk of having them pulled to pieces by adhering to the wires of the broiler. They should be heated on both sides even more quickly than the steak, because the chopping has provided more ways of escape for the juice, and these openings should be sealed as soon as possible. The in- terior should be cooked to the taste of the family just as the steak is. In regard to broiling it may in- cidentally be noted that housekeepers often make themselves unnecessary work when broiling under gas by allowing the juice from steaks or meat balls to drop into the large pan under the rack. A smaller pan set in the larger one may be made to catch all the juice and fat and is much easier to wash. It serves also to economize the gravy. Chopped raw meat of almost any kind can be very quickly made into a savory dish by cooking it with water or with water and milk for a short time, then thickening with but- ter and flour, and adding different seasonings as relislied, either pepper and salt alone, or onion juice, celery, or tomato. Such a dish may be made to " go further " by serving it on toast or with a border of rice or in some similar combination. Tough Portions of Porterhouse Steak. Before speaking of the cooking of the cuts that lack tenderness through- out, it may be well to refer to the fact that the flank end of the porter- house is to be classed with the tough- 114 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES est of cuts and with those which, when cooked alone, are with difficulty made tender even by long heating. Mocli duck, which is commonly made out of flank steak, can be rendered tender enough to be palatable only by long steaming or cooking in water and yet people quite generally broil this part of the steak with the tender- loin and expect it to be eaten. The fact is that to broil this part of the porterhouse steak is not good man- agement. It is much more profitable to put it into the soup kettle or to make it into a stew. In families where most of the members are away during the day the latter is a good plan, for the end of a steak makes a good stew for two or three people. This may be seasoned with vegetables left from dinner, or two or three olives cut up in gravy will give a very good flavor; or a few drops of some one of the bottled meat sauces, if the flavor is relished, or a little Chili sauce may be added to the stew. But if the tough end of a porterhouse is needed with the rest, a good plan is to put it through a meat grinder, make it into balls, and broil it with the tender portions. Each member of the family can then be served with a piece of the tenderloin and a meat ball. If the chopped meat is seasoned with a little onion juice, grated lemon rind, or chopped parsley, a good flavor is imparted to the gravy. Hamburg Steak. This name is commonly given to in- expensive cuts of beef chopped, sea- soned a little, shaped into small balls or into one large thin cake, and quickly broiled in the way that a tender steak would be. Owing to the quick cooking much of the natural flavor of the meat is de- veloped and retained. The fact should be kept in mind that Hamburg steak must be made from fresh, well- ground meat. It is much safer to chop the meat at home, as chopped meat spoils very quickly. Much de- pends, too, upon browning it suffi- ciently to bring out the flavors. Many cooks think that Hamburg steak is improved if the meat is mixed with milk before it is cooked. In some parts of the country, and particularly in some of the Southern States, two kinds of beef are on sale. One is imported from other parts of the country and is of higher price. The other, known locally as " native beef," is sometimes lacking in flavor and in fat and is usually tougher. Southern native beef such as is raised in Florida is almost in- variably, however, of extremely good flavor, due presumably to the feed or other conditions under which it is raised. By choj)ping such meat and cooking it as Hamburg steak, a dish almost as palatable as the best cuts of the more expensive beef may be ob- tained. In such cases, however, it is desirable because of the low percent- age of fat to add suet or butter to the meat. The reason for this is that in the cooking the water of the juice when unprotected by fat evaporates too quickly and leaves the meat dry. This may be prevented by adding egg as well as fat, for the albumen of the egg hardens quickly and tends to keep in the juices. The proportion should be 1 egg to IJ pounds of meat. Savory Rolls. Savory rolls in great variety are made out of chopped meat either with or without egg. The variety is se- cured by the flavoring materials used and by the sauces with which the baked rolls are served. A few recipes will be given below. While these def- inite directions are given it should be remembered that a few general princi- ples borne in mind make recipes un- necessary and make it possible to util- ize whatever may happen to be on hand. Appetizing rolls are made with beef and pork mixed. The proportion varies from two parts of beef and one of pork to two of pork and one of beef. The rolls are always improved by laying thin slices of salt pork or bacon over them, which keep the sur- face moistened with fat during the roasting. These slices should be scored on the edge, so that they will not curl up in cooking. The neces- sity for the salt pork is greater when the chopped meat is chiefly beef than when it is largely pork or veal. Bread crumbs or bread moistened in ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 115 water can always be added, as it helps to make the dish go farther. When onions, green peppers, or other veg- etables are used, they should always be thoroughly cooked in fat before being put in the roll, for usually they do not cook sufficiently in the length of time it takes to cook the meat. Sausage makes a good addition to the roU, but it is usually cheaper to use unseasoned pork meat with the ad- dition of a little sage. Cannelon of Beef. This dish is prepared by making chopped beef into a roll and baking it wrapped in a buttered paper, a method designed to keep in the steam and so insure a moist, tender dish. The paper must be removed before serving. The roll should be basted occasionally with butter and water or drippings and water. In prepar- ing the roll an egg may be added, for eacn pound and a half of meat, and chopped parsley, onion juice, lemon peel, or finely chopped green peppers make good seasoning. A thickened gravy may be made from the drip- pings, the liquid used being either water or tomato juice. Strips of pork laid on the roll may be substituted for the buttered paper and basting. Filipino Beef. 1 pound roimd beef. i pound lean fresh pork. 1 small onion. 1 one green pepper. 1 teaspoonful of salt. 1 cup of soft stale bread crumbs. 1 egg. 3 cups of stewed tomatoes. 2 slices of bacon. 2 tablespoonfuls of butter. 4> tablespoonfuls of flour. Remove the seeds from the pepper and put it through the meat grinder with the meats and the onion. Add crumbs, egg, and salt. INIake into a roll, place in a shallow baking dish, pour the strained tomatoes around it, put the bacon on top, and bake forty minutes, basting with the tomatoes. Thicken the gravy with the flour cooked in the butter, A little season- ing such as a bit of bay leaf, a clove, and a small piece of onion improves the tomato sauce. As the pepper and onion are not likely to be cooked as soon as the meat, it is well to fry them in a little fat before adding to the other ingredients. This dish will serve 6 to 8 people. When the meat is 20 cents a pound and every other item is valued at usual town market prices, the dish costs about 50 cents. If the meat costs only 10 cents per pound and vegetables from the garden are used the initial cost of the dish will be small. Since no vegetable except po- tatoes or rice need be served with this dish, it may be said to answer the purpose of both meat and vegetable. Mock Rabbit. i pound round steak, and 1 pound sausage; or 1 pound round steak, and i pound sausage meat. 3 slices of bread moistened with water. 1 egg. 1 onion. i pound salt pork. Pepper and salt. Chop the meat. Chop the onion and cook (but do not brown) it in the fat tried out of a small portion of the pork. Add the bread and cook a few minutes. When this is cool, mix all the ingredients and form into a long round roll. The surface can easily be made smooth if the hand is wet with cold water. Lay the remaining pork cut in thin slices on top and bake forty minutes in a hot oven. The sausage may be omitted if desired and other seasoning used. Veal Loaf. 3 pounds veal. 1 pound salt pork. 6 soda crackers rolled fine. 3 eggs well beaten. i teaspoonful pepper. i teaspoonful salt. Chop the meat mixed with the other ingredients, shape, and bake three hours, basting occasionally with pork 116 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES fat. Use one-fourth cut of fat for this purpose. If the roll is pierced occasionally the fat will penetrate more effectually. Veal loaf may also be cooked in bread pans. Some per- sons cook the veal before chopping. DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING FLAVOR OF MEAT Tiie typical meat flavors are very palatable to most persons, even when they are constantly tasted, and con- sequently the better cuts of meat in which they are well developed can be cooked and served without attention being paid especially to flavor. Care- ful cooking aids in developing the nat- ural flavor of some of the cheaper cuts, and such a result is to be sought wherever it is possible. Browning also brings out flavors agreeable to most palates. Aside from these two ways of increasing the flavor of the meat itself there are countless ways of adding flavor to otherwise rather tasteless meats. The flavors may be added in preparing the meat for cook- ing, as in various seasoned dishes al- ready described, or they may be sup- plied to cooked meat in the form of sauces. Retaining- Natural Flavor. As has already been pointed out, it is extremely diflBcult to retain the flavor-giving extractives in a piece of meat so tough as to require prolonged cooking, it is sometimes partially ac- complished by first searing the ex- terior of the meat and thus preventing the escape of the juices. Another de- vice, illustrated by the following recipe, is to let them escape into the gravy which is served with the meat itself. A similar principle is applied when roasts are basted with their own juice. Round Steak on Biscuits. Cut round steak into pieces about one-half inch scjuare, cover with water and cook it at a temperature just be- low the boiling point until it is tender, or boil for five minutes, and while still hot put into the fireless cooker and leave it for five hours. Thicken the gravy with flour mixed with water. allowing 2 level tablespoonfuls to a cup of water. Pour the meat and gravy over split baking powder bis- cuits so baked that they have a large amoimt of crust. Flavor of Browned Meat or Fat. Next to tiie unchanged flavor of the meat itself comes the flavor which is secured by browning the meat with fat. The outside slices of roast meat have this browned flavor in marked degree. Except in the case of roasts, browning for flavor is usually accom- plished by heating the meat in a fry- ing pan in fat which has been tried out of pork or in suet or butter. Care should be taken that the fat is not scorched. Fat in itself is a very valuable food, and the objection to fried foods because they may be fat seems illogical. Many housekeepers cook bacon in the oven on a wire broiler over a pan and believe it more wholesome than fried bacon. The reason, of course, is that thus cooked in the oven there is less chance for the bacon becoming impregnated with burned fat. ^^^lere fried salt pork is much used good cooks know that it must not be cooked over a very hot fire, even if they have never heard of the chemistry of burned fat. The recipe for bean-pot roast and other similar recipes may be varied by browning the meat or part of it be- fore covering with water. This re- sults in keeping some of the natural flavoring within the meat it- self and allowing less to go into the gravy. The flavor of veal can be very greatly improved in this way. The following old-fashioned dishes made with pork owe their savoriness chiefly to the flavor of browned fat or meat: Salt Pork with Milk Gravy. Cut salt or cured pork into thin slices. If very salt, cover with hot water and allow it to stand for ten minutes. Score the rind of the slices and fry slowly until they are a golden brown. Make a milk gravy by heat- ing flour in the fat that has been tried out, allowing 2 tablespoonfuls of fat and 2 tablespoonfuls of flour to each cup of milk. This is a good way to ECONOMICAL USE OF MEAT IN THE HOME 117 use skim milk, which is as rich in pro- tein as whole milk. The pork and milk gravy served with boiled or baked potatoes makes a cheap and simple meal, but one that most people like very much. Bacon is often used in place of salt pork in making this dish. Fried Salt Pork with Salt Codfish or " Salt-Fish Dinner." I pound salf pork. 1 pound codfish. 2 cups of milk (skim milk will do). 4 tablespoonfuls flour. A speck of salt. Cut the codfish into strips, soak in lukewarm water and then cook in water until tender but do not allow the water to come to the boiling point except for a very short time as prolonged boihng may make it tough. Cut the pork into one-fourth inch slices and cut several gashes in each piece. Fry very slowly until golden brown, and remove, pouring off the fat. Out of 4 tablespoonfuls of the fat, the flour, and the milk make a white sauce. Dish up the codfish with pieces of pork around it and serve with boiled potatoes and beets. Some persons serve the pork, and the fat from it, in a gravy boat so it can be added as i*elish. India Curry. li pounds veal. i cup of butter or drippings. 2 onions or less. i tablespoonful curry or less. Brown meat either without fat or with very little and cut into small pieces. Fry the onions in the butter, re- move them, add the meat and curry powder. Cover the meat with boiling water and cook until tender. Serve with a border of rice. This dish is so savory that it can be made to go a long way by serving with a large amount of rice. The two onions and one-half tablespoonful of curry pow- der are the largest amount to be used. Many persons prefer less of each. in preparing the rice for this dish perhaps no better method can be given than the following: " Wash 1 cupful of rice in several waters, rubbing the grains between the hands to remove all the dirt. Put the washed rice in a stewpan with 2i cupfuls of water and 1 tea- spoonful of salt. Cover and place where the water will boil. Cook for twenty minutes, being careful not to let it burn. At the end of this time put the stewpan on a tripod or ring and cover the rice with a fold of cheese cloth. Let it continue to cook in this manner an hour, then turn into a hot vegetable dish. The rice will be tender, dry and sweet, and each grain will separate. During the whole process of cooking, the rice must not be stirred. If a table- spoonful of butter is cut up and scattered over the rice when it has cooked twenty minutes the dish will be very much improved." The butter is not necessary when the rice is served with India curry but may be included in dishes where less fat is used. Mock Venison. Cut cold mutton into thin slices and heat in a brown sauce made ac- cording to the following proportions: 2 tablespoonfuls butter. 2 tablespoonfuls flour. 1 tablespoonful of bottled meat sauce (whichever is preferred). 1 tablespoonful red currant jelly. 1 cupful water or stock. Brown the flour in the butter, add the water or stock slowly, and keep stirring. Then add the jelly and meat sauce and let the mixture boil up well. CHAPTER VII BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES MARKETING FOR MEATS — ROASTS OF BEEF — BRAISING BEEF — BEEF STEWS AND RAGOUTS — MEAT PIES — BEEF TRIPE, HEART AND KIDNEY — SPECIAL BEEF DISHES AND LEFT- OVERS MARKETING FOR MEATS In regard to meat more than any other food, it pays the housewife to do her own marketing. A study of the cuts laid out on a butcher's stall often reveals something good and cheap, which would not have been thought of if one were giving her or- ders to a clerk or over the telephone. During the past few years meat has risen so steadily in price that roasts, chops, and steaks, on which the aver- age housekeeper was wont to rely, make a food bill appallingly high. But there are other pieces which by careful cooking produce very savory dishes. The good marketer ought, first of all, to know at a glance not only the various cuts but the appearance of good, wholesome meat. When first killed, a side of beef is reddish pur- ple, but it changes fast to a bright- red tint. The fat is a creamy-white color, not in chunks by itself but threaded, as it were, through the red. The whole ought to have a fresh, juicy appearance that tells it has hung long enough to become well ripened and fit for human food. Before beginning to consider cuts of meat, their price, their tenderness or toughness, try to imagine the ani- mal on its feet wandering about a grassy field in search of food. Like every other creature, it has a wonder- ful network of muscles. Some of these muscles work overtime, others get little usage. Therefore we find 118 the tenderest portions where the body has had little exercise — the flesh on top of the back, that long strip we call the tenderloin lying alongside of the spine, the poorterhouse, the seven prime ribs, as a butcher calls the thick sirloin, all cuts which are best adapted for broiling or roasting. Near the neck are the chuck ribs and shoulder, besides the tail and rump; then we come down to the round and the leg, portions of all creatures that abound in muscle. Where sinews are abundant and the flesh has a coarse- grained appearance, different meth- ods of cooking must be resorted to for such meat, if broiled or roasted, would be almost impossible to chew. It should be subjected to slow cook- ing, such as braising, pot roasting, or simmering just below the boiling point or to the moderate heat of a casserole. The nearer one approaches the hoof of the animal, the better is the meat adapted for soup making. The tendons of the shin are rich in gelatin, and when dissolved by long, slow cooking, give flavor and con- sistency to a soup. Beginning at the hoof of a creature, there is a piece which makes excel- lent soup. As we go farther up the loin, the meat begins to be of better flavor and the bone contains finer marrow. Then comes the round; from the top of it can be cut a really good steak. With a slight amount of pounding and marinating, this can be made almost as tender as a more ex- pensive cut. By marinating is meant BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 119 laying it in a mixture of oil and vine- gar in tlie coldest corner of tlie re- frigerator. Next comes the rump, from which stews and roasts are cut. Then ths sirloin, which contains the best steaks and roasts. From this portion is cut the tenderloin, a fine strip of tender meat that lies inside the bone. This bit of the creature does not receive the slightest exercise. It is therefore a delicate morsel, which sells from fifty to eighty cents a pound, according to the demand for it. I have bought it in country places as cheap as twenty-five cents a pound, while in New York it often brings ninety cents. Although de- liciously tender, it does not possess the flavor and nourishment of a cheaper piece of steak. Now we come to the forequarter, which begins at the five prime ribs for roasting. Close to them lie the five chuck ribs, excellent cuts for stews and small steaks. The neck is generally converted into Hamburg steak, while the under part of the animal, which includes the flank, plate, navel, and brisket, are corned. Here also is the shoulder clod; no cut can excel it in juiciness and flavor when a pot roast or beef k la mode is desired. For the housewife anxious to have a small income provide the best food possible, there are any number of pieces that make a savory dish, pro- vided they are cooked in the way which best fits them. A cut from the top of the round marinated as above suggested, and broiled gives an excellent steak. A cheaper piece of round, from farther down the leg, may be put through the chopper; broiled, it is good as Hamburg steak; baked, it makes a savory cannelon. A cut from the rump may be braised and is as appetizing hot as cold. A pound or two of rump is the base for a nourishing stew, while a braised or boiled tongue affords one hot meal and several lunch dishes. An ox tail is delicious fricasseed or in soup. Pot roasting converts a number of cheap cuts into excellent dishes. Among these are the juicy, lean cross ribs, or a solid piece from the lower part of the round or face of the rump. Two pounds of flank, which costs ten or twelve cents a pound, is very good when cooked a la aMUihi- aise. Roll the meat, saute it brown, season well, and braise slowly for two hours with enough water to make a good gravy. A sheep's liver is as highly es- teemed in England as calf's liver is here. In American markets it is al- most given away. If liver looks cloudy, or a heart and kidney have a streaky, spotted appearance, you may be sure they are diseased and will make dangerous food. When cut from a well-nourished, healthy ani- mal, they are smooth, red, and juicy. A calf's heart is a most appetizing dish larded, stuffed with a well-sea- soned dressing, roasted, and served with rich brown gravy. There is a knack in picking out a soup bone as well as in knowing how to cook it. It ought to be two thirds meat, one third bone and fat. If one has a large family, the best method to follow in winter when making soup, is to purchase two pieces of shin, one heavy with meat, the other bone and gristle. These must be cooked very slowly. When tender, take out the meat, separating It from the bone and gristle, which may be left to cook until all the good is out of it. The meat makes a good hash or stew and is not to be depised for croquettes. Fifty cents' worth of shin (when there is no waste) yields several nourishing meals in the shape of stew, hash, gelatine, and soup. It will pay a housewife who caters to a large family to purchase a set of butcher's tools. They cost several dollars, but within a year she can save the price of them by getting pieces of meat, during the winter at least, big enough to make a number of meals. Of course cold-storage room is a necessity. For instance, in the course of two weeks, a quarter of nmtton can be utilized in a good-sized household. The first part to be used is the flank, because its keeping quali- ties are not so good as other parts of the quarter. Cut off the small end of the ribs, leaving the loin chops and the rib quite short. The loin can then be hung in a cold pantry. The 120 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES flank will make several quarts of fine mutton stock as well as a stew. In this Wciy, one may have at a moder- ate cost the chops for which a butcher charges fancy i)rices, besides a num- ber of other cuts, which, although not quite as choice, make excellent dishes when properly cooked. Beef, pork, and veal in large cuts may also be purchased during the winter and cut by the housewife to suit her needs. An accommodating butcher will gen- erally be willing to give his customer a lesson on how to divide meat, and with sharp tools any woman can ac- complish it. Roast Beef. Use, if possible, a covered roaster for cooking any sort of meat. The re- sult is a much more savory roast and less shrinkage. Wipe the meat, set it in a dripping pan, skin side down, rub with salt and pepper, then dredge with flour. Have the oven as hot as possible when it is put in, so the out- side will sear quickly and prevent the escape of the meat juice. As soon as the flour in the pan is brown, reduce the heat and baste with the fat, which has flowed from the roast. When the meat is half done, turn it on the other side and dredge with flour. Should there be the slightest appearance of flour in the pan turn- ing black, add a little water and baste every fifteen minutes until done, al- lowing one hour for each five pounds if the meat is desired rare or an hour and twenty minutes, if you wish it well done. Roast-Beef Gravy. Pour off fat, leaving four table- spoonfuls in pan; add four table- spoons flour and brown, stirring all the time. Add two cupfuls boiling water; salt and pepper to taste, and cook until smooth. Boil two min- utes, strain and serve. Casserole of Beefsteak. Saut^ 3 sliced onions in a table- spoonful butter; put them into the casserole. Cut a steak, from the up- per side of the round, into pieces suit- able for one portion. Put them in the saute pan and sear on all sides. then in the casserole. Add a table- spoonful flour to the saut^ pan, let it brown, add li cupfuls water, and stir until thickened, season with salt, pep- \)L'v, and a tablespoonful chopped parsley. Add a little Worcestershire sauce and mushroom catsup. The sauce will be richer if stock is used instead of water. Pour the sauce over the meat, cover the casserole, set in the oven, and cook slowly until the meat is tender, then cover the top with parboiled, sliced potatoes, and return to the oven to finish cooking the potatoes. Serve in the casserole. To Broil a Steak. Have the coals glowing hot, with- out flame or smoke, Grease a broiler with beef fat, place the steak in it, and hold it over the fire while count- ing ten slowly. Turn the broiler and hold the other side down for the same length of time. Turn the meat once in ten seconds for about one minute, or until it is well seared; then hold it farther from the fire, turning occa- sionally until the surface is brown. Just before taking it from the fire, sjirinkle with salt and pepper, turn- ing each side once more to the heat to cook the seasoning. When the steak is cooked, lay it on the platter, and spread both sides with butter. Braised Beef. 3 pounds beef, 2 ounces fat salt pork, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 3 teaspoonfuls salt, ^ teaspoonful pepper, li pints water, 2 tablespoonfuls minced onion 2 tablespoonfuls minced carrot, 2 whole cloves, 1 sprig parsley. Cut the pork into thin slices and fry until brown and crisp. Take out the pork, putting the vegetables in the fat remaining in the pan, and cook slowly fifteen minutes. Rub half the pepper and 2 tablespoonfuls salt into the piece of meat, and place it in a deej) graniteware pan. When the vegetables are cooked, put them with the meat, first pressing from them as much fat as possible. Into BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 121 the fat remaining in the pan put the flour, and stir until it becomes brown. Add the water gradually, stirring all the while. Season this gravy with the remainder of the salt and pepper, and boil for five min- utes; then pour over the meat in the pan. Add the cloves and parsley. Cover the pan and set in a very mod- erate oven. Cook for five hours, basting every half hour with the gravy in the pan. The oven must never be so hot that the gravy will bubble. — Maria Parloa. Beef Stew with Dumplings. 2 pounds ujipcr part of round steak with the bone, 3 pints boiling water, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 onion, i tablespoonful salt, i tablespoonful pepper, i bay leaf, i cupful flour for thickening. Cut meat in one-and-a-half inch pieces, wipe with a damp cloth, and sprinkle with a little salt and flour. Put some of the fat in a hot frying pan, and when tried out, add meat, turning often, till well browned. Then put in a kettle with the bones, add boiling water, rinsing out frying pan with some of it, that none of the goodness of the meat be wasted. Let meat boil for five minutes; then set back on the stove where water will just bubbles, and cook slowly for two hours. Then add onion, carrot, and turnip which have been cut in half- inch cubes, and cook for another hour. Twelve minutes before the stew is done, put dumplings on a per- forated tin pie plate, or in a steamer, cover closely, and do not lift the cover until stew is cooked. Or to have dumplings light in stew, drop the dumplings on top of the gently boiling stew, and leave the cover off until they have puffed up to twice their size. Then replace the cover and cook for fifteen minutes longer. If this is followed the Aimplings will never be soggy. ' For additional suggestions and rec- ipes for dumplings consult the index. Corned Beef and Cabbage. Wash and, if very salt, soak in cold water for an hour a piece of corned beef weighing 5 or 6 pounds. Put in a kettle with cold water to cover, place on stove, heat slowly, taking off scum as it rises to the top of the water. Cook slowly for three or four hours, or till very tender. Take out the meat, and in the liquor cook a cabbage which has been prepared ac- cording to directions given in chap- ter on vegetables; also some potatoes that have been washed and pared. If beets are to be used, cook them in boiling water in a kettle by them- selves. When cabbage and potatoes are tender, take out with skimmer and serve with the meat. Save the fat that rises to the top. Fillet of Beef. Trim into shape, lard the upper side, dredge with salt, pepper, and flour. Put several pieces of pork in the pan under the meat, bake in a hot oven twenty or thirty minutes. Serve with mushroom sauce. Or brush the filet with beaten egg, sprinkle seasoned and buttered crumbs all over it, and bake thirty minutes. Or stuff the incisions left by the re- moval of the veins and tendons with any stufling or forcemeat. Dredge with salt and flour, and bake. — Mary J. Lincoln. Hamburg Steak. Two pounds round beef chopped fine; press it into a flat steak, sprinkle with salt and pepper and a little onion juice; flour lightly, and broil as beefsteak. Make a brown gravy with a little soup stock, thicken with flour, and pour around the steak. Steak a la Bordelaise (French rec- ipe). 1 sirloin steak, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 cupfuls beef stock, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped raw ham, i bay leaf, 1 tablespoonful chopped onion. Salt and pepper to taste, 122 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 1 tablespoonful tomato catsup, i cupful finely chopped mush- rooms. Brown the butter and flour, stir in the stock; when thick and smooth, add the ham, bay leaf, and onion. Cover and simmer gently for an hour, then strain. Add salt, pepper, cat- sup, and mushrooms, and keep hot at the side of the fire. Broil a sirloin steak, arrange on a hot platter, and pour this sauce around it. Beefsteak and Onions. Broil the steak over the fire, being careful to turn it often; after it is cooked, place on a hot platter and set in the oven with dabs of butter on it. Put a little finely chopped suet in a frying pan and fry light brown; into that place 3 onions sliced fine. Cover the pan and cook until tender, remove the cover and continue cooking until the onions are light brown. In serv- ing, pour the onions and gravy over the steak. Beefsteak Pie. 3 pounds lean steak, Sweet thyme and parsley chopped fine, Peppers, 2 onions, 1 teaspoonful Worcestershire Sauce, 6 hard-boiled eggs. Salt. Cut the steak in strips four inches thick; put it to stew in sufficient boiling water so it does not cover the meat. After cooking slowly half an hour, add the thyme, parsley, pepper, and onions, cut in thin slices. When seasoning is added, continue stewing until the meat is tender. Add corn- starch to make the gravy as thick as cream, also season with salt and sauce. Have ready the hard-boiled eggs, and place them in alternate layers with the meat in a pie dish; pour the gravy over all, cover with pastry, and bake. Beef Omelet. i pound raw beef, 3 crackers, i teaspoonful baking powder, 2 well-beaten eggs, i teaspoonful herbs. Chop the beef fine; roll in the cracker dust, with which has been mixed the baking powder. Add the eggs and mix with salt, pcj)per, and powdered herbs; put a lump of but- ter in a baking dish, let it melt, then put it in the mixture. Bake half an hour. Turn out on a hot platter, fold over as you would an omelet, and pour a meat sauce around it. Steak a la Victor Hugo (French recipe), 1 porterhouse steak, i teaspoonful finely chopped shallot, 1 tablespoonful tarragon vinegar, J cupful butter, Yolks 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful lemon juice, 1 teaspoonful meat extract, ^ teaspoonful horse-radish. Wipe a porterhouse steak, broil, and serve with Victor Hugo sauce made as follows: Cook shallot in vinegar five minutes. Wash J cupful butter and divide in thirds. Add 1 piece butter to mixture with yolks of eggs, lemon juice, and meat extract. Cook over hot water, stirring con- stantly; as soon as the butter is melted, add second piece, then a third piece. When the mixture thickens, add horse-radish. The time for broil- ing the steak depends, of course, on how you like it; if it is wished rare, five minutes over a hot fire or under the flame of a gas stove will cook it sufficiently. When you wish the steak well done, give it from six to eight minutes. — Stella A, Downing. Steak Savory (Hungarian recipe), 1 pound round steak, 1 teaspoonful butter, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, i cupful chopped beef fat, 2 onions. Cut the steak into four parts. Place a frying pan over the fire with enough suet to grease the pan. When BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 123 very hot, put in the meat and fry over a quick fire until light brown on both sides. Remove to a hot dish. Mix butter, salt, and pepper. Spread this over both sides of the steak and set in a warm place. Put chopped beef fat in the pan and fry to straw color; remove the bits of fat, leaving the liquid fat in the pan. Add to this the onions cut in slices, season with salt, cover, and cook five minutes, stirring them occasionally. Lay them over the steak, and serve. London Meat Pie (English recipe). 1 pound steak, i pound kidney, 2 cupfuls flour, 6 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, Pinch salt, 1 cupful milk. Cut the steak and kidney in thin slices, and sprinkle over it flour, pep- per, and salt. Put in a pie dish with a little hot water. Put the flour in a basin with the baking powder and salt, rub in the butter, and add milk. Turn on a floured board, and roll a quarter of an inch in thickness. Wet the edges of the pie dish, and line it with strips of pastry, then cover, brush over with egg, make a hole in the center, and bake for an hour and a half in a moderately hot oven. Steak Pudding- (English recipe). 2 cupfuls flour, 3 ounces suet, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 1 cupful milk, Salt and pepper, 1 pound steak, i cupful hot water, Seasoning. Cut the meat in slices, and dip each piece in seasoning. Cover with hot water, and let stand while mak- ing the pastry. Mix the flour with the suet finely chopped, the bak- ing powder and salt, and make into a stiff paste with milk. Drop on a floured board, and roll. Line a greased pudding basin with the pas- try, reserving a piece for the top. Put in the meat and water, wet the edges, and cover with the remainder of the pastry. Tie over the top a floured pudding cloth. Put into a saucepan of boiling water to boil two hours. Beef Bouilli (French recipe). Short ribs beef, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 3 stalks celery, 1 clove garlic. Pepper and salt, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, 1 teaspoonful mushroom catsup. Put the beef on to stew with tur- nip, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, salt and pepper. Cover with boiling wa- ter, and simmer till the meat is ten- der as possible. For sauce, add vine- gar, mushroom catsup, salt, and pepper. Simmer a few minutes. Serve the sauce about the meat. Beef k la Mode. 4 pounds beef, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 3 pints boiling water, 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig celery, 1 sprig parsley, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 1 turnip, 1 tablespoonful salt, Dash pepper. Put the butter in a stewpan over a hot fire; when it melts, brown the meat on both sides. Remove the meat temporarily and add flour to butter; let it brown and thicken, then add water, bay leaf, celery, parsley, and onion with clove stuck in it, carrots, turnip, salt, and pepper. Replace the meat in this liquid and simmer six hours. Turn the meat over and stir occasionally. Place the meat on a platter, strain the gravy over it, and garnish with sliced boiled car- rots and parsley. IM HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Beef Goulash (Hungarian recipe). 3 pounds round steak cut in inch cubes, 3 onions sliced, 3 potatoes diced, i cupful butter, i cupful water, 1 cupful cream, 1 teaspoonful beef extract, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful black pepper, i teaspoonful jiaprika. Put the butter in a kettle, set it on the range, and fry the onions, add the meat, cook until brown. Dis- solve the beef extract in water, and add it to the contents of the kettle. Cover closely, and cook slowly until the meat is tender, then add the sea- sonings, and place the potatoes in the kettle on top of the meat. Cover and cook until the potatoes are ten- der, add the cream, and simmer five minutes. Flank a la Milanaise (French recipe). 2 pounds flank, 1 tablespoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, i cupful chopped onion, 1 tablespoonful butter, 2 ounces suet, 1 cupful water, 9 slices carrot, 1 tablespoonful cornstarch. Season flank with salt and pepper. Place a saucepan with onion and but- ter over the fire, add a small piece of bruised garlic, cook five minutes. When cold, spread this over the meat, roll, tie at each end and in the cen- ter with a string. Set a saucepan with suet over the fire, fry until the suet is fried out; then put in the meat; cook and turn till the meat becomes a light brown, add water, carrot, and onion; cover and cook till done, which will take about two hours, adding more water if necessary, but only A cupful at a time. Shortly before serving, lay the meat on a hot dish, take off the strings, skim the fat from the gravy, mix cornstarch with cold water, add it to the gravy, stir, and cook two minutes; add sufficient boil- ing water to make a creamy sauce, cook five minutes, strain, and serve. Beef Ragout (French recipe). 2 pounds lean beef, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 tablespoonful butter, 2 onions. Cut the beef into one-and-a-half- inch pieces, season with salt and pep- per. Place a saucepan with butter and onions over the fire, cook a few minutes, add the meat and seasoning, cover, and cook over a slow fire two and a half hours, adding a little boil- ing water if the gravy gets too brown. \\ hen the meat is tender, dust with 1 tablespoonful flour, add cupful boil- ing water, and cook slowly ten min- utes. Hot Collops (Scotch recipe). Mince IJ pounds round steak fine and season highly. An onion can be added if liked, chopped very fine. Melt a tablespoonful butter in a stew- pan, put in the mince, and stir fre- quently to keep from getting into lumps. Dredge flour over it, and pour on a litle stock. Let simmer a few minutes, serve very hot on slices of toast. Boiled Fresh Tongue. Bend the tip of the tongue around and tie it to the root. Put it in cold water and place over the fire. When it boils, pour off the water, and put it on again in cold water. Boil until tender. Remove the skin, roots, and fat, and serve cold. Tongues may also be braised and served cold. — Mary J. Lincoln. Sweetbreads and Macaroni Sauce. 2 beef sweetbreads, 12 sticks macaroni, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 cupful cream. Salt and pepper. Parboil the sweetbreads; cut into small pieces. Boil the macaroni; when tender, cut it in tiny pieces, BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 125 making little rings. Into a sauce- pan put butter and flour; stir, add the cream; when smooth, add the macaroni and sweetbreads. Season with salt and pepper. Boil up and serve. Tripe k la Creole (Southern recipe). 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 12 peppercorns, 2 cloves, 1 blade mace, 1 onion chopped fine, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 11 cupfuls strained tomato, ^ pound boiled tripe. Put into a saucepan the butter, peppercorns, cloves, mace, and onion chopped fine. Cook slowly until the butter is light brown; add the flour, and brown again. Strain, and re- turn to the fire. Season to taste; add the boiled tripe, cut into inch strips; cover, and simmer gently for twenty minutes. Curried Tripe (Southern recipe). 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cupful stewed tomato, li pounds boiled tripe, Curry powder, pepper, and salt, 1 cupful beef stock. Melt the butter in a spider; add the onion; cook until colored; add the flour and brown it; stir in the beef stock and tomatoes. Add the boiled tripe, cut into strips, season with salt, pepper, and a little curry powder. Simmer gently for ten minutes, and serve. Tripe lyonnaise (French recipe). 2 pounds tripe, 1 tablespoonful butter. Slice onion. Salt and pepper. Cut the tripe in thin strips. Put the butter in a frying pan; when hot, add the onion, and fry light brown. Turn in the tripe, add a little salt and pepper. Cook gently until ten- der. Thicken the gravy with flour. Tripe a I'Espagnole (French recipe). 3 tablespoonfuls oil, ^ cupful finely chopped onion, i finely chopped green pepper, 1 bruised clove garlic, i cupful finely chopped mush- rooms, IJ pounds tripe, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, 2 finely cut tomatoes, 1 teaspoonful flour, 1 cupful boiling water, 1 teaspoonful beef extract, 1 teaspoonful finely chopped parsley. Place the oil in a saucepan over the fire, add the onion, pepper, and garlic; cook five minutes without browning. Wash and cut the tripe into inch-sized pieces, season with salt and pepper; mix the tripe with the seasoning; add it to vegetables in the saucepan, cover, and cook ten minutes; add the tomatoes, seasoning and mushrooms; cook five minutes; dust with flour, add boiling water and beef extract, cook a few minutes longer. Serve, sprinkled with pars- ley. Stewed Tripe and Tomato Sauce. 1 poimd tripe, 1 onion cut in slices, 2 cupfuls tomatoes, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, i cupful cold water, Salt and pepper. Wash the tripe, cover with hot wa- ter; add the onion, cover the sauce- pan, and cook slowly half an hour. In another saucepan put the toma- toes, cook ten minutes; strain through a sieve and return to the pan. Wet the flour with the water; add it to the strained tomatoes, stir- ring all the time. Add salt and pep- per to taste. Place the tripe on a hot platter and pour the sauce over. Tripe with Oysters. Simmer i pound tripe for three quarters of an hour in slightly salted water; take out the tripe; add to the water in which the tripe was 126 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES cooked a little butter, flour, salt, and pepper. Return the tripe and a doz- en oysters, simmer until tiie oysters are cooked, and serve. Tripe and Onions (English recipe). 1 pound tripe, 2 onions, 1 cupful milk, i tablespoonful flour, Pepper and salt. Parboil the tripe, and cut into small pieces. Parboil the onions, and cut in rings. Put them both in a saucepan with boiling water and a little salt. Simmer gently from an hour and a half to two hours. Mix the flour and milk smoothly; when the tripe is tender, pour it in. Let it come to the boil, and serve very hot. Beef Heart Sautfi. Soak a beef heart in cold water an hour, changing the water several times to draw out all the blood. Cover with boiling water, add 1 tea- spoonful salt, and simmer gently two hours. Set aside until cold. Cut into half-inch slices and take out the tough muscle in the center. Dip each slice in slightly beaten egg, with which has been mixed salt and pep- per, i teaspoonful onion juice, and 2 teaspoonfuls warm water; roll in dry bread crumbs, and stand ten minutes. Fry golden brown in deep fat. In a frying pan melt 1 table- spoonful butter; when brown, add 1 tablespoonful flour, and brown again. Add gradually | cupful water in which the heart was cooked, ^ cup- ful vinegar from piccalilli, and 1 tablespoonful pickle chopped fine; salt and pepper to taste. Simmer two or three minutes. Stewed Beef's Heart (English rec- ipe). 1 beef heart, 1 cupful bread crumbs, S slices salt pork minced, Salt and pepper, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, i teaspoonful sweet marjoram, i teaspoonful chopped onion, 2 teaspoonfuls melted butter, 1 tablespoonful browned flour, i lemon. Wash the heart thoroughly and soak two hours in cold water slightly salted. Stuff with forcemeat made of bread crumbs, salt pork, salt, pep- jjer, parsley, sweet marjoram, and onion. Moisten with melted butter. Fill the heart with this, sew up the opening, and tie firmly in a piece of cloth. Put in a saucepan, nearly cover with boiling water, and stew gently for three hours. The water should by this time be reduced to a pint. Take out the heart, remove cloth and dish. Set aside a cup of gravy and thicken what is left in the saucepan with butter rubbed smooth in browned flour. Salt and pepper to taste. After taking from the fire, add the lemon juice, and pour over the meat. Carve in slices across the top. Beef Kidney a la Baden-Baden (Ger- many recipe). 1 beef kidney, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful pepper, 2 tablespoonfuls finely cut mush- rooms, Yolks 2 egs, 1 cupful sweet cream. Split the kidney in half; remove the white fat and all stringy parts; cut the kidney in four-inch squares. Place a saucepan over the fire, add the butter, and as soon as hot, put in the kidney; season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook five minutes; add the mushrooms, cook six minutes. Mix the yolks of the eggs with the cream; add to the kidneys; stir and beat till nearly boiling; add a little cayenne pepper, and serve. Hun^rian Kidney. 1 beef kidney, 1^ tablespoonfuls butter, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful white pepper, 4 tablespoonfuls beef stock. K BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 127 1 tablespoonful chopped mush- rooms, Yolks 2 eggs, § cupful milk. Wash the kidney, and with a sharp knife cut oflf the outer part of each lobe, rejecting the purplish portion and tubes. In a saucepan put the butter, salt, and pepper. When hot, add the kidney; shake, and cook for five minutes; add the beef stock and mushrooms; simmer for ten minutes; mix the eggs and milk, add to the contents of the saucepan, stir until the sauce begins to thicken; then take from the fire, and serve in a hot dish. Broiled Kidneys (Scotch recipe). Cut the kidneys in slices, soak an hour in salted water, wipe them dry, dip in beaten egg, then in crumbs, and broil over a hot fire. Frizzled Dried Beef. Cover dried beef with hot water to take out the salt; throw this water away, and put the beef into a sauce- pan with a few tal^lespoonfuls boil- ing water; let it simmer; add a little butter, put the beef on slices of toast and pour a thin tomato sauce over them. Prlcassee of Oxtails. Wash and clean 2 small oxtails, cut them in pieces two inches long, put them into stock, and simmer until tender. Do this the day before they are to be used. Dip them in beaten eggs and crumbs, season with salt and pepper, and fry light brown. For the sauce, thicken the stock the ox- tails were cooked in with flour, pour over the meat, and serve. Savory Oxtail (Mexican recipe). 