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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/28491-8.txt b/28491-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..eefb6b0 --- /dev/null +++ b/28491-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,5715 @@ +The Project Gutenberg eBook of Dishes & Beverages of the Old South, by +Martha McCulloch Williams, Illustrated by Russel Crofoot + + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Dishes & Beverages of the Old South + + +Author: Martha McCulloch Williams + + + +Release Date: April 4, 2009 [eBook #28491] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD +SOUTH*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 28491-h.htm or 28491-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491/28491-h/28491-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491/28491-h.zip) + + + + + +DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD SOUTH + +by + +Martha McCulloch-Williams + +Author of "Field Farings," "Two of a Trade," "Milre," "Next to the +Ground," etc. + +Decorations by Russel Crofoot + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + +New York +McBride Nast & Company +1913 + +Copyright, 1913, by +Mcbride, Nast & Co. + +Published, October, 1913 + + + + +CONTENTS + + PAGE + + GRACE BEFORE MEAT 9 + + THE STAFF OF LIFE 26 + + SAVING YOUR BACON 39 + + HAMS AND OTHER HAMS 59 + + FOR THIRSTY SOULS 72 + + PASTE, PIES, PUDDINGS 90 + + CREOLE COOKERY 118 + + CAKES, GREAT AND SMALL 136 + + MEAT, POULTRY, GAME, EGGS 158 + + SOUPS, SALADS, RELISHES 185 + + VEGETABLES, FRUIT DESSERTS, SANDWICHES 202 + + PICKLES, PRESERVES, COFFEE, TEA, CHOCOLATE 220 + + WHEN THE ORCHARDS "HIT" 239 + + UPON OCCASIONS 257 + + SOAP AND CANDLES 292 + + + + +Dishes & Beverages + +of the + +Old South + + + + +[Illustration: _Grace before Meat_] + + +"Let me cook the dinners of a nation, and I shall not care who makes its +laws." Women, if they did but know it, might well thus paraphrase a +famous saying. Proper dinners mean so much--good blood, good health, +good judgment, good conduct. The fact makes tragic a truth too little +regarded; namely, that while bad cooking can ruin the very best of raw +foodstuffs, all the arts of all the cooks in the world can do no more +than palliate things stale, flat and unprofitable. To buy such things is +waste, instead of economy. Food must satisfy the palate else it will +never truly satisfy the stomach. An unsatisfied stomach, or one +overworked by having to wrestle with food which has bulk out of all +proportion to flavor, too often makes its vengeful protest in dyspepsia. +It is said underdone mutton cost Napoleon the battle of Leipsic, and +eventually his crown. I wonder, now and then, if the prevalence of +divorce has any connection with the decline of home cooking? + +A far cry, and heretical, do you say, gentle reader? Not so far after +all--these be sociologic days. I am but leading up to the theory with +facts behind it, that it was through being the best fed people in the +world, we of the South Country were able to put up the best fight in +history, and after the ravages and ruin of civil war, come again to our +own. We might have been utterly crushed but for our proud and pampered +stomachs, which in turn gave the bone, brain and brawn for the conquests +of peace. So here's to our Mammys--God bless them! God rest them! This +imperfect chronicle of the nurture wherewith they fed us is inscribed +with love to their memory. + +Almost my earliest memory is of Mammy's kitchen. Permission to loiter +there was a Reward of Merit--a sort of domestic Victoria Cross. If, when +company came to spend the day, I made my manners prettily, I might see +all the delightful hurley-burley of dinner-cooking. My seat was the +biscuit block, a section of tree-trunk at least three feet across, and +waist-high. Mammy set me upon it, but first covered it with her clean +apron--it was almost the only use she ever made of the apron. The block +stood well out of the way--next the meal barrel in the corner behind the +door, and hard by the Short Shelf, sacred to cake and piemaking, as the +Long Shelf beneath the window was given over to the three water +buckets--cedar with brass hoops always shining like gold--the piggin, +also of cedar, the corn-bread tray, and the cup-noggin. Above, the log +wall bristled with knives of varying edge, stuck in the cracks; with +nails whereon hung flesh-forks, spoons, ladles, skimmers. These were for +the most part hand-wrought, by the local blacksmith. The forks in +particular were of a classic grace--so much so that when, in looking +through my big sister's mythology I came upon a picture of Neptune with +his trident, I called it his flesh-fork, and asked if he were about to +take up meat with it, from the waves boiling about his feet. + +The kitchen proper would give Domestic Science heart failure, yet it +must have been altogether sanitary. Nothing about it was tight enough to +harbor a self-respecting germ. It was the rise of twenty feet square, +built stoutly of hewn logs, with a sharply pitched board roof, a movable +loft, a plank floor boasting inch-wide cracks, a door, two windows and a +fireplace that took up a full half of one end. In front of the fireplace +stretched a rough stone hearth, a yard in depth. Sundry and several +cranes swung against the chimney-breast. When fully in commission they +held pots enough to cook for a regiment. The pots themselves, of cast +iron, with close-fitting tops, ran from two to ten gallons in capacity, +had rounded bottoms with three pertly outstanding legs, and ears either +side for the iron pot-hooks, which varied in size even as did the pots +themselves. + +Additionally there were ovens, deep and shallow, spiders, skillets, a +couple of tea-kettles, a stew kettle, a broiler with a long +spider-legged trivet to rest on, a hoe-baker, a biscuit-baker, and +waffle-irons with legs like tongs. Each piece of hollow ware had its +lid, with eye on top for lifting off with the hooks. Live coals, spread +on hearth and lids, did the cooking. To furnish them there was a wrought +iron shovel, so big and heavy nobody but Mammy herself could wield it +properly. Emptied vessels were turned upside down on the floor under the +Long Shelf--grease kept away rust. But before one was used it had to be +scoured with soap and sand rock, rinsed and scalded. Periodically every +piece was burned out--turned upside down over a roaring fire and left +there until red hot, then slowly cooled. This burning out left a fine +smooth surface after scouring. Cast iron, being in a degree porous, +necessarily took up traces of food when it had been used for cooking a +month or so. + +Ah me! What savors, what flavors came out of the pots! Years on years I +was laughed at for maintaining that no range ever turned out things to +equal open-hearth cookery. But it took paper bags to prove beyond cavil +the truth of my contention. Even paper-bagging does not quite match the +open-hearth process, though there is the same secret of superiority, +namely, cooking things in their own essence by the agency of hot air. +The sealed and loaded bag needs must be laid on a grate-shelf in a hot +oven--touch of solid hot iron is fatal to it. + +Iron vessels set above smoothly spread coals got hot, but not +red-hot--red heat belonged to the lids. They were swung over the fire +and heated before setting them in place--then the blanket of coals and +embers held in heat which, radiating downward, made the cooking even. +Scorching of course was possible unless the cook knew her business, and +minded it well. Our Mammys not only knew their business but loved +it--often with a devotion that raised it to the rank of Art. Add the +palate of a _gourmet_ born, a free hand at the fat, the sweet, strong +waters and high flavors--what wonder it is to envy those of us they fed! + +My individual Mammy was in figure an oblate spheroid--she stood five +feet, one inch high, weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, had a head so +flat buckets sat on it as of right, was as light on her feet, in number +twelve shoes, as the slimmest of her children and foster children, could +shame the best man on the place at lifting with the hand-stick, or chop +him to a standstill--if her axe exactly suited her. She loved her work, +her mistress, her children black and white--even me, though I was +something of a trial--her garden and her God. All these she served +fondly, faithfully, with rare good humor and the nicest judgment. Fall +soft upon her, rain and snow! Sunshine and green grass, make happy +always the slope where she rests! + +She put on a clean white frock every morning--by breakfast time it was +a sickly gray along the front--the thick of the dinner-battle was writ +large on it in black smudges. She herself explained: "I ain't sech er +dirty 'ooman--hit's dest I'se so big, dirt ketches me comin' and gwine." +Air and more air she would have, regardless of weather. The big +board-window had its shutter up all day long--the glass window was a +vexation, since it opened only halfway. By way of evening things, +daubing and chinking got knocked out of at least half the cracks between +the wall logs as sure as Easter came--not to be replaced until the week +before Christmas. I doubt if they would have been put back even then, +but that Mammy dreaded criticism, from maids and carriage drivers +visiting kinfolk brought with them. Big yawning cracks in cold weather +were in a way the hall-mark of poor-white cabins. It would have half +broken Mammy's heart to give anybody room to say she belonged to less +than real quality. + +She was autocratic; a benevolent despot; withal severe. If I displeased +her by meddling, putting small grimy fingers into pies they should not +touch, she set me to shelling black-eyed peas--a task my soul loathed, +likewise the meddlesome fingers--still I knew better than to sulk or +whine over it. For that I would have been sent back into the house. The +kitchen stood thirty yards away from the back door, with a branchy oak +in front of it, and another, even branchier, shading the log foot-way +between. The house offered only grown-up talk, which rarely interested +me. In the kitchen I caught scraps of Brer Rabbit's history, pithily +applied, other scraps of song--Mammy always "gave out" the words to +herself before singing them--proverbs and sayings such as "Cow want her +tail agin in fly-time" applied to an ingrate, or: "Dat's er high kick +fer er low horse," by way of setting properly in place a pretender. + +Best of all, I got the latest news of the countryside for ten miles +around. Wireless has little on the way things ran about among the +plantations. It was a point of honor among the black men to have wives +or sweethearts away from home. This meant running about +nightly--consequently cross-currents of gossip lively enough to make the +yellowest journal turn green with envy. Mammy was a trifle apologetic +over having a husband no further off than the next neighbor's. To make +up for it, however, the husbands who came to his house lived from three +to five miles away--and one of them worked at the mill, hence was a +veritable human chronicle. Thus Mammy was able to hold her head up with +Susan, her sister, who milked and washed. + +Susan might have been called a widow of degrees--she had had three +husbands, but only two were living. The last parting was always +threatening to end in meeting over again--still that did not hinder her +cabin from being the rendezvous of all the likeliest fellows within easy +walking range. Naturally she had things to tell--worth hearing whether +or no they were true. So also had Phoebe, who was a sort of scullion, +fetching in wood and water, gathering vegetables, picking chickens, +scouring all things from the big pot to the floor. Shelves were scoured +daily, the floor three times a week. This had to be a matter of faith +after an hour or so--it certainly did not look it. Sweeping, done three +times a day, was largely a matter of form. Phoebe went conscientiously +over the uncluttered spaces, and even reached the nose of her broom +between pots and ovens, but only coarse trash gathered before the +broom--all the rest went through the cracks. + +Mammy said Phoebe's news could be believed. "De gal don't know no mo'n +ter tell dest whut she done heard." She truly was slow-witted and +slow-spoken, but Isham, her step-father, was cook to the Gresham +brothers, the beaux of the neighborhood, who kept bachelor's hall. His +mother had been their Mammy--hence his inherited privilege of knowing +rather more about his young masters than they knew themselves. + +Little pitchers have big ears. Set it to the credit of the black folk, +they always had regard for the innocence of childhood. Scandal was +merely breathed--not even so hinted as to arouse curiosity. Foul speech +I never heard from them nor a trace of profanity. What I did hear was a +liberal education in the humanities--as time passes I rate more and more +highly the sense of values it fixed in a plastic mind. I think it must +have been because our Mammys saw all things from the elemental angle, +they were critics so illuminating of manners and morals. + +Here ends reminiscence, set down in hope it may breed understanding. All +I actually learned from Mammy and her cooking was--how things ought to +taste. The which is essential. It has been the pole-star of my career as +a cook. Followed faithfully along the Way of Many Failures, through a +Country of Tribulations, it has brought me into the haven of knowledge +absolute. If the testimony of empty plates and smiling guests can +establish a fact, then I am a good cook--though limited. I profess only +to cook the things I care to cook well. Hence I have set my hand to +this, a real cook's book. Most cook books are written by folk who cook +by hearsay--it is the fewest number of real cooks who can write so as +not to bewilder the common or garden variety of mind. The bulk of what +follows has an old-time Southern foundation, with such frillings as +experience approves. To it there will be added somewhat of Creole +cookery, learned and proved here in New York town by grace of Milly, the +very queen of New Orleans cooks, temporarily transplanted. Also sundry +and several delectable dishes of alien origins--some as made in France +or Germany, some from the far Philippines, but all proved before record. +In each case the source is indicated in the title. Things my very own, +evolved from my inner consciousness, my outer opportunity and +environment, I shall likewise mark personal. + +Lastly, but far from leastly, let me make protest against +over-elaboration, alike in food and the serving thereof. The very best +decoration for a table is something good in the plates. This is not +saying one should not plan to please the eye no less than the palate. +But ribbon on sandwiches is an anachronism--so is all the flummery of +silk and laces, doilies and doo-dads that so often bewilder us. They are +unfair to the food--as hard to live up to as anybody's blue china. I +smile even yet, remembering my husband's chuckles, after we had come +home from eating delicatessen chicken off ten-dollar plates, by help of +antique silver. Somehow the viands and the service seemed "out of +drawing." + +Quoth Heine the cynic: "Woman, woman! Much must be forgiven thee! Thou +hast loved much--and many." Edibly I love much rather than many. Enough +of one thoroughly good thing, with proper accessories, is more +satisfying than seven courses--each worse than the last. Also cheaper, +also much less trouble. If time has any value, the economy of it in +dishwashing alone is worth considering. In these piping days of rising +prices, economy sounds good, even in the abstract. Add the concrete fact +that you save money as well as trouble, and the world of cooks may well +sit up and take notice. + +The one-piece dinner is as convenient and comfortable as the one-piece +frock. There are, of course, occasions to which it is unsuited. +One-piece must be understood to mean the _pièce de resistance_--the +backbone of subsistence as it were. A bowl of rich soup or chowder, with +crackers on the side, a generous helping of well-cooked meat, with bread +or potatoes, and the simplest relishes, or a royally fat pudding overrun +with brandy sauce; each or either can put it all over a splash of this, +a dab of that, a slab of something else, set lonesomely on a separate +plate and reckoned a meal--in courses. Courses are all well enough--they +have my warm heart when they come "in the picture." But when they are +mostly "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not +seen," then I would trade them, and gladly, for as much good bread and +butter as appetite called for. + +By way of postscript: being a strict and ardent advocate of temperance, +I refused to consider writing this book unless I had full liberty to +advise the use of wine, brandy, cordials, liquors, where good cooking +demands them. Any earthly thing can be abused--to teach right use is the +best preventive of abuse. Liquors, like everything else, must be good. +"Cooking sherry" is as much an abomination as "cooking butter," or +"cooking apples." You will never get out of pot or pan anything +fundamentally better than what went into it. Cooking is not alchemy; +there is no magic in the pot. The whole art and mystery of it is to +apply heat and seasoning in such fashion as to make the best, and the +most, of such food supplies as your purse permits. Tough meat cannot be +cooked tender; tainted meat cannot be cooked sound. It is the same with +stale fish, specked or soured fruit, withered vegetables. It pays to +educate tradesfolk into understanding that you want the best and only +the best of what you buy. If the thing you want, in perfect condition, +is beyond your means, take, instead of a lower grade of it, the highest +grade of something cheaper. So shall you escape waste of time, effort +and substance. Never mind sneers at your simple fare. Remember it was +Solomon the Wise who wrote: "Better a dinner of herbs and contentment +than a stalled ox, and contention therewith." Paraphrase the last clause +into "spoiled ox and ptomaines therewith," and you may keep not only +self-respect, but that of the neighbors. + + + + +[Illustration: _The Staff of Life_] + + +Bread, more than almost any other foodstuff, can not be better than what +it is made of. Here as elsewhere a bungler can ruin the very best of +flour or meal. But the queen of cooks can not make good a fundamental +deficiency. + +Hence in buying flour look for these things: a slightly creamy +cast--dazzling whiteness shows bleaching, as a gray-white, or black +specks mean grinding from spoiled grain. The feel should be velvety, +with no trace of roughness--roughness means, commonly, mixture with +corn. A handful tightly gripped should keep the shape of the hand, and +show to a degree the markings of the palm. A pinch wet rather stiff, +and stretched between thumb and finger, will show by the length of the +thread it spins richness or poverty in gluten--one of the most valuable +food elements. + +The cornmeal of commerce will not be satisfactory in any receipt here +given. It has been bolted and kiln-dried out of all natural flavor. Take +the trouble to get meal water-ground, from white flint corn, and fresh +from the mill. Then you will have something worth spending time and +effort upon--spending them hopefully. Why, the wisest man can not +tell--but steam-ground meal is of a flavor wholly unlike that +water-ground. The grinding should be neither too fine nor too coarse. +Bran left in, and sifted out as needed, helps to save from musting, and +to preserve the delicate natural flavor. Fresh meal, in clean bright tin +or glass, or in a stout paper sack, where it is dry, cool and airy will +keep two months. Hence buy it judiciously, in proportion to your +family's corn-cake appetite. + +It is impossible to give exactly the amount of liquid for any sort of +bread-making because the condition of flour and meal varies with weather +and keeping. This applies also to sugar--hence the need for intelligence +in the use of receipts. In damp muggy weather moisture is absorbed from +the atmosphere. Upon a dry day especially if there is much wind, drying +out is inevitable. Anything that feels clammy, or that clots, should be +dried in a warm, not hot, oven. Heating flour before mixing it, taking +care not to scorch it in the least, is one small secret of light bread, +biscuit and cake. Flour in a bag may be laid in the sun with advantage. +Use judgment in mixing. Note the appearance of what you are making +closely--when it turns out extra good, set up that first condition as a +standard. + + * * * * * + +_Beaten Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Sift a quart of flour into a bowl or +tray, add half a teaspoon salt, then cut small into it a teacup of very +cold lard. Wet with cold water--ice water is best--into a very stiff +dough. Lay on a floured block, or marble slab, and give one hundred +strokes with a mallet or rolling pin. Fold afresh as the dough beats +thin, dredging in flour if it begins to stick. The end of beating is to +distribute air well through the mass, which, expanding by the heat of +baking, makes the biscuit light. The dough should be firm, but smooth +and very elastic. Roll to half-inch thickness, cut out with a small +round cutter, prick lightly all over the top, and bake in steady heat to +a delicate brown. Too hot an oven will scorch and blister, too cold an +one make the biscuit hard and clammy. Aim for the Irishman's "middle +exthrame." + +There are sundry machines which do away with beating. It is possible +also to avoid it by running the dough, after mixing, several times +through a food-chopper. Also beaten biscuit can be closely imitated by +making good puff paste, rolling, cutting out, pricking and baking--but +rather more quickly than the real thing. All these are expedients for +those who live in apartments, where the noise of beating might be held +against good neighborhood. Householders, and especially suburban ones, +should indulge in the luxury of a block or stone or marble slab--and +live happy ever after, if they can but get cooks able and willing to +make proper use of it. + +_Soda Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Sift a quart of flour with a heaping +teaspoonful of baking soda. Add a good pinch of salt, rub well through +lard or butter the size of the fist, then wet with sour milk to a +moderately soft dough, roll out, working quickly, cut with small round +cutter, set in hot pans, leaving room to swell, and bake in a quick oven +just below scorching heat. Handle as lightly as possible all +through--this makes flaky biscuit. + +By way of variety, roll out thin--less than a half-inch, cut with +three-inch cutter, grease lightly on top, and fold along the middle. Let +rise on top a hot stove several minutes before putting to bake. By +adding an egg, beaten light, with a heaping tablespoonful of sugar to +the dough in mixing, these doubled biscuit will be quite unlike the +usual sort. + +_Salt Rising Bread_: (As Mammy Made It.) Scald a tablespoonful of sifted +cornmeal, and a teaspoonful--heaped--of salt with a pint of boiling +water, let stand ten minutes, then stir in, taking care to mix smooth, +enough dried and sifted flour to make a thick batter. Damp flour will +not rise. The batter should be almost thick enough to hold the mixing +spoon upright--but not quite thick enough. Set the mixture in warm +water--just as hot as you can bear your hand in. Keep up the heat +steadily, but never make too hot--scalding ruins everything. Keep +lightly covered, and away from draughts. Look in after an hour--if water +has risen on top, stir in more flour. Watch close--in six hours the +yeast should be foamy-light. Have ready three quarts of dry sifted +flour, make a hole in the center of it, pour in the yeast, add a trifle +more salt, a tablespoonful sugar, and half a cup of lard. Work all +together to a smooth dough, rinsing out the vessel that has held the +yeast, with warm not hot water to finish the mixing. Divide into loaves, +put in greased pans, grease lightly over the top, and set to rise, in +gentle heat. When risen bake with steady quick heat. Take from pans hot, +and cool between folds of clean cloth, spread upon a rack, or else turn +the loaves edgewise upon a clean board, and cover with cheese cloth. + +To make supper-rolls, shape some of the dough into balls, brush over +with melted butter, set in a deep pan, just so they do not touch, raise +and bake the same as bread. Dough can be saved over for breakfast rolls, +by keeping it very cold, and working in at morning, a tiny pinch of soda +before shaping the balls. + +_Sweet Potato Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Boil soft two large or four small +sweet potatoes, mash smooth while very hot, free of strings and eyes, +add a pinch of salt, then rub well through three cups of sifted flour. +Rub in also a generous handful of shortening, then wet up soft with two +eggs beaten very light, and sweet milk. A little sugar also if you have +a sweet tooth--but only a little. Roll to half-inch thickness, cut out +with small cutter, lay in warm pan, and bake brown in a quick oven. +Soda and buttermilk can take the place of eggs and sweet milk--in which +case the sugar is advisable. Mix the soda with the milk--enough to make +it foamy, but no more. + +_Waffles_: (Mammy's.) Separate three eggs. Beat yolks and whites very +light. Add to the yolks alternately a pint of very rich sweet milk, and +handfuls of sifted flour. Enough to make a batter rather thicker than +cream. Put in also half a teaspoon--scant--of salt, and half a cup of +lard, or lard and butter, melted so it will barely run. Mix well, then +add the beaten whites of egg. Have the waffle irons hot but not +scorching--grease well with melted lard--the salt in butter will make +the batter stick. Cook quickly but take care not to burn. Lay on hot +plate--have a pitcher of melted butter to pour on. Lay the second waffle +upon the first, butter, and keep hot. It is not safe to begin serving +without at least six waffles in plate. This, of course, provided you +have several eaters with genuine appetites. Syrup can be passed with the +waffles--but it is profanation to drench them with it--strong clear +coffee, and broiled chicken are the proper accompaniments at breakfast. + +_Plain Corn Bread_: (The Best.) Sift sound fresh white cornmeal, wet +with cold water to a fairly soft dough, shape it by tossing from hand to +hand into small pones, and lay them as made into a hot pan well +sprinkled with dry meal. The pan should be hot enough to brown the meal +without burning it. Make the pones about an inch thick, four inches +long, and two and a half broad. Bake quickly, taking care not to scorch, +until there is a brown crust top and bottom. For hoe-cakes make the +dough a trifle softer, lay it by handfuls upon a hot-meal-sprinkled +griddle, taking care the handfuls do not touch. Flatten to half an inch, +let brown underneath, then turn, press down and brown the upper side. Do +not let yourself be seduced into adding salt--the delight of plain +corn-bread is its affinity for fresh butter. It should be eaten drenched +with butter of its own melting--the butter laid in the heart of it after +splitting pone or hoe-cake. Salt destroys this fine affinity. It +however savors somewhat bread to be eaten butterless. Therefore Mammy +always said: "Salt in corn-bread hit does taste so po' white-folks'y." +She had little patience with those neighbors of ours who perforce had no +butter to their bread. + +_Egg Bread_: (Mammy's.) Beat two eggs very light with a pinch of salt, +add two cups sifted cornmeal, then wet with a pint of buttermilk in +which a teaspoonful of soda has been dissolved. Stir in a spoonful of +shortening, barely melted, mix well, and pour into well greased pans or +skillets, cook quickly, till the crust is a good brown, and serve +immediately. Or bake in muffin moulds. For delicate stomachs the +shortening can be left out, but pans or moulds must be greased extra +well. If milk is very sour, make it one-third water--this is better than +putting in more soda. + +_Batter Cakes_: (Old Style.) Sift together half-cup flour, cup and a +half meal, add pinch of salt, scald with boiling water, stir smooth, +then add two eggs well beaten, and thin with sweet milk--it will take +about half a pint. Bake by spoonfuls on a hot, well-greased griddle--the +batter must run very freely. Serve very hot with fresh sausage, or fried +pigs' feet if you would know just how good batter cakes can be. + +_Ash Cake_: (Pioneer.) This is possible only with wood fires--to campers +or millionaires. Make dough as for plain bread, but add the least trifle +of salt, sweep the hot hearth very clean, pile the dough on it in a +flattish mound, cover with big leaves--cabbage leaves will do at a +pinch, or even thick clean paper, then pile on embers with coals over +them and leave for an hour or more, according to size. Take up, brush +off ashes, and break away any cindery bits. Serve with new butter and +fresh buttermilk. This was sometimes the sole summer supper of very +great families in the old time. Beyond a doubt, ash cake properly cooked +has a savory sweetness possible to no other sort of corn bread. + +_Mush Bread_: (Overton Receipt.) To a quart of very thick mush, well +salted, add three fresh eggs, breaking them in one after the other, and +beating hard between. When smooth add half a cup of rich milk, and half +a cup melted butter. Stir hard, then add one teaspoonful baking powder, +and bake quickly. Bake in the serving dish as it is too soft for turning +out, requiring to be dipped on the plates with a spoon. Hence the name +in some mouths: "Spoon bread." + +_Cracklin' Bread_: (Pioneer.) Sift a pint of meal, add a pinch of salt, +then mix well through a teacup of cracklings--left from rendering lard. +Wet up with boiling water, make into small pones, and bake brown in a +quick but not scorching oven. + +_Pumpkin Bread_: (Pioneer.) Sift a pint of meal, add salt to season +fully, then rub through a large cupful of stewed pumpkin, made very +smooth. Add half a cup melted lard, then mix with sweet milk to a fairly +stiff dough, make pones, and bake crisp. Mashed sweet potato can be used +instead of pumpkin, and cracklings, rubbed very fine in place of lard. +Folks curious as to older cookery, can even make persimmon bread, using +the pulp of ripe persimmons to mix with the meal--but they will need +the patience of Job to free the pulp properly from skin and seed. + +_Mush Batter Cakes_: (For Invalids.) Bring half a pint of water to a +bubbling boil in something open, add to it a pinch of salt, then by +littles, strew in a cup of sifted meal, stirring it well to avoid lumps. +Let cool partly, then cook by small spoonfuls on a hot griddle very +lightly greased. Make the spoonfuls brown on both sides, and serve very +hot. + +_Wafers_: (For Invalids or Parties.) Rub a cup of lard or butter, +through a quart of sifted flour. Butter will give enough salt--with lard +add a pinch. Mix with sweet milk, the richer the better, to a smooth +dough, not stiff nor soft. Shape into balls the size of a small egg, +roll out very thin, prick lightly all over, and bake brown--it will take +about five minutes in a quick oven. Cool on cloth and keep dry. Handle +delicately--if the wafers are what they should be; they break and +crumble at any rough touch. + + + + +[Illustration: _Saving Your Bacon_] + + +Plenty in the smokehouse was the cornerstone of the old time southern +cookery. Hence hog-killing was a festival as joyous as Christmas--and +little less sacred. There was keen rivalry amongst plantations as to +which should show the finest pen of fattening hogs. Though the +plantation force was commonly amply sufficient for the work of +slaughter, owners indulged their slaves by asking help of each other--of +course returning the favor at need. + +A far cry from a cook book, common or garden variety. Here, it is worth +its space, as explaining in a measure what follows. Namely full +direction for choosing your fatted pig, cutting him up, and making the +most of the ultimate results. Choose carcasses between a hundred and +seventy-five and a hundred and fifty pounds in weight, of a fresh pinky +white hue, free of cuts, scratches, or bruises, the skin scraped clean, +and firm, not slimy, to touch, the fat firm and white, the lean a lively +purplish pink. Two inches of clear fat over the backbone, and the thick +of the ribs should be the limit. Anything more is wasteful--unless there +is a great need of lard in the kitchen. The pig should be chilled +throughout, but not frozen--freezing injures flavor and texture +somewhat, besides preventing the proper quick striking in of salt. + +Curing space permitting, it is wise to cut up several pigs at once. The +trouble is hardly increased, and the results, especially in saving, very +much greater. The head will have been at least half severed in +slaughtering. With a very sharp butcher knife, after the pig is laid on +the chopping block, cut deeply through the skin, all round, then with a +blow or two of the axe sever the head. Next cut through the skin deeply, +either side of the back bone. The cuts should be evenly parallel, and +about two inches apart. Now turn the pig on his back, part the legs and +with the meat axe chop through the ribs, and joints. After chopping, cut +the backbone free with the knife, trim off the strip of fat for the lard +pile, chop the backbone itself into pieces three to four inches long, +until the chine is reached--the part betwixt the shoulder blades with +the high spinal processes. Leave the chine intact for smoking, along +with the jowls and sausage. + +Pull out the leaf-fat--it grows around and over the kidneys. Also pull +out the spare ribs, leaving only one or two in the shoulders. This done, +chop off feet, then with the knife cut hams and shoulders free from the +sides. Trim after cutting out, saving all trimmings for sausage. Save +every bit of pure fat for lard. Also cut away the clear fat at the top +of the sides, devoting it to the same use. Make clean cuts on the +joints--this means a knife often whetted. Trim the hams rather flat, +and shape the hip bone neatly. The commercial fashion of cutting away +all the upper half of hams is fatal to perfect flavor. Trim shoulders +close, unless they are destined to be made into sausage--in that case +put them with the other scraps. Sides can either be cut into strips four +to five inches wide the long way, after the manner of commercial +"breakfast bacon," or left whole throughout their streaky part, cutting +away solid fat along the top for lard. Separate the heads at the jaw, +leaving the tongue attached to the jowl, and taking care not to cut it. +Cut off the snout two inches above the tip, then lay the upper part of +the head, skin down, crack the inner bone with the axe, press the broken +bones apart, and take out the brains. Jowls are to be salted and +smoked--heads are best either simply corned for boiling with cabbage, +peas, beans, etc., or made in conjunction with the feet into headcheese, +whose south country name is souse. + +Use regular pickling salt--coarse-grained and lively. Spread it an inch +thick upon clean wood--a broad shelf, box bottom, or something similar. +Rub the meat well over with salt, and then lay it neatly, skin-side +down, upon the salt layer, spread more salt on top, and put on another +layer of meat. Put sides together, likewise hams and shoulders. Pack as +close as possible and fill all crevices with salt. Salt alone will save +your bacon, but a teacup of moist sugar well mixed through a +water-bucket of salt improves the flavor. Use this on sides, jowls and +chines. The joints, hams and shoulders, especially if the shoulders are +close-cut, need a trifle more sugar in the salt, also a trifle of +saltpeter--say an ounce in fine powder to three gallons of salt. Rub the +skin-sides over with plain salt, and lay upon the salt-covered shelf the +same as sides. Then take a handful of the mixture and rub it in hard +around the bone, then cover the whole cut surface half an inch thick, +spread on dry salt for another layer of hams or shoulders, and repeat. +Salt the chines lightly--their surface, cut all over, takes up too much +salt if permitted. There should be holes or cracks in the bottom to let +the dissolved salt drip away; it is best also to have it a foot at least +above the floor. + +Cover the meat thus in bulk, but not too close, and leave standing a +fortnight. The cooler and airier the place it stands in the +better--freezing even is not objectionable when the salt begins striking +in. But with freezing weather the meat must lie longer in salt. Overhaul +it after the first fortnight--that is to say break up the bulk, shake +away bloody salt, sweep the bottom clean, and put on fresh salt. But use +very little saltpeter on the joints this time--on pain of making them +too hard as to their lean. Its use is to give firmness and a handsome +clear red color--an overdose of it produces a faintly undesirable +flavor. Some famous ham makers, at this second salting, rub the cut +sides over lightly with very good molasses, and sprinkle on ground black +pepper, before adding new salt. Others rub in a teaspoonful of sugar +mixed with pounded red pepper around the bone. But very excellent hams +can be made without such excess of painstaking. + +Let the meat lie two to four weeks after overhauling, according to the +weather. Take up, wipe all over with coarse clean cloth, furnish each +piece with a loop of stout twine at least four inches long, and so run +through the flesh, tearing out is impossible. Run through the hock of +hams, the upper tip of shoulders, the thickest part of sides, the +pointed tip of jowls. Jowls may not need to lie so long as bigger +pieces, especially if part of their fat has gone to lard. Chines can be +hung up in three weeks, and cured with a very light smoking, along with +the bags of sausage. + +Hang hams highest, shoulders next, then sides, jowls, etc. Leave to drip +forty-eight hours unless the weather turns suddenly warm, damp and +muggy--in that case start the smoking after a few hours. Smoke from +green hickory, sound and bright, is needed for the finest flavor. Lay +small logs so they will hug together as they burn, kindle fire along the +whole length of them, then smother it with damp, small chips, trash, +bark and so on, but take care to have everything sound. Rotten wood, or +that which is water-logged or mildewed, makes rank, ill-smelling smoke. +Take greater care that the logs never blaze up, also that the meat is +high enough to escape fire-heating. Once it gets hot from the fire all +your trouble will have been for naught--though it will not be tainted it +will have the same taste and smell--the degree marking the extent of the +heating. + +Old southern smokehouses had for the most part earthen floors, trenched +to make the smoke fires safe. Some had puncheon floors, with an earthen +hearth in the middle, whereupon was placed a furnace of loose +brick--that could be kicked over at need, smothering an outbreaking +fire. Still others had big cast iron kettles sunk in a sort of well in +the floor--with a handy water bucket for quenching fires. Whatever the +floor, eternal vigilance was the price of safe bacon--you looked at the +smokehouse fires first thing in the morning and last at night. They were +put out at sundown, but had a knack of burning again from some hidden +seed of live coal. Morning smoke could not well be too thick, provided +it smelled right--keen and clean, reminiscent of sylvan fragrance--a +thick, acrid smoke that set you sneezing and coughing, was "most +tolerable and not to be endured." It was not well to leave the smoke too +thick at night--somehow the chill then condensed it. A thin, blue, +hot-scented but cool, vapor was the thing to strive for then. There were +folk who suggested furnaces--with smoke pipes leading in--ever so much +safer they said, withal much less trouble. Why! even the smoke from a +cooking stove might be made to answer. But these progressives were heard +coldly--the old timers knew in right of tradition and experience, the +need of well ventilated smoke. + +It gave this present chronicler a feeling of getting home again, to walk +through the curing rooms of perhaps the most famous bacon makers in the +world, and find them practicing the wisdom of her childhood. Namely +using hickory smoke not delivered from furnace pipes but welling up, up, +in beautiful wreathy spirals, to reach row on row of hams and +flitches--and to be told, by a kind person who did not know she already +knew, that their curing was patterned on the old English model--curing +in the smoke of great-throated stone hall chimneys. Yes--they had tried +pipes--furnaces likewise--but they gave too much heat, did not +distribute smoke evenly, besides being almost impossible of regulation. +Hence the smoldering hickory that was like a breath from a far past. + +Notwithstanding, the chronicler is of opinion that folk who would like +to try their hands at bacon making may do it with a fair hope without +building regular smoke houses. To such she would say, get a stout +hogshead--a sugar hogshead preferable--nail on a board roof to shed +water, then set it upon a stout frame at least seven feet above ground. +Nail inside it stout cleats, to hold the cross bars for the meat. Hang +the meat upon them--but not until the hogshead is in place. Cut a hole +in the bottom as big as the top of a large barrel. Working through this +hole, arrange the meat, then put below a headless barrel, the top +resting against the hogshead-heading, the bottom upon supports of gas +pipe, iron, or even piled bricks. Between the supports set an iron +vessel--build your hickory smoke-fires in it, smothering them carefully, +and letting the smoke, with a sufficiency of air, well up, through +barrel, hogshead, etc. Or one might even rig up a smoking hogshead in an +attic, providing the chimney were tall enough to cool smoke +properly--and lead smoke out to it through a length of drain pipe. + +These are but suggestions--the contriving mind will doubtless invent +other and better ones. Smoking must go on for five weeks at least. Six +will be better, slacking toward the end. But two may be made to answer +by the use of what is called "liquid smoke" whose other name is crude +pyroligneous acid. A product of wood distillation, it has been proved +harmless in use, but use is nevertheless forbidden to commercial makers. +The meat, after breaking bulk, is dipped in it three times at fairly +brief intervals, hung up, drained, and smoked. From the liquid smoke it +will have acquired as much acid saving-grace, as from four weeks of old +fashioned smoking. + +A smokehouse needs to be kept dark, dry, and cool, also well ventilated. +Use fine screen wire over all openings, and make windows very small, +with coarse, sleazy crash in the sash rather than glass inside the +screens. Darkness prevents or discourages the maggot-fly. To discourage +him still further cover the cut sides of hams and shoulders before +hanging up with molasses made very thick with ground black pepper. They +will not absolutely require canvassing and dipping in whitewash after if +the peppering is thorough. But to be on the safe side--canvas and dip. +Make the whitewash with a foundation of thick paste--and be sure it +covers every thread of the canvas. Hams perfectly cured and canvassed +keep indefinitely in the right sort of smokehouse--but there is not much +gain in flavor after they are three years old. + +In rendering lard try out leaf fat to itself--it yields the very finest. +Cut out the kidneys carefully, and remove any bit of lean, then pull +off the thin inner skin, and cut up the leaves--into bits about two +inches wide and four long. Wash these quickly in tepid water, drain on a +sieve, and put over a slow fire in an iron vessel rather thick bottomed. +Add a little cold water--a cupful to a gallon of cut up fat, and let +cook gently until the lumps of fat color faintly. Increase heat till +there is a mild bubbling--keep the bubbling steady, stirring often to +make sure no lump of fat sticks to the pot and scorches, until all the +lumps are crisp brown cracklings. Bright brown, not dark--if dark the +lard will be slightly colored. Scorching taints and ruins the whole +mass. Strain through a sieve into a clean tin vessel, newly scalded and +wiped dry. Put the cracklings into a bag of stout crash, and press hard +between two clean boards, till no more fat runs from them. A jelly press +comes in handy, but is not essential. If weak, clear lye, made of green +wood ashes, is put in with the fat instead of water at the beginning, +the fat-yield will be greater, and the bulk of cracklings less, also +more nearly disintegrated. + +Other fat is tried out in the same way, taking care to remove all skin +and cut away streaks of lean. Bits with much lean in them had better go +to the sausage mill--the right proportion there is two pounds of fat to +three and a half of lean. Mix well in grinding, and remove all strings, +gristle, etc. Seasoning is so much a matter of taste, do it very lightly +at first--then fry a tiny cake, test it, and add whatever it seems to +lack or need. Be rather sparing of salt--eaters can put it in but can +not take it out, and excess of it makes even new sausage taste old. A +good combination of flavors, one approved by experience, is a cupful of +powdered and sifted sage, an ounce of black pepper newly ground, and +very fine, a tablespoonful of powdered red pepper, a teaspoonful of +cayenne, a pinch of thyme in fine powder, a dozen cloves, as many grains +of alspice, beaten fine, a teaspoonful of moist sugar, and a blade of +mace in fine powder. Omit the mace, cloves, etc. if the flavor repels. +Mix all well together, then work evenly through the meat. This seasoning +should suffice for five pounds of ground meat lightly salted. More can +be used by those who like high and pronounced flavors. + +Scrape feet very clean, and take off hoofs by either dipping in scalding +hot lye, or hot wet wood ashes. Wash very clean after scraping, throw in +cold water, soak an hour, then put in a clean pot with plenty of cold +water, and boil gently until very tender. If boiling for souse cook till +the meat and gristle fall from the bones. If for frying, take up the +feet as soon as they are tender, keeping them in shape. Boil heads the +same way, taking out eyes, cutting off ears and cleaning them carefully +inside. Pick the meat from the bones, mix it with the feet also picked +up, work seasoning well through it--salt, black and red pepper, herbs if +approved, likewise a trifle of onion juice, then pack in deep molds, +pour over a little of the boiling liquor--barely enough to moisten--and +set to cool uncovered. + +Let the boiling liquor stand until cold, covered only with a cloth. Skim +off the oil--hog's foot oil is a fine dressing for any sort of +leather--then dip off carefully the jelly underneath. Do not disturb the +sediment--take only the clear jelly. Melted, clarified with white of +egg, seasoned with wine, lemon juice, or grape juice, and sufficiently +sugared, the result puts all gelatines of commerce clean out of court. +Indeed any receipt for gelatine desserts can be used with the hog's foot +jelly. A small salvage perhaps--but worth while. + +Everybody knows brains can be fried--just as all know they can be +addled. We of the old south pickled ours. Go and do likewise if you want +an experience. Begin by scalding the brains--putting them on in cold +water very slightly salted, then letting them barely strike a boil. Skim +out, drop in cold water, take off the skin, keeping the lobes as whole +as possible, lay in a porcelain kettle, spice liberally with black and +red pepper, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, cover with strong vinegar, +bring to a boil, cook five minutes, then put in a jar, cool uncovered, +tie down and let stand a week before using. Thus treated brains will +keep for six weeks, provided they are kept cool. + +We also pickled our souse--cutting it in thin slices, and laying them in +strong vinegar an hour before serving. Another way was to melt the souse +into a sort of rich hash--beaten eggs were occasionally added, and the +result served on hot toast. At a pinch it answered for the foundation of +a meat pie, putting in with it in layers, sliced hard boiled eggs, +sliced cucumber pickle, plenty of seasoning, a good lump of butter, and +a little water. The pie was baked quickly--and made a very good supper +dish if unexpected company overran the supply of sausage or chicken for +frying. + +But fried hog's feet were nearly the best of hog killing. After boiling +tender, the feet were split lengthwise in half, rolled in sifted +cornmeal, salted and peppered, and fried crisp in plenty of boiling hot +fat. Served with hot biscuit, and stewed sun-dried peaches, along with +strong coffee, brown and fragrant, they made a supper or breakfast one +could rejoice in. + +Backbone stewed, and served with sweet potatoes, hot corn bread, and +sparkling cider, was certainly not to be despised. The stewing was +gentle, the seasoning well blended--enough salt but not too much, red +and black pepper, and the merest dash of pepper vinegar. Many cooks left +the vinegar to be added in the plates. There was little water at the +beginning, and next to none at the end--the kettle was kept well +covered, and not allowed to boil over. Backbone pie held its own with +chicken pie--indeed there were those who preferred it. It was made the +same way--in a skillet or deep pan lined with rich crust, then filled +with cooked meat, adding strips of bacon, and bits of butter rolled in +flour, as well as strips of crust. Then the stewing liquor went into the +crevices--there might also be a few very tiny crisp brown +sausages--cakes no bigger than a lady's watch. Over all came a thick, +rich crust, with a cross-cut in the middle, and corners turned deftly +back. When the crust was brown the pie was done. + +No doubt we were foolish--but somehow the regular "cases" made our +sausages unappetizing if we put it into them for keeping. Further the +"Tom Thumbs" were in great request for chitterlings--I never saw them +served to white folks but have smelled their savoriness in the cabins. +That is, however, beside the mark. We saved our sausage against the +spring scarcity in several ways. One was to fry it in quantity, pack the +cakes as fried in crocks, pour over them the gravy, and when the jar was +almost full, cover the top an inch deep with melted lard. Kept cool and +dark the cakes came out as good as they went in. Still there were +palates that craved smoked sausage. To satisfy them, some folk tied up +the meat in links of clean corn husks, and hung them at the side where +the smoke barely touched them. Another way was to make small bags of +stout unbleached muslin, fill, tie close, dip the bag in melted grease, +cool and smoke. The dipping was not really essential--still it kept the +sausage a little fresher. Latterly I have been wondering if paraffin had +been known then whether or not it would have served better than grease. + + + + +[Illustration: _Hams and Other Hams_] + + +The proper boiling of a proper ham reaches the level of high art. Proper +boiling makes any sound ham tolerable eating; conversely a crass and +hasty cook can spoil utterly this crowning mercy of the smokehouse. Yet +proper cooking is not a recondite process, nor one beyond the simplest +intelligence. It means first and most, pains and patience, with somewhat +of foresight, and something more of judgment. + +Cut off the hock, but not too high--barely the slender shankbone. Then +go all over the ham with a dull knife, scraping off every bit of +removable grease or soilure. Wipe afterward with a coarse, damp cloth, +then lay in a dishpan and cover an inch deep with cold water. If the +water is very hard soften by adding a tiny pinch of baking soda. Leave +in soak all night. In the morning wash well all over, using your coarse +cloth, and a little scouring soap, then rinse well in tepid water, +followed by a second rinsing in cold water, drain, and wipe dry. A +flat-bottomed boiler is best--with one rounding, there is greater risk +of scorching. Set a rack on the bottom else an old dish or earthen +pieplate, pour in an inch of water, set over the fire, lay the ham upon +the rack, skin side down, and fill up with cold water till it stands two +inches above the meat. Take care in adding the water not to dislodge the +ham from the rack. Bring the water to a boil, throw in a pint of cold +water and skim the boiler very clean, going over it twice or three +times. After the last skimming add half a dozen whole cloves, a dozen +whole alspice, a pod of red pepper, a few whole grains of black pepper, +and if you like, a young onion or a stalk of celery. Personally I do +not like either onion or celery--moreover they taint the fat one may +save from the pot. Let the water boil hard for half a minute, no longer, +then slack heat till it barely simmers. Keep it simmering, filling up +the pot as the water in it boils away, until the ham is tender +throughout. The time depends on several things--the hardness and age of +the ham, weight, curing. Fifteen minutes to the pound, reckoned from the +beginning of simmering, is the standard allowance. I have no hard and +fast rule--my hams boil always until the fork pierces them readily, and +the hip-bone stands clear of flesh. + +A big ham, fifteen to twenty pounds weight, had better be left in the +water overnight. A smaller one, say of ten pounds weight, should remain +only until thoroughly cold. Take up carefully when cold, let drain +twenty minutes, lying flesh side up in a flat dish, then trim off the +under side and edges neatly, removing rusty fat, strings, etc., and +cutting through the skin at the hock end. Turn over and remove the +skin--taking care not to tear away too much fat with it. Remove the ham +to a clean, deep dish, or bowl--the closer fitting the better, then pour +around it either sound claret, or sweet cider, till it stands half way +up the sides. Add a little tabasco or Worcester to the liquor, if high +flavors are approved. Then stick whole cloves in a lozenge pattern all +over the fat, sprinkle on thickly red and black pepper, and last of all, +sugar--brown sugar if to be had, but white will do. + +Leave standing several hours, basting once or twice with the liquor in +the bowl. Take out, set on a rack in an agate pan, pour the liquor +underneath, and bake slowly one to two hours, according to size. Baste +every fifteen minutes, adding water as the liquor cooks away. Beware +scorching--the ham should be a beautiful speckly dark brown all over. +Let cool uncovered, and keep cool, but not on ice until eaten. + +Drop a lump of ice in the boiling liquor unless the weather is +cold--then set it outside. As soon as the fat on top hardens take it +off, boil it fifteen minutes in clear water, chill, skim off, and +clarify by frying slices of raw potato in it. The spices will have sunk +to the bottom, and there will be no trace of their flavor in the fat. +Any boiling vegetable--cabbage, string beans, navy beans, greens in +general--may be cooked to advantage in the liquor. It also serves as an +excellent foundation for pea soup. Drain it off from the sediment, +reduce a trifle by quick boiling, then add the other things. Dumplings +of sound cornmeal, wet up stiff, shaped the size of an egg, and dropped +in the boiling liquor, furnish a luncheon dish cheap and appetizing. + +Fried ham as Mammy made it is mostly a fragrant memory--only plutocrats +dare indulge in it these days. She cut thin slices from the juicy, thick +part of the ham, using a very sharp, clean knife. Then she trimmed away +the skin, and laid the slices in a clean, hot skillet--but not too hot. +In about a minute she flipped them over delicately, so as to sear the +other side. When enough fat had been tried out to bubble a bit, she +turned them again, then set the skillet off, deadened the coals beneath +it a little--put it back, and let the ham cook until tender through and +through. She never washed the slices nor even wiped them with damp +cloths. There was no need--her hands and knife were as clean as could +be. Washing and wiping spoiled the flavor, she said. I agree with her. +After the ham was taken up, she poured in milk, half cream, shook it +well about in the hissing hot fat until it had taken up all the +delicious brown essence caked on the skillet bottom. This milk gravy was +poured over the slices in the platter. A practice I have never +followed--my gravy is made with water rather than milk, and served +separately. + +Invalids and gourmets may be indulged with boiled ham, broiled over live +coals. Slice very thin, lay for half a minute upon a shovel of glowing +fresh coals, take up in a very hot dish, butter liberally, dust with +pepper and serve very hot. To frizzle ham slice as thin as possible in +tiny bits, and toss the bits till curly-crisp in blazing hot butter. +Excellent as an appetizer or to raise a thirst. + +For ham and eggs slice and fry as directed, take up, break fresh eggs +separately each in a saucer, and slip them into the fat when it is +bubbling hot. Dip hot fat over them to cook the upper side--take up with +a cake turner, and arrange prettily as a border around the ham. Sprigs +of watercress outside add to the appetizing effect. Serve with hot +biscuit, or waffles or muffins, and strong, clear coffee. + +Tart apples cored but not peeled sliced in rings and fried in hot fat, +drained out and sprinkled lightly with sugar, add to the charm of even +the finest ham. So does hominy, the full-grained sort, boiled tender +beforehand, and fried till there is a thick, brown crust all over the +skillet bottom. The secret of these as of all other fryings, is to have +grease enough, make it hot enough to crisp whatever goes into it +instantly, then to watch so there shall be no scorching, and take out +what is fried as soon as done, draining well. Among the paradoxes of +cookery is this--frying with scant grease makes greasy eating, whereas +frying in deep fat, sufficiently hot, makes the reverse. + +Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced, deserve frying in ham fat. Well +drained, dusted with salt, pepper, and sugar, they are delicious, also +most digestible. Frying is indeed the method of cookery most misprised +through its abuse. In capable hands it achieves results no-otherwise +attainable. + +A perfect mutton ham is a matter of grace no less premeditation. It must +be cut from a wether at least four years old, grass fed, grain finished, +neither too fat, nor too lean, scientifically butchered in clear, +frosty, but not freezing weather, and hung unsalted in clean, cold air +for a matter of three days. Saw off shank and hip bones neatly, and cut +the meat smooth, removing any tags and jags, then pack down in an agate +or clean wooden vessel that has been scalded, then chilled. Half cover +with a marinade thus proportioned. One pint pickling salt to one gallon +cold water, boil and skim clean, then add one pint vinegar, a dozen each +of whole cloves, allspice and pepper corns, a pod of red pepper, a +teaspoon of powdered saltpeter, and a small cup of oil. Simmer for half +an hour, and cool before pouring on the meat. Let it lie in the liquor a +week, turning it twice daily. Take from marinade, wipe, and lay in air, +return the marinade to the fire, boil up, skim well, then add enough +plain brine to fully cover the hams, skim again, cool and pour over, +first scalding out the containing vessel. Let stand a week longer, then +drain well, wipe with a damp cloth, rub over outside with a mixture of +salt, moist sugar, and ground black pepper, and hang in a cool, airy +place where the hams can be lightly smoked for a fortnight. +Winter-curing, or late fall, alone is possible to the average +householder. After smoking, wrap in waxed paper, and canvas the same as +other hams. + +Cook the same as venison, which mutton thus cured much resembles. Slice +and broil, serving with butter and very sour jelly, else boil whole in +very little water until tender, glazing with tart jelly, and crisping in +the oven after draining and cooling. Or soak two hours in cold water, +then cover completely with an inch-thick crust of flour and water mixed +stiff, and bake in a slow oven four to five hours. Serve always with +very piquant sauce, and sharp pickle, or highly spiced catsups. Make +jelly from wild grapes, wild plums, green grapes, green gooseberries or +crab apples, using half the usual amount of sugar, especially for such +meat. + +Melt half a glass of such jelly with a tablespoon of boiling water. Add +black pepper, paprika, a dash of tabasco, and the strained juice of a +lemon, add gradually a teaspoon of dry mustard. Cook over hot water +until well mixed and smooth, and keep hot until served. + +Beef hams are troublesome--but worth the trouble. Take them from small +but well fatted animals, cut off the shank, also part of the top round. +Rub over very scantly with powdered saltpeter, mixed well through moist +sugar, then lay down in salt for a fortnight, else cover with brine made +thus. Pint pickling salt to the gallon of cold water, teaspoon sugar, +and pinch of whole cloves. Boil and skim. Pour cold over the hams in a +clean barrel. Let stand a fortnight, take out, drain and wipe, rub over +with dry salt, and hang high in cold air. Smoke lightly after three +days. Keep smoking, but not too much, for a month. Cover all over with +ground black pepper, mixed to a paste with molasses, canvas and leave +hanging. + +Slice and broil, else chip and serve raw. Frizzling is possible but a +waste of God's good mercies. Properly cured meat is salt but not too +salt, of a deep blackish-red, and when sliced thin, partly translucent, +also of an indescribable savoriness. Cut as nearly as possible, across +the grain. Do not undertake to make beef hams save in the late fall, so +there may be cold weather for the curing. The meat must be chilled +through before salt touches it, but freezing is very detrimental. Frozen +meat does not absorb the salt, sugar, etc., essential to proper curing. +By time it thaws so absorption becomes possible, there may have been +changes such as take place in cold storage, unfitting it for food. If +the beef ham is thick it may need to lie a month in salt or in brine. +Here as elsewhere, the element of judgment comes into play. + +If rabbits are very plenty and very fat, put down a jar of hindquarters +in marinade for three days, then wipe, and hang in a cold, dry place. A +rabbit ought to be dressed before it is cold--thus it escapes the strong +flavor which makes market rabbits often unendurable. Chill but do not +freeze after dressing. A light smoking does not hurt the quarters, which +should be left double, with the thick loin between. Soak two hours +before cooking, and smother with plenty of butter, black and red pepper +and a dash of pepper vinegar. An excellent breakfast or luncheon relish. + +To cook a fresh ham properly, choose one weighing ten pounds or less, +scrape and wash clean, score the skin, all over, then season well with +salt, sugar, black and red pepper, and dot with tabasco on top. Set on a +rack in a deep pan, pour boiling water underneath to barely touch the +meat, cover close, and bake in a hot oven for two hours, filling up the +water in the pan as it bakes away. Uncover, and cook for half an hour +longer, slacking heat one half, and basting the meat with the liquor in +the pan. If approved add a cup of cider or sound claret to the basting +liquor. Leave unbasted for ten minutes before taking up, so the skin may +be properly crisp. + + + + +[Illustration: _For Thirsty Souls_] + + +_Grandmother's Cherry Bounce_: Rinse a clean, empty whiskey barrel well +with cold water, drain, and fill with very ripe Morello cherries, mixed +with black wild cherries. One gallon wild cherries to five of Morellos +is about the proper proportion. Strew scantly through the cherries, +blade mace, whole cloves, allspice, a very little bruised ginger, and +grated nutmeg. Add to a full barrel of fruit twenty pounds of sugar--or +in the proportion of half a pound to the gallon of fruit. Cover the +fruit an inch deep with good corn whiskey, the older and milder the +better. Leave out the bung but cover the opening with lawn. Let stand +six months undisturbed in a dry, airy place, rather warm. Rack off into +a clean barrel, let stand six months longer, then bottle or put in +demijohns. This improves greatly with age up to the fifth year--after +that the change is unappreciable. + +_Grape Cider_: Fill a clean, tight, well-scalded barrel with ripe wild +grapes picked from their stems. Add spices if you like, but they can be +left out. Fill the vessel with new cider, the sweeter the better. There +should be room left to ferment. Cover the bung-hole with thin cloth and +let stand in dry air four to six months. Rack off and bottle. This also +improves with age. It is a drink to be used with caution--mild as May in +the mouth, but heady, and overcoming, especially to those unused to its +seductions. + +_Persimmon Beer_: The poor relation of champagne--with the advantage +that nobody is ever the worse for drinking it. To make it, take +full-ripe persimmons, the juicier the better, free them of stalks and +calyxes, then mash thoroughly, and add enough wheat bran or middlings +to make a stiffish dough. Form the dough into thin, flat cakes, which +bake crisp in a slow oven. When cold break them up in a clean barrel, +and fill it with filtered rainwater. A bushel of persimmons before +mashing will make a barrel of beer. Set the barrel upright, covered with +a thin cloth, in a warm, dry place, free of taints. Let stand until the +beer works--the persimmon cakes will rise and stand in a foamy mass on +top. After three to four weeks, either move the barrel to a cold place, +or rack off the beer into bottles or demijohns, tieing down the corks, +and keeping the bottled stuff very cool. The more meaty and flavorous +the persimmons, the richer will be the beer. Beware of putting in fruit +that has not felt the touch of frost, so retains a rough tang. A very +little of it will spoil a whole brewing of beer. If the beer is left +standing in the barrel a wooden cover should be laid over the cloth, +after it is done working. Fermentation can be hastened by putting in +with the persimmon cakes a slice of toast dipped in quick yeast. But if +the temperature is right, the beer will ferment itself. + +_Egg Nogg_: Have all ingredients, eggs, sugar, brandy, and whiskey, +thoroughly chilled before beginning, and work very, very quickly. Beat +the yolks of eighteen eggs very light with six cups of granulated sugar, +added a cup at a time. When frothy and pale yellow, beat in gradually +and alternately a glassful at a time, a quart of mellow old whiskey, and +a quart of real French brandy. Whip hard, then add the whites of the +eggs beaten till they stick to the dish. Grate nutmeg over the top, and +rub the rims of the serving glasses with lemon or orange rind cut into +the fruit. The glasses should be ice-cold, also the spoons. Fill +carefully so as not to slop the sides, and serve at once. + +If wanted for an early morning Christmas celebration, beat up yolks and +sugar the night before, stand on ice along with the liquor, and keep the +unbeaten whites likewise very cold. At morning freshen the yolks a +little, then add the liquor, and at last the whites newly frothed. This +is the only simon-pure Christmas egg nogg. Those who put into it milk, +cream, what not, especially rum, defile one of the finest among +Christmas delights. + +_White Egg Nogg_: For invalids, especially fever patients. Whip the +white of a new laid egg as stiff as possible with the least suspicion of +salt. Add to it three heaping spoonfuls of sterilized cream whipped +light, beat in two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, then add a gill of +the best French brandy. A variant is to omit the sugar and mix with the +frothed egg and cream more than a gill of vermouth, using French or +Italian, according to taste. + +_Apple Toddy_: Wash and core, but do not peel, six large, fair apples, +bake, covered, until tender through and through, put into an earthen +bowl and strew with cloves, mace, and bruised ginger, also six lumps of +Domino sugar for each apple. Pour over a quart of full-boiling water, +let stand covered fifteen minutes in a warm place. Then add a quart of +mellow whiskey, leave standing ten minutes longer, and keep warm. Serve +in big deep goblets, putting an apple or half of one in the bottom of +each, and filling with the liquor. Grate nutmeg on top just at the +minute of serving. + +_Hail Storm_: Mix equal quantities of clear ice, broken small, and the +best lump sugar. Cover the mixture fully with good brandy, put in a +shaker, shake hard five minutes, then pour into glasses, and serve with +a fresh mint leaf floating on top. + +_Mint Julep_: This requires the best of everything if you would have it +in perfection. Especially the mint and the whiskey or brandy. Choose +tender, quick-grown mint, leafy, not long-stalked and coarse, wash it +very clean, taking care not to bruise it in the least, and lay in a +clean cloth upon ice. Chill the spirits likewise. Put the sugar and +water in a clean fruit jar, and set on ice. Do this at least six hours +before serving so the sugar shall be fully dissolved. Four lumps to the +large goblet is about right--with half a gobletful of fresh cold water. +At serving time, rub a zest of lemon around the rim of each goblet--the +goblets must be well chilled--then half fill with the dissolved sugar, +add a tablespoonful of cracked ice, and stand sprigs of mint thickly all +around the rim. Set the goblets in the tray, then fill up with whiskey +or brandy or both, mixed--the mixture is best with brands that blend +smoothly. Drop in the middle a fresh ripe strawberry, or cherry, or +slice of red peach, and serve at once. Fruit can be left out without +harm to flavor--it is mainly for the satisfaction of the eye. But never +by any chance bruise the mint--it will give an acrid flavor "most +tolerable and not to be endured." To get the real old-time effect, serve +with spoons in the goblets rather than straws. In dipping and sipping +more of the mint-essence comes out--beside the clinking of the spoons is +nearly as refreshing as the tinkle of the ice. + +_Lemon Punch_: Bring a gallon of fresh water to a bubbling boil in a +wide kettle, and as it strikes full boil throw into it a tablespoonful +of tea--whatever brand you like best. Let boil one minute--no more, no +less, then strain, boiling hot, upon the juice and thin yellow peel of +twelve large or eighteen small lemons, along with two pounds of lump +sugar. Stir hard until the sugar is dissolved, then add a pint of rum. +Stand on ice twelve to twenty-four hours to blend and ripen. Put a small +block of clear ice in the punch bowl, pour in the punch, then add to it +either Maraschino cherries, or hulled small ripe strawberries, or +pineapple or bananas, peeled and cut in tiny dice--or a mixture of all +these. Serve in chilled punch cups, with after-dinner coffee spoons for +the fruit. The fruit can be left out, and the punch served with +sandwiches the same as iced tea. A wineglass of yellow chartreuse, added +just after the rum, is to many palates an improvement. So is a very +little peach or apricot brandy. + +_Punch à la Ruffle Shirts_: This recipe comes down from the epoch of +knee buckles and ruffled shirts, and is warranted to more than hold its +own with any other--even the so-famous "Artillery punch," beloved of +army and navy. To make it, scrub clean and pare thinly the yellow peel +of two dozen oranges and one dozen lemons. Put the pared peel in a deep +glass pitcher and cover it with one quart of brandy, one quart of old +whiskey, one generous pint of Jamaica rum, one tumbler of cherry bounce, +one tumbler of peach liqueur, or else a tumbler of "peach and honey," +Cover with cloth and let stand three days off ice to blend and ripen. +Meantime squeeze and strain the juice of the oranges and lemons upon +four pounds of best lump sugar, shred a large, very ripe pineapple fine +and put it with another pound of sugar in a separate vessel. Hull half a +gallon of ripe strawberries, cover them liberally with sugar and let +stand to extract the juice. Lacking strawberries, use ripe peaches, or +blackberries or even seeded cherries. Keep the fruit and sugar cool, but +not too cold--just so it will not sour. Upon the third morning strain +the juice of all fruits together, and mix thoroughly. Next make a gallon +of weak green tea, strain it boiling hot upon the liquor and the yellow +peel, stir well, then mix in the fruit juices and sugar, and let stand +uncovered until cool. Chill thoroughly, also chill the wine. Use +whatever sort you prefer--claret, sound and fruity, is good, so is +almost any homemade wine of the first class. American champagne pleases +some palates. But I advise rather claret, or good homemade grape wine. +Put into the punch bowl a block of clear ice, add equal measures of the +mixture and the wine. Let stand half an hour before serving. Put in at +the very last vichy, ice-cold. Thin strips of fresh cucumber peel add a +trifle to flavor and more to looks. + +The wine and mixture can be poured together into demijohns and kept for +months, provided they are kept cool. Since the making is rather +troublesome it is worth while to make the full quantity at once and keep +it on hand for emergencies. Commercial liqueurs can take the place of +the homemade ones here set forth. The result may not be quite so +distinctive, but will not be disappointing. Dry sherry is a good +substitute for cherry bounce, likewise apricot brandy, while vermouth or +chartreuse will answer for peach liqueur, which is unlikely to be in +hand unless you are a very old-fashioned housekeeper. + +_Peach Liqueur_: Peel a peck of very ripe, very juicy peaches, cut from +the seed, weigh, and pack down in earthen or agate ware with their own +weight in granulated sugar. Crack the seeds, take out the kernels, +blanche the same as almonds, and put to soak in a quart of brandy. Let +stand in sunshine to extract the flavor, a full day. Let the fruit and +sugar stand twenty-four hours, then put over fire in a preserving kettle +and simmer very slowly until the fruit is in rags, adding now and then +enough boiling water to make up for what cooks out. If spices are +approved, simmer with the fruit, a pinch of blade mace, some whole +cloves and half a dozen black pepper corns. This is optional. Strain +without pressing to avoid cloudiness, and mix the juice while still very +hot with the brandy and soaked kernels. Add brandy and kernels, also a +quart of whiskey--there should be a gallon of the fruit juice. Stir hard +so as to blend well. Let cool, and bottle or put in demijohns, taking +care to apportion the kernels equally. They will sink to the bottom, +but the liqueur will fatten on them, getting thereby a delicate almond +fragrance and flavor. + +_Strawberry Liqueur_: Wash, hull and mash two gallons of very ripe +strawberries, put over the fire, bring to a quick boil, skim clean, and +simmer for five minutes. Throw in a pint of boiling water, and strain as +for jelly. Measure the juice--for each pint take a pound of sugar, +return to the kettle, simmer fifteen minutes, skimming clean the while, +then take from the fire, measure, and to each quart add a pint of good +whiskey, or whiskey and brandy mixed. Bottle while still hot, and seal. +Small bottles are best. By adding spices to taste while the juice is +simmering you turn the liqueur into strawberry cordial. + +_Blackberry Cordial_: Pick over, wash and drain well half a bushel of +very ripe, but sound berries. Mash, add a very little cold water, and +simmer for half an hour, then strain and measure the juice. Put a pound +of sugar to each pint, and to each gallon, a teaspoon of cloves, the +same of allspice, a race of ginger well bruised, a tiny pod of Cayenne +pepper, and a half dozen black pepper corns. Tie the spices loosely in +very thin muslin so they may not be skimmed off. Skim away all froth, +and cook for an hour, keeping the kettle barely boiling. It should +reduce about one-half. Take from the fire and add spirits, either +whiskey or brandy, in the proportion of one to two--two pints cordial to +one of liquor. Let cool uncovered, bottle and cork tight--sealing is +unnecessary. Excellent for convalescents, especially children. To make +it almost a specific for bowel troubles, dig up, and wash clean, +dewberry roots, cut short, and boil in clear water, making a very strong +decoction. Add this to the cordial while still boiling, in proportion of +one to four. Then mix in the spirits. A quart of cordial can be thus +treated medicinally, and the rest kept for ordinary uses. + +_Blackberry Wine_: Pick, wash, and mash thoroughly, sound ripe berries, +pour upon each gallon a gallon of freshly-boiling water, and let stand +twenty-four hours. Strain, measure juice, allow three and one-half +pounds sugar to each gallon of it. Put into clean cask or jugs, do not +fill, but leave room for fermentation. Cover mouth or bung-hole with +thin cloth, and let stand in clean warm air for two months. Rack off +into clean vessels, throwing away the lees, and cork or cover close. Fit +for use in another month. Improves with age up to a year. + +_Strawberry Wine_: Mash thoroughly clean, hulled, very ripe berries, add +equal bulk of boiling water, let stand six hours, then strain. Put the +strained juice in a preserving kettle with two and a half pounds of +sugar to each gallon. Bring to a boil, skim clean, then pour into clean +vessels, close mouths with thin cloth, and let stand until fermentation +ceases. In a wet season the berries are likely to be so juicy, less +water is required--or more sugar necessary. + +_Gooseberry Wine_: Wash and drain dead-ripe gooseberries, mash them +thoroughly with a wooden pestle, and add their own bulk of boiling +water. Let stand thirty-six hours unless the weather is very warm--then +twenty-four will be long enough. Press out all the juice, even though it +runs muddy. Measure, and to each gallon add three pounds down-weight, of +the best lump sugar. Stir well, repeating every day for a week, then +cover with lawn and let stand till fermentation ceases. Cover tight then +and leave standing six weeks longer, so the wine may fatten on the lees. +Back off carefully, filtering the muddy part at the bottom through +several thicknesses of cheese cloth. Put in a clean vessel for two +months longer, then bottle and seal. If the bottles are laid on the +side, and the wine carefully decanted it will show a bright golden +yellow with much the translucence of topaz. It reaches perfection at a +year. Being rather heavy it is improved to many palates by adding +ice-cold vichy after it is in the glasses. + +_Grape Wine_: Pick from stems, wash, drain, and mash thoroughly, ripe +sound grapes. Add measure for measure of full-boiling water, and let +stand twelve hours. If very deep color is desired, and the grapes are +black, let stand twenty-four. Strain, measure juice, add to each gallon +three pounds of sugar, stir till dissolved, then put in a clean vessel, +filling it only three-parts, cover the mouth with lawn, and let stand in +clean warm air until fermentation ceases. Close tight then, and let +stand a month longer, then rack off, filter last runnings through triple +cheese cloth, bottle and cork tight. Keep where it is dark and warm, +rather than cool, but away from any sort of taints. + +_Muscadine Wine_: Troublesome, but worth the trouble. Wash dead-ripe +muscadines, and pop them one by one, out of the skins. Throw away the +skins, after squeezing all juice from them--if the pulp stood with them +their burning, musky taste would ruin it. Cover it with half its bulk of +boiling water. Let stand a day and night, then strain, and add to each +gallon of juice three pounds of white rock-candy. Stir every day until +the candy dissolves. Cover with cloth until it is through fermenting. +Back off, bottle immediately, and seal, or tie down the corks. The wine +in perfection is a pale pink, very clear, and of a peculiar but +indescribably delicious flavor. + +_Fruit Vinegars_: Any sort of acid fruit--as strawberries, raspberries, +gooseberries, currants, black or red, affords a refreshing drink. Pick, +wash, put over the fire to scald--when it has boiled a minute or two add +half as much cold water as fruit, and bring again to a boil. Skim clean, +take from fire and let stand till next day. Strain, then measure juice, +add two to three pounds sugar to the gallon, according to tartness +desired, put over the fire, and simmer for twenty minutes, skimming +clean. Boil in it spices most liked, tied up in thin muslin. If it seems +watery, boil another twenty minutes till the syrup shows rather rich, +then add, after taking from the fire, a quart of cider vinegar for each +gallon of syrup, mix well, bottle while still hot in small bottles, cork +and seal. Mixed half and half with ice water, or poured over finely +broken ice, or as a flavoring to tea, hot or cold, this is refreshing, +particularly in hot weather. Use in tea a spoonful to the cup or glass. + +_Boiled Cider_: Reduce new sweet cider one-half by gentle boiling, +skimming it clean as it boils, then bottle, putting a clove or two, a +grain of alspice and a blade of mace in each bottle. Cork, seal and keep +in a cool place. This is especially valuable for use in mincemeat, or +for flavoring sauces for nursery puddings. A variant is to add sugar +towards the last, enough to make a thinnish syrup, which is of itself a +good sauce for simple desserts. + + + + +[Illustration: _Paste, Pies, Puddings_] + + +_The Philosophy of Pie-Crust_: Pie-crust perfection depends on several +things--good flour, good fat, good handling, most especially good +baking. A hot oven, quick but not scorching, expands the air betwixt +layers of paste, and pops open the flour-grains, making them absorb the +fat as it melts, thereby growing crisp and relishful instead of hard and +tough. The lighter and drier the flour the better--in very damp weather +it is best oven-dried, then cooled before mixing. Shortening, whether +lard, butter, or clarified drippings, should be very cold--unless your +recipe demands that it be softened or melted. Milk or water used in +mixing ought to be likewise well chilled, unless the shortening is +soft--in that case match its temperature. The regular rule is half-pint +ice water to the pound of flour, using chilled shortening. If the fat is +semi-fluid the paste must be mixed softer, using say, three parts of a +pint to the pound. + +Baking powder or soda and cream tartar, or soda alone with sour cream or +buttermilk for wetting, makes crust light and short with less butter, +therefore is an economy. Genuine puff paste is requisite for the finest +tarts, pies, etc., etc., but light short crust answers admirably for +most things. Sift flour twice or even thrice for any sort of paste. Sift +soda or baking powder well through it, but not salt. Make the salt fine, +drop in the bottom of the mixing bowl, before the last sifting, and mix +lightly through the flour before adding the shortening. Rub in +shortening very lightly, using only the finger-tips--the palms melt or +soften it. Add milk or water, a little at a time, mixing it in with a +broad-bladed knife rather than the hands. Mix lightly--so the paste +barely sticks together. Put in first one-third of the shortening--this, +of course, for puff paste. Half a pound of butter or lard to the pound +of flour makes a very good paste, but to have it in full richness, use +three-quarters of a pound. Wash butter well to remove the salt, and +squeeze out water by wringing it in a well-floured cloth. If there is a +strong taste, or any trace of rancidity, wash well, kneading through and +through, in sweet milk, then rinse out the milk with cold water to which +a little borax has been added. Rinse again in clear cold water--this +should remove ill-flavor without injury to anybody's stomach. But be +very sure the last rinsing is thorough--borax, though wholly harmless, +adds nothing to digestibility. + +The end of the repeated rollings out and foldings demanded by real puff +paste is to enclose between the layers of paste as much air as possible. +Hence the chillings between rollings. Hence also the need of pinching +edges well together after foldings, and rolling always _from_ you, +never back and forth. Roll out paste into a long narrow strip after the +first mixing, divide the remaining shortening into three equal portions, +keep very cold, and as needed cut into small bits, which spread evenly +on top of the rolled paste, which must be lightly dredged with flour. +Fold in three evenly, one thickness on another, turn so the folded edges +may be to right and left while rolling, pinch the other edges well +together and roll again into a long strip, moving the rolling-pin always +from you. Repeat until all the butter is used, then set on ice for an +hour to harden. In baking beware opening the oven door until the paste +has risen fully and becomes slightly crusted over. + +Baking powder crust must not stand--the gas which aerates it begins +forming and escaping the minute it is wet up. It also requires a hot +oven and delicate handling. Half a pound of shortening and a teaspoon of +baking powder, to the pound of flour, mixed stiff or soft, according to +the consistency of the fat, properly handled and baked, make crust good +enough for anybody. + +_French Puff Paste_: This is like the famous little girl--either very +good indeed or horrid. Therefore beware undertaking it until you have +experience or the confidence of absolute ignorance for your help. Either +may take you on to success--when half-knowledge or half-confidence will +spell disaster. You need for it, two pounds, thrice sifted flour, two +pounds well-washed and very cold butter, four egg-yolks well chilled, +and half a pint, more or less, of ice water, also a saltspoon of fine +salt. Rub four ounces of butter lightly into the flour, shape the rest +into a flattish oblong and set on ice. Wet the flour with the egg-yolks +and water, adding them alternately, work smooth, handling as lightly as +possible, then roll out half an inch thick, dredge lightly with flour, +lay on the ball of cold butter, fold paste over it smoothly, flatten +lightly with strokes of the rolling-pin, then roll out as thin as +possible without making the butter break through. Fold again in three, +roll again, as thin as you can. Repeat folding and rolling, then set on +ice half an hour, folding in three. Roll and fold twice again, chill +again for twenty minutes, then give two more rolls and foldings. Chill +if possible before using. If all things have worked well you will have +crust that is an experience. + +_Every Day Pie Crust_: One pound flour, six ounces shortening--lard or +clarified dripping, pinch salt, half-pint ice water. Mix flour, salt and +water to a smooth dough, using a broad knife, roll out thin, spread with +a third of the fat, fold in three, roll out again, add another third of +fat, roll, add the last fat, roll again, fold and chill for ten minutes +before using. + +_Cobblers_: Make from any sort of fruit in season--peaches, apples, +cherries, plums or berries. Green gooseberries are inadvisable, through +being too tart and too tedious. Stone cherries, pare peaches or apples +and slice thin, halve plums if big enough, and remove stones--if not, +wash, drain well, and use whole. Line a skillet or deep pie pan--it must +be three inches deep at least, liberally with short crust, rolled +rather more than a quarter-inch thick. Fit well, then prick all over +with a blunt fork. Fill with the prepared fruit, put on an upper crust a +quarter-inch thick and plenty big enough, barely press the crust edges +together, prick well with a fork all over the top, and cook in a hot +oven half to three-quarters of an hour, according to size. Take up, +remove top crust, lay it inverted upon another plate, sweeten the hot +fruit liberally, adding if you like, a spoonful of brandy, adding also a +good lump of the best butter. Mix well through the fruit, then dip out +enough of it to make a thick layer over the top crust. Grate nutmeg over +apple pies, or strew on a little powdered cinnamon. A few blades of mace +baked with the fruit accent the apple flavor beautifully. Cherries take +kindly to brandy, but require less butter than either peaches or apples. +Give plums plenty of sugar with something over for the stones. Cook a +few stones with them for flavor, even if you take away the bulk. Do the +same with cherries, using, say, a dozen pits to the pie. + +Serve cobbler hot or cold. If hot, serve with it hard brandy sauce, made +by creaming together a cup of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, then +working in two tablespoonfuls of brandy or good whiskey. Right here is +perhaps the place to say once for all, good whiskey is far and away +better in anything than poor brandy. Thick sweet cream whipped or plain, +sets off cold cobbler wonderfully to the average palate. + +_Fried Pies_: To be perfect these must be made of sun-dried peaches, +very bright and sweet, but any sort of sound dried fruit will serve at a +pinch. Soak overnight after washing in three waters, simmer five hours +in the soaking water, with a plate to hold the fruit under, mash and +sweeten while hot, adding spices to taste--cinnamon, nutmeg and grated +lemon peel for apples, cloves and ginger--a bare zest--for peaches or +apricots. Roll out short paste into rounds the size of a small plate, +cover one-half with the fruit, fold over the empty half, pinch well +together around the edges, and fry in deep fat, blazing hot, to a rich +quick brown on both sides. Drain on paper napkins, sprinkling lightly +with sugar. Serve hot or cold. Most excellent for impromptu luncheons or +very late suppers--withal wholesome. A famous doctor said often of them, +"You would be only the better for eating an acre of them." + +_Green Apple Pie_: Take apples a little bigger than the thumb's end, cut +off stalks and nibs, and slice crosswise in three, dropping them in +water as sliced to save discoloration. Make a rich syrup--three cups +sugar, one cup water, to four cups sliced fruit. Boil and skim, throw in +the apples, with a blade or so of mace, and cook quickly until preserved +through. Either bake between crust in the common way, or bake crust +crisp after pricking well, and spread with the preserved fruit. Else +make into small turnovers, but bake instead of frying them--and be sure +the oven is hot enough to brown, but not to burn. Or you may make the +green apples into shortcake, putting fruit only between the layers of +crust, and serving with rich sauce or sweetened cream. + +_Lemon Custard_: (M. L. Williams.) Separate and beat very light, the +yolks and whites of six eggs. Beat into the yolks very smoothly one +pound of sugar, then half a pound of creamed butter. Mix well, then add +the beaten whites, followed by the strained juice and grated yellow peel +of two large or three small lemons. Beat five minutes longer, pour into +pans lined with puff paste, pop into a hot oven and bake to a bright +brown. Meringue can be added but is not necessary save for ornament. + +_Cream Pie_: (M. L. Williams.) Beat three eggs very light with a heaping +cup of sugar, add two cups sifted flour, mix smooth, then put in half a +cup of rich sour cream with half-teaspoon soda dissolved in it. Mix, put +instantly into shallow pans, bake in a quick oven and serve hot with or +without sauce. + +_Damson and Banana Tart_: (M. W. Watkins.) An heirloom in the relator's +family, coming down from English forebears. Line an agate or earthen +pie dish two to three inches deep, with very good crust, rolled thin, +but not stretched nor dragged. Cover it with bananas, sliced thin, +lengthwise, strew over three tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a pinch of +grated lemon peel. Sprinkle with a liqueur glass of rum or brandy or +whiskey, then put in a layer of preserved plums--damsons are best--along +with their juice. If there is room repeat the layers--bananas and plums +and seasoning. Cover with a crust rolled fairly thin, prick and bake +three-quarters of an hour in a moderately quick oven. Serve either hot +or cold, preferably hot, with this sauce. One egg beaten very light, +with a cupful of cream, a wineglass of rum, brandy or sherry, and a +larger glass of preserve syrup. Mix over hot water, stirring hard all +the time till it begins to thicken. It must not get too thick. + +_Amber Pie_: (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) Beat yolks of four eggs very light, +with two heaping cups sugar, large spoonful melted butter, rounding +teaspoon sifted flour, cup buttermilk, cup seeded raisins, teaspoon +cinnamon, pinch each of cloves, alspice and nutmeg, two whites of egg +beaten very stiff. Half bake crust, then pour in batter and cook slowly +until done. Cover with meringue made by beating two egg-whites with two +teaspoons cold water, a few grains of salt, and one cup sugar. Add sugar +gradually after eggs are very light. Use at once--it will fall by +standing. Let the meringue barely color in the oven. Serve hot or cold. + +_Jelly Pie_: (Louise Williams.) Beat the yolks of four eggs very light, +with a cup of sugar, three-quarters cup creamed butter, and a glass of +jelly, the tarter the better. Add a tablespoonful vanilla and a +dessert-spoonful of sifted cornmeal, then the whites of eggs beaten very +stiff. Bake in crusts--this makes two fat pies. Meringue is +optional--and unnecessary. + +_Cheese Cakes_: Beat until very light the yolks of twelve eggs with a +pound of sugar, add to them a tablespoonful cornstarch, then +three-quarters of a pound of butter, washed and creamed. Add also the +strained juice of two lemons, a teaspoonful lemon essence and a +teaspoonful vanilla. Set over boiling water and stir until all +ingredients blend--only thus can you dissolve granulated sugar, which is +best to use, lacking the old-fashioned live open-kettle brown. Keep over +the hot water, stirring well together as you fill the tart shells. They +must be lined with real puff paste, rolled very thin, and nicely fitted. +Set in broad shallow pans, after filling with the batter and bake in a +quick, but not scorching oven. A blanched almond, or bit of citron, or +half a pecan or walnut meat, may be put in each shell before filling. I +prefer though to add such frills by help of the frosting. To make it, +beat six egg-whites with a pinch of salt until they stick to the dish, +add to them a little at a time, three cups granulated sugar boiled with +a cup and a half of water, till it spins a thread. Keep the syrup +boiling while adding it. When it is all in, set the pan of frosting over +boiling water, add six drops lemon juice and beat until stiff enough to +hold shape. It must not touch the water, but have plenty of steam +rising underneath. Frost the tarts rather thickly, and stick either a +shred of citron, a quarter of Maraschino cherry, or half a nut in the +middle. If you like cocoanut flavor, strew freshly grated cocoanut over +while the frosting is soft--it ought to harden inside half an hour. Tiny +pink or green comfits stuck in the middle, or set in threes +triangularly, are very decorative. Indeed, there is no limit but taste +and invention to the manners of making beautiful these tarts. I rather +pride myself upon them, since they have been enthusiastically praised by +folk who have eaten all around the world, and set above the best of +French confections by a man ten years resident in Paris, whose wife is +held to be the most skilled amateur cook in New York. + +Grated cocoanut or raw grated apple stirred into the batter before +baking, varies the cheese cakes--and to some palates improves it. I +myself find nothing quite to equal the cheese cake of my +childhood--which had a full pound of butter to the pound of sugar, and +no frills of frosting, though strips of citron were often latticed over +the pans after the crust was in. Prick crust always very well before +filling--thus the tarts will be shapely instead of caricatures. + +_Sweet Potato Custard_: Boil tender two large or four medium sweet +potatoes, peel, free of strings, and mash fine. Add to the pulp half a +pound of creamed butter, mix well, then add gradually five cups sugar, +alternately with five whole eggs. Beat smooth, add the juice of three +lemons, a tablespoonful lemon essence, and a scant pint of very rich +milk. Use less milk if the potatoes are very soft. Beat smooth and pour +into pie pans lined with good crust. Bake brown in a quick oven, but do +not over-bake. Lest the proportion of sugar may seem excessive, let it +be said here that sweet potatoes require more sugar for sweetening than +anything save crabapples or green gooseberries. + +_Sweet Potato Pie_: Line a deep pie pan with short crust rolled a +quarter-inch thick, fill it with raw sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced +thin. Add to them, for a pan of medium size, three cups sugar, a cup of +butter, cut in bits, mace, cloves and nutmeg to taste, half a cup cold +water and half a cup good whiskey or sherry. Cover with a crust an +eighth-inch thick, prick well, also cut a tiny cross in middle, and bake +in a hot, but not scorching oven, three-quarters of an hour--a full hour +if the pan is large. Turning another pan, fitting the rim over, helps to +make the baking sure and even. Remove the cover pan ten minutes before +taking up. Serve hot. This requires no sauce. + +_Apple Custard_: Beat four eggs very light with three cups sugar, one +cup butter, cup and a half rich milk--the richer the better. Stir in at +the very last, one quart grated apple, flavor with nutmeg or vanilla, +and bake in crusts. If wanted richer, dot raisins seeded and soaked in +whiskey, or shred citron over the top before baking. + +_Molasses Pie_: (M. W. Watkins.) Cream well together one large cup +granulated sugar, and one heaping tablespoonful of butter, add when very +light the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, and a large cup of rich +molasses. Flavor with one teaspoonful grated nutmeg, then beat in, at +the very last, the whites of the eggs frothed as stiff as possible. Bake +in pans lined with rich crust until firm. Meringue can be added, but the +pies do not need it. + +_Mystery Pie_: (Louise Williams.) Beat separately very light, the yolks +and whites of four eggs. Beat with the yolks a cup and a half of sugar, +three heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, two teaspoonfuls mixed spices, +either beaten or powdered fine, one cup of tart dark jelly, one cup +blackberry jam, and one cup sweet milk. Add last of all the egg-whites, +mix in well, then pour in pans lined with rich paste, and bake until +firm. + +_Butter Scotch Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Beat light two egg-yolks with one +scant cup dark brown sugar, one tablespoonful creamed butter, and two +tablespoonfuls flour. Mix smooth, then add gradually one cup rich milk, +put in double boiler, and cook until thick. Let cool, flavor with +vanilla, then pour into rich crusts, previously well-baked, cover with +meringue made from the egg-whites, set in oven to harden, and serve hot +or cold. + +_Raspberry Cream Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Line a deepish pie pan with very +rich crust, spread the crust thickly with red raspberry jam, then pour +upon it raw, a custard made from two eggs beaten well with one cup of +milk, and one tablespoonful sugar. Bake until custard is well set, let +cool, and spread with whipped cream. Serve cold as possible. + +_Rhubarb Pie_: To a generous quart of rhubarb, peeled and cut up, put +three cups sugar, the pulp scooped from three sweet oranges, thin bits +of the yellow peel, two blades of mace broken small, and a scant +half-cup of cold water. Cover the pan and set for thirty minutes in a +hot oven--uncover then and cook for five minutes longer. The result is a +sweet excellent for many uses--as a sauce, as a substitute for +marmalade, as the foundation of pies, tarts, shortcakes, even as a +filling for layer cake. + +Make pies from it with two crusts, or with lattice crusts as usual. Make +it into tarts, into turnovers or put between hot buttered layers for a +hurry-up shortcake. But if you wish to know how excellent such rhubarb +can be, make it thus into meringue pies or tarts. Bake the crusts after +pricking them well, cover thinly with either good meringue or the +frosting directed for cheesecakes, let it harden, then at the minute of +serving cover with a thin layer of the prepared rhubarb--the meringue or +frosting will stay crisp until eaten if you work quickly enough. Young +unpeeled tender rhubarb gives a pink sauce--older stalks peeled furnish +a translucent green. Either is sufficiently decorative. They can be made +more so, if the tarts they appear on, have a cherry or preserved +strawberry dropped in the middle of them. + +_Banana Pie_: Line a deepish earthen pie dish with thin, very good +crust, fill it three parts with bananas, sliced crosswise very thin. +Cover them thickly with sugar, add the strained juice of a large lemon, +dot with bits of butter, put on a lattice crust, and bake in a quick +oven twenty-five minutes. + +_Banana Pudding_: Slice very thin, crosswise, three medium size bananas, +sprinkle thickly with sugar, then add to a batter made by beating up +four egg-yolks and two whites, with one cup crumbled rich stale cake, +half-cup sugar, cup very rich milk, and the juice of a large lemon. Mix +smooth, pour into a deep pudding dish, and bake in a quick oven, then +cover with meringue made from the egg-whites left out, beaten up with a +small pinch of salt, two teaspoons cold water, and six tablespoonfuls of +sugar. Return to the oven and let barely color. Serve hot or cold. + +_Sweet Potato Pudding_: Beat four eggs very light with four cups sugar +and one cup creamed butter. Add a cupful of very rich milk, mix smooth, +then add one pint of raw grated sweet potato. Mix well, pour into a deep +earthen dish and set in hot oven. As soon as a brown crust forms on top, +stir it down. Repeat this three times at least. Serve hot, with either +wine sauce or a rich sugar and butter sauce, flavored with lemon. It is +best not to flavor the pudding proper, so one may get undiminished the +zest of the brown crust stirred through it. + +_Poor Man's Pudding_: Take for each person to be served, a fresh egg, a +tablespoonful sifted flour, and half a cup very rich milk. Add a pinch +of salt for each six eggs. Separate the eggs, beating yolks and whites +very light. Mix yolks gradually with the flour and milk, taking care to +have no lumps. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites at the very last--if +the batter is too thick add a little more milk. Pour into a deep pan, +and bake in a quick oven. It must be taken up the moment it is done or +it will fall, and be ruined. Serve immediately, with a sauce made by +working together over hot water three cups sugar, one cup butter, half a +cup boiling water, cup fruit juice, wine or whiskey, with any flavoring +approved. The sauce cannot be made too rich, the pudding should be a +pale clear yellow, as light as a puff, and cutting easily with a spoon. +It is not "true to name" in these days of costly eggs, but deserved it +in the pioneer epoch which originated it. + +_Boiled Batter Pudding_: Make the same batter as above, only putting in +a teaspoonful baking powder. Stir well through it three cups seeded +raisins, wet in whiskey and very well floured. Tie up in a newly-scalded +floured pudding bag, pop in a kettle of boiling water, keep it full, +with more boiling water, and cook from an hour to an hour and a half, +according to size. Serve very hot with plenty of very rich sweet sauce +highly flavored, and be sure to warm your knife or spoon before cutting +into the pudding. + +_Apple Pudding_: (M. W. Watkins.) Core and peel half a dozen tart +apples, slice crosswise, put the slices in layers in a deep dish with +plenty of sugar, butter in reason, cinnamon and a very little water. +Pour over a batter made thus: one egg beaten light with half a cup +sugar, butter the size of a walnut, half a cup milk, pinch of salt, +flour enough to make thick enough for layer cake, with a teaspoonful +baking powder sifted through. Spread batter smooth, dot with bits of +butter on top, and bake in a brisk, but not scorching oven, half an +hour or longer if needed--the apples must be thoroughly cooked. Serve +hot or cold--preferably hot, with hard sauce or wine sauce. + +_Apple Dumplings_: Pare and core half a dozen tart apples, stick three +cloves in each, fill the core-spaces full of very sweet hard sauce, +stick a sliver of mace in the sauce, then set each apple on a round of +good short paste, and work the paste up over it, joining the edges neat +and trig. Set close in a pan just big enough, pour around a half cup of +sugar melted in a cup of water with a little butter and lemon juice. +Cover the pan and cook quickly until done--then uncover, brown, take up +and serve piping hot with a very rich hard sauce. + +_Crumb Pudding_: (Anne McVay.) Soak a cup of dry grated bread crumbs in +half a pint of milk until soft, add then the well-beaten yolks of two +eggs, half a cup sugar, tablespoonful butter, and another half-pint +milk. Flavor with lemon, vanilla or brandy, as preferred. Bake until +firm in a quick, but not scorching hot oven, cover with meringue made +from the egg-whites and half a cup of sugar. Barely color the meringue. +Let cool, and serve with either whipped or sweetened cream, or a fruit +sauce. Good without any sauce. + +_Blackberry Mush_: (Leslie Fox.) Wash after picking a quart of fresh, +very ripe blackberries, put them on with barely enough water to save +from burning, bring to a good boil, and skim clean, then add gradually +almost two pounds of flour, or cornstarch well wet with cold water, also +sugar to taste. Cook, stirring often till the mass looks thick and +glossy, pour into your pudding dish, let cool, chill thoroughly, and +serve with cream either plain, or whipped, or sweetened. + +_Peach Pudding_: Beat light one egg, with half a cup sugar, two +tablespoonfuls melted butter, three-quarters cup flour, one cup sour +cream, one teaspoon soda dissolved in one teaspoonful cold water, and +two cups very ripe peaches, peeled and sliced thin. Bake quickly and +serve when very hot with a rich hard or a wine sauce. + +_Ginger Pudding_: Beat three eggs very light with two cups sugar, a +large cup rich black molasses, three-quarters cup butter, creamed, +tablespoon ginger beaten fine. Half a cup rich sour cream, half a cup +boiling water with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, add flour enough to +make a thickish batter, pour into deep greased pan, and bake quickly. +Serve hot with rich sauce that is flavored with some orange juice and +peel. + +_Nesselrode Pudding_: (Mrs. H. Barker.) Boil together three cups sugar, +one cup water until the syrup ropes. Beat it boiling hot into the yolks +of six eggs previously beaten very light. Fold in the stiffly beaten +whites, then add box Cox's gelatine dissolved in warm water, one cup +raisins, seeded, steamed and soaked in sherry or whiskey, one cup of +nuts rolled small, else one cup of crumbled macaroons, or a cup of both +mixed. Finish with enough thick cream to make a full gallon, pack in +salt and ice, freeze and let stand long enough to ripen. + +_Thanksgiving Pudding_: (Mrs. J. O. Cook.) Beat light the yolks of four +eggs with one cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls creamed butter, and one cup +of stale cake crumbs, soaked in eight tablespoonfuls whiskey. Mix well, +then add one cup raisins, seeded and floured, one cup nut meats, cut +small. Beat smooth and bake until set, then cover with meringue. Serve +with whipped cream or any sauce preferred. Milk can take the place of +whiskey, and preserves replace raisins. + +_Real Christmas Pudding_: Toast a pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good +brown without burning, pour on them half a cup of strong, clear black +coffee, and let stand till soft. + +Beat six egg-yolks very light with two cups of yellow sugar and one of +creamed butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix very smooth. Meantime, +soak a cup of raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean currants, a cup +of shredded citron, a cup of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler of +sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy. Add the fruit +when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, putting in any surplus liquors. +Mix in gradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of cloves and +allspice, half a cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very +tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika. Beat smooth, then fold in the +stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately with a cup of browned flour. If +too thick to stir handily thin with a little milk or boiling water. Pour +into a clean pudding bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the pudding +to swell, put in a deep kettle of boiling water, and boil for five +hours, filling up the kettle as needed with boiling water so as not to +check the cooking. Make several days beforehand, and boil an extra hour +upon Christmas day. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce, +either fruit or wine flavored. + +_Pudding Sauce_: (Mrs. Barbara Clayton.) Beat together until very light, +one cup white sugar, one cup creamed butter, and the yolks of three +eggs. Beat the egg whites very stiff with another cup of sugar, add to +the yolks and butter, beat hard together, then put in double boiler and +cook until thick. Put two wineglasses of good whiskey in a bowl, pour +the hot sauce upon it, and whip hard until light. + + + + +[Illustration: _Creole Cookery_] + + +Exotics rarely flower in native splendor after transplanting. Milly was +the exception, proving the rule. Bred in New Orleans, steeped in its +atmosphere, its traditions, a cook of degree, and daughter of a cook to +whom, though past middle age, she paid the most reverent homage, she yet +kept her magic touch amid the crush and hurly-burly of New York town, +albeit she never grew acclimated nor even content. This in spite of a +mistress she adored--in virtue of having served her ten years down in +the home city. When at last Milly went back to her own, there was +wailing amongst all of us, who had eaten her cooking, but the mistress +smiled, rather sadly, to be sure, saying: "I could not beg her to +stay--she was so unhappy here." + +Milly never had quite a free hand--New York markets know not many things +familiar to those of the Crescent City. Notwithstanding, she was a +liberal education in blended flavors, in the delights, the surprises of +the Creole kitchen. Tall and slim, of a golden-brown complexion, neat to +the point of austerity, trim and self-contained, sight of her somehow +gave an added piquancy to her dishes. She did not make friends readily, +but the comradery of cooking induced her to more than tolerate me. "I +don't say I kin cook--but my mother can," she often told me--smiling +proudly the while, with the buzzing praises of _gourmets_ sounding in +her ears. She could never tell you how she made her ambrosial +dishes--but if you had my luck to be _persona gratis_ she could and did +show you, to the queen's taste. + +I shall write only whereof I know--not by any means a compend of Creole +cookery. Indeed, a lifetime is hardly enough to eat of all its +specially excellent dishes. It seems to me from this scant experience, +one general principle runs through all. It is the blending of +proportioned flavors, achieved through long and gentle cooking. Milly +said she let things "sob," a mistake I dare say, for the old-time "sod," +past participle of "seethe." But I by no means speak with authority--my +deduction is from the premise of fifty dinners, each it seemed to me +uniquely excellent. After this prelude come we to specific recipes. + +_Court Bouillon_: (Pronounced "Coubare.") Milly sighed for Redfish or +Red Snapper but made shift with halibut or any other firm fine-grained +fish perfectly fresh. Take three pounds of it, wash very clean, and cut +in six equal slices with a very sharp knife. There must be no rags and +tatters. Melt a heaping tablespoonful of lard in a deep kettle, add to +it gradually two tablespoonfuls flour, stirring hard so it shall not +burn. Throw into it a dozen pounded alspice, three sprigs each of thyme, +parsley, bay leaf and sweet marjoram chopped fine, one small clove of +garlic, one large onion also chopped fine, and either six large fresh +tomatoes, chopped small, or half a can--those from glass are best. Pour +in a large glass of claret, add a quart of boiling water, and bring all +to a very brisk boil. Cook for five minutes, then add salt and Cayenne +pepper to taste. Boil five minutes longer, then lay in the fish slices +one at a time, following them with the strained juice of a lemon. Boil +hard twenty minutes longer. Serve hot. + +To make _Court Bouillon a la Espagnole_, stir together as above, lard +and flour, taking care to have them smooth, add a large onion, six +tomatoes, clove of garlic, sprigs of sweet basil and thyme, all chopped +fine, along with two whole bay leaves. Brown all nicely, taking care not +to burn, then add a quart of boiling water, bring to a boil and cook two +or three minutes. Have six thick slices of fine, firm fresh fish, rub +them well over with salt and pepper, lay in a dish and pour over a large +cup of white wine boiling hot. Vinegar answers, but wine is better. Lay +the fish slices in the pot, handling carefully, add the wine, and +simmer until tender--about half an hour commonly. Take up carefully so +as not to break, lay in a deepish dish, remove bay leaves from the gravy +and pour over the fish. Finish with a garnish of sliced lemon, and serve +with either boiled rice or whole boiled potatoes. + +_Bouillabaisse_: While time endures New Orleans will plume itself upon +this dish which drew from Thackeray a world-famous tribute. "In New +Orleans you can eat a Bouillabaisse, the like of which was never eaten +in Marseilles or Paris." Which is much, very much, from the laureate of +Bouillabaisse, as native to Marseilles. The reason of superiority is not +far to seek--it lies in the excellence and flavor of the fish native to +the Gulf of Mexico. Lacking Pompano, Red Snapper, and Redfish, even +Milly could not quite do her knowledge justice. But she made shift with +what the market offered, choosing generally halibut, with fresh cod, or +bluefish, or sea trout. Two kinds of fish in equal quantity are +imperative. The better, finer and firmer the fish, the better the +Bouillabaisse. Cut each sort in six equal slices, saving trimmings, +heads, etc. Boil them in three pints of water, with a sliced onion, and +a bouquet of herbs, until reduced to one pint. Remove fish-heads and +herbs, then strain the stock, and set aside until needed. Meantime rub +the fish over very well with salt and pepper, then with a mixture made +by mincing very fine three bay leaves, three sprigs each of thyme and +parsley, three cloves of garlic, and six allspice pounded to powder. Rub +the mixture in well and thoroughly--here is the key to success. The +seasoning must go through and through the fish. Put into a very wide +pan, two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, heat it gently, add two mild +onions, chopped and let them cook a little without browning. Now lay in +the fish, slice by slice, so one slice does not touch another, cover the +pan, and let the slices smother for about ten minutes, turning them +once, so as to cook each side partly. Take up, lay separately in a large +dish, pour half a bottle of white wine into the pan, and stir hard. Add +six large, fresh tomatoes, sliced very thin, let boil a few minutes, +then half a lemon, also in very thin slices, and a pint of the fish +stock strained. Season well, with salt, pepper, and Cayenne--here the +palate is guide. Boil all together until reduced almost one half, then +lay in the fish slices, taking care they do not touch, and boil briskly +for five minutes. While the boiling goes on, chop fine a pinch of +saffron, put it in a small, deep dish, and mix smooth with a spoonful of +the boiling liquor. Dissolve the saffron very well, and when the fish +has cooked its allotted five minutes, spread the saffron on top of the +fish. Fry in butter as many slices of toast as you have slices of +fish--lay the fish on the toast, pour the sauce over it, and serve +immediately, very hot. + +_Shrimps_: The secret of cooking shrimps is to boil them properly--that +is to say in very salt water, almost brine. They take up salt only in +the boiling, and not so much then. To five quarts of very salt water add +a large bunch of celery, chopped, roots, leaves and all, two dozen +allspice, one dozen cloves, two blades of mace, a bouquet of herbs +chopped small, a pod of red pepper, and a seasoning of Cayenne. Boil +until the strength of herbs and seasoning is extracted, then throw in a +hundred shrimps--river shrimps are best--let boil hard ten minutes, take +from fire and allow the shrimps to cool in the brine. Serve as a relish +before dinner, on a bed of cracked ice, with a garnish of parsley. + +_Baked Shrimp_: Cut the eyes from a dozen large, meaty tomatoes, scoop +out the pulp, leaving the shells whole, then mix it with one hundred +shrimps boiled as directed and picked from their shells, one cup grated +bread crumbs or fine cracker crumbs, and one heaping tablespoon of +butter. Stew all together, seasoning with pepper and salt, fill the +tomato shells with the mixture, sift fine crumbs on top, dot with +butter, put in a pan, with a very little hot water in the bottom, and +bake until done in a quick but not scorching oven. + +_Shrimp Pie_: Boil and pick from shells one hundred shrimps, mix well +with two large slices stale bread free of crust, moistened with two +glasses white wine, and highly seasoned with salt, pepper, Cayenne, +nutmeg, mace, chopped thyme and parsley. Crisp the bread crusts, and +grate over the mixture after it is packed in a deep dish. Dot well with +butter, and bake in a hot oven. Serve with a sauce made by cooking +together a pint of boiled shrimps, a tablespoonful of butter, five +chopped tomatoes, a little celery, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, also +chopped. Cook three to four minutes, then add half a pint of oyster +liquor, boil up, and serve very hot. + +_Shrimp Salad_: Boil, and pick from shells--if large cut in half, +otherwise leave whole. Season well with salt and pepper, then mix well +with crisp celery, chopped fine with a very little onion. Heap in salad +dish, cover with a good mayonnaise, and garnish with sliced hard-boiled +eggs, sliced lemon, sliced beets, and celery tips. + +_Fried Soft-Shell Crabs_: Wash always in cold water--hot water spoils +the flavor. Remove all sand, also the sand-bag between the eyes, the +apron, and the spongy growths under the side points. Rinse well again in +cold water, and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Season a pint of rich +milk well with pepper and salt. Season the crabs also, lay them in the +milk, rubbing them so that it may impregnate them throughout. Take out, +roll in sifted flour, patting lightly as you roll, then shaking free of +loose flour. Have deep fat, very hot--it must be deep enough to swim the +crabs. Drop them in gently, fry to a delicate brown, skim out, drain on +hot spongy paper, and serve garnished with fried parsley, and sliced +lemon. Serve with Tartare sauce. + +_Daube: Otherwise Beef a la Mode_: Take five pounds good lean beef, rump +or top round, and lard it with a quarter pound salt pork or fat bacon, +cut in thin strips and season highly with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, +thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, all minced fine. Crowd in the seasoning +as well as the larding strips. Make the cuts for larding three to four +inches long. Cut two large, mild onions in quarters, and put into a +deep saucepan with a tablespoonful of lard, let them brown well, then +lay upon them the larded beef, cover, and let simmer very slowly till +well browned. When browned add five carrots and two turnips cut into +inch-squares, and two more onions chopped fine. Keep covered tight, and +simmer for ten minutes, then turn over the meat, and brown the other +side--it will take about ten minutes more. Then cover the meat with +boiling water, or weak stock, add a glass of sherry or Madeira, or even +claret, season with salt, black pepper, and Cayenne to taste, then cover +the pot tight, set it where it will barely simmer and let smother for +three hours. The meat should be very tender. Serve hot or cold. + +_Cold Daube a la Creole_: Lard, season, and cook, three pounds of rump +or round as above directed, but keep it simmering four hours instead of +three. Put into a deep dish rather large and pour over it a sauce made +thus: Put a two-pound veal steak and two well-cleaned pigsfeet, in a +pot with, four quarts of water, after seasoning them well with salt, +pepper and Cayenne. Add half a clove garlic, bay leaf, sprig thyme, one +onion, all minced fine, also two cloves pounded, and a glass of sherry +or Madeira. Keep boiling till the meat falls from the bones--take up +then, remove bones, mince the meat fine, season it highly and return to +the liquor, stirring it well through. Pour over the beef, let stand +uncovered in a very cool place to harden. Serve in very thin slices--it +will be like jelly. This is a cold-weather dish, as even an ice-box will +not harden the sauce properly in summer. + +_Grillades with Gravy_: Flatten by beating a good round steak, and cut +into four-inch-squares. Season the squares highly with salt, pepper, and +Cayenne. Put a heaping tablespoon of lard in a frying pan--as it melts, +add a chopped onion, a clove of garlic also chopped, and as these brown, +one tablespoonful of flour, stirring all smooth. Next add two sliced +tomatoes with their juice--when they brown, lay the grillades upon them. +Cover close, let them brown on one side, then turn and brown the other. +Then add half a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a cup of water. Stir well, +then set where it will simmer for half an hour. Fine for breakfast with +hominy or rice. + +Another way is to cook the grillades without garlic, and add to them +along with the tomatoes half a pint of tender okra well washed and +sliced. Or they can be fried brown, in clear fat, then put in a hot dish +over boiling water while a gravy is made of fresh fat, heated very hot, +and stirred about the pan to take up the brown meat essence, a chopped +onion, two sliced tomatoes, a tablespoonful flour, as much vinegar and +water. