THE CENTURY COOK BOOK THE CENTURY COOK BOOK BY This "book contains directions for cooking in its various branches, from the simplest forms to high-class dishes and ornamental pieces ; a group of New England dishes furnished by Susan Coolidge ; and a few receipts of distinctively Southern dishes. It gives also the etiquette of dinner entertainments how to serve dinners table decorations, and many items relative to household affairs 'NOW GOOD DIGESTION WAIT ON APPETITE AND HEALTH ON BOTH" Macbeth NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1901 Copyright, 1895, by THE CENTURY Co. GIFT THE DEVINNE PRESS. "To be a good cook means the knowledge of all fruits, herbs, balms and spices, and of all that is healing and sweet in field and groves, and savory in meats ; means carefulness, in- ventiveness, watchfulness? willingness and read- iness of appliance. It means the economy of your great-grandmothers and the science of modern chemists. It means much tasting and no wasting. It means English thoroughness, French art and Arabian hospitality. It means, in fine, that you are to be perfectly and always todies (loaf-givers) and are to see that every one has something nice to eat." KTJSKIN. AGRIO - U root APHORISMS BRILL AT- S A VARIN. Les animaux se repaissent; I'homme mange; I'homme d'esprit seul sait manger. Dis moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tues. Le Createur, en obligeant I'homme a manger pour vivre, I'y invite par I'appetit et I' en re"com- pensepar leplaisir. La table est le seul endroit ou Von ne s'ennvie jamais pendant la premiere heure. La dfoouverte d'un mets nouveau fait plu* pour le bonheur du genre humain que la de- couverte d'une 6toile. If or Are des comestibles est des plus substan- tiels auxplus Ugers. L'ordre des boissons est des plus tempered aux phis fumeuses et aux plus parfumSes. On devient cuisinier mats on natt r6tisseur. Attendre trop longtemps un convive retar- dataire est un manque d'tgards pour tons ceux qui sont present. Celui qui revolt ses amis, et ne donne aucun soin personnel au repas qui leur est prepare", ri est pas digne d' avoir des amis. La maitresse de la maison doit toujours s'os- surer que le cafi est excellent, et le maitre, que les liqueurs sont de premier cJwix. TIME TABLE. BOILING. MEATS. Mutton per pouud Potted Beef . Corned Beef Ham Turkey Chicken . Fowl Tripe VEGETABLES. Codfish Haddock Halibut. Blue Bass Salmon Small Fish Lobster FISH. per pound Time. - 15 minutes. Potatoes . ... 20 to 30 min* .30 to 35 min. Asparagus 20 to 25 4t 30 minutes. Peas 15 to 20 " 18 to 20 min. String Beans . .20 to 30 " 15 minutes. Lima 30 to 40 " 15 Spinach . 15 to 20 "III 20 to 30 min. Turnips 30 minutes. : 3 to 5 hours. Beets 30 min. or more. Cabbage 20 " Cauliflower 20 " Time. 6 minutes. Brussels Sprouts Onions 10 to 15 min. 30 to 40 " 6 IK " Parsnips 30 to 40 " 15 10 " Green Corn 20 to 25 10 " 10 to 15 min. Macaroni 20 minutes, j .6 minutes. Rice . 15 to 20 miri. JO to 40 min. BAKING. MEATS. MEATS. Time. Time. Beef, ribs, rare per pound, 8 to 10 min. Fillet, hot oven 30 minutes. " " well done 12 to 15 " Braised Meats. 3 to 4 houi " " boned & rolled " 12 to 15 ' Liver, whole 2 hours. Round of Beef 12 to 15 " Turkey, 8 Ibs 1 : *. " Mutton, leg, rare 10 minutes. very large 3 " " " well done " 15 Birds, small, hot oven 15 to 20 mi loin, rare 8 Ducks, tame 45 minutes. " shoulder, stuffed " % 15 " wild, very hot oven 15 " saddle, rare . " 9 Partridge 35 to 40 mi Lamb, weU done 15 Grouse 20 to 25 ' Veal, " " 18 to 20 min. Pork : " " 20 minutes. FISH. Venison, rare " 10 Time, Chicken 15 Large Fish . 1 hour, abo Goose 18 Small " 20 to 30 m Time. Time. Bread 1 jiour. Cake 20 to 45 m: Biscuits 20 minutes. Custards, very slow oven 1 hour. BROILING. Time. m Time, Steak, 1 inch thick 8 to 10 min. Quail 8 to 10 m / i 10 to 15 " Grouse 15 minutes Mutton Chops, French 8 minutes. Squabs 10 to 15 m " English 10 " Shad, Bluefish, Trout 15 to 25 (4 Spring Chicken .20 " Small Fish 5 to 10 " WEIGHTS AND MEASURES 4 gills =1 pint. * 2 pints rzrl quart 4 quarts =1 gallon. 16 ounces =1 pound, i kitchen cupful =1 gill. 1 kitchen cupful = J pint or 2 gills. 4 kitchen cupfuls = 1 quart. 2 cupfuls of granulated sugar ) _ . Q ^^ 2J cupfuls of powdered sugar > 1 heaping tablespoonrul of sugar I ounce. 1 heaping tablespoonful of butter ) =g QZ QT Butter size of an egg > 1 cupful of butter =% pound, 4 cupfuls of flour > 1 > 1 pound, 1 heaping quart ) 8 round tablespoonfuls of dry material ^1 cupful. 16 tablespoonfuls of liquid =1 cupful. PROPORTIONS 5 to 8 eggs to 1 quart of milk for custards. 3 to 4 eggs "to 1 pint of milk for custards. 1 saltspoonful of salt to 1 quart of milk for custards. 1 teaspoonful of vanill to 1 quart of v milk for custards. 2 ounces of gelatine to If quarts of liquid. 4 heaping tablespoonfuls of cornstarch to 1 quart of milk. 3 heaping teaspoonfuls of baking-powder to 1 quart of flour 1 even teaspoonful of baking-powder to 1 cupful of flour. 1 teaspoonful of soda to 1 pint of sour milk. 1 teaspoonful of soda to pint of molasses. 1 teaspoonfdl of baking-powder is the equivalent of tea- spoonful of soda and 1 teaspoonfnl of cream of tartar. For other proportions, see page 340. For measuring, s^e page 77. PREFACE In France various honors are awarded to cooks. Accom- plished chefs de cuisine are by compliment called cordon-bleu, which is an ancient and princely order. A successful culinary production takes the name of the inventor, and by it his fame often lasts longer than that of many men who have achieved positions in the learned professions. Cooking is there esteemed a service of especial merit, hence France ranks all nations in gastronomy. Although definite honors are not conferred on cooks else- where, good cooking is everywhere appreciated, and there is no reason why it should not be the rule instead of the exception. In large establishments it may be said to prevail, but in many moderate households the daily fare is of a quality which satis- fies no other sense than that of hunger, the hygienic require- ments and esthetic possibilities being quite unknown or dis- regarded. This is what Savarin designates as feeding, in contradistinction to dining. The author believes that the women of to-day, because of their higher education, have a better understanding of domes- tic duties j that hygiene, economy, system, and methods are better understood and more generally practised. Children are not only more sensibly clothed, but they are more wholesomely fed, and households are directed with more intelligent care. It is hoped that this book will inculcate a desire to learn the simple principles of cooking for the benefits which such know- ix x THE CENTURY COOK BOOK ledge will give, and that it will be of material assistance to any woman who wishes to establish and maintain a well-ordered cuisine. Receipts are given for simple and inexpensive as well as elaborate and costly dishes, and they are intended to be of use to the inexperienced as well as to the trained cook. The rules are given in precise language, with definite measurement and time, so that no supervision by the mistress will be required for any receipt given the cook. At the head of each chapter are given the general rules for the dishes included in that class. Economy, practicability, and the resources of the average kitchen have been constantly borne in mind. The illustrations, it is believed, will aid materially in serving dishes, as they complete and demonstrate the receipts. Many of them are given to attract attention to very simple dishes, which might be selected as suited to one's convenience, but which might otherwise be overlooked in a hasty perusal of the text. The pictures are from photographs of dishes, many of which are not too difficult for a novice to undertake. The author has fortunately been able to secure from Susan Coolidge a number of receipts of New England dishes ; also a few distinctively Southern dishes from an equally experienced Southern housekeeper. These, she hopes, will enable many who have strayed from home to enjoy again the dishes asso- ciated with other times and places. Much care has been taken to give a complete alphabetical index, so that anything in the book can be quickly found, even if the ordinary classification is not understood. The chapters on etiquette, serving, etc., are meant to aid those young housekeepers who, from lack of observation or expe- rience, find themselves at a loss to remember small details PEEFACE xi when the responsibility of an entertainment falls upon them for the first time. The author, in speaking of this book to friends, has had various questions asked and suggestions given, by which she has endeavored to profit. Some of the questions have been the following: "Have you given receipts suitable for a family of two or three?" " Have you given expedients, so if articles called for in the receipts are not at hand others may be substituted ? " " Is your book only for rich people ? " " Is it not a mistake to use French names, which many do not understand ? " etc., etc. In deference to the last suggestion, she has explained the meaning of certain classes of dishes known only by the French names, and which would lose character if translated. A souffle, for instance, has no special significance when called " inflated," but the word souffle" defines the class of dishes which are in- flated, and is so generally understood that it is almost an Angli- cized word. The terms Souffles, Pates, Timbales, Hors-d'oeuvres, Entrees, etc., are as distinctive as Stews, Hashes, Creams, etc.; hence there seems no other way than to learn the culinary nomen- clature as one partakes of the dishes. The author strongly urges the trial of new dishes, and break- ing away from the routine of habit. The preparation of so- called fancy dishes is very simple. A little attention given to ornamentation and garnishing, making dishes attractive in ap- pearance as well as taste, will raise the standard of cooking without necessarily increasing the expense. CONTENTS PART I PAGE DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS 1 MANNER OF SERVING DINNERS 10 LAYING THE TABLE 13 TABLE DECORATIONS 17 COURSES 24 THE HOME DINNER 27 SERVING THE INFORMAL DINNER 29 LUNCHEON 31 THE FIVE O'CLOCK TEA 33 A HOMILY ON COOKING 35 COOKING AS A PLEASURE AND AN ACCOMPLISHMENT 38 To TRAIN A GREEN COOK 40 ECONOMICAL LIVING 44 WASTEFULNESS 50 How TO UTILIZE WHAT SOME COOKS THROW AWAY 51 EMERGENCIES 55 THINGS TO REMEMBER 58 CARE OF UTENSILS.. 61 PART n CHAPTER I METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 67 H SOUPS 84 HI FISH 112 IV MEATS 145 V POULTRY AND GAME 179 VI VEGETABLES 200 ( FARINACEOUS FOODS USED AS VEGETABLES 222 VII < MACARONI 224 ( CEREALS . 227 xiii xiv CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE VIII A GROUP OP EECEIPTS FROM A NEW ENGLAND KITCHEN . . . 229 t DISTINCTIVELY SOUTHERN DISHES ........................ 246 IX < VERY INEXPENSIVE DISHES ............................... 249 ( MISCELLANEOUS RECEIPTS ............................... 257 X EGGS ....................................................... 261 XI SAUCES ............ ...................................... 275 / ENTRIES ............................................... 292 XII < TERRAPIN, FROGS' LEGS ............. . .................. 311 ( MUSHROOMS ............................................ 314 XIII ASPIC JELLY, FANCY MOLDING, SUPPORTS .................. 321 XIV CHAFING-DISH RECEIPTS .................................. 329 XV BREAD ................................................ ... 338 ( SANDWICHES AND CANAPES ............................... 364 ( CHEESE AND CHEESE DISHES ............................. 369 XVII SALADS .................................................. 374 XVHI COLD DESSERTS .......................................... 386 { HOT DESSERTS ........................................... 421 \ PUDDING SAUCES ......................................... 444 450 I PUFF PASTE ............................................ 457 XXI .................................................... 462 < ICING AND DECORATING CAKES .......................... 483 XXII ICE-CREAMS, WATER-ICES, PARFAITS, MOUSSES, PUNCHES.. . 488 XXin BOILING SUGAR AND MAKING CANDIES .................... 510 XXIV FRUITS, COOKED AND FRESH .............................. 529 XXV COMPOTES, PRESERVING AND CANNING, PICKLES ........... 535 XXVI BEVERAGES ............................................... 548 XXVH WINES.. 560 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK THE CENTURY OOOK BOOK * PAET I DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS " To feed were best at home ; From thence, the sauce to meat is ceremony, Meeting were bare without it." Shdksp&re A DINNER party may be considered as holding the highest rank among entertainments. In no other so- cial function is etiquette so strictly observed. There are prescribed rules for the form of the invitation, the manner of assigning each guest his place at the table, the manner of serving the dinner, etc. j and when these rules are followed there need be no embarrassments. It should always be remembered that the social part of the entertainment is on a higher plane than the gas- company, tronomic one, though the latter must by no means be slighted. A sentiment expressed by the wit who said, "A fig for your bill of fare, give me a bill of your company," is generally felt, and a hostess should bring together only such people as she believes will be mutually agreeable. CENTUEY COOK BOOK The Host and Hostess. The Guests. The idea, given by Goldsmith in his "Retaliation/' of looking upon one's friends as so many pleasant dishes, is offered as a suggestion. He If our landlord supplies us with beef and with fish, Let each guest bring himself, and he brings the best dish : Our Dean shall be venison, just fresh from the plains ; Our Burke shall be tongue, with a garnish of brains j Our Will shall be wild fowl of excellent flavour, And Dick with his pepper shall heighten the savour; Our Cumberland's sweetbread its place shall obtain, And Douglas is pudding, substantial and plain ; Our Garrick 's a salad, for in him we see Oil, vinegar, sugar, and saltness agree : . . . At a dinner so various at such a repast, "Who 'd not be a glutton, and stick to the last f The hostess should give her instructions for the de- tails of the entertainment so explicitly that on the arrival of the guests she will have no care other than their pleasure. If she is nervous, has wandering eyes, or shows constraint, it affects sensibly the ease of her guests. The spirit of pleasure is infectious, and upon the de- meanor of the hosts the success of the evening largely depends. Much tact may be shown in placing the right people together at the table. If one is a great talker let the other be a good listener ; if one is dog- matic let the other be without positive views, and so on ; for as every one is happiest when appearing well, it is wise to consider the idiosyncrasies of the guests. ; T is a great point in a gallery how you hang your pictures ; and not less in society how you seat your party. The part of the hosts is thus well denned ; but the guests, too, have their obligations, and in recognition of the compliment of being included in an entertain- ment where the number of guests is limited to very few, each one should make exertion to be agreeable, DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OP DINNERS 3 as a dull dinner companion is a recognized misfortune. At a dinner there is time, not given at most other forms of entertainment, for rational and sustained conversation, and this may be turned to durance vile if one victimizes by egotism or caprice the person who without power of withdrawal is assigned to his or her society for perhaps two hours or more. Also, if one finds oneself neighbor to some person for whom one has a personal antipathy, it must not be allowed to interfere with the general pleasure j and should such a situation occur, there is nothing to 'do but to make the best of it, and conceal from the hos- tess the mistake she has unwittingly made And do as adversaries do in law, Strive mightily, but eat and drink as friends. Under these circumstances the discovery may possi- bly be made that an unfriendly person is more agree- able than was supposed, and a pleasanter relationship may be established. Two hours is the extreme limit of time that should be given to a dinner ; one hour and a quarter, or a Time, half, is preferable. Eight courses served quickly, but without seeming haste, require as much time as most people can sit at the table without fatigue. Last im- pressions are as enduring as first ones, so it is impor- tant not to surfeit, for When fatigue enters into so-called pleasure, failure begins. Judgment shown in combination of dishes, the per- fection of their preparation, careful serving, and taste in adornment, are elements of refinement that far out- weigh quantity and ostentation. The temperature and ventilation of the dining-room ture. should be given careful attention. The best of spirits and the brightest wit will flag in an overheated, ill- 4 THE CENTURA COOK BOOK ventilated room. It is not always easy to maintain a fresh atmosphere where as many guests are seated as the size of the room permits, but at least the room can be well aired before the dinner is served. Windows opened a very little from both the top and bottom in an adjoining room,with a careful adjustment of screens to protect those who are sensitive to drafts, will do much to keep the air fresh, and will have a sensible effect upon the comfort and mental activity of the The company. Invitation. 