Hand-Book Of Practical Cookery, For Ladies And Professional Cooks - free ebook by Pierre Blot

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Hand-Book Of Practical Cookery, For Ladies And Professional Cooks

Pierre Blot

225 chapters

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225 chapters

D. APPLETON & CO.,

D. APPLETON & CO.,

Food is the most important of our wants; we cannot exist without it. The man who does not use his brain to select and prepare his food, is not above the brutes that take it in its raw state. It is to the physique what education is to the mind, coarse or refined. Good and well-prepared food beautifies the physique the same as a good and well-directed education beautifies the mind. A cook-book is like a book on chemistry, it cannot be used to any advantage if theory is not blended with practice. I

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TO HOUSEKEEPERS AND COOKS.

TO HOUSEKEEPERS AND COOKS.

A cook-book cannot be used like a dictionary; a receipt is like a rule of grammar: to comprehend it thoroughly, it is indispensable to understand others. The author, therefore, earnestly recommends to his readers to begin by perusing carefully the directions, etc., at the beginning of the book, and also the explanations given on and heading the different articles of food, before attempting the preparation of a dish for the first time. They will thus soon be able to prepare any dish by merely rea

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TO COOKS.

TO COOKS.

We think the following friendly recommendations will not be out of place here. They are in the interest of both the housekeeper and the cook: Make use of every thing good. Waste nothing, however little it may be. Have no prejudices. Be careful, clean, and punctual. Always bear in mind that routine is the greatest enemy of progress, and that you have agreed to faithfully perform your daily duties for a certain consideration. PIERRE BLOT. New York , August , 1867....

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COOKING.

COOKING.

The science and art of cooking may be divided into ten principal parts; the rest is all fancy. These ten parts are: Baking , Boiling , Broiling , Frying , Mixing , Roasting , Sautéing , Seasoning , Simmering , and Stewing . Tasting is an adjunct to all. Baking. —In baking, see that the furnace or oven be properly heated; some dishes require more heat than others. Look at the object in process of baking from time to time, and especially at the beginning, turn it round if necessary, in case it be

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ANISE.

ANISE.

Anise comes from Egypt, and is used as a spice....

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APRICOT.

APRICOT.

This is a native of Armenia. It is served like plums and peaches; in salad, compote, etc....

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BACON.

BACON.

Never use smoked bacon or ham, except when especially directed. The smoky taste would spoil the dish....

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BAIN-MARIE.

BAIN-MARIE.

A bain-marie is a large vessel of hot or boiling water, in which saucepans, kettles, moulds, etc., are placed to prepare or warm food. It is also used to keep any kind of food warm, when something is ready to serve, and the time has not come; the utensil containing it is placed in hot water, and it not only keeps it warm, but there is almost no evaporation while in it. It does not boil away either. There are things that are much more delicate when prepared or warmed in hot water. One utensil mad

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BAKE-PANS.

BAKE-PANS.

A bake-pan for baking meat, fish, or any other object that requires liquor of any kind, must have borders in order to hold that liquor; but a bake-pan for cakes or any other object that does not require any liquor, or that does not turn liquid in baking, is better without borders—that is, a simple piece of sheet iron of a size to go easily in the oven....

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BAY-LEAF.

BAY-LEAF.

This is known also under its French name laurier. It is used as a spice; it is exceedingly cheap and is excellent to flavor sauces, gravies, etc. It comes especially from Italy, where it is used to pack figs, oil, and different fruits....

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BEETS.

BEETS.

The red beet is much used to decorate different dishes. It is boiled, then pickled, cut in fancy shapes, either with a knife or with paste-cutters, and tastefully placed on or around the object it is used to decorate. It is served as a hors-d'oeuvre , pickled, and cut in slices. To boil. —Set it on a good fire in a pan, covered with cold water, and boil gently till done. The beet must not be touched at all with any thing rough, for if the skin or root is cut or broken, all the color goes away in

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BRAISING.

BRAISING.

Braising, in cookery, means to cook any thing with fire under and upon the pan, kettle, or other utensil. A good oven is by far more easy, and answers perfectly the purpose. An oven not only warms the under and upper parts of the utensil, but all around it also....

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BUNCH OF SEASONINGS.

BUNCH OF SEASONINGS.

It is composed of parsley, thyme, bay-leaf, and cloves, and sometimes a clove of garlic is added. Place the sprigs of parsley in the left hand, rather spread, lay the others on and in the middle of the parsley, and envelop them in it as well as possible, then tie the whole with twine. As all these seasonings are never served except when chopped, they are more easily taken out than if they were not tied together....

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BUTTERED PAPER.

BUTTERED PAPER.

Dip in lukewarm butter a piece of white paper of the size you want, and envelop the piece to broil or roast with it. Tie the paper around with twine or coarse thread....

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OILED PAPER.

OILED PAPER.

The only difference between oiled and buttered paper is, that it is dipped in sweet or olive oil instead of butter....

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CATSUP.

CATSUP.

Beware of what is sold under the name of catsups and pickles; many cases of dyspepsia, debility, and consumption come from using such stuff....

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CAVIARE.

CAVIARE.

It is made with the roes, hard and soft, of the sterlet. It is imported from Russia, and is served as a hors-d'oeuvre , with slices of lemon and toast....

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CERVELAS, SAUCISSONS, ETC.

CERVELAS, SAUCISSONS, ETC.

Cervelas, saucissons, as well as smoked sausages, are pork-butchers' preparations, cut slantwise in very thin slices, and served as hors-d'oeuvre , with parsley in the middle of the dish....

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CHEESE.

CHEESE.

Cheese is the first plate of dessert to be partaken of. "A dinner without cheese is like a handsome lady with but one eye."— Brillat-Savarin . "Cheese takes away all the taste that might be left from preceding dishes, and by that means prepares the palate for the appreciation of the good things, the delicate flavors of the dessert and wines."...

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COCHINEAL.

COCHINEAL.

Cochineal, or carmine. Buy the cochineal in powder, prepared for cooking purposes, mix some (say the size of half a split pea) with a few drops of cold water and mix that again with what you wish to color. The quantity of cochineal is according to the quantity of mixture and also according to how deep the color is desired....

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CHERVIL.

CHERVIL.

This comes from Italy, and is used in salad and as a spice....

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COLANDER.

COLANDER.

Besides the ordinary colander, it is necessary to have a fine one. We mean, by a fine colander, one with holes half the size of the ordinary ones, that is, just between the colander and strainer. A colander should not have holes on the sides; it is handier and more clean with holes at the bottom only....

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CURRY.

CURRY.

We think that curry is very good and necessary on the borders of the Ganges River, and for that very reason we think also that it ought to be eschewed on the borders of the Hudson, Delaware, Ohio, and thereabouts. We cannot describe curry better than by giving here the answer ( verbatim et literatim ) of a gentleman who has lived a few years in Java, to a question on the properties and qualities of curry. He said that he thought it good and even necessary to use some there on account of the clim

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DINING-ROOM.

DINING-ROOM.

It must be well ventilated and lighted. The best degree of temperature is about 66 degrees Fahr....

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DISH.

DISH.

A dish ought to be charming to the eye, flattering to the smell, and delicious to the taste....

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DRAINING.

DRAINING.

To drain, is to put in a colander any thing that has been soaked, washed, or boiled, etc., in water or any other liquid, in order to dry it, or at least to let drop from it the water or other liquid that may be in it. Salads of greens, as a general thing, are drained after being washed, before putting them in the salad-dish; they must be drained as dry as possible, but without pressing on them, as it would wilt the leaves, and give the salad an unsightly appearance....

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DUSTING.

DUSTING.

A pan, after being buttered or greased, is dusted with flour, sugar, or even bread-crumbs, to prevent the mixture that is put in it from sticking. Sugar, etc., may also be sprinkled over dishes with a dredger....

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DRINKING.

DRINKING.

When weary, or cold, or warm, or exhausted, we drink in preference to eating, because we feel the effect instantaneously; while after eating even the most substantial food, we do not feel the effect for some time. When exhausted and when immediate relief is necessary, the best drinks are broth, chocolate, milk, or water sweetened with sugar. It is more than a mistake to drink wines or liquors at such a time; it is really committing slow suicide. When only thirsty, without exhaustion, we ought to

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HOT WEATHER.

HOT WEATHER.

A remark or two on eating and drinking in hot weather are always in season. Green vegetables, properly cooked, are certainly healthful in warm weather; but it is a mistake to think that meat should be excluded from summer diet. The hotter the weather, the more the system wastes, and therefore the more we must supply. In order to keep the body in a healthful condition, meat ought to be eaten at least once a day in summer-time. It would be well to vary this programme by taking one meal of fish on

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COLD WEATHER.

COLD WEATHER.

Fat meat is good in winter and is relished; so are dry vegetables and saccharine substances....

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FOOD.

FOOD.

Nature has provided man with a mind, in order that he should study what kind of food suits his constitution; he who does not do it, is not above the lower animals. "Good things have been made by the Creator for good people, flowers have certainly not been made for brutes, either quadruped or biped."— Jefferson. "It is from good things that, in a human point of view, we derive the strength necessary to our limbs, let us partake of the same and be thankful."— Rev. —— Chadband. Have your food selec

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ECONOMY.

ECONOMY.

There is not a word so much misused in cooking as the word economy. Prejudice comes for a large share in the use of it. How many things are thrown away, or wasted by mere prejudice or ignorance! It is often from economy that a woman washes meat, because some part of it does not look clean. Instead of washing it, do not buy it; or, if bought, cut off a thin slice and throw it away: it is more economical than washing the whole piece, which you partly destroy by the process. It is with a view to ec

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EGG-BEATER.

EGG-BEATER.

We have tried five different kinds in Boston, before a large audience and on the demand of an inventor of one, but none could beat eggs as well as a common hand-beater. The whites of the eggs could not be raised with any of the others much more than half as much as with the common one; and besides, could not be beaten stiff. Many persons do not succeed in making cakes of different preparations in which whites of eggs beaten to a stiff froth are used, because the eggs are not properly beaten. Any

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ERRORS IN COOKING.

ERRORS IN COOKING.

Ignorance produces abuse or error, or both. Blissful ignorance may be a fine thing in some cases, but either in preparing or partaking of food, it is certainly more than an abuse, it is a dangerous error. It is by ignorance or disease that man abuses wine or any other liquor. It is by ignorance or prejudice that many eschew the best and most healthful of condiments, such as garlics, onions, etc. They dislike them on account of their pungent taste when raw, not knowing that when cooked it is all

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FENNEL.

FENNEL.

This is said to be a native of the Canary Islands; it has a very strong taste, and is used as a spice, especially in blood pudding. The Romans used a great deal of it....

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FIG.

FIG.

The fig-tree comes from Mesopotamia. Figs are generally served as hors-d'oeuvre , or used in puddings, etc....

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FINES HERBES.

FINES HERBES.

Parsley and cives chopped fine, and used for omelets, or with cold meat, sauces, etc., are called thus....

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FLOUR.

FLOUR.

In cooking, new flour is not as good as old; it does not thicken as well and as fast....

