The Myrtle Reed Cook Book

SUBSTITUTES FOR MEAT

Certain things are well suited to replace meat at the breakfast table. It is a good idea to bar out the potato, unless in hash, for the simple reason that the humble vegetable appears at dinner about three hundred and sixty-five days in the year, and even a good thing may be worked to death. Americans have been accused, not altogether unjustly, of being “potato mad.” Potato left-overs can be used at luncheon, if not in hash for breakfast.

FRIED EGGPLANT

Slice the eggplant in slices one third of an inch thick, pare, put into a deep dish, and cover with cold water well salted. Soak one hour. Drain, wipe, dip in egg and crumbs, and fry brown.

BROILED MUSHROOMS

Choose large, firm mushrooms. Remove the stems, peel, wash, and wipe dry. Rub with melted butter and broil. Serve with a sauce made of melted butter, lemon-juice, and minced parsley.

FRIED MUSHROOMS

Prepare as above, dip in egg and crumbs, and fry in deep fat. Or sauté in butter in the frying-pan. Breaded mushrooms may be broiled if dipped in melted butter or oil before broiling.

BAKED MUSHROOMS

Prepare as above. Place in a shallow earthen baking-dish, hollow side up, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place a small piece of butter on each. Baste with melted butter and a few drops of lemon-juice. Serve very hot, on buttered toast.

GRILLED MUSHROOMS

Cut off the stalks, peel, and score lightly the under side of large, firm, fresh mushrooms. Sprinkle with pepper and salt and soak a few moments in oil. Drain and broil. Serve with lemon quarters and garnish with parsley.

FRENCH TOAST

Make a batter of two eggs, well beaten, a cupful of milk, a tablespoonful of melted butter, and spice or grated lemon- or orange-peel to flavor. Dip the trimmed slices of bread in this batter and fry brown in butter.

CORN OYSTERS

Two cupfuls of green corn, grated, half a cupful of milk, one cupful of sifted flour, two eggs, a teaspoonful of salt and one tablespoonful each of butter and lard. Beat the yolks of the eggs, add the milk, then the flour and salt. Beat to a smooth batter, add the corn, then beat again, adding the well beaten whites of the eggs last. Put the lard and butter into a frying-pan, and when very hot put in the batter by small spoonfuls. Brown on one side, then turn. If the batter is too thick, add a little more milk. The thinner the batter, the more delicate and tender the oysters will be. Canned corn may be used, if it is chopped very fine, but it is not so good. By scoring deeply with a sharp knife each row of kernels on an ear of corn, the pulp may be pressed out with a knife. The corn may be cut from the cob and chopped, but the better way is to press out the pulp.

Regardless of the allurements of wood and field, it is always safest to buy mushrooms at a reliable market. So many people are now making a business of raising them that they are continually getting cheaper. The silver spoon test is absolutely worthless. In fact, the only sure test is the risky one: “Eat it, and if you live it’s a mushroom—if you die it’s a toadstool.” However, when buying mushrooms of a reliable dealer, one takes practically no risk at all, and, even at the highest price, a box of mushrooms is much cheaper than a really nice funeral.

EGGS

Various rules have been given for testing the freshness of eggs, but there is only one which is reliable, and it is, perhaps, the most simple of all. It is merely this: open the egg and look at the contents in a strong light. It is better to hold it near the eyes and at the same time take a deep breath inward.

Strictly fresh eggs come from the country sometimes with the date of their appearance stamped indelibly in purple on the egg. This is done by giving the hens chopped calendars with their meals. Care should be taken, however, to furnish this year’s calendar. Nobody wants an egg with a last-year’s date on it and the error is likely to disarrange the digestion of the hen. Eggs flavored with onions or tomatoes are secured by turning the hens into a neighbor’s vegetable garden. A certain florist feeds his unsold roses to his hens and sells rose-flavored eggs to his customers at a fancy price. The hint is well worth remembering. Violet-flavored eggs might be had, doubtless, in the same way.

At a formal breakfast, all precautions should be taken to insure the freshness of the eggs. A conscientious hostess would be very much mortified if she served chicken out of its proper course.

POACHED EGGS

Use a skillet, or muffin-rings placed in a pan of water, not too deep. The water should barely cover the eggs. Bring the water to the boiling point, drop in the eggs carefully, one at a time, and remove from the fire immediately. Cover the pan and let stand until cooked. A teaspoonful of lemon-juice or vinegar in the water will keep the whites firm and preserve the shape of the eggs. Poached eggs are usually served on thin slices of buttered toast. Take up with a skimmer and let drain thoroughly before placing on the toast. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. As every other writer who has given directions for poaching eggs has said that “the beauty of a poached egg is for the yolk to be seen blushing through the veiled white,” the author of this book will make no allusion to it.

SCRAMBLED EGGS

Put two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter into a frying-pan. When it sizzles, break into it quickly six fresh eggs and mix thoroughly with a silver spoon for two minutes without stopping. Season with salt and pepper and a slight grating of nutmeg if desired. Scrambled eggs should be thick and creamy.

SCRAMBLED EGGS—II

Have one cupful of cold cooked asparagus tips ready. In boiling asparagus its color will keep better if the smallest possible pinch of baking soda be added to the water. It should be cooked quickly in an uncovered saucepan. Prepare the eggs as for Scrambled Eggs—II, and when they begin to thicken, put in the asparagus tips and stir until the eggs are done. One half cupful of the asparagus tips to each three eggs is about the right proportion, but more may be added if desired. In making scrambles, allow one egg for each person and one extra for each three persons.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH DRIED BEEF

One cupful of minced dried beef, which has been soaked in boiling water for five minutes. Put it into melted butter, stir till the butter sizzles, then pour over six or seven-well-beaten eggs. Stir till the eggs are smooth and creamy. Serve at once. Any scramble may be served on toast if desired.

