Chapter III: Introduction (2)

1 bunch of leeks, 1 lb. of potatoes, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs, a little nutmeg, 1 pint of milk, pepper and salt to taste, 8 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 eggs, 1 oz. of butter. Cut up into dice the potatoes and leeks, parboil them in 1 pint of water, adding the herbs, butter, and seasoning; place the vegetables in a pie-dish, make a batter with the milk, eggs, and meal, pour it over the vegetables, mix all well, and bake the pie 1-1/2 to 2 hours in a moderate oven.

LENTIL PIE.

1/2 lb. of lentils, 1 lb. of potatoes, 1 lb. of tomatoes, 1 Spanish onion, 1 heaped-up teaspoonful of herbs, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Have the lentils cooked beforehand. Peel, wash, and cut into dice the potatoes and onion, and fry them in the butter until nearly soft. Scald and slice the tomatoes, and mix the fried vegetables, lentils, tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning well together. Turn the mixture into a pie-dish, and pour over as much water or vegetable stock as may be required for gravy. Quarter the eggs and place them on the top. Cover with a short crust, and bake the pie for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

LENTIL RISSOLES.

1/2 lb. of lentils, 1 finely chopped onion, 1 breakfastcupful of breadcrumbs, 1 breakfastcupful of tinned tomatoes, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, pepper and salt to taste, some raspings, butter, vege-butter or oil for frying. Pick and wash the lentils, and boil them in enough water to cover them; when this is absorbed add the tomatoes, and if necessary gradually a little more water to prevent the lentils from burning. Fry the onion in 1-1/2 oz. of butter, mix it with the lentils as they are stewing, and add pepper and salt to taste. When the lentils are quite soft, and like a pureé (which will take from 1 to 1-1/2 hours), set them aside to cool. Mix the lentils and the breadcrumbs, beat up one of the eggs and add it to the mixture, beating all well together. If it is too dry, add a very little milk, but only just enough to make the mixture keep together. Form into rissoles, beat up the second egg, roll them into the egg and raspings, and fry the rissoles a nice brown in boiling butter or oil. Drain and serve.

LENTIL TURNOVERS.

6 oz. of lentils, 6 oz. of mushrooms, 1 English onion chopped very fine, 1 ounce of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste. Pick and wash the lentils, and cook them in only as much water as they will absorb. Peel, wash, and cut up the mushrooms, chop fine the onion, and fry both in the butter. Add them to the lentils now cooking; also the lemon juice and seasoning. When the lentils are quite soft, the whole should be a fairly firm pureé. Let it cool, and meanwhile make a paste of 6 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal and 2 oz. of butter or vege-butter and a little water. Roll the paste out thin, cut into squares of about 4 inches. Place some of the lentil mixture in each, moisten the edges, turn half over, and press the edges together. Bake for 15 minutes in a floured tin, and serve with brown sauce, vegetables, and potatoes.

LENTILS (CURRIED), AND RICE.

1 breakfastcupful each of lentils and rice, 1 lb. of fresh tomatoes or 1/2 a tinful of tinned ones, 1 dessertspoonful of curry, 3 eggs, well beaten, 2 oz. of butter, some breadcrumbs, and salt to taste. Roast the rice in a frying-pan in half of the butter until browned; then set it over the fire with 1-1/2 pints of water and the lentils, picked and washed. When tender set them aside to cool a little. Scald and skin the tomatoes, cut them into slices and place them in a buttered pie-dish. Smooth the curry with 1 spoonful of water; add the curry, the eggs, and salt to the cooked rice and lentils, and mix all well. Spread all over the tomatoes, scatter breadcrumbs over the top, cut up the rest of the butter in pieces and place them here and there over the breadcrumbs. Bake the savoury for 3/4 of an hour to 1 hour.

LENTILS (POTTED), FOR SANDWICHES.

1/2 lb. of lentils, 1 English onion, 1/2 a cupful of tinned tomatoes, 1 blade of mace, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Pick and wash the lentils, and set them over the fire to cook, only just covered with water, adding the mace, pepper, and salt. Chop fine the onion and fry it a nice brown in the butter; add the fried onions and tomatoes to the lentils, stir them sometimes to prevent burning, and let the lentils cook gently until they have become soft and make a fairly firm purée. If too dry, add a little more water as may be required. When they are done remove the mace and turn the lentils out to get cold. Then use for making sandwiches with very thin bread and butter.

MINESTRA.

1 breakfastcupful of potatoes cut into small dice, 2 breakfastcupfuls of flagolet beans, onions, carrots, and celery mixed (the latter cut up small), 1/4 lb. of rice, 2 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of grated Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the vegetables in 1 quart of water until quite tender, add the rice, also pepper and salt, and cook all together gently until the rice is soft, adding more water if necessary. Before serving add the butter and cheese, stir a few minutes, and serve.

MUSHROOM CUTLETS.

1/4 lb. of mushrooms, 1/2 teacupful of mashed potatoes, 1 teacupful of breadcrumbs, 1 small onion, 2 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, a little milk, 1 teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs. Peel and cut up the mushrooms, chop up the onion, and fry them in 1 oz. of butter. Mix the mushrooms and onion with the breadcrumbs, 1 egg well beaten, add also pepper and salt to taste; if necessary add a little milk to make it into a paste; shape the mixture into cutlets, dip them in the other egg well beaten, and fry them in the rest of the butter. Serve with tomato sauce.

MUSHROOM PIE.

