Chapter XXII: Recipes for Cooking in Large Quantities

Fireless cookers are specially adapted to use on a large scale, as it is in cases where cooking is done on a business basis that economy in fuel, range space, and labour form such an important factor, and because there some intelligent person will generally oversee the work of the ignorant and careless. In their present form they are not, perhaps, adapted to very large institutions, where many hundreds of persons are fed, since there is a limit to the size of utensils which can be lifted in and out of the insulating box. But for small institutions, hotels, boarding-houses, restaurants, and lunch rooms the fireless cooker will, inevitably, become indispensable as soon as it is understood.

The United States Army has used the fireless cooker and, owing partly to its demand, some of the manufacturers of commercial cookers make them in sizes appropriate for use on a large scale. For those who wish to try them without an initial outlay of much money the home-made cooker will be found in every way satisfactory. As an encouragement to those who wish to use them for such purposes, it may be said that there is less chance of failure in cooking large quantities of food than with small.

In the main, the directions for making and using cookers are the same no matter what the size, but a few points may be suggested as more necessary for large than small cookers.

In many kitchens there will be no space near the range for a cooker or a number of cookers, and it will be a matter of necessity to have one which can easily be moved. Instead of ordinary castors, use, for these, such small iron wheels as are put on hand trucks. They will be found to run more easily and to injure a floor much less. Select a box which will fit under a table, when loaded, and then it will not seem to make the kitchen any fuller than before. Fit it with two strong handles, preferably on the front of the box, so that it may be guided when pulled out from under the table.

The portable insulating pail may be found useful for transporting hot food from a central kitchen to outlying dining-rooms, as is so often done in large institutions, aluminum utensils and the lightest packing material that is practicable being advisable for these.

The temperature maintained by a large mass of food in a well-made box, will result in more rapid cooking than with small quantities, and this must be taken into account with foods, such as potatoes, which are easily overcooked.

There is always a difficulty in stating the number of persons that may be served by any recipe, since the amount served to each varies to such an extent with circumstances. The number indicated in this book is a mean between the small _table d’hôte_ and the large _à la carte_ portions, and is based upon the amount served at an ordinary family table. Three-quarters of a cupful is allowed for each portion of soup.

Rolled Oats

7¹⁄₂ qts. water
4 tablespoons salt
3 qts. rolled oats

Boil the water, add the salt and sprinkle in the oats gradually. When boiling put it into a cooker for two hours or more. It is improved by twelve hours’ cooking.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Cornmeal Mush

8 qts. water
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
7 cups cornmeal

Mix the meal with one quart of the water, bring the remainder to a boil, add the salt and stir in the meal paste. Let it boil four minutes and put it into the cooker for five hours or more.

Serves thirty-five or forty persons.

Hominy Grits

7¹⁄₂ qts. water
3 tablespoons salt
1¹⁄₂ qts. hominy grits

Add the hominy to the boiling, salted water; let it boil for ten minutes and put it into the cooker for eight hours or more.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Samp

1 qt. samp
2 qts. cold water
3 tablespoons salt
6 qts. boiling water

Soak the samp in the cold water for eight hours or more. Add it to the boiling water and salt, let it boil uncovered for one hour and put it into a cooker for six hours or more. A little butter added before serving improves it, if it is used as a vegetable.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Cracked Wheat

5 cups wheat
2¹⁄₂ qts. cold water
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
5 qts. boiling water

Soak the cracked wheat in the cold water for nine hours or more. Add it to the boiling water and salt, let it boil for ten minutes and put it into a cooker for at least nine hours; reheat it to the boiling point and cook it again for nine hours or more.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Steel-cut Oatmeal

5 cups oats
2¹⁄₂ qts. cold water
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
5 qts. boiling water

Cook it in the same manner as cracked wheat.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Pettijohn’s Breakfast Food

7¹⁄₂ qts. water
4 tablespoons salt
3 qts. Pettijohn’s Breakfast food

Cook it as directed on page 56.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Cream of Wheat

8¹⁄₂ qts. water
3 tablespoons salt
5 cups cream of wheat

Cook it as directed on page 56.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Wheatlet

Cook it in the same way as cream of wheat.

