Chapter II: Part 2

Take two heads of nice, fresh lettuce, wash and drain and chop fine with half a small white onion, put in a saucepan with two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, cook for about ten minutes, stirring all the time, then add two heaping tablespoonfuls of rice and a quart of milk. Let it boil for twenty minutes until the rice is perfectly tender, remove from the fire and press through a puree sieve, using a small potato masher, then strain and press again through a fine hair sieve; this will make it smooth. Season with salt to taste and a dash of cayenne pepper, and a small half teaspoonful of sugar. Put in a fresh saucepan, rub together two heaping teaspoonfuls of butter and an even teaspoonful of cornstarch and stir into the soup. Let it come to the boiling point and remove from the fire, adding at the last moment a quarter of a cupful of whipped cream. Serve with or without fried croutons.

CREAM OF MUSHROOMS.

Wash one pound of mushrooms, skin and stem them. Put the skins and stems in a saucepan with a cup of boiling water and boil ten minutes, strain and add to this water the mushroom flaps chopped very fine, and cook until tender, then press through a fine sieve. Melt two large heaping tablespoonfuls of butter in a saucepan, and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of flour, and when smooth add a quart of rich milk, a whole clove of garlic, salt and pepper to taste. When it boils and thickens add the mushroom stock, let it boil up once, remove the clove of garlic, turn the soup into the tureen and serve.

CREAM OF GREEN PEAS.

Put a quart of green peas into a saucepan with a slice of white onion, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Remove from the fire and press through a puree sieve with the water in which they were boiled. Return to the saucepan, set it back on the stove, let it come to a boil, add a pint of rich milk, salt and white pepper to taste, a dash of cayenne, and a large, generous tablespoonful of butter rubbed into an even tablespoonful of flour, adding a little of the liquid before stirring into the soup. Let it come to a boil, and add two tablespoonfuls of whipped cream just as it is poured into the tureen.

CREAM OF RICE.

Wash carefully a third of a cup of rice and put it on the fire in a pint of boiling water with a white onion and a stick of celery, let it cook slowly for an hour, then stir in a quart of milk and let it come to a boil, add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, and press through a puree sieve. Put the soup back on the fire while beating an egg yolk with two tablespoonfuls of cream and a teaspoonful of parsley minced very fine. Remove the soup from the fire, stir in the egg and cream, pour into the tureen and serve.

CREAM OF SPINACH.

Take two large handfuls of spinach, after it is washed and picked over, a small head of lettuce, a few sprigs of parsley, and a small white onion peeled and sliced. Put in a saucepan over the fire with a tablespoonful of butter, a dozen peppercorns and two cloves, and a very little boiling water, cover and stand it where the vegetables will only simmer. When they are tender rub together a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter and a heaping tablespoonful of flour, and stir it into the vegetables. Add a little boiling water, mash the vegetables smooth and press them through a fine sieve. Have the puree as thick as possible, return to the saucepan. Have ready a pint of boiling milk, beat two egg yolks with four tablespoonfuls of cream, pour a little of the boiling milk into them, and the rest into the puree, remove from the fire at once, then add the eggs and cream, pour into the tureen and serve immediately.

CARROT SOUP.

Take half a dozen small French carrots, wash and scrape them, put in a saucepan with boiling water and cook until tender, remove from the fire, mix with milk and press through a sieve. Melt two ounces of butter in a saucepan and rub into it a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, add a few grains of cayenne pepper, and stir in a little at a time the carrot puree until smooth like cream, add a few slices of cooked celery root (celeriac), and salt to taste, and pour into the puree. A tablespoonful of sherry, if liked, may be added. Serve with fried croutons.

CELERIAC SOUP.

Wash, peel and slice three celery roots, put them in a saucepan, cover with boiling water, cook until tender, and mash them through a puree sieve with the water in which they were boiled. Melt a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, stir into it a small tablespoonful of flour, and add to it the celery puree, season with a little cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Add three-quarters of a cup of macaroni previously boiled in water. As soon as it comes to a boil remove from the fire and add as much boiling milk as will make it the proper consistency. Beat two egg yolks with half a cup of cream and stir in quickly just before pouring the soup into the tureen. Care must be taken to do this off the fire, as celery soup is liable to curdle.

MOCK CLAM SOUP.

Soak a pint of marrowfat beans over night in water enough to cover them. In the morning drain, and put them on the fire with a small onion and a gallon of cold water, boil until tender and strain. Add to the stock a little summer savory, two ounces of butter and a cup of cream or rich milk, season with salt and pepper. When the soup comes to a boil, cut two slices of toast into dice, and four hard-boiled eggs in slices, put in the tureen and pour the soup over them and serve.

CORN AND TOMATO SOUP.

Grate the corn from six ears of sweet corn. Put the cobs into a quart and a pint of water and cook until all the sweetness is extracted--about half an hour. Remove the cobs and add a pint of tomatoes after they are skinned and sliced, a small onion cut in slices, a French carrot cut in dice, a quarter of a green pepper chopped fine, and the grated corn. Let it cook slowly until all are tender. Stir in two good tablespoonfuls of butter, salt and pepper to taste, pour into the tureen and serve.

SOUP CRECY.