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FOIES GRAS.

FOIES GRAS.

Foies , or pâtés de foies gras are made with geese-livers, fresh fat pork, truffles, ham, fines herbes , and spices. They are always served cold as a relevé or entrée , but most generally they are used for lunch or supper....

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FRUIT-CORER.

FRUIT-CORER.

There are many sizes in the set, to core from a pineapple to a cherry....

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GALANTINE.

GALANTINE.

The word galantine means a boned bird , or a boned shoulder of veal....

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GLAZING.

GLAZING.

Glazing is generally done by means of a brush or with feathers. A beaten egg, or syrup, or jelly, or egg and sugar, etc., are used to glaze cakes, etc. It is done by dipping the brush into the egg or jelly, and by spreading it on the cake or other object before baking or before serving, as directed in the different receipts. It is also done by sifting powdered sugar on cakes which are put back in the oven for a short time—that is, the time necessary to melt the sugar....

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INDIGESTION.

INDIGESTION.

A cup of tea and camomile, half of each, with a few drops of orange-flower water, and the whole well sweetened and taken warm, is very good after having eaten something difficult to digest....

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ITALIAN PASTES.

ITALIAN PASTES.

Macaroni, vermicelli, and the like dry pastes, are called Italian pastes, whatever the shape—round, oval, or star-like....

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ISINGLASS.

ISINGLASS.

It is sometimes used instead of gelatine to make jellies....

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JELLY-BAG.

JELLY-BAG.

Make a conical bag of good white flannel, about twenty inches long, fifteen inches broad at one end when spread on a flat surface, or about thirty inches in circumference, the other end being the point. Sew to it four pieces of white tape at the large end, and at equal distances, so that two sticks may be run into them. The sticks are placed on chairs or something else, in order to have the point of the bag about one foot from the floor. It is then ready to pass the jellies through it....

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KITCHEN UTENSILS.

KITCHEN UTENSILS.

Gastronomists use, in preference to any thing else, crockery or earthen pans; or, for want of these, block-tin pans. Copper is, in the end, the cheapest of all; but American cooks do not like them because they require too much care and must be examined every day; to prevent any accident, it is necessary to keep the inside properly lined. Many indispositions are caused by food prepared in copper not properly lined; even food allowed to cool in a well-lined pan would be dangerous. Pans lined with

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LAIT DE POULE.

LAIT DE POULE.

Mix well in a tumbler a yolk of egg and a teaspoonful of sugar; then add a few drops of orange-flower water ( eau de fleur d'oranger ); pour boiling water on the whole, little by little, stirring the while, and drink warm. The quantity of water is according to taste. A gill of water to a yolk of egg makes it thick enough. It makes an excellent drink, to be taken just before retiring, for persons with cough....

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LARD.

LARD.

Never buy lard ready made if you can help it, but take hog's fat, the part enveloping the kidneys, or leaf lard, and chop it fine, put it in a cast-iron or crockery kettle with a bay-leaf and a stalk of thyme to every two pounds of fat; set on a moderate fire, and as soon as it begins to melt, take the melted part out with a ladle, and put it in a stone jar or pot; be careful not to take any pieces of fat not yet melted. Continue that process till it is all melted. The dry or hard part that rema

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FAT FOR FRYING.

FAT FOR FRYING.

Take beef suet, the part around the kidneys, or any kind of fat, raw or cooked; remove as much as possible fibres, nerves, thin skin, or bones; chop it fine, put it in a cast-iron or crockery kettle; add to it the fat you may have skimmed from the top of broth, sauces or, gravies. Set the pan on a moderate fire; boil gently for about fifteen minutes, skim it well during the process; take from the fire, let it stand about five minutes, and then strain. Put it in a stone jar or pot, and keep it in

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TO CLARIFY FAT.

TO CLARIFY FAT.

Set the fat on a moderate fire in a pan, and as soon as it commences to boil, place a slice of bread dried in the oven in it, boil gently for about half an hour; take from the fire, let it settle for a few minutes; remove the bread, turn gently into a jar or pot, leaving the dregs in the pan. Chicken , Turkey , and Goose Fat. —The fat of the above birds is never used to fry, but to sauté instead of butter. To make omelets it is excellent; an omelet is whiter and more sightly made with chicken-fa

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GAME-FAT.

GAME-FAT.

Game-fat can be used instead of other fat and also instead of butter, to sauté , or what is generally called partly fry, game; it may also be used, instead of butter to bake game. It must be clarified longer than other fat, but in the same way. The boiling of fat with water, as indicated in some cook-books, is only a fancy and extra work, it has no effect whatever on the fat. It is the same by keeping it for hours in a bain-marie ; it does not change it in the least....

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BATTER FOR FRYING.

BATTER FOR FRYING.

For frying Vegetables. —Put three tablespoonfuls of flour in a bowl with two yolks of eggs, and cold water enough to make a kind of thin paste, then add salt and half a teaspoonful of sweet oil; mix well. Beat the two whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and mix them with the rest. Put the batter away in a cold place for at least two hours, and use. It must not be put away longer than for half a day. Another. —Proceed as above in every particular, except that you use milk instead of water. For fr

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LARDING.

LARDING.

All pork-butchers sell salt pork for larding. Cut it in slices and then by cutting the slices across it makes square strips or fillets. The strips must be of a proper size to be easily inserted into the larding-needle, and are about two inches and a half long. When the needle is run half way through the meat, insert the salt pork into it, pull the needle off and leave the salt pork inside of the meat, both ends of it sticking out. If it were running through, that is, if the salt pork were pulled

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LARDING-NEEDLE.

LARDING-NEEDLE.

The best are made of brass. Those that are sold for steel are generally of iron, and break easily. Those for beef à la mode are of steel, and must be flat near the point, in order to cut the meat....

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LEAVEN.

LEAVEN.

Knead four ounces of flour with baker's yeast, enough to make a rather thick dough; give it the shape of a rather flat apple; with a sharp knife make two cuts on the top and across, and through about one-third of the paste; put the paste in a pan of lukewarm water. In a few minutes it will float; take it off and use then after it has floated about two minutes....

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MEAT.

MEAT.

The time it takes to cook meat depends as much on the quality of the meat as on the fire. Some persons like meat more done than others; in many cases you must consult your own taste or that of your guests. Beef, lamb, mutton, and game, may be eaten rather underdone, according to taste; domestic fowls must be properly cooked; but pork and veal must always be overdone, or else it is very unwholesome, if not dangerous. The following table may be used as a guide: The following table may be used as a

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MOULDS.

MOULDS.

Mould for Meat Pies. —A mould for meat pies may be round or oval; it must be in two pieces, fastened together by a kind of hinge. When the pie is baked, the wire pin holding the mould is pulled, and the mould removed. Mould for Pies , Jellies , etc. —This mould may be used for any thing that requires a mould; it may also be round, oval, or of any other shape....

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OLIVES.

OLIVES.

Fresh and ripe they are served as dessert with other fruit. Preserved, they are served as a hors-d'oeuvre , and used to flavor and decorate different dishes. Olives as well as sardines are healthful and considered one of the best hors-d'oeuvre ....

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OSMAZOME.

OSMAZOME.

Osmazome is found in beef, mutton, full-grown domestic fowls, venison, and game; in the latter, when the bird or animal is adult. In meat soup, the osmazome is the soluble part of the meat that dissolves in boiling, and makes nutritious broth. In broiled or roasted pieces, it is that part which makes a kind of brown crust on the surface of the meat, and also the brownish part of the gravy. Chicken, lamb, sucking-pig, veal, etc., do not contain any osmazome....

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PARSLEY, CHERVIL, THYME, CELERY, SAGE, ETC.,—FOR WINTER USE.

PARSLEY, CHERVIL, THYME, CELERY, SAGE, ETC.,—FOR WINTER USE.

Hang in the shade, under a shed, or in a garret, and in a clean and dry place, some small bunches of parsley, chervil, celery, etc., the roots upward; leave them thus till perfectly dry, then place them in your spice-box for winter use. The best time for drying them is at the end of October or the beginning of November; dig them up in fine and dry weather, so as to have them clean without washing. Soak in cold water half an hour before using....

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WHITE PEPPER.

WHITE PEPPER.

This is black pepper decorticated. Put peppercorns in a bowl, cover with cold water, and leave thus till the skin is tender; then drain. Take the skin off, let it dry, grind it; place with your other spices, and use where directed. It takes many days for the skin to become tender....

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QUALITY OF MEAT, FISH, VEGETABLES, FRUIT, ETC.

QUALITY OF MEAT, FISH, VEGETABLES, FRUIT, ETC.

The quality of meat depends entirely on the quality of food with which the animal has been fed. For fish, the taste or quality is according to the kind of water in which they have lived; fish from a muddy pond smell of mud, while fish from a clear brook are delicious. The same difference exists in vegetables and fruit; their quality is according to the quality or nature of the ground in which they have been grown....

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PASTRY-BAG.

PASTRY-BAG.

A bag for pastry is made with thick, strong linen; of a conical shape, about one foot long, eight inches broad at one end when spread on a flat surface, and which makes about sixteen inches in circumference, and only one inch and a quarter at the other end, and in which latter end a tin tube is placed, so that the smaller end of the tin tube will come out of the smaller end of the bag. Putting then some mixture into the bag and by pressing from the upper end downward, the mixture will come out o

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RAW MATERIALS.

RAW MATERIALS.

If American cookery is inferior to any other generally, it is not on account of a want of the first two requisites—raw materials and money to buy them; so there is no excuse for it, both are given to the cooks. Here, where markets rival the best markets of Europe and even surpass them in abundance, it is really a pity to live as many do live....

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SCALLOPED KNIFE.

SCALLOPED KNIFE.

This knife is used to cut beets, carrots, turnip-rooted celery, potatoes, radishes, and turnips; in slices, round, oblong, or of any other shape; either to decorate dishes, or to be served alone or with something else, or to be fried. The annexed cuts will give an idea of what can be done with it. It is understood that the vegetables are peeled first....

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SHALLOTS.

SHALLOTS.

Shallots come from Syria. Shallot is stronger than garlic and onion; a real Tartar sauce cannot be made without shallot. The small, green onion is a good substitute for it....

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SKEWERS.

SKEWERS.

The cuts below are skewers. The common ones are used to fasten pieces of meat together; to roast or bake small birds, liver in brochette , etc., etc. Those to decorate are only used with different flowers or vegetables, and stuck inside of different pieces of meat as a decoration. They are removed just before carving. The use of them is explained in the different receipts. They may be different from those seen in the cuts....

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SPICES.

SPICES.

The cooks of this country generally have a queer idea of what they call French cookery and French spices. Some honestly believe that to make a French dish a great deal of pepper and other strong seasonings must be put in. Many other persons, who have not been in Europe, really believe also, that French cookery is what is called highly-seasoned. There never was a greater mistake. If French cooks use several kinds of spices, and may-be more than American cooks, they are not the same; or if some ar

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STIRRING.

STIRRING.

Never use any spoon but a wooden one to stir any thing on the fire or in a warm state....

