Chapter III: Preface (3)

146. Wash them, and cut them in two parts, round the tomato, that is, so as the cells can be divested of the pulp and seeds which they contain. To six tomatoes take half a pint of bread crumbs, one large onion finely chopped, one ounce of butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Fill the cells of each piece with the dressing, put two halves together, and tie them with a piece of thread. Put them in a pan with an ounce of butter and a gill of water, set them in a moderate oven, and cook them till they are soft.

When done, cut off the threads and serve them.

SCALLOPED TOMATOES.

147. Peel fine ripe tomatoes, cut them up in small pieces, and put in a pan a layer of bread crumbs, then a layer of tomatoes, with pepper, salt and some pieces of butter; then put another layer of bread crumbs and tomatoes, and so on till the dish is full. Spread some beaten egg over the top and set it in the oven and bake it.

BROILED TOMATOES.

148. Wash them, cut them in half, take out the seeds, grease the bars of your gridiron, put on the tomatoes and broil them slowly. The bars of the gridiron should not be very far apart. When they are done season them with pepper, salt and butter, and serve them hot.

TOMATOES DRESSED AS CUCUMBERS.

149. Peel some tomatoes, cut them in slices, add salt, pepper and vinegar, and serve them cold.

They may be dressed as above with the addition of mustard and sweet oil.

Some prefer them peeled, sliced, and seasoned only with salt.

TOMATO FRICANDEAU.

150. Get some slices of veal cutlets, pound and wash them, season them with pepper and salt, and fry them slowly till they are done. They should be of a light brown on both sides. Stew some tomatoes very dry, strain them through a sieve to get out all the seeds, pour the pulp into the gravy after the meat has been taken out, and thicken it with a piece of butter rolled in flour. Pour this over the meat and serve it hot.

BAKED BEETS.

151. Wash your beets, put them in a pan, and set them in a moderate oven where they will bake slowly. When they are very soft take them out, remove the skins, slice them, and dress them with butter, pepper and salt, or vinegar if preferred.

They may be boiled and dressed in the same way.

EGG-PLANT, No. 1.

152. Pare and cut them in slices about a quarter of an inch thick, season them with salt and pepper. Have ready some hot butter in a pan, put in the slices and fry them _very slowly_ till they are perfectly soft. There should be enough butter in the pan to prevent them from sticking to the bottom. Serve them hot.

EGG-PLANT, No. 2.

153. Make a batter as for fritters. Slice your egg-plant in thin slices not more than the eighth of an inch thick; cut each slice in four parts, or any size you choose, season with pepper and salt, dip each piece in the batter, and fry them in hot lard of a light brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 3.

154. Peel your egg-plant and cut it in thin slices, each slice may be cut in four or five pieces according to the size of the plant. Beat some eggs and have ready some bread crumbs or grated cracker; season your egg-plant, dip each piece in the egg, then in the crumbs, and fry them in hot lard of a handsome brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 4.

155. Put on an egg-plant in a vessel of water, and boil it until you can pierce it with a fork, and it is perfectly soft; then take it out, cut it in half, with a spoon scoop out all the inside; season it well with pepper and salt, have some bread crumbs or grated cracker and beaten egg. Take up a portion of the egg-plant about the size of an oyster, with a spoon, dip it into the egg, then into the crumbs, and fry them in hot lard of a light brown on both sides.

EGG-PLANT, No. 5.

(_French mode_.)

156. Cut an egg-plant in half, but do not cut off the rind. Then with a sharp knife score it very deeply, both lengthwise and crosswise, but be careful not to break the skin in so doing. Place each half in a pan with the scored side up, season it with pepper and salt, and over this pour some sweet oil or melted butter, if preferred. Set it in an oven and cook it slowly till the plant is perfectly soft. The top should be brown.

BROWNED EGG-PLANT.

157. Boil an egg-plant in water which has been salted, until it is perfectly soft; when done take it out of the water, cut it in half and scoop out all the inside, mash it very fine, and to every tea cupful of mashed egg-plant add one table spoonful of grated cracker and a dessert spoonful of butter, with salt and pepper to the taste. Put it in the dish it is to be served in, beat an egg light, spread a portion of it over the egg-plant, then strew on some grated cracker, and lastly spread over the remainder of the egg. Set it in the oven and brown it. Serve it hot.

PARSNIPS, No. 1.

158. Scrape and wash your parsnips and put them on with just enough water to boil them and no more; when they are done they should be nearly dry. Then dish them and pour over melted butter and a little salt, or some drawn butter.

PARSNIPS, No. 2.

159. Boil them as directed in No. 1, and when done cut them in half, grease the bars of your gridiron, put them on it over some lively coals and brown them.

PARSNIPS, No. 3.

160. Boil them as directed in No. 1, when done mash them, season with pepper and salt, and a small piece of butter.

PARSNIPS, No. 4.

161. Boil them as in No. 1, slice, flour and fry them of a light brown in some hot lard.

PARSNIPS STEWED.

162. Put on a piece of pickled pork and boil until it is about half done or a little more. Then scrape and wash your parsnips, put them on in as little water as will keep them from burning, then add the pork; when the parsnips are soft dish them.

BOILED GREEN CORN.

163. Green corn should always be boiled on the cob, with the inner husks on it. To prepare it turn down the inner husks, cut off the upper end, wash the corn, and replace the husks.

