BEVERAGES.
In my little book on "FIFTEEN CENT DINNERS," I decidedly advocate the substitution of milk or milk and water as a drink at meal times, for tea and coffee, on the score of economy; because milk is a food, while the two former drinks are chiefly stimulants. They are pleasant because they warm and exhilarate, but they are luxuries because they give no strength; therefore their use is extravagant when we are pinched for healthy food. It is true that when we drink them we do not feel as hungry as we do without them. The sensation of hunger is nature's sure sign that the body needs a new supply of food because the last has been exhausted; the change of the nourishing qualities of food into strength is always going on as long as any remains in the system; the use of tea, coffee, and alcohol, hinders this change, and consequently we are less hungry when we use them than when we do without them. Tea and coffee are certainly important aids to the cheerfulness and comfort of home; and when the first stage of economy, where every penny must be counted, has passed, we donot know of any pleasanter accessory to a meal than a cup of good tea or coffee.
Tea.—The physiological action of very strong tea is marked; moderately used it excites the action of the skin, lungs, and nervous system, and soothes any undue action of the heart; used to excess, it causes indigestion, nervousness, and wakefulness. No doubt its effects are greatly modified by climate, for the Russians drink enormous quantities of very strong, fine tea. A recent war report gives the following account of its use in the army.
"The Russian soldiers are said to live and fight almost wholly upon tea. The Cossacks often carry it about in the shape of bricks, or rather tiles, which, before hardening, are soaked in sheep's blood and boiled in milk, with the addition of flour, butter and salt, so as to constitute a kind of soup. The passion of the Russian for this beverage is simply astonishing. In the depth of winter he will empty twenty cups in succession, at nearly boiling point, until he perspires at every pore, and then, in a state of excitement rush out, roll in the snow, get up and go on to the next similar place of entertainment. So with the army. With every group or circle of tents travels the invariable tea kettle, suspended from a tripod; and it would be in vain to think of computing how many times each soldier's pannikin is filled upon a halt. It is his first idea. Frequently he carries it cold in a copper case as a solace upon the march."
Dr. Edward Smith sums up the physiological action of tea as follows:
1—A sense of wakefulness.
2—Clearness of mind, and activity of thought and imagination.
3—Increased disposition to make muscular exertion.
4—Reaction, with a sense of exhaustion in the morning following the preceding efforts, and in proportion to them."
Coffee.—The action of coffee is so similar to that of tea that we need not consider it separately; it will be sufficient to remark that the chief points of difference are lessening the action of the skin, increasing the action of the heart, and, when used very strong, aiding digestion to some extent.
Cocoa and Chocolate.—Both these articles are made from the kernels of a tropical fruit, about the size of a cucumber, the fleshy part of which is sometimes used to produce a vinous liquor; they are producedfrom the seeds of the cocoa palm, and from a kind of ground nut. These kernels consist of gum, starch, and vegetable oil; and are marketed as cocoa shells, which are the husks of the kernel; cocoa nibs, which consist of the crushed nuts; and ground cocoa, which is the kernels ground fine.
Chocolate is the finely ground powder from the kernels, mixed to a stiff paste with sugar, and, sometimes, a little starch. It is very nutritious; when it is difficult to digest remove from its solution the oily cake which will collect upon the surface as it cools. It is so nutritious that a small cake of it, weighing about two ounces, will satisfy hunger; for that reason it is a good lunch for travellers.
Both cocoa and chocolate are very nutritious, and are free from the reactionary influences of tea and coffee. Let us count the cost of these beverages, and see which is the best for us.
One quart of weak tea can be made from three teaspoonfuls, or half an ounce, of tea, (which cost at least one cent;) we must have for general use a gill of milk, (at one cent,) and four teaspoonfuls or one ounce of sugar, (at one cent); thus if we use only the above quantities of milk and sugar, one quart of tea costs three cents; if we increase them it will cost more.
One quart of weak coffee can be made from one ounce, or two tablespoonfuls of coffee, (at a cost of two cents;) two tablespoonfuls or ounces of sugar, (two cents,) and a half a pint of milk, (two cents;) the total cost six cents.
One quart of cocoa can be made from two ounces, or eight tablespoonfuls of cocoa shells, (which cost two cents,) with half a pint of milk, and an ounce of sugar, (at four cents more;) we have a quart of good, nutritious drink at six cents. It is all the better if the shells are boiled gently two or three hours. Of course the nibs, or crushed cocoa, and chocolate, will both produce a correspondingly nutritious beverage.
Beer.—Very poor families sometimes spend every day for beer enough to buy them a good, wholesome meal, because they think it makes them strong. Beer, like all other liquors, is of no value whatever in making strength; it only nerves you up to spend all you can muster under the excitement it causes, and then leaves you weaker than before. What you need when you crave liquor is a good, warm meal. The best doctors say that a man cannot drink more than abouta pint and a half of beer a day without injuring his health; and that healthy people, during youth and middle age, do not need it at all. Let it, and all other liquors alone entirely, and you will be better off in health and purse.
Beer for Nursing Women.—It is generally believed that women who drink malt liquor are able to nurse children to greater advantage than those who do not use it. The fact is that while the quantity of milk may be increased, its nourishing quality will be impaired. There may be more milk for the child, but it will be poor. The effect of all malt liquors is to promote the secretion of the fluids of the body, but not to enrich them. Do not drink beer for the sake of your child, but try milk, or milk and water instead, and see if after a fair trial you do not have plenty for the baby, and if it does not grow strong and fat. If milk does not agree with you, or you cannot afford it, use barley water; it will not only give you plenty of milk, but it will nourish you as well as the baby. You will get from it all the nourishment that you may fancy you get from malt liquor, with this advantage: in the barley water you will get all the nutriment of the grain unchanged, while in the form of beer the fermentation has destroyed part of it. The following is a good receipt:
Barley Water.—Thoroughly wash two ounces of pearl barley, (which costs less than two cents,) to remove any musty or bad flavor, put it over the fire in two quarts of cold water, and boil it until it is reduced to one quart; then strain it, cool it, and drink it whenever you are thirsty. A little sugar can be used without hurting the baby.
Milk.—I have already said that milk is the most perfect food; we will now see what it is made of, and how it nourishes the body; and then we can understand how necessary it is to have it pure. The elements of milk which strengthen the whole body are the solid parts that separate in the form of curd when it begins to turn sour; the whey contains the salts and phosphates which strengthen the brain, bones, and digestive organs; the cream is the part which makes us fat. When we remember that cheese is made from the curd of milk we can see why it is so valuable as food, and why a meal of black or brown bread and cheese will satisfy a hungry man.
Try to afford at least a quart of good milk every day. It can be bought in New York now for seven or eight cents a quart; and if thechildren have plenty of seconds bread, or oatmeal porridge, and a cup of milk, at meal times, they will be strong and rosy.
Skim-milk, butter-milk, and whey, are all excellent foods, and far better drinks than beer or whiskey. Make a plain pudding now and then, with skim-milk, adding an ounce of suet to restore its richness. If the milk has turned a little sour add lime water to it, in the proportion of four tablespoonfuls of the lime water to a quart. If the lime water is added before the milk begins to turn it will help keep it fresh. The following is a good receipt for making lime water:
Lime Water.—Slack four ounces of quick lime with a little water, and gradually add enough water to make a gallon in all; let it stand three hours, then bottle it in glass-stoppered bottles, putting a portion of the undissolved lime in each bottle; when you want to use some, pour off the clear fluid from the top.