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Cayenne, boil ten to +twelve minutes and pour over the grillades. + +_Chicken Saute a la Creole_: Clean, singe and cut in joints two spring +chickens, dividing the breasts lengthwise, and cutting drumsticks from +thighs. Season well with salt and pepper. Melt in a frying pan two large +tablespoonfuls butter, add the chicken, and let it brown slowly for +five minutes. Have three large onions sliced thin--add them and let +brown but take care not to scorch in the least. Dredge in two +tablespoonfuls flour, and let it brown. Then put in half a dozen large +tomatoes peeled and sliced, let them brown but cook slowly, letting the +pan barely simmer. Add chopped parsley, thyme and bay leaf, also two +cloves of garlic finely minced, and if you have them, half a dozen sweet +green peppers, freed of seed and cut in shreds. Stir well, cover and let +smother for twenty minutes, stirring now and then, but keeping the pan +covered. Add a cup of consommé if in hand, otherwise a cup of boiling +water, cook very slowly a full half hour, seasoning to taste. After +seasoning, cook ten minutes longer. Serve very hot. + +_Roasted Quail_: Take six quail, fat, fresh and tender, pick, draw, +singe, and wipe with a damp cloth inside and out. Butter inside, and +sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly. Butter all over the outside, +truss, and bind around with a thin slice of fat bacon. Put a +tablespoonful of butter in the roasting pan, fit in the quail, and +roast in a hot oven twenty to thirty minutes, according to size. Put six +slices of hot buttered toast in a hot dish, and lay a quail on each. Add +half a spoonful of butter, a little boiling water, and the juice of a +lemon to the gravy in the pan, cook three to four minutes, stirring +well, strain, set back on stove to cook two minutes longer, then pour +evenly upon the breasts of the birds so it will soak in the toast. +Garnish with sliced lemon and watercress, and serve with green grape +jelly. If grape leaves are to be had, wrap the birds in them instead of +bacon, after preparing as directed, roast, take up on toast, garnish +with fresh young grape leaves, and serve with either spiced grapes or +grape jelly. + +_Creole French Dressing_: Put three tablespoonfuls of olive oil in a +deep, small bowl, add to it a saltspoon salt and half one of +pepper--more if taste approves. Add alternately drop by drop, a +teaspoonful of made mustard, and a tablespoonful vinegar. When well +mixed, add the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, mashed very smooth, and stir +until blended. Serve with lettuce, celery or potato salad. + +_Mayonnaise Dressing_: Chill a small bowl, also a fresh egg, and your +salad oil. Put the yolk of the egg in the bowl--which if it is summer, +should sit in cracked ice. Add drop by drop chilled oil, working it in +as you drop it. When you have added a spoonful begin dropping in lemon +juice, working it likewise into the yolk. It will harden the egg--stir +till very hard, then add more oil, drop by drop, working it in with a +fork. Repeat, until you have used the juice of half a lemon, and two +gills of oil. When the egg begins to curdle add salt and pepper to +taste--but do not put them in until the last. Keep and serve very cold. + +_Remoulade Dressing_: Put three hard boiled egg-yolks into a bowl, mash +smooth, add to them half a teaspoonful made mustard, one tablespoonful +Tarragon vinegar, with salt and Cayenne to taste. Next add, drop by +drop, three tablespoonfuls olive oil, after which put in the yolk of a +raw egg, and stir until light. Finish with the juice of half a lemon, +added very gradually. Much depends on the mixing--if hurried or +carelessly done, the sauce will curdle. This is standard for cold meat +of every sort, also heavy salads, and fish. + +_Drip Coffee_: Two things are essential--an absolutely clean urn, and +sound coffee, freshly parched, and ground neither too fine nor too +coarse. The water must be freshly boiled. Put a cup of ground coffee in +the strainer, pour upon it about two tablespoonfuls of boiling water, +let it stand until the water drips through and there is no more +bubbling, then pour on more water, but not too much, let it drip, +keeping both the strainer and the spout covered to prevent the loss of +aroma. Repeat until you have used almost five cups of water--this for +four cups of strained coffee, as the grounds hold part of the water. +Keep the pot hot while the dripping goes on, but never where the coffee +will boil. If it dyes the cups it is too strong, but beware of making +too weak. + +_Bruleau_: Put into the special bruleau bowl, which has its own brandy +ladle, three ladlefuls of brandy, along with the yellow peel of half an +orange, a dozen cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a few grains of alspice and +six lumps of sugar. Let stand several hours to extract the essential +oils. At serving time put in an extra ladleful of brandy for every +person to be served, and two lumps of domino sugar. Pour alcohol in the +tray underneath the bowl, light it, and stir the brandy back and forth +until it also catches from the flame below. Let burn two or three +minutes--if the lights have been extinguished as they should be, the +effect is beautifully spectral. After the three minutes pour in strong, +hot, clear, black coffee, a small cupful for each person, keep stirring +until the flame dies out, then serve literally blazing hot. This "burnt +water" known in more sophisticated regions as _Café Diabolique_, +originated in New Orleans, and is the consummate flowering of Creole +cookery. + + + + +[Illustration: _Cakes, Great and Small_] + + +The very queen among cake makers sums her secret of success in a +sentence: "The best of everything." Cake will never be better than the +things whereof it is made, no matter how skilled the maker. But it can +be, and too often is, dismally worse, thus involving a waste of heaven's +good gifts of sugar, butter, eggs, flour and flavors. Having the best at +hand, use it well. Isaac Walton's direction for the bait, "Use them as +though you loved them," applies here as many otherwheres. Unless you +love cake-making, not perhaps the work, but the results, you will never +excell greatly in the fine art. Better buy your cake, or hire the making +thereof, else swap work with some other person better gifted in this +special branch. + +Here are a few cardinal helps. Have the eggs very cold, butter soft but +not oily, flour dry and light--sun or oven-dry it in muggy weather. Sift +it three times for ordinary cakes, twice for tea cakes, and so on, four +to five times for very light things, sponge cake, angel's food, and +measure it before sifting, and don't forget the needed amount--then you +will be in no danger of putting in too much or too little. Always put a +pinch of fine salt in the bottom of the mixing bowl, which ought to be +freshly scalded and wiped very dry. A damp bowl clogs with either sugar +or flour, making the stirring much harder. Unless specifically directed +otherwise, separate the eggs, set the whites on ice till time to whip +them, beat the yolks very, very light--to a pale, frothy yellow, add the +sugar, free of lumps, a cupful at a time, then the butter washed and +beaten to a creamy froth, beat hard together for five minutes, then add +alternately the flour and the egg-whites beaten to the stiffest possible +froth. Add a pinch of salt as beating begins, and if the egg supply is +scant, a teaspoonful of cold water to each white. This will increase the +quantity, and help to make the cake lighter, as it is the air-bubbles +imprisoned in the froth which give it its raising virtue. Add fruit and +flavoring last thing. Fruit should be well floured but never clotted. If +batter appears to be too stiff a little whiskey thins it excellently, +and helps to make it lighter. Put in two tablespoonfuls to six eggs, +using more in proportion. Rose water or a liqueur have the same effect +but give their own flavor--which whiskey does not. + +If strong butter needs must be used, it can be mitigated to a degree, by +washing and kneading well in cold water barely dashed with chloride of +lime solution, then rinsing well in cold water, and afterward in sweet +milk. The milk may be half water. Rinse it out clean. Let the butter +soften well before undertaking to cream it. A stout, blunt wooden spoon +is the best for creaming, along with a deep bowl very narrow at the +bottom. Grease deep cake tins plentifully, with either lard or +butter--using only the best. For heavy cakes such as fruit, spice and +marble cake, line them with double thicknesses of buttered paper and +either set shallow pans of water in the oven while baking or stand the +pans themselves in other pans with a quarter inch of water in the +bottoms. If cakes brown too fast, open the oven door, a trifle, and lay +over the pan a thick, well buttered paper until the oven cools. Never +jar the oven while cake is baking in it--neither by banging the doors, +nor dumping heavy vessels on top of it. Beware likewise slamming kitchen +doors, or bumping things about in the room. Fine cake demands as many +virtues of omission as of commission. Indeed the don'ts are as essential +as the doings. + +Layer cakes need to be mixed thinner than deep ones. The batter must run +freely. Half fill the tins and set in a hot oven, taking care not to +scorch before rising is finished. Butter tins very freely--it is +economy in the end. Be sure the tins sit level in the oven--thus you +escape an ungainly final loaf. Get filling ready as baking goes forward +so as to put your layers together while still warm and pliable. Let cool +before frosting, so as to trim sides smooth. Take care fillings are not +too watery, also that they are mixed smooth. Spread evenly, and press +down a layer firmly all over, before putting filling on top. Layers +simplify greatly the problem of baking, but to my mind, no layer cake, +not even the famous Lady Baltimore, is equal to a fine deep loaf, well +frosted, and meltingly rich throughout. + +_Pound Cake_: (Aunt Polly Rives) Take ten fresh eggs, their weight in +fresh butter, white sugar, and thrice sifted flour. Separate the eggs, +beat yolks to a cream-yellow, add the sugar, cupful at a time, beat +hard, then the butter creamed to a froth, then half the flour, then two +wineglasses of whiskey or brandy or good sherry or rose water, beat hard +five minutes, then add the rest of the flour, taking care not to pack +it in the handling. Beat fifteen minutes longer, then fold in with long +strokes, the egg-whites beaten with a good pinch of salt until they +stick to the dish. Barely mix them through the batter, then pour it into +deep pans, or ovens, lined with double greased papers. The vessels also +must be well buttered. Bake with quick heat, letting the cake rise well +before browning. Slack heat when it is a very light brown, and cook +until a straw thrust to the bottom comes out clean. Turn out upon a +thick, folded cloth, cover with another thinner cloth, and let cool. +Frost when cool, either with the boiled frosting directed for +cheesecakes (See Chapter on Paste, Pies and Puddings) or with plain +frosting made thus. Beat three egg-whites well chilled to the stiffest +possible froth with a pinch of salt, and a very little cold water. Add +to them gradually when thus beaten a pound of sugar sifted with a +teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Mix very smooth, and apply with a +broad-bladed knife, dipping it now and then in cold water to keep the +frosting smooth. It should dry a quarter-inch thick and be delicious +eating. Frosted cake keeps fresh three times as long as that left naked. + +_Spice Cake_: Cream a coffee cup of well washed butter, with two cups +yellow sugar and one cup black molasses. Add to it one after the other, +seven egg-yolks, beating hard between. When all are in, add one +tablespoonful whiskey, or brandy, one teaspoonful grated chocolate, +teaspoonful each of powdered cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, and +cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, and half a saltspoonful of powdered black +pepper. Add also a pinch of salt, and the barest dusting of paprika. If +whiskey is for any reason disapproved, use strong, clear coffee instead, +putting in two spoonfuls, and leaving out the chocolate. Beat all +together hard for ten minutes, then add four scant cups flour browned in +the oven but not burned. Sift after browning, adding to it two +teaspoonfuls baking powder. Beat hard five minutes after the flour is +all in, then pour in a deep, well greased pan, lined with buttered +paper, let rise ten minutes with the oven door open, then bake in quick +heat until done through. + +_Marble Cake_: Make up egg-yolks into spice cake, beat the whites very +light, and add them to three cups of sifted sugar, beaten smooth in a +large cup of creamed butter. Put in a wineglass of whiskey or brandy, +then add three cups and a half flour sifted three times with a heaping +teaspoonful baking powder. Put the light and dark batter by alternate +spoonfuls in pans well buttered and papered, let rise and bake the same +as spice cake. Else bake the light and dark batter in layers, put +together with any good filling, and frost with caramel frosting. + +_Real Gold Cake_: Beat very light the yolks of sixteen eggs, with a full +pound of yellow sugar, and a scant pound of creamed butter. Add a cup of +rich sour cream with a teaspoonful soda dissolved in it. Or if you like +better put in the cream _solus_, and add the soda dissolved in a +teaspoonful of boiling water at the very last. This makes lighter cake +so is worth the extra trouble. Flavor to taste--grated lemon rind is +good. Add gradually four cups flour sifted three times at least. Beat +hard for ten minutes, then bake in well-greased pans, lined with +buttered paper, until well done, let cool partly in the pans, then turn +out, dust lightly with flour or corn starch and frost. + +_Real Silver Cake_: Wash and cream to a froth a pound of fresh butter, +work into it a pound of sifted sugar, and a pound of flour, sifted +thrice with a teaspoonful of baking powder. Add flavoring--vanilla, +lemon or rose water, following it with a wineglass of whiskey. Then fold +in the whites of sixteen eggs beaten with a pinch of salt to the +stiffest possible froth. If the batter looks too thick add half a cup +sweet cream--this will depend on the size of the eggs and the dryness of +the flour. Bake in deep pans, else in layers. By baking gold and silver +batter in layers, and alternating them you can have a fine marble cake. +Or by coloring half the white batter pink with vegetable color to be had +from any confectioner, you can have rose-marble cake. This should be +iced with pink frosting else with plain white, then dotted over with +pink. Very decorative for birthday parties or afternoon teas. + +_Christmas Cake_: Prepare fruit first. Cut small half a pound of +homemade citron drained from syrup, wash and seed one pound raisins, +pick, wash and dry one pound currants, mince a teacup of any firm +preserve--quince, peach or pear, or use a cupful of preserved cherries +whole. Shred fine four ounces of homemade candied peel, also four ounces +of preserved ginger, add a cupful of nutmeats--pecans or English +walnuts, or even scalybarks, cutting them in bits, mix all well +together, then pour upon them the strained juice of three oranges, and +three lemons, also add the grated yellow peel. Next pour on half a pint +of whiskey, a gill of rum, and a tumbler of cordial--peach or +blackberry, and homemade if possible. Let stand overnight, in a warm +place--the fruit should take up the most part of the liquor. A glass of +tart jelly is held an improvement by some. I do not put it in--the +preserves suit my palate better. Cream a full pound of butter with four +cups sifted sugar, beat into it one at a time, ten large fresh eggs. +After them put in four cups dried and sifted flour, mix smooth, then put +in the fruit, drained from the liquor and lightly dredged with hot, +sifted flour. Mix well, then add the liquor drained from the fruit, +along with a tablespoonful of lemon essence, and as much vanilla or rose +water. If the batter is too stiff to stir well, thin with either a +little sweet cream or boiling water, or cordial. Pour into pans buttered +and lined with five thicknesses of buttered paper, set the pans in other +pans of hot water inside a warm but not brisk oven, shield the tops with +double paper, and let rise half an hour. Increase heat then, but the +baking must be slow. Four to five hours is required, according to the +size of pans. Keep covered until the last half hour--then the heat may +be sensibly increased. Test with straws--when they come out clean, take +up, set pans on racks, cover with thick cloth and let cool thoroughly. +Frost next day, with either plain or boiled frosting. By baking the +cake in rather small square molds, set close in a larger pan, the +squares can be cut without waste and frosted to make individual cakes. + +_White Layer Cake_: (Mrs. George H. Patch.) Sift two teaspoonfuls baking +powder through three and a half cups flour, measured before sifting. +Cream a cup of butter with two and one half cups sugar, add a cup of +rich milk, beat hard, then add gradually the flour, following it with +the whites of seven eggs beaten very stiff with a small pinch of salt. +Fold in lightly, and bake in three layers. Put together with orange +filling, or frosting made thick with nuts and minced figs. + +_German Coffee Cake_: (Mrs. T. G. Petre.) Beat six fresh eggs very light +with one pound of sugar, and one pound flour. Add the peel of a lemon +grated, and one yeast cake dissolved in a little hot milk or water. Let +stand till very light, then roll into sheets one inch thick, spread them +thickly with melted butter--half a pound will be required, sprinkle with +two ounces bitter almonds blanched and shredded fine, mixed with four +ounces sugar, and a teaspoonful powdered cinnamon. Let rise again, and +bake in a moderate oven. Good hot or cold. + +_Cream Cake_: (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream together very light two cups butter, +three cups sugar, one cup sweet cream. Add gradually four cups flour +sifted with one teaspoonful baking powder, then fold in the whites of +fourteen eggs beaten very stiff with a pinch of salt. Flavor with bitter +almonds, bake in loaves or layers, and frost with pink icing, flavored +with rose water. + +_Sponge Cake_: Beat very light the yolks of seven eggs with three cups +sifted sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add to them gradually a cup of hot +water, then three scant cups flour sifted thrice with two teaspoonfuls +baking powder. Fold in last the stiffly beaten white of the eggs, pour +into greased pans, and bake in a quick oven. The batter must not be too +thin. If the eggs are large only half a cup of water may be requisite. +Flavor with vanilla, putting orange or lemon in the frosting. + +_White Sponge Cake_: Beat very stiff six egg-whites, add to them +gradually a cup of sugar, and a cup of flour sifted twice with a +teaspoonful of baking powder. Do not forget a tiny pinch of salt in the +eggs. + +_Angel's Food_: Beat to a stiff froth with a pinch of salt, the whites +of eleven eggs. Mix in gradually a cup and a half of powdered sugar, +then add a cup of flour sifted twice with a teaspoonful cream of tartar. +Mix smooth, add the strained juice of half a lemon, pour into a smooth, +ungreased pan, bake in a moderate oven half an hour, take up, turn pan +upside down on a cloth and let stand till the cake falls out. + +_Chocolate Cake_: Sift together two cups flour, one cup corn starch, and +two teaspoonfuls baking powder, add to a cup of butter, creamed light +with two cups sugar and one cup sweet cream. Add the stiffly beaten +whites of seven eggs, flavor with vanilla, and bake in layers. For the +filling boil together to a thick syrup, three cups sugar, one cup water, +and half a cake of grated chocolate. Pour upon three egg-whites beaten +very stiff, flavor with vanilla or bitter almond, and spread between +layers. + +_Orange Cake_: Cream a cup of butter with two cups sugar, beat into it a +cup of cold water, then add four cups flour thrice sifted with two +teaspoonfuls baking powder, alternate the flour with three well-beaten +eggs. Flavor to taste, bake in layers, and put together with orange +frosting made thus. Cook together till it threads the strained juice, +and grated yellow peel of a large sweet orange with one cup sugar, then +beat the hot syrup into two egg-whites whipped as stiff as possible. +Beat smooth and spread while hot. + +_Dream Cakes_: Cream well half a cup butter, add a cup and a half of +sugar, half a cup cold water, two cups flour sifted twice with two +teaspoonfuls baking powder, a teaspoonful lemon extract, and the stiffly +beaten whites of six eggs. Bake in small shapes, frost, with boiled +frosting, and ornament with tiny pink candies. + +_Shrewsbury Cakes_: This receipt with two that follow, comes down from: +"The spacious days of great Elizabeth." They are given verbatim, from +the original version, as it seems to me the flavor of the language must +add to the flavor of the cakes. "Mix half a pound of butter, well beat +like cream, with the same weight of flour, one egg, six ounces of beaten +and sifted loaf sugar, and half an ounce of caraway seed. Form these +into a paste, roll them thin, and lay them in sheets of tin, then bake +them in a slow oven." + +_Queen Cakes_: "Take a pound of sugar, beat and sift it, a pound of well +dried flour, a pound of butter, eight eggs, and half a pound of +currants, washed and picked; grate a nutmeg and an equal quantity of +mace and cinnamon, work the butter to a cream, put in the sugar, beat +the whites of the eggs twenty minutes and mix them with the butter and +sugar. Then beat the yolks for half an hour, and put them to the butter. +Beat the whole together and when it is ready for the oven, put in the +flour, spices and currants, sift a little sugar over them, and bake them +in tins." + +_Banbury Cakes_: "Take a pound of dough, made for white bread, roll it +out and put bits of butter upon the same as for puff paste, till a pound +of the same has been worked in; roll it out very thin, then cut it into +bits of an oval size, according as the cakes are wanted. Mix some good +moist sugar with a little brandy, sufficient to wet it, then mix some +clean-washed currants with the former, put a little upon each bit of +paste, close them up, and put the side that is closed next the tin they +are to be baked upon. Lay them separate, and bake them moderately, and +afterward, when taken out, sift sugar over them. Some candied peel may +be added, or a few drops essence of lemon." + +_Oatmeal Cookies_: (Mrs. T. G. Petre.) Beat together until creamy, one +egg, half cup sugar, third cup butter, third teaspoonful soda mixed with +one cup sifted pastry flour, half teaspoonful each of salt and cinnamon, +then add one cup rolled oatmeal, half cup each of shredded nuts and +raisins. Mix well, drop on greased tin, and bake in a slow oven. Do not +let the stiffness of the dough induce you to add milk or water. + +_Tea Cakes_: (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream together a cup and a half of butter, +and two cups and a half of sugar, add to five eggs beaten very light, +mix well, then add a cup and a half of buttermilk with a small +teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Pour upon flour enough to make a +soft dough, flavor with nutmeg, roll out a quarter-inch thick, cut with +a small, round cutter, and bake in a quick but not scorching oven. + +_Tea Cakes_: (M. L. Williams.) Beat five eggs very light, with five cups +of sugar, a heaping cup of lard, well creamed, and two cupfuls of sour +milk, with a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Mix through enough +flour to make a soft dough, roll half an inch thick, cut out and bake in +a quick oven. + +_Plain Soft Gingerbread_: Dissolve a desert spoonful of soda in a cup of +boiling water, add to it a cup of rich molasses, along with three +tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Mix well through two and and one half +cups sifted flour, add ground ginger and alspice to taste, and bake in a +moderate oven. + +_Mammy's Ginger Cakes_: Beat four eggs very light with a good pinch of +salt and a cup of coffee sugar. Add three cups of rich molasses, and a +cup of boiling water with two teaspoonfuls soda dissolved in it. Mix +well in two tablespoonfuls pounded ginger. Sift five pints of flour with +a teaspoonful of salt, rub into it lightly two cups sweet lard, then add +the molasses mixture and knead to a firm dough, adding more flour if +needed or, if too stiff, a little sweet milk. Roll out half an inch +thick, cut into big squares, bake in a quick oven, and brush over the +tops while blazing hot a little butter, molasses and boiling water. Let +stand in a warm place until dry. These might properly be called First +Monday Ginger Cakes, since our Mammy made them to sell upon that day to +the crowds which came to court, thereby turning many an honest fip or +picayune. + +_Family Gingerbread_: Cup and a half dark molasses, half cup sugar, +small cup melted lard, cup boiling water with teaspoonful soda dissolved +in it, pinch of salt, sifted flour enough to make rather stiffer than +pound cake batter. Spices to taste--ginger, allspice, nutmeg, all in +powder, is a good mixture. Bake rather quickly. + +_Solid Chocolate Cake_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Cream together one cup butter, +two of sugar, add six egg-yolks beaten light, then add alternately one +cup sour milk with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, and three cups sifted +flour. Fold in egg-whites stiffly beaten then add half cake Baker's +chocolate melted, and three teaspoonfuls vanilla. Stir hard a minute, +pour in deep, well greased pan, and bake in moderate oven. + +_Coffee Cake_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Beat together until light, one egg, one +cup sugar, butter the size of a large egg. Add alternately one cup milk, +and two cups flour with two teaspoonfuls baking powder sifted in it. +Put in pan, and sprinkle thickly all over top with sugar and powdered +cinnamon. Bake rather quickly but do not scorch. + +_Fig Pudding_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) One pound figs, half pound suet, six +eggs, two cups sugar, three cups biscuit crumbs. Run figs, suet and +crumbs through grinder, beat eggs very light, add other ingredients, +beat again, and steam or boil in buttered mold, tied in well scalded +bag, four hours. Serve hot with this sauce. Beat to a light cream, one +cup butter with two cups sugar. Add two eggs very well beaten, then +gradually two tablespoons vinegar and one of vanilla. Cook a long time +in double boiler, stirring constantly, or it will not be smooth. Keep +hot until served. + +_Thin Ginger Snaps_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Mix a cup of melted lard well +through two of molasses, add a pinch of salt, spices to taste, and +enough flour to make a soft batter. Drop by small spoonfuls on a +well-greased baking sheet, and cook in quick oven. + +_Measure Pound Cake_: (Leslie Fox.) Cream well together, one cup butter, +one and three-quarter cups sugar, when very light, drop in an egg-yolk +unbeaten, beat hard, put in another yolk, beat again hard, then another, +and repeat the hard beating. When very light add alternately two and +one-half cups flour, and one cup milk, mix well, then add half a cup +flour sifted three times with three even teaspoonfuls baking powder. +Follow this with the egg-whites beaten stiff. Flavor with brandy--a +tablespoonful and a half. Bake in a moderate oven about an hour. Serve +with any approved pudding sauce, or use as other cake. Nearly as good as +the pound cake of our grandmothers. + +_Kisses_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Add to four fresh egg-whites unbeaten, a tiny +pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls water, and three cups fine sugar. Beat +hard for at least half an hour--until the mixture is smooth and stiff. +Drop from point of spoon upon buttered paper, and harden in an oven cool +enough not to color. + + + + +[Illustration: _Meat, Poultry, Game, Eggs_] + + +_Barbecued Lamb_: The middle piece, known to butchers as "the bracelet," +is best for barbecuing. Have it split down the backbone, and the +rib-ends neatly trimmed, also the ribs proper, broken about midway, but +not quite through. Wash clean, wipe dry, rub over well with salt, then +prick in tiny gashes with a sharp-pointed knife, and rub in well black +pepper, paprika, a very little dry mustard, then dash lightly with +tabasco. Put a low rack in the bottom of a deep narrowish pan, set the +meat upon it, letting only the backbone and rib-ends touch the rack. +This puts it in a sort of Gothic arch. Keep it so throughout the +cooking. Put a cupful of water underneath--it must not touch the meat. +Have the oven very hot, but not scorching--should it scorch in the least +turn another pan over the meat for the first hour of cooking. Add more +water as the first boils away, but do not baste the meat--the water is +merely to keep it from getting too hard. Roast till the fat is crisped +and brown throughout, the lean very tender. Take up on a broad, hot +dish, and in serving cut along the ribs, so as to let each portion +include the whole length of them, as well as part of the backbone. Serve +with a sauce, of melted butter, mixed with equal quantity of strong +vinegar, boiling hot, made thick with red and black pepper, minced +cucumber pickle, and a bare dash of onion juice. This is as near an +approach to a real barbecue, which is cooked over live coals in the +bottom of a trench, as a civilized kitchen can supply. + +The middling of a pig weighing less than a hundred pounds, well +scraped, washed clean, and likewise roasted on a rack after seasoning it +well, makes a fine dish. The sauce for it should include minced green +peppers, instead of cucumbers. If you happen to have a pepper mango, cut +it fine, and let it stand in the hot sauce ten minutes before serving. + +_Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions_: Fry crisp a pound of streaky bacon, +take up and keep warm. Make the fat bubble all over, lay in it a steak, +wiped clean, seasoned with salt and pepper, and dredged lightly with +flour. Sear it well on both sides--take from the fat, lay on broiler, +and cook for ten minutes, turning once. Serve thus if you like it +rare--if contrariwise you want it well done, set the steak on a rack or +broiler in a hot oven, and let it cook there for fifteen to twenty +minutes, according to thickness. Meantime dredge more flour into the +fat, let it brown a minute, then lay in large, mild onions thinly +sliced. Fry to a light brown, and serve around the steak. Serve the +gravy separately, adding to it just before taking up, a little hot +water, and shaking the pan well. This may be varied by frying with the +onions or instead of them, sliced tomatoes, and green peppers finely +shredded. Or cut large, very meaty tomatoes, unpeeled, into thick +slices, pour off the gravy, lay them in the hot, greasy pan, season well +with pepper and salt, and cook five minutes, turning them and seasoning +the other side. Lay the bacon on the tomatoes--otherwise put it around +the steak outside the onions. + +_Boned Fresh Ham_: It had better not be too big--ten pounds is about the +limit. Have the bone removed, but do not throw it away. Instead break it +in pieces and boil them three hours in water to barely cover. Wipe the +ham well inside and out, rub the inside over lightly with butter, season +with salt and pepper, and pour in a little vinegar. Rub salt well over +the outside and let stand on ice several hours. Make a stuffing of +grated breadcrumbs, with minced pork fat, a sprig of celery chopped +fine, half an apple, also chopped fine, salt, pepper, paprika, a pinch +of sage in powder, and the least shred of thyme and lemon peel. A +chestnut stuffing can be used, or one whose foundation is grated sweet +potato. Fill the bone cavity, firmly but not too full, skewer or sew +together the cut edges, and tie around twice with narrow tape. Turn +over, score the skin well, rub it with soft butter or bacon fat, dredge +lightly with flour, then with black and red pepper, also lightly with +sugar, and lay on a low rack in a pan. Fill in sweet cider, or sound +claret till it stands halfway up to the ham, cover with a close-fitting +upper pan, and put into a hot oven. Cook for two hours, lifting the pan +now and then, and basting the meat. Uncover, and make very, very crisp. +Serve on a hot dish, with candied sweet potatoes laid around. Add +boiling water to the liquor in the pan, shake it well about, and pour +into a gravy boat. Or pour off the grease, add a sprinkle of flour, let +it brown on top the stove, and put to it the strained liquor the bone +was boiled in. Cook three minutes, and serve in the gravy boat. If the +bone liquor is not used this way, make it the foundation of pea or +cabbage soup. In carving cut through and through so as to serve the +stuffing with each portion. + +_Roast Beef_: Scrape and wash clean, wipe dry, sear cut sides well, +either in bubbling fat, or under gas flame, set on a small rack in a +deep pan, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, dredge on flour scantly, +pour water underneath till it stands half an inch deep, cover close, set +in a hot oven and cook until tender. Basting will not be needed until +the pan is uncovered--then add a little more water, boiling hot, baste +thoroughly, return to oven, and brown. If you like, add sliced tomatoes, +minced onions, shredded green peppers, carrots cut small, and very +tender green peas after uncovering--they will cook while the meat is +browning, and can be served all together in a separate dish. + +_Pot Roast_: Wash and dry, then brown lightly all over in hot bacon fat, +and lay upon a small rack in the bottom of a deep pot, seasoning well +with salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour on a little Cayenne, vinegar, add a +spoonful of hot fat, then pour in enough boiling water to come half way +up the meat, cover tight, and simmer until tender. An hour before +serving time, put any sort of vegetables approved, or at hand, carrots, +sliced, peas, string beans, lima beans, potatoes in thick slices, into +the browning fat, let them cook five to ten minutes, sprinkling them +well with salt and pepper, then skim out of the fat, and add to the pot, +along with a cupful more boiling water. Simmer until the water is all +gone, and the meat is brown. Take up, lay vegetables around the meat, or +make a bed of them for it, add a little more hot water to the pot, stir +well over the fire till it takes up the meat essence, then pour it over +meat and vegetables, else serve in a gravy boat. + +_Leg of Mutton in Blanket_: Make deep, narrow gashes in the thick end of +a clean leg of mutton, crowd into them a mixed seasoning, salt, red and +black pepper, minced onion, a little dry mustard, and powdered herbs. +Brush all over with melted butter, or soft bacon fat, then sprinkle +lightly with salt, set on a rack in a roasting pan, and pop into a very +hot oven. Let it brown--then rub over it any tart jelly melted in a +little hot water, and envelop it in a crust of flour and water, made +very stiff, and rolled half an inch thick. Pinch the edges tight +together, lay back in the pan, cover it, and bake in a hot oven. Take +up, break the blanket carefully on top, lift out the meat, and pour the +gravy from the envelop into a small sauce pan, add to it either hot +claret, or a spoonful of tart jelly, along with tabasco or Worcester +sauce, boil up, and serve in a boat. Tomato or walnut catsup may be used +for flavoring. Indeed one sometimes finds opportunity a close second to +inspiration. + +_The Preparation of Poultry and Game_: Pick carefully, draw and singe +every manner of poultry and feathered game, wash clean, quickly, in cold +water, never hot, drain, then wipe as dry as possible with a soft, +thick, damp cloth--it takes up moisture cleaner than a dry one. Keep +very cold and away from smells until ready to cook. Tilt roasting fowls, +so they may drain, if liquid gathers. Before stuffing rub over the +whole inside lightly with soft butter or bacon fat, pepper it scantly, +and rub on a very little salt. Grease and season the outside after +stuffing is done,--never before it. If game is shot-torn, soak for ten +minutes in weak salt water after plucking, rinse in cold salt water, +wipe dry and drain. + +Furred game, as rabbits, squirrels, possums, ought to be drawn before it +is cold, if you would have the finest flavor. This is especially +necessary with possums--which should be bought alive, and fattened for +several weeks in a clean cage, feeding them on bread, milk, apples, +potatoes, cabbage leaves, and grass. This makes them tender and much +more delicate in flavor. Kill by dislocating the neck with a quick, +upward jerk, then cut the throat and hang to bleed. Roll after dampening +fur well in very hot embers--then scrape the same as a pig, draw, and +hang to cool. Divide the skin of rabbits and squirrels around the +middle, and pull off each half, the same as a kid glove. Thus no hairs +stick on the clean flesh. Draw very quickly, wipe lightly with a damp +cloth, and hang where it is cool and airy for at least an hour. + +_Roast Turkey_: Make a stuffing of stale bread. Cut the crusts from a +small loaf, grate the crumb, brown crusts crisp, crush, sift and mix +well with the gratings. Shred finely through it four ounces fresh suet, +and a lump of butter the size of an egg. Add a tiny heart of celery cut +small, half a tart apple also cut fine, two dozen fat raisins, seeded, +halved, and soaked for twelve hours in whiskey to cover, salt, pepper, +and paprika to taste. Mix well, stuff the turkey but not too tight. Put +a handful in the crop space, and fasten the skin neatly over. Truss your +turkey firmly, rub all over with soft fat, then sprinkle with salt and +pepper, and set upon a rack in a deep roasting pan, pour half an inch of +water in the bottom, cover tight, put in a hot oven, and roast for an +hour, then slack heat and finish. The turkey will brown thus covered, +and be tenderer and sweeter than if crisped uncovered. The pan will +hold gravy better than can be made otherwise. + +Roast chickens or capons in exactly the same way. Geese need to be +roasted more slowly and to have a seasoning of sage, onion, and tart +apple in the stuffing, instead of raisins. The dry stuffing takes up the +juices of the fowl, and is much more flavorous, and less pasty than that +which is wet before use. + +_Guinea Hen in Casserole_: Stick six cloves in a cored and pared apple, +thrust a heart of celery in the core space, then fit it inside a guinea +hen, buttered, salted and peppered inside. Pack in grated bread +crumbs--all there is space for. Truss, grease, season, set in a hot +oven, and brown lightly all over, then lay in a casserole on a bed of +sliced carrots, young green peas, shredded green peppers, sliced +tomatoes and tiny onions, parboiled for five minutes. Add a large lump +of butter, rolled in flour, a cup of hot water or weak broth, cover +close, and cook an hour in a hot oven. Serve on the vegetables, bedded +firmly, with tart jelly melted to barely run, splashed over the breast. + +_Chickens in Blankets_: Take young fat chickens about three pounds +weight, dress as for roasting, put inside each a peeled sweet potato, +and a small lump of butter, after greasing and seasoning inside and out. +Lay on low rack in deep pan, brown lightly in oven, then fit close over +each a round of good short crust, rolled a quarter-inch thick. Return to +oven--when crust is a rich brown the chickens will be done. Serve crust +with each portion--thereby recalling a glorified chicken pie. + +_Fried Chicken_: Cut into joints two tender young chickens, wipe the +pieces dry, season with salt and pepper, red and black, then set on ice. +Fry a pound of streaky bacon in a deep skillet, take out when crisp, +roll chicken in flour, dip in beaten egg, then roll again, and lay in +the fat, which must be bubbling hot, but not scorching. Cook, turning +often, to a rich brown, take out, then pile in a pan, set the pan over +another with boiling water in the bottom, and put all in a very hot +oven for fifteen minutes. This cooks the chicken through and through +without making it hard. The pieces must not touch in frying so there +will be two skilletfuls. When all the chicken is fried, and in the oven, +dredge in more flour, stir it well through the fat, then add a cup of +cream, stirring hard all the time, and letting it barely simmer--boiling +curdles it. Or if you want a full-cream gravy, pour off the fat, stir +the cream in double quantity in the skillet to take up the flavors, then +pour it in a double boiler, add pepper, salt, minced celery, a little +onion juice, and one at a time, lumps of butter, rolled well in flour. +Cook until thick and rich, and serve in a gravy boat. + +_Smothered Chicken_: Get two pound broilers fat and tender, have them +split down the back, make clean, season by buttering inside and out, +sprinkling with salt, pepper and paprika, and dredging with flour. Lay +breasts down, upon a low rack in a deep pan, cover with slices of +streaky bacon, shingling the slices well. Dredge with pepper and flour, +lay in sliced tomatoes, shredded green peppers, and a few small +parboiled onions. Add lumps of butter rolled in flour, dotting them all +about the bacon. Pour in enough water to barely reach the top of the +rack, cover the pan close, and cook in a hot oven, about an hour. +Uncover after three-quarters of an hour, add a half-cup more water--this +is for the gravy. Cover again, and finish cooking. The chickens should +be brown all over but meltingly tender. Take up on a hot dish, breaking +the bacon slices as little as possible. Serve the vegetables separate, +also the gravy from the pan. The vegetables can be omitted, and +smothered chicken still be a dish to rejoice an epicure. + +_Glorified Chicken Croquets_: (Mrs. G. H. Patch.) Boil a large-size +tender young chicken till the meat almost drops from the bones. Boil +likewise tender, in salt water, one pound either sweetbreads or calf +brains. Pick up the chicken and grind the meat fine, then mash it well +together with the brains or sweetbreads, and season to taste. Put into a +double boiler half-pint cream, tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls +flour, one tablespoonful parsley chopped fine, one teaspoonful onion +juice, one teaspoonful salt, black and Cayenne pepper to taste. Cook +smooth, stirring hard, let thicken, then add the meat, and mix +thoroughly. Let cool, shape into croquets, dip in egg, roll in cracker +crumbs, and fry quickly in deep hot fat. + +_Chicken-Turkey Hash_: Cut the meat small, freeing of skin and gristle. +If there is rich gravy left, put it into a skillet, and cook tender in +it, half a dozen sliced tomatoes, three shredded green peppers, a small +sliced onion, and a cupful of raw potato cubes. Lacking gravy, cook in +butter or bacon fat, and season to taste--gravy requires less seasoning +than plain fat. Add the meat, pour in a cup of boiling water, stir all +well together, and cook for five minutes. Serve in a hot dish lined with +thin toast. Fine for breakfast, or a very late supper. + +_Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered_: Leave whole, rub over with fat, season +highly, lay in a pan or skillet, with slices of bacon, add a cup of hot +water, cover close, set over the fire, and simmer until tender. +Uncover, and brown in the gravy, adding a little Cayenne vinegar at the +very last. + +_Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued_: Leave whole, skewer flat, grease all +over, lay on rack in pan, and roast in hot oven, basting every five +minutes with hot salt water. When crisp, take up and serve with the +sauce directed for barbecued lamb. + +_Quail_: Smother quail the same as rabbits. I like them better halved, +and fried crisp and quickly, in deep hot bacon fat. But to make the most +of them, a pie's the thing. The crust must be rich and rolled a +quarter-inch thick. Put in the birds whole, seasoning them well inside +and out, with salt and black pepper. Put in also generous lumps of +butter rolled in flour, slices of fat bacon, strips of crust an inch +wide and three inches long, a little minced onion, celery or shredded +green pepper if the flavors are approved, and a tiny pod of Cayenne +pepper. Pour in cold water till it stands half way up the birds. Be sure +the cover-crust is plenty big--pinch it down tight, prick and make a +cross-cut at the center into which a tubelet of paper must be thrust to +prevent the gravy's boiling over. Bake three-quarters of an hour, in a +hot oven. Take up, and serve very hot. A gill of hot cream poured in +through a funnel after taking up suits some palates--mine is not among +them. Other folks like a wineglass of sherry made very hot. + +_Wild Duck_: If likely to be fishy, soak an hour in vinegar and water +made very salt, and roast with an onion inside stuck very full of +cloves. Season inside and out, rub over with fat or butter, and roast in +quick heat, to the degree required. Ducks or geese mild in flavor should +be roasted with a tart apple stuck with cloves inside, also a mild +onion. Rub over with fat, season with salt and pepper inside and out, +and strew inside lightly a small pinch of powdered sage. A good sauce +for them is made by browning half a cup of grated bread crumbs in a +tablespoonful of butter, adding to it a spoonful of tart jelly, a +wineglass of claret, a tablespoonful of tomato catsup, with seasoning +to taste of salt and pepper. + +_Possum Roasted_: Chill thoroughly after scraping and drawing. Save all +the inside fat, let it soak in weak salt water until cooking time, then +rinse it well, and partly try it out in the pan before putting in the +possum. Unless he is huge, leave him whole, skewering him flat, and +laying him skin side up in the pan. Set in a hot oven and cook until +crisply tender, taking care there is no scorching. Roast a dozen good +sized sweet potatoes--in ashes if possible, if not, bake them covered in +a deep pan. Peel when done, and lay while hot around the possum, turning +them over and over in the abundant gravy. He should have been lightly +salted when hung up, and fully seasoned, with salt, pepper, and a trifle +of mustard, when put down to cook. Dish him in a big platter, lay the +potatoes, which should be partly browned, around him, add a little +boiling water to the pan, shake well around, and pour the gravy over +everything. Hot corn bread, strong black coffee, or else sharp cider, +and very hot sharp pickles are the things to serve with him. + +_Eggs_: Eggs demand an introductory paragraph. As everybody knows, there +are eggs and eggs. An egg new-laid has a tiny air-space at each end, +betwixt the shell and the silken lining membrane. If left lying, this +confined air changes its locality--leaves the ends for the upmost side +of the shell. Shells are porous--through them the white evaporates--thus +the air bubble on top gets bigger and bigger. By the size of it you can +judge fairly the egg's age--unless it has been kept in cold storage or +in water-glass. By boiling hard, throwing in cold water and peeling +intact, you can see for yourself if a fresh egg so-called is truly +fresh. If fresh there will be no perceptible marring of its oval--but if +it shows a shrinkage, and especially if the yolk is so near the shell it +shows through the cooked white, there is proof positive that the egg is +not new-laid--though it may be perfectly wholesome. + +Eggs kept in clean cool space do not deteriorate under a month. Even +after that, thus well kept, they answer for cake making, puddings and so +on. But they have an ungodly affinity for taints of almost every kind. +Hence keep them away from such things as onions, salt fish, things in +brine generally, or any strong ill odors. + +Duck eggs are bigger than hen eggs--eight of them being the equivalent +to ten. Goose eggs run almost two for one. Turkey eggs, rarely used in +cookery, are still excellent eating, much better flavored than duck +eggs, which are often rather rank. Here as otherwheres, food is the +determining factor. Guinea eggs, in spite of being so much smaller, are +equal in raising power and in richness to hen eggs. Indeed, they are the +best of all eggs for eating--rich, yet delicate. The only approach to +them is the quail egg--we called it always a partridge egg--but only +special favorites of the gods have any chance of ever tasting them. +Quail nest frequently in wheat fields--at harvest, the uncovered nests +yielded choice spoil. Daddy claimed the lion's share of it for "my white +chilluns." Often he came with his big hat-crown running over full of +the delicate white ovals. Mormonism must prevail in quail +circles--sometimes there were forty eggs in a nest. It would have been +vandalism of the worst to eat them, only it was no use leaving them bare +to the sun, as the birds abandoned them unless they had begun brooding. +In that case the mother sat so tight, occasionally the reaper, passing +over, took off her head. More commonly she flew away just in time, +whirring up between the mules, with a great pretense of lameness. If the +nest by good luck was discovered in time, grain was left standing about +it. Nobody grudged the yard or so of wheat lost for the sake of sport. + +Partridge eggs were boiled hard, and eaten out of hand--they were much +too thin-shelled for roasting, in spite of having a very tough lining +membrane. With guinea eggs there was quite another story. They have +shells extra thick and hard--hence were laid plentifully in hot ashes, +heaped over with live coals and left as long as our patience held out. +When Mammy pulled them out, it was maddening to see her test them. She +laid a short broom straw delicately on each egg. If it whirled round, +the egg was done--if contrariwise it fell off, it had to go back in the +embers. She had no thought of letting us eat eggs not cooked till the +yolk was mealy. To this day I am firmly of opinion she was wise--and +right. Eggs roasted as she roasted them have a flavor wholly beyond and +apart from those cooked in any other way. + +_Baked Eggs_: These most nearly approximate the flavor of roasted ones. +Break fresh eggs at the small ends, drain away the whites, break down +the shells to deepish cups, each with a yolk at bottom, sprinkle yolks +lightly with salt and pepper, add a bit of butter to each, then set +shells upright, close over the bottom of a pan, pop the pan into a hot +oven, bake twenty minutes, and serve piping hot. This Mammy gave us to +keep from wasting yolks when wedding or Christmas cake demanded many +whites for frosting. + +_Potato Egg Puffs_: Into a quart of rich and highly seasoned mashed +potatoes, beat two eggs, then divide into equal portions--six or eight. +With lightly floured hands make each portion into a ball, set the balls +in a baking dish, then press into each a hard-boiled egg. Lay a bit of +butter on each egg, and dredge lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in a +quick oven until the potato is brown and light--it ought to rise up like +a fat apple. + +_Egg Dumplings_: Cousins-germane to the puffs but richer--will serve +indeed for the meat course of a plain dinner. Mix the potato well with +half its bulk of finely chopped cold meat, the leaner the better, bind +with beaten eggs, then divide and roll each portion around a hard-boiled +egg, lay the dumplings in a greased and floured pan, giving them plenty +of room, pour around them a good gravy, or else a rich tomato sauce, +then bake ten to twenty minutes in a hot oven. + +_Egg Spread_: Spread a flat pan an inch deep with rich mashed potato, +sprinkle with pepper and salt, then cover the top with eggs hard boiled, +and cut in half. Set them yolk up. Put salt, pepper and butter on each +yolk, and bake ten minutes in a warm oven. Or if soft eggs are +preferred, make depressions in the potato with the back of a spoon, +break an egg in each, dust with pepper and salt, add a dot of butter and +bake five minutes. If the potatoes are wanted brown, bake them ten +minutes after making the depressions, then put in the eggs and bake soft +or hard at will. + +_Poached Eggs_: These require a deep skillet, three parts full of water +on the bubbling boil, which is slightly salted and well dashed with +vinegar. Break all the eggs separately before putting one in. Slip them +in, one after the other, quickly, taking care not to break yolks, keep +the boiling hard, and use a knife or spoon to prevent the whites from +cooking together. Take out in six to seven minutes, using a skimmer and +draining well, trim rags off white, lay in a deep hot dish, and pour +over real melted butter, made with butter, hot water, salt, pepper, +lemon juice or vinegar, and a dash of tabasco. Send to table covered--a +poached egg chilled has lost its charm. Or you may serve the eggs on +squares of hot, well-buttered toast, which have been sprinkled thickly +with grated cheese, then set for a minute inside a hot oven. Served +thus, pass the melted butter with them, as if poured over, they might be +too rich for some palates. + +_Egg Fours_: Cut hard-boiled eggs in four lengthwise, mix yolks with an +equal bulk of sardines, drained, freed of skin and bone, and minced +fine. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar, and olive oil. +Add minced olives if you like. The mixture must be soft, but not too +soft to shape well. Shape it into small ovals, using two spoons, and lay +an oval in each quarter of the whites. Put very narrow strips of pimento +on the ovals, then sprinkle them thickly with grated cheese--Edam is +good for such use. Set in a baking dish and cook two to four minutes in +a hot oven. If wanted extra tasty, as for a relish before dinner, set +the fours on narrow strips of toast, spread with made mustard, +well-mixed with finely minced very sour cucumber pickle. + +Bacon sliced thin, fried crisp without scorching, and finely minced can +take the place of sardines. Indeed, in making fours the widest latitude +prevails--you can vary flavors and proportions almost infinitely. Onion, +even a suspicion of garlic, tabasco, Cayenne vinegar, walnut catsup, or +Worcester can be added. Capers mixed through the mass make it +wonderfully piquant. But things which need to be crisply fresh, such as +celery and lettuce, must be let severely alone. + +_Stuffed Eggs_: Staple for picnics, and barbecues. Boil twenty minutes, +throw instantly in cold water, and shell immediately. Halve, mash yolks +while hot with a plentiful seasoning of butter, pepper, salt, a little +onion juice, capers or bigger pickle finely minced, and pimentos cut +small. Work the seasoning well through, then shape into balls yolk-size, +put each between two half-whites, and fasten together with a couple of +tooth picks. Wrap each as finished in wax paper, and keep cool until +needed. Here may be a good place to say that the quicker a hard-boiled +egg is got out of its shell after chilling, the better and more delicate +will be its flavor. + +_Fried Eggs_: Anybody, almost, can fry an egg wrong. It takes some skill +to fry one exactly right. Have the frying pan covered with grease, hot, +but not scorching, slip in the eggs, previously broken separately, +taking pains not to break yolks, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, +keep edges from running together, then when they have hardened +underneath, dip hot grease over the tops, keeping on till the white +sets. If the heat is right the eggs will not stick to the pan. Cook as +hard as is desirable, take up with a cake-turner, and lay in a shallow +pan, lined with soft clean paper. Keep hot while they drain--it takes a +minute or so--then remove to a blazing hot dish, and serve. If ham goes +with them lay it in the middle, with eggs all around it. Triangles of +fried toast in between look and taste well at breakfast. + + + + +[Illustration: _Soups, Salads, Relishes_] + + +_Vegetable Soup_: Cut into joints two fat chickens three parts grown, +salt and pepper, and lay aside while you fry in a deep pot half a pound +streaky bacon. Take out when crisp, put in the chicken, turning it so as +to brown it all over. Put in a thick slice of ham, let it also brown a +bit, do the same with four sliced onions--mild ones--then add two +gallons cold water, half a teaspoonful salt, two pods red pepper, a +dozen whole pepper corns, and two sprigs of parsley. Keep at a gentle +boil for an hour, then put in two small heads of tender cabbage finely +shredded, and six white potatoes, peeled and sliced a quarter-inch +thick. Fifteen minutes later put in a quart of string beans, broken +short, a pint of shelled lima beans, a stalk of celery cut fine +lengthwise, and a dozen tomatoes, peeled and sliced. Follow them in ten +minutes with a pint of tender okra sliced--next add a little later the +pulp from a dozen ears of green corn, slit lengthwise and scraped. Stir +almost constantly with a long-handled skimmer, after the corn pulp is +in. If the skimmer brings up chicken bones, throw them aside. Just +before serving put in a large spoonful of butter, rolled in flour. +Taste, add salt if required. Serve very hot with corn hoe cake and cider +just beginning to sparkle. If there is soup enough for everybody, +nothing else will be wanted. + +_Black Turtle Bean Soup_: Pick and wash clean, one quart black turtle +beans, soak overnight in three quarts cold water, and put on to boil +next morning in the soaking water. When it boils add three onions +sliced, one carrot scraped and cut up, a stalk or so of celery, three +sprigs of parsley, and one tomato, fresh or canned. Boil slowly four to +five hours, until the beans are tender, filling up with cold water as +that in the kettle wastes. When the beans are very soft, strain all +through a fine collander, mashing through beans and vegetables, add a +quart of very good soup stock, also a bay leaf, and boil up hard half a +minute before serving. Put into each soup plate a slice of lemon, a +slice of hard-boiled egg, and a tablespoonful of sherry wine before +adding the soup. + +_Gumbo_: Cut a tender, fat chicken, nearly grown, into joints, season +well with salt and pepper, and fry for ten minutes in the fat from half +a pound of bacon, with two thick slices of ham. Then add two onions +chopped fine, six large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, adding with +them their juice, half a large pod of mild red pepper, cut small, a +teaspoonful of minced thyme and parsley mixed, a pint of tender sliced +okra, stemmed and cut lengthwise. Cook altogether, watching all the +time, and stirring constantly to prevent scorching until everything is +well-browned. Then add three quarts fresh-boiled water, on the full +boil, set the pot where it will barely simmer, and cook an hour longer, +taking the same pains against scorching. Rice to eat with the gumbo--it +must never be cooked in the pot--needs to be washed until the water runs +clear from it, drained, then tossed into a wide kettle of water on the +bubbling boil, and cooked for twenty minutes. The water must be salted +to taste. Drain the rice in a collander, set it after draining in the +oven for a minute. The grains should stand out separate, but be very +tender. Rice thus cooked, and served with plenty of butter, is excellent +as a vegetable. + +_Wedding Salad_: Roast unstuffed, three young tender turkeys, or six +full grown chickens. Take the white meat only, cut it fine with shears, +cutting across the grain, while hot. Let cool, then mix it with ten +hearts of crisp celery cut in bits, two heads of tender white cabbage, +finely chopped, rejecting hard stalks--use three heads if very +small--and set in a cool place. For the dressing boil thirty fresh eggs +twenty minutes, throw in cold water, shell, take out the yolks, saving +the white for garnishing, mash the yolks while hot very smooth with a +pound and a half of best butter, season them well with salt, pepper, a +little dry mustard, celery seed, and, if at hand, a dash of walnut +catsup, but not enough to discolor. Add also a teaspoonful of +sugar--this to blend flavors only. Add a little at a time enough warm +vinegar to make as thick as cream. Chill, and pour over the salad, mix +well through, then heap it in a big glass bowl, lined with partly white +lettuce leaves, make a wreath of leaves around the top, and in serving, +lay a larger lettuce leaf on each plate, filling it with the +yellow-white salad. + +_Fruit Salad_: Wash well a very ripe juicy pineapple, let dry, then +shred with a fork, holding the crown in the left hand firmly, while you +pull away sections with the fork in the right. Thus you avoid taking any +of the hard center. Peel the sections delicately after they are +separated, and cut them in long thin slivers, with the grain. Arrange +these slivers star-shape upon lettuce leaves in the plates, lay a very +narrow slip of pimento--sweet red pepper,--between each two of them, +then fill in the points of the stars with grape-fruit pulp, freed of +skin and seed, and broken into convenient sized bits. Lay more pimento +strips upon it. Set on ice till ready to serve, then drench with sweet +French dressing. + +_Sweet French Dressing_: Mix well a scant teaspoonful of granulated +sugar, the same of dry mustard, half a teaspoonful salt, as much black +pepper and paprika mixed, put in the bottom of a deep small bowl, and +stir for two minutes. Wet with claret vinegar, adding it gradually, and +stirring smooth. Make as thick as cream. Add twenty drops tabasco, +twenty drops onion juice, the strained juice of half a lemon, and half a +teaspoonful of brandy, rum or whiskey. Mix well, then add, tablespoonful +at a time, a gill of salad oil, stirring hard between spoonfuls. Put in +more vinegar, more oil--the seasoning suffices for half a pint of +dressing. Stir till it thickens--it should be like an emulsion when +poured upon the salad. Keep on ice. The oil and vinegar will separate, +but the dressing can be brought back by stirring hard. + +_Banana and Celery Salad_: Chill heart celery and very ripe bananas, +slice thin crosswise, mingling the rounds well. Pile on lettuce leaves, +and cover with French dressing, into which finely grated cheese has been +scantly stirred. This dressing with cheese is fine for tender Romaine, +also for almost any sort of cooked vegetable used as salad. + +_Red and White Salad_: Make cups from lettuce hearts, fasten them to the +plate, with a drop of melted butter, fill lightly with grape-fruit pulp, +and set a tiny red beet, boiled tender, in the middle. Have a very sharp +French dressing made with oil lemon juice and Tarragon vinegar. Pass +with this cheese straws, or toasted cracker sprinkled lightly with +Parmesan cheese. + +_Pineapple Salad_: Pare and core a very ripe, sweet pineapple, cut in +slices crosswise, lay the slices in a bowl, with a sprinkle of sugar, +half a cup rum or sherry, all the juice shed in cutting up, and a grate +of nutmeg. Let stand till morning, cool, but not on ice. Make rosettes +of small lettuce leaves in the plates, lay a slice of pineapple on each, +fill the hole in the center with pink pimento cheese. Make the cheese +into a ball the size of a marble, and stick in it a tiny sprig of celery +top. Put a little of the syrup from the bowl in each plate, then finish +with very sharp French dressing. Make the pimento cheese by grinding +fine half a can of pimento, and mixing it through two cakes of cream +cheese, softening the cheese with French dressing, and seasoning it to +taste. + +_Cold Slaw_: (V. Moroso.) Shave very fine half a medium sized head of +tender cabbage, put in a bowl, and cover with this dressing. Melt over +hot water a heaping tablespoonful of butter, with two tablespoonfuls +sugar, a saltspoon of pepper, a teaspoonful of salt, dash of red pepper, +and scant teaspoonful dry mustard. Mix smooth, then add gradually four +tablespoonfuls vinegar, mix well, then put in the yolk of a raw egg, +beating it in hard. Cook till creamy, but not too thick. Take from +fire, and add if you like, two tablespoonfuls cream, but it is not +essential--the dressing is good without it. + +_Tomato Soy_: Take one gallon solid, ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced, +or four canfuls put up in glass, put in a preserving kettle with a quart +of sliced onions, two tablespoonfuls salt, as much moist sugar, +teaspoonful black pepper, saltspoon paprika, four hearts of celery cut +fine, a tablespoonful of pounded cloves, alspice, mace, grated nutmeg, +and cinnamon mixed. Stir well together and cook slowly, taking care not +to burn, until reduced one-half. Dry mustard or mustard seed can be +added, but many palates do not relish them. After boiling down add a +quart of very sharp vinegar, stir well through, skim if froth rises, +bottle hot, and seal. This keeps a long time in a dark cool place. + +_Table Mustard_: Mix well together two tablespoonfuls dry mustard, scant +teaspoon sugar, half a teaspoon salt. Wet smooth, to a very stiff paste +with boiling water, then add either a teaspoon of onion juice, or a +clove of garlic mashed, stir well through, add little by little, a +tablespoonful olive oil, then thin, with very sharp vinegar, added +gradually so as not to lump nor curdle, to the consistency of thin +cream. Put in a glass jar, seal tight and let stand a week. A month is +better--indeed, the mustard improves with age if not permitted to dry +up. + +_Cabbage Pickle_: Shred enough tender cabbage to make four quarts, put +with it four large green tomatoes, sliced thin, six large onions, +chopped fine, three green peppers also chopped, rejecting the seed, two +ounces white mustard seed, half-ounce celery seed, quarter-ounce +turmeric, three tablespoonfuls salt, two pounds white sugar, two quarts +vinegar. Put all in a preserving kettle, set it upon an asbestos mat +over a slow fire, and cook gently for several hours, stirring so it +shall not scorch. It must be tender throughout but not mushy-soft. + +_Cauliflower Pickle_: Drop two heads cauliflower in salted boiling +water, cook fifteen minutes, take up, drop in cold water, separate into +neat florets, and pack down in a clean crock. Pour upon the florets, +hot, a quart of vinegar, seasoned with a mixture of two tablespoonfuls +salad oil, teaspoonful dry mustard, tablespoonful sugar, teaspoonful +salt, half-teaspoonful onion juice, half-teaspoonful black pepper, dash +of paprika, ten drops tabasco. Bring all to a boil, and pour over the +pickle, first strewing well through it blade mace, whole cloves, alspice +and cinnamon, broken small but not powdered. + +_Pear Relish_: Wash and stem a gallon of sound ripe, but not mellow +Seckel pears, remove the blossoms with a very sharp narrow pen-knife, +and stick a clove in each cut. Drain, and drop into a syrup, made of +three pounds of sugar and a quart of vinegar. Bring to a quick boil, +skim, and set back to simmer. Add after skimming, cloves, alspice, mace, +ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper, pounded small but not powdered. Cut +up a large sweet red pepper, and drop in the shreds. Let cook till the +pears are tender. If the syrup is thin, add more sugar--some pears yield +more juice than others. Sliced lemon gives a piquant tang, but is +optional. Put in glass or stone jars, and cover tight, laying a brandy +paper on top. + +_Cherries Piquant_: Wash well, and stem but do not pit, half a gallon +ripe Morello cherries. Drain well, strew spices well through them, lay +thin sliced lemon on top, add a dozen whole pepper corns, and a tiny pod +of Cayenne pepper, then pour over a pint of sharp vinegar, boiled with +four pounds of sugar, and skimmed clean. Let stand all night, drain off +syrup in the morning, boil up, skim, and pour again over the fruit. Next +day, put all in a kettle, and cook for fifteen minutes, then put in +glass jars, seal and keep dark. Especially good with game or any meat +highly seasoned. + +_Gooseberry Jam Spiced_: Wash, and nub half a gallon of green +gooseberries, picked just before they ripen. Put them in a kettle with +six large cups of sugar, a cup of water, half a teaspoonful each of +cloves, alspice, mace, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon, the grated yellow +peel of an orange and the strained juice. Cook slowly until thick--it +should jelly when dropped on a plate. Pack in small jars. One of the +very finest accompaniments to any sort of fowl. By leaving out the +spices, and merely cooking the berries thick enough to cut like cheese, +it is as fine as _bar le duc_ for serving with salad. + +_Frozen Cranberry Sauce_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Gives a new tang to game, +roast turkey, capon or duck. Cook a quart of cranberries until very soft +in one pint water, strain through coarse sieve, getting all the pulp, +add to it one and a half pints sugar, the juice--strained--of four +lemons, one quart boiling water, bring to a boil, skim clean, let cool, +and freeze rather soft. + +"_Apple Sauce Gone To Heaven_": Thus a poet names it, though I, the +architect thereof, insist that it is wholly and beautifully mundane. To +make it, pare eight firm apples, the higher-flavored the better, core, +drop into cold water, as pared, let stand till you make the syrup. Take +a cup of sugar to each two apples and a cup of water to each two cups of +sugar. Bring to a boil, skim, clean twice, then throw in half a dozen +blades of mace, bits of thin yellow peel from two lemons, a few bits of +stick cinnamon, and one pepper corn--no more. Stick four cloves in each +apple, drop them in the syrup, which must be on the bubbling boil. After +the apples are in--they should just cover the pan, add the strained +juice of two lemons. Boil hard for five minutes, turn over the apples, +simmer till done--they will look clear all through. Skim out with a +perforated ladle, letting all syrup drain away from them, arrange in a +deepish glass dish, or pile on a glass platter. Boil the syrup until it +jellies when dropped on a plate, then dip it by spoonfuls over the +apples, letting it harden as it is dipped. + +Another way, and easier, is to wash and core the apples, without +peeling, stick in the cloves, put in an earthen or agate baking dish, +add the sugar, water, spices, cover close, and set in a hot oven. Cook +until the apples are soft through, then uncover, and crisp a little on +top. The peel will be edible, and the flavor richer than when boiled, +but the dish is not so decorative. + +_Spiced Grapes_: Wash and drain sound full-ripe grapes, pick from the +stems, then pop out the grapes singly from the hulls. Save the hulls and +juice. Put the pulp and seeds over the fire, cook until soft, strain +through a colander to remove the seed, then add the pulp to the hulls +and juice, put all over the fire, with equal weight of sugar, and spices +to taste. I like cloves, alspice, mace and cinnamon, all pounded small, +but not powdered. Cook until thick, take care not to burn, put into +glasses like jelly, and serve with any sort of meat, or as a sweet. + +Wild grapes washed, picked from stems, stewed and passed through a +colander, furnish a pulp that is worth sugar, spices and so on. Cook as +directed for vineyard grapes. By leaving out the most part of spices, +and putting in vinegar, a cupful to the quart of syrup, the result is a +very piquant jelly, or more properly, fruit cheese. + +_Sweet-Sour Pears_: The pears must be ripe, but very firm. If large, +pare and quarter, cutting out the core, stick a clove in each quarter, +and drop as pared in cold ginger tea. If small or medium, wash instead +of paring, take out cores, stick two cloves in each cavity, pack close +in the kettle and cover when all are in with strained ginger tea. Boil +in the tea fifteen minutes, until a fork will pierce without too much +exertion. Skim out then, pack in jars, strewing spices liberally +through, then cover with vinegar boiling hot, to which you had added a +cupful of sugar for each quart. Let stand twenty-four hours, drain off, +boil, and pour over again. Do this three times, then put all in the +kettle, bring to a boil, cook five minutes, and put while hot in clean +stone jars. + +_Spiced Plums_: All manner of plums, even the red wild fruit, make the +finest sort of relishes when cooked properly. Wash, pick, and weigh, +take four pounds of sugar to five of fruit, with what spices you choose, +never forgetting a tiny pod of Cayenne pepper, put all over the fire, +let boil slowly, skimming off froth. Stir with a perforated skimmer--it +will take out the most part of stones. A few stones left in give a fine +bitter almond flavor after the plums have stood a while. Take care not +to scorch, cook until very thick, then add strong vinegar, a cupful to +the half-gallon of fruit. Boil three minutes longer, put hot into +well-scalded jars, lay brandy paper over, or seal with paraffin. + +_Baked Peaches_: Especially fine with barbecued lamb or roast duck or +smothered chicken. Peel one dozen large, ripe, juicy peaches, stick two +cloves in each, set in an agate or earthen pan they will just fill, add +two cups sugar, a tablespoonful butter, a very little water, and a good +strewing of mace and lemon peel. Cover close, and bake until done. Serve +hot. Instead of butter, a gill of whiskey may be used, putting it in +just before the peaches are taken up, and letting them stand covered +until the spirit goes through them. So prepared, they are better cold +than warm. The pits flavor the fruit so delicately they should never be +removed. + + + + +[Illustration: _Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches_] + + +_Tomato Layer_: Peel and slice a dozen meaty tomatoes, slice thin six +mild onions, cut the corn from half a dozen large ears, saving the milk. +Cover an earthen baking dish with a layer of tomatoes, season well with +salt and pepper, also the least suspicion of sugar. Lay onion slices +over, sprinkle lightly with salt, then add a layer of corn, seasoning it +with salt and a little sugar. Repeat till the dish is full. Pour over +the corn milk, the tomato juice, and a heaping tablespoonful of melted +butter. Bake in a hot oven half an hour, covering it for twenty +minutes, then browning uncovered. When corn is not in season, very crisp +brown bread crumbs may take its place. But it should be against the law +to put soft crumbs or any sort of bread uncrisped, into cooked tomatoes. +A green pepper shredded and mixed through the layers adds to the +flavor--for the devotees of green peppers. + +_Corn Pudding_: Slit lengthwise the grains in eight large ears of corn, +scrape out the pulp carefully, saving all milk that runs. The corn +should be full, but not the least hard--if it has reached the dough +state, the grains will keep shape. Beat three eggs very light, with half +a teaspoonful salt, a tablespoonful sugar, plenty of black pepper, and +paprika, half a cup of very soft butter, and half a cup sweet cream. Add +the corn pulp and milk, stir well together--if too thick, thin with a +little milk. Pour into a pudding dish, cover and bake ten minutes, then +uncover, and bake until done. + +_Fried Corn_: Fry crisp, half-pound streaky bacon, take up, and put into +the fat, bubbling hot, eight large ears of corn cut from the cob, and +seasoned with salt and black pepper. Add also the corn-milk, stir well +together for five minutes, then put an asbestos mat under the skillet +and let stand till the corn forms a thick brown crust over the bottom. +Pour out, loosen this crust with a knife, lay on top the corn, lay on +also the crisp bacon, and serve very hot. A famous breakfast dish down +south all through "Roas'in' ear time." That is to say, from July to +October. + +_Hulled Corn_: Known otherwise as lye hominy, and samp. Put a pint of +clean strong wood ashes into half a gallon of water, boil twenty +minutes--or until the water feels slippery. Let settle, drain off the +clear lye, and pour it upon as much white flint corn, shelled and +picked, as it will cover. Let stand until the hulls on the grains slip +under pressure--commonly twelve to twenty-four hours. Drain off lye, +cover with cold water, rubbing and scrubbing the grains between the +hands, till all are free of husks. Soak them in clear water, changing +it every few hours till no taste of lye remains. Then boil slowly in +three times its bulk of water, adding a little salt, but not much, until +very tender. A grain should mash between finger and thumb. Fill up as +the water boils away, and take care not to scorch. Cool uncovered, and +keep cool. To cook, dip out a dishful, fry it in bubbling bacon fat as +directed for corn. Or warm in a double boiler, and serve with butter and +sugar or cream and sugar, as a cereal. Use also as a vegetable the same +as rice or green corn. Hominy pudding, baked brown, and highly seasoned, +helps out a scant dinner wonderfully, as corn is the most heating of +grains, as well as one of the most nutritious. + +_Steamed Potatoes_: Wash clean a dozen well-grown new potatoes, steam +until a fork will pierce, dry in heat five minutes, then peel, and throw +into a skillet, with a heaping tablespoonful of butter, well-rolled in +flour, half a pint of rich milk, ten drops onion juice, salt and pepper +to taste, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. The sauce must be +bubbling when the potatoes are put in. Toss them in it for five minutes, +put in deep dish and pour the gravy over. Serve very hot. + +_Candied Sweet Potatoes_: Boil medium potatoes of even size, till a fork +will pierce--steaming is better though a bit more trouble--throw in cold +water for a minute, peel, and brush over with soft butter, then lay +separately in a wide skillet, with an inch of very rich syrup over the +bottom and set over slow fire. Turn the potatoes often in the syrup, +letting it coat all sides. Keep turning them until candied and a little +brown. If wanted very rich put butter and lemon juice in the syrup when +making it. Blade mace also flavors it very well. + +_Tipsy Potatoes_: Choose rather large potatoes, peel, and cut across +into round slices about half an inch thick. Pack these in a baking dish +with plenty of sugar, and butter, mace, yellow lemon peel, pounded +cloves, and a single pepper corn. Add half a cup boiling water, cover +and bake till a fork pierces, then uncover, add a glass of rum, and +keep hot, but not too hot, until serving time. Or you can use half a +pint of claret, instead of the boiling water. Still another way, is to +mix a glass of sherry with a spoonful of cream, and add it to the dish +five minutes before it goes to table. Sweet cider can take the place of +wine. So can lemon or orange juice. But to my thinking, the Demon Rum, +or his elder brother whiskey, is best of all. + +_Left-over Sweet Potatoes_: Peel, slice thick, dip in melted butter, +roll in sugar well seasoned with grated lemon peel, and nutmeg, lay in a +pan so as not to touch and make very hot in the oven. This last estate +is always better than the first. + +_Potato Balls_: Mash boiled or baked sweet potatoes smooth, seasoning +them well with salt, pepper, cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and melted +butter. Bind with a well-beaten egg, flour the hands, and roll the +mashed potato into balls the size of large walnuts. Roll the balls in +fine crumbs or sifted cornmeal, drop in deep hot fat, fry crisp, drain, +and use as a garnish to roast pork, roast fowl, or broiled ham. + +_Bananas_: Bananas are far too unfamiliar in the kitchen. They can be +cooked fifty ways--and in each be found excellent. The very best way I +have yet found, is to peel, slice in half, lengthwise, lay in a dish +with a cover, shake sugar over, add a little mace, lemon juice, lemon +peel, and melted butter, then bake until soft--seven to fifteen minutes +in a hot oven, according to the quantity in the dish. Or peel and slice, +leave unseasoned, and lay in the pan bacon has been cooked in, first +pouring away most of the fat. Cook five minutes in a hot oven, and send +to table with hot bread, crisp bacon and coffee for breakfast. A thick +slice of banana, along with a thick slice of tart apple, both very +lightly seasoned, makes a fine stuffing for squabs. Half a banana +delicately baked, and laid on a well-browned chop adds to looks and +flavor. + +_Baking Vegetables_: Paper bags taught me the ease and value of cooking +vegetables in the oven rather than on top the stove. Less care is +required, less water, rather less heat. Peas and lima beans, for +example, after shelling, should be well washed, put in a pan with salt, +seasoning and a little water, covered close, and baked in a hot oven +half an hour to an hour. Green corn is never so well cooked, outside a +paper bag, as by laying it on a rack in a covered pan, putting a little +water underneath, covering close and setting the pan for nine minutes in +a hot oven. It is sweeter and richer than even when put in cold unsalted +water, brought to a boil, cooked one minute, then taken up. But however +heat is applied, long cooking ruins it. Cook till the milk is set--not a +second longer. Green peas should have several tender mint leaves put in +with them, also sugar in proportion of a teaspoonful to half a pint of +shelled peas. Lima beans are better flavored if the butter is put with +them along with the water. Use only enough to make steam--say two +tablespoonfuls to a fair-sized pan. Spinach and beet greens also bake +well, but require more water. Leave out salt, adding it after draining +and chopping them. They take twenty to thirty minutes, according to age. + +All manner of fruits, berries in especial, cook finely in the oven. Put +in earthen or agate ware, with sugar, spices and a little water, cover +close and cook half to three quarters of an hour, according to bulk. +Uncover then--if done take up, if not let cook uncovered as long as +needed. Set the baking dishes always on rack or a grid-shelf, never on +the oven bottom nor solid metal. Thus the danger of burning is +minimized, also the need of stirring. + +For _cauliflower au gratin_, cut the head into florets, lay them +compactly in the baking dish, add a little water, with salt, pepper and +butter. Bake covered until tender, then shake over the grated cheese, +and set back in the oven three to five minutes. Tomatoes, peeled and +whole except for cutting out the eyes, baked in a dish with a liberal +seasoning of salt, pepper, and butter, a strewing of sugar and a little +onion juice, look and taste wholly unlike stewed tomatoes, common or +garden variety. + +_Boiling with Bacon_: Get a pound of streaky bacon, cut square if +possible, scrape and wash clean, put on in plenty of water, with a young +onion, a little thyme and parsley, bring to a quick boil, throw in cold +water, skim the pot clean, then let stand simmering for two to three +hours. Add to it either greens--mustard, turnip, or dandelion or field +salad, well washed and picked, let cook till very tender, then skim out, +drain in a colander, lay in a hot dish with the square of bacon on top. +Here is the foundation of a hearty and wholesome meal. The bacon by long +boiling is in a measure emulsified, and calculated to nourish the most +delicate stomach rather than to upset it. Serve two thin slices of it +with each helping of greens. You should have plenty of Cayenne vinegar, +very hot and sharp, hot corn bread, and cider or beer, to go along with +it. + +String beans, known to the south country as snaps, never come fully to +their own, unless thus cooked with bacon. Even pork does not answer, +though that is far and away better than boiling and buttering or +flooding with milk sauces. It is the same with cabbage. Wash well, halve +or quarter, boil until very tender, drain and serve. Better cook as many +as the pot will hold and the bacon season, since fried cabbage, which is +chopped fine, and tossed in bacon fat with a seasoning of pepper, salt +and vinegar, helps out wonderfully for either breakfast, luncheon or +supper. Never throw away proper pot-liquor--it is a good and cheap +substitute for soup on cold days. Heat, and drop into it crisp +bread-crusts--if they are corn bread crusts made very brown, all the +better. Pioneer folk throve on pot-liquor to such an extent they had a +saying that it was sinful to have too much--pot-liquor and buttermilk at +the same meal. + +_Fruit Desserts_: Fruits have affinities the same as human beings. +Witness the excellent agreement of grape fruit and rum. Nothing else, +not the finest liqueur, so brings out the flavor. But there are other +fruits which, conjoined to the grape fruit, make it more than ever +delicious. Strawberries for example. They must be fine and ripe. Wash +well, pick, wash again, halve if very large, and mix well in a bowl with +grape fruit pulp, freed of skin and seed, and broken to berry size. Add +sugar in layers, then pour over a tumbler of rum, let stand six hours on +ice, and serve with or without cream. + +Strawberries mixed with ripe fresh pineapple, cut to berry size, and +well sweetened, are worthy of sherry, the best in the cellar, and rather +dry than sweet. Mixed with thin sliced oranges and bananas, use sound +claret--but do not put it on until just before serving--let the mixed +fruits stand only in sugar. Strawberries alone, go very well with claret +and sugar--adding cream if you like. Cream, lightly sweetened, flavored +with sherry or rum, or a liqueur, and whipped, gives the last touch of +perfection to a dessert of mixed fruit, or to wine jelly, or a cup of +after-dinner coffee, or afternoon chocolate. + +A peach's first choice is brandy--it must be real, therefore costly. +Good whiskey answers, so does rum fairly. A good liqueur is better. +Sherry blends well if the fruit is very ripe and juicy. Peel and slice +six hours before serving, pack down in sugar, add the liqueur, and let +stand on ice until needed. Peaches cut small, mixed with California +grapes, skinned and seeded, also with grape fruit pulp broken small, and +drowned in sherry syrup, are surprisingly good. Make the sherry syrup by +three parts filling a glass jar with the best lump sugar, pouring on it +rather more wine than will cover it, adding the strained juice of a +lemon, or orange, a few shreds of yellow peel, and a blade of mace, then +setting in sunshine until the sugar dissolves. It should be almost like +honey--no other sweetening is needed. A spoonful in after-dinner coffee +makes it another beverage--just as a syrup made in the same way from +rum, sugar and lemon juice, glorifies afternoon tea. + +White grapes halved and seeded mixed with bananas cut small, and orange +pulp, well sweetened and topped with whipped cream, either natural or +"laced" with sherry, make another easy dessert. Serve in tall footed +glasses, set on your finest doilies in your prettiest plates. Lay a +flower or a gay candy upon the plate--it adds enormously to the festive +effect and very little to the trouble. + +A spoonful of rich wine jelly, laid upon any sort of fresh fruit, to my +thinking, makes it much better. Cream can be added also--but I do not +care for it--indeed do not taste it, nor things creamed. Ripe, juicy +cherries, pitted and mixed equally with banana cubes, then sweetened, +make a dessert my soul loves to recall. Not caring to eat them I never +make ice cream, frozen puddings, _mousses_, sherbets, nor many of the +gelatine desserts. Hence I have experimented rather widely in the +kingdom of fruits. This book is throughout very largely a record of +experience--I hope it may have the more value through being special +rather than universal. + +_Sandwiches_: In sandwich making mind your _S's_. That is to say, have +your knife sharp, your bread stale, your butter soft. Moreover the +bread must be specially made--fine grained, firm, not crumbly, nor +ragged. Cut off crusts for ordinary sandwiches--but if shaping them with +cutters let it stay. Then you can cut to the paper-thinness +requisite--otherwise that is impossible. Work at a roomy table spread +with a clean old tablecloth over which put sheets of clean, thick paper. +Do your cutting on the papered surface--thus you save either turning +your knife edges against a platter or sorely gashing even an old cloth. +Keep fancy cutters all together and ready to your hand. Shape one kind +of sandwiches all the same--thus you distinguish them easily. Make as +many as your paper space will hold, before stamping out any--this saves +time and strength. Clear away the fragments from one making, before +beginning another sort, thus avoiding possible taints and confusion. Lay +your made sandwiches on a platter under a dry cloth with a double damp +one on top of it. They will not dry out, and it is much easier than +wrapping in oiled paper. + +The nearer fillings approach the consistency of soft butter, the +better. In making sardine sandwiches, boil the eggs hard, mash the yolks +smooth while hot, softening them with either butter or salad +dressing--French dressing of course. It is best made with lemon juice +and very sharp vinegar for such use. Work into the eggs, the sardines +freed of skin and bone after draining well, and mashed as fine as +possible. A little of their oil may be added if the flavor is liked. But +lemon juice is better. Rub the mixture smooth with the back of a stout +wooden spoon, and pack close in a bowl so it shall not harden. + +Pimento cheese needs to be softened with French dressing, until like +creamed butter. The finer the pimento is ground the better. Spread +evenly upon the buttered bread, lay other buttered bread upon it, and +pile square. When the pile gets high enough, cut through into triangles +or finger shapes, and lay under the damp cloth. Slice Swiss cheese very +thin with a sharp knife, season lightly with salt and paprika, and lay +between the buttered slices. Lettuce dressed with oil and lemon juice +and lightly sprinkled with Parmesan cheese makes a refreshing afternoon +sandwich. Ham needs to be ground fine--it must be boiled well of +course--seasoned lightly with made mustard, pepper, and lemon juice, +softened a bit with clear oil or butter, and spread thin. Tongue must be +treated the same way, else boiled very, very tender, skinned before +slicing, and sliced paper-thin. Rounds of it inside shaped sandwiches +are likely to surprise--and please--masculine palates. + +For the shaped sandwich--leaf or star, or heart, or crescent, is the +happy home, generally, of all the fifty-seven varieties of fancy +sandwich fillings, sweet and sour, mushy and squshy, which make an +honest mouthful of natural flavor, a thing of joy. Yet this is not +saying novelty in sandwiches is undesirable. Contrariwise it is welcome +as summer rain. In witness, here is a filling from the far Philippines, +which albeit I have not tried it out yet, sounds to me enticing, and has +further the vouching of a cook most excellent. Grate fine as much Edam +or pineapple cheese as requisite, season well with paprika, add a few +grains of black pepper, wet with sherry to the consistency of cream, and +spread between buttered bread. If it is nut bread so much the better. +Nut bread is made thus. + +_Nut Bread for Sandwiches_: (Mrs. Petre.) Beat two eggs very light, with +a scant teaspoonful salt, half cup sugar, and two cups milk. Sift four +cups flour twice with four teaspoonfuls baking powder. Mix with eggs and +milk, stir smooth, add one cup nuts finely chopped, let raise for twenty +minutes, in a double pan, and bake in a moderately quick oven. Do not +try to slice until perfectly cold--better wait till next day, keeping +the bread where it will not dry out. Slice very thin, after buttering. +Makes sandwiches of special excellence with any sort of good filling. + + + + +[Illustration: _Pickles, Preserves, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate_] + + +_Brine for Pickling_: Use rain water if possible and regular picking +salt--it is coarse and much stronger than cooking salt. Lacking rain +water, soften other water by dissolving in it the day beforehand, a +pinch of washing soda--this neutralizes largely the mineral contents. +Put over the fire in a deep, clean kettle, bring to a boil, put in +salt--a pint to the gallon of water is the usual proportion. Boil and +skim, add a pinch of saltpeter and tablespoonful of sugar for each pint +of salt--the pinches must not be large. Add also six whole cloves for +each gallon. Take from fire, let cool, drop in an egg--it should float +to show the size of a quarter of a dollar. Otherwise the brine needs +more salt. Dissolve a pint extra in as little water as suffices, and add +to the brine, then test again. Put the brine when cold into a clean, +roomy vessel, a keg or barrel, else a big stone crock. It should not +quite half fill it. Provide a heading that will float upon it, also a +light weight to keep the heading on the pickles when put in, and hold +them under the brine. Unless so held the uppermost rot, and spoil the +lot. Mold will gather around the head in spite of the cloves, but less +than without them. Whenever you put in fresh pickles, take out the head, +wash and scald, dry, and return to place. + +Anything edible will make pickle--still there are many things better +kept out of the brine. Cabbage and cauliflower for example do not need +it--green tomatoes, onions, and Jerusalem artichokes are likewise taboo. +The artichokes make good pickle, but it must be made all at once. Cut +anything intended for the brine with a bit of stalk, and without +bruising the stalk. Cucumbers should be small, and even in size, +gherkins about half grown, string beans, three parts grown, crook-neck +squash very small and tender, green peppers for mangoes, full grown but +not turning, muskmelons for other mangoes three parts grown. Wash clean +or wipe with a damp cloth. Cut pickles in early morning, so they may be +fresh and crisp. Never put in any wilted bit--thereby you invite decay. + +Watermelon rind makes fine pickle, sweet and sour--also citron, queen of +all home made preserves. It must be fairly thick, sound and unbruised. +The Rattle Snake melon has a good rind for such uses. The finer flavored +and thinner-rinded varieties that come to market, are rarely worth +cutting up. The cutting up is a bit tedious. The rind must be cut in +strips rather more than an inch wide and three to five inches long, then +trimmed on each side, free of green outer skin, and all trace of the +soft inside. There will remain less than half an inch thickness of firm +pale green tissue with potentialities of delight--if you know how to +bring them out. + +Firm clingstone peaches not fully ripe, can be put in the brine--they +had better, however, be pickled without it. For whatever is put in, and +saved by salt, must be freed of the salt by long soaking before it is +fit to eat. The soaking process is the same for everything--take from +brine, wash clean in tepid water, put to soak in cold water with +something on top to hold the pickles down. Change water twice the first +day, afterward every day, until it has not the least salt taste. + +You can make pickle by soaking in brine three days, then washing clean, +putting over the fire in clear water, bringing to scalding heat, then +pouring off the water, covering with vinegar, and bringing just to a +boil. Drain away this vinegar, which has served its turn, pack down the +pickles in a jar, seasoning them well with mixed spices, whole, not in +powder, covering with fresh, hot vinegar, letting cool uncovered, then +tieing down, and keep dark and cool. + +_Watermelon Rind Pickle_: Scald the soaked rind in strong ginger tea, +let stand two minutes barely simmering, then skim out, lay in another +kettle, putting in equal quantities of cloves, mace, alspice, and +cinnamon, half as much grated nutmeg, the same of whole pepper corns, +several pods of Cayenne pepper, white mustard and celery seed, covering +with cider vinegar, the only sort that will keep pickles well, bringing +just to the boil, then putting down hot in jars, tying down after +cooling, and setting in a dark, cool, airy place. + +For sweet pickle, prepare and season, then to each pint of vinegar put +one and a half pounds of sugar, boil together one minute, stirring well, +and skimming clean, then pour over rind and spices, keep hot for ten +minutes without boiling, then put into jars. If wanted only a little +sweet, use but half a pound of sugar. + +_Mangoes_: Either green peppers or young melons will serve as a +foundation--epicures rather preferring the peppers. After making +thoroughly fresh, cut out the stems from the peppers, removing and +throwing away the seed but saving the stems. Cut a section from the +side of each melon, and remove everything inside. Fit back stems, +sections, etc., then pack in a kettle in layers with fresh grape leaves +between, add a bit of alum as big as the thumb's end, cover all with +strong, cold vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer gently for twenty +minutes. Let stand in vinegar two or three days, throwing away the +leaves. Take out, rinse and drain. To stuff four dozen, bruise, soak, +cut small and dry, half a pound of race ginger, add half a pint each +black and white mustard seed, mace, allspice, Turmeric, black pepper, +each half an ounce, beat all together to a rather fine powder, add a +dash of garlic, and mix smooth in half a cup of salad oil. Chop very +fine a small head of firm but tender cabbage, three fine hearts of +celery, half a dozen small pickled cucumbers, half a pint small onions, +a large, sweet red pepper, finely shredded, add a teaspoonful sugar, a +tablespoonful of brandy, or dry sherry, the mixed spices, work all well +together, stuff the mangoes neatly, sew up with soft thread or tie about +with very narrow tape, pack down in stone jars, cover with the best +cold vinegar, pour a film of salad oil on top, tie down and let stand +two months. If wanted sweetish, add moist sugar to the vinegar, a pound +to the gallon. Mangoes are for men in the general--and men like things +hot and sour. + +_Walnut Pickle_: Gather white walnuts in June--they must be tender +enough to cut with the finger nail. Wash, drain and pack down in jars +smothered in salt. Let stand a fortnight, drain off the resultant brine +then, scald the nuts in strong vinegar, let stand hot, but not boiling, +for twenty minutes, then drain, and pack in jars, putting between the +layers, a mixture of cloves, alspice, black and red pepper, in equal +quantity, with half as much mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Strew in +a very little salt, and a little more sugar. Mix mustard and celery seed +in a cup of salad oil, and add to the jars, after the nuts are in. Scald +strong cider vinegar, skim clean, let cool, pour over the prepared nuts, +film with oil on top. Leave open for two days--if the vinegar sinks +through absorption, fill up the jars. Paste paper over mouths, tie down +securely, and set in a cool place until next year. It takes twelve +months for pickled walnuts fully to "find themselves." + +_Preserving Fruit_: Peaches, pears, plums, or cherries, the process is +much the same. Use the finest fruit, ripe but not over-ripe. There is no +greater waste of strength, time, and sugar, than in preserving +tasteless, inferior fruit. Pare peaches and drop instantly in water to +save discoloration. Do the same with pears, pit cherries, saving the +juice. Wash and prick plums if large--if small, merely wash and drain. +Halve clear stone peaches but put in a few seeds for the flavor. Leave +clingstones on the seed, unless very large, else saw them in three, +across the stones. They make less handsome preserves thus sawn but of +finer flavor. Weigh, take pound for pound of sugar, with a pound over +for the kettle. Very acid fruit, cherries or gooseberries, will require +six pounds of sugar to four of fruit. Pack pears and peaches after +paring in the sugar over night. Drain off the syrup at morning, put the +fruit in the kettle, cover with strained ginger tea, and simmer for ten +minutes. Meantime cook the sugar and fruit juice in another kettle. Drop +the fruit hot in the boiling syrup, set the kettle in a hot oven, and +let it cook there until the preserves are done--the fruit clear, and the +syrup thick. If it is not rich enough, skim out the fruit, and reduce +the syrup by rapid boiling, then pour over the hot fruit in jars. + +It is only by cooking thus in ginger tea, or plain water, pear and +quince preserves can be made soft. Quinces do not need to stand +overnight in sugar--rather heat the sugar, and put it in the liquid they +have been boiled in, after skimming out the fruit. It should be cooked +without sugar till a fork easily pierces it, but not until it begins to +rag. + +Put cherry juice and sugar over the fire, adding a little water if juice +is scant, boil up, stirring well and skimming clean, then put in the +fruit, and let it simmer ten minutes, and finish by setting the kettle +in the oven till the preserves are rich and thick. + +Fancy peach preserves require white, juicy fruit cut up, but not too +thin. Let it stand in sugar overnight--drain off syrup in morning, boil, +skim clean, then drop in fruit a handful at a time, and cook till clear. +Skim out, put in more, lay cooked fruit on platters, and set under glass +in sun. Sun all day. Next day boil syrup a little more, drop in fruit, +heat through, then put all in clear glass jars, and set for ten days in +hot sunshine, covered close. The fruit should be a rich translucent +pink, the syrup as rich as honey, and a little lighter pink. These are +much handsomer than the gingered peaches but not so good. Ginger tea in +syrup makes it always darker. + +Plums require nothing extra in the way of flavoring. Make a very thick +syrup of the sugar and a little water, skim clean, drop in the pricked +plums, and cook gently till clear. Skim out, reduce the syrup by further +boiling and pour it over the fruit, packed in jars. By oven-cooking +after a good boil up, there is so little occasion for stirring, the +plums are left almost entirely whole. + +_Ginger Pears_: (Leslie Fox.) Four pounds pears peeled and cut small, +four pounds granulated sugar, juice of four lemons, and the grated peel +of two, two ounces preserved ginger cut very fine. Cook all together +over a slow fire until thick and rich--it should make a firm jelly. Put +away in glass with brandy paper on top the same as other preserves. + +_Tutti Frutti_: (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) Begin by getting a big wide-mouthed +jar, either thoroughly glazed earthenware, or thick, dark glass. Wash +well, fill with hot water, add a half-pound washing soda, and let stand +a day. Empty, rinse three times, and wipe dry. Thus you make end to +potential molds and microbes. Do this in early spring. Put into the jar, +a quart of good brandy and a tablespoonful of mixed spices--any your +taste approves, also a little finely shredded yellow peel of lemons and +oranges. Wash well and hull a quart of fine ripe strawberries, add them +with their own weight in sugar to the brandy, let stand till raspberries +and cherries are ripe, then put in a quart of each, along with their +weight in sugar. Do this with all fruit as it comes in season--forced +fruit, or that shipped long distances has not enough flavor. Add grapes, +halved and seeded, gooseberries, nibbed and washed, blackberries, +peaches pared and quartered. Currants are best left out, but by no means +slight plums. The big meaty sorts are best. Add as much sugar as fruit, +and from time to time more brandy--there must be always enough to stand +well above the fruit. Add spices also as the jar grows, and if almond +flavor is approved, kernels of all the stone fruit, well blanched. Lay +on a saucer or small plate, when the jar is full, to hold the fruit well +under the liquor. Tie down, and leave standing for three months. Fine +for almost any use--especially to sauce mild puddings. + +_Green Tomato Preserves_: Take medium size tomatoes, smooth, even, +meaty, just on the point of turning but still green. Pare very +carefully with a sharp knife. Cut out eyes, taking care not to cut into +a seed cavity. Weigh--to four pounds fruit take six of sugar. Lay the +peeled tomatoes in clear lime water for an hour, take out, rinse, and +simmer for ten minutes in strained ginger tea. Make a syrup in another +kettle, putting half a cup water to the pound of sugar. Skim clean, put +in the tomatoes, add the strained juice of lemons--three for a large +kettle full, and simmer for two hours, until the fruit is clear. Cut the +lemon rind in strips, boil tender in strong salt water, then boil fresh +in clear water, and add to the syrup. Simmer all together for another +hour, then skim out the fruit, boil the syrup to the thickness of honey, +and pour over the tomatoes after putting them in jars. It ought to be +very clear, and the tomatoes a pale, clear green. Among the handsomest +of all preserves, also the most delicious, once you get the hang of +making them. Ripe yellow tomatoes are preserved the same way, except +that they are scalded for peeling, and hardened by dropping in alum +water after their lime-water bath. The same process applied to +watermelon rind after it is freshened makes citron. + +_Brandy Peaches and Pears_: These can be made without cooking. Choose +ripe, perfect fruit, pare, stick three cloves in each, weigh, take pound +for pound of sugar with one over for the jar. Pack down in a large jar, +putting spices between, and filling sugar into every crevice. Crowd in +every bit possible, then pour on enough whiskey to stand an inch above +the fruit. Let stand--in twenty-four hours more whiskey will be needed. +Fill up, sprinkle a few more whole cloves on top, also two small pods of +Cayenne pepper, and half a dozen pepper corns. Tie down and keep cool. +Fit for use in a fortnight, and of fine keeping quality. The same +treatment with vinegar in place of whiskey makes very good sweet pickle. + +Another way, is to pack the fruit in sugar over night, drain off the +juice at morning, boil and skim it, and pour back upon the fruit. Repeat +twice--the third time put everything in the kettle, cook till a fork +will pierce the fruit, then pack in jars, adding spices to taste, and +one fourth as much whiskey as there is fruit and syrup. This likewise +can be turned into very rich sweet pickle, by using vinegar instead of +whiskey, putting it with the syrup at first boiling, sticking cloves in +the fruit, and adding spices to taste. + +Throw stemmed and washed cherries, unpitted, into thick syrup made of +their weight in sugar with half a cup water to the pound. Let boil, set +in oven for half an hour, take up, add spices, and either brandy or +vinegar, in the proportion of one to three. Let stand uncovered to cool, +put in jars, cover with brandy paper, tie down and keep dark and cool. + +_Tea: Coffee: Chocolate_: My tea-making is unorthodox, but people like +to drink the brew. Bring fresh water to a bubbling boil in a clean, wide +kettle, throw in the tea--a tablespoonful to the gallon of water, let +boil just one minute, then strain from the leaves into a pot that has +stood for five minutes full of freshly boiled water, and that is +instantly wrapped about with a thick napkin, so it shall not cool. Serve +in tall glasses with rum and lemon, or with sherry syrup, flavored with +lemon, add a Maraschino cherry or so, or a tiny bit of ginger-flavored +citron. This for the unorthodox. Those who are orthodox can have cream +either whipped or plain, with rock candy crystals instead of sugar. + +Coffee to be absolutely perfect should never get cold betwixt the +beginning of roasting and the end of drinking. Since that is out of the +question save to Grand Turks and faddists, mere mortals must make shift +with coffee freshly ground, put in a very clean pot, with the least +suspicion of salt--about six fine grains to the cupful, fresh cold +water, in the proportion of three cupfuls to two heaping spoonfuls of +ground coffee, then the pot set where it will take twenty minutes to +boil, and so carefully watched it can not possibly boil over. Boiling +over ruins it--makes it flat, bitter, aroma-less. So does long +boiling--one minute, no more, is the longest boiling time. Quick boiling +is as bad--the water has not time to extract the real goodness of the +coffee. Let stand five minutes to clear, keeping hot. Those who drink +coffee half milk may like it stronger--a cupful of water to the heaping +spoonful of coffee. I do not thus abuse one of the crowning mercies, so +make my coffee the strength I like to drink it. Reducing with boiling +water spoils the taste for me. So does pouring into another pot--my +silver pot is used only upon occasions when ceremony must outweigh +hospitality. In very cold weather hot water may well warm cups both for +tea and coffee. Standing on the grounds does not spoil the flavor of +coffee as it does tea. + +Coffee from the original pot is quite another affair from the same thing +shifted. I am firmly of opinion that many a patent coffee-maker has gone +on to success through the fact that cups were filled directly from the +urn. I always feel that I taste my coffee mostly with my nose--nothing +refreshes me like the clean, keen fragrance of it--especially after +broken rest. It is idle to talk as so many authorities do, of using +"Java and Mocha blended." All the real Java and Mocha in the world is +snapped up, long before it filters down to the average level. Back in +the Dark Ages of my childhood, I knew experimentally real Java--we got +it by the sack-full straight from New Orleans--and called the Rio coffee +used by many of our neighbors "Seed tick coffee," imagining its flavor +was like the smell of those pests. Nowadays, Rio coffee has pretty well +the whole world for its parish. Wherefore the best one can do, is to get +it sound, well roasted, and as fresh as may be. Much as I love and +practice home preparation, I am willing to let the Trust or who will, +roast my coffee. Roasting is parlous work, hot, tedious, and tiresome, +also mighty apt to result in scorching if not burning. One last +caution--never meddle with the salt unless sure your hand is light, your +memory so trustworthy you will not put it in twice. + +Chocolate spells milk, and cream, and trouble, hence I make it only on +occasions of high state. Yet--I am said to make it well. Perhaps the +secret lies in the brandy--a scant teaspoonful for each cake of +chocolate grated. Put in a bowl after grating, add the brandy, stir +about, then add enough hot water to dissolve smoothly, and stir into a +quart of rich milk, just brought to a boil. Add six lumps of sugar, stir +till dissolved, pour into your pot, which must have held boiling water +for five minutes previously, and serve in heated cups, with or without +whipped cream on top. There is no taste of the brandy--it appears merely +to give a smoothness to the blending. If the chocolate is too rich, +half-fill cups with boiling water, then pour in the chocolate. There are +brands of chocolate which can be made wholly of water--they will serve +at a pinch, but are not to be named with the real thing. Cocoa I have +never made, therefore say nothing about its making. Like Harry Percy's +wife, in cooking at least, I "never tell that which I do not know." + + + + +[Illustration: _When the Orchards "Hit"_] + + +When the peach orchard "hit" it meant joy to the plantation. Peaches had +so many charms--and there were so many ways of stretching the charms on +through winter scarcity. Peach drying was in a sort, a festival, +especially if there were a kiln, which made one independent of the +weather. It took many hands wielding many sharp knives in fair fruit to +keep a kiln of fair size running regularly. This though it were no more +than a thing of flat stones and clean clay mud, with paper laid over the +mud, and renewed periodically. There was a shed roof, over the kiln, +which sat commonly in the edge of the orchard. Black Daddy tended the +firing--with a couple of active lads to cut and fetch wood, what time +they were not fetching in great baskets of peaches. + +Yellow peaches, not too ripe but full flavored, made the lightest and +sweetest dried fruit. And clingstones were ever so much better for +drying than the clear-seed sorts. Some folk took off the peach fuzz with +lye--they did not, I think, save trouble thereby, and certainly lost +somewhat in the flavor of their fruit. Mammy was a past mistress of +cutting "cups." That is to say, half-peaches, with only the seed deftly +removed. She sat with the biggest bread tray upon her well cushioned +knees, in the midst of the peelers, who as they peeled, dropped their +peaches into the tray. + +When it over-ran with cups, somebody slimmer and suppler, took it away, +and spread the cut fruit, just touching, all over the hot kiln. It must +not be too hot--just so you couldn't bear the back of your hand to it +was about right. Daddy kept the temperature even, by thrusting into the +flues underneath it, long sticks of green wood, kindled well at the +flue-mouths. Cups shrank mightily in a little while--you could push of +an early trayful till it would no more than cover space the size of a +big dish, long before dinner time--in other words twelve o'clock--drying +was in full blast by seven. With fruit in gluts, and dropping fast, the +kiln was supplemented by scaffolds. Clean planks laid upon trestles, and +set in full sunshine, gave excellent accounts of themselves. This of +course if the sun shone steadily--in showery weather scaffold-drying was +no end of trouble. Weather permitting, it made--it still makes--the +finest and most flavorous dried fruit ever eaten. + +The black people chose clear-seed peaches for their individual drying. +They made merry over splitting the fruit, and placing it, sitting out in +front of their cabins in the moonshine, or by torch-light. Washing was +all they gave the peach outsides--a little thing like a fuzzy rind their +palates did not object to. It was just as well, since clear-seed fruit, +peeled, shrinks unconscionably--to small scrawny knots, inclined to be +sticky--though it is but just to add, that in cooking, it comes back to +almost its original succulence. When the peach-cutting was done, there +was commonly a watermelon feast. Especially at Mammy's house--Daddy's +watermelons were famed throughout the county. He gave seed of them +sparingly, and if the truth must be told, rather grudgingly--but nobody +ever brought melons to quite his pitch of perfection. Possibly because +he planted for the most part, beside rotting stumps in the new ground, +where the earth had to be kept light and clean for tobacco, and where +the vines got somewhat of shade, and the roots fed fat upon the richness +of virgin soil. + +It took eight bushels of ripe fruit, to make one of dry--this when the +peaches were big and fleshy. Small, seedy sorts demanded ten bushels for +one. Unpeeled, the ratio fell to seven for one. But there was seldom any +lack of fruit--beside the orchard, there were trees up and down all the +static fence rows--the corner of a worm fence furnishing an ideal seat. +Further, every field boasted trees, self-planted, sprung from chance +seed vagrantly cast. These volunteer trees often had the very best +fruit--perhaps because only peaches of superior excellence had been +worth carrying a-field. Tilth also helped--the field trees bent and +often broke under their fruity burdens. It was only when late frosts +made half or three parts of the young fruit drop, that we knew how fine +and beautiful these field peaches could be. Our trees, being all +seedlings, were in a degree, immortelles. Branches, even trunks might +bend and break, but the seminal roots sent up new shoots next season, +which in another year, bore fruit scantily. Still, these renewals never +gave quite such perfect fruit as grew upon vigorous young trees, just +come to full bearing. + +Here or there a plantation owner like my starch and stately grandfather, +turned surplus peaches into brandy. In that happy time excise was--only +a word in the dictionary, so the yield of certain trees, very +free-bearing, of small, deep, red, clear-seed fruit, was allowed to get +dead-ripe on the trees, then mashed to a pulp in the cider trough, and +put into stands to ferment, then duly distilled. Barrelled, after two +years in the lumber house, it was racked into clean barrels, and some +part of it converted into "peach and honey," the favorite gentleman's +tipple. Strained honey was mixed with the brandy in varying +proportions--the amount depending somewhat upon individual tastes. Some +used one measure of honey to three of brandy, others put one to two, +still others, half and half, qualifying the sweetness by adding neat +brandy at the time of drinking. Peach and honey was kept properly in +stone jugs or in demijohns, improved mightily with age, and was, at its +best, to the last degree insidious. Newly mixed it was heady, but after +a year or more, as smooth as oil, and as mellow. The honey had something +to do with final excellence. That which the bees gathered from wild +raspberries in flower, being very clear, light-colored and +fine-flavored, was in especial request. + +I think these peaches of the brandy orchards traced back to those the +Indians, Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees, planted in the mountain +valleys of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They got +the seed from early Spaniard voyagers to Florida. There was indeed a +special Indian peach, as dark-skinned as its namesake, blood-red inside +and out, very sweet and full of juice, if permitted to ripen fully--but +as ill-tasting almost as a green persimmon, if unripe. There were +clearstone and clingstone sorts, and one tree differed from another in +glory of flavor, even as one star. That was the charm of our +seedlings--which had further a distinction of flavor no commercial fruit +ever yet owned. + +August peaches were for drying--in September, early, came the Heaths, +for preserves, brandy fruit, and so on. October peaches, nearly all +clear-seed, made the finest peach butter. Understand, in those days, +canning, known as "hermetic sealing," was still a laboratory process. I +wonder if anybody else recalls, as I do, the first editions of fruit +cans? They were of tin, tall and straight, with a flaring upstanding +tin ruffle around the tops. The ruffle was for holding the sealing wax, +into which the edge of the tin top was thrust. They did not last +long--pretty soon, there were cans of the present shape--but sealing +them with wax was hard work, likewise uncertain. Women everywhere should +rise and call blessed he who invented the self-sealing jar. + +Return we to our peach butter. It began in cider--the cider from fall +apples, very rich and sweet. To boil it down properly required a battery +of brass kettles swung over a log fire in the yard, the same as at +drying up lard time. Naturally brass kettles were at a premium--but +luckily everybody did not make peach butter, so it was no strain upon +neighborly comity to borrow of such. It took more than half a day to +boil down the cider properly--kettles were filled up constantly as there +was room. By and by, when the contents became almost syrup, peaches went +in--preferably the late, soft, white ones, dead ripe, very juicy, and +nearly as sweet as sugar. After the kettles were full of them, peeled +and halved, of course, the boiling went on until the fruit was mushy. +Constant stirring helped to make it so. Fresh peaches were added twice, +and cooked down until the paddle stood upright in the middle of the +kettle. Then came the spicing--putting in cloves, mace, bruised ginger, +and alspice--sparingly, but enough to flavor delicately. If the white +peaches ran short, there might be a supplemental butter-making when the +Red Octobers came in, at the very last of the month. They were big and +handsome, oval, with the richest crimson cheeks, but nothing like so +sweet as the white ones. So sugar, or honey, was added scantly, at the +end of the boiling down. If it had been put in earlier, it would have +added to the danger of burning. + +A six-gallon crock of peach butter was no mean household asset--indeed +it ranked next to the crock of blackberry jam. It was good as a sauce, +or lightly sweetened, to spread on crust. As a filling for roly-polys it +had but one superior--namely dried peaches properly stewed. + +Proper stewing meant washing a quart