POULTRY AND GAME

Poultry and game differ from other animal foods in the rela- tive quantity of fat and the quality of their juices. The fat of birds is laid up underneath the skin and in various internal parts of the body, while but a small proportion is mingled with the fibers or the juices of the flesh. The flesh of the chicken, turkey, and guinea-fowl is more delicately flavored, more ten- der and easy to digest, than that of geese and ducks. Chickens broiled require three hours for digestion ; when boiled or roasted, four hours are needed.

The flesh of poultry is less stimulating than beef, and is thus considered better adapted for invalids. The flesh of wild fowl contains less fat than that of poultry ; it is also tender and easy of digestion. Different birds and different parts of the same bird, vary considerably in color and taste. The breed, food, and method of fattening, influence the quality of this class of foods. Fowls poorly fed and allowed wide range are

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far from cleanly in their habits of eating ; in fact, they are largely scavengers, and through the food they pick up, often become infested with internal parasites, and affected with tuberculosis and other diseases which are liable to be commu- nicated to those who eat their flesh.

Suggestions for the Selection of Poultry and Game. — The first care in the selection of poultry should be its freedom from disease. Birds deprived of exercise, shut up in close cages, and regularly stuffed with as much corn or soft food as they can swallow, may possess the requisite fatness, but it is of a most unwholesome character. When any fiving creature ceases to exercise, its excretory organs cease to perform their functions thoroughly, and its body becomes saturated with re- tained excretions.

A stall-fed fowl may be recognized by the color of its fat, which is pale white, and lies In thick folds beneath the skin along the lower half of the backbone. The entire surface of the body presents a more greasy, uninviting appearance than that of fowls permitted to live under natural conditions.

Never purchase fowls which have been sent to the market un- drawn. All animals intended for use as food should be dressed as quickly as possible after killing. Putrefactive changes begin very soon after death, and the liver and other viscera, owing to their soft texture and to the quantity of venous blood they retain, advance rapidly in decomposition. When a fowl or animal is killed, even if the large arteries at the throat are cut, a large quantity of blood remains in and around the intestines, owing to the fact that only through the capillaries of the liver can the blood in the portal system find its way into the large vessels which convey it to the heart, and which at death are cut off from the general circulation at both ends by a capillary sys- tem. This leaves the bloodvessels belonging to the portal circulation distended with venous blood, which putrefies very quickly, forming a virulent poison. The contents of the intes- tines of all creatures are always in a more or less advanced state of putrescence, ready to undergo rapid decomposition as soon as the preservative action of the intestinal fluids ceases. It

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will readily be seen, then, that the flesh of an undrawn fowl must be to a greater or less degree permeated with the poison- ous gases and other products of putrefaction, and is certainly quite unfit for food.

Young fowls have soft, yellow feet, a. smooth, moist skin, easily torn with a pin, wings which will spring easily, and a breastbone which will yield to pressure. Pinfeathers are an indication of a young bird ; older fowls are apt to have sharp scales, long hairs, long, thin necks, and flesh with a purplish tinge.

Poultry should be entirely free from disagreeable odors. Methods are employed for sweetening fowls which have been kept too long in market, but if they need such attention, bury them decently rather than cook them for the table.

Turkeys should have clear, full eyes, and soft, loose spurs. The legs of young birds are smooth and black ; those of older ones, rough and reddish.

Geese and ducks, when freshly killed, have supple feet. If young, the windpipe and beak can be easily broken by press- ure of the thumb and forefinger. Young birds also have soft, white fat, tender skin, yellow feet, and legs free from hairs.

The legs of young pigeons are flesh-colored. When in good condition, the breast should be full and plump, and if young, it is of a light reddish color. Old pigeons have dark flesh ; squabs always have pinfeathers.

Partridges, when young, have dark bills and yellow legs.

The breast of all birds should be full and plump. Birds which are diseased always fall away on the breast, and the bone feels sharp and protrudes.

To Dress Poultry and Birds. — First strip off the feath- ers a few at a time, with a quick, jerking motion toward the tail. Remove pinfeathers with a knife.

