FRITTERS AISTD CROQUETTES

["Make the fritter batter quickly and Ijeat thoroughly until Bmooth. A good rule is two eggs, whites and yolks beaten sej^- ratcly, half pint milk, one level teaspoon salt, and pint flour, a tablespoon American cooking oil, or butter, or salad oil, and a seasoning of cinnamon or nutmeg may be added if wished ; if the batter is for fish or meat fritters add a saltspoon white pepper and a dash of cayenne. Water may be used instead of milk, with a table- spoon or two of lemon juice if liked, and some add the wetting gradually. The batter for fritters should be. just thick enough to drop, not run, from the spoon — do not make too stiff — and should be made an hour before using. Some claim it is better to stand a day, as the grains of flour swell by standing after being moistened and thus become lighter. Add the whites of eggs — and when baking powder is used, that also— just before frying. Less eggs are needed with baking powder, using one egg in the above batter with a heaping teaspoon baking powder or teaspoon cream tartar and half teaspoon soda. The fritters are much nicer wdth the eggs, and without the rising powders, but it is convenient to use the latter when preparing for immediate use. Some use cracker dust instead of flour, thinking it makes the batter lighter. Arrowroot may be used to thicken batters, sauces, etc., making the mixture much more delicate, and with it butter can be omitted. Its thick- ening property is about three times that of flour. It is better not to use sugar in the batter, as it tends to make it heavy, but sprinkle it over the fritters in the dish when just ready to serve, though in", "290 KRITTKRS AND CROQUETTES.", "making fruit fritters some stir in a little sugar. Fruit fritters are made by chopping any kind of fresh or canned fruit fine and mixing it with batter, or by dipping it whole, halved, quartered or sliced into the batter, using a skewer or fork for this purpose, and taking a pint or less of any kind of fruit for the above quantity of batter. The fruit may be improved in flavor by sprinkling sugar and grated lemon or orange peel over it, and alloAving it to remain two or three hours, after which drain and dip in the batter as above ; or, marinade the fruit in a thin orange or lemon syrup. To marinade anything is to leave it m a composition long enough to absorb the (lavor — in this case, from one to two hours. Pork fritters are made by dipping thin bits of breakfast bacon or fat pork in tlie batter. The common practice is to fry fritters in lard, but the American cooking oil is much superior and no more expensive. It never burns, can be used again and again, and keeps clear and perfectly S\"^et. Clarified drippings (see index), or half drippings and half lard, is much better than all lard. Have the fat in which to cook them nice and sweet, and heat slowly. Clarified fat boils at about five hundred degrees — more than double the heat of boiling water — and \"fat actually boiling will burn to a cinder anything that is dropped into it. The proper cooking heat is three hundred and seventy-five degrees, and is indicated by a blue smoke arising from the surface of the fiit. When this point is reached, the fat may be held at tliat degree of heat, and prevented from burning by drop- ping into it a peeled potato or a piece of hard bread, which furnishes something for the fat to act upon. Gener", "FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES. 291", "some use a little nutmeg or cinnamon also, and serve hot on a clean napkin to absorb any remains of fat ; or line the dish with tissue paper fringed at the ends ; paper napkins are nice for this purpose To keep hot, cover with a napkin, never with a dish-cover ; the former absorbs the steam that arises, which would otherwise gather on the inside of the cover, and dropping back on the fritters would make them soggy and heavy. A Fritter Doily, made of butchers' linen in the shape of a maltese cross, with any pretty design worked in the corners, is a new and happy conceit, as the fritters may be served upon it and the four ends be brought up to cover them. Always serve at once (frying as wanted) with syrup or honey, or any sweet sauce preferred, for which see Puddings.", "In all the recipes that follow, the mode of testing the fat and frying is the same as given above. A tablespoon of batter makes a fritter of the usual size, a teaspoon about the size of an oyster.", "Fritters bear a bad reputation, but when properly made, and eaten occasionally for a change, are quite as wholesome as many of the messes recommended as food for dyspeptics", "Apple Fritters. — Make a batter in proportion of one cup sweet milk to two cups Hour, a heaping teaspoon baking powder, two eggs beaten separately, one tablespoon sugar, and saltspoon salt ; heat the milk a little more than milk-warm, add slowly to the beaten yolks and sugar, then add flour and whites of eggs ; stir all together and throw in thin slices of good sour apples, dipping the batter up over them ; drop in lard in large spoonfuls Avith piece of apple in each, and fry to a light brown. Serve with maple syrup or a nice syrup made of sugar. Another way of making is to beat three eggs very lightly, stir in one teaspoon salt, one-half cup sugar, one pint milk, two cups chop])ed apple and two cups flour. Flavor with nutmeg. Stir all well together and fry as directed in preface ; sift sugar over them and serve. Or, peel, steam and pulp six good sized apples, add juice two lemons, four well-beaten eggs, sugar to taste and a little cream. Mix thoroughly, roll into balls with enough cracker dust or fine bread-crumbs to keep in shape and fry as above. Serve strewn with powdered sugar. A very nice way of preparing the apples is to pare and cut them across in slices about an inch thick, then with the corer remove the core from each slice, leaving a round opening in the center. Dip into the batter and fry each slice separately, lay them in a dish in a circle overlapping one another, sprinkle with sugar, and serve with a sweet sauce in the", "292 FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES.", "center. Orange Fritters are prepared as above, and make a deli- cious desert.", "Apricot Fritters. — Cut apricots in quarters, remove skins care- fully and soak for an hour in orange syrup, drain on a sieve and dip each piece into this batter : Mix with one and one-half pints flour two tablespoons butter, two yolks of eggs and a little salt ; stir in slowly and a little at a time a tablespoon more than a pint luke- warm water, and work the batter with a wooden spoon until it looks creamy, then add well-whipped whites of three eggs. Fry a golden brown color, place in a dish, sift powdered sugar over, and send to table with a custard poured around them, dipping a spoonful over each fritter in serving. Fritters may be prepared as above with any stoned fruit.", "Banana Fritters. — One cup flour, yolks of two eggs, pinch of salt, two tablespoons melted lard or butter, water to make a batter as above. Add the whites beaten to a stiff\" froth, and stir in lightly three or four bananas cut in slices. Dip with a spoon and fry as directed in preface. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped or plain sweetened cream. This will make a dessert for eight persons.", "Berry Fritters. — One and a half pints flour, gill cream, or tablespoon melted butter, pint milk, six eggs, teaspoon salt ; mix well and add either blackberries, currants, gooseberries or rasp- berries and fry by si^oonfuls. Eat with a hard sauce.", "Brain Fritters. — Beat one egg and a half cup sweet milk with sufficient flour to make a thick batter, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Beat well and stir in beef or pork brains. Drop by spoonfuls, and fry in hot fat. Considered by some superior to oysters cooked in same way", "Cake Fritters. — TaKe six or eight stale small sponge cakes and roll or pound fine ; pour a cup boiling hot cream over them and stir in tablespoon corn starch wet with a little cold milk ; cover for half an hour, then beat until cold and add the yolks of four eggs, beaten light and strained, the whipped whites, then a quarter pound cur- rants thickly dredged with flour. Beat all well together. Drop from tablespoon, fry quickly and serve hot with any nice sauce. Or, make a sponge-cake batter, drop by teaspoonfuls and fry as above. Serve for dessert with a hot sauce.", "Celery Fritters. — Boil thick but tender stalks of celery in salted water ; when done dry on a cloth, cut in equal lengths about one and a half incht's ; fry in batter to a golden color, sprinkling fine Halt well over, and serve. If wanted extra nice cut a half dozen stalks tender, well blanched celery into pieces an inch or two long", "FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES. 293", "and boil in salted water until tender. While boiling make a batter as follows : Mix smooth the yolk of a raw egg and a tablespoon salad oil ; add a little salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, sift in a half pint flour and add water to make a batter that will drop from spoon. Just before using add whipped whites of two eggs. Dip the cooked celery in this and fry a delicate brown in hot fat ; drain and serve ai*6nce.", "Clam Flutters. — Wash one dozen hard or soft shell clams, divide soft and hard parts of each clam, boil the latter in water half an hour, or till tender, drain, chop fine and add the water in which they were cooked, also the soft parts, yolks of two well-beaten eggs, ealtspoon salt, dash or two of cayenne, half pint milk, whites of eggs, and flour so that batter will drop from spoon ; fry as above. Or, make a batter with juice, an equal quantity of sweet milk, four eggs to each pint of liquid, and flour sufficient to stiffen; add chopped raw clams, or dip in the whole clam and fry.", "Corn Fritters. — To one quart grated raw sAveet corn, (fifteen common-sized ears) add yolks of three eggs and scant three-fourths pint cracker-crumbs ; if corn is not juicy use less, making batter oyily stiff\" enough to drop from spoon. Beat very thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, add well-frothed whites, and drop with tea- spoon and fry ; turn out and drain as directed. Serve hot, using the fritter doily in dish, or place an ordinary napkin under and over. Some add to this batter a piece of salt codfish, size of a silver dollar, shredded very fine, as this gives the peculiar oyster taste, and hence the name sometimes given them of Corn Oysters. Above proportions make six dozen fritters, and are very easily made. Or, for Dried Corn Fritters., grate corn as above and dry on plates so as to preserve all the juice, as in recipe for drying corn, or better on the