Chapter IV: Introduction (3)

_Spinach_ is a vegetable which English cooks rarely prepare nicely; the Continental way of preparing it is as follows: The spinach is cooked without water, with a little salt; when quite tender it is strained, turned on to a board, and chopped very finely; then it is returned to the saucepan with a piece of butter, a little nutmeg, or a few very finely chopped eschalots and some of the juice previously strained. When the spinach is cooking a little Allinson fine wheatmeal, smoothed in 1 or 2 tablespoonfuls of milk, is added to bind the spinach with the juice; cook it a few minutes longer, and serve it with slices of hard-boiled egg on the top. _Potatoes_ also require a good deal of care. When peeled, potatoes are plainly boiled, they should be placed over the fire after the water has been strained; the potatoes should be lightly shaken to allow the moisture to steam out. This makes them mealy and more palatable. Potatoes which have been baked in their skins should be pricked when tender, or the skins be cracked in some way, otherwise they very soon become sodden. A very palatable way of serving potatoes, is to peel them and bake them in a tin with a little oil or butter, or vege-butter; they should be turned occasionally, in order that they should brown evenly. This is not a very hygienic way of preparing potatoes. From a health point of view they are best baked in their skins, or steamed with or without the skins. A good many vegetables may be steamed with advantage; for instance, _cabbage, sprouts, turnips, parsnips, swedes, Scotch kail, &c._ Any way of preparing greens is better than boiling them in a large saucepanful of water and throwing this away. I may just mention that Scotch kail, after being boiled in a little water, should be treated exactly as spinach, and is most delicious in that way; an onion cooked with it greatly improves the flavour.

ARTICHOKES À LA SAUCE BLANCHE.

2 lbs. of artichokes, 1 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 egg, juice of 1/2 a lemon, pepper and salt to taste. Peel the artichokes, and boil them in water until tender; cut them into slices 1/2 an inch thick and place them on a dish. Make a sauce of the milk and meal with seasoning; when the sauce has thickened, remove it from the fire, beat up the egg with the lemon juice and add both to the sauce, pour it over the artichokes, and serve.

ARTICHOKES À LA PARMESAN.

2 lbs. of artichokes, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 egg, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 2 oz. of grated Parmesan or any other cooking cheese. Proceed as in the recipe for "Celery à la Parmesan," add the cheese to the sauce, and serve the same with sauce as above.

ASPARAGUS (BOILED).

Scrape the white parts of the stalks quite clean, and put them into cold water as they are done. Tie them up into bundles, and cut them all the same length. Now put them into a saucepan, cover with boiling water, add a little salt, and boil gently and steadily for 20 to 30 minutes. Take them out of the water as soon as they are tender, and dish on to rounds of toast with the points to the middle. Serve with them rich melted butter in a tureen.

CABBAGE.

Remove the outer coarse leaves, cut the cabbage in four pieces lengthways, and well wash the pieces in salt water. The salt is added because it kills any insects which may be present. Wash the cabbage as often as is necessary in pure water after this to clean it and remove the salt, and then shred it up fine. Set it over the fire with 1/2 pint of water, 1 oz. of butter, a dash of pepper, and a very little salt. Let it cook very gently for 2 hours; when it is quite tender, the liquid can be thickened with a little fine wheatmeal; smooth this with a little milk, or water if milk is not handy; boil it up, and serve.

CARROTS WITH PARSLEY SAUCE.

Scrub and wash as many carrots as are required. Cook them in a little water or steam them until quite tender, then slice them and place them in a saucepan. Make a white sauce as directed in the recipe for "Onions and white sauce," and stir into it a handful of finely-chopped parsley. Pour the sauce over the carrots, and let them simmer for ten minutes. Serve very hot with baked potatoes.

CAULIFLOWER WITH WHITE SAUCE.

Trim the cauliflower, cutting away only the bad and bruised leaves and the coarse part of the stalk. Put it into salt water to force out any insects in the cauliflower. After soaking, wash it well in fresh water and boil quickly until tender, and serve with white sauce.

CELERY (ITALIAN).

2 heads of celery, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 egg, 1 cupful of breadcrumbs, pepper and salt to taste. Cut up the celery into pieces, boil it in water for 10 minutes; drain it and put it into the stewpan with the milk, 1/2 oz. butter, pepper and salt. Simmer the celery gently until tender, put it aside to cool a little, and add the egg well beaten. Butter a shallow dish, strew it well with some of the breadcrumbs, and pour in the celery, sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the top, put the butter over it in little bits, and bake the celery until brown.

CELERY (STEAMED) WITH WHITE CHEESE SAUCE.

Prepare the celery as in previous recipe, leaving it in long pieces, and place it in a vegetable steamer, which consists of a large saucepan over which is fitted a perforated top. Add a little pepper and salt, and let the celery steam for 1-1/2 hours. For the sauce you need: 1 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson cornflour, 1-1/2 oz. of grated cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Boil the milk with the butter, thicken it with the cornflour smoothed first with a spoonful of water, and last add the grated cheese and seasoning; let the sauce simmer, stirring it until the cheese is dissolved. Have ready some Allinson plain rusks on a flat dish, place the celery on it, pour the sauce over, and serve very hot.

CELERY (STEWED) WITH WHITE SAUCE.

2 or 3 heads of celery (according to quantity required), 2 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of flour, 1/2 pint of milk, pepper and salt to taste. Remove the outer hard pieces from the celery, saving them for flavouring soups or sauces; wash well and cut up in pieces about 3 inches long. Set over the fire with 1/2 pint of water, the butter and seasoning. Let cook gently until the celery is quite tender, which will take about 1 hour; add the thickening and the milk. Let all gently simmer for a few minutes, and serve.

LEEKS.

