Part 8

=Neapolitan Cake.=—Blanch and pound to a smooth paste six ounces of sweet and one ounce of bitter almonds; add a few drops of orange-flower water while pounding to prevent oiling; add a pinch of salt, the grated rind of one lemon, four ounces of butter from which the salt has been extracted, half a pound of crushed loaf-sugar, ten ounces of flour; mix thoroughly, and add the well-beaten yolks of six eggs after the eggs have cooled a little. Roll the paste out to the thickness of about one-quarter of an inch, and stamp out into small forms with a cake-cutter; lay them upon a floured tin, and bake in a good oven. When they are done take them out, and when cold cover the tops with a little icing. Return them to the oven one moment to dry the icing.

=Marbled Cake.=—One cupful of butter, two of sugar, three of flour, four well-beaten eggs, and one cupful of milk; two teaspoonfuls of baking powder; dissolve a large spoonful of chocolate with a little cream, and mix with a cupful of the batter; cover the bottom of your pan with the batter, and drop upon it in two or three places a spoonful of the chocolate, forming rings, then another layer of the batter, and so on until all is used. Bake in a moderate oven.

=Pound Cake without Soda.=—One pound powdered sugar, half pound butter, eight eggs, whites and yolks beaten separately and well; ten ounces flour, one nutmeg; bake one hour or longer. Never fails, and will keep one week.

=Lady Fingers, No. 1.=—Beat the whites and yolks of four eggs separately; mix with the yolks three ounces of flour and three of powdered sugar; add the beaten whites, and afterwards a gill of rosewater; beat all together a few minutes; put the mixture in a paper funnel, and squeeze it out into the shape of fingers on paper which has had a little powdered sugar dusted over it; dust a little sugar over the fingers; let them stand five minutes, then bake to a fawn color in a moderate oven; fasten together after they have been baked with a little white of egg. Keep them in close-covered tin till wanted.

=Lady Fingers, No. 2.=—Rub half a pound of butter into a pound of flour; add half a pound of sugar; grate in the rinds of two lemons, and squeeze in the juice of one; then add three eggs; make into a roll the size of the middle finger; it will spread in the oven to a thin cake; dip in chocolate icing.

=Crescents.=—Mix three ounces of rice flour with three ounces of powdered sugar; add three well-beaten eggs; mix all thoroughly, then spread the mixture thinly on paper and bake for twenty minutes. Take it out, and stamp into the shape of crescents; cover each crescent with icing, and return them to the oven for a minute or two to dry; add to a portion of the icing a little cochineal, to make some of the cakes pink-colored.

=Maids of Honor.=—One cup _each_ of sour and sweet milk, one small cup of white pounded sugar-candy, one tablespoonful of melted butter, the yolks of four eggs, and the juice and rind of one lemon. Put both kinds of milk together in a vessel, which is set in another, and let it become sufficiently heated to set the curd; then strain off the milk, rub the curd through a strainer, add butter to the curd, also sugar-candy, well-beaten eggs, and lemon. Line the little pans with the richest of paste, and fill with the mixture; bake until firm in the centre—from ten to fifteen minutes.

=Charlotte Russe.=—Take one-fifth of a package of gelatine and half a cupful cold milk; place in a farina boiler, and stir gently over the fire until the gelatine is dissolved; pour into a dish, and place in a cool room; take one pint of rich cream and whisk it with a tin egg-beater until it is thick; flavor the cream with either vanilla or wine, and sweeten to taste; when the gelatine is cool strain carefully into the prepared cream; line a mould with ladyfingers; then pour the cream in carefully until it is filled; cover with ladyfingers.

=Manioca Cream.=—Three tablespoonfuls of manioca, one pint of milk, three eggs, vanilla and sugar to taste; soak the manioca in water till soft; boil the milk; while boiling stir in the manioca and the yolks of the eggs, beaten with the sugar; when cooked sufficiently, pour into a dish to cool; when cold, add the vanilla; beat the whites of the eggs till stiff, sweeten and flavor them, and stir part into the pudding, putting the rest on top.

