CREAM OF RICE SOUP
Put ½ cup of rice into 1½ pints of boiling water, and add 2 onions into which 4 cloves are pressed, a piece of celery (or ¼ teaspoon celery seed), one bay leaf, 1 sprig of parsley, 4 peppercorns, and a bit of mace. Let simmer gently for one hour, then turn the soup into a large bowl, pouring it through a fine sieve, and pressing as much through the sieve as possible. Return the contents of the bowl to the saucepan and add 1 pint of milk, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 1 scant tablespoon of flour dissolved in a little milk. Add 1 tablespoon of chopped Spanish pimentos, 1 teaspoon finely chopped chives, let simmer five minutes, add 1 tablespoon of whipped cream, and serve.