'Invitations are sometimes sent out a month or three weeks in advance, but ordinarily two weeks is suffi- cient time to secure the guests one wishes to entertain. Courtesy requires a dinner invitation to be answered at once, certainly within twelve hours, but better in less time. This enables the hostess to fill the vacancy in case the invitation is declined. Unconventional people are sometimes unmindful of this obligation, but as a rule those who are accustomed to entertain- ing recognize the importance of a prompt reply, and answer a dinner invitation immediately. It is well, when convenient, to send the invitation as well as the reply by hand, so that there may be no uncertainty of prompt delivery ; to send either of them by post is, however, permissible. The answer should be definite, and where a man and his wife are invited, if one of them is unable to ac- cept, the invitation should be declined for both. An invitation should be precise in expression, therefore the prescribed form given below should be exactly followed. It does not belong to the order of social notes j it is simply a formal invitation, and an accep- tance should be of the same character. Any deviation from the prescribed form is uncalled for and likely to cause criticism. In declining the invitation, however, it is considered more gracious to answer the formal DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS 5 note informally, and, by stating the reason, show that the regret is not merely a perfunctory expression. Verbal invitations or replies should never be given for formal entertainments. E. S. V. P. should not be put on a dinner invitation. Every well-bred person knows an answer is necessary, and it is a reflection upon good manners to assume that no reply would be given if the request for it were omitted. It is important also that the reply should repeat, in the same words as the invitation, the date and hour of the dinner, so, if any mistake has inadvertently been made, it may be corrected, thus establishing an exact understanding. A dinner engagement is the most exacting of any social obligation, and no greater discourtesy can be shown than to break it except for serious cause. Mr. and Mrs. James J. James request the pleasure of Mr. and Mrs. Smith's company at dinner, on Monday. ^P 1 of -r\ -L j. j. n T j. Invitation, December twenty-third, at eight o'clock. 99 West A Street, Dec. 1st. Envelop addressed to Mrs. John B. Smith. Mr. and Mrs. John B. Smith accept with pleasure Mr. and Mrs. James's Eeply. kind invitation to dinner on Monday, December twenty -third, at eight o'clock. 66 West B Street, Dec. 1st. Envelop addressed to Mrs. James J. James. THE CENTURY COOK BOOK Mr. and Mrs. John B. Smith regret that they are unable to accept Mr. and Mrs. James's kind invitation to dinner on Monday, December twenty-third, at eight o'clock. 66 West B Street, Dec. 1st. OR, Mr. and Mrs. John B. Smith regret that owing to a previous engagement they are unable to accept Mr. and Mrs James's kind invitation to dinner on Monday, December twenty-third, at eight o 'clock. 66 West B Street, Dec. 1st. Where an invitation is meant to be informal, a social form of note with formal phraseology is often sent, thus : My dear Mrs. Smith : Will you and Mr. Smith dine with us informally on Thursday evening, December twenty-third, at eight o'clock f Sincerely yours, Mary James. 99 West A Street, Dec. 1st. DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS ; This form of invitation is sometimes misleading to strangers, as the word "informal' 7 is open to different interpretations. These dinners are generally quite as formal as the others, and require the same toilet. A woman's dinner dress should be decollete, and for a man evening dress is always de rigueur. The butler wears a dress suit with white tie. The footman, or second man, wears the livery of the Dress, family, or, in default of that, a coat of dark color, with brass buttons, and a bright-colored striped waistcoat. The dining-room maid wears a plain black dress, a white apron that covers completely the front of her skirt, a linen collar and deep cuffs, and a small white cap, with or without strings, but no crown. Every- thing in a well-ordered household is supposed to be clean, including the hands of the domestics, and the use of white gloves is not permissible. First-class butlers and footmen do not wear mustaches. Guests are expected at the hour mentioned in the invitation, and should be as near that time as possible. Arrival In large cities, where distances are great and exact time difficult to calculate, a little grace is allowed, but the hos- tess is not expected to wait longer than fifteen minutes for a tardy guest. It is considered a breach of etiquette to be late, and the assumption is, when this occurs, that the delay is unavoidable and will be indefinite, and so the other guests should not be inconvenienced. At large dinners a gentleman finds in the dressing- room, or a servant passes to him before he enters the drawing-room, a tray holding small addressed envel- ops. He selects the one bearing his own name, and finds on an inclosed card the name of the lady he is to take to the table. The letter R or L in the corner of the card denotes whether he will find his place on the right 8 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK or left of the table from the entrance. If he does not know the lady, he should tell the hostess, so that he may be presented to her. The hostess stands near the door to receive her guests, and such introductions follow as can conveniently be made. If general in- troductions are omitted, guests are expected to act as though acquainted, and speak to whomever they may be near. This rule holds good for all entertainments in some countries, but Americans continue a reserve except at dinners, where barriers to ease and pleasure must not exist. The hostess does not knowingly bring together people who object to meet one another, but in such an event the acquaintanceship need not extend beyond the evening, and good breeding re- quires a courteous recognition of the friends of the hostess while under her roof. The butler keeps count of the arrival of expected guests, and announces dinner shortly after all are in the drawing-room. In case of a tardy guest he waits for the hostess to order the dinner served. He then Announce- en ^ ers ^ ne room, and, looking at the host or hostess, ment. says, " Dinner is served," or " Madam is served," or simply bows to the hostess. The host then offers his right arm to the lady who is to sit at his right, and leads the way into the din- ing-room j the other couples follow in any order that is convenient. The hostess, with the gentleman she Precedence, honors with the seat at her right, are the last to leave the drawing-room. If a distinguished man is present, it is to him this courtesy is shown. Except in official and diplomatic circles, there is no other rule of pre- cedence. If the President of the United States or a royal personage were being entertained, the hostess with this dignitary would then precede the others. At each cover is laid a card on which is distinctly written the name of the person who is to occupy that DINNER-GIVING AND THE ETIQUETTE OF DINNERS 9 place. Confusion is thus avoided in seating the guests. It has been a fashion to have these cards artistic and elaborate in design, but at present plain gilt-edged cards stamped with the family crest or monogram are more generally used. When the dinner is finished, the gentlemen return Departure, to the drawing-room with the ladies, and then with- draw to the smoking-room for half an hour. Shortly after their return to the drawing-room the guests take their leave. If guests of honor are present, they are the first to go. MANNER OF SERVING DINNERS THE custom of serving dinner d la Russe (dishes passed) has supplanted the form known as the Eng- lish style, where the joints are carved on the table. This is for good reason, as the host cannot well fulfil his social part if he has to do the carving ; therefore, unless on very informal occasions, when the number of servants may be insufficient, the carving is done on the side-table, or the garnished dishes are cut in the kitchen. The portions, whether carved or otherwise, are placed on dishes to be passed, and should be so arranged that each guest may remove a part easily and without destroying the symmetry of the whole. This need not preclude attractive garnishing, but such complicated constructions as are sometimes seen, which embarrass one to find how to break them, should be avoided. Sometimes a dish is placed on the table to be shown, and then removed to be served. The dishes are presented on the left side. Those of the first course are passed first to the lady sitting on the right of the host, and then in regular order to the right around the table. The dishes of each following course are started at some distance from the place where the preceding one was presented. In this way the same person is not left always to be served last. At least one servant is needed for every six persons, Number of otherwise the service will be slow and tedious, and the Servants, portion placed on one's plate becomes cold before the accompaniments of sauce or vegetable can be passed. Many dishes may be garnished with the vegetable 10 MANNER OF SERVING DINNERS 11 or sauce, thus obviating in a measure this difficulty. For large dinners two or more dishes should be ar- ranged to pass on opposite sides of the table, so that every one may be served at about the same time. Plates, vegetable, and other large dishes are held in the hand of the servant. Small dishes, like hors d'oeuvres, bonbon dishes, etc., are passed on a tray. "When the wines are served, the servant should name the wine offered, so that it may be refused if not Wines. wanted ; the glasses should not be filled entirely full. When a plate is removed it should be immediately Plates, replaced by another one holding a fork or any piece of silver or cutlery which is needed for the next course. Plates should be removed with the left and replaced with the right hand. Care should be taken that plates for the hot dishes are warm, but not hot, and that for the cold dishes they are not lukewarm. The plate holding the shell-fish is placed upon the one already on the table ; this under plate is used also to hold the soup plate, but double plates are not again used until the end of the dinner, when the dessert plate holding the finger-bowl plate is put on. In case a hot sweet dish is served, the double plates, being intended for ices, fruits, and bonbons, are not put on until after that course. Silver serving-dishes are much used; lacking these, all the china used in the same course should match when possible. A different set of plates may be used with each course. In the matter of china the greatest latitude of taste and expense is possible, some china being more valuable than its weight in silver. When handsome china is being used, which demands great care in handling, it is well to have a table in the Careo f pantry reserved for its use, where it can be carefully China piled and left until the following morning to be THE CENTURY COOK BOOK Clearing the Table. washed. "With daylight and ample time, it can be given the care it might not receive if washed after the fatigue and late hours of a long dinner. This need not necessarily mean leaving a disordered pantry for the night, although that would be of less consequence than the extra risk of having valuable china nicked or broken. The same care is recommended for hand- some glass. Before the dessert is served, all the plates, the small silver, the salt- and pepper-boxes, the hors d'oeuvres, and such glasses as will not be again used are removed ; the crumbs are then taken off, a silver crumb knife and a plate being used for this purpose. The dessert and finger-bowl plates are then put on. Under the finger-bowl is placed a small fancy doily, and beside it on the same plate such small silver as will be needed. If peaches, or any fruit which will stain, are to be served, a fruit doily should also be given at this time and laid beside the place. The finger-bowl should be filled one third with water, and have a thin slice of lemon, a scented leaf, or a flower floating in it. The service should be entirely noiseless, and the machinery of the household as invisible as possible. There should be no rattling of china or silver, no creaking boots, or heavy tread, or audible speech among the servants. When entertaining one should not attempt more than one is sure of being able to attain, bearing in mind the capabilities of the cook and the range, and remembering that the quality of the dishes rather the Dinner, than the number of them is what pleases. Experi- ments should be made at times when failure is of less consequence. In arranging the menu, each course should be in pleasing contrast to the preceding one, and in the same course only such dishes should be served as go well together. Butter is not served at dinner. The Service. Ordering LAYING THE TABLE A BOUND or square table five feet across is a con- venient size for ordinary use, giving ample room for The Table, six people, and leaving space for decoration. Large round tops are made to fit over extension-tables, which will seat from twelve to twenty or more peo- ple ; and when the size of the room will permit, this is the pleasantest form of table for entertainments, and best lends itself to decorative effects, giving to each person a complete picture of the table and of the company assembled. A thick cotton material, which is made for the pur- pose, for interlining between table and cloth, is the The Linen, first requisite in laying the table, and should always be used. It protects the polished surface of the table from injury, gives a more brilliant whiteness to the cloth, and prevents any noise when placing the china and silver upon the table. The linen should be as fine as the purse will allow. Handsome linen will give elegance to a table where ornamentation is very simple. It