Place a layer of broken stale bread in the bottom of a well-greased pudding pan and then a layer of thinly-sliced pears. Season each layer of bread and pears slightly with nutmeg and cinnamon. When the dish is full pour over
One cup of syrup, One-half cup of brown sugar, One cup of water.
Stir until sugar is dissolved and then bake in a slow oven for one hour. Serve with custard sauce.
PEAR SAUCE
Pare and then cover with just enough water to cook. Cook until tender and then mash and put through a fine sieve or colander. Sweeten to taste, adding
Juice of one lemon.
One tablespoon of either cinnamon or nutmeg to each quart of the pear sauce. This may be used and served with roast duck, chicken, or as a side dish, and in pear shortcake and as a spread for bread and hot cakes.
BAKED PEARS AND CRANBERRIES
Pare eight pears and then cut in half, removing stems and seeds. Place in a baking dish with the cut side up. Sort over and wash one cup of cranberries and then add the berries to the pears and
One-half cup of raisins, One cup of syrup, One-half cup of brown sugar, One cup of water, One-quarter teaspoon of nutmeg.
Bake in a slow oven until the pears are soft.
NOTE.--This dish may be cooked upon the top of the stove in a saucepan.
DRIED FRUIT
Oranges and grapefruit are high-priced and the dried fruits may be subst.i.tuted to advantage. If these fruits are nicely prepared, the family will hardly be able to distinguish between them and the fresh fruit.
Frequently the dried fruits are so prepared that they are anything but inviting. Much will depend upon the selection of these fruits.
Purchase only the best grade. This fruit should be bright and waxy and not too dry. Soak for fifteen minutes in warm water; this loosens the dirt before washing. Now wash in plenty of water. Cover with water and allow to stand until the fruit has plumped out; each piece of fruit will only absorb just the amount of moisture as it originally contained.
This will require from six to twelve hours, depending entirely upon the dryness of the fruit. Be sure that the water covers the fruit at least one inch. Now, when the fruit is ready, add sugar to sweeten and place in the stove to cook. The slower this fruit is cooked the better. Remember that hard, rapid cooking not only spoils dried fruits, but fresh fruit as well.
When cooked tender, drain the liquid from the fruit and measure. Allow one-half cup of sugar to every three cups of juice. Place this juice and the sugar in a separate saucepan and boil until thick; then pour over the fruit.
Dried fruits prepared this way will be found to be delicious. Apricots will require very little cooking, so drain them free from the liquid in which they are soaked and add the sugar. Boil the syrup until thick and then pour over the apricots and cook gently for ten minutes.
Remove the skins from peaches, after soaking them, and before cooking add a little piece of thin orange peel for flavor.
To prepare dried pears soak them for twelve hours and then place in a ca.s.serole dish and add to one-half pound of fruit
One cup of brown sugar.
Juice of one lemon, One cup of raisins.
Cover the ca.s.serole dish and bake slowly.
STEWED PEARS
Three-quarters cup of syrup, One-half cup of water, Six cloves, Piece of cinnamon and piece of lemon peel,
Peel and then cook slowly until tender, chill and serve.
CHICKEN AND GREEN PEPPER SANDWICHES
Remove the seeds from two green peppers and add one small onion and chop very fine. Mince one cup of chicken meat fine and add to the green peppers and onions and then season with
One teaspoon of salt, One-quarter teaspoon of mustard, One-half teaspoon of paprika, Two tablespoons of melted b.u.t.ter.
Mix well and then spread between thin slices of b.u.t.tered bread.
BROILED CHICKEN, VIRGINIA STYLE
Select a plump broiler, weighing from one and a half to two pounds.
Singe and then split with a sharp knife down the back. Draw. Remove the head and feet and then wash and parboil for eight minutes. Now flatten well with a rolling pin. Rub with shortening and broil for ten minutes. Garnish with bacon. Bacon or ham fat will give the bird a delicious flavor.
CHICKEN A LA KING
Cut the breast of cooked chicken into one-inch pieces and then place one and a half cups of thick sauce in a saucepan and add one cup of mushrooms that have been peeled and cut in pieces and then parboiled for six minutes in boiling water, and also
One green pepper, diced fine and parboiled,
Add
Yolks of two eggs, Juice of one-half lemon, One-quarter teaspoon of mustard, One and one-half teaspoons of salt, One teaspoon of paprika,
in the cream sauce. Also add the prepared chicken, the mushrooms and then green pepper. Heat until the boiling point is reached and then simmer slowly for ten minutes and serve on toast.
BREAST OF GUINEA HEN, TERRAPIN STYLE
Cut the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of two cooked guinea hens into one-inch blocks and place in a chafing dish and add
Three cups of thick cream sauce, One well-beaten egg, One-half teaspoon of mustard, One teaspoon of salt, One teaspoon of paprika, One large onion chopped very fine, Three tablespoons of finely chopped parsley, Juice of one large lemon, Grated rind of one-half lemon.
Stir to mix thoroughly and add the prepared b.r.e.a.s.t.s of the guinea hens and heat slowly until very hot. Serve on toasted waffles.
GUINEA HEN--POT PIE
Draw and singe the pair of guinea hens, removing the wings, thighs and legs and leaving the breast whole. Break the back of the carca.s.s and then place in a deep saucepan and add seven cups of boiling water and steam slowly until tender. Add
A piece of carrot, One small onion, One branch of celery