SHELL-FISH

Scalloped Oysters^ cover bottom of well-buttered baking dish with laj'er of crumbs, and moisten with half cup cream or milk, put ou spoon by spoon, add salt and pepper, and bits of butter ; put in one quart of pysters and liquor with more pepper and bits of butter, oover thickly with crumbs and on them place more pieces of butter. Place in oven and cover — this is very important, as the flavor is thereby not allowed to escape — and bake till the juice bubbles up, from half to three-quarters of an hour. Remove cover and brown in upper part of oven for a few minutes, not long ; or use the salamander or a hot shovel. Serve in dish in which it was baked. To serve in Scal- lop Shells, drain all the liquor from a quart oysters in stewpan,boil and skim and add half pint cream or milk with which two table- spoons flour should first be mixed ; boil two minutes, ^^ add tablespoon butter, salt, pepper, little nutmeg and ifeajf ' the oysters, and take from fire almost immediately; _

taste, and if needed add more seasoning. Have the soauop sneii. shells buttered and sprinkled lightly with crumbs ; nearly fill them with the prepared oysters and cover thickly with crumbs. Put shells in baking pan anci bake fifteen minutes. Serve very hot on large platter garnished with parsley. This quantity will fill a dozen shells of ordinary size. Clam,s may be served same, chopping them and stewing a half hour in the cream. Some first fry a chopped onion light brown in butter, then add cream, etc., and afier taking from fire add well-beaten yolks of eggs and put into shells as above. Shells are of tin, granite iron-ware, plated-silver and china.

Skewered Oysters. — Take metal skewers and place on each a half dozen oysters alternately, with half dozen thin slices bacon, ^ _,^^^ size of oysters. Put skewers between bars of buttered wire ^^~®^'^^'~ broiler, broil and serve one skewer to each person. Or string on hair-pin shaped wire, first an oyster, then slice of pork, and so ou until wire is filled ; fasten ends of Avire into a long wooden handle, and broil before the fire. Serve with the pork, if liked, seas- oning slightly with pepper. For another, b'lanch oysters in two waters, and drain. Put in stewpan some chopped onions, mush- rooms, and parsley, with butter and little flour ; warm oysters in the mixture, and stir in yolks of eggs to make it firm enough to adhere to oysters. String oysters on silver skewers, about six on each, the sauce adhering to oysters and setting around them. Bread them and broil. Dish up ou napkin.

Steamed Oysters. — Lay oysters in the shell in patent steamer or air-tight vessel, placing the upper shell downward so the liquor will not run out when they open. Set over a pot of boiling water and boil hard for twenty minutes ; if the oysters are open tbey are done ; if not, steam till they do open. Serve at once and eat hot, with salt and a bit of butter. Or, wash and drain one quart select oysters^ put in pan and place in steamer over boiling water, cover and steam

810 SHELL-FIPH.

till oysters are plump with edges ruflled ; place in heated dish with butter, pepper and salt, aud serve.

Stuffed Ousters. — Grate yolks of three or four hard-boiled eggs, mix with them half as much fat salt pork or bacon, season with pepper and chopped parsley and add a raw egg to make a paste of mixture. Have ready a dozen of the largest oysters on a napkin, insert a penknife at the edge, split each up and down inside with- out making the opening very large, and push in a small teaspoon of the prepared force-meat. Double-bread them, using melted butter instead of egg, and broil over clear fire. For TnMcd Oysters^ pre- pare a force-meat by chopping and then pounding to a paste the breast of a cooked chicken with half as much fat salt pork, raw, add- ing a small can of truffles cut to size of ])ease and quarter pod red pepper, finely minced. Prepare and stuff ovsters as above, roll them in flour, dip in beaten egg, and fry by placing in frying basket immersing in hot fat three or four minutes, or until a golden brown. Drain, dust lightly with fine salt and serve on diamond-shaped pieces of toast, four oysters ou each.

Walled Oi/sters. — Make a wall one and one-half inches high and three-quarters wide of one quart nicely mashed and seasoned potatoes, just inside raised edge of platter, glaze it by covering with beaten egg and placing in oven for a few minutes, JMace the liquor from one quart oysters in porcelain kettle, let boil, skim well, then add oysters seasoned with salt, boil up once, skiiy out oysters (milk or water can be added to theli(|Uor, then seasoned with butter and pappcr, and served as soup), andadd them to a cream dressing made by putting a cup rich cream, butter size of half an egg, and a little pepper and teaspoon salt in a pan ])laced within a vessel of boiling water; whenhot'add two ounces of flour mixed smooth in some cream or milk, and let cook till thickened, then place oysters and dressing within the potato and serve immediately. Fried oysters may be served in same way. Or a more elaborate way is as follows : pare and boil five large potatoes and mash through a colander ; add third of a cup milk, salt and pepper to taste, tablespoon butter, and whites of three eggs, l)eaten to stiff froth. Have a two-quart Char- lotte Russe mold well buttered, and sprinkle bottom and sides with bread-crumbs ; there must be butter enough to hold the crumbs in place. Line mold with a thick even coat of the potato, and let stand a few minutes. Put a ])int cream and a slice of onion on to boil ; mix two heai)ing tablespoons corn-starch with a little cold milk or cream and stir into the boiling cream. Season with salt and pepper and cook ten minutes. P)ring a quart oysters to a boil in their own hquor, skim and drain oti' all liquor ; take pieeeof onion from cream, add oysters and pour carefully in

SHELL-FISH. 811

not to leave any openings, or the sauce will run through and spoil the dish. Bake half an hour in hot oven. When done, remove from oven and let stand a few moments, then place a large platter over the mold, turn dish and mold together, and remove the mold very carefully. Garnish with parsley.

Oyster Chowder. — Fry three slices fat pork in pot and add three potatoes and two onions in slices ; boil until nearly done ; soak two or three dozen crackers in cold water a few minutes, and put in the pot with half a can of oysters and quart milk. Boil together a few minutes ; season with salt, pepper and butter.

Oyster Croquettes. — Scald and chop fine the hard part of oys- ters (using the other part and liquor for soup), and add an equal weight of mashed potato ; to one pound of this add lump of butter size of egg, teaspoon salt, half teaspoon of })epper, and quarter of cup cream. Make in small rolls or cakes, single-bread and fry as directed in Croquettes. Some add also half teaspoon mace.

Oyster Fritters. — Select large plump oysters, drain off liquor, strain, boil, skim, and to each cup add cup milk, two or three eggs, salt and pepper and flour enough to make rather thick batter ; to fry, take an oyster in large spoon, dip into batter and fry in hot fat as directed in Fritters. Some beard and others chop the oysters and stir them into the batter, for which another rule is two eggs and half pint milk for each half pint oysters, with pepper and salt to taste and little nutmeg if liked. Or for a pint oysters, sift pint flour with level teaspoon salt, add yolk of egg, tablespoon salad oil, quar- ter saltspoon pepper; and use enough strained liquor from oysters to make batter thick enough to drop. Beat white of egg to stiff froth and mix this and the oysters lightly with batter and drop at once in large spoonfuls into frying kettle, half full of smoking hot fat. As a rule by the time fritter floats it is done. If there is not enough oyster liquor to make batter, add water, and some use two eggs instead of one yolk and chop oysters. Serve hot on napkin.

