Chapter III: Part 3

Put to cook one-half cup of macaroni broken into inch pieces into three cups of boiling water; boil for about an hour, or until perfectly tender, adding more water if necessary. When done, put into a pudding dish, and pour over two cups of stewed tomatoes previously rubbed through a colander. Add a little salt, a few bits of butter, a half cup of sweet cream, and bake in the oven till done. If the tomatoes are quite juicy, a teaspoonful of flour may be used for thickening.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES

Take one quart of stewed fresh or canned tomatoes, rub through a colander, and thicken with a cupful of bread or cracker crumbs; add a little salt, a few spoonfuls of cream, and bake for twenty or thirty minutes.

BOILED BEANS

Pick over, wash, and soak two cupfuls of beans overnight in cold water. In the morning drain, and put to cook in hot water. Cook slowly for two or three hours, or until perfectly tender, adding more hot water as needed, as they should be quite juicy when done; avoid much stirring. Season with salt and a little butter or cream. Colored beans having too strong a flavor may be improved by parboiling for fifteen minutes, then draining, and putting to cook in fresh boiling water.

BOILED BEANS WITH RICE

Wash and soak two cupfuls of beans in cold water overnight; in the morning put to cook, and after about an hour add one-half cup of well-washed rice. Cook slowly until done, season as above, and serve.

BAKED BEANS

Take two cupfuls of beans, pick over, wash, soak overnight, and cook the same as boiled beans. When done, add a little butter and salt, and two tablespoonfuls of molasses; turn into a pudding dish, and bake until nicely browned. A little hot water should be added occasionally to prevent their becoming too dry.

BAKED GREEN BEANS AND CORN

Shell the beans, and cut the sweet corn from the cob. Put layers of each in equal quantities in a bean pot or pan, seasoning with salt and butter. Add boiling water to cover, and bake in the oven for about two hours, adding more hot water as it becomes absorbed.

MASHED BEANS

Soak overnight two cupfuls of beans, and cook the same as boiled beans. When very tender, and the water nearly absorbed, rub through a colander to remove the skins; add half a cup of cream or of rich, sweet milk and a little butter; put into a shallow dish, smooth the top with a knife or spoon, and place in the oven to brown.

STRING BEANS

Wash, break off each end, stripping the strong fibers from end to end. Cut or break into inch lengths, and put to cook in enough boiling, slightly salted water to cover. Cook from one to two hours, or until very tender, the length of time required depending upon the age and variety of the beans. The water should be quite absorbed when done. Add a little milk and butter if cream is not available. Let come to a boil, and serve.

SPLIT PEAS

Look over carefully, wash, and put to cook in a good quantity of cold water. Let come to a boil, then simmer until tender and the water quite absorbed. Press through a colander if desired to remove the skins, season with salt, and cream or butter, and serve.

GREEN PEAS

Shell, and put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, allowing one cupful of water to every four cups of peas. If they are old, and need longer cooking, add more water if necessary. Cover, and cook rather slowly till tender. About thirty minutes’ cooking for fresh, young peas will be found sufficient. When done, pour over a cupful of sweet milk, heat to boiling, and thicken with a little flour. Season with a little salt, and a spoonful of cream or a small piece of butter.

LENTILS

Cook, season, and serve the same as split peas, only less water and less time for cooking will be required.

BAKED RICE

Take one cupful of rice, wash well by turning into a colander and dipping in and out of warm water, put into a pudding dish, and pour over four cupfuls of milk, or two each of milk and water, adding a little salt. Bake about an hour, stirring once or twice before the top becomes hard. Serve as a vegetable with lentil sauce.

PLAIN BOILED RICE

Wash thoroughly one cupful of rice, and sprinkle it slowly into a granite saucepan containing two or three quarts of rapidly boiling, slightly salted water. If the grains sink to the bottom, stir gently until they keep in motion themselves. Boil rapidly, without covering, for thirty minutes, or until soft; then drain through a colander and rinse with hot water to remove all starch. The grains should be separate and distinct from one another. It may be served with a tomato sauce. See page 77.

SPAGHETTI WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Break in pieces and cook in boiling, salted water, or cook whole by dipping the ends in the hot water, and as they bend, coil them around in the saucepan. Cook for twenty or thirty minutes, or until soft, then drain, rinse with hot water to remove starch if it is sticky, turn into a dish and pour over a hot tomato sauce, made as directed on page 77.

STEWED CAULIFLOWER

Carefully separate into small portions; examine closely to make sure there are no insects on it; let stand a short time in cold water, then put into boiling, salted water, and cook from twenty to forty minutes, or until tender. Drain, season with a little butter or cream, or serve with cream sauce poured over it.

CAULIFLOWER WITH TOMATO SAUCE

Cook the same as stewed cauliflower. When done, drain, turn into a dish, and pour over it a hot tomato sauce.

STEWED CABBAGE

Remove the outer leaves, divide into halves, cut very fine with a sharp knife, omitting the heart. Put into a saucepan with a half cup of boiling water, add a little salt, cover closely, and cook until tender, adding a little more hot water, if it becomes too dry before it is done. When done, add a few spoonfuls of cream, allow to heat, and serve.

BOILED CABBAGE

Remove the outer leaves, place in cold water for half an hour, then quarter, and put to cook in boiling water, adding a little salt. Boil vigorously for about thirty minutes; turn into a colander, remove the heart and coarse portions, press out all the water, return to the saucepan, and season with butter or cream; allow to heat, and serve on a hot dish at once.

