A Little Cook Book for a Little Girl Part 11

2 cups of boiling milk.

4 teaspoonfuls grated chocolate.

4 teaspoonfuls of sugar.

Sc.r.a.pe the chocolate off the bar, mix it with the boiling water, and stir till it dissolves; mix the milk and sugar in them and boil for one minute. If you wish to have it nicer, put a small teaspoonful of vanilla in the chocolate-pot, and pour the hot chocolate in on it when it is done, and have a little bowl of whipped cream to send to the table with it, so that one spoonful may be put on top of each cup.

Cocoa

6 teaspoonfuls of cocoa.

1 1/2 cups of boiling water.

1 1/2 cups of boiling milk.

1 tablespoonful powdered sugar.

Put the cocoa into the boiling water and stir till it dissolves, then put in the boiling milk and boil hard two minutes, stirring it all the time; take from the fire and put in the sugar and stir again. If you like it quite sweet, you may have to use more sugar.

PART III.

THE THINGS MARGARET MADE FOR DINNER

At first, of course, Margaret could not get dinner all alone; indeed, it took her almost a year to learn how to cook everything needed,--soup, vegetables, meat, salad, and dessert; but at first she helped Bridget, and each day she cooked something.

Then she began to arrange very easy dinners when Bridget was out, such as cream soup, beefsteak or veal cutlet, with potatoes and one vegetable, and a plain lettuce salad, with a cold dessert made in the morning. The first time she really did every single thing alone, Margaret's father gave her a dollar; he said it was a ''tip'' for the best dinner he ever ate.

SOUPS

The soups in the little cook-book began with those made of milk and vegetables, because they were so easy to make, and, when one was learned, all were made in the same way. First there was--

The General Rule

1 pint of fresh vegetable, cut up in small pieces, or one can.

1 pint of boiling water.

1 pint of hot milk.

1 tablespoonful of flour.

1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter.

1/2 teaspoonful of salt.

3 shakes of pepper.

After the vegetable is washed and cut in very small pieces, put it in the pint of water and cook it for twenty minutes.

Or, if you use a canned vegetable, cook it ten minutes.

While it is cooking, make the rule for white sauce as before: Melt one tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter, and when it bubbles put in one tablespoonful of flour, with the salt and pepper; shake well, and rub till smooth and thick with the hot milk. Take the vegetable from the fire and press it through the wire sieve, letting the water go through, too; mix with the sauce and strain again, and it is done.

Almost all soups are better for one very thin slice of onion cooked with the vegetable. When you want a cream soup very nice indeed, whip a cup of cream and put in the hot soup-tureen, and pour the soup in on it, beating it a little, till it is all foamy.

Cream of Corn

1 pint of fresh grated corn, or one can.

1 pint of water.

1 pint of hot milk.

1 tablespoonful of flour.

1 tablespoonful of b.u.t.ter.

1/2 teaspoonful of salt.

3 shakes of pepper.

1 thin slice of onion.

Cook the corn with the water; make the white sauce with the milk; strain the corn and water through the sieve, pressing well, and add the milk and strain again.

Cream of Green Peas

1 pint of peas, or one can.

Milk, water, and seasoning, as before; mix by the general rule.

In winter-time you can make a nice soup by taking dried peas, soaking them overnight, and using them as you would fresh.

All pea soup should have dropped in it just before serving what are called croutons; that is, small, even cubes of bread toasted to a nice brown in the oven, or put in a frying-pan with a tiny bit of b.u.t.ter, and browned.

Cream of Lima Beans

1 pint of fresh or canned beans, or those which have been soaked.

Use milk, water, thickening, and seasoning as before. Add a slice of onion, as these beans have little taste, and beat the yolk of an egg and stir in quickly, after you have taken the soup from the fire, just before you strain it for the second time.

Cream of Potato

This is one of the best and most delicate soups.

5 freshly boiled potatoes.

1 slice of onion.

1 quart of hot milk.

1 small teaspoonful of salt.

1 teaspoonful chopped parsley.

This soup has no water in it, because that which has had potatoes boiled in it is always spoiled for anything else and must always be thrown away. This is why you must take a quart of milk instead of a pint. There is no thickening in the soup, because the potatoes will thicken it themselves. Put the parsley in at the very last, after the soup is in the tureen.

The yolk of an egg beaten and put in before the second straining is nice sometimes in this soup, but not necessary.