Chapter XVIII: Part II: Choice Family Receipts (1)

CHOICE FAMILY RECEIPTS.

YEAST.

=Yeast.=--Good yeast is indispensable in order to secure good bread.

Pare and boil eight medium-sized potatoes. Remove them from the water when done, and put into it one small handful of _loose_ or two teaspoonfuls of _pressed_ hops. While these are boiling, mash and roll the potatoes very smooth, free from lumps; mix with them three even table-spoonfuls of flour, a half cup of sugar,--brown sugar is the best for yeast,--one even table-spoonful of ginger, and three of salt. Strain out the hops after boiling fifteen minutes, and pour the boiling water over the potatoes, flour, etc. Stir well together, and again set it on the range or stove till it boils up once, stirring it all the time, or it will burn. This done, pour it into a large earthen bowl or stone pot to cool. When blood-warm, add one penny’s worth of bakers’ yeast or a yeast-cake. Keep in a warm place till well raised, then put it into a stone jug; cork and tie down securely.

One teacupful will raise three good-sized loaves.

=Another.=--Take one pint of the water in which the potatoes for dinner were boiled; while it is boiling hot, thicken with flour; add a cup of yeast when the batter is cool. Set the jar in which it is made in a warm place, and it will be light in a few hours and ready to use.

=Yeast-Cakes.=--Pour a pint of boiling water over a teaspoonful of hops; let it stand ten or fifteen minutes, then strain the water into a saucepan; heat it boiling hot, stir in flour enough to make a stiff batter, and set it aside to cool. When lukewarm, put in a teacupful of good yeast, or a yeast-cake softened in water. Set in a warm place to rise. When light, add a teaspoonful of salt, two table-spoonfuls of molasses or sugar, and a little soda. Then mix in corn meal to make it stiff enough to roll into a long round roll. Cut it in slices about half an inch thick, spread meal over your board, and lay these cakes to dry. Turn them frequently while drying, and, if possible, get them dried in two or three days, or they may become sour. It is well to dry them in the air, but not in the sun. Put them in bags in a dry place; and when you use one soak it in milk-warm water.

BREAD.

=General Rules.=--Five quarts of flour and one quart of milk or water are sufficient for two loaves in quart-pans.

Rub shortening, salt, and potatoes, if used, into the flour before wetting it. The milk or water for wetting should be about milk-warm, and the yeast be stirred into part of the wetting for the sponge, or into the whole, if the bread is to be made without sponging; then pour it on the flour and knead.

=Bread without Sponging.=--Sift five quarts of flour, cover and set by the fire to dry. Pare and boil five medium-sized potatoes. When done, drain them dry from the water and sprinkle over them a teaspoonful of salt. Mash perfectly smooth and free from lumps, adding an even table-spoonful of sugar, and rub all together, till potatoes and flour are perfectly combined. Take a pint of the water in which the potatoes were boiled, and a little more than a pint of milk, and when blood-warm stir into it one cup of home-made or a cent’s worth of bakers’ yeast. Pour it on the flour and potatoes, and knead the whole together without sponging. All bread should be kneaded a full half-hour, then covered with a clean bread-cloth, and over that a bread-blanket, and set in a warm place to rise. If mixed overnight it will be ready for the second molding before breakfast; then make into loaves and put into the pans for the second and last rising. When light let it be well baked, but not long enough to make it hard and dry. When done, take from the pans, wrap a bread-cloth round each loaf, and turn upper side down into the pans, leaving it there till cold. This will help to make the crust tender.

=Good Bread.=--Put what flour will be needed for two or four loaves, according to the size of your family, into your bread bowl or pan. Make a hole in the middle, pressing the flour compactly towards the sides of the pan; then pour in sufficient boiling water to thoroughly scald and wet about one half of the flour. When cool, stir in one cupful of lively domestic yeast or a cent’s worth of bakers’, or, if you prefer, a small cake of dried yeast previously soaked in warm water. Set it near the stove or in a warm place in cool weather, cover closely just before retiring at night, and it will be light by morning, when a teaspoonful of salt and enough more warm, but not hot, water to wet all the flour must be added; knead it very thoroughly, and set it to rise again. When light, work it again, and put in the pans to rise for the last time, and as soon as it is light bake in a moderately heated oven. If the oven is too hot at first, the bread is apt to get brown on top and bottom too soon, and then it will not be done in the middle. A moderate oven at first is best, increasing the heat gradually until the bread is about half done, when it should be of a steady heat till the bread is done.

=Bread with Sponging.=--Stir into three quarts of milk-warm water one even table-spoonful of salt, and flour enough to make a soft batter. To this add the yeast above mentioned, or, in warm weather, use only half as much. Set the pan in a warm place in cold weather, and cover closely with a clean bread-cloth. Make this sponge at bedtime. If the sponge is at all sour in the morning, dissolve a teaspoonful of soda in a little water and stir in; then work in as much flour as is needed to mold it easily, and knead it thoroughly. Make it into small loaves, and see that the pans are well buttered and warmed when used. Keep them in a warm place, and cover with a clean white bread-cloth. If properly cared for, it will be light in an hour, and ready for the oven, which must be well heated. In baking bread or cake, care should be taken that the top does not brown too soon, as that will prevent its rising up light, as it otherwise would. If this makes too many loaves, it is easy to make only half or one third the quantity.

