LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. -%^A ,...l?l Ciiap.....!.._MJopyright No.. Shell..., ilZ^ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. EVERY-DAY DISHES AND EVERY-DAY WORK «3* i3* By Mrs. E.e/ KELLOGG, A. M. Author of "Science in the Kitchen," etc. MODERN MEDICINE PUBLISHING COMPANY BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN 1897 V <^^ A Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1897, By JOHN HARVEY KELLOGG, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. Also entered at Stationers' Hall, London, Eng. PREFACE. It has not been the purpose in the preparation of this book to furnish a complete compendium of cookery, but to present a selection of well-tested recipes for the healthful preparation of substantial dishes suited for use upon the " every-day " bill of fare in the average home. The limited space at the author's disposal has neces- sitated careful choice as to the subjects to be treated. The preference has been given to those foods least widely known, or to those which receive the least con- sideration in the ordinary cook-book, but which, on account of their economic and dietetic values, deserve to be better known and more commonly used ; and to suggestions for the simpler and more healthful preparation of many foods in common use. Those articles of food not treated in these pages are fully considered in the author's more complete work on cookery, "Science in the Kitchen." Some of the recipes contained in this book are taken from the larger work; others are the results of work carried on in the Experimental Kitchen of the Battle Creek Sanitarium Cooking-School since the first work was published. E, E. K. [3] INTRODUCTION. The purposes of food are to promote growth, to supply force and heat, and to furnish material to re- pair the waste" which is constantly taking place in the body. Every breath, every thought, every motion, wears out some portion of the delicate and wonderful house in which we live. The various vital processes remove these worn and useless particles; and in order to keep the body in health, their loss must be made good by constantly renewed supplies of material prop- erly adapted to replenish the worn and impaired tissues. This renovating material must be supplied through food and drink, and the best food is that by which the de- sired end may be most readily and perfectly attained. The great diversity in the character of the several tissues of the body makes it necessary that food should contain a variety of elements in order that each part may be properly nourished and replenished. The nu- tritive elements found in foods are albuminous com- pounds, starch, sugar, fats, and mineral substances. Besides these, most foods contain water and more or less indigestible material. The nutritive food elements are for convenience classified according to their chemical composition into three groups : nitrogenous elements, which include albumin, gluten, casein, and allied substances ; carbona- ceous elements, including starch, sugar, and fats , and inorganic, or mineral, elements. [5] 6 INTRODUCTION. Each of these different groups of elements has a par- ticular work to perform in the maintenance of health, 80 it is especially necessary that our food should con- tain some of each kind of elements. It is likewise essential that these elements, particularly the nitroge- nous and carbonaceous, should be supplied to the sys- tem in certain definite proportions, as the body is able to appropriate only a certain amount of each. More of the carbonaceous than of the nitrogenous elements are needed. One part nitrogenous material to every eight or ten parts carbonaceous, is, according to the latest authorities, a good proportion. Of the different nutritive elements, the nitrogenous is physiologically the most important, as these elements especially nourish the brain, nerves, muscles, and all the more highly vitalized and active tissues of the body, and also serve as a stimulus to tissue change. Hence it may be said that a food deficient in these elements is a particularly poor food. The carbonaceous elements furnish material for the production of heat and energy when used in connection with other food elements. The mineral elements aid in furnishing the requisite building material for bones and nerves. Most food substances are deficient in one or another of the food elements, and need to be supplemented by other foods containing the deficient element in superabundance, since to employ a dietary in which any one of the nu- tritive elements is lacking, although in bulk it may be all the digestive organs can manage, is really star- vation, and will in time occasion serious results. It will thus be apparent that great care should be exercised in the selection and combination of food ma- TABLE SHOWING THE NUTRITIVE VALUES OF SOME COMMON FOOD SUBSTANCES. FOOD SUBSTANCES. O 0) .2 a < o t-i fco 3 CO a O 3 a fa o 0) S-i fa H ai f Wheat, Poland Mich. White Rye 13.3 13.8 8.7 14. 13. 13.1 13.0 13.1 84.8 81.3 80.4 73. 79.8 78.3 83.3 81.2 84.9 80. 85.7 87.0 7.3 7.3 7.1 0.3 0.5 40.0 80. 88.5 75. 93.5 87.5 83. 71.8 93.7 90.3 80. 93.4 10.3 13.5 11. 9. 13.3 86. 60. 88 88. 73. 73. 63. 39. 74. 78. 74. 31.5 11.6 11. 10.5 10.7 10.3 0.7 9. .4 .5 .5 1.9 .7 .6 .4 .8 .4 .7 .4 1.1 14.0 15.8 17.4 23.5 28.3 5.6 4. 3.5 2.2 1.5 1.3 1.3 1. 1.8 1.1 1.7 1.6 24.6 a5. 33.7 21.9 25.9 4.1 2.7 4. 4.1 19.3 18.3 105 9.8 31. 18.1 14. 61.9 71. 74.6 60.7 58.3 08.5 78.5 76.8 09.' 13. IM 1.8 8. 5:i.6 48.3 55.6 60.6 53. 1.5 1.3 1.9 2.4 7.8 4.8 .9 .3 ".6 ".5 2.4 57.4 62.6 53. 46.3 35.9 .9 .6 .3 .3 !i .6 .2 is .1 .1 .3 3.5 1.7 2.3 1.6 1.9 3.9 26.7 1.8 .7 3.6 4.9 15.8 48.9 3.8 3.9 10.5 1.9 1.6 3.3 3.6 3.3 1.4 .8 .8 .5 .8 .4 1. .7 .5 .3 .7 .7 .7 .5 .8 3.3 2. 3.5 3. 3.3 1. 1.6 2. 1. .7 1.1 1. .7 .5 .7 .7 .6 3.6 3.5 3.7 2.9 3. .8 1.8 .8 .8 5.1 4.8 4.7 2.3 1.2 1. 1.5 1.7 1.5 3.8 17.9 1.7 .5 1.5 5.3 7. .3 5.9 3.6 4.4 5.4 4.3 6.1 7.4 3.3 3.4 4.6 3.3 6.5 13.9 2.9 1.9 1. .3 2.1 1. 8. 1. 1. 1.3 .7 .8 6.4 8. 3.8 4. 3.9 2.9 6.3 6.9 6.5 6.1 7.1 1L8 8.5 18. 9.3 8.2 13.5 14.5 33.8 20.5 7.7 9. 6.4 9.7 6.1 4.8 4.4 4. 2.6 1.7 7.8 3.1 1.4 9.6 2.1 .1 6.5 25.5 1.6 6.1 6.4 2.8 2.3 2. 2.4 2.8 2.1 2.2 11. 1.4 1. .18 .26 .95 4.9 .18 .16 .75 86.8 85.5 89 8 83 2 Oats 80.1 84 9 Rice 80 9 7.3 4.6 4.1 10.3 14.3 8.3 6.3 3.6 4.5 3.9 6.3 i'.3 .1 ".4 1.4 3.8 3.5 86 9 ("Apple 13.7 13 5 cc Blackberry 6.6 Banana 26 7 U Cherry 14.8 fa. Grape 18 2 Pear 12 4 U Prune 13 4 W Plum 10 8 « 13 9 69 L Strawberry 10 1 89 3 Walnut 88 3 R 89 7 t^1 Sweet Almond Peanut 87.3 79 6 Cocoanut 50.5 ' Winter Cabbage Spinach 18.1 10 5 Potato White Turnip Beet 34.4 5.4 11.5 10 « s Sweet Potato Asparagus Squash 27.3 5.3 85 13 3 Tomato 6.8 p. 83 3 Beans, field French or Kidney Lima Milk Sug. 5.2 2.8 3.8 3.6 78.5 85.3 87. Lentils Cows' milk 83.8 14. 34. Skimmed milk Buttermilk 10.4 9.3 Lean Beaf 28. "< 1 Lean Mutton Veal Pork 28. 37. 61. H 26. 1^' White Fish 22. Entire Egg 26. [7] 8 INTRODUCTION. terials, A careful study of the nutritive values of various foods is a matter of first importance in the selection of food for the daily needs of the household. The accompanying table of food analyses will serve as an aid to the housekeeper in this direction. A knowledge of the digestibility and proper prepa- ration of foods is likewise essential, since the fitness of a food to be good material for body building depends upon its digestibility, its palatability, and its adapta- bility to the needs of the user, as well as upon its nutritive value.* Simplicity of diet should also be a point of first consideration, since the simplest foods, as a rule, are the most healthful. Variety is needed ; but the ten- dency is to supply our tables with too many kinds, and to prepare each dish in the most elaborate manner, until in many households the cooking of the food has come to be almost the chief end of life. "While the diet of the family should be looked upon as of sufficient importance to demand careful consideration, its preparation should not usurp the larger share of one's time. A great variety of foods at one meal creates a love of eating as a source of pleasure merely, and likewise furnishes temptation to overeat. Let us have well- cooked, nutritious, palatable food, and plenty of it, with a suitable variety from day to day, but not too great a variety at each meal. 1 In the author's larger work, " Science In the Kitchen," are given chapters on the digestion of foods and the principles underlying their proper selection and prepiiration, together with complete tables, showing the nutritive value of foods. CONTENTS. Paqb. Cereals 17 Food Value of Cereals — General Directions for the Cooking of Grains — Grains for Breakfast — Dressing for Grains. Recipes. — Dressings for Grains: Grape Sauce — Lemon Sauce — Blueberry, Black Raspberry, and Strawberry Sauces. Wheat : Pearled Wheat — Cracked Wheat — Rolled Wheat — Boiled Wheat — Wheat with Raisins — Wheat with Fresh Fruit — Molded Wheat — Browned Wheat — Farina — Farina with Fig Sauce — Farina with Fresh Fruit — Molded Farina — Graham Grits — Wheat-Meal or Graham Mush — Wheat-Meal or Graham Mush with Dates — Plum Porridge — Wheat-Meal or Graham Apple Mush — Blackberry Mush — Peach Mush. Barley : Pearled Barley with Raisins — Pearled Barley with Lemon Sauce, Oatmeal : Oatmeal Mush — Oatmeal Fruit Mush — Oatmeal Blancmange — Oatmeal Blanc- mange No. 2 — Jellied Oatmeal — Rolled Oats — Oatmeal with Apple — Oatmeal Porridge. Corn, or Maize : Corn- Meal Mush — Corn-Meal Mush with Fruit — Corn-Meal - Cubes — Browned Mush — Samp — Cerealine Flakes — Hulled Corn — Coarse Hominy — Fine Hominy, or Grits. Bice : Boiled Rice — Steamed Rice — Steamed Rice No. 2 — Rice with Fig Sauce — Orange Rice — Rice with Rai- sins — Rice with Peaches — Browned Rice — Browned Rice with Black Raspberry Sauce. Bye : Rolled Rye — Rye Mush. Macaroni .32 To Select Macaroni — To Prepare and Cook Macaroni. Recipes. — Boiled Macaroni — Macaroni with Cream Sauce — Macaroni with Tomato Sauce — Macaroni [9] 10 CONTENTS. Baked with Granola — Macaroni with Raisins — Maca- roni with Kornlet — Macaroni with Lentil Gravy — Macaroni with Lentil Dressing — Apple Macaroni — Peach Macaroni. Fermented or Yeast Bread 35 How to Select Flour— To Keep Flour — Yeast —Tests for Yeast. Recipes for Liquid Yeast. — Raw Potato Yeast — Raw Potato Yeast No. 2 — Hop Yeast — Boiled Potato Yeast — Boiled Potato Yeast No, 2 — Raisin Yeast. Methods of Bread-Making — Care of the Bread — Light- ness of Bread — Temperature for Baking — Whole- Wheat Breads. Recipes.— Milk Bread with White Flour — Vienna Bread — Water Bread — Water Bread No. 2 — Fruit Roll — Fruit Loaf — Potato Bread — Pulled Bread — Mrs. F.'s Salt- Rising Bread — Whole-Wheat Bread — Whole-Wheat Bread No. 2 — Rye Bread — Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread — Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 2 — Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 3 — Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 4 — Raised Biscuit — Rolls — Graham or Wheat-Meal Salt-Rising Bread. Unfermented or Aerated Bread 49 Introduction of Air — Quality of Materials — Form — Heat of Oven — Dexterity in Mixing — Eggs — Oiling the Irons. Recipes. — Batter Breads: Whole-Wheat Puffs — Graham Puffs — Graham Puffs No. 2 — Currant Puffs — Graham Gems — Rye Puffs — Rye Gems — Corn Puffs — Corn Puffs No. 2 — Corn Puffs No. 3 — Corn Dodgers — Hoe Cake — Granola Gems — Bean Gems. Dough Breads : Breakfast Rolls — Sticks — Cream Graham Rolls — Fruit Rolls — Beaten Biscuit — Water Biscuit with Egg — Cream Crisps — Cream Crisps No. 2 — Graham Crisps — Fruit Crackers — Nut Crisps — Nut Sticks. CONTENTS. 11 Fruit 57 General Suggestions for Cooking Fruit — Knives to Use- Flavor— Spices — Degree of heat. Recipes. — Baked Apples — Citron Apples — Lemon Apples — Baked Pears — Baked Quinces — Baked Apple Sauce — Apples with Raisins — Apples with Apricots — Cranberries — Cranberries with Raisins — Cranberries and Sweet Apples — Oranges and Apples — Stewed Rai- sins — Dried Apples — Dried Apples with Other Dried Fruit — Dried Apricots and Peaches — Evaporated Peach Sauce — Dried Pears — Small Fruits — Prunes — Prune Marmalade: Suggestions for CANNma Fruit, — Self-sealing Cans — Sterilizing — Quality of Fruit — How to Cook the Fruit — Sugar — Methods of Canning. Recipes.— To Can Strawberries — To Can Raspberries, Blackberries, and Other Small Fruits — To Can Goose- berries—To Can Peaches — To Can Pears — To Can Plums — To Can Cherries — To Can Mixed Fruit — Quinces with Apples — Plums with Sweet Apples — To Can Grapes — To Can Crab-Apples — To Can Apples — To Can Pineapples — Grape Juice or Unfermented Wine — Grape Juice No. 2 — Fruit Sirup — Lemon Sirup — Tomatoes. The Leguminous Seeds .73 How to Cook — Soft Water — Salt. Recipes. — Stewed Split Peas — Peas Pur^e — Mashed Peas — Split-Pea Succotash — Baked Beans — Baked Beans No. 2 — Stewed Beans — Mashed Beans — Stewed Lima Beans — Succotash — Pulp Succotash — Lentil Pur^e — Lentils Mashed with Beans — Lentil Gravy with Rice — Savory Lentils — Cooked Peanuts — Peanut and Tomato Pur^e. 12 CONTENTS. Vegetables To Select Vegetables — Keeping Vegetables — Preparation and Cooking. Recipes. — Potatoes: Boiled Potatoes (in jackets) — Boiled Potatoes (without skins) — Steamed Potatoes — Roasted Potatoes — Baked Potatoes — Stuffed Potatoes — Broiled Potatoes — Mashed Potatoes — New Potatoes — Scalloped Potatoes — Stewed Potatoes — Potatoes Stewed with Celery — Potato Cakes — Warmed-over Potatoes — Baked Sweet Potatoes — Boiled Sweet Potatoes — Mashed Sweet Potatoes — Potato Hash. Turnips : Boiled Turnips — Chopped Turnips — Mashed Tur- nips — Scalloped Turnips. Parsnips : Baked Pars- nips — Boiled Parsnips — Mashed Parsnips — Parsnips with Cream Sauce — Parsnips with Egg Sauce — Stewed Parsnips with Celery. Carrots : Boiled Carrots — Car- rots with Egg Sauce — Stewed Carrots. Beets : Baked Beets — Beets and Potatoes — Beet Hash — Beet Greens — Beet Salad, or Chopped Beets — Boiled Beets. Cauliflower : Boiled Cauliflower — Cauliflower with Egg Sauce — Cauliflower with Tomato Sauce — Stewed Cauliflower — Scalloped Cauliflower. Cabbage : Boiled Cabbage — Cabbage and Tomatoes — Cabbage Celery — Cabbage Hash — Chopped Cabbage, or Cabbage Salad — Mashed Cabbage — Stewed Cabbage. Celery : Celery Salad — Stewed Celery — Celery with Tomato Sauce — Celery and Potato Hash. Asparagus : Asparagus and Peas — Asparagus Points — Asparagus with Cream Sauce — Asijaragus on Toast — Asparagus with Egg Sauce — Stewed Asparagus. Spinach : Spinach. Lettuce and Radishes : Lettuce — Lettuce Salad with Tomato Dressing — Radishes. Squash: Mashed Summer Squash — Summer Squash with Egg Sauce — Stewed Summer Squash — Baked Squash — Steamed Squash — CONTENTS. 13 Tomatoes : Scalloped Tomatoes — Stewed Corn and To- matoes — Tomato Gravy — Tomato Salad — Stewed Tomatoes — Tomato with Okra. Vegetable Oysters : Scalloped Vegetable Oysters — Stewed Vegetable Oj'S- ters. Corn : Baked Corn — Baked Corn No. 2 — Boiled Green Corn — Stewed Corn Pulp — Stewed Green Corn — Summer Succotash — Stewed Peas — Lima Beans — Shelled Beans — String Beans. Gravies and Sauces for Vegetables : Brown Sauce — Cream or White Sauce — Celery Sauce — Egg Sauce — Pease Gravy — Tomato Gravy — Tomato Cream Gravy. Soups 96 How to Prepare — Flavoring — Straining — Serving. Recipes.— Soups without Milk — Baked Bean Soup — Bean and Tomato Soup — Black Bean Soup — Bran Stock Combination Soup — Combination Soup No. 2 — Split Pea Soup — Swiss Lentil Soup — Tomato and Macaroni Soup — Vegetable Soup — Lentil and Corn Soup — Vegetable Pea Soup — Miss B.'s Fruit Soup — Fruit Soup No. 2 — Fruit Soup No. 3 — Fruit Soup No. 4 — Blueberry Soup — Mrs. H.'sSago Fruit Soup — Strawberry and Apple Soup — Miss B. 's Irish Corn Soup. Soups with Milk and Cream: Asparagus Soup — Bean and Potato Soup — Black Bean Soup — Brown Soup — Canned Green Pea Soup — Canned Corn Soup — Carrot Soup — Celery Soup — Celery Soup No. 2 — Combination Soup — Combination Soup No. 2 — Cream Pea Soup — Cream Barley Soup — Green Corn Soup — Green Pea Soup — Green Bean Soup — Lentil Soup — Lentil and Parsnip Soup — Lima Bean Soup — Plain Rice Soup — Potato and Rice Soup — Potato Soup — Pea and Tomato Soup — Swiss Potato Soup — Tomato Cream Soup — Tomato and Okra Soup — To- mato Soup with Vermicelli — Vegetable Oyster Soup — Vegetable Soup. ] 4 CONTENTS. Eggs ........... 108 How to Choose Eggs — To Beat Eggs. Recipes. — Eggs in Shell — Eggs in Sunshine — Eggs Poached in Tomatoes — Eggs in Cream — Poached or Dropped Eggs — Poached Eggs with Cream Sauce — Quickly Prepared Eggs — Scrambled Eggs — Steamed Eggs— Scrambled Egg with Tomato — Plain Omelet. Desserts . 114 Recipes. — Fruit Desserts : Apple Dessert — Apple Rose Cream — Baked Sweet Apple Dessert — Bananas in Sirup — Baked Bananas — Grape Apples — Prune Dessert. Des- serts of Fruit with Ch'aim, Bread, etc. : Barley Fig Pudding — Cocoanut and Corn-starch Blancmange — Corn-starch with Raisins — Corn-starch Fruit Mold — Cracked Wheat Pudding — Farina Blancmange — Farina Fruit Mold — Plain Fruit Pudding, or Brown Betty — Rice Cream Pud- ding — Rice Pudding with Raisins — Stewed Fruit Pud- ding — Apple Tapioca — Pineapple Tapioca — Banana Dessert — Raspberry Manioca Mold — Bread Custard Pudding — Boiled Custard — Cup Custard — Farina Cus- tard — Tapioca Custard— Steamed Fig Pudding. Sauces for Desserts and Puddings : Almond Sauce — Caramel Sauce — Cocoanut Sauce — Cranberry Pudding Sauce — Fruit Sauce — Fruit Sauce No. 2 — Lemon Pudding Sauce — Mock Cream — Orange Sauce — Peach Sauce — Plain Pudding Sauce — Red Sauce. Pastry 123 Dietetic Evils of Pastries — General Suggestions for Ma- king Pies. Recipes. — Paste for Pies — Corn-Meal Crust — Bean Crust — Nut Crust — Paste for Tart Shells — Cream Filling — Grape Tart — Lemon Filling — Cocoanut Pie — Cream Pie — Cranberry Pie — Dried Apple Pie — Dried Apple CONTENTS. 15 Pie with Raisins — Dried Apricot Pie — Farina Pie — Fruit Pie — Pumpkin Pie — Pumpkin Pie No. 2 — Pump- kin Pie without Eggs — Simple Custard Pie — Squash Pie — Squash Pie without Eggs — Sweet Apple Custard Pie — Sweet Potato Pie. Cake 130 General Suggestions — Eggs — Fruit — Measuring Mate- rial — Degree of Heat. Recipes.— Delicate Cup Cake — Plain Buns — Sponge Cake — Sugar Crisps — Cream Sponge Cake— Miss H.'s Sun- shine Cake — Layer Cake — Orange Cake — Pineapple Cake— Mrs. N.'s White Sponge Cake — Fruit and Nut Sponge Drop Cake. Toasts .... ..... 134 Zwieback — How to Make — How to Serve. Recipes. — Apple Toast — Apricot Toast — Asparagus Toast — Banana Toast —Berry Toast — Berry Toast No. 2 — Celery Toast — Cream Toast — Cream Toast with Poached Egg — Cherry Toast — Gravy Toast — Dry Toast with Hot Cream — Grape Toast — Lentil Toast — Prune Toast — Peach Toast — Snowflake Toast — Tomato Toast —Vegetable Oyster Toast. The Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Company's Products ......... 139 Granola.— Recipes : Granola Mush — Granola Fruit Mush Granola Peach Mush — Raspberry Granola Mush — Grape Granola Mush — Granola and Gluten Mush — Granola Crust for Pies — Prune Filling for Pie — Dried Apple Fill- ing — Custard Filling — Lemon Filling — Berry Pilling. Granose.— iJea^pe*.- Granose Fruit Dessert — Granose with Egg — Granose Pudding— Granose Fruit Custard — Molded Granose Dessert— Granose Dumplings — Qra- 16 CONTENTS. nose Dumplings with Nut Meal — Granose Drop Cakes — Granose Shortcake — Granose Biscuit. Crystal Wheat. — Recipes: Crystal Wheat — Brown Bread — Brown Bread No. 2. — Vegetable Roast — Vegetable Roast No 2. — Crystal Wheat Custard Pudding — Crystal Wheat Fruit Pudding. Gluten. — Becipes : Qlnien Gruel — Gluten Gruel No. 2 — Gluten Cream — Gluten Meal Gruel — Gluten Mush with Dates — Gluten Custard — Gluten Gravy — Lemon Glu- ten Gruel — Gluten Meal Gems — Gluten Mush — Tomato Gluten — Tomato Gluten No 2. — Gluten Bread Relish. Nut Butter and Nut Meal. — Recipes: A Quickly Pre- pared Soup — Nut Butter Pie-Crust — Baked Cabbage — Lentil and Tomato Soup — Nuts with Lentils — Lentil Dressing — Nut Sauce — Nut Butter Sandwiches — Al- mond Meal Gems — Nut Butter Puflfs. NuTTOSE. — Recipes: Stewed Nuttose — Stewed Nuttose with Tomato — Potato Stew with Nuttose — Nuttose Hash — Nuttose with Green Vegetables — Nuttose Sand- wich — Nuttose with Lettuce. Zwieback — Carlsbad Zwieback — Grades, Caramel-Cereal. —Results of Using Tea and Coflfee — Recipe. Hints about Every=Day Work ... 153 Economizing Time — System in Work — Program — Daily Morning Program of Kitchen Work — Economizing Money — Economy of Material — Uses of Stale Bread — Left- over Grains — Left-over Vegetables — Left-over Meats — Left-over Milk — Waste of Fuel — General Suggestions for Economical Housework — Order of Clearing the Ta- ble — Washing the Dishes — Dish-cloth and Towels — Cleaning Silver — Care of Table Linen — Disposal of Garbage- Every-Day Dishes. ^'' OME one has said that life to the average man is i^X but a series of incidents between meals. It is certainly often scarcely more than this to the aver- age woman who serves her household as caterer and cook ; while the question of what to provide for these same meals is frequently an ever-present and perplexing one. ' ' If meal-getting were only an occa- sional occurrence," said a housekeeper the other day, "the question would be more easily solved, but it is the never-ceasing round of every-day dishes that must be provided, — seasonable, palatable, and yet within the bounds of economy, — that taxes one's ingenuity and patience until she is tempted to wish life could be as well sustained without eating." Doubtless there are many housekeepers in whose hearts these sentiments find a responsive echo ; but since no provision has been made whereby we may live without eatmg, it may per- haps be well to investigate some of the ways and means by which meal-getting may be made less difficult and laborious. We shall need to begin, however, with these same every-day dishes, since it is these that furnish the ma- terial from which are manufactured the brains with which to solve life's intricate problems, and the strength and sinews with which to bear its burdens and carry for- ward the world's work. They are, in fact, the founda- 2 [17] 18 EVERY-DAY DISHES. tion upon which health, strength, and much of life's success and happiness are built, and that they should be of a character to produce the very best building material is a matter of the utmost importance. Food Value of Cereals. — The various cereals and their prepared products are, for several reasons, among the first and most important foods to be consid- ered for every-day use : — 1. They are among the most abundant of all the foods which nature has supplied for man's use. 2. They rank pre-eminent among nutritious foods. 3. They are easily prepared, and when well-cooked, are easy of digestion and very palatable. 4. They are among the most economical of foods. Notwithstanding the important place these foods are fitted to hold in the dietary of man, aside from their use in the production of bread and an occasional dish of corn-meal, rice, or oatmeal, the cereals are seldom found among the dishes in common use in this country, though in many other lands, grains form the staple diet of a large proportion of the people. The most muscu- lar men in all Europe are said to be the Russian grena- diers and the Scottish Highlanders, both of whom live chiefly upon a diet of grains, the one upon rye, the other upon oats. The strongest, most enduring races of ancient times were those whose diet was largely composed of grains. There can be no doubt that a more universal use of grain foods would exert a most salutary influence upon the condition of mankind at the present day. Variety is quite as essential in the use of the cereals as in other foods. The great number of grain products CEBEAL8. 19 found in the market, and the fact that they are nearly equal in cost, make it possible to employ a greater variety of this class of foods than of almost any other. Undoubtedly the grain products would be held in higher esteem, were they more commonly well cooked. The cooking of grains is a very simple matter in itself, but through lack of care or knowledge it is seldom properly done. An improperly cooked grain food is as detrimental to health as a properly cooked one is beneficial. A grain simply because it is a grain is by no means warranted to fulfil its true mission unless properly prepared. General Directions for the Cooking of Grains. — For the cooking of grains a double boiler or steam-cooker is desirable. If one possesses neither of these, a substitute for a double boiler may be impro- vised from two earthen crocks, one enough smaller so that it can be placed within the other and leave a space around it for water. It may then be used upon the stove or within the oven. A granite-ware basin placed within an ordinary steamer over a kettle of boiling water also answers the purpose very well. Grains may be cooked on the stove in an ordinary kettle, but the diffi- culties to be encountered, in order to prolong the cook- ing sufficiently and at the same time prevent burning, make it, however, the least desirable utensil for this purpose. All grains should be carefully looked over before be- ing put to cook. The supply of grains should be stored in a perfectly dry place, and protected from air and moisture, or they are apt to have a musty flavor when cooked. 20 EVERY-DAY DISHES. The following points should be observed in the cook- ing of grains : — 1. Measure both liquid and grain accurately with the same dish, or with two of equal size, 2. Have the water boiling when the grain is intro- duced, but do not allow it to boil for a long time pre- viously, until it is considerably evaporated, as that will change the proportion of water and grain sufficiently to alter the consistency of the grain when cooked. 3. Introduce the grain slowly, so as not to stop the boiling of the water, and let it boil rapidly until the grain- ceases sinking to the bottom, and the whole be- comes thickened. If the grain is cooked in a double boiler, this first boiling should be done with the inner dish directly over the fii^e, and when the mixture has thickened, the dish containing it should at once be placed in the outer boiler, the water in which should be boiling. It will then require no further care during the entire cooking, save to keep the outer boiler filled and the water boiling. If the grain is to be cooked in a steam-cooker, as soon as thickened, it may be turned into a china or an earthen dish suitable for use on the table, and placed at once in the steamer to complete the cooking. If an ordinary kettle is used, as soon as the mush is thick- ened, it is well to place it upon an iron ring or brick on some part of the range where it will just simmer, for the remainder of the cooking. 4. Stir the fine grains constantly until thickened, but not at all afterward. 5. Cook continuously. If it be necessary to replen- ish the water in the outer boiler at any time, let it be done with water at boiling temperature. CEREAtS. 21 6. If salt is to be used, put it into the water before the grain is introduced. 7. Most important of all, cook completely. The almost universal water-brash in Scotland, and much of the indigestion in this country, are due to the use of imperfectly cooked grains. Grains for Breakfast. — Since hasty prepara- tion will not suffice to cook grains healthfully, they cannot be conveniently cooked in the morning in time for breakfast. This difficulty may be obviated by cook- ing them the day previous, and reheating as follows : — Place the grain, when sufficiently cooked, in the refrigerator or some place where it will cool quickly (as slow cooling may cause fermentation), to remain over night. If cooked in a porcelain-lined or granite- ware double boiler, it may be left undisturbed. If cooked in tin or iron, turn the grain into a large earthen or china dish. To heat in the morning, fill the outer boiler with boiling water, place the inner dish contain- ing the grain therein, and steam till thoroughly heated through. No stirring and no additional liquid will be necessary ; and if placed upon the stove at the begin- ning of the preparations for breakfast, it will be ready for serving in good season. Cracked wheat, pearled wheat, oatmeal, and other coarse grain preparations to be thus reheated, require in cooking a half cup of water in addition to the quan- tity given in the recipe. For rolled wheat, rolled oats, rolled rye, and other crushed grains, no more is needed. Grains may be used for breakfast without reheating, if served with a hot dressing. Dressing for Grains. — The customary dressing for grains is a liberal allowance of sugar, with milk or 22 EVERY-DAY DISHES. cream. A much better plan is to dispense entirely with the sugar, the excessive use of which on grains is a frequent cause of digestive disturbance, using plenty of sweet cream or dressings prepared from fruits and fruit juices. These latter are easily prepared, and give a flavor and piquancy to the grain which is frequently relished much more than the ordinary dressing of cream and sugar, especially by children. Below will be found some of the many excellent dressings of this sort. It is desirable to eat grains in connection with some hard food to insure their retention in the mouth a suf- ficient time for proper insalivation. Toasted whole- wheat wafers, rolls, sticks, and unfermented zwieback are excellent for this purpose. Break two or three wafers into rather small pieces over each individual dish before adding the dressing. In this way a morsel of the hard food may be taken with each spoonful of grain. RECIPES. DRESSINGS FOR GRAINS. Grape Sauce. — Prepare by heating the juice of grapes to boil- ing, and slightly thickening with a little corn-starch, previously rubbed smooth in a small quantity of cold water. The pro- portions should be one tablespoonful of the starch to one pint of the fruit juice. If the juice is quite thick, dilute it with one- third water. Cook until thickened. Sweeten if desired. Strain to remove any lumps, and serve while hot. A dressing of hot grape-pulp may be used instead of this sauce, if preferred. Lemou Sauce. — Heat to boiling, in a double boiler, a pint of water in which are two slices of lemon, and stir into it a dessert- spoonful of corn-starch ; cook four or five minutes, or until it thickens. Squeeze the juice from one large lemon, and mix with it two thirds of a cup of sugar. Add this to the corn-starch mix- ture, and allow the whole to boil up once, stirring constantly ; CEREALS. 23 then take from the fire. Leave in the double boiler, surrounded by the hot water, for ten minutes. Cool to blood heat before serving. Blueberry, Black Raspberry, and Strawberry Sauces. — Prepare the same as grape sauce, from the juice of canned or freshly cooked blueberries, black raspberries, or stravv^berries. The dressing may also be prepared by reducing the berries to a pulp and pressing through a colander, afterward sweetening slightly. Fresh berries prepared in this way make a delicious dressing. WHEAT. Pearled Wheat. — Heat a quart of water to boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler, and stir into it one cup or one-half pint of pearled wheat. Let it boil rapidly until it is thickened and the wheat has ceased settling ; then place in the outer boiler, in which the water should be boiling, and cook continuously from three to four hours. Cracked Wheat. — Cracked wheat may be cooked in the same manner as pearled wheat, by using four and one-half parts of water to one of grain. The length of time required to cook it thoroughly is about the same as for pearled wheat. Rolled Wheat. — This preparation of wheat requires only two and a half or three parts of water to one of wheat, according to the consistency desired when the grain is done. It should be cooked in the same way as pearled wheat, but requires only three hours' cooking. Boiled Wheat. — Select new wheat with plump kernels ; that which is freshly cut and well rubbed from the chaff is best for this purpose. Look it over carefully, wash, and put to cook in five times its measure of cold water. Let it come to a boil, and cook gently until the grains burst open, and they can be readily mashed between the thumb and finger. This will re- quire from four to ten hours, according to the age and variety of the wheat used. Less time will be needed if the grain is soaked over night. When done, it should be full of a rich, thick liquor. If necessary, add more boiling water, but stir as little as possible. Wheat with Raisins. — Raisins or Zante currants may be added to any of the foregoing recipes, if desired. The raisins or cur- rants should be well steamed previously, however, and stirred in lightly and evenly just before dishing. If cooked with the grain, 24 EVERY-DAT DISHES. they become soft, broken, and insipid. Figs, well steamed and chopped, may be added in the same way. Wheat with Fresh Fruit. — Fresh whortleberries, blueberries, and blackberries stirred into any of the well-cooked wheat prepa- rations just before serving, make a very desirable addition. A most delicious dish may be prepared by stirring into well-cooked cracked wheat a few spoonfuls of rather thick cream and some fresh wild blackberries. Serve hot. Molded Wheat. — Cracked wheat, rolled wheat, or pearled wheat, cooked according to the foregoing recipes, and turned into molds until cold, makes a very palatable dessert, and may be served with cream or with fruit juice. Bits of jelly placed on top of the molds in the form of stars or crosses, add to the appearance. Molded grains are also very nice served with fresh berries, either mashed or whole, arranged around the mold. Browned Wheat. — Pearled, cracked, or whole wheat placed on shallow tins in the oven and slightly browned before cooking, make a pleasing variety in cereal foods. Cook the same as that which is not browned. Farina. — Heat a pint of milk and one of water, or if pre- ferred, a quart of milk, in the inner cup of a double boiler ; and when boiling, stir in five tablespoonfuls of farina, moistened evenly with a little milk. Let it boil rapidly until well thick- ened, which will be in about five or eight minutes ; then place in the outer boiler, and cook one hour. Serve cold or hot, with a dressing of cream or fruit juice. Farina may be cooked in water alone, if preferred. Farina with Fig Sauce. — Cook the farina as in the foregoing recipe, and serve hot with a fig sauce prepared as follows : — Carefully look over, wash, and chop or cut fine, enough good figs to make a cupful. Stew in a pint of water, to which has been added a tablespoonful of sugar, until they are a homoge- neous mass. If the figs are not of the best quality, and do not readily soften, it is well, after stewing for a time, to rub them through a colander or vegetable press to break up the tough por- tions and make a smooth sauce. Put a spoonful of the hot fig sauce on each individual dish of farina, and serve either with cream or without dressing. Farina with Fresh Fruit. — Cook the farina as previously directed. Have some sliced yellow peaches, mellow sweet apples, or bananas, in a dish ; turn the farina over them, stir up lightly with a fork, and serve hot with cream. CEREALS. 25 Molded Farinat — Farina to be used cold may be cooked in the same manner as before described, with two or three table- spoonfuls of sugar added at the same time with the farina, and when done, molded in cups previously wet with cold water. Serve with a dressing of the juice of grapes or other fruit, whipped cream flavored with lemon, or mock cream flavored with cocoanut. Graliam Grits. — To four parts of water boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler add slowly, so as not to stop the boiling of the water, one part of graham grits. Stir until thickened ; then place in the outer boiler, and steam from three to five hours. Serve hot or mold in cups previously dipped in cold water, and serve with a dressing of fruit juice. Fig sauce, prepared as previously directed, is also excellent with gra- ham grits. A sauce prepared as directed for grape sauce, from canned or freshly stewed berries, is also excellent with this grain. Wheat- Meal or Graham Mush. — Good flour is the first requi- site for making good mush. Poor flour cannot be made into first-class mush. Flour made from the best white winter wheat is perhaps the best. It may be used either sifted or unsifted, as preferred. The proportion of flour and liquid to be used will necessarily vary somewhat with the quality of the flour, but in general, three parts of water to one of flour will be needed. Too much flour not only makes the mush too thick, but gives to it an underdone taste. Sprinkle the dry flour rapidly into boiling water (which should not cease to boil dur- ing the process), stirring continuously until a thick porridge is obtained. It is well to have it a little thinner at first than is desirable for serving, as it will thicken by cooking. Cook slowly at least one hour. A longer time makes it more digestible. Left-over graham mush, spread on shallow tins, and simply heated quickly in a hot oven, makes a palatable dish. Wheat-Meal or Graham Mush with Dates. — Prepare a mush as for graham mush. When done, place in the dish in which the mush is to be served, some nice, fresh dates from which the stones have been removed. Pour the mush over them, and stir up lightly, taking care not to break the fruit, and serve. Raisins previously steamed, or figs steamed and cut in pieces, may be used instead of dates. Serve hot with cream, or mold and serve cold. 26 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Plum Porridge.— Prepare a wheat-meal or graham mush as previously directed, and when done, add to it a cup of well- steamed raisins and suflficient rich milk to thin it to the consist- ency of porridge. Wheat-Meal or Graham Apple Mush. — Prepare a smooth apple sauce of rather tart apples. Sweeten it slightly, and thin with boiling water. Have this mixture boiling, and add to it graham flour, sprinkled in dry, sufficient to make a well-thickened mush. Cook one hour, and serve hot with cream. Blackberry Mush. — Rub a pint of canned or freshly stewed and sweetened blackberries, having considerable juice, through a fine colander or sieve to remove the seeds. Add water to make a pint and a half cupful in all, heat to boiling, and sprinkle into it sufficient sifted wheat-meal or graham flour to make a mush of the desired thickness. Peach Mush. — Prepare the same as blackberry mush, using very thin peach sauce made smooth by rubbing through a col- ander. Freshly stewed or canned peaches or nicely cooked dried peaches are suitable for this purpose. Apples and grapes may be likewise used. BARLEY. Pearled Barley with Raisins. — Carefully look over and wash a cupful of pearled barley. Cook in a double boiler in five cups of boiling water for four hours. Just before serving, add a cupful of raisins which have been prepared by being allowed to stand in boiling water until swollen. Pearled Barley with Lemon Sauce. — Pearled barley cooked in the same manner, but without the addition of raisins, is ex- cellent served with a lemon sauce. OATMEAL. Oatmeal Mush. — Heat a quart of water to boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler, sift into it one cup of coarse oatmeal, and boil rapidly, stirring continuously until it thickens ; then place in the outer boiler, the water in which should be boiling, and cook three hours or longer. Oatmeal Fruit Mush. — Prepare the oatmeal as directed above, and stir in lightly, when dishing for the table, some sliced mel- low and juicy raw sweet apples. Strawberry apples and other CEEEALS. 27 slightly tart apples are likewise excellent for the purpose. Well- ripened peaches and bananas may also be used if care is taken to preserve the slices whole, so that the dish may present an appetizing appearance. Both this and the plain oatmeal mush are best eaten with toasted whole-wheat wafers or some other hard food. Oatmeal Blancmange. — Soak a cupful of coarse oatmeal over night in a pint and a half of water. In the morning, beat the oatmeal well with a spoon, and afterward pass all the soluble portion through a fine strainer. Place the liquid in the inner dish of a double boiler, and cook for half an hour, or until thick enough to mold. Turn into cups, cool for fifteen or twenty minutes, and serve warm with cream or a dressing of fruit juice. Oatmeal Blancmange No. 2. — Take a pint of well-cooked oat- meal, add to it a pint of milk, or, better, part cream. Beat well together, and strain through a fine wire sieve. Turn the liquid into a saucepan, and boil for a few moments, until it is thick enough to drop from the point of a spoon ; then turn into cups previously wet in cold water, and mold. Serve with a dressing of fruit juice or whipped cream slightly sweetened, and flavored with lemon. Jellied Oatmeal.— Cook oatmeal or rolled oats with an addi- tional cup or cup and a half of water, and when done, turn into cups and mold. Serve cold with a hot dressing. Rolled Oats. — This preparation of oats should be cooked the same as oatmeal, but requires only three parts water to one of rolled oats, when cooked in a double boiler. Oatmeal with Apple. — Cold oatmeal which has been left over may be made into an appetizing dish by molding in alternate layers with nicely steamed tart apples, sprinkled lightly with sugar. Other cooked fruits, such as cherries, evaporated peaches, and apricots, may be used in the same way. A very pleasing dish is made by using between the layers ripe yellow peaches and plums sliced together, and lightly sprinkled with sugar. Oatmeal Porridge. — Into a quart and a half of water, which should be boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler, sprinkle one cup of rather coarse oatmeal. Boil rapidly, stirring mean- while until the porridge is thickened ; then place in the outer boiler, and cook continuously for three hours or longer. A half cup of cream added just before serving is a desirable addition. 28 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. CORN, OR MAIZE. Corn-Meal Musk. — Stir together one pint of corn-meal, one tablespoonful of flour, and one pint of cold milk. Turn this slowly, stirring well meanwhile, into one quart of boiling water, which should not cease to boil during the introduction of the batter. Cook three or four hours. If milk is not at hand, water alone may be used, in which case two tablespoonfuls of flour will be needed. Cook in a double boiler. This is excellent served with grape sauce prepared as directed on page 22. Corn-Meal Miisli witli Fruit.