SPINACH b.a.l.l.s.
Put a slightly heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a tablespoonful of cream, and half a teaspoonful of sugar into a saucepan on the stove, mix well, and when it boils add a heaping tablespoonful of flour--as much as will stay on the spoon--let it come to a boil, and then add three-quarters of a cup of cooked and finely chopped spinach, beat well and remove from the fire. When cold add two eggs, one at a time, season with salt and pepper to taste and half a saltspoonful of powdered mace.
Have a saucepan of boiling water, slightly salted, on the stove; dip a tablespoon in cold water, and then take up enough of the spinach mixture to make an oblong cake, in shape like an egg cut in half lengthwise, then dip the spoon in the boiling water and let the cake float off. Use all the mixture in this way. The b.a.l.l.s will cook in four or five minutes, and they must not boil too fast or they will break. Let them drain in a colander while making a cream sauce, and when the sauce is made put the b.a.l.l.s into it and let them come to a boil, turn out on a platter and garnish with parsley.
TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS.
Put on a pint of tomatoes in a saucepan and cook for fifteen or twenty minutes until nearly all the water has evaporated, season with salt and pepper, add a generous tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a tablespoonful of bread crumbs and half a pint of fresh mushrooms chopped fine. Cook until the mushrooms are tender. Have some bread cut in nice slices toasted and slightly moistened with warm milk. Pour the tomatoes and mushrooms over it and serve very hot.
TO BOIL RICE PLAIN.
Wash half a cupful of rice, drain from the water, have on the fire a very large saucepan nearly full of salted boiling water. Turn the rice into this and boil hard for twenty minutes, pour all into a colander, drain well, and put the rice in a smaller saucepan on the back of the stove, where it will be kept warm, without cooking, until all the moisture has evaporated. Then serve.
CAULIFLOWER WITH DRAWN b.u.t.tER.
Select a nice white cauliflower, take off all the leaves, and cut enough of the stem off to allow it to stand well in the dish it is to be served in. Put it into a saucepan, cover with boiling water, and when it is nearly done add salt, as cooking it long with salt turns it brown. The usual time to cook a cauliflower is about twenty minutes. Try it with a fork, and if it is tender remove carefully from the water, let it drain in a colander while preparing a drawn b.u.t.ter. Then put into a hot vegetable dish, pour the sauce over and serve.
FOR THE DRAWN b.u.t.tER.--Melt a large heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and stir into it a heaping teaspoonful of flour, let them cook together without browning and add by degrees a cup of hot milk.
ESCALLOPED CAULIFLOWER.
Cut a cauliflower into flowerettes, cover with boiling water into a saucepan and cook until tender, let them drain in a colander while the sauce is being prepared. Make the usual cream sauce, enough to cover the cauliflower. When the sauce is done add two heaping tablespoonfuls of American Edam or grated Parmesan cheese, put the flowerettes into a baking dish, pour the sauce over them, sprinkle the top with a little of the cheese, and stand the dish in the oven for a few minutes to brown.
ESCALLOPED SPAGHETTINA.
Put a good half cupful of spaghettina, broken in bits, into a saucepan of boiling water with an even tablespoonful of salt, boil three-quarters of an hour, turn into a colander and let it drain while the sauce is being made. Prepare it exactly as for escalloped cauliflower and finish in the same way.
CHESTNUT PUReE.
Sh.e.l.l some large imported chestnuts and put over the fire in boiling water, let them cook for a few minutes, rub the skins off, and cover again with fresh boiling water, boil until tender. Press through a sieve, and season with b.u.t.ter, pepper and salt.
PUReE OF DRIED WHITE BEANS.
Pick over and wash a pint of beans and soak over night. In the morning drain off the water, put the beans into a saucepan with cold water to cover them, and cook until tender--a little more than an hour. Press through a sieve, add a generous tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper to taste, put into a saucepan, make very hot and serve.
SQUASH PUDDING.
A large heaping cup of Hubbard squash, measured after it is baked and mashed smooth, a generous heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, melted and stirred into the squash, a heaping teaspoonful of flour mixed with four tablespoonfuls of milk and one egg beaten light, salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and turn into a b.u.t.tered pudding dish and bake about twenty minutes. Serve in the dish in which it is baked. If any is left over, make it up into little round cakes and brown in b.u.t.ter for luncheon.
SQUASH FRITTERS.
A heaping cupful of Hubbard squash baked and mashed, stir into it a heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a heaping tablespoonful of flour, a cup of milk, salt and pepper to taste, and one egg beaten light. Mix well and bake or fry as griddle cakes.
