[SAVORY FRIED BREAD.]
Cut slices of stale home-made bread about half an inch thick, shape them like chops, soak the slices in a rich, well seasoned vegetable stock until nearly saturated with it—don't allow them to become too soft—then dip in beaten egg mixed with a little milk and fry in butter in a spider until a nice brown. Serve with tomato sauce, or around a dish of stewed tomatoes.
[MOCK FISH CHOPS.]
Pare three good sized potatoes, cut fine and throw them into cold water to prevent them from turning dark. When all are cut drain them from the water and chop very fine—there must be two cupfuls. Have a cup of boiling milk in a saucepan and put the potatoes into it, cook until tender, but not soft, and be careful not to let them burn; when done add two generous heaping tablespoonfuls of butter, two heaping tablespoonfuls of French carrots, previously cooked in as little water as possible, and chopped very fine, one heaping teaspoonful of green pepper, one of parsley, one heaping teaspoonful of grated onion, a heaping saltspoonful of powdered mace, a dash of cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Measure two tablespoonfuls of tomatoes—after all the water has been pressed from them—chop fine and add to it one whole egg and one egg yolk beaten light, stir this into the potato mixture while on the stove, remove at once from the fire, add two heaping tablespoonfuls of cracker crumbs rolled fine, and two tablespoonfuls of fine Madeira or sherry. Turnout to cool and then form into chops, roll in egg and cracker crumbs and fry in boiling fat. Serve with cucumber salad.
[FRICASSEE OF SPAGHETTINA.]
Take a cupful of spaghettina, broken into small pieces, put in boiling salted water and cook for three-quarters of an hour. Drain well, have a cupful of cream sauce and stir the cooked spaghettina into it, let it come to a boil, season with salt and pepper, and add the well beaten yolk of an egg, stir well, remove at once, and turn into a hot vegetable dish and serve.
[MUSHROOMS EN COQUILLE.]
Wash half a pound of nice, fresh mushrooms, peel them and cut off the stems, cut the flaps into dice, and put the skins and stems in a saucepan with a cup of water, and cook for ten minutes. While these are cooking put a heaping tablespoonful of butter in a spider, when hot add the mushroom dice and let them cook until tender, then add a dessertspoonful of flour, and when it is cooked add the water the stems were boiled in, and salt and pepper to taste. If the sauce is too thick add a little more water. Stir in at the last a teaspoonful of finely minced parsley, a few drops of lemon juice and the well-beaten yolk of one egg, stir well, remove from the fire, fill the shells, sprinkle bread crumbs over the tops and a little melted butter, put in the oven for an instant to brown.
[RAGOUT OF EGG PLANT.]
Boil a small egg plant until tender. Peel it thinly and set aside to get cold. Cut in slices an inch thick and cover the bottom of a baking dish with them. Melt a generous tablespoonful of butter in a saucepan and stir into it two heaping tablespoonfuls of fresh mushrooms, a heaping teaspoonful of parsley, a heaping teaspoonful of onion, all chopped very fine, season with salt and pepper and pour over the egg plant. When it is time to put it in the oven sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and fine breadcrumbs and dot with small lumps of butter, and bake until brown in a quick oven. Serve in the dish in which it is baked with the following sauce in a sauce boat.