Mrs. Lincoln's Boston cook book

1 quart raw sweet corn. 1 pint sliced potatoes. A 2-inch cube fat salt pork. 1 onion. 1 teaspoonful salt. 1 saltspoonful white pepper. 1 large tablespoonful butter. 1 pint sliced tomatoes. 1 pint milk. 6 crisped crackers. Lobster Chowder. 1 pound lobster. 1 quart milk. 3 crackers. 1/2 cup butter. 1 scant teaspoonful salt. 1/2 saltspoonful white pepper. 1/4 saltspoonful cayenne pepper. Boil one quart of milk. Roll three crackers fine; mix with them one fourth of a cup of butter, and the green fat The Boston Cook Book. of the lobster. Season with one scant teaspoonful of salt, half a saltspoonful of white pepper, and one fourth of a saltspoonful of cayenne pepper. Pour the boiling milk gradually over the paste. Put it back in the double boiler; add the lobster meat cut into dice; let it boil up once, and serve. Puree of Clams. One pint of boiled clams; remove the dark substance from the soft part, and chop the hard part very fine. Thicken one pint of hot cream with one tablespoonful of flour cooked in one heaping tablespoonful of hot butter; add the chopped clams, the soft parts, and salt and pepper. Add more hot cream or a little of the clam liquor if the puree be too thick. When hot, strain it into the tureen. The Boston Cook Booh, FISH. Fish, on account of its abundance, cheapness, and wholesomeness, is invaluable as an article of food. It is less nutritious and less stimulating than meat, as it contains less solid matter and more water. An exaggerated idea of the value of fish as brain food has prevailed ; the latest authorities, however, state that there is no evidence to prove that fish is any richer than meat in phosphorus. But as it contains little fat, the white varieties particularly, it is easily digested, and as it has a large proportion of nitrogenous material, it is especially adapted to all those upon whom there are great demands for nervous energy. Salmon heads the list of whatsoever hath scales and fins," in nutritive qualities ; and it is richer than meat. The next in value are fat halibut, shad, white-fish, mackerel, blue-fish, lean halibut, bass, flounder, trout, cod, haddock, cusk, etc. Red-blooded fish, like salmon, mackerel, and blue-fish, have the oil distributed through the body. They are nutritious for those who can digest them, but are too rich and oily for invalids. White fish, like flounder, halibut, cod, and haddock, have the oil in the liver, and are more easily digested. Fish should be perfectly fresh and thoroughly cooked, or it will be very indigestible and sometimes poisonous. Broiling and baking are the best methods. Small pan-fish and fillets of large white dr}^ fish are good if fried ; but oily fish should never be fried. Salting draws out the nutritive part of fish the same as it does in meat ; and either, when thus prepared, should be used as a relish, and not depended upon for nourishment. Fat fish are injured less than white fish, as the fat is not removed by salting. i6o The Boston Cook Book. All varieties of fish need an accompaniment of starch}^ foods, like bread and potatoes ; and white fish need beside to be cooked with butter or fat to make them desirable as food. The juices of fish, shell-fish particularly, are of an alkaline nature; and this renders lemon juice or vinegar a desirable condiment as a neutralizing agency.