2 oxtails, 8 onions. Clove bruised garlic, 1 tablespoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful pepper, 1 carrot, 2 turnips, 2 sweet potatoes, 4 potatoes, 1 cupful Lima beans, 5 tablespoonfuls butter. Cut oxtails into pieces, scald in boiling water and cool in cold water; place a saucepan with butter over the fire, add onions and garlic; cook three minutes; drain the meat and season with salt and pepper; stir, and cook six minutes; then cover with boiling water and cook two hours. Add carrot, turnips, sweet potatoes, onions, and potatoes; cover, and cook till nearly done; then add the Lima beans described below: Soak 1 cupful Lima beans in cold water over night, place them over the fire with cold water, add a little salt, and boil till tender; melt 1 table- spoonful butter in a small saucepan, stir, and cook two minutes; add 1 pint broth, cook a few minutes; then add to the stew; cook a few minutes, and serve. In place of butter, the Spanish people use oil. Creamed Frankforts (German recipe), li tablespoonfuls butter, H tablespoonfuls flour, 1 cupful milk. Pepper and salt, 4 Frankfort sausages. Make a cream sauce of butter, flour, and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Skin Frankfort sau- sages, cut into pieces an inch long, and bring to a boiling point in the sauce. — Stella A. Downing. lEFT-OVERS OF BEEF A roast of meat goes on the table in some households day after day in the same style, with the carver doing his best at each meal to leave it as sightly as possible. Its last appear- ance is calculated to take away the appetite of the entire family. The careful housewife, who aims, besides economy, to have a healthful, and attractive table, studies the cold roast on the second day with a keen eye. As a result of her planning, it comes from the refrigerator on a clean plate, and with it a bowl of brown gravy to which has been added every drop of the meat juices left in the platter on which the roast was served. Then for luncheon she plans cold 128 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES meat, cut in neat slices from the clioicest bits of the roast, both rare slices and well done, to appeal to va- rious tastes. The meat is not cut un- til almost ready to put on the table. It is nicely arranged on a small plat- ter with a garnish of parsley, cress, or cubes of aspic. She does not re- heat the gravy to serve on cold plates. Worcestershire, tomato, or some cold homemade sauce makes a more fitting accompaniment. Finally she carves the roast and plans for future meals. The tough outside pieces are laid away to be chopped, the fat to be rendered down for drippings, the tender bits of meat to be deviled, used for pie, ragout, or warmed up in the gravy, while the bones and gristle go to the soup kettle. Not a morsel of the meat is wasted in such a kitchen, and the daintily served, appetizing meals that follow the roast at intervals do not hint to the uninitiated of re- chauffes. To make warmed-up meats appetiz- ing, there are various commodities which ought always to occupy a place in the pantry. Among these are a small jar of onion butter, a bottle of caramel, a glas can filled with browned flour, a jar of finely rolled bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, mace, bay leaves, tabasco sauce, cayenne, curry, catsup, canned mushrooms, paprika, kitchen bouquet, and horse-radish. The secret of ap- petizing food is good flavoring, and the frequent varying of flavor has more to do with a tempting table than a large butcher bill. Meat Minced with Poached Eggs. 2 cupfuls cold meat, 1 cupful gravy or stock, Pepper, Salt, 1 teaspoonful butter. Chop a pint of meat coarsely, sea- son well, licat in a cupful of left- over gravy or stock. Do not allow it to boil, merely to come to a sim- mer. Serve on diamonds of toast with a poached egg on top of each slice. Bubble and Squeak. 4 cupfuls cold corned beef or beef left from a pot roast, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 cupfuls cold boiled cabbage, Salt and pepper. Cut the cold meat into small strips and saut^ them in a tablespoonful butter. Chop the cabbage and 2 ta- blespoonfuls butter in an omelet pan. Pepper and salt it, then stir over the fire till it begins to brown. Arrange on a hot platter as a border and into the middle put the hot meat. Serve with boiled potatoes. Grilled Slices with Creole Sauce. Cut from roast beef 6 slices of rarest meat, broil for five minutes over a clear fire, put on a hot plate, and serve with a sauce made as fol- lows: In a saucepan put 2 table- spoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped onion, and 1 tablespoonful chopped green pepper. Fry light brown, stirring constantly. Add 2 tablespoonfuls flour and stir to a paste; then put in a pint brown stock, 2 teaspoonfuls Worcestershire sauce, a teaspoonful dry mustard, and 2 teaspoonfuls vinegar. Salt and pep- per to taste. Cook over a slow fire, beating the sauce smooth. Add a teaspoonful chopped parsley and | can mushrooms cut in halves. Let the sauce come to a boil, then pour over the grilled meat. Deviled Beef. Take slices of rare roast beef and spread with butter on each side, as if you were buttering bread. Over this scrape a mustard made by mixing a tablespoonful vinegar with 3 table- spoonfuls mustard and a dash salt and pepper. Lay on a snioking-hot iron spider and fry till the slices be- gin to curl over. Mock Terrapin. 6 hard-boiled eggs, 2 cupfuls brown stock, 4 cupfuls cold beef, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, f cupful cider. BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 129 Put the butter and flour in a sauce- pan, and when blended, pour in the soup, and beat till smooth. Let it come to the boil, then add the meat cut in inch pieces, and draw to a cooler place on the stove where it can simmer half an hour. If you cannot watch it, pour it in a double boiler, for the success of this dish depends on the steeping of the meat at just below boiling point. Season with salt, pepper, and the cider when the dish is ready to take from the fire. Boil 6 eggs hard and lay in cold wa- ter to make the shells come off easily. Pour the mock terrapin on a large platter, garnish with eggs sliced, split gherkins, and points of lemon. Roast-Beef Pillau. Cook for five minutes 1 tablespoon- ful butter and a small onion chopped fine. Before it begins to brown, add 2 cupfuls cold beef cut in fine dice, seasoned with ^ teaspoonful salt and i teaspoonful pepper. Simmer slow- ly for ten minutes. While it is cook- ing, cover i cupful rice with cold wa- ter and set it over the fire to boil. When it has cooked for five min- utes drain and let cold water run through it till every grain sepa- rates. Add the rice to the beef, pour over it li cupfuls canned toma- toes. Pour in a cupful boiling wa- ter, and cook slowly till the rice is perfectly soft. Beef Fricassee. 3 cupfuls cold beef cut in thin slices, 2 cupfuls brown stock, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 teaspoonful onion butter, 1 teaspoonful salt. Season the meat with salt and pep- per. Melt the butter in a spider, add the flour, and stir to a brown paste. Pour in the stock and beat smooth with a wire whisk. Season with pep- per, salt, and onion butter, and cook ten minutes. Add the cold meat, simmer a few minutes, and serve on a deep platter with a border of rice, mashed potatoes, or points of toast. Beef Ragout with Tomato. 3 cupfuls cold roast beef, IJ cupfuls tomato pulp, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 teaspoonful onion juice. Salt and pepper. Cut the beef into half-inch cubes, cook the tomatoes half an hour, and push through a potato ricer. Reheat the tomatoes, adding butter and sea- sonings, at the last the beef. Let it simply heat, not boil, then serve. Creamed Corned Beef au Gratin. 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 cupful milk, 1 sliced onion, 1 stalk chopped celery, Pepper, 2 cupfuls cold corned beef, i cupful buttered cracker crumbs. Put the celery, cut in inch lengths, and the onion in the milk; scald in a double boiler. Strain when boiling and convert the milk into a white sauce with the butter and flour. When thick, add the corned beef, cut into small neat cubes, and a dash of pep- per. Pour into a shallow dish, cover with buttered cracker crumbs, and brown. Garnish with blanched leaves of celery. Beef Hash. Use for beef hash the tough part of the roast thoroughly freed from fat and gristle. Chop and mix 1 cup- ful meat with 2 cupfuls chopped potatoes. In an iron spider put 2 tablespoonfuls butter and i cupful stock, or a spoon of gravy added to enough hot water to half fill a cup. Boil up, then add the meat and pota- toes seasoned with pepper and salt. Stir occasionally with a fork. Let the water evaporate from the hash, leaving it dry but not pasty. Fatherland Farm Meat Loaf. Butter a long, narrow cake tin and line with cold mashed potatoes, smoothing with a spatula into a layer 130 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES an inch thick. Inside this put a fill- ing of roast beef, chopped coarsely, seasoned with pepper, salt, and a few drops of onion juice, and moistened with gravy. Smooth this filling till within one inch of the top of the tin, and cover with mashed potatoes. Bake in a hot oven for half an hour and turn out on a long platter. It will look like a finely crusted loaf, and may be cut in neat slices. This makes a delicious luncheon or tea dish.— Mrs. S. B. Forbes. Papas Rellenas (Cuban recipe). 3 large potatoes, 1 cupful cold roast beef, 1 tablespoonful butter, 2 tablespoonfuls cooked tomato, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful flour, 3 olives. Pepper, salt, cayenne. Boil the potatoes, and cut in halves lengthwise. Scoop out the inside with a spoon, leaving the potato shell half an inch thick. Make a " picca- dillo" to stuff them with. Chop the beef, put it in a spider with the but- ler and tomato. Cook till the mix- ture begins to look dry, add 1 well- beaten egg, a dust cayenne, salt, and pepper and 3 olives choi)ped. Stuff the potato halves with this mixture. Beat 1 egg light, add 1 teaspoonful flour, and in this batter dip tlie half potatoes. Fry in boiling lard as you would croquettes. The Remains of a Boiled Dinner. Winter squash can be served in a pie, sifting and seasoning it as if boiled for the purpose. Cold cab- bage may be put into hot spiced vine- gar, served cold with vinegar, or heated with a little butter and pep- per, salt, if needed, and just a sus- picion of vinegar. Cut it fine, and heat thoroughly. Beets make good pickles. Turnips, carrots, and pars- nips can be warmed up. A favorite dish with many people is " red-flannel hash," plain hash containing a little chopped beet. Look over the meat, cutting out all the gristle and soft fat. Chop it fine with some of the hard fat. Mince potatoes which have been boiled in pot liquor. Use three times as much potatoes as meat. Chop with the potatoes a small quan- tity of the cabbage and some of the beets. For 2 quarts potatoes use i pint cabbage and 1 large beet. Mix thoroughly with the meat. Pour some milk into a frying pan and turn in the hash, using enough to moisten thoroughly. Add 2 tablespoonfuls butter and season with pepper and salt if necessary. Be sure it is heated through. Serve with brown bread and pickles.— H. Annette Poole. Tongue Sandwiches. 1 cupful finely chopped tongue, 1 teaspoonful made mustard, 1 tablespoonful soft butter, i teaspoonful paprika. Yolk 1 hard-boiled egg. Juice i lemon. Dash nutmeg. Chop the tongue fine, and mix thor- oughly with the other ingredients. Spread between thin slices of bread. Beef Rissoles. Roll pie crust as thin as possible and cut into rounds with a large bis- cuit cutter. Mince cold beef or steak, season with salt and paprika, and moisten with stock or gravy to make the meat stick together. Put a spoon- ful of this mixture into each round of paste, pinching the edges together carefully so that not a particle of the meat niay escape. Brush egg over the outside, and fry like doughnuts in deep lard. They will take eight minutes to brown. Drain on thick paper, and serve hot in a folded napkin. Meat Loaf with Tomato Sauce. Meat left over from roast or stew — about 2 cupfuls, 1 cupful rice, 1 cupful gravy or cream sauce, 1 tablespoonful grated onion, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, i teaspoonful pepper, i teaspoonful salt. Put meat through chopper, then add rice, which has been washed, BEEF AND LEFT-OVER BEEF DISHES 131 boiled, drained and put through chopper, add onion, parsley, salt, pep- per, nutmeg and cream sauce, mix well. Brush mold with drippings, put in mixture and bake in hot oven for thirty minutes. Serve with to- mato sauce. — Mrs. W. W. Klingen- smith. Meat Turbot. The tough ends of a steak or any cold meat may be ground through meat grinder. In a porcelain dish put 1 layer ground meat, 1 layer white sauce made either by thickening milk or drawn butter sauce, salt, again 1 layer of the meat, salt, sauce, etc., until dish is nearly full. Sprinkle over top with bread crumbs and pieces of butter. Bake in mod- erate oven twenty or thirty minutes. If sauce is seasoned, do not put sea- soning in baking pan.— Mrs. A. J. Mielke. Meat Hash. 1 cupful tender meat chopped fine, 2 cupfuls hot mashed potatoes, i teaspoonful salt, i saltspoonful pepper, 5 tablespoonfuls hot water or stock, 1 tablespoonful butter or drip- ping. Mix meat and potatoes until there are no lumps. Melt the fat in the water and add the seasoning and potatoes and meat. Cook slowly un- til the water is absorbed and the crust is brown. Do not stir after set- ting back to brown. Fold over and turn out on a hot plate. CHAPTER VIII LA31B AND MUTTON DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS ROAST LAMB — BOILED, STUFFED AND BROILED LAMB AND MUTTON — LAMB AND MUTTON HASH AND STEW — LAMB AND MUTTON CHOPS — SPECIAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS Roast Iamb. Wipe the meat with a damp towel, place in a baking pan, dredge with pepper, salt, and flour. Add a cup- ful boiling water and a teaspoonful salt to the pan. Baste every ten min- utes, and bake fifteen minutes to the pound in a hot oven. When done set the meat on a platter, and serve with mint sauce and green peas. Leg of Lamb. Remove the outer skin, then sear cut surfaces, dredge with salt, pep- per, and flour. Place strips of fat pork over the top, roast in a hot oven, basting frequently. Time required for leg of lamb 1^ hours, mutton 1| hours. — Mrs. A. J. Mielke. Boiled Leg of Lamb. Choose a hind leg, put into a ket- tle, and cover with boiling water. Set over the fire, let come to a boil, pour in a pint cold water and simmer gently until done. Take the meat up on a hot dish, and serve with caper sauce. Stuffed Shoulder of Lamb. Bone a shoulder of lamb, leave the knuckle, and fill the cavity with rich bread stuffing; tie neatly in shape and wrap in a buttered paper. Lay in a deep pan with 4 tablespoonfuls butter, a sliced carrot and turnip, an onion stuck with cloves, and a bunch 132 of sweet herbs. Pour on sufficient stock to cover the bottom of the pan. Set over a slow fire and simmer gently; baste every ten minutes. When nearly done, lift from the pan, remove the paper; brush the meat with melted glaze and set in the oven to brown. Take up the shoulder on a heated dish. Strain the gravy, and pour around it. Garnish with pur^e of green peas, and serve with maitre d'hotel sauce. — Eliza Parker. Pressed Lamb. Put a shoulder of lamb on to boil, with water to cover; when tender, season with salt and pepcr. Boil un- til tender, when the juice will be nearly boiled out. Chop the meat, and season. Put it in a bowl with a plate on top and press out all the juice; set in a cool place to harden. Slice thin when serving. Soup can be made of the broth. Broiled Breast of Lamb. Trim a breast of lamb and put it in a saucepan, cover with stock, add a bunch sweet herbs, a slice onion, a piece mace, and 2 or 3 cloves; sim- mer gently until tender. Take up, dredge with salt and pepper, brush over with beaten egg and grated cracker, and broil over a clear fire until brown on both sides. Take up on a heated dish, pour over a little melted butter and garnish with as- paragus tips. LAMB AND MUTTON DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 133 Imitation Barbecue of Mutton. Remove the skin from a leg of mut- ton, sprinkle with salt, and dredge with flour. Place in the pan and roast. Allow the meat twenty min- utes to the pound. One hour before serving, prepare the following mix- ture: i cupful Worcestershire sauce, J cupful tomato catsup, 1 cupful vinegar, ^ teaspoonful pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls mustard. Stick the meat all over with a sharp-pointed knife, pull the cuts open and fill with this hot mixture. Baste with the liquor which gathers in the pan, and pour it over the meat before sending it to the table. Mutton Stew (Irish recipe). IJ pounds neck mutton, 2 quarts potatoes, 4 onions, 2 cupfuls boiling water, Pepper and salt. Cut the mutton in pieces, and put in saucepan with the onions cut in rings, also the hot water and salt. Let it boil, then simmer gently for two hours. Parboil the potatoes, cut them in halves, put in the saucepan with the meat, about half an hour be- fore it is done. In serving, put the potatoes round the dish, with the meat and onions in the center, and pour the gravy over. Army Stew. 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, 2 pounds forequarter Iamb, 1 teaspoonful pepper, 1 tablespoonful salt, 4 onions, 2 turnips, 2 carrots, 4 potatoes, i cupful milk, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1 egg, 2 cupfuls flour. Cut Iamb In pieces, place in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, cook two minutes, remove, drain and plunge into cold water, drain and re- turn the meat to the saucepan. Cover again with boiling water, add salt, pepper, and onions, boil an hour and a half, add turnips, peeled and cut into quarters, carrots and potatoes, cut into quarters; boil till done. Ten minutes before serving, mix flour with baking powder, egg and milk, cut with teaspoonful small portions from the mixture and drop them in the stew; cover, and cook five minutes; then remove the saucepan to side of stove, where it stops boiling, other- wise the dumplings will become heavy; add parsley, and serve. Curry of Lamb (Southern recipe). Breast lamb, 3 onions, 1 carrot. Bunch parsley, 1 bay leaf, 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 3 tablespoonfuls curry powder, 2 dozen sweet potatoes, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 3 tablespoonfuls grated cocoa- nut, 3 dashes tabasco sauce. Cut lamb in inch squares, trim, and put on fire with enough water to cov- er; add onion, carrot, parsley, and bay leaf; cook half an hour. Prepare butter in saucepan with curry pow- der, simmer five minutes, add flour, moisten with stock of lamb strained; add pieces of lamb, also sweet pota- toes, cocoanut, salt, and tabasco. Cook fifteen minutes, and serve with garnishing of boiled rice. Chicken, veal, or mutton may be prepared in the same way. Haricot Mutton (English recipe). 1^ pounds neck mutton, 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 turnip, 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour. Pepper and salt to taste, 2 cupfuls hot water. Divide the meat into small joints, and cut the vegetables in small square 134! HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES pieces. Put the butter in a saucepan, add the meat, and fry brown with the onions. Pour off the fat, add the vegetables, flour, water, and a little salt. Let it boil; then simmer gently from one and a half to two hours. In serving, put the meat on a hot dish, pile the vegetables on top, and pour the gravy round about. Breaded Chops. 4 loin chops, 1 egg, 1 cupful bread crumbs, 1 teaspoonful salt, Dash pepper, 1 tablespoon ful chopped parsley. Cut chops three quarters of an inch thick. Dip each in beaten egg and lay on a meat board. Mix bread crumbs with salt and pepper, minced parsley, and a little grated nutmeg. Roll the chops in the bread crumbs and fry in boiling fat until light brown. Garnish with slices of lemon and sprigs of parsley. Broiling Iamb or Mutton Chops. Have the chops cut thick, wipe them and remove extra skin and fat. Dust them with salt and pepper. Place on very hot gridiron or iron wire broiler. Sear on both sides with in- tense heat and broil over very quick fire, turning frequently. Broil seven minutes for lamb and ten to fifteen minutes for mutton chops. Pile neat- ly on a hot platter and put a small piece of butter on each. Garnish with •water cress or parsley. Lamb Chops k la BoulangJre (French recipe). 10 or 12 cutlets, 2 tablespoon fuls butter, i cupful cream, Salt, pejiper, and cayenne, 1 tablespoonful chopped chervil, 1 lemon. Trim the cutlets, season with salt, pepper, and a litle cayenne, dip in olive oil, then in flour. Broil over a slow fiire. While they are cooking, put cream in a stewpan, and when boiling add butter, chervil, the juice of i lemon, and a little pepper and salt; stir quickly till it forms a smooth sauce; pour it over the cut- lets when done, and serve quickly. Fillets of veal or rabbit are good cooked in this way. Mutton Chops a la Cleveland. 8 mutton chops, 3 tablespoonfuls sweet oil, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 onion, 1 pint mushrooms, i pint strained tomatoes. Dash tabasco sauce. Salt, Chopped parsley. Fry the chops in the oil and butter. Put them on a hot platter while j'ou make the sauce. Chop the onion and mushrooms fine; put them in a sauce- pan with a little butter and fry until brown. Add the tomatoes, and boil five minutes; add the tabasco, salt, pepper, and parsley. Lay the chops in a circle; pour the sauce in the cen- ter, and garnish with points of toast. Stuffed Mutton Chops. 10 mutton chops, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful chopped onion, i cupful chopped mushrooms, 1 teaspoonful salt. Pinch pepper, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 tablespoonfuls stock. Trim the chops, which have been cut very thick. With a sharp knife split each chop in two, without sepa- rating the meat from the bone. Put the butter in a pan, add the onion, and cook five minutes; add to this the chopped mushrooms, salt, and pepper, and cook five minutes longer. Add the flour and stock. Cook for a few minutes; stuff each chop with this mixture after it has cooled; press them tightly together, and broil. Mutton Cutlets with Mushrooms. Take the bones from mutton chops, and use the round, lean portions. LAMB AND MUTTON DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 135 Brush with melted butter and broil. Serve them on rounds of toasted bread, with mushroom sauce poured over. Sauce. — Peel 1 pint mush- rooms, cut in pieces, season, and cook in cream sauce for ten min- utes. Iamb Fricassee (German recipe). 2 breasts lamb, 2 ounces butter, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped onion, 2 teaspoonfuls salt, i tablespoonful butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, Dip the lamb breasts into boiling water, then instantly into cold water; cut the meat into two-inch pieces. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the onions, and cook five minutes without browning; season the meat with the salt; add it to the saucepan; cook ten minutes, cover with boiling water, put on the lid, and cook until done. Shortly before serving, melt i tablespoonful butter, add the flour, stir, and cook a few minutes; add it to the fricassee, and boil a few min- utes longer. — Gesine Lemcke. Deviled Kidneys (German recipe). 6 lamb kidneys, 1 ounce butter, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped onions, i bruised clove garlic, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 cupful stock, Yolks 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, Cayenne pepper. Split the kidneys, remove the white part in center and chop fine. Place the butter in a saucepan, add the onions, and cook three minutes; add the kidneys and salt; stir, and cook three minutes; then add the stock, and cook three minutes longer. Re- move from the fire, add the eggs, parsley, and a little pepper. Fill this mixture into 6 ramequins, sprinkle over each i tablespoonful fresh grated bread crumbs and a litle melted but- ter. Place the ramequins in a tin pan, set it in a hot oven, and bake brown. — Gesine Lemcke. Kidneys a la Maitre d'hotel (French recipe). Split and cut in two, lengthwise, lamb's kidneys. Run a skewer through to keep them flat. Dip in melted butter and fine bread crumbs; season with salt and pepper. Broil five minutes. Serve with maitre d'hotel butter. Lamb-Heart Stew (French recipe). 3 lambs' hearts, 1 tablespoonful butter, i peeled lemon, i bay leaf. Salt, Pepper. Wash the hearts and slice, cutting across the grain of the meat. Dry slightly and dust with flour. Put the butter in a stewpan and when hot add the meat; stir and cook about ten minutes. Add enough water to near- ly cover the meat, the lemon cut in slices, and bay leaf. Cover the ket- tle, and cook gently half an hour, stirring often and adding more wa- ter, if needed; add salt and pepper; remove the bay leaf and lemon, thicken, and serve. Lamb's Liver Curried. 1 lamb's liver, 1 onion. Few slices pork, i teaspoonful curry powder. Cut the lamb's liver in slices, soak in salted water for five minutes, take from the water, and dry in a cloth. Slice the onion and fry with pork. Take out the pork and fry the liver. Brown well, add the curiy powder to the sauce, stir smooth, and serve. Boiled Mutton. Wipe, remove fat, and put the meat into well-salted, boiling water. Boil ten minutes. Skim and keep at 180 degrees Fahrenheit, until tender. Serve with sauce. Sauce. * tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 saltspoonful salt, 136 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 1 saltspoonful pepper, 1 cupful mutton stock. Made same as white sauce. LAMB LEFT-OVERS Lamb can be used in nearly every recipe given for beef. It is especially good for croquettes and makes a sav- ory stew. Save every drop of gravy or liquid from the platter when set- ting a roast of Iamb away. It re- quires all the enriching it can have and always plenty of seasoning. Potatoes with Lamb Stuffing. 8 large baked potatoes, 1 cupful cold chopped lamb, 4 tablespoonfuls chopped ham, i cupful thin white sauce, 2 tablespoonfuls cream. White 1 egg. Salt and pepper. Bake 8 large, perfect potatoes. "While they are cooking, chop the lamb and ham, mix lightly together, add the seasonings, and moisten with white sauce. When the potatoes are soft, cut a thin slice from the end of each and scoop out the inside. Put it at once through a potato ricer and set away to keep warm. Fill the po- tato skins almost to the top with the meat mixture. Add to a cup of the mashed potato the cream and beaten white of the egg. Pepper and salt, and on the top of each potato put a spoonful, leaving it in a small, rocky mound. Bake till the top is a deli- cate brown. Serve the potatoes piled on their ends in a shallow dish, with a plentiful garnish of parsley. Mound of Lamb with Peas. 5 cupfuls cold chopped Iamb, 1 small onion, 1 cupful cold potatoes, Pepper and salt, 3 tablespoonfuls stock, I cupful buttered crumbs, 1 cupful green peas. Mix lightly with a fork the chopped meat, potato, onion, and seasonings. Heap it in a mound in the middle of a shallow baking dish. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake till brown. When ready to serve, pour around it a cup of green peas drained and sea- soned. Lamb-and-Rice Croquettes. 2 cupfuls chopped lamb, 1 cupful cold rice, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, Pepper and salt, 1 cupful white sauce. Mix the lamb and rice with the sea- sonings and stir into a hot, thick, white sauce. Cool. Roll into cone- shaped croquettes. Flour, egg, and crumb. Fry in deep fat. Garnish with parsley. Lamb in Savory Stew. IJ cupfuls cold lamb, 4 tablesponfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful fiour, i onion, i cupful gravy or brown stock, 2 cucumber pickles. Pepper, salt, cayenne. Into a granite saucepan put the butter, onion, and fllour, and rub to a paste. When it grows light brown, add the gravy or stock, salt and pep- per, and allow to simmer for two minutes. Cut the pickles in small pieces, add to the sauce and the lamb cut in neat slices. Let it heat through, then serve in a deep plat- ter surrounded by a ring of hot boiled rice or mashed potatoes. CHAPTER IX VEAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS ROAST VEAL — VEAL CUTLETS, CHOPS AND COLLOPS — VEAL STEW — CALF'S LIVER, KIDNEY AND SWEETBREADS — SPE- CIAL VEAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS Roast Breast of Veal. 1 cupful stale bread, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls minced onion, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful thyme, 1 egg, Small breast veal (about 3 pounds), i tablespoonful cornstarch. Soak stale bread in cold water; when soft, put it in a towel, press out the water, place butter with minced onion over the fire, stir and cook five minutes without browning, then add the bread, stir five minutes longer, season with salt, pepper, thyme, and 1 egg, and mix. Have the butcher prepare the veal for fill- ing, wash and wipe the meat dry, season inside and out with 1 table- spoonful salt and ^ teaspoonful pep- per, then stuff the breast, sew it up, lay the meat in a roasting pan, with slices of pork under it, spread over with butter, and lay a few slices of pork on top. Place the pan in hot oven, roast until the meat becomes light brown, basting frequently with its own gravy, add 1 cupful boiling water, roast about two hours longer, basting frequently until done; add more water should the gravy brown too much. Ten minutes before serv- ing, lay the meat on a platter, re- move the fat from the gravy, mix cornstarch with i cupful cold water, add to it the sauce, stir, and cook three minutes, then strain, pour a 137 little of the sauce over the meat, and serve the remainder in a gravy boat. Veal Roasted with Mushrooms. Bone a loin of veal. Remove the kidneys and fat, and lay them, after splitting in two, inside the loin. Sea- son inside with pepper and salt, and fold over the flap to inclose the kid- neys. Roll and tie securely with string, making the roast oblong shape. Cover the bottom of the roasting pan with thin slices of fat pork, a sliced onion, and chopped parsley. Lay the meat on top, and moisten with a lit- tle cream. Have the oven rather slow at first, basting the veal frequently with a little cream. When nearly done, sprinkle with fine bread crumbs, moisten with melted butter, and let it brown. Take out the veal, untie, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over it, set in a very hot oven, surround with broiled mushrooms, and pour over the strained liquid left in the roasting pan. Veal Savory (French recipe). lA pounds ham, 3 pounds raw veal, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. Cut the veal and ham into small pieces. Cut the eggs in slices, lay part of them in the bottom of a well- buttered earthenware dish, sprinkle with minced parsley, then put in a layer of veal and ham, with salt and 138 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES pepper to season. Proceed with these alternate layers until all is used, then add just enough water to cover it, with butter rolled in flour and divided into tiny portions dotted over the top. Tie a buttered paper over the dish, and bake one hour in a hot oven. Remove the paper, lay a plate over the meat with a weight to keep it in place, and let it remain another hour in a slow oven. When cold, turn out and garnish with small lettuce leaves filled with cold peas dressed with a little mayonnaise. Veal Loaf. 4 pounds raw lean veal, i pound ham, i pound salt pork, 1 cupful stale bread crumbs, i cupful melted butter, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful paprika, 1 teaspoonful onion juice, i teaspoonful allspice, I teaspoonful nutmeg, i teaspoonful cloves, 1 lemon, juice and rind, 2 eggs. Chop very fine the veal, ham, and salt pork. Mix with meat the bread crumbs soaked in milk, butter, sea- sonings, and well-beaten eggs. Press into a buttered bread pan, cover the top with lardoons of salt pork; bake one hour. Cut when cold into thin slices. Curried Veal Cutlets. Trim cutlets into uniform shape and size; dip in the beaten yolks of eggs, and cover with grated bread crumbs that have been mixed with 2 tablespoonfuls curry powder and a tablespoonful salt. Fry in butter till brown. Take out of the spider, and in it melt and brown a little butter and flour, add a cupful water, and pour over the cutlets. Veal Hearts (Spanish recipe). 4 slices bacon, 1 sliced onion, 4 veal hearts, 1 cupful stock, i minced pimento, 1 teaspoonful salt, i bay leaf. Fry bacon to a crisp, remove from the spider, and crisp the sliced onion in the hot fat. Trim and wash hearts, slice them, roll in flour, and fry in hot fat. Add to the fat in the pan the stock, pimento, salt, and bay leaf. Pour the mixture over the hearts, and cook two hours. Five minutes before serving, add the bacon. Brown Stew. 2 pounds veal, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 pint water, 1 teaspoonful salt, Dash pepper. Slice onion, 1 teaspoonful kitchen bouquet, 1 bay leaf. Cut the veal into cubes and roll in flour. Put 2 tablespoonfuls butter into a pan; when hot, add the meat, and stir constantly until browned. Dust with the flour, mix, add the wa- ter; stir, add the salt and pepper, onion, kitchen bouquet, and bay leaf. Cover, and simmer gently for an hour. Veal Cutlets. Divide the cutlet into pieces about four inches square; dip in egg, then in crumbs; fry for five minutes. Add i cupful boiling water, and let sim- mer for an hour. Dish, and serve with bits of lemon. Rag'out of Veal. Cut the meat into thin slices, put 2 tablespoonfuls butter in a pan, dredge with flour, and fry light brown. Take out the meat and put into the pan a cupful cold stock or gravy, season with salt and pepper and a table- spoonful tomato catsup. Lay a few slices of cold ham in the gravy, also the veal. Serve very hot. Veal Oysters. Cut li pounds veal cutlets into pieces the size of large oysters; sea- son with 1 tablespoonful salt, dust VEAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 139 with flour, dip into beaten egg, roll in bread crumbs, and fry light brown on both sides. Serve on a hot dish; garnish with lemon quarters. Veal Birds (English recipe). Cut thin slices of veal into pieces two and a half by four inches. Chop the trimmings of the meat fine with one small slice of fat salt pork and half as much cracker crumbs as there is meat. Season highly with salt, cayenne, and onion juice, moisten with beaten egg and a little hot wa- ter. Spread each slice of veal with this mixture and roll tightly; fasten with a toothpick. Dredge with flour, pepper, and salt, and fry slowly in hot butter. Add ^ cupful cream, and simmer twenty minutes. Remove the fastenings, put the birds on toast, pour the cream over them, garnish with points of lemon, and serve. Wiener Schnitzel (German recipe). 2 pounds veal steak, 1 egg» 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful lard, i teaspoonful capers, 6 anchovies, Lemon. Cut the veal in slices half an inch thick and three inches square; pare the corners round; beat lightly to flatten; season with salt and dust with flour; dip each cutlet in egg, cover with fine crumbs, and pat smooth with a knife. Fifteen min- utes before serving, place a pan with the butter and lard over the fire; as soon as hot, put in the cutlets, fry light brown. Arrange on a warm dish; lay in the center of each schnit- zel i teaspoonful capers. Soak the anchovies in cold water; remove the skin and bones; divide in halves, roll them up; place 2 of these rolls on each schnitzel with i lemon cut in two. Garnish with water cress or parsley, and serve. Smothered Veal. Place in the bottom of a baking pan 2 slices salt pork cut fine, a layer sliced potatoes, a little chopped onion, a layer of finely chopped un- cooked veal, pepper, and salt. Con- tinue until the dish is full. Spread over the top bits of butter. Bake forty-five minutes. Veal Stew. 3 pounds breast veal, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour. Bunch parsley, 2 carrots, 2 cupfuls cooked green peas. Cut up the veal and fry light brown in a pan with the butter; drain oflf most of the butter; sprinkle the flour over the meat; mix well and fry a littie longer, add 1 pint water and let boil; take out the meat, put it in another pan, strain the sauce over it. Add the parsley chopped fine, car- rots cut fine, and peas. Boil up again, and serve. Braised Veal. Slice veal steak into strips from one to one and one-half inches thick. Season well to taste, and roU up and skewer with toothpicks. Fry them in hot butter till brown on both sides — be sure not to scorch. Place them in a roaster and sprinkle with butter, add enough water — cream and water is better, but in that case do not use butter. Bake from two to four hours in a moderate oven. Be careful not to burn. This recipe was originated by a friend of mine, Mrs. Thomas H. Dunn of Oklahoma, and from experience I know just how delicious it is. — Mrs. Thomas P. Gore. Veal Collops (Scotch recipe). li pounds veal, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful chopped onion, 2 cupfuls stock, 1 can green peas, Salt and pepper. Trim off skin and fat from the veal and put through a meat chopper. Melt the butter and brown the onion, then add the stock; season to taste and simmer five minutes. Fry the 140 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES chopped raw meat in a spider. Stir until the butter is absorbed; strain over it the stocli in the saucepan; cover, simmer for twenty minutes, stirring occasionally. Place the peas in a saucepan with butter, salt, and pepper, and heat. When the meat has absorbed the liquor, turn it into the center of a hot platter; sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and sur- round with the peas. Calves' Tongue with Tomato Sauce. 2 calves' tongues, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cupful water, 4 tablespoonfuls vinegar, 1 bunch parsley, 1 onion, 3 cloves. Soak the tongues in warm water an hour; drain and parboil, cool, pare, and scrape oflf the white skin. Put the flour in a saucepan, stir into it gradually the water. When it boils, add the tongues with vinegar, parsley, onion, and cloves. Cover and cook slowly an hour. Serve with tomato sauce. Stewed Calf's liver. 1 calf's liver, 1 turnip, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 onion, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful browned flour. Wash and cut the liver in slices. In a saucepan put the turnip, carrot, celery, and onion (all sliced); lay the liver on top of the vegetables; sprinkle salt and pepper over it, and pour on a pint boiling water; cover, and let stew until the liver is tender. When done, take out the liver and put on a hot platter; thicken the gravy with butter and flour; strain, and pour over the meat. Broiled liver. Cut calf's liver into half inch slices, cover with boiling water, let stand five or six minutes, drain, and wipe dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and broil in a greased broiler five minutes. Put on a hot platter and spread with bits of butter. Serve very hot. Braised Calf's Liver. 1 calf's liver, 1 onion, 2 ounces bacon, 3 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 sliced carrot, i bay leaf, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 cupful stock, ^ cupful strained tomatoes. In the liver make many small slits with a paring knife and insert slices of onion and bits of sliced bacon. Heat in a spider 3 tablespoonfuls ba- con drippings and add flour to the fat. Brown the flour in the fat, then add the liver, and roll it on all sides until it is seared in the fat and cov- ered with fat and flour. Place the liver in the heated casserole, add car- rot, bay leaf, salt, stock, and toma- toes. Bake two hours and a half. Calf's Liver and Bacon. Saute calf's liver in bacon fat, and when done, make a gravy from it with flour and hot water. Heat a pan, and drop in slices of bacon. If the pan is very hot, they will curl into rolls and brown in a few min- utes. Arrange the liver, and garnish with parsley. Veal Kidney Omelet. 1 veal kidney, 1 tablespoonful butter, i teaspoonful salt, Dash pepper, 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful warm water. Remove the fat and tubes from a kidney and chop fine. Place in a fry- ing pan with butter, salt, and pepper, and shake over a hot fire until the meat is golden brown. Beat the eggs without separating; add the warm water. Heat the butter in a spider, pour in the eggs, and shake over the fire till the mixture begins to set. Draw back — so the omelet may set VEAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 141 without burning; turn the cooked kidney over the center, fold up, and serve on a hot platter. Veal Kidneys Deviled. Split in half 3 veal kidneys and take out the fibrous parts. Spread both sides with a mayonnaise, season highly, roll in bread crumbs, dip in melted butter, and broil over a hot fire. Serve at once. Fried Sweetbreads. 1 pair sweetbreads, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cupful milk. Salt and pepper. Parboil the sweetbreads; when cold, dip them in beaten egg and cracker crumbs, sprinkle salt over them, and fry in hot fat. Stir together the but- ter and flour, then set the pan back a little and add gradually the milk; stir until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, finely chopped celery, and cook about two minutes. Strain the sauce over the sweetbreads. Sweetbread Croquettes. 2 sweetbreads, 1 can mushrooms, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 tablespoonful butter, J cupful cream, 2 yolks eggs. Parboil the sweetbreads and cut them in small pieces; also cut the mushrooms. Put into a saucepan the flour and butter, and when made smooth, add the cream; heat, then add the sv/eetbreads and mushrooms. Sweetbreads k la Newburg. 1 cupful cream, 1^ cupfuls sweetbreads, Yolks 3 eggs, i teaspoonful salt, Few grains cayenne. Heat the cream; add the sweet- breads parboiled and cut in cubes. Beat the yolks of the eggs; add the salt and cayenne, and stir into the cream. Stir until thickened slightly; serve at once. Sweetbread Fritters. Parboil sweetbreads, cut in small pieces, season with salt, pepper, and chopped parsley; dip in fritter bat- ter and fry in deep fat. Veal Chops. Dip the chops in beaten egg yolks, then in finely ground cracker crumbs. Fry a good brown on both sides. Re- move from skillet, place in a deep pan or kettle which has cover to fit. Half cover with cream or very rich milk and place in a very slow oven for three-quarters of an hour. Equally good for pork chops. The meat will be much more tender when prepared in this way. — Mrs. J. Clif- ford Theo. Corned Fillet of Veal. Take a large fillet of veal and make deep incisions or cuts all over it with sharp knife and insert a slip of the fat into each, pressing it down well to keep it in. Mix a tablespoonful of powdered saltpeter with half a pound of fine salt, and rub the meat all over with it. Make a brine of salt and water strong enough to swim an egg on its surface, adding a lump of saltpeter about the size of a wal- nut. Put the veal into the brine (of which there must be enough to more than cover it) and let it remain ten days, turning it every day, then take it out, wash ofi' the brine and boil the veal till thoroughly done and ten- der all through. It is best to eat it cold and sliced thin. VEAL LEFT-OVERS Veal is the flesh of an immature creature, and will not keep fresh as long as that of an older animal. A left-over of beef may be kept a day or two before serving again; it is bet- ter to see to the condition of veal twenty-four hours after cooking, es- pecially in hot weather, and serve it as soon as convenient. Veal has lit- tle flavor, and requires considerable seasoning. Brown sauce is the gen- eral accompaniment to veal at the first cooking. Save every spoonful of sauce to use with it when warming 142 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES over. If there is no brown gravy, white sauce may talie its place. Veal makes an excellent ragout, seasoned with onion juice and cayenne, minced and poured on toast for breakfast; in a salad or croquettes, it tastes very much like chicken. Add to it a few mushrooms or two or three spoonfuls left-over sweetbreads, and you have delicious rissoles. It is excellent com- bined with oysters in a scallop. When preparing it for a salad, be careful to reject all morsels of gristle as well as brown or hard meat. One- half measure each of cold veal and finely chopped white cabbage is de- licious with a horse-radish dressing. Marinate for two hours, else you will find the salad a tasteless one. Nut Balls. 1 cupful cold chopped veal, 12 chopped blanched almonds, i teaspoonful salt, 1 egg. Pepper, Paprika, 1 cupful tomato sauce. Mix the meat, almonds, and season- ing, and moisten with well-beaten egg. Roll into balls the size of a walnut and set in a baking pan. Pour over them the hot tomato sauce. Cook in a hot oven for twenty min- utes. Serve on a platter garnished with water cress. Windermere Croquettes (English recipe). 1^ cupfuls milk, li tablespoonfuls butter, 3 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 teaspoonful salt. Dash cayenne, 2 cupfuls cold chopped veal, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, i cupful cold rice, Yolks 3 hard-boiled eggs. Make a white sauce from the milk, flour, butter, and seasonings. To 1 cupful sauce add the chopped meat and parsley. Spread on a plate to cool. Into the ^ cupful sauce beat the rice and the yolks of the eggs pushed through a potato ricer. Spread on a plate to cool. Take a tablespoonful meat mixture and flatten into a cake. Inside this put a teaspoonful rice mixture rolled in a tiny ball. Wrap the meat around it till covered. Koll in flour, egg, crumbs, and fry in deep fat. Pile cannon-ball fashion on a platter. Garnish with parsley. — Mary Kendall. Calf's Liver Terrapin with Mush- rooms. 2 cupfuls cold liver, 1 cupful stock, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 3 eggs, i teaspoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful paprika, i teaspoonful kitchen bouquet, i teaspoonful mustard, 2 drops tabasco sauce, 1 cupful mushrooms, 2 truffles. Boil the eggs hard. Rub the yolks smooth with the butter, salt, paprika, kitchen bouquet, mustard, and ta- basco. Add the liver cut in small pieces and the stock. Cook five min- utes, add the mushrooms and truffles, and serve garnished with whites of eggs cut in rings. Veal Omelet. If you have a cupful of cold roast veal left over, chop it fine, season with pepper, salt, and a dash of pap- rika; then tuck it between the folds of an omelet. Pour over it before sending to the table a cup of hot, well-seasoned tomato sauce. Veal Roll. The remainder of a cold veal roast may be cut into 4 inch cubes and rolled in a crust prepared like baking J)Owder biscuit. Roll out dough on baking board, sprinkle chopped meat over, roll up like jelly roll and bake 20 or 25 minutes. When baked cut crosswise like roll cake and serve hot. — Mrs. A. J. Mielke. Veal Pie. Cut the veal very fine and simmer until tender. Then cover the bottom of the baking-dish with a layer of VEAL DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 143 the veal, lay on this minced ham or Brunswick Stew. bacon, and turn over all a little to- Put a layer of minced salt pork mato from a can. Pepper, salt, and into the pot, then a layer of cold roast dabs of butter top each such layer veal cut into small pieces, and next until the meat is all used. Gravy a layer of chopped onions. Over the left from the first meal and hot \va- top turn sliced, parboiled potatoes ter are turned in and the crust is put and some corn from a can or a cob. on. Whether this crust is a regu- Season with salt and cayenne pepper; lation biscuit-crust or pie-crust de- add boiling water, cover, and simmer pends largely upon choice. But un- very slowly for about an hour. At less a cook is past-mistress of her the end of that time, turn in the con- art, she would better omit a bottom tents of a small can of tomatoes, and crust, since it is pretty sure to soak cook for half an hour longer. Be- up the liquor and become soggy. — fore serving, thicken with butter Carrie D. McComber. rolled in flour. — Carrie D. McComber. CHAPTER X PORK DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS ROAST PORK — PORK TENDERLOIN, CHOPS AND HAM SAGE — SPECIAL PORK DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS ■SAU- Roast Fork. Select a piece of loin from a young pig, 3 pounds in weight; score the rind across one-eighth of an inch apart, season with i tablespoonful salt and i teaspoonful pepper; lay the pork in a roasting pan, place it in a medium hot oven, roast till light brown, basting with its own gravy; then add i cupful boiling water; con- tinue to roast and baste till nearly done, turn the meat over, so the rind lies in the gravy, roast ten minutes, turn it again, so the rind is on the top; let it remain five minutes longer in the oven, transfer to a hot dish, free the gravy from fat, mix 1 tea- spoonful cornstarch with i cupful cold water, add it to the gravy, stir two minutes, add suflBcient boiling wa- ter to make creamy sauce, strain, and serve with the meat. Pork Tenderloins with Sweet Pota- toes. Wipe tenderloins, put in a dripping pan and brown quickly in a hot oven; then sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bake forty-five minutes, basting every fifteen minutes. Pare six potatoes and parboil ten minutes, drain, put in pan with meat, and cook until soft, basting when basting meat. — Fannie M. Farmer. Pork Chops, Sauce Robert. Take 8 rib chops, trim them neat- ly; have ready some finely chopped onion and parsley; sprinkle each chop on both sides with this, also salt and pepper, and beat lightly with a broad knife, to make all adhere. Dip each one into slightly beaten egg, then roll into fine bread crumbs; let stand five minutes; dip into melted butter, and roll again in the crumbs. Arrange in a Avire broiler and broil seven minutes over a clear fire. Chop fine 2 large onions, place in a stew- pan with 1 tablespoonful butter, and cook slowly until well colored; add 1 tablespoonful flour, stir, and brown again, add slowly li cupfuls beef stock and 2 tablespoonfuls vinegar. When smooth and thick, simmer until reduced to 1 cupful, add 1 teaspoon- ful mixed mustard, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour this around the chops as they are dished. Bobble Gash (German recipe). 