FRIED EGGS

Three tablespoonfuls of butter in the frying-pan. When it sizzles, slip in the broken eggs carefully, one at a time. Tip the pan and baste with the melted butter while cooking. If wanted crisp on both sides, turn the eggs over when the under side is done. Wet in cold water the saucer on which an egg is broken and the egg will not stick to it, but will slip easily into the pan. Olive oil may be used instead of butter, but the pan must be covered during the cooking, as the oil spatters.

FRIED EGGS AU BEURRE NOIR

Fry eggs as above, using butter or oil. When done, skim out, add more butter or oil to that in the pan, season with salt, pepper, vinegar, or lemon-juice, and let brown. When the butter is brown pour it over the fried eggs and serve.

EGGS À LA CRÊME

Make a cream sauce, using one tablespoonful of butter, two of flour, two cupfuls of milk, and pepper and salt to season. When the sauce is thick and creamy, add hard-boiled eggs coarsely chopped, and serve at once on toast. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

EGGS À LA TRIPE

Fry two sliced onions in butter, but do not brown. Stir in one cupful of milk or cream and enough flour to thicken, rubbed smooth in a little of the cream or milk. Season with salt, white pepper, and a bit of grated nutmeg. Stir till thick, then add eight hard-boiled eggs, sliced crosswise. Heat thoroughly and serve.

EGGS AU MIROIR

Butter a stone platter that will stand the heat of the oven. Break into it carefully enough fresh eggs to cover it, taking care not to break the yolks. Place in the oven till the eggs are set. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and minced parsley and serve at once.

EGGS WITH CREAMED CELERY

Make the cream sauce and put into it enough boiled celery, coarsely cut, to serve as a vegetable. Spread on buttered toast and lay a poached egg on each slice. The tough, unsightly portions of celery stalks may be used in this way.

CHICKEN LIVER SCRAMBLE

Use one cupful of chopped cooked chicken livers and six or seven well-beaten eggs. Prepare like other scrambles.

CHEESE SCRAMBLE

One half cupful of grated American cheese and six well-beaten eggs. Mix the cheese with the eggs before cooking.

EGGS À LA PAYSANNE

Put one half cupful of cream into a baking-dish, break into it six fresh eggs, and place in the oven till the eggs are set. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, minced parsley, and sweet green pepper.

EGGS À L’AURORE

Make the cream sauce and add to it the shredded whites of six or eight hard-boiled eggs. Spread on buttered toast and rub the yolks through a sieve, sprinkling each slice of toast with the powdered yolk. Sometimes called “Eggs à la Goldenrod.”

OYSTER SCRAMBLE

One cupful of oysters, cut fine. Pour boiling water over, drain on a fine sieve, and add six or seven well-beaten eggs. Prepare as other scrambles.

MUSHROOM SCRAMBLE

One cupful of cooked mushrooms, cut fine, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Serve on toast.

LOBSTER SCRAMBLE

One cupful of cold cooked lobster, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Mix before putting into the hot butter.

TOMATO SCRAMBLE

One cupful of stewed and strained tomato, or of fresh tomato peeled and rubbed through a sieve, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Mix before putting into the hot butter.

GREEN PEA SCRAMBLE

One cupful of cold cooked green peas, six or seven well-beaten eggs. Mix before beginning to cook.

HAM SCRAMBLE

One cupful of cold boiled ham, minced, mixed with eight well-beaten eggs. A little grated onion is an improvement.

BACON SCRAMBLE

One cupful of cooked sausage-meat, finely minced, mixed with six or seven well-beaten eggs before cooking. Or, use uncooked sausage-meat and prepare like Bacon Scramble.

SARDINE SCRAMBLE

Add the juice of half a lemon to one cupful of finely cut sardines. Use the oil from the can instead of butter. Beat six or seven eggs thoroughly and mix with the sardines before cooking.

TONGUE SCRAMBLE

One cupful finely minced cooked tongue, six or eight well-beaten eggs. Season with grated onion, shredded green pepper, or minced parsley.

EGGS WITH FINE HERBS

Use a heaping tablespoonful of minced parsley, chives, and tarragon to eight well-beaten eggs, mixing before putting into the hot butter.

MEXICAN EGGS

Split three sweet green peppers, lengthwise, and take out the seeds. Fry two minutes in very hot butter. Fry six very thin slices of ham and place on slices of toast, lay the peppers over the ham, and put a fried or a poached egg on each slice.

SPANISH EGGS

Cook together one cupful of stewed and strained tomato, one bean of garlic, finely minced, one chopped onion, and two sweet green peppers, seeded and chopped. Cook gently till reduced one half. Spread on thin slices of toast and lay a fried or poached egg on each slice.

CREAMED CHICKEN AND POACHED EGGS

Make a cream sauce, add one cupful of minced cooked chicken, spread on toast, and lay a poached egg on each slice.

BOILED EGGS—I

Put the eggs into a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil one minute and serve at once.

BOILED EGGS—II

Have a saucepan of water at a galloping boil. Drop in the eggs carefully, cover, and let stand till the eggs are cool enough to handle. They will be perfectly cooked and much more easily managed than if the shells were piping hot.

EGGS IN CRUSTS

Cut stale bread into slices an inch thick. Scoop out the centres of each slice and remove the crust. Rub with butter, drop an egg into each cavity, and put in a hot oven till the eggs are set.

EGGS IN RAMEKINS

Make toast and hollow the slices slightly in the centre. Mix grated cheese to a paste with milk and spread over the toast. Arrange on a stoneware platter or in a baking-dish, break an egg over each slice, sprinkle with more cheese, and place in a hot oven till the eggs are set.

BAKED EGGS WITH HAM

Make the cream sauce and add to it one cupful of cold cooked ham, finely minced. Butter custard cups, break an egg into each, and stand in a pan of hot water in the oven till the eggs are firm. Spread the minced ham on a platter or on slices of toast, and turn the eggs on to it. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced parsley.