BOILED CELERY

Take one bunch of celery, cut off tops and roots, scrape and wash the stalks, then cut them into small pieces, and put to cook in boiling water. Let cook for fifteen or twenty minutes, or until tender; drain, turn into a heated dish, and pour over a cream sauce. For making cream sauce see page 77.

STEWED ASPARAGUS

Wash, break into small pieces, and cook from twenty to thirty minutes in just enough water to cover; when tender, drain, add a little butter and salt and a cup of milk; let come to a boil, and thicken with a teaspoonful of flour. Boil up and serve.

BOILED CARROTS

Select small or medium-sized carrots, wash, scrape, rinse in cold water, then put to cook in boiling water; cook about thirty minutes, or until tender, then drain. Serve as boiled, or slice them into a heated vegetable dish, and pour over them a cream sauce prepared as directed on page 77.

BOILED PARSNIPS

Prepare and cook the same as boiled carrots.

BAKED PARSNIPS

Wash, scrape, rinse, divide in halves, add a little more than enough boiling water to cook them, and boil slowly until tender; place in a shallow dish, pour over the juice that remains, add a little salt, a spoonful or two of cream, and place in the oven until nicely browned, basting occasionally.

STEWED TURNIPS

Pare the turnips, cut into slices, and cook until perfectly tender; then drain, mash fine with a spoon or potato masher, season with salt, a little butter or cream if desired, and serve.

SLICED CUCUMBERS

Pare the cucumbers, slice them very thin into a dish, sprinkle with salt, cover loosely, and shake briskly to distribute the salt; let stand for about half an hour; then drain off all the water, and shortly before serving pour over the juice of one or two lemons. A spoonful or two of cream may be added if desired. Cucumbers should be thoroughly masticated. Their reputed indigestibility is largely due to a failure in this particular.

BOILED ONIONS

Cut off the tops and bottoms, remove the outer skins, and put to cook in cold water; boil fifteen minutes; then drain, and cook in boiling, salted water until tender; turn into a pudding dish, and cut into small pieces; pour over a cupful of hot cream sauce, sprinkle the top with bread crumbs, and bake until brown. For making cream sauce see page 77.

BAKED SQUASH

Cut into sections, and place shell downward on the top shelf of the oven. Bake until tender, and serve hot in the shell; or, scrape out the inside, mash, add a few spoonfuls of cream or a little butter, and serve.

STEWED SQUASH

Peel, remove seeds, cut into small pieces, and stew until tender in a little boiling water; drain, mash smooth, and season with butter and salt. Vegetable marrows may be prepared in the same manner.

SUCCOTASH

Soak one cupful of beans overnight. When ready to cook, add water and one cupful of dried sweet corn, and cook until tender. Season with salt, a little cream or butter, and serve. If green sweet corn is used, do not add it to the beans until they are nearly done.

BOILED SWEET CORN

Select full-grown ears, not old and hard, but full of milk; remove the husks and silks, and put to cook in enough boiling, salted water to cover. Boil from thirty to forty minutes; when done, drain, and serve on the cob hot, with a little butter if desired. The corn from ears not eaten may be cut from the cob and warmed up with a little cream or butter for the next meal.

STEWED SWEET CORN

Remove husks and silks, stand the ears in a dish, and with a sharp knife cut off the corn from the top downward, taking a little more than half of the kernel in depth; then scrape gently downward to get the remainder of the milk and meat of each kernel. Place in a saucepan, add half a cup of water for each quart of corn, and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes. When done, add a little salt, a half cup of cream, or a cup of milk and a little butter, boil up and serve. The milk may be slightly thickened with flour, if desired.

BAKED BEETS

Take young, tender beets, wash clean, place in a baking dish with a little water, and bake from one to two hours, or until tender; add a little hot water occasionally if they become dry. When done, remove the skins, slice, and serve with lemon-juice.

BOILED BEETS

Cut off the tops, but avoid cutting the beets; put to cook in boiling water. When tender, remove to a pan of cold water; rub off the skins with the hands, slice thin, and serve with lemon-juice.

BEET GREENS

Take the tops from young, tender beets, look over, put to cook in boiling, slightly salted water, and cook until tender; then drain in a colander; chop rather fine, and serve with lemon-juice.

SPINACH

Look over carefully a good quantity of spinach, rejecting all wilted and decayed leaves. Wash thoroughly in several waters, and put to cook in slightly salted, boiling water, and boil from twenty to thirty minutes. When tender, drain in a colander, cut into coarse pieces, and put into a warm dish; add a few bits of butter, and garnish with slices of hard-boiled eggs. Serve with lemon-juice.

CELERY

Remove all the green and decayed parts from the stalks, and put into cold water. When ready to serve, place in a celery glass with the small ends downward. Curl the tops by cutting into narrow strips a little way down. Celery is recommended as a good nerve food.

SALADS AND SALAD DRESSINGS

Plain and healthful living tends to long and happy living.—_Selected._

The foundation of a happy home is laid in the kitchen.—_Marion Harland._

TOMATO SALAD, NO. 1

Peel smooth, ripe tomatoes, cut into thin slices, and arrange in layers in a dish, sprinkling each layer with sugar. Turn over the whole a half cup of lemon-juice before serving.

TOMATO SALAD, NO. 2

Peel, slice, and place in a dish, and sprinkle lightly with salt. To the beaten yolk of one egg add the juice of one or two lemons, a teaspoonful of sugar, and pour all together over the tomatoes.

CABBAGE SALAD, NO. 1

Chop very fine half a small head of crisp cabbage, and put into a dish. Mix together two tablespoonfuls of sugar and the juice of two lemons, and pour over the cabbage; add a spoonful or two of thick cream, stir together, and serve. The cream may be omitted if preferred.