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STRAINING.

STRAINING.

To strain, is to pass a sauce or any thing else through a sieve, a strainer, or a piece of cloth, in order to have it freed from particles of every kind. Broth is strained to make soup, so as to remove the small pieces of bones that may be in it, etc....

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SUGAR.

SUGAR.

Sugar plays a very important part in cooking. It is added to cereals, vegetables, and fruit, many of which would almost be unpalatable without it, and which are rendered not only palatable but wholesome by its action. It is the sugar of the carrot and that of the onion, or of the garlic, that gives such a peculiar and delicious flavor to gravies and sauces, to beef à la mode , fricandeau , etc. Pulverized. —When pulverized or powdered sugar can be had pure, it saves the trouble to do it; but oft

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TARRAGON.

TARRAGON.

The French name of tarragon is estragon . It is excellent in vinegar and in many fish sauces. It is aromatic, sudorific, and stomachic, and grows very well in this country. It grows at least twice as large here as in Europe....

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TIN TUBES.

TIN TUBES.

These tubes are put in the pastry-bag, at the smaller end of it, to make meringues , ladies' fingers, etc.; they are of tin, and can be made by any tinsmith. They have the shape of a trapezoid or frustum. Two are enough for any purpose. No. 1. One inch and a half long; one inch and three-eighths in diameter at one end, and nine-sixteenths of an inch at the other end. No. 2. One inch and a half long; one inch and a half in diameter at one end, and six-eighths of an inch at the other....

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TRUFFLES.

TRUFFLES.

Truffles are found in Europe and Africa, where they were first discovered. The truffle is neither an animal nor a vegetable, although it has been classed among the fungi, which has root, and the truffle has neither root nor stem. The truffle is used for stuffing and flavoring only otherwise it is not of much value. On account of their scarcity, and the difficulty in finding them, they are rather costly. We think truffles may be compared to lace—both are dear, and neither has an intrinsic value..

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VANILLA.

VANILLA.

Is a native of America, extensively used for seasoning creams, pastry, etc., to which it gives a delicious flavor. Although a native of America, all the extracts of vanilla, as well as others, were formerly imported; but within a few years Americans have found out that they are able to distil also, and "Burnett's Extract of Vanilla" is better known to-day all over the country than any other....

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VEGETABLE SPOONS.

VEGETABLE SPOONS.

Vegetable spoons are used to cut potatoes, carrots, and turnips; there are different shapes, round, oval, carrot-shape, plain, and scalloped. We give here only two, being sufficient to explain their use. The first ( a ) is of an oval shape, and makes the cut c ; the second ( b ) is round, and makes the cut d . When the vegetable is peeled, place the spoon on it, the convex side up; holding the vegetable in your left hand, press on the spoon with your left thumb, and in order to cause it to cut t

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WATER.

WATER.

Rain-water is for cooking purposes, as for other purposes, the best, but is seldom used, especially in large cities, where it is difficult to procure it. Another difficulty is, when procured it soon gets foul. The next best is river-water, or water from lakes. By boiling, water evaporates its gases and alkali, and is inferior afterward for cooking purposes, especially for boiling vegetables; therefore, we earnestly recommend to use the water at the first boiling. When foul water has to be used f

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WINES.

WINES.

Native wines, when pure, are just as good as any other for cooking purposes. It is wrong and a great mistake to underrate native wines; they have a little more acerbity than foreign wines, but are not inferior. It cannot be otherwise, being grown in a virgin soil, or nearly so. The richer the soil or the younger the vineyard, the more acid the wine. Cold nights during the ripening of the fruit make the wine more acid, not ripening so perfectly. Wine is a healthy drink, and many invalids would re

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MOTTO.

MOTTO.

The motto of the New York Cooking Academy is— Since we must eat to live, let us prepare our food in such a manner, that our physical, intellectual, and moral capacities may be extended as far as is designed by our CREATOR....

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ALMONDS.

ALMONDS.

Two kinds are used in cooking, the sweet and the bitter. They are shelled first, then by pouring boiling water on them and leaving them in it for two or three minutes, they are easily skinned. They are sometimes used as soon as skinned, and sometimes dried after being skinned and just before using. When wanted dried, place them in a pan in a slow oven with the door open, and turn them occasionally....

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LEMONADE OR ORANGEADE.

LEMONADE OR ORANGEADE.

Put two ounces of loaf sugar in a quart of water, also the rind of an orange or one of lemon. Half an hour after strain the whole, and press into it the juice of the orange, and a few drops of lemon-juice. If found too strong, add water and sugar. It is a very good drink in summer, or for evening parties. A little currant jelly may be added to make a variety....

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LEMONADE WITH BARLEY.

LEMONADE WITH BARLEY.

To the above lemonade or orangeade you add, instead of water and sugar, some barley-water and sugar; it is very good and very refreshing. Barley-water is made by soaking in lukewarm water a pint of barley, drain it two or three minutes after; put the barley in a crockery pan, cover it with cold water (about three quarts), set it on the fire, and boil till the barley is perfectly cooked; skim off the scum during the cooking, drain, let cool, and use the water....

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BARLEY SUGAR FOR CHILDREN.

BARLEY SUGAR FOR CHILDREN.

Soak a quart of barley in lukewarm water for two or three minutes, and drain. Put the barley in a crockery stewpan, with four or five quarts of water, and set it on a good fire, boil till the barley is overdone, and then take from the fire, mash it as well as possible and strain, throwing away what there is in the strainer, and if the remainder does not make a kind of jelly when cool, the barley has not been boiled enough. Mix that jelly with sugar and fry it; it is better than any other candy,

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BAVAROISE WITH CHOCOLATE.

BAVAROISE WITH CHOCOLATE.

Put in a tin pan a pint of milk, with one ounce of chocolate, and two of sugar; set it over the fire, but do not allow it to boil; stir well with a wooden spoon during the process, and when the whole is well mixed, serve warm in cups. It is an excellent and wholesome drink in the evening. The same with Coffee or Tea. —Proceed as above in every particular, except that you put in the pan a small cup of coffee or tea instead of chocolate, and a little more sugar....

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BICHOF.

BICHOF.

Put in a crockery tureen two bottles of white wine, with an orange and a lemon, both cut in slices; cover, and place it in a warm place for about ten hours; then strain into a vessel, and mix well with the liquor about a pound of loaf sugar, and a little grated cinnamon. It may be served warm or cold. Another way. —Melt a pound of loaf sugar in half a pint of cold water, and then mix with it two bottles of white wine, a pinch of grated cinnamon, the juice of an orange, and that of a lemon, and u

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TO PRESERVE BIRDS.

TO PRESERVE BIRDS.

Broil or roast, according to our directions, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, partridges, pheasants, prairie hens, quails, etc.; then carve them; take the bones out of the pieces, place them in a crockery pot, which you fill with melted butter or lard, and cover well when cold. Place the pot in a cool and dry place, and they will keep for months. When you wish to eat them, take out the quantity you want, and place it in a frying-pan, with the butter or lard that is around; fry till warm, and ser

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BREAD-CRUMBS.

BREAD-CRUMBS.

Put slices of stale bread in a slow oven till they are perfectly dried up. Break them in pieces and reduce them to coarse powder with a rolling pin; sift them, and they are ready for use. Bread-crumbs are better than cracker-crumbs; the latter, when reduced to powder, are too floury, and besides, there is always stale bread enough in a kitchen to make crumbs. The above crumbs are rather brown. White crumbs. —Cut in rather large dice the soft part of stale bread, put the pieces in a new and coars

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BURNT SUGAR.

BURNT SUGAR.

Take an old tin ladle and place it over a sharp fire, with two ounces of loaf sugar in it; stir with a stick or skewer till it is thoroughly black and burnt. Then add, little by little, about one gill of water; stir a little, boil about four minutes, but not fast, lest it should boil over the ladle; strain, and it is made. As soon as cold, bottle it and use when wanted. It keeps any length of time. It is used to color broth, sauces, gravies, etc. It is called caramel in French....

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COFFEE.

COFFEE.

It is simple to make coffee. Of course, when properly made, with good berries, the liquor is good. When good roasted coffee can be bought, it saves the trouble of roasting it, and is, or rather ought to be, cheaper than it can be done in a family. If coffee is roasted a long time before being used it loses much of its aroma, therefore a family ought not to roast more than it can use in about a week, while twenty or twenty-five pounds can be roasted at one time and by one person. Three or four di

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TO ROAST.

TO ROAST.

In roasting, good coffee swells about thirty-three per cent., and loses about sixteen per cent. in weight. Roast once a week or oftener. Put coffee in the apparatus (cylinder, or drum, or roaster), the quantity to be according to the size of the roaster, or according to how much is needed. Have a rather slow fire at first; when the coffee has swollen, augment the fire, turning, shaking, tossing the roaster, sometimes fast, sometimes slowly, and take from the fire a little before it is roasted en

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TO MAKE.

TO MAKE.

Set a kettle of cold water on the fire. Place the ground coffee in the filter, and as soon as the water begins to boil, pour just enough of it over the coffee to wet it. Put the kettle back on the fire, and again, at the first boiling, pour it over the coffee rather slowly, and till you have poured enough water to furnish the quantity of coffee required. If the water does not pass through fast enough, just stop pouring for a few seconds, that is, long enough to put the kettle back on the fire an

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CAFÉ AU LAIT.

CAFÉ AU LAIT.

This is coffee and milk for breakfast. The milk is set on the fire in a tin saucepan, and taken off when it rises; then mixed with the coffee, either in the cup or any kind of vessel. The proportions are pint for pint....

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CAFÉ NOIR.

CAFÉ NOIR.

Café noir is the name given to the coffee taken after dinner. It is generally made rather strong. Gentlemen sometimes put liquor in it—a glass of brandy, or rum, or kirschwasser; and ladies, a little cold milk. Taken fifteen or twenty minutes after dinner, it helps digestion. It excites the faculties of the mind, and gives what physiologists call "agreeable sensations." Coffee is nutritious, and to a certain extent prevents waste of the system....

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CHOCOLATE.

CHOCOLATE.

The quantity of chocolate for a certain quantity of milk is according to taste. Two ounces of chocolate make a good cup of it, and rather thick. Break the chocolate in pieces, put it in a tin saucepan with a tablespoonful of water to an ounce of chocolate, and set it on a rather slow fire. Stir now and then till thoroughly melted. While the chocolate is melting, set the quantity of milk desired in another tin saucepan on the fire, and as soon as it rises and when the chocolate is melted, as dire

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CHOCA.

CHOCA.

Choca is nothing more nor less than one cup of coffee and milk mixed with a cup of chocolate, and for breakfast....

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COCOA.

COCOA.

Put in a tea or coffee cup one or two tablespoonfuls of ground cocoa, pour boiling water or boiling milk on it, little by little, stirring with a spoon the while; sweeten it to taste. A few drops of essence of vanilla may be added, according to taste....

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ESSENCE OF SPINACH, OR GREEN ESSENCE.

ESSENCE OF SPINACH, OR GREEN ESSENCE.