should be ironed without starch, or with a very little if it is not sufficiently heavy to take polish without it. It should be folded perfectly square, so that the lines will be straight, and should be of spotless and dazzling whiteness. With this as a basis, there will be no difficulty in making an attractive table. In the way of linen, much taste may be shown in the ornamental pieces used in the center of the table. These may be of any shape or size desired, from a small square to a long scarf. They may be of 13 14 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK embroidered linen, drawn-work, lace, plain silk or satin 5 but wash materials are preferable, and effects of color, when desired, can be obtained in the embroidery or linings. The attractiveness of these pieces depends on their daintiness. The fashion of a center-piece of linen is, however, a passing one, as they are not at present so generally used. After the interlining has been spread, the cloth of laying should be laid with great care, making the center fold the Table, run perfectly straight with the room, and the cross fold again exactly divide the table at right angles to the other crease. By these straight lines, everything else is gaged. The fancy linen piece is next laid, and its center must coincide with that of the cloth. If the piece is square, it sometimes has better effect to place the points on the long lines of the cloth, giv- ing it a diamond shape ; this, however, is a matter of fancy. The center ornament is then placed on the exact point where the folds of the cloth cross in the middle of the table. The plates are next put in posi- tion, attention being given to the decoration on the china, if it be a monogram that it is right side up, if flowers that they are in natural position, etc. Where there are an uneven number of covers it is better to place the plates at equal distances around the table, without regard to the place of the hostess being oppo- site to that of the host. In other cases, the plates at the head and foot of the table, and those on the sides, should be directly opposite each other. Under no circumstances must the plates be omitted. On the left of the plates place the forks ; three or four may be put on and laid in the order in which they will be used. Three knives (one of them being a silver knife for the fish course) and the oyster fork are placed on the right of the plate ; the soup spoon may go in front of the plate or with the knives on the right ; the bowls LAYING THE TABLE 15 of the forks and spoons should be right side up, the edges of the knives turned toward the plate. After the plates and small silver and cutlery are jj ie D fl00 _ in position, the decorating of the table should pro- ration, ceed as far as possible. The position for everything can be best determined after the plates are laid. The perishable articles, that cannot be put on until the last moment, can usually have their position lo- cated by the compotiers or the bonbon dishes which will hold them. Uniformity is not required in having two or four of these dishes to match, but such orna- mental holders as are used must be placed in uniform positions, so as to balance and harmonize. Any de- viation from this rule, or neglect of the small details in placing the table furniture, will give the effect of a disordered table. The candlesticks, or candelabra, as the case may be, should be so placed as not to obstruct the views across Lights, the table. This may be determined by two persons taking seats on opposite sides of the table, viewing each other from different places, and moving the can- delabra until the right position is found, which usually will not be more than an inch or two either way. It is well to give attention to this matter, as comfort is much disturbed and conversation interrupted from shutting out by this kind of screen the different per- sons at the table. Before being placed on the table candles should be fitted firmly and straight in their sockets, be lighted for a few minutes, and then the wicks should be cut and the shades fitted squarely upon the holders. This will prevent smoking, drip- ping and other annoyances that may occur if it is not done. Shade-holders that fit the top of the candle are very objectionable and dangerous, but those that clasp the candle below the heated part give little trouble. 16 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK Salt- and pepper-boxes are placed at the corners of the table, or within easy reach of every two people if more than four are used. If carafes are used the same rule is observed. After the decoration of the table is completed as far as possible, the glasses are put on. There is danger of their being broken if put on before. They are placed in uniform groups at the right of the plates : the water glass nearest the plate, and the wine-glass to be first used nearest the edge of the table. Port and Madeira glasses are not put on until the time for serving those wines, which is at the end of the dinner. The napkin, folded in triangular shape, the embroi- dered monogram on top, is laid on the plate, and a piece of bread cut two inches long and one and a half inches thick, or more generally a dinner roll, is laid in the fold, but left in full sight, so that it will not be shaken on to the floor when the napkin is lifted. Everything that will be needed in serving the din- ner should be convenient to hand. The plates to be warmed should be in the hot closet j those for the cold courses, the finger-bowls, extra small silver and The cutlery, extra rolls and cracked ice, should be on the sideboard, sideboard, so that there will be no delay in getting them when needed. Foot-stools placed under the table for the ladies add much to their comfort. DIAGRAM OF TABLE. A. Plates. B. Plant, Flowers, Fruit, Lamp, or ornamental piece of silver. C. Compotiers, holding cakes, fruit, or flowers. D. Candlesticks or Candelabra. E. Salt and Pepper Boxes. F. Water and Wine Glasses. G. Bonbons, or Hors d'CEuvres, or Carafes. H. Bonbons, or Hors d'CEuvres. DETAIL OF ONE COVER. TABLE DECORATION THERE is wide range for individual taste and artis- tic arrangement in table decoration, which is limited only by the resources at one's command. Pleasing effects of color are perhaps the first con- sideration. Of late it has been a fashion to have one prevailing color. In many cases this is very suitable as well as complimentary to the guests entertained. For instance, a white dinner to a bride, pink to young people, red to a Harvard company, or yellow to those with Princeton affiliations. The scheme of color is often carried through the menu as far as possible ; the dishes served correspond- ing in color to the table decorations. Where this is done the colors should be light and delicate. Dark shades are not pleasing, and suggest the name " painted foods," which has been scornfully given to them. Of all colors green is the easiest to carry out, and perhaps the most pleasing. The many shades of green give variety and contrasts. Ferns make a light and dainty centerpiece, and rival flowers in beauty. For the menu spinach gives a soup, vege- table, and coloring for sauces. Green salads are nu- merous. Angelica makes a decoration for desserts. Pistachio nuts give flavor and color to ice-cream, icings, and bonbons. A very beautiful and elaborate dinner on this scheme is described below, which was called in the invitation "Al Fresco," and in its de- sign and execution well simulated an out-door enter- tainment. Green is a soft, reposeful color j red, pink, 2 17 18 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK and yellow are gayer, and give a more festive aspect. Yellow is sunny in effect, and for a yellow dinner the color scheme may be obtained with yellow flowers, oranges, silver-gilt compotiers, gilded china, and with light diffused through yellow shades. For the culi- nary part the yolks of eggs render important service for coloring, covering, and garnishing, and oranges furnish many delicious dishes. White dinners are also easy to arrange with white flowers, silver, a profusion of cut-glass, lace shades, white grapes, spun sugar, whipped cream, white sauces, celery, whites of eggs, white meats, etc. A white dinner is likely to be too severe, however, unless carefully managed. Delicate ferns can be mixed with white flowers without changing the effect, and a warm glow may be thrown on the table from a center light in the chandelier, screened with thin pink or yellow silk, and raised high, so as not to appear as a part of the decoration. The most beautiful pictures of snow scenes are not a dead white, but reflect the color of the sunset or atmosphere. Fruits and flowers typical of the season are in good taste, and usually more pleasing than hot-house prod- ucts. In the spring, tulips, daffodils, lilies of the val- ley, or any wild flowers. Goldenrod, chrysanthemums, and asters in their times. Autumn leaves and berries later, holly and mistletoe at Christmas, and lilies at Easter, while in the summer the fields and lanes afford a wealth of material. At other times, and where the purse does not permit indulgence in roses and forced flowers, the resources lie in potted plants and fruits. Any plant not too large, which looks fresh and healthy, will make a pleasing centerpiece. The crotons and dracsenas give beautiful colors. A dish of growing ferns makes an attractive, satisfactory and enduring center ornament. With care the ferns will TABLE DECORATION 19 last a long time, and at small expense can be renewed. Double silver-plated boxes, both square and oval, are made for this use. Fruits are always pleasing and give good color effects. The success of any decoration depends largely upon the proper lighting of the table ; lacking this, beauti- ful arrangements may appear commonplace or wholly lose their effect. The decorated-dinner table should be the especial picture of the room, the conspicuous object of in- terest and beauty for the time; therefore the light should be centered upon it and the rest of the room form but the shadowy background. The pleasantest light is from shaded single candles, placed at intervals around the table, and a more brilliant light thrown on the center of the table from the shaded drop-light of a chandelier, or from large candelabra holding groups of candles. Small lamps which fit candlesticks are much used, and when there are open windows and drafts they give much less trouble than candles. Effects of color are largely obtained from the use of shades. These vary in size and shape to suit the fancy or fashion of the moment, and are made of silk, lace, or paper ; for the latter, crape papers are much used. Shades re- cently brought from Paris were of translucent paper painted by hand to imitate china. Making shades is pleasant fancy work, and the materials are so inex- pensive that one can easily indulge in a variety of them. With a centerpiece of polished red apples and candles with red shades, or a potted plant and green shades, quite a definite and pleasing character may be given to a simple dinner. High ornaments should be avoided except they be candelabra or lamps which do not obstruct the view across the table. It is very 20 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK annoying to be forced to look around ornaments when trying to talk to a person seated opposite at table ; such a screen effectually debars general conversation. On large or long tables, large ornamental pieces should be used. Those appropriate to a small table often appear scanty and insufficient on a large one. Masses of one color are more effective than mixtures, and a display of abundance may be made on large tables while on small ones daintiness is more pleasing. Confectioner's pieces are again being used for dinner decorations. Baskets and horns of plenty made of nougat or pulled sugar, holding glace fruits, and forms made of spun sugar are in good taste, but imi- tations of art objects and high pyramids, such as are used on supper tables, should be excluded. A pleasing decoration for a hot day maybe made of a block of ice set in a pan deep enough to hold the drippings, but placed on something to raise it above the sides of the pan. The pan should be concealed with moss and ferns, or flowers, arranged around it loosely so as to partly conceal the ice also. A hole cut through the center of the block of ice, and a flat candle, such as are used in night lamps, placed within it, gives a brilliant and lovely effect. The block of ice should be cut square and weigh at least ten pounds. This decoration is easily managed in the country, where ferns are readily obtainable. A pan filled with floating water-lilies, together with their buds and leaves, the pan being concealed in a bed of moss and ferns, makes also a pretty decoration for a luncheon table. These flowers close at night, and so are only suitable for daylight service. A table may be made beautiful by entirely covering it with a mass of the same kind of flowers, leaving only enough space around the edge to hold the plates and glasses. The flowers may or may not be raised in the center of the TABLE DECOBATION 21 table, or may in any way simulate a garden-bed. When daisies are used they should be plentifully mixed with grasses as they are in the field. Care must be used not to make the decoration high, or the effect will be lost; and to avoid this the stems of the flowers, cut the desired length, can be stuck into wet sand or moss, held in flat tins. This will hold them firmly in place, as well as keep them fresh. An English fashion is to have a piece of silver ornament the table, without ac- cessories of fruits or flowers. This severe but elegant simplicity is perhaps a reaction from the overloading of tables which has long prevailed. A pink dinner given in Washington was arranged as follows: The table was round and large enough to seat eighteen persons. A covering of thin ivory- colored India silk over pink was cut round to fit the table, and a frill of lace ten inches deep fell over a ruffle of pink silk on the edge. A large square of silk gauze embroidered in pink covered the center of the table. A mound of maiden-hair ferns formed the cen- terpiece. Around this were placed pink candles in Venetian-glass candlesticks and shaded with full frills of lace over pink. The bonbon dishes and all the glasses were of Venetian and Bohemian glass. Four ornamental candy pieces were used : two were garden hats holding glazed cherries, and a pink ribbon tied around each hat held a large bunch of pink roses. The other two were baskets, and held frosted grapes which were half hidden under spun sugar. Orna- mental silver was omitted, as being out of harmony with the other decorations. A dinner unique in its character was given a few years ago by Lord Dufferin, the English ambassador to France. The centerpiece was flowers, and can- delabra lighted the table ; but in place of the dessert dishes which ordinarily do ornamental service were 22 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK choice bits of bric-a-brac collected by the ambassador in various parts of the world. The curios served as an interesting novelty, and became the subject of con- versation. A dinner given in Jamaica is described, where orchids in profusion were suspended over the table, some on climbing vines, and others, of such deli- cate form and texture as made it seem not unnatural, appeared as though floating in the air. The "Al Fresco" dinner referred to above was in imitation of a woodland scene. It was served in a dining-room the walls of which were hung with tapes- tries. The ceiling decoration was blue sky with white clouds. A profusion of palms, bay-trees, and rubber- plants were placed about the room and screened the side-boards. The dining-table was a mass of verdure. It was round, seating eighteen persons. The