1-1/2 lbs. of mushrooms, 1-1/2 lbs. of potatoes, 1 Spanish onion, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, 1 teaspoonful of mixed herbs, and 3 hard-boiled eggs. Peel and wash the mushrooms, and cut them into 2 or 4 pieces, according to their size. Peel and wash the potatoes, and cut them into pieces the size of walnuts; parboil them with 1 pint of water, and turn them into a pie-dish with the water. Chop up the onion, and cook the mushrooms and onion for 10 minutes with the butter in 1/2 pint of water, adding the herbs and seasoning. Mix all well in the pie-dish, quarter the eggs, and place them on the top, cover with a short crust, and bake the pie for 3/4 of an hour to 1 hour.

MUSHROOM SAVOURY.

4 ounces of Allinson plain rusks 3 eggs, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of butter, 1 lb. of mushrooms, 1 small onion chopped fine, and pepper and salt to taste. Crush the rusks and soak in the milk; add the eggs well whipped. Peel, wash, and cut up the mushrooms, and fry them and the onion in the butter. When they have cooked in the butter for 10 minutes add them to the other ingredients, and season with pepper and salt. Pour the mixture into a greased pie-dish, and bake the savoury for 1 hour. Serve with green vegetables, potatoes, and tomato sauce.

MUSHROOM TARTLETS.

1/2 lb. of mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, 1 small English onion, 1 tablespoonful of vermicelli broken up small, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and wash the mushrooms and cut them up; chop up the onions very fine, melt the butter in the frying-pan and fry the mushrooms and onion in it, adding pepper and salt to taste; a good deal of liquid will run from the mushrooms, stir into it the vermicelli, which let cook in the juice until tender; let the mixture cool, line some tartlet tins with Allinson wholemeal crust, fill with the mixture, cover with crust, and press the edges well together; bake in a moderate oven.

MUSHROOM TART AND GRAVY.

1 lb. of mushrooms, 1/2 lb. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 4 oz. of butter or Allinson frying oil, pepper and salt to taste. Pick and wash the mushrooms, remove the stalks, dry them and cut them into pieces; make pastry with the meal, 3 oz. of the butter, and a little cold water; roll it out, line a large plate and heap the mushrooms upon it, dredge well with pepper and salt, and cut the rest of the butter into bits to be scattered over the mushrooms; when you line the plate, keep a little of the paste, cut this into thin strips and lay them in diamond shape across the pie; bake the pie 3/4 hour in a moderate oven.

The Gravy.--The stalks of the mushrooms, 4 eschalots chopped very fine, 1 teaspoonful of Allinson cornflour, 3 bay leaves, 1/2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Fry the stalks and eschalots in the butter, then gently cook them in 3/4 pint of water for 1/2 hour, adding seasoning and the bay leaves; strain, return the sauce to the saucepan, and thicken it with the cornflour.

MUSHROOM TURNOVERS.

1/2 lb. of medium-sized mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. For the pastry, 1/2 lb. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 oz. of butter (or 3 tablespoonfuls of Allinson frying oil). Make the pastry of the meal, butter, and a little water; pick and wash the mushrooms, cut them up in small pieces dredge them with pepper and salt, and fry them in the butter for 5 to 10 minutes. Roll the paste out, cut it in squares of about 4 inches, and place as much mushroom on each as it will conveniently hold. Press the edges of each square together, folding them in triangular shape, and bake them in a moderate oven for an hour. Serve with brown gravy.

OATMEAL PIE-CRUST.

4 oz. each of medium oatmeal and Allinson fine wheatmeal, and 2-1/2 oz. of vege-butter or butter. Make the crust in the usual way with cold water. It will be found beautifully short, very tasty, and more digestible than white flour pastry.

ONION TART.

1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1 lb. of English onions, 4 oz. of butter, 3 eggs, 1/2 pint of cream, pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 lb. of Allinson fine wheatmeal. Slice the onions, and stew them with 1-1/2 oz. of butter without browning them. When tender let the onions cool, mix with them the eggs, well beaten, and the cream, also the seasoning. Make a paste with the meal and the rest of the butter, line with it a baking-tin, keeping back a small quantity of the paste; pour the mixture of onions, eggs, and cream into the paste-lined tin, cut the rest of the paste into thin strips, and lay these crossways over the tart, forming diamond-shaped squares; bake the tart in a moderate oven until golden brown.

ONION TURNOVER.

2 medium-sized Spanish onions, 1 oz. of butter (or Allinson frying oil), 3 eggs, pepper and salt. For the pastry, 6 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 2-1/2 oz. of butter or oil. Chop the onions fine, boil them a few minutes in a little water, and drain them; stew them in the butter for 10 minutes, adding the seasoning beat up the eggs and mix them well with the onions over the fire, remove the mixture as it begins to set. Have ready the pastry made with the meal, butter, and a little cold water, roll it out, place the onions and eggs on it, fold the pastry over, pinching the edges over, and bake the turnover brown. Serve with gravy. This is a Turkish dish.

POTATO PIE.

Slice potatoes and onions, stew with a little water until nearly done, put into a pie-dish, flavour with herbs, pepper, and salt, add a little soaked tapioca and very little butter, cover with short wheatmeal crust, and bake 1 hour. To make a very plain pie-crust use about 2 oz. of butter or a proportionate quantity of Allinson frying oil to 1 lb. of wheatmeal. Roll or touch with the fingers as little as possible, and mix with milk instead of water. Eat this pie with green vegetables.

POTATO AND TOMATO PIE.