evaporator hereafter described. To make, soak the grated corn overnight in water or milk, and add eggs and crackers as above. These are as delicious as when made from raw corn, and well repay the trouble of drying the corn.", "Corn Meal Fritters. — Beat and strain the yolks of four eggs ; add one tablespoon each sugar and melted butter, one teaspoon salt, one-half teaspoon soda dissolved in hot water, a pint each milk and best corn meal, (sugar may be omitted). Beat hard five minutes and stir in the whipped whites of the eggs and a half cup flour into which a teaspoon cream tartar has been sifted. Beat again thoroughly, adding more milk if necessary to make it drop from the spoon ; fry, drain and serve at once with a hard sauce.", "Cream Fritters. — Whip the whites of five eggs ana stir into one cup cream, add two full cups flour, a saltspoon nutmeg, a pinch of salt, and teaspoon baking powder. Beat hard two", "294 FEITTERS AND CROQUETTES.", "minutes, fry by spoonfuls, drain and serve hot on napkin. Eat with jelly sauce.", "Currant Fritters. — Put a half pint milk into a bowl with two tablespoons flour, which should previously be rubbed smooth with a little cold milk ; stir well together and add four well-beaten eggs, three tablespoons each boiled rice, and fresh or dried curraMs, sugar and nutmeg to taste. Beat the mixture a fcAV minutes, and if not thick enough add a little more boiled rice ; fry by spoonfuls a nice brown, pile on a Avhite napkin, strew sifted sugar over and serve very hot with a garnish of sliced lemon.", "Egg Plant Fritters. — Take a large-sized egg plant, leave on stem and skin and boil in porcelain kettle until very soft, just so that it can be taken out with the aid of a fork or spoon ; take off all the skin and mash very fine in an earthen bowl. When cold add teaspoon salt, plenty of pepper, two tablespoons flour, a half cup cream or milk and three eggs. Have fat hot, drop in batter as for any fritters and brown nicely on each side.", "Grape Fritters. — Cup flour, yolks of two eggs, two tablespoons salad oil, pinch each spice and salt, and enough cold water to make a batter about like sponge cake. When mixed smoothly add whites of eggs beaten to stiff froth. Dip little clusters of grapes in the batter and fry in smoking hot fat. Take up, drain, dust with pow- dered sugar, and serve either hot or cold as a dessert.", "Hominy Fritters. — Mix Avell one pint boiled hominy, one gill cream, two tablespoons corn starch, two eggs, half teaspoon baking powder, saltspoon salt. If too stiff add a little more cream or milk. Fry, drain and dust as above, and serve Avith any sauce liked.", "Italian Fritters. — With a wooden spatula stir rapidly into one pound sifted flour one and a half pints boiling Avatcr. Add three or four eggs, one at a time, and beat well in, thus forming a very delicate batter paste. Press this through a syringe or confec- tioners' bag into hot lard, and as soon as a bright yellow color the}\" are done. Drain in colander, pile on a dish and powder plenti- fully Avith fine sugar. This is a favorite dish in Italy, called there \"cinci.\" May be served Avith a sauce if liked.", "Lemon Fritters. — Three eggs, one pint flour, three-fourths tea- cup powdered sugar ; beat the yolks Avell, add flour and enough milk — about a gill — to make a stiff batter; beat the Avhitcs stiff Avith the sugar, the juice of a lemon and some of the yelloAV peel grated ofi\", or teaspoon extract of lemon, and beat into the batter ju.st before frying.", "Lobster Fritters. — Put one lobster in tAvo quarts boiling Avater with a half cup salt, and boil tAventy-five minutes ; Avhen cold", "FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES. 295", "remove the meat and fat and cut into small slices ; put into a sauce- pan a tablespoon each butter and flour, a cup cream, little celery, salt, thyme, white pepper, and a saltspoon parsley ; let boil two minutes and add yolks four eggs and the lobster ; mix and set back to simmer five minutes ; pour it out on a well greased dish and set away to get firm by cooling ; cut into slices, dip into fritter batter, (see preface) and fry as directed. Serve on the fritters a few sprigs of parsley, quite dry, fried in lard fifteen seconds.", "Mince Meat Fritters. — Mix half pound (about one pint) mince meat, four tablespoons bread-crumbs or one tablespoon flour, two eggs -and juice of half a lemon ; beat well together and fry as directed.", "Nutmeg Fritters. — One cup sugar, butter size of hickory nut, one and a half cups sour milk, one teaspoon soda and a little nut- meg. Stir in flour till thick as fruit cake ; drop a teaspoon at a time in hot fat. Very nice for breakfast with coffee.", "Orange Fritters. — Make a nice light batter with one pint flour, tablespoon butter, half saltspoon salt, two eggs and sufficient milk to make it proper consistency ; peel oranges, remove as much of the white skin as possible, and divide each orange into eight pieces without breaking the thin skin, unless necessary to remove pips ; dip each piece of orange in the batter, drop in hot fat, and fry a del- icate brown. Serve sprinkled with powdered sugar. Or, cut oranges in slices across, take out all seeds, dip slices in batter, fry and serve as above.", "yster Fritters. — Drain one dozen oysters and dry thoroughly in a towel ; make a batter of two cups flour, yolk of one egg, table- spoon salad oil, saltspoon salt, dust of cayenne, Avell-beaten white, chopped oysters, and sufficient oyster liquor to make a batter thick enough to drop from spoon. Or, leave oysters whole and dip singly in batter, using a fork or skewer, and fry. For latter way have batter thicker than if chopped oysters are used. One cup milk may be substituted for the liquor, and some add half teaspoon lemon juice.", "Parsnip Fritters. — One cup dry mashed parsnip, tablespoon each butter and flour, an egg, and salt and pepper. Stir all together ; drop by spoonfuls and fry as directed.", "Peach Fritters. — (With yeast.) Sift a quart flour into bowl, add a cup milk and half cup yeast, and set in warm place to rise. This will take five or six hours. Then beat four eggs very light, with two tablespoons each sugar tmd butter and a little salt ; mix with the risen dough and beat thoroughly with wooden spoon. Knead with the hands ; pull off bits of dough about the size of an", "296 FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES.", "egg, flatten each and put in the center a peach, from which the stone has been taken through a slit in the side ; enclose it in the dough, make into a roll and set in order upon a floured pan for second rising. The balls must not touch and should be light in an hour. Have ready a large kettle or saucepan of hot lard, drop in the balls and fry more slowly than fritters made in the usual way. Drain on hot white paper, sift powdered sugar over and serve hot with rich sauce. These fritters may be made of canned peaches or apricots drained and wiped dry.", "Pineapple Fritters. — Pare a pineapple with as little waste as possible and cut into rather thin slices ; soak the slices four hours in a lemon syrup, dip into the fritter batter given in preface and fry. Serve quickly, strewn with sifted sugar. A very elegant dish.", "Potato Fritters. — Boil two potatoes, and beat up lightly with a fork — do not use a spoon, as that would make them heavy. Beat yolks of four eggs Avell, add two tablespoons each cream and orange juice, two-thirds tablespoon lemon juice and half teaspoon grated nutmeg and beat all together for at least twenty minutes, or until the batter is extremely light ; then add well frothed whites of three eggs and fry as directed. Serve with the following hot sauce : Four tablespoons orange juice and half pint l)oiling water, mixed with the strained juice of a lemon, warmed together and sweetened with white sugar. Or scoop out the insides of four nicely baked potatoes and make as above, using four tablespoons cream and adding two of powdered sugar ; flavor with juice of a lemon and half the grated peel, or a half teaspoon vanilla.", "Queen Fritters. — Put three heaping tablespoons flour into a bowl and pour over it enough boiling water to make a stiff paste, stirring and beating well to prevent lumps. Let cool, break into it (without beating) yolks of four eggs and whites of two, and stir and beat all well together ; drop ])y dessertspoonfuls, and fry a light brown. They should rise so much as to be almost like balls. Serve on a dish, with a spoonful of preserve or marmalade dropped in be- tween the fritters. Excellent for a hasty addition to dinner, when a guest appears unexpectedly ; easily and quickly made, and always a favorite.", "Rice Fritters. — Boil one cup rice in one pint milk until soft ; add yolks of three eggs, one tablespoon sugar, two taljlespoons each butter and flour ; when cold add the whites of the eggs whipped to a stiff froth ; drop in spoonfuls and fry a light brown. Serve with sweetened cream or lemon sauce. To make nice fritters with marmalade cook seven tablespoons rice in a quart milk, with six tablespoons sugar and one of butter, over a slow fire until perfectly tender, which will be in about three-quarters of an hour ; then strain", "FRITTERS AND CROQUETTES. 