Chapter IX: Part II: Recipes (2)

_No. of spoons
KINDS OF TEA. _Grains._ to the pound._
Oolong 39 179
Hyson 66 106
Gunpowder 123 57

From this it appears that Gunpowder tea, bulk for bulk, is more than three times as heavy as Oolong; consequently in using it only about one third as much should be taken for a given amount of water. In making the infusion teas should be weighed, not measured, but it is not easily practicable in all households to do so; however, it can always be borne in mind that the closely rolled teas, such as Gunpowder, Young Hyson, and Japan, should be used in smaller proportion than those which are loosely rolled, like Oolong, English Breakfast, and other black teas.

There is a popular notion that green teas are dried on copper, but according to unquestionable authorities it is an erroneous one. Green teas are dried quickly so that the natural color of the leaves is preserved. Black teas are dried slowly for many hours until a sort of fermentation sets in, which causes the difference in color, as pickings from the same plant may, in the process of curing, become either green or black tea, according to the method employed. Also, different varieties of tea may be made from the same branch by difference of treatment in curing, the aromatic flavors, which did not exist in the leaves before, being produced by the drying. Different varieties or kinds of tea are also made from the same plant by gathering the leaves at different ages.

Black tea should be black, but not dead black,--rather of a grayish hue. No red leaves should be mixed with it. It should be regular in appearance, each leaf with a uniform twist, that is, in all except the "broken" teas. The leaves of tea are gathered four times a year by hand, and the finest kind is made from the tender young buds. Young Hyson is made from the early buds of April, and is noted for its mild, delicate flavor.

The principle most to be avoided in tea is the tannin, which in any considerable quantity is injurious to health. It dissolves easily when tea is either _steeped for a length of time_, or _boiled_. The important point, therefore, is not to make tea more than a few minutes before it is to be drunk, and not to boil it.

The principal kinds of tea in common use are Oolong, Japan, English Breakfast, Imperial, Gunpowder, and Young Hyson. Gunpowder, Japan, Young Hyson, and Imperial are green teas; the others are black.

=To Prepare Tea.=

1 Teaspoon of tea.
1 Cup of boiling water.

Fill a cup with boiling water, and let it stand a minute, or until the cup is heated through. Then empty it, put the teaspoon of tea into a tea-ball, place it in the hot cup, and pour on the boiling water slowly until it is full, leaving the tea-ball in for three minutes. This will give you a delicious and fragrant drink. If there is not a tea-ball at hand, use a small strainer, holding it so that the tea is under water for the required time.

The same principle is to be followed in making a pot of tea, except that the time of steeping should be somewhat longer. Scald the pot, which should be either of silver, granite-ware, or earthenware, not tin. Put into it the tea, in the proportion of one teaspoon to a cup of water (one half pint), and let it infuse for five minutes, but by no means allow it to boil, for boiling dissipates the aroma, and extracts the tannin, which is the injurious principle. Serve it in hot teacups with loaf-sugar and cold cream or milk. I think it is Miss Lincoln who says: "Never disgrace yourself by serving that abomination, boiled lukewarm tea in a cold cup."

Water for tea should be fresh, and soft water--that is, water which is free from lime--is to be preferred; by taking _one teaspoon of tea_ and _a cup of water_ as the unit, any amount may be made; for instance, for a pot of tea for five or six persons, six teaspoons of tea and a quart and a half (6 cups) of water will be required. The time of exposure to the heat is, of course, not multiplied, the same number of minutes being enough for a greater or a lesser amount.

In connection with the study of tea, it is a very interesting fact that most authorities agree as to the time of steeping. There seems to be the unanimous opinion that _it should not exceed fifteen_ minutes. Five minutes is the usual time given for the average kinds of tea, but for the fine, pure teas from eight to ten is a wise rule to follow.

COFFEE

Coffee is a product of the East, where it has been used since very ancient times. It grows on trees, the fruit in clusters which singly look somewhat like cherries, each containing two beans. Unroasted coffee-beans are tough, and a drink made from them is bitter, acrid, and very unpleasant. Coffee was brought to western Europe in the seventeenth century, where it seems to have immediately become a popular drink. When coffee-houses were first opened in England, they were opposed by the liquor-dealers, who claimed that their trade would be spoiled. Its introduction was also bitterly opposed by others, and even denounced from the pulpit. It was regarded somewhat in the light of a dangerous Eastern drug. From western Europe it was brought to America, and at the present time is the most extensively used food beverage in the world.

The kinds in common use in this country are Java and Mocha from the East, and the South American coffees Rio, Santos, and Maracaibo. The soil and method of cultivation influence the quality of coffee, as does also the age of the beans. The longer the beans are kept (unbrowned) the finer the flavor.

Coffee is adulterated with grains of different kinds, chicory, caramel, carrots and some other roots, and with pastes made to resemble the coffee-bean. The use of chicory is prohibited by law, unless the mixture be labeled "Mixture of coffee and chicory." Nevertheless, its use is common, and in nearly all hotels and restaurants coffee is flavored with it.

"The detection of the presence of chicory, caramel, and some sweet roots, as turnips, carrots, and parsnips, is quite easy. If a few grains of the suspected sample are placed on the surface of water in a glass vessel, beaker, or tumbler, each particle of chicory, etc., will become surrounded by a yellow-brown cloud which rapidly diffuses through the water until the whole becomes colored. Pure coffee under the same conditions gives no sensible color until after the lapse of about fifteen minutes. Caramel (burnt sugar) of course colors the water very deeply. Dandelion root gives a deeper color than coffee, but not as deep as chicory. The same is true of bread raspings. Beans and pease give much less color to the water than pure coffee. They can be readily detected by the microscope, as can roasted figs and dates or date-stones." (Mrs. Richards, in "Food Materials and Their Adulterations.")

