European and American cuisine

Consommé with Garbure aux Laitues.— Remove the outer leaves from 4 large round heads of lettuce; wash the lettuce in cold water and place in a saucepan ; cover with boiling water, add Ys tablespoonful salt, and boil 5 minutes ; drain on a sieve ; cool them in cold water, then press them out, and return the lettuce to saucepan ; cover with consomm6 ; add 2 small onions, and cook till tender ; then remove the lettuce, lay it on a napkin, and cut each head into two, remove the thick veins ; cut 8 thin slices of bread. remove the rind, and toast it light brown ; then butter it ; lay them alternately with the salad in a dish ; strain the salad broth over it ; add little more consomm6 ; sprinkle 4 tablespoonfuls grated Parmesan cheese over the top and bake 30 minutes in medium hot oven ; serve the salad in the same dish, with 3 pints of consommé in the tureen. Bouillon with Rice. — Place in a saucepan oyer the fire Vt pound of rice; cover with cold water, and let it boil for a few minutes ; pour it into a sieve and rinse off with cold water. While the rice is draining fry 1 tablespoonful fine-chopped onion in 1 ounce butter without browning ; add this to the rice and let it remain on the stove for 5 minutes, shaking the saucepan all the time ; then pour 1 quart of bouillon over the rice, and boil without stirring until tender. The kernels of the rice must be whole when done, and great care should be taken that the rice does not get too dry, and if it does some more bouillon should be added. When done take the rice from the fire ; mix it carefully with 1 ounce butter and 2 ounces of grated Parmesan cheese. Put the rice in a deep dish, cover with a layer of grated cheese, and set for a few minutes in the oven. Pour the bouillon in the tureen, and serve with the rice. Another way is to prepare the rice the same way, omitting the onion and cheese. Shortly before serving mix 1 ounce butter and a little saffron with the rice. Boyal Soup.— In a soup kettle put 2 pounds shank of beef, some veal bones, and, if handy, some poultry trimming ; cover with cold water, add V, tablespoonful salt; then place the kettle over the fire. While this comes to a boil out 2 large onions into thick slices, lay them on a tin pan, set the pan in a hot oven until the onions are dark brown ; then add them with 1 small carrot, 1 leek, and a bouquet to the soup ; cover the kettle and boil slowly 2 hours. In the meantime mix 3 well-beaten eggs with 3 tablespoonfuls of water and 3 tablespoonfuls milk ; season with Ya teaspoonful nutmeg and the same of salt; pour the mixture into a small buttered bowl. Twenty minutes before serving place the bowl in a pan of water, so it reaches half way up the bowl ; set it in the oven to bake until the custard is firm to the touch; then remove. Strain the soup through a napkin; remove the fat; add, if necessary, more salt ; pour the soup in a tureen ; cut with a teaspoon small portions from the custard ; drop them into the soup, and serve. In case the oven is not hot enough to brown the onions, lay them on top of the stove and brown them on both sides.