Recipes Tried and True/Entrees

by Freda R. Lavine

 

"We may live without poetry, music and art,
We may live without conscience and live without heart;
We may live without friends, we may live without books;
But civilized men cannot live without cooks."

 

ENTREES

 

BATTER FOR ALL FRITTERS

• 1⅓ cups flour,
• 2 teaspoons baking powder,
• ¼ teaspoon salt,
• ⅔ cup milk,
• 1 egg.

Mix and sift flour, baking powder, salt; add gradually milk, egg. Mix with apples cut in slices or pieces, peaches, apricots, pears or bananas. When using pineapple, soak in sherry or white wine, with a little sugar and let stand one hour. Always fry in plenty of fat and drain well; sprinkle with sugar.

 

BRAIN TIMBALE OR RAMIKINS

• 1 pair of beef brains,
• 1 thick piece stale white bread,
• ¼ cup milk,
• Salt, pepper, ginger,
• 2 eggs.

Soak brains in cold water one hour; parboil twenty minutes in salt water and remove the membrane and mash through the colander. Add bread soaked in milk and squeeze dry. Season with salt, pepper, ginger; add beaten eggs. Butter ramikins and steam ¾ of an hour. Sweetbread can be prepared the same way.

 

CHEESE BALLS

• 1 cake of cream cheese,
• Butter half size of cheese,
• 6 dashes Tobasco sauce,
• 1 tablespoon cream,
• ¼ teaspoon salt,
• Chopped nuts.

Mix cheese with butter, sauce, cream and salt. Roll in one large ball or small ones and roll in nuts. Nuts may be mixed with cheese. Balls may be served on lettuce with mayonnais.

 

CHEESE SOUFFLE

• 4 ounces grated cheese,
• 2 ounces butter,
• 2 ounces inside white bread,
• ½ pint milk,
• 2 eggs,
• ⅓ teaspoon salt,
• Cayenne.

Mix cheese, butter, bread and beaten yolks, salt, pepper and milk. Put in double boiler, heat until smooth and add beaten whites. Fill ramikins ¾ full and put in oven six minutes.

 

CHICKEN AND MUSHROOMS

• 2 tablespoons butter,
• 2 tablespoons chopped, onions,
• 1½ cans mushrooms chopped (fresh preferred)
• 1 cup milk,
• 1½ tablespoons flour,
• 1 cup chicken meat in disks,
• Salt, pepper.

Melt butter; add onion and mushrooms; cook five minutes, add milk with flour. Cook altogether; when thick and smooth add chicken: Heat through, season and serve on buttered toast or in ramikins.

 

CHICKEN CROQUETTES

Chop three and one-half cups chicken very fine, add one pint thick white sauce. Mix as in making rice croquettes; shape and cook the same way.

 

CHICKEN IN RAMIKINS

• Small chicken,
• Tablespoon butter,
• Tablespoon flour,
• ½ pint of cream,
• 1 can mushrooms,
• Juice of one lemon,
• Yolks of two eggs, salt, pepper.

Parboil chicken, cut into small pieces. Melt butter; add flour, cream, mushrooms. Cook to a thick sauce. Add chicken, lemon juice, eggs, salt and pepper. Grease ramikins and bake to a very light brown. Trim with parsley and slices of lemon.

 

CORN FRITTERS

• 2 eggs,
• 1 pint cooked or canned corn,
• ¼ teaspoon salt,
• 2 heaping tablespoons flour,
• ½ teaspoon baking powder,
• Milk.

Mix eggs, corn, salt, sifted flour and baking powder. Add enough milk to make them pour easily on a hot griddle. Fry in plenty of butter or fat.

 

CRABS A LA NEWBURG

• 3 hard boiled eggs,
• Salt, pepper,
• ½ pint sweet cream,
• 3 cups crab meat,
• 4 tablespoons melted butter,
• 2 tablespoons sherry wine,
• Juice of one lemon.