Children should never have tea, coffee, or liquor; all these drinks hurt them; give them milk, or milk and water; or pure water, if you cannot afford milk. But you had better scant their clothes than their supply of milk. If you have to limit the supply of food, deny them something else, but give them plenty of bread and scalded milk, and you can keep them healthy.
BREAD, MACARONI, AND RICE.
Homemade bread is healthier, satisfies hunger better, and is cheaper than bakers' bread. Make bread yourself if you possibly can. Use "middlings" if you can possibly get them; they contain the best elements of wheat. "Household Flour" has similar qualities, but is sometimes made from inferior kinds of wheat. Both are darker and cheaper than fine white flour; and bread made from them takes longer to "rise" than that made from fine flour. Bakers' bread is generally made from poor flour mixed with a little of the better sort; or with a little alum, which added to the wheat grown in wet seasons, keeps the bread from being pasty and poor in taste.
The prices of bakers' bread upon the streets in the eastern andwestern parts of the city are as follows: ordinary white bread, five cent loaf weighs three quarters of a pound: six cent loaf weighs fourteen ounces: eight cent loaf weighs one pound and ten ounces; black bread, two eight cent loaves weigh, respectively, one pound eight, and one pound ten ounces; fine French bread, eight cent loaf weighs three quarters of a pound; in the French quarter a six cent loaf weighs one pound. We advise the purchase of new flour in preference to old, because, unless flour is cooled and dried before it is packed, the combined action of heat and dampness destroys its gluten, and turns it sour; gluten is the nutritive part of the flour, that which makes it absorb water, and yield more bread. If you do not have a good oven, your bread can be baked at the baker's for about a cent a loaf. When bread is made too light it is tasteless, and lacks nourishment, because the decay caused in the elements of the flour used to make it by the great quantity of yeast employed, destroys the most nutritious parts of it. A pint of milk in a batch of four loaves of bread gives you a pound more bread of better quality, and helps to make it moist. Scalded skim milk will go as far as fresh whole milk, and you can use the cream for some other dish. One pound of pea-meal, or ground split-peas, added to every fourteen pounds of flour used for bread increases its nourishment, and helps to satisfy hunger.
Keep your bread in a covered earthen jar; when it is too stale to eat, or make into bread broth, dry it in a cool oven, or over the top of the fire, roll it with a rolling-pin, sift it through a sieve, and save the finest crumbs to roll fish or chops in for frying, and the largest for puddings. If a whole loaf is stale put it into a tight tin can, and either steam it, or put it into a moderately warm oven for half an hour; it will then be as good as fresh bread to the taste, and a great deal more healthy.
A good allowance of bread each day is as follows: for a man two pounds, costing six cents; for boys and women one pound and a half, costing five cents; for children a pound each, costing three cents.
Homemade Bread.—Put seven pounds of flour into a deep pan, and make a hollow in the centre; into this put one quart of lukewarm water, one tablespoonful of salt, one teaspoonful of sugar, and half a gill of yeast; have ready three pints more of warm water, and use as much of it as is necessary to make a rather soft dough, mixing and kneading it well with both hands. When it is smooth and shiningstrew a little flour upon it, lay a large towel over it folded, and set it in a warm place by the fire for four or five hours to rise; then knead it again for fifteen minutes, cover it with the towel, and set it to rise once more; then divide it into two or four loaves, and bake it in a quick oven. This quantity of flour will make eight pounds of bread, and will require one hour's baking to two pounds of dough. It will cost about thirty cents, and will last about two days and a half for a family of six. In cold weather, the dough should be mixed in a warm room, and not allowed to cool while rising; if it does not rise well, set the pan containing it over a large vessel of boiling water; it is best to mix the bread at night, and let it rise till morning, in a warm and even temperature.
Rice Bread.—Simmer one pound of rice in three quarts of water until the rice is soft, and the water evaporated or absorbed; let it cool until it is only luke-warm; mix into it nearly four pounds of flour, two teaspoonfuls of salt, and four tablespoonfuls of yeast; knead it until it is smooth and shining, let it rise before the fire, make it up into loaves with the little flour reserved from the four pounds, and bake it thoroughly. It will cost about twenty-five cents, and make more than eight pounds of excellent bread.
Potato Bread.—Take good, mealy boiled potatoes, in the proportion of one-third of the quantity of flour you propose to use, pass them through a coarse sieve into the flour, using a wooden spoon and adding enough cold water to enable you to pass them through readily; use the proper quantity of yeast, salt, and water, and make up the bread in the usual way. It will cost about twenty-four cents if you use the above quantities, and give you eight pounds or more of good bread.
Pulled Bread.—Take from the oven an ordinary loaf of bread when it is abouthalf baked, and with the fingers,while it is yet hot, pull it apart in egg-sized pieces of irregular shape; throw them upon tins, and bake them in a slow oven to a rich brown color. This bread is excellent to eat with cheese or wine. An ordinary sized loaf, costing about three cents makes a large panful.
Bread made with Baking Powder.—Where bread is made with baking powder the following rules should be closely observed: if any shortening be used, it should be rubbed into the flour before it is wet;coldwater or sweet milk should always be used to wet it, and the dough should be kneaded immediately, and only long enough to thoroughlymix it and form it in the desired shape; it should then be placed in a well-heated oven and baked quickly—otherwise the carbonic acid gas will escape before the expanded cells are fixed in the bread, and thus the lightness of the loaf will be impaired.
Breakfast Rolls.—Mix well by sifting together half a pound of flour, (cost two cents,) a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, a level teaspoonful of salt, and a heaping teaspoonful of sugar, (cost one cent;) rub into a little of the above one ounce of lard, (cost one cent,) mix it with the rest of the flour, and quickly wet it up with enough cold milk to enable you to roll it out about half an inch thick, (cost two cents;) cut out the dough with a tin shape or with a sharp knife, in the form of diamonds, lightly wet the top with water, and double them half over. Put them upon a tin, buttered and warmed, and bake them in a hot oven. This receipt will cost about six cents, and will make about nine good sized rolls.
Tea Biscuit.—Mix as above, using the same proportions, and cutting out with a biscuit-cutter; when they are baked, wash them over with cold milk, and return them to the oven for a moment to dry. The cost is the same.
Macaroni.—This is a paste made from the purest wheat flour and water; it is generally known as a rather luxurious dish among the wealthy; but it should become one of the chief foods of the people, for it contains more gluten, or the nutritious portion of wheat, than bread. It is one of the most wholesome and economical of foods, and can be varied so as to give a succession of palatable dishes at a very small cost. The imported macaroni can be bought at Italian stores for about fifteen cents a pound; and that quantity when boiled yields nearly four times its bulk, if it has been manufactured for any length of time. Good macaroni is yellow or brownish in color; white sorts are always poor. It should never be soaked or washed before boiling, or put into cold or lukewarm water; wipe it carefully, break it in whatever lengths you want it, and put it into boiling water, to every quart of which half a tablespoonful of salt is added; you can boil an onion with it if you like the flavor; as soon as it is tender enough to yield easily when pressed between the fingers, drain it in a colander, saving its liquor for the next day's broth, and lay it in cold water until you want to use it. When more macaroni has been boiled than is used it can be kept perfectly good by laying it in fresh water, which must be changed every day.After boiling the macaroni as above, you can use it according to any of the following directions. Half a pound of uncooked macaroni will make a large dishful.