CODDLED EGGS

Allow four tablespoonfuls of milk for each egg. Beat together thoroughly, cook in a double boiler till creamy, and serve on toast.

EGGS AND MUSHROOMS
(May Irwin’s Recipe)

One pound of fresh mushrooms cleaned well in several waters, and wiped dry. Put into a saucepan with two ounces of butter, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a dash of white pepper. Set over the fire till thoroughly hot, then turn into a shallow baking-dish, and break over them six eggs. Sprinkle with stale bread crumbs, dot with butter, dust with salt and pepper, and bake in a hot oven till the eggs are set. Serve on buttered toast.

EGGS IN AMBUSH

Scoop out the crumb from stale rolls, first cutting an even slice off the top. Toast or fry the shells thus made, or rub freely with butter and set into a piping hot oven until crisp and brown. Drop a fresh egg into each shell, add a little minced parsley or a teaspoonful of cream, if desired, or any preferred seasoning of minced fish, or meat, or vegetable. (See Eggs in Ramekins.) Bake in a hot oven till the eggs set, put on the covers, and serve. A pleasant surprise for the person who expects to find only a roll.

EGGS À LA MAÎTRE D’HÔTEL

Make a sauce of half a cupful of melted butter, the juice of half a lemon, and a teaspoonful of minced parsley. Cut hard-boiled eggs in slices lengthwise, arrange on buttered toast, and pour the sauce over the eggs, or, pour over poached eggs on toast just before serving.

POACHED EGGS ON ANCHOVY TOAST

Work a teaspoonful of anchovy paste, or more, if desired, into half a cupful of butter. Spread on thin slices of crisp toast and lay a poached egg on each slice.

EGGS SUR LE PLAT

Use recipe for Eggs sur le Plat. Arrange in ramekins or on slices of toast.

EGGS BAKED IN TOMATOES

Cut off a slice from the top (blossom end), of a small, ripe, well-shaped tomato. With a silver spoon scoop out the pulp carefully, sprinkle the inside with salt and drain for a few moments, upside down. Put a tablespoonful of seasoned bread crumbs in the bottom of the tomato, break a fresh egg into it, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and place in a hot oven until the egg is set. Prepare one tomato for each person.

SWISS EGGS

Rub a stoneware platter thickly with butter, cover it with very thin slices of fresh Gruyère cheese, break fresh eggs upon the cheese, sprinkle with grated nutmeg, pepper, and salt, pour half a cupful of cream over the eggs, sprinkle with the cheese, grated, and bake about a quarter of an hour in a hot oven. Serve on the same platter on which the eggs were baked.

CHICKEN SCRAMBLE

Use one cupful of cold cooked chicken, shredded or chopped, to seven well-beaten eggs, and prepare like other scrambles. A bit of green pepper or of chopped pimento is an agreeable addition.

EGGS À LA BONNE FEMME

Fry two sliced onions brown in butter, then add a tablespoonful of vinegar. Butter a platter, spread the fried onions over it, break upon it six fresh eggs, sprinkle with crumbs, dot with butter, and bake in a hot oven until the eggs are set.

EGGS À LA BOURGEOISE

Cut slices of bread half an inch thick and trim off the crust, lay on a buttered platter, and sprinkle with grated cheese. Beat eggs enough to cover the bread, season with salt and pepper and grated nutmeg, pour over the bread and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are set.

EGGS À LA ST. CATHERINE

Select smooth, shapely potatoes and bake until soft. Cut in halves lengthwise and scoop out a part of the pulp. Break an egg into each half, sprinkle with salt and pepper, add a teaspoonful of cream to each egg and bake in a moderate oven until the eggs are set. In the meantime, beat the white of an egg to a stiff froth, and work gradually into it the potato pulp which has been scooped out. Heap roughly over the baked eggs and keep in the oven till well puffed and brown. A little grated cheese or minced parsley may be sprinkled over the top.

EGGS IN PEPPERS

Cut a thin slice from the stem end of a green pepper and take out the seeds. Cut a slice from the smaller end, so that the pepper may stand straight, and put on a slice of buttered toast. Make a small hollow in the toast under the pepper and break an egg into each one. Bake until the eggs are set.

EGGS POACHED IN MILK

Butter a frying-pan, add a pint of milk, and bring the milk to a boil. Slip in fresh eggs, one at a time, and poach as usual. Skim out, season with salt and pepper, and put each egg on a slice of buttered toast. Pour the milk over and serve immediately.

EGGS À LA WASHINGTON

Lay a slice of fresh fried tomato on each slice of buttered toast. On each slice of tomato arrange some shredded sweet pepper, fried. Lay a poached egg on each slice, and sprinkle with parsley and sweet pepper minced together.

PIMENTO SCRAMBLE

Use the scarlet pimentos which come in cans. Chop rather coarsely and use half a cupful to each four eggs. Prepare like other scrambles.

EGGS À LA ESPAGNOLE

Make a cream sauce and add to it half a cupful of shredded pimentos. Spread over buttered toast and put a poached egg on each slice.

CODFISH SCRAMBLE

Use one cupful of shredded salt cod which has been freshened, and seven well-beaten eggs. Salt Mackerel, Finnan Haddie, Smoked Salmon, or other salt fish may be used. Clams, Caviare, Herring, Sturgeon, and many other left-overs are also acceptable.

STEAMED EGGS

Break fresh eggs into buttered custard cups and steam until set.

BAKED EGGS ON RASHERS OF BACON

Have ready some thin slices of bacon fried until transparent, but not crisp. Lay two strips of bacon on each slice of toast, arrange in a baking-pan, break an egg over each slice of toast, and bake until the egg is set.