Coffee is said to owe its refreshing properties to (_a_) caffeine, (_b_) a volatile oil developed by heat, not contained in the unroasted bean, and to (_c_) astringent acids.

Coffee diminishes the sensation of hunger, exhilarates and refreshes, and decreases the amount of wear and tear of the system.

Its composition, according to Payen, is as follows:

Cellulose 34.000
Water 12.000
Fatty matter 13.000
Glucose, dextrine, and undetermined vegetable acids 15.500
Legumin, casein, etc. 10.000
Chlorogenate of potash and caffeine 3 to 5.000
Nitrogenized structure 3.000
Caffeine .800
Essential oil .001
Aromatic essence .002
Mineral substances 6.970

It is difficult to determine whether coffee may be classed as a food, but that it has value as an adjunct to true nutrients there can be no doubt. There is a general agreement among physiologists that coffee is invigorating, that it aids digestion both in the sick and the well, that it is capable of allaying or retarding waste and thereby acting indirectly as a food. But the mistake should not be made that coffee will _replace_ food. Coffee may be compared in its effects on the system to beef-tea--it is valuable for its flavors rather than for actual nutritious principles.

It is a curious fact that coffee is most frequently made in such a way that its valuable flavors are undeveloped or destroyed. Care must be taken that the roasting be not carried so far as to char the coffee-beans, yet far enough to convert the sugar into caramel, and to change the nature of the volatile oil, so that the highest point of flavor will be reached. This can be best accomplished in regular roasting-houses, where the temperature and time may be accurately measured.

It is best to get a supply of fresh roasted coffee every day, but when this is not practicable, once in three days, or once a week, will do. Although theoretically the roasting of coffee should be a part of its preparation--that is, it should be roasted, immediately ground, and made into drink--practically it is very seldom done.

COFFEE. No. 1

A favorite mixed coffee is made with two thirds Java and one third Mocha. It should be ground just before it is needed. For a pot of coffee use the proportions of one heaped tablespoon to a cup of water. It is well to calculate the number of persons there are to be served, and allow one cup (one half pint) for each; this amount, with the milk or cream used, will make two ordinary china cups of coffee. To the ground coffee add a little yolk or white of egg, with a spoonful of water to dilute it; mix thoroughly until all the grains are coated over with albumen, then pour on the boiling water, simmer for five minutes, and steep at a temperature just short of simmering for ten minutes more. The coffee is then done. It should be served at once with _loaf-sugar_, and either hot or cold cream, or hot milk. The coffee should be perfectly clear and of fine color and flavor.

There are many methods of making coffee, but the above, everything considered, seems the most desirable for family use. One egg is enough to clear three quarts of coffee, and both yolk and white are of equal value for the purpose.

COFFEE. No. 2

For every cup of water use a heaped tablespoon of coffee; soak the coffee overnight or for several hours in cold water, then bring it to the boiling-point, and let it simmer for a few minutes just before using. This is said to be the most economical method of making, as more is obtained from the coffee by this treatment. The flavor is certainly fine.

Long boiling dissipates the delicious aromatic oils, and as probably these are the most valuable properties of the coffee, the necessity of preserving them is easily seen. Care should be taken not to boil coffee for more than from three to five minutes, and simmer rather than boil, so as to preserve as much as possible the fine flavors which are so quickly dissipated by boiling; yet the high temperature seems to be necessary to extract the desirable properties of the bean. One must therefore ever bear in mind the seeming paradox that coffee should reach the boiling-point, and yet not boil.

We do not estimate highly enough the value of flavors. It is a well-demonstrated fact among a few persons that many dishes containing actual nutritious principles are but partially or imperfectly digested, because of their lack of good flavor, either from want of proper preparation, lack of seasoning, or poor cooking. There is no doubt that many people suffer from indigestion after eating such food.

Use in coffee-making either silver, granite-ware, or earthenware urns or pots, never tin. They should be made _perfectly clean_ before using, especial attention being necessary for the spout.

MULLED WINE

1 Egg.
1 Tablespoon of sugar.
1 Clove.
¼ Square inch of cinnamon.
½ Cup of wine.
½ Cup of water.

Put the water and spice together in a saucepan, and boil for ten minutes; then add the wine, and let the liquid just reach the boiling-point; meanwhile beat the egg and sugar in a bowl, and just at the moment when the wine begins to boil, pour it slowly into the egg, stirring constantly to distribute the heat throughout the whole. Unless the weather is very cold, there is usually enough heat in the boiling liquid to coagulate the albumen of the egg slightly, but should this not be accomplished, set it on the fire for a minute to finish. When done it should be of the consistency of cream. Do not let the wine and water boil for any appreciable time, for boiling dissipates some of the pleasant flavor of the wine.

Beer, ale, and porter are excellent, mulled in the same way.

COCOA CORDIAL

½ Teaspoon of Dutch cocoa.
Some boiling water.
2 Blocks of loaf-sugar.
2 Tablespoons of port wine.

Put the cocoa and sugar into a china cup, and pour directly upon them some boiling water, then add the wine, making in all the usual amount called a cupful. Serve at once. This is an excellent drink for those who are chilled or exhausted, or to take after a bath.

