Civic League Cook Book Part 20

SPANISH OMELET.--One half can French peas, one half can tomatoes, one tablespoon chopped onion, salt and pepper to suit taste, a dash of paprika. Cook until the onion is soft. Make a plain omelet and serve on a platter with the vegetables around it. Serve hot.--Mrs. Aaron J.

Bessie.

MUSHROOMS ON TOAST.--Drain the liquor from one can of French mushrooms, melt one half cup b.u.t.ter until it begins to brown, then add the mushrooms, salt, pepper, one tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and a little parsley. Allow to cook for about five minutes. Serve on b.u.t.tered toast.--Mrs. Aaron J. Bessie.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SALMON.--One small can salmon, free from bones and skin, one cup bread crumbs, six eggs beaten light, salt and pepper to suit taste, one tablespoon b.u.t.ter, melt b.u.t.ter and add salmon, eggs and crumbs and seasoning. Brown nicely.--Mrs. Aaron J. Bessie.

HAM PATTIES.--Chop cold cooked ham and add one half amount of bread crumbs, season to suit taste, use enough milk to form in patties, place in pan and break on each an egg. Cook covered until eggs are done.--Mrs. Aaron J. Bessie.

WELSH RAREBIT.--One pound cheese grated, one large tablespoon b.u.t.ter, one large tablespoon catsup, one quarter teaspoon salt, dash of red pepper, one gill of beer. Cook until smooth, stirring all the time.

Serve hot on b.u.t.tered toast.--Mrs. Aaron J. Bessie.

Kookery Kinks

Fish may be scaled more quickly if dipped in boiling water for a moment.

Do not wash meats in water, wipe them with a wet cloth.

The whites of eggs will whip more readily if a pinch of salt is added to them. If the eggs are placed in cold water for a time before being broken, they will whip easily.

A small quant.i.ty of soda, stirred into milk or cream, will keep it from souring in hot weather.

A few drops of lemon juice added to the water in which potatoes are boiled will prevent the potatoes turning dark when cooked.

In mixing liquids with salads, add the liquid to the salad by degrees.

They will blend more readily.

To preserve the color of green vegetables put them on to cook in boiling water with a pinch of soda; or, keep the cover off the kettle while boiling them.

If you use too much salt by mistake add a trifle of sugar or a vinegar, according to the dish. This will counteract the salty taste.

Measuring Hints

A cupful of liquid means all the cup will hold.

A spoonful of liquid is all the spoon will hold.

Salt, flour, seasoning spices, b.u.t.ter and all salads are measured level.

To measure a level spoonful, dip the spoon into the dry material, taking up a heaping spoonful, then level it off even with the edge of the spoon with a knife.

To measure a part of a spoonful, cut lengthwise of the spoon for the half and crosswise for the quarter.

A tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter should be measured before melting.

A tablespoonful of melted b.u.t.ter should be measured after being melted.

Measure a cupful of cream before it is whipped.

Measure a cupful of whipped cream after it is whipped.

Always sift flour, salt, baking powder, spices, powdered sugar and soda before measuring. If measured in a solid state before sifting much more than the quant.i.ty called for will be used.

When ice is not to be had, half fill a large flat bottomed bowl with cold water. Set in this the vessels containing milk, b.u.t.ter, sauces, etc. Cover with napkins which dip down into the water and set the whole thing in a draft. Evaporation will keep everything sweet and cool.

Fruit cake recipes usually call for dried currants. These are hard and lack flavor. Try using an equal measure of chopped prunes. They hold moisture and impart a delicious flavor to the cake.

Use a large sponge for general house cleaning instead of a brush. It gets a good grip on the dirt and is not so sloppy.

Silver may be cleaned by laying in a pan of sour milk for several hours then washed and wiped dry.

Keep lemons in cold water. Change every few days.

Notes

A little sugar added to cream before whipping will prevent it from turning to b.u.t.ter.

Use scant measure of sugar in custard pie and do not cook after the custard is set sufficiently to cut with a silver knife, if you want a smooth and palatable baked custard.

A small dish of water placed in the oven will prevent scorched or burned food when the oven is hotter than it should be.

Save bread crusts and dry them in the warming closet of the kitchen range, to roll fine for a coating for fried oysters, croquettes and cutlets. Dried crumbs are better for dressing and puddings also.

Drop a few slices of raw potatoes in the hot lard used for frying doughnuts to clarify the grease before putting it away for future use.

Laundry Work

In laundry work different methods must be used for different fabrics.

The texture and color of a garment must be considered before method of laundering is decided on. As laundry is the heaviest part of house work one should carefully consider all means by which strength may be saved.

A careful sorting of all clothes. Thorough soaking of all articles that will not be injured thereby. A generous use of good soap and a well equipped room for laundry purposes with plenty of good soft water will to some extent lighten the labor. Chemicals judicially used have been found helpful. A good solution for loosening dirt and may be used in soaking the different kinds of clothes including prints and flannels is given out and recommended by the Agricultural school of Minnesota. It is made as follows: Procure 10 cents worth of salts of tartar, 10 cents worth of crystal ammonia, one can of Lewis lye. Dissolve all in a gallon of warm but not boiling water and cork tightly. When wanted for use a teacupful of the mixture for from three to four pailsful warm water will be the right amount to use when soaking clothes.

Laundry References

Use borax water to wash sateen. This method will restore the gloss to the goods.

Use warm water to sprinkle your starched clothes.

Fine ginghams and percales dipped in sweet milk instead of starch, gives them that dainty, glossy dressing they have when new.