Boil it about half an hour in water salted to the taste. It should be cooked in just enough water to cover it.

CORN FRITTERS.

164. One tea cupful of milk,
Three eggs,
One pint of green corn grated,
A little salt,
As much flour as will form a batter.

Beat the eggs, the yelks and whites separate. To the yelks of the eggs add the corn, salt, milk, and flour enough to form a batter, beat the whole very hard, then stir in the whites, and drop the batter, a spoonful at a time, into hot lard, and fry them on both sides of a light brown color.

CORN OYSTERS.

165. One pint of grated green corn,
Two eggs,
As much wheat flour as will make it adhere together.

Beat the eggs, mix them with the grated corn, and add enough flour to form the whole into a paste. Fry them of a light brown in hot lard.

HOMINY.

166. One quart of hominy or broken corn to one pint of beans; pick and wash them, and put them to soak with water enough just to cover them. Let them soak all night; in the morning put all on to boil, with three pounds of pickled pork, and more water to cover them. Boil it eight hours. The pot will require filling up with hot water, whilst the hominy is boiling. It requires no stirring.

SOUR KROUT

167. Six heads of cabbage,
Half a gill of salt.

Wash the cabbages nicely, line the tub with the outer leaves, and sprinkle over a little of the salt. Cut the cabbages very fine, and put in a layer of cabbage and a sprinkle of salt until the whole is in. Each layer of cabbage must be well pounded down with a heavy pestle. Cover the top with cabbage leaves and a little more salt. Spread over the whole a clean cloth, and then a board to fit closely, with a weight to press the cabbage down.

As soon as fermentation ceases, take off the board and cloth, wash them well, and replace them. The sour krout will now be fit for use.

BOILED SOUR KROUT.

168. One quart of sour krout,
One pound of pickled pork.

Put on the sour krout to boil, wash the pork and put with it; at the end of two hours take out the pork, but let the krout boil one hour longer.

CAULIFLOWER.

169. Wash a fine cauliflower, put it in a net and boil it in just enough water to cover it. The water must be salted to the taste.

When it is done drain it, put it in a vegetable dish, and pour drawn butter over it.

COLD SLAW.

170. Cut a cabbage in half, and with a sharp knife shave it down very finely.

Make a dressing of one egg, well beaten, half a gill of vinegar, salt to taste, and a tea spoonful of butter. Beat the egg light, add to it the vinegar, salt, and butter. As soon as the egg is thick, take it off the fire, set it away to cool, then pour it over the cabbage, and mix it well together.

Some prefer a little sugar in the egg and vinegar.

HOT SLAW.

171. Cut the cabbage in half, and shave it very finely. Put it into a stew-pan, with a piece of butter, and salt to the taste; pour in just enough water to prevent it from sticking to the pan. Cover it closely, and let it stew, stir it frequently, and when it is quite tender, add a little vinegar, and serve it hot.

FRENCH SLAW.

172. Shave the cabbage as for other slaw.

To one pint of the cut cabbage, have three eggs boiled hard, mash the yelks with a spoon, and add gradually one wine glassful of oil, then pour in one wine glass of vinegar, one tea spoonful of common mustard, or a dessert spoonful of French mustard, salt and cayenne pepper to the taste.

Pour the mixture over the cabbage, stir it well, and serve it.

MUSHROOMS.

173. Wash your mushrooms, cut off the end of the stalks, and peel them. Put them in a stew-pan, without any water, and season with salt and pepper. Add two ounces of butter rolled in two tea spoonsful of flour, to every pint of mushrooms. Cover them closely, and let them simmer slowly till they are soft.

SPINACH.

174. Wash it well through several waters, as it is apt to be gritty. Put it into a pot without any water, let it cook slowly until it is very soft. Then drain and mash it with a piece of butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Put it in a vegetable dish, and strew over the top eggs which have been boiled hard and finely chopped, or poached eggs.

SPINACH AS GREENS.

175. Spinach may be boiled with a piece of corned beef, or pickled pork, and served as greens.

Cabbage may be boiled in the same manner, but meat has a very strong taste when boiled with vegetables in this way.

DANDELION.

176. Pick and wash your dandelion and cut off the roots. Drain it, and make a dressing of an egg, well beaten, a half a gill of vinegar, a tea spoonful of butter, and salt to the taste. Mix the egg, vinegar, butter and salt together, put the mixture over the fire, and as soon as it is thick, take it off, and stand it away to get cold.

Drain your dandelion, pour the dressing over it and send it to the table.

SQUASHES OR CYMLINS.

177. If they are old and tough peel them, but if they are young, and the rind is tender, they are better cooked with the skin on.

The round squashes may be cooked whole, but the long ones must be cut in two or three pieces, according to the size of the vessel they are to be cooked in.

Stew them in as little water as possible, till they are soft. Take them out, drain, and press them as dry as you can. Then put them in a stew-pan, add butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Add some cream if you have it.

Heat them very hot and serve them.

OCHRAS.

178. Wash them, cut them in half, season with pepper and salt; fry them in butter till of a light brown. They must be fried slowly.

CARROTS.

179. Scrape and wash them. Boil them in a little water, with salt to taste. When they are soft dish them, and pour over melted butter, or drawn butter.

