The Ideal cook book

Carefully remove all dirt from the beats. Let them simmer in boiling water for one hour and a half, then take them out and leave to cool. Boil the remaining ingredients for ten or fifteen minutes and leave to cool. When cold pour it over the beets (which you have previously pared and cut into thin slices). Make air-tight and they will be ready for eating in a week or ten days. OBSERVATIONS ON EGGS. Asa rule the quality of eggs largely depends upon the food given to the hen. The eggs of the common hen or barn door fowl are esteemed most delicate when new laid, and for invalids they are exceedingly nutritious beaten up raw. ‘The white of the egg, from its tendency to coagulate into a hard and indigestible substance, is likely to disagree with some invalids when the yolk may prove perfectly harmless. About one-third of the entire weight of any egg may be regarded as nitrogenous and nutritious matter ; a greater proportion than that of meat, which is rated at only from twenty-five to twenty-eight per cent. The lightest way of cooking them is by poaching. It is a good plan in testing new laid eggs to apply the tongue to the large end of the egg, and if perfectly fresh will feel warm, or they can be held to the light and if perfectly clear will be good ; or try them in water—the freshest will sink first. Always keep them in a cool place. It is said that covering eggs with a solution of beeswax in warm olive oil (one-third of beeswax, two-thirds of olive oil) will keep them fresh for two years. The following recipe has been used by an old housekeeper for about fourteen years, and has never been known to fail: To five quarts of water put one pound of salt, and one ounce of saltpetre ; boil them ten minutes, and when nearly cold add sour spoonfuls of unslacked lime. Let this stand two days, (stirring it very frequently, then put your eggs into a pipkin, i.e., a large earthen jar with straight sides, about a foot or more deep), the narrow end of the egg downwards, and pour the mixture over when it is clear. 386. Poached Eggs (on Toast)—Ingredients—Two or more eggs, salt, vinegar, peppercorns, leaves of parsley, hot buttered toast. If the eggs are not new laid, they will not poach well Fill 124 THe Dominion Cook Book. a shallow saucepan with water slightly salted, add a little vinegar, a few peppercorns, and some leaves of parsley. When the water is on the point of boiling (it should never be allowed to boil) break two or more eggs into it (according to the size of the pan), and put on the cover ; when done, take them out carefully, brush them clean on both sides with a paste brush, and cut each egg with a round fluted paste cutter, so as to get them of a uniform shape, lay them on slices of hot buttered toast, and serve. 386. Poached Eggs (on Ham toast) — Ingredients—Buttered toast, grated ham, poached eggs. Make some buttered toast, and cut it in pieces of uniform shape, spread over them a small quantity of grated ham, then put a poached egg on each piece of toast, and serve hot. 387. Poached Eggs (and Spinach) — Ingredients—Poached eggs, 2 or 3 lbs. of spinach, butter, a pinch of flour, pepper and salt to taste, milk, fried sippets. Poach the eggs as above, and serve on a purée made as follows: Pick and wash perfectly clean two or three pounds of spinach, put it into a saucepan with a little water, and let it boil till quite done, turn it out on a hair sieve to drain, squeeze the water out, and pass the spinach through the sieve. Put a good lump of butter into a saucepan, fry it a light brown, add a pinch of flour, mix well, put in the spinach, pepper and salt to taste, and a little milk, stir well, dispose the spinach on a dish, laying the poached eggs on the top of it, and a border of fried sippets round it.