of dry fruit in two waters, soaking +overnight, then putting over the fire in the soaking water, covering +with a plate to hold the fruit down, and simmering at the least five +hours, filling up the kettle from time to time, and adding after the +fruit was soft a pound of sugar. Then at the very last spices to taste +went in. If the fruit were to be eaten along with meat, as a relish, a +cupful of vinegar was added after the sugar. This made it a near +approach to the finest sweet pickle. But as Mammy said often: "Dried +peaches wus good ernough fer anybody--dest by dee sefs, dry so." + +Apple drying commonly came a little before peach. Horse apples, the best +and plentiest, ripened in the beginning of August. They were kiln-dried, +or scaffold-dried, and much less tedious than peaches since they were +sliced thin. When they got very mellow, drying ceased--commonly +everybody had plenty by that time--and the making of apple butter began. +It differed little from peach butter in the making, though mightily in +taste--being of a less piquant flavor. Cider, newly run was essential to +any sort of butter--hence the beating was done before breakfast. Cider +mills were not--but cider troughs abounded. They were dug from huge +poplar logs, squared outside with the broad axe, and adzed within to a +smooth finish. Apples well washed, were beaten in them with round headed +wooden pestles, and pressed in slat presses, the pomace laid on clean +straw, after the manner of cider pressing in English orchards. The first +runnings, somewhat muddy, were best for boiling down, but the clear last +runnings drank divinely--especially after keeping until there was just +the trace of sparkle to them. + +Winter cider was commonly allowed to get hard. So was that meant for +distilling--apple brandy was only second to peach. But a barrel or keg, +would be kept sweet for women, children, and ministers--either by +smoking the inside of a clean barrel well with sulphur before putting in +the cider, or by hanging inside a barrel nearly full, a thin muslin bag +full of white mustard seed. Cider from russets and pear apples had a +peculiar excellence, so was kept for Christmas and other high days. + +Pear cider--perry--we knew only in books. Not through lack of pears but +inclination to make it. Pears were dried the same as other fruit, but +commonly packed down after drying in sugar. Thus they were esteemed +nearly as good as peach chips, or even peach leather. + +Peach chips were sliced thin, packed down in their own weight of sugar +and let stand twenty-four hours to toughen. Then the syrup was drained +from them, boiled, skimmed clean, spiced with mace and lemon peel, and +the slices dropped into it a few at a time and cooked until sweet +through. Then they were skimmed out, spread on dishes well sprinkled +with sugar, dredged with more sugar, set under glass in sunshine and +turned daily until dry. They were delicious, and served as other +confections--passed around with nuts and wine, or eaten instead of +candy. + +So were cherries, dried in exactly the same manner, after pitting. When +dried without sugar they were used for cooking. So also were tomato +figs. Yellow tomatoes, smooth and even were best--but red ones +answered--the meatier the better. After scalding, peeling, soaking an +hour in clear lime-water to harden, they were rinsed clean, then dropped +in thick boiling syrup, a few at a time, simmered an hour, then skimmed +out, drained, sugared and dried under glass in the sun, or failing +sunshine, upon dishes in a very slow oven. Full-dry, they were packed +down in powdered sugar, in glass jars kept tightly closed. Unless thus +kept they had a knack of turning sticky--which defeated the purpose of +their creation. + +Peach leather may not appeal to this day of many sweets--but it was good +indeed back in the spare elder time. To make it the very ripest, softest +peaches were peeled, and mashed smooth, working quickly so the pulp +might not color too deeply, then spread an inch thick upon large dishes +or even clean boards, and dried slowly in sunshine or the oven. After +it was full-dry, came the cutting into inch-strips. This took a very +sharp knife and a steady hand. Then the strips were coiled edgewise into +flat rounds, with sugar between the rounds of the coils, which had to be +packed down in more sugar and kept close, to save them from dampness, +which meant ruin. + +If you had a fond and extravagant grandmother, you were almost sure to +have also a clove apple. That is to say, a fine firm winter apple, stuck +as full of cloves as it could hold, then allowed to dry very, very +slowly, in air neither hot nor cold. The cloves banished decay--their +fragrance joined to the fruity scent of the apple, certainly set off +things kept in the drawer with the apple. The applemakers justified +their extravagance--cloves cost money, then as now--by asserting a +belief in clove apples as sovereign against mildew or moths--which may +have had a color of reason. + +The quince tree is the clown of the orchard, growing twisted and +writhing, as though hating a straight line. Notwithstanding, its fruit, +and the uses thereof, set the hall mark of housewifery. Especially in +the matter of jelly-making and marmalade. Further a quince pudding is in +the nature of an experience--so few have ever heard of it, so much fewer +made or tasted it. The making requires very ripe quinces--begin by +scrubbing them clean of fuzz, then set them in a deep pan, cover, after +adding a tablespoonful of water, and bake slowly until very soft. Scrape +out the pulp, throw away cores and skin. To a pint of pulp take four +eggs, beat the yolks light with three cups of sugar and a cup of creamed +butter, add the quince pulp, a little mace broken small or grated +nutmeg, then half a cup of cream, and the egg-whites beaten stiff. Bake +in a deep pan, and serve hot with hard or wine sauce. + +Here are some fine points of jelly-making learned in that long ago. To +make the finest, clearest jelly, cook but little at a time. A large +kettleful will never have the color and brightness of two or three +glasses. Never undertake to make jelly of inferior fruit--that which is +unripe or over-ripe, or has begun to sour. Wash clean, and +drain--paring is not only waste work, but in a measure lessens flavor. +Put a little water with the fruit when you begin cooking it--cook rather +slowly so there shall be no scorching, and drain out rather than press +out the juice. Draining is much freer if the fruit is spread thin, +rather than dumped compactly in a bag. Double cheese cloth sewed fast +over stout wire, and laid on top of a wide bowl, makes a fine jelly +drainer--one cheap enough to be thrown away when discolored. A +discolored bag, by the way, makes jelly a bit darker. If there is no +pressure flannel is not required. + +Plenty as fruit was with us, Mammy made jelly and marmalade from the +same quinces. They were well washed, peeled, quartered and the cores +removed, then the quarters boiled until soft in water to half-cover +them, skimmed out, mashed smooth with their own weight of sugar, and +spices to taste, then cooked very slowly until the spoon stood upright +in the mass, after which it went into glass jars, and had a brandy +paper laid duly on top. + +Cores and paring were boiled to rags in water to fully cover them, then +strained out, the water strained again, and added to that in which the +fruit had boiled. Sugar was added--a pound to the pint of juice. But +first the juice was brought to a boil, and skimmed very clean. The +sugar, heated without scorching, went in, and cooking continued until +the drop on the tip of the spoon jellied as it fell. Mammy hated jelly +that ran--it must cut like butter to reach her standard. Occasionally +she flavored it with ginger--boiling the bruised root with the +cores--but only occasionally, as ginger would make the jelly darker. +Occasionally also she cooked apples, usually fall pippins, with the +quinces, thus increasing the bulk of both jelly and marmalade, with +hardly a sensible diminution of flavor. + +All here written applies equally to every sort of fruit jelly--apple, +peach, currant, the whole family of berries. Mammy never knew it, but I +myself have found the oven at half-heat a very present help in +jelly-making. Fruit well prepared, and put into a stone or agate vessel, +covered and baked gently for a time proportionate to its bulk, yields +all its juice, and it seems to me clearer juice, than when stewed in the +time-honored brass kettle. Hot sugar helps to jellying quickly--and the +more haste there, the lighter and brighter the result. Gelatin in fruit +jellies I never use--it increases the product sensibly, but that is more +than offset by the decrease in quality. + + + + +[Illustration: _Upon Occasions_] + + +It was no trouble at all to make occasions. Indeed, the greatest of +them, weddings, really made themselves. A wedding made imperative an +infare--that is to say, if the high contracting parties had parental +approval. Maybe I had better explain that infare meant the bride's going +home--to her new house, or at least her new family. This +etymologically--the root is the Saxon _faran_, to go, whence come +wayfaring, faring forth and so on. All this I am setting forth not in +pedantry, but because so many folk had stared blankly upon hearing the +word--which was to me as familiar as word could be. In application it +had a wide latitude. Commonly the groom or his family gave the infare, +but often enough some generous and well-to-do friend, or kinsman, +pre-empted the privilege. Wherever held, it was an occasion of keen and +jealous rivalry--those in charge being doubly bent on making the faring +in more splendid than the wedding feast. Naturally that put the wedding +folk on their mettle. Another factor inciting to extra effort was--the +bundles. All guests were expected to take home with them generous +bundles of wedding cake in all its varieties. I recall once hearing a +famous cake baker sigh relief as she frosted the hundredth snow ball, +and said: "Now we are sure to have enough left for the bundles--they are +such a help." + +But baking cakes, and cooking in general, though important, were not the +main things. Setting the table, so it should outshine all other wedding +tables gave most concern. To this end all the resources of the family, +and its friends for a radius of ten miles, were available--glass, +silver, china, linen, even cook pots and ovens at need. Also and +further it was a slight of the keenest, if you were known as a fine cake +maker, not to be asked to help. A past mistress of paper cutting was +likewise in request. Cut papers and evergreens were the great reliances +in decoration. They made a brave showing by candlelight. Oil lamps were +few, kerosene undiscovered, and either lard oil, or whale oil, all too +often smelled to heaven, to say nothing of smoking upon the least +provocation. So a lamp, if there were one, sat in state within the +parlor. The long table got its light from candelabra--which as often as +not were homemade. The base was three graduated blocks of wood, nailed +to form a sort of pyramid, with a hole bored in the middle to receive a +stout round upright, two inches across. It stood a foot high, and held +up cross-arms three feet across, with a tin candlesocket upon each end. +Another socket was set where the arms crossed--thus each candelabra was +of five-candle power. Set a-row down the middle of the table, with +single candles in tall brass sticks interspersed, they gave a fine soft +illumination. Often they were supplemented with candelabra of bronze or +brass, tricked out with tinkly pendant prisms. Such household gauds were +commonly concentrated at the spot where the bride and her maids would +stand. They were more elegant, of course, than the made +candle-holders--but not to my thinking a whit the handsomer--after the +paper-cutters had done their work. + +Their work was turning white paper into fringe and lace. Fringed strips +wound all over and about, hid the foundation wood. Paper tulips, deftly +fashioned, held the tin rings in ambush--with clusters of lacy leaves +pendant below. Sometimes a paper rose tipped each arm-end--sometimes +also, there were pendant sprays of pea-shaped blossoms. How they were +made, with nothing beyond scissors, pen-knives for crimping, and the +palm of the hand for mold, I confess I do not understand--but I know +they were marvels. The marvels required a special knack, of course--also +much time and patience. Wherefore those who had it, exercised it in +scraps of leisure as paper came to hand, laying away the results +against the next wedding even though none were imminent. Leaves and the +round lace-edged pieces to go under cakes, it was easy thus to keep. +Flowers, roses, tulips and so on, had a trick of losing shape--besides, +although so showy, they were really much easier to make. + +It took nice contrivance to make table-room--but double thicknesses of +damask falling to the floor either side hid all roughness in the +foundation. Shape depended much upon the size of the supper-room--if it +were but an inclosed piazza, straight length was imperative. But in a +big square or parallelogram, one could easily achieve a capital _H_--or +else a letter _Z_. _Z_ was rather a favorite in that it required less +heavy decoration, yet gave almost as much space. A heart-cake for either +tip, a stack at each acute angle, with the bride's cake midway the stem, +flanked either hand by bowls of syllabub and boiled custard, made a fine +showing. A letter _H_ demanded four heart-cakes--one for each end, also +four stacks, and crowded the bride and her party along the joining bar. + +Heart-cakes were imperative to any wedding of degree. Local tinsmiths +made the moulds for them--they were deeply cleft, and not strictly +classic of outline. But, well and truly baked, frosted a glistening +white, then latticed and fringed with more frosting, dribbled on +delicately from the point of a tube, they were surely good to look at. +If the bride's cake were white all through, the heart-pans were usually +filled with gold-cake batter--thus white and yolk of eggs had equal +honor. More commonly though, the most part of wedding cake was pound +cake in the beginning--the richer the better. Baked in deep +round-bottomed, handleless coffee cups, and iced, it made the helpful +snow balls. Baked in square pans, rather shallow, cut into bars, +crisped, frosted and piled cob-house fashion, it made pens. Sliced +crosswise and interlaid with jelly it became jelly cake. To supplement +it, there were marble cake, spice cake, plum cake, ever so many more +cakes--but they were--only supplements. + +Stacks were either round or square, baked in pans of graduated size, +set one on the other after cooling thoroughly, then frosted and +re-frosted till they had a polar suggestion. If round there was commonly +a hole running down the middle, into this was fitted a wide mouthed but +small glass bottle, to hold the stems of the evergreen plume topping the +stack. Here or there in the plume, shone a paper rose or starflower--in +the wreath of evergreen laid about the base, were tulips, lilies, and +bigger roses, all made of paper. Occasionally trailing myrtle, well +washed and dried, was put about the components of the stacks just before +they were set in place. If the heart-cakes had missed being latticed, +they likewise were myrtle-wreathed. The bride's cake was left +dead-white, but it always stood on something footed, and had a wreath of +evergreen and paper flowers, laid upon a lace-cut paper about the foot. + +Baking it was an art. So many things had to go in it--the darning +needle, thimble, picayune, ring, and button. The makers would have +scorned utterly the modern subterfuge of baking plain, and thrusting in +the portents of fate before frosting. They mixed the batter a trifle +stiff, washed and scoured everything, shut eyes, dropped them, and +stirred them well about. Thus nobody had the least idea where they +finally landed--so the cutting was bound to be strictly fair. It made +much fun--the bride herself cut the first slice--hoping it might hold +the picayune, and thus symbolize good fortune. The ring presaged the +next bride or groom, the darning needle single blessedness to the end, +the thimble, many to sew for, or feed, the button, fickleness or +disappointment. After the bridal party had done cutting, other young +folk tempted fate. Bride's cake was not for eating--instead, fragments +of it, duly wrapped and put under the pillow, were thought to make +whatever the sleeper dreamed come true. Especially if the dream included +a sweetheart, actual or potential. The dreams were supposed to be truly +related next day at the infare--but I question if they always were. +Perhaps the magic worked--and in this wise--the person dreamed of took +on so new a significance, the difference was quickly felt. But this is +a cook book--with reminiscent attachments, not a treatise on psychology. + +The table held only the kickshaws--cakes, candy, nuts, syllabub and +custard. Wide handsome plates piled high with tempting sliced cake sat +up and down the length of it, with glass dishes of gay candies in +between. In cold weather wine jelly often took the place of syllabub. +There were neither napkins nor service plates--all such things came from +the side table, the plates laden with turkey, ham, fried chicken, or +broiled, and some sort of jelly or relish. One ate standing, with her +escort doing yeoman service as waiter, until her appetite was fully +appeased. Hot biscuit, hot egg bread, and light bread--salt rising, +freshly sliced--were passed about by deft black servitors. The side +tables were under charge of family friends, each specially skilled in +helping and serving. Carving, of course, had been done before hand. +Occasionally, very occasionally, where a wedding throng ran well into +the hundreds, there was barbecue in addition to other meat. In that case +it was cut up outside, and sent in upon huge platters. But it was more a +feature of infares, held commonly by daylight, than of wedding suppers. + +Wedding salad is set forth in its proper chapter, but not the turkey +hash that was to some minds the best of all the good eating. It was +served for breakfast--there was always a crowd of kinfolk and faraway +friends to stay all night--sleeping on pallets all over the floors, even +those of parlor or ballroom, after they were deserted. The hash was made +from all the left-over turkey--where a dozen birds have been roasted the +leavings will be plenty. To it was added the whole array of giblets, +cooked the day before, and cut small while still warm. They made heaps +of rich gravy to add to that in the turkey pots--no real wedding ever +contented itself with cooking solely on a range. Pots, big ones, set +beside a log fire out of doors, with a little water in the bottom, and +coals underneath and on the lids, turned out turkeys beautifully +browned, tender and flavorous, to say nothing of the gravy. It set off +the hash as nothing else could--but such setting off was not badly +needed. Hash with hot biscuit, strong clear coffee, hot egg bread, and +thin-sliced ham, made a breakfast one could depend on, even with a long +drive cross-country in prospect. + +Harking back to the supper table--syllabub, as nearly as I recall, was +made of thick cream lightly reinforced with stiffly beaten white of +egg--one egg-white to each pint--sweetened, well flavored with sherry or +Madeira wine, then whipped very stiff, and piled in a big bowl, also in +goblets to set about the bowl, just as snow balls were set a-row about +the stacks and the bride's cake. Flecks of crimson jelly were dropped on +the white cream--occasionally, there were crumbled cake, and cut up +fruit underneath. Thus it approximated the trifle of the cook books. It +had just one drawback--you could not eat it slowly--it went almost to +nothing at the agitation of the spoon. + +Far otherwise boiled custard--which was much higher in favor, being +easier made, and quite as showy. For it you beat very light the yolks of +twelve eggs with four cups white sugar, added them to a gallon of milk, +and a quart of cream, in a brass kettle over the fire, stirred the +mixture steadily, watching it close to remove it just as it was on the +point of boiling, let it cool, then flavored it well, with either +whiskey, brandy, or sweet wine. Meantime the egg-whites beaten with a +little salt until they stuck to the dish, had been cooked by pouring +quickly over them full-boiling water from a tea kettle. They hardly lost +a bubble in the process--the water well drained away, the whites were +ready to go on top of the custard in either bowls or goblets, and get +themselves ornamented with crimson jelly, or flecks of cherry preserves. +Like syllabub, boiled custard necessitated spoons--hence the borrowing +of small silver was in most cases imperative. Plutocrats had not then +been invented--but tradition tells of one high gentleman, who was +self-sufficient. The fact stood him in good stead later--when he was +darkly accused, she who had baked cakes for all his merry-makings said +stoutly: "The Colonel do sech as that! Lord in heaven! Why, don't you +know, in all the years I've knowed him, _he never had to borrow a single +silver spoon_--and I've seen five hundred folks there for supper. I +wouldn't believe them tales ef Angel Gabriel come down and told 'em to +me." + +Is anybody left, I wonder, who can cut oranges into lilies? Thus cut +they surely looked pretty. The peel was divided evenly in six, the +sections loosened, but not pulled free at the base. Instead the ends +were curved backward after the manner of lily petals. The fruit, +separated into eighths, hardly showed the divisions. These lilies sat +flat upon the cloth, either in lines, as about square stacks, or around +bigger things, or straight up and down the table center. They were not +always in season--at their best around Christmas, but available until +the end of winter. + +Cheesecakes, baked in patty pans frosted with cocoanut frosting, also +helped out the wedding richness. Indeed, guests gathered to eat the fat +and the sweet, no less to drink it. Now, in a wider outlook, I wonder a +little if there was significance in the fact that these wedding tables +were so void of color--showing only green and white, with the tiniest +sparks of red? + +Party suppers had no such limitations--often the table was gay with +autumn leaves, the center piece a riot of small ragged red +chrysanthemums, or raggeder pink or yellow ones, with candles glaring +from gorgeous pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns down the middle, or from the +walls either side. There were frosted cakes--loaves trimmed gaily with +red and white candies, or maybe the frosting itself was tinted. In place +of syllabub or boiled custard, there were bowls of ambrosia--oranges in +sections, freed of skin and seed, and smothered in grated fresh cocoanut +and sugar. Often the bowl-tops were ornamented with leaves cut deftly +from the skin of deep red apples, and alternating, other leaves shaped +from orange peel. Christmas party suppers had touches of holly and +cedar, but there was no attempt to match the elaborate wedding tables. +Hog's foot jelly, red with the reddest wine, came in handily for +them--since almost every plantation had a special small hog-killing, +after the middle of December, so there might be fresh backbones, spare +ribs, sausage and souse to help make Christmas cheer. Ham, spiced and +sliced wafer thin, was staple for such suppers--chicken and turkey +appeared oftenest as salad, hot coffee, hot breads in variety, crisp +celery, and plenteous pickle, came before the sweets. Punch, not very +heady, hardly more than a fortified pink lemonade, came with the sweets +many times. Grandfather's punch was held sacred to very late suppers, +hot and hearty, set for gentlemen who had played whist or euchre until +cock-crow. + +These are but indications. Fare varied even as did households and +occasions. But everywhere there was kinship of the underlying +spirit--which was the concrete expression of hospitality in good cheer. +There was little luxury--rather we lived amid a spare abundance, eating +up what had no market--I recall clearly times when you could hardly give +away fresh eggs, or frying-size chickens, other times when eggs fetched +five cents for two dozen--provided the seller would "take it in trade." +Chickens then, broiling size, were forty to fifty cents the dozen--with +often an extra one thrown in for good measure. For then chicken cholera +had not been invented--at least not down in the Tennessee blue grass +country. Neither had hog cholera--nor railroads. All three fell upon us +a very little before the era of the Civil War. Steamboats ran almost +half the year, but the flat boat traffic had been taken away by the +peopling prairies, which could raise so much more corn, derivatively so +many more hogs, to the man's work. Money came through wheat and +tobacco--not lavishly, yet enough for our needs. All this is set forth +in hope of explaining in some measure, the cookery I have tried to write +down faithfully--with so much of everything in hand, stinting would have +been sinful. + +There was barbecue, and again there were barbecues. The viand is said to +get its name from the French phrase _a barbe d' ecu_, from tail to head, +signifying that the carcass was cooked whole. The derivation may be an +early example of making the punishment fit the crime. As to that I do +not know. What I do know is that lambs, pigs, and kids, when barbecued, +are split in half along the backbone. The animals, butchered at sundown, +and cooled of animal heat, after washing down well, are laid upon clean, +split sticks of green wood over a trench two feet deep, and a little +wider, and as long as need be, in which green wood has previously been +burned to coals. There the meat stays twelve hours--from midnight to +noon next day, usually. It is basted steadily with salt water, applied +with a clean mop, and turned over once only. Live coals are added as +needed from the log fire kept burning a little way off. All this sounds +simple, dead-easy. Try it--it is really an art. The plantation barbecuer +was a person of consequence--moreover, few plantations could show a +master of the art. Such an one could give himself lordly airs--the loan +of him was an act of special friendship--profitable always to the +personage lent. Then as now there were free barbecuers, mostly +white--but somehow their handiwork lacked a little of perfection. For +one thing, they never found out the exact secret of "dipney," the sauce +that savored the meat when it was crisply tender, brown all over, but +free from the least scorching. + +Daddy made it thus: Two pounds sweet lard, melted in a brass kettle, +with one pound beaten, not ground, black pepper, a pint of small fiery +red peppers, nubbed and stewed soft in water to barely cover, a spoonful +of herbs in powder--he would never tell what they were,--and a quart and +pint of the strongest apple vinegar, with a little salt. These were +simmered together for half an hour, as the barbecue was getting done. +Then a fresh, clean mop was dabbed lightly in the mixture, and as +lightly smeared over the upper sides of the carcasses. Not a drop was +permitted to fall on the coals--it would have sent up smoke, and films +of light ashes. Then, tables being set, the meat was laid, hissing hot, +within clean, tight wooden trays, deeply gashed upon the side that had +been next the fire, and deluged with the sauce, which the mop-man +smeared fully over it. + +Hot! After eating it one wanted to lie down at the spring-side and let +the water of it flow down the mouth. But of a flavor, a savor, a +tastiness, nothing else earthly approaches. Not food for the gods, +perhaps, but certainly meat for _men_. Women loved it no less--witness +the way they begged for a quarter of lamb or shoat or kid to take home. +The proper accompaniments to barbecue are sliced cucumbers in strong +vinegar, sliced tomatoes, a great plenty of salt-rising light bread--and +a greater plenty of cool ripe watermelons, by way of dessert. + +So much for barbecue edible. Barbecue, the occasion, has yet to be set +forth. Its First Cause was commonly political--the old south loved +oratory even better than the new. Newspapers were none so plenty--withal +of scant circulation. Besides, reading them was work--also tedious and +tasteless. So the great and the would-be great, rode up and down, and +roundabout, mixing with the sovereigns, and enlightening the world. Each +party felt honor bound to gather the sovereigns so they might listen in +comfort. Besides--they wanted amusement--a real big barbecue was a sort +of social exchange, drawing together half of three counties, and letting +you hear and tell, things new, strange, and startling. Furthermore, it +was no trouble to get carcasses--fifty to a hundred was not uncommon. +Men, women, children, everybody, indeed, came. The women brought bread +and tablecloths, and commonly much beside. There was a speaker's stand, +flag draped--my infant eyes first saw the Stars and Stripes floating +above portraits--alleged--of Filmore and Buchanan, in the campaign of +'56. That meant the barbecue was a joint affair--Whigs and Democrats +getting it up, and both eagerly ready to whoop it up for their own +speakers. Naturally in that latitude, Fremont was not even named. No +court costume with a tail three yards long, could to-day make me feel +one-half so fine as the white jaconet, and green sash then sported. + +It was said there were a thousand at the barbecue. The cheering, at its +loudest, was heard two miles away. To me it seemed as though all the +folk in the world had gathered in that shady grove--I remember wondering +if there could possibly be so many watermelons, some would be left for +the children. Four big wagon loads lay bobbing in the coolth of the +spring branch. It was a very cold spring with mint growing beside it, as +is common with springs thereabout. Early settlers planted it thus hard +by the water--they built their houses high, and water got warm in +carrying it up hill. Lacking ice houses, to have cool juleps, they had +to be mixed right at the well-head. Sugar, spoons, goblets, and the jug, +were easily carried down there. + +Juleps were not mixed openly that day--but the speakers had pitchers +full of something that seemed to refresh their eloquence, no less than +themselves. They hammered each other lustily, cheered to the echo by +uproarious partisans, from nine in the morning until six in the +afternoon. Luckily for them, there were four of them, thus they could +"spell" each other--and the audience. I did not mind them--not in the +least. How should I--when right in front of me sat a lady with the most +gorgeous flowers upon her white chip bonnet, and one beside me, who +insisted upon my wearing, until time to go home, her watch and chain? + +The watermelons held out--we took two big ones home to Mother, also a +lot of splendid Indian peaches, and a fore-quarter of lamb. Mother +rarely went out, being an invalid--so folk vied with each other in +sending her things. I mention it, only by way of showing there were +things to be sent, even after feeding the multitude. The black people +went away full fed, and full handed--nobody who carried a basket had +much relish for taking home again any part of its contents. + +Our countryside's cooking came to its full flower for the +bran-dances--which came into being, I think, because the pioneers liked +to shake limber heels, but had not floors big enough for the shaking. So +in green shade, at some springside they built an arbor of green boughs, +leveled the earth underneath, pounded it hard and smooth, then covered +it an inch deep with clean wheat bran, put up seats roundabout it, also +a fiddlers' stand, got the fiddlers, printed invitations which went far +and wide to women young and old, saw to a sufficiency of barbecue, +depended on the Lord and the ladies for other things--and prepared to +dance, dance from nine in the morning until two next morning. Men were +not specifically invited--anybody in good standing with a clean shirt, +dancing shoes, a good horse and a pedigree, was heartily welcome. The +solid men, whose names appeared as managers, paid scot for +everything--they left the actual arrangements to the lads. But they came +in shoals to the bran-dances, and were audacious enough often to take +away from some youth fathoms deep in love, his favorite partner. +Sometimes, too, a lot of them pre-empted all the prettiest girls, and +danced a special set with them. Thus were they delivered into the hands +of the oppressed--the lads made treaty with the fiddlers and prompter to +play fast and furious--to call figures that kept the oldsters wheeling +and whirling. It was an endurance contest--but victory did not always +perch with the youths. Plenty of pursy gentlemen were still light enough +on their feet, clear enough in their wind, to dance through Money Musk +double, Chicken in the Bread Tray, and the Arkansaw Traveller, no matter +what the time. + +All dances were square--quadrilles and cotillions. The Basket Cotillion +was indeed, looked upon as rather daring. You see, at the last, the ring +of men linked by hand-hold outside a ring of their partners, lifted +locked arms over their partners' heads, and thus interwoven, the circle +balanced before breaking up. Other times, other dances--ours is now the +day of the trot and the tango. But they lack the life, the verve of the +old dances, the old tunes. To this day when I hear them, my feet patter +in spite of me. You could not dance to them steadily, with soft airs +blowing all about, leaves flittering in sunshine, and water rippling +near, without getting an appetite commensurate to the feasts in wait for +you. + +One basket from a plantation sufficed for bran-dances ending at +sundown--those running on past midnight demanded two. It would never do +to offer snippets and fragments for supper. Barbecue, if there were +barbecue--was merely a concomitant of the feeding, not the whole thing. +Part of it was left untouched to help out with supper. So were part of +the melons, and much of the fruit. Apples, pears and peaches were plenty +in good years--the near plantations sent them by wagon loads--as they +also sent ice cream by freezerfuls, and boilers to make coffee. These +were dispensed more than generously--but nobody would have helped +himself to them uninvited, any more readily than he would have helped +himself to money in the pocket. All that was in the baskets was spread +on the general tables, but no man thought of eating thereof, until all +women and children had been served. Old men came next--the women +generally forcing upon them the best of everything. + +Such a best! Broiled chicken, fried chicken, in quantity, whole hams +simply entreating to be sliced, barbecue, pickle in great variety, +drained and sliced for eating, beaten biscuit, soda biscuit, egg bread, +salt-rising bread, or rolls raised with hop-yeast--only a few attempted +them--every manner of pie, tart, and tartlet that did not drip and mess +things, all the cakes in the calendar of good housewifery--with, now and +then, new ones specially invented. Even more than a wedding, a +bran-dance showed and proved your quality as a cake-maker. Cakes were +looked at in broad daylight, eaten not with cloyed finicky appetites, +but with true zest. Woe and double woe to you if a loaf of pride showed +at cutting a "sad" streak, not quite done. Joy untold if you were a raw +young housekeeper, to have your cake acclaimed by eaters and critics. + +Mammy, and other Mammies, moved proudly about, each a sort of oracle to +the friends of her household. They kept sharp eyes on things +returnable--plates, platters, knives, spoons, and tablecloths--in any +doubtful case, arising from the fact of similarity in pattern, they were +the court of last resort. Spoons and so on are unmistakable--but one +sprigged saucer is very like other saucers sprigged the same. It was the +Mammies rather than the masters and mistresses, who ordered carriage +drivers and horse boys imperiously about. But nobody minded the +imperiousness--it was no day for quarrelling or unwisdom. And it would +surely have been unwise to fret those who were the Keepers of the +Baskets, at the very last. + +After dinner one went to the dressing-room, a wide roofless space +enclosed with green boughs massed on end, and furnished plentifully with +water in buckets, towels, basins, pin cushions, combs and brushes, face +powder, even needles and thread. Thence one emerged after half an hour +quite fresh--to dance on and on, till the fiddlers played a fast finale, +and went to their supper. Then came an interval of talk and laughing, +of making new friends or stabbing delicately old enemies. Also and +further much primping in the dressing-room. Dancing steadily through a +temperature of 98 in the shade plays hob with some sorts of prettiness. +But as dew fell and lighted lanterns went up about the arbor and +throughout the grove, supper was very welcome. There was hot coffee for +everybody, likewise milk, likewise lemonade, with buttered biscuit, +chicken, ham, and barbecue. Chicken-loaf was particularly good for such +uses. To make it, several plump, tender, full-grown pullets were +simmered in water to barely cover them, with a few pepper corns, half a +dozen cloves, and a blade of mace, until very, very tender. Then the +meat was picked from the bones, cut up while still hot, packed down in +something deep, seasoning it to taste with salt, as it was packed, and +dusting in more pepper if needed, then the liquor which had been kept at +a brisk boil was poured over, and left to cool. No bother about skimming +off fat--we liked our loaf rich as well as high-flavored. It came out a +fine mottled solid that could be sliced thin, and eaten delicately +between the halves of a buttered biscuit. Sandwiches were known--but +only in books. Which was well--they would have dried out so badly, for +this was before the era of wax paper. Since everything was packed in the +baskets whole, there was much work for mothers and Mammies at the +unpacking and table-setting. + +Tarts, especially if filled with cheesecake or jelly custard, held high +place among the sweets. Especially with the men, young and old. One, a +manager, who had been here, there, everywhere, since eight o'clock in +the morning, asked Mammy at suppertime to: "Please save him one more +dozen of them little pies." In truth the little pies made no more than a +mouthful for noble appetites. Pies, full-grown, did not go begging--and +were seldom cut in less than quarters. Frosted cake--which the lads +denominated "white-washed," was commonly saved over for the supper +baskets. It kept moist, whereas without the frosting a long summer day +might make it hard. + +After the supper elderly men drove home--unless they had daughters among +the dancers without other chaperons. Generally, some aunt or cousin +stood ready with such good offices. The chaperons themselves danced now +and then--youths specially anxious for favor with their charges, all but +forced them upon the floor. Set it to their credit, they footed it +almost as lightly as the youngest. Occasionally you might see, mother +and daughter, even a granddaughter of tender years, wheeling and +balancing in the same set. And so the fiddles played, the stars shone, +the waters babbled, until the lanterns flared and sputtered out, and the +banjo-picker held up fingers raw and bleeding. Then with a last final +swing and flourish, everybody scattered for homeward ways, glad of the +day's pleasure--and tired enough to be glad also it was ended. + +The most special of occasions was a dining. Not upon any high day or +holiday, such as Christmas, New Year, Jackson's Day--the eighth of +January--Easter nor Whit-Monday, but as Mammy said: "A dinin' des, dry +so." Commonly pride of housewifery incited to it--therefore it must be a +triumph. The hour was two o'clock, but guests came around eleven or +twelve--and spent the day. They sat down to tables that well might have +groaned, even howled, such was the weight they carried. Twelve was a +favorite guest-number--few tables could be stretched to hold more than +twelve plates. There were but two courses--dinner and dessert--unless in +very cold weather, some person who would nowadays be said to be fond of +putting on frills, set before her guests, plates of steaming soup. It +had to smell very good, else it was no more than tasted--folk did not +care to dull the edge of appetite needlessly, with so much before them. +For the table was fully set--a stuffed ham at one end, a chicken or +partridge pie at the other, side dishes of smothered rabbit, or broiled +chicken, at least four kinds of sweet pickle, as many of jelly and sour +pickle, a castor full of catsups, tomato and walnut, plain vinegar, +pepper vinegar, red and black pepper, and made mustard, all the +vegetables in season--I have seen corn pudding, candied sweet potatoes, +Irish potatoes, mashed and baked, black-eyed peas, baked peaches, apples +baked in sugar and cloves, cabbage boiled with bacon, okra, stewed +tomatoes, sliced raw tomatoes, cucumbers cut up with young onions, beets +boiled and buttered, and string beans, otherwise snaps, all at one +spread. + +Only epicures dressed their lettuce at table. One cranky old family +friend had it served to him in a water bucket, set beside him on the +floor. He shook it free of water, cut it, without bruising, to wide +ribbons, covered them thickly with hard-boiled egg-yolk mashed fine, +then poured upon it clear ham gravy, and strong vinegar, added salt and +pepper, black and red--then ate his fill. But, of course, he did not do +that at dinings. For then, if lettuce appeared, it was cut up, dressed +with vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper, but guiltless of oil, garnished +with rings of hard-boiled egg--and very generally, and justly, +neglected. Still the hostess had the satisfaction of feeling she had +offered it--that she had indeed offered more than could have been +reasonably expected. + +There was water to drink, also cider in season, also milk, sweet and +sour, and the very best of the homemade wine. Decanters of it sat up and +down the table--you could fill up and come again at pleasure. The one +drawback was--it was hard to eat properly, when you were so interrupted +by helpings to something else. If there was a fault in our old-time +cooking, it was its lack of selection. I think those who gave dinings +felt uneasy if there was unoccupied room for one more dish. + +Dessert was likewise an embarrassment of riches. Cakes in variety, two +sorts of pie, with ice cream or sherbet, or fresh fruit, did not seem +too much to those dear Ladies Bountiful. There was no after-dinner +coffee. In cold weather coffee in big cups, with cream and sugar, often +went with the main dinner. Hot apple toddies preceded it at such times. +In hot weather the precursor was mint julep, ice cold. Yet we were not +a company of dyspeptics nor drunkards--by the free and full use of +earth's abounding mercies we learned not to abuse them. + +_Birthday Barbecue_: (Dorothy Dix.) As refined gold can be gilded, +barbecue, common, or garden variety, can take on extra touches. As thus: +Kill and dress quickly a fine yearling wether, in prime condition but +not over-fat, sluice out with cool water, wipe dry inside and out with a +soft, damp cloth, then while still hot, fill the carcass cram-full of +fresh mint, the tenderer and more lush the better, close it, wrap tight +in a clean cloth wrung very dry from cold salt water, then pop all into +a clean, bright tin lard stand, with a tight-fitting top, put on top +securely, and sink the stand head over ears in cold water--a spring if +possible. Do this around dusk and leave in water until very early +morning. Build fire in trench of hard wood logs before two o'clock. Let +it burn to coals--have a log fire some little way off to supply fresh +coals at need. Lay a breadth of galvanized chicken-wire--large +mesh--over the trench. Take out carcass--split it half down back bone, +lay it flesh side down, on the wire grid, taking care coals are so +evenly spread there is no scorching. After an hour begin basting with +"the sop." It is made thus. Best butter melted, one pound, black pepper +ground, quarter pound, red pepper pods, freed of stalk and cut fine to +almost a paste, half a pint, strong vinegar, scant pint, brandy, peach +if possible though apple or grape will answer, half a pint. Cook all +together over very slow heat or in boiling water, for fifteen minutes. +The sop must not scorch, but the seasoning must be cooked through it. +Apply with a big soft swab made of clean old linen, but not old enough +to fray and string. Baste meat constantly. Put over around four in the +morning, the barbecue should be done, and well done, by a little after +noon. There should be enough sop left to serve as gravy on portions +after it is helped. The meat, turned once, has a fine crisped surface, +and is flavored all through with the mint, and seasoning. + + + + +[Illustration: _Soap and Candles_] + + +Dip-candles I never saw in common use--but Mammy showed me how they were +made back at Ole Marster's, in the days when candle-molds were not to be +had. Dipped or molded, the candles were of varying substance. Tallow was +the main reliance--mutton tallow as well as that from our beeves. It was +tried out fresh, and hardened with alum in the process. The alum was +dissolved in a little water, and put with the raw fat as it went over +the fire. By and by the water all cooked away, leaving the alum well +incorporated through the clear fat. Lacking it, a little clear lye went +in--Mammy thought and said, the lye ate up the oil in the tallow, making +it firmer and whiter. But lye and alum could not go in at the same time, +since being alkaline and acid, they would destroy each other. + +Great pains were taken not to scorch the tallow--that meant smelly and +ill-colored candles. After straining it clear of cracklings, it was +caked in something deep, then turned out and laid on the highest shelf +in the lumber house to await molding time. Cakes of beeswax were kept in +the Jackson press, so children, white and black, could not take bites +for chewing. It ranked next to native sweet gum for such uses--but Mammy +felt it had much better be saved to mix with the tallow at melting time. +It made the candles much firmer, also bettered their light, and moreover +changed the tallow hue to an agreeable very pale yellow. Bee hives, like +much else, were to a degree primitive--the wax came from comb crushed in +the straining of honey. It was boiled in water to take away the remnant +sweetness, then allowed to cool on top the water, taken off, and +remelted over clean water, so manipulated as to free it from foreign +substances, then molded into cakes. One cake was always set apart for +the neighborhood cobbler, who melted it with tallow and rosin to make +shoemaker's wax. Another moiety was turned into grafting wax--by help of +it one orchard tree bore twelve manners of fruit. And still another, a +small, pretty cake from a scalloped patty pan, found place in the family +work basket--in sewing by hand with flax thread, unless you waxed it, it +lost strength, and quickly pulled to pieces. + +We bought our flax thread in skeins, but Mammy loved to tell of spinning +it back in the days when she was young, and the best spinner on the old +plantation. She still spun shoe-thread for her friend the cobbler, who, +however, furnished her the raw flax, which he had grown, rotted and +hechtelled, in his bit of bottom land. There were still spinning and +weaving in plenty at our house--Mother had made, yearly, jeans, linsey, +carpets and so on--but the plantation was not wholly clothed with +homespun, as had been the case in her father's house. + +Return we to our candle-making. It was work for the very coldest +weather--even though we had two sets of molds, needs must the candles +harden quickly if the making was to speed well. Molds could be filled at +the kitchen hearth, then set outside to cool. For dipping the tallow-pot +had to be set over an outside fire, and neighbored by a ladder, laid +flat on trestles with smooth boards laid underneath. Mammy spun the +candle wicks--from long-staple cotton, drawing it out thick, and +twisting it barely enough to hold together. It must not be too coarse, +as it had to be doubled over reeds at top, either for molding or +dipping. + +The molds were of candle-shape, joined in batteries of six or twelve, +with a pert handle at one side, and tiny holes at the tips, through +which the wick-ends were thrust, by help of a long broom-straw. Well in +place they were drawn taut, the reeds so placed as to hold the wicks +centrally, then tallow melted with beeswax, in due proportion, was +poured around till the molds were brim full--after which they were +plunged instantly into a tub of cold water standing outside. This to +prevent oozings from the tip--hot grease is the most insidious of all +substances. Only in zero weather would the first oozings harden enough +to plug the orifice quickly. When the candles had hardened properly, the +mold was either held over the fire, or thrust in hot water half a +minute, then the candles withdrawn by help of the reeds. They were +cooled a bit, to save the softened outside, then nubbed of surplus wick, +and laid in a dish outside. Careless or witless molders, by laying +candles still soft upon the pile, often made themselves double work. + +Tallow for dipping, was kept barely fluid, by setting it over embers a +little way off the fire. The pot had to be deep, so the wicks could be +sunk in it to full length. They were thus sunk by stickfuls, lifted up +quickly, and hung between the ladder rungs to drip. Half the tallow on +them dripped away--indeed, after the first dipping they looked little +more than clotted ghosts of themselves in their last estate. In very +cold weather three drippings sufficed--otherwise there must be four or +five. Since the dip was the result of cooled accretions, it was always +top-heavy--much bigger at the nose than the base. A quick and skilled +worker, though, could dip a hundred candles in the time required to mold +two dozen. They burned out so quickly that was a crowning mercy--half a +dozen was the average of a long winter evening. Further they ran down, +in great masses--hence the importance of saving up drippings. Even +molded candles made them plentiful enough to be worth re-molding. This +unless discolored with the brass of candlesticks--in that case their +last end was soap grease. + +Rush lights were dips--this I state on information and belief, since I +never saw one. Also on information and belief, it is here set forth, +that folk in the back countries where wicking was not easily had, used +instead of wicks, splinters of fat pine, known as light wood. In proof, +take Candle Wood Mountain, whose name is said to have come from +furnishing such fat pine, and of a special excellence. The pine +splinters must, I think, have given a better light than real wicks--my +father, in Tennessee, never ceased sighing for the lightwood, which had +made such cheery illumination back in his boyhood, in a Carolina home. + +Every sort of waste fat became at the last, soap grease. Bones even were +thrown into kettles of lye, which ate out all their richness, leaving +them crumbly, and fit for burying about the grapevines. Hence the +appositeness of the darkey saying, to express special contempt of a +suitor: "My Lawd! I wouldn't hab dat nigger, not eben for soap grease." +Which has always seemed to me, in a way, a classic of condemnation. + +Soap making came twice a year--the main event in March, to get free of +things left over from hog killing, the supplement in September or +October, to use up summer savings. Each was preceded by dripping lye. +This necessitated wood ashes, of course--ashes from green wood. Oak or +hickory was best. They were kept dry until they went into hoppers, where +they were rotted by gentle wetting for a space of several days. Then +water was dripped through, coming out a dark brown caustic liquid, +clean-smelling, but ill to handle--it would eat a finger-tip carelessly +thrust in it to the raw. + +But even thus it was not strong enough for proper soapmaking, so it was +boiled, boiled, until it would eat a feather, merely drawn quickly +through it. Grease was added then, a little at a time, and stirred well +through, changing the black-brown lye into a light-brown, bubbly mass. +Whatever the lye would not eat of the grease's components, was skimmed +out with the big perforated ladle. Even beyond candle-molding, +soap-making was an art. Mammy never would touch it, until "the right +time of the moon." Also and further, she used a sassafras stick for +stirring, put it in the first time with her right hand, and always +stirred the kettle the same way. If a left-handed person came near the +kettle she was mightily vexed--being sure her soap would go wrong. She +kept on the fire beside it a smaller kettle of clear lye, to be added at +need, without checking the boiling. + +Boiling down lye took one day, boiling in grease another. The third +morning, after the fire was well alight, she tested the soap, by making +a bit into lather. If the lather were clean and clear, without a film of +grease on top, she knew it remained only to cook the soap down thick +enough for the barrel, or to make into balls by the addition of salt. +But if the film appeared--then indeed there was trouble. First aid to it +was more lye, of feather-eating strength--next a fresh sassafras +stirring stick, last and most important, walking backwards as she put +the stick in the kettle, though she would never admit she did this on +purpose. Like the most of her race she was invincibly shy about +acknowledging her beliefs in charms and conjuring. + +Soap which failed to thicken properly lacked grease. To put in enough, +yet not too much, was a matter of nice judgment. Tallow did not mix well +with hog fat. Therefore it had commonly its smaller special pot, whose +results were molded for hand-soap, being hard and rather light-colored. + +Since our washerwomen much preferred soft soap, most of the spring +making went straight into the barrel. The barrel had to be very +tight--soap has nearly as great a faculty of creeping through seams as +even hot lard. One kettleful, however, would have salt stirred through +it, then be allowed to cool, and be cut out in long bars, which were +laid high and dry to age. Old soap was much better for washing fine +prints, lawns, ginghams and so on--in fact whatever needed cleansing +without fading. + +Sundry other fine soap makers emptied their salted soap, just as it was +on the point of hardening, into shallow pans, cloth-lined, and shaped it +with bare hands into balls the size of two fists. This they did with the +whole batch, holding hard soap so much easier kept, and saying it was +no trouble whatever to soften a ball in a little hot water upon wash +days. But Mammy would have none of such practices--said give her good +soft soap and sand rock, she could scour anything. Sand rock was a +variety of limestone, which burning made crumbly, but did not turn to +lime. Mammy picked it up wherever she found it, beat it fine and used it +on everything--shelves, floors, hollow-ware, milk pans, piggins, cedar +water buckets--it made their brass hoops shine like gold. While she +scoured she told us tales of the pewter era--when she had gone, a +barefoot child, with her mother, to the Rush Branch, to come home with a +sheaf of rushes, whereby the pewter was made to shine. It hurts even +yet, recalling the last end of that pewter. As glass and crockery grew +plenty, the boys--my uncles, there were five of them--melted it down for +rifle bullets, when by chance they ran out of lead. Yet--who am I, to +reproach them--did not I myself, melt down for a purpose less legitimate +a fine Brittania ware teapot, whose only fault was a tiny leak? Now I +should prize it beyond silver and gold. + +Harking back to candle-making--we had no candle-berries in our wilds, +and only a few wax-berries as ornaments of our gardens. But from what I +know by observation and experience, the candle-berries or bayberries, +can be melted in hot water, the same as honey-comb, and the wax strained +away from the seedy residue, then allowed to cool, on top the water, and +clarified by a further melting and cooling over water. Mixed with +paraffine it can be molded into real bayberry candles, ever so much more +odorous than those of commerce. It is well to remember in buying +paraffine that there are three qualities of it, differing mainly in the +degree of heat at which they melt. Choose that which is hardest to melt +for candle-making. One might indeed, experiment with bayberry wax, and +the drippings of plain paraffine candles, before undertaking +candle-making to any considerable extent. + +A last word. If any incline to challenge things here set forth, will +they please remember that as one star differs from another in glory, so +does one family, one region, differ from all others in its manners of +eating, drinking, and cooking. I have written true things, but make no +claim that they apply all over. Indeed there may be those to whom they +will seem a transversing of wisdom and experience. To all such I say, +try them intelligently, with pains and patience, and of the results, +hold fast to that you find good. + +[Illustration] + + + + + +INDEX + + + BACON + Hogs to Choose, 40 + Chilling, 40 + Cutting up, 40 + Salting, 42 + Curing, 45 + Smoke, 45 + Smoke Houses, 46 + Smoke Hogshead, 48 + Time of Smoking, 49 + Keeping, 50 + Lard Rendering, 50 + Sausage, 52 + Souse, 53 + Hog's Foot Oil and Jelly, 54 + Brains, Pickled, 55 + Souse, Pickled, 55 + Hog's Feet Fried, 55 + Backbone, Stew and Pie, 56 + Keeping Sausage, 57 + + BREADS + Flour and Meal, 26 + Mixing, 28 + Beaten Biscuit, 28 + Soda Biscuit, 30 + Salt Rising Bread, 31 + Sweet Potato Biscuit, 32 + Waffles, 33 + Corn Bread, Plain, 34 + Egg Bread, 35 + Batter Cakes, 35 + Ash Cake, 36 + Mush Bread, 36 + Cracklin' Bread, 37 + Pumpkin Bread, 37 + Mush Batter Cakes, 38 + Wafers, 38 + Nut Bread, 219 + + CAKES + Secret of Success, 136 + Mixing, 137 + Sweetening Strong Butter, 138 + Baking, 139 + Frosting, 140 + Pound Cake, 140 + Spice Cake, 142 + Marble Cake, 143 + Real Gold Cake, 143 + Real Silver Cake, 144 + Christmas Cake, 145 + White Layer Cake, 147 + Cream Cake, 148 + Sponge Cake, 148 + White Sponge Cake, 149 + Angel's Food, 149 + Chocolate Cake, 149 + Orange Cake, 150 + Dream Cakes, 150 + Shrewsbury Cakes, 151 + Queen Cakes, 151 + Banbury Cakes, 152 + Oatmeal Cookies, 152 + Tea Cakes, 153 + Soft Gingerbread, 153 + Mammy's Ginger Cakes, 154 + Family Gingerbread, 155 + Solid Chocolate Cake, 155 + Coffee Cake, 155 + Ginger Snaps, 156 + Kisses, 157 + + CANDLES, 292 + + CREOLE COOKERY + Milly, 118 + Court Bouillon, 120 + Court Bouillon, Spanish, 121 + Bouillabaisse, 122 + Shrimps, Boiling, 124 + Baked Shrimp, 125 + Shrimp Pie, 125 + Shrimp Salad, 126 + Fried Soft-Shell Crabs, 126 + Daube _a la Mode_, 127 + Cold Daube _a la Creole_, 128 + Grillades with Gravy, 129 + Chicken Saute _a la Creole_, 130 + Quail, Roasted, 131 + Creole French Dressing, 132 + Mayonnaise Dressing, 133 + Remoulade Dressing, 133 + + DRINKS + Cherry Bounce, 72 + Grape Cider, 73 + Persimmon Beer, 74 + Egg Nogg, 75 + White Egg Nogg, 76 + Apple Toddy, 76 + Hail Storm, 77 + Mint Julep, 77 + Lemon Punch, 78 + Punch _a la_ Ruffle Shirt, 79 + Peach Liqueur, 82 + Strawberry Liqueur, 83 + Blackberry Cordial, 83 + Blackberry Wine, 84 + Strawberry Wine, 85 + Gooseberry Wine, 85 + Grape Wine, 86 + Muscadine Wine, 87 + Fruit Vinegars, 88 + Boiled Cider, 89 + Bruleau, 134 + Drip Coffee, 134 + Boiled Coffee, 235 + Chocolate, 237 + Tea, 234 + + EGGS + New Laid Eggs, 176 + Keeping, 176 + Varieties, 177 + Roasted Eggs, 178 + Baked Eggs, 179 + Potato Egg Puffs, 179 + Egg Dumplings, 180 + Egg Spread, 180 + Poached Eggs, 181 + Egg Fours, 182 + Stuffed Eggs, 183 + Fried Eggs, 184 + + FRUIT DESSERTS + Affinity for Liquors, 212 + Strawberries in Mixtures, 213 + Peach Mixtures with Brandy, 214 + Fruit Mixtures with Sherry Syrup, 214 + White Grape-Orange Mixture, 214 + Cherries with Bananas, 215 + Fruit with Wine Jelly, 215 + + GAME + Preparation, 165 + Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered, 172 + Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued, 173 + Quail, 173 + Wild Duck, 174 + Possum, Roasted, 175 + + HAMS + Boiled Ham, 59 + Fried Ham, 63 + Broiled Ham, 64 + Mutton Ham, 66 + Beef Hams, 68 + Rabbit Hams, 70 + Fresh Ham, 70 + + MEATS + Barbecued Lamb, 158 + Roast Pork, 159 + Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions, 160 + Boned Fresh Ham, 161 + Roast Beef, 163 + Pot Roast, 163 + Leg of Mutton in Blanket, 164 + Roast Turkey or Capon, 167 + Guinea Hen in Casserole, 168 + Chickens in Blankets, 169 + Fried Chicken, 169 + Smothered Chicken or Ducklings, 170 + Chicken Croquets Glorified, 171 + Chicken-Turkey Hash, 172 + + PICKLES + Brine, 220 + Pickle Barrel, 221 + Potential Pickles, 221 + Pickling from Brine, 223 + Water Melon Pickle, 223 + Mangoes, 224 + Walnut Pickle, 226 + Peach Sweet Pickle, 233 + + PIES + Philosophy of Pie-Crust, 90 + Puff Paste, 91 + Raised Crust, 93 + French Puff Paste, 94 + Everyday Crust, 95 + Cobbler Pies, 95 + Fried Pies, 97 + Green Apple Pie, 98 + Lemon Custard, 99 + Cream Pie, 99 + Damson and Banana Tart, 99 + Amber Pie, 100 + Jelly Pie, 101 + Cheese Cakes, 101 + Sweet Potato Custard, 104 + Sweet Potato Pie, 104 + Apple Custard, 105 + Molasses Pie, 105 + Mystery Pie, 106 + Butter Scotch Pie, 106 + Raspberry Cream Pie, 107 + Rhubarb Pie and Sauce, 107 + Banana Pie, 108 + + PRESERVES + Preserving Fruit, 227 + Ginger Pears, 230 + Tutti Frutti, 230 + Green Tomato Preserves and Citron, 231 + Brandy or Pickled Cherries, 232 + Brandy Peaches and Pears, 233 + Dried Fruit, 239 + Peach and Apple Butter, 245 + Keeping Cider Sweet, 249 + Peach Chips, 250 + Dried Cherries, 250 + Peach Leather, 251 + Tomato Figs, 251 + Jelly-Making, 253 + Quince Jelly and Marmalade, 254 + + PUDDINGS + Banana Pudding, 109 + Sweet Potato Pudding, 109 + Poor Man's Pudding, 110 + Boiled Batter Pudding, 111 + Apple Pudding, 111 + Apple Dumplings, 112 + Crumb Pudding, 112 + Blackberry Mush, 113 + Peach Pudding, 114 + Ginger Pudding, 114 + Nesselrode Pudding, 115 + Thanksgiving Pudding, 115 + Christmas Pudding, 115 + Pudding Sauce, 117 + Fig Pudding, 156 + Quince Pudding, 253 + + RELISHES + Cold Slaw, 192 + Tomato Soy, 193 + Table Mustard, 193 + Cabbage Pickle, 194 + Cauliflower Pickle, 194 + Pear Relish, 195 + Cherries Piquant, 196 + Gooseberry Jam Spiced, 196 + Frozen Cranberry Sauce, 197 + Apple Sauce Gone to Heaven, 197 + Spiced Grapes, 199 + Spiced Plums, 200 + Sweet-Sour Pears, 200 + Baked Peaches, 201 + + + SALADS + Wedding Salad, 188 + Fruit Salad, 189 + Sweet French Dressing, 190 + Banana and Celery Salad, 191 + Red White Salad, 191 + Pineapple Salad, 191 + + SANDWICHES + Making Sandwiches, 216 + Sardine Sandwiches, 217 + Sundry Cheese Sandwiches, 217 + Lettuce and Cheese Sandwiches, 217 + Ham and Tongue Sandwiches, 218 + Cheese and Sherry Sandwiches, 218 + + SOUPS + Vegetable Soup, 185 + Black Turtle, Bean Soup, 186 + Gumbo, 187 + + SOAP, 298 + + UPON OCCASIONS + Infares, 257 + Weddings, 258 + Wedding Tables, 258 + Cut, Papers, 259 + Chandeliers: Home-made, 259 + Wedding Cakes, 261 + Bride's Cake, 263 + Wedding Suppers, 265 + Syllabub, 267 + Boiled Custard, 268 + Orange Lilies, 269 + Party Suppers, 270 + Ambrosia, 270 + Barbecues, 273 + Barbecue, 273 + Barn Dances, 278 + Birthday Barbecue, 290 + Baskets, 281 + Chicken, Loaf, 284 + Dinings, 286 + + VEGETABLES + Tomato, Layer, 202 + Corn Pudding, 203 + Fried Corn, 203 + Hulled Corn, 204 + Steamed Potatoes, 205 + Candied Sweet Potatoes, 206 + Tipsy Potatoes, 206 + Left-Over Sweet Potatoes, 207 + Potato Balls, 207 + Bananas, 208 + Baking Vegetables, 208 + Cauliflower, _au Gratin_, 210 + Boiling with Bacon, 211 + Pot Liquor, 212 + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. + +Page 16, "evenning" changed to "evening" (by way of evening things) + +Page 109, "egg yolks" changed to "egg-yolks" (up four egg-yolks) + +Page 126, "hardboiled" changed to "hard-boiled" (sliced hard-boiled +eggs) + +Page 142, "egg yolks" changed to "egg-yolks" (other, seven egg-yolks) + +Page 154, repeated word "called" removed from text. Original read (be +called called First ) + +Page 197, "seive" changed to "sieve" (through coarse sieve) + +Page 233, "twenty four" changed to "twenty-four" (in twenty-four hours +more) + +Page 258, "famly" changed to "family" (his family gave the) + +Page 261, "heartcakes" changed to "heart-cakes" (demanded four +heart-cakes) + +Pge 316, "Red-White" changed to "Red and White" (Red and White Salad, +191) + +Page 317, "Bran" changed to "Barn" (Barn dances, 278) + +The text uses variant hyphenation and spelling. Where a majority could +not be ascertained, as in egg-yolks, the variations were retained. + + cheesecake cheese cake + corn-bread corn bread + allspice alspice + soapmaking soap-making + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD +SOUTH*** + + +******* This file should be named 28491-8.txt or 28491-8.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at <a href = "http://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a></pre> +<p>Title: Dishes & Beverages of the Old South</p> +<p>Author: Martha McCulloch Williams</p> +<p>Release Date: April 4, 2009 [eBook #28491]</p> +<p>Language: English</p> +<p>Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1</p> +<p>***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD SOUTH***</p> +<p> </p> +<h3>E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland<br /> + and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team<br /> + (http://www.pgdp.net)</h3> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p> </p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 325px;"> +<img src="images/cover.jpg" width="325" height="500" alt="Cover" title="" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> + + + +<div class='bbox'> + +<h1><i>Dishes & Beverages</i><br /><i>of the</i><br /><i>Old South</i></h1> + +<h3>By</h3> + +<h2>Martha McCulloch-Williams</h2> + +<div class='center'> +Author of "Field Farings," "Two of<br /> +a Trade," "Milre," "Next to<br /> +the Ground," etc.<br /> +<br /><br /><br /> +<i>Decorations by</i><br /> +<i>Russel Crofoot</i><br /><br /><br /> +</div> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 150px;"> +<img src="images/illus-001.png" width="150" height="97" alt="Decoration" title="" /> +</div> + +<div class='center'><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +<i>New York</i><br /> +<i>M<sup>c</sup>Bride Nast & Company</i><br /> +<i>1913</i><br /></div></div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span></p> + +<div class='copyright'> +Copyright, 1913, by<br /> +<span class="smcap"><span class='u'>McBride, Nast & Co.</span></span><br /> +<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> +—————————<br /> +Published, October, 1913</div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span></p> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + + + + + + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> +<tr><td align='left'> </td><td align='right'><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Grace before Meat</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">The Staff of Life</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_26">26</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Saving Your Bacon</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Hams and Other Hams</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">For Thirsty Souls</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_72">72</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Paste, Pies, Puddings</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_90">90</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Creole Cookery</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_118">118</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Cakes, Great and Small</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_136">136</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Meat, Poultry, Game, Eggs</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Soups, Salads, Relishes</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Pickles, Preserves, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate</span> </td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_220">220</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">When the Orchards "Hit"</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Upon Occasions</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'><span class="smcap">Soap and Candles</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_292">292</a></td></tr> +</table></div> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> + + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/illus-005.png" width="500" height="194" alt="Title" title="" /> +</div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span></p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-007.png" width="400" height="231" alt="Grace before Meat" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Grace before Meat</span> +</div> + + +<p>"Let me cook the dinners of a nation, +and I shall not care who makes its laws." +Women, if they did but know it, might +well thus paraphrase a famous saying. +Proper dinners mean so much—good +blood, good health, good judgment, good +conduct. The fact makes tragic a truth +too little regarded; namely, that while bad +cooking can ruin the very best of raw +foodstuffs, all the arts of all the cooks in +the world can do no more than palliate +things stale, flat and unprofitable. To +buy such things is waste, instead of economy. +Food must satisfy the palate else +it will never truly satisfy the stomach.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> +An unsatisfied stomach, or one overworked +by having to wrestle with food which has +bulk out of all proportion to flavor, too +often makes its vengeful protest in dyspepsia. +It is said underdone mutton cost Napoleon +the battle of Leipsic, and eventually +his crown. I wonder, now and then, if the +prevalence of divorce has any connection +with the decline of home cooking?</p> + +<p>A far cry, and heretical, do you say, +gentle reader? Not so far after all—these +be sociologic days. I am but leading +up to the theory with facts behind it, that +it was through being the best fed people +in the world, we of the South Country were +able to put up the best fight in history, and +after the ravages and ruin of civil war, +come again to our own. We might have +been utterly crushed but for our proud and +pampered stomachs, which in turn gave the +bone, brain and brawn for the conquests +of peace. So here's to our Mammys—God +bless them! God rest them! This +imperfect chronicle of the nurture wherewith +they fed us is inscribed with love to +their memory.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> + +<p>Almost my earliest memory is of Mammy's +kitchen. Permission to loiter there +was a Reward of Merit—a sort of domestic +Victoria Cross. If, when company +came to spend the day, I made my manners +prettily, I might see all the delightful +hurley-burley of dinner-cooking. My +seat was the biscuit block, a section of +tree-trunk at least three feet across, and +waist-high. Mammy set me upon it, but +first covered it with her clean apron—it +was almost the only use she ever made of +the apron. The block stood well out of +the way—next the meal barrel in the corner +behind the door, and hard by the Short +Shelf, sacred to cake and piemaking, as +the Long Shelf beneath the window was +given over to the three water buckets—cedar +with brass hoops always shining like +gold—the piggin, also of cedar, the corn-bread +tray, and the cup-noggin. Above, +the log wall bristled with knives of varying +edge, stuck in the cracks; with nails +whereon hung flesh-forks, spoons, ladles, +skimmers. These were for the most part +hand-wrought, by the local blacksmith.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> +The forks in particular were of a classic +grace—so much so that when, in looking +through my big sister's mythology I came +upon a picture of Neptune with his trident, +I called it his flesh-fork, and asked if he +were about to take up meat with it, from +the waves boiling about his feet.</p> + +<p>The kitchen proper would give Domestic +Science heart failure, yet it must have been +altogether sanitary. Nothing about it was +tight enough to harbor a self-respecting +germ. It was the rise of twenty feet +square, built stoutly of hewn logs, with a +sharply pitched board roof, a movable loft, +a plank floor boasting inch-wide cracks, a +door, two windows and a fireplace that +took up a full half of one end. In front +of the fireplace stretched a rough stone +hearth, a yard in depth. Sundry and several +cranes swung against the chimney-breast. +When fully in commission they +held pots enough to cook for a regiment. +The pots themselves, of cast iron, with +close-fitting tops, ran from two to ten gallons +in capacity, had rounded bottoms with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> +three pertly outstanding legs, and ears +either side for the iron pot-hooks, which +varied in size even as did the pots themselves.</p> + +<p>Additionally there were ovens, deep and +shallow, spiders, skillets, a couple of tea-kettles, +a stew kettle, a broiler with a long +spider-legged trivet to rest on, a hoe-baker, +a biscuit-baker, and waffle-irons with +legs like tongs. Each piece of hollow ware +had its lid, with eye on top for lifting off +with the hooks. Live coals, spread on +hearth and lids, did the cooking. To furnish +them there was a wrought iron shovel, +so big and heavy nobody but Mammy herself +could wield it properly. Emptied vessels +were turned upside down on the floor +under the Long Shelf—grease kept away +rust. But before one was used it had to +be scoured with soap and sand rock, rinsed +and scalded. Periodically every piece was +burned out—turned upside down over a +roaring fire and left there until red hot, +then slowly cooled. This burning out left +a fine smooth surface after scouring. Cast<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> +iron, being in a degree porous, necessarily +took up traces of food when it had been +used for cooking a month or so.</p> + +<p>Ah me! What savors, what flavors came +out of the pots! Years on years I was +laughed at for maintaining that no range +ever turned out things to equal open-hearth +cookery. But it took paper bags to +prove beyond cavil the truth of my contention. +Even paper-bagging does not quite +match the open-hearth process, though +there is the same secret of superiority, +namely, cooking things in their own essence +by the agency of hot air. The sealed and +loaded bag needs must be laid on a grate-shelf +in a hot oven—touch of solid hot iron +is fatal to it.</p> + +<p>Iron vessels set above smoothly spread +coals got hot, but not red-hot—red heat +belonged to the lids. They were swung +over the fire and heated before setting +them in place—then the blanket of +coals and embers held in heat which, radiating +downward, made the cooking even. +Scorching of course was possible unless +the cook knew her business, and minded it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span> +well. Our Mammys not only knew their +business but loved it—often with a devotion +that raised it to the rank of Art. Add +the palate of a <i>gourmet</i> born, a free hand +at the fat, the sweet, strong waters and +high flavors—what wonder it is to envy +those of us they fed!</p> + +<p>My individual Mammy was in figure an +oblate spheroid—she stood five feet, one +inch high, weighed two hundred and fifty +pounds, had a head so flat buckets sat on +it as of right, was as light on her feet, in +number twelve shoes, as the slimmest of +her children and foster children, could +shame the best man on the place at lifting +with the hand-stick, or chop him to a standstill—if +her axe exactly suited her. She +loved her work, her mistress, her children +black and white—even me, though I was +something of a trial—her garden and her +God. All these she served fondly, faithfully, +with rare good humor and the nicest +judgment. Fall soft upon her, rain and +snow! Sunshine and green grass, make +happy always the slope where she rests!</p> + +<p>She put on a clean white frock every<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> +morning—by breakfast time it was a sickly +gray along the front—the thick of the dinner-battle +was writ large on it in black +smudges. She herself explained: "I +ain't sech er dirty 'ooman—hit's dest I'se +so big, dirt ketches me comin' and gwine." +Air and more air she would have, regardless +of weather. The big board-window +had its shutter up all day long—the glass +window was a vexation, since it opened +only halfway. By way of <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'evenning'">evening</ins> things, +daubing and chinking got knocked out of +at least half the cracks between the wall +logs as sure as Easter came—not to be replaced +until the week before Christmas. +I doubt if they would have been put back +even then, but that Mammy dreaded criticism, +from maids and carriage drivers +visiting kinfolk brought with them. Big +yawning cracks in cold weather were in a +way the hall-mark of poor-white cabins. +It would have half broken Mammy's heart +to give anybody room to say she belonged +to less than real quality.</p> + +<p>She was autocratic; a benevolent despot; +withal severe. If I displeased her by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> +meddling, putting small grimy fingers into +pies they should not touch, she set me to +shelling black-eyed peas—a task my soul +loathed, likewise the meddlesome fingers—still +I knew better than to sulk or whine +over it. For that I would have been sent +back into the house. The kitchen stood +thirty yards away from the back door, with +a branchy oak in front of it, and another, +even branchier, shading the log foot-way +between. The house offered only grown-up +talk, which rarely interested me. In the +kitchen I caught scraps of Brer Rabbit's +history, pithily applied, other scraps of +song—Mammy always "gave out" the +words to herself before singing them—proverbs +and sayings such as "Cow want +her tail agin in fly-time" applied to an ingrate, +or: "Dat's er high kick fer er low +horse," by way of setting properly in place +a pretender.</p> + +<p>Best of all, I got the latest news of the +countryside for ten miles around. Wireless +has little on the way things ran about +among the plantations. It was a point of +honor among the black men to have wives<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> +or sweethearts away from home. This +meant running about nightly—consequently +cross-currents of gossip lively +enough to make the yellowest journal turn +green with envy. Mammy was a trifle +apologetic over having a husband no further +off than the next neighbor's. To +make up for it, however, the husbands who +came to his house lived from three to five +miles away—and one of them worked at +the mill, hence was a veritable human +chronicle. Thus Mammy was able to hold +her head up with Susan, her sister, who +milked and washed.</p> + +<p>Susan might have been called a widow +of degrees—she had had three husbands, +but only two were living. The last parting +was always threatening to end in meeting +over again—still that did not hinder +her cabin from being the rendezvous of all +the likeliest fellows within easy walking +range. Naturally she had things to tell—worth +hearing whether or no they were +true. So also had Phoebe, who was a sort +of scullion, fetching in wood and water, +gathering vegetables, picking chickens,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> +scouring all things from the big pot to the +floor. Shelves were scoured daily, the floor +three times a week. This had to be a +matter of faith after an hour or so—it certainly +did not look it. Sweeping, done +three times a day, was largely a matter of +form. Phoebe went conscientiously over +the uncluttered spaces, and even reached +the nose of her broom between pots and +ovens, but only coarse trash gathered before +the broom—all the rest went through +the cracks.</p> + +<p>Mammy said Phoebe's news could be believed. +"De gal don't know no mo'n ter +tell dest whut she done heard." She truly +was slow-witted and slow-spoken, but +Isham, her step-father, was cook to the +Gresham brothers, the beaux of the neighborhood, +who kept bachelor's hall. His +mother had been their Mammy—hence his +inherited privilege of knowing rather more +about his young masters than they knew +themselves.</p> + +<p>Little pitchers have big ears. Set it to +the credit of the black folk, they always had +regard for the innocence of childhood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> +Scandal was merely breathed—not even so +hinted as to arouse curiosity. Foul speech +I never heard from them nor a trace of +profanity. What I did hear was a liberal +education in the humanities—as time +passes I rate more and more highly the +sense of values it fixed in a plastic mind. +I think it must have been because our +Mammys saw all things from the elemental +angle, they were critics so illuminating of +manners and morals.</p> + +<p>Here ends reminiscence, set down in hope +it may breed understanding. All I actually +learned from Mammy and her cooking +was—how things ought to taste. The +which is essential. It has been the pole-star +of my career as a cook. Followed faithfully +along the Way of Many Failures, +through a Country of Tribulations, it has +brought me into the haven of knowledge +absolute. If the testimony of empty plates +and smiling guests can establish a fact, +then I am a good cook—though limited. I +profess only to cook the things I care to +cook well. Hence I have set my hand to +this, a real cook's book. Most cook books<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> +are written by folk who cook by hearsay—it +is the fewest number of real cooks who +can write so as not to bewilder the common +or garden variety of mind. The bulk of +what follows has an old-time Southern +foundation, with such frillings as experience +approves. To it there will be added +somewhat of Creole cookery, learned and +proved here in New York town by grace +of Milly, the very queen of New Orleans +cooks, temporarily transplanted. Also +sundry and several delectable dishes of +alien origins—some as made in France or +Germany, some from the far Philippines, +but all proved before record. In each case +the source is indicated in the title. Things +my very own, evolved from my inner consciousness, +my outer opportunity and environment, +I shall likewise mark personal.</p> + +<p>Lastly, but far from leastly, let me make +protest against over-elaboration, alike in +food and the serving thereof. The very +best decoration for a table is something +good in the plates. This is not saying one +should not plan to please the eye no less +than the palate. But ribbon on sandwiches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> +is an anachronism—so is all the flummery +of silk and laces, doilies and doo-dads that +so often bewilder us. They are unfair to +the food—as hard to live up to as anybody's +blue china. I smile even yet, remembering +my husband's chuckles, after +we had come home from eating delicatessen +chicken off ten-dollar plates, by help of antique +silver. Somehow the viands and the +service seemed "out of drawing."</p> + +<p>Quoth Heine the cynic: "Woman, +woman! Much must be forgiven thee! +Thou hast loved much—and many." Edibly +I love much rather than many. Enough +of one thoroughly good thing, with proper +accessories, is more satisfying than seven +courses—each worse than the last. Also +cheaper, also much less trouble. If time +has any value, the economy of it in dishwashing +alone is worth considering. In +these piping days of rising prices, economy +sounds good, even in the abstract. Add +the concrete fact that you save money as +well as trouble, and the world of cooks may +well sit up and take notice.</p> + +<p>The one-piece dinner is as convenient and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> +comfortable as the one-piece frock. There +are, of course, occasions to which it is unsuited. +One-piece must be understood to +mean the <i>pièce de resistance</i>—the backbone +of subsistence as it were. A bowl of +rich soup or chowder, with crackers on the +side, a generous helping of well-cooked +meat, with bread or potatoes, and the simplest +relishes, or a royally fat pudding +overrun with brandy sauce; each or either +can put it all over a splash of this, a dab +of that, a slab of something else, set lonesomely +on a separate plate and reckoned +a meal—in courses. Courses are all well +enough—they have my warm heart when +they come "in the picture." But when +they are mostly "The substance of things +hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," +then I would trade them, and gladly, for as +much good bread and butter as appetite +called for.</p> + +<p>By way of postscript: being a strict and +ardent advocate of temperance, I refused +to consider writing this book unless I had +full liberty to advise the use of wine, +brandy, cordials, liquors, where good cooking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> +demands them. Any earthly thing can +be abused—to teach right use is the best +preventive of abuse. Liquors, like everything +else, must be good. "Cooking +sherry" is as much an abomination as +"cooking butter," or "cooking apples." +You will never get out of pot or pan anything +fundamentally better than what went +into it. Cooking is not alchemy; there is +no magic in the pot. The whole art and +mystery of it is to apply heat and seasoning +in such fashion as to make the best, +and the most, of such food supplies as your +purse permits. Tough meat cannot be +cooked tender; tainted meat cannot be +cooked sound. It is the same with stale +fish, specked or soured fruit, withered vegetables. +It pays to educate tradesfolk into +understanding that you want the best and +only the best of what you buy. If the thing +you want, in perfect condition, is beyond +your means, take, instead of a lower grade +of it, the highest grade of something +cheaper. So shall you escape waste of +time, effort and substance. Never mind +sneers at your simple fare. Remember it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> +was Solomon the Wise who wrote: "Better +a dinner of herbs and contentment than +a stalled ox, and contention therewith." +Paraphrase the last clause into "spoiled +ox and ptomaines therewith," and you +may keep not only self-respect, but that of +the neighbors.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-024.png" width="400" height="224" alt="The Staff of Life" title="" /> +<span class="caption">The Staff of Life</span> +</div> + + +<p>Bread, more than almost any other foodstuff, +can not be better than what it is +made of. Here as elsewhere a bungler +can ruin the very best of flour or meal. +But the queen of cooks can not make good +a fundamental deficiency.</p> + +<p>Hence in buying flour look for these +things: a slightly creamy cast—dazzling +whiteness shows bleaching, as a gray-white, +or black specks mean grinding from +spoiled grain. The feel should be velvety, +with no trace of roughness—roughness +means, commonly, mixture with corn. A +handful tightly gripped should keep the +shape of the hand, and show to a degree<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> +the markings of the palm. A pinch wet +rather stiff, and stretched between thumb +and finger, will show by the length of the +thread it spins richness or poverty in gluten—one +of the most valuable food elements.</p> + +<p>The cornmeal of commerce will not be +satisfactory in any receipt here given. It +has been bolted and kiln-dried out of all +natural flavor. Take the trouble to get +meal water-ground, from white flint corn, +and fresh from the mill. Then you will +have something worth spending time and +effort upon—spending them hopefully. +Why, the wisest man can not tell—but +steam-ground meal is of a flavor wholly +unlike that water-ground. The grinding +should be neither too fine nor too coarse. +Bran left in, and sifted out as needed, +helps to save from musting, and to preserve +the delicate natural flavor. Fresh +meal, in clean bright tin or glass, or in a +stout paper sack, where it is dry, cool and +airy will keep two months. Hence buy it +judiciously, in proportion to your family's +corn-cake appetite.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span></p> + +<p>It is impossible to give exactly the +amount of liquid for any sort of bread-making +because the condition of flour and +meal varies with weather and keeping. +This applies also to sugar—hence the need +for intelligence in the use of receipts. In +damp muggy weather moisture is absorbed +from the atmosphere. Upon a dry day +especially if there is much wind, drying +out is inevitable. Anything that feels +clammy, or that clots, should be dried in a +warm, not hot, oven. Heating flour before +mixing it, taking care not to scorch it in +the least, is one small secret of light bread, +biscuit and cake. Flour in a bag may be +laid in the sun with advantage. Use judgment +in mixing. Note the appearance of +what you are making closely—when it +turns out extra good, set up that first condition +as a standard.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p><i>Beaten Biscuit:</i> (Old Style.) Sift a +quart of flour into a bowl or tray, add half +a teaspoon salt, then cut small into it a +teacup of very cold lard. Wet with cold +water—ice water is best—into a very stiff<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> +dough. Lay on a floured block, or marble +slab, and give one hundred strokes with a +mallet or rolling pin. Fold afresh as the +dough beats thin, dredging in flour if it +begins to stick. The end of beating is to +distribute air well through the mass, which, +expanding by the heat of baking, makes the +biscuit light. The dough should be firm, +but smooth and very elastic. Roll to half-inch +thickness, cut out with a small round +cutter, prick lightly all over the top, and +bake in steady heat to a delicate brown. +Too hot an oven will scorch and blister, +too cold an one make the biscuit hard and +clammy. Aim for the Irishman's "middle +exthrame."</p> + +<p>There are sundry machines which do +away with beating. It is possible also to +avoid it by running the dough, after mixing, +several times through a food-chopper. +Also beaten biscuit can be closely imitated +by making good puff paste, rolling, cutting +out, pricking and baking—but rather more +quickly than the real thing. All these are +expedients for those who live in apartments, +where the noise of beating might<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> +be held against good neighborhood. +Householders, and especially suburban +ones, should indulge in the luxury of a +block or stone or marble slab—and live +happy ever after, if they can but get cooks +able and willing to make proper use of it.</p> + +<p><i>Soda Biscuit:</i> (Old Style.) Sift a +quart of flour with a heaping teaspoonful +of baking soda. Add a good pinch of salt, +rub well through lard or butter the size of +the fist, then wet with sour milk to a moderately +soft dough, roll out, working +quickly, cut with small round cutter, set +in hot pans, leaving room to swell, and bake +in a quick oven just below scorching heat. +Handle as lightly as possible all through—this +makes flaky biscuit.</p> + +<p>By way of variety, roll out thin—less +than a half-inch, cut with three-inch cutter, +grease lightly on top, and fold along the +middle. Let rise on top a hot stove several +minutes before putting to bake. By +adding an egg, beaten light, with a heaping +tablespoonful of sugar to the dough in +mixing, these doubled biscuit will be quite +unlike the usual sort.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Salt Rising Bread:</i> (As Mammy Made +It.) Scald a tablespoonful of sifted cornmeal, +and a teaspoonful—heaped—of salt +with a pint of boiling water, let stand ten +minutes, then stir in, taking care to mix +smooth, enough dried and sifted flour to +make a thick batter. Damp flour will not +rise. The batter should be almost thick +enough to hold the mixing spoon upright—but +not quite thick enough. Set the mixture +in warm water—just as hot as you +can bear your hand in. Keep up the heat +steadily, but never make too hot—scalding +ruins everything. Keep lightly covered, +and away from draughts. Look in after +an hour—if water has risen on top, stir in +more flour. Watch close—in six hours the +yeast should be foamy-light. Have ready +three quarts of dry sifted flour, make a +hole in the center of it, pour in the yeast, +add a trifle more salt, a tablespoonful +sugar, and half a cup of lard. Work all +together to a smooth dough, rinsing out +the vessel that has held the yeast, with +warm not hot water to finish the mixing. +Divide into loaves, put in greased pans,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> +grease lightly over the top, and set to rise, +in gentle heat. When risen bake with +steady quick heat. Take from pans hot, +and cool between folds of clean cloth, +spread upon a rack, or else turn the loaves +edgewise upon a clean board, and cover +with cheese cloth.</p> + +<p>To make supper-rolls, shape some of the +dough into balls, brush over with melted +butter, set in a deep pan, just so they do +not touch, raise and bake the same as +bread. Dough can be saved over for +breakfast rolls, by keeping it very cold, +and working in at morning, a tiny pinch of +soda before shaping the balls.</p> + +<p><i>Sweet Potato Biscuit:</i> (Old Style.) +Boil soft two large or four small sweet potatoes, +mash smooth while very hot, free +of strings and eyes, add a pinch of salt, +then rub well through three cups of sifted +flour. Rub in also a generous handful of +shortening, then wet up soft with two eggs +beaten very light, and sweet milk. A little +sugar also if you have a sweet tooth—but +only a little. Roll to half-inch thickness, +cut out with small cutter, lay in warm pan,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> +and bake brown in a quick oven. Soda and +buttermilk can take the place of eggs and +sweet milk—in which case the sugar is advisable. +Mix the soda with the milk—enough +to make it foamy, but no more.</p> + +<p><i>Waffles:</i> (Mammy's.) Separate three +eggs. Beat yolks and whites very light. +Add to the yolks alternately a pint of very +rich sweet milk, and handfuls of sifted +flour. Enough to make a batter rather +thicker than cream. Put in also half a +teaspoon—scant—of salt, and half a cup of +lard, or lard and butter, melted so it will +barely run. Mix well, then add the beaten +whites of egg. Have the waffle irons hot +but not scorching—grease well with melted +lard—the salt in butter will make the batter +stick. Cook quickly but take care not to +burn. Lay on hot plate—have a pitcher +of melted butter to pour on. Lay the second +waffle upon the first, butter, and keep +hot. It is not safe to begin serving without +at least six waffles in plate. This, of +course, provided you have several eaters +with genuine appetites. Syrup can be +passed with the waffles—but it is profanation<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> +to drench them with it—strong clear +coffee, and broiled chicken are the proper +accompaniments at breakfast.</p> + +<p><i>Plain Corn Bread:</i> (The Best.) Sift +sound fresh white cornmeal, wet with cold +water to a fairly soft dough, shape it by +tossing from hand to hand into small +pones, and lay them as made into a hot pan +well sprinkled with dry meal. The pan +should be hot enough to brown the meal +without burning it. Make the pones about +an inch thick, four inches long, and two +and a half broad. Bake quickly, taking +care not to scorch, until there is a brown +crust top and bottom. For hoe-cakes make +the dough a trifle softer, lay it by handfuls +upon a hot-meal-sprinkled griddle, taking +care the handfuls do not touch. Flatten +to half an inch, let brown underneath, then +turn, press down and brown the upper +side. Do not let yourself be seduced into +adding salt—the delight of plain corn-bread +is its affinity for fresh butter. It +should be eaten drenched with butter of +its own melting—the butter laid in the +heart of it after splitting pone or hoe-cake.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> +Salt destroys this fine affinity. It however +savors somewhat bread to be eaten +butterless. Therefore Mammy always +said: "Salt in corn-bread hit does taste +so po' white-folks'y." She had little patience +with those neighbors of ours who +perforce had no butter to their bread.</p> + +<p><i>Egg Bread:</i> (Mammy's.) Beat two +eggs very light with a pinch of salt, add +two cups sifted cornmeal, then wet with a +pint of buttermilk in which a teaspoonful +of soda has been dissolved. Stir in a +spoonful of shortening, barely melted, mix +well, and pour into well greased pans or +skillets, cook quickly, till the crust is a +good brown, and serve immediately. Or +bake in muffin moulds. For delicate stomachs +the shortening can be left out, but +pans or moulds must be greased extra well. +If milk is very sour, make it one-third +water—this is better than putting in more +soda.</p> + +<p><i>Batter Cakes:</i> (Old Style.) Sift together +half-cup flour, cup and a half meal, +add pinch of salt, scald with boiling water, +stir smooth, then add two eggs well beaten,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> +and thin with sweet milk—it will take about +half a pint. Bake by spoonfuls on a hot, +well-greased griddle—the batter must run +very freely. Serve very hot with fresh +sausage, or fried pigs' feet if you would +know just how good batter cakes can be.</p> + +<p><i>Ash Cake:</i> (Pioneer.) This is possible +only with wood fires—to campers or millionaires. +Make dough as for plain bread, +but add the least trifle of salt, sweep the +hot hearth very clean, pile the dough on +it in a flattish mound, cover with big leaves—cabbage +leaves will do at a pinch, or even +thick clean paper, then pile on embers with +coals over them and leave for an hour or +more, according to size. Take up, brush +off ashes, and break away any cindery bits. +Serve with new butter and fresh buttermilk. +This was sometimes the sole summer +supper of very great families in the +old time. Beyond a doubt, ash cake properly +cooked has a savory sweetness possible +to no other sort of corn bread.</p> + +<p><i>Mush Bread:</i> (Overton Receipt.) To a +quart of very thick mush, well salted, add +three fresh eggs, breaking them in one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> +after the other, and beating hard between. +When smooth add half a cup of rich milk, +and half a cup melted butter. Stir hard, +then add one teaspoonful baking powder, +and bake quickly. Bake in the serving dish +as it is too soft for turning out, requiring +to be dipped on the plates with a spoon. +Hence the name in some mouths: "Spoon +bread."</p> + +<p><i>Cracklin' Bread:</i> (Pioneer.) Sift a +pint of meal, add a pinch of salt, then mix +well through a teacup of cracklings—left +from rendering lard. Wet up with boiling +water, make into small pones, and bake +brown in a quick but not scorching oven.</p> + +<p><i>Pumpkin Bread:</i> (Pioneer.) Sift a +pint of meal, add salt to season fully, then +rub through a large cupful of stewed pumpkin, +made very smooth. Add half a cup +melted lard, then mix with sweet milk to a +fairly stiff dough, make pones, and bake +crisp. Mashed sweet potato can be used +instead of pumpkin, and cracklings, rubbed +very fine in place of lard. Folks curious as +to older cookery, can even make persimmon +bread, using the pulp of ripe persimmons<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> +to mix with the meal—but they will need +the patience of Job to free the pulp +properly from skin and seed.</p> + +<p><i>Mush Batter Cakes:</i> (For Invalids.) +Bring half a pint of water to a bubbling +boil in something open, add to it a pinch +of salt, then by littles, strew in a cup of +sifted meal, stirring it well to avoid lumps. +Let cool partly, then cook by small spoonfuls +on a hot griddle very lightly greased. +Make the spoonfuls brown on both sides, +and serve very hot.</p> + +<p><i>Wafers:</i> (For Invalids or Parties.) +Rub a cup of lard or butter, through a +quart of sifted flour. Butter will give +enough salt—with lard add a pinch. Mix +with sweet milk, the richer the better, to a +smooth dough, not stiff nor soft. Shape +into balls the size of a small egg, roll out +very thin, prick lightly all over, and bake +brown—it will take about five minutes in +a quick oven. Cool on cloth and keep dry. +Handle delicately—if the wafers are what +they should be; they break and crumble at +any rough touch.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-037.png" width="400" height="235" alt="Saving Your Bacon" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Saving Your Bacon</span> +</div> + + +<p>Plenty in the smokehouse was the cornerstone +of the old time southern cookery. +Hence hog-killing was a festival as joyous +as Christmas—and little less sacred. +There was keen rivalry amongst plantations +as to which should show the finest +pen of fattening hogs. Though the plantation +force was commonly amply sufficient +for the work of slaughter, owners indulged +their slaves by asking help of each other—of +course returning the favor at need.</p> + +<p>A far cry from a cook book, common or +garden variety. Here, it is worth its +space, as explaining in a measure what follows.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> +Namely full direction for choosing +your fatted pig, cutting him up, and +making the most of the ultimate results. +Choose carcasses between a hundred and +seventy-five and a hundred and fifty pounds +in weight, of a fresh pinky white hue, free +of cuts, scratches, or bruises, the skin +scraped clean, and firm, not slimy, to touch, +the fat firm and white, the lean a lively purplish +pink. Two inches of clear fat over +the backbone, and the thick of the ribs +should be the limit. Anything more is +wasteful—unless there is a great need +of lard in the kitchen. The pig should +be chilled throughout, but not frozen—freezing +injures flavor and texture somewhat, +besides preventing the proper quick +striking in of salt.</p> + +<p>Curing space permitting, it is wise to cut +up several pigs at once. The trouble is +hardly increased, and the results, especially +in saving, very much greater. The +head will have been at least half severed +in slaughtering. With a very sharp +butcher knife, after the pig is laid on the +chopping block, cut deeply through the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> +skin, all round, then with a blow or two of +the axe sever the head. Next cut through +the skin deeply, either side of the back +bone. The cuts should be evenly parallel, +and about two inches apart. Now turn the +pig on his back, part the legs and with the +meat axe chop through the ribs, and joints. +After chopping, cut the backbone free with +the knife, trim off the strip of fat for the +lard pile, chop the backbone itself into +pieces three to four inches long, until the +chine is reached—the part betwixt the +shoulder blades with the high spinal processes. +Leave the chine intact for smoking, +along with the jowls and sausage.</p> + +<p>Pull out the leaf-fat—it grows around +and over the kidneys. Also pull out the +spare ribs, leaving only one or two in the +shoulders. This done, chop off feet, then +with the knife cut hams and shoulders free +from the sides. Trim after cutting out, +saving all trimmings for sausage. Save +every bit of pure fat for lard. Also cut +away the clear fat at the top of the sides, +devoting it to the same use. Make clean +cuts on the joints—this means a knife often<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> +whetted. Trim the hams rather flat, and +shape the hip bone neatly. The commercial +fashion of cutting away all the upper +half of hams is fatal to perfect flavor. +Trim shoulders close, unless they are destined +to be made into sausage—in that +case put them with the other scraps. Sides +can either be cut into strips four to five +inches wide the long way, after the manner +of commercial "breakfast bacon," or left +whole throughout their streaky part, cutting +away solid fat along the top for lard. +Separate the heads at the jaw, leaving the +tongue attached to the jowl, and taking +care not to cut it. Cut off the snout two +inches above the tip, then lay the upper +part of the head, skin down, crack the +inner bone with the axe, press the broken +bones apart, and take out the brains. +Jowls are to be salted and smoked—heads +are best either simply corned for boiling +with cabbage, peas, beans, etc., or made +in conjunction with the feet into headcheese, +whose south country name is souse.</p> + +<p>Use regular pickling salt—coarse-grained +and lively. Spread it an inch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> +thick upon clean wood—a broad shelf, box +bottom, or something similar. Rub the +meat well over with salt, and then lay it +neatly, skin-side down, upon the salt layer, +spread more salt on top, and put on another +layer of meat. Put sides together, +likewise hams and shoulders. Pack as +close as possible and fill all crevices with +salt. Salt alone will save your bacon, but a +teacup of moist sugar well mixed through a +water-bucket of salt improves the flavor. +Use this on sides, jowls and chines. The +joints, hams and shoulders, especially if +the shoulders are close-cut, need a trifle +more sugar in the salt, also a trifle of saltpeter—say +an ounce in fine powder to +three gallons of salt. Rub the skin-sides +over with plain salt, and lay upon the salt-covered +shelf the same as sides. Then take +a handful of the mixture and rub it in hard +around the bone, then cover the whole cut +surface half an inch thick, spread on dry +salt for another layer of hams or shoulders, +and repeat. Salt the chines lightly—their +surface, cut all over, takes up too much +salt if permitted. There should be holes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> +or cracks in the bottom to let the dissolved +salt drip away; it is best also to have it +a foot at least above the floor.</p> + +<p>Cover the meat thus in bulk, but not too +close, and leave standing a fortnight. The +cooler and airier the place it stands in the +better—freezing even is not objectionable +when the salt begins striking in. But +with freezing weather the meat must lie +longer in salt. Overhaul it after the first +fortnight—that is to say break up the bulk, +shake away bloody salt, sweep the bottom +clean, and put on fresh salt. But use very +little saltpeter on the joints this time—on +pain of making them too hard as to their +lean. Its use is to give firmness and a +handsome clear red color—an overdose of +it produces a faintly undesirable flavor. +Some famous ham makers, at this second +salting, rub the cut sides over lightly +with very good molasses, and sprinkle on +ground black pepper, before adding new +salt. Others rub in a teaspoonful of sugar +mixed with pounded red pepper around the +bone. But very excellent hams can be +made without such excess of painstaking.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span></p> + +<p>Let the meat lie two to four weeks after +overhauling, according to the weather. +Take up, wipe all over with coarse clean +cloth, furnish each piece with a loop of +stout twine at least four inches long, and +so run through the flesh, tearing out is impossible. +Run through the hock of hams, +the upper tip of shoulders, the thickest +part of sides, the pointed tip of jowls. +Jowls may not need to lie so long as bigger +pieces, especially if part of their fat has +gone to lard. Chines can be hung up in +three weeks, and cured with a very light +smoking, along with the bags of sausage.</p> + +<p>Hang hams highest, shoulders next, then +sides, jowls, etc. Leave to drip forty-eight +hours unless the weather turns suddenly +warm, damp and muggy—in that +case start the smoking after a few hours. +Smoke from green hickory, sound and +bright, is needed for the finest flavor. Lay +small logs so they will hug together as +they burn, kindle fire along the whole +length of them, then smother it with damp, +small chips, trash, bark and so on, but take +care to have everything sound. Rotten<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span> +wood, or that which is water-logged or mildewed, +makes rank, ill-smelling smoke. +Take greater care that the logs never blaze +up, also that the meat is high enough to +escape fire-heating. Once it gets hot from +the fire all your trouble will have been for +naught—though it will not be tainted it +will have the same taste and smell—the +degree marking the extent of the heating.</p> + +<p>Old southern smokehouses had for the +most part earthen floors, trenched to make +the smoke fires safe. Some had puncheon +floors, with an earthen hearth in the +middle, whereupon was placed a furnace +of loose brick—that could be kicked over +at need, smothering an outbreaking fire. +Still others had big cast iron kettles sunk +in a sort of well in the floor—with a handy +water bucket for quenching fires. Whatever +the floor, eternal vigilance was the +price of safe bacon—you looked at the +smokehouse fires first thing in the morning +and last at night. They were put out +at sundown, but had a knack of burning +again from some hidden seed of live coal. +Morning smoke could not well be too thick,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> +provided it smelled right—keen and clean, +reminiscent of sylvan fragrance—a thick, +acrid smoke that set you sneezing and +coughing, was "most tolerable and not to +be endured." It was not well to leave the +smoke too thick at night—somehow the +chill then condensed it. A thin, blue, hot-scented +but cool, vapor was the thing to +strive for then. There were folk who suggested +furnaces—with smoke pipes leading +in—ever so much safer they said, withal +much less trouble. Why! even the smoke +from a cooking stove might be made to answer. +But these progressives were heard +coldly—the old timers knew in right of tradition +and experience, the need of well +ventilated smoke.</p> + +<p>It gave this present chronicler a feeling +of getting home again, to walk through the +curing rooms of perhaps the most famous +bacon makers in the world, and find them +practicing the wisdom of her childhood. +Namely using hickory smoke not delivered +from furnace pipes but welling up, up, in +beautiful wreathy spirals, to reach row +on row of hams and flitches—and to be told,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> +by a kind person who did not know she +already knew, that their curing was patterned +on the old English model—curing +in the smoke of great-throated stone hall +chimneys. Yes—they had tried pipes—furnaces +likewise—but they gave too much +heat, did not distribute smoke evenly, besides +being almost impossible of regulation. +Hence the smoldering hickory that +was like a breath from a far past.</p> + +<p>Notwithstanding, the chronicler is of +opinion that folk who would like to try +their hands at bacon making may do it +with a fair hope without building regular +smoke houses. To such she would say, get +a stout hogshead—a sugar hogshead preferable—nail +on a board roof to shed water, +then set it upon a stout frame at least seven +feet above ground. Nail inside it stout +cleats, to hold the cross bars for the meat. +Hang the meat upon them—but not until +the hogshead is in place. Cut a hole in +the bottom as big as the top of a large +barrel. Working through this hole, arrange +the meat, then put below a headless +barrel, the top resting against the hogshead-heading,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> +the bottom upon supports of +gas pipe, iron, or even piled bricks. Between +the supports set an iron vessel—build +your hickory smoke-fires in it, smothering +them carefully, and letting the smoke, +with a sufficiency of air, well up, through +barrel, hogshead, etc. Or one might even +rig up a smoking hogshead in an attic, +providing the chimney were tall enough +to cool smoke properly—and lead smoke +out to it through a length of drain pipe.</p> + +<p>These are but suggestions—the contriving +mind will doubtless invent other and +better ones. Smoking must go on for five +weeks at least. Six will be better, slacking +toward the end. But two may be made +to answer by the use of what is called +"liquid smoke" whose other name is crude +pyroligneous acid. A product of wood +distillation, it has been proved harmless in +use, but use is nevertheless forbidden +to commercial makers. The meat, after +breaking bulk, is dipped in it three times +at fairly brief intervals, hung up, drained, +and smoked. From the liquid smoke it +will have acquired as much acid saving-grace,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> +as from four weeks of old fashioned +smoking.</p> + +<p>A smokehouse needs to be kept dark, +dry, and cool, also well ventilated. Use +fine screen wire over all openings, and +make windows very small, with coarse, +sleazy crash in the sash rather than glass +inside the screens. Darkness prevents +or discourages the maggot-fly. To discourage +him still further cover the cut sides +of hams and shoulders before hanging up +with molasses made very thick with ground +black pepper. They will not absolutely +require canvassing and dipping in whitewash +after if the peppering is thorough. +But to be on the safe side—canvas and +dip. Make the whitewash with a foundation +of thick paste—and be sure it covers +every thread of the canvas. Hams perfectly +cured and canvassed keep indefinitely +in the right sort of smokehouse—but +there is not much gain in flavor after +they are three years old.</p> + +<p>In rendering lard try out leaf fat to +itself—it yields the very finest. Cut out<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> +the kidneys carefully, and remove any bit +of lean, then pull off the thin inner skin, +and cut up the leaves—into bits about two +inches wide and four long. Wash these +quickly in tepid water, drain on a sieve, +and put over a slow fire in an iron vessel +rather thick bottomed. Add a little cold +water—a cupful to a gallon of cut up fat, +and let cook gently until the lumps of fat +color faintly. Increase heat till there is +a mild bubbling—keep the bubbling steady, +stirring often to make sure no lump of fat +sticks to the pot and scorches, until all +the lumps are crisp brown cracklings. +Bright brown, not dark—if dark the lard +will be slightly colored. Scorching taints +and ruins the whole mass. Strain through +a sieve into a clean tin vessel, newly +scalded and wiped dry. Put the cracklings +into a bag of stout crash, and press hard +between two clean boards, till no more fat +runs from them. A jelly press comes in +handy, but is not essential. If weak, clear +lye, made of green wood ashes, is put in +with the fat instead of water at the beginning,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> +the fat-yield will be greater, and the +bulk of cracklings less, also more nearly +disintegrated.</p> + +<p>Other fat is tried out in the same way, +taking care to remove all skin and cut +away streaks of lean. Bits with much lean +in them had better go to the sausage mill—the +right proportion there is two pounds +of fat to three and a half of lean. Mix +well in grinding, and remove all strings, +gristle, etc. Seasoning is so much a matter +of taste, do it very lightly at first—then +fry a tiny cake, test it, and add whatever +it seems to lack or need. Be rather +sparing of salt—eaters can put it in but +can not take it out, and excess of it makes +even new sausage taste old. A good combination +of flavors, one approved by experience, +is a cupful of powdered and +sifted sage, an ounce of black pepper newly +ground, and very fine, a tablespoonful of +powdered red pepper, a teaspoonful of +cayenne, a pinch of thyme in fine powder, +a dozen cloves, as many grains of alspice, +beaten fine, a teaspoonful of moist sugar, +and a blade of mace in fine powder. Omit<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> +the mace, cloves, etc. if the flavor repels. +Mix all well together, then work evenly +through the meat. This seasoning should +suffice for five pounds of ground meat +lightly salted. More can be used by those +who like high and pronounced flavors.</p> + +<p>Scrape feet very clean, and take off hoofs +by either dipping in scalding hot lye, or hot +wet wood ashes. Wash very clean after +scraping, throw in cold water, soak an hour, +then put in a clean pot with plenty of cold +water, and boil gently until very tender. +If boiling for souse cook till the meat and +gristle fall from the bones. If for frying, +take up the feet as soon as they are tender, +keeping them in shape. Boil heads the +same way, taking out eyes, cutting off ears +and cleaning them carefully inside. Pick +the meat from the bones, mix it with the +feet also picked up, work seasoning well +through it—salt, black and red pepper, +herbs if approved, likewise a trifle of onion +juice, then pack in deep molds, pour +over a little of the boiling liquor—barely +enough to moisten—and set to cool uncovered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> + +<p>Let the boiling liquor stand until cold, +covered only with a cloth. Skim off the +oil—hog's foot oil is a fine dressing for +any sort of leather—then dip off carefully +the jelly underneath. Do not disturb +the sediment—take only the clear +jelly. Melted, clarified with white of egg, +seasoned with wine, lemon juice, or grape +juice, and sufficiently sugared, the result +puts all gelatines of commerce clean out +of court. Indeed any receipt for gelatine +desserts can be used with the hog's +foot jelly. A small salvage perhaps—but +worth while.</p> + +<p>Everybody knows brains can be fried—just +as all know they can be addled. We +of the old south pickled ours. Go and do +likewise if you want an experience. Begin +by scalding the brains—putting them on +in cold water very slightly salted, then letting +them barely strike a boil. Skim out, +drop in cold water, take off the skin, keeping +the lobes as whole as possible, lay in +a porcelain kettle, spice liberally with +black and red pepper, cloves, nutmeg and +allspice, cover with strong vinegar, bring<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> +to a boil, cook five minutes, then put in +a jar, cool uncovered, tie down and let +stand a week before using. Thus treated +brains will keep for six weeks, provided +they are kept cool.</p> + +<p>We also pickled our souse—cutting it in +thin slices, and laying them in strong vinegar +an hour before serving. Another way +was to melt the souse into a sort of +rich hash—beaten eggs were occasionally +added, and the result served on hot toast. +At a pinch it answered for the foundation +of a meat pie, putting in with it in layers, +sliced hard boiled eggs, sliced cucumber +pickle, plenty of seasoning, a good lump +of butter, and a little water. The pie was +baked quickly—and made a very good supper +dish if unexpected company overran +the supply of sausage or chicken for frying.</p> + +<p>But fried hog's feet were nearly the best +of hog killing. After boiling tender, the +feet were split lengthwise in half, rolled +in sifted cornmeal, salted and peppered, +and fried crisp in plenty of boiling hot fat. +Served with hot biscuit, and stewed sun-dried<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span> +peaches, along with strong coffee, +brown and fragrant, they made a supper or +breakfast one could rejoice in.</p> + +<p>Backbone stewed, and served with sweet +potatoes, hot corn bread, and sparkling +cider, was certainly not to be despised. +The stewing was gentle, the seasoning well +blended—enough salt but not too much, red +and black pepper, and the merest dash of +pepper vinegar. Many cooks left the vinegar +to be added in the plates. There was +little water at the beginning, and next to +none at the end—the kettle was kept well +covered, and not allowed to boil over. +Backbone pie held its own with chicken +pie—indeed there were those who preferred +it. It was made the same way—in +a skillet or deep pan lined with rich +crust, then filled with cooked meat, adding +strips of bacon, and bits of butter rolled +in flour, as well as strips of crust. Then +the stewing liquor went into the crevices—there +might also be a few very tiny crisp +brown sausages—cakes no bigger than a +lady's watch. Over all came a thick, rich +crust, with a cross-cut in the middle, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span> +corners turned deftly back. When the +crust was brown the pie was done.</p> + +<p>No doubt we were foolish—but somehow +the regular "cases" made our sausages +unappetizing if we put it into them for +keeping. Further the "Tom Thumbs" +were in great request for chitterlings—I +never saw them served to white folks but +have smelled their savoriness in the cabins. +That is, however, beside the mark. We +saved our sausage against the spring +scarcity in several ways. One was to fry +it in quantity, pack the cakes as fried in +crocks, pour over them the gravy, and when +the jar was almost full, cover the top an +inch deep with melted lard. Kept cool and +dark the cakes came out as good as they +went in. Still there were palates that +craved smoked sausage. To satisfy them, +some folk tied up the meat in links of +clean corn husks, and hung them at the side +where the smoke barely touched them. +Another way was to make small bags of +stout unbleached muslin, fill, tie close, dip +the bag in melted grease, cool and smoke. +The dipping was not really essential—still<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> +it kept the sausage a little fresher. Latterly +I have been wondering if paraffin had +been known then whether or not it would +have served better than grease.