Fowls should be picked, if possible, while the body retains some warmth, as scalding is apt to spoil the skin and parboil the flesh. When all the feathers but the soft down have been removed, a little hot water may be poured on, when the down

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can be easily rubbed off with the palm or'" the hand. Wipe dry and singe the hairs off by holding the bird by the legs over the flame of a candle, a gas-jet, or a few drops of alcohol poured on a plate and lighted. To dress a bird successfully, one should have some knowledge of its anatomy, and it is well for the amateur first to dress one for some dish in which it is not to be cooked whole, when the bird may be opened, and the position of its internal organs studied.

Remove the head, slip the skin back from the neck, and cut it off close to the body, take out the windpipe and pull out the crop from the end of the neck. Make an incision through the skin a little below the leg-joint, bend the leg at this point and break off the bone. If care has been taken to cut only through the skin, the tendons of the leg may now be easily removed with the fingers.

If the bird is to be cut up, remove the legs and wings at the joints. Then beginning near the vent, cut the membrane down between the breastbone and tail to the backbone on each side, and separate just below the ribs. The internal organs can now be seen and easily removed, and the body of the bird divided at its joints.

If desired to keep the fowl whole, after removing the wind- pipe and crop, loosen the heart, liver, and lungs by introduc- ing the forefinger at the neck ; cut off the oil-sack, make a slit horizontally under the tail, insert the first and middle fingers, and after separating the membranes which lie close to the body, press them along within the body until the heart and liver can be felt. The gall bladder lies directly under the left lobe of the liver, and if the fingers are kept up, and all adhe- sions loosened before an effort is made to draw the organs out, there will be little danger of breaking it. Remove everything which can be taken out, then hold the fowl under the faucet and cleanse thoroughly.

To Truss a Fowl or Bird. — Twist the tips of the wings back under the shoulder and bend the legs as far up toward the breast as possible, securing them in that position by put-

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ting a skewer through one thigh into the body and out through the opposite thigh. Then bring the legs down and fasten close to the vent.

To Stuff a Fowl. — Begin at the neck, stuff the breast full, draw the neck skin together, double it over on the back and fasten with a darning needle threaded with fine twine. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the body at the other opening.

Bh'ds Baked m Sweet Potatoes. — Small birds, of which the breast is the only suitable portion for eating, may be baked in the following man- ner : Cut a sweet potato lengthwise ; make a cavity in each half. Place the breast of the bird therein ; fit, and tie together carefully ; bake until the potato is soft. Serve in the potato.

Boiled Fowl. — After cleaning and dividing the fowl, put into boiling water, and proceed as directed on page 395.

Broiled Birds. — Pluck and wipe clean with a damp cloth. Split down the middle of the back, and carefully draw the bird. Proceed as directed below.

Broiled Fowl. — A young bird well dressed and singed is best for this purpose. Split down the middle of the back, wipe clean with a damp cloth, twist the top of the wings from the second joint ; spread out flat, and with a rolling pin break the projecting breastbone so that the bird will lie flat upon the broiler. When ready to cook, place it skin uppermost and sear the under side by pressing it on a hot pan ; then broil the same as beef- steak over glowing coals.

Corn and Chicken. — Clean and divide a chicken in joints. Stew in milk or part milk and water until nearly tender ; then add the grains and juice from a dozen ears of corn. Cook slowly until the corn is done ; sea- son lightly with salt, and serve with dry toast,

Pig-eons, Quails, and Partridg-es may be half baked, then cooked as directed for Smothered Chicken until tender.

Koast Chicken. — Dress carefully, singe, wash, and wipe dry. Put into a pan of the proper size, add a cup of boiling water, and cook very slowly for the first half hour, then increase the heat, baste frequently, turn occasionally so that no portion will brown too fast. Cook from one to two hours according to size and age of the bird. It is usually consid- ered essential to stuff a fowl for roasting, but a dressing compounded of melted fat and crumbs seasoned with herbs and strong condiments is not to be recommended.

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If a dressing is considered necessary, it may be made of a quart of crumbs of rather stale whole-wheat bread, moistened with cream, to which add a small handful of powdered and sifted sage leaves which have been dried in the oven until crisp. Add salt as desired, a well-beaten egg, and a little chopped celery.

Roast Turkey. — Pluck, singe, and dress the turkey; wash thoroughly and wipe with a dry cloth. If dressing is to be used, stuif the body full, sew up, and truss. Place in a dripping-pan, add a pint of boiling water, and put in an oven so moderate that the turkey will not brown for the first hour ; afterward the heat may be somewhat increased, but at no time should the oven be very hot. After the bird becomes brown, baste it occasionally with the water in the pan, dredging lightly with flour. Cook until the legs will separate from the body ; three or four hours will be necessary for a small turkey. One half hour to the pound is the usual rule. When tender, remove the stuffing and serve it hot, placing the turkey on a large hot platter to be carved. It may be garnished with parsley or celery leaves and served with cranberry sauce.