Take three large carrots, wash and scrape and cut them into slices, put them in a saucepan with half an onion, a stick of celery, and a bay leaf, more than cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Remove from the fire, take out the bay leaf and rub the vegetables through a sieve with the water they were boiled in. Put back in the saucepan. Rub a generous tablespoonful of butter with half a tablespoonful of flour, and stir into the puree, add to it a cup and a half of boiling milk, stir until thick, add pepper and salt to taste. Take from the fire, and stir into it one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream. Serve at once.

CURRY SOUP.

Prepare for cooking two small white onions, two French carrots and half a turnip cut in slices, and cook slowly in a pint of boiling water until they fall to pieces, cook with them until tender a celeriac root, remove from the other vegetables and put one side. Melt two ounces of butter in a saucepan, and stir in a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, an even dessertspoonful of curry powder, mix well together and then add a pint of milk. Strain the vegetables through a fine sieve, but do not press them, and add the stock therefrom to the milk, etc., in the saucepan, and salt to taste. Beat half a cup of cream with two egg yolks until light, remove the soup from the fire, mix a little of it with the eggs and cream, turn it back into the saucepan, stir well together and pour at once into the tureen in which you have already placed the celeriac cut in slices. If liked, two tablespoonfuls of Madeira may be added just before the soup is turned into the tureen. Serve with croutons.

MOCK FISH SOUP.

It is better to prepare the balls for this soup first, as follows: Put in a saucepan a tablespoonful of white flour and two tablespoonfuls of Groult's potato flour, stir together and add a tablespoonful of butter and a cup of milk, mix all together and place on the stove where it is not very hot. Stir constantly until it is smooth and no longer sticks to the pan, remove from the fire, let it cool, and beat in two eggs, one at a time, season with a dash of cayenne, a few grains of powdered mace, a few drops of onion juice, a little salt and half a teaspoonful of sugar. These balls must be seasoned very delicately. Cook and drain as the spinach balls are done, using a teaspoon instead of a tablespoon. Put to one side while the soup is being made. For the soup take three French carrots, half a parsnip, half a white onion and a little green pepper chopped fine, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Melt a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, and when it bubbles stir into it a small tablespoonful of flour, then add three cups of milk and let it come to a boil. When the vegetables are tender stir them into the thickened milk with the water they were boiled in, together with half a teaspoonful of sugar and salt and pepper to taste. Then put the balls in and let the soup come to a boil, add a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley and remove from the fire. Have one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream and stir in carefully so as not to break the balls just before turning the soup into the tureen.

A NORWEGIAN SWEET SOUP.

Put a quarter of a cup of rice into three cups of boiling water with a small stick of cinnamon, and let it boil nearly an hour. About fifteen minutes before it is done add half a cup of raisins stoned. Beat two egg yolks with a heaping tablespoonful of sugar until white and creamy, then stir into them about half a cup of sweet cider, remove the soup from the fire, add a little of it to the eggs and cider, stir well, and mix all together rapidly and serve at once. Two tablespoonfuls of good sherry improves it.

ONION SOUP.

Melt two tablespoonfuls of butter in a spider, when it bubbles add four large onions, washed, skinned and cut in slices, let them simmer without browning about half an hour, then stir in a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour. When it thickens pour in gradually a pint and a half of boiling milk, season with salt and pepper to taste, press through a puree sieve, and return to the fire. While it is getting hot, beat together two egg yolks and half a cup of cream, remove from the stove and stir the eggs and cream into it rapidly, pour at once into the tureen and serve.

SOUP OF GREEN PEAS.--No. 1.

Take from a pint of green peas two heaping tablespoonfuls and set aside. Put the rest in a saucepan with half a white onion, in boiling water. Cover tightly, letting them cook until quite tender, then mash through a puree sieve with the water in which they were boiled and using a little more to take out all that is good of the peas through the sieve. Put back on the stove, rub a good heaping tablespoonful of butter with a small tablespoonful of flour and add to the puree of peas. Have a heaping tablespoonful of turnips and two of carrots cut into dice and cooked in as little water as possible, and the two tablespoonfuls of peas cooked until tender, add to the soup with half a teaspoonful of sugar and pepper and salt to taste. Let all this cook together while enough milk to make the soup the proper consistency is coming to a boil. Mix together, add a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley, pour into the tureen and serve.

SOUP OF GREEN PEAS.--No. 2.

Put one quart of green peas over the fire in three quarts of boiling water with three French carrots, a small turnip cut into dice and a small white onion chopped. Cover tightly and let the vegetables cook until tender. Rub two ounces of butter with a small tablespoonful of flour, add a little of the soup to this to thin it and then stir all together, add an even tablespoonful of finely minced parsley, an even teaspoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste; let it come to a boil and then serve.

POTATO SOUP.

Take four large potatoes, peel and boil them tender in water, mash very fine with a small tablespoonful of butter, add as much boiling milk as will make it the right consistency. Boil in as little water as possible one tablespoonful of turnips and two of carrots cut into dice; when tender turn all into the soup, add a little cayenne and salt to taste. Just before serving beat a quarter of a cup of cream with one egg yolk, remove the soup from the fire and stir the two together as in other cream soups, and serve at once with fried croutons.

