LEAVES FROM OUR TUSCAN KITCHEN

OR
HOW TO COOK VEGETABLES

A.H. Hallam Murray.
The Kitchen Poggio Gherardo.

LEAVES
from
OUR TUSCAN KITCHEN
or
How to Cook Vegetables

by
JANET ROSS

LONDON
JM DENT AND CO.
29 & 30 BEDFORD STREET W.C.
1899

Edinburgh: T. and A. Constable, Printers to Her Majesty

To Mrs. G. F. Watts

Dear friend, will you accept this little book? It may sometimes bring a thought of Italy into your beautiful Surrey home

PREFACE

The innate love of change in man is visible even in the kitchen. Not so very long ago soup was an exception in English houses—almost a luxury. A dish of vegetables—as a dish and not an adjunct to meat—was a still greater rarity; and even now plain-boiled potatoes, peas, cabbages, etc., are the rule. When we read of the dishes, fearfully and wonderfully made, in the old Italian novelle, we wonder whence the present Italians got their love of vegetables and maccaroni.

Sacchetti tells us that in the fourteenth century a baked goose, stuffed with garlic and quinces, was considered an exquisite dish; and when the gonfalonier of Florence gave a supper to a famous doctor, he put before him the stomach of a calf, boiled partridges, and pickled sardines. Gianfigliazzi’s cook sent up a roasted crane to his master as a delicacy, says Boccaccio; and a dish of leeks cooked with spices appears as a special dish in the rules of the chapter of San Lorenzo when the canons messed together. Old Laschi, author of that delightful book L’Osservatore Fiorentino, moralises on the ancient fashion of cooking in his pleasant rather prosy way: ‘It would not seem that the senses should be subjected to fashion; and yet such is the case. The perfumes, once so pleasing, musk, amber, and benzoin, now excite convulsions; sweet wines, such as Pisciancio, Verdea, Montalcino, and others mentioned by Redi in his dithyrambic, are now despised; and instead of the heavy dishes of olden times, light and elegant ones are in vogue. Whoever characterised man as a laughing animal ought rather to have called him a variable and inconstant one.’

The dinner which set all Siena laughing for days, given to a favourite of Pius II. by a Sienese who substituted wild geese for peacocks, after cutting off their beaks and feet, and coloured his jelly with poisonous ingredients, forms the subject of one of Pulci’s tales:—

‘Meanwhile it was ordered that hands should be washed, and Messer Goro was seated at the head of the table, and then other courtiers who had accompanied him; and they ate many tarts of good almond paste as a beginning. Then was brought to Messer Goro the dish on which were the peacocks without beaks, and a fellow was told to carve them. He not being used to such office gave himself vast trouble to pluck them,[1] but did it with so little grace that he filled the room and all the table with feathers, and the eyes, the mouth, the nose, and the ears of Messer Goro, and of them all. They, perceiving that it was from want of knowledge, held their peace, and took a mouthful here and there of other dishes so as not to disturb the order of the feast. But they were always swallowing dry feathers. Falcons and hawks would have been convenient that evening. When this pest had been removed many other roasts were brought, but all most highly seasoned with cumin. Everything would however have been pardoned if at the last an error had not been committed, which out of sheer folly nearly cost Messer Goro and those with him their lives. Now you must know that the master of the house and his councillors, in order to do honour to his guest, had ordered a dish of jelly. They wanted, as is the fashion in Florence and elsewhere, to have the arms of the Pope and of Messer Goro with many ornaments on it; so they used orpiment, white and red lead, verdigris and other horrors, and set this before Messer Goro as a choice and new thing. And Messer Goro and his companions ate willingly of it to take the bitter taste of the cumin and the other strange dishes out of their mouths, thinking, as is the custom in every decent place, that they were all coloured with saffron, milk of sweet almonds, the juices of herbs, and such like. And in the night it was just touch and go that some of them did not stretch out their legs. Messer Goro especially suffered much anguish from both head and stomach....’[2]

[1] Peacocks were skinned, not plucked, before cooking, and the skin with the feathers was put on to the roasted bird, and the tail opened out before placing the dish on the table. The ‘fellow’ ought to have cut the stitches and drawn off the skin, instead of plucking the feathers.

[2] See L’Osservatore Fiorentino, vol. vi. p. 108.

A company of Lombard pastrycooks came to Tuscany in the sixteenth century, and introduced fine pastry into Florence. We find the first mention of it in Berni’s Orlando Innamorato, where it is mentioned among the choice viands. Laschi says, ‘the epoch of Charles V. is the greatest of modern times, for the culture of the spirit induced the culture of the body.’ But he does not mention vegetables or herbs at all. For them we must go back to the ancients. Bitterly did the Israelites, when wandering in the desert, regret ‘the cucumbers and the melons we did eat in Egypt’; though old Gerarde says, ‘they yield to the body a cold and moist nourishment, and that very little, and the same not good.’ Gerarde is however hard to please, for he says of egg-plants, under the old English name of Raging or Mad Apples, ‘doubtless these apples have a mischievous qualitie, the use whereof is utterly to be forsaken.’

Fennel, dedicated to St. John, was believed to make the lean fat and to give the weak strength, while the root pounded with honey was considered a remedy against the bites of mad dogs. If lettuce be eaten after dinner it cures drunkenness; but Pope says:—

If your wish be rest,
Lettuce and cowslip wine, probatum est.

Sorrel is under the influence of Venus, and Gerarde declares that also ‘the carrot serveth for love matters; and Orpheus, as Pliny writeth, said that the use hereof winneth love.’ Flowers of rosemary, rue, sage, marjoram, fennel, and quince preserve youth; worn over the heart they give gaiety. Rosemary is an herb of the sun, while Venus first raised sweet marjoram, therefore young married couples are crowned with it in Greece. While

‘He that eats sage in May
Shall live for aye.’[3]

[3] For interesting information about plants see Plant Lore, Legends, and Lyrics, by R. Folkard, Jun. Sampson Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington, London, 1884.

Sweet basil is often worn by the Italian maidens in their bosoms, as it is supposed to engender sympathy, and borage makes men merry and joyful.

For years English friends have begged recipes for cooking vegetables in the Italian fashion, so I have written down many of the following from the dictation of our good Giuseppe Volpi, whose portrait, by Mr. A. H. Hallam Murray, adorns this little book, and who has been known to our friends for over thirty years.

I must also acknowledge, with thanks, the courtesy of Sigri. Fratelli Ingegnoli of Milan, who have permitted me to use and translate what I needed from their excellent little book Come si Cucinano i Legumi.

Janet Ross.
Poggio Gherardo,
Florence.

CONTENTS

ITALIAN RECIPES

INTRODUCTION

About the cooking of Vegetables.

Vegetables should be well washed in cold water to remove insects and dust; if not fresh gathered, leave them some time in cold water, and remember that they take longer to cook than fresh ones. Green vegetables must be put into salted water (one tablespoonful of salt to every two quarts of water) and rapidly cooked over a brisk fire in an open sauce-pan until they are tender. All green vegetables should be removed from the water as soon as cooked, and be well drained before adding the seasoning.

About Sauces.

So much depends on sauces that only the best ingredients should be used in making them. Rancid or impure oil or bad butter will ruin sauces and salads. Both butter and oil should always be tasted before buying, as good cookery is impossible unless they are perfectly fresh and good in every way; butter must be added to sauces in small bits, or it will form a greasy line. To skim sauces, take the sauce-pan off the fire and put in a teaspoonful of cold water, which will make the grease rise. Remember that wine increases the taste of salt, so when wine is used in a sauce put in very little salt until after the wine has been added.