=To make Bread from Flour that runs.=--Put what flour you need in your pan, and pour enough boiling water over to just wet all of it, but not to make it thin; sprinkle in a teaspoonful of salt and a spoonful of butter; stir it up with a large wooden spoon until sure that all the flour is scalded; then cover and let it stand till cool enough to add the yeast. So that the yeast is sweet and lively, you can use any kind you prefer, bakers’ or home-made. When the flour is sufficiently cool, clear to the bottom, add your yeast, and give the whole mass a faithful kneading, adding more tepid milk or water, if needed. Knead till the dough cleaves from your hand easily, then set it to rise. When very light, knead again, put into the pans, and leave it to rise once more; then bake as directed above.

By this method _running_ flour can often be conquered, and bread thus scalded will be found uncommonly sweet and tender.

=Bread by Scalding the Flour.=--Pour enough boiling water on two quarts of flour to wet it thoroughly; add two even table-spoonfuls of butter; stir all well together, and let it stand till cool; then add a small cup of domestic yeast, or not quite a penny’s worth of bakers’ yeast; mold it fifteen minutes, then set by the fire to rise. When it begins to crack on top, put it on the molding-board, beat it with the rolling-pin, and chop and mold alternately for twenty minutes; then make into loaves, prick them on top, and set them by the fire to rise once more. As soon as light, bake. Bread made in this way is not quite so white, but is very sweet and light. If flour is at all inclined to “run,” the scalding will stop it.

=To make Stale Bread fresh.=--Put the loaf into a clean tin, and cover closely to exclude all water, and set into a steamer or a kettle of boiling water for half an hour; then remove it from the tin and it will look like fresh bread, and be really almost equal to a new loaf.

=Graham Bread.=--Two quarts of unbolted wheat, half a cent’s worth of bakers’ yeast, or half a teacup of home-made yeast; two table-spoonfuls of molasses, one even teaspoonful of salt, and warm water or milk and water enough to make a stiff dough. Beat this well, or, wetting your hands in water, mix it very thoroughly; cover closely, and let it rise light,--about six hours in warm weather, or in winter mix just before going to bed. When it is light, wet your hands in cold water and put it into well-buttered pans. Let it rise in the pans about an inch; an hour will generally be long enough. Bake an hour and a half, or until it is very well baked, but not scorched.

Or, take three small cups of the sponge from your wheat bread; when well risen add to it two spoonfuls of molasses, half a teacup of Indian meal, one teaspoonful of salt, and half a pint of warm milk and water; stir in enough Graham flour to make a stiff dough, and cover closely and set to rise. When light, fill your pans half full; let it rise once more, and bake carefully.

Or, pour boiling water over one quart of Graham flour; add a teaspoonful of salt, three table-spoonfuls of molasses. Let it stand till lukewarm; then add half a cup of home-made yeast, or part of a penny’s worth of bakers’ yeast; dip your hands in cold water, and mix it thoroughly. If too stiff, add more warm water. If too thin, mix in more flour. It should not be so stiff as for fine flour bread. Let it rise light; then put it into well-buttered pans to rise again. When light, bake one hour. It requires a hotter oven and needs to bake longer than other bread.

Or, one quart of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, three table-spoonfuls of molasses, and two table-spoonfuls of yeast; wet with warm water, or warm milk and water, till as thick as pound-cake. If wanted for breakfast, let it stand overnight. When ready to bake, add a well-beaten egg and a teaspoonful of soda; put into buttered pans and bake well.

Or, one quart of buttermilk or sour milk, soda enough to make it foam, and while foaming pour it on the Graham flour, stirring it together quickly. The flour should be all ready in the pan, and one teaspoonful of salt, and a scant half-teacup of molasses stirred into it before the soda is put to the buttermilk. Make it as thick as pound-cake; bake immediately one hour with a steady hot fire; add a well-beaten egg if in a hurry for your bread, as it will bake sooner, and we think be lighter for it.

=Steamed Brown Bread.=--One cup of Indian meal, two cups of rye, one cup of molasses, two cups of milk, a half-teaspoonful of soda, the same of salt. Stir well together and steam in some of the new “boilers” or “cookers” or “steamers” three hours; taking care that the water does not stop boiling. Add boiling water as the water boils away. If you wish it hot for breakfast, steam the day before, and in the morning set it in the oven for half an hour to form a good crust.

=Corn Bread.=--Sift two cups of Indian meal overnight; pour on it just enough really _boiling_ water to moisten or wet it through; cover it up and let it stand till morning; then add one cup of flour in which an even teaspoonful of cream of tartar has been sifted. Dissolve half a teaspoonful of soda in one cup of sweet milk, and stir with the meal and flour; add half a small cup of sugar; beat two eggs--yelks and whites separately--and put in the last thing. Bake in a quick oven.

=Rice Bread= (_Southern Receipt_).--One pint of rice flour, half a pint of wheat flour, one pint of sour milk, two eggs, butter half the size of an egg, and one teaspoonful of soda. The rice flour must be very fine, and stirred in after the other ingredients are partly mixed. Bake as soon as possible after the whole is stirred together.

Bread is sometimes made of _apple_ mixed with flour, by putting one third of stewed apple-pulp to two thirds of flour, and fermenting with yeast for twelve hours. This bread is said to be light and very palatable. It is much used in France.

BISCUIT.

=Morning Biscuit.=--One quart of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, two table-spoonfuls of yeast, and one pint of sour milk, with half a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Work this into a dough; then rub into the dough half a cup of butter. Knead well; cut off small bits; shape them into biscuits; lay them in the bake-pan, cover closely with a bread-cloth, and let them stand overnight in a warm place in winter and a cool place in summer. Bake in the morning for breakfast.