Macaroni, Farmers' Style.—Boil half a pound of macaroni as above, and while you are draining it from the cold water, stir together over the fire one ounce each of butter and flour, and as soon as they bubble gradually pour into the sauce they make, a pint of boiling water, beating it with a fork or egg whip until it is smooth; season it with a level teaspoonful of salt and a level saltspoonful of pepper, and put the macaroni in it to heat; then cut an onion in small shreds, and brown it over the fire in a very little fat; when both are done dish the macaroni, and pour the onion out of the frying pan upon it. It is excellent; and ten cents will cover the cost of all of it.
Macaroni with Broth.—Put half a pound of macaroni, boiled as above and washed in cold water, over the fire with any kind of broth, or one pint of cold gravy and water; season it to taste with pepper and salt, and let it heat slowly for an hour, or less if you are in a hurry; then lay it on a flat dish, strew over it a few bread crumbs, which you will almost always have on hand if you save all the bits I speak of in the article on BREAD; then set the dish in the oven, or in front of the fire to brown. It will cost less than ten cents, and be delicious and very hearty.
Macaroni with White Sauce.—Warm half a pound of macaroni, boiled and washed in cold water, as above, in the following sauce, and use it as soon as it is hot. Stir together over the fire one ounce each of butter and flour, pouring in one pint of boiling water and milk, as soon as the butter and flour are mixed; season it with salt and pepper to taste, and put the macaroni into it. This dish costs less than ten cents, and is very good and wholesome.
Macaroni with Cheese.—Boil half a pound of macaroni, as above, put into a pudding dish in layers with quarter of a pound of cheese, (cost four cents,) grated and mixed between the layers; season it with pepper and salt to taste; put a very little butter and some bread crumbs over it, and brown it in the oven. It will make just as hearty and strengthening a meal as meat, and will cost about twelve cents.
Macaroni Milanaise Style.—Have ready some sauce, made according to the receipt forTomato Saucegiven below, or use some fresh tomatoes passed through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and highly seasoned, and two ounces of grated cheese; put half a pound of imported Italian macaroni, (cost eight cents,) in three quarts of boiling water, with two tablespoonfuls of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of butter, (cost one cent;) boil rapidly for about twenty minutes, then drain it in a colander, run plenty of cold water from the faucet through it, and lay it in a pan of cold water until you are ready to use it. Put into a sauce-pan one gill of tomato sauce, (cost two cents,) one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) and one gill of any meat gravy free from fat, and stir until they are smoothly blended: put a half inch layer of macaroni on the bottom of a dish, moisten it with four tablespoonfuls of the sauce, sprinkle over it half an ounce of the grated cheese; make three other layers like this, using all the macaroni, cheese, and sauce, and brown the macaroni in a hot oven for about five minutes; serve it hot. It will cost about thirteen cents.
Macaroni with Tomato Sauce.—Boil half a pound of macaroni as already directed, and lay it in cold water. Make a tomato sauce as follows, and dress the macaroni with it, using only enough to moisten it, and sprinkling the top with an ounce of grated cheese, (cost one cent;) serve it hot.
Tomato Sauce.—Boil together for one hour quarter of a can of tomatoes, or six large fresh ones, (cost five cents,) one gill of broth of any kind, one sprig of thyme, one sprig of parsley, three whole cloves, three peppercorns, and half an ounce of onion sliced; (cost two cents;) rub them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, and set the sauce to keep hot; mix together over the fire one ounce of butter, and half an ounce of flour, (cost two cents,) and when smooth incorporate with the tomato sauce. The cost of the tomato sauce will be about ten cents, and of the entire dish about eighteen cents. If you do not wish to use all the tomato sauce, and you do not need to, save it to use with fried chops of any kind.
Rice.—Rice is largely composed of starch, and for that reason is less nutritious than flour, oatmeal, Indian meal, or macaroni; but it is a wholesome and economical food when used with a little meat broth, drippings, or molasses. It is a very safe food for children, especially if used with a little molasses. The following is an excellent supper dish.
Rice Panada.—Boil half a pound of rice, (which costs five cents,) quarter of a pound of suet, (at two cents,) with one tablespoonful of salt, and one of sugar, (cost one cent,) fast in boiling water for fifteen minutes; meantime mix half a pound of flour, (cost two cents,) gradually with one quart of water, and one gill of molasses, (cost two cents;) stir this into the boiling rice, and boil it for about five minutes; this makes a nice supper of over five pounds of good, nutritious food for twelve cents.
Boiled Rice.—Another good dish of rice for supper can be made as follows. Wash half a pound of rice (cost five cents,) throw it into one quart of boiling water, containing two teaspoonfuls of salt, and boil it fast ten minutes; drain it in a colander, saving the water to use with broth next day; meantime just grease the pot with sweet drippings, put the rice back in it, cover it, and set it on a brick on the top of the stove, or in a cool oven, and let it stand ten minutes to swell; be careful not to burn it. The addition of a very little butter, sugar, molasses, nutmeg, lemon juice, or salt and pepper, will give it different flavors; so that you can vary the taste, and have it often without getting tired of it, and it need never cost you over seven cents.
Rice, Milanaise Style.—Fry one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) light brown; put into it half a pound of rice, (cost five cents,) well picked over,but not washed, and one ounce of onion, chopped fine; stir and brown for about five minutes, then add a pint of gravy from meat, season with a level teaspoonful of salt, quarter that quantity of pepper, and as much cayenne as you can take on the point of a very small pen-knife blade; the onion and seasoning will cost less than two cents; stew gently for fifteen minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, and serve as soon as the rice is tender. This makes a palatable dish for about ten cents.
Rice, Japanese Style.—Put half a pound of well washed rice into a double kettle, with one pint of milk or water, one heaping teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a medium sized nutmeg grated; boil it until tender, about forty minutes; if it seems very dry add a little more liquid, taking care not to have it sloppy when it is cooked. When milk is used it may be served with milk and sugar as a breakfast or tea dish; when water takes the place of milk, the addition of an ounce of butter, and half a saltspoonful of pepper makes a nice dinner dish of it.
SOUP.
The value of soup as food cannot be overestimated.
In times of scarcity and distress, when the question has arisen of how to feed the largest number of persons upon the least quantity of food, the aliment chosen has always been soup. There are two reasons for this: first, by the addition of water to the ingredients used we secure the aid of this important agent in distributing nutrition equally throughout the blood, to await final absorption; and, second, we gain that sense of repletion so necessary to the satisfaction of hunger—the fact being acknowledged that the sensation we call hunger is often allayed by the presence of even innutritious substances in the stomach.
Good soup is literally the juice of any ingredient from which it is made—the extract of the meat, grains, or vegetables composing it. The most economical of soups, eaten with bread, will satisfy the hunger of the hardest worker. The absolute nutritive value of soup depends, of course, upon its ingredients; and these can easily be chosen in reference to the maintenance of health. For instance, the pot-liquor in which meat has been boiled needs only the addition of a few dumplings or cereals, and seasoning, to form a perfect nutriment. That produced from skin and bones can be made equally palatable and nutritious by boiling with it a few vegetables and sweet herbs, and some rice, barley, or oatmeal. Even the gelatinous residue produced by long-continued boiling, without the presence of any foreign matter, is a useful emollient application to the inflamed mucous surfaces in some diseases, while it affords at the same time the degree of distention necessary to prevent flatulency.
