PuKCH Drops.— Sift some powdered sugar. Haye
ready some fine white gum-arabic, put a tablespoonful
with the sugar (say half a pound of sugar), and make it
into a firm paste ; if too wet, add more sugar, flayor with
lemon and a tiny speck of tartaric acid or a yery little lem-
on juice. Make the paste into small balls, then take more
sugar and make it into icing with a spoonful of Santa
Cruz rum and half the white of an egg✪ Punch Drops. Try if it
French Candy at Home. 95
hardens, if not, beat in more sugar and color it a bright
pink, then dip each ball in the pink icing and harden
on wax paper. These are very novel, beautiful to look
at, and the flavors may vary to taste.
To MAKE COCHIKEAL COLOEIKG WHICH IS QUITE
Haemless. — Take one ounce of powdered cochineal,
one ounce of cream of tartar, two drachms of alum,
half a pint of water✪ Cochineal Coloring ; boil the cochineal, water, and
cream of tartar till reduced to one half, then add the
alum^ and put up in small bottles for use. Yellow is
obtained by the infusion of Spanish saffron in a little
water, or a still better one from the grated rind of a
ripe orange put into muslin, and a little of the juice
squeezed through it.
Be careful in boiling the sugar ion fondant, not to stir
it after it is dissolved ; stirring causes it to become rough
instead of creamy.
CHAPTEE XIV.
A CHAPTEE FOR PEOPLE OF YERY SMALL MEANS.
I AM sorry to say in these days this chapter may ap-
peal to many^ who are yet not to be called '^poor peo-
ple/^ who may have been well-to-do and only suffering
from the pressure of the times, and for whose cultivated
appetites the coarse, substantial food of the laboring man
(even if they could buy it) would not be eatable, who
must have what they do have good, or starve. But, as
some of the things for which I give recipes will seem
over-economical for people who can afford to buy meat
at least once a day, I advise those who have even fifty
dollars a month income to skip it ; reminding them, if
they do not, ^Hhat necessity knows no law.^^
A bone of soup meat can be got at a good butcher's
for ten or fifteen cents, and is about the best invest-
ment, for that sum I know of, as two nourishing and
savory meals, at least, for four or five persons can be
got from it.
Carefully make a nice soup, with plenty of vegetables,
rice, or any other thickening you like. Your bone will
weigh from four fco six pounds, perhaps ; put it on with
water according to size, and let it boil down slowly until
nice and strong. If you have had any scraps of meat or
bones, put them also to your soup.
When you serve it, keep back a cup of soup and a few
96
Chapter for People of Very Squall Means, 97
Page 52 · 2 recipe records on this page
Presented as published in 1885. Historical recipes may not meet modern food-safety standards. Cook from the modern interpretation, not the original instructions.
AI-modernized reading of the original text
Punch Drops.— Sift some powdered sugar. Haye ready some fine white gum-arabic, put a tablespoonful with the sugar (say half a pound of sugar), and make it into a firm paste ; if too wet, add more sugar, flavor with lemon and a tiny speck of tartaric acid or a very little lemon juice. Make the paste into small balls, then take more sugar and make it into icing with a spoonful of Santa Cruz rum and half the white of an egg. Try if it
French Candy at Home. 95
hardens, if not, beat in more sugar and color it a bright pink, then dip each ball in the pink icing and harden on wax paper. These are very novel, beautiful to look at, and the flavors may vary to taste.
To Make Cochineal Coloring Which Is Quite Harmless. — Take one ounce of powdered cochineal, one ounce of cream of tartar, two drachms of alum, half a pint of water ; boil the cochineal, water, and cream of tartar till reduced to one half, then add the alum, and put up in small bottles for use. Yellow is obtained by the infusion of Spanish saffron in a little water, or a still better one from the grated rind of a ripe orange put into muslin, and a little of the juice squeezed through it.
Be careful in boiling the sugar in fondant, not to stir it after it is dissolved ; stirring causes it to become rough instead of creamy.
Chapter XIV.
A Chapter for People of Very Small Means.
I AM sorry to say in these days this chapter may appeal to many^ who are yet not to be called '"poor people,"who may have been well-to-do and only suffering from the pressure of the times, and for whose cultivated appetites the coarse, substantial food of the laboring man (even if they could buy it) would not be eatable, who must have what they do have good, or starve. But, as some of the things for which I give recipes will seem over-economical for people who can afford to buy meat at least once a day, I advise those who have even fifty dollars a month income to skip it ; reminding them, if they do not, "that necessity knows no law."
A bone of soup meat can be got at a good butcher's for ten or fifteen cents, and is about the best investment, for that sum I know of, as two nourishing and savory meals, at least, for four or five persons can be got from it.
Carefully make a nice soup, with plenty of vegetables, rice, or any other thickening you like. Your bone will weigh from four fco six pounds, perhaps ; put it on with water according to size, and let it boil down slowly until nice and strong. If you have had any scraps of meat or bones, put them also to your soup.
When you serve it, keep back a cup of soup and a few
Chapter for People of Very Squall Means, 97
Records on this page
Punch DropsCochineal Coloring