=Blanc-Mange.=—Blanch ten bitter almonds with two ounces of sweet almonds, and pound them to a paste; add by degrees a third of a pint of cold water; let it stand till settled, and strain off the almond milk. Put into a pint of milk five ounces of loaf-sugar, three inches of stick vanilla, and pour it into an enamelled saucepan; boil slowly till the sugar is dissolved, then stir in an ounce of well-soaked isinglass; strain into a basin; add the milk of almonds with a gill of cream; remove the sticks of vanilla, and when cold pour the mixture into individual moulds and place in ice-box till wanted.

=Meringues.=—Take one pound of powdered sugar, and add it to the beaten whites of eight eggs (slowly), until it forms a stiff froth; fill a tablespoon with the paste, and smooth it with another spoon to the desired shape; sift a little sugar over a sheet of paper, drop the meringues about two inches apart; dust a little sugar over them, and bake in a quick oven with door left open, so they can be watched constantly; when fawn-colored, take them out; remove them from the paper with a thin knife; scrape out of each a little of the soft part. They may be neatly arranged around a dish of whipped cream, or filled with ice-cream. If whipped cream is used, they would be improved by the addition of a little bright jelly inside each méringue.

=Macaroon Basket.=—This is a pretty and unconventional way of serving up macaroons with whipped cream, etc. Make a cement of sugar boiled to crackling, into which dip the edges of macaroons. Line a two-quart (deep) cakepan with them, bottom and sides, taking care that the edges of macaroons touch each other firmly; also have a care not to pack them so tightly in the pan as to prevent easy removal. Set aside to dry, and when wanted fill with the desired cream, and serve on a glass dish.

=Italian Cream.=—Put one ounce of soaked isinglass, six ounces of loaf-sugar, half a stick of vanilla, and one pint of milk into a saucepan; boil slowly, and stir all the time until the isinglass is dissolved; strain the mixture, and when a little cool mix it with a pint of thick cream. Beat thoroughly until it thickens. Pour into a large or individual moulds, and put in ice-box until wanted.

=Whipped Coffee Cream.=—Sweeten one pint of rich cream rather liberally; roast two ounces of coffee beans; when they are lightly browned throw them into the cream at once and let the dish stand one hour before using; strain and whip the cream to a firm froth. A teaspoonful of powdered gum-arabic, dissolved in a little orange-flower water, may be added to give the cream more firmness, if desired.

=Whipped Cream with Liqueurs.=—Proceed as with coffee cream, flavoring the cream before whipping with Curaçoa, Maraschino, or any other cordial that may be desired. Other creams can be made on the same principle with chocolate extracts or highly-flavored wines.

=Bavarian Cream.=—Whip one pint of cream to a stiff froth and set in a colander one minute, to allow unwhipped portion to drip away; boil one pint of milk with a stick of vanilla and half a cupful of sugar until flavor is extracted; then take out stick of vanilla, and remove saucepan from fire; add half a box of Cox’s gelatine that has been soaked in water; add the well-beaten whites of four eggs, and when the mixture has become quite cold add the whipped cream gradually until it is well mixed; put into individual moulds a teaspoonful of some bright jelly or jam, then pour in the mixture and place in ice-box until wanted. This cream may be flavored in any way desired.