The time required to make the most palatable and nutritious soup is short. Lean meat should be chopped fine, placed in cold water, in the proportion of a pint to each pound, slowly heated, and thoroughly skimmed. Five minutes' boiling will extract from the meat every particle of its nutriment and flavor. The liquor can then be strained off,seasoned, and eaten with bread, biscuit, or vegetables. Peas or beans boiled and added to the soup make it the most perfect food for sustaining health and strength. It is the pure juice of the meat and contains all its savory and life-giving principles.
If your family is large, it will be well for you to keep a clean saucepan, or pot on the back of the stove to receive all the clean scraps of meat, bones, and remains of poultry and game, which are found in every kitchen; but vegetables should not be put into it, as they are apt to sour. The proper proportions for soup are one pound of meat and bone to one and a half quarts of cold water; the meat and bones to be well chopped and broken up, and put over the fire in cold water, being brought slowly to a boil, and carefully skimmed as often as any scum rises; and being maintained at a steady boiling point from two to six hours, as time permits; one hour before the stock is done, add to it one carrot and one turnip pared, one onion stuck with three cloves, and a bouquet of sweet herbs.
When soup is to be boiled six hours you must allow two quarts of water to every pound of meat, and you must see that the pot boils slowly and regularly, and is well skimmed. When you want to keep soup from one meal to another, or over night, you must pour it into an earthen pot, or bowl, because it will turn by being allowed to remain in the metal pot.
I shall give you first some receipts for making soups without meat, and then some of the cheapest meat soups I have tried. The first is very cheap and nutritious, and should be served at meals where no meat is to be used; bread, and a cheap pudding, will be sufficient to use with it.
Scotch Broth without Meat.—Steep four ounces of pearl barley, (cost three cents,) over night in cold water, and wash it well in fresh water; cut in dice half an inch square, six ounces of yellow turnip, six ounces of carrot, four ounces of onion, two ounces of celery, or use in its place quarter of a saltspoonful of celery seed, (cost of all about one cent,) put all these into two and a half quarts of boiling water, season with a teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of pepper, and as much cayenne as you can take up on the point of a very small pen-knife blade, (cost one cent;) boil slowly for two hours; then stir in quarter of a pound of oatmeal, (cost two cents,) mixed to a smooth batter with cold water, see if seasoning be correct, add two or threegrates of nutmeg, and boil half an hour. Meantime, cut two slices of bread, (cost one cent,) in half inch dice, fry light brown in hot fat, (cost two cents,) and lay the bits in the soup tureen; when the soup is ready pour it over them, and serve. This soup, which costs only about ten cents, is palatable as well as economical.
Pea Soup.—Use half a pint, or seven ounces of dried peas, (cost three cents,) for every two quarts of soup you want. Put them in three quarts of cold water, after washing them well; bring them slowly to a boil; add a bone, or bit of ham, if you have it to spare, one turnip, and one carrot peeled, one onion stuck with three cloves, (cost three cents,) and simmer three hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning; then pass the soup through a sieve with the aid of a potato-masher, and if it shows any sign of settling stir into it one tablespoonful each of butter and flour mixed together dry, (cost two cents;) this will prevent settling; meantime fry some dice of stale bread, about two slices, cut half an inch square, in hot fat, drain them on a sieve, and put them in the bottom of the soup tureen in which the pea soup is served; or cut some bits of very hard stale bread, or dry toast, to use instead of the fried bread. By the time the soup is done it will have boiled down to two quarts, and will be very thick and good. This receipt will cost you about ten cents.
Thick Pea Soup.—Fry one sliced onion, (cost half a cent,) in one ounce of suet or drippings, (cost half a cent,) using an iron pot to fry it in; as soon as it is brown, put into the same pot, three quarts of cold water, one pint, or fourteen ounces of well washed peas, (cost five cents,) and boil as above; this quantity of peas does not need any crusts in the soup; it will be thick enough; but bread may be eaten with it, if you want it. This soup costs six cents.
Bean Soup.—For this, use the receipt for pea soup, using beans instead of peas; the cost will be about the same.
Lentil Soup.—For two quarts of soup half a pint of yellow lentils, (cost five cents,) washed, and put to boil in three pints of cold water, with one cents' worth of soup greens, and boiled gently until the lentils are soft enough to break between the fingers; every half hour a gill of cold water should be added, and the lentils again raised to a boiling point, until they are done; they should then be passed through a sieve with a wooden spoon, using enough of the liquor to make them pass easy, and mixed with the rest of the soup; it should be seasoned withsalt and pepper, and is then ready to simmer for half an hour, and serve hot, with dice of fried bread half an inch square, like those used for pea soup, or with bits of stale bread. A plentiful dinner of lentil soup and bread costs only about ten cents.
Onion Soup.—Chop half a quart of onions, (cost three cents,) fry them brown, in a large saucepan, with two ounces of drippings, stirring until they are well browned, but not burned; then stir in half a pound, or a little less, of oatmeal, (cost three cents,) add three quarts of water, and season to taste with pepper and salt; (the drippings and seasoning cost one cent;) while the soup is boiling, which must be for about twenty minutes, with occasional stirring, toast a third of a six cent loaf of bread, cut it in half inch bits, lay it in the soup tureen; and, when the soup is ready pour it on the toast. The soup will cost about ten cents, and is extremely nourishing.
Spinach Soup.—Put one quart of spinach, (cost five cents,) to boil in a large pot, full of boiling water, well salted with two tablespoonfuls of salt; cover until it boils up once; then remove the cover, and with a wooden spoon press the spinach under water as fast as it rises to the surface; boil it steadily only until it is tender; then drain it; run plenty of cold water from the faucet over it, while it is still in the colander; drain it again, chop it fine, and pass it through a kitchen sieve with the aid of a wooden spoon; boil one quart of milk, (cost eight cents,) and one quart of water; add the spinach to it, thicken it by stirring in two tablespoonfuls of corn starch dissolved in cold milk; season it with one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a saltspoonful of white pepper, and the same of nutmeg; (cost of seasoning one cent,) and serve it as soon as it boils up. It costs only fifteen cents, and is delicious.
Soup can be made from any green vegetable or herb in the same way.
Vegetable Soup.—The following is the receipt given by the celebrated FRANCATELLI for a cheap vegetable soup: Put six quarts of water to boil in a large pot with quarter of a pound of suet, or two ounces of drippings, (cost about two cents,) season it with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and a few sprigs of parsley and dried herbs, (cost of seasoning one cent;) while it is boiling prepare about ten cents' worth of cabbage, turnips, beans, or any cheap vegetables in season; throw them into the boiling soup, and when theyhave boiled up thoroughly, set the pot at the side of the fire, where it will simmer, for about two hours. Then take up some of the vegetables without breaking, and use them with any gravy you may have on hand, or with quarter of a pound of bacon, (cost four cents,) sliced and fried, for the bulk of the meal; the soup after being seasoned to taste can be eaten with bread, at the beginning of the meal, the whole of which can be provided for about twenty cents.
Vegetable Porridge.—Pare and slice thin ten cents' worth of carrots, turnips, onions, and parsnips, and put them into three quarts of water, with a few sprigs of parsley and dried herbs; season them with half a tablespoonful of salt, and quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, and let them boil till very soft, two hours or more; then rub them all through a colander, return the porridge to the pot, and set it over the fire to heat, stirring it to prevent burning. Use it with bread; it will cost about fifteen cents for enough for a hearty meal.
