High living

In some parts of Italy this dish is made of several kinds of cold meats, poultry, game, brains, etc. (the greater the variety the better), served on the same platter, and in Spain all kinds of cold vegetables are fried in batter and served together. PIGEON A LA CREOLE — Clean and wipe dry three pigeons and cut each into four pieces. Marinate them in half a cupful of olive oil for fifteen minutes. Drain off the oil into a frying-pan. Chop one onion, one clove of garlic (if liked), a green pepper (seeds removed) and a tablespoonful of parsley. Fry in the oil until transparent, and then add the pigeons and sear them all over. Put all of this in a casserole with a can of tomatoes, salt, paprika and cayenne to taste, one tablespoonful of finely minced salt pork, half a cupful of sliced olives and a pint of good stock. Cover tightly and simmer in the oven an hour and a half. Five minutes before serving moisten a tablespoonful of browned flour with a little of the gravy, stir into the stew, and when it thickens sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garnish with croutons and serve in the same dishes. SALMI OF QUAIL — Split two plump quail down the back. Heat two heaping tablespoonfuls of butter in the blazer of the chafing-dish, put in the birds and brown on one side, turn and brown on the other, then add one gill of highly seasoned broth, one gill of port or claret, one tablespoonful of mushroom catsup, salt and pepper to taste, cover and simmer until tender. CHICKEN PORTUGUESE — Into the bottom of a casserole put a piece of pork rind. On this stand a tender roasting chicken, trussed ; add four ounces of butter, salt, and cayenne to taste, and a few drops of kitchen bouquet. Then add the following vegetables, chopped fine : Two onions, two young carrots, one-half head of celery, two Chiles, two bell-peppers, seeds removed, and one cupful of soup stock. Cover the casserole, and cook quickly for forty minutes. From time to time baste the chicken with a spoonful of the gravy ; then add two tomatoes, skinned and sliced, and cook for thirty minutes more. Serve in the casserole. MOBILE BAY GUMBO — Cut in pieces three fat young squirrels. Cover with a quart of water and add a slice of lean ham cut in dice, a carrot and onion sliced, pieces of celery, two sliced tomatoes, two cut up green peppers (seeds removed), a bay leaf and some sweet herbs. Simmer until tender and then add two pounds of nice okra, cut in half. Stew until tender. Thicken with a little butter and flour braided together. Then add one pint of oysters from which the liquor has been drained. Simmer for three minutes, and serve in a deep platter surrounded with rice. SALMI OF DUCK WITH OLIVES — Roast for eight minutes two sprig-tail ducks. Cut off the breast, wings and legs, and put the carcasses into a saucepan with a dozen cloves, one onion and half a dozen stalks of celery. Cover with water and simmer to make a good gravy, then strain. Put in a saucepan the meat, two ounces of butter, the gravy, salt, pepper, cayenne, half a head of celery cut in small strips, one teaspoonful of currant jelly and one dozen stoned olives. Cook gently ten minutes, add a piece of butter rolled in browned flour, stir until smooth. Simmer five minutes, then serve with boiled or fried hominy.