whole center of the table was depressed eight inches, leaving an outside rim fourteen inches wide for the plates and glasses. The center space was filled with growing plants, the top of the pots being on a level with the outside rim. The pots were concealed by mosses and loose ferns making a solid mass of green. Four tall slender plants rose from the center, the rest was of ferns and lycopodium with here and there a few prim- roses. Green candles with fluffy green shades in glass candlesticks were so distributed as to give sufficient light. The space left for the dinner service was cov- ered with light-green India silk over canton flannel. On the back of the menu cards were water-color sketches of forest scenes. The menu was largely com- posed of products of the forest. The aspect of this dinner was really sylvan, and the idea so well carried out that the elaboration of it was artistically hidden. From the time of Lucullus, dinner-givers have been striving for novelties, but as a rule any radical de- parture from conventional forms is. a failure. TABLE DECORATION 23 MENU OF THE AL FRESCO" DINNER Soup Cream of Celery (colored green). Msh Brook Trout, Butter Sauce. Untrue Mushrooms on Crusts. Boast Saddle of Venison. Wild plum sauce. Saratoga potatoes. Green peas served in fontage cups. Salpicon of Fruits au Rhum. Game and Salad Quails in nests of Puree of Chestnuts. English "Walnuts and Celery mixed with green Mayonnaise in cups of molded tomato jelly. Cheese Small balls of Cream-cheese, colored green to imi- tate bird's eggs, in nests of shredded Lettuce. Hot Entremet Individual Nut Puddings (burning). Dessert Pistache Ice Cream Pralinee, molded in a ring, the center filled with whipped cream. White cakes with green icing. Fruits. Coffee. COURSES THE order of the dinner service is soup, fish, flesh, fowl. These may be supplemented to any extent with entremets and entrees. Mets are the principal dishes. Entremets, the dishes served between the mets. En- tries, dishes which are served between any of the courses. I. Course. Canape's of caviare, small bits of anchovy toast, or in their season muskmelons, are sometimes served as the first course, but ordinarily oysters or clams on the half shell is the first dish presented. The smallest-sized shell-fish are preferable to the large ones. One half dozen are served on each plate and placed symmetrically on or around a bed of cracked ice; a quarter of a lemon cut lengthwise is placed in the cen- ter. Cayenne pepper and grated horse-radish are passed with this course, also very thin slices of brown bread buttered and folded together, then cut into small squares or triangular-shaped pieces. The plates hold- ing the shell-fish may be placed on the table before dinner is announced j but as there is no place to con- veniently lay the folded napkin except on the plate, it is as well not to serve the mollusks until the guests Second are seated. II. Course: Soup. It is better to serve a clear soup when the dinner is to be of many courses, as heavy soups are too hearty. The choice of two kinds of soup may be offered. Grated Parmesan cheese may be passed with clear soups, dice of fried bread with eream soups, and toasted cracker biscuits with any 24 COURSES 26 kind of soup. One ladleful of soup is sufficient for each person, and a second portion is not offered. An anecdote is told of a punctilious person who, being asked if he would be helped again to soup, answered, " Thanks, not to-day." Hors d'ceuvres, which are radishes, celery, olives, etc., are passed after the soup. Salted almonds are taken at any time through the dinner. III. Course : Fish. Fish, if boiled or fried, is served upon a napkin. If baked no napkin is used, and a lit- tle sauce is spread on the dish. Boiled potatoes are served with boiled fish, and are more attractive when cut with a potato-scoop into small balls. Cucumbers dressed with oil and vinegar are also served with fish. IV. Course : Entries. Entries can be served between any of the courses, or they may be omitted altogether ; but a variety of attractive dishes come under this head, and usually one is served after the fish. V. Course : Vegetables. A vegetable, such as aspara- gus, artichokes, cauliflower, is served at this time, al- though the French reserve the vegetable until after the joint. Only one vegetable besides potato is per- mitted with a meat course, and if more are wanted they are served as a separate course. VI. Course. The joint with one green vegetable and potato. VII. Course. Frozen punch, when served, comes be- tween the meat and game courses. It is not passed, but a glassful standing on a plate, with a coffee spoon beside it, is placed before each person. If preferred, a cheese omelet or souffle may be used instead of punch for this course. VIII. Course : Game and Salad, or Poultry and Salad. Game is usually not passed, but the portions are laid on the individual plates by the butler. This is done in order to serve it as hot as possible. A small cold plate Third Course; Fish. Fourth Course: Entries. Fifth Course: Vegetables. Sixth Course. Seventh Course. Eighth Course. 26 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK Ninth Course. Tenth Course. Eleventh Course. Twelfth Course. is sometimes given for the salad j crescent-shaped plates are made for this use. With ducks, celery and small squares of fried hominy are served. When game or poultry is not used, cheese may be served with the salad, or cheese-straws instead of cheese. When salad is served with game or poultry, cheese and crackers may be served immediately afterward as a separate course, or they may be passed after the dessert. IX. Course. Sweet puddings, souffles, Bavarian cream, etc. X. Course. Ice-cream or any frozen dessert. Cakes and brandied peaches, preserved ginger, or wine- jellies may be passed with ice-cream. XL Course. Fruit, fresh or glace, and bonbons. XII. Course. Coffee, liqueurs. Of the courses given above, the first, fourth, fifth, and seventh, and a choice of either the ninth or tenth, may all, or any one of them, be omitted. Black coffee in small cups is passed on a tray, with cream and sugar, in the drawing- and smoking-rooms after the guests have left the table. Apollinaris or other sparkling water is passed later, and is usually welcomed. THE HOME DINNEE AT the every-day or family dinner there will nat- urally be less elaboration in the decoration of the table, and fewer courses, than when the dinner is an occasion of entertainment, but so far as the appoint- ments reach they should be observed with the same precision and care. The dinner has always something of a ceremonious character, being the time when the family all meet with the leisure to enjoy one another's society after the labors of the day are done. It is well, therefore, to attend to the few material details which aid in making the occasion an agreeable one. Refinements are more clearly shown at table than elsewhere, and the influences of decorum at dinner are more subtle than are always recognized. Let the linen be as spotless and white, the silver and glass as polished, and the dishes, however few, be as carefully prepared as though guests were present. The simplest dinner so ordered will give pleasure and satisfaction. "When attention to details is practised every day, company will cause no agitation in the household. The refinements of the table are within the means of the humblest. A word may also be said for manners at the home table. The habit of fault- finding, commenting upon the dishes and wines, cor- recting the mistakes of servants while at the table, making apologies, etc., is reprehensible, inefficacious and vulgar, and not only interrupts conversation, but spoils the pleasure of the dinner hour. It is always difficult, and often impossible, to improve a 27 28 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK dish after it is served ; therefore, it is better to accept it without remark. If the housekeeper, who is always the first to observe faults in the service, can conceal her discomfiture, it is but right for the others to be considerate. Faults often pass unnoticed if attention is not called to them. Dr. Johnson, it is said, always complained of his dinners, but never omitted to say grace. Upon one such occasion his wife interrupted him, saying, " Nay, hold, Mr. Johnson ! Do not make a farce of thanking God for a dinner which in a few minutes you will pronounce uneatable." The home table, with its every-day appointments, causing one to blush in the event of a friend's un- expected arrival, is not to be excused in this day of advanced women in the nineteenth century, when higher education has at least taught them to regard their domestic duties in the light of a science and an art. There are many simple dishes that can be quickly prepared which will give the dinner a little more com- plimentary character, and supply the little extra that may be needed when more are present than were ori- ginally provided for. A beefsteak can be virtually enlarged by serving with it a mushroom sauce, for the mushrooms, having the same elements of nutrition as the meat, permit the latter to be served in smaller portions. A simple entree, such as a dish of macaroni, a scallop dish, a mince, with good sauce (which is easily made where the stock pot is ever ready), a cheese omelet, a vegetable salad, etc., etc., are sug- gested as a few of the dishes, which are called by the French plats ffamittt, and should enable any woman to enjoy the pleasure of entertaining unexpected guests in a hospitable manner. SEEVING- THE INFOEMAL DINNEE IN laying the table for an informal dinner, where the carving is to be done on the table, a napkin to protect the cloth is spread at the carver's place. Very pretty fancy pieces are made for this use, but an ordi- nary dinner napkin will do. This is not removed until the table is cleared for the dessert. When the carving is done on the table, the soup and dessert are usually served by the lady of the house, and the salad is also dressed on the table, and then passed. So far as the service will allow, however, it is pleasanter to have everything passed that does not need cutting. The vegetable dishes should never be placed on the table. When the joint is put on the table, warm plates in a pile are set at the left of, or before the carver, and when a portion is served, the plate is lifted by the serv- ant and placed before the person for whom it is in- tended, without the use of a tray. The plates placed on the table when it is laid are used for holding the soup plates, and are not removed until the ones holding the portions of the next course are exchanged for them ; if the succeeding course is to be passed, warm or cold plates, as the course requires, are in turn exchanged for them ; but if the course is to be served from the table, the places are meanwhile left without covers. There should always be a plate before each person except in this instance, and when the table is cleared for dessert. Sharpening the carving-knife is a trial to the nerves of many, and this infliction can be easily avoided by having it done before dinner is announced. 30 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK Many good carvers, however, seem to delight in this preliminary operation and are unconscious of com- mitting an act of impoliteness. The attractiveness of a dish may be wholly lost by unskilful carving, and the appetite may be destroyed by an overloaded plate. Where but one substantial dish is served, it is per- missible to be helped a second time. The dish can be removed to the side-table, and the second por- tions helped by the servant, if the carver does not care to be interrupted in his own dinner after he has performed the office of cutting the joint. The sense of sight should always be considered, even though it cost the trouble of replenishing a dish. No more than can be used on one plate is served at the same time at any well appointed table. One vegetable only, besides potatoes, is served with the roast ; if more are used, they are served as courses separately. LUNCHEON THE luncheon service does not differ materially from that of dinner. Lighter dishes are usually served, entrees taking the place of joints and roasts, and the soup or bouillon is served in cups instead of soup plates. Grape fruit, or a fruit salad, is often an acceptable first course. When the table has a handsome and polished sur- face the cloth may be left off if desired and a fancy square take its place. In this case small squares may also be used under the plates to protect the table and in such other places as needed. Drawn-work linen squares over mahogany make an attractive luncheon table. When a large number of guests are being enter- tained at luncheon, small tables placed in the different rooms (and on the piazzas, if in the country) are often used, and these do not admit of more than the slight decoration of a few flowers. Luncheons of this kind are usually of an informal character and secondary to some entertainment which has preceded them. A few simple menus for luncheons are given below. MENUS FOB LUNCHEON No. 1. No. 2. Grape Fruit. Melon. Bouillon. Clams on Half-shell. Oyster Patties. Cold Salmon, Sauce Tartare. Chops and Peas. Filets Mignons, Sauce B4ar- Quail, Lettuce Salad. naise. Ice-Cream. Omelet Souffle". Cake. Cheese. Tea. Coffee. 31 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK No. 3. Grape Fruit. Bouillon. Shad Roe. ( Broiled CMcken. I Green Peas. Russian Salad. < Ice-Cream and Jelly. \ Angel Cake. Tea. No. 5. Chicken Consomme". Lobster Chops. Mushrooms on Toast. Sweetbreads and Peas. Frozen Punch. Quails on Toast. rPate* de Foies-Gras en Bellevue. C Lettuce. Charlotte Russe. No. 7. Salpicon of Fruit. Cream of Clams. Salmon Cutlets, Cucumbers. Curried Eggs. Chicken a la Poulette. Asparagus, Sauce Hollandaise. Fruit Tart. Chocolate Praline"e No. 4. Bouillon. Lobster a la Newburg. Eggs Villeroi. Sweetbreads and Peas. French Chops, Potato Straws, Russian Salad of Chicken As- pic, Celery and Walnuts (see receipt). Plum-Pudding Glace*. Coffee. No. 6. Clams. Eggs a la Reine. ( Planked Shad. I Cucumbers. i Broiled Squabs. \ Vegetable Salad. Ice-Cream. Cheese. Fruit. No. 8. Little Neck Clams. Bouillon. Vol-au-Vent. Broiled Chicken, Peas. Mushrooms. Lobster Salad. Gateau St. Honor6. Strawberries. At a luncheon, given in a country house to a large partj of golfers, all the edibles, consisting of cold meats, game, aspics, salads, and mince-pie, were placed on the side-table, and the gentlemen served the ladies before taking their own places at the table. The servants came into the room only to remove the plates. This gave a very social and lively character to the meal, which all enjoyed for its in- formality. Entertainments of this kind may often be practicable, as the question of service sometimes debars one from en- tertaining many guests at a time. THE FIVE O'CLOCK TEA A CUP of tea at this time of the afternoon is usu- ally gratefully accepted, and one is disappointed if it is made so badly that it is not drinkable. The young lady who presides at the tea table at an afternoon reception has sometimes a difficult task if the tea is not prepared with a bag (as directed on page 550), but for the unceremonious social cup of tea with the friend who drops in at this hour it is easy to have it just right. After the proper preparation of the tea (as directed on page 549), the attractiveness of the table and the delicacy of the china are the next things to be desired. Tea does not taste as well taken from a coarse, large, or heavy cup. The taste and refine- ment of the hostess are easily recognized in this very unceremonious, but very social, function. The cloth may be as elaborate as one wishes, but it must above all be spotless, unwrinkled and dainty. The cups may all differ from one another, but each one should be small and thin, and the steaming kettle, which lends cheerfulness to the occasion, should be highly pol- ished, whether it be silver, brass, or copper. A dry biscuit or a thin piece of bread and butter is usually offered with the tea. Fresh unsalted butter is pref- erable, but any of the fine butters may be used. The butter is spread very evenly on the loaf ; the bread sliced very thin and doubled like a sandwich. It may be cut into any shape desired, such as strips, diamonds, or triangles. It is attractive stamped into circles with a biscuit-cutter of about the size of a silver dollar. 