Rice Milk.—Put half a pound of well-washed rice into two quarts of boiling water, with two ounces of sweet drippings, a teaspoonful of salt, and a bit of cinnamon, or lemon peel, and let all boil gently about an hour; then add one quart of milk, and stir the rice for about ten minutes. A little sugar or molasses may be added if you want it sweet. It makes an excellent breakfast or supper dish, and costs about fifteen cents.
Fish Soup.—Make this soup from any rich, glutinous fish, such as cod's head, halibut neck, flounders, skate, or any cheap fish which is in season, and which you can buy for five or six cents a pound. Chop one or two onions, fry them in a pot with two ounces of drippings, till light brown; season with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and a teaspoonful of sweet herbs of any kind, then add two quarts of hot water, and let all boil for ten minutes; meantime mix quarter of a pound of oatmeal with one pint of cold water, and wash and cut in two-inch pieces about two pounds of fish; when the soup has boiled ten minutes, put the fish into it, and carefully stir in the oatmeal; let it boil twenty minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning; it will then be ready to use. The seasoning, drippings, and oatmeal, will cost about five cents, and the fish ten more; with the addition of bread and potatoes, say five cents' worth of either, it makes an excellent meal, costing about twenty cents.
Fish Chowder.—Fry together in the bottom of a saucepan fourounces of salt pork and two onions sliced; when brown season with a teaspoonful of sweet herbs, and a very little salt and pepper; meantime peel and slice half a dozen medium-sized potatoes, and lay them in cold water; and cut in small slices two pounds of any fish which costs about five cents per pound; when the onions and pork are brown, put the potatoes and fish upon them in layers, seasoning with a level tablespoonful of salt, and half a teaspoonful of pepper; pour over all cold water enough to cover the ingredients, and let them cook twenty minutes after they begin to boil; soak half a pound of sea-biscuit in cold water, and when the chowder is nearly done lay them on it, and pour over them half a pint of milk; in five minutes the chowder will be ready to use. The onions, pork, and seasoning will cost five cents; the potatoes, crackers and milk five more; and the fish ten cents; total for two quarts of good chowder twenty cents.
Mutton Broth.—Put two pounds of a jointed neck of mutton, (cost twelve cents,) in two and a half quarts of cold water, and let it boil slowly; skim it carefully, season it with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and the same of sweet herbs; then add one quart of yellow turnips, peeled and quartered, (cost three cents,) and four ounces of well washed pearl barley, (cost two cents,) and boil about an hour longer, or until the turnips and barley are tender. Take up the meat on a platter, lay the turnips around it, and pour the broth and barley into a soup tureen. The broth, meat and vegetables will cost seventeen cents, and will make a good dinner with the addition of bread; or you can use the mutton and turnips for one meal, and keep the broth and barley for another.
Veal Broth.—Make this as you would the mutton broth, using a knuckle of veal, (which costs ten cents,) instead of the neck of mutton, and a quarter of a pound of rice, (which costs two or three cents,) instead of barley; omit the turnips. You will have a good, nutritious, broth for about thirteen cents.
White Broth.—Cut two pounds of the neck of veal, (cost twelve cents,) in cutlets, and put it in a sauce pan with two ounces of salt pork, (cost two cents,) a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one onion chopped, six whole cloves, and half a pint of water; (the seasoning will cost about one cent;) boil these ingredients for ten minutes, stirring often enough to prevent burning, then add two and a half quarts of hot water, and skim the broth thoroughly as soonas it boils up; let it simmer for half an hour, when take up the meat, reserving it for stew, strain the broth, let it boil up again, and then put into it a quarter of a pound of macaroni, (cost four cents,) and boil it for half an hour longer. While it is boiling put the meat with half a quart of peeled and quartered potatoes, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and a pint of boiling water into a sauce pan and let them cook as long as the macaroni. Serve the stew by itself, and the broth and macaroni in a soup tureen. With bread these two dishes make a good dinner, at a cost of about twenty-five cents. You can sometimes use rice or dumplings instead of macaroni.
Cream Soup.—Proceed as for white broth, using the meat for a stew, skimming all the fat off the broth, and then adding to it two tablespoonfuls of flour mixed smooth with half a pint of milk; when the milk and flour are mixed smooth pour into them a gill of the boiling broth, and then add them to the soup; see if the seasoning is right, and boil it ten minutes, stirring it to prevent burning; during this time toast a few slices of stale bread, cut them in dice, and put them in the soup tureen; when the soup is ready pour it over the toast, take up the stew on another dish, and serve both together. They make a good dinner for about twenty-five cents.
Beef Broth.—Put two pounds of lean beef from the neck, (cost twelve cents,) in two and a half quarts of cold water to boil; skim as soon as it boils, and add a level tablespoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, quarter of a nutmeg grated, a few sweet herbs, and half a dozen cloves; (cost of seasoning two cents;) boil gently for one hour. At the end of quarter of an hour make as follows some
Norfolk Dumplings.—Mix by sifting together one pound of flour, one teaspoonful of salt, and two of baking-powder, (cost three cents;) make into a soft dough with one egg, half a pint of milk and a very little water, (cost four cents,) and drop them by the tablespoonful in the soup; be careful that the pot does not stop boiling, or the dumplings will be heavy.
At the end of three quarters of an hour stir together over the fire in a large sauce-pan one ounce each of butter and flour, (cost two cents,) and when they are nicely browned, gradually add, and mix with an egg-whip or large fork, a pint of the boiling soup. Take up the meat and dumplings on the same dish, strain the soup into the sauce you have just made, and mix it thoroughly; put a little of it overthe meat and dumplings, and serve the rest in the soup tureen; it is very nice with small dice of toast in it.
Both dishes make an excellent dinner, at a cost of about twenty-five cents, including bread.
Meat Brewis.—This palatable dish is made by putting the thick upper or under crust of a stale loaf of bread into the pot when any meat or soup is boiling, and letting it remain about five minutes to thoroughly absorb the broth; it should then be taken out as whole as possible, and eaten at once. It is satisfactory, nutritious and economical; enough for a hearty meal costing not more than five cents.
PEAS, BEANS, LENTILS, AND MAIZE.
Before giving you receipts for cooking peas, beans, and lentils, I want to show you how important they are as foods. I have already spoken of the heat and flesh forming properties of food as the test of its usefulness; try to understand that a laboring man needs twelve ounces and a half of heat food, and half an ounce of flesh-food every day to keep him healthy. One pound, or one and a quarter pints of dried peas, beans, or lentils, contains nearly six ounces of heat food, and half an ounce of flesh food; that is, nearly as much heat-food, and more than twice as much flesh food as wheat. A little fat, salt meat, or suet, cooked with them, to bring up their amount of heat-food to the right point, makes either of them the best and most strengthening food a workingman can have. The only objection to their frequent use is the fact that their skins are sometimes hard to digest; but if you make them into soup, or pudding, rubbing them through a sieve after they are partly cooked, you will be safe from any danger.
