BOILED RICE.—To accompany Syrian stew.—A double boiler is not necessary. Wash the rice until the water is clear, removing any foreign grains or dirt. Have ready in a saucepan double the quantity of boiling water that you have of rice, in which has been melted a lump of butter. When the water boils hard drop in the rice, add a rounded teaspoonful of salt to every cup of rice and boil gently, uncovered. Do not stir. For very hard rice allow two and one half cups of water to a cup of rice. You will soon learn just the quantity required. By the time the water dries out the rice should be done and each grain firm and separate. Allow a generous teaspoonful of butter to each cup of rice. One cup is sufficient for two persons. When the water gets low, taste the rice, and if you find it is still hard add a little more boiling water, or cover and remove to the back of the stove to finish slowly.—Contributed.
HOME MADE SAUSAGE.—Grind six pounds of raw lean fresh pork and three pounds of raw fat pork to a pulp. Put it in a large graniteware pan and add twelve teaspoons of powdered sage, six teaspoons of ground black pepper, six teaspoons of dry salt and one teaspoon each of ground cloves, allspice and nutmeg. Mix the seasoning well into the meat and pack it into stone jars, as closely as possible. Pour melted lard or paraffine wax over the top, which will be all the protection it will require. All winter as wanted make it into small cakes and fry brown.—Contributed.
HEAD CHEESE.—This is made of the head, ears and tongue of a pig. Boil them after cleaning them, in salted water until tender. Strip the meat from the bones and chop (not grind) very fine. Season with salt, pepper, sage and powdered cloves, to taste; then add one cup of good vinegar. Mix all together thoroughly and pack hard into molds or bowls, interspersing bits of the tongue cut into oblongs and triangles an inch in length. Wet a plate and press down on the top of each mold and place a weight on top of that. In two days it will be ready to eat. If you desire to keep it several weeks you can turn it out of the molds and immerse in cold vinegar in stone jars. This will preserve it admirably and you have only to pare away the outside if too acid for your taste.—Contributed.
PHILADELPHIA SCRAPPLE.—Take a cleaned pig's head and boil until the flesh slips easily from the bones. Remove all the bones and chop fine. Set the liquor in which the meat was boiled aside until cold, take the cake of fat from the surface and return the liquor to the fire. When it boils, put in the chopped meat and season well with pepper and salt. Let it boil again and thicken with corn meal as you would in making ordinary corn meal mush, by letting it slip slowly through the fingers to prevent lumps. Cook an hour, stirring constantly at first, afterwards putting back on the range in a position to boil gently. When done, pour into a long, square pan, not too deep, and mould. In cold weather this can be kept several weeks. Slice and saute in butter or dripping.—Contributed.
MUTTON ROAST.—Just cover the breast of mutton with water, adding a little salt. Set over the fire, and when it comes to a boil place over a more moderate heat and simmer for three hours. Then take it up on a platter, draw out the bones, make a stuffing of bread crumbs, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper and a little melted suet or butter; lay this on the meat, roll it up and fasten with skewers. Cover thickly with egg and bread crumbs and bake in a good oven fifteen minutes to each pound of meat. When it begins to brown baste frequently with the pan drippings. Serve on a bed of cress.—Contributed.
FRIED HAM WITH CREAM SAUCE.—Trim off the edges; put into a hot pan with one teaspoonful of drippings, put over hot fire and keep turning the ham. Never put into pan and fry on one side before turning. You must keep turning constantly. When nice and brown on both sides remove to a hot platter. Put one tablespoonful of flour into pan, mix well and add one cup of cold milk slowly, stir and boil three minutes. Pour over ham.—Contributed.
HAM JELLY.—Mix two cupfuls of boiled ham, chopped and pounded very fine, with one teaspoonful of French mustard, a good dash of cayenne, one teaspoonful of granulated gelatin dissolved in one half cupful of hot water (with a teaspoonful of beef extract if at hand), and finally with one half cupful of cream which has been whipped. When thoroughly blended press into a wet square mold and place on ice for two or three hours. It will keep for a day or two. When ready to serve cut in thin slices and put on each a teaspoonful of mayonnaise dressing in which a little freshly grated horseradish and whipped cream have been stirred. Two tablespoonfuls of mayonnaise, four tablespoonfuls of whipped cream and one tablespoonful of horseradish will be the right proportions.—Contributed.
GOULASH.—Use two pounds of lean beef cut into neat pieces; chop an onion, half a carrot and one eighth of a green pepper; place all in a kettle with two cups of stock, or water will do, cover and stew gently for two hours; add five small sour pickles in the kettle with the meat, a teaspoonful of salt; continue to stew for half an hour longer. Remove the meat on a hot platter, place the pickles around the meat, thicken the gravy with a little flour and water and pour the gravy around the meat.
JELLIED VEAL.—One or two knuckles of veal boiled until very tender in water to cover. Strain the juice and cut the meat into small pieces or chop fine, season with salt, pepper and a little powdered sage; put back into strained broth and boil until nearly dry. Add juice of one lemon and turn into a mold, press well and let it stand until cold and firm. Slice in thin slices. For pressed beef use minced parsley instead of sage and omit the lemon juice. For pressed chicken omit the parsley and sage, add the lemon juice to the chicken broth and mould with a layer of sliced hard boiled eggs placed in the center of the loaf.—Contributed.
PORK PATTIES.—One cup chopped pork, two cups bread crumbs, two beaten eggs and one half cup milk, season with butter, salt and pepper, (and sage if liked). Fill buttered gem tins and bake until nicely brown.—Mrs. A. McKay.