1 pound lean pork, 1 pound veal, 1 tablespoonful lard, 3 onions, 5 potatoes, 1 cupful cream, 1 tablespoonful flour. Cut the pork and veal in small pieces. Put the lard in a kettle; when hot, add the onions sliced. As they commence to brown, drop in the meat and stir constantly until brown; then cover with water and boil three-fourths of an hour. Sea- son with salt and pepper. Pare and cut in small dice the potatoes; v.'hen boiled, add them to the meat with the cream. Thicken with flour. Boston Pork and Beans. Pick over and wash a quart of dried beans the night before you bake them. Put them to soak in cold wa- 144 PORK DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 145 ter. In the morning, pour off the water, put them in a kettle, then cover with plenty of cold water, and set to boil. Cook till skin breaks on the beans when air blows over them, turn off the bean water; put them into a pot; score in lines the rind of a piece of pork and bury it, all but the surface of the rind, in the middle of the beans. Add enough boiling water to the beans to cover. Stir in two tablespoonfuls molasses and a teaspoonful each fresh mustard and salt. Cover the pot and put in the oven. Bake moderately, but steadily, five hours. If the water wastes away so as to be below the surface of the beans, supply enough just to cover them. Toward the end of the time, it may be allowed to dry down enough to permit the pork to brown. Un- cover the pot for a little while for this purpose. Hoast Fig. A pig for roasting should not weigh over 6 or 7 pounds after being cleaned. When it has been prepared by the butcher, lay it in cold water for fifteen minutes, then wipe dry, inside and out. Make a stuffing as for a turkey, adding two beaten eggs. Stuff the pig to his original size and shape. Sew him up, bend his fore legs backward, his back legs forward under him, and skewer into shape. Dredge with flour and set, with a little salt water, into a covered roaster. At the end of twenty min- utes remove the cover again, rub the pig with butter, and brown for ten minutes. Serve very hot with apple sauce. Homemade Sausage. Take of lean young pork IJ pounds tenderloin, the rest any lean cut, 4 pounds, and fat, 2 pounds; put it through a sausage grinder — twice, perhaps three times, until of the de- sired fineness. Use for each pound of meat, 1 teaspoonful powdered dried leaf sage, 1 teaspoonful salt, J teaspoonful pepper, and J nutmeg; nutmeg may be omitted if preferred. A quantity of sausage may be made at a time and preserved for regular use if one has a cold storeroom in which to keep it. It should be packed in jars and covered an inch thick with melted lard, which will preserve it. Sauerkraut with Spareribs. Cover the kraut with cold water, add a little salt if necessary, and place to boil three hours before us- ing it. About an hour before it is done, put spareribs in and let them boil until the meat falls from the bones. Remove the spareribs, and stir in the kraut a grated raw po- tato from which the water has been drained. Let it come to a boil after this, being careful it does not burn; remove from the stove, and serve. To Boil a Ham. Twenty-four hours before a ham is to be used, scrub it thoroughly with a vegetable brush and cold, weak borax water. Put in cold water and soak twenty-four hours. If it is to be baked, it requires four hours' boil- ing. Use a big kettle, as the ham must be covered all over with water. Let it come to the boil very slowly. Remove the scum. When it begins to boil, add 12 whole cloves, 1 bay leaf, 12 peppercorns, the outside stalks of 1 bunch celery, 2 chopped onions, 2 cloves garlic, 1 chopped car- rot and turnip, 2 blades mace, 12 all- spice berries, and 1 quart cider or a cupful of vinegar. Never allow the ham to boil, merely simmer slowly; that is one secret of making it per- fectly tender. Allow twenty-five min- utes or half an hour to the pound. If the ham is to be used cold, you can add to its tender juiciness by allow- ing it to stand in the pot liquor till nearly cold. Then lift it out, peel off the skin and roll in dried bread crumbs with which 3 tablespoonfuls brown sugar have been sifted. Set it in the oven till the crumbs form a crisp brown crust. If the ham is to be baked, take it from the water, drain thoroughly, then take off the skin except around the shank, where it may be cut in Vandykes with a sharp-pointed knife. Cover with crumbs and stick it full of cloves, set in a moderate oven, and bake two 146 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES hours. If you prefer the ham glazed, allow it to cool as for boiled ham, then skin, wipe dry, and brush all over with beaten egg. Mix 1 cupful sifted cracker crumbs, a dash salt and pepper, 2 tablespoonfuls melted but- ter, and cream enough to make crumbs into a paste. Spread it evenly over the ham, set in a moderate oven, and bake till brown; serve hot with brown sauce. When a baked or boiled ham goes to the table, wrap about the unsightly bone a ruffle of white tissue paper, and garnish with hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters. After boiling salt ham or tongue re- move it from the fire and plunge at once in cold water. This instantly loosens the skin, which then pulls off without any trouble. Ham Steak. Put slices of raw ham in a frying pan with i cupful water to make them tender. When the water has boiled out and the ham is light brown on both sides, dust with flour and pour on the following dressing, pre- viously made: A cupful milk and cream mixed, a little butter, a tea- spoonful mustard, and a dash tabasco sauce. As soon as it boils, serve. Ham may be kept from getting hard and dry on the outside thus: take some of the fat part of the ham and fry it out. Let it get hard, then spread on the cut end of the ham; half an inch thick is not too much. This excludes air. Hang in a cool place. When I want to slice ham I scrape off this fat, and afterwards put it on again as before. Broiled Ham and Eggs. Slice the ham thin, take off the rind, and soak the slices in hot water. Broil carefully and place on a hot platter. Break as many eggs as you require into a pan of boiling water; when the white is done, dip out care- fully and lay the egg on ham. Sprinkle pepper and salt over each egg and serve. Sausage EoUs. Make a dough as for baking pow- der biscuit; roll out and cut in large rounds with a biscuit cutter; lay sausage meat on half of each piece; turn the other half over and pinch to- gether; bake half an hour. Serve with brown sauce poured around it. Toad in the Hole (English recipe). 1 cupful flour, 1 egg, 1 cupful milk, Salt and pepper, 1 teaspoonful baking powder, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, Sausages. Put the flour in a basin with the salt and make a well in the center. Break the egg and put it in with a quarter of the milk. Beat well, then add the remainder of the milk by de- grees, beating all the time. Melt the butter in a pudding tin. Parboil the sausages, cut them in halves, and put them in the tin. Add the baking powder to the batter, and pour it over the sausages. Bake in a hot oven half an hour. Sausage and Apple. Prick the skins of the sausages, simmer in a frying pan fifteen min- utes, drain, and brown in the oven; make a sirup of 1 cupful each sugar and water, and in it cook pared ap- ples, cut lattice fashion, a few at a time, to preserve the shape. Serve the sausage on the apple. Broiled Pigs' Feet. Scrape the feet and wash them thoroughly, soak in cold water two hours, then wash and scrape again. Split each in half lengthwise, and tie the pieces separately in pieces of cheese cloth. Place in a deep sauce- pan, cover with boiling water, add 1 tablespoonful salt, and simmer slowly until the feet are tender, usu- ally about four hours. Take them from the liquor and set aside until cold; remove the cloths; they are ready then to be broiled in the follow- ing: 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, i teaspoonful salt. PORK DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 147 Dash tabasco sauce, i tablespoonful finely chopped parsley. Cream the butter. Work gradually into it lemon juice, salt, tabasco, and parsley. After removing the cloth from each piece, brush with melted butter and dust with salt and pepper. Broil over a clear fire for six min- utes. Transfer to a hot platter, and spread with prepared butter. The pigs' feet may be prepared the day before needed. Fried Salt Pork, Cream Gravy. i pound salt pork, 1 cupful cream, 1 teaspoonful flour. Pinch pepper. Wash the pork, trim off the rind, and with a sharp knife cut in thin slices. Spread in a large spider and place at the side of the fire until the fat is well fried out, then draw gradu- ally forward imtil the slices begin to color. Transfer them to a heated platter and keep hot. Pour off most of the fat, leaving about 2 table- spoonfuls in the pan; stir into this the flour, and when it is smooth add cream and let cook until thickened. Season with pepper; boil up once, and pour over the pork. Delicious Fork Roast. Take a piece of tenderloin, about two pounds. Sear this on all sides. Put salt and pepper on and enough hot water to avoid burning. When half finished, add about i cupful vinegar. In the meantime always continue adding water, so that the meat will not become dry. Slice two large onions, and crumble up four gingersnaps, or any strongly spiced cookies; add to the roast when almost tender. The whole time of baking is three or four hours, according to the size of the roast. — Mrs. K. A. Krotke. PORK AND HAM LEFT-OVERS Roast pork, in the estimation of some persons, is better cold than hot. Serve it thus in neatly cut slices for tea or luncheon at the second meal, then take stock of the remains and look to the future. Roast pork bones make an excellent brown stock, almost as rich as that of roast beef. Trim the scraps from the bones and consign them to the soup kettle. Cut with a keen knife all the fat from the meat that is not to be served cold. This fat rendered down makes an ex- cellent dripping to saut6 potatoes. Chop, and allow it to melt, strain and set away in the refrigerator. The tender white meat of pork makes a salad which tastes very much like chicken. Sometimes if one has a few bits of chicken left over, they may be combined with the pork, cut in neat cubes, and the substitution can scarcely be detected. Pork also makes excellent croquettes and is good sliced and reheated in a cup of its brown gravy. It may be minced, enriched by a few spoonfuls of gravy, and poured on toast for a breakfast dish. Cold ham has a mul- titude of uses. A few scraps may be converted into a delicious sand- wich or it may be used to give an excellent flavor to a salad omelet or egg dish. Even cold sausage has its uses, while a slice or two of cold broiled bacon put through a meat chopper and added to croquette mix- tures provides an agreeable seasoning. Ham Souffle. Take 2 cupfuls cold minced ham, add the white of 1 egg and beat till smooth. Then put in a dash of pap- rika, 1 cupful whipped cream, and 2 whites of eggs beaten stiff. Pour into an oiled melon mold, bake and serve with tomato sauce poured around it. Ham Griddlecakes. 1 cupful minced ham, 2 cupfuls stale bread crumbs, 2 eggs. Pepper, 1 cupful scalded milk. Mix the ham and crumbs with the milk and well-beaten eggs. Drop by spoonfuls on a hot buttered griddle. Ham Balls. Mince remains of lean ham, and mix with an equal quantity of mashed 148 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES potatoes. Mold into small, flat cakes, roll in flour, and brown in a spider with slices of salt pork fried out. Ham Toast. 2 cupfuls cold ham, 2 eggs, i cupful cream, i teaspoonful mustard, Pepper. Chop very fine the cold ham, add the well-beaten eggs, cream, a little pepper and mustard. Heat this mix- ture till almost at the boiUng point, and spread on slices of buttered toast. Shredded Ham. i tablespoonful butter, 5 tablespoonfuls currant jelly, Dash cayenne, 1 cupful cold ham. Cut the ham into narrow strips. Put the butter and currant jelly in a saucepan. As soon as they are melted, add the cayenne and ham, and simmer five minutes. Ham Sandwiches. 2 cupfuls finely chopped ham, 1 cucumber pickle, 2 teaspoonfuls made mustard, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, i teaspoonful pepper. Put the ham through a meat chop- per, using the finest knife. Mix per- fectly smooth with the butter and seasonings and spread between slices of bread from which the crusts have been cut. Ham-and-Potato Pie. 1 cupful cream sauce, 2 cupfuls cold potatoes, IJ cupfuls cold chopped ham, i cupful dried bread crumbs. Chop the ham coarsely and cut the potatoes into dice. Butter a vege- table dish, put in a layer of cold po- tato, then a layer of ham, and pour over it * cupful cream sauce. Cover with another layer of potato and ham. Pour in the remainder of the sauce, and cover with buttered crumbs. Bake twenty minutes. Block Island Croquettes. 1 cupful minced ham, 1 cupful stale bread crumbs, 2 cupfuls chopped cold potatoes, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 egg. Mix the ham, crumbs, and potatoes with the butter and egg, make into small balls, flour, egg, crumb, and fry in hot fat. Pork Cutlets. 2 cupfuls chopped cold pork, 2 eggs, i cupful cracker crumbs, 1 teaspoonful minced parsley, 1 teaspoonful minced onion, 1 tablespoonful cream, Pepper and salt. Beat the eggs thoroughly, mix with the cream, stir in the chopped pork, cracker crumbs, onion, parsley, and seasoning. Form into cutlet-shaped croquettes, roll in flour, egg, and crumbs. At the small end of the cro- quette insert a few inches of macaroni. Fry in deep fat, and serve with to- mato sauce. Ham Scallop. 2 cupfuls of cold boiled ham, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 pint sweet milk. Mix the butter and flour well and heat until smooth. Add 1 pint sweet milk and allow to cook until it forms a good sauce, stirring constantly. Add seasoning to taste. Butter a baking dish well. Fill in the follow- ing order — one-half the sauce, then the ham well ground, remainder of sauce. Chop separately the yolks of four eggs. Add the layer of yolks, then whites. Sprinkle with cracker crumbs. Dot with butter and bake in a medium oven for one-half hour. — Mrs. Ivy Beckett. Fried Ham Sandwiches. 6 thin slices of stale bread, 1 cupful of finely chopped ham. PORK DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 149 1 egg, spoonfuls of this to moisten the ham. 1 cupful of milk. Then make the ham and bread into Dash of salt, sandwiches, dip each in the remain- ing milk and egg and fry in butter Cut the bread in rounds or fingers, or drippings. — Margaret F. Krew- Beat the egg and to it add the milk son. and salt. Use one or two table- CHAPTER XI POULTRY AND GAME DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS BRAISED, GRILLED, PANNED, AND ROASTED CHICKEN AND TURKEY — CHICKEN FRICASSEE — ROAST DUCK, SQUAB, ETC. — RABBITS — FROGS' LEGS — SPECIAL POULTRY DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS In selecting a chicken, feel of the breastbone; it ought to be smooth and soft as cartilage and bend easily. A young chicken has soft feet, a smooth skin, and an abundance of pin- feathers. Long hairs, coarse scales on the feet, and an ossified breast- bone are pretty sure signs of an old fowl. By the same marks you may choose a tender, young turkey or duck. To dress and clean poultry, hold the bird over a flame, either of alco- hol, gas, or burning paper, and blaze off all the hair and down. Cut off the head and pick out the pin- feathers with a fine-pointed knife. In case of an old fowl or turkey it is worth while to pull the tendons. This operation makes the dark meat so much more tender. Find the por- tion just behind the leg joint where there are a bunch of tendons, and with fine-pointed scissors, cut very carefully the cartilage skin that cov- ers them, and strip it down till you leave exposed the bunch of white sinews. If the bird is fairly tender, they can be pulled by inserting a stout steel skewer, lifting each ten- don by itself and twisting it until it snaps. A turkey will frequently re- quire something as strong as a screw- driver. To admit the hand, make an in- cision through the skin just below the breastbone and remove the gizzard. 150 heart, etc.; be very careful not to break the gall bladder, as even a drop of its contents would give a bitter flavor to everything it touches. Be careful also to remove the kidneys which lie close to the backbone in the two hollows near the tail piece. Pull out the lungs — they lie inside the ribs — also the kidneys, crop, and windpipe. Draw the neck skin down and cut the neck off close to the body, leaving skin enough to cover the open- ing. Cut out the oil bag in the tail. Finally wash the fowl by allowing cold water to run through it. If a chicken is to be cut up, sever the skin between the leg and body, bend the leg back, and cut through the flesh. Separate the second joint from the drumstick, take off the limbs and cut the breast away from the back, starting just below the breastbone and letting the knife pass between the small ribs on either side through to the collar bone. When trussing a fowl for roasting or boiling, draw the legs close to the body and insert a skewer under the middle joint, running it straight through until it comes out opposite. Cross the drumsticks, tie them with a long string together and fasten to the tail. Put the wings close to the body and keep them in place by a second skewer. Draw the skin of the neck under the back and pin down with a toothpick. Now turn POULTRY AND GAME DISHES 161 the bird on its breast, take the string attached to the tail and tie to the lower skewer, cross it, draw through the upper skewer, and cut off the ends. Braised Chicken. Truss a plump chicken, fry in the fat of salt pork, place on a trivet in a deep pan; into the fat put a carrot cut in squares, i onion, i bay leaf, and a sprig of parsley. Add 2 ta- blespoonfuls butter and allow the vegetables to fry delicately brown. Pour this over the chicken. Add 3 cupfuls hot chicken broth, cover, and set in a moderate oven. Baste fre- quently, adding water to the stock, if necessary. Lift the chicken to a hot platter, skim off the fat, thicken the gravy and season, then strain over the fowl. Broiled Chicken. Sprinkle a chicken, which has been cut up, with salt and pepper, dip into melted butter, then place in a broiler. Cook twenty minutes over a bright fire, turning the broiler so the pieces may be equally brown. Put on a platter spread with soft butter, sprinkle with pepper and salt, and set in the oven for a few minutes be- fore serving. Grilled Chicken. Choose small chickens, split down the back, and soak each in olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, for an hour or two. Coat with flour, and broil over a clear fire till done. Into a saucepan put 1 cupful water and an onion; let cook fifteen minutes, take out the onion, and pour the sauce over thin slices of toast, on which arrange the chickens. Garnish with fried parsley. Chicken with Dumplings (New Eng- land recipe). 3 or 4 pound chicken, 1 tablespoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful pepper, 2 onions, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, J cupful milk, 2 cupfuls prepared flour. Cut chicken in 10 pieces and place in saucepan. Add salt, pepper, and onion, cover with boilfng water, and cook till tender; then mix flour with butter, and thicken the gravy. Ten minutes before serving, mix pre- pared flour with butter and milk, and 2 eggs beaten to a stiff froth; cut with a tablespoon small portions from the dough, drop them into the gravy, cover, and boil six minutes; remove the saucepan to side of stove, where they may stop boiling. In serving, arrange the chicken on a platter, and lay the dumplings in a circle around it. Sprinkle 1 table- spoonful chopped parsley over the whole, and serve. This dough will make 12 dumplings. Chicken Baked in Milk. Prepare a chicken as though for roasting. Mix a dressing — using crumbed bread, butter, salt, and pep- per. Stuff the chicken with this mix- ture; place it in a baker. In the bottom of the pan put 2 quarts rich milk; cover, and bake slowly, until the chicken is very tender, turning and basting as often as necessary. Thicken the gravy in the pan, season- ing with salt and pepper. Chicken in Casserole. 2|-pound chicken, 1 can mushrooms, 1 carrot, 1 onion, 1 stalk celery, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 teaspoonful beef extract, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 cupfuls boiling water. Clean and truss the chicken, and steam until tender. Melt the butter in a frying pan, add the vegetables chopped fine, cook five minutes, then add the flour. Dissolve the beef ex- tract in boiling water, add the sea- sonings, and pour it into the frying pan. Cook five minutes. Put the chicken in a casserole, dredge with 152 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES flour, dust with salt and pepper, and pour the contents of the frying pan over it. Place it in the oven, and cook until the chicken is thoroughly browned. Remove from the oven, cover, and serve in the casserole. Panned Chicken. Prepare a chicken as for broiling, slightly flatten it, cover with bits of butter, and place in a moderate oven. When nearly done, sprinkle with salt and pepper and dredge with flour; return to the oven and brown, first on one side, then on the other. Keep hot while you make the sauce. Pour a cupful hot milk into the pan, and add 1 tablespoonful grated bread crumbs, also a few drops onion juice. Stir the sauce vigorously, let it boil one minute, turn over the chicken, garnish with parsley, and serve. Tried Chicken (Southern recipe). Cut a young chicken into neat pieces, drop in cold water, then roll in flour seasoned with salt and pep- per. Put it in a saucepan with fat which has been fried out of salt pork, and cook, turning once or twice till it is well browned. Skim ofl" as much of the fat as possible, add a cupful cream or rich milk, thicken with a little flour, seasoning if necessary, and strain over the chicken. Chicken with Almond Sauce (South- ern recipe). 1 young chicken, 1 tablespoonful lard, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 cupfuls cream, 1 tablespoonful finely chopped parsley, 1 cupful chopped blanched al- monds. Cut up the chicken as for fricas- see; fry golden brown in hot lard. Put it on a hot platter and make the sauce. Thicken the lard (in which the chicken was fried) with the flour; when the flour is cooked, add the cream, parsley, and almonds. Let it boil five minutes, and pour around the chicken. Chicken with Peanuts (Spanish rec- ipe). Cut a young chicken into small pieces, roll in flour, and fry brown in lard or butter. W'lien the chicken is done, pour over it a cupful sweet cream and sprinkle liberally with roasted peanuts coarsely powdered. Creamed Chicken and Sweetbreads. 4-pound chicken, 4 sweetbreads, 1 can mushrooms, 1 quart cream, 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 5 tablespoonfuls flour, i grated onion, Nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Boil chicken and sweetbreads; when cold, cut them up. In a sauce- pan put cream; in another butter and flour. Stir until melted, then pour on the hot cream, stirring until it thickens; add onion and nutmeg, and season highly with pepper and salt. Put chicken and other ingredients, with sweetbreads and mushrooms, in a baking dish, cover with bread crumbs and butter, then bake twenty minutes. Chicken Pie. Stew a cut-up chicken in enough boiling water to cover, adding pep- per and salt. ^VTien parboiled, re- move to a deep earthen dish and cover with a crust. Use a recipe for rich baking-powder biscuit. Instead of putting a blanket of the dough on top of the pie, cut it into rounds, as for biscuit. Have the chicken laid lightly so the gravy will not touch the dough, and cover as closely as possible. Bake in a moderate oven until the crust is well risen and brown. This is an improvement on the old style of all-over crust, partly because it allows plenty of escape for steam. The biscuit can be easily served, and the paste is not made heavy by cutting with a knife. Roast Turkey. Remove the crusts from a stale loaf of bread. Break the loaf in the mid- dle and grate or rub the bread into POULTRY AND GAME DISHES 153 fine crumbs. Season highly with salt and pepper. Add a cup of diced celery, cooked tender. With a fork mix celery and seasoning through the crumbs, then sprinkle with them 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls melted butter. With a spoon put the prepared crumbs in the place from which the crop was removed until the breast be- comes plump. Put the remaining crumbs in the body. Do not pack the crumbs closely either in crop or body, but allow room for them to swell when moistened by the steam from the turkey in cooking. Fold back the wings. Press the legs close to the body, crossing the drumsticks in front of the tail. With small skewers and strong cord fasten in proper shape. Place the turkey, back up, on a rack in the roasting pan. When the back is browned, turn the turkey over, and when the breast and sides are nicely browned, baste with a thin gravy every ten or fifteen min- utes until the fowl is cooked. An 8- pound turkey will cook in two hours. Use the water in which the celery was cooked to make basting gravy for the turkey. — Emma P. Ewing. Roast Chicken. 4-pound chicken, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful cornstarch, i cupful boiling water. Singe the chicken, wash it quickly in cold water, then dry with a towel; season inside and out with salt, fill the body and crop with bread dress- ing, sew it up, and spread butter over the breast. Cover the breast with thin slices of larding pork; bend the wings backward, put skewers through the thigh and body, and place it in a roasting pan. Set the pan in a medium-hot oven and roast until the chicken has become a fine brown all over, basting frequently with its own gravy; then add i cupful boiling water; continue the roasting and basting till the chicken is done, which will take from one to two hours, ac- cording to the age of the fowl. If the gravy gets too brown, add a lit- tle more water. The chicken feet, neck, and giblets may be used to make rice soup. Shortly before serv- ing, lay the chicken on a dish, remove the skewers and thread, free the gravy from fat, mix the cornstarch with cold water, add it to the gravy, stir, and cook for a few minutes; then add suflBcient boiling water to make a creamy sauce. Cook three minutes, strain, chop the boiled gib- lets fine and add to the sauce. Chicken Fricassee. Cut a fowl up into pieces, sift with flour to which a little salt and pepper has been added, then saut6 slowly in pork fat, put in a saucepan covered with boiling water and cook very slowly till tender. When half done, season with salt and pepper. Arrange the chicken in pieces upon toast, or if liked better, fix New England style, with a circle of bak- ing powder biscuits about them heaped on a platter. In arranging the chicken, lay it on the platter as much as possible in the shape of a whole bird, having the breast in the center, legs and wings in the natural position and back underneath; this makes it easy to serve. To the liquor from the chicken add a cup of cream or three tablespoonfuls of butter and thicken with a quarter of a cup of flour dissolved in cold water. Strain over the chicken and biscuits. If there is more gravy than the plat- ter will hold serve it in a gravy boat. Bread Dressing. ^ pound stale bread, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 teaspoonful thyme, 1 egg. Soak bread in cold water, place a saucepan with butter and onions over the fire; cook five minutes without browning; inclose the bread in a towel and press out all the water, add it to the saucepan, stir over the fire five minutes, then remove; when cold, add salt, pepper, thyme, and egg; mix well and use as stuffing. 154 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Eoast Duck. Pick, singe, and wipe outside of duck. Salt and pepper the inside after carefully drawing and wiping. Cut off the wings at the second point and truss the duck neatly. Roast in a very hot oven from one and a half to tw'O hours in a baking pan con- taining a little water; baste fre- quently. Celery, onions, or apples, cored and quartered, are sometimes placed inside the duck to improve the flavor. Broiled Squab. Cut the squab down back, flatten and truss it as a fowl for broiling. Egg it on both sides, season with pep- per and salt, dip it in chopped bread crumbs, warm a little butter, sprinkle it over. Then dip the squab again in the crumbs. Broil it a light brown. Add gravy thickened with flour and butter. Scald the liver, mince and butter, throw it into the sauce, add pepper, salt, and a little ketchup and two or three mushroons chopped. — Marcy K. Benedick. Fried Jack Rabbits. Take the bone out of the fleshy parts of the legs and back and cut into slices across the grain, the same as for steak. Put in a frying pan with hot butter and cover with onions sliced thin. Salt to taste, and add a little ground sage if desired. If the rabbit is old it is better to par- boil it before slicing. — Mrs. M, E. Smith. Rabbit Pot Pie. 1 cupful flour, i teaspoonful salt, 2 teaspoonfuls baking powder, 1 tablespoon ful lard, 1 egg. i cupful milk. Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder. JSlix in the lard, dry with the fingers and stir in the egg and milk. Skin and take the en- trails out of the rabbit. Cut up in sightly pieces and put in an earthen dish, or some other kind of pudding dish. Salt and pepper to taste, dab over with bits of butter and add wa- ter to cover. Put cover on tightly and sinuner in the oven till almost ten- der. Then add the above mixture, by spoonfuls. After this, cover tightly again and let steam for fifteen min- utes. Serve at once. If gravy is wanted with this pie, take out pie and the meat. Stir up some flour with a little milk; add this to the hot stock in the baking dish, and let it boil. — Mrs. K. A. Krotke. Frog Legs (Dehcious). Skin the frogs' hind legs. Parboil five minutes in salt water and vine- gar. Dry on a clean cloth. Dip in egg, roll in cracker crumbs or corn meal, and fry in hot butter. — Mrs. William E. Hitchcock. LEFT-OVER POULTRY Chicken, even at twenty cents a pound, is not more extravagant than roast beef, when one considers that every morsel of it can be used, even to the bleaching of the bones in a soup. The carcasses of two good chickens or one turkey will make a quart or two of excellent stock pro- vided, of course, that every bone, the giblets, and every morsel of skin is saved. A careful housewife gathers all these remains into a clean bowl and lets them stand in the refrigera- tor until ready to be used. Cover them with cold water, add the sea- sonings suitable for chicken soup, and set far back on the stove, where it will take at least an hour to begin to simmer. In four hours it will be ready to strain. Never add salt to a soup till after it has cooked. Cool the stock as quickly as possible, but never by putting it steaming hot into the refrigerator. I have seen that plan followed in more than one household; then I have heard the cook exclaim in wonder over spoiled stock and other foods ruined. Still, the sooner stock cools, the longer it will keep. Do not break the cake of fat on top until ready to use; it excludes the air and helps keep the soup sweet. There is no meat so suitable for r4chauff4s as chicken. It makes ex- POULTRY AND GAME DISHES 155 cellent croquettes and tirabales. Creamed, it loses none of its delicate flavor. It is excellent in pat^s or on toast. It is good scalloped, deviled, curried, in fritters, or as souffle, while on hot summer days it appeals to the appetite as a salad, in aspic jelly, in a mousse, or potted. Tlie meat of turkey, game, duck, and goose may be treated in many instances as chicken. The flavor of a turkey salad is not as delicate as a chicken salad, still it is a dish not to be despised. The same rule ought to apply to the warming over of poul- try as to other meats. Do not cook it a second time; all it requires is reheating. Scalloped Turkey. Into small ramequin dishes sprinkle dried bread crumbs browned in but- ter. Over this put a layer, one and a half inches deep, of chopped, cold turkey moistened by a spoonful of giblet gravy. Cover with the browned crumbs, and bake till a chestnut brown. Chicken-and-Ham Hold. 2 cupfuls cold chopped chicken, 1 cupful chopped ham, 1 cupful cold boiled macaroni, 2 eggs, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 cupful gravy. Pepper and salt. Mix the chicken, ham, and maca- roni, moisten with the eggs, melted butter and gravy, season highly. Butter a mold, pour the mixture in, put on cover tightly, and boil two hours. Dip the mold into cold water for a minute and turn out on a hot dish. Serve with tomato sauce. Chicken Omelet. 2 tablespoonfuls milk, 4 eggs. Salt and pepper, 1 cupful chopped cold chicken. Beat the eggs till light, add milk and seasoning. Just before pouring into the pan, add the chicken to the egg mixture. Melt the butter in an omelet pan, cook, and fold exactly like an omelet. Chicken Gallosch (Hxmgarian recipe). 3 potatoes (raw), 1 tablespoonful butter, i teaspoonful paprika, 1 cupful brown stock, I teaspoonful salt, \ clove garlic, 1 cupful cold chicken. Pare 3 small potatoes, cut into dice, and fry in melted butter in the spider. Toss about in the butter till they begin to brown, add the season- ing, stock, and chicken. Simmer slowly. Serve as soon as the pota- toes are soft. Chicken and Macaroni (Italian rec- ipe). 1 cupful cold macaroni, 2 cupfuls cold chicken, 6 mushrooms, i cupful cream, i cupful chicken stock, h cupful dried bread crumbs, Pepper and salt, 1 tablespoonful butter. Into a buttered dish put a layer of macaroni, then a layer of chicken cut in small strips. Sprinkle with pep- per and salt and the mushrooms cut in quarters. Cover with a layer of macaroni, another of • chicken, then pour over it the cream and stock. Sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over the top, and bake brown. If it browns too quickly, cover with a plate, and pour a little more stock in. Chicken Souffle. 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 teaspoonful salt, J teaspoonful pepper, 2 cupfuls scalded milk, 2 cupfuls cold chicken, J cupful stale bread crumbs, 1 tablespoonful chopped parsley, 3 eggs. Make a white sauce from the but- ter, flour, salt, pepper, and milk. Add the crumbs, and cook until thick. Take from the fire and stir 166 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES in the chicken, parsley, and yolks of the eggs beaten till thick and lemon- colored. Whip the whites until stiff and dry and fold in. Pour in a but- tered dish and set in a pan of hot water to bake in a hot oven thirty- five minutes. Chicken Croquettes. U cupfuls chopped chicken, I'cupful chopped ham, 6 chopped mushrooms, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 cupful chicken stock, 1 tablespoonful cream, Pepper and salt. Nutmeg, 1 teaspoonful lemon juice. Put in a saucepan the flour and butter. Mix till the butter absorbs the flour, then add stock made from boiling up the bones of the chicken, and stir till it becomes a thick paste. Add cream, pepper and salt enough to season, a little nutmeg and lemon juice. Stir in the chopped chicken and mushrooms. Mix well and turn on a plate to cool. When quite cold, roll a tablespoonful mixture in oblong shape, dip in egg and bread crumbs, and fry in hot fat. — Mar- garet Bailey. Chicken Timbales. Mix 2 cupfuls of chopped chicken, 1 cupful of milk, 1 cupful of bread- crumbs, two beaten eggs, celery-salt, lemon- juice, onion- juice and parsley to taste. Pack into buttered cups, and cook, covered, in a pan of hot water for fifteen minutes. Turn out and garnish with celery tops or pars- ley.— Carrie D. McComber. Chicken Pie. Meat of 1 chicken cooked, 1 can mushrooms, li pints potato balls parboiled, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 heaping tablespoonful minced parsley, li pints cream dressing. Cut chicken meat as for a salad, put in bottom of baking dish, cover with mushrooms, then with potato balls. Season to taste. Sprinkle over it minced whites of eggs, then mmced yolks. Scatter with minced parsley, and cover with dressing. On top put a cover of small biscuits as large as a finger ring. Bake three quarters of an hour.— Mrs. W. M. O. Dawson. Chicken Pie. Put chicken on to cook in plenty of water; after it is cooked you want 4 cupfuls of broth. When chicken is half done salt to taste and finish cooking. Remove chicken from bones, keeping the meat in large portions, lay in the bottom of bak- ing dish light and dark meat mixed. Prepare a sauce of three table- spoonfuls of butter melted, in which ])ut 4 tablespoonfuls of flour and a little pepper, mix well and add 4 cupfuls of warm broth by degrees. Cook well and put in one cupful hot milk or cream, pour over chicken in the dish covering it till you can see only little particles. Keep rest of sauce for gravy, put this in oven to keep at cooking point while prepar- ing crust. Crust 2 cupfuls flour in mixing bowl. Add 4 teaspoonfuls baking pow- der. Rub 3 tablespoonfuls shortening through flour, beat an egg and add 1 cupful of milk to it, add this to flour mixing well, drop onto the chicken in dish. Bake fifteen min- utes.— Mrs. Chas. W. Stephenson, Chicken a la King. Melt 2 tablespoonfuls butter and saut6 in this i green pepper chopped fine, seeds removed. One cupful mushrooms peeled and broken. Add 2 tablespoonfuls flour, cook until smooth and brown, add 2 cup- fuls cream, cook until thickened, add 3 cupfuls cooked chicken, put over hot water. Add to some of the hot sauce 3 egg yolks, beaten, stir into chicken. Season with few drops lemon juice, onion juice, i teaspoon- ful paprika. Serve on toast.— Anna Kinsley. POULTRY AND GAME DISHES 157 Scrambled Chicken. Take left-over chicken, grind it fine — 1 cupful. Grind 2 sweet pickles, 1 stalk celery; add 1 table- spoonful water, 2 well-beaten eggs, 1 cupful left-over mashed potatoes, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 teaspoonful but- ter, i teaspoonful pepper. Shape in loaf and place in well-greased pan in oven. Bake slowly thirty minutes. CHAPTER XII FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS CHOOSING FISH — METHODS OF COOKING FISH — PLANKING, FRYING, BROILING, BAKING, AND STUFFING — FISH LOAVES — SPECIAL RECIPES — FISH LEFT-OVERS — RAMEQUIN DISHES — CROQUETTES — CURRIES — SALADS — CHOWDERS — SOUFFLES — SOUPS. CHOOSING FISH I can think of no better lesson on how to choose fish than this: if it is possible in j'our neighborhood, or while vacationing, go to see a fish boat empty its gleaming cargo on the wharf. Learn to know the earmarks, the signs of perfect freshness on all fish. Do not be afraid of touching them; and every fish has a wholesome smell. Turn them over, examine them closelj\ " An eye like a dead fish " refers to a fish which has lain for weeks in cold storage, not to one just from the water. The latter will have eyes as full and almost as clear as those of a live creature. Notice the gills; they will be beautifully red, the fins will be stiff, the scales shin- ing, and the flesh so firm that it will spring back after the finger has been pressed into it. One cannot expect, — especially if one's home is at some distance from the ocean or the great lakes — to find in the market fish as superlatively fresh as when lifted straight from the net. Still, to be fit for human food, they should not have lost much of their beauty. The signs to avoid are limp fins, dull eyes, pale, liver-col- ored gills, flesh in which you leave a dent by an impression of the finger, streaks of gray or yellow in the skin and flesh, or the sliglitcst symptom of a disagreeable odor. If you have to make the choice between salt cod and a fish of this description, choose salt cod; it is infinitely more health- ful for it does not contain a possi- bility of ptomaine poisoning. When purchasing halibut or sword- fish, if the head and fins have been removed, the test is pearly white or shining gray skin, firm flesh, and a good odor. It is an excellent rule never to buy fish which is out of sea- son. If you want bluefish in Febru- ary or shad in November, you can probably obtain it — a fish dealer will produce almost anything from his re- frigerator at any time of the year — but you may rest assured it has seen a repose of months in cold storage. If not really dangerous to eat, it will be flabby, it will go to pieces before it is cooked, and be lacking in flavor. It is an excellent plan to post oneself thoroughly on the fish which is in sea- son all the year round and purchase according to the month. A dealer will assure one that fish which has been packed in ice ten days is in as excellent condition as when fresh caught. I should say seven or eight days is the limit. Although the old theory that fish is brain food has been exploded, the brain worker will find what he most requires in a bountiful diet of fish. It is digestible food, which is not overstimulating or overnutritivc. But salmon, mackerel, and eels, which are 158 FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 159 exceedingly oily, are an exception to the digestible rule. It is no economy to be inveigled into buying a 5-pound bluefish when 2 pounds of halibut would have fed your family. Fish left over can be utilized nicely in many ways, but, in summer, cold fish has not remarkable keeping qualities. Decide when you order a fish how you will cook it. For should you so desire, the fish dealer can prepare it for planking or broiling better than you can. The cheapest fish is not always the most economical. Five pounds of cod con- tains about 2 pounds of waste in the shape of skin, head, tail, and bone, while 3 pounds of halibut is solid fish with scarcely an ounce of waste. COOKING FISH The cooking of fish depends large- ly on taste, for various methods ap- ply frequently and most appetizingly to the same fish. Take halibut, for instance. It may be baked, broiled, fried or boiled, and be quite as de- licious in one way as another. This rule is also true of cod, haddock, and nearly every kind of white-fleshed fish. What a cook or a fish dealer calls oily fish — this class contains bluefish, mackerel, herring, salmon, eels, and shad — are best suited for broiling, baking, or planking. They contain so much oil distributed through the flesh that it requires a dry intense heat to make them pal- atable. Salmon is an exception to tiiis rule, being at its best when boiled. The fish which plank to perfection are shad, whitefish, mackerel, blue- fish, red snapper, and pompano. There are a number of real advan- tages to this method of cooking; it is very easy, it may be done in the hot oven of any coal or gas stove and the wood imparts a flavor to the fish which can be obtained in no other way. Then there is no difficult task of sliding it from a broiler or bake pan to the platter, because it is the proper thing to send the plank direct to the table laid on a tray or serving platter. If you have to prepare a fish for planking, remember it must be cut down the back instead of the stomach, the thin portion of the flesh being folded on the middle of the plank. Improvise a fish kettle if you haven't one. Line a wire basket with a towel, allowing the linen to fall over the edges, put in the fish, coiling it slightly if it is large, and drop the basket in a kettle of boiling water. This is an easier method for lifting it out whole than if set directly in the kettle. An oily fish, such as mackerel or bluefish, needs no enrichment of fat before broiling; a white-fleshed fish does. If the latter is cut in steaks, dip it in oil or melted butter, add a good seasoning of pepper and salt, and put between the wires of the broiler. Lay the thickest end in the center of the broiler over the hottest part of the fire, skin side up. Let it get perfectly crisp and brown on the flesh side before turning. Broil the skin side carefully; it is apt to burn. Set it in a hot oven for five minutes thoroughly to finish cooking. Fish of all sorts require the ac- companiment of a starch food — as bread, rice, potatoes, or macaroni — to make a well-balanced meal. An iron fish sheet, with rings at each end for handles, may be made by any tinsmith for twenty-five cents. Grease it well before setting the fish to cook and lay under it strips of salt pork, then set in a baking pan. You will find it easy to slip a baked fish from this sheet onto a platter. When baking halibut, pour milk over and around it before setting it in the oven. It keeps the fish moist, im- proves the flavor, and makes it brown more thoroughly. In spite of careful watching, a fish will occasionally break in the boil- ing. Do not try to patch it together into an unsightly heap of skin, bones, and meat. Flake it quickly and lay in good-sized portions on a large platter. Garnish with roses of mashed potatoes squeezed from a pastry bag, and over the fish pour a sauce. This transforms an almost hopeless 160 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES failure into a most attractive dish. varieties,— cod, lialibut, and haddock, The same general rules for vari- for instance — that are improved by ous methods of cooking apply to all a certain amount of seasoning, only kinds of fish; they may be boiled, it must be done very carefully, fried, sauted, planked, broiled, or The following methods for cooking baked. Then, after cooking by any fish can be applied to anything that process, a dish may be varied by gar- swims, though the table appended nishing and by adding one of the will serve as a guide: METHODS FOR COOKING FISH Bass ^''^y be baked, boiled, or broiled. Blueflsh May be planked, baked, or broiled. Butterfish -^la.V be fried or sauted. Cod May be boiled, broiled, or baked. Eels May be fried or broiled. Flounder May be baked, fried, or sauted. Haddock May be baked, broiled, planked, or boiled. Halibut May be baked, boiled, fried, broiled or planked. Herring May l)e baked or broiled. Kingfish May be broiled. Blackfish ^lay be baked or broiled. Mackerel ^lay be baked, broiled, or planked. Perch May be fried or broiled. Pickerel May be baked. Pompano May be broiled. Red Snapper May be fried or boiled. Salmon May be boiled, broiled, or baked. Shad ^lay be broiled, baked, or planked. Sheepshead May be boiled or baked. Smelts May be sauted, baked, or fried. Trout ^lay be baked, broiled, or sauted. Muskellunge May be baked. Turbot May be boiled. Whitefish May be planked, baked, or broiled. Sturgeon May be roasted, broiled, baked after being par- boiled. Carp May be boiled or baked. Scrod May be broiled. Swordfish May be baked, broiled or boiled. Mullet May be baked. Pike May be boiled. Whitebait May be fried. Porgies May be planked, broiled, or baked. Catfish May be fried. Alewives May be baked. sauces which are to be found in a How to Plank Fish, following chapter. Heat and oil one of the oak planks For highly flavored fish, such as which are made for this purpose; shad or salmon, use the simplest spread upon this, skin side down, a sauce; drawn butter or egg sauce is fish, dressed, cleaned and split down much more appetizing than a rich the under side; brush over with butter herb-seasoned stock sauce, for the lat- or oil, and set in the dripping pan in ter is apt to destry the fine flavor of the lower gas oven, at first near the fish. There are certain fresh-water burners; after cooking a few minutes, fish, as well as several white-fleshed remove to the floor of the oven to FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 161 finish cooking. Cools about twenty- five minutes, basting often. Set the planit upon a platter. Spread over the fish 3 tablespoonfuls butter, creamed and mixed with salt, pepper, and a tablespoonful lemon juice and chopped i^arsley. Garnish the edge of the plank with potato mashed, sea- soned and made soft enough with but- ter and milk to put through a })astry tube. Return to the oven to brown the potato. Garnish with slices of to- mato, cucumber and lemon and sjirigs of parsley. How to Saute Fish. Fish may be fried in oil, salt pork fat, lard, or clarified drippings. Have fat hot and use as little as possible to cook fish and keep from sticking to the pan. Pork fat is obtained by trying out thin slices of fat salt pork, being careful not to let it burn. Pork gives the fish a flavor not to be ob- tained by any other oil or fat. When pork fat is used, salt should be added but sparingly. Fried fish should be seasoned while cooking. After wiping dry, fish should be rolled in Indian meal, flour, or sifted crumbs before frying. If the fish has been on ice, or is very cold, do not put it in the fat fast enough to cool it perceptibly. Watch carefully while cooking; don't break or mutilate the fish in turning; cook brown, drain on a sieve, colander, or paper, and serve hot on a napkin. Unless fish are very small, they should be notched on each side before rolling in meal previous to frying. How to Broil Fish. Broiling is probably the simplest as well as the best method of cooking many kinds of fish, the flavor and juices being better preserved. Salt pork is the best thing to use. The double broiler is the best utensil, though they may be cooked on a grid- dle or a spider. Heat and grease well before laying in the fish, the flesh side first; when that is perfectly browned, turn and finish cooking. Serve on a hot platter, spread with butter or cream or both, and season to taste. Or a fish may be broiled in a dripping pan, and if the oven is hot will cook nicely. Baste once or twice with butter or cream while cooking. How to Boil Fish. Boiling is the most insipid way of cooking fish, yet there are certain va- rieties that are better cooked this way if accompanied by a rich sauce. Fish, if boiled in a common kettle, should first be wrapped in cheese cloth, to preserve its shape. Boiled fish should be served with a sauce. A fish of 6 pounds should boil or steam in thirty or thirty-five minutes. The water should always be salted. A boiled fish may be stuflfed if desired. How to Bake Fish. A baked fish presents a more at- tractive appearance when served in an upright position on the platter; it also cooks better. To keep it up- right, press it down enough to flatten the under side, then, if necessary, brace with skewers or potatoes placed against it until it is well under way for cooking, then it will keep its posi- tion until cooked and dished. Some- times it is advisable to bend the fish half-moon shape and cook it that way, or if the fish is long and slender, the tail may be tied to the mouth, either of which methods will keep the fish in upright position. Lay over the back and in the pan small strips of salt pork, add 1 cupful hot water and baste often while baking. How to Fry Fish. Small fish may be broiled, but in nearly every case they are better sautM or fried. There are tiny fish, which cannot be treated in any other way. Lard may be used as a frying material, though a mixture of suet and lard is better; but best of all, if it can be afi"orded, is a clear frying oil, which leaves no greasy taste. To prepare a fish, such as perch, brook trout, catfish, smelts, or tiny mack- erel, for frying, wash in cold water, clean thoroughly, and wipe dry inside and out. Small fish must be gently handled; they are tender and the flesh bruises easily. Roll them in flour, 162 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES then in beaten egg, to which a table- spoonful of cold water has been add- ed, and roll again in finely sifted bread crumbs. Have the oil hot enough to brown a cul)e of bread in 60 seconds, put a few fish at a time into the frying basket, and cook five or seven minutes. Do not allow them to get dark brown. Drop on absorb- ent paper and drain off as much of the fat as possible. Lay on a folded napkin on a hot platter, and garnish with parsley and points of lemon. M'hen smelts are very tiny, run a skewer through the heads of three or four of them and fry in bunches. Fish which is sliced, then cut in fillets, can be cooked in the same fashion. The easiest way to prepare it is to roll each fillet and fasten with a toothpick. Baked Red Snapper. 