Ducks and geese may be prepared and roasted in the same manner, but less time will suffice for cooking, about one and one third hours for ducks of ordinary size, and about three hours for a young goose.

A stuffing of mashed potato seasoned with onion, sage, and salt is considered preferable for a goose. Equal parts of bread crumbs and chopped apples moistened with a little cream are also used for this purpose.

Smothered Cliickeu. — Cut two chickens into joints and put in a closely covered kettle with a pint of boiling water. Heat very slowly to boiling, skim, keep covered, and simmer until tender and the water evaporated ; add salt, turn the pieces, and brown them in their own juices.

Steamed Chicken. — Prepare the chicken as for roasting, steam until nearly tender, dredge with flour and a little salt ; put into a dripping-pan and brown in the oven. Other birds and fowls may be prepared in the same way. »

Stewed Chicken. — Divide a chicken into pieces suitable for serving, and stew as directed for beef on page 400. Old fowls left whole and stewed in this manner for a long time and afterward roasted, are much better than when prepared in any other way. If a gravy is desired, prepare as for stewed beef. Other poultry may be stewed likewise.

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Fish is a less stimulating article of food than other meats. Edible fish are generally divided into two classes, those of white flesh and those more or less red. The red-fleshed fish, of which the salmon is a representative, have their fat distrib- uted throughout the muscular tissues, while in white fish the fat is stored up in the liver ; hence the latter class is much easier of digestion, and being less stimulating, is to be re- commended as more wholesome. Different kinds of fish have different nutritive values. Their flavor and wholesomeness are greatly influenced by the nature of their food and the condi- tion of the water in which they are caught ; those obtained in deep water with strong currents are considered superior to those found in shallow water. Fish are sometimes poisonous, owing no doubt to the food they eat.

Like all animal foods, fish are subject to parasites, some of which take up their abode in the human body when fish in- fected with them are eaten. An eminent scientist connected with the Smithsonian Institution, contributed an article to Forest and Stream a few years ago, in which he stated that in the salmon no less than sixteen kinds of parasitic worms have been discovered, and undoubtedly many others remain unknown ; four species were tapeworms, and four, round- worms. The yellow perch is known to be infested with twenty-three species of parasitic worms.

The pike carries with him at least twenty kinds, while many other varieties of fish are equally infested.

Fish have been highly lauded as a food particularly suited to the development of the brain and nervous system. This no doubt has arisen from the fact that fish contain a con- siderable amount of phosphorus. Phosphorus is also present in the human brain, and for this reason it has been supposed that fish must be excellent nutriment for the brain ; but the truth is, there is no such thing as any special brain or nerve food. What is good to build up one part of the body is good

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for the whole of it ; a really good food contains the elements to nourish every organ of the body.

Salted fish, like salted meat, is deprived of most of its nu- triment during the curing process, and being rendered much more difficult of digestion, possesses very little value as a food.

Shell=Fish (Oysters, Clams, Scallops, Lobsters, Crabs, etc.). — Although considered a luxury by epicures, shell-fish are not possessed of a high nutritive value. The whole class are scavengers by nature, and according to recent researches it appears that they are not altogether safe articles of diet. Many cases of severe and extensive sickness have been traced to the use of clams and oysters. Investigations made to ascer- tain the cause show the poisonous part of the mussel to be the liver. Rabbits and other small animals inoculated with the poison died in one or two minutes. Not all mussels are thus poisonous, but inasmuch as there is an abundance of whole- some food, it would certainly seem the part of wisdom to discard shellfish altogether.

How to Select and Prepare Fish. — The flesh of good, fresh fish is firm and hard, and will respond at once to pressure with the fingers. If the flesh feels soft and flabby, the fish is not fresh. The eyes should be full and bright and the gills of a clear red color.

Fish should be cleaned as soon as possible after being caught. To do this, lay the fish upon a board, and holding it by the tail, scrape off the scales with a dull knife held nearly flat, working from the tail toward the head. Scrape slowly, and rinse the knife frequently in cold water. Cut off the head and fins, make an opening from the gills halfway down the lower part of the body, scrape out the entrails and every particle of blood. Remove the white part that lies along the backbone, then thoroughly rinse and wipe dry.

