The Cook Book, by "Oscar" of the Waldorf

Stone a dozen Spanish olives ; wash and bone five anchovies, chop them finely, put them in a mortar with a moderate quantity each of chopped onion and parsley, pound them smoothly and season with a small quantity of cayenne pepper. Fill the hollows of the olives left by the stones with the pounded mixture, Cut a few slices of bread and scoop a hollow in the center of each round ; put a large piece of lard in a stewpan on the fire, and when it boils put in the rounds of bread and fry them until they are brown. Afterwards drain, then leave them until they are cool, and place an olive in the middle of each. Arrange them on a dish, pour over a small quantity of mayonnaise sauce and serve. Aspic of Oysters. Put three or four dozen large oysters into a stewpan with sufficient white wine or sherry to cover them and let cook gently until firm. Drain, trim, put them in a basin and season with a little salt and the juice of a lemon squeezed over. Set a mould in a box or tin of powdered ice and pour in a thin layer of warmed jelly. Let this set and then lay oysters symmetrically over it to within one-fourth inch of the edge all round. • Pour over sufficient aspic to cover these and allow it to set and then repeat the layer of oysters until the mould is quite full, taking care that the aspic shall ^over the last layer of oysters without overflowing. Allow this to stand for an hour in the ice and then dip the mould into hot water, removing quickly, and then turn out onto a cold dish. Garnish round with chopped aspic jelly or ornament with croutons of aspic in two or three colors of brown, red and yellow. Serve with a rich mayonnaise sauce. I3X SIDE DISHES. Dresden Patties. Take three ounces of any kind of cold boiled fish, trim off the skin and bone and chop the fish fine. Put one ounce of butter into a flat stewpan with a tablespoonful of flour, stir over the fire until mixed, then pour in a teacupful of milk, and continue stirring. Put the fish into the boiling milk, season to taste with salt and pepper, and cook over a slow fire for fifteen minutes. Cut two large rounds of bread about four inches in diameter and one and one-half inches in thickness and with a three-inch tin cutter cut half way through each. Dip the rounds well in cream, then drain, and dip them in well beaten egg. Season a small plate of finely grated breadcrumb with salt and pepper, and roll the rounds in them, giving a good coating. Put a large lump of clarified fat or lard into a fryingpan, place it over the fire till blue smoke rises, then put in the rounds and fry them till lightly browned. Take them out of the fat with a slice, and lay them on a sheet of kitchen paper to drain for a few minutes. Lift off the inner round of bread with a sharp knife, and scoop out from the center of the large round, all the soft bread. Fill the hollows with the fish mixture, and put the small rounds on top. Place the patties on a hot dish, over which has been spread a folded napkin or an ornamental dish-paper, garnish with a few neat sprigs of fried parsley, and serve while very hot. Sardine Sandwiches. Drain the oil from five or six sardines, skin and bone them, and cut off their tails. Place them in a mortar with one anchovy that has been skinned and boned, add one ounce of butter and a small quantity each of salt, pepper, mace, and cayenne, and pound until smooth. Cut some rather thin slices of brown bread and butter, spread the mixture on them, and fold them over. Cut the sandwiches into finger lengths or quarters, arrange them on a dish over which has been spread a folded napkin or an ornamental dish-paper, garnish tastefully with sprigs of well washed parsley, and serve. Shrimp Sandwiches.