— Mush prepared in the above manner may have some well-steamed raisins or chopped figs added to it just before serving. Corn-Meal Cubes. — Left-over corn-meal mush may be made into an appetizing dish by first slicing into rather thick slices, then cutting into cubes about one inch square. Put the cubes into a tureen, and turn over them a quantity of hot milk or cream. Cover the dish, let stand until the mush is thoroughly heated through, then serve. Browned Mush. — Slice cold corn-meal mush rather thin, brush each slice with thick, sweet cream, and brown in a mod- erate oven until well heated through. Samp. — Samp may be prepared by coarsely grinding newly ripened corn to about the fineness of cracked wheat. This may be done at home with a hand-mill. Put the samp in a rather deep dish ; pour some cold water over it, stir it well with a spoon, which will cause the chaff to rise to the top, when it may be turned off with the water. This process should be re- peated until the samp is well cleaned. Drain It by turning into a fine colander, and cook in four and one-half parts boiling water. Boil rapidly, stirring continuously until well thickened, then cook slowly from three to eight hours, the time being dependent upon the age of the corn from which the samp is prepared. Cereallne Flakes. — Into one measure of boiling liquid stir an equal measure of cerealine flakes, and cook in a double boiler from one half to three fourths of an hour. Cerealine with a dressing of grape juice makes a most palatable dish. Hulled Corn. — To Hull the Corn : Put enough wood-ashes into a large kettle to half fill it ; then nearly fill with hot water, and boil ten minutes. Drain off the water from the ashes, turn it CEKEALS. ' 29 into a kettle, and pour in four quarts of clean, shelled field corn, white varieties preferable. Boil till the hulls will rub off. Skim the corn out of the lye water, and put it into a tub of fresh cold water. To remove the hulls, scrub the corn well with a clean stiff brush-broom kept for the purpose, changing the water often. Put through half a dozen or more waters, and then take the corn out by handfuls, rubbing each well between the hands to loosen the remaining hulls, and drop again into clear water. Pick out all hulls. Cleanse the corn through several more waters if it is to be dried and kept before using. Well-hulled corn is often found in the market. If preferred, a tablespoonful of carbonate of soda with water sufBcient to cover the corn may be used in which to boil the corn, in place of the prepared lye. To Cook : If it is to be cooked at once, it should be parboiled in clear water twice, and then put into new water and cooked several hours, or until tender. It should be nearly or quite dry when done. It may be served with milk or cream. Coarse Hominy. — For coarse hominy, use four parts of water or milk and water to one of grain. It is best steamed or cooked in a double boiler, though it may be boiled in a kettle over a slow fire. The only objection to the latter method is the need of frequent stirring to prevent sticking, which breaks and mashes the hominy. From four to five hours' slow cooking will be nec- essary, unless the grain has been previously soaked ; then about one hour less will be required. Fine Hominy, or Grits. — This preparation is cooked in the same manner as the foregoing, three and one half or four parts of water being used to one of the grain. Four or five hours will be necessary for cooking the unsoaked grits. RICE. Rice needs to be thoroughly washed to remove the earthy taste it is so apt to have. A good way to do this is to put it into a colander, in a deep pan of water. Rub the rice well with the hands, lifting the colander in and out of the water, and chang- ing the water until it is clear ; then drain. In this way the grit is deposited in the water, and the rice left thoroughly clean. Dry in the oven before using. Boiled Rice. — Rice to be boiled in the ordinary manner re- quires two quarts of boiling water to one cupful of rice. It should be boiled rapidly until tender, then drained at once, and 30 EVERY-DAY DISHES. set in a moderate oven to become dry. Picking over and lifting lightly occasionally with a fork will make it more flaky and dry. Care must be taken, however, not to mash the rice grains. Steamed Rice^ — Soak a cup of rice in one and a fourth cups of water for an hour, then add a cup of milk, turn into an earthen dish suitable for serving it in, and place in a steam- cooker or in a covered steamer over a kettle of boiling water, and steam for an hour. It should be stirred with a fork occasionally, for the first ten or fifteen minutes. Steamed Rice No. 2. — Look over and thoroughly wash one cup of rice. Drain, spread thinly on a shallow dish, and dry in the oven. Even should it become a trifle yellowed, no harm is done. Introduce the rice into two cups of boiling water, place in a steamer, and allow it to cook one hour without stirring. Rice should not be cooked in a vessel where it will be more than three inches deep, or the weight of the upper part will crush the lower, and make it soggy. Rice witli Fig Sauce. — Steam a cupful of best rice as directed above, and when done, serve with a fig sauce prepared as di- rected on page 24. Dish a spoonful of the fig sauce with each saucer of rice, and serve with plenty of cream. Rice served in this way requires no sugar for dressing, and is a most wholesome and palatable breakfast dish. Orange Rice. — Wash and steam the rice according to the directions already given. Prepare some oranges by separating into sections and cutting each section in halves, removing the seeds and all the white portion. Sprinkle the oranges lightly with sugar, and let them stand while the rice is cooking. Serve a portion of the orange on each saucerful of rice. Rice with Raisius. — Carefully wash a cupful of rice, soak it, and cook as directed for steamed rice. After the rice has begun to swell, but before it has softened, stir into it lightly, using a fork for the purpose, a cupful of raisins or Zante currants. Serve with cream. Rice witli Peaches. — Steam the rice as previously directed, and when done, serve with cream and a well-ripened peach pared and sliced on each individual dish. Browned Rice. — Spread a cupful of rice on a shallow baking- tin, and put into a moderately hot oven to brown. It will need to be stirred frequently to prevent burning and to secure a uni- formity of color. Each rice kernel, when sufficiently browned, CEREALS. 31 should be of a yellowish brown, about the color of ripened wheat. Steam the same as directed in tlie recipe for steamed rice No. 2, using two cups of water for each cup of browned rice. When properly cooked, each kernel will be separate, dry, and mealy. Rice prepared in this manner is undoubtedly more digestible than when cooked without browning. Browned Rice with Black Raspberry Sauce. — Prepare the rice as directed in the preceding recipe, and when cooked, serve hot with a sauce prepared by pressing canned or freshly stewed black raspberries through a fine colander, to remove the seeds. The sauce should be about the consistency of cream. Serve hot or cold as desired. RYE. Rolled Rye. — Into three parts water boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler, stir one part rolled rye. Boil rapidly until set, stirring meanwhile, then place in the outer boiler, and cook for three or more hours. Rye Htlnsh. — Sift a cupful of rye-meal slowly through the fin- gers into three and three-fourths cupfuls of water, which should be boiling on the stove in the inner dish of a double boiler. Stir until thickened, then place in the outer boiler, and cook for an hour or longer. MACARONI. Macaroni is a product of wheat. It is called by- different names according to its shape. If in the shape of large, hollow cylinders, it is macaroni ; if smaller in diameter, it is spaghetti / if fine, i)ermicelli / if the paste is cut into fancy patterns, it is termed pasta d? Italia. Like all cereal foods, macaroni should be kept in a perfectly dry storeroom. To Select Macaroni. — Good macaroni will keep in good condition for years. It is rough, elastic, and hard ; while the inferior article is smooth, soft, breaks easily, and becomes moldy with keeping. Inferior macaroni, when put into hot water, assumes a white, pasty appearance, and splits in cooking ; good maca- roni, when put into hot water, absorbs a portion of the water and swells to nearly double its size, but retains its shape perfectly. To Prepare and Cook Macaroni. — Do not wash macaroni. If dusty, wipe with a clean, dry cloth. Break into pieces of convenient size. Always put to cook in plenty of boiling water ( as it absorbs a large quantity), and cook until tender. The length of time required will vary from twenty minutes, if fresh, to one hour if stale. When tender, turn into a colan- der and drain, and pour cold water through it to pre- vent the tubes from sticking together. It may also be cooked in milk, soup stock, tomato juice, or any [32j MACAKONI. 33 preferred liquid. Macaroni serves as an important adjunct in the making of various soups, and also forms the basis of other palatable dishes. RECIPES. Boiled Macaroni. — Break sticks of macaroni into pieces about an inch in length, sufficient to fill a large cup ; put it into boiling water and cook until tender. When done, drain thor- oughly, then add a pint of milk ( part cream is preferable ), a little salt, and one well-beaten egg ; stir over the fire until it thickens, and serve hot. Macaroni with Cream Sauce. — Cook the macaroni as directed above, and pour over it, before serving, a cream sauce prepared by heating a scant pint of rich milk to boiling, in a double boiler. When boiling, add a heaping tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little milk and one-fourth teaspoonful of salt. If desired, the sauce may be flavored by steeping in the milk for ten or fifteen minutes before thickening, a slice of onion or a few bits of celery, and then removing with a fork. Macaroni witli Tomato Sauce. — Break a dozen sticks of mac- aroni into two-inch lengths, and drop into boiling water. Let it boil until perfectly tender. In the meantime, prepare the sauce by rubbing a pint of stewed or canned tomatoes through a colander to remove all seeds and fragments. Heat to boiling, thicken with a little flour, a tablespoonful to the pint being the requisite proportion. Add salt and, if desired, a half cup of very thin sweet cream. Dish the macaroni in individual dishes, and serve with a small quantity of the sauce poured over each dish. Macaroni Baited witli Granola. — Break into pieces about an inch in length sufficient macaroni to fill a large cup, and cook until tender. When done, drain, and put a layer of the macaroni in the bottom of an earthen pudding-dish, and sprinkle over it a scant teaspoonful of granola. Add a second and third layer, and sprinkle each with granola ; then turn over the whole a custard sauce prepared by mixing together a pint of milk, the well-beaten yolks of two eggs or one whole egg, and one fourth of a tea- spoonful of salt. Care should be taken to arrange the macaroni in layers loosely, so that the sauce will readily permeate the 3 34 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. whole. Bake for a few minutes only, until the custard has well set, and serve. Macaroni with Raisins. — Break into inch lengths sufficient macaroni to fill a half-pint cup. Heat four cups of milk, and when actively boiling, put in the macaroni and cook until tender. Pour boiling water over a half cup of raisins, and let them stand until swollen. Ten or fifteen minutes before the macaroni is done, add the raisins. Serve hot with or without the addition of cream. Macaroni witli Kornlet. — Break macaroni into inch lengths, and cook until tender. Prepare the kornlet by adding to it an equal quantity of rich milk or thin cream, and thickening with a little flour, a tablespoonful to the pint. When done, drain the macaroni, and add the kornlet in the proportion of a pint of kornlet mixture to one and one-half cups of macaroni. Mix well, turn into an earthen dish, and brown in a mod- erate oven. Left-over kornlet soup, if kept on ice, may be util- ized for this breakfast dish, and the macaroni maj' be cooked the day before. Green corn pulp may be used in place of the kornlet. Instead of the milk, nut butter dissolved in water, one tablespoonful to the pint of water, may be used. Macaroni witll Lentil Crrayy.— Cook the macaroni as previ- ously directed. Serve with a gravy prepared by cooking half a pint of brown lentils until tender. "When about half done, add, to flavor the lentils, one medium-sized onion cut in halves, or quarters. When the lentils are tender, remove the onion with a fork, and rub the lentils through a colander. Add sufficient boiling water to make about a pint and a half in all, reheat to boiling, and thicken with browned flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Let the gravy cook for two or three minutes, and serve as directed for tomato sauce. Macaroni with Lentil Dressing. — Cook the macaroni until tender, and serve with a lentil dressing. ( See page 76.) Apple Macaroni. — Stew enough nice tart apples to make about two pints and a half of rather thin sauce, sweeten a little, put into the inner cup of a double boiler, and heat to boiling. In this cook a cupful of macaroni broken into inch lengths, from one to two hours, till perfectly tender. Serve hot. Peach Macaroni. — Take freshly stewed or canned peaches, rub through a colander, and cook with macaroni in the same proportion and manner as for apple macaroni. FERMENTED OR YEAST BREAD. Bread, to answer the requirements of a good, whole- some article of food, besides being palatable, must be light, porous, and friable, so that it can be easily in- salivated and digested. It should contain as many as possible of the elements of nutrition, and should avoid ingredients which will in any way be injurious if taken into the system.' "Wheat, the substance from which bread is most generally made, contains all the necessary food elements in proper proportions to meet the re- quirements of nutrition ; and in order for the bread also to contain them, the flour from which it is produced must be made of the entire wheat berry. There are several varieties of such flour, it being variously termed wheat four, wlieat-lyerry flour, wheat meal, graham flour, etc. They differ only in the treatment given to the wheat kernel before grinding. How to Select Flour. — Good bread cannot be made without good flour. The quality of a brand of flour will of course depend much upon the kind of grain from which it is prepared — whether new or old ; perfect, or deteriorated by rust, mold, or exposure ; and also upon the thoroughness with which it has been cleansed from dust, chaff, and all foreign substances, as well as upon the method by which it is ground. It is not possible to judge of all these particulars by the appearance of the flour, but, in general, good flour [35] 36 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. will be sweet, dry, and free from any sour or musty smell or taste. If, on taking up a handful, it falls from the hand light and elastic, it is pretty sure to be good. The dough which is made from good flour is elas- tic, and will retain its shape. This elastic property is due to the gluten. The gluten of good flour will swell to several times its original bulk, while that of poor flour will not swell. In buying white flour, do not select that which is pure white, with a bluish tinge, but that which is of a creamy, yellowish-white tint. Fine flour made from the entire grain may generally be distinguished from a spurious article by taking a small portion into the mouth and chewing it. Raw flour made from the entire grain has a sweet taste, and a rich, nutty flavor like that ex- perienced in chewing a whole grain of wheat, and pro- duces a goodly quantity of gum, or gluten ; while a spurious article tastes flat and insipid like starch, or has a bitter, pungent flavor resulting from the pres- ence of impurities. This bitter quality is also notice- able in bread made from such flour. Another test of flour is the fact that a given quantity of poor flour will not make as much bread as the same quantity of good flour. It is well to obtain a small quantity of flour first, and put it to the test of bread- making ; then, if satisfactory, purchase that brand so long as it proves good. It is true economy to buy a flour known to be good, even though it may cost more than some others. To Keep Flour. — Flour should always be kept in a tight receptacle, and in a cool, dry, well-ventilated FERMENTED BREAD. 37 place. It should not be allowed to remain in close proximity to any substance of strong odor, as it very readily absorbs odors and gaseous impurities. A damp atmosphere will cause it to absorb moisture, and as a result, the gluten will lose some of its tenacity and become sticky, and bread made from the flour will be inferior in quality. Flour which has absorbed damp- ness from any cause should be sifted into a large tray, spread out thin, and exposed to the hot sun or placed in a warming-oven for a few hours. Yeast. — Next to good flour the most important req- uisite in the manufacture of fermented bread is good yeast. The best of flour, used with poor yeast, will not produce good bread. The most convenient and reliable kind of marketable yeast, when it can be had fresh, is the compressed yeast. The dry yeast cakes sold in packages are less to be recommended ; for, though they are always ready for use, the quality of the bread they produce is generally inferior to that made with either compressed yeast or good liquid yeast. If this sort of yeast must be depended upon, the cakes known as ' ' Yeast Foam ' ' are the best of any with which the writer is acquainted. A great variety of good liquid yeasts are easily made, and many housekeepers prefer this to any other kind. Tests for Yeast. — Liquid yeast, when good, looks light and foamy ; has a pungent odor somewhat similar to weak ammonia, and a sharp, biting flavor. Yeast is poor when it looks dull and watery, and has a sour odor. Compressed yeast, if good, breaks off dry, and looks white ; if poor, it appears moist and stringy. If there is any question as to the quality of yeast, it is 38 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. always best to test it before using by adding a little flour to a small quantity and setting it in a warm place. If it begins to lighten in the course of fifteen or twenty minutes, it is good. RECIPES FOR LIQUID YEAST. Raw Potato Yeast. — Mix one fourth of a cup of flour, the same of white sugar, and a teaspoonful of salt to a paste, with a little water. Pare three medium-sized, sound potatoes, and grate them as rapidly as possible into the paste ; mix all quickly together with a silver spoon, then pour three pints of boiling water rapidly over the mixture, stirring well at the same time. If this does not rupture the starch cells of the flour and potatoes so that the mixture becomes thickened to the consistency of starch, turn it into a granite-ware kettle and boil up for a min- ute, stirring well to keep it from sticking and burning. If it be- comes too much thickened, add a little more boiling water. It is impossible to give the exact amount of water, since the quality of the flour will vary, and likewise the size of the potatoes ; but three pints is an approximate proportion. Strain the mixture through a fine colander into an earthen bread-bowl, and let it cool. When lukewarm, add one cup of good, lively yeast. Cover with a napkin, and keep in a moderately warm place for several hours, or until it ceases to ferment. As it begins to fer- ment, stir it well occasionally, and when well fermented, turn into a clean glass or earthen jar. The next morning cover closely, and put in the cellar or refrigerator, not, however, in contact with the ice. It is best to reserve enough for the first baking in some smaller jar, so that the larger portion need not be opened so soon. Always shake the yeast before using. Raw Potato Yeast No. 2. — This is made in the same manner as the preceding, with the exception that one fourth of a cup of loose hops tied in a clean muslin bag is boiled in the water for five minutes before pouring it into the potato-and-flour mix- ture. Many think the addition of the hops aids in keeping the yeast sweet for a longer period ; but potato yeast may be kept sweet for two weeks without hops, if well cared for, and is pre- ferred by those who dislike the peculiar flavor of the bread made from hop yeast. FERMENTED BREAD. 39 Hop Yeastt — Put half a cup uf loose hops, or an eighth of an ounce of the pressed hops (put up by the Shakers and sold by druggists), into a granite-ware kettle ; pour over it a quart of boiling water, and simmer about five minutes. Meanwhile stir to a smooth paste in a tin basin or another saucepan, a cup of flour and a little cold water. Line a colander with a thin cloth, and strain the boiling infusion of hops through it onto the flour paste, stirring continually. Boil this thin starch a few min- utes, until it thickens, stirring constantly, that no lumps be formed. Turn it into a large earthen bowl, add a tablespoonful of salt and two of white sugar, and when it has cooled to blood heat, add one-half cup of lively yeast, stirring all well together. Cover the bowl with a napkin, and let it stand in some moder- ately warm place twenty-four hours, or until it ceases to fer- ment or send up bubbles, beating back occasionally as it rises ; then put into a wide-mouthed glass or earthen jar, which has been previously scalded and dried, cover closely, and set in a cool place. Yeast made in this manner will keep sweet for two weeks in summer and longer in winter. Boiled Potato Yeast. — Peel four large potatoes, and put them to boil in two quarts of cold water. Tie two loose handfuls of hops securely in a piece -of muslin, and place in the water to boil with the potatoes. When the potatoes are tender, remove them with a perforated skimmer, leaving the water still boiling. Mash them, and work in four tablespoonfuls of flour and two of sugar. Over this mixture pour gradually the boiling hop infu- sion, stirring constantly, that it may form a smooth paste, and set it aside to cool. When lukewarm, add a gill of lively yeast, and proceed as in the foregoing recipe. Boiled Potato Yeast No 2. — To one teacup of very smoothly mashed, mealy potato, add three teaspoonfuls of white sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, and one cup of lively yeast, or one cake of Yeast Foam, dissolved in a very little warm water. The po- tato should be warm, but not hot enough to destroy the yeast. Allow this to stand until light, when it is ready for use. Raisin Yeast. — Cover a cup of raisins with water, and keep in a warm place until fermentation takes place. Make potato yeast in the usual way, using the water from the raisins instead of lively yeast to start the fermentation. 40 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. Methods of Bread-Making. — Having secured good flour and good yeast, the first step in bread-making is to properly combine these materials with some liquid, which may be either milk or water. If milk is used, it should be first sterilized. More flour will be required to make the bread with water than with milk. Various methods are employed to combine these materials. As fermentation begins more readily and proceeds more rapidly in a thin batter, it is quite customary to start the bread with such a batter of flour, liquid, and yeast, called a ferment^ or sponge^ to which, when light, an additional portion of flour and water is added. Some cooks use for this sponge the entire amount of liquid needed for the bread, adding flour as the batter grows light, first for a thicker batter, and later, when this is risen, sufficient to make a stiff dough. Others use only a portion of the liquid needed at first ; and when the sponge is well risen, add both flour and liquid to make a fresh sponge, more flour being added to this, when light, to make the dough. Still other cooks dispense altogether with the sponge, adding to the liquid at the first sufficient flour to make it into a dough, allowing it to rise once in the mass, and again after it is molded into loaves. As to the superiority of one method over another, much depends upon their adaptability to the time and convenience of the user. Good, light bread may be produced by any of the methods. Less yeast, but more time will be required by the first two methods. Care of the Bread. — Except in very warm weather, the ferment, or sponge, should be started with the liquid at a lukewarm temperature. FERMENTED BREAD. 41 The liquid should never be so cold as to chill the yeast. Milk, if used, should be first sterilized by scalding, and then cooled before using. After the sponge is prepared, the greatest care must be taken to keep it at an equable temperature. From 70° to 90° F. is the best rauge of temperature, 75° being considered the golden mean throughout the entire fermentive process of bread-making. After fermentation has well begun, it will continue, but much more slowly if the temperature be gradually lowered to 45° or 50°. If it is necessary to hasten the rising, the temperature may be raised to 80° or 85°, but this will necessitate careful watching, as the bread will be liable to overferment, and become sour. Cold arrests the process of fermentation, while too great heat carries forward the work too rapidly. Too much stress cannot be laid upon the importance of an equable temperature. Lightness of Bread.— A thin batter is suffi- ciently light when it is effervescent, like yeast, through- out ; a thicker batter, when risen to double its first bulk, and cracked over the top. The loaf is sufficiently light when it has doubled its first proportions, and feels light when lifted on the hand. Temperature for Baking.— Without an oven thermometer, there is no accurate means of determining the exact temperature of the * oven ; but housekeepers resort to various means to form a judgment about it. The baker's old-fashioned way is to throw a handful of flour on the oven bottom. If it blackens without ig- niting, the heat is deemed sufficient. A common way of ascertaining if the heat in the oven is sufficient, is to 42 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. hold the bare arm inside for a few seconds. If the arm cannot be held within while thirty is counted, it is too hot to begin with. The following test, however, is more accurate : For rolls, the oven should be hot enough to brown a teaspoonful of flour in one minute, and for loaves in^-ye minutes. The fire should be of sufficient strength to keep up the heat for an hour. The heat should increase for the first fifteen minutes, remain steady for the next fifteen minutes, and may then gradually decrease during the remainder of the baking. The common test for well-baked bread is to tap the bottom with the finger ; if it is light and well done, it will sound hollow ; while heavy bread will have a dull sound. A thoroughly baked loaf will not burn the hand when lifted upon it from the pan. Whole- Wheat Breads. — Essentially the same principles are involved in the production of bread from all kinds of wheat flour. Good material and good care are absolutely necessary to good bread. Flours and meals made from the entire grain of wheat ferment more readily than does ordinary white flour, and hence, without careful management, bread made from the former is more liable to become overfermented and sour. In making whole-wheat breads, use as short a course of fermentation as practicable, and let it proceed at a medium temperature. Knead the dough more thoroughly than for white flour. Such breads require a hotter oven at first and a longer time for baking. From one to one and one-half hours are needed, according to the size of the loaf and the heat of the oven. FEEMENTED BREAD. 43 Whole-wlieat breads will be lighter if at least one- third white flour be employed. If the bread is made with a sponge, the white flour is best used for that purpose. The length of time the whole-wheat flour is undergoing fermentation will in this way be some- what lessened, and thus its liability to become sour decreased. RECIPES. Milk Bread with White Flour.— Scald and cool one pint of unskimmed milk. Add to the milk when lukewarm, one fourth of a cup, or three tablespoonfuls, of liquid yeast, and three cups of flour. Give the batter a vigorous beating, turn it into a clean bread-bowl or small earthen crock, cover, and let rise over night. In the morning, when well risen, add two or three cupfuls of warm flour, or sufficient to knead. Knead well until the dough is sufficiently elastic to rebound when struck forcibly with the fist. Allow it to rise again in mass ; then shape into loaves ; place in pans ; let it stand until light, and bake. If undesirable to set the bread over night, an additional tablespoonful or two of yeast may be used, to facilitate the rising. Vienna Bread.— Into a pint of milk sterilized by scalding, turn a cup and a half of boiling water. When lukewarm, add one-half cup of warm water, in which has been dissolved a cake of compressed yeast, and a quart of white flour. Beat the batter thus made very thoroughly, and allow it to rise for one hour ; then add white flour until the dough is of a consistency to knead. Knead well, and allow it to rise again until very light. Shape into four loaves, handling lightly. Let it rise again in the pans, and bake. During the baking, wash the tops of the loaves with a sponge dipped in milk to glaze them. Water Bread (Sanitarium Cooking-School Method).— To make one loaf of bread, dissolve a two-cent cake of compressed yeast in a pint of lukewarm water, or if liquid yeast be preferred, use one-half cup of yeast to one and one-half cups of water, with flour sufficient to make a dough just stiff enough to be easily kneaded. Knead thoroughly, using no additional flour save, if necessary, the merest quantity to dust the board. Having se- cured a well-kneaded, smooth dough, put it into a warm crock, cover, and set to rise, keeping it at a temperature of about 85° F. 44 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Allow it to rise until twice its original bulk, then turn it over in the crock, and allow it to rise again. When well risen the second time, turn over again. After this rising, with as little manipu- lation as possible form it into a roll about the size of the arm, and long enough to fit the baking-tin. Allow it to rise once more, and then bake. Water Bread No. 2. — Dissolve a tablespoonful of sugar in a pint of boiling water. When lukewarm, add one fourth of a cupful of liquid yeast, and sufficient flour to make a batter thick enough to drop from the spoon. Beat vigorously for ten minutes, turn into a clean, well-scalded bread-bowl, cover (wrap- ping in a blanket if in cold weather), and let it rise over night. In the morning, when well risen, add flour to knead. Knead well for half an hour, cover, and let it become light in mass. When light, shape into loaves, allow it to rise again, and bake. Fruit Roll. — Take some bread dough prepared as for milk bread, which has been sufficiently kneaded and is ready to mold, and roll to about one inch in thickness. Spread over it some dates which have been washed, dried, and stoned, raisins, cur- rants, or chopped figs. Roll it up tightly into a loaf. Let it rise until very light, and bake. Fruit Loaf. — Set a sponge with one pint of rich milk, one- fourth cup of yeast, and a pint of flour, over night. In the morning, add two cups of Zante currants, one cup of sugar, and three cups of flour, or enough to make a rather stiff dough. Knead well, and set to rise ; when light, mold into loaves ; let it rise again, and bake. Potato Bread. — Cook and mash perfectly smooth, enough potatoes to make a cupful. Add a teaspoonful of best white sugar, one cup and a half of warm water, and when the mixture is lukewarm, one-half cup of yeast, prepared as directed for Boiled Potato Yeast No. 2, and flour to make a very thick batter. Allow it to rise over night. In the morning, add a pint of warm water and flour enough to knead. The dough will need to be considerably stiffer than when no potato is used, or the result will be a bread too moist for easy digestion. Knead well. Let it rise, mold into four loaves, and when again light, bake. Fulled Bread. — Remove a loaf from the oven when about half baked, and lightly pull the partially set dough into pieces of irregular shape, about half the size of the fist. Do not smooth or mold the pieces ; the rougher the shape the better. Place ■ FERMENTED BREAD. 45 them on perforated tins, and bake in a slow oven until browned and crisp throughout. Mrs. F.'s Salt-Rising Bread.— Early in the morning, sterilize a pitcher and spoon, put into it one cup of boiled water, and let it stand until cooled to 130^ P. Add one-fourth teaspoonful salt and one teaspoonful sugar, and stir in flour sufficient to make a stiff batter. Cover with a clean napkin, and place in a crock of water hot enough to keep the batter at 120° P. as marked by a dairy thermometer. When the mixture is light, which will be in six or seven hours, pour it into a warm crock, rinsing the pitcher with a cup of water as warm as 130° P. and adding to the rising. Mix in a warm place with white flour sufficient to make a dough stiff enough to clear the board, form into loaves, place in baking tins, put to rise at a temperature of 120° until twice their original size, and bake one hour in a moderate oven. Whole- Wheat Bread. — The materials needed for the bread are : One pint of milk, scalded and cooled, one quart of wheat- berry flour, one pint of Minnesota spring-wheat flour, one-third cup of soft yeast, or one-fourth cake of compressed yeast dis- solved in one-third cup of cold water. Stir enough flour into the milk to make a stiff batter, put in the yeast, and let it rise until foamy. Have the milk so warm that when the flour is put in, the batter will be of a lukewarm temperature. Wrap in a thick blanket, and keep at an equable temperature. When light, stir in, slowly, warm flour to make a soft dough. Knead for fifteen minutes, and return to the bowl (which has been washed and oiled) to rise again. When risen to double its size, form into two loaves, place in separate pans, let rise again, and bake from three-fourths to one and one-half hours, according to the heat of the oven. Whole-Wheat Bread No. 2.— Scald one pint of unskimmed milk ; when lukewarm, add one-half cup of liquid yeast, or one- fourth cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in one-half cup of warm water, and a pint of Pillsbury's best white flour. Beat this batter thoroughly, and allow it to rise. When well risen, add three and two-thirds cups of wheat-berry flour. Knead thoroughly, and allow it to become light in mass ; then shape into two loaves, allow it to rise again, and bake. Rye Bread. — Prepare a sponge over night with white flour as for water bread. In the morning, when light, add another tablespoonful of sugar, and rye flour to knead. Proceed as 46 EYEKY-DAY DISHES. directed for the water bread, taking care to use only enough rye flour to make the dough just stiff enough to mold. Use white flour for dusting the kneading board, as the rye flour is sticky. Grraham or Wheat-Meal Bread.— Take two tablespoonfuls of lively liquid yeast, or a little less than one-fourth cake of com- pressed yeast, dissolved in a little milk, and add new milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm, to make one pint. Add one pint of white flour, beat very thoroughly, and set to rise. When very light, add three and one-half cupfuls of sifted graham or wheat-meal flour, or enough to make a dovigh that can be molded. Knead well for half an hour. Place in a clean, slightly oiled bread-bowl, cover, and allow it to rise. When light, shape into a loaf ; allow it rise again, and bake. Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 2, — Mix well one pint of white and two pints of best graham or wheat-meal flour. Pre- pare a batter with a scant pint of milk, scalded and cooled, two tablespoonfuls of liquid yeast, or a little less than one fourth of a cake of compressed yeast, dissolved in two tablespoonfuls of milk, and a portion of the mixed flour. Give it a vigorous beating, and put in a warm place to rise. When well risen, add more flour to make a dough sufficiently stiff to knead. There will be some variation in the amount required, depend- ent upon the brands of flour used, but in general, two and one- half pints of the flour will be enough for preparing the sponge and kneading the dough. Knead thoroughly for twenty-five or thirty minutes. Put into a clean and slightly oiled bread- bowl, cover, and set to rise again. When double its first bulk, mold into a loaf ; allow it to rise again, and bake. Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 3. — Mix three pounds each of graham or wheat-meal and Minnesota spring-wheat flour. Make a sponge of one and a half pints of warm water, one-half cake compressed yeast, well dissolved in the water, and flour to form a batter. Let this rise. When well risen, add one and a half pints more of warm water, one-half cupful of New Orleans molasses, and sufficient flour to knead. Work the bread thor- oughly, allow it to rise in mass ; then mold, place in pans, and let it rise again. The amount of material given is sufficient for four loaves of bread. Graham or Wheat-Meal Bread No. 4.— Graham, wheat-meal, or whole-wheat flour bread may be made in the same way as directed for water-bread, page 44. FERMENTED BREAD. 47 Raised Biscuit. — These may be made from dough prepared by any of the preceding recipes for bread. They will be more tender if made with milk ; and if the dough is prepared expressly for biscuits, one third thin cream may be used. When the dough has been thoroughly kneaded the last time, divide into small, equal-sized pieces. A quantity of dough sufBcient for one loaf of bread should be divided into twelve or sixteen such portions. Shape into smooth, round biscuits, fit closely into a shallow pan, and let them rise until very light. Biscuit should be allowed to become lighter than bread before putting in the oven, since, being so much smaller, fermentation is arrested much sooner, and they do not rise as much in the oven as bread does. Bolls. — Well-kneaded and -risen bread dough is made into a variety of small forms termed rolls, by rolling with the hands or with a rolling-pin, and afterward cutting or folding into any shape desired, the particular manner by which they are folded and shaped giving to the rolls their characteristic names. Dough prepared with rich milk or part cream makes the best rolls. It may be divided into small, irregular portions, about one inch in thickness, and shaped by taking each piece sepa- rately in the left hand, then with the thumb and first finger of the right hand, slightly stretch one of the points of the piece and draw it over the left thumb toward the center of the roll, holding it there with the left thumb. Turn the dough and repeat the operation until you have been all around the dough, and each point has been drawn in ; then place on the pan to rise. Allow the lolls to become very light, and bake. Rolls prepared in this manner are termed "Imperial Rolls," and if the folding has been properly done, when well baked they will be com- posed of a succession of light layers, which can be readily separated. What are called "French Rolls" may be made by shaping each portion of dough into small oval rolls quite tapering at each end, allowing them to become light, and baking far enough apart so that one will not touch another. If, when the dough is light and ready to shape, it be rolled on the board until about one eighth of an inch in thickness, and cut into five-inch squares, then divided through the center into triangles, rolled up, beginning with the wide side, and placed in the pan to rise in semicircular shape, the rolls are called "Crescents." 48 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. What are termed "Parker House Rolls" may be made from well-risen dough prepared with milk, rolled upon the board to a uniform thickness of about one-fourth inch ; cut into round or oval shapes with a cutter ; folded, one third over the other two thirds ; allowed to rise until very light, and baked. The light, rolled dough may be folded into a "Braid" by cutting into strips six inches in length and one in width, joining the ends of each three, and braiding. The heat of the oven should be somewhat greater for rolls and biscuit than for bread. The time required will depend upon the heat and the size of the roll, but it will seldom exceed one- half hour. Neither rolls nor biscuit should be eaten hot, as they are then open to the same objections as other new yeast bread. Glraham or Wheat-Meal Salt-Rising Bread. — Put two table- spoonfuls of milk into a half-pint cup, add boiling water to fill the cup half full, one-half teaspoonful of sugar, one-fourth tea- spoonful of salt, and white flour to make a rather stiff batter. Let it rise over night. In the morning, when well risen, add a cup and a half of warm water, or milk scalded and cooled, and sufficient white flour to form a rather stiff batter. Cover, and allow to rise again. When light, add enough sifted graham or wheat-meal flour to knead. When well kneaded, shape into a loaf; allow it to become light again in the pan, and bake. All utensils used should be first well sterilized by scalding in hot sal-soda water. UNFERMENTED, OR AERATED BREAD. Unfekmented breads made light by the introduction of air are of two kinds : batter breads and dough breads. Air is introduced into the former by brisk and continuous agitating or beating of the batter ; into the latter, by a thorough and continuous kneading, chop- ping, or pounding of the dough. All materials used for making these breads should be of the very best quality. All breads, whether fermented or unfermented, are lighter if baked in some small form, and this is par- ticularly true of unfermented breads made light with air. For this reason, breads made into a dough are better baked in the form of rolls, biscuits, or crackers, and batter breads in small iron cups. It is especially essential in making aerated breads that everything be in readiness before beginning to put the bread together. All the materials should be meas- ured out, the utensils to be used close at hand, and the oven properly heated. The heat of the oven for baking should be sufficient to form a slight crust over all sides of the bread before the air escapes, but not sufficient to brown it within the first fifteen minutes. 4 [49] 50 EVERY-DAT DISHES, To aid in forming the crust on the sides and bottom, the iron cups should be heated previous to introduc- ing the batter, except for bread in which egg is used. The degree of heat required for baking will be about the same as for fermented rolls and biscuit, and the fire should be so arranged as to keep a steady but not greatly increasing heat. The heat should be greatest at the bottom of the oven. One hour is the average length of time required for properly baking the batter breads. From forty min- utes to one hour will be required for most of the dough breads. Success is also dependent upon the dexterity with which the materials when ready are put together. Bat- ter bread often proves a failure, although the beating is kept up without cessation, because it is done slowly and carelessly, or interspersed with stirring, thus permitting the air to escape between the strokes. If the bread is to be baked at once, the greater the despatch with which it can be gotten into a properly heated oven the lighter it will be. Crackers, rolls, and other forms of dough breads often lack in lightness because they were allowed to stand some time before baking. The same is true of batter breads. If for any reason it is neces- sary to keep such breads for any length of time after being prepared, before baking, set the dish containing them directly on ice or in some cool place. Many of the recipes given for the batter breads in- clude eggs. The yolk is not particularly essential, and if it can be put to other uses, may be left out. The white of an egg, because of its viscous nature, when beaten, serves as a sort of trap to catch and hold air, UNFERMENTBD BREADS. 51 and added to the bread, aids in making it light. Yerj nice light bread may be made without eggs, but the novice in making aerated breads will perhaps find it an advantage first to become perfectly familiar with the processes and conditions involved, by using the recipes with eggs before attempting those without, which are somewhat more dependent for success upon skill and practise. The air may be incorporated by beating the batter with a spoon, but a wire whip is a much more convenient utensil for this purpose. The irons in which batter breads are to be baked should not be smeared with grease ; if necessary to oil them at all, they should only be wiped out lightly with a clean, oiled cloth. Irons well cared for, carefully washed, and occasionally scoured with sapolio to keep them perfectly smooth, will require no greasing. RECIPES. BATTER BREADS. Whole- Wheat Puffs.— Make a batter by beating together until perfectly smooth the yolk of one egg, one and one-half cups of new or unskimmed milk, and one pint of whole-wheat flour. Whip the white of the egg to a stiff froth, and stir it in lightly and evenly. Then turn into the iron cups and bake. The bat- ter may be prepared and left on the ice or in some cold place over night, if desired for breakfast. When ready to bake the puffs, after vigorously beating the batter for five or ten minutes, stir in lightly the well-beaten white of the egg; turn at once into the irons, and bake. Graham Puffs.