Foods that will win the war and how to cook them (1918)

by C. Houston Goudiss; Alberta M. Goudiss

MEAT ECONOMY DISHES

MOCK DUCK

1 flank steak

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon onion juice

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

½ teaspoon poultry seasoning

1 pint boiling water

⅓ cup of whole wheat flour

Reserve the water and the flour. Mix other ingredients. Spread on steak. Roll the steak and tie. Roll in the flour. Brown in two tablespoons of fat. Add the water—cover and cook until tender.

BEEF STEW

1 lb. of meat from the neck, cross ribs, shin or knuckles

1 sliced onion

¾ cup carrots

½ cup turnips

1 cup potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup flour

1 quart water

Soak one-half of the meat, cut in small pieces, in the quart of water for one hour. Heat slowly to boiling point. Season the other half of the meat with salt and pepper. Roll in flour. Brown in three tablespoons of fat with the onion. Add to the soaked meat, which has been brought to the boiling point. Cook one hour or until tender. Add the vegetables, and flour mixed with half cup of cold water. Cook until vegetables are tender.

HAM SOUFFLE

1½ cups breadcrumbs

2 cups scalded milk

1½ cups chopped cooked ham

2 egg yolks

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon minced onion

½ teaspoon paprika

2 egg whites

PARSLEY SAUCE

2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

For the soufflé, cook together breadcrumbs and milk for two minutes. Remove from fire, add ham and mix well. Add egg yolks, first beating these well; also the parsley (one tablespoon), onion and paprika. Fold in, last of all, the egg whites whipped to a stiff, dry froth. Turn quickly into a well-greased baking dish and bake in moderate oven for thirty-five minutes, or until firm to the touch; meantime, make the parsley sauce, so that both can be served instantly when the soufflé is done; then it will not fall and grow tough.

For the parsley sauce, melt the butter in saucepan and stir in the flour, stirring until perfectly smooth, then add the milk slowly, stirring constantly; cook until thick, stir in the parsley and salt, and serve at once in a gravy boat.

BATTLE PUDDING

BATTER

1 cup flour

½ cup milk

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 egg

4 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon salt

FILLING

2 cups coarsely chopped cold cooked meat

1 tablespoon drippings

1 medium-sized potato

1 cup stock or hot water

salt and pepper

1 small onion

Any cold meat may be used for this. Cut it into inch pieces. Slice the onion and potato and fry in drippings until onion is slightly browned. Add the meat and stock, or hot water, or dissolve in hot water any left-over meat gravy. Cook all together until potato is soft, but not crumbled; season with the pepper and salt. Thicken with a tablespoon of flour and turn into a pudding dish.

Make a batter by sifting together flour, baking-powder and salt; stir in the egg and milk, mixed with the water. Beat hard until free from lumps, then pour over meat and vegetables in the pudding and bake until brown.

CHINESE MUTTON

1 pint chopped cooked mutton

1 head shredded lettuce

1 can cooked peas

⅛ teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon fat

1½ cups broth

1 teaspoon of salt

Cook 15 minutes. Serve as a border around rice.

SHEPHERD'S PIE

2 cups chopped cooked mutton

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

¼ teaspoon curry powder

2 cups hominy

1 cup peas or carrots

½ pint of brown sauce or water

Put meat and vegetables in baking dish. Cover with rice, hominy, or samp, which has been cooked. Bake until brown.

SCALLOPED HAM AND HOMINY

2 cups hominy (cooked)

1 cup chopped cooked ham

⅓ cup fat

⅓ cup flour

1 teaspoon of salt

⅛ teaspoon mustard

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1 egg

1 cup milk

½ cup water

Melt the fat. Add the dry ingredients and the liquid slowly. When at boiling point, add hominy and ham. Stir in the egg. Place in a baking-dish. Cover with buttered crumbs. Bake until brown.

BEEF LOAF

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon sour pickle

2 teaspoons salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon celery salt

To 1 tablespoon of gelatine, softened in ½ cup of cold water add 1 cup of hot tomato juice and pulp. Add seasoned meat. Chill and slice. May be served with salad dressing.

