Transcriber’s Note
Obvious typographical errors have been corrected. A [list] of these changes is found at the end of the text. Inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation have been maintained. A [list] of inconsistently spelled and hyphenated words is found at the end of the text.
Illustrations have been moved and placed near the paragraph that they illustrate whenever possible.
THE
CENTURY COOK BOOK
THE
CENTURY COOK BOOK
BY
This book contains directions for cooking in its various branches,
from the simplest forms to high-class dishes and ornamental pieces;
a group of New England dishes furnished by Susan Coolidge;
and a few receipts of distinctively Southern dishes. It gives also
the etiquette of dinner entertainments—how to serve dinners—table
decorations, and many items relative to household affairs.
“NOW GOOD DIGESTION WAIT ON APPETITE
AND HEALTH ON BOTH”
—Macbeth
NEW YORK
THE CENTURY CO.
1901
Copyright, 1895, by
The Century Co.
The DeVinne Press.
“To be a good cook means the knowledge of all fruits, herbs, balms and spices, and of all that is healing and sweet in field and groves, and savory in meats; means carefulness, inventiveness, watchfulness, willingness and readiness of appliance. It means the economy of your great-grandmothers and the science of modern chemists. It means much tasting and no wasting. It means English thoroughness, French art and Arabian hospitality. It means, in fine, that you are to be perfectly and always ladies (loaf-givers) and are to see that every one has something nice to eat.”—Ruskin.
APHORISMS—BRILLAT-SAVARIN.
Les animaux se repaissent; l’homme mange; l’homme d’esprit seul sait manger.
Dis moi ce que tu manges, je te dirai ce que tu es.
Le Créateur, en obligeant l’homme à manger pour vivre, l’y invite par l’appêtit et l’en récompense par le plaisir.
La table est le seul endroit où l’on ne s’ennuie jamais pendant la première heure.
La découverte d’un mets nouveau fait plus pour le bonheur du genre humain que la découverte d’une étoile.
L’ordre des comestibles est des plus substantiels aux plus légers.
L’ordre des boissons est des plus tempérées aux plus fumeuses et aux plus parfumées.
On devient cuisinier mais on naît rôtisseur.
Attendre trop longtemps un convive retardataire est un manque d’égards pour tous ceux qui sont présent.
Celui qui reçoit ses amis, et ne donne aucun soin personnel au repas qui leur est préparé, n’est pas digne d’avoir des amis.
La maîtresse de la maison doit toujours s’assurer que le café est excellent, et le maître, que les liqueurs sont de premier choix.
TIME TABLE.
BOILING.
| MEATS. | ||
| Time. | ||
| Mutton | per pound | 15 minutes. |
| Potted Beef | “ “ | 30 to 35 min. |
| Corned Beef | “ “ | 30 minutes. |
| Ham | “ “ | 18 to 20 min. |
| Turkey | “ “ | 15 minutes. |
| Chicken | “ “ | 15 “ |
| Fowl | “ “ | 20 to 30 min. |
| Tripe | “ “ | 3 to 5 hours. |
| FISH. | ||
| Time. | ||
| Codfish | “ “ | 6 minutes. |
| Haddock | “ “ | 6 “ |
| Halibut | “ “ | 15 “ |
| Blue | “ “ | 10 “ |
| Bass | “ “ | 10 “ |
| Salmon | “ “ | 10 to 15 min. |
| Small Fish | “ “ | 6 minutes. |
| Lobster | 30 to 40 min. | |
| VEGETABLES. | ||
| Time. | ||
| Potatoes | 20 to 30 min. | |
| Asparagus | 20 to 25 “ | |
| Peas | 15 to 20 “ | |
| String Beans | 20 to 30 “ | |
| Lima | 30 to 40 “ | |
| Spinach | 15 to 20 “ | |
| Turnips | 30 minutes. | |
| Beets | 30 min. or more. | |
| Cabbage | 20 “ | |
| Cauliflower | 20 “ | |
| Brussels Sprouts | 10 to 15 min. | |
| Onions | 30 to 40 “ | |
| Parsnips | 30 to 40 “ | |
| Green Corn | 20 to 25 “ | |
| Macaroni | 20 minutes. | |
| Rice | 15 to 20 min. | |
BAKING.
| MEATS. | ||
| Time. | ||
| Beef, ribs, rare | per pound, | 8 to 10 min. |
| “ “ well done | “ | 12 to 15 “ |
| “ “ boned & rolled | “ | 12 to 15 “ |
| Round of Beef | “ | 12 to 15 “ |
| Mutton, leg, rare | “ | 10 minutes. |
| “ “ well done | “ | 15 “ |
| “ loin, rare | “ | 8 “ |
| “ shoulder, stuffed | “ | 15 “ |
| “ saddle, rare | “ | 9 “ |
| Lamb, well done | “ | 15 “ |
| Veal, | “ | 18 to 20 min. |
| Pork, | “ | 20 minutes. |
| Venison, rare | “ | 10 “ |
| Chicken | “ | 15 “ |
| Goose | “ | 18 “ |
| Fillet, hot oven | 30 minutes. | |
| Braised Meats | 3 to 4 hours. | |
| Liver, whole | 2 hours. | |
| Turkey, 8 lbs | 1¾ “ | |
| “ very large | 3 “ | |
| Birds, small, hot oven | 15 to 20 min. | |
| Ducks, tame | 45 minutes. | |
| “ wild, very hot oven | 15 “ | |
| Partridge | 35 to 40 min. | |
| Grouse | 20 to 25 “ | |
| FISH. | ||
| Time. | ||
| Large Fish | 1 hour, about. | |
| Small | 20 to 30 min. | |
| Time. | ||
| Bread | 1 hour. | |
| Biscuits | 20 minutes. | |
| Cake | 20 to 45 min. | |
| Custards, very slow oven | 1 hour. |
BROILING.
| Time. | ||
| Steak, 1 inch thick | 8 to 10 min. | |
| “ 1½ “ | 10 to 15 “ | |
| Mutton Chops, French | 8 minutes. | |
| “ “ English | 10 “ | |
| Spring Chicken | 20 “ | |
| Quail | 8 to 10 min. | |
| Grouse | 15 minutes. | |
| Squabs | 10 to 15 min. | |
| Shad, Bluefish, Trout | 15 to 25 “ | |
| Small Fish | 5 to 10 “ |