Oatmeal and Peas.—Cut quarter of a pound of fat pork or bacon, (cost four cents,) into pieces half an inch square; put it in the bottom of a pot with two sliced onions, (cost one cent,) and fry ten minutes without burning; season with two teaspoonfuls of salt, one of sugar, and one saltspoonful of pepper; (cost of seasoning one cent;) then add three quarts of cold water, and one pint of peas, (cost five cents,) andboil the whole gently until the peas become quite soft; then stir in enough oatmeal to thicken, about a quarter of a pound, (cost two cents or less;) simmer for twenty minutes, and then eat hot. It is the healthiest kind of a meal, and costs thirteen cents, or less.
Peas-Pudding.—Soak one pint of dried peas, (cost five cents,) in cold water over night; tie them loosely in a clean cloth, and boil them about two hours in pot-liquor or water, putting them into it cold and bringing them gradually to a boil; drain them, pass them through a sieve with a wooden spoon, season them with a level tablespoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of pepper, one ounce of butter, and one egg, (all of which will cost five cents,) mix, tie in a clean cloth, and boil half an hour longer; then turn it from the cloth on a dish, and serve hot. This receipt makes a good large pudding for ten cents; or you can leave out the egg and it will cost less.
Peas and Bacon.—Put one pound of bacon, (cost twelve cents,) to boil in two and a half quarts of cold water, with one pint of dried peas, (cost five cents;) when the peas are soft, drain them, press them through a sieve, lay them neatly on a flat dish, place the bacon on them, and set them in the oven to brown. Meantime strain any water which may remain after boiling them, and thicken it over the fire with Indian meal, in the proportion of four or five tablespoonfuls to each pint, so as to make it thick enough to cut and fry when cold; boil it about one hour, and then cool it.
As soon as the peas and bacon are brown, serve them with boiled potatoes or bread, (about five cents' worth of either;) they make a good dinner, and with the hasty pudding, cost only about twenty-five cents.
Baked Peas.—Proceed as directed for peas-pudding, only instead of putting the peas again in the cloth put them in a pudding-dish, and brown them in the oven. A large dish costs only ten cents.
Peas and Onions.—Proceed as directed for peas pudding, omitting the egg, and substituting for it an onion chopped and fried in an ounce of drippings; bake as in the previous receipt. The cost will be about ten cents, and the dish is exceedingly nutritious.
Baked Beans.—Put one pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) and quarter of a pound of salt pork, (cost four cents,) into two quarts of cold water; bring them to a boil, and boil them slowly for about twenty minutes; then put the beans, with about a teacupful of the water they were boiled in, into an open jar, season them with salt andpepper to taste, and one tablespoonful of molasses, (cost of seasoning one cent,) lay the pork on the top, and bake two hours, or longer. The dish will cost about ten cents, and is palatable and nutritious. The liquor in which the beans were boiled should be saved, and used the next morning as broth, with seasoning and a little fried or toasted bread in it.
Stewed Beans.—Soak a pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) over night in cold water; put them to boil in a quart of cold water with one ounce of drippings, a level tablespoonful of salt, and quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, and boil them gently for two hours. Then drain them, put them into a sauce pan with one ounce of butter and a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, and after heating them through, serve them at once. The drippings, butter, and seasoning, will not cost more than four cents, and the whole dish can be made for ten.
Fried Beans.—Proceed as above, omitting the parsley, and letting the butter get hot in a frying pan, before putting the beans in; fry them a little, stirring them so that they will brown equally, and then serve them. The dish will cost ten cents.
Beans and Bacon.—Soak a pint of dried beans, (cost six cents,) over night in cold water; put them over the fire in one quart of cold water, with quarter of a pound of bacon, (cost three cents,) and boil them gently for about two hours; then stir in two tablespoonfuls of flour mixed smooth with a little cold water, season to taste with pepper, salt, and if you like it a little chopped onion, and let them stew gently for about ten minutes; they will then be ready to serve. The dish will cost ten cents.
Lentils.—Lentils have been used for food in older countries for a long time, and it is quite necessary that we should become acquainted with their merits if we want to save; I give a lentil soup, and some excellent directions for cooking this invaluable food. One quart of lentils when cooked will make four pounds of hearty food. There are two varieties in market; the small flat brown seed, called lentilsà la reine; and a larger kind, about the size of peas, and of a greenish color; both sorts are equally well flavored and nutritious; they cost ten cents a pound, and can be bought at general groceries. The seed of the lentil tare, commonly cultivated in France and Germany as an article of food, ranks nearly as high as meat as a valuable food, being capable of sustaining life and vigor for a long time; this vegetable isgradually becoming known in this country, from the use of it by our French and German citizens; and from its nutritive value it deserves to rank as high as our favorite New England Beans.
Lentils boiled plain.—Wash one pound, or one full pint of lentils, (cost ten cents,) well in cold water, put them over the fire, in three quarts of cold water with one ounce of drippings, one tablespoonful of salt, and a saltspoonful of pepper, (cost about one cent,) and boil slowly until tender, that is about three hours; drain off the little water which remains, add to the lentils one ounce of butter, a tablespoonful of chopped parsley, a teaspoonful of sugar, and a little more salt and pepper if required, (cost about three cents,) and serve them hot. Always save the water in which they are boiled; with the addition of a little thickening and seasoning, it makes a very nourishing soup.
Stewed Lentils.—Put a pint of plain boiled lentils into a sauce pan, cover them with any kind of pot-liquor, add one ounce of chopped onion, two ounces of drippings, quarter of an ounce of chopped parsley, and stew gently for twenty minutes; serve hot. This dish costs about ten cents.
Fried Lentils.—Fry one ounce of chopped onion brown in two ounces of drippings, add one pint of plain boiled lentils, see if they are properly seasoned, and brown them well; serve hot. This dish costs about ten cents, and is very good, and as nutritious as meat.
Maize, or Indian Corn Meal.—This native product is a strong and nutritious food, and very economical; in addition to the ordinary hasty-pudding, or mush, it can be cooked with a little pot-liquor, meat, or cheese, so as to be both good and wholesome. Below are some excellent receipts for cooking it.
Polenta.—Boil one pound of yellow Indian meal, (cost four cents,) for half an hour, in two quarts of pot-liquor or boiling water, salted to taste, with one ounce of fat, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning; then bake it for half an hour in a greased baking dish, and serve it either hot, or, when cold, slice it and fry it in smoking hot fat. This favorite Italian dish is closely allied to the hasty-pudding of New England, and the mush of the South. It costs five cents.
Cheese Pudding.—Into two quarts of boiling water, containing two tablespoonfuls of salt, stir one pound of yellow Indian meal, (cost four cents,) and a quarter of a pound of grated cheese, (cost four cents;) boil it for twenty minutes, stirring it occasionally to prevent burning;then put it in a greased baking pan, sprinkle over the top quarter of a pound of grated cheese, (cost four cents,) and brown in a quick oven. Serve hot. If any remains, slice it cold and fry it brown. It costs twelve cents.
Hasty-Pudding.—Have boiling upon the fire two quarts of water with a level tablespoonful of salt; sprinkle in gradually one pound of Indian meal, (cost four cents,) stirring constantly to prevent lumps; and boil steadily for one hour, stirring occasionally. The secret of making good hasty-pudding is to boil it long enough to thoroughly cook it. Some persons first mix the meal with cold water until it forms a thick batter, and then stir this into the boiling water. The pudding can be eaten with a little milk, butter, or molasses, if they are desirable additions; or with some meat gravy, or melted and seasoned suet. When cold it is good sliced and fried.
