■vl!"=ia*:| U'f '^ I Wmm^^% MUii^^^ '.ri '■■■ ■S'-*' '*V'i L y% -:^ ALBERT R. MANN LIBIRARY Cornell University Gift of Thomas Bass a ^Oip. From Home Bakings, by Edna Evans San Francisco, 1912. CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY 3 1924 086 682 428 I Cornell University f Library The original of tiiis book is in tine Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924086682428 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING \ '^4 'i .. % su^ Z^"^*^ ^Vttf-^^L^/ "LIKE MOTHER USED TO MAKE" MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Illustrations by Francis Beook Farley New York Frederick A. Stokes Company PUBLISHEKS Copyright, 1904 By Frederick A. Stokes Compajty All rights reserved Published October, 1904 THE UNIVERSn'Y PRESS CAMBRIDGE, v. S. A. DAINTY DISHES FOR DELICATE DIGESTIONS Being a collection of recipes, some of which were pried away from reticent chefs and head waiters, and others that the author'' s friends have generously contributed, with several of her own. PREFACE THIS book is dedicated by the author to those who have laughed at her serious efforts to be graceful and sylph-like for their benefit ; to those who failed to laugh ; and to those who said " go ahead and eat it," when she should have been adhering to her saccharin tablets and dry toast, with the hope that they may be tempted into eating " not wisely but too well." That I't^ Coiisf^ CHILD/ 0/^ WHERE TO FIND THEM BEEAKFAST DISHES Creamed Ham and Poached Eggs 3 Eggs and Mushrooms .... 5 EggsTivoli 7 Devilled Eggs and Anchovy Toast 9 Curried Eggs 11 Eggs k la CrSme 13 Another Breakfast Dish . . 15 Ham and ! 17 Tripe and Oysters . . . . 19 Creamed Kidneys ... . . 21 HOT BBEADS Dick's Tea Biscuits ... .25 Sarah's Sally Lunns 27 Pop-Overs 29 Sarah's Muffins 31 California Rusk 33 California Waffles 35 California Poplar Chips ... 37 Gem Puffs 39 Short Bread .... 41 Southern Com Pone ..... 43 Griddle Cakes . 45 FISH Finnan Haddie k la Delmonico . 49 St. Lawrence River Fish Chowder 51 Philadelphia Fried Oysters (Fin- nelli's) 53 Mock Fried Oysters 55 Minced Clams on Toast ... 57 Stuffed Lobster 59 Home-Made Lobster Newburg . 61 Julia's Devilled Lobster ... 63 Fish Salad 65 Lobster Cutlets 67 Codfish Balls 69 Crab Salad 71 Pepper Roast 73 VEGETABLES Potato Souffle ... 77 A Cauliflower Cheese . . . 79 Mushrooms under Glass 81 Chestnut Croquettes .... 83 Potato Griddle Cakes . . . 85 Stuffed Green Peppers . . . 87 Rice with Tomatoes .... 89 WHERE TO FIND THEM VEGETABLES — Continued Stuffed Potatoes 91 Savory Rice 93 Corn Fritters 95 Cold Slaw 97 Saratoga Creamed Potatoes (Jim Eiley's) 99 SOUPS Leek Soup 103 Clam Chowder 105 Mushroom Bisque 107 Mock Bisque 109 Chicken Gumbo Ill Cream of Spinach 113 Cream of Corn 115 Bisque of Clams 117 Old-Fashioned Vegetable Soup . 119 Bouillon -121 Hoffman House Onion Soup . . 123 MEATS Curry of Veal 127 Lamb Stew 129 Chicken Mexican 131 Stuffing (not dressing) for a 15-lb. Turkey 133 Southern Chicken Pie ... . 135 Virginia Ham k la Johns . . . 137 Fried Chicken with Cream Gravy 139 Chicken h. la Johns 141 To Cook Bacon Properly ... 143 Chicken Croquettes 145 CAKE Cocoanut Jumbles 149 Sarah's Fruit Cake 151 Russian Rocks 153 Oatmeal Cookies 155 Caramel Filling for Cake . . . 157 Delicious Orange Cake .... 159 Chocolate Cake 161 California Gingerbread .... 163 Cardamon Cake 165 Federal Cake ....... 167 Doughnuts 169 Brown Raisin Bread 171 PUDDINGS Mother's English Plum Pudding 175 Fluff Pudding 177 Steamed Fruit Pudding . . . 179 California Indian Pudding . . 181 California Plum Pudding ... 183 PIES Lemon Pie 187 Cocoanut Pie 189 Pumpkin Pie 191 Apple Pie 193 Sweet Potato Pie 195 Mother's Mince Meat .... 197 Puff Paste 199 SAUCES Sauce Mignonette 203 Oyster Cocktail Sauce .... 205 Sauce Mornay 207 CourtbuUion Sauce 209 WHERE TO FIND THEM XI PICKLES Home-Brewed Pickled Onions . 211 Chilli Sauce 213 Green Tomato Soy 215 Piccalilli . " 217 SALAD DEESSING Cream Salad Dressing .... 221 California Salad Dressing . . . 223 Cream and Butter Mayonnaise . 225 SPAGHETTI Sister Flo's Spaghetti .... 227 Macaroni Milanaise 229 "WELSH RAEEBITS John Chamberlin's Welsh Rare- bit 231 Sister Flo'.s Welsh Rarebit (with Tomatoes) 233 Cheese Balls 235 Welsh Karebit Souffle .... 237 ICES Sarah's Ice Cream (Caramel) . . 241 California Ice Cream .... 243 Roman Punch . 245 Frozen Strawberries 247 Iced Coffee 249 DBIIfEAELES Hot Weather Punch 253 Champagne Cup 255 Rhine Wine & Champagne Punch 257 Tea Punch for Six 259 Widow Jones' Gin Fizz .... 261 Turkish Coffee 263 Whiskey Cocktail 265 New Orleans Whiskey Punch . 265 Good for a Cold (Night) ... 267 BREAKFAST DISHES. CREAMED HAM AND POACHED EGGS. Make a smooth white sauce with two rounding tablespoons of butter and one of cornstarch, with a cup of milk. Season with pepper only, and add a cup of finely chopped cooked ham. Spread the mixture over rounds of toast, lay a carefully poached egg over each, season lightly, and serve immediately with curly parsley. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING COMPENSATION". " 'T is writ in the book of destiny Tliat there shall survive but the few and the fit, Yet those condemned to the straps to cling May tramp on the feet of those who sit ! " BREAKFAST DISHES EGGS AND MUSHROOMS. One pound of fresh mushrooms cleaned well in several waters, — don't let them stand ; peel and put them in a stewpan with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoon of salt, and a dash of white pepper. Set over the fire until thoroughly heated; turn into a shallow baking-dish, and break over them six eggs ; sprinkle over the top stale bread crumbs, dot with bits of butter, dust with salt and pepper, and bake five minutes in a hot oven. Serve with buttered toast. AS MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Guest. What are these chops, lamb or pork ? Waiter. Can't you tell by the taste ? Guest. No. Waiter. Well, then, what difference does it make ? " BREAKFAST DISHES EGGS TIVOLI. Half a loaf of bread (inside taken out). Toast the remaining crust (whole). Have some chicken hash ready in which are pota^ toes and a rich cream gravy, and put this inside the toast. Put a raw egg on top of the chicken, cream sauce over all ; add grated cheese on top of this, and brown in a hot oven. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING LIVE HUMBLE. " The world was made in six days ; Then they made the sky ; Then they hung it overhead, And left it there to dry ; Then they made the stars Out of nigger wenches' eyes, Just to give a little light When the moon she did n't rise.' BREAKFAST DISHES DEVILLED EGGS AND ANCHOVY TOAST. Put in a pan a level tablespoon of butter, half a teaspoon of dry mustard, two tablespoons of tomato sauce, one tablespoon of Worcestershire, and one of mushroom catsup ; stir into this four hard-boiled eggs sliced, salted, and peppered. When thor- oughly heated, put on buttered slices of toast that have been spread with anchovy paste. ~-if'^^ jr&7r. TrUy 10 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING LIVE HUMBLE. II. ' First they made a sea And in it put a whale ; Then they made a raccoon With a ring around its tail. All the other animals They finished one by one, And stuck them on the fence to dry As fast as they were done," BREAKFAST DISHES 11 CUERIED EGGS. Fry one sliced medium-sized onion in a little butter very slowly, — do not allow it to brown ; then add three teaspoons of curry powder and one and a half cups of stock. Let this simmer until the onion is tender. Rub one tablespoon of cornstarch in half a cup of cream, add this to the stock and onion, stir until boiling, and let simmer for five minutes. Quarter hard-boiled eggs, and add them to the curry, with salt and pepper to season. r?1Ml 12 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING LIVE HUMBLE. III. " Adam was the first man, Eve she was the t' other ; Cain was a wicked man 'Cause he killed his brother. Old Mother Eve could n't Sleep without a pillow, And the greatest man that ever lived Was Jack the Giant-Killer." BREAKFAST DISHES 13 EGGS A LA CREME. Boil three eggs twenty minutes. Cut off a slice at each end, and cut the eggs in half, crosswise. Remove the yolks and cut them in thin slices ; mix with them an equal amount of small thin pieces of chicken, ham, salmon, and lobster, and season to taste. Fill the white cups with the mixture, place them on a shallow dish, and pour one cup of cream sauce around them. The sauce should come nearly to the tops of the cups. 14 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING LIVE HUMBLE. IV. " The wind began to blow, And the rain began to fall ; It rained so awful hard It scared the darkieS all. It rained forty days and nights 'Zackly by the countin', And it landed Noah's ark Up on the Alleghany mountain." BREAKFAST DISHES 15 ANOTHER BREAKFAST DISH. Six tomatoes the same size. Cut a slice from the top of each. Remove enough of the pulp to enable you to drop into each to- mato a bit of butter and a raw egg. Pin, with a toothpick, a strip of bacon around each tomato. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper over the top, and put in a very hot oven until the eggs are set ; this will be from five to eight minutes. 16 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Waiter, what have you to eat ? " " Well, I've got pigs' feet and — " " Don't tell me your misfortunes. I want to know what you have to eat." BREAKFAST DISHES 17 HAM AND! Mix a cupful of finely chopped ham, half a cup of bread crumbs, one teaspoon of chopped parsley, one teaspoon of butter, quarter of a teaspoon of made mustard, and enough hot milk to make a smooth soft paste ; spread this in buttered scollop shells, break an egg into each shell, and sprinkle with buttered crumbs. Bake in a quick oven until the crumbs are brown and the white of the egg firm. This is an appetizing way of using a little left-over cold ham. ^:hUkj; 18 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING I remember, when I was returning from Chicago my last sea- son on the road, I went into the dining-car, and a small boy started to laugh so, his mother could n't stop him. I said to her, " That boy needs a spanking." " I know he does, but I don't believe in spanking a boy on a full stomach." I said, " Neither do I. Turn him over." BREAKFAST DISHES 19 TRIPE AND OYSTERS. Two pounds of honeycomb tripe. One quart of oysters. One pint of milk. One cup of cream. Two tablespoons of butter. One tablespoon of flour. Half a teaspoon of paprika. A little red pepper, and salt to taste. Parboil the tripe until tender; pour the water off and add milk. Let it come to a boil ; add the oysters, the butter and flour creamed together, and theu the seasoning. A little chopped parsley may be added if desired. The cream should be added just before serving. }r^WJi(^EOf/ /HEirir/s'V'^fHicEr. ^ T^TJtTyr 20 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Always cook with coal. Gas is too expensive, and then, again, you can get all the coal you want for nothing. All you have to do is to live near a railroad and make faces at the engineers. BREAKFAST DISHES 21 CREAMED KIDNEYS. Six veal kidneys. Half a pint of milk. One cup of cream. One tablespoon of flour. One teaspoon of very finely chopped parsley. A little paprika, a dash of red pepper, and salt to taste. Soak the kidneys in salt and water for two hours; then rinse them oflF, and parboil for twenty minutes. Chop them reasonably fine and add the milk. Let it come to a boil ; cream a table- spoon of butter with the flour, and add to the kidneys ; then put in the seasoning and, last of all, the cream, which should not be put in until just ready to serve. 7^^^l^ty HOT BREADS. DICK'S TEA BISCUITS. One quart of flour. Two teaspoons of baking powder. One teaspoon of salt. Mix thoroughly in the flour ; rub in equal parts of butter and lard (about the size of an egg) ; mix with cold sweet milk, as soft as can be handled, roll out not too thin, and bake in a hot oven. Compliments of Naneta Elvira Ellen Bynneb of Boston Town. 26 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A MATERIALIZING STANCE. Widow {to husband who was killed from the effects of her cooking). Is it really you, dear ? Spirit. It is. Widow. Are you happy, dear ? Spirit. Comparatively, yes. Widow. Would you like to return ? Spirit. No ! Widow. No ! Why, where are you, George ? Spirit. Iq Hell ! HOT BREADS 27 SARAH'S SALLY LUNNS. One quart of flour. Four eggs. One pint of milk. Two tablespoons of butter. One teaspoon of salt. Two teaspoons of baking powder. Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together, with one tablespoon of sugar ; beat the eggs until lemon-colored ; add the milk to the flour, then the eggs ; melt the butter, and add to the mixture ; stir well, and bake in a biscuit tin twenty-five minutes. For raised Sally Lunn just add half a cake of compressed yeast to the above, omitting the baking powder, and put the mixture in two bread pans, well buttered ; let it stand over night to rise, and bake thirty minutes. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A school boy at luuch time entered a grocery store and said to the clerk : "Take this order — 10 lbs. sugar at 6 cts., 11 lbs. coffee at 25 cts., 8 lbs. tea at 30 cts. Add that up. How much is it ? " The clerk said, " $5.75." "Are you sure? " said the boy. "Of course I am sure." The boy thanked him and said, " That 's my arithmetic lesson for to-morrow." HOT BREADS 29 POP-OVERS. Two eggs. One cup of flour. One cup of milk. Half a teaspoon of salt. Sift the flour and salt together ; beat the eggs until creamy ; add the milk and flour and beat well ; then strain. Cook in pop-over cups for twenty-five minutes in a hot oven. yT^TyVyf 30 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A young girl friend of mine rushed to a store to order some rice, and the grocer said, " Wedding or pudding ? " I saw a big rat in my cook stove, and when I went for my revolver he ran out. I would have shot him, only he was out of my range. HOT BREADS 31 SARAH'S MUFFINS. Two cups of flour. Two eggs. One cup of milk. One teaspoon of sugar. One heaping teaspoon of baking powder. Half a teaspoon of salt. One tablespoon of butter. Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together ; beat the eggs until very light ; add them to the milk ; then sift the flour and other ingredients into the milk and eggs ; melt the but- ter and add it to the mixture. Put in muffin tins, and bake for twenty-five minutes in a hot oven. 32 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A farmer's wagon loaded with butter broke down and stuck fast in the mud, and the horse could n't start it. " It 's no use, mister," said a small boy. " Your old horse is n't strong enough. Take him out and hitch up a roll of your butter." His mamma scolded him for saying such a thing to the poor man, and called him in the house for it. " You are a bad boy, Willie, and I thought you were an angel." " What is an angel, ma ? " said the boy. " An angel is one that flies." " Why, pa says my governess is an angel." " Yes, and she 's going to fly, too." HOT BREADS 33 CALIFORNIA RUSK. One cup of milk, scalded and cooled. One tablespoon of sugar. One teaspoon of salt. Quarter of a cup of yeast, Two cups of flour. Make the sponge over night ; when light, add half a cup of butter, half a cup of sugar, and one egg. Let it get very light ; make into rusk shape, and let it rise again ; when ready to bake, wash over with milk and egg mixed; then sprinkle well with coarse sugar, and bake. 34. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING ONE OF MANY. She. If you were in hard luck, would you be willing to work for your board ? He. Yes, if I could find some one to work. She. Do you believe that thirteen is an unlucky number to have at the table? He. I do, especially when there is only enough dinner for twelve. HOT BREADS 35 CALIFORNIA WAFFLES. One quart of sweet milk. One quart of sifted flour. Half a cup of melted butter. Four eggs well beaten (separately). 4/-yey 36 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING They strolled along through the woods together, A manly youth and a maiden fair, Gathering leaves in the autumn weather. Tinted with color rich and rare. He said : " You are much like the autumn leaf, With your cheeks of red and your hair of gold. And your heart, the frost that the leaf receives Ere its hues are seen, for your heart is cold." The maiden answered : " It may be so, — You have known me long and perhaps know best ; But the frozen leaf soon thaws, you know, After it 's gathered and properly pressed ! Burr McIntosh. HOT BREADS m CALIFORNIA POPLAR CHIPS. Two eggs, well beaten ; a pinch of salt ; flour enough to mix stiff. Roll out as thin as a knife blade, cut in fancy shapes, and fry in deep fat. These are delicate, and nice to serve with a cup of tea. 38 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING The best way to stop your husband from playing the races is to simply say, " William, if you lose any more money on the ponies I will positively do the cooking myself." HOT BREADS 39 GEM PUFFS. Two eggs. One cup of flour. One cup of milk. Quarter of a teaspoon of salt. Stir well, and put only one teaspoon of the mixture in each gem tin. Compliments of a Chinese Chef in San Francisco. 40 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Don't object to the hash your dear little wife makes ; in fact, be brave and stand for it every day in the week if necessary. Wait until Sunday, and if she puts raisins in it and serves it for plum-pudding, kick, and kick hard ! I don't blame you. HOT BREADS 41 SHORT BREAD. One quart of flour. Two tablespoons of lard. One tablespoon of butter. Three teaspoons of baking powder. One teaspoon of salt. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together ; then rub the butter and lard well into the flour, and mix with cold milk to the consistency of biscuit dough. Bake on the top of the stove on a griddle. This, split open and generously buttered, is delicious for straw- berry short cake. r-ffr*' 42 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Divorce or no divorce, that is the question : Whether 't is easier for the wife to suffer The stings and blushes of her lord's misdoings, Or to assert her woman's independence, And, mildly raising seven kinds of Cain, Assure him that she 's tumbled to his curves, And by divorcing end them. To love ! to weep ! no more ! And by that weeping prove to man unworthy That she knows not how she can help herself. To love ! to weep ! perchance to spoil The waxened fairness of her powdered face. Aye, there 's the rub ; for with a face bereft of beauty How can she other men attract and have revenge Upon her lord unworthy, and bring home to roost The many wicked chickens he has hatched By paying him tenfold in his own coin ? Who 'd his flirtations bear ! To moan, to sigh. And cry herself into a wretched thing. When she might herself his sure quietus make In a divorce court, and perhaps provide Against the ever-present rainy day By liberal and frequent alimony. So, after all, can injured wives secure Protection 'gainst the things they know not of ; For whether knowing them, or knowing not. Since she can seek her haven in the law, Can cut no ice. Clay Greene. HOT BREADS 43 SOUTHERN CORN PONE. Two cups of yellow corn meal. One cup of flour. Two teaspoons of baking powder. Two cups of milk. One tablespoon of lard. One tablespoon of butter. Two eggs. Beat the same as for griddle cakes, and bake in a moderate oven. r.SjX'i^y. 44 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING WAITING ! She stood while yet 't was early dawn Close by the open gate ; Her cheeks were pale, her eyes were wan ; She murmured, " He is late ! " How does he dare to treat me so ? And after all he said ! Ah ! here he comes " ; her eyes grew bright. She raised her pretty head, And as the laggard came in view She cried in tones to freeze, " You 're getting later every day ; Three pints this morning, please." HOT BREADS 45 GRIDDLE CAKES. Three cups of flour. One and a half pints of milk. One teaspoon of salt. Two teaspoons of baking powder. Three eggs. Beat the eggs, and add to the milk. Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together, add to the milk and eggs, and beat well. /,'/ /TAfey-X^ FISH. FINNAN HADDIE 1 LA DELMONICO. Half a pound of Finnan Haddie, picked up and fried slightly in butter ; one cup of cream ; one hard-boiled egg, cut up in small pieces ; the yolk of one raw egg ; one teaspoon of grated Edam cheese ; one tablespoon of butter, and flour enough to thicken ; seasoned to taste, and cooked seven or eight minutes. This is very nice for breakfast served on thin dry toast that has been made of stale bread and buttered slightly. <<^^ T^stewyf 50 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE SONG OF THE NAPHTHA LAUNCH. You talk about your raging main And your barks so trim and stanch, But they don't compare, I do declare, With the rakish Naphtha Launch. The perils of the briny deep Are wondrous grave, they say, But they fail to mix With the troublesome tricks A Naphtha Launch can play. FISH 51 ST. LAWRENCE RIVER FISH CHOWDER. First catcli your fish — this is important. Place in a deep kettle (an old-fashioned one is the best) one layer each of salt pork, sliced potatoes, fish, pilot crackers, and sliced onions. Season with red and black pepper, juice of one lemon, and salt to taste. Pour in milk enough to cover it all ; then add a tablespoon of butter, and cook very slowly. Comps. of Ed. Page, Biver Guide at the Thousand Islands. 52 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE SONG OF THE NAPHTHA LAUNCH. Refrain. With a yeave-heave-ho ! my hearties ! We '11 plough the sea, my boys ! We '11 also plough through a lazy scow On the larboard watch ahoy ! With a yeave-heave-ho ! my hearties ! Yeave-heave-ho ! my men ! When the boiler bursts, " it 's many a day Till Jack comes home again." FISH 53 PHILADELPHIA FRIED OYSTERS. (FiNNELLl'S.) For preparing one dozen oysters : take one pint of crab meat and squeeze all the water out of it ; chop it up fine and add the same amount of bread crumbs that have been freshly grated ; thoroughly mix, and season with salt and pepper. Roll the oysters in this preparation ; dip them into a very light egg bat- ter, then into the crumbs again, and fry in butter in a very hot pan. J-J.K!fief 54. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE SONG OF THE NAPHTHA LAUNCH. II. It 's fine to rise on a lofty wave Or to slide on a briny bank ; But it thrills you more to rise and soar With a bursting naphtha tank ! Your friends may try to call you down, But you look at them askance ; And you gayly fly till you land by and by In the arms of an ambulance ! FISH 55 MOCK FRIED OYSTERS. These are nice for dinner with steak, or for breakfast with bacon. Turn half a can of corn into a chopping bowl and mince very fine. Add a pinch of salt, a dash of pepper, and a table- spoon of melted butter, a heaped tablespoon of prepared flour, and a well-beaten egg. Heat some clear drippings until it smokes, drop the mixture into it by the spoonful, but don't put more than four in at a time, and fry a golden brown. Take them out and lay them on a brown paper for a second or two, and serve as soon after as possible. ^=^zfe"/v; 56 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE SONG OF THE NAPHTHA LAUNCH. III. It 's fine, of course, to sail away On a steamer, bark, or brig ; But it's simply great to go up straight On a busted thing-a-raajig ! A Naphtha Launch is a curious bird When once it starts to jump ! Then it 's up to you and the rest of the crew To look out for au awful bump. FISH 57 MINCED CLAMS ON TOAST. Open about two dozen little neck clams, and chop them up reasonably fine, being very careful to save all the liquor. Put them in a stewpan with about half an ounce of butter, and season with red pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Stew for ten minutes, thicken with roux (which is a judicious mixture of butter, flour, and cream), and serve on toast. Compliments of Robert Stites, Rectors, Chicago. 58 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE SONG OF THE NAPHTHA LAUNCH. rv. A friend of mine who owed a launch That he thought was just the kind, Invited me to sail the sea, But I, with thanks, declined. That day the naphtha all ran out. My friend did angry seem. He thought he knew ; So, unknown to the crew, He used some kerosene. Glen MacDonough. FISH 59 STUFFED LOBSTER {And there are many of them). Take a freshly boiled lobster, split it in two, take out all the meat, and chop fine. Now mix together half a cup of cream, a little salt, two or three dashes of cayenne pepper, half a teaspoon of curry powder, and about a tablespoon of flour, enough to make it thick; then put it on in a saucepan, and let it come to a boil. Stir in the minced lobster, and leave it on the fire long enough to heat it through. Stuff it back in the shells, cover it with bread crumbs and a little melted butter, and place in a hot oven until it is brown. y'lJtn\Uj 60 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE FOOLISH FROG. Away down South in Yank-ity-Yank A bull frog jumped from bank-ity-bank Cause he had n't nuffin else to do. He stubbed his toe and in he fell, And the niggers all thought he 'd gone to - 'Cause he had n't nuffin else to do. FISH 61 HOME-MADE LOBSTER NEWBURG. An easy way of doing it without a lot of frills is as follows : Take the meat out of a boiled lobster, and cut it in small pieces ; put it in a saucepan with about one ounce of butter, and let it heat through; season with salt and red pepper to suit the taste, and add one cup of cream ; when well heated, add the yolk of a raw egg and a glass of sherry. Toasted Uneeda biscuits are just as nice to serve with this as the con- ventional and overworked dry toast, and four times as handy where one lives in an apartment, with a chafing-dish for a stand-by, and a cook stove " twenty miles away." 62 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE FOOLISH FROG. Chorus. Just lots of folks are like this foolish frog of mine, Gettiii' into trouble just to pass the time, An' the devil 's always lurking round here Just to find the kind Dat never has n't nuffin else to do. FISH 63 JULIA'S DEVILLED LOBSTER. Two live lobsters ; boil them about ten minutes (if you can stand the strain) ; when cool, take the meat out of the shells, chop very fine, and season with salt and pepper. Put on half a pint of cream and half a pint of milk in a double boiler. When hot, thicken with two tablespoons of flour, which should be stirred in the milk and cream while it is cooking. Add two teaspoons of dry mustard and a little red pepper to the lobster, put all together and cook for twenty minutes. Sprinkle over with bread crumbs and a little melted butter, and put in the oven until brown. 64 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE FOOLISH FROG. II. " I '11 tell you all," the preacher said, " The reason why dis young frog 's dead, 'Cause he had n't nuffin else to do. Now all you frogs just a-listen to me : You 'd better stay at home with yo' family When you has n't nuffin else to do. FISH 65 FISH SALAD. Three pounds of boiled halibut. One cup of the best salad oiL Three quarters of a cup of vinegar. Salt and pepper. When the fish is cold, make a French dressing and pour over it in the bowl it is to be served in. Garnish with beets, carrots, onions, lemon sliced thin ; in fact, any cold vegetable that lends color. Set it in the refrigerator, covered, over night and it is ready to serve. This will keep for a week if it is kept very cold. /*.