2 lbs. of potatoes, 2 lbs. of tomatoes, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 oz. of vermicelli or sago, 1 Spanish onion, 1 dessertspoonful of thyme, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. For the crust, 1/2 lb. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 oz. of butter, and as much cold water as needed. Boil the potatoes in their skins, and when nearly soft drain, peel, and cut them into pieces, scald and skin the tomatoes and cut them into pieces also. Mix them with the potatoes in a pie-dish. Chop up roughly the onion, and boil in about 1 pint of water, adding the butter and the vermicelli or sago. Cook until soft. Add pepper and salt, and mix all with the potatoes and tomatoes. Sprinkle in the thyme, and mix all the ingredients well. Quarter the eggs and place the pieces on the top of the vegetables. Make the crust, cover the dish with it, and bake the pie from 3/4 of an hour to 1 hour. The crust looks better if brushed over with white of egg before baking.

POTATOES AND MUSHROOM STEW.

1-1/2 lbs. of potatoes, 1 Spanish onion, 1/2 lb. of mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt, and 1 teaspoonful of Allinson cornflour for thickening. Peel, wash, and cut into pieces the potatoes; chop up the onion, and set both over the fire with 1 pint of water, the butter and seasoning; let cook until the potatoes are about half done. Meanwhile skin, wash, and cut into pieces the mushrooms, add them to the other ingredients, and let all stew together until tender. Thicken the liquid with the cornflour, boil up, and serve.

QUEEN'S APPLE AND ONION PIE.

3 breakfastcupfuls of Allinson breadcrumbs, 3 eggs, 1-1/2 lbs. of apples, 2 lbs. of Spanish onions, 2 oz. of butter, 1/2 teaspoonful of spice, pepper and salt to taste, and a little hot milk; cut into slices the onions and apples, stew them gently (without adding-water) with 1 oz. of the butter, the spice and seasoning until quite tender. Mix the breadcrumbs with the eggs, well beaten, and enough hot milk to smooth the breadcrumbs; butter a pie-dish with 1/2 oz. of butter, place a layer of breadcrumbs in your dish, a layer of apple and onion, repeat this until your dish is full, finishing with breadcrumbs. Place the rest of the butter on the top in little bits, and bake the pie for 1 hour. Serve with brown gravy.

QUEEN'S ONION PIE.

3 lbs of Spanish onions, 3 breakfastcupfuls of Allinson breadcrumbs, 3 eggs, 3 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of mixed herbs, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste, and a little hot milk. Stew the onions in 2 oz. of butter, adding the herbs and seasoning. Prepare the breadcrumbs in the same way as for "Queen's Onion and Apple Pie," place the onions and breadcrumbs in layers as in the previous recipe, and bake 1 hour.

QUEEN'S TOMATO PIE.

8 breakfastcupfuls of Allinson breadcrumbs, 3 eggs, 2 lbs. of tomatoes, 2 finely chopped onions, 1/2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, a little boiling milk; 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley. Cut the tomatoes into slices, and stew them gently with 1 oz. of the butter, the onions and seasoning for 10 minutes, then add the parsley. Soak the breadcrumbs with enough hot milk to just moisten them through, add the eggs beaten up. Grease a pie-dish, place in it first a layer of breadcrumbs, then one of tomatoes and so on until full, finishing with breadcrumbs. Put the rest of the butter in little bits on the top of the pie, and bake it until lightly brown.

SAVOURY CUSTARD.

1 quart of milk; 6 eggs, 6 oz. of grated cheese, Parmesan is the best, but any kind of cooking cheese can be used; 1/2 a saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Heat the milk; meanwhile whip the eggs well, and mix the cheese and seasoning with them. Mix well with the hot milk, pour the mixture into a buttered pie-dish, and bake in a moderately hot oven until set. Serve with green vegetables and potatoes.

SAVOURY CUSTARD (Another way).

1 quart of milk, 6 eggs, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful each of finely chopped parsley and spring onion. Proceed as above; mix the herbs and onion with the custard, and bake until set.

SAVOURY FRITTERS (1).

1 teacupful of mashed potatoes, 1/2 lb. of breadcrumbs, 1 large English onion, 2 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of powdered sage, 1/2 saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Chop the onion up fine and fry it brown in the butter. Whip up the eggs and mix both ingredients with the breadcrumbs; add the mashed potatoes, herbs, and seasoning, and mix all well together. Form into fritters, dredge with flour, and fry them a nice brown. Serve with vegetables, potatoes, and sauce.

SAVOURY FRITTERS (2).

12 oz. of onions, 6 oz. of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful of dried sage, 2 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Chop the onions up small and fry them in the butter, or oil a nice brown, then add the sage to them. Mix a third of the onions with the breadcrumbs, add the eggs well beaten, pepper and salt; mix all well, form into fritters, and fry in butter or oil. The remainder of the onions place round the fritters on the dish. Serve with apple sauce.

SAVOURY PICKLED WALNUT.

1/2 lb. of Allinson bread, 1 pint of milk, 3 eggs, 4 pickled walnuts and the vinegar to taste, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of powdered mixed herbs, 1 grated English onion, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Soak the bread in the milk, add the parsley, herbs, onion, eggs and seasoning. Mash up the pickled walnuts, dissolve part of the butter on the stove and add both to the other ingredients; mix all well. Butter a pie-dish with the rest of the butter, pour in the mixture, and bake.

SAVOURY PIE.

6 oz. of haricot beans, 1/2 lb. of onions, 1 lb. of tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of parboiled potatoes, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 teaspoonful of herbs, 4 oz. of butter, 1/2 lb. of fine wheatmeal, pepper and salt to taste. Have the beans boiled the previous day, place them in a pie-dish, chop up the onions and boil them in a little water until soft, cut the potatoes in small dice, slice the tomatoes, cut up the eggs, and mix all the ingredients thoroughly in the pie dish, adding the herbs, 1 oz. of butter, and seasoning. Pour over the mixture 1 pint of water, and let it cook for 1 hour in the oven. Make a paste of the wheatmeal, the rest of the butter and a little cold water, cover the vegetables with it, and bake the pie 1 hour in a moderate oven.

