The Rural cook book

English Beef Soup, — Take the cracked joints of beef, and after putting the meat in the pot and covering it well with water let it come to a boil, when it should be well skimmed. Set the pot where the meat ' will simmer slowly until it is thoroughly done, keeping it closely covered all the time. The next day, or when cold, remove the fat which hardens on the top of the soup. Peel, wash and slice three good-sized potatoes and put them into the soup ; cut up half a head of white cabbage in shreds and add to this a pint of Shaker corn that has been soaked over night, two onions, one head of celery, and tomatoes, if desired. When these are done, and they should simmer slowly, care being taken that they do not burn, strain (or not, as preferred) the soup and serve. The different varieties of beef soup are formed by this method of seasoning and the different vegetables used in preparing it after the joints have been well boiled. Besides onions, celery, cabbage, tomatoes and potatoes, many use a few carrots, turnips, beets and force-meat balls, seasoned with spice. Rice or barley will give the soup consistency, and are to be preferred to flour for the purpose. Parsley, thyme and sage are the favorite herbs for seasoning, but should be used sparingly. To make force-meat balls add to one pound chopped beef one egg, a small lump of butter, a cup or less of bread crumbs ; season with salt and pepper and moisten with water from stewed meat; make in balls and fry brown, or make egg-balls by boiling eggs, mashing the yolks with a silver spoon and mixing with one raw yolk and one teaspoonEul of flour; season with salt and pepper, make into balls ; drop in soup just before serving. Black Bean or Lentil Soup, — Soak a pint of black beans or lentils over night. In the morning, parboil ihem. Boil gently in fresh water until soft enough to rub through a sieve. Add a bay leaf, some cloves, and a stalk of celery. Brown two slices of bacon cut in dice with half a minced onion and turn into the soup. Serve with squares of toast. Brown Flour Soup. — Put a lump of butter into a clean iron frying pan. When melted, sprinkle in half a cupful of flour and stir briskly until the flour is of a uniform brown color like roasted coffee. Add this gradually to two quarts of water. Peel and cut into cubes three potatoes and cook in the soup 20 minutes. Season with an onion and a teaspoonful of celery salt. Consomme. — Cut up two pounds of lean raw meat, beef or veal, aand add a cupful of cold roast beef, cut in pieces. Put over the fire with a cracked knuckle of veal, four quarts of cold water, two onions, one carrot, two stalks of celery,, six peppercorns, a spoonful of salt, six cloves and a few herbs. Cook slowly all day. Strain, and when cold skim off the fat. Add the white and shells of two eggs. Bring to a boil and boil 10 minutes. Strain through a cloth. Com Chowder,— Pare and slice thin onions enough to make a pint; boil one hour; to this add one-half pint potatoes cut small, boil 10 minutes longer. Fry brown a slice of fat salt pork cut small and add fat and all, then a pint of tender sweet corn (canned corn is all right). Boil 10 minutes longer ; the whole of this now should be two quarts or more; this is the best time to salt and pepper to taste. Add one pint of milk and a cupful of cream or a piece of butter as large as an egg if cream is not plentiful. Do not let cream boil ; serve very hot.