The Portland Woman's Exchange Cook Book

Fry out 6 rashers of salt pork cut in 2-inch squares. Slice 1 small onion and cook in the fat — do not brown. Slice thin 6 medium sized potatoes. Cut in three or four pieces the tender parts of 1 quart of razor clams. Fill the pot with a layer of clams and a layer of potatoes, seasoning each layer with salt and white pepper; barely cover with water and simmer until tender. Heat 3 cups milk and 1 cup cream with 1 large tablespoon butter. Pour this over the clams and let stand 10 minutes, heating. Heat 8 soda crackers and add with the milk. Mrs. Ernest Tucker. Philadelphia Clam Soup. 25 razor clams. 1 quart milk. J/2 large onion, grated. J/2 cup butter. 1 tablespoon chopped parsley. 3 potatoes. 2 large tablespoons flour. Salt and pepper. Chop clams fine. Pare potatoes and chop rather small; boil them in the milk in double boiler, with necks of clams. Rub butter and flour together, and when potatoes and milk have boiled 15 minutes take out the necks and stir in the flour and butter; cook 8 minutes more. Add parsley, pepper and salt, and boil 3 minutes. Now add clams, cook 2 minutes, and serve. Mrs. Chas. Scadding. Crab Oumbo. For eight people take 2 good-sized crabs, pick the meat from shells and claws and put on ice, and put the shells on the stove in 2 quarts of water and boil for IJ/2 hours. Take a stewpan with 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings and 1 of butter; cut into it 2 large onions, 4 good slices of bacon and stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and 2 cans of okra. All this mixture must simmer 20 minutes, stirring every now and again. Carefully strain the shells from the stock and add to contents of stewpan, and into this cut 3 large green peppers (after the seeds are cleaned out) , 1 can of tomatoes and possibly, too, a little chili. Season to taste, and this does not mean only the usual salt and peppercorns, but sugar. In this climate where the vegetables ripen without sun, always bring up to taste with the teaspoon or tablespoon of sugar. Let the gumbo cook slowly for 2j/2 hours before serving. Remove the slices of bacon and add the crab meat, and send to the table with the steaming tureen a big bowl of snowy rice sprinkled with chili. Mrs. H, C. Wilson. Oyster Bisque. Put 2 quarts of oysters in a saucepan with a little white pepper, nutmeg, 2 blades of mace, 1 bayleaf, 1 pinch of red pepper, 2 oz. of butter, 1 pint of white stock. Boil 10 minutes, drain, saving the liquor. Make a roux of 5 oz. of flour and 4 oz. of butter, dilute with 3 pints of boiled milk and the strained oyster liquor. Add the oysters which have been chopped very fine and boil 10 minutes. Rub through a very fine sieve. Heat again, adding I/2 pint cream and 4 oz. of butter in little bits. Serve hot. Mrs. Seely. Oyster Soup. Scald 1 pint of oysters in their own liquor. As soon as they are plump, or the gills curl, remove them, and add to ' the liquor a cupful of water. Make a roux of 1 tablespoon each of butter and flour, dilute it with the liquor and when it is smooth add a pint of scalded cream. Season with pepper, salt and a dash of cayenne; a tablespoon of grated celery adds a pleasant flavor, or a few celery seeds may be used. Add the oysters, and when they are heated, serve at once. Mrs. Gordon Voorhies. Crawfish Bisque. Eight dozen flne large crawflsh and wash very thoroughly. Boil in about 1 gallon of water. When boiled take the flsh out of the water; save the water. Take 2 dozen of the largest, pick out the inside of the tails and save the heads, cleaning them of every particle of meat. Pick the meat from the rest of the crawflsh, saving all the shells. Take 1 large onion, 1 carrot, 1 bunch of celery, 1 sprig of thyme, 1 bayleaf, 3 sprigs of parsley, 6 cloves and 2 blades of mace, 1 clove of