Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus Part 17

-LEMON SHERBET---Put two cups of sugar into four cups of water and cook five minutes after it begins to boil. Add one-half level tablespoon of gelatin soaked in a tablespoon of cold water for fifteen minutes. Stir one cup of lemon juice and freeze.

-PINEAPPLE SORBET---Peel and cut up a small sugar loaf pineapple and let it stand in a cool place over night with a pint of sugar added to it. An earthen jar is best for holding the pineapple, whose acid properties forbid its standing in tin. In the morning strain, pressing out as much of the juice as possible. Add to this a pint of water and the grated rind of an orange. Boil ten minutes, add the juice of one lemon and two oranges, freeze about fifteen minutes until of a smooth, even, cream-like texture, and serve after the meat course at dinner. If you desire a granite which is frozen as hard as ice cream, but should be of a rough-grained consistency, set the mixture away packed in ice and let it remain there for two or three hours. Sc.r.a.pe the frozen part occasionally from the sides of the can and stir long enough to mix the ice with the ma.s.s, but not long enough to make it creamy. Serve in a cup made of the half skin of an orange with the pulp sc.r.a.ped out.

-TEA SHERBET---Make a quart of fine flavored tea in the usual way, pour off, sweeten to taste, add the juice of half a lemon and the fine shredded peel, and freeze.

-GLACE DES GOURMETS---Make a custard of one pint milk, six egg yolks, one cup sugar and a few grains of salt. Strain and add one pint cream, one cup almonds (blanched, cooked in caramel, cooled, and pounded), and one tablespoon vanilla. Whip one pint heavy cream and add one-half pound powdered sugar, one tablespoon of rum, one teaspoon of vanilla and one-fourth pound of macaroons broken in small pieces. Freeze the first mixture and put in a brick mold, cover with second mixture, then repeat.

Pack in salt and ice, using two parts crushed ice to one part rock salt and let stand two hours. Remove from mold and garnish with macaroons in brandy.

-MAPLE PARFAIT---Beat four eggs slightly in a double boiler, pour in one cup of hot maple sirup, stirring all the time. Cook until thick, cool, and add one pint of thick cream beaten stiff. Pour into a mold and pack in equal parts of ice and salt. Let stand three hours.

-PINEAPPLE PARFAIT---Cook for five minutes over the fire one cup granulated sugar and a quarter cup of water. Beat the yolks of six eggs until lemon colored and thick, then add the sirup little by little, constantly beating. Cook in a double boiler until the custard coats the spoon, then strain and beat until cold. Add two cupfuls pineapple pulp pressed through a sieve and fold in a pint of cream whipped stiff. Pack and bury in the ice and salt mixture.

-STRAWBERRY PARFAIT---Hull, wash and drain some sweet strawberries.

Press through a strainer enough to give about two-thirds of a cup of pulp. Cook together in a graniteware saucepan one cupful granulated sugar and half a cup of water until it spins a thread. Do not stir while cooking. Whip two whites of eggs stiff and then pour the hot sirup over them and continue beating them until the mixture is cold. As it thickens add the crushed berries, a spoonful at a time. Have ready a pint of cream whipped to a solid froth, stir lightly into the egg and berry mixture, then pack into a covered mold and bury in ice and salt, equal proportions, leaving it for several hours.

-VIOLET PARFAIT---This is made the same as white parfait, using one-third cup of grape juice instead of the boiling water, and adding half a cup of grape juice and the juice of half a lemon to the cream before beating.

-VANILLA PARFAIT---Cook a half cup each sugar and water over the fire until it threads. Do not stir after the sugar has dissolved. Beat the whites of three eggs until very stiff, pour the sirup slowly over it, beating constantly. Flavor with vanilla, and when cold fold in a pint of cream whipped stiff. Pour into a mold and pack.

PRESERVES, PICKLES AND RELISH

-CHERRY PICKLES---Stem, but do not pit, large ripe cherries. Put into a jar and cover with a sirup made from two cups of sugar, two cups of vinegar and a rounding teaspoon each of ground cloves and cinnamon cooked together five minutes. Let stand two days, pour off the vinegar, reheat and pour over the cherries, then seal.