297", "away the milk, should there be any left, and mix with it six table- spoons orange marmalade and four well-beaten eggs ; stir over the fire until the eggs are set ; then spread mixture about half an inch thick, or rather thicker, on plate or board. When perfectly cold, cut into long strips, dip in batter and fry a nice brown. Dish on a white doily, strew sifted sugar over, and serve quickly. Another excellent way is to soak a cup rice, three hours in enough warm water to cover well ; then put it into a farina-kettle, set in an outer vessel of hot water, and simmer until dry. Add two cups milk and cook until it is all absorbed. Stir in one tablespoon butter and take from fire. Beat three eggs very light with three tablespoons sugar, and when the mixture is cold stir them in with a flavoring of nut- meg and a little salt. Make into round flat cakes. Place in the middle of each two or three raisins which have been ''plumped\" in boiling water, roll the cake into a ball enclosing the raisins, flour well and fry in hot fat. Serve on a napkin, with sugar and cinna- mon sifted over. Eat with sweetened cream, hot or cold. Or scald nine tablespoons rice and boil it in just enough milk to keep rather thick. When partially cooled mix with it a lump of butter, four tablespoons grated cheese and yolks of three eggs. Season to taste, drop into hot fat by spoonfuls and fry a nice brown. Arrange in a circle on a napkin lapping over one another and serve.", "Rye Fritters. — Two eggs, three cups flour, one cup rye-meal, one teaspoon soda, two of cream tartar, one cup sugar, a little salt ; mix with milk or water, drop from a spoon into hot lard.", "Sandwich Fritters. — Cut thin slices of bread and butter them ; spread half with any jam that may be preferred, and cover with the other slices ; slightly press together, and cut in square, long, or round pieces. Dip in a batter, prepared as in preface, and fry in hot fat for about ten minutes ; drain and sprinkle over with sifted sugar, and serve.", "Snow Fritters. — The success of these depends upon using snow that has just fallen and is full of bubbles of air, which makes them light. Have the fat hot, and make a thick batter of a pint milk, level teaspoon salt, and sifted flour to make thick enough so that when dropped the batter will cling for a moment to the spoon ; when the fat begins to smoke, stir into the batter very quickly a cup newly fallen snow and fry at once by tablespoonfuls. If the batter stands after snow is added the fritters Avill not be light, because the air will soon escape from the batter. Serve with syrup, sugar and butter, or any sauce preferred. Some add an egg and an apple chopoed fine.", "Walnut Fritters. — Take two-inch squares of baked \"walnuts\" rolled very thin, marinade in orange syrup and dip in batter and fry.", "298 FRITTERS AXD CROQUETTES.", "Vanities. — Beat two eggs, stir in pinch salt and a half teaspoon rose-water, add sifted flour till just thick enough to roll out, cut with a cake-cutter, and fry quickly in hot fat. Sift powdered sugar on them while hot, and when cool put a tea-spoon jelly in the center of each one. Nice for tea or dessert.", "Croquettes.", "To make croquettes successfully has been said to require both painstaking and practice, but by observing the directions given here and in the recipes that follow, one who has never l^efore attempted these dainties may, with a few odds and ends from the V)reakfast or dinner table, create surprisingly tempting dishes, both to the eye and the palate. All ingredients must be thoroughly mixed ; when meat is used all bits of bone, gristle, skin and fat must be carefully removed and meat chopped very fine, and the whole mixture made as moist as can be handled. Very dry or tough meat is not suitable for croquettes ; tender, roasted pieces give the best flavor. When the mixture is to be cooked it is only necessary to thoroughly heat through, and it must then stand until cold before shaping. If too moist add a little cracker-dust or crumbs, if too dry a little cream or yolk of an egg. Use white pepper for seasoning.", "Croquettes may be made into flat, oval, pear or egg shapes, balls and rolls, of which the latter are most easily made, but the pear shape is the handsomest; when fried and ready to serve make an incision in the stalk end and insert a piece of citron an eighth of an inch square and about an inch long for a stem, and a clove for the blossom ; great care Croquettes. IS Tcquircd in shaping and frying. When", "shaped as rolls they should be about three inches long, and are made by taking the desired (juantity of the mixture and rolling it very gently on a l)oard sprinkled lightly Avith fine bread-crumbs or cracker-dust. Handle very carefully, slightly flouring the hands, as the slightest pressure will break them. Let them lie on the", "CROQUETTES. 299", "board until all are finished, when if an}'' have flattened they must be rolled into form again. When croquettes are shaped have ready some well-beaten eggs in a soup plate or shallow dish — the number will of course depend upon the number of croquettes — and some finely rolled bread or cracker-crumbs or cracker-dust on a board, or sheet of clean brown paper. Save all bits of bread for such pur- poses, and prepare by drying in the oven and rolling very Une^ as fine as possible, keeping in a covered box, tin can or glass jar, or in a closely tied paper sack, in dry place. Cracker-dust may be bought at almost any grocery. The croquettes may be single- breaded, double-breaded or doublo-egg-breaded, according to the amount of moisture they contain, and must always be so thoroughly encased in the egg and crumbs that the fat may not penetrate them. To Single-hread simply coat with the beaten egg first (either by dipping the croquettes into it or brushing them over) and then roll them in crumbs, beginning with those that were first egged and proceeding in that order until all are done. Doiible-hreading is rolling them first in the crumbs, then coating with beaten egg, and again rolling in the crumbs. To Double- egg -bread, dip first in egg, then roll in crumbs, dip again into the egg, and roll in crumbs again. The croquettes are very much nicer to let stand fifteen minutes after they are crumbed before egging and breading again, and from a half hour to an hour before frying, which dries the eggs and crumbs thoroughly into a sort of shell. The improvement in appearance and lightness Avill well repay one for the extra time and trouble. When double-egg-breading some think the croquettes much handsomer to roll th", "drippings, but are not as nice. In making croquettes after recipes given, any seasoning or flavoring not liked may be omitted and", "300 CROQUETTES.", "another substituted for it or not as preferred. Croquettes may be fried without breading if making in a hurry, by simply rolling in flour, without using the eggs, but the result will not be so satisfac- tory or pleasing.", "A pretty breakfast dish may be made of croquettes of fish, lobster, fowl or meat in the shape of hen's eggs heaped upon a dish and surrounded by very thin strips of fried potato, arranged to look as much as possible like straw, and garnished with croutons of bread. Corn fritters and any good meat croquettes are . nice served together at tea or luncheon on same platter, neatly arranged heaps of fritters on one end of platter and croquettes on the other, placing two fritters and two croquettes upon each plate.", "Bread Croquettes. — Cut the crust from a stale loaf of bread or rolls, and cut into balls, squares, circles, diamonds, etc. Soak them in a shallow dish containing a cup milk with two teaspoons sugar and a flavoring of cinnamon and nutmeg (some add a beaten egg), turning occasionally until the whole is absorbed ; or, soak them in a thin custard flavored with lemon-zest, vanilla or rose-water. Do not let them become moist enough to break. Bread and fry as dii'ected in preface, and serve with lemon sauce.", "' '' Chichen Croquettes. — Take cold minced chicken and bread crumbs in the proportion of one-fourth as much bread-crumbs as meat, and one egg beaten light to each cup of meat, with gravy enough to moisten the crumbs and chicken — or, if there is no gravy, a little drawn butter or cream; add pepper, salt and chopped parsiey to taste, and mix with meat the yolks of two hard-boiled eggs rubbed fine with a spoon. Mix all into a paste, shape into balls with floured hands, double-bread them and drop into hot lard. Drain and serve in a heated dish, garnished with cresses or parsley. Mashed potato may be used instead of bread-crumbs, taking two- thirds as much potato as meat.; Or, fry three shallots in butter, add half pint chopped chicken, dredge in teaspoon flour, season with pepper,' salt, mace, pounded .sugar, and add sufiicient Avhite sauce to moisten it; stir in yolks of two well-beaten eggs, and cool. Then make mixture up in balls, fjingle-bread and fry a nice brown. Theiy may be served on top of border of mashed potatoes with gravy or sauce in center. ; Oivobop cold, cliicken with a few slices ham^ fat oi^.lean, adtVhtHlf .-^'l-'in^^ciii brpq,d-crun^bs, &e£^son with salt and pt^p|:iier^a liitle nutrn^g, teas^^ each made mustard and (k«^Jj an'd'^tablesp^y6h^%utier}'%i$i''dtid'wd^^ Wei5\"^0gether, make", "CROQTTETTES. 301", "into cakes, single-bread and fry ; or another good proportion is a full pint cooked and finely chopped chicken, one tablespoon each flour and salt, half teaspoon each pepper and onion juice, one cup cream or chicken stock, and three tablespoons butter. Boil the cream or stock, add chicken and seasoning and boil two minutes ; stir in two well-beaten eggs and take from fire immediately. When cold, shape, roll in crumbs and fry. Finely chopped onion is often used instead of onion juice, and chopped mushrooms are a nice addition. Chopped parsley, thyme, sage, mace, nutmeg, or any seasoning liked, may be employed, and some prefer cracker-dust to bread-crumbs. The meat of any fowl may be used, and Veal, Mutton and Ham Croquettes are make in same way, or half veal and half ham is a nice mixture. Ham and chicken mixed is also good. For a more elaborate dish make the Croquettes vjith TruMes : Cut cold roast chicken into tiny squares ; take same quantity of truffles, diced, and mix all with some thick, well- seasoned white sauce, into which has been stirred some cliopped mushrooms, onions, and yolks of two eggs. Make into balls or any shape fancied, single-bread and fry. Garnish with fried parsley.", "Chicken Croquettes with Brains. — Chop fine the meat of one cold boiled chicken and add to it the finely chopped meat of two or three calves' brains, first soaking them in cold salted water one hour, then skinning and placing in cold salted water and a little vinegar and boiling ten to fifteen minutes ; season the mixture with salt, pepper, finely-chopped parsley, lemon juice, and a little grated lemon-peel, and add three-quarters cup butter. If too stiff add a little cream. The softer and more creamy they are the better — just so they will hold together ; shape, double-egg-bread and fry. Serve with tomato sauce with sliced mushrooms; or, for a Triple Cro- quette, prepare as above half a chicken, one sweet-bread boiled till tender, and one brain, and to the finely-chopped mixture add a well-beaten egg, teaspoon chopped parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Put in stewpan half pint cream and add one tablespoon corn-starch, first mixed smoothly with a little of the cream, then add the chopped and seasoned mixture and stir till it bubbles. Take off, and when cold shape and double-egg-bread; fry in basket as directed in preface.", "Chicken Croquettes with Sweetbreads. — Take the white meat of a chicken and pound it to a paste with a large boiled sweetbread freed from sinews ; beat one egg with a teaspoon flour and four tablespoons cream, and add, with salt and pepper, mixing all well together ; put in a pan and simmer just enough to absorb part of the moisture, stirring constantly ; turn out on flat dish and set in ice-box to become cold and firm, then roll into small neat shapes of cones, rolls or balls, handling carefully, and fry a delicate brown. Some add a little grated nutmeg. Or, for a Royal Sweetbreaa, stir", "302 