SOUP STOCK
Shin of beef, knuckle of veal,--ten pounds in all after trimming. Cut the meat into dice, crush the bones somewhat. One small onion, cut fine. Put all into four quarts of water. Let it stand in soup-digester on range a full h our before cooking at all. Then let it simmer slowly all day, until the meat is in rags, but do not let the liquid fall below five pints. Leave in soup-digester overnight, and simmer again the next day, four or five hours.
Cool and strain through a linen damask into a stone crock. The next morning remove all the fat from the top. The stock, when cold, should be of the consistency of a stiff jelly and the color of wine. The soup is better strained only, not cleared with egg. Any cooked pieces of lean steak or grouse added during the first cooking give a good flavor and color. Pepper and salt should be added when any part of the stock is heated for serving. A part may be heated, flavored, shaped in jelly mold and served cold.
ONTARIO BEACH BLACK BEAN SOUP
One pint black beans, soaked in one gallon cold water over night. In the morning, add to this, one pound beef, one-half pound salt pork, one large or two small onions, one carrot grated. Let this boil slowly until the beans are thoroughly cooked, then strain and mash through a colander. Add salt and pepper. Cut a lemon in thin slices, a hard-boiled egg sliced, and a wineglass port wine in your tureen, and pour the hot soup over them.
STEWED PIGEONS
Prepare a stuffing of bread and butter, with salt and pepper in plenty. When stuffed, put the birds in a pot; cover with cold water, and stew down as for a fricassee. If the birds are old put them on early and stew until quite tender.
FISH PUDDING
One pound of boiled halibut, one-half cup of cream or milk, one and one-half teaspoons salt, one-quarter teaspoon pepper, one-half teaspoon onion juice, two eggs. Pound the fish in a mortar until it is thoroughly mashed, then rub it through a puree sieve. Season the fish pulp with salt, pepper, and onion juice. Put the butter into a saucepan and when melted add the flour and cook for a few minutes.
Then add slowly the cream or milk, stirring it constantly until well scalded. Then add the fish pulp, take form the fire, add the beaten eggs, and mix thoroughly. Butter well a ring or border mold holding a pint or a little more, put in the mixture, pressing it well against the sides to remove any air bubbles. Cover the mold with greased paper and set in a pan of warm water, one-half the mold in depth. Place in moderate oven for thirty minutes, and do not let the water boil. The place the form of fish on a hot dish, fill the center with boiled potato balls. Pour over the balls some Bechamel or other white sauce, and sprinkle chapped parsley over the top. Serve with the fish a generous amount of Bechamel or white sauce. This is a very good dish.
TERRAPIN (TURTLE)
Have ready a pot of boiling water, into which put a teaspoon of salt for each terrapin. Wash the live terrapin in two or three waters, until they are perfectly clean, then put them into the boiling water and cook for one hour. When the flesh becomes quite tender, so that you can pull it apart easily, pull the top shell off, remove the sand-bag and gall (which you must be careful not to break as it will make the whole dish bitter). Cut up all the other parts of the inside with meat, except the skinny portions and intestines. To every terrapin, unless very small, allow two ounces of butter cut in small pieces and rolled in flour. Season with equal portions of salt and black pepper, one-half teaspoon each is sufficient, and two glasses sherry to each terrapin. Put in a stew pan and simmer gently for about an hour. Just before serving beat up the yolks of the eggs (one egg to each terrapin) and stir in the last thing. It is a great addition to squeeze in the juice of a couple of lemons, and also a little port wine.
CALF’S FOOT JELLY
Cut in pieces four calves’ feet. Put to them four quarts water. Boil down to two quarts; strain the liquid and let it stand all night. In the morning remove grease from the top and the sediment. Put in a pan with one pint of wine, the juice of four lemons, and sugar to taste. Add whites of eight eggs beaten to a froth, then boil thirty minutes; take it off and add one cup cold water. Let it stand a few minutes, then pass it through a flannel bag and pour into glasses.
UNRIVALED PLUM PUDDING
One and one-half pounds table raisins, one and three-quarters pounds currants, one pound seedless raisins, two pounds finest coffee sugar, two pounds bread crumbs, sixteen eggs, two pounds finely chopped suet, six ounces mixed candied peel (orange, lemon and citron), grated rind of two large lemons, one ounce grated nutmeg, one ounce ground cinnamon, four ounces Jordan almonds, one cup brandy. This will make one large pudding or two small ones. Stone and cut the raisins, but do not chop them. Wash and dry the currants and cut the candied peel into thin slices. Mix all the dry ingredients well together, and moisten with the eggs, which should be well beaten and strained into the pudding. Stir in the brandy, and when thoroughly mixed, butter and flour a stout new pudding-cloth. Put in the pudding, tie it down very tightly and closely, boil from six to eight hours, and serve with brandy sauce.
LOAF OR ELECTION CAKE *
Four pounds flour, one and three-fourths pounds butter or half butter and half lard, two pounds sugar, four eggs, one quart sweet milk warmed, one pint homemade yeast or two yeast cakes, one nutmeg, one tablespoon cinnamon, a little mace, one glass brandy, one pound raisins. Wet the flour with the milk and yeast at night.
After rubbing the lard, butter, and sugar thoroughly, put in half of it and stir well together and keep it through the night in a warm place. When very light (which is usually early in the morning) add the other ingredients. The eggs should be well beaten and mixed thoroughly with the butter and sugar in the morning, and made as warm as the dough, else it will check its rising. When all is well stirred together, put it in pans and let it rise until thoroughly light, and bake one hour. One-half this receipt is sufficient for a family of moderate size.
* This receipt was used by a notable housekeeper, who brought it from Stockbridge, Mass., to the Genesee country in the early twenties. It is absolutely reliable.
TUTTI-FRUTTI
One pint brandy or rum, one pound fruit, one pound sugar. Stir three times the first day it is made and then let it stand. Add one pound of any other fruit and one pound sugar, as often as you please. Stir as above, but do not add more spirits. Make in stone crock. Avoid the small, seedy fruits.
CHERRY COMPOTE
Three pounds sour cherries, four pounds sugar, two pounds seeded raisins, four oranges. Chop oranges fine; steam raisins twenty minutes; chop rather coarse, add cherries, oranges, and sugar. Boil twenty minutes and put in tumblers, like jelly. Weigh cherries after pitting and use oranges at discretion. I sometimes use the pulp of four and skin of one.
CHOCOLATE CANDY (Fudge)
Three cups sugar, one cup milk, three-quarters cake Baker's cooking chocolate, one-half cup butter. Flavor with vanilla and add, if you like, nuts, preserved ginger, or figs.
The nuts and preserved ginger cut in small pieces are very good together. Stir the candy all the time (it bums easily), and cook it until it is on the point of turning to sugar.
MOLASSES CANDY
One quart molasses, piece of butter size of an egg. Boil over a brisk fire until it will harden when dropped into cold water. Add one teaspoon bicarbonate of soda to make it white and brittle, and, when almost done, one teaspoon essence of peppermint or winter-green. To be pulled while warm, with buttered hands, and cut in sticks.