=Tea Biscuit.=--Peel and boil four potatoes of medium size. When done, mash and roll them smooth and perfectly free from lumps, sprinkling a table-spoonful of salt over them. Put to the potatoes a half-pint of the water in which they were boiled, a half-pint of milk, and a table-spoonful of sugar. Stir into this sufficient flour to make it a stiff batter. When cool, add half a penny’s worth of bakers’ yeast, or half a teacup of home-made yeast. Cover over with a bread-cloth and blanket. In cold weather leave this sponge in a warm place overnight to rise. In the summer, make it early in the morning. When this is risen until quite foamy, soften--but do not melt--two thirds of a teacupful of butter, and beat it into the sponge, together with two eggs, yelks and whites beaten separately; add flour to make it stiff enough to mold,--the softer it can be worked the better it will be. Knead it half an hour, then cover and set it to rise. When light, knead and _chop_ the dough at least fifteen minutes. This done, return it to the bread-bowl, again cover closely, and set to rise. When light, repeat the kneading; let it rise the second time, when it should be worked down and set on the ice in the ice-box, until within an hour of tea-time; then it must be again molded, rolled out, cut into small biscuits, pricked on the top, put into a bake-pan, covered over, and set to rise on a bench, near the stove, twenty minutes or half an hour. When light, set the biscuits into an evenly heated oven, and bake quickly to a delicate brown. When done, cover over with a bread-cloth for a short time before removing from the pan, to soften the crust.

=Soda Biscuit.=--Put two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar into one quart of flour; sift both together and rub in thoroughly two great spoonfuls of butter. Put one teaspoonful of soda into a table-spoonful of cold water, and stir till all is dissolved, then put it into a pint of cold water and pour it on the flour. Stir together quickly; if it cannot be rolled out, add a little more flour, but just as little as it is possible to roll out the biscuits with. Cut in shape and bake immediately. The great secret of making good soda biscuit is to sift the soda with the flour, to have it thoroughly dissolved, the dough made as thin and as quickly as possible, and baked immediately.

=Indian-Corn Biscuit.=--One quart of corn meal, one pint of wheat flour, sifted together, and stirred into three pints of milk; add a teaspoonful of salt. Beat four eggs, the yelks and whites separately, as for sponge-cakes. First stir the yelks into the batter; then add the whites, and a small teaspoonful of soda, the last thing. Have ready buttered some cups or small pans; nearly fill them with the batter, and set into the hot oven immediately. Bake fast, turn from the cups as soon as done, and serve immediately. They should puff up so as to more than fill the cups.

=Parker House Rolls.=--Two quarts flour, one large spoonful of lard, small teaspoonful of salt, one pint boiled milk,--set aside till cold,--half cup sugar, half cup yeast. Make a hole in center of the flour, put in milk, etc., and let it rise overnight. In the morning knead it well, and let it rise till noon; then cut it into long, narrow rolls and let it rise till tea-time. Bake.

=Rusk.=--Three coffee-cups new milk, three eggs, one teacup butter, one teacup sugar, one of yeast, and flour enough for batter. When the batter has well risen, work in more flour, but mix it rather soft; let it rise once more, quite light, but be careful that it does not sour; then make it out into rolls or biscuits; let it stand again a short time, and bake in a moderately hot oven; fifteen or twenty minutes should cook them.

=Sweet Potato Buns.=--Boil and mash two good-sized potatoes; rub in as much flour as will make it like bread; add a little nutmeg and one table-spoonful of sugar, with a table-spoonful of good yeast. When it has risen, work in two table-spoonfuls of butter, and soften so as to be easily mixed thoroughly with the dough; then form into small rolls, and, when raised the second time, bake on tins a nice brown. _Serve hot._

=Potato Pone.=--Pare and grate on a large grater sweet potatoes enough to make one quart of grated potato. Stir to this one pint of sweet milk, two eggs, two thirds of a cup of butter, and enough sugar to make it as sweet as plain cake; season with ginger. Bake till well done. Eat, hot or cold, with butter. If desired to be light colored, put the potatoes into cold water as soon as pared, and when ready grate into the milk. If dark-colored pone is preferred, sweeten with molasses and season with allspice. This is very rich made like pound-cake, using one and a half pounds of grated potato in place of flour.

=Gems.=--Break into a quart of milk four eggs (two will answer) without beating, stir in flour till as thick as waffles. Beat till smooth, and fill the “gem” pans half full. Bake quick in a hot oven. No salt, soda, or cream of tartar.

The “gem” pans should be well buttered, and set into the oven to get quite hot while the batter is being prepared, and when you are filling them, set the pan on the top of the range to keep it hot. When filled, set them immediately in the oven.

=Gems, No. 2.=--Drop four eggs, without beating, into a quart of milk; add two great spoonfuls of melted butter, and beat in flour until as thick as waffles. Pour into hot buttered gem pans, and bake like the first.

=Graham Gems.=--Drop one egg into a quart of milk or water. Stir in Graham flour until as stiff as waffles. Pour into hot, buttered gem pans, and bake quickly. Or add to the above one table-spoonful of melted butter; they will be tenderer.

In all measures the spoon, cup, or tin should never be heaped, but even full.

BREAKFAST AND TEA CAKES.

