The new Annie Dennis cook book

Scald the milk. Shell and blanch the chestnuts. Cook until very soft in boiling salted water to cover. Mash them in the water left in the pan, and rub them through a fine strainer into the scalded milk. Add the cream, salt, pepper and butter. Heat, and when ready to serve stir the beaten egg in quickly and serve at once with croutons. Cerealine Soup Into a pint of boiling milk slowly sift half a cupful of cerealine, a teaspoonful of celery salt and a saltspoonful of pepper, and boil for ten minutes, taking care it does not scorch. Put the mixture through a soup strainer, and return it to the kettle. Pour in a scanty cupful of cream, and as soon as the liquid boils turn it slowly into the soup tureen, in which has already been placed the well beaten yolk of an egg. Stir the soup while pouring it, and send it to the table with hot croutons or with Boston crackers that have been buttered and browned in the oven. Sometimes a teaspoonful of onion juice and a saltspoonful of plain salt can be used instead of the celery salt; and sometimes a teaspoonful of dried and pulverized parsley or a larger quantity of chopped fresh parsley may be used. Oyster Stew For one quart of oysters place two quarts of fresh sweet milk over the fire to boil. Drain the liquor from the oysters and strain it into the milk. Just before the milk boils, stir in one teaspoonful of salt, a large pinch of black pepper and a dessertspoonful of butter. When the mixture boils up well, turn in the oysters. When the oysters come to the surface, the stew is ready to serve. If liked, just before turning into the tureen a coffee-cupful of crushed oyster crackers may be stirred into the stew. Serve with whole oyster crackers and celery. Mock Oyster Soup To one quart of fresh tomatoes, or three pounds of canned, add one quart of water, and boil one hour. Just before serving add one quart of boiling sweet milk one teaspoonful of salt, sugar and butter, a pinch of soda, and white pepper to taste. Asparagus Soup Wash two large bunches of asparagus, chip fine, put in a boiler with one teaspoonful of salt, and cover with boiling water. Let boil half an hour. Put three pints of fresh milk on to boil, and as soon as it boils, add the asparagus, with the water it was boiled in. Rub a tablespoonful of butter, with one of flour, add to the milk and stir until thick. Season with salt and pepper and serve. The asparagus must be young and tender. Cream of Pea Soup One pint of canned peas, one pint of cream, one tablespoonful of butter ; salt and white pepper to taste. Strain and mash the peas in a pan; fill the can with boiling water ; pour on the peas, place over the fire and let come to a boil. Pour in the cream, and stir in the butter, salt and pepper. Serve with whipped cream and squares of toast. If preferred, the soup may be strained. Cream of Potato Soup IVz cupfuls mashed potatoes 2 tablespoonfuls flour 4 cupfuls milk IVz teaspoonfuls salt 1 small onion % teaspoonful butter 2 tablespoonfuls butter Combine the potato (which may be left over) with the milk and the onion, and cook it in a double boiler for twenty minutes. Then remove the onion, add the seasonings and thicken the soup with the butter and flour creamed together.