Oyster Omelet. — Add to a half cup of cream six eggs beaten very light, season with pepper and salt, and pour into a frying-pan with tablespoon butter ; drop in a dozen large oysters cut in halves, or chopped fine and fry until a liglit brown. "Double it over and serve immediately. Chopped parsley may be added to the omelet, if liked, which will be much nicer if whites and yolks of eggs are beaten separately and the whites Stirred in last.

Oyster Pancakes. — Strain pint liquor, sift together heaping cup flour, level teaspoon salt, heaping teaspoon baking powder; have pan or griddle hot, and quickly stir into the flour enough oyster liquor to iiiake a thick batter. Fry cakes as fast as possible.

112 SHELL-FISH.

Oyster Patties. — Have ready some Patty Shells, see Pastry, and fill with oysters prepared as follows : Heat half pint cream to boiling, stir in tablespoon flour, made smooth with a little cold milk, and season with pepper, salt, and grated lemon rind, pounded mace, or any si»ice liked, with a beaten egg or two if wished. While this is cooking l)ring the oysters to a boil in their own liquor, skim carefully, then dip out 03'sters, put them in the hot cream, boil up once, and serve immediately in the patty shells. The above quant- ity will fiUa dozen and a half shells. Some strain the oyster liquor and add to the cream with a little more thickening, and the oysters may be bearded and cut \\\i if preferred, some even chojiping Ihem. They may aiso be dressed without cream using only their liquor with a iiiae butter and thickening and the grated yolk 0/ a hard- boiled egg. with seasoning to taste. Layer or Pyramid Shells may be used and with the latter, wh(;n adding the tops it is nice to place smafl sprigs of parsley between the shell and the tops. These are known as Oyster Vol an- Vents. Or, line patty pans with pufl' paste, and put foiu'or six oysters in each, according to size, with bits of butter and pepper and salt, sprinkle over a little Hour and chopped hard-boiled eggs, allowing two eggs for six patties, cover with an upper crust and bake. Maybe served \n the pans, or turned out and placed on platter. For Fritter I \itties, cut a loaf of stale biead in slices an inch thick. Willi a cutter t\vo inches and a half in diameter cut out as many pieces as patties wanted, and with an inch and a half cutter, press in center half through each piece. Put pieces in frying basket and plunge in

Oijster Powder. — Beard fresh large oysters and place in vessel over fire a few moments to extract their juice ; cool them and chop very fine with sifted biscuit or bread-crumbs, mace and finely minced lemon peel, then pound in mortar to a paste ; shape into thin cakes, place on buttered paper and bake in slow oven until quite hard. Take out and pound them to a powder, which put in air-tight tin box and keep in dry place. Nice for flavoring fish, •oups, stews and sauces.

Oyster Pie. — Line a pudding dish with Puff Paste ; dredge with flour, pour iu pint oysters, season well with bits of butter, salt and pepper, and sprinkle over flour ; pour on some oyster liquor, and cover with a crust having an opening iu center to allow steam t» escape. Or, line dish half way up with good past^, fill dish with

SHELL-FISH. 813

pieces of stale bread, place a cover of paste over this, and bake about twenty minutes in brisk oven; take off crust, remove bread, have ready some oysters prepared as for patties, fill the pie with them, replace the crust and serve at once. Some simply make a rich oyster stew, put in dish, cover with Puff Paste and bake. Or, line dish with a paste, place an extra layer around the edge, and bake in a brisk oven ; fill with oysters, season with pepper, salt, and tablespoon butter, sprinkle slightly with flour, and cover with a thin crust of paste ; bake quickl}^ aiid when top crust is done, the pie will be ready to take \ip. Serve promptly, as the crust quickly absorbs the grav}'. Another way is to butter a large dish, and spread a rich paste over the sides and around the edge, but not on the bottom ; drain off part of liquor from oysters, put them in pan, and season with pepper, salt, spice and butter; have ready yolks of tliree hard- boiled eggs chopped fine, and grated bread-crumbs ; pour the oysters with enough of their liquor to moisten well, into the dish with the paste, strew over them tlie chopped eggs and grated bread, cover with the paste and bake in quick oven. Nice also, with gill of cream added, and a little flour. For a Chicken and Oj/ster Fie, parboil a chicken, cut up and place in baking dish, season and cover with a layer of oysters, season them with butter, pepper and salt, put two hard-boiled eggs, cut in slices, with piece of butter size of egg in center, sift flour over the whole, add a half pint milk, cover with the paste and bake three-quarters of an hour in moderate oven.

Oyster I?oU. — Cut a round piece, say six inches across, from top of well-baked round loaf of bread, remove inside from loaf, leav- ing crust half an inch thick ; make a rich oyster stew, and put in the loaf first a layer of it, then of the bread-crumbs, then oysters, and so on ; place cover over the top, glaze loaf with beaten yolk of M\ egg, and place in oven a few monlents. Serve very hot. Or put in all of the oysters with layer of crumbs over the top, then finish as above. Or after preparing the loaf as above, break up crumbs very fine, and dry them slowly in an oven ; then quickly fry three cups of them in two tablespoons butter, stirring all the time. As soon as they begin to look golden and are crisp they are done. Put quart eream on to heat, and when it boils stir in three tablespoons of flour, mixed with cup cold milk. Cook ten minutes, season well with salt and pepper; put a layer of this in the loaf, then a layer of oysters, which dredge well with salt and pepi)er ; then another layer of sauce and one of fried crumbs. Continue this until the loaf is nearly full, having the last layer a thick one of crumbs. Three pints of oysters are required for this dish, and about three teaspoons of salt and half teaspoon pepper. Bake slowly half an hour. Serve on a fringed napkin with a garnish of parsley around the dish. Or to serve individually remove a slice from top of small rolls, scoop ♦ut the crumb and fill them with oysters slightly stewed with butter

814 SHELL-FISH.

or cream, and some bread-crumbs ; replace tops of loaves and bake till crisp. Glaze with beaten egg.

Oyster Soup — Pour a quart oysters in colander, rinse by pour- ing over tbem pint cold water, put this in porcelain kettle, add a pint boiling water, let boil, skim, season with pepper and piece of butter size of large egg ; then add oysters, having removed all shells let boil up once, season with salt and serve. Or With, Milk, pour quart cold water over quart oysters if solid; if not solid, use pint water, drain through a colander into kettle, and when it boils skim ; add pepper, then the oysters ; season with butter and salt, then add one quart cream or rich new milk brought to boiling point in a tin pail set in a pot of boiling water, let boil up and serve at once. Or, instead of adding the milk, place it, boiling hot, in tureen, pour the soup over it and then serve. A small piece of lemon peel boiled with the oyster liquor and taken out before cream is added is con- sidered an improvement by some. Or for an individual stew, put one dozen fine oysters and their liquor in saucepan with a little water ; let boil, season with salt and pppper and pour into a dish in which there is a tablespoon butter; add three-quarters pint boiling cream and serve at once ; or the cream may be omitted using more water. Some do not let it quite boil, thinking it impairs the delicate flavor.