About Eggs.

Eggs must be quite fresh, if they taste of straw the sauce will be spoiled. They should therefore be broken one at a time into a saucer and examined before using. A pinch of salt added to the whites of eggs makes them whisk better, and none of the yolk must be allowed to get mixed in.

About Spices.

The following is a good recipe for the spices so necessary in cooking: Half an ounce of cloves, two ounces of nutmeg, half an ounce of sweet basil, half an ounce of white pepper, two ounces of cinnamon, one quarter of an ounce of dried bay leaves, half an ounce of thyme. Pound well together, then pass through a sieve, and put them into a bottle, or box, hermetically closed to preserve the perfume.

About a Bouquet.

Take one bay leaf, one sprig of thyme, two cloves, and one stalk of well-washed celery, place round these six sprigs of parsley, fold and tie them so that the cloves, etc., cannot fall out.

About Onion Juice.

Onion juice is obtained by grating an onion on a coarse grater, after peeling it. Press hard, and each stroke will give one drop of juice.

About Maccaroni and Spaghetti Paste.

For every quarter of a pound of flour use one egg and two tablespoonfuls of warm salted water. Take as much flour as needful, make a hole in the centre, and put in the water and the eggs. Beat them up with a spoon, mixing the flour in gradually, then knead well. Roll the paste into very thin sheets, and place them on a clean cloth to dry for half an hour. This paste will not keep more than one, or one and a half days, and must always be put into boiling water or broth to cook. If soaked before cooking the flavour is spoiled.

About blanching Maccaroni and Spaghetti.

Put an earthenware pot, filled with water, on the fire, add two tablespoonfuls of salt, and boil. Put in three-quarters of a pound of fresh maccaroni, twisting it round carefully so as not to break it. Boil for seventeen minutes, then remove from the fire; drain, and put it in cold water; drain again, and it is ready for use. Spaghetti are blanched the same way.

About Croûtons.

To make croûtons, cut bread into whatever shape you want. Take off the crust, dip the pieces into melted butter, and toast in the oven, turn often in order to colour evenly, or fry them in boiling oil or fat. They must be crisp and of a light brown colour.

About a Bain-Marie.

A Bain-Marie is a large copper pan placed on the fire, and containing boiling water in which are put smaller pans with anything to be kept hot, or cooked without boiling. Milk is better cooked in Bain-Marie, than in a sauce-pan on the fire.

RECIPES

Artichokes ‘alla Barigoul.’

Clean and cut straight the under leaves of three large French artichokes, boil them sufficiently to be able to take out the chokes, and put them in cold water for five minutes. Drain thoroughly, then fill the hole left by the choke with forcemeat made of half an ounce of minced salt pork, two shallots, six mushrooms minced, a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little pepper, and grated nutmeg, mixed well together. Tie up the artichokes with string, heat three tablespoonfuls of good olive oil in a pan, and brown them well on both sides. Then place your artichokes in a sauté-pan, and put a small slice of fresh pork, or a bit of good butter, on the top of each; add a tumbler of broth, bake for forty minutes in oven, then place on a hot dish, and serve, pouring the sauce in the pan over them.

Artichokes ‘alla Barigoul’ (maigre).

Parboil three fine French artichokes for three minutes, drain, pare the tips and the bottoms, and remove the chokes. Then place them in a sauce-pan with a tablespoonful of fresh butter, a carrot and an onion sliced up, and very little salt. Cook a shallot (minced up) with a tablespoonful of butter for three minutes (being careful not to let it brown), add ten minced mushrooms, a tablespoonful of chopped-up parsley, a teaspoonful of chopped-up chervil, and a little salt and pepper; cook for five minutes, stirring often. Stuff the artichokes with this, and put a whole mushroom on the top of each artichoke. Bake in a hot oven, adding a wine-glassful of white wine and a tumbler of vegetable soup; close the pan and cook for forty minutes. Add a quarter of a pint of sauce ‘Vellutata’ (see Sauces, p. [127]) to the sauce of the artichokes, heat, but do not boil; strain, and serve in a sauce-boat separately.

Artichokes ‘Farciti.’

Boil and drain twelve young artichokes. Chop up four ounces of boiled ham and one pound of chicken-meat fine, add two tablespoonfuls of cream, one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little pepper and salt, and some grated nutmeg. Fill each artichoke with this compound, put into a well-buttered frying-pan, and bake for a quarter of an hour in a hot oven. Serve hot with ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]).

Artichokes ‘al Forno.’

Boil eight or ten young artichokes, then dry them well. Put a small piece of onion on the top of each artichoke, wrap each in a slice of ham, and stand them upright in a sauce-pan. In another sauce-pan make your stuffings: four ounces of fine white lard cut up small, a quart of broth, six mushrooms and a little parsley chopped up fine. Boil, and when cooked pour this compound into each artichoke, put them into the oven (not too hot) for about three-quarters of an hour. Before serving be careful to remove any ham that has remained attached to the artichokes, and pour some sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, p. [124]) over them.

Artichokes ‘alla Francese.’

Cut your artichokes into four or eight pieces according to their size, remove the stalks and the hard leaves, and boil. Then sprinkle them with lemon, and, to prevent them from turning brown, put them into hot water with a good deal of vinegar. Drain well before serving, and after putting them on a dish, pour a sauce made of pepper, salt, fine olive oil, and a little vinegar over them, and serve hot.

Artichokes ‘Fritti.’ No. 1.

Wash your artichokes and cut them into slices. When drained put them into an earthen pot with some salt, pepper, fine olive oil, and a few drops of vinegar. Put two yolks of eggs, one whole egg, a little water, and some fine olive oil, into a frying-pan, and mix well together. Throw the slices of artichoke into the frying-pan, stirring them well. When they have taken a good colour remove them from the fire, strain them, put them on a napkin in a dish, garnish with fried parsley and serve very hot.

Artichokes ‘Fritti.’ No. 2.

Cut eight or ten young artichokes into slices lengthways, take out the chokes and cut off the ends of the leaves, and throw them into vinegar and water; drain and dip them in the following batter:—two tablespoonfuls of flour, the yolk of one egg, one spoonful of good olive oil, and two tablespoonfuls of milk. Stir well; add one tablespoonful of brandy (or water), pepper and salt to taste, and let it stand for some hours. Before using whisk two whites of egg to a stiff froth and beat it in.

Artichokes ‘alla Graticola.’

Wash your artichokes well, remove the stalks, the hard leaves, and the points of the leaves; cut them in halves, and cook them on a gridiron. Then sprinkle them with salt, some fine olive oil, and a little pepper, and squeeze a few drops of lemon juice over them just before serving up hot.

Artichokes ‘all’ Italiana.’

Clean the artichokes and remove the hard outside leaves. Boil them well and leave them to drain. Arrange them on a dish and pour a sauce ‘Tartara, No. 1’ (see Sauces, p. [126]) over them. Serve up quickly.

Artichokes ‘alla Lionese.’

Remove the stalk and the hard leaves, cut your artichoke into pieces, then wash and drain them. Butter the bottom of a sauce-pan well, put in the pieces of artichoke, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and cook them with a slow fire above and below until they take a golden colour. When quite cooked, arrange them on a dish, and pour some fried fresh butter over them, into which a pinch of sugar and three tablespoonfuls of sauce ‘Suprema’ (see Sauces, p. [125]) has been put. Serve up very hot.

