The home cook book

TO BOIL A HAM First wash and scrape the ham and soak it all night in plenty of cold water. In the morning put it in a kettle and cover it with cold water. You may add if you wish a tablespoon of brown sugar, a sprig of thyme, and a few allspice, but many prefer the ham cooked in water to which no flavor has been added. When the water begins to boil, skim and set the kettle on the back of the stove where the water will boil gently. In this way let it boil five or six hours, when the ham will be well cooked. Tip it from the kettle, or lift it out to an earthen jar or wooden bowl, and leave the ham in the liquor in which it was boiled, to get cold. Then take off the skin and cover with rasped breadcrumbs. If you wish to add browning also to the ham — which some Hke — skin the ham while hot, place it in a drippingpan, sprinkle over it sugar and breadcrumbs, and bake an hour. But if the ham is left to cool in its own liquor, it seems to have an especially fine and juicy flavor. HAM BOILED IN CIDER Wash a ham thoroughly clean. Soak overnight in clear, cold water. Next morning bring to boil a kettle of cider. Be sure you use a porcelain-lined kettle, so that the cider will not be affected by the metal. Do not poison the ham by using tin. In the boiling cider lay the freshened ham and boil it slowly from five to eight hours, according to the size and needs of the ham. Set to cool in the liquid in which it boils. If you wish a spice taste to the ham, while it is boiling throw in the cider a little cinnamon, mace, and cloves tied in a thin muslin bag. JAMBOLAYA Mince fine all pieces of ham you can get off a well-cut from bone. Fry these with four slices of raw bacon chopped very fine. Add one onion minced fine, and two or more cups of cold boiled rice. Add enough strained tomatoes to give liquid and keep the rice from burning. Stir constantly and season with thyme, salt, and one pepper pod chopped fine. If you have a few cold sausages, or cold chicken or turkey, chop fine and add. Fry until all seems quite dry, remove from the fire, add two eggs, beat in, and then turn the whole into a porcelain dish and baste over with a little butter. Set in the oven to form a crust over the top. HOG'S HEAD CHEESE Have your butcher split the head and clean it. Wash it thoroughly and put it into a kettle of boiling water, the water being enough to completely cover it. Cover the kettle tight and boil gently till the meat separates freely from the bones. Take the head in a pan and pick out all the bones. Next put it in your chopping bowl and chop fine. While in the bowl season, to a pint of meat a tablespoon of salt, a tablespoon of finely powdered sage, and also a saltspoon of pepper. Mix thoroughly and moisten with the thick liquid left from the boiling head, half a cup to a pint of the meat. Taste to see if the seasoning is right. If not, add what you think is lacking. Set on the fire when you have completed the seasoning, cook slowly half an hour, pour into molds or bowls, and set to cool. A little melted lard poured over the top of the head cheese after it cools shuts out the air and helps to preserve it. Keep in a cold place. Serve the cheese cut in smooth slices. HOLLAND MEAT PIE