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> +<img src="images/illus-057.png" width="380" height="211" alt="Hams and Other Hams" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Hams and Other Hams</span> +</div> + + +<p>The proper boiling of a proper ham +reaches the level of high art. Proper boiling +makes any sound ham tolerable eating; +conversely a crass and hasty cook can +spoil utterly this crowning mercy of the +smokehouse. Yet proper cooking is not +a recondite process, nor one beyond the +simplest intelligence. It means first and +most, pains and patience, with somewhat +of foresight, and something more of judgment.</p> + +<p>Cut off the hock, but not too high—barely +the slender shankbone. Then go all over +the ham with a dull knife, scraping off every +bit of removable grease or soilure.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span> +Wipe afterward with a coarse, damp cloth, +then lay in a dishpan and cover an inch deep +with cold water. If the water is very hard +soften by adding a tiny pinch of baking +soda. Leave in soak all night. In the +morning wash well all over, using your +coarse cloth, and a little scouring soap, +then rinse well in tepid water, followed by +a second rinsing in cold water, drain, and +wipe dry. A flat-bottomed boiler is best—with +one rounding, there is greater +risk of scorching. Set a rack on the bottom +else an old dish or earthen pieplate, +pour in an inch of water, set over the fire, +lay the ham upon the rack, skin side down, +and fill up with cold water till it stands +two inches above the meat. Take care in +adding the water not to dislodge the ham +from the rack. Bring the water to a boil, +throw in a pint of cold water and skim the +boiler very clean, going over it twice or +three times. After the last skimming add +half a dozen whole cloves, a dozen whole +alspice, a pod of red pepper, a few whole +grains of black pepper, and if you like, a +young onion or a stalk of celery. Personally<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> +I do not like either onion or celery—moreover +they taint the fat one may save +from the pot. Let the water boil hard for +half a minute, no longer, then slack heat till +it barely simmers. Keep it simmering, filling +up the pot as the water in it boils +away, until the ham is tender throughout. +The time depends on several things—the +hardness and age of the ham, weight, curing. +Fifteen minutes to the pound, reckoned +from the beginning of simmering, is +the standard allowance. I have no hard +and fast rule—my hams boil always until +the fork pierces them readily, and the hip-bone +stands clear of flesh.</p> + +<p>A big ham, fifteen to twenty pounds +weight, had better be left in the water +overnight. A smaller one, say of ten +pounds weight, should remain only until +thoroughly cold. Take up carefully when +cold, let drain twenty minutes, lying flesh +side up in a flat dish, then trim off the +under side and edges neatly, removing +rusty fat, strings, etc., and cutting through +the skin at the hock end. Turn over and +remove the skin—taking care not to tear<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> +away too much fat with it. Remove the +ham to a clean, deep dish, or bowl—the +closer fitting the better, then pour around +it either sound claret, or sweet cider, till +it stands half way up the sides. Add a +little tabasco or Worcester to the liquor, +if high flavors are approved. Then stick +whole cloves in a lozenge pattern all over +the fat, sprinkle on thickly red and black +pepper, and last of all, sugar—brown sugar +if to be had, but white will do.</p> + +<p>Leave standing several hours, basting +once or twice with the liquor in the bowl. +Take out, set on a rack in an agate pan, +pour the liquor underneath, and bake +slowly one to two hours, according to size. +Baste every fifteen minutes, adding water +as the liquor cooks away. Beware scorching—the +ham should be a beautiful speckly +dark brown all over. Let cool uncovered, +and keep cool, but not on ice until eaten.</p> + +<p>Drop a lump of ice in the boiling liquor +unless the weather is cold—then set it outside. +As soon as the fat on top hardens +take it off, boil it fifteen minutes in clear +water, chill, skim off, and clarify by<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> +frying slices of raw potato in it. The +spices will have sunk to the bottom, and +there will be no trace of their flavor in +the fat. Any boiling vegetable—cabbage, +string beans, navy beans, greens in general—may +be cooked to advantage in the liquor. +It also serves as an excellent foundation +for pea soup. Drain it off from the sediment, +reduce a trifle by quick boiling, then +add the other things. Dumplings of sound +cornmeal, wet up stiff, shaped the size of +an egg, and dropped in the boiling liquor, +furnish a luncheon dish cheap and appetizing.</p> + +<p>Fried ham as Mammy made it is mostly +a fragrant memory—only plutocrats dare +indulge in it these days. She cut thin +slices from the juicy, thick part of the ham, +using a very sharp, clean knife. Then she +trimmed away the skin, and laid the slices +in a clean, hot skillet—but not too hot. In +about a minute she flipped them over delicately, +so as to sear the other side. When +enough fat had been tried out to bubble a +bit, she turned them again, then set the +skillet off, deadened the coals beneath it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span> +a little—put it back, and let the ham cook +until tender through and through. She +never washed the slices nor even wiped +them with damp cloths. There was no +need—her hands and knife were as clean as +could be. Washing and wiping spoiled the +flavor, she said. I agree with her. After +the ham was taken up, she poured in milk, +half cream, shook it well about in the hissing +hot fat until it had taken up all the +delicious brown essence caked on the skillet +bottom. This milk gravy was poured +over the slices in the platter. A practice +I have never followed—my gravy is made +with water rather than milk, and served +separately.</p> + +<p>Invalids and gourmets may be indulged +with boiled ham, broiled over live coals. +Slice very thin, lay for half a minute upon +a shovel of glowing fresh coals, take up +in a very hot dish, butter liberally, dust +with pepper and serve very hot. To frizzle +ham slice as thin as possible in tiny bits, +and toss the bits till curly-crisp in blazing +hot butter. Excellent as an appetizer +or to raise a thirst.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span></p> + +<p>For ham and eggs slice and fry as directed, +take up, break fresh eggs separately +each in a saucer, and slip them into +the fat when it is bubbling hot. Dip hot +fat over them to cook the upper side—take +up with a cake turner, and arrange +prettily as a border around the ham. +Sprigs of watercress outside add to the +appetizing effect. Serve with hot biscuit, +or waffles or muffins, and strong, clear coffee.</p> + +<p>Tart apples cored but not peeled sliced +in rings and fried in hot fat, drained +out and sprinkled lightly with sugar, add +to the charm of even the finest ham. So +does hominy, the full-grained sort, boiled +tender beforehand, and fried till there is +a thick, brown crust all over the skillet +bottom. The secret of these as of all +other fryings, is to have grease enough, +make it hot enough to crisp whatever goes +into it instantly, then to watch so there +shall be no scorching, and take out what +is fried as soon as done, draining well. +Among the paradoxes of cookery is this—frying +with scant grease makes greasy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> +eating, whereas frying in deep fat, sufficiently +hot, makes the reverse.</p> + +<p>Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced, deserve +frying in ham fat. Well drained, +dusted with salt, pepper, and sugar, they +are delicious, also most digestible. Frying +is indeed the method of cookery most +misprised through its abuse. In capable +hands it achieves results no-otherwise attainable.</p> + +<p>A perfect mutton ham is a matter of +grace no less premeditation. It must be +cut from a wether at least four years old, +grass fed, grain finished, neither too fat, +nor too lean, scientifically butchered in +clear, frosty, but not freezing weather, and +hung unsalted in clean, cold air for a matter +of three days. Saw off shank and hip +bones neatly, and cut the meat smooth, +removing any tags and jags, then pack +down in an agate or clean wooden vessel +that has been scalded, then chilled. Half +cover with a marinade thus proportioned. +One pint pickling salt to one gallon cold +water, boil and skim clean, then add one +pint vinegar, a dozen each of whole cloves,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span> +allspice and pepper corns, a pod of red +pepper, a teaspoon of powdered saltpeter, +and a small cup of oil. Simmer for half +an hour, and cool before pouring on the +meat. Let it lie in the liquor a week, turning +it twice daily. Take from marinade, +wipe, and lay in air, return the marinade +to the fire, boil up, skim well, then add +enough plain brine to fully cover the hams, +skim again, cool and pour over, first scalding +out the containing vessel. Let stand +a week longer, then drain well, wipe with +a damp cloth, rub over outside with a mixture +of salt, moist sugar, and ground black +pepper, and hang in a cool, airy place +where the hams can be lightly smoked for +a fortnight. Winter-curing, or late fall, +alone is possible to the average householder. +After smoking, wrap in waxed +paper, and canvas the same as other hams.</p> + +<p>Cook the same as venison, which mutton +thus cured much resembles. Slice and +broil, serving with butter and very sour +jelly, else boil whole in very little water until +tender, glazing with tart jelly, and crisping +in the oven after draining and cooling.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> +Or soak two hours in cold water, then +cover completely with an inch-thick crust +of flour and water mixed stiff, and bake in +a slow oven four to five hours. Serve always +with very piquant sauce, and sharp +pickle, or highly spiced catsups. Make +jelly from wild grapes, wild plums, green +grapes, green gooseberries or crab apples, +using half the usual amount of sugar, especially +for such meat.</p> + +<p>Melt half a glass of such jelly with a +tablespoon of boiling water. Add black +pepper, paprika, a dash of tabasco, and +the strained juice of a lemon, add gradually +a teaspoon of dry mustard. Cook +over hot water until well mixed and +smooth, and keep hot until served.</p> + +<p>Beef hams are troublesome—but worth +the trouble. Take them from small but +well fatted animals, cut off the shank, also +part of the top round. Rub over very +scantly with powdered saltpeter, mixed +well through moist sugar, then lay down +in salt for a fortnight, else cover with brine +made thus. Pint pickling salt to the gallon +of cold water, teaspoon sugar, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> +pinch of whole cloves. Boil and skim. +Pour cold over the hams in a clean barrel. +Let stand a fortnight, take out, drain and +wipe, rub over with dry salt, and hang +high in cold air. Smoke lightly after +three days. Keep smoking, but not too +much, for a month. Cover all over with +ground black pepper, mixed to a paste +with molasses, canvas and leave hanging.</p> + +<p>Slice and broil, else chip and serve raw. +Frizzling is possible but a waste of God's +good mercies. Properly cured meat is salt +but not too salt, of a deep blackish-red, +and when sliced thin, partly translucent, +also of an indescribable savoriness. Cut +as nearly as possible, across the grain. +Do not undertake to make beef hams save +in the late fall, so there may be cold +weather for the curing. The meat must +be chilled through before salt touches it, +but freezing is very detrimental. Frozen +meat does not absorb the salt, sugar, etc., +essential to proper curing. By time it +thaws so absorption becomes possible, +there may have been changes such as take +place in cold storage, unfitting it for food.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span> +If the beef ham is thick it may need to lie +a month in salt or in brine. Here as elsewhere, +the element of judgment comes into +play.</p> + +<p>If rabbits are very plenty and very fat, +put down a jar of hindquarters in marinade +for three days, then wipe, and hang +in a cold, dry place. A rabbit ought to +be dressed before it is cold—thus it escapes +the strong flavor which makes market +rabbits often unendurable. Chill but +do not freeze after dressing. A light +smoking does not hurt the quarters, which +should be left double, with the thick loin +between. Soak two hours before cooking, +and smother with plenty of butter, black +and red pepper and a dash of pepper vinegar. +An excellent breakfast or luncheon +relish.</p> + +<p>To cook a fresh ham properly, choose +one weighing ten pounds or less, scrape +and wash clean, score the skin, all over, +then season well with salt, sugar, black +and red pepper, and dot with tabasco on +top. Set on a rack in a deep pan, pour +boiling water underneath to barely touch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> +the meat, cover close, and bake in a hot +oven for two hours, filling up the water in +the pan as it bakes away. Uncover, and +cook for half an hour longer, slacking heat +one half, and basting the meat with the +liquor in the pan. If approved add a cup +of cider or sound claret to the basting +liquor. Leave unbasted for ten minutes +before taking up, so the skin may be properly +crisp.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-070.png" width="400" height="196" alt="For Thirsty Souls" title="" /> +<span class="caption">For Thirsty Souls</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>Grandmother's Cherry Bounce:</i> Rinse +a clean, empty whiskey barrel well with +cold water, drain, and fill with very ripe +Morello cherries, mixed with black wild +cherries. One gallon wild cherries to five +of Morellos is about the proper proportion. +Strew scantly through the cherries, +blade mace, whole cloves, allspice, a very +little bruised ginger, and grated nutmeg. +Add to a full barrel of fruit twenty pounds +of sugar—or in the proportion of half a +pound to the gallon of fruit. Cover the +fruit an inch deep with good corn whiskey, +the older and milder the better. Leave +out the bung but cover the opening with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> +lawn. Let stand six months undisturbed +in a dry, airy place, rather warm. Rack +off into a clean barrel, let stand six months +longer, then bottle or put in demijohns. +This improves greatly with age up to the +fifth year—after that the change is unappreciable.</p> + +<p><i>Grape Cider:</i> Fill a clean, tight, well-scalded +barrel with ripe wild grapes picked +from their stems. Add spices if you like, +but they can be left out. Fill the vessel +with new cider, the sweeter the better. +There should be room left to ferment. +Cover the bung-hole with thin cloth and +let stand in dry air four to six months. +Rack off and bottle. This also improves +with age. It is a drink to be used with +caution—mild as May in the mouth, but +heady, and overcoming, especially to those +unused to its seductions.</p> + +<p><i>Persimmon Beer:</i> The poor relation of +champagne—with the advantage that nobody +is ever the worse for drinking it. To +make it, take full-ripe persimmons, the +juicier the better, free them of stalks and +calyxes, then mash thoroughly, and add<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span> +enough wheat bran or middlings to make +a stiffish dough. Form the dough into +thin, flat cakes, which bake crisp in a slow +oven. When cold break them up in a clean +barrel, and fill it with filtered rainwater. +A bushel of persimmons before mashing +will make a barrel of beer. Set the barrel +upright, covered with a thin cloth, in a +warm, dry place, free of taints. Let stand +until the beer works—the persimmon cakes +will rise and stand in a foamy mass on top. +After three to four weeks, either move the +barrel to a cold place, or rack off the beer +into bottles or demijohns, tieing down the +corks, and keeping the bottled stuff very +cool. The more meaty and flavorous the +persimmons, the richer will be the beer. +Beware of putting in fruit that has not +felt the touch of frost, so retains a rough +tang. A very little of it will spoil a whole +brewing of beer. If the beer is left standing +in the barrel a wooden cover should be +laid over the cloth, after it is done working. +Fermentation can be hastened by +putting in with the persimmon cakes a +slice of toast dipped in quick yeast. But<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span> +if the temperature is right, the beer will +ferment itself.</p> + +<p><i>Egg Nogg:</i> Have all ingredients, eggs, +sugar, brandy, and whiskey, thoroughly +chilled before beginning, and work very, +very quickly. Beat the yolks of eighteen +eggs very light with six cups of granulated +sugar, added a cup at a time. When frothy +and pale yellow, beat in gradually and +alternately a glassful at a time, a quart +of mellow old whiskey, and a quart of real +French brandy. Whip hard, then add the +whites of the eggs beaten till they stick to +the dish. Grate nutmeg over the top, and +rub the rims of the serving glasses with +lemon or orange rind cut into the fruit. +The glasses should be ice-cold, also the +spoons. Fill carefully so as not to slop +the sides, and serve at once.</p> + +<p>If wanted for an early morning Christmas +celebration, beat up yolks and sugar +the night before, stand on ice along with +the liquor, and keep the unbeaten whites +likewise very cold. At morning freshen +the yolks a little, then add the liquor, and +at last the whites newly frothed. This is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span> +the only simon-pure Christmas egg nogg. +Those who put into it milk, cream, what +not, especially rum, defile one of the finest +among Christmas delights.</p> + +<p><i>White Egg Nogg:</i> For invalids, especially +fever patients. Whip the white of +a new laid egg as stiff as possible with the +least suspicion of salt. Add to it three +heaping spoonfuls of sterilized cream +whipped light, beat in two tablespoonfuls +of powdered sugar, then add a gill of the +best French brandy. A variant is to omit +the sugar and mix with the frothed egg +and cream more than a gill of vermouth, +using French or Italian, according to +taste.</p> + +<p><i>Apple Toddy:</i> Wash and core, but do +not peel, six large, fair apples, bake, covered, +until tender through and through, +put into an earthen bowl and strew with +cloves, mace, and bruised ginger, also six +lumps of Domino sugar for each apple. +Pour over a quart of full-boiling water, let +stand covered fifteen minutes in a warm +place. Then add a quart of mellow whiskey, +leave standing ten minutes longer,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> +and keep warm. Serve in big deep goblets, +putting an apple or half of one in the +bottom of each, and filling with the liquor. +Grate nutmeg on top just at the minute of +serving.</p> + +<p><i>Hail Storm:</i> Mix equal quantities of +clear ice, broken small, and the best lump +sugar. Cover the mixture fully with good +brandy, put in a shaker, shake hard five +minutes, then pour into glasses, and serve +with a fresh mint leaf floating on top.</p> + +<p><i>Mint Julep:</i> This requires the best of +everything if you would have it in perfection. +Especially the mint and the whiskey +or brandy. Choose tender, quick-grown +mint, leafy, not long-stalked and coarse, +wash it very clean, taking care not to +bruise it in the least, and lay in a clean +cloth upon ice. Chill the spirits likewise. +Put the sugar and water in a clean fruit +jar, and set on ice. Do this at least six +hours before serving so the sugar shall be +fully dissolved. Four lumps to the large +goblet is about right—with half a gobletful +of fresh cold water. At serving time, rub +a zest of lemon around the rim of each<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> +goblet—the goblets must be well chilled—then +half fill with the dissolved sugar, add +a tablespoonful of cracked ice, and stand +sprigs of mint thickly all around the rim. +Set the goblets in the tray, then fill up with +whiskey or brandy or both, mixed—the +mixture is best with brands that blend +smoothly. Drop in the middle a fresh ripe +strawberry, or cherry, or slice of red peach, +and serve at once. Fruit can be left out +without harm to flavor—it is mainly for the +satisfaction of the eye. But never by any +chance bruise the mint—it will give an +acrid flavor "most tolerable and not to be +endured." To get the real old-time effect, +serve with spoons in the goblets rather than +straws. In dipping and sipping more of +the mint-essence comes out—beside the +clinking of the spoons is nearly as refreshing +as the tinkle of the ice.</p> + +<p><i>Lemon Punch:</i> Bring a gallon of fresh +water to a bubbling boil in a wide kettle, +and as it strikes full boil throw into it a +tablespoonful of tea—whatever brand you +like best. Let boil one minute—no more, +no less, then strain, boiling hot, upon the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> +juice and thin yellow peel of twelve large +or eighteen small lemons, along with two +pounds of lump sugar. Stir hard until the +sugar is dissolved, then add a pint of rum. +Stand on ice twelve to twenty-four hours +to blend and ripen. Put a small block of +clear ice in the punch bowl, pour in the +punch, then add to it either Maraschino +cherries, or hulled small ripe strawberries, +or pineapple or bananas, peeled and cut +in tiny dice—or a mixture of all these. +Serve in chilled punch cups, with after-dinner +coffee spoons for the fruit. The +fruit can be left out, and the punch served +with sandwiches the same as iced tea. A +wineglass of yellow chartreuse, added just +after the rum, is to many palates an improvement. +So is a very little peach or +apricot brandy.</p> + +<p><i>Punch à la Ruffle Shirts:</i> This recipe +comes down from the epoch of knee buckles +and ruffled shirts, and is warranted to more +than hold its own with any other—even the +so-famous "Artillery punch," beloved of +army and navy. To make it, scrub clean +and pare thinly the yellow peel of two<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> +dozen oranges and one dozen lemons. Put +the pared peel in a deep glass pitcher and +cover it with one quart of brandy, one quart +of old whiskey, one generous pint of Jamaica +rum, one tumbler of cherry bounce, +one tumbler of peach liqueur, or else a tumbler +of "peach and honey," Cover with +cloth and let stand three days off ice to +blend and ripen. Meantime squeeze and +strain the juice of the oranges and lemons +upon four pounds of best lump sugar, shred +a large, very ripe pineapple fine and put it +with another pound of sugar in a separate +vessel. Hull half a gallon of ripe strawberries, +cover them liberally with sugar +and let stand to extract the juice. Lacking +strawberries, use ripe peaches, or +blackberries or even seeded cherries. +Keep the fruit and sugar cool, but not too +cold—just so it will not sour. Upon the +third morning strain the juice of all fruits +together, and mix thoroughly. Next make +a gallon of weak green tea, strain it boiling +hot upon the liquor and the yellow peel, +stir well, then mix in the fruit juices and +sugar, and let stand uncovered until cool.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span> +Chill thoroughly, also chill the wine. Use +whatever sort you prefer—claret, sound +and fruity, is good, so is almost any homemade +wine of the first class. American +champagne pleases some palates. But I +advise rather claret, or good homemade +grape wine. Put into the punch bowl a +block of clear ice, add equal measures of +the mixture and the wine. Let stand half +an hour before serving. Put in at the very +last vichy, ice-cold. Thin strips of fresh +cucumber peel add a trifle to flavor and +more to looks.</p> + +<p>The wine and mixture can be poured together +into demijohns and kept for months, +provided they are kept cool. Since the +making is rather troublesome it is worth +while to make the full quantity at once and +keep it on hand for emergencies. Commercial +liqueurs can take the place of the +homemade ones here set forth. The result +may not be quite so distinctive, but will +not be disappointing. Dry sherry is a +good substitute for cherry bounce, likewise +apricot brandy, while vermouth or chartreuse +will answer for peach liqueur, which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span> +is unlikely to be in hand unless you are a +very old-fashioned housekeeper.</p> + +<p><i>Peach Liqueur:</i> Peel a peck of very +ripe, very juicy peaches, cut from the seed, +weigh, and pack down in earthen or agate +ware with their own weight in granulated +sugar. Crack the seeds, take out the kernels, +blanche the same as almonds, and put +to soak in a quart of brandy. Let stand +in sunshine to extract the flavor, a full day. +Let the fruit and sugar stand twenty-four +hours, then put over fire in a preserving +kettle and simmer very slowly until the +fruit is in rags, adding now and then +enough boiling water to make up for what +cooks out. If spices are approved, simmer +with the fruit, a pinch of blade mace, +some whole cloves and half a dozen black +pepper corns. This is optional. Strain +without pressing to avoid cloudiness, and +mix the juice while still very hot with the +brandy and soaked kernels. Add brandy +and kernels, also a quart of whiskey—there +should be a gallon of the fruit juice. Stir +hard so as to blend well. Let cool, and +bottle or put in demijohns, taking care to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> +apportion the kernels equally. They will +sink to the bottom, but the liqueur will fatten +on them, getting thereby a delicate +almond fragrance and flavor.</p> + +<p><i>Strawberry Liqueur:</i> Wash, hull and +mash two gallons of very ripe strawberries, +put over the fire, bring to a quick boil, +skim clean, and simmer for five minutes. +Throw in a pint of boiling water, and strain +as for jelly. Measure the juice—for each +pint take a pound of sugar, return to the +kettle, simmer fifteen minutes, skimming +clean the while, then take from the fire, +measure, and to each quart add a pint of +good whiskey, or whiskey and brandy +mixed. Bottle while still hot, and seal. +Small bottles are best. By adding spices +to taste while the juice is simmering you +turn the liqueur into strawberry cordial.</p> + +<p><i>Blackberry Cordial:</i> Pick over, wash +and drain well half a bushel of very ripe, +but sound berries. Mash, add a very little +cold water, and simmer for half an hour, +then strain and measure the juice. Put a +pound of sugar to each pint, and to each +gallon, a teaspoon of cloves, the same of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> +allspice, a race of ginger well bruised, a +tiny pod of Cayenne pepper, and a half +dozen black pepper corns. Tie the spices +loosely in very thin muslin so they may +not be skimmed off. Skim away all froth, +and cook for an hour, keeping the kettle +barely boiling. It should reduce about +one-half. Take from the fire and add +spirits, either whiskey or brandy, in the +proportion of one to two—two pints cordial +to one of liquor. Let cool uncovered, +bottle and cork tight—sealing is unnecessary. +Excellent for convalescents, especially +children. To make it almost a +specific for bowel troubles, dig up, and +wash clean, dewberry roots, cut short, and +boil in clear water, making a very strong +decoction. Add this to the cordial while +still boiling, in proportion of one to four. +Then mix in the spirits. A quart of cordial +can be thus treated medicinally, and +the rest kept for ordinary uses.</p> + +<p><i>Blackberry Wine:</i> Pick, wash, and +mash thoroughly, sound ripe berries, pour +upon each gallon a gallon of freshly-boiling +water, and let stand twenty-four hours.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> +Strain, measure juice, allow three and one-half +pounds sugar to each gallon of it. +Put into clean cask or jugs, do not fill, but +leave room for fermentation. Cover +mouth or bung-hole with thin cloth, and let +stand in clean warm air for two months. +Rack off into clean vessels, throwing away +the lees, and cork or cover close. Fit for +use in another month. Improves with age +up to a year.</p> + +<p><i>Strawberry Wine:</i> Mash thoroughly +clean, hulled, very ripe berries, add equal +bulk of boiling water, let stand six hours, +then strain. Put the strained juice in a +preserving kettle with two and a half +pounds of sugar to each gallon. Bring to +a boil, skim clean, then pour into clean vessels, +close mouths with thin cloth, and let +stand until fermentation ceases. In a wet +season the berries are likely to be so juicy, +less water is required—or more sugar necessary.</p> + +<p><i>Gooseberry Wine:</i> Wash and drain +dead-ripe gooseberries, mash them thoroughly +with a wooden pestle, and add their +own bulk of boiling water. Let stand<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> +thirty-six hours unless the weather is very +warm—then twenty-four will be long +enough. Press out all the juice, even +though it runs muddy. Measure, and to +each gallon add three pounds down-weight, +of the best lump sugar. Stir well, repeating +every day for a week, then cover with +lawn and let stand till fermentation ceases. +Cover tight then and leave standing six +weeks longer, so the wine may fatten on +the lees. Back off carefully, filtering the +muddy part at the bottom through several +thicknesses of cheese cloth. Put in a clean +vessel for two months longer, then bottle +and seal. If the bottles are laid on the +side, and the wine carefully decanted it +will show a bright golden yellow with much +the translucence of topaz. It reaches perfection +at a year. Being rather heavy it +is improved to many palates by adding +ice-cold vichy after it is in the glasses.</p> + +<p><i>Grape Wine:</i> Pick from stems, wash, +drain, and mash thoroughly, ripe sound +grapes. Add measure for measure of full-boiling water, +and let stand twelve hours. +If very deep color is desired, and the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> +grapes are black, let stand twenty-four. +Strain, measure juice, add to each gallon +three pounds of sugar, stir till dissolved, +then put in a clean vessel, filling it only +three-parts, cover the mouth with lawn, +and let stand in clean warm air until fermentation +ceases. Close tight then, and +let stand a month longer, then rack off, +filter last runnings through triple cheese +cloth, bottle and cork tight. Keep where +it is dark and warm, rather than cool, but +away from any sort of taints.</p> + +<p><i>Muscadine Wine:</i> Troublesome, but +worth the trouble. Wash dead-ripe muscadines, +and pop them one by one, out of +the skins. Throw away the skins, after +squeezing all juice from them—if the pulp +stood with them their burning, musky +taste would ruin it. Cover it with half its +bulk of boiling water. Let stand a day +and night, then strain, and add to each gallon +of juice three pounds of white rock-candy. +Stir every day until the candy dissolves. +Cover with cloth until it is through +fermenting. Back off, bottle immediately, +and seal, or tie down the corks. The wine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> +in perfection is a pale pink, very clear, and +of a peculiar but indescribably delicious +flavor.</p> + +<p><i>Fruit Vinegars:</i> Any sort of acid fruit—as +strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries, +currants, black or red, affords a refreshing +drink. Pick, wash, put over the +fire to scald—when it has boiled a minute +or two add half as much cold water as +fruit, and bring again to a boil. Skim +clean, take from fire and let stand till next +day. Strain, then measure juice, add two +to three pounds sugar to the gallon, according +to tartness desired, put over the +fire, and simmer for twenty minutes, skimming +clean. Boil in it spices most liked, +tied up in thin muslin. If it seems watery, +boil another twenty minutes till the syrup +shows rather rich, then add, after taking +from the fire, a quart of cider vinegar for +each gallon of syrup, mix well, bottle while +still hot in small bottles, cork and seal. +Mixed half and half with ice water, or +poured over finely broken ice, or as a +flavoring to tea, hot or cold, this is refreshing,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span> +particularly in hot weather. +Use in tea a spoonful to the cup or glass.</p> + +<p><i>Boiled Cider:</i> Reduce new sweet cider +one-half by gentle boiling, skimming it +clean as it boils, then bottle, putting a +clove or two, a grain of alspice and a blade +of mace in each bottle. Cork, seal and +keep in a cool place. This is especially +valuable for use in mincemeat, or for +flavoring sauces for nursery puddings. A +variant is to add sugar towards the last, +enough to make a thinnish syrup, which is +of itself a good sauce for simple desserts.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-088.png" width="400" height="203" alt="Paste, Pies, Puddings" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Paste, Pies, Puddings</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>The Philosophy of Pie-Crust:</i> Pie-crust +perfection depends on several things—good +flour, good fat, good handling, most +especially good baking. A hot oven, quick +but not scorching, expands the air betwixt +layers of paste, and pops open the flour-grains, +making them absorb the fat as it +melts, thereby growing crisp and relishful +instead of hard and tough. The lighter +and drier the flour the better—in very +damp weather it is best oven-dried, then +cooled before mixing. Shortening, whether +lard, butter, or clarified drippings, should +be very cold—unless your recipe demands +that it be softened or melted. Milk or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> +water used in mixing ought to be likewise +well chilled, unless the shortening is soft—in +that case match its temperature. +The regular rule is half-pint ice water to +the pound of flour, using chilled shortening. +If the fat is semi-fluid the paste must +be mixed softer, using say, three parts of +a pint to the pound.</p> + +<p>Baking powder or soda and cream tartar, +or soda alone with sour cream or buttermilk +for wetting, makes crust light and +short with less butter, therefore is an +economy. Genuine puff paste is requisite +for the finest tarts, pies, etc., etc., but light +short crust answers admirably for most +things. Sift flour twice or even thrice for +any sort of paste. Sift soda or baking +powder well through it, but not salt. +Make the salt fine, drop in the bottom of +the mixing bowl, before the last sifting, +and mix lightly through the flour before +adding the shortening. Rub in shortening +very lightly, using only the finger-tips—the +palms melt or soften it. Add milk or +water, a little at a time, mixing it in with +a broad-bladed knife rather than the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> +hands. Mix lightly—so the paste barely +sticks together. Put in first one-third of +the shortening—this, of course, for puff +paste. Half a pound of butter or lard to +the pound of flour makes a very good paste, +but to have it in full richness, use three-quarters +of a pound. Wash butter well to +remove the salt, and squeeze out water by +wringing it in a well-floured cloth. If +there is a strong taste, or any trace of +rancidity, wash well, kneading through and +through, in sweet milk, then rinse out the +milk with cold water to which a little borax +has been added. Rinse again in clear cold +water—this should remove ill-flavor without +injury to anybody's stomach. But be +very sure the last rinsing is thorough—borax, +though wholly harmless, adds nothing +to digestibility.</p> + +<p>The end of the repeated rollings out and +foldings demanded by real puff paste is to +enclose between the layers of paste as +much air as possible. Hence the chillings +between rollings. Hence also the need of +pinching edges well together after foldings,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> +and rolling always <i>from</i> you, never +back and forth. Roll out paste into a long +narrow strip after the first mixing, divide +the remaining shortening into three equal +portions, keep very cold, and as needed +cut into small bits, which spread evenly +on top of the rolled paste, which must be +lightly dredged with flour. Fold in three +evenly, one thickness on another, turn so +the folded edges may be to right and left +while rolling, pinch the other edges well +together and roll again into a long strip, +moving the rolling-pin always from you. +Repeat until all the butter is used, then +set on ice for an hour to harden. In baking +beware opening the oven door until +the paste has risen fully and becomes +slightly crusted over.</p> + +<p>Baking powder crust must not stand—the +gas which aerates it begins forming +and escaping the minute it is wet up. It +also requires a hot oven and delicate +handling. Half a pound of shortening and +a teaspoon of baking powder, to the pound +of flour, mixed stiff or soft, according to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> +the consistency of the fat, properly handled +and baked, make crust good enough for +anybody.</p> + +<p><i>French Puff Paste:</i> This is like the famous +little girl—either very good indeed +or horrid. Therefore beware undertaking +it until you have experience or the confidence +of absolute ignorance for your help. +Either may take you on to success—when +half-knowledge or half-confidence will spell +disaster. You need for it, two pounds, +thrice sifted flour, two pounds well-washed +and very cold butter, four egg-yolks well +chilled, and half a pint, more or less, of +ice water, also a saltspoon of fine salt. +Rub four ounces of butter lightly into the +flour, shape the rest into a flattish oblong +and set on ice. Wet the flour with the egg-yolks +and water, adding them alternately, +work smooth, handling as lightly as possible, +then roll out half an inch thick, +dredge lightly with flour, lay on the ball of +cold butter, fold paste over it smoothly, +flatten lightly with strokes of the rolling-pin, +then roll out as thin as possible without +making the butter break through.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> +Fold again in three, roll again, as thin as +you can. Repeat folding and rolling, then +set on ice half an hour, folding in three. +Roll and fold twice again, chill again for +twenty minutes, then give two more rolls +and foldings. Chill if possible before +using. If all things have worked well you +will have crust that is an experience.</p> + +<p><i>Every Day Pie Crust:</i> One pound flour, +six ounces shortening—lard or clarified +dripping, pinch salt, half-pint ice water. +Mix flour, salt and water to a smooth +dough, using a broad knife, roll out thin, +spread with a third of the fat, fold in +three, roll out again, add another third of +fat, roll, add the last fat, roll again, fold +and chill for ten minutes before using.</p> + +<p><i>Cobblers:</i> Make from any sort of fruit +in season—peaches, apples, cherries, plums +or berries. Green gooseberries are inadvisable, +through being too tart and too +tedious. Stone cherries, pare peaches or +apples and slice thin, halve plums if big +enough, and remove stones—if not, wash, +drain well, and use whole. Line a skillet +or deep pie pan—it must be three inches<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> +deep at least, liberally with short crust, +rolled rather more than a quarter-inch +thick. Fit well, then prick all over with +a blunt fork. Fill with the prepared fruit, +put on an upper crust a quarter-inch thick +and plenty big enough, barely press the +crust edges together, prick well with a fork +all over the top, and cook in a hot oven +half to three-quarters of an hour, according +to size. Take up, remove top crust, +lay it inverted upon another plate, sweeten +the hot fruit liberally, adding if you like, +a spoonful of brandy, adding also a good +lump of the best butter. Mix well through +the fruit, then dip out enough of it to make +a thick layer over the top crust. Grate +nutmeg over apple pies, or strew on a little +powdered cinnamon. A few blades of +mace baked with the fruit accent the apple +flavor beautifully. Cherries take kindly +to brandy, but require less butter than +either peaches or apples. Give plums +plenty of sugar with something over for +the stones. Cook a few stones with them +for flavor, even if you take away the bulk.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span> +Do the same with cherries, using, say, a +dozen pits to the pie.</p> + +<p>Serve cobbler hot or cold. If hot, serve +with it hard brandy sauce, made by creaming +together a cup of sugar, a tablespoonful +of butter, then working in two tablespoonfuls +of brandy or good whiskey. Right +here is perhaps the place to say once for +all, good whiskey is far and away better +in anything than poor brandy. Thick +sweet cream whipped or plain, sets off cold +cobbler wonderfully to the average palate.</p> + +<p><i>Fried Pies:</i> To be perfect these must +be made of sun-dried peaches, very bright +and sweet, but any sort of sound dried +fruit will serve at a pinch. Soak overnight +after washing in three waters, simmer five +hours in the soaking water, with a plate to +hold the fruit under, mash and sweeten +while hot, adding spices to taste—cinnamon, +nutmeg and grated lemon peel for +apples, cloves and ginger—a bare zest—for +peaches or apricots. Roll out short +paste into rounds the size of a small plate, +cover one-half with the fruit, fold over the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> +empty half, pinch well together around the +edges, and fry in deep fat, blazing hot, to +a rich quick brown on both sides. Drain +on paper napkins, sprinkling lightly with +sugar. Serve hot or cold. Most excellent +for impromptu luncheons or very late +suppers—withal wholesome. A famous +doctor said often of them, "You would be +only the better for eating an acre of them."</p> + +<p><i>Green Apple Pie:</i> Take apples a little +bigger than the thumb's end, cut off stalks +and nibs, and slice crosswise in three, +dropping them in water as sliced to save +discoloration. Make a rich syrup—three +cups sugar, one cup water, to four cups +sliced fruit. Boil and skim, throw in the +apples, with a blade or so of mace, and +cook quickly until preserved through. +Either bake between crust in the common +way, or bake crust crisp after pricking +well, and spread with the preserved fruit. +Else make into small turnovers, but bake +instead of frying them—and be sure the +oven is hot enough to brown, but not to +burn. Or you may make the green apples +into shortcake, putting fruit only between<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> +the layers of crust, and serving with rich +sauce or sweetened cream.</p> + +<p><i>Lemon Custard:</i> (M. L. Williams.) +Separate and beat very light, the yolks +and whites of six eggs. Beat into the +yolks very smoothly one pound of sugar, +then half a pound of creamed butter. Mix +well, then add the beaten whites, followed +by the strained juice and grated yellow +peel of two large or three small lemons. +Beat five minutes longer, pour into pans +lined with puff paste, pop into a hot oven +and bake to a bright brown. Meringue +can be added but is not necessary save for +ornament.</p> + +<p><i>Cream Pie:</i> (M. L. Williams.) Beat +three eggs very light with a heaping cup +of sugar, add two cups sifted flour, mix +smooth, then put in half a cup of rich sour +cream with half-teaspoon soda dissolved +in it. Mix, put instantly into shallow pans, +bake in a quick oven and serve hot with +or without sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Damson and Banana Tart:</i> (M. W. +Watkins.) An heirloom in the relator's +family, coming down from English forebears.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> +Line an agate or earthen pie dish +two to three inches deep, with very good +crust, rolled thin, but not stretched nor +dragged. Cover it with bananas, sliced +thin, lengthwise, strew over three tablespoonfuls +of sugar, and a pinch of grated +lemon peel. Sprinkle with a liqueur glass +of rum or brandy or whiskey, then put in +a layer of preserved plums—damsons are +best—along with their juice. If there is +room repeat the layers—bananas and +plums and seasoning. Cover with a crust +rolled fairly thin, prick and bake three-quarters +of an hour in a moderately quick +oven. Serve either hot or cold, preferably +hot, with this sauce. One egg beaten very +light, with a cupful of cream, a wineglass +of rum, brandy or sherry, and a larger +glass of preserve syrup. Mix over hot +water, stirring hard all the time till it +begins to thicken. It must not get too +thick.</p> + +<p><i>Amber Pie:</i> (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) Beat +yolks of four eggs very light, with two +heaping cups sugar, large spoonful melted +butter, rounding teaspoon sifted flour, cup<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> +buttermilk, cup seeded raisins, teaspoon +cinnamon, pinch each of cloves, alspice and +nutmeg, two whites of egg beaten very +stiff. Half bake crust, then pour in batter +and cook slowly until done. Cover with +meringue made by beating two egg-whites +with two teaspoons cold water, a few grains +of salt, and one cup sugar. Add sugar +gradually after eggs are very light. Use +at once—it will fall by standing. Let the +meringue barely color in the oven. Serve +hot or cold.</p> + +<p><i>Jelly Pie:</i> (Louise Williams.) Beat +the yolks of four eggs very light, with a +cup of sugar, three-quarters cup creamed +butter, and a glass of jelly, the tarter the +better. Add a tablespoonful vanilla and +a dessert-spoonful of sifted cornmeal, then +the whites of eggs beaten very stiff. Bake +in crusts—this makes two fat pies. Meringue +is optional—and unnecessary.</p> + +<p><i>Cheese Cakes:</i> Beat until very light the +yolks of twelve eggs with a pound of sugar, +add to them a tablespoonful cornstarch, +then three-quarters of a pound of butter, +washed and creamed. Add also the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> +strained juice of two lemons, a teaspoonful +lemon essence and a teaspoonful vanilla. +Set over boiling water and stir until +all ingredients blend—only thus can you +dissolve granulated sugar, which is best +to use, lacking the old-fashioned live open-kettle +brown. Keep over the hot water, +stirring well together as you fill the tart +shells. They must be lined with real puff +paste, rolled very thin, and nicely fitted. +Set in broad shallow pans, after filling +with the batter and bake in a quick, but +not scorching oven. A blanched almond, +or bit of citron, or half a pecan or walnut +meat, may be put in each shell before filling. +I prefer though to add such frills +by help of the frosting. To make it, beat +six egg-whites with a pinch of salt until +they stick to the dish, add to them a little +at a time, three cups granulated sugar +boiled with a cup and a half of water, till +it spins a thread. Keep the syrup boiling +while adding it. When it is all in, set the +pan of frosting over boiling water, add six +drops lemon juice and beat until stiff +enough to hold shape. It must not touch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> +the water, but have plenty of steam rising +underneath. Frost the tarts rather thickly, +and stick either a shred of citron, a quarter +of Maraschino cherry, or half a nut +in the middle. If you like cocoanut flavor, +strew freshly grated cocoanut over while +the frosting is soft—it ought to harden +inside half an hour. Tiny pink or green +comfits stuck in the middle, or set in threes +triangularly, are very decorative. Indeed, +there is no limit but taste and invention +to the manners of making beautiful these +tarts. I rather pride myself upon them, +since they have been enthusiastically +praised by folk who have eaten all around +the world, and set above the best of French +confections by a man ten years resident in +Paris, whose wife is held to be the most +skilled amateur cook in New York.</p> + +<p>Grated cocoanut or raw grated apple +stirred into the batter before baking, varies +the cheese cakes—and to some palates improves +it. I myself find nothing quite to +equal the cheese cake of my childhood—which +had a full pound of butter to the +pound of sugar, and no frills of frosting,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> +though strips of citron were often latticed +over the pans after the crust was in. +Prick crust always very well before filling—thus +the tarts will be shapely instead +of caricatures.</p> + +<p><i>Sweet Potato Custard:</i> Boil tender two +large or four medium sweet potatoes, peel, +free of strings, and mash fine. Add to +the pulp half a pound of creamed butter, +mix well, then add gradually five cups +sugar, alternately with five whole eggs. +Beat smooth, add the juice of three lemons, +a tablespoonful lemon essence, and a scant +pint of very rich milk. Use less milk if +the potatoes are very soft. Beat smooth +and pour into pie pans lined with good +crust. Bake brown in a quick oven, but do +not over-bake. Lest the proportion of +sugar may seem excessive, let it be said +here that sweet potatoes require more +sugar for sweetening than anything save +crabapples or green gooseberries.</p> + +<p><i>Sweet Potato Pie:</i> Line a deep pie pan +with short crust rolled a quarter-inch thick, +fill it with raw sweet potatoes, peeled and +sliced thin. Add to them, for a pan of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> +medium size, three cups sugar, a cup of +butter, cut in bits, mace, cloves and nutmeg +to taste, half a cup cold water and +half a cup good whiskey or sherry. Cover +with a crust an eighth-inch thick, prick +well, also cut a tiny cross in middle, and +bake in a hot, but not scorching oven, three-quarters +of an hour—a full hour if the pan +is large. Turning another pan, fitting the +rim over, helps to make the baking sure +and even. Remove the cover pan ten minutes +before taking up. Serve hot. This +requires no sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Apple Custard:</i> Beat four eggs very +light with three cups sugar, one cup butter, +cup and a half rich milk—the richer the +better. Stir in at the very last, one quart +grated apple, flavor with nutmeg or vanilla, +and bake in crusts. If wanted richer, +dot raisins seeded and soaked in whiskey, +or shred citron over the top before baking.</p> + +<p><i>Molasses Pie:</i> (M. W. Watkins.) +Cream well together one large cup granulated +sugar, and one heaping tablespoonful +of butter, add when very light the well-beaten +yolks of three eggs, and a large<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> +cup of rich molasses. Flavor with one +teaspoonful grated nutmeg, then beat in, +at the very last, the whites of the eggs +frothed as stiff as possible. Bake in pans +lined with rich crust until firm. Meringue +can be added, but the pies do not need it.</p> + +<p><i>Mystery Pie:</i> (Louise Williams.) Beat +separately very light, the yolks and whites +of four eggs. Beat with the yolks a cup +and a half of sugar, three heaping tablespoonfuls +of butter, two teaspoonfuls +mixed spices, either beaten or powdered +fine, one cup of tart dark jelly, one cup +blackberry jam, and one cup sweet milk. +Add last of all the egg-whites, mix in well, +then pour in pans lined with rich paste, +and bake until firm.</p> + +<p><i>Butter Scotch Pie:</i> (Leslie Fox.) Beat +light two egg-yolks with one scant cup +dark brown sugar, one tablespoonful +creamed butter, and two tablespoonfuls +flour. Mix smooth, then add gradually +one cup rich milk, put in double boiler, and +cook until thick. Let cool, flavor with vanilla, +then pour into rich crusts, previously +well-baked, cover with meringue made<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span> +from the egg-whites, set in oven to harden, +and serve hot or cold.</p> + +<p><i>Raspberry Cream Pie:</i> (Leslie Fox.) +Line a deepish pie pan with very rich +crust, spread the crust thickly with red +raspberry jam, then pour upon it raw, a +custard made from two eggs beaten well +with one cup of milk, and one tablespoonful +sugar. Bake until custard is well set, +let cool, and spread with whipped cream. +Serve cold as possible.</p> + +<p><i>Rhubarb Pie:</i> To a generous quart of +rhubarb, peeled and cut up, put three cups +sugar, the pulp scooped from three sweet +oranges, thin bits of the yellow peel, two +blades of mace broken small, and a scant +half-cup of cold water. Cover the pan and +set for thirty minutes in a hot oven—uncover +then and cook for five minutes +longer. The result is a sweet excellent for +many uses—as a sauce, as a substitute for +marmalade, as the foundation of pies, +tarts, shortcakes, even as a filling for layer +cake.</p> + +<p>Make pies from it with two crusts, or +with lattice crusts as usual. Make it into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> +tarts, into turnovers or put between hot +buttered layers for a hurry-up shortcake. +But if you wish to know how excellent such +rhubarb can be, make it thus into meringue +pies or tarts. Bake the crusts after pricking +them well, cover thinly with either good +meringue or the frosting directed for +cheesecakes, let it harden, then at the minute +of serving cover with a thin layer of +the prepared rhubarb—the meringue or +frosting will stay crisp until eaten if you +work quickly enough. Young unpeeled +tender rhubarb gives a pink sauce—older +stalks peeled furnish a translucent green. +Either is sufficiently decorative. They +can be made more so, if the tarts they appear +on, have a cherry or preserved strawberry +dropped in the middle of them.</p> + +<p><i>Banana Pie:</i> Line a deepish earthen +pie dish with thin, very good crust, fill it +three parts with bananas, sliced crosswise +very thin. Cover them thickly with sugar, +add the strained juice of a large lemon, +dot with bits of butter, put on a lattice +crust, and bake in a quick oven twenty-five +minutes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Banana Pudding:</i> Slice very thin, +crosswise, three medium size bananas, +sprinkle thickly with sugar, then add to +a batter made by beating up four <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'egg yolks'">egg-yolks</ins> +and two whites, with one cup crumbled rich +stale cake, half-cup sugar, cup very rich +milk, and the juice of a large lemon. Mix +smooth, pour into a deep pudding dish, +and bake in a quick oven, then cover with +meringue made from the egg-whites left +out, beaten up with a small pinch of salt, +two teaspoons cold water, and six tablespoonfuls +of sugar. Return to the oven +and let barely color. Serve hot or cold.</p> + +<p><i>Sweet Potato Pudding:</i> Beat four eggs +very light with four cups sugar and one +cup creamed butter. Add a cupful of very +rich milk, mix smooth, then add one pint +of raw grated sweet potato. Mix well, +pour into a deep earthen dish and set in +hot oven. As soon as a brown crust forms +on top, stir it down. Repeat this three +times at least. Serve hot, with either wine +sauce or a rich sugar and butter sauce, +flavored with lemon. It is best not to +flavor the pudding proper, so one may get<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> +undiminished the zest of the brown crust +stirred through it.</p> + +<p><i>Poor Man's Pudding:</i> Take for each +person to be served, a fresh egg, a tablespoonful +sifted flour, and half a cup very +rich milk. Add a pinch of salt for each +six eggs. Separate the eggs, beating yolks +and whites very light. Mix yolks gradually +with the flour and milk, taking care +to have no lumps. Fold in the stiffly +beaten whites at the very last—if the batter +is too thick add a little more milk. +Pour into a deep pan, and bake in a quick +oven. It must be taken up the moment it +is done or it will fall, and be ruined. Serve +immediately, with a sauce made by working +together over hot water three cups +sugar, one cup butter, half a cup boiling +water, cup fruit juice, wine or whiskey, +with any flavoring approved. The sauce +cannot be made too rich, the pudding +should be a pale clear yellow, as light as +a puff, and cutting easily with a spoon. +It is not "true to name" in these days of +costly eggs, but deserved it in the pioneer +epoch which originated it.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Boiled Batter Pudding:</i> Make the same +batter as above, only putting in a teaspoonful +baking powder. Stir well through it +three cups seeded raisins, wet in whiskey +and very well floured. Tie up in a newly-scalded +floured pudding bag, pop in a +kettle of boiling water, keep it full, with +more boiling water, and cook from an hour +to an hour and a half, according to size. +Serve very hot with plenty of very rich +sweet sauce highly flavored, and be sure +to warm your knife or spoon before cutting +into the pudding.</p> + +<p><i>Apple Pudding:</i> (M. W. Watkins.) +Core and peel half a dozen tart apples, +slice crosswise, put the slices in layers in +a deep dish with plenty of sugar, butter in +reason, cinnamon and a very little water. +Pour over a batter made thus: one egg +beaten light with half a cup sugar, butter +the size of a walnut, half a cup milk, pinch +of salt, flour enough to make thick enough +for layer cake, with a teaspoonful baking +powder sifted through. Spread batter +smooth, dot with bits of butter on top, and +bake in a brisk, but not scorching oven,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> +half an hour or longer if needed—the +apples must be thoroughly cooked. Serve +hot or cold—preferably hot, with hard +sauce or wine sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Apple Dumplings:</i> Pare and core half +a dozen tart apples, stick three cloves in +each, fill the core-spaces full of very sweet +hard sauce, stick a sliver of mace in the +sauce, then set each apple on a round of +good short paste, and work the paste up +over it, joining the edges neat and trig. +Set close in a pan just big enough, pour +around a half cup of sugar melted in a cup +of water with a little butter and lemon +juice. Cover the pan and cook quickly +until done—then uncover, brown, take up +and serve piping hot with a very rich hard +sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Crumb Pudding:</i> (Anne McVay.) Soak +a cup of dry grated bread crumbs in half +a pint of milk until soft, add then the well-beaten +yolks of two eggs, half a cup sugar, +tablespoonful butter, and another half-pint +milk. Flavor with lemon, vanilla or +brandy, as preferred. Bake until firm in +a quick, but not scorching hot oven, cover<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> +with meringue made from the egg-whites +and half a cup of sugar. Barely color the +meringue. Let cool, and serve with either +whipped or sweetened cream, or a fruit +sauce. Good without any sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Blackberry Mush:</i> (Leslie Fox.) Wash +after picking a quart of fresh, very ripe +blackberries, put them on with barely +enough water to save from burning, bring +to a good boil, and skim clean, then add +gradually almost two pounds of flour, or +cornstarch well wet with cold water, also +sugar to taste. Cook, stirring often till +the mass looks thick and glossy, pour into +your pudding dish, let cool, chill thoroughly, +and serve with cream either plain, +or whipped, or sweetened.</p> + +<p><i>Peach Pudding:</i> Beat light one egg, +with half a cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls +melted butter, three-quarters cup flour, one +cup sour cream, one teaspoon soda dissolved +in one teaspoonful cold water, and +two cups very ripe peaches, peeled and +sliced thin. Bake quickly and serve when +very hot with a rich hard or a wine sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Ginger Pudding:</i> Beat three eggs very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> +light with two cups sugar, a large cup rich +black molasses, three-quarters cup butter, +creamed, tablespoon ginger beaten fine. +Half a cup rich sour cream, half a cup +boiling water with teaspoon soda dissolved +in it, add flour enough to make a thickish +batter, pour into deep greased pan, and +bake quickly. Serve hot with rich sauce +that is flavored with some orange juice and +peel.</p> + +<p><i>Nesselrode Pudding:</i> (Mrs. H. Barker.) +Boil together three cups sugar, one cup +water until the syrup ropes. Beat it boiling +hot into the yolks of six eggs previously +beaten very light. Fold in the stiffly +beaten whites, then add box Cox's gelatine +dissolved in warm water, one cup raisins, +seeded, steamed and soaked in sherry or +whiskey, one cup of nuts rolled small, else +one cup of crumbled macaroons, or a cup +of both mixed. Finish with enough thick +cream to make a full gallon, pack in salt +and ice, freeze and let stand long enough +to ripen.</p> + +<p><i>Thanksgiving Pudding:</i> (Mrs. J. O. +Cook.) Beat light the yolks of four eggs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> +with one cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls +creamed butter, and one cup of stale cake +crumbs, soaked in eight tablespoonfuls +whiskey. Mix well, then add one cup +raisins, seeded and floured, one cup nut +meats, cut small. Beat smooth and bake +until set, then cover with meringue. Serve +with whipped cream or any sauce preferred. +Milk can take the place of whiskey, +and preserves replace raisins.</p> + +<p><i>Real Christmas Pudding:</i> Toast a pint +of fine breadcrumbs to a good brown without +burning, pour on them half a cup of +strong, clear black coffee, and let stand +till soft.</p> + +<p>Beat six egg-yolks very light with two +cups of yellow sugar and one of creamed +butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix +very smooth. Meantime, soak a cup of +raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean +currants, a cup of shredded citron, a cup +of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler +of sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass +of apricot brandy. Add the fruit +when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, +putting in any surplus liquors. Mix in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> +gradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the +same of cloves and allspice, half a cup +of preserved ginger sliced very thin, +and a very tiny dusting of black pepper +and paprika. Beat smooth, then fold in +the stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately +with a cup of browned flour. If too thick +to stir handily thin with a little milk or +boiling water. Pour into a clean pudding +bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the +pudding to swell, put in a deep kettle of +boiling water, and boil for five hours, filling +up the kettle as needed with boiling +water so as not to check the cooking. +Make several days beforehand, and boil +an extra hour upon Christmas day. Serve +in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce, +either fruit or wine flavored.</p> + +<p><i>Pudding Sauce:</i> (Mrs. Barbara Clayton.) +Beat together until very light, one +cup white sugar, one cup creamed butter, +and the yolks of three eggs. Beat the egg +whites very stiff with another cup of sugar, +add to the yolks and butter, beat hard together, +then put in double boiler and cook<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> +until thick. Put two wineglasses of good +whiskey in a bowl, pour the hot sauce upon +it, and whip hard until light.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-116.png" width="400" height="307" alt="Creole Cookery" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Creole Cookery</span> +</div> + + +<p>Exotics rarely flower in native splendor +after transplanting. Milly was the exception, +proving the rule. Bred in New +Orleans, steeped in its atmosphere, its traditions, +a cook of degree, and daughter of +a cook to whom, though past middle age, +she paid the most reverent homage, she yet +kept her magic touch amid the crush and +hurly-burly of New York town, albeit she +never grew acclimated nor even content. +This in spite of a mistress she adored—in +virtue of having served her ten years +down in the home city. When at last Milly +went back to her own, there was wailing +amongst all of us, who had eaten her cooking,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span> +but the mistress smiled, rather sadly, +to be sure, saying: "I could not beg her +to stay—she was so unhappy here."</p> + +<p>Milly never had quite a free hand—New +York markets know not many things familiar +to those of the Crescent City. Notwithstanding, +she was a liberal education +in blended flavors, in the delights, the surprises +of the Creole kitchen. Tall and +slim, of a golden-brown complexion, neat +to the point of austerity, trim and self-contained, +sight of her somehow gave an +added piquancy to her dishes. She did +not make friends readily, but the comradery +of cooking induced her to more than +tolerate me. "I don't say I kin cook—but +my mother can," she often told me—smiling +proudly the while, with the buzzing +praises of <i>gourmets</i> sounding in her ears. +She could never tell you how she made her +ambrosial dishes—but if you had my luck +to be <i>persona gratis</i> she could and did show +you, to the queen's taste.</p> + +<p>I shall write only whereof I know—not +by any means a compend of Creole cookery. +Indeed, a lifetime is hardly enough<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> +to eat of all its specially excellent dishes. +It seems to me from this scant experience, +one general principle runs through all. It +is the blending of proportioned flavors, +achieved through long and gentle cooking. +Milly said she let things "sob," a mistake +I dare say, for the old-time "sod," past +participle of "seethe." But I by no +means speak with authority—my deduction +is from the premise of fifty dinners, each +it seemed to me uniquely excellent. After +this prelude come we to specific recipes.</p> + +<p><i>Court Bouillon:</i> (Pronounced "Coubare.") +Milly sighed for Redfish or Red +Snapper but made shift with halibut or +any other firm fine-grained fish perfectly +fresh. Take three pounds of it, wash very +clean, and cut in six equal slices with a +very sharp knife. There must be no rags +and tatters. Melt a heaping tablespoonful +of lard in a deep kettle, add to it gradually +two tablespoonfuls flour, stirring hard so +it shall not burn. Throw into it a dozen +pounded alspice, three sprigs each of +thyme, parsley, bay leaf and sweet marjoram +chopped fine, one small clove of garlic,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> +one large onion also chopped fine, and +either six large fresh tomatoes, chopped +small, or half a can—those from glass are +best. Pour in a large glass of claret, add +a quart of boiling water, and bring all to +a very brisk boil. Cook for five minutes, +then add salt and Cayenne pepper to taste. +Boil five minutes longer, then lay in the +fish slices one at a time, following them +with the strained juice of a lemon. Boil +hard twenty minutes longer. Serve hot.</p> + +<p>To make <i>Court Bouillon a la Espagnole</i>, +stir together as above, lard and flour, taking +care to have them smooth, add a large +onion, six tomatoes, clove of garlic, sprigs +of sweet basil and thyme, all chopped fine, +along with two whole bay leaves. Brown +all nicely, taking care not to burn, then add +a quart of boiling water, bring to a boil +and cook two or three minutes. Have six +thick slices of fine, firm fresh fish, rub +them well over with salt and pepper, lay +in a dish and pour over a large cup of +white wine boiling hot. Vinegar answers, +but wine is better. Lay the fish slices in +the pot, handling carefully, add the wine,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span> +and simmer until tender—about half an +hour commonly. Take up carefully so as +not to break, lay in a deepish dish, remove +bay leaves from the gravy and pour over +the fish. Finish with a garnish of sliced +lemon, and serve with either boiled rice +or whole boiled potatoes.</p> + +<p><i>Bouillabaisse:</i> While time endures New +Orleans will plume itself upon this dish +which drew from Thackeray a world-famous +tribute. "In New Orleans you can +eat a Bouillabaisse, the like of which was +never eaten in Marseilles or Paris." +Which is much, very much, from the laureate +of Bouillabaisse, as native to Marseilles. +The reason of superiority is not +far to seek—it lies in the excellence and +flavor of the fish native to the Gulf of +Mexico. Lacking Pompano, Red Snapper, +and Redfish, even Milly could not quite +do her knowledge justice. But she made +shift with what the market offered, choosing +generally halibut, with fresh cod, or +bluefish, or sea trout. Two kinds of fish +in equal quantity are imperative. The +better, finer and firmer the fish, the better<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[123]</a></span> +the Bouillabaisse. Cut each sort in six +equal slices, saving trimmings, heads, etc. +Boil them in three pints of water, with a +sliced onion, and a bouquet of herbs, until +reduced to one pint. Remove fish-heads +and herbs, then strain the stock, and set +aside until needed. Meantime rub the fish +over very well with salt and pepper, then +with a mixture made by mincing very fine +three bay leaves, three sprigs each of +thyme and parsley, three cloves of garlic, +and six allspice pounded to powder. Rub +the mixture in well and thoroughly—here +is the key to success. The seasoning must +go through and through the fish. Put into +a very wide pan, two tablespoonfuls of +olive oil, heat it gently, add two mild onions, +chopped and let them cook a little +without browning. Now lay in the fish, +slice by slice, so one slice does not touch +another, cover the pan, and let the slices +smother for about ten minutes, turning +them once, so as to cook each side partly. +Take up, lay separately in a large dish, +pour half a bottle of white wine into the +pan, and stir hard. Add six large, fresh<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[124]</a></span> +tomatoes, sliced very thin, let boil a few +minutes, then half a lemon, also in very +thin slices, and a pint of the fish stock +strained. Season well, with salt, pepper, +and Cayenne—here the palate is guide. +Boil all together until reduced almost one +half, then lay in the fish slices, taking care +they do not touch, and boil briskly for five +minutes. While the boiling goes on, chop +fine a pinch of saffron, put it in a small, +deep dish, and mix smooth with a spoonful +of the boiling liquor. Dissolve the +saffron very well, and when the fish has +cooked its allotted five minutes, spread the +saffron on top of the fish. Fry in butter +as many slices of toast as you have slices +of fish—lay the fish on the toast, pour +the sauce over it, and serve immediately, +very hot.</p> + +<p><i>Shrimps:</i> The secret of cooking +shrimps is to boil them properly—that is +to say in very salt water, almost brine. +They take up salt only in the boiling, and +not so much then. To five quarts of very +salt water add a large bunch of celery, +chopped, roots, leaves and all, two dozen<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span> +allspice, one dozen cloves, two blades of +mace, a bouquet of herbs chopped small, a +pod of red pepper, and a seasoning of +Cayenne. Boil until the strength of herbs +and seasoning is extracted, then throw in +a hundred shrimps—river shrimps are +best—let boil hard ten minutes, take from +fire and allow the shrimps to cool in the +brine. Serve as a relish before dinner, on +a bed of cracked ice, with a garnish of +parsley.</p> + +<p><i>Baked Shrimp:</i> Cut the eyes from a +dozen large, meaty tomatoes, scoop out the +pulp, leaving the shells whole, then mix +it with one hundred shrimps boiled as +directed and picked from their shells, one +cup grated bread crumbs or fine cracker +crumbs, and one heaping tablespoon of butter. +Stew all together, seasoning with +pepper and salt, fill the tomato shells +with the mixture, sift fine crumbs on top, +dot with butter, put in a pan, with a very +little hot water in the bottom, and bake +until done in a quick but not scorching +oven.</p> + +<p><i>Shrimp Pie:</i> Boil and pick from shells<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[126]</a></span> +one hundred shrimps, mix well with two +large slices stale bread free of crust, +moistened with two glasses white wine, +and highly seasoned with salt, pepper, +Cayenne, nutmeg, mace, chopped thyme +and parsley. Crisp the bread crusts, and +grate over the mixture after it is packed +in a deep dish. Dot well with butter, and +bake in a hot oven. Serve with a sauce +made by cooking together a pint of boiled +shrimps, a tablespoonful of butter, five +chopped tomatoes, a little celery, thyme, +parsley and bay leaf, also chopped. Cook +three to four minutes, then add half a +pint of oyster liquor, boil up, and serve +very hot.</p> + +<p><i>Shrimp Salad:</i> Boil, and pick from +shells—if large cut in half, otherwise leave +whole. Season well with salt and pepper, +then mix well with crisp celery, chopped +fine with a very little onion. Heap in +salad dish, cover with a good mayonnaise, +and garnish with sliced <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'hardboiled'">hard-boiled</ins> eggs, +sliced lemon, sliced beets, and celery tips.</p> + +<p><i>Fried Soft-Shell Crabs:</i> Wash always +in cold water—hot water spoils the flavor.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[127]</a></span> +Remove all sand, also the sand-bag between +the eyes, the apron, and the spongy +growths under the side points. Rinse +well again in cold water, and dry thoroughly +with a clean towel. Season a pint +of rich milk well with pepper and salt. +Season the crabs also, lay them in the +milk, rubbing them so that it may impregnate +them throughout. Take out, roll in +sifted flour, patting lightly as you roll, +then shaking free of loose flour. Have +deep fat, very hot—it must be deep enough +to swim the crabs. Drop them in gently, +fry to a delicate brown, skim out, drain +on hot spongy paper, and serve garnished +with fried parsley, and sliced lemon. +Serve with Tartare sauce.</p> + +<p><i>Daube: Otherwise Beef a la Mode:</i> +Take five pounds good lean beef, rump or +top round, and lard it with a quarter pound +salt pork or fat bacon, cut in thin strips +and season highly with salt, pepper, onion, +garlic, thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, +all minced fine. Crowd in the seasoning +as well as the larding strips. Make the +cuts for larding three to four inches long.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[128]</a></span> +Cut two large, mild onions in quarters, +and put into a deep saucepan with a tablespoonful +of lard, let them brown well, then +lay upon them the larded beef, cover, and +let simmer very slowly till well browned. +When browned add five carrots and two +turnips cut into inch-squares, and two more +onions chopped fine. Keep covered tight, +and simmer for ten minutes, then turn +over the meat, and brown the other side—it +will take about ten minutes more. +Then cover the meat with boiling water, +or weak stock, add a glass of sherry or +Madeira, or even claret, season with salt, +black pepper, and Cayenne to taste, then +cover the pot tight, set it where it will +barely simmer and let smother for three +hours. The meat should be very tender. +Serve hot or cold.</p> + +<p><i>Cold Daube a la Creole:</i> Lard, season, +and cook, three pounds of rump or round +as above directed, but keep it simmering +four hours instead of three. Put into a +deep dish rather large and pour over it +a sauce made thus: Put a two-pound veal +steak and two well-cleaned pigsfeet, in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[129]</a></span> +a pot with, four quarts of water, after seasoning +them well with salt, pepper and +Cayenne. Add half a clove garlic, bay +leaf, sprig thyme, one onion, all minced +fine, also two cloves pounded, and a glass +of sherry or Madeira. Keep boiling till +the meat falls from the bones—take up +then, remove bones, mince the meat fine, +season it highly and return to the liquor, +stirring it well through. Pour over the +beef, let stand uncovered in a very cool +place to harden. Serve in very thin slices—it +will be like jelly. This is a cold-weather +dish, as even an ice-box will not +harden the sauce properly in summer.</p> + +<p><i>Grillades with Gravy:</i> Flatten by beating +a good round steak, and cut into +four-inch-squares. Season the squares +highly with salt, pepper, and Cayenne. +Put a heaping tablespoon of lard in a frying +pan—as it melts, add a chopped onion, +a clove of garlic also chopped, and as these +brown, one tablespoonful of flour, stirring +all smooth. Next add two sliced tomatoes +with their juice—when they brown, lay the +grillades upon them. Cover close, let<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[130]</a></span> +them brown on one side, then turn and +brown the other. Then add half a tablespoonful +of vinegar, and a cup of water. +Stir well, then set where it will simmer +for half an hour. Fine for breakfast with +hominy or rice.</p> + +<p>Another way is to cook the grillades +without garlic, and add to them along with +the tomatoes half a pint of tender okra +well washed and sliced. Or they can be +fried brown, in clear fat, then put in a +hot dish over boiling water while a gravy +is made of fresh fat, heated very hot, and +stirred about the pan to take up the brown +meat essence, a chopped onion, two sliced +tomatoes, a tablespoonful flour, as much +vinegar and water. Season to taste with +salt, pepper, and Cayenne, boil ten to +twelve minutes and pour over the grillades.</p> + +<p><i>Chicken Saute a la Creole:</i> Clean, +singe and cut in joints two spring chickens, +dividing the breasts lengthwise, and +cutting drumsticks from thighs. Season +well with salt and pepper. Melt in a frying +pan two large tablespoonfuls butter, +add the chicken, and let it brown slowly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span> +for five minutes. Have three large onions +sliced thin—add them and let brown but +take care not to scorch in the least. +Dredge in two tablespoonfuls flour, and +let it brown. Then put in half a dozen +large tomatoes peeled and sliced, let them +brown but cook slowly, letting the pan +barely simmer. Add chopped parsley, +thyme and bay leaf, also two cloves of +garlic finely minced, and if you have them, +half a dozen sweet green peppers, freed +of seed and cut in shreds. Stir well, cover +and let smother for twenty minutes, stirring +now and then, but keeping the pan +covered. Add a cup of consommé if in +hand, otherwise a cup of boiling water, cook +very slowly a full half hour, seasoning to +taste. After seasoning, cook ten minutes +longer. Serve very hot.</p> + +<p><i>Roasted Quail:</i> Take six quail, fat, +fresh and tender, pick, draw, singe, and +wipe with a damp cloth inside and out. +Butter inside, and sprinkle with salt and +pepper lightly. Butter all over the outside, +truss, and bind around with a thin +slice of fat bacon. Put a tablespoonful of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[132]</a></span> +butter in the roasting pan, fit in the quail, +and roast in a hot oven twenty to thirty +minutes, according to size. Put six slices +of hot buttered toast in a hot dish, and +lay a quail on each. Add half a spoonful +of butter, a little boiling water, and the +juice of a lemon to the gravy in the pan, +cook three to four minutes, stirring well, +strain, set back on stove to cook two minutes +longer, then pour evenly upon the +breasts of the birds so it will soak in the +toast. Garnish with sliced lemon and +watercress, and serve with green grape +jelly. If grape leaves are to be had, wrap +the birds in them instead of bacon, after +preparing as directed, roast, take up on +toast, garnish with fresh young grape +leaves, and serve with either spiced grapes +or grape jelly.</p> + +<p><i>Creole French Dressing:</i> Put three +tablespoonfuls of olive oil in a deep, small +bowl, add to it a saltspoon salt and half +one of pepper—more if taste approves. +Add alternately drop by drop, a teaspoonful +of made mustard, and a tablespoonful +vinegar. When well mixed, add the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[133]</a></span> +yolk of a hard-boiled egg, mashed very +smooth, and stir until blended. Serve +with lettuce, celery or potato salad.</p> + +<p><i>Mayonnaise Dressing:</i> Chill a small +bowl, also a fresh egg, and your salad oil. +Put the yolk of the egg in the bowl—which +if it is summer, should sit in cracked ice. +Add drop by drop chilled oil, working it +in as you drop it. When you have added +a spoonful begin dropping in lemon juice, +working it likewise into the yolk. It will +harden the egg—stir till very hard, then +add more oil, drop by drop, working it in +with a fork. Repeat, until you have used +the juice of half a lemon, and two gills +of oil. When the egg begins to curdle add +salt and pepper to taste—but do not put +them in until the last. Keep and serve +very cold.</p> + +<p><i>Remoulade Dressing:</i> Put three hard +boiled egg-yolks into a bowl, mash smooth, +add to them half a teaspoonful made mustard, +one tablespoonful Tarragon vinegar, +with salt and Cayenne to taste. Next add, +drop by drop, three tablespoonfuls olive +oil, after which put in the yolk of a raw<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[134]</a></span> +egg, and stir until light. Finish with the +juice of half a lemon, added very gradually. +Much depends on the mixing—if +hurried or carelessly done, the sauce will +curdle. This is standard for cold meat +of every sort, also heavy salads, and fish.</p> + +<p><i>Drip Coffee:</i> Two things are essential—an +absolutely clean urn, and sound coffee, +freshly parched, and ground neither +too fine nor too coarse. The water must +be freshly boiled. Put a cup of ground +coffee in the strainer, pour upon it about +two tablespoonfuls of boiling water, let +it stand until the water drips through +and there is no more bubbling, then pour +on more water, but not too much, let it +drip, keeping both the strainer and the +spout covered to prevent the loss of aroma. +Repeat until you have used almost five +cups of water—this for four cups of +strained coffee, as the grounds hold part +of the water. Keep the pot hot while the +dripping goes on, but never where the coffee +will boil. If it dyes the cups it is too +strong, but beware of making too weak.</p> + +<p><i>Bruleau:</i> Put into the special bruleau<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[135]</a></span> +bowl, which has its own brandy ladle, three +ladlefuls of brandy, along with the yellow +peel of half an orange, a dozen cloves, a +stick of cinnamon, a few grains of alspice +and six lumps of sugar. Let stand several +hours to extract the essential oils. At +serving time put in an extra ladleful of +brandy for every person to be served, and +two lumps of domino sugar. Pour alcohol +in the tray underneath the bowl, light +it, and stir the brandy back and forth until +it also catches from the flame below. Let +burn two or three minutes—if the lights +have been extinguished as they should be, +the effect is beautifully spectral. After +the three minutes pour in strong, hot, clear, +black coffee, a small cupful for each person, +keep stirring until the flame dies out, +then serve literally blazing hot. This +"burnt water" known in more sophisticated +regions as <i>Café Diabolique</i>, originated +in New Orleans, and is the consummate +flowering of Creole cookery.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[136]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 375px;"> +<img src="images/illus-134.png" width="375" height="303" alt="Cakes, Great and Small" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Cakes, Great and Small</span> +</div> + + +<p>The very queen among cake makers +sums her secret of success in a sentence: +"The best of everything." Cake will +never be better than the things whereof +it is made, no matter how skilled the maker. +But it can be, and too often is, dismally +worse, thus involving a waste of heaven's +good gifts of sugar, butter, eggs, flour and +flavors. Having the best at hand, use it +well. Isaac Walton's direction for the bait, +"Use them as though you loved them," +applies here as many otherwheres. Unless +you love cake-making, not perhaps the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[137]</a></span> +work, but the results, you will never excell +greatly in the fine art. Better buy your +cake, or hire the making thereof, else swap +work with some other person better gifted +in this special branch.</p> + +<p>Here are a few cardinal helps. Have +the eggs very cold, butter soft but not oily, +flour dry and light—sun or oven-dry it in +muggy weather. Sift it three times for +ordinary cakes, twice for tea cakes, and +so on, four to five times for very light +things, sponge cake, angel's food, and +measure it before sifting, and don't forget +the needed amount—then you will be in no +danger of putting in too much or too little. +Always put a pinch of fine salt in the bottom +of the mixing bowl, which ought to be +freshly scalded and wiped very dry. A +damp bowl clogs with either sugar or flour, +making the stirring much harder. Unless +specifically directed otherwise, separate +the eggs, set the whites on ice till time to +whip them, beat the yolks very, very +light—to a pale, frothy yellow, add the +sugar, free of lumps, a cupful at a time, +then the butter washed and beaten to a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[138]</a></span> +creamy froth, beat hard together for five +minutes, then add alternately the flour and +the egg-whites beaten to the stiffest possible +froth. Add a pinch of salt as beating begins, +and if the egg supply is scant, +a teaspoonful of cold water to each white. +This will increase the quantity, and help +to make the cake lighter, as it is the air-bubbles +imprisoned in the froth which +give it its raising virtue. Add fruit and +flavoring last thing. Fruit should be well +floured but never clotted. If batter appears +to be too stiff a little whiskey thins +it excellently, and helps to make it lighter. +Put in two tablespoonfuls to six eggs, using +more in proportion. Rose water or +a liqueur have the same effect but give +their own flavor—which whiskey does not.</p> + +<p>If strong butter needs must be used, +it can be mitigated to a degree, by washing +and kneading well in cold water barely +dashed with chloride of lime solution, then +rinsing well in cold water, and afterward +in sweet milk. The milk may be half +water. Rinse it out clean. Let the butter +soften well before undertaking to cream<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[139]</a></span> +it. A stout, blunt wooden spoon is the +best for creaming, along with a deep bowl +very narrow at the bottom. Grease deep +cake tins plentifully, with either lard or +butter—using only the best. For heavy +cakes such as fruit, spice and marble cake, +line them with double thicknesses of buttered +paper and either set shallow pans +of water in the oven while baking or stand +the pans themselves in other pans with +a quarter inch of water in the bottoms. +If cakes brown too fast, open the oven +door, a trifle, and lay over the pan a thick, +well buttered paper until the oven cools. +Never jar the oven while cake is baking +in it—neither by banging the doors, nor +dumping heavy vessels on top of it. Beware +likewise slamming kitchen doors, or +bumping things about in the room. Fine +cake demands as many virtues of omission +as of commission. Indeed the don'ts are +as essential as the doings.</p> + +<p>Layer cakes need to be mixed thinner +than deep ones. The batter must run +freely. Half fill the tins and set in a hot +oven, taking care not to scorch before rising<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span> +is finished. Butter tins very freely—it +is economy in the end. Be sure the +tins sit level in the oven—thus you escape +an ungainly final loaf. Get filling ready +as baking goes forward so as to put your +layers together while still warm and pliable. +Let cool before frosting, so as to trim +sides smooth. Take care fillings are not +too watery, also that they are mixed +smooth. Spread evenly, and press down +a layer firmly all over, before putting filling +on top. Layers simplify greatly the +problem of baking, but to my mind, no +layer cake, not even the famous Lady Baltimore, +is equal to a fine deep loaf, well +frosted, and meltingly rich throughout.</p> + +<p><i>Pound Cake:</i> (Aunt Polly Rives) +Take ten fresh eggs, their weight in fresh +butter, white sugar, and thrice sifted flour. +Separate the eggs, beat yolks to a cream-yellow, +add the sugar, cupful at a time, +beat hard, then the butter creamed to a +froth, then half the flour, then two wineglasses +of whiskey or brandy or good +sherry or rose water, beat hard five minutes, +then add the rest of the flour, taking<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[141]</a></span> +care not to pack it in the handling. Beat +fifteen minutes longer, then fold in with +long strokes, the egg-whites beaten with +a good pinch of salt until they stick to the +dish. Barely mix them through the batter, +then pour it into deep pans, or ovens, +lined with double greased papers. The +vessels also must be well buttered. Bake +with quick heat, letting the cake rise well +before browning. Slack heat when it is +a very light brown, and cook until a straw +thrust to the bottom comes out clean. +Turn out upon a thick, folded cloth, cover +with another thinner cloth, and let cool. +Frost when cool, either with the boiled +frosting directed for cheesecakes (See +Chapter on Paste, Pies and Puddings) or +with plain frosting made thus. Beat three +egg-whites well chilled to the stiffest possible +froth with a pinch of salt, and a very +little cold water. Add to them gradually +when thus beaten a pound of sugar sifted +with a teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Mix +very smooth, and apply with a broad-bladed +knife, dipping it now and then in +cold water to keep the frosting smooth. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[142]</a></span> +should dry a quarter-inch thick and be delicious +eating. Frosted cake keeps fresh +three times as long as that left naked.</p> + +<p><i>Spice Cake:</i> Cream a coffee cup of well +washed butter, with two cups yellow sugar +and one cup black molasses. Add to it +one after the other, seven <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'egg yolks'">egg-yolks</ins>, beating +hard between. When all are in, add +one tablespoonful whiskey, or brandy, one +teaspoonful grated chocolate, teaspoonful +each of powdered cloves, allspice, ginger, +mace, and cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, and +half a saltspoonful of powdered black +pepper. Add also a pinch of salt, and the +barest dusting of paprika. If whiskey is +for any reason disapproved, use strong, +clear coffee instead, putting in two spoonfuls, +and leaving out the chocolate. Beat +all together hard for ten minutes, then add +four scant cups flour browned in the oven +but not burned. Sift after browning, adding +to it two teaspoonfuls baking powder. +Beat hard five minutes after the flour is +all in, then pour in a deep, well greased +pan, lined with buttered paper, let rise<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[143]</a></span> +ten minutes with the oven door open, then +bake in quick heat until done through.</p> + +<p><i>Marble Cake:</i> Make up egg-yolks into +spice cake, beat the whites very light, and +add them to three cups of sifted sugar, +beaten smooth in a large cup of creamed +butter. Put in a wineglass of whiskey or +brandy, then add three cups and a half flour +sifted three times with a heaping teaspoonful +baking powder. Put the light and +dark batter by alternate spoonfuls in pans +well buttered and papered, let rise and bake +the same as spice cake. Else bake the light +and dark batter in layers, put together +with any good filling, and frost with caramel +frosting.</p> + +<p><i>Real Gold Cake:</i> Beat very light the +yolks of sixteen eggs, with a full pound +of yellow sugar, and a scant pound of +creamed butter. Add a cup of rich sour +cream with a teaspoonful soda dissolved +in it. Or if you like better put in the +cream <i>solus</i>, and add the soda dissolved +in a teaspoonful of boiling water at the +very last. This makes lighter cake so is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span> +worth the extra trouble. Flavor to taste—grated +lemon rind is good. Add gradually +four cups flour sifted three times at +least. Beat hard for ten minutes, then +bake in well-greased pans, lined with buttered +paper, until well done, let cool partly +in the pans, then turn out, dust lightly with +flour or corn starch and frost.</p> + +<p><i>Real Silver Cake:</i> Wash and cream to +a froth a pound of fresh butter, work into +it a pound of sifted sugar, and a pound of +flour, sifted thrice with a teaspoonful of +baking powder. Add flavoring—vanilla, +lemon or rose water, following it with a +wineglass of whiskey. Then fold in the +whites of sixteen eggs beaten with a pinch +of salt to the stiffest possible froth. If the +batter looks too thick add half a cup sweet +cream—this will depend on the size of the +eggs and the dryness of the flour. Bake +in deep pans, else in layers. By baking +gold and silver batter in layers, and alternating +them you can have a fine marble +cake. Or by coloring half the white batter +pink with vegetable color to be had from +any confectioner, you can have rose-marble<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[145]</a></span> +cake. This should be iced with pink +frosting else with plain white, then dotted +over with pink. Very decorative for birthday +parties or afternoon teas.</p> + +<p><i>Christmas Cake:</i> Prepare fruit first. +Cut small half a pound of homemade citron +drained from syrup, wash and seed one +pound raisins, pick, wash and dry one +pound currants, mince a teacup of any +firm preserve—quince, peach or pear, or +use a cupful of preserved cherries whole. +Shred fine four ounces of homemade candied +peel, also four ounces of preserved +ginger, add a cupful of nutmeats—pecans +or English walnuts, or even scalybarks, +cutting them in bits, mix all well together, +then pour upon them the strained juice of +three oranges, and three lemons, also add +the grated yellow peel. Next pour on +half a pint of whiskey, a gill of rum, and +a tumbler of cordial—peach or blackberry, +and homemade if possible. Let stand overnight, +in a warm place—the fruit should +take up the most part of the liquor. A +glass of tart jelly is held an improvement +by some. I do not put it in—the preserves<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[146]</a></span> +suit my palate better. Cream a full pound +of butter with four cups sifted sugar, beat +into it one at a time, ten large fresh eggs. +After them put in four cups dried and +sifted flour, mix smooth, then put in the +fruit, drained from the liquor and lightly +dredged with hot, sifted flour. Mix well, +then add the liquor drained from the fruit, +along with a tablespoonful of lemon essence, +and as much vanilla or rose water. +If the batter is too stiff to stir well, thin +with either a little sweet cream or boiling +water, or cordial. Pour into pans buttered +and lined with five thicknesses of +buttered paper, set the pans in other pans +of hot water inside a warm but not brisk +oven, shield the tops with double paper, +and let rise half an hour. Increase heat +then, but the baking must be slow. Four +to five hours is required, according to the +size of pans. Keep covered until the last +half hour—then the heat may be sensibly +increased. Test with straws—when they +come out clean, take up, set pans on racks, +cover with thick cloth and let cool thoroughly. +Frost next day, with either plain<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[147]</a></span> +or boiled frosting. By baking the cake in +rather small square molds, set close in a +larger pan, the squares can be cut without +waste and frosted to make individual cakes.</p> + +<p><i>White Layer Cake:</i> (Mrs. George H. +Patch.) Sift two teaspoonfuls baking +powder through three and a half cups flour, +measured before sifting. Cream a cup +of butter with two and one half cups sugar, +add a cup of rich milk, beat hard, then add +gradually the flour, following it with the +whites of seven eggs beaten very stiff with +a small pinch of salt. Fold in lightly, and +bake in three layers. Put together with +orange filling, or frosting made thick with +nuts and minced figs.</p> + +<p><i>German Coffee Cake:</i> (Mrs. T. G. +Petre.) Beat six fresh eggs very light +with one pound of sugar, and one pound +flour. Add the peel of a lemon grated, and +one yeast cake dissolved in a little hot +milk or water. Let stand till very light, +then roll into sheets one inch thick, spread +them thickly with melted butter—half a +pound will be required, sprinkle with two +ounces bitter almonds blanched and shredded<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[148]</a></span> +fine, mixed with four ounces sugar, +and a teaspoonful powdered cinnamon. +Let rise again, and bake in a moderate +oven. Good hot or cold.</p> + +<p><i>Cream Cake:</i> (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream +together very light two cups butter, three +cups sugar, one cup sweet cream. Add +gradually four cups flour sifted with +one teaspoonful baking powder, then fold +in the whites of fourteen eggs beaten +very stiff with a pinch of salt. Flavor +with bitter almonds, bake in loaves or layers, +and frost with pink icing, flavored +with rose water.</p> + +<p><i>Sponge Cake:</i> Beat very light the yolks +of seven eggs with three cups sifted sugar, +and a pinch of salt. Add to them gradually +a cup of hot water, then three scant +cups flour sifted thrice with two teaspoonfuls +baking powder. Fold in last the +stiffly beaten white of the eggs, pour into +greased pans, and bake in a quick oven. +The batter must not be too thin. If the +eggs are large only half a cup of water +may be requisite. Flavor with vanilla, +putting orange or lemon in the frosting.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[149]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>White Sponge Cake:</i> Beat very stiff +six egg-whites, add to them gradually a +cup of sugar, and a cup of flour sifted +twice with a teaspoonful of baking powder. +Do not forget a tiny pinch of salt in the +eggs.</p> + +<p><i>Angel's Food:</i> Beat to a stiff froth +with a pinch of salt, the whites of eleven +eggs. Mix in gradually a cup and a half +of powdered sugar, then add a cup of flour +sifted twice with a teaspoonful cream of +tartar. Mix smooth, add the strained +juice of half a lemon, pour into a smooth, +ungreased pan, bake in a moderate oven +half an hour, take up, turn pan upside +down on a cloth and let stand till the cake +falls out.</p> + +<p><i>Chocolate Cake:</i> Sift together two cups +flour, one cup corn starch, and two teaspoonfuls +baking powder, add to a cup of +butter, creamed light with two cups sugar +and one cup sweet cream. Add the stiffly +beaten whites of seven eggs, flavor with +vanilla, and bake in layers. For the filling +boil together to a thick syrup, three +cups sugar, one cup water, and half a cake<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span> +of grated chocolate. Pour upon three egg-whites +beaten very stiff, flavor with vanilla +or bitter almond, and spread between +layers.</p> + +<p><i>Orange Cake:</i> Cream a cup of butter +with two cups sugar, beat into it a cup of +cold water, then add four cups flour thrice +sifted with two teaspoonfuls baking powder, +alternate the flour with three well-beaten +eggs. Flavor to taste, bake in +layers, and put together with orange frosting +made thus. Cook together till it +threads the strained juice, and grated yellow +peel of a large sweet orange with one +cup sugar, then beat the hot syrup into +two egg-whites whipped as stiff as possible. +Beat smooth and spread while hot.</p> + +<p><i>Dream Cakes:</i> Cream well half a cup +butter, add a cup and a half of sugar, half +a cup cold water, two cups flour sifted +twice with two teaspoonfuls baking powder, +a teaspoonful lemon extract, and the +stiffly beaten whites of six eggs. Bake in +small shapes, frost, with boiled frosting, +and ornament with tiny pink candies.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[151]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Shrewsbury Cakes:</i> This receipt with +two that follow, comes down from: "The +spacious days of great Elizabeth." They +are given verbatim, from the original +version, as it seems to me the flavor of +the language must add to the flavor of +the cakes. "Mix half a pound of butter, +well beat like cream, with the same weight +of flour, one egg, six ounces of beaten and +sifted loaf sugar, and half an ounce of caraway +seed. Form these into a paste, roll +them thin, and lay them in sheets of tin, +then bake them in a slow oven."</p> + +<p><i>Queen Cakes:</i> "Take a pound of +sugar, beat and sift it, a pound of well +dried flour, a pound of butter, eight eggs, +and half a pound of currants, washed and +picked; grate a nutmeg and an equal +quantity of mace and cinnamon, work the +butter to a cream, put in the sugar, beat +the whites of the eggs twenty minutes and +mix them with the butter and sugar. Then +beat the yolks for half an hour, and put +them to the butter. Beat the whole together +and when it is ready for the oven,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[152]</a></span> +put in the flour, spices and currants, sift +a little sugar over them, and bake them +in tins."</p> + +<p><i>Banbury Cakes:</i> "Take a pound of +dough, made for white bread, roll it out +and put bits of butter upon the same as for +puff paste, till a pound of the same has +been worked in; roll it out very thin, then +cut it into bits of an oval size, according +as the cakes are wanted. Mix some good +moist sugar with a little brandy, sufficient +to wet it, then mix some clean-washed currants +with the former, put a little upon +each bit of paste, close them up, and put +the side that is closed next the tin they +are to be baked upon. Lay them separate, +and bake them moderately, and afterward, +when taken out, sift sugar over them. +Some candied peel may be added, or a few +drops essence of lemon."</p> + +<p><i>Oatmeal Cookies:</i> (Mrs. T. G. Petre.) +Beat together until creamy, one egg, half +cup sugar, third cup butter, third teaspoonful +soda mixed with one cup sifted pastry +flour, half teaspoonful each of salt and +cinnamon, then add one cup rolled oatmeal,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[153]</a></span> +half cup each of shredded nuts and raisins. +Mix well, drop on greased tin, and +bake in a slow oven. Do not let the stiffness +of the dough induce you to add milk +or water.</p> + +<p><i>Tea Cakes:</i> (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream +together a cup and a half of butter, and +two cups and a half of sugar, add to five +eggs beaten very light, mix well, then add +a cup and a half of buttermilk with a small +teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Pour +upon flour enough to make a soft dough, +flavor with nutmeg, roll out a quarter-inch +thick, cut with a small, round cutter, +and bake in a quick but not scorching +oven.</p> + +<p><i>Tea Cakes:</i> (M. L. Williams.) Beat +five eggs very light, with five cups of sugar, +a heaping cup of lard, well creamed, and +two cupfuls of sour milk, with a teaspoonful +of soda dissolved in it. Mix through +enough flour to make a soft dough, roll +half an inch thick, cut out and bake in a +quick oven.</p> + +<p><i>Plain Soft Gingerbread:</i> Dissolve a +desert spoonful of soda in a cup of boiling<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[154]</a></span> +water, add to it a cup of rich molasses, +along with three tablespoonfuls of +melted butter. Mix well through two and +and one half cups sifted flour, add ground +ginger and alspice to taste, and bake in a +moderate oven.</p> + +<p><i>Mammy's Ginger Cakes:</i> Beat four +eggs very light with a good pinch of salt +and a cup of coffee sugar. Add three +cups of rich molasses, and a cup of +boiling water with two teaspoonfuls soda +dissolved in it. Mix well in two tablespoonfuls +pounded ginger. Sift five pints +of flour with a teaspoonful of salt, rub +into it lightly two cups sweet lard, then +add the molasses mixture and knead to +a firm dough, adding more flour if needed +or, if too stiff, a little sweet milk. Roll +out half an inch thick, cut into big squares, +bake in a quick oven, and brush over the +tops while blazing hot a little butter, +molasses and boiling water. Let stand in +a warm place until dry. These might +properly be <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'called called'">called</ins> First Monday +Ginger Cakes, since our Mammy made +them to sell upon that day to the crowds<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[155]</a></span> +which came to court, thereby turning many +an honest fip or picayune.</p> + +<p><i>Family Gingerbread:</i> Cup and a half +dark molasses, half cup sugar, small cup +melted lard, cup boiling water with teaspoonful +soda dissolved in it, pinch of salt, +sifted flour enough to make rather stiffer +than pound cake batter. Spices to taste—ginger, +allspice, nutmeg, all in powder, +is a good mixture. Bake rather quickly.</p> + +<p><i>Solid Chocolate Cake:</i> (Mrs. R. Heim.) +Cream together one cup butter, two of +sugar, add six egg-yolks beaten light, +then add alternately one cup sour milk +with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, and +three cups sifted flour. Fold in egg-whites +stiffly beaten then add half cake Baker's +chocolate melted, and three teaspoonfuls +vanilla. Stir hard a minute, pour in deep, +well greased pan, and bake in moderate +oven.</p> + +<p><i>Coffee Cake:</i> (Mrs. R. Heim.) Beat +together until light, one egg, one cup +sugar, butter the size of a large egg. Add +alternately one cup milk, and two cups +flour with two teaspoonfuls baking powder<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[156]</a></span> +sifted in it. Put in pan, and sprinkle +thickly all over top with sugar and powdered +cinnamon. Bake rather quickly but +do not scorch.</p> + +<p><i>Fig Pudding:</i> (Mrs. R. Heim.) One +pound figs, half pound suet, six eggs, two +cups sugar, three cups biscuit crumbs. +Run figs, suet and crumbs through grinder, +beat eggs very light, add other ingredients, +beat again, and steam or boil in buttered +mold, tied in well scalded bag, four +hours. Serve hot with this sauce. Beat +to a light cream, one cup butter with two +cups sugar. Add two eggs very well +beaten, then gradually two tablespoons +vinegar and one of vanilla. Cook a long +time in double boiler, stirring constantly, +or it will not be smooth. Keep hot until +served.</p> + +<p><i>Thin Ginger Snaps:</i> (Mrs. R. Heim.) +Mix a cup of melted lard well through two +of molasses, add a pinch of salt, spices to +taste, and enough flour to make a soft batter. +Drop by small spoonfuls on a well-greased +baking sheet, and cook in quick +oven.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[157]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Measure Pound Cake:</i> (Leslie Fox.) +Cream well together, one cup butter, one +and three-quarter cups sugar, when very +light, drop in an egg-yolk unbeaten, beat +hard, put in another yolk, beat again hard, +then another, and repeat the hard beating. +When very light add alternately two and +one-half cups flour, and one cup milk, mix +well, then add half a cup flour sifted three +times with three even teaspoonfuls baking +powder. Follow this with the egg-whites +beaten stiff. Flavor with brandy—a +tablespoonful and a half. Bake in a +moderate oven about an hour. Serve with +any approved pudding sauce, or use as +other cake. Nearly as good as the pound +cake of our grandmothers.</p> + +<p><i>Kisses:</i> (Mrs. R. Heim.) Add to four +fresh egg-whites unbeaten, a tiny pinch of +salt, two teaspoonfuls water, and three +cups fine sugar. Beat hard for at least +half an hour—until the mixture is smooth +and stiff. Drop from point of spoon upon +buttered paper, and harden in an oven cool +enough not to color.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-156.png" width="400" height="254" alt="Meat, Poultry, Game, Eggs" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Meat, Poultry, Game, Eggs</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>Barbecued Lamb:</i> The middle piece, +known to butchers as "the bracelet," is +best for barbecuing. Have it split down +the backbone, and the rib-ends neatly +trimmed, also the ribs proper, broken +about midway, but not quite through. +Wash clean, wipe dry, rub over well with +salt, then prick in tiny gashes with a sharp-pointed +knife, and rub in well black pepper, +paprika, a very little dry mustard, +then dash lightly with tabasco. Put a low +rack in the bottom of a deep narrowish +pan, set the meat upon it, letting only the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[159]</a></span> +backbone and rib-ends touch the rack. +This puts it in a sort of Gothic arch. +Keep it so throughout the cooking. Put +a cupful of water underneath—it must not +touch the meat. Have the oven very hot, +but not scorching—should it scorch in the +least turn another pan over the meat for +the first hour of cooking. Add more water +as the first boils away, but do not baste the +meat—the water is merely to keep it from +getting too hard. Roast till the fat is +crisped and brown throughout, the lean +very tender. Take up on a broad, hot +dish, and in serving cut along the ribs, +so as to let each portion include the whole +length of them, as well as part of the +backbone. Serve with a sauce, of melted +butter, mixed with equal quantity of strong +vinegar, boiling hot, made thick with red +and black pepper, minced cucumber pickle, +and a bare dash of onion juice. This is +as near an approach to a real barbecue, +which is cooked over live coals in the bottom +of a trench, as a civilized kitchen can +supply.</p> + +<p>The middling of a pig weighing less than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[160]</a></span> +a hundred pounds, well scraped, washed +clean, and likewise roasted on a rack after +seasoning it well, makes a fine dish. The +sauce for it should include minced green +peppers, instead of cucumbers. If you +happen to have a pepper mango, cut it fine, +and let it stand in the hot sauce ten minutes +before serving.</p> + +<p><i>Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions:</i> Fry +crisp a pound of streaky bacon, take up +and keep warm. Make the fat bubble all +over, lay in it a steak, wiped clean, seasoned +with salt and pepper, and dredged +lightly with flour. Sear it well on both +sides—take from the fat, lay on broiler, +and cook for ten minutes, turning once. +Serve thus if you like it rare—if contrariwise +you want it well done, set the steak +on a rack or broiler in a hot oven, and let +it cook there for fifteen to twenty minutes, +according to thickness. Meantime dredge +more flour into the fat, let it brown a minute, +then lay in large, mild onions thinly +sliced. Fry to a light brown, and serve +around the steak. Serve the gravy separately, +adding to it just before taking up,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[161]</a></span> +a little hot water, and shaking the pan well. +This may be varied by frying with the +onions or instead of them, sliced tomatoes, +and green peppers finely shredded. Or +cut large, very meaty tomatoes, unpeeled, +into thick slices, pour off the gravy, lay +them in the hot, greasy pan, season well +with pepper and salt, and cook five minutes, +turning them and seasoning the other +side. Lay the bacon on the tomatoes—otherwise +put it around the steak outside +the onions.</p> + +<p><i>Boned Fresh Ham:</i> It had better not +be too big—ten pounds is about the limit. +Have the bone removed, but do not throw +it away. Instead break it in pieces and +boil them three hours in water to barely +cover. Wipe the ham well inside and out, +rub the inside over lightly with butter, +season with salt and pepper, and pour in +a little vinegar. Rub salt well over the +outside and let stand on ice several hours. +Make a stuffing of grated breadcrumbs, +with minced pork fat, a sprig of celery +chopped fine, half an apple, also chopped +fine, salt, pepper, paprika, a pinch of sage<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[162]</a></span> +in powder, and the least shred of thyme +and lemon peel. A chestnut stuffing can be +used, or one whose foundation is grated +sweet potato. Fill the bone cavity, firmly +but not too full, skewer or sew together +the cut edges, and tie around twice with +narrow tape. Turn over, score the skin +well, rub it with soft butter or bacon fat, +dredge lightly with flour, then with black +and red pepper, also lightly with sugar, +and lay on a low rack in a pan. Fill in +sweet cider, or sound claret till it stands +halfway up to the ham, cover with a close-fitting +upper pan, and put into a hot oven. +Cook for two hours, lifting the pan now +and then, and basting the meat. Uncover, +and make very, very crisp. Serve on a hot +dish, with candied sweet potatoes laid +around. Add boiling water to the liquor in +the pan, shake it well about, and pour into +a gravy boat. Or pour off the grease, add +a sprinkle of flour, let it brown on top the +stove, and put to it the strained liquor +the bone was boiled in. Cook three minutes, +and serve in the gravy boat. If the +bone liquor is not used this way, make it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[163]</a></span> +the foundation of pea or cabbage soup. +In carving cut through and through so as +to serve the stuffing with each portion.</p> + +<p><i>Roast Beef:</i> Scrape and wash clean, +wipe dry, sear cut sides well, either in +bubbling fat, or under gas flame, set on +a small rack in a deep pan, sprinkle well +with salt and pepper, dredge on flour +scantly, pour water underneath till it +stands half an inch deep, cover close, set +in a hot oven and cook until tender. Basting +will not be needed until the pan is uncovered—then +add a little more water, boiling hot, +baste thoroughly, return to oven, +and brown. If you like, add sliced tomatoes, +minced onions, shredded green +peppers, carrots cut small, and very tender +green peas after uncovering—they will +cook while the meat is browning, and can +be served all together in a separate dish.</p> + +<p><i>Pot Roast:</i> Wash and dry, then brown +lightly all over in hot bacon fat, and lay +upon a small rack in the bottom of a deep +pot, seasoning well with salt, pepper, and +paprika. Pour on a little Cayenne, vinegar, +add a spoonful of hot fat, then pour<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[164]</a></span> +in enough boiling water to come half way +up the meat, cover tight, and simmer until +tender. An hour before serving time, put +any sort of vegetables approved, or at +hand, carrots, sliced, peas, string beans, +lima beans, potatoes in thick slices, into +the browning fat, let them cook five to ten +minutes, sprinkling them well with salt +and pepper, then skim out of the fat, and +add to the pot, along with a cupful more +boiling water. Simmer until the water is +all gone, and the meat is brown. Take up, +lay vegetables around the meat, or make a +bed of them for it, add a little more hot +water to the pot, stir well over the fire +till it takes up the meat essence, then pour +it over meat and vegetables, else serve +in a gravy boat.</p> + +<p><i>Leg of Mutton in Blanket:</i> Make deep, +narrow gashes in the thick end of a clean +leg of mutton, crowd into them a mixed +seasoning, salt, red and black pepper, +minced onion, a little dry mustard, and +powdered herbs. Brush all over with +melted butter, or soft bacon fat, then +sprinkle lightly with salt, set on a rack in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[165]</a></span> +a roasting pan, and pop into a very hot +oven. Let it brown—then rub over it any +tart jelly melted in a little hot water, and +envelop it in a crust of flour and water, +made very stiff, and rolled half an inch +thick. Pinch the edges tight together, lay +back in the pan, cover it, and bake in a +hot oven. Take up, break the blanket carefully +on top, lift out the meat, and pour the +gravy from the envelop into a small sauce +pan, add to it either hot claret, or a spoonful +of tart jelly, along with tabasco or +Worcester sauce, boil up, and serve in a +boat. Tomato or walnut catsup may be +used for flavoring. Indeed one sometimes +finds opportunity a close second to inspiration.</p> + +<p><i>The Preparation of Poultry and Game:</i> +Pick carefully, draw and singe every manner +of poultry and feathered game, wash +clean, quickly, in cold water, never hot, +drain, then wipe as dry as possible with +a soft, thick, damp cloth—it takes up +moisture cleaner than a dry one. Keep +very cold and away from smells until +ready to cook. Tilt roasting fowls, so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span> +they may drain, if liquid gathers. Before +stuffing rub over the whole inside lightly +with soft butter or bacon fat, pepper it +scantly, and rub on a very little salt. +Grease and season the outside after stuffing +is done,—never before it. If game is +shot-torn, soak for ten minutes in weak +salt water after plucking, rinse in cold salt +water, wipe dry and drain.</p> + +<p>Furred game, as rabbits, squirrels, possums, +ought to be drawn before it is cold, +if you would have the finest flavor. This +is especially necessary with possums—which +should be bought alive, and fattened +for several weeks in a clean cage, feeding +them on bread, milk, apples, potatoes, cabbage +leaves, and grass. This makes them +tender and much more delicate in flavor. +Kill by dislocating the neck with a quick, +upward jerk, then cut the throat and hang +to bleed. Roll after dampening fur well +in very hot embers—then scrape the same +as a pig, draw, and hang to cool. Divide +the skin of rabbits and squirrels around +the middle, and pull off each half, the +same as a kid glove. Thus no hairs stick<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[167]</a></span> +on the clean flesh. Draw very quickly, +wipe lightly with a damp cloth, and hang +where it is cool and airy for at least an +hour.</p> + +<p><i>Roast Turkey:</i> Make a stuffing of stale +bread. Cut the crusts from a small loaf, +grate the crumb, brown crusts crisp, crush, +sift and mix well with the gratings. Shred +finely through it four ounces fresh suet, +and a lump of butter the size of an egg. +Add a tiny heart of celery cut small, half a +tart apple also cut fine, two dozen fat +raisins, seeded, halved, and soaked for +twelve hours in whiskey to cover, salt, pepper, +and paprika to taste. Mix well, stuff +the turkey but not too tight. Put a handful +in the crop space, and fasten the skin +neatly over. Truss your turkey firmly, +rub all over with soft fat, then sprinkle +with salt and pepper, and set upon a rack +in a deep roasting pan, pour half an inch +of water in the bottom, cover tight, put in a +hot oven, and roast for an hour, then slack +heat and finish. The turkey will brown +thus covered, and be tenderer and sweeter +than if crisped uncovered. The pan will<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[168]</a></span> +hold gravy better than can be made otherwise.</p> + +<p>Roast chickens or capons in exactly the +same way. Geese need to be roasted more +slowly and to have a seasoning of sage, +onion, and tart apple in the stuffing, instead +of raisins. The dry stuffing takes +up the juices of the fowl, and is much more +flavorous, and less pasty than that which +is wet before use.</p> + +<p><i>Guinea Hen in Casserole:</i> Stick six +cloves in a cored and pared apple, thrust +a heart of celery in the core space, then +fit it inside a guinea hen, buttered, salted +and peppered inside. Pack in grated +bread crumbs—all there is space for. +Truss, grease, season, set in a hot oven, +and brown lightly all over, then lay in a +casserole on a bed of sliced carrots, young +green peas, shredded green peppers, sliced +tomatoes and tiny onions, parboiled for +five minutes. Add a large lump of butter, +rolled in flour, a cup of hot water or weak +broth, cover close, and cook an hour in a +hot oven. Serve on the vegetables, bedded<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[169]</a></span> +firmly, with tart jelly melted to barely run, +splashed over the breast.