Artichokes ‘alla Milanese.’

Put your boiled artichokes into an earthenware pot after greasing it well with fresh butter, then place a bit of butter in the centre of each artichoke and sprinkle them with some finely grated Parmesan cheese of the best quality. Cover the pot and cook over a slow fire, taking care that the artichokes should not boil for too long. Just before serving up, pour some more melted butter over them.

Artichokes ‘alla Spagnuola.’

Remove the stalks and the hard leaves, and wash three (or more) artichokes well and cut them into pieces. Boil, then drain, put them into a sauce-pan with some pepper, five tablespoonfuls of sauce ‘Suprema’ (see Sauces, p. [125]), five of Consommé, and then put them on the fire for half an hour. Boil again for half an hour with fire above and below, before serving them up hot.

Artichokes ‘al Vapore.’

Remove the hard outside leaves of the artichokes, but leave a little of the stalk. Then place them upright in a small sauce-pan with a little water which must not quite cover the artichokes. Open out the artichokes and pour into the centre of each a sauce made of pepper, salt, and fine olive oil. Then cover the sauce-pan and be careful to boil the water well, so as to steam the artichokes thoroughly.

N.B.—Artichokes are eaten when barely half-grown in Italy.

Asparagus ‘alla Borghese.’

Take a bundle of asparagus, scrape the white of each stalk lightly, and put them into cold water. Then tie them in bundles of twenty-five (or, if very large, of twelve or fifteen), keep the heads together, and cut the ends of one length. Cook them quickly for fifteen minutes in one gallon of boiling water in which two ounces of salt has been put. Dish them up on a piece of toast, serve very hot, with melted fresh butter, or sauce ‘Alla Panna,’ or ‘All’ Olandese’ (see Sauces, pp. [124], [125]).

Asparagus ‘alla Casalinga.’

Take four pounds of asparagus and cook the green part in boiling salted water. Then drain, and put the asparagus into a baking-dish with four ounces of fresh butter, sprinkle with grated cheese, salt and pepper to taste, brown slightly, garnish with eggs fried in butter, and serve hot.

Asparagus, cold.

Cut the ends of your asparagus so as to have them of equal length, and boil in salted water. When cold lay them on a dish, and, just before serving, pour over them a sauce made of good olive oil, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. (If preferred, a white sauce can be used instead of oil and vinegar.)

Asparagus ‘alla Crema.’

Take the heads only of the asparagus (two or three pounds as required) and put them into boiling water with a little salt. Boil for about fifteen minutes, and prepare meanwhile some square pieces of roll or white bread, without the crust. Scoop out the centre of each piece and put in a bit of butter, then fry (or bake) until the bread turns a good yellow colour. After draining the heads of the asparagus place them in the holes in the bread, taking care to keep them hot. Then boil half a pint of milk, add four yolks of eggs, and stir till solid. Take it off the fire, add a little butter, a sprinkling of salt and pepper, pour over the asparagus and bread, and serve up hot.

Asparagus ‘Fritto.’

Cut the heads off a bunch of asparagus, boil them in slightly salted water for about fifteen minutes, and then strain. Put half a tumbler of cream, in which the yolk of an egg and two ounces of butter have been well beaten up, into a frying-pan, add a tablespoonful of sugar, salt and pepper to taste, and stir slowly over the fire for five or six minutes. Then fry your asparagus heads in it and serve very hot.

Asparagus ‘ai Gamberi.’

Cut the tender heads of the asparagus in equal lengths and boil them, then pickle them in good olive oil, salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg. Stick a hunch of bread into the centre of a dish, cover it with sauce ‘Mayonnaise,’ and place the asparagus heads (over which you have just squeezed some lemon juice) round and over it. Garnish the dish with sauce ‘Mayonnaise’ (see Sauces, p. [123]) and crayfish tails, and serve. Some jelly will be an addition.

Asparagus ‘in Istufato.’

Cut the heads off a bunch of asparagus and wash them well in cold salted water. Strain, and when dry put them into a sauce-pan with a tablespoonful of flour, four ounces of butter, half a pint of cream (or milk), and a little salt and pepper. Leave them on the fire until they begin to boil, then remove, and serve up hot.

Asparagus tips ‘all’ Italiana.’

Prepare about 200 asparagus tips two or two and a half inches long, half cook, and then drain them. Put them in a baking-pan with fresh butter and strong gravy, taking care that they should be well glacées. Cook fifteen or eighteen eggs for five minutes, shell them and keep them warm in hot water. Pile a stiff purée of potatoes dome-shaped on a dish, arrange your asparagus heads (pointing upwards) round it, heat the dish well, and stand your eggs upright all round, pouring a white sauce over them. Serve very hot.

Asparagus ‘all’ Olandese.’

Take a bunch of asparagus and scrape the stalks well. Cut them of equal length and put them into boiling salted water (if they are not all of the same size, put the biggest in first, or the small ones will be too much cooked) and boil fast. Drain well, and place them on a napkin in a dish, with sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, p. [124]) in a sauce-boat apart.

Asparagus ‘alla Parmigiana.’

Scrape and boil your asparagus and place them on a dish, pour over them a sauce of melted fresh butter mixed with strong gravy, some grated Parmesan cheese, and a little pepper; then powder them with a little grated Parmesan cheese, pour some more melted butter over them, colour with the salamander and serve immediately.

Asparagus ‘Perlate.’

Cut the heads of a bunch of asparagus into small pieces like peas, and put them into salted boiling water. When almost cooked, drain, and put them into a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter and a little powdered sugar, sprinkle well with flour, and pour a little soup, or sauce ‘Vellutata’ over them (see Sauces, p. [127]). When thoroughly cooked, mix two or three well-beaten-up yolks of eggs with them, and serve very hot.

Asparagus tips ‘alla Suprema.’

Choose asparagus of about the same size, break off the tenderest part with your fingers, and cut them in small bits, cooking the tips last. Put them into salted boiling water, then drain, and place them in a baking-pan with melted fresh butter, keep them a few minutes on the fire, add some salt, a little gravy, fresh butter and lemon juice. Serve hot.

Asparagus on Toast. No. 1.

Wash the asparagus well and scrape the stalks, then tie in bunches and put them into an earthenware pot of boiling water slightly salted; boil for about twenty minutes, until they are tender but not over-done, cut some toasted bread into square pieces (without the crust), and put a bit of butter on each piece. When the asparagus is cooked and drained, untie the bunches and place it on the toast, taking care to lay the heads all the same way. Then melt four ounces of fresh butter with a little flour in a frying-pan, and add a pinch of salt and pepper. Serve the sauce separately, or a sauce ‘Olandese’ if better liked (see Sauces, p. [124]).

Asparagus on Toast. No. 2.

Cut off the bottom of the stalks of a bunch of asparagus to make them even, and put them into a pan of cold water till near dinner-time. Then put the bunch in boiling water in which a pinch of soda, the weight of a pea, has been dissolved. Boil a quarter of an hour, then drain, cut the twine and serve. Have the buttered toast ready, place the white ends of the asparagus on it and pour one tablespoonful of melted butter over the green heads in the dish.

Asparagus ‘alla Wilhelmina.’