TURNIPS.

180. They should be boiled in as little water as possible. Season the water with salt just to taste. When they begin to lose their sweetness, late in the season, add a little sugar, which greatly improves their flavor.

When soft, take them up and mash them with a little pepper, salt, butter, and cream, if you have it.

CELERY DRESSED AS SLAW.

181. Cut the celery in pieces about a quarter of an inch long. Make a dressing of the yelks of three eggs boiled hard, half a gill of vinegar, half a gill of sweet oil, one tea spoonful of French mustard, or half a tea spoonful of common mustard, with salt and cayenne pepper to the taste. Pour this mixture over the celery, stir it well and send it to the table.

It should be kept in cold water to make it crisp, until about fifteen minutes before it is sent to the table, then drain it and pour the dressing over.

CELERY STEWED WITH LAMB. (_French fashion_.)

182. Take six neck chops, crack the bone of each across the middle, and put them into a stew-pan. Cut up and wash two large heads of celery, and mix with the meat; pepper and salt to the taste. Roll two ounces of butter in a little flour and add to it, with half a gill of water. Cover it closely, and let it simmer slowly till the celery is soft. If the gravy stews away too much, add a little water, and if it should not be quite thick enough, stir in a little flour mixed with cold water.

ASPARAGUS.

183. Scrape and wash your asparagus, put it in a net, boil it in just enough water to cover it, with salt to the taste.

When it is done and perfectly soft, take it up, drain it, and pour over it a rich drawn butter.

Toast is generally laid in the bottom of the dish and the asparagus put on it, but some prefer it without the toast.

DUTCH SALAD.

184. Choose a head of fine cabbage lettuce, strip off the outer leaves, cut it in half, and wash it well.

Fry a slice of ham; when it is done, take it out of the pan, and pour in to the hot fat one beaten egg, and a wine glassful of vinegar, set it on the fire, and as soon as it thickens take it off.

Cut the salad in small pieces, and pour the egg and vinegar over it whilst it is lukewarm.

Lay the salad in a deep dish, cut the ham in pieces about an inch square, and place on the top. Let it stand about five minutes, and send it to the table.

CORN SALAD.

185. This may be dressed at the table with sugar and vinegar, or lemon juice; or with eggs boiled hard, vinegar, mustard, sweet oil, salt and pepper as directed for French slaw.

Scurvy grass and lettuce may be dressed in the same manner.

BOILED ONIONS.

186. Peel them, and boil them in equal parts of milk and water. When they are tender, take them up, drain them, and add salt, pepper and butter to the taste.

Do not put salt in the water they are boiled in, as that will curdle the milk and cause a scum to settle on the onions.

FRIED CUCUMBERS.

187. Slice your cucumbers lengthwise, season them with pepper and salt, flour and fry them in hot butter. They should be of a delicate brown color when done.

LIMA BEANS.

188. Lima beans require from half an hour to three quarters to boil. They should be boiled in as little water as possible to preserve their flavor. As soon as they are soft take them out, drain them in a colander and season with butter, pepper and salt; pour them in a pan to be seasoned, as the butter would run through the colander.

Add salt to the water they are boiled in.

WINDSOR OR HORSE BEANS.

189. Shell the beans, put them in a pan, and pour boiling water over them, cover them and let them stand where they will keep warm. In fifteen minutes pour off the water and remove the thick brown skin which gives them such a strong flavor when boiled with it on. Put them in a stew-pan with very little water, and boil them till they are soft. Drain them and season with butter, pepper and salt.

STRINGED BEANS.

190. Prepare the beans by cutting each end and stripping off the tough fibre, commonly known as the string; cut each bean in three or four pieces, and stew them in very little water, which has been salted, so that when they are done the pan will be nearly dry. They require from one to two hours to boil. When they are perfectly soft drain them in a colander, then put them in a pan and season with butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Serve them hot.

BOILED DRIED BEANS.

191. Put a piece of pickled pork in a pot with two quarts of water. In another pot put one quart of dried beans, which must have been carefully picked and washed. As soon as the beans begin to boil take them out, put them in a colander to drain, then put them in with the meat and just cover the whole with water. Boil them till they are quite soft and send them to the table.

GREEN PEAS.

192. These should be boiled in very little water, with a tea spoonful of salt to a pint of water, and if the peas are not very sweet add a little sugar. When they are young fifteen minutes is sufficient to boil them. Drain them and add butter, pepper and salt to the taste.

SALSIFY OR OYSTER-PLANT, No. 1.

193. Scrape the roots, wash and boil them in water with a little salt. When they are soft take them up, drain them and season to the taste with pepper, and more salt if necessary. For ten roots pour over half an ounce of melted butter.

SALSIFY OR OYSTER-PLANT, No. 2.

194. Boil the roots in water, with a little salt, until they are soft. Take them up, mash them very fine, add pepper and salt to the taste. Have ready some bread crumbs or grated cracker, and a couple of eggs beaten. With a spoon dip out a portion of the salsify about as large as an oyster, dip it in the egg, then in the cracker, and fry it in hot lard. When of a light brown on both sides lay them on a dish and send to the table. This is a breakfast dish.

SALSIFY OR OYSTER-PLANT, No. 3.