Remove the coarse part of the green stalks of the leeks. If the leeks are gritty cut them right through and wash them well, and if necessary use a brush to get out the sand. Tie the leeks in bunches and steam them until tender, which will take about 1-1/2 hours. Make a white sauce as for the cauliflower. Put the leeks on pieces of dry toast on a flat dish, pour the sauce over them, and serve.

MUSHROOMS (STEWED).

1 lb. of mushrooms, 1 oz. of butter, 1/2 pint of water, 1/2 teaspoonful of herbs, 1/2 saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, juice of 1/2 a lemon, the yolk of 1 egg, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson cornflour. Peel and clean the mushrooms, and wash them in water with a dash of vinegar in it. Wipe them dry with a cloth; have the water and butter ready in a saucepan with the herbs, and seasoning. Stew the mushrooms in this for 10 to 15 minutes. Thicken with the cornflour, then stir in the yolk of egg with the lemon juice, and serve.

ONION TORTILLA.

1 lb. of Spanish onions, 1-1/2 oz. of butter or oil, 3 eggs. Melt the butter in a frying-pan, slice the onions, and fry them for 10 or 15 minutes, beat the eggs, add them to the onions, season with pepper and salt, and fry the whole a light brown on both sides.

ONIONS (BRAISED).

2 lbs. of onions, 2 oz. of butter, vege-butter, or oil, pepper and salt to taste. Peel and slice the onions, and fry them a nice brown in the butter. Then add enough water to make gravy, add pepper and salt, and stew the onions for 20 minutes. Eat with wholemeal toast. This is very savoury, and is much liked.

ONIONS (SPANISH) (BAKED).

Peel as many onions as are required, making an incision crossways on the top, and put in a baking-dish with 1/2 oz. of butter on each large onion, or half that quantity on small ones; dust them over with pepper and salt, and bake them for 3 hours. Keep them covered for 2 hours, and let them brown after that. Baste the onions from time to time with the butter.

SCOTCH OR CURLY KAIL.

Scotch kail is best after there has been frost on it. Wash the kail, and cut away the coarse stalks, boil it for 1-1/2 to 2 hours in a small quantity of water, adding a chopped up onion. Drain it when soft and chop it fine like spinach. Into the saucepan in which the kail was cooked put a piece of butter; melt it, and stir into it 1 tablespoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, and brown it very slightly. Then add some of the drained-off kail wafer and stir it smooth with the browned flour. Return the chopped Scotch kail to the saucepan, add pepper and salt to taste; let it cook for a minute, and serve.

SPINACH.

Wash the spinach thoroughly, and set it over the fire in a saucepan without any water, as enough water will boil out of the spinach to cook it. Heat it gently at first, stirring it a few times to prevent it burning, until enough water has boiled out of the spinach to prevent it from catching. Let the spinach cook 20 minutes, then strain it through a colander, pressing the water out with a wooden spoon or plate. Put a piece of butter in the saucepan in which the spinach was cooked; when melted, stir into it a spoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, and keep stirring the meal and butter for 1 minute over the fire. Return the spinach to the saucepan, mix it well with the butter and meal, and add as much of the strained-off water as is necessary to moisten it; add pepper and salt to taste, and a little lemon juice. Let the spinach heat well through before serving. Have ready 1 or 2 hard-boiled eggs cut in slices, and decorate the spinach with them. Use 1 oz. of butter, an even tablespoonful of the meal, and the juice of 1/2 a lemon to 4 lbs. of spinach.

TURNIPS (MASHED).

Peel and wash the turnips, and steam them until tender. Mash them up in a saucepan over the fire, mixing with them 1 oz. of butter. Pile the mashed turnips on a flat dish, and pour a white sauce over them.

EGG COOKERY.

Eggs are a boon to cooks, especially when dishes are wanted quickly. They enter into a great many savoury and sweet dishes, and few cakes are made without them. They can be prepared in a great variety of ways. Eggs are a good food when taken in moderation. As they are a highly nutritious article of food, they should not be indulged in too freely. Eggs contain both muscle and bone-forming material, in fact everything required for building up the organism of the young bird. The chemical composition of hen's and duck's eggs are as follows:--

Hen's egg. Duck's egg.
Water ........ 74.22 71.11
Nitrogen ..... 12.55 12.24
Fat .......... 12.11 15.49
Mineral matter 1.12 1.16
------ ------
100.00 100.00

Eggs take a long time to digest if hard boiled. All the fat of the egg is contained in the yolk, but the white of the egg is pure albumen (or nitrogen) and water. Eggs are most easily digested raw or very lightly boiled, and best cooked thus for invalids. The best way of lightly boiling an egg is to put it in boiling water, set the basin or saucepan on the side of the stove, and let it stand just off the boil for five or six minutes. Eggs often crack when they are put into enough boiling water to well cover them, owing to the sudden expansion of the contents. If they are not covered with water there is less danger of them cracking. One can easily tell stale eggs from fresh ones by holding them up to a strong light. A fresh egg looks clear and transparent, whilst stale ones look cloudy and opaque. There are various ways of preserving eggs for the winter; one of the best is by using the Allinson egg preservative. Another very good way is to have stands made with holes which will hold the eggs. Keep these stands in an airy place in a good current of fresh air, and every week turn the eggs, so that one week they stand the pointed end down, next week the rounded end down.

APPLE SOUFFLÉ.

4 eggs, 4 apples, 2 oz. of castor sugar (or more if the apples are very sour), 1 gill of new milk or half milk and half cream, 1 oz. of Allinson cornflour, and the juice of 1 lemon. Pare, cut up, and stew the apples with the sugar and lemon juice until they are reduced to a pulp. Beat them quite smooth, and return them to the stewpan. Smooth the cornflour with the milk, and mix it with the apples, and stir until it boils; then turn the mixture into a basin to cool. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs; beat the yolks well, and mix them with the apple mixture. Whisk the whites to a stiff froth, mix them lightly with the rest, and pour the whole into a buttered soufflé tin. Bake for 20 minutes in a moderately hot oven, and serve at once.