— Beat together vigorously until full of air bubbles, one pint of unskimmed milk, the yolk of one egg, and one pint and three or four tablespoonfuls of graham flour, added a little at a time. When the mixture is light and foamy through- out, stir in lightly and evenly the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth ; turn into iron cups, and bake in a rather quick ovrii. Instead of all graham, one-third white flour may be used. 53 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Graham Puflfs No. 2. — Beat the yolks of two eggs in two cup- t'uls of ice-water; then add gradually, beating well meantime, three and one-fourth cupfuls of graham flour. Continue the beating, after all the fliour is added, until the mixture is light and full of air bubbles Add last the whites of the eggs, pre- viously beaten to a stiff froth, and bake at once. Currant PufTs. — Prepare the puffs as directed in any of the preceding recipes with the addition of one cup of Zante currants which have been well washed, dried, and floured. Graham Gems. — Into two cupfuls of unskimmed milk, ice- cold when practicable, stir gradually, sprinkling it from the hand, three and one-fourth cui^fuls of graham flour. Beat vigor- ously for ten minutes or longer, until the batter is perfectly smooth and full of air bubbles. Turn at once into hissing-hot i;em irons, and bake in a hot oven. If preferred, the batter may be prepared, and the dish containing it placed on ice for an hour or longer ; then well beaten and baked. Graham gems may be made in this manner with soft water instead of milk, but such, in general, will need a little more flour than when made with milk. With some ovens it will be found an ad- vantage in baking these gems to place them on the upper grate for the first ten minutes or until the top has been slightly crusted, and then change to the bottom of the oven for the baking. Rye Puffs. — Beat together the same as for whole-wheat puffs one cupful of milk, one tablespoonful of sugar, and the yolk of an egg. Add one cupful of good rye flour mixed with one-half cupful of graham flour, and stir in lastly the well-beaten white of the egg. Bake at once in heated gem-irons. Rye Gems. — Mix together one cupful of corn-meal and one cupful of rye meal. Stir the mixed meal into one and one-half cupfuls of ice-water. Beat the batter vigorously for ten or fifteen minutes, then turn into hot irons, and bake. Corn Puffs. — Mingle the yolk of one egg with one cupful of rich milk. Add to the liquid one cupful of flour, one-half cupful of fine yellow corn-meal, and one-fourth cupful of sugar, all of which have previously been well mixed together. Less sugar may be used, or it may be entirely omitted if preferred. Place the batter on ice for an hour, or until very cold. Then beat it vigorously five or ten minutes, till full of air bubbles ; chop in TJNFERMSNTED SRliADS. 5 3 lightly the stiffly beaten white of the egg, and put at once into heated irons. Bake in a moderately quick oven thirty or forty minutes. Com Puffs No. 2. — Scald two cupfuls of fine white corn-meal with boiling water. When cold, add three tablespoonfuls of thin sweet cream and the yolk of one egg. Beat well, and stir in lastly the white of the egg, beaten to a stiff froth. The batter should be sufficiently thin to drop easily from a spoon, but not thin enough to pour. Bake in heated irons, in a moderately quick oven. Corn Puffs No. 3.— Beat together one and one-half cupfuls of unskimmed milk and the yolks of two eggs, until thoroughly blended. Add two cupfuls of flour, and one cupful of best granulated corn-meal. Beat the batter thoroughly ; stir in lightly the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth ;' turn into heated irons, and bake. Corn Dodg-ers.— Scald one cupful of best granulated corn- meal, into which a tablespoonful of sugar has been sifted, with one cup of boiling milk. Beat until smooth, and drop on a griddle, in cakes about one inch in thickness, and bake slowly for an hour. Turn when brown. If preferred, the baking may be finished in the oven after the first turning. Hoe Cake.— Scald one pint of white corn-meal, with which, if desired, a tablespoonful of sugar and one-half teaspoonful of salt have been mixed, with boiling milk, or water enough to make a batter sufficiently thick not to .spread. Drop on a hot griddle, in large or small cakes, as preferred, about one-half inch in thickness. Cook slowly, and when well browned on the under side, turn over. The cake may be cooked slowly until well done throughout, or, as the portion underneath becomes well browned, the first brown crust may be peeled off with a knife, and the cake again turned. As rapidly as a crust becomes formed and browned, one may be removed, and the cake turned, until the whole is browned. The thin, wafer-like crusts are excellent served with hot milk or cream. Granola Gems.— Into three fourths of a cup of rich milk stir one cup of granola (prepared by the Sanitarium Health Food Co.). Drop into heated irons, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes. Bean Gems.— Prepare the gems in the same manner as for whole-wheai puff's, using one-half cup of milk, one egg, one cup 54 EVERY-DAY DISHES. of cooked beans whicli have been rubbed through a colander and salted, and one cup and one tablespoonful of white flour. A little variation in the quantity of the flour may be necessary, dependent upon the moisture contained in the beans, although care should be taken to have them quite dry. DOUGH BREADS. Breakfast Rolls. — Sift a pint and a half of graham flour into a bowl, and into it stir a cupful of very cold thin cream or un- skimmed milk. Pour the liquid into the flour slowly, a few spoonfuls at a time, mixing each spoonful to a dough with the flour as fast as poured in. When all the liquid has been added, gather the fragments of dough together, knead thoroughly for ten minutes or longer, until perfectly smooth and elastic. The quantity of flour will vary somewhat with the quality, but in general, the quantity given will be quite sufficient for mixing the dough and dusting the board. When well kneaded, divide into two portions ; roll each over and over with the hands, until a long roll about one inch in diameter is formed ; cut this into two-inch lengths, prick with a fork and place on perforated tins, far enough apart so that one will not touch another when baking. Each roll should be as smooth and perfect as possible, and with no dry flour adhering. Bake at once, or let stand on ice for twenty minutes. The rolls should not be allowed to stand after forming, unless on ice. From thirty to forty minutes will be required for baking. When done, spread on the table to cool, but do not pile one on top of another. Very nice rolls may be made in the same manner, using for the wetting ice-cold soft water. They require a longer kneading, are more crisp but less tender, than those made with cream. With some brands of graham flour the rolls will be much lighter if one- third white flour be used. Whole-wheat flour may be used in place of graham, if preferred. Sticks. — Prepare and knead the dough the same as for rolls. When ready to form, roll the dough much smaller ; scarcely larger than the little finger, and cut into three- or four-inch lengths. Bake the same as rolls, for about twenty minutes. Cream Graham Rolls. — To one-half cup of cold cream add one-half cup of soft ice-water. Make into a dough with three cups of graham flour, sprinkling in slowly with the hands, beat- UNFERMENTED BREADS. 55 ing at the same time, so as to incorporate as much air as possi- ble, until the dough is too stilT to be stirred ; then knead thor- oughly, form into rolls, and bake. Fruit Rolls. — Prepare the rolls as directed in the recipe for breakfast rolls, and when well kneaded, work into the dough a half cup of Zante currants which have been well washed, dried, and floured. Form the rolls in the usual manner, and bake. Beaten Biscuit. — Into a quart of whole-wheat flour mix a large cup of thin sweet cream in the same manner as for break- fast rolls. The dough must be very stiff, and rendered soft and pliable by thorough kneading and afterward pounding with a mallet for at least half an hour in the following manner : Pound the dough out flat, and until of the same thickness throughout; dredge lightly with flour; double the dough over evenly and pound quickly around the outside, to fasten the edges together and thus retain the air within the dough. When well worked, the dough will appear flaky and brittle, and pulling a piece of it off quickly will cause a sharp, snapping sound. Mold into small biscuits, making a hole in the center of each,— hold the biscuit in the left hand, and with the thumb and forefinger of the right hand press the dough until they meet. Place on perforated tins, with a space between, and put at once into the oven. The oven should be of the same temperature as for rolls. If they are soggy inside when cold, they were not well baked, as they should be light and tender. If preferred, use one-third white flour, instead of all whole-wheat. Excellent results are also obtained by chopping instead of pounding the dough. Water Biscuit witll Eg^. — Beat together until thoroughly mingled, the yolk of an egg and one-half cup of ice-cold water. With this incorporate flour enough to make a dough which will clear the board without its being dusted with flour, but not so stiff that it will be difficult to shape. Work and shape as di- rected above. Bake one hour in a well-heated oven. The dough may be formed into rolls or sticks, if preferred. Cream Crisps.— Make a dough of one cupful of thin cream, and a little more than three cups of graham flour. Knead until smooth, then divide the dough into several pieces, and place in a dish on ice for an hour, or until ice cold. Roll each piece separately and quickly as thin as brown paper. Prick with a fork, cut with a knife into squares, and bake on perforated tins until lightly browned on both sides. 56 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Cream Crisps No. 2. — Into two and one-half cups of cold cream or rich milk, sprinkle slowly with the hands, beating meanwhile to incorporate air, four cups of best graham flour, sifted with one-half cup of granulated sugar. Add flour to knead, about two and one-fourth cups being required. When well kneaded, divide into several portions, roll each as thin as a knife blade, prick well with a fork, cut into squares, and bake. Graham Crisps. — Into one-half cupful of ice-cold soft water, stir slowly, so as to incorporate as much air as possible, enough graham flour to make a dough stiff enough to knead. A table- spoonful of sugar may be added to the water before stirring in the flour, if desired. Fruit Crackers.— Prepare a dough with one cup of cold sweet cream and three cups of graham flour, knead well, and divide into two portions. Roll each quite thin. Spread one thickly with dates or figs seeded and chopped ; place the other one on top and press together with the rolling-pin. Cut into squares and bake. An additional one fourth of a cup of flour will doubt- less be needed for dusting the board and kneading, A dough prepared with ice-water and the yolk of egg, as directed for water biscuit, may be used for these crackers, if preferred. Nut Crisps. — Mix together thoroughly one and one-half cups of coarse graham flour and one-half cup of hickory-nut meal, prepared by pressing the chopped meats of nuts through a fine colander. Make into a rather stiif dough with ice-cold water, knead well, roll into a sheet as thin as brown paper, cut with a knife into squares, and bake on perforated tins until lightly browned on both sides. Nut Sticks. — Larger quantities of the flour and hickory-nut or pecan meal used in the same proportion as above may be pre- pared into a dough in the same manner. After being well kneaded, it may be divided and shaped by rolling with the hand into a long roll about the size of the little finger. Cut into three- or four-inch lengths, and bake on perforated tins for about twentj' minutes. FRUIT. Perfectly ripe fruit is, as a rule, more desirable used fresh than in any other way. Fruits which are immature, require cooking. Stewing and baking are the simplest methods of cooking fruits, and nearly all kinds admit of one of these modes of preparation. General Suggestions for Cooking Fruit. — The utensils for stewing should be porcelain-Hned or granite-ware. Cover with a china plate or granite- ware cover, never with a tin one, as the steam will condense and run down into the kettle, discoloring the contents. Use silver knives for preparing the fruit, and silver or wooden spoons for stirring. Prepare just before cooking, if you would preserve the fruit perfect in flavor, and unimpaired by discoloi-ation. Cook in a small quantity of boiling water. Fruit should be cooked by stewing or gentle simmering ; hard boiling will destroy the fine flavor of all fruits, and especially of berries and other small fruits. Cinnamon, cloves, or other spices should not be added, as their stronger flavors deaden or obliterate the natural flavor of the fruit, which should always be preserved as per- fectly as possible. If desirable to add some foreign flavor, let it be the flavor of another fruit, or the per- fume of flowers. For instance, flavor apple with lemon, pineapple, quince, or rose-water. Apples are best cooked by baking. Pears and quinces are also excellent baked. The oven should be [57] 58 EVERY-DAY DISHES. only moderately hot ; if the heat is too great, they brown on the outside before they are done throughout. By any method of cooking, pains should be taken to cook together fruit of uniform variety, size, and degree of hardness ; and if it is to be cut in pieces, care should be taken to have the pieces of uniform size. RECIPES. Baked Apples. — Moderately tart apples or very juicy sweet ones are best for baking. Select ripe apples, free from imper- fections, and of nearly equal size. Wipe carefully and remove the blcssom ends. Water sufficient to cover the bottom of the baking-dish should be added if the fruit is not very juicy. If the apples are sour and quite firm, it is a good "way to pare them before baking, and then place in an earthen pie-dish with a little hot water. If they incline to brown too quickly, cover the tops with a granite-ware pie-dish. If the sirup dries out, add a little more hot water. When done, set them away till nearly cold, then transfer to a glass dish, pour the sirup, which should be thick and amber colored, over them. Sour apples are excellent pared, cored, and baked with the centers filled with sugar, jelly, or a mixture of chopped raisins and dates. They should be put into a shallow earthen dish with water sufficient to cover the bottom, baked in a quick oven, and basted often with the sirup. Sweet apples are best baked without paring. Baked apples are usually served as a relish, but with a dressing of cream they make a most delicious dessert. Citron Apples. — Select a few tart apples of a uniform degree of hardness, and remove the cores. Unless the skins are very tender, it is better to pare them. Fit in a piece of apple large enough to fill one. third of the lower part of the cavity ; then fill the remainder with bits of chopped citron and sugar. If the skins have been removed, place the stuffed apples on a flat earthen dish with a tablespoonful of water in the bottom ; cover closely, and bake till perfectly tender, but not till they have fallen to pieces. If the skins are left on, they may be baked without covering. When cold, serve in separate dishes, with or without a spoonful or two of whipped cream on each apple. FRUIT. 59 Lemon Apples. — Prepare tart apples the same as for citron apples. Fill the cavities made by removing the cores with a mixture of grated lemon and sugar, squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over each apple, and bake. Serve with or without whipped cream. Baked Pears. — Hard pears make an excellent dessert when baked. Pare, halve, remove seeds, and place in a shallow earthen dish, with a cup of water to each two quarts of fruit. If the pears are sour, a little sugar may be added. Bake, closely covered, in a moderate oven until tender. Serve with or with- out sugar and cream. Tart pears are the best for baking, as the sweet varieties are often tasteless. Baked Quinces. — Pare and remove the cores. Fill the cavi- ties with sugar, put in a shallow earthen dish, and add water to cover the bottom ; bake till soft, basting often with the sirup. If the sirup dries out before the fruit is perfectly tender, add a little more hot water. Baked Apple Sauce. — Pare, core, and quarter apples to fill an earthen crock or deep pudding-dish, taking care to use apples of a uniform degree of hardness, and pieces of the same size. For two quarts of fruit thus prepared, add a cup of water, and if the apples are sour, a cup of sugar. Cover closely, and bake in a moderate oven several hours, or until of a dark red color. Sweet apples and quinces in the proportion of two parts of apple to one of quince, baked in this way, are also good. Cut the apples into quarters, but slice the quinces much thinner, as they are more difficult to cook. Put a layer of quince on the bottom of the dish, alternating with a layer of apple, until the dish is full. Add cold water to half cover the fruit, and stew in the oven, well covered, without stirring, until tender. Pears may be cooked in a similar way, and both apples and pears thus cooked may be canned while hot and kept for a long period. Apples with Raisins. — Pare, core, and quarter a dozen on more medium-sized sour apples. Clean thoroughly one fourth as many raisins as apples, and turn over them a quart of boiling water. Let them steep until well swollen, then add the apples, and cook until tender. Sugar to sweeten may be added if de- sired, although little will be needed unless the apples are very tart. Dried apples soaked over night may be made much more pala- table by stewing with raisins or English currants, in the same way. 60 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Apples with Apricots. — Pare, core, and quarter some nice, sour apples. Put them to cook with two halves of dried apricot for each apple. "When tender, make smooth by beating or rub- bing through a colander, and sweeten. Dried apples may be used in the place of fresh ones. CranbeiTies. — Cranberries make an excellent sauce, but the skins are rather hard of digestion, and it is best to exclude them. Stew in the proportion of a quart of berries to a pint of water, simmering gently until the skins have all burst, and the quantity is reduced to a pint. Put through a colander to remove the skins, and when nearly cool, add for the quart of berries two thirds of a cup of sugar. Cranberries witli Raisins. — Cook the cranberries as in the preceding recipe, and when rubbed through the colander, add for every pound of cranberries before cooking, one-fourth pound of raisins which have been steeped for lialf an hour in just suffi- cient boiling water to cover. A little less sugar will be needed to sweeten than when served without the raisins. Cranberries and Sweet Apples. — Stew equal parts of cran- berries and sweet apples together. Mash, run through a fine sieve or colander to remove the skins and make the whole homogeneous. This makes a very palatable sauce without the addition of sugar. California prunes and cranberries stewed together in equal proportion, in a small quantity of water, also make a nice sauce without sugar. Oranges and Apples. — The mild, easy cooking, tart varieties of apples make an excellent sauce stewed with one-third sliced oranges, from whicii the seeds have been removed. Pare, core, and slice the apples, and cook gently so as to preserve the form of botli fruits until the apples are tender. Add sugar to sweeten, and if desired, a very little of the grated yellow of the orange rind. Remove the slices of orange before cooling, or they will impart a bitter taste to the apples. Stewed Raisins. — Soak a pint of good raisins, cleaned and freed from stems, in cold water for several hours. When ready to cook, put thom, with the water in which they were soaked, in a fruit-kettle and simmer until the skins are tender. Three or four good-sized figs, chopped quite fine, cooked with the raisins, give an additional richness and thickness of juice. No sugar will be needed. FRUIT. 61 Dried Apples* — Good apples properly dried make a very palatable sauce ; but unfortunately the fruit generally selected for drying is of so inferior a quality that if cooked in its fresh state it would not be good. The dried fruit in most of our mar- kets needs to be looked over carefully, and thoroughly washed in hot water before using. Put into a granite- ware kettle, cover with boiling water, and cook gently until tender. Fresh steam- dried or evaporated apples will cook in from one half to three fourths of an hour ; if older, they may require from one to two or more hours. Add boiling water, as needed, during the cook- ing. If when tender they are lacking in juice, add a little boil- ing water long enough before lifting from the fire to allow it to boil up once. If the fruit is very poor, a few very thin slices of the 3'ellow portion of lemon or orange rind, added a half hour before it is done, will sometimes be an improvement. Dried Apples with Other Dried Fruit. — An excellent sauce may be made by cooking a few dried plums with dried or evap- orated apples. Only enough of the plums to give a flavor to the apples will be needed ; a handful of the former to a pound of apples will be sufficient. Dried cherries, raisins, English cur- rants, dried apricots, prunelles, and peaches are also excellent used in combination with dried apples. Dried Apricots and Peaches. — These fruits, if dried with the skins on, need, in addition to the preparation for cooking recom- mended for dried apples, a thorough rubbing with the fingers, while being washed, to remove the down. Put into boiling water in about the proportion of two parts of fruit to three of water. If the fruit was pared before drying, a little more water will be required. Cook quickly, but gently, until just tender, and take from the fire as soon as done. If too soft, they will be mushy and insipid. Evaporated Peach Sauce. — Soak the peaches over night in just enough Avater to cover. In the morning put to cook in boil- ing water. When tender, sweeten and beat perfectlj' smooth with an egg-beater. Dried Pears. — These may be treated in the same wu}' as dried apples. Small Fruits. — These, when dried, must be carefully exam- ined, thoroughly washed, and then cooked rather quickly in boiling water. They swell but little, do not require much 62 EVERY-DAY DISHES. water, and usually cook in a few minutes. They should bo taken from the fire as soon as soft, as long standing makes them insipid. Prunes. — Use only the best selected prunes. Clean by put- ting them into warm water ; let them stand a few minutes, rub- bing them gently between the hands to make sure that all dust and dirt are removed ; rinse, and if rather dry and hard, put them into three parts of water to one of prunes ; cover closely, and let them simmer for several hours. If the prunes are quite easily cooked, less water may be used. They will be tender, with a thick juice. The sweet varieties need no sugar whatever. Many persons who cannot eat fruit cooked with sugar, can safely partake of sweet prunes cooked in this way. A slice of lemon, added just before the prunes are done, is thought an improvement. Prune Marmalade. — Cook sweet California prunes as dircted above. When well done, rub through a colander to remove the skins and stones. No sugar is necessary. If the pulp is too thin when cold, it may be covered in an earthen pudding-dish and stewed down by placing in a pan of hot water in a moderate oven, SUGGESTIONS FOR CANNING FRIJIT, Select self-sealing glass cans of some good variety. Those with glass or porcelain-lined covers are best. Test the cans to see if they are perfect, with good rub- bers and covers that fit closely, by partly filling them with hot water, screwing on the tops, and placing bot- tom upward upon the table for some time before using. If none of the water leaks out, they may be considered in good condition. If the cans have been previously used, examine them with special care to see that both cans and covers have been carefully cleaned ; then thoroughly sterilize them, and fit with new rubbers when necessary. Cans and covers should be sterilized by boiling in water for lialf an hour, or by baking in an oven, at a FRUIT. 63 temperature sufficient to scorch paper, for two hours. The cans should be placed in the water or oven when cold, and the temperature allowed to rise gradually, to avoid breaking. They should be allowed to cool gradu- ally, for the same reason. Select only the best of fruit, such as is perfect in flavor and neither green nor overripe. Fruit which has been shipped from a distance, and which is conse- quently not perfectly fresh, contains germs in active growth, and if it is the least bit musty, it will be almost sure to spoil, even though the greatest care be taken in canning. Poor fruit will not be improved by canning ; over- ripe fruit will be insipid and mushy ; and though cook- ing will soften hard fruit, it cannot impart to it the delicate flavors which belong to that which is in its prime. The larger varieties of fruit should not, for canning, be quite soft enough for eating. Cook the fruit slowly in a porcelain-lined or granite- ware kettle, using as little water as possible. It is bet- ter to cook only small quantities at a time in one kettle. Steaming in the cans is preferable to stewing, where tlie fruit is at all soft. To do this, carefully fill the cans with fresh fruit, packing it quite closely, if the fruit is large, and set the cans in a boiler partly filled with cold water, with something underneath them to prevent breaking, — mufiin-rings, straw, thick cloth, or anything to keep them from resting on the bottom of the boiler ; screw the covers on the cans so the water cannot boil into them, but not so tightly as to prevent the escape of steam ; let the water boil until the fruit is steamed tender. 6-i EVEBY-DAY DISHES, Fruit for canning should be so thoroughly cooked that every portion of it will have been subjected to a sufficient degree of heat to destroy all germs within the fruit, but overcooking should be avoided. The length of time required for cooking fruits for canning varies with the kind and quality of fruit and the manner of cooking. Fifteen minutes may be considered as the shortest time for which even the most delicate fruits should be subjected to the temperature of boiling water, and at least thirty minutes will be required by most fruits. Fruits which are not perfectly fresh, or which have been shipped some distance, should be cooked not less than thirty minutes. The boiling should be very slow, how- ever, as hard, rapid boiling will break up the fruit, and much of its fine flavor will be lost in the steam. Use the best sugar, if any, two tablespoonfuls to a quart of fruit is sufficient for most subacid fruits, as berries and peaches ; plums, cherries, strawberries, and currants require from five to eight tablespoonfuls of sugar to a quart. Perfect fruit, properly canned, will keep without sugar, and will thus retain its natural flavor more per- fectly than when cooked with sugar. The necessary amount of sweetening may be added when it is opened for use. If the fruit is to be cooked previously to being put into the cans, the cans should be heated before the in- troduction of the fruit, which should be put in at a boiling temperature. Fill a large dish-pan nearly full of scald- ing (not boiling) water, gradually introduce each can, previously baked, into the water, dip it full of water. FRUIT. 65 and set it right side up in the pan. Kepeat the process with other cans until four or jfive are ready. Put the covers likewise into boiling water. Have in readiness for use a granite-ware funnel and dipper, also in boiling water ; a cloth for wiping the outside of the cans; a silver fork or spoon; a dish for emptyings; and a broad shallow pan on one side of the range, half filled with boiling water, in which to set the cans while being filled. When everything is in readiness, the fruit properly cooked, and at a 'boiling tem/perature, turn one of the cans down in the water, roll it over once or twice, empty it, and set in the shallow pan of hot water ; adjust the funnel, and then place first in the can a quantity of juice, so that when the fruit is put in, no vacant places will be left for air, which is sometimes quite troublesome if this precaution is not taken ; then add the fruit. If any bubbles of air chance to be left, work them out with a fork or spoon handle, dipped fii-st in boiling water, and then quickly introduced down the sides of the jar and through the fruit in such a way that not a bubble will remain. Fill the can to overflow- ing, remembering that any vacuum invites the air to enter ; use boiling water or sirup when there is not enough juice. Skim all froth from the fruit, adding more juice if necessary ; wipe the juice from the top of the can, adjust the rubber, put on the top, and screw it down as quickly as possible. If the fruit is cooked in the cans, as soon as it is sufficiently heated, fill the can completely full with boiling juice, sirup, or water ; run the handle of a silver spoon around the inside of the can, to make sure the juice entirely surrounds every portion of fruit, and that no spaces for air remain, put 5 66 EVEKY-DAY DISHES, on the rubbers, wipe off all juice, and seal quickly. When the cans are filled, set them away from currents of air aE(.d not on a very cold surface, to avoid danger of their cracking. As the fruit cools, the covers should be tightened, this being done several times in the first twenty-four hours after the fruit is sealed. When the tops have finally been screwed down tightly, place them in a cool place, bottom upward, and watch closely for a few days. If the juice begins to leak out, or any appearance of fer- mentation is seen, it is a sign that there has been some failure, and the only thing to do is to open the can im- mediately, boil the fruit, and use as quickly as possible ; recanning will not save it unless boiled a long time. If no signs of spoiling are observed within two or three weeks, the fruit may be safely stored away in a dark, cool place. If one has no dark storeroom, it is an advantage to wrap each can in brown paper, to keep out the light. RECIPES. To Can Strawberries. — These are generally considered more difficult to can than most other berries. Use none but sound fruit, and put up the day they are picked, if possible. Heat the fruit slowly to the boiling point, and cook fifteen minutes or longer, adding the sugar hot, if any be used, after the fruit is boiling. Strawberries, while cooking, have a tendency to rise to the top, and unless they are kept pushed down, will not be cooked uniformly, which is doubtless one reason they sometimes fail to keep well. The froth should also be kept skimmed off. Fill the cans as directed on page 65, taking special care to let out every air bubble, and to remove every particle of froth from the top of the can before sealing. If the berries are of good size, they may be cooked in the cans, a boiling sirup prepared with one cup of water and one of sugar for each quart can of fruit being added. FRUIT. 67 If after the cans are cold, the fruit rises to the top, as it frequently does, gently shake the cans until the fruit is well saturated with the juice and falls by its own weight to the bottom, or low enough to be entirely covered with the liquid. To Can Raspberries, Blackberries, and Other Small Fruits. — Select none but good, sound berries ; those freshly picked are best; reject any green, overripe, mashed, or worm-eaten fruit. If necessary to wash the berries, do so by putting a quart at a time in a colander, and dipping the dish carefully into a pan of clean water, letting it stand for a moment. If the water is very dirty, repeat the process in a second water. Drain thoroughly, and if the fruit is to be cooked previously to putting in the cans, put it into a porcelain kettle with a very small quantity of water, and heat slowly to boiling. If sugar is to be used, have it hot, but do not add it until the fruit is boiling ; and before do- ing so, if there is much juice, dip out the surplus, and leave the berries with only a small quantity, as the sugar will have a ten- dency to draw out more juice, thus furnishing plenty for sirup. Raspberries are so juicy that they need scarcely more than a pint of water to two quarts of fruit. The fruit may be steamed in the cans if preferred. When thoroughly scalded, if sugar is to be used, fill the can with a boiling sirup made by dissolving the requisite amount of sugar in water ; if to be canned without sugar, fill up the can with boiling water or juice. Seal the fruit according to directions previously given. To Can Gooseberries. — Select such as are smooth and turning red, but not fully ripe ; wash and remove the stems and blossom ends. For three quarts of fruit, allow one quart of water. Heat slowly to boiling ; cook fifteen minutes, add a cupful of sugar which has been heated dry in the oven ; boil two or three min- utes longer, and can. To Can Peaches. — Select fruit which is perfectly ripe and sound, but not very much softened. Freestone peaches are the best. Put a few at a time in a wire basket, and dip into boiling water for a moment, and then into cold water, to cool the fruit sufficiently to handle with comfort. The skins may then be rubbed or peeled off easily, if done quickly, and the fruit di- vided into halves ; or wipe with a clean cloth to remove all dirt and the wool, and with a silver knife cut in halves, remove the stone, and then pare each piece, dropping it into cold water at 68 EVERY-DAY DISHES. once, to prevent discoloration. Peaches cut before being pared are less likely to break in pieces while removing the stones. When ready, pour a cupful of water in the bottom of the kettle, and fill with peaches, scattering sugar among the layers, in the proportion of a heaping tablespoonful to a quart of fruit. Heat slowly, boil fifteen minutes or longer till a silver fork can be easily passed through the pieces. Can in the usual way, and seal ; or fill the cans with the halved peaches, and place them in a boiler of warm water with something underneath to avoid breaking ; cook until perfectly tender. Have ready a boiling sirup prepared with one-half cup of sugar and two cups of water, and pour into each can all that it will hold, remove air bubbles, cover, and seal. A few of the pits may be cooked in the sirup, and removed before adding to the fruit, when their special flavor is desired. Another Method. — After paring and halving the fruit, lay a clean napkin in the bottom of a steamer ; fill with the fruit. Steam until a fork will easily penetrate the pieces. Have ready a boiling sirup prepared as directed above, put a few spoonfuls in the bottom of the hot cans, and dip each piece of fruit gently in the hot sirup; then as carefully place it in the jar. Fill with the sirup, and finish in the usual way. Peaches canned without sugar, retain more nearly their nat- ural flavor. To prepare in this way, allow one-half pint of water to each pound of fruit. Cook slowly until tender, and can in the usual manner. When wanted for the table, open an hour before needed, and sprinkle lightly with sugar. To Can Pears. — The pears should be perfectly ripened, but not soft. Pare with a silver knife, halve or quarter, remove the seeds, and drop into a pan of cold water to prevent discoloration. Prepare a sirup, allowing a cup of sugar and a quart of water to each two quarts of fruit. When the sirup boils, put the pears into it very carefully, so as not to bruise or break them, ?.ud' cook until they look clear, and can be easily pierced with a fork. Have the cans heated, and put in first a little of the sirup, then pack in the pears very carefully ; fill to overflowing with the scalding sirup, and finish as j^reviously directed. The tougher and harder varieties of pears must be cooked till nearly tender in hot water, or steamed over a kettle of boiling water, before adding to the sirup, and may then be finished as above. If it is desirable to keep the pears whole, cook only those of a uniform PEtJlT. 69 size together ; or if of assorted sizes, put the larger ones into the sirup a few minutes before the smaller ones. Some prefer boiling the skins of the pears in the water of which the sirup is to be made, and slcimming them out before putting in the sugar. This is thought to impart a finer flavor. Pears which are very sweet or nearly tasteless, may be improved by using the juice of a large lemon for each quart of sirup. Pears may be cooked in the cans if preferred. To Can Plums. — Green Gages and Damsons are the best for canning. Wipe clean with a soft cloth. Allow a half cup of water and the same of sugar to every three quarts of fruit, in preparing a sirup. Pick each plum with a silver fork to prevent it from bursting, and while the sirup is heating, turn in the fruit, and boil until thoroughly done. Dip carefully into hot jars, fill with sirup, and cover immediatelj\ To Can Cherries. — These maybe put up whole in the same way as plums, or pitted and treated as directed for berries, al- lowing about two quarts of water and a scant pint of sugar to five quarts of solid fruit, for the tart varieties, and not quite half as much sugar for the sweeter ones. To Can Mixed Fruit.— There are some fruits with so little flavor that they are apt to taste insipid when cooked ; such are much improved by canning with some acid or strongly flavored fruits. Blackberries put up with equal quantities of blue or red plums, or in the proportion of one to three of the sour fruit, are much better than either of these fruits canned separately. Blackcaps are much better if canned with currants, in the pro- portion of one part currants to four of blackcaps. Red and black raspberries, cherries and raspberries, are also excellent combinations. Quinces with Apples. — Pare and cut an equal quantity of firm sweet apples and quinces. First stew the quinces till they are tender in sufficient water to cover. Take them out, and cook the apples in the same water. Lay the apples and quinces in alternate layers in a porcelain kettle or crock. Have ready a hot sirup made with one part sugar to two and a half parts water, pour over the fruit, and let it stand all night. The next day reheat to boiling, and can. Quinces and sweet apples may be canned together, using equal parts of each, and adding sugar when opened. iO EVERY-DAY DISHES. Plums with Sweet Apples. — Prepare the plums, and stew in water enough to cover. When tender, skim out, add to the juice an equal quantity of quartered sweet apples, and stew till nearly tender. Add the plums again, boil together for a few minutes, and can. When wanted for the table, open, sprinkle with sugar if any seems needed, let stand awhile, and serve. To Can Grapes. — Grapes have so many seeds that they do not form a very palatable sauce when canned entire. Pick carefully from the stems, wash in a colander the same as directed for ber- ries, and drain. Remove the skins, dropping them into one earthen crock and the pulp into another. Place both crocks in kettles of hot water over the stove, and heat slowly, stirring the pulp occasionally until the seeds will come out clean. Then rub the pulp through a colander, add the skins to it, and a cupful of sugar for each quart of pulp. Return to the fire, boil twenty minutes until the skins are tender, and can ; or, if preferred, the whole grapes may be heated, and when well scalded so that the seeds are loosened, pressed through a colan- der, thus rejecting both seeds and skins, boiled, then sweetened if desired, and canned. To Can Crab- Apples. — These may be cooked whole, and canned the same way as plums. To Can Apples. — Prepare and can the same as pears, when fresh and fine in flavor. If old and rather tasteless, the follow- ing is a good way : — Prepare a sirup of the juice of four large or six small lemons, with several thin slices of the yellow part of the rind, four cups of sugar, and three pints of boiling water. Pare and quarter the apples, or if small, only halve them, and cook gently in a broad- bottomed, closely covered saucepan, with as little water as pos- sible, till tender, but not broken ; then pour the sirup over them, heat all to boiling, and can at once. The apples may be cooked by steaming over a kettle of hot water, if preferred. Care must be taken to cook those of the same degree of hardness together. The slices of lemon rind should be removed from the sirup be- fore using. To Can Pineapples. — The writer has had no experience in can- ning this fruit, but the following method is given on good author- ity: Pare very carefully with a silver knife, remove all the " eyes " and black specks; then cut the sections in which the "eyes" were, in solid pieces clear down to the core. By doing this all the valuable part of the fruit is saved, leaving its hard, woody FRUIT. 71 center. As, however, this contains considerable juice, it should be taken in the hands and wrung as one wrings cloth, till the juice is extracted, then thrown away. Prepare a sirup with one part sugar and two parts water, using what juice has been ob- tained in place of so much water. Let it boil up, skim clean, then add the fruit. Boil just as little as possible and have the fruit tender, as pineapple loses its flavor by overcooking more readily than any other fruit. Put into hot cans, and seal. Grape Juice, or Unfermeiited Wiue.— Take twenty -five pounds of some well-ripened, very juicy variety of grapes, like the Con- cord. Pick them from the stems, wash thoroughly, and scald without the addition of water, in double boilers until the grapes burst open , cool, turn into stout jelly bags, and drain off the juice without squeezing. Let the juice stand and settle; turn off the top, leaving any sediment there may be. Add to the juice about four pounds of best granulated sugar, reheat to boil- ing, skim carefully, and can the same as fruit. Keep in a cool, dark place. The wine, if to be sealed in bottles, will require a corker, and the corks should first be boiled in hot water, and the bottles well sterilized. Grape Juice No. 2.— Take grapes of the best quality, picked fresh from the vines. Wash well after stripping from the stems, rejecting any imperfect fruit. Put them in a porcelain or gran- ite-ware fruit kettle with one pint of water to every three quarts of grapes, heat to boiling, and cook slowly for fifteen minutes or longer, skimming as needed. Turn off the juice and carefully filter it through a jelly-bag, putting the seeds and skins into a separate bag to drain, as the juice from them will be less clear. Heat again to boiling, add one cupful of hot sugar to each quart of juice, and seal in sterilized cans or bottles. The juice from the skins and seeds should be canned separately. Another Method.— "Wash the grapes, and press out the juice without scalding the fruit. Strain the juice three or four times through muslin or cheese-cloth, allowing it to stand and settle for some time between each filtering. To every three pints of juice add one of water and two cupfuls of sugar. Heat to boiling, and keep at that temperature for fifteen minutes, skim carefully, and bottle while at boiling heat. Set away in a cool^ dark place. Fruit Sirup. — Prepare the juice expressed from strawberries, raspberries, currants, or grapes, as directed above for fruit juices. After it has come to a boil, add one pound of sugar to every 72 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. quart of juice. Seal in pint cans. It may be diluted with water to form a pleasing beverage, and is especially useful in flavoring puddings and sauces. Lemon Sirup. — Grate the yellow portion of the rind of six lemons, and mix with three pounds of best granulated white sugar. Add one quart of water and boil until it thickens. Strain, add the juice of the six lemons, carefully leaving out the pulp and seeds ; boil ten minutes, and bottle. Diluted with two-thirds cold water, it forms a delicious and quickly prepared lemonade. Tomatoes^ — Select perfectly fresh and sound tomatoes, wash thoroughly, slice and cook for two hours in a double boiler. Rub through a colander to remove skins and seeds, reheat to boiling, and can the same as other fruits. Prepared thus, they are very convenient for immediate use for soups and other purposes. THE LEGUMINOUS SEEDS. The legumes are best cooked by stewing or boiling, and when mature, require slow and prolonged cooking to render them tender and digestible. Soft water is best for cooking them. The amount of water required will vary somewhat with the heat employed and the age and condition of the legume, as will also the time required for cooking ; but as a general rule, two quarts of soft water for one pint of seeds will be quite suffi- cient. Salt should not be added until the seeds are nearly done, as it hinders the cooking process. RECIPES. Stewed Split Peas.— Carefully examine and wash the peas, rejecting any imperfect or worm-eaten ones. Put into warm water and let them come to a boil ; then place the stew-pan back on the range and simmer gently until tender, but not mushy. Season with salt and a little cream if desired. They make an excellent and palatable dish without the addition of the cream. Peas Pur^e.