Farina

Cook it in the same way as cream of wheat.

Rice

3 to 5 qts. water
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1¹⁄₂ qts. rice

Wash the rice, add it to the boiling salted water; let it boil and put it into a cooker for one hour.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Brown Stock

10 lbs. meat and bone
10 qts. water
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons peppercorns
1 teaspoon cloves
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon sweet marjoram
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
2 cups carrot
2 cups turnip
2 cups celery
1 cup onion
¹⁄₄ cup salt

Make it as directed on page 60.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

White Stock

10 lbs. knuckle of veal
10 qts. water
¹⁄₄ cup salt
2 teaspoons peppercorns
¹⁄₂ cup onion
2 cups celery, or
1 tablespoon celery seed

Make it as directed on page 62.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Mutton Broth

15 lbs. neck of mutton
10 qts. cold water
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup rice, or
1 cup barley

Make it as directed on page 63.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Mock Turtle Soup

5 lambs’ livers
5 calves’ hearts
5 knuckles of veal
10 qts. water
2 cups onions
2 cups turnip
2 cups celery
1 teaspoon cloves
1¹⁄₂ tablespoons peppercorns
¹⁄₄ cup salt
5 bay leaves
1¹⁄₂ doz. yolks of hard-cooked eggs
2¹⁄₂ lemons
Madeira wine

Make it as directed on page 66.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Creole Soup

6 qts. brown stock
3 qts. tomatoes
1 cup chopped green sweet pepper
³⁄₄ cup chopped onion
1¹⁄₂ cups butter
2 cups flour
1¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne
³⁄₄ cup grated horseradish
2 tablespoons vinegar
1¹⁄₂ cups macaroni rings

Make it as directed on page 69.

Serves forty or forty-five persons.

Cream of Celery Soup

3 qts. white stock
4¹⁄₂ qts. celery, cut small
1¹⁄₂ qts. water
1¹⁄₂ cups sliced onion
³⁄₄ cup butter
1 cup flour
3 qts. hot milk
1¹⁄₂ qts. hot cream
2 tablespoons salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper

Make it as directed on page 68.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Asparagus Soup

5 qts. white stock, or
5 qts. water in which asparagus has cooked
7 cans asparagus, or
7 pts. of cooked asparagus
1³⁄₄ cups butter
1³⁄₄ cups flour
3¹⁄₄ qts. hot milk
1 tablespoon salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon white pepper
1 large onion

Make it as directed on page 68.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Macaroni Soup

10 qts. brown stock
2¹⁄₂ cups macaroni rings

Make it as directed on page 70.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Vegetable Soup with Stock

10 qts. brown stock
2¹⁄₂ cups turnip
2¹⁄₂ cups carrot
2¹⁄₂ cups celery
2¹⁄₂ cups cabbage
1¹⁄₄ cups onion
1 tablespoon salt
²⁄₃ cup rice or barley

Make it as directed on page 67.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Ox Tail Soup

6 ox tails
9 qts. brown stock
2 teaspoons salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne
¹⁄₂ cup butter
1¹⁄₂ cups Madeira wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Flour

Make it as directed on page 70.

Serves forty or forty-five persons.

Julienne Soup

10 qts. brown stock
2¹⁄₂ cups carrot
2¹⁄₂ cups turnip
1¹⁄₄ cups peas
1¹⁄₄ cups string beans
1 teaspoon salt

Make it as directed on page 70.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Tomato Soup with Stock

5 qts. brown stock
5 cans or 5 qts. tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
1¹⁄₄ cups butter
1²⁄₃ cups flour
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt

Make it as directed on page 69.