Keep in a cool place until ready to cook, but do not place directly on ice, as that will have a tendency to soften the flesh. Fresh fish should never be allowed to soak in water. If salt fish is to be used, it should be freshened by placing it skin-side

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up in cold water, and soaking for several hours, changing the water frequently.

Frozen fish should be placed in cold water to thaw, and when thawed, should be cooked immediately.

Fish is cooked by nearly all methods, but retains more nourishment when broiled or baked. It should be thoroughly cooked, being both indigestible and unpalatable when under- done.

Boiled fish is usually dependent for flavor upon some kind of rich sauce so incompatible with healthy digestion that we do not recommend this method.

Baked Fish. — Select a perfectly fresh, properly dressed fish. Rinse thoroughly and wipe dry. Fold it together and place in a dripping pan with a cup of boiling water. Cook slowly and steadily until tender. A fish weighing three or four pounds will require at least two hours. If desired, the fish may be lightly dredged with flour, toward the last, as it begins to brown.

Broiled Fish. — Thoroughly clean the fish, and if small, split down the back. Fish of larger size should be cut into inch slices. Use a double wire broiler well oiled with a bit of suet. Lay the fish, with ils thickest part next the center of the broiler, skin uppermost, and broil over a bed of clear coals until the flesh-side is of an even brown. The time required will vary, according to the size of the fish, from five to twenty minutes ; then turn and brown on the other side. If the fish be very thick, when both sides are browned, put the broiler in the oven over a dripping pan and cook until done.

MEAT SOUP,

Soups made from meat require first the preparation of a special material called stock, a liquid foundation upon which to begin the soup.

Beef, veal, mutton, and poultry are all made into stock in the same manner, so that general rules for its preparation will be sufficient for all meat soups.

The principal constituents of meat and bones, the material from which stock is compounded, are fiber, albuminous ele-

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ments, gelatinous substances, and flavoring matters. The albuminous elements are found only in the flesh. The gel- atinous substance found in the bones, skin, and tendons, is almost devoid of nutriment. In selecting material for stock, therefore, it is well to remember that the larger the proportion of lean meat used, the more nutritious will be the soup.

But little else than gelatine is obtained from the bones, and although serviceable in giving consistency, a soup made prin- cipally from bones is not valuable as a food. The amount of bone used for soup should never exceed the flesh material in weight. The bones, trimmings, and remnants of steaks, chops, and roasts may be advantageously utilized for soups. Bits of roast meat and roast gravies are especially serviceable mate- rial, since they are rich in the flavoring elements of meat. It should be remembered, however, that these flavoring matters are chiefly excrementitious or waste substances, derived from the venous blood of the animal.

The greatest care must be observed to keep the scraps perfectly sweet and fresh until needed, as stale meat is exceed- ingly unwholesome. If the scraps are mostly cooked meats and bones, a small portion of raw, lean meat should be used with them ; it need not be of the choicest quality ; tough, coarse meat, when fresh and good, can be advantageously used for soup stock.

If fresh material is to be procured, select for beef soups a piece from the shin or lower round ; the same choice of pieces may be made of veal ; of mutton, pieces from the forequarter and neck are best.

In preparing meat for soup, if it is soiled, scrub the outside thoroughly with a clean cloth wet in cold water, or cut away the soiled portion. Break the bones into as small pieces as convenient ; cut the meat into inch dice, remove the marrow from the bones, and put it aside. If added to the stock, it will make it greasy.

Having selected proper material and prepared it for use, the next step is to extract the juices. To do this put it into cold water, bring very gradually to the boiling point, — an hour

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is not too long for this, — then cook slowly but continuously. In the observation of these simple measures lies the secret of success in stock-making.

The albuminous elements of the meat, which are similar in character to the white of an egg, are readily dissolved in cold or tepid water, but boiling water coagulates them. If the meat is put into boiling water, the albumen coagulates, or hardens, forming a sort of crust on the outside of the meat, which pre- vents the inner juices from escaping ; on the contrary, if the meat is put to cook in cold water, and is gradually raised to the boiling point, the soaking and simmering will easily extract and dissolve the juices.

Salt likewise hinders the extraction of the meat juices, and should not be added to stock during its preparation.