</p> + +<p><i>Chickens in Blankets:</i> Take young fat +chickens about three pounds weight, dress +as for roasting, put inside each a peeled +sweet potato, and a small lump of butter, +after greasing and seasoning inside and +out. Lay on low rack in deep pan, brown +lightly in oven, then fit close over each a +round of good short crust, rolled a quarter-inch +thick. Return to oven—when crust is +a rich brown the chickens will be done. +Serve crust with each portion—thereby recalling +a glorified chicken pie.</p> + +<p><i>Fried Chicken:</i> Cut into joints two tender +young chickens, wipe the pieces dry, +season with salt and pepper, red and black, +then set on ice. Fry a pound of streaky +bacon in a deep skillet, take out when crisp, +roll chicken in flour, dip in beaten egg, +then roll again, and lay in the fat, which +must be bubbling hot, but not scorching. +Cook, turning often, to a rich brown, take +out, then pile in a pan, set the pan over +another with boiling water in the bottom,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[170]</a></span> +and put all in a very hot oven for fifteen +minutes. This cooks the chicken through +and through without making it hard. The +pieces must not touch in frying so there will +be two skilletfuls. When all the chicken +is fried, and in the oven, dredge in more +flour, stir it well through the fat, then add +a cup of cream, stirring hard all the time, +and letting it barely simmer—boiling +curdles it. Or if you want a full-cream +gravy, pour off the fat, stir the cream in +double quantity in the skillet to take up +the flavors, then pour it in a double boiler, +add pepper, salt, minced celery, a little +onion juice, and one at a time, lumps of +butter, rolled well in flour. Cook until +thick and rich, and serve in a gravy boat.</p> + +<p><i>Smothered Chicken:</i> Get two pound +broilers fat and tender, have them split +down the back, make clean, season by buttering +inside and out, sprinkling with salt, +pepper and paprika, and dredging with +flour. Lay breasts down, upon a low rack +in a deep pan, cover with slices of streaky +bacon, shingling the slices well. Dredge +with pepper and flour, lay in sliced tomatoes,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[171]</a></span> +shredded green peppers, and a few +small parboiled onions. Add lumps of +butter rolled in flour, dotting them all +about the bacon. Pour in enough water to +barely reach the top of the rack, cover the +pan close, and cook in a hot oven, about +an hour. Uncover after three-quarters of +an hour, add a half-cup more water—this +is for the gravy. Cover again, and finish +cooking. The chickens should be brown all +over but meltingly tender. Take up on a +hot dish, breaking the bacon slices as little +as possible. Serve the vegetables separate, +also the gravy from the pan. The +vegetables can be omitted, and smothered +chicken still be a dish to rejoice an epicure.</p> + +<p><i>Glorified Chicken Croquets:</i> (Mrs. G. +H. Patch.) Boil a large-size tender young +chicken till the meat almost drops from +the bones. Boil likewise tender, in salt +water, one pound either sweetbreads or +calf brains. Pick up the chicken and grind +the meat fine, then mash it well together +with the brains or sweetbreads, and season +to taste. Put into a double boiler half-pint +cream, tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[172]</a></span> +flour, one tablespoonful parsley +chopped fine, one teaspoonful onion juice, +one teaspoonful salt, black and Cayenne +pepper to taste. Cook smooth, stirring +hard, let thicken, then add the meat, and +mix thoroughly. Let cool, shape into croquets, +dip in egg, roll in cracker crumbs, +and fry quickly in deep hot fat.</p> + +<p><i>Chicken-Turkey Hash:</i> Cut the meat +small, freeing of skin and gristle. If +there is rich gravy left, put it into a skillet, +and cook tender in it, half a dozen sliced +tomatoes, three shredded green peppers, a +small sliced onion, and a cupful of raw +potato cubes. Lacking gravy, cook in butter +or bacon fat, and season to taste—gravy +requires less seasoning than plain +fat. Add the meat, pour in a cup of boiling +water, stir all well together, and cook +for five minutes. Serve in a hot dish lined +with thin toast. Fine for breakfast, or a +very late supper.</p> + +<p><i>Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered:</i> Leave +whole, rub over with fat, season highly, +lay in a pan or skillet, with slices of bacon, +add a cup of hot water, cover close, set<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[173]</a></span> +over the fire, and simmer until tender. +Uncover, and brown in the gravy, adding a +little Cayenne vinegar at the very last.</p> + +<p><i>Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued:</i> Leave +whole, skewer flat, grease all over, lay on +rack in pan, and roast in hot oven, basting +every five minutes with hot salt water. +When crisp, take up and serve with the +sauce directed for barbecued lamb.</p> + +<p><i>Quail:</i> Smother quail the same as rabbits. +I like them better halved, and fried +crisp and quickly, in deep hot bacon fat. +But to make the most of them, a pie's the +thing. The crust must be rich and rolled +a quarter-inch thick. Put in the birds +whole, seasoning them well inside and out, +with salt and black pepper. Put in also +generous lumps of butter rolled in flour, +slices of fat bacon, strips of crust an inch +wide and three inches long, a little minced +onion, celery or shredded green pepper if +the flavors are approved, and a tiny pod +of Cayenne pepper. Pour in cold water +till it stands half way up the birds. Be +sure the cover-crust is plenty big—pinch +it down tight, prick and make a cross-cut<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span> +at the center into which a tubelet of paper +must be thrust to prevent the gravy's boiling +over. Bake three-quarters of an hour, +in a hot oven. Take up, and serve very +hot. A gill of hot cream poured in through +a funnel after taking up suits some palates—mine +is not among them. Other +folks like a wineglass of sherry made very +hot.</p> + +<p><i>Wild Duck:</i> If likely to be fishy, soak +an hour in vinegar and water made very +salt, and roast with an onion inside stuck +very full of cloves. Season inside and out, +rub over with fat or butter, and roast in +quick heat, to the degree required. Ducks +or geese mild in flavor should be roasted +with a tart apple stuck with cloves inside, +also a mild onion. Rub over with fat, season +with salt and pepper inside and out, +and strew inside lightly a small pinch of +powdered sage. A good sauce for them is +made by browning half a cup of grated +bread crumbs in a tablespoonful of butter, +adding to it a spoonful of tart jelly, a wineglass +of claret, a tablespoonful of tomato<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[175]</a></span> +catsup, with seasoning to taste of salt and +pepper.</p> + +<p><i>Possum Roasted:</i> Chill thoroughly +after scraping and drawing. Save all the +inside fat, let it soak in weak salt water +until cooking time, then rinse it well, and +partly try it out in the pan before putting +in the possum. Unless he is huge, leave +him whole, skewering him flat, and laying +him skin side up in the pan. Set in a hot +oven and cook until crisply tender, taking +care there is no scorching. Roast a dozen +good sized sweet potatoes—in ashes if possible, +if not, bake them covered in a deep +pan. Peel when done, and lay while hot +around the possum, turning them over and +over in the abundant gravy. He should +have been lightly salted when hung up, and +fully seasoned, with salt, pepper, and a +trifle of mustard, when put down to cook. +Dish him in a big platter, lay the potatoes, +which should be partly browned, around +him, add a little boiling water to the pan, +shake well around, and pour the gravy +over everything. Hot corn bread, strong<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[176]</a></span> +black coffee, or else sharp cider, and very +hot sharp pickles are the things to serve +with him.</p> + +<p><i>Eggs:</i> Eggs demand an introductory +paragraph. As everybody knows, there are +eggs and eggs. An egg new-laid has a tiny +air-space at each end, betwixt the shell +and the silken lining membrane. If left +lying, this confined air changes its locality—leaves +the ends for the upmost side of +the shell. Shells are porous—through +them the white evaporates—thus the air +bubble on top gets bigger and bigger. By +the size of it you can judge fairly the egg's +age—unless it has been kept in cold storage +or in water-glass. By boiling hard, throwing +in cold water and peeling intact, you +can see for yourself if a fresh egg so-called +is truly fresh. If fresh there will be no +perceptible marring of its oval—but if it +shows a shrinkage, and especially if the +yolk is so near the shell it shows through +the cooked white, there is proof positive +that the egg is not new-laid—though it may +be perfectly wholesome.</p> + +<p>Eggs kept in clean cool space do not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[177]</a></span> +deteriorate under a month. Even after +that, thus well kept, they answer for cake +making, puddings and so on. But they +have an ungodly affinity for taints of almost +every kind. Hence keep them away +from such things as onions, salt fish, things +in brine generally, or any strong ill odors.</p> + +<p>Duck eggs are bigger than hen eggs—eight +of them being the equivalent to ten. +Goose eggs run almost two for one. Turkey +eggs, rarely used in cookery, are still +excellent eating, much better flavored than +duck eggs, which are often rather rank. +Here as otherwheres, food is the determining +factor. Guinea eggs, in spite of being +so much smaller, are equal in raising power +and in richness to hen eggs. Indeed, they +are the best of all eggs for eating—rich, +yet delicate. The only approach to them +is the quail egg—we called it always a +partridge egg—but only special favorites +of the gods have any chance of ever tasting +them. Quail nest frequently in wheat +fields—at harvest, the uncovered nests +yielded choice spoil. Daddy claimed the +lion's share of it for "my white chilluns."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[178]</a></span> +Often he came with his big hat-crown running +over full of the delicate white ovals. +Mormonism must prevail in quail circles—sometimes +there were forty eggs in a nest. +It would have been vandalism of the worst +to eat them, only it was no use leaving +them bare to the sun, as the birds abandoned +them unless they had begun brooding. +In that case the mother sat so tight, +occasionally the reaper, passing over, took +off her head. More commonly she flew +away just in time, whirring up between the +mules, with a great pretense of lameness. +If the nest by good luck was discovered in +time, grain was left standing about it. +Nobody grudged the yard or so of wheat +lost for the sake of sport.</p> + +<p>Partridge eggs were boiled hard, and +eaten out of hand—they were much too +thin-shelled for roasting, in spite of having +a very tough lining membrane. With +guinea eggs there was quite another story. +They have shells extra thick and hard—hence +were laid plentifully in hot ashes, +heaped over with live coals and left as long +as our patience held out. When Mammy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[179]</a></span> +pulled them out, it was maddening to see +her test them. She laid a short broom +straw delicately on each egg. If it whirled +round, the egg was done—if contrariwise +it fell off, it had to go back in the embers. +She had no thought of letting us eat eggs +not cooked till the yolk was mealy. To +this day I am firmly of opinion she was +wise—and right. Eggs roasted as she +roasted them have a flavor wholly beyond +and apart from those cooked in any other +way.</p> + +<p><i>Baked Eggs:</i> These most nearly approximate +the flavor of roasted ones. +Break fresh eggs at the small ends, drain +away the whites, break down the shells to +deepish cups, each with a yolk at bottom, +sprinkle yolks lightly with salt and pepper, +add a bit of butter to each, then set shells +upright, close over the bottom of a pan, +pop the pan into a hot oven, bake twenty +minutes, and serve piping hot. This +Mammy gave us to keep from wasting +yolks when wedding or Christmas cake +demanded many whites for frosting.</p> + +<p><i>Potato Egg Puffs:</i> Into a quart of rich<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[180]</a></span> +and highly seasoned mashed potatoes, beat +two eggs, then divide into equal portions—six +or eight. With lightly floured hands +make each portion into a ball, set the balls +in a baking dish, then press into each a +hard-boiled egg. Lay a bit of butter on +each egg, and dredge lightly with salt and +pepper. Bake in a quick oven until the +potato is brown and light—it ought to rise +up like a fat apple.</p> + +<p><i>Egg Dumplings:</i> Cousins-germane to +the puffs but richer—will serve indeed for +the meat course of a plain dinner. Mix +the potato well with half its bulk of finely +chopped cold meat, the leaner the better, +bind with beaten eggs, then divide and roll +each portion around a hard-boiled egg, lay +the dumplings in a greased and floured +pan, giving them plenty of room, pour +around them a good gravy, or else a rich +tomato sauce, then bake ten to twenty minutes +in a hot oven.</p> + +<p><i>Egg Spread:</i> Spread a flat pan an inch +deep with rich mashed potato, sprinkle +with pepper and salt, then cover the top +with eggs hard boiled, and cut in half.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span> +Set them yolk up. Put salt, pepper and +butter on each yolk, and bake ten minutes +in a warm oven. Or if soft eggs are preferred, +make depressions in the potato +with the back of a spoon, break an egg in +each, dust with pepper and salt, add a dot +of butter and bake five minutes. If the +potatoes are wanted brown, bake them ten +minutes after making the depressions, +then put in the eggs and bake soft or hard +at will.</p> + +<p><i>Poached Eggs:</i> These require a deep +skillet, three parts full of water on the +bubbling boil, which is slightly salted and +well dashed with vinegar. Break all the +eggs separately before putting one in. +Slip them in, one after the other, quickly, +taking care not to break yolks, keep the +boiling hard, and use a knife or spoon to +prevent the whites from cooking together. +Take out in six to seven minutes, using a +skimmer and draining well, trim rags off +white, lay in a deep hot dish, and pour +over real melted butter, made with butter, +hot water, salt, pepper, lemon juice or +vinegar, and a dash of tabasco. Send to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[182]</a></span> +table covered—a poached egg chilled has +lost its charm. Or you may serve the eggs +on squares of hot, well-buttered toast, +which have been sprinkled thickly with +grated cheese, then set for a minute inside +a hot oven. Served thus, pass the melted +butter with them, as if poured over, they +might be too rich for some palates.</p> + +<p><i>Egg Fours:</i> Cut hard-boiled eggs in +four lengthwise, mix yolks with an equal +bulk of sardines, drained, freed of skin +and bone, and minced fine. Season with +salt, pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar, and +olive oil. Add minced olives if you like. +The mixture must be soft, but not too soft +to shape well. Shape it into small ovals, +using two spoons, and lay an oval in each +quarter of the whites. Put very narrow +strips of pimento on the ovals, then sprinkle +them thickly with grated cheese—Edam +is good for such use. Set in a baking dish +and cook two to four minutes in a hot oven. +If wanted extra tasty, as for a relish before +dinner, set the fours on narrow strips +of toast, spread with made mustard, well-mixed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[183]</a></span> +with finely minced very sour cucumber +pickle.</p> + +<p>Bacon sliced thin, fried crisp without +scorching, and finely minced can take the +place of sardines. Indeed, in making +fours the widest latitude prevails—you can +vary flavors and proportions almost infinitely. +Onion, even a suspicion of garlic, +tabasco, Cayenne vinegar, walnut catsup, +or Worcester can be added. Capers mixed +through the mass make it wonderfully +piquant. But things which need to be +crisply fresh, such as celery and lettuce, +must be let severely alone.</p> + +<p><i>Stuffed Eggs:</i> Staple for picnics, and +barbecues. Boil twenty minutes, throw +instantly in cold water, and shell immediately. +Halve, mash yolks while hot with +a plentiful seasoning of butter, pepper, +salt, a little onion juice, capers or bigger +pickle finely minced, and pimentos cut +small. Work the seasoning well through, +then shape into balls yolk-size, put each +between two half-whites, and fasten together +with a couple of tooth picks. Wrap<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[184]</a></span> +each as finished in wax paper, and keep +cool until needed. Here may be a good +place to say that the quicker a hard-boiled +egg is got out of its shell after chilling, +the better and more delicate will be its +flavor.</p> + +<p><i>Fried Eggs:</i> Anybody, almost, can fry +an egg wrong. It takes some skill to fry +one exactly right. Have the frying pan +covered with grease, hot, but not scorching, +slip in the eggs, previously broken +separately, taking pains not to break yolks, +sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, keep +edges from running together, then when +they have hardened underneath, dip hot +grease over the tops, keeping on till the +white sets. If the heat is right the eggs +will not stick to the pan. Cook as hard +as is desirable, take up with a cake-turner, +and lay in a shallow pan, lined with soft +clean paper. Keep hot while they drain—it +takes a minute or so—then remove to +a blazing hot dish, and serve. If ham goes +with them lay it in the middle, with eggs +all around it. Triangles of fried toast in +between look and taste well at breakfast.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[185]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 350px;"> +<img src="images/illus-183.png" width="350" height="186" alt="Soups, Salads, Relishes" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Soups, Salads, Relishes</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>Vegetable Soup:</i> Cut into joints two +fat chickens three parts grown, salt and +pepper, and lay aside while you fry in a +deep pot half a pound streaky bacon. +Take out when crisp, put in the chicken, +turning it so as to brown it all over. Put +in a thick slice of ham, let it also brown a +bit, do the same with four sliced onions—mild +ones—then add two gallons cold +water, half a teaspoonful salt, two pods +red pepper, a dozen whole pepper corns, +and two sprigs of parsley. Keep at a gentle +boil for an hour, then put in two small +heads of tender cabbage finely shredded, +and six white potatoes, peeled and sliced +a quarter-inch thick. Fifteen minutes<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[186]</a></span> +later put in a quart of string beans, broken +short, a pint of shelled lima beans, a stalk +of celery cut fine lengthwise, and a dozen +tomatoes, peeled and sliced. Follow them +in ten minutes with a pint of tender okra +sliced—next add a little later the pulp +from a dozen ears of green corn, slit +lengthwise and scraped. Stir almost constantly +with a long-handled skimmer, after +the corn pulp is in. If the skimmer brings +up chicken bones, throw them aside. Just +before serving put in a large spoonful of +butter, rolled in flour. Taste, add salt if +required. Serve very hot with corn hoe +cake and cider just beginning to sparkle. +If there is soup enough for everybody, +nothing else will be wanted.</p> + +<p><i>Black Turtle Bean Soup:</i> Pick and +wash clean, one quart black turtle beans, +soak overnight in three quarts cold water, +and put on to boil next morning in the +soaking water. When it boils add three +onions sliced, one carrot scraped and cut +up, a stalk or so of celery, three sprigs of +parsley, and one tomato, fresh or canned. +Boil slowly four to five hours, until the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[187]</a></span> +beans are tender, filling up with cold water +as that in the kettle wastes. When the +beans are very soft, strain all through a +fine collander, mashing through beans and +vegetables, add a quart of very good soup +stock, also a bay leaf, and boil up hard half +a minute before serving. Put into each +soup plate a slice of lemon, a slice of hard-boiled +egg, and a tablespoonful of sherry +wine before adding the soup.</p> + +<p><i>Gumbo:</i> Cut a tender, fat chicken, +nearly grown, into joints, season well with +salt and pepper, and fry for ten minutes +in the fat from half a pound of bacon, with +two thick slices of ham. Then add two +onions chopped fine, six large ripe tomatoes, +peeled and chopped, adding with them +their juice, half a large pod of mild red +pepper, cut small, a teaspoonful of minced +thyme and parsley mixed, a pint of tender +sliced okra, stemmed and cut lengthwise. +Cook altogether, watching all the time, and +stirring constantly to prevent scorching +until everything is well-browned. Then +add three quarts fresh-boiled water, on the +full boil, set the pot where it will barely<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[188]</a></span> +simmer, and cook an hour longer, taking +the same pains against scorching. Rice to +eat with the gumbo—it must never be +cooked in the pot—needs to be washed until +the water runs clear from it, drained, then +tossed into a wide kettle of water on the +bubbling boil, and cooked for twenty minutes. +The water must be salted to taste. +Drain the rice in a collander, set it after +draining in the oven for a minute. The +grains should stand out separate, but be +very tender. Rice thus cooked, and served +with plenty of butter, is excellent as a +vegetable.</p> + +<p><i>Wedding Salad:</i> Roast unstuffed, three +young tender turkeys, or six full grown +chickens. Take the white meat only, cut +it fine with shears, cutting across the grain, +while hot. Let cool, then mix it with ten +hearts of crisp celery cut in bits, two heads +of tender white cabbage, finely chopped, +rejecting hard stalks—use three heads if +very small—and set in a cool place. For +the dressing boil thirty fresh eggs twenty +minutes, throw in cold water, shell, take +out the yolks, saving the white for garnishing,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[189]</a></span> +mash the yolks while hot very smooth +with a pound and a half of best butter, +season them well with salt, pepper, a little +dry mustard, celery seed, and, if at hand, +a dash of walnut catsup, but not enough +to discolor. Add also a teaspoonful of +sugar—this to blend flavors only. Add a +little at a time enough warm vinegar to +make as thick as cream. Chill, and pour +over the salad, mix well through, then heap +it in a big glass bowl, lined with partly +white lettuce leaves, make a wreath of +leaves around the top, and in serving, lay +a larger lettuce leaf on each plate, filling +it with the yellow-white salad.</p> + +<p><i>Fruit Salad:</i> Wash well a very ripe +juicy pineapple, let dry, then shred with a +fork, holding the crown in the left hand +firmly, while you pull away sections with +the fork in the right. Thus you avoid taking +any of the hard center. Peel the sections +delicately after they are separated, +and cut them in long thin slivers, with the +grain. Arrange these slivers star-shape +upon lettuce leaves in the plates, lay a very +narrow slip of pimento—sweet red pepper,—between<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[190]</a></span> +each two of them, then fill in +the points of the stars with grape-fruit +pulp, freed of skin and seed, and broken +into convenient sized bits. Lay more pimento +strips upon it. Set on ice till ready +to serve, then drench with sweet French +dressing.</p> + +<p><i>Sweet French Dressing:</i> Mix well a +scant teaspoonful of granulated sugar, the +same of dry mustard, half a teaspoonful +salt, as much black pepper and paprika +mixed, put in the bottom of a deep small +bowl, and stir for two minutes. Wet with +claret vinegar, adding it gradually, and +stirring smooth. Make as thick as cream. +Add twenty drops tabasco, twenty drops +onion juice, the strained juice of half a +lemon, and half a teaspoonful of brandy, +rum or whiskey. Mix well, then add, +tablespoonful at a time, a gill of salad oil, +stirring hard between spoonfuls. Put in +more vinegar, more oil—the seasoning +suffices for half a pint of dressing. Stir +till it thickens—it should be like an emulsion +when poured upon the salad. Keep +on ice. The oil and vinegar will separate,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span> +but the dressing can be brought back by +stirring hard.</p> + +<p><i>Banana and Celery Salad:</i> Chill heart +celery and very ripe bananas, slice thin +crosswise, mingling the rounds well. Pile +on lettuce leaves, and cover with French +dressing, into which finely grated cheese +has been scantly stirred. This dressing +with cheese is fine for tender Romaine, also +for almost any sort of cooked vegetable +used as salad.</p> + +<p><i><ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'Red-White'">Red and White</ins> Salad:</i> Make cups from +lettuce hearts, fasten them to the plate, +with a drop of melted butter, fill lightly +with grape-fruit pulp, and set a tiny red +beet, boiled tender, in the middle. Have +a very sharp French dressing made with +oil lemon juice and Tarragon vinegar. +Pass with this cheese straws, or toasted +cracker sprinkled lightly with Parmesan +cheese.</p> + +<p><i>Pineapple Salad:</i> Pare and core a very +ripe, sweet pineapple, cut in slices crosswise, +lay the slices in a bowl, with a sprinkle +of sugar, half a cup rum or sherry, all +the juice shed in cutting up, and a grate<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[192]</a></span> +of nutmeg. Let stand till morning, cool, +but not on ice. Make rosettes of small lettuce +leaves in the plates, lay a slice of +pineapple on each, fill the hole in the center +with pink pimento cheese. Make the +cheese into a ball the size of a marble, and +stick in it a tiny sprig of celery top. Put +a little of the syrup from the bowl in each +plate, then finish with very sharp French +dressing. Make the pimento cheese by +grinding fine half a can of pimento, and +mixing it through two cakes of cream +cheese, softening the cheese with French +dressing, and seasoning it to taste.</p> + +<p><i>Cold Slaw:</i> (V. Moroso.) Shave very +fine half a medium sized head of tender +cabbage, put in a bowl, and cover with +this dressing. Melt over hot water a heaping +tablespoonful of butter, with two tablespoonfuls +sugar, a saltspoon of pepper, a +teaspoonful of salt, dash of red pepper, +and scant teaspoonful dry mustard. Mix +smooth, then add gradually four tablespoonfuls +vinegar, mix well, then put in +the yolk of a raw egg, beating it in hard. +Cook till creamy, but not too thick. Take<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[193]</a></span> +from fire, and add if you like, two tablespoonfuls +cream, but it is not essential—the +dressing is good without it.</p> + +<p><i>Tomato Soy:</i> Take one gallon solid, +ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced, or four +canfuls put up in glass, put in a preserving +kettle with a quart of sliced onions, +two tablespoonfuls salt, as much moist +sugar, teaspoonful black pepper, saltspoon +paprika, four hearts of celery cut fine, a +tablespoonful of pounded cloves, alspice, +mace, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon mixed. +Stir well together and cook slowly, taking +care not to burn, until reduced one-half. +Dry mustard or mustard seed can be +added, but many palates do not relish +them. After boiling down add a quart of +very sharp vinegar, stir well through, +skim if froth rises, bottle hot, and seal. +This keeps a long time in a dark cool place.</p> + +<p><i>Table Mustard:</i> Mix well together two +tablespoonfuls dry mustard, scant teaspoon +sugar, half a teaspoon salt. Wet +smooth, to a very stiff paste with boiling +water, then add either a teaspoon of onion +juice, or a clove of garlic mashed, stir well<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[194]</a></span> +through, add little by little, a tablespoonful +olive oil, then thin, with very sharp +vinegar, added gradually so as not to lump +nor curdle, to the consistency of thin +cream. Put in a glass jar, seal tight and +let stand a week. A month is better—indeed, +the mustard improves with age if not +permitted to dry up.</p> + +<p><i>Cabbage Pickle:</i> Shred enough tender +cabbage to make four quarts, put with it +four large green tomatoes, sliced thin, six +large onions, chopped fine, three green +peppers also chopped, rejecting the seed, +two ounces white mustard seed, half-ounce +celery seed, quarter-ounce turmeric, three +tablespoonfuls salt, two pounds white +sugar, two quarts vinegar. Put all in a +preserving kettle, set it upon an asbestos +mat over a slow fire, and cook gently for +several hours, stirring so it shall not +scorch. It must be tender throughout but +not mushy-soft.</p> + +<p><i>Cauliflower Pickle:</i> Drop two heads +cauliflower in salted boiling water, cook +fifteen minutes, take up, drop in cold water, +separate into neat florets, and pack down<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[195]</a></span> +in a clean crock. Pour upon the florets, +hot, a quart of vinegar, seasoned with a +mixture of two tablespoonfuls salad oil, +teaspoonful dry mustard, tablespoonful +sugar, teaspoonful salt, half-teaspoonful +onion juice, half-teaspoonful black pepper, +dash of paprika, ten drops tabasco. Bring +all to a boil, and pour over the pickle, first +strewing well through it blade mace, whole +cloves, alspice and cinnamon, broken small +but not powdered.</p> + +<p><i>Pear Relish:</i> Wash and stem a gallon +of sound ripe, but not mellow Seckel pears, +remove the blossoms with a very sharp +narrow pen-knife, and stick a clove in each +cut. Drain, and drop into a syrup, made +of three pounds of sugar and a quart of +vinegar. Bring to a quick boil, skim, and +set back to simmer. Add after skimming, +cloves, alspice, mace, ginger, cinnamon, +and black pepper, pounded small but not +powdered. Cut up a large sweet red pepper, +and drop in the shreds. Let cook till +the pears are tender. If the syrup is thin, +add more sugar—some pears yield more +juice than others. Sliced lemon gives a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span> +piquant tang, but is optional. Put in glass +or stone jars, and cover tight, laying a +brandy paper on top.</p> + +<p><i>Cherries Piquant:</i> Wash well, and stem +but do not pit, half a gallon ripe Morello +cherries. Drain well, strew spices well +through them, lay thin sliced lemon on top, +add a dozen whole pepper corns, and a tiny +pod of Cayenne pepper, then pour over a +pint of sharp vinegar, boiled with four +pounds of sugar, and skimmed clean. Let +stand all night, drain off syrup in the +morning, boil up, skim, and pour again +over the fruit. Next day, put all in a kettle, +and cook for fifteen minutes, then put +in glass jars, seal and keep dark. Especially +good with game or any meat highly +seasoned.</p> + +<p><i>Gooseberry Jam Spiced:</i> Wash, and +nub half a gallon of green gooseberries, +picked just before they ripen. Put them +in a kettle with six large cups of sugar, a +cup of water, half a teaspoonful each of +cloves, alspice, mace, grated nutmeg, and +cinnamon, the grated yellow peel of an +orange and the strained juice. Cook<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[197]</a></span> +slowly until thick—it should jelly when +dropped on a plate. Pack in small jars. +One of the very finest accompaniments to +any sort of fowl. By leaving out the +spices, and merely cooking the berries +thick enough to cut like cheese, it is as fine +as <i>bar le duc</i> for serving with salad.</p> + +<p><i>Frozen Cranberry Sauce:</i> (Mrs. R. +Heim.) Gives a new tang to game, roast +turkey, capon or duck. Cook a quart of +cranberries until very soft in one pint +water, strain through coarse <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'seive'">sieve</ins>, getting +all the pulp, add to it one and a half pints +sugar, the juice—strained—of four lemons, +one quart boiling water, bring to a boil, +skim clean, let cool, and freeze rather soft.</p> + +<p>"<i>Apple Sauce Gone To Heaven</i>": Thus +a poet names it, though I, the architect +thereof, insist that it is wholly and beautifully +mundane. To make it, pare eight +firm apples, the higher-flavored the better, +core, drop into cold water, as pared, let +stand till you make the syrup. Take a cup +of sugar to each two apples and a cup of +water to each two cups of sugar. Bring +to a boil, skim, clean twice, then throw in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[198]</a></span> +half a dozen blades of mace, bits of thin +yellow peel from two lemons, a few bits of +stick cinnamon, and one pepper corn—no +more. Stick four cloves in each apple, +drop them in the syrup, which must be on +the bubbling boil. After the apples are in—they +should just cover the pan, add the +strained juice of two lemons. Boil hard +for five minutes, turn over the apples, simmer +till done—they will look clear all +through. Skim out with a perforated +ladle, letting all syrup drain away from +them, arrange in a deepish glass dish, or +pile on a glass platter. Boil the syrup +until it jellies when dropped on a plate, +then dip it by spoonfuls over the apples, +letting it harden as it is dipped.</p> + +<p>Another way, and easier, is to wash and +core the apples, without peeling, stick in +the cloves, put in an earthen or agate baking +dish, add the sugar, water, spices, +cover close, and set in a hot oven. Cook +until the apples are soft through, then uncover, +and crisp a little on top. The peel +will be edible, and the flavor richer than<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[199]</a></span> +when boiled, but the dish is not so decorative.</p> + +<p><i>Spiced Grapes:</i> Wash and drain sound +full-ripe grapes, pick from the stems, then +pop out the grapes singly from the hulls. +Save the hulls and juice. Put the pulp +and seeds over the fire, cook until soft, +strain through a colander to remove the +seed, then add the pulp to the hulls and +juice, put all over the fire, with equal +weight of sugar, and spices to taste. I +like cloves, alspice, mace and cinnamon, all +pounded small, but not powdered. Cook +until thick, take care not to burn, put into +glasses like jelly, and serve with any sort +of meat, or as a sweet.</p> + +<p>Wild grapes washed, picked from stems, +stewed and passed through a colander, +furnish a pulp that is worth sugar, spices +and so on. Cook as directed for vineyard +grapes. By leaving out the most part of +spices, and putting in vinegar, a cupful to +the quart of syrup, the result is a very +piquant jelly, or more properly, fruit +cheese.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[200]</a></span></p> + +<p><i>Sweet-Sour Pears:</i> The pears must be +ripe, but very firm. If large, pare and +quarter, cutting out the core, stick a clove +in each quarter, and drop as pared in cold +ginger tea. If small or medium, wash +instead of paring, take out cores, stick +two cloves in each cavity, pack close in the +kettle and cover when all are in with +strained ginger tea. Boil in the tea fifteen +minutes, until a fork will pierce without +too much exertion. Skim out then, +pack in jars, strewing spices liberally +through, then cover with vinegar boiling +hot, to which you had added a cupful of +sugar for each quart. Let stand twenty-four +hours, drain off, boil, and pour over +again. Do this three times, then put all +in the kettle, bring to a boil, cook five minutes, +and put while hot in clean stone jars.</p> + +<p><i>Spiced Plums:</i> All manner of plums, +even the red wild fruit, make the finest +sort of relishes when cooked properly. +Wash, pick, and weigh, take four pounds +of sugar to five of fruit, with what spices +you choose, never forgetting a tiny pod +of Cayenne pepper, put all over the fire,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span> +let boil slowly, skimming off froth. Stir +with a perforated skimmer—it will take +out the most part of stones. A few stones +left in give a fine bitter almond flavor after +the plums have stood a while. Take care +not to scorch, cook until very thick, then +add strong vinegar, a cupful to the half-gallon +of fruit. Boil three minutes longer, +put hot into well-scalded jars, lay brandy +paper over, or seal with paraffin.</p> + +<p><i>Baked Peaches:</i> Especially fine with +barbecued lamb or roast duck or smothered +chicken. Peel one dozen large, ripe, juicy +peaches, stick two cloves in each, set in an +agate or earthen pan they will just fill, add +two cups sugar, a tablespoonful butter, a +very little water, and a good strewing of +mace and lemon peel. Cover close, and +bake until done. Serve hot. Instead of +butter, a gill of whiskey may be used, putting +it in just before the peaches are taken +up, and letting them stand covered until +the spirit goes through them. So prepared, +they are better cold than warm. +The pits flavor the fruit so delicately they +should never be removed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[202]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 380px;"> +<img src="images/illus-200.png" width="380" height="228" alt="Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>Tomato Layer:</i> Peel and slice a dozen +meaty tomatoes, slice thin six mild onions, +cut the corn from half a dozen large ears, +saving the milk. Cover an earthen baking +dish with a layer of tomatoes, season well +with salt and pepper, also the least suspicion +of sugar. Lay onion slices over, +sprinkle lightly with salt, then add a layer +of corn, seasoning it with salt and a little +sugar. Repeat till the dish is full. Pour +over the corn milk, the tomato juice, and +a heaping tablespoonful of melted butter. +Bake in a hot oven half an hour, covering<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[203]</a></span> +it for twenty minutes, then browning uncovered. +When corn is not in season, very +crisp brown bread crumbs may take its +place. But it should be against the law +to put soft crumbs or any sort of bread +uncrisped, into cooked tomatoes. A green +pepper shredded and mixed through the +layers adds to the flavor—for the devotees +of green peppers.</p> + +<p><i>Corn Pudding:</i> Slit lengthwise the +grains in eight large ears of corn, scrape +out the pulp carefully, saving all milk that +runs. The corn should be full, but not +the least hard—if it has reached the dough +state, the grains will keep shape. Beat +three eggs very light, with half a teaspoonful +salt, a tablespoonful sugar, plenty of +black pepper, and paprika, half a cup of +very soft butter, and half a cup sweet +cream. Add the corn pulp and milk, stir +well together—if too thick, thin with a little +milk. Pour into a pudding dish, cover +and bake ten minutes, then uncover, and +bake until done.</p> + +<p><i>Fried Corn:</i> Fry crisp, half-pound +streaky bacon, take up, and put into the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[204]</a></span> +fat, bubbling hot, eight large ears of corn +cut from the cob, and seasoned with salt +and black pepper. Add also the corn-milk, +stir well together for five minutes, +then put an asbestos mat under the skillet +and let stand till the corn forms a thick +brown crust over the bottom. Pour out, +loosen this crust with a knife, lay on top +the corn, lay on also the crisp bacon, and +serve very hot. A famous breakfast dish +down south all through "Roas'in' ear +time." That is to say, from July to October.</p> + +<p><i>Hulled Corn:</i> Known otherwise as lye +hominy, and samp. Put a pint of clean +strong wood ashes into half a gallon of +water, boil twenty minutes—or until the +water feels slippery. Let settle, drain off +the clear lye, and pour it upon as much +white flint corn, shelled and picked, as it +will cover. Let stand until the hulls on +the grains slip under pressure—commonly +twelve to twenty-four hours. Drain off +lye, cover with cold water, rubbing and +scrubbing the grains between the hands, +till all are free of husks. Soak them in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[205]</a></span> +clear water, changing it every few hours +till no taste of lye remains. Then boil +slowly in three times its bulk of water, +adding a little salt, but not much, until +very tender. A grain should mash between +finger and thumb. Fill up as the +water boils away, and take care not to +scorch. Cool uncovered, and keep cool. +To cook, dip out a dishful, fry it in bubbling +bacon fat as directed for corn. Or +warm in a double boiler, and serve with +butter and sugar or cream and sugar, as +a cereal. Use also as a vegetable the same +as rice or green corn. Hominy pudding, +baked brown, and highly seasoned, helps +out a scant dinner wonderfully, as corn +is the most heating of grains, as well as +one of the most nutritious.</p> + +<p><i>Steamed Potatoes:</i> Wash clean a dozen +well-grown new potatoes, steam until a +fork will pierce, dry in heat five minutes, +then peel, and throw into a skillet, with a +heaping tablespoonful of butter, well-rolled +in flour, half a pint of rich milk, ten +drops onion juice, salt and pepper to taste, +and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[206]</a></span> +The sauce must be bubbling when the potatoes +are put in. Toss them in it for five +minutes, put in deep dish and pour the +gravy over. Serve very hot.</p> + +<p><i>Candied Sweet Potatoes:</i> Boil medium +potatoes of even size, till a fork will pierce—steaming +is better though a bit more +trouble—throw in cold water for a minute, +peel, and brush over with soft butter, then +lay separately in a wide skillet, with an +inch of very rich syrup over the bottom +and set over slow fire. Turn the potatoes +often in the syrup, letting it coat all sides. +Keep turning them until candied and a +little brown. If wanted very rich put butter +and lemon juice in the syrup when making +it. Blade mace also flavors it very +well.</p> + +<p><i>Tipsy Potatoes:</i> Choose rather large +potatoes, peel, and cut across into round +slices about half an inch thick. Pack these +in a baking dish with plenty of sugar, and +butter, mace, yellow lemon peel, pounded +cloves, and a single pepper corn. Add +half a cup boiling water, cover and bake +till a fork pierces, then uncover, add a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[207]</a></span> +glass of rum, and keep hot, but not too +hot, until serving time. Or you can use +half a pint of claret, instead of the boiling +water. Still another way, is to mix a glass +of sherry with a spoonful of cream, and +add it to the dish five minutes before it +goes to table. Sweet cider can take the +place of wine. So can lemon or orange +juice. But to my thinking, the Demon +Rum, or his elder brother whiskey, is best +of all.</p> + +<p><i>Left-over Sweet Potatoes:</i> Peel, slice +thick, dip in melted butter, roll in sugar +well seasoned with grated lemon peel, +and nutmeg, lay in a pan so as not to +touch and make very hot in the oven. +This last estate is always better than the +first.</p> + +<p><i>Potato Balls:</i> Mash boiled or baked +sweet potatoes smooth, seasoning them +well with salt, pepper, cinnamon, a little +nutmeg, and melted butter. Bind with a +well-beaten egg, flour the hands, and roll +the mashed potato into balls the size of +large walnuts. Roll the balls in fine +crumbs or sifted cornmeal, drop in deep<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[208]</a></span> +hot fat, fry crisp, drain, and use as a garnish +to roast pork, roast fowl, or broiled +ham.</p> + +<p><i>Bananas:</i> Bananas are far too unfamiliar +in the kitchen. They can be cooked +fifty ways—and in each be found excellent. +The very best way I have yet found, is to +peel, slice in half, lengthwise, lay in a dish +with a cover, shake sugar over, add a little +mace, lemon juice, lemon peel, and melted +butter, then bake until soft—seven to fifteen +minutes in a hot oven, according to +the quantity in the dish. Or peel and +slice, leave unseasoned, and lay in the pan +bacon has been cooked in, first pouring +away most of the fat. Cook five minutes +in a hot oven, and send to table with hot +bread, crisp bacon and coffee for breakfast. +A thick slice of banana, along with +a thick slice of tart apple, both very lightly +seasoned, makes a fine stuffing for squabs. +Half a banana delicately baked, and laid +on a well-browned chop adds to looks and +flavor.</p> + +<p><i>Baking Vegetables:</i> Paper bags taught +me the ease and value of cooking vegetables<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[209]</a></span> +in the oven rather than on top the +stove. Less care is required, less water, +rather less heat. Peas and lima beans, for +example, after shelling, should be well +washed, put in a pan with salt, seasoning +and a little water, covered close, and baked +in a hot oven half an hour to an hour. +Green corn is never so well cooked, outside +a paper bag, as by laying it on a rack +in a covered pan, putting a little water +underneath, covering close and setting the +pan for nine minutes in a hot oven. It +is sweeter and richer than even when put +in cold unsalted water, brought to a boil, +cooked one minute, then taken up. But +however heat is applied, long cooking ruins +it. Cook till the milk is set—not a second +longer. Green peas should have several +tender mint leaves put in with them, also +sugar in proportion of a teaspoonful to +half a pint of shelled peas. Lima beans +are better flavored if the butter is put with +them along with the water. Use only +enough to make steam—say two tablespoonfuls +to a fair-sized pan. Spinach +and beet greens also bake well, but require<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[210]</a></span> +more water. Leave out salt, adding it +after draining and chopping them. They +take twenty to thirty minutes, according +to age.</p> + +<p>All manner of fruits, berries in especial, +cook finely in the oven. Put in earthen +or agate ware, with sugar, spices and a +little water, cover close and cook half to +three quarters of an hour, according to +bulk. Uncover then—if done take up, if +not let cook uncovered as long as needed. +Set the baking dishes always on rack or +a grid-shelf, never on the oven bottom nor +solid metal. Thus the danger of burning +is minimized, also the need of stirring.</p> + +<p>For <i>cauliflower au gratin</i>, cut the head +into florets, lay them compactly in the +baking dish, add a little water, with salt, +pepper and butter. Bake covered until +tender, then shake over the grated cheese, +and set back in the oven three to five minutes. +Tomatoes, peeled and whole except +for cutting out the eyes, baked in a dish +with a liberal seasoning of salt, pepper, +and butter, a strewing of sugar and a little +onion juice, look and taste wholly unlike<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[211]</a></span> +stewed tomatoes, common or garden +variety.</p> + +<p><i>Boiling with Bacon:</i> Get a pound of +streaky bacon, cut square if possible, +scrape and wash clean, put on in plenty +of water, with a young onion, a little thyme +and parsley, bring to a quick boil, throw +in cold water, skim the pot clean, then let +stand simmering for two to three hours. +Add to it either greens—mustard, turnip, +or dandelion or field salad, well washed +and picked, let cook till very tender, then +skim out, drain in a colander, lay in a +hot dish with the square of bacon on top. +Here is the foundation of a hearty and +wholesome meal. The bacon by long boiling +is in a measure emulsified, and calculated +to nourish the most delicate stomach +rather than to upset it. Serve two thin +slices of it with each helping of greens. +You should have plenty of Cayenne vinegar, +very hot and sharp, hot corn bread, +and cider or beer, to go along with it.</p> + +<p>String beans, known to the south country +as snaps, never come fully to their own, +unless thus cooked with bacon. Even pork<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[212]</a></span> +does not answer, though that is far and +away better than boiling and buttering or +flooding with milk sauces. It is the same +with cabbage. Wash well, halve or quarter, +boil until very tender, drain and serve. +Better cook as many as the pot will hold +and the bacon season, since fried cabbage, +which is chopped fine, and tossed in +bacon fat with a seasoning of pepper, salt +and vinegar, helps out wonderfully for +either breakfast, luncheon or supper. +Never throw away proper pot-liquor—it +is a good and cheap substitute for soup on +cold days. Heat, and drop into it crisp +bread-crusts—if they are corn bread crusts +made very brown, all the better. Pioneer +folk throve on pot-liquor to such an extent +they had a saying that it was sinful to +have too much—pot-liquor and buttermilk +at the same meal.</p> + +<p><i>Fruit Desserts:</i> Fruits have affinities +the same as human beings. Witness the +excellent agreement of grape fruit and +rum. Nothing else, not the finest liqueur, +so brings out the flavor. But there are +other fruits which, conjoined to the grape<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[213]</a></span> +fruit, make it more than ever delicious. +Strawberries for example. They must be +fine and ripe. Wash well, pick, wash again, +halve if very large, and mix well in a bowl +with grape fruit pulp, freed of skin and +seed, and broken to berry size. Add sugar +in layers, then pour over a tumbler of rum, +let stand six hours on ice, and serve with +or without cream.</p> + +<p>Strawberries mixed with ripe fresh pineapple, +cut to berry size, and well sweetened, +are worthy of sherry, the best in +the cellar, and rather dry than sweet. +Mixed with thin sliced oranges and bananas, +use sound claret—but do not put +it on until just before serving—let the +mixed fruits stand only in sugar. Strawberries +alone, go very well with claret and +sugar—adding cream if you like. Cream, +lightly sweetened, flavored with sherry or +rum, or a liqueur, and whipped, gives the +last touch of perfection to a dessert of +mixed fruit, or to wine jelly, or a cup of +after-dinner coffee, or afternoon chocolate.</p> + +<p>A peach's first choice is brandy—it +must be real, therefore costly. Good whiskey<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[214]</a></span> +answers, so does rum fairly. A good +liqueur is better. Sherry blends well if the +fruit is very ripe and juicy. Peel and +slice six hours before serving, pack down +in sugar, add the liqueur, and let stand +on ice until needed. Peaches cut small, +mixed with California grapes, skinned +and seeded, also with grape fruit pulp +broken small, and drowned in sherry syrup, +are surprisingly good. Make the sherry +syrup by three parts filling a glass jar +with the best lump sugar, pouring on it +rather more wine than will cover it, adding +the strained juice of a lemon, or orange, +a few shreds of yellow peel, and a blade +of mace, then setting in sunshine until the +sugar dissolves. It should be almost like +honey—no other sweetening is needed. A +spoonful in after-dinner coffee makes it +another beverage—just as a syrup made in +the same way from rum, sugar and lemon +juice, glorifies afternoon tea.</p> + +<p>White grapes halved and seeded mixed +with bananas cut small, and orange pulp, +well sweetened and topped with whipped +cream, either natural or "laced" with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[215]</a></span> +sherry, make another easy dessert. Serve +in tall footed glasses, set on your finest +doilies in your prettiest plates. Lay a +flower or a gay candy upon the plate—it +adds enormously to the festive effect and +very little to the trouble.</p> + +<p>A spoonful of rich wine jelly, laid upon +any sort of fresh fruit, to my thinking, +makes it much better. Cream can be +added also—but I do not care for it—indeed +do not taste it, nor things creamed. +Ripe, juicy cherries, pitted and mixed +equally with banana cubes, then sweetened, +make a dessert my soul loves to recall. +Not caring to eat them I never make ice +cream, frozen puddings, <i>mousses</i>, sherbets, +nor many of the gelatine desserts. Hence +I have experimented rather widely in the +kingdom of fruits. This book is throughout +very largely a record of experience—I +hope it may have the more value +through being special rather than universal.</p> + +<p><i>Sandwiches:</i> In sandwich making mind +your <i>S's</i>. That is to say, have your knife +sharp, your bread stale, your butter soft.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[216]</a></span> +Moreover the bread must be specially made—fine +grained, firm, not crumbly, nor ragged. +Cut off crusts for ordinary sandwiches—but +if shaping them with cutters +let it stay. Then you can cut to the paper-thinness +requisite—otherwise that is impossible. +Work at a roomy table spread +with a clean old tablecloth over which put +sheets of clean, thick paper. Do your cutting +on the papered surface—thus you save +either turning your knife edges against +a platter or sorely gashing even an old +cloth. Keep fancy cutters all together and +ready to your hand. Shape one kind of +sandwiches all the same—thus you distinguish +them easily. Make as many as your +paper space will hold, before stamping out +any—this saves time and strength. Clear +away the fragments from one making, before +beginning another sort, thus avoiding +possible taints and confusion. Lay your +made sandwiches on a platter under a dry +cloth with a double damp one on top of it. +They will not dry out, and it is much +easier than wrapping in oiled paper.</p> + +<p>The nearer fillings approach the consistency<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[217]</a></span> +of soft butter, the better. In making +sardine sandwiches, boil the eggs hard, +mash the yolks smooth while hot, softening +them with either butter or salad dressing—French +dressing of course. It is best +made with lemon juice and very sharp +vinegar for such use. Work into the eggs, +the sardines freed of skin and bone after +draining well, and mashed as fine as possible. +A little of their oil may be added +if the flavor is liked. But lemon juice is +better. Rub the mixture smooth with the +back of a stout wooden spoon, and pack +close in a bowl so it shall not harden.</p> + +<p>Pimento cheese needs to be softened +with French dressing, until like creamed +butter. The finer the pimento is ground +the better. Spread evenly upon the buttered +bread, lay other buttered bread upon +it, and pile square. When the pile gets +high enough, cut through into triangles +or finger shapes, and lay under the damp +cloth. Slice Swiss cheese very thin with +a sharp knife, season lightly with salt and +paprika, and lay between the buttered +slices. Lettuce dressed with oil and lemon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[218]</a></span> +juice and lightly sprinkled with Parmesan +cheese makes a refreshing afternoon sandwich. +Ham needs to be ground fine—it +must be boiled well of course—seasoned +lightly with made mustard, pepper, and +lemon juice, softened a bit with clear oil +or butter, and spread thin. Tongue must +be treated the same way, else boiled very, +very tender, skinned before slicing, and +sliced paper-thin. Rounds of it inside +shaped sandwiches are likely to surprise—and +please—masculine palates.</p> + +<p>For the shaped sandwich—leaf or star, +or heart, or crescent, is the happy home, +generally, of all the fifty-seven varieties +of fancy sandwich fillings, sweet and sour, +mushy and squshy, which make an honest +mouthful of natural flavor, a thing of joy. +Yet this is not saying novelty in sandwiches +is undesirable. Contrariwise it is +welcome as summer rain. In witness, here +is a filling from the far Philippines, which +albeit I have not tried it out yet, sounds +to me enticing, and has further the vouching +of a cook most excellent. Grate fine +as much Edam or pineapple cheese as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span> +requisite, season well with paprika, add +a few grains of black pepper, wet with +sherry to the consistency of cream, and +spread between buttered bread. If it is +nut bread so much the better. Nut bread +is made thus.</p> + +<p><i>Nut Bread for Sandwiches:</i> (Mrs. +Petre.) Beat two eggs very light, with a +scant teaspoonful salt, half cup sugar, and +two cups milk. Sift four cups flour twice +with four teaspoonfuls baking powder. +Mix with eggs and milk, stir smooth, add +one cup nuts finely chopped, let raise for +twenty minutes, in a double pan, and bake +in a moderately quick oven. Do not try +to slice until perfectly cold—better wait +till next day, keeping the bread where it +will not dry out. Slice very thin, after +buttering. Makes sandwiches of special +excellence with any sort of good filling.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[220]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-218.png" width="400" height="152" alt="Pickles, Preserves, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Pickles, Preserves, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate</span> +</div> + + +<p><i>Brine for Pickling:</i> Use rain water if +possible and regular picking salt—it is +coarse and much stronger than cooking +salt. Lacking rain water, soften other +water by dissolving in it the day beforehand, +a pinch of washing soda—this neutralizes +largely the mineral contents. Put +over the fire in a deep, clean kettle, bring +to a boil, put in salt—a pint to the gallon +of water is the usual proportion. Boil and +skim, add a pinch of saltpeter and tablespoonful +of sugar for each pint of salt—the +pinches must not be large. Add +also six whole cloves for each gallon. +Take from fire, let cool, drop in an egg—it<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[221]</a></span> +should float to show the size of a +quarter of a dollar. Otherwise the brine +needs more salt. Dissolve a pint extra in +as little water as suffices, and add to the +brine, then test again. Put the brine when +cold into a clean, roomy vessel, a keg or +barrel, else a big stone crock. It should +not quite half fill it. Provide a heading +that will float upon it, also a light weight +to keep the heading on the pickles when +put in, and hold them under the brine. +Unless so held the uppermost rot, and spoil +the lot. Mold will gather around the +head in spite of the cloves, but less than +without them. Whenever you put in fresh +pickles, take out the head, wash and scald, +dry, and return to place.</p> + +<p>Anything edible will make pickle—still +there are many things better kept out +of the brine. Cabbage and cauliflower +for example do not need it—green tomatoes, +onions, and Jerusalem artichokes +are likewise taboo. The artichokes make +good pickle, but it must be made all +at once. Cut anything intended for the +brine with a bit of stalk, and without<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[222]</a></span> +bruising the stalk. Cucumbers should be +small, and even in size, gherkins about +half grown, string beans, three parts +grown, crook-neck squash very small and +tender, green peppers for mangoes, full +grown but not turning, muskmelons for +other mangoes three parts grown. Wash +clean or wipe with a damp cloth. Cut +pickles in early morning, so they may be +fresh and crisp. Never put in any wilted +bit—thereby you invite decay.</p> + +<p>Watermelon rind makes fine pickle, +sweet and sour—also citron, queen of all +home made preserves. It must be fairly +thick, sound and unbruised. The Rattle +Snake melon has a good rind for such +uses. The finer flavored and thinner-rinded +varieties that come to market, are +rarely worth cutting up. The cutting up +is a bit tedious. The rind must be cut +in strips rather more than an inch wide +and three to five inches long, then trimmed +on each side, free of green outer skin, +and all trace of the soft inside. There +will remain less than half an inch thickness +of firm pale green tissue with potentialities<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span> +of delight—if you know how +to bring them out.</p> + +<p>Firm clingstone peaches not fully ripe, +can be put in the brine—they had better, +however, be pickled without it. For whatever +is put in, and saved by salt, must be +freed of the salt by long soaking before +it is fit to eat. The soaking process is the +same for everything—take from brine, +wash clean in tepid water, put to soak in +cold water with something on top to hold +the pickles down. Change water twice the +first day, afterward every day, until it has +not the least salt taste.</p> + +<p>You can make pickle by soaking in brine +three days, then washing clean, putting +over the fire in clear water, bringing to +scalding heat, then pouring off the water, +covering with vinegar, and bringing just +to a boil. Drain away this vinegar, which +has served its turn, pack down the pickles +in a jar, seasoning them well with mixed +spices, whole, not in powder, covering with +fresh, hot vinegar, letting cool uncovered, +then tieing down, and keep dark and cool.</p> + +<p><i>Watermelon Rind Pickle:</i> Scald the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[224]</a></span> +soaked rind in strong ginger tea, let stand +two minutes barely simmering, then skim +out, lay in another kettle, putting in equal +quantities of cloves, mace, alspice, and cinnamon, +half as much grated nutmeg, the +same of whole pepper corns, several pods +of Cayenne pepper, white mustard and +celery seed, covering with cider vinegar, +the only sort that will keep pickles well, +bringing just to the boil, then putting down +hot in jars, tying down after cooling, and +setting in a dark, cool, airy place.</p> + +<p>For sweet pickle, prepare and season, +then to each pint of vinegar put one and a +half pounds of sugar, boil together one +minute, stirring well, and skimming clean, +then pour over rind and spices, keep hot +for ten minutes without boiling, then put +into jars. If wanted only a little sweet, +use but half a pound of sugar.</p> + +<p><i>Mangoes:</i> Either green peppers or +young melons will serve as a foundation—epicures +rather preferring the peppers. +After making thoroughly fresh, cut out +the stems from the peppers, removing and +throwing away the seed but saving the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[225]</a></span> +stems. Cut a section from the side of each +melon, and remove everything inside. Fit +back stems, sections, etc., then pack in a +kettle in layers with fresh grape leaves +between, add a bit of alum as big as the +thumb's end, cover all with strong, cold +vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer gently +for twenty minutes. Let stand in vinegar +two or three days, throwing away the +leaves. Take out, rinse and drain. To stuff +four dozen, bruise, soak, cut small and dry, +half a pound of race ginger, add half a pint +each black and white mustard seed, mace, +allspice, Turmeric, black pepper, each +half an ounce, beat all together to a rather +fine powder, add a dash of garlic, and mix +smooth in half a cup of salad oil. Chop +very fine a small head of firm but tender +cabbage, three fine hearts of celery, half a +dozen small pickled cucumbers, half a pint +small onions, a large, sweet red pepper, +finely shredded, add a teaspoonful sugar, +a tablespoonful of brandy, or dry sherry, +the mixed spices, work all well together, +stuff the mangoes neatly, sew up with soft +thread or tie about with very narrow tape,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[226]</a></span> +pack down in stone jars, cover with the +best cold vinegar, pour a film of salad oil +on top, tie down and let stand two months. +If wanted sweetish, add moist sugar to the +vinegar, a pound to the gallon. Mangoes +are for men in the general—and men like +things hot and sour.</p> + +<p><i>Walnut Pickle:</i> Gather white walnuts +in June—they must be tender enough to +cut with the finger nail. Wash, drain and +pack down in jars smothered in salt. Let +stand a fortnight, drain off the resultant +brine then, scald the nuts in strong vinegar, +let stand hot, but not boiling, for +twenty minutes, then drain, and pack in +jars, putting between the layers, a mixture +of cloves, alspice, black and red +pepper, in equal quantity, with half as +much mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. +Strew in a very little salt, and a little more +sugar. Mix mustard and celery seed in +a cup of salad oil, and add to the jars, +after the nuts are in. Scald strong cider +vinegar, skim clean, let cool, pour over +the prepared nuts, film with oil on top. +Leave open for two days—if the vinegar<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[227]</a></span> +sinks through absorption, fill up the jars. +Paste paper over mouths, tie down securely, +and set in a cool place until next +year. It takes twelve months for pickled +walnuts fully to "find themselves."</p> + +<p><i>Preserving Fruit:</i> Peaches, pears, +plums, or cherries, the process is much the +same. Use the finest fruit, ripe but not +over-ripe. There is no greater waste of +strength, time, and sugar, than in preserving +tasteless, inferior fruit. Pare peaches +and drop instantly in water to save discoloration. +Do the same with pears, pit +cherries, saving the juice. Wash and +prick plums if large—if small, merely +wash and drain. Halve clear stone peaches +but put in a few seeds for the flavor. +Leave clingstones on the seed, unless very +large, else saw them in three, across the +stones. They make less handsome preserves +thus sawn but of finer flavor. +Weigh, take pound for pound of sugar, +with a pound over for the kettle. Very +acid fruit, cherries or gooseberries, will +require six pounds of sugar to four of +fruit. Pack pears and peaches after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[228]</a></span> +paring in the sugar over night. Drain +off the syrup at morning, put the fruit +in the kettle, cover with strained ginger +tea, and simmer for ten minutes. Meantime +cook the sugar and fruit juice in +another kettle. Drop the fruit hot in +the boiling syrup, set the kettle in a hot +oven, and let it cook there until the preserves +are done—the fruit clear, and the +syrup thick. If it is not rich enough, +skim out the fruit, and reduce the syrup +by rapid boiling, then pour over the hot +fruit in jars.</p> + +<p>It is only by cooking thus in ginger tea, +or plain water, pear and quince preserves +can be made soft. Quinces do not need +to stand overnight in sugar—rather heat +the sugar, and put it in the liquid they have +been boiled in, after skimming out the +fruit. It should be cooked without sugar +till a fork easily pierces it, but not until +it begins to rag.</p> + +<p>Put cherry juice and sugar over the fire, +adding a little water if juice is scant, boil +up, stirring well and skimming clean, then +put in the fruit, and let it simmer ten<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[229]</a></span> +minutes, and finish by setting the kettle in +the oven till the preserves are rich and +thick.</p> + +<p>Fancy peach preserves require white, +juicy fruit cut up, but not too thin. Let +it stand in sugar overnight—drain off +syrup in morning, boil, skim clean, then +drop in fruit a handful at a time, and cook +till clear. Skim out, put in more, lay +cooked fruit on platters, and set under +glass in sun. Sun all day. Next day +boil syrup a little more, drop in fruit, heat +through, then put all in clear glass jars, +and set for ten days in hot sunshine, covered +close. The fruit should be a rich +translucent pink, the syrup as rich as +honey, and a little lighter pink. These are +much handsomer than the gingered peaches +but not so good. Ginger tea in syrup +makes it always darker.</p> + +<p>Plums require nothing extra in the way +of flavoring. Make a very thick syrup +of the sugar and a little water, skim clean, +drop in the pricked plums, and cook gently +till clear. Skim out, reduce the syrup by +further boiling and pour it over the fruit,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[230]</a></span> +packed in jars. By oven-cooking after a +good boil up, there is so little occasion for +stirring, the plums are left almost entirely +whole.</p> + +<p><i>Ginger Pears:</i> (Leslie Fox.) Four +pounds pears peeled and cut small, four +pounds granulated sugar, juice of four +lemons, and the grated peel of two, two +ounces preserved ginger cut very fine. +Cook all together over a slow fire until +thick and rich—it should make a firm jelly. +Put away in glass with brandy paper on +top the same as other preserves.</p> + +<p><i>Tutti Frutti:</i> (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) +Begin by getting a big wide-mouthed jar, +either thoroughly glazed earthenware, or +thick, dark glass. Wash well, fill with hot +water, add a half-pound washing soda, and +let stand a day. Empty, rinse three +times, and wipe dry. Thus you make end +to potential molds and microbes. Do this +in early spring. Put into the jar, a quart +of good brandy and a tablespoonful of +mixed spices—any your taste approves, +also a little finely shredded yellow peel of +lemons and oranges. Wash well and hull<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[231]</a></span> +a quart of fine ripe strawberries, add them +with their own weight in sugar to the +brandy, let stand till raspberries and +cherries are ripe, then put in a quart of +each, along with their weight in sugar. +Do this with all fruit as it comes in season—forced +fruit, or that shipped long +distances has not enough flavor. Add +grapes, halved and seeded, gooseberries, +nibbed and washed, blackberries, peaches +pared and quartered. Currants are best +left out, but by no means slight plums. +The big meaty sorts are best. Add as +much sugar as fruit, and from time to +time more brandy—there must be always +enough to stand well above the fruit. Add +spices also as the jar grows, and if almond +flavor is approved, kernels of all the stone +fruit, well blanched. Lay on a saucer or +small plate, when the jar is full, to hold +the fruit well under the liquor. Tie down, +and leave standing for three months. +Fine for almost any use—especially to +sauce mild puddings.</p> + +<p><i>Green Tomato Preserves:</i> Take medium +size tomatoes, smooth, even, meaty,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[232]</a></span> +just on the point of turning but still green. +Pare very carefully with a sharp knife. +Cut out eyes, taking care not to cut into +a seed cavity. Weigh—to four pounds +fruit take six of sugar. Lay the peeled +tomatoes in clear lime water for an hour, +take out, rinse, and simmer for ten minutes +in strained ginger tea. Make a syrup +in another kettle, putting half a cup water +to the pound of sugar. Skim clean, put +in the tomatoes, add the strained juice of +lemons—three for a large kettle full, and +simmer for two hours, until the fruit is +clear. Cut the lemon rind in strips, boil +tender in strong salt water, then boil fresh +in clear water, and add to the syrup. +Simmer all together for another hour, then +skim out the fruit, boil the syrup to the +thickness of honey, and pour over the tomatoes +after putting them in jars. It +ought to be very clear, and the tomatoes +a pale, clear green. Among the handsomest +of all preserves, also the most delicious, +once you get the hang of making them. +Ripe yellow tomatoes are preserved the +same way, except that they are scalded for<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[233]</a></span> +peeling, and hardened by dropping in alum +water after their lime-water bath. The +same process applied to watermelon rind +after it is freshened makes citron.</p> + +<p><i>Brandy Peaches and Pears:</i> These can +be made without cooking. Choose ripe, +perfect fruit, pare, stick three cloves in +each, weigh, take pound for pound of sugar +with one over for the jar. Pack down in +a large jar, putting spices between, and +filling sugar into every crevice. Crowd in +every bit possible, then pour on enough +whiskey to stand an inch above the fruit. +Let stand—in <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'twenty four'">twenty-four</ins> hours more +whiskey will be needed. Fill up, sprinkle +a few more whole cloves on top, also two +small pods of Cayenne pepper, and half +a dozen pepper corns. Tie down and keep +cool. Fit for use in a fortnight, and of +fine keeping quality. The same treatment +with vinegar in place of whiskey makes +very good sweet pickle.</p> + +<p>Another way, is to pack the fruit in +sugar over night, drain off the juice at +morning, boil and skim it, and pour back +upon the fruit. Repeat twice—the third<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[234]</a></span> +time put everything in the kettle, cook till +a fork will pierce the fruit, then pack in +jars, adding spices to taste, and one fourth +as much whiskey as there is fruit and +syrup. This likewise can be turned into +very rich sweet pickle, by using vinegar +instead of whiskey, putting it with the +syrup at first boiling, sticking cloves in +the fruit, and adding spices to taste.</p> + +<p>Throw stemmed and washed cherries, +unpitted, into thick syrup made of their +weight in sugar with half a cup water to +the pound. Let boil, set in oven for half +an hour, take up, add spices, and either +brandy or vinegar, in the proportion of +one to three. Let stand uncovered to cool, +put in jars, cover with brandy paper, tie +down and keep dark and cool.</p> + +<p><i>Tea: Coffee: Chocolate:</i> My tea-making +is unorthodox, but people like to +drink the brew. Bring fresh water to a +bubbling boil in a clean, wide kettle, throw +in the tea—a tablespoonful to the gallon +of water, let boil just one minute, then +strain from the leaves into a pot that has +stood for five minutes full of freshly boiled<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[235]</a></span> +water, and that is instantly wrapped about +with a thick napkin, so it shall not cool. +Serve in tall glasses with rum and lemon, +or with sherry syrup, flavored with lemon, +add a Maraschino cherry or so, or a tiny +bit of ginger-flavored citron. This for the +unorthodox. Those who are orthodox can +have cream either whipped or plain, with +rock candy crystals instead of sugar.</p> + +<p>Coffee to be absolutely perfect should +never get cold betwixt the beginning of +roasting and the end of drinking. Since +that is out of the question save to Grand +Turks and faddists, mere mortals must +make shift with coffee freshly ground, put +in a very clean pot, with the least suspicion +of salt—about six fine grains to the +cupful, fresh cold water, in the proportion +of three cupfuls to two heaping spoonfuls +of ground coffee, then the pot set where +it will take twenty minutes to boil, and so +carefully watched it can not possibly boil +over. Boiling over ruins it—makes it flat, +bitter, aroma-less. So does long boiling—one +minute, no more, is the longest boiling +time. Quick boiling is as bad—the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[236]</a></span> +water has not time to extract the real goodness +of the coffee. Let stand five minutes +to clear, keeping hot. Those who drink +coffee half milk may like it stronger—a +cupful of water to the heaping spoonful +of coffee. I do not thus abuse one of the +crowning mercies, so make my coffee the +strength I like to drink it. Reducing with +boiling water spoils the taste for me. So +does pouring into another pot—my silver +pot is used only upon occasions when ceremony +must outweigh hospitality. In very +cold weather hot water may well warm cups +both for tea and coffee. Standing on the +grounds does not spoil the flavor of coffee +as it does tea.</p> + +<p>Coffee from the original pot is quite another +affair from the same thing shifted. +I am firmly of opinion that many a patent +coffee-maker has gone on to success +through the fact that cups were filled directly +from the urn. I always feel that +I taste my coffee mostly with my nose—nothing +refreshes me like the clean, keen +fragrance of it—especially after broken +rest. It is idle to talk as so many<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[237]</a></span> +authorities do, of using "Java and Mocha +blended." All the real Java and Mocha +in the world is snapped up, long before it +filters down to the average level. Back in +the Dark Ages of my childhood, I knew +experimentally real Java—we got it by the +sack-full straight from New Orleans—and +called the Rio coffee used by many of our +neighbors "Seed tick coffee," imagining +its flavor was like the smell of those pests. +Nowadays, Rio coffee has pretty well +the whole world for its parish. Wherefore +the best one can do, is to get it +sound, well roasted, and as fresh as may +be. Much as I love and practice home +preparation, I am willing to let the Trust +or who will, roast my coffee. Roasting is +parlous work, hot, tedious, and tiresome, +also mighty apt to result in scorching +if not burning. One last caution—never +meddle with the salt unless sure your hand +is light, your memory so trustworthy you +will not put it in twice.</p> + +<p>Chocolate spells milk, and cream, and +trouble, hence I make it only on occasions +of high state. Yet—I am said to make<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[238]</a></span> +it well. Perhaps the secret lies in the +brandy—a scant teaspoonful for each cake +of chocolate grated. Put in a bowl after +grating, add the brandy, stir about, then +add enough hot water to dissolve smoothly, +and stir into a quart of rich milk, just +brought to a boil. Add six lumps of sugar, +stir till dissolved, pour into your pot, +which must have held boiling water for +five minutes previously, and serve in heated +cups, with or without whipped cream on +top. There is no taste of the brandy—it +appears merely to give a smoothness to +the blending. If the chocolate is too rich, +half-fill cups with boiling water, then pour +in the chocolate. There are brands of +chocolate which can be made wholly of +water—they will serve at a pinch, but are +not to be named with the real thing. Cocoa +I have never made, therefore say nothing +about its making. Like Harry Percy's +wife, in cooking at least, I "never tell that +which I do not know."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[239]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 400px;"> +<img src="images/illus-237.png" width="400" height="180" alt="When the Orchards "Hit"" title="" /> +<span class="caption">When the Orchards "Hit"</span> +</div> + + +<p>When the peach orchard "hit" it meant +joy to the plantation. Peaches had so +many charms—and there were so many +ways of stretching the charms on through +winter scarcity. Peach drying was in a +sort, a festival, especially if there were a +kiln, which made one independent of the +weather. It took many hands wielding +many sharp knives in fair fruit to keep +a kiln of fair size running regularly. This +though it were no more than a thing of +flat stones and clean clay mud, with paper +laid over the mud, and renewed periodically. +There was a shed roof, over the kiln, +which sat commonly in the edge of the +orchard. Black Daddy tended the firing—with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[240]</a></span> +a couple of active lads to cut and +fetch wood, what time they were not fetching +in great baskets of peaches.</p> + +<p>Yellow peaches, not too ripe but full flavored, +made the lightest and sweetest dried +fruit. And clingstones were ever so much +better for drying than the clear-seed sorts. +Some folk took off the peach fuzz with lye—they +did not, I think, save trouble +thereby, and certainly lost somewhat in +the flavor of their fruit. Mammy was a +past mistress of cutting "cups." That is +to say, half-peaches, with only the seed +deftly removed. She sat with the biggest +bread tray upon her well cushioned knees, +in the midst of the peelers, who as they +peeled, dropped their peaches into the tray.</p> + +<p>When it over-ran with cups, somebody +slimmer and suppler, took it away, and +spread the cut fruit, just touching, all +over the hot kiln. It must not be too hot—just +so you couldn't bear the back of your +hand to it was about right. Daddy kept +the temperature even, by thrusting into +the flues underneath it, long sticks of green +wood, kindled well at the flue-mouths.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[241]</a></span> +Cups shrank mightily in a little while—you +could push of an early trayful till it would +no more than cover space the size of a +big dish, long before dinner time—in other +words twelve o'clock—drying was in full +blast by seven. With fruit in gluts, and +dropping fast, the kiln was supplemented +by scaffolds. Clean planks laid upon trestles, +and set in full sunshine, gave excellent +accounts of themselves. This of course +if the sun shone steadily—in showery +weather scaffold-drying was no end of +trouble. Weather permitting, it made—it +still makes—the finest and most flavorous +dried fruit ever eaten.</p> + +<p>The black people chose clear-seed +peaches for their individual drying. They +made merry over splitting the fruit, and +placing it, sitting out in front of their +cabins in the moonshine, or by torch-light. +Washing was all they gave the peach outsides—a +little thing like a fuzzy rind their +palates did not object to. It was just as +well, since clear-seed fruit, peeled, shrinks +unconscionably—to small scrawny knots, +inclined to be sticky—though it is but just<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[242]</a></span> +to add, that in cooking, it comes back to +almost its original succulence. When the +peach-cutting was done, there was commonly +a watermelon feast. Especially at +Mammy's house—Daddy's watermelons +were famed throughout the county. He +gave seed of them sparingly, and if the +truth must be told, rather grudgingly—but +nobody ever brought melons to quite his +pitch of perfection. Possibly because he +planted for the most part, beside rotting +stumps in the new ground, where the earth +had to be kept light and clean for tobacco, +and where the vines got somewhat of shade, +and the roots fed fat upon the richness of +virgin soil.</p> + +<p>It took eight bushels of ripe fruit, to +make one of dry—this when the peaches +were big and fleshy. Small, seedy sorts +demanded ten bushels for one. Unpeeled, +the ratio fell to seven for one. But there +was seldom any lack of fruit—beside the +orchard, there were trees up and down +all the static fence rows—the corner of +a worm fence furnishing an ideal seat. +Further, every field boasted trees, self-planted,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[243]</a></span> +sprung from chance seed vagrantly +cast. These volunteer trees often +had the very best fruit—perhaps because +only peaches of superior excellence had +been worth carrying a-field. Tilth also +helped—the field trees bent and often +broke under their fruity burdens. It was +only when late frosts made half or three +parts of the young fruit drop, that we knew +how fine and beautiful these field peaches +could be. Our trees, being all seedlings, +were in a degree, immortelles. Branches, +even trunks might bend and break, but the +seminal roots sent up new shoots next season, +which in another year, bore fruit scantily. +Still, these renewals never gave quite +such perfect fruit as grew upon vigorous +young trees, just come to full bearing.</p> + +<p>Here or there a plantation owner like my +starch and stately grandfather, turned surplus +peaches into brandy. In that happy +time excise was—only a word in the dictionary, +so the yield of certain trees, very +free-bearing, of small, deep, red, clear-seed +fruit, was allowed to get dead-ripe +on the trees, then mashed to a pulp in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[244]</a></span> +cider trough, and put into stands to ferment, +then duly distilled. Barrelled, after +two years in the lumber house, it was +racked into clean barrels, and some part +of it converted into "peach and honey," +the favorite gentleman's tipple. Strained +honey was mixed with the brandy in varying +proportions—the amount depending +somewhat upon individual tastes. Some +used one measure of honey to three of +brandy, others put one to two, still others, +half and half, qualifying the sweetness by +adding neat brandy at the time of drinking. +Peach and honey was kept properly in +stone jugs or in demijohns, improved +mightily with age, and was, at its best, +to the last degree insidious. Newly mixed +it was heady, but after a year or more, +as smooth as oil, and as mellow. The +honey had something to do with final excellence. +That which the bees gathered +from wild raspberries in flower, being very +clear, light-colored and fine-flavored, was +in especial request.</p> + +<p>I think these peaches of the brandy orchards +traced back to those the Indians,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[245]</a></span> +Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees, planted +in the mountain valleys of Georgia, North +Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They +got the seed from early Spaniard voyagers +to Florida. There was indeed a special +Indian peach, as dark-skinned as its namesake, +blood-red inside and out, very sweet +and full of juice, if permitted to ripen +fully—but as ill-tasting almost as a green +persimmon, if unripe. There were clearstone +and clingstone sorts, and one tree +differed from another in glory of flavor, +even as one star. That was the charm of +our seedlings—which had further a distinction +of flavor no commercial fruit ever yet +owned.</p> + +<p>August peaches were for drying—in +September, early, came the Heaths, for +preserves, brandy fruit, and so on. October +peaches, nearly all clear-seed, made +the finest peach butter. Understand, in +those days, canning, known as "hermetic +sealing," was still a laboratory process. +I wonder if anybody else recalls, as I do, +the first editions of fruit cans? They were +of tin, tall and straight, with a flaring upstanding<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[246]</a></span> +tin ruffle around the tops. The +ruffle was for holding the sealing wax, into +which the edge of the tin top was thrust. +They did not last long—pretty soon, +there were cans of the present shape—but +sealing them with wax was hard work, +likewise uncertain. Women everywhere +should rise and call blessed he who invented +the self-sealing jar.</p> + +<p>Return we to our peach butter. It began +in cider—the cider from fall apples, +very rich and sweet. To boil it down +properly required a battery of brass kettles +swung over a log fire in the yard, the +same as at drying up lard time. Naturally +brass kettles were at a premium—but +luckily everybody did not make peach butter, +so it was no strain upon neighborly +comity to borrow of such. It took more +than half a day to boil down the cider +properly—kettles were filled up constantly +as there was room. By and by, when the +contents became almost syrup, peaches +went in—preferably the late, soft, white +ones, dead ripe, very juicy, and nearly as +sweet as sugar. After the kettles were full<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[247]</a></span> +of them, peeled and halved, of course, the +boiling went on until the fruit was mushy. +Constant stirring helped to make it so. +Fresh peaches were added twice, and +cooked down until the paddle stood upright +in the middle of the kettle. Then +came the spicing—putting in cloves, mace, +bruised ginger, and alspice—sparingly, +but enough to flavor delicately. If the +white peaches ran short, there might be a +supplemental butter-making when the Red +Octobers came in, at the very last of the +month. They were big and handsome, +oval, with the richest crimson cheeks, but +nothing like so sweet as the white ones. +So sugar, or honey, was added scantly, at +the end of the boiling down. If it had been +put in earlier, it would have added to the +danger of burning.</p> + +<p>A six-gallon crock of peach butter was +no mean household asset—indeed it ranked +next to the crock of blackberry jam. It +was good as a sauce, or lightly sweetened, +to spread on crust. As a filling for roly-polys +it had but one superior—namely +dried peaches properly stewed.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[248]</a></span></p> + +<p>Proper stewing meant washing a quart +of dry fruit in two waters, soaking overnight, +then putting over the fire in the +soaking water, covering with a plate to +hold the fruit down, and simmering at the +least five hours, filling up the kettle from +time to time, and adding after the fruit +was soft a pound of sugar. Then at the +very last spices to taste went in. If the +fruit were to be eaten along with meat, +as a relish, a cupful of vinegar was added +after the sugar. This made it a near approach +to the finest sweet pickle. But as +Mammy said often: "Dried peaches wus +good ernough fer anybody—dest by dee +sefs, dry so."</p> + +<p>Apple drying commonly came a little before +peach. Horse apples, the best and +plentiest, ripened in the beginning of +August. They were kiln-dried, or scaffold-dried, +and much less tedious than peaches +since they were sliced thin. When they got +very mellow, drying ceased—commonly everybody +had plenty by that time—and the +making of apple butter began. It differed +little from peach butter in the making,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[249]</a></span> +though mightily in taste—being of a less +piquant flavor. Cider, newly run was +essential to any sort of butter—hence +the beating was done before breakfast. +Cider mills were not—but cider troughs +abounded. They were dug from huge poplar +logs, squared outside with the broad +axe, and adzed within to a smooth finish. +Apples well washed, were beaten in them +with round headed wooden pestles, and +pressed in slat presses, the pomace laid +on clean straw, after the manner of cider +pressing in English orchards. The first +runnings, somewhat muddy, were best for +boiling down, but the clear last runnings +drank divinely—especially after keeping +until there was just the trace of sparkle to +them.</p> + +<p>Winter cider was commonly allowed to +get hard. So was that meant for distilling—apple +brandy was only second to peach. +But a barrel or keg, would be kept sweet +for women, children, and ministers—either +by smoking the inside of a clean barrel +well with sulphur before putting in the +cider, or by hanging inside a barrel nearly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[250]</a></span> +full, a thin muslin bag full of white mustard +seed. Cider from russets and pear +apples had a peculiar excellence, so was +kept for Christmas and other high days.</p> + +<p>Pear cider—perry—we knew only in +books. Not through lack of pears but inclination +to make it. Pears were dried +the same as other fruit, but commonly +packed down after drying in sugar. Thus +they were esteemed nearly as good as peach +chips, or even peach leather.</p> + +<p>Peach chips were sliced thin, packed +down in their own weight of sugar and let +stand twenty-four hours to toughen. Then +the syrup was drained from them, boiled, +skimmed clean, spiced with mace and lemon +peel, and the slices dropped into it a few +at a time and cooked until sweet through. +Then they were skimmed out, spread on +dishes well sprinkled with sugar, dredged +with more sugar, set under glass in sunshine +and turned daily until dry. They +were delicious, and served as other confections—passed +around with nuts and +wine, or eaten instead of candy.</p> + +<p>So were cherries, dried in exactly the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[251]</a></span> +same manner, after pitting. When dried +without sugar they were used for cooking. +So also were tomato figs. Yellow tomatoes, +smooth and even were best—but red +ones answered—the meatier the better. +After scalding, peeling, soaking an hour in +clear lime-water to harden, they were +rinsed clean, then dropped in thick boiling +syrup, a few at a time, simmered an hour, +then skimmed out, drained, sugared and +dried under glass in the sun, or failing sunshine, +upon dishes in a very slow oven. +Full-dry, they were packed down in powdered +sugar, in glass jars kept tightly +closed. Unless thus kept they had a knack +of turning sticky—which defeated the purpose +of their creation.</p> + +<p>Peach leather may not appeal to this day +of many sweets—but it was good indeed +back in the spare elder time. To make it +the very ripest, softest peaches were +peeled, and mashed smooth, working +quickly so the pulp might not color too +deeply, then spread an inch thick upon +large dishes or even clean boards, and +dried slowly in sunshine or the oven.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[252]</a></span> +After it was full-dry, came the cutting into +inch-strips. This took a very sharp knife +and a steady hand. Then the strips were +coiled edgewise into flat rounds, with sugar +between the rounds of the coils, which had +to be packed down in more sugar and kept +close, to save them from dampness, which +meant ruin.</p> + +<p>If you had a fond and extravagant +grandmother, you were almost sure to have +also a clove apple. That is to say, a fine +firm winter apple, stuck as full of cloves as +it could hold, then allowed to dry very, very +slowly, in air neither hot nor cold. The +cloves banished decay—their fragrance +joined to the fruity scent of the apple, certainly +set off things kept in the drawer +with the apple. The applemakers justified +their extravagance—cloves cost money, +then as now—by asserting a belief in clove +apples as sovereign against mildew or +moths—which may have had a color of +reason.</p> + +<p>The quince tree is the clown of the +orchard, growing twisted and writhing, as +though hating a straight line. Notwithstanding,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[253]</a></span> +its fruit, and the uses thereof, set +the hall mark of housewifery. Especially +in the matter of jelly-making and marmalade. +Further a quince pudding is in the +nature of an experience—so few have ever +heard of it, so much fewer made or tasted +it. The making requires very ripe quinces—begin +by scrubbing them clean of fuzz, +then set them in a deep pan, cover, after +adding a tablespoonful of water, and bake +slowly until very soft. Scrape out the +pulp, throw away cores and skin. To a +pint of pulp take four eggs, beat the yolks +light with three cups of sugar and a cup of +creamed butter, add the quince pulp, a little +mace broken small or grated nutmeg, +then half a cup of cream, and the egg-whites +beaten stiff. Bake in a deep pan, +and serve hot with hard or wine sauce.</p> + +<p>Here are some fine points of jelly-making +learned in that long ago. To make the +finest, clearest jelly, cook but little at a +time. A large kettleful will never have +the color and brightness of two or three +glasses. Never undertake to make jelly +of inferior fruit—that which is unripe or<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[254]</a></span> +over-ripe, or has begun to sour. Wash +clean, and drain—paring is not only waste +work, but in a measure lessens flavor. Put +a little water with the fruit when you begin +cooking it—cook rather slowly so there +shall be no scorching, and drain out rather +than press out the juice. Draining is much +freer if the fruit is spread thin, rather +than dumped compactly in a bag. Double +cheese cloth sewed fast over stout wire, +and laid on top of a wide bowl, makes a +fine jelly drainer—one cheap enough to be +thrown away when discolored. A discolored +bag, by the way, makes jelly a bit +darker. If there is no pressure flannel is +not required.</p> + +<p>Plenty as fruit was with us, Mammy +made jelly and marmalade from the same +quinces. They were well washed, peeled, +quartered and the cores removed, then the +quarters boiled until soft in water to half-cover +them, skimmed out, mashed smooth +with their own weight of sugar, and spices +to taste, then cooked very slowly until the +spoon stood upright in the mass, after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[255]</a></span> +which it went into glass jars, and had a +brandy paper laid duly on top.</p> + +<p>Cores and paring were boiled to rags in +water to fully cover them, then strained +out, the water strained again, and added +to that in which the fruit had boiled. +Sugar was added—a pound to the pint of +juice. But first the juice was brought to +a boil, and skimmed very clean. The +sugar, heated without scorching, went in, +and cooking continued until the drop on +the tip of the spoon jellied as it fell. +Mammy hated jelly that ran—it must cut +like butter to reach her standard. Occasionally +she flavored it with ginger—boiling +the bruised root with the cores—but +only occasionally, as ginger would make +the jelly darker. Occasionally also she +cooked apples, usually fall pippins, with +the quinces, thus increasing the bulk of +both jelly and marmalade, with hardly a +sensible diminution of flavor.</p> + +<p>All here written applies equally to every +sort of fruit jelly—apple, peach, currant, +the whole family of berries. Mammy<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[256]</a></span> +never knew it, but I myself have found the +oven at half-heat a very present help in +jelly-making. Fruit well prepared, and +put into a stone or agate vessel, covered +and baked gently for a time proportionate +to its bulk, yields all its juice, and it seems +to me clearer juice, than when stewed in +the time-honored brass kettle. Hot sugar +helps to jellying quickly—and the more +haste there, the lighter and brighter the +result. Gelatin in fruit jellies I never use—it +increases the product sensibly, but that +is more than offset by the decrease in +quality.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[257]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 500px;"> +<img src="images/illus-255.png" width="500" height="227" alt="Upon Occasions" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Upon Occasions</span> +</div> + + +<p>It was no trouble at all to make occasions. +Indeed, the greatest of them, weddings, +really made themselves. A wedding +made imperative an infare—that is to say, +if the high contracting parties had parental +approval. Maybe I had better explain +that infare meant the bride's going home—to +her new house, or at least her new family. +This etymologically—the root is the +Saxon <i>faran</i>, to go, whence come wayfaring, +faring forth and so on. All this I am +setting forth not in pedantry, but because +so many folk had stared blankly upon +hearing the word—which was to me as +familiar as word could be. In application<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[258]</a></span> +it had a wide latitude. Commonly the +groom or his <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'famly'">family</ins> gave the infare, but +often enough some generous and well-to-do +friend, or kinsman, pre-empted the privilege. +Wherever held, it was an occasion +of keen and jealous rivalry—those in +charge being doubly bent on making the +faring in more splendid than the wedding +feast. Naturally that put the wedding +folk on their mettle. Another factor inciting +to extra effort was—the bundles. +All guests were expected to take home with +them generous bundles of wedding cake in +all its varieties. I recall once hearing a +famous cake baker sigh relief as she frosted +the hundredth snow ball, and said: "Now +we are sure to have enough left for the +bundles—they are such a help."</p> + +<p>But baking cakes, and cooking in general, +though important, were not the main +things. Setting the table, so it should outshine +all other wedding tables gave most +concern. To this end all the resources of +the family, and its friends for a radius of +ten miles, were available—glass, silver, +china, linen, even cook pots and ovens at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[259]</a></span> +need. Also and further it was a slight of +the keenest, if you were known as a fine +cake maker, not to be asked to help. A past +mistress of paper cutting was likewise in +request. Cut papers and evergreens were +the great reliances in decoration. They +made a brave showing by candlelight. Oil +lamps were few, kerosene undiscovered, +and either lard oil, or whale oil, all too +often smelled to heaven, to say nothing of +smoking upon the least provocation. So a +lamp, if there were one, sat in state within +the parlor. The long table got its light +from candelabra—which as often as not +were homemade. The base was three +graduated blocks of wood, nailed to form +a sort of pyramid, with a hole bored in the +middle to receive a stout round upright, +two inches across. It stood a foot high, +and held up cross-arms three feet across, +with a tin candlesocket upon each end. +Another socket was set where the arms +crossed—thus each candelabra was of five-candle +power. Set a-row down the middle +of the table, with single candles in tall +brass sticks interspersed, they gave a fine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[260]</a></span> +soft illumination. Often they were supplemented +with candelabra of bronze or +brass, tricked out with tinkly pendant +prisms. Such household gauds were commonly +concentrated at the spot where the +bride and her maids would stand. They +were more elegant, of course, than the +made candle-holders—but not to my thinking +a whit the handsomer—after the paper-cutters +had done their work.</p> + +<p>Their work was turning white paper into +fringe and lace. Fringed strips wound all +over and about, hid the foundation wood. +Paper tulips, deftly fashioned, held the tin +rings in ambush—with clusters of lacy +leaves pendant below. Sometimes a paper +rose tipped each arm-end—sometimes also, +there were pendant sprays of pea-shaped +blossoms. How they were made, with +nothing beyond scissors, pen-knives for +crimping, and the palm of the hand for +mold, I confess I do not understand—but +I know they were marvels. The marvels +required a special knack, of course—also +much time and patience. Wherefore those +who had it, exercised it in scraps of leisure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[261]</a></span> +as paper came to hand, laying away the +results against the next wedding even +though none were imminent. Leaves and +the round lace-edged pieces to go under +cakes, it was easy thus to keep. Flowers, +roses, tulips and so on, had a trick of losing +shape—besides, although so showy, +they were really much easier to make.</p> + +<p>It took nice contrivance to make table-room—but +double thicknesses of damask +falling to the floor either side hid all +roughness in the foundation. Shape depended +much upon the size of the supper-room—if +it were but an inclosed piazza, +straight length was imperative. But in a +big square or parallelogram, one could +easily achieve a capital <i>H</i>—or else a letter +<i>Z</i>. <i>Z</i> was rather a favorite in that it required +less heavy decoration, yet gave +almost as much space. A heart-cake for +either tip, a stack at each acute angle, with +the bride's cake midway the stem, flanked +either hand by bowls of syllabub and boiled +custard, made a fine showing. A letter <i>H</i> +demanded four <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'heartcakes'">heart-cakes</ins>—one for each +end, also four stacks, and crowded the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[262]</a></span> +bride and her party along the joining bar.</p> + +<p>Heart-cakes were imperative to any wedding +of degree. Local tinsmiths made the +moulds for them—they were deeply cleft, +and not strictly classic of outline. But, +well and truly baked, frosted a glistening +white, then latticed and fringed with more +frosting, dribbled on delicately from the +point of a tube, they were surely good to +look at. If the bride's cake were white +all through, the heart-pans were usually +filled with gold-cake batter—thus white and +yolk of eggs had equal honor. More commonly +though, the most part of wedding +cake was pound cake in the beginning—the +richer the better. Baked in deep round-bottomed, +handleless coffee cups, and iced, +it made the helpful snow balls. Baked in +square pans, rather shallow, cut into bars, +crisped, frosted and piled cob-house fashion, +it made pens. Sliced crosswise and +interlaid with jelly it became jelly cake. +To supplement it, there were marble cake, +spice cake, plum cake, ever so many more +cakes—but they were—only supplements.</p> + +<p>Stacks were either round or square,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[263]</a></span> +baked in pans of graduated size, set one on +the other after cooling thoroughly, then +frosted and re-frosted till they had a polar +suggestion. If round there was commonly +a hole running down the middle, into this +was fitted a wide mouthed but small glass +bottle, to hold the stems of the evergreen +plume topping the stack. Here or there +in the plume, shone a paper rose or starflower—in +the wreath of evergreen laid +about the base, were tulips, lilies, and bigger +roses, all made of paper. Occasionally +trailing myrtle, well washed and dried, was +put about the components of the stacks +just before they were set in place. If the +heart-cakes had missed being latticed, +they likewise were myrtle-wreathed. The +bride's cake was left dead-white, but it +always stood on something footed, and had +a wreath of evergreen and paper flowers, +laid upon a lace-cut paper about the foot.</p> + +<p>Baking it was an art. So many things +had to go in it—the darning needle, thimble, +picayune, ring, and button. The +makers would have scorned utterly the +modern subterfuge of baking plain, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[264]</a></span> +thrusting in the portents of fate before +frosting. They mixed the batter a trifle +stiff, washed and scoured everything, shut +eyes, dropped them, and stirred them well +about. Thus nobody had the least idea +where they finally landed—so the cutting +was bound to be strictly fair. It made +much fun—the bride herself cut the first +slice—hoping it might hold the picayune, +and thus symbolize good fortune. The +ring presaged the next bride or groom, the +darning needle single blessedness to the +end, the thimble, many to sew for, or feed, +the button, fickleness or disappointment. +After the bridal party had done cutting, +other young folk tempted fate. Bride's +cake was not for eating—instead, fragments +of it, duly wrapped and put under +the pillow, were thought to make whatever +the sleeper dreamed come true. Especially +if the dream included a sweetheart, +actual or potential. The dreams were +supposed to be truly related next day at +the infare—but I question if they always +were. Perhaps the magic worked—and in +this wise—the person dreamed of took on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[265]</a></span> +so new a significance, the difference was +quickly felt. But this is a cook book—with +reminiscent attachments, not a treatise on +psychology.</p> + +<p>The table held only the kickshaws—cakes, +candy, nuts, syllabub and custard. +Wide handsome plates piled high with +tempting sliced cake sat up and down the +length of it, with glass dishes of gay candies +in between. In cold weather wine +jelly often took the place of syllabub. +There were neither napkins nor service +plates—all such things came from the side +table, the plates laden with turkey, ham, +fried chicken, or broiled, and some sort of +jelly or relish. One ate standing, with her +escort doing yeoman service as waiter, +until her appetite was fully appeased. +Hot biscuit, hot egg bread, and light bread—salt +rising, freshly sliced—were passed +about by deft black servitors. The side +tables were under charge of family friends, +each specially skilled in helping and serving. +Carving, of course, had been done +before hand. Occasionally, very occasionally, +where a wedding throng ran well<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[266]</a></span> +into the hundreds, there was barbecue in +addition to other meat. In that case it +was cut up outside, and sent in upon huge +platters. But it was more a feature of +infares, held commonly by daylight, than +of wedding suppers.</p> + +<p>Wedding salad is set forth in its proper +chapter, but not the turkey hash that was +to some minds the best of all the good +eating. It was served for breakfast—there +was always a crowd of kinfolk and +faraway friends to stay all night—sleeping +on pallets all over the floors, even +those of parlor or ballroom, after they +were deserted. The hash was made from +all the left-over turkey—where a dozen +birds have been roasted the leavings will +be plenty. To it was added the whole +array of giblets, cooked the day before, +and cut small while still warm. They +made heaps of rich gravy to add to that +in the turkey pots—no real wedding ever +contented itself with cooking solely on a +range. Pots, big ones, set beside a log +fire out of doors, with a little water in the +bottom, and coals underneath and on<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[267]</a></span> +the lids, turned out turkeys beautifully +browned, tender and flavorous, to say +nothing of the gravy. It set off the hash +as nothing else could—but such setting off +was not badly needed. Hash with hot biscuit, +strong clear coffee, hot egg bread, +and thin-sliced ham, made a breakfast one +could depend on, even with a long drive +cross-country in prospect.</p> + +<p>Harking back to the supper table—syllabub, +as nearly as I recall, was made of +thick cream lightly reinforced with stiffly +beaten white of egg—one egg-white to each +pint—sweetened, well flavored with sherry +or Madeira wine, then whipped very stiff, +and piled in a big bowl, also in goblets to +set about the bowl, just as snow balls were +set a-row about the stacks and the bride's +cake. Flecks of crimson jelly were dropped +on the white cream—occasionally, there +were crumbled cake, and cut up fruit underneath. +Thus it approximated the trifle +of the cook books. It had just one drawback—you +could not eat it slowly—it went +almost to nothing at the agitation of the +spoon.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[268]</a></span></p> + +<p>Far otherwise boiled custard—which +was much higher in favor, being easier +made, and quite as showy. For it you +beat very light the yolks of twelve eggs +with four cups white sugar, added them to +a gallon of milk, and a quart of cream, in +a brass kettle over the fire, stirred the +mixture steadily, watching it close to remove +it just as it was on the point of boiling, +let it cool, then flavored it well, with +either whiskey, brandy, or sweet wine. +Meantime the egg-whites beaten with a +little salt until they stuck to the dish, had +been cooked by pouring quickly over them +full-boiling water from a tea kettle. They +hardly lost a bubble in the process—the +water well drained away, the whites were +ready to go on top of the custard in either +bowls or goblets, and get themselves ornamented +with crimson jelly, or flecks of +cherry preserves. Like syllabub, boiled +custard necessitated spoons—hence the +borrowing of small silver was in most cases +imperative. Plutocrats had not then been +invented—but tradition tells of one high +gentleman, who was self-sufficient. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[269]</a></span> +fact stood him in good stead later—when +he was darkly accused, she who had baked +cakes for all his merry-makings said +stoutly: "The Colonel do sech as that! +Lord in heaven! Why, don't you know, +in all the years I've knowed him, <i>he never +had to borrow a single silver spoon</i>—and +I've seen five hundred folks there for supper. +I wouldn't believe them tales ef +Angel Gabriel come down and told 'em to +me."</p> + +<p>Is anybody left, I wonder, who can cut +oranges into lilies? Thus cut they surely +looked pretty. The peel was divided +evenly in six, the sections loosened, but not +pulled free at the base. Instead the ends +were curved backward after the manner +of lily petals. The fruit, separated into +eighths, hardly showed the divisions. +These lilies sat flat upon the cloth, either +in lines, as about square stacks, or around +bigger things, or straight up and down the +table center. They were not always in +season—at their best around Christmas, +but available until the end of winter.</p> + +<p>Cheesecakes, baked in patty pans<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[270]</a></span> +frosted with cocoanut frosting, also helped +out the wedding richness. Indeed, guests +gathered to eat the fat and the sweet, no +less to drink it. Now, in a wider outlook, +I wonder a little if there was significance +in the fact that these wedding tables were +so void of color—showing only green and +white, with the tiniest sparks of red?</p> + +<p>Party suppers had no such limitations—often +the table was gay with autumn leaves, +the center piece a riot of small ragged red +chrysanthemums, or raggeder pink or yellow +ones, with candles glaring from gorgeous +pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns down the +middle, or from the walls either side. +There were frosted cakes—loaves trimmed +gaily with red and white candies, or maybe +the frosting itself was tinted. In place of +syllabub or boiled custard, there were +bowls of ambrosia—oranges in sections, +freed of skin and seed, and smothered in +grated fresh cocoanut and sugar. Often +the bowl-tops were ornamented with leaves +cut deftly from the skin of deep red apples, +and alternating, other leaves shaped from +orange peel. Christmas party suppers<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[271]</a></span> +had touches of holly and cedar, but there +was no attempt to match the elaborate +wedding tables. Hog's foot jelly, red with +the reddest wine, came in handily for them—since +almost every plantation had a special +small hog-killing, after the middle of +December, so there might be fresh backbones, +spare ribs, sausage and souse to +help make Christmas cheer. Ham, spiced +and sliced wafer thin, was staple for such +suppers—chicken and turkey appeared +oftenest as salad, hot coffee, hot breads in +variety, crisp celery, and plenteous pickle, +came before the sweets. Punch, not very +heady, hardly more than a fortified pink +lemonade, came with the sweets many +times. Grandfather's punch was held +sacred to very late suppers, hot and hearty, +set for gentlemen who had played whist +or euchre until cock-crow.</p> + +<p>These are but indications. Fare varied +even as did households and occasions. +But everywhere there was kinship of the +underlying spirit—which was the concrete +expression of hospitality in good cheer. +There was little luxury—rather we lived<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[272]</a></span> +amid a spare abundance, eating up what +had no market—I recall clearly times when +you could hardly give away fresh eggs, or +frying-size chickens, other times when eggs +fetched five cents for two dozen—provided +the seller would "take it in trade." Chickens +then, broiling size, were forty to fifty +cents the dozen—with often an extra one +thrown in for good measure. For then +chicken cholera had not been invented—at +least not down in the Tennessee blue grass +country. Neither had hog cholera—nor +railroads. All three fell upon us a very +little before the era of the Civil War. +Steamboats ran almost half the year, but +the flat boat traffic had been taken away by +the peopling prairies, which could raise +so much more corn, derivatively so many +more hogs, to the man's work. Money +came through wheat and tobacco—not lavishly, +yet enough for our needs. All this +is set forth in hope of explaining in some +measure, the cookery I have tried to write +down faithfully—with so much of everything +in hand, stinting would have been +sinful.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[273]</a></span></p> + +<p>There was barbecue, and again there +were barbecues. The viand is said to get +its name from the French phrase <i>a barbe +d' ecu</i>, from tail to head, signifying that +the carcass was cooked whole. The derivation +may be an early example of making +the punishment fit the crime. As to that +I do not know. What I do know is that +lambs, pigs, and kids, when barbecued, are +split in half along the backbone. The animals, +butchered at sundown, and cooled of +animal heat, after washing down well, are +laid upon clean, split sticks of green wood +over a trench two feet deep, and a little +wider, and as long as need be, in which +green wood has previously been burned to +coals. There the meat stays twelve hours—from +midnight to noon next day, usually. +It is basted steadily with salt water, applied +with a clean mop, and turned over once +only. Live coals are added as needed from +the log fire kept burning a little way off. +All this sounds simple, dead-easy. Try it—it +is really an art. The plantation barbecuer +was a person of consequence—moreover, +few plantations could show a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[274]</a></span> +master of the art. Such an one could give +himself lordly airs—the loan of him was +an act of special friendship—profitable always +to the personage lent. Then as now +there were free barbecuers, mostly white—but +somehow their handiwork lacked a +little of perfection. For one thing, they +never found out the exact secret of "dipney," +the sauce that savored the meat +when it was crisply tender, brown all over, +but free from the least scorching.</p> + +<p>Daddy made it thus: Two pounds sweet +lard, melted in a brass kettle, with one +pound beaten, not ground, black pepper, +a pint of small fiery red peppers, nubbed +and stewed soft in water to barely cover, +a spoonful of herbs in powder—he would +never tell what they were,—and a quart +and pint of the strongest apple vinegar, +with a little salt. These were simmered +together for half an hour, as the barbecue +was getting done. Then a fresh, clean mop +was dabbed lightly in the mixture, and as +lightly smeared over the upper sides of +the carcasses. Not a drop was permitted +to fall on the coals—it would have sent up<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[275]</a></span> +smoke, and films of light ashes. Then, +tables being set, the meat was laid, hissing +hot, within clean, tight wooden trays, +deeply gashed upon the side that had been +next the fire, and deluged with the sauce, +which the mop-man smeared fully over it.</p> + +<p>Hot! After eating it one wanted to lie +down at the spring-side and let the water +of it flow down the mouth. But of a flavor, +a savor, a tastiness, nothing else earthly +approaches. Not food for the gods, perhaps, +but certainly meat for <i>men</i>. Women +loved it no less—witness the way they +begged for a quarter of lamb or shoat or +kid to take home. The proper accompaniments +to barbecue are sliced cucumbers in +strong vinegar, sliced tomatoes, a great +plenty of salt-rising light bread—and a +greater plenty of cool ripe watermelons, by +way of dessert.</p> + +<p>So much for barbecue edible. Barbecue, +the occasion, has yet to be set forth. Its +First Cause was commonly political—the +old south loved oratory even better than +the new. Newspapers were none so plenty—withal +of scant circulation. Besides,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[276]</a></span> +reading them was work—also tedious and +tasteless. So the great and the would-be +great, rode up and down, and roundabout, +mixing with the sovereigns, and enlightening +the world. Each party felt honor +bound to gather the sovereigns so they +might listen in comfort. Besides—they +wanted amusement—a real big barbecue +was a sort of social exchange, drawing together +half of three counties, and letting +you hear and tell, things new, strange, and +startling. Furthermore, it was no trouble +to get carcasses—fifty to a hundred was not +uncommon. Men, women, children, everybody, +indeed, came. The women brought +bread and tablecloths, and commonly much +beside. There was a speaker's stand, flag +draped—my infant eyes first saw the Stars +and Stripes floating above portraits—alleged—of +Filmore and Buchanan, in the +campaign of '56. That meant the barbecue +was a joint affair—Whigs and Democrats +getting it up, and both eagerly ready +to whoop it up for their own speakers. +Naturally in that latitude, Fremont was +not even named. No court costume with a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[277]</a></span> +tail three yards long, could to-day make me +feel one-half so fine as the white jaconet, +and green sash then sported.</p> + +<p>It was said there were a thousand at +the barbecue. The cheering, at its loudest, +was heard two miles away. To me it +seemed as though all the folk in the world +had gathered in that shady grove—I remember +wondering if there could possibly +be so many watermelons, some would be +left for the children. Four big wagon +loads lay bobbing in the coolth of the +spring branch. It was a very cold spring +with mint growing beside it, as is common +with springs thereabout. Early settlers +planted it thus hard by the water—they +built their houses high, and water got +warm in carrying it up hill. Lacking ice +houses, to have cool juleps, they had to be +mixed right at the well-head. Sugar, +spoons, goblets, and the jug, were easily +carried down there.