Put two handfuls of very green and fresh spinach in a mortar and pound it well. Then put it in a saucepan, set on a rather slow fire, and when on the point of boiling take it off, pass it through a sieve and use. It may be kept for some time with a little sugar....

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ESSENCE OF BEEF.

ESSENCE OF BEEF.

The essence of beef of commerce is well known. To make essence of beef used in cooking and called glace in French, set three or four quarts of broth on a slow fire, in a saucepan and reduce it to jelly. Keep it simmering all the time; it may take twenty hours to reduce. When properly reduced, it is of a very dark-brown color and has a very pleasant odor. When cold, it must be rather hard. When essence of beef tastes like glue and has an unpleasant odor, it is not made properly, or with good beef

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ICING.

ICING.

Put about three tablespoonfuls of pulverized sugar in a bowl with the white of a small egg; and then mix and work well for at least five minutes with a piece of wood. When done it is perfectly white and rather thick. Make a kind of funnel with thick, white paper; put the mixture in it, and by squeezing it out, you make decorations according to fancy, on cakes, charlotte russe, etc. You make the decorations of the size you please, by cutting the smaller end of the paper-funnel of the size you wis

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MEAT JELLIES.

MEAT JELLIES.

Put in a saucepan two ounces of gelatine with three eggs and shells, a tablespoonful of salt, the rind of half a lemon, a liquor-glass of rum or brandy, or a wine-glass of sherry, port, or madeira wine; mix well the whole. Add one quart of broth, twelve pepper-corns; beat the whole well with an egg-beater and set on a good fire; stir gently till it comes to a boil; then move it on a rather slow fire; boil slowly for about eight minutes and turn into the jelly-bag. Have two bowls at hand to be us

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MEAT GRAVY.

MEAT GRAVY.

When you are short of gravy, cut a little piece of veal, say half a pound of the breast or neck piece, or trimmings of veal-cutlets; set on the fire with about an ounce of butter, and half of a rather small carrot cut in slices; stir, and when the meat is turning rather brown, add two or three onions in slices also; stir again till the onions are nearly fried; when covered with broth or water, add salt, a dozen whole peppers, a bay-leaf, and two stalks of thyme; boil gently for two or three hour

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MELONS.

MELONS.

Musk-melons are always served as a hors-d'oeuvre , but must be eaten immediately after soup, or the first thing of all if no soup is served. It is a great mistake to serve melons as a dessert. Water-melons, though eaten abundantly, are considered very unwholesome by the great majority of doctors, chemists, and physiologists. Musk-melons are served in slices with sugar, or with salt and pepper, according to taste....

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MEUNIÈRE.

MEUNIÈRE.

Mix well together in a cup one teaspoonful of flour with a tablespoonful of cold water. It is used to thicken sauces and different dishes....

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MINT.

MINT.

Put four sprigs of mint into a quart of brandy, cork well, or cover air-tight if in a pot, and leave thus forty-eight hours; then strain through a cloth. Put half a pound of loaf sugar in a stewpan with a pint of water, set it on the fire, and, at the first boiling, pour it into the quart of brandy; cover with a cloth, let it cool, and again strain the whole through a fine cloth. Bottle and cork carefully, and use when wanted. A small liquor-glass of it is very good for stomach-ache; it is also

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PANADE.

PANADE.

Break in pieces the soft part of a small stale loaf of bread; put it in a tin saucepan, cover it with cold water, and leave thus about an hour; then mash it well, set it on the fire, add salt, butter, and sugar, to taste; simmer about an hour, then add again two yolks of eggs beaten with two tablespoonfuls of cream or milk; mix the whole well together, and serve. It makes an excellent food for infants....

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PAP.

PAP.

Put an ounce of butter in a tin saucepan, set it on the fire, and when melted, turn into it two tablespoonfuls of flour, thoroughly mixed with half a pint of milk; stir with a wooden spoon, boil gently for about twelve minutes, stirring the while; take off, turn into a bowl, add salt and sugar to taste, and use. If wanted richer, an egg may be mixed with the flour and milk, or a yolk of egg may be added as soon as taken from the fire....

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RAISINS.

RAISINS.

When the stems of raisins or of currants are removed, put them in a bowl, dust them well with flour, move them round a little, then turn them into a sieve and shake them well. This process will remove the sand as well as washing them, and will not take away the sweetness....

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SANDWICHES.

SANDWICHES.

These are too well known to require any direction....

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SAUSAGE-MEAT.

SAUSAGE-MEAT.

Butchers generally, with an eye to economy, make sausage-meat of bad or tainted pork. We recommend our readers, as far as possible, never to buy sausage-meat ready made, but to make it themselves, or have it made according to their directions. A chopping-machine costs very little, and saves a great deal of work, besides chopping much better than can be done by hand. The proportions are: one pound of lean pork and one pound of lean veal, chopped very fine, well mixed, and both very fresh. Season

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SOUSE.

SOUSE.

Put three ounces of butter in a saucepan, and set it on the fire; when melted, add two carrots and two onions sliced, stir now and then till they begin to turn brown; then add about three pints of warm water, half a pint of vinegar, one clove of garlic, four sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a clove, a bay-leaf, six pepper-corns, a little grated nutmeg, and salt. Simmer about an hour, strain, and it is ready for use. Another. —Put two quarts of vinegar and about ten quarts of water in a stone or

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TEA.

TEA.

There are many ways of making tea; we might say that every one makes it in his own way; but, after many experiments and much information, we have found the following to be the best: Warm the teapot either by pouring boiling water in it and emptying it, or by placing it on a corner of the range. Then put good tea in it (the quantity to be according to the strength and also to the quantity you want), and pour boiling water on the leaves, just enough to wet them; leave thus about one minute, then p

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TOAST.

TOAST.

Cut several slices of bread of even size, and spread some anchovy-butter on them; cut anchovies in small strips, lengthwise, lay them on the bread also, and then spread over some hard-boiled egg chopped fine, and on it some parsley also chopped fine, finish with capers here and there. Place the toast or slices of bread on a dish, tastefully arranged all around, a few sprigs of parsley in the middle, and you have a fine hors-d'oeuvre . Sardines, Dutch herrings, or red herrings may be used the sam

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WELSH RAREBIT.

WELSH RAREBIT.

This dish is not generally understood. It is thought by many to be Welsh rabbit, that is, a rabbit prepared Welsh fashion . It is not a rabbit, but Welsh cheese (a certain kind only, and prepared for that purpose), melted to a certain degree, and then spread on toast of Welsh bread. Grate some Gloucester or Gruyère cheese and pepper it with Cayenne pepper. Fry some slices of bread with a little butter, but on one side only, until perfectly yellow, then spread a thick coat of grated cheese on the

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POTAGES.

POTAGES.

A la Colbert. —Scrape carrots and turnips and cut them in small dice or with a vegetable spoon; add green peas and string-beans, if handy, the beans cut in pieces; set them on the fire in a pan with cold water and salt; boil gently till done, and drain. Put them back on the fire, covered with warm broth, salt to taste, boil gently about two or three minutes, and turn into the soup-dish, in which you have put as many poached eggs as there are or will be persons at table. A poached egg with soup i

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SOUPS.

SOUPS.

Maigre, or Vegetable Soup. —Proceed as for julienne in every particular, except that water is used instead of broth. Four ounces of butter may be used instead or two. Beef and Mutton Soup. —Take three pounds of beef and two pounds of breast of mutton; put both pieces in a crockery kettle with four quarts of cold water, salt, and pepper, set on a slow fire; skim carefully, then add half a carrot, two turnips, two onions with one clove stuck in each, two stalks of celery, two leeks, one sprig of p

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HOW TO MAKE A SAUCE THICKER WHEN IT IS TOO THIN, AND THINNER WHEN TOO THICK.

HOW TO MAKE A SAUCE THICKER WHEN IT IS TOO THIN, AND THINNER WHEN TOO THICK.

Take two fresh eggs, break them gently, and separate the white part from the yolk; be careful to have the yolk free from any white (there is in every yolk a little white spot, which you cannot detach without using a fork, knife, or spoon); mix well the two yolks with two or three tablespoonfuls of the sauce that is too thin, and a piece of butter the size of a pigeon's egg; then take the sauce from the fire, pour the mixture in it, little by little, stirring all the time; when the whole is in, p

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SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS.

SAUCES FOR PUDDINGS.

Milk. —Put in a block-tin saucepan four tablespoonfuls of sugar, one of flour, four yolks of eggs, one pint of milk; essence to flavor, and mix the whole well; set on a good but not sharp fire, stir continually till it begins to become rather thick; take off, turn over the pudding, and serve. Madeira. —Set a saucepan on the fire with one ounce of butter in it; as soon as melted, add half a tablespoonful of flour, stir till it turns rather yellow, and add also one pint of water, four ounces of su

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CALLED ALSO GARNISH AND GARNISHING, USED TO DECORATE OR ORNAMENT DISHES.

CALLED ALSO GARNISH AND GARNISHING, USED TO DECORATE OR ORNAMENT DISHES.

With Bread. —Put in a tureen about a pound of the soft part of bread, and cover with broth; when it has absorbed the broth, place it in a stewpan, set it on a slow fire, and leave till it becomes a thick paste; stir now and then, then mix well with it three yolks of eggs, and it is ready for use. With Cabbage. —Throw into boiling water a little salt and a middling-sized cabbage; boil it half an hour, take it from the kettle with a skimmer, throw it in cold water, and drain it, pressing it a litt

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PURÉES.

PURÉES.

Purées are made with vegetables, but when the flesh or poultry or other birds is mashed through a sieve after being cooked, it is sometimes called a purée also. The bones of a ham, after the flesh is disposed of, is the most excellent thing you can put with the vegetables to boil them in order to make purées . One-third of the bones of a middling-sized ham is enough for about a quart of vegetables. When you have no ham bones, use four ounces of good salt pork, as lean as possible; but never use

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EEL, CONGER, AND LAMPREY.

EEL, CONGER, AND LAMPREY.

To clean. —When skinned, clean, head, and tail them. Then throw them in boiling water, in which you have put a little salt and a teaspoonful of vinegar; leave them in it about five minutes, take out, and drain. Broiled. —Clean and cut two pounds of eel, or of either of the others, in pieces about three inches long. Put in a stewpan a piece of butter the size of an egg, and set it on the fire; when hot, lay the eels in, fry about three minutes, turning them over the while; then turn the whole int

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FROGS.

FROGS.

The hind-legs of frogs only are used as food; formerly they were eaten by the French only, but now, frog-eating has become general, and the Americans are not behind any others in relishing that kind of food. Fried. —Skin well, and throw into boiling water with a little salt, for five minutes, the hind-legs only; take out and throw them in cold water to cool, and drain. Have hot fat in a pan on the fire ( see Directions for Frying ); lay the frogs in, and serve when done with fried parsley around

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LOBSTER.

LOBSTER.