=Corn Cakes.=--Rub one table-spoonful of lard into four cups of corn meal. Stir the meal into four cups of sour milk, with a teaspoonful of salt. Beat two eggs very light, and put in one teaspoonful of soda, the last thing. Beat well, and bake in small gem irons, or light tin forms.

=Another Way.=--Three teacups of corn meal, one teacup of wheat flour, two teacups of milk, one teacup of cream, or a third of a teacup of butter, three table-spoonfuls of sugar, one egg,--beat yelk and white separately, and very light; one teaspoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of soda. Bake in small pans, with a brisk heat.

=Another.=--Sift two cups of meal, pour over it one teacup of boiling milk, stir it up well, and let it stand all night if intended for breakfast. The next morning add one cup of wheat flour, one of sugar, a half cup of butter, the well-beaten yelks of two eggs; add, if needed, more milk, so as to make it as thin as waffles. Take one scant teaspoonful of soda; the whites of the eggs, beaten stiff, to be added the last. Pour into a well-buttered pan and bake about twenty-five minutes, in a well-heated oven, but not scorching hot. If Jewell’s Prepared Flour is used, no soda need be added. If correctly prepared and well baked, this is excellent. If you have sweet apples, three or four chopped very fine, added, and two thirds of a cup of finely chopped suet, instead of butter, is a very great improvement.

=Another.=--One cupful of flour, two cupfuls of corn meal, two great spoonfuls of sugar, not quite half a cupful of butter, one cupful of milk, two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar, sifted with the meal and flour, and a small teaspoonful of soda; two eggs, whites and yelks well beaten separately; the yelks mixed with the milk and meal, and the whites added, the last thing.

=Steamed Johnny-Cake.=--One pint of sour cream, one teaspoonful of soda, and one of salt. Stir in three table-spoonfuls of flour; then add corn meal enough to make a stiff batter. Beat one egg, and add to the batter; stir all carefully together, and pour into a well-buttered tin basin; set this into a bread-steamer, and keep the steam up for an hour, or more if the loaf is large. Serve with cream and sugar.

=Corn-Meal Cake with Apples and Suet.=--One pint scalded milk, or a half cup cream, or a pint of sour milk, one teacupful suet chopped fine, a table-spoonful sugar, a teaspoonful salt, six good-sized sweet apples chopped fine, three eggs well beaten, and a small teaspoonful of soda. Beat thoroughly, and bake in a shallow tin pan.

=Muffins.=--One pint of milk, one table-spoonful of butter, one pint of flour, a small teaspoonful of salt, three eggs, whites and yelks beaten separately and very stiff, a small even teaspoonful of soda; add the whites last, beat smartly and perfectly free from lumps. Butter the griddle, and bake in well-buttered rings. When the bottom is done, turn over the rings and bake the top, or put the rings on a well-buttered bake-pan and bake in a quick oven. We think them lighter and better so baked.

=Another Way.=--One quarter of a pound of butter, one teaspoonful salt, three eggs, one pint sweet milk, one quart flour, a heaping table-spoon of brewers’ yeast, or two of home-made yeast. Melt the butter and put into the milk, beat the eggs and put them also into the milk, then stir in flour and add the yeast. If for breakfast, set them to rise overnight. If at all sour, add half-teaspoonful of soda. Bake in well-buttered rings in a quick oven.

=Cream Muffins.=--One quart rich milk, or, if you can get it, half cream and half milk; one quart of flour heaping, six eggs, one table-spoonful of butter, one of lard; softened together. Beat whites and yelks separately very light; then add flour and shortening and a scant teaspoonful of salt, and stir in the flour the last thing, lightly as possible, and have the batter free from lumps. Half fill your well-buttered muffin-rings, and bake immediately in a _hot_ oven, or your muffins will not be good. Send to table the moment they are done.

=Another Way.=--One teacup sour cream, two eggs, one half-teaspoonful of soda, thickened with flour about as stiff as waffles. Bake in a quick oven.

=Raised Muffins.=--One quart milk, a halfpenny’s worth of bakers’ yeast or half cup of home-made yeast, two table-spoonfuls white sugar, one of butter (lard will answer, but is not as good), one teaspoonful of salt, two eggs well beaten, and flour sufficient to make a stiff batter.

Make the batter overnight, leaving out the eggs. In the morning beat the eggs, yelks and whites separately, very light, and stir into the well-risen batter. Have the muffin-rings well greased, fill half full with the batter, and bake twenty minutes in a quick oven. Serve hot.

=Hominy Muffins.=--Wash a pint of small hominy through two or three waters, pour boiling water on it, cover, and let it soak for several hours. Then put it into a farina-kettle with half a pint of boiling water. Let it boil until soft enough to mash; drain it and mix it well with a pint of white corn meal or wheat flour, a little salt, and a pint and one half of milk in which two table-spoonfuls of butter have been melted. When nearly cold, add four table-spoonfuls of yeast; cover it, and set it in a warm place until very light, with the surface covered with bubbles. Butter some muffin-rings, set them on a hot griddle, pour into each a portion of the mixture, and bake them brown on both sides. Send them to table hot.

=Quick Muffins.=--Two teacups buttermilk, one of thick cream, or, if none, three even table-spoonfuls of melted butter, four eggs, half a teaspoonful of soda; thicken with prepared flour as thick as waffles.

=Graham Flour Muffins.=--One pint of sour milk, a small teaspoonful of soda, one table-spoonful of sugar, and Graham flour sufficient to make a thick batter. Bake in rings, or drop the batter in spoonfuls on a flat tin. Add a little salt before baking.