Serves forty-five to fifty persons.

Vegetable Soup without Stock

2 cups carrots
2 cups turnips
3 cups celery
3 cups onion
2 qts. potatoes
3 qts. tomatoes
1 cup butter
¹⁄₄ cup chopped parsley
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons pepper
6 qts. water

Make it as directed on page 71.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Bean Soup

5 pts. beans
10 qts. water or stock
1 cup chopped onion
2¹⁄₂ lbs. lean, raw beef, if stock is not used
1 cup chopped celery
²⁄₃ cup Chili sauce
²⁄₃ cup butter
²⁄₃ cup flour
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1¹⁄₄ teaspoons pepper

Make it as directed on page 72.

Serves fifty or fifty-five persons.

Black Bean Soup

2¹⁄₂ qts. black beans
10 qts. water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery, or
1¹⁄₄ teaspoons celery salt
¹⁄₄ cup salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
1¹⁄₄ teaspoons mustard
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne
1 cup butter
¹⁄₂ cup flour
10 hard-cooked eggs
5 lemons

Make it as directed on page 72.

Serves fifty or fifty-five persons.

Tomato Soup

7 cans or quarts of tomatoes
3¹⁄₂ qts. water
1 tablespoon peppercorns
4 large bay leaves
2 teaspoons cloves
2 large onions
¹⁄₃ cup salt
1 teaspoon soda
¹⁄₃ cup sugar
⁷⁄₈ cup butter
1¹⁄₃ cups flour

Make it as directed on page 73.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Potato Soup

24 medium-sized potatoes
4 qts. milk
4 qts. water
³⁄₄ cup chopped onion
2 cups butter
1 cup flour
¹⁄₄ cup salt
2 teaspoons celery salt
1 teaspoon pepper
¹⁄₄ teaspoon cayenne
¹⁄₄ cup chopped parsley

Make it at directed on page 75.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Purée of Lima Beans

5 cups dried lima beans
7¹⁄₂ qts. water
¹⁄₂ cup chopped onion
³⁄₄ cup chopped turnip
5 cups cream or milk
1¹⁄₄ cups butter
²⁄₃ cup flour
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1¹⁄₄ teaspoons pepper

Make it as directed on page 73.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Baked Bean Soup

3 qts. cold, baked beans
6 qts. water
¹⁄₂ cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1¹⁄₂ qts. tomatoes
¹⁄₂ cup butter
¹⁄₂ cup flour
¹⁄₄ cup Chili sauce
4 teaspoons salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper

Make it as directed on page 74.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Green Pea Soup

8 cans marrowfat peas, or
4 qts. shelled peas
5 tablespoons sugar
4 qts. water
4 qts. milk
¹⁄₂ cup chopped onion
1 cup butter
1 cup flour
3 tablespoons salt
1¹⁄₃ teaspoons pepper

Make it as directed on page 74.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Split-Pea Soup

2 qts. split peas
8 lbs. soup bones, beef
8 qts. water
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Make it as directed on page 77.

Serves fifty persons.

Fish Chowder

12 lbs. cod or other firm, white fish
3 qts. potatoes, in ³⁄₄-inch dice
³⁄₄ cup sliced onion
¹⁄₂ cup butter
3 qts. scalded milk
¹⁄₄ lb. fat salt pork
3 tablespoons salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon white pepper
2 cups oyster crackers

Make it as directed on page 75.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Connecticut Chowder

Make this as directed for fish chowder, substituting two quarts of stewed fresh or canned tomatoes for the milk, which may be added to the chowder before putting it into the cooker.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Creamed Salt Codfish

6 lbs. codfish
12 qts. water
1¹⁄₂ cups butter
2 doz. eggs
3 cups milk
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper

Cook it as directed for Creamed Salt Codfish, No. 2 on page 84.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Codfish Balls