Never buy a dead lobster. Large lobsters are not as good as small ones. From about one to two pounds and a half in weight are the best. The heavier the better. Lobsters are better at some seasons of the year than at others. They are inferior when full of eggs. It is from mere prejudice that the liver (also called tomalley ) is eschewed. This prejudice may come from its turning green on boiling the lobster. Use every thing but the stomach and the black of bluish vein running along its back and ta

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OYSTERS.

OYSTERS.

The American oyster is unquestionably the best that can be found. It varies in taste according to how it is treated, either after being dredged or while embedded; and also according to the nature of the soil and water in which they have lived. It is very wrong to wash oysters. We mean by washing oysters, the abominable habit of throwing oysters in cold water, as soon as opened, and then sold by the measure. It is more than a pity to thus spoil such an excellent and delicate article of food. Oyst

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CLAMS.

CLAMS.

Wash clean with a scrubbing-brush and put them in a kettle; set on a good fire, and leave till they are wide open; then take from the kettle, cut each in two or three pieces, put them in a stewpan with all the water they have disgorged in the kettle, and about four ounces of butter for fifty clams; boil slowly about an hour, take from the fire, and mix with the whole two beaten eggs, and serve warm. Clams are also eaten raw with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Chowder. —This popular dish is made in a

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HOW TO SELECT.

HOW TO SELECT.

See if the meat is fine, of a clear red color, with yellowish-white fat....

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COW BEEF.

COW BEEF.

Cow beef must also be of a clear red color, but more pale than other beef; the fat is white....

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BULL BEEF.

BULL BEEF.

Bull beef is never good; you recognize it when you see hard and yellow fat; the lean part is of a dirty-reddish color. The rump piece is generally prepared à la mode . For steaks, the tenderloin and the piece called the porter-house steak, are the best; rump steaks are seldom tender. The roasting or baking pieces are the tenderloin, the fillet, and some cuts of the ribs. For soup, every piece is good; to make rich broth, take pieces of the rump, sucket, round, etc., but every piece makes excelle

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A LA MODE.

A LA MODE.

Take from six to twelve pounds of rump and lard it. To lard it you take a steel needle made for that purpose, flat near the pointed end and much larger than an ordinary larding-needle. It must be flat near the point in order to cut the meat so as to make room for the larger part of the needle to pass, and also for the salt pork. This needle is only used for beef à la mode . Cut the salt pork in square strips to fit the needle, ( see Larding ), and proceed. Examine the piece of beef, lard with th

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STEWED.

STEWED.

Stewed beef is called also daube or braised beef, but it is the same. It may be larded as beef à la mode , or not; it may be put whole in the pan or in large dice, according to taste. The following is for five or six pounds of rump or even a piece of ribs: Put in a saucepan two ounces of salt pork cut in dice, four sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two bay-leaves, a clove of garlic, a sprig of sweet basil, two cloves, three carrots cut in pieces, salt, and pepper; put the piece of beef on the who

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ROASTED.

ROASTED.

How to improve it. —Put the meat in a tureen, with four tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, salt, pepper, two tablespoonfuls of chopped parsley, four onions cut in slices, two bay-leaves, and the juice of half a lemon; put half of all the above under the meat, and half on it; cover, and leave thus two days in winter, and about eighteen hours in summer. It certainly improves the meat and makes it more tender. The tenderloin may be improved as well as any other piece. Then place the meat on the spit befo

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TO DECORATE.

TO DECORATE.

When served in any way as described above, one or two or more skewers may be run through craw-fish and a slice of truffle, and stuck in the meat, or through sweetbreads au jus , and slices of truffles. It makes a beautiful and good decoration. The skewers may also be run through chicken-combs, prepared as for farce ; first through a comb, then through a slice of truffle, through a sweetbread, again through a slice of truffle, then through a craw-fish, and lastly a slice of truffle, or the revers

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BAKED.

BAKED.

Place the meat in a bake-pan, with cold water about a quarter of an inch deep; spread salt, pepper, and a little butter on the meat, cover it with a piece of buttered paper; baste often over the paper, lest it should burn; keep the bottom of the pan covered with juice; if the water and juice are absorbed, add a little cold water and continue basting; turn over two or three times, but keep the paper on the top; if it is burnt, put on another piece. The paper keeps the top of the meat moist, and p

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FILLET.

FILLET.

The tenderloin and even the sirloin are sometimes called, or rather known, under the name of fillet, when cooked. It comes from the French filet —tenderloin. Sirloin means surloin; like stock and several others, sirloin is purely English. The surloin is the upper part of the loin, as its prefix indicates; it is surlonge in French. A fillet is generally larded with salt pork by means of a small brass larding-needle; the salt pork cut in strips to fit the needle ( see Larding ). If you use a tende

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RIBS.

RIBS.

With Vinegar. —Put two tablespoonfuls of fat in a saucepan, and set it on the fire; when melted, put the beef in; say a piece of three pounds, from the round, rump, or rib-piece; brown it on every side; add one gill of vinegar, salt, and a teaspoonful of pepper, cover the pan, and keep on a rather sharp fire for fifteen minutes; then add one carrot and one onion, both sliced, a stalk of thyme, three cloves, two bay-leaves, and six pepper-corns, a pint of broth, and same of water; boil gently til

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STEAKS.

STEAKS.

The best piece of beef for a steak is the tenderloin. What is called a porter-house steak is the tenderloin, sirloin, and other surrounding parts cut in slices. A steak should never be less than three-quarters of an inch in thickness. It should always be broiled; it is inferior in taste and flavor when cooked in a pan ( sauté ), or other utensil, but many persons cook it so, not having the necessary fire or utensil to broil; broiled or sauté , it is served alike. The same rules are applied to st

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BOILED BEEF.

BOILED BEEF.

This is understood to be beef that has been used to make broth—a rump-piece or a rib-piece, boned and tied with twine before cooking it....

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a, skewer; b, carrot; c, turnip; d, beef; e, carrots and turnips.

a, skewer; b, carrot; c, turnip; d, beef; e, carrots and turnips.

With Carrots and Turnips. —Remove the twine, and place the piece of beef on the middle of a dish, with carrots and turnips, cut with a fruit-corer, prepared au jus or glazed, and arranged all around it; also, some skewers run through pieces of carrot and turnip, and then stuck in the piece of beef. (See cut p. 174 .) Serve warm. With Brussels Cabbage, or Sprouts. —Serve the beef as above, surrounded with sprouts au jus , and also ornamented with skewers run through sprouts, with a piece of turni

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IN MIROTON.

IN MIROTON.

Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stewpan (this is for about two pounds), and set it on the fire; when melted, put in it four middling-sized onions, cut in slices when nearly cooked, sprinkle on them a pinch of flour, and stir till it takes a golden color; then add half a glass of white wine, and as much of broth, also salt, pepper, and a little grated nutmeg; boil until well cooked, and till the sauce is reduced; then add the boiled beef, cut in slices, and leave it fifteen minutes;

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IN SALAD.

IN SALAD.

Cut it in very thin and short slices, and place them on a dish with chopped parsley; put in a saucer sweet-oil and vinegar, according to the quantity of beef you have, two tablespoonfuls of oil to one of vinegar, salt, pepper, and some mustard; beat the whole a little, pour on the slices, and serve....

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CORNED BEEF.

CORNED BEEF.

Corned beef is generally boiled. Soak the corned beef in cold water for some time, according to how salt it is. Set it on the fire, covered with cold water, and boil gently till done. With Cabbage. —Blanch the cabbage for about five minutes, and drain. Then put it to cook with the corned beef when the latter is about half done; serve both on the same dish, or separately, according to taste. Corned beef, when boiled as above, without cabbage, can be served and decorated, in every way, like boiled

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TONGUE.

TONGUE.

Clean and blanch it for about ten minutes—till the white skin can be easily removed. After ten minutes boiling, try if it comes off; if not, boil a little longer, then skin it well. To boil. —When skinned, put it in your soup-kettle with the beef, etc., to make broth, and leave it till done. When boiled, the tongue may be served and decorated exactly the same as boiled beef, in every way. Stewed. —Cut square fillets of bacon, which dredge in a mixture of chopped parsley, cives, salt, pepper, and

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BRAIN.

BRAIN.

Soak it in lukewarm water and clean well, so as to have it free from blood, fibres, and thin skin; then soak it again in cold water for twelve hours in winter and six in summer. Put in a crockery stewpan one ounce of bacon cut in slices, one carrot cut in pieces, two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, a bay-leaf, a clove, four small onions cut in slices, a teaspoonful of chopped cives, salt, pepper, a pint of white wine, as much of broth, and then the brain; set on a moderate fire for half an hour

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HEART.

HEART.

Soak it in lukewarm water for two hours, free it from blood and skin, drain and wipe dry; then stuff it with sausage-meat, to which you have added three or four onions chopped fine, put it in a rather quick oven, or on the spit before a good fire (if on the spit, envelop it with buttered paper), basting from time to time; it takes about an hour and a half to cook a middling-sized one; serve it with a vinaigrette , piquante , poivrade , or ravigote sauce. It may also be fried with butter, and cut

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KIDNEYS.

KIDNEYS.

First split the kidneys in four pieces, trim off as carefully as possible the sinews and fat that are inside, then cut in small pieces. Sauté. —The quicker this is done the better the kidney. For a whole one put about two ounces of butter in a frying-pan and set it on a very sharp fire, toss it round so as to melt the butter as fast as possible, but without allowing it to blacken; as soon as melted, turn the cut kidney in, stir now and then with a wooden spoon for about three minutes, then add a

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LIVER.

LIVER.

Cut the liver in slices a quarter of an inch in thickness, sprinkle on them salt and pepper, place them on a gridiron, and set on a sharp fire; turn over only once, and serve rather underdone, with butter and chopped parsley, kneaded together and spread between the slices. A few drops of lemon-juice may be added. Another way. —When the liver is cut in slices, as above, put a piece of butter in a frying-pan on the fire, and when melted, lay the slices in; turn over only once, then serve, with sal

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TAIL.

TAIL.

Cut the tail at the joint, so as to make as many pieces as there are joints; throw the pieces in boiling water for fifteen minutes, and drain them. When cold and dry, put them in a saucepan with a bay-leaf, two onions, with a clove stuck in each, two sprigs of parsley, and one of thyme, a clove of garlic, salt, pepper, half a wine-glass of white wine, and a few thin slices of salt pork; cover with broth or water, and set on a moderate fire for two hours. Dish the pieces, strain the sauce on them

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TRIPE.

TRIPE.

How to clean and prepare. —Scrape and wash it well several times in boiling water, changing the water every time, then put in very cold water for about twelve hours, changing the water two or three times; place it in a pan, cover it with cold water; season with parsley, cives, onions, one or two cloves of garlic, cloves, salt, and pepper; boil gently five hours, take out and drain. In case the water should boil away, add more. You may save all the trouble of cleaning and preparing, by buying it

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SMOKED BEEF'S TONGUE.

SMOKED BEEF'S TONGUE.

Soak the smoked tongue in cold water for at least three hours, change the water once or twice during the process. Then take off the thin skin or strip around if there is any; put the tongue in a saucepan with two sprigs of thyme, two of parsley, a bay-leaf, two cloves, six small onions, and a clove of garlic; fill the pan with cold water, and let simmer about six hours. If the water is boiling away, add more. Take from the fire, let cool as it is, then take it out of the water; clean it, let dry

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HOW TO SELECT.