JELLIES

(FROM GELATINE)

Gelatin is always of animal origin. The gelatinous substance obtained from apples, grapes, cranberries, and other fruits is not gelatin; it is a different material, derived by the action of heat from pectose, a substance which occurs in plants and is closely associated with cellulose. Unprepared _gelatin_ is sometimes distinguished in writing from the _gelatine_ of commerce by the difference of an _e_ in spelling.

Gelatin enters into the composition of all, or nearly all, the tissues of the body. The walls of the microscopic cells of flesh are composed of it. It is found also in cartilage, tendons, connective tissue, bone, and in the larynx and joints. Spiders' webs and the thread of silkworms are gelatin in a liquid state, which solidifies upon exposure to the air. Another kind of gelatin forms the framework of insects, such as the locusts on which John the Baptist fed. It also forms the true skeleton of lobsters, crabs, and shrimps. The edible birds' nests of the Chinese are a delicate kind of gelatin more digestible than some other kinds, for it is made from the saliva of a swallow, and probably contains pepsin. (M. Williams.)

The part which gelatin plays as a food is not well understood. Many experiments have recently been made by scientists on dogs and other animals, to test the value of gelatin in this respect. From these experiments the following conclusions have been drawn: 1. That gelatin alone is not sufficient as a food. 2. That although insufficient it is not worthless. 3. That gelatin is sufficient to sustain life when combined with other substances which would themselves be wholly insufficient if given alone. 4. That gelatin must always be flavored to render it digestible and nutritious.

Mattieu Williams says: "It would seem that gelatin alone, although containing the elements required for nutrition, needs something more to render it digestible. We shall probably not be far from the truth if we picture it to the mind as something too smooth, too neutral, too inert, to set the digestive organs at work, and that therefore it requires the addition of a decidedly sapid something that shall make these organs act."

Gelatin dissolves easily in warm liquid. Albumen coagulates under similar circumstances.

The gelatine of commerce is made from the tissues of animals, particularly from the thick skin of certain portions of the body and from the head and feet. When well flavored and in a liquid state as in broths, or of a tender consistency as in well-made jelly, it is a most desirable food for the sick. Lemon and orange juice, strawberry, raspberry, grape, and indeed any fruit syrup, coffee, cocoa, vanilla, wine, brandy, and Jamaica rum, and strong meat broths which have been cleared, may be used for flavoring. The jelly should not be made hard and tenacious, but tender and jelly-like, though firm.

The phosphated gelatine which may be bought of any grocer is delicious for wine jelly made according to the usual rule for jelly, with the exception of omitting the lemon. Chalmer's and Nelson's are other well-known brands. All jellies made with gelatine are excellent for invalids. They are especially valuable in cases of disease of the intestines, such as typhoid fever and inflammation of the bowels, because, being digested and absorbed, for the most part or entirely, in the stomach, those organs are relieved of effort, at the same time that the system is supplied with a nutritious form of solid food.

WINE JELLY. No. 1

¼ Box of Nelson's gelatine.
¼ Cup of cold water.
1¼ Cups of boiling water.
½ Cup of sugar.
½ Square inch of cinnamon.
1 Clove.
½ Cup of sherry wine.

Put the gelatine and cold water together in a dish large enough to hold the whole mixture; let it soak for half an hour; then pour the boiling water, in which the clove and cinnamon have been simmering, over the softened gelatine, add the sugar and wine, and stir until the sugar and gelatine are perfectly dissolved; then strain through a fine napkin into a granite-ware or earthenware pan or mold, and cool it in a refrigerator or in a pan of iced water. Wine jelly made from phosphated gelatine, omitting the spice, is delicious.

WINE JELLY (No. 2) WITH LEMON

The same proportions and ingredients are to be used as in the above recipe, except that the juice of half a lemon should be substituted for the spice.

LEMON JELLY

¼ Box of gelatine.
¼ Cup of cold water.
1¼ Cups of boiling water.
½ Cup of sugar.
¼ Cup of lemon-juice.
1 Tablespoon of brandy.

Put the gelatine and water together in a dish, and let them soak half an hour; then pour on the boiling water, and stir until the gelatine is dissolved. Do not put in the sugar and then pour on the boiling water, as there may not be heat enough in making a small quantity of jelly to dissolve both, but add the sugar after the water, then the lemon-juice and brandy. Strain it through a napkin and cool it in a refrigerator or in a pan of iced water. Use china or granite-ware molds, never tin, for the acid of lemon acts chemically upon it, forming compounds that are injurious to health.

ORANGE JELLY

¼ Box of gelatine.
¼ Cup of cold water.
½ Cup of boiling water.
½ Cup of sugar.
1 Cup of orange-juice.
Juice of half a lemon.

Soften the gelatine in the cold water by soaking it for half an hour; then pour in the boiling water, stirring as previously directed until the gelatine is dissolved; add the sugar, orange-juice, and lemon-juice, in the order in which they are given, stir for a moment, and then strain the liquid through a napkin into molds, and set it to cool. Use earthenware or granite-ware molds, not tin. The point most to be observed in making this jelly is getting the juice from the oranges. The most natural way for one to do would be to cut the oranges in halves, and squeeze them in a lemon-squeezer, but that will not do, for the orange-oil of the rind is extracted in such large quantities as to destroy the delicate flavor of the jelly. The proper way to do is to peel the fruit, cut it in pieces, put them in a jelly-bag, and squeeze out the juice with the hand.

COFFEE JELLY

¼ Box of gelatine.
¼ Cup of cold water.
1 Cup of boiling water.
½ Cup of strong coffee.
½ Teaspoon of vanilla.
½ Cup of sugar.