1 5-pound red snapper, 1 beaten egg, i cupful powdered crackers, 1 cupful oysters, 1 teaspoonful onion juice, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful paprika, 1 tablespoonful minced parsley. Draw, clean, and wipe the fish; rub inside and out with salad oil and lem- on. Make a stuffing of egg, cracker, oysters (drained and chopj^ed), onion juice, butter, salt, paprika, and pars- ley; moisten with cream and oyster liquor. Fill the fish and sew it up. Put a layer of minced fat pork on the covered roaster, lay a few slices of to- mato and onion on the pork, then the fish on this. Dredge with salt and flour, and put on more minced pork. Place in a hot oven, add a cupful boiling water, and cover. When well heated, reduce the temperature. Baste frequently. Bake one hour. Serve with Sauce Hollandaise. Baked Fresh Cod with Cheese Sauce. Lay a slice of cod in salt and water for half an hour; wipe dry and rub with melted butter and lemon juice. In the bottom of the baking pan, un- der the grating and not touching the fish, have a cupful veal stock. Pep- per and salt the fish, cover and bake ten minutes to the pound. Take up on a hot platter and sift fine buttered crumbs over it. Set in the oven to brown while you strain the gravy from the pan, thicken with browned flour, add the juice of ^ lemon, i tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan cheese, and a little onion juice. Boil one minute, pour a few spoonfuls carefully over the crumb crust of the fish, the rest into a boat. — Marion Harland. Baked Bluefish. This recipe will answer for all sorts of fish. Have the fish opened at the gills, and the intestines drawn out through the opening. Make a stuffing of J pint bread crumbs, a tablespoon- ful melted butter, a teaspoonful salt, and a dash pepper. Mix the ingre- dients, fill the fish, and sew the head down firmly. If you use pork, cut the fish into gashes two inches apart and all the way across on one side down to the bone; fill the gashes with larding pork, dust the fish thickly with bread crumbs, baste it with a little melted butter, put ^ cupful wa- ter in the pan, and bake in a quick oven about an hour, basting fre- quently. Dish the fish carefully, gar- nish with parsley and lemon, and serve with brown or tomato sauce. — Sarah Tyson Rohrer. Bluefish Baked with Tomato Sauce. Prepare a fish of about 4 pounds, put in a buttered pan, cover with to- mato pulp, sprinkle liberally with bread crumbs, and dot with bits of butter. Place in oven forty minutes, until the flesh begins to separate from the back bone. Cod Steaks a la Cardinal (French recipe). Cut 3 pounds fresh cod into slices an inch thick; sprinkle with salt, pep- per, and lemon juice, fasten each slice with a toothpick to give it a neat shape. Brush the fish with warmed butter, lay it on the bottom of a large saucepan, pour over it a cupful white stock, and cover closely, FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 163 first with buttered paper, then with the pan lid. Simmer gently for twenty to twenty-five minutes, take skewers and arrange the fish neatly on a hot dish; pour over it tomato sauce, flavored with essence of an- chovy; garnish round the edge with sprigs of fresh parsley and slices of lemon. Fillets of Flounder a la Normandy. Prepare the fillets and lay in a but- tered baking pan, season with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, mois- ten with brown stock, adding a tea- spoonful lemon juice; lay the fillets on serving dish, and pour over them Normandy sauce, garnish with slices of lemon. Baked Haddock. Stuff witli a dressing, baste the fish with butter, put a cupful water into the pan, and bake in a moderate oven one hour, basting often; just before taking up, sprinkle a tablespoonful cracker crumbs over the fish and let it remain in the oven long enough to brown delicately. Put the fish on a warm platter, add water and thicken- ing to the gravy, serve in a gravy tu- reen, garnish with parsley and sliced lemon. Fish Timbales. J pound halibut or other white fish, Whites 5 eggs, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 cupful soft bread crumbs, i cupful milk, 6 tablespoonfuls cream, 1 saltspoonful white pepper. Put the uncooked fish through the meat chopper. Cook together, until you have a smooth paste, the millv and bread crumbs. When cold, add it gradually to the fish and press through a sieve; add the cream, salt, and pepper, and fold in carefully the well-beaten whites of the eggs. Grease small timbale molds with but- ter, and line the bottoms with paper; garnish with chopped truffle, mush- rooms, or green peas, or they may be used plain. Fill in the mixture; stand in a baking pan half filled with hot water; cover the toji with greased paper, and bake in a moderate oven twenty minutes. Serve with lobster, shrimp, or oyster crab sauce. — Mrs. Sarah Tyson Rohrer. Baked Halibut. Take a square piece of fish, weigh- ing 5 pounds, wash, wipe dry, and place in the dripping pan with a few thin slices of salt pork on top. Bake one hour; baste with melted butter and water. Stir into the gravy 1 tablespoonful Worcestershire Sauce, juice of 1 lemon, seasoning to taste, and thicken. Serve the gravy sejia- rate; garnish with slices of hard- boiled eggs. Baked Smelts. Dip in beaten egg, roll in cracker crumbs, season with salt, pepper, and a little nutmeg, lay on a sheet of but- tered paper in a buttered baking pan, put a piece of butter on each fish and bake delicately brown; serve on a hot dish, garnished with slices of lemon and parsley. Baked Salmon Trout with Cream. Wipe dry and lay in a pan with enough water to keep from scorching. Bake slowly an hour, basting with butter and water. Into a cupful cream stir 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls boil- ing water, add 2 tablespoonfuls melt- ed butter and a little chopped pars- ley; add it to the gravy from the dripping pan in which fish was baked; lay the trout on a hot platter and let the gravy boil up once, then pour over the fish; garnish with sprigs of parsley. Baked Shad. Stuff with a dressing; sprinkle the fish with liour, lay in a pan with a few thin slices of pork on top. Bake a medium-sized fish forty minutes; add a little hot water, butter, pepper, and salt to the gravy; boil up and serve in gravy tureen. Garnish tlie fish with sprigs of parsley. A table- spoonful anchovy sauce is a decided improvement by giving the gravy a better flavor. 164 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Brochet of Smelts (French recipe). Spread melted butter in bottom of shallow baking dish, dredge with raspings of bread, season with salt, pepper, cliopped parsley, and shal- lots; put in fish and pour over it a teaspoonful anchovy sauce; cover with melted butter and bread rasp- ings, and bake fifteen minutes. Serve hot; arrange the fish on a napkin, heads to heads, in center of dish, or lay them all one way in rows, each overlapping the next. Garnish with quartered lemon and fried parsley. Broiled Turbot (English recipe). Soak the fish in salted water to take ofi' slime; do not cut off fins; make an incision down the middle of the back to prevent skin on the other side from cracking; rub it with lemon and lay in a kettle of cold water; let it boil slowly; when done, drain, and lay on hot napkin; rub a little lobster coral through a sieve, sprinkle it over fish, garnish with sprigs of parsley and sliced lemon. Serve with lobster or shrimp sauce, or plain drawn butter. Baked Whitefish (Point Shirley Style). Split the fish and lay open with the meat side up. Season with salt and pepper, and place in a baking pan on a bed of chopped salt pork. Bake in a quick oven, brushing it over with beaten egg and milk while cooking. Just before sending to the table, cover with crisp brown crumbs, made by frying grated bread crumbs in but- ter. Serve with oyster sauce. Crimped Fish. Cut uncooked fish into long strips, roll them around the finger, and fas- ten each roll with a wooden toothpick. Put into boiling salted water with 2 tablespoonfuls vinegar, and boil fif- teen minutes. Drain, arrange on a platter, and serve hot with oyster or lobster sauce poured into cavities. Codfish in Oyster Sauce. Boil 3 slices fish; drain and dress upon a dish; blanch 3 dozen oysters by putting them into a stewpan with their juice; move them around occa- sionally, but do not let them boil. As soon as they become firm, place a sieve over a basin, pour in the oys- ters, beard and throw them into their liquor. Put them into a stewpan. When boiling, add 2 cloves, i blade mace, 6 pei)percorns and 3 ounces butter, to which you have added a ta- blespoonful flour. Stir, season with salt, cayenne pepper, and essence of anchovies. Add a gill of cream, and pour the sauce over it. To Roast Sturgeon. Take the tail part, skin and bone it; fill the part where the bone comes from with stuffing, as for a fillet of veal; put buttered paper around it, and tie up like a fillet of veal. Roast, and serve with melted butter. Flounders Souchet (French recipe). Take 4 or G flounders, trim and cut in halves; put i pint water in a saut^ pan with a little scraped horse-radish, pepper, salt, and sprigs of parsley; place over the fire, boil a minute, then add the flounders, stew ten minutes; take them out and place in a dish, re- duce the liquor they were stewed in, pour over and serve. Hampton Court Perch (English rec- ipe). Clean the fish, dry well, and make an incision upon each side with a knife. Put 2 tablespoonfuls butter in a saut^ pan over a slow fire, lay in the fish, season with salt, and saute gently. When done, serve with the following sauce: Put 6 spoonfuls melted butter in a stewjian with a lit- tle salt and the juice of a lemon; when boiling, stir in the yolk of an egg mixed with a tablespoon ful cream. Add small pieces of lemon rind and shredded parsley to the sauce, pour it over the fish, and serve. Baked Shad Roe. Skin two large roes, sprinkle with salt, and stand half an hour. In the bottom of a baking pan ])ut a layer of fine bread crumbs mixed with a cho])ped onion, cliopped parsley, 6 choi)]ipd musiirooms, melted butter, and a little lemon juice. Lay the FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 166 roes on the crumbs, sprinkle with more crumbs seasoned and dressed like those in the pan. Over all pour a cupful white stock. Bake half an hour, drain off the liquid, sprinkle the roes with bread crumbs moistened with melted butter, put back in the oven for fifteen minutes to finish cooking and brown. Thicken the liquid that was poured off with flour blended with melted butter, and pour over the roes. Fish Dressing. Either of the following recipes may be used to prepare a stuffing for any fish: 3 cupfuls bread or cracker crumbs, 1 cupful mashed potatoes, 1 well-beaten egg, 2 tablespoonfuls but- ter, teaspoonful sage and savory, or a little thyme, and 6 chopped clams or oysters; moisten with milk, salt, and pepper to taste. For a plainer dressing, use 1 pint bread crumbs, or one-half pint cracker crumbs, 4 tablespoonfuls melted but- ter, 1 egg, beaten, pepper, salt, 3 tablespoonfuls chopped pickle, i tea- spoonful onion juice. FISH LEFT-OVERS. For fish rechauffes (left-overs) it is absolutely necessary to have a thorough knowledge of sauces. AVhen fish left-overs come from the table, pick them over carefully before they cool and become gelatinized. Reject every bone, and flake the eatable por- tions neatly. Put in a bowl, cover closely, and set in the refrigerator till required. Generally a fish re- chauffe with a sauce calls for a small amount of fish stock. To obtain this, put the bones, the poor pieces of fish and the skin into a small saucepan, cover with cold water, allow to sim- mer slowly for a few minutes, strain and cool. Never add salt to any fish without tasting, as it is very easy to overseason it. Croquettes are an excellent method for using up scraps of fish, especially salmon or any white-fleshed fish. When heated in a sauce, it can be served in ramequins or large scalloji shells which are sold by the dozen in crockery stores. With a crust of buttered crumbs, these individual dislies are very attractive. Delicious curries, soups, and deviled dishes may be prepared from cold fish. It can be combined with mashed pota- toes and crumbs in a pie; it makes a tempting souffle or excellent timbales, and may be used with cold potatoes for a hash. Save even a few spoonfuls of any sauce accompanying fish. Half a cupful of egg, tomato, shrimp, oyster, or plain white sauce adds much to the flavor of fresh sauce used for reheat- ing a dish. If the amount of fish is scant, add 2 or 3 hard-cooked eggs, using them as a garnish or cutting tlie white in rings and jjressing the yolk through a potato ricer or coarse sieve and sifting it over the top of the dish. Sometimes there are small left- overs of cooked oysters or clams. If the oysters are in a milk stew, strain off the liquor and save it. It may be enriched by a spoonful of butter or i cupful cream. Season well and heat in the double boiler, then add the oysters, but only just long enough to heat them. ^lore than a minute will overcook them. Oysters or clams which have been cooked in any way may be deviled, curried, or used in rissoles. Chop coarsely a cupful of cold scalloped oysters with a well- beaten egg and bread or cracker crumbs enough to make forming possible and shape into croquettes. Flour, egg, crumb, and fry. Lobster meat can be utilized in al- most any recipe that calls for that shellfish, or can be converted into delicate lobster soup. The smallest amount of fish or shellfish can be utilized for a sauce to accompany baked fish, lobster, oyster, and shrimp being most suitable. Fish Bisque. 9 cupfuls cold fish, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 teaspoonful parsley, 1 teaspoonful of Worcestershire sauce, 1 quart white or chicken stock, 1 tablespoonful butter. 166 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 cupfuls hot milk, 2 tablespoonfuls cracker crumbs, i teaspoonful salt, Dash cayemie. Mince the flsh, add to it the but- ter, chopped parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and stock. Bind with the but- ter and flour cooked together. Add the milk, cracker crumbs and season- ings. Salmon Loaf. 2 cupfuls salmon, 1 cupful stale bread crumbs, 1 teaspoonful onion juice, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 3 eggs. Salt and pepper to taste. Flake the salmon fine, mix with the bread crumbs and seasonings, and moisten with the well-beaten eggs. Pack into a buttered mold and steam for an hour or pack in timbale molds and bake in pan of hot water twenty minutes. Serve hot. Any left-over of this dish may be broken into small pieces; then served with mayonnaise; it makes a palatable salad. Halibut Boudins. i cupful cold mashed potato, 1 cupful cold halibut, ^ cupful soft bread crumbs, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful onion juice. Mash the halibut, mix well with the other ingredients, and press through a potato ricer. Moisten with the beaten egg. Butter molds and dust them with fine bread crumbs. Fill each mold with the fish mixture, set them in a pan of hot water, and bake twenty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve on a hot platter, pour a white sauce over them, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled egg and parsley. Pish with Rice. 1 cupful cold rice, 1 cupful cold flaked fish, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 egg, Salt and pepper. 1 tablespoonful finely parsley. minced Into a double boiler put the rice and fish and let them grow quite hot, stirring lightly so the fish may not break and the mixture grow pasty. When hot, add the butter, the egg un- beaten, salt and pepper. Stir till well blended and the egg cooked, and serve. Halibut Ramequins. 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, * cupful cream, i cupful fish stock, 2 cupfuls cold flaked halibut. Yolk 1 egg. Make a white sauce from the but- ter, flour, cream, and fish stock. Pep- per and salt to taste. Add the flaked fish and egg beaten thick. Pour into ramequins and cover the top with buttered crumbs. Bake and just be- fore serving laj' on top a ring of hard- boiled white of egg, and inside each a sprig of water cress. Fish Scallop. 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 cupful scalded milk, 2 cupfuls cold fish, l\ cupfuls buttered crumbs. Make a sauce of the butter, flour, and milk. When it thickens, add the well-beaten egg. Take the remains of cold baked or boiled white-fleshed fish and separate it into flakes. Put a thin layer of butter crumbs into the bottom of a baking dish, cover with the flaked fish, sprinkle with salt, paprika, and nutmeg. Pour in a layer of sauce, then fish. Alternate in this fashion till the dish is filled, and cover with buttered crumbs. Bake for twenty minutes. Curried Salmon. i onion, i tablespoonful butter, 1 teasjjoonful curry powder, 1 cupful hot water, FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 167 A tablespoonful flour, i tablespoonful tomato catsup, Salt and pepper to taste, 1 cupful cold salmon. Fry the onion brown in the butter, sift in the curry and flour, pour the water in slowly, and stir till smooth. Add the seasoning, and last the sal- mon. Serve hot with toast. Salmon Croquettes. 3 cupfuls cold salmon, 1 cupful cream, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 egg. Pepper and salt. Flake the salmon into small pieces, and make a white sauce from the butter, flour, and cream. Cook till smooth and creamy, then add the sal- mon and seasonings. Just before taking from the fire, add 1 well-beaten egg, and spread on a buttered plate. When quite cool, roll into small cro- quettes with flattened ends, flour, egg, crumb, and fry in deep fat. Salmon Loaf. 1 can of salmon, 3 eggs, Juice of A a lemon, 1 cupful of crackers rolled fine, 1 tablespoonful butter, Salt and pepper and a little cream. Hash the salmon fine, put in the eggs, crackers, butter, salt, pepper and cream and stir all up well to- gether, put in a pan, form into a loaf, and cook one-half hour in a moderate oven. — Mrs. Fred S. Long. Salmon Cakes. 1 can salmon, 2 cupfuls bread crumbs, 2 well-beaten eggs. Small piece butter, melted, 2 tablespoonfuls vinegar, Salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly, make into cakes, and fry a rich brown. Serve with lettuce salad, if possible. Salmon Loaf. 1 large cupful salmon (mashed) 1 small cupful mashed potatoes, 4 hard-boiled eggs in quarters, 2 tablespoonfuls melted butter, 1 cupful cream or rich milk, 2 well beaten eggs. Mix into the order given, -idding the hard-boiled eggs last. Season with salt and pepper and dash of cayenne. Pack in well greased mold. Bake in a moderate oven until it is browned. — Mrs. J. Baumgartner. Molded Salmon. 1 can salmon flaked in small pieces, i tablespoonful flour. Few grains cayenne pepper, 2 egg yolks, I cupful milk, f cupful vinegar, i teaspoonful salt, 1 tablespoonful gelatine, 1 teaspoonful mustard, li tablespoonful melted butter. Make a cream salad dressing of flour, mustard, pepper, salt, egg yolks, butter, milk, vinegar, and salt. In meantime soak the gelatine in cold wa- ter and add to salad dressing. Then stir in the salmon, pour into a mold, and serve with cucumber sauce. — Anna Kinsley. Lobster Croquettes. 1 cupful chopped lobster, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful mustard. Dash tabasco sauce, i cupful cream sauce. Stir the lobster and seasonings into the hot cream sauce and spread on a plate to cool. Shape into tiny pyra- mids. Egg and crumb. Into the small end of each croquette stick a few inches of macaroni or a lobster claw. Fry in deep fat. Garnish with parsley or water cress. Fish Puff Balls. 1 cupful cold flaked fish, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, i cupful flour. 168 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 1 cupful scalded milk, 2 eggs, Pepper and salt. Make a white sauce with the milk, flour, and salt. Season with pepper and salt. When it has thickened, stir in the fish, then the well-beaten eggs. Fry a tablespooni'ul at a time in smoking hot fat, fritter fashion. Bluefish Salad. 3 cupfuls cold flaked bluefish, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful white pepper, I cupful olive oil, 1 tablespoonful vinegar. Flake the bluefish neatly and mar- inate for an hour with a French dress- ing made from the oil, vinegar, and seasonings. Arrange on a nest of lettuce, and serve with mayonnaise garnished with chopped olives. Clam Salad. 2 cupfuls cold clams, 1 cupful shredded lettuce. Use for this salad cold steamed clams or left-overs from a Rhode Island bake. Take off the black heads and remove the skins. Serve in a nest of shredded lettuce. Marinate for ten minutes with French dressing, then serve. Halibut Salad. 2 cupfuls cold halibut, 1 cupful shredded lettuce, A cupful cold boiled potatoes. Flake halibut into small pieces. Shred the lettuce with scissors. Cut the potato into half-inch cubes. Mix fish and potato lightly. Lay in a nest of lettuce, and pour over it French dressing. Salmon Salad Molds. 1 cupful cold salmon, ^ tablespoonful lemon juice, i teaspoonful parsley, 2 drops tabasco sauce, 1 tablespoonful gelatin, softened in 4 tablespoon fuls cold water, then dissolved in A cup boiling water. Mix the salmon, lemon, parsley, ta- basco, and gelai,in, dissolved in a lit- tle water, with enough salad dressing to moisten. Wet J dozen molds. Fill with salmon, level the top of each one, place on ice, and turn out on lettuce leaves. Serve with a mayon- naise. Spiced Fish. Cold salmon, halibut, or shad makes dainty dishes when flaked and cov- ered with hot spiced vinegar and left a day before serving. Cold fried fish is excellent served very cold. Span- ish mackerel is nice in this way. Any kind of catsup or salad dress- ing may be served with it, but it is quite palatable with bread and but- ter, and makes a change from cold meat. HOW TO COOK SALT FISH Stuffed Salt Mackerel. Freshen 2 fish by soaking six or eight hours, wipe, dry, and squeeze lemon juice over the flesh side. Lay 1 fish in the bottom of a baking pan, and cover with a thick dressing made of bread crumbs well seasoned with parsley, pej^per, salt, butter, and bits of thin lemon peel. Lay the other fish on this dressing and baste with melted butter and not water. Bake until brown, remove to a hot platter without disturbing the layers, and cover the top with bread crumbs moistened in melted butter and baked brown. Garnish with parsley. Baked Salt Mackerel. Soak the mackerel in cold water over night, placing the si)lit side down. Cut off the fins and tail. Wash and put in a baking pan with the split side up. Mix a teaspoonful flour with a little milk and stir into i pint milk. Pour this over the mack- erel, and bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Just before the fish is done, add a teaspoonful butter. Boiled Salt Mackerel. Soak the mackerel over night; wash and put in a flat saucepan; cover with hot water, and cook slowly twenty FISH DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 169 minutes. Serve with cream, butter, egg, tomato, brown, or parsley sauce. Broiled Salt Mackerel. Soak over night; wash and wipe. Broil over clear coals for twelve min- utes. Put the split side over fire first. Season with butter, and serve hot. Broiled Salt Salmon or Halibut. If flsli is very salt, freshen for an hour or two in cold water; if merely smoked and slightly salted, wash and cut in small pieces about an inch thick. Season well with pepper and salt, and wrap each slice in tough paper well buttered. Twist the ends so the fish is inside a paper bag. Put in a broiler, and move over a clear fire for about eight minutes. Take the fish from the paper cases and pour egg sauce over it. Codfish Fritters. Cut the codfish into strips about the size of a finger, freshen by soak- ing over night in cold water; in the morning, dry between towels. Dip each piece in fritter batter, and fry delicately brown in hot fat. Creamed Salt Codfish. Pick salt codfish in pieces (there should be f cupful) and soak in luke- warm water. Drain, press out water and add 1 cupful white sauce. Gar- nish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Salt Codfish (Creole style). 1 pound boneless codfish, i cupful rice, 2 tablcspoonfuls butter, 1 can tomatoes, 1 onion, i teaspoon ful salt, 1 saltspoonful pepper. Wash and soak the codfish several hours. Drain and press out water. When ready to serve, put the butter and onion in a saucepan; cover and cook on the back part of the stove until the onion is soft, not brown. Drain the codfish, add it and the rice, which has been boiled for twenty min- utes ; pour over the tomatoes strained ; cover tlie saucepan, and cook gently twenty minutes. When ready to serve, add salt and pepper, push the rice aside and dish the fish first; put on top of it the rice, and pour over the sauce. — Mrs. Sarah Tyson Rohrer. Salt-Codfish Chowder. 2 cupfuls milk, 1 cupful shredded codfish, 1^ cupfuls potato cubes, 3 oimccs salt pork, 2 tablcspoonfuls minced onion, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 tablespoonful flour. Salt, 3 Boston crackers. Wash the fish and cut in two-inch lengths. Tear these in pieces, and, covering with cold water, soak for three or four hours. Slice the pork, and cook in the frying pan for ten minutes. Add the onion, and cook ten minutes. Now add the flour, and stir until smooth; afterwards stir in 1 gill water. Put the potatoes in a stewpan and pour the mixture in the frying pan over them. Reason with pepper and i teaspoonful salt. Place on the fire, and cook ten minutes; then take out the slices of pork and add the fish, milk, and split crack- ers. Cook gently for half an hour, being careful to let the chowder only bubble at one side of the stewpan. At the end of the half hour, taste before serving, to be sure to have it salt enough. — Maria Parloa. Codfish Balls. 1 cupful salt codfish, 2i cupfuls potato cubes, 1 tablespoonful butter, Dash pepjicr, 1 egg. Cut the fish in small pieces, put in a saucepan with the raw potato, and cover with boiling water. Let them cook imtil the potatoes are nearly soft. Drain thoroughly and put through the meat chopper. Stir in the butter, tlie well-beaten egg, and pepper, beat with a fork until light and fluffy. Drop by tablespoonful into deep fat, fry until brown and drain on brown paper. 170 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 1 Souffle Codfish. 2 cupfuls hot mashed potatoes, 1 pound salt codfish, 2 eggs, Dash pepper. Soak the codfish several hours; in the morning, pick into thin fine flakes, drain, and dry in a towel; add to it the beaten potatoes, pepper, and yolks of eggs well beaten. Whip the mix- ture until light, then blend in the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Pile in a mound on a platter, and bake until delicately brown. Codfish with Macaroni. 2 ounces macaroni, 1 cupful riced potatoes, 1 tablespoonful butter, i teaspoonful salt, i pound salt cod, 1 tablespoonful onion juice, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 saltspoonful pepper. Break macaroni in two-inch lengths, put in boiling water, boil rapidly for thirty minutes, drain, throw in cold water, and blanch fifteen minutes, then cut into pieces about half an inch long. Wash the codfish, cut it into blocks. It is better to have it soaked over night. If you wish to use it in a hurry, cover with cold wa- ter, bring to boiling point, drain, throwing away the water, and cover again. Do this three times, and it will be sufficiently fresh. Rub the butter and flour together, add the tomato, stir until boiling, then add the maca- roni, fish, onion juice, salt, and pep- per. Mix until boiling; stand over the teakettle or in hot water for thir- ty minutes, and it is ready to serve. — Mrs. Sarah Tyson Ilohrer. Toasted Codfish. Cut the fish in thin strips and freshen it. Dry, put between the wires of a broiler, and toast till deli- cately brown. Lay on a hot platter, and spread well with butter. Creamed Haddie (Scotch recipe). Trim the fins from a thick finnan haddie, cover with cold water, and let stand on the back of a range an hour, simmering slightly at the last. Drain carefully and set into a baking dish; pour over it a cupful milk; cover and set in the oven; cook ten minutes. Remove the fish to a serving dish and pour over the milk. Garnish with slices of lemon and pickles. Shredded Haddie. Braise 2 cupfuls finnan haddie that has been picked fine, 2 tablespoonfuls butter. Add 1 cupful cream into which 1 tablespoonful flour has been rubbed smooth. Let it come to a boil and when cooled a little add 1 large tablespoonful grated cheese, a dash pepper, and, just before serving, the beaten yolk of an egg. Serve on toast. Finnan Haddie h la Delmonico. Cut fish in strips (there should be 1 cupful), put in baking pan, cover with cold water, place on back of range, and allow water to heat to boiling point. Stand on range, keep- ing water below boiling point for twenty-five minutes, drain, and rinse thoroughly. Separate fish into flakes, add ^ cupful heavy cream and 4 hard- boiled eggs thinly sliced. Season with cayenne, add 1 tablespoonful butter, and sprinkle with finely chopped pars- ley.— Fannie M. I*"armer. Baked Salt Herring. Soak the herrings over night, roll in flour and butter, place in a drip- ping pan with a very little water over them; season with pepper, and after putting in the oven, baste frequently. CHAPTER XIII OYSTERS, CLAMS, LOBSTERS, AND OTHER SHELLFISH SHELLFISH A LA NEWBURG, ESCALLOPED, ROASTED, BROILED, DEVILED, CURRIED, CREAMED — RISSOLES — CRABS — SHRIMPS — SCALLOPS. Fried Clams. Select plump clams, dry thera on a towel, roll in cracker crumbs, dip in egg, again in crumbs, and fry in hot fat; lay a sheet of unglazed paper in dripping pan and put the clams on this as fast as taken up; serve on a napkin. Clam Fritters. Either whole clams or chopped ones may be used. Prepare a fritter batter, stir in the clams, using con- siderable clam liquor in making the batter. If whole clams are used, the large ones are best, having one in each fritter; when chopped clams are used, the fritters may be made any size. Fry in deep fat, drain, and serve on napkin. Quahog Cocktail (an individual serv- ice). 6 tiny quahogs, 1 tablespoonful clam liquor, Speck cayenne, 1 teaspoonful chopped celery, 1 teaspoonful tomato catsup, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, Dash tabasco sauce, i teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce. Put the quahogs in a glass with clam liquor, add cayenne, celery, to- mato catsup, vinegar, tabasco and Worcestershire sauce. Stir thorough- ly with fork. Roast Clams. Scrub the clam shells thoroughly and drain in a colander. Spread 171 them in a dripping pan and put in a hot oven. The shells will begin to open in five or eight minutes. Take from the oven, and, holding the shell over a warm dish, let the clam and juice drop out. Season with butter, salt, and pepper; serve very hot with thin slices of buttered brown bread. Clams k la Newburg. 25 soft-shelled clams, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. Yolks 2 eggs, 1 cupful cream. Put butter into a saucepan; stir until heated; add the flour, and cook until it thickens. Add the beaten yolks of the eggs with cream; beat well and pour over the clams; stir thoroughly until heated and cooked, but do not boil. Clams (Boston style). 12 soft clams, i pound salt pork. Cut pork in pieces size of dice, and fry crisp. Add clams, freed from the tough part, and saute them in the porli fat. Serve on Boston brown bread. Clams in Vienna Rolls. Take a large Vienna roll, cut out a piece of the crust the size of a half dollar, and remove the soft bread from the inside. Open as many little- neck clams as will fill the roll, re- place the small piece of crust, and place in the oven for ten minutes. Take the juice from the clams, make 172 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES a thickening of flour and the juice, mix with it pai)rika, black jiepper, Worcestershire sauce, a dash tabasco sauce, and heat. Remove the baked roll from the oven and pour sauce over it. Escalloped Clams. 25 clams, 1 cupful cracker crumbs, i cupful milk, i cupful clam liquor, 2 eggs (well beaten), 1 tablcspoonful melted butter. Salt and pepper. Season the clams highly, mix with crumbs moistened with milk and clam liquor; add eggs and melted butter and the clams chopped. Fill each shell, sprinkle with buttered bread crumbs, and brown. This fills twelve shells. Sauted Oysters. Put 2 tablespoonfuls butter into a saute pan; when it is hot add as many drained oysters as will make 2 cupfuls. Add a little salt and pep- per and a tablcspoonful lemon juice. Shake them in the pan until the gills are curled, then add a tablcspoonful parsley chopped fine. Serve on slices of toasted bread on a hot platter. Fried Oysters with Cold Slaw. Lay the oysters on a cloth to dry. Roll in cracker dust, then in egg di- luted with 1 tablcspoonful milk, sea- son with pepper and salt, again cover with cracker dust. Lay in a frying basket and fry in hot fat long enough to give them a light-brown color. Oysters toughen if cooked too long. Prepare only 4 at a time; more lower the temperature of the fat too much, and if they are rolled before the moment of frying, they moisten the cracker dust. Place them on an unglazed paper in the oven when they are fried. Fold a napkin and place it in the center of a platter. Pile the oysters on the napkin, and make a wreath around them of cold slaw. Oysters a la Newburg. 25 large oysters, li tablespoonfuls butter. 1 tablcspoonful lemon juice, Pepj)er and salt, i cupful mushrooms. Yolks 4 eggs, 1 cupful cream. Place the oysters in a saucepan with the butter, lemon juice, pepper, and salt. Cook until the oysters are plump, then add the mushrooms cut in quarters. Beat the yolks of the eggs into the cream, turn it into the oyster mixture, let it get hot and a little thickened, without boiling. Turn it into a hot dish, and garnish with croutons. — Mary Ronald. Oysters a la George Trimble David- son. Melt f cupful butter, then pour in a quart of oysters and the strained liquor, flavor with salt and pepper, a teaspoonful paprika, and a dash tabasco. Cut up celery, put in 3 tablespoonfuls, and squeeze in the juice of i lemon. Cook four minutes, and serve on hot toast. A pint of rich cream added to the broth of the oysters makes the dish richer. — Des- chler Welsh. Oyster Rarebit. Clean and remove the hard mus- cles from a cupful oysters; parboil in their own liquor until the edges curl, and remove to a hot bowl. Put 1 tablcspoonful butter, i pound cheese (broken in small bits), 1 saltspoon- ful each salt and mustard, and a few grains cayenne into the chafing dish; while the cheese is melting, beat 2 eggs slightly, and add them to the oyster liquor; mix this gradually with the melted cheese, add the oys- ters, and pour over hot toast. Oysters Encoquille (French recipe). Clean large oyster shells, into each put a couple of small oysters, and sprinkle with bread crumbs which have been peppered and salted and tossed in melted butter. Set the shells closely together in a baking pan, put in a hot oven, and bake till the crumbs are delicately browned. Serve a shell to each person on a small plate. Garnish with i lemon and a sprig of parsley. OYSTERS, CLAMS, LOBSTERS 173 Pigs in Blankets. Dust large, plump oysters with pepper and salt, wrap each inside a thin slice of bacon and skewer to- gether with a toothpick. Lay in a hot spider, cook till oysters begin to curl and the bacon crisps. Take out the toothpicks, and serve three or four on a slice of toast to each per- son. Broiled Oysters. Drain large oysters from the liq- uor, dip each in melted butter, dust with pepper and salt, then roll in sifted cracker crumbs. Grease the wires of an oyster broiler, lay the oysters in closely, and broil over a clear fire until the juice begins to flow. Serve on toast. Oyster Loaf, 1 small loaf bread, 1 pint oysters breaded and fried, 1 lemon, 4 sweet pickles, Butter, catsup, and chili sauce, 1 pint white sauce. Slice the top off the bread, hollow out the inside, leaving the crust. But- ter this thickly, line with thin slices of pickle, and lemon. Fill with fried oysters. Put more slices of pickle and lemon, pour a little catsup and put on the top of the loaf as a lid. Bake J hour in moderate oven and serve with white sauce. — Anna Kins- ley. Oyster Patties. Cup chopped oysters left from stew, one tablespoonful mashed potatoes, one tablespoonful flour, one egg, salt and pepper. If too dry add little milk. Shape into patties and fry in hot butter.— Mrs. Jos. S. Gerhart. Escalloped Oysters. Crush and roll several handfuls crackers, i>ut a layer in the bottom of buttered pudding' dish; wet this with a mixture of the oyster liquor and milk, slightly warmed, next a layer of oysters, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and lay small bits of butter upon them, then another layer of moistened crumbs, and so on until dish is full. Let top layer be of crumbs, thicker than the rest, and beat an egg into milk you pour over them, put pieces of butter on top. Cover the dish, bake i hour. — Mrs. A. J. Mielke. Deviled Oysters. Put 1 pint oysters with liquid in stew pan and cook until plump and edges begin to curl. Drain. Take IJ cups of liquor, adding water if not enough. Melt 3 tablespoonfuls but- ter. Add 4 tablespoonfuls flour, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful curry powder, ^ teaspoonful paprika. Put in liquor, gradually stirring. Add oysters, 1 teaspoonful Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, few drops tabasco, salt to taste. Serve on crackers. — Anna Kinsley. Savory Oysters. 2 cupfuls chopped oysters, 1 cupful chopped mushrooms, 2 tablespoonfuls catsup, 2 tablespoonfuls Worcestershire sauce, 4 tablespoonfuls butter. Mix in order given. Pour in but- tered ramequins, cover with buttered cracker crumbs; bake imtil brown. — Helen Starkweather. Roasted Oysters in the Shell. Scrub the oyster shells thoroughly, lay them in a large roasting pan with the round side down, so they retain the juices as they cook. They may be roasted in a hot oven, on top of the stove, in a steamer, or under a blaze of a gas stove. When the shells open, remove the upper shell and serve the lower shells. Dust with pepper and salt and squeeze a dash of lemon juice over each. Serve im- mediately. If desired, they may be slipped from the shells upon slices of buttered toast and the juice poured over. Scalloped Oysters. 1 pint oysters, i cupful melted butter, Pepper and salt, 1 cupful stale bread crumbs, J cupful milk. 174 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Butter the crumbs in the batter. Cover the bottom of a baking dish with bread crumbs, and lay carefully over it the oysters lifted from the liq- uor. Cover with another layer of crumbs dusted with pepper and salt; then more oysters, and make the top layer crumbs. Strain the oyster liq- uor, add the milk scalding hot and pour it over the dish. Sprinkle over the top-layer of crumbs. Set it in the oven, and bake till the crumbs are brown. Creamed Oysters. 1 cupful cream sauce, 1 pint oysters. Make a cupful cream sauce, season with salt, pepper, paprika, and cel- ery salt. Pick over the oysters, and parboil in their own liquor until they begin to curl. Drain and add to the sauce. Serve on slices of buttered toast, in pufif-jiaste patties, in vol-au- vent, or in croustade boxes. Oyster Pie. Line a deep dish with good puff paste, not too rich, roll out the upper crust and lay on a plate just the size of pie dish, prick full of holes with a fork, set it on top of the dish and put into the oven, so the crust may be cooked before the oysters are put in. AVhile the crust is baking, strain the liquor from the oysters and thicken. Add 2 tablespoonfuls butter and the same of cracker crumbs, sea- son with salt, pepper, nutmeg, or mace. Let the liquor boil, slip in the oysters, boil it up once, stir, remove plate with the crust, jjour the oysters and hot liquor into the pie dish, put the top crust on, and return to the oven for five minutes. Curry of Lobster. 5 cupful lobster meat, 1 cupful meat stock, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful salt, Dash tabasco sauce, J teaspoonful white pepper, 1 teaspoonful curry ]wwder, 1 tablespoonful minced onion, 3 slices toast. Cut the lobster into small pieces and season with half the salt and pepper. Put the butter and onion on the fire in a frying pan, and cook un- til the onion turns straw color; then add the flour and curry powder and stir until brown. Gradually add the stock to this, stirring all the while. Season, and cook for three minutes. Strain this into a saucepan, and add the lobster. Cook for five minutes. Cut the slices of toast in strips and lay in a warm dish. Pour the lobster over these, and serve at once. Breaded Lobster. 1 large lobster, 1 egg, 1 teaspoonful salt, J teaspoonful pepper, Dried bread crumbs. Fat for frying. Split the claws and tail and set aside. Take the meat from the large joints and body and chop fine. iVlix with this \ teaspoonful salt and 2 tablespoonfuls tomalley. Shape into three small, flat cakes. Season the lobster with salt and pep2)er. Beat the egg in a souj) i:)late. Diji the pieces of lobster and the little cakes, one at a time, into the egg; then roll in crumbs, and, after arranging on a plate, put in a cool place. Put the breaded lobster in the frying basket, and cook in fat until crisp and brown. Serve with Sauce Tartare. Lobster (French style). Chop an onion and put it in a stewjian v;ith 2 ounces butter; fry light brown; mix with it a table- spoonful flour; add A pint milk, a teaspoonful salt, a little pepper and cayenne, nutmeg, and chopped pa.s- ley. Boil till rather thick; put in lobster meat cut in pieces. Let it boil up, add yolk of an egg, and a little cream, mix quickly; fill the shells, egg and bread-crumb them; put in the oven for ten minutes; brown, and serve. Creamed Lobster. 1 cupful lobster meat, 1 taljlespoonful butter, OYSTERS, CLAMS, LOBSTERS 175 1 teaspoonful grated onion, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cupful stock, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice, i cupful cream. Yolk 1 egg. Cut the lobster meat into inch dice. Put the butter in a saucepan with the grated onion, let them cook a minute, then add the flour. Stir for a few minutes, and add, slowly, the stock and lemon juice. When this thickens, add the lobster meat, turn- ing carefully so as not to break it. When the meat is heated, remove from the fire and mix cream with the yolk of an egg beaten in it. Replace on the fire for a minute, and serve on toast or in timbales. Rissoles of Lobster. Mince the meat from a boiled lob- ster, season with pepper, salt, and a little mace. Add 3 tablespoonfuls melted butter and some bread crumbs ; roll into balls, dip in yolk of beaten egg, put more crumbs over them, and fry brown. Langosta k la Catalana (Mexican recipe). Remove lobster meat from the shell, lay it in a bowl so as to save all the liquor, and cut into dice. Chop 4 large onions and a bunch of parsley, mash 4 cloves of garlic, and fry together in J cupful olive oil un- til nearly brown. Season with salt and cayenne; add the lobster with the juice, a cupful washed rice, and a tablespoonful of capers. Cook until the rice is done. When serving, put whole pimcntoes on top. — May E. Southworth. Lobster a la Newburg. 2i pound cans lobster or meat from one 2 pound lobster. 3 tablespoonfuls butter, 4 egg yolks, 1 pint cream, i teaspoonful salt, Few grains cayenne. Cut up lobster, add butter, set on fire to cook 3 minutes, add seasonings, eggs and cream and stir until it thick- ens. — Lelah R. Cheney. Cangrejueloe (Mexican recipe). 1 teaspoonful butter, i pound ham, 1 onion, Dash salt, Dash chili powder, 1 pint picked shrimps, ^ pint washed rice, 1 bay leaf, thyme, and parsley. Put the butter in a saucepan; when hot, add the ham, chopped fine, onion, salt, and chili powder. When these are well browned, add the shrimps and stir until hot; then put in the washed rice and parsley. Cov- er and simmer with sufficient water added to cook the rice until each grain stands out alone. Scalloped Scallops. Cut scallops into small pieces and mix with cracker crumbs, beaten egg, and a little milk or cream, seasoning to taste. Fill shells, w^ashed for the purpose, cover with buttered crumbs, and bake delicately brown. Fried Scallops. Marinate the scallops in a mixture of oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Roll in cracker dust, then in egg, and again in cracker dust or white bread crumbs. Fry in smoking-hot fat to a golden color. Scallops on the Shell. Cut scallops into quarters, if large. Place them in the scallop shells. Dredge with salt and pepper, and chopped parsley, cover with chopped mushrooms, some bits of butter, a teaspoonful lemon juice for each shell, and buttered bread crumbs. Place in a hot oven for ten or fifteen minutes. Soft-Shell Crabs. To prepare them for cooking, lift the shell at both edges and remove the gray, spongy substance, which can be plainly seen, then pull up the little triangular apronlike piece on under side of shell, wash and wipe 176 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES the crabs dry, dip in milk, roll in flour, and fry in hot fat; or dip in beaten egg, roll in crumbs, and either fry or broil. Partan Pies (a Scotch dish). Pick the meat, after boiling, from hard-slicll crabs, clean the shells, mix the meat with a little pepper, a bit of butter, and bread crumbs; add 3 sjjoonfuls vinegar and put into the shells again; sprinkle buttered bread crumbs over, and set them in the oven. Serve when brown on top. Crabs k la Creole (Southern recipe). 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 onion, 1 sweet Spanish pepper minced, 1 cupful strained tomato pulp, A cupful chicken broth, 4 soft crabs. Melt the butter, and cook for five minutes the onion and pepper; stir while frying, then add the tomato pulp, chicken broth, and the crabs cleaned and cut in two. Use celery salt in tlie seasoning, and simmer seven minutes. CHAPTER XIV MEAT AND FISH SAUCES AND FLAVORERS BROWNED FLOUR — FLAVORING VEGETABLES, HERBS AND SPICES — TLME OF COOKING FLAVORERS — TARRAGON VINE- GAR—SAVORY DRIPPINGS — RECIPES FOR FAMOUS SAUCES SAUCES 1 The art of preparing savory gra- vies and sauces is more imi^ortant ia connection witla the serving of the cheaper meats than in connection witli the cooking of the more expen- sive. There are a few general principles underlying the making of all sauces or gravies, whether the liquid used is water, milk, stock, tomato juice, or some combination of these. For or- dinary gravy 2 level tablespoonfuls of flour or 1* tablespoonfuls of corn- starch or arrowroot is sufficient to thicken a cupful of liquid. This is true excepting when, as in certain recipes given elsewhere, the flour is browned. In this case about one- half tablespoonful more should be al- lowed, for browned flour does not thicken so well as unbrowned. The fat used may be butter or the drip- pings from the meat, the allowance Being 2 tablespoonfuls to a cup of liquid. The easiest way to mix the ingredi- ents is to heat the fat, add the flour, and cook until the mixture ceases to bubble, and then to add the liquid. This is a quick method and by using it there is little danger of getting a lumpy gravy. Many persons, how- ever, think it is not a wholesome method and prefer the old-fashioned t From " Economical Use of Meat in the Home," by C. F. Langworthy, Pli.D., and Caroline L. Hunt, A.B. Fanners' Bul- letin No. 391. 