— Soak a quart of Scotch peas in cold water over night. In the morning, drain and put them to cook in warm water. Cook slowly until perfectly tender, allowing them to simmer very gently toward the last until they become as dry as possible. Put through a colander to render them homogeneous and to remove the skins. Many of the skins will be loosened and rise to the top during the cooking, and it is well to remove these with a spoon so as to make the process of rubbing through the colander less laborious. Season with salt if desired, and a cup of thin cream. Nut butter in the proportion of one tablespoonful to the pint of peas may be used instead of cream, if preferred. Serve hot. [73] 74 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. Mashed Peas. — Soak and cook a quart of peas as for peas puree. When well done, if the Scotch peas, rub through a col- ander to remove the skins. If the split peas are used, mash perfectlj' smooth with a potato masher. Season with a teaspoon- ful of salt and a half cup of sweet cream, or a tablespoonful of nut meal, if desired. Beat well together, turn Into an earthen or granite-ware pudding-dish, smooth the top, and bake in a moderate oven until dry and mealy throughout, and nicely browned on top. One-third or one-half toasted bread crumbs maj' be used with the sifted peas when preferred. Serve hot like mashed potato, or with a tomato sauce prepared as follows : Heat a pint of strained, stewed tomato, season slightly with salt, and when boiling, thicken with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water. Split Pea Siiecotasli. — Stew the split peas as previously di- rected, and when tender, add an equal quantitj- of freshly stewed or canned corn. Season with salt, and serve with or without the addition of a little thin cream. Baked Beans. — Pick over a quart of best white beans, and soak in cold water over night. Put them to cook in fresh water, and simmer gently till they are tender, but not broken. Let them be quite juicy when taken from the kettle. Season with salt and a teaspoonful of molasses. Put them in a deep crock in a slow oven. Let them bake two or three hours, or until they assume a reddish brown tinge, adding boiling water occasionally to prevent their becoming dry. Turn into a shallow dish, and brown nicely before sending to the table. Baked Beans No. 2. — Prepare and cook as directed above, adding two tablespoonfuls of nut butter when ready to bake. Stewed Beans. — Soak a quart of white beans in water over night. In the morning, drain, turn hot water over them an inch deep or more, cover, and place on the range where they will only just simmer, adding boiling water if needed. When nearly tender, add salt to taste, a tablespoonful of sugar if desired, and half a cup of good sweet cream. Cook slowly an hour or more longer, but let them be full of juice when taken up, and never cooked down dry and mealy. They are also excellent prepared thus without the addition of cream. Mashed Beans. — Soak over night in cold water, a quart of nice white beans. When ready to cook, drain, put into boiling water, and boil till perfectly tender, and the water nearly evap- The leguminous seeds. 75 orated. Take up, rub through a colander to remove the skins, season with salt and a half cup of cream or a tablespoonful of nut butter, put in a shallow pudding-dish, smooth the top with a spoon, and brown. If preferred, one-half bread crumbs may be used with the beans. The cream may be omitted if desired, and the salt added before the beans are put through the colan- der; then allow them to remain just as they fall from it, and brown. Half slices of lemon arranged upon the well-browned surface make a pretty as well as an appetizing dish. Stewed Lima Beaus. — Put the beans into boiling water, and cook till tender, but not till they fall to pieces. Fresh beans should cook an hour or more, and dry ones require from two to three hours, unless previously soaked. They are much better to simmer slowly than to boil hard. They should be cooked nearly dr3^ Season with salt, and a cup of thin cream or rich milk to each pint of beans. Simmer for a few minutes after the cream is turned in. Should it happen that the beans become tender before the water is sufficiently evaporated, do not drain off the water, but thicken with a little flour. A little flour stirred in with the cream, even when the water is nearly evajiorated, may be preferred by some, or the cream may be omitted entirely. Succotash. — Boil one part Lima beans and two parts sweet corn separately until both are nearly tender. Put them together, and simmer gently till done. Season with salt and sweet cream. Fresh corn and beans may be combined in the same proportion ; but as the beans will be likely to require the most time for cook- ing, they should be put to boil first, and the corn added when the beans are about half done, unless it is exceptionally hard, in which case it must be added sooner. Pulp Succotash. — Score the kernels of some fresh green corn with a sharp knife-blade, then with the back of the knife scrape out all the pulp, leaving the hulls on the cob. Boil the pulp in milk ten or fifteen minutes, or until well done. Cook some fresh shelled beans until tender, and rub them through a colander. Put together an equal quantity of the beans thus prepared and the cooked corn pulp, season with salt and sweet cream, if desired, boil together for a few minutes, and serve. Kornlet and dried Lima beans may be made into succotash in a similar manner. Lentil Puree. — Cook the lentils and rub through a colander as for peas puree. Season, and serve in the same manner. 7G EVEEY-DAY DISHES. Lentils Mashed with Beans. — Lentils may be cooked and prepared in tlie same manner as directed for mashed peas, but they are less strong in flavor if about one-third to one-half cooked white beans are used with them. Lentil Gtravy with Rice. — Rub a cupful of cooked lentils through a colander to remove the skins, add one cup of rich milk (part cream improves it), and salt if desired. Heat to boiling, and thicken with a teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. If preferred, the milk may be omitted, and the gravy thickened with browned flour, prepared as directed on page 94. Serve hot on nicelj^ steamed or boiled rice, or with well-cooked macaroni. Savory Lentils. — Take equal quantities of cooked brown lentils that have been rubbed through a colander to remove the skins, and the crumbs of unfermented bread. Moisten with a little rich milk or cream, season with salt and a very little pow- dered sage, pour into a baking-dish and bake until well browned in a moderate oven. A tomato sauce makes a nice accompani- ment. A meal prepared by rubbing chopped English-walnut meats through a colander, added to the savory lentils, in the proportion of one cup of nut meal to the pint of lentils, just before being put in the oven to brown, makes a very palatable dish. When the nut meal is used, water may be used to moisten the lentils, if preferred. Cooked Peannts. — Shell the raw nuts, and blanch by pouring boiling water over them. After they have stood a few minutes, the skins can be easily rubbed off. Add to a pint of the blanched nuts about two quarts of water, put them into a bean-pot ; heat to boiling ; then place in a slow oven and cook for nine or ten hours. When done, they should be soft, mealy, and rich with juice. No seasoning except a little salt Avill be required. Peanut and Tomato Puree. — Prepare and cook the peanuts as directed in the preceding recipe. When done, rub them through a colander. To three cups of the peanuts, add one of strained stewed tomato ; season with salt ; reheat and serve. VEGETABLES. Vegetables used for culinary purposes comprise roots and tubers, as potatoes, turnips, etc. ; shoots and stems, as asparagus and sea-kale ; leaves and inflorescence, as spinach and cabbage ; immature seeds, grains, and seed receptacles, as green peas, corn, and string-beans ; and a few of the fruity products, as the tomato and the squash. Of these the tubers rank the highest in nutri- tive value. To Select Vegetables. — All roots and tubers should be plump, free from decay, bruises, and disease, and with fresh, unshriveled skins. They are good from the time of maturing until they begin to germinate. Sprouted vegetables are not good food, neither those which have begun to decay. Green vegetables, to be wholesome, should be freshly gathered, crisp, and juicy ; those which have lain long in the market are a very questionable article of food. Keeping Vegetables. — K necessary to keep green vegetables for any length of time, do not put them in water, as that will dissolve and destroy some of their juices ; but lay them in a cool, dark place, — on a stone floor is best, — and do not remove their outer leaves until you are ready to use them. They should be cooked the same day they are gathered, if possible. The best way to freshen those with stems, when with- ered, is to cut off a bit of the stem-end, and set only the [77] 78 evee:y-day dishes. cut part in water. The vegetables will then absorb enough water to replace what has been lost by evaporation. Peas and beans should not be shelled until wanted. If, however, they are not used as soon as shelled, cover them with pods and put in a cool place. Winter vegetables can be best kept wholesome by storing in a cool, dry place of even temperature, where no warmth, moisture, or light is present to induce decay or germination. They should be well sorted, the bruised or decayed rejected, and the rest put into clean bins or boxes. They should be dry and clean when stored. Preparation and Cooking. — Most vegetables need thorough washing before cooking. Koots and tubers should be well cleaned before paring. A vege- table brush or a small whisk broom is especially serv- iceable for this purpose. If necessary to wash shelled beans and peas, it is best accomplished by putting them in a colander and dipping in and out of a large pan of water until clean. Spinach, lettuce, and other leaves may be cleaned in the same way. A general rule, applicable to all vegetables to be boiled or stewed, is to cook them in as little water as possible without burning. Those to be cooked by boil- ing should be put into actively boiling water. Vegetables not of uniform size should either be so assorted that those of the same size may be cooked together, or large ones should be divided. In the sprhig, when potatoes are beginning to shrivel, they are freshened by soaking several hours before cooking. Vegetables should be cooked until they are perfectly VEGETABLES. i V tender but not overdone. The time required for cook- ing depends upon the age and freshness of the vege- tables as well as the method of cooking. If wilted, they require a longer time for cooking than when fresh. RECIPES. POTATOES. Boiled Potatoes (in jacliets). — Choose potatoes of uniform size, free from specks. Wash them well with a coarse cloth or brush; dig out all ej'es, and rinse in cold water; cook in just enough boiling water to prevent burning, till easily pierced with a fork, but not till they have burst the skin and fallen in pieces. Drain thoroughly, take out the potatoes, and place them in the oven for five minutes, or place the kettle back on the range ; re- move the skins, and cover with a cloth to absorb all moisture, and let them steam three or four minutes. By either method they will be dry and mealy. In removing the skins, draw them off without cutting the potatoes. Boiled Potatoes (witliout skins). — Pare very thin, and wash clean. If not of an equal size, cut the larger potatoes in two. Cook in only sufficient water to prevent burning, until a fork will easily pierce their center ; drain thoroughly, place the kettle back on the range, allow most of the steam to escape before cov- ering them, leave a small aperture for the escaping steam, and let them dry four or five minutes. Shake the kettle several times while they are drying, to make them floury. Steamed Potatoes. — Potatoes may be steamed either with or without the skin. Only mature potatoes should be steamed. Prepare as for boiling ; place in a steamer over boiling water and steam until tender. If water is needed to replenish, let it be boiling hot, and do not allow the potatoes to stop steaming, or they will be watery. When done, uncover, remove the potatoes to the oven, and let them dry a few minutes. If peeled before steaming, shake the steamer occasionally, to make them floury. Roasted Potatoes. — Potatoes are much more rich and mealy roasted, than when cooked in any other way. Wash them care- fully, dry with a cloth, and wrap in tissue paper ; bury in ashes not too hot, then cover with coals, and roast until tender. The coals will need renewing occasionally, unless the roasting is done very close to the main fire. 80 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Baked Potatoes. — Choose large, smooth potatoes as nearly the same size as possible ; wash and scrub with a brush until perfectly clean ; dry with a cloth, and bake in a moderately hot oven (the heat of which should at no time be so great that the hand cannot be held therein while moderately counting twenty-five) until a fork will easily pierce them, or until they yield to pressure be ween the fingers. They should be turned about occasionally. In a slow oven the skins become hardened and thickened, and much of the most nutritious portion is wasted. When done, take up in a clean cloth, press each one till it bursts slightly, as that will allow the steam to escape, and pre- vent the potatoes from becoming soggy. They should be served at once, in a folded napkin placed in a hot dish. Cold baked potatoes may be warmed over by rebaking, if of good quality, and not overdone the first time. Old potatoes with shriveled skins are better pared before baking. Stuffed Potatoes. — Prepare and bake large potatoes of equal size as directed in the preceding recipe. When done, cut them evenly three fourths of an inch from the end, and scrape out the inside, taking care not to break the skins. Season the potato with salt and a little thick sweet cream, being careful not to have it too moist, and beat thoroughly with a fork until light ; refill the skins with the seasoned potato, fit the broken portions together, and reheat in the oven. When heated throughout, wrap the potatoes in squares of white tissue paper fringed at both ends. Twist the ends of the paper lightly together above the fringe, and stand the potatoes in a vegetable dish with the cut end uppermost. When served, the potatoes are held in the hand, one end of the paper untwisted, the top of the potato removed, and the contents eaten with a fork or spoon. Broiled Potatoes. — Potatoes to be broiled should first be par- boiled. Cut in slices one-half inch in thickness, place in a wire broiler, and brown, turning both sides until browned evenly. Mashed Potatoes. — Peel and slice potatoes enough to make two quarts; put into boiling water and cook until perfectly tender, but not much broken ; drain, add salt to taste ; turn into a "hot earthen dish, and set in the oven for a few moments to dry. Break up the potatoes with a silver fork ; add nearly a cup of cream, and beat hard at least five minutes till light and creamy ; serve at once, or they will become heavy. If preferred, the po- tatoes may be rubbed through a hot sieve onto a hot plate, or VEGETABLES. 81 mashed with a potato beetle ; but they are less light and flaky when mashed with a beetle. A well-beaten egg makes a very good substitute for the cream. Use in the proportion of one egg to about five potatoes. Two tablespoonfuls of nut butter may be used instead of cream, if preferred. If all utensils and ingredi- ents for mashed potatoes are first heated, the result will be much better. New Potatoes. — When potatoes are young and freshly gath- ered, the skins are easily removed by taking each one at a time in a coarse cloth and rubbing it ; a little coarse salt used in the cloth will be found serviceable. If nearly ripe, scrape with a blunt knife, wash very clean, and rinse in cold water. Boil- ing is the best tnethod of cooking new potatoes. Use only sufficient water to cover, and boil till tender. Drain thor- oughly, cover closely with a clean cloth, and dry before serving. Scalloped Potatoes. — Pare the potatoes and slice thin; put them in layers in an earthen pudding-dish, dredge each layer lightly with flour, add salt, and pour over all enough good, rich milk to cover well. Cover, and bake rather slowly till tender, removing the cover just long enough before the potatoes are done to brown nicely. If preferred, a little less milk may be used, and a cup of thin cream added when the potatoes are nearly done. Stewed Potatoes. — Pare the potatoes and slice rather thin. Put into boiling water, and cook until nearly tender, but not broken. Have some rich milk boiling in the inner dish of a double boiler, add to it a little salt, then stir in for each pint of milk a heaping teaspoonful of corn-starch or rice-flour, rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Stir until it thickens. Drain the potatoes, turn them into the hot sauce, put the dish in the outer boiler, and cook for a half hour or longer. Cold boiled potatoes may be sliced and used in the same way. Cold baked potatoes sliced and stewed thus for an hour or more, make a particularly appetizing dish. Potatoes Stewed with Celery. — Pare and slice the potatoes, and put them into a stew-pan with two or three tablespoonfuls of minced celery. Use only the white part of the celery, and mince it finely. Cover the whole with milk sufficient to cook and prevent burning, and stew until tender. Season with salt and cream, if desired. 6 82 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. Potato Cakes. — Make nicely seasoned, cold mashed potato into small round cakes about one half an inch thick. Put them on a baking-tin, brush them over with sweet cream or nut but- ter, and bake in a hot oven till golden brown. Warmed-over Potatoes. — Cut cold boiled potatoes into very thin slices ; heat a little cream to boiling in a saucepan ; add the potato, season slightly with salt if desired, and cook until the cream is absorbed, stirring occasionally so as to prevent scorch- ing. Be careful not to break the slices. Nut butter dissolved in water may be used in place of cream, if preferred. Baked Sweet Potatoes. — Select those of uniform size, wash clean, cutting out any imperfect spots, wipe dry, put into a moderately hot oven, and bake about one hour or until the largest will yield to gentle pressure between the fingers. Serve at once without peeling. Small sweet potatoes are best steamed, since if baked, the skins will take up nearly the whole potato. Boiled Sweet Potatoes. — Choose potatoes of equal size; do not pare, but after cleaning them well and removing any imper- fect spots, put into cold water, and boil until they can be easily pierced with a fork ; drain thoroughly, and lay them on the top grate in the oven to dry for five or ten minutes. Peel as soon as dry, and send at once to the table, in a hot dish covered with a folded napkin. Mashed Sweet Potatoes. — Either bake or steam nice sweet potatoes, and when tender, peel, mash them well, and season with cream and salt to taste. They may be served at once, or made into patties and browned in the oven. Potato Hash. — Take equal parts of cold Irish and sweet potatoes; chop fine and mix thoroughly; season with salt if desired, and add sufficient rich milk to moisten well. Turn into a stew-pan, and heat gently until boiling, tossing continually, that all parts may become heated alike, and serve at once. TURNIPS. Boiled Turuips. — Turnips, like other vegetables, should be boiled in as small an amount of water as possible. Great care must be taken, however, that the kettle does not become dry, as scorched turnip is spoiled. An excellent precaution, in order to keep them from scorching in case the water becomes low, is to place an inverted saucer in the bottom of the kettle before put- ting in the turnips. Put into boiling water, cook rapidly until sufficiently tender to be pierced easily with a fork ; too much VEGETABLES. 83 cooking discolors and renders them strong in flavor. Boiled turnips should be drained very thoroughly, and all water pressed out before preparing for the table. The age, size, and variety of the turnip will greatly vary the time necessary for its cooking. The safest rule is to allow plenty of time, and test with a fork. Young turnips will cook in about forty-five minutes ; old turnips, sliced, require from one and a quarter to two hours. If whole or cut in halves, they require a proportionate length of time. White turnips require much less cooking than yellow ones. Chopped Turnips.— Chop well-boiled white turnips very fine, add salt to taste, and sufficient lemon juice to moisten. Turn into a saucepan and heat till hot, gently lifting and stirring constantly. Cold boiled turnip may be advantageously used in this way. Mashed Turnips.— Wash the turnips, pare, and drop into boiling water. Cook until perfectly tender ; turn into a colander and press out the water with a plate or large spoon ; mash until free from lumps, season with a little sweet cream, and salt if desired. If the turnips are especially watery, one or two hot, mealy potatoes mashed with them will be an improvement. Scalloped Turuips.— Prepare and boil whole white turnips until nearly tender ; cut into thin slices, lay in an earthen pud- ding-dish, pour over them a white sauce sufficient to cover, made by cooking a tablespoonful of flour in a pint of milk (part cream if preferred) until thickened. Season with salt, sprinkle the top lightly with grated bread crumbs, and bake in a quick oven until a rich brown. Place the baking-dish on a clean plate and serve. Rich milk or cream may be used instead of white sauce, if preferred. PARSNIPS. Baked Parsnips.— Wash thoroughly, but do not scrape the roots; bake the same as potatoes. When tender, remove the skins, slice, and serve with cream or an egg sauce prepared as directed for parsnips with egg sauce. They are also very nice mashed and seasoned with cream. Baked and steamed parsnips are far sweeter than boiled ones. Boiled Parsnips.— Clean, scrape, drop into a small quantity of boiling water, and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly, cut the parsnips in slices, and mash or serve with a white sauce, to which a little lemon juice may be added if desired. 84 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Mashed Parsnips. — Wash and scrape, dropping at once into cold water to prevent discoloration. Slice thinly, and steam, or bake whole until perfectly tender. When done, mash until free from lumps, removing all hard or stringy portions ; add salt to taste and a few spoonfuls of thick sweet cream, and serve. Parsnips witii Cream Sance. — Bake as previously directed. When tender, slice, cut into cubes, and pour over them a cream sauce prepared as for turnips with cream sauce. Boil up together once, and serve. Parsnips witli Egg Sauce. — Scrape, wash, and slice thinly, enough parsnips to malve three pints ; steam, bake, or boil them until very tender. If boiled, turn into a colander and drain well. Have ready an egg sauce, prepared by heating a pint of rich milk or very thin cream to boiling, and stirring into it a level tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth with a little milk. Let this boil a few minutes, stirring constantly until the flour is well cooked and the sauce thickened ; then add slowly the well- beaten yolk of one egg, stirring rapidly so that it shall be well mingled with the whole ; add salt to taste ; let it boil up once, pour over the parsnips, and serve. The sauce should be of the consistency of thick cream. Stewed Parsnips with Celery.— Prepare and steam or boil some nice parsnips until about half done. If boiled, drain thor- oughly ; add salt if desired, and a tablespoonful of minced celery. Turn rich boiling millc over them, cover, and stew fifteen or twenty minutes, or till perfectly tender. CARROTS. Boiled Carrots. — Wash, scrape, drop into boiling water, and cook till tender ; drain thoroughly. Slice, and serve with a cream sauce. Varieties with strong flavor are better parboiled for fif- teen or twenty minutes, and put into fresh boiling water to finish. Carrots with Egg Sauce. — Wash and scrape well; slice and throw-'into boiling water or else steam. When tender, drain thoroughly, and pour over them a sauce prepared the same as directed for parsnips, with the addition of a tablespoonful of sugar. Let them boil up once, and serve. Stewed Carrots. — Prepare young and tender carrots, drop into boiling water, and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. Drain, slice, and put into a stew-pan with rich milk or cream to nearly cover ; simmer gently until tender ; season with salt and a little chopped parsley. VEGETABLES. 85 BEETS. Baked Beets.— Beets are far better baked than boiled, though it talces a longer time to cook properly. French cooks bake them slowly for six hours in a covered dish, the bottom of which is lined with well-moistened rye straw; however, they may be baked on the oven grate, like potatoes. Wipe dry after washing, and bake slowly. They are very nice served with a sauce made with equal quantities of lemon juice and whipped cream, with a little salt. Beets ami Potatoes.— Boil newly matured potatoes and young beets separately till tender ; then peel and slice. Put them in alternate layers in a vegetable dish, with salt to taste, and enough sweet cream to nearly cover. Brown in the oven, and serve at once. Beet Hash. — Chop quite finely an equal quantity of cold boiled or baked beets and boiled or baked potatoes. Put into a shallow saucepan, add salt and sufficient hot cream to moisten. Toss frequently, and cook until well heated through- out. Serve hot. Beet Greens.— Take young, tender beets, clean thoroughly without separating the tops and roots. Examine the leaves care- fully, and pick off inferior ones. Put into boiling water, and cook for nearly an hour. Drain, press out all water, and chop quite fine. Serve with a dressing of lemon juice or cream, as preferred. Beet Salad, or Chopped Beets.— Cold boiled or baked beets, chopped quite fine but not minced, make a nice salad when served with a dressing of lemon juice and whipped cream in the proportion of three tablespoonfuls of lemon juice to one-half cup of whipped cream, and salt if desired. Boiled Beets. — Wash carefully, drop into boiling water, and cook until tender. When done, drop into cold water for a min- ute, after which the skins can be easily rubbed off with the hand. Slice, and serve hot with lemon juice or with a cream sauce. CAULIFLOWER. Boiled Cauliflower. — Prepare, divide into neat branches, and tie securely in a net. Put into boiling milk and water, equal quantities, and cook until the main stalks are tender. Boil rapidly the first five minutes, afterwards more moderately, to prevent the flower from becoming done before the stalks. Serve on a hot dish with cream sauce or diluted lemon juice. 86 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Cauliflower with Egg Sauce. — Steam the cauliflower until tender, separate into small portions, dish, and serve with an egg sauce prepared as directed for parsnips on page 84. Cauliflower witli Tomato Sauce. — Boil or steam the cauliflower until tender. In another dish prepare a sauce with a pint of strained stewed tomatoes heated to boiling, thickened with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water, and salted to taste. When the cauliflower is tender, dish, and pour over it the hot tomato sauce. If preferred, a tablespoonful of thick sweet cream may be added to the sauce before using. Stewed Cauliflower. — Boil in as little water as possible, or steam until tender ; separate into small portions, add milk, cream, and salt to taste ; stew together for a few minutes, and serve. Scalloped Cauliflower. — Prepare the cauliflower, and steam or boil until tender. If boiled, use equal quantities of milk and water. Separate into bunches of equal size, place in a pudding- dish, cover with a white or cream sauce, sprinkle with grated bread crumbs, and brown in the oven. CABBAGE. Boiled Cabbage. — Carefully clean a nice head of cabbage, divide into halves, and with a sharp knife slice very thin, cut- ting from the center of the head outward. Put into boiling water, cover closely, and cook rapidly until tender ; then turn into a colander and drain, pressing gently with the back of a plate. Return to the kettle, add salt to taste, and sufficient sweet cream to moisten well ; heat through if at all cooled ; dish, and serve at once. If preferred, the cream may be omitted, and the cabbage served with tomato sauce or lemon juice as a dressing. Cabbage and Tomatoes. — Boil finely chopped cabbage in as little water as possible. When tender, add half the quantity of hot stewed tomatoes, boil together for a few minutes, being care- ful to avoid burning; season with salt if desired, and serve. If preferred, a little sweet cream may be added just before serving- Cabbage Celery. — A firm, crisp head of cabbage cut in slices half an inch or an inch thick, and then again into pieces four or five inches long and two or three inches wide, makes quite an ap- petizing substitute for celery. Cabbage Hash. — Chop fine, equal parts of cold boiled potatoes and boiled cabbage, and season with salt. To each quart of the mixture add one half or three fourths of a cup of thin cream ; mix well and boil till well heated. VEGETABLES. 87 Chopped Cabbage, or Cabbage Salad.— Take one pint of finely chopped raw cabbage; pour over it a dressing made of three tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a half cup of whipped cream, thoroughlj' beaten together in the order named; or serve with sugar and diluted lemon juice. Strained tomatoes with a tablespoonful of lemon juice to the pint also makes a nice dressing. Mashed Cabbage.— Cut a fine head of cabbage into quarters, and cook until tender. A half hour before it is done, drop in three good-sized potatoes. When done, take all up in a colander together, press out the water, and mash very fine. Season with cream, and salt if desired. Stewed Cabbage.— Chop nice cabbage quite fine, and put it into boiling water, letting it boil twenty minutes. Turn into a colander and drain thoroughly; return to the kettle, cover with milk, and boil till perfectly tender ; season with salt and cream to taste. The beaten yolk of an egg, stirred in with the cream, is considered an improvement by some. CELERY. Celery Salad.— Break the stems apart, cut off all green por- tions, and after washing well, put into cold water for an hour or so before serving. Stewed Celery.— Cut the tender inner parts of celery heads into pieces about a finger long. The outer and more fibrous stalks may be saved to season soups. Put in a stew-pan, and add sufficient water to cover ; then cover the pan closely, and set it where it will just simmer, for an hour, or until the celery is perfectly tender. When cooked, add a pint of rich milk, part cream if you have it, salt to taste, and when boiling, stir in a tablespoonful of fiour rubbed smooth in a little milk. Boil up once and serve. Celery with Tomato Sauce.— Prepare the celery as in the pre- ceding recipe, and cook until tender in a small quantity of boil- ing water. Drain in a colander, and for three cups of stewed celery prepare a sauce with a pint of strained stewed tomato, heated to boiling and thickened with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. If desired, add a half cup of thin cream. Turn over the celery, and serve hot. Celery and Potato Hash.— To three cups of cold boiled or baked potato, chopped rather fine, add one cup of cooked celery, minced. Put into a shallow saucepan with cream enough to 88 EVERY-DAY DISHES, moisten well, and salt to season. Heat to boiling, tossing and stirring so that the whole will be heated throughout, and serve while hot. ASPARAGUS. Asparagus and Peas. — Asparagus and green peas make a nice dish served together, and if of proportionate age, require the same length of time to cook. Wash the asparagus, shell and look over the peas, put together into boiling water, cook, and serve as directed for stewed asparagus. Asparagus Points. — Cut otf enough heads in two-inch lengths to make three pints. Put into boiling water just sufficient to cover. When tender, drain off the water, add a half cup of cream, and salt if desired. Serve at once. Asparagus with Cream Sauce.— Thoroughly wash, tie in small bunches, and put into boiling water; boil till perfectly tender. Drain thoroughly, untie the bunches, place the stalks, all the same way upon a hot plate, with a dressing prepared as follows : Let a pint of sweet cream (about six hours old is best) come to the boiling point, and stir into it salt to taste and a level table- spoonful of flour rubbed smooth with a little cold cream. Boil till the flour is perfectly cooked, and then pass through a fine wire strainer. Asparagus on Toast.— Cook the asparagus in bunches, and when tender, drain and place on slices of nicely browned toast moistened in the asparagus liquor. Pour over all a cream sauce prepared as directed in the foregoing recipe. Asparagus with Egg Sauce.— Prepare and cook asparagus as directed above. When tender, drain thoroughly, and serve on a hot dish or on slices of nicely browned toast, with an egg sauce prepared in the following manner : Heat a half cup of rich milk to boiling, add salt, and turn into it very slowly the well-beaten yolk of an egg, stirring constantly at the same time. Let the whole just thicken, and remove from the fire at once. Stewed Asparagus. — Wash, break into inch pieces, simmer till tender in water enough to cover ; add sufficient rich milk, part cream if convenient, to make a gravy, if preferred, thicken slightly with flour, a teaspoonful to a pint of milk ; add salt if desired, boil up together once, and serve. SPINACH. Spinach. — Use only tender plants or the tender leaves of the older stalks, and be sure to have enough, as spinach shrinks greatly. A peck is not too much for a family of four or five. VEGETABLES. 89 Pick it over very carefully, trim off the roots and decaj^ed leaves, and all tough, stringy stalks, and the coarse fibers of the leaves, as those will not cook tender until the leaves are overdone. Wash in several waters, lifting it from one pan to another, that it may be freed from sand and grit. Shake each bunch well Spinach is best cooked in its own juices ; this may be accom- plished by cooking it in a double boiler ; or if placed in a pot and slowly heated, it will in a short time yield sufficient juice to cook itself. It must, however, be stirred frequently at first, to prevent burning ; cover closely, and cook till tender. The time required will vary from twenty minutes to an hour or more. If water is used in the cooking, have a half kettleful boiling when the spin- ach is put in, and continue to boil rapidly until the leaves are perfectly tender , then drain in a colander, press with the back of a plate to extract all water, chop very fine, and either serve with lemon juice as a dressing, or add a half cup of sweet cream with or without a teaspoonful of svigar. Boil up once, stirring con- stantly, and serve very hot. A garnish of sliced boiled eggs is often employed with this vegetable. LETTUCE AND RADISHES. Lettuce. — Wash each leaf separately, put into cold water, and set on ice or on the cellar bottom for an hour or more before using. Dry the leaves with a soft towel, and use whole or tear into convenient pieces with a silver fork ; never cut with a knife. Serve with a dressing prepared of equal quantities of lemon juice and sugar, diluted with a little ice-water ; or with a dress- ing of cream and sugar, in the proportion of three or four table- spoonfuls of thin cream to a teaspoonful of sugar. The dressing may be prepared, and after the sugar is dissolved, a very little lemon juice (just enough to thicken the cream slightly, but not sufficient to curdle it) may be added, if desired. Lettuce Salad with Tomato Dressing. — Prepare the lettuce as previously directed, and serve with a dressing of strained, stewed tomato and lemon juice, in the proportion of one tablepoonful of lemon juice to one small cup of tomato, with salt to season. A garnish of the chopped or grated yolks of hard-boiled eggs makes a pleasing addition. Radishes. — Wash thoroughly young and tender radishes, and arrange in a glass dish with the taper ends meeting. Scatter bits of cracked ice among them. An inch of the stem, if left on, serves as a convenience in handling. 90 EVERY-DAY DISHES. SQUASH. Maslied Summer Squash.— Wash, peel, remove seeds, and steam until tender. Place the squash in a clean cloth, mash thoroughly, squeeze until the squash is quite dry, or rub through a fine col- ander, and afterward simmer until nearly dry ; season with cream, and a little salt if desired, and heat again before serv- ing. A teaspoonful of sugar may be added with the cream, if desired. Summer Squash with Egg Sauce. — Prepare, steam till tender, cut into pieces, and serve with an egg sauce as directed for as- paragus, page 88. Stewed Summer Squash.— Prepare, cut into pieces, and stew until tender in a small quantity of boiling water ; drain, pressing out all the water ; serve on toast with cream or white sauce. Or, divide in quarters, remove the seeds, cook in a double boiler, in its own juices, which when done may be thickened with a little flour. Season with salt if desired, and serve hot. Baked Squash. — The hard-shell varieties are best for baking. Wash, divide, and lay, shells downward, on the top grate of the oven, or place in a shallow baking-dish with a little boiling water. Bake until tender, serve in the shell, or scrape out the soft part, mash, and serve with two large tablespoonf uls of cream to a pint of squash. If preferred, the shells may be removed before baking, and the squash served the same as sweet potato, for which it makes a good substitute. Steamed Squash. — Prepare the squash, and steam until ten- der. Mash and season as for baked squash. TOMATOES. Scalloped Tomatoes. — Take a pint of stewed tomatoes, which have been rubbed through a colander, thicken with one and one- fourth cups of lightly picked crumbs of graham or whole-wheat bread, or a sufficient quantity to make it quite thick; add salt if desired, and a half cup of sweet cream ; mix well, and bake for twenty minutes. Or, fill a pudding-dish with alternate layers of peeled and sliced tomatoes and bread crumbs, letting the top- most layer be of tomatoes. Cover, and bake in a moderate oven for an hour or longer, according to depth. Uncover, and brown for ten or fifteen minutes. Stewed Corn and Tomatoes.— Boil dried or fresh corn until perfectly tender, add to each cup of corn two cups of stewed, VEGETABLES. 91 strained tomatoes, either canned or freshly cooked. Salt to taste, boil together for five or ten minutes, and serve plain or with a little cream added. Tomato Gravy. — Heat to boiling one pint of strained stewed tomatoes, either canned or fresh, and thicken with a tablespoon- ful of flour rubbed smooth in a little water ; add salt, and when thickened, if desired, a half cup of hot cream. Boil together for a minute or two, and serve at once. Tomato Salad. — Select perfectly ripe tomatoes, and peel at least an hour before using. Slice, and place on ice or in a cool place. Serve plain or with lemon juice or sugar, as preferred. Stewed Tomatoes. — Peel and slice the tomatoes. Put them into a double boiler, without the addition of water, and stew for an hour or longer. When done, serve plain with a little sugar added, or season with salt and a tablespoonful of rather thick sweet cream to each pint of tomatoes. If the tomatoes are thin and very juicy, they may be thickened with a teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. They are much better, however, to stew until the water they contain is suffi- ciently evaporated to make them of the desired consistencj'. The stew may also be thickened by the addition of bread crumbs, rice, or macaroni. Tomato with Okra. — Wash the okra, cut off the stem and nibs, and slice thin. For a quart of sliced okra, peel and slice tiiree large tomatoes. Stew the tomatoes for half an hour, then add the okra, and simmer together for half an hour longer. Season with salt and a little cream. VEGETABLE OYSTERS. Scalloped Vegetable Oysters. — Boil two quarts of sliced vege- table oysters in about two quarts of water until very tender. Skim them out, and fill a pudding-dish with alternate layers of crumbs and oysters, having a layer of crumbs for the top. To the water in which they were boiled, add a pint and a half ol thin cream, salt to taste, boil up, and thicken with a heaping tablespoonful or two scant teaspoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold cream. Pour this over the oysters and crumbs, and bake half an hour. If this is not enough to cover well, add more cream or milk. Stewed tomatoes are a nice accompaniment for scalloped vegetable oysters. Cooked macaroni may be used in place of bread crumbs, if preferred. 92 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. Stewetl Vegetable Oysters. — "Wash, scrape, and cut into slices not more than one-half inch in thickness. Put into a small quantity of boiling water, and cook until tender. If a large quantity of water is used, the savory juices escape, and leave the roots very insipid. When tender, pour in a cup of rich milk and simmer for five or ten minutes ; add a little flour rubbed smooth in milk, and salt if desired ; boil up once, and serve as a vegetable or on slices of nicely browned toast. If preferred, a well-beaten egg may be used in place of the flour. CORN. Baked Corn. — Select nice fresh ears of tender corn of as nearly equal size as possible. Open the husks and remove all the silk from the corn ; replace and tie the husks around the ears with a thread. Put the corn in a hot oven, and bake thirty minutes or until tender. Remove the husks before serving. Baked Corn No. 2. — Scrape enough corn from the cob (as directed for corn pulp) to make one and a half quarts. Put into a baking-dish, season with salt if desired, add enough milk, part cream if convenient, barely to cover the corn, and bake in a hot oven twenty-five or thirty minutes. Boiled Green Corn. — Remove the husks and every thread of the silk fiber. Place in a kettle, the larger ears at the bottom, with sufficient boiling water to nearly cover. Cover with the clean inner husks, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes, according to the age of the corn ; too much cooking hardens it, and detracts from its flavor. When the milk has thickened, and a raw taste is no longer apparent, it is sufficiently cooked. Green corn is said to be sweeter if boiled with the inner husks on. For cooking in this way, strip off all outer husks, and remove the silk, tying the inner husk around the ear with a bit of thread, and boil. Remove from the kettle, place in a heated dish, cover with a napkin and serve at once on the cob. Some recommend scoring or splitting the corn by drawing a sharp knife through each row lengthwise. This is a wise precaution against insuffi- cient mastication. Stewed Corn Pulp. — Take six ears of green corn or enough to make a pint of raw pulp ; with a sharp knife cut a thin shaving from each row of kernels or score each kernel, and with the back of the knife scrape out the pulp, taking care to leave the hulls on the cob. Heat a cup and a half of rich milk (part VEGETABLES. 93 cream is preferable) to boiling, add the corn, cook twenty or thirty minutes ; season with salt and a teaspoonful of sugar if desired. Stewed Green Corn.— Cut the corn from the cob, and with the back of the knife scrape out all the pulp, being careful to leave the hulls on the cob. Put into a stewpan with half as much water as corn, cover closely, and stew gently until thor- oughly cooked, stirring frequently to prevent the corn from sticking to the pan ; add cream or milk to make the requisite amount of juice, and season with salt if desired. A teaspoonful of white sugar may be added. Cold boiled corn cut from the cob and stewed a few minutes in a little milk makes a very palatable dish. Sunmier Succotash.