2 qts. raw, salt codfish, in small pieces
4 qts. potatoes, in 1-inch pieces
About 12 qts. cold water
8 eggs
¹⁄₄ cup butter
1 teaspoon pepper

Cook it as directed on page 85.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Pot Roast

12 lbs. beef from round or rump
1¹⁄₂ oz. beef drippings (3 tablespoons)
Flour
1 tablespoon salt
¹⁄₂ teaspoon pepper
1 cup carrot
1 cup turnip
1 cup onion
1 cup celery
4 bay leaves
3 qts. water

Have the butcher bone and roll the meat, if it is from the rump. Wipe it with a damp cloth, dredge it with flour and brown it on all sides in the drippings. Wash, pare, and cut the vegetables into pieces. Put all the ingredients with the hot, browned meat, into a cooker-pail, add the water, boiling hot, let it boil for thirty minutes and put it into a cooker for nine hours or more. Before serving bring the meat to a boil, remove it, put it in a warm place, and make three quarts of brown sauce. Strain the liquor in the pail and use it for the sauce. If there is fat on the top of the liquor remove it and use it in making the sauce.

Serves fifty persons.

Brown Sauce

¹⁄₂ cup butter or fat
³⁄₄ cup flour
2 teaspoons salt
¹⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
1 qt. stock or water

Make it as directed on page 184.

Serves sixteen or twenty persons.

Beef à la Mode

12 lbs. round of beef
¹⁄₄ lb. fat salt pork
Flour
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 cup sliced onion
¹⁄₂ teaspoon allspice
¹⁄₂ teaspoon grated nutmeg
¹⁄₂ teaspoon whole cloves
¹⁄₃ cup rendered beef fat
About 3 qts. water

Cook it as directed on page 95, except that there need not be an outer pail of boiling water.

Serves fifty persons.

Irish Stew

5 lbs. clear meat
2¹⁄₂ qts. potatoes, in dice
2¹⁄₂ cups turnips, in dice
2¹⁄₂ cups carrots, sliced
1¹⁄₂ cups onions, sliced
2¹⁄₂ cups celery, in pieces
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2¹⁄₂ cups flour
¹⁄₄ cup clear fat
4¹⁄₂ qts. water

Cook it as directed on page 100.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Beef Stew à la Mode

10 lbs. beef brisket
Flour
1 cup rendered fat
1¹⁄₂ cups sliced onion
¹⁄₃ cup salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 lemon, sliced
Water to cover

Buy twenty-five or thirty pounds of brisket to get ten pounds of clear, lean meat. Cook it as directed on page 97.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Boiled Dinner

8 lbs. lean, salt pork
¹⁄₄ pk. turnips
¹⁄₃ pk. beets
1 qt. carrots
5 heads cabbage
1¹⁄₄ pks. potatoes
2 teaspoons pepper
Water to cover

Cook it as directed on page 96.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Cannelon of Beef

6 lbs. lean meat, chopped
Grated rind 1¹⁄₂ lemons
¹⁄₃ cup chopped parsley
1 doz. eggs
2 tablespoons grated onion
²⁄₃ cup clear fat or butter
³⁄₄ teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons salt
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
1¹⁄₂ qts. soft breadcrumbs

Cook it as directed on page 101.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Okra Stew

6 lbs. clear, lean mutton
²⁄₃ cup clear beef fat
1¹⁄₂ cups flour
2 cups sliced onion
3 qts. tomatoes
3 qts. okra, in pieces
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3 qts. water

Cook it as directed on page 111.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Creamy Potatoes

1 pk. potatoes
4 qts. milk
¹⁄₃ cup salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1¹⁄₃ cups butter

One peck of potatoes will make about ten quarts when prepared for creamy potatoes. Melt the butter in the cooker-pail, add the milk, and, while it is heating, slice the potatoes which have been pared and soaked, for two hours or more, in cold water. As each quart of potatoes is sliced put it into the hot milk. The potatoes will thus be heated to boiling point, quart by quart. Add the seasoning. When boiling, after the last quart of potatoes has been added, put all into the cooker for one hour or more.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Veal Loaf