177 one of thickening the gravy by means of flour mixed with a little cold wa- ter. The latter method is of course not practicable for brown gravies. Considering the large amount of discussion about the digestibility of fried food and of gravies made by heating flour in fat, a few words on the subject at this point may not be out of order. It is difficult to see how heating the fat before add- ing the flour can be unwholesome, un- less the cook is unskillful enough to heat the fat so high that it begins to scorch. Overheated fat, as has already been pointed out, contains an acrid irritating substance called " acrolein," which may be readily considered to be unwholesome. It is without doubt the production of this body by overheating which has given fried food its bad name. Several ways of varying the flavor of gravies and sauces were suggested in the preceding section. One other should be especially mentioned here. The Flavor of Browned Flour. The good flavor of browned flour is often overlooked. If flour is cooked in fat until it is a dark brown color a distinctive and very agree- able flavor is obtained. This flavor combines very well with that of cur- rant jelly and a little jelly added to a brown gravy is a great improve- ment. The flavor of this should not be combined with that of onions or other highly flavored vegetables. 178 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Flavoring Vegetables, Herbs, Spices, Etc. Many flavorings are used in meat dishes, some of which are familiar to all cooks — onions, carrots, turnips, and garlic being perhaps the most widely known. Butter, too, may be regarded as one of the most common seasonings, and of course makes the dish richer. Meat extract is also used for flavoring many meat dishes and other foods, as are also, though less commonly, similar extracts made from clams or other " sea food." The following list includes these with various others, a number of which it is convenient to keep always on hand: Onions, carrots, green pep- pers parsnips, turnips, tomatoes, fresh, canned or dried; celery tops and parsley, either fresh or dried; sage, savory, thyme, sweet marjoram, bay leaf, garlic, lemon rind, vinegar, capers, pickles, olives, currant jelly, curry powder, cloves, peppercorns, celery seed, meat extract, Chili sauce, pepper sauce or some similar hot or sharp sauce and some kind of good commercial meat sauce. Some hints regarding the use of such flavorings follow : Flavor of Fried Vegetables. — Most of the stews, soups, braised meats, and pot roasts are very much im- proved if the flavoring vegetables which they contain, such as carrots, turnips, onions, celery, or green pep- pers, are fried in a little fat before being cooked with the meat. This need not complicate the preparation of the meat or increase the number of utensils used, for the meat itself is usually seared over in fat, and the vegetables can be cooked in the same fat before the browning of the meat. Onion Juice. — Cookbooks usually say that onion juice should be ex- tracted by cutting an onion in two and rubbing the cut surface against a grater. Considering how hard it is to wash a grater, this method has its drawbacks. Small amounts of juice may be obtained in the following sim- pler way: Peel the onion and ex- tract a few drops of juice by press- ing one side with the dull edge of a knife. Green Peppers. — The flavor of green peppers gives an acceptable variety. The seeds should always be removed. The peppers should be chopped and added to chopped meat or other meat dishes. Meat mixed with bread crumbs may be baked in the pepper shells and the stuffed peppers served as a separate dish. Parsley. — It is easy to raise pars- ley by growing it in a pot in the kitchen window and thus to have it always on hand fresh, or the leaves may be kept for a long time if sealed up in a fruit jar and stored in a cool place. Parsley, mint, and celery tops may all be dried, rubbed into fine bits, and kept in air-tight jars. Recipes usually say to chop fresh parsley with a sharp knife on a board. But a board is a hard thing to wash and a sheet of paper serves the purpose quite as well. Bay leaf. — Bay leaf is one of the best and at the same time one of the most abused flavors. In small quan- tities it gives a very pleasant flavor to soups and gravies but in large quantities it gives a disagreeable resin-like taste. Remember that half of a bay leaf is the allowance for 3 quarts of soup stock. This will in- dicate how small a quantity should be used for the portion of gravy usually served at a meal. With this precaution in mind, bay leaf may be recommended as a flavoring for many sauces, particularly tomato sauce. A Kitchen Bouquet. — A " bou- quet" such as is often referred to in recipes may be made as follows: A sprig each of parsley, savory, and thyme, one small leaf of sage, and a bay leaf. This will flavor 1 gallon of soup when cooked in it for an hour and should not remain in it longer. Horse Radish. — Horse radish, like mustard, is more often served with meat than used to flavor it during cooking. A very palatable sauce, especially good with boiled beef, is made by adding grated horse radish and a " little vinegar to a little whipped cream, or as follows: Thicken milk with cracker crumbs MEAT AND FISH SAUCES AND FLAVORERS 179 by heating them together in a double boiler, using 3 tablespoonfuls of cracker crumbs to li cups of milk. Add i of a cup of grated horse radish, 3 tablespoonfuls of butter, and i teaspoonful of salt; or thicken with butter and flour some of the water in which the meat was boiled, add a generous quantity (1 or 2 ta- blespoonfuls) of grated horse radish, boil a short time, and serve. This recipe is the most usual in German homes where the sauce is a favorite. Acid Flavoring. — Vinegar, lemon juice, and sour jelly, like currant, are often used to flavor the thick gravies which are a part of meat stew or which are served with it. Vinegar is an old-fashioned relish which was often added to bacon or salt pork and greens, pork and beans, corned beef and cabbage, and similar dishes. These flavors combine well with that of brown flour, but not with onions or other vegetables of strong flavor. The idea that vinegar used in small quantities is unwholesome seems to be without foundation. Pickles. — Chopped pickles are sometimes added to the gravy served with boiled mutton. They are cheaper than capers and serve some- what the same purpose. Chopped pickles are also very commonly used in sauces for fish and in many others to give a distinctive flavor. Olives. — Chopped olives also make a welcome variety in meat sauce, and are not expensive if they are bought in bulk. They will not spoil if a lit- tle olive oil is poured on the top of the liquor in which they are kei)t. This liquor should always completely cover them. Chili Sauce, Commercial Meat Sauces, Etc. — Recipes often may be varied by the addition of a little Chili sauce, tomato catsup, or a com- mercial meat sauce. These may be called emergency flavors and used when it is not convenient to prepare other kinds of gravies. Sausage. — A little sausage or chopped ham may be used in chopped beef. Curry Powder. — This mixture of spices which apparently originated in India, but which is now a common commercial product everywhere, is a favorite flavoring for veal, lamb, or poultry. The precaution mentioned in connection with bay leaves, how- ever, should be observed. A small amount gives a good flavor. It is usually used to season the thick sauces with which meats are served or in which they are allowed to simmer. While the terra " curry " is usually employed to describe a particular mixture of spices made up for the trade it has another mean- ing. The words " curry " or " cur- ried" are sometimes used to describe highly seasoned dishes of meat, eggs, or vegetables prepared by methods that have come from India or other parts of the East. Fried Vegetables for Seasoning. Vegetables when used raw as a seasoning give a strong flavor, and only a little of each should be used. For flavoring soups, sauces, stews, etc., fried vegetables are far su- perior to the raw. To prepare them for use, clean and peel or scrape the vegetables, then cut them into small pieces, and put in a saucepan with butter or sweet fat, allowing two generous tablespoonfuls of butter to a pint of vegetables. Place on a hot part of the range and stir imtil the butter and vegetables become hot. Partially cover the sauce])an and set back, where the vegetables, which should be stirred often, will cook slowly for half an hour. At the end of this time place the pan on a hot part of the range and stir the con- tents until the butter begins to sepa- rate fi-om the vegetables. Drain the butter, saving it with savory drip- pings, which every housewife should alwaj^s have on hand, and add the vegetables to the dish they are to flavor. Fine Herbs. In its broadest sense, the term " fine herbs " includes all the deli- cate, savory herbs, such as burnet, sweet basil, tarragon, and chervil. As commonly understood, three herbs enter into the seasoning known to 180 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES cooks as "fine herbs"; these are parsley, chervil, and chives. They are minced fine and added to the sauce, soup, omelet, etc. For an omelet, they are stirred into the beaten eggs in the proportion of a teaspoonful to three eggs. When added to sauces, the herbs must be added just as they are about to be served. These three herbs combine well with almost any vegetable, fish, or meat. In general, herbs should be washed, placed on a clean board, and cut with a sliarp knife. Chervil and tarragon when em- ployed in soup or salad should be torn leaf by leaf into small pieces- Time of Cooking Flavorers. When a soup, sauce, or vegetable is to be flavored with an herb or an- other vegetable the flavorer should be added toward the end of the cooking period. Since the oils and other bod- ies which give seasoning vegetables and herbs their flavor are volatile they are either driven oflf bj'^ long- continue'd cooking or rendered much less delicate in flavor. Herbs that are to be left in the dish or served with the dish must be added just before the food is served. The herbs generally served with the dish are chervil, parsley, tarragon, and chives. Burnet, thyme, summer savory, sage, and sweet basil are cooked with the dish a short time, not over twenty minutes, and are then removed. The little bunch of mixed herbs, the " bouquet garni," so often re- ferred to in cook books, is made with two branches of parsley, a sprig each of thyme and summer savory, a small leaf of sage, and a small bay leaf, all tied together. This is cooked with the dish from ten to twenty minutes, then removed. The bay leaves must be purchased at the grocer's. Tur- nips, carrots, parsnips, celery, leeks, cibol, onions, etc., when used just as flavorers, should be tied in a bunch and cooked twenty or thirty minutes in the dish and then be removed. When shallot and garlic are used they should be separated into " cloves," and then cut -fine. One clove will be enough for a small quan- tity of soup, sauce, or ragout. Never fry shallot or garlic. Cook in the dish to be flavored about ten minutes, then remove. — Maria Parloa. Tarragon Vinegar. Strip about three ounces of leaves from the branches of tarragon; put into a quart fruit jar and fill with good vinegar. Close and let stand for about twenty days, then strain. The best vinegar to use for this pur- pose is white wine vinegar, but good cider vinegar will also answer. The best time to make tarragon vinegar is about the last of August, when the plants are large and vigorous. Tarragon vinegar may be used for salads and sharp sauces, w^hen the fresh herb is not available. — Maria Parloa. Butter with Vegetables. It is almost universally conceded that vegetables require the addition of fat in order that they may be at their best, and there is no fat which is so suitable as butter for the ma- jority of vegetables, judged by the texture of the dish and also by the flavor. The American housekeeper has a way of looking upon the use of but- ter, milk, cream, and eggs in the preparation of vegetables, soups, and sauces as if these ingredients were simply " trimmings " and not food. But it should be remembered that these articles are valuable foods and naturally increase the food value of the dish of which they form a part. They are all wholesome, and, although almost always more expensive than the vegetable foods with which they are combined, their use in reasonable quantities is certainly to be recom- mended. Increasing the cost of the dish by the free use of butter, cream, etc., may after all be economy if the in- crease is intelligently made, and the vegetable soujjs, purees, etc., made " hearty " as well as appetizing by the addition of butter, eggs, etc., are combined with smaller quantities of meat and with light and simple des- serts. — Maria Parloa. MEAT AND FISH SAUCES AND FLAVORERS 181 Savory Drippings. As a substitute for butter in sea- soning vegetables there is nothing bet- ter than sweet, savory drippings. Not all meats supply fats that are savory in the sense in which the word is em- ployed here. The following fats may be eraploj^ed alone or in combination for seasoning vegetables: The fat from fried sausages, ham, bacon, and pork, and from roast pork, veal, and chicken. Fats trimmed from poultry, veal, pork, and ham may be fried out carefully and saved for use in cook- ing vegetables. Such fats have a flavor which comes from seasoning, as in sausage, from smoke, as in ham and bacon, or from brown material, as in roast meat. The fat skimmed from the water in which poultry has been boiled and the fats skimmed from the gravies of most roast meats may be clarified and also employed in the preparation of vegetables for the table. Great care must be taken that all these fats are clean and sweet, and that the temperature at which they are fried out shall not be so high as to impair the flavor. Burned or scorched fat is not only unpleasant in flavor, but is a frequent cause of indigestion. When rendering the trimmings of fat meat, add a small onion or a shallot (do not cut them), a few leaves of summer savory and thyme, a teaspoonful of salt, and a little pepper. This seasoning is enough for half a pint of fat. Keep the drip- pings covered, and in a cool, dry place. — Maria Parloa. FAMOUS MEAT AND FISH SAUCES Celery Sauce. 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 cupfuls milk, 3 cupfuls celery, cut in thin slices. Boil celery in salted water until soft. Mix smoothlv flour, butter, and milk, stir until" boiling; add the celery pulp, season with salt and pepper and a little mace; let it boil quickly for two minutes. Strain. Anchovy Sauce. Bone -t anchovies and bruise in a mortar to a smooth paste; stir them in 1 cupful drawn-butter sauce, sim- mer five minutes, or stir in 1 tea- spoonful essence of anchovy. A lit- tle cayenne is an improvement. Cardinal Sauce. 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 cupfuls lobster stock, I teaspoonful onion juice, 1 bay leaf. Cardinal sauce is, as a rule, made from lobsters and colored with coral; so, if possible, purchase lobsters con- taining coral. Boil the lobster, open and remove the coral, and press it through a sieve. Put the butter into pan and let melt. Add flour without browning, then add stock, onion juice, and bay leaf. Stir constantly until it boils. Take out bay leaf, add salt and pepper, the coral, and a little of the red part of the lobster chopped fine. Sauce Soubise. 3 onions, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 9 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 cupful fish stock, i cupful cream or milk. Peel and chop onions, simmer with butter for three quarters of an hour, but do not let them color. Add flour, salt, pepper, and a pinch of mace, and mix all together; moisten with a cup of fish liquor and i cupful of hot cream or milk. Serve with mutton, pork chops or hard cooked eggs. Sauce Allemande. 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 cupfuls white stock. Yolks 3 eggs. Melt butter and mix throughly with flour over a gentle fire; add stock and a little salt and pepper; stir, boil fifteen minutes, remove from fire, skim ofl" grease carefully, add eggs mixed in a little water, and stir 182 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES in with egg beater to make sauce light. Spanish Sauce. 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 cupfuls brown stock, 2J tablespoonfuls chopped lean raw ham, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped carrots, 1 tablespoonful chopped onion, 1 stalk celery, chopped, 2 cloves. Melt butter in saucepan, add flour, and stir over a gentle fire until nicely browned; mix with stock, ham, carrot, onion, celery, cloves, a pinch of salt and pepper; stir until beginning to boil, then simmer gently on back of stove for one hour; skim off fat be- fore serving. Sauce Piquante. 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 small carrot, 6 shallots, Parsley, J bay leaf, 2 slices lean bacon, 2 cloves, 6 peppercorns, 1 blade mace, 3 allspice berries, 4 tablespoonfuls vinegar. 1 cupful stock, i teaspoonful sugar, Cayenne and salt to taste. Put the butter into saucepan with the carrot and shallots cut into small pieces, add the bay leaf, spices, and bacon minced fine; let these ingredi- ents simmer slowly until the bottom is covered with a brown glaze, keep stirring and put in remaining ingredi- ents, simmer gently fifteen minutes, skim off every particle of fat. This is an excellent recipe when a sharp but not too acid sauce is required. Cucumber Cream Sauce. 1 cucumber, i teaspoonful salt, I teaspoonful chopped parsley, i teaspoonful chopped onion, i tablespoonful tarragon vinegar, 5 cupful cream. Chop cucumber, season with salt, parsley, onion, and vinegar. Mix thoroughly and drain in colander half an hour. When ready to serve, add cream beaten stiff. Sauce Tartare. 1 cupful maj'onnaise, 2 sweet pickled cucumbers, 3 olives, 1 tablespoonful chopped water cress, 1 teaspoonful capers, i teaspoonful onion juice. Stir into the mayonnaise the cu- cumbers, olives, water cress, cajjers, and onion juice. Brown Sauce. 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 2 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoonful chopped onion, 1 teaspoonful chopped parsley, 1 cupful brown stock. Heat stock; blend together butter and flour, add to hot stock with cloves, bay leaf, parsley, and onion. Cook for a few minutes. Strain, and serve hot. Hollandaise Sauce. i cupful butter, Yolks 2 eggs, J cupful boiling water, i teaspoonful salt, Dash cayenne, 1 tablespoonful lemon juice. Wash and divide buttter into three parts. Put one part with yolks of eggs and lemon juice in saucepan over hot water, stir c(mstantly until butter is melted; add second piece of butter, and, as it thickens, third piece. Add water, cook one minute and season. Serve. Bechamel Sauce. IJ cupfuls white stock, 1 slice onion, 1 slice carrot, Bit bay leaf, Sprig parsley, MEAT AND FISH SAUCES AND FLAVORERS 183 6 peppercorns, 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 1 cupful scalded milk, Salt and pepper. Cook white stock twenty minutes with onion, carrot, bay leaf, parsley, and peppercorns, then strain. It should be cooked down to about 1 cupful liquor. JNlelt butter, add flour, add the hot sauce to scalded milk, and season. White Mushroom Sauce. 4 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 slice carrot, 1 slice onion. Bit bay leaf. Sprig parsley, 6 peppercorns, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 cupfuls white stock, i can mushrooms, ^ teasjwonful lemon juice, Salt and pepper. Melt butter, add carrot, onion, bay leaf, parsley, peppercorns, flour, and, slowly, white stock. Cook five min- utes, strain, and add mushroooms cut in pieces. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Shrimp Sauce. 1 cupful shrimps, 1 tablespoonful butter, li tablespoonfuls flour, Salt, pepper, paprika, 1 teaspoonful anchovy paste. Pound shrimps, skins and all, in a mortar. Boil afterwards for ten min- utes in a cupful water. Press the liquor through a pur^e strainer. Mix butter and flour to a paste; pour shrimp liquor in slowly, and cook three minutes. Season with salt, pep- per, and paprika; add anchovy paste. Just before serving, add six shrimps cut in inch pieces. Drawn-Butter Egg Sauce. 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 cupful fish stock, 6 slices hard-boiled egg. Salt and pepper. Cook together until well mixed the butter and flour. Add fish stock. Simmer five minutes, season with salt and pepper, add sliced egg and serve. Thin White Sauce. 2 cupfuls milk, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 3 tablespoonfuls flour. Pepper and salt. Put the butter in a small saucepan, and let it melt over a slow fire. Add the flour, and blend to a paste with a wire whisk. Add the seasonings, then the scalded milk, and beat till the sauce gets creamy, boiling three min- utes. Tomato Sauce. i can tomatoes, 1 slice onion, Bit bay leaf, 4 peppercorns, I cupful butter, 4 tablespoonfuls flour, Pepper and salt. Cook the tomatoes with onion, pep- .percorns and bay leaf for fifteen min- utes, rub through a strainer and to the pulp add the butter and flour rubbed to a paste, also the season- ing, bring to the boiling point, and beat till creamy. Horse-Radish Sauce. i cupful grated horse-radish, 4 tablespoonfuls powdered cracker crumbs, i cupful cream, 1 tablespoonful powdered sugar, A teaspoonful mustard, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper. Blend all the ingredients together, heat over boiling water, and serve with boiled beef. Cold Horse-Radish Sauce. 3 tablespoonfuls grated radish, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, Dash cayenne, i teaspoonful salt, j cupful thick cream. horse- 184 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Mix the horse-radish, vinegar, and seasonings, then beat in with a fork tiie cream, which has been beaten stiff. Mint Sance. i cupful sugar, i cupful vinegar, i cupful finely chopped mint leaves. Add mint leaves to the vinegar, melt the sugar in a tablespoonful boiling water, add it to the sauce, and serve cold with roast lamb. Tomato Sauce. Cook one pint of peeled and cut tomatoes ten minutes, then rub through a strainer. Beat in a sauce- pan until smooth and light two ta- blespoonfuls of flour and two table- spoonfuls of butter. Gradually beat the hot tomato into this. Add the salt and pepper and cook ten minutes. This sauce may be served with maca- -roni, rice, etc., as well as with fish and meat. The flavor of the tomato sauce may be modified by the addition of onion, spice, or herbs. — Maria Parloa, Pepper and Onion Sauce. Cut 2 large onions into small dice, remove seeds from 2 green peppers, cut in rings, and fry onions and peji- pers together. Season with salt and pepper and serve with meat. — Verna Banta. Horse-Radish Sauce. To every 4 tablespoonfuls grated horseradish add 1 teaspoonful pow- dered sugar, i teaspoonful salt, J tea- spoonful white pepper, 2 teaspoonfuls prepared mustard, and enough vine- gar to make it of the consistency of cream. To add 3 or 4 tablespoonfuls of cream greatly improves the flavor. — Verna Banta. Homemade Mustard. 1 tablespoonful ground mustard, 2 tablespoonfuls flour, 2 tablcsi)oonfuls sugar. Pinch salt. Equal parts of vinegar and water to make a thin smooth paste, 1 well-beaten egg. Thin to suit your taste with vinegar and water. — Mrs. B. H. Baker. Cucumber Sauce. 1 cup cream, :} teaspoonful salt, 1 medium sized cucumber pared, diced, and drained. 3 tablespoonfuls vinegar. Beat the cream, slowly add the sea- sonings, and vinegar, and add the cu- cumber just before serving. — Anna Kinsley. Cream Mustard Sauce. Make the cream sauce as directed above. INlix one tablespoonful of mustard with a teaspoonful of cold water and stir into the sauce about two minutes before serving. The quantity of mustard may be increased or diminished, as one may desire the flavor strong or mild. — Maria Parloa. White Sauce. This sauce is made like the cream sauce, except that half a pint of white-meat broth is substituted for the milk, and two tablespoonfuls of flour instead of one are used. The saucepan is put directly on the stove and the sauce is simmered ten min- utes. White sauce, like cream sauce, may be modified by the addition of other flavors. — Maria Parloa. Cream Sauce. i pint milk, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tables]50onful flour, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper. Heat the milk over boiling water; beat the butter and flour to a cream and stir into tiic hot milk. Cook five minutes, then add salt and pep- per, and use. This sauce is suitable for boiled cauliflower, potatoes, car- rots, etc. It is also a good sauce for escalloped dishes. This sauce may be modified by the addition of flavoring herbs. — Maria Parloa. CHAPTER XV EGGS AND EGG DISHES BOILED EGGS — BAKED EGGS — POACHED EGGS — FRIED EGGS — FANCY EGG DISHES — OMELETS, ETC., ETC. When we considei' that nine eggs are equal in nutritive value to a pound of meat, we realize they are not only capable of forming a most important item in everyday diet, but also an economical food during the season when eggs ai-e cheap. Even when eggs are expensive, it is econ- omy to use only the best grade. Eggs that cost fifty cents a dozen are cheaper than eggs at twenty-five cents provided half of the dozen are stale or worse. There are a number of household tests of the freshness of eggs. The most reliable is to candle them. Hold the egg in the hand with the fingers wrapped about it and look through it against a bright light. In a perfectly fresh egg, you can see the yolk liice a golden ball. The white about it will be clear as water. Or you may droja an egg into a basin of water; if perfectly fresh, it will sink and rest on its side. If it rolls around standing on its end, it is com- paratively fresh; if it floats, you would better discard it unopened. When an egg is perfectly fresh it has a porous, dull surface; if shiny, it is pretty sure to be at least stale. There are three ways in which eggs are generally used for breakfast or lunciieon dishes: in a soft-cooked con- dition as in a poached egg; hard- boiled as in a salad; or with the yolk and white separated and beaten to a froth as in an omelet. Eggs are quickest digested in the soft-cooked stage, but to many are difficult of digestion when hard-boiled. Eggs are deficient in fat; therefore they should be served with bacon, witli an oil mayonnaise in salad, or with bread and butter. Indeed, their highly concentrated, nutritive properties de- mand always an accompaniment of some starchy food, such as potatoes or bread. To Preserve Egg Yolks. Often after baking, several egg yolks are left over. They will keep fresh for days without drying if put in a cup and covered with cokl water. The membrane about the yoUc must not be broken. — Lillie Nelson. To Boil Cracked Eggs. When boiling a cracked egg add a teaspoonful of salt to the water, and you will find that it cooks witli- out any of the white leaving the shell. — Helen A. Lyman. Soft Cooked Eggs. Drop eggs into boiling water, and place where they will keep below the boiling point (180 degrees) for six or eight minutes. The whites should be soft and jelly like, and the yolks soft, but not liquid. Hard Cooked Eggs. Cook twenty or twenty-five minutes, in place where they will keep below the boiling point (180 degrees) — a double-boiler is a good utensil to use. Baked Eggs. Eggs (as many as needed), Crackers, 185 186 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES 2 tablespoonfuls milk to each egg, Butter, Salt, Pepper, Grease a gem pan well and break an egg into eacli cup or as many as you need. Cover with a thin layer of crackers. Add salt and pepper to taste, a small piece of butter and milk. Bake until done. Serve at once. — Zilda Southard. Poached Eggs. A deep spider is the best utensil in which to poach eggs. Fill it nearly full of boiling water which has been slightly salted. Break in a saucer, and drop into boiling water, cook- ing slowly, until the whites are like jelly. Poached Eggs Ball-Shaped. Have a shallow saucepan half full of water; add salt and a few table- spoonfuls of vinegar. When the water is boiling, stir with a wooden spoon until you start a sort of whirl- pool, then into the center of it drop an egg from a cup. The egg will cook in a rounded form. When the white is set, lift it from the water and set it on a slice of toast. Eggs Poached in Milk. Instead of using water to poach eggs, drop them into boiling milk; as soon as the egg is set, lay it on a slice of toast. Thicken the milk with a little flour, add butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of celery salt; pour it over the eggs and around the toast. Frizzled Beef with Poached Eggs. i pound finely chipped beef, 1 cupful millt, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. Put the butter to melt in a sauce- pan, add the flour and stir it to a paste, then put in the milk, scalding hot, and beat with a wire whisk un- til creamy. Add the beef and stir for a few minutes. Turn into a deep platter and cover the top with poached eggs. Eggs in Ramequins. Butter small ramequins and drop a raw egg into each one, being care- ful that it remains whole. Set the ramequins in a pan of boiling water and put it in a hot oven until the eggs are set. Put a dab of butter on each one and a dust of pepper and salt before taking from the oven. Eggs Baked in Tomatoes. Pick out several well-shaped toma- toes, cut off the stem ends, and with a spoon lift out enough of the pulp so that each shell will hold an egg. Drop it in carefully, sprinkle with pepper and salt, put a dab of butter on top of each; place the tomatoes in a baking dish and pour the water around them. Cook until the eggs are set and the tomatoes soft. Lift each one on a slice of buttered toast, and serve. Eggs Baked in Green Peppers, Cut off the steins of green peppers, scoop out the seeds and ribs, and par- boil until tender. Break an egg into each one. Set them in a baking pan with * cupful boiling water poured around. In fifteen minutes the eggs should be firm. Set each one on a slice of buttered toast and, if you wish, pour white sauce or tomato sauce about them. Eggs in Tomato Sauce (Spanish rec- ipe). Cover the bottom of an earthen baking dish with well-seasoned to- mato pur4e. Arrange on it poached eggs, leaving spaces to show the red color. Lay between the eggs small sausages, already cooked. Place a bit of butter on each egg and set the dish in the oven to heat. Eggs with Bread Sauce. 1 cupful bread crumbs, IJ cupfuls milk, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful onion juice, 6 eggs. Put the bread crumbs in a sauce- pan, then add the milk, salt, a dash of cayenne, and the onion juice. EGGS AND EGG DISHES 187 Simmer slowly till thick and smooth, beating several times with a spoon. Pour the sauce into a broad, shallow dish and break the eggs carefully over it. Place in a hot oven until they are set. Eggs on Rice. Butter a baking dish, fill it half full with well-seasoned boiled rice; make as many depressions in the rice as there are people to be served; break an egg into each one, sprinkle with salt and strew with bits of but- ter. Bake until the eggs are set. Eggs and Mushrooms. i cupful milk, 1 pound mushrooms, 1 tablespoonful butter, 6 poached eggs, Dash tabasco sauce. Peel and wash the mushrooms; place them in a saucepan and cook gently, with the butter, milk, a pinch of salt and tabasco. Cook ten min- utes, thicken with flour, let come to a boil, then pour on a hot platter. Have your poached eggs ready; serve on top of the sauce, the mushrooms being in the middle. Cheesed Eggs. Place in a baking dish a table- spoonful butter and several slices rich cheese. When it is melted, break whole eggs into it; put the dish into the oven. When the white sets, sprin- kle grated cheese and pepper on them. Brown on top, and serve. Eggs a la Bonne Femme (French recipe). Cut an onion in thin slices; fry with a tablespoonful butter; add a tablespoonful vinegar; then butter a dish lightly, spread the onions over it, break in the eggs, and put the dish in the oven. When the eggs are done, strew over them fried bread crumbs, and serve hot. Eggs in Nests. Separate as many eggs as are need- ed for this dish and beat the whites to a stiff froth. Drop irregularly on a flat buttered baking dish, dust with pepper and salt here and there, in the middle of the white, slide in carefully the raw yolks. Put a tiny bit of butter on each yolk. Place the dish in a hot oven until the egg is set. Serve immediately. If desired, the froth may be piled into individual dishes with the yolk in the center of each and baked as described. Soft Cooked Eggs. Put into a saucepan where the water is boiling, move to the back of the stove, and if you wish them soft, let them stand in the hot water for seven minutes. Poached Eggs with Greens. For this dish use outer leaves of lettuce; wash them thoroughly and boil until tender in salted water. Drain, chop fine, and season with salt, pepper, and butter. Toast a few slices of bread, butter them, cov- er with the chopped greens, and on top of each drop a poached egg. Fried Eggs. Fry thin slices of bacon to a crisp, lift them out and lay on a hot plat- ter. Break into the pan as many eggs as you need; let them cook until the white is set, and baste with hot fat till a film forms over the j'olk. If you like them turned, run a knife under each and reverse quiclvly. Serve on a platter with the crisp bacon. Fried Eggs with Brown Sauce. Fry eggs in butter in a spider, lift them and keep hot over boiling water. If there is not enough gravy in the pan, put in a little more butter, 1 tablespoonful vinegar, a dash of onion juice, salt, pepper, and a few drops of tabasco sauce. Thicken slightly with flour, beat till creamy, and strain the brown gravy over eggs. Baked Souffle of Eggs. 6 eggs, 1 cupful milk, 1 tablespoonful butter, Pepper and salt. 188 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Scald the milk in a double boiler, add to it the yolks of eggs, beaten till thick, also the butter and season- ings. When the mixture begins to thicken like a custard, stir in the whites of eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. Pour into a deep buttered baking dish and bake in a moderate oven till puffy anil brown. Serve immediately. Scrambled Eggs. 4 eggs, i teaspoonful salt. Dash pepper, 6 tablespoonfuls milk, 1 tablespoonful butter. Whip the eggs just enough to break them up; they do not need to be light or frothy. Heat the butter in the top of the double boiler. Put in the eggs and milk, beat with a silver fork until the eggs are cooked. Serve very hot. Deviled Eggs. 5 hard-boiled eggs, i cupful white sauce, Salt and pepper. Dash tabasco sauce, 2 tablespoonfuls grated cheese. Chop the eggs coarsely, sprinkle the cheese through them, and toss the mixture together with a fork. Add the seasonings, then stir in the sauce. Put in a saucepan, simmer gently for a few minutes, and serve on slices of buttered toast. Eggs Farci (French recipe). 6 hard-boiled eggs, i teaspoonful onion juice, Pepper and salt, 4f tablespoonfuls stale bread crumbs, 2 tablespoonfuls chopped pars- ley, i cup white sauce, bash tabasco sauce. Shell the eggs, cut them in halves lengthwise, remove the yolks and mash them. Add the bread crumbs, soften with a little milk, the season- ings, and ]iarslcy. Mash the yolk and bread mixture together till pasty, fill it into the whites of the eggs, and with what is left make a small mound in a baking dish; set the stuffed eggs on top, pour a white sauce over them, and set in the oven till piping hot. Curry of Eggs. () hard-boiled eggs, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful curry powder, * teaspoonful onion juice, Pepper and salt, 1 cupful veal or chicken stock. Melt the butter in a saucepan, blend with the flour, put in the stock and seasoning, and beat the sauce till creamy. Lay on eggs cut in slices, cook to the boiling point, and serve hot on buttered toast. Eggs Lucanian (Italian recipe). 5 eggs, 1 cupful cooked macaroni, i cupful grated cheese, 1| cupfuls white sauce, i cup buttered crumbs. Boil the eggs hard, cutting in sixths, lengthwise, then add the maca- roni, cheese, and sauce; season with salt, paprika, onion juice, and anchovy essence. Turn into a buttered baking dish, cover with buttered crumbs, and set in the oven long enough to brown the crumbs. Eggs k la Cuba (Spanish recipe). 4 tablespoonfuls sausage meat, 1 teaspoonful minced onion, 8 eggs. Cook the sausage meat and minced onion for five minutes over a hot fire. Beat the eggs until light and add to the meat and onion; season with salt and pepper; stir until the eggs be- come thick. Serve on slices of hot, buttered toast. Egg Croquettes. 6 eggs, i can mushrooms, 2 cupfuls milk, 3 tablespoonfuls of butter, 6 tablespoonfuls of flour. EGGS AND EGG DISHES 189 Boil the eggs hard; chop the whites and add the mushrooms (which should be drained from liquor). Mash the yolks of the eggs through a press. Scald the milk; rub together until smooth the flour and butter; add to the milk and stir until it thickens; add the yolk of one raw egg, the whites and yolks of the boiled eggs, mushrooms, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir quickly, take from the fire, and put away to cool. When thoroughly cold, form into cro- quettes; dip in egg and bread crumbs and fry in smoking hot fat. Garnish with parsley, and serve. Daffodil Eggs with Spinach Border. 8 small rounds of toast, 2 cupfuls of creamed spinach, 4 hard cooked eggs, i teaspoonful of salt, A dash of white pepper. Place small rounds of toasted bread on a hot platter, on each put a tablespoonful of creamed spinach, covering the bread. Cut the whites of four hard cooked eggs into small pieces and put through a fruit press, or chop fine. Cover the spinach with the whites of eggs. The yolks are grated and sprinkled over the top. Add salt and pepper. Warm in oven. Garnish with parsley. — Willie Clif- ford Scott. Egg Vermicelli. Separate the yolk from the white of hard cooked eggs. Chop the white fine, and mix it with thin white sauce made according to the following rec- ipe. Pour it on the toast and rub the yolk through a strainer over the top. White Bailee. 1 cup milk, scalded, h tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 saltspoonful salt, i saltspoonful pepper. Melt butter. When bubbling hot, add flour and seasoning. Add hot milk, onc-tiiird at a time, stirring it smooth and letting it boil each time before adding more milk. Eggs a la Goldenrod. 1 cupful of rice, 4 hard cooked eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1 cupful of milk, 1 level teaspoonful of salt, A dash of white pepper, A dash of pajirika. Wash the rice and boil for 25 min- utes. Drain, blanch, sj)read it on a platter and sprinkle it with one tea- spoonful of salt. Make a sauce of butter, flour and milk. Chop the whites of the eggs very fine and add to the sauce and pour the cream sauce on the rice. Garnish the rice with grated egg yolks, parsley and paprika. — Willie Clifford Scott. Eggs a la Goldenglow, 3 hard cooked eggs, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 cup milk, I teasponful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, 5 slices of toast, Parsley. Make a thin white sauce of butter, flour, milk and seasonings. Separate yolks from whites of eggs. Chop whites finely and add them to the white sauce. Cut four slices of toast in halves lengthwise, arrange on plat- ter and pour over sauce. Force yolks through a strainer sprinkling over top. Garnish with parsley and toast points. Cut bread into points and then toast; making toast points for garnishing.— Zilda Southard. Eggs k la Caracas. Cliop two ounces dried beef very fine, one cupful canned tomatoes, liquid drained off, ten drops onion juice, one-fourth teaspoontul paprika, a dash of cinnamon, a dash of cayenne, two tablespoonfuls grated cheese, one tablespoonful of butter. Put in chafing dish and when smok- ing hot add three well-beaten eggs. — Mrs. M. L. Judd. 190 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Scrambled Eggs with Mushrooms. 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 can mushrooms, 5 eggs, Pinch of salt, 5 tablespoonfuls sweet milk, Fry mushrooms in the butter, beat the eggs well and add the milk and salt. Pour over mushrooms and scramble all together. — Ola Miller. Parisian Omelet. Beat yolks of 5 and whites of 3 eggs together. Season with salt and pepper, add J cup milk, and the beat- en whites of 2 eggs. Heat 1 table- spoonful butter in a skillet. Pour in the mixture. Cook over slow heat, when brown fold and turn out onto a hot platter. — Gertrude B. Day. Plain Omelet. 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons milk, salt and pepper to taste, beat all together slightly, brush omelet pan with oil, heat this without burning, pour in mixture, shake constantly and with a fork lift up cooked portion, allowing uncooked part to flow under. Cook until soft and creamy, fold over, and turn out on hot plate. — Mrs. A. J. Mielke. Omelet. 1 egg. i teaspoonful butter, I saltspoonful salt — speck of pepper, 1 tablespoonful milk or water. Separate egg, beat thoroughly, yolk creamy, white stiff. Add milk, salt, and pepper to yolk; fold in white. Jlelt butter in omelet pan. Pour in the mixture. When firm on the bot- tom, place in the oven and finish. Omelet Rudolph (German recipe). 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 raw onion, 1 tablespoonful salt pork, 1 tablespoonful roast beef, 2 mushrooms, 1 tablespoonful tomato sauce, 1 tablespoonful grated bread crumbs, Dash tabasco sauce. Into a saucepan put the butter and raw onion chojjped very fine; add the salt pork, which has been slightly cooked, the beef, mushrooms, a pinch of salt, chopped parsley and tabasco, cook together for two minutes, then stir in the tomato sauce and bread crumbs. Make a plain omelet; when cooked, spread with the above mixture and turn over carefully. Plain Omelet. 4 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls hot water, 1 tablespoonful butter. Pepper and salt. Separate the whites from the yolks, beat the yolks with an egg beater till thick, and the whites until stiff. Add the water to the yolks and cut in the whites. Heat the omelet pan and butter the bottom and sides. Turn in the mixture and spread evenly, cook slowly, turning the pan around that it may brown all over. When puffed and delicately browned on the bottom, take it from the fire and set on the grate of the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking. Press with j'our finger; if none of the mixture clings, it is cooked. Score lightly down the center, and fold, put on a hot platter. Bread Omelet. 6 eggs, 3 tablespoonfuls stale bread crumbs, 1 cupful milk. Pepper and salt, li tablespoonfuls butter. Scald the milk, pour over the crumbs and allow it to soak, beat the Avhites and yolks separately until very light. Stir the crumb mixture into the yolks, add the seasoning, then cut in with a palette knife the whites beat- en to a stiff froth. Pour into a deep buttered baking dish and bake in a hot oven till browned on top. Bread Omelet. 4 eggs, 1 cupful bread crumbs, soaked in milk, EGGS AND EGG DISHES 191 1 saltspoonful salt, i saltspoonful pepper, 1 tablespoonful minced onion. Drain off unnecessary milk; add eggs well beaten, and seasonings. Cook in buttered pan, placing in oven to finish. Serve with meat sauce. Bread Omelet. 1 cupful bread crumbs, soaked in milk, i minced onion, i tablespoonful parsley, 1 egg. • , 1 saltspoonful salt, i saltspoonful pepper. Drain off unnecessary milk; add egg well beaten, and seasonings. Cook in buttered pan, placing in oven to finish. Serve with meat sauce. Oyster Omelet. 