PUREE OF VEGETABLES.

Cut fine three onions, one turnip, two French carrots and four potatoes, put in a saucepan with four tablespoonfuls of butter and a little parsley; let them cook about ten minutes, then add a tablespoonful of flour. Stir well and add two quarts of boiling milk, season with salt and pepper and a tiny bit of sugar, and when it boils take out the parsley, press the soup through a sieve and serve with croutons of fried bread.

PUREE OF TURNIPS.

Peel and slice some young turnips, add an onion and carrot sliced, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Mash them in the water and press through a fine sieve. To a pint of the puree have a pint of boiling milk. Return the puree to the fire, and stir into it a large heaping tablespoonful of butter and a small pinch of mace. Take the milk from the stove and stir briskly into it two egg yolks beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream, then remove the puree from the stove and stir the eggs and milk into it, season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

VEGETABLE SOUP.

One cup and a half of green peas, three small French carrots, and a small cauliflower cut into flowerettes, one pint of milk, half a cup of cream, a good half tablespoonful of flour, one tablespoonful of butter, and the yolks of two eggs. Wash and scrape the carrots, cut in thin slices and boil each vegetable by itself in as little water as possible. When the carrots and peas are done put them together in a saucepan with the water in which they were cooked, add the milk, put the saucepan on the fire and let it come to a boil, rub the butter and flour together, mix with a little milk and stir into the vegetables. Drain the water well from the flowerettes, and just before serving put them in the tureen. Beat the yolks of eggs and the cream together in a bowl, remove the soup from the fire, add a little of it to the eggs and cream, then turn them into the soup, stir well and pour it into the tureen.

TOMATO SOUP.

Put a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan, when it is hot add half an onion chopped fine, let it stew gently for a few minutes, then add a pint of canned tomatoes, cook half an hour. Rub a heaping tablespoonful of flour and one of butter smoothly together and stir into the tomatoes. Have ready a pint of boiling milk, pour the tomatoes into a puree sieve with the boiling milk and rub through the sieve. Season with salt and pepper and a very little sugar. Return to the fire, make it hot, but be careful not to let it boil, as it will curdle. Serve at once with croutons.

BARLEY SOUP.

Put a quarter of a cup of well washed barley with a bay leaf and a small blade of mace into a pint and a half of cold water, boil slowly for three hours. Take out the bay leaf and mace and add a small onion cut fine, two French carrots cut in dice, and cook until tender, then add a pint of milk, a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, let it come to a boil, remove from the fire and stir into it one egg yolk beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream.

BLACK BEAN SOUP WITH MOCK MEAT BALLS.

Soak over night a pint of black beans in a quart of water. In the morning drain, and cover with fresh water, set the saucepan on the stove; when the water comes to a boil drain it off and add a quart of fresh water. Cut fine an onion, and with a few slices of carrot and turnip and green pepper fry in a heaping tablespoonful of butter, add to the beans with a bay leaf half a dozen peppercorns, two cloves, cook until tender, press through a sieve, return to the fire, and if it is too thick add more water. Have a hard boiled egg and half a lemon cut into dice, and meat balls made from recipe given for mock meat the size of hickory nuts and boiled in water as other balls are cooked. Drop the balls into the soup, and when hot pour the soup over the lemon and egg in the tureen and serve.

Entrees.

EGG BORDER WITH RICE AND CURRY SAUCE.

Stir four eggs together, add three-quarters of a cup of rich milk, a few drops of onion juice, and salt and pepper to taste; beat a little. Have a border mould well buttered and sprinkled with finely minced parsley, pour the mixture into it, set in a pan of boiling water in the oven, cover and let it cook until firm--from five to ten minutes. Have ready some rice boiled twenty minutes in plenty of salted water and well drained, and a cream sauce into which a slightly heaping teaspoonful of curry powder has been stirred. Turn the egg border out on a hot platter, fill the center with rice, pour some of the sauce over it, and the rest around the border. Garnish with parsley and serve at once.

RICE BORDER WITH VEGETABLES OR HARD BOILED EGGS IN CREAM SAUCE.

Three-quarters of a cup of Carolina rice, picked over carefully and washed. Boil fifteen minutes in salted water. Drain off the water and have one pint and a half of boiling milk in a double boiler, stir the rice into this and cook until all the milk is absorbed, then add a tablespoonful of butter. Butter a border mould well, turn the rice into it, pressing it down so that the form will be perfect, put in the plate heater for five minutes, turn out on a platter and serve with vegetables or hard boiled eggs in a cream sauce.

A BORDER TIMBALE OF MOCK CHICKEN.

Take three-quarters of a cup of rich milk, put half of it into a saucepan with an ounce and a half of butter, let it come to a boil, and then stir into it an ounce and a half of dried and sifted bread crumbs and a good half tablespoonful of flour. Stir constantly until it no longer sticks to the pan, remove from the fire and let it cool. When cold add two heaping tablespoonfuls of finely chopped walnuts, one tablespoonful of lemon juice, one teaspoonful of onion juice, one even teaspoonful of sugar, a saltspoonful of mace, two eggs unbeaten--one at a time--and the rest of the milk, salt and pepper to taste. Beat hard. Butter well a border mould, and sprinkle with fine bread crumbs, turn the timbale mixture into it, set the mould in a pan of boiling water, cover to keep from browning, and bake from ten to fifteen minutes.