CROQUETTES.", "two tablespoons butter and one of flour in stewpan over fire ; when it bubbles add little by little one pint cream, then the finely-chopped meat from two sweetbreads soaked five minutes in boiling water, and one boiled chicken, dark and white meat, seasoned with one tablespoon each onion juice (or half teaspoon grated onion) and chopped parsley, one teas])oon mace, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir till well heated, take from fire, add lemon juice and let cool. ^^'hen cold roll into shape with fine cracker-ci'umbs and donble-egg- bread as directed, letting them stand till dry after rolling in cracker-crumbs first time, and then using rather coarse bread- crumbs for last rolling. Or, for Croquettes lo'dh Bread Crumbs, take after chicken and sweetbreads are finely chopped and seasoned as above (witliout the lemon juice) an equal cjuantity of fine bread- crumbs. Place in stewpan as much broth from boiled chicken (liaving saved it all) as will moisten the crumbs, in proportion of about half pint to a pint crum})s ; add four tal)lespoons cream and two of Initter; when boiling add crumbs till they adhere to spoon. Mix with meat and when cool add two well-beaten eggs and njold into croquettes ; double-bread and fry as above.", "Crah Croquettes. — Boil two crabs fifteen minutes, remove the meat from the shells and chop it coarsely. Melt three tablespoons butter in a saucepan, stir into it six tablespoons Hour and add to this by degrees- a half pint milk. When this is brought to the boiling ])oint let it boil for two minutes and take from fire. Throw into the saucepan the meat from the crabs, add to the mixture one grain cayenne, half teaspoon pei>per, teaspoon each anchovy anuce and salt, and wlien thoroughly mixed turn it out upon a plate and let cool. When quite cold form into small rolls three inches in length, single-bread and fry ; serve on a folded napkin garnished with sprigs of parsley.", "Cream Croquettes. — Put stick cinnamon one inch long in pint new milk in custard kettle. AMien hot stir in three tablespoons sugar, two of corn-starch and one of flour,\" the two latter rubbed smooth with two or three additional tablespoons cold milk; let cook ten or fifteen minutes, stir in beaten yolks of three eggs, take out cinnamon and place inner kettle on table and stir in half tablespoon butter and half teaspoon vanilla. Pour on a buttered platter till one-half inch high ; when cold cut in two-inch squares, carefully double-bread with cracker-crumbs, having the beaten egg slightly sweetened. Fry as directed and ])lace on papered pan in oven for five minutes to drain and soften the croquettes. Serve hot on a hot dish — this is imperative — first sprinkling with sugar. A richer cream may be made by using three tablespoons butter, two whole eggs, and four additional yolks. Either is simply delicious.", "Hominy Croquettes. — Pour one and a half pints l)oiling Avater on a half pint hominy, stir, cover and boil slowly, stirring occasion-", "CROQUETTES. 803", "ally for twenty minutes, or until the water is absorbed and the hominy rather stiflF; add one and a half gills milk and teaspoon salt, stir thoroughly, cover and let stand ten minutes, cooking again if necessary, very slowly ; it should be like a tolerably thick batter, but not too thick to drop. Beat in a tablespoon butter and pour the whole into a shallow pan to cool — if allowed to get cold it will be too stilT. Make into balls the size of an egg, single-bread and fry. This quantity should make fifteen croquettes. Or, to make with cold hominy, work two tablespoons melted butter with two cups cold l)oiled hominy, add two well-beaten eggs and a pinch of salt, beat thoroughly and make into balls or rolls. Some add a cup milk by degrees and two teaspoons sugar. Single-bread them and fry. Serve with syrup or a sweet sauce.", "Lobster Croquettes. — Finely chop the meat of a lobster, work in two tablespoons butter — melted, but not hot — then a teaspoon each anchovy sauce and lemon juice, a little salt, pepper, mace and lemon peel, two raw eggs, and lastly a half cup bread-crumbs. Make into egg shapes, single-bread them and fry quickly. Drain thoroughly and serve very hot. These croquettes are delicious. The dish should be garnished with slices of lemon. Pass milk or cream crackers with them.", "Meat Croquettes. — Take cold chicken, or roast or boiled beef or veal, mince very fine, moisten with cold gravy if at hand, or moisten well, and add one egg, season with pepper, salt, and an onion, or sage ; make into small eakes or rolls, single-bread, and ixy in lard and butter. One cup fresh boiled rice may be added before making into cakes. Or, take one-quarter as much cold potato, either mashed or chopped and pounded fine, as cold cooked beef or meat M. at cronuettcs. of auv klud, clioppcd very fine, Avith gravy or cream enough to moisten, add one beaten egg and pepper and salt to taste, with a pinch of marjoram ; mix, season, and form into balls. Double-bread them and fry in hot lard to delicate brown. Drain and serve hot. Bread-crumbs may be used instead of potato, using half and half, or any proportion Avished ; or one-third meat, potatoes and bread-crumbs. , For Fresh Meat Croquettes take any fresh meat, beef, veal or mutton, and grind through a small meat cutter, or chop and pound very thoroughly to a jelly, then add quarter as much either bread-crumbs or potatoes ; add egg, etc., and finish as above. Or, prepare meat as above, add pepper and salt, and one-fourth as much bread-crumbs as meat, moisten with a little boiled milk that has cooled, add one egg, a little chopped onion, and single-bread and fry in a little butter, or immerse in hot fat.", "Oyster Croquettes. — Take half pint each raw oysters and cooked veal, a heaping tablespoon butter, three of cracker-crumbs,", "304 CROQUETTES.", "yolks of two eggs, one tablespoon onion juice ; chop oysters and veal very fine, soak the crackers in oyster-liquor, and then mix all the ingredients and shape, single-bread in cracker-dust and fry. The butter should be softened before mixing.", "Parsnip Croquettes. — Boil six parsnips till tender ; when cold grate and mix with two eggs, season and add flour, and shape int<» balls, single-bread or not, and fry by immersion; or fry plainly in a little oil, drippings or lard.", "Potato Croquettes. — Two cups cold mashed potatoes, two well- beaten eggs, one tablespoon melted butter, a teaspoon fine bread- crumbs, salt, pepper and a little chopped parsley, or other seasoning to taste. Mix well, make into balls, single-bread and fry. Or, melt butter in saucepan, add two tablespoons milk, let boil ; then add potatoes first pressed through sieve, stir well together till potatoes are very hot; take from fire, add pepper, salt and cayenne, drop in yolks of two eggs, and stir till the heat of potato dries the egg ; let cool and roll into small balls with a little flour to prevent sticking to hands, and then single-bread, using the whites of the two eggs. The yolks give the croquettes a rich yellow color; if whites were added to croquettes they would be difficult to form into balls and the color would not be so fine.", "Rice Croquettes. — Put three-fourths pound of rice over the fire in a quart milk and simmer slowly twenty minutes ; remove from fire, stir in l)oaten yolks of two eggs, a teaspoon lemon juice, saltspoon salt, and three ta1)lespoons sugar; beat all thoroughly together, turn into a bowl and let stand until cool, then make into balls ; beat the whites of two eggs until quite light but not to a firm froth, dip the balls into this, then into fine bread-crumbs and fry. Serve thickly sprinkled with sugar. Or, take one large cup cooked, rice, half cup milk, one egg, one tablespoon each sugar ana butter, half a teasi)oon salt, slight grating of nutmeg. Put milk on to boil, and add rice and seasoning. When it boils up, add the eg^, well beaten, stir one minute, then take off and cool. When cold, shai)e, single-bread, fry, and serve very hot. Any flavoring can be substituted for the nutmeg. For nic.e croquettes without eggs put a quarter of a pound of Carolina \"head\" rice — or nine tablespoons — a pint milk, three tablespoons powdered sugar, butter size of a walnut, and a teaspoon extract vanilla into a saucepan and simmer gently until the rice is tender and the milk absorbed. It must be cooked until thick and dry, or it will be difficult to mold into cro- (|uettes. Beat thoroughly three or four minutes ; turn out on a flat tin, and when cold and stiff form into balls, single-bread them and fry. A very excellent reci]>e for croquettes when one has to prepare them hastily and has n(»t time to bread them, is one cup cold boiled rice, a teaspoon each sugar and melted butter, half teaspoon salt,", "CROQUETTES. 305", "one egg beaten light, eight crackers rolled fine, and a little sweet milk ; mix all well together, make into oval cakes and fry in butter till a nice yellow brown. Syrup, or a nice sweet sauce, should be served with rice croquettes.", "Rice Ball Croquettes. — Boil a half pound rice — or eighteen tablespoons — in a quart stock, broth or Avater very gently for half an hour, add three tablespoons butter and simmer until quite dry and soft. When cold make into balls and fill with the chopped meat of a cold fowl, mixed with six tablespoons each white sauce and broth, Avhich should be rather thick ; cover over with rice, single-bread them and fry. Garnish with fried parsley. Oysters, white sauce, or a little cream may be stirred into the rice, if liked, before it cools. Or, for a dessert dish, boil the rice in milk, with three or four table- spoons sugar, flavor with lemon peel, vanilla or bitter almonds, and make into balls with a small piece of jelly or jam in the center of each, bread them and fry.", "Salsify Croquettes. — Wash, scrape and boil the salsify till tender ; rub it through a colander, and mix with pulp a little butter, cream, salt, cayenne and lemon juice ; mix ingredients thoroughly together to a smooth paste, and set dish in ice-box to get cold ; then shape it into small cakes or cones, single-bread and fry crisp and brown.", "Venison Croquettes. — Three-fourths pint chopped venison, one- fourth pint stale bread, crumbed fine, one cup gravy thickened with browned flour, one teaspoon", "jelly, a pinch of mace, very little grated lemon", "peel, and chopped parsley to taste. Stir the jelly venison'rroqoKt^ into the gravy with the seasoning ; with this mix the meat and crumbs, add the beaten egg, make into rolls, single-bread them and fry. Mutton Croquettes are nice made same way.", "306 FRUIT.", "Fruit is very generally and erroneously regarded as a luxury rather than as a valuable, even necessary, article of food, and many housekeepers who now stint this supply for economy's sake would do better to banish rich pastry entirely from their tables and substitute instead an abundance of fruit. Acid fruits furnish oxygen in abundance, and consequently assist in the assimilation of the carbonaceous elements of food. If the diet is largely made up of fats, sweets and starchy foods, which are mostly carbon, a great deal of oxygen is needed to carry on the necessary chemical combustion, and when this is not obtained either by out-of-door exercise or the free consumption of fruit, headaches and biliousness result, ultimately followed by more serious disorders, such as neuralgia, rheumatism, fevers and inflammatory diseases. So that for persons engaged in sedentary pursuits it is evident that fruit is as necessary as bread and meat. The hydroganic acid found in most northern fruits not only stimulates digestion, but is itself a nerve food ; peaches, apricots, apples and cherries abound in this acid, retaining it in a large degree when dried, and it is contained also in almonds, raisins and peach pits, which eaten after meals often aid digestion. One or two peach pits eaten regularly thus have been known to effect permanent cures of the nervous forms of indigestion, and if their value in this respect were generally known they would not be so universally wasted. A prominent physician has suggested that \"Feast on Fruit Freely,\" be hung as a motto in every dining room and taught to every person. Fruit should be eaten at meals instead of between meals, and no breakfast, especially,", "FRUIT. 