Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus Part 6

-STUFFING FOR RABBITS---Peel two onions and boil, when they are tender drain and mince them. Chop one-half pound pickled pork and few fine herbs, stir them in with the onions, then stir in the yolks of two eggs and add a sufficient quant.i.ty breadcrumbs to make it fairly consistent.

Season to taste with pepper and salt, using a very little of the latter on account of the salt in the pork. Then stuffing is ready for use.

-STUFFING FOR A SUCKLING PIG AND 'POSSUM---Put two tablespoonfuls of finely chopped onions into a saucepan with one teaspoon of oil. Toss them over the fire for five or six minutes, add eight ounces of rice boiled in stock, an equal quant.i.ty of sausage meat, four or five ounces of b.u.t.ter, a small quant.i.ty of minced parsley, and pepper and salt to taste. Turn the mixture into a basin and add three eggs to make the whole into a stiff paste. It is then ready for use.

-STUFFING FOR TURKEY (ROASTED)---To one pound of sifted breadcrumbs add one-half pound of b.u.t.ter, one pound of boiled and mashed potatoes and a little summer savory rubbed to a fine powder, add sufficient eggs to stiffen and season with salt, pepper and grated nutmeg. A little sausage meat, grated ham and a few oysters or chopped mushrooms may be added; they are a marked improvement, as are also a few walnuts roasted, chestnuts and filberts, and the same may also be served in the gravy with the bird.

-STUFFING FOR VEAL---Trim off the skin and mince fine one-fourth pound of beef suet. Mix with it one cupful of bread crumbs, one tablespoonful of chopped parsley, two tablespoons of finely minced ham and the grated peel of a lemon. Season the stuffing to taste with pepper and salt and bind it with one beaten egg. It is then ready to use.

-TRUFFLE AND CHESTNUT STUFFING---Peel off the thick outer skin of the chestnuts, pat them into a saucepan with a bay leaf, a lump of salt, and plenty of coriander seeds. Cover them with water, and boil until nearly tender. Drain the chestnuts and peel off the inner skin, for every half pound of chestnuts, weighed after they are boiled and peeled, allow one-half pound of bacon, one-quarter pound of truffles, and the chestnuts all cut up into small pieces; season to taste with salt, pepper and spices and add a little each of powdered thyme and marjoram; toss the mixture for a few minutes longer over the fire and it is then ready for use.

-TRUFFLE STUFFING FOR TURKEY---Brush well one and one-half pounds of truffles, peel them, mince the peel very fine, cut the truffles into slices, put them all into a saucepan with one-quarter pound of minced fat bacon and any obtainable fat from the turkey. Also a good size lump of b.u.t.ter, with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for ten minutes and let it get cold before using. A turkey should be stuffed with this three days before it is cooked, and truffle sauce should accompany it.

-ENGLISH STUFFING---First, take some stale bread (use your own judgment as to the quant.i.ty), and brown it in your oven. Also one onion (red ones preferred), a quarter of a pound of fresh pork, or sausages, and run it through your meat grinder with a few stalks of celery; place it in a saucepan, in which a small lump of b.u.t.ter has been dissolved. Beat one or two eggs in a pint of sweet milk. Stir all ingredients well. Place on the fire or in the oven and continue to stir, so as to see that the onions are cooked. After you have this done set in a cool place; when the above articles are cold, place inside the turkey. Your seasoning that you place in the turkey, or make your gravy with, is sufficient.

Roast it in the same way as you have done in the past.

LUNCH DISHES

-BREAD, WITH CREAM CHEESE FILLING---For this use the steamed Boston brown bread and a potato loaf of white. Take the crust from the white loaf, using a sharp knife. Then instead of cutting crosswise cut in thin lengthwise pieces. Treat the brown loaf in the same way. b.u.t.ter a slice of the white bread on one side and do the same with a brown slice. Put the two b.u.t.tered sides together with a thin layer of fresh cream cheese between. Next b.u.t.ter the top of the brown slice of bread, spread again with cream cheese and lay a second slice of b.u.t.tered white bread on top.