SAUCE.--Put in a spider a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, let it brown, add a thick slice of onion cut in small pieces and a heaping tablespoonful of flour, stir constantly until it is a very dark rich brown, being careful not to let it burn, then add a quarter of a pound of fresh mushrooms, skinned and stemmed and cut into dice, let them cook a few minutes, then add a stock made from their stems and skins. Have a celery root that has been pared and cut into dice and cooked until tender in very little water with a bay leaf and two cloves, remove the cloves and bay leaf and turn the rest into the sauce, season with pepper and salt. Turn the timbale out on a platter, fill the center with the sauce, garnish and serve. A few truffles are a great addition. The timbale may also be served with an olive sauce.

A MOULD OF SPAGHETTINA.

Put three-quarters of a cup of spaghettina, broken in small pieces, into a quart of boiling water with an even tablespoonful of salt. Boil half an hour. Drain the water off and add a cup of milk to the spaghettina, and cook nearly half an hour, until the milk is almost all absorbed. Then make a cream sauce as follows: One cup of milk in a saucepan, rub butter the size of an egg into a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, adding a little of the warm milk, then stir into the milk on the fire, season with salt and pepper, add two even tablespoonfuls of grated cheese--the American Edam cheese is nice for this--and when the sauce is thick turn the spaghettina into it, let it come to a boil, turn out on a dish, and when cool add one egg beaten light. Butter a border mould which holds a little more than a pint, sprinkle it with bread crumbs, turn the mixture into it and set the mould into a pan of hot water and bake in a moderate oven twenty-five minutes. Have a pint of nicely stewed tomatoes seasoned to taste and thickened with bread crumbs and a good tablespoonful of butter. Turn the spaghettina mould out on a platter, fill the center with the stewed tomatoes, garnish with parsley and serve. It makes a very pretty dish and is an excellent piece de resistance for dinner or luncheon.

SPINACH BORDER MOULD.

Prepare the spinach as in recipe for spinach pudding, butter a border mould, dust it with bread crumbs, and press the spinach mixture into it, put the mould into a pan of hot water in the oven, cover it to prevent browning, and bake about twenty minutes.

A FILLING FOR THE CENTER OF MOULD OF SPINACH.

Break two eggs in a bowl, add a little salt and four tablespoonfuls of cream and beat them slightly. Turn into a buttered tin cup and stand in a saucepan with a little boiling water in it on the stove, cover and cook until stiff--about three or four minutes--remove from the fire, turn out of the mould and cut in half-inch slices and then into stars or any fancy-shape preferred, or into dice. Make a cream sauce, turn the spinach mould out on a platter, put a little of the sauce in the center, then some of the egg stars, then the rest of the sauce, and finish with the egg stars.

MOCK COD FISH BALLS.

Six medium sized potatoes, washed, peeled and boiled for ten minutes in salted water. Drain and grate them while hot and stir in two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter; mix thoroughly. Season with salt, cayenne pepper to taste, and add a teaspoonful of grated onion and a saltspoonful of mace. Beat two egg yolks light and stir well into it with two heaping tablespoonfuls of cracker crumbs. Fry brown in small balls in boiling fat without crowding them in the basket, drain on kitchen paper and serve very hot on a platter, garnish with parsley.

MOCK FISH BALLS IN CURRY OR CREAM SAUCE.

Five ounces of plain boiled potatoes put through a patent vegetable strainer or mashed very fine. Add three ounces of butter and a slightly heaping tablespoonful of Groult's potato flour, two eggs slightly beaten and stirred in--a little at a time--a few drops of onion juice and salt and pepper to taste. Have a saucepan of boiling salted water over the fire, dip a tablespoon in cold water and then into the mixture and take out in oblong balls as nicely and uniformly shaped as possible, and drop them carefully into the boiling water, which must not boil too violently as the mixture is tender and would cook to pieces. Put them in without crowding and let them cook three minutes, taking them out one after another as they are done. Put in a colander to drain while preparing the curry sauce. Melt in a saucepan a heaping tablespoonful of butter and add to it a heaping teaspoonful of flour, an even teaspoonful of curry powder, stir well and add milk until of the consistency of cream sauce. Put the balls into the sauce and let it come to a boil, remove from the fire, and add a tablespoonful of good Madeira. Serve on a platter, garnish with parsley and serve. The curry powder and wine may be omitted if not liked, and the balls served in plain cream sauce.

MOCK FISH (a Norwegian dish).

Take three or four large white potatoes. Wash and peel them and boil until only half done. Grate them, and take only the part that has passed through the grater--that it may be light. Then weigh out half a pound. Beat the yolks of three eggs very light with a quarter of a cup of cream, mix with the potatoes and add three ounces of butter melted, half a teaspoonful of grated white onion, a dash of cayenne pepper, and salt to taste. Butter a mould well, sprinkle it with dried and sifted bread crumbs, put the mixture in it, and set the mould in a pan of boiling water in the oven, cover the mould and bake half an hour. Turn out carefully on a platter, pour a cream or Hollandaise sauce around it, and garnish with parsley. Serve very hot with a cucumber salad with French dressing, as a fish course.