Oyster Stev). — Put liquor from oysters on stove, let boil, skim, and season with butter and pepper, add oysters, let only come to a boiL season with salt and serve. This is pronounced a "royal stew." If to be served individually line each bowl with toast, pour in oys- ters, add teaspoon lemon juice, sprinkle a few bits of parsley over and serve. Or put oysters in stewpan with equal quantities water and juice, place over brisk fire, season with white pepper, bring to a boil, remove scum, add salt to taste, and pour into bowls with teaspoon butter in each. Cover bowls with plates and serve. A Cream Stew is made sam.e way, adding cream instead of water. A Steio With Celery is made same as third recipe, adding a few stocks of celery cut up fine and a little mace. While cooking add teas- poon or two powdered cracker-dust and cup beef broth. Bring to a boil and pour in bowl lined with toast, well buttered and cut in half- diamond shape. Or put in stewpan a ))int each best beef broth and rich sweet cream ; add four tablespoons choice butter, three teaspoons salt, two of white pepper, two of ground mace and the cut celery, or, if this is not to l)e had, teaspoon celery extract ; stir in sifted cracker- dust to thicken slightly and when cooked, pour the sauce over fifty fine oysters, previously parboiled in their own juice and placed in tureen. Serve very hot.

Oyster Toast. — Chop a dozen and a half good-sized oysters, season with white pepper and little nutmeg ; boil a half pint cream, put in oysters, let b-'il up once, take from fire, add salt to taste, stir

SHELL-FISH. 815

in Avell-beaten yolks of four eggs and pour over slices of buttered toast. Or beard and pound oysters in mortjir to a paste, add a lit- tle cream, and season with pepper. Spread this on small slices of toast, and place for a few minutes in oven to heat. A little finely chopped lemon peel may be sprinkled upon the tops. Oyster Cream Toast is a nice way of using the liquor when oysters are fried ; heat it and make a sauce by mixing over fire tablespoon each butter and Hour until the}'^ bubble, then gradually stirring in the hot oyster liquor, adding if necessary a little boiling water to make a sauce of consistency of cream. Boil a minute or two, season with salt and white pepper and pour on slices of toast. For Oyster Sandwiches^ cook oysters in a very little water with butter and salt to taste, and put a lixyex of them between two thin slices of dry toast, buttered slightly if wished. Oysters prepared in this way make a delicious entree to be sent to to the table with game of any kind.

Oyster Vol-au- Ve7it. — Prepare the large vol-au-vent case as di- rected in Pastry. Scald a quart oysters in their own liquor, skim well, drain the oysters and return half pint of strained liquor to saucepan. Rub tablespoon flour smooth with two of butter and pour the hot oyster liquor over it ; season well with pepper and salt and a very little nutmeg or mace, if liked ; boil up once, add three tablespoons cream and the oysters, stir over the fire a minute, fill the vol-au-vent case, put on the cover and serve immediately. Beaten eggs may be added if wished richer.

Oysters and Macaroni. — Lay some stewed macaroni in a deep dish and put over it a thick layer of oysters, bearded, and seasoned with cayenne pepper and grated lemon rind. Add a small cup cream. Strew bread-crumbs over the top, and brown it in a pretty quick oven. Serve hot, with Piquant Sauce. Or have ready a third of a package macaroni, two dozen oysters, cup milk, an egg, table- spoon flour, pepper and salt; put the macaroni in boiling salted water, boil twenty minutes and drain dry ; butter the bottom of three-pint baking dish, put in half the macaroni, strew oysters over it, and dot with butter, in small pieces, dredge with salt and pepper and cover with rest of macaroni ; moisten the flour with a little milk, beat in the egg, then the rest of milk and oyster liquor, and pour in the dish an(l bake about twenty minutes or until set. Grated cheese, sprinkled between the layers of oysters and macaroni is a nice addition. If a larger dish is wanted, put in three layers each of oysters and 'macaroni, and some alternate also with layers of bread-crumbs, finishing with these on top. Scald the oyster liquor, strain, add suflScient milk to moisten the whole well and pour over the top, dot with bits of butter and bake about twenty minutes. Prepare Chicken and Macaroni Bwaie, first steaming chicken tender.

Oysters in the Shell. — Select large shell oysters. Wash shells until clean as polished marble. Place in dripping pan with round

SHELL-FISn.

ehell down and sot in hot oven twenty minutes. Do not remove top shell, but co(dc in both shells, and when done serve on upi>er part of shell instc.'id of lower. Season highly with a bit of butter, cayenne pepper and teaspoon lemon juiee. Or open shells with knife as directed, keeping deepest ones for use and loosen oysters entirely from shell, or they will draw to one side. Dredge fine bread- erumhs in shells, replace oysters, cover with bread-crumbs, and bake. When lightly browned, pour teaspoon melted butter over each, moistening crumbs well and dust with salt and pinch cayenne. It hastens the brown- ing to have the bread dry. Serve four or five on a plate, with a quarter of lemon in center! Or melt some butter, season with minced parsley and pepper, and when slightly cooled, roll each oyster in it, taking care that it drips Ifut little, and lay in the shells. Add to each shell a little hmion juice, cover with grated bread-crumbs, place in baking pan and bake in quick oven; just before done, add a little salt. Serve in shells. Or, having washed empty shells, place them in pan in very hot oven and when hot put in each a bit of but- ter and dust of pepper v»'ith a large oyster or several small ones ; put pan in oven till edges curl, then take shells up on hot dish and serve at once. Rome turn oysters over just before serving. For Boiled Oysters^ wash shell oysters perfectly clean, place in small wire basket, drop in kettle of boiling water, and when shells open, lift basket, and serve.

Scallops. — As sold in market scallops are generally ready for cooking; if-boughtin shell, boil and take out the muscular part or heart, as that is the only part used in cooking. For Baked Scal- lopSy boil tender, drain, add some White Sauce and place in buttered baking dish, covering the top with a layer of bread-crumbs and brown in oven. For Chinese Scallops, boil till tender, drain and tear apart in little shreds. Beat three eggs a few minutes; have frying-pan liot, with one tablespoon either butter or lard, add eggs, then s(:allops and stir like scrambled eggs. For Fried, Scallops, wash in cold salted water, drain and dry as oysters; roll in corn- meal seasoned with salt and pepper, fry pieces of pork, skim out, and fry scallops in the drippings or bread them and fry in smoking hot fat like doughnuts. Southerji Fried Scallops, roll in flour seas- oned with. salt and pepper and fry in hjlf lard and half butter, one- half inch of depth of smoking hot f:it in skillet. A nice dish ii Steiced Scallops, wash and cook in boiling water to cover, till ten- der, almost live minutes, drain, and dress with a White Sauce mado by stirring one tablespoon each butter and flour over the fire till well mixed and then slowly add one cup boiling water at a time till a pint has been used ; sea^- )n with salt and pepper and let boil once ;

SHELL-FISH. 817

then add the Scallops, take from the fire and stir in an egg yolk. If a Drawn Butter Sauce iswished, add two heaping tablespoons of but- ter to the White Sauce.