=Ice-Cream.=—Use only the best materials for making and flavoring. Avoid using milk thickened with arrowroot, corn-starch, or any farinaceous substance. Pure cream, ripe natural fruits, or the extracts of same, and sugar of the purest quality, combine to make a perfect ice-cream. In the first place secure a good ice-cream freezer. Of these several are made. Without recommending any particular make, we would suggest that one be secured working with a crank and revolving dashers. Next secure an ice-tub, not less than eight inches greater in diameter than the freezer. See that it has a hole in the side near the bottom, with a plug, which can be drawn at pleasure, to let off water accumulated from melting ice. Get a spatula of hard wood—not metal—with a blade about twelve inches long and four or five inches wide, and oval-shaped at end. This is used to scrape off cream which may adhere to the sides of freezer in process of freezing, also for working flavorings and fruits into cream. A smaller spade is also necessary for mixing salt and ice together and for depositing this mixture in the intervening space between can and ice-tub. Ice must be pounded fine in a coarse, strong bag. To freeze the cream, assuming it to be already flavored, first pound up ice and mix with it a quantity of coarse salt, in the proportion of one-third the quantity of salt to amount of ice used. Put freezing-can in centre of tub, taking care that lid is securely fastened down, and pile the mixed ice and salt around it on inside of tub to within three inches of top. First turn crank slowly, and as cream hardens increase the speed until mixture is thoroughly congealed, and revolving dashers are “frozen in.” Remove the lid, take out dashers, cut away the cream which has adhered to the sides, and proceed to work the mixture with the spatula until it is smooth and soft to the tongue. Reinsert the dashers, cover can again, and work crank until entire contents are hard and well set. It is now ready to be served.

=Vanilla Cream.=—Four quarts of very rich cream, containing no milk; split two good-sized vanilla beans and cut up into small pieces; two pounds of powdered sugar and four fresh eggs; beat the eggs thoroughly in a porcelain-lined dish; add the sugar, and stir both well together; add the cream and throw in vanilla; place on fire, stirring constantly until boiling commences, but do not retain it there an instant after that time; strain through a hair sieve, and when cool pour it into the freezer and freeze.

=Lemon Ice-Cream.=—Grate off the yellow rind of two large fresh lemons, with half a pound of loaf-sugar, using care not to grate a particle of the white, leathery pith beneath; crush the sugar to a powder, strain over it the juice of one lemon; add a pint of rich cream; stir until sugar is dissolved and freeze.

=Peach Ice-Cream.=—Pound to a pulp twelve whole canned peaches; strain through a hair sieve and add six ounces of loaf-sugar which has been setting on fire to dissolve a few minutes; add one pint and a half of cream and a few drops of cochineal to give it a nice peach-color; freeze. Fruit creams of any kind can be made in same manner.

=Water Ices.=—_Lemon Ice_: Rub the rinds of six lemons upon twelve square lumps of sugar; squeeze over them the strained juice, half a pint of water, and a pint of syrup made by boiling three-quarters of a pound of sugar in nearly a pint of water; put in an earthen crock for one hour and a half, then mix, strain, and freeze. The ice will be improved by adding the whites of three eggs beaten to a froth with six ounces of powdered sugar. Serve in glasses.

_Apricot Ice_: Skin, divide, and stone six large ripe apricots; blanch, pound, and add the kernels to the fruit, with the juice of two lemons, half a pint of water and two ounces of clarified sugar; put in an earthen crock for one hour and a half, then strain and mix the whites of three eggs beaten to a firm froth with four ounces of powdered sugar; add this to the prepared water, mix thoroughly, and freeze.

=Orange Basket.=—Remove the fruit from interior of the orange carefully by making a small incision on one side of the orange, then cut the skin into shape of a basket, leaving about one-half an inch of the stalk end for a handle. Fill the basket with ices, ice creams, frozen punches, whipped creams, jellies, etc. They look very pretty on a table. The fruit portion of orange can be utilized by removing the pith and seeds and sending to table sweetened with sugar, or used to make orange ice-cream or ices.

=Good Coffee.=—The following remarks addressed to the trade by Messrs. H. K. & F. B. Thurber & Co. are so true and brief, yet so comprehensive, that I introduce them here:

“Nothing is more generally desired or appreciated, nothing harder to find, than a uniformly good cup of coffee. Its production is generally considered an easy matter, but it involves the observance of a considerable number of conditions by a considerable number of persons, and a volume might be written about these and still leave much to be said. We will, however, briefly state the most important requisites.