12 oysters, 3 tablespoonfuls cream, 3 tablespoonfuls strained oyster liquor, Pepper and salt, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful flour. For this dish, prepare the oyster filling before beginning to cook the omelet. Strain the oysters and cut them with a scissors into small pieces. Make a white sauce from the butter, flour, oyster liquor, cream, and sea- sonings. When hot and creamy, put in the chopped oysters and cook a few minutes. Set the sauce over boil- ing water to keep hot while making the omelet. When ready, pour over the oyster mixture, fold, and serve immediately. Cheese Omelet. Over an omelet, when ready to fold, sprinkle grated cheese with a little seasoning. Slip out on a hot platter and sprinkle again with cheese. Set in a hot oven for a few minutes be- fore serving. Ham Omelet. Over the top of an omelet, before the egg begins to set, sprinkle i tea- cupful minced ham; let it cook for a minute or two longer, then set in the oven as directed, and serve hot. Bismarck Omelet (German recipe). I pound bacon, 8 eggs, 6 tablespoonfuls of milk. Fry the bacon cut in dice; beat the eggs with milk, pepper and salt; and turn into pan until bacon cooks as a plain omelet. Fold, serve on hot platter. Parsley Omelet (Scotch recipe). i cupful cream, 6 eggs, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 tablespoonful minced parsley. Beat the yolks of the eggs with a little cayenne and salt; add a small piece of shallot and })arsley shredded fine; mix; whip tlie whites of the eggs and cut into the yolks, melt the butter in a frying pan, and pour in the eggs. Cook slowly over low heat, when brown, finish cooking in the oven. Serve very hot. Eggs Fricasseed. Put a piece of butter in a stewpan with some finely minced parsley and minced onion, 1 teacupful stock and 1 tablespoonful flour. Boil 6 eggs hard, cut in slices, and put them in with a little salt and pepper. Beat up the yolk of an egg in i cupful cream; add this with the juice of half a lemon. Mix well, make very hot, and serve on hot buttered toast. CHAPTER XVI n CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES IN THE DIET ' KINDS OF CHEESE USED IN AMERICAN HOMES -CHEESE DISHES AND THEIR PREPARATION — CHEESE SAUCES — CHEESE DISHES WHICH MAY BE SUBSTITUTED FOR MEAT — CHEESE SOUPS AND VEGETABLES COOKED WITH MEAT — CHEESE SALADS, SANDWICHES, AND SIMILAR CHEESE DISHES — CHEESE PASTRY, SWEETS, AND SIMILAR DISHES. KINDS OF CHEESE USED IN AMERICAN HOMES The American factorj^ cheese — the so-called American cream cheese — is of the English Cheddar type, and as it is the most commonly used of all the commercial varieties in the United States, may be taken as a standard. Other types are, however, well known, particularly in cities and large towns where there are well stocked markets and stores, and it is interesting to note also, at least briefly, the char- acteristics of some of them. Cheddar and American Full Cream Cheese. Cheddar cheese — named from the English village where it originated — is a comparatively old type of cheese, very popular in England and also in the United States. The name is now more fitly applied to a process than to any particular shape. Cheddar cheese is made from sweet cows' milk, which may be skimmed, partly skimmed, or unskimmed. If made from unskimmed milk the cheese is called "full cream." If cream is removed the cheese is desig- nated " part-skim " or " skim," as the case may be. 1 U. S. Department of Agriculture. Farm- •s" Bulletin No. 487. ,„^ 192 Cheese of Cheddar type as made in the United States is perhaps most often marketed in large, flat, round forms, 13 to 16 inches in diameter, about 5 or 6 inches in height, and weighing 26 to 33 pounds each, though other shapes and sizes are also fairly common. It is usually pale to darker yellow in color, though it may be white when uncolored. When fresh it is mild in flavor, but when well ripened has a characteristic and sharp taste. The new cheese is soft, though not waxy, in texture, and may be easily shaved or broken into small pieces. When weU ripened it may be finely grated. These characteristics, together with its distinctive and peculiar flavor and its wide distribution in the markets, are qualities which help to make it the variety most commonly used in the United States. Sage cheese is a variety of Ched- dar cheese, which is flavored with sage and is further characterized by the green mottled appearance for- merly due to bits of sage leaf but now generally obtained in another way. English Dairy Cheese. From the standpoint of the cook who frequently wishes to use grated cheese this variety is important. CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 193 Though made in much the same way as Cheddar, it differs from it, in that the curd is heated to a somewhat higher temperature, and the cheese is therefore harder. It commonly sells for somewhat more per pound than the standard or American factory va- riety and is likely to be found only in the larger markets. Soft Cream Cheeses. Cream cheese true to name is made from rich cream thickened by sour- ing or from sweet cream thickened with rennet. The whey is removed by draining. It is then covered, salted, and turned occasionally, being ready for market in 5 to 10 days. A va- riety is also made with rennet from cream of low fat content, as well as a number of other special sorts much more common in France than in the United States. The term " cream cheese," however, is an elastic one and includes many varieties which are sold under special trade names. Such cheese is common in most markets. Soft cream cheese differs from standard cheese, so far as composi- tion is concerned, in having more wa- ter and fat and less protein, water usually making up about one-half of the total weight. It differs also in being much more perishable. These cheeses commonly sell for 10 or 15 cents each, which is about 40 to 50 cents a pound. Of late there have been on the mar- ket varieties of such cheese or of Neufchatel, made by combining the cheese with chopped pimiento. These bring a reljftively high price in mar- ket and may be easily prepared at home if this seems more convenient. Neufchatel Cheese. This very popular variety — named from a town in Northeastern France — is similar in appearance and in the way it is marketed to soft cream cheese. It is made either from whole or skim milk curdled with rennet. After draining and pressing, it is kneaded thoroughly, formed into small rolls or blocks, and then rip- ened until special molds develop, which requires about four weeks. It is then wrapped in tinfoil and mar- keted. Parmesan Cheese. This is a name given outside of Italy to a very hard cheese which in that country is said to be known as Grana, a name given because of the granular appearance which it has after it has been broken. It is some- times sold in grated form and brings a relatively high price, but is more commonly sold ungrated. When well made it will keep for years and may be easily broken and grated. It is very generally used in Europe for serving with soups, for seasoning macaroni, and for other similar pur- jjoses, and is quite common in Ameri- can markets. Sap Sago. This is a skim milk cheese made in Switzerland, wliich is suitable for grating. It contains, for every 4 pounds of cheese, 1 pound of a clover (Melilotus cceruleus) grown in Switz- erland. It is greenish in color and has an unusual flavor. It is not high priced. Gorgonzola and Roquefort. These are highly flavored cheeses characterized by the ])resence of molds through their entire mass. Roquefort is made from the milk of sheep; Gorgonzola, from cows' milk. Potted or Sandwich Cheeses. Ordinary cheese is often mixed with butter or oil in the proportion of 5 parts of cheese to 1 of butter or oil, by weight. The mixture is some- times seasoned with mustard or with curry powder. Such cheeses, unsea- soned or seasoned, are on the market in great variety. Potted cheese may be easily prepared at home if the housekeeper wishes to take the trou- ble. Swiss Cheese (Emmentaler, GruySre, Etc.). This term as used in America is somewhat vague. Different names are given to the varieties according to 194 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES the districts of Switzerland in which they are made, but they are all similar and characterized by a mild, sweetish flavor and the presence of large holes or " eyes." Foreign and domestic brands are to be found in most mar- kets. They are suitable for cooking purposes, as well as for use without being cooked, and are much used in this way in Europe and well known and liked in the United States. Edam Cheese. This is a cheese made in Holland. It is molded in spherical form, and the outside is usually dyed red. It is usual in this country to cut ofiF a section of the top, which serves as a lid, and to scoop out the inside as needed. In Holland it is frequently served in slices, particularly when it is fresh. Edam cheese is seldom used in cookery in American homes, though thrifty housewives, after the greater part of the cheese has been removed, often stuff the hollow shell with cooked and seasoned macaroni, rice, or something similar and bake. Brie and Camembert Cheese. These are very soft rennet cheeses of foreign origin and of somewhat smaller nutritive value than standard cheese, and of strong flavor and odor. They are not often used in cookery, but are used as an accompaniment to other foods. Cottage Cheese. Cottage cheese and other sour milk and cream cheeses, junket, Dev- onshire cream, and a number of other cheese-like products are described in the section which deals with home- made cheese. The Care of Cheese in the Home. One of the best ways of keeping cheese which has been cut is to wrap it in a slightly damp cloth and then in paper, and to keep it in a cool place. To dampen the cloth, sprinkle it and then wring it. It should seem hardly damp to the touch. Paraffin paper may be used in place of the cloth. "When cheese is put in a cov- ered dish, the air should never be wholly excluded, for if this is done, it molds more readily. In some markets it is possible to buy small whole cheeses. These may be satisfactorily kept by cutting a slice from the top, to serve as a cover, and removing the cheese as needed with a knife, a strong spoon, or a cheese scoop. It is possible to buy at the hardware stores knobs which inserted in the layer cut from the top make it easy to handle. The cheese below the cover should be kept wrapped in a cloth. Cheese as a Food. Cheese is used in general in two ways — in small quantities chiefly for its flavor and in large quantities for its nutritive value as well as for its flavor. Some varieties of cheese are used chiefly for the first purpose, others chiefly for the second. Those which are used chiefly for their flavor, many of which are high priced, con- tribute little to the food value of the diet, because of the small quantity used at a time. They have an impor- tant part to play, however, in making the diet attractive and palatable. The intelligent housekeeper thinks of them not as necessities, but as lying within what has been called " the re- gion of choice." Having first satis- fied herself that her family is receiv- ing sufficient nourishment, she then, according to her means and ideas of an attractive diet, chooses among these foods and others which are to be considered luxuries. Those cheeses, on the other hand, which are suitable to be eaten in large quantities and which are compara- tively low priced are important not only from the point of view of flavor, but also from tlie point of view of their nutritive value. Among such cheeses the one which, as noted above, is known to the trade as standard factory cheese and to the housewife as American cheese stands out pre- eminently. Therefore when the word " cheese " is used without specification in the following pages it may be taken to refer to this particular va- riety. The Use of Cheese in the Diet. — It CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 195 has been the purpose, in preparing this discussion of cheese, to consider Avays in which mild flavored sorts may serve as staple articles of diet, rather than the use of highly fla- vored varieties as appetizers and as accompaniments of other foods. The use of highly flavored cheese as a condiment is customary and may profitably be extended, since it of- fers a simple way of adding to the attractiveness of the diet. The va- riety of the cheese selected is a mat- ter of choice, some persons prefer- ring such kinds as well-ripened American full cream cheese or the potted cheeses, and others such sorts as Roquefort, Camembert, and other varieties. From the physiologist's standpoint, cheese used in this way for its flavor should really form a part of a well-balanced meal rather than be added to a meal which al- ready supplies an abundance of nu- tritive material. In other words, con- dimental cheeses may better accom- pany a moderate than a very gener- ous menu. In considering the use of cheese in quantity as an integral part of the diet there are many possibilities from simple combinations like bread and cheese to elaborate dishes in which cheese is used as a flavor and as a principal constituent. As has been pointed out, cheese, being rich in both protein and fat, would logically rejilace such foods as meat, fish, and eggs, when taken in quantity, rather than cereal foods characterized by a large amount of starch, or succulent foods, such as vegetables and fruits. In planning menus of which cheese forms a large part the housekeeper should bear these facts in mind. Bill-of-Fare Making with Cheese as the Central Food. — Since meat has so generally been the chief pro- tein food of a meal, and the kind selected usually has determined the choice of vegetables and condiments, it is not strange that very many housekeepers should be inexperienced and consequently unskillful in plan- ning meals in which cheese is substi- tuted for meat when for any reason they may desire to make such a change. In seeking skill they might take a suggestion from the experi- ments to which reference has been made, and also from a case investi- gated and reported by the Office of Experiment Stations, of a man who lived for months upon a diet of bread, fruit, and cheese, and who remained in good health and active, and did not weary of the monotony of the diet. The first two articles of the diet mentioned, namely, the bread and the cheese, could have been taken in such amounts as to constitute what is usually considered a balanced ra- tion, i. e., in such amounts as to sup- ply the right quantity of muscle forming foods in comparison with the energy value. The bread and cheese taken with the fruit, however, make a ration which is well balanced not only in the older and more widely accepted sense, but also in the more modern sense that it makes an at- tractive and palatable combination of foods, as well as a balanced ration, and thus favors digestion. The wa- tery and refreshing fruits or succu- lent vegetables with their large sup- ply of cellulose are a pleasant con- trast to the concentrated and fatty cheese. Housekeepers would probably find that if in planning menus of which a cheese dish is the chief feature they were to take pains to supply also crisp, watery vegetables, water cress, celery, lettuce, served with a dressing or with salt alone, or simple fruit salads, and would give preference to refreshing fruits, either fresh or cooked, rather than to what are known as heavy desserts, they would in general be more successful in pleasing those who are served. There is another point also to be" considered in combining cheese with other foods. Whether it is raw or cooked it is likely to be somewhat soft, and so seems to call for the harder kinds of bread — crusty rolls or biscuit, zwieback, toast, pulled bread, rye bread, the harder brown breads, or crackers, and some of the numerous crisp ready-to-eat cereal 196 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES breakfast foods. Brittle cookies, too, seem more suitable than rich soft cakes or puddings for the dessert in such meals. A few bills of fare are given below which experience has shown to repre- sent combinations of dishes which are palatable and which, if eaten in usual amoimts, will su])ply protein and energy in proportions which accord with usual dietary standards. Menus such as these are more commonly served at lunch or at supper, but they might equally well be served for din- ner, the selection of dishes for any meal being of course chiefly a matter of custom and convenience for those who have any range of choice. Suggested bills of fare in which cheese dishes are the chief source of protein and fat. Menu No. 1. Macaroni and cheese. Raisin bread or date bread. Orange and water cress salad. Baked apples. Sugar cookies. Cocoa. Menu No. 2. Cheese fondue. Toast, zwieback, or thin and crisp baking-powder biscuit. Celery. Potatoes, baked, boiled, or fried in deep fat. Peas, or some other fresh vegetable. Coffee. Fruit salad with crisp cookies or meringues. Menu No. 3. Clear soup. Baked eggs with cheese or Boston roast. Baked potatoes. Lettuce salad. A sweet jelly, crab apple or quince for example, or a preserve. Rye bread. Orange or banana shortcake. Tea. These bills of fare should be taken as suggestive merely and not as a solu- tion of the problem. In fact, the whole art of making bills of fare needs developing. 'I'here is abundant evidence that overeating, where it ex- ists, is frequently due to the fact that meals are not skillfully planned. People often continue eating after they have taken enough in total bulk because they have not had all they want of some particular kind of food. The meal has contained too large a percentage of proteid or too much starch; has been too moist or too dry; too highly flavored or not sufficiently flavored. Bill-of-fare making calls not only for knowledge of food values but also for skill in combining flavors and textures. In this discussion of menu making, and of the use of cheese as an inte- gral part of the diet, the aim has been to suggest ways of using cheese to add to the palatability of meals made up of usual dishes, and to suggest dishes containing cheese which could serve as substitutes for meat dishes when so desired, and also for dishes of many sorts to be used as taste sug- gests and in which the nutritive value as well as the flavor is increased by the addition of cheese. If cheese is used and in quantity, it is obvious that some other proteid and fat foods should be diminished, in order that the meal or day's menu may not be unduly hearty. For the convenience of the house- keeper, a number of recipes for cheese dishes are given in later pages, these being preceded by directions for making cottage cheese and other simi- lar cheeses which are usually made in the home. Homemade Cheese. Even as late as a generation or two ago cheese of different kinds was made at home for family use, as sour- milk or cottage cheese still is, and cheese making was very generally a farm industry, cheese, like butter, be- ing sold by the farmer who made it. Cottage cheese is very commonly homemade. Most types of cheese, however, are now as a rule made on a large scale in factories where advan- tage may be taken of labor-saving de- vices. CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 197 Curds and Whey. Cheese curds and whey, an old- fashioned dish, which is often spoken of in accounts of life in earlier times, sometimes refers to sour-nuli< curds and sometimes to curd separated with rennet. This dish when made with rennet is much like junket and though far less common to-day than was once the case is wholesome and palatable. Cottage Cheese. This cheese is very commonly pre- pared in the home, and the process of making it is very simple. It consists merely of curdling the milk, separat- ing the curd from the whey, seasoning, and pressing it. The curd is formed by the souring of the milk, and the process is has- tened if the milk is kept warm, the best temperature being about blood heat, 96° F. A temperature much above this should be avoided, as the curd is likely to become hard and tough if much heated. The danger is usually not that the whole will be overheated but that the portion near- est the fire will be. In the old- fashioned kitchen there was usually a place where the milk could stand till it was uniformly warm throughout. With our present cooking arrange- ments it is often desirable to hasten the process. This may be done by setting the milk into a pan of warm water or by pouring hot water di- rectly into the milk itself. The ef- fect of the latter method is to re- move much more of the acid than when the whey is left undiluted. Some consider this a great advantage. If, for any reason, the curd is overheated, it should be put through a meat chopper. This will insure cot- tage cheese of excellent texture. If the milk is thoroughly chilled be- fore the whey is drained off it re- tains more of the fat than if this is done when warm. Under no circum- stances, however, is much of the fat retained in cottage cheese. It is therefore more economical to make it out of skim milk and to add the fat to the curd in the form of butter or cream. Chopped parsley, caraway seeds, chopped olives, and pimiento may all be used for flavoring if such flavored cheese is preferred to plain cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is most commonly consumed immediately, but if made in quantity for commercial purposes, it may be packed in tubs and placed in cold storage. Sometimes it is formed into rolls or blocks and wrapped in tinfoil when marketed. Such cheese is used without ripening. Though cottage cheese is usually made by allowing the milk to sour naturally, it is sometimes more con- venient to curdle the milk by adding rennet, and some housekeepers have a preference for cottage cheese thus made, since the flavor is milder and the acid taste which it possesses when made from sour milk is lacking. Sour-Cream Cheese. When cream is to be made into cheese similar to cottage cheese, it should be drained without having pre- viously been heated. The drainage is facilitated by moistening the cloth in salt water before the cream is poured in. The curd is formed either by souring or by the addition of rennet. Uncooked Curd, or French Cottage Cheese. The French make cheese from sour milk without heating it. They pour the milk into earthen molds which have holes in the bottom. A very fine sieve may be used instead of the molds. The whey drips out and the curd assumes a custardlike consist- ency and takes the shape of the mold. When sufficiently stiff, the cheese is chilled, and is eaten with sweet cream and sugar. It is a staple dessert in many French families, especially in hot weather, and is delicious served with acid fruit, such as currants, or with strawberries. Junket. If cottage cheese is made from sweet milk and rennet and served without breaking and separating the curd antl whey, the dish is called junket. It is customary to season it 198 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES a little, as with grated nutmeg or with cinnamon and sugar. Buttermilk Cheese. To maiie buttermilk cheese, heat buttermilli to about 130° or 140° F. Allow it to cool and strain it. As the curd will settle to the bottom, most of the whey may be poured off before the draining is begun. This cheese is, of course, almost 'wholly without fat and yet, probably because the particles of curd are very finely divided, it has a smooth con- sistency, which suggests the presence of fat. It may be served seasoned with salt only, or it may be mixed with butter or cream and seasonings. It is suitable for combining with olives and pimientos, as elsewhere recommended, or for any use to which the ordinary cream cheeses are put. Buttermilk Cream. By controlling the temperature in heating the buttermilk and not allow- ing it to go above 100° F., a com- pound is made which after draining has the consistency of a very thick cream. It is claimed tliat this " cream " is suitable for eating on bread in place of butter. The recii)es given on other pages suggest ways of making a salad dressing out of buttermilk cream. Devonshire Cream. Devonshire cream somewhat resem- bles sweet cream in flavor and con- sistency. It is very much liked in England, where it is commonly eaten with fresh or preserved fruit, but it is not so well known in America. To make Devonsliire cream, allow a pan of whole milk to stand for 24 hours in a cool place or for 12 hours in a warmer place. Place the pan on the cooler part of the stove and heat imtil the milk is very hot, but not to the boiling point. If heated too much a thick skin will form on the surface. The more slowly the milk is heated the better. Having been heated, the milk should be kept in a cool place for 24 hours and then skimmed. The thick cream obtained has a characteristic flavor and tex- ture. CHEESE DISHES AND THEIR PEEPARATION The list of cheese dishes in the culi- nary literature of this and other countries is a long one, but most of them are variations of a compara- tively small nmnber of general types. Those which have been selected and studied experimentally represent the principal types and in many cases have been adapted to American methods of preparations and tastes. In some instances, this has resulted in new and perhaps more rational com- binations than those which served as models. For convenience, the cheese dishes included in this bulletin have been grouped under the following heads: (1) Cheese dishes which may serve as meat substitutes. (2) Cheese soups and vegetables cooked with cheese. (3) Cheese salads, sandwiches, and similar dishes. (4) Cheese pastry, cheese sweets, and similar dishes. Variety may be obtained in the recipes by varying the flavorings. Among the best flavorings for cheese dishes are onion, chives, and the or- dinary green sweet pepper. Since the cheese needs very little cooking, however, and onion or the pepper needs a great deal, they should al- ways be previously cooked, either by stewing in a very little water, or by cooking in butter. The seeds of the pepper, of course, should be removed before cooking. Where chopped cel- ery is used, as it may be in most of these dishes, it, too, should be cooked beforehand until tender. Other good flavors are mustard, curry powder, onion juice, chopped olives, pimiento, and, according to European recipes, nutmeg or mace. In preparing the cheese it often has been found convenient to use a very coarse grater, having silts in- stead of the usual rounded holes. Such a grater, in spite of its name, shaves the cheese instead of grating CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 199 it. When the cheese is soft this is an advantage, since the grater does not become clogged. CHEESE DISHES WHICH MAY BE USED IN THE SAME WAY AS MEAT Meat is wholesome and relished by most persons, yet it is not essential to a well-balanced meal and there are many housekeepers who for one reason or another are interested in lessening the amount of meat which they provide or to substitute some other foods for it. The problem with the average family is undoubtedly more often the occasional substitu- tion of other palatable dishes for the sake of variety, for reasons of econ- omy, or for some other reason than the general replacement of meat dishes by other things. Foods which are to be served in place of meat should be rich in pro- tein and fat and should also be sa- vory. Cheese naturally suggests it- self as a substitute for meat, since it is rich in the same kinds of nutri- ents which meat supplies, is a staple food with which every one is familiar, and is one which can be used in a great variety of ways. In substitut- ing cheese for meat, especial pains should be taken to serve dishes which are relished by the members of the family. A number of recipes for dishes which contain cheese are given below. They are preceded by several recipes for cheese sauces which, as will appear, are called for in the preparation of some of the more substantial dishes. Cheese Sauce No. I. 1 cupful of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1 ounce of cheese (^ cupful of grated cheese). Salt and pepper. Thicken the milk with the flour and just before serving add the cheese, stirring until it is melted. This sauce is suitable for use in preparing creamed eggs, or to pour over toast, making a dish correspond- ing to ordinary milk toast, ex- cept for the i^resence of cheese. It may be seasoned with a little curry powder and poured over hard boiled eggs. Cheese Sauce No. II, Same as cheese sauce No. I, except that the cheese is increased from 1 to 2 ounces. This sauce is suitable for using with macaroni or rice, or for baking with crackers soaked in milk. Cheese Sauce No. III. Same as cheese sauce No. I, except that two cupfuls of grated cheese or 8 ounces are used. This may be used upon toast as a substitute for Welsh rarebit. Cheese Sauce No. IV. Same as cheese sauce No. II, save that 2 tablespoonfuls of melted but- ter are mixed with the flour before the latter is put into the milk. This sauce is therefore very rich in fat and has only a mild flavor of cheese. Among the recipes for dishes which may be used like meat, the first 30 are such that, eaten in usual quanti- ties, they will provide much the same kind and amount of nutritive mate- rial as the ordinary servings of meat dishes used at dinner. In several cases there is a resemblance in ap- pearance and flavor to common meat dishes, which would doubtless be a point in their favor with many fam- ilies. ^\^lile, chiefly owing to custom, it may not accord with the taste of the family to serve cheese dishes at din- ner in place of meat, it is much more in accord with usual dietary habits in American homes to serve such dishes at least occasionally for lunch, for supper, or for breakfast; that is, for a less formal meal than dinner. The last group of recipes in this section, beginning with " break- fast cereals with cheese," supply rather smaller proportions of nutri- tive materials than those in the first group and so may be more suitable for use at the less hearty meals. There is no hard and fast line to be 200 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES drawn between the two groups, how- ever, and many of the recipes may be used interchangeably. In the recipes calling for large amounts of cheese the food value is given, not in figures, but in compari- son with beef of average composition and average percentage of waste. This comparison is necessarily rough owing to the varying composition of the foods and the varying weights of such ingredients as a cupful of grated cheese or bread crumbs. In making the comparisons, beef of average composition has been considered to have 15.5 per cent of protein, and a fuel value of 935 calories per pound; ordinary American cheese has been considered to have 26 per cent of protein and a fuel value of 1,965 cal- ories per pound. After many weigh- ings, 4 ounces was decided to be the average weight of a cupful of cheese and 2i ounces the average weight of a cupful of bread crumbs. These weights have been taken, therefore, in calculating the food value of dishes. When cheese is very soft, however, it may be pressed into a cup and measured like butter. Under these circumstances, the weight of a cupful of cheese may be considered one-half a pound. The price of cheese is taken as 22 cents a pound, of butter -25 cents a pound, of eggs 25 cents a dozen, in this and all simi- lar calculations in this bulletin. Prices vary with time, place, and sea- son. Those mentioned above are such as were paid for materials at the time the experiments here summarized were made and are not extreme values in either direction. Like all such es- timates, the calculations are only rela- tive, and the housekeeper who wishes to estimate the comparative cost of the cheese dishes and other foods can readily do so by taking into account the amount of materials used and the prices paid for ingredients at any particular time. Cheese Fondue No. I. IJ cupsful of soft, stale bread crumbs, 6 ounces of cheese (li cupsful of grated cheese or IJ cups- ful of cheese grated fine or cut into small pieces), 4 eggs, 1 cupful of hot water, i teaspoonful of salt. Mix the water, bread crumbs, salt and cheese; add the yolks thoroughly beaten; in this mixture cut and fold the whites of eggs beaten until stiff. Pour into a buttered baking dish and cook 30 minutes in a moderate oven. Serve at once. The food value of this dish, made with the above quantities, is almost exactly the same as that of a pound of beef of average composition and a pound of potatoes combined. It con- tains about 80 grams of proteids and has a fuel value of about 1,300 cal- ories. Estimated cost, 18 cents, cal- culated as explained elsewhere. Cheese Fondue No. II. IJ cupsful of hot milk, Ih cupsful of soft, stale bread crumbs, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 4 eggs, i of a pound of cheese (li cups- ful of grated cheese or 1 cup- ful of cheese cut into small pieces), i teaspoonful of salt. Prepare as in previous recipe. The protein value of this dish is equal to that of IJ pounds of po- tato and beef, the fuel value, however, being much in excess of these. Cal- culated cost, 22 cents. In making either of these fondues, rice or other cereals may be sub- stituted for bread crumbs. One- fourth cupful of rice measured be- fore cooking, or one cupful of cooked rice or other cereals, should be used. A comparison of the reci]ies for the two fondues may indicate the general principle on which the recipes in this bulletin have been worked out. The second recipe is one commonly found in cookbooks. In the first one, the butter has been omitted and water substituted for milk and the amoimt CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 201 of cheese is slightly increased. This makes a somewhat cheaper dish and one which is less rich because its per- centage of fat is not so great. For this reason it is easier to adjust to the ordinary bill of fare. A dish in which there is combined cheese with its large percentage of fat, but- ter with its 85 per cent of fat, and eggs with their 10 per cent of fat, is too rich to admit of being combined rationally with other fatty dishes. It therefore limits the number of dishes that may be served with it, making milk SOU}), for example, or dishes con- taining white sauce or those contain- ing much butter or oil seem out of place. The omission of butter from the ordinary recipes and the substitu- tion of water or skimmed milk for whole milk may perhaps be the means of making cheese dishes more whole- some and more generally accept- able. Another advantage of omitting butter from cheese dishes and of sub- stituting water or skimmed milk for whole milk is that it makes it possi- ble to increase the amount of cheese without making the dish too rich. This is of advantage to those who like the flavor of cheese, and also, be- cause it tends to increase the tissue forming value of the dish, particu- larly if skimmed milk is used rather than water. Boiled Fondue. li cupsful of bread crumbs, li cupsful of milk, 1^ cupsful of cheese cut into small pieces, 1 egg. 2 tablespoonsful of butter, 6 ounces of crackers. Soak the bread in the milk. Melt the butter and add the cheese. When the cheese has melted add the soaked crumbs, the eggs slightly beaten, and the seasoning. Cook a short time and serve on toasted crackers. Since it consists of essentially the same ingredients, the food value of this dish is obviously much the same as that of fondue made in other ways. Rice Fondue. 1 cupful of boiled rice, 2 tablespoonsful of milk, 4 eggs, 1 cupful of grated cheese, i teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of some commer- cial meat sauce, or similar fla- voring. Heat the rice in the milk, add the other ingredients, and cook slowly until the cheese is melted. Serve on crackers or toast. The food value is not far from that of a pound of beef of average com- position, and the calculated cost is 15 cents. Corn and Cheese Souffle. 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1 tablespoonful of chopped green pepper, i cupful of flour, 2 cupsful of milk, 1 cupful of chopped corn, 1 cupful of grated cheese, * teaspoonful of salt. JNIelt the butter and cook the pep- per thoroughly in it. Make a sauce out of the flour, milk, and cheese as explained elsewhere; add the corn, cheese, yolks, and seasoning; cut and fold in the whites beaten stiffly; turn into a buttered baking dish and bake in a moderate oven 30 minutes. Made with skimmed milk and with- out butter, this dish has a food value slightly in excess of a pound of beef and a pound of potatoes. Calcu- lated cost about 20 cents. Welsh Rabbit. 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1 teaspoonful of cornstarch, i cupful of milk, A pound of cheese, cut into small pieces, I teaspoonful each of salt and mustard, A speck of cayenne pepper. Cook the cornstarch in the butter; then add the milk gradually and cook two minutes; add the cheese and stir 202 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES until it is melted. Season and serve on crackers or bread toasted on one side, the rabbit being poured over the untoasted side. Food value is that of about | of a pound of beef. Calculated cost, 13 cents. Tomato Rabbit. 2 tablespoonsful of butter, 2 tablespoonsful of flour, f cupful of milk, I cupful of stewed and strained tomatoes, i teaspoonful of soda, 1 pound of cheese, 2 eggs, slightly beaten. Salt, mustard, cayenne pepper. Cook the -butter and the flour to- gether, add the milk, and as soon as the mixture thickens add tomatoes and soda. Then add cheese, eggs, and seasoning. Serve on toasted whole wheat or Graham bread. Green Corn, Tomato, and Cheese. 1 tablespoonful of butter, 2 cups of grated cheese, I cup of canned or grated fresh corn, 1 ripe pimiento, i cup of tomato pur^e, 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoonful of salt, i teaspoonful of paprika, 1 clove of garlic, 4 slices of bread, Into the melted butter stir the cheese until it, too, is melted. Then add the corn and pimiento, stir for a moment and add the egg yolks beaten and mixed with the tomato juice and the salt and paprika. Have ready the bread toasted on one side and very lightly rubbed on its un- toasted side with the garlic cut in two. Pour the mixture over the untoasted side of the bread and serve at once, A poached egg is sometimes placed on top of each portion, making a very nutritious combination. Macaroni and Cheese No. I. 1 cupful of macaroni, broken into small pieces, 2 quarts of boiling water. 1 cupful of milk. 2 tablespoonsful of flour, ^ to A pound of cheese, i teaspoonful of salt. Speck of cayenne pepper. Cook the macaroni in the boiling salted water, drain in a strainer, and pour cold water over it to prevent the pieces from adhering to each other. Make a sauce out of the flour, milk, and cheese. Put the sauce and macaroni in alternate layers in a buttered baking dish, cover with buttered crumbs, and heat in oven un- til crumbs are brown. Macaroni and Cheese No. II. A good way to prepare macaroni and cheese is to make a rich cheese sauce and heat the macaroni in it. The mixture is usuallj^ covered with buttered crumbs and browned in the oven. The advantage of this way of preparing the dish, however, is that it is unneces- sary to have a hot oven, as the sauce and macaroni may be reheated on the top of the stove. Macaroni with Cheese and Tomato Sauce. Boiled macaroni may be heated in tomato sauce and sprinkled with grated cheese just before serving. Italian Macaroni and Cheese. 1 cupful of macaroni broken into small pieces, 2 quarts of boiling salted water, i onion, 2 cloves, li cupsful of tomato sauce, ^ cupful or more of grated cheese. Cook the macaroni in the boiling salted water with the onion and cloves. Drain, remove the onion and cloves, reheat in tomato sauce, and serve with grated cheese. Cheese and Macaroni Loaf. J cupful of macaroni broken into small pieces, 1 cupful of milk, CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 203 1 cupful of soft bread crumbs, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1 tablespoonful of chopped green pepper, 1 teaspoonful each of chopped onion and parsley, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of salt, i cupful of grated cheese, Cook the macaroni in boiling salted water until tender, and rinse in cold water. Cook the parsley, onion, and pepper in a little water with the but- ter. Pour off the water or allow it to boil away. Beat the egg, white and yolk separately. Mix all the in- gredients, cutting and folding in the stiffly beaten whites at the last. Line a quart baking dish with buttered pa- per; turn the mixture into it; set the baking dish in a pan of hot water, and bake in a moderate oven from one-half to three-fourths of an hour. Serve with tomato sauce. Baked Rice and Cheese No. I. 1 cupful of uncooked rice and 4 cupsful of milk; or, 3 cupsful of cooked rice and 1 cupful of milk, 2 tablespoonsful of flour, I pound of cheese, i teaspoonful of salt. If uncooked rice is used, it should be cooked in 3 cupsful of milk. Make a sauce with one cupful of milk, add the flour, cheese, and salt. Into a buttered baking dish put alternate layers of the cooked rice and the sauce. Cover with but- tered crumbs and bake until the crumbs are brown. The proteids in this dish, made with rice cooked in milk, are equal to those of nearly 1| pounds of average beef. If skimmed milk is used, the fuel value is equal to nearly 3i pounds of beef. Whole milk raises the fuel value still higher. Estimated cost 28 cents. Baked Rice and Cheese No. II. i pound of cheese grated or cut into small pieces, 1 cupful of rice. Milk as needed. Cook the rice; put into a buttered baking dish alternate layers of rice and cheese; pour over them enough milk thoroughly to soak the cheese and the rice; cover with buttered crumbs and brown. If the rice is cooked in milk either whole or skimmed, and one cup of milk is used to pour over it, this dish has as much protein as 1^ pounds of beef of average composi- tion and a much higher fuel value. Baked Crackers and Cheese No. I. 9 or 10 butter crackers or Bos- ton crackers, i pound of cheese or 1 cupful of grated cheese, li cupsful of milk, i teaspoonful salt, Flour. Split the crackers, if the thick sort are selected, or with a sharp knife cut them into pieces of uniform size. Pour the milk over them and drain it off at once. With the milk, flour, cheese, and salt, make a sauce. Into a buttered baking dish put alternate layers of the soaked crackers and sauce. Cover with bread crumbs and brown in the oven, or simply reheat without covering with crumbs. The above is a very satisfactory substitute for macaroni and cheese, and can be prepared in less time. Baked Crackers and Cheese No. II. 9 or 10 butter crackers or soda crackers, 9 cupsful of hot milk, whole or skimmed, 1 cupful of grated cheese, i teaspoonful of salt. This is more quickly prepared than the preceding recipe, but as the milk is likely to curdle, it has not so good a consistency. Soak the crackers in the milk; place them in a buttered baking dish in alternate la5'ers with the cheese; pour the remaining milk over them and bake. This dish may be covered with buttered crumbs. Variety may be secured, in either this recipe or the preceding one, by putting a very 204 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES small amount of mixed mustard on each cracker. Cheese Bolls. A large variety of rolls may be made by combining legumes, either beans of various kinds, cowpeas, len- tils, or peas, with cheese of various kinds, and adding bread crumbs to make the mixture thick enough to form into a roll. Beans are usually mashed, but peas or small Lima beans may be combined whole with bread crumbs and grated cheese, and enough of the liquor in which the vegetables have been cooked may be added to get the right consistency. Or, instead of beans or peas, chopped spinach, beet tops, or head lettuce may be used. Home-made cottage cheese, and the soft cream cheese of commerce, standard cheese, or Eng- lish dairy may be used. Boston Eoast. 1 pound can of kidney beans or equivalent quantity of cooked beans, J pound of grated cheese, Bread crumbs, Salt. Mash the beans or put them through a meat grinder. Add the cheese and suiBcient bread crumbs to make the mixture stiff enough to be formed into a roll. Bake in a mod- erate oven, basting occasionally with butter and water. Serve with toma- to sauce. This dish may be flavored with onions, chopped and cooked in butter and water. Pimiento and Cheese Roast. 2 cupsful of cooked Lima beans, i pound of cream cheese, com- mercial or home made, 3 canned pimientos chopped, Bread crumbs. Put the first three ingredients through a meat chopper. Mix thor- oughly and add bread crumbs until it is stiff enough to form into a roll. Brown in the oven, basting occa- sionally with butter and water. Nut and Cheese Eoast. 1 cujjful of grated cheese, 1 cupful of chopped English walnuts, 1 cupful of bread crumbs, 2 tablespoonsful of chopped on- ion, 1 tablespoonful of butter. Juice of half a lemon. Salt and pepper. Cook the onion in the butter and a little water until it is tender. Mix the other ingredients and moisten with water, using the water in which the onion has been cooked. Pour into a shallow baking dish and brown in the oven. Cheese and Spinach Eoll. 2 quarts of spinach, 1 cupful of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of butter, Salt, Bread crumbs. Cook the spinach in water for 10 minutes. Drain off the water, add the butter, cook until tender, and chop. Add the cheese and the eggs, and bread crumbs enough to make a mixture sufficiently stiff' to form into a roll, or leave more moist and cook in a baking dish. Vegetable and Cheese EoUs. For the spinach of the above rec- ipe there may be substituted beet tops, Swiss chard, or the outer leaves of lettuce. Cheese Used in the Stuffing of Meats. The mixtures in the preceding two recipes may be used for stuffing veal or beef. Eggs may be added if de- sired, and chopped onions or parsley may be cooked with the greens. In Italy roasts thus prepared are sprin- kled with a little finely chopped gar- lic, and covered with celery tops and thin slices of bacon or fat pork be- fore roasting. Creamed Cheese and Eggs. 3 hard boiled eggs, 1 tablespoonful of flour, 1 cupful of milk. CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 205 i teaspoonful of salt, Speck of cayenne, I cupful or 1 ounce grated cheese, 4 slices of toast. Make a thin white sauce with the flour and milk and seasonings. Add the cheese and stir until melted. Chop the whites and add them to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the toast, force the yolks through a potato ricer or strainer, sprinkle over the toast. Baked Eggs with Cheese. 4 eggs, 1 cupful, or 4 ounces, of grated cheese, 1 cupful of fine, soft, stale bread crumbs, I teaspoonful salt, A few grains of cayenne pepper. Break the eggs into a buttered bak- ing dish or into ramequins and cook them in a hot oven until they begin to turn white around the edge. Cover with the mixture of crumbs, cheese, and seasonings. Brown in a very hot oven. In preparing this dish it is essential that the oven be very hot or the egg will be too much cooked by the time the cheese is brown. To avoid this, some cooks cover the eggs with white sauce before adding crumbs. The food value of the dish is very close to that of a pound of beef of average composition. The estimated cost is about 14 cents. For those who are particularly fond of cheese the amount of cheese in this recipe may be very much in- creased, thus making a much more nourishing dish. Or, the amount may be reduced so as to give hardly more than a suggestion of the flavor of cheese. Scrambled Eggs with Cheese. i pound of cheese grated or cut into small pieces, 8 eggs, 1 tablespoon ful of chopped parsley, A pinch of nutmeg, i teaspoonful of salt. Beat the eggs slightly, mix them with the other ingredients, and cook over a very slow fire, stirring con- stantly, so that the cheese may be melted by the time the eggs are cooked. In food value the dish is equal to nearly 2 pounds of average beef. The calculated cost is about 30 cents. Swiss Eggs. 4 eggs, i cupful of cream, 1 tablespoonful of butter. Salt and pepper, i cupful of grated cheese. Heat the butter and cream to- gether, break in the eggs whole, sprinkle with salt and pepper. When nearly done, add the cheese. Serve on buttered toast. Strain the cream over the toast. Cheese Omelet No. I. Cheese may be introduced into omelets in several ways. An ordin- ary omelet may be served with thin cheese sauce made in the following proportions: li tablespoonsful of flour, li tablespoonsful of cheese, 1 cupful of milk. This sauce may also be added to omelets in which boiled rice, minced meat, or some other nutritious ma- terial has been included. Cheese Omelet No. II. Grated cheese may be sprinkled over an ordinary omelet before it is served. Cheese Omelet. Yolks of 2 eggs, 2 tablespoonsful of hot water, 1 cupful of grated cheese, Salt and pepper. Whites of 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of butter. Beat the yolks until lemon colored and add the hot water and the sea- soning. Beat the whites until they are stiff, and add the cheese. Cut and fold the two mixtures together. 206 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Heat the butter in omelet pan and cook the mixture very slowly until it is brown on the underside. If pos- sible, cook the top of the omelet in the oven or by means of a hot plate held over it. Breakfast Cereals with Cheese. That cheese combined with cereal foods makes a rational dish as re- gards the jDroportion of nutrients it supplies has been pointed out on an- other page. Cheese and some of the crisp " ready to serve " cereal break- fast foods is a combination which is common, the cheese being melted with the cereal food, or simply served with it. There are many who relish a piece of cheese with the cooked cereal so commonly eaten for breakfast and find such a combination satisfying to appetite and taste. Oatmeal or some other home cooked breakfast cereal prepared with cheese is palatable, and such dishes have an advantage in that they may be served without cream and sugar. Since such a dish contains considerably more protein than the breakfast cereals as or- dinarily served, it has a further ad- vantage in that it may well serve as the principal item of a breakfast menu, instead of a preliminary to other courses. Such a combination as cereals cooked with cheese, toast, fruit, and tea, coffee, or chocolate, makes a palatable as well as nutri- tious breakfast and one which does not require much work to prepare and to clear away. A recipe for pre- paring oatmeal with cheese follows. Wheat breakfast foods, either parched or unparched, corn meal, and hominy may be prepared in the same way. Oatmeal with Cheese. 2 cupsful of oatmeal, 1 cupful of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of butter, 1 level teaspoonful of salt. Cook the oatmeal as usual. Shortly before serving, stir in the butter and add the cheese, and stir until the cheese is melted and thoroughly blended with the cereal. The cheese should be mild in flavor and soft in texture. The proportion of cheese used may be increased if a more pronounced cheese flavor is de- sired. Cheese with Mush. Cheese may be added to cornmeal nuish or to nmsh made from any of the corn or wheat preparations now on the market. The addition of cheese to cornmeal mush is particu- larly desirable when the mush is to be fried. Fried Bread with Cheese No. I. 6 slices of bread, 1 cupful of milk, 2 ounces of cheese, or i cup- ful of grated cheese, i teaspoonful of salt, 2 teaspoonful of potassium bi- carbonate, Butter or other fat for frying. Scald the milk with the potassium bicarbonate; add the grated cheese, and stir until it dissolves. Dip the bread in this mixture and fry it in the butter. The potassium bicar- bonate helps to keep the cheese in solution. It is desirable, however, to keep the milk hot while the bread is being dipped. Fried Bread with Cheese No. II. Cut stale bread into thin pieces. Put two pieces together with grated cheese between them; dip into a mix- ture of egg and milk and fry in but- ter or other fat. Roman Gnocchl, 2 cupsful of milk, i cupful of flour, 1 cupful of cornstarch, 2 cupsful of milk, 2 egg yolks, 3 cujiful of grated cheese, Salt. Melt the butter; cook the corn- starch thoroughly, and then the flour in the butter; add the milk gradu- ally; cook three minutes, stirring con- stantly; add the yolks and one-half cupful of the cheese. Pour into a CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 207 buttered shallow pan and cool. Cut into squares; place them on a plat- ter a little distance apart; sprinkle with remaining cheese, and brown in the oven. The proteid value is that of three- fourths of a pound of average beef, the fuel value that of 1| pounds. Calculated cost 17 cents. Cheese Souffle. 2 tablespoonsful of butter, 3 tablesiJoonsful of flour, i cupful of milk (scalded), i teaspoonful of salt, A speck of cayenne, i cupful of grated cheese, 3 eggs. Melt the butter; add the flour and, when well mixed, add gradually the scalded milk. Then add salt, cay- enne, and cheese. Remove from the fire and ,add the yolks of the eggs, beaten until lemon colored. Cool the mixture and fold into it the whites of the eggs, beaten until stiff. Pour into a buttered baking dish and cook 20 minutes in a slow oven. Serve at once. The proteid value of this recipe is equal to that of a half pound of beef; the fuel value is equal to that of three-fourths of a pound. Cheese Souffle with Pastry. 2 eggs, S cupful of thin cream, 1 cupful of grated cheese, i cupful of Swiss cheese cut into small pieces. Salt, cayenne pepper, and nut- meg. Add the eggs to the cream and beat slightly, then add the cheese and seasoning. Bake 15 minutes in a hot oven, in patty tins lined with puff paste. Cheese Croquettes. 