Luncheons

Illustration No. 109 shows an attractive way of serving cold meats. On the right are overlapping slices of cold tongue; on the left, slices of beef. A slice of tongue cut round is placed in the center to cover the spot where they meet. Slices of cold chicken are placed at right angles to the tongue and beef. Aspic jelly is placed in the four angles. The garnishing is sliced pickled beets cut into stars and hearts, and small pickles or gherkins sliced down to nearly the end, then spread into leaf shapes. The stars are placed on the sliced meat, the hearts on the dish in front of the jelly, with a slice of pickle on each side, and the leaf-like gherkins are in the center. The aspic used in this dish was jellied stock made a little stiffer with gelatine. Cold meats may also be attractively served by placing a socle made of hominy in the center of the dish, the top of the hominy ornamented with aspic or any garnishes, and the sliced meats laid around and against the socle. GLAZED TONGUE Boil a smoked or a fresh tongue until tender, then skin and trim it. While it is flexible skewer it into a good shape. Paint it with glaze (page 104). Whip some butter with a fork until it is soft and very light. Place the whipped butter in a pastry-bag with star tube and press it through, outlining a figure on the sides of the tongue and down the middle. Garnish the dish with parsley and a hard-boiled egg. Cut the white of the egg in strips lengthwise, leave the yolk whole, and arrange the pieces so they resemble a daisy. Keep the garnished tongue in a cold place until ready to serve, in order to harden the butter. BOILED HAM Soak the ham overnight, with the rind side up. Thoroughly wash and scrape off any bad parts. Put it in sufficient cold water to cover it well. Add a bunch of soup vegetables and two bay-leaves. Boil it slowly, allowing twenty minutes to the pound, counting from the time the water begins to boil. It is done when the meat around the bone is tender. Place it on a board, peel off the skin, and by trimming make it smooth and shapely. Take a slice oft' the bottom, if necessary, to make it stand firmly. Serve it hot or cold. In illustration No. Ill the ham after being trimmed is covered with cracker dust and sugar and placed in the oven to brown. The bone is covered with a pleated paper frill, and a lemon cut to imitate a pig (see page 16) is set on top. In illustration No. 112 black pepper is placed in spots on the fat, and then with the finger is rubbed into regular circles. A whole clove is stuck in the center of each spot of pepper. If the ham is to be served cold the parts not covered by fat can be concealed with a layer of butter; the butter should be whipped until smooth and soft and then spread evenly with a knife. In this way the whole ham can be made smooth and the spots of pepper can be extended entirely over it. [illustration: No. 110. Glazed tongue, garnished with butter] [illustration: No. 111. Boiled ham, No. 1] [illustration: No. 112. Boiled ham, No. 2] [illustration: No. 113. Glazed boned ham garnished with watercress] w [illustration: No. 114. Cold fish covered with jellied mayonnaise and garnished with beets and olives] [illustration: No. 115. Cream cheese with Bar-le-Duc currants] The bone is covered with a paper frill (page 14). The dish is garnished with slices of pickled beets stamped into rounds. BONED HAM Boil the ham as directed above. While it is still hot strip oft" the skin, then turn it over and remove the bone. If the ham is thoroughly cooked, the bone will come out easily. Make a cut down to and along the bone in the center of the under side, then work the knife around and close to the bone until the latter is loosened enough to be pulled out.