The Hotel St. Francis Cook Book Part 15

MARCH 8

BREAKFAST Stewed prunes Scrambled eggs with bacon b.u.t.tered toast English breakfast tea

LUNCHEON Canape of fresh caviar Consomme in cups Cheese straws Spring lamb Irish stew Cream puffs Coffee

DINNER Puree d'Artois (soup) Salted pecans Broiled shad, Albert Chicken a l'Estragon Potatoes au gratin Artichokes, sauce Hollandaise Omelette soufflee Coffee

=Puree d'Artois.= Same as puree of peas.

=Broiled shad, Albert.= Broiled shad with horseradish sauce.

=Chicken a l'Estragon.= Boil a whole chicken in a quart of water with salt and a bouquet garni. When done pull the skin off but leave the chicken whole. Make the sauce in the following manner: Put three ounces of b.u.t.ter in a ca.s.serole, when hot add two and one-half spoonfuls of flour and one and one-half pints of the chicken broth, boil for ten minutes, add a little chopped tarragon and boil for another ten minutes.

Bind with the yolks of two eggs and a half cup of cream, strain, and season with salt and Cayenne pepper. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and lay a few leaves of tarragon on top.

=Omelette soufflee.= Mix a cup of powdered sugar with the yolks of two eggs and the inside of a vanilla bean, and beat until it is light and fluffy. Beat the whites of eight eggs until they are very stiff, then add to the batter, mixing lightly. Place this on a b.u.t.tered silver platter that has been dusted with powdered sugar, form into a fancy shape, decorate through a pastry bag with some of the same preparation, dust with powdered sugar, and bake in a rather hot oven for about ten minutes.

=Omelette soufflee en surprise.= Cut a piece of sponge cake into an oval shape about one-half inch thick, three inches wide and six inches long.

Put on top of the cake one pint of vanilla ice cream that has been frozen very hard, cover with omelette soufflee preparation, decorate in the same manner as above, dust with powdered sugar, and bake in a very hot oven for two minutes.

MARCH 9

BREAKFAST Orange marmalade Boiled eggs Dry toast Ceylon tea

LUNCHEON Eggs Maltaise Calf's head, a la Francaise Plain boiled potatoes Brie cheese and crackers Coffee

DINNER Cream of green corn Matelote of fish Leg of mutton, Bretonne Field salad Sand tart Coffee

=Eggs Maltaise.= Fill a croustade with puree of fresh mushrooms, put a poached egg on top, and cover with cream sauce.

=Calf's head, a la Francaise.= Boil a calf's head, with the tongue and brains, and dish up on a china platter. Make a macedoine of vegetables as follows: Boil in salt water a carrot and a turnip, and when cold cut up in small dices. Add one-half pound of cold cooked string beans cut in pieces about one-half inch long, one-quarter pound of boiled peas, and one-half can of flageolet beans. Put this macedoine in a salad bowl, add one teaspoonful of salt, one-half teaspoonful of fresh-ground black pepper, a little parsley and chervil, one-half cup of white wine vinegar, and one and one-half cups of olive oil. Mix well and pour over the calf's head.

=Cream of green corn.= Soak five pounds of green corn in cold water over night. Then put on fire in pot with one-half gallon of bouillon, and cook until soft. Then strain through a fine sieve, put back in pot, add one quart of boiling cream, and season with salt and a little Cayenne pepper. Before serving add four ounces of sweet b.u.t.ter, and stir well until melted.

=White beans, Bretonne.= Soak 3 pounds of white beans in cold water over night. Put in a vessel with three quarts of water, a ham bone, a bouquet garni, and a small handful of salt. Boil until soft, then remove the ham bone and bouquet, and drain off the water. Chop three large onions very fine, put in ca.s.serole with three ounces of b.u.t.ter, and simmer until cooked, then add a teaspoonful of chopped garlic and heat through, pour in a cupful of puree of tomatoes and some chopped parsley, add the beans, season well with fresh-ground black pepper, and cook for ten minutes.