Wash and clean a bunch of asparagus and cook in boiling water slightly salted. When cooked and dried, arrange them in a dish, one-half on one side, one-half on the other, so that the heads meet in the middle. Melt four ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add a little flour and some good broth, mix well together and boil, then add one or two bay leaves, some chopped parsley and onion, salt and pepper to taste, and three well-beaten-up yolks of eggs. Boil for five minutes, add a little lemon juice, pour the sauce over the asparagus, and serve up very hot.

Beans (Broad) ‘al Burro.’

Shell one quart of fresh young broad beans and put them in cold water. Put two quarts of water in a sauce-pan and add a slice of ham, a stick of celery, a bunch of parsley, three cloves, twenty peppercorns, and one bay leaf. Boil for a quarter of an hour, then take out the ham, etc., and put in the beans. Strain as soon as they are tender, add four ounces of fresh butter and put them on the fire for a few minutes before serving.

Beans (Broad) ‘alla Romana.’

Chop up one small onion and four or five sage leaves, and fry brown in butter. Put in a quart of young shelled broad beans, cover them with boiling water and stew over a very slow fire for twenty minutes, add the strained juice of six tomatoes (or some tomato conserve), with salt and pepper to taste. Add boiling water whenever necessary, and stir often, to prevent the beans from sticking to the sauce-pan. Stew for twenty or twenty-five minutes, and serve very hot.

Beans (Broad) ‘alla Turca.’

Take a quart of young broad bean pods, about two inches long, cut them in half and put them in cold water. Then cook them in a sauce-pan with two quarts of boiling water. Drain, and again put them in cold water. Mince some ham and fry it with a little butter in a sauce-pan, throw your beans in, toss, and heat them for ten minutes. Add three tablespoonfuls good stock before serving up hot.

Beans (Broad) ‘al Vino.’

Take quite young shelled broad beans and stew them in a sauce-pan with a little browned onion, some ham, butter, sweet herbs, and flour; moisten well with broth, add a quarter of a pint of sweet white wine, and three spoonfuls of sugar. Serve hot.

Beans (French) ‘al Burro.’

Remove the strings and the ends from one quart of French beans and cut them into pieces about an inch long. Put them into cold water for twenty or thirty minutes, then dry, and throw them into a sauce-pan of boiling water with some salt and butter. Cook slowly for about half an hour (according to the age of the beans), then place them in a dish, adding some fresh butter, salt and pepper. Serve up hot.

Beans (French) ‘alla Crema.’ No. 1.

Boil one quart of French beans slowly until nearly tender; then dry, and put them to cook in fresh butter. Mix a teacupful of cream, an egg, some grated cheese, and some allspice well together in a sauce-pan, then add some lemon juice, a little white wine vinegar, and boil. Pour this sauce over the beans, mix well, and serve up hot.

Beans (French) ‘alla Crema.’ No. 2.

Break off both ends and string two quarts of young fresh French beans, wash in cold water, and drain. Put them into salted boiling water and cook for five minutes, stirring them well. Season with a teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, one or two chives, and some sprigs of parsley (to be taken out before serving); add half a tea-cup of fresh cream (or milk), and two yolks of eggs, heat for five minutes, but do not boil. A tablespoonful of pounded sugar is an agreeable addition.

Beans (French) ‘allo Zabajone.’

Clean and remove the strings from two quarts of French beans and put them into cold water; then boil and strain, and lay them in a dish. Put two yolks of eggs, two tablespoonfuls of sugar, two of white wine vinegar, and two of water, into a sauce-pan on a slow fire, mix and heat, but do not allow it to boil. Pour the sauce over the beans, and serve hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Bruna.’

Put a quart of haricot beans into a sauce-pan of salted boiling water, and boil for about half an hour. When cooked brown, put four ounces of butter in a frying-pan, add two or three tablespoonfuls of flour, and fry them well together. Then add some broth, stir well, and add half an onion minced up with salt and pepper. Dry the beans, put them in the sauce, boil all together for ten minutes, and serve hot.

Beans (Haricots), Croquettes of.

Put a quart of small white haricot beans to soak in tepid water all night long; dry, put them in cold water, and boil over a slow fire for about an hour. Drain and dry them again, and put into boiling water for another hour. Pass them through a sieve and put them in a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter, one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, one of balm-mint, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well together, cook, and let cool. Then roll up into balls (or croquets), dip them into the yolk of an egg, cover them with finely grated bread-crumbs, and fry with good fresh butter. Serve up very hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Fiorentina.’

Half-boil a quart of haricot beans in salted water, strain, and put them into a sauce-pan with some fried, browned butter in it. Mix, then drain off the butter, and add the following sauce: Melt four ounces of fresh butter, skim it carefully, add some flour and mix well, add some broth and stir until it is of the consistency of a sauce, and leave it to boil. Then pass the sauce through a sieve, put it back on the fire, and stir to prevent its sticking to the sauce-pan, add two yolks of eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and some finely chopped-up parsley. Pour the sauce over the beans before serving up hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Maître d’Hôtel.’

Put some young, green, shelled haricot beans into boiling water, when half-cooked add a pinch of salt, and a little butter. Take them out, drain, and put them at once into a sauce-pan with butter, chopped parsley, salt, pepper, and some lemon juice. Toss them well, and serve up very hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Milanese.’

Take young, green haricot beans and throw them in boiling water. When half-cooked add a little salt and some butter, and boil them again for five or six minutes. Then take them out, strain, and put them, whilst still hot, into a sauce-pan with a dessert-spoonful of chopped-up parsley, salt, pepper, the juice of a lemon, and four ounces of fresh butter. Toss them, and serve on a hot dish. (If the beans are dry you must put them into cold water and boil them for one or two hours first.)

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Polenta.’

Put a quart of white haricot beans into tepid water for the night. Dry, and put them into cold water, and boil for about an hour over a slow fire; dry them again, put them into boiling water, and boil for nearly an hour. Mash, and pass them through a sieve, place them in a sauce-pan with three ounces of butter, a little salt and pepper, stir well together, and boil them again for ten minutes. Serve up very hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘Purée alla Brétonne.’

Wash the white haricot beans and let them soak all night. Boil them (changing the water) until tender, and mash them through a sieve. Season with salt, pepper, and butter, add enough cream (or stock) to make them of a proper consistency. Serve hot.

Beans (Haricots) ‘alla Romana.’

Cook the beans in an earthen pot in salted water, and let them drain. Meanwhile cut three onions into small pieces, stew them in an earthen pan until they are browned, then add the beans, with pepper, grated nutmeg, minced anchovies passed through a sieve, and some broth. Fry all together, and when the beans have absorbed all the liquid, squeeze the juice of a lemon over them and serve hot at once.

Beans (Haricots) ‘sautés.’

Melt two ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add some parsley and half an onion chopped up together. Then put in the beans (already boiled), leave them to cook for eight or ten minutes, sprinkle them with salt, pepper, and the juice of a lemon, and serve up very hot.

Beans (Lima) ‘alla Crema.’

Put the beans into boiling salted water, cook well, then drain and dry, season with salt and pepper to taste, and three or four ounces of fresh butter, add a tablespoonful of flour and three-quarters of a pint of cream. Boil, and serve up very hot.

Beans (Dwarf Lima) ‘alla Portugese.’

Take a quart of young Lima beans, cook them in salted boiling water for half an hour, then drain and dry them. Melt four ounces of fresh butter in a frying-pan, add two tablespoonfuls of flour and three-quarters of a pint of milk, mix well together till they boil, then add two beaten-up yolks of eggs, salt, pepper, and a finely chopped onion. Pour over the beans and serve hot.