SCRAMBLED EGGS IN CUPS

Prepare stale rolls as for Eggs in Ambush, but bake the buttered rolls until crisp and brown. Fill with scrambled eggs and serve immediately.

RICE SCRAMBLE

Use a cupful of cold cooked rice and eight well-beaten eggs and proceed as for other scrambles. A little milk or water may be necessary.

SURPRISE EGGS

Boil fresh eggs four minutes, skim out, plunge into cold water for an instant, then remove the shells. Dip each egg into egg and crumbs, then fry in deep fat.

JAPANESE EGGS

Spread hot boiled rice on a platter, season with melted butter, lemon-juice, and minced parsley. Poach six eggs and arrange them on the rice.

RUMBLED EGGS

Beat three fresh eggs with two tablespoonfuls of butter, and add a teaspoonful of milk. Stir over a moderate fire until it puffs up, then serve at once on buttered toast.

EGGS À LA WALDORF

Beat six eggs with half a cupful of cream, half a teaspoonful of salt, and a sprinkle of pepper. Cut two large mushrooms into dice and fry one minute in two tablespoonfuls of butter. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms and stir rapidly until it begins to thicken, then take from the fire and beat until smooth and creamy. Serve at once on buttered toast.

WHIPPED EGGS

Beat six eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. Mix thoroughly, season with salt and pepper, and pour into two quarts of salted water at a galloping boil. Stir one minute, then drain through a fine sieve. Serve on buttered toast and garnish with crisp rashers of bacon.

ESCALLOPED EGGS

Make the cream sauce. Have ready eight hard-boiled eggs and some dried bread crumbs. Butter ramekins, put in a layer of crumbs, then sliced eggs, then butter in tiny dots, then sauce, and so on, until the dish is full, having crumbs and butter on top. A little grated cheese may be sprinkled over the top. If too dry, moisten with a little milk or cream. Bake until brown.

POACHED EGGS WITH CREAMED SALMON

Make a cream sauce and reheat in it either canned salmon, or a cupful of salt or smoked salmon. Spread on buttered toast and lay a poached egg on each slice. Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with lemon quarters.

EGGS À LA MARTIN

Boil six eggs four minutes, plunge into cold water, then remove the shells. Arrange in a baking-dish, or in ramekins, cover with cream sauce, sprinkle with bread crumbs and a little grated cheese, dot with butter, and bake until brown.

OMELETS

“To make an omelet, you must first break eggs.”—French Proverb.

So many different methods for making omelets are given, in works of recognized authority, that it seems as if any one who had an egg and an omelet pan could hardly go amiss. Yet failures are frequent, as every omelet-maker knows.

French writers say positively that no liquid of any sort must be added to an omelet—that it contains eggs and eggs alone, beaten just enough to break the yolks. American authorities add milk or water, or beat the eggs separately, the whites to a stiff froth. One of them makes a clear distinction between an omelet and a puffy omelet; the puffy omelet, of course, being made by folding in the stiffly beaten whites before cooking. Some say milk makes it tough, and others say water makes it stringy. Suffice it to say, however, that a perfect omelet is a matter of experience and a deft hand. All writers agree that small omelets are more easily made than large ones, and it is better to do it twice or even three times than to have too many eggs in one omelet. Below are given the various methods, from which the would-be omelet-maker may choose. All of them have the stamp of good authority.

OMELET—I

Break the eggs into a bowl, add as many tablespoonfuls of cold water as there are eggs. Beat the eggs well, then season with salt and pepper, and pour into a thin, smooth frying-pan which contains a tablespoonful of melted butter. With a thin knife lift the cooked portion of the egg and allow the uncooked portion to run down into the butter, meanwhile gently rocking the pan back and forth. When creamy, begin at the side of the pan nearest the handle and roll the omelet, using a little butter if needed.

OMELET—III

Prepare as above, using milk instead of water.

OMELET—IV

Separate the whites and yolks of the eggs. Beat the yolks till thick and lemon colored and the whites until they stand alone. Fold together carefully, seasoning with salt and pepper, and adding a tablespoonful of cold water for each egg. Have two tablespoonfuls of butter in the frying-pan. When it is hot, pour in the egg mixture and let stand until the egg is set around the edge and a knife plunged into the centre comes out nearly clean. Then set the pan into the oven till the omelet puffs. Score slightly across the middle with a sharp knife, fold, and serve at once on a hot platter.

OMELET AUX FINES HERBES

Prepare Omelet I, and mix a tablespoonful of chopped parsley and chives with the eggs before cooking.

PEA OMELET

Prepare Omelet I. As soon as the eggs are in the frying-pan, add a cupful of cooked and drained peas, arranging carefully in the outermost half so that the other portion will fold over it. Finish as usual.

OMELET WITH ASPARAGUS TIPS

Have ready one cupful of cooked and drained asparagus tips. Prepare according to directions given for Pea Omelet.

MUSHROOM OMELET

Prepare Omelet I, adding half a cupful of grated Parmesan cheese, or dried and grated American cheese, to the egg mixture.

HAM OMELET

Have ready one cupful of cooked ham, very finely minced. Spread on half of the omelet and fold the other part over it.

OYSTER OMELET

See Oyster Omelet.

SHRIMP OMELET

One cupful of cooked and shredded shrimps. See Oyster Omelet

CRAB OMELET

One cupful of minced cooked crab meat. See Oyster Omelet.

LOBSTER OMELET

One cupful of cooked and shredded lobster. See Oyster Omelet.

TOMATO OMELET

One half cupful of stewed and strained tomatoes, or of fresh tomatoes peeled and rubbed through a sieve. Spread on the outermost half of the omelet, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and fold.

DRIED BEEF OMELET

One cupful of dried beef, shredded or minced. Cook five minutes in boiling water, drain in a cloth, spread on the outermost half of the omelet, and fold.