SAVOURY TARTLETS.

4 eggs, 4 oz. grated cheese, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of mustard, 1 gill of cream, pepper and salt to taste. For the crust 6 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, and 2 oz. of butter. Whip up the eggs and add to each egg 1 dessertspoonful of water. Dissolve the mustard in a little water; mix this, the cheese and seasoning with the eggs. Heat the butter in a frying-pan, and when boiling stir in the eggs and cheese mixture, stirring it with a knife over the fire until set. Turn the mixture into a bowl to cool. Meanwhile have ready the paste for the pastry. Rub the butter into the flour, add enough water to make it hold together, mixing the paste with a knife. Roll it out thin, line small patty pans, fill with the egg and cheese mixture. Moisten the edges of the paste in the patty pans, cover with paste, and press the edges together. Bake the little tartlets in a moderately hot oven until done; they will take from 15 to 20 minutes.

SPAGHETTI AUX TOMATOES.

1 lb. of spaghetti, the strained juice of one tin of tomatoes, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt. Mix the tomato juice with 1 pint of water and let the liquid come to the boil, throw in the spaghetti, taking care to keep the contents of the saucepan boiling fast; add the butter and seasoning, and cook until tender; time from 15 to 20 minutes. Serve very hot with grated cheese.

SPANISH ONIONS (Stewed).

Cut up lengthways as many onions as may be required, according to number in family. Set them over a fire in a saucepan with a piece of butter the size of a walnut, and 1 teacupful of water; let them stew gently for 1-1/2 hours, when there will be a lot of juice boiled out of the onions. Chop fine a handful of parsley, thicken the liquid on the onions with some Allinson fine wheatmeal, add pepper and salt; let the onions simmer a few minutes longer, then mix the parsley with them, and serve at once with squares of toast. This is a very nice dish for the evening meal.

SPANISH ONIONS AND CHEESE.

This is a very savoury dish and suitable for an evening meal. 1 lb. of Spanish onions, 4 oz. of cheese, a few breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Peel and slice the onions thinly and grate the cheese. Arrange the onions in a pie-dish in layers, sprinkling cheese and a little pepper and salt between each layer. Finish with the cheese, scatter breadcrumbs on the top, cut up the butter into bits and scatter it over the breadcrumbs. Pour a small teacupful of water into the pie-dish, and bake about 2 hours. This is nice eaten cold as well as hot.

SPANISH ONIONS AND WHITE SAUCE.

Choose as many onions of equal size as are required and boil them whole in plenty of water until tender; the time necessary being about 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Then drain them, keeping the water they were boiled in as stock for soup or stew. Make the sauce as follows: 1/2 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 heaped teaspoonful of cornflour, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the milk with the butter and seasoning, and thicken it with the cornflour. Boil the sauce up again and pour it over the onions, which should be ready on a hot dish on slices of toast.

SPANISH STEW.

2 lbs. of potatoes, 1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1 lb. of tomatoes, 2 oz. of vermicelli, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt. Cut up into dice the potatoes and onions, and stew them with the butter and very little water; when they are tender, add the tomatoes cut in slices, and cook the vegetables 10 minutes longer. Add seasoning, the milk and vermicelli, and a little more water if necessary; let the whole simmer for another 10 minutes, and serve.

SPINACH DUMPLINGS.

2 lbs. of spinach, 3 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, 2 finely chopped onions, juice of 1/2 a lemon, pepper and salt, and some Allinson fine wheatmeal. Pick and wash the spinach, boil it with the onions without water until quite tender; drain it dry, chop the spinach fine, and mix it with the eggs well beaten, the lemon juice, butter, and seasoning. Add as much of the meal as necessary to make the mixture into a soft paste. Form into balls, flour them, drop them into boiling water, and boil them 5 to 10 minutes; serve with potatoes and gravy.

STEWED MUSHROOMS.

1 lb. of mushrooms, 1 small English onion, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson cornflour, 1/2 pint of milk, 1/2 pint of water, pepper and salt to taste. Peel, wash, and dry the mushrooms--if big, quarter them--chop fine the onion, and fry both in the butter for 10 minutes. Add the water, milk, and seasoning, and let it all simmer for 20 minutes; thicken with the cornflour, boil up and serve with curried or plain boiled rice.

STUFFED SPANISH ONIONS WITH BROWN SAUCE.

4 good-sized Spanish onions, 1 breakfastcupful of Allinson breadcrumbs, an egg, 1 teaspoonful of powdered dry sage, or a dessertspoonful of minced fresh sage, pepper and salt to taste, and 2 oz. of butter. Boil the onions for 20 minutes and drain them. Cut a piece off the top of each onion and scoop out enough inside to leave at least 1 inch thick of the outer part. Chop up finely the part removed, mix it with the breadcrumbs, the sage, pepper, and salt. Beat up the egg, melt 1 oz. of the butter, and mix with the breadcrumbs, and stuff the onions with the mixture. Replace the slices cut off the tops of the onions, and tie them on with white cotton. Place the onions in a pie-dish or deep tin, put the rest of the butter on the top of the onions, cover them up, and bake them until quite tender. Have ready the brown sauce, remove the threads of cotton, and pour the sauce over the cooked onions.

SWEET CORN FRITTERS.