195. Wash the roots and scrape them clean; grate them and add a little pepper and salt; beat two eggs, add a pint of milk, and stir in enough flour to make a thick batter, also salt to the taste. Mix the salsify with the batter, and have ready a pan with some hot lard, dip out a spoonful of the batter and drop in the pan, then another close by the first, and so on. Turn the fritters, and when they are of a light brown on both sides they are done.

They resemble oyster fritters.

SALSIFY OR OYSTER-PLANT, No. 4.

196. Boil the roots till tender, mash them and season with salt to the taste. Make a batter as directed in No. 3, mix the salsify with it, and proceed as before.

SAUCES.

APPLE SAUCE.

197. Pare, core and slice your apples, put them in a kettle with water enough to keep them from burning, cover them, and as soon as they are soft mash them very fine. When they are nearly cold sweeten them to the taste.

Quince sauce is made in the same manner.

LEMON SAUCE.

198. Half a pint of water,
Five ounces of nice _brown_ sugar,
Two ounces of butter,
Three tea spoonsful of flour,
The rind of a lemon grated, and some of the juice.

Mix the flour smoothly with a little cold water, and stir it into half a pint of boiling water, let it boil one minute, then add the sugar, the butter, and the grated rind of one lemon. Stir in as much of the lemon juice as will make it an agreeable acid. Some prefer nutmeg and vinegar to the lemon.

To be served hot.

YORKSHIRE SAUCE.

199. Three ounces of butter,
Five table spoonsful of powdered sugar,
Three drops of essence of lemon,
Nutmeg or cinnamon to the taste.

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream, and add the lemon and spice.

This sauce is eaten with baked puddings, fritters, &c. Some add a tea spoonful of brandy.

NUN'S BUTTER.

200. Take equal portions of butter and sugar; beat them well together, then add cinnamon and nutmeg to the taste.

DRIED PEACH SAUCE.

201. Pick your fruit, wash it through several waters; then pour as much hot water on as will cover it, and let it stand all night. The next morning put the fruit, and the water it was soaked in, into a preserving kettle, and stew the peaches till they are very soft; when done pass the fruit through a colander to make it perfectly smooth, sweeten it to your taste, put it back in the stew-pan and let it boil once. Stand it away to cool.

CRANBERRY SAUCE.

202. Pick and wash your cranberries, and add half a tea-cup of water to a quart; stew them till they will mash, then add the sugar; let them boil a few minutes, and pour them while warm into the dishes they are to be served in.

WINE SAUCE.

203. Two gills of water,
Two table spoonsful of brown sugar,
Two small tea spoonsful of flour,
One ounce of butter,
One gill of wine.

Stir the sugar into the water, and as soon as it boils add the flour, which should be mixed smoothly with a little cold water. Let it boil one minute, then take it off the fire, and add the butter and wine. It should be sent to the table warm. Add ground cinnamon to your taste.

RICH WINE SAUCE.

204. Half a pint of boiling water,
Five ounces of sugar,
Three ounces of butter,
Two gills of wine.

Mix the flour to a smooth paste with a little cold water, stir this into the half pint of boiling water. Let it boil about one minute. Take it off, and add the sugar, (brown is the best,) butter, and wine. Some prefer a little nutmeg.

Serve it hot.

CREAM SAUCE.

205. Boil a pint of cream, sweetened very well with white sugar, and flavored with grated lemon-peel, or vanilla.

Let it boil once, then take it off the fire and strain it.

Serve it hot or cold, according to the dishes it is to be eaten with.

VEGETABLE SAUCE.

206. Take equal quantities of ripe tomatoes and young ochras; chop the ochras fine, skin the tomatoes, and slice an onion. Put all into a stew-pan, with half an ounce of butter, salt and pepper to the taste. Stew it very slowly. When the vegetables are tender serve it.

With cold meat this sauce is very good.

TOMATO MUSTARD.

207. Cut a peck of tomatoes in small pieces, boil them till tender. Rub them through a sieve to extract the pulp, which put on and boil until nearly dry. Then add one table spoonful of cayenne pepper, one table spoonful of black pepper, one tea spoonful of cloves, two table spoonsful of mustard seed, and two table spoonsful of salt. Boil the whole a few moments, and when cold bottle it and cork it tightly.

If this should not be quite salt enough, a little more may be added before it is boiled the last time.

Put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle before it is corked, to exclude the air.

EGG SAUCE.

208. Boil half a pint of milk, and stir into it as much flour mixed with cold water as will thicken it. Then take it off the fire, and beat in gradually three ounces of butter; add a little salt. Boil two eggs hard; chop them finely, and add them to the milk and butter.

This sauce is used for boiled chicken or fish.

DRAWN BUTTER.

209. Boil half a pint of milk, and stir into it as much wheat flour mixed with cold milk, as will thicken it. Take it off the fire and beat in gradually three ounces of butter. Add a little salt.

This is poured over asparagus and some other vegetables.

ONION SAUCE.

210. Peel the onions, put them on to boil in equal portions of milk and water, but no salt, as it will curdle the milk. When soft, drain them in a colander, put them in a pan, chop them up finely, and add butter, pepper and salt to the taste. Onions for sauce ought to be white.

MINT SAUCE.

211. Choose some young mint, pick and wash it; chop it very fine, and pour on enough vinegar to wet it. To every gill of vinegar allow two gills of brown sugar.