KIDNEY OMELET

Cut the kidneys into inch pieces, fry, drain, and finish as for Mushroom Omelet.

CHICKEN LIVER OMELET

One cupful of cooked chicken livers, cut in small pieces. See Oyster Omelet.

SAUSAGE OMELET

Spread the outer portion of an omelet with cooked sausage meat and fold as usual.

SARDINE OMELET

Rub to a paste with melted butter and lemon-juice enough sardines to make half a cupful. Spread thinly on the outer half of an omelet, and fold.

CHEESE OMELET II

Spread one cupful of grated cheese, Swiss, American, or Parmesan, on the outer portion of an omelet when the eggs are first put in the pan. Cook and fold as usual.

BLAZING OMELET

Make a plain omelet. Pour over it rum, kirsch, or brandy, ignite, and send to the table blazing. Serve as soon as the fire has gone out.

BACON OMELET

Cook a plain omelet in bacon fat instead of in butter and garnish with crisp rashers of bacon.

BACON OMELET II

Fry one cupful of minced bacon until crisp, drain off the fat, spread the bacon on half the omelet, and fold.

BREAD OMELET

Soak half a cupful of bread crumbs in half a cupful of milk and mix with the eggs before cooking.

OMELET À LA CRÊME

Make the cream sauce. Mix half a cupful of it with the omelet before cooking. Spread the rest of it on the outermost half of the omelet, finish, and fold as usual.

JELLY OMELET

Spread half of an omelet thinly with jelly—crabapple, currant, gooseberry, or quince, and fold.

SPANISH OMELET

Cook until thick one half can of tomatoes, one grated onion, one very finely minced bean of garlic, and one minced green pepper. Season with salt and paprika, spread on half the omelet, and fold.

TONGUE OMELET

Have ready a cupful of cold cooked tongue, minced or shredded. Spread on half the omelet, and fold.

CHICKEN OMELET

One cupful of cold cooked chicken, shredded or minced. Spread on half of the omelet, and fold.

CAULIFLOWER OMELET

One cupful of cold cooked cauliflower, with its sauce. Cut fine, spread on half the omelet, and fold.

ANCHOVY OMELET

Add a teaspoonful of anchovy paste to half a cupful of melted butter. Mix thoroughly, spread on half the omelet, and fold.

POTATO OMELET

One cupful of cooked potatoes, creamed or fried, cut in dice. Spread on half the omelet, sprinkle with salt, pepper, and minced parsley, and fold.

Almost any left-over can be advantageously used in an omelet. Fish, especially salt fish, meats, and vegetables, in quantities of half a cupful or more, preserved and fresh fruits, cereals—everything but soups, salads, and puddings. Roughly speaking, any omelet mixture can be added to the eggs before cooking, but as a general rule, it is better to spread it on half of the omelet and fold the other half over it, as otherwise the omelet is more likely to be heavy.

Sweet omelets are delicious. A teaspoonful of powdered sugar should be added to the eggs before cooking, and the fruit, jam, jelly, or preserves should be very thinly spread, as flavor is desired, not a dessert. Fresh fruits are cut fine and sprinkled with powdered sugar, spread on half the omelet, and the other half folded over. In the case of juicy fruits, such as oranges, the juice of the fruit is carefully saved and poured over the folded omelet just before serving.

Among the fresh fruits suitable for omelets are Apricots, Bananas, Blackberries, Cherries, Gooseberries, Grapefruit, Plums, Huckleberries, Oranges, Pineapples, Peaches, Raspberries, and Strawberries—all crushed very fine and sweetened; the juice, if any, being poured over the omelet.

Among the stewed and preserved fruits are Apples, Apricots, Cherries, Currants, Figs, Gooseberries, Peaches, Pears, Plums, Quinces, Rhubarb, and the various fruit jams. Rum or brandy poured over the omelet and set on fire just before serving is a pleasant addition to many of the fruit omelets, Fig especially.

QUICK BREADS

People who can eat hot breads for breakfast are always sorry for those who cannot. Quite often the internal dissension ascribed to the hot bread is due to something else, or to an undesirable combination of food elements in one and the same meal. Besides, hot bread is so good that it is sometimes eaten too quickly. This hint is of medical origin and is worth consideration. Almost any hot bread will be found harmless when baked a second time.

BAKING POWDER BISCUIT

Four cupfuls of sifted flour, shortening the size of an egg,—equal parts of butter and lard preferred,—two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Mix thoroughly, rubbing with the finger-tips till the flour is granular, like corn-meal. Add cold sweet milk to make a dough as soft as can be handled, roll out an inch thick, cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter, and bake in a hot oven. The dough must be handled as little as possible after putting in the milk.

QUICK BISCUIT

Two cupfuls of buttermilk, or of sour milk, a teaspoonful of baking soda, a tablespoonful of melted butter or lard, and flour to make a soft dough. Handle as little as possible, roll out, cut into circles with a biscuit cutter, and bake in a quick oven.

BUTTERMILK BISCUIT

Sift four cupfuls of flour, add a tablespoonful of melted lard, a pinch of salt, a teaspoonful of soda, and enough buttermilk to make a soft dough. Roll thin, handling as little as possible, cut into rounds, and bake in a quick oven.

EGG BISCUIT

Sift three cupfuls of flour, add a teaspoonful of salt, a tablespoonful of sugar, two eggs well beaten, a tablespoonful of melted lard, and a cupful of sweet milk to which has been added half a teaspoonful each of soda and cream of tartar. Work to a smooth dough, roll out half an inch thick, cut into circles with a biscuit cutter, and bake on buttered pans.

SOUR MILK BISCUIT

Four cupfuls of flour, one teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of butter or lard, and two cupfuls of sour milk. Or, leave out the butter and use sour cream. Mix the salt and soda with the flour and sift it. Rub in the shortening, mix with the milk, roll the dough half an inch thick, and cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter. Bake from twelve to fifteen minutes in a quick oven.

