“Cheerful looks make every dish a feast”

ASPIC JELLY

• 1½ ozs. (3 heaping tablespoonfuls) powdered gelatine
• 1¾ pints (3½ cups) water or stock
• 4 tablespoonfuls white vinegar
• 4 tablespoonfuls tarragon vinegar
• 1 sprig parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 blade mace
• 4 cloves
• 12 whole white peppers
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• Rind and juice 1 lemon
• 1 level teaspoonful salt
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small onion
• 1 small turnip
• 1 stalk celery
• 6 drops kitchen bouquet
• Whites and shells of 2 eggs

Put the gelatine into a clean cold saucepan, add the water or stock, then the vegetables, cleaned and cut into small pieces; add all the other ingredients, and whisk over a gentle heat until boiling. Remove the beater, allow the thick white scum to rise to the top of the pan, draw to one side of the stove, cover, and allow to stand ten minutes. Pour two quarts of boiling water through a jelly bag, then the jelly. Turn the jelly into a wet earthenware mold and use as required when set.

Aspic jelly lends itself to a great variety of useful dishes. It is used in cold entrÉes where the materials are molded in the jelly, which means that the aspic must be beautifully clear and of firm consistence.

BOILED HOMINY

• ½ pint (1 cup) hominy grits
• 2 pints (4 cups) boiling water
• Salt to taste

Have the water boiling in a fireproof dish, stir into it the hominy, adding salt to taste. Cook slowly for three hours or longer, stirring frequently. If the hominy is soaked overnight, one and a half hours boiling in the morning will suffice.

Cook in the same manner.

CANDIED CRANBERRIES

• Cape Cod cranberries
• Sugar
• Water

For this recipe use the Cape Cod cranberries, half as much sugar as berries, and half as much water as sugar. Wash and pick over the berries and lay them in a deep casserole; put the sugar on the top like a crust, and the water on the top of that.

Cook very slowly.

When they just come to boiling point, cover for just a few moments—not long or the skins will burst—then uncover and simmer until tender. Take up carefully and spread on oiled plates to dry.

These candied cranberries may be used in place of cherries for decorating cakes or candies.

CHOUX PASTRY

• 2 ozs. (2 heaping tablespoonfuls) butter
• ½ pint (1 cup) water
• 4 large eggs
• ¼ teaspoonful salt
• ¼ lb. (1 cup) flour

Put the butter into a fireproof dish, add the water, bring to the boiling point, quickly add the flour and salt, stir well with a wooden spoon until the mixture leaves the sides of the pan, remove from the fire, allow to cool, but not become cold; add the eggs, beating each one in thoroughly.

Set away in a cool place for one hour.

Put into a forcing bag with a plain tube and force on to a greased baking tin into small rounds; brush over with beaten egg, and bake in a hot oven for half an hour.

When cold, split them open at one side and fill them with whipped cream sweetened and flavored to taste.

The mixture may be forced in small pieces into a pan of smoking hot fat and fried like doughnuts. They should then be sprinkled over with sugar.

CORN-MEAL SOUFFLÉ

• ½ pint (1 cup) corn meal
• 1 pint (2 cups) hot milk
• ¼ teaspoonful salt
• 5 eggs

Cook the corn meal, either yellow or white, in the hot milk in a casserole until well thickened, stirring frequently; remove from the fire, add the salt, then beat in the yolks of the eggs one at a time, add the stiffly beaten whites of the eggs. Bake in a moderate oven until light and nicely browned—it takes about forty-five minutes.

Serve at once from the baking dish, either with butter or meat gravy.

MINCE MEAT FOR PIES

• 1½ lbs. seeded raisins
• 2 lbs. chopped apples
• 1 lb. Sultana raisins
• 1½ lbs. currants
• ½ lb. chopped citron peel
• ½ lb. chopped candied lemon peel
• ½ lb. chopped candied orange peel
• 1½ lbs. (3 cups) sugar
• ½ lb. blanched chopped almonds
• 1 teaspoonful salt
• 1 lb. finely chopped suet
• 3 oranges, grated rind and strained juice
• 3 lemons, grated rind and strained juice
• 1 tablespoonful powdered cinnamon
• 1 tablespoonful grated nutmeg
• 1 tablespoonful powdered mace
• 1 tablespoonful ground cloves
• 1 tablespoonful powdered allspice
• 1 tablespoonful powdered ginger
• ½ pint (1 cup) sherry wine
• ½ pint (1 cup) best brandy

Put all these ingredients into a large earthenware jar, mix well, and stir up before using. Keep well covered. The mince meat ought to be made at least one month before required. The fruit should all be cleaned very carefully.

OATMEAL PORRIDGE

• Oatmeal
• Water
• Salt

Put an earthenware dish on the stove, allow one cupful of water to each person. When the water boils, sprinkle in the oatmeal with the left hand, stirring briskly all the time. Use one handful of meal to each cup of water; stir free from lumps. Let the oatmeal boil for a quarter of an hour before adding salt to taste; cook the oatmeal for at least one hour, stirring occasionally. If poured in plates, these should be previously warmed. Serve with milk.

Any stewed fruit is also a nice accompaniment, and good for the health.

Another method is to mix the meal with cold water, stir steadily until it boils, add salt as in former recipe, and cook also for one hour.

Serve in the same way.