=Leg of mutton, Bretonne.= Roast leg of mutton garnished with beans Bretonne.

=Matelote of fish.= Take the solid meat of any kind of fresh fish such as ba.s.s, carp, perch, etc., and cut about four pounds in slices two inches thick. Put in b.u.t.tered pan, season with salt and pepper, add one pint of claret, one cup of stock, fish broth, or water, and a bouquet garni. Cover, put over a slow fire and boil for about twenty minutes, or until soft. Put the fish in a deep dish, cover with matelote sauce, and garnish with boiled ecrevisses. To make the matelote sauce put three ounces of b.u.t.ter in a ca.s.serole and allow to become hot. Then add two spoonfuls of flour, heat well, and then pour in the strained broth from the fish, boil for ten minutes, add one spoonful of meat extract and one teaspoonful of essence of anchovies, and strain. Peel one dozen very small white onions, parboil then and fry in b.u.t.ter until soft. Add the onions and one can of French mushrooms to the sauce, season well, and boil.

=Sand tart (Sable).= One pound of sugar, one pound of flour, the yolks of five eggs, six ounces of b.u.t.ter, and three tablespoonfuls of thick sour milk in which has been dissolved one pinch of soda. Mix to a hard dough and roll very thin. Beat the whites of two eggs and use to moisten the top of the rolled dough. Cut in the desired shape, sprinkle with sugar mixed with a little powdered cinnamon and chopped almonds, put on b.u.t.tered pan and bake quick.

MARCH 10

BREAKFAST Sliced bananas with cream Broiled finnan haddie Baked potatoes Rolls Coffee

LUNCHEON Eggs Renaissance Mutton chops, Signora Fried egg plant Romaine salad Meringued peaches Coffee

DINNER Mock turtle soup Oysters, Victor Croustades Laguipierre Roast capon, au jus Fresh asparagus, Hollandaise Champs Elysees potatoes Escarole salad Fancy ice cream a.s.sorted cakes Coffee

=Eggs Renaissance.= Put a little cream sauce in the bottom of a b.u.t.tered cocotte dish, add a raw egg, season with salt and pepper, then add a few sliced canned mushrooms and sliced truffles, cover with cream sauce, sprinkle with grated cheese, put bits of b.u.t.ter on top, and bake in oven.

=Mutton chops, Signora.= Split open four mutton chops, season with salt and pepper, put three slices of truffle in each chop and fold together, roll in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in bread crumbs. Fry the chops for ten minutes in hot melted b.u.t.ter. Serve cream sauce to which has been added some chopped truffles.

=Meringued peaches.= (Peche meringuee.) Cook one quarter pound of rice in one quart of milk for about one-half hour. The rice should be stiff when done. Add one pony of cream, one ounce of b.u.t.ter, two ounces of sugar, and mix well. Spread on a dish about one inch deep, and place on top some halved preserved peaches, or some fresh peaches cooked in syrup. Make a meringue paste with the whites of four eggs beaten stiff and a half pound of sugar. Cover the peaches with the meringue, using a pastry bag with a fancy tube. Dust over with powdered sugar, and bake in a rather cool oven until it becomes a little dry and brown.

=Oysters Victor.= Wash the heads of three fresh mushrooms, dry them in a towel, and chop very fine, also chop very fine six walnuts and put in salad bowl with the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, add three ounces of b.u.t.ter and a little chopped parsley, and mix well together.

Spread this paste on top of a dozen oysters on the half sh.e.l.l, and bake in oven for about five minutes. Serve with halves of lemon.

=Croustades Laguipierre.= Use equal parts of chickens' livers, saute in b.u.t.ter, sliced sweetbreads saute, boiled rooster combs, sliced green olives, sliced truffles, and French mushrooms cut in two. Stir into hot Madeira sauce, season well, and fill the croustades.