1/2 tin of sweet corn, 2 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1/2 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, pepper, and salt, 1/2 saltspoonful of nutmeg, and some oil or butter. Make a batter of the meal, milk, and the eggs well beaten, adding the seasoning and the sweet corn. Have some oil (vege-butter) boiling in the frying-pan, drop spoonfuls of the batter into the boiling fat, and fry the fritters a golden brown. Serve with slices of lemon or tomato sauce.

TOMATO PIE.

1-1/2 lbs. of tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of onions, 1 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of vermicelli, 2 hard-boiled eggs. For the crust, 8 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 oz. of butter. Cut up the potatoes and onions into dice, and parboil them in 1 pint of water, adding the butter and seasoning. Turn them into a pie-dish, add the tomatoes and eggs cut in slices, mix all the ingredients, and add the vermicelli broken up small. Make a paste with the meal, butter, and a little cold water, cover the pie with the crust, and bake for 1 hour.

TOMATO TORTILLA.

1 lb. of tomatoes, 1 oz. of butter, 4 eggs, pepper and salt to taste. Scald, skin, and slice the tomatoes. Melt the butter in a frying-pan. Add it to the tomatoes with seasoning, and stew in the butter until quite tender and until a good deal of the liquid has steamed away. Whip the eggs and stir them into the cooked tomatoes; keep stirring until the mixture has thickened. Serve on hot buttered toast. This mixture can also be used cold for sandwiches.

TOMATOES À LA PARMESAN.

4 large tomatoes, 1 oz. of butter, 3 oz. of Parmesan cheese, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, pepper and salt to taste. Bake the tomatoes in a tin with the butter and a dredging of pepper and salt. Make a sauce with the milk, meal, and cheese, seasoning it with a little cayenne pepper if handy. When the tomatoes are baked, place them on hot buttered toast, pour the sauce over, and serve hot.

TOMATOES AND ONION PIE.

Cut tomatoes and Spanish onions in slices, put into a pie-dish in alternate layers, add a little soaked tapioca, pepper and salt, and a little butter to taste. Put in sufficient water to make gravy, cover with wholemeal crust, bake 1-1/2 hours; eat with baked potatoes and bread.

TOMATOES AU GRATIN.

8 medium-sized tomatoes, 1 breakfastcupful of breadcrumbs, 1 teaspoonful each of finely chopped parsley, mint, and eschalot, 1 egg, pepper and salt, 1 oz. of butter. Make a stuffing of the breadcrumbs, parsley, mint, and eschalots, adding the egg well beaten, and seasoning. Make a small opening in the tomato and take out the seeds with a teaspoon; fill the tomatoes with the stuffing, put them into a tin, place a bit of butter on each, pour 1/2 a teacupful of water in the tin, and bake the tomatoes 15 minutes.

VEGETABLE BALLS.

These are an excellent addition to stews. Boil till soft, and mash up together equal quantities of potatoes, turnips, carrots, lentils, vegetable marrow, and haricot beans, and season nicely with pepper, salt, nutmeg, and mixed herbs. Bind with beaten eggs, dip in frying batter, and fry the balls in vege-butter or oil till golden brown.

VEGETABLE MOULD.

2 breakfastcupfuls of mashed potatoes, 2 ditto of parboiled finely cut turnips, carrots, celery, onion, and green peas all mixed, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of mixed herbs, pepper and salt to taste. Beat the eggs up and mix all the ingredients well together; butter a mould. Fill in the mixture, cover with the lid or tie a cloth over it, and steam for 2 hours. Turn out, and serve with brown sauce.

VEGETABLE PIE (1).

1/2 lb. each of tomatoes, turnips, carrots, potatoes, 1 tablespoonful of sago, 1 teaspoonful of mixed herbs, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 2 oz. of butter, and pepper and salt to taste. Prepare the vegetables, scald and skin the tomatoes, cut them in pieces not bigger than a walnut, stew them in the butter and 1 pint of water until nearly tender, add the pepper and salt and the mixed herbs. When cooked, pour the vegetables into a pie-dish, sprinkle in the sago, add water to make gravy if necessary. Cut the hard-boiled eggs in quarters and place them on the top of the vegetables, cover with a crust, and bake until it is brown.

VEGETABLE PIE (2).

1/2 lb. each of carrots, turnips, onions, potatoes, 1 small cauliflower, 2 good sized tomatoes or a cupful of tinned ones, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 1 teaspoonful of mixed herbs, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of sago, pepper and salt to taste. Wash and prepare the vegetables, cut them into pieces the size of nuts; if fresh tomatoes are used, scald and skin them. Let all the vegetables stew gently with the butter and 1 pint of water until they are nearly tender; add the herbs, and seasoning; pour the whole into a pie-dish, sprinkling the sago between the vegetables; add water if more is required for the pie to have sufficient gravy; cut up the eggs in quarters, place the pieces on the top of the vegetables, and cover all with a crust. These vegetable pies can be varied according to the vegetables in season; cooked haricot or kidney beans, lentils, green peas, French beans may be used, and vermicelli or tapioca substituted for the sago.

VEGETABLE STEW.

Fry 2 Spanish onions in 2 oz. of butter, then add 3 turnips, 2 carrots, a little white celery, and 1 pint of water. Allow all to stew for 2 hours, then mix a tablespoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal with 1/2 pint of milk. Add to the stew, and serve.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING.

4 eggs, 1/2 lb. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 pint of milk, pepper and salt to taste, 1 oz. of butter. Thoroughly beat the eggs, make a batter of them with the flour and milk, and season it. Well butter a shallow tin, pour in the batter, and cut the rest of the butter in bits. Scatter them over the batter, and bake it 3/4 hour. Serve with vegetables, potatoes, and sauce. To use half each of Allinson breakfast oats and wheatmeal will be found very tasty.

NUTROAST.