CHEESE SOUFFLÉ.

8 oz. of Parmesan or other good dry, cooking cheese, 4 eggs, 1 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 gill of milk, 1 oz. of butter, mustard, pepper, and salt to taste. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the wheatmeal, season with mustard, pepper, and salt. Pour in the milk, and stir until the mixture is set and comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Turn into a basin, and let the mixture cool. Grate the cheese and stir it in; separate the yolks of the eggs from the whites, and drop the yolks of the eggs, one by one, into the mixture, beating all well. Whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, mix it lightly with the other ingredients; turn the mixture into a buttered soufflé tin, and bake the soufflé for 15 minutes.

CHOCOLATE SOUFFLÉ.

5 eggs, 2 oz. of butter, 3 oz. of castor sugar, 2 large bars of chocolate, 6 oz. of the crumb of the bread, and vanilla essence to taste. Cream the butter, and stir into it gradually the yolks of the eggs, the sugar, and chocolate. Previously soak the bread in milk or water. Squeeze it dry, and add to it the other ingredients. Add vanilla and the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth, and pour the mixture into a buttered pie-dish or cake tin. Bake 3/4 of an hour, and serve immediately. If the soufflé is baked in a cake tin, a serviette should be pinned round it before serving.

CURRIED EGGS.

6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 medium-sized English onion, 1 cooking apple, 1 teaspoonful of curry powder, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 oz. of butter, and salt to taste. Prepare the onion and apple, chop them very fine, and fry them in the butter in a stewpan until brown. Add 1/2 pint of water and a little salt. Smooth the curry and wheatmeal with a little cold water, and thicken the sauce with it. Let it simmer for 10 minutes, then rub through a sieve. Return the sauce to the stewpan, shell the eggs, and heat them up in the sauce; serve very hot on a flat dish.

EGG AND CHEESE.

6 eggs, 1 teacupful of milk, thickened with 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 2 oz. of grated cheese, pepper and salt to taste. Butter a pie-dish, pour into it the thickened milk, break the eggs over it, sprinkle the cheese over them, and season to taste. Bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are just set.

EGG AND CHEESE FONDU.

To each egg 1/2 its weight in grated cheese and a 1/2 oz. of butter (if only 1 egg is prepared 1/2 oz. of butter must be used); mustard, pepper, and salt to taste. Whip up the eggs, add 1 dessertspoonful of water for each egg, as in the previous recipe; mix in the cheese, a little made mustard, and pepper and salt. Heat the butter in a frying-pan or small stewpan. When hot stir in the mixture of egg and cheese. Keep stirring it with a knife, until it becomes a smooth and thickish mass. Put on hot buttered toast, and serve. This is an extremely tasty French dish. The mixture, when cold, is excellent for sandwiches.

EGG AND TOMATO SAUCE.

4 eggs, 1 teacupful of tomato sauce, and 1/2 oz. of butter. Melt the butter in a flat dish; break the eggs carefully into it without breaking the yolks, and place the dish on the stove until the eggs are set. Heat the tomato sauce, which should be well seasoned, and pour it over the eggs. Serve very hot, with sippets of Allinson wholemeal toast.

EGG AND TOMATO SANDWICHES.

4 eggs, 1 teacupful of tinned tomatoes or 1/2 lb. fresh ones, pepper and salt, 1 oz. of butter. Melt the butter in a frying-pan, and cook the tomatoes in it until most of the liquid is steamed away; set aside to cool. If fresh tomatoes are used, they should be scalded and skinned before cooking. Beat up the eggs and stir them into the cooled tomatoes, adding seasoning to taste. Stir the eggs and tomatoes with a knife until set, then turn the mixture into a bowl to get cold, and use for sandwiches.

EGG SALAD WITH MAYONNAISE.

1 lb. of cold boiled potatoes, 6 hard-boiled eggs, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, pepper and salt to taste. Cut the potatoes and eggs into slices, dust them with pepper and salt, add the lemon juice, and mix all well together. Make the mayonnaise as follows; 1-1/2 gills of good salad oil, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1 saltspoonful of mustard, lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste. Take a clean cold basin, and place in it the yolks of the eggs beaten up. Drop the oil into them, drop by drop, stirring with a wooden spoon quickly all the time. Great care should be taken, especially in the beginning, as the eggs easily curdle when the oil is stirred in too fast. When the mayonnaise gets very thick add carefully a little lemon juice to thin it down, then add again oil and lemon juice alternately until all the oil is used up. Smooth the mustard with a little lemon juice, and stir it in last of all with sufficient pepper and salt. Taste the mayonnaise, and add lemon juice or seasoning as required. Vinegar may be used instead of lemon juice if the latter is not conveniently had. The mayonnaise should be made in a cold room, as it may curdle if made in a hot room. Should an accident happen, beat up another yolk of egg and start afresh with a little fresh oil, and when going on well stir in, drop by drop, the curdled mayonnaise. Mix part of it with the eggs and potatoes, and pour the rest over the salad; garnish with watercress.

EGG SALMAGUNDI WITH JAM.

4 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, the juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1/2 a teacupful of cream or milk, some apricot or other jam. Melt the butter in a frying-pan. Beat the eggs, and mix with them the cream or milk and the lemon juice. Pour the mixture into the butter, and stir it over the fire until it thickens. Stir in some jam, and serve with lady fingers, Allinson rusks, or bread fried in butter.

EGG SAVOURY.

6 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and sliced; in summer use 1 large breakfastcupful of boiled and chopped spinach; in winter Scotch kale prepared the same way; some very thin slices of bread and butter, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste, 1/2 pint of milk, and some butter. Butter a pie-dish and line it with slices of bread and butter. Spread a layer of spinach and a layer of slices of eggs; dust with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Repeat the layers, and finish with a layer of bread well buttered. Pour over the whole the milk, and bake the savoury from 20 to 30 minutes, or until brown.