^y M. 66 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE FOOLISH FROG. III. " Dere 's lots of frogs is powerful fond Of spending their time in other frogs' ponds When dey has n't nuffin else to do ; But dis consolation the good book brings : Frogs of dem habits won't wear no wings When dey has n't nuffin else to do." Charles E. Trevathan-. FISH 67 LOBSTER CUTLETS. Place in a frying-pan two and a half tablespoons of butter, with one scant teaspoon of parsley minced fine and a few drops of onion juice ; when the butter is melted, stir in four tablespoons of flour until smooth, then add one cup of rich thick cream (if short of cream, use half milk and half cream). Season to taste with salt, paprika, and a dash of mus- tard. Stir until smooth and thick ; then add a pint of minced boiled lobster meat. Cook until the mixture is boiling hot; turn out on a platter, and set away until cold and stiff (the lob- ster, I mean). Mould with the hands into cutlet shape ; dip each in cracker dust, then in beaten egg, then into the cracker dust again. Set in the ice for a couple of hours. Fry in deep boil- ing fat. Garnish with claws ; serve hot. From an unknown friend in Oklahoma City. 68 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LONE FISH BALL. There was a man went up and down To seek a dinner through the town. What wretch is he who wife forsakes Who best of jam and waffles makes. He feels his cash to know his pence, And he has just six cents. He finds at last a right cheap place, And enters in with modest face. FISH 69 CODFISH BALLS. Two pounds of codfish. One quart of potatoes. Half a cup of cream. Quarter of a pound of butter. One shredded wheat biscuit. Pepper, but no salt. Soak the codfish over night, and in the morning put it on the fire in cold water enough to cover it, and let it boil until it falls to pieces ; then pick it up in very small bits. Boil the potatoes, drain and mash them, adding the butter, cream, and pepper to them while mashing ; then mix in the codfish, make into balls, roll out the shredded wheat on a pastry board, and roll the balls in the wheat, drop them into boiling lard, fry until brown. M^/T~~ 70 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LONE FISH BALL. II. The bill of fare he searches through, To see what his six cents will do. The cheapest viand of them all Is twelve and a half cents for two fish ball. The waiter he to him doth call, And gently whispers, " One fish ball." The waiter roars it through the hall, The guests they start at — one fish ball. FISH 71 CRAB SALAD. One pint of crab meat. Two stalks of celery (cut fine). One hard-boiled egg, chopped fine. One nice red tomato, cut in small slices. Season with salt, pepper, and vinegar (diluted with water) ; one tablespoon of Mayonnaise dressing. Thoroughly mix and place in a bowl, garnishing it with the crisp white leaves of head lettuce. A few capers add to the flavor, if sprinkled. Paul, Rectors, my % i;3jZt 'Ar/ty, 72 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LONE FISH BALL. III. The guest then says, quite ill at ease, " A piece of bread, sir, if you please." The waiter roars it through the hall, " We don't give bread with one fish ball." Moral. Who would have bread with his fish ball Must get it first or not at all ; Who would fish ball with fixin's eat. Must get some friend to stand the treat. Harvard College Song. FISH 73 PEPPER ROAST. Put a tablespoon of butter into the blazer ; when it bubbles, add a green pepper and half a snaall onion, both chopped fine, and cook for five minutes without browning. Then turn in half a cup of oyster juice, and season with salt and paprika; mince the oysters, but not too fine, add them to the mixture in the blazer, and let them cook for five minutes. Turn the mix- ture over hot toast. This can be done easily in a chafing-dish. Clams may be used instead of oysters, if preferred. VEGETABLES. POTATO SOUFFLE. Boil six good-sized potatoes iu their skins ; when done, peel and mash, and while hot add one tablespoon of butter, and half a pint of cream, one teaspoon of salt, pepper to taste. Beat until very smooth and light. Beat the whites of four eggs to a stiff froth, and stir gently into the potatoes ; heap the mixture on greased paper, a spoonful at a time ; dust with grated cheese, and bake a golden brown. 78 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE BRIDGE. I stood on the bridge at midnight, And tried to get into a car. Supper was waiting in Brooklyn, But I could n't get that far. The moon rose over the city Which now is greater New York, With the help of Dublin and Posen, Hamburg, Naples, and Cork. How often, oh, how often I thought, as I tried to get Home in a bridge car to Brooklyn And have n't succeeded yet ! " Billy Barton," San Francisco. VEGETABLES 79 A CAULIFLOWER CHEESE. Take one large cauliflower and place it in a kettle of boil- ing water, with a little salt; cook until it can be removed from the kettle without breaking ; take it from the stems and lay it in a deep round dish in small pieces ; cover it well with grated cheese which has been seasoned with pepper, salt, and a little mustard ; put it in the oven, and bake until brown. 80 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING She was newly married and did not know a bit about house- keeping or shopping, and she was giving her very first order. It was a crusher, but the grocer was a clever man and used to all kinds of orders, and could interpret them easily. " I want two pounds of paralyzed sugar," she began. " Yes, 'm ; anything else ? " " Two tins condemned milk." " Yes, 'm." He set down " condensed milk and pulverized sugar." " A bag of fresh salt ; be sure it is fresh," " Yes, 'm, what next ? " " A pound of desecrated codfish." He wrote glibly, " Desiccated cod. " Nothing more, ma'am ? We have nice horseradish just in."* " No," said she, " it would be of no use to us ; we don't keep a horse." Then the grocer sat down and fanned himself with a washboard. VEGETABLES 81 MUSHROOMS UNDER GLASS. One pound of large fresh mushrooms, washed in four or five waters, peeled, stemmed, and dried ; fry in a tablespoon of butter for one minute ; pour in a cup of thick, well-seasoned cream, and let all simmer slowly for ten minutes. Make rounds of toast, browning on one side only, and lay one in each of the baking dishes that come with glass bells ; put the mushrooms on the toast, and cover with the juice and cream from the pan ; put the glass covers on, and bake fifteen minutes. Serve with the bells on. ■rj& ' 82 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING I went into a restaurant- in Kansas City one day to get a little lunch. I looked over the bill of fare, but found nothing that I fancied. In this restaurant they had one of those large refrigerators with glass doors. In looking this over, I saw a peculiar looking dish with all kinds of trimming on it ; so I called the waiter, and said, " Bring me some of that." He set it before me, and the odor which arose from it was exceedingly pleasant. Two friends of mine came in and sat down at my table, and both asked me what I was eating. I told them I did n't know, but it was all right. They took a taste of it, but neither one could tell what it was ; so I called the waiter, who was a large German gentleman, and said, " What is this I 'm eating ? " And his quick reply was : " Sixty cents." VEGETABLES 83 CHESTNUT CROQUETTES. Chestnuts shelled, blanched, and boiled until tender. Mash enough of the boiled nuts to make a pint, and season with a teaspoon of salt, a dash of red pepper, a teaspoon of onion juice, and an ounce of butter. Mix the ingredients well, and shape into tiny squares ; dip in egg, then in cracker dust, and fry in deep hot fat until a rich brown. 84 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Really the most surprised man I ever saw was a friend of mine who put his hand in his vest-pocket for a match and — " " Pulled out a handful of toothpicks ? " " No, sir ; matches — not a toothpick in the lot ; that 's what shocked him." VEGETABLES 85 POTATO GRIDDLE CAKES. Peel eight or ten potatoes, and drop them into cold water ; grate them in a bowl as rapidly as possible (to prevent them from turning red); add four eggs, two teaspoons of salt, and half a cup of flour into which half a teaspoon of baking powder has been stirred ; mix lightly, and bake on a hot griddle, properly greased. Butter is better than a sweet syrup on them, but of course that is a matter of taste. zJ T:^T>''*ej. 86 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING He wrote sage treatises in Greek, Of science books a score ; In twenty tongues the man could speak, And read the heavens o'er ; But still the wolf bayed loud and long, And hunger pinched his cheek, Until at last he wrote a song Called " Nell and I Don't Speak." VEGETABLES 87 STUFFED GREEN PEPPERS. Seven large bell peppers. One large white onion. Three medium-sized ripe tomatoes. Yolks of three eggs. Three tablespoons of melted butter. Three tablespoons of minced cold lamb. Three tops of the peppers chopped fine. One slice of stale bread an inch and a half thick. Salt and pepper, of course. Wash the peppers and dry them. Take off the stems so they will set level in the baking tin ; then cut ofiF the tops of the pep- pers, making an opening large enough to put the dressing in with a tablespoon. Remove the heart and seeds (saving the seeds of one pepper for seasoning), and place the peppers in an ordinary baking tin. Now chop fine the onions first, then the tops of the peppers ; peel the tomatoes, and chop them in the tray with the onions and peppers. Rub the bread up until it is very fine, using all but the crusts. Mince the lamb and add to the bread crumbs ; then add the onions, tomatoes, peppers, melted butter, salt, black pepper, and the seeds of one green pepper ; last of all, the yolks of the eggs, well beaten. Fill the peppers with the mixture, and bake half an hour. Before serving put a small piece of butter on the top of each pepper. — To be served with a fan ! 88 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Little Willie from the mirror sucked the mercury all off. Thinking, in his childish error, it would cure his whooping-cough. At the funeral Willie's mother smartly said to Mrs. Brown, " 'T was a chilly day for Willie when the mercury went down." VEGETABLES 89 RICE WITH TOMATOES. One coifee cup of rice. A tablespoon of bacon grease. One large onion. Four large ripe tomatoes. Four green peppers. Half a teaspoon of black pepper. Salt to taste. Soak the rice until it swells ; put the bacon grease in a frying- pan ; chop the tomatoes, onions, and peppers, and put all with the rice in the pan ; fry until nearly brown, then add one pint of hot water, and cook about thirty minutes. L 90 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE GOAT. {After Tennyson?) Down in the cellar, dark, remote. Where alien cats your larder note, In solemn grandeur stands the goat. Without he hears the whining storm. And feels the draughts about him swarm — He eats the coal to keep him warm. R. K. MtTNKITTRICK. VEGETABLES 91 STUFFED POTATOES. Bake six medium-sized potatoes ; slit down the side ; remove the inside without breaking the skin. Beat into the cooked part one teaspoon of butter, half a cup of cream, and the yolk of one egg ; season with salt and black pepper. Now take one cup of finely chopped roast beef and add to it a quarter of a tea- spoon of salt and black pepper, a pinch of ground mace, one teaspoon of melted butter, one of chopped parsley, one of chopped celery, and one teaspoon of the best brandy. Fill the skins with the prepared potato, leaving a small space in the cen- tre into which put the seasoned beef. Rub a little melted but- ter over the ends, and set back in the oven to brown. Serve in a folded napkin. H|f)j 92 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING I was at dinner at a foreign hotel when a detective approached and said, — " Beg pardon, madam, I am in search of an escaped convict, and shall have to trouble you for your passport, as a matter of form." " But do I look like a convict ? " I asked. " Possibly not, madam ; still I shall require to see the passport." In my annoyance, I snatched up the bill of fare from the table, thrust it in the detective's hand, and exclaimed, " There it is, then ! " "What is this? Sheep's-head, neck of mutton, pigs' feet. The description tallies exactly ; you must come with me." VEGETABLES 93 SAVORY RICE. Cook a quarter of a pound of rice in well-salted water until it is half done ; then drain. Pour over the rice a pint of good brown stock, and let it simmer until the rice is soft and the stock is absorbed. Mix together three tablespoons of grated cheese, half a teaspoon of white pepper, and the same of salt. Stir this into the rice, and let it get quite hot. Heap on a hot dish, and serve. 94 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING "BLEW LITTLE GIRLS IN TWO." A cyclone arose on the Kansas plains, And the Jayhawkers' terror grew ; It ripped up the landscape, inverted the trees. And fooled with the people too ; Played smash with the houses and sheds and barns, Till the natives all turned sky-blue ; But the awfullest thing that cyclone did, It blew little girls in two. Chorus. Blue little girls in two, lads. Blew little girls in two. It was a terror, a genuine scarer ; 'T is hard to believe it true. It gathered up houses and barns, lad, And Populists' whiskers too, But it got in its work with a horrible jerk When it blew little girls in two. Written for Miss Irwin's use by S. W. Gjllilan. VEGETABLES 95 CORN FRITTERS. Six ears of com or one can of corn. If green corn is used, grate it ; if canned corn, then chop it very fine. Three eggs, not beaten. One tablespoon of melted butter. Two crushed soda biscuits. Season with salt and pepper. Mix all well together and fry as you would griddle cakes. I raSSc/y 96 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A small boy rushed into a drug-store and excitedly called for some liniment and cement. When asked why he desired them both at once, he said nervously, " Pa hit Ma with a cup." VEGETABLES 91 COLD SLAW. One firm head of cabbage. Half a cup of cream. Half a cup of milk. Four tablespoons of vinegar. Three eggs. Butter the size of an egg. A little red pepper and dry mustard. Cut the cabbage very fine, and put it in a bowl. Beat the eggs very light, add to the milk and cream, and add gradu- ally to the hot vinegar. The mustard, pepper, and salt should be dissolved in the vinegar before heating. Stir all slowly or it will curdle, and when creamy pour over the cabbage. Serve very cold. Mrs. Lillian R. Maehl. 