1 lb. breadcrumbs, 6 oz. ground cob nuts, 2 oz. butter (oiled), 4 eggs; 1 small onion chopped very fine, 1 good pinch of mixed herbs, pepper and salt to taste, and enough milk just to smoothly moisten the mixture. Mix all the ingredients thoroughly, turn into a buttered bread tin and steam 2-1/2-3 hours; turn out and serve with brown sauce.

MACARONI

Macaroni is one of the most nutritious farinaceous foods. It is made from Italian wheat, which contains more flesh-forming matter than butcher's meat. In the manufacture of macaroni some of the bran is removed from the flour, but the meal left is still very rich in flesh-forming matter. As the coarser particles of the bran have been taken away, macaroni is slightly constipating, and must therefore always be eaten with green vegetables, onions, or fruit. Macaroni should always be boiled before being made into various dishes. It may be cooked in plain water, or in milk and water; a little salt may be added by those who use it, and care should be taken to use just enough water to cook it in, so that when the macaroni is done, little or no fluid may be left, but if any does remain it should be saved for sauce, stock for soup, &c., as it contains valuable nutritive material. Macaroni takes from 20 minutes to 1 hour to cook, according to the kind used. That which is slightly yellow is to be preferred to the white, as the latter is usually poorer than the former in mineral salts and flesh-forming substances. From 2 to 4 oz. may be regarded as the amount to be allowed at a meal for grown-up persons.

A very simple nourishing and satisfying meal can be made from macaroni plainly boiled; it may be eaten with any kind of vegetables, or baked potatoes, or fried onions, and if desired, with grated cheese, onion, caper, or parsley sauce.

MACARONI (Italian).

1/2 lb. of spaghetti or vermicelli, 2 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 3 oz. of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the macaroni till tender in 2 pints of water, to which the butter has been added. When soft add seasoning, the cheese, and the parsley. Beat the eggs well in the dish in which the macaroni is to be served, pour over the mixture of macaroni and other ingredients, mix all well with the eggs, and serve. If neither spaghetti nor vermicelli are handy, use Naples macaroni.

MACARONI CHEESE.

1/2 lb. of macaroni, 8 oz. of grated cheese, some breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Boil the macaroni in slightly salted water until soft. Then place a layer of it in a pie-dish, sprinkle some of the grated cheese over it, dust with pepper, and repeat the layers of macaroni and cheese, finishing with a sprinkling of cheese, and the breadcrumbs. Cut the butter in pieces, and place them here and there on the top. Bake it in a moderately hot oven until brown. Eat with vegetables and tomato sauce. For those who have a weak digestion plain boiled macaroni with grated cheese added at table is better and lighter. Macaroni requires from 25 minutes to 1/2 an hour cooking. The Genoa macaroni takes longer, the thin spaghetti kind is done in from 15 to 20 minutes, and vermicelli and Italian paste are done in a few minutes. Macaroni should be thrown into boiling water and be kept boiling, as the pipes or pieces otherwise stick together. The Italian paste is mostly used as an addition in clear soup.

MACARONI CREAM.

6 oz. of macaroni, 3 oz. of cheese, 1/2 oz. of butter, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 teaspoonful of Allinson cornflour, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the macaroni until tender in only as much water as it will absorb. Make a sauce of the milk, cornflour, and cheese (you can use Parmesan, Gruyère, or Canadian cheese). Place the macaroni in a pie-dish, pour the sauce over it, grate some more cheese over the top, and let the macaroni brown in the oven.

MACARONI SAVOURY.

4 oz. of boiled macaroni, 4 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3 eggs, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped onion, the grated rind of 1 lemon, 2 oz. of grated cheese, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 oz. of butter, 1/2 a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Cut the macaroni in small pieces. Make a batter of the milk, eggs, and meal, mix into it all the other ingredients, pour it into a buttered pie-dish, cut up the butter in pieces and spread them on the top. Bake the savoury for 1 to 1-1/2 hours.

RICE

In many households it seems a difficulty to get rice cooked properly, that is having all the grains separate. Very often it comes to table in a soft, pulpy mass, which is certainly not appetising. To cook it in a large saucepanful of water which is then drained away is very wasteful, for a great deal of the goodness of the rice is thrown away. The following recipe will be found thoroughly reliable and satisfactory.

RICE, HOW TO COOK.

1 lb. of good rice, 1 quart of water, 1 oz. of butter, salt to taste. Wash the rice and set it over the fire with 1 quart of cold water, the butter and salt. Let it come to the boil gently, stirring it a little to prevent the rice from sticking to the saucepan. When the rice boils, set it on the side and let it just simmer. It will be sufficiently cooked in 15 to 20 minutes and each grain will be separate. Rice should not be cooked too soft, only just cooked through.

CURRIED RICE.

1 lb. of Patna rice, 1 quart of cold water, 1 dessertspoonful of curry, 1 oz. of butter, and salt to taste. Wash the rice, mix the curry with the proper quantity of water, and set the rice over the fire with it, adding the butter and seasoning. Let the rice come to the boil slowly, and stir it a few times to prevent it sticking to the saucepan. When the rice boils, cover it with a piece of buttered paper, and let it cook very gently, not stirring it again. When all the water is absorbed, serve the rice. Do not allow it to get very soft; the rice will take from 15 to 20 minutes' cooking only.

CURRIED RICE AND TOMATOES.