NEW YORK BISCUIT

Two eggs well beaten, one cupful of milk, one tablespoonful of melted lard, a pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder and four cupfuls of sifted flour. Roll out, cut into circles, and bake in a hot oven.

SOUTHERN BATTER BREAD

Half a cupful of cold boiled rice, two eggs beaten separately, two cupfuls of corn-meal, one tablespoonful of lard or butter, melted, a teaspoonful of salt, and two cupfuls of milk. Beat together till thoroughly mixed and bake quickly in buttered muffin-rings or in shallow baking-tins.

SPOON BREAD

Pour one cupful of boiling water over one cupful of white corn-meal. Add a pinch of salt, one cupful of cold boiled rice, three eggs, well beaten, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, and a cupful and a half of milk. Mix thoroughly and pour two inches deep into a buttered earthen baking-dish and bake till done. It should be like a baked custard and is served from the dish with a spoon. Cereals other than rice may be used, especially cerealine.

KENTUCKY BATTER BREAD

Two cupfuls of corn-meal, three eggs well beaten, one teaspoonful of salt, and one tablespoonful of melted butter. Mix with enough milk to make a thin batter. Pour into shallow buttered tins and bake about forty-five minutes in a quick oven.

SOFT BATTER BREAD

Two cupfuls of sweet milk, two cupfuls of buttermilk, one cupful of white corn-meal, half a teaspoonful of soda, one teaspoonful of salt, three eggs, and one tablespoonful of melted butter. Boil the milk and add the meal slowly, making a mush, then add the salt and butter, and cool. Add the eggs and a tablespoonful of milk in which the soda has been dissolved. Bake in a buttered pan in a moderate oven.

COLONIAL BREAKFAST BREAD

One cupful of flour, half a teaspoonful of salt, two cupfuls of rich milk, and seven eggs, well beaten. Bake in a buttered cake-tin and serve quickly.

ENGLISH BUNS

Rub half a cupful of butter into two cupfuls of flour, mix with a teaspoonful of salt and two of baking powder. Add three tablespoonfuls of sugar and half a cupful of cleaned currants. Mix well, add two eggs, well beaten, and enough milk to make into a dough. Roll out, cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter, and bake in a slow oven. The buns should be an inch thick when put into the oven.

SOUTHERN CORN PONE

Two cupfuls of yellow corn-meal, one cupful of flour, two cupfuls of milk, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one tablespoonful each of lard and butter, melted, and two well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly, spread thinly on a buttered baking-pan, and bake in a moderate oven.

SOUTHERN CORN PONE—II

Four cupfuls of corn-meal, one teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of melted lard, and enough cold water to make a soft dough. Mould into thin oblong cakes and bake quickly in a well-buttered pan.

SOUTHERN CORN PONE—III

One and three quarter cupfuls of white corn-meal, half a teaspoonful each of salt and soda, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one egg, well beaten, and one cupful of buttermilk. Bake in a buttered pan for half an hour.

CORN MUFFINS

Sift together three quarters of a cupful of corn-meal and the same of flour, half a teaspoonful each of salt and soda, and a tablespoonful of sugar. Mix with one egg, well beaten, and one cupful of thick sour milk. Bake from twenty to thirty minutes in well-buttered muffin-tins.

CORN MUFFINS

Make as Oatmeal Gems and bake in muffin-tins.

CORN MUFFINS—II

Mix one cupful of corn-meal with one cupful of boiling water, spread with butter, and let stand over night. In the morning, mix with one tablespoonful of sugar, two eggs, well beaten, three quarters of a cupful of sour milk, and one cupful of flour, sifted in with half a teaspoonful each of salt and soda. Bake half an hour in buttered muffin-rings.

CORN BREAD

Two heaping cupfuls of corn-meal, one cupful of flour, three eggs beaten separately, one tablespoonful of melted lard, two of sugar, two and a half cupfuls of milk, one teaspoonful of salt, and two of baking powder. Sift the dry materials into the milk, eggs, and shortening. Beat thoroughly, and bake half an hour in a buttered tin.

JOHNNY CAKE

One cupful of sweet milk, one cupful of buttermilk, one teaspoonful of salt, one of soda, and one tablespoonful of melted butter. Add enough corn-meal to roll into a sheet half an inch thick. Lay on a buttered baking-pan and bake till brown and crisp, basting occasionally with melted butter meanwhile. Break instead of cutting, and serve hot.

CORN DODGERS

Pour two cupfuls of boiling water over two cupfuls of corn-meal. Add a pinch of salt and drop by spoonfuls in a well-buttered shallow pan. Dot with butter and bake till crisp and brown, or bake on a griddle.

NEW ENGLAND CORN DODGERS

Two cupfuls of white corn-meal, two pinches of salt, and a teaspoonful of sugar sifted together. Dampen with boiling water and thin with cold milk to a batter which will keep its shape on a griddle. Butter the griddle and drop the batter on by spoonfuls. Put dots of butter on each dodger, and when crisp and brown on one side turn and brown on the other. Keep hot in the oven a few minutes before serving.

CORN DODGERS—III

Mix a teaspoonful of salt with two cupfuls of corn-meal. Pour over it enough boiling water to moisten and let stand ten minutes. Add three eggs, beaten separately, one cupful of milk, and a teaspoonful of baking powder. Thin with more milk if necessary and bake on a buttered griddle. Ham or bacon fat may be used in place of butter.

SOUTHERN HOECAKES

Add a teaspoonful of salt and a heaping teaspoonful of baking powder to one cupful and a third of corn-meal. Beat the yolks of two eggs until light, add a cupful of milk and beat hard for a few moments, then add the whites of the eggs beaten to a stiff froth. Put a tablespoonful of lard into a spider and drop in the batter by spoonfuls, turning when done on one side. Serve very hot.