HOW TO SELECT.

You may be sure that mutton is good when the flesh is rather black, and the fat white; if the fat breaks easily, it is young. The wether is much superior to the ewe. You will know if a leg of mutton comes from a wether, if there is a large and hard piece of fat on one side at the larger and upper end; if from a ewe, that part is merely a kind of skin, with a little fat on it....

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ROASTED.

ROASTED.

A piece of mutton to roast must not be too fresh, it is much more tender when the meat is rather seasoned, but not tainted, or what is sometimes called "high." When on the spit, place it near the fire, baste immediately with a little melted butter, and then with the drippings. As soon as you notice that a kind of crust or coating has formed around the piece of meat, remove it a little from the fire by degrees; and continue basting till done. The quicker the crust is formed, though without burnin

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BAKED.

BAKED.

All the above pieces are baked as well as roasted; and when done, served exactly in the same and every way as when roasted. Put the meat in a baking-pan with a little butter spread over it; cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, then put in a quick oven. After it has been in the oven for about fifteen minutes, baste and place a piece of buttered paper on the top of the meat. If the bottom of the pan is getting dry, add a little more water, but it is seldom the case except with inferior mea

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BREAST BOILED.

BREAST BOILED.

Put the breast entire in a saucepan, with a sprig of thyme, two of parsley, a bay-leaf, a clove, salt, and pepper, cover with water, set on the fire, boil gently till cooked, and then drain. Put in a frying-pan three tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, salt, and pepper; when hot lay the breast in and fry it all around for five minutes; then take it off, roll it in bread-crumbs, place it on a gridiron, and set on a good fire for five minutes; turn it over once only, the

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NECK BROILED.

NECK BROILED.

Prepare and serve exactly the same as a breast broiled. A breast or a neck piece broiled may be served on a soubise . It may also be served with a maître d'hôtel or mushroom sauce, also with a piquante or any other sharp sauce....

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CHOPS.

CHOPS.

Broiled. —Trim and flatten the chops with a chopper, sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides, dip them in melted butter, place them on a gridiron, and set on a sharp fire, turn over two or three times to broil properly, and when done, serve them around a dish, one lapping over the other, etc., and serve with the gravy. It takes about twelve minutes to cook with a good fire. Another way. —When trimmed and flattened, dip them in beaten egg, roll them in bread-crumbs and broil, either as they are, o

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LEG.

LEG.

Besides being prepared as directed for roast mutton, a leg of mutton, roasted or baked, may be served in the following ways: Boil white beans and drain them as directed, then put them on the fire with the drippings of the leg of mutton for ten minutes, stirring now and then, and serve them with it. They may also be kept in the dripping-pan for ten minutes, when boiled and drained, before the leg is done. If the leg of mutton is baked, set them on the fire for about ten minutes, with the gravy, s

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SHOULDER.

SHOULDER.

Shoulder boned. —Split the shoulder just in the middle, on the inside, lengthwise and following the middle of the bones; remove the flat bone at the larger end first. This is easily done by scraping the meat off the bone on both sides, and then pulling it off. Do the same with the remaining bone. Spread the shoulder open on the table, the inside up, salt and pepper it, then spread on it the same stuffing as for a chicken stuffed with sausage-meat. Roll the shoulder round, tie it with twine, and

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SADDLE.

SADDLE.

Prepare, cook, and serve the saddle in the same way as the leg—roasted or baked, warm or cold....

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COLD MUTTON.

COLD MUTTON.

Served cold, à la Vinaigrette. —A shoulder of mutton, roasted or baked, after being boned, makes a handsome dish served cold. Cut any piece of cold mutton that you may have, in thin slices, as evenly as possible. Place a paste-cutter, about an inch and a half in diameter, in the middle of an oval dish; then place the slices of meat all around the dish, one slice lapping over another; the dish being oval, the slices of meat will touch the paste-cutter on two sides, but there will be two empty pla

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A, two roses, one at each end; B, six radishes around; C, slices of meat; D, eggs; E, yolks of eggs; F, parsley. SHEEP'S BRAIN.

A, two roses, one at each end; B, six radishes around; C, slices of meat; D, eggs; E, yolks of eggs; F, parsley. SHEEP'S BRAIN.

Prepare, cook, and serve as calf's brain....

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FEET.

FEET.

Broiled. —Throw them in boiling water for ten minutes, clean and scrape off the hair and take out the large bone. Put in a saucepan a bay-leaf, one clove, a tablespoonful of vinegar, a clove of garlic, two sprigs of parsley, two green onions, salt, pepper, a piece of butter the size of two walnuts, half a pint of broth, then a dozen feet on the whole; set on a slow fire, simmer one hour, stir now and then, take from the fire and let cool. Then dip each foot in beaten egg, and roll it in bread-cr

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SHEEP'S KIDNEYS, BROILED.

SHEEP'S KIDNEYS, BROILED.

Split them in two, and put them in cold water for five minutes; trim off the pellicle or thin skin, run a skewer through, sprinkle salt and pepper on, place them on the gridiron, and set on a good fire; turn over, and when broiled, serve them with a piece of butter and chopped parsley kneaded together, and placed on each kidney; add also a few drops of lemon-juice. You may also, when broiled, serve them on a maître d'hôtel sauce. The same, in Brochette. —Proceed as above in every particular, exc

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SHEEP'S TAILS.

SHEEP'S TAILS.

Put in a stewpan two ounces of bacon cut in slices, with a bay-leaf, two sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, one clove, six small onions, one carrot cut in four pieces, then about six tails; cover the whole with broth and white wine, half of each; add salt and pepper. Place the pan in a moderately heated oven; it will take about four hours to cook them. After that time, take the tails from the pan, and put them in a warm place, then strain the sauce in which they have cooked, skim off the fat if to

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SHEEP'S TONGUES.

SHEEP'S TONGUES.

Soak the tongues in cold water for two hours in winter, and one in summer, and drain. Throw them in boiling water, and leave till you can easily take the skin off; then skin and clean well, split in two lengthwise, and let cool. Put in a stewpan two ounces of bacon cut in thin slices, a bay-leaf, two sprigs of thyme, four of parsley, two cloves, three green onions and six small red or white ones, one carrot cut in four pieces, salt and pepper, then the tongues; add also half a pint of broth, sam

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LAMB.

LAMB.

To select. —The flesh must be like that of mutton, rather black, and the fat white. There is no difference in the wether and ewe. The shorter the quarters are the better the meat, and the fore as well as the hind quarter. With the exception that the breast-piece is prepared also in épigramme , and that it is cut in quarters instead of dividing it like mutton, lamb may be prepared in the same and every way like mutton. The quarters may be prepared like shoulder, leg, and saddle of mutton. Chops m

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KID.

KID.

Prepare, cook, and serve kid the same as lamb. Never buy too young veal. It is very easy to know it; when too young, the bones are very tender; they are more like nerves than bones; the meat is gluish, and has little or no taste. Epicures say that if a calf is killed before it is two months old, or at least six weeks, it is not fit for eating. We are of that opinion, although, perhaps, very few are allowed so long a life. We will therefore recommend our readers to beware buying too young veal; m

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ROASTED.

ROASTED.

The pieces of veal that are roasted are the loin , leg , and shoulder . It may be improved as directed above or not, according to taste; but we earnestly recommend it as not a little improvement, but as a marked one, as everybody can try it and judge, veal being naturally tasteless. There are three ways of roasting veal. We will describe them, so that it can be done according to taste. 1. Spread a thin coat of butter around the piece of veal after being salted all around, put on the spit before

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BAKED.

BAKED.

All the parts of veal that are roasted, that is, the loin, leg, and shoulder, can be baked. They may be improved in the same way as to roast them. Put the piece of veal in a bakepan; spread salt, pepper, and butter on it; cover the bottom of the pan with cold water, about a quarter of an inch in depth; place a piece of buttered paper on the meat, and put in a warm oven. If the meat has been improved, the seasonings are spread over it before placing the buttered paper. Baste often with the water

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BLANQUETTE.—(Also called Poulette.)

BLANQUETTE.—(Also called Poulette.)

Take about two pounds of neck, breast, shoulder, or any other piece, which cut in pieces, two inches square, throw them in boiling water, with a little salt, for five minutes, and drain them. Put in a stewpan a piece of butter the size of an egg, set it on a good fire, and when melted mix in a tablespoonful of flour, stirring all the time, and when turning yellow pour gently and slowly in the pan a pint of boiling water; add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and green onions, salt, pepper, six sm

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CROQUETTES.

CROQUETTES.

Proceed as for chicken croquettes in every particular, except that you use cold veal instead of cold chicken....

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RAGOUT.

RAGOUT.

The neck and breast pieces are generally used to make a ragout , but any other piece may be used. Take about three pounds of veal, which cut in pieces about two inches square. Put two ounces of butter in a saucepan, set it on the fire, and as soon as the butter is melted, lay the meat in, stir now and then till of a golden color, and then take the meat from the pan. Leave the pan on the fire, and put in it a tablespoonful of flour, little by little, keep stirring about five minutes; add also hal

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BREAST, STEWED.

BREAST, STEWED.

Cut in dice two ounces of bacon, put it in a stewpan and set on a good fire; add two ounces of butter, and two onions cut in slices; when melted, lay the breast in, turn it over and leave till of a golden color on both sides; add then two small carrots cut in pieces, one teaspoonful of chopped green onions, three sprigs of parsley, half a turnip, salt, and pepper; moisten with half a pint of warm water; leave thus about three hours on a moderate fire. Strain the juice in a dish, put the meat on

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CUTLETS.

CUTLETS.

Broiled. —When properly trimmed, they may be improved as directed for veal. Salt and pepper both sides; spread a little melted butter on both sides also by means of a brush; place them on, before, or under the fire ( see Broiling ); baste now and then with melted butter; turn over one, two, or three times, and when rather overdone serve with a maître d'hôtel sauce spread all over. The above way of serving them is sometimes called au naturel . With Crumbs. —When trimmed, dip them in egg beaten wi

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SHOULDER.

SHOULDER.

Boned. —Lay the shoulder on the table, the inside up, split it just in the middle, lengthwise, and following the middle of the bones; remove the flat bone at the larger end first. Do the same for the remaining bone. Then spread the shoulder open, and salt and pepper it. Fill the inside with sausage-meat; roll it of a round shape, and when properly tied with twine, roast or bake it, as directed for roasted or baked veal. It is then dished, decorated, and served in the same and every way as direct

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LOIN OR LEG STEWED.

LOIN OR LEG STEWED.

Have in a stewpan and on a slow fire three or four tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil; when hot put the loin in, turn it over till of a yellow color all around, then add a bay-leaf, salt, pepper, and a pint of warm water; simmer four hours, and serve with the following sauce, which you must have prepared at the same time: Fry in butter till of a golden color ten middling-sized onions, then add to them half a glass of claret wine, two tablespoonfuls of broth, and two of the juice of the loin, ten mushro

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COLD VEAL.