Beans (Scarlet Runners) ‘alla Panna.’

Snap them in two in the middle and string them. Boil for three-quarters of an hour in salted water, then drain away the water, put in a little pepper and salt, and one or more (according to the quantity of beans) cupfuls of cream.

Beet Leaves boiled.

Take the young leaves of white beetroot, tie them together in bunches and put them into boiling water. They can be cooked with butter (like spinach) or served up on buttered toast with sauce ‘Olandese’ (see Sauces, pp. [122], [124]) or Butter sauce.

Beet ‘Gnocchi.’

Wash well and remove the mid-ribs of a bundle of beet leaves, boil, and then throw them into cold water. Dry, mince them very fine, and put them into an earthen pot with four fresh eggs, four ounces of grated cheese, four ounces of curds, or fresh-milk cheese, a little grated nutmeg, and some salt. When pretty dense put it on a well-floured table and make a long roll the size of a finger. Cut into pieces about two inches long, flour them well, and then throw them into an earthen pot of boiling broth. As they come to the surface take them out, drain well, season with butter or rich gravy, a little grated nutmeg, cinnamon, and cheese. They must be cooked over a hot fire.

Beetroot (How to boil).

Wash the beetroot carefully without cutting or scraping it (if the skin is broken the beet loses flavour and colour). Young ones take one hour to boil, old ones four. In winter the beet must be put into cold water overnight to make it tender, those that remain hard are unfit to eat. It must be cooked in boiling water, then put into cold water for five or six minutes, when it can be rubbed with a cloth to take off the peel. Cut into slices, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and pour melted fresh butter over it; or it can be put into the oven to bake. Boiled beetroot when wanted for salad ought to be put into wine vinegar to soak.

Beetroot ‘alla Panna.’

Boil some white beetroot as directed above, and peel it. Cut up into dice, place on a very hot dish, and pour a sauce ‘Alla Panna’ over it (see Sauces, p. [125]).

Beetroot and Potatoes.

Boil the beetroot as directed above, and peel when cold. Cut into thin round slices and put it into a frying-pan with two onions cut up small, two ounces of butter; stir continually and do not let it brown. Add one spoonful of flour, and milk enough to make a thickish sauce; add three saltspoonfuls of salt, four of sugar, one of pepper, and one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, and boil for a few minutes. Then put the slices in the pan to simmer for twenty minutes, and have some mashed potatoes ready to make a border round the dish in which to put the beetroot and the sauce, adding a little cream.

Broccoli ‘alla Crema.’

Wash and clean the broccoli well, put them into salted cold water for half an hour. Then wrap each head in a piece of linen to prevent its breaking, and put into salted boiling water for about twenty minutes. When cooked, remove the linen carefully so as not to break the heads, place them in a hot dish, pour half a pint (for each head) of hot ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]) over them, and serve immediately.

Broccoli ‘alla Parmigiana.’

Wash and clean the broccoli well and put them for one hour in salted cold water, then rinse again, and cook in boiling salted water with a little butter. Put ten tablespoonfuls of White sauce (see [below, White Sauce]) into a stew-pan with a little chopped-up onion, and boil for a few minutes, then add a quarter of a pound of grated Parmesan cheese. When boiling, add the yolk of an egg and a very little cayenne pepper, mix quickly and put a little on a dish; lay the broccoli on it, pour the rest of the sauce over them, sprinkle with bread-crumbs and grated cheese, and put it in the oven for half an hour, until of a nice brown colour, and serve. (If you have no White sauce, use melted butter, cooking it less, or it will be greasy.)

Broccoli with White Sauce.

Boil the heads of broccoli in salted water with a little flour. When cooked take them out and drain well. Then put them in a dish and pour the following sauce over them: Melt some butter, salt, pepper, and a tablespoonful of flour in a sauce-pan, add a glass of boiling water, pouring it in a little at a time, and stirring continually. When cooked, take it off the fire and mix the yolk of an egg beaten up with a piece of butter. Do not put the sauce again on the fire.

Brussels Sprouts ‘alla Crema.’

Clean, and pick off the dead leaves from one and a half pounds of sprouts. Wash well, drain, and cook them in boiling water for seven minutes. Drain again, and cool in cold water. Drain well once more, and put them into a sauté-pan with two tablespoonfuls of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. [127]), one teaspoonful of salt, half a teaspoonful of pepper, and the same of grated nutmeg. Add half a cupful of good cream, and heat (but do not boil) for five minutes, tossing frequently. Put on a dish and serve at once.

Brussels Sprouts ‘al Limone.’

Wash the sprouts and remove any dead leaves. Then put them into boiling salted water and cook for twenty minutes, drain, and place them on a hot dish. Meanwhile mix four ounces of butter with two tablespoonfuls of flour, add a little broth (or water), and stir well until it boils. Just before serving add a good sprinkling of pepper and the juice of two lemons. Pour the sauce over the sprouts and serve up quickly.

Brussels Sprouts ‘sautés.’

Clean and wash the sprouts well, and boil. Then dry, and put them into a sauce-pan with two (or more) ounces of butter (according to the quantity of sprouts); brown them well, and add one or two spoonfuls of white wine vinegar, a little chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Serve up very hot.

Cabbage (How to boil).

Cut the cabbage into good-sized pieces and strip off the outside leaves. Cut out the hard core, wash well in two or three changes of water, and drain thoroughly. Put the cabbage (a piece at a time, so as not to stop the boiling) into a large sauce-pan or earthen pot of salted boiling water. Cook for twenty-five minutes over a hot fire (with pot uncovered), and push the cabbage under water every now and then.

Cabbage ‘farcito all’ Americana.’

Take a large cabbage and boil it whole for fifteen minutes. Then change the water and boil again for half an hour; meanwhile prepare the stuffing. Put about one pound of rice into cold water and boil for twenty-five or thirty minutes, add three and a half pounds of sausage, the juice of a lemon, some chopped parsley and a little pepper, and mix well. Dry the cabbage thoroughly, open the leaves, and put half a tablespoonful of the stuffing between each leaf, folding them over it, until the cabbage is quite stuffed. Then tie it up carefully in a piece of linen and put it into a sauce-pan of boiling water. When boiled remove the cloth, put the cabbage in a vegetable dish, pour an ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]) over, and serve.

Cabbage ‘alla Crema.’

Choose a white cabbage, remove the outer leaves and cut it into quarters. Soak in cold water for an hour, then dry, and put it in an earthen pot of boiling water to cook. Then let it cool for about ten minutes and put it into another pot of boiling water, adding salt and pepper, and boil, keeping the cover on tight. When done serve with an ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]).

Cabbage ‘al Forno.’

Boil the cabbage as directed above. Press out all the water and chop it up. Put a layer in the bottom of a pie or vegetable dish, cover with a white sauce made of one cup of milk, one tablespoonful of butter, one of flour, a little salt, and a pinch of cayenne pepper, and then add a layer of grated cheese. Repeat your layers of cabbage, sauce, and cheese; cover the top with a layer of bread-crumbs and bits of butter, and put it in the oven. When the sauce bubbles on the top take it out and serve up in the same dish.

Cabbage ‘Fritto.’

Wash and cut up a cabbage, put it into a sauce-pan of boiling water. Boil for twenty minutes, then dry, and put it into a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter, two spoonfuls of white wine vinegar, some salt, and pepper; mix well together until it becomes well heated. Then serve up.