-CHILI SAUCE---Peel and slice six large ripe tomatoes, add four onions chopped fine, three-quarters of a cup of brown sugar, one-quarter cup of salt, four cups of vinegar and two teaspoons each of ginger and cloves and one-half teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Cook together one hour and seal in small gla.s.s jars.

-COLD CATSUP---Cut four quarts of tomatoes fine, add one cup of chopped onion, one cup of nasturtium seeds that have been cut fine, one cup of freshly grated horseradish, three large stalks of celery chopped, one cup of whole mustard seeds, one-half cup of salt, one tablespoonful each of black pepper, cloves and cinnamon, a tablespoon of mace, one-half cup of sugar and four quarts of vinegar. Mix all well together and put in jars or bottles. It needs no cooking, but must stand several weeks to ripen.

-CREOLE SAUCE---Scald and peel twenty-four tomatoes. Remove the seeds from green peppers and cut the pulp and four onions fine. Shred one ounce dried ginger, mix and add four tablespoons each of sugar and salt, three cups of vinegar and one-half pound seedless raisins. Boil slowly three hours, then put away in wide-mouthed bottles.

-GINGERED GREEN TOMATOES---To one peck small green tomatoes allow eight onions. Slice all together and sprinkle with one cupful of salt. Let them stand twenty-four hours, then drain and cover with fresh water.

Make a strong ginger tea, allowing one quart of boiling water to a pound of bruised ginger root. Let it simmer gently for twenty minutes until the strength of the ginger is extracted. Scald the chopped tomatoes in this. Drain. Mix together one ounce ground ginger, two tablespoonfuls black pepper, two teaspoonfuls ground cloves, a quarter pound white mustard seed, one-half cupful ground mustard, one ounce allspice, three ounces celery seed and three pounds brown sugar. Now put the sliced onions and tomatoes in a kettle with sugar and spices in alternate layers, and pour over them enough white wine vinegar to cover well. Cook the pickle until tender, then pack in jars and seal.

-GREEN TOMATO MINCE---To two quarts chopped apples, greenings are best, allow two quarts chopped green tomatoes, one pound each seeded raisins and cleaned currants, one-half nutmeg, one teaspoonful of cinnamon, one-half teaspoonful ground cloves, six cups granulated sugar and a cupful and a half of cider vinegar. Boil slowly three or four hours and can.

-PICALILLI---Allow to one gallon sliced green tomatoes one pint grated horseradish, eleven ounces brown sugar, two tablespoons each of fine salt and ground mustard. Put the tomatoes in a large stone crock, sprinkle the salt over them and let stand over night with a slight press on top. In the morning add to the tomatoes and let stand several weeks until it has formed its own vinegar. Always keep the pickle under the liquor and have it in a cool place.

-PEPPER RELISH---Chop fine a small head of white cabbage, six large green peppers, and a nice bunch of celery. Put in a large bowl and sprinkle with a half cup of salt, mix well, cover and let stand over night. Next morning drain and mix in two tablespoons of mustard seed, and pack in a stone jar. Put in a porcelain kettle three pints of vinegar, two tablespoons sugar, one tablespoon each of whole cloves, allspice and whole pepper, a clove of garlic and one onion minced.

Simmer gently twenty minutes, strain and pour boiling hot over the vegetables. When cold cover and keep in a cool place.

-TOMATO CATSUP---This catsup has a good relish on account of the onion in it. Wash ripe tomatoes, cut them in slices and cook slowly for one hour. Press through a sieve to take out the seeds and skin. To one quart of this pulp and juice add one tablespoon of cinnamon, one of black pepper and one of mustard, one teaspoon of cayenne, one-half cup of salt and two onions chopped fine. Simmer two and one-half hours, then add two cups of vinegar, cook an hour longer. Put in bottles and seal.

-TOMATO CHUTNEY---Cut up and peel twelve large tomatoes and to them add six onions chopped fine, one cup of vinegar, one cup of sugar, a handful of finely chopped raisins, salt to taste, a half teaspoonful of cayenne and a half teaspoonful of white pepper. Boil one and one-half hours and bottle or put in stone jars.

-VEGETABLE RELISH---Use two quarts each of cooked and finely chopped beets and cabbage, add four cups sugar, two tablespoons salt, one tablespoon black pepper, a half tablespoon cayenne, a cup of grated horseradish and enough cold vinegar to cover. Bottle in gla.s.s jars and keep in a cool place.