COLD VEAL.

Cut the meat in slices and serve them on a dish, arranged according to fancy, and serve with a piquante , poivrade , Mayonnaise , Provençale , ravigote , or rémolade sauce. It may also be decorated and served like cold mutton, in vinaigrette . Another way. —Put a piece of butter the size of an egg in a stewpan and set on a good fire, mix in when melted two teaspoonfuls of flour, stir till of a brownish color, when add a saltspoonful of chopped parsley, four leaves of tarragon, salt, pepper, and

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BRAIN.

BRAIN.

To prepare. —Put the brain in a bowl of cold water and a tablespoonful of vinegar and leave it in from one to two or three hours, that is, till you are ready to use it, but do not leave it more than five or six hours and not less than one hour. Take it off, remove the thin skin and blood-vessels that are all around. To boil. —When prepared, put the brain in a small saucepan, cover it with cold water; add two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, half an onion sliced, three stalks of parsley, one of thyme,

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EARS.

EARS.

They are prepared in every way like calf's head....

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FEET.

FEET.

To boil. —Throw them in boiling water for five minutes, split them in the middle and lengthwise after having taken off the large bone and hair, and tie them with a string. Put a piece of butter the size of two walnuts in a stewpan and set it on the fire, when melted add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and green onions, half of each, a quarter of a lemon cut in slices, salt, and pepper, then the feet; wet with a glass of warm water; boil gently two or three hours, take from the fire and when nea

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CALF'S HEAD.

CALF'S HEAD.

How to prepare. —When the hair is off and the whole head well cleaned (this is generally done by butchers; but if not, throw the head in boiling water for five minutes and scrape the hair off with a knife immediately after taking it from the water), put it then in cold water for twenty-four hours in winter and ten in summer, changing the water two or three times. To boil. —It may be boiled whole or after it is boned. If boiled whole, cut a hole on the top of the head and take off the brain witho

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HEART.

HEART.

To prepare. —Soak it in lukewarm water for about three hours, trim it and free it from skin, blood, and small fibres; then drain and wipe it dry. Stuff or fill it with sausage-meat, to which you add previously two or three onions chopped fine. To cook. —When thus prepared, envelop it in buttered paper, set on the spit before a good fire, baste often, remove the paper a few minutes before taking it from the fire, then serve warm with a piquante , poivrade , or ravigote sauce. It may also be serve

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KIDNEYS.

KIDNEYS.

Sauté. —When prepared as directed below, cut it in pieces as directed for kidney in brochettes . Then put a piece of butter the size of half an egg in a frying-pan and set it on the fire; when melted, sprinkle in a teaspoonful of flour, stirring with a wooden spoon the while, add half a wine-glass of white wine, a tablespoonful of broth, a pinch of chopped parsley, salt and pepper, boil ten minutes and lay the fillets in; have a quick fire, and as soon as cooked dish them, spread the sauce over,

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LIGHTS.

LIGHTS.

Cut them in four pieces, soak and wash them three or four times in lukewarm water, changing the water each time; press them with the hands to extract all the blood. Place the lights in a stewpan, cover them with cold water, and set on a good fire; boil two minutes, take them off, throw them in cold water, and drain them; cut the lights in dice. Have butter in a stewpan on the fire, and when melted, lay the lights in, fry five minutes, keeping them tossed the while, then sprinkle on a tablespoonf

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CALF'S LIVER.

CALF'S LIVER.

How to prepare. —Have water, with a little salt, on the fire, and at the first boiling, throw the liver in for about five minutes, and drain it. How to improve the Liver before cooking it. —Put in a tureen two tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, a bay-leaf broken in four pieces, two sprigs of thyme, four of parsley chopped fine, a green onion also chopped fine, salt, and pepper; lay the liver on the whole, and leave it from four to six hours, turning it over two or three times. How to cook, roasted. —E

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CALF'S PLUCK.

CALF'S PLUCK.

Put the pluck in cold water for twelve hours in winter and four in summer; change the water once, drain, and throw it in boiling water for ten or fifteen minutes; take off and throw in cold water to cool, and drain it. Cut the pluck in pieces, and cook it like calf's head, and serve with the same sauce....

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CALF'S TAIL.

CALF'S TAIL.

Take two tails, cut each in two, throw them in boiling water for three minutes, and drain. Cut a cabbage in two, trim off the stump, throw the two halves in boiling water, with a little salt, for fifteen minutes, and drain it. Put in a tureen the tails, cabbage, six ounces of lean bacon, two sprigs of parsley chopped fine, same quantity of green onions, two cloves, a little piece of nutmeg, a clove of garlic, salt, and pepper; cover the whole with half broth and half water, and boil gently till

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TONGUE.

TONGUE.

Prepare, cook, and serve a calf's tongue, in the same and every way like a fresh beef's tongue. The only difference is, that, being smaller, it is seldom decorated. It may be split in two, lengthwise and nearly through, opened and served thus, with slices of pickled cucumbers....

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SWEETBREADS.

SWEETBREADS.

To prepare. —Soak them in cold water for about an hour. Take off and remove the skin and bloody vessels that are all around. For two sweetbreads set about one pint of water on the fire in a small saucepan with salt, a tablespoonful of vinegar, a few slices of onion, six pepper-corns, a clove of garlic, two cloves, six sprigs of parsley, one of thyme, and a bay-leaf; boil two minutes, drop the sweetbreads in, boil one minute and take them off. Drop them immediately in cold water and leave them in

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TO SELECT.

TO SELECT.

When the rind is tender and thin, the pork is young; when thick and hard, it is old. To be good, the meat must be soft, and have a fresh and good appearance. We do not think it necessary to indicate here how to make black puddings, chitterlings, Bologna, and other sausages. It is nearly, if not quite impossible, for a person having no practice in it, to make them edible; it is better to buy them ready made at pork-butchers' shops, or to hire an experienced person to make them....

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CHINE AND FILLET.

CHINE AND FILLET.

Take a good chine of pork, place it on the spit before a sharp fire, baste often with a little melted butter first, and then with the drippings; when properly cooked, serve it with a vinaigrette , Robert , piquante , or poivrade sauce. It will take from two to three or four hours to roast, according to the size of the chine....

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HOW TO IMPROVE THE CHINE OF PORK.

HOW TO IMPROVE THE CHINE OF PORK.

Place it in a crockery vessel, pour on it two tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, then sprinkle on two teaspoonfuls or chopped parsley, also salt and pepper, two onions chopped fine, four cloves, and two bay-leaves; leave thus twenty-four hours in winter, and ten in summer, turning over two or three times. The taste of the meat is much improved by that process. The oil may be used for basting instead of butter. Baked. —Put the chine in a bakepan, sprinkle salt over it, coyer the bottom of the pan with

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CUTLETS.

CUTLETS.

Flatten the cutlets with a chopper (they may be improved in the same way as the chine), place them on the gridiron and set on a sharp fire; turn over two or three times, and when properly done, serve them with a piquante , Robert , or tomato-sauce, adding to them some slices of pickled cucumbers just before serving. The same, sautées. —Instead of broiling them, when prepared as above, place them in a frying-pan with a little butter, turn over two or three times during the cooking, and serve as t

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LEG, ROASTED.

LEG, ROASTED.

How to improve it. —Take the skin or rind gently off, put the leg in a crockery vessel, pour on it the following mixture: a pint of white wine, two tablespoonfuls of sweet-oil, a bunch of sage, salt, pepper, and a pinch of grated nutmeg. Leave it thus two days in winter and one in summer, turning it over two or three times during the process. Place the leg on the spit and put before a very sharp fire, baste often with the mixture from the crockery vessel, or with melted butter, and serve when co

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HAM.

HAM.

To boil. —Sugar-cured are preferred to others. Scrape off the outside gently, soak in cold water for from six to twenty-four hours, take off and wipe dry. Envelop it in a towel and tie it. Place it in a kettle large enough to hold it without bending it; cover with cold water; season with six small onions, two carrots, four cloves, two bay-leaves, a handful or two plants of parsley, two or three stalks of thyme, two of celery, two cloves of garlic (a handful of hay and half a bottle of white wine

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A, skewers; B, carrot; C, truffle or mushroom; D, jelly; E, frill.

A, skewers; B, carrot; C, truffle or mushroom; D, jelly; E, frill.

Another. —Boil and trim the ham as above, cut the rind in the same way. What is left of the rind is cut as seen in the cut opposite: that is, some small square pieces are cut off, from place to place, so that it resembles a checkerboard; stick two or more skewers in it, glaze it with essence of beef or with sugar, and serve either on a tomato-sauce or on peas à l'Anglaise . Ham English fashion. —Soak it in water and trim it as directed. Make some paste with water and flour only; spread a coat of

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SALTED PORK.

SALTED PORK.

The best and only proper way to cook salted pork, is, to put it in a kettle, entirely cover it with cold water, boil gently till cooked, and serve it with a purée or with a garniture of cabbage. Any thing else that you might put with it would rather spoil than better it....

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PIG'S EARS.

PIG'S EARS.

How to prepare. —Soak them in warm water for a few minutes, then wash and clean them well, and scrape the hair off, if any. Boiled. —When prepared, you throw them in boiling water for two minutes and take from the fire; add four onions for four ears, one carrot, salt and pepper; leave just water enough to cover the whole, and when cooked, drain. Serve them on a purée of beans or of lentils. The same, broiled. —When cleaned, prepared, and cooked as above, just dip them in beaten eggs, roll them i

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PIG'S FEET.

PIG'S FEET.

Broiled, or à la Sainte Menehould. —Split six feet in two, lengthwise, and soak them in tepid water for ten minutes, then envelop each in a piece of linen well tied or sewed; place them in a kettle or stewpan with four small onions, four sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, two of sweet basil, two bay-leaves, two cloves of garlic, two cloves, two small carrots cut in pieces, salt, pepper, and half a pint of white wine; cover with cold water, simmer about six hours, skim them properly, fill with boil

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PIG'S HEAD.

PIG'S HEAD.

Soak in water and clean it well; take all the bones and flesh out; then cut the flesh and about one pound of salt pork in strips, which you put inside of the head, well mixed with salt, pepper, half a dozen middling-sized onions chopped, two teaspoonfuls of chopped parsley, half a saltspoonful of allspice, two bay-leaves, two sprigs of thyme, a little sage, and the juice of half a lemon; lay it in a crockery vessel for from four to six days. Envelop the head in a towel, place it in a kettle with

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PIG'S KIDNEYS.

PIG'S KIDNEYS.

Prepare, cook, and serve like calf's kidneys....

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PIG'S TAIL.

PIG'S TAIL.

Prepare, cook, and serve like pig's ears....

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PIG'S TONGUE.

PIG'S TONGUE.

Prepare, cook, and serve like beef tongue. Head-cheese .—Soak a pig's head in cold water for two or three hours, clean, and then cut the whole of it, ears and tongue included, in strips one or two inches long, and then put the whole with about two pounds of salt pork, cut in strips also, in a crockery bowl, season with salt, pepper, chopped onion, chopped parsley, thyme, bay-leaf, and sage, chopped also, the juice of a lemon, and leave thus for about two or three days, turning it over occasional

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SUCKING-PIG.