=Raised Waffles.=--One pint of sweet milk, a heaping teacup of butter, three eggs (yelks and whites beaten separately), a table-spoonful of thick brewers’ yeast or a halfpenny’s worth of bakers’, one quart of flour, one quarter of a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in one teacup of sweet milk; beat all together, and let it rise till very light, and then bake. Serve hot, with butter and sugar, or plain, according to taste.

=Corn-Meal Waffles.=--Pour over one pint of corn meal, _twice_ sifted, one pint of boiling milk. Put in one table-spoonful of butter, one of flour, and a teaspoonful of salt. Let this stand till cold; then add half a teaspoonful of soda, dissolved in a little cold water; the yelks of two eggs well beaten, the whites whisked very light and stiff to be added the last thing, when just ready to bake.

Put a brown paper over bread, biscuit, or cake when first set into a hot oven, else the top will most likely brown and form a crust before they rise sufficiently, and thus make them tough or heavy.

=Buckwheat Cakes.=--One quart of buckwheat flour, mix with lukewarm water rather thicker than you will wish it when ready to bake. A cup of Graham meal added is, we think, an improvement. Stir in half a cup of family yeast, or a halfpenny’s worth of bakers’, and a teaspoonful of salt; mix in an earthen bowl or a large earthen pitcher,--the latter is the most convenient, as the batter can be poured from the lip of the pitcher more neatly than it can be dipped out of a bowl; set it where it will keep warm all night. The batter should be made early in the evening, as it takes fully ten hours in winter to rise; when ready to bake in the morning, beat half a teaspoonful of soda into a great spoonful of molasses, and stir into the batter, adding also enough lukewarm water to make it thin enough to fry; bake quick; the thinner the cakes can be baked the better they will be.

=Rice Griddle-Cakes.=--Half a teacupful of whole rice, three eggs, half a pint of rich milk, and half a teaspoonful of salt. Cook the rice till every grain is dissolved and like jelly. Warm the milk a little, and beat the rice in it till it is smoothly mixed. When the eggs are beaten very light, add to the rice and milk; then the salt. Bake on a hot, greased griddle till brown and light. If the batter does not adhere, add another egg, but no flour.

=Sour-Milk Griddle-Cakes.=--Stir into one quart of sour milk enough flour to make the batter as thick as waffles; add an even teaspoonful of salt and two well-beaten eggs. Dissolve an even teaspoonful of soda, and beat in when ready for frying. This is very good baked in waffle-irons.

=Green-Corn Fritters.=--One pint grated corn, one small cup butter, one egg, a teaspoonful salt, one table-spoonful flour, a little pepper. Drop on a buttered pan and bake or fry ten minutes.

=Mock Oyster Fritters.=--Grate one dozen raw ears of corn; after grating, scrape or wring all the milk from the cob; half a table-spoonful flour; season with pepper and salt; beat the yelks of three eggs very thick, and stir into the grated corn; whisk the whites to a stiff froth, and add the last thing. Drop a dessert-spoonful at a time on a hot, buttered griddle, and fry of a light brown on both sides.

=Corn Oysters.=--One quart grated corn, three eggs well beaten, one small teaspoonful salt, and a little pepper, with just flour enough to make the corn hold together. Drop from a spoon into hot butter, making cakes about the size of an oyster. Sour milk, with a half-teaspoonful of soda, will answer if eggs are not plenty.

=Rice Cakes.=--One cup cold boiled rice rubbed into a quart of milk, one pint of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, two eggs beaten very light. Beat all free from lumps. Bake as soon as made, on a well-greased griddle.

=Rice or Hominy Cakes.=--Warm one quart of sweet milk, and rub into it two cups of boiled rice or hominy; throw in a little salt, and add enough wheat flour to bind the rice, or to make the batter as thick as waffles. Beat two eggs and add to the batter, and half a teaspoonful of soda, unless you use the prepared flour. If you do, there will be no salt or soda needed.

=Rosie’s Sally Lunn.=--One spoonful of butter, one of sugar, one egg, one pint of milk, one quart of flour, with two teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar sifted with the flour, and one teaspoonful of soda added the last thing. This is an excellent breakfast-cake, as well as tea-cake, and is sometimes varied by stirring in a pint of whortleberries.

=Strawberry Shortcake.=--Rub into a pint and a half of Jewell’s Prepared Flour one teacup of butter; beat one egg very light; add milk to make a soft dough; divide in three parts; roll out lightly, lay one portion on a pie-plate or tin, sprinkle a little flour on the top, then add the second cake, a little flour on the top of that, and cover with the third. Bake quickly, but not too brown. Let the berries stand with sugar sprinkled over them till the cake is baked, then pull the thin portions of cake apart; spread half of the berries over the bottom cake, adding more sugar and a little butter; lay the second over them, and put on the remainder of the berries with more sugar and butter, placing the top cake over all. Put it in the oven for a few minutes to heat through, and send to the table hot.

When wishing an extra nice strawberry cake for tea, beat the whites of two eggs with a cup of white sugar till stiff, and add to it half of a grated cocoa-nut, and spread over the cake. If you have no prepared flour, sift two small teaspoonfuls of cream of tartar with the flour; dissolve one small teaspoonful of soda in milk, and add the last thing before mixing the cake.