EGGS À LA BONNE FEMME.

4 eggs, 1 Spanish onion, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar, and 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs; pepper and salt to taste. Peel and slice the onion, and fry it brown in the butter; add the vinegar and seasoning when done. Spread the onion on a buttered dish, break the eggs over them, dust these with pepper and salt, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Place a few bits of butter on the top, and bake until the eggs are set, which will only take a few minutes.

EGGS À LA DUCHESSE.

1 quart of milk, 6 eggs, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson cornflour, sugar to taste, a piece of vanilla 2 inches long. Splice the vanilla and let it boil with the milk and sugar; smooth the cornflour with a spoonful of water, thicken the milk with it, and let it cook gently for 2 or 3 minutes; remove the vanilla. Have ready the whites of eggs whipped to a stiff froth, drop it in spoonfuls in the boiling milk; let it simmer for a few minutes until the egg snow has got set, remove the snowballs with a slice, and place them in a glass dish. Let the milk cool a little; beat up the yolks of the eggs, mix them carefully with the milk, taking care not to curdle them; stir the whole over the fire to let the eggs thicken, but do not allow it to boil. Let the mixture cool, pour the custard into the glass dish, but not pouring it over the snow; serve when quite cold. Half the quantity will make a fair dishful.

EGGS AND CABBAGE.

1 large breakfastcupful of cold boiled cabbage, 3 eggs, 1 teacupful of milk, pepper and salt to taste, 1/2 oz. of butter. Warm the cabbage with the butter and the milk; meanwhile beat up the eggs. Mix all together and season with pepper and salt. Turn the mixture into a shallow buttered pie-dish, and bake for 20 minutes. Any kind of cold vegetables mashed up can be used up this way, and will make a nice side dish for dinner.

EGGS AU GRATIN.

3 hard-boiled eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of grated cheese, 1 oz. of butter, 2 tablespoonfuls of breadcrumbs, a little nutmeg, and pepper and salt to taste. Slice the eggs, place them on a well-buttered flat baking dish, sprinkle them thickly with the grated cheese, and dust with nutmeg, pepper, and salt. Spread the breadcrumbs over the top, and scatter the butter in bits over the breadcrumbs. Bake until the breadcrumbs begin to brown.

FORCEMEAT EGGS.

6 eggs, 1 small English onion, a few leaves of fresh sage, or 1/2 teaspoonful of dried powdered sage, a few sprigs of Parsley, pepper and salt to taste, and some paste rolled thin, made of 6 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 2 oz. of butter or vege-butter, and a little cold water. Boil the eggs for 10 minutes, set them in cold water, and take off the shells. Cut them in half lengthways, remove the yolks, and proceed as follows: Chop up the onion very fine with the sage and parsley, and season with pepper and salt. Pound the yolks very fine, and add the onion and herbs; fill the whites of the eggs with the mixture. Put the halves together, enclose them in paste, brush them over with the white of egg, and bake until the pastry is done, which will take about 15 minutes. Serve with vegetables and sauce.

FRENCH EGGS.

6 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste. Boil the milk with the butter, thicken it with the flour, smoothed previously with a little cold milk; season to taste. When the milk is thickened shell the eggs, cut them into quarters lengthways, and put them into the sauce. Last of all, put in the parsley, and serve with sippets of toast laid in the bottom of the dish.

MUSHROOM AND EGGS.

4 hard-boiled eggs, 1/4 lb. of mushrooms, 1 teaspoonful of parsley chopped very fine, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt. Stew the mushrooms in the butter, and season well; chop up the eggs and mix them with the mushrooms, adding the parsley; heat all well through, and serve on sippets of toast.

MUSHROOM SOUFFLÉ.

4 eggs, 1 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 oz. of butter, 6 oz. of mushrooms, pepper and salt to taste. Peel, wash, and cut in small pieces the mushrooms, and stew them in 3/4 of a teacupful of water. When the mushrooms have stewed 10 minutes, drain off the liquid, which should be a teacupful. Melt the butter in a little saucepan, stir into it the wheatmeal, and when this is well mixed with the butter, add the mushroom liquor, stirring the mixture well until quite smooth and thick and coming away from the sides of the saucepan. Then stir in the mushrooms, and turn all into a basin and let it cool a little. Separate the yolks from the whites of the eggs, and stir each yolk separately into the mixture in the basin. Season to taste. Whip up the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and mix them lightly with the rest. Turn the mixture into a buttered pie-dish or soufflé tin, and bake the soufflé 15 minutes.

POACHED EGGS.

Unless an egg-poacher is used, eggs are best poached in a large frying-pan nearly filled with water. A little vinegar and salt should be added to the water, as the eggs will then set more quickly. Each egg should first be broken into a separate cup, and then slipped into the rapidly boiling water; cover them up and allow them to boil only just long enough to have the whites set, which will take about 2 minutes. Quite newly laid eggs take a little longer. Have ready hot buttered toast, remove the eggs from the water with an egg-slice, and slip them on the toast. Always have plates and dishes very hot for all kinds of egg dishes. Poached eggs are also a very nice accompaniment to vegetables, like spinach, Scotch kale, &c., when they are served laid on the vegetables.

POTATO SOUFFLÉ.

2 oz. of butter, 4 eggs, 1/4 lb. of castor sugar, 1/2 oz. of ground almonds (half bitter and half sweet), 6 oz. of cold boiled and grated potatoes, and 1-1/2 oz. of sifted breadcrumbs. Cream the butter in a basin, which is done by stirring it round the sides of the basin until soft and creamy, when it will make a slight crackling noise. Stir in the yolks of the eggs, the sugar, and almonds; beat for 10 minutes, then stir in the potatoes and breadcrumbs, and last of all the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth. Turn the mixture into a well-buttered dish, and bake in a moderately hot oven from 3/4 of an hour to 1 hour.