307", "should be made without it. All fruits intended for immediate eating should be gathered before ten o'clock in summer in order to obtain their best flavor. And if the market is to be depended upon the utmost care should be exercised in its selection.", "California and Florida oranges are the best, a diff\"erence of opin- ion existing among fruit connoisseurs as to the comparative merits of the two, which rival each other so closely that there is perhaps but little choice.", "The only really desirable lemons, aside from a few from River- side, California, are the Messinas, Palermos and Sicilys, all foreign importations, ranking in the order named. Choose the heavy fruit, with clean, smooth, thin skin, of a bright yellow color, and the medium sized lemon, known among dealers as the \"360\" is the best. The large lemons are more showy and expensive but are apt to be dry.", "The banana is the most nutritious of all fruits, and is becoming more popular every year.", "The plantain is a tropical fruit of the banana species, of the same shape and color but much larger — about two feet long and three inches in diameter — is of a coarse fibre and is not palatable raw, but very good fried or baked. It is considered very nutritious and wholesome, and is one of the main products of Honduras.", "The guava is a fruit not generally known in the north, though quite a demand exists in southern markets. There are several varieties of this fruit, some of which are natives of Asia, some of America, and some are common to both. The best of these is the white guava, which is abundant in the West Indies ; is rather larger than a hen's egg, smooth, yellow and of a peculiar smell. The pulp is of a very agreeable taste, sweet and aromatic, and is used at dessert and preserved. Gauva jelly comes from the \"West Indies, is highly esteemed, and excellent for giving strength and tone to one after a long illness or when digestion is impaired.", "Pineapples when well matured are delicious and wholesome, and may be had at almost any season.", "Of the smaller domestic fruits strawberries may be had from the last of April until into July. The Crescent is the best variety for table use. Cherries ripen in June and the best table varieties are the Oxheart, Whiteheart and Blackheart. The sweet \"ground cherry,\" as it is called, is a fruit but Httle known in market though", "308 FRUIT.", "it has been successfully grown in private gardens for many years. It is the fruit of a plant which in its general appearance, habits and growth resembles the tomato planl The fruit is round as a cherry, and about three-fourths of an inch in diameter when taken out of the husk in which it is enclosed. When ripe the fruit falls from the plant and is better to lie in the husk awhile, when it becomes very sweet. It makes most excellent pies, sauce or preserves, and requires very little sweetening. When dried with a little sugar it is equal to raisins for many purposes. It begins to blossom the last of July, and, like the tomato, continues to blossom, set and ripen till killed by the frost. Currants include red, white and black varieties, the best of which are known as Cherry, Fay's Prolific, White Dutch, and White Grape, and clioice fruit can be obtained in almost any market during July. The ripening season begins in June, and the fruit may be had until into August. Of red rasp- berries theCuthbert is the finest of any yet known, though excellent fruit is plentiful in its sen son, which is from the middle of June to the middle of August. White raspberries are scarce and highly prized. Fine black raspberries, or \"black-caps,\" are common everywhere in this country, as are also blackberries, of which the Lawton ranks the highest. Gooseberries are not so much used fresh at table as they should be, as when perfectly ripe they make a delicious dessert. There are a number of varieties, red, yellow, green and white, and may be had from May till August. What are known as whortleberries and huckleberries are often confounded with blueberries, which are much superior though of the same species. The former have", "Every section has its favorite varieties of melons — the earliest shipments coming from the gulf coast islands about June 1st — any of which make a wholesome addition to breakfast or dessert. The nutmeg melons are very choice and have long ranked highest in market, but the Japan melon is a later and still more perfect production. It has a rough green rind, and when well ripened, a smooth, yellow pulp, sweet and luscious. Watermelons are plenty and cheap everywhere.", "FRUIT. 309", "Of the delicious peach only the freestones are suitable for table use when raw, but the \"clings\" are very fine in compotes, stews, etc. The vegetable or vine i:>each is another fruit but littl« known, though very desirable. It grows on a vine similar to a muskmelon vine, and ripens in August. It is of about the size of a large peach, yellow when ripe, and when peeled, halved and the seeds taken out, looks very much like a peach treated in the same manner ; it makes very nice pies, and for sweet pickles and pre- serves is unsurpassed. Apricots and nectarines are fruits similar in character to the peach, without its rough, fuzzy coat, and not to be compared with it in lusciousness and fine flavor.", "Pears may be obtained from the middle of July until well into the winter, the Bartlett being the choicest and the Winter Nellis being the best keeper. The fine-grained pears are best for eating. There are several good varieties of plums, the California and Oregon fruit, sweet, large and fine flavored, leading.", "The apple is, however, the staple American fruit, and no other is grown to such perfection or can be so easily preserved through the winter. This fruit is palatable and nutritious, easily digested when perfectly ripe, so common as to be found on the humblest tables, and may be prepared in a great diversity of ways.", "The albuminous fruits, such as cocoa-nuts, filberts, almonds, hickory nuts, etc., are really seeds, and contain a large proportion of nutritive matter. Cocoa-nuts should be bought cautiously in summer, heat being likely to sour the milk. The Jordan sweet almond is the best, the Tarragon ranking next, and the California Soft Shell being third. The kernels of the sweet almonds are served in either a green or a ripe state at dessert, but the bitter almonds are little used and only in cookery.", "The arrangement of fresh fruits for the table affords play for the most cultivated taste and not a little real inventive genius. Melons,", "oranges, and indeed all kinds of", "fruits, are appropriate breakfast dishes,", "and a center piece of mixed fruits", "furnishes a delicious dessert,", "and is an indisi^ensable orna-", ",,..j!.-r.f. ment to an elegant dinner-", "^ .i-i i-ii'; °", "table. Large fruits, or large bunches of fruits are required, and that shown in cut is composed of pears, peaches, apricots, and", "310 FRUIT.", "plums as a kind of raised ground-work, with a magnificent bunch of royal-purple grapes on top. The colors of the fruits should blend harmoniously and the effect should be fresh and apparently un- studied, but they should be firmly placed so that when the dish is moved there will be no danger of an avalanche. Green leaves are well-nigh indispensable to the preparation of fresh fruit for dessert, but there should be just enough and no more; a judicious peep of one here and another there, a tuft of green on this side and on that is all that is needed. Too many leaves will utterly spoil the effect and render it inartistic. This garnishing Avith foliage needs especial attention, as the contrast of the brilliant-colored fruits with nicely arranged leaves is very charming. The garnish/)^/' excellence for des- sert is the ice-plant, its crystallized dewdrops producing a marvelous effect in the height of summer, giving a most inviting sense of cool- ness to the fruit it encircles. The double-edged mallow, strawberry and vine-leaves have a pleasing effect ; and for winter desserts the bay, Cuba, and laurel are sometimes used. Flowers may be very gracefully and artistically combined with fruits, and a pyramid of grapes made up of Malagas, Delawares and Concords makes a showy center piece and a delicious dessert. Rosy-cheeked apples in a firm row for a base, and fine yellow pears piled carelessly on top, stems upward, with a green leaf here and there,make a pretty dish. Apples and pears look well mingled with plums and grapes hanging from the border of the dish in a neglige sort of manner, with a large bunch of grapes lying on top of the apples. Strawberries and black raspberries in alternate rows, separated by a li", "FRUIT. 