Cabbage ‘all’ Uovo.’

Drain a well-boiled cabbage and chop it up very fine. Put into a frying-pan two tablespoonfuls of butter, and one of flour, for every quart of chopped cabbage. When hot add the cabbage, season with salt, pepper, and one or two tablespoonfuls of vinegar, and stir constantly for six or eight minutes. Then put it on a dish, smooth the outside and garnish with quarters of hard-boiled eggs.

Cabbage ‘Pasticciato.’

Cut up a cabbage and boil it in an earthen pot. Boil a little white wine vinegar in a sauce-pan, put in two well-beaten eggs, three-quarters of a pint of clotted cream, and a little butter. Mix well, when boiling add some salt and pepper, and pour over the cabbage. Serve it cold.

Cabbage ‘in Stufato.’

Cut up a small cabbage and leave it in cold water for some time, then dry, take out the hard pieces, and chop up the rest fine. Put it into an earthen pot with a little salt, and boil for fifteen or twenty minutes. Then strain and put it on a hot dish, pour a cream, tomato, mustard, or horse-radish sauce, over it, and serve hot.

Cabbage (Rea) ‘alla Fiamminga.’

Remove the outer leaves of a red cabbage and cut it in pieces. Put it into boiling water for fifteen minutes, then dry, and place it in a sauce-pan with four ounces of butter, a chopped-up onion, a bay leaf, two cloves, and a little salt and pepper. Boil slowly for about half an hour, stirring it often. When cooked take out the bay leaf, add a little butter and serve quickly.

Cabbage (Red) ‘alla Tedesca.’

Cut up the leaves of two small red cabbages in slices. Melt four ounces of butter in a frying-pan, and when browned, throw in the cabbage, adding a little salt, three tablespoonfuls of white wine vinegar, and a chopped-up onion. Cover the frying-pan and put it on a slow fire for an hour. Serve up very hot.

Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 1.

Select large green sweet capsicums, and for each one take half a pound of minced roast or boiled fowl, half a pound of grated bread-crumbs, a little salt and pepper, and some chopped parsley and mix; add two ounces of melted butter and mix again. Meanwhile cut off one end of the capsicums (remove the seeds), and put the capsicums into a sauce-pan of boiling water; cover the pan and let it boil for about a quarter of an hour. Then drain the capsicums well, fill them with the force-meat, and sprinkle them over with bread-crumbs. Put some butter in an earthen pan and cook the capsicums in a moderate oven for a quarter of an hour.

Capsicums ‘Farciti.’ No. 2.

Fry six medium-sized green sweet capsicums for one minute in boiling fat, drain, peel, and cut off the ends, keeping them to use as covers. Remove the insides and fill them with force-meat made of minced fresh pork, a spoonful of salt, a saltspoonful of pepper, half a saltspoonful of grated nutmeg, and the same of powdered thyme. Put on the ends, lay the capsicums in a well-oiled baking-dish, add a little pure olive oil, and put them in a moderate oven to bake for a quarter of an hour. Turn them on to a hot dish, and serve with a quarter of a pint of Vellutata sauce (see Sauces, p. [127]), with a little Marsala added.

Capsicums ‘al Forno.’

Cut two or more green capsicums in two lengthwise, remove the seeds and filaments, and parboil them in boiling water for five minutes. Fill each half with an equal quantity of softened bread-crumb and minced meat seasoned with butter, salt, and a squeeze of lemon. Then put them into a baking-dish in half an inch of good stock (or water), and bake. Serve in the baking-dish, hot.

Cardoons ‘al Bianco.’

Clean and pare two or three pounds of cardoons, cut them lengthwise, and blanch them in boiling water. Then throw them into cold water to make them retain their whiteness, and dry them on a clean cloth. Cut an onion and a carrot into slices, and put them into a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter, take out the carrot and onion after ten minutes and mix a tablespoonful of flour into the butter, adding some broth (or water), to prevent it burning. As soon as the broth (or water) boils, throw in the cardoons. When done, serve up hot.

Cardoons ‘alla Milanese.’

Prepare the cardoons as above, then put them one by one in a sauce-pan with six ounces of fresh melted butter, salt them a little, and add about three-quarters of an ounce of grated Parmesan cheese, and a little Béchamel sauce (see Sauces, p. [119]). Cook them with fire above and below, and serve up hot.

Carrots ‘all’ Aceto.’

Scrape six large carrots and wash them well in cold water, cut them in slices, put them into an earthen pot of boiling water, and boil till tender. Then drain and dry, put them into a salad bowl and pour some white wine vinegar over them, with a little chopped onion and celery and two bay leaves.

Carrots ‘alla Béchamel.’

Scrape and wash six or eight large carrots, and slice them very fine. Cook them slowly in a sauce-pan with two ounces of fresh butter, and a little pounded sugar, salt, and pepper, and stir them continually. In another sauce-pan put one ounce of butter, one ounce of flour, two tumblers of cream (or milk), and salt to taste. Cook for about ten minutes, then pour it over the carrots, and heat again, taking care not to let them boil.

Carrots ‘alla Casalinga.’

Cut up some young carrots into small pieces, and put them into a sauce-pan with salted boiling water. Leave them to boil for several minutes, then drain and put them into a sauce-pan, with four ounces of butter, some salt, and a little pepper, on a hottish fire to bring out the flavour. Add a little flour, and a little broth (or water), and boil again, taking care the carrots do not fall to bits. Then make a sauce with the yolks of two eggs, the juice of half a lemon, and a little chopped parsley, and pour it over the boiling carrots. Take them off the fire at once to prevent the eggs from getting hard, put them on a dish, garnish with fried parsley and fried sippets of bread, and serve up hot.

Carrots ‘alla Panna.’

Scrape and wash six large carrots and cut them into very fine slices. Put them into a sauce-pan and cook slowly with two or three ounces of butter, a little sugar, a teaspoonful of salt and pepper, and mix well together. In another sauce-pan mix four ounces of butter, four ounces of fine flour, two tumblers of cream (or milk), and a pinch of salt. Boil for about ten minutes until the cream begins to bubble, then pour it over the carrots, keep them on the fire, but do not let them boil. Serve hot.

Carrots ‘Sautées.’

Scrape and wash six large carrots and cut them in rounds half an inch thick. Cook them in white broth (or salted water) for half an hour in a covered pan. Then drain, put them in a sauté-pan, add a teacupful of cream (or milk) and three tablespoonfuls of Béchamel sauce (see Sauces, p. [119]), some salt, and pepper, and a little nutmeg. Cook for ten minutes, then place them on a hot dish, sprinkle with chopped parsley, and serve hot.

Carrots ‘in Stufato.’

Take one or two pounds of fine carrots, cut them in pieces, put them in an earthen pot of boiling water, and cook them until nearly soft. Meanwhile, put two ounces of butter, half or three-quarters of a pint of good broth, and one or two tablespoonfuls of powdered white sugar, into a frying-pan, and cook quickly for ten minutes; then take it off the fire, add two well-beaten yolks of eggs, and a little salt and pepper. Then drain the carrots, pour the hot sauce over them, and serve hot.

Carrots ‘allo Zucchero.’