MARCH 11

BREAKFAST Fresh strawberries with cream Scrambled eggs with truffles Crescents Coffee

LUNCHEON Hors d'oeuvres varies Potato omelet Roquefort cheese and crackers Hungarian beef goulash Coffee

DINNER Consomme Du Barry Queen olives Fillet of sole, Turbigo Veal kidney roast Carrots in b.u.t.ter Mashed potatoes Chicory salad Fried cream Coffee

=Scrambled eggs with truffles.= Cut a truffle in small dices and put in sauce pan, on the range, with one ounce of b.u.t.ter. When hot add six beaten eggs, a little salt and pepper, one spoonful of cream, and then scramble in the usual manner. Dish up and lay six slices of heated truffles on top.

=Potato omelet.= Cut a boiled potato in small dices. Put one ounce of b.u.t.ter in a frying pan with the potato, and fry until brown, then add six beaten eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook into an omelet in the usual manner.

=Consomme Du Barry.= Boil a cauliflower in salt water. When done cut the tips of the flowers from the stems and add to boiling consomme.

=Fillet of sole, Turbigo.= Cut the fillets from a sole, and remove the skin. Spread with fish force meat, (see fish dumplings), fold in half, place in b.u.t.tered saute pan, season with salt and pepper, add one-half gla.s.s of white wine, and boil. When done remove the fish to a platter; add to the gravy in the pan one cup of white wine sauce, boil for ten minutes, and strain. Cut the tail of a lobster in slices, heat them and lay on top of fillets and cover with the sauce.

=Carrots in b.u.t.ter.= Wash and peel three dozen small French carrots, and boil in two quarts of salted water. When done drain off the water, add two ounces of sweet b.u.t.ter, and simmer for two minutes. Sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.

=Fried cream.= One quart of milk, one-half pound of sugar, the yolks of eight eggs, four ounces of flour, and one-half of a vanilla bean. Boil the milk with the vanilla bean. Mix the sugar, flour and the yolks of the eggs, and then pour into the boiling milk. Continue cooking, stirring all the time until stiff. Then pour into a flat pan in a layer about three-quarters of an inch thick, allow to become cold, and then cut into two inch squares. Roll in flour, then in beaten egg, and finally in cake, macaroon, or bread crumbs, and fry in swimming lard until brown. Serve dusted with powdered sugar, or with a lump of sugar covered with brandy, and burning.

=Beef tongue, Parisian style.= Wash a fresh beef tongue, put in a pot, cover with hot water, add a cup of white wine vinegar, two carrots, two onions, a bay leaf, a few cloves, a crushed garlic clove, some thyme, the green tops of a bunch of celery, and some salt. Simmer slowly for three hours, or until when p.r.i.c.ked with a fork it has the consistency of jelly. Then peel and trim. Reduce the broth, and make a brown gravy, adding a gla.s.s of Madeira wine. In another pan boil a dozen or so small onions. Glace and simmer them in plenty of b.u.t.ter, but do not brown, add a can of mushroom heads and quarter of a pound of salt pork that has been boiled and diced, and simmer again. Add two tablespoonfuls of minced parsley and a wine gla.s.s of sherry, then mix with the brown Madeira sauce. Put the whole tongue on a platter, and pour the sauce over it.

MARCH 12

BREAKFAST Stewed rhubarb Boiled eggs Rolls Coffee

LUNCHEON Grapefruit with maraschino Fried tomcods, Tartar Broiled honeycomb tripe Celery root, field and beet salad Lyonnaise potatoes Cherry tart Coffee

DINNER Potage Lamballe Radishes Ba.s.s, Dijonaise Roast chicken Fonds d'artichauts, Feypell Julienne potatoes Sliced tomatoes, French dressing Vanilla ice cream Cakes Coffee

=Ba.s.s, Dijonaise.= Put four fillets of ba.s.s in a b.u.t.tered pan, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with two finely-chopped shallots, add one-half cup of water, cover, and put in hot oven for fifteen minutes.

Then place the fillets on a platter, and reduce the broth until nearly dry, add one spoonful of French mustard and two cups of cream sauce, and boil for two minutes. Add some chopped chives, and pour over the fish.