The sugar should be dissolved in the vinegar, then poured on the mint.

MUSHROOM SAUCE.

212. Peel and wash a quart of mushrooms, put them in a stew-pan, with a little salt, pepper, and two ounces of butter. Cover the stew-pan, and simmer them slowly till they are tender. Mix smoothly one tea spoonful of flour with a gill of cream, stir this into the mushrooms, let them boil once, and serve them.

Mace, nutmeg, and cloves may be stewed with this sauce, if spices are preferred.

PARSLEY SAUCE.

213. Make some drawn butter, (see No. 209,) and whilst it is warm stir into it some parsley finely chopped.

CAPER SAUCE.

214. Make a half-pint of drawn butter, (see No. 209,) and into this stir half a wine-glass of capers with two table spoonsful of vinegar.

HASLET SAUCE. (_For roast Pig_.)

215. Put on the feet and liver of the pig with just enough water to cover them, with a little salt. Let them stew slowly, when the feet are tender take them up, cut them in two or three pieces, but do not take out the bones; chop the liver, return it and the feet to the liquor they were boiled in; set the stew-pan over the fire, add pepper, salt and sweet-marjoram to the taste. Roll a piece of butter in flour, and stir in to thicken the gravy, add two glasses of port wine and serve it hot.

Any kind of spice may be added.

HORSE RADISH SAUCE.

216. Grate a stick of horse-radish, mix with it as much vinegar as will cover it, and a tea spoonful of sugar, with a little salt.

This is generally eaten with roast beef or cold meat.

FRENCH TOMATO SAUCE.

217. Peel your tomatoes and cut them in small pieces. Make a dressing for six tomatoes of a table spoonful of sweet oil, one table spoonful of vinegar, half a tea spoonful of common mustard, or one tea spoonful of French mustard, cayenne pepper and salt to the taste. Pour this dressing over the tomatoes, stir them well and serve them.

Tomatoes may be dressed as cucumbers, and make a very good sauce for cold meat.

OYSTER SAUCE.

218. Cut off the beards and boil them with the liquor with a bit of mace and lemon peel. In the mean time throw the oysters in cold water and then drain them; strain the spice from the liquor, put it into a sauce-pan with the oysters, with two ounces of butter rolled in flour, and a gill of rich milk or cream. Let it boil once, squeeze in a little lemon juice, and serve it hot.

TOMATO SAUCE.

219. Wash a dozen tomatoes, cut them in pieces but do not skin them. Put them in a stew-pan with salt, cayenne pepper, one tea spoonful of whole allspice, half a dozen cloves, and four or five blades of mace. Stew them slowly till they are soft, pass them through a sieve to remove the skins and spice; put them back in the stew-pan, let them boil five minutes, then add two ounces of butter rolled in half a tea spoonful of flour, let it boil once, then serve it.

PICKLES.

Pickles should always be done in the very best cider or wine vinegar, as the chemical preparations known by the name of vinegar soften the pickles, besides being very injurious to the stomach.

Stone or glass jars are the best for keeping pickles, which should be always completely covered with vinegar. When they are first put into the jars they require attention for a day or two, to keep them filled up, as the vinegar sinks in the jar, or is imbibed by the pickles.

PICKLED PEPPERS.

220. If you would prefer your peppers less pungent, cut an opening in the top of the pepper, and take out half the seeds.

Lay them for two weeks in salt and water which will bear an egg. Be careful to keep them covered with the brine. Put a board over them to keep them under the salt and water, and take off the scum as it rises.

If they are not yellow at the end of two weeks, let them remain in the brine a little longer.

When yellow take them out, wash them, and put them in a kettle with cold water--cover the top with leaves--place them near the fire, let them get hot, but do not permit them to simmer. When they are greened in this manner, take them out, drain them, place them in your jars, and pour cold spiced vinegar over them.

If you wish to stuff them, chop some cabbage very fine, season it highly with mace, cinnamon, cloves, and mustard seed--stuff the peppers with this preparation, and tie a thread round each one to keep the stuffing in.

PICKLED MUSHROOMS, No. 1.

221. Choose button mushrooms; wipe them well with a clean cloth. Sprinkle a little salt over them, and put them in a stew-pan, with some pieces of mace and whole pepper corns. Simmer them slowly till all the juice is out of them. Shake them frequently. Let them simmer very gradually till all the liquor is dried up, but be careful not to let the mushrooms get dry. When the juice has all evaporated, pour over them as much cold vinegar as will cover them, let them get hot, and put them in jars. When cold, cover them closely.

PICKLED MUSHROOMS, No. 2.

222. Select the _button_ mushrooms, that is, those which are not fully blown. Cut off the ends of the stems, scrape them, peel the tops, and wipe them on a clean cloth.

Put them into a stew-pan, with just enough water to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Shake them occasionally, to prevent them from burning.

As soon as they are tender, pour over them some boiling vinegar, seasoned with mace, cloves, whole grains of pepper, and salt.

When cool, bottle them, and seal the corks.

PICKLED ONIONS.

223. Choose small white onions, peel them, and throw a few at a time in a pan of boiling salt and water; as soon as they look clear take them out carefully, and place them on a sieve to dry; then put in more, and so on, till all are cooked. When they are cold, put them in jars, and pour spiced vinegar over them.