Wash and clean two or three pounds of young carrots and cut them up. Put them in a sauce-pan, add two ounces of fresh butter, a little salt, and water. When cooked, pour a tumbler of cream over them with two ounces of pounded white sugar, replace the sauce-pan on the fire, being careful not to let it boil. Then take it off and mix two yolks of eggs, stirring all well together. Serve hot.

Cauliflower ‘al Borghese.’

Boil a cauliflower in salted water for one hour, drain, and break it into bits. Put a layer of cauliflower into a pie-dish, cover with Béchamel or ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, pp. [119], [125]), and sprinkle with some grated cheese. Fill the dish with alternate layers of cauliflowers and sauce, then cover the top with bread-crumbs, grated cheese, and bits of butter. Bake in a moderate oven for half an hour. Serve hot.

Cauliflower ‘al Burro.’

Clean and remove the leaves from one large (or two small) cauliflowers, and wash well in fresh water. Then put the cauliflower into a large sauce-pan full of cold water, add a handful of salt, one teaspoonful of pepper, and one ounce of fresh butter, boil for half an hour, and drain well. Pour a sauce made of one tablespoonful of white wine vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and one ounce of good butter over the cauliflower, and serve hot.

Cauliflower ‘alla Crema.’

Take off the outer leaves of a cauliflower (cut the stalk off close), and wash it in cold water. Tie it up in a piece of linen, stand it upright in an earthen pot of salted water, and boil for half an hour. Take it out carefully, drain, remove the linen, and put the cauliflower in a dish. Pour a hot ‘Alla Panna’ sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]) over it and serve at once. Or you can make a sauce of two ounces of fresh butter, one tablespoonful of fine flour, well mixed in a frying-pan, add three-quarters of a pint of milk, stir till it boils, then add a little salt and cheese.

Cauliflower ‘al Forno.’

Boil a large cauliflower as in last recipe (alla Crema). When dried place it in a baking-pan. Mix two ounces of butter and one tablespoonful of flour in a frying-pan, add three-quarters of a pint of milk, and stir continually till it boils. Then put in a bay leaf, a little chopped parsley, some salt and pepper, and boil for ten minutes in a Bain-marie. Then take out the bay leaf and pour the sauce over the cauliflower, sprinkling it with bread-crumbs. Put some bits of fresh butter on it, and bake in a very hot oven for ten or fifteen minutes.

Cauliflower ‘al Fritto.’

Cut off the leaves and clean a fine cauliflower, break it into pieces, parboil in salted water, drain, and put it to cool. Whip up two or three eggs (according to the size of your cauliflower), dip each piece of cauliflower in, then roll it in bread-crumbs, fry in boiling butter on both sides, sprinkle with grated cheese, and serve hot.

Cauliflower ‘al Gratin.’

Boil a head of cauliflower in salted water, then break it in small pieces into a sauté-pan with four ounces of fresh butter. As soon as it boils put it on a dish and pour a Béchamel sauce (see Sauces, p. [119]) over it. Put it in the oven, and when browned serve in the same dish.

Cauliflower ‘alla Piemontese.’

Boil a fine cauliflower in salted water, and when done pour the following sauce over it: Chop up one small onion and one or two anchovies very fine, cook with some butter and stock, add a few drops of vinegar, and a teaspoonful of sweet herbs chopped up fine. Cook for a few minutes just before serving.

Cauliflower ‘in Stufato.’

Remove the outer leaves and clean a fine cauliflower; cut it into several pieces and wash them well in cold water. Put them into an earthen pot of salted boiling water, and cook quickly for twenty or thirty minutes until they are quite tender. Take them out without breaking, and place them on pieces of buttered toast. Then put some butter in a frying-pan, add a little flour, mixed with some broth, stir well till it boils, then add six finely chopped mushrooms, and cook a little more. Take it off the fire and add three whipped yolks of fresh eggs, salt, pepper, grated nutmeg, and the juice of one lemon. Pour this sauce over and round the cauliflower and serve. The sauce must not be boiled after adding the eggs.

Celery ‘alla Crema.’

Cut off the green leaves and pare four or five heads of celery, cut into pieces two inches long, wash well, and dry on a napkin. Blanch in boiling water for five minutes, drain, and put into a sauté-pan with two ounces of fresh butter and one tablespoonful of fine flour. Stir well together, add half a pint of good consommé, and reduce for twenty minutes. Then thicken with two yolks of eggs beaten up with half a teacupful of cream, and a little grated nutmeg. Serve up hot, garnished with croûtons (fried bread).

Celery ‘al Fritto.’

Remove the green leaves and cut the white stalks of the celery into bits one inch long. Clean, and put them into boiling water for fifteen minutes, then dry on a napkin. Beat up a fresh egg with stock (or hot water), add a little salt and pepper, throw the celery in, then roll them in bread-crumbs, and fry in butter or fine white lard. Serve hot.

Celery ‘all’ Italiana.’

Take six large heads of celery, cut off the green leaves, leaving three inches of stalk attached to the root; clean, and cut in half. Blanch, and put into a sauce-pan with some good gravy, lard, ham, salt and pepper. Let them get cold, then dip them into the yolk of egg and bread-crumbs, and fry in fresh butter. Lay them in a dish and pour a Tomato sauce, or tomato conserve heated, over them. Serve hot. (See Sauces, p. [126].)

Celery ‘alla Parmigiana.’

Take six large heads of celery and cook as above. But when cooked, drain, lay in a dish, sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese, pour melted fresh butter over them, and put into the oven until they have taken a good colour. Pour a little gravy lightly over, and serve.

Celery ‘al Pomidoro.’

Cut off the green leaves and clean the stalks of six heads of celery, wash them in cold water, then throw them into an earthen pot of boiling salt water, and boil fast for twenty minutes. Drain, dry well, put them on a dish, and pour a pint of tomato sauce, or tomato conserve heated, over them. Serve hot.

Celery Stewed.

Cut the white outside stalks of celery into lengths of three inches, and boil them for half an hour in salted water. Drain, and put them into clear strained stock, adding a little minced onion and parsley. Boil until the celery is tender, add two ounces of butter stirred up with flour and shake the stew until thickened. Serve hot, pouring the sauce over the celery.

Cucumbers ‘alla Béchamel.’

Peel and pare six small cucumbers, and blanch them in salted boiling water for five minutes. Drain, and put them in a sauté-pan with half a pint of Béchamel sauce (see Sauces, p. [119]), half an ounce of butter, a little grated nutmeg, and three tablespoonfuls of milk. Cook for fifteen minutes, put them on a hot dish, and serve.

Cucumbers ‘alla Comasca.’

Peel and slice two cucumbers very fine, and put salt and pepper, and taragon vinegar over them. Then slice an onion and lay it on the cucumbers, leaving them to pickle for fifteen minutes. Remove the onion and some of the liquid before serving.

Cucumbers ‘alla Crema.’

Peel six cucumbers, cut them into quarters, remove the seeds, and put them into cold water for half an hour. Place them in a covered sauce-pan of salted boiling water and cook them for half an hour, then lay them on a hot dish. Melt some butter in a sauce-pan and mix in one tablespoonful of flour, then add half a pint of milk and stir till it boils; add a little salt and pepper, take the sauce-pan off the fire, add a little more butter, and pour the sauce over the cucumbers. Garnish with croûtons (fried bread), and serve hot.

Cucumbers ‘Farciti.’

