The American Housewife Part 5

91. _Stewed Oysters._

Strain the oyster liquor, rinse the bits of sh.e.l.ls off the oysters, then turn the liquor back on to the oysters, and put them in a stew pan--set them where they will boil up, then turn them on to b.u.t.tered toast--salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter them to your taste. Some cooks add a little walnut catsup, or vinegar. The oysters should not be cooked till just before they are to be eaten.

92. _To Fry Oysters._

Take those that are large, dip them in beaten eggs, and then in flour, or fine bread crumbs--fry them in lard, till of a light brown. They are a nice garnish for fish. They will keep good for several months if fried when first caught, salted and peppered, then put into a bottle, and corked tight. Whenever they are to be eaten, warm them in a little water.

93. _Oyster Pancakes._

Mix equal quant.i.ties of milk and oyster juice together. To a pint of the liquor when mixed, put a pint of wheat flour, a few oysters, a couple of eggs, and a little salt. Drop it by the large spoonful into hot lard.

94. _Oyster Pie._

Line a deep pie plate with pie crust--fill it with dry pieces of bread, cover it over with puff paste--bake it till a light brown, either in a quick oven or bake pan. Have the oysters just stewed by the time the crust is done--take off the upper crust, remove the pieces of bread, put in the oysters, season them with salt, pepper, and b.u.t.ter. A little walnut catsup improves the pie, but is not essential--cover it with the crust.

95. _Scolloped Oysters._

Pound rusked bread or crackers fine--b.u.t.ter scollop sh.e.l.ls or tins, sprinkle on the bread crumbs, then put in a layer of oysters, a small lump of b.u.t.ter, pepper, salt, and a little of the oyster juice--then put on another layer of crumbs and oysters, and so on till the sh.e.l.ls are filled, having a layer of crumbs at the top. Bake them till a light brown.

96. _Potatoes._

The best way to cook Irish potatoes, is to pare and put them in a pot, with just boiling water enough to prevent their burning, and a little salt. Cover them tight, and let them stew till you can stick a fork through them easily. If any water remains in the pot, turn it off, put the pot where it will keep moderately warm, and let the potatoes steam a few moments longer. The easiest way to cook them, is to put them in boiling water, with the skins on, and boiled constantly till done. They will not be mealy if they lie soaking in the water without boiling. They are more mealy to peel them as soon as tender, and then put back in the pot without any water, and set in a warm place where they will steam, with the lid of the pot off. Old and poor potatoes are best boiled till soft, then peeled and mashed fine, with a little salt, b.u.t.ter, and very little milk put in--then put into a dish, smoothed over with a knife, a little flour sprinkled over it, and put where it will brown. Cold mashed, or whole boiled potatoes, are nice cut in slices, and fried with just b.u.t.ter or lard enough to prevent their burning. When brown on both sides, take them up, salt and b.u.t.ter them. Most potatoes will boil in the course of half an hour--new ones will boil in less time. Sweet potatoes are better baked than boiled.

97. _Potato Snow b.a.l.l.s._

Take the white mealy kind of potatoes--pare them, and put them into just boiling water enough to cover them--add a little salt. When boiled tender, drain off the water, and let them steam till they break to pieces--take them up, put two or three at a time compactly together in a strong cloth, and press them tight, in the form of a ball--then lay them in your potatoe dish carefully, so as not to fall apart.

98. _Turnips._

White turnips require about as much boiling as potatoes. When tender, take them up, peel and mash them--season them with a little salt and b.u.t.ter. Yellow turnips require about two hours boiling--if very large, split them in two. The tops of white turnips make a good salad.

99. _Beets._

Beets should not be cut or sc.r.a.ped before they are boiled, or the juice will run out, and make them insipid. In summer, they will boil in an hour--in winter, it takes three hours to boil them tender. The tops in summer are good boiled for greens. Boiled beets cut in slices, and put in cold spiced vinegar for several days, are very nice.

100. _Parsnips and Carrots._

Wash them, and split them in two--lay them in a stew pan, with the flat side down, turn on boiling water enough to cover them--boil them till tender, then take them up, and take off the skin, and b.u.t.ter them. Many cooks boil them whole, but it is not a good plan, as the outside gets done too much, before the inside is cooked sufficiently. Cold boiled parsnips are good cut in slices, and fried brown.

101. _Onions._

Peel and put them in boiling milk, (water will do, but it is not as good.) When boiled tender, take them up, salt them, and turn a little melted b.u.t.ter over them.