— This may be made by cooking sepa- rately until tender equal quantities of shelled beans and corn cut from the cob, and then mixing them ; or the beans may be cooked until nearly soft, an equal quantity of shaved corn added, and the whole cooked fifteen or twenty minutes or longer. Season with cream, and salt if desired. PEAS. Stewed Peas. — If from the garden, pick and shell the peas with clean hands; if from the market, wash the pods before shelling, so that the peas will not require washing, as they are much better without. When shelled, put into a colander and sift out the fine particles and undeveloped blossoms. If not of equal growth, sort the peas and put the older ones to cook ten minutes before the others. Use a porcelain or granite-ware kettle, with one-half pint of boiling water for each quart of peas, if young and tender; older ones, which require longer stewing, need more. Cover closely, and simmer gently till ten- der. The time required for young peas is from twenty-five to thirty minutes; older ones require from forty to fifty minutes. Serve without draining, season with salt and enough sweet cream to make them as juicy as desired. If preferred, the peas may be stewed in a larger quantity of water, and served in their own juices thickened with a little flour and seasoned with salt. BEANS. Lima Beans. — Lima beans are not good until they are full grown and have turned white. Shell, wash, cover with boiling 94 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. water, and cook about one hour, or until tender. Let the water nearly evaporate, and add milk or cream thickened with a little flour. Season with salt to taste, boil up once, and serve. The thickening may be omitted, if preferred. Dry Lima beans are also excellent soaked overnight, then cooked slowly for several hours, and served with only a seasoning of salt. The prolonged, slow cooking adds much to their palatability. Shelled Beans* — Shell, wash, drop into boiling water suffi- cient to cover, and cook until tender. Let the water boil nearly away, and serve without draining. Season with thin cream, and salt if desired. String Beans. — Wash well in cold water. Remove the strong fibers, or strings, as they are called, by paring both edges with a sharp knife ; few cooks do this thoroughly. Break oflf stems and points, carefully rejecting any imperfect or diseased pods. Lay a handful evenly on a board and cut them all at once into inch lengths. A better way, perhaps, is to break each separately with the fingers. Only tender beans can be thus broken, and any portions of the string remaining will be discovered in the breaking. Put in a porcelain or granite- ware kettle, cover with boiling water, and coolc from one to three hours, according to age and variety, testing frequently, as they should be re- moved from the kettle just as soon as done. When very young and tender, only water sufficient to keep them from burning will be needed. When done, add half a cup of thin cream for a quart of beans, and salt to taste. If the quantity of juice is con- siderable, thicken with a little flour. GRAVIES AND SAUCES FOR VEGETABLES. Brown Sauce. — Heat a pint of thin cream, and when boiling, add half a teaspoonful of salt and two tablespoonfuls of flour browned in the oven, and rubbed to a smooth paste with a little cold milk. Allow it to boil rapidly, stirring constantly until thickened ; then cook more slowly, in a double boiler, for five or ten minutes. If desired, the milk may be flavored with onion be- fore adding the flour. This makes a good dressing for potatoes. Cream or White Sauce. — Heat a pint of rich milk, or part cream, to boiling, and stir into it one tablespoonful of flour pre- viously rubbed smooth in a little milk. With some brands of flour, a larger quantity may be needed, as there is a difference in the thickening property of different flours, Season with salt, and VEGETABLES. " 95 cook in a double boiler five or ten minutes, stirring frequently, that no lumps be formed. If lumps are found in the sauce, turn it quickly through a fine, hot colander into the dish in which it is to be served. Celery Sauce. — Cut half a dozen stalks of celery into finger- lengths, and simmer in milk for ten or fifteen minutes. Skim out the celery, add a little cream to the milk, salt to taste, and thicken with flour as for white sauce. This is very nice for potatoes and for toast. Egg Sauce. — Heat a pint of milk to boiling, and stir in a dessert-spoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little milk. Stir constantly until the sauce is well thickened ; add the well- beaten yolk of an &^^, turning it in very slowly and stirring rapidly, so that it shall be well mingled. Boil up once only, add a very little salt, and serve. The (^gg makes an excellent sub- stitute for cream. Pease Gravy. — A gravy prepared either of dried or green pease as directed for lentil gravy on page 7G makes a suitable dressing for baked potatoes. Lentil gravy is also good for the same purpose. The addition of a little lemon juice to the lentil gravy makes another variety. Tomato Gravy. — A gravy made of tomatoes as directed on page 91 is excellent to use on baked or boiled sweet potatoes. Tomato Cream Gravy.— Prepare a gravy as for cream sauce, using a slightly heaping measure of flour. When done, add, just before serving, for each quart of the cream sauce, one cup of hot stewed tomato Avhich has been put through a fine col- ander to remove all seeds. Beat it thoroughly into the sauce, and serve on boiled or baked potato. SOUPS. In preparing soups from grains, legumes, and vege- tables, the material should be first cooked in the ordinary manner, in as small an amount of water as practicable, so as the more thoroughly to disintegrate or break it up. If the material be legumes or grains, the cooking should be slow and prolonged. The next step is to make the material homogeneous throughout, and to remove any skins or cellulose material it may contain. To do tltis, it should be put through a colan- der. The colander process being completed, a suffi- cient amount of liquid may be added to make the whole of the consistency of rather thick cream. If the material is now cold, it must be reheated, and the salt, if any is to be used, added. The quantity of salt will depend somewhat upon the taste of the con- sumer ; but in general, one-half teaspoonful to the pint of soup will be an ample supply. If any particular flavor, as of onion or celery, is desired, it may be imparted to the souj) by adding to it a slice of onion or a few stalks of celery, allowing them to remain during the reheating. By the time the soup is well heated, it will be delicately flavored, and the pieces of onion or celery may be removed with a fork or a skimmer. It is better, in general, to cook the soup all that is needed before flavoring, since the delicate flavors are apt to be lost by evaporation in the boiling. When reheated, [9G] SOUPS. 97 add to the soup a quantity of cream as seasoning, in the proportion of one cup of thin cream for every quart or three pints of soup. Nut butter or nut meal may be used for seasoning, in the proportion of two table- spoonfuls to the quart of soup. Many soups are ex- cellent without the addition of cream or other fat. To avoid the possibility of any lumps or fragments in the soup, pour it again through a colander or a Chinese soup strainer into the soup tureen, and serve. It is well to take the precaution first to heat the strainer and tureen, that the soup be not cooled during the process. The consistency of the soup when done should be about that of single cream, and equal throughout, con- taining no lumps or fragments of material. If it is too thick, it may be easily diluted with hot milk or water ; if too thin, it will require the addition of more mate- rial, or may be thickened with a little flour or corn- starch rubbed to a cream with a small quantity of milk, used in the proportion of one tablespoonful for a quart of soup, — heaping, if flour; scant, if corn-starch, It should be remembered always to boil the soup five or ten minutes after the flour is added, that there may be no raw taste. RECIPES. SOUPS WITHOUT MILK. Baked Bean Soup. — Soak a half pint of white beans over- night. In the morning turn off the water, and place them in an earthen dish with two or two and one-half quarts of boiling water; cover and let them simmer in a moderate oven four or five hours. Also soak overnight a tablespoonful of pearled tapi- oca in sufficient water to cover. "When the beans are soft, rub through a colander, after which add the soaked tapioca, and salt 7 98 EVERY-DAY DISHES. if desired ; also as much powdered thyme as can be talcen on the point of a penknife, and sufficient water to make the soup of proper consistency. Return to the oven, and cook one-half hour longer. Bean and Tomato Soup. — Take one pint of boiled or a little less of mashed beans, one pint of stewed tomatoes, and rub to- gether through a colander. Add salt, two tablespoonfuls of nut meal, one-half cup of nicely steamed rice, and sufficient boiling water to make a soup of the proper consistency. Reheat and serve. Black Bean Soup.— Soak a pint of black beans overnight in cold water. When ready to cook, put into two and one-half quarts of fresh water, which should be boiling, and simmer until completely dissolved, adding more boiling water from time to time if needed. There should be about two quarts of all when done. Rub through a colander, add salt, and reheat. When hot, turn through a soup strainer, add two or more teaspoonfuls of lemon juice, and serve. Bran Stock. — For every quart of stock desired, boil a cup of good wlieat bran in three pints of water for two or three hours, or until reduced one third. This stock ftiay be made the base of a variety of palatable and nutritious soups by flavoring with different vegetables and seasoning with salt. An excellent soup may be prepared by flavoring the stock with celery, or by the addition of a quantity of strained stewed tomato sufficient to disguise the taste of the stock. It is also valuable in giving con- sistency to soups, in the preparation of some of which it may be advantageously used in place of other liquid. Combination Soup. — This soup is prepared from material already cooked, and requires two cups of cracked wheat, one and one-half cups of Lima beans, one-half cup of black beans, and one cup of stewed tomato. Rub the material together through a colander, adding, if needed, a little hot water to facili- tate the sifting. Add boiling water to thin to the proper con- sistency, season with salt, and serve. Two tablespoonfuls of nut butter make a desirable addition. Combination Soup No. 2. — Take three and one-half cups of mashed (Scotch) peas, one cup each of cooked rice, oatmeal, and hominy, and two cups of stewed tomato. Rub the material through a colander, add boiling water to thin to the proper con- sistency ; season with salt, reheat, and add, just before serving, two cups of cooked macaroni. SOUPS. 99 Split Pea Soup. — For each quart of soup desired, simmer a cupful of split peas very slowly in three pints of boiling water for six hours, or until thoroughly dissolved. When done, rub through a colander, add salt, reheat, and when boiling, stir into it two teaspoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water Boil until thickened, and serve. If preferred, the soup may be flavored with a little celery or onion. Swiss Lentil Soup. — Cook a pint of brown lentils in a small quantity of boiling water. Add to the lentils when about half done, one medium-sized onion cut in halves or quarters. When the lentils are tender, remove the onion and rub the lentils through a colander. Add sufficient boiling water to make three pints in all. Season with salt, reheat to boiling, and thicken the whole with four tablespoonfuls of browned flour, rubbed to a cream in a little cold water. Tomato and Macaroni Soup. — Break a half dozen sticks of macaroni into small pieces, and drop into boiling water. Cook for an hour, or until perfectly tender. Rub two quarts of stewed or canned tomatoes through a colander, to remove all seeds and fragments. When the macaroni is done, drain thoroughly, cut each piece into tiny rings, and add it to the strained tomatoes. Season with salt, and boil for a few minutes. If the tomato is quite thin, the soup should be slightly thickened with a little flour before adding the macaroni. Vegetable Soup. — Prepare a quart of bran stock as previously directed. Heat to boiling, and add to it one teaspoonful of grated carrot, a slice of onion, and a half cup of tomato. Cook to. gether in a double boiler for half an hour. Remove the slice of onion, and add salt and a half cup of turnip previously cooked and cut in small dice. Lentil and Corn Soup. — Prepare a bran stock by boiling for every quart of soup required, one cup of good wheat bran in three pints of water for two or three hours, or until reduced one third. To this stock as a base, add equal parts of cooked lentils (after being rubbed through a colander to remove the skins) and well-cooked corn pulp to make the soup of the desired consis- tency. Season with salt, and serve. Vegetable Pea Soup. — Cook one pint of split peas until dis- solved. When nearly done, put to coolving one and one-half pints of sliced potato and one medium-sized onion, sliced thin. When tender, rub all through a colander, add water to make of 100 EVERY-DAY DISHES. the consistency of thin cream, and salt to taste. Reheat and serve. Miss B.'s Fruit Soup. — Take one quart of gluten stock (pre- pared by boiling two cups of good wheat bran in three pints of water until reduced to one quart ) ; one cup of dried apples, pre- viously cut into small bits, and stewed until tender and the juice evaporated ; three fourths of a cup of currant juice, three fourths of a cup of pineapple juice; one tablespoonful of sugar, and a little grated lemon rind for flavoring. Fruit Soup No. 2. — One quart gluten stock prepared as above, one cup strawberry juice and one-half cup of the berries, two tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one tablespoonful each of dried currants and seedless raisins, and one-half cup of dried apples prepared as in the preceding recipe. Fruit Soup No. 3. — Into one cup of warm water put one rounding tablespoonful of sago, and cook in a double boiler one- half hour. Then add two or three whole cooked prunes, one- fourth cup stewed raisins, two tablespoonfuls stewed cranberries, one teaspoonful lemon juice, and sugar to suit the taste. Allow it to heat until the fruit is hot, and serve. Vermicelli or pearled barley may be substituted for sago, and dried cherries, with strawberry and lemon juice, used in place of the fruits mentioned. Fruit Soup No. 4. — Cook together two tablespoonfuls of sago, one fourth cup of raisins, and one common-sized tart apple, in one and one-half cups of water. When done, add four cooked prunes, one fourth of a lemon, and one-fourth cup of sugar. If too thick, add hot water. Blueberry Soup. — Cook the berries a long time. Pass through a colander, and thicken with a little corn-starch. Serve with a little sugar and some croutons. Mrs. H.'s Sago Fruit Soup.— Soak one-half cup of sago for one hour in a cup of cold water. Add a quart of water, and cook in a double boiler until transparent. In the meantime cook together one cup of sweet California prunes and one-half cup of raisins in a small quantity of water. When the sago is transparent, add the fruit and juice to it, together with one-half cup of currant or some other tart fruit juice, and one-half cup of sugar. The quantities given are sufficient for three pints of soup. Serve hot with croutons. SOUPS. 101 Instead of the above, rice with dried apricots, or prune and currant juice naay be used. Dried apples with dried cherries may be used, if preferred. Strawberry and Apple Soup. — Cook three fourths of a cup of sliced fresh apples in one-half cup water, and add one-half cup strawberries. Rub all through a colander, and add three fourths of a cup of boiling water. Reheat, and thicken with corn-starch. Miss B.'s Irish Corn Soup.— Cook one pint of sliced potato until tender. Rub through a colander, and add one pint of corn pulp obtained by rubbing canned or freshly cooked green corn through a colander. Season with salt, add water to make of the proper consistency, reheat and serve. SOUPS WITH MILK AND CREAM. Asparagus Soup. — Wash two bunches of fresh asparagus carefully, and cut into small pieces. Put to cook in a quart of boiling water, and simmer gently till perfectly tender, when there should remain about a pint of the liquor. Turn into a colander, and rub all through except the hard portion. To a pint of asparagus mixture add salt and one cup of thin cream and a pint of milk ; boil up for a few minutes, and serve. Bean and Potato Soup. — Soak a half pint of dry white beans overnight ; in the morning drain and put to cook in boiling water. When tender, rub through a colander. Prepare sliced potato sufficient to make one quart, cook in as small a quantity of water as possible, rub through a colander, and add to the beans. Add milk or water sufficient to make two quarts, and as much prepared thyme as can be taken on the point of a pen- knife, with salt to season. Boil for a few minutes, add a teacup of thin cream, and serve. Black Bean Soup. — Soak a pint of black beans in water overnight. Cook in boiling water until tender, then rub through a colander. Add sufficient boiling water to make about two quarts in all. Add salt, and one half a small onion cut in slices to flavor. Turn into a double boiler and reheat. When suffi- ciently flavored, remove the onion with a skimmer, thicken the soup with two teaspoonf uls of browned flour, turn through the soup-strainer, and serve. If desired, a half cup of cream may be added, and the onion flavor omitted. 102 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. Brown Soup. — Simmer together two pints of sliced pota- toes and one third as much of the thin brown shavings (not thicker than a silver dime) from the top of a loaf of whole- wheat bread, in one quart of water. The crust must not be burned or blackened, and should not include any of the soft por- tion of the loaf. When the potatoes are tender, mash all through a colander. Flavor with a cup of strained, stewed tomatoes, a little salt, and return to the fire ; when hot, add a half cup of cream, and boiling water to make the soup of proper consistency, and serve at once. If care has been taken to prepare the crust as directed, this soup will have a brown color and a fine, pun- gent flavor exceedingly pleasant to the taste. Canned Green Pea Soup. — Rub a can of green peas through a colander to remove the skins. Add a pint of milk, and heat to boiling. If too thin, thicken with a teaspoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Season with salt and a half cup of cream. A small teaspoonful of white sugar may be added, if desired. Green peas may be used instead of canned, in their season. When they have become a little too hard to serve alone, they may still be used for soup, if thoroughly cooked. Canned Corn Soup. — Open a can of green corn, turn it into a granite-ware dish, and thoroughly mash with a potato-masher until each kernel is broken, then rub through a colander to re- move the skins. Add sufficient rich milk to make the soup of the desired consistency ; about one-half pint for each pint can of corn will be needed. Season with salt, reheat, and serve. If preferred, a larger quantity of milk and some cream may be used, and the soup, when reheated, thickened with a little corn- starch or flour. If lumpy, it may be turned through a colander a second time. Carrot Soup. — For a quart of soup, slice one large carrot and boil in a small quantity of water for two hours or longer ; then rub through a colander, add a quart of rich milk, and salt to season. Reheat, and when boiling, thicken with two teaspoon- fuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Celery Soup. — Chop quite fine enough fresh, crisp celery to make a pint, and cook it until tender in a very little boiling water. When done, heat three cupfuls of rich milk, or part cream, to boiling, add the celery, salt to season, and thicken the whole with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little SOUPS. 103 cold milk, a cupful of mashed potato, turn through a colander to remove lumps, reheat, add salt and the celery, and serve. Celery Soup No. 2, — Cook in a double boiler a cupful of cracked wheat in three pints of water for three or four hours. Rub the wheat through a colander, add a cup of rich milk, and if needed, a little boiling water, and a small head of celery cut in finger lengths. Boil all together for fifteen or twenty min- utes, until well flavored, remove the celery, add salt, and serve with or without the hard-boiled yolk of an egg in each soup plate. Combination Soup. — One-half cup of cold mashed potato, one cup each of cooked pearled wheat, barley, and dried peas. Rub all through a colander, add boiling milk to thin to the proper consistency, season with salt and a half cup of cream. Combination Soup No. 2. — Take three cups of cooked oat- meal, two of mashed white beans, and one of stewed tomato. Rub the ingredients through a colander, add boiling milk to thin to the proper consistency, season with salt and a little cream. Cream Pea Soup. — Soak three fourths of a pint of dried Scotch peas overnight in a quart of water. In the morning put to cook in boiling water, cover closely, and let them simmer gently four or five hours, or until the peas are very tender and well disintegrated ; then rub through a colander to remove the skins. If the peas are very dry, add a little water or milk occa- sionally, to moisten them and facilitate the sifting. Just before the peas are done, prepare potatoes enough to make a pint and a half after being cut in thin slices. Cook the potatoes until tender in a small amount of water, and rub them through a colander. Add the potatoes thus prepared to the sifted peas, and milk enough to make three and one-half pints in all. Re- turn to the fire, and add a small head of celery cut in finger lengths ; let the whole simmer together ten or fifteen minutes, until flavored. Remove the celery, add salt and a cup of thin cream. This should make about two quarts of soup. If pre- ferred, the peas may be cooked without soaking. It will, how- ever, require a little longer time. Cream Barley Soup. — Wash a cup of pearled barley, drain, and simmer slowly in two quarts of water for four or five hours, adding boiling water from time to time as needed. When the 104 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. barley is tender, strain off the liquor, of which there should be about three pints ; add to it a portion of the cooked barley grains, salt, and a cup of whipped cream, and serve. If pre- ferred, the beaten yolk of an egg may be used instead of cream. Green Corn Soup. — Take six well-filled ears of tender green corn. Run a sharp knife down the rows and split each grain ; then with the back of a knife press out the pulp, leaving the hulls on the cob. Scrape from the large to the small end of the ear. Break the cobs, if long ; put them in cold water sufficient to cover, and boil half an hour. Strain off the water, of which there should be at least one pint. Put the corn water on again, and when boiling, add the corn pulp, and cook fifteen minutes, or until the raw taste is destroyed. Rub through a rather coarse colander, add salt and a pint of hot unskimmed milk ; if too thin, thicken with a little corn-starch or flour, boil up, and serve. A teaspoonful of sugar added to the soup improves the flavor for some tastes. Green Pea Soup.— Gently simmer two quarts of shelled peas in sufficient water to cook, but leaving almost no juice when tender. Rub through a colander, moistening, if necessary, with a little cold milk. Add to the sifted peas an equal quantity of rich milk and a small onion cut in halves. Boil all together five or ten minutes until the soup is delicately flavored, then skim out the onion; add salt if desired, and serve. If preferred, a half cup of thin cream may be added just before serving. Celery may be used in place of the onion, or both may be omitted. Green Bean Soup. — Prepare a quart of fresh French or string beans by pulling off the ends and strings and breaking into small pieces. Boil in a small quantity of water. If the beans are fresh and young, three pints will be sufficient; if wilted or rather old, more will be needed, as they will require longer cook- ing. There should be about a teacupful and a half of liquid left when the beans are perfectly tender and boiled to pieces. Rub through a colander, return to the kettle, and for each cup of the bean pulp add salt, a cup and a half of unskimmed milk; boil together for a few minutes, thicken with a little flour, and serve. The quart of beans should be sufficient to make three pints of soup. Lentil Soup. — Simmer a pint of lentils in water until tender. If desired to have the soup less dark in color and less strong in flavor, the lentils may be first parboiled for a half hour, and SOUPS. 105 then drained and put into fresh boiling water. Much valuable nutriment is thus lost, however. When perfectly tender, mash through a colander to remove all skins; add salt and a cup of thin cream, and if too thick, sufficient boiling milk or water to thin to the proper consistency; heat again to boiling, and serve. If preferred, an additional quantity of liquid may be added and the soup slightly thickened with browned flour. Lentil and Parsnip Soup.— Cook together until tender one pint of lentils and one half a small parsnip, sliced, in a small quantity of boiling water. When done, rub through a colander, and add boiling water to make a soup of the proper consistency. Season with salt and a little cream. Lima Bean Soup. — Simmer a pint of Lima beans gently in just sufficient water to cook and not burn, until they have fallen to pieces. Add more boiling water as needed. When done, rub the beans through a colander. Add rich milk or water to make of a proper consistency, and salt to season ; reheat and serve. White beans may be used in place of Lima beans, but they require more prolonged cooking. A heaping tablespoonful of pearled tapioca or sago previously soaked in cold water may be added to the soup when it is reheated, if liked, and the whole cooked until the sago is transparent. Plain Rice Soup. — Wash and pick over six tablespoonfuls of rice, put it in an earthen dish with a quart of water, and place in a moderate oven. When the water is all absorbed, add a quart of rich milk, and salt if desired; turn into a granite kettle and boil ten minutes, or till the rice is done. Add a half cup of sweet cream, and serve. A slice of onion or a stalk of celery may be boiled with the soup after putting into the kettle, and removed before serving, if desired only to flavor. Potato and Rice Soup. — Cook a quart of sliced potatoes in as little water as possible. When done, rub through a colander. Add salt, a quart of rich milk, and reheat. If desired, season with a slice of onion, a stalk of celery, or a little parsley. Just before serving, add a half cup of cream and a cup and a half of well-cooked rice with unbroken grains. Stir gently, and serve at once. Potato Soup. — For each quart of soup required, cook a pint of sliced potatoes in sufficient water to cover them. When tender, rub through a colander. Return to the fire, and add enough rich milk, or part cream, to make a quart in all, and a 106 EVEEY-DAY DISHES. little salt. Let the soup come to a boil, and add a teaspoonful of flour or corn-starch rubbed to a paste with a little water; boil a few minutes, and serve. A cup and a half of cold mashed potato or a pint of sliced baked potato may be used instead of fresh material; in which case add the milk and heat before rub- bing through the colander. A slice of onion or a stalk of celery may be simmered in the soup for a few minutes to flavor it, and then removed. A good mixed potato soup is made by using one- third sweet and two-thirds Irish potatoes, in the same manner as above. Pea and Tomato Soup. — Soak one pint of Scotch peas over- night. When ready to cook, put into a quart of boiling water and simmer slowly until quite dry and well disintegrated. Rub through a colander to remove the skins. Add a pint of hot water, one cup of mashed potato, two cups of strained stewed tomato, and one cup of twelve-hour cream. Turn into a double boiler and cook together for a half hour or longer; turn a second time through a colander or soup strainer, and serve. The propor- tions given are quite sufficient for two quarts of soup. There may need to be some variation in the quantity of tomato to be used, depending upon its thickness. If very thin, a larger quantity and less water will be needed. The soup should be a rich reddish brown in color when done. The peas may be cooked without being first soaked, if preferred. Swiss Potato Soup. — Pare and cut up into small pieces, enough white turnips to fill a pint cup, and cook in a small quantity of water. When tender, add three pints of sliced potatoes, and let them boil together until of the consistency of mush. Add hot water, if it has boiled away so that there is not sufficient to cook the potatoes. When done, drain, rub through a colander, add a pint and a half of milk and a cup of thin cream, salt if desired, and if too thick, a little more milk or a sufficient quantity of hot water to make it of the proper consistency. This should be sufficient for two and a half quarts of soup. Tomato Cream Soup. — Heat two quarts of strained, stewed tomatoes to boiling; add four tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Let the tomatoes boil until thick- ened, stirring constantly, that no lumps form; add salt to season. Have ready two cups of hot rich milk or thin cream. Add the cream or milk hot, and let all boil together for a minute or two, then serva SOUPS. 107 Tomato and Okra Soup.— Take one quart of okra thinly sliced, and two quarts of sliced tomatoes. Simmer gently from one to two hours. Rub through a colander, heat again to boiling, season with salt and cream, if desired, and serve. Canned okra and tomatoes need only to be rubbed through a colander, scalded and seasoned, to make a most excellent soup. If preferred, one or two potatoes may be sliced and cooked, rubbed through a colander, and added. Tomato Soup with Vermicelli.— Cook a cupful of broken ver- micelli in a pint of boiling water for ten minutes. Turn into a colander to drain. Have boiling two quarts of strained, stewed tomatoes, to which add the vermicelli. If preferred, the tomato maybe thickened slightly with a little corn-starch rubbed smooth in cold water before adding the vermicelli ; or the vermicelli may be cooked in the tomato. Salt to taste, and just before serving turn in a cup of hot thin cream. Let all boil up for a minute, then serve at once. Vegetable Oyster Soup.— Scrape all the outer skin and small rootlets from vegetable oysters, and lay them in a pan of cold water to prevent discoloration. The scraping can be done much easier if the roots are allowed first to stand in cold water for an hour or so. Slice rather thin, enough to make one quart, and put to cook in a quart of water. Let them boil slowly until very tender. Add a pint of milk, a cup of thin cream, salt, and when boiling, a tablespoonful or two of flour, rubbed to a cream with a little milk. Let the soup boil a few minutes until thickened, and serve. Vegetable Soup.— Soak a cupful of white beans overnight in cold water. When ready to cook, put into fresh boiling water and simmer until tender. When nearly done, add three large potatoes sliced, two or three slices of white turnip, and one large parsnip cut in slices. When done, rub through a colander, add milk or water to make of the proper consistency, season with salt and cream, reheat and serve. This quantity of material is suffi- cient for two quarts of soup. EGGS. How to Choose Eggs. — The quality of eggs varies considerably, according to the food upon which the fowls are fed. Certain foods communicate distinct flavors, and it is quite probable that eggs may be ren- dered unwholesome through the use of filthy or im- proper food ; hence it is always best, when practicable, to ascertain respecting the diet and care of the fowls before purchasing eggs. On no account select eggs about the freshness of which there is any reason for doubt. The use of stale eggs may result in serious disturbance of the digestive organs. There are several ways of determining with tolerable accuracy respecting the freshness of an egg. A com- mon test is to place it between the eye and a strong light. If fresh, the white will appear translucent, and the outline of the yolk can be distinctly traced. By keeping, eggs become cloudy, and when decidedly stale, a distinct, dark, cloud-like appearance may be discerned opposite some portion of the shell. Another test is to shake the egg gently at the ear ; if a gurgle or thud is heard, the egg is bad. Again, eggs may be tested by dropping into a vessel containing a solution of salt and water, in the proportion of a tablespoonful to a quart. Newly laid eggs will sink ; if more than six days old, they will float in the liquid ; if bad, they will [1081 EGGS. 109 be so light as to ride on the surface of the brine. The shell of a freshly laid egg is almost full ; but owing to the porous character of the shell, with age and exposure to au' a portion of the liquid substance of which the egg is composed evaporates, and air accumulates in its place at one of the extremities of the shell. Hence an egg loses in density from day to day, and the longer it has been kept, the lighter it becomes, and the higher it will rise in the liquid. An egg that will float on the surface of the liquid is of too questionable a character to be used without breaking, and is apt to be unfit for use at all. Eggs should be kept in a cool, not cold, place and handled carefully, as rough treatment may cause the mingling of the yolk and white by rupturing the mem- brane which separates them ; then the egg will spoil quickly. The time required for the digestion of a perfectly cooked egg varies from three to four hours. It is generally conceded that eggs lightly cooked are most readily digested. What is generally termed a hard-boiled egg is not easily acted upon by the digest- ive juices, and any other manner of cooking by which the albumen becomes hardened and solid, offers great resistance to digestion. To Beat Eggs, — If the white and yolk are used separately, break the shells gently about the middle, opening slowly, so as to let the white fall into the dish, while retaining the yolk in one half of the shell. If part of the white remains, turn the yolk from the one half to the other till the white has fallen. Beat the yolks until they change from their natural orange color 110 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. to a much lighter yellow. The whites should be beaten until jBi'm and dry enough not to fall from the bowl if turned upside down. The yolk should always be beaten first, since if the white is left to stand after be- ing beaten, a portion of the air which its viscous nature allows it to catch up escapes, and no amount of beating will render it so firm a second time. Eggs which need to be washed before breaking should always be wiped perfectly dry, that no water may become mingled with the egg, as the water may dilute the albumen suf- ficiently to prevent the white from becoming firm and stiff when beaten. RECIPES. Eggs in Shell. — The usual method of preparing eggs for serv- ing in this way is to put them into boiling water, and boil or sim- mer until sufficiently cooked. Albumen, of which the white of the egg is composed, is most easily digested when simply coagu- lated. The yolk, if cooked at all, is most easily digested when dry and mealy. Albumen coagulates at 160°, and when the boil- ing point is reached, it becomes hardened, tough, and leathery, and very difficult of digestion. If the egg were all albumen, it might be easily and properly cooked by dropping into boiling water, allowing it to remain for a few seconds, and removing it, since the shell would prevent its becoming sufficiently heated in so short a time as to become hardened ; but the time neces- sary to properly cook the white of the egg would be insuffi- cient for the heat to penetrate to and cook the yolk ; and if it is desirable to cook the yolk hard, the cooking process should be carried on at a temperature below the boiling point, subjecting the egg to a less degree of heat, but for a longer time. The most accurate method is to put the eggs into water of a temperature of 160° F., allowing them to remain for twenty minutes, and not permitting the temperature of the water to go above 170°. Cooked in this way, the white will be of a soft, jelly-like consist- ency throughout, while the yolks will be hard. If it is desired to have the yolks dry and mealy, the temperature of the water must be lower, and the time of cooking lengthened. The most EGGS. Ill perfect results may be secured with water at a temperature of 150° F., and seven hours' cooking. The temperature of the water can be easily tested by keeping an ordinary thermometer in it, and if one possesses a kerosene or gas stove, the heat can be easily regulated to maintain the required temperature. Another method, although less sure, is to pour boiling water into a saucepan, draw it to one side of the range where it will keep hot but not boil, put in the eggs, cover, and let stand for twenty minutes. If by either method it is desired to have the yolk soft-cooked, lessen the time to ten minutes or so, according to the hardness desired. Eggs are best served as soon as done, as the white becomes more solid by being kept in a hot shell. It should be remarked that the time necessary to cook eggs in the shell will vary somewhat with the firmness of the shell, the size of the eggs, and the number cooked together. Eggs in Sunshine. — Take an earthenware dish which will stand heat and also do to use in serving the eggs. Oil it and break therein as many eggs as desired ; sprinkle lightly with salt, and put into the oven for two or more minutes till the eggs are set. Have ready some hot tomato sauce prepared as for tomato toast ; pour the sauce over them, and serve. Eggs Poached in Tomatoes. — Take a pint of stewed tomatoes cooked until they are homogeneous or which have been rubbed through a colander ; season with salt if desired, and heat. When just beginning to boil, slip in gently half a dozen eggs, the shells of which have been so carefull}' broken that the yolks are intact. Keep the tomato just below the boiling point until the eggs are cooked. Lift the whites carefully with a fork as they cook, until they are firm, then prick the yolks and let the yellow mix with the tomato and the whites. The whole should be quite soft when done, but showing the red of the tomatoes and the white and yellow of the eggs quite distinctly. Serve on toast. If the flavor is agreeable, a little onion minced very fine may be cooked with the tomatoes. Eggs in Cream. — Put a half cupful or more of cream into a shallow earthen dish, and place the dish in a kettle or pan of boiling water. When the cream is hot, break in as many eggs as the bottom of the dish will hold, and cook until well set, bast- ing them occasionally over the top with the hot cream. Or, put a spoonful or two of cream into individual egg or vegetable dishes, break a fresh egg into each, and cook in the oven or in a 112 EVERY-DAY DISHES. Steamer over a kettle of boiling water until the white of the egg is well set. Poached or Dropped Eg'gs. — Break each egg into a saucer by itself. Have a shallow pan half filled with scalding, not boiling, water on the stove. If desired, a little salt and a tablespoonful of lemon juice may be added. Slip the eggs gently from the saucer upon the top of the water, holding the edge of the saucer under water to prevent the eggs from scattering ; dip the water over them with a spoon and let them stand five minutes, or until the yolk is covered with a film, and the white is firm but not hardened ; keep the water just below the boiling point. Take out the eggs one by one on a skimmer, and serve in egg saucers or on slices of nicely browned toast moistened with a little sweet cream, or on granose biscuit (see page 143) which have been rendered crisp by five minutes' heating in the oven, as preferred. Poached eggs are excellent served with tomato sauce prepared as directed on page 33. If one is especially particular to keep the shape of the eggs, an egg-poacher should be used, or a set of muffin-rings may be laid in the bottom of the pan, and the eggs turned into the rings. Poached Egg's with Cream Sauce, — Poach eggs as in the foregoing recipe, and pour over them a sauce made according to directions on page 122. Quickly Prepared Eggs. — A good way to cook quickly a large number of eggs is to use a large-bottomed earthen dish, which will stand the heat and in which eggs may be served. Oil it well ; break the requisite number of eggs separately, and turn each carefully into the dish ; sprinkle lightly with salt ; set the dish in the oven or in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water for a few minutes until the eggs are set, then serve. Scrambled Eggs. — Beat four eggs lightly, add a little salt if desired, and half a cup of milk or cream. Have ready a hot, oiled saucepan ; turn the eggs in and cook quickly, stirring con- stantly until firm but soft. Steamed Eggs, — Break eggs into egg or vegetable dishes or patt3'-pans, salt very lightly, and set in a steamer over a kettle of boiling water until the whites are set, and a film has formed over the yolk. Serve the same as poached eggs, with or with- out toast. Scrambled Egg with Tomato, — Heat a half pint of strained stewed tomatoes to boiling, salt to taste, and stir in six slightly EGGS. . 113 beaten eggs. Stir constantly until well scrambled. A table- spoonful of minced celery may be added. Plain Omelet. — Beat the yolks of three eggs to a cream and beat the whites to a stiff froth. Add to the yolks three table- spoonfuls of milk or cream, one tablespoonful of finely grated bread crumbs, and season slightly with salt ; lastly, fold, not stir, the whites lightly in. An omelet-pan is the best utensil for cooking; but if that is not to be had, an earthenware pud- ding-dish which will stand the heat is good ; an iron spider will do, but a larger omelet would need to be prepared. A tin sauce- pan is apt to cook the omelet so rapidly as to burn it in spots. Whatever the utensil used, it should be hot, the fire clear and steady, and all in readiness by the time the eggs are beaten. Oil the dish well and gently pour in the omelet mixture ; cover, and place the pan on the range where the heat will be continuous. Do not stir, but carefully, as the egg sets, lift the omelet occasionally by slipping a broad-bladed knife under it, or with a fork by dipping in here and there. It should cook quickly, but not so quickly as to burn. From three to five minutes will generally be ample time. When the middle of the omelet is set, it may be put into a hot oven to dry the top. As soon as the center is dry, it should be removed immediately, as it will be hard and indigestible if overdone. To dish, loosen from the pan by running a knife under it, lay a hot platter, bottom upward, over the pan, and invert the latter so as to shake out the omelet gently, browned side uppermost ; or if preferred, double one part over the other before dishing. Serve at once, or it will fall. An omelet of three eggs is sufficient for two or three persons ; if more is desired, a second omelet of three eggs may be made. Larger ones are not so light, nor so easily prepared. The dish used should be reserved for that purpose alone, and should be kept as smooth and dry as possible. It is better to keep it clean by wiping with a coarse towel than by washing, if the omelet comes from the pan perfectly whole, leaving no fragments behind. DESSERTS. RECIPES. FRUIT DESSERTS. Apple Dessert. — Pare some large tart apples, remove the cores, put into the cavities a little quince jelly, lemon-flavored sugar, or grated pineapple and sugar, according to the flavor desired. Have as many squares of bread with the crust taken off as there are apples, and place a filled apple on each piece of bread, on earthen pie plates ; moisten well with a little quince jelly dissolved in water, or lemon juice or pineapple juice, accord- ing to the filling used. Cover closely, and bake in a rather quick oven till the apples are tender. Serve with whipped cream and sugar. Apple Rose Cream. — Wash, core, slice, and cook without paring, a dozen fresh snow apples until very dry. When done, rub through a colander to remove the skins, add sugar to sweeten, and the whites of two eggs ; beat vigorously with an egg-beater until stiff, add a teaspoonful of rose-water for flavor- ing, and serve at once, or keep on ice. It is especially important that the apples be very dry, otherwise the cream will not be light. If after rubbing through the colander, there is still much juice, they should be cooked again until it has evaporated ; or they may be turned into a jelly-bag and drained. Other varieties of apples may be used, and flavored with pineapple or vanilla. Made as directed, of snow apples or others with white flesh and red skins, the cream should be of a delicate pink color, making a very dainty as well as a delicious dessert. Baked Sweet Apple Dessert.