The complete cook book

To peel tomatoes, plunge them into boiling water for two minutes; then throw them in cold water two minutes, and remove the skins with a knife dipped in hot water. The Complete Cook Book. 127 STUFFED BAKED TOMATOES. Cut a thin slice from the stem of six smooth tomatoes; remove the seeds and soft pulp and chop it up with one tablespoonful of parsley, one slice of ham, one slice of fat bacon, one small onion and one cup of bread crumbs. Fry all these ; season with butter, salt, pepper, one teaspoonful of sugar and yolks of two eggs. As soon as the eggs are beaten in, remove from the fire and stuff the tomatoes with this mixture, heaping it in the center. Sprinkle with bread crumbs, and place a bit of butter on top of each. Lay in a buttered pan with one cup of hot water to prevent burning. Bake one half-hour and serve with brown sauce, A cup of chopped chicken or veal may be used in place of ham or bacon, if preferred. SCALLOPED TOMATOES. Season one quart of tomatoes with salt and pepper to taste, one-half cup of sugar and a few drops of onion juice. Butter a deep baking dish and sprinkle over it a layer of bread crumbs and put in a layer of tomatoes. Dot with bits of butter; then bread crumbs, tomatoes, and so on until the dish is full, having the bread crumbs on top. Moisten with sweet cream and bake in a moderate oven. Brown just before sending to the table. FRIED TOMATOES. Remove the skins and cut in slices from one-quarter to one-half inch thick. Dip them in beaten eggs, then in bread crumbs and fry in hot butter or lard. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Take the tomatoes out and thicken the gravy with a teacup of milk, in which one spoon of flour has been stirred. Place the tomatoes on toast on a hot platter and pour gravy over them. Serve hot. STEWED TOMATOES. Pour boiling water over the tomatoes and then remove the skins. Chop them fine and put them in a double boiler without the addition of water. Season 128 The Complete Cook Book. with salt, pepper, butter, onion (a little sugar if you like), one tablespoonful of crackers or toasted bread and stew one hour. STUFFED AND BAKED EGG PLANT. Cut egg plants in half, lengthwise, and parboil them in salted water. Scoop out most of the interior and mash it up. Season with eggs, onion, salt, pepper, butter, two teaspoonfuls of bread crumbs, and either chopped chicken or grated ham and chopped breakfast bacon. Mix well together. Fill the hulls with this dressing. Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and a little clarified butter. Lay them in a buttered tin and bake fifteen minutes. If you have mushrooms at hand they are also nice to add. SUCCOTASH. Equal quantity of fresh shelled lima or string beans and corn cut from the cob. First cut your corn off and place the cobs in a pot with the beans. Cover all well with cold water and boil half an hour. Now remove the cobs and pour in your corn and boil twenty minutes longfe. Add a lump of butter the size of a hen's egg, rolled u. flour, quarter of a cup of milk, salt, sugar, and pepper to taste. ASPARAGUS. Scrape and wash two bunches of fresh asparagus. Arrange the heads all one way, and tie them into four equal bunches. Chop off the ends evenly and place them in a vessel of boiling salted water and boil twenty minutes. Lift them out carefully and drain. Untie and serve with the following sauce : Sauce : Two tablespoonf uls of butter, yolks of two eggs, salt and pepper to taste, and one tablespoonful of vinegar. Cook in a saucepan until thick; then pour over asparagus. J.SPARAGUS AND EGGS. Beat six eggs lightly with a fork; add one-half teaspoonful of salt, one tablespoonful of milk and one tablespoonful of water. Have a skillet hot with lard The Complete Cook Book. 129