Viewed Shrimps. — Put a pint shelled shrimps in stewpan with three-fourths pint stock, add thickening of butter and flour, season with salt, cayenne and nutmeg to tastfe and simmer gently three minutes. Serve garnished with croutons of fried bread. Or stew the shrimps in Cream Sauce. For Curried Shrimps, \)Vii half pound butter in stewpan, add three or four sliced onions and fry golden brown, then stir in two tablespoons more butter. Have tablespoon curry-poAvder warmed in oven and mix well with onions; add quart shelled shrimps and cook gently five or ten minutes, stirring often, taking care not to let it get dry, adding more b^utter if needed. Salt to taste and add a little lemon juice and sugar just before serving. Serve boiled rice with it in separate dish. Nice for luncheon. For Shrimp Pie, to one quart shelled shrimps, add cup each vinegar and catsup and two tablespoons butter, season withsaltand pepper, scald and pour in earthen dish, strew top with bread-crumbs and bake twenty minutes.

Potted Shell-Fish. — Boil fish in salt and water, take all meat from claws and tails, put in stewpan with chopped mushrooms or truffles, and a little butter, and simmer gently over fire ten minutes, or till they appear to be done. When almost done, add well beaten yolks of three eggs, with teacup cream, and a little well-chopped parsley. Stew all together a little while, until consistency of moder- ately stiff paste. Press into pots, and cover w'ith clarified butter. Shrimps may be potted as above or put pint shelled shrimps in stew- pan with quarter pound clarified or fresh butter, blade pounded mace, cayenne to taste, and if liked a little nutmeg ; heat gradually but do not boil, and when heated through pour into small pots or jars ; when cold cover with melted butter and put away as directed in Potted Meats.

Fricasseed Terrapin. — Cut up the prepared meat from a good- sized terrapin and place in saucepan, always adding the juice that escapes ; let stew a few moments and add a dressing of a gill cream, two tablespoons butter, teaspoon flour, powdered yolk of a hard- boiled egsr with seasoning of salt, pepper and pinch of cayenne, let boil and just before serving add a gill of Tarragon Vinegar. For Terrapins in the Shell, to the prepared meat add a tablespoon or two of above vinegar, place in the shell, cover with bits of butter and a layer of bread-crumbs or cracker-dust, and bake ten or fifteen minntes in oven. For Stewed Terrapin, let the cut up meat lay in a marinade of spices, a chopped onion, tablespoon catsup, seasoned with salt and pepper, for half an hour or so, then add as much milk as wished, and when it boils add four tablespoons butter and two of flour rubbed smoothly together ; simmer gently fifteen or twenty minutes, then add the Tarragon Vinegar and serve on slices of toast.

818 SOUPS.

"Once upon a time" soups ^vere only made now and then among American housewives, but now most every dinner table has ite soup two or three times a week, and many every day, which is as it should be, as soup is so nutritious, wholesome, palatable and economical that as an article of diet it should rank only second to bread, and to make it with flavors properly commingled, is an art which all should master; it requires study and practice, but it is surprising from what a scant allotment of material a delicate and appetizing dish may be produced, and there are enough scraps of bones, cooked and uncooked meats, trimmings of meats and vege- tables in every household that would otherwise go to waste, to sup- ply a nutritious soup for every day in the year, with only a sligM expense for additional material. The best basis for soup is lean un- cooked meat, a pound of meat (with the bone) to a quart of watery being a generally accepted rule to which may also be added chicken, turlvcy, or mutton bones well broken up ; a mixture of beef, muttor. and veal, with a bit of ham bone with meat all cut fine, makes a a higher flavored soup than any single meat ; the legs of all meats are rich in gelatine, an important constituent of soup, although nol adding any special nutriment to it. It is very esstnitial that the meat \>q perfecthj fresh as the least taint, or even if a little old, im- pairs the flavor of the soup, and the meat does not want to "hang," for the fresher it is the hetter the soup ; it may be coarse and tough and refuse bits and scraps may be -used if fresh, all comprising to make a dish of soup which will meet with favor from every one. There are two classes of soup, a thin or cle

SOUPS. 819

while the latter with only a few a;dditional dishes makes a very sat- isfactory and easily prepared dinner. Thick soups require more seasoning than thin ones and if wanted very delicate may be strained, and should be about the consistency of cream while clear soups should be perfectly transparent, For all soups a jilnch of sugar should always be added. The variety of soups is without limit, and by adding 'here a little and there a little" one can produce a new and distinctive variety whenever wished ; but the usual distinction given them is seven divisions; Clear, Fruit, Mixed, Plain, Thick, Vegetable and White Soups, and we give a large variety of the dif- ferent kinds in the recipes that follow. The Fruit Soups, which are largely used abroad, are made of any of the berries or larger fruits and are very delicious, served hot in winter or cold (iced) in sum- mer ; they are very easily prepared, and when made of the highly colored raspberry or strawberry and served, with a spoonful of whip- ped cream in each dish, make an appetizing and elegant first course.

Makinq Soup. — Always use cold water in making all soups that the juice ma}'' be more readily extracted from the meat; skim well, especially during the first hour, and cook slowly. There is great necessity for thorough skimming, and to help the scum rise, pour in a little cold water now and then, and as the soup reaches the boiling point, skim it off. Use salt at first sparingly, seasoning with salt and pepper when done ; allow one quart soup to three or four persons. When remnants of cooked meat are used, chop fine, crush the bones, add a ham bone or bit of ham or salt pork and all ends of roasts and fatty parts, and the brown fat of the roast; make the day previous to use, strain, set away overnight without covering, skim off fat (which clarify and save for drippings), and it is ready to heat and serve. If soup is wished same day it is made and it is too greasy add a little cold water when done and the grease'can be easily removed ; or place on the top pieces of brown paper and they will absorb the fat. In using fresh meat throw pieces as cut into required quantity of(?(9^(i water and let stand until juices of meat begin to color it, then put on to boil ; in this way juices are more readily drawn out.The soup is done when meat is juiceless.When soup is desired for a daily first course, a stock-pot should be especially provided, with a faucet to draw off the clear soup to be seasoned and flavored for each day ; and all bones and bits of meat left after din- ner can be thrown into kettle, also bits of vegetables and bread, and gravies that are left from roast meats and cutlets. In this way there will be nothing lost, and the soups can be varied by seasonings and thickenings of