RATAFIA SOUFFLÉ.

6 eggs, 2 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 2 oz. of butter, 2 oz. of castor sugar, the grated rind of 1/2 lemon, 1/2 pint of milk, 3 oz. of ratafias. Melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour, mix well, and then add the milk, stirring all until the mixture is quite smooth and thick and comes away from the sides of the saucepan. Let it cool a little, then stir in the yolks of the eggs well beaten, the lemon rind, the sugar, and lastly, the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth. Turn the mixture into a buttered pie-dish or cake tin, with alternate layers of ratafias. Bake from 1/2 an hour to 3/4 of an hour in a moderately hot oven, and serve immediately with stewed fruit.

RICE SOUFFLÉ.

6 eggs, 2 oz. of rice, 1 pint of milk, sugar to taste, vanilla essence or the peel of 1/2 a lemon, and 1 oz. of butter. Stew the rice in the milk with the butter, sugar, and the lemon peel, if the latter is used for flavouring. When the rice is tender remove the peel; or flavour with vanilla essence, and let all cool. Separate the yolks of the eggs from the whites, and beat each separately into the rice for 2 or 3 minutes. Whip the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth, and stir them lightly into the mixture. Have ready a buttered soufflé tin, pour the mixture into it, and bake the soufflé for 20 minutes in a hot oven. Sprinkle with castor sugar, and serve at once.

SAVOURY CREAMED EGGS.

To each egg take 2 tablespoonfuls of cream or milk, a little chopped parsley, nutmeg, pepper, and salt to taste, and a slice of hot buttered toast. Butter the cups as in the last recipe, sprinkle well with parsley, beat up the eggs, season with nutmeg, pepper, and salt, and proceed as in "Sweet Creamed Eggs." Serve hot.

SAVOURY SOUFFLÉ.

4 eggs, 1 oz. Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 gill of milk, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 dessertspoonful of finely minced spring onions, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Proceed as in Cheese Soufflé, adding (instead of cheese) the parsley and onion.

SCALLOPED EGGS.

1/2 dozen hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1 dessertspoonful of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1 oz. of cheese, 3 tablespoonfuls of brown breadcrumbs, and 1 oz. of butter. Shell and quarter the eggs; grease a shallow dish with part of the butter, and put the eggs in it. Make a thick sauce of the milk, wheatmeal, and cheese, adding seasoning to taste. Pour it over the eggs, cover with breadcrumbs; cut the rest of the butter in little pieces, and scatter them over the breadcrumbs. Bake till nicely browned.

SCOTCH EGGS.

5 hard-boiled eggs, 1 breakfastcupful of Allinson breadcrumbs, 1 Spanish onion, 1 teaspoonful of powdered sage, 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley, 1 egg, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste, some oil, vege-butter, or butter for frying. Grate the onion, melt the butter, beat up the eggs, and mix them together with the breadcrumbs, herbs, and seasoning. Beat the forcemeat smooth, shell the eggs, cover them completely with a thick layer of forcemeat, and fry them a nice brown. Serve with brown gravy.

SPINACH TORTILLA.

4 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, a teacupful of boiled chopped spinach, lemon juice and pepper and salt to taste. Sprinkle the lemon juice over the spinach, and season well with pepper and salt, and fry it lightly in the butter. Beat the eggs and pour them into the mixture, let the tortilla set, then turn it with a plate, and set the other side. Serve hot.

STIRRED EGGS ON TOAST.

4 eggs, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt, 3 slices of hot buttered toast. Whip the eggs up well, add a dessertspoonful of water for each egg, and pepper and salt to taste. Heat the butter in a frying-pan, stir in the eggs over a mild fire. Keep stirring the mixture with a knife, removing the egg which sets round the sides and on the bottom of the frying-pan, and take the mixture from the fire directly it gets uniformly thick. It should not be allowed to cook until hard. Place the stirred eggs on the toast, and serve on a very hot dish. This quantity will suffice for 3 persons.

STUFFED EGGS.

4 hard-boiled eggs, 8 Spanish olives, 1/2 oz. of butter, pepper and salt to taste. Halve the eggs lengthway, and carefully remove the yolks. Pound these well, and mix them with the olives, which should be previously stoned and minced fine; add the butter and pepper and salt, and mix all well. Fill the whites of the eggs with the mixture. Pour some thick white sauce, flavoured with grated cheese, on a hot dish, and place the eggs on it. Serve hot.

SWEET CREAMED EGGS.

To each egg allow 2 tablespoonfuls of cream, or new milk, 1 teaspoonful of strawberry or raspberry and currant jam, 1 thin slice of buttered toast, sugar and vanilla to taste. Butter as many cups as eggs, reckoning 1 egg for each person. Place the jam in the centre of the cup; beat up the eggs with the cream or milk, sugar and vanilla, and divide the mixture into the cups. Cover each cup with buttered paper, stand the cups in a stew-pan with boiling water, which should reach only half-way up the cups, and steam the eggs until they are set--time from 8 to 10 minutes. Turn the eggs out on the buttered toast, and serve hot or cold.

SWISS EGGS.

4 eggs, 3 oz. of Gruyère cheese, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of finely chopped parsley, pepper and salt to taste. Spread the butter on a flat baking dish; lay on it some very thin slices of the cheese. On these break the eggs, keeping the yolks whole; grate the rest of the cheese, mix it with the parsley; strew this over the eggs, and bake them in a quick oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

TARRAGON EGGS.

4 hard-boiled eggs, 1/2 pint white sauce, 1 teaspoonful chopped tarragon, 1 tablespoonful tarragon vinegar, 2 yolks of eggs. Boil the eggs for 7 minutes, and cut them into slices. Lay them in a buttered pie-dish, have ready the sauce hot, and mix it into yolks, tarragon, and tarragon vinegar. Pour over the eggs, and bake for 10 minutes; serve with fried croûtons round.