=Cream Toast.=--Put a pint of rich, sweet cream over the stove in the farina-kettle, and while heating toast thin slices of stale bread quickly on both sides, taking care that they do not scorch. Wet two table-spoonfuls of flour in cold milk; stir it smooth; add a teaspoonful of salt, and when the cream is scalding hot, put in the flour, stirring all the time till it thickens; then take the kettle from the fire. Have ready a dish of salt and water, hot, and dip each piece of the toasted bread into it, but only for a moment. Remove quickly to the toast-dish, and dip over it a liberal supply of the thickened cream; then cut more bread and lay into the dish, then more cream, till all is used, letting the cream be the last. If you have no cream, boil and thicken some sweet milk; put in an even teaspoonful of salt, two table-spoonfuls of butter, and, when done, add one or two well-beaten eggs the last thing; stir for a few minutes till well united with the boiling milk, and then pour over the bread.

SOUPS.

=General Directions.=--Before giving some receipts for _soups_, we wish first to remind our young housekeepers that it is important for them to bear in mind the necessity and economy of keeping good _stock_ constantly on hand. The French stock-pot is always in readiness to receive every bone, coarse or refuse bit of meat not suitable to use for the main dish or for side-dishes. We understand that the French use earthenware for this purpose and also for “soup-digesters.” It would be a benefaction if our house-furnishing merchants would import some of these “soup-digesters” and “stock-pots,” as they are far better than metal. But until we can procure such, the _stock_, as fast as made, should be strained into a large stone pot, and when cold, all the grease that rises and hardens on top must be removed, clarified, and set aside for cooking purposes. Aside from the economy of using all refuse meat and bones for stock, and the convenience of having it always ready for use, the soup will be better if the stock is made at least the day before, because one can then easily remove all the grease,--an important item in preparing good soups.

=Stock for Soups.=--Buy a knuckle of beef or veal. Have the bone well cracked in small pieces. Put it in the soup-digester, or, if you have none, in a closely covered iron pot. For a medium-size piece, add five or six quarts of _cold water_ (by using cold water you will secure all the juices, whereas in hot water half the juice is retained in the meat). Let it come to a boil before you add salt or pepper; then season it to suit your taste, and if agreeable put in a small bit of red pepper. Set the kettle on the back part of the stove after it once commences to boil, and keep it gently simmering all day; then strain it from the bones and meat, which are now worthless, into a pot kept for the purpose. Never throw away bones that are left from baked, boiled, or roast meat of any kind, or from steak, poultry, anything, (except those taken off the plates); dried or gristly bits of meat may also be used to prepare stock for soup; and in a large family sufficient can be gleaned that would otherwise be thrown into the swill to keep stock on hands for weeks, without buying a bone for that purpose alone. When the stock is strained off, set it in the cellar to cool. The next morning carefully remove all the grease that has risen to the top and hardened, and you will have a clear, rich stock ready for use. Clarify the grease removed from the stock by slicing a raw potato into it, and set it over the fire in a skillet till it boils; then strain it from the potato, and you have fine dripping for many purposes.

=Tomato Soup.=--Use stock from beef, ham, veal, or any other bones or refuse meat. Put two or three quarts into your soup-kettle,--the size of your family must determine the quantity,--cut in one carrot, one small onion, if agreeable, a little celery or fresh parsley; add salt, pepper, and herbs to suit the taste, and then make the stock thick with tomatoes,--fresh from the vine are much the best; a spoonful or two of star maccaroni is an improvement, or rice or pearl barley, if you have either at hand. Let it boil two hours.

=Another.=--Take bones or bits of meat left from any dish, and boil well to extract all nutriment, then strain; or, if you have none on hand, make a rich stock, put in cabbage, carrots, parsnips, or any other vegetables you like; boil till well done, then add the tomatoes,--a dozen fresh, or half a can of winter tomatoes; boil twenty minutes, then strain and serve hot.

=A Vegetable Soup.=--Peel and slice six large onions and four turnips; fry them in one quarter of a pound of butter, and then pour over them four quarts of boiling water. Toast a good-sized crust of bread hard and brown (but take care that it is not burned at all), and put into the soup, with a little celery; sweet herbs, salt, and pepper to suit your taste. Stew gently four hours, stirring often to prevent it from scorching; strain through a coarse cloth or strainer, when it has cooked the four hours. Have ready a little thinly sliced carrot, turnip, and celery,--a few slices of each will be sufficient,--put these into the soup after straining it; return to the fire and stew till these last vegetables are tender. A spoonful or two of tomato catsup will improve it for some people.

We have not tried this soup, but were told by an excellent housekeeper that it was capital. We demurred at the quantity of tomato and onion, but judge the long time given to cook the soup may combine and incorporate the different flavors so as to make it quite palatable.