Repeat until there are five layers, having the white last. Now with a sharp knife cut crosswise in thin slices. Sometimes the cream cheese filling can be varied with chopped pistachio nuts or olives, or it can be omitted entirely. In any case, it is delicate and appetizing.

-CHEESE CROQUETTES---Cut one pound of American cheese into small dice.

Have ready a cupful of very hot cream sauce, made by blending a tablespoonful each of flour and b.u.t.ter, and when melted adding a scant cup of hot milk. Stir until smooth and thickened. Add the cheese to this sauce, also the yolks of two eggs diluted with a little cream. Stir the whole and let it remain on the stove a moment until the cheese gets "steady." Season with salt, red and white pepper, and just a grating of nutmeg. Put this mixture on the ice until cold, then form into small croquettes and roll in fine bread or cracker crumbs. Dip in beaten egg, then again roll in the crumbs, drop into boiling fat and cook to a golden brown.

-CHICKEN AND PIMENTO SANDWICHES---Add to finely minced chicken, roasted or boiled, an equal amount of pimentos. Moisten with mayonnaise and spread between wafer thin slices of white or brown bread. A leaf of lettuce may also be added.

-CRESS SANDWICHES---Take thin slices of rare roast beef and cut into small pieces. Add an equal quant.i.ty of minced watercress dressed with a teaspoonful of grated horseradish, a little salt and paprika to season, and enough softened b.u.t.ter or thick cream to moisten. Blend the ingredients well, and spread between thin slices of b.u.t.tered graham or whole wheat bread. Cut in neat triangles, but do not reject the crust.

-BANANA SANDWICHES---Remove the skin and fibers from four bananas, cut them in quarters and force through a ricer. Mix with the pulp the juice of half a lemon, a dash of salt and nutmeg and set it away to become very cold while you prepare the bread. This should be cut in very thin slices, freed from crusts and trimmed into any preferred shape. Slightly sweeten some thick cream and add a speck of salt. Spread the bread with a thin layer of the cream, then with the banana pulp put together and wrap each in waxed paper, twist the ends, and keep very cold until serving time.

-GERMAN RYE BREAD SANDWICHES---Put between b.u.t.tered slices of rye bread chopped beef, cheese or chicken, and cover with finely chopped pickle, dill or the plain sour pickle. Another variation of the German sandwich is a layer of bologna sausage, then a thin layer of pumpernickel covered with another thin slice of rye bread. Cut into strips half an inch wide and the length of the slice.

-GRILLED SARDINES ON TOAST---Drain the sardines and cook in a b.u.t.tered frying-pan or chafing dish until heated, turning frequently. Place on oblong pieces of hot b.u.t.tered toast, and serve.

-HAM SANDWICHES---Chop two cups of ham, using a little fat with the lean. Mix one tablespoon of flour with enough cold water to make smooth, add one-half cup of boiling water, and cook five minutes; then add the ham and one teaspoon of dry mustard. Mix well and press into a bowl or jar.

-j.a.pANESE SANDWICHES---These are made of any kind of left-over fish, baked, broiled or boiled. Pick out every bit of skin and bone, and flake in small pieces. Put into a saucepan with just a little milk or cream to moisten, add a little b.u.t.ter and a dusting of salt and pepper. Work to a paste while heating, then cool and spread on thin slices of b.u.t.tered bread.

-KEDGEREE---For this take equal quant.i.ties of boiled fish and boiled rice. For a cupful each use two hard boiled eggs, a teaspoonful curry powder, two tablespoonfuls b.u.t.ter, a half tablespoonful cream, and salt, white pepper and cayenne to season. Take all the skin and bone from the fish and put in a saucepan with the b.u.t.ter. Add the rice and whites of the boiled eggs cut fine, the cream, curry powder and cayenne.

Toss over the fire until very hot, then take up and pile on a hot dish.

Rub the yolks of the boiled eggs through a sieve on top of the curry, and serve.