— Wash and remove the cores from a dozen medium-sized sweet apples, and one third as many sour ones, and bake until well done. Mash through a colander to make smooth and remove the skins. Put into a granite-ware dish, smooth the top with a knife, return to the oven, and bake very slowly until dry enough to keep its shape when cut. Add, if desired, a meringue made by beating the white of one egg [114] DESSERTS. 115 with a tablespoonful of sugar. Cut in squares, and serve in individual dishes. The meringue may be flavored with lemon or dotted with bits of colored sugar. Bananas in Sirup. — Heat in a porcelain kettle a pint of cur- rant and red-raspberry juice, equal parts, sweetened to taste. When boiling, drop into it a dozen peeled bananas, and simmer very gently for twenty minutes. Remove the bananas, boil the juice until thickened to the consistency of sirup, and pour over the fruit. Serve cold. Baked Bananas. — Bake fresh, firm, yellow bananas with the skins on fifteen minutes in a moderate oven. Serve hot. Grape Apples. — Sweeten a pint of -fresh grape juice with half a pint of sugar, and simmer gently until reduced one third. Pare and core, without dividing, six or eight nice tart apples, and stew very slowly in the grape juice until tender but not broken. Remove the apples and boil the juice (if any remains) until thickened to the consistency of sirup. Serve cold in indi- vidual dishes with a little of the grape sirup over each apple, or with a dressing of whipped cream. Canned grape pulp or juice may be utilized for this purpose. If preferred, the grape juice may be diluted with one-third water. Sweet apples may be used instead of tart ones, and the sugar omitted. Prune Dessert. — Prepare some prune marmalade as directed on page 62. Put in a square granite-ware dish, placed inside another dish containing hot water, and cook in a slow oven until the marmalade is dry enough to retain its shape when cut with a knife. If desired, add a meringue as for baked sweet-apple dessert, dotting the top with pink sugar. Serve in squares in individual dishes. DESSERTS OF FRUIT WITH GRAINS, BREAD, ETC. Barley Fig Pudding. — One pint of well-steamed pearled bar- ley, two cups of finely chopped best figs, one-half cup of sugar, one-half cup of thin sweet cream, and one and one-half cups of fresh milk. Mix all thoroughly, turn into an earthen pudding- dish ; place it in the oven in a pan half full of hot water, and bake slowly till the milk is nearly absorbed. The pudding should be stirred once or twice during the baking, so that the figs will be distributed evenly, instead of rising to the top. Cocoanut and Corn-starch Blancmange. — Simmer two table- spoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut in a pint of milk for twenty 116 EVERY-DAY DISHES. minutes, and strain through a fine sieve. If necessary, add more cold milk to make the full pint. Add a tablespoonful of sugar, heat to boiling, and stir in gradually two tablespoonf uls of corn- starch rubbed smooth in a very little cold milk. Cook five min- utes, turn into cups, and serve cold with fruit sauce or cream. Corn-starch mth Raisins. — Measure out one pint of rich milk. Rub two tablespoonfuls of corn-starch perfectly smooth with a little of the milk, and heat the remainder to boiling, adding to it a tablespoonful of sugar. Add the braided corn-starch, and let it cook until it thickens, stirring constantly. Then add a half cup of raisins which have been.previously steamed. This may be served hot with sugar and cream, or turned into cups and molded and served cold with lemon, orange, or other fruit sauce for dressing. Coru-starch Fruit Mold. — Heat a quart of strawberry, rasp- berry, or currant juice, sweetened to taste, to boiling. If the pure juice of berries is used, it may be diluted with one cup of water to each pint and a half of juice. Stir into it four table- spoonfuls of corn-starch well braided with a little of the juice reserved for this purpose. Boil until the starch is well cooked, stirring constantly. Pour into molds previously wet with cold water, and cool. Serve with cream and sugar. A circle of fresh berries around the mold when served adds to its appearance. Cracked Wheat Pudding. — A very simple pudding may be made with two cups of cold, well-cooked cracked wheat, two and a fourth cups of milk, and one-half cup of sugar. Let the wheat soak in the milk till thoroughly mixed and free from lumps ; then add the sugar and a little grated lemon peel, and bake about three fourths of an hour in a moderate oven. It should be of a creamy consistencj' when cold, but will appear quite thin when taken from the oven. By flavoring the milk with cocoanut, a different pudding may be produced. Rolled or pearled wheat may be used for this pudding. A cupful of raisins may be added, if desired. Farina Blancmange. — Heat a quart of milk, reserving one- half cup, to boiling. Then add two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and four heaping tablespoonfuls of farina, previously' moistened with the reserved half cup of milk. Let all boil rapidly for a tVw minutes till the farina has well set, then place in a double boiler, or a dish set in a pan of boiling water, to cook an hour longer. DESSERTS. 117 Mold in cups previously wet with cold water. Serve with sugar and cream flavored with vanilla or a little grated lemon rind, mock cream, or cocoanut sauce. Farina Fruit Mold. — Put a quart of well-sweetened red-rasp- berry juice into the inner cup of a double boiler. Heat to boiling, and stir in four heaping tablespoonfuls of farina first moistened with a little of the juice. Boil up until thickened, then set into the outer boiler, the water in which should be boiling, and cook for one hour. Pour into molds previously wet in cold water, and cool. Serve with whipped cream or mock cream. Currant, strawberry, cherry, or blackberry juice may be used instead of raspberry. If water be added to dilute the juice, a little more farina will be needed. Plain Fniit Pudding-, or Brown Betty.— Chop together one part seeded raisins and two parts good tart apples. Fill a pud- ding-dish with alternate layers of the fruit and bread crumbs, finishing with the bread crumbs on top. Unless the apples are very juicy, moisten the whole with a tablespoonful of lemon juice in a cup of cold water, for a pudding filling a three-pint dish. Cover the dish, and place it in a moderate oven in a pan of hot water, and bake nearly an hour ; then remove from the pan, uncover, and brown nicely. Serve warm with cream and sugar, or with an orange or lemon sauce. Stoned cherries may be used in place of the apples and raisins. In that case, each layer of fruit should be sprinkled lightly with sugar, and the water omitted. Rice Cream Pudding. — Take one cup of good well-washed rice, a scant cup of sugar, and eight cups of new milk, with a little grated lemon rind for flavoring. Put all into an earthen pudding-dish, and place on the top of the range. Heat very slowly until the milk is boiling, stirring frequently, so that the rice shall not adhere to the bottom of the dish. Then put into a moderately hot oven, and bake without stirring, till the rice is perfectly tender, which can be ascertained by dipping a spoon in one side and taking out a few grains. It should be, when cold, of a rich, creamy consistency, with each grain of rice whole. Serve cold. It is best if made the day before it is needed. If preferred, the milk may be first flavored with cocoanut, according to the directions given on page 115. Rice Pudding with Raisins.— Wash thoroughly one-half cup of rice, and soak for two hours in warm water. Drain off the 118 EVERY-DAY DISHES. ^ water, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one-half cup of raisins, and four cups of milk. Put in an earthen pudding-dish and cook for two hours in a moderate oven, stirring once or twice be- fore the rice begins to swell; then add a cup of hot milk, and cook for an hour longer. Stewed Fruit Pudding. — Take a deep square or oblong granite-ware or earthen dish ; cut strips of stale bread uni- formly an inch in width and three fourths of an inch in thick- ness, and place them in the mold with spaces between them equal to their width. Or, fit the strips around the bottom of a round earthen pudding-dish, like spokes in a wheel, with an open space between each and in the center. Have ready some hot stewed or canned fruit, sweetened to taste ; whortleberries are best, but apricots, cherries, currants, strawberries, and goose- berries may all be used. Separate the juice from the berries by turning them into a colander. Fill the interstices between the bread with hot fruit, using just as little juice as possible. Cover with another layer, this time placing the strips of bread over the fruit in the first layer, and leaving the spaces for fruit over the bread in the first layer. Fill the dish with these layers of fruit and bread, and when full, pour over all the hot fruit juice. Put a plate with a weight on it on the top to press it firmly. Dip oif any juice that may be pressed out, and set the pudding in the refrigerator to cool and press. When cold, it will turn out whole, and can be cut in slices and served with whipped cream or cocoanut sauce. Apple Tapioca. — Soak a cupful of pearled tapioca overnight. In the morning simmer in a quart of boiling water until trans- parent and thickened. Arrange in the bottom of a pudding- dish four or five good-sized tart apples, which have been pared, cored, and the cavities filled with sugar. Squeeze the juice of a lemon and grate a very little of the rind over the apples. Pour the tapioca over the fruit. Set the dish inside a pan filled with hot water, cover, and bake one hour, or until the apples^are done. Serve with sugar and cream. It is best nearly cold. Fresh peaches, pared and stewed, may be used in place of apples, if preferred. Pineapple Tapioca. — Soak one cup of tapioca overnight in one and one-half cups of water. Add two and one-half cups of water, and cook in a double boiler until transparent, then add one cup of sugar and one juicy pineapple minced fine with a sharp knife. Mold, and serve cold with or without cream. DESSERTS. 119 Banana Dessert. — Soak a cup of tapioca overnight. In the morning, cook in a double boiler in a quart of water until trans- parent. When done, add a cup of sugar and three or four sliced bananas. Serve cold with cream. Raspberry Manioca Mold. — Heat a pint of water, and when boiling, sprinkle into it four scant tablespoonfuls of manioca and cook for ten minutes, or until transparent, stirring con- tinually. When transparent and thickened, remove from the fire, and add a tablespoonful of lemon juice and one cup of sugar. Place a layer of the cooked manioca in the bottom of a pudding- dish, add a layer of freshly picked red raspberries, then another of the manioca, filling the dish in alternate layers, with one of manioca for the top. Set away in some cool place until well molded. Serve in slices with cream flavored with rose. Other fresh berries may be used instead of raspberries. Bread Custard Pudding'. — Take one cup of finely powdered bread crumbs, one-half cup of sugar, one quart of milk, and the beaten yolks of three eggs and the whites of two. Mix the bread and milk, and when well softened, add the yolks, sugar, and lastly the well-beaten whites; mix all together thoroughly, sea- son with a little grated lemon rind; place the pudding-dish in the oven in a pan of hot water, and bake till firm and lightly brown. Take from the oven, cover the top with a layer of apple marmalade made without sugar, or with some tart fruit jelly; add to this a meringue of the white of the remaining egg and a tablespoonful of sugar, beaten to a stiff froth, and place in the oven a moment to brown lightly. Fresh fruit, strawberries, raspberries, chopped peaches, cur- rants, cherries, or shredded oranges are equally as good as the marmalade or jelly for the top dressing, and may be used to vary this pudding in a number of difl'erent waj'S. Canned fruits, if well drained from juice, especially apricots and peaches, are ex- cellent for this purpose. A cocoanut custard pudding may be made of the above by flavoring the milk before using, with two tablespoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut. Another variety still may be made by adding to the first recipe half a cup of Zante cur- rants and the same of seedless raisins, or half a cup of finely shredded, tender citron. Boiled Custard. — Beat thoroughly together one pint of milk, two eggs, and a tablespoonful or two of sugar, until thoroughly mingled. Turn the mixture into a double boiler, and cook until the custard is set. 120 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. Cop Custard. — Into four cups of milk stir the yolks of three eggs and one whole one, well beaten. Add four tablespoonfuls of sugar, and strain the mixture into cups; place these in a drip- ping-pan full of hot water, grate a little lemon rind over the top of each, and bake in a moderate oven. If preferred, the milk may be first flavored with cocoanut. It is also better to have the milk nearly hot when stirring in the egg. Half a cupful of milk should be reserved to add to the egg before turning into the heated portion. Farina Custard. — Flavor a quart of milk with cocoanut. Cook two tablespoonfuls of farina in the flavored milk for twenty minutes, in a double boiler ; then set aside to cool. When nearly cold, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and the well-beaten yolks of two eggs. Beat all together very thor- oughly, and lastly stir in the whites of the eggs, previously beaten to a stiff froth. Bake in one dish set inside another filled with hot water, just long enough to set the custard. Serve cold. Tapioca Custard.— Soak a cupful of pearled tapioca overnight in sufficient water to cover. When ready to prepare the cus- tard, drain off the water, if any remains, and add one quart of milk to the tapioca ; place in a double boiler and cook until transparent; then add the well-beaten yolks of three eggs or the yolks of two and one whole one, mixed with three fourths of a cup of sugar. Let it cook a few minutes, just long enough for the custard to thicken and no more, or it will whey and be spoiled ; flavor with a little vanilla, and turn into a glass dish. Cover the top with the whites beaten stiffly with a tablespoonful of sugar, and dot with bits of jelly or colored sugar prepared by mixing sugar with cranberry or raspberry juice, and allowing it to dry. For variety, the custard may be flavored with grated lemon rind and a tablespoonful of lemon juice whipped up with the whites of the eggs, or the meringue may be flavored by beat- ing a tablespoonful of quince jelly with the whites of the eggs. Steamed Fig Pudding. — Moisten two cupfuls of finely grated graham-bread crumbs with half a cup of thin sweet cream. Mix into it a heaping cupful of finely chopped fresh figs and a quarter of a cup of sugar. Add lastly a cup and one fourth of sweet milk. Turn all into a pudding-dish, and steam about two and one-half hours. Serve as soon as done, with a little cream for dressing, or with orange or lemon sauce. DESSERTS. 121 SAUCES FOR DESSERTS AND PUDDINGS. Almond Sauce. — Heat a pint of rich milk in the inner cup of a double boiler, placed directly upon the stove. When the milk is boiling, stir into it a heaping tablespoonful of flour which has been rubbed to a cream in a little cold milk. Boil rapidly until thickened, stirring constantly; then add three tablespoonfuls of almondine ; place in the outer boiler, and cook for five or ten minutes longer. Caramel Sauce. — Stir a cup of sugar in a saucepan over the fire until melted and lightly browned. Add one cup of boiling water, and simmer ten minutes. Cocoanut Sauce. — Flavor a pint of new milk with cocoanut. Skim out the cocoanut, and add enough fresh milk to make one pint. Heat the milk to boiling, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar, thicken with two even spoonfuls of corn-starch, and proceed in the same manner as for mock cream. Cranberry Pudding- Sauce. — To a quart of boiling water add two cups of sugar, and when well dissolved, one quart of care- fully sorted cranberries. Mash the berries as much as possible with a silver spoon, and boil just seven minutes. Turn through a colander to remove skins, cool and serve. Fruit Sauce. — Heat a pint of red -raspberry, currant, grape, strawberry, apricot, or any other fruit juice to scalding, and stir in a tablespoonful of corn-starch previously rubbed to a cream with a little cold water. Cook till it thickens ; then add sugar according to the acidity of the fruit. Strain and cool before using. If fruit juice is not available, two or three tablespoonfuls of pure fruit jelly may be dissolved in a pint of hot water and used instead of the juice. A mixture of red- and black-raspberry juice, or currant and raspberry, will be found acceptable for variety. Fruit Sauce No. 2. — Mash a quart of fresh berries, add one cup of sugar, beat very thoroughly together, and set away until needed. Just before wanted for serving, turn into a granite fruit-kettle and heat nearly to boiling, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Serve hot with hot or cold puddings or molded desserts. Lemon Pudding- Sauce. — Heat to boiling, in a double boiler, a pint of water in which are two slices of lemon, and stir into it a dessert-spoonful of corn-starch ; cook four or five minutes, or nntil it thickens. Squeeze the juice from one large lemon, and 122 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. mix it with two thirds of a cup of sugar. Add this to the corn- starch mixture, and allow the wliole to boil up once, stirring constantly ; then take from the fire. Leave in the double boiler, surrounded bj^ the hot water, for ten minutes. Cool to blood heat before serving. Mock Cream. — Heat a pint of fresh, unskimmed milk in a double boiler. When the milk is boiling, stir in two tablespoon- f uls of sugar, and two even tablespoonfuls of corn-starch which has first been rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Bring just to a boil, stirring constantly ; then pour the hot mixture, a little at a time, beating thoroughly all the while, over the well-beaten white of one egg. Put again into the double boiler, return to the fire, and stir till it thickens to the consistency of cream. Orange Sauce. — Squeeze a cupful of juice from well-flavored, sour oranges. Heat a pint of water, and when boiling, thicken with a tablespoonful of corn-starch. Add the orange juice, strain, and sweeten to taste with sugar that has been flavored by rubbing over the yellow rind of an orange until mixed with the oil in the rind. If a richer sauce is desired, the yolk of an egg may be added lastly, and the sauce allowed to cook until thickened. Peach Sauce. — Strain the juice from a well-kept can of peaches. Dilute with one half as much water, heat to boiling, and thicken with corn-starch, a scant tablespoonful to the pint of liquid. Plain Pudding- Sauce. — Thicken one and one-half cups of water with one tablespoonful of corn-starch ; boil a few minutes, then stir in two thirds of a cup of sugar, and one-half cup of sweet cream Take off the stove, and flavor with a little rose, vanilla, or lemon. Red Sauce. — Pare and slice a large red beet, and simmer gently in three cups of water for twenty minutes, or until the water is rose colored. Remove the slices of beet, and add two cups of sugar, the thin yellow rind and juice of one lemon, and boil until the whole is a thick sirup. Strain, add a teaspoonful of rose water or vanilla, and serve. PASTRY. So much has been said and written about the dietetic evils of pastries that the very name has become almost synonymous with indigestion and dyspepsia. That they are prolific causes of this dire malady cannot be denied, and it is doubtless due to two reasons : first, because they are generally compounded of ingredients which are in themselves unwholesome and rendered doubly so by their combination; and second, because tastes have become so perverted that an excess of these articles is consumed in preference to more simple and nutritious food. Foods containing an excess of fat, as do most pastries and many varieties of cake, are ex- ceedingly difficult of digestion, the fat undergoing in the stomach no changes corresponding to those which occur in the digestion of other elements of food, and its presence interfering with the action of the gastric juice upon the other elements. In consequence, digestion proceeds very slowly, if at all, and the delay often occasions fermentative and putrefactive changes in the entire contents of the stomach. It is the indigesti- bility of fat, and this property of delaying the diges- tion of other foods, chiefly, that render pastry and cakes so deleterious to health. The writer does not wish to be understood as in sympathy with that class of people who maintain that dyspepsia is a disciplinary means of grace, when, after the previous statement, the following recipes are pre- [123] 1^4 EVERY-DAY DISHES. sented for preparing the very articles condemned. Pie and cake are not necessarily utterly unwholesome; and if prepared in a simple manner, may be partaken of in moderation by persons with good digestion, though they lack the healthfulness of more simple foods. Would women supply their tables with perfectly light, sweet, nutritious bread and plenty of fruit, the con- tinual demand for cakes and pies would no doubt largely cease. However, if pies and cakes must needs be, let them be made as simple as possible. General Suggestions for Making Pies. — Always prepare the filling for pies before making the crust, if the filling is to be cooked in the crust. Have all the material for the crust on the table, measured and in readiness, before beginning to put together. Follow some of the simple recipes given in these pages. Have all the material cold, handle the least possible to make it into a mass, and do not knead at all. In preparing material for custard or pumpkin pies, if the milk used be hot, the jDies will be improved, and the time of baking be considerably shortened. Tin or granite-ware plates are preferable to earthen ones for pies, as they bake better on the bottom. The perforated pans are superior in some respects. No greasing is needed ; simply rubbing them well with flour is sufiicient. The time required for baking pies varies from one half to three fourths of an hour. The dampers should be so adjusted as to bake the bottom crust first. After baking, remove at once to heated earthen plates, or set the tins upon small supports, so that the air can circulate underneath them. PASTRY. 125 If a meringue is to be used, let the pie fii'st cool a little after baking before spreading. Use one scant tablespoonful of sugar to the stiffly beaten white of each egg. When spread, return to the oven, the heat of which should be nearly off, for fifteen or twenty minutes. The white of the egg being nearly pure albumen, it requires slow cooking, — so slow as to re- semble a drying rather than a baking. If put into a hot oven, the result is apt to be a tough, leathery com- pound instead of the tender, foamlike covering which it should be. RECIPE3. Paste for Pies. — Sift together equal parts of graham grits and white flour (graham flour or wheat-meal will do if the grits are not obtainable, but the grits will produce a more crisp and tender crust), and wet with very cold, thin sweet cream. Have the flour also as cold as possible, since the colder the material, the more crisp the paste ; mix together very quickly into a rather stiil dough. Do not knead at all, but gather the frag- ments lightly together, roll out at once, fill and bake quickly, since much of the lightness of the crust depends vipon the des- patch with which the pie is gotten into the oven after the materials are put together. If for any reason it is necessary to defer the baking, place the crust in the ice-chest till needed. Corn-Meal Crust. — Equal parts of sifted white corn-meal and flour, mixed together lightly with rather thin sweet cream which has been set in the ice-chest until very cold, makes a good crust. Beau Crust. — Soak white beans overnight. Cook for three hours in just enough water to cook well and not burn. Rub through a colander, and use for preparing the crust in the pro- portion of one-half cup of the prepared beans in which has been thoroughly incorporated one tablespoonful of good cream to the cup of flour. No other liquid will be needed. Knead the dough rather soft, and roll moderately thick. Nut Crust. — A very palatable crust may be prepared by chop- ping walnut, hickorynut, or pecan meats quite fine, then press- 126 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. ing through a fine colander or sieve to make a meal. Prepare the crust with water, using one-half cup of nut meal to each cup of liquid. Thoroughly mix the nut meal with the flour before adding the liquid ; or, one-third white flour, one-third nut meal, one-third graham grits or wheat-meal may be mixed, and made into a dough with iced water. This is an especially nice crust for apple pies. Paste for Tart Shells. — Take one-half cup of rather thin sweet cream, which has been placed on ice until very cold; add to it the stiffly beaten whites of two eggs, and whip all together briskly for ten minutes. Add sufficient white flour to roll. Cut into the required shape, bake quickly, but do not brown. Fill after baking. This paste, roUecMhln and cut into shapes with a cooky cutter, one half of them baked plain for under crusts, the other half ornamented for tops by cutting small holes with a thimble or some fancy mold, put together with a layer of sim- ple fruit jelly between them, makes a most attractive dessert. It is likewise very nice baked in patty-pans, and afterward filled with apple or peach marmalade, or anj^ of the following fillings: — Cream Filling. — One cup of rich milk or part cream, heated to boiling. Into this stir one scant tablespoonful of flour previ- ously braided smooth with a little cold milk. Add to this the well-beaten yolk of one egg and one tablespoonful of sugar. Turn this mixture into the hot milk, and stir until it thickens. Flavor with a little grated lemon rind or vanilla, or, if preferred, flavor the milk with cocoanut before using. Fill the tart shells, and meringue with the white of the egg beaten stiff with a tablespoonful of sugar. Grape Tart. — Into one pint of canned or fresh grape juice, when boiling, stir two tablespoonfuls of corn-starch or maizena braided with a little water, and cook for five minutes. Sweeten to taste, and fill a baked crust. Lemon Filling. — Prepare according to directions given on page 22. Cocoanut Pie. — Steep one-half cup of cocoanut in a pint of milk for one-half hour. Strain out the cocoanut, and add suffi- cient fresh milk to make a pint. Allow it to become cold, then add a quarter of a cup of sugar and two well-beaten eggs. Bake with an under crust only. When done, the top may be covered with a meringue, if desired. PA8TKY. 127 Cream Pie. — For one pie, beat together one egg, one-half cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of flour, and two cups of rich milk. Bake in one crust. Cranberry Pie. — Stew a quart of cranberries until broken, in a pint of boiling water. Rub through a colander to remove the skins, add two cups of sugar and one-half cup of sifted flour. Bake with an under crust only. Dried Apple Pie. — Stew good dried apples till perfectly tender in as small a quantity of water as possible. When done, rub through a colander; they should be about the consistency of fruit jam; if not, a little flour may be added. Sweeten to taste, fill under crusts with the mixture, and bake. If lemon flavor is liked, a few pieces of the yellow rind may be added to the apples a little while before they are tender. If the apples are especially tasteless, lemon juice or some sour-apple jelly should be added after rubbing through the colander. The crusts may first be baked, and filled with the mixture when needed; in which case the sauce should be simmered lightly till of the desired consist- ency. The top may be ornamented with strips or rings of crust. Dried Apple Pie with Raisins. — Rub a quart of well-stewed dried apples through a colander, add a cupful of steamed raisins, sugar to sweeten, and bake with two crusts. This is sufficient for two pies. Dried Apricot Pie. — Stew together one-third dried apricots and two-thirds dried apples or peaches. When soft, rub through a colander, add sugar to sweeten, and if very juicy, stew again until the juice is mostly evaporated; then beat until light, and bake in a granola crust. Farina Pie. — Cook one-fourth cup of farina in a double boiler for an hour in three cups of rich milk. Allow it to become cool, then add one-half cup of sugar, the yolks of two eggs, and a little grated lemon rind. Bake with an under crust only. Meringue the top with the white of the egg beaten to a stiff froth with one tablespoonful of sugar, and a little grated lemon rind for flavor- ing. The quantity given is sufficient for two small pies. Fruit Pies. — Apples, peaches, and all small fruits and berries may be made into palatable pies without rich crusts or an excess of sugar, or the addition of unwholesome spices and flavorings. Bake the crust separately, and fill when needed with prepared fruit, or with fresh fruit, using only sufficient sugar to sweeten; add no spices, and bake quickly. Prepare apples for pies by 128 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. paring, coring, and dividing in eighths. Peaches are best pre- pared in a similar manner. Fill crusts in which the fruit is to be baked quite full and slightly heaping in the center. If flavoring is desired, let it be that of some other fruit. For apple pies, a teaspoonful or two of pineapple juice, a little grated lemon or orange peel, or a little strawberry or quince sirup, may be used for flavoring. For pies made of apples, peaches, and fruits which are not very juicy, add a tablespoonful or so of water or fruit juice; but for very juicy fruits and berries, dredge the under crust with a tablespoonful of sugar and a little flour mixed together before filling, or stir a spoonful of flour into the fruit so that each berry or piece may be separately floured. Pumpkin Pie. — To prepare the pumpkin, cut it into halves, remove the seeds, divide into moderately small pieces, and bake in the oven until thoroughly done. Then scrape from the shell, rub through a colander, and proceed as follows : For one and one-third pints of the cooked pumpkin use one quart of hot, rich, sweet milk. Add one-half cup of sugar and the well- beaten yolks of three eggs ; beat well together, add the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and beat thoroughly. Line the tins with a stiff cream paste, fill, and bake in a moderate oven till the pies are barely firm in the center, or till the custard is well set. Piimplun Pie No. 2. — For each pie take one-half pint of baked pumpkin, a pint of rich milk, one-third of a cup of sugar, and two eggs. Mix the sugar and eggs, add the pumpkin, and lastly the milk, which should be hot, and beat all together with an egg-beater until very light. Fill the crust, and bake slowly. Pumpkin Pie without Eggs. — Prepare the pumpkin as pre- viously directed. For two medium-sized pies, heat a pint and a half of milk in a farina kettle, and when scalding, stir into it two scant tablespoonfuls of white flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Cook, stirring often, until it thickens. Add half a cup of sugar, or a little less of sirup, to a pint and a half of the sifted pumpkin, and after beating well together, stir this into the hot milk. Bake in an under crust ; or, for three pies, take one quart and a cupful of pumpkin, three fourths of a cup of sugar, two thirds of a cup of best New Orleans molasses, and three pints of hot milk. Beat all together thoroughly. Line deep plates with a cream crust, and bake an hour and a half in a moderate oven. PASTBY. ] 29 Simple Custard Pie.— For one pie, take one pint of milk, two well-beaten eggs, one third of a cup of sugar, and a little grated lemon rind for flavoring. Bake in an under crust. If eggs are scarce, a very good pie may be made by using only one egg and a tablespoonful of corn-starch, with the above proportions of milk and sugar ; in which case, heat the milk to scalding, stir in the corn-starch, and cook till thickened ; cool, and then add the well-beaten egg. If preferred, the crust may be baked be- fore filling, and the custard steamed meanwhile. Squash Pie. — Squash prepared as directed for pumpkin, and flavored with rose water, makes an excellent pie. Or, for each pie desired, take one pint of rich milk or part cream, add one cup of nicely baked mealy squash which has been rubbed through a colander, one third of a cup of sugar, and two well- beaten eggs. Beat all together thoroughly. Bake in a deep pan slowly and carefully until firm. Squash Pie without Eggs. — Bake the squash in the shell; when done, remove with a spoon and mash through a colander. For one pie, take eight tablespoonfuls of the squash, half a cup of sugar, and one and one-third cups of boiling milk. Pour the milk slowly over the squash, beating rapidly meanwhile to make the mixture light. Bake in one crust. Sweet- Apple Custard Pie. — Into one pint of new milk, grate three ripe sweet apples (Golden Sweets are excellent) ; add two well-beaten eggs, and sugar to taste. Bake with an under crust only. Sweet Potato Pie. — Bake sufficient sweet potatoes to make a pint of pulp when rubbed through a colander ; add a pint of rich milk, a scant cup of sugar, salt if desired, the yolks of two eggs, and a little grated lemon rind for flavor Bake with un- der crust. When done, meringue with the whites of the eggs beaten up with a tablespoonful of sugar. CAKE. General Suggestions. — Always sift the flour for cake before measuring out the amount required. Use the best granulated white sugar. If eggs are used in cake, it is better to have the yolks and whites beaten separately. Beat the former until they cease to froth and begin to thicken as if mixed with flour. Beat the whites until stiff enough to remain in the bowl if in- verted. Have the eggs and dishes cool, and if pos- sible beat in a cool room. Use earthen or china bowls to beat eggs in. If fruit is to be used, it should be washed and dried, and then dusted with flour, a dessert- spoonful to the pound of fruit. For use in cup cake or any other cake which requires quick baking, raisins should be first steamed. If you have no patent steamer, place them in a close-covered dish within an ordinary steamer, and cook for an hour over boiling water. This should be done the day before they are to be used. Use an earthen or granite-ware basin for mixing cake. Be very accurate in measui-ing the materials, and have them all at hand and all utensils ready before beginning to put the cake together. If it is to be baked at once, see that the oven also is at just the right tem- perature. It should be less hot for cake than for bread. Thin cakes require a hotter oven than those baked in loaves. They require from fifteen to twenty minutes to bake; thicker loaves, from thirty to sixty minutes. [130] CAKE. 131 For loaf cakes the oven should be at such a temperature that during the first half of the time the cake will have risen to its full height and just begun to brown. The recipes given require no baking-powder, soda, or saleratus. RECIPES. Delicate Cup Cake. — This cake contains no soda or baking- powder, and to make it light requires the incorporation of as much air as possible. In order to accomplish this, it should be put together in the same manner as directed for batter breads (page 50). Have all material measured and ever^'thing in readiness before beginning to put the cake together ; then beat together the yolk of one egg, one cup of sugar, and one cup of very cold sweet cream, until all of a foam ; add a little grated lemon rind for flavoring ; stir in slowly, beating briskly all the time, two cups of granular white flour (sometimes termed gluten flour), graham flour, or wheat-meal. When all the flour is added, add lastly the beaten whites of two eggs, stirring just enough to mix them well throughout the whole; turn at once into slightly heated gem-irons which have been previously oiled, and bake in a moderately quick oven. If made according to directions, this cake will be very light and delicate. It will not puff up much above its first proportions, but will be light throughout. A nice cake may be prepared in the same manner with gra- ham flour or wheat-meal or even white flour, by the addition of a heaping tablespoonful of corn-starch or maizena sifted into the flour, in the way in which baking-powder is ordinarily mixed with flour before using. Plain Buns. — These are the simplest of all cakes. Dissolve half of a small cake of compressed yeast in a cup of thin cream which has been previously warmed to blood heat, add two cups of warm flour, and beat thoroughly together. Put in a warm place, and let it rise till very light. Add three tablespoonfuls of sugar mixed well with a half cup of warm flour, one- half cup of Zante currants, and sufficient flour to make of the consistoncj' of dough. Buns should be kneaded just as soft as possible, and from fifteen to twenty minutes. Shape into biscuits a little larger than an English walnut, and place on tins far enough apart so they will not touch each other when risen. Put in a 132 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. warm place till they have risen to twice their first size, then bake in a moderately quick oven. If desired, the currants may be omitted and a little grated lemon rind for flavoring added ■with the sugar, or a bit of citron may be placed in the top of each bun when shaping. When taken from the oven, sprinkle the top of each with moist sugar, if desired, or glaze by brushing with milk while baking. Sponge Cake. — For this will be required four eggs, one cup of sugar, one tablespoonful of lemon juice with a little of the grated rind, and one cup of white flour. Success in the making of sponge cake depends almost wholly upon the manner in which it is put together. Beat the yolks of the eggs until very light and thick, then add the sugar little by little, beating it in thor- oughly; add the lemon juice and the grated rind. Beat the whites of the eggs until perfectly stiff and firm, and fold or chop them very lightly into the yolk mixture. Sift the flour with a sifter little by little over the mixture and fold it carefully in. On no account stir in either the white of the eggs or the flour, since stirring will drive out the air which has been beaten into the egg. Do not beat after the Hour is added. The cake, when the flour is all in, should be stiff and spongy. If it is liquid in character, it will be apt to be tough, and may be considered a failure. Bake in a shallow pan in a rather hot oven fifteen or twenty minutes. Sugar Crisps. — Make a soft dough of two and one-fourth cups of graham flour or wheat-meal, one-half cup of granulated white sugar, and one cup of rather thick sweet cream. Knead as little as possible, roll out very thin, cut in rounds or squares, and bake in a quick oven. Cream Sponge Cake. — Beat the yolks of three eggs to a cream. Add one cup of sugar and two tablespoonfuls of sweet cream, beating very thoroughly. Flavor, if desired. Beat the whites of the eggs with a pinch of salt to a very stiff froth, and chop into the yolk mixture with one cup of flour which has been sifted three times. Bake in a moderate oven. Miss H.'s Sunshine Cake.— Beat the whites of five eggs until very stiff. Thoroughly beat the yolks, with one cup of sugar. Fold in carefully the beaten whites, add the flavoring, and lastly fold in two thirds of a cup of well-sifted flour. Bake in a loaf, or in patty-pans. Layer Cake. — Bake any of the above sponge cakes in layers, and spread with fresh fruit or fruit jelly. CAKE. 133 Orange Cake. — Prepare the cake as for sponge cake, and bake in two layers. For the filling, take two good-sized, juicy oranges. Flavor two tablespoonfuls of sugar by rubbing it over the skin of the oranges ; then peel, remove the white rind, and cut into small pieces, discarding the seeds and the central pith. Put the orange pulp in a china bowl, and set in a dish of boil- ing water. When it is hot, stir in a heaping teaspoonful of corn-starch which has been braided smooth in two spoonfuls of water. Stir constantly until the starch has cooked, and the whole becomes thickened. Beat the yolk of one egg to a cream with two tablespoonfuls of sugar. Stir this very gradually, so as not to lump, into the orange mixture, and cook two or three minutes longer. Remove from the fire, and when cool, spread between the cakes. If the oranges are not very tart, a little lemon juice is an improvement. Meringue the top of the cake with the white of the egg beaten up with the two tablespoonfuls of sugar flavored with orange. Pineapple Cake. — Prepare as for orange cake, using grated pineapple in place of oranges. Mrs. N.'s White Sponge Cake. — Take the whites of six large or seven small eggs, one cup of sifted granulated sugar, a table- spoonful of lemon juice, and two thirds of a cup of flour. Sift the flour three or four times, to make it very light. Add a pinch of salt to the whites of the eggs, and beat until stiff enough to remain in the dish if turned bottom upwards. Then add the lemon juice, and beat again until the whites are very stiff. Add the flavoring and sugar. Fold the flour in lightly and quickly, and bake slowlj' thirty-five to fifty minutes. Fruit and Nut Sponge Drop Cake. — Beat the yolks of four eggs to a thick cream, add two teaspoonfuls of lemon juice and beat again, add one cup of nut meal and one cup of dates stoned and rubbed to a smooth cream. Beat all together very thoroughly ; lastly add the whites of the four eggs beaten to a very stiff froth and two tablespoonfuls of gluten meal No. 1 or browned whole-wheat flour, folding and chopping this in very carefully. Drop in spoonfuls on slightly oiled plates, and bake ten or twelve minutes. Handle carefully until cold. TOASTS. The foundation of all these toasts is zwieback^ or twice-baked bread, prepared from good whole-wheat or graham fermented bread cut in uniform slices not more than a half ioch thick, each slice being divided in halves, placed on perforated tins, and baked or toasted in a slow oven for a half hour or longer, until it is browned evenly throughout the entire slice. The zwie- back may be prepared in considerable quantity and kept on hand in readiness for use. It will keep for any length of time if stored in a dry place. It is serviceable in so many ways that it should form a staple article of food in every household. Stale bread is the best for making zwieback, but it should be good, light bread ; that which is sour, heavy, and not fit to eat untoasted, should never be used. Care must also be taken not to scorch the slices, as that spoils it. Properly made, it is equally crisp through- out, and possesses a delicious, nutty flavor. Zwieback may be purchased in bulk, all ready for use, from the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Co. For the preparation of toasts, the zwieback must be first softened with some hot liquid. If cream is used for this purpose, it should be fresh and very thin. Heat it nearly to boiling in some rather shallow dish. Put the slices, two or three at a time, in it, dipping the cream over them, and turning so that both sides will [134] TOASTS. 