The home cook book

CALF'S FOOT JELLY The quantities here given are small, but you can easily double or quadruple them. Take a calf's foot, have it split in two and the bone cracked in several places so that the juices will easily cook out. Souse it freely in cold water, and set it over the fire in a pot of cold water — about a quart and three-quarters. Cover well, and bring to boil very slowly in order to draw the sweetness from the bone. When it boils skim and set where it will sleepily bubble and simmer for three or four hours. Take from the fire, pour through a colander, and set to cool. When cold take off the fat which rises to the top, and any coarse sediment at the bottom, heat in a porcelain saucepan, and add the grated yellow of half a lemon, the juice of the lemon, a small blade of mace, a short stick of cinnamon, and a cup of sugar. If you wish their flavor, add also a little ginger and a clove, but the jelly is as well without them. Lastly stir in the beaten white of an egg, cook together gently six or seven minutes, and strain twice through a jelly bag. Pour into molds or into small glasses from which the jelly may be eaten. Cool thoroughly, and serve. CALF'S HEAD, HEART 103 STEWED CALF'S HEAD Have the butcher prepare the head for use. When it comes to you, wash it thoroughly and remove the brains, which may be cooked separately according to the directions following or may be included in the stew you are about to make. Put the head in a pot, cover it with cold water, take off the scum that rises as the meat heats, and boil it gently for one or two hours, until it is tender. Take it from the fire, let it cool, and carefully take out all the bones. Put back all the meat in a pot or stewpan, add the brains if you wish to stew them, add also a little salt and cayenne pepper, and the liquor in which it was boiled, and let it stew slowly for an hour. You may serve the meat without further additions, merely thickening the gravy with a little flour or cornstarch if it seems thin. If, however, }ou wish to make the meat a little less simple, add half an hour before serving a pint of mushroom buttons. If you do not have the mushrooms, a handful of finely minced sage is a pleasant addition. Or if you prefer capers or green nasturtium seed pickled, they also are good. Forcemeat balls are also an agreeable accompaniment to meat of the calf's head. STUFFED HEART WITK OYSTER DRESSING Use veal or lambs' hearts ; four are sufficient. Remove the muscle from the centre of each heart. Boil them in salted water for one hour. To make the dressing: In a saucepan have one tablespoon of boiling butter. Add a tablespoon of flour, and when browned one minced onion, allowing it to brown slightly. Add one teacup of oyster- juice and two teacups of cracker crumbs. Season with a pinch of thyme, some cayenne pepper, and half a teaspoon of salt. Stir constantly to prevent burning. Last of all add one dozen chopped oysters. Allow the dressing to cook until quite dry. StuflF the hearts with this dressing, and lay them in a baking-pan. Dust a little flour over each heart and lay across each one a slice of bacon. Bake fifteen minutes, basting with tomato- juice.