MOCK MEAT.

Put three-quarters of a cup of milk and three ounces of butter in a saucepan on the fire. When it boils stir in three ounces of dried and rolled bread crumbs and a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, and half a teaspoonful of sugar. Let it cook until it no longer adheres to the pan, then remove from the fire. When it is cool, add three eggs, one at a time, beating until smooth, then add one heaping tablespoonful of chopped walnut meats, salt and pepper to taste, and a few drops of onion juice. Make into flat cakes, a little less than half an inch thick, like sausage cakes, dip them in flour, put them into a saucepan of boiling salted water and cook for three or four minutes. Take them up, drain them from the water, dip in flour again, and brown them in hot butter in a spider. Set them one side to keep hot. In another spider make a sauce. Put in a heaping tablespoonful of flour, a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter, and a heaping tablespoonful of chopped walnut meats, let them all brown nicely together, then stir in a vegetable stock that has been strained until the gravy is as thick as cream.

SPAGHETTINA CHOPS.

Spaghettina is finer than spaghetti, and for sale at Italian groceries. Half a cup of milk, half a cup of spaghettina, broken into bits, three tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, one tablespoonful of butter, half a tablespoonful of flour, and one egg. Put the spaghettina on in boiling salted water, boil for three-quarters of an hour, drain well in a colander. Make the sauce by melting the butter and stirring the flour into it until smooth, then add the cheese and milk and the spaghettina. Let it come to a boil and stir in quickly the beaten egg, let it thicken, remove at once from the fire, turn it out in a deep plate, and when cold form it into chops, dip them in beaten egg, then in bread crumbs and fry in boiling fat. They are very nice served with a tomato sauce, but good without it.

TOMATO CHOPS.

Measure three-quarters of a cup of tomatoes after the water has been drained off, put in a saucepan over the fire and stir into it a cupful of mashed potatoes, a heaping tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, half a cup of grated bread crumbs. Mix thoroughly and add one egg beaten light. Remove from the fire, turn into a deep plate, let it get cold, then form in the shape of chops, dip in egg and roll in dried bread or cracker crumbs and fry a nice brown in boiling fat. Arrange on a platter and serve with tomato sauce, or place around a dish of stewed tomatoes.

SAVORY FRIED BREAD.

Cut slices of stale home-made bread about half an inch thick, shape them like chops, soak the slices in a rich, well seasoned vegetable stock until nearly saturated with it--don't allow them to become too soft--then dip in beaten egg mixed with a little milk and fry in butter in a spider until a nice brown. Serve with tomato sauce, or around a dish of stewed tomatoes.

MOCK FISH CHOPS.

Pare three good sized potatoes, cut fine and throw them into cold water to prevent them from turning dark. When all are cut drain them from the water and chop very fine--there must be two cupfuls. Have a cup of boiling milk in a saucepan and put the potatoes into it, cook until tender, but not soft, and be careful not to let them burn; when done add two generous heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, two heaping tablespoonfuls of French carrots, previously cooked in as little water as possible, and chopped very fine, one heaping teaspoonful of green pepper, one of parsley, one heaping teaspoonful of grated onion, a heaping saltspoonful of powdered mace, a dash of cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Measure two tablespoonfuls of tomatoes--after all the water has been pressed from them--chop fine and add to it one whole egg and one egg yolk beaten light, stir this into the potato mixture while on the stove, remove at once from the fire, add two heaping tablespoonfuls of cracker crumbs rolled fine, and two tablespoonfuls of fine Madeira or sherry. Turnout to cool and then form into chops, roll in egg and cracker crumbs and fry in boiling fat. Serve with cucumber salad.

FRICASSEE OF SPAGHETTINA.

Take a cupful of spaghettina, broken into small pieces, put in boiling salted water and cook for three-quarters of an hour. Drain well, have a cupful of cream sauce and stir the cooked spaghettina into it, let it come to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and add the well beaten yolk of an egg, stir well, remove at once, and turn into a hot vegetable dish and serve.

MUSHROOMS EN COQUILLE.

Wash half a pound of nice, fresh mushrooms, peel them and cut off the stems, cut the flaps into dice, and put the skins and stems in a saucepan with a cup of water, and cook for ten minutes. While these are cooking put a heaping tablespoonful of butter in a spider, when hot add the mushroom dice and let them cook until tender, then add a dessertspoonful of flour, and when it is cooked add the water the stems were boiled in, and salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water. Stir in at the last a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley, a few drops of lemon juice and the well-beaten yolk of one egg, stir well, remove from the fire, fill the shells, sprinkle bread crumbs over the tops and a little melted butter, put in the oven for an instant to brown.

RAGOUT OF EGG PLANT.

Boil a small egg plant until tender. Peel it thinly and set aside to get cold. Cut in slices an inch thick and cover the bottom of a baking dish with them. Melt a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of fresh mushrooms, a heaping teaspoonful of parsley, a heaping teaspoonful of onion, all chopped very fine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the egg plant. When it is time to put it in the oven sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fine breadcrumbs and dot with small lumps of butter, and bake until brown in a quick oven. Serve in the dish in which it is baked with the following sauce in a sauce boat.