CORN BREAD—II

One cupful of corn-meal, a teaspoonful each of salt and baking powder, a tablespoonful of butter or lard, melted, three eggs and a cupful and a half of milk. Mix the salt with the meal, beat the eggs, mix with the milk and pour over the meal, then sift in the baking powder, beat hard, and add the melted butter last. Pour into a baking-pan and bake in a hot oven.

CORN MUFFINS—III

One cupful of corn-meal, two cupfuls of buttermilk, a pinch of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, one egg, and a tablespoonful of melted lard. Beat the eggs, add the soda to the milk and lard, then mix with the meal. Bake in hot buttered muffin-rings filled half full.

CORN AND RICE MUFFINS

Two cupfuls of buttermilk, one cupful of white corn-meal, one teaspoonful of soda, a pinch of salt, one egg, half a cupful of cream, and half a cupful of boiled rice. Mash the rice, add the salt, egg, and cream, then the buttermilk mixed with the soda, then the meal. Bake in buttered muffin-pans in a quick oven.

BREAKFAST CORN BREAD

Two cupfuls of corn-meal, two cupfuls of sifted flour, one tablespoonful of sugar, one tablespoonful of lard or butter, one teaspoonful of salt, three teaspoonfuls of baking powder, two cupfuls of milk, and three eggs well beaten. Sift the dry ingredients and rub in the cold butter. Beat the eggs separately, the yolks with the milk, then the dry ingredients, and add the whites of the eggs last. Bake about half an hour in buttered shallow pans.

APPLE JOHNNY CAKE

Mix two cupfuls of corn-meal with half a cupful of sugar, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoonful of cream of tartar. Dissolve half a teaspoonful of soda in a cupful and a half of milk, stir in, and add three peeled and cored apples sliced very thin. Bake in a buttered shallow tin thirty-five minutes in a moderate oven.

CORN MUFFINS—IV

Beat two eggs very light, add one tablespoonful of melted butter, three tablespoonfuls of corn-meal, one teaspoonful of brown sugar, one heaping tablespoonful of flour, half a teaspoonful of baking powder and one cupful of milk. Mix thoroughly, pour into buttered muffin-tins, and bake in a quick oven.

CORN DODGERS—IV

Two cupfuls of corn-meal, one cupful of sour milk or buttermilk, one pinch of salt, one teaspoonful of soda, one egg well beaten. Bake on a hot griddle.

CORN MUFFINS—V

One cupful of yellow corn-meal, one cupful of flour, one heaping tablespoonful of sugar, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, one egg, well beaten, one cupful and a half of sweet milk, and a pinch of salt. Beat hard and bake in well buttered muffin-pans.

CORN PUFFS

Sift together one and two thirds cupfuls of flour, one cupful of meal, and two level teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Rub two tablespoonfuls of butter to a cream with three tablespoonfuls of sugar, add three well-beaten eggs and two cupfuls of milk. Combine mixtures, beat thoroughly, pour into well-buttered muffin-tins and bake.

FRUIT CORN MUFFINS

Two cupfuls of yellow corn-meal, one cupful of flour, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, a pinch of salt, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one tablespoonful of melted butter, two eggs, well beaten, one and one half cupfuls of milk, and one cupful of fruit. Dates, figs, prunes, or other fruits may be used. Stones should be removed and the fruit cut fine. Bake in well-buttered muffin-pans for about twenty minutes.

CORN AND HOMINY MUFFINS

Mash one cupful of cold boiled hominy with one cupful of corn-meal. Add a pinch of salt, a tablespoonful of sugar, a teaspoonful of baking powder, a tablespoonful of melted butter, one egg, well beaten, and one cupful of milk. Beat hard for five minutes, pour into buttered gem-pans, and bake fifteen or twenty minutes in a hot oven.

SOFT CORN BREAD

One cupful of corn-meal, one cupful of sour milk, a pinch of soda, one cupful of sweet milk, a tablespoonful of melted butter, a pinch of salt, and two well-beaten eggs. Mix thoroughly and bake in a deep baking-dish, well buttered.

FLORIDA CORN BREAD

One cupful of buttermilk, one cupful of sweet milk, one half teaspoonful of soda, two eggs, one cupful of corn-meal, and one teaspoonful of salt. Mix the buttermilk, sweet milk, and soda together, and when the soda is thoroughly dissolved, pour the milk over the beaten eggs. Add the corn-meal and beat thoroughly. Spread lard over the bottom and sides of the baking-tin, place in the oven until very hot, then pour in the batter and bake in a quick oven until a delicate brown.

CHARLESTON BREAKFAST CAKE

Beat together one cupful of sugar and one tablespoonful of melted butter. Add two eggs, beaten very light, a pinch of salt, a grating of nutmeg, and one cupful of milk. Sift in two cupfuls of flour and three level teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Bake in hot buttered muffin-tins or in a shallow baking-pan.

DATE GEMS

One cupful of dates, seeded and chopped fine, two cupfuls of milk, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, three cupfuls of flour, and one egg well beaten. Mix the egg and milk, sift the dry ingredients together, add the chopped dates, and combine mixtures. Beat hard and bake in well-buttered gem-irons for about twenty minutes. Figs or prunes may be used instead of dates.

GRAHAM BISCUIT

Three cupfuls of Graham flour, one cupful of white flour, three cupfuls of milk, two tablespoonfuls of lard, one heaping tablespoonful of sugar, a pinch of salt and two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Mix and bake like Baking Powder Biscuits.

GRAHAM PUFFS

Two cupfuls of Graham flour, four cupfuls of boiling milk, and a teaspoonful of salt. The dough should be as soft as it can be handled. Roll an inch thick, cut into circles, arrange on a buttered pan and bake in the hottest kind of an oven. If the oven is right, they will be very light.