3 tablespoonsful of butter, i cupful of flour, I cupful of milk. Yolks of 2 eggs, 1 cupful of cheese cut in very small pieces. i cupful grated cheese, Salt and pepper. Make with a white sauce, using the butter, flour, and the milk. Add the unbeaten yolks and stir until well mixed, then add the grated cheese. As soon as the cheese melts, remove from the fire, fold in the pieces of cheese, and add the seasoning. Spread in a shallow pan and cool. Cut into squares or strips, cover v/ith an egg and crumb mixture, and fry in deep fat. Fried Cheese Balls. IJ cupsful of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of flour. The whites of 3 eggs. Salt, pepper, cracker dust. Beat the whites of the eggs; add the other ingredients; make into balls and roll in cracker dust. If the amount of flour is doubled, the mix- ture may be dropped from a spoon and fried without being rolled in crumbs. CHEESE SOUPS AND VEGETABLES COOKED WITH CHEESE In these dishes the cheese is used not only to add nutritive value, but also to give its characteristic flavor either to materials otherwise rather mild in taste (as in potatoes with cheese) or to combine its flavor with that of some more highly flavored vegetables (as in cheese and vege- table soup). The ingenious house- keeper whose family is fond of cheese can doubtless think of many desirable ways of making such combinations besides those given in the following recipes: llilk and Cheese Soup. 3 cupsful of milk, or part milk and part stock, 1^ tablespoonsful of flour, 1 cupful of grated cheese. Salt and paprika. Thicken the milk with the flour, cooking thoroughly. This is best done in a double boiler, with frequent stir- 208 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES rings. When ready to serve, add the cheese and the seasoning. The proteids in this soup are equal in amount to those in five-sixths of a pound of beef of average composi- tion; its fuel value is higher than that of a pound of beef. Cheese and Vegetable Soup. 2 cupsful of stock, 2 tablespoonsful of finely chopped carrots, 1 tablespoonful of chopped onion, A very little mace, 2 tablespoonsful of butter, 2 tablespoonsful of flour, IJ teaspoonsful of salt, 1 cupful of scalded milk, i cupful of grated cheese. Cook the vegetables a short time in one-half of the butter, add the stock and the mace, boiling 15 or 20 min- utes. Strain and add the milk. Thicken with flour cooked in the re- maining butter. Just before serving, stir in the cheese and cook until it is melted. Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese No. I. Put into a buttered baking dish alternate layers of cheese sauce Xo. I and cold boiled potatoes, sliced or cut into dice. Cover with buttered crumbs and bake. Scalloped Potatoes with Cheese No. II. Put into a buttered baking dish al- ternate layers of white sauce and cold boiled potatoes, either sliced or cut into dice. Put over the top a layer of grated cheese and then a layer of buttered bread crumbs. Brown in the oven. Scalloped Cabbage or Cauliflower with Cheese. Cauliflower or cabbage may be scalloped according to either of the recipes given for scalloped potatoes and cheese. Sometimes a cauliflower is boiled whole, spread with grated cheese, then with buttered bread crumbs. It is browned in the oven and served with white sauce poured around it. Cheese with Potato Puffs. 1 cupful of mashed potatoes. i cupful of milk, 1 egg. i tcaspoonful of salt, i cupful of grated cheese. Beat the potatoes and milk to- gether until thoroughly mixed. Add the egg and the salt and beat thor- oughly. Finally add the cheese. Bake in muffin tins in a slow oven 10 or 15 minutes. A similar dish may be made by scooping out the inside of a baked potato and mixing it with cheese as above. Fill the potato-skin shell with the mixture, return to the oven, and bake until light brown. Potatoes with Cheese Sauce. Cut boiled potatoes into cubes and serve with cheese sauce No. I. This is one of the cheese and vegetable dishes most frequently found on restaurant menus. CHEESE SALADS, SANDWICHES, AND SIMILAR CHEESE DISHES Cheese of one sort or another is a very common accompaniment of sal- ads, and the combination is rational as well as palatable, for the constit- uents of the succulent foods — chiefly water and cellulose — supplement the protein and fat of the cheese. Cheese is often used also as a part of the salad. A number of recipes are given be- low for cheese salads and other cheese dishes which may be served with dinner or other regular meals, or served as part of a special lunch or special supper. Many of the cheese dishes discussed in other sec- tions are also commonly used for such occasions when something savory is desired which can be easily and quickly prepared. Cheese with Salads. Cheese or clieese dishes are an ac- ceptable addition to salads. Neuf- chStel or other cream cheese, either plain or mixed with pimientos and olives may be passed with lettuce or CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 209 may be cut into slices and served on lettuce. Cheese balls are often served with salad. They are made of some soft cream cheese, and are frequently com- bined with chopped chives, olives, sweet peppers, chopped nuts, etc., for the sake of adding flavor. Cooked egg yolk, spinach extract, etc., are sometimes mixed in for the sake of color. If the balls are rolled in chopped chives or parsley, both flavor and color are supplied. Plain Cheese Salad. Cut Edam or ordinary American cheese into thin pieces, scatter them over lettuce leaves, and serve with French dressing. Olive and Pimiento Sandwich or Salad Cheese. Mash any of the soft cream cheeses and add chopped olives and pimientos in equal parts. This mixture re- quires much salt to make it palat- able to most palates, the amount de- pending chiefly on the quantity of pimiento used. The mixture may be spread between thin slices of bread or it may be made into a roll or molded, cut into slices, and served on lettuce leaves with French dress- ing. Cheese and Tomato Salad. Stuff cold tomatoes with cream cheese and serve on lettuce leaves with French dressing. Cheese and Pimento Salad. Stufi' canned pimientos with cream cheese, cut into slices, and serve one or two slices to each person on let- tuce leaves with French dressing. Cheese Jelly Salad. i cupful of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of gelatin, 1 cupful of whipped cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix the cheese with the whipped cream, season to taste with salt and pepper, and add to the gelatin dis- solved in a scant cupful of water. This may be molded in a large mold or in small molds. When the jelly begins to harden, cover with grated cheese. The jelly should be served on a lettuce leaf, preferably with a cream dressing or a French dressing, to which a little grated cheese has been added. Cheese Salad and Preserves. Epicures have devised a dish which consists of lettuce with French dress- ing served with cream cheese and thick preparations of currants or other fruits preserved in honey or sugar, which, owing to the fact that the seeds have been extracted by a laborious process, are fairly expen- sive. The soft cheese often found in market is also relatively expensive. There is a suggestion in this dish, however, for others which are much less costly. Buttermilk cream, or ordinary cottage cheese served with lettuce or other green salad and a small amount of rich home- made preserves, is a combination with much the same character, and also very appetizing. Deviled Eggs with Cheese. In making deviled eggs, either to be eaten alone or upon lettuce leaves in the form of salad, a little grated cheese may be mixed with the yolks in addition to the usual salad dress- ing and flavorings with which the yolks are mixed. Cheese and Celery. Cut stalks of celery having deep grooves in them into pieces about i? inches long. Fill the grooves with cream cheese salted or flavored with chopped pimientos, and serve with bread and butter as a salad course or serve as a relish at the beginning of a meal. Although not cheese dishes, strictly speaking, the following salad dress- ings made with buttermilk cream may be included in this section. Buttermilk Salad Dressing'. i cupful of buttermilk cream, 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, 210 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES i teaspoonful of salt, Cayenne pepper. This dressing is particularly suit- able for serving with cucumbers. Buttermilk Cream Horseradish Salad Dressing. To buttermilk cream add a little grated horseradish and vinegar and salt. Serve on whole or sliced to- matoes. Cheese Sandwiches. Mash or grate American cheese, add salt, a few drops of vinegar and paprika, and a speck of mustard. Mix thoroughly and spread between thin slices of bread. Cheese and Anchovy Sandwiches. To the mixture mentioned in the preceding recipe, add a little anchovy essence. Sardines mashed or rubbed into a paste or any other fish paste may be used in a similar way. Cuban Sandwiches. This sandwich may be described as a kind of club sandwich with cheese. It is usually made large so that it is necessary to eat it with a knife and fork, it may be made in such pro- portions as to supply a large amount of nourishment. Cut the crusts from slices of bread. Between two slices lay first lettuce with a little salad dressing or salt on it, then a slice of soft mild cheese and finally thin slices of dill pickles or a little chopped pickle. Toasted Cheese Sandwiches. Plain bread and butter sandwiches with fairly thick slices of cheese put between the slices are frequently toasted, and on picnics, or at chafing dish suppers, are often browned in a pan in which bacon has just been fried. CHEESE PASTRY, CHEESE SWEETS, AND SIMILAR DISHES In the foregoing pages a large number of recipes have been included in which cheese is combined with ma- terials without cooking, as in salads, or used in cooked dishes of creamy or custard-like consistency, as in souffles and Welsh rabbit or in com- bination with vegetables or cereals, such as rice. There are a number of cheese dishes of quite different character in which the cheese is combined with dough, batter, or pastry in various ways, and a number of dishes in which cheese or cheese curd is used in combinations suitable for dessert. Such sweet dishes were once much more common than they are to-day, as reference to old cookery books will show, but some of them are well worth retaining. In cheese sweets, flavor and rich- ness are both contributed by the cheese. When cheese is used in pastry or dough it may serve simply as a flavor, as in cheese sticks or cheese straws, or it may wholly or in part replace with its fat the usual short- ening, as butter or other fat, and with its protein (casein) the pro- tein (albumin) of eggs. As an illus- tration of such a use of cheese, cheese gingerbread may be cited. Using cheese in this way is often an economy when eggs are scarce. Better results will be obtained if soft cheese is used which can be worked into the dough in much the same way as butter or other shortening. To those who like cheese the flavor which it imparts would be an advantage. However, if a very mild cheese is used in combination with molasses or spice the dish differs a little in flavor from one prepared in the usual way. Cheese Biscuit No. I. 2 cupsful of flour, 4 teaspoonsful of baking powder, 2 tablespoonsful of lard or but- ter, § of a cup of milk, i teaspoonful of salt, Grated cheese sufBcient to give de- sired flavor. Mix all the ingredients excepting the cheese as for baking powder bis- cuits. Roll thin, divide into two CHEESE AND ITS ECONOMICAL USES 211 parts, sprinkle one half with grated cheese, lay the other half of the dough over the cheese, cut out with a small cutter, and bake. Cheese Biscuit No. II. i pound of soft cheese, 2 cupsful of flour, 1 cupful of water, 4 teaspoonsful of baking powder, li teaspoonfuls of salt. Wix and sift the dry ingredients, then work in the cheese with a fork or with the fingers, and add the water gradually. The approximate amount of water has been given; it is impossible to give the exact amount, as flour differs in its capacity for tak- ing up moisture. Toss the dough on a floured board and roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter. Place in a but- tered pan and bake in a quick oven from 12 to 15 minutes. The biscuit may be sprinkled with cheese before being put into the oven. If the cheese is sufficiently soft it can be measured just as butter is. This recipe, then, would call for i cupful. Cheese Drops. 21 tablespoonsful of milk, 1 teaspoonful of butter, 1^ cupsful of flour, i teaspoonful of salt, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonsful of grated Par- mesan cheese or dry American cheese. Heat the butter and milk to boil- ing point, add the flour and the salt and stir thoroughly. Remove from the fire, add the egg and cheese and stir until well mixed. When cold, drop in small pieces in deep fat and brown. This makes a good addi- tion to any clear soup or to con- somme. Cheese Wafers. Spread grated cheese on thin crackers, heat in the oven until the cheese is melted. Serve with soup or salad. Cheese Relish. Spread bread which has been toast- ed or fried in deep fat with grated cheese, or with grated cheese mixed with a little mustard, then heat in the oven until the cheese is melted. This may be served with salad, or as a relish to give flavor to some dish such as boiled rice or hominy, which has no very marked flavor. Cheese Straws. Roll out plain or puff paste until one-fourth of an inch thick. Spread one-half of it with grated cheese. Fold over the other half and roll out again. Repeat the process thi'ee or four times. Cut into strips and bake. Serve with soup or salad. Salad Biscuit. i pound of cheese, 2 cupsful of flour, 4 teaspoonsful of baking powder, IJ teaspoonsful of salt, 1 cupful of water. Mix as for cheese biscuits No. I or No. II, depending on whether the cheese is hard or soft. Cheese Gingerbread No. I. 1 cupful of molasses, 4 ounces of cheese, 1 teaspoonful of soda, i cupful of water, 2 cupsful of flour, 2 teaspoonsful of ginger, i teaspoonful salt. Heat the molasses and the cheese in a double boiler until the cheese is melted. Add the soda and stir vigor- ously. Mix and sift dry ingredients and add them to the molasses and cheese alternately with the water. Bake 15 minutes in small buttered tins. Cheese Gingerbread No. II. i cupful of molasses, 1 cupful of sugar, 4 ounces of cheese, 2 cupsful of flour, 1 teaspoonful of sodn, 2 teaspoonsful of ginger, 21« HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES i teaspoonful of salt, I cupful of water. Rub the cheese and the sugar to- gether. Add the molasses. Mix and sift the dry ingredients and add them to the ciicese mixture alternately with the water. Cheese Custard. 1 cupful of grated cheese, i cupful of cream or rich milk, Yolks of 2 eggs, A speck of salt and of paprika. Mix the cream and the cheese and heat until the cheese is melted. Re- move from the fire and add the yolks of the eggs. Bake in paper cases or buttered ramequins. Serve with jelly or preserves. Cheese Cakes. 1 quart of milk, Rennet, 1 ounce of sugar, Yolks of 2 eggs, A speck of nutmeg, li ounces of butter, 1 ounce of dried currants or small raisins. Warm the milk and add the ren- net, using the amoimt prescribed on the package. Let the milk stand un- til the curd forms, then break up the curd and strain off the whey. Add the other ingredients to the curd; line patty tins with pastry, fill them with the mixture, and bake. Brown Betty with Cheese. Arrange in a deep earthenware baking dish, alternate layers of bread crumbs and thinly sliced apples. Sea- son with cinnamon, also a little clove if desired and brown sugar. Scatter some finely shaved mild full cream cheese over each layer of apple. When the dish is full, scatter bread crumbs over the top and bake 30 to 45 minutes, placing the dish in a pan of water so that the pudding will not burn. If preferred, this may be sweet- ened with molasses mixed with an equal amount of hot water and poured over the top, a half cupful of molasses being suflBcient for a quart pudding dish full. Cheese may be used in place of butter in a similar way in other apple puddings. Apple pie made with a layer of finely shaved cheese over the seasoned apple and baked in the usual way is liked by many who are fond of cheese served with apple pie. CHAPTER XVII PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR THE TABLE ' GENERAL PRINCIPLES — SUCCULENT VEGETABLES — PEAS — BEANS — POTATOES — OTHER ROOTS AND BULBS — MIS- CELLANEOUS VEGETABLES GENERAL PRINCIPLES Vegetables are baked, roasted, fried, or boiled, are used for making a great variety of dishes, and are prepared for the table in other ways; but the most common method of cooking them is in boiling water. Steaming is not infrequently resorted to as a method of cooking vegetables and is, of course, similar in principle to boiling in water. The simpler the methods of cook- ing and serving vegetables the bet- ter. A properly grown and well- cooked vegetable wiU be palatable and readily digestible. Badly cooked, water-soaked vegetables very gener- ally cause digestive disturbances, which are often serious. Nearly every vegetable may be cooked so that with plain bread it may form a palatable course by itself, if it is de- sired to serve it in this manner. All green vegetables, roots, and tu- bers should be crisp and firm when put on to cook. If for any reason a vegetable has lost its firmness and crispness, it should be soaked in very cold water until it becomes plump and crisp. With new vegetables this will be only a matter of minutes, while old roots and tubers often re- quire many hours. All vegetables should be thoroughly cleaned just be- fore being put on to cook. Vege- 1 U. S. Department of Agriculture. Farm- ers' Bulletin No. 266. 213 tables that form in heads, such as cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, should be soaked, heads turned down, in salted cold water, to which a few spoonsful of vinegar may be added. If there are any worms or other forms of animal life in these vegetables, they will crawl out. To secure the best results all vegetables except the dried legumes must be put in boiling water, and the water must be made to boil again as soon as possible after the vegetables have been added, and must be kept boiling until the cooking is finished. Herbaceous vegetables should boil rapidly all the time. With tubers, roots, cauliflowers, etc., the ebullition should not be so violent as to break the vegetables. Green beans and peas when removed from the pod must also be cooked gently, i.e., just sim- mer. When the pods and all are used they are to be cooked rapidly, like the herbaceous vegetables. To secure the most appetizing and palatable dishes, only fresh tender vegetables should be cooked. If, however, green beans, peas, etc., have grown until a little too old and it still seems best to gather them, a very small piece of baking soda add- ed to the water in which they are boiled makes them more tender, it is commonly believed, and helps to re- tain the color. Too much soda in- jures the flavor, and an excess must be carefully avoided. A little soda 214 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES may also be used to advantage if the water is quite hard. Peas may be boiled for fifteen or twenty minutes in the water to which the soda has been added, then to be cooked the same as peas with pork. During the cooking of all vegeta- bles the cover must be drawn to one side of the stewpan to allow the vola- tile bodies liberated by the heat to pass off in the steam. All vegetables should be thoroughly cooked, but the cooking should stop while the vegeta- ble is still firm. This, of course, does not apply to vegetables that are cooked in soups, purees (thick strained soups), etc. The best sea- soning for most vegetables is salt and good butter. Vegetables that are blanched and then cooked with butter and other seasonings and very little moisture are more savory and nutri- tious than when all the cooking is done in a good deal of clear water. Blanching Vegetables. — Blanching, which in cookery is entirely different from the bleaching or blanching of green vegetables in the garden, is a cooking process often used with veg- etables, since it removes the strong or acrid taste and improves the qual- ity. It is also convenient, since blanching may be done at any time, and the cooking completed in a very short time when the dish is to be served. Have a large stewpan half full of rapidly boiling water. Add a table- spoonful of salt for every 2 quarts of water. Have the vegetables cleaned and well drained. Drop them into the boiling water, and bring the water back to the boiling point as quickly as possible. Boil rapidly, with the cover partially or wholly off the stewpan, five to twenty min- utes, depending upon the vegetable, then drain off the water. If the cooking of the vegetable is not to be finished at once, pour cold water over the vegetable to cool it quickly, then drain and set aside until needed. If the cooking is to be continued at once, it will not be necessary to rinse the vegetable with cold water. To complete the cooking the vesetable should be put in a small stewpan with butter or drippings and the other seasonings and cooked gently until done. A few spoonfuls of liquid will be required for every quart of very juicy vegetables, and half a pint of liquid for drier veg- etables. The stewpan is to be cov- ered, only a slight opening being left for ventilation. All vegetables cooked in this manner should be cut up rather small either before or after the blaching. Waste in Preparing Vegetables. — In preparing vegetables for the table there is almost always a larger or smaller loss due to inedible matter, skins, roots, seeds, etc., and also a waste of good material, which is caused by careless paring, etc., all these losses being groujied together in reporting analyses under the name " refuse." The amount of refuse var- ies greatly in different vegetables. The amount may be very small (7 per cent) in such vegetables as string beans; medium (10 per cent to 15 per cent) in such vegetables as on- ions, cabbage, leeks, lettuce, cucum- bers; or high (50 per cent) in such vegetables as beans in pod, pumpkins, and squash. With tubers, such as po- tatoes, the average amount of refuse is 20 jier cent, and with such roots as turnips, 30 per cent. In preparing vegetables for the table the careful cook will remove all inedible portions and will see to it that the total amount of refuse is as small as is consistent with good quality. Thin paring of potatoes and other vegetables is an economy which it is worth while to practice, and is an easy way of decreasing useless loss. Changes that Take Place in Cook- ing Vegetables. — Briefly, these are the principal changes that take place in vegetables during cooking: The cellular tissue is softened and loos- ened; the nitrogenous substances are coagulated; the starch granules ab- sorb moisture, swell, and burst; and flavors and odors are developed. As long as the vegetable is kept at a temperature above 125° F. changes continue to go on in the vege- PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 215 table substance. The most marked of these are in the starch and in the odor, color, and flavor of the vege- table. Starch will not dissolve in cold water, but pure starch gelatinizes readily in hot water, and if the tem- perature is high enough will become gummy and opaque. If starch is cooked in just moisture enough to swell and burst its granules and is then kept hot, but without additional moisture, a change will continue to take place, though the starch will re- main dry and glistening. The flavor grows sweeter and more nutty the longer the starchy food cooks in dry heat, (See Boiled Potatoes, Boiled Rice.) It is only vegetables that are composed largely of starch that can be kept hot in this manner without acquiring a strong taste and poor color. Potatoes, if kept in a closely covered vessel or with the unbroken skins on, will become soggy and dark and have a rank flavor. This is ow- ing to the retention of moisture, which changes some of the starch to a sticky gummy mass, and very prob- ably to the noxious volatile bodies which are generated by heat and should be allowed to pass away. If the skins are broken and the vessel ventilated, potatoes may be kept warm a long time without spoiling. Overcooking changes and toughens the texture of vegetable foods and destroys the chlorophyll and other coloring matters and volatilizes or in- jures the bodies which contribute to the flavor. Overcooked vegetables are inferior in appearance and flavor and often indigestible (that is, pro- motive of digestive disturbance) as well as unpalatable. SUCCULENT VEGETABLES Cabbage. — Because of the relative- ly large amount of sulphur which cabbage contains it is apt to be in- digestible and cause flatulence when it is improperly cooked. On the other hand, it can be cooked so that it will be delicate and digestible. It is one of our most useful vegetables, being available during the late fall, winter, and spring months, when other green vegetables are diflS- cult to procure. The quickest and simplest methods of cooking cabbage are the best. The essentials for the proper cooking of this vegetable are plenty of boiling water, a hot fire to keep the water boiling all the time, and thorough ventilation, that the strong-smelling gases, liberated by the high temperature, may be carried otf in the steam. Young cabbage will cook in twenty- five or thirty minutes; late in the winter it may require forty-five min- utes. The vegetable when done should be crisp and tender, any green por- tion should retain the color, and the white portion should be white and not yellow or broken. Overcooked cabbage or cauliflower is more or less yellow, has a strong flavor, and is very inferior to the same dish prop- erly cooked. In addition, overcooking is a cause of digestive disturbance. To Boil Cabbage. — Cut a small head of cabbage into four parts, cut- ting down through the stock. Soak for half an hour in a pan of cold water to which has been added a tablespoonful of salt; this is to draw out any insects that may be hidden in the leaves. Take from the water and cut into slices. Have a large stewpan half full of boiling water; put in the cabbage, pushing it under the water with a spoon. Add one tablespoonful of salt and cook from twenty-five to forty-five minutes, de- pending upon the age of the cabbage. Turn into a colander and drain for about two minutes. Put in a chop- ping bowl and mince. Season with butter, pepper, and more salt if it requires it. Allow a tablespoonful of butter to a generous pint of the cooked vegetable. Cabbage cooked in this manner will be of delicate flavor and may be generally eaten without distress. Have the kitchen windows open at the top while the cabbage is boiling, and there will be little if any odor of cabbage in the house. Cabbage Cooked with Pork. — For a small head of cabbage use about half a pound of mixed salt pork. 216 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES Boil the pork gently for three or four hours. Prepare the cabbage as for plain boiled cabbage. Drain well and put on to boil with the pork. Boil rapidly for twenty-five to forty- five minutes. Serve the pork with the cabbage. The vegetable may require a little more salt. Smoked bacon or ham may be sub- stituted for the pork. Cabbage may be cooked in water in which corned beef was boiled. Creamed Cabbage. 1 pint boiled and minced cab- bage, i pint hot milk, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 teasjioonful flour, i teaspoonful salt, J teaspoonful pepper. Put the cabbage, hot milk, salt, and pepper in a stewpan and on the fire. Beat the butter and flour together until creamy, then stir into the con- tents of the stewpan. Simmer ten minutes, being careful not to scorch the sauce; serve very hot. Cabbage with Sausage. 6 sausages, 1 quart minced cabbage, i teaspoonful pepper. Salt, if necessary.. Fry the sausages crisp and brown. Take from the frying pan and pour off all but three' tablespoonsful of the fat. Put the minced cabbage in the frying pan and cook six minutes. Arrange in a hot dish and garnish with the sausages. Serve mashed po- tatoes with this dish. Puree of Cabbage and Potatoes. 1 pint boiled finely-minced cab- bage, 6 medium-sized potatoes, S tablespoonsful butter or sav- ory drippings, 2 teaspoonsful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, i pint hot milk. Peel the potatoes and put them in a stewpan with boiling water enough to cover them. Cook just thirty min- utes. Pour off the water and mash fine and light. Beat in the hot milk, seasoning, and cabbage. Cook about five minutes longer. Cauliflower, — This vegetable, which a few years ago was a luxury, is now cultivated by nearly all market gardeners, and is within the means of all housekeepers. It is a most delicious vegetable, when properly cooked, and vile when improperly cooked, which generally means when overcooked. Remove all the large green leaves and the greater part of the stalk. Put the head down in a pan of cold wa- ter which contains to each quart a teaspoonful of salt and a teaspoonful of vinegar. Let it soak in this water an hour or more. This is to draw out worms, if any should be hidden in the vegetable. When ready to cook the cauliflower put it into a large stewpan, stem end down, and cover generously with boiling water. Add a tablespoonful of salt and cook with the cover of the saucepan partially off, boiling gently all the time. A large, compact head will require a full half hour, small heads from twenty to twenty-five minutes. If the flowers are loose the heat penetrates to all parts quickly. "VMien compact a little extra time should be allowed for the cooking, but the time must never exceed the half hour. The cauliflower begins to deteriorate the moment it begins to be overcooked. Overcooking, wliich is very common, can be told by the strong flavor and dark color. It makes the vegetable not only unpleasant to the eye and palate, but indigestible also. If this vegetable must be kept warm for any length of time, cover the dish with a piece of cheese cloth. In hotels and restaurants it is better to blanch it, chill with cold water, and then heat in salted boiling water when needed. Creamed Cauliflower. 1 pint cooked cauliflower, 1 pint milk, 1 teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper, PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 217 1 tablespoonful butter, i tablespoonful flour, 3 slices toasted bread. Have the cooked cauliflower broken into branches and seasoned with half the salt and pepper. Put the butter in a saucepan and on the fire. When hot add the flour and stir until smooth and frothy, then gradually add the milk, stirring all the time. When the sauce boils add the salt, pepper, and the cauliflower. Cook 10 minutes and dish on the slices of toast. Serve very hot. Sroccoli. — This vegetable is a spe- cies of cauliflower and can be cooked and served in the same manner. Brussels Sprouts. — This is a spe- cies of cabbage, which forms in many small heads about the size of an Eng- lish walnut on the stock of the plant. It is fairly common in most large markets and is worthy of more ex- tended use than it has commonly met with in the United States. Brussels Sprouts Blanched. — Re- move the wilted or yellow leaves from the little heads or " sprouts," cut the stock close to the head, and soak in salted cold water for an hour or more. Drain well and put into plen- ty of boiling salted water. Allow one teaspoonful of salt to two quarts of water. Boil rapidly for fifteen or twenty minutes, the time depending on the size of the heads. When done turn into a colander and pour cold water over the heads. They are now ready to cook in butter, or to serve with any kind of sauce. Or the boil- ing water may be drained from the sprouts, which can then be seasoned with butter, salt, and pepper. Brussels Sprouts Saut6. 1 quart Brussels sprouts, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, i teaspoonful salt, i teaspoonful pepper. To sauter a food is to cook it quickly in a frying pan in a little fat. Blanch the sprouts and drain well. Put them into a broad-bot- tomed saucepan with the butter and other seasonings. Place over a hot fire and shake frequently. Cook five minutes. Serve hot. Kale, or Borecole. — There are sev- eral varieties of this vegetable. The dwarf, green-curled kale is the best for the table and is a fall and spring vegetable. The leaves are sweeter and more tender after having been touched by the frost. In the North the roots may be banked with earth at the beginning of winter and when extreme cold weather sets in the plants may be covered lightly with hay or straw. In the spring the old stalks will produce young shoots that make delicious greens. Kale Boiled with Pork. — Cook the kale the same as cabbage with pork. Minced Kale. — Remove all the old or tough leaves. Wash the kale thoroughly and drain, then put on to cook in a kettle of boiling water, to which has been added salt in the pro- portion of 1 tablespoonful to 4 quarts of water. Boil rapidly, with the cover oflf the kettle, until the vege- table is tender. Pour off the water, and chop the kale rather fine; then put back into the kettle and add 1 tablespoonful of butter and 2 of meat broth or water for each pint of the minced vegetable. Add more salt if required. Cook for ten minutes and serve at once. The time required for cooking kale varies from thirty to fifty minutes. If young and fresh from the garden it will cook in thirty minutes. Sea Kale. — This is a delicious spring vegetable. It requires prac- tically the same culture as asparagus, and the young shoots are cooked in the same way as this vegetable. Sea kale may be cut the third year from the planting of the seed. Cutting should not be continued after the flower heads begin to form. The flower heads may be cooked the same as broccoli. Spinach. — This vegetable is a great resource in cold weather when green vegetables are scarce. The common spinach, which is the sort usually met with in gardens or markets, goes to seed quickly in hot weather, but New Zealand spinach, which is a very different plant from 218 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES ordinary spinach and far less well known in the United States, yields tender greens all summer. The shoots should be cut regularly; if not, the old shoots become tough and rank flavored. Spinach has little food value, but its refreshing and slightly laxative qualites make it a valuable adjunct to the more substantial foods. It contains little starch and only a sug- gestion of sugar, and is therefore one of the vegetables that physicians in- clude in the bill of fare of many in- valids who require a diet without these carbohydrates. Like most other vegetables, it is rarely cooked to perfection, yet it is not diflScult to prepare. Except for special reasons the simplest meth- ods are the best for this vegetable. No matter how cheap the raw spinach may be, it is always expensive in two things — labor and butter. It takes a good deal of time, water, and pa- tience to wash it clean, and no other vegetable requires so much butter if it is to be at its best. Where strict economy must be practiced, sweet drippings from roast beef or chicken can be substituted for the butter. To clean tlie spinach cut oflP the roots, break the leaves apart and drop them into a large pan of water, rinse them well in this water and put them in a second pan of water. Continue washing in clean waters until there is not a trace of sand on the bottom of the pan in which the vegetable was washed. If the spinach is at all wilted let it stand in cold water until it becomes fresh and crisp. Drain from this water and blanch. For half a peck of spinach have in a large saucepan 3 quarts of boiling water and 1 tablespoonful of salt. Put the drained spinach in the boiling water and let it boil ten minutes, counting from the time it begins to boil. When it begins to boil draw the cover of the saucepan a little to one side to allow the steam to escape. At the end of ten minutes pour the spinach into a colander, and when the hot water has passed off pour cold water over it. Let it drain well and mince coarse or fine, as is suitable for the manner in which it is to be served. One peck of spinach will make about li pints when blanched and minced. Spinach with Cream. i peck spinach, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablesj)oonful flour, 1 teaspoonful salt, J teaspoonful ])epper, i pint cream or milk. Blanch and mince the spinach. Put the butter in a saucepan and on the fire. When hot add the flour and stir until smooth and frothy, then add the minced spinach and the salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes, then add the milk or cream, hot, and cook three minutes longer. Serve. Spinach with Egg. i peck spinach, 3 tablespoonfuls butter, i teaspoonful pepper, 2 eggs, 3 teaspoonfuls salt. Wash and blanch the spinach, using two teaspoonfuls of the salt in the water in which the vegetable is boiled. Drain the blanched spinach and chop rather fine, return it to the saucepan, and add the salt, pepper, and butter. Place on the fire and cook ten min- utes. Heap in a mound on a hot dish and garnish with the hard-boiled eggs, cut in slices. Spinach Cooked without Water. — Fresh spinach when washed holds enough water for cooking. Put the spinach in a stewpan and on the fire; cover and cook ten minutes. Press down and turn the spinach over sev- eral times during the cooking. At the end of ten minutes turn the spinach into a chopping bowl, and mince rather fine. Return to the stewpan and add the seasonings, allowing for half a peck of spinach two generous tablespoonfuls of butter and a tea- spoonful of salt. Simmer ten min- utes; or if very tender five minutes will be sufficient. Spinach cooked in this manner will retain all its salts. It will be more PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 219 laxative and the flavor stronger than when blanched (boiled in water). In young, tender spinach this is not ob- jectionable, but when the overgrown vegetable is cooked in its own moist- ure the flavor is strong and somewhat acrid. Lettuce. — If lettuce has grown un- til rather too old for salad, it may be cooked, and makes a fairly palatable dish. Boiled Lettuce. — Wash four or five heads of lettuce, carefully removing thick, bitter stalks and retaining all sound leaves. Cook in plenty of boil- ing salted water for ten or fifteen minutes, then blanch in cold water for a minute or two. Drain, chop lightly, and heat in a stewpan with some butter, salt and pepper to taste. If preferred, the chopped lettuce may be heated with a pint of white sauce seasoned with salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. After simmering for a few minutes in the sauce, draw to a cooler part of the range and stir in the well-beaten yolks of two eggs. See also, "Peas with lettuce." Swiss Chards. — This vegetable is a variety of beet in which the leaf stalk and midrib have been developed in- stead of the root. It is cultivated like spinach, and the green, tender leaves are prepared exactly like this vegetable. The midribs of the full- grown leaves may be cooked like celery. Beet Greens. — Beets are usually thickly sowed, and as the young beet plants begin to grow they must be thinned out. The young plants pulled from the bed make delicious greens, particularly if the root has at- tained some little size. Unfortunate- ly, of late years the leaves are at- tacked by insects; therefore, they must be examined leaf by leaf, and all which are infested rejected. Do not separate the roots from the leaves. Wash thoroughly in many waters. Put into a stew]ian and cover generously with boiling water. Add a teaspoonful of salt for every two quarts of greens. Boil rapidly until tender. This will be about thir- ty minutes. Drain off the water, chop rather coarse, season with butter and salt. The vegetable may be boiled with pork as directed for " Cabbage and pork." Asparagus. — This delicious spring vegetable should be treated very sim- ply, yet carefully. Cut off the woody part, scrape the lower part of the stalks. Wash well and tie in bunches. Put into a deep stewpan, with the cut end resting on the bottom of the stewpan. Pour in boiling water to come up to the ten- der heads, but not to cover them. Add a teaspoonful of salt for each quart of water. Place where the water will boil. Cook until tender, having the cover partially ofif the stewpan. This will be from fifteen to thirty minutes, depending upon the freshness and tenderness of the vegetable. Have some slices of well toasted bread on a platter. Butter them slightly. Arrange the cooked asparagus on the toast, season with butter and a little salt and serve at once. Save the water in which the asparagus was boiled to use in mak- ing vegetable soup. Another method of cooking aspara- gus is to cut all the tender part into short pieces. Add boiling water enough to just cover the vegetable and place where the water will boil. Cook until tender (about fifteen min- utes), season with salt and butter, and serve in the greater part of the juice. If preferred, a cream dressing may be served with asparagus. Globe Artichoke. — The large flower bud of the Cynara scolymu^ is known as the globe or French artichoke. The flower buds must be used before they open. The edible portion con- sists of the thickened portion at the base of the scales and the receptacle to which the leaf-like scales are at- tached. In cookery books the recep- tacles are always spoken of as the bottoms. The parts of the flower in the center of the bud are called the " choke " and nmst always be re- moved. When the artichoke is very young and tender the edible parts may be 220 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES eaten raw as a salad. When it be- comes hard, as it does very quickly, it must be cooked. When boiled it may be eaten as a salad or with a sauce. The scales are pulled with the fingers from the cooked head, the base of each leaf dipped in the sauce and then eaten. The bottoms (recep- tacles), which many consider the most delicate part of the artichoke, may be cut up and served as a salad, or they may be stewed and served with a sauce. To prepare the artichoke remove all the hard outer leaves. Cut off the stem close to the leaves. Cut off the top of the bud. Drop the artichokes into boiling water and cook until tender, which will take from thirty to fifty minutes, then take up and remove the choke. Serve a dish of French salad dressing with the artichokes, which may be eaten either hot or cold. Melted butter also make a delicious sauce for the arti- chokes if they are eaten hot. Spring Greens. — After months of a very limited supply of herbaceous vegetables, which is the usual condi- tion in the northern regions of the United States, there is a craving for " greens." In almost all localities many of the common weeds are ten- der and well-flavored when very young. If one has a garden, it can be so managed that there shall be an abundance of fresh roots and greens until the time when the regular gar- den products are ready. There are a number of plants that may be left in the garden over winter for early spring use. Jerusalem artichokes, parsnips, salsify, leeks, and potato onions will give roots or buds as soon as the frost will permit digging. For greens there are such plants as curled green kale, and cabbage. The roots of these plants should be well earthed up, and when the real hard freezing weather comes the plants must be covered with hay or straw. Spinach and kale, or German win- ter greens, may be sown in Septem- ber. When the hard freezing weather comes protect them with leaves, straw, etc. Sorrel, if properly protected, will make a rapid growth as soon as anything begins to grow. It makes delicious greens by itself, or it may be cooked with other greens. It also makes a refreshing salad. The young shoots of the milkweed are almost as delicious as asparagus, when cooked according to the second method for cooking asparagus. In fact, the milk- weed and asparagus may be cut up and cooked together. The white goosefoot (Chenopodium album), better known by the common names " pigweed " and *' lamb's quar- ters," grows in almost all cultivated land. When very young it makes good greens, and should be cooked like si^inach. The dandelion, when gathered before the flower bud has attained any size, makes tender greens, and is greatly liked by many people because of its pleasant, bitter flavor. The cultivated dandelion is larger leaved, more tender, and of a milder flavor, and is also a fine salad if blanched like celery. A small bed of this vegetable will give a generous return in the spring, for the small amount of care it requires. The marsh marigold, commonly called " cowslip," is found in many regions in marshy places. In the early spring this jjlant makes good greens. Cook the same as spinach. Purslane is a weed comixion in most gardens and is very palatable as a pot herb. It is also cooked like spinach. In the Southern States the young shoots of the pokeberry or poke tops are favorite greens, and are cooked like asparagus, while turnip sprouts, cabbage sprouts, and coUards are fa- vorite greens of garden origin. In some regions of Europe young hop sprouts are much prized, being cooked like asparagus. Though eaten to some extent, they do not seem to be known to many housewives in this coimtry. Every locality produces some wild plants that are safe and pleasant to use as greens. It is important, how- ever, that the wild greens shall be gathered by persons who are familiar with the plants.i 1 For a discussion of wild plants used as pot herbs, see " Some Additions to our Vegetable Dietary," by F. V. Coville. U. S. Dept. Agr. Yearbook 1895, p. 805. PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 221 PEAS Green Peas. — This vegetable should be gathered when the seeds are about half grown, and it should be cooked as soon as possible after gathering. When the peas are thus young and tender they are best simply boiled and seasoned with salt and good but- ter. Some varieties of peas lack sweetness, and in this case a little sugar in the water in which they are cooked improves the flavor. Over- cooking spoils the color and flavor of the vegetable. Peas should always be boiled slowly, and with the cover partially off the stewpan. It is im- possible to give the exact time of cooking this vegetable, since so much depends upon the maturity of the peas, the length of time they have been picked, etc. Young, tender peas will generally cook in twenty or thirty minutes, and the seasoning should be added while they are still firm and crisp. If the peas are cooked until the green color of the chlorophyll is destroyed they are overdone and their delicate flavor is spoiled. When peas are overgrown and a little hard they should be cooked by the rule " Peas with pork." When this rule is followed a pinch of delicate, small, white onions may be added to the peas and other ingredi- ents and will give a very savory dish. Boiled Peas with Butter. — Put one quart of shelled peas in a stewpan and add enough boiling water to cover them generously. Place over a hot fire and when they begin to boil draw back where the water will bub- ble gently. Until the peas are done cook with the cover partially off the stewpan. When the peas are tender add one teaspoonful of salt and three tablespoonfuls of good butter. Cook ten minutes longer. If the peas are not the sweet kind add a teaspoonful of sugar with the salt and butter. Peas with Pork. 1 quart peas, 4 ounces pork, 1 tablespoonful butter, 1 gill water (J cupful), 2 small white onions, i teaspoonful pepper. Cut pork into small bits. Put but- ter into stewpan and on the fire. When the butter is melted add the pork and cook gently until a light brown, then add the water, peas, on- ion, and pepper. This is a good way to cook peas when they are a little old and hard. Peas with Lettuce. 