Pickled Shad.—In season fine large shad can be bought for twenty-five cents, and each one will be enough for two hearty meals. Thoroughly clean a fresh shad; cut it in pieces about three inches square, lay it in a deep baking dish, or earthen crock, seasoning it well with two tablespoonfuls of salt, one level teaspoonful of pepper, one dozen whole cloves, two bay-leaves broken, and a bit of lemon or orange peel, if you have it; pour over it enough vinegar to cover it, tie an oiled or buttered paper over the top of the dish or crock, and bake the shad five hours in a moderate oven. The action of the pickle will be to entirely soften the bones of the fish, so that every part of it will be eatable. One half of it will cost about fifteen cents; and with the addition of five cents' worth of bread or potatoes, will make a hearty dinner for twenty cents.
Pork Pie.—Cut in two inch pieces two pounds of pork trimmings, (cost ten cents,) roll them in flour, season them with two teaspoonfuls of salt, quarter of a level teaspoonful of pepper, and one teaspoonful of curry, put them in a deep baking pan or dish with two cents' worth of onions, and three cents' worth of potatoes, peeled and sliced, add half a pint of cold water, and bake the pie slowly for one hour and a quarter. It will cost about fifteen cents made as above; or a suet crust, made as directed for SUET DUMPLINGS, may be added for five cents more. If the taste of curry is not liked it may be omitted.
Pork Chops.—Buy at a packing house two pounds of shoulder chops, (cost sixteen to twenty cents,) roll them in flour, pepper, and salt, put them into a hot frying pan, and fry them brown, cooking them at least twenty minutes. Meantime boil one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) in boiling water and salt, and chop fine one pickle, (cost one cent.) When the chops are done, take them up, and keep them hot, while you make the gravy by pouring into the frying-pan half a pint of boiling water, and adding to it the chopped pickle, a tablespoonful of flour mixed smooth with half a cup of cold water, and salt and pepper to taste. Boil it up once, pour it over the chops, and serve them hot with the potatoes.
The dinner will cost about twenty-five cents.
Roast Pork and Apples.—Season two pounds of shoulder chops, (cost twenty cents, or less,) with salt and pepper, and powdered sage, and put them in a deep baking dish with one quart of potatoes, (cost three cents,) two cents' worth of onions, and two cents' worth of apples, peeled and sliced; add half a pint of cold water, and bake two hours in a moderate oven.
The dish will cost twenty-seven cents, or less.
Stewed Sausage.—Prick a pound and a half of sausages, (cost eighteen cents,) lay them in hot water for three minutes, roll them in flour, put them in a hot frying pan, and fry them brown; take them up and fry about half a loaf of stale bread sliced, in the same pan; put this on a platter, lay the sausages on it, and pour over them a gravy made as follows; after taking up the sausages, pour into the pan half a pint of boiling water, season it to taste with salt and pepper, thicken it with one tablespoonful of flour mixed smooth in half a cupful of cold water, add to it one chopped pickle, boil it up, and pour it over the sausages and bread. The seasoning and flour will cost two cents, the bread three, and the whole dish about twenty-three cents. If you serve it with a quart of plain boiled potatoes it will cost twenty-five or twenty-six cents.
German Potatoes.—Carefully wash one quart of potatoes, removing any defective part, cut a slice from the top of the potatoes, take out a little of the inside, chop it fine, mix it with half a pound of highly seasoned sausage or mincemeat, (cost six cents,) fill it into the potatoes, put on the piece you first cut off, and bake them for about three quarters of an hour in a quick oven. Serve them as soon as they are soft. Ten cents will cover the entire cost, and they will make a very hearty and nutritious meal, especially if the meat used is pork.
Brain and Liver Pudding.—You can generally buy a pig's brain and haslet at the slaughter house for about ten cents; wash them thoroughly; slice the heart, liver, and lights, and fry them light brown in a cents' worth of drippings. Put the brain over the fire in cold water with a tablespoonful each of salt and vinegar, let it boil for fifteen minutes, and then lay it in cold water to get hard. Make a suet crust, as directed for SUET DUMPLINGS, (cost five cents,) roll out a cover for the pudding, line the edges of the dish two inches down with it, and put any bits you may have remaining, into the dish in layers with the haslet and brain sliced; season the pudding with one level tablespoonful of salt, one onion chopped, and half a level teaspoonful of pepper; cover it with the suet crust, and bake it for about an hour in a moderate oven. Serve it hot. The pudding will make a very hearty dinner, at a cost of about fifteen cents.
Broiled Kidneys.—Mix together in a deep plate the following ingredients, which will cost about three cents; one ounce of butter, half a level teaspoonful of pepper, one teaspoonful each of mustard, and any table sauce or vinegar, and as much cayenne as you can take up on the point of a small pen-knife blade; toast half a loaf of stale bread, (cost three cents,) cut in slices one inch thick; wash, split, and broil one pound of pig's or sheep's kidneys, (cost ten cents or less;) while the kidneys are broiling dip the toast in the first named seasonings, lay it on a hot dish, and lay the kidneys on it as soon as they are broiled; season them with salt and pepper, and serve them hot with one quart of plain boiled potatoes, (cost three cents.) The cost of the entire dinner will be less than twenty cents.