820 SOUPS.

been drawn off, and kettle washed clean and scalded, for if this is not attended to, the soups will soon lose their piquant llavor and be- come stale ; there is also formakingsoups,a soup-kettle (which has a double bottom), or a large iron pot with a tight-fitting tin cover with a hole size of a large darning-needle in it at one side of handle. Keep kettle covered closely, that the flavor may not be lost, and sim- mer slowly, so that the quantity may not be much reduced by evai)ora- tion, but if it has boiled away (which maybe the case when the meat is to be used for the table), pour in as much hot water as ia needed, and add vegetables, noodles, or any thickening desired. Vegetables should be added just long enough before soup is done to allow them to be thoroughly cooked, adding them in the order of length of cooking, as after they are done they absorb a portion of the soup. An excellent soup for a small family may be made from the bones and trimmings cut from a steak before broiling. The bones from a rib roast, which are generally cut out and thrown away by the butcher, after weighing, should always be ordered sent with roast and used in soup. When the standard soup bone is used always recook the second day as a less strong but very nice^soup is thus made. Rice, sago, pearled barley, vermicelli, macaroni, oatmeal, bread-crumbs, pease, beans, parsnips, carrots, b'cets, turnips, garlic, shallots, and onions are desirable additions to meat soups. The first three are used in the proportion of half teacup to three quarts soup, wash and soak. Rice requires half to three-quarters of an hour, boiling it in soup; sago cocks in fifteen minutes; barley should be soaked overnight, or for several hour

Seascning Soup. — Seasonings for soups may be varied to suit tastes. The simplest may have only pepper and salt, while the richest may have a little of every savor, so delicately blended that

SOUPS. 821

no one i8 conspicuous. The best seasoning is that which is made up of the smallest quantity from each of many spices. No measure can be given, because the good soup maker must be a skillful taster. There must be a flavor of salt, that is, the Avater must not be insipid (less is needed if bits of salt meat are used), there must be a warm tone from the pepper, but not the taste of pepper ; in short the spicing should be delicate rather than profuse . For Brown Soups use the dark spices and all kinds of vegetables including car- rots, tomatoes, etc. ; a richer flavor is given the soup to brown the vegetables and where bacon and ham, which give a flavor liked by many are used, the former can be fried in the fat after the meat is browned or if latter is not used, simply brown in butter, or use the fat from off soup stock. For White Soups, mace, aromatic seeds, white pepper, cream, curry-powder, onion, potato, white turnip, celery, parsnip, salsify, rice, macaroni, etc., give the best desired re- sults. In general soup many herbs, either fresh or dried are used as seasoning, also different spices such as bay leaves, tarragon, cher- vil, burnet, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, black pepper, essence of anchovy, lemon peel and juice, and orange juice, are all used. The latter imparts a finer flavor than the lemon, and the acid is much milder. Mushroom Catsup, Harvey's Sauce, Chilli Sauce, and seasoning of difl*erent catsuits and sauces may be combined in various proportions in an almost endless variety of excellent soups. Then there is cress-seed, parsley, common, lemon and orange thyme, knotted majoram, sage, mint, winter savory and celery, or celery- seed pounded. The latter, though equally stron

822 SOUPS.

tered cup and place cups in frying-pan, pouring water around and in the cups ; when done take out carefully and add to soup. This is a nice -svay to cook them to be served alone, only bake them in ovtii and onlit the water from the cup, putting a httle salt and pep- per on top of egg ; bake three minutes and serve at once in the cups ; or two or three eggs, well-beaten and added just before pour- ing in tureen, make a nice thickening. Cayenne pepper or a bit of red pepper pod, is considered an improvement in soup, but must be cautiously used. Forcemeat Balls, and Croutons, dice of fried or toasted bread, are also used. If soup is salted too highly, add a teaspoon sugar and a tablespoon vinegar, and it will help modify it.

Soup Stock. — This is to soup what yeast is to bread and althougli many soups are made as above, without any stock, yet when one has learned the art of making the latter she" will always find herself ready to prepare a dish of delicious soup at almost a minutes' warn- ing, aud the mystery which seems to surround the simple word of ''stock-' will be unravelled with her lirst attempt. To make a J'lain Stocky take in proportion of one pound meat and bones to one quart cold water, unless it is to be boiling seven or nine hours making a Jell2/ Stock, when add a little more water. ^ It is better to cut the meat from the bones, cutting it in small pieces and breaking the bones fine, some indeed believe in crushing them almost to a pow- der and when so treated a little water must be added as they are be- ing crushed, and they must then be placed in a sack. But simply breaking them, or rather having the butcher do it, is all that_ is necessary, as that allows the quicker freeing of the gelatine of which the bones are cliiefly composed, two ounces of them containing as much gelatine as a *pound of meat; so that when equal portions bones and meat are taken, the stock when cold will be a jelly, but if only meat is used and but little bone the stock will be liquid. Stock made only of bones lacks in flavor as they do not contain a particle oi osmazome which is that part of the meat which gives flavor to tho stock. The flesh of old animals contains mure osmazome than that of young ones, and dark meats more than white, and make the stock more fragrant. By roasting meat the osmazome appears to acquire higher properties; so by putting the remains of roast meats into stock a better flavor is obta

SOUPS. 823

dissolving ; and hence a thin and tasteless stock will be obtained. It ought to be known, too, that the coagulation of the albumen in the meat, always takes place, more or less, according to the size of the piece, as the parts farthest from the surface always acquire that de- gree of heat which congeals it before entirely dissolving it, for this reason the meat is better cut in small pieces.

The meat must be fresh as possible (the same as for soup) to obtain finest flavored stock, and should be cooked from three to eight hours ; the shorter time making a Liquid Stock the latter a Jelly Stock. Cook very slowly, letting it heat gradually as the soaking of the meat in the cold water while it is being heated ex- tracts the juice better and the latter mingles more perfectly and so gives a finer flavor, and for that reason, letting the meat stand an hour or so in the kettle of water before placing it on stove is recom- mended by some. The proportion of salt used in making stock is about one tablespoon, not more, to a gallon of water, being used for the purpose of separating the blood and slime from the meat; the latter will rise just as boiling commences, in the form of scum and should be removed immediately as the agitation of the water breaks it, and it will mingle speedily with the stock and make the latter cloudy ; a dash of cold water added to kettle just as stock boils will assist the scum to rise, skim often, set back and let stock boil gently on one side or in one place, and not all over; "the pot should smile, not laugh," is a trite but true saying as rapid boiling hardens the fibre of the meat and the savory flavor escapes with the steam; the simmering also assists in clarifying and if gently cooked, stock will often be quite clear after straining. As regards time of cooking, if prepared and made as above the juices, etc., will be well extracted in two or three hours and the flavor is injured by too much cooking. If a Jelly Stock is wished cook the seven or nine hours. When any stock is done, strain carefully through a clean towel folded several times, and laid