Johnny Cake.—Mix one pound of Indian meal, (cost four cents,) one ounce of lard, (cost one cent,) and one teaspoonful of salt, with sufficient boiling water to make a stiff batter; put it by the tablespoonful into a greased baking pan, and bake it thoroughly. Five cents' worth makes a hearty meal, with a little butter or molasses.
Indian Cakes.—These are prepared in the same way as Johnny Cake, except that the batter is made about as thin as buckwheat cakes, and baked upon a greased griddle over the fire instead of in the oven. The most economical way of greasing the griddle is to put a small piece of fat salt pork upon a fork and rub it over the surface of the griddle after it is well heated.
Indian Bread.—Mix into one quart of boiling water enough Indian meal to make a thin batter, about a quarter of a pound, (cost one cent;) when it has cooled, stir into it one pound of wheat flour, (cost four cents,) a level tablespoonful of salt, and one gill of yeast; let it rise overnight, and then bake it in loaves.
Boiled Indian Pudding.—Dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda in one pint of sour milk, add to it one pint of molasses, (cost five cents,) quarter of a pound of chopped suet, (cost two cents,) half a pound of Indian meal, (cost two cents,) and a level teaspoonful of salt; if you have no milk use boiling water instead of it; put the pudding into a scalded pudding bag, or a pudding kettle, and this into a pot of boiling water; boil steadily for four hours, adding boiling water as the quantitydecreases. The pudding when cooked may be eaten with sauce or molasses, if desired; it will cost about ten cents.
Baked Indian Pudding.—Stir into a quart of boiling milk, (cost eight cents,) quarter of a pound of Indian meal, (cost one cent,) one level teaspoonful of salt, the same of spice, and one ounce of butter, (cost two cents;) last of all add one pint of cold milk, (cost four cents,) or milk and water. Pour the pudding into an earthen dish, and bake slowly for three hours. It will cost about fifteen cents, and be very nice.
There is as much difference in the quality of Indian meal as there is in its preparation; Southern meal is undoubtedly finer than Northern, and Southern cooks are proverbial for their skill in using it. I am indebted for some of the preceding receipts to a friend in Maryland, and I advise my readers to buy Southern meal, if they can get it, and test them thoroughly. Meal that is ground by hand or water power is superior to that ground by steam, because it is less heated in the process.
Indian corn is an excellent food in temperate and warm climates; and from its abundant yield, and easy cultivation, it is one of the cheapest of cereals. It contains the nitrates, or flesh-forming properties, in an excessive degree. It is a palatable and nutritious diet whether eaten green, parched, or ground into meal.
CHEAP FISH AND MEAT DINNERS.
I have already spoken of the value of fish as strengthening food, and in support of what I say I need only to remind you how vigorous and healthy the inhabitants of the sea coast usually are, especially if they eat red-blooded fish. This fact, in connection with the abundance and cheapness of fish makes it an important article in the dietary of the good housekeeper.
Fish may be cooked by boiling, baking, broiling, and frying; boiling is the least economical method of cooking fish, and fish soup, orfish chowder the most saving; broiled fish wastes but little of its nutriment, but its bulk is decreased; baked fish ranks next to fish soup in point of economy.
Fish are preserved for winter use by cleaning them, rubbing them with salt, packing them in layers, and covering them with brine. An excellent way of pickling fish is to clean them, cut off the heads, tails, and fins, wash them, and then rub them well with salt and spice, pack them in layers in an earthen crock or deep dish, cover them with vinegar, and tie the jar over with buttered paper; they are then ready to bake slowly for about four hours; and will keep for three or four weeks after they are cooked.
In London, and other large English cities, where fried fish forms an important item of popular food, it is cooked with great care, and in such a manner as to retain all its nourishing qualities. It is well washed in salted water, dried on a clean cloth, cut in slices if large, dipped in a rather thin batter, made of flour, salt, pepper, and cold water, and then dropped into a pan containing plenty of fat heated until it is smoking hot, but does not boil; the pan is then taken from the fire, and by the time the fat is growing cool the fish is cooked. A novice would do best by maintaining the fat at the proper degree of heat until the fish is cooked.
The receipts which I give for fish are calculated to produce compound dishes from it, hearty enough to make the bulk of a meal.
Fish and Potato Pie.—Use any cheap fish which does not cost more than five or six cents a pound, such as cod, haddock, or blue-fish; cut two pounds of fish, (cost twelve cents,) in pieces about an inch thick and two inches long; lay them in a deep dish with a pint of cold gravy of any kind, or cold water, season with a tablespoonful each of chopped parsley and onion, and a teaspoonful of salt, pepper, and thyme, mixed together in equal quantities, and sprinkled among the fish; put it into the oven for fifteen or twenty minutes to partly cook. Put one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) into boiling water, and boil until soft enough to mash; mash them, season them with salt and pepper, and put them over the fish, which you must take from the oven, as a crust; return the pie again to the oven to brown the crust, and then serve it with bread and butter. Twenty-five cents will cover the cost of all, and the dinner will be a good one.
Fish Pudding.—Make a plain paste by mixing quarter of apound of lard or sweet drippings, (cost three cents,) with half a pound of flour, (cost two cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and just water enough to make a stiff paste; roll it out; line the edges of a deep pudding dish with it half way down; fill the dish with layers of fresh codfish cut in small pieces, using two pounds, (cost twelve cents,) season each layer with salt, pepper, chopped parsley, and chopped onions, using one tablespoonful of salt, one saltspoonful of pepper, two bay leaves, a saltspoonful of thyme, four ounces of onion, and half an ounce of parsley, (cost five cents;) fill up the dish with any cold gravy, milk, or water, cover with paste, and bake fifteen minutes in a quick oven; finish by baking half an hour in a moderate oven; serve hot.
With bread the dinner will cost twenty-five cents.
Fish and Potato Pudding.—Wash and peel one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) peel and slice about six ounces of onions, (cost one cent,) skin and bone two bloaters or large herrings, (cost five cents,) put all these ingredients into a baking dish in layers, seasoning them with a dessertspoonful of salt and a saltspoonful of pepper; pour over them any cold gravy you have on hand, or add two or three ounces of drippings; if you have neither of these, water will answer; bake the pudding an hour and a half; serve hot, with bread. If you use drippings or milk the entire seasoning will cost you less than five cents; and the whole dinner, which is excellent, not more than fifteen cents.
Codfish Steaks.—Two pounds of codfish, (which costs at the market from four to seven cents,) can be cut in steaks, dried well, and either dipped in flour, or thin batter of flour, salt, pepper, and water, and fried in smoking hot fat, or can be served with a quart of boiled potatoes, (cost three cents,) and plenty of bread and butter, at the rate of about twenty cents a meal.
Red Herrings with Potatoes.—Soak a dozen herrings, (cost ten cents,) in cold water for one hour; dry and skin them, split them down the back, and lay them in a pan with two ounces of drippings, two ounces of onion chopped fine, a saltspoonful of pepper, and three tablespoonfuls of vinegar, (cost two cents,) and set them in a moderate oven to brown for ten or fifteen minutes; meantime, boil one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) with a ring of the paring taken off, in plenty of boiling water and salt, pouring off the water as soon as they are tender, and letting them stand on the back of the fire, covered with a dry towel, for five minutes; serve them with the herrings, taking care todish both quite hot. With bread and butter a plentiful dinner can be had for about twenty-two cents.
