PRESS OF J. J. LITTLE & CO.,
NOS. 10 TO 20 ASTOR PLACE, NEW YORK.
PREFACE.
This is not a cookery book. It makes no attempt to replace a good one; it is rather an effort to fill up the gap between you and your household oracle, whether she be one of those exasperating old friends who maddened our mother with their vagueness, or the newer and better lights of our own generation, the latest and best of all being a lady as well known for her novels as for her works on domestic economy—one more proof, if proof were needed, of the truth I endeavor to set forth—if somewhat tediously forgive me—in this little book: that cooking and cultivation are by no means antagonistic. Who does not remember with affectionate admiration Charlotte Bronté taking the eyes out of the potatoes stealthily, for fear of hurting the feelings of her purblind old servant; or Margaret Fuller shelling peas?
The chief difficulty, I fancy, with women trying recipes is, that they fail and know not why they fail, and so become discouraged, and this is where I hope to step in. But although this is not a cookery book, insomuch as it does not deal chiefly with recipes, I shall yet give a few; but only when they are, or I believe them to be, better than those in general use, or good things little known, or supposed to belong to the domain of a French chef, of which I have introduced a good many. Should I succeed in making things that were obscure before clear to a few women, I shall be as proud as was Mme. de Genlis when she boasts in her Memoirs that she has taught six new dishes to a German housewife. Six new dishes! When Brillat-Savarin says: "He who has invented one new dish has done more for the pleasure of mankind than he who has discovered a star."
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Page | |
| Preliminary remarks | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| on bread | |
Sponge for bread.—One cause of failure.—Why home-madebread often has a hard crust.—On baking.—Ovens.—Morereasons why bread may fail to be good.—Lightrolls.—Rusks.—Kreuznach horns.—Kringles.—Brioche(Paris Jockey Club recipe).—Soufflée bread.—A novelty | [12] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| pastry. | |
Why you fail in making good puff paste.—How tosucceed.—How to handle it.—To put fruit pies together sothat the syrup does not boil out.—Ornamenting fruitpies.—Rissolettes.—Pastry tablets.—Frangipanetartlets.—Rules for ascertaining the heat of your oven | [22] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| what to have in your store-room. | |
Mushroom powder (recipe).—Stock to keep, or glaze(recipe).—Uses of glaze.—Glazing meats, hams, tongues,etc.—Mâitre d'hôtel butter (recipe).—Uses ofit.—Ravigotte or Montpellier butter (recipe).—Uses ofit.—Roux.—Blanc (recipes).—Uses of both.—Brown flour,its uses | [28] |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| luncheons. | |
Remarks on what to have for luncheons.—English meatpies.—Windsor pie.—Veal and ham pie.—Chickenpie.—Raised pork pie.—(Recipes).—Ornamenting meatpies.—Galantine (recipe).—Fish in jelly.—Jelliedoysters.—A new mayonnaise luncheon for smallfamilies.—Potted meats (recipes).—Anchovy butter.—A newomelet.—Potato snow.—Lyonnaise potatoes | [35] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| a chapter on general management in very small families. | |
How to have little dinners.—Hints for bills of fare,etc.—Filet de bœuf Chateaubriand (recipe).—What to dowith the odds and ends.—Variousrecipes.—Salads.—Recipes | [47] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| frying. | |
Why you fail.—Panure or bread-crumbs, to prepare.—How toprepare flounders as filets de sole.—Fried oysters.—Toclarify dripping for frying.—Remarks.—Pâte à frire à laCarême.—Same, à la Provençale.—Broiling | [55] |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| roasting | [62] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| boiling and soups. | |
Boiling meat.—Rules for knowing exactly the degrees ofboiling.—Vegetables.—Remarks on making soup.—To clearsoup.—Why it is not clear.—Coloringpot-au-feu.—Consommé.—Crême de celeri, a little knownsoup.—Recipes | [65] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| sauces. | |
Remarks on making and flavoring sauces.—Espagnole orbrown sauce as it should be.—How to make fine white sauce | [70] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| warming over. | |
Remarks.—Salmi of cold meats.—Bœuf à lajardinière.—Bœuf au gratin.—Pseudo-beefsteak.—Cutlets à lajardinière.—Cromesquis of lamb.—Sauce piquant.—Mirotonof beef.—Simple way of warming a joint.—Breakfastdish.—Stuffed beef.—Beef olives.—Chops à lapoulette.—Devils.—Mephistophelian sauce.—Fritadella,twenty recipes in one | [72] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| on friandises. | |
Biscuit glacée at home (recipes).—Iced soufflés(recipes).—Baba and syrups for it (recipe).—Savarin andsyrup (recipes).—Bouchées de dames.—How to makeCuraçoa.—Maraschino.—Noyeau | [84] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| french candies at home. | |
How to make them.—Fondants.—Vanilla.—Almondcream.—Walnut cream.—Tutti frutti.—Various candiesdipped in cream.—Chocolate creams.—Fondant panaché.—Punch drops | [91] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| for people of very small means. | |
Remarks.—What may be made of a soup bone.—Several veryeconomical dishes.—Pot roasts.—Dishes requiring no meat | [96] |
| CHAPTER XV. | |
| A few things it is well to remember | [105] |
| CHAPTER XVI. | |
| On some table prejudices | [108] |
| CHAPTER XVII. | |
| a chapter of odds and ends. | |
Altering recipes.—How to have tarragon, burnet,etc.—Remarks on obtaining ingredients not in commonuse.—An impromptu salamander.—Larding needle.—How tohave parsley fresh all winter without expense.—On havingkitchen conveniences.—Anecdote related by JulesGouffée.—On servants in America.—A littleadvice by way of valedictory | [111] |
| Index | [119] |