824 SOUPS.

best, remove the cake of grease tliat forms on top and then clarify, if necessary, as described hereafter ; although as the cake assists in excluding the air it is well to let it remain on the stock till some of the latter is needed. If stock is wanted shortly after straining, add a little cold Avater and the grease will rise and can be readily skim- med off and then reheated. From this can be made all the various kinds of soups adding vegetables and flavoring as given in Making and Seasoning Soups. Where a Jelly Stock is made it is nice to put some in pint self-sealing glass cans, as it can be readily melted by placing can in hot water, and then poured in kettle and water, etc., added as needed. When the jell3'^is sliced off for u-^e, after being kept in a crock, scrape off any sediment that may be at bottom. In using any stock, whatever is added in making the soup, as rice, tapioca, vegetables, etc., should first be cooked tender as much boiling injures the flavor of the stock and for that reason, the better way in making any Vegetable Soup, is to cook the vegetables tender in water,then add stock till as rich as wished and flavor and season as preferred. A Complex Stock is made of two or more kinds of meat, or fowl cooked together, and the flavor may be varied by using in it a little ham, anchovj', sausage, or a calf's foot. Sprigs of herbs, and whole spices may be used in seasoning, and afterwards strained out, and w^hole vegetables such as onions, turnips, carrots, tomatoes, etc., may be added when making stock after it has been skimmed, and cooked with it, skimming out before straining; but they cause it to sour much more quickly and unless to be used soon are not

SOUPS. 825

with the meat on them, after cooking, adding a little piece of fresh meat, or none at all, and allowing it to simmer at least five hours ; strain, remove all fat the next day, and it will be ready for use. Or to a soup bone add any trimmings of fresh meat or poultry, roast beef bones, an onion stuck with eight or ten cloves, a turnip, two carrots, tablespoon salt, bunch of herbs as given in Meats, teaspoon sugar and cold water in jn-oportion given. Let simmer gently and strain and finish as directed. For a Medium StockiixkQ four pounds shin of beef or four of knuckle of veal or two pounds each with trimmings of poultry, etc., and quarter pound lean bacon or ham, with vegetables as above, adding half dozen stalks of celery, and a tomato or two gives a delicious flavor. Make as above or cut up meat and bacon or ham into two-inch squares ; rub two tablespoons butter on bottom of kettle, add meat and other ingredients with half pint cold water ; cover and cook till the bottom has become lined with a pale jelly-like substance ; then add four quarts cold water, skim as needed and simmer gently four or five hours and fin- ish as above. For a Rich Stock take four pounds each shin of beef and knuckle of veal, half pound lean ham or a ham bone and a calf's foot, with the vegetables given above, or not, as wished. For a White Stock, cut up five pounds shin of veal and one chicken, put in pot with the bone and a gallon and a half Avater. Some fry the meat in the pot with a little butter fifteen or twenty minutes before adding water. Skim as directed, then simmer two or three hours, add three stalks celery, one onion, white turnip, blade mace and any other vegetables wished that are given

Clarifying Stock. — To clarify a gallon of stock, take whites and shells of two or three eggs with tablespoon cold water to each egg ; break up shells and beat with the whites and cold water, place in saucepan, pour the cold stock upon them, set over fire, and let slowly reach boiling point, stirring it four or five times to loosen the egg from the bottom ; as it boils the egg will harden and rise to surface in a thick scum. When stock appears quite clear under the scum pour it very gently into a folded towel laid in a colander, which must be set over a large bowl, and allow it to run through the towel without squeezing it. This clarified stock is also called Clear Soi'j) or Consoiniiie.

Almond Soup. — Boil four pounds beef, or veal, and half a neck of mutton, gently in water to cover till stock is strong and meat very tender; strain, and set it on fire, adding ingredients in proportion of half pound vermicelli, four blades mace, and six cloves, to two quarts stock. Let it boil till it has the flavor of the spices. Have ready half pound almonds, blanched and pounded very fine, yolks

826 SOUPS.

of six eggs boiled hard ; mixing the almonds, whilst pounding, with a little of the soup, lest the former should grow oily; pound them till they are a mere pulp, and keep adding to them, by degrees, a little soup until they are thoroughly mixed together. Let soup be cool while adding above and stir till perfectly smooth. Just before serving add gill thick cream. Or take a quart of jellied White Stock ; let heat and add to it water if needed, and a pint of cream made hot in custard kettle flavored with rind of a lemon. Addthealmonda and a thickening of two tablespoons butter and three of flour, with a seasoning of salt and j)epper and a little mace. Let cook twenty minutes, and serve.

Apple Soup. — Peel, quarter and core about two pounds good cooking apples and stew gently in three quarts stock till tender ; rub all through a puree sieve, add six cloves, white pepper, cayenne and ginger to taste, boil up once and serve. Or slice half "dozen pared apples and cook till tender in a very little water adding tea- cup sugar and juice of one lemon; take off" and let cool. Slice twelve apples and i)ut into two quarts water with third of a pound each currants and seeded raisins and cook till soft, add cuj) sugar and strain tiirough a cloth or puree sieve ; pour this over the cooked sliced apples, adding juice of another lemoii, if wished, and serve when cold, with a })iece of ice in each dish. Or With Dried Apples^ to three quarts water add cup prunes or part raisins ; cook an hour, add cup dried apples, soaked if nece6sar3',two tablespoons sago and a small stick cinnamon ; when apples are tender, in about an hour, add juice of one lemon, or slices of a pared lemon , sweeten to taste and serve hot in winter or iced in summer. Corn-starch may be used instead of the sago, adding it just before serving; if too thick add water till consistency of good cream. Can be made same with fresh apples, and is a delicious soup with either.

Amber Soup. — Slice a medium-sized onion, carrot and half a white turnip and fry with some ham or salt pork, cut in dice, fif- teen minutes ; put in soup kettle, add a bunch of sweet herbs and a gallon of any stock made without vegetables. Cook three-quarters of an hour, strain, clarify, reheat, add teaspoon Caramel, season to taste and serve.

Artichoke Sor/p. — Put a turnip and onion cut in thin slices, into saucepan with half head cut celery, three slices lean bacon or ham and three tablespoons butter, and place over fire fifteen min- utes, stirring to prevent scorching. Wash and pare four pounds Jerusalem artichokes, cut into thin slices and add the other ingred- ients with pint of White Stock. Stew all to smooth pulp, add an- other pint and a half stock, stirring in well, with seasoning of salt, cayenne and sugar to taste. Put through puree sieve, return to saucepan and simmer five minutes, skimming well, add half i)int boiling cream, or pint hot milk, and serve with Croutons.