SAUCE.--Boil the skins and stems of the mushrooms in a cup of water; while they are cooking, brown together in a spider a slightly heaping tablespoonful of butter, a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, and a small slice of onion cut very fine. Strain the mushroom skins and stems and add the water they were cooked in to the browned butter and flour, and when the sauce is thick and smooth turn it into a saucepan and add to it a heaping tablespoonful of mushrooms, one small cucumber pickle and two large olives, all chopped very fine. Let all simmer together for a few minutes, season to taste with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick add a little water. It should be like thick cream.

PATTIES OF PUFF PASTE.

Roll out some puff paste an inch thick, cut with a patty-cutter as many rounds as are needed, then with a smaller cutter stamp each round about half an inch deep. Bake in a quick oven; when done lift the centers out carefully with a knife, remove a little of the inside. When wanted heat the patty shells and fill with spaghettina in tomato sauce, mushrooms or vegetables in a cream or savory sauce, or the filling as given for spinach border mould. A few truffles cut fine are a nice addition to tomato sauce. Lay the little tops on and serve.

SAVORY RICE (a Mexican Dish).

Wash half a cup of rice, drain from the water. Put a heaping tablespoonful of butter in a spider, when hot add a small leek or white onion and the rice, fry until the rice is a golden brown--do not let it get too dark. Have ready a vegetable stock, nearly fill the spider and cook twenty minutes until the rice is perfectly dry. Every grain should stand alone. Turn out on a platter and serve with tomato sauce.

RAGOUT OF ASPARAGUS WITH MOCK MEAT BALLS.

Scrape and wash a bunch of asparagus, cut in pieces about an inch long as far as the stalks are very tender, put the remainder of the stalks with an onion into a saucepan, cover with boiling water and let it cook until tender--about half an hour. Then mash them in the water in which they were boiled through a colander. Put over the fire again, and when it comes to a boil throw in the points and cook until tender. While that is cooking make some mock meat, as given in a previous recipe, form into balls as large as a walnut. Cook them in salted boiling water for five minutes, drain them from the water, also the asparagus points from the stock, put them together in a saucepan to keep hot while making a gravy. Melt a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter in a spider, add to it when it bubbles a large heaping tablespoonful of flour, stir well until it becomes a dark, rich brown, taking care that it does not burn, add the asparagus stock, season with salt and pepper--this gravy should be like thick cream--turn it over the asparagus and meat balls, stir in a good half tablespoonful of butter, let it come to a boil and serve on a platter. Garnish with parsley.

CURRIED RICE CROQUETTES.

Put three-quarters of a cup of milk in a saucepan with butter the size of an egg, let it come to a boil, and stir into it one large cup and a half of rice that has been boiled in salted water twenty minutes. Add a slightly heaping teaspoonful of curry powder, a few drops of onion juice and salt to taste. When it comes to a boil add a beaten egg to it, stir a minute and remove from the fire. Turn it out, let it cool, and then form into cylinders and fry as usual.

MOCK FISH CROQUETTES.

Slice three medium sized potatoes, boil until tender, but not soft, chop very fine an even teaspoonful of onion with three zepherettes or small square crackers, then add the hot potatoes and chop all together, season with a dash of cayenne pepper, a saltspoonful of mace, a little salt and pepper. Make a sauce with a large heaping tablespoonful of butter, a heaping teaspoonful of flour rubbed well together in a saucepan over the fire; when smooth add three-quarters of a cup of rich hot milk, when it boils add the potato mixture, let it get thoroughly hot and stir into it a well-beaten egg, remove from the fire, turn it out to get cool. Form into cylinders, dip in egg, roll in bread crumbs, fry in boiling fat, and serve with either Hollandaise or tartar sauce.

WALNUT CROQUETTES.

Put half a pint of bread crumbs and a gill of milk in a double boiler, place over the fire and stir until thick and smooth, add a pinch of salt, three-quarters of a cup of chopped nuts and a tablespoonful of sherry. When the mixture is hot stir into it the well-beaten yolks of two eggs and remove from the fire at once. Set the mixture away to get cold, then form in any shape preferred for croquettes; dip them in egg and then in dried bread or cracker crumbs, fry in boiling fat and serve with a sauce piquante.

RAGOUT OF MUSHROOMS.

Wash half a pound of fine, fresh mushrooms, skin, stem and cut them into dice. Put the stems and skins in water to cover and stew them for twenty minutes; strain and put the mushrooms into this broth with a generous tablespoonful of butter, a teaspoonful of finely chopped onion, season with salt and pepper, cook until tender; when done add two well-beaten yolks of eggs, stir briskly and remove at once from the fire, turn out on a platter, sprinkle with a little very finely minced parsley and serve very hot.

MOCK CHICKEN CROQUETTES.

Two cups of rye bread--home-made is the best--chopped fine, one cup of chopped English walnuts. Mix together and chop again with a tablespoonful of butter, an even tablespoonful of grated onion, a scant teaspoonful of ground mace. Melt a heaping tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan with half a tablespoonful of flour and add gradually to it a cupful of rich milk; when this comes to a boil add the other ingredients, salt and pepper to taste, then stir in two well-beaten eggs, remove from the fire and add a tablespoonful of lemon juice; turn out on a platter to cool, form into cylinders, dip in egg and bread crumbs, as usual, and fry in boiling fat.