The best utensil for use in the preparation of stock is a soup digester. This is a porcelain-lined kettle, resting on standards, with a cover fitting closely into a groove, so that no steam can escape except through a valve in the top of the cover. In this the meat can be placed and allowed to cook for hours without burning. An ordinary granite-ware kettle with tightly fitting cover set on a stove ring or brick, answers quite well. It should, however, be kept entirely for this pur- pose. A double boiler is also suitable.

The correct proportion of water to be used is about one quart to each pound of meat and bones, though this will vary somewhat with the material and the length of time required for cooking. The scum which is thrown to the surface of the water during the cooking process is composed of blood and other impurities, and should be removed as rapidly as it rises. If allowed to remain after the water reaches the boiling point, it will become incorporated into the stock and injure it in flavor and w^holesomeness.

If the meat and bones are well cut and broken, the juices ought to be all extracted, with proper cooking, in three or four hours. Longer cooking will render the stock thicker and more gelatinous but not more nutritious, and too long cooking will detract from its flavor. As soon as the meat will fall from

the bones, the stock should be removed from the pot and strained at once.

A good way to strain stock is to place a colander over an earthen crock or jar (the colander should fit inside the jar), with a cloth strainer within the colander. Then dip the con- tents of the stock kettle into the colander, and leave it there to drain for fifteen or twenty minutes. Do not squeeze the cloth, and when well drained, throw the scraps away.

French cooks, with their propensity for economy, some- times select a good quality of beef, cook it so as to retain a portion of the juices in the meat, and make it serve both for preparing the soup and for boiled beef on the bill of fare. The meat is not cut up, but is heated quickly and removed as soon as tender, so that only part of the juices are extracted.

Set the stock where it will become cold. The more rapidly it cools, the more delicate will be its flavor, and the better it will keep. The fat will rise to the surface, and can be easily removed when desired. If the quan- tity of fat in the material used was considerable, a solid cake will cover the top. This fat, by excluding the air, helps keep the stock sweet, and should not be removed until the stock is needed.

If only a portion is to be used at one time, the remainder with the fat should be reheated and cooled, that a new crust may be formed. In winter, stock may be kept several days, if care is thus taken to reheat it. In summer, unless kept in a very cold place, it will spoil in a few hours.

Soup should never be greasy, and hence, before using the stock, every particle of the fat should be removed. To accom- plish this, loosen the cake of fat from the dish with a knife, and if solid, it will sometimes come off whole ; if soft, remove all that is possible without cutting into the stock, and afterwards wipe the top of the jellied stock with a cloth wrung out of

Arrangement for Straining Stock.

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very hot water, which will readily absorb any lingering portion of fat. If the stock is not jellied, skim off all the fat possible, and then turn the stock through a napkin wrung out of ice water. This will harden the grease, which will adhere to the napkin. It is always better to prepare stock long enough before it is needed to allow it to become perfectly cold ; if, however, it is necessary to use the stock very soon after it is prepared, the fat may be quickly hardened by turning the stock into a dripping pan or some other shallow dish, and plac- ing it on ice in a cool place ; if there is no time for this, strain several times through sl napkin wrung out of ice-cold water, removing the particles of fat each time and wringing the cloth anew before straining again. A little cold water poured into hot stock will also cause the grease to rise so that it can be easily skimmed off; but this method weakens the stock.

Stock may be prepared from one kind of meat only, or from two or more different kinds mixed together. Chicken stock is generally conceded to be better if a small portion of beef is combined with the fowl. Beef and veal are largely used to- gether ; but mutton on account of its strong flavor is better used alone.

Stock, when prepared from a single kind of meat, is termed simple stock or broth. When prepared from two or more kinds of flesh cooked together, or when stock prepared sepa- rately from different kinds of meat are mixed together, the re- sult is termed compound stock or double broth. With either of these stocks as a foundation, an innumerable variety of soups may be prepared, either by serving them as plain broth or by the addition of some of the various grains and vegetables, the distinctive name of each soup being given it according to its principal solid ingredient.

