INVALID DISHES

Beef Juice.

Select a thick cut of steak from the round or the rump and re- move all fat. Broil or heat long enough to start the juices, then extract the juice by means of a press or lemon squeezer. Season with salt and serve at once. Prepare only enough to serve, as it does not keep well.

One pound of meat will yield ab )ut 5 ounces. Excellent, where solid foods cannot be taken.

Beef Extract.

One-half pound round steak; 3^ pint cold water; cut beef fine,

put in cold water; let it stand where it will keep warm for a couple

of hours, heat as hot as possible without boiling; squeeze the juice

from beef; salt to suit.

—An Old Nurse.

Beef Scraped.

Take a small piece of tender steak and with a sharp knife scrape off all the pulp until there remains only the tough fibres. Season slightly with salt and pepper, form into small cakes and broil 2 minutes. Serve on toast.

Beef Tea (Quickly Made).

Select a steak from the top cut of the round, as this has less fat and more juice than other cuts; remove all fat and cut into small pieces. Put in dry pan over a slow fire and allow it to sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. The meat will become white and surrounded by a rich gravy. It may be given, in cases of great exhaustion, in this form.

For 1 pound of beef allow a pint of water. Pour the water over the meat and stir until it boils; afterwards let simmer slowly 5 or 10 minutes, strain and remove any particle of fat on top with a piece of brown paper. Does not require seasoning.

Beef Tea.

Allow 1 cujD of water to 3-^ pound of steak. Remove each par- ticle of fat; cut into small pieces, pour on the water and let stand about 15 minutes. Put into a tightly covered glass jar and set it

COOKERY FOR INVALIDS. 325

into a kettle of cold water. Bring the water slowly to the boiling point and let boil 2 hours. Strain and season with salt. Remove any fat on top with paper or bread.

May be served hot, or is very grateful to a fever patient when ice cold.

Broth is the liquid containing the juices of meat and bone, extracted by continued slow cooking. More nutriment is obtained from cheaper cuts than from the expensive parts.

Best results are possible from the observation of the follow- ing rules: Cut meat into small pieces. Use cold water. Use steam- tight kettle, that there may be no waste by evaporation. If pos- sible, make the day before, when the fat may be more easily re- moved. Let simmer (not boil) until meat falls to pieces. In reheating, use double boiler.

Mutton Broth.

One quart of cold water to 1 pound of meat. Select the neck of mutton, remove skin and fat, cut into small pieces, pour on the water, let simmer until meat is in shreds. Remove fat and strain. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot. One tablespoon of barley or rice (soaked over night) may be added if desired. Let barley simmer in the broth until the grains are tender.

If possible, let broth stand all night, when the fat can be more easily removed. Excellent for those suffering from dysenteric troubles.

Beef Broth.

Prepared same as mutton broth.

Veal Broth.

Prepared same as mutton broth.

Chicken Broth I.

Same as mutton broth.

Chicken Broth II.

Cut a chicken mto small pieces, lay it in a deep earthen dish, add a quart of cold water and set it over a boiling kettle; cover closely and let it steam several hours, until the meat is very tender;

326 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

strain off the broth and let it stand over night; in the morning skim off carefully all the fat, and pour out the broth into the bowl; into the deep dish put 3^3 of a cupful of rice in a cupful of cold water and steam as before until the rice is soft; pour in the broth and steam an hour or 2 longer; season to the taste of the invalid and serve hot. This is easily digested and very delicious.

Oyster Broth. One cup chopped oysters; 1 cup cold water; 3^ cup hot milk; salt and pepper to taste; 1 Boston cracker, rolled fine. Put the oysters in the water, let them stand where they will slowly come to a boil, then strain in the milk; add the rolled crackers, salt and pepper.

Chicken Broth Jelly.

A 5-pound fowl should be prepared as for chicken broth. Let simmer 12 hours, strain while hot through a fine sieve, and season. Let cool on ice for 12 hours and remove fat. May be used full strength or diluted with water.

Chicken Feet (for Jelly or Broth).

Procure chickens' feet, cut off nails, pour over boiling water, let stand a few minutes and skim. Boil until they fall to pieces. Jelly or broth made from the feet, which is considered, according to a trained nurse, the most nutritious part of the fowl, is unsur- passed for invalids.

