Luncheons, breakfasts, simple dinners and carving

Tomato Soup— Make according to any other soup made of stock, only, instead of a number of vegetables, you use tomatoes for the principal vegetable. To two quarts of stock add one can of tomatoes or six whole ones, let boil one hour, rub through a sieve, return to the fire and thicken a little. Season to taste; serve with crotons. Vegetable Soup— Boil your soup bone four to five hours. Add hot water if needed to make sufficient quantity of soup. Cut fine one-half cabbage, three potatoes, one turnip, one onion, one carrot, one head of celery, three tomatoes, three ears of corn. Season with salt, pepper, parsley, and cook one hour longer. Canned corn or tomatoes may be used, but must not be added until ten minutes before serving. GUMBOS. Gumbos — Gumbos come between the stews and soups. The thickening is furnished by okra, also a preparation of dried sassafras leaves, with a small quantity of pulverized bay leaves. In New Orleans the people utilize the remains of cold roasted chicken, turkeys, game and other meats to make gumbos. They also add oysters, crabs, and shrimps. Old Southern Gumbo Soup — Two large chickens, one pint of green okra pods, one quart of water, pepper and salt to taste. Cut the chicken in small pieces, roll in flour, fry brown. Take out the chicken, add the gumbos (sliced okra pods) and brown that in the fat. Add to this a tablespoonful of flour and stir until brown ; then add two pints of water slowly, stirring until smooth. Put in the meat of the chicken and simmer slowly for two hours. Serve with boiled rice. Should you use oysters in your gumbo scald their liquor, season to taste, pour in the soup, let boil five minutes, add the oysters last of all and let boil up once. OYSTERS. Oysters — Oysters are used and liked by most people so much, we thought we would give space in our book for some excellent tried receipts. Never plunge oysters in hot fat to increase the size ; it spoils the flavor. Note — Never use oysters out of season. People who live on the coast often keep oysters from two to three weeks. This is done by spreading them on the cellar floor, with the rounding part of the shell down, and sprinkling with salt and Indian meal. Then cover with old carpet or blanket, keep wet with cold water. Repeat sprinkling and wetting of the carpet every day. Oysters Stewed with Celery — Put two cups of good beef soup stock in a stew pan, add one pint of rich milk or a pint of cream, one cup of celery chopped fine. Cook five minutes, then thicken slightly, add one-half cup of powdered cracker dust. Have ready in a hot tureen, twenty-five large oysters, parboiled in their own juice. Last of all season to taste with salt, pepper and butter if needed. Pour your sauce over the oysters and serve immediately. Oysters on Toast — Take one quart of oysters, remove the pieces of shell, put the liquor back on them. Put in a stew pan with butter the size of an tgg, salt and pepper to taste. When hot add a cup of milk, thicken a little. Have ready a platter of toasted bread. Pour the mixture over and serve at once. This is a delicious dish.