CABBAGE SALAD, NO. 2

Chop the cabbage fine, and dress with mayonnaise dressing. If preferred omit to thin the dressing with cream, and cover the cabbage with whipped cream, slightly sweetened.

CABBAGE AND TOMATO SALAD

Cut the cabbage as above, and put into a dish. Peel and slice two or three large, ripe tomatoes, and place on the cabbage. Toss up lightly in the dish, sprinkle with sugar, and pour over all the juice of two lemons.

LETTUCE SALAD, NO. 1

Separate the leaves, look over, wash, and put into cold water a while before using. When ready to serve, place on a dish and pour over a dressing made of equal quantities of lemon-juice, sugar, and water.

LETTUCE SALAD, NO. 2

Wash and shred two heads of lettuce. Boil two eggs until hard, remove the shells, and mash the yolks fine; mix well together the juice of one or two lemons, two or three tablespoonfuls of water, one tablespoonful of sugar, one-half teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of sweet cream, adding this last to prevent curdling, and the yolks of the eggs, and pour over the lettuce. Cut the whites of the eggs into rings and arrange on the top. A spoonful or two of minced onion may also be added.

POTATO SALAD

Cut into thin slices, hot or cold boiled potatoes, and place in a dish without breaking slices. A small onion, chopped fine, to each pint of potatoes may be added if desired. Cover with mayonnaise dressing.

VEGETABLE SALAD

Put a layer of fresh watercress or lettuce into a salad bowl, then alternate with layers of peeled, thinly sliced cucumber and tomatoes. When enough is prepared, place a border of watercress around the bowl. Just before serving, pour over a French dressing, and toss up lightly with a fork till well mingled.

FRUIT SALAD

Place in salad dish alternate layers of sliced bananas and strawberries, sprinkling each layer with sugar. Cover with whipped cream, and serve.

BANANA SALAD

Slice crosswise six ripe bananas into a dish; sprinkle with powdered sugar, then turn over them the juice of two nice large oranges; let stand for an hour in a cool place, and serve.

NUT AND CELERY SALAD

Take three cupfuls of finely cut, crisp celery, and one cupful of chopped English walnuts; dress with mayonnaise dressing, made thin with a little sweet cream.

FRENCH DRESSING

Mix thoroughly together six tablespoonfuls of oil, a pinch of salt, and two tablespoonfuls of lemon-juice.

MAYONNAISE DRESSING

To the yolks of two fresh eggs add a scant teaspoonful of salt; then beat in slowly, almost drop by drop, a small cupful of olive-oil. The mixture should become nearly as thick as butter. Then gradually add one tablespoonful of lemon-juice. Thin with sweet cream. Nice for potato, cabbage, or nut salads. If used for tomato salad, omit the cream.

SUBSTITUTES FOR MEATS

As a man eateth, so is he.—_German Proverb._

Lord Byron refused to eat meat because, as he said, “It makes me ferocious.”

The flesh of animals tends to cause grossness of body, and to benumb the finer sensibilities of the mind.—“_Bible Hygiene._”

The eating of much flesh fills us with a multitude of evil diseases, and a multitude of evil desires.—_Porphyrises, 233_ A. D.

Animal food is one of the greatest means by which the pure sentiment of the race is depressed.—_Alcott._

The candidates for ancient athletic games were dieted on boiled grain with warm water, cheese, and dried figs, but no meat. Modern athletes are not allowed meat while in training.

I have known men who prayed for a good temper in vain, until their physician proscribed eating so much meat; for they could not endure such stimulation.—_Henry Ward Beecher._

The liability to disease is increased by flesh eating. Where plenty of good milk and fruit can be obtained, there is rarely any excuse for eating animal food.—“_Christian Temperance._”

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From the instruction given at the beginning respecting foods, it is evident the Creator did not design that either man or beast should subsist on flesh foods. To Adam and Eve he said: “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat.” Gen. 1:29, 30.

But sin brought many changes into our world, and because of the changed circumstances, customs, and practises were instituted and allowed which were not in harmony with the primeval order of things. Among other things meat eating was permitted. Just after the flood, when the face of the earth had been desolated, God said to Noah: “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Gen. 9:3. But the blood was not to be eaten with the flesh,—a very wise provision, for if there is any disease in the system, it is sure to be found in the blood.

A little later, as a further precaution in the interests of health, instruction was given that only the flesh of “clean beasts” was to be eaten, such as that of the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, etc. See Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

But for all this it must be admitted that the flesh of animals is not a natural diet for man, nor does it constitute the most healthful food. Of this it may be truly said as Christ said of the granting of a writing of divorcement, it was suffered because of the “hardness” of their hearts, “but from the beginning it was not so.” Matt. 19:8. It was never intended that man should take the life of any innocent, living creature.

Meat eating tends to excite the passions. This is seen in the animal kingdom. The animals that are mild, patient, and docile are generally herbivorous, such as the cow, the sheep, the horse; while the excitable, quick-tempered, and ferocious animals are meat eaters, such as the lion, the tiger, the leopard. A meat diet also tends to constipation, the great scourge of the race.

One object of this work, therefore, is in the interests of health and morality, to educate people out of meat eating rather than into it; and to supply such a variety of recipes for good, wholesome, palatable, and nutritious dishes, prepared from natural food elements, that meat eating will be practically unnecessary.

Moreover, so many animals at the present time are becoming so greatly diseased that it is not a little dangerous to eat largely of their flesh. As a matter of safety the use of flesh-meats might very consistently be dispensed with altogether.

