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

MUSH. Indian or oatmeal mush is best made in the following manner: Put fresh water in a kettle over the fire to boil, and pat in some salt; when the water boils, stir in handful by handful corn or oatmeal until thick enough for use. In order to have excellent mush, the meal should be allowed to cook well and long as possible while thin, and before [page number: 138] the final handful is added. When desired to be fried for breakfast, turn into an earthen dish and set away to cool. Then cut in slices when you wish to fry; dip each piece in beaten eggs and fry on a hot griddle. CORN MUSH. Put four quarts fresh water in a kettle to boil, salt to suit the taate; when it begins to boil stir in one and a hall quarts meal, letting it sift through the fingers slowly to prevent lumps, adding it a little faster at the last, until as thick as can be conveniently stirred with one hand; set in the oven in the kettle, (or take out into a pan), bake an hour, and it will be thoroughly cooked. It takes corn meal so long to cook thoroughly that it is very difficult to boil it until done without burning. Excellent for frying when cold. Use a hard wood paddle, two feet long, with a blade two inches wide and seven inches long, to stir with. The thorough cooking and baking in oven afterwards takes away all the raw taste that mnsh is apt to have, and adds much to its sweetness and delicious flavor. GRAHAM MUSH. Sift meal slowly into boiling salted water, stirring briskly until it is as thick as can be stirred with one hand; serve with milk, or cream and sugar, or butter and syrup. It is much improved by removing from the kettle to a pan as soon as thoroughly mixed, and steaming for three or four hours. It may also be eaten cold, or sliced and fried like corn mush. [page number: 139] SALADS, PICKLES AND CATSUP. LETTUCE. The early lettuce, and first fine salad, are five or six leaves in a cluster; their early appearance is their greatest recommendation; cabbage or white-heart lettuce is later and much more delicate; break the leaves apart one by one from the stalk and throw them into a pan of cold water; rinse them well, lay them into a salad bowl or a deep dish, lay the largest leaves first, pnt the next size upon them, then lay on the finest white leaves; cut hard-boiled eggs in slices or quarters and lay them at equal distances around the edge and over the salad; serve with vinegar, oil, and made mustard in the cruet. Or, having picked and washed the lettuce, cut the leaves small; put the cut salad in a glass dish or bow), pour a salad dressing over and serve; or, garnish with small red radishes, cut in halves or slices, and hard-boiled eggs cut in quarters or slices; pour a salad dressing over when ready to serve. Serve with boiled lobster, boiled fowls, or roasted lamb or veal ' LETTUCE SALAD. Take the yolks of three hard-boiled egga, add salt and mustard to taste; mash it fine; make a paste by adding a dessertspoon of olive oil or melted butter (use batter always when it is difficult to get fresh oil) ; mix thoroughly, and then dilate by adding gradually a teacup of vinegar, [page number: 140] and pout over the lettuce. Garnish by slicing another egg and laying over the lettuce. This is sufficient for a moderate-sized dish of lettuce. SALMON SALAD.