The blue ribbon cook book

Take one fat, old chicken and cut up; rub soup kettle with butter, put in chicken with one half teaspoon salt, little cayenne pepper, six blades of mace; cover well with water, stew slowly until done, skimming well, take breasts and wings, chop fine, steep remainder slowly, put three biscuits to soak in a cup of new milk, add yelks of four hard-boiled eggs, and chop fine eight almonds, pound chicken perfectly smooth, add soaked bread and eggs, little at a time, and pound to a smooth paste. Strain liquor from remaining chicken, which should be a full quart, pour by degrees into paste, stirring until well mixed; have boiling less than a quart of new milk or cream, add hot by degrees to the mixture, after which return the whole to the pot and let it simmer only a few minutes. Send to the table, and if not rich enough, add a small piece of butter. If the soup boils too much it will curdle. It should be as thick as rich cream. SPLIT PEA SOUP. 1 cup dried split peas. 3 tablespoons butter. 2J quarts cold water. 2 tablespoons flour. 1 pint milk. 1$ teaspoons salt. J onion. J teaspoon pepper. 2-inch cube fat salt pork. Pick over peas and soak several hours, drain, add cold water, pork, and onion. Simmer three or four hours, or until soft; rub through a sieve. Add butter and flour cooked together, salt and pepper. Dilute with milk, adding more if necessary. The water in which a ham has been cooked may be used; in such case omit salt. POTATO SOUP. 3 potatoes. 1J teaspoons salt. 1 quart milk. J teaspoon celery salt. 2 slices onion. J teaspoon pepper. 3 tablespoons butter. Few grains cayenne. 2 tablespoons flour. 1 teaspoon chopped parsley. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water; when soft, rub through a strainer. Scald milk with onion, remove onion, and add milk slowly to potatoes. Melt half the butter, soups. 33 add dry ingredients, stir until well mixed, then stir into boiling soup; cook one minute, strain, add remaining butter, and sprinkle with parsley. OYSTER BISQUE. 1 quart of oysters. 4 cups of cream. 1 slice of onion. 2 stalks of celery. 2 blades of mace. 1 sprig of parsley. A bit of bay leaf. J cup of butter. $ cup of flour. Salt and pepper to taste. Scald the oysters and the liquor, separate them after heating to boiling point, strain liquor through cheesecloth, reheat, and thicken with the butter and flour. Scald the milk with the other ingredients mentioned, remove seasonings, add the milk to the oyster liquor, and then add the oysters. Serve hot with whipped cream on top. TOMATO PUREE. 1 can tomatoes. 1 pint brown stock. 1 bay leaf. 1 sprig parsley. 1 stalk of celery. 1 teaspoonful of sugar. 1 tablespoonful of butter. Several slices ot onion. Put the tomatoes into a saucepan with the brown stock, bay leaf, parsley, celery, and sugar; simmer thoroughly; put the onion and butter into the saute pan, and when the onion is thoroughly done — but not brown — add a tablespoonful of flour, and put all with the tomatoes; season with salt and pepper. Pass the whole through a fine sieve or strainer — heat again and serve. CROUTONS (Duchess Crusts). Cut stale bread in one third inch slices and remove crusts. Spread thinly with butter. Cut slices in one third inch cubes, put in pan and bake until delicately browned, or fry in deep fat. NOODLES. 1 egg. i teaspoon salt. Flour.