The Aunts' Cook Book

sprig of parsley ^ teaspoonful pepper 6 peppercorns 78 Salads and Sauces Cook stock 20 minutes with onion, carrot, bay leaf, parsley and peppercorns, then strain. Melt the butter and flour and gradually the hot stock and milk. Season. Currant Jelly Sauce To 1 cupful brown sauce from which onion has been omitted, add 3^ tumbler current jelly and 1 tablespoonful Sherry wine; or add currant jelly to 1 cupful gravy made to serve with roast lamb. This is good with saddle of mutton. Aunt Robbie's Devonshire Cream Use milk fresh from cow. Set in cool place till cream is risen. Put on stove and let come slowly to the scalding-point but do not boil. Remove from stove and set away in a cool place for 6 to 12 hours. Then skim. Aunt Virginia's Hot Chocolate Sauce for Ice Cream Melt 1 ounce of chocolate over hot water. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar, add gradually one cup of boiling water. Stir while adding the water, to form a smooth, glossy syrup, as the mixture cooks. Then add the remainder of the cup of water, and a cup of sugar. Let the whole boil to a tolerably thick syrup. Add teaspoon of vanilla; serve at once. Aunt Virginia's Creamy Sauce ^ cup of butter 2 cups of sugar Cream thoroughly and stir in plenty of whiskey or brandy; and 4 tablespoons of cream. More cream is an improvement. This sauce must be just warm, so it will not separate. It will be of the consistency of thick cream. Salads and Sauces 79 Aunt Virginia's Cream Dressing Beat 1 egg and ^ cup of sugar together, then ^ cup flour wet with a tablespoon of milk. Stir this mixture in ^ pt. of boiling milk until thick, flavor to taste, spread cream when cool between cake-layers. Aunt Virginia's Foaming Sauce 2 cups of pulverized sugar J^ cup of boiling water 1 cupful of butter Whites of 2 eggs 5 tablespoons of wine, or 3 of brandy After beating the butter until it is creamy, beat the sugar into it a little at a time. Add the unbeaten whites of the eggs, 1 at a time, and then put in the wine or brandy, beating all the while. When the mixture is smooth and light, add the boiling water, beating in only a small quantity at a time. Set the bowl in a basin of hot water, and stir the sauce until it is smooth and frothy. Aunt Virginia's Wine Sauce 6 tablespoons of sugar 2 tablespoons brandy or wine 10 tablespoons hot water Grated rind of 1 lemon 4 tablespoons butter Aunt Virginia's Celery Sauce Cut the tender parts of celery fine, pour on water enough to cover and no more. Let it simmer one hour, mix 2 tablespoons of flour and 4 of butter. When celery has boiled 1 hour, add to it the butter and flour, 1 pint of milk or cream and salt and pepper, boil up once and serve. 80 Salads and Sauces Aunt Virginia's Grape Sauce 1 lb. grapes 1 lb. sugar Put in skins to boil, also pulp. Separate them. Strain pulp to get out seeds. Then put all together and boil until done. Aunt Dell's Yellow Sauce 2 eggs 1 teaspoon brandy or 1 cup sugar, sherry 1 teaspoon vanilla — or }^ teaspoon vanilla Beat eggs very light — add sugar gradually and continue beating — then flavor. "The greatest difference between France and America," said a French gourmet, "is that in France we have one religion and a hundred gravies. In America, you have a hundred religions and one gravy."