The fact, therefore, that meat may be cheap, or that it may be easily or quickly prepared, should count for little with those who have the best interests of their families in view.

From every standpoint from which the subject may be viewed, the reasons for discontinuing the use of flesh-meats are more imperative now than ever before.

1. This is an age of disease. Animals are coming to be greatly diseased. The use of their flesh, therefore, tends to increase disease in mankind, and thus to shorten life.

2. This is an age of intemperance. Flesh-meats are all more or less stimulating. Their use, therefore, tends to increase this evil.

3. This is an age of surfeiting. Meat eating is, to a large degree, responsible for this. A well-known English writer on cookery says: “No one will deny that the foods we are apt to eat too much of are those absent from a purely vegetarian fare, such as meat, game, fish, eggs, etc., upon which materials the culinary art seems exercised to tempt us beyond the satisfying of the appetite.”

4. This is an age of vice and immorality. A meat diet tends greatly to increase this terrible evil.

5. This is an age of violence and murder. The practise of killing and eating animals tends to harden men’s hearts, to destroy their finer sensibilities, and thus to increase violence and crime.

In the beginning God gave man no flesh foods to eat. And after the Exodus, when he had his own way with his own people, he gave them no flesh to eat. Before taking them into the promised land, for forty years he fed them on “manna,” a purely vegetarian food. Ex. 16:31; Num. 11:7, 8. And when they “fell a lusting,” and said, “Who shall give us flesh to eat?” he was displeased with them, and, with the giving of the quails, brought a great plague upon them. Numbers 11; Ps. 78:18-31.

In the New Testament, the apostle, referring to this experience, warns Christians against falling into the same error. “Now these things,” he says, “were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.... And they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” 1 Cor. 10:5-11.

Evidently, therefore, meat eating is not in harmony with God’s original plan. And it must be that the nearer we bring ourselves into harmony with that plan, the better it will be for us.

To some it may seem difficult to give up the use of meat. But in this, as in all reformatory work, much depends upon the mind. Let the correct principle be first assented to; then, step by step, let the practise be brought into conformity to the principle, making changes gradually, if necessary, leaving off the meat dishes as others more wholesome can be substituted. We should cultivate a love for that which we know to be good and healthful.

To assist those who desire to make this dietetic reform, a few recipes are here given which will be found to be good substitutes for meats.

VEGETABLE AND LENTIL STEW

Soak one-half cup of lentils in a cup of cold water for an hour; then put to cook in three cups of hot water with one turnip, three or four medium-sized potatoes, a small onion, and a stalk or two of celery, all cut into small pieces. Stew for about half an hour, or until well done, and the water quite absorbed. Season with salt, and serve with brown sauce.

VEGETABLE HASH

Boil separately in a small quantity of water, three or four medium-sized potatoes sliced fine, two turnips, one carrot, and an onion, all cut into fine pieces; when done, drain, and turn all together into a saucepan; season with salt, add a teaspoonful of dry, powdered sage, a half cup of sweet cream, or the same quantity of milk, and a small piece of butter, and heat to boiling; then stir in one or two tablespoonfuls of browned flour rubbed to a paste in a little cold water, cook a few minutes longer, and serve hot.

POTATO ROLLS

Take two potatoes, one turnip, a small onion, a stalk of celery, and a little powdered sage; chop all into very fine pieces and mix well together, adding salt as desired. Make a paste as for pies, roll out rather thin, cut into squares, and place on each square as much of the mixture as it will hold; wet the edges, and fold up as a sausage roll, pressing the dough together at the ends, place in a pan and bake from thirty to forty minutes in a moderate oven. Serve hot. Very nice.

BREAD STEAK

Dip slices of stale bread or toast in a little milk or cream to slightly soften; sprinkle with a little salt; beat up an egg or two, dip in the slices, place in a hot frying-pan with a little butter, and brown on both sides. Serve with brown sauce.

FORCEMEAT FRITTERS

Rub one tablespoonful of butter into two cupfuls of fine breads crumbs, adding a little chopped parsley or other herb flavoring, and season with salt; then add one cup of thin cream or rich milk, and three eggs beaten separately. Stir well, and bake in fritters, in a hot frying-pan, or on a griddle, rubbed with a little butter, browning lightly on both sides. Serve with brown sauce.

“PRAIRIE” FISH

Cut thick, cold, corn-meal mush into slices about half an inch thick; roll in flour, and brown on both sides in a hot, buttered frying-pan; or brush with thick, sweet cream, and brown in the oven.

BOILED MACARONI

If dusty, wipe with a dry cloth instead of washing, then take a cupful broken into small pieces, and put to cook in boiling, salted water; cook until tender, adding more hot water occasionally if necessary. When done, drain, and serve hot with a little cream; or pour over a pint of milk, heat to boiling, and stir in the yolk of one well-beaten egg and a little salt; or omit the egg, and thicken with a tablespoonful of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk.

PEANUT SAUSAGE

Thoroughly mix to a cream one level tablespoonful of peanut butter with two tablespoonfuls of cold water; then add three tablespoonfuls of grated bread crumbs, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoonful of minced onion or powdered sage; mix all well together, form into small cakes with the hands, and place in an oiled, heated frying-pan till nicely browned, turning and browning on both sides. Place on a platter, and garnish with sprigs of parsley. Serve with brown sauce, No. 2, page 78. Very tasty.