1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1 dessertspoonful of curry powder, salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Wash the rice; mix 1 pint of cold water with the curry powder, put this over the fire with the rice, butter, and salt. Cover the rice with a piece of buttered paper and let it simmer gently until the water is absorbed. This will take about 20 minutes. Rice cooked this way will have all the grains separate. For the tomatoes proceed as follows: 1 lb. of tomatoes and a little butter, pepper and salt. Wash the tomatoes and place them in a flat tin with a few spoonfuls of water; dust them with pepper and salt, and place little bits of butter on each tomato. Bake them from 15 to 20 minutes, according to the size of the tomatoes and the heat of the oven. Place the rice in the centre of a hot flat dish, put the tomatoes round it, pour the liquid over the rice, and serve.

PORTUGUESE RICE.

1 teacupful of rice, 3 medium-sized onions, 3 tomatoes, 2 oz. of grated cheese, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and slice the onions and tomatoes and fry them in the butter for 15 minutes; place the rice over the fire with 1 pint of water; add the onions, tomatoes, herbs, and seasoning, and let all cook until the rice is quite soft; serve in a vegetable dish with the grated cheese sprinkled over.

RICE AND LENTILS.

Boil the rice as above; stew Egyptian lentils with chopped onions, pepper, salt, and a little butter, until well done. Put the rice on a dish, pour over the stewed onions and lentils, serve, and eat with green vegetables.

RICE AND ONIONS.

Boil whole onions in water until done quite through, remove them from the water, and put in it washed rice with a little pepper, salt, and butter. When done, serve with the onions and eat with a green vegetable.

SAVOURY RICE (Italian).

1 breakfastcupful of rice, 4 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese (Parmesan or other cheese), 1 oz. of butter, a pinch of saffron, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the rice with water as above, then add the cheese, butter, saffron, and seasoning; mix all well, and serve.

SAVOURY RICE CROQUETTES.

1/2 lb. of Patna rice, 1-1/2 pints of milk, 1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, 1 teacupful of raspings, Allinson's oil for frying. Boil the rice in the milk until soft, and turn it out to get quite cold. Meanwhile chop the onions up fine and fry them brown in the butter. Form the cold rice into balls, and with the thumb of the right hand hollow them sufficiently to admit of their receiving a stuffing of fried onions, close them again carefully, dip them in the eggs beaten up and then in the raspings, and fry them in boiling oil a light brown. Serve with gravy. There are various stuffings which can be used instead of the onions--fried mushrooms chopped up, some olives chopped fine and mixed with hard-boiled yolks of eggs, &c.

SPANISH RICE.

6 onions, 6 tomatoes, 1-1/2 pints of vegetable stock, herbs and seasoning, 1-1/2 cupfuls of rice, butter. Fry the onions and tomatoes in butter until well browned, then place them with the seasoning into the cold stock, and add the rice. When all have boiled slowly for 20 minutes, the rice should have absorbed the stock. Serve with cheese grated over.

OMELETS

CHEESE OMELET.

4 slices of Allinson bread toasted, or Allinson rusks, 3 eggs, 1/4 lb. of grated cheese, 1 saltspoonful of nutmeg, 1 pint of milk, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Beat up the eggs, and mix them with the milk; crush the toast or rusks with your hands, and soak them in the egg and milk. Add the cheese, nutmeg, and seasoning. Dissolve half of the butter and mix it with the other ingredients. Butter a pie-dish, pour in the mixture, cut the rest of the butter in little pieces, and scatter them over the top. Bake the savoury for 1 hour or a little longer until well set. Serve hot or cold.

FRENCH BEAN OMELET.

3 tablespoonfuls of cut boiled French beans, 4 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a teacupful of milk, 2 tablespoonfuls of grated cheese (Gruyère or Parmesan), pepper and salt to taste, some vege-butter or oil for frying. Smooth the meal with the milk, beat up the eggs and add them, the cheese and seasoning to the meal and milk; mix thoroughly with the beans, and fry the omelet in boiling butter or Allinson frying oil.

FRENCH OMELET WITH CHEESE.

3 eggs, 1 oz. of grated cheese, 3 dessertspoonfuls of water, pepper and salt to taste, and 1 oz. of butter. Beat the yolks of the eggs, add to them the water and seasoning; whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix it lightly with the yolks. Meanwhile have the butter boiling hot in an omelet pan, pour the mixture into it, and let it fry over a gentle fire. Pass a heated salamander or coal-shovel over the top of the omelet. When it has risen, scatter the cheese over it; let the omelet cook a little longer, fold over when the top is still creamy, and serve immediately.

GARDENER'S OMELET.

1 breakfastcupful of cold boiled vegetables, minced fine (green peas, carrots, turnips, potatoes, &c.), 4 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a gill of milk, pepper and salt, and a little nutmeg to taste, 1 oz. of butter. Beat the eggs and milk well together, rub the meal smooth with it, add the vegetables and seasoning, and fry as an omelet. Serve with sauce.

OMELET HERB.

4 slices of Allinson bread, 1 pint of milk, 1 finely chopped English onion, 1 good tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 teaspoonful of dried mixed herbs, 3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Soak the bread, fry the onion in 1-1/2 oz. of butter, and mix it with the soaked bread. Add the herbs, parsley, and seasoning, and mix all well. Butter a pie-dish with the rest of the butter, pour the mixture into it, and bake.

OMELET LENTIL.

It you have any cold boiled lentils, for instance, some sandwich mixture you wish to use up, proceed as follows: To 1 teacupful of boiled lentils take 3 well-beaten eggs, and pepper and salt to taste. Add 1 dessertspoonful of water to each egg, and mix the lentils and eggs smooth. Fry the mixture as an omelet in boiling butter.

OMELET MACARONI.

