Original White House Cookbook

Cook a chicken in enough water to little more than cover it ; let it stew gently until the meat drops from the bones, and the broth is reduced to about a pint ; season it to taste, with a little salt and pepper. Strain and press, first through a colander, then through a coarse cloth. Set it over the fire again and cook a few minutes longer. Turn it into an earthen vegetable dish to harden ; set it on the ice in the refrigerator. Eat cold in slices. Nice made into sandwiches, with thin slices of bread, lightly spread with butter. BOILED BICE. Boil half a cupful of rice in just enough water to cover it, with half a teaspoonful of salt ; when the water has boiled nearly out and the rice begins to look soft and dry, turn over it a cupful of milk and let it simmer until the rice is done and nearly dry; take from the fire and beat in a well-beaten egg. Eat it warm with cream and sugar. Flavor to taste. CDP PUDDING. Take one tablespoonful of flour, one egg, mix with cold milk and a pinch of salt to a batter. Boil fifteen minutes in a buttered cup. Eat with sauce, fruit or plain sugar. TAPIOCA CUP PUDDING. This is very light and delicate for invalids. An even tablespoonful of tapioca, soaked for two hours in nearly a cup of new milk ; stir into this the yolk of a fresh egg, a little sugar, a grain of salt, and bake it in a cup for fifteen minutes. A little jelly may be eaten with it. BAKED APPLES. Get nice fruit, a little tart and juicy, but not sour; clean them nicely, and bake in a moderate oven — regulated so as to have them done in about an hour; when the skin cracks and the pulp breaks through in every direction they are done and ready to take out. Serve with white sugar sprinkled over them. SOFT TOAST. Toast well, but not too brown, two thin slices of stale bread ; put them on a warm plate, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, and pour upon them some boiling water ; quickly cover with another dish of the same size, and drain off the water. Put a very small bit of butter on the toast and serve at once while hot. IRISH MOSS BLANC MANGE. A SMALL handful of moss (to be purchased at any drug store), wash it very carefully, and put it in one quart of milk on the fire. Let the milk simmer for about twenty minutes, or until the moss begins to dissolve. Then remove from the fire and strain through a fine sieve. Add two tablespoonfuls of sugar and half a teaspoonful of vanilla flavoring. Put away to harden in cups or molds, and serve with sugar and cream. A delicate dish for an invalid. EGG TOAST. Brown a slice of bread nicely over the coals, dip it in hot water slightly salted, butter it, and lay on the top an egg that has been broken into boiling water, and cooked until the white has hardened ; season the egg with a bit of butter and a crumb of salt. The best way to cook eggs for an invalid is to drop them, or else pour boiling water over the egg in the shell and let it stand for a few minutes on the back of the stove. OYSTER TOAST. Make a nice slice of dry toast, butter it and lay it on a hot dish. Put six oysters, half a teacupful of their own liquor, and half a cupful of milk, into a tin cup or basin, and boil one minute. Season with a little butter, pepper and salt, then pour over the toast and serve. WHIPPED JELLY.