3 33 34 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK Three kinds of bread maybe used white, graham, and Boston brown bread, and all may be served on the same plate. This simple dish is carried into the esthetics in some English houses, where the bread and butter is de- scribed as tasting of roses, violets, clover, or nastur- tiums. The flavor is obtained by shutting the fresh butter in a tight jar with the blossoms for several hours. Butter very readily absorbs flavors and odors, indeed it is the medium used for extracting perfumes in the manufacture of those articles. The flavored butter is spread in the ordinary way on the bread, which has been treated also to a bath of flowers. Butter sandwiches must be exceedingly thin and shapely, and have no suggestion of mussiness. They should be laid in a folded napkin to keep them fresh. Any sweet wafers may also be used, but as this is not a meal, nothing should be offered which will take away the appetite for dinner, which follows shortly afterward. A HOMILY ON COOKINQ- IT is a trite saying that a thing worth doing at all is worth doing well, but, from the inefficiency of the large number of domestics who hold the office of cook, and from the acceptance of careless work by so many families, it would seem that the truism is not regarded in reference to cooking. Since it is upon the kitchen that the health and comfort of the family so greatly depend, is it not a duty, and would it not be a pleasure, for the mistress of every house to understand the science of cooking as well as the arts which give other attractions to the house? A knowledge of its fundamental principles would give her a sense of independence and power, which know- ledge is proverbially said to do. If she were familiar with the nature of the yeast plant, and the action of heat as applied in boiling, broiling, and frying, if she could make a sauce and clear a soup, her family would be relieved from the affliction of sour bread, burned meats, and muddy soup. An ordinary kitchen servant can do these simple things well, if she is once told how, and this basis would be a guide in other work, and a safeguard against many failures. There is no such thing as luck in cooking. Laws govern the chemical changes which take place, and can always be relied upon. Water will boil at 212, and cannot be made hotter by violent boiling in an open vessel. Frying can be properly done only when the fat is smoking hot. Broiling can be properly done only over, or under, hot and bright coals. For baking, 36 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK the oven must be of the right temperature. The same thing cooked in the same way will always be the same, and failure comes simply from neglect of the rules. It is as easy to have good cooking as bad; the former requires only the elements of care and intelligence. With very little trouble, dishes may be made to please the sight as well as the taste. The difference between the elegance and refinement of one table and the vulgarity of another often lies merely in the manner of dishing and serving. Again, the step from plain to fancy cooking is very short. A simple and tasteful arrangement, or combination, of materials prepared in the ordinary way will make an orna- mental dish. Minced chicken pressed into a ring mold to give it shape, and the center filled with a mushroom sauce, will make a more appetizing dish than if placed carelessly together with no regard to symmetry. Potatoes pressed into a fancy mold, a part of the center removed, and the space filled with chopped seasoned meat, will give a chartreuse, and no thought of hash suggested. A jelly with a flower in the top, or of two colors, will make a decorative piece for the table. Uniformity in size and shape of pota- toes, chops, pancakes, slices of bread or anything that is served on the same dish, gives a pleasing sense of order and care, which is as marked as the proper ar- rangement of the table furniture. It is in little things only that fancy differs from plain cooking, but as soon as a cook comprehends the value of the appear- ance of dishes she is sure to think of their perfection in every other way. There is a popular prejudice against fried foods, and a belief that abstaining from them will cure us of our dyspepsia, but if articles are properly fried they should contain no more grease than the boiled one does of water. Smoking fat has such a high A HOMILY ON COOKING 37 degree of heat, that certain articles are better cooked by frying than by any other method. Minced meat, rolled into the form of croquettes and fried, assumes a different character both in taste and rank from the minced meat heated in other ways. If the croquettes are coated with egg and crumbs and immersed in smoking hot fat, as the rule directs, the egg is in- stantly hardened, and no fat can be absorbed through it. That which covers the outside is evaporated by draining and drying in a hot place. The napkin on which the croquettes are served will not be stained if they are rightly fried. Saratoga chips can be handled with a glove without soiling it. We need not be a nation of dyspeptics from eating pie when the French are not from eating puff-paste, or from hot breads when the English are not from plum pudding and pork pies. It is from the manner of preparing our foods that we suffer. Cooking has not been one of the virtues of our new country, as we have been satis- fied to get our cooks from France and Ireland, but if intelligent American housewives will take interest and pleasure in this important department, which is delegated to their care, some of the serious trials of life will be overcome, and emancipation from many petty cares and annoyances will follow. COOKING AS A PLEASURE AND AN ACCOMPLISHMENT THE common sayings about waste in American kitchens, dyspeptic results of American cooking, etc., reflect the opinion held by other nations of our culi- nary art, and though the judgment may be too severe, it has been pronounced, and should remind us of our shortcomings. It seems, however, as though a new era were now dawning. Cooking-schools are established in large cities, cooking lectures are given everywhere and are well attended. The nutritive values of different foods and the chemistry of cooking are studied. This, and the recognition of the fact that health proceeds largely from the diet, seem to indicate that there has been an awakening of interest in the subject of gastronomy. In this day of fads, it will soon be discovered also that pleasures lie in this line of work. Fancy cook- ing has an interest quite as engaging as other occupa- tions of diversion. Fine cooking utensils, gas-stoves, and modern conveniences, make the well-appointed kitchen as attractive as the laboratory or workshop. Trying a new dish has the same interest as any other experiment. The construction of ornamental pieces is as interesting as other fancy work. Making puff- paste, ice-creams, fancy molding of desserts and sal- ads, boiling sugar, etc., are in reality simple pro- cesses, and with very little practice found to be as easy to prepare as dishes which from familiarity have come to be called plain cooking. Skill and dexterity of hand may be enjoyed in boning, trussing, and lard- ing, and taste shown in decorating with truffles and other articles, in molding with flowers and fruits, in COOKING AS A PLEASURE AND AN ACCOMPLISHMENT 39 icing cakes, in spinning sugar, and in making bonbons. The pleasure of decorating the table and adorning the dining-room will be found secondary to that of pre- paring artistic dishes when that art has once been learned. The gas-stove obviates the objection, formerly ex- isting, of one's being subjected to excessive heat while cooking. At a cost of about $2.00 a stove can be bought which will stand on a table anywhere, and answer all ordinary purposes of boiling and frying. More expensive ones, fitted with ovens and other appli- ances, answer the requirements of all kinds of cooking. When the preparation of a new or a fancy dish comes to be looked upon as a pastime instead of a task, there may be discovered in America Savarins and Becha- mels. We have already had a Sam Ward, but to the women should belong the honor of raising our stan- dard of cooking, and though they need not agree with the terrible sentiment expressed by Margaret Fuller, that a woman to have influence must cook or scold, still it must be conceded that the former accomplish- ment will enable her to wield a potent scepter. Per- haps, however, the strongest word to be said in favor of every mistress of a house knowing how to cook is the usefulness of it. The difficulty of getting trained cooks at reasonable wages, the caprices of the class, whose consciences do not prevent their leaving at the moment when their services are most needed, and the many occasions that arise when a knowledge of cook- ing is of the greatest comfort and service, make it difficult, for those who know how to cook, to compre- hend how any one can keep house without this know- ledge, or how, with the inferior service generally ren- dered, the pleasures of hospitality can be enjoyed, or the comfort of a well-ordered culinary department experienced. ECONOMICAL LTVIN& A VERY pleasant book called " $10.00 Enough" ex- plains how a family of two lived well on that sum per week, including house rent and wages of one ser- vant. Mrs. Eorer says $2.00 per head a week is a lib- eral allowance. Articles are published giving direc- tions for living on ten cents a day ; also of dinners for six people costing twenty-five cents. In examining these formulae it is evident that in order to accom- plish this very small cost of living, one must first un- derstand the comparative values of foods, so as to se- lect those which at low prices furnish the necessary nourishment, and secondly, to be able to cook them in such a way as to make them acceptable ; in fact the rule holds good, however high the scale of living, that the proper cooking of food counts for more than the cost of it. The cheap and the expensive articles can be equally spoiled in the cooking ; while the cheap ones, well cooked, are more esteemed than the high-priced ones poorly prepared. The first thing excluded from the list of cheap nutritive foods is white bread. Re- fining the flour to the whiteness of the so-called best qualities takes out most of its nutritive elements, while the lower grades or brown flours retain the gluten, and make a bread which is preferred when one becomes familiar with it. Beans, peas, and corn-meal have an important place on the list of accepted foods. They supply the wastes of the system and afford a hearty meal. Meat, which is the most expensive food, has come to be regarded here as a necessity, but in 44 ECONOMICAL LIVING 45 the old countries the classes who perform the hardest labor consider it only as a luxury, and seldom use it oftener than once a week. Often the cost of living is more in the waste than in the actual consumption of food. Another needless and unwise expense is buy- ing more than is required, providing for three persons enough for six ; and still another extravagance is in buying articles which are out of season. For instance, in the spring veal is a very cheap meat j in the autumn it is the most expensive one, but, at the right times, ore may indulge in sweetbreads, calfs head, calfs brains, and liver. In its season game is frequently abundant and reasonably cheap. The idea prevails that, in order to have variety, it is necessary to buy whatever the market offers, whereas variety may be attained by variation in the ways of cooking, in serv- ing with different sauces, and with different accom- paniments, and in arranging the menu so that one course is in pleasing contrast to the preceding one, thus avoiding surfeit. Many pieces of meat of the best quality are sold at low rates because not in shapes to be served as boiling or roasting pieces. These serve well for entrees and made-up dishes; other pieces, which are tough, but well flavored, can by slow cooking be made as tender as the prime cuts, such as a round of beef braised. On page 249 will be found a number of menus and receipts for very inexpensive dinners. Mr. Gibson, in an interesting article on "Mush- Mushrooms, rooms," published in " Harper's Magazine n for Au- gust, 1894, calls attention to the vast amount of wholesome and nutritious food that lies at the door of every country dweller. City people pay at least a dollar a pound for mushrooms, which are served at the finest dinners, and are considered as among the best articles for use in high-class cooking. Therefore, why i 46 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK should they be scorned or overlooked by those who can have them for the gathering? Neglect to use them seems equal in wastefulness to the practice of some country butchers, who throw away calves' heads, brains, sweetbreads, fresh tongues, etc., because the people have not learned their value. A French family who moved into a western town reported that the cost of living there was nominal, because the foods which they most prized, not being recognized as belonging on the list of comestibles, were given away by the butchers as food for dogs. Mushrooms are very distinctive in feature, and by the aid of descriptions given in books and colored charts, one can easily learn the edible va- rieties which grow in his neighborhood. By taking no risks in eating those not perfectly recognized, there is no danger of being poisoned. It is not thought difficult to learn varieties of the rose, nor to discrimi- nate between the poison and the innocuous ivy. The form, color, and habitat of mushrooms make them equally easy to recognize. Care should be taken, however, to avoid any mushroom which is old or partly decayed, as its condition then is analogous to that of putrid meat. In their season the edible fungi grow in great profusion ; they are nitrogenous, con- taining the same nutritive elements as meat, and well serve as a substitute for it, giving a pleasant change to the limited bill of frugal fare. Mr. Gibson speaks of them as beefsteaks. They seem from circumstances, therefore, to have a place in the dietary of the poor as well as the rich. Receipts for cooking mushrooms are given on page 314. It is sometimes thought to be an extravagance to serve a roast to a small family, because so much meat is left over. When there is no way known of presenting it again except as cold meat or as hash, it may indeed be disagreeable to have the same meat served four ECONOMICAL LIVING 47 times. A good cook, however, served turkey accept- ably at four dinners to a family of three persons in this way : FIRST DAY'S DINNER 10 Ibs. turkey at 16 cents per Ib $1.60 1 quart sweet potatoes boiled .10 2 quarts apples (of which she used three for baked apple dumplings, sabayon sauce, page 446) .15 1 egg 03 1 lemon 02 | cup sugar 01 .06 Cost of first day's dinner $1.91 SECOND DAY'S DINNER 2 Ibs. codfish boiled .20 HOLLAND AISE SAUCE (page 281). 