To each quart of the vinegar, put one table spoonful of whole allspice, half a table spoonful of pepper grains, three or four small pieces of mace, half a dozen cloves, and a table spoonful of mustard seed. Boil all these spices in the vinegar, and pour it, boiling hot, over the pickles.

PICKLED EGGS.

224. Boil some eggs hard; take off the shells, put them into a jar, and cover them with cold vinegar.

CHOW CHOW.

225. Three cabbages,
Twenty-five peppers,
Half a pint of mustard seed,
Three sticks of horse-radish, chipped.

Cut the cabbages as for slaw; chop the peppers very fine. Put in a jar a layer of cabbage, a very little salt, then a layer of peppers, sprinkle over this some horse-radish and mustard seed, and so on, till all is in, then fill up the jars with cold vinegar, in every quart of which dissolve two ounces of sugar.

This is very good with hot or cold meat.

PICKLED WALNUTS.

226. Rub your walnuts well with a coarse towel, and lay them for two weeks in salt and water strong enough to float an egg.

Drain them, and put them in your kettle, with fresh water enough to cover them, and let them stand twelve hours, where they will keep hot, but not boil.

To one hundred walnuts take one gallon of the best vinegar, one ounce of pepper, one ounce of cloves, half an ounce of mace, half an ounce of nutmeg, four ounces of ginger. Break the ginger and nutmegs in pieces, bruise the pepper a little, and put the spices into the vinegar just before it boils. Let it boil five minutes; pour it out, cover it closely, and stand it away to get cold.

Place the walnuts in your jars, and strew over them about four ounces of mustard seed, pounded and sifted, then pour the spiced vinegar over and cover them closely.

PICKLED PEACHES.

227. Select ripe cling-stone peaches. To one gallon of good vinegar add four pounds of brown sugar; boil this for a few minutes, and take off any scum which may rise. Rub the peaches with a flannel cloth, to remove the down, and stick a clove in each; put them in glass or stone jars, and pour the liquor upon them boiling hot. When cold, cover the jars and let them stand in a cool place for a week or ten days, then pour off the liquor and boil it as before, after which return it, boiling, to the peaches, which should be carefully covered and stored away for future use.

If your peaches are very hard, boil them in water till tender, before you pickle them, and they will be fit for use almost immediately.

PICKLED BEANS.

228. String-beans, or French beans, are the kind used for pickling. Take off the strings but do not break the beans; put them in strong salt and water for three or four days; cover them with a board and weight so as to keep them under the water. Then take them out, wash them, and put them in a preserving kettle with hot water enough to cover them, and put leaves or a cloth over them to keep in the steam. When they are green take them out, drain them and put them in jars; pour hot vinegar over them, with any kind of spice you may like best, and a small piece of alum in each jar.

Radish pods are pickled in the same way.

PICKLED MANGOES.

229. Cut your mangoes in half, take out all the seeds, tie them together with coarse thread, and lay them in strong salt and water for three or four days. Then wash and drain them, put them into a kettle with vine or cabbage leaves over the top, or they may be covered with a clean coarse cloth; pour in hot water enough to cover them, and let them stand near the fire to keep hot. When they are green take them out, untie them, turn the cut side down and drain them. Cut some horse-radish in fine slips, and mix with it some mace, cloves, pepper, allspice and mustard seed; fill your mangoes with this, and if you like it add a clove of garlic to each one, place the two sides together and tie them again. Put them in jars and cover them with vinegar. Cut off the threads before they are sent to the table.

PICKLED CUCUMBERS.

230. Select the small sized cucumbers for pickling. They should be free from bruises and of a fine green color, for if they are old and yellow when picked from the vines they will never be green when they are pickled. Wash your cucumbers in cold water to remove all the sand and grit, put them in your pickling tub, make a brine of salt and water strong enough to float an egg. Pour enough of this brine over the cucumbers to cover them; spread over the top a coarse cloth and over this put the lid of the tub, which should be just large enough to fit inside and slip down so as to press on the cucumbers, put a weight on the lid to keep it in its place. Let them stand in the salt and water till they are perfectly yellow, which will be in about nine days. When they are quite yellow take them out, wash them in cold water and examine each one separately; if you should find any soft or bruised reject them, as they would be likely to spoil the others. Put them into a preserving kettle, cover them with hot water and vine or cabbage leaves, or if you have no leaves a clean coarse towel will answer as well. Put a plate over the top and stand them where they will keep hot, but not simmer, as that would ruin them. When they are perfectly green take them out of the water, drain them, and put in your jars first a layer of cucumbers, then a tea spoonful of whole allspice, half a dozen cloves, some strips of horse-radish, and half a tea spoonful of mustard seed, then more cucumbers, and so on till the jar is full. Pour in as much good vinegar as will cover them, with a tea spoonful of pulverized alum to each jar. In a day or two examine them, and fill up the jars with vinegar if the pickles have absorbed it so as to leave the top ones uncovered.

