The Cook County cook book

VARIATION I.— Brown 3 oz. of butter, put in 2 carrots, 1 parsley root, 3 small onions, 1 bunch parsley and some celery previously peeled and cut up; also a little thyme, 3 bay leaves and a spoonful of w'hole pepper. Allow all to brown in the butter. Pour over 1 pt. of water, and, if desired, thicken with a little flour moistened in a little water. Then add 5 pts. water, together with 2 ox tails, well washed and jointed. Allow to cook slowly until the meat leaves the bone. As it boils down, add more water. Salt to taste. Strain the soup and serve with a piece of meat in each plate. — Mrs. Alma Hummeland, 14 S. 19th Ave., Maywood, III. OYSTER BISQUE.— Chop 1 qt. of oysters and put in a pan with 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig parsley, 1 stalk celery, 1 slice small onion, white pepper, cayenne, salt, blade of mace, J^ pt. of chicken stock, and some of the liquor of the oysters. Cook 20 minutes. Put 1 scant pt. bread crumbs (no crust) and J^ pt. of chicken stock in another pan, cook slowly 20 minutes. Now strain liquor from first pan into the second, pressing all liquor from oysters; cook 10 minutes. Reserve J^ cup of cream; put the rest of a qt. to heat in a double boiler. When the contents of pan containing oysters have cooked 10 minutes, rub through a fine sieve, and add 1 tablespoon of flour, and 2 tablespoons of butter; return to the fire; stir until it boils, then add the hot cream and set back to a cool place. Add the 14 cup of cold cream to the well-beaten yolks of 4 eggs, and stir into the bisque; cook 1 minute, stirring all the time. — Mrs. C. J. Jeffries, Winnetka, 111. PARSNIP SOUP WITH STOCK.— Stew 5½ doz. sliced parsnips, 2 onions, 6 sticks of celery, and 2 qts. of stock until tender, about 2 hrs., then drain and press them through a coarse sieve and return the puree to the soup. Let boil, season with a little salt and pepper or cayenne, and serve very hot. A little boiling milk, a little tomato, or a tablespoon of chili vinegar may be added, if desired.— ^Mrs. E. D. Kelley, Winnetka, 111. CREAM OF PARSNIPS.— Wash thoroughly and scrape 2 parsnips, cut in small pieces and boil till tender, rub through a sieve into a qt. of hot milk, adding 1 cup of the water in which the parsnips were boiled. Season with pepper, salt, a dash of nutmeg, if .desired, and a pinch of powdered cloves; thicken with 2 tablespoons of flour, mixed with a little cold water, and boil 5 minutes. — Mrs. C. J. Jeffries, Winnetka, 111. PEA SOUP. — Soup made of the yellow split peas is nourishing, delicious, and cheap. A ½ pt. of peas will make a generous supply for 4 persons. Pick, wash and cover them well with cold water in a porcelain or agate stew-pan and set it over a slow fire. When the water comes to a boil change it, add salt, cook gently till the peas are quite tender — say, 2¼ hrs., adding water as it boils off; pass through a colander, season "with salt, pepper and a little celery salt; put in about 2 oz. butter, thin down to an agreeable consistency with sweet milk, boil up once more, else the milk will sour easily. White beans can be used after the same recipe, only soak the beans over night, cook longer, and change the water three times. — Mabel Sturtevant, 105 S. Dearborn St., Chicago, 111. PEA SOUP, WITH BREAD AND BUTTER CRISPS.— Cut