Vegetables.

Vegetables should be cooked in as little water as possible; the better way is to steam them. So much of the valuable salts are washed out by boiling in too much water.

All vegetables left over can be warmed again, either in a cream sauce, or put in a double boiler and steamed, adding a little more butter.

When pepper is used, it should always be white pepper, especially in white sauces and soups.

Never salt vegetables until they are nearly cooked; it hardens them.

The water vegetables are boiled in may be utilized in making sauces and soups; the best of the vegetables goes into it.

The water Jerusalem artichokes are boiled in becomes quite a thick jelly when cold, and makes an excellent foundation for sauces.

TO BOIL POTATOES.

Select potatoes of uniform size, wash and pare thinly, cover with boiling water and cook half an hour; when nearly done add salt. As soon as done drain from the water and set the saucepan where the potatoes can steam for a few minutes. They should be served immediately, and never allowed to remain in the water a moment after they are cooked. Potatoes are much better steamed with their skins on than boiled, as they then retain all the potashes. When they are old they should be washed, pared and covered with cold water, and allowed to stand for several hours before either boiling or frying.

POTATOES BAKED.

Select them of uniform size, wash and scrub well, cut a thin slice from each end to prevent their being soggy. They require nearly an hour to bake in a moderate oven.

TO MASH POTATOES.

Boil the potatoes carefully, drain from the water, mash fine, and to four good-sized potatoes add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, a tablespoonful or two of cream or rich milk and salt and pepper to taste. Serve at once. They must be freshly mashed and very hot to be eatable. The mashed potatoes maybe squeezed through a vegetable ricer, when they are called Potatoes a la Neige.

NEW POTATOES WITH CREAM SAUCE.

Select rather small potatoes of uniform size and boil. When done drain off the water, set them back on the stove to keep hot while making a cream sauce, then put them carefully in a vegetable dish, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle with a little finely minced parsley.

BROILED POTATOES.

Take some cold boiled potatoes and cut them in rather thick slices lengthwise, dust with white pepper and salt, dip each slice in melted butter, broil over a clear fire until a nice brown. Serve with melted butter and finely minced parsley poured over them.

POTATOES A LA CREME AU GRATIN.

Chop cold boiled potatoes, put them in a baking dish, pour over them a cupful of white sauce nicely seasoned, sprinkle with a tablespoonful of grated Parmesan cheese or Edam cheese grated, one tablespoonful of bread crumbs, and dot all over with tiny bits of butter. Put in a quick oven for a few minutes to brown. Do not leave it in too long, or it will become dry.

STUFFED POTATOES.

Bake some medium-sized potatoes; when done cut in half lengthwise, scoop out the inside, taking care not to break the skin. Mash the potato smooth and fine with butter and a little milk, season with salt and pepper to taste, heat thoroughly, fill the skins, brush the tops over with melted butter, brown in the oven and serve.

POTATO FRICASSEE.

Put in a spider a generous tablespoonful of butter and a cup of milk, when hot add some cold potatoes cut in dice, season with pepper, salt, a few drops of onion juice. Let them get thoroughly hot, then add the beaten yolks of two eggs, stir constantly until thick. Great care must be taken not to let it cook too long, or the sauce will curdle. Pour into a vegetable dish, sprinkle a little finely minced parsley over the top and serve.

POTATOES A LA DUCHESSE.

Take cold mashed potatoes that are nicely seasoned with salt and pepper, form into little round cakes, put them on a tin, glaze over with beaten egg and brown in the oven. Arrange on a platter, garnish with parsley and serve.

SARATOGA CHIPS.

Peel some medium-sized white potatoes, and slice them very thin. It is better to have a potato slicer for these, if possible, as it cuts them so quickly and perfectly. Wash the potatoes in one or two waters, then cover with fresh water and lay a lump of ice on the top of them. Let them stand an hour, if convenient, drain in a colander, wipe dry with a towel, and fry in boiling fat--not too many at a time in the basket or they will stick together, and will not brown. Have a quick fire, and fry until brown and crisp, drain on paper, sprinkle with salt and serve.

FRENCH FRIED POTATOES.

Peel some potatoes and cut in finger lengths, not too thick, cover with ice water, and if they are old it is better to let them stand two hours. Drain, wipe dry, and fry in boiling fat as Saratoga chips--not too many at a time. When they are a nice brown lift the basket from the fat, sprinkle with salt, shake the grease from them and remove with a skimming spoon, drain on paper and serve at once.

POTATOES A LA MAITRE D'HOTEL.

Cut cold boiled potatoes in round slices, not too thick, put in a saucepan with some melted butter, pepper and salt. When they are hot add some lemon juice and a little minced parsley and serve.

POTATOES LYONNAISE.

Fry a little onion cut in thin slices in plenty of butter; when a delicate brown add some cold boiled potatoes cut in slices of medium thickness, mixing them with the onion by tossing them together rather than stirring, as this breaks them. Cook until a nice color, drain them, put in a dish and sprinkle a little minced parsley over them.

POTATOES A LA PARISIENNE.