98 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING There was an old Negro preacher who was going around in- troducing himself to the different members of his congregation. He rode up to a Negro's cabin, and introduced himself to the old man and his wife. The old man insisted on the preacher taking dinner with them, and went out in the yard to cut some wood to build a fire to cook the dinner with. When he came back, he found the preacher hugging and kissing his wife. He was very indignant. " Liza," he says, " ain't dat man kissin' you ? " " Yes, Sam." " Why don't you tell him to stop ? " " You ask him to stop. He 's a purfec' stranger to me." Lee Arthur. VEGETABLES 99 SARATOGA CREAMED POTATOES. (Jim Riley's.) Put potatoes on to boil, in their skins, in cold water and a little salt ; let them cook slowly. When done, set away in the refrigerator for two or three days ; do not peel until quite ready to use. Have a frying-pan ready with a generous quantity of hot but- ter in it, and after you have peeled and chopped the potatoes very fine, put them in the pan. Season with salt and black pepper, pour in about half a cup of cream, mix them well. Cover for ten minutes, and serve. SOUPS. LEEK SOUP. Six leeks. Three good-sized potatoes. Three quarts of water. Two tablespoons of butter. One teaspoon of chopped parsley. Salt and pepper to taste. Boil the leeks and potatoes in the water until all are thoroughly cooked ; strain and mash through the strainer ; then add the butter, parsley, salt and pepper to taste. This is a very good tonic for the morning after (not "the cold gray dawn," but a little later in the day). 104 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Overheard in G.'s restaurant : — Patron. Where is the proprietor ? Waitek. He 's gone out to get something to eat. SOUPS 105 CLAM CHOWDER. One quart of milk. Six potatoes. One and a half pints of pure clam juice. Two pints of clams. One Spanish onion. Butter, flour, and seasoning. To the clam juice add half a pint of hot water, and the onion sliced or cut thin in small pieces (not chopped). Boil until the onions are cooked ; then add the potatoes, which should be cut in rather thick slices. When the potatoes are nearly cooked through, add the clams, that have been chopped, but not fine. Have a quart of milk in a separate pot, that is safe from burn- ing ; add pepper, and a little salt if necessary. When it comes to a boiling point, stir in a tablespoon of flour that has been rubbed smooth with a small piece of butter and a little cold milk ; then set it back off the fire to cool. Take the clam broth off the fire for about five minutes ; then add the thickened milk, and stir well, and set back on the stove to heat, but not to boil, as the clam juice will curdle the milk, no matter how fresh, if they come to the boiling point together. To be eaten in undress uniform, sans ! ^ 106 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING He has not fought an armed foe, Nor hunted the north pole, His name will never be inscribed On fame's great honor roll ; Yet noble is the deed he does. Heroic he who dares it : His wife at Christmas made for him A necktie, and he wears it. SOUPS 107 MUSHROOM BISQUE. Cut fine, with a silver knife, a quarter of a pound of fresh mushrooms. After they have been washed in four or five waters and drained thoroughly, put them into the upper part of a double boiler, with a tablespoon of butter, and the same of flour, and blend with a few spoonsful of milk ; then add the balance of a quart of milk, and cook twenty minutes. Season with salt, paprika, and pepper, and serve in bouillon cups. 7' '*>T. '- 1' 108 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING At eve the weary shop girl, Though illy she aflFords it, Hails, with a wave of her slender hand, A passing car, and boards it. For, oh, what a sweet relief for her, Who has stood on her feet all day. To stand on someone else's feet. As homeward she wends her way ! SOUPS , 109 MOCK BISQUE. Put one quart of milk over the fire in a double boiler ; fry one slice of onion in one tablespoon of butter very slowly for five minutes, being careful that it does n't brown. Remove the onion, add one tablespoon of cornstarch, and stir until smooth ; gradually add a little milk to it, stirring until creamy, and let it simmer five minutes. Have half a can of tomatoes in an agate stewpan; when they boil, add quarter of a teaspoon of baking soda, and one teaspoon of salt. Remove from the fire, and let it cool a moment ; then strain them into the thickened milk, and serve with crisp crackers or croutons. r^-r.. 110 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " What did the egg come from ? " " The hen." " What did the hen come from ? " " The egg." " Well, which got here first ? " SOUPS 111 CHICKEN GUMBO. Young tender chicken, cut up, seasoned, and rolled in flour. Wash two dozen okras ; pod and slice them very thin, throwing away the stems. Peel and slice one onion ; cut a quarter of a pound of ham in small pieces, putting them into enough smoking hot lard to half cover them ; then add the okra, onion, pepper, chicken, and enough broth to cover all. Season, and stew gently until the chicken and vegetables are quite done. Rice, tomatoes, a tablespoon of chopped parsley, and chopped thyme, two bay leaves, and a few tarragon leaves may be added. i'iiikt. 112 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " That busybody woman next door stood for half an hour in her dining-room to-day, looking into ours." " How do you know ? " " Why, I happened to be in our dining-romn watching her." SOUPS 113 CREAM OF SPINACH. Wash and boil enough spinach to measure one pint. When cooked, chopped, and pounded into a soft paste, put into a stewpan with four ounces of fresh butter, a little grated nut- meg, and a teaspoon of salt. Cook and stir about ten minutes. Add to this about two quarts of good stock. Let it boil up ; then rub through a strainer, set it over the fire again, and when on the point of boiling, mix with it a tablespoon of butter and a tea- spoon of sugar. Serve a tablespoon of whipped cream with each cup or plate. Miss Hastings. 's^^-rfTAt'i.j. 114 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Never lose your temper ; remember your husband will never discover you have one until you lose it. A family jar is never used in preserving the peace. SOUPS 115 CREAM OF CORN. One can of corn and one quart of water boiled together for one hour, then taken off and strained. Add two eggs, beaten well, one pint of milk, five tablespoons of cream. Mix all well together. Do not put on the stove until almost ready to serve ; then stir until it is taken off. Hot toasted crackers are nice served with this. Compliments of Mrs. Julia Roberts. 116 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Mea never gossip ; they simply mention a name to their female friends, and then proceed to listen. SOUPS 117 BISQUE OF CLAMS. One pint of hard clams, and twelve soft ones chopped very fine, and put on in their own liquor to cook until they boil. One pint of milk, put on in a separate kettle. Now mix together four tablespoons of cream, one tablespoon of butter, and about two of flour, or enough to thicken, and stir this ia the milk when it boils. Remove both the clams and the thickened milk from the fire, and mix together. Season to taste. This quantity is enough for five (unless they want to make a meal of it, which they probably will). Julia's. -rirvr/'j 118 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOinNG A little girl was taught to close her evening prayer during the absence of her papa with : " Please watch over my papa." Her papa returned, and her mamma blushed when the child added : " And you 'd better keep an eye on mamma too." SOUPS 119 OLD-FASHIONED VEGETABLE SOUP. Half a shin of beef. A knuckle of veal. Two pounds of mutton, off the neck. Put this on the fire in a large soup kettle, in water to much more than cover it, without salt ; let it simmer all day ; set it off the fire in the evening in a cool place ; in the morning put in carrots, potatoes, onions, turnips, cabbage, soup greens, half a can of tomatoes, half a cup of large barley, salt, and black pepper, and a large tablespoon of brown sugar, and let it cook two or three hours. The vegetables should all be cut in small pieces, but not chopped in a machine, — that is not " old-fashioned." ^V^rZ&? 120 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING The mere fact of a fellow ordering everything on the bill of fare at a table d'hSte does not signify that he has a good ap- petite ; in most every case he merely wants to show that he can pronounce all the French names. SOUPS 121 BOUILLON. Three pounds of the top round of beef. Two medium-sized carrots. Three large leeks. One medium-sized turnip. Ten or twelve sprigs of parsley. One or two celery leaves. Scrape the carrots, peel the turnip, cut off the heads of the leeks, and take off the bad leaves ; then cut them crosswise in the part where the white joins the green ; wash them all in at least two waters, opening the green leaves to cleanse from earth. When cleaned, set them away on a dish to be used when needed. The meat must be put in an enamelled kettle, with three quarts of cold water and about a tablespoon of salt ; no pepper. When the scum begins to rise, watch carefully, as it must be well skimmed before it boils if you do not want a muddy bouillon. Skim about every two minutes (the fire must not be too hot, or the water will boil too quickly, and the scum will have no chance to rise). When it boils, put in an onion, in which you have stuck four cloves ; then make a little bundle of the green leaves of tlie leeks, the parsley, and the celery ; tie these together with white thread, and put them with the carrots and turnip. The white part of the leeks is also tied in a bundle, and put in only two hours and a half before the end of the cooking. Let it simmer about five hours. When done, strain into an earthen vessel, and set in a cool place. The vegetables may be served on a separate dish, for those who like them in their soup. ir^r/'J 122 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Perhaps if I should state that the title of my next book would be " How to be Happy, though Married," and request you to get one of them, your answer would be, " No, thanks, I don't care for Joke books." SOUPS 123 HOFFxMAN HOUSE ONION SOUP. Mince some white and yellow onions very fine, and fry them slowly in butter ; moisten with strong broth, season to taste, and boil for twenty-five minutes. Pour the soup over some thin slices of bread that have been previously toasted in a hot oven and placed in a soup tureen in intervening layers of bread and grated Swiss cheese, finishing with a layer of cheese ; then bake for fifteen minutes in a hot oven. Compliments of Mk. Cadigan, Hoffman House. TfrHyl*/. MEATS. CURRY OF VEAL. Put a pound of veal cut in small dice in a chafing-dish with a lump of butter and a tablespoon of finely chopped onion, and let it fry a delicate brown ; dredge in a tablespoon of curry powder, one of grated cocoanut, and one of flour ; stir well together, and add a pinch of red pepper and a little salt. Pour in a pint of cream, and let it cook until the veal is tender, keeping it covered tightly while cooking. 128 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Old Maid. How can I keep this milk from turning sour ? Milkman. Don't look in it. MEATS 129 LAMB STEW. Use cold water enough to cover lamb that has been cut in small pieces. After it comes to a boil, skim it and add pepper and salt and some potatoes cut small too, one large carrot cut up. and some finely chopped parsley and soup celery and one onion. Tops and roots of celery are preferred. When the meat and potatoes are tender, add the parsley and thicken just a little. 