GRAHAM MUFFINS

Prepare like Rye Muffins, using Graham flour or meal instead of rye meal. A teaspoonful of caraway seed is sometimes added to Rye Muffins.

GRAHAM DROP CAKES

Sift together a cupful and a half of Graham meal, half a teaspoonful each of salt and soda, and a quarter of a cupful of brown sugar. Add enough sour milk to make a stiff batter. Drop by spoonfuls on a buttered baking-tin and bake a quarter of an hour in a quick oven.

GRAHAM MUFFINS—II

Four cupfuls of Graham flour, one tablespoonful of brown sugar, one teaspoonful of salt, two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one egg, well beaten, and two cupfuls of milk. Sift the dry ingredients together, add the beaten egg and milk, mix thoroughly, fill well-buttered muffin-tins two thirds full and bake in a hot oven about twenty minutes.

HOMINY MUFFINS

Two cupfuls of cold fine hominy, three eggs, three cupfuls of sour milk, half a cupful of melted butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one teaspoonful of baking soda dissolved in hot water, and flour to make a good batter—probably about a cupful and a half. Add the milk to the hominy, then the salt, sugar, butter, and eggs, then the soda, and the flour last. Bake in a quick oven.

HOMINY DROP CAKES

Two cupfuls of cold boiled hominy, one tablespoonful of cold water, two eggs, well beaten, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoonful of baking powder sifted into enough flour to make a good batter. Drop by spoonfuls on a buttered baking-sheet and bake brown in a quick oven.

MUFFINS—I

Sift together four cupfuls of flour, a teaspoonful of salt, and two heaping teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Add a tablespoonful of sugar. Stir in two cupfuls of milk, four eggs well beaten, and three tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Bake twenty-five or thirty minutes in muffin-tins. Half of this recipe is sufficient for a small family.

MUFFINS—II

Two cupfuls of flour, two eggs, one cupful of milk, one teaspoonful of sugar, one heaping teaspoonful of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and two tablespoonfuls of melted butter. Sift the dry ingredients together, beat the eggs till very light, mix with the milk and melted butter. Sift the dry mixture gradually into the milk and eggs, stirring constantly. Bake twenty-five minutes in muffin-tins.

CREAM MUFFINS

Four cupfuls of flour, four cupfuls of rich milk, six eggs, beaten separately, two tablespoonfuls of shortening, melted—equal parts of butter and lard. Bake in buttered muffin-rings half full of the batter and serve immediately.

BUTTERMILK MUFFINS

Four cupfuls of buttermilk, or of curdled milk, two eggs, a teaspoonful of soda dissolved in a little hot water, a teaspoonful of salt, and enough sifted flour to make a good batter. Mix thoroughly, adding the soda last. Bake in a quick oven.

MUFFINS—III

Sift together two cupfuls of flour, two tablespoonfuls of baking powder, a pinch of salt, and a tablespoonful of sugar. Add one tablespoonful of melted butter or lard, one cupful of milk, and one egg well beaten. Mix thoroughly and bake quickly in muffin-rings.

MUFFINS—IV

Make like Muffins V, using a quarter cupful each of sugar and melted butter, and two or three eggs, well beaten.

BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Use any muffin mixture, lessening slightly the quantity of milk. Add a cupful of blueberries and bake quickly.

MUFFINS—V

Four cupfuls of flour, three eggs, beaten separately, the whites very stiff, three cupfuls of milk, and a pinch of salt. Beat hard until thoroughly mixed and bake in a quick oven.

MUFFINS—VI

Six cupfuls of flour, two eggs well beaten separately, two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder, four cupfuls of milk, one teaspoonful of salt. Sift the dry materials, mix with the eggs and milk, beat hard, and bake in muffin-tins in a quick oven.

CEREALINE MUFFINS

Three fourths of a cupful of flour, a pinch of salt, one egg, well beaten, one cupful of cerealine, and one cupful of milk. Bake in buttered muffin-pans.

BATTER MUFFINS

Three cupfuls of sour milk and one teaspoonful of soda beaten together. Beat the yolks of three eggs and add to the milk, then stir in a pinch of salt and flour enough to make a moderately stiff batter. Beat the whites of the eggs to a stiff froth and fold in the last thing. Bake in buttered muffin-tins.

SOUTHERN MUFFINS

Two eggs, two cupfuls of milk, two cupfuls of flour, a pinch of salt, and a teaspoonful of melted butter. Beat the eggs separately, then add the milk and butter to the yolks, then the flour, then the stiffly beaten whites. Bake in hot buttered muffin-tins.

MUFFINS—VII

Two cupfuls of flour, two teaspoonfuls of baking powder, one teaspoonful of salt, two tablespoonfuls of melted butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, one cupful of milk and one egg, well beaten. Bake in buttered muffin-tins.

MUFFINS—VIII

Four cupfuls of flour, two and one half cupfuls of milk, three eggs, beaten separately, two tablespoonfuls of butter, one teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of sugar, and three teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Sift the dry ingredients together, add the melted butter and the beaten yolks to the milk, combine the two mixtures, and add the well-beaten whites of the eggs last. Fill buttered muffin-rings two thirds full and bake in a hot oven about twenty minutes. Serve immediately.

SOUR MILK MUFFINS

Three cupfuls of sour milk, three cupfuls of flour, two eggs, well beaten, one teaspoonful each of soda, cream tartar, and salt. Sift the dry ingredients together, add the milk, then the eggs, and bake in buttered muffin-tins in a hot oven.

WHITE MUFFINS

One tablespoonful of soft butter, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, rubbed to a cream. Add two eggs, well beaten, a pinch of salt, a cupful of milk, and two cupfuls of flour sifted with two rounded teaspoonfuls of baking powder. Beat thoroughly and bake in buttered muffin-tins in a moderate oven.

ENTIRE WHEAT MUFFINS