Soak the gelatine in the cold water for half an hour; then pour on the boiling water, and put in the sugar, coffee, and vanilla. Strain it through a napkin into a glass dish in which it may be served, and cool it as jellies are usually cooled, either in a refrigerator or in cold water, unless of course it is winter, when the jelly quickly becomes firm in any cool place, or it may be molded. Serve it with sweet cream and sugar, or, if it be molded, with whipped cream arranged around the form. The coffee should be strong, made with the proportion of two tablespoons of coffee to a cup of water.

This delicious jelly is acceptable to most invalids.

FRENCH JELLY WITH FRESH FRUITS

Make a wine jelly according to the recipe on page 122. When it has lost some of its heat, but before it begins to thicken, pour into it a pint of carefully picked and cleaned raspberries, distributing them evenly through the liquid; then set it away in a cool place, or in a refrigerator, to harden. This makes a nice dessert when served with sugar and cream. Other fruits and other jellies may be combined at the discretion of the maker. Orange jelly with oranges and bananas is very good.

RESTORATIVE JELLY

½ Box of gelatine.
1 Cup of port wine.
1 Tablespoon of powdered gum arabic.
2 Tablespoons of lemon-juice.
3 Tablespoons of sugar.
2 Cloves.
½ Square inch of cinnamon.

Put the gelatine, wine, and spice into a double boiler, or if one is not at hand, improvise one by placing a bowl in a pan of water. Set the boiler on the fire, and when the gelatine is dissolved, put in the gum arabic, lemon, and sugar. Stir thoroughly; strain it quickly through a fine napkin, and cool it in a shallow dish, so that the layer of jelly shall be an inch thick. It is to be cut into cubes, which may be served two or three at a time, to be held in the mouth until melted.

CHICKEN JELLY

Clean a small chicken, disjoint it, and cut the meat into small pieces; remove the fat, break or pound the bones, and put all into cold water, using the following proportion: _A pint for every pound of chicken_. Heat the water very slowly at first, and then simmer it until the meat is tender; it will require three or four hours. Boil down to one half the quantity. Strain it and remove the fat; then clear it with an egg, and season it with salt, pepper, and lemon. Strain it through a fine napkin, pour into small cups, and cool. Parsley, celery, and bay-leaves give a good flavor. A suspicion of red pepper is also an addition.

PUNCHEON JELLY

¼ Box of phosphated gelatine.
1 Cup of cold water.
½ Cup of hot tea.
½ Cup of sugar.
¼ Cup of Jamaica rum.
1 Tablespoon of brandy.
5 Drops of almond extract.

Put the gelatine to soak in the cold water, and at the end of thirty minutes pour on the hot tea; then add the sugar, rum, brandy, and almond; strain it through a fine napkin, and set it in a cool place to become firm.

Phosphated gelatine is a delicate acidulated preparation, very nice for wine, lemon, or puncheon jelly, but it cannot be used for creams on account of the acid, which curdles them. Some of the directions indicate that it may be neutralized with soda; that, however, should not be done, since there is no accurate means of ascertaining how much acid there is in a given amount, or how strong it is; consequently there is no guide to the amount of soda required.

TOAST

The principal constituent of ordinary wheaten bread is starch.

When starch is subjected to a high temperature, it is changed into the easily digested substance dextrine. In the ordinary cooking of a loaf of bread, the starch in the outer layers is changed into dextrine, which helps to give the crust of bread that peculiar, agreeable flavor which we call "sweet." Slices of bread undergo a similar change when toast is made.

To make toast successfully, one should endeavor to convert as much as possible of the starch into dextrine. To do this, cut the bread one third of an inch thick, place the slices in a toaster, or wire broiler, and dry them slowly, either in a moderate oven, or by holding the broiler some distance from the fire. The object is to give the heat time to penetrate to the center of the slice before the outside has begun to change color. If a sheath be formed over the outside at once, the moisture will be shut in, and the middle of the slice will be prevented from becoming sufficiently heated to change its starch, for the temperature will not rise much above 212° Fahr. until the water is dried out. (Starch is changed into dextrine at 401° Fahr.)

Toast that is clammy in the middle and blackened on the outside is less wholesome than untoasted bread. Great care should therefore be taken with the drying. When this has been accomplished, lower the broiler a little nearer the coals, when the toast will quickly turn a golden brown. An ideal piece of toast is crisp and golden throughout. But many will say that they prefer toast that is soft inside, and that they cannot eat hard, dry toast. The ideal piece of toast is not really so hard as it seems. It breaks and crumbles very easily, and is quickly moistened by the saliva. If one would persevere with a slice, he would soon learn to prefer it to any other kind; at all events, that which is soft inside should not be given to the sick. It is better to make the toast dry, and then moisten it, if need be, by dipping the slices into hot water for an instant, but _do not soak them_.

Dry toast should be served directly from the fire, if possible. When this is not practicable, pile it on a platter, cover it with a napkin, and put it on the hearth or in the oven.

Toast is given in all slight cases of illness, because it is so easily digested. The more thorough the conversion of the starch, the more easily and perfectly the system will manage it, for the change of starch into dextrine, by the action of heat, is simply doing outside of the body that which takes place in it in the ordinary course of digestion, by the action of the digestive fluids. Therefore, when this is accomplished by artificial means, nature is spared so much energy.