Cheap Meats.—Those parts of meat which are called the cheap cuts, such as the head, brains, tongue, tripe, kidneys, haslet or pluck, feet, and tail, are eaten much more frequently in Europe than in this country, and are worthy of all the use they get there; for their proportion of flesh-forming elements is large; this is especially the case with the lights or lungs, but as they are rather difficult to digest, they should be thoroughly cooked, and never eaten alone. Tripe and pigs' feet, on the contrary, are very easily digested; but on this account are not as satisfactory food as that which remains longer in the stomach; although they are both savory and cheap.
Be careful to keep all meat stews closely covered, or a great deal of the nutriment of the meat will escape in the steam.
Sheeps' Head Stew.—Thoroughly clean a sheeps' head, weighing about three pounds, (cost about ten cents,) put it over the fire with quarter of a pound of rice, (cost three cents,) two cents' worth of onions sliced, a level tablespoonful of salt, quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, and three pints of cold water; bring it slowly to a boil, skimming it carefully, and then add five cents' worth of carrots and turnips, peeled and quartered; let all simmer gently together for two hours, being careful to remove all grease, and see if the seasoning is correct, before dishing the stew. With bread, or boiled potatoes, the meal will cost about twenty-five cents.
Oxtail Stew.—Put two jointed oxtails, (cost about ten cents,) over the fire in one quart of cold water, and scald them, to remove the strong flavor; then roll the joints in flour, season them with salt and pepper, and pack them in an earthen jar, with one onion chopped, and one quart of potatoes peeled and sliced; the vegetables and seasoning will cost about five cents; add one pint of water, put on the cover of the jar, and cement it in place with a paste of flour and water, which you must grease a little to prevent cracking; then put the jar into a moderately hot oven, and bake it about four hours. With the addition of bread and butter it makes a hearty meal, and costs about twenty-two cents.
Beef Pie.—Cut in two inch pieces two pounds of the neck of beef, (cost twelve cents,) brown them quickly in one ounce of drippings, (cost one cent,) season them with pepper and salt, put them into a pudding dish in layers with one cents' worth of chopped onion, and one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) peeled and sliced; add enough cold water to cover the beef and vegetables, and put over them a crust made of one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) and quarter of a pound of lard, (cost three cents,) put it for fifteen minutes into a hot oven, and then bake for an hour and a half in a moderate one. It will cost less than twenty-five cents, and be an abundant meal.
Baked Heart.—Thoroughly wash a beef's heart, (cost ten cents,) stuff it with half a loaf of stale bread, (cost two cents,) moistened with warm water and seasoned with one teaspoonful of salt, quarter of a teaspoonful each of pepper, chopped parsley and sweet herbs, an onion chopped, and one ounce of sweet drippings (cost of all these two cents;) lay it in a dripping pan with five cents' worth of parsnips scraped and washed, and bake in a moderate oven about two hours. It may be baked in an earthen jar, like the oxtail stew, and all its goodness will be saved.
Parsnips are exceedingly nutritious and cheap, but if they are not liked potatoes may be substituted for them.
The entire dinner with bread and butter will cost about twenty-five cents.
Stewed Kidneys and Potatoes.—Wash one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) pare off one ring from each, and put them to boil in well salted boiling water. Choose a very fresh beef's kidney, (cost fifteen cents,) cut it in thin slices, removing all the white vessels and membranes, fry it quickly for five minutes in one ounce of smoking hot drippings, (cost one cent,) season it with half a teaspoonful of salt, and quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper, a teaspoonful each of chopped parsley, onion, and vinegar; shake into it from the dredging box one tablespoonful of flour, add one pint of boiling water, and boil gently for fifteen minutes. By this time the potatoes will be done, and both dishes must be served at once, because the kidneys will grow tough and indigestible if they are cooked more than twenty minutes in all. They will make a plentiful dinner, including bread and butter, for about twenty-five cents.
Pig's Kidneysmay be cooked in the same manner, and enough can be bought for ten cents to make a good sized dish.
Kidney Pudding.—Cut the kidneys, season, and stew them as above, making meantime a crust from one pound of flour, two teaspoonfulls ofsalt, and one of baking powder, sifted together; mix into these ingredients four ounces of finely chopped suet, (cost two cents,) make them into a paste with about one pint of cold water; use part of this to line a deep pudding dish, into which put the stewed kidneys; cover the dish with the rest of the paste, and bake it about an hour and a quarter in a regular, moderately hot oven. The pudding will cost about thirty cents.
Gammon Dumpling.—Make a plain paste of one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) one dessertspoonful of salt, and one of baking powder, quarter of a pound of finely chopped suet or scraps, (cost two cents,) and sufficient cold water to mix it to a stiff dough; roll this out about half an inch thick, spread over it half a pound of any cheap cut of bacon or ham, finely chopped, (cost six cents,) roll up the dumpling as you would a roly-poly pudding, tie it tightly in a clean cloth, and boil it in boiling water, or boiling pot-liquor, for about three hours. Do not let the pot stop boiling, or the dumpling will be heavy. Serve it hot, with one quart of plain boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The dinner will cost fifteen cents.
Bacon and Apple Roly-poly.—Boil a pound of bacon, (cost twelve cents,) for half an hour; then slice it thin; peel and slice three cents' worth of apples and the same quantity of onions; make a stiff dough of one pound of flour, (cost four cents,) a teaspoonful of salt, and cold water; roll it out half an inch thick; lay the bacon, apples, and onion all over it, roll it up, tie it tightly in a clean cloth, and boil it about two hours, in plenty of boiling water. Serve it with three cents' worth of boiled potatoes, or boiled cabbage. The dinner will cost twenty-five cents.
Mutton and Onions.—Choose a shoulder of mutton weighing about three pounds, which you can buy at six cents a pound; wipe it thoroughly with a damp cloth, put it into a pot half full of boiling water, with a tablespoonful of salt, and boil it gently for two hours, skimming the pot as often as any scum rises. Half an hour before it is done slice one quart of onions, (cost five cents,) boil them in a pint of boiling water for about twenty minutes, add one ounce of butter, (cost two cents,) half a pint of milk, (cost two cents,) four tablespoonfuls of flour (cost one cent,) one teaspoonful of salt, and pepper to taste. When you have put the onions over the fire, pare rings off a quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) and boil them in well salted boiling water. Haveall three dishes ready at once, and serve them together hot. Save the broth from the mutton, and the next morning boil it up once, and serve it for breakfast, with half a loaf of stale bread, toasted, and cut in dice; or boil in it for twenty minutes a quarter of a pound of rice or macaroni.
The dinner will cost you about thirty cents, and you have on hand the broth for breakfast.
Pork and Onions.—Three pounds of the neck, or spare ribs, of fresh pork, which you can buy at the packing houses for three cents a pound, can be made into a capital dinner, which will cost only about twenty cents, by following the above receipt.
Veal and Rice.—Put the scrag end of a neck of veal, which you can usually buy for ten cents, into a pot half full of boiling water, with a half tablespoonful of salt, and half a pound of bacon, or salt pork, (cost six cents,) half a pound of rice, (cost five cents,) and an onion stuck with six cloves; boil it gently for three hours, and then serve it hot, the meat in the middle of the platter, and the rice laid around it. The broth may be served for breakfast, as in the receipt for MUTTON AND ONIONS.