PEAS PUREE

Soak a cupful or two, or as many as needed, of split peas overnight in cold water. In the morning wash, drain, and put to cook in boiling water, and cook slowly. When very tender, and quite dry, mash smooth, season with salt and a little sweet cream. Serve hot.

STEWED SALSIFY, OR VEGETABLE OYSTERS

Wash, scrape, cut into slices about one fourth of an inch in thickness, and drop at once into cold water to prevent discoloring. Then put to cook in an enameled saucepan, in a small quantity of boiling water, about equal parts of water and salsify, adding a little salt. Cook from twenty to fifty minutes, according to age, and when tender add a little more water if at all dry, a cupful of cream or rich milk, and simmer for a few minutes. Have ready in a dish some slices of toasted bread cut in halves, pour over the salsify, and serve.

LENTIL RISSOLES

Take equal quantities of well-cooked brown lentils and cold boiled potatoes and mash well together; then add one third that amount of fine bread crumbs, a teaspoonful each of powdered sage and minced onion, and a little salt. Dissolve a teaspoonful of nut butter in two tablespoonfuls of hot water; and add to the mixture. Mix all well together, press into an oiled tin, cut into squares with a knife, and place in the oven for fifteen or twenty minutes. Serve hot.

EGGS

Food should be prepared with simplicity, yet with a nicety which will invite the appetite.

There should not be many kinds at any one meal, but all meals should not be composed of the same kinds of food without variation.

The mother should study to set a simple yet nutritious diet before her family.—_Mrs. E. G. White._

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BOILED EGGS

If desired to have the white set, but the yolk a liquid, boil eggs three minutes; then remove from the fire and leave them in the hot water a moment or two to set the whites. The water should be boiling when the eggs are dropped in.

If desired to have the yolks dry and mealy, and at the same time the whites not hard, tough, and leathery, place the eggs in boiling water, then let simmer in water a little below the boiling-point, or at a temperature not above 165° Fahrenheit, for about twenty minutes. Eggs are best cooked thus.

For garnishing salads, etc., boil about twenty minutes, then immediately place a moment in cold water to prevent the whites becoming discolored, and to make the shells remove easily.

POACHED EGGS

Put into a shallow pan as much hot water as will cover the eggs well. A tablespoonful of lemon-juice may be added to the water to make the eggs white. Break the eggs one at a time into a cup and slip gently into the water, which should not boil, but only simmer. Let stand for about five minutes, or until the white is firm, but not hard, and the yolk enveloped in a film of white. Remove each egg with a skimmer, or large spoon, drain, trim the edges, and serve in egg saucers, or on toast. Make a thin cream sauce and pour around them if desired.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

For each egg allow two tablespoonfuls of boiling water or milk. Break the eggs into a dish, beat lightly with a spoon, add a little salt, drop into the boiling water or milk, and stir briskly until set, but soft. They are nice thus served on toast.

STEAMED EGGS

Break the eggs into egg dishes or oiled patty-pans, sprinkle with salt, and steam over boiling water until the whites are set and a film covers the yolk. Serve with or without toast.

SCALLOPED EGGS

Boil five or six eggs for twenty minutes; remove the shells, and cut the eggs into thin slices; put a layer of grated or fine bread crumbs into a buttered pudding dish, then a layer of the sliced eggs; sprinkle with salt, then add another layer of bread crumbs, then another of egg, and so on till the dish is filled, having a layer of crumbs for the top. Heat a cup of milk to boiling, and pour over the scallop; sprinkle over a few more crumbs, and bake until slightly browned.

BAKED EGGS

Break the required number of eggs into a shallow baking pan, or small patty-pans, previously buttered, to prevent sticking. Season with salt, and bake until set. Remove to a warm platter, and serve at once.

EGG SANDWICHES

Mash the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs, a sprinkle of salt, and a little chopped cress, smooth and fine; spread this on thin slices of bread slightly buttered, and press together.

EGGS AND TOMATO SAUCE

Melt a spoonful of butter in a deep dish, break in carefully the number of eggs desired, and place on the stove until they begin to set; then pour over them a hot tomato sauce, made after directions on page 77.

EGGS ON TOAST

Boil three eggs for twenty minutes. Put one tablespoonful of butter into a frying-pan. When hot, stir in one tablespoonful of flour, one-fourth teaspoonful of salt, and gradually, to avoid lumps forming, one cupful of milk. Add the whites of the three eggs, chopped fine. When hot, pour over three or four slices of moistened toast. Put the yolks through a sieve or vegetable press over the toast, garnish with bits of parsley, and serve hot.

OMELETS

Simple diet is best; for many dishes bring many diseases.—_Pliny._

PLAIN OMELET

Beat the yolks and whites of three eggs separately; allow one tablespoonful of milk to each egg. Stir the milk and yolks of the eggs well together and season with salt; then with a spoon carefully fold in the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Turn all into a hot frying-pan, sufficiently buttered to prevent sticking. Cook rather quickly, being careful not to burn. Carefully lift the edges of the omelet while cooking, with a knife or spoon, that it may be equally cooked. When well set, double one part over the other, remove to a warm dish, and serve at once, as an omelet is not so good when cold. It should be very light and tender, and nicely browned.

FRUIT OMELET

Prepare as above, spreading a thin layer of any kind of jelly over one half before folding the other half over it; add a sprinkle of sugar if desired.

BREAD OMELET

For each person allow one egg, three tablespoonfuls of milk, and one tablespoonful of finely grated bread crumbs; beat well together, and add a little salt, butter a deep plate or shallow pan, pour in the mixture, and bake in the oven until well set.