130 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING DE 'POSSUM CHASE. You can talk about yer m'lasses An' yer steamin' buckwheat cakes, 'Bout yer oysters fried in crackers An' yer juicy hot clam bakes, 'Bout yer beefsteak fried with onions An' yer roastin' ears of corn. But ole 'possum with sweet taters Beats dem all, as sure 's you' born. MEATS 131 CHICKEN MEXICAN. One chicken. Two small onions. One egg. Half a green pepper. Two teaspoons of salt. One teaspoon of spearmint. One small clove of garlic. One teaspoon of lard. Three tablespoons of flour. One teaspoon of black pepper. Remove the meat from the bones and chop very fine with the garlic, one onion, and mint. Mix the other ingredients, and roll in balls about the size of a pigeon's egg. Mince the otlier onion, fry it brown in a saucepan, add two quarts of boiling water, drop the balls in, and let them boil for an hour. These may also be made of veal or lamb. 132 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING DE 'POSSUM CHASE. Chorus. Den take away you' Floy-da orange, Take away yer fig an' date, An' bring along mah 'possum On dat biggest ole tin plate ; Den take away you' greens an' bacon, Take away you' chicken biled, And bring mah 'possum an' sweet taters - Um ! dey sets me wild ! MEATS 133 STUFFING (NOT DRESSING) FOR A FIFTEEN POUND TURKEY. Chop very fine four heads of lettuce, a small bunch of parsley, one green pepper, one pound of pork sausage, a few small green onions, or a small piece of Spanish onion (green preferred), a little celery, one quart of oysters. Season well with two table- spoons of AVorcestershire sauce, sage, salt, and pepper, and mix with cracker crumbs to the proper consistency. Melt one cup of butter in a saucepan, and add the dressing. Heat it well, and stuif the turkey. Let the turkey stand for eight hours after stuffing before roasting. Rub the turkey well with salt and an onion, then sprinkle with flour before putting in the pan. Put in the roasting-pan around the turkey one good-sized carrot cut in dice, a couple outside stalks of celery, two cloves of garlic, a few laurel leaves, three medium-sized onions, a little chopped parsley, and a pint of water. Baste every ten or fifteen minutes while cooking. Use the dripping from the pan, after straining, to make the gravy. The giblets and heart and liver with an onion should be put on to stew until tender in about a cup and a half of cold water. When they are well cooked, chop them in small pieces and stir into the gravy in the pan. -r^^TT'i'r. 134 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING DE 'POSSUM CHASE. II. Turnip green all biled wid bacon, An' yer corn pone smokin' hot, I will never scratch dat ticket 'Cause it reach a tender spot. An' soft biscuits with hot coffee Make a mighty handsome pair ; While ole hen all biled with dumplin's, Oh, yes, dat is passin' fair. MEATS 135 SOUTHERN CHICKEN PIE. This looks like a lot of bother, but it 's worth it. Select a yellow Philadelphia fowl weighing four or five pounds ; clean carefully, singe, and put it on in boiling water enough to cover it, and let it simmer gently until it begins to grow tender. Save this broth with the giblets. Now cut the chicken in small pieces ; slice a quarter of a pound of fat pork very thin, and fry it with the chicken until it is brown. After the chicken and pork are fried, take them up, and stir into the pan in which they were cooked a tablespoon of flour. Stir it over the fire until brown ; then add a pint of the chicken broth, a teaspoon of salt, quarter of a saltspoon of pepper. Stir this gravy until it has boiled two minutes, and use it for the pie. To make the crust : Mix together in a bowl with a knife one pound of flour, one teaspoon of salt, two tablespoons of butter, and just enough cold water to hold it together. Roll it out about an inch thick ; cut a quarter of a pound of butter in large slices, and lay it all over the paste ; fold it and wrap in a floured towel, and put in the ice box for half an hour. Roll it out, repeating same with another quarter of a pound of butter ; roll it to a thickness of half an inch, fold it in three thicknesses, and roll it out again. If the butter breaks through, fold it again in a towel, and cool for half an hour before using. Line a deep dish ; then put in alter- nate layers of chicken, pork, and sliced raw potatoes ; pour in as much gravy as the dish will hold. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley, a dash more salt and pepper, and cover with a top crust, wetting the edges to make them adhere. Cut a hole in the top to allow the steam to escape. rfrrirl'f 136 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING DE 'POSSUM CHASE. III. But to cook Mr. Possum you must fetch him ; Watch me au' I '11 show you how to catch him. Hush, you dog ! be quiet ; keep close 'longside de fence. I declare, Henry Johnson, you ain't got a bit of sense. What for you bring dat pup along ? You want to spoil de fun ? And den, not satisfied wid doin' dat, you bring dat army gun ! I done tell you fo' de las' time to leave him bof at home. Nex' time I takes you huntin', you bet you '11 go alone. Good Lord ! See dat 'possum near dat 'simmon tree ; Hear dem hounds, dey see him too. Now Henry, Johnson, follow me. Nevah mind de briars, nevah mind de logs ! Talk about you' brass bands ! Hear de music of dem dogs ! Climb de fence an' follow me ; an' as you love you' soul, Pray dat dat 'possum does n't find his hole. You heah dat, boy ? You heah dat ? De hounds done changed dere tune, I '11 bet two bits dey got him treed. We 'se comin' ! We '11 be dere soon ! Dere ! What 1 tol' you, sonny ? See him liangin' on dat limb ? Now, Henry Johnson, show yer breed ; now up dat tree you shin. Now, climb out sure and easy, an' we '11 get him widout fail. I 'II hold de bag wide open, you hit him on de tail. Heah he comes ! Go 'way, you dogs ! I 'se got him in de bag ! Come heah, Henry Johnson Jefferson, an' kiss yo' Mammy Mag. Talk about you' heavenly food ! What 's angel cake to dat ? Did you ever eat a 'possum ? No ? Den you don' know whar you' at ! Frank Tannihill. MEATS 137 VIRGINIA HAM 1 LA JOHNS. Take a very old Virginia ham, put it in cold water enough to cover it, and let it soak over night. In the morning scrape and clean thoroughly ; then put it over a slow fire in champagne enough to more than cover it, and let it simmer all day. In the evening take it off, and let it cool and stand all night in the same liquor it has been simmering in. The next morning take it out and take the skin off ; cover it with brown sugar, pour a glass of sherry over it, set in a slow oven to brown. Al Johns. '■-frr-"/ 138 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING I was dining not long ago at Slierry's, the guest of a ■ noted poet with wavy hair. Just as we finished soup, he said, " Oh for the wings of a dove ! " " Order what you like," said I, " but for me, give nie the breast of a chicken." MEATS 139 FRIED CHICKEN WITH CREAM GRAVY. Half a pound of fat pork is cut up and put in a frying-pan, and •cooked until the fat is extracted. Wash and cut up a broiling chicken ; soak in salt and water for half an hour ; wipe dry, and season with pepper and dredge with flour ; then fry in the hot fat tintil each piece is a rich brown on both sides. Take up and drain on a brown paper, and set aside in a covered dish. Pour into the gravy left in the frying-pan a cup of milk or cream {preferably the latter), thickened with a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of butter. Add some chopped parsley ; let it boil up, and pour over the chicken. Qly Sarah's recipe) Mrs. Sarah Victor. 140 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Husband. That beefsteak is n't cooked to suit me. Wife. Well, cook it yourself; you did n't marry a cook. Wife (in the middle of the night). Get up, John, I think there are burglars in the house. Husband. Get up yourself, you did n't marry a policeman. MEATS 141 CHICKEN 1 LA JOHNS. Mince the breast of one cold chicken ; chop a green pepper, one small onion, four fresh mushrooms, a little parsley, and one cold boiled potato together until very fine ; mix well, and season with red pepper, paprika, and salt to taste. Have a frying-pan ready with two tablespoons of hot brown butter, and put the mixture in, and stir it well. Cover for a few moments, and let it brown on one side, as hashed brown potatoes are done. Put on a hot platter, and garnish with tomato sauce. This sauce is made by cooking two or three tomatoes for half an hour ; strain, and add a tablespoon of butter, salt, and pepper, and flour enough to thicken a little. Take from the fire, and add half a cup of cream. Al Johns. 142 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Murphy bet on a horse that finished last. After the race he went into the paddock and said to the jockey who had ridden him, " In heaven's name, Tommy, what delayed you ? " '-.i MEATS 143 TO COOK BACON PROPERLY. I can't remember where I got this, but I do recall that it was couched in such flowery terms it sounded appetizing, — as a colored girl said, the other day, " it looks good to me," — so I tried it, and it is all that it promises. To crisp bacon to that point of toothsome delicacy that it breaks in the mouth and liberates not a suspicion of grease, lay the slices on a hot spider, and turn them frequently, pouring off the melted grease as it gathers. When brown, lift it out care- fully on to soft paper, and set it in the oven to dry. The bacon will be clear enough of all grease to serve on a napkin, if pre- pared in this manner. rfr,^. 14,4 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Once while travelling out West I entered a hotel. The ac- commodations were so poor, I asked the landlord if there was another hotel in town and he said, " Yes, but the proprietor has gone South for his liver." " Why," said I, " have you no butcher shop here ? " Well, I went into the dining-room for breakfast and the waiter said, " What 'II you have, steak or coffee ? " I asked him if he had any nice hen's eggs, and he brought me two. I opened one of them. He asked me if he should open the other, and I said, " No ! Open the window." " What 's the matter ? Ain't they cooked long enough ? " I said, " I think so, but they were not cooked soon enough." Then I called for a lobster, and he brought in the boss. I complained to him about the eggs, and he said, " Don't talk to me, I 'm not the hen." " Well, you own the place, don't you ? " " Yes, I do, but I don't eat here." " Well, have you any toothpicks ? " " No," he replied, " I had a few, but the boarders took them away and never brought them back." MEATS 145 CHICKEN" CROQUETTES. One chicken, weighing three pounds. One pair of sweetbreads. Two onions, sliced, and fried in butter till brown. Piece of butter size of an egg. One-half teacup of sweet, thick cream. One-half teacup of broth. One-half saltspoon of mace. A little red pepper to taste. Chop chicken fine ; add sweetbreads and onions chopped. Mix all ingredients ; place in a saucepan over the fire till it comes to a boil. Take one teaspoon of flour, moisten with chicken broth, stir into a boiling mixture. After a few moments remove from the fire and set to cool. When cold, add one well- beaten egg, then take out on bread board in a large oval spoon a croquette portion, roll in cracker dust, drop into boiling lard, take out and drain on piece of linen. Place on hot platter, and garnish with parsley. 10 CAKE. COCOANUT JUMBLES. One grated cocoanut. Three-quarters of a pound of sugar. Half a pound of butter. Half a pound of flour. Four eggs. Roll out thin ; bake in flat tins ; sprinkle powdered sugar over them before baking ; let them cool in the pan, then cut into small squares. Belle Miller. 150 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING There is only one real way to play Menagerie. Let me pre- tend I 'm a monkey, and you feed me your cake. — No ? CAKE 151 SARAH'S FRUIT CAKE. One dozen eggs. One pound of butter. One pound of flour. Three pounds of raisins. Three pounds of currants. Three pounds of candied citron. One pound of almonds. One pound of sugar. Two teaspoons of cloves. Three teaspoons of cinnamon. One teaspoon of mace. One teaspoon of nutmeg. Two tablespoons of rose-water. r^FXrfcj One pint of brandy. One teaspoon of soda and two of cream of tartar mixed with a little milk. Rub the butter and sugar until it creams ; beat yolks of eggs ; add to the sugar and butter ; then add the molasses, the spices, the flour, the raisins (carefully seeded), the currants (cleaned as for Mother's English Plum Pudding), the citron, the rose-water, and brandy. Dissolve soda and cream of tartar in a cup of milk, and add ; then the flour. Blanch the almonds, which means to pour boiling water over them to take the skins off" ; split them and add. Mix well. Bake in a moderately heated oven four hours. Put in stone jar, when cool ; pour over it one quart of the best French cooking brandy, and cover securely from the family. This is to be kept one year, occasionally adding brandy as it is absorbed. A tip from one who knows, — keep this in the safe and guard the combination well, as it is very tempting. 152 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A man went into a bakery and ordered two hundred cream puffs. The baker said he would have them for him in about an hour. Then he went across the street to a clothing store and selected a suit of clothes, price $50. " You '11 trust me for this suit, won't you ? " " No, I refuse," said the clothier. " Do you know the baker across the street ? " said the man. " I do." " Well, will you let me have the suit if he will stand good for it ? " " Certainly." The baker was standing in front of his store ; so the man called across the street, " How about the two hundred you promised me ? " " All right," said the baker, " in about half an hour." The man pointed to the clothier and said, " Give him fifty." The baker nodded, and the clothier said, " Come right in, and I '11 have the suit wrapped up for you." CAKE 153 RUSSIAN ROCKS. One cup and a half of brown sugar. Half a cup of molasses. One cup of butter. Three eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately. One teaspoon of soda, dissolved in a little boiling water. Two and three-quarter cups of flour. A pinch of salt. One teaspoon of cinnamon. Half a teaspoon of cloves. One pound of nuts, chopped fine. Three-quarters of a pound of seeded raisins. Fill a teaspoon and drop in buttered tins or muffin rings. 154 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING FLOATING FANCIES. An " up to date " young maiden, Appropriately dressed, Spins down the road upon her wheel, In bloomers, coat, and vest ; To reach the town of Wareham She started out that day. But fears that at some turning She may have lost her way. She hails a burly farmer, Who answers to her call And stares at wheel and costume. The bloomers most of all. " Is this the way to Wareham ? " She asks in voice refined ; " Blessed if I know," he answers ; " I never wore that kind." CAKE 155 OATMEAL COOKIES. Three cups of oatmeal. Two of flour. One of butter. One of sweet milk. Three teaspoons of baking powder. A little salt. Cut in squares. Cross over the top each way with a fork before putting in the oven ; it makes them shorter. 