311", "be much more delicious if sliced and sprinkled with sugar, some", "time before serving, but if wished for a", "more ornamental dish they should be cut", "as illustrated, and served with a border", "of oranges and cherries or grapes, with", "the tuft in the top and a few green leaves", "scattered about. A pin-eapple in the cen- Pmeappk.", "ter of a dish, surrounded with large plums of various sorts and", "colors, mixed with pears or rosy-cheeked apples, all arranged with", "a due regard to color, have a good effect.", "Frozen fruits should stand an hour or so after freezing, and in adding whipped cream beat it in thoroughly with a wooden spoon or paddle. Fruit creams are very elegant desserts, and are made by adding double the quantity of cream to the fruit pulp, which is obtained by j^assing through a puree sieve. Whip together, sweeten to taste, and serve in glasses with whipped cream on top. To mold fruits, cook slowly with sufficient sugar to form a jelly — pound for pound — and turn into molds. Or to more perfectly preserve the form of the fruit make a jelly of a little of the fruit juice and water, stir in the cooked fruit when both are nearly cold, and turn into molds. One of the most valuable uses of apples is to employ them in conjunction with other fruit — either to ameliorate the harshness of damsons or add to the flavor of blackberries, and they are cooked also Avith quinces, green gages, pineapples, apricots and with rasp- berry or currant preserves. When used with the larger fruits choose apples of same size if possible, and cut in same shaped pieces or slices. An apple-corer, a cheap tin tube, made by any tinner, is indispensable in preparing Apple coiers applcs for cooklug. They are made in two sizes,", "one for crab-apples and the other for larger varieties. Rhubarb or pieplant can be mixed with any kind of fruit, half and half, and in a short time will taste exactly like the fruit with which it is mixed. Compotes of the light-fleshed fruits, such as pears, peaches, apples, etc., may be handsomely colored by adding a little currant jelly or juice, a little water from sliced boiled beets, or a few drops of cochineal coloring. The syrups for compotes should boil until a little cooled in a saucer will form a jelly. When cream is served with fruit it is always much nicer whipped. A covered jar or bean- pot is much the best utensil for baking fruit, confining the steam", "312 FRUIT.", "and requiring little or no water ; the action of the more gentle and uniform heat leaves it in better form, and tlie syrup is clearer. In peeling fruit the use of the paring knife with a guard, which prevents the removal of any but a thin skin, will not only effect *\"\"\"\"\" '^'''\"'", "a saving, but as in most fruits the best part lies nearest the rind will also insure a better llavor. Sliced fruits or berries are more attractive and i)alatable sprhiklcd with sugar about an hour before serving, and tlien with poundi-d ice just before sending to the table. \"When berries are left, scald for a few minutes ; too much cooking spoils the flavor. Some think many of the sour berries are im- proved by sUghtlij cooking them with a little sugar before serving. If a part of the berries are badly bruised, gritty, etc. (but not sour or bitter), scald and drain them through a fine sieve without press- ing them. Sweeten the juice and serve as a dressing for puddings, shortcakes, etc., or can for Avinter use. In using molds for fruits etc., dip in cold water before filling.", "Apples. — The varieties are almost innumerable, every section having its preferred kinds, though there are some general favorites, among them the following ; Early Harvests, Red Streaks, Golden Pipl)ins, Pound Sweets, Belle Flower, ^laiden Blush, Snow Apples, Winter Pippins, King's, Spitzenberg, Baldwin, Ben Davis, Genitans, Rhode Island Greenings, Roxbury Russets and Wine Saps. The last eight varieties are all excellent keepers, the Wine Sap keeping the longest, and the Rhode Island Greening is a famous pie a])ple, known and used everywhere. The others named are all excellent eating and cooking ai)ples. Select smooth, mellow, fine-flavored ones, wash and wipe dry and serve at dessert heaped in fruit dish with a border of green leaves, or with leaves interspersed. A border of snuill fruits makes a very attractive dish.", "Baked Ajyples. — Whether plainly or elaborately prepared and served, baked apples form an always acceptable and appropriate dish for breakfast, luncheon, dessert or tea. Sweet ap}<les require longer baking than sour. To bake tart a]>ples, wash and cut out the blossoms and stems, and in the stem end put some sugar ; bake till soft, basting occasionally with the juice in the pan ; serve either warm or cold with sweetened cream or milk. Or, bake them entirely whole and without ])aring, pricking with a coarse needle to prevent bursting. Put in baking dish, stems upward, and as they pegin to warm rub over well with butter. Serve either warm or", "FRUIT. 313", "cold thickly strewn with powdered sugar. For Baked Apples with Syntp take half a dozen apples, a half pound of sugar, and little cinnamon, cloves or nutmeg ; peel and core the apples, put them into a deep pie-dish half filled with water, and add above ingre- dients. Bake until fruit is soft and brown and syrup thick. AVhen cold, place the apples in a glass dish, pouring the syrup over. For an extra nice dish, pare and core tart apples, place in pan with a little water, put butter and sugar in cavity, sprinkle cinnamon over, and bake, basting often ; serve with sweetened cream or milk. Or, fill cavities with sugar, a little lemon juice or extract, and some thin slices lemon rind ; sprinkle sugar over the tops, baste often, and serve cold with cream, or with whipped cream, flavored with sugar and essence of lemon, or a boiled custard, poured over so as to nearly conceal them. For Spiced Apjyles pare and core tart apples, fill center with sugar, stick four cloves in the top of each, and bake in deep Pie-plates, with a little water. For Stuffed Ajjples peel and core large sour apples, put in baking tiish with a very little water, and for every half dozen take a cup sugar, half teaspoon mixed ground spices, pinch of salt, two tablespoons each cracker- crumbs and cream, or milk ; mix all well together and fill the core cavities, bake until tender but not broken, basting often with the juice in the dish ; ?erve either hot or cold with sweetened cream, or place apples in center of a large dish with border of whipped cream around. A really elegant dish. Another equally tempting dish is Jellied Pippins, made by putting in baking dish a layer of pippins or other tender, juicy apples, pared and cored ", "314 FRUIT.", "though some simply cut out the blossom ends, and when sure fruit is perfectly sound leave entirely whole, pricking to prevent burst- ing. Put them in baking-pan with a little water and let them bake very slowly, basting occasionidly. Tlu'V require several hours, and when done are of a rich, dark brown color ; if taken out too soon they are insipid. Some keep them covered while baking, removing the cover just before apples are done, while others first steam them until quite tender, then put in oven and bake. Serve with whipped or plain sweetened cream or milk.", "Coddled yipples. — Wash unripe, dark-green, sour apples, and put in porcelain-lined kettle ; cover Avith water, and boil until ten- der ; pour in a sieve and cool, throw away the water that drains off, pulp through the sieve and add sugar to taste. Serve cold, pouring the pulj) in center of dish ; leave it as it falls, without smoothing, and grate a little nutmeg over the top. To be eaten with sugar and cream.", "Creamed Apples. — Pare and core the fruit and cither scald or bake until soft enough to pulp through a colander or sieve ; sweeten to taste, and fill glasses three-fourths full ; sprinkle each plentifully Avith powdered cinnamon, and when cold put whipped cream over all, heaping until it stands in peaks. Another nice way of serving is to beat well together tAvo cups grated apples, one of sugar, butter size of walnut, two tablespoons Avater, one egg, and a bit of orange or lemon peel ; stir all over the fire about ten minutes, and serA'e either Avarm or cold Avith whipped cream heaped high OA'er the Avhole, or laid upon each saucer.", "Fried Apples. — Select sour apples and quarter and core Avith- out paring; pre]iare frying-pan by heating and putting in beef drip- pings, lay api)les in skin side down, sprinkle Avith a little ])rown sugar, and Avhen nearly done turn and brown thoroughly. Or, cut in slices across the core, about a ^luarter of an inch tbick, put a little butter or drippings in pan, fill Avith the sliced apples and fry, stirring occasionally to prevent burning; serve in dish sprinkled over Avith sugar. If Avanted extra nice, cut a little thicker and fry like pancakes, turning Avhen broAvn ; as fast as fried take out on a dish, or platter, sprinkle over Avith sugar, and ])lace in OA'en to keep hot, proceeding thus Avith each panful until a suflicient quantity is done, taking care not to break the slices. Serve in layers on the platter, or neatly placed in individual dishes. Or, for Fried Apples with Fork, fry in its dripi^ings and serve arranged in a row around the slices of pork, on platter. A dish of Fried W/iole Ap/>les is prepared thus : Peel very small but ]:)rettily shaped apples, leaving stems on. Put into a saucepan of hot butter, and shake over a", "FRUIT. 315", "brisk fire until a nice brown ; drain, and arrange neatly, stems up, on a thick laj'-er of sugar in a dish, and serve either hot or cold. Transcendent crabs are verv nice cooked thus.", "Frosted Apples. — Peel pippins, stew in a thin syrup till tender, dip in frothed white of egg, and sift powdered sugar thickly over them ; put in cool oven to harden, and serve in glass dish.", "Iced Apples. — Peel and core one dozen large apples, fill with sugar and a little butter and nutmeg; bake until nearly done, let cool and remove to anotherplate, if it can be done without breaking them (if not, pour off the juice). Ice tops and sides with cake ice- ing, and brown lightly; serve with cream.", "Jellied Apples. — Pare, quarter and core nice golden pippins, cut into slices, stew in a little Avater till tender, andbeat to a pulp. Make a thick syrup by boiling a pound and a half white sugar and pint of water for two pounds apples, skim, and put in the apple pulp and juice of three lemons; simmer gently until almost a paste, pour into a w^et mold, and Avhen cold it will turn out a solid jelly. Stick thickly with", "blanched almonds and serve sur- \"'\"\"\"^JJuicd Apple with .vimonds.", "rounded with whipped cream or a thick custard. Or, slice the apples and put in pudding dish with alternate layers of sugar; cover with a plate, put a weight on it and bake in slow oven three hours. Let stand until cold and it will turn out a handsome form of sliced apples imbedded in jelly.", "Mai'hled Apples. — Peel, halve and core a dozen fine apples, place in a pan thickly spread with butter, powder with sugar and grated lemon peel, and bake in oven. Nearly fill an ornamental mold with apple marmalade, leaving an opening