SUMMER SQUASH.
Wash and peel two large summer squash, cut in small pieces and remove the seeds, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Drain in a colander and press gently as much of the water out as possible with a potato masher, then mash through the colander into a saucepan, put it on the stove and let it cook until the squash is quite dry, taking care that it does not burn. Then add four heaping tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter, a teaspoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste.
RICE CROQUETTES.
Put three-quarters of a cup of milk in a saucepan over the fire, with a generous tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, a heaping teaspoonful of sugar, and when it comes to a boil add a cup and a half of boiled rice, a saltspoonful of powdered cinnamon or nutmeg, if preferred, and salt to taste. Mix well, let it come to a boil and add a beaten egg, remove from the fire, turn into a plate to get cold, form into cylinders and cook in boiling fat.
FRICa.s.sEE OF CELERIAC.
Wash and peel the celery roots, cut them into dice and cook until tender in as little water as possible, and when nearly done add a little salt.
Make a sauce of two tablespoonfuls of b.u.t.ter and one tablespoonful of flour cooked together until smooth without browning. Then add a cup of rich milk, and when this boils turn the celery dice with the water in which they were boiled into the sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper. When ready to serve beat one egg yolk with a tablespoonful of cream and stir carefully into it, remove at once from the fire, pour into a vegetable dish, sprinkle with a little parsley minced fine, and serve.
YELLOW TURNIP RAGOUT.
Take one large yellow turnip, peel, wash and wipe dry, cut in oblong pieces. Brown a good lump of b.u.t.ter in a spider, simmer the turnip slices in this until nicely browned, taking care not to burn them. Put all into a saucepan with only water enough to cook them tender, cover tightly, when done, brown a little b.u.t.ter and flour together to make the gravy the proper consistency, season with pepper and salt and serve.
TOMATOES STUFFED WITH CHEESE.
Cut six tomatoes in half, scoop out part of the inside and put this in a saucepan and cook until nearly all the water has been absorbed, then add half a teaspoonful of sugar, one heaping tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, two heaping tablespoonfuls of grated cheese, two heaping tablespoonfuls of dried bread crumbs, pepper and salt to taste, and a few drops of onion juice. Sprinkle the tomatoes with salt, pepper, a little sugar and grated cheese, then fill them with the dressing, dot them with tiny bits of b.u.t.ter and sift over them a few bread crumbs. Melt half a teaspoonful of b.u.t.ter in a baking pan, put the tomatoes in and bake twenty or twenty-five minutes. Take them out carefully when done, arrange on a dish, make a little gravy in the pan in which they were baked by adding a little more b.u.t.ter, half a cupful of milk, a heaping teaspoonful of flour, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve in a sauceboat.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES.
Wash and peel a dozen artichokes, selecting them as nearly the same size as possible. Cover with boiling water and cook until tender, drain at once and pour over them a cream sauce, sprinkle a little finely chopped parsley over them and serve.
ASPARAGUS.
Sc.r.a.pe and wash as much asparagus as is needed, cut the stalks the same length, tie in bunches and put over the fire in boiling water, and when nearly done add a little salt. Boil until perfectly tender, drain, put in a dish, remove the strings and serve very hot with sauce Hollandaise or a simple cream sauce.
POINTES D"ASPERGES.
Cut off the tender green tips of asparagus about an inch and a half long, cover with boiling water and cook until tender. Add salt just before they are done. Drain and put the points into a saucepan with b.u.t.ter, salt and pepper and a few spoonfuls of cream or Hollandaise sauce, mix well and do not let it cook after the sauce is added. A little nutmeg may be used if liked. Serve very hot.
PURPLE CABBAGE WITH CHESTNUTS.
Shred fine as for cold slaw half a purple cabbage, put half of this into a saucepan, dot with a tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, sprinkle over it a heaping tablespoonful of sugar, a slightly heaping tablespoonful of flour, a little salt and pepper, then the rest of the cabbage with the same quant.i.ty of b.u.t.ter, sugar, etc., as before, and pour over all a quarter of a cup of vinegar and a cupful of cold water. Cover tightly, let it cook slowly until done, put it where it will only simmer for two hours. If not sour enough add more vinegar. Be careful that it does not burn. Serve in a vegetable dish and garnish with large Italian chestnuts that have been boiled and blanched.
PARSNIP CROQUETTES WITH WALNUTS.