Cooking for profit

Cost of material — with bulk oysters at 60c per quart of 4 doz. oysters 15, breading 1, lemon 1, 17c. Lard to fry, 2 oz for each dozen oysters either consumed or damaged 2c — total 19c. 15— Oyster Fritters. Mix one-fourth flour with three-fourths cracker meal dry, and have some oyster liquor or milk or both mixed in a pan. Put in a good pinch of salt. Dip the oysters out of their own liquor into the mixed meal, out of that into the oyster liquor then into the meal again, and do so twice more, giving the oysters 4 coats. Fry in hot lard crisp and brown in 5 minutes. Serve in circular order in a dish and garnish. These keep the perfect shape of the oyster and the oyster flavor in the crust much better than if made by dipping into thick fritter batter. Cost — the same as fried oysters. 16— Oysters Sauteed in Butter. Mix one-fourth flour with three-fourths cracker meal (or sifted crumbs of dried bread) dry. Dip the oysters out of their own liquor into the meal, press down without rubbing and give them a good coating. Put 1 ounce of butter into a fryingpan and melt it. Lay one dozen oysters in close enough to stick together by the edges. Fry carefully as butter easily bums, until the under side is nicely browned, then lay a plate upside down upon them, turn over and slide them back into the pan again and brown the other side. Serve them still caked together on a hot plate. Cost of material — oysters 15, breading and lemon 1, butter 2, 18c per doz. 17— Oyster Pies— Individual.. These are covered pies of the usual well-known form containing from 12 to 18 small oysters. They are served in a deep plate with a soup ladleful of oysterstew liquor poured around. The pies are about the size of a large saucer. To make 10 such pies take for the crust, 20 ounces flour — 5 cups. 5 ounces lard or suet — 1 rounded cup 1 cup water. 1 teaspoon salt. Rub the lard into the flour dry, pour the water into the middle and stir up to soft dough. Spread the flour that remains un wetted on the table, pat the dough smooth in it, roll it out 2 or 3 times and fold it up and it is ready for use. Out pieces, roll out very thin and cover 10 pie pans. Then put into each 18 small oysters and the liquor belonging. Dredge in a little salt and pepper and a little dust of flour rubbed through a seive with the fingers. Put a top crust on and cut off the surplus by pressing the hands against the edge of the pie pan all around. Bake about 10 minutes, serve hot as above stated. Cost of material — flour 3, lard 7, cost of crust 10c. With bulk small oysters at 50c per quart of 15 dozen — oysters 60c. 3 pints milk and oyster liquor seasoned 12c — total 10 pies 72c — say, 7-|c each. 18— Oyster Pot-Pie. Sells well in the restaurant. — 2 quarts small oysters, 1 ounce butter. 1 cup milk. Salt and pepper. Crust made of 1 pound flour — 4 cups. 3 teaspoons baking powder. 1 cup water. Drain the oysters pretty well from their liquor and put them into a 3-quart bright milk pan. Mix the crust like making biscuit, but without shortening, and have it as soft as possible to be han-