-SANDWICH FILLINGS---Other timely and appetizing fillings are green pepper and cuc.u.mber chopped fine and squeezed dry, then seasoned with mayonnaise, any of the potted and deviled meats seasoned with chopped parsley or cress with a teaspoonful creamed b.u.t.ter to make it spread, cheese and chopped spinach moistened with lemon juice and mayonnaise, veal chopped fine with celery or cress and mayonnaise, Camembert cheese heated slightly, just enough to spread, a Boston rarebit made with cream and egg left over scrambled eggs and cress, roast chicken and chopped dill pickles, cheese and chopped dates or figs, orange marmalade, and sardines pounded to a paste with a few drops of lemon juice added.

-SANDWICHES FROM COLD MUTTON---Chop very fine, and to each pint add a tablespoonful of capers, a teaspoonful each chopped mint and salt, a dash of pepper, and a teaspoonful lemon juice. Spread thickly on b.u.t.tered slices of whole wheat bread, cover with other slices of b.u.t.tered bread, and cut in triangles.

-TONGUE CANAPES---Cut bread into rounds, toast delicately, spread with potted tongue. In the centre put a stuffed olive and surround with a row of chopped beet and another of chopped white of egg.

-CORN TOAST---Toast some slices of stale bread and b.u.t.ter, then pour over some canned corn, prepared as for the table, sprinkling a little pepper over it. If you have not already done so. Do not prepare so long before serving as to soak the bread too much. Peas are also good used the same way.

-TONGUE TOAST---Mince boiled smoked tongue very fine, heat cream to the boiling point and make thick with the tongue. Season to taste with pepper, nutmeg, parsley or chopped green peppers and when hot stir in a beaten egg and remove from the fire at once. Have ready as many slices as are required, spread with the creamed tongue and serve at once. If you have no cream make a cream sauce, using a tablespoonful each of b.u.t.ter and flour and a cup of milk.

-LUNCHEON SURPRISE---Line b.u.t.tered m.u.f.fin cups with hot boiled rice about half an inch thick. Fill the centers with minced cooked chicken seasoned with salt and pepper and a little broth or gravy. Cover the tops with rice and bake in a moderate oven for fifteen minutes. Unmold on a warm platter and serve with a cream sauce seasoned with celery salt. If liked, two or three oysters may be added to the filling in each cup.

-SARDINE RAREBIT---One level tablespoon b.u.t.ter, one-fourth level teaspoon salt, one-fourth level teaspoon paprika, one level teaspoon mustard, one cup thin cream or milk, one cup grated cheese, one-fourth pound can sardines, boned and minced, two eggs, toast or crackers. Melt the b.u.t.ter, add the salt, paprika, mustard, cream and cheese and cook over hot water, stirring until the cheese is melted. Then add the sardines and eggs slightly beaten. When thick and smooth serve on toast or crackers.

-BANANA CROQUETTES---Remove skins and sc.r.a.pe bananas. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and moisten with lemon juice. Let stand twenty minutes; cut in halves crosswise. Dip in egg, then in fine cracker crumbs and fry in deep fat. When done drain on brown paper. Serve with lemon sauce.

-BACON AND GREEN PEPPERS---Select firm green peppers, cut into rings, removing all the seeds. Soak for twenty minutes in salted ice water.

Drain and dry and fry in the pan in which the bacon has cooked crisp.

Keep the bacon hot meanwhile. When the peppers are tender heap them up in the center of a small platter and arrange the slices of bacon around them.

-CHEESE RAMEKINS---Use two rounding tablespoons of grated cheese, a rounding tablespoon of b.u.t.ter, one-quarter cup of fine breadcrumbs, the same of milk, and a saltspoon each of mustard and salt, the yolk of one egg. Cook the crumbs in the milk until soft, add the stiffly beaten white of the egg. Fill china ramekins two-thirds full and bake five minutes. Serve immediately.

-CHEESE TIMBALES---Crumble into timbale cups, alternate layers of bread and American cheese. Pour over them a mixture of eggs, milk, salt, pepper and mustard, allowing one egg and a tablespoonful of milk to each timbale. Cook in the oven or on top of the stove in a shallow pan of hot water, kept covered.

-FRIED BANANAS---Peel some bananas and cut in halves crosswise, roll in flour and fry in deep hot fat. Set on end and pour a hot lemon sauce around them.