Mother's Cook Book: Containing Recipes for Every Day in the Week, Including ..

By observing carefully how it is done you may acquire a knowledge of the joints, and of the process of carving, which a little daily practice will soon convert into dexterity. If a young lady is ignorant of this useful art, it will be well for her to take lessons of her father, or her brother, and a married lady can easily learn from her husband. Domestics who wait at table may soon, from looking on daily, become so expert that, when necessary, they can take a dish to the side-table and carve it perfectly well. At a dinner-party, if the hostess is quite young, she is frequently glad to be relieved of the trouble of carving by the gentleman who sits nearest to her; but if she is familiar with the business, she usually prefers doing it herself. Mother's Cook Book. SOUPS. GENERAL REMARKS. Be careful to proportion the quantity of water to that of the meat. Somewhat less than a quart of water to a pound ■of meat is a good rule for common soups. Rich soups, intended for company, may have a still smaller allowance of water. Soup should always be made entirely of fresh meat that has not been previously cooked. An exception to this rule may sometimes be made in favor of the remains of apiece of roast beef that has been very muck under-done in roasting. This may be added to a good piece of raw meat Cold ham, also, may be occasionally pat into white soups. Soup, however, that has been originally made of raw meat entirely is frequently better the second day than the first, provided it is reboiled only for a very short time, and that no additional water is added to it. Unless it nas been allowed to boil too hard, so as to exhaust the water, the soup-pot will not require replenishing. When it is found absolutely necessary to do so, the additional water must be boiling-hot when poured in; if lukewarm or cold, it will entirely spoil the soup. Every particle of fat should be carefully skimmed from the surface. Greasy soup is disgusting and unwholesome. The lean of meat is much better for soup than the fat. Long and slow boiling is necessary to extract the strength from the meat. If boiled fast over a large fire, the meat becomes hard and tough, and will not give out its juice", Potatoes, if boiled in the soup, are thought by sume to render it unwholesome, from the opinion that the water in which potatoes have been cooked is almost a poison. As potatoes are a part of every dinner, it is very easy to take a few out 's Cook Book. 21 of the pot in which they hare been boiled by themselves. and to cut them up and add them to the soup just before it goes to table. Remove all shreds of meat and bone. The cook should season the soup but very slightly with salt and pepper. If she puts in too much it may spoil it for the taste of most of those who are to eat it; but if too little it is easy to add more to your own plate. Mother's Cook Book. SOUPS. STOCK. Four pounds of shin of beef, or four pounds of knuckle of veal, or two pounds of each; an; bones, trimmings of poultry, or fresh meat, quarter pound of lean bacon or ham, two ounces of butter, two large onions, each stuck with cloves; one turnip, three carrots, one head of celery, three lumps of sugar, two ounces of salt, half a teaspoonful of whole pepper, one large blade of mace, one bunch of savory herbs, four quarts and half pint of cold water.