Mutton Broth Jelly.

Prepared the sarme as chicken broth jelly.

Chicken Panada.

Take a breast of cold chicken, put in a marble mortar and pound to a paste with a little of the broth (or chop very fine and add chicken broth). Season with salt and heat slowly to required consistency. It should be such as you can drink, though quite thick, or may be served with toast.

Chicken Toast.

Two tablespoons cold chicken, chopped fine; boil in sufficient water to make a cupful of the whole, thicken slightly with corn- starch in melted butter, pour over a slice of nicely toasted bread and serve hot.

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Two tablespoons oatmeal; 1 quart water; butter, sugar, nut- meg, brandy or wine; 1 cup raisins; salt. Boil raisins in the water rapidly for Yi hour. Mix oatmeal with water to a smooth paste; add salt. After raisins have boiled enough, add oatmeal thicken- ing, let boil and skim well. Add sugar, butter, nutmeg, brand}^ or wine to taste when served.

Cocoanut Milk or Cream.

One cup grated cocoanut to 1 cup hot water. Select a cocoanut with plenty of water in it; clean and grate, discarding the water. To 1 cup of the grated nut add 1 cup of hot water, let stand a few minutes, strain through a thick cloth and squeeze well. This yields a thick cream. For cocoanut milk add more hot water to the pulp, squeeze and strain again. Use while fresh. Is dehcious with fruit and will not curdle. This milk is excellent for children and invalids who cannot use cow's milk.

Break a fresh egg into a tumbler, add a heaping teaspoon sugar, beat very light, and fill up the tumbler with milk. A small glass of wine may be added or a little nutmeg.

Where an invalid is required to take a raw egg daily, an egg-nog may be rendered more palatable by a variation in flavor. Add fruit juices to the beaten egg and sweeten. Never use milk with the fruit juice, but dilute with water. Raspberry, pineapple and orange are excellent.

While egg-nog is extensively prescribed and very nutritious, there are cases where the combination is apt to produce nausea in a feeble stomach, especially in fever; consequently whole eggs are unfit for fever patients, and only the whites used.

Egg Lemonade.

Two eggs; sugar as desired; juice of 1 large lemon; 1 cup snow or pounded ice; put the yolks, sugar and lemon juice together, beat them well and add the well beaten whites of the eggs with the snow or ice; beat the whole well together and add water enough to make a pint; drink through a glass tube.

328 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

Egg Nests. Separate an egg, beat the white until stiff, add a Httle salt, put into a large cup and in center drop the unbroken yolk. Place in pan of hot water, let boil until white of egg is set. May also be placed on buttered rounds of toast and put in oven 3 minutes.

"WITH EICE.

Butter a glass, line with boiled rice, put in the stiffly beaten white and in the center place the yolk. Put in oven long enough to set the white.

Eggs and Rum (Milk Punch).

One cup fresh milk; 1 tablespoon sugar; yolk 1 egg; 1 table- spoon rum; pinch salt; little nutmeg. Beat yolk, add sugar, nut- meg and salt; then add milk and rum. Taken by consumptives, early in the morning, often prevents the exhausting morning sweats.

Egg Gruel.

Boil eggs until hard enough to grate. Scald milk, add grated egg to the hot milk and season with salt. Excellent, if patient is nauseated.

Flour Gruel.

One cup milk; \^ tablespoon flour; 1 dozen seeded raisins; pinch salt. Scald th^ milk and stir in the flour which has been mixed with a little cold milk. Cook 3^ hour in double boiler. Cut the raisins in small pieces and with enough water to cover, cook slowly until the water has boiled away. Season the gruel and add raisins. This is slightly astringent. May be prepared without the raisins, which should never be used in cases of bowel troubles.

Barley Gruel.

Two tablespoons barley flour; 1 quart scalded milk; salt. Mix the barley flour with a little cold milk and stir it into the scalding milk. Cook 2 hours in a double boiler. Season to taste, and sweeten, if desired. Strain.

Barley Gruel with Broth.

Two cups beef broth; 2 tablespoons barley flour; 2 tablespoons cold water; 1 saltspoon salt. Mix the flour and the water to a smooth paste, add salt, pour slowly into the boihng broth and let boil Yi hour. Strain and serve hot.