156 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING An old Southern Mammy who was in New York City work- ing for nie, in talking of the different styles of Southern cooking, told of her brother going 'possum hunting ; she concluded by saying that he caught a 'possum, brought it home, and that the next day he had it for his turkey. CAKE 157 CARAMEL FILLING FOR CAKE. For a two-layer cake, take two cups of brown sugar ; butter the size of an egg ; half a cup of milk. Stir until dissolved, and boil five minutes, or until it throws up little puffs. Take from the fire, and cool to the consistency of thick syrup ; then spread on layers. Should it sugar or set, put it back on the fire, and add a little more butter and milk ; boil up again, and cool as before. Miss Hastings, Women's Exchange, Kansas City, Mo. 158 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING MAUD MULLER. — THE FACTS. Maud Muller, grown and gray, Put on some juice to boil one day. Her brow was furrowed deep with care ; Her large and homely feet were bare. Her hands and arms were stained with red, And an old torn hat was on her head. CAKE 159 DELICIOUS ORANGE CAKE. One cup of butter. Three cups of sugar. Four cups of flour. Five eggs. One cup of milk. Beat the sugar and butter to a cream. Beat the eggs sepa- rately ; then add the yolks to the butter and sugar. Spread evenly on your layer-cake tins. Make the jelly to be put between the layers as follows : Juice and rind of two oranges, two eggs, and one cup of sugar. Boil until it jellies, and when partially cool spread evenly on the cakes between the layers. ]60 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING MAUD MULLER.-THE FACTS. II. She watched that juice, she poked the fire, She saw the foam rise higher and higher. It boiled all morning, and at noon She took some of it in a spoon, And set it out of doors to cool, Just as the children came from school. CAKE 161 CHOCOLATE CAKE. Half a cup of butter. One and a half cups of granulated sugar. Half a cup of milk. Quarter of a cake of Baker's chocolate. Five tablespoons of water. Four eggs. One and three-quarters of a cup of flour. One teaspoon of baking powder. One teaspoon of vanilla extract. 11 162 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING MAUD MULLER. — THE FACTS. III. " Drat the plums ! " she said, and lit her pipe. " Like as not the things was all too ripe." Her man came home, unlearned and poor, And shuffled in through the kitchen door. She gave him the rude, unfeeling snub, And he and the children ate cold grub. CAKE 16S CALIFORNIA GINGERBREAD. One cup of cold strong tea. One cup of molasses (New Orleans). One cup of brown sugar. Two and a half cups of flour. One teaspoon of soda. One tablespoon of ginger. One cup of chopped raisins. 164 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING MAUD MULLER. — THE FACTS. IV. And all the rest of tlie dreary day She boiled, and boiled, and boiled away. And ever and anon she tried That plum juice, and she sighed and sighed, And put more in, and boiled again. Till she was tired out, and then She eyed the product through her glasses, And cried, " 'T was only plum molasses." For of all sad words as I 've heard tell, The saddest are these : " It just won't jell ! " Chicago Tribune. CAKE 165 CARDAMON CAKE. Four ounces of butter. Four eggs. One pound of sugar. Two tablespoons of cinnamon. One tablespoon of ginger. One tablespoon of powdered cardamon seeds. Flour enough to roll out. Cut in diamond shapes, and put blanched almonds in the centre of each cake. Belle Millek. 166 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING OVER THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY. Over the bay, over the bay, people are crossing every day, And the wind from the south blows its cold dampish lay Through man, foolish man, from over the bay. Over the bay, over the bay, you 've only fifteen cents to pay, And typewriting maiden in sly bashful way Mashes man, willing man, from over the bay. Over the bay, over the bay, wife seems to think he was built for a dray. With parcels and bundles he 's loaded each day — Is man, family man, from over the bay. Over the bay, over the bay, for the twelve o'clock boat busy man makes his way. And alarm clocks on street cars are brought into play To wake man, sleepy man, from over the bay. Over the bay, over the bay, old Charon, the boatman, will row him some day, And he '11 spread out his white wings and fly far away, — Will man, happy man, from over the bay. W. T. Barton, San Francisco. CAKE 167 FEDERAL CAKE. One pound of butter. One and one-quarter pounds of sugar. Half a pound of flour. One cup of sour milk (new). Six eggs. Two large wineglasses of wine and brandy. Four pounds of raisins. Half a pound of citron. Quarter of a pound of orange and lemon peel. One tablespoon of cloves. Half a tablespoon of cinnamon. Two tablespoons of mace. One nutmeg. California Recipe, fl^.^d 168 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Have you coffee and doughnuts like your mother used to make ? " " Sure ! " " Then give me a piece of pie and a glass of milk." CAKE 169 DOUGHNUTS. Here is an old-fashioned recipe that cannot be bettered : Rub to a cream two cupfuls of sugar and half a cupful of but- ter. Add three well-beaten eggs, a cupful and a half of milk, and flour to make a paste just stiflF enough to be rolled and cut, but no stifier. Sift with a cupful of the flour three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Fry in hot fat, drain in a sieve, and sprinkle with powdered sugar while hot. 170 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A friend of mine saw a sign in a grocer's shop which read, " Families supplied," and he went in and asked for a wife and three children. CAKE 171 BROWN RAISIN BREAD. Sift together a cupful each of whole wheat flour, rye flour, and Indian meal. With a part of the flour, sift two and a half teaspoonfuls of soda and a teaspoonful of salt. Make a batter with three-quarters of a cupful of molasses, a cupful and three- quarters of water, a tablespoonful of melted butter, and half a cupful of seeded raisins. Beat the mixture thoroughly, turn it into a buttered mould, and steam it four hours. f/fK'^^ PUDDINGS. MOTHER'S ENGLISH PLUM PUDDING. One quart of suet. Two quarts of bread crumbs. Six eggs. Two pounds of raisins. Two pounds of currants. Two pounds of candied lemon. Two pounds of citron. Half a pound of sugar. One glass of brandy. Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to taste. Two teaspoons of cream of tartar. One teaspoon of soda. Stale bread rubbed fine. Keep the suet cold, and chop fine ; remove all stringy skin, and add to the bread crumbs ; then beat the eggs and add ; then add the raisins, that have been carefully seeded, then the thoroughly cleaned currants (this should be done by looking them over and removing all the stones and foreign matter, then sprinkle with flour, and rub them between the hands to take the stems ofl", then wash them in four or five waters and spread on a flat tin in the oven to dry). Add the lemon and citron ; cut both of these in very small pieces with a knife, — don't use one of those food-chopping machines, as they only mash things to a pulp, — then add the sugar, and beat this all well before you add the cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg ; beat them all in thoroughly, and then add the brandy, and last of all the cream of tartar and soda moistened with a little sweet milk. Steam for four hours in a four-quart mould, and serve with old- fashioned brandy sauce. Use just half the quantity for a two-quart mould. r/W''"/ 176 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING There was a piece of cold pudding on the lunch table, and mamma divided it between Willie and Josie. Willie looked at his mother's empty plate. " Mamma," he said earnestly, " I can't enjoy my pudding when you have n't any. Take Josie's." PUDDINGS 177 FLUFF PUDDING. Quarter of a pound of butter. Oue tablespoon of flour. One teacup of milk. Stir all together in a saucepan on the fire, until it becomes a thick paste ; add the yolks of five eggs, beating well together ; beat the whites of the eggs to a stiflF froth, then mix with the rest. Put all in a well-buttered basin, covered, and steam three- quarters of an hour. Don't remove from the basin until just before serving. Serve with brandy sauce. -Tr^4'-^ei 12 178 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A dyspeptic married man, who had been eating his wife's home cooking for years and years, was compelled to send for the doctor one day to attend to his wife. The doctor advised him to send her to a warmer climate ; so the husband went right out to the woodshed, and got the axe. He handed it to the doctor, and said, " You hit her, doc, I have n't got the nerve." PUDDINGS 179 STEAMED FRUIT PUDDING. One cup of molasses. One cup of sweet milk. Half a cup of butter. Three cups (scant) of flour. One cup of raisins. One cup of currants. One teaspoon each of salt, soda, and cinnamon. Half a teaspoon each of cloves and nutmeg. Mix thoroughly, and steam three hours. Serve with either hot brandy sauce or hard sauce flavored with brandy. Miss Hastings, Women's Exchange, Kansas City, Mo. 180 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A PAINFUL MEMORY! I take it out of its hiding-place, My friend of the bygone years, And I gaze upon it with an aching heart, And my eyes are filled with tears ; I smooth out each crease with a trembling hand, And hold it up to the light, — how old and worn it is, The fabric now that once was so fresh and bright ! It shimmers there in the waning light, My old silk dress so brown. With beating heart I try it on. My dear old faded gown ! Over my shoulders I throw the dress, And it rustles down to my feet ! ! ! ! But the hooks and eyes that once were friends Never again will meet ! ! ! I clasp it closer and closer still With throbs of exquisite pain. But the hooks and eyes that once were friends Never will meet again ! Then I sit me down in mute despair, For the struggle is all in vain. And I know full well, as I place it back In its hiding-place once more, That only in dreams those hooks and eyes Will meet as in days of yore ; And I long with a passionate longing For that meeting that never can be, For the slender waist of a day that is gone Will never come back to me. PUDDINGS 181 CALIFORNIA INDIAN PUDDING. One pint of hot milk, poured over Two tablespoons of corn meal. One teaspoon of salt. Haifa cup of molasses. Two tablespoons of sugar. One cup of chopped suet. One teaspoon of ground ginger. One teaspoon of cinnamon. One saltspoon of soda. Two-thirds of a cup of raisins. Mix all well, and steam three hours. Serve with cream and sugar. 182 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING TO HIM — THE LOBSTER ! ! ! ! In the small black mill pool winking, The first doubtful star shines through, And alone I lie here thinking Such happy thoughts of you. With apologies to Owen Mebedith, PUDDINGS 183 CALIFORNIA PLUM PUDDING. Six ounces of suet. Six ounces of raisins. Six ounces of currants. Three ounces of bread crumbs. Three eggs. Eight ounces of sugar. Two ounces of citron. One teaspoon of soda. Half a pint of milk. Spices to taste. Steam six hours, and serve with the following sauce : — Two cups of sugar. Two-thirds of a cup of butter. One egg. Wine-glass of brandy. Cream the butter and sugar ; add the egg, well beaten, then add half a cup of boiling water. Set over a kettle of hot water, and stir until thick and creamy, and just before serving add the brandy. PIES. LEMON PIE. Juice and grated rind of two lemons ; four eggs (reserve the whites of two for the meringue) ; one teaspoon of butter melted (not a teaspoon of melted butter) ; eight tablespoons of granu- lated or A sugar. Line a pie plate with paste rolled not too thin, and put this mixture in. Bake in an oven moderately heated. To make the Meringue : Whites of two eggs, and a quarter of a cup of powdered sugar beaten to a stiff froth. Spread it over the pie after it is baked and partially cooled ; then return the pie to the oven, and let it brown over nicely. Mrs. " Billy " Cochrast. 188 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING To her mother spoke a maid : " Now suppose in some far glade Comes a lover, and he takes my hand like this ■ And he looks into my eyes, And we mingle gentle sighs, And he begs me for a tiny little kiss." TheQ the motlier said : " My dear, That 's the very thing to fear ; It is time for you to know just where you are. Not a few have gone amiss By a single little kiss. And you must n't let it get that far. Let that French remark take root, — It 's the ' premier pas qui coute,' And you must n't let it get that far." PIES 189 COCOANUT PIE. One cup of grated cocoanut. One large cup of milk. Half a cup of sugar. Three eggs. One gill of brandy or sherry. Beat the eggs and sugar together until they are creamy ; then add the milk and a little salt, and then the brandy. Line a pie plate with plain paste, and fill with the mixture. Bake for half an hour. Just before the pie is done, sprinkle the top with grated cocoanut. Mrs. Lillian R. Maehl. -■A(v?