BAKED HASH

1 cup chopped cooked meat

2 cups raw potato, cut fine

1 tablespoon onion juice

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

⅛ teaspoon pepper

¼ cup drippings

½ cup gravy or water

Melt fat in frying pan. Put in all the other ingredients. Cook over a slow fire for ½ hour. Fold and serve as omelet.

MEAT SHORTCAKE

1½ cups flour

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons shortening

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 cups chopped, cooked meat

1 teaspoon onion juice

½ cup gravy or soup stock

Salt and pepper

¾ cup milk and water

Mix flour, salt and baking powder. Rub in shortening, and mix to dough with milk and water. Roll out to quarter of an inch thickness, bake in layer cake tins. Put together with the chopped meat mixed with the onion and seasoning, and heated hot with the gravy or stock. If stock is used, thicken with a tablespoon of flour mixed with one of butter, or butter substitute. Serve as soon as put together. Cold cooked fish heated in cream sauce may be used for a filling instead of the meat.

SCRAPPLE

Place a pig's head in 4 quarts of cold water and bring slowly to the boil. Skim carefully and season the liquid highly with salt, cayenne and a teaspoon of rubbed sage. Let the liquid simmer gently until the meat falls from the bones. Strain off the liquid, remove the bones, and chop the meat fine.

Measure the liquid and allow 1 cup of sifted cornmeal to 3 cups of liquid. Blend the cornmeal in the liquid and simmer until it is the consistency of thick porridge. Stir in the chopped meat and pour in greased baking pans to cool. One-third buckwheat may be used instead of cornmeal, and any kind of chopped meat can be blended with the pork if desired. Any type of savory herb can also be used, according to taste.

When scrapple is to be eaten, cut into one-half inch slices, dredge with flour, and brown in hot fat.

FISH AS A MEAT SUBSTITUTE

As the main course at a meal, fish may be served accompanied by vegetables or it may be prepared as a "one-meal dish" requiring only bread and butter and a simple dessert to complete a nutritious and well balanced diet. A lack of proper knowledge of selection of fish for the different methods of cooking, and the improper cooking of fish once it is acquired, are responsible to a large extent for the prejudice so frequently to be found against the use of fish.

The kinds of fish obtainable in different markets vary somewhat, but the greatest difficulty for many housekeepers seems to be, to know what fish may best be selected for baking, broiling, etc., and the tests for fish when cooked. An invariable rule for cooking fish is to apply high heat at first, until the flesh is well seared so as to retain the juices; then a lower temperature until the flesh is cooked throughout. Fish is thoroughly cooked when the flesh flakes. For broiling or pan broiling, roll fish in flour or cornmeal, preferably the latter, which has been well seasoned with salt and cayenne. This causes the outside to be crisp and also gives added flavor. Leftover bits of baked or other fish may be combined with white sauce or tomato sauce, or variations of these sauces, and served as creamed fish, or placed in a greased baking dish, crumbs placed on top and browned and served as scalloped fish. Fish canapes, fish cocktail, fish soup or chowder; baked, steamed, broiled or pan broiled fish, entrees without number, and fish salad give opportunity to use it in endless variety.

Combined with starchy foods such as rice, hominy, macaroni, spaghetti or potato, and accompanied by a green vegetable or fruit, the dish becomes a meal. Leftover bits may also be utilized for salad, either alone with cooked or mayonaise salad dressing, or combined with vegetables such as peas, carrots, cucumbers, etc. The addition of a small amount of chopped pickle to fish salad improves its flavor, or a plain or tomato gelatine foundation may be used as a basis for the salad. The appended lists of fish suitable for the various methods of cooking, and the variety in the recipes for the uses of fish, have been arranged to encourage a wider use of this excellent meat substitute, so largely eaten by European epicures, but too seldom included in American menus. During the period of the war, the larger use of fish is a patriotic measure in that it will save the beef, mutton and pork needed for our armies.

FISH SHORTCAKE

2 cups cooked meat or fish

1 cup gravy or water

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon onion juice

2 cups rye flour

1 teaspoon of salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

4 teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons fat

1 cup gravy, water or milk

Place meat or fish and seasonings in greased dish. Make shortcake by sifting dry ingredients, cut in fat, and add liquid. Place on top of meat or fish mixture. Bake 30 minutes.