If you do not wish to pickle all your cucumbers at once, (and they are much better when they are freshly pickled,) take them out of the salt and water, wash and drain them. Put the brine over the fire, boil and skim it; let it stand to get cold; wash the pickle tub, wipe it dry, put the cucumbers into it; examine each one that no specked ones may be put in the tub, pour the cold brine over them, wash the cloth and lid of the tub and replace them as before. Cucumbers will keep in this way all winter. They may be pickled a few at a time whenever they are wanted. They must be soaked twenty-four hours in cold water before they are pickled; if they are so long in salt and water they imbibe too much salt to green them without soaking.

Gherkins are done in the same way.

PICKLED BEETS.

231. Boil your beets till tender, but not quite soft. To four large beets boil three eggs hard, remove the shells; when the beets are done take off the skin by laying them for a few minutes in cold water and then stripping it off; slice them a quarter of an inch thick, put the eggs at the bottom, and then put in the beets with a little salt. Pour on cold vinegar enough to cover them. The eggs imbibe the color of the beets, and look beautiful on the table.

PICKLED CHERRIES.

232. Pick over your cherries, remove all the specked ones. Put them into a jar, and pour over them as much hot vinegar and sugar as will cover them; to each gallon of vinegar allow four pounds of sugar. Boil and skim it and pour it hot over the fruit. Let it stand a week, then pour off the vinegar and boil it as before, pour it hot over the cherries the second time. As soon as they are cold tie them closely.

TOMATO CATSUP, No. 1.

233. Boil half a bushel of tomatoes until they are soft, squeeze them through a fine wire sieve and add--

One quart of vinegar,
Half a pint of salt,
One ounce of cloves,
Two ounces of _whole_ allspice,
Two ounces of ground cayenne pepper,
A dessert spoonful of ground black pepper,
Two heads of garlic skinned and separated.

Mix the whole together and boil three hours; bottle without straining it.

On the top of each bottle pour a table spoonful of sweet oil, cork them closely and seal them. The sweet oil by excluding the air tends to preserve the catsup.

TOMATO CATSUP, No, 2.

234. Slice the tomatoes, put a layer in a deep vessel, and sprinkle over some salt; then another layer of tomatoes and salt till all are in. Stand them in the sun for two or three days, when they are soft pass them through a sieve, and put the pulp, thus drained out, over the fire to boil. Add cayenne pepper, whole black pepper, mace, cloves, allspice, and a little race ginger if you like; let it boil till it is thick, add a clove of garlic; by tasting it you can judge if it is seasoned to your taste. When cold, bottle it off; put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and seal the corks.

MUSHROOM CATSUP.

235. Procure fresh mushrooms, pick them carefully, wipe them clean, and put a layer in the bottom of a pan, sprinkle over some salt, then another layer of mushrooms and more salt until all are in; cover the pan and let them stand two days, mash them well and strain them through a hair sieve. To each quart of the pulp add one ounce and a half of whole black pepper, half an ounce of whole allspice, and a few blades of mace. Boil it till reduced to two-thirds the original quantity. When done pour it in a pan and stand it away till the next day, then pass it through a hair sieve and bottle it for use. Put it in small bottles, on the top of each pour a table spoonful of sweet oil to exclude the air. Cork them closely and rosin the corks.

WALNUT CATSUP.

236. When your pickled walnuts are soft, mash them through the vinegar which covers them, strain it and boil it to a proper thickness. Bottle it, put a table spoonful of sweet oil on the top of each bottle, and cork them tightly; seal the corks and it will keep for several years.

This catsup is excellent.

PICKLED NASTURTIUMS.

237. Cut the green seeds of the nasturtiums with a piece of the stem to each. Put them in a jar of cold vinegar.

PICKLED TOMATOES.

238. Take one peck of ripe tomatoes, prick them with a large needle, and lay them in strong salt and water eight days. Then take them out of the brine and lay them in vinegar and water for twenty-four hours. Scald a dozen small onions in vinegar and stand the whole away to get cold. Drain the tomatoes and add them to the cold onions and vinegar, with two wine-glasses of mustard-seed and an ounce of cloves.

PASTRY.

The flour for pastry should be of the whitest and finest quality. It should be mixed with a broad knife, as the moisture and warmth of the hand makes it heavy.

The butter should be of the best quality, as if it is a little rancid it will taste. To make puff paste it should have all the salt washed out of it.

Iron, or block tin plates are the best for baking pastry.

Always use cold water (in summer iced water) to mix pastry, and if it cannot be baked immediately, set it away in a cool place.

PUFF-PASTE.

239. One pound of butter,
One pound of flour.

Wash your butter in cold water to extract all the salt; work it well with a broad wooden spoon in order to get out all the water. Lay it between clean napkins, put it in a tin pan or plate, set it on the ice to get hard, but do not let it freeze. Sift your flour in a pan, cut the butter in four equal parts, cut one-fourth in very small pieces in the flour, but do not touch it, as the warmth of your hands will make the paste heavy. Add to the flour as much _cold_ water as will make it a stiff dough. Turn it out on your pie-board, roll it gently into sheets, cut one-third of the remainder of the butter into small pieces, and lay over it, sprinkle on a _very_ little flour, fold it over, roll it out again, cut one-half of the butter which is left in small pieces and lay on, put on a little flour, and fold it as before, roll it out again, and put on the remainder of the butter. It should now be set on the ice, but should not come in contact with it. When it is perfectly cold, roll it out in a sheet thinner in the centre than at the edges of your pie, cut it with a _very sharp_ knife the size you wish it. Fill with whatever you choose, and bake in a tolerably quick oven.

