The great mistake made by many cooks in cooking canned peas is that they allow them to remain too long on the fire, which spoils them, as they are already cooked, and simply require heating.
Minced Turkey with Poached Eggs.—A very appetizing dish is made of cold boiled or roast turkey. Trim off all skin and most of the fat, especially on the back; pick out the little tid-bits in the recesses; cut off all that will not look neat when sliced cold. Season with salt and pepper, and a tablespoonful or two of minced celery; chop up the meat; put it in a pan with a little butter or turkey fat, to prevent burning, and just a suspicion of onion; moisten with a little broth made from the turkey bones. Poach one or two eggs for each person; arrange the minced meat neatly on slices of buttered toast; place the egg on top, and serve.
The above mode of preparing a breakfast dish is not only economical, but is one of the most delightful dishes that can be produced; almost any kind of boiled or roast meat, poultry, or game can be utilized in this way.
Mushrooms on Toast.—Peel a quart of mushrooms; cut off a little of the root end; now take half a pound of round steak, and cut it up fine and fry it in a pan with a little butter, to extract the juice, which, being done, remove the pieces of steak. When the gravy is very hot add the mushrooms; toss them about for a moment, and pour the contents of the pan on buttered toast; season with salt and cayenne. Some add a little sherry to the dish before removing from the range.
Mutton Chops with Fried Tomatoes and Sauce.—Select four nice rib chops; have them trimmed neatly by the dealer; take hold of the end of the rib, and dip the chops a moment in hot fat, in which you are to fry them; now roll them in fine cracker crumbs, and shake off the surplus; dip them in egg, again in the crumbs, and drop them into boiling fat. Remove when brown.
Fried Tomatoes.—Select three smooth, medium-sized, well-filled tomatoes; cut into slices half an inch thick; dredge them with flour or roll in egg and crumbs, and fry (or, rather, sautée) in a small quantity of hot fat, turning and cooking both sides evenly. Have prepared the following sauce: Add to a pint of milk a tablespoonful of flour, one beaten egg, salt, pepper, and a very little mace. Cream an ounce of butter; whisk into it the milk, and let it simmer until it thickens; pour the sauce on a hot side dish; arrange the tomatoes in the centre, and add the chops opposite each other, and serve.
Plain broiled or papered chops may be served in this way.
Oysters, Broiled.—Rub the bars of a wire broiler with a little sweet butter; dry twelve large, plump oysters in a napkin, and place them on the broiler; brush a little butter over them, and broil over a fire free from flame and smoke. When done on both sides, arrange them neatly on toast; pour a little well-seasoned melted butter over them, and serve.
Do not bread-crumb oysters intended for broiling.
Pork and Beans.—To call this homely Yankee dish a "dainty" may surprise many; but, when properly prepared, it may well be called so.