Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus

CHICKEN GUMBO, CREOLE STYLE— For about twelve or fifteen, one young hen chicken, half pound ham, quart fresh okra, three large tomatoes, two onions, one kernel garlic, one small red pepper, two tablespoons flour, three quarts boiling water, half pound butter, one bay leaf, pinch salt and cayenne pepper. To mix, mince your ham, put in the bottom of an iron kettle if preferred with the above ingredients except the chicken. Clean and cut your chicken up and put in separate saucepan with about a quart or more of water and teaspoonful of salt; set to the side of the fire for about an hour; skim when necessary. When the chicken is thoroughly done strip the meat from the bone and mix both together; just before serving add a quart of shrimps. CREAM OF CELERY SOUP— Chop fine one head of celery and put on to cook in one pint of water. Boil until tender, add one pint of milk, thicken with a spoonful of butter, season to taste, and strain. Then add one cupful of whipped cream and serve at once. EGG SOUP— Beat three eggs until light, then add one-half cupful of thick sweet cream and one cupful of milk, pour over this two quarts of boiling water, set on the fire until it comes to a boil, season to taste, then pour over broken bread in the tureen and serve. GREEN PEA SOUP— Put one quart of green peas into two cups of boiling water, add a saltspoon of salt, and cook until tender. Rub peas and liquor through a puree strainer, add two cups of boiling water, and set back where the pulp will keep hot. Heat two cups of milk, add a teaspoon of flour rubbed into a rounding tablespoon of butter, season with salt, pepper, and a level teaspoon of sugar. Add to the hot vegetable pulp, heat to the boiling point, and serve. GREEN TOMATO SOUP — Chop fine five green tomatoes and boil twenty minutes in water to cover. Then add one quart hot milk, to which a teaspoonful soda has been added, let come to a boil, take from the fire and add a quarter cupful butter rubber into four crackers rolled fine, with salt and pepper to taste. ONION SOUP — Cut three onions small, put one-quarter cup of butter in a kettle and toast one tablespoon flour till bright yellow in color; in it mix with this the onions, pour on as much broth as is wanted, add a little mace and let boil, then strain, allow to cook a little longer, add yolk of two eggs, and serve. PEANUT SOUP — Made like a dry pea soup. Soak a pint and one-half nut meats over night in two quarts of water. In the morning add three quarts of bayleaf, stalk of celery, blade of mace and one slice of onion. Boil slowly for four or five hours, stirring frequently to keep from burning. Rub through a sieve and return to the fire, when heated through again add one cupful of cream. Serve hot with croutons. SAGO SOUP — Wash one-half cup sago in warm water, add desired amount of boiling broth (meat or chicken), a little mace, and cook until the sago is soft, and serve.