=Mock-Turtle Soup.=--Take a calf’s head dressed with the skin on,--the fresher the better. Take out and lay aside the brains. After washing it several times in a plentiful supply of cold water, soak in cold spring water. Then put it into your soup-kettle or digester, adding two quarts more of cold water than is needed to cover it, and place over the stove or range. There should be about two gallons of water in all. As it begins to heat, a large amount of scum will rise to the top. Watch this carefully, and skim it off as fast as it rises. Let it boil one hour, or till the meat can be easily removed from the bone, when it should be taken from the liquor, and when nearly cold cut from the bones in neat pieces about an inch square. The tongue may be cut up in small pieces with the meat, or cut up and mixed with the brains for a side-dish. The skin of the head is the best part, and should be cut up carefully, leaving as much fat adhering to it as you can. As soon as the head is taken up, put to the broth in which it was boiled a five-pound knuckle of veal and the same amount of lean beef, adding all the bones and trimmings of the head; a half-dozen cloves, a quarter of an ounce of allspice, and the same of whole black pepper; boil five hours, skim well, and keep closely covered. Then strain and set aside till morning, when all the fat must be removed, and two quarts of this stock reserved. Now put in a large saucepan, over the fire, half a pound of good fresh butter, six ounces of onions, sliced, quarter of an ounce of green sage, chopped. Let these fry one hour slowly. Be careful that it does not scorch. Then rub in half a pound of flour by degrees, gradually adding the broth, till of the thickness of rich cream. Season with salt to your taste; half an ounce of lemon peel, grated. Let it simmer again gently an hour and a half, and strain through a hair-sieve or tamis. Don’t _rub_ the soup through the sieve, it will make it muddy. If it does not run through easily, knock a wooden spoon against the side of the sieve; that will start it through without the sediment, which would go through if rubbed. Put the stock, when strained, into a clean stew-pot with the pieces of the head; and to each gallon of soup have a pint of nice claret, if you wish it dark, madeira or sherry, if you prefer it light (those who object to wine or brandy in _mince_-pies must be careful not to call for turtle or mock-turtle soup at restaurants), two table-spoonfuls of lemon-juice, and two of catsup, one of the essence of anchovy, a teaspoonful of curry powder, or quarter of a drachm of cayenne. Let it simmer till the meat is tender, taking care that it is not done too much, and by frequent stirring prevent its sticking. When the meat is quite tender, serve the soup with force-meat, brain, or egg-balls. This should have been reduced by boiling to four or five quarts.

=Bean Soup.=--Wash your beans and boil them with a piece of salt pork. When the beans are soft, take them out and press through a colander; then put them back in the water they were boiled in, together with four hard-boiled eggs quartered, and half a lemon sliced, a little pepper, if you like it. Boil up and serve. This is liked by some better than when made with rich beef stock, with tomatoes or catsup for flavor.

=Soup with Eggs.=--Make a good stock from a knuckle of veal and any bones which may be on hand from baked or broiled beef or mutton. Add one turnip, two carrots, one onion, a little lemon-juice, a small sprinkling of thyme, and a little celery. Let it boil five or six hours, then strain, set it to cool, and, when cold, remove all the grease. When needed, heat it, add a little thickening of rolled cracker or flour, and to three quarts of this stock add the yelks of five or six eggs, one gill of cream, and pepper and salt to taste. Drop the yelks in whole, and let them cook a few minutes. Some like to drop them in just as the soup is dished. We do not think it so nice, but that is a matter of taste.

=Green Pea Soup.=--Take two quarts of green peas, a quarter of a pound of butter, a quarter of a pound of ham cut very fine, two small onions, and a little parsley, and put it into a soup-digester or kettle; add just a little water, enough to allow it to stew slowly, stirring it well together, and cover closely. When quite tender, add two quarts of veal, beef, or mutton broth, a great spoonful of sugar, and pepper and salt to season it to your taste. Let it boil up once, then rub through a hair-sieve into another kettle, and pour to it one pint of boiling milk; boil five minutes and serve.

=Turtle Bean Soup.=--Pick free from dirt and imperfect beans a pint and a half of turtle beans; soak them overnight in a good quantity of cold water. In the morning drain off the water, and wash the beans in fresh water; drain and put in the soup-digester, with four quarts of good strong stock from which all the fat has been carefully removed. Set it where it will boil steadily but slowly till dinner-time,--four hours at least, six is better. We always have ours put on as soon as the fire is kindled in the morning before breakfast. One small onion, a carrot, and two or three of the outside stalks of celery cut into the stock is considered an improvement by most persons. Stir it occasionally till the beans begin to soften, to prevent their sticking and burning at the bottom. Two hours before dinner put in half a can of tomatoes, or, in the season, eight or ten fresh ones, and a coffee-cup of tomato catsup. When ready to dish, strain through a fine colander or coarse sieve, rubbing through enough of the pulp of the beans to make it as thick as rich cream. Taste to see if there is plenty of salt and pepper, and send to the table hot. If you have any hard-boiled eggs left over, chop fine and put into the soup, after straining it, or, if eggs are plenty, boil three hard and add, chopped fine.

=Nursery Soup= (to be prepared the day before needing it).--Two pounds of scrag of mutton, or of the knuckle, put into two quarts of cold water; add two or three sliced turnips, or two spoonfuls rice or pearl barley or star tapioca, whichever best suits the taste. Simmer slowly an hour and a half, then take out the meat and set aside; pour the soup into a large bowl, and leave to cool till next day. In the morning skim off all the fat that has risen on the stock. An hour before needed, turn the stock into a saucepan and bring it to a boil; cut the meat from the bones in fine mouthfuls. Mince very fine a small onion, a little parsley and celery; add a bit of butter the size of a nutmeg, one table-spoonful browned flour; burn an _even_ table-spoonful of sugar in an iron spoon; pour a little boiling water over it and stir it into the browned flour, then stir both into the soup; add the other articles, and boil all together twenty minutes; serve hot, with small bits of carefully toasted bread. This is called _nursery_ soup, but it is not to be scorned by the old folks.