BUTTERED WATER TOAST

Toast four thin slices of bread. Put into a shallow pan a pint of water with half a teaspoon of salt. Dip each slice quickly into the water, place it in a covered dish, and spread it with butter, piling one slice above another.

Do not let the bread _soak_ in the water. Endeavor to keep a suggestion of crispness in it, for sloppy, sodden toast is not nice. Serve it _very_ hot, with apple sauce, sweet baked apples, or tart jelly. Water toast is really delicious if care is taken to have it hot. It will be eaten with relish much longer than that made with milk.

MILK TOAST

Put a cup of rich milk into a saucepan, and place it on the stove. While it is heating, toast three slices of bread a delicate brown. Put them one at a time into a covered dish, and when the milk is boiling hot season it with a saltspoon of salt and pour it over the bread. A little butter may be spread upon each slice before the milk is poured over, but it is a more delicate dish without it.

CREAM TOAST

1 Pint of milk.
1 Tablespoon of flour.
1 Tablespoon of butter.
1 Saltspoon of salt.
4 Large or 6 small slices of bread.

Make a white sauce with the milk, flour, and butter according to the following directions. Pour the milk into a saucepan, and set it on the fire to heat. Put the butter and flour together in another saucepan, place it on the fire, and stir gently until the butter melts; let them bubble together two or three minutes. The high temperature which the butter quickly attains will thoroughly cook the flour in a short time. Then pour in a little of the milk, and stir until the two are mixed; add a little more milk, and stir again until it bubbles; if at this point the mixture does not seem smooth, lift it from the fire, and beat it until it is waxy and perfectly free from lumps. Then add more milk, stir again, and so continue until all the milk is in. Let it simmer slowly until the toast is ready, which should be made according to the rule for dry toast. Then soak the slices in boiling salted milk (four if from a large, and six if from a small loaf of bread), arrange them in a covered dish, and pour the cream, salted, between and over them. Irregular pieces and odds and ends of bread may be used instead of whole slices, and are very nice toasted in a tin pan in the oven.

One precaution is necessary in making this dish; that is, to soak the bread _thoroughly_ in the boiling milk, for the sauce or cream is too thick to soften it. On account of the high temperature to which the butter rises, the starch is more perfectly cooked in it than if the flour were mixed with cold water and poured into the boiling milk, as is sometimes done.

FRENCH OR EGG TOAST

1 Egg.
1 Cup of milk or cream.
1 Saltspoon of salt.
3 Slices of bread.

Break the egg on a plate, and beat it with a fork for a minute, or until the viscousness is destroyed. Then mix in the milk and salt. In this mixture soak the slices of bread until they are soft, lay them in a buttered omelet-pan, and fry them slowly until a golden brown. Then place a bit of butter on the upper side of each slice, turn and brown that side. Spread a little butter, powdered cinnamon, and sugar on each slice and arrange them one above another in a covered dish. Serve very hot.

CROUTONS

_Crouton_ is a French word which in English means _crust_. The term was first applied to the paste of sawdust, flour, and water in which the peasants of southern France used long ago to inclose their pieces of meat before roasting. After the meat was done the crust was broken open and thrown away. The word with us is applied to little cubes of buttered bread which have been browned in the oven. They are used in soups and stews, sprinkled in just before serving.

=To Make Croutons.= Butter a slice of evenly cut bread. Divide it into cubes that will be one third of an inch on a side. This will necessitate cutting the slice of bread exactly a third of an inch thick. Place these little cubes on a tin plate, or shallow dish, and put the dish on the grate in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes. When done they should be light golden brown throughout, crisp and brittle. Sometimes cubes of bread are fried in fat to resemble croutons, but unless done by a skilful hand they are usually soaked with fat. Even at the best they lack the delicate flavor of those which are buttered, and browned in an oven.

SIPPETS

Sippets are evenly cut oblongs of bread delicately toasted. They may be served as dry toast, or with broiled birds or broiled oysters. They are also nice for a lunch with a cup of tea or cocoa.

=To Make Sippets.= Cut thin slices of bread, and from them make oblongs one inch wide by four inches long. Toast carefully so that they will not break, and pile on a small bread-plate if they are to be served dry.

VERMICELLI TOAST

Prepare a cream toast according to the rule on page 130, except arrange the slices on a platter and pour the sauce evenly over them. Press through a coarse wire strainer enough hard-boiled yolk of egg to lightly cover it. It will fall in irregular, broken, crinkled threads, somewhat resembling vermicelli, hence the name.

SOUPS

OYSTER SOUP

1 Cup of fresh oysters.
1 Cup of milk.
1 Saltspoon of salt.
2 Tablespoons of rolled cracker-crumbs.
A sprinkle of pepper.
¼ Teaspoon of butter.

Put the milk with the cracker-crumbs into a saucepan on the stove; while it is heating pick over the oysters on a plate, and remove any bits of shell that may be among them. Have a hot omelet-pan ready to receive them, and when the milk reaches the boiling-point, put the oysters into the omelet-pan. Stir and turn them until they become plump, or while about sixty can be _slowly counted_; then drop the oysters into the boiling milk, take it immediately from the fire, add the salt, pepper, and butter, and serve at once. The point which requires the most attention is the cooking of the oysters in the omelet-pan. Do not let them cook _quite enough_, as the milk has sufficient heat to finish them. If too long exposed to the heat, the albuminous juice becomes over-cooked, and the oysters consequently tough and leathery. For thickening oyster soup, two tablespoons of white sauce may be substituted for the cracker-crumbs.