2 eggs 06 i Ib. butter 08 i lemon 01 .15 6 croquettes made of one cupful of turkey meat .00 SAUCE TO MIX THEM \ cup milk 01 \ tablespoonful butter 01 1 egg 03 .05 | tablespoonful flour (see croquettes, page 293) 1 pint cranberries .09 Sweet potatoes left from day before, cut in strips and browned (see page 206) .00 BROWN BETTY PUDDING Apples from day before 00 Molasses and crumbs 05 .05 Cost of second dinner . . .54 48 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK THIRD DAY'S DINNER Soup made from carcass of turkey 00 CHICKEN SOUFFLE (page 190). 1 cup turkey meat 00 SAUCE TO MIX IT 1 tablespoonf ul butter 02 1 cup milk 04 3 eggs 09 Other ingredients 02 .17 BAKED MACARONI i lb. macaroni 04 Cheese 05 .09 COTTAGE PUDDING 1 egg 03 i cup sugar 01 J cup milk 02 1 tablespoonful butter 03 Baking powder 01 .10 CHOCOLATE SAUCE (page 447). 3 oz. chocolate 08 i cup sugar 02 .10 Cost of third day's dinner .46 FOURTH DAY'S DINNER 1 codfish steak, 1 lb 10 4 smelts for garnishing 10 .20 CHARTREUSE OF CHICKEN (page 190). 1 cup rice 04 White sauce 07 What is left of turkey including giblets 00 Boiled potatoes 05 Scalloped tomatoes 15 Salad of water-cresses 05 Bread pudding 10 .46 Cost of fourth day's dinner ECONOMICAL LIVING 49 First day $1.91 Second day 54 Third day 46 Fourth day 66 Extras for bread, seasonings, etc 30 Total $3.87 Average per day 96f cents. The turkey in this case gave three cupfuls of chopped meat after the dinner of the first day. Any kind of meat can be made into the same dishes, and will be liked if the meat is chopped very fine, is well seasoned, and made creamy by using enough sauce. WASTEFULNESS As a rule the family life of America does not repre- sent opulence, yet it has become a familiar saying that a French family could live on what an American fam- ily throws away. Again, it is said that in American kitchens half the provisions are spoiled and the other half wasted. There is no need to-day of being open to such accusations. At small expense a woman can have the benefit of lessons in cooking-schools, and should not be accepted as a cook until she has some knowledge of the duties, and is qualified to bear that name. The gage of a woman's rank in her profes- sion can be definitely determined by what she wastes or utilizes, and the high wages paid a first-class cook are often saved by the intelligent use she makes of all her materials. Many of her best entrees are but a combination of odds and ends which another cook would throw away. Her delicious sauce, which gives a very ordinary dish that requisite something which makes it highly esteemed, may be but the blending of many flavors obtained from little scraps. The waste in foods need be so small as practically to have no waste material ; not a crumb of bread, a grain of sugar, a bit of butter, a scrap of meat or fat, a piece of vegetable or leaf of salad, but can be utilized with profit. The soup pot is a receptacle for every- thing too small for other uses, and from this source can be drawn seasonings which will give richness and flavor to innumerable dishes, which are greatly im- proved by using stock instead of milk or water in their preparation. 50 HOW TO UTILIZE WHAT SOME COOKS THROW AWAY TRIM such pieces of cut bread as will do for toast Bread, into uniform shape and serve at the next breakfast. Smaller pieces cut into croutons (page 81) for gar- nishing or for soup. Save unshapely pieces for bread pudding, Brown Betty, or stuffings. Save every scrap of bread for crumbs, to use for breading croquettes, chops, scallop dishes, etc. It is well to have two kinds of crumbs, using the white ones for the outside of fried articles, as they give a better color. To prepare the crumbs, separate the crumb from the crusts of bread and dry each of them slowly, on separate tins, on the shelf of the range. When dry, roll, sift and place them in glass preserve- jars until wanted. Clarify all beef fat and drippings, the grease which Fat. rises on soup stock, and fat from poultry, and keep in a clean jar or tin pail for use in frying ; it is preferable to lard (see "frying," pages 72 and 59). Mutton, tur- key, and smoked meat fat has too strong a flavor to be used for frying, but save it with other fat that may be unsuitable for frying, and when six pounds are col- lected make it into hard soap (page 259). Use the marrow of beef bones on toast for a lunch- eon entree (page 159), or use it with bread to make balls for soup (page 94). Grill wings and legs of fowls that are left over (page 188) for luncheon, or stuff the legs as directed (page 188). If the sinews are removed from the legs when the fowl is drawn, as directed (page 180), the 51 52 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK meat of the leg will be as good as that of the second joint. Use a ham bone for improving bean soup. Use the carcasses of fowls and the bones from roasts for mak- ing soup. Try out chop bones and other meat taken from the Tough plates for soap fat. Pieces. Chop the tough ends of steak very fine, season, and form them into balls or cakes, saute or broil them, and serve for breakfast or luncheon (see "Hamburg Small steaks/ 7 page 151). ColdMeats. Cut pieces of white meat into dice or strips, mix it with a white sauce, turn it into a flat dish, make a border of pointed croutons, sprinkle over the top a little chopped parsley, and garnish with hard-boiled egg ; or mix the meat with aspic jelly in a mold and serve cold with salad. Mix dark meats of any kind with a brown sauce, and garnish with lettuce leaves, hard-boiled eggs, and croutons. Any kind of cold meat may be chopped and used in an omelet, or combined with rice and to- matoes for a scallop. For cold mutton see " Ragout of Mutton" (page 165). Eggs. Save egg-shells to clear soup, jellies, or coffee. Boiled eggs that are left return to the fire and boil them hard to use for garnishing, to mix with salad, or to make golden toast (page 270) for luncheon. Cold poached eggs can be boiled hard and used in the same way. Cold fried or scrambled eggs can be chopped and mixed with minced meat, and will much improve it. When an egg is opened for the white alone, drop the yolk carefully into a cup, cover the cup with a wet cloth, and keep it in the ice-box until wanted. When whites are left over make a small angel cake (page 467), angel ice cream (page 497), hisses (page 475), HOW TO UTILIZE 53 General Odds and Ends. Cereals. or cover any dessert with meringue, or serve a mer- ingue sauce (page 448) with the next dessert, or make a meat souffle without yolks (page 190). Everything too small to utilize in other ways put in the soup pot, and from this can be drawn sauces and seasoning for minces, scallops, etc., that will often be better than specially prepared stock. Oatmeal, hominy, cracked wheat, and other cereals which are left over can be added next day to the fresh stock, for they are improved by long boiling and do not injure the new supply, or such as is left can be molded in large or in small forms, and served cold with cream, or milk and sugar. In warm weather cereals are nicer cold than hot. Cold hominy and mush, cut into squares and fried, so that a crisp crust is formed on both sides, also hominy or farina, rolled into balls and fried, are good used in place of a vegetable or as a breakfast dish. Any of the cereals make good pancakes, or a small amount added to the ordinary pancake batter im- proves it. Cold rice can be added to soup, or made into croquettes, or used in a scallop dish, or mixed with minced meat and egg and fried like an omelet. Cold rice pudding can be cut into rounded pieces with a spoon and served again on a flat dish j this may be covered with whipped cream or flavored whipped white of egg. A small amount of vegetables left over may go Vegetables, into the soup, or may be mixed with a ragout. Peas, tomatoes, or beans can be put in an omelet. A number of vegetables mixed together can be used for a salad. Cauliflower broken into flowerets, covered with white sauce, and sprinkled with grated cheese, makes " cauliflower au grating a dish which is much liked. 54 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK The coarse stalks and roots of celery make a good vegetable dish when cut in pieces and boiled, or they make a good cream-of-celery soup. The leaves are valuable in the soup pot for flavor; also are useful for garnishing. Sour Milk. Sour milk makes cottage cheese, or makes good biscuits. For uses of stale cakes see page 411. For jellies left over see page 418. Fruits. When fruits show signs of deterioration, stew them at once instead of letting them decay. See compotes. Stew apple parings and cores to a pulp and strain ; this will make a jelly which, spread on apple tart, greatly improves it. Boil lemon and orange peels in sugar, and dry as directed, page 527, for candied peels. Cheese. Grate cheese which becomes dry and use for gratin dishes or soups ; or it can be served with crackers the same as though in its original shape. EMERGENCIES THERE is to-day such a variety of well-preserved foods that a store-closet provided with these articles may be almost the equivalent of a full larder. With such a resource the housekeeper can meet without embarrassment the emergencies that may arise in any household, however well ordered. In the coun- try, where tradespeople are difficult to reach, it will be especially useful at such times. The articles sealed in glass jars seem the most wholesome, and are some- times so well preserved as to be a very good substitute for the fresh ones. Salted meats and fish are distinc- tive foods, which are occasionally very acceptable, and the dessicated foods are beyond suspicion of unwhole- someness. A few suggestions are offered of how to utilize some of the articles which can be recom- mended. Many of the soups are excellent; chicken gumbo is particularly good. Extract of beef can be quickly made into soup, beef -tea, or aspic jelly (page 322). Canned salmon and chicken, either of them, can be heated and covered with a white sauce, or be used for salad, or the salmon may be broiled and covered with a maitre d'hdtel sauce (page 286). Potted meats spread on toast make excellent cana- pes for luncheon (page 368). Shrimps make a salad, or in a chafing-dish can be prepared d la Newburg (page 333). Of the salted and smoked meats are ham, bacon, dried tongue, chipped beef, codfish, smoked sal- mon, and mackerel, all of which are much esteemed as breakfast dishes, and may be offered at luncheon 55 66 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK or supper. Of the vegetables, string-beans and flage- olets make good salads. Asparagus makes a good extra course served alone. Tomatoes, the cheapest of all, and perhaps the most useful, will make soup, sauces, a scallop dish, or may be added to an omelet, macaroni, or rice. Pilot bread, toasted bread in slices, and rusks make delicious cream-toasts for luncheon or supper. Noodles or macaroni boiled plain for a vegetable, or mixed with any sauce, tomatoes, or cheese. Cheese is useful for canapes (pages 368-371), cheese souffle (page 370), macaroni, etc. There are va- rieties of plain and fancy cracker biscuits which can be used in the place of cake. Plum-puddings wrapped in tin-foil will keep indefinitely. The canned whole apples can be used for dumplings (page 429) or pies. California apricots or cherries around a form of plain boiled rice, hominy, or other cereal, make a dessert j peaches make a shortcake (page 443) j jams make de- licious tarts, or, served alone with cracker biscuits, are a sufficient dessert for luncheon. Plain boiled rice may be used as a vegetable in place of potatoes ; or, sweetened and mixed with a few raisins, or served with stewed prunes, makes a dessert. There are prepared flours from which biscuits may be quickly made ; prepared buckwheat which makes good pancakes for supper or for breakfast. A few cans of condensed milk should be in the store-room for use in case of real necessity only ; it answers very well for puddings, sweet dishes, or chocolate. Outside the store-room supplies, eggs furnish a variety of dishes quickly prepared. Eggs d I'aurore, or JBourguignonnej omelets with peas, tomatoes, mush- rooms, minced meat, etc., are for luncheon, and cheese omelets, sweet omelets, and souffles for dinner dishes. It is well to have fondant (page 513) in close jars EMERGENCIES 57 ready for icing cakes or for bonbons, candied fruits for sweets or for ornamenting desserts, ginger and brandied peaches to serve with ice-cream. Lady-fin- gers are easily made, and will keep in a cracker-box indefinitely. If these are at hand, a Charlotte russe is quickly made, and is one of the simplest and most acceptable light desserts. There are olives, gherkins, and chow-chow for Jiors d'ceuvres. There are catsups and condiments in va- riety to make barbecues (page 331), or to make cold meats acceptable. The growing plant, the globe of gold fish, the bird- cage partly concealed with branches, may be utilized for table decoration. As circumstances alter cases, there are many expedients to which a housekeeper may resort in supplying deficiencies which might not be in rule, were the occasion a formal one. The chaf- ing-dish on the luncheon or supper-table, or a dish more appropriate to a different meal, would not only be excused, but perhaps give to an embarrassing oc- casion the pleasant feature of informality. THINGS TO REMEMBER Eggs. A DASH of salt added to the whites of eggs makes them whip better. Not a speck of the yolk must get into the whites which are to be whipped. Fold the whipped whites into any mixture rather than stir them in, as the latter method breaks the air cells. Break eggs one at a time into a saucer, so any can be rejected if necessary and the mixture not be spoiled. Add a tablespoonful of water to an egg used for crumbing in order to remove the stringiness. Use a double boiler for milk. Milk, Milk is scalded when the water in the lower pan boils. A pinch of bi-carbonate of soda mixed with tomato before milk or cream is added prevents the milk from curdling. With sour milk, or molasses, use soda instead of baking powder. Butter. Milk and butter should be kept in closely covered vessels, as they readily absorb flavor and odor from other articles. Butter added slowly in small bits to creamy mix- tures, or sauces, prevents a greasy line forming. Crumbs. Crumbs grated directly from the loaf give a more delicate color than dried crumbs to fried articles. Dried crumbs absorb more moisture, and are better for watery dishes. Crumbs spread over the tops of dishes should be mixed evenly with melted butter over the fire; this THINGS TO EEMEMBEE 59 Meats. is a better method than having lumps of butter dotted over the crumbs after they are spread. "When the sauce bubbles through the crumbs on top of a scallop dish, the cooking is completed. Meat should not be washed. It can be cleaned by rubbing with a wet cloth, or by scraping with a knife. Drippings are better than water for basting meats. Meats should not be pierced while cooking. Soak salt fish with the skin side up over night. Change the water several times. To skim sauces, draw the saucepan to the side of the fire, throw in a teaspoonf ul of cold water, and the grease will rise so that it can be easily taken off. A few drops of onion juice improve made-over meat dishes ; not enough need be used to give a pro- nounced onion flavor. The skimming from soups, drippings from any beef Drippings, roasts, and trimmings from any beef, serve the same uses as lard, cottolene, or butter. To extract onion juice, press the raw surface of an onion against a grater, move it slightly, and the juice will run off the point of the grater. Chop suet in a cool place, and sprinkle it with flour to prevent its oiling and sticking together. Remove the membrane before chopping it. Add a few drops of rose-water to almonds to pre- vent their oiling when chopped or pounded. To loosen grated peel, or other articles, from the grater, strike the grater sharply on the table. When mixing a liquid with a solid material, add but little liquid at a time and stir constantly to pre- vent lumping. When adding cornstarch, arrowroot, or any starchy material to hot liquid, first mix it with enough cold water, or milk, to make it fluid; pour it in slowly and stir constantly until it becomes clear. Onion Juice. Chopping Suet. Chopping or Found* ingAl- monds. Mixing. 