Peel and wash some potatoes, scoop out into little balls with a potato scoop, which is made for the purpose. Boil for five minutes, put in melted butter in a saucepan until each potato is well covered with the butter, turn them into a pan, and brown in the oven. Turn out on a dish and sprinkle with minced parsley and a little salt.

POTATOES CREAMED AND BROWNED.

Take a pint of cold boiled potatoes, cut into dice of uniform size. Have ready a pint of cream sauce, toss the potatoes in this, season with salt and white pepper to taste, put in a baking dish, sprinkle with dried bread crumbs and a tablespoonful of American Edam cheese. A few drops of onion juice, if liked, may be added before putting the potatoes into the dish. Set it in the oven a few minutes, until it becomes a golden brown and serve. Do not let it stand in the oven long or it will dry.

POTATO PUFF.

Two cupfuls of smoothly mashed boiled or baked potatoes, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, two well-beaten whites of eggs, a cupful of sweet cream or rich milk. Stir the melted butter into the potato, then add the eggs and cream, season with salt and pepper, turn into a buttered baking dish, bake in a quick oven and serve in the dish in which it is baked.

WHITE POTATO CROQUETTES.

Boil and mash very fine four medium sized potatoes. Put half a cup of rich milk and a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan over the fire. When the milk comes to a boil, stir in the mashed potatoes, season with pepper and salt to taste, mix thoroughly and add the white of an egg beaten to a stiff froth, remove from the fire, turn out on a plate to cool, then make up in small cylinders, dip in beaten egg, roll in cracker crumbs and fry a delicate brown in boiling fat.

POTATO PAPA (a Mexican Dish).

Wash, pare and boil one dozen small white potatoes, mash while hot and add to them half a cup of raisins stoned and chopped very fine, twenty large Queen olives stoned and chopped fine, one tablespoonful of parsley finely minced, an even teaspoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix all well together, form into an oblong shape, leaving the top rough. Brown a little butter in a spider, put the papa into it, and after a few moments' frying scatter little lumps of butter over the top and set in the oven to brown. Garnish with parsley and hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters lengthwise.

SWEET POTATOES FRIED RAW.

Peel two or three medium-sized potatoes and cut in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, fry in boiling fat--when they are a nice brown they are done--drain on paper for a moment before serving.

COOKED SWEET POTATOES FRIED.

Take several sweet potatoes cut in slices lengthwise, not too thin. Dip each slice in melted butter and then in brown sugar, and fry in a little butter.

SWEET POTATOES MASHED AND BROWNED.

Boil three sweet potatoes of medium size until done. Peel and squeeze through the patent vegetable strainer, add a heaping tablespoonful of butter, salt and pepper to taste, and enough milk to make very soft. Put in a baking dish, dot it over with tiny bits of butter and bake until brown. Serve in the dish in which it is baked. If any is left over remove the thin brown skin, make the potato into small, flat cakes and brown on both sides in a little butter in a spider.

SWEET POTATO CROQUETTES.

Three medium-sized potatoes baked and mashed very fine and beaten to a cream with one generous tablespoonful of butter, three tablespoonfuls of cream, one teaspoonful of sugar, a little salt, one teaspoonful of lemon juice, a saltspoonful of cinnamon and one egg yolk beaten very light, and add at the last the white of egg whipped to a stiff froth. Form into cones or cylinders, dip in beaten egg and bread crumbs and fry in boiling fat. Drain on kitchen paper, sift a little sugar over them and serve at once.

BRUSSELS SPROUTS.

Pick off any leaves that may be discolored and wash well a quart of Brussels sprouts, put into a saucepan with two quarts of boiling water and a saltspoonful of soda. Boil rapidly until tender--about half an hour--just before they are done add a tablespoonful of salt. Drain them in a colander, and if it is not time to serve them stand the colander over steam to keep them hot. Do not let them remain in the water. When ready to serve put the sprouts in a vegetable dish and pour over them a pint of rich cream sauce.

OKRA AND TOMATOES.

A quart of fresh or canned tomatoes--if fresh, skin in the usual way--cut them in quarters and put over the fire, let them boil until a great deal of the water has evaporated, then add a pint of fresh okra, cut in slices, cook until tender, season with a generous heaping tablespoonful of butter, and pepper and salt to taste.

BEETS.

Wash the beets carefully to avoid breaking the skin, and do not cut off the fine roots, as this will bleed and spoil them. Put on in boiling water and cook from an hour and a half to three hours. Test with a wooden skewer. Cut in slices or dice and serve with melted butter, pepper and salt. Winter beets should be soaked over night.

PUREE OF PEAS.

When peas are old this is a very nice way to use them. Put a quart of shelled peas over the fire in sufficient boiling water to cook them. Boil until tender, drain from the water, press through a puree sieve, season with salt and pepper to taste, and a good heaping tablespoonful of butter, and if too dry a little milk or cream may be used.

PUREE OF LIMA BEANS

may be prepared in the same way.

PUREE OF CUCUMBERS.

Peel and slice the cucumbers and put them over the fire in as little boiling water as will cook them; when tender drain from the water, press through a puree sieve, season with salt and pepper and add a tablespoonful of butter.

STUFFED CUCUMBERS.