5 lbs. minced veal
10 eggs
1¹⁄₄ cups melted butter
5 cups soft breadcrumbs
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
⁵⁄₈ cup chopped parsley
⁵⁄₈ cup chopped onion
¹⁄₄ lb. fat salt pork
2¹⁄₂ teaspoons ground sage

Cook it as directed on page 117.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Macaroni Italienne

2 qts. macaroni, in one-inch pieces
4 qts. stewed and strained tomatoes
2 qts. stock or water
8 medium-sized onions
32 cloves
4 large bay leaves
3 tablespoons salt
¹⁄₃ cup sugar
1 teaspoon pepper
2 qts. grated or shaved cheese

Cook it as directed on page 143.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Turkish Pilaf

1 qt. rice
8 green sweet peppers (2 cups)
3 qts. tomatoes
2¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1¹⁄₂ qts. water
¹⁄₂ cup butter

Cook it as directed on page 149, without the lower pail of water.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Pork and Beans

2 qts. dried beans
1 tablespoon soda
9 qts. water
3 tablespoons salt
2 lbs. salt pork
1 cup molasses
1 tablespoon mustard
³⁄₄ teaspoon pepper
Water to half cover

Soak the beans, drain them, cook them for seven hours or more, as directed on page 141, with the nine quarts of water, soda, and salt. Drain them, add the other ingredients, and bake them till browned.

Serves forty-five or fifty persons.

Boston Brown Bread

2 qts. rye meal
2 qts. granulated cornmeal
2 qts. graham flour
¹⁄₃ cup soda
¹⁄₄ cup salt
1¹⁄₂ qts. molasses
4 qts. thick, sour milk, or 3¹⁄₂ qts. buttermilk

Mix and cook it as directed on page 155. Put it into seven or eight moulds.

Serves fifty persons.

Suet Pudding

3 cups chopped suet
3 cups molasses
3 cups thick, sour milk
2¹⁄₄ qts. flour
1¹⁄₂ tablespoons soda
1¹⁄₂ tablespoons salt
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons ginger
1¹⁄₂ teaspoons nutmeg
³⁄₄ teaspoon cloves
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Mix and cook it as directed on page 157. Put the pudding into six moulds. Serve it with a liquid sauce.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Rice Pudding

6 qts. milk
3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1¹⁄₂ cups rice
³⁄₄ teaspoon salt
¹⁄₃ cup butter

Cook it as directed on page 162, except that the outer pail of water may be omitted. If served cold and not browned, omit the butter.

Serves thirty or thirty-five persons.

Indian Pudding

3 qts. water
4¹⁄₂ qts. milk (scalding hot)
1 qt. cornmeal
2 tablespoons salt
¹⁄₄ cup ginger
1¹⁄₂ qts. molasses

Mix the dry ingredients with one pint of the water, add them to the boiling water and molasses, add the milk. Let all come to a boil and put it into a cooker for ten hours or more. Put it into baking dishes and brown it, or serve it without browning, either plain or with cream.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Chocolate Bread Pudding

6 qts. milk
3 qts. soft breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon salt
2 cups sugar
18 eggs
³⁄₄ lb. chocolate
2 tablespoons vanilla

Cook it as directed on page 164, in three pudding pans, set over cooker-pails of water.

Serves forty or fifty persons.

Stewed Apples

15 qts. prepared apples
³⁄₄ teaspoon whole cloves
7 lbs. sugar
2 lemons
1¹⁄₂ qts. water

Cook them as directed on page 168.

Serves thirty-five to forty-five persons.

Apple Sauce

1 pk. sour apples
1¹⁄₂ qts. water
3 lbs. sugar

Cook it as directed on page 168.

Serves forty-five to fifty persons.