60 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK Gelatine. Soak gelatine in a cool place for an hour in cold water or milk. It will then quickly dissolve in hot liquid and have no odor. If jellied dishes do not stiffen, add more gelatine ; boiling down will not effect the purpose. Molds. Grease molds evenly with butter or oil, using a brush. Lumps of butter on the side of molds leave an uneven surface on the article cooked or molded in them. Molds for jellies are not greased. Invert a dish over a mold before turning it, so that the form will not break ; also, place it in exactly the right spot before lifting off the mold. It is desirable to pass all liquid mixtures through a strainer to make them perfectly smooth. To keep dishes warm until time of serving, place the saucepan in a pan of hot water. Flavoring. Any flavoring is added after the mixture is cooked, excepting for baked dishes. "Wine increases the taste of salt, therefore, where wine is used for flavoring, very little salt should be put in until after the wine is used, when more can be added if necessary. Dishes which are to be frozen need an extra amount of sweetening. Eaisins. Flour raisins before adding them to a mixture in order to prevent their settling to the bottom. Baking. Never slam the oven door, or jar any rising material while it is baking. Anything being cooked for the second time needs a hot oven. Strainers. To keep Dishes Warm. CAEE OF UTENSILS A VERY essential thing in doing nice cooking is to have clean utensils. The pans of a careless cook are encrusted outside and frequently inside with dry, hard grease, which ordinary washing will not remove; the broilers are black with burned grease, and the ovens are in the same state. If one sees this condition of things, or finds a woman putting a saucepan on the hot coals, one needs no further commentary on her work. The saying "You can judge a workman by his tools n is very true in this case. No good cook will abuse her utensils, or expect to get well-flavored sauces from saucepans which are not immaculately clean. To keep utensils clean, it is necessary to wash them thoroughly, after they are used, with soda to cut the grease, and with sapolio to scour off any blackened spots. Sand or ashes may be used on the outside of iron pots. The outside as well as the in- side of every utensil should be clean, and never be al- lowed to approach that state where only scraping will clean them. When utensils do reach that unwhole- some condition, the coat of burned and blackened grease can be removed only by boiling in a strong solution of sal soda for an hour or more, using a large boiler which will hold enough water to entirely cover them. After the grease is softened, it can be scraped off, the articles then scoured with sand, ashes, or sa- polio.* This is a good day's work for a charwoman, which will change the aspect of things in the kitchen, * It can also be easily removed by soaking in a solution of Babbitt's lye one tablespoonf ul to several gallons of water. M. E. 61 62 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK Tins, Sieves, Wooden- ware. Arrange- ment of Utensils in Closet. Supply- Closet. Refriger- ator. and may awaken a pride for cleanliness where it has not before existed. Tins should be well dried before being put away, or they will rust. Sieves should not be washed with soap, but cleaned with a brush, using soda if neces- sary. Wooden ware should not be put near the fire to dry, or it will warp or crack. An orderly arrangement of utensils in the kitchen closet will greatly facilitate quick work. Everything of the same class should be in the same group : Sauce- pans and gridirons hung on hooks, measuring-cups, iron spoons, and strainers also hung in a place very convenient to hand. Molds and baking tins should be placed where they will not get bent or jammed. Practise strictly the system of a place for everything and everything in its place. Order in the supply-closet is also necessary. Have a number of tin boxes, and of glass preserve- jars of different sizes, to hold everything large and small in the way of food supplies. Stand them in rows, each one plainly labeled, that no time may be lost in searching for the article needed. The cost of these receptacles is small, while their use is not only a great convenience, but also a protection from dust and insects. A closet so kept is also easily supervised. In every large and well-ordered kitchen perfect order and system prevail. Were it not so, a hopeless confusion would soon ensue. In small households the same nicety can be the rule, and if the mistress makes a weekly inspection, order will soon become a tradition of the household, and be maintained without demur. The refrigerator must be kept scrupulously clean and dry to insure whole- some food, and its waste-pipe kept freely open. This should not be connected directly with the general waste-pipe of the house. Cases of diphtheria have been directly traced to this cause. There should be CAEE OF UTENSILS 63 a free use of soda in washing out the refrigerator to keep it free from taint. As butter and milk readily absorb the flavors of other articles they should be kept by themselves, or with only the eggs, in the small compartment. Lemons or other fruit are particularly to be excluded. Fish may be laid directly on ice, the skin side down; but beefsteaks or other uncooked meats lose flavor if placed in direct contact with ice. Coal and Proper care of the range and intelligent use of the Eange. coal are also essential factors of success in cooking. If the drafts are left open too long, the greatest heat is often lost before cooking begins. If they are closed the moment the coal is kindled, the heat will remain steady for a long time. When the coals look whitish, they are becoming exhausted and beginning to fall to ashes, and this condition arrives quickly when rapid combustion takes place from open draughts. Piling the coal above the level of the fire-box is an- other error generally practised by ignorant cooks. The heat does not increase from the depth of coal, but from the breadth of surface. Piling up the coal, in a mound which nearly touches the top of the range, results in heating the iron red-hot, warping the lids out of shape, destroying the saucepans, and very likely burning the food. No articles cooked on top of the range require excessive heat, and are usually spoiled by too rapid cooking. When the ovens do not bake on the bottom or on Ovens. the top, it means a layer of ashes shuts off the heat. The ashes are easily removed from the top, but to lift the plate from the bottom of the oven and clean it out requires a cold range, so this is often neglected or not understood, while the cook wonders why the bread will not bake on the bottom, and why the cake is spoiled. PART H EECEIPTS CHAPTEB I METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED BOILING There is an erroneous impression that articles cook faster when the water is boiling violently, but this is not the case ; the ebullition is caused by the escaping steam, which is lost heat, and the water at this time is at 212 (except in high elevations), however fast or slow it may be boiling. If, however, a little sugar or salt is added to the water it increases its density, and the heat rises to 224 before the steam escapes. The heat can be raised also by covering the pot and confin- ing as much of the steam as possible. Where violent- ly boiling water is recommended, as for rice and green peas, the object is not greater heat, but to keep the grains and peas separated by the turbulence of the water. There is waste of fuel in unnecessarily fast boiling, and economy can be easily practised here, es- pecially where gas is used, as the boiling point, once reached, can be maintained with but little heat. Where the juices and color are to be retained, the articles are put into already boiling salted water. The albumen on the surface is then at once coagulated and the juices shut in. Where the object is to extract the juices, as for soups, they must be cut into pieces so as to expose more surface, and put into cold water, and the heat of the water gradually raised to the sim- 67 68 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK mering point only. The slow, long cooking obtained in simmering water best destroys the fiber of meat, and tough pieces cooked in this way are made tender. Simmering. To render tough pieces tender, the meat is first put into boiling water in order to fix the albumen on the surface, the heat then reduced, and the cooking done at the simmering point, which is 185. Hence, water at different stages of heat is used, according to the ob- ject in view, and the result is as definite as that of the different degrees of heat in an oven, so this point should not be considered as of little importance. The flavor of meats and vegetables is volatile, and much of it can be carried off by escaping steam, as is demonstrated by the odors which sometimes pervade the house. To prevent the latter, and also to make the article tender and retain all its flavor, the pot should be covered and the water kept at the simmer- ing point only. Vegetables. An exception to this rule is made in the cases of cabbage and cauliflower. These strong-flavored vege- tables will be much less objectionable when cooked in rapidly boiling water in open vessels (see page 212). Green vegetables should be boiled in open vessels, as Meat, high heat destroys their color. All meats should be well tied and skewered, to keep them in good shape while boiling, and, when possible, be placed with the bone side up, so if any scum settles it will not spoil the appear- ance of the dish. For fish a little vinegar should be Fish, put into the water, as it hardens the meat and helps to prevent its falling apart (see page 113). Salt water is used where the object is to keep the flavors in, fresh water where it is to draw them out as in soup, where the salt is not added until the cook- ing is completed. The rule of not piercing meat, thus letting out its juices, applies to boiling as well as to other methods of cooking. Fifteen minutes to the METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 69 pound is the rule for mutton or tender meat, a much longer or indefinite time for tough meat. Ham is done when the skin peels off easily. The scum should be taken off the pot when boiling meat. Milk boils at 196 and easily burns, therefore it is safer to use a double boiler for anything containing milk. When using a double boiler, the liquid in the inner pan is scalded when the water in the outside vessel boils. BAKING The baking of many articles is a more important matter than the mixing. There are no definite tests for ovens, therefore one has to learn by experience and careful watching the capabilities or faults of the ovens used. A common trouble is from not having them thoroughly cleaned of the ashes which settle un- der the ovens and prevent the heat reaching the bottom part. It is usual to have them hotter on the fire side. In this case it is necessary to turn frequently the articles being baked, or, where this cannot be done, to interpose a screen to protect them from burning. Asbestos paper, which is now sold at very low cost at Asbestos house-furnishing stores, is a convenient thing to place P a P er - against the side of the oven, or on the shelf of the oven if the excessive heat is on top. A tin, or a piece of brown paper, will, however, ordinarily serve the purpose. Directions for baking bread and cake are given at the heads of those chapters. To lower the heat of an oven, if closing the damper is not sufficient, open the lid of the range over the oven a little way. Sometimes a pan of cold water put on the shelf of the oven will effect the purpose. When baking meats, the oven should be very hot at first, and after the meat is seared the heat should be lowered, so the cooking will be done slowly. 70 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK BOASTING Boasting is done before the fire, and should not be confused with baking, which is done in the oven. Roasted meats have a distinctly better flavor than baked ones. The latter are likely to taste of smoke unless the oven is frequently opened for basting, as few of them are sufficiently ventilated to free them of smoke and steam. Baking is the method generally employed in small households, but where the grate of the range is sufficiently large, and the front can be ex- posed, it will be found no more trouble to roast than to bake the meats, and the improvement will well repay the trouble of changing a habit. Tin ovens (Dutch ovens) are made for this use, with a clock- work to turn the spit, so the only care is to baste, which has to be done in either case, and to keep the fire bright, which is done by adding a few coals at a time if necessary. The meat should at first be placed near the coals to sear the outside, and then be drawn back where it will cook at lower heat. BROILING Meat cooked by broiling is exposed to a greater heat than in any other manner of cooking, and to prevent its burning, requires constant watching. Meats for broiling are cut thin, and much surface is exposed, therefore they must be at once exposed to intense heat to sear the surface and retain the juices. Frequent turning not only prevents burning, but gives slower cooking and also prevents the grease dripping into the fire, making a smoke which destroys the flavor of the meat. The rule for broiling is to have bright coals without flame, drafts open to carry off smoke, and meat turned as often as one counts ten METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 71 (see broiling beefsteak, page 156). In this way the result will be satisfactory, the meat will be puffed and elastic from the confined steam of the juices, will have a seared crust, and the rest evenly cooked through and of the same color. When the puffed appearance of broiled meats begins to disappear it means the moisture is evaporating through the crust, which will leave it hard and dry. Chops wrapped tight in oiled paper before being broiled are especially good (see page 166). The paper will not burn if turned as directed above. Although broiling with a double wire-broiler over or under bright coals is the approved way, it can be accomplished in a hot pan when coals are not acces- sible. In this instance a frying-pan is heated very hot, then rubbed with suet to prevent the meat from sticking, and the meat is turned frequently as in the other method. This manner of broiling is recom- mended only as an expedient, as hot iron does not give the same result as hot coals. BRAISING Meat cooked by braising is shut in a closely-covered pot with a few slices of salt pork (laid under the meat to prevent its sticking to the pot), a mixture of vege- tables, cut into dice, a little soup stock or water, and a bouquet of herbs, and cooked slowly in the confined steam. This method of cooking tough or dry meats makes them tender and of good flavor. Braised dishes are much esteemed. FRICASSEEING Meat cooked in this way is first sauted to keep in its juices, then stewed until tender and served in a 72 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK white or brown gravy, made from the liquor in the pot in which the meat is stewed. Toasted bread and sometimes dumplings are served with it. In the lat- ter case it is called a pot-pie. SAUT^ING A little fat is put in a shallow pan ; when this is hot, the articles to be cooked are laid in and browned on both sides. This manner of cooking is by