SOUP
The foundation of all excellent soup is a stock made from beef. For a dinner company heavy soup is not so desirable as a good, clear, rich soup, and I add a tried recipe from "Practical Cooking and Dinner Giving," called:
AMBER SOUP.
A large soup bone (two pounds); a chicken; a small slice of ham; a soup bunch (or an onion, two sprigs of parsley, half a small carrot, half a small parsnip, half a stick of celery); three cloves; pepper; salt; a gallon of cold water; whites and shells of two eggs, and caramel for coloring. Let the beef, chicken and ham boil slowly for five hours, add the vegetables and cloves, to cook the last hour, having fried the onion in a little hot fat and then in it stuck the cloves. Strain the soup into an earthen bowl and let it remain over night. Next day remove the cake of fat on top; take out the jelly, avoid the settlings; and mix into it the beaten whites of the eggs with the shells. Boil quickly for half a minute; then, removing the kettle, skim off carefully all the scum and whites of the eggs from the top, not stirring the soup itself. Pass through a jelly bag, when it should be very dear. Reheat just before serving, and add then a tablespoonful of caramel to give a rich color and flavor.
Caramel—Take a cup of sugar and a tablespoon of water. Put in a porcelain kettle and stir constantly to prevent burning, until it has a bright brown color. Then add a cup of water, pinch of salt; let it boil a few moments longer, cool, strain, and put away in a close- corked bottle—and it is always ready for coloring the soup.
MOCK-TURTLE SOUP.
From MRS. BERIAH WILKINS, of District of Columbia, Fifth Vice
President, Board of Lady Managers.
This soup should be prepared the day before it is to be served up. One calf's head, well cleaned and washed. Lay the head in the bottom of a large pot. One onion; six cloves; ten allspice; one bunch parsley; one carrot; salt to taste; cover with four quarts of water. Boil three hours, or until the flesh will slip easily from the bones; take out the head; chop the meat and tongue very fine; set aside the brains; remove the soup from the fire; strain carefully and set away until the next day. An hour before dinner take off all fat and set on as much of the stock to warm as you need. When it boils drop in a few squares of the meat you have reserved, as well as the force balls. To prepare these, rub the yolk of three hard boiled eggs to a paste in a wooden bowl, adding gradually the brains to moisten them; also a little butter; mix with these two eggs, beaten light; flour your hands; make this paste into small balls; drop them into the soup a few minutes before removing from the fire. A tablespoonful of browned flour and brown sugar for coloring; rub smooth with the same amount of butter; let it boil up well; finish the seasoning by the addition of a glass of sherry. Serve with sliced lemon.
JULIENNE SOUP.
From MRS. SUSAN R. ASHLEY, of Colorado, Sixth Vice President, Board of
Lady Managers.