OXTAIL SOUP
Have butcher cut tail in pieces; soak ox-tail in warm water for one-half hour. Wash and wipe dry, now roll each joint in flour, place one-half cup of shortening in soup kettle, add the ox-tails and brown well, then add one-half cup flour, browning a deep mahogany brown; now add
Three quarts cold water, One bunch soup herbs, Four onions chopped fine, One carrot cut in dice, One teaspoon of thyme.
Cook slowly for three hours, season with pepper and salt and juice of one-half lemon.
MULLIGATAWNY SOUP
Place in a saucepan
Three pints of chicken stock, One cup diced apples, Four onions chopped fine, One carrot cut in dice, One clove, One-half teaspoon of thyme.
Simmer slowly for one-half hour.
Now place in frying pan
Four tablespoons bacon fat, One-half cup of flour, One-half teaspoon curry powder.
Blend together, and then add one pint of cold water, and as soon as it is thoroughly blended turn into the soup; stir to prevent lumping and bring quickly to a boil; cook ten minutes; strain through cheesecloth; add juice one-half lemon and one-half cup of finely chopped chicken meat. Serve.
FRENCH PEA SOUP
Soak one cup of dried peas over night and then in the morning drain and place in a saucepan, adding
Two quarts of water.
Simmer gently until tender and then pa.s.s through a sieve and add
Two large onions, grated, Two tablespoons of parsley, minced fine, Six whole cloves, One small bay leaf, One-half cup of strained canned tomatoes.
Simmer slowly for thirty minutes and then serve with toasted strips of bread.
f.a.gGOT OF SOUP HERBS
Divide one leek into three parts and cut from the stem up. To this piece of leek add
Four branches of thyme, Two branches of parsley, One piece of carrot, cut in a strip three inches long, Two branches of celery, One small pepper pod.
Tie with a string and dry in a warm place. When dry put in a gla.s.s jar to be used as needed.
Many varieties of soups may be made from the plain stock with just a few minutes" work.
Clear tomato soup: To one quart of stock add one cupful of canned tomatoes, rubbed through a fine sieve. Noodles, macaroni or any cooked vegetable may be added.
For clear soup: Add one teaspoon of kitchen bouquet and any desired vegetables to each quart of stock. When making cream soups, if you will add one cupful of prepared stock to each cup of milk, your soup will have a delicious flavor.
Stock may be made, filled into sterilized jars and then the rubber and lid adjusted; the soup may then be processed for three hours in a hot-water bath. Remove from the bath, fasten the lids securely, and then test for leaks and store in a dry cool place. Where there is a fire kept in the kitchen, it will not add to the costs to can soups, stocks, etc., for future use.
PEPPER POT
Place in a saucepan
Two calves" feet, cut in pieces, One pound cooked honeycomb tripe, cut in small blocks, One cup of finely chopped onions, One bunch of soup herbs, One teaspoon of sweet marjoram, Two whole cloves, Two whole allspice, Four quarts of water.
Bring to a boil and cook slowly for three hours. Remove the calves"
feet, remove meat from the fat, chop meat fine and return to soup, then add three cups of finely diced potatoes and tiny dumplings made as follows:
Place in a mixing bowl
One cup of flour, One-half teaspoon of salt, One-half teaspoon of pepper, One-half teaspoon of thyme, One tablespoon of finely minced parsley, One teaspoon of baking powder, Four tablespoons of water.
Mix to a dough and then work well to blend. Make into small b.a.l.l.s the size of a large pea. Drop into the pepper pot and cook for fifteen minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then serve.
FRUIT SOUP
The French, Swiss and Danish housewives serve during the summer a delicious fruit soup. In Normandy, during apple-blossom time, the petals of the fruit are picked as they fall and are used for fruit soup, blossom jelly and perfume and distilled water.
HOW TO MAKE THIS SOUP
You may use any fruit desired; wash to thoroughly cleanse, and to each pint of crushed fruit allow three pints of water. The fruit must be packed solidly. Place in a kettle and cook until the fruit is soft and then rub through a fine sieve. Now measure and add
One-half cup of sugar, Three tablespoons of cornstarch, dissolved in Four tablespoons of cold water to each pint
of the fruit puree. Bring to boil and cook five minutes. Remove from the fire and add yolk of one egg. Beat very hard and then fold in stiffly beaten white of egg; season slightly with nutmeg, chill and serve.
Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, huckleberries, cherries, grapes, currants, apples, peaches, pears, oranges, lemon and quinces may be used for these soups. They are delicious when served ice cold on a hot day.
MEATS
Use oven for baking and boiling and then cook your meats in the old-fashioned English way by direct contact with the flame. This means that you must first place one quart of water and one tablespoon of salt in the broiler pan of the gas range; then place in the roast, steak or chops, upon the broiler; turn every few minutes. The roast must be placed farther from the flame to prevent burning. A good rule for this is to keep roasting meat four inches from the flame, steaks and chops two and one-half inches and fish three inches.
The placing of water in the broiler pan prevents fat from catching fire. This liquid may be allowed to cool and then the fat may be removed and clarified and used for other purposes. Baste roast with one pint of boiling water while cooking.
ROASTING AND BAKING MEATS
Roasting or grilling is done before open fire, the meat being turned frequently, so that all sides may be cooked alike. The meat is basted with its own fat. This method of cooking meat is used daily in Europe, but not much used in this country.
When a piece of meat is large it is roasted. Meat cooked in an oven by radiated heat is frequently called in this country "roasting." It is well known and needs little description. When baking meat always use a wire rack to lift the meat from the bottom of the pan. This will insure even cooking.