many mis- called frying, and is largely responsible for the disre- pute of frying, as sauted articles are likely to be greasy and indigestible. PRYING Frying is cooking by immersion in very hot fat. The success of frying depends upon the fat being sufficiently hot, and enough fat being used to com- pletely cover the articles cooked in it. A kettle for fry- ing should be kept for that purpose alone, and started with enough fat to fill it two thirds full. Olive-oil, lard, cottolene, drippings, or any mixture of them, serve the purpose. When properly used but little fat is consumed, and the pot can be easily replenished with the right quantity for its next use. Each time, after using the fat, a slice of raw potato should be dropped in to clarify it j it should then be strained through a cloth and returned to the pot, be covered when cold, and set away until again wanted. This fat can be used for potatoes, and anything which is coated with egg and crumbs. If fish without this coating are fried in it, it will then be unsuitable for other purposes. A pot of fat will with care last for months, but should be clarified as often as necessary Heating ( see below). "When the fat is to be used, the frying- thefat. fettle should be placed on the range an hour before METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 73 the time it is needed. It will then become gradually hot, and at the right moment can be quickly raised to the smoking heat needed for frying. It takes some time for fat to reach this temperature; and if this preparatory measure is not taken, a cook, when hur- ried, is likely to use it before the right heat is attained, or to place it on the open fire, which is attended with great danger. Many persons are seriously burned from this imprudence. When fat boils over and takes fire, the best extinguisher is ashes. If the cook's TO extin- clothes take fire, the best thing to do is to wrap the skirts together and roll on the floor until assistance comes. With ordinary care there need be no acci- dents. Dropping grease on the range or clothes can be avoided by holding a tin plate under the frying- basket when removing it from the kettle. When the articles to be fried are prepared, the wire basket should be dipped into the fat to grease it, the articles laid in, a few at a time, without touching one another, the basket hung on an iron or wooden spoon, and slowly lowered into the fat. Too many articles must not be piit in at the same time, or the heat of the fat will be too much reduced. Spattering is caused by water con- Spattering, tained in the articles being turned to steam and throw- ing out the fat; hence, one reason for making them very dry and of lowering them gradually into the fat. When fat is sufficiently hot it at once sears the outside of everything placed in it, and forms a crust through which the grease cannot penetrate and be absorbed by the food. Egg and crumbs are used for the pur- pose of thus encrusting the outside of made dishes, like croquettes. The mistake should not be made of leaving articles too long in the fat; a lemon color, Color of which is the one desired, is quickly attained. When fri . ed ar " lifted from the fat, the basket should be held for a tlcles * few minutes, or until through dripping, over the ket- 74 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK tie, which is the hottest place to be found, the articles then placed on a brown paper without touching one another, and set in the open oven, or on the hot shelf, until perfectly dry. If so treated the grease will evaporate, and the articles become so free from it as not to leave a mark on the napkin on which they are served. Articles properly prepared and fried in this manner can be no more unwholesome than meat which is basted with drippings. The fat should be given time to again rise to the smoking heat before a second basketful of articles is immersed. When frying ar- ticles which take a little time to cook, the pot should be drawn to a cooler part of the range, after the first few minutes. The coating will then be formed, and the cooking can proceed more slowly, and the articles will not brown too much before they are cooked. Croquettes, being made of cooked meat, need to re- main in the fat only long enough to color and become heated. TO CLARIFY FAT When fat becomes discolored and unfit for use, stir into it when melted one half teaspoonf ul of baking soda and a quart of water. Let it boil for a little time, take off the scum that rises, and set the pot aside until cold. Remove the cake of grease, scrape off all the impurities, put it again on the fire, where it will melt but will not be agitated, and let it re- main undisturbed until all the water has evaporated and the remaining impurities have settled to the bot- Bubbling torn ; then pour off the clear grease. When fat bub- bles it means there is water in it, not that it is hot. TO TRY OUT SUET AND OTHER FATS Cut the fat into pieces, place it in a shallow pan over moderate heat until the fat is melted, then strain METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 75 it through a cloth. There will be no odor from the fat if not placed where it becomes too hot. All kinds of fats are good for frying except mutton fat, turkey fat, and fat from smoked meats; these can be used for making soap, as directed on page 259. TO PREPARE ARTICLES FOR FRYING BY COVERING THEM WITH EGG AND CRUMBS All scraps of bread should be saved for crumbs, as directed on page 51, the crusts being separated from the white part, then dried, rolled, and sifted. The brown crumbs are good for the first coating, the white ones for the outside, as they give better color. Where a very delicate color is wanted, bread grated from a stale loaf or rubbed through a coarse sieve gives better results; the fresh crumbs need not be very fine. Cracker crumbs give a smooth surface and are better for oysters than bread crumbs, but for most things bread crumbs are preferable. For meats a little salt and pepper, and for sweet articles a little sugar, should be mixed with the crumbs. Crumbs left on the board should be dried, sifted, and kept to be used again. The whole egg is generally used. The white alone will serve, but not the yolk alone, as it is the albumen which is needed. The albumen quickly coagulates when put into the hot fat, and forms a coating through which the grease will not penetrate. To one egg is added one tablespoonful of water, so as to make it thin enough to run and remove the stringiness of the egg j these are beaten lightly together, but should not be foamy, as bubbles break and leave holes for the grease to enter. Where delicate color is wanted, it is better to use the white of the egg only and fresh crumbs. Turn the crumbs on to a board ; roll the articles first in the crumbs to dry them well, then The Crumbs. The Egg. 76 THE CENTUEY COOK BOOK place them in the beaten egg one at a time, and with a spoon pour the egg over and moisten them thoroughly j return them to the board, and completely cover them with crumbs. Soft, creamy mixtures like Molding, croquettes require delicate handling, and are easier to manage if first made into a ball, molding them into shape being left until the second crumbing, at which time they can be rolled into cylindrical form and the ends flattened by dropping them lightly on the board. They will keep their shape better if, after being prepared, they are allowed to stand an hour or more before being fried. (See croquettes, page 293.) LARDING Larding is simply drawing small pieces of salt pork through the surface of meat. It is easily done, and so much improves lean, dry pieces of meat as to well repay the trouble. The pork for larding is best cut lengthwise with the rind, and that nearest the Cutting rinu is the firmest. Cut it into slices, one quarter lardoons. j^^ thick, and then into strips one quarter inch wide and two inches long. The lardoons can be made firmer by placing them on ice, but ordinarily this is not necessary. The larding needle holding a lardoon is pressed through the surface of the meat, taking a stitch about a quarter inch deep and an inch long, then drawn through, leaving the lardoon projecting on both sides. The stitches should be taken at regu- lar intervals, so as to appear ornamental, and when all the lardoons are in they should be cut even. For birds or small pieces, the lardoons would of course be cut of a size to suit the needle used. DAUBING Daubing is cutting through the entire thickness of the meat in several places and inserting lardoons of salt pork. The cut is made with a thin, sharp knife. FRYING KETTLE AND BASKET. 1. Prying Kettle. 2. Wire Basket and Iron Spoon for lifting the Frying Basket. (See page 72.) 1. PIECE OF ME XT LARDED. 2. LARDING NEEDLES. 3. LARDOONS. MEASURING CUP AND SPOONS. 1. Tin measuring cup holding one half -pint. 2. Spoonful of salt, pepper or spices. 3. One half spoonful. 4. Spoonful of flour, sugar, or butter. 5. Heaping spoonful. (See page 77.) METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 77 BONING Cutting the meat free from the bones, leaving the meat whole, is called boning. This is easily done with a sharp-pointed knife, and requires but little practice to accomplish successfully. Directions for boning Fowl8t fowls are given on page 181. Boned fowls are usually made into galantine, but they are also good when stuffed and pressed into natural shape, or to imitate a duck or a rabbit and served hot. The butcher will Meats, remove the bones from joints of meat when requested. Boned meats make an agreeable change, and in the case of shoulder pieces make them suitable to serve as roasts (see pages 163 and 168). Chops with the bones removed, the tail ends wrapped around the meat and secured with wooden toothpicks or with small skewers until cooked, resemble in form filets mignons. MEASURING Exact measurements are an important factor in the success of cooking, therefore a definite understanding of what a cupful or a spoonful means is requisite. A M cupful means one half pint. A tin cup holding this cup. amount is as necessary as a quart measure in every kitchen. They can be bought for ten cents apiece in any house-furnishing store. A spoonful of butter, lard, sugar, or fiour means a rounding spoonful, as much rising above the spoon as is held in the bowl. A spoonful of salt or spices means only as much as the bowl holds, the top being smoothed off with a knife,* One half spoonful means the half of the contents of the bowl divided lengthwise. A heaping spoonful means as much as the spoon can be made to hold. A table giving comparative weights and measures is given on page 387. * Cooking schools have recently adopted the rule of using even spoonfuls for every spoon measurement. This ensures great exact- ness. M. E. 78 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK STIRRING AND BEATING These two methods should not be confused. The object of stirring is to mix the materials. The spoon is held on the bottom of the dish, and the materials rubbed and pressed together as much as possible. It is not essential to always stir one way. The object of beating is to get air into the mixture to make it lighter, which is done by continuously lifting it up in the same way ; therefore a beaten mixture must not be stirred, or the imprisoned bubbles of air will be broken and the result of the beating lost. HOW TO STONE OLIVES With a sharp-pointed knife cut through the olive to the stone on the blossom end and pare off the meat, turning the olive around three times, keeping the knife at not too sharp an angle close to the stone. The meat will then be in one curled piece, which can be pressed into its original shape again. HOW TO CUT BACON Place the bacon on a board with the rind down. With a very sharp knife slice the bacon very thin down to the rind, but do not try to cut through it. When enough slices are cut, run the knife under, keeping it close to the rind, and the slices will be free. HOW TO EXTRACT ONION JUICE Cut an onion across and press it against a coarse grater, moving it a very little j the juice will then run off the point of the grater. CARAMEL Caramel is used to color soup, gravies, etc., and serves also as a flavoring for desserts. It must be METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 79 used with care for coloring, as it also sweetens. The flavor of caramel depends upon the degree to which the sugar is cooked before the water is added. It grows stronger as it becomes browner. Put one half cupful of granulated sugar and two tablepoonfuls of water into a granite- ware saucepan, stir until the sugar has melted, then let it cook with- out stirring until it has turned dark brown, but not black, then add one half cupful of hot water, and let it simmer until the sugar is dissolved and cooked to a thin syrup. TO MAKE ROUX Put one tablespoonful of butter into a saucepan. When it bubbles add one tablespoonful of flour and let them cook together for a few minutes, stirring all the time. If it is to be used as thickening for a white sauce or soup, do not let it color. If for brown soup or sauce, let it become brown. This amount is sufficient to thicken one cupful of milk or of stock, to make a sauce, or to thicken one pint or more of soup. Roux can be prepared and kept in jars ready for use. The proportion of equal quantities of butter and flour is usually taken, and is the rule, but in some cases double the flour is used. The flour cooked in this way gives a better result than when rubbed with the butter and stirred into the liquid. Cooking flour in hot fat seems to more surely burst the starch- grains, which removes the raw taste it is likely to have if cooked only in the boiling liquid. TO MARINATE Make a mixture in the proportion of three table- spoonfuls of vinegar to two of oil, one teaspoonful of salt, one quarter teaspoonful of pepper, one bay- leaf, one teaspoonful onion juice, and a sprig of 80 THE CENTURY COOK BOOK parsley. Put it on a flat dish and lay any cooked or raw meat in the marinade for an hour or more be- fore using, turning the pieces often. Enough flavor is absorbed to much improve meats or fish to be used for salads, fish to be fried or boiled, and other cases given in receipts. The onion juice may be omitted if desired. SALPICON A salpicon is a mixture of cooked meats, which are cut into dice and combined with a sauce, mush- rooms, and truffles. Chicken, sweetbreads, and tongue mixed with mushrooms and truffles and moistened with a Bechamel sauce, is a combination often used. Salpicon is used in timbales, patties, and vol-au-vent. A mixture of fruits seasoned with sugar and wine is also called a salpicon. Condi- ments. Almonds. Orange peel. SEASONING AND FLAVORING. The savoriness of a dish can often be much en- hanced by adding a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, of mushroom or tomato catsup, of kitchen bouquet, by a few celery seeds, a bay-leaf, or a sprig of some dried herb. A little tarragon vinegar or a few capers will often much improve a salad. A half dozen chopped almonds will greatly improve a bread pudding or any other simple dessert. A few shreds of candied orange peel will give a delicious flavor to puddings, sauces, and cake. A flavor of almonds, orange- or rose-water, sherry, or maraschino, will be an agreeable change from va- nilla, and much more wholesome. Some cooks feel they are called upon to do fancy cooking if expected to use a bay-leaf or an almond j others feel a receipt is extravagant or impracticable if it calls for anything in the line of flavors beyond salt METHODS OF COOKING EXPLAINED 81 and pepper, lemon juice, vanilla, or raisins ; but there is no more extravagance in using different condiments than in using always the same, or those which from habit have established themselves in the favor of every housekeeper. None of the condiments are ex- pens