The home cook book

But now as to what to put into the dish. Let us tell it in homely, English terms. Cut up six pounds of good fresh beef — the shin or the leg or the neck will do — and over it pour four quarts of water. Set over the fire, skim as it warms and simmers, and add half a pound of liver cut in small pieces, a teaspoon of salt, and a dash of black pepper. Slice or cut in cubes two or three large carrots and add. Next put in four turnips peeled and quartered, then eight small onions peeled and sliced, two of them roasted, or all fried brown. Next a parsnip, split and sliced, with the pith removed, half a dozen potatoes peeled and quartered, and a head of celery cut in small pieces. Add also a bunch of sweet herbs cut small. Now if you have not all these vegetables take what you have or can get. Tomatoes are always an addition. Let the whole boil slowly and steadily five or six hours. In fact, keep it just simmering, bubbling lazily. Serve as above indicated. In the directions given above the meat is cut up in pieces. This dish is also made with the beef cut in one large piece from the rump. When in one piece the beef is tied about with twine to keep it from boiling to pieces, but the making of the dish remains the same. Naturally you will then have a soup — it will not be so thick as with the meat cut in small pieces — and you will have a large piece of boiled beef, which you slice on a platter and serve with horseradish or any piquant sauce. If in making this dish you have beefsteak bones, chicken head or legs, add them, and their natural oils and flavors will increase the nourishing quality and tastiness of your dish. Instead of beef you may use mutton, venison, or buffalo. POTATO SOUP Boil in two quarts of water two small onions, four large or seven small potatoes, two or three stalks of celery cut in small pieces, and a sprig of thyme or parsley. When well cooked pass through a sieve and put back in the kettle. Mix smooth a tablespoon of flour and a piece of butter the size of an egg, stir up with a little of the hot soup and pour gradually into the soup. As it boils and thickens, season with salt and pepper to your taste. Lastly, stir in a cup or more of whipped cream and serve at once. RICE CREAM SOUP Wash and cook for ten minutes in a quart of boiling water half a cup of rice. Drain the rice, put it in a quart of milk in a double-boiler, cover tight and cook till soft, which will be in about twenty-five minutes. Fry two small onions in a tablespoon of butter. Put the rice and the onions through a sieve or colander, set them again to heat in the double-boiler, season to your taste with salt, cayenne, and celery seed, and serve hot with sippets. SALMON SOUP Mix a tablespoon of butter and two tablespoons of flour and put in a saucepan to melt, adding also a teaspoon of salt, a dash of cayenne pepper and half a teaspoon of celery salt. Add this thickening to one quart of milk heated in a double- A Double-Boiler boiler. While all is slowly cooking together open a small can of salmon, mince the fish fine, free it from all bone and skin, and stir into the hot, thickened milk. Boil up and serve at once. SHRIMP GUMBO A LOUISIANA DISH