=Oyster and Clam Soup.=--Fifty oysters, two bunches long clams; drain all the liquor from the oysters into a farina-kettle, add a pint of milk, one and a half table-spoonfuls of butter, pepper and salt to suit the taste; cut off the soft bodies of the clams and put with the oysters; chop the tough, gristly parts very fine and put into the liquor; when it boils, add the oysters and clams, with two table-spoonfuls of powdered cracker or the same of farina. Let all boil about five minutes, and send to table hot. This makes soup enough for six persons.

=Potato Soup.=--Boil and mash potatoes; about three pints when mashed, to three quarts of rich beef stock; ready boiling; add pepper and salt to taste; stir gradually into the boiling stock, then pass all through a sieve and return to the soup-kettle; simmer five minutes, and serve with fried bread; or, if liked, a half-pint of peas boiled soft, one onion, one head of celery, two spoonfuls of rice, may be put to the stock, well boiled, and the potatoes added when all are done; then pass through the sieve, return to soup-kettle, simmer five minutes, and serve.

FISH.

=To boil Fresh Fish.=--Clean, wash thoroughly, wipe dry, and then sew up in a cloth, kept solely for fish, and plunge at once into boiling water that has been first salted sufficiently. Sew the cloth up on the _back_ of the fish. Take it out when done, cut the threads down the back of the fish, and cut the _skin_ of the fish so that in taking off the cloth, the skin will come off with it, leaving the fish white and whole. Be careful not to break it, as it should come to the table in good condition. Eat with egg sauce or plain drawn butter. A fat shad is very nice boiled; but most people prefer cod, rock-fish, or bass.

=Baked Salmon Trout, with Cream Gravy.=--Wash and clean the fish carefully, wipe dry and lay in the bake-pan, with only enough water to keep from scorching. If very large, score the backbone a little, but do not cut the sides. Bake slowly, basting with butter and water, from three quarters of an hour to an hour, according to the size. Have ready a cup of rich cream, into which stir three or four table-spoonfuls of boiling water, else the cream will clot when heated. Into this stir gently two table-spoonfuls of melted butter and a little chopped parsley. Put this into a milk-boiler or farina-kettle, or any vessel that you can set into another, half filled with boiling water, to prevent the sauce from burning. Add to the cream and butter the gravy from the dripping-pan in which the fish was baked. Lay the trout on a hot platter and let the gravy boil up once, and then pour over the fish. Garnish with sprigs of parsley, arranged neatly. Use no spiced sauces and very little salt. Serve hot.

To fully appreciate the excellence of this fish with the cream sauce or gravy, one should be able to eat it a very short time after it is taken from the water, but the cream sauce is a great improvement to most baked fish.

=Boiled Salmon Trout.=--Wash and dry the fish after cleaning it nicely. Wrap in a clean fish-cloth, lay it in a fish-kettle, cover with cold, salted water, and boil slowly from half to three quarters of an hour, according to the size of the fish. When done, take off the cloth gently, so as not to break the trout; lay in a hot fish-platter and pour around it cream gravy like that used for baked salmon trout, and serve hot.

All fish, boiled or baked, are improved by cream gravy. If you cannot obtain cream, use rich milk, and thicken it a little.

=Fried Halibut.=--Have the slices seasoned some hours before frying, as it will be less liable to break in turning; when ready to fry, dip it in egg beaten up, and roll it in bread crumbs; then fry in hot lard, or have three or four slices of sweet salt pork fried till quite brown and crisp, and then fry the halibut in the hot lard which came from the pork. Dish it and lay the crisp brown pork around it.

=Fish Chowder.=--Haddock and striped bass are generally considered the best fish for chowder. Cut the fish in pieces about one inch thick and two inches square. Cut five or six good slices of the best salt pork, lay them in the bottom of an iron pot and fry till crisped, but do not scorch; take out the pork, leaving the fat; chop the pork in small pieces; put into the pot a layer of fish, a layer of split crackers and some of the chopped pork; a little red and black pepper; a little chopped onion; then another layer of fish, split crackers, and seasoning, and so on till all the fish is used. Then just cover all with water, and stew slowly till tender. Thicken the gravy with cracker crumbs and catsup if you like. Take out the fish, boil up the gravy once, squeeze in the juice of a lemon, and pour the gravy over the fish. Add salt if necessary.

=To prepare and dress Cold Fish.=--Cut cold boiled fish into pieces about an inch long. Do not chop it. Take the yelks of four eggs, hard boiled, and rub them to a smooth paste with a few spoonfuls of salad-oil or melted butter. Add a little salt, pepper, and mustard,--the exact amount must be decided by your own taste and knowledge of how highly seasoned your family like their food. Add two teaspoonfuls of white sugar; rub all in with the paste, and the last thing after getting the paste perfectly smooth put in six table-spoonfuls of vinegar. Beat the mixture till very light, and just before pouring it over the fish beat the whites of two eggs to a stiff froth and stir in with it. Stir half the dressing into the picked-up fish. Serve in a glass dish, and spread the other half of the dressing over the top. Garnish with delicate leaves of lettuce, to be eaten with it.

=Newport Fish Pudding.=--Pick any cold fish left from the dinner into fine bits, carefully removing all the bones. Thicken some boiling milk with flour, wet to a batter with cold milk, and stir the fish into it; season with pepper, butter, and salt. Put it into a pudding-dish, and spread cracker or bread crumbs thickly over the top to prevent the milk from scorching, and set into the oven to bake just long enough to brown nicely. A good way to use up cold fish, making a nice breakfast or a side-dish for dinner.