Books and My Food: With Literary Quotations and Original Recipes for Every ..

REDSNAPPER, firm of flesh, plump, and handsome, is a fish that deserves to be better known than it is. It is more delicious boiled than baked, as is also the case with shad, so rarely seen boiled, with its delicate flesh unimpaired in texture and flavor. There should be enough boiling water in the kettle to cover the fish. To a gallon of water add the juice of three lemons, half a teacupful of salt, and one of vinegar. After the fish is in the water bring quickly to a boil, then push the kettle back where the water will simmer gently. Cook from half to three quarters of an hour. 7Z APRIL 23D "The baddish boy chuckled, and addressed himself to the nice brown steaks with their rich gravy." — Charles Reade ("Christie Johnson'')* THERE are steaks and steaks. Nearly every untrained applicant for a cook's situation declares that she can broil a steak and heat up canned tomatoes, but her steaks are not, as a rule, of the following type : A cut from the first, second, or third rib of a roasting piece of beef, the bone removed, the steak rubbed with olive-oil, dusted with pepper, salt, and flour, and broiled over a charcoal fire, held near the hot coals for the first two minutes, then lifted up from them to complete the cooking more slowly. For a rich gravy to accompany it, mince fine two shallots, boil ten minutes in two gills of claret, add half a pint of strong brown stock and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Pour over the steak. APRIL 24TH w "It was a very light, wholesome cake, Brown made it on purpose for the children." — Thackeray("The Newcomes"). BOIL together half a pint of water and two-thirds of a cup of butter. While boiling add two cups of flour even full. When cool add five eggs, well beaten. Drop on a pan. Bake in a quick oven twenty minutes. Put together with a layer of cream, or split and fill with cream. Rule for cream : Boil one pint of milk, when boiling add two eggs, one cup of sugar, and half a cup of flour, beaten together. Boil two or three minutes, remove from the fire, stir in a small piece of butter, and a teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring. APRIL 25TH "Stay, John, did you perceive anything in my chocolate cup this morn?" — Sheridan ("St. Patrick's Day"). CHOCOLATE for immediate use should be made by dissolving in water one and a half ounces of sweet chocolate for each cup, stirring from time to time. It should be allowed to boil fifteen minutes to make it smooth and consistent. Serve with cream, whipped or plain. Brillat Savarin quotes a good authority as saying that chocolate in perfection is made over night for breakfast, allowing it to remain on the side of the range and reheating when ready to serve, APRIL 26th "Custards for supper, and an endless host Of syllabubs and jellies and mince-pies, And other such ladylike luxuries." — Shelley. DISSOLVE half a box of gelatine in half a pint of wine. Add one cupful of sugar, two beaten eggs, and one pint of cream, heated to the boiling point. When cool stir in another pint of cream, whipped stiff and flavored with grated orange-peel. Pour into a jelly-mould and place near the ice to set. APRIL 27TH "For meadow buds, I get a whifif, Of Cheshire cheese, or only sniff, The turtle made at Cuff's."— HooD. THERE are many ways of using the well-known Cheshire cheese, but a very good way is to pound four ounces of it with one ounce and a half of butter, a half teaspoonful of white powdered sugar, a little bit of mace, and a wine-glass of white wine. Press down into a jar. APRIL 28th ''Sweet turnips are the food of Blouzeind." — Gay. S