MACARONI OMELET

Take a small handful of macaroni broken into small pieces, drop into hot water, and boil until tender; drain. Heat a cupful of milk to boiling, and stir in two even tablespoonfuls of flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Stir until thickened; remove from the fire, add the macaroni, a few bits of chopped parsley, and four eggs well beaten; season with salt; pour all into a hot, buttered dish, sprinkle with a small handful of bread crumbs, and place in the oven till nicely browned; then turn out on a hot, flat dish, and serve with brown sauce.

PUDDINGS

The proof of the pudding is in eating it.

Eat to live, but do not live merely to eat.

Health is the greatest of all possessions, and ’tis a maxim with me, that a hale cobbler is better than a sick king.—_Bicherstaff._

In order to preserve health, temperance in all things is necessary—temperance in labor, temperance in eating and drinking.—“_Christian Temperance._”

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SAGO PUDDING

To five cups of boiling water add a cup of sago, previously soaked in a cup of cold water for twenty minutes, two thirds of a cup of sugar, and a half cup of well-washed raisins. Cook all together till transparent, flavor with lemon or vanilla, and serve with cream or boiled custard sauce.

TAPIOCA PUDDING

Soak one cupful of tapioca overnight in a pint of water. In the morning add one quart of milk, stirring gently, and boil about twenty minutes; then add the yolks of four eggs well beaten, and one cup of sugar, and boil a few minutes longer; pour into an earthen dish, and flavor with a teaspoonful of vanilla; cover with a meringue made of the whites of the four eggs beaten stiff, and four tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, and place in a slow oven to brown slightly. Serve cold.

RICE PUDDING

Take a cupful of boiled rice, and a half cup of washed raisins, and mix together in a pudding dish. Beat well together two eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and two cupfuls of milk, and pour over the raisins and rice. Bake in a moderate oven until the custard is just set. If left in too long, the milk becomes watery. This is a good way to use up left-over rice.

CORNSTARCH PUDDING

Take three tablespoonfuls of cornstarch and stir smooth in a little cold water; over this pour one pint of boiling water; then stir in the whites of three eggs beaten stiff, one tablespoonful of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Steam fifteen minutes, or cook slowly until thickened. Serve cold with a sauce prepared as follows: Heat one cup of milk to boiling; beat together the yolks of the three eggs and one-half cup of sugar until creamy, and stir into the milk; boil until smooth, and remove from the fire at once. Flavor with lemon or vanilla, and allow to cool.

BREAD PUDDING, NO. 1

Take one pint of bread crumbs, and pour over them one quart of milk; then add the yolks of four eggs well beaten, four tablespoonfuls of sugar, and bake in the oven. When done, spread the top with jelly or marmalade, and cover with a meringue made of the four whites of the eggs beaten stiff, and two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar. Brown slightly, and serve warm or cold, with or without sauce or cream, as preferred.

BREAD PUDDING, NO. 2

Cut stale bread into cubes, and moisten with milk or water; then pour over a mixture of eggs, sugar, and milk, allowing one egg and one tablespoonful of sugar to each cup of milk. Steam or bake. Currants or raisins may be added.

COLD PEACH PUDDING

Cut slices of stale bread into strips, and line a pudding basin or round mold as neatly as possible. Then fill the center of the mold with stewed fresh or canned peaches, slightly warmed, add sugar to sweeten, and place a slice of bread over the fruit. Pour over enough of the sirup or fruit juice to soak all the bread. Take a saucer or plate about the size of the mold, and place it upside down on top, over the pudding, and put a heavy weight on the plate. Let stand overnight, and in the morning turn into a glass dish for the table. Cut into slices, and serve with milk or cream. Raspberries or blackberries may be used instead of peaches.

PRUNE WHIP

Wash thoroughly one-half pound of prunes and soak for an hour in cold water enough to cover; cook gently in the same water until the prunes are tender, and the juice is nearly absorbed. Then rub through a colander. When cold, add two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a little lemon-juice, and the stiffly beaten whites of three eggs. Stir all well together, pile lightly in a buttered pudding dish, and bake about ten minutes, or until a delicate brown. Serve with whipped cream or boiled custard sauce. See pages 79 and 78.

FIG PUDDING

Take half a pound of finely chopped figs, one cupful of bread crumbs, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one cupful of milk, two eggs well beaten, and a pinch of salt. Stir all well together, turn into a double boiler, slightly buttered, or into a saucepan placed in boiling water, and boil about an hour. Serve with lemon sauce.

RICE LEMON PUDDING

To three-fourths cupful of well-washed rice, add three cupfuls of boiling water and a half teaspoonful of salt, and cook in a double boiler until tender. When done, allow to cool, then add the yolks of three eggs well beaten, a teaspoonful of butter, three tablespoonfuls of sugar, the grated rind of a lemon, and one cup of milk; stir together, and bake in the oven until set. When done, cover the top with a meringue made with the whites of the eggs beaten stiff, two-thirds cup of sugar, and the juice of one lemon; place in the oven to brown slightly. Serve either warm or cold.

RICE APPLE PUDDING

Boil two tablespoonfuls of well-washed rice in half a pint of milk until soft; then stir in the beaten yolks of two eggs and sugar to sweeten. Make a wall with the rice around a dish; fill the center of the dish with stewed apples, and cover the whole with the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth; sprinkle with powdered sugar, and brown lightly in the oven; serve with plain or whipped cream.