Cream yolks of eggs with salt, pepper, add cream and butter. Cook slowly, stirring till thick. Take from fire, add wine, lemon juice and crab meat.

 

FRICASSEE CRAB FLAKES

• 4 large hard shelled crabs,
• Pepper, salt,
• 1 small lump butter,
• ¼ cup milk,
• ½ pint cream,
• 1 green pepper cut up,
• 3 eggs.

Pick flakes of crabs after boiling; put into pan with butter, pepper salt, cream and pepper. Let come to a boil and take from fire. Add beaten yolks with milk, stir well and return to fire until it thickens. Be careful not to boil.

 

LOBSTER A LA NEWBURG

• 3 live lobsters,
• ½ cup sherry,
• 1 tablespoon butter,
• 1 cup cream,
• Salt, pepper,
• Yolks of three eggs.

Boil lobsters twenty minutes in salt water. When cool, pick, put in sherry, butter and cook three minutes, always stirring. Then add cream, salt, pepper and eggs.

 

LOBSTER OR CRAB FRICASSEE

• 3 lobsters or 6 crabs,
• 1 onion,
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley,
• Dash Worcestershire sauce,
• 4 large tomatoes, or ½ can,
• Salt, Pepper.

Boil fish about five minutes; pick meat when cool. Brown onions in butter. Add parsley, tomatoes, pepper, salt. Put in meat adding enough water to cover it, boil forty-five minutes, add sauce. Make soup from claws.

 

MOCK RABBIT ON TOAST

• ½ lb. American Cheese,
• Butter size of egg,
• Chopped green peppers.

Grate cheese, put in double boiler with butter. Cook with peppers, until thick. Spread on white bread not too fresh and toast until brown.

 

MUSHROOM FRICASSEE

• 3 lbs. mushrooms,
• 1 tablespoon butter,
• ¼ lb. butter,
• 1 tablespoon flour,
• 1 tablespoon butter,
• 1 cup cream,
• 1 tablespoon sherry or Maderia wine.

Saute mushrooms a few at a time until half done. Melt butter; add flour and cream. When this comes to a boil add mushrooms. Cook slowly for fifteen minutes. Flavor with tablespoon wine.

 

RICE CROQUETTES

• 1 pint cold cooked rice,
• 3 tablespoons milk,
• 2 tablespoons butter,
• Cayenne,
• 1 egg,
• ½ teaspoon salt,
• White pepper,
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley,
• Cracker dust or bread crumbs.

Warm rice in double boiler with milk. Add butter, egg, salt, pepper, parsley, and cook until it thickens. Spread on plate to cool, shape into rolls. Roll in crumbs; dip in eggs and roll in crumbs again. Cook in deep hot fat until brown.

 

MACARONI IN TOMATO CASES

• 8 tomatoes,
• 1 cup boiled macaroni,
• 1 cup white sauce,
• Salt, pepper,
• Grated cheese,
• Cracker crumbs,
• Flakes of butter.

Cut off tops of tomatoes, scoop them out, fill with macaroni mixed with white sauce. Salt and pepper and some of scooped tomatoes. Cover with grated cheese, cracker crumbs, butter and bake in hot oven fifteen minutes. Serve at once. May also be filled with a dressing of bread crumbs, egg, chopped parsley and two tablespoons butter to brown crumbs.

 

SWEETBREADS BAKED

• 1 lb. sweetbreads,
• ½ can mushrooms chopped,
• 1 tablespoon flour,
• ½ chopped onion,
• ½ pint cream
• 1 tablespoon butter,
• Yolk of 2 eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs.

Boil and skim sweetbreads. Allow to cool. Add mushrooms with sweetbreads. Melt butter, add flour, onion, cream and eggs. Let come to a boil. Add mixture and parsley. Put in greased ramikin, cover with crumbs, mixed with melted butter. Bake light brown in a pan of water. Twelve portions.

 

SPAGHETTI ON LETTUCE

Mix diced tomatoes, shredded cabbage, cold boiled spaghetti and boiled mayonnaise. Season and serve on lettuce.