^/ey 190 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A rube saw a sign ou a guide-post in the country, " This will take you to Pumpkin Ridge." He sat on the sign for two hours and then said, " I wonder when she 's going to start ? " PIES 191 PUMPKIN PIE. Cut up a pumpkin, and put it in boiling water and let cook until perfectly soft ; then drain it, and mash it well until it is smooth. Now beat four eggs and two cups of sugar together, and add to the pumpkin ; then put in a pinch of salt, one tea- spoon of cinnamon, one teaspoon of grated nutmeg, and one tea- spoon of ginger. Scald the milk, and add to this mixture while warm ; beat all together, and then add the brandy. Have two medium-sized pie plates lined with paste (same as for apple pie); fill with the mixture, and bake until firm, or from thirty to forty minutes. Serve ice-cold. J-Vt ' 192 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LOVE AFFAIR OF MADGE SMITH, ATTORNEY. " I met " him first in Hackensack One balmy summer day (Of course you know that Hackensack 's Located in N. J.). The sunlight kissed the lily's cheek, The chimes of love were played Down in the depths within my heart, when he said, " Won't you have a lemonade ? " PIES 193 APPLE PIE. Peel and slice four or five solid sour apples. Use an extra deep pie plate, and line it with paste. Pack the sliced apples in evenly, and fill to almost overflowing ; cover the apples with a teacup of brown sugar, shake a little salt over it, dust over that about a teaspoon of cinnamon, and over all dust in some flour ; dot the top all over with bits of butter, put in about four tablespoons of ice water, and put the top crust on, wetting the edges and pressing them well together to prevent the juice from boiling out. Pierce the top crust in half a dozen places with a fork, and bake three-quarters of an hour in an oven that is not too hot, — that is, an oven that will not burn over the crust before the apples are cooked. The Crust. A scant pound of flour; one tablespoon of butter and the same of lard, and a little salt. Mix with ice water, and set it in the refrigerator for a few minutes ; then roll it out thin. /■/ir/e^ 13 194 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LOVE AFFAIR OF MADGE SMITH, ATTORNEY. II. He 'd say " Be mine " on ferry-boats, In cable cars and hacks ; He 'd always, when at the play, " Be mine " between the acts. He 'd say " Be mine and life will be The paradise you wish," And when we 'd dine, he 'd say " Be mine " Between the soup and fish. PIES 195 SWEET POTATO PIE. One good-sized sweet potato or two small ones. Three eggs. One cup of milk. Three tablespoons of sugar. One tablespoon of cinnamon. One tablespoon of butter. One tablespoon of nutmeg. Brandy to flavor. Boil the potato, and when done mash the butter with it. Beat yolks of eggs and sugar together, and add the milk and gradually the mashed potato, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brandy. Line a pie plate and fill with this mixture, and bake half an hour. Have ready whites of eggs beaten very stiff and sweet- ened with powdered sugar. Cover the pie with the meringue, and place in the oven until a light brown. Mary Thorpe, Chef-ess. 196 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE LOVE AFFAIR OF MADGE SMITH, ATTORNEY. III. We married, and our honeymoon Was spent across the sea. We " mooned " in Rome, St. Petei'sburg, ]\Iadrid, and gay Paree ; In Venice floating 'ueath the stars, No romance did we lack. And then we floated home and settled Down in Hackensack. PIES 197 MOTHER'S MINCE MEAT. Nine pounds of lean beef. Three pounds of suet. Six pounds of raisins (weighed after they have been seeded). Six pounds of currants. Six pounds of citron (cut into small pieces). Six teaspoons of powdered cloves. Six teaspoons of cinnamon. One and a half teaspoons of mace. Four tablespoons of salt. Three quarts of the best French brandy. Three pints of sweet cider. Boil the beef until tender ; when cold, chop very fine. Chop the suet almost to a powder, removing all the stringy parts. Put the beef and suet in an old-fashioned stone crock ; then add the raisins, currants, citron, cloves, cinnamon, and mace. Boil the cider, with six pounds of brown sugar, down to about half the original quantity. When cool, put it and the brandy in the crock, and get a few good strong men to stir thoroughly. Now cover it up, so they won't eat it until the appointed hour. When you are ready to make the pies, peel, core, and chop fine some sour apples, and to one bowl of the prepared meat take two of apples, more sugar to taste, and hot sweet cider, enough to make them juicy. Mix and warm the ingredients before put- ting into pies. Puff" paste should be used for the?e, for which a recipe will be found on page 199. 198 MAY IRWIN^S HOME COOKING THE LOVE AFFAIR OF MADGE SMITH, ATTORNEY. IV. Of course, we have our little tiffs, — All married people do, — And then my legal repartee Turns John a dark sky blue. I often stand up in a court. And make a witness dance ; So when I clash with John at home I put him in a trance. Louis Harrison. PIES 199 PUFF PASTE. AH good cooks should know how to prepare this. To one pound of butter allow one pound of flour. Mix the flour into a paste with cold water, roll it out, and place four ounces of the butter over it in small pieces. Dredge flour over it, and set it in the refrigerator for one hour, then roll it out again ; use four more ounces of the butter in small pieces, dredge the flour over it, fold it up again, and again set it away for an hour, and so on until all the butter is used. Bake puff paste always in a hot oven. SAUCES AND PICKLES. SAUCE MIGNONETTE. (To serve with oysters on the shell.) Half a pint of vinegar. Half a teaspoon of salt. One teaspoon of crushed black pepper (not ground). Half a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce. Two or three dashes of tabasco. One bunch of minced shallots or young onions. One bunch of chives, also minced. Hotel Lafayette. 204. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING OYSTERS. The oyster taciturn, within his shell, Begins the feast, and sure begins it well. His quiet, silent life 's example good To emulate — say nothing, and saw wood. James Clarence Harvey. SAUCES AND PICKLES 205 OYSTER COCKTAIL SAUCE. Juice of three lemons. One tablespoon of freshly grated horseradish. One white onion, grated. One tablespoon of Worcestershire. Four dashes of tabasco. Quarter of a cup of ketchup. Black pepper and salt to taste. 206 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING ONE HAPPY MAN. The sick man's face suddenly became illuminated with a heav- enly radiance ; an unwonted light beamed from his eyes, and he moved his lips as if he would speak. His tearful wife bent down to hear the last words. In a faint whisper, but yet full of joy and peace and hope, the dying man murmured, " I die happy ; I shall escape housecleaning this spring ! " Then all was still. SAUCES AND PICKLES 207 SAUCE MORNAY. This is made by preparing a roux of butter and flour and let- ting it cook for a few minutes while stirring, not allowing it to color in the slightest. Remove it to a slow fire, and leave it to continue cooking for a quarter of an hour ; then dilute it grad- ually with hot milk. Stir the liquid on the fire until it boils, and set it aside for further use. This ready, add some cream to it. Pour your sauce into a saucepan, beat it smooth while heating it, and finish it off the fire with some fresh butter, salt, grated Swiss or Parmesan cheese. This sauce is used for such dishes as crab meat or any fish and for eggs. Its delicacy forbids it to be boiled. Compliments of " Paul " at Rector's. T^^/ef 208 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A THOUGHTFUL WOMAN. A man went home the other night and found his house locked up. After infinite trouble he managed to gain entrance through a back window, and then discovered on the parlor table a note from his wife reading : " I have gone out. You will find the key on the side of the step." SAUCES AND PICKLES 209 COURTBULLION SAUCE. {For any large fish.) Split a large fish open, take out the backbone, and place it on a roasting tin. Completely cover the fish with a layer each of tomatoes sliced, green peppers cut into small pieces, and sliced white onions. Pepper and salt between each layer. Small pieces of butter, three or four slices of corned pork, and bread crumbs over all. Bake half an hour. Chef 8t. Charles, New Orleans, La. i®\ i^.T ^^'ty. 14 210 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING THE DIFFERENCE. A Duet. She. There are lots of things a man can do that women never can. Oh ! a man 's the smartest animal by far. But I notice where a woman is you 'II always find a man, Unless he 's somewhere holding up a bar. He. You girls will do for ornaments, but you can bet your boots The men will never miss you when you 're gone. She. Do you think we 're good for nothing ? There 's a but- ton off your suit ; Here 's a needle and some thread, just sew it on. He. I can do it in a minute, And I '11 sew it on to stay. She. And I '11 bet you '11 have to pin it In the old sweet way. Charles Reed, City Directory Days. SAUCES AND PICKLES 211 HOME-BREWED PICKLED ONIONS. Half a bushel of very small white onions ; peel, and let them stand in strong salt water (use two quarts of salt and enough water to cover them) three days ; then put them in quart jars. Take one gallon of cider vinegar, two pounds of brown sugar, two tablespoons of whole cloves, half a dozen cinnamon sticks, six kernels of garlic ; put all the spices in a cheese-cloth bag, let it boil with the vinegar and sugar ; pour over the onions, and let them stand until the next day. Then pour the liquid off from the onions back into the kettle. Put in the bag of spices ; let it come to a boil again, and again pour over the onions while it is hot. Do this every day for a week. Add more vinegar and sugar if you have not enough to cover the onions. M^yX S12 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING In roasting meat, turn it with a spoon instead of a fork, as a fork pierces the meat and lets the juice out. SAUCES AND PICKLES 213 CHILLI SAUCE. (Not cooked.) Eighteen ripe tomatoes. Three green peppers. One cup of brown sugar. Two and a half cups of vinegar. One teaspoon of mixed spices. Two large white onions, chopped fine. Two teaspoons of salt. Chop the tomatoes very fine ; then chop the peppers and onions, add all together, and mix well. Keep cold and seal in air-tight jars. Mother's. 214 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING It is an easy matter to remove hot cakes or pies from the pan if, after they are taken out of the oven, they are set up on small supports so that the air can circulate under them. SAUCES AND PICKLES 215 GREEN TOMATO SOY. Two gallons of green tomatoes, sliced without peeling. Twelve large white onions, also sliced. Two quarts of vinegar. One quart of sugar. Two tablespoons of salt. Two tablespoons of ground mustard. Two tablespoons of black pepper, ground. One tablespoon each of allspice andcloves. Mix all well together, and stew until tender, stirring often. Seal in air-tight jars. Marion Harland. '±-^^r^^.'''j 216 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Vinegar has many virtues : it will keep the hands soft and white; the toughest beef or chicken can be made tender if about a gill is put in the pot or roasting-pan ; nothing is more refreshing and cooling than to bathe the face in half vinegar and half water. SAUCES AND PICKLES 217 PICCALILLI. Half a bushel of green tomatoes, three dozen green peppers (the seeds and hearts taken out), two dozen large white onions. Chop all fine, put on the stove, and let the mixture come to a boil ; then take it off and throw into a cullender. Now take about four quarts of vinegar, sugar and salt to taste, and let it come to a boil ; then put in the tomatoes, onions, and peppers ; add about two tablespoons of mustard seed, one tablespoon of cloves and allspice mixed, and let it all come to a boil again, and bottle while hot in glass jars. The bottles should be put on the stove in a large pan of cold water and left in until the water is boiling hot ; pouring the hot mixture in now will not break them. Mrs. Russ, Commonwealth Hotel, Harrisburg, Pa. SALAD DRESSING. — SPAGHETTI.— RAREBITS. CREAM SALAD DRESSING. Half a teaspoon of English mustard. Half a teacup of lemon juice. Two teacups of oil (salad, not castor). Yolks of two eggs. One cup of thick cream. Salt and pepper to taste. Place in mixing-bowl salt, pepper, mustard, and the yolks of the eggs, and mix tiioroughly ; then add a few drops of the lemon juice (stirring all the time). Add the oil very slowly, working it well together. When it reaches the consistency of Mayonnaise, add more lemon juice and more oil until both are used. Last of all, the cup of cream worked in very slowly, a little at a time. The bowl in which the dressing is made must be kept very cold ; surround by cracked ice. This dressing may be used on pineapple, tomatoes, celery, apples, cabbage, etc. Chef of the Yates House, Syracuse, N. Y. tTfi'-j 222 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Doughnuts are much lighter if they are rolled out and cut an hour before they are fried. SALAD DRESSING 223 CALIFORNIA SALAD DRESSING. (Hugo's, not Victor.) For four portions : Yolk of one uncooked egg ; oil slowly stirred in until thick ; yolk of one hard-boiled egg, mashed in ; red pepper, salt, mustard, and paprika to taste. A little vinegar at first, then stir in as much as consistent, and stir well. Use a soup plate for mixing, as it is handier than a deeper dish. 224 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING If you scald the bowl in which butter and sugar are to be creamed for cake, you will find it much easier and quicker. SALAD DRESSING 225 CREAM AND BUTTER MAYONNAISE. Beat the yolks of four eggs until light, and add one teaspoon of sugar, a third of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Beat again until smooth. When half a cup of vinegar and half a cup of butter are hot enough to cook the eggs, stir in slowly and con- tinue until it is a thick custard. When cool, add salt to taste, juice of one good-sized lemon, and whipped cream until it is as light and thick as desired. Miss Hastings, Women's Exchange, Kansas City. 15 226 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Cream and acids do not curdle, while milk and acids will. Cream to be added hot to any mixture should be heated first iu a double boiler. SPAGHETTI 221 SISTER FLO'S SPAGHETTI. Half a pound of Italian Spaghetti (the kind that comes in siriall short packages is decidedly better than any other) ; slip it gradually into enough slightly salted boiling water to cover it well, being careful not to break it. Boil slowly twenty minutes (no more), and serve immediately with the following sauce : Two pounds of nice lean beef cut as for a stew. One can of tomatoes, chopped up. One green pepper, chopped (seeds extracted). One bay leaf (whole). Two cloves of garlic, cut up. Put the beef in a kettle, and cover with a pint and a half of water; let it simmer for two hours, but be careful it does not boil ; then add the tomatoes, pepper, garlic, and bay leaf, and cook