Choose cucumbers of about the same size and cut them in two lengthwise. Remove the seeds carefully with a spoon, and fill with a stuffing made of equal parts of minced chicken (or other white meat) and soft bread-crumbs, salt and pepper to taste, one egg, and a little stock. Sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs, and lay them into half an inch of stock in a baking-dish. Bake in a moderate oven until the cucumbers are soft, filling up the stock when necessary. Put them carefully in a hot dish and pour the gravy out of the baking-dish, thickened with a very little flour, round them.

Cucumbers ‘in Istufato.’

Peel two or three cucumbers, cut them into quarters, and take out the seeds. Put two ounces of fresh butter and a sliced onion into a frying-pan, fry until the onion is browned, add the cucumbers and stir them well until browned. Then take them out of the frying-pan. Put some more butter into the pan, stir it well with the rest, add a little broth, and mix till it boils, and add a little salt and pepper. Then put the cucumbers in, cover them, and leave them to cook slowly for twenty minutes. Put them on slices of buttered toast and serve up hot.

Cucumbers ‘alla Panna.’

Peel four or five cucumbers, cut them into halves, and remove all the seeds. Then cut them into small pieces and boil in water until soft. Strain, and dry them well on a napkin. Mix two ounces of butter with a spoonful of flour over the fire, add salt and pepper, stir well, and add a tumbler of cream. Put in the cucumbers and heat them without letting them boil.

Cucumbers ‘alla Spagnuola.’

Peel two cucumbers, cut them in half and take out the seeds. Fill them with force-meat and tie the halves together. Put some lard, raw veal, two carrots, two onions, some parsley, several bay leaves, some thyme, salt, and pepper, and the cucumbers covered with lard, into a sauce-pan with some strong broth, and cook for five or six minutes. Drain, and then pour a sauce ‘Suprema’ (see Sauces, p. [125]) over the cucumbers before serving up hot.

Cucumbers ‘alla Toscana.’

Peel and blanch three or four cucumbers in salted boiling water for five minutes. Drain, cut them into pieces one inch thick, and put them into a sauté-pan with one ounce of butter, a little flour, half a pint of veal broth, stir well, and add some salt and pepper. Reduce for about fifteen minutes, stirring until it boils, add one teaspoonful of chopped parsley, half a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg, half a cupful of cream and the beaten-up yolks of two eggs. Put on the fire again for three or four minutes (do not let it boil) and serve hot.

Cucumbers ‘all’ Uova.’

Peel three large cucumbers and blanch them in salted boiling water for five minutes. Drain, and cut them into pieces an inch thick. Put them in a sauté-pan with one ounce of butter, sprinkle a little fine white flour over them, stir, and add a half pint of veal broth, with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well until it boils, reduce the whole for fifteen minutes, then add a teaspoonful of chopped parsley, a little grated nutmeg, two yolks of eggs beaten up, and two tablespoonfuls of cream. Cook again for three or four minutes, but do not let it boil, and serve hot.

Egg-Plant (Aubergine) ‘Farcite.’

Cut each egg-plant into four, leaving the peel on. Make four cuts in each piece and fry in boiling fat for one minute. Remove the fleshy part of the egg plant and fill it with any force-meat you have. Sprinkle the top with bread-crumbs and a little melted butter, brown in the oven for about ten minutes, and serve hot.

Egg-Plant (Aubergine) ‘al Forno.’

Boil two (or more) of the fruits for twenty or thirty minutes (until tender). Then cut them in two lengthwise and take out the pulp, being careful not to break the skin. Mash the pulp up with some butter, salt, and pepper, and replace it in the skins. Sprinkle with bread-crumbs and bits of fresh butter, and put it in the oven to brown.

Egg-Plant (Aubergine) ‘Fritto.’

Peel a fruit and cut it into round slices about half an inch thick, sprinkle with one teaspoonful of salt and half a teaspoonful of pepper, dip the slices into beaten-up egg and fresh bread-crumbs, and then fry in hot fat for five minutes. Take them out, give a very slight sprinkle of salt, and drain them well. Serve very hot on a napkin.

Egg-Plant (Aubergine) ‘alla Griglia.’

Peel a large fruit and cut it into slices half an inch thick, put them in a dish and season with salt and pepper, and pour a tablespoonful of pure olive oil over them. Mix well, then broil the slices for five minutes on both sides. Place them on a hot dish, pour a quarter of a pint of Butter sauce over them (see Sauces, p. [122]), adding a little chopped parsley, and serve hot.

Egg-Plant (Aubergine) ‘Sauté.’

Peel one or two fruits and cut them into slices a quarter of an inch thick. Sprinkle with salt, and pile them one on the top of the other on the underside of a plate. Put a weighted plate on the top of the pile and let it stand for an hour to press out the juice. Then dip the slices in egg and bread-crumbs, or in egg and flour, and sauté on both sides in lard or dripping. Serve hot.

Flan of Celery.

Clean and boil three or four heads of celery. Then drain well, and chop them up very fine. Mix one tablespoonful of flour and three-quarters of an ounce of butter in a sauce-pan, and add the celery and one pint of milk. Reduce, then take the sauce-pan off the fire, and when cold add the yolks of six eggs, and some allspice. Put all into a shape, and cook it slowly with fire above and below, or in an oven, for half an hour. An Alla Panna sauce (see Sauces, p. [125]) can be served with it.

Flan of Potatoes.

Boil one or two pounds of potatoes, cut them into slices, and put them into a sauce-pan with four ounces of fresh butter and a tumbler of cream (or milk). Cook until the potatoes are quite soft, mash them, and pass them through a cullender. Then mix six yolks, and four beaten-up whites of eggs, and two and a half ounces of white powdered sugar, with the potatoes, and put the whole into a buttered shape, well covered with bread-crumbs (and holding more than the quantity of potatoes). Cook with fire above and below for about half an hour (or in an oven). A Béchamel sauce (see Sauces, p. [119]) can be served with the Flan.

Flan of Vegetables.

Wash, strain, boil, and cut up fine about two pounds of different vegetables, potatoes, spinach, cardoons, etc., and sweet herbs. Boil them in a sauce-pan with some good stock; when cooked, add a teacupful of cream (or milk), stir well together and leave them to cool. Then add four yolks of eggs, some grated cheese, and the white of the eggs beaten up. Put the vegetables into a buttered shape, well covered with bread-crumbs, cook with fire above and below, or in the oven.

(Flans can be made of any other vegetables, such as fennel, French beans, cauliflower, etc.)

Fritto ‘Misto.’

Cut one or two young green pumpkins in thin slices about as long as a finger and half as wide, and lay them on a plate with a little salt. Mix three ounces of butter and three tablespoonfuls of flour in a sauce-pan and boil for two minutes, add half a tumbler of cream, half a tumbler of chicken broth, and boil till it is a stiff Béchamel. Then mince three breasts of cooked chicken, two slices of tongue, and one small truffle, mix with the Béchamel and roll into small balls, then dip into egg and grated bread and put aside till wanted. Take ten or twelve pumpkin flowers, some young artichokes properly prepared and cut into quarters (if not quite young and tender they must be boiled first), some cauliflower and bits of cardoon, dip them in egg and dust them with flour. Do the same to some parboiled calves’ brains, flour the slices of pumpkin, and fry all together in pure olive oil. Use dripping or lard for frying if you have not got good oil. Season with a sprinkling of salt. Serve very hot.

Fritto of Vegetables.

Instead of chicken and calves’ brains mix minced mushrooms or truffles with the Béchamel and roll into balls. In winter, large yellow pumpkins and potatoes must be sliced.