Twentieth century home cook book

Scrambled Eggs. — They are scrambled by breaking them into a hot frying-pan, containing only enough butter to thoroughly grease it, and constantly stirring the eggs until done. Of course, whatever the way of cooking, they must be properly seasoned with pepper and salt. Baked Eggs. — Break the eggs carefully into a dish, so the yelks will not be broken. Turn them into a granite-ware pan well buttered, season with pepper and salt, and drop a small piece of butter on each egg. Set in a hot oven and bake until the whites are set. Omelettes. — Eggs are not to be beaten for an omelette. If a soufile is desired, they are beaten. For an omelette, they are stirred until the yolks and whites are properly mixed, one teaspoonful of cold water being used to each egg. The omelette takes its name from the flavoring used, parsley, ham, cheese, etc., either of which must be chopped fine ; the material in which they are fried must be the sweetest butter. The butter being hot, pour the stirred eggs, and other material if used, into the omelette-pan, shaking the pan occasionally, as the mass sets, so it will not burn. If desired browned on both sides, turn; or when done, if fried only on one side, fold or roll together lightly, and garnish the top with bits of parsley. XXII. Steamed Dishes. Oysters, many vegetables, especially potatoes, puddings and various prepared dishes are steamed. This is simply utilizing the action of steam instead of hot water to break down the tissue and render the substance palatable. The articles are placed in a vessel with a perforated bottom, and lifting tight upon a pot. The lid must also be tight so as to allow some pressure of steam. An excellent form of steamer wherein the cover tits down upon a projection instead of over the side is shown in the illustration. [illustration: Nine-room residence]. CHAPTER XX. I. SAUCES AND GRAVIES. II. SALADS AKD THEIR DRESSING. III. VARIOUS MADE DISHES. IV. PICKLES, CATSUPS AND CONDIMESTS. V. LEAVES FOR FLAVORING. VI. SOUR PICKLES— CUCUM- BERS. VII. CHOW-CHOW. VIII. PICCALILLI. IX. SWEET PICIiLES. X. CATSUPS. XI. CONDIMENTS. XII. FLAVORED VINEGAR. XIII. STRAWBERRY ACID. hM I. Sauces and Gravies. J|HE French have a saying that the English have but one sauce — melted butter. This may have been measurably true once, but now the English and the Americans draw upon the products of every climate to please their palates. Our sauces are numerous, and it must be confessed, many of them are of little account; others are expensive and troublesome to prepare. The most costly and elaborate are now sold by grocers and purveyors, and are bought ready-made in sealed cans. However the sauce is prepared, the utensils must be clean, and a wooden spoon should be used for stirring. Melted butter, stock, bread sauce, white sauce and brown sauce are the bases of the principal sauces. SOUP OR SAUCE STRAINER. GRAVY STRAINER. Melted Butter. — It is made in the relative proportions of two ounces of butter, two tablespoonfuls of water, and a httle flour dredged in, prepared over a hot fire, and shaken back and forth. Another good way of making is to rub two tablespoonfuls of flour into a quarter of a pound of butter, adding five teaspoonfuls of water ; set the sauce-pan containing it in a vessel of water kept boiling until it simmers. Sauce for Pish and Fowl. — The melted butter sauce makes a good condiment for fish by adding hard-boiled eggs, chopped fine, and for boiled fowl, by adding chopped oysters when it is simmering. Egg Sauce. — This may be made either with melted butter or with white sauce. Five or six hard-boiled eggs, cut into small slices, using only half the whites, are put into a sauce-pan, to half a pint of melted butter or white sauce, with a httle cream, all poured onto the eggs hot. [243]