in center; pile the baked apples in a ring upon the marmalade, fill the oj^ening left with custard, and cover the Avhole with orange marmalade. Set mold in pan of hot water to bake, and serve hot. Or, pare and core six or seven apples leaving them Avhole ; boil half pint water and two tablespoons sugar, put in the apples and simmer gently till tender, taking care not to let them break. Cover bottom of dish with apple marmalade or apple butter, flavored with lemon, and place apples on this with piece of butter on each, and a few spoon- fuls apricot jam or marmalade. Set the dish in oven ten minutes, then sprinkle over with powdered sugar and brown with sala- mander.", "Meringited Apples. — Put one quart water and two large cups granulated sugar in saucepan. Have ten apples pared and cored, and as soon as sugar and water boils, put in as many apples as will", "316 FRUIT.", "cook without crowding. Simmer gently until fruit is cooked through, turning when one side is done. Drain and cool on a dish ; pare, quarter and stew six more apples in one cup water. Turn stewed apples into syrup left from cooking the others, add grated rind and juice of one lemon, and simmer tAventy minutes or until a smooth marmalade is formed, then let cool. Put one quart milk in custard-kettle, reserving half a cup for mixing one tablespoon corn-starch, which stir in when milk is hot, and let cook five minutes. Beat yolks of six eggs and whites of two with half cup powdered sugar; gradually pour boiling milk on this, return to Kettle and cook three minutes, stirring all the time, add salt, turn into bowl, and let cool ; place the whole apples in a mound on dish using the marmalade to fill up the spaces between the apples. Beat four whites to a stiff froth with four tablespoons powdered sugar, spread over apples, and stick one pint blanched almonds into it, cutting each one in two or three strips as in Jellied Apples. Brown slowly in the oven and let cool. Serve with the custard seasoned with lemon poured around the base of meringue.", "Steamed Apples. — Take smooth, rich-flavored apples, wash and remove cores, leaving fruit whole. Put in a steamer and cook until perfectly tender. The juice in pan may be stewed down and poured over the apples; serve either warm or cold with sugar and cream. Sweet apples are especially nice steamed, and if liked can be lirowned in oven ten or fifteen minutes, and when placed in oven put on each apple a tablespoon of meringue as above.", "Stewed Ajyples. — Take nice, smooth, sweet apples and remove cores without paring. Put into a covered saucepan with cold water, heat gradually and simmer gently until done. It should take a half day to cook them properly without breaking. Set away to get cold before taking out. Served with sweetened cream they are delicious. If tait apples are to be stewed put on Avith enough water to cover, a half cup vinegar and two cups sugar, and cook as above. For a very nice dish called Apple Transparency, stew six large peeled and cored tart apples slowly until tender, in a syrup of half pound sugar and pint Avater, in Avhich the rind of a lemon has been boiled. When done take out in glass dish and add to the syrup a half i^ackage of gelatine dissolved in a gill cold Avater ; stir until gelatine is melted, strain into a boAvl, stir in six drops cochineal coloring, and Avhen cold cut into cubes and place among the ap})les, interspersing spoonfuls of a meringue of Avhites of tAvo eggs and two tablespoons sugar or whipped cream.", "Apple Calies. — Boil apples until they Avill i\">ulp easily, mix smoothly Avith Avell-beaten eggs, a little cream, some poAvdered Avliitc sugar, and bread-crumbs enough to form into small cakes ; fry as fritters, and Avhen a nice broAvn color take up. ^Mlcn cold squeeze", "FRUIT. 317", "some lemon juice over them, lay upon each a spoonful of thick cream, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve.", "Apple Chocolate. — Boil a pound grated chocolate and six ounces white sugar in a quart new milk ; beat yolks of six eggs and whites of two, and when the chocolate has come to a boil take it from the fire and gradually add the eggs, stirrin^ Avell all the time. Have ready a deep dish with a good layer oi cooked and pulped apples in the bottom, sweetened to taste and seasoned with powdered cinnamon ; pour the chocolate gently over, and place the dish in a saucepan of boiling water. When the cream is set firmly it is done ; sift powdered sugar over it, and glaze with a salamander or red-hot shovel. This preparation is not only very delicious, but exceedingly salutary, on account of the apples being a corrective to the too great richness of the chocolate.", "Apple Compotes. — Compotes are very easily prepared, and are said to be the most wholesome manner of serving fruits for those who cannot eat raw fruits or the richer preparations requiring a larger proportion of sugar. Fresh fruits are much more delicious served raw, but the compote is far better than ordinary stewed fruit, makes a nice dessert dish that can be hastily prepared, and ajiples are very acceptable served thus. A simple Avay of preparing is to make a syrup of a pound sugar and pint Avater, boiled together fifteen minutes and carefully skimmed. The fruit is then cooked in this syrup, taken out when tender, and the syrup reduced almost to a jelly by longer boiling, and poured over the fruit when cool. To avoid danger of scorching many prefer to first stew the fruit until tender, but not broken, in clear water, then take it out and ;idd sugar to the water and boil to a nice syrup, put in the fruit again and simmer gently until thoroughly penetrated with the syrup, then take out into glass dish ; boil the syrup until very rich and thick, strain it, let cool, and pour it over the fruit. For an excellent com- pote of apples, peel and core twelve medium-sized apples, throwing them into cold water as fast as peeled to prevent darkening, and proceed after either of the above methods. Any flavoring liked may be added to the syrup — ;iuice of lemon and a little of the rind is nice — and if wanted", "to cook very quickly cut the apples into ^", "halves, thirds or quarters, when they will be \" Apple com,,..t..", "done in from ten to fifteen minutes. The fruit may be colored pink if liked, by adding fruit juice or currant jelly to the syrup. Or cook a half quince, cut into four pieces, until tender in a pint and a half water, then add the sugar for the syrup, and put in the ap])les, taking up the quince with them. This Avill color the com])()te beautifully, and also flavor nicely. Some cook sliced lemon and raisins in the syrup and pour over the apples. Pass plain or whipped sweetened cream with the dish. For a handsome Stulfed", "318 FRUIT.", "Compote select large, fine pippins of equal size, pare, take out cores, and cook until nearly done in syrup as above; drain and bake a few moments in a quirk oven. When done, and still hot, fill the core cavities with peach marmalade, and roll each apple in the jelly made b}' boiling down the syrup, which will give them a beautiful gloss. Serve in a pyramid on a dish Avith plain or whipped cream around the base. Or form into a dome and cover with a meringue of beaten whites of eggs and sugar, sticking sweet almonds cut into four lengths into the top in reguhir form, and put in the oven to brown. Or pour among the apples, before putting over the meringue, a marmalade of apples or boiled rice. Another method of serving is to i)repare apples and syrup as above, put in the fruit and let cook until clear, remaining whole. Remove the fruit to a glass bowl; dissolve one-third box gelatine in a half cup hot water, and stir briskly into the syrup, first taking off the fire. Then strain over the apples, and set in cool place to cool. When cold heap Avhipped cream over it. Some add sliced lemons to the syrup and serve with a slice of the lemon on each apple. Or, for a Balked Compote take golden j:)ippins, or any similar small apples, pare and core, put into a wide jar with a cover, and for two quarts apples add rind of a lemon cut thin, and strew in a half pound sugar. Cover and set in slow oven several hours. Serve hot or cold. For anotlier elegant compote take smooth, prettily shaped apples and put into saucepan with enough water to cover ; add a tablespoon powdered cochineal and simmer gently ; when fruit is done take out and put into dessert dish. Make a syrup of the liquor by adding ", "Apple Cream. — Peel, core and cut three pounds of apples in thin slices and put in porcelain-lined kettle, with a half pound sugar, grated rind and juice of a lemon, and a teaspoon ground ginger ; simmer slowly until apples are tender enough to rub through a sieve. Scald a quart cream, beat in the apple pulp, and serve cither Avarm or cold. Any berries or soft fruit may be served in the same Avay, pulping through a sieve without cooking.", "Apple Fool. — Bake good cooking apples (not sweet), remove the pulp with a spoon, and beat it up with a little powdered sugar. To a cupful add the yolk of an egg and a small sponge cake ; mix together and rub through a sieve.", "Apple Fortress. — Take good, firm apples, that will not fall to pieces when cooked, and cut into oblong shapes two inches long and one inch thick ; put into a dish, sprinkle them well with white sugar, cover closely and let stand overnight. Next day place carefully in preserving kettle or pan with more sugar and water", "FRUIT. 319", "and shred lemon peel, and cook gently over slow fire until done, but take care not to do them too soft. When cold build the pieces in shape of a tower with castellated top, fill inside with lumps of jelly, and on top place candied cannon, surrounded with a \"ditch\" of whipped cream. A really elegant dessert. Begin serving from top.", "Apple Porridge. — Boil slices of white bread in pint milk; when soft take off fire, sweeten with sugar, and add teaspoon ginger ; pour in a bowl and gradually stir in the pulp of three or four nicely baked apples.", "Apple Sago. — Pare six apples and punch out cores, fill holes with cinnamon and sugar, using two teaspoons cinnamon to a cup sugar ; take one tablespoon sago to each apple ; wash thoroughly and let soak an hour in water enough to cover apples, pour water and sago over apples, and bake an hour and a half.", "Apple Sauce. — Pare, core and cut in quarters apples that do not cut to pieces easily, and put on to stew in cold water with plen- ty of sugar. Cover closely and stew an hour or more. The addition of the sugar at first preserves the pieces whole. If they are pre- ferred finely mashed stir occasionally while cooking and add sugar after they are done. Flavor with nutmeg, cinnamon, or cloves, if liked, and some stir in piece of fresh butter. Or, for Baked Apple Sauce^ pare, core and quarter tart apples, put a layer in earthen baking-dish, add lumps of butter, sprinkle with sugar and a little cinnamon, then a layer of apples, etc., till dish is full ; bake till soft. Or, omit butter and cinnanion, and add quarter cup water and half cup sUgjft: to four quarts prepared apples ; or two or three times as much water may be used. For Cider Apple Sauce, pare, quarter and core apples sufficient to fill a gallon porcelain-kettle, put in a half gallon boiled cider and let boil. Wash the apples and put in kettle, place a plate over them, and boil steadily but not rapidly until thoroughly cooked, testing by taking one from under plate with a fork. Do not remove plate until done, or the apples will sink to the bottom and burn. Apples may be cooked in sweet cider in same way. For an Imitation Cider Apple Sauce, pare, quarter and core, the apples, strew sugar over and let stand overnight. Then stew in their own juice, and they will have a nice flavor and color.", "Apple Snoio.