SOUPS. 827

Asparagus Soup. — Cut tops from thirty heads asparagus in about half inch pieces and simmer them gently in slightly salted water to cover ; boil the stalks left and strain through a sieve, rub- bing through any tender parts of stalks, adding a little salt and some like a very little sugar ; warm three pints White Stock, add a small lump butter and teaspoon flour pre\nously cooked by heating butter and slowly stirring in flour ; then add asparagus pulp. Boil slowly quarter of an hour, stirring in two or three tablespoons cream ; color soup with teaspoon Spinach Coloring and just before serving, add asparagus tops with the water in which they were cooked. Some use only a quart stock, and add a pint more cream or milk, making Cream of Asparagus Soup. When so much cream is added water may be used instead o*f stock. The Spinach Coloring is used to heighten the color, but is not a necessity. Or omit all cream and add a few leaves of white beet and lettuce, a little mint, sor- rel and marjoram, arud serve poured over the crust of a French roll. To make With Pease, boil a pint and a half split pease till tender, rub through sieve and add cup stock, stew half pint asparagus, cut small, in three quarts water with four young onions, a head of let- tuce, shredded, and half head cut celery till tender, then put all together, stew a few minutes, add half pint cream and little Spinach Coloring and serve. The pease will require cooking about two and one-half hours and other vegetables an hour. Fresh Pease may be used same way cooking till tendei".

Barley Soup.— Vvii into a pot two pounds shin of beef, quarter pound pearled barley, large bunch parsley, four onions, six pota- toes, salt and pepper to taste and four quarts water. Simmer gently four hours, rub through sieve, boil up once and serve. For Cream of Barley Soup., put a cup pearled barley with an onion and small piece each mace and cinnamon in three pints chicken stock and cook slowly five hours; rub through sieve and add one and a half pints boiling cream or milk ; if milk, add also two tablespoons but- ter ; season to taste. If liked richer beat yolks of four eggs with lit- tle milk and stir into the hot milk or cream a minute or two before adding it to soup.

Bean Soup. — Boil a small soup bone in about two quarts water until meat can be separated from bone, remove latter, add a large cup white beans soaked for two hours, boil for an hour and a half, add three potatoes, half a turnip and a parsnip, all sliced fine, boil half an hour longer, and just before serving sprinkle in a few dry bread- crumbs ; season with salt and pepper. and serve with raw onions,sliced very firife, for those who like them. For Turtle Bean Soi/p, soak one pint black beans overnight, then put them in three quarts water with beef bones or a small piece of lean salt pork and some add carrot and an onion, boil three or four hours, strain, season with salt, pep- per, cloves and lemon juice. Put in a few slices of lemon, and if

828 SOUPS.

wished add slices of hard-boiled eggs. Serve with Croutons placed in the tureen. Or make a Saturday Soup; for as baked beans and brown bread form a Sunday breakfast for so many it will be a use- ful and economical so\ip for Saturday dinner. Put on the pot with more beans, soaked overnight if wished than enough for Sunday's breakfast, with water, and slice of salt pork ; parboil till beans are ready to be put in oven. Take out porlc and part of beans, leaving enough for the soup ; place pot on back of stove and keep hot. Three-quarters of an hour before dinner heat soup,and add more water and vegetables as in "Bean Soup ;" a carrot may also be added. For White Bean Soup, boil till tender a quart of white beans in water. Divide in halves, mashing one Jialf, thin with a little stock and rub through a sieve. Boil again wntha head of celery cut fine and a lit- tle more stock till a smooth soup is obtained. Now add the half of beans that has been reserved, together with a mild seasoning of sweet herbs, salt, pepper, and chopped parsley. Boil fifteen min- utes and serve. A Meatless Bean Soup is made by parboiling one pint beans, drain off water, add fresh, let boil until perfectly tender, season with pepper and salt, add a ])iece of butter size of a walnut, or more if preferred ; when done skim out half-tlie beans, leavingthe broth with the remaining half in the kettle ; now add a teacup sweet cream or good milk, and dozen or more crackers broken up ; let it boil up, and serve. For any bean soup an onion may first be fried brown in kettle with some ham or bacon fat, then the beans, water, etc., added ; and when tender all maybe rubbed through puree sieve, reheated and a little thickenin

Beef Soup. — Take cracked joints of beef, and after putting meat in kettle and covering it well with water, let it conw* to a boil, when it shouM be well skimmed. Set kettle Avhere meat will sim- mer slowly until it is thoroughly done, keeping it closely covered all the time. The next day remove fat which hardens on top of soup. This gives a plain stock. Peel, wash, and slice rim-e good- sized potatoes and put them into soup or stock ; cut up half a head of white cabbage in shreds, and add to this a pint of dried corn that has been soaked overnight, two onions, one head of celery, and to- matoes if desired. When these are done, and they should simmer slowly, care being taken that they do not burn, season with salt and pepper, strain (or not as ])rcferred) and serve. The different varie- ties of beef soup are formed by this method of seasoning and using different vegetables. Besides onions, celery, cabbage, tomatoes and potatoes, many use a few carrots, turnips and beets ; sago, rice or barley will give the soup consistency, and are to "be prefafred to flour" for the jmrpose. Parsley, thyme and sage are the lavorite herbs for seasoning, but should be used sparingly and Force-meat Balls are always an improvement. A Steak Soup is made by put- ting fresh bones and trimmings from a sirloin steak over fire after breakfast in three quarts water, and cooking steadily until about an

SOUPS. 829

hour before dinner, when add two onions, one carrot, three com- mon-sized potatoes, all sliced, some parsley cut fine, a red pepper and salt to taste. This makes a delicious soup, sufficient for three persons. All soups are more palatable seasoned with onions and red pepper, using the seeds of latter with care, as they are very strong. For Economical Soup, take a soup bone (any piece of beef not to fat will do), wash well, place in kettle with sufficient cold water for soup ; let it boil, skim thoroughly and continue to boil slowly from three to six hours, according to size and quality of meat; one hour before dinner, put in cabbage cut in quarters, sprinkling it with salt ; quarter of an hour after add turnips halved or quartered according to size ; quarter hour after adding turnips, add potatoes whole, or cut in two if large (turnips and potatoes should be pared and laid in cold water half an hour before using) . When done take out vegetables and meat, small pieces of former will remain to be served in soup, place in heater, or if you have no heater, place plates over a pot or skillet of boiling water. If there is not enough soup, add boiling water, stir in a little thicken- ing of flour and water if needed, let it boil thoroughly; season to taste with salt and pepper and serve at once. The soup will be ex- cellent, and vegetables and meat will make a nice Boiled Dinner. A much prized southern dish is Okra Beef Soup, fry one pound round steak cut in biis, two tablespoons butter, and one sliced onion, till very brown ; add to three or four quarts Avater in soup kettle, and boil slowly one hour ; then add pint sliced okra, and smimer three hours or more ; season with salt and pepper, s

Black Soup. — Take the neck and any trimmings or pieces of tame goose, when cutting it up for frying ; put it in two quarts cold water with a very little salt, let cook slowly, skim, and add a carrot, parsnip, onion with half dozen cloves stuck in it, half a turnip and cook till all are tender; strain, return to kettle, and place on back of stove, To kill the goose pick off a few feathers at neck, then in- sert a sharp knife, and let the blood drip in a cup, strain and stir two tablespoons flour in smoothly. Add this to kettle of broth, stirring loell all the time till served; let just boil, add a little nice syrup and powdered cloves to taste, then two or three tablespoons vinegar, the chopped meat from the goose and serve at once. Made from pork in same way, being careful to stir the blood all the time when running. A dish which is often served as a dessert with this soup is a Siuedish Pudding, for a quart of blood from beef or pork add two gills cider, salt and pepper and a finely chopped onion, fried in a little butter or lard five or ten minutes,'half teaspoon pow- dered ginger and sugar to taste, with best Graham or Rye fiouV till a thick batter ; pour in a well-buttered mold and steam two hours.