TOMATO EGGS.

To each egg take 2 tablespoonfuls of tomato juice, which has been strained through a sieve; pepper and salt to taste. Batter a cup for each egg. Beat up the eggs, mix them with the tomato juice, season to taste, and divide into the buttered cups. Cover each cup with buttered paper, place them in a saucepan with boiling water, and steam the eggs for 10 minutes. Serve the eggs on buttered Allinson wholemeal toast.

TOMATO SOUFFLÉ.

4 eggs, 1 oz. of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/4 lb. of fresh tomatoes or a teacupful of tinned tomato, 1 oz. of butter, 1 clove of garlic or 2 shalots, pepper and salt to taste. Pulp the tomatoes through a sieve. Rub the garlic round a small saucepan, and melt the butter, in it; or chop up very finely the shalots, and mix them with the butter. When the butter is hot, stir in the wheatmeal, then the tomato pulp, and stir until the mixture is thickened and comes away from the sides of the pan, then proceed as before, stirring in one yolk after the other; season with pepper and salt, whip up the whites of the eggs, stir them with the other ingredients, pour into a buttered soufflé pan, and bake 15 minutes.

WATER EGGS.

4 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of sugar, the rind and juice of 1/2 a lemon. Boil the sugar and lemon rind and juice in 1/2 pint of water for 15 minutes. Beat the eggs well, and add to them the sweetened water. Strain the mixture through a sieve into the dish in which it is to be served, place it in a larger dish with boiling water in a moderately hot oven, and bake until set. Serve hot or cold.

SALADS

These wholesome dishes are not used sufficiently by English people, for very few know the value of them. All may use these foods with benefit, and two dinners each week of them with Allinson wholemeal bread will prevent many a serious illness. They are natural food in a plain state, and supply the system with vegetable salts and acids in the best form. In winter, salads may be made with endive, mustard and cress, watercress, round lettuces, celery, or celery root, or even finely cut raw red or white cabbage; pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar are added as above. As a second course, milk or bread pudding. Salads are invaluable in cases of gout, rheumatism, gallstones, stone in the kidney or bladder, and in a gravelly condition of the water and impure condition of the system.

ARTICHOKE SALAD.

Boil potatoes and artichokes separately, cut into slices; mix, add pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar; eat with Allinson wholemeal bread.

CAULIFLOWER SALAD.

A medium-sized boiled cauliflower, 3 boiled potatoes, juice of 1/2 a lemon, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of oil. Cut up finely the cauliflower and potatoes when cold, mix well with the dressing, and pepper and salt to taste. A little mayonnaise is an improvement, but makes it rich.

CHEESE SALAD.

Put some finely shredded lettuce in a glass dish, and over this put some young sliced onions, some mustard and cress, a layer of sliced tomatoes, and two hard-boiled eggs, also sliced. Add salt and pepper, and then over all put a nice layer of grated cheese. Serve with a dressing composed of equal parts of cream, salad oil, and vinegar, into which had been smoothly mixed a little mustard.

CUCUMBER SALAD.

Peel and slice a cucumber, mix together 1/2 a teaspoonful of salt, 1/4 of a teaspoonful of white pepper, and 2 tablespoonfuls of olive oil, stir it well together, then add very gradually 1 tablespoonful of vinegar, stirring it all the time. Put the sliced cucumber into a salad dish, and garnish it with nasturtium leaves and flowers.

ONION SALAD.

1 large boiled Spanish onion, 3 large boiled potatoes, 1 teaspoonful of parsley, pepper and salt to taste, juice of 1 lemon, 2 or 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil. Slice the onion and potatoes when quite cold, mix well together with the parsley and pepper and salt; add the lemon juice and oil, and mix well once more.

EGG MAYONNAISE.

4 medium-sized cold boiled potatoes, 6 hard-boiled eggs, 1 bunch of watercress, some mayonnaise. Slice the potatoes, and quarter the eggs. Arrange them in a dish, sprinkling pepper and salt in between; mix pieces of watercress with the eggs and tomatoes, pour over the mayonnaise, and garnish with more watercress.

POTATO SALAD (1).

Boil potatoes that are firm and waxy when cooked, and cut them in slices; let them soak in 1/2 gill of water, grate a small onion and mix it with these; add pepper, salt, vinegar, and oil to taste. The quantity of oil should be about three times the amount of the vinegar used. Eat with Allinson wholemeal bread.

POTATO SALAD (2).

1 lb. of cold boiled potatoes, 1 small beetroot, some spring onions, olives, 4 tablespoonfuls of vinegar, 2 of salad oil, a little tarragon vinegar, salt, pepper, minced parsley. Cut the potatoes in small pieces, put these into a salad bowl, cut up the onions and olives, and add them to the potatoes. Mix the vinegar, oil, tarragon vinegar, salt, and pepper well together, pour it into the salad bowl, and stir it well. Garnish with beetroot and parsley.

SPANISH SALAD.

Put into the centre of the bowl some cold dressed French beans or scarlet runners, and before serving pour over some good mayonnaise. Garnish the beans with three tomatoes cut in slices and arranged in a circle one overlapping the other.

SUMMER SALAD.

1 large lettuce, 1 head endive, mustard and cress, watercress, 2 spring onions, 2 tomatoes, two hard-boiled eggs. Shred the lettuce, endive, onions, tomatoes, and cress, place in a salad bowl with mayonnaise dressing, decorate with slices of egg and tomato and tufts of cress.

SUMMER SALADS.

These are made from mixtures of lettuce, spring onions, cucumber, tomatoes, or any other raw or cooked green foods, pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar. Cold green peas, French beans, carrots, turnips, and lettuce make a good cold salad for the summer.

WINTER SALAD.