</p> + +<p>Juleps were not mixed openly that day—but +the speakers had pitchers full of +something that seemed to refresh their +eloquence, no less than themselves. They<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[278]</a></span> +hammered each other lustily, cheered to +the echo by uproarious partisans, from +nine in the morning until six in the afternoon. +Luckily for them, there were four +of them, thus they could "spell" each +other—and the audience. I did not mind +them—not in the least. How should I—when +right in front of me sat a lady with +the most gorgeous flowers upon her white +chip bonnet, and one beside me, who insisted +upon my wearing, until time to go +home, her watch and chain?</p> + +<p>The watermelons held out—we took two +big ones home to Mother, also a lot of +splendid Indian peaches, and a fore-quarter +of lamb. Mother rarely went out, +being an invalid—so folk vied with each +other in sending her things. I mention it, +only by way of showing there were things +to be sent, even after feeding the multitude. +The black people went away full +fed, and full handed—nobody who carried +a basket had much relish for taking home +again any part of its contents.</p> + +<p>Our countryside's cooking came to its +full flower for the bran-dances—which<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[279]</a></span> +came into being, I think, because the pioneers +liked to shake limber heels, but had +not floors big enough for the shaking. So +in green shade, at some springside they +built an arbor of green boughs, leveled the +earth underneath, pounded it hard and +smooth, then covered it an inch deep with +clean wheat bran, put up seats roundabout +it, also a fiddlers' stand, got the fiddlers, +printed invitations which went far and +wide to women young and old, saw to a +sufficiency of barbecue, depended on the +Lord and the ladies for other things—and +prepared to dance, dance from nine in the +morning until two next morning. Men +were not specifically invited—anybody in +good standing with a clean shirt, dancing +shoes, a good horse and a pedigree, was +heartily welcome. The solid men, whose +names appeared as managers, paid scot +for everything—they left the actual arrangements +to the lads. But they came +in shoals to the bran-dances, and were audacious +enough often to take away from +some youth fathoms deep in love, his favorite +partner. Sometimes, too, a lot of them<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[280]</a></span> +pre-empted all the prettiest girls, and +danced a special set with them. Thus were +they delivered into the hands of the oppressed—the +lads made treaty with the +fiddlers and prompter to play fast and +furious—to call figures that kept the oldsters +wheeling and whirling. It was an +endurance contest—but victory did not always +perch with the youths. Plenty of +pursy gentlemen were still light enough +on their feet, clear enough in their wind, +to dance through Money Musk double, +Chicken in the Bread Tray, and the Arkansaw +Traveller, no matter what the time.</p> + +<p>All dances were square—quadrilles and +cotillions. The Basket Cotillion was indeed, +looked upon as rather daring. You +see, at the last, the ring of men linked by +hand-hold outside a ring of their partners, +lifted locked arms over their partners' +heads, and thus interwoven, the circle balanced +before breaking up. Other times, +other dances—ours is now the day of the +trot and the tango. But they lack the life, +the verve of the old dances, the old tunes. +To this day when I hear them, my feet patter<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[281]</a></span> +in spite of me. You could not dance +to them steadily, with soft airs blowing all +about, leaves flittering in sunshine, and +water rippling near, without getting an +appetite commensurate to the feasts in +wait for you.</p> + +<p>One basket from a plantation sufficed for +bran-dances ending at sundown—those running +on past midnight demanded two. It +would never do to offer snippets and fragments +for supper. Barbecue, if there were +barbecue—was merely a concomitant of the +feeding, not the whole thing. Part of it +was left untouched to help out with supper. +So were part of the melons, and much of +the fruit. Apples, pears and peaches were +plenty in good years—the near plantations +sent them by wagon loads—as they also +sent ice cream by freezerfuls, and boilers +to make coffee. These were dispensed +more than generously—but nobody would +have helped himself to them uninvited, any +more readily than he would have helped +himself to money in the pocket. All that +was in the baskets was spread on the general +tables, but no man thought of eating<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[282]</a></span> +thereof, until all women and children had +been served. Old men came next—the +women generally forcing upon them the +best of everything.</p> + +<p>Such a best! Broiled chicken, fried +chicken, in quantity, whole hams simply +entreating to be sliced, barbecue, pickle in +great variety, drained and sliced for eating, +beaten biscuit, soda biscuit, egg bread, +salt-rising bread, or rolls raised with hop-yeast—only +a few attempted them—every +manner of pie, tart, and tartlet that did +not drip and mess things, all the cakes in +the calendar of good housewifery—with, +now and then, new ones specially invented. +Even more than a wedding, a bran-dance +showed and proved your quality as a cake-maker. +Cakes were looked at in broad +daylight, eaten not with cloyed finicky appetites, +but with true zest. Woe and double +woe to you if a loaf of pride showed at +cutting a "sad" streak, not quite done. +Joy untold if you were a raw young housekeeper, +to have your cake acclaimed by +eaters and critics.</p> + +<p>Mammy, and other Mammies, moved<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[283]</a></span> +proudly about, each a sort of oracle to the +friends of her household. They kept sharp +eyes on things returnable—plates, platters, +knives, spoons, and tablecloths—in any +doubtful case, arising from the fact of +similarity in pattern, they were the court +of last resort. Spoons and so on are unmistakable—but +one sprigged saucer is +very like other saucers sprigged the same. +It was the Mammies rather than the masters +and mistresses, who ordered carriage +drivers and horse boys imperiously about. +But nobody minded the imperiousness—it +was no day for quarrelling or unwisdom. +And it would surely have been unwise to +fret those who were the Keepers of the +Baskets, at the very last.</p> + +<p>After dinner one went to the dressing-room, +a wide roofless space enclosed with +green boughs massed on end, and furnished +plentifully with water in buckets, towels, +basins, pin cushions, combs and brushes, +face powder, even needles and thread. +Thence one emerged after half an hour +quite fresh—to dance on and on, till the +fiddlers played a fast finale, and went to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[284]</a></span> +their supper. Then came an interval of +talk and laughing, of making new friends +or stabbing delicately old enemies. Also +and further much primping in the dressing-room. +Dancing steadily through a +temperature of 98 in the shade plays hob +with some sorts of prettiness. But as dew +fell and lighted lanterns went up about the +arbor and throughout the grove, supper +was very welcome. There was hot coffee +for everybody, likewise milk, likewise +lemonade, with buttered biscuit, chicken, +ham, and barbecue. Chicken-loaf was particularly +good for such uses. To make it, +several plump, tender, full-grown pullets +were simmered in water to barely cover +them, with a few pepper corns, half a dozen +cloves, and a blade of mace, until very, +very tender. Then the meat was picked +from the bones, cut up while still hot, +packed down in something deep, seasoning +it to taste with salt, as it was packed, and +dusting in more pepper if needed, then the +liquor which had been kept at a brisk boil +was poured over, and left to cool. No +bother about skimming off fat—we liked<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[285]</a></span> +our loaf rich as well as high-flavored. It +came out a fine mottled solid that could be +sliced thin, and eaten delicately between +the halves of a buttered biscuit. Sandwiches +were known—but only in books. +Which was well—they would have dried +out so badly, for this was before the era of +wax paper. Since everything was packed +in the baskets whole, there was much work +for mothers and Mammies at the unpacking +and table-setting.</p> + +<p>Tarts, especially if filled with cheesecake +or jelly custard, held high place +among the sweets. Especially with the +men, young and old. One, a manager, +who had been here, there, everywhere, +since eight o'clock in the morning, asked +Mammy at suppertime to: "Please save +him one more dozen of them little pies." +In truth the little pies made no more than +a mouthful for noble appetites. Pies, full-grown, +did not go begging—and were seldom +cut in less than quarters. Frosted +cake—which the lads denominated "white-washed," +was commonly saved over for the +supper baskets. It kept moist, whereas<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[286]</a></span> +without the frosting a long summer day +might make it hard.</p> + +<p>After the supper elderly men drove +home—unless they had daughters among +the dancers without other chaperons. +Generally, some aunt or cousin stood ready +with such good offices. The chaperons +themselves danced now and then—youths +specially anxious for favor with their +charges, all but forced them upon the floor. +Set it to their credit, they footed it almost +as lightly as the youngest. Occasionally +you might see, mother and daughter, even +a granddaughter of tender years, wheeling +and balancing in the same set. And so the +fiddles played, the stars shone, the waters +babbled, until the lanterns flared and sputtered +out, and the banjo-picker held up fingers +raw and bleeding. Then with a last +final swing and flourish, everybody scattered +for homeward ways, glad of the day's +pleasure—and tired enough to be glad also +it was ended.</p> + +<p>The most special of occasions was a dining. +Not upon any high day or holiday, +such as Christmas, New Year, Jackson's<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[287]</a></span> +Day—the eighth of January—Easter nor +Whit-Monday, but as Mammy said: "A +dinin' des, dry so." Commonly pride of +housewifery incited to it—therefore it +must be a triumph. The hour was two +o'clock, but guests came around eleven or +twelve—and spent the day. They sat +down to tables that well might have +groaned, even howled, such was the weight +they carried. Twelve was a favorite guest-number—few +tables could be stretched to +hold more than twelve plates. There were +but two courses—dinner and dessert—unless +in very cold weather, some person who +would nowadays be said to be fond of putting +on frills, set before her guests, plates +of steaming soup. It had to smell very +good, else it was no more than tasted—folk +did not care to dull the edge of appetite +needlessly, with so much before them. +For the table was fully set—a stuffed ham +at one end, a chicken or partridge pie at +the other, side dishes of smothered rabbit, +or broiled chicken, at least four kinds of +sweet pickle, as many of jelly and sour +pickle, a castor full of catsups, tomato and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[288]</a></span> +walnut, plain vinegar, pepper vinegar, red +and black pepper, and made mustard, all +the vegetables in season—I have seen corn +pudding, candied sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, +mashed and baked, black-eyed peas, +baked peaches, apples baked in sugar and +cloves, cabbage boiled with bacon, okra, +stewed tomatoes, sliced raw tomatoes, cucumbers +cut up with young onions, beets +boiled and buttered, and string beans, +otherwise snaps, all at one spread.</p> + +<p>Only epicures dressed their lettuce at +table. One cranky old family friend had +it served to him in a water bucket, set beside +him on the floor. He shook it free of +water, cut it, without bruising, to wide +ribbons, covered them thickly with hard-boiled +egg-yolk mashed fine, then poured +upon it clear ham gravy, and strong vinegar, +added salt and pepper, black and red—then +ate his fill. But, of course, he did +not do that at dinings. For then, if lettuce +appeared, it was cut up, dressed with +vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper, but guiltless +of oil, garnished with rings of hard-boiled +egg—and very generally, and justly,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[289]</a></span> +neglected. Still the hostess had the satisfaction +of feeling she had offered it—that +she had indeed offered more than could +have been reasonably expected.</p> + +<p>There was water to drink, also cider in +season, also milk, sweet and sour, and the +very best of the homemade wine. Decanters +of it sat up and down the table—you +could fill up and come again at pleasure. +The one drawback was—it was hard to eat +properly, when you were so interrupted by +helpings to something else. If there was +a fault in our old-time cooking, it was its +lack of selection. I think those who gave +dinings felt uneasy if there was unoccupied +room for one more dish.</p> + +<p>Dessert was likewise an embarrassment +of riches. Cakes in variety, two sorts of +pie, with ice cream or sherbet, or fresh +fruit, did not seem too much to those dear +Ladies Bountiful. There was no after-dinner +coffee. In cold weather coffee in +big cups, with cream and sugar, often went +with the main dinner. Hot apple toddies +preceded it at such times. In hot weather +the precursor was mint julep, ice cold.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[290]</a></span> +Yet we were not a company of dyspeptics +nor drunkards—by the free and full use of +earth's abounding mercies we learned not +to abuse them.</p> + +<p><i>Birthday Barbecue:</i> (Dorothy Dix.) +As refined gold can be gilded, barbecue, +common, or garden variety, can take on +extra touches. As thus: Kill and dress +quickly a fine yearling wether, in prime +condition but not over-fat, sluice out with +cool water, wipe dry inside and out with +a soft, damp cloth, then while still hot, +fill the carcass cram-full of fresh mint, +the tenderer and more lush the better, +close it, wrap tight in a clean cloth wrung +very dry from cold salt water, then pop +all into a clean, bright tin lard stand, with +a tight-fitting top, put on top securely, and +sink the stand head over ears in cold water—a +spring if possible. Do this around +dusk and leave in water until very early +morning. Build fire in trench of hard +wood logs before two o'clock. Let it burn +to coals—have a log fire some little way +off to supply fresh coals at need. Lay a +breadth of galvanized chicken-wire—large<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[291]</a></span> +mesh—over the trench. Take out carcass—split +it half down back bone, lay it +flesh side down, on the wire grid, taking +care coals are so evenly spread there is +no scorching. After an hour begin basting +with "the sop." It is made thus. +Best butter melted, one pound, black pepper +ground, quarter pound, red pepper +pods, freed of stalk and cut fine to almost +a paste, half a pint, strong vinegar, scant +pint, brandy, peach if possible though +apple or grape will answer, half a pint. +Cook all together over very slow heat or +in boiling water, for fifteen minutes. The +sop must not scorch, but the seasoning +must be cooked through it. Apply with +a big soft swab made of clean old linen, +but not old enough to fray and string. +Baste meat constantly. Put over around +four in the morning, the barbecue should +be done, and well done, by a little after +noon. There should be enough sop left to +serve as gravy on portions after it is +helped. The meat, turned once, has a +fine crisped surface, and is flavored all +through with the mint, and seasoning.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[292]</a></span></p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 425px;"> +<img src="images/illus-290.png" width="425" height="227" alt="Soap and Candles" title="" /> +<span class="caption">Soap and Candles</span> +</div> + + +<p>Dip-candles I never saw in common use—but +Mammy showed me how they were +made back at Ole Marster's, in the days +when candle-molds were not to be had. +Dipped or molded, the candles were of +varying substance. Tallow was the main +reliance—mutton tallow as well as that +from our beeves. It was tried out fresh, +and hardened with alum in the process. +The alum was dissolved in a little water, +and put with the raw fat as it went over +the fire. By and by the water all cooked +away, leaving the alum well incorporated +through the clear fat. Lacking it, a little<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[293]</a></span> +clear lye went in—Mammy thought and +said, the lye ate up the oil in the tallow, +making it firmer and whiter. But lye and +alum could not go in at the same time, +since being alkaline and acid, they would +destroy each other.</p> + +<p>Great pains were taken not to scorch +the tallow—that meant smelly and ill-colored +candles. After straining it clear of +cracklings, it was caked in something deep, +then turned out and laid on the highest +shelf in the lumber house to await molding +time. Cakes of beeswax were kept in +the Jackson press, so children, white and +black, could not take bites for chewing. +It ranked next to native sweet gum for +such uses—but Mammy felt it had much +better be saved to mix with the tallow at +melting time. It made the candles much +firmer, also bettered their light, and moreover +changed the tallow hue to an agreeable +very pale yellow. Bee hives, like +much else, were to a degree primitive—the +wax came from comb crushed in the straining +of honey. It was boiled in water to +take away the remnant sweetness, then<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[294]</a></span> +allowed to cool on top the water, taken +off, and remelted over clean water, so +manipulated as to free it from foreign +substances, then molded into cakes. One +cake was always set apart for the neighborhood +cobbler, who melted it with +tallow and rosin to make shoemaker's +wax. Another moiety was turned into +grafting wax—by help of it one orchard +tree bore twelve manners of fruit. And +still another, a small, pretty cake from +a scalloped patty pan, found place in +the family work basket—in sewing by +hand with flax thread, unless you waxed it, +it lost strength, and quickly pulled to +pieces.</p> + +<p>We bought our flax thread in skeins, but +Mammy loved to tell of spinning it back +in the days when she was young, and the +best spinner on the old plantation. She +still spun shoe-thread for her friend the +cobbler, who, however, furnished her the +raw flax, which he had grown, rotted and +hechtelled, in his bit of bottom land. There +were still spinning and weaving in plenty +at our house—Mother had made, yearly,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[295]</a></span> +jeans, linsey, carpets and so on—but the +plantation was not wholly clothed with +homespun, as had been the case in her +father's house.</p> + +<p>Return we to our candle-making. It +was work for the very coldest weather—even +though we had two sets of molds, +needs must the candles harden quickly if +the making was to speed well. Molds +could be filled at the kitchen hearth, then +set outside to cool. For dipping the tallow-pot +had to be set over an outside fire, +and neighbored by a ladder, laid flat on +trestles with smooth boards laid underneath. +Mammy spun the candle wicks—from +long-staple cotton, drawing it out +thick, and twisting it barely enough to hold +together. It must not be too coarse, as it +had to be doubled over reeds at top, either +for molding or dipping.</p> + +<p>The molds were of candle-shape, joined +in batteries of six or twelve, with a pert +handle at one side, and tiny holes at the +tips, through which the wick-ends were +thrust, by help of a long broom-straw. +Well in place they were drawn taut, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[296]</a></span> +reeds so placed as to hold the wicks centrally, +then tallow melted with beeswax, in +due proportion, was poured around till the +molds were brim full—after which they +were plunged instantly into a tub of cold +water standing outside. This to prevent +oozings from the tip—hot grease is the +most insidious of all substances. Only in +zero weather would the first oozings harden +enough to plug the orifice quickly. When +the candles had hardened properly, the +mold was either held over the fire, or +thrust in hot water half a minute, then +the candles withdrawn by help of the reeds. +They were cooled a bit, to save the softened +outside, then nubbed of surplus wick, and +laid in a dish outside. Careless or witless +molders, by laying candles still soft upon +the pile, often made themselves double +work.</p> + +<p>Tallow for dipping, was kept barely +fluid, by setting it over embers a little way +off the fire. The pot had to be deep, so +the wicks could be sunk in it to full length. +They were thus sunk by stickfuls, lifted up +quickly, and hung between the ladder rungs<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[297]</a></span> +to drip. Half the tallow on them dripped +away—indeed, after the first dipping they +looked little more than clotted ghosts of +themselves in their last estate. In very +cold weather three drippings sufficed—otherwise +there must be four or five. Since +the dip was the result of cooled accretions, +it was always top-heavy—much bigger at +the nose than the base. A quick and +skilled worker, though, could dip a hundred +candles in the time required to mold +two dozen. They burned out so quickly +that was a crowning mercy—half a dozen +was the average of a long winter evening. +Further they ran down, in great masses—hence +the importance of saving up drippings. +Even molded candles made them +plentiful enough to be worth re-molding. +This unless discolored with the brass +of candlesticks—in that case their last end +was soap grease.</p> + +<p>Rush lights were dips—this I state on +information and belief, since I never saw +one. Also on information and belief, it +is here set forth, that folk in the back +countries where wicking was not easily<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[298]</a></span> +had, used instead of wicks, splinters of fat +pine, known as light wood. In proof, take +Candle Wood Mountain, whose name is +said to have come from furnishing such +fat pine, and of a special excellence. The +pine splinters must, I think, have given a +better light than real wicks—my father, in +Tennessee, never ceased sighing for the +lightwood, which had made such cheery +illumination back in his boyhood, in a +Carolina home.</p> + +<p>Every sort of waste fat became at the +last, soap grease. Bones even were thrown +into kettles of lye, which ate out all their +richness, leaving them crumbly, and fit for +burying about the grapevines. Hence the +appositeness of the darkey saying, to express +special contempt of a suitor: "My +Lawd! I wouldn't hab dat nigger, not +eben for soap grease." Which has always +seemed to me, in a way, a classic of condemnation.</p> + +<p>Soap making came twice a year—the +main event in March, to get free of things +left over from hog killing, the supplement +in September or October, to use up summer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[299]</a></span> +savings. Each was preceded by dripping +lye. This necessitated wood ashes, +of course—ashes from green wood. Oak +or hickory was best. They were kept dry +until they went into hoppers, where they +were rotted by gentle wetting for a space +of several days. Then water was dripped +through, coming out a dark brown caustic +liquid, clean-smelling, but ill to handle—it +would eat a finger-tip carelessly thrust +in it to the raw.</p> + +<p>But even thus it was not strong enough +for proper soapmaking, so it was boiled, +boiled, until it would eat a feather, merely +drawn quickly through it. Grease was +added then, a little at a time, and stirred +well through, changing the black-brown +lye into a light-brown, bubbly mass. +Whatever the lye would not eat of the +grease's components, was skimmed out +with the big perforated ladle. Even beyond +candle-molding, soap-making was +an art. Mammy never would touch it, +until "the right time of the moon." Also +and further, she used a sassafras stick for +stirring, put it in the first time with her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[300]</a></span> +right hand, and always stirred the kettle +the same way. If a left-handed person +came near the kettle she was mightily +vexed—being sure her soap would go +wrong. She kept on the fire beside it a +smaller kettle of clear lye, to be added at +need, without checking the boiling.</p> + +<p>Boiling down lye took one day, boiling +in grease another. The third morning, +after the fire was well alight, she tested +the soap, by making a bit into lather. If +the lather were clean and clear, without a +film of grease on top, she knew it remained +only to cook the soap down thick enough +for the barrel, or to make into balls by the +addition of salt. But if the film appeared—then +indeed there was trouble. First +aid to it was more lye, of feather-eating +strength—next a fresh sassafras stirring +stick, last and most important, walking +backwards as she put the stick in the kettle, +though she would never admit she did this +on purpose. Like the most of her race she +was invincibly shy about acknowledging +her beliefs in charms and conjuring.</p> + +<p>Soap which failed to thicken properly<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[301]</a></span> +lacked grease. To put in enough, yet not +too much, was a matter of nice judgment. +Tallow did not mix well with hog fat. +Therefore it had commonly its smaller special +pot, whose results were molded for +hand-soap, being hard and rather light-colored.</p> + +<p>Since our washerwomen much preferred +soft soap, most of the spring making went +straight into the barrel. The barrel had +to be very tight—soap has nearly as great +a faculty of creeping through seams as +even hot lard. One kettleful, however, +would have salt stirred through it, then be +allowed to cool, and be cut out in long bars, +which were laid high and dry to age. Old +soap was much better for washing fine +prints, lawns, ginghams and so on—in fact +whatever needed cleansing without fading.</p> + +<p>Sundry other fine soap makers emptied +their salted soap, just as it was on the +point of hardening, into shallow pans, +cloth-lined, and shaped it with bare hands +into balls the size of two fists. This they +did with the whole batch, holding hard soap +so much easier kept, and saying it was no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[302]</a></span> +trouble whatever to soften a ball in a little +hot water upon wash days. But Mammy +would have none of such practices—said +give her good soft soap and sand rock, she +could scour anything. Sand rock was a +variety of limestone, which burning made +crumbly, but did not turn to lime. Mammy +picked it up wherever she found it, beat it +fine and used it on everything—shelves, +floors, hollow-ware, milk pans, piggins, +cedar water buckets—it made their brass +hoops shine like gold. While she scoured +she told us tales of the pewter era—when +she had gone, a barefoot child, with her +mother, to the Rush Branch, to come home +with a sheaf of rushes, whereby the pewter +was made to shine. It hurts even yet, recalling +the last end of that pewter. As +glass and crockery grew plenty, the boys—my +uncles, there were five of them—melted +it down for rifle bullets, when by +chance they ran out of lead. Yet—who +am I, to reproach them—did not I myself, +melt down for a purpose less legitimate a +fine Brittania ware teapot, whose only<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[303]</a></span> +fault was a tiny leak? Now I should prize +it beyond silver and gold.</p> + +<p>Harking back to candle-making—we had +no candle-berries in our wilds, and only a +few wax-berries as ornaments of our gardens. +But from what I know by observation +and experience, the candle-berries or +bayberries, can be melted in hot water, the +same as honey-comb, and the wax strained +away from the seedy residue, then allowed +to cool, on top the water, and clarified by a +further melting and cooling over water. +Mixed with paraffine it can be molded into +real bayberry candles, ever so much more +odorous than those of commerce. It is +well to remember in buying paraffine that +there are three qualities of it, differing +mainly in the degree of heat at which they +melt. Choose that which is hardest to +melt for candle-making. One might indeed, +experiment with bayberry wax, and +the drippings of plain paraffine candles, +before undertaking candle-making to any +considerable extent.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[304]</a></span></p> + +<p>A last word. If any incline to challenge +things here set forth, will they please remember +that as one star differs from another +in glory, so does one family, one +region, differ from all others in its manners +of eating, drinking, and cooking. I +have written true things, but make no claim +that they apply all over. Indeed there +may be those to whom they will seem a +transversing of wisdom and experience. +To all such I say, try them intelligently, +with pains and patience, and of the results, +hold fast to that you find good.</p> + +<div class="figcenter" style="width: 250px;"> +<img src="images/illus-302.png" width="250" height="237" alt="Snuffed candle" title="" /> +</div> +<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[305]</a></span></p> + + + + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[306]</a></span><br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[307]</a></span></p> + +<h2>INDEX</h2> + + +<div class='unindent'> +BACON<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hogs to Choose, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chilling, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cutting up, <a href="#Page_40">40</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Salting, <a href="#Page_42">42</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Curing, <a href="#Page_45">45</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smoke, <a href="#Page_45">45</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smoke Houses, <a href="#Page_46">46</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smoke Hogshead, <a href="#Page_48">48</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Time of Smoking, <a href="#Page_49">49</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Keeping, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lard Rendering, <a href="#Page_50">50</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sausage, <a href="#Page_52">52</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Souse, <a href="#Page_53">53</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hog's Foot Oil and Jelly, <a href="#Page_54">54</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brains, Pickled, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Souse, Pickled, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hog's Feet Fried, <a href="#Page_55">55</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Backbone, Stew and Pie, <a href="#Page_56">56</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Keeping Sausage, <a href="#Page_57">57</a></span><br /> +<br /> +BREADS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Flour and Meal, <a href="#Page_26">26</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[308]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mixing, <a href="#Page_28">28</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beaten Biscuit, <a href="#Page_28">28</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Soda Biscuit, <a href="#Page_30">30</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Salt Rising Bread, <a href="#Page_31">31</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet Potato Biscuit, <a href="#Page_32">32</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Waffles, <a href="#Page_33">33</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Corn Bread, Plain, <a href="#Page_34">34</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Egg Bread, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Batter Cakes, <a href="#Page_35">35</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ash Cake, <a href="#Page_36">36</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mush Bread, <a href="#Page_36">36</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cracklin' Bread, <a href="#Page_37">37</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pumpkin Bread, <a href="#Page_37">37</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mush Batter Cakes, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wafers, <a href="#Page_38">38</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nut Bread, <a href="#Page_219">219</a></span><br /> +<br /> +CAKES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Secret of Success, <a href="#Page_136">136</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mixing, <a href="#Page_137">137</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweetening Strong Butter, <a href="#Page_138">138</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baking, <a href="#Page_139">139</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Frosting, <a href="#Page_140">140</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pound Cake, <a href="#Page_140">140</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Spice Cake, <a href="#Page_142">142</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Marble Cake, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Real Gold Cake, <a href="#Page_143">143</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Real Silver Cake, <a href="#Page_144">144</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[309]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Christmas Cake, <a href="#Page_145">145</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">White Layer Cake, <a href="#Page_147">147</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cream Cake, <a href="#Page_148">148</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sponge Cake, <a href="#Page_148">148</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">White Sponge Cake, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Angel's Food, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chocolate Cake, <a href="#Page_149">149</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Orange Cake, <a href="#Page_150">150</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dream Cakes, <a href="#Page_150">150</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shrewsbury Cakes, <a href="#Page_151">151</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Queen Cakes, <a href="#Page_151">151</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Banbury Cakes, <a href="#Page_152">152</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Oatmeal Cookies, <a href="#Page_152">152</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tea Cakes, <a href="#Page_153">153</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Soft Gingerbread, <a href="#Page_153">153</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mammy's Ginger Cakes, <a href="#Page_154">154</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Family Gingerbread, <a href="#Page_155">155</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Solid Chocolate Cake, <a href="#Page_155">155</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Coffee Cake, <a href="#Page_155">155</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ginger Snaps, <a href="#Page_156">156</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Kisses, <a href="#Page_157">157</a></span><br /> +<br /> +CANDLES, <a href="#Page_292">292</a><br /> +<br /> +CREOLE COOKERY<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Milly, <a href="#Page_118">118</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Court Bouillon, <a href="#Page_120">120</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Court Bouillon, Spanish, <a href="#Page_121">121</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[310]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bouillabaisse, <a href="#Page_122">122</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shrimps, Boiling, <a href="#Page_124">124</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baked Shrimp, <a href="#Page_125">125</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shrimp Pie, <a href="#Page_125">125</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Shrimp Salad, <a href="#Page_126">126</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Soft-Shell Crabs, <a href="#Page_126">126</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Daube <i>a la Mode</i>, <a href="#Page_127">127</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cold Daube <i>a la Creole</i>, <a href="#Page_128">128</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grillades with Gravy, <a href="#Page_129">129</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chicken Saute <i>a la Creole</i>, <a href="#Page_130">130</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Quail, Roasted, <a href="#Page_131">131</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Creole French Dressing, <a href="#Page_132">132</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mayonnaise Dressing, <a href="#Page_133">133</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Remoulade Dressing, <a href="#Page_133">133</a></span><br /> +<br /> +DRINKS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cherry Bounce, <a href="#Page_72">72</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grape Cider, <a href="#Page_73">73</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Persimmon Beer, <a href="#Page_74">74</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Egg Nogg, <a href="#Page_75">75</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">White Egg Nogg, <a href="#Page_76">76</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Apple Toddy, <a href="#Page_76">76</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hail Storm, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mint Julep, <a href="#Page_77">77</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lemon Punch, <a href="#Page_78">78</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Punch <i>a la</i> Ruffle Shirt, <a href="#Page_79">79</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Liqueur, <a href="#Page_82">82</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[311]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Strawberry Liqueur, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blackberry Cordial, <a href="#Page_83">83</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blackberry Wine, <a href="#Page_84">84</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Strawberry Wine, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gooseberry Wine, <a href="#Page_85">85</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Grape Wine, <a href="#Page_86">86</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Muscadine Wine, <a href="#Page_87">87</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fruit Vinegars, <a href="#Page_88">88</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiled Cider, <a href="#Page_89">89</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bruleau, <a href="#Page_134">134</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Drip Coffee, <a href="#Page_134">134</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiled Coffee, <a href="#Page_235">235</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chocolate, <a href="#Page_237">237</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tea, <a href="#Page_234">234</a></span><br /> +<br /> +EGGS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">New Laid Eggs, <a href="#Page_176">176</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Keeping, <a href="#Page_176">176</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Varieties, <a href="#Page_177">177</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roasted Eggs, <a href="#Page_178">178</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baked Eggs, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Potato Egg Puffs, <a href="#Page_179">179</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Egg Dumplings, <a href="#Page_180">180</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Egg Spread, <a href="#Page_180">180</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Poached Eggs, <a href="#Page_181">181</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Egg Fours, <a href="#Page_182">182</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Stuffed Eggs, <a href="#Page_183">183</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[312]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Eggs, <a href="#Page_184">184</a></span><br /> +<br /> +FRUIT DESSERTS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Affinity for Liquors, <a href="#Page_212">212</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Strawberries in Mixtures, <a href="#Page_213">213</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Mixtures with Brandy, <a href="#Page_214">214</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fruit Mixtures with Sherry Syrup, <a href="#Page_214">214</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">White Grape-Orange Mixture, <a href="#Page_214">214</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cherries with Bananas, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fruit with Wine Jelly, <a href="#Page_215">215</a></span><br /> +<br /> +GAME<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Preparation, <a href="#Page_165">165</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered, <a href="#Page_172">172</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Quail, <a href="#Page_173">173</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wild Duck, <a href="#Page_174">174</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Possum, Roasted, <a href="#Page_175">175</a></span><br /> +<br /> +HAMS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiled Ham, <a href="#Page_59">59</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Ham, <a href="#Page_63">63</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Broiled Ham, <a href="#Page_64">64</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mutton Ham, <a href="#Page_66">66</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beef Hams, <a href="#Page_68">68</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rabbit Hams, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fresh Ham, <a href="#Page_70">70</a></span><br /> +<br /> +MEATS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barbecued Lamb, <a href="#Page_158">158</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[313]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roast Pork, <a href="#Page_159">159</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions, <a href="#Page_160">160</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boned Fresh Ham, <a href="#Page_161">161</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roast Beef, <a href="#Page_163">163</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pot Roast, <a href="#Page_163">163</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Leg of Mutton in Blanket, <a href="#Page_164">164</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Roast Turkey or Capon, <a href="#Page_167">167</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Guinea Hen in Casserole, <a href="#Page_168">168</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chickens in Blankets, <a href="#Page_169">169</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Chicken, <a href="#Page_169">169</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Smothered Chicken or Ducklings, <a href="#Page_170">170</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chicken Croquets Glorified, <a href="#Page_171">171</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chicken-Turkey Hash, <a href="#Page_172">172</a></span><br /> +<br /> +PICKLES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brine, <a href="#Page_220">220</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pickle Barrel, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Potential Pickles, <a href="#Page_221">221</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pickling from Brine, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Water Melon Pickle, <a href="#Page_223">223</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mangoes, <a href="#Page_224">224</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Walnut Pickle, <a href="#Page_226">226</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Sweet Pickle, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></span><br /> +<br /> +PIES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Philosophy of Pie-Crust, <a href="#Page_90">90</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Puff Paste, <a href="#Page_91">91</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Raised Crust, <a href="#Page_93">93</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[314]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">French Puff Paste, <a href="#Page_94">94</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Everyday Crust, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cobbler Pies, <a href="#Page_95">95</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Pies, <a href="#Page_97">97</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Green Apple Pie, <a href="#Page_98">98</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lemon Custard, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cream Pie, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Damson and Banana Tart, <a href="#Page_99">99</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Amber Pie, <a href="#Page_100">100</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jelly Pie, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cheese Cakes, <a href="#Page_101">101</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet Potato Custard, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet Potato Pie, <a href="#Page_104">104</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Apple Custard, <a href="#Page_105">105</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Molasses Pie, <a href="#Page_105">105</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Mystery Pie, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Butter Scotch Pie, <a href="#Page_106">106</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Raspberry Cream Pie, <a href="#Page_107">107</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Rhubarb Pie and Sauce, <a href="#Page_107">107</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Banana Pie, <a href="#Page_108">108</a></span><br /> +<br /> +PRESERVES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Preserving Fruit, <a href="#Page_227">227</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ginger Pears, <a href="#Page_230">230</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tutti Frutti, <a href="#Page_230">230</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Green Tomato Preserves and Citron, <a href="#Page_231">231</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brandy or Pickled Cherries, <a href="#Page_232">232</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[315]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Brandy Peaches and Pears, <a href="#Page_233">233</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dried Fruit, <a href="#Page_239">239</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach and Apple Butter, <a href="#Page_245">245</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Keeping Cider Sweet, <a href="#Page_249">249</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Chips, <a href="#Page_250">250</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dried Cherries, <a href="#Page_250">250</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Leather, <a href="#Page_251">251</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tomato Figs, <a href="#Page_251">251</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Jelly-Making, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Quince Jelly and Marmalade, <a href="#Page_254">254</a></span><br /> +<br /> +PUDDINGS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Banana Pudding, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet Potato Pudding, <a href="#Page_109">109</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Poor Man's Pudding, <a href="#Page_110">110</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiled Batter Pudding, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Apple Pudding, <a href="#Page_111">111</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Apple Dumplings, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crumb Pudding, <a href="#Page_112">112</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Blackberry Mush, <a href="#Page_113">113</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Peach Pudding, <a href="#Page_114">114</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ginger Pudding, <a href="#Page_114">114</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Nesselrode Pudding, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Thanksgiving Pudding, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Christmas Pudding, <a href="#Page_115">115</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pudding Sauce, <a href="#Page_117">117</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fig Pudding, <a href="#Page_156">156</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[316]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Quince Pudding, <a href="#Page_253">253</a></span><br /> +<br /> +RELISHES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cold Slaw, <a href="#Page_192">192</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tomato Soy, <a href="#Page_193">193</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Table Mustard, <a href="#Page_193">193</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cabbage Pickle, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cauliflower Pickle, <a href="#Page_194">194</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pear Relish, <a href="#Page_195">195</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cherries Piquant, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gooseberry Jam Spiced, <a href="#Page_196">196</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Frozen Cranberry Sauce, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Apple Sauce Gone to Heaven, <a href="#Page_197">197</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Spiced Grapes, <a href="#Page_199">199</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Spiced Plums, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet-Sour Pears, <a href="#Page_200">200</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baked Peaches, <a href="#Page_201">201</a></span><br /> +<br /> +SALADS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wedding Salad, <a href="#Page_188">188</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fruit Salad, <a href="#Page_189">189</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sweet French Dressing, <a href="#Page_190">190</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Banana and Celery Salad, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Red White Salad, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pineapple Salad, <a href="#Page_191">191</a></span><br /> +<br /> +SANDWICHES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Making Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_216">216</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sardine Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[317]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Sundry Cheese Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Lettuce and Cheese Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_217">217</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ham and Tongue Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cheese and Sherry Sandwiches, <a href="#Page_218">218</a></span><br /> +<br /> +SOUPS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Vegetable Soup, <a href="#Page_185">185</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Black Turtle, Bean Soup, <a href="#Page_186">186</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gumbo, <a href="#Page_187">187</a></span><br /> +<br /> +SOAP, <a href="#Page_298">298</a><br /> +<br /> +UPON OCCASIONS<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Infares, <a href="#Page_257">257</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Weddings, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wedding Tables, <a href="#Page_258">258</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cut, Papers, <a href="#Page_259">259</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chandeliers: Home-made, <a href="#Page_259">259</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wedding Cakes, <a href="#Page_261">261</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bride's Cake, <a href="#Page_263">263</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Wedding Suppers, <a href="#Page_265">265</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Syllabub, <a href="#Page_267">267</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiled Custard, <a href="#Page_268">268</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Orange Lilies, <a href="#Page_269">269</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Party Suppers, <a href="#Page_270">270</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Ambrosia, <a href="#Page_270">270</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barbecues, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Barbecue, <a href="#Page_273">273</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;"><ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'Bran'">Barn</ins> Dances, <a href="#Page_278">278</a></span><br /> +<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[318]</a></span><span style="margin-left: 1em;">Birthday Barbecue, <a href="#Page_290">290</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baskets, <a href="#Page_281">281</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Chicken, Loaf, <a href="#Page_284">284</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Dinings, <a href="#Page_286">286</a></span><br /> +<br /> +VEGETABLES<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tomato, Layer, <a href="#Page_202">202</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Corn Pudding, <a href="#Page_203">203</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Fried Corn, <a href="#Page_203">203</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Hulled Corn, <a href="#Page_204">204</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Steamed Potatoes, <a href="#Page_205">205</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Candied Sweet Potatoes, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Tipsy Potatoes, <a href="#Page_206">206</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Left-Over Sweet Potatoes, <a href="#Page_207">207</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Potato Balls, <a href="#Page_207">207</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Bananas, <a href="#Page_208">208</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Baking Vegetables, <a href="#Page_208">208</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Cauliflower, <i>au Gratin</i>, <a href="#Page_210">210</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Boiling with Bacon, <a href="#Page_211">211</a></span><br /> +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Pot Liquor, <a href="#Page_212">212</a></span><br /> +</div> +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<p> </p> + +<div class='tnote'><h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3> +<p>Obvious punctuation errors were corrected.</p> +<p>The text uses variant hyphenation and spelling. Where a majority could not be ascertained, as in +egg-yolks, the variations were retained.</p> + + +<div class='center'> +<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="words"> +<tr><td align='left'>cheesecake</td><td align='left'>cheese cake</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>corn-bread</td><td align='left'>corn bread</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>allspice</td><td align='left'>alspice</td></tr> +<tr><td align='left'>soapmaking </td><td align='left'>soap-making</td></tr> +</table></div> +<p>The remaining corrections made are indicated by dotted lines under the corrections. Scroll the mouse over the word and the original text will <ins title="Transcriber's Note: original reads 'apprear'">appear</ins>.</p></div> + +<p> </p> +<p> </p> +<hr class="full" /> +<p>***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD SOUTH***</p> +<p>******* This file should be named 28491-h.txt or 28491-h.zip *******</p> +<p>This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:<br /> +<a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491">http://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/4/9/28491</a></p> +<p>Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed.</p> + +<p>Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + + + + +Title: Dishes & Beverages of the Old South + + +Author: Martha McCulloch Williams + + + +Release Date: April 4, 2009 [eBook #28491] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII) + + +***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD +SOUTH*** + + +E-text prepared by Juliet Sutherland and the Project Gutenberg Online +Distributed Proofreading Team (https://www.pgdp.net) + + + +Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this + file which includes the original illustrations. + See 28491-h.htm or 28491-h.zip: + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491/28491-h/28491-h.htm) + or + (https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491/28491-h.zip) + + + + + +DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD SOUTH + +by + +Martha McCulloch-Williams + +Author of "Field Farings," "Two of a Trade," "Milre," "Next to the +Ground," etc. + +Decorations by Russel Crofoot + + + + + + + +[Illustration] + + +New York +McBride Nast & Company +1913 + +Copyright, 1913, by +Mcbride, Nast & Co. + +Published, October, 1913 + + + + +CONTENTS + + PAGE + + GRACE BEFORE MEAT 9 + + THE STAFF OF LIFE 26 + + SAVING YOUR BACON 39 + + HAMS AND OTHER HAMS 59 + + FOR THIRSTY SOULS 72 + + PASTE, PIES, PUDDINGS 90 + + CREOLE COOKERY 118 + + CAKES, GREAT AND SMALL 136 + + MEAT, POULTRY, GAME, EGGS 158 + + SOUPS, SALADS, RELISHES 185 + + VEGETABLES, FRUIT DESSERTS, SANDWICHES 202 + + PICKLES, PRESERVES, COFFEE, TEA, CHOCOLATE 220 + + WHEN THE ORCHARDS "HIT" 239 + + UPON OCCASIONS 257 + + SOAP AND CANDLES 292 + + + + +Dishes & Beverages + +of the + +Old South + + + + +[Illustration: _Grace before Meat_] + + +"Let me cook the dinners of a nation, and I shall not care who makes its +laws." Women, if they did but know it, might well thus paraphrase a +famous saying. Proper dinners mean so much--good blood, good health, +good judgment, good conduct. The fact makes tragic a truth too little +regarded; namely, that while bad cooking can ruin the very best of raw +foodstuffs, all the arts of all the cooks in the world can do no more +than palliate things stale, flat and unprofitable. To buy such things is +waste, instead of economy. Food must satisfy the palate else it will +never truly satisfy the stomach. An unsatisfied stomach, or one +overworked by having to wrestle with food which has bulk out of all +proportion to flavor, too often makes its vengeful protest in dyspepsia. +It is said underdone mutton cost Napoleon the battle of Leipsic, and +eventually his crown. I wonder, now and then, if the prevalence of +divorce has any connection with the decline of home cooking? + +A far cry, and heretical, do you say, gentle reader? Not so far after +all--these be sociologic days. I am but leading up to the theory with +facts behind it, that it was through being the best fed people in the +world, we of the South Country were able to put up the best fight in +history, and after the ravages and ruin of civil war, come again to our +own. We might have been utterly crushed but for our proud and pampered +stomachs, which in turn gave the bone, brain and brawn for the conquests +of peace. So here's to our Mammys--God bless them! God rest them! This +imperfect chronicle of the nurture wherewith they fed us is inscribed +with love to their memory. + +Almost my earliest memory is of Mammy's kitchen. Permission to loiter +there was a Reward of Merit--a sort of domestic Victoria Cross. If, when +company came to spend the day, I made my manners prettily, I might see +all the delightful hurley-burley of dinner-cooking. My seat was the +biscuit block, a section of tree-trunk at least three feet across, and +waist-high. Mammy set me upon it, but first covered it with her clean +apron--it was almost the only use she ever made of the apron. The block +stood well out of the way--next the meal barrel in the corner behind the +door, and hard by the Short Shelf, sacred to cake and piemaking, as the +Long Shelf beneath the window was given over to the three water +buckets--cedar with brass hoops always shining like gold--the piggin, +also of cedar, the corn-bread tray, and the cup-noggin. Above, the log +wall bristled with knives of varying edge, stuck in the cracks; with +nails whereon hung flesh-forks, spoons, ladles, skimmers. These were for +the most part hand-wrought, by the local blacksmith. The forks in +particular were of a classic grace--so much so that when, in looking +through my big sister's mythology I came upon a picture of Neptune with +his trident, I called it his flesh-fork, and asked if he were about to +take up meat with it, from the waves boiling about his feet. + +The kitchen proper would give Domestic Science heart failure, yet it +must have been altogether sanitary. Nothing about it was tight enough to +harbor a self-respecting germ. It was the rise of twenty feet square, +built stoutly of hewn logs, with a sharply pitched board roof, a movable +loft, a plank floor boasting inch-wide cracks, a door, two windows and a +fireplace that took up a full half of one end. In front of the fireplace +stretched a rough stone hearth, a yard in depth. Sundry and several +cranes swung against the chimney-breast. When fully in commission they +held pots enough to cook for a regiment. The pots themselves, of cast +iron, with close-fitting tops, ran from two to ten gallons in capacity, +had rounded bottoms with three pertly outstanding legs, and ears either +side for the iron pot-hooks, which varied in size even as did the pots +themselves. + +Additionally there were ovens, deep and shallow, spiders, skillets, a +couple of tea-kettles, a stew kettle, a broiler with a long +spider-legged trivet to rest on, a hoe-baker, a biscuit-baker, and +waffle-irons with legs like tongs. Each piece of hollow ware had its +lid, with eye on top for lifting off with the hooks. Live coals, spread +on hearth and lids, did the cooking. To furnish them there was a wrought +iron shovel, so big and heavy nobody but Mammy herself could wield it +properly. Emptied vessels were turned upside down on the floor under the +Long Shelf--grease kept away rust. But before one was used it had to be +scoured with soap and sand rock, rinsed and scalded. Periodically every +piece was burned out--turned upside down over a roaring fire and left +there until red hot, then slowly cooled. This burning out left a fine +smooth surface after scouring. Cast iron, being in a degree porous, +necessarily took up traces of food when it had been used for cooking a +month or so. + +Ah me! What savors, what flavors came out of the pots! Years on years I +was laughed at for maintaining that no range ever turned out things to +equal open-hearth cookery. But it took paper bags to prove beyond cavil +the truth of my contention. Even paper-bagging does not quite match the +open-hearth process, though there is the same secret of superiority, +namely, cooking things in their own essence by the agency of hot air. +The sealed and loaded bag needs must be laid on a grate-shelf in a hot +oven--touch of solid hot iron is fatal to it. + +Iron vessels set above smoothly spread coals got hot, but not +red-hot--red heat belonged to the lids. They were swung over the fire +and heated before setting them in place--then the blanket of coals and +embers held in heat which, radiating downward, made the cooking even. +Scorching of course was possible unless the cook knew her business, and +minded it well. Our Mammys not only knew their business but loved +it--often with a devotion that raised it to the rank of Art. Add the +palate of a _gourmet_ born, a free hand at the fat, the sweet, strong +waters and high flavors--what wonder it is to envy those of us they fed! + +My individual Mammy was in figure an oblate spheroid--she stood five +feet, one inch high, weighed two hundred and fifty pounds, had a head so +flat buckets sat on it as of right, was as light on her feet, in number +twelve shoes, as the slimmest of her children and foster children, could +shame the best man on the place at lifting with the hand-stick, or chop +him to a standstill--if her axe exactly suited her. She loved her work, +her mistress, her children black and white--even me, though I was +something of a trial--her garden and her God. All these she served +fondly, faithfully, with rare good humor and the nicest judgment. Fall +soft upon her, rain and snow! Sunshine and green grass, make happy +always the slope where she rests! + +She put on a clean white frock every morning--by breakfast time it was +a sickly gray along the front--the thick of the dinner-battle was writ +large on it in black smudges. She herself explained: "I ain't sech er +dirty 'ooman--hit's dest I'se so big, dirt ketches me comin' and gwine." +Air and more air she would have, regardless of weather. The big +board-window had its shutter up all day long--the glass window was a +vexation, since it opened only halfway. By way of evening things, +daubing and chinking got knocked out of at least half the cracks between +the wall logs as sure as Easter came--not to be replaced until the week +before Christmas. I doubt if they would have been put back even then, +but that Mammy dreaded criticism, from maids and carriage drivers +visiting kinfolk brought with them. Big yawning cracks in cold weather +were in a way the hall-mark of poor-white cabins. It would have half +broken Mammy's heart to give anybody room to say she belonged to less +than real quality. + +She was autocratic; a benevolent despot; withal severe. If I displeased +her by meddling, putting small grimy fingers into pies they should not +touch, she set me to shelling black-eyed peas--a task my soul loathed, +likewise the meddlesome fingers--still I knew better than to sulk or +whine over it. For that I would have been sent back into the house. The +kitchen stood thirty yards away from the back door, with a branchy oak +in front of it, and another, even branchier, shading the log foot-way +between. The house offered only grown-up talk, which rarely interested +me. In the kitchen I caught scraps of Brer Rabbit's history, pithily +applied, other scraps of song--Mammy always "gave out" the words to +herself before singing them--proverbs and sayings such as "Cow want her +tail agin in fly-time" applied to an ingrate, or: "Dat's er high kick +fer er low horse," by way of setting properly in place a pretender. + +Best of all, I got the latest news of the countryside for ten miles +around. Wireless has little on the way things ran about among the +plantations. It was a point of honor among the black men to have wives +or sweethearts away from home. This meant running about +nightly--consequently cross-currents of gossip lively enough to make the +yellowest journal turn green with envy. Mammy was a trifle apologetic +over having a husband no further off than the next neighbor's. To make +up for it, however, the husbands who came to his house lived from three +to five miles away--and one of them worked at the mill, hence was a +veritable human chronicle. Thus Mammy was able to hold her head up with +Susan, her sister, who milked and washed. + +Susan might have been called a widow of degrees--she had had three +husbands, but only two were living. The last parting was always +threatening to end in meeting over again--still that did not hinder her +cabin from being the rendezvous of all the likeliest fellows within easy +walking range. Naturally she had things to tell--worth hearing whether +or no they were true. So also had Phoebe, who was a sort of scullion, +fetching in wood and water, gathering vegetables, picking chickens, +scouring all things from the big pot to the floor. Shelves were scoured +daily, the floor three times a week. This had to be a matter of faith +after an hour or so--it certainly did not look it. Sweeping, done three +times a day, was largely a matter of form. Phoebe went conscientiously +over the uncluttered spaces, and even reached the nose of her broom +between pots and ovens, but only coarse trash gathered before the +broom--all the rest went through the cracks. + +Mammy said Phoebe's news could be believed. "De gal don't know no mo'n +ter tell dest whut she done heard." She truly was slow-witted and +slow-spoken, but Isham, her step-father, was cook to the Gresham +brothers, the beaux of the neighborhood, who kept bachelor's hall. His +mother had been their Mammy--hence his inherited privilege of knowing +rather more about his young masters than they knew themselves. + +Little pitchers have big ears. Set it to the credit of the black folk, +they always had regard for the innocence of childhood. Scandal was +merely breathed--not even so hinted as to arouse curiosity. Foul speech +I never heard from them nor a trace of profanity. What I did hear was a +liberal education in the humanities--as time passes I rate more and more +highly the sense of values it fixed in a plastic mind. I think it must +have been because our Mammys saw all things from the elemental angle, +they were critics so illuminating of manners and morals. + +Here ends reminiscence, set down in hope it may breed understanding. All +I actually learned from Mammy and her cooking was--how things ought to +taste. The which is essential. It has been the pole-star of my career as +a cook. Followed faithfully along the Way of Many Failures, through a +Country of Tribulations, it has brought me into the haven of knowledge +absolute. If the testimony of empty plates and smiling guests can +establish a fact, then I am a good cook--though limited. I profess only +to cook the things I care to cook well. Hence I have set my hand to +this, a real cook's book. Most cook books are written by folk who cook +by hearsay--it is the fewest number of real cooks who can write so as +not to bewilder the common or garden variety of mind. The bulk of what +follows has an old-time Southern foundation, with such frillings as +experience approves. To it there will be added somewhat of Creole +cookery, learned and proved here in New York town by grace of Milly, the +very queen of New Orleans cooks, temporarily transplanted. Also sundry +and several delectable dishes of alien origins--some as made in France +or Germany, some from the far Philippines, but all proved before record. +In each case the source is indicated in the title. Things my very own, +evolved from my inner consciousness, my outer opportunity and +environment, I shall likewise mark personal. + +Lastly, but far from leastly, let me make protest against +over-elaboration, alike in food and the serving thereof. The very best +decoration for a table is something good in the plates. This is not +saying one should not plan to please the eye no less than the palate. +But ribbon on sandwiches is an anachronism--so is all the flummery of +silk and laces, doilies and doo-dads that so often bewilder us. They are +unfair to the food--as hard to live up to as anybody's blue china. I +smile even yet, remembering my husband's chuckles, after we had come +home from eating delicatessen chicken off ten-dollar plates, by help of +antique silver. Somehow the viands and the service seemed "out of +drawing." + +Quoth Heine the cynic: "Woman, woman! Much must be forgiven thee! Thou +hast loved much--and many." Edibly I love much rather than many. Enough +of one thoroughly good thing, with proper accessories, is more +satisfying than seven courses--each worse than the last. Also cheaper, +also much less trouble. If time has any value, the economy of it in +dishwashing alone is worth considering. In these piping days of rising +prices, economy sounds good, even in the abstract. Add the concrete fact +that you save money as well as trouble, and the world of cooks may well +sit up and take notice. + +The one-piece dinner is as convenient and comfortable as the one-piece +frock. There are, of course, occasions to which it is unsuited. +One-piece must be understood to mean the _piece de resistance_--the +backbone of subsistence as it were. A bowl of rich soup or chowder, with +crackers on the side, a generous helping of well-cooked meat, with bread +or potatoes, and the simplest relishes, or a royally fat pudding overrun +with brandy sauce; each or either can put it all over a splash of this, +a dab of that, a slab of something else, set lonesomely on a separate +plate and reckoned a meal--in courses. Courses are all well enough--they +have my warm heart when they come "in the picture." But when they are +mostly "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not +seen," then I would trade them, and gladly, for as much good bread and +butter as appetite called for. + +By way of postscript: being a strict and ardent advocate of temperance, +I refused to consider writing this book unless I had full liberty to +advise the use of wine, brandy, cordials, liquors, where good cooking +demands them. Any earthly thing can be abused--to teach right use is the +best preventive of abuse. Liquors, like everything else, must be good. +"Cooking sherry" is as much an abomination as "cooking butter," or +"cooking apples." You will never get out of pot or pan anything +fundamentally better than what went into it. Cooking is not alchemy; +there is no magic in the pot. The whole art and mystery of it is to +apply heat and seasoning in such fashion as to make the best, and the +most, of such food supplies as your purse permits. Tough meat cannot be +cooked tender; tainted meat cannot be cooked sound. It is the same with +stale fish, specked or soured fruit, withered vegetables. It pays to +educate tradesfolk into understanding that you want the best and only +the best of what you buy. If the thing you want, in perfect condition, +is beyond your means, take, instead of a lower grade of it, the highest +grade of something cheaper. So shall you escape waste of time, effort +and substance. Never mind sneers at your simple fare. Remember it was +Solomon the Wise who wrote: "Better a dinner of herbs and contentment +than a stalled ox, and contention therewith." Paraphrase the last clause +into "spoiled ox and ptomaines therewith," and you may keep not only +self-respect, but that of the neighbors. + + + + +[Illustration: _The Staff of Life_] + + +Bread, more than almost any other foodstuff, can not be better than what +it is made of. Here as elsewhere a bungler can ruin the very best of +flour or meal. But the queen of cooks can not make good a fundamental +deficiency. + +Hence in buying flour look for these things: a slightly creamy +cast--dazzling whiteness shows bleaching, as a gray-white, or black +specks mean grinding from spoiled grain. The feel should be velvety, +with no trace of roughness--roughness means, commonly, mixture with +corn. A handful tightly gripped should keep the shape of the hand, and +show to a degree the markings of the palm. A pinch wet rather stiff, +and stretched between thumb and finger, will show by the length of the +thread it spins richness or poverty in gluten--one of the most valuable +food elements. + +The cornmeal of commerce will not be satisfactory in any receipt here +given. It has been bolted and kiln-dried out of all natural flavor. Take +the trouble to get meal water-ground, from white flint corn, and fresh +from the mill. Then you will have something worth spending time and +effort upon--spending them hopefully. Why, the wisest man can not +tell--but steam-ground meal is of a flavor wholly unlike that +water-ground. The grinding should be neither too fine nor too coarse. +Bran left in, and sifted out as needed, helps to save from musting, and +to preserve the delicate natural flavor. Fresh meal, in clean bright tin +or glass, or in a stout paper sack, where it is dry, cool and airy will +keep two months. Hence buy it judiciously, in proportion to your +family's corn-cake appetite. + +It is impossible to give exactly the amount of liquid for any sort of +bread-making because the condition of flour and meal varies with weather +and keeping. This applies also to sugar--hence the need for intelligence +in the use of receipts. In damp muggy weather moisture is absorbed from +the atmosphere. Upon a dry day especially if there is much wind, drying +out is inevitable. Anything that feels clammy, or that clots, should be +dried in a warm, not hot, oven. Heating flour before mixing it, taking +care not to scorch it in the least, is one small secret of light bread, +biscuit and cake. Flour in a bag may be laid in the sun with advantage. +Use judgment in mixing. Note the appearance of what you are making +closely--when it turns out extra good, set up that first condition as a +standard. + + * * * * * + +_Beaten Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Sift a quart of flour into a bowl or +tray, add half a teaspoon salt, then cut small into it a teacup of very +cold lard. Wet with cold water--ice water is best--into a very stiff +dough. Lay on a floured block, or marble slab, and give one hundred +strokes with a mallet or rolling pin. Fold afresh as the dough beats +thin, dredging in flour if it begins to stick. The end of beating is to +distribute air well through the mass, which, expanding by the heat of +baking, makes the biscuit light. The dough should be firm, but smooth +and very elastic. Roll to half-inch thickness, cut out with a small +round cutter, prick lightly all over the top, and bake in steady heat to +a delicate brown. Too hot an oven will scorch and blister, too cold an +one make the biscuit hard and clammy. Aim for the Irishman's "middle +exthrame." + +There are sundry machines which do away with beating. It is possible +also to avoid it by running the dough, after mixing, several times +through a food-chopper. Also beaten biscuit can be closely imitated by +making good puff paste, rolling, cutting out, pricking and baking--but +rather more quickly than the real thing. All these are expedients for +those who live in apartments, where the noise of beating might be held +against good neighborhood. Householders, and especially suburban ones, +should indulge in the luxury of a block or stone or marble slab--and +live happy ever after, if they can but get cooks able and willing to +make proper use of it. + +_Soda Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Sift a quart of flour with a heaping +teaspoonful of baking soda. Add a good pinch of salt, rub well through +lard or butter the size of the fist, then wet with sour milk to a +moderately soft dough, roll out, working quickly, cut with small round +cutter, set in hot pans, leaving room to swell, and bake in a quick oven +just below scorching heat. Handle as lightly as possible all +through--this makes flaky biscuit. + +By way of variety, roll out thin--less than a half-inch, cut with +three-inch cutter, grease lightly on top, and fold along the middle. Let +rise on top a hot stove several minutes before putting to bake. By +adding an egg, beaten light, with a heaping tablespoonful of sugar to +the dough in mixing, these doubled biscuit will be quite unlike the +usual sort. + +_Salt Rising Bread_: (As Mammy Made It.) Scald a tablespoonful of sifted +cornmeal, and a teaspoonful--heaped--of salt with a pint of boiling +water, let stand ten minutes, then stir in, taking care to mix smooth, +enough dried and sifted flour to make a thick batter. Damp flour will +not rise. The batter should be almost thick enough to hold the mixing +spoon upright--but not quite thick enough. Set the mixture in warm +water--just as hot as you can bear your hand in. Keep up the heat +steadily, but never make too hot--scalding ruins everything. Keep +lightly covered, and away from draughts. Look in after an hour--if water +has risen on top, stir in more flour. Watch close--in six hours the +yeast should be foamy-light. Have ready three quarts of dry sifted +flour, make a hole in the center of it, pour in the yeast, add a trifle +more salt, a tablespoonful sugar, and half a cup of lard. Work all +together to a smooth dough, rinsing out the vessel that has held the +yeast, with warm not hot water to finish the mixing. Divide into loaves, +put in greased pans, grease lightly over the top, and set to rise, in +gentle heat. When risen bake with steady quick heat. Take from pans hot, +and cool between folds of clean cloth, spread upon a rack, or else turn +the loaves edgewise upon a clean board, and cover with cheese cloth. + +To make supper-rolls, shape some of the dough into balls, brush over +with melted butter, set in a deep pan, just so they do not touch, raise +and bake the same as bread. Dough can be saved over for breakfast rolls, +by keeping it very cold, and working in at morning, a tiny pinch of soda +before shaping the balls. + +_Sweet Potato Biscuit_: (Old Style.) Boil soft two large or four small +sweet potatoes, mash smooth while very hot, free of strings and eyes, +add a pinch of salt, then rub well through three cups of sifted flour. +Rub in also a generous handful of shortening, then wet up soft with two +eggs beaten very light, and sweet milk. A little sugar also if you have +a sweet tooth--but only a little. Roll to half-inch thickness, cut out +with small cutter, lay in warm pan, and bake brown in a quick oven. +Soda and buttermilk can take the place of eggs and sweet milk--in which +case the sugar is advisable. Mix the soda with the milk--enough to make +it foamy, but no more. + +_Waffles_: (Mammy's.) Separate three eggs. Beat yolks and whites very +light. Add to the yolks alternately a pint of very rich sweet milk, and +handfuls of sifted flour. Enough to make a batter rather thicker than +cream. Put in also half a teaspoon--scant--of salt, and half a cup of +lard, or lard and butter, melted so it will barely run. Mix well, then +add the beaten whites of egg. Have the waffle irons hot but not +scorching--grease well with melted lard--the salt in butter will make +the batter stick. Cook quickly but take care not to burn. Lay on hot +plate--have a pitcher of melted butter to pour on. Lay the second waffle +upon the first, butter, and keep hot. It is not safe to begin serving +without at least six waffles in plate. This, of course, provided you +have several eaters with genuine appetites. Syrup can be passed with the +waffles--but it is profanation to drench them with it--strong clear +coffee, and broiled chicken are the proper accompaniments at breakfast. + +_Plain Corn Bread_: (The Best.) Sift sound fresh white cornmeal, wet +with cold water to a fairly soft dough, shape it by tossing from hand to +hand into small pones, and lay them as made into a hot pan well +sprinkled with dry meal. The pan should be hot enough to brown the meal +without burning it. Make the pones about an inch thick, four inches +long, and two and a half broad. Bake quickly, taking care not to scorch, +until there is a brown crust top and bottom. For hoe-cakes make the +dough a trifle softer, lay it by handfuls upon a hot-meal-sprinkled +griddle, taking care the handfuls do not touch. Flatten to half an inch, +let brown underneath, then turn, press down and brown the upper side. Do +not let yourself be seduced into adding salt--the delight of plain +corn-bread is its affinity for fresh butter. It should be eaten drenched +with butter of its own melting--the butter laid in the heart of it after +splitting pone or hoe-cake. Salt destroys this fine affinity. It +however savors somewhat bread to be eaten butterless. Therefore Mammy +always said: "Salt in corn-bread hit does taste so po' white-folks'y." +She had little patience with those neighbors of ours who perforce had no +butter to their bread. + +_Egg Bread_: (Mammy's.) Beat two eggs very light with a pinch of salt, +add two cups sifted cornmeal, then wet with a pint of buttermilk in +which a teaspoonful of soda has been dissolved. Stir in a spoonful of +shortening, barely melted, mix well, and pour into well greased pans or +skillets, cook quickly, till the crust is a good brown, and serve +immediately. Or bake in muffin moulds. For delicate stomachs the +shortening can be left out, but pans or moulds must be greased extra +well. If milk is very sour, make it one-third water--this is better than +putting in more soda. + +_Batter Cakes_: (Old Style.) Sift together half-cup flour, cup and a +half meal, add pinch of salt, scald with boiling water, stir smooth, +then add two eggs well beaten, and thin with sweet milk--it will take +about half a pint. Bake by spoonfuls on a hot, well-greased griddle--the +batter must run very freely. Serve very hot with fresh sausage, or fried +pigs' feet if you would know just how good batter cakes can be. + +_Ash Cake_: (Pioneer.) This is possible only with wood fires--to campers +or millionaires. Make dough as for plain bread, but add the least trifle +of salt, sweep the hot hearth very clean, pile the dough on it in a +flattish mound, cover with big leaves--cabbage leaves will do at a +pinch, or even thick clean paper, then pile on embers with coals over +them and leave for an hour or more, according to size. Take up, brush +off ashes, and break away any cindery bits. Serve with new butter and +fresh buttermilk. This was sometimes the sole summer supper of very +great families in the old time. Beyond a doubt, ash cake properly cooked +has a savory sweetness possible to no other sort of corn bread. + +_Mush Bread_: (Overton Receipt.) To a quart of very thick mush, well +salted, add three fresh eggs, breaking them in one after the other, and +beating hard between. When smooth add half a cup of rich milk, and half +a cup melted butter. Stir hard, then add one teaspoonful baking powder, +and bake quickly. Bake in the serving dish as it is too soft for turning +out, requiring to be dipped on the plates with a spoon. Hence the name +in some mouths: "Spoon bread." + +_Cracklin' Bread_: (Pioneer.) Sift a pint of meal, add a pinch of salt, +then mix well through a teacup of cracklings--left from rendering lard. +Wet up with boiling water, make into small pones, and bake brown in a +quick but not scorching oven. + +_Pumpkin Bread_: (Pioneer.) Sift a pint of meal, add salt to season +fully, then rub through a large cupful of stewed pumpkin, made very +smooth. Add half a cup melted lard, then mix with sweet milk to a fairly +stiff dough, make pones, and bake crisp. Mashed sweet potato can be used +instead of pumpkin, and cracklings, rubbed very fine in place of lard. +Folks curious as to older cookery, can even make persimmon bread, using +the pulp of ripe persimmons to mix with the meal--but they will need +the patience of Job to free the pulp properly from skin and seed. + +_Mush Batter Cakes_: (For Invalids.) Bring half a pint of water to a +bubbling boil in something open, add to it a pinch of salt, then by +littles, strew in a cup of sifted meal, stirring it well to avoid lumps. +Let cool partly, then cook by small spoonfuls on a hot griddle very +lightly greased. Make the spoonfuls brown on both sides, and serve very +hot. + +_Wafers_: (For Invalids or Parties.) Rub a cup of lard or butter, +through a quart of sifted flour. Butter will give enough salt--with lard +add a pinch. Mix with sweet milk, the richer the better, to a smooth +dough, not stiff nor soft. Shape into balls the size of a small egg, +roll out very thin, prick lightly all over, and bake brown--it will take +about five minutes in a quick oven. Cool on cloth and keep dry. Handle +delicately--if the wafers are what they should be; they break and +crumble at any rough touch. + + + + +[Illustration: _Saving Your Bacon_] + + +Plenty in the smokehouse was the cornerstone of the old time southern +cookery. Hence hog-killing was a festival as joyous as Christmas--and +little less sacred. There was keen rivalry amongst plantations as to +which should show the finest pen of fattening hogs. Though the +plantation force was commonly amply sufficient for the work of +slaughter, owners indulged their slaves by asking help of each other--of +course returning the favor at need. + +A far cry from a cook book, common or garden variety. Here, it is worth +its space, as explaining in a measure what follows. Namely full +direction for choosing your fatted pig, cutting him up, and making the +most of the ultimate results. Choose carcasses between a hundred and +seventy-five and a hundred and fifty pounds in weight, of a fresh pinky +white hue, free of cuts, scratches, or bruises, the skin scraped clean, +and firm, not slimy, to touch, the fat firm and white, the lean a lively +purplish pink. Two inches of clear fat over the backbone, and the thick +of the ribs should be the limit. Anything more is wasteful--unless there +is a great need of lard in the kitchen. The pig should be chilled +throughout, but not frozen--freezing injures flavor and texture +somewhat, besides preventing the proper quick striking in of salt. + +Curing space permitting, it is wise to cut up several pigs at once. The +trouble is hardly increased, and the results, especially in saving, very +much greater. The head will have been at least half severed in +slaughtering. With a very sharp butcher knife, after the pig is laid on +the chopping block, cut deeply through the skin, all round, then with a +blow or two of the axe sever the head. Next cut through the skin deeply, +either side of the back bone. The cuts should be evenly parallel, and +about two inches apart. Now turn the pig on his back, part the legs and +with the meat axe chop through the ribs, and joints. After chopping, cut +the backbone free with the knife, trim off the strip of fat for the lard +pile, chop the backbone itself into pieces three to four inches long, +until the chine is reached--the part betwixt the shoulder blades with +the high spinal processes. Leave the chine intact for smoking, along +with the jowls and sausage. + +Pull out the leaf-fat--it grows around and over the kidneys. Also pull +out the spare ribs, leaving only one or two in the shoulders. This done, +chop off feet, then with the knife cut hams and shoulders free from the +sides. Trim after cutting out, saving all trimmings for sausage. Save +every bit of pure fat for lard. Also cut away the clear fat at the top +of the sides, devoting it to the same use. Make clean cuts on the +joints--this means a knife often whetted. Trim the hams rather flat, +and shape the hip bone neatly. The commercial fashion of cutting away +all the upper half of hams is fatal to perfect flavor. Trim shoulders +close, unless they are destined to be made into sausage--in that case +put them with the other scraps. Sides can either be cut into strips four +to five inches wide the long way, after the manner of commercial +"breakfast bacon," or left whole throughout their streaky part, cutting +away solid fat along the top for lard. Separate the heads at the jaw, +leaving the tongue attached to the jowl, and taking care not to cut it. +Cut off the snout two inches above the tip, then lay the upper part of +the head, skin down, crack the inner bone with the axe, press the broken +bones apart, and take out the brains. Jowls are to be salted and +smoked--heads are best either simply corned for boiling with cabbage, +peas, beans, etc., or made in conjunction with the feet into headcheese, +whose south country name is souse. + +Use regular pickling salt--coarse-grained and lively. Spread it an inch +thick upon clean wood--a broad shelf, box bottom, or something similar. +Rub the meat well over with salt, and then lay it neatly, skin-side +down, upon the salt layer, spread more salt on top, and put on another +layer of meat. Put sides together, likewise hams and shoulders. Pack as +close as possible and fill all crevices with salt. Salt alone will save +your bacon, but a teacup of moist sugar well mixed through a +water-bucket of salt improves the flavor. Use this on sides, jowls and +chines. The joints, hams and shoulders, especially if the shoulders are +close-cut, need a trifle more sugar in the salt, also a trifle of +saltpeter--say an ounce in fine powder to three gallons of salt. Rub the +skin-sides over with plain salt, and lay upon the salt-covered shelf the +same as sides. Then take a handful of the mixture and rub it in hard +around the bone, then cover the whole cut surface half an inch thick, +spread on dry salt for another layer of hams or shoulders, and repeat. +Salt the chines lightly--their surface, cut all over, takes up too much +salt if permitted. There should be holes or cracks in the bottom to let +the dissolved salt drip away; it is best also to have it a foot at least +above the floor. + +Cover the meat thus in bulk, but not too close, and leave standing a +fortnight. The cooler and airier the place it stands in the +better--freezing even is not objectionable when the salt begins striking +in. But with freezing weather the meat must lie longer in salt. Overhaul +it after the first fortnight--that is to say break up the bulk, shake +away bloody salt, sweep the bottom clean, and put on fresh salt. But use +very little saltpeter on the joints this time--on pain of making them +too hard as to their lean. Its use is to give firmness and a handsome +clear red color--an overdose of it produces a faintly undesirable +flavor. Some famous ham makers, at this second salting, rub the cut +sides over lightly with very good molasses, and sprinkle on ground black +pepper, before adding new salt. Others rub in a teaspoonful of sugar +mixed with pounded red pepper around the bone. But very excellent hams +can be made without such excess of painstaking. + +Let the meat lie two to four weeks after overhauling, according to the +weather. Take up, wipe all over with coarse clean cloth, furnish each +piece with a loop of stout twine at least four inches long, and so run +through the flesh, tearing out is impossible. Run through the hock of +hams, the upper tip of shoulders, the thickest part of sides, the +pointed tip of jowls. Jowls may not need to lie so long as bigger +pieces, especially if part of their fat has gone to lard. Chines can be +hung up in three weeks, and cured with a very light smoking, along with +the bags of sausage. + +Hang hams highest, shoulders next, then sides, jowls, etc. Leave to drip +forty-eight hours unless the weather turns suddenly warm, damp and +muggy--in that case start the smoking after a few hours. Smoke from +green hickory, sound and bright, is needed for the finest flavor. Lay +small logs so they will hug together as they burn, kindle fire along the +whole length of them, then smother it with damp, small chips, trash, +bark and so on, but take care to have everything sound. Rotten wood, or +that which is water-logged or mildewed, makes rank, ill-smelling smoke. +Take greater care that the logs never blaze up, also that the meat is +high enough to escape fire-heating. Once it gets hot from the fire all +your trouble will have been for naught--though it will not be tainted it +will have the same taste and smell--the degree marking the extent of the +heating. + +Old southern smokehouses had for the most part earthen floors, trenched +to make the smoke fires safe. Some had puncheon floors, with an earthen +hearth in the middle, whereupon was placed a furnace of loose +brick--that could be kicked over at need, smothering an outbreaking +fire. Still others had big cast iron kettles sunk in a sort of well in +the floor--with a handy water bucket for quenching fires. Whatever the +floor, eternal vigilance was the price of safe bacon--you looked at the +smokehouse fires first thing in the morning and last at night. They were +put out at sundown, but had a knack of burning again from some hidden +seed of live coal. Morning smoke could not well be too thick, provided +it smelled right--keen and clean, reminiscent of sylvan fragrance--a +thick, acrid smoke that set you sneezing and coughing, was "most +tolerable and not to be endured." It was not well to leave the smoke too +thick at night--somehow the chill then condensed it. A thin, blue, +hot-scented but cool, vapor was the thing to strive for then. There were +folk who suggested furnaces--with smoke pipes leading in--ever so much +safer they said, withal much less trouble. Why! even the smoke from a +cooking stove might be made to answer. But these progressives were heard +coldly--the old timers knew in right of tradition and experience, the +need of well ventilated smoke. + +It gave this present chronicler a feeling of getting home again, to walk +through the curing rooms of perhaps the most famous bacon makers in the +world, and find them practicing the wisdom of her childhood. Namely +using hickory smoke not delivered from furnace pipes but welling up, up, +in beautiful wreathy spirals, to reach row on row of hams and +flitches--and to be told, by a kind person who did not know she already +knew, that their curing was patterned on the old English model--curing +in the smoke of great-throated stone hall chimneys. Yes--they had tried +pipes--furnaces likewise--but they gave too much heat, did not +distribute smoke evenly, besides being almost impossible of regulation. +Hence the smoldering hickory that was like a breath from a far past. + +Notwithstanding, the chronicler is of opinion that folk who would like +to try their hands at bacon making may do it with a fair hope without +building regular smoke houses. To such she would say, get a stout +hogshead--a sugar hogshead preferable--nail on a board roof to shed +water, then set it upon a stout frame at least seven feet above ground. +Nail inside it stout cleats, to hold the cross bars for the meat. Hang +the meat upon them--but not until the hogshead is in place. Cut a hole +in the bottom as big as the top of a large barrel. Working through this +hole, arrange the meat, then put below a headless barrel, the top +resting against the hogshead-heading, the bottom upon supports of gas +pipe, iron, or even piled bricks. Between the supports set an iron +vessel--build your hickory smoke-fires in it, smothering them carefully, +and letting the smoke, with a sufficiency of air, well up, through +barrel, hogshead, etc. Or one might even rig up a smoking hogshead in an +attic, providing the chimney were tall enough to cool smoke +properly--and lead smoke out to it through a length of drain pipe. + +These are but suggestions--the contriving mind will doubtless invent +other and better ones. Smoking must go on for five weeks at least. Six +will be better, slacking toward the end. But two may be made to answer +by the use of what is called "liquid smoke" whose other name is crude +pyroligneous acid. A product of wood distillation, it has been proved +harmless in use, but use is nevertheless forbidden to commercial makers. +The meat, after breaking bulk, is dipped in it three times at fairly +brief intervals, hung up, drained, and smoked. From the liquid smoke it +will have acquired as much acid saving-grace, as from four weeks of old +fashioned smoking. + +A smokehouse needs to be kept dark, dry, and cool, also well ventilated. +Use fine screen wire over all openings, and make windows very small, +with coarse, sleazy crash in the sash rather than glass inside the +screens. Darkness prevents or discourages the maggot-fly. To discourage +him still further cover the cut sides of hams and shoulders before +hanging up with molasses made very thick with ground black pepper. They +will not absolutely require canvassing and dipping in whitewash after if +the peppering is thorough. But to be on the safe side--canvas and dip. +Make the whitewash with a foundation of thick paste--and be sure it +covers every thread of the canvas. Hams perfectly cured and canvassed +keep indefinitely in the right sort of smokehouse--but there is not much +gain in flavor after they are three years old. + +In rendering lard try out leaf fat to itself--it yields the very finest. +Cut out the kidneys carefully, and remove any bit of lean, then pull +off the thin inner skin, and cut up the leaves--into bits about two +inches wide and four long. Wash these quickly in tepid water, drain on a +sieve, and put over a slow fire in an iron vessel rather thick bottomed. +Add a little cold water--a cupful to a gallon of cut up fat, and let +cook gently until the lumps of fat color faintly. Increase heat till +there is a mild bubbling--keep the bubbling steady, stirring often to +make sure no lump of fat sticks to the pot and scorches, until all the +lumps are crisp brown cracklings. Bright brown, not dark--if dark the +lard will be slightly colored. Scorching taints and ruins the whole +mass. Strain through a sieve into a clean tin vessel, newly scalded and +wiped dry. Put the cracklings into a bag of stout crash, and press hard +between two clean boards, till no more fat runs from them. A jelly press +comes in handy, but is not essential. If weak, clear lye, made of green +wood ashes, is put in with the fat instead of water at the beginning, +the fat-yield will be greater, and the bulk of cracklings less, also +more nearly disintegrated. + +Other fat is tried out in the same way, taking care to remove all skin +and cut away streaks of lean. Bits with much lean in them had better go +to the sausage mill--the right proportion there is two pounds of fat to +three and a half of lean. Mix well in grinding, and remove all strings, +gristle, etc. Seasoning is so much a matter of taste, do it very lightly +at first--then fry a tiny cake, test it, and add whatever it seems to +lack or need. Be rather sparing of salt--eaters can put it in but can +not take it out, and excess of it makes even new sausage taste old. A +good combination of flavors, one approved by experience, is a cupful of +powdered and sifted sage, an ounce of black pepper newly ground, and +very fine, a tablespoonful of powdered red pepper, a teaspoonful of +cayenne, a pinch of thyme in fine powder, a dozen cloves, as many grains +of alspice, beaten fine, a teaspoonful of moist sugar, and a blade of +mace in fine powder. Omit the mace, cloves, etc. if the flavor repels. +Mix all well together, then work evenly through the meat. This seasoning +should suffice for five pounds of ground meat lightly salted. More can +be used by those who like high and pronounced flavors. + +Scrape feet very clean, and take off hoofs by either dipping in scalding +hot lye, or hot wet wood ashes. Wash very clean after scraping, throw in +cold water, soak an hour, then put in a clean pot with plenty of cold +water, and boil gently until very tender. If boiling for souse cook till +the meat and gristle fall from the bones. If for frying, take up the +feet as soon as they are tender, keeping them in shape. Boil heads the +same way, taking out eyes, cutting off ears and cleaning them carefully +inside. Pick the meat from the bones, mix it with the feet also picked +up, work seasoning well through it--salt, black and red pepper, herbs if +approved, likewise a trifle of onion juice, then pack in deep molds, +pour over a little of the boiling liquor--barely enough to moisten--and +set to cool uncovered. + +Let the boiling liquor stand until cold, covered only with a cloth. Skim +off the oil--hog's foot oil is a fine dressing for any sort of +leather--then dip off carefully the jelly underneath. Do not disturb the +sediment--take only the clear jelly. Melted, clarified with white of +egg, seasoned with wine, lemon juice, or grape juice, and sufficiently +sugared, the result puts all gelatines of commerce clean out of court. +Indeed any receipt for gelatine desserts can be used with the hog's foot +jelly. A small salvage perhaps--but worth while. + +Everybody knows brains can be fried--just as all know they can be +addled. We of the old south pickled ours. Go and do likewise if you want +an experience. Begin by scalding the brains--putting them on in cold +water very slightly salted, then letting them barely strike a boil. Skim +out, drop in cold water, take off the skin, keeping the lobes as whole +as possible, lay in a porcelain kettle, spice liberally with black and +red pepper, cloves, nutmeg and allspice, cover with strong vinegar, +bring to a boil, cook five minutes, then put in a jar, cool uncovered, +tie down and let stand a week before using. Thus treated brains will +keep for six weeks, provided they are kept cool. + +We also pickled our souse--cutting it in thin slices, and laying them in +strong vinegar an hour before serving. Another way was to melt the souse +into a sort of rich hash--beaten eggs were occasionally added, and the +result served on hot toast. At a pinch it answered for the foundation of +a meat pie, putting in with it in layers, sliced hard boiled eggs, +sliced cucumber pickle, plenty of seasoning, a good lump of butter, and +a little water. The pie was baked quickly--and made a very good supper +dish if unexpected company overran the supply of sausage or chicken for +frying. + +But fried hog's feet were nearly the best of hog killing. After boiling +tender, the feet were split lengthwise in half, rolled in sifted +cornmeal, salted and peppered, and fried crisp in plenty of boiling hot +fat. Served with hot biscuit, and stewed sun-dried peaches, along with +strong coffee, brown and fragrant, they made a supper or breakfast one +could rejoice in. + +Backbone stewed, and served with sweet potatoes, hot corn bread, and +sparkling cider, was certainly not to be despised. The stewing was +gentle, the seasoning well blended--enough salt but not too much, red +and black pepper, and the merest dash of pepper vinegar. Many cooks left +the vinegar to be added in the plates. There was little water at the +beginning, and next to none at the end--the kettle was kept well +covered, and not allowed to boil over. Backbone pie held its own with +chicken pie--indeed there were those who preferred it. It was made the +same way--in a skillet or deep pan lined with rich crust, then filled +with cooked meat, adding strips of bacon, and bits of butter rolled in +flour, as well as strips of crust. Then the stewing liquor went into the +crevices--there might also be a few very tiny crisp brown +sausages--cakes no bigger than a lady's watch. Over all came a thick, +rich crust, with a cross-cut in the middle, and corners turned deftly +back. When the crust was brown the pie was done. + +No doubt we were foolish--but somehow the regular "cases" made our +sausages unappetizing if we put it into them for keeping. Further the +"Tom Thumbs" were in great request for chitterlings--I never saw them +served to white folks but have smelled their savoriness in the cabins. +That is, however, beside the mark. We saved our sausage against the +spring scarcity in several ways. One was to fry it in quantity, pack the +cakes as fried in crocks, pour over them the gravy, and when the jar was +almost full, cover the top an inch deep with melted lard. Kept cool and +dark the cakes came out as good as they went in. Still there were +palates that craved smoked sausage. To satisfy them, some folk tied up +the meat in links of clean corn husks, and hung them at the side where +the smoke barely touched them. Another way was to make small bags of +stout unbleached muslin, fill, tie close, dip the bag in melted grease, +cool and smoke. The dipping was not really essential--still it kept the +sausage a little fresher. Latterly I have been wondering if paraffin had +been known then whether or not it would have served better than grease. + + + + +[Illustration: _Hams and Other Hams_] + + +The proper boiling of a proper ham reaches the level of high art. Proper +boiling makes any sound ham tolerable eating; conversely a crass and +hasty cook can spoil utterly this crowning mercy of the smokehouse. Yet +proper cooking is not a recondite process, nor one beyond the simplest +intelligence. It means first and most, pains and patience, with somewhat +of foresight, and something more of judgment. + +Cut off the hock, but not too high--barely the slender shankbone. Then +go all over the ham with a dull knife, scraping off every bit of +removable grease or soilure. Wipe afterward with a coarse, damp cloth, +then lay in a dishpan and cover an inch deep with cold water. If the +water is very hard soften by adding a tiny pinch of baking soda. Leave +in soak all night. In the morning wash well all over, using your coarse +cloth, and a little scouring soap, then rinse well in tepid water, +followed by a second rinsing in cold water, drain, and wipe dry. A +flat-bottomed boiler is best--with one rounding, there is greater risk +of scorching. Set a rack on the bottom else an old dish or earthen +pieplate, pour in an inch of water, set over the fire, lay the ham upon +the rack, skin side down, and fill up with cold water till it stands two +inches above the meat. Take care in adding the water not to dislodge the +ham from the rack. Bring the water to a boil, throw in a pint of cold +water and skim the boiler very clean, going over it twice or three +times. After the last skimming add half a dozen whole cloves, a dozen +whole alspice, a pod of red pepper, a few whole grains of black pepper, +and if you like, a young onion or a stalk of celery. Personally I do +not like either onion or celery--moreover they taint the fat one may +save from the pot. Let the water boil hard for half a minute, no longer, +then slack heat till it barely simmers. Keep it simmering, filling up +the pot as the water in it boils away, until the ham is tender +throughout. The time depends on several things--the hardness and age of +the ham, weight, curing. Fifteen minutes to the pound, reckoned from the +beginning of simmering, is the standard allowance. I have no hard and +fast rule--my hams boil always until the fork pierces them readily, and +the hip-bone stands clear of flesh. + +A big ham, fifteen to twenty pounds weight, had better be left in the +water overnight. A smaller one, say of ten pounds weight, should remain +only until thoroughly cold. Take up carefully when cold, let drain +twenty minutes, lying flesh side up in a flat dish, then trim off the +under side and edges neatly, removing rusty fat, strings, etc., and +cutting through the skin at the hock end. Turn over and remove the +skin--taking care not to tear away too much fat with it. Remove the ham +to a clean, deep dish, or bowl--the closer fitting the better, then pour +around it either sound claret, or sweet cider, till it stands half way +up the sides. Add a little tabasco or Worcester to the liquor, if high +flavors are approved. Then stick whole cloves in a lozenge pattern all +over the fat, sprinkle on thickly red and black pepper, and last of all, +sugar--brown sugar if to be had, but white will do. + +Leave standing several hours, basting once or twice with the liquor in +the bowl. Take out, set on a rack in an agate pan, pour the liquor +underneath, and bake slowly one to two hours, according to size. Baste +every fifteen minutes, adding water as the liquor cooks away. Beware +scorching--the ham should be a beautiful speckly dark brown all over. +Let cool uncovered, and keep cool, but not on ice until eaten. + +Drop a lump of ice in the boiling liquor unless the weather is +cold--then set it outside. As soon as the fat on top hardens take it +off, boil it fifteen minutes in clear water, chill, skim off, and +clarify by frying slices of raw potato in it. The spices will have sunk +to the bottom, and there will be no trace of their flavor in the fat. +Any boiling vegetable--cabbage, string beans, navy beans, greens in +general--may be cooked to advantage in the liquor. It also serves as an +excellent foundation for pea soup. Drain it off from the sediment, +reduce a trifle by quick boiling, then add the other things. Dumplings +of sound cornmeal, wet up stiff, shaped the size of an egg, and dropped +in the boiling liquor, furnish a luncheon dish cheap and appetizing. + +Fried ham as Mammy made it is mostly a fragrant memory--only plutocrats +dare indulge in it these days. She cut thin slices from the juicy, thick +part of the ham, using a very sharp, clean knife. Then she trimmed away +the skin, and laid the slices in a clean, hot skillet--but not too hot. +In about a minute she flipped them over delicately, so as to sear the +other side. When enough fat had been tried out to bubble a bit, she +turned them again, then set the skillet off, deadened the coals beneath +it a little--put it back, and let the ham cook until tender through and +through. She never washed the slices nor even wiped them with damp +cloths. There was no need--her hands and knife were as clean as could +be. Washing and wiping spoiled the flavor, she said. I agree with her. +After the ham was taken up, she poured in milk, half cream, shook it +well about in the hissing hot fat until it had taken up all the +delicious brown essence caked on the skillet bottom. This milk gravy was +poured over the slices in the platter. A practice I have never +followed--my gravy is made with water rather than milk, and served +separately. + +Invalids and gourmets may be indulged with boiled ham, broiled over live +coals. Slice very thin, lay for half a minute upon a shovel of glowing +fresh coals, take up in a very hot dish, butter liberally, dust with +pepper and serve very hot. To frizzle ham slice as thin as possible in +tiny bits, and toss the bits till curly-crisp in blazing hot butter. +Excellent as an appetizer or to raise a thirst. + +For ham and eggs slice and fry as directed, take up, break fresh eggs +separately each in a saucer, and slip them into the fat when it is +bubbling hot. Dip hot fat over them to cook the upper side--take up with +a cake turner, and arrange prettily as a border around the ham. Sprigs +of watercress outside add to the appetizing effect. Serve with hot +biscuit, or waffles or muffins, and strong, clear coffee. + +Tart apples cored but not peeled sliced in rings and fried in hot fat, +drained out and sprinkled lightly with sugar, add to the charm of even +the finest ham. So does hominy, the full-grained sort, boiled tender +beforehand, and fried till there is a thick, brown crust all over the +skillet bottom. The secret of these as of all other fryings, is to have +grease enough, make it hot enough to crisp whatever goes into it +instantly, then to watch so there shall be no scorching, and take out +what is fried as soon as done, draining well. Among the paradoxes of +cookery is this--frying with scant grease makes greasy eating, whereas +frying in deep fat, sufficiently hot, makes the reverse. + +Sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced, deserve frying in ham fat. Well +drained, dusted with salt, pepper, and sugar, they are delicious, also +most digestible. Frying is indeed the method of cookery most misprised +through its abuse. In capable hands it achieves results no-otherwise +attainable. + +A perfect mutton ham is a matter of grace no less premeditation. It must +be cut from a wether at least four years old, grass fed, grain finished, +neither too fat, nor too lean, scientifically butchered in clear, +frosty, but not freezing weather, and hung unsalted in clean, cold air +for a matter of three days. Saw off shank and hip bones neatly, and cut +the meat smooth, removing any tags and jags, then pack down in an agate +or clean wooden vessel that has been scalded, then chilled. Half cover +with a marinade thus proportioned. One pint pickling salt to one gallon +cold water, boil and skim clean, then add one pint vinegar, a dozen each +of whole cloves, allspice and pepper corns, a pod of red pepper, a +teaspoon of powdered saltpeter, and a small cup of oil. Simmer for half +an hour, and cool before pouring on the meat. Let it lie in the liquor a +week, turning it twice daily. Take from marinade, wipe, and lay in air, +return the marinade to the fire, boil up, skim well, then add enough +plain brine to fully cover the hams, skim again, cool and pour over, +first scalding out the containing vessel. Let stand a week longer, then +drain well, wipe with a damp cloth, rub over outside with a mixture of +salt, moist sugar, and ground black pepper, and hang in a cool, airy +place where the hams can be lightly smoked for a fortnight. +Winter-curing, or late fall, alone is possible to the average +householder. After smoking, wrap in waxed paper, and canvas the same as +other hams. + +Cook the same as venison, which mutton thus cured much resembles. Slice +and broil, serving with butter and very sour jelly, else boil whole in +very little water until tender, glazing with tart jelly, and crisping in +the oven after draining and cooling. Or soak two hours in cold water, +then cover completely with an inch-thick crust of flour and water mixed +stiff, and bake in a slow oven four to five hours. Serve always with +very piquant sauce, and sharp pickle, or highly spiced catsups. Make +jelly from wild grapes, wild plums, green grapes, green gooseberries or +crab apples, using half the usual amount of sugar, especially for such +meat. + +Melt half a glass of such jelly with a tablespoon of boiling water. Add +black pepper, paprika, a dash of tabasco, and the strained juice of a +lemon, add gradually a teaspoon of dry mustard. Cook over hot water +until well mixed and smooth, and keep hot until served. + +Beef hams are troublesome--but worth the trouble. Take them from small +but well fatted animals, cut off the shank, also part of the top round. +Rub over very scantly with powdered saltpeter, mixed well through moist +sugar, then lay down in salt for a fortnight, else cover with brine made +thus. Pint pickling salt to the gallon of cold water, teaspoon sugar, +and pinch of whole cloves. Boil and skim. Pour cold over the hams in a +clean barrel. Let stand a fortnight, take out, drain and wipe, rub over +with dry salt, and hang high in cold air. Smoke lightly after three +days. Keep smoking, but not too much, for a month. Cover all over with +ground black pepper, mixed to a paste with molasses, canvas and leave +hanging. + +Slice and broil, else chip and serve raw. Frizzling is possible but a +waste of God's good mercies. Properly cured meat is salt but not too +salt, of a deep blackish-red, and when sliced thin, partly translucent, +also of an indescribable savoriness. Cut as nearly as possible, across +the grain. Do not undertake to make beef hams save in the late fall, so +there may be cold weather for the curing. The meat must be chilled +through before salt touches it, but freezing is very detrimental. Frozen +meat does not absorb the salt, sugar, etc., essential to proper curing. +By time it thaws so absorption becomes possible, there may have been +changes such as take place in cold storage, unfitting it for food. If +the beef ham is thick it may need to lie a month in salt or in brine. +Here as elsewhere, the element of judgment comes into play. + +If rabbits are very plenty and very fat, put down a jar of hindquarters +in marinade for three days, then wipe, and hang in a cold, dry place. A +rabbit ought to be dressed before it is cold--thus it escapes the strong +flavor which makes market rabbits often unendurable. Chill but do not +freeze after dressing. A light smoking does not hurt the quarters, which +should be left double, with the thick loin between. Soak two hours +before cooking, and smother with plenty of butter, black and red pepper +and a dash of pepper vinegar. An excellent breakfast or luncheon relish. + +To cook a fresh ham properly, choose one weighing ten pounds or less, +scrape and wash clean, score the skin, all over, then season well with +salt, sugar, black and red pepper, and dot with tabasco on top. Set on a +rack in a deep pan, pour boiling water underneath to barely touch the +meat, cover close, and bake in a hot oven for two hours, filling up the +water in the pan as it bakes away. Uncover, and cook for half an hour +longer, slacking heat one half, and basting the meat with the liquor in +the pan. If approved add a cup of cider or sound claret to the basting +liquor. Leave unbasted for ten minutes before taking up, so the skin may +be properly crisp. + + + + +[Illustration: _For Thirsty Souls_] + + +_Grandmother's Cherry Bounce_: Rinse a clean, empty whiskey barrel well +with cold water, drain, and fill with very ripe Morello cherries, mixed +with black wild cherries. One gallon wild cherries to five of Morellos +is about the proper proportion. Strew scantly through the cherries, +blade mace, whole cloves, allspice, a very little bruised ginger, and +grated nutmeg. Add to a full barrel of fruit twenty pounds of sugar--or +in the proportion of half a pound to the gallon of fruit. Cover the +fruit an inch deep with good corn whiskey, the older and milder the +better. Leave out the bung but cover the opening with lawn. Let stand +six months undisturbed in a dry, airy place, rather warm. Rack off into +a clean