3 oz. of boiled cold macaroni, 3 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1-1/2 oz. of grated cheese, 1/2 a saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, 1-1/2 oz. of butter. Cut the macaroni into little pieces; beat the eggs well, and mix them with the macaroni. Add the seasoning, parsley, cheese, and nutmeg; mix all well, and fry the omelet with the butter in a large frying-pan.

OMELET ONION.

4 medium-sized English onions, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of Allinson breadcrumbs, 4 eggs, 4 tablespoonfuls of milk, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and slice the onions, bake them in a pie-dish with the butter and seasoning, until quite soft. Whip the eggs up, mix them with the milk, breadcrumbs, and the baked onions. Put the mixture into a greased pie-dish, and bake in a moderately hot oven. Serve with tomato sauce.

OMELET SAVOURY.

Soak Allinson wholemeal bread in cold milk and water until soft, then rub smooth, grate 1 onion, beat up 1 egg, and add a few flavouring herbs, and pepper and salt to taste. Mix the whole together, put in a pie-dish, place a few small pieces of butter on the top, and bake about 1/2 hour, or until done. Eat with vegetables and potatoes.

OMELET SOUFFLÉ.

4 eggs, 3 oz. of sifted castor sugar, the grated rind of 1/2 a lemon, 1 oz. of butter. Beat the yolks of the eggs for 10 minutes with the sugar and lemon rind. Whip the whites of the eggs to a very stiff froth, mix it with the other ingredients, pour the mixture into a well-buttered pie-dish or cake tin, and bake the soufflé in a moderately hot oven from 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

OMELET SOUFFLÉ (SWEET).

6 eggs, 3 oz. of powdered sugar, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of potato flour, and 1 dessertspoonful of orangeflower water. Put the yolks of the eggs into a large basin, add the sugar, potato flour, and orange water, and beat all well with a wooden spoon for 10 minutes; beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them lightly with the other ingredients. Meanwhile beat the butter in the omelet pan; when boiling pour the mixture into it, and fry the omelet over a gentle fire. When it begins to set round the sides shake it very gently from side to side, and turn the omelet neatly out on a buttered dish. Set it in the oven for about 10 minutes, and serve immediately with a little castor sugar sifted over it.

OMELET TOMATO (1).

This is made in almost the same way as the savoury omelet, but without the addition of flavouring herbs. 2 average-sized tomatoes are cut up fine, and mixed with the ingredients given above. When tinned tomatoes are used the juice may be made hot and the bread soaked in it instead of in milk and water.

OMELET TOMATO (2).

1 lb. of tomatoes, 1/2 lb. of breadcrumbs, 1 large Spanish onion, 3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Stew the finely chopped onions in the butter for 20 minutes in a covered-up saucepan, add pepper and salt, cut the tomatoes up, add these to the other ingredients. Let all simmer for 20 minutes; pour the mixture over the breadcrumbs, add the eggs well beaten, mix all up thoroughly, and turn the mixture into one or more well-buttered shallow tins. Bake the omelet in a quick oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

OMELET TRAPPIST.

4 oz. of fine breadcrumbs, 2 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of butter, 1/2 teaspoonful of powdered herbs, pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 gill of boiling milk. Moisten the breadcrumbs with the milk, add the eggs well beaten, the herbs and seasoning. Mix all well and smoothly. Melt the butter in the frying-pan, spread the mixture in it, and fry the omelet a golden brown both sides.

SWEET OMELET (1).

3 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, sugar to taste, 1 lemon, and 1/2 a teacupful of new milk. Whip the yolks of the eggs well, adding the grated rind of the lemon, half the butter melted, the milk, and sugar. Just before frying the omelet, add the lemon juice and the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth. Make the rest of the butter boiling hot in an oval omelet pan, the size of the dish on which it is to be served, and fry till lightly browned. Sift sugar over it, and serve immediately.

SWEET OMELET (2).

1/2 pint of new milk, 4 eggs, cinnamon and sugar to taste, 1 oz. of butter, and 1 teaspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal. Smooth the wheatmeal with the milk, and mix with the other ingredients. Make the butter boiling hot in a frying-pan, and fry the omelet till lightly browned. Serve immediately with sugar sifted over it.

SWEET OMELET (3).

5 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of castor sugar, 2 tablespoonfuls of water, 2 oz. of butter, some raspberry and currant jam. Melt the butter in an omelet pan, beat the eggs well, stir in the sugar, and pour the mixture into the hot butter. Fry a pale golden colour, and turn it on to a hot dish. Spread some jam on the omelet, double it, and serve at once. The inside of the omelet should remain creamy.

VEGETABLES

GREEN VEGETABLES (General Remarks).

I have not given recipes for the cooking of plain greens, as they are prepared very much alike everywhere in England. There are a number of recipes in this book giving savoury ways of preparing them, and I will now make a few remarks on the cooking of plain vegetables. The English way of boiling them is not at all a good one, as most of the soluble vegetable salts, which are so important to our system, are lost through it. Green vegetables are generally boiled in a great deal of salt water; this is drained off when they are tender, and the vegetables then served. A much better way for all vegetables is to cook them in a very small quantity of water, and adding a small piece of butter (1 oz. to 2 lb. of greens) and a little salt. When the greens are tender, any water which is not absorbed should be thickened with a little Allinson fine wheatmeal and eaten with the vegetables. A great number of them, such as _Cabbages, Savoys, Brussel sprouts, Scotch kail, turnip-tops, &c., &c._, can be prepared this way.

In the case of vegetables like _asparagus, cauliflower, sea kale, parsnips, artichokes, carrots_ or _celery_, which cannot always be stewed in a little water, this should be saved as stock for soups or sauces. Most of these vegetables are very nice with a white sauce; carrots are particularly pleasant with parsley sauce.