135 become equally softened. Keep the cream hot, and let the slices remain until softened just enough so that the center can be pierced with a fork, but not until at all mushy or broken. With two forks or a fork and a spoon, remove each slice from the hot cream, draining as thoroughly as possible, and pack in a heated dish, and repeat the process until as much zwieback has been softened as desired. Cover the dish, and keep hot until ready to serve. Special care should be taken to drain the slices as thoroughly as possible, to prevent their becoming wet and mushy. It is better to remove them from the cream when a little hard than to allow them to become too soft, as they will soften somewhat by standing, after being packed in the dish. Prepare the sauce for the toast, and pour into a pitcher for serving. Serve the slices in individual dishes, turning a small quantity of the hot sauce over each as served. If water instead of cream be used to soak the zwieback, lay the slices on a perforated tin or in the bottom of a colander, set within another dish, turn boiling water over and draia immediately. Hot fruit juices may be used in a similar manner for this purpose. RECIPES. Apple Toast.— Fresh, fine-flavored apples stewed in a snaall quantity of water, rubbed through a colander, sweetened, then cooked in a granite-ware dish in a slow oven until quite dry, make a nice dressing for toast. Baked sweet or sour apples, rubbed through a colander to remove cores and skins, are excel- lent. Dried apples, thoroughly cooked, sweetened, and rubbed through a colander, are also excellent for this purpose. Soften the slices of zwieback with hot liquid, and serve with a spoon- ful or two on each slice. If desired, the apple may be flavored with a little pineapple or lemon, or mixed with grape, cran- berry, or apricot, thus making a number of different toasts. 13G EYEKT-DAY DISHES. Apricot Toast. — Stew some nice dried apricots as directed on page Gl. Wlien done, rub through a fine colander to remove all skins and to render them homogeneous. Add sugar to sweeten, and serve as a dressing on slices of zwieback which have been previous]}' softened in hot liquid. One-half or two- thirds fresh or dried apples may be used with tlie apricots, if preferred. Asparagus Toast. — Prepare asparagus~as directed on page 88. When tender, drain off the liquor and season it with a little cream, and salt if desired. Moisten zwieback in the liquor, and lay in a hot dish ; unbind tlie asparagus, heap it upon the toast, and serve. Banana Toast. — Peel and press some good bananas through a colander. This may be very easilj' done with a potato masher, or a vegetable press may be used for the purpose. Moisten slices of zwieback with hot cream, and serve with a large spoonful of the banana pulp on each slice. Fresh peaches may be prepared and used on the toast in the same way. Berry Toast. — Canned strawberries, blueberries, and black- berries may be made into an excellent dressing for toast. Turn a can of well-kept berries into a colander over an earthen dish, to separate the juice from the berries. Place the juice in a porcelain kettle and heat to boiling. Thicken to the consistency of cream with flour rubbed smooth in a little water ; a tablespoonful of flour to the pint of juice will be about the right proportion. Add the berries, and boil up just sufficiently to cook the flour and heat the berries ; serve hot. If cream for moistening the zwieback is not at hand, a little juice may be reserved without thickening, and heated in another dish for this purpose ; or if preferred, the fruit may be heated and poured over the dry zwieback without being thickened, or it may be rubbed through a colander as for apricot toast. Berry Toast No. 2. — Take fresh red or black raspberries, blue- berries, or strawberries, and mash well with a spoon. Add sugar to sweeten, and serve as a dressing on slices of zwieback pre- viously moistened with hot liquid. Celery Toast. — Cut the crisp white portion of celery into inch pieces, simmer twenty minutes or half an hour, or until tender, in a very little water ; add salt and a cup of rich milk. Heat to boiling, and thicken with a little flour rubbed smooth in a small quantity of milk — a teaspoonful of flour to the pint of liquid. TOASTS. 137 Serve hot, poured over slices of zwieback previously moistened with cream or hot water. Cream Toast.— Use good graham or whole-wheat zwieback. Have a pint of thin sweet cream scalding hot; salt it a little if desired, and moisten the zwieback in it as previously directed, packing it immediately into a hot dish ; cover tightly so that the toast may steam ; and serve. The slices should be thoroughly moistened, but not soft and mushy nor swimming in cream; indeed, it is better if a little of the crispness still remains, Cream Toast with Poached Egg.- Prepare the cream toast as previously directed, and serve hot with a well-poached egg on each slice. Cherry Toast.— Take a quart of ripe cherries; stem, wash, and stew ( if preferred, the stones may be removed) until tender but not broken ; add sugar to sweeten, and pour over slices of well-browned dry toast or zwieback. Serve cold. Gravy Toast.— Heat a quart and a cupful of rich milk to boiling, add salt, and stir into it three scant tablespoonfuls of flour which has been rubbed to a smooth paste in a little cold milk. This quantity will be sufficient for about a dozen slices of toast. Moisten slices of zwieback with hot water, and pack in a heated dish. When serving, pour a quantity of the cream sauce over each slice. Dry Toast with Hot Cream.— Nicely prepared zwieback served in hot saucers with hot cream poured over each slice at the table, makes a most delicious breakfast dish. Grape Toast.— Stem well-ripened grapes, wash well, and scald without water in a double boiler until broken ; rub through a colander to remove seeds and skins, and when cool, sweeten to taste. If the toast is desired for breakfast, the grapes should be prepared the day previous. Soften the toast in hot cream, as previously directed, and pack in a tureen. Heat the prepared grapes and serve, pouring a small quantity over each slice of toast. Canned grapes may be used instead of fresh ones, if desired. Lentil Toast.- Lentils stewed as directed for lentil gravy on page 76 served as a dressing on slices of zwieback moistened with hot cream or water makes a very palatable toast. Browned flour may be used to thicken the dressing, if preferred. Prune Toast.- Cook prunes as directed on page G2, allowing them to simmer very slowly for a long time. When done, rub 138 EVERY-DAY DISHES. through a colander, and if quite thin, stew again for a time, until they are about the consistency of marmalade. Moisten slices of zwieback with hot cream, and serve with a spoonful or two of the prune dressing on each. One-third dried apple may be used with the prunes, if preferred. Peach Toast. — Stew fresh peaches in a small quantity of water ; when tender, rub through a colander, and if quite juicy, place on the back of the range where they will cook very slowly until nearly all the water has evaporated, and the peach is of the consistency of marmalade. Add sugar to sweeten, and serve the same as prunes, on slices of zwieback previously moistened with hot liquid. Canned peaches may be drained from their juice and prepared in the same manner. Dried or evaporated peaches may also be used. Toast with dried-peach dressing will be more delicate in flavor if one-third dried apples be used with the peaches. Snowflake Toast. — Heat to boiling a quart of milk to which a half cup of cream and a little salt have been added. Thicken with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Have ready the whites of two eggs beaten to a stiff froth ; and when the sauce is well cooked, turn a cupful of it on the beaten egg, stirring well meanwhile, so that it will form a light, frothy mixture, to which add the remainder of the sauce. If the sauce is not sufficiently hot to coagulate the albumen, it may be heated again almost to the boiling point, but should not be allowed to boil. The sauce should be of a light, frothy consistency throughout. Serve as dressing on nicely moistened slices of zwieback. Tomato Toast. — Moisten slices of zwieback, and serve with a dressing prepared by heating a pint of strained stewed tomato to boiling, and thickening with a tablespoonful of corn-starch or flour rubbed smooth in a little cold water. Season with salt and a half cupful of hot cream. The cream may be omitted, if preferred. Vegetable Oyster Toast. — Cook a quart of cleaned, sliced vegetable oysters in a quart of water until very tender ; add a pint and a half of rich milk, salt to taste, and thicken the whole with two tablespoonf uls of flour rubbed to a smooth paste with a little milk. Let it boil for a few minutes, and serve as a dress- ing on slices of well-browned toast previously moistened with hot water or cream. THE BATTLE CREEK SANITARIUM HEALTH FOOD COMPANY'S PRODUCTS. GRANOLA. Gkanola is a preparation of oats and wheat ready cooked. It is excellent eaten with milk or cream, either hot or cold. It may also be served with fruit jdices, or it may be used in place of bread crumbs for scalloped vegetables, and for sprinkling the tops of prepared dishes. RECIPES. Granola Mush,— Granola makes a most appetizing and quickly prepared breakfast dish. Into a quart of boiling water sprinkle a pint of granola. Milk may be used instead of water, if pre- ferred ; then a little less granola will be needed. Cook for two or three minutes, and serve hot with cream. Granola Fruit Mush.— Prepare the mush as directed, and stir into it, when done, a large cupful of nicely steamed, seedless raisins. Serve hot with cream. Milk may be used instead of water, if preferred. Granola Peach Mush.— Instead of the raisins directed in the preceding recipe, add to the mush, when done, a pint of sliced yellow peaches. Finely cut, mellow sweet apples, sliced bana- nas, or blueberries may be used in a similar way. Raspberry Granola Mush.— For this, use the freshly extracted juice of red raspberries, diluted with one part of water, or the juice from canned red raspberries. Heat a quart of the juice to boiling, sprinkle in sufficient granola to thicken (about one pint will be needed), cook for two or three minutes, and serve hot, with or without cream. [1391 140 EVEKY-DAT DISHES. Grape Graiiola Mush. — Prepare the same as the preceding, using the juice of grapes for the liquid. Other fruit juices may be used in the same manner. Granola and Gluten Mush. — Heat a quart of millv to boiling. Into it stir one-half cup of prepared gluten, mixed with one cup of granola. Cook for two or three minutes, beating it lightly meanwhile ; tiien serve. Granola Crust for Pies. — For one pie take two thirds of a cup of granola, moisten with an equal quantity of thin cream or rich milk, and let it stand a minute ; i)lace the moistened mass in the center of the pie-tin, and with a spoon spread it evenly and thinly over the bottom and around the sides of the tin, leaving no holes. Fill with any one of the different pre- pared fillings given below, and bake ten or fifteen minutes. To form the edge nicely, rest the length of the first finger of the left hand against the edge of the tin, and press the material against it. The shaping of the crust will require but a few moments, and should be done as soon as the granola is well moistened, as it absorbs the liquid and soon becomes dry again. Prune Filling for Pie. — Cook sweet California prunes ( which have been well washed and cleaned ) in three i^arts water to one of prunes, slowly for several hours. When well done, rub through a colander to remove the skins and stones. If the pulp when thus prepared is too thin, place in a covered earthen dish and set on the stove to remain until the liquid has evaporated sufficiently to leave the pulp of about the consistency of thin marmalade. Fill the crust with the prune pulp, and bake. No sugar will be needed with the sweet prunes. Sour prunes sweet- ened may be used, if preferred. A meringue may be added, if desired. Dried Apple Filling. — Stew dried apples nicely; when done, rub through a colander, evaporate to the proper consistency, add sugar to taste, and use the same as the prune filling. Dried peaches may be utilized in the same manner, also fresh green apples. Custard Filling. — Take one pint of milk, one well-beaten egg, a tablespoonful of corn-starch, one third of a cup of sugar, and a little grated lemon rind for flavoring. Heat the milk to scald- ing, stir in the corn-starch, and cook until thickened ; cool, and add the egg well beaten. Turn into a granola crust and bake. SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 141 Lemon Filling. — Take four tablespoonfuls of lemon juice, the grated yellow portion only of the rind of half a lemon, and two thirds of a cup of sugar. Beat the lemon juice and the sugar together. Braid a slightly heaping tablespoonful of corn-starch with as little water as possible, and pour over it, stirring con- stantly, one-half pint of boiling water, to thicken the starch. Add the lemon and sugar to the starch, and let it cool ; then stir in the yolks of two eggs and half the white of one well beaten together. Beat thoroughly, pour into the crust, and bake. Berry Filling. — Stew the fruit, sweeten, and thicken with a little corn-starch or flour ; or the fresh fruit may be introduced into a cup or more of water in which has been cooked a round- ing spoonful of sago or manioca. CiRANOSE. Gkanose is a ])reparation of wheat, in which all the elements of the grain are preserved, and by combined processes of digestion, cooking, roasting, and steaming, are brought into a state which renders assimilation pos- sible with the smallest amount of labor on the part of the digestive organs. Like wheat bread, it combines admirably with every iiavor. It is unequaled as an addition to liquid foods of all kinds, but is, by the mode of manufacture, ren- dered BO extremely soluble that it softens at once ; hence to preserve, in part, its delightful crispness, it should be combined with liquid as eaten, instead of being added and allowed to soak, as in the case of zwieback and crackers. Granose eaten dry is almost a specific for most forms of indigestion. Granose is the best of all food cures for constipation, which it generally relieves within a few days, if eaten freely. 142 EVEKY-DAY DISHES. RECIPES. Granose Fruit Dessert. — Prepare a fruit pulp by rubbing stewed grapes, cranberries, tart apples, or prunes through a col- ander ; sweeten to taste, and evaporate to about the consistency of marmalade. Spread a thin layer of dry granose in the bottom of a pudding-dish ; add a layer of the fruit pulp, then a layer of granose. Fill the dish with alternate layers of fruit and granose, finishing with a layer of granose on the top. Let it stand for an hour or so until the granose flakes have become slightly moistened. Cut in squares and serve. In its perfection this dessert should be neither mushj' nor variegated with dry gra- nose, but each flake throughout should be delicately moistened with the fruit pulp. Thus it will be if care is taken in the prepa- ration of the fruit pulp, and no more granose used than the fruit can moisten. Granose with Egg. — Granose is an excellent accompaniment of soft-boiled or poached eggs. Serve the eggs, when cooked, with a spoonful or two of the dry granose in each individual dish. Granose Pudding. — One pint of milk, one and one-half cups of granose, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, and the yolks of two eggs and the white of one. Bake slowly for one hour in a dish pl-aced in the oven inside a pan of hot water. Granose Finiit Custard.— Take two slightly heaping cups of granose, two cups of milk, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and two eggs. Add the yolks of the eggs, with the sugar and the gra- nose, to the milk; beat lightly for a few minutes; then add the well-beaten white and one cup of canned or stewed cherries which have been well drained from juice. Bake in a slow oven till the custard is set. Allow the custard to become cold before serving. Molded Granose Dessert.— Flavor a pint of milk by steeping three or four tablespoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut in it for twenty minutes. (The milk must not be allowed to boil.) If the milk has evaporated, add enough more to make a full pint. Add a tablespoonful of sugar and two well-beaten eggs; cook until the custard is set, in a double boiler, or a bowl placed in a dish of hot water. Add a sufficient quantity of dry granose to make the whole quite thick, and mold in cups. No dressing is required. SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 143 Granose Dumplings. — Pare and remove the cores from quickly cooking tart apples. Fill the cavity with sugar. Moisten dry granose with cream sufficiently so that it can be pressed around the prepared apple the same as dough, and bake until the apple within the dumj^ling is tender. Serve with cream. Grauose Dumplings with Nut Meal. — Prepare the apples as previously directed. Mix two spoonfuls of nut meal with each cup of granose, and moisten with water or the juice of stewed api)les sufficiently so that it can be pressed about the prepared apple. Bake, and serve with a dressing prepared by thickening the juice of apples with a little corn-starch or browned flour, and sweetened to taste with sugar previously flavored with lemon. Granose Drop Cakes. — Beat the yolks of two eggs, one third of a cup of sugar, and two tablespoonfuls of bromose together to a cream. Stir in lightly the well-beaten whites of the eggs and two cups of dry granose. Drop in small spoonfuls on a tin, and bake fifteen or twenty minutes. Granose Shortcake. — Cover the bottom of a shallow pudding- dish with a thin layer of dry granose, add a layer of fresh straw- berries, chopped and slightly sweetened, then a second layer of granose. Fill the dish thus with alternate layers of granose and berries. Set awaj^ in a cool place for an hour, when it will be ready to serve. Cut in squares. No dressing is required, but it maj' be served with cream, if desired. This is a delicious dish, and one which is as wholesome as delicate. Raspberries and other small fruits mav be used in the same manner. GRANOSE BISCUIT. These may be served cold or warm, with milk or cream; used as toast for poached eggs, asparagus, and fresh fruits mashed and sweetened to taste; or they may be served with hot stewed fruits or fruit juices poured over them. They are an excellent accompani- ment for hot soups of all kinds. 144 EVEBY-DAY DISHES. CRYSTAL WHEAT. Crystal Wheat is a preparation of wheat in which the entire kernel is preserved, the grain having been subjected only to processes of thorough cleaning, with- out the removal of any portion of the bran or the sac- rifice of any of its nutritive elements. In the process of manufacture the grain is exposed to a cooking heat for several hours, so that it is thoroughly cooked. The simple addition of water, with a little heat for a length of time sufiicient to give the particles an opportunity to absorb the necessary amount of moisture, is all that is necessary to prepare it for the table^ RECIPES. Crystal Wheat.— Into a pint of boiling water in the inner cup of a double boiler, sprinkle an equal measure (one pint) of crystal wheat. Stir until it becomes thickened ; then place in the outer boiler, in which the water should be activelj' boiling, and cook for half an hour or longer. Serve with cream, fruit juices, stewed fruits, or the lentil dressing mentioned on p. 148. Crystal wheat may be equally well cooked by placing the required quantity of both water and grits, measure for measure, in a stone baking-jar or kettle, and covering and baking in the oven for one half to three quarters of an hour. Brown Bread.— Take four cupfuls of strong caramel-cereal, and add to this one-half cup of nut meal or two tablespoon fuls of nut butter, one-half cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Heat to boiling, then add one-third cup of rye flour, one-third cup of white flour, one-third cup of best corn-meal, and three cups of cooked crystal wheat, in the order named. Turn into an oiled mold or basin, and steam for three hours. Brown Bread No. 2.— Prepare like the preceding, using one cup of sweet cream in place of the nut butter or nut meal, and one cup less of caramel-cereal. Vegetable Roast. — One cup of strained stewed tomato, one cup of cooked lentils (measured after being rubbed through a SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 146 colander), one cup of cooked crj'stal wheat, one tablespoonful of nut butter or thick cream, one-half teaspoonful of finely pow- dered and sifted sage, or one tablespoonful of very finely minced celery. Add a little salt for seasoning, turn into a baking-dish, and bake in the oven until quite dry. Vegetable Roast No. 2. — Two cups of cooked lentils, one cup of dry crystal wheat, one tablespoonful of nut butter, and salt to season. Bake in the oven until quite dry, and serve hot with lentil dressing (p. 148). Crystal Wheat Custard Putldiiig.— Take two cups of cooked crystal wheat, two and one-half cups of milk, one-half cup of sugar, and two eggs. Beat together thoroughly, and bake in a moderate oven until the custard is well set. A little grated lemon rind may be used as flavoring, or sugar may be omitted, and a cup of raisins added. Crystal Wheat Fniit Pudding.— Prepare as directed for plain fruit pudding on p. 117, using cooked crystal wheat in- stead of bread crumbs. GLUTEN. Gluten is a food supplying not only the nitrogenous, or blood-making, but the fat-making, elements as well, so that it may be relied upon as an exclusive source of nourishment, in case of necessity. It agrees well with the most feeble stomachs, and for those unable to digest fat in any form, its value can scarcely be estimated. In the form of gruel it also constitutes a most excel- lent food for infants. RECIPES. Gluten Grruel.— Stir two and one-half tablespoonfuls of the wheat gluten prepared by the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Co., into a pint of boiling milk; boil until thickened, when it is ready to serve. Gluten Gruel No. 2.— Into a pint of boiling water stir three heaping tablespoonfuls of the prepared gluten. Boil until thickened, and add a half cup of thin cream. 10 146 EVBRY-DAY DISHES. Gluten Cream. — Heat a pint of thin cream to boiling, and stir into it three tablespoonfuls of wheat gluten. When thickened, it is ready to Berve. Gluten Meal Gruel. — Into a cup and a half of boiling water stir four tablespoonfuls of gluten meal (prepared by the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Co.), let it boil for a moment, add six tablespoonfuls of rather thin sweet cream, and serve. Gluten Mush with Dates. — Heat a quart of millc or water, or one-half of each, as preferred, to boiling ; sift in lightly with the fingers six tablespoonfuls of gluten, or sufficifnt to make a mush of the desired consistency. Just before serving, add some fresh dates, from which the stones have been removed. Gluten Custard. — Into a quart of boiling milk stir four table- spoonfuls of wheat gluten moistened with a little cold milk. Allow it to cook until thickened. When it is of a lukewarm temperature, add three well-beaten eggs, and a trifle of salt if desired. Turn into cups, and steam over a kettle of boiling water until the custard is set. Gluten Gravy. — To one pint of good milk add one tablespoon- ful of gluten meal. Leave it in a double boiler to cook fifteen or twenty minutes. Salt to taste, and thicken with flour to the desired consistency. Serve as a dressing for baked potatoes. Lemon Gluten Gruel. — Into one cup of boiling water sprinkle one tablespoonful of gluten. Let it boil up for one or two min- utes, and when cold, add one level teaspoonful of sugar and one tablespoonful of lemon juice. The gruel may be used warm, if desired, but the lemon juice should not be added until just before serving. Gluten Meal Gems. — Beat together one-half cup of ice-water, one-half cup of tliick sweet cream, and one egg; then add one cup and a tablespoonful of gluten meal. Turn into slightly heated gem-irons, and bake in a moderately hot oven from one half to three fourths of an hour. Gluten Mush. — Heat together a cup of thin cream and three cups of water; when boiling, sift in lightly with the fingers, stir- ring continuously meanwhile, enough wheat gluten to make a mush of the desired consistency. Boil up once, and serve. A few blanched or roasted almonds may be stirred in just before serving, if desired. Tomato Gluten. — Heat a pint of stewed tomato, which has been rubbed through a fine colander to remove the seeds, to boil- SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 147 ing, add salt to season, and three tablespoonfuls of gluten meal. Boil together for a moment until thickened, and serve hot. Tomato Gluten No. 2.— Prepare the same as the preceding, using five tablespoonfuls of gluten meal, and seasoning with two tablespoonfuls of rather thick sweet cream. Gluten Bread Relish.— Thoroughly sterilize in a double boiler one quart of rich milk, add one teaspoonful of salt, and into it stir one cup of No. 3 gluten. Allow the mixture to cook three minutes, and then thoroughly incorporate one well-beaten egg. (Some consider it more palatable without egg.) Pour at once into a mold or molds. Cover to prevent the top from drying. NUT BUTTER AND NUT MEAL. Many persons suffer from biliousness, nervous and sick-headache, and various forms of indigestion, from the use of butter, milk, and cream, without being aware that these substances are harmful to them. Persons suffering from dilatation of the stomach, a condition which is exceedingly common, must avoid milk and butter in all forms. Nut butter and nut meal have been prepared as substitutes for butter and cream. In nut butter, the fat is in a state of perfect emulsion, so that it mixes well with water. Thus it does not in- terfere with digestion. Nut butter may be used in all dishes in which cream or butter is ordinarily used; as it has only about one half as much fat as ordinary butter, twice the quan- tity may be used. Nut meal may be used in about the same proportion, if preferred. Two tablespoon- fuls of either the nut butter or meal may be used in place of one cup of cream for seasoning soups and vegetables. 148 KVBRY-DAY DISHES. RECIPES. A Quickly Prepared Soup. — Into a quart of water slice a small onion, and add a teaspoonful of nut butter. Heat to boil- ing, then remove the slices of onion, which are used simply for flavoring the soup, and stir m six rounding tablespoonfuls of No. 3 gluten prepared by the Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Food Co. Boil until thickened, add salt to season, and it is ready to serve. Nut Butter Pie Crust. — Take one tablespoonful of nut butter to one cup of flour, and use in same manner as ordinary shorten- ing, adding cold water sufficient to make a dough. Baked Cabbage. — Chop cabbage fine, and cook in boiling water twenty minutes. Drain in a colander. To one quart of the cooked cabbage add a cupful of water in which has been dis- solved a dessert-spoonful of nut butter, two well-beaten eggs, and the juice of one lemon. Add salt to taste. Mix thoroughly, and bake in a double baker until the cabbage is thoroughly done and the egg well cooked. Lentil and Tomato Soup. — Two and three-fourths cups of lentils (measured after having been cooked and rubbed through a colander), one cup of strained tomato, one teaspoonful of nut butter, and two stalks of celery. To these add sufficient water to make the soup of proper consistency. Heat to boiling, remove the celery, and add salt to season and one teaspoonful of browned flour rubbed to a paste with a little water. Boil for two or three minutes until the flour is cooked, then serve. Nuts with Lentils. — Use three pints of strained. cooked lentils, and one pint of stewed tomato; season to taste with nut butter and salt, and bake. If desired, the lentils may first be cooked with onion to flavor. Lentil Dressing.— Cook some good lentils with a few slices of onion to give them flavor. When tender, rub through a colan- der, and add one half as much stewed and strained tomato as there is of the lentils; add salt to season and a tablespoonful of nut butter to each quart of dressing. This makes an excellent dressing for baked potatoes, vegetable roasts, and also for toast. Nut Sauce. — Heat a quart of Avater in which a tablespoonful of nut butter has been dissolved, to boiling. Thicken with three tablespoonfuls of browned flour, add salt to season; cook thor- oughly for five or ten minutes, then add one-third cup of hot SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 149 Stewed strained tomato. Beat thoroughly, when it is ready to serve. This is excellent as a dressing for toast and for vege- tables. Nut Butter Sandwiches.— Spread slices of thinly cut graham bread with nut butter, and then with chopped dates or figs. Finely minced celery is excellent used in the same manner. Almond Meal Crems. — Add to the well-beaten whites of two eggs one teaspoonful of lemon juice and ten scant tablespoonfuls of almond meal. Beat thoroughly together, drop in slightly heated gem-irons, and bake ten or fifteen minutes. Nut Butter Puffs.— Mix together to an emulsion one heaping tablespoonful of nut butter in one cup of soft ice-water ; add the yolk of one egg, and beat until full of air bubbles ; then sift in slowly, beating thoroughly meanwhile, two cups of whole-wheat Hour ; lastly add the well-beaten white of the egg, folding it in lightly but completely. Turn into heated irons, and bake. NUTTOSE. This is a pure product of nuts. It is intended as a substitute for meat, which it completely replaces dietet- ically, having nearly twice the nutritive value, while it furnishes the same elements and in a form much more digestible, and wholly free from the objectionable fea- tures of meat. Nuttose may be prepared and served in the same manner as the various forms of flesh food. It so perfectly resembles meat in appearance and flavor, as well as nutritive properties, that many persons find it difficult to distinguish the difference. The follow- ing are a few recipes for the use of this new article of food : — RECIPES. Stewed Nuttose.— Cut the nuttose into pieces not over half an inch square ; cover with about equal parts boiling water, and cook in a double boiler for two hours or longer. The longer and more slowly it is stewed, the more rich is the flavor. A small 150 EVKKY-DAY DISHES. onion, a sprig of parslej% or a few bits of celery may be added just long enough before the completion of the cooking to im- part their flavor to the stew, if desired. Season with salt, and serve hot. Stewed Nuttose with Tomato. — Stew the nuttose as directed in the preceding recipe. When done, season with salt and a cupful of strained stewed tomato to the pint of nuttose. Potato Stew with Nuttose. — Prepare and stew the nuttose as previously directed. When nearly done, add some thinly sliced potatoes, and cook together until the potatoes are tender. There should be enough liquor in tlie nuttose so that ad'ditional liquid will not be needed for the potatoe.s. Season with salt, and serve. Nuttose Hash.— Chop cold boiled potatoes and nuttose, equal parts. Put into a saucepan just enough of the liquor obtained from stewing nuttose to moisten well the chopped foods, heat thoroughly, tossing and turning until equally hot throughout, and serve. Salt for seasoning should be added to the liquid before introducing the chopped foods. A little chopped celery may be used with the potato if preferred. The stewed nuttose should be served separately. Nuttose with Green Vegetables. — Green peas, wax beans, beet greens, shelled beans, and tomatoes are all excellent cooked with nuttose. Add the nuttose in about the proportion of two thick slices of nuttose, cut into small pieces, to one pint of shelled peas or one pound of canned peas. Cook together until the vegetables are done, and serve without other seasoning than a little salt. Nuttose Sandwich. — Slices of nuttose placed between thinly sliced white or graham bread, biscuit, or wafers, spread with nut butter, makes a most excellent sandwich. Nuttose with Lettuce. — Thinly slice the nuttose, and cut or chop into small pieces. Arrange the lettuce in a salad bowl, the larger leaves around the edge, the light ones in the center. Fill the center and interstices between the leaves with the pre- pared nuttose, cover with any preferred dressing, and serve. SANITARIUM HEALTH FOODS. 151 ZWIEBACK. Any one who has ever made a visit to Carlsbad will remember the delicious zwieback which occupies so conspicuous a place in the bill of fare. Persons suffer- ing from acid dyspepsia, constipation, and other dis- turbances of digestion, often experience great relief on visiting this famous watering-place. The benefits de- rived from a sojourn at Carlsbad have usually been attributed to the water of its famous springs ; but many invalids and medical men have made the discovery that zwieback should be credited with the greater part of the benefits received. At Carlsbad, zwieback is made by exposing the sour " Schwartz brodt " to moderate heat for several hours, until the starch becomes changed to dextrin and dex- trose. For years the Sanitarium Health Food Com- pany has manufactured for the use of the numerous patrons of the Medical and Surgical Sanitarium, Battle Creek, Mich., a superior quality of zwieback, which is not only more palatable but much more wholesome than the original article of Carlsbad manu- facture. Indeed, this zwieback is one of the most nutritious, palatable, and digestible of foods, and is very largely used by those who have once learned its value. With milk or cream it is a real delicacy, as toothsome as it is nourishing and easy of digestion. Zwieback is supplied in three grades, as follows : — No. 1. Made of graham flour (Sanitarium brand), containing fifteen per cent, of gluten. No. 2. Made from a combination of wheat and rye 162 EVEBY-DAY DISHES. flour. Especially excellent for persons suffering from slow digestion and constipation. No. 3. Specially prepared for persons suffering from acid dyspepsia, with tenderness and painful digestion. Very tender and toothsome. For recipes, see pages 135 to 188 . CARAMELCEREAL. It is now generally recognized by physicians that lea and coffee are unwholesome beverages. Each contains a harmful substance known as caffein or thein, of which seven and one-half grains will kill a small ani- mal. Many nervous disorders, the origin of which is not suspected, are due to the use of tea and coffee. Physicians now recognize the "tea-drinkers' disorder" as the result of the use of these beverages. Both tea and coffee prevent the digestion of starch, and give rise to various forms of indigestion. Caramel-cereal supplies a harmless and wholesome substitute for tea and coffee. It was originated at the Battle Creek (Mich.) Sanitarium, where it has long been in use, as well as in thousands of families throughout the United States. RECIPE. For each cup of the beverage required, use a dessert-spoonful of the caramel-cereal, and steep for from ten to twenty minutes. Excellent coffee may be made in five minutes, or even less; but the strength and flavor are developed by longer steeping. Hints about Every-Day Work. The constant exercise of thought and much judicious planning is required in order to keep in mind and wisely carry out all the necessary details of an occu- pation so broad in its scope and so varied in its require- ments as housekeeping. This comprises the very best care of the house and its furnishings, the purchase and preparation of the food, and the carrying out of such hygienic and sanitary measures as shall best preserve the health of the household. All lines of scientific education are helpful in conducting this vocation upon which so much of health, comfort, and happiness de- pends, but some knowledge of chemistry, physiology, and hygiene is particularly essential. Economy is one of the cardinal principles of success in good housekeeping, and consists in making advan- tageous use of time, strength, money, and material ; it pertains to the littles, — the minutes, the pennies, the scraps, — even more than to the large amounts. We are apt to recognize the importance of careful consid- eration in regard to large outlays, but we let the frag- ments of time, money, and material slip through our fingers without thought of their value. And this is a matter of such common occurrence, and one which it requires such every-day vigilance to prevent, that it is [153] 154 EVEBY-DAT WORK. well worth our while to study some of the ways in which we may avoid waste in housekeeping. Economy is largely a relative term ; it is a matter which must correspond with surrounding circumstances and conditions. Sometimes money or material is really of less value than time or health ; and what might in one case show the best and most prudent management, would in another instance be the poorest kind of economy. ' ' Real waste of anything is loss without any equivalent gain.-' Economizing Time.— All possess an equal amount of capital as regards time. There are only twenty-four hours of sixty minutes each in any one's day ; yet there are those who accomplish far more than others in a day, because they squander less time, or make more advantageous use of it. In order to learn how to economize one's time, it is necessary first to take an inventory of the use usually made of it. Keeping as careful an account of the ex- penditure of time as one does of money will readily serve to show the points at which retrenchmenl. may be made. "Sorting over " the work to be done and planning ahead for its achievement is a great help toward econ- omy of time. To take a few minutes the evening pre- vious or early in the morning to think over the day's work, and formulate some practical plan for its accom- plishment, will prevent much of the careless loitering on the one hand, and the aimless bustle and flurry on the other, by which time is so often wasted. In some households time is wasted in superfluous work ; in others, it is worse than thrown away in idle gossip ; and sometimes an entire day is devoted to little. ECONOMIZING TIME. 155 unimportant things which ought to have been sand- wiched in between the larger duties of life. Both time and strength are dissipated through want of method. Twice the amount of energy is expended by the unsystematic worker than would be needed for the same work by one who has mastered the art of so managing that the different duties of the day overlap and fit into each other. Without system, one may work almost to the point of exhaustion, and yet accomplish almost nothing, and then wonder, like the man jumping in and out of a bucket all day, "why a body don't get on far when he's kept agoing all day." Keeping things in order saves a great deal of time. A place for everything and everything in its place should be the rule in every home. Let shelves, drawers, cupboards, and closets each have its own appointed contents, which, when used, shall be returned with careful order. It takes no more time nor trouble to put things away at first in their right place than to lay them aside in some wrong place ; while it does take time which soon accu- mulates into wasted hours and days to hunt for mislaid articles, and "straighten up" disordered receptacles. The too common practise of taking what appears the easiest course at the moment, letting things go just as they happen, till there is a general clearing-up time, is in the end a waste of both time and strength. Such spasmodic renovations avail but little. Orderly, sys- tematic work is the great time-saver in housekeeping, as in every other vocation in life. A written program, of which the following is sug- gestive, of the order in which the regular daily work is 156 EVERT-DAY WORK. to be done, kept where it will serve as a constant re- minder, will greatly aid in the establishment of habits of method in one's work: — DAILY MORNING PROGRAM OF KITCHEN WORK. 1. Make the fire ; fill the tea-kettle and reservoirs. Polish the stove, when needed. 2. Dust the kitchen, which should have been left clean and in good order the night before. Wash the hands preparatory to breakfast getting, as it is always essential to have the hands and finger nails clean before handling foods and cooking utensils. 3. Get breakfast. 4. Make any preparations for dinner which may re. quire early attention, 5. Wash dishes, including dish-towels ; clean sinks, hoppers, and garbage receptacles, if any. 6. Extras. Under this division may be arranged dif- ferent duties for regular days, as, for example, one day each week may be devoted to extra cleanuig of cup- boards, reservoirs, ovens, etc. ; two other days to wash- ing and cleaning the refrigerator, extra scouring of utensils and faucets, cleaning of lights, woodwork, walls, windows, and cellar, all of which require more or less of the housekeeper's attention, though not always demanding daily care. 7. Put the kitchen to rights. This should be done after every meal before leaving the kitchen. At the close of the day's work, everything should be left in perfect order. DAILY PBOGBAM. 157 It is desirable to have the housework so planned that work which must be done regularly each week, as baking, washing, and ironing, shall have its own ap- pointed day arranged as best suits the needs and con- venience of the household. There is always a best way of performing even the simplest of household details; seek out this most advantageous method, and save time by employing it. Most housekeepers will find it a great saving of time and vexation to consider the program of the family meals by the week, rather than from day to day, or meal to meal. By this is not meant the arrangement of a weekly routine dietary, but the planning of a week"' 8 meals ahead, at one time. The housekeeper can thus more easily arrange her work and her re- sources so as to make both ends meet, and can also provide a more varied fare; and if changes are needed, they can be easily made by substituting one article for another, as circumstances may demand. Economizing Money. — Economize money by purchasing no unnecessary material, and by always buying that which will yield the best results, even though the first cost may be greater. It is more eco- nomical to buy prunes at twenty cents a pound of a quality so superior that all can be utilized when they are cooked, than to get an inferior quality at ten cents a pound, one half of which must needs be thrown away because too bitter and wormy to be eaten. Sweet prunes are likewise more economical than sour ones, even when of equal cost and quality, because they require the addition of little or no sugar to make them palatable. A low price is not a criterion of econ- 168 EVERY-DAY WORK. omy in the purchase of foods. It is essential to dis- tinguish between inferior and cheap products; for ex- ample, second- or third-rate eggs or oranges are not economical, because they are of an inferior quality; while dried peas, beans, and rice are both cheap and economical, not only because their first cost is small, but because they are usually of good quality and there is little or no waste connected with their use, and also be- cause they are very nutritious. No food can be con- sidered an economical one that is largely deficient in nutritive value; thus economical food purchase is not to be rated alone by the dollars and cents expended, but by the amount of returns in strength, nerve power, and muscular energy. In the purchase of utensils, cost, utility, and dura- bility must all be considered. If one has proper facilities for keeping them, it is generally conceded as being the best economy to buy dry groceries, especially such staples as sugar and flour, by the barrel or case, as they may be thus purchased at wholesale rates. This plan will, however, necessitate careful watching, to see that the material is kept under proper conditions, and does not become spoiled. There is also this disadvantage, which most housekeepers will readily acknowledge, that there is a tendency to make more lavish use of any material of which there is an abundance on hand. Of some dry foods, as the legumes and the various cereal preparations, the purchase of a month's supply is preferable to buying larger quantities, as the foods are thus likely to be fresher, besides the use of a greater variety being permitted. DAILY PROGRAM. 