SUCKING-PIG.

A sucking-pig, to be good, must be fat. Then properly cleaned, and hoofs off, clean the inside, leaving the kidneys; skewer it, put in it half a pound of butter kneaded with chopped parsley and green onions, four or five mushrooms, and two white onions with a clove stuck in each; place it on the spit before a good fire, baste often with melted butter first, and then with the drippings, and when done serve on a vinaigrette . Some truffles may be added to the seasoning, if handy; it gives it a goo

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A, skewer; B, slices of truffles; C, mushrooms

A, skewer; B, slices of truffles; C, mushrooms

Boned .—A sucking-pig can be boned and filled just the same as a turkey, and cooked and served alike also. Chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese must be killed not less than twenty-four hours, and not more than three days in summer, nor less than two days nor more than six days in winter, before cooking them....

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HOW TO PREPARE AND CLEAN.

HOW TO PREPARE AND CLEAN.

To transport poultry, see Game . Poulterers are of the opinion that the best and quickest way of killing poultry is by cutting the throat or the tongue. Tie the legs of the bird, hang it by the legs, then kill and let bleed. Some cut the head off and throw it away on the ground, but the poor things do not die so fast, and therefore suffer more. As soon as the throat or tongue is cut, if the head is held down the bird dies sooner, as it allows the blood to run more freely, preventing the bird fro

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CHICKEN.

CHICKEN.

To select. —Buy a chicken with white flesh and pale-yellow fat. If young, the cock has small spurs, the hen has the lower part of the legs and feet rather soft and smooth; those parts are rough in old ones. If the rump is hard and stiff, they are fresh enough; but if soft, it is necessary to examine the bird carefully; it might be tainted. To truss. —When prepared as directed for poultry, put the bird on the table on its back, and with a chopper or with a round stick flatten the breast-bone, whi

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CAPON.

CAPON.

A caponed chicken is cleaned, prepared, cooked, and served in the same and every way as a common chicken. A capon is almost always fat, larger than an ordinary chicken, and has a more delicate and tender flesh. Roasted and served in the different ways described for chicken, it makes a recherché dish, also when stuffed with chestnuts or truffles, as a common chicken. Boiled. —Clean and prepare as directed above; rub the fleshy part with lemon, envelop it with slices of bacon, place it in a stewpa

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TURKEY.

TURKEY.

Tame and wild are prepared and served alike. The legs of a young hen-turkey are black; the cock has small spurs, and also black legs. The shorter the neck the better and fatter the bird. An old hen has red and rough legs; the cock also has long spurs. The fatter they are the better; they cannot be too fat. The broader the breast the better; the skin must be white. It is fresh enough as long as the legs are not stiff. Boiled. —Clean and prepare turkey as directed for poultry. Put in a stewpan, la

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DUCKS.

DUCKS.

Ducks and ducklings, tame and wild, are prepared alike. To be good, a duck must be fat, be it a canvasback , gadwell , black-duck , garganey , poachard , wood-duck , pintail , shoveller , spirit-duck , summer-duck , teal , widgeon , shelldrake , or any other. How to select. —A young duck has the lower part of the legs soft, and the skin between the claws soft also; you will also know if it is young by taking hold of it by the bill (the under bill only), if it breaks or bends, the duck is young.

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GEESE AND GOSLINGS—TAME OR WILD.

GEESE AND GOSLINGS—TAME OR WILD.

A young goose has much down and soft legs of a yellow color; an old one has little down and rough legs of a reddish color. When fresh, the legs are soft; and stiff and dry when not fresh. Geese and goslings are prepared, cooked, and served like ducks, in the following ways: roasted and baked, and served with garnitures, with cranberry-sauce, currant-jelly, apple-sauce, with a border, olives, oranges, peas, or turnips; in croquettes and in salmis . It is boned, cooked, and served, like a boned tu

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GUINEA-FOWLS.

GUINEA-FOWLS.

A young Guinea-bird is good, but an old one is hardly fit to be eaten. Guinea-fowls are prepared and served like prairie-hens....

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PIGEONS.

PIGEONS.

The stall-fed or squab is prepared the same as the wild one. To select. —If the legs are not red, they are young; and if not stiff, they are fresh. When not fresh, the rump is of a bluish color. Clean and prepare them as directed for fowls. Broiled. —Split the backs of the pigeons so as to open them, flatten them a little with a chopper. Put two ounces of butter (for six pigeons) in a saucepan, and set it on a good fire; when hot, add to it a teaspoonful of chopped parsley and green onions, salt

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GIBLETS.

GIBLETS.

By giblets are understood the gizzards, heads, legs, livers, necks, and ends of the wings of chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, and other birds, tame or wild. You begin by cleaning them well, cut off the bills, take the eyes out, warming the legs on live coals, so that you can take off the outer skin and spurs; place the giblets in a tureen, turn boiling water and a little salt on them, leave them thus five or six minutes, then wash well and drain them. In Fricassée. —Put a piece of butter in a st

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ASPIC OF MEAT.

ASPIC OF MEAT.

Cut four middling-sized onions in slices, lay them in a stewpan with a quarter of a pound of bacon (not smoked); then add about a quarter of a pound of each of the following meats: chicken, game (any kind), mutton, and beef, also a calf's foot split in two, two ounces of rind of bacon, two sprigs of parsley, two of thyme, a clove of garlic, two carrots cut in two, one clove, and four small onions; wet with half a pint of water, and set on a brisk fire; cover the pan well. When nearly cooked, tak

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OPOSSUM, OTTER, RACCOON, SKUNK, FOX, WOODCHUCK, AND OTHER LIKE ANIMALS.

OPOSSUM, OTTER, RACCOON, SKUNK, FOX, WOODCHUCK, AND OTHER LIKE ANIMALS.

We cannot say that we have had much experience in cooking the above animals, but they are all eaten by many persons, in different parts of this and other countries. We have tasted of all or them except the raccoon, and we must say that we found them palatable. It is well known that when our soldiers retook possession of Ship Island, they found plenty of raccoons on it, and ate all they could catch. One day we happened to meet a sub-officer, who was there at the time, and inquired of him about it

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VENISON.

VENISON.

If young, the hoof is not much opened, and the fat is thick and clear; when old, the hoofs are wide open. To know if it is fresh enough, run a knife or a skewer through the leg or through the shoulder, and if it does not smell bad and stale, it is good. It is not as delicate when fresh as when it has been killed for five or six days. If fresh when you buy it, keep it from three to eight days before cooking it. To improve. —Put the piece of venison in a crockery vessel. For about six pounds put a

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SNAILS.

SNAILS.

A good many are now imported from Europe. How to clean and prepare. —Throw them in boiling water, in which you have put some wood-ashes; leave them in till they have thrown their cover wide open, which will take about fifteen minutes; then take them off, pull them out of the shell by means of a fork, place them in lukewarm water, and leave two hours; next, rub them in your hands, and then soak in cold water; rub them again in your hands in cold water, two or three times, changing the water each

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VEGETABLES.

VEGETABLES.

Green vegetables must look fresh, and have nothing rotten about them. To boil or blanch Green Vegetables. —Whatever they are, spinach, green peas, asparagus, etc., put some cold water and a little salt on the fire; clean the vegetable, wash it if necessary, then drop it in the water at the first boil; keep boiling for a time or till done; drain, and immediately drop it in cold water; drain again before using. It is impossible to tell how long it takes to boil; it depends entirely on the nature o

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EGGS, MACARONI, AND RICE.

EGGS, MACARONI, AND RICE.

Eggs are fit to eat as soon as laid, and the sooner they are used the better. You ascertain if they are fresh with an oonoscope, or by holding them before a light and looking through. There are several ways to preserve eggs, but to do which they must be fresh; as soon as perfectly cold after being laid, they may be preserved. Dissolve gum in water to the consistency of thin mucilage, and with a brush give a coat of it to the eggs; lay them in a box of charcoal dust and keep them in a dry, dark,

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SWEET DISHES.

SWEET DISHES.

These are served both as entremets and dessert . Many are entremets at a grand dinner, and dessert at a family dinner. As the name indicates, sugar is one of the most important of the compounds used to prepare them. It is used in syrup, the making of which is generally more difficult than the rest of the operation. The father of cooks , the great Careme , divides syrup, or the "cooking of sugar," as he calls it, and as every practitioner has called it since, into six degrees; each one correspond

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MEAT-PIES.

MEAT-PIES.

Pâtés de Viande. —Meat-pies are made in moulds without bottoms and which open in two, or are made of two pieces joined and fastened together with two pieces of wire. The size of the mould and that of the pie are according to taste. A pie may be made and filled with a reed-bird, or with a quail, or a partridge, or prairie-chicken, or with a dozen of them. We will give the receipt for one prairie-chicken. Pâté of Game. —Bone a prairie-chicken as directed for birds, and cut it in about half a dozen

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BREAD.

BREAD.

It is next to an impossibility to bake bread in a small oven; half the time the bread is too much or not enough baked. In cities, where good baker's bread can be bought, it comes as cheap as it can be made at home, if not cheaper, and saves a great deal of time and labor. It is not difficult to make good bread with good flour. There are several ways of making and of using yeast. Some are better than others; but many, though differently manipulated, bring about the same results. The only difficul

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BILLS OF FARE.

BILLS OF FARE.

Dinner-Time. —On account of the various occupations of members of the same family, this is often the first and only time of the day that sees them all assembled. It is the dinner that mostly supplies the waste that the system has undergone for twenty-four hours. Being taken after the day's work is over, it gives to the stomach time to digest (mind and stomach never working at the same time). ( See Food, Economy, Coffee, and Tea .) The dinner, being the most substantial meal of the day, requires

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BOOKS FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD.

BOOKS FOR EVERY HOUSEHOLD.

And Collateral Information in the Arts, Manufactures, Professions, and Trades, including Medicine, Pharmacy, and Domestic Economy. Designed as a Comprehensive Supplement to the Pharmacopoeia, and General Book of Reference for the Manufacturer, Tradesman, Amateur, and Heads of Families. Sixth edition . Revised and partly rewritten by Richard V. Tuson , Professor of Chemistry and Toxicology in the Royal Veterinary College. Complete in two volumes, 8vo, 1,796 pages. With Illustrations. Price, $9.00

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The Chemistry of Common Life.

The Chemistry of Common Life.

By the late Professor James F. W. Johnston . A new edition, revised and enlarged, and brought down to the Present Time, by Arthur Herbert Church , M. A., Oxon., author of "Food: its Sources, Constituents, and Uses." Illustrated with Maps and numerous Engravings on Wood. In one vol., 12mo, 592 pages. Cloth. Price, $2.00. Summary of Contents. —The Air we Breathe; the Water we Drink; the Soil we Cultivate; the Plant we Rear; the Bread we Eat; the Beef we Cook; the Beverages we Infuse; the Sweets we

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