Cut up 1 lb. of cold boiled potatoes, grate fine 1 onion and mix with these, add watercress, or mustard and cress, and boiled and sliced beetroot; flavour with pepper, salt, oil, and vinegar as above. Hard-boiled eggs may be cut into slices and added, and sliced apples or pieces of orange may be advantageously mixed with the other ingredients.

When oranges are added to a salad the onion must be left out.

POTATO COOKERY

POTATO BIRD'S NEST.

A plateful of mashed potatoes, 2 lbs. of spinach well cooked and chopped, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 oz. of butter. Fry the mashed potatoes a nice brown in the butter, then place it on a dish in the shape of a ring. Inside this spread the spinach, and place the eggs, shelled, on the top of this. Serve as hot as possible.

POTATO CAKES

3 fair-sized potatoes, 1 egg, 2 tablespoonfuls of Allinson fine wheatmeal, pepper and salt to taste, and a pinch of nutmeg. Peel, wash, and grate the raw potatoes; beat up the egg and mix it with the potatoes, flour, and seasoning. Beat all well together, and fry the mixture like pancakes in oil or butter.

POTATO CHEESE.

6 oz. of mashed potatoes, 2 lemons, 6 oz. of sugar, 2 oz. of butter. Grate the rind of the lemons and pound it well with the sugar in a mortar, add the potatoes very finely mashed; oil the butter and mix this and the lemon juice with the rest of the ingredients; when all is very thoroughly mixed, fill the mixture in a jar and keep closely covered.

POTATO CHEESECAKES.

1 lb. of mashed potatoes, 4 oz. of grated cheese, 1 oz. of butter, 2 eggs, some bread raspings, 2 tablespoonfuls of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 1/2 a teaspoonful of mustard, pepper and salt to taste. Melt the butter and mix it with the mashed potatoes, add the cheese, flour, seasoning, mustard, and 1 of the eggs well beaten. Mix all well, and form the mixture into cakes. Beat up the second egg, turn the cakes into the beaten egg and raspings, and fry them in oil or butter until brown. Serve with tomato sauce and green vegetables.

POTATO CROQUETTES.

1/2 lb. of hot mashed potatoes, the yolks of 2 eggs, 1/2 a saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt, 1 whole egg, raspings, some Allinson nut-oil or butter for frying. Beat the potatoes well with the yolks of the eggs and the seasoning; form the mixture into balls; beat the egg well, roll the balls in the egg and breadcrumbs, and fry a nice brown.

POTATO PUDDING.

1 lb. of potatoes well mashed, 1 oz. of butter, 3 eggs, 1-1/2 oz. of sugar, the rind and juice of 1/2 a lemon, 1 gill of milk. Beat the butter, mix it with the mashed potatoes, add the eggs well beaten, also the other ingredients, turn the mixture into a buttered pie-dish, and bake it 1/2 hour.

POTATO PUFF.

1 pint of mashed potatoes, 2 oz. of butter, 3 eggs, 1/2 pint of milk, 1/2 a saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, and a dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley. Beat the butter with a fork until it creams, mix the potatoes with the butter, whip the yolks of the eggs well with the milk, and stir in the other ingredients. Add the nutmeg, parsley, and seasoning, and last of all the whites of the eggs, beaten to a stiff froth. The potatoes, butter, eggs, and milk should be well beaten separately before being used, as the success of the dish depends on this. Turn the mixture into a buttered pie-dish, and bake it for 1 hour in a hot oven.

POTATO ROLLS (BAKED).

2 lbs. of cold mashed potatoes, 1 boiled Spanish onion, 1 oz. of butter, the yolk of 1 egg, a little nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste, and a teaspoonful of powdered thyme. Chop up the onion fine, and mix it with the mashed potatoes. Warm the butter until melted, and add this, the yolk of egg, and the thyme. Mix all well, make the mixture into little rolls 3 inches long, brush them over with a pastry brush dipped in Allinson nut-oil or hot butter and bake them on a floured tin until brown, which will take from 10 to 20 minutes. Serve with brown sauce and vegetables.

POTATO ROLLS (Spanish).

3 teacupfuls of mashed potatoes, 3 tablespoonfuls of Allinson fine wheatmeal, 18 olives, 1 egg well beaten; seasoning to taste. Stone the olives and chop them up fine, mix the meal, mashed potato, olive, and egg well together, season with pepper and salt; add a little milk if necessary, make the mixture into rolls, and proceed as in "Potato Rolls."

POTATO SALAD (1).

4 medium-sized cold boiled potatoes, 1 small onion minced very fine, 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped parsley, oil and lemon juice, pepper and salt to taste. Slice the potatoes, let them soak with 3 tablespoonfuls of water, mix them with the onion and parsley, and dress like any other salad. Any good salad dressing may be used.

POTATO SALAD (2).

1-1/2 pints of mashed potatoes, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of Allinson salad oil, 1/2 a teacupful of milk, 1 teaspoonful of mustard, pepper, salt, and lemon juice to taste. Make a dressing of the oil, milk, mustard, and seasoning. Mash the yolks of the eggs and mix them with the lemon juice, and add this to the dressing. Chop the whites of the eggs up fine. Mix the mashed potatoes, dressing, and chopped whites of eggs well together. Turn the mixture into a salad bowl or glass dish, and garnish with parsley or watercress and beetroot.

POTATO SALAD (MASHED).

1/2 pint of mashed potatoes, 2 hard-boiled eggs, 2 tablespoonfuls of Allinson salad oil, 1 dessertspoonful of sugar, 1 teaspoonful of mustard, pepper and salt to taste, 2 tablespoonfuls of lemon juice and seasoning; mash the yolks of the eggs quite fine and mix them smooth with the lemon juice, and add this to the dressing. Chop the whites of the eggs up very fine, mix all together; turn the mixture smoothly into a salad bowl or glass dish, and garnish with watercress and beetroot.