102. _Artichokes._

Sc.r.a.pe and put them in boiling water, with a table spoonful of salt to a couple of dozen. When boiled tender, (which will be in about two hours,) take them up, salt and b.u.t.ter each one.

103. _Squashes._

Summer squashes, if very young, may be boiled whole--if not, they should be pared, quartered, and the seeds taken out. When boiled very tender, take them up, put them in a strong cloth, and press out all the water--mash them, salt and b.u.t.ter them to your taste. The neck part of the winter squash is the best. Cut it in narrow strips, take off the rind, and boil the squash in salt and water till tender--then drain off the water, and let the pumpkin steam over a moderate fire for ten or twelve minutes. It is good not mashed--if mashed, add a little b.u.t.ter.

104. _Cabbage and Cauliflowers._

Trim off the loose leaves of the cabbage, cut the stalky in quarters, to the heart of the cabbage--boil it an hour. If not boiled with corned beef, put a little salt in the water in which they are boiled. White cauliflowers are the best. Take off the outside leaves, cut the stalk close to the leaves, let them lie in salt and cold water for half an hour before boiling them--boil them fifteen or twenty minutes, according to their size. Milk and water is the best to boil them in, but clear water does very well. Put a little salt in the pot in which they are boiled.

105. _Asparagus._

Cut the white part of the stalks off, and throw it away--cut the lower part of the stalks in thin slices if tough, and boil them eight or ten minutes before the upper part is put in. Lay the remainder compactly together, tie it carefully in small bundles, and boil it from fifteen to twenty minutes, according to its age. Boil a little salt with them, and a quarter of a tea spoonful of saleratus, to two or three quarts of water, to preserve their fresh green color. Just before your asparagus is done, toast a slice of bread, moisten it with a little of the asparagus liquor, lay it in your asparagus dish, and b.u.t.ter it--then take up the asparagus carefully with a skimmer, and lay it on the toast, take off the string, salt it, and turn a little melted b.u.t.ter over the whole.

106. _Peas._

Peas should be put into boiling water, with salt and saleratus, in the proportion of a quarter of a tea spoonful of saleratus to half a peck of peas. Boil them from fifteen to thirty minutes, according to their age and kind. When boiled tender, take them out of the water with a skimmer, salt and b.u.t.ter them to the taste. Peas to be good should be fresh gathered, and not sh.e.l.led till just before they are cooked.

107. _Sweet Corn._

Corn is much sweeter to be boiled on the cob. If made into sucatosh, cut it from the cobs, and boil it with Lima beans, and a few slices of salt pork. It requires boiling from fifteen to thirty minutes, according to its age.

108. _To cook various kinds of Beans._

French beans should have the strings taken off--if old, the edges should be cut off, and the beans cut through the middle. Boil them with a little salt, from twenty-five to forty minutes, according to their age.

A little saleratus boiled with them preserves their green color, and makes them more healthy. Salt and b.u.t.ter them when taken up. Lima beans can be kept the year round, by being perfectly dried when fresh gathered in the pods, or being put without drying into a keg, with a layer of salt to each layer of beans, having a layer of salt at the bottom of the keg. Cover them tight, and keep them in a cool place. Whenever you wish to cook them, soak them over night, in cold water--sh.e.l.l and boil them, with a little saleratus. White beans for baking, should be picked over carefully to get out the colored and bad ones. Wash and soak them over night in a pot, set where they will keep lukewarm. There should be about three quarts of water to three pints of the beans. The next morning set them where they will boil, with a tea spoonful of saleratus. When they have boiled four or five minutes, take them up with a skimmer. Put them in a baking pot. Gash a pound of pork, and put it down in the pot, so as to have the beans cover all but the upper surface--turn in cold water till you can just see it at the top. They will bake in a hot oven, in the course of three hours--but they are better to remain in it five or six hours. Beans are good prepared in the same manner as for baking, and stewed several hours without baking.

109. _Greens._

White mustard, spinach, water cresses, dandelions, and the leaves and roots of very small beets, are the best greens. Boil them with a little salt and saleratus in the water. If not fresh and plump, soak them in salt and water half an hour before cooking them. When they are boiled enough, they will sink to the bottom of the pot.

110. _Salads._

To be in perfection, salads should be fresh gathered, and kept in cold water for an hour before they are put on the table. The water should be drained from them, and if you have not any salad oil, melt a little b.u.t.ter and put it in a separate dish--if turned over the salad, it will not be crispy.