slowly all day ; then strain, and add salt to taste. The earlier this sauce is started the better it is. It will keep per- fectly if put up in an air-tight jar and kept in the ice box, and needs only to be heated. When ready, serve spaghetti with sauce poured over it, and sprinkle with Parmesan and American cheese (grated), mixed half and half. T^i'lei 228 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING To prevent icing from cracking when it is cut, just add one tablespoon of sweet cream to each unbeaten egg. Stir it all up together, then add the sugar until it is as stiff as can be stirred. SPAGHETTI 229 MACARONI MILANAISE. Quarter of a pound of macaroni. One pint of white stock. Half a pint of cream. Half a can of mushrooms, or quarter of a pound of fresh ones. A slice each of carrot and onion. Three tablespoons of butter. Two generous tablespoons of flour. Three teaspoons of salt and an eighth of pepper. After breaking the macaroni into pieces three inches long, wash and put in a stewpan with two quarts of boiling water and the salt ; let it boil half an hour. In the meantime make the sauce as follows : put the butter and flour in a small stew- pan, and beat to a cream ; then add onion, carrot, pepper, salt to taste, and stock, and heat slowly. When the sauce begins to boil, set it back to simmer twenty minutes ; then add the cream, and strain the sauce. Pour the water from the macaroni, and in its place put the sauce and mushrooms. Cook five min- utes longer, and serve. ^ rhi-i- 230 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING For salad with fish try serving cucumbers sliced lengthwise with the usual French dressing and one spring onion on each plate. RAREBITS 231 JOHN CHAMBERLIN'S WELSH RAREBIT. Four ounces of cheese. Half an ounce of butter. One teaspoon of made mustard. Two tablespoons of cream. Season with cayenne and black pepper. Grate the cheese in a bowl ; rub all smooth with a spoon or pestle to a uniform paste, adding or not a tablespoon of ale, porter, beer, or champagne. Make a slice of rather thick toast, which dip an instant in boiling water and place in an oven. Now transfer your cheese mixture to a saucepan and stir over gentle heat until melted ; then heat up quickly, pour over toast, and serve. This quantity is for one person. MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Uneeda biscuits toasted and spread with anchovy paste and served hot are fine with cheese balls after dessert. RAREBITS 233 SISTER FLO'S WELSH RAREBIT (WITH TOMATOES). One pound of new cheese. One can of tomatoes. Paprika, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, butter, and salt. Cook the tomatoes twenty minutes ; then put in a heaping tablespoon of cold butter, salt to taste, several good dashes of paprika, one small half-teaspoon of dry mustard, two table- spoons of Worcestershire. Have Uneeda biscuits (for this ad- vertisement I get two dollars) crushed and laid on plates in the oven for a few minutes ; when they are very hot, pour the mixture over the biscuits, and serve immediately. «*!"-''/ 234 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Oyster crackers split and anchovy paste spread on the halves, then placed together again and served hot, are very appetizing for luncheon. RAREBITS 235 CHEESE BALLS. To one cupful of dry grated cheese add three drops of Wor- cestershire sauce, the whites of two eggs well beaten, and a pinch of salt. Mould into soft balls, roll in bread crumbs, lay in a wire basket, dip them into hot lard, and fry until a golden brown. These are nice served after the dessert, instead of crackers and cheese, with crackers on which has been spread a thin layer of anchovy paste. (After which see that the glasses are filled — again.) 236 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Beef suet, tried out and clarified (by putting a piece of raw potato in the kettle), is far better than lard for frying purposes. RAREBITS 237 WELSH RAREBIT SOUFFLfi. This is for a chafing-dish. Put a level teaspoon of butter into the blazer ; when it melts, turn in half a pint of cream, and season with salt, paprika, and a dash of mustard ; then stir in a cupful of fresh bread crumbs, and as soon as they are ready to boil add a cupful of rich American cheese, cut fine. When the mixture is smooth, add the beaten yolks of two eggs. Remove from the stove, and stir in lightly the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Serve at once, before the mixture falls. Clipping from the Evening Sun, and fin^. ICES. SARAH'S ICE CREAM (CARAMEL). One pint of cream, one cup of milk, a pinch of salt ; put the cream in a double boiler, let it come to a scald, and add a cup of sugar to the cream. Put two tablespoons of sugar in an iron frying-pan and burn to a dark brown ; pour the cup of milk into the pan, and then pour the cream into that, and strain. Let it cool ; then freeze. s:£^ ■r-d~7'"-"yi. IB 242 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A young wife said to her hubby : " Mother is doing very well making ice cream. I won't be surprised if she maiies lots of money out of it if she lives long enough. Charles, do you believe the people follow the same occupation in the next world as they do on earth ? " The husband lit a cigarette and said : " Your mother won't. She makes ice cream." ICES 24S CALIFORNIA ICE CREAM. One quart of double cream. One pint of new milk. Two coffee cups of sugar. Yolks of three eggs. Half a small cup of flour. Half a vanilla bean (or two tablespoons of vanilla extract). Put the milk in a double boiler, and when at the boiling- point add the yolks of the eggs beaten very light ; stir in the flour, and cook, being careful not to curdle the eggs ; take from the fire, and set aside. If the vanilla bean is used, it should be cooked in the milk after splitting lengthwise; scrape all the small seeds into the milk, as they give a delicious flavor. This is called the foundation, and should be cooked the night before ; but it can be made in the morning. The only thing is to have it perfectly cold. When ready to freeze, add the quart of cream and the other cup of sugar, mixing all together thoroughly. 5 ROMAN PUNCH. Four large juicy lemons, one quart of water, one orange, one pound and a quarter of sugar. Freeze very hard ; then add one gill of rum, two tablespoons of sherry, two tablespoons of brandy. Serve in glasses. ■kcf 246 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Shirley Plush " is a delicious liqueur. It is simply a liqueur glass two-thirds full of Apricot brandy ; fill up the glass with thick cream. ICES 247 FROZEN STRAWBERRIES. Freeze. One quart of strawberry juice. One pound of sugar. One quart of water. Juice of two lemons. •'^--> 248 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING COFFEE. Now dark-brown coffee comes upon the scene, — A sort of chaperon, with serious mien, To put quietus on a pang or two For luckless ones who chanced to overdo. James Clarence Habvet. ICES 249 ICED COFFEE. Twelve ounces of sugar. One pint of water. One pint of black coffee. One quart of double cream. Boil sugar and water together five minutes ; add the coffee, then the cream. Freeze, and serve in glasses. ^H^-y rrfek'i'if DRINKABLES. HOT WEATHER PUNCH. Put a large lump of ice in a punch-bowl ; pour over it a quart of claret or Rhine wine, the juice of four lemons and two oranges, a cup of sugar, a cordial glass full each of Santa Crua rum, chartreuse, maraschino, and four glasses of brandy. Throw in strawberries, cherries, flakes of pineapple, slices of orange and lemon, and a handful of fresh currants. Add one quart of apollinaris ; then stir it, and let it stand a few minutes to get cold. nuiitj. S54 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING EAT, DRINK, AND BE MERRY. " Eat, drink, and be merry, For to-morrow ye die," Is a motto the ages have learned to forgive. But the age fin de siecle Says, winking an eye, " Eat, drink, and be merry, for to-morrow ye live." It seems so much better. When pleasure is rife And life is worth living, to drink with a smile. The glasses are clinking ; So here 's to long life. Death is n't worth dying, it 's gone out of style. James Clarence Hakvey. DRINKABLES 255 CHAMPAGNE CUP. One large piece of ice that will go nicely into a two-quart glass pitcher ; then drop in two lumps of sugar with four drops of Angostura bitters on each lump ; two or three cocktail cherries, and a little of all the fresh fruits in season ; one bunch of mint that has been carefully washed, and the rind uf one cucumber put in lengthwise in the pitcher ; then pour in one quart of dry champagne. After the first quart is exhausted, a second (if desired) may be poured in over the same ingredients, and you will find the second is better than the first, because the fruit is well soaked with the wine — and for other reasons. Julia Robebts. We 've known each other now for forty years, And it don't seem a day too much. 256 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A TOAST. The Five Senses. With tlie sense of sight I greet you In the sparkling amber glow, With the sense of hearing meet you As we clink our glasses so. With the sense of touch I hail you In a score of little sips, With the sense of smell regale you As it lingers on our lips. With the sense of taste I toast you As delight steals on apace, And the lack of a friend is the ghost you Shall feel you may never face. DRINKABLES 257 RHINE WINE AND CHAMPAGNE PUNCH. Two quarts of Rhine wine. One quart of champagne. Four lumps of sugar. Two or three drops of Angostura bitters on each lump of sugar. Fruits the same as for Champagne Cup. Let the fruits soak all day in a quart of the Rhine wine; then when you are ready for the punch, put a large piece of ice in a puuch-bowl ; pour the fruits over it, then the other quart of Rhine wine, then the champagne, and stir it well. " Dick " Bynner's. f^iyi 17 258 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING A friend of mine who had been out to a banquet arrived home at four A. M. and did n't care to awaken his wifie. He went quietly upstairs and began to rock the cradle. After rocking it about an hour, his wife awoke and said, "How long have you been rocking that cradle ? " He told her, and she said, " Well, the baby is here in bed with me." DRINKABLES 259 TEA PUNCH FOR SIX. Half a bottle of good brandy. One glass of Santa Cruz rum. Two tablespoons of curacoa. Half a pound of lump sugar. Peel of one orange, one apple, and one lime. Two quite long sticks of cinnamon. Half a dozen cloves. Small bunch of raisins. Mix all in a thin bowl, and warm over hot water. Have the punch-bowl it is to be served in as hot as possible ; then pour the punch into it, and set it on fire. Have a teapot full of strong black tea (made for two) ready, and pour into the bowl when well burning. Serve iu teacups while it is flaming — after a long course dinner — with the lights turned low — mandolins and guitars,, quietly played in the next room, and — what more can I say ? Chef of the " Poodle Dog," San Francisco, w t -^F^ty 260 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING If a diniiig-table has white stains on it caused from hot dishes, the stains may be easily removed by holding a shovel that has been heated to a white heat over them as near as possible. The color will be restored almost instantly. DRINKABLES 261 WIDOW JONES' GIN FIZZ. Half fill a shaker with finely cracked ice ; add the white of one egg, juice of one lemon, three heaping teaspoons of sugar, half a whiskey glass of Old Tom or Plymouth gin. Shake for five minutes ; then add a whiskey glass of fresh thick cream that has been on the ice long enough to nearly freeze it ; then shake it again for another five minutes, strain into a long glass, and fill with ice-cold seltzer. 262 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING CIGARS. Now smoke, but let the weed be full of worth, And filmy clouds shall lift you from the earth ; Then listen, and applaud the stories old, — The queer, quaint quips that old Rameses told. DRINKABLES TURKISH COFFEE. Put two teaspoons full of very finely ground cofi^ee into a coffee-pot that has previously been heated ; add a quarter of a pint of cold water and two lumps of sugar, and let it boil about ten minutes. Draw it back from the fire, and after the coffee has settled to the bottom of the pot, put in five drops of orange flower water. A few drops of cold water added just before serving will clear the coffee. This is for one person ; so conduct yourself accordingly, if you are not alone. 264 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING Scoop out the inside of a lemon, fill it with an oyster cock- tail sauce, and place it on the centre of the oyster plate where the piece of lemon is usually put. DRINKABLES 265 WHISKEY COCKTAIL. Half whiskey. Quarter Vermouth. Quarter Benedictine. Put over cracked ice, and strain. Wilson for this, or for any other when you are taking that kind of tonic. NEW ORLEANS WHISKEY PUNCH. Cracked ice. Juice of half a lemon. One teaspoon of sugar. One ordinary drink of whiskey. One small teaspoon of raspberry syrup. Shake well, and strain. New Orleans Athletic Club. 266 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING COULDN'T KEEP UP. I got my flannels out, and then I gayly put them back again, And when the weather changed about. Once more I got my flannels out. Thus out and back, until, alack ! La grippe has laid me on the rack, And cold or heat, or rain or snow, Unhonored and unflanneled go. DRINKABLES 267 GOOD FOR A COLD (NIGHT). One pint of claret. A few pieces of cinnamon. A dozen cloves. One lemon, sliced. About four lumps of sugar. Boil everything; while it is boiling, light the claret and let it burn until all the alcohol is burned out. Drink it while it is hot. Rene Stbetti. AlAyi; 268 MAY IRWIN'S HOME COOKING " Go, little booklet, go ! bearing an honored name. Till everywhere that you have went, They 're glad that you have came.'' Bill Nye. >MARY ifje Jeed is dorie