“The wholesale dealer must exercise care and judgment in his selections, as there is almost as much difference in the flavor of coffee as there is of tea; this is especially true of Mocha, Java, Maracaibo, and other fancy coffees, of which frequently the brightest and handsomest looking lots are greatly lacking in the flavor and aroma which constitute the chief value of coffee, and which can be ascertained only by testing carefully each invoice purchased. It should be roasted by a professional roaster, as this is a very important part of the programme, and requires skill, experience, and constant practice. Expert roasters are usually experienced men and command high salaries. A bad coffee-roaster is dear at any price, as the coffee may be ruined or its value greatly injured by an error in judgment or an instant’s inattention. Owing to these circumstances, in addition to the fact that in order to do good work it is necessary to roast a considerable quantity at a time, none of the small hand-machines produce uniformly good results, and they are only to be tolerated where distance makes it impossible for the retail merchant to obtain regular and (when not in air-tight packages) frequent supplies of the roasted article. _How much_ it should be roasted is also an important part of the question; for making “BLACK” or “French” coffee, it should be roasted higher than usual (the French also often add a little chiccory), and some sections are accustomed to a higher roast than others, but as a whole the customary New York standard will best suit the average American palate.

“Retail dealers should buy their roasted coffee of a reliable house that has a reputation to sustain, and that cannot be induced to cut down prices below what they can afford to furnish an article that will do them credit; do not buy much at a time (unless in air-tight packages), a week or ten days’ supply is enough, and if you are situated so you can buy it twice a week so much the better. Keep it in a dry place, and, if possible, in a tin can which shuts tightly, never in a pine box or bin, for the smell of the wood is quickly absorbed by the coffee. Get your customers in the habit of buying it in the berry, or, if they have no mill at home and want you to grind it for them (every grocer should have a mill), grind it pretty fine, so that when used the strength is readily extracted, but do not sell them much at a time, as it is a _necessity_ to have coffee _freshly ground_.

“Consumers should adopt the above suggestions to retail dealers—buy of a reliable dealer who will not represent an inferior article as ‘Java’; buy in small quantities, and buy often; keep it dry and in a tightly-closed tin can, or in a glass or earthen jar. Have a small ‘hand coffee-mill,’ and grind only when ready to use it; and if during rainy weather the kernels become damp and tough, warm them up in a _clean_ pot or skillet, but do not scorch them; this drives off the moisture, restores the flavor, and makes it grind better. The grinding is an important feature; if ground too coarse, you lose much of the strength and aroma of the coffee; if too fine, it is hard to make it clear, but of the two the latter is least objectionable; both the strength and flavor of the coffee, however, is a necessity, and if a little of the finely-powdered coffee flows out with the liquid extract, it is clean and will hurt nobody. It is better, however, to grind it _just right_, which is so that the largest pieces will be no larger than pinheads.

“We now come to the important part of making coffee. For this there are many receipts and formulas, including a large number of new and so-called improved coffee-pots, but we have never seen any of the new methods which in the longrun gave as satisfactory results as the following old-fashioned receipt:

“Grind moderately fine a large cup of coffee; break into it one egg with shell; mix well, adding just enough cold water to thoroughly wet the grounds; upon this pour one pint of boiling water; let it boil slowly for ten to fifteen minutes, and then stand three minutes to settle; pour through a fine wire sieve into coffee-pot, which should be first rinsed with hot water; this will make enough for four persons. _Coffee should be served as soon as made._ At table first rinse the cup with hot water, put in the sugar, then fill half full of _hot_ milk, add your coffee, and you have a delicious beverage that will be a revelation to many poor mortals who have an indistinct remembrance of and an intense longing for _an ideal cup of coffee_. If you have cream, so much the better; and in that case boiling water can be added either in the pot or cup to make up for the space occupied by the milk, as above; or condensed milk will be found a good substitute for cream.