barrel, let stand six months longer, then bottle or put in +demijohns. This improves greatly with age up to the fifth year--after +that the change is unappreciable. + +_Grape Cider_: Fill a clean, tight, well-scalded barrel with ripe wild +grapes picked from their stems. Add spices if you like, but they can be +left out. Fill the vessel with new cider, the sweeter the better. There +should be room left to ferment. Cover the bung-hole with thin cloth and +let stand in dry air four to six months. Rack off and bottle. This also +improves with age. It is a drink to be used with caution--mild as May in +the mouth, but heady, and overcoming, especially to those unused to its +seductions. + +_Persimmon Beer_: The poor relation of champagne--with the advantage +that nobody is ever the worse for drinking it. To make it, take +full-ripe persimmons, the juicier the better, free them of stalks and +calyxes, then mash thoroughly, and add enough wheat bran or middlings +to make a stiffish dough. Form the dough into thin, flat cakes, which +bake crisp in a slow oven. When cold break them up in a clean barrel, +and fill it with filtered rainwater. A bushel of persimmons before +mashing will make a barrel of beer. Set the barrel upright, covered with +a thin cloth, in a warm, dry place, free of taints. Let stand until the +beer works--the persimmon cakes will rise and stand in a foamy mass on +top. After three to four weeks, either move the barrel to a cold place, +or rack off the beer into bottles or demijohns, tieing down the corks, +and keeping the bottled stuff very cool. The more meaty and flavorous +the persimmons, the richer will be the beer. Beware of putting in fruit +that has not felt the touch of frost, so retains a rough tang. A very +little of it will spoil a whole brewing of beer. If the beer is left +standing in the barrel a wooden cover should be laid over the cloth, +after it is done working. Fermentation can be hastened by putting in +with the persimmon cakes a slice of toast dipped in quick yeast. But if +the temperature is right, the beer will ferment itself. + +_Egg Nogg_: Have all ingredients, eggs, sugar, brandy, and whiskey, +thoroughly chilled before beginning, and work very, very quickly. Beat +the yolks of eighteen eggs very light with six cups of granulated sugar, +added a cup at a time. When frothy and pale yellow, beat in gradually +and alternately a glassful at a time, a quart of mellow old whiskey, and +a quart of real French brandy. Whip hard, then add the whites of the +eggs beaten till they stick to the dish. Grate nutmeg over the top, and +rub the rims of the serving glasses with lemon or orange rind cut into +the fruit. The glasses should be ice-cold, also the spoons. Fill +carefully so as not to slop the sides, and serve at once. + +If wanted for an early morning Christmas celebration, beat up yolks and +sugar the night before, stand on ice along with the liquor, and keep the +unbeaten whites likewise very cold. At morning freshen the yolks a +little, then add the liquor, and at last the whites newly frothed. This +is the only simon-pure Christmas egg nogg. Those who put into it milk, +cream, what not, especially rum, defile one of the finest among +Christmas delights. + +_White Egg Nogg_: For invalids, especially fever patients. Whip the +white of a new laid egg as stiff as possible with the least suspicion of +salt. Add to it three heaping spoonfuls of sterilized cream whipped +light, beat in two tablespoonfuls of powdered sugar, then add a gill of +the best French brandy. A variant is to omit the sugar and mix with the +frothed egg and cream more than a gill of vermouth, using French or +Italian, according to taste. + +_Apple Toddy_: Wash and core, but do not peel, six large, fair apples, +bake, covered, until tender through and through, put into an earthen +bowl and strew with cloves, mace, and bruised ginger, also six lumps of +Domino sugar for each apple. Pour over a quart of full-boiling water, +let stand covered fifteen minutes in a warm place. Then add a quart of +mellow whiskey, leave standing ten minutes longer, and keep warm. Serve +in big deep goblets, putting an apple or half of one in the bottom of +each, and filling with the liquor. Grate nutmeg on top just at the +minute of serving. + +_Hail Storm_: Mix equal quantities of clear ice, broken small, and the +best lump sugar. Cover the mixture fully with good brandy, put in a +shaker, shake hard five minutes, then pour into glasses, and serve with +a fresh mint leaf floating on top. + +_Mint Julep_: This requires the best of everything if you would have it +in perfection. Especially the mint and the whiskey or brandy. Choose +tender, quick-grown mint, leafy, not long-stalked and coarse, wash it +very clean, taking care not to bruise it in the least, and lay in a +clean cloth upon ice. Chill the spirits likewise. Put the sugar and +water in a clean fruit jar, and set on ice. Do this at least six hours +before serving so the sugar shall be fully dissolved. Four lumps to the +large goblet is about right--with half a gobletful of fresh cold water. +At serving time, rub a zest of lemon around the rim of each goblet--the +goblets must be well chilled--then half fill with the dissolved sugar, +add a tablespoonful of cracked ice, and stand sprigs of mint thickly all +around the rim. Set the goblets in the tray, then fill up with whiskey +or brandy or both, mixed--the mixture is best with brands that blend +smoothly. Drop in the middle a fresh ripe strawberry, or cherry, or +slice of red peach, and serve at once. Fruit can be left out without +harm to flavor--it is mainly for the satisfaction of the eye. But never +by any chance bruise the mint--it will give an acrid flavor "most +tolerable and not to be endured." To get the real old-time effect, serve +with spoons in the goblets rather than straws. In dipping and sipping +more of the mint-essence comes out--beside the clinking of the spoons is +nearly as refreshing as the tinkle of the ice. + +_Lemon Punch_: Bring a gallon of fresh water to a bubbling boil in a +wide kettle, and as it strikes full boil throw into it a tablespoonful +of tea--whatever brand you like best. Let boil one minute--no more, no +less, then strain, boiling hot, upon the juice and thin yellow peel of +twelve large or eighteen small lemons, along with two pounds of lump +sugar. Stir hard until the sugar is dissolved, then add a pint of rum. +Stand on ice twelve to twenty-four hours to blend and ripen. Put a small +block of clear ice in the punch bowl, pour in the punch, then add to it +either Maraschino cherries, or hulled small ripe strawberries, or +pineapple or bananas, peeled and cut in tiny dice--or a mixture of all +these. Serve in chilled punch cups, with after-dinner coffee spoons for +the fruit. The fruit can be left out, and the punch served with +sandwiches the same as iced tea. A wineglass of yellow chartreuse, added +just after the rum, is to many palates an improvement. So is a very +little peach or apricot brandy. + +_Punch a la Ruffle Shirts_: This recipe comes down from the epoch of +knee buckles and ruffled shirts, and is warranted to more than hold its +own with any other--even the so-famous "Artillery punch," beloved of +army and navy. To make it, scrub clean and pare thinly the yellow peel +of two dozen oranges and one dozen lemons. Put the pared peel in a deep +glass pitcher and cover it with one quart of brandy, one quart of old +whiskey, one generous pint of Jamaica rum, one tumbler of cherry bounce, +one tumbler of peach liqueur, or else a tumbler of "peach and honey," +Cover with cloth and let stand three days off ice to blend and ripen. +Meantime squeeze and strain the juice of the oranges and lemons upon +four pounds of best lump sugar, shred a large, very ripe pineapple fine +and put it with another pound of sugar in a separate vessel. Hull half a +gallon of ripe strawberries, cover them liberally with sugar and let +stand to extract the juice. Lacking strawberries, use ripe peaches, or +blackberries or even seeded cherries. Keep the fruit and sugar cool, but +not too cold--just so it will not sour. Upon the third morning strain +the juice of all fruits together, and mix thoroughly. Next make a gallon +of weak green tea, strain it boiling hot upon the liquor and the yellow +peel, stir well, then mix in the fruit juices and sugar, and let stand +uncovered until cool. Chill thoroughly, also chill the wine. Use +whatever sort you prefer--claret, sound and fruity, is good, so is +almost any homemade wine of the first class. American champagne pleases +some palates. But I advise rather claret, or good homemade grape wine. +Put into the punch bowl a block of clear ice, add equal measures of the +mixture and the wine. Let stand half an hour before serving. Put in at +the very last vichy, ice-cold. Thin strips of fresh cucumber peel add a +trifle to flavor and more to looks. + +The wine and mixture can be poured together into demijohns and kept for +months, provided they are kept cool. Since the making is rather +troublesome it is worth while to make the full quantity at once and keep +it on hand for emergencies. Commercial liqueurs can take the place of +the homemade ones here set forth. The result may not be quite so +distinctive, but will not be disappointing. Dry sherry is a good +substitute for cherry bounce, likewise apricot brandy, while vermouth or +chartreuse will answer for peach liqueur, which is unlikely to be in +hand unless you are a very old-fashioned housekeeper. + +_Peach Liqueur_: Peel a peck of very ripe, very juicy peaches, cut from +the seed, weigh, and pack down in earthen or agate ware with their own +weight in granulated sugar. Crack the seeds, take out the kernels, +blanche the same as almonds, and put to soak in a quart of brandy. Let +stand in sunshine to extract the flavor, a full day. Let the fruit and +sugar stand twenty-four hours, then put over fire in a preserving kettle +and simmer very slowly until the fruit is in rags, adding now and then +enough boiling water to make up for what cooks out. If spices are +approved, simmer with the fruit, a pinch of blade mace, some whole +cloves and half a dozen black pepper corns. This is optional. Strain +without pressing to avoid cloudiness, and mix the juice while still very +hot with the brandy and soaked kernels. Add brandy and kernels, also a +quart of whiskey--there should be a gallon of the fruit juice. Stir hard +so as to blend well. Let cool, and bottle or put in demijohns, taking +care to apportion the kernels equally. They will sink to the bottom, +but the liqueur will fatten on them, getting thereby a delicate almond +fragrance and flavor. + +_Strawberry Liqueur_: Wash, hull and mash two gallons of very ripe +strawberries, put over the fire, bring to a quick boil, skim clean, and +simmer for five minutes. Throw in a pint of boiling water, and strain as +for jelly. Measure the juice--for each pint take a pound of sugar, +return to the kettle, simmer fifteen minutes, skimming clean the while, +then take from the fire, measure, and to each quart add a pint of good +whiskey, or whiskey and brandy mixed. Bottle while still hot, and seal. +Small bottles are best. By adding spices to taste while the juice is +simmering you turn the liqueur into strawberry cordial. + +_Blackberry Cordial_: Pick over, wash and drain well half a bushel of +very ripe, but sound berries. Mash, add a very little cold water, and +simmer for half an hour, then strain and measure the juice. Put a pound +of sugar to each pint, and to each gallon, a teaspoon of cloves, the +same of allspice, a race of ginger well bruised, a tiny pod of Cayenne +pepper, and a half dozen black pepper corns. Tie the spices loosely in +very thin muslin so they may not be skimmed off. Skim away all froth, +and cook for an hour, keeping the kettle barely boiling. It should +reduce about one-half. Take from the fire and add spirits, either +whiskey or brandy, in the proportion of one to two--two pints cordial to +one of liquor. Let cool uncovered, bottle and cork tight--sealing is +unnecessary. Excellent for convalescents, especially children. To make +it almost a specific for bowel troubles, dig up, and wash clean, +dewberry roots, cut short, and boil in clear water, making a very strong +decoction. Add this to the cordial while still boiling, in proportion of +one to four. Then mix in the spirits. A quart of cordial can be thus +treated medicinally, and the rest kept for ordinary uses. + +_Blackberry Wine_: Pick, wash, and mash thoroughly, sound ripe berries, +pour upon each gallon a gallon of freshly-boiling water, and let stand +twenty-four hours. Strain, measure juice, allow three and one-half +pounds sugar to each gallon of it. Put into clean cask or jugs, do not +fill, but leave room for fermentation. Cover mouth or bung-hole with +thin cloth, and let stand in clean warm air for two months. Rack off +into clean vessels, throwing away the lees, and cork or cover close. Fit +for use in another month. Improves with age up to a year. + +_Strawberry Wine_: Mash thoroughly clean, hulled, very ripe berries, add +equal bulk of boiling water, let stand six hours, then strain. Put the +strained juice in a preserving kettle with two and a half pounds of +sugar to each gallon. Bring to a boil, skim clean, then pour into clean +vessels, close mouths with thin cloth, and let stand until fermentation +ceases. In a wet season the berries are likely to be so juicy, less +water is required--or more sugar necessary. + +_Gooseberry Wine_: Wash and drain dead-ripe gooseberries, mash them +thoroughly with a wooden pestle, and add their own bulk of boiling +water. Let stand thirty-six hours unless the weather is very warm--then +twenty-four will be long enough. Press out all the juice, even though it +runs muddy. Measure, and to each gallon add three pounds down-weight, of +the best lump sugar. Stir well, repeating every day for a week, then +cover with lawn and let stand till fermentation ceases. Cover tight then +and leave standing six weeks longer, so the wine may fatten on the lees. +Back off carefully, filtering the muddy part at the bottom through +several thicknesses of cheese cloth. Put in a clean vessel for two +months longer, then bottle and seal. If the bottles are laid on the +side, and the wine carefully decanted it will show a bright golden +yellow with much the translucence of topaz. It reaches perfection at a +year. Being rather heavy it is improved to many palates by adding +ice-cold vichy after it is in the glasses. + +_Grape Wine_: Pick from stems, wash, drain, and mash thoroughly, ripe +sound grapes. Add measure for measure of full-boiling water, and let +stand twelve hours. If very deep color is desired, and the grapes are +black, let stand twenty-four. Strain, measure juice, add to each gallon +three pounds of sugar, stir till dissolved, then put in a clean vessel, +filling it only three-parts, cover the mouth with lawn, and let stand in +clean warm air until fermentation ceases. Close tight then, and let +stand a month longer, then rack off, filter last runnings through triple +cheese cloth, bottle and cork tight. Keep where it is dark and warm, +rather than cool, but away from any sort of taints. + +_Muscadine Wine_: Troublesome, but worth the trouble. Wash dead-ripe +muscadines, and pop them one by one, out of the skins. Throw away the +skins, after squeezing all juice from them--if the pulp stood with them +their burning, musky taste would ruin it. Cover it with half its bulk of +boiling water. Let stand a day and night, then strain, and add to each +gallon of juice three pounds of white rock-candy. Stir every day until +the candy dissolves. Cover with cloth until it is through fermenting. +Back off, bottle immediately, and seal, or tie down the corks. The wine +in perfection is a pale pink, very clear, and of a peculiar but +indescribably delicious flavor. + +_Fruit Vinegars_: Any sort of acid fruit--as strawberries, raspberries, +gooseberries, currants, black or red, affords a refreshing drink. Pick, +wash, put over the fire to scald--when it has boiled a minute or two add +half as much cold water as fruit, and bring again to a boil. Skim clean, +take from fire and let stand till next day. Strain, then measure juice, +add two to three pounds sugar to the gallon, according to tartness +desired, put over the fire, and simmer for twenty minutes, skimming +clean. Boil in it spices most liked, tied up in thin muslin. If it seems +watery, boil another twenty minutes till the syrup shows rather rich, +then add, after taking from the fire, a quart of cider vinegar for each +gallon of syrup, mix well, bottle while still hot in small bottles, cork +and seal. Mixed half and half with ice water, or poured over finely +broken ice, or as a flavoring to tea, hot or cold, this is refreshing, +particularly in hot weather. Use in tea a spoonful to the cup or glass. + +_Boiled Cider_: Reduce new sweet cider one-half by gentle boiling, +skimming it clean as it boils, then bottle, putting a clove or two, a +grain of alspice and a blade of mace in each bottle. Cork, seal and keep +in a cool place. This is especially valuable for use in mincemeat, or +for flavoring sauces for nursery puddings. A variant is to add sugar +towards the last, enough to make a thinnish syrup, which is of itself a +good sauce for simple desserts. + + + + +[Illustration: _Paste, Pies, Puddings_] + + +_The Philosophy of Pie-Crust_: Pie-crust perfection depends on several +things--good flour, good fat, good handling, most especially good +baking. A hot oven, quick but not scorching, expands the air betwixt +layers of paste, and pops open the flour-grains, making them absorb the +fat as it melts, thereby growing crisp and relishful instead of hard and +tough. The lighter and drier the flour the better--in very damp weather +it is best oven-dried, then cooled before mixing. Shortening, whether +lard, butter, or clarified drippings, should be very cold--unless your +recipe demands that it be softened or melted. Milk or water used in +mixing ought to be likewise well chilled, unless the shortening is +soft--in that case match its temperature. The regular rule is half-pint +ice water to the pound of flour, using chilled shortening. If the fat is +semi-fluid the paste must be mixed softer, using say, three parts of a +pint to the pound. + +Baking powder or soda and cream tartar, or soda alone with sour cream or +buttermilk for wetting, makes crust light and short with less butter, +therefore is an economy. Genuine puff paste is requisite for the finest +tarts, pies, etc., etc., but light short crust answers admirably for +most things. Sift flour twice or even thrice for any sort of paste. Sift +soda or baking powder well through it, but not salt. Make the salt fine, +drop in the bottom of the mixing bowl, before the last sifting, and mix +lightly through the flour before adding the shortening. Rub in +shortening very lightly, using only the finger-tips--the palms melt or +soften it. Add milk or water, a little at a time, mixing it in with a +broad-bladed knife rather than the hands. Mix lightly--so the paste +barely sticks together. Put in first one-third of the shortening--this, +of course, for puff paste. Half a pound of butter or lard to the pound +of flour makes a very good paste, but to have it in full richness, use +three-quarters of a pound. Wash butter well to remove the salt, and +squeeze out water by wringing it in a well-floured cloth. If there is a +strong taste, or any trace of rancidity, wash well, kneading through and +through, in sweet milk, then rinse out the milk with cold water to which +a little borax has been added. Rinse again in clear cold water--this +should remove ill-flavor without injury to anybody's stomach. But be +very sure the last rinsing is thorough--borax, though wholly harmless, +adds nothing to digestibility. + +The end of the repeated rollings out and foldings demanded by real puff +paste is to enclose between the layers of paste as much air as possible. +Hence the chillings between rollings. Hence also the need of pinching +edges well together after foldings, and rolling always _from_ you, +never back and forth. Roll out paste into a long narrow strip after the +first mixing, divide the remaining shortening into three equal portions, +keep very cold, and as needed cut into small bits, which spread evenly +on top of the rolled paste, which must be lightly dredged with flour. +Fold in three evenly, one thickness on another, turn so the folded edges +may be to right and left while rolling, pinch the other edges well +together and roll again into a long strip, moving the rolling-pin always +from you. Repeat until all the butter is used, then set on ice for an +hour to harden. In baking beware opening the oven door until the paste +has risen fully and becomes slightly crusted over. + +Baking powder crust must not stand--the gas which aerates it begins +forming and escaping the minute it is wet up. It also requires a hot +oven and delicate handling. Half a pound of shortening and a teaspoon of +baking powder, to the pound of flour, mixed stiff or soft, according to +the consistency of the fat, properly handled and baked, make crust good +enough for anybody. + +_French Puff Paste_: This is like the famous little girl--either very +good indeed or horrid. Therefore beware undertaking it until you have +experience or the confidence of absolute ignorance for your help. Either +may take you on to success--when half-knowledge or half-confidence will +spell disaster. You need for it, two pounds, thrice sifted flour, two +pounds well-washed and very cold butter, four egg-yolks well chilled, +and half a pint, more or less, of ice water, also a saltspoon of fine +salt. Rub four ounces of butter lightly into the flour, shape the rest +into a flattish oblong and set on ice. Wet the flour with the egg-yolks +and water, adding them alternately, work smooth, handling as lightly as +possible, then roll out half an inch thick, dredge lightly with flour, +lay on the ball of cold butter, fold paste over it smoothly, flatten +lightly with strokes of the rolling-pin, then roll out as thin as +possible without making the butter break through. Fold again in three, +roll again, as thin as you can. Repeat folding and rolling, then set on +ice half an hour, folding in three. Roll and fold twice again, chill +again for twenty minutes, then give two more rolls and foldings. Chill +if possible before using. If all things have worked well you will have +crust that is an experience. + +_Every Day Pie Crust_: One pound flour, six ounces shortening--lard or +clarified dripping, pinch salt, half-pint ice water. Mix flour, salt and +water to a smooth dough, using a broad knife, roll out thin, spread with +a third of the fat, fold in three, roll out again, add another third of +fat, roll, add the last fat, roll again, fold and chill for ten minutes +before using. + +_Cobblers_: Make from any sort of fruit in season--peaches, apples, +cherries, plums or berries. Green gooseberries are inadvisable, through +being too tart and too tedious. Stone cherries, pare peaches or apples +and slice thin, halve plums if big enough, and remove stones--if not, +wash, drain well, and use whole. Line a skillet or deep pie pan--it must +be three inches deep at least, liberally with short crust, rolled +rather more than a quarter-inch thick. Fit well, then prick all over +with a blunt fork. Fill with the prepared fruit, put on an upper crust a +quarter-inch thick and plenty big enough, barely press the crust edges +together, prick well with a fork all over the top, and cook in a hot +oven half to three-quarters of an hour, according to size. Take up, +remove top crust, lay it inverted upon another plate, sweeten the hot +fruit liberally, adding if you like, a spoonful of brandy, adding also a +good lump of the best butter. Mix well through the fruit, then dip out +enough of it to make a thick layer over the top crust. Grate nutmeg over +apple pies, or strew on a little powdered cinnamon. A few blades of mace +baked with the fruit accent the apple flavor beautifully. Cherries take +kindly to brandy, but require less butter than either peaches or apples. +Give plums plenty of sugar with something over for the stones. Cook a +few stones with them for flavor, even if you take away the bulk. Do the +same with cherries, using, say, a dozen pits to the pie. + +Serve cobbler hot or cold. If hot, serve with it hard brandy sauce, made +by creaming together a cup of sugar, a tablespoonful of butter, then +working in two tablespoonfuls of brandy or good whiskey. Right here is +perhaps the place to say once for all, good whiskey is far and away +better in anything than poor brandy. Thick sweet cream whipped or plain, +sets off cold cobbler wonderfully to the average palate. + +_Fried Pies_: To be perfect these must be made of sun-dried peaches, +very bright and sweet, but any sort of sound dried fruit will serve at a +pinch. Soak overnight after washing in three waters, simmer five hours +in the soaking water, with a plate to hold the fruit under, mash and +sweeten while hot, adding spices to taste--cinnamon, nutmeg and grated +lemon peel for apples, cloves and ginger--a bare zest--for peaches or +apricots. Roll out short paste into rounds the size of a small plate, +cover one-half with the fruit, fold over the empty half, pinch well +together around the edges, and fry in deep fat, blazing hot, to a rich +quick brown on both sides. Drain on paper napkins, sprinkling lightly +with sugar. Serve hot or cold. Most excellent for impromptu luncheons or +very late suppers--withal wholesome. A famous doctor said often of them, +"You would be only the better for eating an acre of them." + +_Green Apple Pie_: Take apples a little bigger than the thumb's end, cut +off stalks and nibs, and slice crosswise in three, dropping them in +water as sliced to save discoloration. Make a rich syrup--three cups +sugar, one cup water, to four cups sliced fruit. Boil and skim, throw in +the apples, with a blade or so of mace, and cook quickly until preserved +through. Either bake between crust in the common way, or bake crust +crisp after pricking well, and spread with the preserved fruit. Else +make into small turnovers, but bake instead of frying them--and be sure +the oven is hot enough to brown, but not to burn. Or you may make the +green apples into shortcake, putting fruit only between the layers of +crust, and serving with rich sauce or sweetened cream. + +_Lemon Custard_: (M. L. Williams.) Separate and beat very light, the +yolks and whites of six eggs. Beat into the yolks very smoothly one +pound of sugar, then half a pound of creamed butter. Mix well, then add +the beaten whites, followed by the strained juice and grated yellow peel +of two large or three small lemons. Beat five minutes longer, pour into +pans lined with puff paste, pop into a hot oven and bake to a bright +brown. Meringue can be added but is not necessary save for ornament. + +_Cream Pie_: (M. L. Williams.) Beat three eggs very light with a heaping +cup of sugar, add two cups sifted flour, mix smooth, then put in half a +cup of rich sour cream with half-teaspoon soda dissolved in it. Mix, put +instantly into shallow pans, bake in a quick oven and serve hot with or +without sauce. + +_Damson and Banana Tart_: (M. W. Watkins.) An heirloom in the relator's +family, coming down from English forebears. Line an agate or earthen +pie dish two to three inches deep, with very good crust, rolled thin, +but not stretched nor dragged. Cover it with bananas, sliced thin, +lengthwise, strew over three tablespoonfuls of sugar, and a pinch of +grated lemon peel. Sprinkle with a liqueur glass of rum or brandy or +whiskey, then put in a layer of preserved plums--damsons are best--along +with their juice. If there is room repeat the layers--bananas and plums +and seasoning. Cover with a crust rolled fairly thin, prick and bake +three-quarters of an hour in a moderately quick oven. Serve either hot +or cold, preferably hot, with this sauce. One egg beaten very light, +with a cupful of cream, a wineglass of rum, brandy or sherry, and a +larger glass of preserve syrup. Mix over hot water, stirring hard all +the time till it begins to thicken. It must not get too thick. + +_Amber Pie_: (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) Beat yolks of four eggs very light, +with two heaping cups sugar, large spoonful melted butter, rounding +teaspoon sifted flour, cup buttermilk, cup seeded raisins, teaspoon +cinnamon, pinch each of cloves, alspice and nutmeg, two whites of egg +beaten very stiff. Half bake crust, then pour in batter and cook slowly +until done. Cover with meringue made by beating two egg-whites with two +teaspoons cold water, a few grains of salt, and one cup sugar. Add sugar +gradually after eggs are very light. Use at once--it will fall by +standing. Let the meringue barely color in the oven. Serve hot or cold. + +_Jelly Pie_: (Louise Williams.) Beat the yolks of four eggs very light, +with a cup of sugar, three-quarters cup creamed butter, and a glass of +jelly, the tarter the better. Add a tablespoonful vanilla and a +dessert-spoonful of sifted cornmeal, then the whites of eggs beaten very +stiff. Bake in crusts--this makes two fat pies. Meringue is +optional--and unnecessary. + +_Cheese Cakes_: Beat until very light the yolks of twelve eggs with a +pound of sugar, add to them a tablespoonful cornstarch, then +three-quarters of a pound of butter, washed and creamed. Add also the +strained juice of two lemons, a teaspoonful lemon essence and a +teaspoonful vanilla. Set over boiling water and stir until all +ingredients blend--only thus can you dissolve granulated sugar, which is +best to use, lacking the old-fashioned live open-kettle brown. Keep over +the hot water, stirring well together as you fill the tart shells. They +must be lined with real puff paste, rolled very thin, and nicely fitted. +Set in broad shallow pans, after filling with the batter and bake in a +quick, but not scorching oven. A blanched almond, or bit of citron, or +half a pecan or walnut meat, may be put in each shell before filling. I +prefer though to add such frills by help of the frosting. To make it, +beat six egg-whites with a pinch of salt until they stick to the dish, +add to them a little at a time, three cups granulated sugar boiled with +a cup and a half of water, till it spins a thread. Keep the syrup +boiling while adding it. When it is all in, set the pan of frosting over +boiling water, add six drops lemon juice and beat until stiff enough to +hold shape. It must not touch the water, but have plenty of steam +rising underneath. Frost the tarts rather thickly, and stick either a +shred of citron, a quarter of Maraschino cherry, or half a nut in the +middle. If you like cocoanut flavor, strew freshly grated cocoanut over +while the frosting is soft--it ought to harden inside half an hour. Tiny +pink or green comfits stuck in the middle, or set in threes +triangularly, are very decorative. Indeed, there is no limit but taste +and invention to the manners of making beautiful these tarts. I rather +pride myself upon them, since they have been enthusiastically praised by +folk who have eaten all around the world, and set above the best of +French confections by a man ten years resident in Paris, whose wife is +held to be the most skilled amateur cook in New York. + +Grated cocoanut or raw grated apple stirred into the batter before +baking, varies the cheese cakes--and to some palates improves it. I +myself find nothing quite to equal the cheese cake of my +childhood--which had a full pound of butter to the pound of sugar, and +no frills of frosting, though strips of citron were often latticed over +the pans after the crust was in. Prick crust always very well before +filling--thus the tarts will be shapely instead of caricatures. + +_Sweet Potato Custard_: Boil tender two large or four medium sweet +potatoes, peel, free of strings, and mash fine. Add to the pulp half a +pound of creamed butter, mix well, then add gradually five cups sugar, +alternately with five whole eggs. Beat smooth, add the juice of three +lemons, a tablespoonful lemon essence, and a scant pint of very rich +milk. Use less milk if the potatoes are very soft. Beat smooth and pour +into pie pans lined with good crust. Bake brown in a quick oven, but do +not over-bake. Lest the proportion of sugar may seem excessive, let it +be said here that sweet potatoes require more sugar for sweetening than +anything save crabapples or green gooseberries. + +_Sweet Potato Pie_: Line a deep pie pan with short crust rolled a +quarter-inch thick, fill it with raw sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced +thin. Add to them, for a pan of medium size, three cups sugar, a cup of +butter, cut in bits, mace, cloves and nutmeg to taste, half a cup cold +water and half a cup good whiskey or sherry. Cover with a crust an +eighth-inch thick, prick well, also cut a tiny cross in middle, and bake +in a hot, but not scorching oven, three-quarters of an hour--a full hour +if the pan is large. Turning another pan, fitting the rim over, helps to +make the baking sure and even. Remove the cover pan ten minutes before +taking up. Serve hot. This requires no sauce. + +_Apple Custard_: Beat four eggs very light with three cups sugar, one +cup butter, cup and a half rich milk--the richer the better. Stir in at +the very last, one quart grated apple, flavor with nutmeg or vanilla, +and bake in crusts. If wanted richer, dot raisins seeded and soaked in +whiskey, or shred citron over the top before baking. + +_Molasses Pie_: (M. W. Watkins.) Cream well together one large cup +granulated sugar, and one heaping tablespoonful of butter, add when very +light the well-beaten yolks of three eggs, and a large cup of rich +molasses. Flavor with one teaspoonful grated nutmeg, then beat in, at +the very last, the whites of the eggs frothed as stiff as possible. Bake +in pans lined with rich crust until firm. Meringue can be added, but the +pies do not need it. + +_Mystery Pie_: (Louise Williams.) Beat separately very light, the yolks +and whites of four eggs. Beat with the yolks a cup and a half of sugar, +three heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, two teaspoonfuls mixed spices, +either beaten or powdered fine, one cup of tart dark jelly, one cup +blackberry jam, and one cup sweet milk. Add last of all the egg-whites, +mix in well, then pour in pans lined with rich paste, and bake until +firm. + +_Butter Scotch Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Beat light two egg-yolks with one +scant cup dark brown sugar, one tablespoonful creamed butter, and two +tablespoonfuls flour. Mix smooth, then add gradually one cup rich milk, +put in double boiler, and cook until thick. Let cool, flavor with +vanilla, then pour into rich crusts, previously well-baked, cover with +meringue made from the egg-whites, set in oven to harden, and serve hot +or cold. + +_Raspberry Cream Pie_: (Leslie Fox.) Line a deepish pie pan with very +rich crust, spread the crust thickly with red raspberry jam, then pour +upon it raw, a custard made from two eggs beaten well with one cup of +milk, and one tablespoonful sugar. Bake until custard is well set, let +cool, and spread with whipped cream. Serve cold as possible. + +_Rhubarb Pie_: To a generous quart of rhubarb, peeled and cut up, put +three cups sugar, the pulp scooped from three sweet oranges, thin bits +of the yellow peel, two blades of mace broken small, and a scant +half-cup of cold water. Cover the pan and set for thirty minutes in a +hot oven--uncover then and cook for five minutes longer. The result is a +sweet excellent for many uses--as a sauce, as a substitute for +marmalade, as the foundation of pies, tarts, shortcakes, even as a +filling for layer cake. + +Make pies from it with two crusts, or with lattice crusts as usual. Make +it into tarts, into turnovers or put between hot buttered layers for a +hurry-up shortcake. But if you wish to know how excellent such rhubarb +can be, make it thus into meringue pies or tarts. Bake the crusts after +pricking them well, cover thinly with either good meringue or the +frosting directed for cheesecakes, let it harden, then at the minute of +serving cover with a thin layer of the prepared rhubarb--the meringue or +frosting will stay crisp until eaten if you work quickly enough. Young +unpeeled tender rhubarb gives a pink sauce--older stalks peeled furnish +a translucent green. Either is sufficiently decorative. They can be made +more so, if the tarts they appear on, have a cherry or preserved +strawberry dropped in the middle of them. + +_Banana Pie_: Line a deepish earthen pie dish with thin, very good +crust, fill it three parts with bananas, sliced crosswise very thin. +Cover them thickly with sugar, add the strained juice of a large lemon, +dot with bits of butter, put on a lattice crust, and bake in a quick +oven twenty-five minutes. + +_Banana Pudding_: Slice very thin, crosswise, three medium size bananas, +sprinkle thickly with sugar, then add to a batter made by beating up +four egg-yolks and two whites, with one cup crumbled rich stale cake, +half-cup sugar, cup very rich milk, and the juice of a large lemon. Mix +smooth, pour into a deep pudding dish, and bake in a quick oven, then +cover with meringue made from the egg-whites left out, beaten up with a +small pinch of salt, two teaspoons cold water, and six tablespoonfuls of +sugar. Return to the oven and let barely color. Serve hot or cold. + +_Sweet Potato Pudding_: Beat four eggs very light with four cups sugar +and one cup creamed butter. Add a cupful of very rich milk, mix smooth, +then add one pint of raw grated sweet potato. Mix well, pour into a deep +earthen dish and set in hot oven. As soon as a brown crust forms on top, +stir it down. Repeat this three times at least. Serve hot, with either +wine sauce or a rich sugar and butter sauce, flavored with lemon. It is +best not to flavor the pudding proper, so one may get undiminished the +zest of the brown crust stirred through it. + +_Poor Man's Pudding_: Take for each person to be served, a fresh egg, a +tablespoonful sifted flour, and half a cup very rich milk. Add a pinch +of salt for each six eggs. Separate the eggs, beating yolks and whites +very light. Mix yolks gradually with the flour and milk, taking care to +have no lumps. Fold in the stiffly beaten whites at the very last--if +the batter is too thick add a little more milk. Pour into a deep pan, +and bake in a quick oven. It must be taken up the moment it is done or +it will fall, and be ruined. Serve immediately, with a sauce made by +working together over hot water three cups sugar, one cup butter, half a +cup boiling water, cup fruit juice, wine or whiskey, with any flavoring +approved. The sauce cannot be made too rich, the pudding should be a +pale clear yellow, as light as a puff, and cutting easily with a spoon. +It is not "true to name" in these days of costly eggs, but deserved it +in the pioneer epoch which originated it. + +_Boiled Batter Pudding_: Make the same batter as above, only putting in +a teaspoonful baking powder. Stir well through it three cups seeded +raisins, wet in whiskey and very well floured. Tie up in a newly-scalded +floured pudding bag, pop in a kettle of boiling water, keep it full, +with more boiling water, and cook from an hour to an hour and a half, +according to size. Serve very hot with plenty of very rich sweet sauce +highly flavored, and be sure to warm your knife or spoon before cutting +into the pudding. + +_Apple Pudding_: (M. W. Watkins.) Core and peel half a dozen tart +apples, slice crosswise, put the slices in layers in a deep dish with +plenty of sugar, butter in reason, cinnamon and a very little water. +Pour over a batter made thus: one egg beaten light with half a cup +sugar, butter the size of a walnut, half a cup milk, pinch of salt, +flour enough to make thick enough for layer cake, with a teaspoonful +baking powder sifted through. Spread batter smooth, dot with bits of +butter on top, and bake in a brisk, but not scorching oven, half an +hour or longer if needed--the apples must be thoroughly cooked. Serve +hot or cold--preferably hot, with hard sauce or wine sauce. + +_Apple Dumplings_: Pare and core half a dozen tart apples, stick three +cloves in each, fill the core-spaces full of very sweet hard sauce, +stick a sliver of mace in the sauce, then set each apple on a round of +good short paste, and work the paste up over it, joining the edges neat +and trig. Set close in a pan just big enough, pour around a half cup of +sugar melted in a cup of water with a little butter and lemon juice. +Cover the pan and cook quickly until done--then uncover, brown, take up +and serve piping hot with a very rich hard sauce. + +_Crumb Pudding_: (Anne McVay.) Soak a cup of dry grated bread crumbs in +half a pint of milk until soft, add then the well-beaten yolks of two +eggs, half a cup sugar, tablespoonful butter, and another half-pint +milk. Flavor with lemon, vanilla or brandy, as preferred. Bake until +firm in a quick, but not scorching hot oven, cover with meringue made +from the egg-whites and half a cup of sugar. Barely color the meringue. +Let cool, and serve with either whipped or sweetened cream, or a fruit +sauce. Good without any sauce. + +_Blackberry Mush_: (Leslie Fox.) Wash after picking a quart of fresh, +very ripe blackberries, put them on with barely enough water to save +from burning, bring to a good boil, and skim clean, then add gradually +almost two pounds of flour, or cornstarch well wet with cold water, also +sugar to taste. Cook, stirring often till the mass looks thick and +glossy, pour into your pudding dish, let cool, chill thoroughly, and +serve with cream either plain, or whipped, or sweetened. + +_Peach Pudding_: Beat light one egg, with half a cup sugar, two +tablespoonfuls melted butter, three-quarters cup flour, one cup sour +cream, one teaspoon soda dissolved in one teaspoonful cold water, and +two cups very ripe peaches, peeled and sliced thin. Bake quickly and +serve when very hot with a rich hard or a wine sauce. + +_Ginger Pudding_: Beat three eggs very light with two cups sugar, a +large cup rich black molasses, three-quarters cup butter, creamed, +tablespoon ginger beaten fine. Half a cup rich sour cream, half a cup +boiling water with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, add flour enough to +make a thickish batter, pour into deep greased pan, and bake quickly. +Serve hot with rich sauce that is flavored with some orange juice and +peel. + +_Nesselrode Pudding_: (Mrs. H. Barker.) Boil together three cups sugar, +one cup water until the syrup ropes. Beat it boiling hot into the yolks +of six eggs previously beaten very light. Fold in the stiffly beaten +whites, then add box Cox's gelatine dissolved in warm water, one cup +raisins, seeded, steamed and soaked in sherry or whiskey, one cup of +nuts rolled small, else one cup of crumbled macaroons, or a cup of both +mixed. Finish with enough thick cream to make a full gallon, pack in +salt and ice, freeze and let stand long enough to ripen. + +_Thanksgiving Pudding_: (Mrs. J. O. Cook.) Beat light the yolks of four +eggs with one cup sugar, two tablespoonfuls creamed butter, and one cup +of stale cake crumbs, soaked in eight tablespoonfuls whiskey. Mix well, +then add one cup raisins, seeded and floured, one cup nut meats, cut +small. Beat smooth and bake until set, then cover with meringue. Serve +with whipped cream or any sauce preferred. Milk can take the place of +whiskey, and preserves replace raisins. + +_Real Christmas Pudding_: Toast a pint of fine breadcrumbs to a good +brown without burning, pour on them half a cup of strong, clear black +coffee, and let stand till soft. + +Beat six egg-yolks very light with two cups of yellow sugar and one of +creamed butter, add the soaked crumbs and mix very smooth. Meantime, +soak a cup of raisins, seeded and halved, a cup of clean currants, a cup +of shredded citron, a cup of nut meats broken small, in a tumbler of +sherry, a tumbler of rum, and wineglass of apricot brandy. Add the fruit +when well soaked to the eggs and sugar, putting in any surplus liquors. +Mix in gradually a teaspoonful of cinnamon, the same of cloves and +allspice, half a cup of preserved ginger sliced very thin, and a very +tiny dusting of black pepper and paprika. Beat smooth, then fold in the +stiffly beaten egg-whites alternately with a cup of browned flour. If +too thick to stir handily thin with a little milk or boiling water. Pour +into a clean pudding bag, freshly scalded, leaving room for the pudding +to swell, put in a deep kettle of boiling water, and boil for five +hours, filling up the kettle as needed with boiling water so as not to +check the cooking. Make several days beforehand, and boil an extra hour +upon Christmas day. Serve in a blaze of brandy, with a very rich sauce, +either fruit or wine flavored. + +_Pudding Sauce_: (Mrs. Barbara Clayton.) Beat together until very light, +one cup white sugar, one cup creamed butter, and the yolks of three +eggs. Beat the egg whites very stiff with another cup of sugar, add to +the yolks and butter, beat hard together, then put in double boiler and +cook until thick. Put two wineglasses of good whiskey in a bowl, pour +the hot sauce upon it, and whip hard until light. + + + + +[Illustration: _Creole Cookery_] + + +Exotics rarely flower in native splendor after transplanting. Milly was +the exception, proving the rule. Bred in New Orleans, steeped in its +atmosphere, its traditions, a cook of degree, and daughter of a cook to +whom, though past middle age, she paid the most reverent homage, she yet +kept her magic touch amid the crush and hurly-burly of New York town, +albeit she never grew acclimated nor even content. This in spite of a +mistress she adored--in virtue of having served her ten years down in +the home city. When at last Milly went back to her own, there was +wailing amongst all of us, who had eaten her cooking, but the mistress +smiled, rather sadly, to be sure, saying: "I could not beg her to +stay--she was so unhappy here." + +Milly never had quite a free hand--New York markets know not many things +familiar to those of the Crescent City. Notwithstanding, she was a +liberal education in blended flavors, in the delights, the surprises of +the Creole kitchen. Tall and slim, of a golden-brown complexion, neat to +the point of austerity, trim and self-contained, sight of her somehow +gave an added piquancy to her dishes. She did not make friends readily, +but the comradery of cooking induced her to more than tolerate me. "I +don't say I kin cook--but my mother can," she often told me--smiling +proudly the while, with the buzzing praises of _gourmets_ sounding in +her ears. She could never tell you how she made her ambrosial +dishes--but if you had my luck to be _persona gratis_ she could and did +show you, to the queen's taste. + +I shall write only whereof I know--not by any means a compend of Creole +cookery. Indeed, a lifetime is hardly enough to eat of all its +specially excellent dishes. It seems to me from this scant experience, +one general principle runs through all. It is the blending of +proportioned flavors, achieved through long and gentle cooking. Milly +said she let things "sob," a mistake I dare say, for the old-time "sod," +past participle of "seethe." But I by no means speak with authority--my +deduction is from the premise of fifty dinners, each it seemed to me +uniquely excellent. After this prelude come we to specific recipes. + +_Court Bouillon_: (Pronounced "Coubare.") Milly sighed for Redfish or +Red Snapper but made shift with halibut or any other firm fine-grained +fish perfectly fresh. Take three pounds of it, wash very clean, and cut +in six equal slices with a very sharp knife. There must be no rags and +tatters. Melt a heaping tablespoonful of lard in a deep kettle, add to +it gradually two tablespoonfuls flour, stirring hard so it shall not +burn. Throw into it a dozen pounded alspice, three sprigs each of thyme, +parsley, bay leaf and sweet marjoram chopped fine, one small clove of +garlic, one large onion also chopped fine, and either six large fresh +tomatoes, chopped small, or half a can--those from glass are best. Pour +in a large glass of claret, add a quart of boiling water, and bring all +to a very brisk boil. Cook for five minutes, then add salt and Cayenne +pepper to taste. Boil five minutes longer, then lay in the fish slices +one at a time, following them with the strained juice of a lemon. Boil +hard twenty minutes longer. Serve hot. + +To make _Court Bouillon a la Espagnole_, stir together as above, lard +and flour, taking care to have them smooth, add a large onion, six +tomatoes, clove of garlic, sprigs of sweet basil and thyme, all chopped +fine, along with two whole bay leaves. Brown all nicely, taking care not +to burn, then add a quart of boiling water, bring to a boil and cook two +or three minutes. Have six thick slices of fine, firm fresh fish, rub +them well over with salt and pepper, lay in a dish and pour over a large +cup of white wine boiling hot. Vinegar answers, but wine is better. Lay +the fish slices in the pot, handling carefully, add the wine, and +simmer until tender--about half an hour commonly. Take up carefully so +as not to break, lay in a deepish dish, remove bay leaves from the gravy +and pour over the fish. Finish with a garnish of sliced lemon, and serve +with either boiled rice or whole boiled potatoes. + +_Bouillabaisse_: While time endures New Orleans will plume itself upon +this dish which drew from Thackeray a world-famous tribute. "In New +Orleans you can eat a Bouillabaisse, the like of which was never eaten +in Marseilles or Paris." Which is much, very much, from the laureate of +Bouillabaisse, as native to Marseilles. The reason of superiority is not +far to seek--it lies in the excellence and flavor of the fish native to +the Gulf of Mexico. Lacking Pompano, Red Snapper, and Redfish, even +Milly could not quite do her knowledge justice. But she made shift with +what the market offered, choosing generally halibut, with fresh cod, or +bluefish, or sea trout. Two kinds of fish in equal quantity are +imperative. The better, finer and firmer the fish, the better the +Bouillabaisse. Cut each sort in six equal slices, saving trimmings, +heads, etc. Boil them in three pints of water, with a sliced onion, and +a bouquet of herbs, until reduced to one pint. Remove fish-heads and +herbs, then strain the stock, and set aside until needed. Meantime rub +the fish over very well with salt and pepper, then with a mixture made +by mincing very fine three bay leaves, three sprigs each of thyme and +parsley, three cloves of garlic, and six allspice pounded to powder. Rub +the mixture in well and thoroughly--here is the key to success. The +seasoning must go through and through the fish. Put into a very wide +pan, two tablespoonfuls of olive oil, heat it gently, add two mild +onions, chopped and let them cook a little without browning. Now lay in +the fish, slice by slice, so one slice does not touch another, cover the +pan, and let the slices smother for about ten minutes, turning them +once, so as to cook each side partly. Take up, lay separately in a large +dish, pour half a bottle of white wine into the pan, and stir hard. Add +six large, fresh tomatoes, sliced very thin, let boil a few minutes, +then half a lemon, also in very thin slices, and a pint of the fish +stock strained. Season well, with salt, pepper, and Cayenne--here the +palate is guide. Boil all together until reduced almost one half, then +lay in the fish slices, taking care they do not touch, and boil briskly +for five minutes. While the boiling goes on, chop fine a pinch of +saffron, put it in a small, deep dish, and mix smooth with a spoonful of +the boiling liquor. Dissolve the saffron very well, and when the fish +has cooked its allotted five minutes, spread the saffron on top of the +fish. Fry in butter as many slices of toast as you have slices of +fish--lay the fish on the toast, pour the sauce over it, and serve +immediately, very hot. + +_Shrimps_: The secret of cooking shrimps is to boil them properly--that +is to say in very salt water, almost brine. They take up salt only in +the boiling, and not so much then. To five quarts of very salt water add +a large bunch of celery, chopped, roots, leaves and all, two dozen +allspice, one dozen cloves, two blades of mace, a bouquet of herbs +chopped small, a pod of red pepper, and a seasoning of Cayenne. Boil +until the strength of herbs and seasoning is extracted, then throw in a +hundred shrimps--river shrimps are best--let boil hard ten minutes, take +from fire and allow the shrimps to cool in the brine. Serve as a relish +before dinner, on a bed of cracked ice, with a garnish of parsley. + +_Baked Shrimp_: Cut the eyes from a dozen large, meaty tomatoes, scoop +out the pulp, leaving the shells whole, then mix it with one hundred +shrimps boiled as directed and picked from their shells, one cup grated +bread crumbs or fine cracker crumbs, and one heaping tablespoon of +butter. Stew all together, seasoning with pepper and salt, fill the +tomato shells with the mixture, sift fine crumbs on top, dot with +butter, put in a pan, with a very little hot water in the bottom, and +bake until done in a quick but not scorching oven. + +_Shrimp Pie_: Boil and pick from shells one hundred shrimps, mix well +with two large slices stale bread free of crust, moistened with two +glasses white wine, and highly seasoned with salt, pepper, Cayenne, +nutmeg, mace, chopped thyme and parsley. Crisp the bread crusts, and +grate over the mixture after it is packed in a deep dish. Dot well with +butter, and bake in a hot oven. Serve with a sauce made by cooking +together a pint of boiled shrimps, a tablespoonful of butter, five +chopped tomatoes, a little celery, thyme, parsley and bay leaf, also +chopped. Cook three to four minutes, then add half a pint of oyster +liquor, boil up, and serve very hot. + +_Shrimp Salad_: Boil, and pick from shells--if large cut in half, +otherwise leave whole. Season well with salt and pepper, then mix well +with crisp celery, chopped fine with a very little onion. Heap in salad +dish, cover with a good mayonnaise, and garnish with sliced hard-boiled +eggs, sliced lemon, sliced beets, and celery tips. + +_Fried Soft-Shell Crabs_: Wash always in cold water--hot water spoils +the flavor. Remove all sand, also the sand-bag between the eyes, the +apron, and the spongy growths under the side points. Rinse well again in +cold water, and dry thoroughly with a clean towel. Season a pint of rich +milk well with pepper and salt. Season the crabs also, lay them in the +milk, rubbing them so that it may impregnate them throughout. Take out, +roll in sifted flour, patting lightly as you roll, then shaking free of +loose flour. Have deep fat, very hot--it must be deep enough to swim the +crabs. Drop them in gently, fry to a delicate brown, skim out, drain on +hot spongy paper, and serve garnished with fried parsley, and sliced +lemon. Serve with Tartare sauce. + +_Daube: Otherwise Beef a la Mode_: Take five pounds good lean beef, rump +or top round, and lard it with a quarter pound salt pork or fat bacon, +cut in thin strips and season highly with salt, pepper, onion, garlic, +thyme, parsley, and bay leaves, all minced fine. Crowd in the seasoning +as well as the larding strips. Make the cuts for larding three to four +inches long. Cut two large, mild onions in quarters, and put into a +deep saucepan with a tablespoonful of lard, let them brown well, then +lay upon them the larded beef, cover, and let simmer very slowly till +well browned. When browned add five carrots and two turnips cut into +inch-squares, and two more onions chopped fine. Keep covered tight, and +simmer for ten minutes, then turn over the meat, and brown the other +side--it will take about ten minutes more. Then cover the meat with +boiling water, or weak stock, add a glass of sherry or Madeira, or even +claret, season with salt, black pepper, and Cayenne to taste, then cover +the pot tight, set it where it will barely simmer and let smother for +three hours. The meat should be very tender. Serve hot or cold. + +_Cold Daube a la Creole_: Lard, season, and cook, three pounds of rump +or round as above directed, but keep it simmering four hours instead of +three. Put into a deep dish rather large and pour over it a sauce made +thus: Put a two-pound veal steak and two well-cleaned pigsfeet, in a +pot with, four quarts of water, after seasoning them well with salt, +pepper and Cayenne. Add half a clove garlic, bay leaf, sprig thyme, one +onion, all minced fine, also two cloves pounded, and a glass of sherry +or Madeira. Keep boiling till the meat falls from the bones--take up +then, remove bones, mince the meat fine, season it highly and return to +the liquor, stirring it well through. Pour over the beef, let stand +uncovered in a very cool place to harden. Serve in very thin slices--it +will be like jelly. This is a cold-weather dish, as even an ice-box will +not harden the sauce properly in summer. + +_Grillades with Gravy_: Flatten by beating a good round steak, and cut +into four-inch-squares. Season the squares highly with salt, pepper, and +Cayenne. Put a heaping tablespoon of lard in a frying pan--as it melts, +add a chopped onion, a clove of garlic also chopped, and as these brown, +one tablespoonful of flour, stirring all smooth. Next add two sliced +tomatoes with their juice--when they brown, lay the grillades upon them. +Cover close, let them brown on one side, then turn and brown the other. +Then add half a tablespoonful of vinegar, and a cup of water. Stir well, +then set where it will simmer for half an hour. Fine for breakfast with +hominy or rice. + +Another way is to cook the grillades without garlic, and add to them +along with the tomatoes half a pint of tender okra well washed and +sliced. Or they can be fried brown, in clear fat, then put in a hot dish +over boiling water while a gravy is made of fresh fat, heated very hot, +and stirred about the pan to take up the brown meat essence, a chopped +onion, two sliced tomatoes, a tablespoonful flour, as much vinegar and +water. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Cayenne, boil ten to +twelve minutes and pour over the grillades. + +_Chicken Saute a la Creole_: Clean, singe and cut in joints two spring +chickens, dividing the breasts lengthwise, and cutting drumsticks from +thighs. Season well with salt and pepper. Melt in a frying pan two large +tablespoonfuls butter, add the chicken, and let it brown slowly for +five minutes. Have three large onions sliced thin--add them and let +brown but take care not to scorch in the least. Dredge in two +tablespoonfuls flour, and let it brown. Then put in half a dozen large +tomatoes peeled and sliced, let them brown but cook slowly, letting the +pan barely simmer. Add chopped parsley, thyme and bay leaf, also two +cloves of garlic finely minced, and if you have them, half a dozen sweet +green peppers, freed of seed and cut in shreds. Stir well, cover and let +smother for twenty minutes, stirring now and then, but keeping the pan +covered. Add a cup of consomme if in hand, otherwise a cup of boiling +water, cook very slowly a full half hour, seasoning to taste. After +seasoning, cook ten minutes longer. Serve very hot. + +_Roasted Quail_: Take six quail, fat, fresh and tender, pick, draw, +singe, and wipe with a damp cloth inside and out. Butter inside, and +sprinkle with salt and pepper lightly. Butter all over the outside, +truss, and bind around with a thin slice of fat bacon. Put a +tablespoonful of butter in the roasting pan, fit in the quail, and +roast in a hot oven twenty to thirty minutes, according to size. Put six +slices of hot buttered toast in a hot dish, and lay a quail on each. Add +half a spoonful of butter, a little boiling water, and the juice of a +lemon to the gravy in the pan, cook three to four minutes, stirring +well, strain, set back on stove to cook two minutes longer, then pour +evenly upon the breasts of the birds so it will soak in the toast. +Garnish with sliced lemon and watercress, and serve with green grape +jelly. If grape leaves are to be had, wrap the birds in them instead of +bacon, after preparing as directed, roast, take up on toast, garnish +with fresh young grape leaves, and serve with either spiced grapes or +grape jelly. + +_Creole French Dressing_: Put three tablespoonfuls of olive oil in a +deep, small bowl, add to it a saltspoon salt and half one of +pepper--more if taste approves. Add alternately drop by drop, a +teaspoonful of made mustard, and a tablespoonful vinegar. When well +mixed, add the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, mashed very smooth, and stir +until blended. Serve with lettuce, celery or potato salad. + +_Mayonnaise Dressing_: Chill a small bowl, also a fresh egg, and your +salad oil. Put the yolk of the egg in the bowl--which if it is summer, +should sit in cracked ice. Add drop by drop chilled oil, working it in +as you drop it. When you have added a spoonful begin dropping in lemon +juice, working it likewise into the yolk. It will harden the egg--stir +till very hard, then add more oil, drop by drop, working it in with a +fork. Repeat, until you have used the juice of half a lemon, and two +gills of oil. When the egg begins to curdle add salt and pepper to +taste--but do not put them in until the last. Keep and serve very cold. + +_Remoulade Dressing_: Put three hard boiled egg-yolks into a bowl, mash +smooth, add to them half a teaspoonful made mustard, one tablespoonful +Tarragon vinegar, with salt and Cayenne to taste. Next add, drop by +drop, three tablespoonfuls olive oil, after which put in the yolk of a +raw egg, and stir until light. Finish with the juice of half a lemon, +added very gradually. Much depends on the mixing--if hurried or +carelessly done, the sauce will curdle. This is standard for cold meat +of every sort, also heavy salads, and fish. + +_Drip Coffee_: Two things are essential--an absolutely clean urn, and +sound coffee, freshly parched, and ground neither too fine nor too +coarse. The water must be freshly boiled. Put a cup of ground coffee in +the strainer, pour upon it about two tablespoonfuls of boiling water, +let it stand until the water drips through and there is no more +bubbling, then pour on more water, but not too much, let it drip, +keeping both the strainer and the spout covered to prevent the loss of +aroma. Repeat until you have used almost five cups of water--this for +four cups of strained coffee, as the grounds hold part of the water. +Keep the pot hot while the dripping goes on, but never where the coffee +will boil. If it dyes the cups it is too strong, but beware of making +too weak. + +_Bruleau_: Put into the special bruleau bowl, which has its own brandy +ladle, three ladlefuls of brandy, along with the yellow peel of half an +orange, a dozen cloves, a stick of cinnamon, a few grains of alspice and +six lumps of sugar. Let stand several hours to extract the essential +oils. At serving time put in an extra ladleful of brandy for every +person to be served, and two lumps of domino sugar. Pour alcohol in the +tray underneath the bowl, light it, and stir the brandy back and forth +until it also catches from the flame below. Let burn two or three +minutes--if the lights have been extinguished as they should be, the +effect is beautifully spectral. After the three minutes pour in strong, +hot, clear, black coffee, a small cupful for each person, keep stirring +until the flame dies out, then serve literally blazing hot. This "burnt +water" known in more sophisticated regions as _Cafe Diabolique_, +originated in New Orleans, and is the consummate flowering of Creole +cookery. + + + + +[Illustration: _Cakes, Great and Small_] + + +The very queen among cake makers sums her secret of success in a +sentence: "The best of everything." Cake will never be better than the +things whereof it is made, no matter how skilled the maker. But it can +be, and too often is, dismally worse, thus involving a waste of heaven's +good gifts of sugar, butter, eggs, flour and flavors. Having the best at +hand, use it well. Isaac Walton's direction for the bait, "Use them as +though you loved them," applies here as many otherwheres. Unless you +love cake-making, not perhaps the work, but the results, you will never +excell greatly in the fine art. Better buy your cake, or hire the making +thereof, else swap work with some other person better gifted in this +special branch. + +Here are a few cardinal helps. Have the eggs very cold, butter soft but +not oily, flour dry and light--sun or oven-dry it in muggy weather. Sift +it three times for ordinary cakes, twice for tea cakes, and so on, four +to five times for very light things, sponge cake, angel's food, and +measure it before sifting, and don't forget the needed amount--then you +will be in no danger of putting in too much or too little. Always put a +pinch of fine salt in the bottom of the mixing bowl, which ought to be +freshly scalded and wiped very dry. A damp bowl clogs with either sugar +or flour, making the stirring much harder. Unless specifically directed +otherwise, separate the eggs, set the whites on ice till time to whip +them, beat the yolks very, very light--to a pale, frothy yellow, add the +sugar, free of lumps, a cupful at a time, then the butter washed and +beaten to a creamy froth, beat hard together for five minutes, then add +alternately the flour and the egg-whites beaten to the stiffest possible +froth. Add a pinch of salt as beating begins, and if the egg supply is +scant, a teaspoonful of cold water to each white. This will increase the +quantity, and help to make the cake lighter, as it is the air-bubbles +imprisoned in the froth which give it its raising virtue. Add fruit and +flavoring last thing. Fruit should be well floured but never clotted. If +batter appears to be too stiff a little whiskey thins it excellently, +and helps to make it lighter. Put in two tablespoonfuls to six eggs, +using more in proportion. Rose water or a liqueur have the same effect +but give their own flavor--which whiskey does not. + +If strong butter needs must be used, it can be mitigated to a degree, by +washing and kneading well in cold water barely dashed with chloride of +lime solution, then rinsing well in cold water, and afterward in sweet +milk. The milk may be half water. Rinse it out clean. Let the butter +soften well before undertaking to cream it. A stout, blunt wooden spoon +is the best for creaming, along with a deep bowl very narrow at the +bottom. Grease deep cake tins plentifully, with either lard or +butter--using only the best. For heavy cakes such as fruit, spice and +marble cake, line them with double thicknesses of buttered paper and +either set shallow pans of water in the oven while baking or stand the +pans themselves in other pans with a quarter inch of water in the +bottoms. If cakes brown too fast, open the oven door, a trifle, and lay +over the pan a thick, well buttered paper until the oven cools. Never +jar the oven while cake is baking in it--neither by banging the doors, +nor dumping heavy vessels on top of it. Beware likewise slamming kitchen +doors, or bumping things about in the room. Fine cake demands as many +virtues of omission as of commission. Indeed the don'ts are as essential +as the doings. + +Layer cakes need to be mixed thinner than deep ones. The batter must run +freely. Half fill the tins and set in a hot oven, taking care not to +scorch before rising is finished. Butter tins very freely--it is +economy in the end. Be sure the tins sit level in the oven--thus you +escape an ungainly final loaf. Get filling ready as baking goes forward +so as to put your layers together while still warm and pliable. Let cool +before frosting, so as to trim sides smooth. Take care fillings are not +too watery, also that they are mixed smooth. Spread evenly, and press +down a layer firmly all over, before putting filling on top. Layers +simplify greatly the problem of baking, but to my mind, no layer cake, +not even the famous Lady Baltimore, is equal to a fine deep loaf, well +frosted, and meltingly rich throughout. + +_Pound Cake_: (Aunt Polly Rives) Take ten fresh eggs, their weight in +fresh butter, white sugar, and thrice sifted flour. Separate the eggs, +beat yolks to a cream-yellow, add the sugar, cupful at a time, beat +hard, then the butter creamed to a froth, then half the flour, then two +wineglasses of whiskey or brandy or good sherry or rose water, beat hard +five minutes, then add the rest of the flour, taking care not to pack +it in the handling. Beat fifteen minutes longer, then fold in with long +strokes, the egg-whites beaten with a good pinch of salt until they +stick to the dish. Barely mix them through the batter, then pour it into +deep pans, or ovens, lined with double greased papers. The vessels also +must be well buttered. Bake with quick heat, letting the cake rise well +before browning. Slack heat when it is a very light brown, and cook +until a straw thrust to the bottom comes out clean. Turn out upon a +thick, folded cloth, cover with another thinner cloth, and let cool. +Frost when cool, either with the boiled frosting directed for +cheesecakes (See Chapter on Paste, Pies and Puddings) or with plain +frosting made thus. Beat three egg-whites well chilled to the stiffest +possible froth with a pinch of salt, and a very little cold water. Add +to them gradually when thus beaten a pound of sugar sifted with a +teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Mix very smooth, and apply with a +broad-bladed knife, dipping it now and then in cold water to keep the +frosting smooth. It should dry a quarter-inch thick and be delicious +eating. Frosted cake keeps fresh three times as long as that left naked. + +_Spice Cake_: Cream a coffee cup of well washed butter, with two cups +yellow sugar and one cup black molasses. Add to it one after the other, +seven egg-yolks, beating hard between. When all are in, add one +tablespoonful whiskey, or brandy, one teaspoonful grated chocolate, +teaspoonful each of powdered cloves, allspice, ginger, mace, and +cinnamon, a grated nutmeg, and half a saltspoonful of powdered black +pepper. Add also a pinch of salt, and the barest dusting of paprika. If +whiskey is for any reason disapproved, use strong, clear coffee instead, +putting in two spoonfuls, and leaving out the chocolate. Beat all +together hard for ten minutes, then add four scant cups flour browned in +the oven but not burned. Sift after browning, adding to it two +teaspoonfuls baking powder. Beat hard five minutes after the flour is +all in, then pour in a deep, well greased pan, lined with buttered +paper, let rise ten minutes with the oven door open, then bake in quick +heat until done through. + +_Marble Cake_: Make up egg-yolks into spice cake, beat the whites very +light, and add them to three cups of sifted sugar, beaten smooth in a +large cup of creamed butter. Put in a wineglass of whiskey or brandy, +then add three cups and a half flour sifted three times with a heaping +teaspoonful baking powder. Put the light and dark batter by alternate +spoonfuls in pans well buttered and papered, let rise and bake the same +as spice cake. Else bake the light and dark batter in layers, put +together with any good filling, and frost with caramel frosting. + +_Real Gold Cake_: Beat very light the yolks of sixteen eggs, with a full +pound of yellow sugar, and a scant pound of creamed butter. Add a cup of +rich sour cream with a teaspoonful soda dissolved in it. Or if you like +better put in the cream _solus_, and add the soda dissolved in a +teaspoonful of boiling water at the very last. This makes lighter cake +so is worth the extra trouble. Flavor to taste--grated lemon rind is +good. Add gradually four cups flour sifted three times at least. Beat +hard for ten minutes, then bake in well-greased pans, lined with +buttered paper, until well done, let cool partly in the pans, then turn +out, dust lightly with flour or corn starch and frost. + +_Real Silver Cake_: Wash and cream to a froth a pound of fresh butter, +work into it a pound of sifted sugar, and a pound of flour, sifted +thrice with a teaspoonful of baking powder. Add flavoring--vanilla, +lemon or rose water, following it with a wineglass of whiskey. Then fold +in the whites of sixteen eggs beaten with a pinch of salt to the +stiffest possible froth. If the batter looks too thick add half a cup +sweet cream--this will depend on the size of the eggs and the dryness of +the flour. Bake in deep pans, else in layers. By baking gold and silver +batter in layers, and alternating them you can have a fine marble cake. +Or by coloring half the white batter pink with vegetable color to be had +from any confectioner, you can have rose-marble cake. This should be +iced with pink frosting else with plain white, then dotted over with +pink. Very decorative for birthday parties or afternoon teas. + +_Christmas Cake_: Prepare fruit first. Cut small half a pound of +homemade citron drained from syrup, wash and seed one pound raisins, +pick, wash and dry one pound currants, mince a teacup of any firm +preserve--quince, peach or pear, or use a cupful of preserved cherries +whole. Shred fine four ounces of homemade candied peel, also four ounces +of preserved ginger, add a cupful of nutmeats--pecans or English +walnuts, or even scalybarks, cutting them in bits, mix all well +together, then pour upon them the strained juice of three oranges, and +three lemons, also add the grated yellow peel. Next pour on half a pint +of whiskey, a gill of rum, and a tumbler of cordial--peach or +blackberry, and homemade if possible. Let stand overnight, in a warm +place--the fruit should take up the most part of the liquor. A glass of +tart jelly is held an improvement by some. I do not put it in--the +preserves suit my palate better. Cream a full pound of butter with four +cups sifted sugar, beat into it one at a time, ten large fresh eggs. +After them put in four cups dried and sifted flour, mix smooth, then put +in the fruit, drained from the liquor and lightly dredged with hot, +sifted flour. Mix well, then add the liquor drained from the fruit, +along with a tablespoonful of lemon essence, and as much vanilla or rose +water. If the batter is too stiff to stir well, thin with either a +little sweet cream or boiling water, or cordial. Pour into pans buttered +and lined with five thicknesses of buttered paper, set the pans in other +pans of hot water inside a warm but not brisk oven, shield the tops with +double paper, and let rise half an hour. Increase heat then, but the +baking must be slow. Four to five hours is required, according to the +size of pans. Keep covered until the last half hour--then the heat may +be sensibly increased. Test with straws--when they come out clean, take +up, set pans on racks, cover with thick cloth and let cool thoroughly. +Frost next day, with either plain or boiled frosting. By baking the +cake in rather small square molds, set close in a larger pan, the +squares can be cut without waste and frosted to make individual cakes. + +_White Layer Cake_: (Mrs. George H. Patch.) Sift two teaspoonfuls baking +powder through three and a half cups flour, measured before sifting. +Cream a cup of butter with two and one half cups sugar, add a cup of +rich milk, beat hard, then add gradually the flour, following it with +the whites of seven eggs beaten very stiff with a small pinch of salt. +Fold in lightly, and bake in three layers. Put together with orange +filling, or frosting made thick with nuts and minced figs. + +_German Coffee Cake_: (Mrs. T. G. Petre.) Beat six fresh eggs very light +with one pound of sugar, and one pound flour. Add the peel of a lemon +grated, and one yeast cake dissolved in a little hot milk or water. Let +stand till very light, then roll into sheets one inch thick, spread them +thickly with melted butter--half a pound will be required, sprinkle with +two ounces bitter almonds blanched and shredded fine, mixed with four +ounces sugar, and a teaspoonful powdered cinnamon. Let rise again, and +bake in a moderate oven. Good hot or cold. + +_Cream Cake_: (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream together very light two cups butter, +three cups sugar, one cup sweet cream. Add gradually four cups flour +sifted with one teaspoonful baking powder, then fold in the whites of +fourteen eggs beaten very stiff with a pinch of salt. Flavor with bitter +almonds, bake in loaves or layers, and frost with pink icing, flavored +with rose water. + +_Sponge Cake_: Beat very light the yolks of seven eggs with three cups +sifted sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add to them gradually a cup of hot +water, then three scant cups flour sifted thrice with two teaspoonfuls +baking powder. Fold in last the stiffly beaten white of the eggs, pour +into greased pans, and bake in a quick oven. The batter must not be too +thin. If the eggs are large only half a cup of water may be requisite. +Flavor with vanilla, putting orange or lemon in the frosting. + +_White Sponge Cake_: Beat very stiff six egg-whites, add to them +gradually a cup of sugar, and a cup of flour sifted twice with a +teaspoonful of baking powder. Do not forget a tiny pinch of salt in the +eggs. + +_Angel's Food_: Beat to a stiff froth with a pinch of salt, the whites +of eleven eggs. Mix in gradually a cup and a half of powdered sugar, +then add a cup of flour sifted twice with a teaspoonful cream of tartar. +Mix smooth, add the strained juice of half a lemon, pour into a smooth, +ungreased pan, bake in a moderate oven half an hour, take up, turn pan +upside down on a cloth and let stand till the cake falls out. + +_Chocolate Cake_: Sift together two cups flour, one cup corn starch, and +two teaspoonfuls baking powder, add to a cup of butter, creamed light +with two cups sugar and one cup sweet cream. Add the stiffly beaten +whites of seven eggs, flavor with vanilla, and bake in layers. For the +filling boil together to a thick syrup, three cups sugar, one cup water, +and half a cake of grated chocolate. Pour upon three egg-whites beaten +very stiff, flavor with vanilla or bitter almond, and spread between +layers. + +_Orange Cake_: Cream a cup of butter with two cups sugar, beat into it a +cup of cold water, then add four cups flour thrice sifted with two +teaspoonfuls baking powder, alternate the flour with three well-beaten +eggs. Flavor to taste, bake in layers, and put together with orange +frosting made thus. Cook together till it threads the strained juice, +and grated yellow peel of a large sweet orange with one cup sugar, then +beat the hot syrup into two egg-whites whipped as stiff as possible. +Beat smooth and spread while hot. + +_Dream Cakes_: Cream well half a cup butter, add a cup and a half of +sugar, half a cup cold water, two cups flour sifted twice with two +teaspoonfuls baking powder, a teaspoonful lemon extract, and the stiffly +beaten whites of six eggs. Bake in small shapes, frost, with boiled +frosting, and ornament with tiny pink candies. + +_Shrewsbury Cakes_: This receipt with two that follow, comes down from: +"The spacious days of great Elizabeth." They are given verbatim, from +the original version, as it seems to me the flavor of the language must +add to the flavor of the cakes. "Mix half a pound of butter, well beat +like cream, with the same weight of flour, one egg, six ounces of beaten +and sifted loaf sugar, and half an ounce of caraway seed. Form these +into a paste, roll them thin, and lay them in sheets of tin, then bake +them in a slow oven." + +_Queen Cakes_: "Take a pound of sugar, beat and sift it, a pound of well +dried flour, a pound of butter, eight eggs, and half a pound of +currants, washed and picked; grate a nutmeg and an equal quantity of +mace and cinnamon, work the butter to a cream, put in the sugar, beat +the whites of the eggs twenty minutes and mix them with the butter and +sugar. Then beat the yolks for half an hour, and put them to the butter. +Beat the whole together and when it is ready for the oven, put in the +flour, spices and currants, sift a little sugar over them, and bake them +in tins." + +_Banbury Cakes_: "Take a pound of dough, made for white bread, roll it +out and put bits of butter upon the same as for puff paste, till a pound +of the same has been worked in; roll it out very thin, then cut it into +bits of an oval size, according as the cakes are wanted. Mix some good +moist sugar with a little brandy, sufficient to wet it, then mix some +clean-washed currants with the former, put a little upon each bit of +paste, close them up, and put the side that is closed next the tin they +are to be baked upon. Lay them separate, and bake them moderately, and +afterward, when taken out, sift sugar over them. Some candied peel may +be added, or a few drops essence of lemon." + +_Oatmeal Cookies_: (Mrs. T. G. Petre.) Beat together until creamy, one +egg, half cup sugar, third cup butter, third teaspoonful soda mixed with +one cup sifted pastry flour, half teaspoonful each of salt and cinnamon, +then add one cup rolled oatmeal, half cup each of shredded nuts and +raisins. Mix well, drop on greased tin, and bake in a slow oven. Do not +let the stiffness of the dough induce you to add milk or water. + +_Tea Cakes_: (Betsy Vaughn.) Cream together a cup and a half of butter, +and two cups and a half of sugar, add to five eggs beaten very light, +mix well, then add a cup and a half of buttermilk with a small +teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Pour upon flour enough to make a +soft dough, flavor with nutmeg, roll out a quarter-inch thick, cut with +a small, round cutter, and bake in a quick but not scorching oven. + +_Tea Cakes_: (M. L. Williams.) Beat five eggs very light, with five cups +of sugar, a heaping cup of lard, well creamed, and two cupfuls of sour +milk, with a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in it. Mix through enough +flour to make a soft dough, roll half an inch thick, cut out and bake in +a quick oven. + +_Plain Soft Gingerbread_: Dissolve a desert spoonful of soda in a cup of +boiling water, add to it a cup of rich molasses, along with three +tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Mix well through two and and one half +cups sifted flour, add ground ginger and alspice to taste, and bake in a +moderate oven. + +_Mammy's Ginger Cakes_: Beat four eggs very light with a good pinch of +salt and a cup of coffee sugar. Add three cups of rich molasses, and a +cup of boiling water with two teaspoonfuls soda dissolved in it. Mix +well in two tablespoonfuls pounded ginger. Sift five pints of flour with +a teaspoonful of salt, rub into it lightly two cups sweet lard, then add +the molasses mixture and knead to a firm dough, adding more flour if +needed or, if too stiff, a little sweet milk. Roll out half an inch +thick, cut into big squares, bake in a quick oven, and brush over the +tops while blazing hot a little butter, molasses and boiling water. Let +stand in a warm place until dry. These might properly be called First +Monday Ginger Cakes, since our Mammy made them to sell upon that day to +the crowds which came to court, thereby turning many an honest fip or +picayune. + +_Family Gingerbread_: Cup and a half dark molasses, half cup sugar, +small cup melted lard, cup boiling water with teaspoonful soda dissolved +in it, pinch of salt, sifted flour enough to make rather stiffer than +pound cake batter. Spices to taste--ginger, allspice, nutmeg, all in +powder, is a good mixture. Bake rather quickly. + +_Solid Chocolate Cake_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Cream together one cup butter, +two of sugar, add six egg-yolks beaten light, then add alternately one +cup sour milk with teaspoon soda dissolved in it, and three cups sifted +flour. Fold in egg-whites stiffly beaten then add half cake Baker's +chocolate melted, and three teaspoonfuls vanilla. Stir hard a minute, +pour in deep, well greased pan, and bake in moderate oven. + +_Coffee Cake_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Beat together until light, one egg, one +cup sugar, butter the size of a large egg. Add alternately one cup milk, +and two cups flour with two teaspoonfuls baking powder sifted in it. +Put in pan, and sprinkle thickly all over top with sugar and powdered +cinnamon. Bake rather quickly but do not scorch. + +_Fig Pudding_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) One pound figs, half pound suet, six +eggs, two cups sugar, three cups biscuit crumbs. Run figs, suet and +crumbs through grinder, beat eggs very light, add other ingredients, +beat again, and steam or boil in buttered mold, tied in well scalded +bag, four hours. Serve hot with this sauce. Beat to a light cream, one +cup butter with two cups sugar. Add two eggs very well beaten, then +gradually two tablespoons vinegar and one of vanilla. Cook a long time +in double boiler, stirring constantly, or it will not be smooth. Keep +hot until served. + +_Thin Ginger Snaps_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Mix a cup of melted lard well +through two of molasses, add a pinch of salt, spices to taste, and +enough flour to make a soft batter. Drop by small spoonfuls on a +well-greased baking sheet, and cook in quick oven. + +_Measure Pound Cake_: (Leslie Fox.) Cream well together, one cup butter, +one and three-quarter cups sugar, when very light, drop in an egg-yolk +unbeaten, beat hard, put in another yolk, beat again hard, then another, +and repeat the hard beating. When very light add alternately two and +one-half cups flour, and one cup milk, mix well, then add half a cup +flour sifted three times with three even teaspoonfuls baking powder. +Follow this with the egg-whites beaten stiff. Flavor with brandy--a +tablespoonful and a half. Bake in a moderate oven about an hour. Serve +with any approved pudding sauce, or use as other cake. Nearly as good as +the pound cake of our grandmothers. + +_Kisses_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Add to four fresh egg-whites unbeaten, a tiny +pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls water, and three cups fine sugar. Beat +hard for at least half an hour--until the mixture is smooth and stiff. +Drop from point of spoon upon buttered paper, and harden in an oven cool +enough not to color. + + + + +[Illustration: _Meat, Poultry, Game, Eggs_] + + +_Barbecued Lamb_: The middle piece, known to butchers as "the bracelet," +is best for barbecuing. Have it split down the backbone, and the +rib-ends neatly trimmed, also the ribs proper, broken about midway, but +not quite through. Wash clean, wipe dry, rub over well with salt, then +prick in tiny gashes with a sharp-pointed knife, and rub in well black +pepper, paprika, a very little dry mustard, then dash lightly with +tabasco. Put a low rack in the bottom of a deep narrowish pan, set the +meat upon it, letting only the backbone and rib-ends touch the rack. +This puts it in a sort of Gothic arch. Keep it so throughout the +cooking. Put a cupful of water underneath--it must not touch the meat. +Have the oven very hot, but not scorching--should it scorch in the least +turn another pan over the meat for the first hour of cooking. Add more +water as the first boils away, but do not baste the meat--the water is +merely to keep it from getting too hard. Roast till the fat is crisped +and brown throughout, the lean very tender. Take up on a broad, hot +dish, and in serving cut along the ribs, so as to let each portion +include the whole length of them, as well as part of the backbone. Serve +with a sauce, of melted butter, mixed with equal quantity of strong +vinegar, boiling hot, made thick with red and black pepper, minced +cucumber pickle, and a bare dash of onion juice. This is as near an +approach to a real barbecue, which is cooked over live coals in the +bottom of a trench, as a civilized kitchen can supply. + +The middling of a pig weighing less than a hundred pounds, well +scraped, washed clean, and likewise roasted on a rack after seasoning it +well, makes a fine dish. The sauce for it should include minced green +peppers, instead of cucumbers. If you happen to have a pepper mango, cut +it fine, and let it stand in the hot sauce ten minutes before serving. + +_Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions_: Fry crisp a pound of streaky bacon, +take up and keep warm. Make the fat bubble all over, lay in it a steak, +wiped clean, seasoned with salt and pepper, and dredged lightly with +flour. Sear it well on both sides--take from the fat, lay on broiler, +and cook for ten minutes, turning once. Serve thus if you like it +rare--if contrariwise you want it well done, set the steak on a rack or +broiler in a hot oven, and let it cook there for fifteen to twenty +minutes, according to thickness. Meantime dredge more flour into the +fat, let it brown a minute, then lay in large, mild onions thinly +sliced. Fry to a light brown, and serve around the steak. Serve the +gravy separately, adding to it just before taking up, a little hot +water, and shaking the pan well. This may be varied by frying with the +onions or instead of them, sliced tomatoes, and green peppers finely +shredded. Or cut large, very meaty tomatoes, unpeeled, into thick +slices, pour off the gravy, lay them in the hot, greasy pan, season well +with pepper and salt, and cook five minutes, turning them and seasoning +the other side. Lay the bacon on the tomatoes--otherwise put it around +the steak outside the onions. + +_Boned Fresh Ham_: It had better not be too big--ten pounds is about the +limit. Have the bone removed, but do not throw it away. Instead break it +in pieces and boil them three hours in water to barely cover. Wipe the +ham well inside and out, rub the inside over lightly with butter, season +with salt and pepper, and pour in a little vinegar. Rub salt well over +the outside and let stand on ice several hours. Make a stuffing of +grated breadcrumbs, with minced pork fat, a sprig of celery chopped +fine, half an apple, also chopped fine, salt, pepper, paprika, a pinch +of sage in powder, and the least shred of thyme and lemon peel. A +chestnut stuffing can be used, or one whose foundation is grated sweet +potato. Fill the bone cavity, firmly but not too full, skewer or sew +together the cut edges, and tie around twice with narrow tape. Turn +over, score the skin well, rub it with soft butter or bacon fat, dredge +lightly with flour, then with black and red pepper, also lightly with +sugar, and lay on a low rack in a pan. Fill in sweet cider, or sound +claret till it stands halfway up to the ham, cover with a close-fitting +upper pan, and put into a hot oven. Cook for two hours, lifting the pan +now and then, and basting the meat. Uncover, and make very, very crisp. +Serve on a hot dish, with candied sweet potatoes laid around. Add +boiling water to the liquor in the pan, shake it well about, and pour +into a gravy boat. Or pour off the grease, add a sprinkle of flour, let +it brown on top the stove, and put to it the strained liquor the bone +was boiled in. Cook three minutes, and serve in the gravy boat. If the +bone liquor is not used this way, make it the foundation of pea or +cabbage soup. In carving cut through and through so as to serve the +stuffing with each portion. + +_Roast Beef_: Scrape and wash clean, wipe dry, sear cut sides well, +either in bubbling fat, or under gas flame, set on a small rack in a +deep pan, sprinkle well with salt and pepper, dredge on flour scantly, +pour water underneath till it stands half an inch deep, cover close, set +in a hot oven and cook until tender. Basting will not be needed until +the pan is uncovered--then add a little more water, boiling hot, baste +thoroughly, return to oven, and brown. If you like, add sliced tomatoes, +minced onions, shredded green peppers, carrots cut small, and very +tender green peas after uncovering--they will cook while the meat is +browning, and can be served all together in a separate dish. + +_Pot Roast_: Wash and dry, then brown lightly all over in hot bacon fat, +and lay upon a small rack in the bottom of a deep pot, seasoning well +with salt, pepper, and paprika. Pour on a little Cayenne, vinegar, add a +spoonful of hot fat, then pour in enough boiling water to come half way +up the meat, cover tight, and simmer until tender. An hour before +serving time, put any sort of vegetables approved, or at hand, carrots, +sliced, peas, string beans, lima beans, potatoes in thick slices, into +the browning fat, let them cook five to ten minutes, sprinkling them +well with salt and pepper, then skim out of the fat, and add to the pot, +along with a cupful more boiling water. Simmer until the water is all +gone, and the meat is brown. Take up, lay vegetables around the meat, or +make a bed of them for it, add a little more hot water to the pot, stir +well over the fire till it takes up the meat essence, then pour it over +meat and vegetables, else serve in a gravy boat. + +_Leg of Mutton in Blanket_: Make deep, narrow gashes in the thick end of +a clean leg of mutton, crowd into them a mixed seasoning, salt, red and +black pepper, minced onion, a little dry mustard, and powdered herbs. +Brush all over with melted butter, or soft bacon fat, then sprinkle +lightly with salt, set on a rack in a roasting pan, and pop into a very +hot oven. Let it brown--then rub over it any tart jelly melted in a +little hot water, and envelop it in a crust of flour and water, made +very stiff, and rolled half an inch thick. Pinch the edges tight +together, lay back in the pan, cover it, and bake in a hot oven. Take +up, break the blanket carefully on top, lift out the meat, and pour the +gravy from the envelop into a small sauce pan, add to it either hot +claret, or a spoonful of tart jelly, along with tabasco or Worcester +sauce, boil up, and serve in a boat. Tomato or walnut catsup may be used +for flavoring. Indeed one sometimes finds opportunity a close second to +inspiration. + +_The Preparation of Poultry and Game_: Pick carefully, draw and singe +every manner of poultry and feathered game, wash clean, quickly, in cold +water, never hot, drain, then wipe as dry as possible with a soft, +thick, damp cloth--it takes up moisture cleaner than a dry one. Keep +very cold and away from smells until ready to cook. Tilt roasting fowls, +so they may drain, if liquid gathers. Before stuffing rub over the +whole inside lightly with soft butter or bacon fat, pepper it scantly, +and rub on a very little salt. Grease and season the outside after +stuffing is done,--never before it. If game is shot-torn, soak for ten +minutes in weak salt water after plucking, rinse in cold salt water, +wipe dry and drain. + +Furred game, as rabbits, squirrels, possums, ought to be drawn before it +is cold, if you would have the finest flavor. This is especially +necessary with possums--which should be bought alive, and fattened for +several weeks in a clean cage, feeding them on bread, milk, apples, +potatoes, cabbage leaves, and grass. This makes them tender and much +more delicate in flavor. Kill by dislocating the neck with a quick, +upward jerk, then cut the throat and hang to bleed. Roll after dampening +fur well in very hot embers--then scrape the same as a pig, draw, and +hang to cool. Divide the skin of rabbits and squirrels around the +middle, and pull off each half, the same as a kid glove. Thus no hairs +stick on the clean flesh. Draw very quickly, wipe lightly with a damp +cloth, and hang where it is cool and airy for at least an hour. + +_Roast Turkey_: Make a stuffing of stale bread. Cut the crusts from a +small loaf, grate the crumb, brown crusts crisp, crush, sift and mix +well with the gratings. Shred finely through it four ounces fresh suet, +and a lump of butter the size of an egg. Add a tiny heart of celery cut +small, half a tart apple also cut fine, two dozen fat raisins, seeded, +halved, and soaked for twelve hours in whiskey to cover, salt, pepper, +and paprika to taste. Mix well, stuff the turkey but not too tight. Put +a handful in the crop space, and fasten the skin neatly over. Truss your +turkey firmly, rub all over with soft fat, then sprinkle with salt and +pepper, and set upon a rack in a deep roasting pan, pour half an inch of +water in the bottom, cover tight, put in a hot oven, and roast for an +hour, then slack heat and finish. The turkey will brown thus covered, +and be tenderer and sweeter than if crisped uncovered. The pan will +hold gravy better than can be made otherwise. + +Roast chickens or capons in exactly the same way. Geese need to be +roasted more slowly and to have a seasoning of sage, onion, and tart +apple in the stuffing, instead of raisins. The dry stuffing takes up the +juices of the fowl, and is much more flavorous, and less pasty than that +which is wet before use. + +_Guinea Hen in Casserole_: Stick six cloves in a cored and pared apple, +thrust a heart of celery in the core space, then fit it inside a guinea +hen, buttered, salted and peppered inside. Pack in grated bread +crumbs--all there is space for. Truss, grease, season, set in a hot +oven, and brown lightly all over, then lay in a casserole on a bed of +sliced carrots, young green peas, shredded green peppers, sliced +tomatoes and tiny onions, parboiled for five minutes. Add a large lump +of butter, rolled in flour, a cup of hot water or weak broth, cover +close, and cook an hour in a hot oven. Serve on the vegetables, bedded +firmly, with tart jelly melted to barely run, splashed over the breast. + +_Chickens in Blankets_: Take young fat chickens about three pounds +weight, dress as for roasting, put inside each a peeled sweet potato, +and a small lump of butter, after greasing and seasoning inside and out. +Lay on low rack in deep pan, brown lightly in oven, then fit close over +each a round of good short crust, rolled a quarter-inch thick. Return to +oven--when crust is a rich brown the chickens will be done. Serve crust +with each portion--thereby recalling a glorified chicken pie. + +_Fried Chicken_: Cut into joints two tender young chickens, wipe the +pieces dry, season with salt and pepper, red and black, then set on ice. +Fry a pound of streaky bacon in a deep skillet, take out when crisp, +roll chicken in flour, dip in beaten egg, then roll again, and lay in +the fat, which must be bubbling hot, but not scorching. Cook, turning +often, to a rich brown, take out, then pile in a pan, set the pan over +another with boiling water in the bottom, and put all in a very hot +oven for fifteen minutes. This cooks the chicken through and through +without making it hard. The pieces must not touch in frying so there +will be two skilletfuls. When all the chicken is fried, and in the oven, +dredge in more flour, stir it well through the fat, then add a cup of +cream, stirring hard all the time, and letting it barely simmer--boiling +curdles it. Or if you want a full-cream gravy, pour off the fat, stir +the cream in double quantity in the skillet to take up the flavors, then +pour it in a double boiler, add pepper, salt, minced celery, a little +onion juice, and one at a time, lumps of butter, rolled well in flour. +Cook until thick and rich, and serve in a gravy boat. + +_Smothered Chicken_: Get two pound broilers fat and tender, have them +split down the back, make clean, season by buttering inside and out, +sprinkling with salt, pepper and paprika, and dredging with flour. Lay +breasts down, upon a low rack in a deep pan, cover with slices of +streaky bacon, shingling the slices well. Dredge with pepper and flour, +lay in sliced tomatoes, shredded green peppers, and a few small +parboiled onions. Add lumps of butter rolled in flour, dotting them all +about the bacon. Pour in enough water to barely reach the top of the +rack, cover the pan close, and cook in a hot oven, about an hour. +Uncover after three-quarters of an hour, add a half-cup more water--this +is for the gravy. Cover again, and finish cooking. The chickens should +be brown all over but meltingly tender. Take up on a hot dish, breaking +the bacon slices as little as possible. Serve the vegetables separate, +also the gravy from the pan. The vegetables can be omitted, and +smothered chicken still be a dish to rejoice an epicure. + +_Glorified Chicken Croquets_: (Mrs. G. H. Patch.) Boil a large-size +tender young chicken till the meat almost drops from the bones. Boil +likewise tender, in salt water, one pound either sweetbreads or calf +brains. Pick up the chicken and grind the meat fine, then mash it well +together with the brains or sweetbreads, and season to taste. Put into a +double boiler half-pint cream, tablespoonful butter, two tablespoonfuls +flour, one tablespoonful parsley chopped fine, one teaspoonful onion +juice, one teaspoonful salt, black and Cayenne pepper to taste. Cook +smooth, stirring hard, let thicken, then add the meat, and mix +thoroughly. Let cool, shape into croquets, dip in egg, roll in cracker +crumbs, and fry quickly in deep hot fat. + +_Chicken-Turkey Hash_: Cut the meat small, freeing of skin and gristle. +If there is rich gravy left, put it into a skillet, and cook tender in +it, half a dozen sliced tomatoes, three shredded green peppers, a small +sliced onion, and a cupful of raw potato cubes. Lacking gravy, cook in +butter or bacon fat, and season to taste--gravy requires less seasoning +than plain fat. Add the meat, pour in a cup of boiling water, stir all +well together, and cook for five minutes. Serve in a hot dish lined with +thin toast. Fine for breakfast, or a very late supper. + +_Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered_: Leave whole, rub over with fat, season +highly, lay in a pan or skillet, with slices of bacon, add a cup of hot +water, cover close, set over the fire, and simmer until tender. +Uncover, and brown in the gravy, adding a little Cayenne vinegar at the +very last. + +_Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued_: Leave whole, skewer flat, grease all +over, lay on rack in pan, and roast in hot oven, basting every five +minutes with hot salt water. When crisp, take up and serve with the +sauce directed for barbecued lamb. + +_Quail_: Smother quail the same as rabbits. I like them better halved, +and fried crisp and quickly, in deep hot bacon fat. But to make the most +of them, a pie's the thing. The crust must be rich and rolled a +quarter-inch thick. Put in the birds whole, seasoning them well inside +and out, with salt and black pepper. Put in also generous lumps of +butter rolled in flour, slices of fat bacon, strips of crust an inch +wide and three inches long, a little minced onion, celery or shredded +green pepper if the flavors are approved, and a tiny pod of Cayenne +pepper. Pour in cold water till it stands half way up the birds. Be sure +the cover-crust is plenty big--pinch it down tight, prick and make a +cross-cut at the center into which a tubelet of paper must be thrust to +prevent the gravy's boiling over. Bake three-quarters of an hour, in a +hot oven. Take up, and serve very hot. A gill of hot cream poured in +through a funnel after taking up suits some palates--mine is not among +them. Other folks like a wineglass of sherry made very hot. + +_Wild Duck_: If likely to be fishy, soak an hour in vinegar and water +made very salt, and roast with an onion inside stuck very full of +cloves. Season inside and out, rub over with fat or butter, and roast in +quick heat, to the degree required. Ducks or geese mild in flavor should +be roasted with a tart apple stuck with cloves inside, also a mild +onion. Rub over with fat, season with salt and pepper inside and out, +and strew inside lightly a small pinch of powdered sage. A good sauce +for them is made by browning half a cup of grated bread crumbs in a +tablespoonful of butter, adding to it a spoonful of tart jelly, a +wineglass of claret, a tablespoonful of tomato catsup, with seasoning +to taste of salt and pepper. + +_Possum Roasted_: Chill thoroughly after scraping and drawing. Save all +the inside fat, let it soak in weak salt water until cooking time, then +rinse it well, and partly try it out in the pan before putting in the +possum. Unless he is huge, leave him whole, skewering him flat, and +laying him skin side up in the pan. Set in a hot oven and cook until +crisply tender, taking care there is no scorching. Roast a dozen good +sized sweet potatoes--in ashes if possible, if not, bake them covered in +a deep pan. Peel when done, and lay while hot around the possum, turning +them over and over in the abundant gravy. He should have been lightly +salted when hung up, and fully seasoned, with salt, pepper, and a trifle +of mustard, when put down to cook. Dish him in a big platter, lay the +potatoes, which should be partly browned, around him, add a little +boiling water to the pan, shake well around, and pour the gravy over +everything. Hot corn bread, strong black coffee, or else sharp cider, +and very hot sharp pickles are the things to serve with him. + +_Eggs_: Eggs demand an introductory paragraph. As everybody knows, there +are eggs and eggs. An egg new-laid has a tiny air-space at each end, +betwixt the shell and the silken lining membrane. If left lying, this +confined air changes its locality--leaves the ends for the upmost side +of the shell. Shells are porous--through them the white evaporates--thus +the air bubble on top gets bigger and bigger. By the size of it you can +judge fairly the egg's age--unless it has been kept in cold storage or +in water-glass. By boiling hard, throwing in cold water and peeling +intact, you can see for yourself if a fresh egg so-called is truly +fresh. If fresh there will be no perceptible marring of its oval--but if +it shows a shrinkage, and especially if the yolk is so near the shell it +shows through the cooked white, there is proof positive that the egg is +not new-laid--though it may be perfectly wholesome. + +Eggs kept in clean cool space do not deteriorate under a month. Even +after that, thus well kept, they answer for cake making, puddings and so +on. But they have an ungodly affinity for taints of almost every kind. +Hence keep them away from such things as onions, salt fish, things in +brine generally, or any strong ill odors. + +Duck eggs are bigger than hen eggs--eight of them being the equivalent +to ten. Goose eggs run almost two for one. Turkey eggs, rarely used in +cookery, are still excellent eating, much better flavored than duck +eggs, which are often rather rank. Here as otherwheres, food is the +determining factor. Guinea eggs, in spite of being so much smaller, are +equal in raising power and in richness to hen eggs. Indeed, they are the +best of all eggs for eating--rich, yet delicate. The only approach to +them is the quail egg--we called it always a partridge egg--but only +special favorites of the gods have any chance of ever tasting them. +Quail nest frequently in wheat fields--at harvest, the uncovered nests +yielded choice spoil. Daddy claimed the lion's share of it for "my white +chilluns." Often he came with his big hat-crown running over full of +the delicate white ovals. Mormonism must prevail in quail +circles--sometimes there were forty eggs in a nest. It would have been +vandalism of the worst to eat them, only it was no use leaving them bare +to the sun, as the birds abandoned them unless they had begun brooding. +In that case the mother sat so tight, occasionally the reaper, passing +over, took off her head. More commonly she flew away just in time, +whirring up between the mules, with a great pretense of lameness. If the +nest by good luck was discovered in time, grain was left standing about +it. Nobody grudged the yard or so of wheat lost for the sake of sport. + +Partridge eggs were boiled hard, and eaten out of hand--they were much +too thin-shelled for roasting, in spite of having a very tough lining +membrane. With guinea eggs there was quite another story. They have +shells extra thick and hard--hence were laid plentifully in hot ashes, +heaped over with live coals and left as long as our patience held out. +When Mammy pulled them out, it was maddening to see her test them. She +laid a short broom straw delicately on each egg. If it whirled round, +the egg was done--if contrariwise it fell off, it had to go back in the +embers. She had no thought of letting us eat eggs not cooked till the +yolk was mealy. To this day I am firmly of opinion she was wise--and +right. Eggs roasted as she roasted them have a flavor wholly beyond and +apart from those cooked in any other way. + +_Baked Eggs_: These most nearly approximate the flavor of roasted ones. +Break fresh eggs at the small ends, drain away the whites, break down +the shells to deepish cups, each with a yolk at bottom, sprinkle yolks +lightly with salt and pepper, add a bit of butter to each, then set +shells upright, close over the bottom of a pan, pop the pan into a hot +oven, bake twenty minutes, and serve piping hot. This Mammy gave us to +keep from wasting yolks when wedding or Christmas cake demanded many +whites for frosting. + +_Potato Egg Puffs_: Into a quart of rich and highly seasoned mashed +potatoes, beat two eggs, then divide into equal portions--six or eight. +With lightly floured hands make each portion into a ball, set the balls +in a baking dish, then press into each a hard-boiled egg. Lay a bit of +butter on each egg, and dredge lightly with salt and pepper. Bake in a +quick oven until the potato is brown and light--it ought to rise up like +a fat apple. + +_Egg Dumplings_: Cousins-germane to the puffs but richer--will serve +indeed for the meat course of a plain dinner. Mix the potato well with +half its bulk of finely chopped cold meat, the leaner the better, bind +with beaten eggs, then divide and roll each portion around a hard-boiled +egg, lay the dumplings in a greased and floured pan, giving them plenty +of room, pour around them a good gravy, or else a rich tomato sauce, +then bake ten to twenty minutes in a hot oven. + +_Egg Spread_: Spread a flat pan an inch deep with rich mashed potato, +sprinkle with pepper and salt, then cover the top with eggs hard boiled, +and cut in half. Set them yolk up. Put salt, pepper and butter on each +yolk, and bake ten minutes in a warm oven. Or if soft eggs are +preferred, make depressions in the potato with the back of a spoon, +break an egg in each, dust with pepper and salt, add a dot of butter and +bake five minutes. If the potatoes are wanted brown, bake them ten +minutes after making the depressions, then put in the eggs and bake soft +or hard at will. + +_Poached Eggs_: These require a deep skillet, three parts full of water +on the bubbling boil, which is slightly salted and well dashed with +vinegar. Break all the eggs separately before putting one in. Slip them +in, one after the other, quickly, taking care not to break yolks, keep +the boiling hard, and use a knife or spoon to prevent the whites from +cooking together. Take out in six to seven minutes, using a skimmer and +draining well, trim rags off white, lay in a deep hot dish, and pour +over real melted butter, made with butter, hot water, salt, pepper, +lemon juice or vinegar, and a dash of tabasco. Send to table covered--a +poached egg chilled has lost its charm. Or you may serve the eggs on +squares of hot, well-buttered toast, which have been sprinkled thickly +with grated cheese, then set for a minute inside a hot oven. Served +thus, pass the melted butter with them, as if poured over, they might be +too rich for some palates. + +_Egg Fours_: Cut hard-boiled eggs in four lengthwise, mix yolks with an +equal bulk of sardines, drained, freed of skin and bone, and minced +fine. Season with salt, pepper, lemon juice, or vinegar, and olive oil. +Add minced olives if you like. The mixture must be soft, but not too +soft to shape well. Shape it into small ovals, using two spoons, and lay +an oval in each quarter of the whites. Put very narrow strips of pimento +on the ovals, then sprinkle them thickly with grated cheese--Edam is +good for such use. Set in a baking dish and cook two to four minutes in +a hot oven. If wanted extra tasty, as for a relish before dinner, set +the fours on narrow strips of toast, spread with made mustard, +well-mixed with finely minced very sour cucumber pickle. + +Bacon sliced thin, fried crisp without scorching, and finely minced can +take the place of sardines. Indeed, in making fours the widest latitude +prevails--you can vary flavors and proportions almost infinitely. Onion, +even a suspicion of garlic, tabasco, Cayenne vinegar, walnut catsup, or +Worcester can be added. Capers mixed through the mass make it +wonderfully piquant. But things which need to be crisply fresh, such as +celery and lettuce, must be let severely alone. + +_Stuffed Eggs_: Staple for picnics, and barbecues. Boil twenty minutes, +throw instantly in cold water, and shell immediately. Halve, mash yolks +while hot with a plentiful seasoning of butter, pepper, salt, a little +onion juice, capers or bigger pickle finely minced, and pimentos cut +small. Work the seasoning well through, then shape into balls yolk-size, +put each between two half-whites, and fasten together with a couple of +tooth picks. Wrap each as finished in wax paper, and keep cool until +needed. Here may be a good place to say that the quicker a hard-boiled +egg is got out of its shell after chilling, the better and more delicate +will be its flavor. + +_Fried Eggs_: Anybody, almost, can fry an egg wrong. It takes some skill +to fry one exactly right. Have the frying pan covered with grease, hot, +but not scorching, slip in the eggs, previously broken separately, +taking pains not to break yolks, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, +keep edges from running together, then when they have hardened +underneath, dip hot grease over the tops, keeping on till the white +sets. If the heat is right the eggs will not stick to the pan. Cook as +hard as is desirable, take up with a cake-turner, and lay in a shallow +pan, lined with soft clean paper. Keep hot while they drain--it takes a +minute or so--then remove to a blazing hot dish, and serve. If ham goes +with them lay it in the middle, with eggs all around it. Triangles of +fried toast in between look and taste well at breakfast. + + + + +[Illustration: _Soups, Salads, Relishes_] + + +_Vegetable Soup_: Cut into joints two fat chickens three parts grown, +salt and pepper, and lay aside while you fry in a deep pot half a pound +streaky bacon. Take out when crisp, put in the chicken, turning it so as +to brown it all over. Put in a thick slice of ham, let it also brown a +bit, do the same with four sliced onions--mild ones--then add two +gallons cold water, half a teaspoonful salt, two pods red pepper, a +dozen whole pepper corns, and two sprigs of parsley. Keep at a gentle +boil for an hour, then put in two small heads of tender cabbage finely +shredded, and six white potatoes, peeled and sliced a quarter-inch +thick. Fifteen minutes later put in a quart of string beans, broken +short, a pint of shelled lima beans, a stalk of celery cut fine +lengthwise, and a dozen tomatoes, peeled and sliced. Follow them in ten +minutes with a pint of tender okra sliced--next add a little later the +pulp from a dozen ears of green corn, slit lengthwise and scraped. Stir +almost constantly with a long-handled skimmer, after the corn pulp is +in. If the skimmer brings up chicken bones, throw them aside. Just +before serving put in a large spoonful of butter, rolled in flour. +Taste, add salt if required. Serve very hot with corn hoe cake and cider +just beginning to sparkle. If there is soup enough for everybody, +nothing else will be wanted. + +_Black Turtle Bean Soup_: Pick and wash clean, one quart black turtle +beans, soak overnight in three quarts cold water, and put on to boil +next morning in the soaking water. When it boils add three onions +sliced, one carrot scraped and cut up, a stalk or so of celery, three +sprigs of parsley, and one tomato, fresh or canned. Boil slowly four to +five hours, until the beans are tender, filling up with cold water as +that in the kettle wastes. When the beans are very soft, strain all +through a fine collander, mashing through beans and vegetables, add a +quart of very good soup stock, also a bay leaf, and boil up hard half a +minute before serving. Put into each soup plate a slice of lemon, a +slice of hard-boiled egg, and a tablespoonful of sherry wine before +adding the soup. + +_Gumbo_: Cut a tender, fat chicken, nearly grown, into joints, season +well with salt and pepper, and fry for ten minutes in the fat from half +a pound of bacon, with two thick slices of ham. Then add two onions +chopped fine, six large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped, adding with +them their juice, half a large pod of mild red pepper, cut small, a +teaspoonful of minced thyme and parsley mixed, a pint of tender sliced +okra, stemmed and cut lengthwise. Cook altogether, watching all the +time, and stirring constantly to prevent scorching until everything is +well-browned. Then add three quarts fresh-boiled water, on the full +boil, set the pot where it will barely simmer, and cook an hour longer, +taking the same pains against scorching. Rice to eat with the gumbo--it +must never be cooked in the pot--needs to be washed until the water runs +clear from it, drained, then tossed into a wide kettle of water on the +bubbling boil, and cooked for twenty minutes. The water must be salted +to taste. Drain the rice in a collander, set it after draining in the +oven for a minute. The grains should stand out separate, but be very +tender. Rice thus cooked, and served with plenty of butter, is excellent +as a vegetable. + +_Wedding Salad_: Roast unstuffed, three young tender turkeys, or six +full grown chickens. Take the white meat only, cut it fine with shears, +cutting across the grain, while hot. Let cool, then mix it with ten +hearts of crisp celery cut in bits, two heads of tender white cabbage, +finely chopped, rejecting hard stalks--use three heads if very +small--and set in a cool place. For the dressing boil thirty fresh eggs +twenty minutes, throw in cold water, shell, take out the yolks, saving +the white for garnishing, mash the yolks while hot very smooth with a +pound and a half of best butter, season them well with salt, pepper, a +little dry mustard, celery seed, and, if at hand, a dash of walnut +catsup, but not enough to discolor. Add also a teaspoonful of +sugar--this to blend flavors only. Add a little at a time enough warm +vinegar to make as thick as cream. Chill, and pour over the salad, mix +well through, then heap it in a big glass bowl, lined with partly white +lettuce leaves, make a wreath of leaves around the top, and in serving, +lay a larger lettuce leaf on each plate, filling it with the +yellow-white salad. + +_Fruit Salad_: Wash well a very ripe juicy pineapple, let dry, then +shred with a fork, holding the crown in the left hand firmly, while you +pull away sections with the fork in the right. Thus you avoid taking any +of the hard center. Peel the sections delicately after they are +separated, and cut them in long thin slivers, with the grain. Arrange +these slivers star-shape upon lettuce leaves in the plates, lay a very +narrow slip of pimento--sweet red pepper,--between each two of them, +then fill in the points of the stars with grape-fruit pulp, freed of +skin and seed, and broken into convenient sized bits. Lay more pimento +strips upon it. Set on ice till ready to serve, then drench with sweet +French dressing. + +_Sweet French Dressing_: Mix well a scant teaspoonful of granulated +sugar, the same of dry mustard, half a teaspoonful salt, as much black +pepper and paprika mixed, put in the bottom of a deep small bowl, and +stir for two minutes. Wet with claret vinegar, adding it gradually, and +stirring smooth. Make as thick as cream. Add twenty drops tabasco, +twenty drops onion juice, the strained juice of half a lemon, and half a +teaspoonful of brandy, rum or whiskey. Mix well, then add, tablespoonful +at a time, a gill of salad oil, stirring hard between spoonfuls. Put in +more vinegar, more oil--the seasoning suffices for half a pint of +dressing. Stir till it thickens--it should be like an emulsion when +poured upon the salad. Keep on ice. The oil and vinegar will separate, +but the dressing can be brought back by stirring hard. + +_Banana and Celery Salad_: Chill heart celery and very ripe bananas, +slice thin crosswise, mingling the rounds well. Pile on lettuce leaves, +and cover with French dressing, into which finely grated cheese has been +scantly stirred. This dressing with cheese is fine for tender Romaine, +also for almost any sort of cooked vegetable used as salad. + +_Red and White Salad_: Make cups from lettuce hearts, fasten them to the +plate, with a drop of melted butter, fill lightly with grape-fruit pulp, +and set a tiny red beet, boiled tender, in the middle. Have a very sharp +French dressing made with oil lemon juice and Tarragon vinegar. Pass +with this cheese straws, or toasted cracker sprinkled lightly with +Parmesan cheese. + +_Pineapple Salad_: Pare and core a very ripe, sweet pineapple, cut in +slices crosswise, lay the slices in a bowl, with a sprinkle of sugar, +half a cup rum or sherry, all the juice shed in cutting up, and a grate +of nutmeg. Let stand till morning, cool, but not on ice. Make rosettes +of small lettuce leaves in the plates, lay a slice of pineapple on each, +fill the hole in the center with pink pimento cheese. Make the cheese +into a ball the size of a marble, and stick in it a tiny sprig of celery +top. Put a little of the syrup from the bowl in each plate, then finish +with very sharp French dressing. Make the pimento cheese by grinding +fine half a can of pimento, and mixing it through two cakes of cream +cheese, softening the cheese with French dressing, and seasoning it to +taste. + +_Cold Slaw_: (V. Moroso.) Shave very fine half a medium sized head of +tender cabbage, put in a bowl, and cover with this dressing. Melt