-APPLE AND GRAPE JELLY---Pull the grapes off the stems of six large bunches, put them in a preserving kettle, just cover with water. Pare and slice six large fall pippin apples. Put them with the grapes. When boiled soft strain through a flannel bag. To a pint of juice allow three quarters of a pound of sugar. Boil the juice fifteen minutes, skim and add the sugar, which has been heated. Boil ten or fifteen minutes. This will fill three jelly gla.s.ses.

-BLACK CURRANT JELLY---This is one of the best old-fas.h.i.+oned remedies for sore throats, while a teaspoonful of it dissolved into a tumbler of cold water affords a refres.h.i.+ng fever drink or family beverage on a hot day. Stem large ripe black currants and after was.h.i.+ng put into the preserving kettle, allowing a cupful of water to each quart of fruit.

This is necessary because the black currant is drier than the red or white. Mash with a wooden spoon or pestle, then cover and cook until the currants have reached the boiling point and are soft. Turn into a jelly bag and drain without squeezing. To each pint of the juice allow a half pound loaf sugar. Stir until well mixed, then cook just ten minutes from the time it commences to boil. Overcooking makes it tough and stringy.

Pour in sterilized gla.s.ses and when cold cover with paraffin.

-CANNED PINEAPPLE---Pare the pineapple and carefully remove the eyes with a sharp-pointed silver knife. Chop or grate or shred it with a fork, rejecting the core. Weigh, and to every pound of fruit allow a half pound of sugar, put all together in the preserving kettle, bring quickly to boiling, skim, and remove at once. Put into jars and fill to overflowing with sirup, and seal.

-CHERRY PRESERVES---Select large red cherries, stem and stone them, and save the juice. Weigh the fruit and an equal amount of sugar. Sprinkle the sugar over the cherries and let stand six hours, then put into a preserving kettle, add the juice, and heat slowly. Simmer until the cherries are clear, and skim carefully several times. Seal in jars and keep in a cool, dark place.

-CRANBERRY CONSERVE---To three and a half pounds cranberries add three pounds sugar, one pound seeded raisins and four oranges, cut in small pieces after peeling. Cook gently about twenty minutes, take from the fire, add one pound walnut meats, and cool.

-CHERRY JELLY---The juice of cherries does not make a firm jelly without the addition of gelatin. This means that it will not keep, but must be eaten soon after making. But if a soft jelly will satisfy it can be made, and kept like other jellies, without gelatin. To make this jelly crush ripe cherries and cook until soft, with just enough water to keep from burning. Strain and measure, to each cup of juice allow a cup of sugar. Simmer the juice ten minutes, heat the sugar and drop into the boiling juice. In a few minutes a soft jelly will form.

-CRANBERRY MOLD---This is an extremely pretty way of serving cranberries in individual molds. Wash a quart of cranberries and put in a porcelain or granite saucepan. Sprinkle over the top of the berries two cupfuls of sugar and on top of the sugar pour one cupful cold water. Set over the fire and cook slowly. When the berries break into a boil, cover just a few moments, not long, or the skins will burst, then uncover and cook until tender. Do not strain, but pour at once into small china molds.

This gives a dark rich looking mold that is not too acid and preserves the individuality of the fruit. If you wish to use some of the cranberries in lieu of Maraschino cherries, take up some of the most perfect berries before they have cooked too tender, using a darning needle or clean hat pin to impale them. Spread on an oiled plate and set in warming oven or a sunny window until candied.

-CURRANT AND RASPBERRY JELLY---Some of the finest jellies and jams are made from raspberries combined with currants. For jelly use two-thirds of currant juice to one-third raspberry juice and finish in the usual way.

-FIG PRESERVES---Take the figs when nearly ripe and cut across the top in the form of a cross. Cover with strong salted water and let stand three days, changing the water every day. At the end of this time cover with fresh water, adding a few grape or fig leaves to color, and cook until quite green. Then put again in cold water, changing twice daily, and leave three days longer. Add a pound granulated sugar to each pound figs, cook a few moments, take from the fire and set aside for two days.

Add more sugar to make sweet, with sliced and boiled lemon or ginger root to flavor, and cook until tender and thick.