“_General remarks._—We have thus briefly indicated the points necessary to be observed in obtaining uniformly good coffee, whether made from Rio, or Java, and other mild-flavored coffees. In the Eastern and Middle States Mocha, Java, Maracaibo, Ceylon, etc., are most highly esteemed and generally used; but at the West and in the South more Rio coffee is consumed. The coffee _par excellence_, however, is a mixture of Mocha and Java roasted together, and thus thoroughly blended. Mocha alone is too rough and acrid to suit many palates, but blended as above it is certainly delicious. In all varieties, however, there is a considerable range as to quality and flavor, and, as before stated, the best guide for the consumer is to buy of a reliable dealer, and throw upon his shoulders the responsibility of furnishing a satisfactory article.

“Hotels and restaurants that desire good coffee should make it in _small quantities_ and _more frequently_. It is impossible for coffee to be good when it is kept simmering for hours after it is made.”

“=A Cup of Coffee.=”—The author of “Salad for the Solitary,” etc., has so well covered all the facts concerning the origin and history of this domestic beverage that little remains to be said; but as the establishment of the first coffee-house in London is connected with a curious anecdote, perhaps my readers will like to hear it.

Mr. D. Edwards, a Turkish merchant, on his return from Smyrna to London, brought with him a Greek of Ragusa, named Pasquet Rossee, who used to prepare coffee every morning for his master. Edwards’s neighbors, beginning to appreciate the good qualities of this beverage, became so numerous as visitors at breakfast-time that in order to get rid of them he ordered Rossee to open a coffee-house, which the latter did in St. Michael’s Alley, Cornhill. This was the first coffee-house in the city.

Now, taking its popularity as a basis, let us laugh at the doctors who maintain the theory that hot coffee irritates the stomach and injures the nerves. Let us tell them that Voltaire, Fontenelle, and Fourcroy, who were great coffee-drinkers, lived to a good old age. Let us laugh, too, at Madame Sévigné, who predicted that coffee and Racine would be forgotten together.—_Exchange._

_VEGETABLES._

=Potatoes.=—To boil a potato properly is very naturally supposed to be a very easy matter, but how seldom do we meet with one boiled to a proper turn? In 1873, while out hunting in northwestern Minnesota, I stopped at an old log-cabin for dinner. The proprietor of the hostelry was an old down-East Yankee, who, suffering from a lung complaint, had taken his family out West, and had pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres, there to remain the rest of his days. I had the good fortune of having a well-filled pocket-pistol of brandy with me (to be used for medicinal purposes only), which I soon converted into Apple-Sauce while his wife was preparing dinner. He was delighted with it, and told me that it was the first drop of spirits he had seen or tasted for several years (and I believed him, from the manner in which that punch disappeared). This set him to telling me what a splendid cook his wife was, and that she could beat “all tarnation a’ biling taters.” I left him immediately and offered my services to madam as second cook, my object being to learn her _trick_ of boiling potatoes. At last dinner was ready, the cloth spread, and while the judge (as he was called) set the table I looked for a garden (?) to get a salad. Not finding the cultivated article, I had to resort to the field, and obtained a few edible weeds, washed and dried them, and prepared them for dinner.

OUR BILL OF FARE.

Vegetable Soup. Smoked Shad with drawn Butter. Roast Rump of Salted Beef. Boiled Potatoes. Parsnip Fritters. Weed Salad. Home-made Cheese. Cold Johnny-cake. Acorn Coffee.

My long tramp over the prairie hunting prairie-chickens may possibly have had something to do with my ferocious appetite, but I do not remember an occasion when I enjoyed myself so much at table or ate so heartily. The dinner was a success, and the potatoes surpassed all expectations. I am not much of a potato-eater, but on this occasion I surprised myself by asking for a potato the third time.