- — Pare, core, and bring to boil in as little water as possible six large, tart apples, cool and drain on a sieve, add two tablespoons sugar, beat to a froth and add the well-whipped whites of three eggs, mixed with two tablespoons powdered sugar, or an egg and two-thirds tablespoon sugar to each apple if wanted very light and elaborate ; beat thoroughly until a stiff snow, flavor with", "320 FRUIT.", "lemon or vanilla or add the grated rind of a lemon ; pile the snow in a rough heap or pyramid and ornament with bits of bright colored jelly, or encircle with a row of candied orange or lemon rings ; serve with sweetened cream, or make custard of yolks, sugar, and a pint milk, place in a disli, and drop the froth on it in large flakes. For Apple Jlerinffue \\)ut ix\\>o\\Q mixture into a deep glass dish, cover Avith the whipped whites of three eggs and three table- spoons sugar, and brown delicately in oven, or with salamander.", "Apple Tapioca. — Soak half a pint tapioca several hours, or overnight, in half a pint cold water ; cover the bottom of a baking dish with pared and cored tart apples ; fill cores with sugar and bake until tender. Put the tapioca on the fire with the rind of a lemon cut thin, and half a pint cold water ; when boiling add another half pint of boiling water, a gill of sugar, and the iuice of the lemon ; boil a moment, pour it over the apples, and bake half an hour or longer. Or, soak half teacup tapioca in one and a half pints cold water on back of stove as above ; then place on the stove and cook till clear, sweeten, and season with a little cinnamon ; then place a layer of pared apples, cut in quarters or eightbs, in baking-dish, then a layer of tapioca, then apples, etc., till all are used, and bake as above. Or, for Phie-apples and Tapioca take either fresh or canned pine-apples, chop fine, and add as above, oi mix with the cooked tapioca and bake.", "Apple Toast. — Peel and carefully core the apples. Cut slices of stale bread about a quarter of an inch thick, and cut again to a round shape about the size of the apples, with a paste-cutter. But- ter each slice on both sides and place, an apple upon it. Butter baking-dish or pan, put in the ap])les and breacl, fill the co^e cavity witli cream and sugar, or sugar alone, placing on top of sugar a piece of butter size of hazelnut, and set in warm but not quick oven. When about half done fill the hole again with tlie cream and sugar, dust with cinnamon and finish cooking. Serve warm. Or, halve the apples, hollow out the cores and place the halves upon the rounds of bread, fill the corecavityof each with good thick cream and strew sugar thickly over bread and fruit. Place in r.-low oven and renew the cream and sugar as tlu-y dissolve. When done arrange neatly in a dish, pour over any juice left in pan and serve warm ; or place cored side of apples next bread, brush with a little melted butter, dust with sugar, a little nutmeg or cinnamon, and bako as above.", "Apple Triffc. — Scald and pulp through a sieve as many apples as will cover the dish to be used to the depth of two or three inches, add grated rind of half a lemon and sugar to taste, and place in dish. Mix a half pint each milk and cieam and yolk of an egg, and sweeten to taste. Set over fire and scald, stirring constantly,", "FRUIT. 321", "but do not boil. Let stand till cold, put it over apples and finish witli whipped cream.", "Apples and Grapes. — Strain the juice from ripe grapes, adding pountf sugar to each quart, and boil until reduced one-half. Put into this some golden pippins, pared, cored and quartered ; simmer very slowly until apples are done, and serve either warm or cold in glass dish, or seal for future use in cans.", "Apples and Quinces. — Take a quantity of golden pippins, cut into quarters, but do not pare, put into saucepan of boiling water and simmer until a jelly. To each pound jelly add a pound sugar ; then cut two or three quinces into quarters, and cook them <:lowly in the syrup until tender. Serve in glass dishes for dessert.", "Apricot Compote. — Make a syrup b}' boiling together one pound sugar and one and a half pints water fifteen minutes, care- fully removing all scum ; put in twelve apricots, simmering until tender, taking care that they do not break ; take out carefully, arrange on glass dish, let the syrup cool a little, pour it over the apricots, and when cold serve. For Peach Compote take fifteen ] teaches, peel and stone them, cook ten minutes and take out as aliove, boiling the syrup two or three minutes to reduce it before ])ouring over. A few kernels give a nice flavor. To prepare, crack the stones, take out kernels and blanch as almonds. A Damson Compote is made same as apricot, taking one quart fruit. If a White Ccw^;?o^e is wished of peaches or apricots, cut the fruit in two, take out stones, throw them into boiling water (a very little lemon added) for two minutes, then plunge in cold or ice water, taking out immediately. This makes them white. Peel and finish as above. For a Bed Compote add four tablespoons red currant juice, or a tablespoon jelly, beaten smooth and thinned with a cup of water.", "Bananas. — There are two varieties, the yellow and red ; the former has a richer, finer flavor, and ranks higher in market than the red, although the latter is very delicious, being more solid and nutritious, and by some prized more highly. The choicest bananas are the Aspinwall \"Lacly Fingers, grown on the Isthmus of Panama. They are of a pale lemon color, medium size, not round, but having a sharp ridge running the whole length of the fruit, of fine, firm flesh, and rare flavor. The ripening season begins in January, is at its height in March, and the supply diminishes towards midsummer, though in some localities the fruit ripens con- stantly, and may thus be had the year round. Tliey are often served whole on a margin of green leaves, the colors contrasting very prettily, or mixed with oranges, the red ones being especially used thus ; but it is considered by some much better taste to peei", "322 FRUIT.", "them, and, if very large, cut in two lengthwise, or crosswise if long and not very large round. Serve neatly placed on a napkin in fruit dish.", "Baked Bananas. — Peel a dozen bananas and split in halves lengthwise. Lay these strips closely in baking-pan, strew sugar and bits of fresh butter over, and grate in a little nutmeg. Bake in a moderate oven about twenty minutes. They should come out glazed, and if not syrup enough in the pan, a little should be mixed in a cup to baste them with. Serve as a last course with cake and milk.", "Fried Bananas. — Peel and slice lengthwise, fry in butter, sprinkle with sugar, and serve. Thus prepared they make a nice dessert. The bananas must be quite ripe,", "Ba7ianas and Cream. — Slice the bananas crosswise — not too thin — scatter powdered sugar over, and before it dissolves squeeze the juice of several oranges over them, or oranges maybe cut up and mixed Avith them, or the bananas may be served Anth cream and sugar alone. Very nice for tea. They make an agreeable dessert with whipped cream sweetened and flavored with vanilla, ])Oured over them. A tablespoon of gelatine dissolved and stirred into the cream, gives a little body to it. Serve with sponge cake.", "BlacJcherry TriHe. — Stew one quart blackberries witli one <[uart sugar and a half cup Avater. They should cook only fifteen minutes. When cold, serA'e Avith poAvdered cracker and sugar and cream. The cracker and berries should be in separate dishes.", "Cherries. — This fruit may be very elegantly serA-ed for dessert by picking in clusters on the twigs Avith a few leaves on each. An hour before dinner place them in the refrigerator, and AA'hen taken out they Avill be found not only refreshingly cool, but covered with moisture like dcAV. Or treat the clusters simply in same Avay. If served plain send to table heaped on saucers or glasses of j.ounded ice, one for each guest, and pass sugar Avith them. Or ;irrange in pyramid on a glass dish. Both red and yelloAV varieties should be obtained for this if possible.", "Clierry Compote. — Secure red cherries because of their piquant fliivor, and be sure to have only perfect fruit. Do not stem them, but shorten the stems Avith the scissors. Put the fruit in a preserv- ing kettle Avith Avhite granulated sugar in the proportion of a (juarter pound sugar to cA-ery pound fruit, and add juice of one Ituion to same quantities ; put OA'er slow fire and boil three minutes, removing all scum and shaking occasionally; take out fruit with a spoon, put in a boAvl and carefully drain off all syrup, Avliich should be reduced by further boiling. To thicken the syrup", "FBUIT. 323", "a little isinglass or gelatine may be used, but it is better without, as the thin jelly of pure syrup is beautifully transparent. Pour this syrup or jelly into a dish to cool, and when ready to serve the com- pote pile the cherries in a p3^ramid and turn the syrup over them. Or, prepare cherries the same, take four tablespoons sugar and a pint water to one quart cherries^, put in a saucepan, let boil, and skim ; add a half cup raspberry juice, put in the cherries and cook until tender ; pile them on a glass dish, reduce the syrup to a thin jelly, and when cool pour over them.", "Cherry Sauce. — To every pound Avell ripened, stoned cherries add a half pound sugar, melted and poured over boiling hot. Put on ice till cold and serve.", "Currants. — Select fine large red and white currants and arrange in alternate rows in pyramidal form on glass dish, placing the red on bottom, with a border of green leaves outside, as shown in cut. Sprinkle liberally throughout with sugar, set in refrigerator until ready to serv