CRACKER PUDDING

Put three cupfuls of rich milk into a pudding dish; sprinkle in two cupfuls of crackers, first heated in the oven till crisp, but not browned, and afterward crushed fine with a rolling-pin. Beat the yolks of three eggs till light; then mix with one-half cup of sugar, and stir in the crackers and milk; add one cup of well-washed currants or seedless raisins, and flavor with grated lemon peel if desired. Bake in the oven until set; beat the whites of the eggs till stiff, add one tablespoonful of white sugar, and spread this over the top of the pudding; return to the oven till a delicate brown.

ALMOND RICE PUDDING

Put one cupful each of well-washed rice and raisins into a pudding dish with six cupfuls of almond milk, one-third cup of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Bake in a moderate oven till tender, stirring up several times during the first ten minutes. Serve cold.

CORNSTARCH BLANC-MANGE

To one quart of milk add two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and heat just to boiling; then stir in five tablespoonfuls of cornstarch mixed thoroughly with two well-beaten eggs; flavor with lemon or vanilla, and pour into cups, previously wet in cold water, to mold. Place a mold of jelly in the center of a platter, and arrange the molds of blanc-mange around it. A portion of the blanc-mange may be colored and flavored with chocolate, so that each alternate mold on the platter will be brown. Serve with cream.

APPLE BATTER PUDDING

Pare and slice six medium-sized cooking apples into a buttered pudding dish, adding sugar to sweeten. Make a batter as follows: Beat three eggs to a foam; then add five tablespoonfuls of sifted flour, sprinkling it in while beating vigorously, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Stir in gradually enough milk to make of the consistency of thick cream, beat well, and pour over the apples, and bake until done. Serve with cream or rich milk.

APPLE TRIFLE

Pare, quarter, core, and stew six or eight apples to a pulp, adding the juice and grated rind of a lemon. When done, add sugar to sweeten, and turn into a deep glass dish. Heat a pint of milk to boiling, stir in three well-beaten eggs, saving out the white of one, and two tablespoonfuls of sugar, and cook until thickened. When cold pour over the apples in the dish. Beat the white of the egg to a stiff froth and drop by spoonfuls into a pan of boiling water for a moment, turn, then remove, and use to ornament the pudding.

APPLES WITH TAPIOCA

Soak a cupful of tapioca in two cupfuls of cold water for an hour; then spread on a clean white cloth, and place some pared and sliced apples, sugar, and grated lemon peel in the center; tie up the cloth loosely so that the tapioca will surround the apples, and put into boiling water; boil half an hour, or until done; then turn out the whole into a dish. Serve with boiled custard, whipped cream, or fruit jelly.

FRUIT TAPIOCA

Cook three-fourths cup of tapioca in four cups of water until smooth and transparent. Stir into it lightly a pint of fresh or canned strawberries, raspberries, or blackberries, adding sugar as required. Serve cold with cream, or a pint of fruit sauce.

PEACHES AND RICE

Soak a cup of rice in one and one-fourth cups of water for an hour; then add a cup of milk and a little salt, turn into a double boiler, cover, and steam for an hour, stirring occasionally for the first ten or fifteen minutes. When done, pour into a mold to cool, then turn out into a glass dish. Stew fresh or dried peaches in halves, and arrange them around the rice; pour the sirup or juice over the whole.

RICE WITH RAISINS

Wash and put to cook rice as directed above; after the rice has begun to swell, add a cupful of well-washed raisins. When done, serve with fruit juice, milk, or cream.

RICE WITH FIGS

Soak and cook the rice as directed for peaches and rice. Wash a small quantity of figs, and stew with a little sugar until thoroughly done; serve a spoonful of the figs with each dish of rice. The fig sauce should be so thick that it will not run over the rice.

APPLE RICE

Fill a pudding dish half full with tart apples, pared, quartered, cored, and sprinkled with sugar. Wash thoroughly half a cupful of rice and sprinkle over apples in pudding dish. Cover, steam until the rice is tender, and serve with cream and sugar.

APPLES WITH RAISINS

Pare, quarter, and core half a dozen good cooking apples. Wash a small cup of raisins, and put to cook in a quart of boiling water. When they have begun to swell, add the apples, a little sugar to sweeten, and cook until tender.

COCOANUT PUDDING

To one pint of milk, add two tablespoonfuls of desiccated cocoanut, and heat to boiling; remove the cocoanut by turning through a strainer; then add to the milk one-half cup of sugar and one-half cup of fine cracker or bread crumbs, cool a few minutes, then add the beaten yolks of two eggs. Turn into a pudding dish, set it inside a pan of hot water, and bake in the oven until set, but not watery. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add two teaspoonfuls of sugar, and spread on the top of the pudding; return to the oven to brown slightly.

CHERRY PUDDING

Soak a half cup of tapioca, and cook in a pint of water until transparent. Have ready in a pudding dish a pint of fresh, pitted cherries; sprinkle them with sugar, then pour over them the cooked tapioca, and bake for half an hour in a moderate oven. Serve with or without cream.

MINUTE PUDDING

Put one quart of milk into the inner vessel of a double boiler, or into an ordinary saucepan greased with a little butter, and heat to boiling; then stir in two small cups of flour, sifting it in a little at a time, and stirring briskly, that no lumps may be formed. Just before removing from the fire, add two well-beaten eggs, stir a moment, and serve at once with cream, and a little sugar if desired. If preferred, the eggs may be omitted.

ARROWROOT BLANC-MANGE

Heat a pint of milk to boiling; then stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of arrowroot rubbed smooth in a half cup of cold milk, and a half cup of sugar; cook for a few minutes until thickened, stirring well, and pour into cups or molds previously wet in cold water, to cool. Serve with stewed fruit or fruit juice.