CREOLE CODFISH

1 cup codfish, soaked over night and cooked until tender

2 cups cold boiled potatoes

⅓ cup pimento

2 cups breadcrumbs

1 cup tomato sauce

Make sauce by melting ¼ cup of fat, adding 2 tablespoons of whole wheat flour.

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon onion juice, and, gradually

1 cup of tomato and juice

Place the codfish, potatoes and pimento in a baking dish. Cover with the tomato sauce, then the breadcrumbs, to which have been added 2 tablespoons of drippings. Bake brown.

CREAMED SHRIMPS AND PEAS

1 cup shrimps

1 cup peas

2 tablespoons fat

1 teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1½ cups milk

2 tablespoons flour

Melt fat, add dry ingredients, and gradually the liquid. Then add fish and peas.

DRESSING FOR BAKED FISH

2 cups breadcrumbs

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper (cayenne)

1 teaspoon onion juice

1 tablespoon parsley

1 tablespoon chopped pickle

¼ cup fat

Mix well and fill fish till it is plump with the mixture.

SHRIMP AND PEA SALAD

1 cup cooked fish

1 cup celery

2 tablespoons pickle

1 cup salad dressing

1 cup peas

FOR DRESSING

1 egg

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon mustard

2 tablespoons fat

¾ cup milk

¼ cup vinegar

2 tablespoons corn syrup

Directions for making dressing: Mix all ingredients. Cook over hot water until consistency of custard.

FISH CHOWDER

¼ lb. fat salt pork

1 onion

2 cups fish

2 teaspoons salt

⅛ teaspoon pepper

Water to cover

2 cups potatoes, diced

Cook slowly, covered, for ½ hour. Add 1 pint of boiling milk and 1 dozen water crackers.

BAKED FINNAN HADDIE

½ cup each of milk and water, boiling hot

1 fish

Pour over fish. Let stand, warm, 25 minutes. Pour off. Dot with fat and bake 25 minutes. One tablespoon chopped parsley on top.

FISH CROQUETTES

1 cup of cooked fish

1½ cups mashed potato

1 tablespoon parsley

1 egg

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon celery seed

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Shape as croquette and bake in a moderate oven 25 minutes.

CLAMS A LA BECHAMEL

1 cup chopped clams

1½ cups milk

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons fat

3 tablespoons flour

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

⅛ teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Yolks of 2 eggs

½ cup breadcrumbs

Scald bay-leaf in milk. Make sauce, by melting fat with flour; add dry ingredients, and gradually add the liquid. Add egg. Add fish. Put in baking dish. Cover top with breadcrumbs. Bake 20 minutes.

SCALLOPED SHRIMPS

¼ cup fat

¼ cup flour

½ teaspoon salt

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

1 cup cooked shrimps

½ cup cheese

½ cup celery stalk

1 cup milk

Melt fat, add dry ingredients, and gradually the liquid. Then add fish and cheese. Bring to boiling point and serve.

ESCALLOPED SALMON

1 large can salmon

½ doz. soda crackers

2 cups thin white sauce

Salt, pepper

1 hard-boiled egg

Alternate layers of the salmon and the crumbled crackers in a well-greased baking dish, sprinkling each layer with salt, pepper, the finely chopped hard-boiled egg, and bits of butter or butter substitute, moistening with the white sauce. Finish with a layer of the fish, sprinkling it with the cracker crumbs dotted with butter. Bake in a moderate oven for 30 minutes, or until the top is well browned.

Fish for Frying.—Brook trout, black bass, cod steaks, flounder fillet, perch, pickerel, pompano, smelts, whitefish steak, pike, weakfish, tilefish.

Fish for Boiling.—Cod, fresh herring, weakfish, tilefish, sea bass, pickerel, red snapper, salt and fresh mackerel, haddock, halibut, salmon, sheepshead.

Fish for Baking.—Black bass, bluefish, haddock, halibut, fresh mackerel, sea bass, weakfish, red snapper, fresh salmon, pickerel, shad, muskellunge.

Fish for Broiling.—Bluefish, flounder, fresh mackerel, pompano, salmon steak, black bass, smelts, sea bass steaks, whitefish steaks, trout steaks, shad roe, shad (whole).