POTATO SAUSAGES.

1 pint of mashed potato, 2 eggs well beaten, 1 breakfastcupful of breadcrumbs, 2 oz. of butter (or Allinson nut-oil), 1/2 a saltspoonful of nutmeg, pepper and salt. Mash the potatoes well with one of the eggs, add seasoning, form the mixture into sausages, roll them in egg and breadcrumbs, and fry them brown.

POTATO SNOW (a Pretty Dish).

1-1/2 lbs. of potatoes, 3 hard-boiled eggs, 1 small beetroot. Boil the potatoes till tender, pass them through a potato masher into a hot dish, letting the mashed potato fall lightly, and piling it up high. Slice the eggs and beetroot, and arrange alternate slices of egg and beetroot round the base of the potato snow. Brown the top with a salamander, or, if such is not handy, with a coal-shovel made red hot.

POTATO SURPRISE.

1 pint of mashed potatoes, 1 oz. of butter, 4 tomatoes, pepper and salt, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped parsley. Mix the butter well with the mashed potatoes, season with a little pepper and salt. Butter 8 patty pans and line them with a thick layer of potato; place 1/2 a tomato in each, with a little of the parsley and a dusting of pepper and salt. Cover with mashed potatoes, and brown the patties in the oven.

POTATO WITH CHEESE.

1 pint of finely mashed potatoes, 1/2 oz. of butter, 3 oz. of grated cheese, a little nutmeg, pepper and salt to taste. Mix all well with the seasoning, grease some patty pans, fill them with the mixture, and bake them in a moderate oven until golden brown. Serve with vegetables and any savoury sauce.

POTATOES À LA DUCHESSE.

Prepare potatoes as in "Milk Potatoes," leaving out the parsley; beat up, 1 egg with the juice of 1 lemon, let the potatoes go off the boil, add the egg and lemon juice carefully; re-heat the whole again but do not allow it to boil, to avoid the egg curdling.

POTATOES (BROWNED).

1 pint of mashed potato, 1 large English onion, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt. Mince the onion very fine and fry it a golden brown in the butter, mix it well with the mashed potato, and add seasoning to taste; form the mixture into cakes, flour them well, place them in a greased baking tin, with little bits of butter on the top of the cakes, and bake them a nice brown.

POTATOES AND CARROTS.

1-1/2 lbs. of boiled potatoes, 3/4 lb. of boiled carrots, 2 eggs, 1 oz. of butter pepper and salt to taste, some Parsley. Mash the potatoes and carrots together, beat the eggs well and mix them with the vegetables, add seasoning; butter a mould, fill it with the mixture, spread the butter on the top, bake the whole for 1/2 hour, turn out, and garnish with parsley.

POTATOES (CURRIED).

6 good-sized potatoes parboiled, 1 oz. of butter, 1 teaspoonful of curry powder, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 dessertspoonful of fine wheatmeal, salt and lemon juice to taste. Slice the potatoes into a saucepan and pour the milk over them; smooth the curry powder with a little water, pour this over the potatoes, and add the butter and seasoning. Let the potatoes cook gently until soft; then thicken with the meal, which should be previously smoothed with a little milk or water. Let all simmer for 2 or 3 minutes; add lemon juice, and serve.

POTATOES (MASHED).

To mash potatoes well they should be drained when soft and steamed dry over the fire; then turn them into a basin and pass them through a potato masher back into the saucepan; add a piece of butter the size of a walnut (or more according to quantity of potatoes), and a little hot milk, and mash all well through over the fire with a wooden spoon, adding hot milk as required until it is a thick, creamy mass.

POTATOES (MASHED) (another way).

1 finely chopped English onion to 1 pound of potatoes, piece of butter the size of a walnut, pepper and salt to taste. Fry the onion a nice brown in the butter, taking care not to burn it. When the potatoes have been passed through the masher back into the saucepan, add the fried onion and seasoning and a little hot milk. Mash all well through, and serve very hot.

POTATOES (MILK).

Boil or steam potatoes in their skins; when soft, peel and slice them. Make a sauce of milk, thickened with Allinson fine wheatmeal, and season with pepper and salt. Let the potatoes simmer in the sauce for 10 minutes. Before serving mix into the sauce a spoonful of finely chopped parsley.

POTATOES (MILK) WITH CAPERS.

1 lb. of potatoes, 3/4 pint of milk, 1 tablespoonful of finely chopped capers, 1 teaspoonful of vinegar, pepper and salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of Allinson wholemeal, boil the potatoes till nearly tender; drain them and cut them in slices. Return them to the saucepan, add the milk and seasoning, and when the milk boils add the wheatmeal. Let all simmer until the potatoes are tender, add the capers and vinegar. Then simmer a few minutes with the capers, and serve.

POTATOES (SAVOURY).

1-1/2 lbs. of small boiled potatoes, 1 oz. of butter, 1 dessertspoonful of finely chopped onion, 3 eggs, 1 dessertspoonful of vinegar, pepper and salt to taste, 1 clove of garlic. Slice the potatoes into the saucepan and let them stew gently for 15 minutes with the butter, onion, and seasoning, shaking them occasionally to prevent burning. Rub the inside of a basin with the garlic, break the eggs into it, beat them well with the vinegar, and pour them over the potatoes, shake the whole well over the fire until thoroughly mixed, and serve.

POTATOES (SCALLOPED).

6 medium-sized boiled potatoes, 2 onions chopped fine, and fried brown, 1 breakfastcupful of milk, 1 oz. of butter, pepper and salt, a little Allinson wholemeal. Slice the potatoes; butter a pie-dish, put into it a layer of potatoes, over this sprinkle pepper and salt, some of the onion, part of the butter, and a little meal. Repeat this until the dish is full, pour the milk over the whole, and bake for 1 hour.

POTATOES (STUFFED) (1).