1 quart peas, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 head lettuce — the heart, 1 small onion, 1 teaspoonful sugar, i gill water. Put all the ingredients into a stew- pan, cover and place over the fire and cook for five minutes, tossing the vegetables several times. Now draw the pan back where the contents will simmer slowly for half an hour. Puree of Dried or Split Peas. — Soak one quart of dried peas over night and follow the directions for puree of dried beans. Sugar Peas. — The green pods of the sugar pea may be prepared like string beans. Gather the pods while the seeds are still very small. String them like beans and cut into two or three lengths. Cover with boiling water and boil gently until tender. If th(.;,' are young and fresh they will cook in twenty-five or thirty minutes. Pour off some of the water, which will serve for soup. Season with salt and butter and serve at once. When the pods are fresh and tender they have an exquisite flavor. When the seeds have grown large and the pods become tough they may be shelled and cooked like any other variety of peas. The seeds of the sugar pea are ten- der and fine flavored. BEANS Beans are served as a vegetable in three stages of growth, namely, the tender young pods, the fresh seeds, and tlie dried seeds. The pods are known as green or string beans and as butter beans, depending upon the variety. String beans make one of ^2^ HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES our most delicious vegetables, if young and properly cooked. They should be gathered before the seeds begin to form. In this state the bean is sweet, delicate, and tender, but not a highly nutritious food. Shelled beans, both dried and fresh, particularly the former, contain a large percentage of nitrogenous mat- ter. The dried, ripe, shelled beans are apt to produce flatulence and sometimes colic. This trouble is largely due to the hull or skin and the germ, and may be remedied in a great measure by proper cooking, and, when possible, the removal of the hulls. The best forms in which to eat dried beans are in soups and purees. Beans that have been thor- oughly stewed or baked under the right conditions may be eaten by peo- ple who live a good deal out of doors. Fat of some kind is necessary in the cooking of beans. The fat has a softening influence on the composi- tion of the beans, and, since this vegetable has a very small percentage of fat, it is very desirable to supply this element either when cooking or when serving the vegetable. When possible, beans should be cooked in soft water. Dried beans are always hard when raw and have a strong acrid flavor. To soften them and re- move the strong flavor, the vegetable should be soaked in cold water, and then brought to the boiling point in fresh cold water. This water should be thrown away and the cooking be finished in fresh water. A little soda in the water in which the beans are soaked and in the water in which they are first scalded will help to soften and sweeten the vege- table. Green or String Beans. — Formerly it was difficult to find the slender, stringless green beans, but to-day the progressive market gardeners make a point of raising beans of this kind. Unfortunately, not all market gar- deners and farmers are progres- sive, and many still raise a coarse, fibrous bean that is a disappoint- ment to the consumer. In the very early stage of the pod almost any kind of bean will be good, if properly cooked, but all except the stringless kind must have their strings carefully removed. The pods should be gathered while small and tender. If for any reason they become wilted, they must be made crisp and fresh by being soaked in cold water. The beans that are brought from the South in cold weather are usually more or less wilted. They should be freed from strings, cut up, and soaked at least twelve hours in cold water. They will then cook like fresh beans. To Blanch Green Beans. — Green beans should always be blanched. To do this drain them from the cold water and put them into water that || is boiling rapidly, allowing a tea- '\ spoonful of salt to two quarts of water. Boil rapidly, with the cover partially off the saucepan, for twenty minutes. Turn into a colander and let cold water run upon them. They are now ready to be finished in any manner you like. The blanching can be done in the morning while the fire is good and the beans be finished for dinner at the proper time. Green Beans, Plain. 1 quart beans, 1 pint water, 1 generous tablespoonful butter, 1 level teaspoonful salt. String the beans if necessary and cut them into two-inch lengths. Blanch them as directed. Drain and put in the saucepan with the water, salt, and butter. Cook for ten min- utes over a hot fire, turning the con- tents of the saucepan from time to time. Serve very hot. If the beans are not tender it may take fifteen minutes to cook them, but under all circumstances be careful not to over- cook, as this ruins the flavor. If overcooked, green beans become yel- low or brown. Green Beans Boiled with Pork. — Boil about a quarter of a pound of pork for five hours. Have the beans free from strings and cut about 2 inches long. Cook them with the pork until tender (about half an hour). PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 223 Green Beans with Pork (French Method). 1 quart boiled beans, 2 ounces pork, 1 pint hot water, 1 teaspoonful flour. Cut the pork into small dice and put in the stewpan. Cook slowly for twenty minutes, then add the water. Mix the flour with a few spoonfuls of cold water; stir into the pork and water. Place the stewpan where the contents will cook slowly for an hour. At the end of this time add the beans and cook half an hour. Taste to see if more salt is required. A table- spoonful of butter added just before serving is a great acquisition to this dish. Butter beans, the varieties of string beans which are pale yellow in color, may be cooked like the green string beans. Scarlet Eunner Beans. — In Great Britain the scarlet runner beans, which are raised in the United States almost exclusively as an ornamental plant, are highly prized for the ta- ble. The tender green pods are " whittled " into small sections (after stringing) and cooked in water until just tender. Like other green vege- tables, they lose their color and deli- cate flavor if overcooked. These beans are at their best seasoned only with butter and salt. Shelled Kidney Beans. — All the varieties of this bean, when gathered while the seeds are still tender, may be cooked like the Lima beans. They may also be boiled with pork like green beans. It takes from one to two hours to cook kidney beans. Stewed Shelled fieans. 1 quart shelled beans, i pound salt pork, 1 onion, i teaspoonful pepper, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 quart boiling water, Salt to taste. Cut the pork in slices and fry it slowly ten minutes in a stewpan. Add the onion, cut fine, and cook twenty minutes very slowly. Cover the beans with boihng water and boil ten minutes. Drain oflF the water. Put the beans and flour in the stew- pan with the pork and onion, and stir over the fire for five minutes. Add the quart of boiling water and the pepper. Place the saucepan where Its contents will simmer for two hours. Taste to see if salt enough; if not, add salt. This method of cooking new shelled beans gives a savory and substantial dish. Green Lima Beans. — Cover 1 quart of the shelled beans with boihng water. Place on the fire where they will boil up quickly, then draw back where they will just simmer until done. When tender pour off a part of the water. Season the beans with a teaspoonful of salt and 2 heaping tablespoonfuls of butter. Or drain the water from the beans. Put the butter in a saucepan with 1 tablespoonful of flour. Stir over the fire until smooth and frothy, then add the beans and stir over the fire for five minutes. Draw back and add half a pint of water, meat stock, or milk. Simmer ten minutes. If liked, a teaspoonful of fine herbs may be added a few minutes before serving. It will take from forty-five to sixty minutes to boil the beans suflSciently. Dried Beans. — All dried beans re- quire the same preliminary treatment, no matter how they are to be finally cooked and served. Look them over carefully to remove all dirt and peb- bles, then wash clean. Soak them overnight in plenty of cold water. In the morning pour off the water and put them in a stewpan with cold water enough to cover them gener- ously. Let them come to the boiling point in this water, then drain. If the beans are old and hard, for each quart put a piece of soda about the size of a large bean in the water in which they are soaked overnight, also in the first water in which they are boiled. The scalded and drained beans should be put back in the stewpan and covered generously with boiling water. Add 1 tablespoonful of salt 224 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES for 1 quart of beans. They should now cook slowly, with the cover par- tially off the stewpan until they have reached the required degree of ten- derness. For stewed and baked beans the cooking must stop when the skins begin to crack. For beans served with a sauce they should cook until perfectly tender, but they must not be broken or mushy. For purees and soups they should be cooked until very soft. Puree of Dried Beans. Cook 1 quart of beans in water un- til very soft, then drain well (saving the water) and rub through a puree sieve. Put 1 pint of the strained beans in a stewpan with 2 table- spoonfuls of butter or savory drip- pings, 1 teaspoonful of sugar, 1 tea- spoonful of salt, one-fourth of a tea- spoonful of pepper, and hot milk enough to make the puree like thick mush. About half a pint of milk will be right. Cook in the double boiler for one hour, stirring often and adding more milk if too dry. Heap the puree in the center of a hot platter. Garnish with a circle of fried sausages, pork chops, mutton chops, or any fat meat. The puree may be served as a vegetable, with any kind of meat. A soup may be made with the water in which the beans were cooked and the remainder of the strained beans. Dried Beans Saute. Cook the beans until tender, but not broken. Drain off the w^ater and save it for soup. For 1 quart of beans put 3 tablespoonfuls of savory drippings or butter in a large-bot- tomed stewpan. When the fat is hot put in the drained beans, which have been seasoned with a tablespoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pep- per. Cook over a hot fire for fifteen minutes, frequently turning the beans over with a fork. Cover and let them cook for half an hour where they will not burn. If the beans are liked moist add a cupful of meat broth, milk, or water before putting them to cook for the last half hour. This dish may be made more sa- vory by frying a tablespoonful of minced chives, shallot, or onion in the butter or fat before adding the beans. A tablespoonful of fine herbs may also be added to the beans to make them more savory. Dried Beans with Sauce. The well-cooked and drained beans may be moistened with any good sauce and cooked for half an hour. Dried Beans in Salad. Season the cooked and drained beans with any of the salad dress- ings described elsewhere and serve as a salad. Baked Beans. Cook the dried beans gently until the skins begin to break, then drain off the water. Put a layer of beans in a bean pot or deep earthen dish, and on this layer, in the center of the dish, place a piece of salt pork ("streak of fat and streak of lean") having the rind side up, using for 1 quart of beans a half pound of pork; the rind should be scored. Fill up the dish with the beans and add sea- sonings and water to cover the beans. The simplest seasoning is 1 table- spoonful of salt and half a teaspoon- ful of pepper to a quart of beans. Mix the salt and pepper with the water. If liked, a tablespoonful of mustard may be added as well as a tablespoonful or more of molasses and an onion. Instead of the pork a piece of salt or fat beef or mutton may be employed. In this case there should be from IJ to 3 pounds of the meat per quart of beans. If fresh meat be used, add more salt to the beans. If, on the other hand, salt meat is used, probably 1 teaspoonful of salt will be enough. When mutton is employed trim off every particle of the skin. Bake the beans in a very moderate oven for eight or ten hours. Add a little boiling water from time to time, but never enough to bring the water beyond the top of the beans. Any kind of bean may be baked in this manner. However, the small pea bean is tlie best for " Boston baked i PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 225 beans." The Lima and large white beans are best for the deep earthen dish. Do not cover the beans while baking. Lentils. — Lentils may be cooked in purees, soups, etc., like dried beans. Baked Lentils. 1 quart lentils. 1 quart water. 6 ounces mixed salt pork, 1 clove of garlic or 1 small onion, 1 generous teaspoonful salt, ■J teaspoonful pepper. Pick over and wash the lentils. Soak in cold water overnight. In the morning pour off the water and put the lentils in a stewpan with two quarts of cold water and place on the fire. As soon as the water begins to boil the lentils will rise to the top. Take them off with a skimmer and put them in a deep earthen dish, with the pork and onion in the cen- ter. Mix the pepper and salt with a quart of boiling water and add. Put tlie • dish in a moderate oven, and cook slowly for four or five hours. The lentils must be kept moist, and it may be necessary to add a little water from time to time. If the pork is not very salt the dish may require a little more salt. Stewed lentils are prepared in about the same manner, but using more water. Instead of pork, fat corned beef or the shank of a ham may be employed. Cowpeas. — Cowpeas (a common leguminous vegetable in the south- ern United States), also called black- eye peas, Whip-poor-will peas, Lady peas, cornfield peas, etc., are most ex- cellent cooked like shelled beans when green. The young pods are also served like string beans. The ripe, dry beans, which are also very palat- able and nutritious, may be cooked like dried beans or lentils. POTATOES There are many varieties of this vegetable. Tastes"^ differ as to the most desirable kinds. In America and in England the white, mealy va- rieties are the most prized. On the Continent of Europe the " Yellow Holland " is a favorite variety. The white potato, when light and dry, is of delicate flavor and thought to be easy of digestion. It is especially suited for boiling, steaming, and bak- ing, and for soups and purees. The yellow potatoes are more suitable for preparations in which it is desirable that the whole or pieces of potatoes shall retain their shape when cooked. Such potatoes are the best kind to use for salads, ragouts, hash, and for the fried potato known as " Pommes de terre souiflee," which is like a Saratoga chip, except that it puffs up like a little sack filled with air. In general the yellow potato has a richer flavor than the white. Tlie potato is in such common use that it would seem as if all its char- acteristics would be well understood and it would be cooked in perfection. Unfortunately, the contrary is true, and perhaps no other vegetable is so carelessly cooked as a rule. The potato is a starchy food that contains enough moisture in its com- position to cook the starch. This moisture is in the form of a watery juice, in which is dissolved the ni- trogenous matter, the various salts, sugar, gum, etc. The starch cells are surrounded and penetrated by this watery bath. In cooking, the nitro- genous juice is coagulated in part at least by the heat, the starch granules swell and burst, and the starch ab- sorbs the watery part of the juice. When this stage is reached, if the moisture has been in the right pro- portion, all parts of the potato will present a light, dry, glistening ap- pearance. Every one concedes that such a potato will not cause di- gestive disturbance. However, the moisture is not always in the right proportion. Ripe potatoes and pota- toes grown on a well-drained or sandy soil will, as a rule, be dry and mealy if properly cooked. Potatoes grown in a wet season or in a heavy, damp soil as a rule contain too large a pro- portion of moisture for the starch. Old potatoes that are allowed to S26 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES sprout will be watery, probably owing to the withdrawal of some of the starch for food for the growing sprouts. A poisonous substance called so- lanin is found in or near the skin of potatoes which have grown exj)osed to tlie sun or a strong light. Solanin also develops when potatoes are al- lowed to sprout, and serious illness has been known to follow the eating of exposed and sprouted potatoes. The green color which a potato ex- posed to a strong light takes on is largely due to the grains of chloro- phyll developed in the parts of the tuber exposed to the light. The strong flavor is probably due to some substance which develops along with the chlorophyll. It will be seen that potatoes intended for the table should not be exposed to strong light or be allowed to sprout. Potatoes cooked in dry heat, as by baking in the oven, roasting in ashes, frying in deep fat, or steaming in their jackets retain all their salts and other constituents, and the flavor is more pronounced and savory than when cooked in water. But potatoes so cooked must be served just as soon as they are done, or else they will become soggy and bad flavored. Potatoes cooked in the skin should be free from any blemish and washed absolutely clean. Old potatoes, that is, potatoes that are kept into the spring and early summer, are better for being soaked in cold water and peeled before cooking. OTHER EOOTS AND BULBS Jerusalem Artichoke. — This vege- table is in season in the fall and spring, and may be cooked like kohl- rabi and served in a white cream or sauce. The artichoke may also be cooked in milk. When this is done, cut the washed and peeled artichoke into cubes, put in a stewpan, and cover with milk (a generous pint to a quart of cubes). Add one small onion and cook twenty minutes. Beat together one table- spoonful of butter and one level ta- blespoonful of flour, and stir this into the boiling milk. Then season with a teaspoonful of salt and one- fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, and continue the cooking half an hour longer. The cooking should be done in a double boiler. The artichoke also makes a very good soup. Turnips. — This vegetable is gener- ally spoiled by overcooking. The flat, white summer turnip, when sliced, will cook in thirty minutes. If the cooking is prolonged beyond this time, the vegetable begins to deteri- orate, growing dark in color and strong in flavor. The winter turnips require from forty-five to sixty min- utes. Boiled Turnips. Have the turnips peeled and sliced. Drop the slices into a stew- pan with boiling water enough to cover generously. Cook imtil ten- der, then drain well. They are now ready to mash or chop. If they are to be served mashed, put them back in the stewpan; mash with a wooden vegetable masher, as metal is apt to impart an unpleasant taste. Season with salt, butter, and a little pepper. Serve at once. Hashed Turnips. Chop the drained turnips into rather large pieces. Return to the stewpan, and for a pint and a half of turnips add a teaspoonful of salt, one- fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper, a tablespoonful of butter, and four ta- blespoonfuls of water. Cook over a very hot fire until the turnips have absorbed all the seasonings. Serve at once. Or the salt, pepper, butter, and a tablespoonful of flour may be added to the hashed turnips; then the stewpan may be placed over the hot fire and shaken frequently to toss up the turnips. When the turnips have been cooking five minutes in this manner add half a pint of meat stock or of milk and cook ten minutes. Carrots. — The carrot is valuable as a vegetable and as a flavorer. When partially grown and fresh from the ground they have a delicious flavor, and are so tender that they may be cooked without water. As the carrot PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 227 grows old the flavor grows stronger, and in the majority of varieties the heart grows hard and woody. When the carrot reaches this stage only the outer layers are desirable for food. Carrots with White Sauce. Scrape the carrots lightly; then cut into large dice or slices. Put into a stewpan with salted boiling water, allowing a teaspoonful of salt for a quart of water, and boil until tender. The young carrots will cook in thirty minutes and the old ones in forty-five. Drain, season with a lit- tle salt, put them in a vegetable dish, and pour the white sauce over them. Or the carrots may be cut into dice before cooking, and boiled and drained as directed; then put them back in the stewpan, and for every pint add one tablespoonful of butter, one teaspoonful of sugar, half a tea- spoonful of salt, and one gill of water or meat stock. Cook over a hot fire until the carrots have absorbed the seasonings and liquid. Parsnips. — This vegetable, because of its pronounced taste, is probably not so generally liked as are most of the other roots. It is at its best in the early spring, when it has been in the ground all winter. The simplest method of cooking the parsnip is to wash it clean, boil it, and then scrape ofp the skin. Now cut in slices and put in the vegetable dish. Season with salt and butter. When the parsnips are tender and just out of the ground they will cook in thirty-five minutes; when old it takes from forty to fifty minutes to cook them. The cooked and peeled parsnips may be chopped rather coarse, seasoned with salt, and put into a stewpan with hot milk enough to cover them. Place the stewpan on the range where the heat is moderate. For a pint and a half of parsnips beat together one tablespoonful of butter and one teaspoonful of flour. Stir into the parsnips and milk. Sim- mer for ten minutes. Parsnips are often cut in slices after boiling and fried in butter. Salsify. — This vegetable is some- times called oyster plant, because the flavor suggests that of the oyster, par- ticularly when the boiled vegetable is sliced and fried in butter. Salsify is one of the roots that may be left in the ground over winter, thus making this vegetable available for the late summer, fall, and spring. To prevent this root from turning dark it must be dropped as soon as it is pared and cut into a mixture of flour and water made slightly acid with vinegar. For 6 good-sized roots mix together 1 tablespoonful of vine- gar, 2 tablespoonfuls of flour, 1 tea- spoonful of salt, and 3 pints of water. Wash and scrape the roots, then cut into slices about 3 inches long. Drop into the prepared water. Place the stewpan on the fire and cook the salsify thirty minutes, counting from the time it begins to boil. Drain and serve in a white sauce. Or mix to- gether 1 tablespoonful of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, 1 teaspoonful of lemon juice, and 1 teaspoonful of minced parsley or chervil. Add this to the drained salsify and serve at once. Beets. — Beets are among our most useful vegetables, since they may be had all through the summer and may also be stored in good condition for winter use. Sometimes beets are cut in small pieces, after boiling, and served with white sauce, but the most common as well as the most palat- able way of serving them is with but- ter. Beets with Butter. Wash the beets, being careful not to break the skin. Put into a stew- pan and cover generously with boil- ing water and boil until tender. \oung beets will cook in one hour. As the beets grow old the time of cooking must be increased. In win- ter this vegetable becomes so hard it may require four or more hours of steady boiling to soften it. It is then only suitable for pickling in vinegar after being thoroughly boiled. When the young beets are cooked, take them from the boiling water and drop them into cold water. Rub off the skin. Cut the beets in thin slices 228 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES and season with salt and butter. Serve at once. Kohl-Rabi, or Turnip Cabbage. — This vegetable is a variety of the cabbage, but instead of the reserve nutritive matter of the plant being stored largely in the leaves or flow- ers, it is collected in the stem, which forms a turniplike enlargement just above the ground. Kohl-rabi is fine flavored and delicate, if cooked when very young and tender. It should be used when it has a diameter of not more than 3 or 3 inches. As it grows large it becomes tough and fibrous. Boiled Kohl-Rabl. Wash and pare the vegetables, then cut in thin slices. Put into slightly salted boiling water and boil, with the cover partially ofif the stewpan, until the vegetable is tender. This will take from thirty to fifty minutes. Pour off the water and season with butter, salt, and pepper. Kohl-rabi may be boiled with pork in the same way as cabbage. The cold boiled vegetable may be served as a salad. Celeriac. — This vegetable is also known as " knot celery " and " turnip- rooted celery." The roots, which are about the size of a white turnip, and not the stalks are eaten. They are more often used as a vegetable than as a salad. Pare the celeriac, cut in thin, nar- row slices, and put into cold water. Drain from this water and drop into boiling water and boil thirty minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. The celeriac is now ready to be prepared and served the same as celery. Puree of Celeriac. 1 quart celeriac cut in dice, 2 tablespoonfuls butter, 1 tablespoonful flour, 1 teaspoonful salt, 1 gill stock or cream. Cook the celeriac thirty minutes in boiling water, rinse in cold water, then press through a puree sieve. Put the butter in a saucepan and on the fire. When hot add the flour and stir until smooth and frothy, and then add the strained celeriac and cook five minutes, stirring frequently. Add the salt and stock or cream and cook five minutes longer. If the pur^e seems dry, add more stock or cream. The vegetable varies as to the amount of moisture it requires. It should be eaten very hot. If used as a garnish, it is generally put in the center of the dish and the poul- try or meat placed on it or around it. Otherwise it may be served on toast or fried bread as a dish by itself. Celery. — The culture of this vege- table is so general that one can find it in large markets nearly every month of the year. Celery is at its best in the late fall and early winter, when the weather has been cold enough to crisp the blanched stalks. This plant is most useful as a salad and flavorer, but is perhaps most commonly eaten raw, without any dressing except salt, as an accompani- ment of fish, meat, etc. Only the tender, inner stalks should be eaten raw. The hard, outside stalks make a delicious and whole- some dish when properly cooked. When thus used, celery should be blanched and served with a sauce. Stewed Celery. To blanch celery in cooking, re- move all the leaves from the stalks. Scrape off all rusted or dark spots, cut into pieces about 3 inches long, and put in cold water. Have a stewpan of boiling water on the fire, wash and drain the celery and put in the boiling water. Add one teaspoon- ful of salt for every 2 quarts of wa- ter. Boil rapidly for fifteen minutes, having the cover partially off the stewpan. Pour off the water and rinse with cold water, then drain. The celery is now ready to finish in the following manner: Put the celery in the stewpan with one tablespoon- ful of butter, and one teaspoonful of salt for each quart of celery. Cover and cook slowly for fifteen minutes. Shake the pan frequently while the celery is cooking. Serve hot. Onion. — This vegetable is the most PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 229 useful of all our flavorers, and there is hardly a soup, stew, sauce, etc., that is not improved by the addition of the onion flavor. As a vegetable the onion may be prepared in a va- riety of ways. The white onions are the most delicate and are therefore more suitable as a vegetable than the yellow or red variety. The large Spanish onions and the Bermuda onion are also delicate and suitable for a table vegetable. If the stronger onions are used for this purpose they must be thoroughly blanched. Boiled Onions in White Sauce. Peel the onions and cut off the roots, dropping into cold water as fast as they are peeled. Drain from the cold water and put in a stewpan with boiling water to cover gener- ously. Add a teasjioonful of salt for each quart of water. Boil rapidly for ten minutes, with the cover par- tially off the saucepan. Drain off the water and cover the onion with hot sweet milk (a quart of onions will require a pint of milk). Sim- mer for half an hour. Beat together one tablespoonful of butter and one level tablespoonful of flour. Add one teaspoonful of salt and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of white pepper. Gradually beat in about half a cupful of the milk in which the onions are cooking. When smooth, stir the mix- ture into the onions and milk. Let the dish cook ten minutes longer and serve. Stewed Onions. Cut the onions in slices and boil in salted water for ten minutes. Drain well and return to the stewpan. For a quart and a half of onion, measured before it was boiled, add two tablespoonfuls of butter, one tea- spoonful of salt, and one-fourth of a teaspoonful of pepper. Cover the stewpan and cook over a hot fire for five minutes, shaking the pan to pre- vent the onion from browning. Set the stewpan back where the contents will cook slowly for forty minutes. Drippings may be substituted for the butter, but, of course, the dish will not be so delicate in flavor. MISCELLANEOUS VEGETABLES Cucumbers. — The cucumber is nmcli oftener eaten in the United States as a salad than cooked, yet it is a very palatable vegetable when stewed and served with a white sauce, or seasoned witli butter, salt, and pepper, and served on toast. The pared and quartered cucumber should be cooked until tender in boiling salted water, which will require about fifteen minutes, and then served as directed. Cucumbers may also be cut in slices lengthwise and fried like summer squash or eggplant. Stewed Cucumbers. Stew pared cucumbers, cut in quar- ters or in thick slices, for fifteen min- utes in a saucepan with a little water and a minced shallot or a small minced onion. Pour off the water; stir in a little flour, butter, and salt; heat for two or three minutes, and then serve. Cucumber Saute. Boil pared and quartered cucum- bers for tliree minutes only. Then drain tlie pieces and season with salt and pepper. Roll in flour and cook in a saucepan with butter for twenty minutes. This dish may be varied by adding minced parsley, chives, and chervil about five minutes before the cooking is finished. Tomatoes. — The tomato, although not very nutritious, may be classed as one of our most useful vegetables. Raw, it makes an attractive and re- freshing salad and may be served by itself or in combination with other vegetables, with meat or with fish. As a vegetable the tomato may be prepared in many ways. It makes a good foundation for soups and sauces. Made into catsup or pickles it serves as a relish. The addition of a little tomato gives a pleasant, acid flavor to many soups and sauces, and also to meat, fish, and vegetable dishes. If possible the tomatoes should ripen fully on the vines, as the flavor is much better than when picked green and then allowed to ripen. 230 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES When properly canned this vege- table keeps well and retains its nat- ural flavor. The housekeeper who has a generous supply of canned to- matoes on hand will find them very valuable at all times of the year, but especially in the winter months when the variety of vegetables is not great. Overcooking spoils the flavor and color of the tomato. To Peel Tomatoes. Put the ripe tomatoes into a dish and ])Our boiling water over them. Let them rest in the water about one minute; then pour the water off. The thin skin will now peel ofif readily. When a quantity of tomatoes are to be peeled have a deep stewpan a little more than half filled with boil- ing water and on the fire where the water will continue to boil. Put the tomatoes in a frying basket and lower into the boiling water. Let the bas- ket remain one minute in the water. There must, of course, be water enough to cover the tomatoes. Stewed Tomatoes. Peel the tomatoes and cut into small pieces. Put into a stewpan and on the fire. Boil gently for twenty minutes or half an hour, counting from the time it begins to boil. Sea- son five minutes before the cooking is finished. Allow for each quart of tomato one generous teaspoonful each of salt and sugar and one tablespoon- ful or more of butter. Escalloped Tomatoes. 1 pint peeled and cut tomatoes, 1 ]>int grated bread crumbs, 1 level teaspoonful salt, 1 tablespoonful butter, A suggestion of pepper. Reserve three tablespoon fuls of the bread crumbs, and spread the re- mainder on a pan. Brown in the oven, being careful not to burn them. Mix the tomato, browned crumbs, salt, pepper, and half the butter together, and put in a shallow baking dish. Spread the unbrowned crumbs on top, and dot with the remainder of the butter, cut into bits. Bake in a moderately hot oven for half an hour. The top of this dish should be brown and crisp. Tomato Toast. Boil one quart of peeled and cut tomatoes for ten minutes, then rub through a strainer. Return to the stewpan and add two level teaspoon- fuls of salt, half a tablespoonful of pepper, and two tablespoonfuls of butter. Place on the fire and cook five minutes. Have the bottom of a hot platter covered with well-toasted slices of bread and pour the hot to- mato over it. Serve at once. A dropped or poached egg may be put on each slice of toast. Okra. — Though okra, a variety of Hibiscus with mucilaginous edible pods, will grow in most parts of the L^nited States, it is much more com- monly eaten in the Southern States than elsewhere. Tlie young pods should be boiled in salted water until tender (about twenty minutes), drained, and heated for five minutes with cream (a scant cup to a quart of okra), a tablespoonful of butter, and salt and pepper. Okra is also a common ingredient of soups. The cultivation of okra, methods of serving it, and related topics are dis- cussed in a recent publication of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Green Peppers. — The sweet green pepper, though fairly common in our city markets, is not as widely known as a vegetable as it deserves. Sliced, it makes a very fine salad alone, or, more commonly, mixed with other salad plants like lettuce. Stuffed and baked peppers are very palatable. Green Peppers Stuffed and Baked. L^se only tender sweet peppers. For six medium-sized peppers make a dressing in the following manner: Soak, in cold water, enough stale bread to make one pint when the water is pressed out. Season this with two teaspoonfuls of salt, one tablespoonful of fine herbs, about one-fifth of a teaspoonful each of sweet basil and sunnner savory, and two tablesjioonfuls of butter or sa- vory drippings. PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 231 Cut off the stem end of the pepper and remove all the interior, being careful to take out every seed. FiU the peppers with the dressing. Place them on end in a shallow baking dish and pour around them a sauce pre- pared as follows: Put into a sauce- pan and on the fire, one tablespoon- ful of dripiDings. When hot, add one level tablespoonful of flour. Stir un- til smooth and brown, then add, grad- ually, three gills of meat stock or water. Season with one level tea- spoonful of salt. Cook five minutes, then pour around the stuffed peppers. Put the dish in a moderately hot oven and bake the peppers one hour, bast- ing often with the sauce in the dish. Peppers may also be filled with a well-seasoned dressing of chopped meat, made with or without the addi- tion of bread crumbs or rice. Eggplant. — This vegetable, as well as potato and tomato, belongs to the nightshade family. Like all succu- lent green vegetables, it has little nu- tritive value. The common methods of cooking are by frying, broiling, and baking. Baked Eggplant. For baked eggplant make a dress- ing as for stuffed peppers, except that a little more salt, pepper, and butter are used. Cut the eggplant in two lengthwise, scrape out the inside, and mash it fine, then mix with the dressing and return to the shells. Place on a pan and in the oven. Cook forty-five minutes. Fried Eggplant. For fried eggplant cut the vege- table in slices about half an inch thick and pare. Sprinkle the slices with salt and pile them upon one an- other, put a plate with a weight on top of the slices. Let them rest for an hour, then remove weight and plate. Add one tablespoonful of wa- ter, half a tablespoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper to an egg. Beat well. Dip the slices of eggplant in the egg, then in dried bread crumbs. Spread on a dish for twenty or more minutes. Fry till brown (in deep fat). Broiled Eggplant. The eggplant is sliced and drained as directed above. Then spread the slices on a dish, season with pejiper, and baste with salad oil, sprinkle with dried bread crumbs and broil. Squash. — The various varieties of the summer squash are generally cooked when so small and tender that the thumb nail can pierce the rind easily. To prepare for the table wash the squash, cut into small pieces, and either cook in boiling water or steam it. It will cook in boiling water in half an hour. It takes about an hour to cook it in the steamer. The cooked squash is mashed fine and seasoned with salt, pejiper, and butter. This method gives a delicate flavored but rather watery dish. Summer squash is very palatable cut in slices and fried like eggplant. It is claimed by many that the very young summer squashes, particularly the turban variety, or " cymlin " of the Southern States, are very delicate and palatable cooked whole. For this dish they should not be much larger than a silver dollar. In the opinion of the writer the crook-necked and other summer squashes are richer in flavor when grown to a large size. From the more mature squash remove the thin skin and seeds. Cut the squash in small pieces and put in a stewpan with boiling water enough to cover. Boil for half an hour. Drain, mash, and season with salt, pepper, and butter. Cook winter squash in the same manner. Squash is one of the vege- tables that require a good deal of butter. Green Corn. — Green corn, a typi- cal American food product, is a vege- table which, for most palates, is eas- ily spoiled by overcooking, since the longer the cooking period the less pronounced the delicate corn flavor. Boiled Corn on the Cob. The most satisfactory way to serve green corn is on the cob. Free the corn from husks and " silk." Have a kettle of water boiling hard, drop the corn into the water and cook ten min- 232 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES utes. If only a few ears of corn are put in a kettle of boiling water, the temperature of the water is not low- ered greatly and the corn will cook in eight minutes. On the other hand, if a large quantity of corn is crowded into a kettle of boiling water, the temperature is very much lowered and the time of cooking must be in- creased. When possible, surround the corn with a generous quantity of boiling water. Corn Cut from Cob. Corn may be cut from the cob and heated with butter, pepper, and a little milk. For this dish cook the ears five minutes in boiling water to set the juice. Then with a sharp knife cut through the center of each row of grains and with the back of a case knife press the grains of corn from the hulls. Put the corn in a saucepan and season with salt, pep- per, and butter. Add enough hot milk to moisten well, and cook ten minutes. Serve at once. The raw corn may be cut from the cob and treated in the same manner. Succotash. To a pint of corn cooked as above add a pint of cooked and seasoned shelled beans. Vegetable Hash. — Hash may be made with one or many cooked vege- tables, the vegetable or vegetables being used alone or combined with meat or fish. Potato is the most use- ful vegetable for a hash, as it com- bines well with the animal food or with otlier vegetables. The conditions essential to a good hash are that the vegetables shall be cut fairly fine, but not so fine that the pieces shall lose their shape or stick together — that is, the particles should drop apart readily when shaken on a fork. Each vegetable must be cut up separately, then all be mixed. The vegetables, or vegetable, and meat or fish must be well seasoned with salt and pepper, and if liked there may be added a little minced onion, chives, parsley, chervil, or green pepper finely minced. The hash must be moistened a little with meat broth, milk, or water (not more than half a cupful for a quart of hash). When the hash is mixed, seasoned, and moist- ened put a tablespoonful of butter or savory drippings in a frying pan. When this is melted put in the hash, and spread evenly and lightly in the pan. Over this put little dots of but- ter or savory drippings, using about one tablespoonful in all. Cover the pan and place where the hash will not burn, but where the heat is fairly good, and cook half an hour, then fold and turn on a hot platter. A rich brown crust will have formed on the bottom of the hash if the heat was sufficient. Serve very hot. The plates on which hash is served should be hot. Rice. — Wash 1 cupful of rice in several waters, rubbing the grains be- tween the hands to remove all the dirt. Put the washed rice in a stew- pan with 2J cupfuls of water and 1 teaspoonful of salt. Cover and place where the water will boil. Cook for twenty minutes, being careful not to let it burn. At the end of this time put the stewpan on a tripod or ring and cover the rice with a fold of cheese cloth. Let it continue to cook in this manner an hour, then turn into a hot vegetable dish. The rice will be tender, dry, and sweet, and each grain will be separate. During the whole process of cooking the rice must not be stirred. If a tablespoon- ful of butter is cut up and sprinkled over the rice when it has cooked twenty minutes the dish will be very much improved. Hominy and Corn Meal. — The large hominy, which is so common in the southern part of the United States, is frequently served as a vege- table, either boiled or fried in drip- pings. Fine hominy, which is more common in the northern part of the country, and which is often served as a vegetable, should be thoroughly washed, and cooked in boiling water in the proportion of 1 gill of hom- iny to a pint of water, to which a half teaspoonful of salt has been added. When cold, the boiled hom- iny may be cut in slices and fried. PREPARATION OF VEGETABLES FOR TABLE 233 The slices will brown more readily are not common. It is interesting to if they are first rolled in flour. note that in the Southern States rice Fried corn-meal mush is often and hominy are much oftener used served as a vegetable, with chicken as starchy vegetables in place of po- and other meats, and is very palata- tatoes than in other parts of the ble and useful when fresh vegetables country. CHAPTER XVIII VEGETABLE DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS CLASSES AND PROPERTIES OF VEGETABLES — MARKETING FOR VEGETABLES — PREPARATION FOR COOKERY — CARROTS, PARSNIPS AND OTHER ROOTS — CABBAGE AND OTHER SUC- CULENT VEGETABLES — ONIONS — BEANS, PEAS AND LEN- TILS—FRUIT AND FUNGOUS VEGETABLES — VEGETABLE LEFT-OVERS Potatoes, peas, corn, beans, and many of the vegetables which are universally used, receive fair treat- ment, but in American kitchens there is still much to learn on the subject of how to make the best of what a country cook calls " greens." In the spring, one craves this sort of food for the well-being of the body and because appetite demands it. The earth yields with the seasons exactly the sort of food we ought to eat, and eat liberally, for it is nature's own medicine. First, let us divide vegetables into classes. The cereals are rice, wheat, barley, corn and other grains. The legumes include the large family of beans, peas, and lentils. In the root class we have beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips, and radishes. Green vege- tables include a variety of things herbaceous, from cabbage to dande- lions. In bulbs there is the onion family and garlic. Then there are what are called fruit vegetables, egg- plant, peppers, okra, cucumbers, and squash. There is also the fungous class, such as mushrooms and truffles. Each class has a different food value; they require different treatment in cookery and are suited to accom^iany different foods, although our nation would be in no way the loser, either in health or economy, if it learned, like the French people, to make an excellent cooked vegetable serve for a complete course. 234 Before we consider the cooking of vegetables, let us study what their properties are and what they do for our bodies. Every vegetable contains more or less of what is called cellulose tissue. This helps to keep the stomach and intestines healthy. For when we eat meat, we put into our stomachs a highly con- centrated food that requires the ad- dition of other foods, bulky and less easily digested, to make a perfectly balanced meal. Strange as it may seem, the value of vegetables lies in the fact that they are made up largely of a Hiembranous substance so bulky and full of refuse that the stomach expels it to the intestines in an al- most unchanged condition. Mean- while, the blood has taken to itself such mineral matter and salts as are necessary to the human system. While digestion is in progress, the loose mass of cellulose is keeping up the peri- staltic action that goes on in the healthy stomach for several hours after eating. It is not necessary that there be nourishment in everything we eat. We require the pure water and salts of green vegetables just as much as we do the proteid of meat and the nitrogen of legumes. MARKETING FOR VEGETABLES To get the fullest value from vege- tables, they must be fresh. The coun- try woman, who can pick green things VEGETABLE DISHES AND LEFT-OVERS 235 from her garden before the dew has dried from them, is lucky indeed. The best that can be done by a city housewife is to do her own market- ing intelligently and carefully. In marketing, beware of root vegetables which are overclean about the roots. The greengrocer has his method of reviving stale goods; roots are soaked from a withered condition back to a fresh^appearance. Cabbage and let- tuce are skillfully stripped of their outer leaves, and although dirty, sandy spinach is less attractive in looks than cleaner leaves, it is apt to be fresher than that which has been revived by washing. Even cucumbers, eggplant, and tomatoes can be re- vived by an ice-water bath. Within thin, membranous walls veg- etables inclose a semifluid mass that stores up minute cells of starch or other material. As soon as the tender growth of the young plant is over, these cells grow woody and tough. You can readily see this process in old asparagus, something we hesitate to eat; yet in thousands of families stale vegetables, which have devel- oped the same conditions as if they were old, are used for economy's sake. It would really, in such a case, be better to omit vegetables from a menu. One is eating woody fiber, which can be torn apart like threads, and is almost as difficult as thread to digest. Suppose we see for Ourselves just what this fibrous mass is like. Take two messes of peas, one of them green things fresh from the pod. Cook in boiling water. They will be ready for the table in ten minutes, but first make them into a puree by forcing the pulp through a potato ricer. They contain little but pulp. Nothing ex- cept skins is left in the strainer. Their value lies in the sugar and mineral salts they contain. Now, take old dried peas such as are used as a base for soup. They must first be soaked for twenty-four hours in cold water. Afterwards long, slow cooking softens them so they can be squeezed through the ricer. Then it actually takes mus- cle to get a purde from them, and it is small in proportion to the resi- due retained by the strainer. The latter consists not only of the dry, husky skins of the peas, but also con- tains a quantity of waste which no stomach can properly digest. Still, this pulp made into a soup is a nu- tritious dish. That is why so many people with slow digestion can take in soup such vegetables as corn, to- mato, beans, lentils, and celery, when the vegetable in its entirety would cause them great distress. Every vegetable is almost lacking in fat; the legumes have the largest proportion, and they average only three per cent. Therefore, fat in some form should be added to every vegetable dish. Hence we beat cream or butter into mashed potatoes, bake beans with a bit of pork on top of them, and pour oil over salads. PEEPARATION OF VEGETABLES Now to the various methods of preparation and cooking of vege- tables. Probably root vegetables are used most largely in every household. Keep a small stiflf brush for their thorough cleaning. The brush scrubs earth from every crevice. Carrots, parsnips, and salsify also require scraping after having been scrubbed. Turnips, kohl-rabi, and celeriac should be pared. Beets must be well cleansed, but not broken anywhere, nor even have the tops cut, else they will " bleed," thus losing their fine sweet flavor. With most of the root vegetables, except potatoes, white and sweet, the only method for cooking is to boil them by dropping them into water at a bubbling boil. Turnips, carrots, parsnips, kohl-rabi, and celeriac will cook in half an hour if they are young and fresh; winter vegetables require from forty to sixty minutes. Young beets take an hour; old beets require boiling all day. The best way to cook them is to consign them to the fireless cooker. But one can make these root vegetables as palatable as skilled French cooks do by the simple process of blanching. Blanching means bleaching; its object is to remove from winter vege- 236 HOUSEHOLD DISCOVERIES tables their strong acrid flavor. Then too, it improves their quality. Let us blanch turnips, for instance; then you can apply the same process to a va- riety of vegetables. Have a large saucepan with '2 quarts water at a rapid boil; add 1 tablespoonful salt; drop into it the pared turnips and bring the water back to the boiling point as quickly as possible. Cook rapidly, uncovered, for thirty minutes. Drain off the water, put the turnips in a strainer, and cool them under the cold-water faucet; then set away in a covered disli until you are ready to prepare them for the table. Cut them into rather hirge pieces, put in a saucepan with a tablespoonful butter, a dash pepper, a teaspoonful salt, and 4 tablespoonfuls meat stock or milk. Cook over a hot fire until the vegetables have absorbed both season- ings and liquid. Serve at once. Blanching of vegetables results in a saving of time, because they may be cool