CHICKEN SOUP

Thoroughly clean a good fowl. Separate it at the joints and cut it into small pieces. Put the meat into a saucepan with three pints of water, and stew it for two and one half or three hours, or until it becomes very tender. Then take out the meat, let the liquor continue to boil, and to it add one tablespoon of rice, one tablespoon of finely cut onion which has been fried with a bit of butter until soft, but not brown, and three peppercorns. Cut the nicer portions of the meat into small pieces, after removing all the skin, gristle, and bone. Put these pieces, with one teaspoon of salt, into the soup, and let all simmer until the rice is very soft. Then take out the peppercorns. A very little white pepper and a little celery-salt or curry-powder may be added. Serve hot with croutons. If the water boils away during the cooking, which it will do unless the simmering is very gentle, restore the quantity.

MOCK-BISQUE SOUP

1 Pint of tomatoes, measured after they have been stewed and strained.
1 Pint of white sauce.
1 Teaspoon of salt.
¼ Saltspoon of pepper.
½ Saltspoon of soda.

Although mock-bisque soup is better made with fresh tomatoes, the canned fruit may be used, with the precaution that it be allowed to stew only just long enough to soften it through, for long boiling develops in it a very strong acid. When the tomatoes are soft, strain them through a soup-strainer, or other coarse wire strainer, until there is nothing left but the seeds. Measure a pint of the liquid, add the soda, salt, and pepper, and set it on the stove to heat slowly. Meanwhile make a white sauce with one tablespoon of butter, one of flour, and a pint of milk, according to the rule on page 130. Add this sauce to the tomato, strain all into a double boiler, return to the fire, and serve as soon as it becomes steaming hot.

If fresh tomatoes can be obtained, wash and wipe them, cut out the green part near the stem, divide them into small pieces without taking off the skins, and stew without water until the fruit is just soft enough to mash. If the tomatoes are fully ripe and carefully cooked, they will not require the soda, but when soda is necessary, fresh tomatoes need only half the amount used for canned fruit.

This is an appetizing and delicate soup, and may be freely used by most invalids.

POTATO SOUP

3 Medium-sized potatoes.
1 Teaspoon of chopped onion.
2 Saltspoons of celery-salt, or 3 stalks of celery.
1 Teaspoon of salt.
A little white pepper.
A speck of cayenne.
1 Teaspoon of flour.
2 Teaspoons of butter.
1 Pint of milk.

Pare and boil the potatoes. Cook the onion and celery in the milk, with which make a white sauce with the flour and butter. When the potatoes are done, drain off the water and dry them over the fire by moving the pan back and forth on the stove to keep them from sticking. Then, without removing the pan from the fire, mash them thoroughly with a potato-masher, and put in the sauce, pepper, cayenne, and salt; strain all through a soup-strainer, and if the consistency be not perfectly smooth and even, strain it again. Put it into a double boiler, set back on the stove, and when hot it is ready to serve. If the soup seems very thick, add a little more milk, for some potatoes are drier than others, and will consequently absorb more moisture. It should be like a _thin purée_.

This soup may be varied by using a quart instead of a pint of milk, and the whites of two eggs well beaten, the latter to be added just two minutes before it is removed from the fire, which will be sufficient time for the egg to cook. Care should be taken not to allow the egg to harden, or the soup will have a curdled appearance.

CREAM-OF-CELERY SOUP

1 Head of celery.
1 Pint of water.
1 Pint of milk.
1 Tablespoon of butter.
1 Tablespoon of flour.
½ Teaspoon of salt.
½ Saltspoon of white pepper.

Wash and scrape the celery, cut it into half-inch pieces, put it into the pint of boiling water, and cook until it is very soft. When done mash it in the water in which it was boiled, and add the salt and pepper. Cook the onion in the milk, and with it make a white sauce with the butter and flour; add this to the celery, and strain it through a soup-strainer, pressing and mashing with the back of a spoon until all but a few tough fibers of the celery are squeezed through. Return the soup, in a double boiler, to the fire, and heat it until it is steaming, when it is ready to serve.

By substituting chicken broth for water, and using celery-salt instead of fresh celery when it is not in season, a very acceptable variation of this soup may be made.

CREAM-OF-RICE SOUP

¼ Cup of rice.
1 Pint of chicken broth or stock.
1 Pint of sweet cream.
1 Teaspoon of chopped onion.
1 Stalk of celery.
3 Saltspoons of salt.
A little white pepper.
½ Saltspoon of curry-powder.

Pick over and wash the rice, and put it into the chicken broth in a saucepan to cook. Simmer it slowly until the rice is very soft. It will require two hours' cooking to accomplish this. Half an hour before the rice is done put the cream into a saucepan with the onion, celery, pepper, and curry, and let them simmer slowly for twenty minutes; then pour the mixture into the rice; press all through a soup-strainer; add the salt, and set it back on the stove to heat to the boiling-point. It should be a rather thin soup, not a _purée_. Should the broth boil away while the rice is cooking, or should the soup be too thick, add more broth, or some water.

QUEEN VICTORIA'S FAVORITE SOUP

1 Cup of chopped chicken meat.
1 Pint of strong chicken broth.
1 Pint of sweet cream.
½ Cup of cracker- or bread-crumbs.
3 Yolks of eggs.
1 Teaspoon of salt.
½ Saltspoon of pepper.