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Arrowroot Gruel.

Two teaspoons arrowroot; 2 tablespoons cokl water; sugar, wine, brandy or lemon juice, as desired; 1 cup boiling water or milk; salt. Mix the arrowroot and water to a paste. Pour into the boil- ing water or milk. Cook for 2 hours in a double boiler.

Season, strain and serve hot. Beneficial in diarrhoea cases.

Indian Meal Gruel.

One tablespoon Indian meal; 2 tablespoons cold water; 3^ pint boiling water; salt; nutmeg; sugar, if desired. Mix to a smooth paste meal, salt and cold water. Stir slowly into the boiling water. Let simmer 13^ hours. Strain. May be diluted with milk or cream.

Rice Gruel.

Prepared same as Indian meal gruel, using 1 quart boiling water.

Oatmeal Gruel I.

(Good to use in typhoid fever cases). One cup well cooked oatmeal, while hot add 1 cup milk, 1 cup hot water; beat together thoroughly, strain through wire strainer; add salt, if desired.

Oatmeal Gruel II.

Take Yi cup of oatmeal, pound in a mortar until mealy (or rub hard with a httle cold water). Put it into a glass, stir well and pour off the milky water into a sauce pan. Again fill the glass, pour off and repeat as long as water looks mealy. Set sauce pan where it will simmer for 1 hour (in double boiler 2 hours). Strain. Season with salt, add sugar, if desired. Thin with milk, if too thick.

Dried or Boiled Flour Gruel.

Tie y^ cupful of flour in bag and boil about 3 hours. Take out, dry in the sun or oven until it is hard. Grate it when needed, us- ing 1 tablespoon to a pint of milk, and stir over the fire until it comes to a boil. Add salt, a little cold water and serve. Especially good for children afflicted with summer complaint.

Barley Jelly.

Three tablespoons pearl barley; salt; 1 quart water. Soak the barley over night, strain, pour on a quart of water, add salt and

330 THE MENDELSSOHN CLUB COOK BOOK.

boil 4 hours in a double boiler. Strain through a cloth. Thin the jelly when cold with warm and sweetened milk, in the proportion of the tablespoons of jelly to 1 cup of milk.

Rice Jelly.

One and one-half tablespoons rice; % cup milk; salt. Wash the rice and let stand in cold water about 2 hours. Drain, add milk and cook for 13^ hours in a double boiler. Strain, add salt, let stand until cold and serve with sugar and cream or fruit juices.

Tapioca Jelly. One teacup pearl tapioca; 1 quart cold water; pinch of salt; lemon juice or wine. Thoroughly wash the tapioca and pour over it the quart of cold water. Let soak 3 or 4 hours and simmer until it becomes quite clear, stirring often. Serve hot with cream, sugar and wine, or while hot, add lemon juice and chill.

Cracker Panada.

Three or 4 crackers; 1 quart water; sugar; salt. Break the crackers into pieces and bake brown. Boil 15 minutes in the quart of water and let stand 3 or 4 minutes. Strain through a fine wire sieve, add salt and a httle sugar.

For infants that are teething this is a nourishing beverage and for invalids recovering from a fever is often prescribed with the addition of a little wine and nutmeg.

Flaxseed Tea.

One tablespoon whole flaxseed; sugar; 2 cups cold water; juice 1 lemon. Thoroughl}^ wash flaxseed. Put into sauce pan, add cold water and let simmer 1 hour. Add lemon juice and sweeten to taste. Strain. If too thick, dilute with hot water.

Flaxseed and Licorice Tea.

One ounce flaxseed; 1 pint boiling water; 2 drachms licorice- root. Over the flaxseed and licorice-root pour the boiling water and let simmer very slowly for 4 hours. Strain. Excellent in fever cases accompanied by a cough.

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Toast Water.

Toast bread as brown as possible without burning. Cover with boiHng water and season with salt. Let stand about 1 hour and strain through cheese cloth. Serve hot or cold. May be flavored with orange or lemon peel or a glass of white wine added and grated nutmeg. Valuable in cases of fever or extreme nausea.

Take 1 large spoonful of hops, add 1 pint of cold water, let simmer. When sufficiently strong, strain, sweeten and add a tablespoon of gin. This is a quieting drink and most excellent for a nervous headache.