PLAIN PASTE.

240. One pound of flour,
Three-quarters of butter.

Put the ingredients together in the same manner as directed for puff paste.

COMMON PASTE.

241. One pound of flour,
Half a pound of butter.

Proceed as directed for puff-paste, only the butter need not be washed, nor the paste placed upon the ice.

A very good paste may be made with the above quantity of flour, and a quarter of a pound of butter, and the same quantity of nice fresh lard.

LEMON PUDDING, No. 1.

242. Half a pound of sugar,
Half a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated rind and juice of one lemon,
Half a gill of brandy.

Beat the butter and sugar. Whisk the eggs and add to it the grated _yellow_ rind and juice of one lemon, and lastly the liquor. Make a puff-paste, line your pie plates with it, and pour in the mixture. These ingredients will make three puddings.

It requires a moderate oven.

This is a very rich and expensive kind of pudding--for a plainer kind see No. 2.

In place of the liquor, a table spoonful of rose water, and a tea spoonful of grated nutmeg may be added.

LEMON PUDDING, No. 2.

243. Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
The grated yellow rind and juice of one lemon.

Beat the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the lemon juice and grated rind.

Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.

Two table spoonsful of brandy may be added, if preferred, to flavor it.

ORANGE CHEESE-CAKE.

244. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
Three eggs,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
The rind of one orange grated,
Half a nutmeg,
One table spoonful of brandy, or two of rose water.

Pour the milk or cream over the sponge cake to moisten it. Then stir together your butter and sugar, whisk your eggs, mash the cake very fine, and mix all together with the liquor and spice.

Line your pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.

LEMON CHEESE-CAKE.

245. A quarter of a pound of butter,
A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A wine glass of milk or cream,
Two ounces of sponge cake,
Three eggs,
The grated rind of one and juice of half a lemon.

Slice the cake, and pour over it the milk or cream. Beat the butter and sugar together, and stir into it. Mash the sponge cake very fine, and add to the above. Grate the yellow rind, and squeeze the juice of half a lemon and stir in.

Cover the pie plates with paste, fill with the mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.

CURD CHEESE-CAKE.

246. One quart of milk,
Half a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
Five eggs,
One tea spoonful of grated nutmeg,
A quarter of a pound of currants.

Warm the milk, and turn it to a curd, with a piece of rennet, or a table spoonful of the wine in which a rennet has been soaked. As soon as the milk is a thick curd, take it out with a broad ladle or spoon, and lay it on a sieve to drain. Beat the eggs, and add the drained curd, also the sugar and butter, which must have been beaten to a cream, then the spice and fruit.

For those who would prefer it sweeter, more sugar may be added.

Line your pie plates with paste, fill them with the above mixture, and bake in a moderately hot oven.

COTTAGE CHEESE-CAKE.

247. One pint of curd,
One gill and a half of cream,
Three eggs,
Sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon to the taste.

Mix the curd and cream thoroughly together. Beat the eggs, add them with the sugar and spice. Make a paste, cover your pie plates, and fill them with the mixture.

Bake in a moderate oven.

INDIAN FLORENDINES.

248. One quart of milk,
Three eggs,
One ounce of butter,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
Sugar to the taste,
As much Indian meal as will make the milk as thick as pap.

When the milk boils, stir in the Indian meal till it is thickened about like pap, then add the butter.

Set it off to cool. When cold stir in the eggs, which must have been well beaten, then the sugar and brandy.

They are very good without brandy.

Make a paste, cover your pie plates, pour in the above mixture, and bake in a moderate oven.

RICE FLORENDINES.

249. One quart of milk,
Eight eggs,
Sugar to the taste,
A quarter of a pound of butter,
One tea spoonful of cinnamon,
One tea spoonful of nutmeg,
Brandy, or rose-water to the taste,
Rice flour enough to thicken the milk.

Boil the milk, and stir in enough rice flour mixed with cold milk, to thicken it about as stiff as thick molasses. Add the butter while it is hot. Beat the eggs, stir them in when it gets cold, and add the other ingredients, bake in pie plates, with an under crust only.

ORANGE PUDDING.

250. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Two table spoonsful of brandy,
The rind of an orange.

Lay the rind of an orange to soak over night. The next day boil it and mash it fine. It must be boiled in fresh water.

Beat the butter and sugar as for cake. Whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the liquor and orange.

Cover your pie plates with rich paste, fill them and bake in a moderate oven.

ALMOND PUDDING.

251. Half a pound of butter,
Half a pound of sugar,
Five eggs,
Six ounces of sweet almonds,
Two ounces of bitter almonds,
Half a gill of rose-water.

Blanch the almonds, pound them in a mortar to a paste with a little rose-water. Stir the butter and sugar to a cream. Whisk the eggs, mix all the ingredients together, line your pie plates with paste, fill them, and bake them as directed for other puddings.

COCOA-NUT PUDDING, No. 1.

252. A quarter of a pound of sugar,
A quarter of a pound of cocoa-nut,
Three ounces of butter,
The whites of six eggs,
Half a glass of wine and brandy mixed,
One table spoonful of rose-water.

Beat the butter and sugar smooth, whisk the eggs and add to it, then stir in the grated nut and liquor.