The chicken may be obtained from what remains of a roast, in which case the bones, skin, tendons, and all the scraps left should be boiled for the broth. It is better, however, to use a fowl which has been cooked on purpose, as the broth from such a one is of finer flavor. Soak the cracker-crumbs in a little of the cream. Break three eggs, separate the whites from the yolks, and carefully drop the yolks into hot water; boil them until they are hard. Chop the chicken in a chopping-tray until it is as fine as meal, previously having removed everything except the clear meat; mix the soaked cracker with it; press the hard egg-yolks through a coarse wire strainer and put them in, and also the salt, pepper, and broth. Then strain the whole through a colander, adding the cream a little at a time, and pressing through all of the meat. Boil it for five minutes in a saucepan, or cook it in a double boiler for half an hour. This makes a delicious soup.

CHICKEN-TAPIOCA SOUP

2 Tablespoons of tapioca.
½ Cup of cold water.
1 Pint of strong chicken broth or white stock.
1 Pint of milk.
1 Stalk of celery, or some celery-salt.
1 Tablespoon of chopped onion.
½ Square inch of mace.
1 Scant teaspoon of salt.
½ Saltspoon of white pepper.
½ Teaspoon of butter.

The broth for this dish may be made by boiling the bones of a roast with the left-over pieces of meat, and then reducing the liquor until it is strong enough. Put the tapioca to soak in the cold water, overnight if it be the common, coarse kind, but if pearl or granulated tapioca is used, twenty minutes will do. Then add the chicken stock, and simmer it until the tapioca is completely softened. It will require two or three hours. About half an hour before the tapioca will be done, put the milk, celery, onion, and mace into a saucepan to cook, and as soon as the tapioca becomes soft pour it in; remove from the fire, and strain the whole through a wire strainer, forcing through with a spoon all the grains of tapioca. Then add the salt, pepper, and butter; set it back on the stove, and heat it just to the boiling-point, when it is ready to serve.

BEEF-TAPIOCA SOUP

¼ Cup of granulated tapioca.
1½ Cups of water.
1 Pint of strong beef broth.
½ Teaspoon of salt.
½ Teaspoon of mixed sweet herbs.
1 Teaspoon of minced onion.
A little black pepper.

Soak the tapioca for twenty minutes in a half cup of cold water, then set it to cook in a double boiler with the rest of the water (one cupful). When the grains become soft and begin to look transparent, put in all the other ingredients and cook until the tapioca is completely dissolved. This will require two or three hours. Strain it, and return it to the fire to boil for five minutes, when it is ready to serve. This soup may be made with the ordinary stock from a stock-kettle. A little chicken broth is an improving addition, and really makes a most savory soup.

CHICKEN PANADA

A panada is a dish the foundation of which is bread. For chicken panada there will be needed:

1 Cup of chicken meat.
½ Cup of bread soaked in milk.
1 Pint of chicken liquor or broth.
½ Teaspoon of salt.
¼ Saltspoon of pepper.

The chicken may be obtained from a cold roast, the bones, gristle, and tendons of which should be boiled for the broth, or a fowl may be used on purpose for it.

Put the bread-crumbs to soak in enough milk to cover them. Cut the chicken into small pieces, leaving out everything which is not clear meat, and chop it in a chopping-tray until it is very fine. Press the bread-crumbs through a coarse wire strainer into it, pour in the broth (from which the fat has been removed by skimming with a spoon), and add the pepper and salt. Boil for one minute. The panada should be about the consistency of thick gruel. It may be varied by seasoning it with either celery-salt or curry-powder. Two tablespoons of sweet cream is also a desirable addition.

CONSOMMÉ

3 Quarts of cold water.
½ of a good fowl.
2 Pounds of lean beef, or 2½ pounds of beef and bone.
¼ Pound of lean ham.
1 Tablespoon of chopped carrot.
1 Tablespoon of chopped turnip.
1 Teaspoon of minced onion.
1 Tablespoon of celery.
3 Cloves.
3 Peppercorns.
1 Tablespoon of mixed sweet herbs.

Wipe but do not wash the beef, unless, of course, it is very dirty. Cut it into small slices, and fry it in a hot frying-pan to brown it and to develop the flavor of the meat. Then divide the slices into small pieces, so as to expose as large a surface as possible to the action of the water. Put it, with the chicken (after it has been cleaned and cut into small pieces), into a porcelain-lined or granite-ware soup-digester, with the piece of ham and three quarts of cold water. Let it slowly reach the boiling-point, and simmer it gently for six hours. Boiling briskly dissipates the flavors by separating certain subtle substances which are perceptible to the sense of smell, and if they are in the air they cannot also be in the broth.

When it has been cooking for three hours, fry the carrot, turnip, and onion together in a little butter until they are brown, and put them with the cloves, sweet herbs, peppercorns, and celery into the soup. If these are cooked with the meat from the beginning, the flavor is not so good.

At the end of the six hours, when the meat is in rags, strain the liquid into a china bowl, and set it away to cool until all the fat rises and forms in a cake on the top. It is a good plan to cool it overnight when there is plenty of time. Every particle of fat must be removed, and it is not possible to do this unless the soup is cooled. _To clear consommé_ return it to the fire, and as soon as it becomes liquid break into it two eggs, and stir slowly until the soup begins to steam and the albumen of the eggs is coagulated. The coagulum will entangle all the insoluble matter; then strain the liquid through a napkin, salt it, and heat it just to the boiling-point, when it is ready to serve.

It should be perfectly clear, and of a golden-brown color like sherry wine. If the color is not dark enough, a little caramel (burnt sugar) may be added.

The above quantity of meats and flavoring should give a quart of consommé.