To Clarify Soup Stock. — Having removed all the fat from the stock, add to it before reheating, the shell of an egg, and the whole of one egg well beaten, with a little cold water, for every three pints of soup. Place the soup over the fire and stir it constantly to keep the egg from setting until it is hot. Simmer for fifteen minutes, removing the scum as it rises, and

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strain through a flannel cloth or napkin laid in a colander. It is also a good plan to place a fine wire strainer on the napkin to catch the shells and scum. Do not squeeze the cloth or stir the liquid with a spoon to hasten the straining process. If the cloth is clogged so that the stock does not run through well, carefully change it in the colander so that the liquid will run down upon a clean portion. When strained, it may be reheated, seasoned, and served as clear soup.

Asparag'US Soup. — This soup is prepared in every way like the one on page 276, except that white stock made from veal is used instead of milk. Green pea soup, celery soup, green corn soup, and green bean soup may be prepared according to tlie recipes already given for these soups, by substituting for milk the same quantity of the stock of veal or chicken.

Barley, Rice, Sagro, or Tapioca Soup. — Any kind of stock may be used in making these soups, though chicken and mutton stock are gener- ally considered preferable. Prepare the grains, the sago, or the tapioca, by steaming or boiHng till well cooked, and add to the stock, which should be at boiling temperature. Season and serve.

Caramel for Coloring' Soup Brown. — Melt a half pint of sugar and one tablespoonful of water in a saucepan over the fire ; stir constantly until it is of a dark brown color ; then add a half pint of boiling water, simmer ten minutes, strain, and put into an air-tight can or bottle. When needed, mix such a quantity with the soup as will give the desired degree of color.

Juilienne Soup. — Take an equal proportion of carrot, parsnip, turnip, celery, and string beans, cut into thin pieces of inch lengths, sufiftcient to make one pint. Simmer the vegetables gently in a small quantity of water until tender, but not long enough to destroy their shape. Heat a quart of clear stock to boiling, add the vegetables, salt to taste, and serve.

Other vegetables, as peas, asparagus, etc., may be used in their sea- son. Sometimes the vegetables are cut into dice or fancy shapes with a vegetable cutter. It makes little difference about the shape, so that the pieces are small and uniform in size. Such vegetables as potatoes, carrots, or turnips, when used for soups, are easiest cut, after paring in the usual manner, by taking the vegetable in the left hand, holding it on the table or board between thumb and finger, and with the right hand cutting down- ward in even slices not over one third of an inch wide, to within a quarter of an inch of the bottom. Turn the vegetable and repeat the process, cutting across the first slices. Again lay the vegetable on its side, and

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make a third series of cuts, which will divide it into cubes. If several kinds of vegetables are used, those which require a longer time for cooking should be cut into smaller pieces.

Tomato Soup. — Into two quarts of boiling beef stock stir a teaspoon- ful of cornstarch well braided with a little cold water, and a pint of strained, stewed tomatoes. Boil a few minutes, and serve. A teaspoonful of sugar may also be added, if desired.

White Soup. — White soups are made from veal or chicken stock, seasoned with cream, flavored with onion or celery, and thickened with cornstarch or flour.

Termicelli or Macaroni Soups. — Drop into boiling water and cook the macaroni about one hour, the vermicelli ten minutes. Drain well, dash cold water through them to separate the pieces, which are apt to stick together, and add to boiling stock ( beef and veal are preferable ) in the proportion of a pint of cooked macaroni or vermicelli to a quart of soup. Salt to taste and serve.

Puree with Chicken. — Take a quart of chicken stock from which the fat has been removed. Add a stalk or two of celery cut into finger- lengths, and a slice of onion, and put to boil. Beat together the mashed yolk of two hard boiled eggs, and a half cup of sweet cream. Chop the white meat of the chicken until fine as meal and beat with the egg mix- ture. Add slowly a cup and a half of hot milk. Remove the celery and onion from the hot stock, and stir all together. Boil up, salt to taste, and serve. If too thick, a little more stock or milk can be added.

Tapioca Cream Soup. — Soak two tablespoonfuls of tapioca over night. Heat a quart of stock prepared from the white meat of chicken, to boiling, in a saucepan. Then stir the tapioca in gradually. Move the saucepan to the side of the range where it will simmer till the tapioca is transpar- ent. Have ready in a large dish a mixture prepared by beating together very thoroughly the yolks of three eggs and four tablespoonfuls of sweet cream. When the tapioca is clear, remove the stock from the range and pour it very gradually onto the egg mixture, stirring briskly all the time, so that the egg will not curdle. Season with salt if desired. The soup may be returned to the stove and warmed before serving if necessary, but it must not be boiled or allowed to stand a long time.