Table Talk's illustrated cook book

Stir until the mixture thickens slightly, add one pint of scalded cream or rich milk and the cubes of lobster. Let stand at the side of the fire for three minutes and serve. If a maigre soup is desired use milk in the place of stock and cook in a double boiler. BLACK BEAN SOUP. Pick over, wash and soak over night one pint of black beans. In the morning drain them, add two quarts of fresh cold water and a bouquet of sweet herbs and place at the side of the fire to simmer very gently until they break in pieces. When half done add one good-sized onion roasted in a slow oven until well browned through, one-half of a medium sized carrot cut fine and browned in a little fat, one scant teaspoonful of salt, one clove and a dozen peppercorns. When very tender rub through a fine sieve and return to the fire. If the pulp is very thick add sufficient boiling water or good brown stock to reduce to a creamy consistence. Taste and add seasoning as necessary. Cook together until browned one tablespoonful each of butter and flour, dilute smoothly with some of the soup then turn into the kettle and stir until well mixed. Simmer ten minutes longer. Place in the hot soup tureen some thin slices of lemon, quarters of hard-boiled egg and (if used) four tablespoonfuls of sherry, fill with the soup and send to the table. ALMOND CREAM SOUP. Clean and disjoint a fowl, put in the soup kettle with five pints of water, cover and simmer very gently for three hours. Strain off the stock, set aside to chill. Remove all fat and bones and put the white meat through the food chopper, using the finest cutter. Blanch one cupful of almonds and pass them through the same cutter. Remove all fat from the stock and put it on in a clean saucepan with two cupfuls of fine stale crumbs (no crust), one-third of a cupful of chopped celery, one tablespoonful each of chopped carrot and onion, one-half of a bay leaf, two cloves, a bit of cinnamon, one sprig of parsley, one scant teaspoonful of salt, one-quarter of a teaspoonful of white pepper. Simmer for one hour, then rub through a sieve. Return to the fire with the prepared chicken and almonds and three cupfuls of cream. Add seasoning to taste. When almost at the boiling point add one tablespoonful of butter rubbed to a paste with one tablespoonful of flour. Stir gently until dissolved, then boil slowly for five minutes. Rub through a fine sieve, reheat and serve. This is a very delicious soup and well repays the time spent in making it. SWISS RICE SOUP. Wash thoroughly one-half of a cupful of rice, put in a kettle with two quarts of boiling water, add one tablespoonful of chopped onion, a tiny bit of mace, sprig of parsley and a scant teaspoonful of salt, and boil slowly until the rice is pulpy. Rub through a sieve and reheat to the boiling point. Add one tablespoonful of flour blended with a little cold milk; stir until thickened. Add pepper to taste, more salt, if needed, and simmer for five minutes. Beat two eggs, add one-half of a cupful of good cream. Draw the kettle to the side of the fire and pour this in slowly, stirring well; sprinkle in two tablespoonfuls of grated Swiss cheese and take immediately from the fire. As served, drop a pinch of chopped parsley over each plateful. GIBLET SOUP. For this recipe take the giblets after they are thoroughly cleaned and cut them into half-inch pieces. Put them into a kettle with three pints of cold water, heat slowly and simmer very gently for an hour. Add one small white onion stuck with two cloves, one stalk of celery, one-quarter of a bay leaf, a sprig of parsley and one of thyme, one scant teaspoonful of salt and one-quarter of a teaspoonful of pepper and simmer for one hour and a half longer. Remove the seasonings. In a clean saucepan brown together one-half of a teaspoonful