BOUILLON

Make a plain beef broth according to the rule on page 78. To a quart of this add a pinch each of thyme, sage, sweet marjoram, and mint (or enough to make in all what will fill a teaspoon), and a teaspoon each of chopped onion and carrot. Boil all together until the broth is reduced to one pint. Strain, season with salt and pepper, and serve very hot in covered cups.

APPLE SOUP

2 Cups of apple.
2 Cups of water.
2 Teaspoons of corn-starch.
1½ Tablespoons of sugar.
1 Saltspoon of cinnamon.
A bit of salt.

Stew the apple in the water until it is very soft. Then mix together into a smooth paste the corn-starch, sugar, salt, and cinnamon with a little cold water. Pour this into the apple, and boil for five minutes. Strain it into a soup-tureen, and keep hot until ready to serve. This is very good eaten with hot buttered sippets.

OYSTERS

Oysters are a highly prized food, though why it is difficult to say, as they are neither very easy of digestion nor very nutritious. But they possess a delicate insinuating flavor that is generally acceptable to most palates, and probably are really valuable for the salts which they contain.

The composition of oysters (Payen's analysis) is as follows:

Nitrogenous matter 14.010%
Fat 1.515%
Saline substances 2.695%
Water 80.385%
Non-nitrogenous matter and waste 1.395%
--------
Total 100.000

According to Professor Mott's Chart of the Composition, Digestibility, and Nutritive Value of Foods, from actual experiment the time required for the digestion of oysters is as follows:

Hours. Minutes.
Raw oysters 2 55
Roasted oysters 3 15
Stewed oysters 3 30

This shows that they require a longer time than do most kinds of fish, venison, beefsteak, tripe, soused pig's feet, eggs, and roast beef, all of which are digested in varying times less than those mentioned.

Oysters are found in greatest perfection in the Eastern States, and in the cooler waters of the western Atlantic. The choicest varieties in the world come from the shores of Long Island, and from the Providence River. Chesapeake Bay is noted for the abundance of its oysters.

Oysters are in season from September to May; during the rest of the year they are insipid and unfit for food, although they are sometimes used.

Convalescents often begin with fresh, sound oysters, before they venture to try other kinds of solid animal food.

Oysters may be used in a variety of ways, but served raw and broiled slightly in the shells are perhaps the two most desirable ways with which to begin. Afterward stews and soups are recommended on account of their liquid form and warmth, warm foods being always so much more desirable than cold.

There are some points to be carefully observed in preparing oysters for the sick. (1) Make every effort to have the oysters alive when used. If this is impossible, buy salt-water oysters as fresh as they can be obtained of a reliable dealer. Many serious cases of illness, and even death, have been caused by eating oysters so long dead that poisonous substances had formed in them. (2) Remember that oysters contain an albuminous juice which increases in hardness with an increase of temperature, just as the albumen of an egg does. When oysters are cooked with reference to this juice alone, they are also cooked in the best possible manner with reference to their other ingredients; therefore subject them to a low temperature, and for a short time, bearing in mind that 160° Fahr. is the cooking temperature of albumen.

RAW OYSTERS

Wash and scrub the shells well under a stream of water, with a vegetable brush. With a hammer break the thin edges of the shell so that a knife may be inserted to sever the muscle which holds the two parts of the shell together; when this is cut remove the upper half, and wipe the edges free from any grains of sand. Then sever the muscle which joins the oyster to the other half, so that it may be easily lifted out, without the necessity of cutting. Arrange them on an oyster-plate, and serve with salt, black pepper, and lemon-juice. A half or a quarter of a lemon may be placed in the center of the plate, which usually has a groove on purpose for it.

OYSTERS ROASTED IN THE SHELL

Wash the shells very carefully with a brush. Put them in a wire broiler over glowing coals, the round side of the shell down so as to hold the juice. Cook them quickly, turning once or twice until the shells open. They may also be done in a hot oven. When done, remove the upper half of the shell; season them quickly with salt, pepper, and a tiny bit of butter, and vinegar, if liked, and serve them while they are very hot. The true oyster flavor is delightfully developed by preparing in this way. They may also be served with melted butter, seasoned with salt, pepper, and lemon-juice.

OYSTER SOUP

See recipe under =Soups=, on page 134.

OYSTER STEW

1 Cup of oysters.
1 Cup of rich milk.
2 Saltspoons of salt.
A little white pepper.
¼ Teaspoon of butter.

Set the milk in a saucepan on the fire to heat. Prepare the oysters by pouring over them a cup of cold water to wash them, from which lift them out with a fork, and search for bits of shell which sometimes adhere when they are opened. Then lay them on a napkin or a piece of clean cloth, to drain off as much as possible of the water. Unless oysters are just taken from the shells, the liquor is not of much value. Just as the milk reaches the boiling-point, put the oysters into an omelet-pan, which has been previously set on the stove to heat, and cook them for a minute, or until they become plump, turning them every ten seconds with a fork. The moment the edges or frills begin to curl, drop them into the milk and remove it immediately from the fire. Now add the seasoning and butter, and the stew is ready to serve--which should be done as soon as possible.

Oyster stew may also be made by preparing the oysters as above and then dropping them into boiling-hot milk, which should remain for one or two minutes on the fire before removal.

CREAMED OYSTERS

Clean a pint of oysters according to the directions in the previous rule. After drying them on a napkin, spread them on a plate and season them with salt, pepper, and a suspicion of cayenne.

Make a rich cream sauce with _one pint_ of cream, _one tablespoon_ of butter, and _two tablespoons_ of flour.