RICE SNOW WITH JELLY

Cook one cupful of rice in milk until tender, adding a little salt. When done, pile loosely in a dish; beat the whites of two or three eggs till stiff, mix with a half cupful of sugar, and pile in heaps like snow over the rice; ornament with bits of jelly, and, if in season, put a circle of fresh berries around the edge when ready to serve.

CUSTARDS & CREAMS

Simplicity is the highest art.

Many dishes have induced many diseases.—_Seneca._

Study simplicity in the number of dishes, and variety in the character of the meals.

“It is not the chief end of man to gratify his appetite.”

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CREAM MOLD

Heat two cups of milk to boiling; then add one-half cup of sugar, and three tablespoonfuls of ground rice, wet in a little cold milk; flavor with vanilla, and stir well until it thickens; pour into cups or molds previously wet in cold water, until set, then turn out on a large plate or into little dishes. Have ready a cup of whipped cream, and put some over each mold with a bit of jelly in the center of each, or serve with fruit sauce.

BOILED CUSTARD

Put one quart of milk and one-half cup of sugar into the inner vessel of a double boiler, let heat to boiling, then stir in slowly three eggs well beaten, and one tablespoonful of cornstarch rubbed smooth in a little cold milk; add any flavoring desired. Stir well, and when well set, turn into a dish to cool.

FLOATING ISLAND

Put a pint of milk into a double boiler; let heat to boiling, then add the well-beaten yolks of three eggs mixed with three tablespoonfuls of sugar. Stir well, and when done turn into the dish from which it is to be served. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and drop by spoonfuls for a few seconds into a pan of hot water; let them stand for a moment, then turn over, but do not allow them to harden. Remove with a skimmer or spoon, and put as islands on the top of the custard; let cool, then place bits of jelly on top of the islands.

APPLE FLOAT

To one pint of nice stewed apples, add the whites of three eggs beaten to a stiff froth, and four tablespoonfuls of white sugar; beat all together until very stiff. Have a glass dish filled with boiled custard made with two cups of milk, the yolks of the eggs, one teaspoonful of cornstarch, a tablespoonful of sugar, and flavoring if desired. Pile the apples on top, and serve.

BANANA CUSTARD

Slice six bananas into a deep dish. Heat one pint of milk to boiling; beat together one egg, one tablespoonful of sugar, and one dessertspoonful of cornstarch blended with a little milk, and stir into the hot milk; let boil up once or twice, then pour over the bananas, stirring them in.

ORANGE CUSTARD

Remove the peel from three large, sweet oranges, cut in halves, and rub through a colander. Heat one pint of milk to boiling, then add a tablespoonful of cornstarch dissolved in a little cold milk, and the beaten yolks of three eggs. When thickened, allow to cool, then stir in the oranges. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, add two thirds of a cup of sugar, and spread on the top of the custard; place in the oven till slightly brown. Serve cold.

PINEAPPLE CUSTARD

Make a custard of one quart of milk, two thirds of a cup of sugar, and four eggs: heat the milk to boiling in a double boiler; then add the eggs and sugar beaten together. Stir well, and when done set aside to cool. Have a nice, ripe pineapple picked to pieces with a fork, and sprinkled with sugar. Just before serving the custard, stir in the pineapple.

TAPIOCA CREAM

Wash and soak four even tablespoonfuls of tapioca in a cup of water until soft; then add a little salt and a pint of milk, and heat to boiling in a double boiler; add the yolks of three eggs well beaten, and one-half cup of sugar; cook for a few minutes, then turn into an earthen dish; when cool, spread over the top the whites of the eggs beaten stiff with two tablespoonfuls of sugar, adding vanilla to flavor; place in the oven to brown slightly.

RICE CUSTARD

Wash one-half cup of rice, and cook in a double boiler in three cups of water or milk, or equal parts of each, until tender, adding a little salt; then add, while still on the range, one pint of milk, the yolks of three eggs well beaten, and five tablespoonfuls of sugar; stir gently, and cook only until thickened. Then turn into a pudding dish. Beat well the whites of three eggs, add three tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, flavor with lemon or vanilla, and spread over the top of the custard; place in a slow oven to brown slightly.

SAUCES

Rich sauces and highly-seasoned dishes provoke thirst.—_Selected._

Rich sauces are even worse than heaping several meats upon each other.—_Pliny._

A wrong course of eating or drinking destroys health, and with it the sweetness of life.—“_Christian Temperance._”

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SAUCES FOR VEGETABLES

TOMATO SAUCE

Cook one pint of fresh or canned tomatoes with a little onion, salt, and herb-flavor for fifteen minutes, then strain through a colander, and add two tablespoonfuls of flour browned with a tablespoonful of butter.

CREAM SAUCE

Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan over the fire, stir in two tablespoonfuls of flour, and cook about one minute, but do not let it brown. Add one cup of milk gradually, stirring constantly to keep smooth until thickened; cook very slowly, or steam over hot water, for ten minutes; add one-half teaspoonful of salt, and serve.

LENTIL SAUCE

Rub a cupful of cooked lentils through a colander into a saucepan; add a cup of milk and a little salt. When boiling, stir in a tablespoonful of browned flour rubbed smooth in a little cold milk. Add a little chopped parsley, if desired. For browned flour, see page 12.

BROWN SAUCE, NO. 1

Put a teaspoonful of butter into a frying-pan, and brown slightly; then pour in a pint of milk, and heat to boiling; stir in two tablespoonfuls of browned flour rubbed to a paste in a little cold water or milk; season with salt, boil until thickened, and serve.

BROWN SAUCE, NO. 2