The Queen Cook Book: A Careful Compilation of Recipes and Practical ...

For a dish holding three pints one-half pound of spaghetti will be required. Have ready a kettle full of boiling water, salted. Take the spaghetti all up together, in the long sticks without breaking. Hold the ends in the boiling water; in an instant it will all go down into the water. Whirl it round and round with a fork to thoroughly separate it, then allow it to boil hard for twenty minutes. When done, put it in a colander and pour cold water through it (this is called blanching). After it is drained, put it into the dish in which it is to be baked. For the Cream Gravy. Put one and one-half pints of milk on in double boiler. Stir smoothly together three tablespoons of flour 128 The Queen Cook Book and three scant tablespoons of butter. When smooth, stir carefully into the boiling milk, stirring till flour is cooked. Then add three tablespoons of grated cheese. Parmesan is best, but any strong cheese will answer. Pour it over the macaroni in the dish, sprinkle a little more cheese over the top and put in the oven to brown. Do not put the cream and macaroni together till ready to go into the oven, as the cream will curdle if allowed to stand on the macaroni. Mrs. Rorer, Toasted Cheese. One-half pound of rich cheese is enough for four slices of toast. Cut the cheese thin in slices a little smaller than the toast, and put it in buttered tin in oven to toast. While this is toasting, toast the bread, salt and butter it. Put cheese on toast. Serve hot. Mrs. Rorer. Cheese Straws. 2 ounces flour A little cayenne and salt 3 ounces grated Parmesan Yolk of one egg cheese Mix flour, cayenne, salt and cheese together, and moisten with the egg; work all into a smooth paste. Roll out on a board, one-eighth of an inch thick, five inches wide, and five inches long. Cut some of the paste in small rings and some in strips of one-eighth of an inch wide. Place both on greased sheets and bake ten minutes in an oven (240 Fahr.) till a light brown. Then put the straws through the rings like a bundle of sticks. Mrs. Rorer. The Queen Cook Book -129 Stock for Sauces and Gravies. In every family of five or six persons or more, there will be many bones and fragments of meat left from roasts and steaks either cooked or uncooked or both which can be utilized for making stock or puree for gravies and sauces for various kinds of meats, fish or croquettes. Put into a granite or porcelain kettle, the bones and pieces of meats from yesterday's and to-day's cooking (do not use any older bits for they loose their virtue by standing) ; with as little water as will cook well, and boil slowly for three hours, covered tight; salt it just right for eating; have the quantity of broth according to the nourishment contained in the meat. This will not often be rich enough for soups; strain it through a soup strainer, when cold take off the fat. In winter it will keep a week. In large families it can be prepared twice a week. To make nice gravies is only difficult to the inexperienced. You will soon learn to use good judgment and be a good taster. Maitre d'Hotel Sauce. 2 tablespoons butter i tablespoon chopped par- I tablespoon lemon juice sley Salt, a little Mix all the ingredients well together. Served with salt fish. Mrs. Rorer. Anchovy Sauce. Add to the above recipe two tablespoons of anchovy paste. Try it for fried fish. < ,.>■ 130 The Queen Cook Book Apple Sauce. Nice tart apple sauce can be served with all dishes of fresh pork. Bearnais Sauce. Yolks of three eggs J^ teaspoon salt, red pep- 3 tablespoons butter per 3 tablespoons stock or i tablespoon gooseberry water catsup I tablespoon vinegar