Still another way. The night before it is wanted mix up the oatmeal with milk, one handful of oatmeal to one cupful of cold milk, add a little salt, pour into an earthenware jar, and let it soak all night. In the morning set the jar in a pan of boiling water, and let it steam for three hours, or longer if time permits.

When cooked this way serve with stewed figs.

• ¾ lb. (3 cups) flour
• ½ lb. (1 cup) lard
• ¼ teaspoonful salt
• 1 gill (½ cup) ice water

Mix the flour and salt together in an earthenware bowl, then mix in the lard by cutting it in with a knife. Add the ice water, and mix as little as possible. Roll the pastry out on a floured baking board.

It should be handled as little as possible.

PUFF PASTRY

• 1 lb. (4 cups) flour
• 1 lb. (2 cups) butter
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tablespoonful lemon juice
• Cold water

Wash the butter in cold water and squeeze it in a floured towel into a flat cake. Sift the flour into an earthenware basin, rub two heaping tablespoonfuls of the butter finely into it. Beat up the yolk of the egg with the lemon juice and a little cold water, add them gradually to the flour and butter, making them into a firm paste. Roll out the paste into a long strip, lay the butter on one end of it, wet the edge slightly, and fold the paste over. Fasten the edges well together, turn round, press with the rolling pin, and roll out lengthways; have the paste so that the two open edges are parallel with yourself after folding it in three. Roll from you and never from side to side, using gentle pressure. Then fold in three. Now put the paste to cool for twenty minutes—the friction will have heated it somewhat. Then arrange the paste with the open ends in front of you and again roll out lengthways and fold in three as before. This completes the second rolling.

Repeat for the third and fourth time, then put to cool for another twenty minutes. After this, in like manner, give the fifth, sixth, and seventh rollings, and again cool for twenty minutes. The paste is now ready for the final rolling out.

Before giving the last two rollings sprinkle over it a few drops of lemon juice; each time when rolling the pastry keep all the edges as square as possible.

SUET PASTRY

• ½ lb. (2 cups) flour
• 4 heaping tablespoonfuls chopped suet
• 1 teaspoonful baking powder
• Cold water
• ¼ teaspoonful salt

Sift the flour, salt, and baking powder into an earthenware bowl, rub the suet well into them, then make into a stiff paste with cold water, adding it gradually.

This paste may be boiled for two hours in a cloth or mold, or rolled out and used for fruit, sweet or savory puddings, or roly-polys.

TOAD IN THE HOLE

• ½ lb. (2 cups) flour
• ½ teaspoonful salt
• 1 lb. link sausages
• 2 eggs
• 1½ pints (3 cups) milk

Sift the flour and salt into a basin; beat up the eggs well, and after mixing them with the milk, pour gradually on the flour, beating it well with a wooden spoon. When quite smooth, pour it into a well-buttered fireproof dish; skin the sausages and lay them in the batter, and bake in a moderate oven for three-quarters of an hour.

Pieces of apples, rhubarb, prunes, or pieces of cold meat or fish may be substituted for the sausages.

The fruit requires a little sugar, and sugar must also be served along with the pudding.

TO PEEL AND GRATE A LEMON

To peel a lemon for flavoring just remove the yellow skin with a sharp knife, taking care to take none of the white pith.

To grate a lemon take a grater, and grate off the yellow part only, the white being of no use for flavoring, besides being very indigestible.

A small brush is excellent for removing the rind from the grater.

TO BLANCH ALMONDS

Drop the almonds into hot water; allow it just to boil, then strain, and remove the brown skins, drop the almonds into cold water until required, so as to keep their color.

Drop the nuts into hot water containing a little baking soda; allow the water just to boil, strain, and remove the skins.

TO MAKE BROWN BREAD CRUMBS

Take the crusty part of some stale bread, put it into a moderate oven to dry, and bake a golden brown shade; crush with a rolling pin or in a mortar, pass through a fine sieve. These may be kept for a long time if put into a jar or bottle and well covered.

WHEAT AU GRATIN

• ½ pint (1 cup) wheat
• 1 pint (2 cups) milk
• 4 heaping tablespoonfuls grated cheese
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) flour
• 2 heaping tablespoonfuls (2 ozs.) butter
• Salt and pepper to taste

Pick over the wheat and wash it well; then soak it overnight in cold water to cover. In the morning put it in a casserole and cook it till tender, salting it during the last ten minutes of cooking. Drain it well. Blend the butter and flour together in a saucepan over the fire, add the milk gradually, and season nicely with salt and pepper; stir till it boils for four minutes.

Put a layer of the sauce into a buttered fireproof dish, then put in half of the wheat, another layer of sauce, half of the cheese, the remaining wheat, sauce, and finally the cheese on the top.

Bake for ten minutes in a hot oven.

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

• 1 pint (2 cups) milk
• 3 eggs
• 6 ozs. (6 heaping tablespoonfuls) flour
• 3 tablespoonfuls of dripping
• ½ teaspoonful salt
• ½ teaspoonful baking powder

Sift the flour into an earthenware basin with the baking powder and the salt, stir in the milk gradually, beat up the eggs, and add to the batter when quite smooth; allow this to stand in a cool place for two hours; melt the dripping in a casserole, pour in the batter, and bake in a hot oven for half an hour.

Serve with roast beef.