830 SOUPS.

Serve with a dressing of melted butter accompanied with a dish of Cranberry Sauce. This pudding is nice sliced cold and fried.

Bouillon. — Put a three or four pound soup bone, selecting one with plenty of meat, in four quarts of cold water with level table- spoon salt ; let come to a boil, skim thoroughly ; then add one whole medium-sized turnip and onion pared, with latter stuck with half dozen cloves ; a scraped carrot and a Bunch of Herbs as given in meats ; or it may be composed of parsley, small stalk of celery, half a bay leaf, blade mace and five pepper-corns (if pepper is used) ; or the bunch may be omitted eutireh', or use only parsley. But all these little seasonings add greatly to the flavor and when one becomes ac- customed to keep them on hand, the expense and extra trouble are comparatively nothing. Let cook three hours, if cooked too long it will not be so clear; and the bone can be recooked, so it is fully as economical, and secures better results. Strain and set away, without covering, excepting with a thin cloth. When wanted for use remove fat, heat and strain ; then reheat. This second strain ing generally prevents necessity of clarif3-ing, but if cloudy, clarif}' as directed. This gives Plain Bouillon to which add Caramel till of color desired, as the more added the deeper the shade, but too high a flavor does not want to be given. When making it just for the Bouillon, for three pints of latter put tablespoon sugar in frying pan and let brown, stirring all the time. Then add gradually cup of the bouillon or water, as if added all at once it would boil over ; cook a few moments, and add to kettle ; if auy sugar is left in pan add a little more bouillon, cook a moment or two and add. Serve very hot in bouillon cups. For Philadelphia Bouillon add to the soup bone a chicken, a pound of shin

SOUPS. 831

Bread Soup. — Boil pound bread-crusts in quart stock, adding tablespoon butter; when it softens beat all together with a spoon till well mixed, season to taste Avith pepper, salt and a very little of any spice preferred, and serve.

Cabbage Soup. — Shave a head cabbage fine, boil till tender in water needed for soup, add tablespoon sugar, salt and pepper to taste ; drop in dumplings, made as for pot pie, and when ready to serve, add butter and sweet cream to taste. Serve hot.

Carrot Soup. — Put in soup kettle a knuckle of veal, three or four quarts cold water, quart finely-sliced carrots, one head celery, or teaspoon celery seed ; boil two and a half hours, add handful rice, and boil an hour longer; season with pepper (or a bit of red pepper pod) and salt, and serve. If veal is not at hand boil a beef bone, or any good stock may be used ; some omit rice and celery and add two onions and a turnip sliced, and when tender pulp through a sieve. May be made day before wanted, and is said to be all the better. To make of carrots alone, put in about two pounds sliced carrots in stewpan with three tablespoons butter and place where they will stew gently an hour without browning. Then pour over them two quarts stock and simmer another hour, or till tender ; rub through sieve, add salt and caj'^enne to taste, return to fire and boil five minutes, skim wtII and serve.

Cauliflower Soup. — Boil the cauliflower, picked in small pieces, in salted water about half an hour ; wash half of it, and put that in three pints White Stock or the clear broth from cooking an old chicken, in either of which a tablespoon of minced onion has been cooked fifteen minutes; add pint of boiled rich milk, season with white pepper, and a blade of mace, add a little thickening if neces- sary ; then add tablespoon butter and the whole pieces of cauli- flower with a tablespoon minced parsley. Boil up once and serve. About a cup of cauliflower is needed and that left from a meal may be used. Some add a speck of cayenne.

Celery Soup. — Wash and scrape a head of celery well, cut into small pieces, put in pint boiling salted water and cook till very soft ; chop an onion, boil in quart milk ten minutes and add all to celery ; rub through sieve, boil again, add tablespoon each butter and flour that have been stirred together over fire, and stir until smooth and well cooked ; add pepper and salt to taste and serve, straining again if not perfectly smooth. Or cut nice stalks celery fine and boil in water seasoned with salt, nutmeg and sugar to taste till tender, rub through sieve, put pulp in half pint strong stock, simmer half an hour, add pint cream, bring to boiling point and serve. If a brown soup is wanted omit cream and use all stock, adding a little Caramel Coloring. Or put half pint cold cooked rice into two quarts boiling milk in custard kettle with head of celery

832 SOUPS.

cut very fine, and stew till celery is tender. Season to taste with butter, salt, white pepper and a little mace if liked. Pour over two well-beaten eggs in tureen and scatter crisp bread dice over top. For Celerjf Cream. Soup^ boil small cup rice in tlnee pints milk, until it will pass through sieve. Grate white part of two heads celery (three if small) on bread-grater; add this to the rice milk rt/Ve?* it has been strained, also quart strong white stock ; boil until celery is perfectly tender, season with salt, white pepper and a very little grated nutmeg, and serve. If cream is obtainable, substitute one pint for same quantity of milk. The soup should be of a nice creamy consistency, neither too thick nor too thin. When fresh celery cannot be had, a little of the seed, finely pounded, or the essence will flavox soup nicely.

Chestmit Soup. — Blanch a quart shelled chestnuts, boil in plenty of water till tender and rub through fine sieve with ]>otato masher. Mix smooth a tablespoon each flour and butter in sauce- pan over fire and add gradually a quart milk ; when scalding hot, season with saltspoon salt, pinch pepper and nutmeg, add chestnut pulp, boil up once and serve. For a richer soup boil chestnuts m stock, and use the whole or a part of stock for the soup, adding gill cream to each quart.

CJucJten Soup. — In boiling chickens for salads, etc., the broth (water in which they are boiled) may be used for soup. When the chickens are to be served whole, stuff and tie in a cloth. To the broth add a dozen tomatoes (or a quart can), and one thinly-sliced onion; boil twenty minutes, season with salt and pepper, add two well-beaten eggs, and serve. Or, for Southern Chicken Soup, cut meat of one chicken into small jjieces, except the breast, and break the bones. Place bones and meat in kettle with breast on top and cover with cold water, cook three or four hours, skimming well, and remove the breast as soon as tender ; strain and to three pints stock add three tablespoons cooked rice, the breast cut in dice,' tablespoon minced parsley, and salt and white pepper to taste. Cook fifteen minutes and serve. Some cook a half pound or so of round steak, cut in dice, with chicken and bones; or add three carrots cut up, pint of tomatoes, teacup of lima beans, and salt to taste and pinch cayenne pepper, and simmer four hours. An hour before serving add pint rich milk ; add thickening if needed and serve. An old chicken is best as it gives a richer, finer flavor.