over +hot water a heaping tablespoonful of butter, with two tablespoonfuls +sugar, a saltspoon of pepper, a teaspoonful of salt, dash of red pepper, +and scant teaspoonful dry mustard. Mix smooth, then add gradually four +tablespoonfuls vinegar, mix well, then put in the yolk of a raw egg, +beating it in hard. Cook till creamy, but not too thick. Take from +fire, and add if you like, two tablespoonfuls cream, but it is not +essential--the dressing is good without it. + +_Tomato Soy_: Take one gallon solid, ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced, +or four canfuls put up in glass, put in a preserving kettle with a quart +of sliced onions, two tablespoonfuls salt, as much moist sugar, +teaspoonful black pepper, saltspoon paprika, four hearts of celery cut +fine, a tablespoonful of pounded cloves, alspice, mace, grated nutmeg, +and cinnamon mixed. Stir well together and cook slowly, taking care not +to burn, until reduced one-half. Dry mustard or mustard seed can be +added, but many palates do not relish them. After boiling down add a +quart of very sharp vinegar, stir well through, skim if froth rises, +bottle hot, and seal. This keeps a long time in a dark cool place. + +_Table Mustard_: Mix well together two tablespoonfuls dry mustard, scant +teaspoon sugar, half a teaspoon salt. Wet smooth, to a very stiff paste +with boiling water, then add either a teaspoon of onion juice, or a +clove of garlic mashed, stir well through, add little by little, a +tablespoonful olive oil, then thin, with very sharp vinegar, added +gradually so as not to lump nor curdle, to the consistency of thin +cream. Put in a glass jar, seal tight and let stand a week. A month is +better--indeed, the mustard improves with age if not permitted to dry +up. + +_Cabbage Pickle_: Shred enough tender cabbage to make four quarts, put +with it four large green tomatoes, sliced thin, six large onions, +chopped fine, three green peppers also chopped, rejecting the seed, two +ounces white mustard seed, half-ounce celery seed, quarter-ounce +turmeric, three tablespoonfuls salt, two pounds white sugar, two quarts +vinegar. Put all in a preserving kettle, set it upon an asbestos mat +over a slow fire, and cook gently for several hours, stirring so it +shall not scorch. It must be tender throughout but not mushy-soft. + +_Cauliflower Pickle_: Drop two heads cauliflower in salted boiling +water, cook fifteen minutes, take up, drop in cold water, separate into +neat florets, and pack down in a clean crock. Pour upon the florets, +hot, a quart of vinegar, seasoned with a mixture of two tablespoonfuls +salad oil, teaspoonful dry mustard, tablespoonful sugar, teaspoonful +salt, half-teaspoonful onion juice, half-teaspoonful black pepper, dash +of paprika, ten drops tabasco. Bring all to a boil, and pour over the +pickle, first strewing well through it blade mace, whole cloves, alspice +and cinnamon, broken small but not powdered. + +_Pear Relish_: Wash and stem a gallon of sound ripe, but not mellow +Seckel pears, remove the blossoms with a very sharp narrow pen-knife, +and stick a clove in each cut. Drain, and drop into a syrup, made of +three pounds of sugar and a quart of vinegar. Bring to a quick boil, +skim, and set back to simmer. Add after skimming, cloves, alspice, mace, +ginger, cinnamon, and black pepper, pounded small but not powdered. Cut +up a large sweet red pepper, and drop in the shreds. Let cook till the +pears are tender. If the syrup is thin, add more sugar--some pears yield +more juice than others. Sliced lemon gives a piquant tang, but is +optional. Put in glass or stone jars, and cover tight, laying a brandy +paper on top. + +_Cherries Piquant_: Wash well, and stem but do not pit, half a gallon +ripe Morello cherries. Drain well, strew spices well through them, lay +thin sliced lemon on top, add a dozen whole pepper corns, and a tiny pod +of Cayenne pepper, then pour over a pint of sharp vinegar, boiled with +four pounds of sugar, and skimmed clean. Let stand all night, drain off +syrup in the morning, boil up, skim, and pour again over the fruit. Next +day, put all in a kettle, and cook for fifteen minutes, then put in +glass jars, seal and keep dark. Especially good with game or any meat +highly seasoned. + +_Gooseberry Jam Spiced_: Wash, and nub half a gallon of green +gooseberries, picked just before they ripen. Put them in a kettle with +six large cups of sugar, a cup of water, half a teaspoonful each of +cloves, alspice, mace, grated nutmeg, and cinnamon, the grated yellow +peel of an orange and the strained juice. Cook slowly until thick--it +should jelly when dropped on a plate. Pack in small jars. One of the +very finest accompaniments to any sort of fowl. By leaving out the +spices, and merely cooking the berries thick enough to cut like cheese, +it is as fine as _bar le duc_ for serving with salad. + +_Frozen Cranberry Sauce_: (Mrs. R. Heim.) Gives a new tang to game, +roast turkey, capon or duck. Cook a quart of cranberries until very soft +in one pint water, strain through coarse sieve, getting all the pulp, +add to it one and a half pints sugar, the juice--strained--of four +lemons, one quart boiling water, bring to a boil, skim clean, let cool, +and freeze rather soft. + +"_Apple Sauce Gone To Heaven_": Thus a poet names it, though I, the +architect thereof, insist that it is wholly and beautifully mundane. To +make it, pare eight firm apples, the higher-flavored the better, core, +drop into cold water, as pared, let stand till you make the syrup. Take +a cup of sugar to each two apples and a cup of water to each two cups of +sugar. Bring to a boil, skim, clean twice, then throw in half a dozen +blades of mace, bits of thin yellow peel from two lemons, a few bits of +stick cinnamon, and one pepper corn--no more. Stick four cloves in each +apple, drop them in the syrup, which must be on the bubbling boil. After +the apples are in--they should just cover the pan, add the strained +juice of two lemons. Boil hard for five minutes, turn over the apples, +simmer till done--they will look clear all through. Skim out with a +perforated ladle, letting all syrup drain away from them, arrange in a +deepish glass dish, or pile on a glass platter. Boil the syrup until it +jellies when dropped on a plate, then dip it by spoonfuls over the +apples, letting it harden as it is dipped. + +Another way, and easier, is to wash and core the apples, without +peeling, stick in the cloves, put in an earthen or agate baking dish, +add the sugar, water, spices, cover close, and set in a hot oven. Cook +until the apples are soft through, then uncover, and crisp a little on +top. The peel will be edible, and the flavor richer than when boiled, +but the dish is not so decorative. + +_Spiced Grapes_: Wash and drain sound full-ripe grapes, pick from the +stems, then pop out the grapes singly from the hulls. Save the hulls and +juice. Put the pulp and seeds over the fire, cook until soft, strain +through a colander to remove the seed, then add the pulp to the hulls +and juice, put all over the fire, with equal weight of sugar, and spices +to taste. I like cloves, alspice, mace and cinnamon, all pounded small, +but not powdered. Cook until thick, take care not to burn, put into +glasses like jelly, and serve with any sort of meat, or as a sweet. + +Wild grapes washed, picked from stems, stewed and passed through a +colander, furnish a pulp that is worth sugar, spices and so on. Cook as +directed for vineyard grapes. By leaving out the most part of spices, +and putting in vinegar, a cupful to the quart of syrup, the result is a +very piquant jelly, or more properly, fruit cheese. + +_Sweet-Sour Pears_: The pears must be ripe, but very firm. If large, +pare and quarter, cutting out the core, stick a clove in each quarter, +and drop as pared in cold ginger tea. If small or medium, wash instead +of paring, take out cores, stick two cloves in each cavity, pack close +in the kettle and cover when all are in with strained ginger tea. Boil +in the tea fifteen minutes, until a fork will pierce without too much +exertion. Skim out then, pack in jars, strewing spices liberally +through, then cover with vinegar boiling hot, to which you had added a +cupful of sugar for each quart. Let stand twenty-four hours, drain off, +boil, and pour over again. Do this three times, then put all in the +kettle, bring to a boil, cook five minutes, and put while hot in clean +stone jars. + +_Spiced Plums_: All manner of plums, even the red wild fruit, make the +finest sort of relishes when cooked properly. Wash, pick, and weigh, +take four pounds of sugar to five of fruit, with what spices you choose, +never forgetting a tiny pod of Cayenne pepper, put all over the fire, +let boil slowly, skimming off froth. Stir with a perforated skimmer--it +will take out the most part of stones. A few stones left in give a fine +bitter almond flavor after the plums have stood a while. Take care not +to scorch, cook until very thick, then add strong vinegar, a cupful to +the half-gallon of fruit. Boil three minutes longer, put hot into +well-scalded jars, lay brandy paper over, or seal with paraffin. + +_Baked Peaches_: Especially fine with barbecued lamb or roast duck or +smothered chicken. Peel one dozen large, ripe, juicy peaches, stick two +cloves in each, set in an agate or earthen pan they will just fill, add +two cups sugar, a tablespoonful butter, a very little water, and a good +strewing of mace and lemon peel. Cover close, and bake until done. Serve +hot. Instead of butter, a gill of whiskey may be used, putting it in +just before the peaches are taken up, and letting them stand covered +until the spirit goes through them. So prepared, they are better cold +than warm. The pits flavor the fruit so delicately they should never be +removed. + + + + +[Illustration: _Vegetables, Fruit Desserts, Sandwiches_] + + +_Tomato Layer_: Peel and slice a dozen meaty tomatoes, slice thin six +mild onions, cut the corn from half a dozen large ears, saving the milk. +Cover an earthen baking dish with a layer of tomatoes, season well with +salt and pepper, also the least suspicion of sugar. Lay onion slices +over, sprinkle lightly with salt, then add a layer of corn, seasoning it +with salt and a little sugar. Repeat till the dish is full. Pour over +the corn milk, the tomato juice, and a heaping tablespoonful of melted +butter. Bake in a hot oven half an hour, covering it for twenty +minutes, then browning uncovered. When corn is not in season, very crisp +brown bread crumbs may take its place. But it should be against the law +to put soft crumbs or any sort of bread uncrisped, into cooked tomatoes. +A green pepper shredded and mixed through the layers adds to the +flavor--for the devotees of green peppers. + +_Corn Pudding_: Slit lengthwise the grains in eight large ears of corn, +scrape out the pulp carefully, saving all milk that runs. The corn +should be full, but not the least hard--if it has reached the dough +state, the grains will keep shape. Beat three eggs very light, with half +a teaspoonful salt, a tablespoonful sugar, plenty of black pepper, and +paprika, half a cup of very soft butter, and half a cup sweet cream. Add +the corn pulp and milk, stir well together--if too thick, thin with a +little milk. Pour into a pudding dish, cover and bake ten minutes, then +uncover, and bake until done. + +_Fried Corn_: Fry crisp, half-pound streaky bacon, take up, and put into +the fat, bubbling hot, eight large ears of corn cut from the cob, and +seasoned with salt and black pepper. Add also the corn-milk, stir well +together for five minutes, then put an asbestos mat under the skillet +and let stand till the corn forms a thick brown crust over the bottom. +Pour out, loosen this crust with a knife, lay on top the corn, lay on +also the crisp bacon, and serve very hot. A famous breakfast dish down +south all through "Roas'in' ear time." That is to say, from July to +October. + +_Hulled Corn_: Known otherwise as lye hominy, and samp. Put a pint of +clean strong wood ashes into half a gallon of water, boil twenty +minutes--or until the water feels slippery. Let settle, drain off the +clear lye, and pour it upon as much white flint corn, shelled and +picked, as it will cover. Let stand until the hulls on the grains slip +under pressure--commonly twelve to twenty-four hours. Drain off lye, +cover with cold water, rubbing and scrubbing the grains between the +hands, till all are free of husks. Soak them in clear water, changing +it every few hours till no taste of lye remains. Then boil slowly in +three times its bulk of water, adding a little salt, but not much, until +very tender. A grain should mash between finger and thumb. Fill up as +the water boils away, and take care not to scorch. Cool uncovered, and +keep cool. To cook, dip out a dishful, fry it in bubbling bacon fat as +directed for corn. Or warm in a double boiler, and serve with butter and +sugar or cream and sugar, as a cereal. Use also as a vegetable the same +as rice or green corn. Hominy pudding, baked brown, and highly seasoned, +helps out a scant dinner wonderfully, as corn is the most heating of +grains, as well as one of the most nutritious. + +_Steamed Potatoes_: Wash clean a dozen well-grown new potatoes, steam +until a fork will pierce, dry in heat five minutes, then peel, and throw +into a skillet, with a heaping tablespoonful of butter, well-rolled in +flour, half a pint of rich milk, ten drops onion juice, salt and pepper +to taste, and a teaspoonful of chopped parsley. The sauce must be +bubbling when the potatoes are put in. Toss them in it for five minutes, +put in deep dish and pour the gravy over. Serve very hot. + +_Candied Sweet Potatoes_: Boil medium potatoes of even size, till a fork +will pierce--steaming is better though a bit more trouble--throw in cold +water for a minute, peel, and brush over with soft butter, then lay +separately in a wide skillet, with an inch of very rich syrup over the +bottom and set over slow fire. Turn the potatoes often in the syrup, +letting it coat all sides. Keep turning them until candied and a little +brown. If wanted very rich put butter and lemon juice in the syrup when +making it. Blade mace also flavors it very well. + +_Tipsy Potatoes_: Choose rather large potatoes, peel, and cut across +into round slices about half an inch thick. Pack these in a baking dish +with plenty of sugar, and butter, mace, yellow lemon peel, pounded +cloves, and a single pepper corn. Add half a cup boiling water, cover +and bake till a fork pierces, then uncover, add a glass of rum, and +keep hot, but not too hot, until serving time. Or you can use half a +pint of claret, instead of the boiling water. Still another way, is to +mix a glass of sherry with a spoonful of cream, and add it to the dish +five minutes before it goes to table. Sweet cider can take the place of +wine. So can lemon or orange juice. But to my thinking, the Demon Rum, +or his elder brother whiskey, is best of all. + +_Left-over Sweet Potatoes_: Peel, slice thick, dip in melted butter, +roll in sugar well seasoned with grated lemon peel, and nutmeg, lay in a +pan so as not to touch and make very hot in the oven. This last estate +is always better than the first. + +_Potato Balls_: Mash boiled or baked sweet potatoes smooth, seasoning +them well with salt, pepper, cinnamon, a little nutmeg, and melted +butter. Bind with a well-beaten egg, flour the hands, and roll the +mashed potato into balls the size of large walnuts. Roll the balls in +fine crumbs or sifted cornmeal, drop in deep hot fat, fry crisp, drain, +and use as a garnish to roast pork, roast fowl, or broiled ham. + +_Bananas_: Bananas are far too unfamiliar in the kitchen. They can be +cooked fifty ways--and in each be found excellent. The very best way I +have yet found, is to peel, slice in half, lengthwise, lay in a dish +with a cover, shake sugar over, add a little mace, lemon juice, lemon +peel, and melted butter, then bake until soft--seven to fifteen minutes +in a hot oven, according to the quantity in the dish. Or peel and slice, +leave unseasoned, and lay in the pan bacon has been cooked in, first +pouring away most of the fat. Cook five minutes in a hot oven, and send +to table with hot bread, crisp bacon and coffee for breakfast. A thick +slice of banana, along with a thick slice of tart apple, both very +lightly seasoned, makes a fine stuffing for squabs. Half a banana +delicately baked, and laid on a well-browned chop adds to looks and +flavor. + +_Baking Vegetables_: Paper bags taught me the ease and value of cooking +vegetables in the oven rather than on top the stove. Less care is +required, less water, rather less heat. Peas and lima beans, for +example, after shelling, should be well washed, put in a pan with salt, +seasoning and a little water, covered close, and baked in a hot oven +half an hour to an hour. Green corn is never so well cooked, outside a +paper bag, as by laying it on a rack in a covered pan, putting a little +water underneath, covering close and setting the pan for nine minutes in +a hot oven. It is sweeter and richer than even when put in cold unsalted +water, brought to a boil, cooked one minute, then taken up. But however +heat is applied, long cooking ruins it. Cook till the milk is set--not a +second longer. Green peas should have several tender mint leaves put in +with them, also sugar in proportion of a teaspoonful to half a pint of +shelled peas. Lima beans are better flavored if the butter is put with +them along with the water. Use only enough to make steam--say two +tablespoonfuls to a fair-sized pan. Spinach and beet greens also bake +well, but require more water. Leave out salt, adding it after draining +and chopping them. They take twenty to thirty minutes, according to age. + +All manner of fruits, berries in especial, cook finely in the oven. Put +in earthen or agate ware, with sugar, spices and a little water, cover +close and cook half to three quarters of an hour, according to bulk. +Uncover then--if done take up, if not let cook uncovered as long as +needed. Set the baking dishes always on rack or a grid-shelf, never on +the oven bottom nor solid metal. Thus the danger of burning is +minimized, also the need of stirring. + +For _cauliflower au gratin_, cut the head into florets, lay them +compactly in the baking dish, add a little water, with salt, pepper and +butter. Bake covered until tender, then shake over the grated cheese, +and set back in the oven three to five minutes. Tomatoes, peeled and +whole except for cutting out the eyes, baked in a dish with a liberal +seasoning of salt, pepper, and butter, a strewing of sugar and a little +onion juice, look and taste wholly unlike stewed tomatoes, common or +garden variety. + +_Boiling with Bacon_: Get a pound of streaky bacon, cut square if +possible, scrape and wash clean, put on in plenty of water, with a young +onion, a little thyme and parsley, bring to a quick boil, throw in cold +water, skim the pot clean, then let stand simmering for two to three +hours. Add to it either greens--mustard, turnip, or dandelion or field +salad, well washed and picked, let cook till very tender, then skim out, +drain in a colander, lay in a hot dish with the square of bacon on top. +Here is the foundation of a hearty and wholesome meal. The bacon by long +boiling is in a measure emulsified, and calculated to nourish the most +delicate stomach rather than to upset it. Serve two thin slices of it +with each helping of greens. You should have plenty of Cayenne vinegar, +very hot and sharp, hot corn bread, and cider or beer, to go along with +it. + +String beans, known to the south country as snaps, never come fully to +their own, unless thus cooked with bacon. Even pork does not answer, +though that is far and away better than boiling and buttering or +flooding with milk sauces. It is the same with cabbage. Wash well, halve +or quarter, boil until very tender, drain and serve. Better cook as many +as the pot will hold and the bacon season, since fried cabbage, which is +chopped fine, and tossed in bacon fat with a seasoning of pepper, salt +and vinegar, helps out wonderfully for either breakfast, luncheon or +supper. Never throw away proper pot-liquor--it is a good and cheap +substitute for soup on cold days. Heat, and drop into it crisp +bread-crusts--if they are corn bread crusts made very brown, all the +better. Pioneer folk throve on pot-liquor to such an extent they had a +saying that it was sinful to have too much--pot-liquor and buttermilk at +the same meal. + +_Fruit Desserts_: Fruits have affinities the same as human beings. +Witness the excellent agreement of grape fruit and rum. Nothing else, +not the finest liqueur, so brings out the flavor. But there are other +fruits which, conjoined to the grape fruit, make it more than ever +delicious. Strawberries for example. They must be fine and ripe. Wash +well, pick, wash again, halve if very large, and mix well in a bowl with +grape fruit pulp, freed of skin and seed, and broken to berry size. Add +sugar in layers, then pour over a tumbler of rum, let stand six hours on +ice, and serve with or without cream. + +Strawberries mixed with ripe fresh pineapple, cut to berry size, and +well sweetened, are worthy of sherry, the best in the cellar, and rather +dry than sweet. Mixed with thin sliced oranges and bananas, use sound +claret--but do not put it on until just before serving--let the mixed +fruits stand only in sugar. Strawberries alone, go very well with claret +and sugar--adding cream if you like. Cream, lightly sweetened, flavored +with sherry or rum, or a liqueur, and whipped, gives the last touch of +perfection to a dessert of mixed fruit, or to wine jelly, or a cup of +after-dinner coffee, or afternoon chocolate. + +A peach's first choice is brandy--it must be real, therefore costly. +Good whiskey answers, so does rum fairly. A good liqueur is better. +Sherry blends well if the fruit is very ripe and juicy. Peel and slice +six hours before serving, pack down in sugar, add the liqueur, and let +stand on ice until needed. Peaches cut small, mixed with California +grapes, skinned and seeded, also with grape fruit pulp broken small, and +drowned in sherry syrup, are surprisingly good. Make the sherry syrup by +three parts filling a glass jar with the best lump sugar, pouring on it +rather more wine than will cover it, adding the strained juice of a +lemon, or orange, a few shreds of yellow peel, and a blade of mace, then +setting in sunshine until the sugar dissolves. It should be almost like +honey--no other sweetening is needed. A spoonful in after-dinner coffee +makes it another beverage--just as a syrup made in the same way from +rum, sugar and lemon juice, glorifies afternoon tea. + +White grapes halved and seeded mixed with bananas cut small, and orange +pulp, well sweetened and topped with whipped cream, either natural or +"laced" with sherry, make another easy dessert. Serve in tall footed +glasses, set on your finest doilies in your prettiest plates. Lay a +flower or a gay candy upon the plate--it adds enormously to the festive +effect and very little to the trouble. + +A spoonful of rich wine jelly, laid upon any sort of fresh fruit, to my +thinking, makes it much better. Cream can be added also--but I do not +care for it--indeed do not taste it, nor things creamed. Ripe, juicy +cherries, pitted and mixed equally with banana cubes, then sweetened, +make a dessert my soul loves to recall. Not caring to eat them I never +make ice cream, frozen puddings, _mousses_, sherbets, nor many of the +gelatine desserts. Hence I have experimented rather widely in the +kingdom of fruits. This book is throughout very largely a record of +experience--I hope it may have the more value through being special +rather than universal. + +_Sandwiches_: In sandwich making mind your _S's_. That is to say, have +your knife sharp, your bread stale, your butter soft. Moreover the +bread must be specially made--fine grained, firm, not crumbly, nor +ragged. Cut off crusts for ordinary sandwiches--but if shaping them with +cutters let it stay. Then you can cut to the paper-thinness +requisite--otherwise that is impossible. Work at a roomy table spread +with a clean old tablecloth over which put sheets of clean, thick paper. +Do your cutting on the papered surface--thus you save either turning +your knife edges against a platter or sorely gashing even an old cloth. +Keep fancy cutters all together and ready to your hand. Shape one kind +of sandwiches all the same--thus you distinguish them easily. Make as +many as your paper space will hold, before stamping out any--this saves +time and strength. Clear away the fragments from one making, before +beginning another sort, thus avoiding possible taints and confusion. Lay +your made sandwiches on a platter under a dry cloth with a double damp +one on top of it. They will not dry out, and it is much easier than +wrapping in oiled paper. + +The nearer fillings approach the consistency of soft butter, the +better. In making sardine sandwiches, boil the eggs hard, mash the yolks +smooth while hot, softening them with either butter or salad +dressing--French dressing of course. It is best made with lemon juice +and very sharp vinegar for such use. Work into the eggs, the sardines +freed of skin and bone after draining well, and mashed as fine as +possible. A little of their oil may be added if the flavor is liked. But +lemon juice is better. Rub the mixture smooth with the back of a stout +wooden spoon, and pack close in a bowl so it shall not harden. + +Pimento cheese needs to be softened with French dressing, until like +creamed butter. The finer the pimento is ground the better. Spread +evenly upon the buttered bread, lay other buttered bread upon it, and +pile square. When the pile gets high enough, cut through into triangles +or finger shapes, and lay under the damp cloth. Slice Swiss cheese very +thin with a sharp knife, season lightly with salt and paprika, and lay +between the buttered slices. Lettuce dressed with oil and lemon juice +and lightly sprinkled with Parmesan cheese makes a refreshing afternoon +sandwich. Ham needs to be ground fine--it must be boiled well of +course--seasoned lightly with made mustard, pepper, and lemon juice, +softened a bit with clear oil or butter, and spread thin. Tongue must be +treated the same way, else boiled very, very tender, skinned before +slicing, and sliced paper-thin. Rounds of it inside shaped sandwiches +are likely to surprise--and please--masculine palates. + +For the shaped sandwich--leaf or star, or heart, or crescent, is the +happy home, generally, of all the fifty-seven varieties of fancy +sandwich fillings, sweet and sour, mushy and squshy, which make an +honest mouthful of natural flavor, a thing of joy. Yet this is not +saying novelty in sandwiches is undesirable. Contrariwise it is welcome +as summer rain. In witness, here is a filling from the far Philippines, +which albeit I have not tried it out yet, sounds to me enticing, and has +further the vouching of a cook most excellent. Grate fine as much Edam +or pineapple cheese as requisite, season well with paprika, add a few +grains of black pepper, wet with sherry to the consistency of cream, and +spread between buttered bread. If it is nut bread so much the better. +Nut bread is made thus. + +_Nut Bread for Sandwiches_: (Mrs. Petre.) Beat two eggs very light, with +a scant teaspoonful salt, half cup sugar, and two cups milk. Sift four +cups flour twice with four teaspoonfuls baking powder. Mix with eggs and +milk, stir smooth, add one cup nuts finely chopped, let raise for twenty +minutes, in a double pan, and bake in a moderately quick oven. Do not +try to slice until perfectly cold--better wait till next day, keeping +the bread where it will not dry out. Slice very thin, after buttering. +Makes sandwiches of special excellence with any sort of good filling. + + + + +[Illustration: _Pickles, Preserves, Coffee, Tea, Chocolate_] + + +_Brine for Pickling_: Use rain water if possible and regular picking +salt--it is coarse and much stronger than cooking salt. Lacking rain +water, soften other water by dissolving in it the day beforehand, a +pinch of washing soda--this neutralizes largely the mineral contents. +Put over the fire in a deep, clean kettle, bring to a boil, put in +salt--a pint to the gallon of water is the usual proportion. Boil and +skim, add a pinch of saltpeter and tablespoonful of sugar for each pint +of salt--the pinches must not be large. Add also six whole cloves for +each gallon. Take from fire, let cool, drop in an egg--it should float +to show the size of a quarter of a dollar. Otherwise the brine needs +more salt. Dissolve a pint extra in as little water as suffices, and add +to the brine, then test again. Put the brine when cold into a clean, +roomy vessel, a keg or barrel, else a big stone crock. It should not +quite half fill it. Provide a heading that will float upon it, also a +light weight to keep the heading on the pickles when put in, and hold +them under the brine. Unless so held the uppermost rot, and spoil the +lot. Mold will gather around the head in spite of the cloves, but less +than without them. Whenever you put in fresh pickles, take out the head, +wash and scald, dry, and return to place. + +Anything edible will make pickle--still there are many things better +kept out of the brine. Cabbage and cauliflower for example do not need +it--green tomatoes, onions, and Jerusalem artichokes are likewise taboo. +The artichokes make good pickle, but it must be made all at once. Cut +anything intended for the brine with a bit of stalk, and without +bruising the stalk. Cucumbers should be small, and even in size, +gherkins about half grown, string beans, three parts grown, crook-neck +squash very small and tender, green peppers for mangoes, full grown but +not turning, muskmelons for other mangoes three parts grown. Wash clean +or wipe with a damp cloth. Cut pickles in early morning, so they may be +fresh and crisp. Never put in any wilted bit--thereby you invite decay. + +Watermelon rind makes fine pickle, sweet and sour--also citron, queen of +all home made preserves. It must be fairly thick, sound and unbruised. +The Rattle Snake melon has a good rind for such uses. The finer flavored +and thinner-rinded varieties that come to market, are rarely worth +cutting up. The cutting up is a bit tedious. The rind must be cut in +strips rather more than an inch wide and three to five inches long, then +trimmed on each side, free of green outer skin, and all trace of the +soft inside. There will remain less than half an inch thickness of firm +pale green tissue with potentialities of delight--if you know how to +bring them out. + +Firm clingstone peaches not fully ripe, can be put in the brine--they +had better, however, be pickled without it. For whatever is put in, and +saved by salt, must be freed of the salt by long soaking before it is +fit to eat. The soaking process is the same for everything--take from +brine, wash clean in tepid water, put to soak in cold water with +something on top to hold the pickles down. Change water twice the first +day, afterward every day, until it has not the least salt taste. + +You can make pickle by soaking in brine three days, then washing clean, +putting over the fire in clear water, bringing to scalding heat, then +pouring off the water, covering with vinegar, and bringing just to a +boil. Drain away this vinegar, which has served its turn, pack down the +pickles in a jar, seasoning them well with mixed spices, whole, not in +powder, covering with fresh, hot vinegar, letting cool uncovered, then +tieing down, and keep dark and cool. + +_Watermelon Rind Pickle_: Scald the soaked rind in strong ginger tea, +let stand two minutes barely simmering, then skim out, lay in another +kettle, putting in equal quantities of cloves, mace, alspice, and +cinnamon, half as much grated nutmeg, the same of whole pepper corns, +several pods of Cayenne pepper, white mustard and celery seed, covering +with cider vinegar, the only sort that will keep pickles well, bringing +just to the boil, then putting down hot in jars, tying down after +cooling, and setting in a dark, cool, airy place. + +For sweet pickle, prepare and season, then to each pint of vinegar put +one and a half pounds of sugar, boil together one minute, stirring well, +and skimming clean, then pour over rind and spices, keep hot for ten +minutes without boiling, then put into jars. If wanted only a little +sweet, use but half a pound of sugar. + +_Mangoes_: Either green peppers or young melons will serve as a +foundation--epicures rather preferring the peppers. After making +thoroughly fresh, cut out the stems from the peppers, removing and +throwing away the seed but saving the stems. Cut a section from the +side of each melon, and remove everything inside. Fit back stems, +sections, etc., then pack in a kettle in layers with fresh grape leaves +between, add a bit of alum as big as the thumb's end, cover all with +strong, cold vinegar, bring to a boil, and simmer gently for twenty +minutes. Let stand in vinegar two or three days, throwing away the +leaves. Take out, rinse and drain. To stuff four dozen, bruise, soak, +cut small and dry, half a pound of race ginger, add half a pint each +black and white mustard seed, mace, allspice, Turmeric, black pepper, +each half an ounce, beat all together to a rather fine powder, add a +dash of garlic, and mix smooth in half a cup of salad oil. Chop very +fine a small head of firm but tender cabbage, three fine hearts of +celery, half a dozen small pickled cucumbers, half a pint small onions, +a large, sweet red pepper, finely shredded, add a teaspoonful sugar, a +tablespoonful of brandy, or dry sherry, the mixed spices, work all well +together, stuff the mangoes neatly, sew up with soft thread or tie about +with very narrow tape, pack down in stone jars, cover with the best +cold vinegar, pour a film of salad oil on top, tie down and let stand +two months. If wanted sweetish, add moist sugar to the vinegar, a pound +to the gallon. Mangoes are for men in the general--and men like things +hot and sour. + +_Walnut Pickle_: Gather white walnuts in June--they must be tender +enough to cut with the finger nail. Wash, drain and pack down in jars +smothered in salt. Let stand a fortnight, drain off the resultant brine +then, scald the nuts in strong vinegar, let stand hot, but not boiling, +for twenty minutes, then drain, and pack in jars, putting between the +layers, a mixture of cloves, alspice, black and red pepper, in equal +quantity, with half as much mace, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger. Strew in +a very little salt, and a little more sugar. Mix mustard and celery seed +in a cup of salad oil, and add to the jars, after the nuts are in. Scald +strong cider vinegar, skim clean, let cool, pour over the prepared nuts, +film with oil on top. Leave open for two days--if the vinegar sinks +through absorption, fill up the jars. Paste paper over mouths, tie down +securely, and set in a cool place until next year. It takes twelve +months for pickled walnuts fully to "find themselves." + +_Preserving Fruit_: Peaches, pears, plums, or cherries, the process is +much the same. Use the finest fruit, ripe but not over-ripe. There is no +greater waste of strength, time, and sugar, than in preserving +tasteless, inferior fruit. Pare peaches and drop instantly in water to +save discoloration. Do the same with pears, pit cherries, saving the +juice. Wash and prick plums if large--if small, merely wash and drain. +Halve clear stone peaches but put in a few seeds for the flavor. Leave +clingstones on the seed, unless very large, else saw them in three, +across the stones. They make less handsome preserves thus sawn but of +finer flavor. Weigh, take pound for pound of sugar, with a pound over +for the kettle. Very acid fruit, cherries or gooseberries, will require +six pounds of sugar to four of fruit. Pack pears and peaches after +paring in the sugar over night. Drain off the syrup at morning, put the +fruit in the kettle, cover with strained ginger tea, and simmer for ten +minutes. Meantime cook the sugar and fruit juice in another kettle. Drop +the fruit hot in the boiling syrup, set the kettle in a hot oven, and +let it cook there until the preserves are done--the fruit clear, and the +syrup thick. If it is not rich enough, skim out the fruit, and reduce +the syrup by rapid boiling, then pour over the hot fruit in jars. + +It is only by cooking thus in ginger tea, or plain water, pear and +quince preserves can be made soft. Quinces do not need to stand +overnight in sugar--rather heat the sugar, and put it in the liquid they +have been boiled in, after skimming out the fruit. It should be cooked +without sugar till a fork easily pierces it, but not until it begins to +rag. + +Put cherry juice and sugar over the fire, adding a little water if juice +is scant, boil up, stirring well and skimming clean, then put in the +fruit, and let it simmer ten minutes, and finish by setting the kettle +in the oven till the preserves are rich and thick. + +Fancy peach preserves require white, juicy fruit cut up, but not too +thin. Let it stand in sugar overnight--drain off syrup in morning, boil, +skim clean, then drop in fruit a handful at a time, and cook till clear. +Skim out, put in more, lay cooked fruit on platters, and set under glass +in sun. Sun all day. Next day boil syrup a little more, drop in fruit, +heat through, then put all in clear glass jars, and set for ten days in +hot sunshine, covered close. The fruit should be a rich translucent +pink, the syrup as rich as honey, and a little lighter pink. These are +much handsomer than the gingered peaches but not so good. Ginger tea in +syrup makes it always darker. + +Plums require nothing extra in the way of flavoring. Make a very thick +syrup of the sugar and a little water, skim clean, drop in the pricked +plums, and cook gently till clear. Skim out, reduce the syrup by further +boiling and pour it over the fruit, packed in jars. By oven-cooking +after a good boil up, there is so little occasion for stirring, the +plums are left almost entirely whole. + +_Ginger Pears_: (Leslie Fox.) Four pounds pears peeled and cut small, +four pounds granulated sugar, juice of four lemons, and the grated peel +of two, two ounces preserved ginger cut very fine. Cook all together +over a slow fire until thick and rich--it should make a firm jelly. Put +away in glass with brandy paper on top the same as other preserves. + +_Tutti Frutti_: (Mrs. J. R. Oldham.) Begin by getting a big wide-mouthed +jar, either thoroughly glazed earthenware, or thick, dark glass. Wash +well, fill with hot water, add a half-pound washing soda, and let stand +a day. Empty, rinse three times, and wipe dry. Thus you make end to +potential molds and microbes. Do this in early spring. Put into the jar, +a quart of good brandy and a tablespoonful of mixed spices--any your +taste approves, also a little finely shredded yellow peel of lemons and +oranges. Wash well and hull a quart of fine ripe strawberries, add them +with their own weight in sugar to the brandy, let stand till raspberries +and cherries are ripe, then put in a quart of each, along with their +weight in sugar. Do this with all fruit as it comes in season--forced +fruit, or that shipped long distances has not enough flavor. Add grapes, +halved and seeded, gooseberries, nibbed and washed, blackberries, +peaches pared and quartered. Currants are best left out, but by no means +slight plums. The big meaty sorts are best. Add as much sugar as fruit, +and from time to time more brandy--there must be always enough to stand +well above the fruit. Add spices also as the jar grows, and if almond +flavor is approved, kernels of all the stone fruit, well blanched. Lay +on a saucer or small plate, when the jar is full, to hold the fruit well +under the liquor. Tie down, and leave standing for three months. Fine +for almost any use--especially to sauce mild puddings. + +_Green Tomato Preserves_: Take medium size tomatoes, smooth, even, +meaty, just on the point of turning but still green. Pare very +carefully with a sharp knife. Cut out eyes, taking care not to cut into +a seed cavity. Weigh--to four pounds fruit take six of sugar. Lay the +peeled tomatoes in clear lime water for an hour, take out, rinse, and +simmer for ten minutes in strained ginger tea. Make a syrup in another +kettle, putting half a cup water to the pound of sugar. Skim clean, put +in the tomatoes, add the strained juice of lemons--three for a large +kettle full, and simmer for two hours, until the fruit is clear. Cut the +lemon rind in strips, boil tender in strong salt water, then boil fresh +in clear water, and add to the syrup. Simmer all together for another +hour, then skim out the fruit, boil the syrup to the thickness of honey, +and pour over the tomatoes after putting them in jars. It ought to be +very clear, and the tomatoes a pale, clear green. Among the handsomest +of all preserves, also the most delicious, once you get the hang of +making them. Ripe yellow tomatoes are preserved the same way, except +that they are scalded for peeling, and hardened by dropping in alum +water after their lime-water bath. The same process applied to +watermelon rind after it is freshened makes citron. + +_Brandy Peaches and Pears_: These can be made without cooking. Choose +ripe, perfect fruit, pare, stick three cloves in each, weigh, take pound +for pound of sugar with one over for the jar. Pack down in a large jar, +putting spices between, and filling sugar into every crevice. Crowd in +every bit possible, then pour on enough whiskey to stand an inch above +the fruit. Let stand--in twenty-four hours more whiskey will be needed. +Fill up, sprinkle a few more whole cloves on top, also two small pods of +Cayenne pepper, and half a dozen pepper corns. Tie down and keep cool. +Fit for use in a fortnight, and of fine keeping quality. The same +treatment with vinegar in place of whiskey makes very good sweet pickle. + +Another way, is to pack the fruit in sugar over night, drain off the +juice at morning, boil and skim it, and pour back upon the fruit. Repeat +twice--the third time put everything in the kettle, cook till a fork +will pierce the fruit, then pack in jars, adding spices to taste, and +one fourth as much whiskey as there is fruit and syrup. This likewise +can be turned into very rich sweet pickle, by using vinegar instead of +whiskey, putting it with the syrup at first boiling, sticking cloves in +the fruit, and adding spices to taste. + +Throw stemmed and washed cherries, unpitted, into thick syrup made of +their weight in sugar with half a cup water to the pound. Let boil, set +in oven for half an hour, take up, add spices, and either brandy or +vinegar, in the proportion of one to three. Let stand uncovered to cool, +put in jars, cover with brandy paper, tie down and keep dark and cool. + +_Tea: Coffee: Chocolate_: My tea-making is unorthodox, but people like +to drink the brew. Bring fresh water to a bubbling boil in a clean, wide +kettle, throw in the tea--a tablespoonful to the gallon of water, let +boil just one minute, then strain from the leaves into a pot that has +stood for five minutes full of freshly boiled water, and that is +instantly wrapped about with a thick napkin, so it shall not cool. Serve +in tall glasses with rum and lemon, or with sherry syrup, flavored with +lemon, add a Maraschino cherry or so, or a tiny bit of ginger-flavored +citron. This for the unorthodox. Those who are orthodox can have cream +either whipped or plain, with rock candy crystals instead of sugar. + +Coffee to be absolutely perfect should never get cold betwixt the +beginning of roasting and the end of drinking. Since that is out of the +question save to Grand Turks and faddists, mere mortals must make shift +with coffee freshly ground, put in a very clean pot, with the least +suspicion of salt--about six fine grains to the cupful, fresh cold +water, in the proportion of three cupfuls to two heaping spoonfuls of +ground coffee, then the pot set where it will take twenty minutes to +boil, and so carefully watched it can not possibly boil over. Boiling +over ruins it--makes it flat, bitter, aroma-less. So does long +boiling--one minute, no more, is the longest boiling time. Quick boiling +is as bad--the water has not time to extract the real goodness of the +coffee. Let stand five minutes to clear, keeping hot. Those who drink +coffee half milk may like it stronger--a cupful of water to the heaping +spoonful of coffee. I do not thus abuse one of the crowning mercies, so +make my coffee the strength I like to drink it. Reducing with boiling +water spoils the taste for me. So does pouring into another pot--my +silver pot is used only upon occasions when ceremony must outweigh +hospitality. In very cold weather hot water may well warm cups both for +tea and coffee. Standing on the grounds does not spoil the flavor of +coffee as it does tea. + +Coffee from the original pot is quite another affair from the same thing +shifted. I am firmly of opinion that many a patent coffee-maker has gone +on to success through the fact that cups were filled directly from the +urn. I always feel that I taste my coffee mostly with my nose--nothing +refreshes me like the clean, keen fragrance of it--especially after +broken rest. It is idle to talk as so many authorities do, of using +"Java and Mocha blended." All the real Java and Mocha in the world is +snapped up, long before it filters down to the average level. Back in +the Dark Ages of my childhood, I knew experimentally real Java--we got +it by the sack-full straight from New Orleans--and called the Rio coffee +used by many of our neighbors "Seed tick coffee," imagining its flavor +was like the smell of those pests. Nowadays, Rio coffee has pretty well +the whole world for its parish. Wherefore the best one can do, is to get +it sound, well roasted, and as fresh as may be. Much as I love and +practice home preparation, I am willing to let the Trust or who will, +roast my coffee. Roasting is parlous work, hot, tedious, and tiresome, +also mighty apt to result in scorching if not burning. One last +caution--never meddle with the salt unless sure your hand is light, your +memory so trustworthy you will not put it in twice. + +Chocolate spells milk, and cream, and trouble, hence I make it only on +occasions of high state. Yet--I am said to make it well. Perhaps the +secret lies in the brandy--a scant teaspoonful for each cake of +chocolate grated. Put in a bowl after grating, add the brandy, stir +about, then add enough hot water to dissolve smoothly, and stir into a +quart of rich milk, just brought to a boil. Add six lumps of sugar, stir +till dissolved, pour into your pot, which must have held boiling water +for five minutes previously, and serve in heated cups, with or without +whipped cream on top. There is no taste of the brandy--it appears merely +to give a smoothness to the blending. If the chocolate is too rich, +half-fill cups with boiling water, then pour in the chocolate. There are +brands of chocolate which can be made wholly of water--they will serve +at a pinch, but are not to be named with the real thing. Cocoa I have +never made, therefore say nothing about its making. Like Harry Percy's +wife, in cooking at least, I "never tell that which I do not know." + + + + +[Illustration: _When the Orchards "Hit"_] + + +When the peach orchard "hit" it meant joy to the plantation. Peaches had +so many charms--and there were so many ways of stretching the charms on +through winter scarcity. Peach drying was in a sort, a festival, +especially if there were a kiln, which made one independent of the +weather. It took many hands wielding many sharp knives in fair fruit to +keep a kiln of fair size running regularly. This though it were no more +than a thing of flat stones and clean clay mud, with paper laid over the +mud, and renewed periodically. There was a shed roof, over the kiln, +which sat commonly in the edge of the orchard. Black Daddy tended the +firing--with a couple of active lads to cut and fetch wood, what time +they were not fetching in great baskets of peaches. + +Yellow peaches, not too ripe but full flavored, made the lightest and +sweetest dried fruit. And clingstones were ever so much better for +drying than the clear-seed sorts. Some folk took off the peach fuzz with +lye--they did not, I think, save trouble thereby, and certainly lost +somewhat in the flavor of their fruit. Mammy was a past mistress of +cutting "cups." That is to say, half-peaches, with only the seed deftly +removed. She sat with the biggest bread tray upon her well cushioned +knees, in the midst of the peelers, who as they peeled, dropped their +peaches into the tray. + +When it over-ran with cups, somebody slimmer and suppler, took it away, +and spread the cut fruit, just touching, all over the hot kiln. It must +not be too hot--just so you couldn't bear the back of your hand to it +was about right. Daddy kept the temperature even, by thrusting into the +flues underneath it, long sticks of green wood, kindled well at the +flue-mouths. Cups shrank mightily in a little while--you could push of +an early trayful till it would no more than cover space the size of a +big dish, long before dinner time--in other words twelve o'clock--drying +was in full blast by seven. With fruit in gluts, and dropping fast, the +kiln was supplemented by scaffolds. Clean planks laid upon trestles, and +set in full sunshine, gave excellent accounts of themselves. This of +course if the sun shone steadily--in showery weather scaffold-drying was +no end of trouble. Weather permitting, it made--it still makes--the +finest and most flavorous dried fruit ever eaten. + +The black people chose clear-seed peaches for their individual drying. +They made merry over splitting the fruit, and placing it, sitting out in +front of their cabins in the moonshine, or by torch-light. Washing was +all they gave the peach outsides--a little thing like a fuzzy rind their +palates did not object to. It was just as well, since clear-seed fruit, +peeled, shrinks unconscionably--to small scrawny knots, inclined to be +sticky--though it is but just to add, that in cooking, it comes back to +almost its original succulence. When the peach-cutting was done, there +was commonly a watermelon feast. Especially at Mammy's house--Daddy's +watermelons were famed throughout the county. He gave seed of them +sparingly, and if the truth must be told, rather grudgingly--but nobody +ever brought melons to quite his pitch of perfection. Possibly because +he planted for the most part, beside rotting stumps in the new ground, +where the earth had to be kept light and clean for tobacco, and where +the vines got somewhat of shade, and the roots fed fat upon the richness +of virgin soil. + +It took eight bushels of ripe fruit, to make one of dry--this when the +peaches were big and fleshy. Small, seedy sorts demanded ten bushels for +one. Unpeeled, the ratio fell to seven for one. But there was seldom any +lack of fruit--beside the orchard, there were trees up and down all the +static fence rows--the corner of a worm fence furnishing an ideal seat. +Further, every field boasted trees, self-planted, sprung from chance +seed vagrantly cast. These volunteer trees often had the very best +fruit--perhaps because only peaches of superior excellence had been +worth carrying a-field. Tilth also helped--the field trees bent and +often broke under their fruity burdens. It was only when late frosts +made half or three parts of the young fruit drop, that we knew how fine +and beautiful these field peaches could be. Our trees, being all +seedlings, were in a degree, immortelles. Branches, even trunks might +bend and break, but the seminal roots sent up new shoots next season, +which in another year, bore fruit scantily. Still, these renewals never +gave quite such perfect fruit as grew upon vigorous young trees, just +come to full bearing. + +Here or there a plantation owner like my starch and stately grandfather, +turned surplus peaches into brandy. In that happy time excise was--only +a word in the dictionary, so the yield of certain trees, very +free-bearing, of small, deep, red, clear-seed fruit, was allowed to get +dead-ripe on the trees, then mashed to a pulp in the cider trough, and +put into stands to ferment, then duly distilled. Barrelled, after two +years in the lumber house, it was racked into clean barrels, and some +part of it converted into "peach and honey," the favorite gentleman's +tipple. Strained honey was mixed with the brandy in varying +proportions--the amount depending somewhat upon individual tastes. Some +used one measure of honey to three of brandy, others put one to two, +still others, half and half, qualifying the sweetness by adding neat +brandy at the time of drinking. Peach and honey was kept properly in +stone jugs or in demijohns, improved mightily with age, and was, at its +best, to the last degree insidious. Newly mixed it was heady, but after +a year or more, as smooth as oil, and as mellow. The honey had something +to do with final excellence. That which the bees gathered from wild +raspberries in flower, being very clear, light-colored and +fine-flavored, was in especial request. + +I think these peaches of the brandy orchards traced back to those the +Indians, Creeks, Choctaws, and Cherokees, planted in the mountain +valleys of Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. They got +the seed from early Spaniard voyagers to Florida. There was indeed a +special Indian peach, as dark-skinned as its namesake, blood-red inside +and out, very sweet and full of juice, if permitted to ripen fully--but +as ill-tasting almost as a green persimmon, if unripe. There were +clearstone and clingstone sorts, and one tree differed from another in +glory of flavor, even as one star. That was the charm of our +seedlings--which had further a distinction of flavor no commercial fruit +ever yet owned. + +August peaches were for drying--in September, early, came the Heaths, +for preserves, brandy fruit, and so on. October peaches, nearly all +clear-seed, made the finest peach butter. Understand, in those days, +canning, known as "hermetic sealing," was still a laboratory process. I +wonder if anybody else recalls, as I do, the first editions of fruit +cans? They were of tin, tall and straight, with a flaring upstanding +tin ruffle around the tops. The ruffle was for holding the sealing wax, +into which the edge of the tin top was thrust. They did not last +long--pretty soon, there were cans of the present shape--but sealing +them with wax was hard work, likewise uncertain. Women everywhere should +rise and call blessed he who invented the self-sealing jar. + +Return we to our peach butter. It began in cider--the cider from fall +apples, very rich and sweet. To boil it down properly required a battery +of brass kettles swung over a log fire in the yard, the same as at +drying up lard time. Naturally brass kettles were at a premium--but +luckily everybody did not make peach butter, so it was no strain upon +neighborly comity to borrow of such. It took more than half a day to +boil down the cider properly--kettles were filled up constantly as there +was room. By and by, when the contents became almost syrup, peaches went +in--preferably the late, soft, white ones, dead ripe, very juicy, and +nearly as sweet as sugar. After the kettles were full of them, peeled +and halved, of course, the boiling went on until the fruit was mushy. +Constant stirring helped to make it so. Fresh peaches were added twice, +and cooked down until the paddle stood upright in the middle of the +kettle. Then came the spicing--putting in cloves, mace, bruised ginger, +and alspice--sparingly, but enough to flavor delicately. If the white +peaches ran short, there might be a supplemental butter-making when the +Red Octobers came in, at the very last of the month. They were big and +handsome, oval, with the richest crimson cheeks, but nothing like so +sweet as the white ones. So sugar, or honey, was added scantly, at the +end of the boiling down. If it had been put in earlier, it would have +added to the danger of burning. + +A six-gallon crock of peach butter was no mean household asset--indeed +it ranked next to the crock of blackberry jam. It was good as a sauce, +or lightly sweetened, to spread on crust. As a filling for roly-polys it +had but one superior--namely dried peaches properly stewed. + +Proper stewing meant washing a quart of dry fruit in two waters, soaking +overnight, then putting over the fire in the soaking water, covering +with a plate to hold the fruit down, and simmering at the least five +hours, filling up the kettle from time to time, and adding after the +fruit was soft a pound of sugar. Then at the very last spices to taste +went in. If the fruit were to be eaten along with meat, as a relish, a +cupful of vinegar was added after the sugar. This made it a near +approach to the finest sweet pickle. But as Mammy said often: "Dried +peaches wus good ernough fer anybody--dest by dee sefs, dry so." + +Apple drying commonly came a little before peach. Horse apples, the best +and plentiest, ripened in the beginning of August. They were kiln-dried, +or scaffold-dried, and much less tedious than peaches since they were +sliced thin. When they got very mellow, drying ceased--commonly +everybody had plenty by that time--and the making of apple butter began. +It differed little from peach butter in the making, though mightily in +taste--being of a less piquant flavor. Cider, newly run was essential to +any sort of butter--hence the beating was done before breakfast. Cider +mills were not--but cider troughs abounded. They were dug from huge +poplar logs, squared outside with the broad axe, and adzed within to a +smooth finish. Apples well washed, were beaten in them with round headed +wooden pestles, and pressed in slat presses, the pomace laid on clean +straw, after the manner of cider pressing in English orchards. The first +runnings, somewhat muddy, were best for boiling down, but the clear last +runnings drank divinely--especially after keeping until there was just +the trace of sparkle to them. + +Winter cider was commonly allowed to get hard. So was that meant for +distilling--apple brandy was only second to peach. But a barrel or keg, +would be kept sweet for women, children, and ministers--either by +smoking the inside of a clean barrel well with sulphur before putting in +the cider, or by hanging inside a barrel nearly full, a thin muslin bag +full of white mustard seed. Cider from russets and pear apples had a +peculiar excellence, so was kept for Christmas and other high days. + +Pear cider--perry--we knew only in books. Not through lack of pears but +inclination to make it. Pears were dried the same as other fruit, but +commonly packed down after drying in sugar. Thus they were esteemed +nearly as good as peach chips, or even peach leather. + +Peach chips were sliced thin, packed down in their own weight of sugar +and let stand twenty-four hours to toughen. Then the syrup was drained +from them, boiled, skimmed clean, spiced with mace and lemon peel, and +the slices dropped into it a few at a time and cooked until sweet +through. Then they were skimmed out, spread on dishes well sprinkled +with sugar, dredged with more sugar, set under glass in sunshine and +turned daily until dry. They were delicious, and served as other +confections--passed around with nuts and wine, or eaten instead of +candy. + +So were cherries, dried in exactly the same manner, after pitting. When +dried without sugar they were used for cooking. So also were tomato +figs. Yellow tomatoes, smooth and even were best--but red ones +answered--the meatier the better. After scalding, peeling, soaking an +hour in clear lime-water to harden, they were rinsed clean, then dropped +in thick boiling syrup, a few at a time, simmered an hour, then skimmed +out, drained, sugared and dried under glass in the sun, or failing +sunshine, upon dishes in a very slow oven. Full-dry, they were packed +down in powdered sugar, in glass jars kept tightly closed. Unless thus +kept they had a knack of turning sticky--which defeated the purpose of +their creation. + +Peach leather may not appeal to this day of many sweets--but it was good +indeed back in the spare elder time. To make it the very ripest, softest +peaches were peeled, and mashed smooth, working quickly so the pulp +might not color too deeply, then spread an inch thick upon large dishes +or even clean boards, and dried slowly in sunshine or the oven. After +it was full-dry, came the cutting into inch-strips. This took a very +sharp knife and a steady hand. Then the strips were coiled edgewise into +flat rounds, with sugar between the rounds of the coils, which had to be +packed down in more sugar and kept close, to save them from dampness, +which meant ruin. + +If you had a fond and extravagant grandmother, you were almost sure to +have also a clove apple. That is to say, a fine firm winter apple, stuck +as full of cloves as it could hold, then allowed to dry very, very +slowly, in air neither hot nor cold. The cloves banished decay--their +fragrance joined to the fruity scent of the apple, certainly set off +things kept in the drawer with the apple. The applemakers justified +their extravagance--cloves cost money, then as now--by asserting a +belief in clove apples as sovereign against mildew or moths--which may +have had a color of reason. + +The quince tree is the clown of the orchard, growing twisted and +writhing, as though hating a straight line. Notwithstanding, its fruit, +and the uses thereof, set the hall mark of housewifery. Especially in +the matter of jelly-making and marmalade. Further a quince pudding is in +the nature of an experience--so few have ever heard of it, so much fewer +made or tasted it. The making requires very ripe quinces--begin by +scrubbing them clean of fuzz, then set them in a deep pan, cover, after +adding a tablespoonful of water, and bake slowly until very soft. Scrape +out the pulp, throw away cores and skin. To a pint of pulp take four +eggs, beat the yolks light with three cups of sugar and a cup of creamed +butter, add the quince pulp, a little mace broken small or grated +nutmeg, then half a cup of cream, and the egg-whites beaten stiff. Bake +in a deep pan, and serve hot with hard or wine sauce. + +Here are some fine points of jelly-making learned in that long ago. To +make the finest, clearest jelly, cook but little at a time. A large +kettleful will never have the color and brightness of two or three +glasses. Never undertake to make jelly of inferior fruit--that which is +unripe or over-ripe, or has begun to sour. Wash clean, and +drain--paring is not only waste work, but in a measure lessens flavor. +Put a little water with the fruit when you begin cooking it--cook rather +slowly so there shall be no scorching, and drain out rather than press +out the juice. Draining is much freer if the fruit is spread thin, +rather than dumped compactly in a bag. Double cheese cloth sewed fast +over stout wire, and laid on top of a wide bowl, makes a fine jelly +drainer--one cheap enough to be thrown away when discolored. A +discolored bag, by the way, makes jelly a bit darker. If there is no +pressure flannel is not required. + +Plenty as fruit was with us, Mammy made jelly and marmalade from the +same quinces. They were well washed, peeled, quartered and the cores +removed, then the quarters boiled until soft in water to half-cover +them, skimmed out, mashed smooth with their own weight of sugar, and +spices to taste, then cooked very slowly until the spoon stood upright +in the mass, after which it went into glass jars, and had a brandy +paper laid duly on top. + +Cores and paring were boiled to rags in water to fully cover them, then +strained out, the water strained again, and added to that in which the +fruit had boiled. Sugar was added--a pound to the pint of juice. But +first the juice was brought to a boil, and skimmed very clean. The +sugar, heated without scorching, went in, and cooking continued until +the drop on the tip of the spoon jellied as it fell. Mammy hated jelly +that ran--it must cut like butter to reach her standard. Occasionally +she flavored it with ginger--boiling the bruised root with the +cores--but only occasionally, as ginger would make the jelly darker. +Occasionally also she cooked apples, usually fall pippins, with the +quinces, thus increasing the bulk of both jelly and marmalade, with +hardly a sensible diminution of flavor. + +All here written applies equally to every sort of fruit jelly--apple, +peach, currant, the whole family of berries. Mammy never knew it, but I +myself have found the oven at half-heat a very present help in +jelly-making. Fruit well prepared, and put into a stone or agate vessel, +covered and baked gently for a time proportionate to its bulk, yields +all its juice, and it seems to me clearer juice, than when stewed in the +time-honored brass kettle. Hot sugar helps to jellying quickly--and the +more haste there, the lighter and brighter the result. Gelatin in fruit +jellies I never use--it increases the product sensibly, but that is more +than offset by the decrease in quality. + + + + +[Illustration: _Upon Occasions_] + + +It was no trouble at all to make occasions. Indeed, the greatest of +them, weddings, really made themselves. A wedding made imperative an +infare--that is to say, if the high contracting parties had parental +approval. Maybe I had better explain that infare meant the bride's going +home--to her new house, or at least her new family. This +etymologically--the root is the Saxon _faran_, to go, whence come +wayfaring, faring forth and so on. All this I am setting forth not in +pedantry, but because so many folk had stared blankly upon hearing the +word--which was to me as familiar as word could be. In application it +had a wide latitude. Commonly the groom or his family gave the infare, +but often enough some generous and well-to-do friend, or kinsman, +pre-empted the privilege. Wherever held, it was an occasion of keen and +jealous rivalry--those in charge being doubly bent on making the faring +in more splendid than the wedding feast. Naturally that put the wedding +folk on their mettle. Another factor inciting to extra effort was--the +bundles. All guests were expected to take home with them generous +bundles of wedding cake in all its varieties. I recall once hearing a +famous cake baker sigh relief as she frosted the hundredth snow ball, +and said: "Now we are sure to have enough left for the bundles--they are +such a help." + +But baking cakes, and cooking in general, though important, were not the +main things. Setting the table, so it should outshine all other wedding +tables gave most concern. To this end all the resources of the family, +and its friends for a radius of ten miles, were available--glass, +silver, china, linen, even cook pots and ovens at need. Also and +further it was a slight of the keenest, if you were known as a fine cake +maker, not to be asked to help. A past mistress of paper cutting was +likewise in request. Cut papers and evergreens were the great reliances +in decoration. They made a brave showing by candlelight. Oil lamps were +few, kerosene undiscovered, and either lard oil, or whale oil, all too +often smelled to heaven, to say nothing of smoking upon the least +provocation. So a lamp, if there were one, sat in state within the +parlor. The long table got its light from candelabra--which as often as +not were homemade. The base was three graduated blocks of wood, nailed +to form a sort of pyramid, with a hole bored in the middle to receive a +stout round upright, two inches across. It stood a foot high, and held +up cross-arms three feet across, with a tin candlesocket upon each end. +Another socket was set where the arms crossed--thus each candelabra was +of five-candle power. Set a-row down the middle of the table, with +single candles in tall brass sticks interspersed, they gave a fine soft +illumination. Often they were supplemented with candelabra of bronze or +brass, tricked out with tinkly pendant prisms. Such household gauds were +commonly concentrated at the spot where the bride and her maids would +stand. They were more elegant, of course, than the made +candle-holders--but not to my thinking a whit the handsomer--after the +paper-cutters had done their work. + +Their work was turning white paper into fringe and lace. Fringed strips +wound all over and about, hid the foundation wood. Paper tulips, deftly +fashioned, held the tin rings in ambush--with clusters of lacy leaves +pendant below. Sometimes a paper rose tipped each arm-end--sometimes +also, there were pendant sprays of pea-shaped blossoms. How they were +made, with nothing beyond scissors, pen-knives for crimping, and the +palm of the hand for mold, I confess I do not understand--but I know +they were marvels. The marvels required a special knack, of course--also +much time and patience. Wherefore those who had it, exercised it in +scraps of leisure as paper came to hand, laying away the results +against the next wedding even though none were imminent. Leaves and the +round lace-edged pieces to go under cakes, it was easy thus to keep. +Flowers, roses, tulips and so on, had a trick of losing shape--besides, +although so showy, they were really much easier to make. + +It took nice contrivance to make table-room--but double thicknesses of +damask falling to the floor either side hid all roughness in the +foundation. Shape depended much upon the size of the supper-room--if it +were but an inclosed piazza, straight length was imperative. But in a +big square or parallelogram, one could easily achieve a capital _H_--or +else a letter _Z_. _Z_ was rather a favorite in that it required less +heavy decoration, yet gave almost as much space. A heart-cake for either +tip, a stack at each acute angle, with the bride's cake midway the stem, +flanked either hand by bowls of syllabub and boiled custard, made a fine +showing. A letter _H_ demanded four heart-cakes--one for each end, also +four stacks, and crowded the bride and her party along the joining bar. + +Heart-cakes were imperative to any wedding of degree. Local tinsmiths +made the moulds for them--they were deeply cleft, and not strictly +classic of outline. But, well and truly baked, frosted a glistening +white, then latticed and fringed with more frosting, dribbled on +delicately from the point of a tube, they were surely good to look at. +If the bride's cake were white all through, the heart-pans were usually +filled with gold-cake batter--thus white and yolk of eggs had equal +honor. More commonly though, the most part of wedding cake was pound +cake in the beginning--the richer the better. Baked in deep +round-bottomed, handleless coffee cups, and iced, it made the helpful +snow balls. Baked in square pans, rather shallow, cut into bars, +crisped, frosted and piled cob-house fashion, it made pens. Sliced +crosswise and interlaid with jelly it became jelly cake. To supplement +it, there were marble cake, spice cake, plum cake, ever so many more +cakes--but they were--only supplements. + +Stacks were either round or square, baked in pans of graduated size, +set one on the other after cooling thoroughly, then frosted and +re-frosted till they had a polar suggestion. If round there was commonly +a hole running down the middle, into this was fitted a wide mouthed but +small glass bottle, to hold the stems of the evergreen plume topping the +stack. Here or there in the plume, shone a paper rose or starflower--in +the wreath of evergreen laid about the base, were tulips, lilies, and +bigger roses, all made of paper. Occasionally trailing myrtle, well +washed and dried, was put about the components of the stacks just before +they were set in place. If the heart-cakes had missed being latticed, +they likewise were myrtle-wreathed. The bride's cake was left +dead-white, but it always stood on something footed, and had a wreath of +evergreen and paper flowers, laid upon a lace-cut paper about the foot. + +Baking it was an art. So many things had to go in it--the darning +needle, thimble, picayune, ring, and button. The makers would have +scorned utterly the modern subterfuge of baking plain, and thrusting in +the portents of fate before frosting. They mixed the batter a trifle +stiff, washed and scoured everything, shut eyes, dropped them, and +stirred them well about. Thus nobody had the least idea where they +finally landed--so the cutting was bound to be strictly fair. It made +much fun--the bride herself cut the first slice--hoping it might hold +the picayune, and thus symbolize good fortune. The ring presaged the +next bride or groom, the darning needle single blessedness to the end, +the thimble, many to sew for, or feed, the button, fickleness or +disappointment. After the bridal party had done cutting, other young +folk tempted fate. Bride's cake was not for eating--instead, fragments +of it, duly wrapped and put under the pillow, were thought to make +whatever the sleeper dreamed come true. Especially if the dream included +a sweetheart, actual or potential. The dreams were supposed to be truly +related next day at the infare--but I question if they always were. +Perhaps the magic worked--and in this wise--the person dreamed of took +on so new a significance, the difference was quickly felt. But this is +a cook book--with reminiscent attachments, not a treatise on psychology. + +The table held only the kickshaws--cakes, candy, nuts, syllabub and +custard. Wide handsome plates piled high with tempting sliced cake sat +up and down the length of it, with glass dishes of gay candies in +between. In cold weather wine jelly often took the place of syllabub. +There were neither napkins nor service plates--all such things came from +the side table, the plates laden with turkey, ham, fried chicken, or +broiled, and some sort of jelly or relish. One ate standing, with her +escort doing yeoman service as waiter, until her appetite was fully +appeased. Hot biscuit, hot egg bread, and light bread--salt rising, +freshly sliced--were passed about by deft black servitors. The side +tables were under charge of family friends, each specially skilled in +helping and serving. Carving, of course, had been done before hand. +Occasionally, very occasionally, where a wedding throng ran well into +the hundreds, there was barbecue in addition to other meat. In that case +it was cut up outside, and sent in upon huge platters. But it was more a +feature of infares, held commonly by daylight, than of wedding suppers. + +Wedding salad is set forth in its proper chapter, but not the turkey +hash that was to some minds the best of all the good eating. It was +served for breakfast--there was always a crowd of kinfolk and faraway +friends to stay all night--sleeping on pallets all over the floors, even +those of parlor or ballroom, after they were deserted. The hash was made +from all the left-over turkey--where a dozen birds have been roasted the +leavings will be plenty. To it was added the whole array of giblets, +cooked the day before, and cut small while still warm. They made heaps +of rich gravy to add to that in the turkey pots--no real wedding ever +contented itself with cooking solely on a range. Pots, big ones, set +beside a log fire out of doors, with a little water in the bottom, and +coals underneath and on the lids, turned out turkeys beautifully +browned, tender and flavorous, to say nothing of the gravy. It set off +the hash as nothing else could--but such setting off was not badly +needed. Hash with hot biscuit, strong clear coffee, hot egg bread, and +thin-sliced ham, made a breakfast one could depend on, even with a long +drive cross-country in prospect. + +Harking back to the supper table--syllabub, as nearly as I recall, was +made of thick cream lightly reinforced with stiffly beaten white of +egg--one egg-white to each pint--sweetened, well flavored with sherry or +Madeira wine, then whipped very stiff, and piled in a big bowl, also in +goblets to set about the bowl, just as snow balls were set a-row about +the stacks and the bride's cake. Flecks of crimson jelly were dropped on +the white cream--occasionally, there were crumbled cake, and cut up +fruit underneath. Thus it approximated the trifle of the cook books. It +had just one drawback--you could not eat it slowly--it went almost to +nothing at the agitation of the spoon. + +Far otherwise boiled custard--which was much higher in favor, being +easier made, and quite as showy. For it you beat very light the yolks of +twelve eggs with four cups white sugar, added them to a gallon of milk, +and a quart of cream, in a brass kettle over the fire, stirred the +mixture steadily, watching it close to remove it just as it was on the +point of boiling, let it cool, then flavored it well, with either +whiskey, brandy, or sweet wine. Meantime the egg-whites beaten with a +little salt until they stuck to the dish, had been cooked by pouring +quickly over them full-boiling water from a tea kettle. They hardly lost +a bubble in the process--the water well drained away, the whites were +ready to go on top of the custard in either bowls or goblets, and get +themselves ornamented with crimson jelly, or flecks of cherry preserves. +Like syllabub, boiled custard necessitated spoons--hence the borrowing +of small silver was in most cases imperative. Plutocrats had not then +been invented--but tradition tells of one high gentleman, who was +self-sufficient. The fact stood him in good stead later--when he was +darkly accused, she who had baked cakes for all his merry-makings said +stoutly: "The Colonel do sech as that! Lord in heaven! Why, don't you +know, in all the years I've knowed him, _he never had to borrow a single +silver spoon_--and I've seen five hundred folks there for supper. I +wouldn't believe them tales ef Angel Gabriel come down and told 'em to +me." + +Is anybody left, I wonder, who can cut oranges into lilies? Thus cut +they surely looked pretty. The peel was divided evenly in six, the +sections loosened, but not pulled free at the base. Instead the ends +were curved backward after the manner of lily petals. The fruit, +separated into eighths, hardly showed the divisions. These lilies sat +flat upon the cloth, either in lines, as about square stacks, or around +bigger things, or straight up and down the table center. They were not +always in season--at their best around Christmas, but available until +the end of winter. + +Cheesecakes, baked in patty pans frosted with cocoanut frosting, also +helped out the wedding richness. Indeed, guests gathered to eat the fat +and the sweet, no less to drink it. Now, in a wider outlook, I wonder a +little if there was significance in the fact that these wedding tables +were so void of color--showing only green and white, with the tiniest +sparks of red? + +Party suppers had no such limitations--often the table was gay with +autumn leaves, the center piece a riot of small ragged red +chrysanthemums, or raggeder pink or yellow ones, with candles glaring +from gorgeous pumpkin jack-o'-lanterns down the middle, or from the +walls either side. There were frosted cakes--loaves trimmed gaily with +red and white candies, or maybe the frosting itself was tinted. In place +of syllabub or boiled custard, there were bowls of ambrosia--oranges in +sections, freed of skin and seed, and smothered in grated fresh cocoanut +and sugar. Often the bowl-tops were ornamented with leaves cut deftly +from the skin of deep red apples, and alternating, other leaves shaped +from orange peel. Christmas party suppers had touches of holly and +cedar, but there was no attempt to match the elaborate wedding tables. +Hog's foot jelly, red with the reddest wine, came in handily for +them--since almost every plantation had a special small hog-killing, +after the middle of December, so there might be fresh backbones, spare +ribs, sausage and souse to help make Christmas cheer. Ham, spiced and +sliced wafer thin, was staple for such suppers--chicken and turkey +appeared oftenest as salad, hot coffee, hot breads in variety, crisp +celery, and plenteous pickle, came before the sweets. Punch, not very +heady, hardly more than a fortified pink lemonade, came with the sweets +many times. Grandfather's punch was held sacred to very late suppers, +hot and hearty, set for gentlemen who had played whist or euchre until +cock-crow. + +These are but indications. Fare varied even as did households and +occasions. But everywhere there was kinship of the underlying +spirit--which was the concrete expression of hospitality in good cheer. +There was little luxury--rather we lived amid a spare abundance, eating +up what had no market--I recall clearly times when you could hardly give +away fresh eggs, or frying-size chickens, other times when eggs fetched +five cents for two dozen--provided the seller would "take it in trade." +Chickens then, broiling size, were forty to fifty cents the dozen--with +often an extra one thrown in for good measure. For then chicken cholera +had not been invented--at least not down in the Tennessee blue grass +country. Neither had hog cholera--nor railroads. All three fell upon us +a very little before the era of the Civil War. Steamboats ran almost +half the year, but the flat boat traffic had been taken away by the +peopling prairies, which could raise so much more corn, derivatively so +many more hogs, to the man's work. Money came through wheat and +tobacco--not lavishly, yet enough for our needs. All this is set forth +in hope of explaining in some measure, the cookery I have tried to write +down faithfully--with so much of everything in hand, stinting would have +been sinful. + +There was barbecue, and again there were barbecues. The viand is said to +get its name from the French phrase _a barbe d' ecu_, from tail to head, +signifying that the carcass was cooked whole. The derivation may be an +early example of making the punishment fit the crime. As to that I do +not know. What I do know is that lambs, pigs, and kids, when barbecued, +are split in half along the backbone. The animals, butchered at sundown, +and cooled of animal heat, after washing down well, are laid upon clean, +split sticks of green wood over a trench two feet deep, and a little +wider, and as long as need be, in which green wood has previously been +burned to coals. There the meat stays twelve hours--from midnight to +noon next day, usually. It is basted steadily with salt water, applied +with a clean mop, and turned over once only. Live coals are added as +needed from the log fire kept burning a little way off. All this sounds +simple, dead-easy. Try it--it is really an art. The plantation barbecuer +was a person of consequence--moreover, few plantations could show a +master of the art. Such an one could give himself lordly airs--the loan +of him was an act of special friendship--profitable always to the +personage lent. Then as now there were free barbecuers, mostly +white--but somehow their handiwork lacked a little of perfection. For +one thing, they never found out the exact secret of "dipney," the sauce +that savored the meat when it was crisply tender, brown all over, but +free from the least scorching. + +Daddy made it thus: Two pounds sweet lard, melted in a brass kettle, +with one pound beaten, not ground, black pepper, a pint of small fiery +red peppers, nubbed and stewed soft in water to barely cover, a spoonful +of herbs in powder--he would never tell what they were,--and a quart and +pint of the strongest apple vinegar, with a little salt. These were +simmered together for half an hour, as the barbecue was getting done. +Then a fresh, clean mop was dabbed lightly in the mixture, and as +lightly smeared over the upper sides of the carcasses. Not a drop was +permitted to fall on the coals--it would have sent up smoke, and films +of light ashes. Then, tables being set, the meat was laid, hissing hot, +within clean, tight wooden trays, deeply gashed upon the side that had +been next the fire, and deluged with the sauce, which the mop-man +smeared fully over it. + +Hot! After eating it one wanted to lie down at the spring-side and let +the water of it flow down the mouth. But of a flavor, a savor, a +tastiness, nothing else earthly approaches. Not food for the gods, +perhaps, but certainly meat for _men_. Women loved it no less--witness +the way they begged for a quarter of lamb or shoat or kid to take home. +The proper accompaniments to barbecue are sliced cucumbers in strong +vinegar, sliced tomatoes, a great plenty of salt-rising light bread--and +a greater plenty of cool ripe watermelons, by way of dessert. + +So much for barbecue edible. Barbecue, the occasion, has yet to be set +forth. Its First Cause was commonly political--the old south loved +oratory even better than the new. Newspapers were none so plenty--withal +of scant circulation. Besides, reading them was work--also tedious and +tasteless. So the great and the would-be great, rode up and down, and +roundabout, mixing with the sovereigns, and enlightening the world. Each +party felt honor bound to gather the sovereigns so they might listen in +comfort. Besides--they wanted amusement--a real big barbecue was a sort +of social exchange, drawing together half of three counties, and letting +you hear and tell, things new, strange, and startling. Furthermore, it +was no trouble to get carcasses--fifty to a hundred was not uncommon. +Men, women, children, everybody, indeed, came. The women brought bread +and tablecloths, and commonly much beside. There was a speaker's stand, +flag draped--my infant eyes first saw the Stars and Stripes floating +above portraits--alleged--of Filmore and Buchanan, in the campaign of +'56. That meant the barbecue was a joint affair--Whigs and Democrats +getting it up, and both eagerly ready to whoop it up for their own +speakers. Naturally in that latitude, Fremont was not even named. No +court costume with a tail three yards long, could to-day make me feel +one-half so fine as the white jaconet, and green sash then sported. + +It was said there were a thousand at the barbecue. The cheering, at its +loudest, was heard two miles away. To me it seemed as though all the +folk in the world had gathered in that shady grove--I remember wondering +if there could possibly be so many watermelons, some would be left for +the children. Four big wagon loads lay bobbing in the coolth of the +spring branch. It was a very cold spring with mint growing beside it, as +is common with springs thereabout. Early settlers planted it thus hard +by the water--they built their houses high, and water got warm in +carrying it up hill. Lacking ice houses, to have cool juleps, they had +to be mixed right at the well-head. Sugar, spoons, goblets, and the jug, +were easily carried down there. + +Juleps were not mixed openly that day--but the speakers had pitchers +full of something that seemed to refresh their eloquence, no less than +themselves. They hammered each other lustily, cheered to the echo by +uproarious partisans, from nine in the morning until six in the +afternoon. Luckily for them, there were four of them, thus they could +"spell" each other--and the audience. I did not mind them--not in the +least. How should I--when right in front of me sat a lady with the most +gorgeous flowers upon her white chip bonnet, and one beside me, who +insisted upon my wearing, until time to go home, her watch and chain? + +The watermelons held out--we took two big ones home to Mother, also a +lot of splendid Indian peaches, and a fore-quarter of lamb. Mother +rarely went out, being an invalid--so folk vied with each other in +sending her things. I mention it, only by way of showing there were +things to be sent, even after feeding the multitude. The black people +went away full fed, and full handed--nobody who carried a basket had +much relish for taking home again any part of its contents. + +Our countryside's cooking came to its full flower for the +bran-dances--which came into being, I think, because the pioneers liked +to shake limber heels, but had not floors big enough for the shaking. So +in green shade, at some springside they built an arbor of green boughs, +leveled the earth underneath, pounded it hard and smooth, then covered +it an inch deep with clean wheat bran, put up seats roundabout it, also +a fiddlers' stand, got the fiddlers, printed invitations which went far +and wide to women young and old, saw to a sufficiency of barbecue, +depended on the Lord and the ladies for other things--and prepared to +dance, dance from nine in the morning until two next morning. Men were +not specifically invited--anybody in good standing with a clean shirt, +dancing shoes, a good horse and a pedigree, was heartily welcome. The +solid men, whose names appeared as managers, paid scot for +everything--they left the actual arrangements to the lads. But they came +in shoals to the bran-dances, and were audacious enough often to take +away from some youth fathoms deep in love, his favorite partner. +Sometimes, too, a lot of them pre-empted all the prettiest girls, and +danced a special set with them. Thus were they delivered into the hands +of the oppressed--the lads made treaty with the fiddlers and prompter to +play fast and furious--to call figures that kept the oldsters wheeling +and whirling. It was an endurance contest--but victory did not always +perch with the youths. Plenty of pursy gentlemen were still light enough +on their feet, clear enough in their wind, to dance through Money Musk +double, Chicken in the Bread Tray, and the Arkansaw Traveller, no matter +what the time. + +All dances were square--quadrilles and cotillions. The Basket Cotillion +was indeed, looked upon as rather daring. You see, at the last, the ring +of men linked by hand-hold outside a ring of their partners, lifted +locked arms over their partners' heads, and thus interwoven, the circle +balanced before breaking up. Other times, other dances--ours is now the +day of the trot and the tango. But they lack the life, the verve of the +old dances, the old tunes. To this day when I hear them, my feet patter +in spite of me. You could not dance to them steadily, with soft airs +blowing all about, leaves flittering in sunshine, and water rippling +near, without getting an appetite commensurate to the feasts in wait for +you. + +One basket from a plantation sufficed for bran-dances ending at +sundown--those running on past midnight demanded two. It would never do +to offer snippets and fragments for supper. Barbecue, if there were +barbecue--was merely a concomitant of the feeding, not the whole thing. +Part of it was left untouched to help out with supper. So were part of +the melons, and much of the fruit. Apples, pears and peaches were plenty +in good years--the near plantations sent them by wagon loads--as they +also sent ice cream by freezerfuls, and boilers to make coffee. These +were dispensed more than generously--but nobody would have helped +himself to them uninvited, any more readily than he would have helped +himself to money in the pocket. All that was in the baskets was spread +on the general tables, but no man thought of eating thereof, until all +women and children had been served. Old men came next--the women +generally forcing upon them the best of everything. + +Such a best! Broiled chicken, fried chicken, in quantity, whole hams +simply entreating to be sliced, barbecue, pickle in great variety, +drained and sliced for eating, beaten biscuit, soda biscuit, egg bread, +salt-rising bread, or rolls raised with hop-yeast--only a few attempted +them--every manner of pie, tart, and tartlet that did not drip and mess +things, all the cakes in the calendar of good housewifery--with, now and +then, new ones specially invented. Even more than a wedding, a +bran-dance showed and proved your quality as a cake-maker. Cakes were +looked at in broad daylight, eaten not with cloyed finicky appetites, +but with true zest. Woe and double woe to you if a loaf of pride showed +at cutting a "sad" streak, not quite done. Joy untold if you were a raw +young housekeeper, to have your cake acclaimed by eaters and critics. + +Mammy, and other Mammies, moved proudly about, each a sort of oracle to +the friends of her household. They kept sharp eyes on things +returnable--plates, platters, knives, spoons, and tablecloths--in any +doubtful case, arising from the fact of similarity in pattern, they were +the court of last resort. Spoons and so on are unmistakable--but one +sprigged saucer is very like other saucers sprigged the same. It was the +Mammies rather than the masters and mistresses, who ordered carriage +drivers and horse boys imperiously about. But nobody minded the +imperiousness--it was no day for quarrelling or unwisdom. And it would +surely have been unwise to fret those who were the Keepers of the +Baskets, at the very last. + +After dinner one went to the dressing-room, a wide roofless space +enclosed with green boughs massed on end, and furnished plentifully with +water in buckets, towels, basins, pin cushions, combs and brushes, face +powder, even needles and thread. Thence one emerged after half an hour +quite fresh--to dance on and on, till the fiddlers played a fast finale, +and went to their supper. Then came an interval of talk and laughing, +of making new friends or stabbing delicately old enemies. Also and +further much primping in the dressing-room. Dancing steadily through a +temperature of 98 in the shade plays hob with some sorts of prettiness. +But as dew fell and lighted lanterns went up about the arbor and +throughout the grove, supper was very welcome. There was hot coffee for +everybody, likewise milk, likewise lemonade, with buttered biscuit, +chicken, ham, and barbecue. Chicken-loaf was particularly good for such +uses. To make it, several plump, tender, full-grown pullets were +simmered in water to barely cover them, with a few pepper corns, half a +dozen cloves, and a blade of mace, until very, very tender. Then the +meat was picked from the bones, cut up while still hot, packed down in +something deep, seasoning it to taste with salt, as it was packed, and +dusting in more pepper if needed, then the liquor which had been kept at +a brisk boil was poured over, and left to cool. No bother about skimming +off fat--we liked our loaf rich as well as high-flavored. It came out a +fine mottled solid that could be sliced thin, and eaten delicately +between the halves of a buttered biscuit. Sandwiches were known--but +only in books. Which was well--they would have dried out so badly, for +this was before the era of wax paper. Since everything was packed in the +baskets whole, there was much work for mothers and Mammies at the +unpacking and table-setting. + +Tarts, especially if filled with cheesecake or jelly custard, held high +place among the sweets. Especially with the men, young and old. One, a +manager, who had been here, there, everywhere, since eight o'clock in +the morning, asked Mammy at suppertime to: "Please save him one more +dozen of them little pies." In truth the little pies made no more than a +mouthful for noble appetites. Pies, full-grown, did not go begging--and +were seldom cut in less than quarters. Frosted cake--which the lads +denominated "white-washed," was commonly saved over for the supper +baskets. It kept moist, whereas without the frosting a long summer day +might make it hard. + +After the supper elderly men drove home--unless they had daughters among +the dancers without other chaperons. Generally, some aunt or cousin +stood ready with such good offices. The chaperons themselves danced now +and then--youths specially anxious for favor with their charges, all but +forced them upon the floor. Set it to their credit, they footed it +almost as lightly as the youngest. Occasionally you might see, mother +and daughter, even a granddaughter of tender years, wheeling and +balancing in the same set. And so the fiddles played, the stars shone, +the waters babbled, until the lanterns flared and sputtered out, and the +banjo-picker held up fingers raw and bleeding. Then with a last final +swing and flourish, everybody scattered for homeward ways, glad of the +day's pleasure--and tired enough to be glad also it was ended. + +The most special of occasions was a dining. Not upon any high day or +holiday, such as Christmas, New Year, Jackson's Day--the eighth of +January--Easter nor Whit-Monday, but as Mammy said: "A dinin' des, dry +so." Commonly pride of housewifery incited to it--therefore it must be a +triumph. The hour was two o'clock, but guests came around eleven or +twelve--and spent the day. They sat down to tables that well might have +groaned, even howled, such was the weight they carried. Twelve was a +favorite guest-number--few tables could be stretched to hold more than +twelve plates. There were but two courses--dinner and dessert--unless in +very cold weather, some person who would nowadays be said to be fond of +putting on frills, set before her guests, plates of steaming soup. It +had to smell very good, else it was no more than tasted--folk did not +care to dull the edge of appetite needlessly, with so much before them. +For the table was fully set--a stuffed ham at one end, a chicken or +partridge pie at the other, side dishes of smothered rabbit, or broiled +chicken, at least four kinds of sweet pickle, as many of jelly and sour +pickle, a castor full of catsups, tomato and walnut, plain vinegar, +pepper vinegar, red and black pepper, and made mustard, all the +vegetables in season--I have seen corn pudding, candied sweet potatoes, +Irish potatoes, mashed and baked, black-eyed peas, baked peaches, apples +baked in sugar and cloves, cabbage boiled with bacon, okra, stewed +tomatoes, sliced raw tomatoes, cucumbers cut up with young onions, beets +boiled and buttered, and string beans, otherwise snaps, all at one +spread. + +Only epicures dressed their lettuce at table. One cranky old family +friend had it served to him in a water bucket, set beside him on the +floor. He shook it free of water, cut it, without bruising, to wide +ribbons, covered them thickly with hard-boiled egg-yolk mashed fine, +then poured upon it clear ham gravy, and strong vinegar, added salt and +pepper, black and red--then ate his fill. But, of course, he did not do +that at dinings. For then, if lettuce appeared, it was cut up, dressed +with vinegar, salt, sugar, and pepper, but guiltless of oil, garnished +with rings of hard-boiled egg--and very generally, and justly, +neglected. Still the hostess had the satisfaction of feeling she had +offered it--that she had indeed offered more than could have been +reasonably expected. + +There was water to drink, also cider in season, also milk, sweet and +sour, and the very best of the homemade wine. Decanters of it sat up and +down the table--you could fill up and come again at pleasure. The one +drawback was--it was hard to eat properly, when you were so interrupted +by helpings to something else. If there was a fault in our old-time +cooking, it was its lack of selection. I think those who gave dinings +felt uneasy if there was unoccupied room for one more dish. + +Dessert was likewise an embarrassment of riches. Cakes in variety, two +sorts of pie, with ice cream or sherbet, or fresh fruit, did not seem +too much to those dear Ladies Bountiful. There was no after-dinner +coffee. In cold weather coffee in big cups, with cream and sugar, often +went with the main dinner. Hot apple toddies preceded it at such times. +In hot weather the precursor was mint julep, ice cold. Yet we were not +a company of dyspeptics nor drunkards--by the free and full use of +earth's abounding mercies we learned not to abuse them. + +_Birthday Barbecue_: (Dorothy Dix.) As refined gold can be gilded, +barbecue, common, or garden variety, can take on extra touches. As thus: +Kill and dress quickly a fine yearling wether, in prime condition but +not over-fat, sluice out with cool water, wipe dry inside and out with a +soft, damp cloth, then while still hot, fill the carcass cram-full of +fresh mint, the tenderer and more lush the better, close it, wrap tight +in a clean cloth wrung very dry from cold salt water, then pop all into +a clean, bright tin lard stand, with a tight-fitting top, put on top +securely, and sink the stand head over ears in cold water--a spring if +possible. Do this around dusk and leave in water until very early +morning. Build fire in trench of hard wood logs before two o'clock. Let +it burn to coals--have a log fire some little way off to supply fresh +coals at need. Lay a breadth of galvanized chicken-wire--large +mesh--over the trench. Take out carcass--split it half down back bone, +lay it flesh side down, on the wire grid, taking care coals are so +evenly spread there is no scorching. After an hour begin basting with +"the sop." It is made thus. Best butter melted, one pound, black pepper +ground, quarter pound, red pepper pods, freed of stalk and cut fine to +almost a paste, half a pint, strong vinegar, scant pint, brandy, peach +if possible though apple or grape will answer, half a pint. Cook all +together over very slow heat or in boiling water, for fifteen minutes. +The sop must not scorch, but the seasoning must be cooked through it. +Apply with a big soft swab made of clean old linen, but not old enough +to fray and string. Baste meat constantly. Put over around four in the +morning, the barbecue should be done, and well done, by a little after +noon. There should be enough sop left to serve as gravy on portions +after it is helped. The meat, turned once, has a fine crisped surface, +and is flavored all through with the mint, and seasoning. + + + + +[Illustration: _Soap and Candles_] + + +Dip-candles I never saw in common use--but Mammy showed me how they were +made back at Ole Marster's, in the days when candle-molds were not to be +had. Dipped or molded, the candles were of varying substance. Tallow was +the main reliance--mutton tallow as well as that from our beeves. It was +tried out fresh, and hardened with alum in the process. The alum was +dissolved in a little water, and put with the raw fat as it went over +the fire. By and by the water all cooked away, leaving the alum well +incorporated through the clear fat. Lacking it, a little clear lye went +in--Mammy thought and said, the lye ate up the oil in the tallow, making +it firmer and whiter. But lye and alum could not go in at the same time, +since being alkaline and acid, they would destroy each other. + +Great pains were taken not to scorch the tallow--that meant smelly and +ill-colored candles. After straining it clear of cracklings, it was +caked in something deep, then turned out and laid on the highest shelf +in the lumber house to await molding time. Cakes of beeswax were kept in +the Jackson press, so children, white and black, could not take bites +for chewing. It ranked next to native sweet gum for such uses--but Mammy +felt it had much better be saved to mix with the tallow at melting time. +It made the candles much firmer, also bettered their light, and moreover +changed the tallow hue to an agreeable very pale yellow. Bee hives, like +much else, were to a degree primitive--the wax came from comb crushed in +the straining of honey. It was boiled in water to take away the remnant +sweetness, then allowed to cool on top the water, taken off, and +remelted over clean water, so manipulated as to free it from foreign +substances, then molded into cakes. One cake was always set apart for +the neighborhood cobbler, who melted it with tallow and rosin to make +shoemaker's wax. Another moiety was turned into grafting wax--by help of +it one orchard tree bore twelve manners of fruit. And still another, a +small, pretty cake from a scalloped patty pan, found place in the family +work basket--in sewing by hand with flax thread, unless you waxed it, it +lost strength, and quickly pulled to pieces. + +We bought our flax thread in skeins, but Mammy loved to tell of spinning +it back in the days when she was young, and the best spinner on the old +plantation. She still spun shoe-thread for her friend the cobbler, who, +however, furnished her the raw flax, which he had grown, rotted and +hechtelled, in his bit of bottom land. There were still spinning and +weaving in plenty at our house--Mother had made, yearly, jeans, linsey, +carpets and so on--but the plantation was not wholly clothed with +homespun, as had been the case in her father's house. + +Return we to our candle-making. It was work for the very coldest +weather--even though we had two sets of molds, needs must the candles +harden quickly if the making was to speed well. Molds could be filled at +the kitchen hearth, then set outside to cool. For dipping the tallow-pot +had to be set over an outside fire, and neighbored by a ladder, laid +flat on trestles with smooth boards laid underneath. Mammy spun the +candle wicks--from long-staple cotton, drawing it out thick, and +twisting it barely enough to hold together. It must not be too coarse, +as it had to be doubled over reeds at top, either for molding or +dipping. + +The molds were of candle-shape, joined in batteries of six or twelve, +with a pert handle at one side, and tiny holes at the tips, through +which the wick-ends were thrust, by help of a long broom-straw. Well in +place they were drawn taut, the reeds so placed as to hold the wicks +centrally, then tallow melted with beeswax, in due proportion, was +poured around till the molds were brim full--after which they were +plunged instantly into a tub of cold water standing outside. This to +prevent oozings from the tip--hot grease is the most insidious of all +substances. Only in zero weather would the first oozings harden enough +to plug the orifice quickly. When the candles had hardened properly, the +mold was either held over the fire, or thrust in hot water half a +minute, then the candles withdrawn by help of the reeds. They were +cooled a bit, to save the softened outside, then nubbed of surplus wick, +and laid in a dish outside. Careless or witless molders, by laying +candles still soft upon the pile, often made themselves double work. + +Tallow for dipping, was kept barely fluid, by setting it over embers a +little way off the fire. The pot had to be deep, so the wicks could be +sunk in it to full length. They were thus sunk by stickfuls, lifted up +quickly, and hung between the ladder rungs to drip. Half the tallow on +them dripped away--indeed, after the first dipping they looked little +more than clotted ghosts of themselves in their last estate. In very +cold weather three drippings sufficed--otherwise there must be four or +five. Since the dip was the result of cooled accretions, it was always +top-heavy--much bigger at the nose than the base. A quick and skilled +worker, though, could dip a hundred candles in the time required to mold +two dozen. They burned out so quickly that was a crowning mercy--half a +dozen was the average of a long winter evening. Further they ran down, +in great masses--hence the importance of saving up drippings. Even +molded candles made them plentiful enough to be worth re-molding. This +unless discolored with the brass of candlesticks--in that case their +last end was soap grease. + +Rush lights were dips--this I state on information and belief, since I +never saw one. Also on information and belief, it is here set forth, +that folk in the back countries where wicking was not easily had, used +instead of wicks, splinters of fat pine, known as light wood. In proof, +take Candle Wood Mountain, whose name is said to have come from +furnishing such fat pine, and of a special excellence. The pine +splinters must, I think, have given a better light than real wicks--my +father, in Tennessee, never ceased sighing for the lightwood, which had +made such cheery illumination back in his boyhood, in a Carolina home. + +Every sort of waste fat became at the last, soap grease. Bones even were +thrown into kettles of lye, which ate out all their richness, leaving +them crumbly, and fit for burying about the grapevines. Hence the +appositeness of the darkey saying, to express special contempt of a +suitor: "My Lawd! I wouldn't hab dat nigger, not eben for soap grease." +Which has always seemed to me, in a way, a classic of condemnation. + +Soap making came twice a year--the main event in March, to get free of +things left over from hog killing, the supplement in September or +October, to use up summer savings. Each was preceded by dripping lye. +This necessitated wood ashes, of course--ashes from green wood. Oak or +hickory was best. They were kept dry until they went into hoppers, where +they were rotted by gentle wetting for a space of several days. Then +water was dripped through, coming out a dark brown caustic liquid, +clean-smelling, but ill to handle--it would eat a finger-tip carelessly +thrust in it to the raw. + +But even thus it was not strong enough for proper soapmaking, so it was +boiled, boiled, until it would eat a feather, merely drawn quickly +through it. Grease was added then, a little at a time, and stirred well +through, changing the black-brown lye into a light-brown, bubbly mass. +Whatever the lye would not eat of the grease's components, was skimmed +out with the big perforated ladle. Even beyond candle-molding, +soap-making was an art. Mammy never would touch it, until "the right +time of the moon." Also and further, she used a sassafras stick for +stirring, put it in the first time with her right hand, and always +stirred the kettle the same way. If a left-handed person came near the +kettle she was mightily vexed--being sure her soap would go wrong. She +kept on the fire beside it a smaller kettle of clear lye, to be added at +need, without checking the boiling. + +Boiling down lye took one day, boiling in grease another. The third +morning, after the fire was well alight, she tested the soap, by making +a bit into lather. If the lather were clean and clear, without a film of +grease on top, she knew it remained only to cook the soap down thick +enough for the barrel, or to make into balls by the addition of salt. +But if the film appeared--then indeed there was trouble. First aid to it +was more lye, of feather-eating strength--next a fresh sassafras +stirring stick, last and most important, walking backwards as she put +the stick in the kettle, though she would never admit she did this on +purpose. Like the most of her race she was invincibly shy about +acknowledging her beliefs in charms and conjuring. + +Soap which failed to thicken properly lacked grease. To put in enough, +yet not too much, was a matter of nice judgment. Tallow did not mix well +with hog fat. Therefore it had commonly its smaller special pot, whose +results were molded for hand-soap, being hard and rather light-colored. + +Since our washerwomen much preferred soft soap, most of the spring +making went straight into the barrel. The barrel had to be very +tight--soap has nearly as great a faculty of creeping through seams as +even hot lard. One kettleful, however, would have salt stirred through +it, then be allowed to cool, and be cut out in long bars, which were +laid high and dry to age. Old soap was much better for washing fine +prints, lawns, ginghams and so on--in fact whatever needed cleansing +without fading. + +Sundry other fine soap makers emptied their salted soap, just as it was +on the point of hardening, into shallow pans, cloth-lined, and shaped it +with bare hands into balls the size of two fists. This they did with the +whole batch, holding hard soap so much easier kept, and saying it was +no trouble whatever to soften a ball in a little hot water upon wash +days. But Mammy would have none of such practices--said give her good +soft soap and sand rock, she could scour anything. Sand rock was a +variety of limestone, which burning made crumbly, but did not turn to +lime. Mammy picked it up wherever she found it, beat it fine and used it +on everything--shelves, floors, hollow-ware, milk pans, piggins, cedar +water buckets--it made their brass hoops shine like gold. While she +scoured she told us tales of the pewter era--when she had gone, a +barefoot child, with her mother, to the Rush Branch, to come home with a +sheaf of rushes, whereby the pewter was made to shine. It hurts even +yet, recalling the last end of that pewter. As glass and crockery grew +plenty, the boys--my uncles, there were five of them--melted it down for +rifle bullets, when by chance they ran out of lead. Yet--who am I, to +reproach them--did not I myself, melt down for a purpose less legitimate +a fine Brittania ware teapot, whose only fault was a tiny leak? Now I +should prize it beyond silver and gold. + +Harking back to candle-making--we had no candle-berries in our wilds, +and only a few wax-berries as ornaments of our gardens. But from what I +know by observation and experience, the candle-berries or bayberries, +can be melted in hot water, the same as honey-comb, and the wax strained +away from the seedy residue, then allowed to cool, on top the water, and +clarified by a further melting and cooling over water. Mixed with +paraffine it can be molded into real bayberry candles, ever so much more +odorous than those of commerce. It is well to remember in buying +paraffine that there are three qualities of it, differing mainly in the +degree of heat at which they melt. Choose that which is hardest to melt +for candle-making. One might indeed, experiment with bayberry wax, and +the drippings of plain paraffine candles, before undertaking +candle-making to any considerable extent. + +A last word. If any incline to challenge things here set forth, will +they please remember that as one star differs from another in glory, so +does one family, one region, differ from all others in its manners of +eating, drinking, and cooking. I have written true things, but make no +claim that they apply all over. Indeed there may be those to whom they +will seem a transversing of wisdom and experience. To all such I say, +try them intelligently, with pains and patience, and of the results, +hold fast to that you find good. + +[Illustration] + + + + + +INDEX + + + BACON + Hogs to Choose, 40 + Chilling, 40 + Cutting up, 40 + Salting, 42 + Curing, 45 + Smoke, 45 + Smoke Houses, 46 + Smoke Hogshead, 48 + Time of Smoking, 49 + Keeping, 50 + Lard Rendering, 50 + Sausage, 52 + Souse, 53 + Hog's Foot Oil and Jelly, 54 + Brains, Pickled, 55 + Souse, Pickled, 55 + Hog's Feet Fried, 55 + Backbone, Stew and Pie, 56 + Keeping Sausage, 57 + + BREADS + Flour and Meal, 26 + Mixing, 28 + Beaten Biscuit, 28 + Soda Biscuit, 30 + Salt Rising Bread, 31 + Sweet Potato Biscuit, 32 + Waffles, 33 + Corn Bread, Plain, 34 + Egg Bread, 35 + Batter Cakes, 35 + Ash Cake, 36 + Mush Bread, 36 + Cracklin' Bread, 37 + Pumpkin Bread, 37 + Mush Batter Cakes, 38 + Wafers, 38 + Nut Bread, 219 + + CAKES + Secret of Success, 136 + Mixing, 137 + Sweetening Strong Butter, 138 + Baking, 139 + Frosting, 140 + Pound Cake, 140 + Spice Cake, 142 + Marble Cake, 143 + Real Gold Cake, 143 + Real Silver Cake, 144 + Christmas Cake, 145 + White Layer Cake, 147 + Cream Cake, 148 + Sponge Cake, 148 + White Sponge Cake, 149 + Angel's Food, 149 + Chocolate Cake, 149 + Orange Cake, 150 + Dream Cakes, 150 + Shrewsbury Cakes, 151 + Queen Cakes, 151 + Banbury Cakes, 152 + Oatmeal Cookies, 152 + Tea Cakes, 153 + Soft Gingerbread, 153 + Mammy's Ginger Cakes, 154 + Family Gingerbread, 155 + Solid Chocolate Cake, 155 + Coffee Cake, 155 + Ginger Snaps, 156 + Kisses, 157 + + CANDLES, 292 + + CREOLE COOKERY + Milly, 118 + Court Bouillon, 120 + Court Bouillon, Spanish, 121 + Bouillabaisse, 122 + Shrimps, Boiling, 124 + Baked Shrimp, 125 + Shrimp Pie, 125 + Shrimp Salad, 126 + Fried Soft-Shell Crabs, 126 + Daube _a la Mode_, 127 + Cold Daube _a la Creole_, 128 + Grillades with Gravy, 129 + Chicken Saute _a la Creole_, 130 + Quail, Roasted, 131 + Creole French Dressing, 132 + Mayonnaise Dressing, 133 + Remoulade Dressing, 133 + + DRINKS + Cherry Bounce, 72 + Grape Cider, 73 + Persimmon Beer, 74 + Egg Nogg, 75 + White Egg Nogg, 76 + Apple Toddy, 76 + Hail Storm, 77 + Mint Julep, 77 + Lemon Punch, 78 + Punch _a la_ Ruffle Shirt, 79 + Peach Liqueur, 82 + Strawberry Liqueur, 83 + Blackberry Cordial, 83 + Blackberry Wine, 84 + Strawberry Wine, 85 + Gooseberry Wine, 85 + Grape Wine, 86 + Muscadine Wine, 87 + Fruit Vinegars, 88 + Boiled Cider, 89 + Bruleau, 134 + Drip Coffee, 134 + Boiled Coffee, 235 + Chocolate, 237 + Tea, 234 + + EGGS + New Laid Eggs, 176 + Keeping, 176 + Varieties, 177 + Roasted Eggs, 178 + Baked Eggs, 179 + Potato Egg Puffs, 179 + Egg Dumplings, 180 + Egg Spread, 180 + Poached Eggs, 181 + Egg Fours, 182 + Stuffed Eggs, 183 + Fried Eggs, 184 + + FRUIT DESSERTS + Affinity for Liquors, 212 + Strawberries in Mixtures, 213 + Peach Mixtures with Brandy, 214 + Fruit Mixtures with Sherry Syrup, 214 + White Grape-Orange Mixture, 214 + Cherries with Bananas, 215 + Fruit with Wine Jelly, 215 + + GAME + Preparation, 165 + Rabbit or Squirrel Smothered, 172 + Rabbit or Squirrel Barbecued, 173 + Quail, 173 + Wild Duck, 174 + Possum, Roasted, 175 + + HAMS + Boiled Ham, 59 + Fried Ham, 63 + Broiled Ham, 64 + Mutton Ham, 66 + Beef Hams, 68 + Rabbit Hams, 70 + Fresh Ham, 70 + + MEATS + Barbecued Lamb, 158 + Roast Pork, 159 + Beefsteak with Bacon and Onions, 160 + Boned Fresh Ham, 161 + Roast Beef, 163 + Pot Roast, 163 + Leg of Mutton in Blanket, 164 + Roast Turkey or Capon, 167 + Guinea Hen in Casserole, 168 + Chickens in Blankets, 169 + Fried Chicken, 169 + Smothered Chicken or Ducklings, 170 + Chicken Croquets Glorified, 171 + Chicken-Turkey Hash, 172 + + PICKLES + Brine, 220 + Pickle Barrel, 221 + Potential Pickles, 221 + Pickling from Brine, 223 + Water Melon Pickle, 223 + Mangoes, 224 + Walnut Pickle, 226 + Peach Sweet Pickle, 233 + + PIES + Philosophy of Pie-Crust, 90 + Puff Paste, 91 + Raised Crust, 93 + French Puff Paste, 94 + Everyday Crust, 95 + Cobbler Pies, 95 + Fried Pies, 97 + Green Apple Pie, 98 + Lemon Custard, 99 + Cream Pie, 99 + Damson and Banana Tart, 99 + Amber Pie, 100 + Jelly Pie, 101 + Cheese Cakes, 101 + Sweet Potato Custard, 104 + Sweet Potato Pie, 104 + Apple Custard, 105 + Molasses Pie, 105 + Mystery Pie, 106 + Butter Scotch Pie, 106 + Raspberry Cream Pie, 107 + Rhubarb Pie and Sauce, 107 + Banana Pie, 108 + + PRESERVES + Preserving Fruit, 227 + Ginger Pears, 230 + Tutti Frutti, 230 + Green Tomato Preserves and Citron, 231 + Brandy or Pickled Cherries, 232 + Brandy Peaches and Pears, 233 + Dried Fruit, 239 + Peach and Apple Butter, 245 + Keeping Cider Sweet, 249 + Peach Chips, 250 + Dried Cherries, 250 + Peach Leather, 251 + Tomato Figs, 251 + Jelly-Making, 253 + Quince Jelly and Marmalade, 254 + + PUDDINGS + Banana Pudding, 109 + Sweet Potato Pudding, 109 + Poor Man's Pudding, 110 + Boiled Batter Pudding, 111 + Apple Pudding, 111 + Apple Dumplings, 112 + Crumb Pudding, 112 + Blackberry Mush, 113 + Peach Pudding, 114 + Ginger Pudding, 114 + Nesselrode Pudding, 115 + Thanksgiving Pudding, 115 + Christmas Pudding, 115 + Pudding Sauce, 117 + Fig Pudding, 156 + Quince Pudding, 253 + + RELISHES + Cold Slaw, 192 + Tomato Soy, 193 + Table Mustard, 193 + Cabbage Pickle, 194 + Cauliflower Pickle, 194 + Pear Relish, 195 + Cherries Piquant, 196 + Gooseberry Jam Spiced, 196 + Frozen Cranberry Sauce, 197 + Apple Sauce Gone to Heaven, 197 + Spiced Grapes, 199 + Spiced Plums, 200 + Sweet-Sour Pears, 200 + Baked Peaches, 201 + + + SALADS + Wedding Salad, 188 + Fruit Salad, 189 + Sweet French Dressing, 190 + Banana and Celery Salad, 191 + Red White Salad, 191 + Pineapple Salad, 191 + + SANDWICHES + Making Sandwiches, 216 + Sardine Sandwiches, 217 + Sundry Cheese Sandwiches, 217 + Lettuce and Cheese Sandwiches, 217 + Ham and Tongue Sandwiches, 218 + Cheese and Sherry Sandwiches, 218 + + SOUPS + Vegetable Soup, 185 + Black Turtle, Bean Soup, 186 + Gumbo, 187 + + SOAP, 298 + + UPON OCCASIONS + Infares, 257 + Weddings, 258 + Wedding Tables, 258 + Cut, Papers, 259 + Chandeliers: Home-made, 259 + Wedding Cakes, 261 + Bride's Cake, 263 + Wedding Suppers, 265 + Syllabub, 267 + Boiled Custard, 268 + Orange Lilies, 269 + Party Suppers, 270 + Ambrosia, 270 + Barbecues, 273 + Barbecue, 273 + Barn Dances, 278 + Birthday Barbecue, 290 + Baskets, 281 + Chicken, Loaf, 284 + Dinings, 286 + + VEGETABLES + Tomato, Layer, 202 + Corn Pudding, 203 + Fried Corn, 203 + Hulled Corn, 204 + Steamed Potatoes, 205 + Candied Sweet Potatoes, 206 + Tipsy Potatoes, 206 + Left-Over Sweet Potatoes, 207 + Potato Balls, 207 + Bananas, 208 + Baking Vegetables, 208 + Cauliflower, _au Gratin_, 210 + Boiling with Bacon, 211 + Pot Liquor, 212 + + + + + * * * * * + + + + +Transcriber's Notes: + +Obvious punctuation errors were corrected. + +Page 16, "evenning" changed to "evening" (by way of evening things) + +Page 109, "egg yolks" changed to "egg-yolks" (up four egg-yolks) + +Page 126, "hardboiled" changed to "hard-boiled" (sliced hard-boiled +eggs) + +Page 142, "egg yolks" changed to "egg-yolks" (other, seven egg-yolks) + +Page 154, repeated word "called" removed from text. Original read (be +called called First ) + +Page 197, "seive" changed to "sieve" (through coarse sieve) + +Page 233, "twenty four" changed to "twenty-four" (in twenty-four hours +more) + +Page 258, "famly" changed to "family" (his family gave the) + +Page 261, "heartcakes" changed to "heart-cakes" (demanded four +heart-cakes) + +Pge 316, "Red-White" changed to "Red and White" (Red and White Salad, +191) + +Page 317, "Bran" changed to "Barn" (Barn dances, 278) + +The text uses variant hyphenation and spelling. Where a majority could +not be ascertained, as in egg-yolks, the variations were retained. + + cheesecake cheese cake + corn-bread corn bread + allspice alspice + soapmaking soap-making + + + +***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISHES & BEVERAGES OF THE OLD +SOUTH*** + + +******* This file should be named 28491.txt or 28491.zip ******* + + +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: +https://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/2/8/4/9/28491 + + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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