159 Perishable fruits and fresh vegetables should be pur- chased only as needed. Do not purchase unseasonable articles, that is, such as are a rarity on the market, and do not make purchases of perishable food material with- out first giving due consideration to the stock already on hand. It is no economy to purchase some choice bit, even though it may be a bargain, which must spoil on one's hands before it can be used or else necessitate wasting something else to give it a place. It is also essential to an economical use of money that purchases be planned ahead, calculation being made exactly as to how much may be spent for sup- plies, and a list prepared of things to be purchased and the amount of each needed, before going to market. One should also be conversant with the market value of the supplies she desires to purchase, that she may know when she is getting a fair article at reasonable price. Strict account should be kept of all expenditures, balancing it every month with the portion of the in- come which should be devoted to that purpose. If the balance is not on the right side, go over the items with care, and see how expenses could have been reduced. It is wisest to make cash payments ; but if bills are unavoidable, they should be met by weekly or, at the longest, monthly settlements. Longer-time bills not only prove troublesome, but wasteful. Food economists tell us that the majority of people make use of a needless amount of food ; that half or more than half of their earnings are spent for food ; and that in its selection much material is chosen in 160 EVERY-DAY WORK. which the real nutrients are exceedingly costly, because the articles used to furnish them rank so low in nutri- tive value that much is consumed for but a little gain. Real economy comes only through the use of foods containing a proper proportion of the food elements, these being obtained at a moderate cost, and prepared in such a manner as to bring out their full nutritive value. Much not only of money but of strength is wasted in the use of too great a variety of foods at a single meal. We indulge ourselves and our families too nmch in what tastes good. Economy of Material. — After the exercise of economy in the purchase of supplies, there is still to be met the problem of their economical use and preserva- tion. There are few cooks who make such perfect calculations respecting the desires and needs of their families as to provide just enough and no more. In most homes there will accrue bits of food and ' ' left- over " fragments ; nevertheless, scarcely anything need be wasted — certainly nothing which was at first well cooked. There are ways of utilizing almost every kind of cooked food, so that it will be quite as appetizing and nutritious as when first prepared. All left-over foods, as grains, vegetables, or others of a moist character, should be removed to clean dishes before being put away. Unless this precaution is ob- served, the thin smears and tiny bits about the edges of the dish, which become sour and moldy much sooner than the larger mass, are apt to spoil the whole. They should be set on ice or kept in a cool, suitable place until needed, as left-over foods of any kind must be ECONOMY OF MATERIAL. 161 well preserved in order to be again suitable for use. Uses of Stale Bread.— If properly made from wholesome and nutritious material, and well preserved, there are few other foods that can be combined into more varied and palatable dishes than left-over bread. To msure the perfect preservation of the fragments, the loaf itself should receive good care. The receptacle used for containing the loaves should be frequently washed, scalded, and well dried. Crumbs and frag- ments should be kept in a separate receptacle, and as thoroughly cared for. It is well, in cutting bread, not to slice more than will be needed, and to use one loaf before beginning on another. Bread grows stale much faster after it is cut. Whole or half slices of bread which have become too dry to be palatable may be used for making zwieback, directions for the use and preparation of which are given on page 150. Broken pieces of bread not suitable for zwieback, crusts, and trimmings of the loaf make excellent crou- tons, a most palatable accompaniment for soups, gruels hot milk, etc. To prepare the croutons, cut the frag- ments as nearly uniform in size as possible (half inch cubes are convenient), and place them on tins in a warmmg-oven to dry. Let them become crisply dry and lightly browned, but not scorched. They are pref- erable to crackers for use in soups, and require so little work to prepare, and are so economical withal, that one who has once tried them will be likely to keep a supply on hand. Crumbs and still smaller fragments may be utilized for thickening soups and for various dressings and puddings. If bits of bread and crumbs accumulate more rapidly than they can be used, they 162 EVEEY-DAT WOKE, may be carefully dried, not browned, in a warming- oven, or folded in a clean cloth, spread upon a bread-board, and rolled with a rolling-pin until fine. Prepared thus, stored in glass fruit-cans, and put away in a dry place, they will keep almost indefinitely, and are ready for use when needed. For scalloping vege- tables of all kinds, these prepared crumbs are excel- lent ; they give a fine nutty flavor which fresh crumbs do not possess. Left-over Grains. — Left-over grains, if well kept, may be reheated in a double boiler without the addition of water, so as to be quite as palatable as when freshly cooked. Small quantities of them may also be utilized for preparing various kinds of desserts where the ingredients require previous cooking. Rice, barley, pearled wheat, and other whole grains may be satisfactorily used in soups in which a whole grain is required ; oatmeal, rolled oats, corn-meal, grits, etc. , with the addition of a little milk and cream, may be made into delicious gruels ; they may be also used advantageously in the preparation of vegetable soups, many of which are even improved by the addition of a few spoonfuls of well-kept cooked oatmeal or rolled oatSo Left-over Vegetables. — Left-over portions of most varieties of vegetables can be best utilized for soupSo Cold mashed potato may be made into po- tato cakes as directed in the chapter on vegetables, where also may be found many other recipes suited to the use of these left-over foods. Left-over Meats. — Most cook-books offer numer- ous recipes for croquettes, hashes, and fried dishes pre- ECONOMY OF MATERIAL 163 pared from remnants of meat and fish, which, although they serve the purpose of using up the fragments, are not truly economical, because they are generally far from wholesome. Fragments of this character are usually more digestible served cold as a relish or util- ized for soups and stews, than compounded into fancy dishes. Left-over Milk. — Small quantities of unsterilized milk or cream left over should always be carefully scalded, then cooled at once to a temperature of 60° F., and put in a cool place where they will keep sweet and fresh until the next meal. Waste of Fuel. — It is a common mistake to sup- pose that the draft of a stove must be kept open to gain greater heat. Only just enough air should be supplied to promote combustion. Much fuel is wasted through loss of heat from too much draft. A coal fire, when well kindled, needs only air enough to keep it burning. When the coal becomes red all through, it has parted with the most of its heat, and the fire will soon die, unless replenished. To keep a steady fire, add but a small amount of fuel at a time, and repeat often enough to prevent any sensible decrease of the degree of heat. Rake the fire from the bottom, and keep it clear of ashes and cinders. If a very hot fire is needed, open the drafts ; at other times, keep them closed, or par- tially so, so as not to waste fuel. There is no economy in allowing a fire to get low before fuel is added, for the fresh fuel cools the fire to a temperature so low that it is not useful, and thus occasions a direct waste of fuel in again raising the heat to the proper degree, to say nothing of the waste of time and patience. The 164 EVERY-DAY WORK. addition of small quantities of fuel at short intervals, so long as continuous heat is needed, is far better than to let the fuel burn nearly out, and then add a larger quantity. The improper management of the drafts and dampers has also much to do with waste of fuel. As stoves are generally constructed, in order to heat the oven it is necessary for the heat to pass over the top, down the back, and under the bottom of the oven before escaping into the flue. To force the heat to make this circuit, the direct draft of the stove needs to be closed. With this precaution observed, a quick fire from a small amount of fuel, used before its force is spent, will produce better results than a fire-box full under other circumstances. An item of economy for those who use much coal is the careful sifting of cinders from the ashes. They can be used to good advantage to put first upon the kindlings when building the fire, as they ignite more readily than fresh coal, and give a quicker, though much less enduring, heat. GENERAL SUGGESTIONS FOR ECONOMICAL HOUSEWORK. Order of Clearing the Table. — Put back the chairs, and brush all crumbs from the floor. Collect all untouched foods and store them away in clean dishes. Kemove the napkins, sending the soiled ones to the wash, and putting away those clean enough to be used again, care being taken so to designate those reserved for future use that each person shall receive his own again. ECONOMICAL HOUSEWOKK. 165 Gather the silver, placing it, handles upward, in pitchers or other deep dishes of hot water. Now in a deep basin placed upon a small tray, col- lect all the refuse, carefully emptying and scraping the dishes which have contained food as clean as possible, that no crumbs or particles of food be introduced into the dish-water. Pile the dishes as fast as cleaned upon a second tray in readiness for washing. It saves much liability of breakage in transferring from the dining-room to the kitchen, if each kind of soiled dishes be packed by itself. Wipe carefully, if not needing to be washed, and replenish all salts, granola-cups, and sugar-bowls be- fore putting away. Brush the table-cloth, fold in its creases, also the subcover if one be used, and lay both away until again needed. Washing the Dishes. — Plenty of hot water and clean towels are the essential requisites for expeditious and thorough dish- washing. A few drops of crude ammonia added to the water will soften it, and add to the luster of the silver and china. Soap may be used according to circumstances; all greasy dishes require a good strong suds. If the dishes have not been scraped clean, the crumbs should first be rinsed off in a pan of tepid water without a dish-cloth, then carefully washed in clean hot water. There should also be provided two dish-drainers, or trays, unless there is a stationary sink with tray on which to drain the dishes. For washing glassware and fine china, papier-mache tubs are preferable to any- 1G6 EVERY-DAY WORK. tiling else, as they are less liable to occasion breakage of the ware. If many dishes are to be washed, frequent changes of water will be necessary, as the first soon becomes either cold or dirty. Perfectly sweet, clean dishes are not evolved from dirty dish-water. The usual order given for the washing of dishes is : glasses, silver, fine china, cups, saucers, pitchers, plates, and other dishes. This is, however, based upon the supposition that cups and saucers are used for beverages, and that plates are soiled by the use of various greasy foods ; but in families where tea and coffee and animal foods are dispensed with, and saucers are used for grains with cream dressing, the plates are often cleaner than the saucers, and should be washed first. The general rule to be followed is always to wash the dishes least soiled first, and all of one kind together. If for any reason the dishes must wait for a time before being washed, the best plan is to pack them carefully into large pans, cover with warm water, and let them soak. When ready to wash them, prepare hot suds for washing, and clear water for rinsing in additional pans. Do not use too hot water, as a high temperature will break glass, and ' ' check ' ' the enamel of ordinary ware. All dishes used for milk should be first thoroughly rinsed in cold water before being washed in hot water or suds. Be sure that the inside of all cups and pitchers is thoroughly clean. It is a good plan to have a mop 1 ECONOMICAL HOUSEWOKK. 167 made by fastening finger lengths of coarse cotton twine to a suitable handle, for washing the inside of pitchers. In cleaning forks, spoons, or cups which have been employed in eating or beating eggs, rinse them in cold water before putting them into hot suds, as hot water cooks the egg, and causes it to adhere. Common table salt is said to be excellent for removing the tar- nish from silver. Clean Dover egg-beaters by beating in a dish of cold water or by holding under a stream of cold water from the faucet, then carefully rinse and wipe perfectly dry. Do not put the upper part of the beater into hot water, as it will remove the oil from the wheels so that they will not work easily. Grain-boilers and mush-kettles should be allowed to cool, then filled with cold water and left to soak dur- ing the meal hour, when they can be easily cleaned. Tin dishes should be washed with hot suds as soon as possible after using. All tin and iron dishes should be thoroughly dried before putting away, to prevent rusting. For cleansing iron pots, use soft water and soap or washing soda, with a wire dish-cloth or kettle-scraper. If the food adheres to the sides, fill with cold water and soak. Kettles and all dishes placed over a fire should be cleaned on the outside as well as the inside. To re- move the soot, rub first with pieces of dry paper, and afterwards with damp paper, then wash with hot suds and a cloth. Kettles and saucepans burned on the inside may be cleaned by putting a little cold water and ashes in 168 EVEBY-DAY WORK. them and allowing them to soak on the range imtil the water is warm. Porcelain and granite ware utensils stained from food burning on may be cleaned after soaking for a time in a solution of sal-soda, which may be prepared by pouring boiling water over the soda in the propor- tion of two pints of water to one pound of sal-soda, and stirring until dissolved. It may be prepared in quan- tity, and stored in a stone jar until needed. Wash woodenware and bread-boards with cold water and sand soap. In scraping dough from the bread- board, always scrape parallel with the grain of the wood, and be careful not to roughen the surface. Steel knives and forks with ivory or wooden handles should not be put into dish-water. Hot water will expand the steel, and cause the handles to crack. Wipe them thoroughly with the moist dish-cloth, scour with Bath brick, and wipe with a dry towel. Dish-cloth and Towels. — No dishes or utensils can be well cared for without good, clean dish-cloths and towels, and plenty of them. An excellent dish- cloth may be either knit or crocheted in some solid stitch from coarse cotton yarn. Ten or twelve inches square is a good size. Several thicknesses of cheese- cloth basted together also makes a good dish-cloth, as do also pieces of old knitted garments and Turkish toweling. If a dish-mop is preferred, it may be made as follows : Cut a groove an inch from the end of a stick about a foot in length, and of suitable shape for a handle; cut a ball of coarse twine into nine-inch lengths, and lay around the stick with the middle of the strands against the groove ; wind a fine wire or ECONOMICAL HOUSEWOEK. 169 cord around the twine to fasten it in the groove ; then shake down the twine, so it will lie all one way like a mop, and fasten to the handle by tying a second cord around it on the outside. Towels for drying dishes should be of three different grades, — fine ones without lint for glass, silver, and fine china; coarser ones for the ordinary tableware; and still another quality for pans, kettles, and other kitchen-ware. A convenient size is a yard in length and half as wide, with the ends hemmed. As to ma- terial, fine-checked linen is usually employed for glass and silver towels, and crash for ordinary dishes, while for iron and tinware, towels which have become some- what worn, or a coarse bag opened and hemmed, may be used. Old half-worn table-cloths may be made into excellent dish-towels. It is of the greatest importance that all dish-cloths, mops, and towels be kept perfectly sweet and clean. Greasy dish-cloths or sour towels are neither neat nor wholesome, and are a most fertile source of germs, often breeding disease and death. After each dish-washing, the dish-cloth, towels, and mops should be thoroughly washed in hot water with plenty of soap, well rinsed, and hung to dry either upon a line out of doors, or a rack made for the pur- pose near the kitchen range. If care is taken to scrape the dishes clean before washing, and to change the suds as often as it becomes dirty, the towels will not be hard to keep clean. Those used during the week should go into the wash as regularly as other household articles. Cleaning Silver. — If special cleaning is neces- sary, try the following : Place the silver in a pan of 170 EVERY-DAY WOEK. hot water, then with a soft cloth, soaped and sprinkled with powdered borax, scour the silver well ; afterwards rinse with clear cold water, and dry with a clean cloth. If a more thorough cleaning is needed, apply moistened Spanish whiting with a silver brush and soft flannel, afterward polishing with dry whiting and chamois skin. Frequent scouring should be avoided by careful washing, as too much rubbing wears out plated ware, and dulls the best of silver. Tinware which has become blackened may be made bright again by rubbing with a damp cloth dipped in sal-soda. Afterward wipe dry. Sand soap or sapolio may be used for the same purpose. Brass faucets and copper articles may be cleaned by rubbing with whiting wet with aqua ammonia. Yellowed ivory handles may be restored to their original whiteness by rubbing with sandpaper and emery ; mineral soap or pumice-stone may be used for the same purpose. Trays and japanned goods should never have boiling water poured over them, as it will cause the varnish to crack and peel. If a tray is badly soiled, wet with a sponge moistened in warm water and soap, and rub with a dry cloth ; if it looks at all smeary, dust on a little flour and rub again. Marks and scratches may sometimes be removed by rubbing with a flannel cloth dipped in sweet-oil. Care of Table Linen. — Stains upon table linen made by acids and vinegar may be removed by simply washing in clear water ; berry stains are easily taken out by pouring boiling water over them ; peach stains are best removed by soaking for some time in cold ECONOMICAL HOUSEWORK. lYl water, and then washing with soap before allowing-'warm water to touch them. Chlorin water or a solution of ehlorid of lime will remove fruit stains and vegetable colors. Coffee stains rubbed with a mixture of warm water and the yolk of egg are said to disappear when the mixture is washed off with clean warm water. Sour buttermilk well rubbed into the material, dried in, and afterward washed out in several waters, is said to be effectual in removing tea stains. All stains should be removed as soon as possible after being made, and always before the linen is put into the wash. Disposal of Garbage. — The best plan is to burn all leavings and table refuse as fast as collected, which may be done without smell or smoke by opening all the back drafts of the kitchen range, and placing them on the hot coals to dry and burn. Some house- keepers keep in one end of the sink a wire dish-drainer, into which all fruit and vegetable parings are turned. If wet, the water quickly drains from them, and they are ready to be put into the stove, where a very little fire soon reduces them to ashes. All waste products which cannot well be burned may be buried at a dis- tance from the house, but not too much in one spot, and the earth should be carefully covered over after- ward. Under no circumstances should refuse be scat- tered about on the surface of the ground near the Dack door, as heedless people are apt to do. If the table refuse must be saved to feed to animals, it should be carefully sorted, kept free from all dish- water, sour milk, etc. , and used as promptly as possi- ble. It is a good plan to have two tightly covered waste pails of heavy tin to be used on alternate days. 172 EVERY-DAY WORK. When one is emptied, it should be thoroughly cleaned and left to purify in the air and sunshine while the other is in use. Any receptacle for waste should be entirely emptied and thoroughly disinfected each day with boiling suds and an old broom. This is especially imperative if the refuse is to be fed to cows, since the quality of the milk is more or less affected by that of the food. EVERY-DAY BILLS OF FARE. The menus given below are offered merely as sug- gestive of some of the ways the recipes given in these pages may be combined into simple and substantial meals : — BREAKFASTS. No. 1. Fresh Fruit Oatmeal or Wheat with Cream Fruit Toast Breakfast Rolls Graham Bread Baked Apples No. 2 (WITHOUT MILK). Fresh Fruit Browned Rice with Black Rasp- berry Sauce Poached Egg with Tomato Nut Crisps No. 3 (WITHOUT MILK). Granose Flakes Baked or Stewed Fruits Crystal Wheat with Grape Sauce stewed Nuttose with Tomato or Peas Sticks No. 4 (WITHOUT MILK). Fresh Fruit Granola Peach, Apple, or Raisin Mush Whole- Wheat Bread with Nut Butter or Gluten Bread Relisli Sliced Nuttose No. 5 (WITHOUT MILK). Macaroni or Rice with Lentil Gravy Baked Sweet Potato with Tomato Sauce Beaten Biscuit or Graham Crisps with Almonds No. 6. Fresh Fruit Plum Porridge with Zwieback Snowflake Toast Whole-Wheat Puffs with Prune Marmalade [173] 174 EVERT-DAY WORK. No. 1. Cream Pea Soup with Croutons Macaroni with Tomato Boiled Wheat with Cream Whole-Wheat Bread with Stewed Fruit. Rice Cream Pudding DINNERS. No. 4 (WITHOUT MILK). Fruit Soup Nuttose Sandwich Apple Macaroni Browned Wheat with Nut Meal Nut Crisps with Fresh Fruit No. 2 (WITHOUT MILK). Swiss Lentil Soup with Croutons Lettuce Salad with Tomato Dressing Mashed Potato (seasoned with Beaten Egg) Raised Biscuit Graham Crisps with Stewed Fruit Prune Dessert No. 3. Vegetable Oyster Soup Stewed Potato Mashed Peas Cracked Wheat with Cream Corn Puffs Graham Bread Stewed Dried Fruit Nuts No. 5 (WITHOUT MILK). Potato Stew with Nuttose Green Peas Macaroni with Lentil Dressing Water Biscuit Whole-Wheat Bread Apple Pie with Nut Crust No. 6. Asparagus Soup with Croutons Granose Flakes with Poached Egg Baked Potato with Brown Sauce Split Pea Succotash Graham Puffs Cream Crisps Fig Pudding INDEX. PAGE. Air in bread 49 Almond meal gems 149 Almond sauce 121 Apple and strawberry soup.... 101 Apple dessert 114 Apple dessert, baked sweet 114 Apple filling for pie. dried 140 Apple macaroni 34 Apple mush, graham 36 Apple pie, dried 137 Apple pie, dried, with raisins.. 137 Apple rose cream.. 114 Apple sauce, baked 59 Apple tapioca 118 Apple toast 135 Apple with oatmeal 37 Apples and oranges 60 Apples, baked 58 Apples, citron 58 Apples, dried 61 Apples, dried, with other dried fruit 61 Apples, grape 115 Apples, lemon 59 Apples, sweet, and cranberries 60 Apples, sweet, to can with plums 70 Apples, to can 70 Apples, to can with quinces. ... 69 Apples with apricots 60 Apples with raisins 59 Apricot pie, dried 127 Apricot toast 136 Apricots with apples 60 Apricots, dried, and peaches ... 61 Asparagus and peas 88 Asparagus points 88 Asparagus, recipes for 88 Asparagus soup 101 Asparagus, stewed 88 Asparagus toast 88, 136 Asparagus with cream sauce. . . 88 Asparagus with egg sauce 88 PAGK. Banana dessert 119 Banana toast 136 Bananas, baked 115 Bananas in sirup 115 Barley fig pudding. 115 Barley, pearled, with lemon sauce 26 Barley, pearled, with raisins. . . 36 Barley, recipes for 26 Barley soup, cream 103 Battle Creek Sanitarium Health Foods 139 Bean and potato soup 101 Bean and tomato soup 98 Bean gems 53 Bean pie-crust 135 Bean soup, baked 97 Bean soup, black 98, 101 Bean soup, green 104 Bean soup, Lima 105 Beans, baked 74 Beans, lentils mashed with 76 Beans, Lima 93 Beans, mashed 74 Beans, recipes for 74, 94 Beans, shelled 94 Beans, stewed 74 Beans, stewed Lima 75 Beans, string 94 Beet greens 85 Beet hash 85 Beet salad 85 Beets and potatoes 85 Beets, baked 85 Beets, boiled 85 Beets, chopped 85 Beets, recipes for 85 Berry filling for pie 141 Berry toast 136 Biscuit, beaten 55 Biscuit, granose 143 Biscuit, raised 47 Biscuit, water, with egg 55 [175] 176 INDEX. Blackberries, to can 67 Blackberry mush 26 Black raspberry sauce with browned rice 31 Blancmange, cocoanut and corn-starch 115 Blancmange, farina 116 Blancmange, oatmeal 27 Blueberry sauce 23 Blueberry soup 100 Bran stock for soup 98 Bread, batter, recipes for 51 Bi-ead, brown, with crystal wheat 144 Bread, care of 40 Bread custard pudding 119 Bread, fermented or yeast 35 Bread, graham 46 Bread, graham or wheat-meal, salt-rising 48 Bread, lightness of 41 Bread-making, methods of 40 Bread, milk in 40 Bread, milk, with white flour.. 43 Bread, potato 44 Bread, pulled . . 44 Bread, recipes for 43 Bread rolls 54 Bread, rye 45 Bread, salt-rising 45, 48 Bread, temperature for baking 41, 50 Bread, unfermented or aerated 49 Bread, uses of stale 161 Bread, Vienna 43 Uiead, water 43, 44 Bread, wheat-meal 46 Bread, wheat-meal, salt-rising. 48 Bread, whole-wheat 45 Breads, dough, recipes for 54 Breads, whole-wheat 42 Breakfast, grains for 21 Breakfast rolls 54 Brown Betty 117 Brown sauce 94 Buns, plain 131 Cabbage and tomatoes 86 Cabbage, baked 148 Cabbage, boiled 86 Cabbage celery 86 Cabbage, chopped 87 Cabbage hash 86 Cabbage, mashed 87 Cabbage, recipes for 86 Cabbage salad 86 Cabbage, stewed 87 Cake 130 Cake, cream sponge 132 Cake, delicate cup 131 Cake, fruit and nut sponge drop 133 Cake, general suggestions for. . 130 Cake, hoe 63 Cake, layer 133 Cake, orange 133 Cake, pineapple 133 Cake, recipes for 131 Cake, sponge 132 Cake, sunshine 132 Cake, white sponge 133 Cakes, granose drop 143 Cakes, potato 82 Can covers 62 Caramel-cereal 152 Caramel-cereal, recipe for 152 Caramel sauce 121 Carlsbad 151 Carrot soup 102 Carrots 84 Carrots, boiled 84 Carrots, stewed 84 Carrots with egg sauce 84 Cauliflower 85 Cauliflower, boiled 85 Cauliflower, scalloped 86 Cauliflower, stewed 86 Cauliflower with egg sauce 86 Cauliflower with tomato sauce 86 Celery and potato hash 87 Celery, cabbage 86 Celery, potatoes .stewed with. . . 81 Celery, recipes for 87 Celery salad 87 Celery sauce 95 Celery soup 102 Celery, stewed 87 Celery stewed with parsnips ... 84 Celery toast 136 Celery with tomato sauce 87 Cereallne flakes 28 Cereals, food value of 18 Cereals, variety in the use of. . . 18 Cherries, to can 69 Cherry toast 137 INDEX. 1Y7 Citron apples 58 Cocoanut and corn-starch blancmange 115 Cocoanut pie 126 Cocoanut sauce 131 Corn and lentil soup 99 Corn and tomatoes, stewed 90 Corn, baked 93 Corn dodgers 53 Corn, green, boiled 93 Corn, green, stewed 93 Corn, hulled 28 Corn-meal cubes 28 Corn-meal mush 28 Corn-meal mush with fruit 38 Corn-meal pie-crust 135 Corn or maize, recipes for 28 Corn puffs 52, 53 Corn pulp, stewed 93 Corn, recipes for 92 Corn soup, Irish 101 Corn soup, canned 102 Corn soup, green 104 Corn-starch fruit mold 116 Corn-starch with raisins 116 Corn, to hull 28 Crab-apples, to can 70 Crackers, fruit 56 Cranberries 60 Cranberries and sweet apples . . 60 Cranberries with raisins 60 Cranberry pie 127 Cranberry pudding-sauce 131 Cream, apple rose 114 Cream barley soup 103 Cream crisps 55, 56 Cream, eggs in Ill Cream filling for pie 126 Cream, gluten 146 Cream graham rolls 54 Cream gravy 95 Cream, hot, with dry toast 137 Cream, mock 122 Cream pie 127 Cream pea soup 103 Cream pudding, rice 117 Cream sauce 94 Cream sauce with asparagus. . . 88 Cream sauce with macaroni 33 Cream sauce with parsnips 84 Cream sauce with poached eggs 113 13 Cream soup, tomato 106 Cream sponge cake . . 133 Cream toast 137 Cream toast with poached egg 137 Crisps, cream 55, 56 Crisps, graham 56 Crisps, nut 56 Crisps, sugar 133 Crystal wheat 144 Crystal wheat custard pudding 145 Crystal wheat fruit pudding... 145 Crystal wheat, recipes for 144 Cubes, corn-meal 28 Currant puffs 53 Custard, boiled 119 Custard, cup 130 Custard, farina 120 Custard, gluten 146 Custard, granose fruit 142 Custard pie, simple 129 Custard pie, sweet apple 139 Custard pudding, bread 119 Custard pudding, crystal wheat 145 Custard, tapioca 120 Dates with gluten mush 146 Dates with wheat-meal or gra- ham mush 25 Dessert, apple 114 Dessert, baked sweet apple 114 Dessert, banana 119 Dessert, granose fruit 143 Dessert, molded granose 143 Dessert, prune 115 Desserts and puddings, sauces for 121 Desserts, fruit, recipes for 114 Desserts of fruit, with grains, bread, etc., recipes for 115 Dish-cloth 168 Dish- washing 165 Dodgers, corn 53 Dressing for grains 31 Dressing, lentil 148 Dressing, lentil, with macaroni 34 Dressing, tomato, with lettuce salad 89 Dressings for grains, recipes for 22 Dumplings, granose 143 Egg with water biscuit 55 Egg sauce 95 178 INDEX. Egg sauce with asparagus 88 Egg sauce with carrots 84 Egg sauce with parsnips 84 Egg sauce with summer squash 90 Egg sauce with cauliflower 86 Egg with granose 143 Eggs 50,108 Eggs, how to choose 108 Eggs in cream Ill Eggs in shell 110 Eggs in sunshine Ill Eggs poached in tomatoes Ill Eggs, poached or dropped 113 Eggs, poached, with cream sauce 113 Eggs, poached, with cream toast 137 Eggs, pumpkin pie without 138 Eggs, quickly prepared 113 Eggs, recipes for 110 Eggs, scrambled 113 Eggs, scrambled, with tomato. . 112 Eggs, squash pie without 129 Eggs, steamed 113 Eggs, to beat 109 Expenditures, keeping strict account of 159 Farina 24 Farina blancmange 116 Farina custard 120 Farina fruit mold 117 Farina, molded 25 Farina pie 127 Farina with fig sauce 24 Farina with fresh fruit 24 Fig pudding, steamed 130 Fig sauce with farina 24 Fig sauce with rice 30 Flakes, cerealine 28 Flour, how to select 35 Flour, to keep 36 Fruit 57 Fruit and nut sponge drop cake 133 Fruit crackers 56 Fruit custard, granose 143 Fruit dessert, granose 143 Fruit, fresh, with farina 24 Fruit, fresh, with wheat 24 Fruit loaf 44 Fruit, mixed, to can 69 Fruit mush, granola 139 Fruit mush, oatmeal 26 Fruit pies 127 Fruit pudding, crystal wheat.. 145 Fruit pudding, plain 117 Fruit pudding, stewed 118 Fruit, recipes for canning 66 Fruit, recipes for cooking 58 Fruit roll . ... 44 Fruit rolls 55 Fruit sauce 121 Fruit sirup, to can 71 Fruit soup 100 Fruit soup, sago 100 Fruit, sugar in 64 Fruit, suggestions for canning 63 Fruit, suggestions for cooking. 57 Fruit, time of cooking . 64 Fruit with corn-meal mush 28 Fruits, selecting 63 Fruits, small 61 Fruits, small, to can 67 Fuel, waste of 163 Garbage, disposal of 171 Gems, almond meal 149 Gems, gluten meal 146 Gems, granola 53 Gems, rye 52 Gluten 145 Gluten and granola mush 140 Gluten bread relish 147 Gluten cream 146 Gluten custard 146 Gluten gravy 146 Gluten gruel 145 Gluten gruel, lemon 146 Gluten meal gems 146 Gluten meal gruel 146 Gluten mush 146 Gluten mush with dates 146 Gluten, recipes for 145 Gluten, tomato 146 Gooseberries, to can 67 Graham bread 46 Graham crisps 56 Graham gems 52 Graham grits 25 Graham puffs 51 Graham rolls, cream 54 Grains, directions for cooking 19 Grains, dressing for 21 Grains, dressings for 22 Grains for breakfast 81 INDEX. 179 Grains, left-over 162 Grains, points to be observed in the cooliing of 20 Grains, preparation of 19 Grains, storing of 19 Granola 139 Granola and gluten mush 140 Granola crust for pies 140 Granola fruit mush 139 Granola gems 53 Granola with macaroni 33 Granola mush 139 Granola mush, grape 140 Granola' mush, raspberry 139 Granola peach mush 139 Granola, recipes for 139 Granose 141 Granose biscuit 143 Granose dessert molded 142 Granose drop cakes 143 Granose dumplings 143 Granose dumplings with nut meal 143 Granoso fruit custard. 142 Granose fruit dessert 142 Granoso pudding 1-12 Granose, recipes for 143 Granose shortcake 143 Granose with egg 142 Grape apples 115 Grape granola mush 140 Grape juice, to can 71 Grape sauce 22 Grape tart 126 Grape toast 137 Grapes, to can. .., 70 Gravy, gluten 146 Gravy, lentil, with macaroni ... 34 Gravy, lentil, with rice 76 Gravy, pease 95 Gravy toast 137 Gravy, tomato 91, 95 Gravy, tomato cream 95 Greens, beet 85 Grits 29 Grits, graham 35 Gruel, gluten 145 Gruel, gluten meal 146 Gruel, lemon gluten 146 Hash, beet 85 Hash, cabbage 86 Hash, nuttose 150 Hash, potato 82 Hash, potato and celery 87 Hoc cake 53 Hominy, coarse 29 Hominy, fine 29 Housework, suggestions for economical 164 Kornlet with macaroni 34 Lemon apples 59 Lemon filling for pie 126, 141 Lemon gluten gruel 146 Lemon pudding-sauce 121 Lemon sauce 22 Lemon sauce with pearled barley 26 Lemon sirup, to can 73 Lentil and corn soup 99 Lentil and parsnip soup 105 Lentil and tomato soup 148 Lentil dressing 148 Lentil dressing with macaroni 34 Lentil gravy with macaroni 34 Lentil gravy with rice 76 Lentil pur6e 75 Lentil soup 104 Lentil soup, Swiss 99 Lentil toast 137 Lentils mashed with beans 76 Lentils, savory 76 Lentils with nuts 148 Lettuce, recipes for 89 Lettuce salad with tomato dressing 89 Lettuce with nuttose 150 Loaf, fruit 44 Macaroni 33 Macaroni and tomato soup 99 Macaroni, apple 34 Macaroni baked with granola. . 33 Macaroni, boiled 33 Macaroni in soups 33 Macaroni, peach 34 Macaroni, recipes for 33 Macaroni, to prepare and cook 32 Macaroni, to select 32 Macaroni with cream sauce 33 Macaroni with kornlet 34 Macaroni with lentil dressing. . 34 180 INDEX. Macaroni with lentil gravy 34 Macaroni with raisins 34 Macaroni with tomato sauce. . . 33 Manioca mold, raspberry 119 Marmalade, prune 62 Mastication of food 22 Material, economy of 180 Meal-getting 17 Meats, left-over 162 Milk, left-over 163 Mold, corn-starch fruit 116 Mold, farina fruit 117 Mold, raspberry manioca 119 Money, economizing 157 Mush, blackberry 26 Mush, browned 28 Mush, corn-meal . 28 Mush, corn-meal, with fruit 28 Mush, gluten 146 Mush, gluten, with dates 146 Mush, granola 139 Mush, granola and gluten 140 Mush, granola fruit 189 Mush, granola peach 139 Mush, grape granola 140 Mush, oatmeal.. 26 Mush, oatmeal fruit 26 Mush, peach 26 Mush, raspberry granola 139 Mush, rye 31 Mush, wheat-meal or graham . . 25 Mush, wheat-meal or graham apple 26 Mush, wheat-meal or graham, with dates 25 Nut butter 147 Nut butter pie-crust 148 Nut butter puffs 149 Nut butter, recipes for 148 Nut butter sandwiches 149 Nut crisps 56 Nut crust 125 Nut meal 147 Nut meal, recipes for 148 Nut meal with granose dump- lings 143 Nut sauce 148 Nut sticks 56 Nuts with lentils 148 Nuttose 149 Nuttose hash 150 Nuttose with potato stew 150 Nuttose sandwich 150 Nuttose stew 150 Nuttose, stewed 149 Nuttose stewed with tomato 150 Nuttose with green vegetables 150 Nuttose with lettuce 150 Oatmeal blancmange 27 Oatmeal fruit mush 26 Oatmeal, jellied 27 Oatmeal mush 26 Oatmeal porridge 27 Oatmeal, recipes for 26 Oatmeal with apple 27 Oats, rolled 27 Okra and tomato soup 107 Okra, tomato with 91 Omelet, plain 113 Orange cake 133 Orange rice 30 Orange sauce 122 Oranges and apples 60 Oyster soup, vegetable 107 Oyster toast, vegetable 138 Oysters, vegetable 91 Oysters, vegetable, scalloped.. 91 Oysters, vegetable, stewed 93 Parsnip and lentil soup 105 Parsnips, baked 83 Parsnips, boiled 83 Parsnips, mashed 84 Parsnips, recipes for 83 Parsnips stewed with celery ... 84 Parsnips with cream sauce 84 Parsnips with egg sauce 84 Pasta d' Italia 33 Pastry 133 Pea and tomato soup 106 Pea soup, cream 103 Pea soup, green 104 Pea soup, green, canned 103 Pea soup, split 99 Pea soup, vegetable 99 Pea succotash, split 74 Peas and asparagus 88 Peas, mashed 74 Peas pur6e 73 Peas, recipes for 73 Peas, split, stewed 73 Peas, stewed 93 INDEX. 181 Peas, sweet, split 73 Pease gravy 95 Peach macaroni 34 Peach mush 26 Peach mush, granola 139 Peach sauce 123 Peach sauce, evaporated 61 Peach toast 138 Peaches and dried apricots — 61 Peaches, rice with 30 Peaches, to can 67 Peanut and tomato purSe 76 Peanuts, coolced 76 Pears, baked 59 Pears, dried 61 Pears, to can 68 Pie, berry filling for 141 Pie, cocoanut 136 Pie, cranberry 127 Pie, cream 137 Pie-crust, bean 135 Pie-crust, corn-meal — 135 Pie-crust, nut 125 Pie-crust, nut butter 148 Pie, custard filling for 140 Pie, dried apple 137 Pic, dried apple filling for 140 Pie, dried apple with raisins. . . 137 Pie, dried apricot 137 Pie, farina 127 Pie, lemon filling for 141 Pie, prune filling for 140 Pie, pumpkin 128 Pie, pumpkin, without eggs... 138 Pie, simple custard 139 Pie, squash 139 Pie, squash without eggs 129 Pie, sweet-apple custard 139 Pie, sweet potato 129 Pies, cream filling for 126 Pies, fruit 137 Pies, granola crust for 140 Pies, paste for .125 Pies, recipes for 135 Pies, suggestions for making.. 124 Pineapple cake 133 Pineapple tapioca 118 Pineapples, to can 70 Plum porridge 26 Plums, to can 69 Plums with sweet apples, to can 70 Porridge, oatmeal 27 Porridge, plum 26 Potato and bean soup 101 Potato and rice soup 105 Potato bread 44 Potato hash 83 Potato hash and celery 87 Potato pie, sweet 139 Potato soup 105 Potato soup, Swiss 106 Potato stew with nuttose 150 Potatoes and beets 85 Potatoes, baked 80 Potatoes, baked, sweet 83 Potatoes, boiled 79 Potatoes, boiled, sweet 83 Potatoes, broiled 80 Potatoes, mashed 80 Potatoes, mashed, sweet 83 Potatoes, new 81 Potatoes, recipes for 79 Potatoes, roasted 79 Potatoes, scalloped 81 Potatoes, steamed 79 Potatoes, stewed 81 Potatoes stewed with celery — 81 Potatoes, stuffed 80 Potatoes, warmed-over 83 Program of daily work 155 Program of kitchen work 156 Prune dessert 115 Prune filling for pie 140 Prune marmalade 63 Prune toast 137 Prunes 63 Pudding, apple tapioca 118 Pudding, barley fig 115 Pudding, bread custard 119 Pudding, cracked wheat 116 Pudding, crystal wheat custard 145 Pudding, crystal wheat fruit. . . 145 Pudding, granose 143 Pudding, pineapple tapioca — 118 Pudding, plain fruit 117 Pu dding, rice cream 117 Pudding, rice with raisins 117 Pudding-sauce, cranberry 121 Pudding-sauce, lemon 131 Pudding-sauce, plain 122 Pudding, steamed fig 120 Pudding, stewed fruit 118 Puffs, corn 53. 53 Puffs, currant 53 182 INDEX. Puffs, graham 51, 53 Puffs, nut butter 149 Puffs, rye 52 Puffs, whole- wheat 51 Pumpkin pie 128 Pumpltin pie without eggs 128 Pur^e, lentil 75 Pur6e, peanut and tomato 76 Purge, peas 73 Quinces, baked 59 Quinces with apples, to can 69 Radishes, recipes for 89 Kaisins, stewed 60 Kaisins with apples 59 Eaisins with corn-starch 116 Raisins with cranberries 60 Raisins with dried apple pie 127 Raisins with macaroni 34 Eaisins with pearled barley.. . . 26 Raisins with rice 30 Raisins with rice pudding 117 Raisins with wheat 33 Raspberries, to can 67 Raspberry granola mush 139 Raspberry manioca mold 119 Raspberry sauce, black 23 Raspberry sauce, black, with browned rice 31 Rice and potato soup 105 Rice, boiled 29 Rice, browned 30 Rice, browned, with black rasp- berry sauce 31 Rice cream pudding 117 Rice, orange 80 Rice pudding with raisins 117 Rice, recipes for 29 Rice soup, plain 105 Rice, steamed 30 Rice with fig sauce 30 Rice with lentil gravy 76 Rice with peaches 30 Rice with raisins. 30 Roast, vegetable 144 Roll, fruit 44 Rolls 47 Rolls, breakfast 54 Rolls, cream, graham 54 Rolls, French 47 Rolls, fruit 55 Rolls, imperial 47 Russian grenadiers 18 Rye bread 45 Rye gems 52 Rye mush 31 Eye puffs 52 Rye, recipes for. . 31 Eye, rolled 31 Sago fruit soup 100 Salad, beet 85 Salad, cabbage 87 Salad, celery 87 Salad, lettuce, with tomato dressing 89 Salad, tomato 91 Samp 28 Sandwich, nuttose 150 Sandwiches, nut butter 149 Sauce, almond 121 Sauce, baked apple 59 Sauce, black raspberry 23 Sauce, black raspberry, with bi'o wned rice 31 Sauce, blueberry 23 Sauce, brown 94 Sauce, caramel 121 Sauce, celery 95 Sauce, cocoanut 121 Sauce, cranberry pudding 121 Sauce, cream 94 Sauce, cream, with asparagus 88 Sauce, cream, with macaroni.. 33 Sauce, cream, with parsnips — 84 Sauce, cream, with poached eggs 112 Sauce, egg 95 Sauce, egg, with asparagus 88 Sauce, egg, with carrots 84 Sauce, egg, with cauliflower 86 Sauce, egg, with parsnips 84 Sauce, egg, with summer squash 90 Sauce, evaporated peach 61 Sauce, fruit 121 Sauce, grape 22 Sauce, lemon 22 Sauce, lemon pudding 121 Sauce, nut 148 Sauce, orange 123 Sauce, peach 122 Sauce, pearled barley with lemon 26 INDEX. 183 Sauce, plain pudding 122 Sauce, red 122 Sauce, rice with fig 30 Sauce, strawberry 23 Sauce, tomato, witli cauliflower 80 Sauce, tomato, with celery 87 Sauce, tomato, with macaroni 33 Scottish Highlanders 18 Seeds, leguminous .. 73 Seeds, leguminous, recipes for 73 Shortcake, granose 143 Silver, cleaning 169 Soup, asparagus 101 Soup, baked bean 97 Soup, bean and potato 101 Soup, bean and tomato 98 Soup, black bean 98, 101 Soup, blueberry 100 Soup, bran stock for 98 Soup, brown 102 Soup, canned corn 103 Soup, canned green pea 102 Soup, carrot 102 Soup, celery 102, 103 Soup, combination 98, 103 Soup, cream barley 103 Soup, cream pea 103 Soup, fruit 100 Soup, green bean 104 Soup, green corn 104 Soup, green pea 104 Soup, Irish corn 101 Soup, lentil 104 Soup, lentil and corn 99 Soup, lentil and parsnip 105 Soup, lentil and tomato 148 Soup, Lima bean 105 Soup, pea and tomato lOB Soup, plain rice 105 Soup, potato 105 Soup, potato and rice 105 Soup, quickly prepared 148 Soup, sago fruit 100 Soup, split pea 99 Soup, strawberry and apple — 101 Soup, Swiss lentil 99 Soup, Swiss potato 106 Soup, tomato and macaroni 99 Soup, tomato and okra 107 Soup, tomato cream 106 Soup, tomato, with vermicelli.. 107 Soup, vegetable 99, 107 Soup, vegetable oyster 107 Soup, vegetable pea 99 Soups 96 Soups, recipes for 97 Soups, with milk and cream, recipes for 101 Soups without milk, recipes for 97 Spaghetti 32 Spinach, recipe for S8 Sponge bread 40 Squash, baked 90 Squash, mashed summer 90 Squash pie 129 Squash pie without eggs 139 Squash, recipes for 90 Squash, steamed 90 Squash, summer, stewed 90 Squash, summer, with egg sauce 90 Sticks 54 Sticks, nut 56 Strawberries, to can 66 Strawberry and apple soup 101 Strawberry sauce 23 Succotash 75 Succotash, pulp 75 Succotash, split pea 74 Succotash, summer 93 Sugar in fruit 64 Sugar with grains 23 Table linen, care of 170 Table, order of clearing 164 Tapioca, apple 118 Tapioca custard, 120 Tapioca, pineapple 118 Tart, grape 126 Tart shells, paste for 126 Temperature for baking bread 41 Time, economizing 154 Toast, apple 135 Toast, apricot 136 Toast, asparagus 136 Toast, asparagus on 88 Toast, banana 136 Toast, berry 136 Toast, celery 136 Toast, cherry 137 Toast, cream 137 Toast, cream, with poached egg 137 Toast, dry, with hot cream 137 Toast, grape 137 Toast, gravy 137 184 INDEX. Toast, lentil 137 Toast, peach 138 Toast, prune 137 Toast, snowflake 138 Toast, tomato 138 Toast, vegetable oyster 138 Toasts 134 Toasts, recipes for 135 Tomato and bean soup 98 Tomato and lentil soup 148 Tomato and okra soup 107 Tomato and macaroni soup 99 Tomato and peanut pur6e 7(5 Tomato and pea soup 106 Tomato cream gravy 95 Tomato cream soup 106 Tomato dressing with lettuce salad 89 Tomato gluten 146 Tomato gravy 91, 95 Tomato salad 91 Tomato sauce with cauliflower 86 Tomato sauce with celery 87 Tomato sauce with macaroni.. 33 Tomato soup with vermicelli... 107 Tomato stewed with nuttose . . 150 Tomato toast 138 Tomato with okra 91 Tomato with scrambled egg... 113 Tomatoes and cabbage 86 Tomatoes and stewed corn 90 Tomatoes, eggs poached in Ill Tomatoes, recipes for 90 Tomatoes, scalloped 90 Tomatoes, stewed 91 Tomatoes, to can 72 Towels, care of I68 Turnips, boiled 83 Turnips, chopped, 83 Turnips, mashed 83 Turnips, recipes for 83 Turnips, scalloped 83 Vegetable oyster soup 107 Vegetable oyster toast 138 Vegetable oysters, recipes for 91 Vegetable oysters, scalloped. . . 91 Vegetable oysters, stowed 93 Vegetable pea soup 99 Vegetable roast 144 Vegetable soup 99, 107 Vegetables 77 Vegetables, gravies and sauces for 94 Vegetables, keeping 77 Vegetables, left-over 163 Vegetables, green, with nuttose 150 Vegetables, preparation and cooking of 78 Vegetables, recipes for 79 Vegetables, to select 77 Vermicelli 33 Vermicelli with tomato soup... 107 Vienna bread 43 Wheat, boiled 23 Wheat, browned 24 Wheat, cracked 33 Wheat, cracked, pudding 116 Wheat-meal bread 46 Wheat-meal or graham apple mush 26 Wheat-meal or graham mush. . 25 Wheat-meal or graham mush with dates 25 Wheat, molded 24 Wheat, pearled 23 Wheat, recipes for 23 Wheat, rolled 23 Wheat with fresh fruit 24 Wheat with raisins 23 Whole-wheat bread 45 Whole-wheat puffs 51 Wine, unfermented, to can 71 Work, every-day, hints about.. 153 Yeast 37 Yeast, boiled potato 39 Yeast, compressed 37 Yeast foam 37 Yeast, hop 39 Yeast, liquid 37 Yeast, raw potato 38 Yeast, recipes for liquid 38 Yeast, raisin 39 Yeast, tests for 37 Zwieback 134, 151